EPISODE 1: Pangolin Panic and Why the West Said "No" to Masks

Hello!

Time to Say Goodbye is a podcast—with your hosts, Jay Caspian Kang, Tammy Kim, and Andy Liu. We launched this thing because, like you, we’ve been sheltering in place and wanted an outlet for our thoughts on the coronavirus, Asia, geopolitics, and Asian Americans.

A short introduction to your hosts:

Jay Caspian Kang is a writer-at-large for the New York Times Magazine and the author of the upcoming book The Loneliest Americans.

E. Tammy Kim is a magazine reporter, a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times, and a retired lawyer. She co-edited the book Punk Ethnography.

Andrew Liu is a historian of modern China. He wrote a book called Tea War, about the history of capitalism in Asia. He remains a huge Supersonics fan.

Today’s show is about travel and opulence.

We trace the Pangolin market and its wealthy consumers. We then tell you about the city of Wuhan and how its place in the economy all but ensured a global spread of Covid-19. Included in the discussion: supply chains, business travel, car-parts manufacturing, and tourism.

We move on to masks and South Korea. Tammy tells us about her recent article in the New York Times, on the government’s efforts to prevent price-gouging and distribute masks through local pharmacies. We talk about why Westerners weren’t initially keen to adopt the mask, then rapidly changed their mind over the past few weeks, at least in the United States.

Last, we explore Andrew Yang’s infamous op-ed in the Washington Post—and the backlash.

Show notes:

2:41 – Korean quarantine for international travelers. A description of what it’s like here.

6:15 – How coronavirus spread, the politics of the “wet market,” and pangolins. Andy’s article about China and mundane forms of global transmission, plus a follow-up opinion piece here.

45:00 – Why did Americans resist wearing masks? Tammy’s article, with lessons from South Korea, and her interview with a lead Korean doctor here.

1:12 – Obligatory conversation about Andrew Yang’s op-ed.

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