theintercept | For a few fleeting moments during New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s
daily coronavirus briefing on Wednesday, the somber grimace that has
filled our screens for weeks was briefly replaced by something
resembling a smile.
“We are ready, we’re all-in,” the governor gushed.
“We are New Yorkers, so we’re aggressive about it, we’re ambitious
about it. … We realize that change is not only imminent, but it can
actually be a friend if done the right way.”
The inspiration for these uncharacteristically good vibes was a video
visit from former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who joined the governor’s
briefing to announce that he will be heading up a blue-ribbon commission
to reimagine New York state’s post-Covid reality, with an emphasis on
permanently integrating technology into every aspect of civic life.
“The first priorities of what we’re trying to do,” Schmidt said, “are
focused on telehealth, remote learning, and broadband. … We need to
look for solutions that can be presented now, and accelerated, and use
technology to make things better.” Lest there be any doubt that the
former Google chair’s goals were purely benevolent, his video background
featured a framed pair of golden angel wings.
Just one day earlier, Cuomo had announced
a similar partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to
develop “a smarter education system.” Calling Gates a “visionary,” Cuomo
said the pandemic has created “a moment in history when we can actually
incorporate and advance [Gates’s] ideas … all these buildings, all
these physical classrooms — why with all the technology you have?” he
asked, apparently rhetorically.
It has taken some time to gel, but something resembling a coherent
Pandemic Shock Doctrine is beginning to emerge. Call it the “Screen New
Deal.” Far more high-tech than anything we have seen during previous
disasters, the future that is being rushed into being as the bodies
still pile up treats our past weeks of physical isolation not as a
painful necessity to save lives, but as a living laboratory for a
permanent — and highly profitable — no-touch future.
