Toilet paper, huh? It might make no sense, but it does say so much about where we are as a society right now. We are fearful, reactive and encouraged to behave in crazily selfish ways.
But this behaviour did not come out of nowhere. It has been carefully cultivated through over 40 years of neoliberal economic policies that have made it blatantly clear to people that they are on their own and will absolutely be left to fall if they don’t scramble their way to the top of the heap — supported, if necessary, by their own accumulated rolls of toilet paper.
We have all witnessed the shrinking role of the State, as the government has stepped back from providing a whole raft of social services through funding cuts, privatisation and the imposition of punitive disciplinary policies on those unfortunate enough to remain dependant (think Robo-debt, Job Network or Work for the Dole). And we have all witnessed some of the most obvious consequences, with more and more people falling into long-term poverty, social isolation and poor health.
Another related consequence is the way these policies (and the ideology behind them) has shaped everyone’s behaviour. When society is organised around the idea that everyone must look after themselves or suffer the consequences, then the logical outcome is for people to focus on their own self-interest. Driven by fear and a system that not only rewards selfishness but, most importantly, actively punishes the opposite, people behave accordingly — by stockpiling, for example, or going to work while waiting for medical test results.
The problem, obviously, is that this is a disaster for society as a whole, especially in times of crisis when we most need people to be community minded. If everyone acts only in their own self-interest (out of fear, necessity or otherwise), we end up with unnecessary scarcities in essential goods and increased infection rates as people fail to self-isolate. In other words, we all lose. It’s a classic outcome of the Prisoner’s Dilemma.
While the threat of a global pandemic has brought this issue into stark relief, we should also pay attention to the ongoing risks posed by our individualistic culture during any crisis — and we are guaranteed to be facing quite a few of these in a changing climate.
'Hoarding toilet paper might be odd, but it’s nothing compared to the hoarding of money and property in a world where people are homeless and living below the poverty line.'
So, what should we do? To start with, can I suggest that we stop blaming and shaming individuals for their entirely understandable reactions to the system we are living in? Yes, stockpiling toilet paper is both unhelpful and a little bizarre, but, as many have pointed out, it has been driven by the trust deficit created for so many who felt abandoned by the government during the bushfire crisis (and over the decades that preceded it).
Hoarding toilet paper might be odd, but it’s nothing compared to the hoarding of money and property in a world where people are homeless and living below the poverty line. And yet, this is precisely the behaviour that our culture and economic system currently rewards and celebrates. Why is it that Joe Bloggs with his trolley stacked high with toilet paper is currently mocked and reviled, while Gina Rinehart and Andrew Forest are celebrated?
Clearly this is a systemic issue and it will ultimately need a systematic response. As we prepare to face an increasing number of crises, we need our government to build communal resilience by fundamentally changing the rules that current erode our sense of community security and trust. And to do this, we will need a new economic system that prioritises equality over accumulation at the top.
Unfortunately, there are few signs that such changes are on this government’s agenda. Instead, we have our Industrial Relations Minister, Christian Porter, refusing to make provision for low-paid casual workers who are forced to self-isolate on the basis that many 'would have already made provisions for that because of course the purpose of casual employment is that you’re paid extra in-lieu of the types of entitlements'.
In the face of this current political reality, while we work towards a more humane economic system under a more compassionate government, we might also need to engage in radical acts of community solidarity and to build social safety nets at the local level. We can do this by getting involved in local government and community associations, by reaching out and getting to know our neighbours, by lending out or sharing our stuff, helping each other out, creating community gardens and food forests, or coming together to care for our parks and reserves.
Or we can get even more radical and give away our toilet paper.
Dr Cristy Clark is a human rights specialist. Her work focuses on the intersection of human rights, neoliberalism, activism and the environment, and particularly on the human right to water.
Main image: Toilet rolls on a pink background (Getty images)