‘How to Kill a Virus - State Narratives and the COVID-19 Crisis’

Pluto Press, April 2020

POLITICS IS ROOTED IN STORIES. THE NARRATIVES WE BELIEVE AND REMEMBER ARE THE ONES THAT WIN.

“Politics is rooted in stories. The narratives we believe and remember are the ones that win.We saw this post-financial crash in the selective belt-tightening of the austerity story, we saw it in the Leave campaign’s tall tales of the EU, and we see it now with the COVID-19 pandemic. As the situation progresses, thoughts will increasingly turn to the future of our economy. It is crucial that we begin now to consider the story that will shape this future.”

A short essay for Pluto Press looking at what story-telling can tell us about the COVID-19 pandemic and government narratives. It calls on us to be wary of the idea that we’re all in a collective and equal struggle against the ‘monster’ of the virus, led by the ‘heroic’ government, and instead to use the pandemic as a moment to see the deep-seated injustices and power asymmetries harming so many in our societies.

Read the piece here.