Coronavirus Criminals and Pandemic Profiteers

November 8, 2021
Journalist Nichols (The Fight for the Soul of the Democratic Party) delivers a blistering rebuke of politicians and private corporations for exacerbating the Covid-19 pandemic. He cites a Columbia University study showing that President Trump’s refusal to take “urgent action” in March 2020 led to 54,000 avoidable deaths in the early stages of the pandemic, and argues that Vice President Mike Pence’s history of ignoring an HIV outbreak as governor of Indiana should have disqualified him from leading the White House’s coronavirus task force. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, tried to pressure South Africa and other countries not to accept much-needed medical aid from Cuba. Nichols also alleges that vaccine manufacturer Pfizer maximized profits at the expense of underserved communities around the world and blames Democratic politician Rahm Emanuel for promoting neoliberal trade policies that gutted U.S. manufacturing and led to a critical shortfall in masks and other medical supplies. Citing the example of the 1932–1934 Senate investigation into the causes of the Great Depression, Nichols calls for a “reckoning” against those who chose “political advantage or personal profit over human life and shared prosperity.” Well researched and brisk, this damning exposé pulls no punches.

Starred review from November 15, 2021
A laundry list of pandemic woes that is sure to alarm as much as it angers and informs its readers. For nearly two years, Covid-19 has dominated headlines. It's understandable if Americans can't keep up, but according to the Nation national-affairs correspondent Nichols, what's more perplexing is the lack of outrage at leadership for rampant incompetence and greed. They not only cost lives; they squandered opportunities to step up when the nation needed guidance. In all, 18 guilty parties, from Pfizer to Jeff Bezos, make the cut. In some cases, it was a family affair. Consider Donald Trump's stubborn refusal to acknowledge the severity of the virus ("Trump made his presidency America's pre-existing condition. He lied, and Americans died") or his ill-fated appointment of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to head the virus task force. Then there's Elaine Chao and Mitch McConnell. Chao refused to enact safety protocols for the department of transportation, while McConnell demanded a no lawsuits clause ahead of relief laws, cawing "no liability shield, no relief." There are also solo acts such as Betsy DeVos, who used her department of education position to bolster privatization efforts, and, of course, Vice President Mike Pence, who resurrected his villainous role from the days of the AIDS crisis as a denier, earning him a "desperate little man" designation. Lest readers presume this is a pile-on manifesto with Republicans as the only targets, the book is mostly balanced. Andrew Cuomo receives castigation for his misinformation that led to nursing home deaths, and Nichols also calls out Rahm Emmanuel for offshoring efforts so severe that logistical mazes stalled much-needed supply delivery efforts. At the end, the author delivers the inevitable call to action: We must demand accountability and end impunity, and "the guilty must be named and shamed" and "consigned to the ash heap of history." A striking refresher course that will leave readers with a renewed hunger for justice regarding the pandemic.

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