Rất khó

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Dear Dan,

I live in New Zealand, where we are currently almost Covid-19-free. The border (biên giới) is closed except for New Zealand citizens coming back home, and they have to spend two weeks in isolation (biệt lập) in a designated quarantine (cách ly được chỉ định) hotel. Recently, there have been several big news stories about returnees who broke quarantine to go to a supermarket or a liquor store (tiệm bán rượu), potentially exposing dozens of people to the virus. What makes people think it’s OK to flout (coi thường, miệt thị, lăng nhục) the rules like this?

—David 

Getting people to follow safety protocols during the pandemic (đại dịch) is a good example of the economic problem known as the tragedy of the commons (thảm kịch của cái chung). If everyone follows the rules, the whole community benefits. But if one person starts to bend the rules for their own advantage, others will follow suit, until the system falls apart and everyone is worse off. The common danger we’re all in should be an opportunity to increase cooperation and social cohesion (dính liền, gắn liền, cố kết), not just in New Zealand but everywhere.

Bài trước: Có mẹ nào là Phật tử, ăn chay trường và bị nhà chồng ghét giống mình không?