Taiwan is containing Covid-19 with no added surveillance: only the system of tracking people through their portable phones.

Taiwan is not applying that surveillance to repress masses of people. It remains a democracy. However, we have no way of knowing that it is not using that system against whistleblowers and a few dissidents.

Phone your congresscritter and senators to push for a bill that would help non-rich Americans cope with Covid-19. The bill would do these things:

• Federally mandated paid sick leave for caretakers and ill people, to stop the spread of this virus by allowing sick people to stay home and avoid infecting others;
• Free coronavirus testing that will allow people to know if they've been infected and health agencies to track the spread of the virus;
• Emergency food aid for low-income pregnant women, young children, senior citizens, and food banks that may become overwhelmed as more people are temporarily out of work and
• Unemployment funding for workers laid off or furloughed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

If you call, please spread the word!

Clarifying the conceptual confusions in most press coverage of Covid-19, including measurements of its spread and measures to control it.

In particular, figures about number of cases are not even significant to an order of magnitude at this point — the measurement system is basically broken.

Advice to parents.

If the US government can start a war without asking "how will we pay for it," why should it ask that question about prevention (or treatment) for Covid-19?

Indeed, why should it ask that question about any necessary medical care? Especially since Medicare for All will cost less than America's current lousy medical system.

*Five Americans Living in Social Democratic Norway Explain Why Bernie Sanders Is So Appealing.*

How Covid-19 is likely to do widespread economic harm, especially to working people.

Low wages, precarious employment, lack of medical insurance, and homelessness will all compel US workers to go to work even if they are spreading Covid-19.

A government which cared about working people could protect people from the worst forms of economic harm. One recommendation is rapid direct payments to individuals.

The social and economic effects of Covid-19 are a foretaste of what climate mayhem will produce.

Both problems call for global cooperation.