The inequality we live with every day gets magnified in moments of crisis. When the United States began locking down in March to prevent the spread of COVID-19, most people experienced profound disruptions to their daily lives. The spiraling economic consequences of this crisis are yet to be fully understood, but it has become clear that this crisis is no great equalizer.
It is revealing to see what someone saves from a burning building — we should be paying attention to what politicians prioritize during the pandemic. It is also important to note how we rebuild after a crisis. The model that Naomi Klein elaborates in her book The Shock Doctrine is a useful critical lens that she has applied to many situations. This piece mentions one example from Hurricane Katrina, which Klein calls “one of the most shocking stories I’ve ever covered.” Similar to the coronavirus pandemic, the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina was a combined result of natural and human factors. In both cases, the government’s neglectful response to the situation caused immense and avoidable suffering. But in 2005, rather than seeing the flooding of New Orleans as a tragedy, some politicians saw it as an opportunity. Condos were developed where public housing had been, and a group of lawmakers (led by current Vice President Mike Pence) put forth a list of “Pro-Free-Market Ideas for Responding to Hurricane Katrina and High Gas Prices” which enabled charter schools to replace public schools in the city, among many other things.
Corporations must profit at all times, and in moments of crisis they can rely on governments to help them do so more easily. In the months to come, we should be on the lookout for profiteering, and push to turn this into a moment for change, not a re-entrenching of the power relations that exist. There are smaller battles, such as the community resistance to gentrification addressed in this comic, and larger battles like the fight against racism and policing that is being waged now.
Sources:
- https://therealdeal.com/2020/04/17/mayor-i-dont-agree-with-a-rent-strike/
- https://ny.curbed.com/2020/5/8/21250710/new-york-eviction-moratorium-renters-landlords-coronavirus
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/upshot/coronavirus-paid-leave-guide.html
- https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/04/the-companies-that-stand-to-profit-from-the-coronavirus.html
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/us/politics/coronavirus-stimulus-lobbying.html
- https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/06/naomi-klein-how-power-profits-from-disaster
- https://gothamist.com/news/as-sunset-park-gentrifies-residents-accuse-building-owner-of-dropping-manufacturing-commitment
- https://gothamist.com/news/industry-city-failed-to-lure-amazon-but-is-a-billion-dollar-sunset-park-rezoning-inevitable
- https://citylimits.org/zonein/ulurp-explained/
- https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/nyregion/new-york-city-coronavirus-cases.html
- https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/imm/covid-19-deaths-race-ethnicity-04162020-1.pdf
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
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