When the Recession first hit, people were very upset: they had lost their homes, their jobs, their 
dignity. There were cries for Bankers to be jailed for fraud, there were cries for financial and tax reforms, there were even cries for the “removal “of selected Supreme Court justices. 7 yrs ago, though The Plague was among us, Man still walked with dignity and purpose, the effects of the Plague were not yet evident. As the Recession wore on unabated, as The Middle Class lost all hope, the rottenness of The Plague overtook the Middle Class and we succumbed to our plight. Many lost their will to fight.
The cries for vengeance by the Middle Class ceased as they realized, nothing was going to reverse the trend in the country, which rewards one group over the needs of the Middle Class. So the slogan began to appear, ” our State of Inequality”! It was recognized what had occurred. The Middle Class well understood what had happened to create this ” State of Inequality”, but they were now cowed. 7 yrs into the Recession of 2008, there were no plans to reverse the ” state of inequality”. The Middle Class once loudly proclaiming vengeance fell silent as they tried to survive. Barely surviving , as their salaries decreased and their expenses either remained the same or rose. The Middle class was now erased as they worked for a pittance and knew first hand, what it was like to live ” hand to mouth”. Now, it would be impossible to speak out, because their silence was imposed absolutely, as they feared for their survival and the survival of their families.
But wait, man’s nature does not like to remain silent when facing adversity. It’s un-natural. Someone will speak, some people can still see and articulate the truth. Though the rage may be smoldering still, a new Hope has sprung up among the people. And so it was with the passing of The Plague, ” the pestilence taught the populace that there was more to admire in Man, then to despise.”
“None the less, ( our narrator, in Camus’ story, The Plague, the ” good doctor” continues, as he ends the story of the Town’s fight and their eventual survival from The Plague) he states, ” he knew that the tale he had to tell could not be one of a final victory. It could be only the record of what had had to be done, and what assuredly would have to be done again in the never ending fight against terror and its relentless onslaughts”. The Dr. goes on to marvel at the few who rose up to the occasion and became healers, ” despite their personal afflictions, they were unable to bow down to the pestilence.”
And, indeed, as he listened to the cries of joy rising from the town, Rieux remembered that such joy is always imperiled. He knew what those jubilant crowds did not know but could have learned from books: that the plague bacillus never dies or disappears for good; that it can lie dormant for years and years in furniture and linen-chests; that it bides its time in bedrooms, cellars, trunks, and bookshelves; and that perhaps the day would come when, for the bane and the enlightening of men, it would rouse up its rats again and send them forth to die in a happy city.”
Excerpt From: Camus, Albert. “The Plague.” iBooks.
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While the Dr was bearing witness to the pestilence that engulfed his Town, he and his group, worked 24/7, to stamp out the disease. In the process of healing others and bringing other’s renewed life, they all changed . Finally, everyone embraced the day when the pestilence ended and all were more alive; imbued with a new spirit of caring, feeling and empathy. Since nothing is permanent , no “State ” is permanent , we must be ever vigilant and ready to work 24/7, to keep the Plague from our doors.
The Plague is allegory. We the people don’t need a plague to wake up and think and feel to do the right thing for ourselves, our families and our Society. Recognize that the The Plague resides within us now. If The Middle Class is to survive, we must fight for our rights once again. Sleep walking without seeing and feeling, allowing the status quo to exist, is no longer an option. If our ” state of inequality” persists, we the People, will die off, just like those in Albert Camus’, The Plague. It will continue to ravage our cities unless and until we fight back and reclaim our place in this World for ourselves and future generations. We must be ever vigilant, we must work 24/7, to restore life and jobs to our people. And keep the pestilence at bay.
We have a voice, you have a choice, when Politics, like The Plague, effects US.
