Edward bellamy books7/2/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() I wondered whether utopian or speculative fiction might be a guide, at least for part of the way. ![]() Dismal economic news about how Covid-19 had worsened inequality and job prospects, particularly among the young, prompted me to consider alternative visions for the future. ![]() The word furlough then turned up in a surprising place. Furlough changed during the pandemic and is due to end on 31 October. To stop a mass shedding of labour, the UK government pledged to pay 80 per cent of a worker’s pay (up to a maximum). But I had to become well acquainted with it as I teach at the economics department of the Open University.Īs I learnt quickly, furlough referred to providing wages for workers who were temporarily relieved from duties. Some of this language is new but Covid-19 has also revived older words.Ĭhancellor Rishi Sunak referred to ‘furlough’ when he announced the Coronavirus job retention scheme at the outset of the pandemic. Covid-secure, social distancing, the R rate. The coronavirus crisis has ushered in its own language. Dr Rajiv Prabhakar wonders whether utopian or speculative fiction, such as Edward Bellamy’s ‘ Looking Backward: 2000–1887‘, might be a useful guide when considering alternative visions for the future. ![]()
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