The coronoavirus IS political and, one way or another, it is affecting society. Here are some comments related to that:
1. "...there have been calls from some politicians and journalists to avoid “politicising” the crisis. But...there is nothing more political than a pandemic and the life-and-death decisions our governments make during them.
You only have to look back to the 2008 financial crash to see that the question of what comes after a crisis is also inescapably political. As Laurie Macfarlane writes on ourEconomy, we cannot return to business as usual if we want to protect people.
One of the cruellest ironies of the pandemic is that, according to estimates by US academics, the fall in air pollution from slowed economic activity may save 50,000 lives in China. That’s far more than the 3,248 deaths due to the virus in the country "
- Open Democracy
2. Wow, even football is talking about workers rights and situation nowadays. And quite right.
“…despite Premier League clubs making a combined £4.2bn in 2018, an estimated 42% of all workers were earning below the voluntary Real Living Wage.”
That needs to change. As i suggested in my recent article in the Asia Pacific Journal there should be a law forcing big clubs to give at least 50% of their profits to help people in the areas they are based, and the people who live and work there. Why not? That would mean sport REALLY helping, instead of lining the pockets of a tiny rich elite.
Back oh the net!
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/coronavirus-premier-league-clubs-jobs-casual-matchday-staff-a9408711.html?fbclid=IwAR15-sipOGHczA6vxECeMGFMvs6DIn20xXvZAShJZu9RPBcRjb-q_uqGSwg
1. "...there have been calls from some politicians and journalists to avoid “politicising” the crisis. But...there is nothing more political than a pandemic and the life-and-death decisions our governments make during them.
You only have to look back to the 2008 financial crash to see that the question of what comes after a crisis is also inescapably political. As Laurie Macfarlane writes on ourEconomy, we cannot return to business as usual if we want to protect people.
One of the cruellest ironies of the pandemic is that, according to estimates by US academics, the fall in air pollution from slowed economic activity may save 50,000 lives in China. That’s far more than the 3,248 deaths due to the virus in the country "
- Open Democracy
2. Wow, even football is talking about workers rights and situation nowadays. And quite right.
“…despite Premier League clubs making a combined £4.2bn in 2018, an estimated 42% of all workers were earning below the voluntary Real Living Wage.”
That needs to change. As i suggested in my recent article in the Asia Pacific Journal there should be a law forcing big clubs to give at least 50% of their profits to help people in the areas they are based, and the people who live and work there. Why not? That would mean sport REALLY helping, instead of lining the pockets of a tiny rich elite.
Back oh the net!
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/coronavirus-premier-league-clubs-jobs-casual-matchday-staff-a9408711.html?fbclid=IwAR15-sipOGHczA6vxECeMGFMvs6DIn20xXvZAShJZu9RPBcRjb-q_uqGSwg
3. We may be about to see a fundamental shift in capitalism because of coronavirus. Even mainstream media and politicians are discussing changes which, if fully implemented, could add up to the largest economic and societal changes at one time since 1945. The possibilities include:
A national health service in the USA
Central controlled distribution of basic food and medical supplies (and not by private corporations).
Fixed prices on medical and health supplies - taking it out of the controls of corporations that charge huge prices. Some are saying that essential medicine should even be free.
Reform in the rented housing sector with power moved away from landlords
Extension of sick pay rights to all workers
Buses, trains and planes may be nationalised.
Posh hotels forced to let homeless people use their empty rooms.
Tougher environmental controls on polluting companies in various industries.
Reduction in the power of banks and mortgage companies.
Private hospitals to be taken over by the national health service so its not just the well off that can afford virus testing and help.
The start of basic income for all citizens.
Etc...
“Could coronavirus finally lead to nationalisation across British businesses?” - Independent
"… This coronavirus epidemic is yet another challenge in our fight to find a cure for injustice" - Partners In Health
“Access to lifeline medicines, including vaccines, antibiotics, and antivirals, should be a human right, universally available at no cost. If markets can’t provide incentives to cheaply produce such drugs, then governments and non-profits should take responsibility for their manufacture and distribution. The survival of the poor must at all times be accounted a higher priority than the profits of Big Pharma.”
- The Monster at Our Door — The Global Threat of Avian Flu. by Mike Davis.
A national health service in the USA
Central controlled distribution of basic food and medical supplies (and not by private corporations).
Fixed prices on medical and health supplies - taking it out of the controls of corporations that charge huge prices. Some are saying that essential medicine should even be free.
Reform in the rented housing sector with power moved away from landlords
Extension of sick pay rights to all workers
Buses, trains and planes may be nationalised.
Posh hotels forced to let homeless people use their empty rooms.
Tougher environmental controls on polluting companies in various industries.
Reduction in the power of banks and mortgage companies.
Private hospitals to be taken over by the national health service so its not just the well off that can afford virus testing and help.
The start of basic income for all citizens.
Etc...
“Could coronavirus finally lead to nationalisation across British businesses?” - Independent
"… This coronavirus epidemic is yet another challenge in our fight to find a cure for injustice" - Partners In Health
“Access to lifeline medicines, including vaccines, antibiotics, and antivirals, should be a human right, universally available at no cost. If markets can’t provide incentives to cheaply produce such drugs, then governments and non-profits should take responsibility for their manufacture and distribution. The survival of the poor must at all times be accounted a higher priority than the profits of Big Pharma.”
- The Monster at Our Door — The Global Threat of Avian Flu. by Mike Davis.
4. A last, very good point: we can see that the reaction to this bio-disaster have been largely calm, progressive and considerate to others. And this gets to one of the basic cliches of capitalism, showing how weak a point it is: that we are all selfish and greedy, that a better system wont work because of that.
Having been in a disaster zone myself (earthquake in 2016) its heartening to observe that, despite some negative behaviour, most people act with considerable kindness to others, try to help and be reasonable. There is a sense of 'we are all in this together'. Which is, of course, the basis of socialism and anarchism.
And i have to say im pleasantly surprised by how even right wing governments have reacted to this with a 'we need to help people because its not their fault' attitude (when they normally do quite the opposite thing in regards to economic and social problems). So, disasters bring out the humane in even right wingers! Thats nice.
Tragic as the deaths are due to this virus its a chance to make things better in general. So lets do that.