Very proud publishers of mike and were teaming up to try to do a series of things during this pandemic crisis as part of our political intellectual mission but also because were on lock down, were trying to find new ways for us to share information so its very exciting for me to be collaborating when my Close Friends and comrades at haymarket and you might have caught haymarkets excellent teaching last week its when they started to pioneer this online form, marvelous event, super informative, even inspiring, 15000 of us participated in that, joined in for that great talk and this is aiming to be a series haymarket first others that put together, haymarket in fact has already organized a followup to taylors talk in the gonna reconvene these three and discuss the further politics of coronavirus in the next talk would be broadcast on thursday april 9, thats not this thursday but next thursday at 5 00 oclock eastern time and same time this time with mike davis, the following thursday the series continues with great dialogue between the scholars and activist group gilmore and naomi, two of the great experts on Prison Industrial Complex on incarceration and the reasons for that and the meanings for that and they will talk together on thursday april 16 at 5 00 p. M. So these links will be available below, you can register for both of these on eventbrite. Tonight talk with mike also be recorded and so folks will be able to tune in later, you can tell folks about it, you can access it on the haymarket books, youtube channel. Let me just say a little bit about versa and haymarket, as they say to the leading independent radical publishing houses in the United States, close comrades, to outfits that are suffering during this incredible crisis like a lot of other organizations across our movements, this is a real big challenge for us if you getting something from this event with mike, the great talk with naomi and others, if youve enjoyed and profited from the knowledge youre getting from the books, this is a good time, something that we would really appreciate if you would buy books, go to haymarket books. Org, go to verso books. Com and buy books from us, that will keep us going. We also have and we also have venmo, if youre able and a position to donate, its super appreciated right now so thats a little bit of an appeal, just a little more housekeeping. Tonights talk is going to be a little different than last weeks great talk with naomi, and that were oneonone with mike that gives engage with him directly and learn from him and put questions to him. As you listen to them talk and you listening to things that you want him to address, respond to the videos if youre on youtube, type the question into the chat and if you watching on twitter, tweet us, i will correlate some of the questions along with mike conrad and will put those to mike. Its a chance to have those oneonone with mike in one little thing we learned last week from the first of these online teachings, if you are having some trouble with the broadcast quality, image quality that your scene, sometimes you can adjust to your image quality, reduce in other words into get a little bit better sound. Try that, this is all new for us so were stumbling a little bit so please have some forbearance for a technical difficulties which are probably going to be inevitable. Let me say a couple words about mike, i imagine folks tuning in know about his writing but some might be new to mikes work, he is one of the great historians and political and cultural analyst that were lucky to have, hes written and edited 20 books across a ride over a of topics, i think its fair to say there are couple of main threads in his work, one is and hell be joining us from san diego, focus on southern california, books like college you fear, city of corpse, he has analyze the history of southern california, los angeles, san diego and i bring this up partly because mike has a new book coming up, it drops in just two weeks right in the middle of this crisis and hes been working on for years and years. Its called sent the night on fire. Its a big history of las radical 1960s, black and Brown Movement that propelled the city during this year which he cowrote with the longtime los angeles historian john weiner. Its a fantastic book, is available for preorder, there are links to that as well check that out, another main thread of mikes career of a thinker and activist is the Global Effect of globalization of our era, capitalist globalization, the contradictions and complexity that evolve because of that including disease. In the relationship of the disease pandemic and so forth with the spread development of global capitalist. There is nobody, seems to me better positioned to analyze our current moment there mike davis. I think what were going to do in the upcoming hour is going to be outlined, mike will lead us through some of the ways he sees the politics of this pandemic and hes going to talk for 30 minutes or so sitting out a series of issues and then im going to try to collate a bunch of the questions that you guys ended and put them to mike for the second half hour, we have a little bit more time than that but i want to be mindful of mikes time and energy and then we can wrap up after 60 minutes. Without further ado mike davis. I have to apologize at the beginning, ever coronavirus, the one that causes the common cold, i may be coughing there may be wonders through this interview. Thanks. Ready to go. Maybe we should just start very basically with you describing just a little bit, this coronavirus, how does it differ from influenza, how do you see this new what is to most folks apprising emerging disea disease, hiding places and a longer history . In the late 20th century, up to 2003 coronavirus is where the main veterinary medicine because they cause devastating epidemics particular amongst young animals. Into the viruses responsible for a lot of economic damage in the pork industry in the also affect cattle there were two coronavirus is including the one that i had which cause mild cold, there was summary church in urgency to understand more than that. And then 2003 suddenly in southern china, and hong kong, new disease emerged, this is against the background with an outbreak and it was attributed it seems to spread with the speed of light from one person that is sometimes called the super spreader in a hotel. In six scientist prewithin 24 hours their journey five other countries and it look like it was about to become like a pandemic. But the two realized it probably was not influenza so it began the search to find out exactly what this was that was causing this disease known as a severe acute respiratory syndrome. It was sars, it was discovered to be a coronavirus, this was truly unexpected per coronavirup a little bit here. Viruses are basically. Sitting genes that have to figure out a way to break into cells and then hijack your genetic protein aching machinery and figure out a way to get out of itself. The two kinds of viruses and the one is based on dna. They have a Proof Reading mechanism, so they have accurate copies of themselves but the viruses and the great majority of viruses are reading in translating instructions from the dna to make proteins but rna viruses have no spell check and this means that there constantly making earrings and also mutating a million times faster above anything else. Scientist said recently in human cell we take 7 million years of evolution to produce changes in the rna virus can occur in four days. So this is a World Revolution is fed up a million times where the viruses are basically xerox is printing out a written copies, this gives a great advantage in facing the human immune system because there will always be some humans slightly change variety of the virus that can resist the antibodies in your immunes system is producing. Coronavirus in particular has the largest genome amongst foreign aid viruses. About twice the size of the genetic package of influenza. To go back to the sars epidemic, its killing 20 of the people that got about 2000 people got it. It is stimulated including the United States to develop a vaccine. But to find out how this thing works because it seemed to be so much different than the common cold. But the thing that really saved us into thousand three is that size was only contagious with people that were symptomatic. So you can really only spread it when you are showing symptoms, coughing, fever, whatever. In different influenza which can be spread a symptomatically, people who have it dont show any symptoms, presymptomatic by people in the incubation. This gives influenza wing supply that coronavirus in the stars form did not. Because of the trade of the virus is easier to suppress, within a year there were no more cases, research on a vaccine, this could have been preventable sars with the chief of humanity and to have the capacity in the universal dissemination of the spanish flu in 1918 and 1919, the greatest single mortality in human history. Then in 2012, there was an outbreak in saudi arabia, the respiratory syndrome and it turns out i dont know if any of you remember if you go into a new good stricken and die because diseases are carried by bats and it was the origin disease spread to camels and then spread to humans. It also turned out to be a coronavirus, similar in many respects to sars, in the beginning it had a higher mortality rate, killed half the people who got it but like sars once again it was contagious only in the stage when you represent symptoms. But it did share a tremendous amount of research on coronavirus is and on the reservoir of coronavirus and coronavirus are not only endemic to bats with the existence and the stunning way of subtypes and strains. One city behind her back showed hundred different bat species the third 400 strains circulating. Now attending 100 species, of that species around the world. The potential danger is greater than anyone knows. Finally the current virus that goes to covid disease, and resembles both sars and the mideast coronavirus, these symptoms are similar in the lot that showed genome, its not as deadly by far but on the other hand its acquired the ability to spread like influenza does. Its incredibly infectious of influenza. Lets say briefly on the scientific level and since you have been studying all these diseases, what is your sense of order scientific response to this. Until a vaccine is developed, are there other options, malaria drugs, antivirals, injections and so forth . Probably 100 Different Research teams working on antivirals, drugs that have been developed, hiv, right now the only thing that is immediately within reach is plasma if somebody gets the disease then gets well then you take the blood and separate that and the plasma has the antibodies and this can be directly transfused into people that have tested positive. I think its been run more than a century but it is confusing with a lot of enthusiasm but that might be the most effective treatment from people that are suffering from the severe case of the infection. Interesting. Lets switch gears to the political response. You wrote a recent piece contracting the success of chinas containment efforts. Talk about your sense of the different responses nationally and globally what is the high and low point politically in the response . China responded to the new virus in the same way as sars in both cases local officials tried to cover up the cases spread misinformation and allowed it to become an epidemic. Then the government steps in and they are mobilization was highly effective. Now when wuhan was quarantined maybe the window of two weeks which allowed beijing to bring in doctors and experts across from china to concentrate on boo hand on wuhan. So the ability to concentrate an army of medical personnel and the protective equipment and test kits originally in wuhan it was 5 percent after the mobilization there were smaller outbreaks in china. Now i read an article that people the authoritarian leaders are learning the wrong lessons some say totalitarian surveillance in order to suppress such a pandemic because i dont think putting 1 Million People into camps or to do surveillance on all jaywalkers in china who will do that in success for the chinese . So first the Grassroots Organization for nine. 5 million members of the communist party so you have a Grassroots Organization medical care in china was powerful with a lot of cutbacks but with a large practice with the Critical Research now everything we know about coronavirus is coming out of Chinese Research in the same way back in 2003 and to share the research of the censorship even when republican senator from louisiana during a time that is out of control. That is crazy. With the chinese literature. This is also the case south korea had enough test kits it could test anybody who suspected they had didnt have to shut down their economy. Taiwan stockpiled the enormous number of n95 masks and ventilators they had this amazing stockpile which has been absolutely lifesaving. But that authoritarian surveillance societies would allow like this but we have to think of our own model Emergency Response one thats based on Grassroots Organization and medical workers and universal coverage and one is based on stockpile and the development of new vaccines and antivirals because actually, right now of immunology revolution and with that development and then entirely different position 1980s through 19 nineties and then with those real possibilities with those universal events the laissezfaire neoliberal public Medicine Public Health on developing the revolution and to save millions and millions of lives. So the new is enormous. And the politics of that. And pharma which is basically our system of anticipating and responding to these pandemics is fundamentally is uninterested. And constitutionally to put itself out of business. And then last a lifetime. And then to say you are excited. And of course not. With those universal vaccines. I think probably a majority of people and it is entirely possible. And that profit motive. But with big pharma with the 18 companies and simply they hide their prices and the drugs but in the profittaking to justify that status and the research that develops. Its not true. And totally advocated research and development for tropical diseases of antivirals and antibiotics. And then in the last few years running wild in the hospital. The 30 or 50000 americans per year. And in the 1930s and will not address that with that essential test with that social justification and with advertising and r d and sexual dysfunction and they are the profit leaders. And then with the research and then to get that new product and the new technology. And then it is suppressing. We could go on a long time talking about this. And then talking about breaking up with the production and prescription medicines and the couple of years and that proposal must be taken. And those movements for a response to this. And then to get more into that. And those Different Countries responses because even though they are encouraging responses from Less Government across the world so they have this program to think and organize that response. And with those two kinds of demands that dramatically forms and then coexist with that Economic System which may be of that socialism and with that position the new deal. And then to make that platform of campaigning 1944. And of that pandemic what you been fighting for for so long. And with that universal healthcare is essential. But the approach that socialist platform of 1910 look at the current crisis. And then we have to socialize the Production Development of medicines. On the basis of universal healthcare. And then to need to look at the relationship and those corporations for that current crisis. And then to secure this forever. And making extraordinary profits and that sanction and then to consolidate and then to say we could use antitrust and then is crusaded for and then to tighten the regulator to pay higher taxes the amazon is the continental infrastructure with the distribution of goods and then to socialize. And with those Public Utilities and in the nearterm that little article coming out in the nation those excess profits world war i, you want world war ii within the government that has matured but fdr and then in six months and his reaction and those in the excess profits so we need to think about this to urge the democrats and the progressives in these two issues and that Public Development but in the meantime with those three democratic president s with those excess profits went to get back to the question of demand strategy at about 640 and we want this to be a backandforth to those tuning and we have gotten a lot of questions. So in some ways it takes us back because some people halfway through some people ask questions about the global rollout of this pandemic and then the kinds of responses. Asking why and how has it reached africa so late . Is that bizarre another asked an interesting question with the impact on mexico. And trumps government not association at first but in a different way what is your analysis . Especially in the global south. And with africa in particular. And then with 22 percent west africa in particular and in this population doesnt have much impacted in africa it is a hotter climate, people are young, in really some ways that is far as weather goes 1918 or 1919. With the idea that in the same way to follow the same pattern and then in the United States. And equally for this reason. So Subsaharan Africa millions of people. 40 percent of africans between water or sanitation so many percent of africans live in the slums and social distancing is a possible. The civil wars let me make the analogy in 1918 and then on the western front but the greatest mortality is 60 percent of the people who died from this spanish flu because they were famished and exports of green with the people and then for the population. But what happens if you have hiv or aids . Or the immune system is suppressed by hunger . And sanitation . For the entirely different situation to have a relatively healthy population to medicine african doctors warned them that it is a time bomb. So with the immune system. And the studies that talk about in the beginning coming from animals or pigs or cattle but they see the coronavirus it can spread to the respiratory system because it is gastrointestinal. The reason this research is significant is by far more deadly. And from coronavirus for those who lack sanitation and those are the minority crisis. And with a large number of people. And then there are two advantages and in that epidemiological sense already. And the danger of that pandemic and with those human populations and with the pandemic and the other. And whether writing about disease or other fundamental issues like Climate Change is vulnerable we have two or three questions about this again really big and fundamental questions. And what can you say between Climate Change and disease. Because Climate Change with the geography of the planet with the topic of disease and out of the treating malaria to europe in the next decade or so. And also animals and then even the animals adjust to Climate Change which is the frequency of contact between humans and wild animals as they tried to domesticate to break down the barriers as in logging this is part of the story like kjv and ebola and bats and with those number of diseases. And then the animals that come in contact the Climate Change we are mixing up environments and bodies and species creating a whole new landscape to propagate for what we are facing down the road. And then the bioscience. And then with Climate Change around the world there are several questions and what had been a vibrant Climate Change with the progressive movement. With a direct action from the Sunrise Movement so how do we protest influence what is going on chris low asked many usual methods available under social distancing to expand the message we can use. And the demonstrators outside of her house and social distancing in total abandon the streets and thats going on a challenge to the virtual skills and in the analog world of the 20th century and that stuff thats going on that just illustrates that as well and with those accusation can be made and then in the amazon that they have no protection and the major Public Health risk. So we have to even more things to the emergency but as long as you keep social distance and obey the rules. But lets just interject on another point and in the pandemic in terms of the interest of wealthy countries but that pandemic and with those conditions with medical care but then the middle class because then they were getting cholera to. Because of the separation of society and not at all. And so much that quite cheney on Climate Change his mitigation. And that adaptation in the United States with those failed to provide investment. In the Climate Change because its not challenging. Because that pandemic disease as been done. However looking at the governmental response to the pandemic and that textbook case and that opportunistic on top of this. But this huge corporate slush fund. Those authoritarian governments. So then to have a question and what about the way to impact those territories like kashmir and palestine and then to address with those authoritarian governments. With the environmental destruction. And this is the Public Health disaster. And you should go to jay street and the suspicion that the vital and then to go to gaza. In the same thing going on. And then coalitions of capital with authoritarian governments trying to increase the enormous powers of surveillance and then simultaneously with those strategies. And on the other hand wants to see a universal medical coverage and the and the goods to the giants then just like that of the governance measures even with those traditional leftwing platforms. So as the pandemic passes to call that back for american labor. And those corporations launched. And in 1919 the biggest strike in American History so what we need to do now look carefully at the response of the beachheads to push the response and then tapping everybody cell phone. In the most extreme cases that is. And those and actually tried for those regimes to make out this crisis. In terms of establishing beachheads and to throw attention to extremely vulnerable groups so for example, prisoners with huge potential conflagration across the country and the population of the world across the country to get folks released what you think about that area and undocumented areas and what is happening and what could be don done. And with those can join groups and then across the country. And then responding to forget which prison and only 7 percent of the minority would be considered with the africanamericans. So like all criminals even bernie made off his right now so people of color are the victims. So waiting to be intact and waiting to die it is the same thing in the detention camps in portugal. Socialist party and they gave citizens rates undocumented that you have been treated. It should be universal demand. My wifes nephew and his wife were in a huge refugee camp and they got their experiences absolutely desperate. That they just word be sacrificed. And then that solidarity and second if its possible to draw attention in the detention camps with any american citizen regardless and here is where i think outside the prisons and the jails. And then my good friend. At my be a really good conversation. And then to have written about it is an emergency right now across the country for many people what do you think about this area there are calls across the country are there programs we can advocate for housing and the essential element of equipment . But those on the state level but then some addictions to go across the country and each of those concessions with the battlefield and then starting and with that emergency. But then we advocate and then to run navigate the buildings and residences. And with that duration and with that speculation. And out of the investments. And then the demand that they be available with those increasing numbers to separate themselves. And then in seattle to go into motel six. So with that opportunity as the priority and those addictions. Okay we are headed into the last 15 minutes i will try to group several more with those thoughtful comments and questions people want to highlight the enormous challenges and how they factor in for those that dont get factored in. It may be the model is ireland. And with those protest and Strong Community organization. So with the very beginning with the first cases in ireland somebody went on the net and began to call him a volunteer organization and then to check in on other people i have the impression for tens of thousands. To call for deliveries. With the amazon strikers are trying to highlight and as far as i can see the all new task force the concentrations of resources to rescue people for the disabled that are sick. And certain to that what they talked about. That should be at the top immediately. But that is just one way now and then to talk to each other. Just a couple more questions then we will let you go. Wondering what you think about how could this coronavirus pandemic the ongoing election and therefore elections several questions whats going on with that. A president ial election. The current president. Or maybe the extreme scenario. And to focus on the Democratic Convention. But thats because but that Democratic Convention that the medicare for all is on the platform. And medicare and often that is the platforms but then to be different. But now but to control the platform. So what about in november . Then you have to advocate and then to have those crucial points. And she is particularly outstanding because of the subject of the wealth tax with the income inequality. And as the basis for it. But the fact that the convention could be that. And then go to the end. Okay. One more question and then we can wrap up. It took a very basic question what we are all thinking about that so can you talk about and how this pandemic has caused . And then end the emergency. For that responsibility and then they rise to the occasion must have been told that with the professionals. Or another countries people and volunteers. With the medical medical personnel and construction workers and then the very essence in that response that it is requiring everything and out of the many of them will die because of this. And that is necessary but that is the closest to the activism. And then to be extraordinary. And then go to the next level. And then focus with the universal coverage. Absolutely. And in a historical sense and by that historian. And other 17th century. So that plays a central role in the shift of power of the mediterranean. And the total disaster. And with the advantage in Great Britain is it possible and china not just a big military. And that is the major power right now. But then the real mature way comes from china with that geopolitical and then it has now been set up. What about right now . The italians ask in the sixties to transfer medical supplies and then with that refugee crisis. And then the idea and then compared to share resources and coordinate. It is pretty unbelievable. One is that i hope folks will check out mikes book said the night on fire, late in the 60s which is coming from the first hill books and preorder that, we have a special sale on this book, 40 off at the books website, so please look first at the night empire, over at the haymarket books website a couple of mikes excellent books are on sale there for 30 discount, there is and praises, essays against empire collection which is really interesting and theres very important book called no one is illegal fighting racism and state violence on the u. S. , mexico border that is also available at the haymarket site, in fact actually no one is illegal of an ebook that haymarket is giving away right now, the giving of away a bunch of important political intervention books and ebooks as part of away to keep us armed during the lockdown the books also have a free ebook offering and bunch of books on writing for example and i think the ebook giveaway ends tomorrow, in any case check out the site soon for those for you books from haymarket and one more thing before folks go, i just want to remind folks that the series of teaching is going to continue next week with a prize of no yummy climb, Ashton Taylor in their discussion together, through them get together and bring us up to date on what they think about next thursday, the link is below, the blowing week Lindsay Gilmore and naomi, both experts on their incarceration state that we live in long time leading historian and analyst of the table talk on april 16, so tuning for both of those, you can sign up for both of those events at event right, please check out haymarket books in the website and buy books if you can, right now we could use the help and thank you mike for joining us tonight. So everybody has to did. Good night everyone. Sunday night on book tv on after words, author Tara Westover talks about growing up in idaho mountains with survivalist parents in her book educated, memoir. I think my mother did a decent job of homeschooling but as soon as i came along, she had some kids, a midwife, raised the farm, there was not a lot of homeschool going on, i never took an exam, there is never anything like a lecture. At 10 00 p. M. Eastern former u. S. Surgeon general, with his book together. On the impact of loneliness on health. And many experiences of talking to friends on the phone but ill find myself scrolling through my social media feet or my email or something came up and i dont need to do that, its so septa both right there and i fall into it. It does dilute the quality of our conversation, we cannot multitask, when we think were multitasking, were actually tasked switching between one thing and another very rapidly produces why think its so important for us to ask the question, not only the quantity but the more quality of time. Watch but to be this weekend on cspan2. Cspan has unfiltered coverage of the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic with white house briefings, updates from governors and congress in her daily calling Program Washington journal, hearing your thoughts about the Coronavirus Crisis and if you missed any of our live coverage watch anytime on demand at cspan. Org coronavirus. Good morning, good afternoon or good evening depending on where youre watching this and welcome to the hoover virtual policy series. I am bill wavelength, the virginia journalism in the area 45 podcast and recently launched goodfellas broadcast that is on wednesdays. For more than a century the Hoover Institution has been collecting knowledge and generating ideas and support freedom and improve the human condition. The workers impacted Public Policy initiatives in the United States and around the world. Were excited to be able to connect virtually with you to showcase the work coming out of