The Plague And The Pandemic
Biologically the Black Plague and the Coronavirus are nothing alike. But we’re already seeing parallels in how they affected society.
One of my favorite podcasts is The Last Podcast On The Left. It began as a comedic true crime/unexplained phenomena podcast but has branched out to include major historical events as well. They recently did a 5 part series on the black plague, you can find out more about them here.
It’s a fun listen if you get a chance. One of the things I learned was how society overall was effected by the plague.
You see, during the plague, the rich were protected. They didn’t have to go out into the world to make a living if they didn’t want to. Therefore they suffered less deaths than anyone else at the time. Sure Joan of England, daughter of Edward III, died of the plague but that was because she didn’t think it was a big deal.
The middle class didn’t exist at the time. There were the haves, and then there were their slaves, or serfs. Since the serfs were in the thick of it, having to reap what crops would actually grow during an also-present pestilence, make food, create textiles, or cram onto a boat to fish, they were the ones getting sick.
The Experts
There were the “Experts”. The church told everyone God was doing this to them as…
