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Are The Similarities Between The Great Depression And The COVID-19 Pandemic

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The course of human history has witnessed a several number of events that have shaped and reshaped societal norms and institutions. Two important events that have shaped modern society are the Great Depression of the 1930s and the COVID-19 pandemic of the early 2020s. While separated by nearly a century, both events resulted in significant economic, political, and social disasters, causing a ripple effect across nations all around the world. Despite their differences in context and nature, these crises offer a unique perspective on humanity's strength and adaptability to such historical instability. The Great Depression, the most severe and long- lasting economic disaster in the history of the Western world, began with the Wall Street Crash …show more content…

The coronavirus in late 2019 started to disrupt economies globally. Businesses shut down, jobs were lost, and the world plunged into an economic recession much like the Great Depression. However, unlike the 1930s, the areas that were most affected were vastly different, with industries such as travel and services hit hardest, while others like technology and online retail were thriving in the middle of the pandemic (Baldwin & Weder di Mauro, 2020). The political response to the COVID-19 pandemic was also notably different. Although governments around the world introduced stimulus packages and implemented economic policies to reduce the effects of the economic disaster, the pandemic's politics were charged with debates over public health versus economic health. Countries showed many levels of success in handling the crisis, leading to a wide range of outcomes and political implications (Baldwin & Weder di Mauro, 2020). Society saw an extreme transformation during this time. From introducing social distancing norms to significant increases in remote work, the pandemic changed how we live, work, and interact. Also, it brought mental health and other social issues to be just as important, leading to increased awareness and discussions around these topics. Diplomatically, the pandemic did damage international relations, as other

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