The Atlantic

We’re Not ‘All in It Together’

But we could be, if we rise to the moment.
Source: Bettman / Getty

I first noticed the message spreading a month ago, in emails from college and nonprofit leaders as they reckoned with the cascading impact of the coronavirus: “We’re all in it together.” At first, I found its decency calming. But as the message found its way into slick ads for auto companies and cable monopolies and drug manufacturers, I was reminded of the merchandisers peddling #BostonStrong swag right after the 2013 bombing of the Boston Marathon. Once again, Americans were as quick to sell a slogan as to live its values.

Are we, in fact, all in it together? The honest answer is, not yet.

That’s partly because of

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