Politics in the time of cholera: COVID, table manners, and bio-politics

In this paper, I will analyse discriminatory comments made by an Italian politician leaning towards the centre-right. The politician, Luca Zaia, suggested that a supposed lack of hygiene among the Chinese population was the actual source of the COVID-19 pandemic. I will then explore the underlying ‘Orientalist’ stereotypes and delve into their broader implications within the current political discourse in Italy, the United States, and Israel. Specifically, I will assert that the pandemic has become an opportunity to mobilise various bio-political issues, which may not necessarily align with progressive values and could potentially be discriminatory or even reactionary. The pandemic has revealed the ambivalence of bio-politics, as it appeals to both the political right and left. Therefore, it is crucial to approach its ambiguous nature with rigorous critical thinking.