May 6, 2020
There is still plenty that we don't know about the coronavirus. We don't know for sure where it came from, how it always behaves, whether you get immunity if you've had it, or how to treat or prevent it. What we do know is that communities are being devastated around the world. Frontline and essential workers, and the elderly and some young are getting sick and dying in alarming numbers.
We know that virtually every government in the world was unprepared for this crisis, despite being warned. Many governments, such as the United States, preferred to prepare for wars they can't really fight, against Russia and China, for instance, rather than against a real enemy. Because of governments' lack of preparedness they have had to turn to draconian and even authoritarian measures, such as enforced lockdowns and social isolation—measures that were used during the 14th Century Black Death in Europe.
We also know that these measures are leading to what might well became the Greatest Depression since the Great one of the 1930s. With the disease still raging, nations and regions are itching to get back to a normal economic life, while medical experts warn that might trigger another deadly wave. With us to discuss this critical situation are Jill Stein, a medical doctor and political leader, the former Green Party candidate for president; and the economist Professor Richard Wolff.