KEEP
CALM
AND
CLUTCH
YOUR
PEARLS
KEEP
CALM
AND
HIDE
YOUR
JEWELS
KEEP
CALM
AND
BRIBE
THE
COURTS
Keep Calm
Only The Elite Are Panicking
-
The narrative of impending chaos and crime after disasters is largely unfounded. Often, the perpetrators of unlawful behavior are those in power. The fear of losing their position or power, drives them to panic. As disaster sociologists describe it, Elite Panic grows from:
Fear of social disorder
Fear of poor, minorities and immigrants
Obsession with looting and property crime
Willingness to resort to deadly force
Actions taken on the basis of rumor
-
With wealth continuing to consolidate, the fear of losing status and the associated Elite Panic will continue to be more and more severe. However, by identifying and talking about the situation, communities at large strengthen their local connections and build the trust to weather future catastrophes while avoiding panic themselves.
Further Reading and Sources of Hope
“Two things matter most about these ephemeral moments [disasters]. First, they demonstrate what is possible or, perhaps more accurately, latent: the resilience and generosity of those around us and their ability to improvise another kind of society. Second, they demonstrate how deeply most of us desire connection, participation, altruism, and purposefulness. Thus the startling joy in disasters…
.…The joy in disaster comes, when it comes, from purposefulness, the immersion in service and survival, and from an affection that is not private and personal but civic: The love of strangers for each other, of a citizen for his or her city, of belonging to a greater whole, of doing the work that matters.”
— Rebecca Solnit, A Paradise Built in Hell
http://rebeccasolnit.net/book/a-paradise-built-in-hell/
