{"id":6603,"date":"2020-04-04T19:16:27","date_gmt":"2020-04-04T17:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/?p=6603"},"modified":"2020-04-04T20:08:11","modified_gmt":"2020-04-04T18:08:11","slug":"marx-on-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/ron-ridenour\/marx-on-covid-19","title":{"rendered":"Marx on Covid-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Corona-virus har sat verden i st\u00e5. Men samtidig med at vi oplever denne truende epidemi, har vi ogs\u00e5 en helt anden oplevelse – oplevelsen af en verden med f\u00e6rre krigshandlinger, med renere luft og vand, byer uden forurenende trafik. Lad os ikke acceptere at vende tilbage til \u2018bussiness as usual\u2019. Denne nye bevidsthed kan tv\u00e6rtimod f\u00f8re til et folkeligt krav om at stoppe krigene, stoppe med at af br\u00e6nde fossile br\u00e6ndstoffer for profit. Befolkningerne kunne rejse sig, som De gule Veste i Frankrig og samle sig til aktioner for et andet samfund.
<\/em>
Marx on Covid-19<\/strong>
by Ron Ridenour<\/em>
<\/strong>
\u201cA spector is haunting Europe\u2014the spector of<\/em>\u201d Covid-19<\/strong>. For Marx and Engels writing the Communist Manifesto, in 1848, the spector was communism, their choice. This flaring ghost frightened the capitalist class, which endeavored to exorcise its\u2019 breath. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Communism\nmade inroads against capitalism in Russia and fellow republics\nbetween 1917 and 1990. Nevertheless, its\u2019 might was under-mined by\nforeign capitalism\u2019s saber-rattling invasion and encirclement,\ncausing internal distortions, and communism succumbed\u2014temporarily\nanyway. Socialist attempts in countries other than the Soviet Union\nre-geared towards capitalism while maintaining some social benefits,\nand maintained a communist vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ncontemporary germ (thesis-<\/em>see\nnote 1) is a new corona virus, code named COVID-19. The spector of\ncommunism lurks for a rebirth as the capitalist class and its many\npolitical parties (albeit only the duopoly in the US), cropped up by\ntheir propagandistic mass media, use this virus to exorcise even more\nof the working peoples\u2019 gains and rights. The ruling class is fully\naware that uproars might occur, and is instituting even more measures\nto prevent such eventualities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simultaneously,\nthe rulers\u2019 politicians are extending temporary health care and\nsome economic assistance to more people in the United States, and\nthroughout Europe. Since the costs of combating this disease are\ngigantic, and since it is absolutely necessary to keep distance from\none another, in order to curb contagion, the usual wars for profit\nare at a standstill in most areas. This means fewer people are being\nmurdered and tortured. Less military action, including fewer fossil\nfuel-driven war planes, tanks, and other motor vehicles (also fewer\ncivilian vehicles in use around the world) means less pollution to\nmother earth. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nantithesis<\/em>\nis temporarily accepted by the capitalist class generally and its\npoliticians. This results in most people satisfactorily experiencing\na bit more peace, cleaner air, cleaner water. That sensation could\nlead to a greater awareness and demand that the world must not return\nto \u201cbusiness as usual\u201d. The forthcoming socio-economic-political\nsynthesis<\/em>\ncould be a popular demand to stop warring and stop using fossil fuel\nfor greater profits for the finance speculators, weapons industry,\noil-gas industry. People could rise up like France\u2019s Yellow Vests,\nbuilding toward mass actions with general strikes, leading to\nworld-wide strikes and other gigantic actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

World\nWar II led to greater equality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nis some precedence to this hope. Recall WWII when women were put to\nwork outside the home, in order to produce goods and to make weaponry\nto stop fascism. African-American and Native American men went to war\nagainst fascism and discrimination. With the defeat of fascism,\nextreme racism (apartheid included) and male chauvinist superiority\nsickness resumed standard discrimination against minorities and\nwomen. The antithesis\n<\/em>then\nwas the passionate civil rights movement in the 1950s-70s, the gender\nequal rights movement (feminism) of the 1960s-70s, as well as Native\nAmerican and other minority struggles for greater equality\u2014all of\nwhich generated important progress for ethnic peoples and the female\ngender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While\nthis progress did not prevent the Military Empire with its vassal\nstates from conducting a myriad of wars with scores of millions of\ncasualties, this time around it could be different. As the new virus\nspirals, we see the US trying to retreat from its wars against the\npeoples of Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Albeit Trump and his\nZionist-fascistic buddy Netanyahu still threaten Iran\u2019s very\nexistence with stronger sanctions as its people suffer harshly from\nthe virus. In much of the Middle East and North Africa, the vast\nmajority have learned to hate the US for its jingoism and brutal\ncapitalism, which brings about greater amenability for socialistic\nsolutions or, at least, shunning US domination. This is evident also\nto more Europeans and some of their politicians, such as France\u2019s\nMacron and Italy\u2019s leaders. They are breaking the embargoes against\nRussia, China, Cuba, and maybe Iran soon. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nWorld Policeman\u2019s badge pales<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nis quite possible that many Westerners, even US Americans, will learn\nhow well China and Cuba are handling this virus disaster, because\nthey still maintain a vision of creating an economy based upon social\nequality, and are maintaining much social welfare. These governments\nare better geared to confront natural disasters through efficient\nstate planning than is chaotic capitalism where, especially in the\nUS, every man is his own fortune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having\ncurtailed the virus, China is now providing millions of masks and\ntens of thousands of testing kits to France and other countries. Cuba\ncontinues offering its paltry finances and great heath care system\nfor solidarity with all peoples. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently,\nCuba allowed a cruise ship to dock. Cubans solidarity embraced the\nneedy when other countries refused to do so. Bahamas, a British\nCommonwealth nation, refused help, as did several other Caribbean\nstates and the United States, albeit Britain is the US\u2019s main war\npartner. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nBritish MS Braemar had 50 passengers and crew with virus symptoms.\nCuba drove the 1000 passengers and crew to its airport where charter\nflights came. Passengers\nquickly fell in love with \u201cdictatorially ruled\u201d Cuba. One\npassenger wrote, \u201cThank you, Cuba that you could open your hearts\nto us. We will never ever forget that you reached out to us when\nabsolutely nobody, and I mean nobody, else would,\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cuba\nsent a medical brigade to Italy to help virus victims. Forty-five\ncountries, whose governments can face sanctions from the US for\ndealing with Cuba, have asked Cuba to dispatch what is billed as a\n\u2018wonder drug\u2019. Interferon alpha-2B recombinant is developed by\nCuba and China. It can neutralize the worst effects of Covid-19.\nExperts say it stops the virus reaching a serious enough stage to\nresult in death, or it relieves much of the aggravation that virus\ndeath can cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At\nthis writing (March 31), the drug is curtailing the virus in Cuba.\nOnly 139 cases\u2014124 in stable condition\u2014with three deaths have\noccurred to this nation of 11.5 million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\nA\nCuban official said: \u201cThe\nsanctions are the main obstacle, not only to respond to major health\ncrises like Covid-19, but the main obstacle to the country’s\ndevelopment in any area. L<\/em>ifting\n<\/em>the<\/em>\nblockade against Cuba would have an extraordinarily positive impact\non Cuba, and mostly in the health sector, which has been one of the\nmost damaged areas since the establishment of the blockade almost 60\nyears ago. The blockade has caused more than $3 billion in economic\nlosses.<\/em>\nDespite\nthis, Cuban doctors are working in 59 countries around the world, 37\nof which have confirmed cases of Covid-19,<\/em>\u201d\nreported UK \u201cExpress\u201d reporter, Dylan Donnelly, on March 25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\ncapitalism is now saying about the cure for Covid-19<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IMF\nchairwoman and managing director Kristalina Georgieva informed, on\nMarch 27, that the entire world is in recession, worse than in 2009.\nOver 800 countries had requested economic aid when normally only a\nhandful do so. G20 states have allocated $5 trillion in fiscal\nmeasures to businesses and to \u201cwage earners\u201d. The US will pay out\n$2.2 trillion, 10% of its GDP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US\nPresident Trump: \u201cThe cure could be worse than the problem.\u201d\nWhile Trump is the most obnoxious and mendacious of all US\npresidents, he is also one of the most honest. When it capitalism he\nproudly announced that it must continue gouging profits. When it\ncomes to warring against Syria, he states that his 800 troops are\nthere to protect claims to \u201cUS\u2019s oil\u201d (sic). Other US\npresidents always spoke their wars as \u201chumanitarian\u201d and\nprotecting \u201cwomen and human rights\u201d. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nday after Trump\u2019s statement about the cure, Denmark\u2019s main\ncapitalist political party (Venstre) broke its silence and warned the\nsocial democratic (and US waring partner) government that it must\nbail out capital all the more. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had\nalready warned that post-Covid-19 capital would need greater state\nsupport and the welfare system would suffer the more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EU\nrefuses to aid those countries worst hit, Italy and Spain, and other\npoorer members. A feeling of Brexit is growing in several European\nnations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nthe virus calms down and the lockdown ends, capital will require\ngreater worker \u201csacrifices\u201d for capital gains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\ntime around, the dialectical rebound could capture the imagination of\ntens of millions of westerners, and other millions elsewhere\nsuffering under capitalism and its wars for global domination.\nImagine solid and persistent struggles could burst forth roaring for\nworld peace, for state-run tax-supported health care, curbing private\nsuper-wealth, advancing to revamping society\u2019s very structure. Real\npeople-to-people democracy, in which all are owners and\ndecision-makers, could seize the reigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colleague\nDave Lindorff wrote me: \u201cI think we\u2019ll be seeing elucidating\nexamples of why socialist ideas are far better than capitalist ones.\nThe US is careening towards an apocalyptic social and economic\ncollapse because of both it\u2019s horrendous for- profit healthcare\nsystem, which leaves 87 million people unable to pay to see a doctor\nand unable to get health care, because [so many are] losing their\nlow- and often even well-paying jobs. The paltry 20 percent, who can\nget unemployment insurance checks, only get a pittance. We\u2019ll have\nto see how people respond to seeing the banks and airlines\u2014two\nparticularly loathed industries\u2014getting trillions in bailouts while\nthe government gives them quarterly assistance checks of $1-2000 per\nfamily!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greater\nnumbers of people are already registering how capitalism mistreats\nthe majority. Celebrity Britney\nSpears is one. She posted a message on her Instagram account to 23.7\nmillion followers, imploring them to \u201cfeed\neach other<\/em>,\u201d\nto \u201credistribute\nwealth<\/em>,\u201d\nand to go on \u201cstrike<\/em>\u201d\nin the face of the coronavirus fiasco.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\nis a crack, A crack in everything; That\u2019s how the light gets in!\u201d\n<\/em>Leonard\nCohen, \u201cAnthem\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\nis my list of immediate demands, and for struggles now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. \nSoldiers\n\tand civilians stop wars for private riches and foreign domination;\n\tdemand drastic decline in weapons industry. \n\t\n\t<\/li>
  2. \nUniversal\n\ttax-supported, government-run health care systems for all.\n\t<\/li>
  3. \nMassive\n\tand general public transportation; far fewer private cars,\n\tespecially inside cities.\n\t<\/li>
  4. \nSustainable\n\tnon-pollution energy systems running nations.\n\t<\/li>
  5. \nEuropeans\n\tend support to US as the world\u2019s police. Retake European\n\tsovereignty. Retake or gain sovereignty world-wide. \n\t\n<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Disease<\/em>:\nCapitalism<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cure<\/em>:\nSocialism<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Synthesis<\/em>:Equality,\nJustice, Peace<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Note<\/strong>:\n<\/strong><\/em>Thesis<\/em>:\nPandemic virus; Antithesis<\/em>:\nGovernments combating its devastation by using diverse measures, even\na few less capitalistic ones: fewer wars and planet pollution while\npreparing to hand over more tax monies to the elite and less for the\nmany once the virus is gone; Synthesis<\/em>:\nWorking class awakening as the ruling class attempts to return to\nbusiness as usual. There could be a rebound to placing socialism on\nthe agenda. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    March 31, 2020, Copenhagen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Links

    COVID-19: UN chief calls for global ceasefire to focus on \u2018the true fight of our lives\u2019 <\/strong><\/a>

    Cuba Uses ‘Wonder Drug’ to Fight Coronavirus Around World Despite U.S. Sanctions
    <\/strong><\/a>
    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Corona-virus har sat verden i st\u00e5. Men samtidig med at vi oplever denne truende epidemi, har vi ogs\u00e5 en helt anden oplevelse – oplevelsen af en verden med f\u00e6rre krigshandlinger, med renere luft og vand, byer uden forurenende trafik. Lad os ikke acceptere at vende tilbage til \u2018bussiness as usual\u2019. Denne nye bevidsthed kan tv\u00e6rtimod … L\u00e6s videre Marx on Covid-19<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blogs"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p451d4-1Iv","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6603"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6610,"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6603\/revisions\/6610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kpnet.dk\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}