Why don’t the pandemic-fighting capitalist states fight ecological crisis in the same way? A political-ecological approach to the pandemic

Year 2021, Volume: 9 Issue: Özel Sayı, 22 - 44, 17.11.2021

Aybala Ertekin

https://doi.org/10.14782/marmarasbd.913427

Abstract

The apparent lack of effectiveness in contemporary states’ fight against coronavirus show their unpreparedness to the impending ecological crisis. The states failed to set up containment mechanisms against the rapid dissemination of coronavirus and were unable to prevent the virus’ mortal impacts for more than a year. Somehow, capitalist states implement certain policies to struggle against coronavirus thereby extending their ordinary limits of capitalist logic during the process. It has been demonstrated that the capitalist states do not act against ecological crises in the same way that they fight against coronavirus. Under the conditions of ecological crises, providing that capitalism, state, human, and nature build an intricate interrelationship; characteristics and reasons became a remarkable issue. Thus, this article puts forward three arguments in order to come up with possible answers to this question. First, the coronavirus crisis is not only a health crisis, but also an ecological one and it is a states’ political choice to separate these two crises. Secondly, the health crisis concept led states to consolidate their political capacities through discourses used as a political instrument. Finally, when the political choice of the state is to control Coronavirus, it contributes to the state’s and capitalist system’s persistence by favouring social class alliances. But solving ecological problems poses a greater challenge to capitalism.

Keywords

COVID-19, pandemic, ecological crises, capitalism, capitalist state

Kapitalist Devletler Ekolojik Krizle Neden Covid-19’la Olduğu Gibi Savaşmazlar? Pandemiye politik ekolojik bir yaklaşım

Abstract

Covid-19 virüsüyle mücadele tecrübesi, devletlerin ekolojik krize karşı savunmasız olduğunu göstermiştir. Bir seneyi aşkın süredir kontrol altına alınamayan bu salgın karşısında kapitalist devletler önlem alabilmek için geleneksel eylem repertuvarının dışına taşan bazı politikalar üretmiştir. Öte yandan kapitalist devletlerin, ekolojik kriz bağlamında değerlendirilmesi gereken Covid-19 pandemisine karşı gösterdiği tepkiyi ekolojik kriz ile ilişkilendirilen diğer gündemlerde göstermediği tespit edilebilmektedir. Karmaşık bir ilişkiler ağı ortaya koyan kapitalizm, devlet, insan ve doğa ekolojik bir perspektifle ele alındığında, pandemi ve ekolojik kriz karşısında devletlerin tercihlerinin niteliği ve nedeni dikkat çekici olmaktadır. Çalışma bu sorunu irdelemek adına politik ekoloji perspektifinden hareketle üç hipotez sunmaktadır: Birincisi, koronavirüs pandemisi bir sağlık krizi olmanın yanı sıra ekolojik krizdir, bu iki krizi ayrıştırmak politik bir tercihtir. İkincisi, kendi başına pandemi gündemi devletlere kendi otoritelerini konsolide etmek anlamında ekolojik krizden farklı olarak bir politik araçsallaştırma imkânı sunmaktadır. Üçüncüsü, Covid-19’un yayılımını engelleyip kontrol altına alma yönündeki politika değişiklikleri, çeşitli sınıfsal ittifaklar aracılığıyla kapitalist sistem ve devletin devamlılığını sağlıyorken, ekolojik kriz ile eşitlikçi bir mücadele kapitalist sisteme meydan okumayı dayatmaktadır.

Keywords

Covid-19, pandemi, ekolojik kriz, kapitalizm, kapitalist devlet

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