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On COVID-19
2020-03-22
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/