A silver lining — now is the time to imagine a different future

by Calum Green, CEO of London Community Land Trust

When a crisis occurs, the window for what is politically possible widens. As we reflect on how we got here, and think hard about where we want to get back to, a sense of opportunity to change things for the better is in the air. But, it will often dissipate quickly and without warning.

Given the tragedy involved in this highly unpredictable crisis, we have an obligation to take advantage of any silver lining that might exist. We must look at all options for a better future.

And yet, we should not fall into the trap of thinking this future is either predictable, or that it will necessarily reinforce whatever beliefs we already have. The window for what is possible also widens for those we disagree with. Few predicted that the 2008 financial crisis would contribute to a rise in authoritarian ideas across Europe and the USA.

We are at a critical juncture, where things that previously seemed impossible are now openly considered (see a traditional fiscally conservative Government offering to pay 80% of [some] people’s wages). And yet, predicting the outcome of this crisis is a waste if time, and efforts to do so will often be based on reinforcing our existing beliefs, not a frank assessment of where things could go.

So, given that complexity renders predictions a fool’s errand, what does that mean for those who want to change the way we do things? I find myself in rare agreement with Milton Friedman, ‘when [a] crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around.