Capitalising on Corona – Vandana Shiva – #1

In recent months, quacks and charlatans of all kinds have been rubbing their hands with glee, as a novel coronavirus – which at this moment in time has no vaccine or specific treatment – brings the world to its knees. In an attempt to capitalise on this pandemic, these self-proclaimed experts both rely on, and amplify, the general public’s growing angst, whilst simultaneously shoehorning in their particular flavour of conspiracy and quackery. The spread of misinformation and disinformation by these parasitic profiteers has gotten so out of hand that the World Health Organisation has described it as an ‘infodemic’, a term which I personally love. With a quarter of the world’s population currently in lockdown, the time has never been better for these frauds, as they scramble to make the world a much worse place. Out of curiosity I thought I would check in on some old friends whose rackets I’ve reported on in the past and see how they are capitalising on the catastrophe, starting with Vandana Shiva.