Our Dystopian Present

Nations are ending lockdowns despite the persistence of COVID-19. The original talking points of comprehensive testing and contact tracing have been abandoned. Now the unspoken policy is herd immunity. Workers will be forced back into the job market. Auto manufacturers are increasing production despite a spike in COVID cases in their factories.

The problem with herd immunity is that we don't know what level of protection COVID antibodies provide. As Benjamin Mateus explains in "Studies on COVID-19 antibody response undermine US 'herd immunity' policy":

The immunity to the virus is not as robust as had been hoped by investigators, and no one yet knows what level of neutralizing antibodies are required to offer protection. This has considerable implications for vaccine productions, as vaccine efficacy seems to hinge on the ability to demonstrate consistently high levels of neutralizing antibodies.

As the virus expands its reach in Africa and India, it appears that after six months of COVID we are just at the beginning.

States are writing austerity budgets. There will be no let up in joblessness and apparently no further lockdowns. The only way for the state to prevent a revolution is by means of massive violence.