Most of us are shocked by the covid-19 crisis. At the same time, there is a kind of inevitability to it considering the social and economic path of our societies. I would like you to consider the reasons and the solutions. I’ve compiled a book-length list of articles that I have been collecting as the crisis unfolds. It is divided into four sections. Some of the articles are clear scientific explanations, while others explain general or specific political and economic situations. Several of them are opinion pieces which state the problems. I conclude with the general solution: democratic ecosocialism.

While it is certain that each article may have flaws or may not mirror my thinking exactly, I think it is worthwhile to immediately and seriously consider this rough outline of the situation and the way forward. It should be clear that things cannot be allowed to go on as they were before. Now is the time to change our directions for the benefit of all of humanity and life on this planet.

I would appreciate your feedback and suggestions. I will revise this page as circumstances permit or demand.

section 1: covid-19 crisis as a consequence of industrial ag and capitalism
section 2: causes for undermined public health system unable to deal adequately with covid-19
section 3: covid-19 crisis exposes critical flaws with capitalism and the need for socialism
section 4: how to build eco-socialism

section 1: covid-19 crisis as a consequence of industrial ag and capitalism

Destroyed Habitat Creates the Perfect Conditions for Coronavirus to Emerge; COVID-19 may be just the beginning of mass pandemics
By John Vidal, Ensia on March 18, 2020
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/destroyed-habitat-creates-the-perfect-conditions-for-coronavirus-to-emerge/

Ecology of zoonoses: natural and unnatural histories
Dr William B Karesh, DVM; Prof Andy Dobson, DPhil; Prof James O Lloyd-Smith, PhD; Juan Lubroth, DVM; Matthew A Dixon, MSc; Prof Malcolm Bennett, PhD; et al.
Published:December 01, 2012
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)61678-X/fulltext

Social Contagion: Microbiological Class War in China
http://chuangcn.org/2020/02/social-contagion/

Capitalist agriculture and Covid-19: A deadly combination
Posted on March 11, 2020
https://climateandcapitalism.com/2020/03/11/capitalist-agriculture-and-covid-19-a-deadly-combination/

section 2: causes for undermined public health system unable to deal adequately with covid-19

Did Trump Administration Fire the US Pandemic Response Team? As a new coronavirus spread in 2020, so did concerns about the United States’ preparedness for a potential pandemic.
Bethania Palma
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-fire-pandemic-team/

Trump’s Proposed Budget Cuts Trouble Bioterrorism Experts
Emily Baumgaertner
May 28, 2017
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/28/us/politics/biosecurity-trump-budget-defense.html

Budget Cutting and Privatization: The Threat to Health
Milton Terris
Journal of Public Health Policy,Vol. 13, No. 1 (Spring, 1992), pp. 27-41
https://sci-hub.tw/10.2307/3343056

Faking global health
Susan Erikson
Pages 508-516 | Received 25 Feb 2019, Accepted 25 Mar 2019, Published online: 04 Jun 2019
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09581596.2019.1601159

You’re Likely to Get the Coronavirus
James Hamblin February 24, 2020
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/02/covid-vaccine/607000/?utm_source=pocket-newtab

section 3: covid-19 crisis exposes critical flaws with capitalism and the need for socialism

The Coronavirus Pandemic Is a Reminder the Rich and Powerful Won’t Save Us
By Lucy Diavolo
March 20, 2020
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/coronavirus-pandemic-reminder-rich-and-powerful-wont-save-us

Airlines are burning thousands of gallons of fuel flying empty ‘ghost’ planes so they can keep their flight slots during the coronavirus outbreak
Adam Bienkov
Mar 6, 2020, 11:45 PM
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/coronavirus-airlines-run-empty-ghost-flights-planes-passengers-outbreak-covid-2020-3

The coronavirus crisis shows we need an entirely new economic system
By Paul Mason
18 March 2020
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2020/03/coronavirus-crisis-economic-collapse-capitalism

Lessons From Coronavirus: In a Capitalist Society, the Most Expendable Thing is You
Why the World’s Two Most Capitalist Societies Had Such Uniquely Grotesque and Inadequate Responses to a Global Pandemic
umair haque
Mar 17, 2020
https://eand.co/lessons-from-coronavirus-in-a-capitalist-society-the-most-expendable-thing-is-you-4e1be384ab0f

section 4: how to build eco-socialism

Toward Democratic Eco-socialism as the Next World System
Hans A. Baer
April 28, 2016
https://thenextsystem.org/toward-democratic-eco-socialism-as-the-next-world-system

Towards a New Cybernetic Socialism (summary)
https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Towards_a_New_Cybernetic_Socialism

Towards a New Cybernetic Socialism (full book)
W. Paul Cockshott and Allin Cottrell
http://ricardo.ecn.wfu.edu/~cottrell/socialism_book/