A Briefing by Dr. Sharat G. Lin

The COVID-19 virus has in a matter of weeks spread to nearly every corner of the planet, disrupting every human activity. What is different about COVID-19 from other diseases? Suddenly everything is being reprioritized: universal health care, paid sick-leave, drug companies sharing data on vaccines and treatments, housing for the unhoused, reducing the number of prisoners, restructured food chains, reducing meat consumption, multi-trillion dollar rescue packages, war ceasefires, lifting sanctions are the new existential priorities. Meanwhile, fossil fuel consumption, traffic jams, and air pollution have plummeted, providing a possible respite in global warming, the other existential threat. This is a global shock solely to the human species. Is it an opportunity to reset priorities for humanity?

Dr. Sharat G. Lin has written and lectured on global political economy, public health, labor migration, social movements, and the arts of protest. He is with the Initiative for Equality, San Jose Peace and Justice Center, and Human Agenda.

Sunday Morning at the Marxist Library is sponsored by the Institute for the Critical Study of Society