We miss Lawrence like we miss the black death, and Covid has been a handy reminder of how much we really miss that.

The black death gets a bad press. The working wage rose dramatically and there were also very positive environmental effects from the fall in world population. Land that had been used for farming wasn't needed for that and so there was an increase in forestation. Some also believe that it caused a general adjustment in how we viewed the world and led directly to the Renaissance.

So as with Lawrence, it depends very much on your point of view.

I'd suggest the fact we are missing Lawrence tells you how bad things are.

comment by lastapostleofvidal (U1491)
posted about 3 hours ago

The black death gets a bad press. The working wage rose dramatically and there were also very positive environmental effects from the fall in world population. Land that had been used for farming wasn't needed for that and so there was an increase in forestation. Some also believe that it caused a general adjustment in how we viewed the world and led directly to the Renaissance.

So as with Lawrence, it depends very much on your point of view.

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Probably helped bring serfdom to an end in England as well. However the higher wages for farm labourers led to change from arable crops to sheep farming and then the enclosures whereby the wealthy simply stole the land from the people, and most of them still have it.A bit like Lawrence really somethings good, somethings awful.