* I’d like to extend my thanks to the wonderful and inspiring Dana Perez and Christina Pao in helping me with the research for this article (which itself will help to create a podcast unrelated to this blog). Your energy, passion and drive to help people who are oppressed and struggling worldwide has helped reinvigorate my own faith in the campaigns that we are all involved with.

I write this during a period of unprecedented global upheaval. Since it first appeared in Wuhan, China, the novel corona virus (COVID-19) has spread like wildfire. It has killed roughly 13 thousand as of writing, infected countless more and put an incredible strain on health services in both the developed and developing worlds.

It could be argued, as British journalist George Monbiot did so recently in the international edition…