The Death Cult Capitalists bray that we must get back to work, regardless of the human cost in life, because their blessed free market economy is dying.
Let’s put aside the moral obscenity of their herd immunity blood sacrifice on the alter of Milton Friedman.
Let’s ignore the fact that we aren’t going back to ‘normal’ and that we are in economic survival mode for 18months until the vaccine is available.
Let’s put aside whether we are even sure you gain long lasting immunity from this little understood novel virus.
Let’s just look at their total belief that lifting restrictions will suddenly kickstart the economy.
Are people after an unprecedented and emotionally shocking event suddenly going to simply pop out to the shops and start spending like good little consumers?
Really?
You don’t think that a deep sense of caution will exist, that the very second a flare up occurs and starts to break out that people won’t panic buy the basics and flee back to their homes?
People are frightened, there is an invisible illness that permeates in public that will probably not hurt you but might kill you or your family if you pass it to them and it spreads like catholic rabbits breeding.
There isn’t going to be a returning to normal, even under the best case scenario we are at level 3 or 2 for months at a time with the occasional shut down and heavy handed quarantining, testing and tracing programs with no tourism other than returning citizens until a vaccine is available.
AND THAT IS BETWEEN 12-18 MONTHS AWAY!
What is it about all of this that is so difficult for people to comprehend?
This once in a century unprecedented event won’t be solved by Lunchtime and expecting shell shocked citizens to morph into spending spree consumers just seems delusional in the extreme.
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Your post assumes that a vaccine can be produced which is not guaranteed in any way whatsoever.
Totally agree.
Vaccine already available. To be made mandatory.
It is easy to see where you three are coming from. SPC Yeti Helena? Jordan.
The point aboout the vaccines is based on reliable research overseas, and current tests and knowledge gained from them.
Rubbish Helena. Any vaccine would have to be thoroughly tested over many months (probably at least 18) to ensure it wouldn’t do more harm than good
Considering that a satisfactory SARS vaccine has not been produced yet then what magic is expected. A vaccine usually has draw backs and side effects such as interfering with your immune system initial response with like virusses.
The hope I had for a different economic future is now fast evaporating.
The usual suspects will win again, as they successfully convince the govt to use OUR money to maintain THEIR version of society.
4 weeks apparently isn’t long enough for most wage slaves and salary serfs to realise the truth of their situation.
You can save a sheep from slaughter but you can’t make it think.
But they will get shorn, regularly.
The Golden Fleece – They get the gold and we get fleeced.
It appears Hosking disagrees. He believes we are placing the health aspect ahead of the economy. Clearly no one in his family has died from this.
You are a Labour supporter I am a National supporter but I would rather poke my eyes out than start my day listening to Hoskings and his message of hate. Think of your blood pressure Bert
Haha Trev.Sadly he has taken over the Radio NZ Sports airwaves I enjoyed. I do agree, there is hatred in.his voice.
Heh–“Dead People make rather Poor Consumers”–suck on that all you capitalists!
Yes, it is clear some of these cynical types think a spreadsheet is all that is required to prove their case–well I think “Increased Shareholder Value” is bottom of humanities requirements at the moment–millions of people are not clamouring to buy shit they don’t actually need, and will support extended lockdowns.
It’s a big assumption that we will have a vaccine in 18 months, or ever. It’s also a big assumption that the virus won’t have mutated by then to make a candidate vaccine useless.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are losing their jobs, mortgages will not be paid, there will be depression, family breakdown and a spike in the suicide rate (but remember, the first rule of Suicide Club is that we don’t talk about suicide eh?): The economic damage and resultant death rate may be higher than the deaths caused by the virus itself! So the sooner we move toward something closer to normality, the better.
Consider the following points:
> Nearly all the transmission to date has been at social gatherings. There is no evidence of transmission in shops, or with take-away food, on the beach or while working outside or even working in offices that I know of.
> All the deaths are of people who were near the end of their lives. The majority in one retirement home. All likely to have ‘checked out’ soon anyway so being brutally pragmatic, we’re actually not ‘saving’ that much life with the lock down.
> The 8 new cases reported yesterday are all at Marist College which brings that up to 93 in that one hot spot alone. So there is no new community transmission at the moment.
Based on the above facts. and in order to minimize the economic damage, we surely need to reopen for business in the following areas in order to lessen the economic damage:
Shops, construction sites, take away food outlets, Individual sports recreation (tramping, hunting, fishing golf, water sports etc), Small businesses where the owner and employees can remain in a wider collective bubble.
We also need to work out a plan to open schools. Those with disadvantages backgrounds will not be keeping up with classes online because they will be sharing computers and may well not have parents educated enough to assist them with their school work. Unless we want to increase the social divide we need to get the schools operating.
I, cough … sigh ..has it come to this … agree.
With takeaway food – there is order on-line or by phone and collect (one collect in store at a time). And the one person in to order at a time (the dairy system model that should have applied to grocers and butchers as well).
With schools, they spend the next 2-3 weeks with the on-line schooling (trial). This is their base for when any outbreak occurs and a school is closed down. They can continue to practice this when they return to school.
They should find a way to re-open libraries – even if it is only the mobile library, staff to enact on-line order of books for delivery and so on.
National party and Act mantra. Fuck the aged and vulnerable, the group you will join one day if your lucky.
I didn’t realise that you were an expert in education and child development.
The social divide is what you see in all neoliberal run countries so I take from your comment you are opposed to neoliberal economics.
Good on you but do something about it to break the economic reality of poverty causing social divide.
Whilst you want us to see us return to your “normal” many thousands don”t.
Can I suggest the first death created by the economy at all costs be on your hands or better still Andrew, volunteer to work on a ward with covid-19 .
Read this Andrew. This award winning professor debunks all your “ideas” with science…
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12324844
I also need to highlight and important point…
“This is generally the case but for the record, the latest data from the US Centres for Disease Control and Protection shows that nearly a quarter of all deaths are actually in people under 65 so it is not just affecting the elderly.
What is more there is evidence emerging that those who recover from Covid-19 can have long-term damage to their health resulting from the disease.”
So whilst the economy will eventually return, some people will live with the lasting effects of covid-19.
explain to your grandparents ‘brutal pragmatism and quantifying them as not’ much life
Indeed, Hemi.
If you destroy the economy waiting for a vaccine and no vaccine comes …
And yes there may be no long lasting immunity weither, it goes around like the flu again and again and it kills at .5% first time round- lower rates after because the weak are already dead.
I think you a maligning Arthur Slugworth. Wasn’t he an employee of Willie Wonka and acted as a double agent to test the honesty of the golden ticket holders? Although I am sure that Willie Wonka would have interesting ideas in re-opening the USA. That being said, the mantra of ‘if I’m wrong, it’s only more deaths’ doesn’t wash with me.
The longer we are in lock down the more the consumer society will be re-educating and re-evaluating itself. That’s a worrisome prospect for the captains of retail and associated consumption. That’s why we need to return to “business as usual” asap – before the masses realise that the unusual may have a whole lot more appeal.
before the masses realise that the unusual may have a whole lot more appeal.
Yes. Indeedy. (Once you really start thinking about the benefits, they can grow and expand exponentially even faster than the virus does.)
Read about 2 pieces of research over the last 24hours. Both grim reading.
1st, NZH on 14/4 p.A14 headline; ‘Study shows virus preys on immune system’. More than one study shows the T/immune cells come to fight the virus but the virus fights back, annihilating most. Put in another way, this lethal virus almost completely destroys our immune systems.
2nd, an excellent piece in Tuesday’s ‘Newsroom’ by Marc Daalder (available online), who examines the arguments put by the academics who oppose lockdown. Their position is the grim bit. It’s where Hosking gets some of his garbage from. I think of them as Trumpistas. What’s enlightening is how Daalder demolishes them. He provides lots of evidence from lots of sources. Read it
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