The government has completely dropped the ball in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and pursued a reactive, rather than a proactive strategy. This is in marked contrast to the country at the epicentre of the pandemic: China
Governments across the world are desperate for someone else to blame. Their mishandling of the Covid-19 crisis has led to countless unnecessary deaths, mainstream media, are redirecting public anger by capitalising on people’s misconceptions about China to whip up negative sentiment towards its people.
Without a shred of irony, Leo Varadkar informed RTÉ’s Clare Byrne that ‘poverty is one of the biggest killers, you know. Unemployment, poverty, mental health…’
All of society is suffering from the pandemic, but the troika is ensuring that some people suffer more than others. The unemployed and those in Direct Provision are forced to face the brunt of a system that wants to minimise aid, not maximise it.
Naas General Hospital is the latest epicentre of a potential Covid-19 outbreak. Hospital management were informed of the suspected outbreak a couple of weeks ago and, by the following day, a 31-bed ward had been temporarily closed with several members of staff being told to self-isolate.
Our newest issue of Forward focuses on how the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted intricately the contradictions facing modern capitalism – and potential of the socialist response. Read the online version at the link attached.
New Zealand’s reaction to COVID-19 has been lauded by many voices in the media, but on closer examination, its stimulus package serves the same function at the core of neoliberal economics – the transfer of wealth from the people to businesses and landlords.