“Recovery” will not be enough; the status quo was not working for many of us. We must turn in a new direction, with changed values, new policies, and revitalized institutions. Or else. There must be a basic consensus about the duties and obligations that we have toward one another. Such a consensus no longer exists in this country, and it is a very dangerous situation. We must create a new political consensus around a set of shared values, with a social contract that aims to achieve fairness and a fair society. Among other things, this must include a universal basic needs guarantee.
