S7: Episode 14 - Ajit Singh

In this episode, Rania Khalek and Kevin Gosztola interview Ajit Singh, a lawyer and journalist. He recently had two articles published at the Grayzone and the Monthly Review on China's response to the global coronavirus pandemic. He tweets at @ajitxsingh.

For the Grayzone, Ajit highlighted how the United States pushed a conspiracy related to China's coronavirus death toll in order to deflect attention away from the failures of President Donald Trump's administration.

Ajit compared the response of China to the United States response in an article for the Monthly Review that was published on March 30. He contended COVID-19 has exposed the "bankruptcy of neoliberalism."

"After being demonized by the U.S. establishment as it came to grips with a previously unknown pathogen, China, led by its robust state institutions, has contained the virus with decisive measures and emerged as the global leader in providing medical aid and expertise to countries around the world," Singh recounted.  

"Meanwhile, having squandered the months to prepare bought by China’s disciplined approach, the U.S. government’s response to the pandemic has been woefully inadequate. Relying on the whims of the private sector and 'free market,' the U.S. is now suffering from the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world—with infections per capita currently six times greater than China."

Singh concluded, "In the wealthiest country in the world, families are pleading for donations to cover obscene coronavirus treatment costs while doctors and nurses are forced to wear garbage bags to protect themselves and patients amid widespread shortages of basic medical supplies."

During the interview, Singh unpacks much of the disinformation around China's response and discusses why the United States government feels so threatened.