Viruses such as Covid 19 represent a direct threat to the future of life on the planet – human life in particular – on a par with the other threats such as global warming, the pollution and acidification of the oceans, the mass extinction of species, and fresh water depletion.
Socially-distanced street protests, moves to impeach a president – Latin America has begun to lead the way, not only in the gravity of the Coronavirus crisis, but in the scale and character of the resistance that social movements are mounting,
It appeals to the white British exceptionalist world view that is more likely to be older, more overweight, unhealthy and in more dangerous jobs than the average. As with Trump’s voters they’ve opted for a reactionary, nationalist reponse to what’s happening in the world which is actively putting their own lives at risk. It’s an ideological choice which requires an explicit refusal to consider the consequences.
They live on the planet where it is considered perfectly normal for family members to live in a castle, as Wakefield’s parents do, or to have a private wood you can stroll in, like The Cummings do. It is the world of the rich and powerful, the world of the ruling class
While classic fascism defended massive State intervention in the economy, Bolsonaro’s neo-fascism is fully identified with neoliberalism, and aims to impose a socioeconomic policy favorable to the oligarchy, without any of the “social” pretensions of ancient fascism.
Dave Kellaway analyses the fall-out of the pandemic and discusses what action programme for the crisis. He argues that the movement should not get tied in to a false sense national interest.
When women enter the capitalist labour market for the first time, they often enter it doing those tasks that are done at home and which are seen as women’s traditional labour; this, of course, is viewed as unskilled and hence earns low pay. Entering the labour market does not eliminate women’s primary responsibility for those tasks at home; what happens is that their exploitation in the labour market is then added to their oppression at home.
The Covid-19 pandemic remains out of control, and the government is in chaos but maintains a herd immunity policy writes Alan Davies.
Our starting point, in the best traditions of Earth Day, has to be the defence of the planet itself as a viable living space. We as human beings cannot keep on trashing nature without serious consequences.
We cannot wait for governments to act, we must act collectively to develop self-managed initiatives of working people, from the territories in resistance, in the countryside and in the cities.
