The word “COVID Capitalism” has three meanings: one is to expose the phenomenon of “disaster capitalism”, which is intertwined by the epidemic and crisis in the West in the COVID-19; The second is the theoretical summary of the COVID-19 reshaping the capitalist society; Third, describe the symbiotic relationship between capitalism and COVID-19. The operating mechanism of COVID Capitalism includes: First, it breeds disasters.Capitalism reduces its ability to respond to sudden outbreaks, increases the exposure of new viruses, and becomes the root cause of the COVID-19 disaster; The second is to take advantage of disasters. Capitalism regards the epidemic as a good opportunity to make profits, strengthen neo-liberalism, expand exploitation and repair ideological legitimacy; Third, expand the disaster. Objectively, capitalism accelerates the spread of the virus, and subjectively, interest groups tend to continue to maintain and expand the disaster economy. In order to fight against COVID capitalism, scholars have proposed the reform of the “Green New Deal”, the realization of socialism and the construction of a common immunity mechanism. The critical theory of “COVID-19Capitalism” has certain reference value for us to understand the new changes of contemporary capitalism,scientifically respond to public health crises, and strengthen our confidence in the socialist system, but it also has limitations such as ignoring the basic contradictions of capitalism, exaggerating the epidemic effect, deviating from the logical analysis framework of capital and the countermeasures is too fantasical.

Editor: Zhong Yao、Zheng Yifan

From:Socialism Studies.2023.No.3.