In the context of COVID-19, many things are uncertain. But there is little doubt that poorer people, and people in poorer countries, are more likely to die avoidable deaths—much as happens in “normal” times. But as COVID-19 has laid bare, avoidable deaths can proliferate even through the richest societies, if systems are not set up to use resources equitably. Inequality, and its consequences, are not randomly distributed. Majority-black counties in the United States have COVID-19 infection and death rates respectively three and six times higher than majority-white counties. Women dominate many “essential” professions, particularly health care, social work, and retail. And undocumented workers continue to provide essential services (particularly in food and agriculture) in conditions and for pay that many US citizens refuse to tolerate. The usual precariousness for workers has been exacerbated, with limited systematic support in return. Similar to the common observation in hunger studies, many challenges facing us with COVID-19 don’t stem from absolute scarcity, but rather political and economic systems that have allocated scarcity to certain populations, even in the presence of plenty. Capitalists today would admonish Benjamin Franklin that you shouldn’t sell one ounce of prevention when you can wait—and sell 16 ounce of cure! The Parable of the Shmoo

中文翻译：

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COVID，食物和Shmoo的寓言

在 COVID-19 的背景下，许多事情都是不确定的。但毫无疑问，较贫穷的人和较贫穷国家的人更有可能死于可避免的死亡——就像在“正常”时期发生的那样。但正如 COVID-19 所揭示的那样，如果系统没有建立以公平使用资源，即使是在最富裕的社会中，可避免的死亡也会激增。不平等及其后果不是随机分布的。美国黑人占多数的县的 COVID-19 感染率和死亡率分别是白人占多数的县的三倍和六倍。女性主导着许多“基本”职业，尤其是医疗保健、社会工作和零售业。无证工人继续以许多美国公民拒绝容忍的条件和报酬提供基本服务（特别是在食品和农业领域）。工人通常的不稳定状况已经加剧，而系统性支持却有限。与饥饿研究中的常见观察结果相似，我们面临的许多 COVID-19 挑战并非源于绝对稀缺，而是源于政治和经济系统将稀缺分配给某些人口，即使存在大量人口也是如此。今天的资本家会告诫本杰明·富兰克林，当你可以等待时，你不应该出售一盎司预防药物——而出售 16 盎司治疗药物！Shmoo的寓言 即使在大量存在的情况下。今天的资本家会告诫本杰明·富兰克林，当你可以等待时，你不应该出售一盎司预防药物——而出售 16 盎司治疗药物！Shmoo的寓言 即使在大量存在的情况下。今天的资本家会告诫本杰明·富兰克林，当你可以等待时，你不应该出售一盎司预防药物——而出售 16 盎司治疗药物！Shmoo的寓言