thenation--2020-05-01--Covid-19’s Third Shock Wave: The Global Food Crisis

In San Antonio , 10,000 families began arriving before dawn on April 9 to receive free boxes of food at a shuttered mall ; in a normal week , 200–400 families might show up .
In Nairobi , Kenya , thousands of desperately poor people seeking government food aid on April 10 were beaten back by the police , causing multiple injuries .
In Dhaka , Bangladesh , thousands of unpaid garment workers defied stay-at-home orders on April 13 to block roads and demand their wages , saying they ’ d rather risk contagion than go without food .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protester .
“ If we don ’ t have food in our stomach , what ’ s the use of observing this lockdown ?
” Even as people around the world grapple with the medical and economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic , many are also facing yet another great calamity : food scarcity .
Either for lack of funds or lack of supply ( or both ) , poor and newly jobless families are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the food they need .
With both economic contraction and joblessness expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of families facing food insecurity and starvation is bound to soar .
Major world disasters produce multiple ripple effects .
Like a powerful tsunami , they trigger one shock wave after another , each producing injury and mayhem .
In the case of Covid-19 , the first wave was the global health crisis , still spreading around the world .
Next came the stay-at-home requirements and the resulting shutdown of the world economy , resulting in massive job layoffs everywhere .
These , in turn , are producing a third wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outcome : the collapse of global food-supply systems and widespread human starvation .
Covid-19 ’ s assault on global food availability is coming from two directions : On the supply side , farmers and distributors are cutting back on production as major customers—schools , restaurants , hotels , airlines—cease operations and as food industry employees become sick ; on the consuming side , poor and unemployed households are running out of money and are unable to buy food , even when it is still available in local markets .
Meatpacking Plants Are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Is Forcing Us to Rethink How We Consume Energy As is true of other key commodities , such as oil and iron ore , the availability of food products is highly reliant on global supply chains , with most countries depending on imports for at least some vital foodstuffs .
This is true even in large countries with extensive agricultural industries of their own , such as Canada and the United States .
These supply chains are vast and well-organized , but nevertheless vulnerable to disruption from storms , wars , droughts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The continued globalisation of modern food networks is introducing an unprecedented level of complexity to the global food system , ” insurance giant Lloyd ’ s of London observed in a 2015 report on global food insecurity .
“ Disruptions at any one point in the system would be likely to reverberate throughout the food supply chain .
Volatile food prices and increasing political instability are likely to magnify the impacts of food production shocks , causing a cascade of economic , social and political impacts across the globe.
” Lloyd ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system shock ” exercise its analysts conducted , akin to a Pentagon war game , and from its analysis of the Arab Spring protests of 2011 , which were triggered , in part , by rising food prices across North Africa and the Middle East—a phenomenon widely attributed to severe droughts over previous months in Russia , China , and Australia that sharply reduced global grain supplies .
As one producing country after another banned wheat and rice exports , worldwide grain prices soared—causing misery for poor families in Egypt , Libya , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on bread for a large part of their diet .
Although current conditions have not yet reached this degree of distress , it appears as if such a breakdown is beginning .
“ The self-defeating drive by countries to impose export controls on medical gear in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic has spread like an infection to foodstuffs , ” noted Cullen Hendrix of the Peterson Institute for International Economics on April 6 .
So far , Russia , Kazakhstan , Thailand , and Cambodia have banned the export of processed grains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on new export contracts for rice .
Such steps , Hendrix warned , “ augur poorly for global hunger and political stability.
” The curbs on international trade and travel imposed by governments around the world in response to the pandemic have also played havoc with global supply lines .
Many ships and planes remain idle because of such restrictions ( or because key employees are sick or afraid to show up for work ) , slowing the delivery of vital supplies and adding to a surge in food prices .
In East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historic plague of crop-devouring locusts are being hampered by a slowdown in the delivery of pesticides .
In the United States , food delivery has been deemed an essential activity , and state and federal authorities are doing what they can to keep supply lines intact .
Nevertheless , significant disruptions are already beginning to occur .
Food processing and packaging—a key step between farm production and delivery to local markets—often involves close interaction among numerous ( and typically low-paid ) workers , and so is at high risk for the spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employing hundreds of workers are at particular risk : As of April 25 , coronavirus outbreaks at 30 such plants had sickened over 3,300 workers and killed at least 17 .
Workers at these and other such facilities say they were pressured into working without adequate protective gear even after state and national guidelines called for such measures .
Now , with the number of Covid-19 cases soaring , the major meat processors—Tyson Foods , JBS USA , and Smithfield Foods—are closing their facilities , punching a big hole in the US supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is now down by at least 25 percent and is likely to contract further in the weeks to come .
On April 28 , President Trump invoked emergency powers to keep meat processing plants open , but union officials say it is nearly impossible to establish a safe environment for workers at these facilities .
“ Using executive power to force people back on the job without proper protections is wrong and dangerous , ” said Richard Trumka , president of the AFL-CIO .
Meanwhile , farmers report that they can not find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and processing plants go idle—resulting in vast surpluses on the farm and scarcities in many towns and cities .
Many dairy farmers in Wisconsin , for example , are dumping thousands of gallons of fresh milk into lagoons and manure pits every day , since their regular customers—schools , restaurants , and hotels—are not buying their products ( but the cows still must be milked ) .
Elsewhere , farmers have had to plow under ripe vegetables in order to make way for new crops .
Some surplus produce is being provided to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor , these farmers report , but they lack the capacity to do this on a large scale .
As a result , perfectly good food is being destroyed while people go hungry .
Even where supply chains remain intact , many poor countries lack the funds to pay for imported food .
This has long been a problem for the least-developed countries , which often depend on international food aid to finance essential imports ; it is becoming even more severe as the number of people without jobs multiplies and donor countries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor countries in Africa , Asia , and Latin America , already reeling from the collapse in employment , now face the heartbreaking challenge of feeding millions of their hungry and starving citizens .
The pandemic has posed a particularly harsh challenge for the oil-exporting countries of the Global South .
Typically , these countries—including Algeria , Angola , Ecuador , Nigeria , Saudi Arabia , and Venezuela—rely on oil-export revenues to help pay for imports and finance food subsidies for the poor .
In recent years , oil prices have averaged around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but enough to keep most governments afloat .
With the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting economic contraction , however , the worldwide demand for oil has plummeted and prices have fallen to less than half their January 2020 average .
( A price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia , now temporarily halted , also contributed to the price decline . )
This , in turn , has decimated the producing countries ’ budgets and left them unable to finance essential food imports—with devastating consequences for their poorer citizens , who must now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available , or go hungrdy .
Venezuela is at particular risk from this turn of events .
Food supplies were already hard to come by in local markets before the pandemic as a result of corruption , economic mismanagement , and US sanctions against the government of President Nicolás Maduro .
Only the sale of crude oil via circuitous routes ( sales on major markets are blocked by US sanctions ) allowed the government to pay essential bills .
But with oil prices cut in half by the pandemic ’ s crippling effect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a virtual halt , and Venezuela ’ s poor now face even greater scarcity and fatally higher prices .
Historically , a contraction in food supplies and sharply rising prices have sparked widespread social unrest .
This was true , for example , in 2008 , when a sudden doubling in the price of grains triggered food riots around the world and led to the ouster of Haitian Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis .
A few years later , of course , came the Arab Spring .
In the wake of these events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food system shock ” exercise of 2015 to assess the implications for the insurance industry of such planet-wide disruptions .
Under the scenario , droughts occurred in several areas of the world simultaneously and most major food-producing countries banned exports of their key products , causing shortages in import-dependent ones .
The outcome : immediate price spikes in many parts of the world , leading , in many places , to fierce anti-government violence .
“ Food riots break out in urban areas across the Middle East , North Africa and Latin America.… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fail to stop the country from falling into civil war.… Yemen , Egypt and Tunisia experience further food protests which lead to changes in government.
” And so on , around the planet .
Unrest of this sort is less likely right now , because of people ’ s fear of gathering in large groups , but it is occurring nevertheless .
There was , for example , that April 9 outbreak in Nairobi and those protests in Dhaka .
Food protests have also been reported in Honduras and South Africa .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the south and to Sicily amid fears of assaults on supermarkets sparked by impoverished residents .
Even in the United States , nervous food bank volunteers have called on the National Guard for protection in several states when the number of people seeking provisions far exceeded the quantities available and the atmosphere became tense .
Some analysts also worry about widespread human migrations , as hunger intensifies in crop-scarce rural areas , prompting desperate families to move to cities or other regions in search of food and income .
“ If food supply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerable populations are more likely to move in search of assistance , ” observed the UN ’ s Food and Agriculture Organization ( FAO ) in a recent report on the impacts of Covid-19 .
“ Such movements , ” it added , “ would further threaten to spread the virus ” and “ heighten social tensions.
” All these trends , troubling as they are , probably represent only a few of Covid-19 ’ s impacts on global food ( in ) security .
Large numbers of people are already going hungry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers will face hunger or worse in other parts of the world as Covid-19 ’ s multiple shock waves spread ever outward .
“ At the same time while dealing with a Covid-19 pandemic , we are also on the brink of a hunger pandemic , ” said David Beasley , executive director of the UN World Food Programme ( WFP ) , in a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council on April 21 .
Even before the virus began to spread , he noted , 135 million people around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starvation ” ; now , as a result of the pandemic , that number could swiftly grow by another 130 million people .
As suggested by officials at the FAO and WFP , most of these people “ marching towards the brink of starvation ” live in areas of the Global South that are already suffering from drought , climate change , and the effects of war ; it is plainly evident , however , that the poor and jobless in every society , even the richest , could face severe food scarcity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that local , national , and international leaders need to devote far more attention to the food supply equation—ensuring not only that every person is provided with a basic minimum amount but also that the price of basic staples remains affordable .
Doing so is not only a moral obligation we share as members of the human family , but also an essential prerequisite for national and international stability .
On the international level , ensuring adequate food supplies requires dexterous diplomacy aimed at persuading major food-producing states , including Russia and Vietnam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ key staples , and for transit states to facilitate the shipment of vital supplies .
In addition , immediate financial assistance should be provided to countries needing funds for essential food purchases and to the WFP for emergency deliveries to refugee camps , indigenous communities , and other populations in extreme need .
( Individuals can also donate to the WFP . )
Within the United States , vigorous efforts will be needed to ensure the safety of critical food-processing facilities and the integrity of national supply lines .
Equally important is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other communities in need .
Many cities with well-organized civic and governmental institutions are already undertaking such efforts , such as the free meals being provided to adults and children at 435 grab-and-go locations at schools in New York City , but many rural and poorer communities lack such institutions and need greater attention from volunteer organizations .
Some ad hoc efforts have been made by volunteers to collect surplus food from farmers lacking customers and deliver it to food banks , but a far more systemized program of this sort is needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is everyone ’ s responsibility .
Families or individuals seeking to assist local food banks and pantries , whether as volunteers or through donations , can locate the nearest one by consulting the “ Find Your Local Food Bank ” option at Feeding America , the nation ’ s leading network of local food banks .
Donations can also be made to Feeding America to support these endeavors .
Ultimately , a global food crisis could affect us as much as the more immediate effects of the coronavirus pandemic .
Not only will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ourselves ) genuine hunger , but we could also witness widespread starvation around the world along with popular upheavals and mass migrations .
Ensuring food security should , therefore , constitute an essential component of any local , national , or international drive to overcome the harsh impacts of Covid-19 .

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In San Antonio, 10,000 families began arriving before dawn on April 9 to receive free boxes of food at a shuttered mall; in a normal week, 200–400 families might show up. In Nairobi, Kenya, thousands of desperately poor people seeking government food aid on April 10 were beaten back by the police, causing multiple injuries. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, thousands of unpaid garment workers defied stay-at-home orders on April 13 to block roads and demand their wages, saying they’d rather risk contagion than go without food. “We are starving,” said one protester. “If we don’t have food in our stomach, what’s the use of observing this lockdown?”
Even as people around the world grapple with the medical and economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, many are also facing yet another great calamity: food scarcity. Either for lack of funds or lack of supply (or both), poor and newly jobless families are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain the food they need. With both economic contraction and joblessness expected to accelerate in the coming months, the number of families facing food insecurity and starvation is bound to soar.
Major world disasters produce multiple ripple effects. Like a powerful tsunami, they trigger one shock wave after another, each producing injury and mayhem. In the case of Covid-19, the first wave was the global health crisis, still spreading around the world. Next came the stay-at-home requirements and the resulting shutdown of the world economy, resulting in massive job layoffs everywhere. These, in turn, are producing a third wave, possibly even more catastrophic in its outcome: the collapse of global food-supply systems and widespread human starvation.
Supply Chains at Risk
Covid-19’s assault on global food availability is coming from two directions: On the supply side, farmers and distributors are cutting back on production as major customers—schools, restaurants, hotels, airlines—cease operations and as food industry employees become sick; on the consuming side, poor and unemployed households are running out of money and are unable to buy food, even when it is still available in local markets. Related Articles Meatpacking Plants Are a Front in the Covid-19 Class War Jeet Heer Covid-19 Is Forcing Us to Rethink How We Consume Energy Michael T. Klare
As is true of other key commodities, such as oil and iron ore, the availability of food products is highly reliant on global supply chains, with most countries depending on imports for at least some vital foodstuffs. This is true even in large countries with extensive agricultural industries of their own, such as Canada and the United States. These supply chains are vast and well-organized, but nevertheless vulnerable to disruption from storms, wars, droughts, and other systemic shocks—pandemics included.
“The continued globalisation of modern food networks is introducing an unprecedented level of complexity to the global food system,” insurance giant Lloyd’s of London observed in a 2015 report on global food insecurity. “Disruptions at any one point in the system would be likely to reverberate throughout the food supply chain. Volatile food prices and increasing political instability are likely to magnify the impacts of food production shocks, causing a cascade of economic, social and political impacts across the globe.” Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann
Lloyd’s drew this conclusion from a “food system shock” exercise its analysts conducted, akin to a Pentagon war game, and from its analysis of the Arab Spring protests of 2011, which were triggered, in part, by rising food prices across North Africa and the Middle East—a phenomenon widely attributed to severe droughts over previous months in Russia, China, and Australia that sharply reduced global grain supplies. As one producing country after another banned wheat and rice exports, worldwide grain prices soared—causing misery for poor families in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and other countries that depend on bread for a large part of their diet. Current Issue View our current issue
Although current conditions have not yet reached this degree of distress, it appears as if such a breakdown is beginning. “The self-defeating drive by countries to impose export controls on medical gear in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic has spread like an infection to foodstuffs,” noted Cullen Hendrix of the Peterson Institute for International Economics on April 6. So far, Russia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Cambodia have banned the export of processed grains, and Vietnam has put a moratorium on new export contracts for rice. Such steps, Hendrix warned, “augur poorly for global hunger and political stability.”
The curbs on international trade and travel imposed by governments around the world in response to the pandemic have also played havoc with global supply lines. Many ships and planes remain idle because of such restrictions (or because key employees are sick or afraid to show up for work), slowing the delivery of vital supplies and adding to a surge in food prices. In East Africa, international efforts to combat a historic plague of crop-devouring locusts are being hampered by a slowdown in the delivery of pesticides.
In the United States, food delivery has been deemed an essential activity, and state and federal authorities are doing what they can to keep supply lines intact. Nevertheless, significant disruptions are already beginning to occur. Food processing and packaging—a key step between farm production and delivery to local markets—often involves close interaction among numerous (and typically low-paid) workers, and so is at high risk for the spread of the coronavirus. Large meat processing plants employing hundreds of workers are at particular risk: As of April 25, coronavirus outbreaks at 30 such plants had sickened over 3,300 workers and killed at least 17.
Workers at these and other such facilities say they were pressured into working without adequate protective gear even after state and national guidelines called for such measures. Now, with the number of Covid-19 cases soaring, the major meat processors—Tyson Foods, JBS USA, and Smithfield Foods—are closing their facilities, punching a big hole in the US supply chain. Industry leaders say meat production is now down by at least 25 percent and is likely to contract further in the weeks to come. On April 28, President Trump invoked emergency powers to keep meat processing plants open, but union officials say it is nearly impossible to establish a safe environment for workers at these facilities. “Using executive power to force people back on the job without proper protections is wrong and dangerous,” said Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO.
Meanwhile, farmers report that they cannot find customers for their crops as restaurants close and processing plants go idle—resulting in vast surpluses on the farm and scarcities in many towns and cities. Many dairy farmers in Wisconsin, for example, are dumping thousands of gallons of fresh milk into lagoons and manure pits every day, since their regular customers—schools, restaurants, and hotels—are not buying their products (but the cows still must be milked). Elsewhere, farmers have had to plow under ripe vegetables in order to make way for new crops. Some surplus produce is being provided to local food banks for distribution to the poor, these farmers report, but they lack the capacity to do this on a large scale. As a result, perfectly good food is being destroyed while people go hungry.
Follow-on Effects
Even where supply chains remain intact, many poor countries lack the funds to pay for imported food. This has long been a problem for the least-developed countries, which often depend on international food aid to finance essential imports; it is becoming even more severe as the number of people without jobs multiplies and donor countries balk at higher aid expenditures. Many poor countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, already reeling from the collapse in employment, now face the heartbreaking challenge of feeding millions of their hungry and starving citizens.
The pandemic has posed a particularly harsh challenge for the oil-exporting countries of the Global South. Typically, these countries—including Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela—rely on oil-export revenues to help pay for imports and finance food subsidies for the poor. In recent years, oil prices have averaged around $55–60 per barrel—less than historic highs, but enough to keep most governments afloat. With the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting economic contraction, however, the worldwide demand for oil has plummeted and prices have fallen to less than half their January 2020 average. (A price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, now temporarily halted, also contributed to the price decline.) This, in turn, has decimated the producing countries’ budgets and left them unable to finance essential food imports—with devastating consequences for their poorer citizens, who must now pay inflated prices for whatever food is available, or go hungrdy.
Venezuela is at particular risk from this turn of events. Food supplies were already hard to come by in local markets before the pandemic as a result of corruption, economic mismanagement, and US sanctions against the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Only the sale of crude oil via circuitous routes (sales on major markets are blocked by US sanctions) allowed the government to pay essential bills. But with oil prices cut in half by the pandemic’s crippling effect on demand, food imports have come to a virtual halt, and Venezuela’s poor now face even greater scarcity and fatally higher prices. Related Article Manufacturing a Food Crisis Walden Bello
Historically, a contraction in food supplies and sharply rising prices have sparked widespread social unrest. This was true, for example, in 2008, when a sudden doubling in the price of grains triggered food riots around the world and led to the ouster of Haitian Prime Minister Jacques-Édouard Alexis. A few years later, of course, came the Arab Spring.
In the wake of these events, Lloyd’s conducted its “food system shock” exercise of 2015 to assess the implications for the insurance industry of such planet-wide disruptions. Under the scenario, droughts occurred in several areas of the world simultaneously and most major food-producing countries banned exports of their key products, causing shortages in import-dependent ones. The outcome: immediate price spikes in many parts of the world, leading, in many places, to fierce anti-government violence. “Food riots break out in urban areas across the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America.… African troops are deployed into Nigeria but fail to stop the country from falling into civil war.… Yemen, Egypt and Tunisia experience further food protests which lead to changes in government.” And so on, around the planet.
Unrest of this sort is less likely right now, because of people’s fear of gathering in large groups, but it is occurring nevertheless. There was, for example, that April 9 outbreak in Nairobi and those protests in Dhaka. Food protests have also been reported in Honduras and South Africa. In Italy, additional troops were sent into the south and to Sicily amid fears of assaults on supermarkets sparked by impoverished residents. Even in the United States, nervous food bank volunteers have called on the National Guard for protection in several states when the number of people seeking provisions far exceeded the quantities available and the atmosphere became tense.
Some analysts also worry about widespread human migrations, as hunger intensifies in crop-scarce rural areas, prompting desperate families to move to cities or other regions in search of food and income. “If food supply chains become disrupted and livelihoods untenable, vulnerable populations are more likely to move in search of assistance,” observed the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in a recent report on the impacts of Covid-19. “Such movements,” it added, “would further threaten to spread the virus” and “heighten social tensions.”
Taking Food Seriously
All these trends, troubling as they are, probably represent only a few of Covid-19’s impacts on global food (in)security. Large numbers of people are already going hungry in the United States; even larger numbers will face hunger or worse in other parts of the world as Covid-19’s multiple shock waves spread ever outward. “At the same time while dealing with a Covid-19 pandemic, we are also on the brink of a hunger pandemic,” said David Beasley, executive director of the UN World Food Programme (WFP), in a virtual meeting of the UN Security Council on April 21. Even before the virus began to spread, he noted, 135 million people around the world were “marching towards the brink of starvation”; now, as a result of the pandemic, that number could swiftly grow by another 130 million people.
As suggested by officials at the FAO and WFP, most of these people “marching towards the brink of starvation” live in areas of the Global South that are already suffering from drought, climate change, and the effects of war; it is plainly evident, however, that the poor and jobless in every society, even the richest, could face severe food scarcity in the months ahead. It follows that local, national, and international leaders need to devote far more attention to the food supply equation—ensuring not only that every person is provided with a basic minimum amount but also that the price of basic staples remains affordable. Doing so is not only a moral obligation we share as members of the human family, but also an essential prerequisite for national and international stability.
On the international level, ensuring adequate food supplies requires dexterous diplomacy aimed at persuading major food-producing states, including Russia and Vietnam, not to ban exports of their key staples, and for transit states to facilitate the shipment of vital supplies. In addition, immediate financial assistance should be provided to countries needing funds for essential food purchases and to the WFP for emergency deliveries to refugee camps, indigenous communities, and other populations in extreme need. (Individuals can also donate to the WFP.)
Within the United States, vigorous efforts will be needed to ensure the safety of critical food-processing facilities and the integrity of national supply lines. Equally important is the delivery of food to the poor and other communities in need. Many cities with well-organized civic and governmental institutions are already undertaking such efforts, such as the free meals being provided to adults and children at 435 grab-and-go locations at schools in New York City, but many rural and poorer communities lack such institutions and need greater attention from volunteer organizations. Some ad hoc efforts have been made by volunteers to collect surplus food from farmers lacking customers and deliver it to food banks, but a far more systemized program of this sort is needed.
Ultimately, ensuring food for all is everyone’s responsibility. Families or individuals seeking to assist local food banks and pantries, whether as volunteers or through donations, can locate the nearest one by consulting the “Find Your Local Food Bank” option at Feeding America, the nation’s leading network of local food banks. Donations can also be made to Feeding America to support these endeavors.
Ultimately, a global food crisis could affect us as much as the more immediate effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Not only will we be exposed to (or experience ourselves) genuine hunger, but we could also witness widespread starvation around the world along with popular upheavals and mass migrations. Ensuring food security should, therefore, constitute an essential component of any local, national, or international drive to overcome the harsh impacts of Covid-19.


thenation--2020-05-01--Trump and GOP to Nation: Go Bankrupt, Drop Dead

In normal times , a report by the UN ’ s International Labor Organization predicting that 1.6 billion people , whose incomes support fully half the world ’ s population , are on the verge of losing their livelihoods would be the only thing anyone on Earth would be paying attention to .
But in the Covid-19 moment , such extraordinary predictions become mere footnotes .
Take a deep breath , however , and ponder what is being said here , for it is , without a doubt , today ’ s Signal .
Half of the world ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastation : hunger , endless debt , closed schools , the collapse of entire social systems .
In normal times , the US president would be coordinating a global response to mitigate this disaster—coordinating distribution of medical supplies , shoring up global food distribution systems , working with the IMF and other agencies to extend desperately needed credit and aid to countries whose economies risk complete system failure .
The alternative is a cascading economic crisis that could send much of the world back into the Dark Ages .
But these aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The New York Times documented in a remarkably detailed analysis , Donald Trump , who has been absent as a global leader , holds propagandistic press briefings—even less credible than the daily briefings by US generals during the Vietnam War—in which he either congratulates himself , mocks his political opponents , peddles conspiracy theories , or promotes quack cures for Covid-19 such as injecting bleach .
Once Again , Trump Shreds US Immigration Law The Irish Daily Mirror , gobsmacked by America ’ s downward spiral , recently averred that it was incumbent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manifestly unfit , unstable president .
And those among the parochial MAGA crowd inclined to dismiss the ILO report as abstract and distant from American concerns should think again .
Here in America , states and cities are projecting a $ 500 billion shortfall , and there ’ s a serious risk that public safety agencies , schools , and other vital services will soon start being slashed to the bone .
Mitch McConnell ’ s callous response : Let the states—especially blue states with more generous pension systems for public-sector employees—go bankrupt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ round-the-clock on developing aid packages to keep states from cratering , McConnell , who is well aware that Trump ’ s reelection chances are fading by the day , wants to turn the Senate ’ s attention to rushing through even more extremist judicial nominees while he still has the chance .
Trump , for his part , wants to blackmail liberal states by withholding financial aid from them unless they scrap sanctuary policies that are providing a modicum of protection to immigrants who are being hunted down by ICE agents .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withhold stimulus checks from all mixed-status families , means that millions of Americans—including hundreds of thousands of US-citizen children , disproportionately clustered in the country ’ s biggest and most dynamic cities—are being deliberately pushed into destitution by the administration because one member of their family lacks legal status .
This goes far beyond the standard rough and tumble of partisan politics .
Letting America ’ s largest states and cities go bankrupt and deliberately pushing immigrant communities into destitution would be akin to national suicide .
It would beggar large parts of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the collapse of the Soviet Union , followed by the looting of the country ’ s wealth during the subsequent “ shock therapy ” privatization period , beggared tens of millions of citizens .
Decades later , many parts of the former USSR have still not recovered from the economic devastation of the implosion , and many residents lack even the most basic income security .
Trump ’ s lackluster response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been bad enough .
Now , the GOP is promoting policies in response to the economic fallout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-immigrant prejudice , that could push not only the economy but the US system of government , with its carefully calibrated balance of power between the states and Washington , to the breaking point .
Already in cities like Las Vegas , where the economy is reliant on tourism , the shutdown has resulted in mass hunger .
Stark television images this week showed miles-long lines of cars driven by unemployed casino , hotel , and restaurant workers lining up for food given out by food banks at now-shuttered casinos .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MAGA machismo of Vice President Mike Pence , who refused to abide by Mayo Clinic guidelines to wear a mask while visiting patients .
Stay strong , stay healthy , and keep on fighting like hell for a better , saner , kinder tomorrow .

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Nation believes that helping readers stay informed about the impact of the coronavirus crisis is a form of public service. For that reason, this article, and all of our coronavirus coverage, is now free. Please subscribe to support our writers and staff, and stay healthy.
In normal times, a report by the UN’s International Labor Organization predicting that 1.6 billion people, whose incomes support fully half the world’s population, are on the verge of losing their livelihoods would be the only thing anyone on Earth would be paying attention to. But in the Covid-19 moment, such extraordinary predictions become mere footnotes.
Take a deep breath, however, and ponder what is being said here, for it is, without a doubt, today’s Signal. Half of the world’s population is at imminent risk of economic devastation: hunger, endless debt, closed schools, the collapse of entire social systems.
In normal times, the US president would be coordinating a global response to mitigate this disaster—coordinating distribution of medical supplies, shoring up global food distribution systems, working with the IMF and other agencies to extend desperately needed credit and aid to countries whose economies risk complete system failure. The alternative is a cascading economic crisis that could send much of the world back into the Dark Ages.
But these aren’t normal times. Instead, as The New York Times documented in a remarkably detailed analysis, Donald Trump, who has been absent as a global leader, holds propagandistic press briefings—even less credible than the daily briefings by US generals during the Vietnam War—in which he either congratulates himself, mocks his political opponents, peddles conspiracy theories, or promotes quack cures for Covid-19 such as injecting bleach. More Signal:Noise The Federalist Fight Against Fascism Sasha Abramsky Once Again, Trump Shreds US Immigration Law Sasha Abramsky
The Irish Daily Mirror, gobsmacked by America’s downward spiral, recently averred that it was incumbent on Congress to “imbleach” this manifestly unfit, unstable president.
And those among the parochial MAGA crowd inclined to dismiss the ILO report as abstract and distant from American concerns should think again. Here in America, states and cities are projecting a $500 billion shortfall, and there’s a serious risk that public safety agencies, schools, and other vital services will soon start being slashed to the bone.
Mitch McConnell’s callous response: Let the states—especially blue states with more generous pension systems for public-sector employees—go bankrupt. In fact, rather than work round-the-clock on developing aid packages to keep states from cratering, McConnell, who is well aware that Trump’s reelection chances are fading by the day, wants to turn the Senate’s attention to rushing through even more extremist judicial nominees while he still has the chance. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Current Issue View our current issue
Trump, for his part, wants to blackmail liberal states by withholding financial aid from them unless they scrap sanctuary policies that are providing a modicum of protection to immigrants who are being hunted down by ICE agents. This, combined with the scandalous decision to withhold stimulus checks from all mixed-status families, means that millions of Americans—including hundreds of thousands of US-citizen children, disproportionately clustered in the country’s biggest and most dynamic cities—are being deliberately pushed into destitution by the administration because one member of their family lacks legal status.
This goes far beyond the standard rough and tumble of partisan politics. Letting America’s largest states and cities go bankrupt and deliberately pushing immigrant communities into destitution would be akin to national suicide. It would beggar large parts of the country, just as surely as the collapse of the Soviet Union, followed by the looting of the country’s wealth during the subsequent “shock therapy” privatization period, beggared tens of millions of citizens. Decades later, many parts of the former USSR have still not recovered from the economic devastation of the implosion, and many residents lack even the most basic income security.
Trump’s lackluster response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been bad enough. Now, the GOP is promoting policies in response to the economic fallout, many of them animated by harsh anti-immigrant prejudice, that could push not only the economy but the US system of government, with its carefully calibrated balance of power between the states and Washington, to the breaking point.
Already in cities like Las Vegas, where the economy is reliant on tourism, the shutdown has resulted in mass hunger. Stark television images this week showed miles-long lines of cars driven by unemployed casino, hotel, and restaurant workers lining up for food given out by food banks at now-shuttered casinos.
And the Noise? The mindless, maskless, MAGA machismo of Vice President Mike Pence, who refused to abide by Mayo Clinic guidelines to wear a mask while visiting patients.
Stay strong, stay healthy, and keep on fighting like hell for a better, saner, kinder tomorrow.


thenation--2020-05-01--The Most Consequential Decision of Biden’s 2020 Campaign

Joe Biden needs to define an unfocused and frequently listless presidential bid by selecting a dynamic running mate .
The vice presidential pick , the most consequential decision of the presumed nominee ’ s campaign , will do much to determine whether the Democratic ticket has the popular appeal to end the most dangerous presidency in American history .
It will also determine the extent to which a Democratic surge can give the party the full control of Congress necessary to govern in a moment that could be as challenging as the one Franklin Delano Roosevelt faced in 1933 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t blow the choice—as Hillary Clinton did in 2016 and as too many other Democratic nominees have done in too many other races that could have been won .
Clinton was overconfident about her prospects against Donald Trump , a rival so jarringly unfit that she struggled to wrap her head around the fact that he was even in contention .
She was , as Politico explained , “ more concerned with finding a long-term governing partner than an electrifying campaigner on the road.
” Her VP pick , Virginia Senator Tim Kaine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a state the Democrats were likely to win , and was , as even she acknowledged , boring .
So why did she pick him ?
Because , she said , he “ can help me govern.
” That ’ s nice .
But you can ’ t govern if you don ’ t win .
CNBC dubbed him “ Clinton ’ s safe choice.
” In fact , he wasn ’ t safe at all .
“ Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year , ” warned Stephanie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Unfortunately , since Tim Kaine voted to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership , Republicans now have a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue.
” Democrats in swing states grumbled that he did nothing to help excite voters .
Just over three months after the ticket was announced , Clinton lost Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin—and with them the White House .
If Clinton had been an outlier , that would be one thing .
But Democratic presidential nominees have made the same costly mistake time and time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen—only to pay the price on Election Day .
By now , the lesson should be clear : Instead of looking for a governing partner , Biden needs someone who can get him into a position to govern .
Yes , as the oldest major party nominee in American history , he must choose someone that voters see as capable of stepping into the top job and of leading the 2024 ticket if Biden decides against seeking reelection .
But beyond that baseline demand , his duty is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the base , has the potential to tip swing states , and excites the progressives and economic populists who backed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders .
If Woody Guthrie Were Singing Now About the Postal Service Biden recalls Barack Obama telling him that in 2008 , “ I tried to find someone who had experiences or capacity that I didn ’ t have.
” Obama proved his capacity to make himself electable .
Biden ’ s not there yet .
Even as he consolidated his position as the party ’ s presumptive nominee , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advice from former treasury secretary Larry Summers , complaints about an online ad ’ s anti-China language , and allegations that he sexually assaulted an aide in 1993 .
Even if Biden addresses those issues—as he must—the Trump camp will amplify every vulnerability .
Clearly , the pressure is on the former vice president to expand his electoral appeal by choosing a compelling running mate .
Biden says he ’ ll pick a woman .
But who ?
Swing-state obsessives point to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer or Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar .
Unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate-friendly centrism .
Progressives recommend Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren or Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin , a single-payer health care advocate who has a winning record in a frequent swing state .
Other prospects include Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham ; selecting one of them , former representative Luis Gutiérrez argued , could strengthen Biden ’ s appeal among the Latinx voters who backed Sanders .
Biden ’ s Promise to Choose a Female Vice President Is Why He ’ s Winning The idea of making what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ historic VP selection has been energetically advanced by 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams , who has said , “ Having a woman of color on the ticket will help promote not only diversity but trust.
” More than 200 African American women have signed an open letter urging Biden “ to seize this historic opportunity to choose a Black woman running mate who will fight for the issues that matter most to the American people and help deliver a decisive victory and a successful Biden presidency.
” Abrams is a prospect , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So , too , is Representative Val Demings , a vital voice in the Trump impeachment hearings who hails from the swing state of Florida .
There is something profoundly healthy about this campaigning to influence Biden .
It democratizes the process .
Yes , of course that makes things harder for him .
But he needs to be pushed beyond his comfort zone ; that is the best way to get a sense of how he will handle the demands of the fall campaign and the presidency .
It is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year 2020 , that the Democratic nominee for president make an intersectional choice that breaks with political orthodoxy and seeks to inspire the turnout necessary for a transformational victory .
Indeed , that is precisely what Democrats should demand of their expected nominee .

This article appears in the May 18/25, 2020 issue.
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Joe Biden needs to define an unfocused and frequently listless presidential bid by selecting a dynamic running mate. The vice presidential pick, the most consequential decision of the presumed nominee’s campaign, will do much to determine whether the Democratic ticket has the popular appeal to end the most dangerous presidency in American history. It will also determine the extent to which a Democratic surge can give the party the full control of Congress necessary to govern in a moment that could be as challenging as the one Franklin Delano Roosevelt faced in 1933. Let’s hope Biden doesn’t blow the choice—as Hillary Clinton did in 2016 and as too many other Democratic nominees have done in too many other races that could have been won.
Clinton was overconfident about her prospects against Donald Trump, a rival so jarringly unfit that she struggled to wrap her head around the fact that he was even in contention. She was, as Politico explained, “more concerned with finding a long-term governing partner than an electrifying campaigner on the road.” Her VP pick, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, shared her centrist ideology, came from a state the Democrats were likely to win, and was, as even she acknowledged, boring. So why did she pick him? Because, she said, he “can help me govern.” That’s nice. But you can’t govern if you don’t win.
CNBC dubbed him “Clinton’s safe choice.” In fact, he wasn’t safe at all. “Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year,” warned Stephanie Taylor of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “Unfortunately, since Tim Kaine voted to fast-track the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Republicans now have a new opening to attack Democrats on this economic populist issue.” Democrats in swing states grumbled that he did nothing to help excite voters. Just over three months after the ticket was announced, Clinton lost Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—and with them the White House.
If Clinton had been an outlier, that would be one thing. But Democratic presidential nominees have made the same costly mistake time and time again—think Al Gore and Joe Lieberman, Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen—only to pay the price on Election Day. By now, the lesson should be clear: Instead of looking for a governing partner, Biden needs someone who can get him into a position to govern. Yes, as the oldest major party nominee in American history, he must choose someone that voters see as capable of stepping into the top job and of leading the 2024 ticket if Biden decides against seeking reelection. But beyond that baseline demand, his duty is to pick a candidate who energizes and expands the base, has the potential to tip swing states, and excites the progressives and economic populists who backed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann More From John Nichols A GOP Debate Without Trump Is the Definition of Pointlessness August 11, 2023 A Win for Abortion Rights, a Win for Democracy: Ohio Voters Reject Issue 1 August 9, 2023 The Biggest Threat to Donald Trump Could Be the Constitution Itself August 4, 2023
Biden recalls Barack Obama telling him that in 2008, “I tried to find someone who had experiences or capacity that I didn’t have.” Obama proved his capacity to make himself electable. Biden’s not there yet. Even as he consolidated his position as the party’s presumptive nominee, he faced criticism for taking economic policy advice from former treasury secretary Larry Summers, complaints about an online ad’s anti-China language, and allegations that he sexually assaulted an aide in 1993. Even if Biden addresses those issues—as he must—the Trump camp will amplify every vulnerability. Clearly, the pressure is on the former vice president to expand his electoral appeal by choosing a compelling running mate.
Biden says he’ll pick a woman. But who? Swing-state obsessives point to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer or Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. Unfortunately, both women mirror Biden’s corporate-friendly centrism. Progressives recommend Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren or Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin, a single-payer health care advocate who has a winning record in a frequent swing state. Other prospects include Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham; selecting one of them, former representative Luis Gutiérrez argued, could strengthen Biden’s appeal among the Latinx voters who backed Sanders. The VP Pick ‘If Not Now, When?’ Behind the Growing Push for a Black Woman VP Nominee. Joan Walsh
The idea of making what’s been described as a doubly historic VP selection has been energetically advanced by 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who has said, “Having a woman of color on the ticket will help promote not only diversity but trust.” More than 200 African American women have signed an open letter urging Biden “to seize this historic opportunity to choose a Black woman running mate who will fight for the issues that matter most to the American people and help deliver a decisive victory and a successful Biden presidency.” Abrams is a prospect, as is Senator Kamala Harris of California. So, too, is Representative Val Demings, a vital voice in the Trump impeachment hearings who hails from the swing state of Florida.
There is something profoundly healthy about this campaigning to influence Biden. It democratizes the process. Yes, of course that makes things harder for him. But he needs to be pushed beyond his comfort zone; that is the best way to get a sense of how he will handle the demands of the fall campaign and the presidency. It is not too much to ask, in the year 2020, that the Democratic nominee for president make an intersectional choice that breaks with political orthodoxy and seeks to inspire the turnout necessary for a transformational victory. Indeed, that is precisely what Democrats should demand of their expected nominee.


thenation--2020-05-01--Class Struggle Is Necessary, but Be Humane to Outsiders (Even Rich Ones)

There ’ s a big stink here in Maine over people coming up from the New York City area to ride out the coronavirus lockdown .
Maine is in many ways a Third World country and , especially outside Southern Maine , still largely reliant on tourism and resource extraction .
Resentment of rich folks from away is baked into our DNA .
It ’ s pretty ugly , and I know it ’ s happening elsewhere , too .
A friend of mine told me approvingly about a neighbor who chewed out some people when she found out they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to flee the Covid-19 crisis .
She demanded to know whether they ’ d brought their own supplies so they wouldn ’ t go into local stores .
And others who arrived to shelter in their summer homes have had their cars vandalized .
This all makes me somewhat uncomfortable .
Our area is heavily dependent on summer folk , so we ’ ve always had a relationship with them , one complicated by their class privilege .
We , of course , resent them for treating us as lesser , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeking safety .
We also have a large refugee population , and the anger directed at both groups feels uncomfortably similar .
Solidarity with people with second ( or third ) homes feels funny but also like the humane response .
What do you think ?
It ’ s been enraging to see the well-off leave New York City with so little regard for the impact on their chosen destinations .
There have been media reports of rich urbanites carrying the virus to the Hamptons , the Jersey Shore , and Florida .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hoard , the wealthy have been buying up much of the food in local stores .
Health officials warn that such migrations risk overburdening small , understaffed hospitals ill-equipped for the outbreak .
It ’ s a sharp illustration of how an entitled class places its health and well-being above others ’ .
Your neighbors are right to resent this behavior .
The rich should not be allowed to disregard the survival needs of locals .
Some policy-makers agree .
The governor of New Jersey asked people with second homes not to travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Long Island officials did likewise .
In early April your governor , Janet Mills , ordered all new arrivals to self-quarantine for 14 days and said others should not come at all if they ’ re showing symptoms of Covid-19 or are from virus hot spots like New York City .
She has shuttered hotels and short-term rentals to further discourage visitors .
Violators could face fines and jail time .
Rhode Island has taken even more aggressive measures : In late March , Governor Gina Raimondo issued an executive order that had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York license plates and sending officers door-to-door to order New Yorkers into self-quarantine .
She said of her order , “ This is not a suggestion.
” ( Under criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo , she doubled down , expanding her order to include all out-of-state visitors , not just New Yorkers . )
My Anxious Wife Is Stockpiling Pop-Tarts !
What Should I Do ?
I ’ m Roasting at the Office .
What Can I Do ?
How Can I Help My Mom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Retirement ?
Still , Mainelander , your attitude is decent and humane and your concerns well founded .
To some readers , the parallel you ’ re drawing between refugees and well-heeled urbanites might seem like a stretch .
But considering the history of populisms that target people “ from away , ” it is not .
Anti-Semitism in Europe has often been mixed with class resentment against bankers .
In the 1970s , Idi Amin pursued a racist policy of exclusion against South Asians in Uganda , grounded partly in the popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prospered and become a privileged class .
While the class struggle of workers against capitalists is always necessary—as is political pressure for the redistribution of wealth—the populist resentment of those seen as “ not from here ” can take an ugly turn .
Dear Liza , I live in Westchester County in New York , one of the first areas hit hard by the coronavirus .
My husband and I don ’ t go out except to take walks , without getting near people .
I am wary of going to grocery stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the air and people can have it without symptoms .
But the only delivery service near me that has any slots available is Instacart .
I know it sends people to stores to buy the items , so that means we would be paying to put its workers at risk .
That might be morally justified because we are over 60 , my husband has diabetes , and the workers might be younger .
But then again , the person dispatched to pick up my groceries might expose an older person .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have Amazon Fresh , but there is some food available on the main site . )
Since the workers would be packing it in a warehouse , I believe they would be less at risk than in a store .
Do you think this is the most moral option ?
Amazon ’ s warehouse workers do face serious danger during this pandemic .
Many have contracted Covid-19 because of the company ’ s negligence on matters like sick leave .
Like Instacart employees , Amazon workers all over the country have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions .
Though some of these workers are young , I wouldn ’ t assume the coronavirus is not a threat to them ; at least one has died .
Boycotts are usually intended to economically pressure companies to change their behavior .
It ’ s almost impossible to imagine that consumers could bring any pain to Amazon , a company with monopolies in so many sectors .
But you ’ re right to want to avoid putting workers at risk through your order .
In some places , it ’ s easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the beginning of the lockdown .
You may be able to use Peapod , Stop & Shop ’ s online service .
Some stores provide special shopping times for those who most need protection from the virus .
For example , Costco has set aside 8 to 9 am on Tuesdays , Wednesdays , and Thursdays for shoppers over 60 .
You can also try calling local grocery stores to ask if they offer curbside pickup , as many now do .
Another option is mutual aid : Many neighborhood groups have organized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more vulnerable people who shouldn ’ t be going to the store .
Have a question ?
Ask Liza here .

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Nation believes that helping readers stay informed about the impact of the coronavirus crisis is a form of public service. For that reason, this article, and all of our coronavirus coverage, is now free. Please subscribe to support our writers and staff, and stay healthy.
This article appears in the May 18/25, 2020 issue.
Dear Liza,
There’s a big stink here in Maine over people coming up from the New York City area to ride out the coronavirus lockdown. Maine is in many ways a Third World country and, especially outside Southern Maine, still largely reliant on tourism and resource extraction. Resentment of rich folks from away is baked into our DNA. It’s pretty ugly, and I know it’s happening elsewhere, too.
A friend of mine told me approvingly about a neighbor who chewed out some people when she found out they had come up from New York City to flee the Covid-19 crisis. She demanded to know whether they’d brought their own supplies so they wouldn’t go into local stores. And others who arrived to shelter in their summer homes have had their cars vandalized.
This all makes me somewhat uncomfortable. Our area is heavily dependent on summer folk, so we’ve always had a relationship with them, one complicated by their class privilege. We, of course, resent them for treating us as lesser, but it seems cruel to beat them up for seeking safety. We also have a large refugee population, and the anger directed at both groups feels uncomfortably similar.
Solidarity with people with second (or third) homes feels funny but also like the humane response. What do you think?
—Mainelander
Dear Mainelander, Current Issue View our current issue
It’s been enraging to see the well-off leave New York City with so little regard for the impact on their chosen destinations. There have been media reports of rich urbanites carrying the virus to the Hamptons, the Jersey Shore, and Florida. Also, since they can afford to hoard, the wealthy have been buying up much of the food in local stores. Health officials warn that such migrations risk overburdening small, understaffed hospitals ill-equipped for the outbreak. It’s a sharp illustration of how an entitled class places its health and well-being above others’.
Your neighbors are right to resent this behavior. The rich should not be allowed to disregard the survival needs of locals. Some policy-makers agree. The governor of New Jersey asked people with second homes not to travel to them during the pandemic. Some Long Island officials did likewise. In early April your governor, Janet Mills, ordered all new arrivals to self-quarantine for 14 days and said others should not come at all if they’re showing symptoms of Covid-19 or are from virus hot spots like New York City. She has shuttered hotels and short-term rentals to further discourage visitors. Violators could face fines and jail time. Rhode Island has taken even more aggressive measures: In late March, Governor Gina Raimondo issued an executive order that had the state police stopping cars with New York license plates and sending officers door-to-door to order New Yorkers into self-quarantine. She said of her order, “This is not a suggestion.” (Under criticism from the American Civil Liberties Union and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, she doubled down, expanding her order to include all out-of-state visitors, not just New Yorkers.) Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann Popular "swipe left below to view more authors"Swipe → The Evisceration of a Public University The Evisceration of a Public University Lisa M. Corrigan The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks The Patronizing Moralism of David Brooks Chris Lehmann “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash “The Blind Side” Was Always Trash Dave Zirin How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection How the “Brooks Brothers Riot” Set the Stage for Insurrection Chris Lehmann More From Liza Featherstone Can a Socialist Lyft Driver Beat an Incumbent Bankrolled by the Fossil Fuel Industry? August 17, 2022 The Fierce Hope of Ana María Archila June 23, 2022 Why This N.Y. Socialist Is Running on Climate June 21, 2022
Still, Mainelander, your attitude is decent and humane and your concerns well founded. To some readers, the parallel you’re drawing between refugees and well-heeled urbanites might seem like a stretch. But considering the history of populisms that target people “from away,” it is not. Anti-Semitism in Europe has often been mixed with class resentment against bankers. In the 1970s, Idi Amin pursued a racist policy of exclusion against South Asians in Uganda, grounded partly in the popular resentment of South Asian immigrants who had prospered and become a privileged class. While the class struggle of workers against capitalists is always necessary—as is political pressure for the redistribution of wealth—the populist resentment of those seen as “not from here” can take an ugly turn.
Dear Liza,
I live in Westchester County in New York, one of the first areas hit hard by the coronavirus. My husband and I don’t go out except to take walks, without getting near people. I am wary of going to grocery stores, since the virus can linger in the air and people can have it without symptoms. But the only delivery service near me that has any slots available is Instacart. I know it sends people to stores to buy the items, so that means we would be paying to put its workers at risk. That might be morally justified because we are over 60, my husband has diabetes, and the workers might be younger. But then again, the person dispatched to pick up my groceries might expose an older person. Another option is Amazon. (We don’t have Amazon Fresh, but there is some food available on the main site.) Since the workers would be packing it in a warehouse, I believe they would be less at risk than in a store. Do you think this is the most moral option?
—At Risk
Dear At Risk,
Amazon’s warehouse workers do face serious danger during this pandemic. Many have contracted Covid-19 because of the company’s negligence on matters like sick leave. Like Instacart employees, Amazon workers all over the country have been going on strike and protesting these conditions. Though some of these workers are young, I wouldn’t assume the coronavirus is not a threat to them; at least one has died.
Boycotts are usually intended to economically pressure companies to change their behavior. It’s almost impossible to imagine that consumers could bring any pain to Amazon, a company with monopolies in so many sectors. But you’re right to want to avoid putting workers at risk through your order.
In some places, it’s easier to get groceries delivered now than at the beginning of the lockdown. You may be able to use Peapod, Stop & Shop’s online service. Some stores provide special shopping times for those who most need protection from the virus. For example, Costco has set aside 8 to 9 am on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for shoppers over 60. You can also try calling local grocery stores to ask if they offer curbside pickup, as many now do.
Another option is mutual aid: Many neighborhood groups have organized volunteers to deliver groceries to older and more vulnerable people who shouldn’t be going to the store.
Have a question? Ask Liza here.


thenation--2020-05-01--The Faces of Our Crisis

The Faces of Our Crisis

I ’ m tired of reading interviews with eminent writers where they talk about the lessons “ we ” have learned from the crisis .
By “ we ” they mean financially secure people who work from home and have more time to bake .
I wonder , does this “ we ” include the newly immiserated members of the middle class who saw their entire means of making a living disappear ?
And why does it never include those essential workers whose scorned labor turns the earth ?
As I write this , it ’ s over a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of my fellow New Yorkers are dead .
I am one of the lucky ones .
I have always worked from home , and can still churn out drawings for scattered freelance clients .
But every day , I do a drawing of a worker who doesn ’ t have that luxury .
Dozens of people across the country sent me their selfies to use as reference .
They are sanitation workers and nurses .
They stock the shelves at grocery stores , dispatch 911 calls , and pick crops .
Some I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ friends , or their parents .
Without them , the bored , confined “ we ” presumed by eminent writers would rapidly starve to death .
As I write this , it ’ s over a month into lockdown , and more than 16,000 of my fellow New Yorkers are dead .
I am one of the lucky ones .
I have always worked from home , and can still churn out drawings for scattered freelance clients .
But every day , I do a drawing of a worker who doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country sent me their selfies to use as reference .
They are sanitation workers and nurses .
They stock the shelves at grocery stores , dispatch 911 calls , and pick crops .
Some I have never met .
Some are old friends , or their parents .
Without them , the bored , confined “ we ” presumed by eminent writers would rapidly starve to death .
There are many lessons to be learned from this horrible disease , but one is that the people who grow the food and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the power to make the world stand still .
As the wildcat strikes across the country show , they are using this power to demand their due for all that they have created .

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This article appears in the May 18/25, 2020 issue.
This reporting was supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.
I’m tired of reading interviews with eminent writers where they talk about the lessons “we” have learned from the crisis. By “we” they mean financially secure people who work from home and have more time to bake. I wonder, does this “we” include the newly immiserated members of the middle class who saw their entire means of making a living disappear? And why does it never include those essential workers whose scorned labor turns the earth?
As I write this, it’s over a month into lockdown, and more than 16,000 of my fellow New Yorkers are dead. I am one of the lucky ones. I have always worked from home, and can still churn out drawings for scattered freelance clients. But every day, I do a drawing of a worker who doesn’t have that luxury. Dozens of people across the country sent me their selfies to use as reference. They are sanitation workers and nurses. They stock the shelves at grocery stores, dispatch 911 calls, and pick crops. Some I have never met. Some are old friends, or their parents. Without them, the bored, confined “we” presumed by eminent writers would rapidly starve to death.
There are many lessons to be learned from this horrible disease, but one is that the people who grow the food and lug the boxes and tend the sick have the power to make the world stand still. As the wildcat strikes across the country show, they are using this power to demand their due for all that they have created.
Turtle, sanitation worker, San Jose, California (Molly Crabapple)
Kanaan El-Daher, emergency room nurse, Rhode Island (Molly Crabapple)
Ashley, pet store worker, New Jersey (Molly Crabapple)
Brittany, Target worker, Massachusetts (Molly Crabapple)
Cezary, delivery worker, Chicago (Molly Crabapple)
Bulmaro Cruz, truck driver for a specialty food factory, Queens, New York (Molly Crabapple)
Alex, grocery store worker, New Jersey (Molly Crabapple)
From left, Kegga, Marissa, and Courtney, phlebotomists, New Jersey (Molly Crabapple)
Marwa, doctor treating COVID-19 patients, New York (Molly Crabapple)