<nettime> covid: neoliberalism superspreader, nationalpopulism superkiller

[Alex Foti <alex.foti@gmail.com>]

as third instalment before replunging into isolation silence, i wanna
briefly discuss the following: in 2016, national-populism succeeded
neoliberalism in the nylon ganglion which had been at the heart
of financial globalization since reagan and thatcher's concerted
resurrection of international speculation (barred in the post-WWII
era). as many predicted (including yours truly) the washington
consensus went in tatters and took bretton woods institutions and
military alliances down with them.

As boris emerges from intensive care waxing lyrical over the nhs
that saved his ass, it's painfully clear that London and New York
are going to be the mass graves of this crisis, and that the two
clowns in charge, boris and donald, are doing the worst job of all
in protetcting the people (trump not shipping ventilators to ny is
a crime against humanity plain and simple - no wonder europe is
leaning towards xi - he is stern but not erratic). neoliberal laisser
faire has turned into nazpop laisser mourir. Thus four years on,
national-populism has managed to combine the worst of neoliberal
social darwinism with homicidal indifference to the survival of the
elderly and lower classes (read minorities) proper to nazi-populism.

however things are not so simple, because shutting down borders to the
circulation of people, a nazpop fixation, is instrumental in halting
the pandemic that thrives on the airplane circulation of managers
across the oceans, so covid plays into their hands. Secondly, the need
for tracking and tracing reinforces demands for surveillance and the
police state that fall into the lap of rightist governments if only
they weren't so incompetent.

buona pasquetta (since the economic miracle, compulsory day of
motorized picnics in italy - not today - but we will re-emerge in
may - on the 4th lockdown will cease - while factories will start
reopening tomorrow..)

af



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