Re: <nettime> coronavirus questions

[James Wallbank <james@lowtech.org>]

Thanks Felix!

I'd just started to compile a response which you've eclipsed with one 
that's far more eloquent!

Coronavirus sends a powerful message about the importance of collective 
response.

Neoliberal populists are struggling to avoid praising the value of 
collective action. They're also struggling with the evident value of 
transnational cooperation.

Dialogue about masks seems to focus the political problem for the 
individualistic right. I've seen postings saying, "Masks don't protect 
you well - so they're useless!", entirely refusing to acknowledge the 
value of protecting other people from your own infection.

I suggest that public responses across the world to the pandemic may be 
very interesting as a barometer of trust. The prevalence of panic buying 
and stockpiling measures the level of trust that a population has in its 
leadership. Less trusted leaders will tend to prompt more panic buying.

Eric's musing about Coronavirus as Gaia's response to humanity may be 
located in language, or a conceptual framework that not everyone accepts 
- but it's hard to argue that viruses like Covid-19 aren't typical, 
natural phenomena that will tend to happen when interacting, 
interbreeding populations of a single species becomes huge.

Just as an afterthought, perhaps (and I very much hope it is) Covid-19 
will become a prompt for the traditional, socialist left to start 
getting to grips with complex systems. I have posted before that I 
believe the Green movement has already made this conceptual change, but 
traditional socialist parties haven't.

Stay healthy Nettimers!

James
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