giving the world what nobody asked for
A short run through some of the painfully obvious ways in which Disaster Capitalism – operating through US-idolising, Social Darwinist meritocrats – stretched out its slimy tentacles from No.10 Downing Street and fucked the shit out of the country. Happy Birthday NHS… Enjoy..
‘The Pro-Privatization Shock Therapy of the UK’s Covid Response’, Rachel Shabi
Cambridge Dictionary: to be so late in taking action to prevent something bad happening that the bad event has already happened
Firtsly, if you’re part of that small group of 7.8 billion people who didn’t read my last post, go there for Tom Pueyo’s excellent back-of-the-envelope analysis of the COVID-19 figures.
A brilliant analysis situating COVID-19 where capitalism and nature collide – brought together by the vanity of techno-politics and the inescapable contradiction in their supposed dichotomy. Fear not though, unlike my own ramblings, this is a detailed and very accessible explanation; as the authors put it:
“Now is not the time for a simple “Scooby-Doo Marxist” exercise of pulling the mask off the villain to reveal that, yes, indeed, it was capitalism that caused coronavirus all along! That would be no more subtle than foreign commentators sniffing about for regime change. Of course capitalism is culpable—but how, exactly, does the social-economic sphere interface with the biological, and what kind of deeper lessons might be drawn from the entire experience?”
For those who enjoy, can I recommend Rule of Experts by Timothy Mitchell!
An ill-forgotten word of warning and call to arms from the wise one:
Yuval Noah Harari warns that the pandemic might unleash Surveillance Capitalism in a way not yet seen outside of China, as people, choosing essential security over essential liberty, walk willingly (and with 2 meter distancing) into the Panopticon. As Harari puts it simply, “The same technology that identifies coughs could also identify laughs.”
‘The World After Coronavirus’, Y N Harari
Laurie Penny’s reverie on how epidemics exploit the weaknesses in our societies:
‘Panic, Pandemic, and the Body Politic’, Laurie Penny
There’s been a fair bit of commentary recently on the environmental benefits to the shut-downs we’re seeing around the world and, for sure, the satellite images of GHG emissions dissipating have been great fun to watch. Eric Holthaus, however, provides a nice corrective to some of the more short term and lazy discussions. The threat COVID-19 poses to emissions is transitory and minimal; the threat is poses to economic inclusion (essential for environmental sustainability) and green transitions is real and deadly.
‘No, the coronavirus is not good for the climate’, Eric Holthaus
Not for the first time in Revolutionary Cuba’s short history have so many owed so much to so small a nation…
‘How Cuba is Leading the World in the Fight Against Coronavirus’, Alan Macleod
‘This Pandemic is an Ethical Challenge’, Martin Wolf
Martin Wolf raises important concerns for the threat the virus poses to the developing world.
‘The Hammer and the Dance’, Tomas Pueyo
Bill McKibben of 350.org urges the House to attach conditions to the coming bail-outs and too fucking right, there’s no shortage of historical precedent!
‘If we’re bailing out corporations, they should bail out the Planet’, Bill McKibben
Below is the best and most informative piece I have read regarding the pandemic – indeed, read and reread.
‘Coronavirus: Why You Must Act Now’, Tomas Pueyo
Britain’s response seems woefully poor so far. While context is very important and Britain, like everywhere else, faces particular challenges requiring particular solutions, the current action (or lack thereof) answers none of these.
Given the precarious work and poverty of many citizens, rent referrals, mortgage holidays, raised statutory sick pay and other measures would appear necessary steps to sustainably shut down. However, they fly in the face of a political system in a firm state of regulatory capture.
I heard today that Johnson is seeking to increase the production of air filters in preparation for hospital overload. Our GCSE Geography students learn the hazard cycle model – mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery – Boris has decided to skip the first step entirely and is keeling into the third. But don’t worry, it’s also been announced the NHS can purchase extra capacity of the private sector if necessary – Wohooo!
On a personal note, I also have to say a great “För Helvete!” to my adopted home, Sweden. Despite having seemingly everything in their favour, their complete lack of early action has doomed them to be a severe case.
Adventures of a Pseud 