The corporate news media has defined the coronavirus pandemic as merely a public health crisis. It is that, of course — but it has exposed a political crisis, too, that is making the effects of the pandemic far worse than they would be if this were merely a public health issue.

We can’t cure what ails us until we figure out the disease that afflicts us. And so far, when it comes to COVID-19, the empirical science has been a moving target wrapped up in qualifications and hedges.

If A is true and B is true, all we really know is scientists are still on a scavenger hunt for clues. So, for now, your scientific take on this crisis is like a veritable Rorschach test that reflects your own fears and hopes about what you want to be true.Defend democracy. Click to invest in courageous progressive journalism today.

Back to their normal

The powers-that-be guiding our post-mortem debate frame it around whether or not we need universal testing “so we can all get back […]