Re: <nettime> coronavirus questions

[Felix Stalder <felix@openflows.com>]

On 12.03.20 09:21, sebastian@rolux.org wrote:
> I have a couple of coronavirus questions. These are neither necessarily
> mine, nor did they arise in anticipation of satisfying answers.

> - What is the perspective on coronavirus seen from where you are? What
>   are the most interesting or surprising narratives that are emerging
>   in your neighborhoods or communities?


For me, the most interesting perspectives are those that see here the
potential for a collective shift in the political imagination, similar
and in addition to, Fridays for Future. Simply by raising question to
which markets and individualized competition (aka neo-liberalism)
provide no answer.

The individual fate and the collective fate are clearly not separable.
Just because one is personally not ill does not mean that one is not
quarantined. And, there is no use in being quarantined of the person
bringing the food is so precarious that s/he has to work despite being
ill (and bringing the virus right to the doorstep). And while Trump is 
generally entertaininģ for many, few are be willing to trust him on 
medical advice.

This makes a very strong case for basic social services and keeping
expertise within the public services.

Also, it's a good occasion to think about the value of purely economic
efficiency in global supply chains and the reliance of hyper-mobility
for even the most basic stuff (like standard generic drugs). So,
questions of resilience, coupling and de-coupling, of reducing
complexity within the system.

If it's possible to frame all these discussions, which have become
politically much more prevalent now, within the context of an ecological
transformation, the overall effect is quite positive.

What it takes to translate this shift in collective awareness into
political action is not clear, but for political action to become
possible, shifts in collective consciousness need to occur first. And
this is part of that, because it touches so many lifes such intimate levels.




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