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Covid-19: a shock to the system

Naomi Klein first identified what she called 'the shock doctrine' - the exploitation of disasters to further neoliberal policy - in 2007. The same year the global banking system collapsed, and Klein's thesis was demonstrated as politicians bailed out the banks at the expense of the taxpayer, then instituted years of punishing austerity. But neoliberal politicians do not always require a financial crisis or a 9/11 to impose their policies; moreover, some moments of acute crisis, like the end of the second world war, have led societies to reassess their values and prioritise the welfare of their citizens.
The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates the lasting consequences of cutbacks, privatisation and globalisation on healthcare. Political decisions have been central in shaping this tragedy — from the destruction of animal habitats, to the asymmetric funding of medical research, to the management of the crisis itself. They will also determine the world into which we emerge after the worst is over.

In this ebook :

• Sonia Shah, 'The microbes, the animals and us'
• Théo Bourgeron, 'UK risked all on virus experiment'
• Quentin Ravelli, 'Putting profits before healthcare'
• Renaud Lambert & Pierre Rimbert, 'The unequal cost of coronavirus'
• Serge Halimi, 'Do it now. Right away'

Taking Sides is a series of ebooks published by Le Monde diplomatique. In each ebook, we are releasing the most significant articles from our English-language archive since 1996, on a topic that merits your attention.

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Covid-19: a shock to the system