Capstones. 13.

What does the state of exception represent in a neoliberal state suffering through

a pandemic, when government power is indistinguishable from the interests of the

private sector? How do we digest the initial hesitation from countries around the world

asking their citizens to stay home? What reasons might the western neoliberal powers

of the world, such as the United States, have for delaying use of unobstructed absolute

power? According to journalist Ani Maitra, the answers to these questions lies within

economic ideology. The United States, as well as other participant countries within the

global neoliberal economy, view “large-scale restrictions that hinder the movement of

capital, labor, and commodities [as] ‘counter-growth’” (Maitra, 2020). This distinction and

labeling of measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 as counter to the main

tenants of capitalism and thusly neoliberalism render them ideologically incompatible

with neoliberal economics. Maitra notes prominent critique of the European Unions’

austere lockdown measures concerning Italy and Spain, the latter country nationalizing

all of its private hospitals on March 16th, to be manifestations of the weaknesses

inherent to these free market economies. These weaknesses manifest in the forms of

overreliance on the private sector and the overwhelming of healthcare systems unfit to

manage amongst the chaos. The ultimate consequence being that certain citizens will

always be declared as “worth” saving, above those in subaltern groups.

HEALTHCARE, FOUCAULT, COVID-19 4

Maitra reaches the conclusion that although the market-first hegemony existent

within America continues to be parroted by those in places of wealth-based or political

prominence, the people suffering and dying throughout this period of exception may

start to challenge this perception. “This state of exception can be an opportunity for

change for the people in the US and elsewhere, but only if we mobilize for

comprehensive people-centric safety nets and refuse to be content with trickle-down

measures and pro-market corporate bailouts” (Maitra, 2020). One of the ultimate goals

of any mobilization effort seeking to reject the hegemonic state of healthcare must be to

implement a single payer healthcare system. Single-payer means exactly that, in a

single payer system, a single public or quasi-public agency organizes healthcare

financing and by collecting money from participants, is able to determine rates and

payment plans with healthcare providers (Chaufan 2015). A single-payer healthcare

system should be implemented in the United States in order to see much more

equitable and morally justifiable health outcomes in the pursuit of health justice. A term

which we will return to further on.