Beyond the tragedy of the Coronavirus pandemic, there is a glimmer of hope

Coronavirus and Boris Johnson to represent long Covid


Support us and go ad-free

We live in strange times that bring out the worst in people, such as panic buying, but also the best. And over the days and weeks ahead we will undoubtedly witness tragedies that one way or another affect us all. In the UK we’re also witnessing a major shift in the way government responds to the coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis. Meanwhile, prime minister Boris Johnson’s gung-ho approach has gone and in his TV appearances, he appears out of his depth.

As to the economic and political systems that have exacerbated the crisis, will they fall victim too?

UK government playing catchup

It’s been apparent that the UK government is playing catchup. It wasted valuable weeks – which likely increased the number of deaths – while it toyed with an inappropriate ‘herd immunity’ approach. That approach was reportedly promoted by special adviser Dominic Cummings and the ‘Nudge Unit’, and condemned and questioned by leading clinicians across the UK.

A “minister” told Buzzfeed News: that Cummings and Patrick Vallance the government’s chief scientific adviser:

were “close allies” and claimed the government had “bet” the future of the UK on advice from a very small group of scientists that for a long time differed from the wider international consensus, and other members of SAGE.

Peoples’ lives are not a game for scientists, such as those at SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies), and ideologues such as Cummings and his associates to play with.

U-turn

The government has since been forced into a u-turn and has introduced stringent but necessary measures that mean the UK’s edging closer to total lockdown. Also, there’s now unprecedented financial support to businesses.

But this is only a start.

Labour’s Zarah Sultana pointed out that time is running out:

The government did announce financial support for workers. Two weeks ago, or even a week ago, to associate such a level of support for workers with a Conservative government would have been unthinkable.

But, despite these measures, much more is needed:

Setting the agenda

In regard to wages support for workers, for example, Labour proposes that wages of all workers who could lose their jobs should have their wages underwritten by the government. This proposal goes further than that of the government’s in that lower and middle-wage earners should receive 90% and 85% respectively of their wages from the state. Furthermore, Labour proposes that businesses for which the worker works will pay the shortfall, with no worker laid off.

On March 21, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also wrote to Johnson, explaining what needs to be done with regard to support for the self-employed, those who pay rent:

Labour MP Stephen Doughty has also coordinated a letter, supported by scores of cross-party MPs, urging chancellor Rishi Sunak to provide further financial support to charities and similar organisations:

Mutual aid goes viral

There are also interventions at grassroots level.

On 14 March The Canary reported on how community groups around the UK have sprung up to offer a level of mutual support within local communities. For example:

If a single mother cannot leave the house and is running low on food, or if an elderly person needs medication, they can contact the Brighton Covid-19 Mutual Aid group.

In an article published by Anarchist Communism before some of the government’s more recent pronouncements, one person described some of the activities of their local mutual aid group:

In the village where I live, Facebook organising has produced more than 350 names in four days, volunteering various kinds of help, including visits to elderly and disabled by local known people, street by street, free exchange of surplus daily necessities, a local shop and a community centre offered for food collection, assembling food parcels and deliveries, free taxi to Iceland to pick up supplies, meals for free school dinner kids, even dog walking (there are 1000’s of dogs here).

Freedom Press published a listing of Covid-19 Mutual Aid groups on 13 March, since then that’s grown and grown across the UK. The Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK website provides a facility so that you can search for your nearest mutual aid group. And TogetherTV provides an interactive map of Covid-19 Mutual Aid groups across the UK.

As for the worst and best, this sums it all up:

Hope

The coronavirus pandemic has meant that in many parts of the world traditional economic ideologies have been cast to one side. Where governments are of the right, these ideologies have now been replaced by a pseudo, if not real, form of socialism, albeit temporarily.

The real question now is about how those emergency economic measures can be retained to ensure that a more just and equitable society becomes a permanent feature of our lives. If that happens, we may well then be in a position to glimpse a very different, post-capitalist way of life.

There is hope on the horizon. We should not waste the opportunity that now presents itself.

Featured image via Pixabay / Youtube

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us
  • Show Comments

    1. Isn’t it ironic that only a few months ago we were all engaged in an almost pointless ideological battle to thwart or defend socialist/capitalist policies, and now a non-human entity is forcing the debate, and might well end it? Isn’t it also amazing that a virus (third in a row) seems to know it?

      I wonder who else sees it? Have we not over time (as a nation and even as a species) relegated the very best of our nature (wisdom, selflessness, compassion, empathy, logic, reason, kindness, love, non-arrogant self-sufficiency) to being ‘weak’, perfunctory, and uncool? Whilst at the same time raising the worst of our nature (selfishness, arrogant self-sufficiency, intolerance, hatred, pettiness, disdain, violence, greed, cognitive dissonance, and so many others) to the level of ‘Strong’, cool, and desirable?

      There is much talk of Socialism Vs Capitalism, much deriding and support of both concepts, and a great amount of contention regarding which is superior or inferior, but the truth is they are both just used as labels, and those labels mean different things to different people.

      These terms are mostly used to mislead people these days. The Socialism of today is different to the Socialism of yesteryear (the same applies to Capitalism, and a great number of other ‘isms). Neither is a perfect solution or construct, and neither provides a satisfying answer to all our societal problems, and that is because the best in our nature has been relegated to a subservient, weakened, and derided position in relation to the worst in our nature.

      More simply put, as a species we generally know we have basic and simple needs, which if met, generally keep us content. We also know we have basic and simple hates, which if met, generally lead to a whole Pandoras’s box of problems and dangers. Law is there to help us make the right decisions regarding our activities, and as such, forms the backbone of our society.

      Power-hungry, greedy people however like complication. Complication provides a fertile ground for all manner of evil, which means they can hide their true intentions, and because they do so, they demonstrate their intent to go against the peaceful intent of law in the first place. Sadly this is so ingrained in society, that we are ‘forced’ to go along with it, even if we disagree with it.

      Where are the ‘strong’ and the ‘weak’ now? Along came a virus, and not just any virus, like its two predecessors (perhaps more), it has demonstrated the extraordinary ability to be able to predict the most politically expedient time to make itself known, AND unlike its cousins, seems to have the uncanny ability to have surfaced in the very place 5G technology was invented, and at just the right time to really hamper 5G roll-out, which is in perfect alignment with Washington’s desire (not to mention all the other politically expedient things that are now being rolled out across the Globe because of it).

      If this virus isn’t man-made, man-released, or manipulated, it sure has an incredible sense of politically expedient timing, and really should prompt scientists around The World to attempt to communicate with it, as it may well be smarter than us collectively. Maybe the first question they could ask it is if it is a socialist or capitalist virus? I think the answer alone would be mind-blowing, let alone the detail in the answer.

      Report comment

    Leave a Reply

    Join the conversation

    Please read our comment moderation policy here.

Related articles