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An article in this weekend’s i paper headed “UK paid more and acted quickly to secure doses” gives a clue as to why AstraZenica is reneging on its contract with the EU in favour of supplying the UK market with its vaccine:
“the UK is believed to be paying more per dose than the EU”
Ah, yes, I see.
You want to go to a rugby international in Cardiff and hear them singing;
Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but Thou art mighty,
Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
Feed me till I want no more;
Feed me till I want no more.A perfect example of human self-abnegation before the figment of their own imagination. It sounds good, though despite the words. Not that they mean them (even if their great grandfathers did).
I make that 10 weeks. That means when they say “up to 12 weeks” it’s going to be nearer 12 than the 3 weeks recommended (and applied to start with — I know a comrade who’s had both, but then he’s 90). Let’s hope they know what they’re doing.
Continuing our crash course in Indian politics and society, as far as I can see — literally from photo and tv images of sword-wielding Sikhs on big tractors — this is a movement of independent capitalist farmers defending their particular sectional interest. (By the way, does anyone know if Sikhs are farmers anywhere else in India apart from the Punjab?) So why on Earth would they be interested in a message saying “good luck but you are going to lose in the end so become a socialist”?
This shows the danger of basing our position on “compassion” rather than class. Mention “Indian peasants” and in many people’s minds that conjures up an image of a subsistence farmer with one cow and land the size of a soccer pitch or two. Such people exist in India, millions of them, but they are not involved in the protests nor affected by the new laws. They really do need socialism now but would settle for more land.
The one-day token general strike last year did involve people of all castes and religions. That’s a good thing. Ignoring caste and uniting people of all religions is one of the principles of the main opposition party (Congress) which I suppose makes them the “lesser evil” compared to the ineffable BJP and its Hindoo communalism.
Anyone for a thread on who the next Congress prime minister of India might be (and how he or she won’t be any different from the last one as they’ll be governing within the context of capitalism and so have to put profits and conditions for profit-making first)?
Here is how the “learn” section of the Robinhood app that small investors used to do down the hedge funds defines socialism (but which later banned them). They seem to be “libertarians” of some sort. I suppose they were trying to understand but what’s the crap about Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia which don’t even fit their mixed-up definition?
“Socialism is an economic system under which the means of production are owned by everyone in society rather than by individuals. Historical examples of socialist countries include Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.
What are the characteristics of a socialist system?
The primary component of a socialist system is collective ownership. In a socialist system, nobody owns the land, natural resources, or business interests within the country. Instead, the entire population theoretically benefits from any wealth that is created. In most cases, the government would coordinate the activities of the people, which implies a centrally planned command economy.
“A socialist system strives for a classless society, in which the people have similar financial situations. A basic standard of living is usually guaranteed through the government.”
Reply from our companion party in India:
“We know that the farmers’ movement is a “reactionary” movement. So, I didn’t find any interest in writing an article on it, few comments notwithstanding.”
They are talking about nothing else on stock exchanges all over the world. It confirms (as does the current Bitcoin bubble) that, whatever else they are, stock exchanges are a gambler’s paradise.
This is also a case of Left and Right Unite against …. shorters. From today’s Times of London:
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratie congresswoman, said: “This is unacceptable. We now need to know more about Robinhood’s decision to block retail investors from purchasing stock while hedge funds are freely able to trade the stock as they see fit. As a member of the financial services committee, l’d support a hearing if necessary.”
Her comments, made on Twitter, drew widespread support. Elon Musk, the Tesla boss, responded by saying: “Absolutely.” Nigel Farage, the British politician, said: “Free markets and free speech are under threat.””There is also our pamphlet Are We Prisoners of Our Genes?;
It looks as if the government is backing down on this provocative proposal. This time it is political as opposed to economic reality that has trumped “sovereignty”
TM, it looks as if the AstraZeneca vaccine will provide protection for the over 65s. It’s just seems to be that they didn’t do wide enough testing to meet the level of evidence required by some licensing authorities but this evidence will probably emerge in due course. So I wouldn’t refuse it if that’s the one you’re offered. In any event it won’t harm you and will be better than nothing.
Another bungle by this world-beating, buccaneering British firm (though I notice that the flag-waving media have begun to downgrade it to being a British/Swedish firm).
Email received at Head Office today from a group (probably best desribed as “workerist”) with a link to their blog about “peasants” in the Indian sub-continent . They seem to be taking the view that, as in China, the peasants will eventully become wage-workers, with the implicit assumption that this will be good as it’s wage-workers who have an interest in going beyond capitalism (at least that’s how I read them, but I could b e wrong):
I don’t think there is any doubt that the protests are economic. The question is whose economic interests are at stake. It would seem to be medium-sized farmers who fear they are about to lose a guaranteed market. The demonstrators seem in a position to afford tractors which suggests that there are not from the poorest farmers. In fact I think that the poorest farmers are producing for local markets and not to sell to the government to stockpile and so are not concerned by the new laws. See this about poor farmers in West Bengal (where our Indian party is based):
As to the workers in general, as far as I can see their participation has been limited to a one day general strike or general shutdown (bandh) last November or December as a gesture of sympathy and no doubt also a political manoeuvre by opposition parties.
That suggestion on the site of the German television channel that the patents for the vaccines be suspended is presented in this way:
”There is a way out of the dilemma, and that is to share the patents. What may sound like brute socialism is an adequate remedy in a global health crisis.”
Yes it does sound like that. The abolition of all and any private property rights over production will indeed mean the abolition of so-called “intellectual property” rights such as patents and copyright.
Forward to brute socialism !
AztraZeneca seem to be trying hard to be the buccaneering company of the type that the Brexiteers said would be possible after Britain left the EU.
First, they fiddled the results of their tests and had to do some more (causing a delay in getting it out). Now they are trying to renege on a contract with the EU, because they’ve sold the same batch to two different buyers.
Is this just the action of a rogue company or is it capitalist business as normal?
