coronavirus | Dissent Magazine

The Disease Map of Rural America

Max Fraser ▪ After Growth

In the hardest-hit rural communities, the collective immune system was already fatally compromised. They were deep into a decades-old crisis when the pandemic arrived.

“I’m Not Going to Risk My Life for Lipstick”

Michelle Chen ▪ August 5, 2020

Sephora workers are weighing their growing economic insecurity against the health risks of returning.

Why Hong Kongers Fight

Wilfred Chan ▪ After Growth

After weathering decades of disappointment, Hong Kongers understand that there is no tomorrow waiting. The future is not guaranteed, but must be won.

Jeff Bezos Praises Amazon’s COVID-19 Response. Workers Tell Another Story.

Michelle Chen ▪ August 3, 2020

In Shakopee, Minnesota, workers at the fulfillment center MSP1 organize walkouts over firings and coronavirus policies.

Will the Teachers Take Control?

Joseph A. McCartin ▪ August 3, 2020

No group is better positioned than organized teachers to force Washington to develop a national plan to deal with the pandemic.

Democracy on Hold

Madeleine Schwartz ▪ After Growth

We’ve long heard about a decline in democracy. Canceled elections put this state of affairs into stark perspective.

Dismantle Racial Capitalism

K. Sabeel Rahman ▪ After Growth

The COVID crisis has cast into stark relief what has always been true: the wealth and prosperity of the U.S. economy rests on the labor, and the lives, of black and brown people.

The Pre-emption Racket

Colin Gordon ▪ July 28, 2020

Conservative state governments are rolling back local public health initiatives, intentionally putting their citizens in harm’s way.

We need a health system where the distribution of infrastructure and resources is not left to the dictates of the market, but rationally planned according to the needs of communities—and the certainty of future disasters.

Conservative Incoherence

Sam Adler-Bell ▪ After Growth

The conservative response to COVID-19 has been defined by its heterogeneity: a blur of contradictory recriminations, confirmation biases, and conspiracy peddling.