ALB
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At the moment the capitalist class, via its political representatives, control the centre of political control and so have responsibility for looking after society as a whole. Ok, they’ve been dealt a crap hand as they have to try to do this within the context of capitalism (but that’s what they want).
But in England they have been failed spectacularly, in part because the chairperson of their executive committee is an incompetent buffoon.
So our message to the capitalist class is: step aside and let the working class take over on the basis of the common ownership and democratic control of the means of life, with production and distribution directly to satisfy people’s needs. Then the crisis provoked by the out of control pandemic can be dealt with rationally.
Interesting — and accurate — observation in an article in Thursday’s Financial Times about the “sovereignty” that Johnson and his backbenchers are braying about:
”the Brexiters’ fatal confusion between sovereignty and power is about to be exposed. Untrammelled sovereignty sounds alluring, but in a world in which each nation’s security and economic wellbeing is inextricably connected to those of others, it turns out that it does not confer real power.”
Exactly. “Sovereignty” is something that exists only on paper and which does not confer the power on a government to do what it likes. Its exercise is limited by external circumstances, notably the workings of world capitalism which places severe limits in what a state can do.
In fact, its exercise in opposition to capitalism’s tendencies — as with reformism but also the attempt to turn the clock back that Brexit is — risks making things worse rather than better.
If Johnson really believes that it is better for capitalist Britain to trade on Albanian terms rather than being an integral part of a large frictionless pan-European single market and gets a chance to try this, then he will soon find out the limits of “sovereignty”. As will his deluded followers and supporters. And most of the British capitalist class will never forgive him.
This is misleading as it suggests that the Venezuelan government is to abolish any elected law-making assembly whereas in fact it is only abolishing a “constituent assembly”, technically an assembly to draw up a new constitution and therefore by definition a temporary institution. The National Assembly still exists.
I am not commenting on how democratically elected or legitimate either assembly is (obviously we hold no brief for the Maduro government and its claim to be somehow socialist) but the article’s headline is completely misleading and probably meant to be, echoing the propaganda of the US government.
“Problem with this ‘rational attitude’ is, if it’s rational for you to wait and see what happens to other people, it’s also rational for them to wait and see what happens to you, ergo, it’s a quasi-antivaxxer argument. It also presupposes you’ll have a choice in the matter. States may not force people to take vaccines when offered, but they’d be pretty stupid not to make a note of who’s refused. That could well have consequences later, especially if you subsequently get Covid.”
By coincide a sympathiser who is over 80 (and who used to teach philosophy) phoned me this morning to ask if he should take the jab. He had been invited to have it when he goes to his local hospital to pick up some other medicines he has.
He too made the point that to say “let others go first” was unethical in that it couldn’t be a general rule or, if it was, nobody would go for the jab.
He also told me that he had been asked to sign a form saying that he agreed to come for the jab on Tuesday. Obviously he wouldn’t have to come even if he signed this but, as you say, the state would have a record of this which might later be held against him.
He texted me just now to say that he was on his way to the hospital to say yes on the grounds that, being a philosopher, he had no alternative. By the time my turn comes millions will have gone before me so I won’t face his philosophical dilemma.
“The issue is is that when rolled out in general populations, more evidence can be gleamed from greater numbers, and some adverse reactions, or even more known benefits (what a binary). “
This suggests that the rational attitude that an individual should take in their own personal interest is not to rush to be at the head of the queue for a new vaccine but to wait for millions to have had it first. Then we will know more about the adverse affects and who is likely to suffer them. I expect the new vaccines will be safe but they won’t be perfectly safe. So, unlike Alan, I am going to be wait to be done. I’d also prefer one where you only need one jab not two and for it to be done in a hospital not some local surgery unequipped for emergencies.
Anyway, Alan, you go first. You’re a better man than me, Gunga Din
It seems that the jury has returned its verdict on Sweden’s policy of trying to encourage herd immunity on the advice of its home-grown mad professor, Anders Tegnell. An unwelcome verdict for Covid-deniers and other Covidiots.
And we can move rapidly. Yesterday Rees-Mogg, the Minister in charge of the business of the House of Commons, pointed out that in 1936:
“… Parliament managed to pass the legislation to remove a king emperor within 24 hours,” Mr Rees-Mogg said. “So Parliament can act very quickly when necessary.”
“He must leave on January 20, 2021, otherwise, he is going to be escorted from the White House as a trespasser.”
It would be a good thing if this happened and was filmed as this is what will happen to the last capitalist government if they refuse to accept a socialist electoral victory.
Threat and counter-threat:
If it comes to it, the French fisherman are in a stronger position than the Royal Navy.
So, the Royal Navy is going to patrol the channel to keep French fishermen out, not that they will be able to prevent them blockading the port of Calais with all the economic consequences that will have. The last time the Navy took on foreign fishing boats was in the Cod War with Iceland in the 1970s. Iceland won.
Sad proof that Chomsky has lost the plot. Trump’s policy was essentially the same as that of the last previous Republican, George W. Bush — not to accept any measures that would harm the US fossil fuel industry or more generally undermine the competitiveness of US capitalist industry in particular in relation to China.
It was just that Trump’s language was more erratic and provocative. It is not even clear whether Trump actually was a climate-denier. He seems to have been more of a climate-ignorer. Or a simple opportunistic vote-catcher.
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-51213003
Anyway it is silly to try to attribute economic and political events to a single individual. That’s the discredited Great Man Theory of History.
There is something odd about this news item about AstraZeneca collaborating with Russia. After all, it was only a few months ago that the government here (and in Canada and the US) were denouncing dastardly Russian government for hacking into vaccine research in particular in Oxford.
It’s probably a commercial decision now that AstraZeneca’s bungled tests and attempt to fiddle the result will delay if not prevent them selling their vaccine in the US. A deal with Russia could open new markets.
Of course it’s good that scientists are collaborating rather than competing (as would happen as a matter of course in a socialist world) but I suspect the motive will be commercial.
This from George Monbiot is quite good actually: that it’s a conflict between two sections of the capitalist class.
The ending is a bit weak as he seems to be arguing that more democratic decision-making procedures in themselves are what is needed, whereas this is not enough, in fact not up to much unless on the basis of the common ownership of resources.
I was going to post that the islamic fundamentalists were worse than the christian ones as they actually killed people giving the vaccinations. They have done but, when I looked up the news reports about this, the objections of the Taleban leaders was practical rather than religious— in their hunt to track down Ben Laden the CIA used an immunisation team in Pakistan as a spy unit ( rather like using a Red Cross van to transport arms, which I am sure they will have done too). As a result the Taleban is suspicious of all such teams. The CIA got Ben Laden and dumped his body in the sea (no loss that), but thousands of kids in Pakistan and Afghanistan got struck down by the poliovirus.
All the same, some islamic “scholars” have produced nonsense arguments against vaccination.
