thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-03-27--More Bits On The Corona Crisis: US Proves Its Exceptionalism

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DISPATCHES FROM MOON OF ALABAMA , BY “ B ” This article is part of an ongoing series of dispatches from Moon of Alabama The U.S. is providing the world with another example of its great exceptionalism .
In a few days it will have the greatest number of Covid-19 cases and the greatest number of casualties of the disease .
It will also have spent the greatest amount of money on the crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the people who need it .
It is not a nice picture and it makes me sad .
The more than two trillion dollar the lobbyists told Congress to put into their 800+ pages relief bill will mostly go to very rich people .
It is corporate socialism – a bailout for investors and managers .
Contrast that with the Russian president Vladimir Putin who , in an address to the Russian people , allocated most of the money for the unemployed , the retired and for families : The U.S. as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing enough to slow down or even stop the outbreak .
The Wall Street Journal today reports ( paywalled but quoted here ) what we emphasized in our earlier pieces .
The lockdown in Wuhan on January 23 was not enough to end the growth of the number of cases .
It was only after February 2 , when Wuhan introduced the isolation of suspected cases and of people who had close contact with confirmed cases , that it gained a grip on the crisis : To send anyone who has mild symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only increases the speed of the epidemic as all family members are then likely to get catch the virus .
Tests and care for Covid-19 must be for free .
We need hospitals to care for only the critical cases .
We need quarantine centers to isolate the milder cases from the wider population .
Many hotels , sport arenas and exhibition halls are currently empty .
They can be converted into quarantine stations within a day or two .
People will have to stay for only two weeks .
They would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is a small restriction of the freedom of a few for a large benefit for our societies .
We must also introduce the wearing of a mask in public as a new social norm : The novel coronavirus is spread to a great extent by people who stay asymptomatic and by people who do not yet feel sick but will later show symptoms .
When they talk , sneeze or cough they release small droplets that carry viruses .
The droplets can stay in the air for some time .
If a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viruses will likely infect that person .
Those who have have the virus or might spread it should wear a mask because it prevents their droplets from flying out .
Those who do not have the virus should wear a mask to prevent droplets from entering their body .
We were told that ‘ masks don ’ t work ’ because they are not a 100 % protection .
The very tiny viruses can pass behind the mask at its sides or they can slip through its webbing .
But the virus is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a droplet .
Even a relatively wide webbing may hold it up .
If it is doubled with a sheet of cosmetic paper towel in between the protection will be even better .
Microfilter bags for vacuum cleaners and so called HEPA filters are also effective materials that are readily available and easy to turn into masks .
The development of the epidemic will depend on how many people will start to regularly wear masks when they are not at home .
Even if the protection masks prevent only 50 % of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will unfold will be significantly lower .
Consider that the societies in the blue circle are all ones where people regularly wear masks while the other countries ( except China which was surprised by the outbreak ) are societies were wearing a mask is seen as unusual .
These ‘ blue ’ countries , which also gained experience during the SARS and MERS epidemics , show significant flatter trajectories .
Graphs similar to the above for all U.S. states and territories can be found here .
Meanwhile U.S. media continue to spread anti-China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports from Spain and from the Czech Republic one learns that these countries bought anti-body tests which only react when a person has had the virus for some time and developed anti-bodies against it .
These tests can obviously not be used to find persons who are infected but have not yet developed anti-bodies .
China ’ s ambassador in Spain also pointed out that these tests have yet to be verified by the regulator and were imported without the help or knowledge of the Chinese government .
The anti-body tests are valuable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immunity against the virus .
These people can then care for those who are most endangered by the disease .
Anti-body tests are quick .
They can be used anywhere .
The polymerase chain reaction ( PCR ) tests which are currently necessary to find if someone has the virus take at least four hours and specialized laboratories to process them .
We will need a much quicker reliable test if we want to put our economies back to work .
Luckily several companies and academic groups are already working on these and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be marketed .
When we have a quick test for the virus and a quick test for anti-bodies available in mass we can restart the economy by ‘ filtering ’ through the population on a large scale .
Movement restrictions would then only be needed for those who show virus-positive and anti-body negative results .
All others could go back to work .
There would certainly still be outbreaks from people who escaped the ‘ filtering ’ process but with easy testing and care in place those clusters can be locally contained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or so to get to that point .
Until then there is little we can do but to stay apart as much as possible and to wear our masks .
— Previous Moon of Alabama posts on the issue : • The Coronavirus – No Need To Panic – Jan 25 2020 • Novel Coronavirus Defies Conspiracy Theories As Data Shows Its Coming Decline – Feb 1 2020 • The Epidemic Recedes – Number Of New Coronavirus Cases In Decline – Feb 8 2020 • Coronavirus – Statistical Change Causes Confusion – New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 • Coronavirus – The Decline Of New Cases Continues – Economic Ripples Begin To Emerge – Feb 21 2020 • As Virus Spreads Over The Planet Governments Are Slow To React – Feb 27 2020 • Coronavirus – Its Time To Press Your Government To React Faster – Feb 29 2020 • Why Is The Coronavirus More Dangerous Than The Flu ?
– Mar 9 2020 • Coronavirus – The Hidden Cases – Why We Must Shut Everything Down And Do It Now – Mar 11 2020 • The Pandemic Will Cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Side Measures To Counter It – Mar 16 2020 • Coronavirus – A Lockdown Is Not Enough – Mar 17 2020 • False Claims About The Novel Coronavirus And How To Debunk Them – Mar 19 2020 • Coronavirus – On Western Government Failures And Possible Therapies – Mar 21 2020 • Coronavirus – How To Lift Lockdowns And Why We Should All Wear Masks – Mar 23 2020 Posted by b on March 26 , 2020 at 18:20 UTC | Permalink I don ’ t think it ’ s Trump ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very fragile economic state before the pandemic .
The trillionaire package just burst the dam and now unemployment rates are skyrocketing .
They are shills for those who murder the environment with impunity .
It 's time you embrace YOUR media , the citizens ' press .
Be sure to support the Greanville Post .
If not you , who will ?
“ b ” is Moon of Alabama ’ s founding ( and chief ) editor .
This site ’ s purpose is to discuss politics , economics , philosophy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Moon Of Alabama was opened as an independent , open forum for members of the Whiskey Bar community .
Bernhard ) ” b ” ) started and still runs the site .
Once in a while you will also find posts and art from regular commentators .
You can reach the current administrator of this site by emailing Bernhard at MoonofA @ aol.com .
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License .
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Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
DISPATCHES FROM MOON OF ALABAMA, BY "B"
This article is part of an ongoing series of dispatches from Moon of Alabama
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]onald Trump's MAGA is successful.
The U.S. is providing the world with another example of its great exceptionalism. In a few days it will have the greatest number of Covid-19 cases and the greatest number of casualties of the disease. It will also have spent the greatest amount of money on the crisis with the smallest part of it going to the people who need it.
It is not a nice picture and it makes me sad.
The more than two trillion dollar the lobbyists told Congress to put into their 800+ pages relief bill will mostly go to very rich people. It is corporate socialism - a bailout for investors and managers.
Contrast that with the Russian president Vladimir Putin who, in an address to the Russian people, allocated most of the money for the unemployed, the retired and for families:
Then, with special flourish, Mr. Putin used the impending crisis to fix several unpopular tax loopholes favoring the very rich, so that the proceeds of the new taxes may be used to offset some of the costs of the social protection measures now being introduced for the great majority of the working population, for families, etc. To name one such abuse, he is calling for all remittances of dividends and the like by physical persons to offshore ‘tax havens’ where they go untaxed, now to be subjected to a 15% income tax in Russia. The double taxation treaties with those tax haven countries allowing this abuse will be amended accordingly.
The U.S. as well as other countries is still not doing enough to slow down or even stop the outbreak.
The Wall Street Journal today reports (paywalled but quoted here) what we emphasized in our earlier pieces. The lockdown in Wuhan on January 23 was not enough to end the growth of the number of cases.
It was only after February 2, when Wuhan introduced the isolation of suspected cases and of people who had close contact with confirmed cases, that it gained a grip on the crisis:
What really turned the tide in Wuhan was a shift after Feb. 2 to a more aggressive and systematic quarantine regime whereby suspected or mild cases—and even healthy close contacts of confirmed cases—were sent to makeshift hospitals and temporary quarantine centers. The tactics required turning hundreds of hotels, schools and other places into quarantine centers, as well as building two new hospitals and creating 14 temporary ones in public buildings. It also underscored the importance of coronavirus testing capacity, which local authorities say was expanded from 200 tests a day in late January to 7,000 daily by mid-February.
To send anyone who has mild symptoms home to be cared for by family only increases the speed of the epidemic as all family members are then likely to get catch the virus.
Tests and care for Covid-19 must be for free. We need hospitals to care for only the critical cases. We need quarantine centers to isolate the milder cases from the wider population. Many hotels, sport arenas and exhibition halls are currently empty. They can be converted into quarantine stations within a day or two. People will have to stay for only two weeks. They would be fed and would have medical attention. That is a small restriction of the freedom of a few for a large benefit for our societies.
We must also introduce the wearing of a mask in public as a new social norm:
A number of studies have reported that a significant portion of people are even spreading the virus while presymptomatic — in the day or two before they start to feel ill. Presymptomatic spreaders are, well, gonna spread. It’s not their fault. How much this type of transmission is driving the pandemic is unclear but it could be significant. Gabriel Leung, dean of medicine at the University of Hong Kong, has estimated about 40% of cases transmit before symptoms develop. A recent preprint — a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed — from China pooled data from seven countries and estimated a very similar 43%.
The novel coronavirus is spread to a great extent by people who stay asymptomatic and by people who do not yet feel sick but will later show symptoms. When they talk, sneeze or cough they release small droplets that carry viruses. The droplets can stay in the air for some time. If a person coming along inhales those droplets the viruses will likely infect that person.
Those who have have the virus or might spread it should wear a mask because it prevents their droplets from flying out. Those who do not have the virus should wear a mask to prevent droplets from entering their body.
We were told that 'masks don't work' because they are not a 100% protection. The very tiny viruses can pass behind the mask at its sides or they can slip through its webbing. But the virus is not traveling alone but as part of a droplet. Even a relatively wide webbing may hold it up. If it is doubled with a sheet of cosmetic paper towel in between the protection will be even better. Microfilter bags for vacuum cleaners and so called HEPA filters are also effective materials that are readily available and easy to turn into masks.
The development of the epidemic will depend on how many people will start to regularly wear masks when they are not at home. Even if the protection masks prevent only 50% of new infections the speed with which the epidemic will unfold will be significantly lower.
Consider that the societies in the blue circle are all ones where people regularly wear masks while the other countries (except China which was surprised by the outbreak) are societies were wearing a mask is seen as unusual. These 'blue' countries, which also gained experience during the SARS and MERS epidemics, show significant flatter trajectories.
Graphs similar to the above for all U.S. states and territories can be found here.
Meanwhile U.S. media continue to spread anti-China propaganda:
Two European Countries Report High Error Rate For Chinese Supplied Coronavirus Tests
Medical personnel in Spain and the Czech Republic have reported that the coronavirus rapid tests their respective countries have received from China are faulty and have a high error rate. Several labs in Spanish hospitals have reported that the test kits they purchased, manufactured by Chinese company Bioeasy and based in Shenzhen, have a sensitivity of 30% when the sensitivity should be above 80%, Spanish newspaper El País reported Thursday. Due to the test’s lack of reliability, medical personnel in Spain have switched back to the PCR test, which takes up to four hours for a diagnosis, while rapid tests take between 10 to 15 minutes The Spanish government purchased 340,000 tests from the Chinese company, a similar quantity to the tests ordered by the Czech Republic, where medical personnel also report an 80% failure rate.
When one checks the original reports from Spain and from the Czech Republic one learns that these countries bought anti-body tests which only react when a person has had the virus for some time and developed anti-bodies against it. These tests can obviously not be used to find persons who are infected but have not yet developed anti-bodies.
China's ambassador in Spain also pointed out that these tests have yet to be verified by the regulator and were imported without the help or knowledge of the Chinese government.
The anti-body tests are valuable to identify people who have developed current immunity against the virus. These people can then care for those who are most endangered by the disease. Anti-body tests are quick. They can be used anywhere.
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests which are currently necessary to find if someone has the virus take at least four hours and specialized laboratories to process them. We will need a much quicker reliable test if we want to put our economies back to work. Luckily several companies and academic groups are already working on these and a 45 minute test is now ready to be marketed.
When we have a quick test for the virus and a quick test for anti-bodies available in mass we can restart the economy by 'filtering' through the population on a large scale. Movement restrictions would then only be needed for those who show virus-positive and anti-body negative results. All others could go back to work.
There would certainly still be outbreaks from people who escaped the 'filtering' process but with easy testing and care in place those clusters can be locally contained.
It may take another two month or so to get to that point. Until then there is little we can do but to stay apart as much as possible and to wear our masks.
---
Previous Moon of Alabama posts on the issue:
Posted by b on March 26, 2020 at 18:20 UTC | Permalink
COMMENTS SAMPLER


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-03-27--COVID-19: We Won’t Go Back to Normal, Because Normal Was the Problem

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible .
Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
When a global pandemic strikes , the private-sector austerity model simply falls apart , writes Vijay Prashad .
It is hard to remember that just a few weeks ago , the planet was in motion .
There were protests in Delhi ( India ) and Quito ( Ecuador ) , eruptions against the old order that ranged from anger at the economic policies of austerity and neoliberalism to frustration with the cultural policies of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Santiago ( Chile ) , during its wave after wave of protests , someone projected a powerful slogan onto the side of a building : “ we won ’ t go back to normal , because normal was the problem.
” Now , in the midst of the novel coronavirus , it seems impossible to imagine a return to the old world , the world that left us so helpless before the arrival of these deadly microscopic particles .
Waves of anxiety prevail ; death continues to stalk us .
If there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other , it can not mimic the past .
Certainly , the coronavirus is a serious matter and certainly its spread is a consequence of its own danger to the human body ; but there are social issues here that bear serious thought .
Key to any discussion has to be the sheer collapse of state institutions in most of the capitalist world , where these institutions have been privatized , and where private institutions have operated to minimize costs and maximize profit .
This is most clear in the health sector , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where medical care has been transferred to private corporations , and where private hospitals and clinics operate without any surge capacity .
This means that there are simply not enough hospital beds or medical equipment ( masks , ventilators , etc . )
and that the nurses , doctors , paramedics , janitors , and others on the front line are forced to operate in conditions of acute scarcity , in many cases without basic protection .
It is often the people who make the least who are putting the most at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the rapidly spreading pandemic .
When a global pandemic strikes , the private-sector austerity model simply falls apart .
Furthermore , with lockdowns and social isolation , small businesses have shuttered , and precarious workers find that their precarity defines them entirely .
Even the most hardened bourgeois politicians are now forced to confront the reality of two points : • That workers exist .
The State-imposed general strike to prevent the spread of the virus and its consequences have proved that it is workers who produce value in our society and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which they claim fancifully produces wealth .
A world without workers is a world that halts .
• That the share of global wealth and income that workers control is now so low that they have limited reserves when their hard-earned incomes collapse .
In the United States , one of the wealthiest countries in the world , a 2018 Federal Reserve study found that 40 percent of U.S. households do not have the means to deal with unexpected expenses of around $ 400 .
The situation is not much better in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data shows that 32 percent of households can not bear unexpected expenses .
That is why in the capitalist States there is now openly talk of widespread income support – even a Universal Basic Income – to manage the collapse of livelihoods and to stimulate consumer demand .
Last week , the International Peoples Assembly and Tricontinental : Institute for Social Research released a 16-point programme for this complex moment .
A concatenation of crises has struck us : there are the long-term structural crises of capitalism ( decline in the rate of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the productive sector , underemployment and precarious employment ) , and there are the short-term conjunctural crises ( collapse of the price of oil , the coronavirus ) .
While they continue to murder with impunity worker and peasant leaders in Colombia , one of the most revolting and shameless narco states in history still controlled by one of Latin America ’ s most depraved aristocracies , the presstitutes in the Western media immersed in their stunning ignorance and corruption say nothing about such crimes , but obediently repeat Trump ’ s lies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” It is now widely recognized , even by the investment houses , that the strategy for recovery from the 2008-09 financial crisis is not going to work ; pumping large amounts of cash into the banking sector will not help .
Directed investments are necessary in areas that had previously faced serious austerity cuts – areas such as health care , including public health , and income support .
Manuel Bertoldi of Frente Patria Grande ( Argentina ) and I make the case for a serious debate around these issues .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we need a debate about the very nature of how to understand the state and its institutions .
A key achievement of austerity capitalism has been to delegitimize the idea of state institutions ( notably those that improve the well-being of the population ) .
In the West , the typical attitude has been to attack the government as an enemy of progress ; to shrink government institutions – except the military – has been the goal .
Any country with a robust government and State structure has been characterized as “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that certainty .
Countries with intact state institutions that have been able to handle the pandemic – such as China – can not be easily dismissed as authoritarian ; a general understanding has come that these governments and their state institutions are instead efficient .
Meanwhile , the states of the West that have been eaten into by austerity policies are now fumbling to deal with the crisis .
The failure of the austerity health care system is now clearly visible .
It is impossible to make the case any longer that privatization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system of State institutions that are made efficient over time by the process of trial and error .
The coronavirus has now crept into Palestine ; most alarmingly , there is at least one case in Gaza , which is one of the world ’ s largest open-air prisons .
The Palestinian Communist poet Samih al-Qasim ( 1939-2014 ) used to call his homeland the “ great prison , ” from whose isolation he gifted his luminous poetry .
One of his poems , “ Confession at Midday , ” offers a brief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world by austerity and neoliberalism : I planted a tree I scorned the fruit I used its trunk as firewood I made a lute And played a tune I smashed the lute Lost the fruit Lost the tune I wept over the tree The coronavirus has only just begun to make its impact on India , whose public health system has been deeply eroded by a generation of neoliberal economic policies .
Within India , the state of Kerala ( population 35 million ) – governed by the Left Democratic Front – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to tackle the coronavirus – as Subin Dennis , a researcher at the Tricontinental : Institute for Social Research , and I make clear in this report .
Our findings suggest that Kerala has certain in-built advantages and that it has put in place measures that are worthy of study .
How is Kerala tackling the Coronavirus pandemic ?
• Kerala ’ s left governments over the past several decades have fought to maintain and even extend the public health system .
• Kerala ’ s left parties and organizations have helped develop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public action .
• Kerala ’ s left government was swift in enacting measures to trace those infected by the virus through “ contact tracing ” and testing at transportation hubs .
• The chief minister and health minister held daily press conferences that calmly provided the public with credible information and an analysis of the crisis and unfolding events .
• The slogan “ Break the Chain ” captures the attempt by the government and by society to enforce forms of physical isolation , quarantine , and treatment to prevent the spread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Physical Distance , Social Unity ” underlines the importance of raising resources to assist those in economic and psychological distress .
• Public action – led by trade unions , youth groups , women ’ s organizations , and cooperatives – of cleaning and preparing supplies has lifted the spirit of the people , encouraging them to trust in social unity and not to fragment into trauma .
• Finally , the government announced a relief package worth Rs .
20,000 crores , which includes loans to families through the women ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rural employment guarantee scheme ; two months of pension payments to the elderly ; free food grains ; and restaurants to provide food at subsidized rates .
Utility payments for water and electricity as well as interest on debt payments will be suspended .
This is a rational and decent programme ; it , along with the 16-point plan , should be studied and adopted elsewhere .
To dither is to play with the lives of people .
Colombia has implemented a national 19-day quarantine .
Meanwhile , in prisons in Colombia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bad health facilities , fearing the death count if coronavirus breaches the walls ; the crackdown by the state led to the death of 23 people .
This is a fear in prisons around the world .
Meanwhile on 19 March , Marco Rivadeneira , an important leader of the agricultural worker and peasant movement in Colombia , was in a meeting with peasants in the municipality of Puerto Asís .
Three armed men burst into the meeting , seized Marco , and assassinated him .
He is one of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been assassinated this year in Colombia , and one of 800 murdered since 2016 when the civil war was suspended .
As Tricontinental : Institute for Social Research dossier No .
23 ( December 2019 ) shows , this violence is a direct consequence of the unwillingness of the oligarchy to allow history to advance .
They want to return to a “ normal ” situation that benefits them .
But Marco wanted to create a new world .
He was killed for the hope that motivated him .

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
When a global pandemic strikes, the private-sector austerity model simply falls apart, writes Vijay Prashad.
It is hard to remember that just a few weeks ago, the planet was in motion. There were protests in Delhi (India) and Quito (Ecuador), eruptions against the old order that ranged from anger at the economic policies of austerity and neoliberalism to frustration with the cultural policies of misogyny and racism. Ingeniously, in Santiago (Chile), during its wave after wave of protests, someone projected a powerful slogan onto the side of a building: “we won’t go back to normal, because normal was the problem.” Now, in the midst of the novel coronavirus, it seems impossible to imagine a return to the old world, the world that left us so helpless before the arrival of these deadly microscopic particles. Waves of anxiety prevail; death continues to stalk us. If there is a future, we say to each other, it cannot mimic the past.
Certainly, the coronavirus is a serious matter and certainly its spread is a consequence of its own danger to the human body; but there are social issues here that bear serious thought. Key to any discussion has to be the sheer collapse of state institutions in most of the capitalist world, where these institutions have been privatized, and where private institutions have operated to minimize costs and maximize profit.
This is most clear in the health sector, where public health institutions have been underfunded, where medical care has been transferred to private corporations, and where private hospitals and clinics operate without any surge capacity. This means that there are simply not enough hospital beds or medical equipment (masks, ventilators, etc.) and that the nurses, doctors, paramedics, janitors, and others on the front line are forced to operate in conditions of acute scarcity, in many cases without basic protection. It is often the people who make the least who are putting the most at stake to save lives in the face of the rapidly spreading pandemic. When a global pandemic strikes, the private-sector austerity model simply falls apart.
Furthermore, with lockdowns and social isolation, small businesses have shuttered, and precarious workers find that their precarity defines them entirely. Even the most hardened bourgeois politicians are now forced to confront the reality of two points:
That workers exist. The State-imposed general strike to prevent the spread of the virus and its consequences have proved that it is workers who produce value in our society and not “entrepreneurs” who generate ideas, which they claim fancifully produces wealth. A world without workers is a world that halts. That the share of global wealth and income that workers control is now so low that they have limited reserves when their hard-earned incomes collapse. In the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, a 2018 Federal Reserve study found that 40 percent of U.S. households do not have the means to deal with unexpected expenses of around $400. The situation is not much better in the European Union, where the Eurostat data shows that 32 percent of households cannot bear unexpected expenses. That is why in the capitalist States there is now openly talk of widespread income support – even a Universal Basic Income – to manage the collapse of livelihoods and to stimulate consumer demand.
Last week, the International Peoples Assembly and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research released a 16-point programme for this complex moment. A concatenation of crises has struck us: there are the long-term structural crises of capitalism (decline in the rate of profit, low rates of investment in the productive sector, underemployment and precarious employment), and there are the short-term conjunctural crises (collapse of the price of oil, the coronavirus).
While they continue to murder with impunity worker and peasant leaders in Colombia, one of the most revolting and shameless narco states in history still controlled by one of Latin America's most depraved aristocracies, the presstitutes in the Western media immersed in their stunning ignorance and corruption say nothing about such crimes, but obediently repeat Trump's lies about Venezuela being a "terrorist state."
It is now widely recognized, even by the investment houses, that the strategy for recovery from the 2008-09 financial crisis is not going to work; pumping large amounts of cash into the banking sector will not help. Directed investments are necessary in areas that had previously faced serious austerity cuts – areas such as health care, including public health, and income support. Manuel Bertoldi of Frente Patria Grande (Argentina) and I make the case for a serious debate around these issues. More than a debate about each separate policy, we need a debate about the very nature of how to understand the state and its institutions.
A key achievement of austerity capitalism has been to delegitimize the idea of state institutions (notably those that improve the well-being of the population). In the West, the typical attitude has been to attack the government as an enemy of progress; to shrink government institutions – except the military – has been the goal. Any country with a robust government and State structure has been characterized as “authoritarian.”
But this crisis has shaken that certainty. Countries with intact state institutions that have been able to handle the pandemic – such as China – cannot be easily dismissed as authoritarian; a general understanding has come that these governments and their state institutions are instead efficient. Meanwhile, the states of the West that have been eaten into by austerity policies are now fumbling to deal with the crisis. The failure of the austerity health care system is now clearly visible. It is impossible to make the case any longer that privatization and austerity are more efficient than a system of State institutions that are made efficient over time by the process of trial and error.
The coronavirus has now crept into Palestine; most alarmingly, there is at least one case in Gaza, which is one of the world’s largest open-air prisons. The Palestinian Communist poet Samih al-Qasim (1939-2014) used to call his homeland the “great prison,” from whose isolation he gifted his luminous poetry. One of his poems, “Confession at Midday,” offers a brief journey into the emotional damage done to the world by austerity and neoliberalism:
I planted a tree
I scorned the fruit
I used its trunk as firewood
I made a lute
And played a tune
I smashed the lute
Lost the fruit
Lost the tune
I wept over the tree
The coronavirus has only just begun to make its impact on India, whose public health system has been deeply eroded by a generation of neoliberal economic policies. Within India, the state of Kerala (population 35 million) – governed by the Left Democratic Front – is in the midst of a campaign to tackle the coronavirus – as Subin Dennis, a researcher at the Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, and I make clear in this report. Our findings suggest that Kerala has certain in-built advantages and that it has put in place measures that are worthy of study.
How is Kerala tackling the Coronavirus pandemic?
Kerala’s left governments over the past several decades have fought to maintain and even extend the public health system. Kerala’s left parties and organizations have helped develop a culture of organization, solidarity and public action. Kerala’s left government was swift in enacting measures to trace those infected by the virus through “contact tracing” and testing at transportation hubs. The chief minister and health minister held daily press conferences that calmly provided the public with credible information and an analysis of the crisis and unfolding events. The slogan “Break the Chain” captures the attempt by the government and by society to enforce forms of physical isolation, quarantine, and treatment to prevent the spread of the virus. The slogan “Physical Distance, Social Unity” underlines the importance of raising resources to assist those in economic and psychological distress. Public action – led by trade unions, youth groups, women’s organizations, and cooperatives – of cleaning and preparing supplies has lifted the spirit of the people, encouraging them to trust in social unity and not to fragment into trauma. Finally, the government announced a relief package worth Rs. 20,000 crores, which includes loans to families through the women’s cooperative Kudumbashree; higher allocations for a rural employment guarantee scheme; two months of pension payments to the elderly; free food grains; and restaurants to provide food at subsidized rates. Utility payments for water and electricity as well as interest on debt payments will be suspended.
This is a rational and decent programme; it, along with the 16-point plan, should be studied and adopted elsewhere. To dither is to play with the lives of people.
Colombia has implemented a national 19-day quarantine. Meanwhile, in prisons in Colombia, inmates held a protest against overcrowding and bad health facilities, fearing the death count if coronavirus breaches the walls; the crackdown by the state led to the death of 23 people. This is a fear in prisons around the world.
Meanwhile on 19 March, Marco Rivadeneira, an important leader of the agricultural worker and peasant movement in Colombia, was in a meeting with peasants in the municipality of Puerto Asís. Three armed men burst into the meeting, seized Marco, and assassinated him. He is one of more than a hundred leaders of popular movements who has been assassinated this year in Colombia, and one of 800 murdered since 2016 when the civil war was suspended. As Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research dossier No. 23 (December 2019) shows, this violence is a direct consequence of the unwillingness of the oligarchy to allow history to advance. They want to return to a “normal” situation that benefits them. But Marco wanted to create a new world. He was killed for the hope that motivated him.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vijay Prashad, an Indian historian, journalist and commentator, is the executive director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and the chief editor of Left Word Books. This article is from an Indian historian, journalist and commentator, is the executive director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and the chief editor of Left Word Books. This article is from Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research


Fool Me Once…..

BE SURE TO PASS THESE ARTICLES TO FRIENDS AND KIN .
A LOT DEPENDS ON THIS .
DO YOUR PART .
Shame on YOU .
Ok , one need not be a financial genius or economist to know that in 2008-09 Uncle Sam gave away the store to the failing Wall Street banks and investment corporations .
We paid for it , you and me working stiff taxpayers , to the tune of well over one trillion US dollars .
What did the so called ‘ bailout ‘ do for we who punch in the hours at work ?
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of us ?
Perhaps what , a $ 1000 check in the mail ?
Meanwhile , the ‘ Too big to fail ’ devious banks got taken off life support to the tune of billions for each of them .
A must see film about the aftereffects of the Sub Prime scandal is Marc Levin ’ s 2012 documentary ‘ Lost on Long Island ’ .
He follows a group of laid off employees from different segments of the Wall Street financial community… with shocking results .
That is how many working stiffs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ensuing Bush/Cheney and then Obama gift to those sharks .
What many in the media like to label as ‘ The Middle Class ’ revealed itself to be just working stiffs getting continually disappointed and screwed by the two headed monster : Predatory Corporate Capitalism and Good Old Embedded Uncle Sam .
This current pandemic , a worldwide phenomenon , is destroying both people ’ s lives and the economies throughout the world .
Companies can not operate , working stiffs get laid off , and once again Uncle comes to the rescue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ super rich who run this corporate capitalism on steroids US empire .
The FED recently decided what it did 12 years ago and created money electronically , funneling it right to those Wall Street behemoths and other Big Business .
We are talking trillions this time !
Oh , the new carrot fed to the mule to make him compliant is of course that $ 1200 one time only check to each citizen… and of course a four month extension of unemployment insurance .
Let ’ s see , the white collar and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , let us say , $ 30 k a year , will get much less than the $ 600 a week he or she was used to getting .
The higher up you go on that payroll scale the more the gap between one ’ s actual pay and the unemployment insurance check .
Translated : How in the hell can folks make it through this pandemic , which could last more than a few months ?
Public banking advocate attorney Ellen Brown has been touting what former candidate Andrew Yang was on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plan to give each citizen $ 1000 ( minimum ) per month… not just a ‘ one time only ’ .
This UBI as they call it would be over and above one ’ s current earnings and would have nothing to do with unemployment insurance .
Ellen says Uncle Sam has now bailed out the banks… now bail out working stiffs !
This writer leaves it to the slew of progressive economists like someone as knowledgeable as Dr. Jack Rasmus to go over the minute details of this current bailout AKA Stimulus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finger at the Army of Predatory Capitalists who made out like kings in 2008-09 , and are now going to have a repeat performance…on we working stiff ’ s dime .
Go and read Aaron Glantz ’ s great book Homewreckers to see how those sharks made out from the Bush/Cheney and Obama bailouts .
Just one for instance , already mentioned in a previous column of mine ( and through my recent interview with Aaron Glantz ) , is that of our current Treasury Sec .
Steven Mnuchin .
Glantz reveals how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shark Goldman Sachs , watched how mortgage giant Indy Mac was ready to fold up .
He and his fellow investors bought Indy Mac for peanuts , changed the name to One West , and were holding well over 100,000 toxic mortgages… well over !
The FDIC , supposed to be our savior , became an indirect co-conspirator with Mnuchin ’ s company .
Why ?
Well , here is how Glantz said it worked .
When his One West company was holding a mortgaged home originally assessed at $ 300K , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FDIC allowed One West to sell it for that $ 100k and then gave One West an additional $ 200 k. No kidding !
!
When my partners and I owned a failing cafe business in 2008 , we had to sell it for 50 % less than we put into it .
Where was Uncle Sam then to help us ?
So , what is the answer to this dilemma ?
Is it simply going out and voting in November , for whom , Twiddle Dum and Twiddle Dee politicians ?
Well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is always a great motivation , but that is where it ends for we working stiffs .
Currently , we can not even rally in public , due to this pandemic .
Yet , once the smoke finally clears a bit , we who labor for this empire need to get out and demand from our elected officials that they are supposed to represent us and not the 1/4 of 1 percent .
Education of our young is priority one , along with education of the majority of working stiffs who most likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this financial moment .
Sad .
Fool me twice , shame onME !
!

BE SURE TO PASS THESE ARTICLES TO FRIENDS AND KIN. A LOT DEPENDS ON THIS. DO YOUR PART.
Shame on YOU. Ok, one need not be a financial genius or economist to know that in 2008-09 Uncle Sam gave away the store to the failing Wall Street banks and investment corporations. We paid for it, you and me working stiff taxpayers, to the tune of well over one trillion US dollars. What did the so called ' bailout ' do for we who punch in the hours at work? What was that original stimulus given to each of us? Perhaps what, a $ 1000 check in the mail? Meanwhile, the ' Too big to fail' devious banks got taken off life support to the tune of billions for each of them. A must see film about the aftereffects of the Sub Prime scandal is Marc Levin's 2012 documentary ' Lost on Long Island'. He follows a group of laid off employees from different segments of the Wall Street financial community... with shocking results. That is how many working stiffs suffered by that bubble burst and the ensuing Bush/Cheney and then Obama gift to those sharks. What many in the media like to label as ' The Middle Class' revealed itself to be just working stiffs getting continually disappointed and screwed by the two headed monster: Predatory Corporate Capitalism and Good Old Embedded Uncle Sam.
This current pandemic, a worldwide phenomenon, is destroying both people's lives and the economies throughout the world. Companies cannot operate, working stiffs get laid off, and once again Uncle comes to the rescue of who? Of course, the super rich who run this corporate capitalism on steroids US empire. The FED recently decided what it did 12 years ago and created money electronically , funneling it right to those Wall Street behemoths and other Big Business. We are talking trillions this time! Oh, the new carrot fed to the mule to make him compliant is of course that $ 1200 one time only check to each citizen... and of course a four month extension of unemployment insurance. Let's see, the white collar and even blue collar working stiff who earns, let us say, $ 30 k a year, will get much less than the $ 600 a week he or she was used to getting. The higher up you go on that payroll scale the more the gap between one's actual pay and the unemployment insurance check. Translated : How in the hell can folks make it through this pandemic, which could last more than a few months? Public banking advocate attorney Ellen Brown has been touting what former candidate Andrew Yang was on board with: A Universal Basic Income plan to give each citizen $ 1000 ( minimum) per month... not just a 'one time only'. This UBI as they call it would be over and above one's current earnings and would have nothing to do with unemployment insurance. Ellen says Uncle Sam has now bailed out the banks... now bail out working stiffs!
This writer leaves it to the slew of progressive economists like someone as knowledgeable as Dr. Jack Rasmus to go over the minute details of this current bailout AKA Stimulus. My concern is to point the finger at the Army of Predatory Capitalists who made out like kings in 2008-09, and are now going to have a repeat performance...on we working stiff's dime. Go and read Aaron Glantz's great book Homewreckers to see how those sharks made out from the Bush/Cheney and Obama bailouts. Just one for instance, already mentioned in a previous column of mine ( and through my recent interview with Aaron Glantz), is that of our current Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin. Glantz reveals how Mnuchin, an alumnus of the giant shark Goldman Sachs, watched how mortgage giant Indy Mac was ready to fold up. He and his fellow investors bought Indy Mac for peanuts, changed the name to One West, and were holding well over 100,000 toxic mortgages... well over! The FDIC, supposed to be our savior, became an indirect co-conspirator with Mnuchin's company. Why? Well, here is how Glantz said it worked. When his One West company was holding a mortgaged home originally assessed at $ 300K, and now worth only $ 100K, the FDIC allowed One West to sell it for that $ 100k and then gave One West an additional $ 200 k. No kidding!! When my partners and I owned a failing cafe business in 2008, we had to sell it for 50% less than we put into it. Where was Uncle Sam then to help us?
So, what is the answer to this dilemma? Is it simply going out and voting in November, for whom, Twiddle Dum and Twiddle Dee politicians? Well, getting rid of the Trump crew is always a great motivation, but that is where it ends for we working stiffs. Currently, we cannot even rally in public, due to this pandemic. Yet, once the smoke finally clears a bit, we who labor for this empire need to get out and demand from our elected officials that they are supposed to represent us and not the 1/4 of 1 percent. Education of our young is priority one, along with education of the majority of working stiffs who most likely would not even see through the scam of this financial moment. Sad. Fool me twice, shame onME!!
PA Farruggio
March 30, 2020