This week marks the one year anniversary of the so-called U.S. being placed under lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. One year ago, I was in New York city visiting childhood friends and the comrades in Dumb & Awful. I was literally in the middle of making plans to chill with Amy and Liz from Rebel Steps when the coronavirus was officially declared a national emergency. In the time that’s passed, our society has become more isolated and alienated than ever before. Worldwide, millions have died. To this day, the U.S. has continued to absolutely bungle this debacle. To mark this historic year, I wanted to do a retrospective, reflective episode on how COVID-19 has impacted human society and how human beings have become atomized, but also how we’ve banded together, rose up against white supremacy in this country, and instituted sweeping projects of tenant-organizing and mutual aid when the state left us out to dry. Joining me today is Jules Taylor, a musician, producer, and podcaster living in upstate, NY. Jules and I spend the episode chatting about the emergence of new conspiracies, the way capitalism exacerbated this crisis (fueling and profiting off our ongoing immiseration,) and—most importantly—the ways we’ve fought back. But it’s also a heavy episode, where we leave some space to mourn and grieve and contemplate mortality. Things mentioned by Jules during our conversation: The Slow Cancelling of the Future – Mark Fisher Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher Cover of the New Yorker Magazine 12.7.20 Women With Cancer Awarded Billions in Baby Powder Suit The fiasco of the 1976 ‘swine flu affair’ The Spanish Flu actually came from Kansas Notes: Check out Jules’ podcast, No Easy Answers, and his website: JulesTaylorMusic.com. You can find all his various projects here: https://bit.ly/julestaylorbio You can follow him on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram And you can stream his music here: https://bit.ly/julestaylormusicsongwhip Also, you can challenge Jules to a game of chess here: LiChess | com Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. Music: Intro: “I Ain’t Got No Home in this World” by Woody Guthrie Interlude: “Anthem for No State, Pt. 1” by Godspeed You! Black Emperor Outro: “Paralyzed” by LANDMVRKS
