This recent Fresh Air broadcast is required listening for those in the Hospitality Industry.

A question that Americans should probably ask themselves, but almost certainly won’t, is: would they recognize a fascist government if they were its beneficiaries?

Laurie Garrett, the prophet of this pandemic, expects years of death and “collective rage.”

Reposted from Counterpunch.org
Rather than place Trump’s statements in strict chronological order, I have sometimes put 2 or more of statements from different days together, to highlight Trump’s contradictions and subsequent deviations– these are prefaced by an asterisk. I have retained Trump’s numerous linguistic infelicities. It should be noted that Trump sometimes refers to himself in the third person:

The Intercept’s Mehdi Hasan spoke with world-renowned political dissident and linguist Noam Chomsky on the 2020 presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Now that Bernie Sanders has dropped out and endorsed Biden, does the progressive left have a moral obligation to hold their noses and vote for the former vice president, despite his many sins?

Enjoying the perspectives shared on The Quarantine Times? Help us extend the project!Live stream hosted by Brandon Alvendia, QT artists, editors, and friends to recap contributions from the past month and plans for the future .

The fact is that a lot of capitalists are panicking right now. Economists are predicting the worst depression since the 1930s. The international bubble of fictitious capital has burst. People are talking about the end of neoliberalism, but this does not mean that what comes next will be any better, and pretending otherwise is dangerous.

The coronavirus pandemic is a conundrum for the left. It has ignited a widespread need and willingness to help and fight for each other — while foreclosing many of the ways we typically imagine left movements taking shape. - by Sam Adler-Bell- reposted from The Intercept April 14, 2020

There has been a lot of acrimony and confusion surrounding the $ 2 Trillion Stimulus Package. This document is meant to aggregate people’s stories about their businesses and the shortfalls of the PPP and EIDL in order to offer possible solutions.

International relations expert warns policy failure could do lasting damage as president insults allies and undermines alliances. - Guardian April 12, 2020

We are seeing hospitals struggling to obtain basic supplies. We’re getting data showing that the virus is hitting African Americans disproportionately, and we’re watching both political parties unanimously voting for the most massive corporate economic stimulus in U.S. history.

You are not crazy, my friends - reposted from Julio Vincent Gambuto on Medium

In a new interview, world-renowned political dissident, linguist and author Noam Chomsky reflects on the significance of the Bernie Sanders campaign, calling it “an extraordinary success” that “completely shifted the arena of debate and discussion” in the United States.

None of the oversight tools included in the sprawling rescue package are up and running, and problems are already cropping up with the law. - Reposted fro Poltico

Restaurateur Bobby Stuckey warns that the closure of restaurants will deal a blow to the American economy that we haven’t seen in ages—and we may not be able to recover from it.

Arundhati Roy reads from her new essay ”The Pandemic is a Portal,” from her forthcoming book Azadi: Freedom. Fascism. Fiction. releasing in September from Haymarket Books.

Read the full essay:
https://www.ft.com/con…/10d8f5e8-74eb-11ea-95fe-fcd274e920ca

Today is the launch of the Amsterdam City Doughnut, which takes the global concept of the Doughnut and turns it into a tool for transformative action in the city of Amsterdam.

“Some of the most powerful and wealthy individuals in the U.S. right now are treating essential workers like disposable garbage, and they are treating taxpayer money as their for-profit feeding trough.” - The Intercept

It’s been described as the public health failure of the century. As the United States leads the world in coronavirus infections, a record number of Americans file for unemployment. - Democracy Now

For months, the president has downplayed the severity of the pandemic, overstated the impact of his policies and potential treatments, blamed others and tried to rewrite the history of his response.