Foreign Left-Wing Critiques of Capitalism under the COVID-19 Pandemic

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its global spread, countries around the world began to adopt various measures to prevent and control the epidemic. Faced with this worldwide pandemic, the practices of the United States and some European countries have triggered ongoing reflection and criticism of the capitalist system and neoliberalism from foreign left-wing circles. How foreign left-wing circles view the global pandemic and the capitalist system under the pandemic can, to a certain extent, reflect the ideological trends in Western societies. Observing and understanding the global pandemic and responses to it from the perspective of foreign left-wing circles has certain enlightening significance for revealing the essence of the capitalist system and the development trends of world socialism.

随着新冠肺炎疫情的暴发及其在全球的传播,世界各国开始采取各种措施防控疫情。面对这场世界性疫情,美国和一些欧洲国家的做法引发了国外左翼对资本主义制度与新自由主义的持续反思与批评。国外左翼如何看待世界疫情及疫情下的资本主义制度,能够在一定程度上反映西方社会的思想态势。从国外左翼的视角观察、理解全球疫情及应对,对揭示资本主义制度的本质及世界社会主义的发展趋势具有一定的启示意义。

I. The Capitalist Mode of Production Triggers the Spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic

一、资本主义生产方式引发新冠肺炎疫情的蔓延

In the view of many Western leftists, the sudden COVID-19 pandemic is a heavy blow to the global capitalist system. Faced with this public health crisis, capitalist countries have failed to formulate policies quickly and effectively to respond to the epidemic. The root cause of this outcome lies in the fact that the capitalist system is an obstacle to safeguarding people's health and living conditions, while the intertwining of neoliberalism and globalization has further exacerbated the spread of the epidemic. The renowned American philosopher and social critic Noam Chomsky pointed out: "Massive market failures have led to the emergence of the coronavirus. Generally speaking, massive market failures are at the core of capitalist logic, and over the past 40 years, the neoliberal assault on the economy and society has exacerbated these failures." [1]1 Noam Chomsky, "Noam Chomsky: The Coronavirus Pandemic Shows the Utter Irrationality of Capitalism," interview by C.J. Polychroniou, Truthout, April 8, 2020. Joseph Choonara, editor of *International Socialism*, argued: "It is impossible to understand the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic without considering the current form of capitalism... (The left) must expose the limitations of capitalism as a system for organizing production. Capitalism is both the creator of the epidemic and incapable of adequately responding to it." [2]2 Joseph Choonara, "The Coronavirus and the Crisis of Capitalism," International Socialism, April 2, 2020.

在许多西方左翼看来,突如其来的新冠肺炎疫情是对全球资本主义体系的重击。面对这场公共卫生危机,资本主义国家未能迅速有效地制定政策应对疫情。造成这种结果的根本原因在于资本主义制度是保障人民健康和生活条件的障碍,而新自由主义和全球化的交织更是加剧了这次疫情的蔓延。美国著名的哲学家、社会批判家诺姆·乔姆斯基指出:“巨大的市场失灵导致冠状病毒的出现。一般而言,巨大的市场失灵是资本主义逻辑的核心,在过去40年里,新自由主义对经济和社会的重击加剧了这种失灵。”1《国际社会主义》的编辑约瑟夫·乔纳拉认为:“如果不考虑资本主义当前的形态,就无法理解新冠病毒大流行的本质……(左翼)要揭露资本主义作为一种组织生产的制度的局限性。资本主义既是流行病的制造者,又没有能力充分应对流行病。”2

1. The Logic of Capital Determines that Capitalist Countries Prioritize Defending Profits over Saving People's Lives

1.资本的逻辑决定了资本主义国家捍卫利润优先于拯救人民的生命

Under the domination of the logic of capital, the purpose of capitalist production is to obtain more surplus value, not the comprehensive and free development of human beings. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, capitalist countries prioritized the interests of capitalists over the people's most basic right to life and health. In the eyes of some capitalists, the epidemic even meant new business opportunities; disease is profitable. Andrea Catone, editor-in-chief of the Italian journal *Marx in the 21st Century*, argued that the COVID-19 pandemic tragically exposed the limitations of the capitalist system, a system that places interests, rather than people's life and health, first. [3]3 Andrea Catone, "The Pandemic and the Crisis of Capitalism," Marx in the 21st Century, March 23, 2020. *People's World* published an article pointing out that a profit-oriented system is fundamentally incapable of providing services for people in times of extreme crisis and hardship, and is even incapable of providing services in daily life. [4]4 "Capitalism vs. People's Health," People's World, March 27, 2020. The profit-seeking nature of capital determines that capitalism takes profit as its highest goal in the process of continuous development, and neoliberalism has further exacerbated inequality in capitalist society, prominently manifested in the privatization of public health services and the reduction of public health resources. Chomsky argued that, generally speaking, basic scientific research in all fields is conducted in the public sphere by government-funded institutions, university research centers, and others, but capitalist countries have not participated in this. Taking the United States as an example, the Trump administration cancelled annual funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and government funding for other health-related aspects, because this is unprofitable for the rich and powerful; the public health services of capitalist countries are simultaneously neglected and monetized. [5]5 Chomsky, "The Coronavirus Pandemic Shows the Utter Irrationality of Capitalism." Capitalist countries are eager for profit; by comparison, people's health and survival are insignificant.

在资本逻辑的支配下,资本主义生产的目的是获取更多的剩余价值,而不是人的全面自由发展。当新冠肺炎疫情来临时,资本主义国家优先考虑的是资本家的利益,而不是人民最基本的生命健康权。甚至在某些资本家看来,疫情意味着新的商业机会,疾病是有利可图的。意大利《21世纪的马克思》的主编安德烈·卡托内认为,新冠肺炎疫情悲剧性地揭露了资本主义制度的局限性,这种制度将利益而非人们的生命健康摆在首位。3《人民世界》发表文章指出,以利润为导向的制度根本无法为处于极端危机和困难时期的人们提供服务,甚至在日常生活中也无法提供服务。4资本的逐利性决定了资本主义在不断的发展过程中以利益为最高目标,新自由主义更是加剧了资本主义社会的不平等,突出的表现就是公共卫生事业私有化以及公共卫生资源的削减。乔姆斯基认为,一般而言,所有领域的基础性科学研究都是由政府资助的机构、大学研究中心和其他机构在公共领域进行的,但资本主义国家并没有参与其中。以美国为例,特朗普政府取消每年对疾病控制中心的资助以及政府对其他健康相关方面的资助,因为这对富人和有权有势的人来说是无利可图的,资本主义国家的公共卫生事业同时被忽视和货币化。5资本主义国家对利润趋之若鹜,相比之下,人民的健康和生存是微不足道的。

A joint statement initiated by the Communist Party of Greece and signed by multiple communist and workers' parties, titled "Take Immediate Measures to Protect People's Health and Rights," pointed out that before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems in all capitalist countries generally suffered from severe shortages, which was the result of anti-people policies implemented by bourgeois governments in the service of big capital, in order to achieve profitability for monopoly groups and to commercialize and privatize the health sector. [6]6 "Joint Statement of Communist and Workers' Parties: Take Immediate Measures to Protect People's Health and Rights," SolidNet, March 24, 2020. In this regard, Joseph Choonara pointed out: "The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the dangerous state of the National Health Service (NHS) after a decade of austerity and decades of privatization and marketization. The UK has a terrifyingly low number of beds, only 2.8 per thousand people. In comparison, South Korea has 11.5, Germany has 8.3, and Italy has 3.4." [7]7 Choonara, "The Coronavirus and the Crisis of Capitalism." The prominent left-wing website "Socialist Alternative" also published an article stating: "Decades of capitalist policies, aimed at maximizing profits without considering the consequences for society or workers, have led to our current state of vulnerability. Long supply chains and cuts to public hospitals have left us completely unprepared for this crisis. What the United States and Europe have truly exposed are the devastating consequences of combining cuts to public health resources with privatization. Neoliberalism has greatly exacerbated social inequality, and now it will pay an even greater price. Although the novel coronavirus is the trigger for the economic crisis, it has exposed the enormous fragility of the world economy, which was already teetering on the brink of recession, with the fundamental problems that led to the 2008-2009 crisis remaining unresolved. Now, Trump and the capitalists are forced to inject hundreds of billions of dollars into the economy, including putting money directly into the pockets of the working class. This is not out of concern for the fate of the nation, but to avoid the complete collapse of the capitalist system. Their measures can only slow the crisis, not resolve it." In the face of the epidemic, the state should protect the people, not profits. However, "in the past few decades, neoliberal policies implemented by capitalist politicians have destroyed public education and public services. As Bernie Sanders pointed out, due to the lack of a universal healthcare system, the public is unprotected in this pandemic." [8]8 "Socialist Alternative: The Coronavirus Crisis Exposes the Barbarism of Capitalism," Socialist Alternative, March 20, 2020.

由希腊共产党发起、多国共产党和工人党署名的题为《立即采取措施保护人民的健康和权利》的联合声明指出,在新冠肺炎疫情暴发之前,所有资本主义国家的卫生系统普遍存在严重短缺的情况,而这是资产阶级政府在为大资本服务的过程中,为了实现垄断集团的盈利,为了使卫生部门商业化和私有化推行反人民政策的结果。6对此,约瑟夫·乔纳拉指出:“新冠病毒大流行暴露了经过十年的紧缩和几十年的私有化和市场化之后,国民医疗服务(NHS)的危险状况。英国的床位少得可怕,每千人只有2.8张。相比之下,韩国是11.5张,德国是8.3张,意大利是3.4张。”7著名左翼网站“社会主义替代”也发表文章指出:“数十年的资本主义政策,旨在利润最大化,而不考虑对社会或工人的后果,由此导致了我们现在处于脆弱状态。漫长的供应链和公立医院的削减让我们完全没有准备好应对这场危机。美国和欧洲真正暴露出来的是公共卫生资源削减与私有化相结合的毁灭性后果。新自由主义极大地加剧了社会的不平等,现在它将付出更大的代价。虽然新型冠状病毒是经济危机的导火索,但它暴露了世界经济的巨大脆弱性,世界经济已经在衰退的边缘摇摇欲坠,导致2008～2009年危机的根本问题没有得到解决。现在,特朗普和资本家们被迫向经济注入数千亿美元,包括直接放入工薪阶层的口袋。这并不是出于对国民命运的担忧,而是为了避免资本主义制度彻底崩溃。他们的措施只能减缓危机,而不能解决危机。”在疫情面前,国家应该保护人民,而不是保护利润。但是,“在过去的几十年里,由资本主义政客们推行的新自由主义政策已经破坏了公共教育和公共服务。正如伯尼·桑德斯(Bernie Sanders)所指出的那样,由于缺乏全民医疗保险体系,公众在这场流行病中得不到保护”。8

2. Neoliberalism Exacerbates the COVID-19 Pandemic; Globalization Objectively Accelerates the Spread of the Epidemic

2.新自由主义加剧了新冠肺炎疫情,全球化客观上加速了疫情的传播

In recent decades, globalization has developed rapidly under the guidance of neoliberal economic policies, and behind the seemingly prosperous capitalism lie enormous hidden dangers. On the one hand, neoliberalism pursues thorough privatization, absolute liberalization, and complete marketization, which determines that neoliberalism cannot fundamentally eliminate the contradiction between socialized production and the private appropriation of the means of production, and thus cannot prevent capital from pursuing profit maximization. Against the backdrop of long-term and resolute implementation of neoliberal policies, the healthcare systems and other public domains in capitalist countries have been almost completely marketized, operating entirely according to market laws, and medical provision, which should be a public good, is heavily dependent on the market. Furthermore, neoliberalism has led to a continuously widening gap between rich and poor in capitalist countries and an expanding scope of injustice. Therefore, when the pandemic struck, neoliberalism immediately exposed its long-hidden problems, and the capital-oriented public health system and policies were simply overwhelmed. Analyzing Italy's healthcare service system, Cazzone [9]9 Cazzone: Likely refers to the Italian Marxist scholar and activist, possibly a misspelling or variant of a name; context indicates an Italian leftist intellectual. pointed out that, thanks to the strenuous efforts of workers, trade unions, the Italian Communist Party, the Italian Socialist Party, and democratic progressive forces, Italy established a national health service system in 1978. However, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the socialist camp enabled the rampant development of Western capitalist and imperialist political forces, and Italy's national health service system was increasingly undermined. Under these circumstances, Italy's public health situation deteriorated year by year; hundreds of public hospitals closed, and the number of beds, doctors, nurses, and health workers in public hospitals decreased significantly, while private healthcare was greatly favored. This was especially true in Lombardy, the richest and most populous region in Italy, and its capital Milan. These places also had the highest numbers of COVID-19 infections and deaths. [9]9 Cazzone: Likely refers to the Italian Marxist scholar and activist, possibly a misspelling or variant of a name; context indicates an Italian leftist intellectual. Cuba's former Minister of Culture, Abel Prieto, believed that under the impact of the novel coronavirus, the inhumane nature of capitalism and the drawbacks of neoliberalism were fully exposed. Capitalism and neoliberalism are leading the entire world toward genocide. Apart from the spokespersons of imperialism and the extreme right, many experts and scholars unanimously agreed that the novel coronavirus cruelly tore off the veil of so-called neoliberal prosperity, exposing its abyss of brutality, injustice, and inequality. For example, the rich in the United States can pay for medical expenses 24 hours a day; even without any symptoms, they can obtain virus tests, oxygen concentrators, artificial respirators, and so on. [10]10 The original text cites examples of inequality in US healthcare access during the pandemic. However, workers infected with the novel coronavirus must undergo testing and then pay the medical bills. While the pandemic was raging, then-US President Trump even canceled funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 2021 and government funding for other health-related aspects, while increasing subsidies for the fossil fuel industry and military spending. [11]11 Reference to then-US President Donald Trump's proposed budget cuts to health programs and increases in military and fossil fuel subsidies for fiscal year 2021.

近几十年来,在新自由主义经济政策的指导下全球化快速发展,看似繁荣的资本主义背后隐藏着巨大的隐患。一方面,新自由主义追求的是彻底私有化、绝对自由化和完全市场化,这就决定了新自由主义无法从根本上消除生产社会化与生产资料私人占有之间的矛盾,从而无法阻止资本追求利润最大化。在长期坚决推行新自由主义政策的背景下,资本主义国家的医疗卫生体系等公共领域几乎完全市场化,完全按照市场规律运行,本应是公共物品的医疗供给却严重依赖市场。此外,新自由主义导致资本主义国家贫富差距不断拉大,不公正范围日益扩大。因此,当疫情来临时,新自由主义立刻暴露出隐藏已久的问题,以资本为导向的公共卫生体系和政策根本不堪重负。卡托内就意大利的医疗服务体系分析指出,在工人、工会、意大利共产党、意大利社会党以及民主进步力量的力争下,意大利于1978年建立了国家医疗服务体系,但苏联解体和社会主义阵营的垮台使西方资本主义和帝国主义政治势力得到大肆发展,意大利国家医疗服务体系日渐遭到破坏。在此形势下,意大利公共卫生状况逐年恶化,数百家公立医院关闭,公立医院的床位、医生、护士和卫生工作者数量大幅减少,而私立医疗保健却大受青睐。尤其是意大利最富裕、人口最多的伦巴第大区及其首府米兰。这些地方也是新冠肺炎感染人数和死亡人数最多的地区。9古巴前文化部部长阿贝尔·普列托认为,在新冠病毒的冲击下,资本主义的不人道本质及新自由主义的弊端暴露无遗。资本主义和新自由主义正在把整个世界引向种族灭绝。除了帝国主义和极右势力的发言人,许多专家学者一致认为,新冠病毒残酷地揭开了所谓新自由主义繁荣的面纱,暴露了其野蛮、不公正和不平等的深渊。例如,美国的富人可以24小时支付医疗费用,即使没有任何症状,他们也可以获得病毒检测、氧气浓缩器、人工呼吸机等。10然而,感染新型冠状病毒的工人必须接受检测,然后支付医疗账单。在疫情肆虐的时候,美国总统特朗普甚至取消了2021年对疾病控制中心的资助以及政府对其他健康相关方面的资助,增加对化石燃料行业的补贴以及军费开支。11

On the other hand, the logic of capital has driven the generation and development of globalization. The development and transformation of various fields such as the economy, politics, society, culture, and military affairs of different countries are intertwined, and the world is increasingly becoming an interconnected whole. This has objectively accelerated the spread of the pandemic in time and space. The novel coronavirus can rapidly spread from one place to another, utilizing the chains of human contact and globalization; human hosts can travel from one part of the earth to another in a matter of days or even hours. Professor Prabhat Patnaik, an expert from the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, believes that contemporary globalization has developed under the yoke of capitalism. On the one hand, capitalism promotes the global flow of capital, commodities, and finance. However, this pandemic has made people soberly realize that globalization is not limited to these aspects; globalization also means the rapid global spread of viruses, hence the emergence of a global pandemic. In short, capitalism has reached a stage where its specific systems cannot solve the problems it itself creates. [12]12 Prabhat Patnaik is an Indian Marxist economist. Although globalization has objectively accelerated the spread of the pandemic, the crux of the problem lies not in globalization itself, but in the economic and political system of global capitalism. It is not difficult to find that whether it is economic crises, climate crises, or crises in public health, these disasters are rooted in the capitalist logic of competition and the pursuit of profit maximization.

另一方面,资本的逻辑推动了全球化的生成和发展,各国的经济、政治、社会、文化、军事等领域的发展与变革交织在一起,世界越来越成为一个休戚相关的整体,这在客观上加速了疫情在时间和空间上的蔓延。新冠病毒可以迅速地从一个地方扩散到另一个地方,利用人类联系和全球化的链条,人类宿主在几天甚至几小时内从地球的一个地方转移到另一个地方。印度尼赫鲁大学经济研究和规划中心的专家普拉巴特·帕奈克教授认为,当今的全球化是在资本主义的枷锁下发展起来的。资本主义一方面推动资本、商品以及金融的全球流动,但这次疫情使人们清醒地认识到,全球化不仅仅局限于这几个方面,全球化还意味着病毒在全球迅速流动,因此出现了全球性大流行病。简而言之,资本主义已经达到了这样一个阶段:它的具体体制无法解决它自身造成的问题。12尽管全球化在客观上加速了疫情的蔓延,但问题的关键不在于全球化本身,而在于全球资本主义这一经济和政治体制。不难发现,无论是经济危机、气候危机,还是公共卫生方面的危机,这些灾难都根植于竞争和追求利润最大化的资本主义逻辑。

II. Capitalism Is Unable to Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Series of Crises It Has Triggered

二、资本主义无法应对新冠肺炎疫情及其引发的系列危机

1. In the struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic, the capitalist system has exposed its anti-social and parasitic nature

1.在抗击新冠肺炎疫情的斗争中,资本主义制度暴露出反社会性和寄生性

Many foreign leftists, comparing the COVID-19 pandemic with the 2003 SARS outbreak, have pointed out that the global COVID-19 pandemic has had a more direct and profound impact on people's daily lives. As the pandemic escalated, Western countries successively declared states of emergency. Mass gatherings were cancelled, production and air transport were forced to stop, and one-third of the world's population was in quarantine. These are all unprecedented in human history. With the outbreak of the pandemic, unemployment rates in Western countries have been rising continuously. According to survey data released by the US Department of Labor, the number of unemployed people in the United States increased to 7.1 million in March, with an unemployment rate of 4.4%. [13]13 US Bureau of Labor Statistics data for March 2020. Some Western economists predicted that the US unemployment rate would reach the level of the Great Depression or even higher. They believed that the unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2020 would reach 32%, exceeding the 25% of the Great Depression period. [14]14 The Great Depression (1929–c. 1939) was a severe worldwide economic depression; the 25% unemployment rate refers to the peak US rate in 1933. According to a prediction by the World Trade Organization on April 8, the decline in world merchandise trade volume in 2020 might exceed the trade recession caused by the 2008 global financial crisis, with a decline of 13% to 32%. [15]15 World Trade Organization forecast of April 8, 2020. Clearly, the short-term and long-term impacts of this crisis are far more severe than those of the 2003 SARS outbreak. In the process of Western countries' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the anti-social and parasitic nature of the capitalist system has been fully exposed.

许多国外左翼将新冠肺炎疫情同2003年非典疫情作对比后指出,全球范围的新冠病毒大流行对人们日常生活的影响更加直接和深远。随着疫情不断升级,西方国家相继宣布进入紧急状态。民众的聚集活动陆续取消,生产和航空运输被迫停止,世界1/3的人口处于隔离状态。这些都是人类历史上前所未有的。随着疫情的暴发,西方各国失业率不断攀升。根据美国劳工部公布的调查数据,3月美国失业人口增加至710万人,失业率达4.4%。13西方一些经济学家预测美国的失业率将达到大萧条时期的水平甚至更高。他们认为,2020年第二季度的失业率将达到32%,超过大萧条时期的25%。14根据世界贸易组织4月8日的预测,2020年世界商品贸易量降幅可能会超过2008年全球金融危机导致的贸易衰退,降幅为13%到32%。15显然,这场危机的短期和长期影响都比2003年的非典疫情更加严重。在西方各国应对新冠肺炎疫情的过程中,资本主义制度的反社会性和寄生性暴露无遗。

Tommy McKenney believes that, on a global scale, the COVID-19 crisis not only threatens human health but also poses a fundamental challenge to free-market capitalism and its political system. The social system provided by free-market capitalism has proven itself incapable of coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a massive systemic failure that cannot be easily concealed. [16]16 Tommy McKenney: likely a left-wing commentator or activist; the name may be a transliteration. Professor Radhika Desai of the University of Manitoba in Canada holds the same view. In his opinion, regardless of where the novel coronavirus originated, what the transmission routes are, and what the dangers are, it will test Western capitalism and its adaptive mechanisms, and may expose its weaknesses. The neoliberal path chosen by Western capitalism since the 1970s has produced many crises and problems. Capitalist countries eroded by neoliberalism are unable to cope with the current crisis. The slow response of Western countries to the COVID-19 pandemic is the most obvious evidence of this powerlessness. Capitalist countries spent months criticizing China's anti-pandemic measures, while their own responses were far less effective than China's. [17]17 Radhika Desai is a Canadian political economist critical of capitalism and US hegemony.

汤米·麦肯尼认为,在全球范围内,新冠危机不仅威胁到人类的健康,而且对自由市场资本主义及其政治制度提出了根本的挑战。由自由市场资本主义提供的社会体系已经证明自己无力应对新冠肺炎疫情。这是一个无法轻易掩盖的巨大体制故障。16加拿大曼尼托巴大学教授拉迪卡·德赛也持相同的观点。在他看来,无论新冠病毒起源自哪里,传播途径是什么,危险是什么,它将考验西方资本主义及其适应机制,并可能暴露其弱点。西方资本主义自20世纪70年代选择的新自由主义道路产生了许多危机和问题,受到新自由主义侵蚀的资本主义国家无法应对当前的危机。西方国家对新冠肺炎大流行反应迟缓是这种无能为力的最明显证据。资本主义国家花了几个月时间批评中国的抗疫措施,而自己的应对措施远不如中国有效。17

2. In stark contrast to China's successful fight against the pandemic is the weak response of capitalist countries

2.与中国抗疫成功形成鲜明对比的是资本主义国家的应对乏力

The continuous spread of the pandemic has plunged the entire world into a struggle against COVID-19, with each country implementing epidemic prevention and control measures tailored to its own conditions. Relying on the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the advantages of the socialist system, China took the lead in achieving success in its anti-epidemic efforts. However, judging by the performance of European and American capitalist countries in responding to the pandemic, the capitalist system has been unable to effectively cope with the crisis, and has even fallen into a governance crisis. Radhika Desai pointed out: "China initially formulated a national strategy encouraging widespread temperature checks, mask-wearing, and frequent handwashing. As the epidemic developed and understanding of the novel coronavirus deepened, China relied on scientific risk analysis methods to improve its measures. Consequently, China developed specific approaches adapted to the conditions of each province, county, and even community, as well as the nature of local transmission of the novel coronavirus." [18]18 Radhika Desai, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Radhika Desai," Geopolitical Economy Report, April 10, 2020. However, in the face of China's effective anti-epidemic measures, some Western countries showed disregard or even slander. "Most Western governments and media were unwilling to learn from China's efficiency, or even to discuss any progress China made in effective treatment. Let alone discuss or adopt any solutions that might come from China." [19]19 Radhika Desai, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Radhika Desai." Regarding this attitude of Western countries, Desai believes that China's success in fighting the epidemic precisely proves the effectiveness and correctness of these measures, forming a stark contrast with the anti-epidemic efforts of Western countries. "Taking the United States and the United Kingdom as examples, neoliberalism has weakened the response capacity of capitalist countries, destroyed key institutions, and caused them to lose their best staff. In both cases, politicians have lost all credibility, and the political system has become chaotic. A system so exhausted cannot cultivate the political will and public capacity to respond to the current crisis." [20]20 Radhika Desai, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Radhika Desai."

疫情的不断蔓延使全球都陷入同新冠肺炎疫情的斗争中,各国根据自身的情况因地制宜进行疫情防控治理。中国依靠中国共产党的领导和社会主义制度优势,率先取得抗疫的成功。但是,从欧美资本主义国家应对疫情的表现看,资本主义制度无法有效地应对危机,甚至一度陷入治理危机。拉迪卡·德赛指出:“中国最初制定了一项国家战略,鼓励广泛的温度检测、佩戴口罩和勤洗手。随着疫情发展和对新冠病毒认识的加深,中国依靠科学的风险分析方法来改进措施。因此,中国制定了具体的方法,以适应各个省、县甚至社区的情况,以及新冠病毒在当地传播的性质。”18但是,面对中国抗疫的有效措施,一些西方国家表现出的是无视甚至是污蔑。“大多数西方政府和媒体都不愿从中国的高效率中吸取经验,甚至不愿谈论中国在有效治疗方面取得的任何进展。更不用说讨论或采纳任何可能来自中国的解决方案了。”19针对西方国家的这种态度,德赛认为,中国抗疫成功恰恰证明这些措施的有效性和正确性,与西方国家的抗疫形成了鲜明对比。“以美国和英国为例,新自由主义削弱了资本主义国家的应对能力,摧毁了关键的机构,并导致它们失去了最好的工作人员。在这两种情况下,政客们都失去了所有的信誉,政治体系也变得混乱不堪。一个如此疲惫不堪的体系无法培养出应对当前危机的政治意愿和公共能力。”20

3. The capitalist economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is not only a cyclical recession of capitalism but also a reflection of a long-term structural crisis

3.新冠肺炎疫情引发的资本主义经济危机既是资本主义周期性的衰退,更是长期结构危机的反映

Compared with the 2008 financial crisis, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world economy is more severe and far-reaching. As of the end of March 2020, the U.S. stock market had experienced four circuit breakers, and the EU, Japan, and emerging economies were also affected to varying degrees. From the perspective of foreign left-wing scholars, the economic recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is essentially a crisis of the capitalist system. Professor Prabhat Patnaik believes that this pandemic is just an individual case, and other crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic also require attention. First, there is the global economic crisis that the capitalist system cannot resolve. This requires at least several countries to jointly adopt tax measures to coordinate and stimulate demand at the global level. As the major capitalist country, the United States only considers protecting its own economy to overcome the crisis; this fact clearly shows that people are still a long way from such global coordination. Second, there is climate change. Capitalism has created another crisis, and it cannot resolve this crisis within the prescribed limits. Third, there is the refugee crisis, namely the global flow of people destroyed by capitalism in war and peace. [21]21 Prabhat Patnaik, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Prabhat Patnaik," Geopolitical Economy Report, April 10, 2020. In Patnaik's view, these crises do not exist in isolation but are closely interconnected. The long-term structural crisis of the capitalist system fully indicates that the capitalist system has reached its end.

与2008年金融危机相比,新冠肺炎疫情对世界经济的冲击更为剧烈和深远。截至2020年3月底,美国股市已经出现4次熔断,欧盟、日本以及新兴经济体也都受到不同程度的影响。在国外左翼看来,新冠肺炎疫情引发的经济衰退本质上是资本主义制度的危机。普拉巴特·帕奈克教授认为,此次流行病只是个案,由新冠肺炎疫情引起的其他危机也需要得到关注。一是资本主义制度无法解决的全球经济危机。这至少需要通过若干个国家共同采取税收措施,在全球层面协调、刺激需求。作为主要的资本主义国家,美国只考虑保护其自身经济以克服危机,这一事实清楚地表明人们离这种全球协调还有很长的路要走。二是气候变化。资本主义制造了又一场危机,它无法在规定的范围内解决这场危机。三是难民危机,即在战争与和平中被资本主义摧毁的人民的全球流动。21在帕奈克看来,这些危机不是孤立存在的,而是彼此密切联系。资本主义制度长期的结构危机充分表明,资本主义制度走到了尽头。

III. The COVID-19 crisis shows that Western countries urgently need socialism

三、新冠肺炎疫情危机表明西方国家迫切需要社会主义

Cattone believes that the novel coronavirus may be able to trigger mass criticism of capitalism and longing for socialism. The COVID-19 pandemic is a turning point in world history; people's lifestyles have undergone temporary yet fundamental changes, which may in turn lead to profound and rapid changes in popular consciousness. [22]22 Andrea Cattone, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Andrea Cattone," Geopolitical Economy Report, April 10, 2020. In the view of prominent American left-wing scholar Judith Butler, the outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Western societies "revitalized a socialist imagination," and people still have "a collective longing for thorough equality." [23]23 Judith Butler, "Capitalism Has Its Limits," Verso Blog, March 30, 2020. On the one hand, socialist countries represented by China have successfully responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system; on the other hand, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered multiple crises, exposing many drawbacks of the capitalist system. On major issues concerning human health and the living environment, countries dominated by the two systems form a sharp contrast in terms of governance capacity, governance methods, and governance measures. Many foreign left-wing figures generally draw a conclusion from the novel coronavirus crisis: the pandemic may become the fuse for social change in the West; considering human health, the future of society, and the global climate, the capitalist system must be completely changed. Currently, Western society is on the cusp of a great moment of change, a moment that may permanently change the world and accelerate the demise of the global capitalist system. The post-pandemic world situation presents a "huge challenge" for "all anti-capitalist forces on earth," and "an unmissable, unique, unexpected opportunity. We must raise awareness, organize, and fight to the end." [24]24 Andrea Cattone, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Andrea Cattone."

卡托内认为,新冠病毒或许能够引发大众对资本主义的批判和对社会主义的向往。新冠肺炎大流行是世界历史的转折点,人们的生活方式发生了暂时却又根本性的变化,进而可能会导致民众意识发生深刻而迅速的变化。22在美国著名左翼学者朱迪斯·巴特勒看来,新冠肺炎疫情在西方社会的暴发与流行“重振了一个社会主义的想象”,人们依然“对彻底平等有一种集体渴望”。23一方面,以中国为代表的社会主义国家成功地应对了新冠肺炎疫情,彰显出社会主义制度的优越性;另一方面,新冠肺炎疫情引起多重危机,暴露出资本主义制度诸多弊端。在涉及人类健康和生存环境等重大问题上,两种制度主导的国家在治理能力、治理方式和治理措施等方面形成鲜明对比。许多国外左翼人士普遍从新冠病毒危机中得出结论:疫情或将成为西方社会变革的导火索,考虑到人类的健康、社会的未来和全球气候,必须彻底改变资本主义制度。目前,西方社会正处在一个巨大的变革时刻的风口浪尖,这个时刻可能永久地改变世界,加速全球资本主义制度的灭亡。大流行后的世界形势对“地球上所有的反资本主义力量”来说是一个“巨大的挑战”,“一个不可错过的独特的、意想不到的机会。我们必须提高意识,组织起来,战斗到底”。24

1. Socialist countries represented by China have successfully responded to the COVID-19 pandemic

1.以中国为代表的社会主义国家成功应对新冠肺炎疫情

"China's robust public health measures against this novel coronavirus are arguably the most ambitious, flexible, and aggressive disease control effort in history." "China's success depends heavily on a strong administrative system... combined with the willingness of the Chinese people to adhere to strict public health procedures." [25]25 Mike Whitney, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Mike Whitney," Geopolitical Economy Report, April 10, 2020. In Whitney's view, this worldwide pandemic once again proves that: "People do better when states can plan ahead, explicitly direct state resources to the public good, put science at the service of the people, and practice international solidarity. These are all characteristics of a socialist society." [26]26 Mike Whitney, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Mike Whitney." China's ability to build two new hospitals within ten days, rapidly organize production, regulate the sales prices of medical supplies, provide free universal healthcare, and mobilize national medical workers on a large scale all demonstrate to the world the political and economic landscape of Chinese socialism. [27]27 Mike Whitney, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Mike Whitney." The World Health Organization praised the Chinese government's rapid response to the crisis; Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that China is taking "very strong measures... and making a full commitment, the scale of which is now expanding in a massive way, demonstrating the ability of a socialist country to rapidly and effectively mobilize resources in public health services." [28]28 Mike Whitney, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Mike Whitney." Cattone believes that socialism with Chinese characteristics and the Communist Party of China have demonstrated a strong ability to control and isolate the epidemic. China's success in handling the epidemic is also attributed to the fully proactive, disciplined, and conscious compliance of 1.4 billion Chinese people with the Chinese government's directives. To curb the spread of the epidemic, the Chinese people endured immense personal, social, and economic sacrifices. Without this very strong bond of thought and heart, reason and passion between the leaders and the people, between the Communist Party of China and the masses, the virus could not have been contained. [29]29 Andrea Cattone, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Andrea Cattone."

“中国对这种新型冠状病毒采取的有力的公共卫生措施可能是历史上最雄心勃勃、最灵活和最积极的疾病控制努力。”“中国的成功在很大程度上取决于一个强有力的行政系统……再加上中国人民愿意遵守严格的公共卫生程序。”25在惠特尼看来,这场世界范围内的疫情再次证明:“当国家能够提前规划,明确地将国家资源用于公共利益,将科学用于为人民服务,并实践国际团结时,人们会做得更好。这些都是社会主义社会的特点。”26中国能够在十天内建成两个新的医院,迅速组织生产,调控医疗用品销售价格,提供免费的全民医疗,大规模调动国家医疗工作者,这些都向世界展示了中国社会主义的政治经济面貌。27世界卫生组织赞扬中国政府对危机的迅速反应,总干事泰多·阿德哈诺姆·盖布雷耶苏斯说,中国正在采取“非常强有力的措施……并作出充分承诺,这一承诺的规模现在正在以一种巨大的方式扩大,显示出社会主义国家在公共卫生服务方面迅速有效地调集资源的能力”。28卡托内认为,中国特色社会主义和中国共产党展示出强大的控制和隔离疫情的能力。中国能够成功处置疫情还要归功于14亿中国人民充分积极的、有纪律的、有意识地遵守中国政府的指令。为遏制疫情蔓延,中国人民忍受了巨大的个人、社会和经济的牺牲。如果没有领导人和人民之间、中国共产党和人民群众之间这种非常牢固的思想和心灵、理性和激情的纽带,病毒就不可能得到遏制。29

The World Health Organization's praise for China is, in fact, an affirmation of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and the effectiveness of its governance. "China's ability to respond to the public health crisis proves that although socialism with Chinese characteristics has a mixed market economy, the Communist Party of China controls key industries, unlike capitalist countries such as the United States which remain independent of privatized capital interests. China's ability to respond to this large-scale public health crisis is a testament to the reality of socialism with Chinese characteristics: the Party is accountable to the people, not to private capital interests." [30]30 Mike Whitney, "Coronavirus and Capitalism: A Conversation with Mike Whitney."

世界卫生组织对中国的赞扬,实际上是对中国特色社会主义制度和治国理政效能的肯定。“中国应对公共健康危机的能力证明了中国特色社会主义虽然拥有混合市场经济,但中国共产党控制了重点行业,不像美国等资本主义国家仍然独立于私有化资本的利益。中国应对这场大规模公共卫生危机的能力,是对中国特色社会主义现实的证明:党对人民负责,而不是对私人资本利益负责。”30

2. Capitalist countries are in an era of crisis; multiple crises are gestating socialism

2.资本主义国家处于一个危机的时代,多重危机孕育着社会主义

This COVID-19 pandemic has led many foreign leftists to recall the Great Depression of the 1930s. After the impact of the Second World War, the ruling classes of capitalist countries were forced to make major concessions to curb the rise of communism, the direct result of which was the establishment of social security systems in Belgium and many other European countries. Therefore, in the view of some foreign leftists, in the past people could win many welfare benefits through continuous struggle, including social security, unemployment insurance, and so on. Today's COVID-19 crisis likewise and inevitably brings profound reforms; "the virus crisis could become a driving force for constructive upheaval in American capitalist society." [31]31 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. At present, capitalist countries face not only a health crisis, "but also an economic crisis. Moreover, it is a political, social, and environmental crisis. These crises are interlocking, interconnected, and interact in unpredictable ways." [32]32 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. Some foreign leftist scholars point out that this crisis has already highlighted the advantages of the socialist system. The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly revealed the severe inequalities of the capitalist system, revealing how privatization, austerity, spending cuts, and profiteering have severely impacted the working class. Socialism appears precisely in the areas where capitalism begins to fail. [33]33 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. In reality, the capitalist world system may be entering a new period, one of deep climate, health, and economic disasters. Prabhat Patnaik believes that in times of crisis, everyone can become a socialist, and the free market is temporarily relegated to a secondary position. Under the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care and production of certain basic goods in capitalist countries have gradually become socialized, clearly deviating from capitalist norms; the more severe the crisis, the higher the degree of socialization. For example, Spain, the second European country most severely affected after Italy, has nationalized all its private hospitals in response to the crisis, with all private hospitals under state control. Even Trump ordered private companies to produce emergency items needed for the pandemic. Currently, the United States and some European countries have also had to temporarily change their political strategies. [34]34 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text.

这次新冠肺炎疫情使许多国外左翼联想到20世纪30年代的世界经济大萧条。经过第二次世界大战的冲击,资本主义国家的统治阶级不得不做出重大让步,以遏制共产主义的崛起,其直接结果是比利时和许多其他欧洲国家建立了社会保障制度。因此,在一些国外左翼看来,过去人们可以通过不断的奋斗赢得许多福利,包括社会保障、失业保险等。今天的新冠肺炎危机同样且必然带来深远的改革,“病毒危机可能成为美国资本主义社会建设性剧变的推动力”。31当下,资本主义国家面临的不仅是一场健康危机,“这也是一场经济危机。此外,它还是一场政治、社会和环境危机。这些危机是环环相扣的,相互关联的,以无法预料的方式相互作用”。32 有的国外左翼学者指出,这场危机已经凸显了社会主义制度的优势。新冠肺炎疫情深刻地揭示了资本主义制度的严重不平等,揭示了私有化、紧缩、削减开支和牟取暴利是如何严重影响工人阶级的。社会主义恰恰出现在资本主义开始走向失败的领域。33实际上,资本主义世界体系可能正在进入一个新的时期,即气候、卫生健康和经济灾难深重的时期。普拉巴特·帕奈克认为,在危机时期,每个人都可能成为社会主义者,自由市场暂时被置于次要地位。在新冠肺炎疫情肆虐的情况下,资本主义国家的卫生保健和某些基本商品的生产逐渐社会化,明显偏离了资本主义标准,危机越严重,社会化程度越高。例如,西班牙是继意大利之后受影响最严重的第二个欧洲国家,为了应对这场危机,已经将其所有私立医院国有化,所有私立医院都由国家控制。甚至特朗普也命令私营公司生产这场流行病所需的紧急物品。目前,美国和一些欧洲国家也不得不临时改变其政治战略。34

3. Socialism is the Way Out of the Crisis

3.社会主义是应对危机的出路

Reflecting on the COVID-19 pandemic, many foreign leftist scholars state, "To eliminate class divisions, racism, imperialist conflicts, and catastrophic climate change in the world, it is increasingly clear that the entire logic of capitalism needs to be broken." [35]35 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text.

通过反思新冠肺炎疫情,不少国外左翼学者表示,“要消除世界上的阶级分裂、种族主义、帝国主义冲突和灾难性气候变化,越来越明显地需要打破资本主义的整个逻辑。”35

Joe Cotney points out: "In the future, humanity will suffer crises more frequently. To enable humanity to withstand these challenges, the capitalist system is completely incapable of coping. On the contrary, we must move towards a socialist system." He also emphasizes: "Socialism must be put back on the agenda, just as Bernie Sanders did in the major capitalist country of the United States, especially among young people. Young people deserve not only a future full of known disasters but also a systemic change that can avoid the aforementioned disasters. This different system is Socialism 2.0." [36]36 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. This envisioned socialism "must prioritize collective investment, collective ownership, and collective enthusiasm. … This is not only to eliminate poverty but also to meet social needs, respond to economic crises, and address ecological challenges. Our goal is to establish a society no longer centered on profit and competition, but one that takes planning and collective ownership (especially in the energy sector and banking) as the guarantee of social progress and sustainability." [37]37 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. Canadian leftist scholar Sam Gindin believes that an important prerequisite for achieving social change at present is that socialists must be fully prepared. In his view, socialists must fundamentally reconsider the political agenda in the spirit of internationalism, shifting from global competition to a country's internal development. In his view, focusing on a country's domestic development has three reasons: first, any organization is ultimately local or national; second, any policy must be implemented through the state, especially if the power of mobile capital is to be restricted; third, cultivating a particularly maximized democracy to manage all aspects of people's lives. [38]38 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text.

乔·科特尼尔指出:“未来人类会更加频繁地遭受危机,为了使人类能够经受这些挑战,资本主义体制是完全无法应对的。相反,我们必须走向社会主义制度。”他还强调:“必须把社会主义重新提上议程,就像伯尼·桑德斯在主要资本主义国家的美国所做的那样,尤其是在年轻人中间。年轻人应该得到的不仅仅是一个充满已知灾难的未来,而且还应该得到一个可以避免上述灾难的制度变革。这个不同的制度是社会主义2.0版本。”36这种构想中的社会主义“必须优先考虑集体投资、集体所有制和集体热情。……这不仅是为了消除贫困,而且是为了满足社会需要、应对经济危机和生态挑战。我们的目标是建立一个不再以利润和竞争为中心,而是以规划和集体所有权(特别是能源部门和银行)为社会进步和可持续性的保证的社会。”37加拿大左翼学者萨姆·吉丁认为,当前实现社会变革的重要前提是社会主义者要做好充足的准备。在他看来,社会主义者必须本着国际主义精神,从根本上重新考虑政治议程,从全球竞争转向一国的内部发展。在他看来,专注本国的国内发展有三点原因:一是任何组织最终都是地方的或国家的;二是任何政策都必须通过国家来实施,尤其是如果要限制流动资本的力量的话;三是培养一种特别的最大化的民主来管理人们生活的各个方面。38

4. How is the Realization of Socialism Possible Under the Pandemic?

四、疫情之下社会主义的实现何以可能

Although many foreign leftist scholars believe that the moment favorable for revolutionary transformation is rapidly approaching, they also point out that without a revolutionary situation, there is no revolutionary practice. Not every revolutionary situation can produce a revolution. While objective conditions for revolution are important, subjective conditions—revolutionary consciousness—must exist for a revolution to occur. The subjective conditions for revolution depend on the actions of the vanguard. They unanimously agree that only by formulating a people's plan and a people's initiative can the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing economic collapse be addressed. Leftist historian Albert Bender argues: "We need the working-class method to deal with this political, health, and economic crisis. This crisis should not be wasted. After the turmoil ends, this country should not return to pre-pandemic days. We cannot return to the capitalist 'normal'." [39]39 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. Clearly, in his view, the force for revolution needs to be found within the working class.

虽然不少国外左翼学者都认为有利于进行革命性转变的时刻正在迅速来临,但他们也指出没有革命的形势就没有革命的实践。不是一切革命的形势都能产生革命。革命的客观条件固然重要,但必须存在主观条件——革命意识——才能发生革命。革命的主观条件取决于先锋队的行动。他们一致认为,只有制定一个人民的计划和人民的倡议,才能应对新冠肺炎大流行和随之而来的经济崩溃。左翼历史学家阿尔伯特·本德认为:“我们需要工人阶级的方法来应对这个政治、健康和经济危机。这场危机不应被浪费。动乱结束后,这个国家不应该回到大流行前的日子。我们不能回到资本主义的‘常态’。”39很明显,在他看来,革命的力量需要从工人阶级中寻找。

For a long time, the living space of low-income families in Western societies has been increasingly squeezed, with work and life in a state of poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has further deteriorated their work and living conditions. "Many poor people are living in dire straits, with overdue bills, cramped and unstable housing, poor health, and patchwork employment opportunities, living day by day. They find their lives have become intolerably worsened by this crisis. The poor suffer more." [40]40 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. Chomsky points out, "The unemployment of workers caused by COVID-19 has revealed hidden class struggle." [41]41 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered unemployment among workers in major Western countries, which in turn led to radical protests and strikes among the broad masses of workers. The United States saw a wave of labor movements and strikes. Joe Cotney, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Belgium, points out that in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, a "shock from the left" is necessary. The situation of extreme crisis opens up prospects for fundamental change in the societies of capitalist countries. During the Second World War, when the United States and Britain urgently needed to rationalize military production, all the power of the state was mobilized. Strictly capitalist countries adopted Soviet methods to plan production under state control, with key industries ultimately in the hands of the government. The wealth of capitalists was used for public investment, and the entire banking system began to operate under government orders, with the government even owning parts of the banking sector. Currently, capitalist countries face the same moment. [42]42 Original source note number retained from the Chinese text. Despite the possibility of social change, many foreign leftist scholars still insist that unless social and political forces participate, capitalism will not collapse, and socialism will not be realized immediately. The fact that capitalism survived the Spanish flu and the Great Depression shows it has extraordinary resilience, able to weather crises and even show stronger resilience at the end of a crisis. Currently, social and political forces are not strong enough in either the United States or Europe, and the argument that the capitalist system is on the verge of collapse seems unrealistic.

长期以来,西方社会低收入家庭的生存空间日益被挤压,工作和生活处于贫困状态,新冠肺炎疫情使他们的工作和生活状况进一步恶化。“许多贫困的人们生活在水深火热之中,拖欠的账单、空间狭小且不稳定的住房、糟糕的健康状况和东拼西凑的就业机会,过着日复一日的生活,他们发现自己的生活因这场危机而不可容忍地恶化了。穷人遭受的苦难更多。”40乔姆斯基指出,“新冠肺炎引起的工人失业揭露了隐藏的阶级斗争。”41新冠肺炎大流行引发了西方主要国家的工人失业,进而引起了广大工人激进的抗议活动和罢工,美国出现了劳工运动和罢工高潮。比利时劳动党中央政治局委员乔·科特尼尔指出,面对新冠病毒危机,“来自左翼的冲击”是必要的。极端危机的情况为资本主义国家社会的根本变革开辟了前景。在第二次世界大战期间,当美国和英国迫切需要使军事生产合理化时,国家的所有力量都被动员起来。严格意义上的资本主义国家采用苏联的方法在国家控制下规划生产,关键行业最终掌握在政府手中。资本家的财富被用于公共投资,整个银行业开始在政府的命令下运作,政府甚至拥有了部分银行业。当前,资本主义国家也面临同样的时刻。42尽管面临社会变革的可能,不少国外左翼学者还是坚持认为,除非有社会力量和政治力量的参与,否则资本主义不会垮台,社会主义不会立刻实现。资本主义在西班牙流感和全球大萧条中幸存下来表明它具有非凡的韧性,能够度过危机甚至在危机结束时表现出更强的韧性。目前,社会力量和政治力量在美国和欧洲都不够强大,资本主义制度即将崩溃的论点似乎不现实。

Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted foreign leftists to launch an unprecedented overall examination and critique of the capitalist system and the capitalist path of modernization. In their view, the emergence of the novel coronavirus highlights the interconnections between capitalism and the ecological problems, epidemics, and economic fragility it has caused. Foreign leftists return to Marx's original critique of political economy concerning the specific characteristics of capitalism, using the logic of capital as an entry point to reveal the essence of capitalism under the pandemic. This helps us to re-understand capitalism under new historical conditions and to rediscover the importance of class forces and class struggle for the world socialist movement.

总的来看,新冠肺炎疫情促使国外左翼对资本主义制度和资本主义现代化道路展开了前所未有的总体性审视和批判。在他们看来,新冠病毒的出现强调了资本主义与其所造成的生态问题、流行病和经济脆弱之间的相互联系。国外左翼回归马克思对资本主义具体特性的原初政治经济学批判,以资本的逻辑为切入点揭示疫情之下资本主义的本质,这有助于我们在新的历史条件下重新认识资本主义,重新发现阶级力量与阶级斗争对于世界社会主义运动的重要性。

Notes

注释

1Chomsky.COVID-19 Strikes,Solidarity Can Help Defeat Trump and the Neoliberal Assault.https://thegrayzone.com/2020/04/29/ chomsky-covid-19-strikes-solidarity-can-help-defeat-trump-and-the-neoliberal-assault/.

1Chomsky.COVID-19 Strikes,Solidarity Can Help Defeat Trump and the Neoliberal Assault.https://thegrayzone.com/2020/04/29/ chomsky-covid-19-strikes-solidarity-can-help-defeat-trump-and-the-neoliberal-assault/.

2Joseph Choonara.Socialism in a Time of Pandemics.http://isj.org.uk/socialism-in-a-time-of-pandemics/.

2Joseph Choonara.Socialism in a Time of Pandemics.http://isj.org.uk/socialism-in-a-time-of-pandemics/.

3André Catone’s email to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Center for Studies of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics during the pandemic.

3安德烈·卡托内在疫情期间写给中国社会科学院世界社会主义研究中心的邮件。

4Albert Bender.Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism?https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/wi ll-the-pandemic-hasten -the-demise-of-capitalism/.

4Albert Bender.Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism?https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/wi ll-the-pandemic-hasten -the-demise-of-capitalism/.

5Rob Wallac,Alex Liebman,Luis Fernando Chaves,Rodrick Wallace.COVID-19 and Circuits of Capital.https://monthlyreview.org/2020/05/01/covid-19-and-circuits-of-capital/.

5Rob Wallac,Alex Liebman,Luis Fernando Chaves,Rodrick Wallace.COVID-19 and Circuits of Capital.https://monthlyreview.org/2020/05/01/covid-19-and-circuits-of-capital/.

6CP of Greece,Joint Statement of Communist & Workers Parties:Immediate Measures to Protect the Health and Rights of the Peoples.http://www.solidnet.org/article/CP-of-Greece-Joint-Statement-of-Communist-Workers-Parties-Immediate-measures-to-protect-the-health-and-rights-of-the-peoples/.

6CP of Greece,Joint Statement of Communist & Workers Parties:Immediate Measures to Protect the Health and Rights of the Peoples.http://www.solidnet.org/article/CP-of-Greece-Joint-Statement-of-Communist-Workers-Parties-Immediate-measures-to-protect-the-health-and-rights-of-the-peoples/.

7Joseph Choonara.Socialism in a Time of Pandemics.http://isj.org.uk/socialism-in-a-time-of-pandemics/.

7Joseph Choonara.Socialism in a Time of Pandemics.http://isj.org.uk/socialism-in-a-time-of-pandemics/.

8Tony Wilsdon.Capitalism is Sick—The Socialist Plan to Fight the Crisis.https://www.socialistalternative.org/2020/03/23/capitalism-is-sick-the-socialist-plan-to-fight-the-crisis/.

8Tony Wilsdon.Capitalism is Sick—The Socialist Plan to Fight the Crisis.https://www.socialistalternative.org/2020/03/23/capitalism-is-sick-the-socialist-plan-to-fight-the-crisis/.

9André Catone’s email to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Center for Studies of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics during the pandemic.

9安德烈·卡托内在疫情期间写给中国社会科学院世界社会主义研究中心的邮件。

10Abel Prieto.Le roi est nu.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-roi-est-nu/.

10Abel Prieto.Le roi est nu.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-roi-est-nu/.

11Chomsky.COVID-19 Strikes,Solidarity Can Help Defeat Trump and the Neoliberal Assault.https://thegrayzone.com/2020/04/29/ chomsky-covid-19-strikes-solidarity-can-help-defeat-trump-and-the-neoliberal-assault/.

11Chomsky.COVID-19 Strikes,Solidarity Can Help Defeat Trump and the Neoliberal Assault.https://thegrayzone.com/2020/04/29/ chomsky-covid-19-strikes-solidarity-can-help-defeat-trump-and-the-neoliberal-assault/.

12Prabhat Patnaik.Pandémie et socialisme.https://lavamedia.be/fr/pandemie-et-socialisme/.

12Prabhat Patnaik.Pandémie et socialisme.https://lavamedia.be/fr/pandemie-et-socialisme/.

13“Face-to-Face on Epidemic Prevention and Control: Management Regulations for Asymptomatic COVID-19 Carriers Issued,” http://yuqing.people.com.cn/n1/2020/04 10/c209043-316 69468.html.

13《疫情防控面对面:新冠病毒无症状感染者管理规范出台》,http://yuqing.people.com.cn/n1/2020/04 10/c209043-316 69468.html。

14Albert Bender.Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism?https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/wi ll-the-pandemic-hasten -the-demise-of-capitalism/.

14Albert Bender.Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism?https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/wi ll-the-pandemic-hasten -the-demise-of-capitalism/.

15Trade Set to Plunge as COVID-19 Pandemic Upends Global Economy.https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres20_e/pr855_e.pdf.

15Trade Set to Plunge as COVID-19 Pandemic Upends Global Economy.https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres20_e/pr855_e.pdf.

16Tommy McKearney.The Covid Crisis Demands a New Beginning.https://socialistvoic e.ie/2020/04/ the-covid -crisis-demands-a-new-beginning/.

16Tommy McKearney.The Covid Crisis Demands a New Beginning.https://socialistvoic e.ie/2020/04/ the-covid -crisis-demands-a-new-beginning/.

17Radhika Desai.Le capitalisme et la pandémie:l’heure des comptes a sonné.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-capitalisme-a-lere-du-coronavirus-lheure-des-comptes-a-sonne/.

17Radhika Desai.Le capitalisme et la pandémie:l’heure des comptes a sonné.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-capitalisme-a-lere-du-coronavirus-lheure-des-comptes-a-sonne/.

18Radhika Desai.Le capitalisme et la pandémie:l’heure des comptes a sonné.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-capitalisme-a-lere-du-coronavirus-lheure-des-comptes-a-sonne/.

18Radhika Desai.Le capitalisme et la pandémie:l’heure des comptes a sonné.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-capitalisme-a-lere-du-coronavirus-lheure-des-comptes-a-sonne/.

19Radhika Desai.Le capitalisme et la pandémie:l’heure des comptes a sonné.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-capitalisme-a-lere-du-coronavirus-lheure-des-comptes-a-sonne/.

19Radhika Desai.Le capitalisme et la pandémie:l’heure des comptes a sonné.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-capitalisme-a-lere-du-coronavirus-lheure-des-comptes-a-sonne/.

20Radhika Desai.Le capitalisme et la pandémie:l’heure des comptes a sonné.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-capitalisme-a-lere-du-coronavirus-lheure-des-comptes-a-sonne/.

20Radhika Desai.Le capitalisme et la pandémie:l’heure des comptes a sonné.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-capitalisme-a-lere-du-coronavirus-lheure-des-comptes-a-sonne/.

21Prabhat Patnaik.Pandémie et socialisme.https://lavamedia.be/fr/pandemie-et-socialisme/.

21Prabhat Patnaik.Pandémie et socialisme.https://lavamedia.be/fr/pandemie-et-socialisme/.

22Email from Andrea Catone to the Institute of World Socialism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences during the pandemic.

22安德烈·卡托内在疫情期间写给中国社会科学院世界社会主义研究中心的邮件。

23Judith Butler.Capitalism Has its Limits.https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/4603-capitalism-has-its-limits.

23Judith Butler.Capitalism Has its Limits.https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/4603-capitalism-has-its-limits.

24Aber Prieto.Le roi est nu.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-roi-est-nu/.

24Aber Prieto.Le roi est nu.https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-roi-est-nu/.

25W.T.WHITNEY JR.Fighting COVID-19 in Cuba,China,and the United States.https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/fighting-covid-19-in-cuba-china-and-the-united-states/.

25W.T.WHITNEY JR.Fighting COVID-19 in Cuba,China,and the United States.https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/fighting-covid-19-in-cuba-china-and-the-united-states/.

26W.T.WHITNEY JR.Fighting COVID-19 in Cuba,China,and the United States.https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/fighting-covid-19-in-cuba-china-and-the-united-states/.

26W.T.WHITNEY JR.Fighting COVID-19 in Cuba,China,and the United States.https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/fighting-covid-19-in-cuba-china-and-the-united-states/.

27How Chinese Socialism is Defeating the Coronavirus Outbreak.https://www.qiaocollective.com/home/how-chinese-socialism-is-defeating-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

27How Chinese Socialism is Defeating the Coronavirus Outbreak.https://www.qiaocollective.com/home/how-chinese-socialism-is-defeating-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

28C.J.Atkins,China’s Coronavirus Response Shows What’s Possible When People Come before Profits.https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/chinas-coronavirus-response-shows-whats-possible-when-people-come-before-profits/.

28C.J.Atkins,China’s Coronavirus Response Shows What’s Possible When People Come before Profits.https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/chinas-coronavirus-response-shows-whats-possible-when-people-come-before-profits/.

29Email from Andrea Catone to the Institute of World Socialism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences during the pandemic.

29安德烈·卡托内在疫情期间写给中国社会科学院世界社会主义研究中心的邮件。

30How Chinese Socialism is Defeating the Coronavirus Outbreak.https://www.qiaocollective.com/home/how-chinese-socialism-is-defeating-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

30How Chinese Socialism is Defeating the Coronavirus Outbreak.https://www.qiaocollective.com/home/how-chinese-socialism-is-defeating-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

31Albert Bender.Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism?https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/will-the-pandemic - hasten -the-demise-of-capitalism/.

31Albert Bender.Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism?https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/will-the-pandemic - hasten -the-demise-of-capitalism/.

32Joe Sims.The Struggle of Our Lives:Coronavirus and Capitalist Crisis.https://www.cpusa.org/article/the-struggle-of-our-lives-copd-19-and-capitalist-crisis/.

32Joe Sims.The Struggle of Our Lives:Coronavirus and Capitalist Crisis.https://www.cpusa.org/article/the-struggle-of-our-lives-copd-19-and-capitalist-crisis/.

33Joe Sims.The Struggle of Our Lives:Coronavirus and Capitalist Crisis.https://www.cpusa.org/article/the-struggle-of-our-lives-copd-19-and-capitalist-crisis/.

33Joe Sims.The Struggle of Our Lives:Coronavirus and Capitalist Crisis.https://www.cpusa.org/article/the-struggle-of-our-lives-copd-19-and-capitalist-crisis/.

34Prabhat Patnaik.Pandémie et socialisme.https://lavamedia.be/fr/pandemie-et-socialisme/.

34Prabhat Patnaik.Pandémie et socialisme.https://lavamedia.be/fr/pandemie-et-socialisme/.

35Joseph Choonara.Socialism in a Time of Pandemics.http://isj.org.uk/socialism-in-a-time-of-pandemics/.

35Joseph Choonara.Socialism in a Time of Pandemics.http://isj.org.uk/socialism-in-a-time-of-pandemics/.

36Jo Cottenier.Le choc du coronavirus révèle les failles du capitalisme mondial.https://lavamedia.be /fr/le-choc -du-coronavirus -revele-les-failles-du-capitalisme-mondial/.

36Jo Cottenier.Le choc du coronavirus révèle les failles du capitalisme mondial.https://lavamedia.be /fr/le-choc -du-coronavirus -revele-les-failles-du-capitalisme-mondial/.

37Jo Cottenier. Le choc du coronavirus révèle les failles du capitalisme mondial. https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-choc-du-coronavirus-revele-les-failles-du-capitalisme-mondial/.

37Jo Cottenier.Le choc du coronavirus révèle les failles du capitalisme mondial.https://lavamedia.be /fr/le-choc -du-coronavirus -revele-les-failles-du-capitalisme-mondial/.

38Sam Gindin. Antimondialisation: le coronavirus et la recherche d’alternatives. https://lavamedia.be/fr/antimondialisation-le-coronavirus-et-la-recherche-dalternatives/.

38Sam Gindin.Antimondialisation:le coronavirus et la recherche d’alternatives.https://lavamedia.be/fr/antimondialisation -le-coronavirus-et-la-recherche-dalternatives/.

39Albert Bender. Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism? https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/will-the-pandemic-hasten-the-demise-of-capitalism/.

39Albert Bender.Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism?https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/ will-the-pandemic- hasten-the-demise-of-capitalism/.

40Albert Bender. Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism? https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/will-the-pandemic-hasten-the-demise-of-capitalism/.

40Albert Bender.Will the Pandemic Hasten the Demise of Capitalism?https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/wi ll-the-pandemic-hasten-the-demise-of-capitalism/.

41Chomsky. COVID-19 Strikes, Solidarity can Help Defeat Trump and the Neoliberal Assault. https://thegrayzone.com/2020/04/29/chomsky-covid-19-strikes-solidarity-can-help-defeat-trump-and-the-neoliberal-assault/.

41Chomsky.COVID-19 Strikes,Solidarity can Help Defeat Trump and the Neoliberal Assault.https://thegrayzone.com/2020/04/29/ chomsky-covid-19-strikes-solidarity-can-help-defeat-trump-and-the-neoliberal-assault/.

42Jo Cottenier. Le choc du coronavirus révèle les failles du capitalisme mondial. https://lavamedia.be/fr/le-choc-du-coronavirus-revele-les-failles-du-capitalisme-mondial/.

42Jo Cottenier.Le choc du coronavirus révèle les failles du capitalisme mondial.https://lavamedia.be /fr/le-choc -du-coronavirus -revele-les-failles-du-capitalisme-mondial/.

Online editor: Zhang Jian

网络编辑：张剑