Field Notes From A Pandemic
A Global Pandemic And A Rapidly Shifting American Landscape Of Society, Culture, and Technology
It is May of 2020 as of this writing, and we are in the midst of a global coronavirus (Covid-19, a SARS-related virus) pandemic that has now killed at least 250,000 people world-wide since January of 2020. It’s a hundred-year pandemic event that none of us expected and many of us are literally reeling from.
As social scientists we are now grappling with how to adequately document a world in uncertainty, chaos, and mourning. But more importantly, how do we assess the global landscape for key learnings, best practices, and success stories? And how do we move on from here, especially since the future is so hazy and clouded with anxiety, worry, and grief?
The 1918 flu pandemic killed 50–100 million people world-wide, there were severe economic consequences, and the world did not return to ‘normal’ until 1921–1922. What makes this time potentially different? Our scientific and technical knowledge, platforms, and ways to collaborate. We can head off this pandemic before it kills millions, but the time to do so is now. And we must embrace science, reason, and the collective good over dogma, greed and self-interest. We must exercise sensible precautions while we examine our priorities and architect the road forward.
While I am originally from Northern California, Seattle in Washington State, USA has been my home for the last thirteen years. We are a ‘blue’ (Democratic, liberal) state with a Democratic governor and local city mayor. We are, however, living under a national Republican administration that is now favoring ‘red’ (Republican) states over “blue” ones and we have a corrupt, foreign-influenced President (reality tv star and serial entrepreneur, Donald Trump) who has no prior experience in government, is openly hostile towards science, well-known for lying constantly (thousands of public, documented lies), and takes out his petty rage on supposed enemies and opponents of various persuasions. They are burying scientific guidance, like these cautious but reasonable reopening guidelines from the Center For Disease Control (CDC). And the federal disaster relief organization FEMA has refused to respond because the pandemic is not a ‘natural disaster’. They did order 100,000 body bags, however.
Call It What It Is: Genocide Via A Failed Pandemic Response
While the administration’s incompetence and sheer callousness has been clear since they were sworn in January 2017, these last few weeks have been what we Americans call a ‘Hurricane Katrina’ moment. This is in reference to serious issues regarding the national response to a hurricane that devastated the New Orleans area back in 2004 and disproportionately affected marginalized communities. Repeated now time and again as the federal government turns its back on disaster needs, including fires in California and Montana, and devastating tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes affecting Puerto Rico (a U.S. territory) and many states. Florida, where Trump owns his favorite property and is run by a Republican governor, does seem to get relief however. They are also actively distancing themselves from established institutions like the World Health Organization (WHO) who offered test kits to 57 countries back in January. They were refused by the Trump administration.
This scenario plays out over and over, cronyism is the name of the game, not patriotism or any loyalty to your fellow Americans, much less your fellow humans world-wide. It’s white religious nationalist driven and the edict is ‘you will listen to us’ even when it’s lies, spin, dangerous rhetoric, and hate they are dispensing. It’s also outright genocide that is directly affecting vulnerable populations like Native Americans, the homeless, the sick and infirm, and aging. And African-American populations are dying at disproportionate rates, researchers aren’t sure why, but lack of access to healthcare is one likely reason. And when people protest? This is the regime that drags disabled protesters out of wheelchairs and arrests them when they show up in droves protesting cuts to healthcare, pain management, and other critical services.
What has become very clear is that these elected Republicans (Conservatives) do not value human life, human rights, or making efforts to seriously tackle social issues and social justice problems. As a military veteran who took an oath to our nation over 30 years ago now, this hits me particularly hard. I also received professional training in the military related to chemical and biological warfare, wore a gas mask and got exposed to tear gas in basic training’s very own gas chamber. We also wore very hot hazmat suits for a day, so we could learn how to function in an outbreak or attack situation.
In short, abandoning people is not what we do in times like this when a coordinated, cohesive, and compassionate federal response is required and what our citizens and residents deserve. It is fundamental to the American value system to look out for each other in times of crisis, it’s what we do and it’s what we stand for. Instead the populace is expected to make do, waiting for promised unemployment, loans, and stimulus payments (only $1200 per person, $500 per child at this point).
What Does The Global Pandemic Response Tell Us About Leadership?
Other countries are doing a better job, New Zealand has flattened the curve to just 20 deaths, many are hailing the quick response and decision-making of compassionate women leaders like Prime Minister Jacinda Adern. Similar story in Germany, led by Angela Merkel, who was a research scientist herself in a previous life. And in other countries, as well. Also of note, Senator and former Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren put out detailed pandemic response plans in January 2020. She dismantled her campaign a short time later, in part to protect campaign staff who were already suffering major harassment from supporters of rival (male) candidates. Aspects of these plans were adopted early on by South Korea, who suffered a major outbreak but did manage to flatten the curve. Political magazine The Nation called on her to be named coronavirus pandemic czar, but instead the federal government has stuck to their own shills in a disaster show of ridiculous press conferences, coverups, hostility towards the press, and scapegoating.
Here in the U.S. we have had to self-organize via the myriad technology platforms and communications devices now available to us. This is what you might call both blessing and curse or feature and bug, as consistency in usability and user interfaces are not prioritized. Too many organizations settle on minimum viable product and want to encourage people to adapt to whatever they put out. And as we are privileged technologically for the most part, information overload now plays a big part in how people process what to do in a crisis. They go to voices they think they can trust, it’s understandable. But in this case we now have a major public health information crisis on our hands, as well.
The Infodemic of Misinformation and Deliberate Disinformation
Our national/federal government has been doling out misinformation and outright disinformation, as well as making it very difficult to obtain critical supplies like personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. In addition to squandering and risking healthcare worker lives, they have demeaned and marginalized the voices of scientific experts and spread patently false medical information. They go against global pandemic public health advice and encourage American residents to do the same, who claim that exhortations to stay home, wear masks, social distance, etc. are somehow incursions on personal liberties and in some cases, they say, even against the Constitution of the United States. They allow religious leaders to claim believers are somehow immune, and that their appointed supreme leaders are also immune, which is why Trump and Vice-President Pence can’t be seen in public with masks. It’s a major disinformation effort coming down from the highest level and proliferated through standard propaganda channels.
What do well-informed, concerned citizens do? First of all, in states that have successfully ‘flattened the curve’ (like Washington State), we have had informative, regular briefings from local and state governments who are doing their best to communicate on myriad platforms we all have access to. Several states ‘locked down’ back in March, meaning schools were closed, public gatherings postponed or cancelled, and social distancing measures put in place. For weeks now we have only been leaving home to attend to necessary activities like picking up groceries and prescriptions (recreational/medical cannabis locations are considered essential, as well).
As of now some states are in the process of ‘reopening’ but that is still quite limited. They are, however, trying to encourage us to continue to take reasonable precautions, which most people seem willing to do. However there are also dark spots, like communities of people holding ‘Covid Parties’ so supposedly infected people can infect healthy people. The anti-vaxxing community try to encourage community spread in this way, assuming that some sort of herd immunity is a better option than vaccination, which is still unavailable for coronavirus. We have also had major issues getting testing on a widespread basis, meaning most people don’t know if they are infected or not. In short, we are dealing with a monstrous mess in terms of response and the U.S. numbers relative to the rest of the world bear that out.
The Silver Linings We Cling To
They say there is opportunity in crisis and as an activist I know progress is frequently a two steps forward, one step backwards, phenomenon. The nature of progress is iterative, positive change towards increased human safety, security, justice, and overall prosperity. What we can’t do is to say that some humans are more deserving of protection and empathy, and others less. We can’t underestimate the contributions and sacrifices of populations of workers most people have overlooked their whole lives: store clerks, delivery drivers, frontline healthcare workers, caregivers, garbage/sanitation workers, and other everyday heroes.
Fueled by most people’s ready access to social media, there has been an amazing grassroots effort to connect anyone who needs it to resources they need, including getting supplies delivered, sewing/3D printing masks and protective gear at home, and just generally reaching out in mutual aid to say, ‘we care, what do you need?’ We’ve also been trying to share and celebrate as much as we can, it’s those moments that keep us going. Like viral videos that circulate of adults donning dinosaur and unicorn costumes so they can roller-skate the streets to delight stuck-at-home children. Or a doctor or nurse crying their eyes out at the end of a 14 hour shift, because they aren’t sure if they can take another day of sheer grief, terror, death, and sadness as they also desperately fear infecting their families. Knowing that even in a time like this, even given how valuable they are to society, they are also cannon fodder to an authoritarian regime that wants to deflect blame and responsibility.
But then there are the cities that break out in song and dance from their balconies, because in these times it’s fundamental human connection we crave. Profound moments of inspiration, gratitude, and reconnection with feelings of what it means to be human. It has also been a time of epic hacking, creativity, and ingenuity. These are the things I will personally never forget about this time.
Those shifting socio-cultural norms are a fascination for those seeking silver linings and it is always inspiring to see people reach out and connect in novel, effective ways. Some of us are now connecting to remote work opportunities because that skillset is finally being prioritized. This is surely a trend that will stick, most will now say. Something that makes total sense but has been blocked by status quo thinking and resistance to change.
It’s clearly a crisis of two things: of consciousness and conditioning. We have the technological power, the engineering skills to save our planet, to cure disease, to feed the hungry, to end war; But we lack the intellectual vision, the ability to change our minds. We must de-condition ourselves from 10,000 years of bad behavior. And, it’s not easy. — Terence McKenna
Let’s Remember And Continue This Time Of Reconnection and Solidarity
Crises are often when we discover our best selves, but we discover the worst in others, too. It’s also when we discover the power of latent technology options that exist all around us. As a technophile, this fascinates me, and as an anthropologist I see material culture and emerging tools and approaches all around us remixed in delightful new ways. We will never forget the impromptu Zoom video conferences where we now get an inside look into people’s private lives (to some extent!) and where children and pets can now join in without anyone thinking anything of it.
While we encourage each other to not worry about hair (that we can’t get done in salons) and makeup or showing up to meetings in whatever we feel like. We’re all a bit more compassionate and supportive now and that’s a very good thing. We won’t forget nurses and doctors who reached out to the Twitterverse begging for help from anyone listening, the medical researchers who have reached out and connected to try to figure this all out. We won’t forget the stories of people who had to say goodbye to loved ones via video conferencing, and we won’t forget the beautiful eulogies and memories people have shared.
Let’s build on what has stirred us, challenged our assumptions, and lit the fire inside us all. Let’s approach this pandemic, in short, techno-optimistically.
“Techno-optimism is a belief in the power of technology to extend our sphere of possibilities and, ultimately, a belief that technology helps us solve and transcend problems, limitations and obstacles.” — Jason Silva
Where Do We Safely Go From Here?
Many of us are talking about the post-pandemic ‘new normal’. We are adapting, adjusting, flexing, giving, communicating, working, and organizing in new ways. The big question for all of us is how do we build upon what’s working and how do we select which pandemic innovations and disruptions we keep? For instance, now that we are working from home and social distancing, traffic and air pollution are down in major cities. We have seen vast urban areas like Los Angeles smog-free for the first time ever. How can we now re-work work, public health, and education, challenging the status quo and the assumptions that go with it? How do we, in short, keep the positives while continuing to work on eliminating the negatives of what it means to cooperate and collaborate with other humans?
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” Frederick Douglass
About Me: I am an anthropologist, futurist, veteran, activist, and Mom to a transgender teen.
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