I leave it to others to argue about the statistical meaningfulness of the concept of 'miniscule' in relation to this pandemic, but all I know is that a number of my friends and work colleagues have been seriously affected by this virus. Yes, no-one I know has died, but I've seen enough not to want to catch it myself and take a chance as to what might happen to me. Therefore, I do the sensible things - work from home, avoid public transports, restrict social contact, wear a mask etc. Does this mean I'm somehow being 'imprisoned' by a left-wing inspired lockdown as Right-wingnuts like waterloowelshy contend? Hardly! But even if this was true, so what! My parents' generation had to put up with far worse privations what with rationing and bombs raining down on them during the War and the ever present prospect of sudden death. No doubt waterloowelshy would have been there in 1940, writing to the Daily Mail to complain about how unfair the blackout was, after all, the chance of a Lufwaffe bomb falling on his home would have been 'miniscule' and just think of all the economic activity being harmed by blacking out the entire country just in order to avoid guiding German bombers to their targets in London!
For those of us who support the lockdown - and related measures, like masks - it is a sensible application of well proven public health principles in support of the common good. In other words, what benefits a community, or a population, rather than what benefits an individual. Obviously, the Right - who don't believe in the common good - cannot accept this as it conflicts with their belief in selfish individualism and free market Capitalism. For them, belief in their secular religion of free market economics willl always trump (pardon the pun) science. Little surprise that people who can't accept climate science, or indeed the basic laws of physics, are going to struggle with COVID.
The Right, wherever they are in power, have resisted lockdowns in response to COVID or agitated for their lifting as soon as possible on the grounds of maintaining economic activity. But this produces the obvious paradox - the virus is not properly suppressed, soon returns and sensible people (like me) given the choice, prefer to shelter rather than take a chance with waterloowelshy's 'miniscule' risk of death or long term side-effects. This means the economy grinds to a halt once again. Ultimately, people cannot be forced to go to the pub, or shopping (beyond the necessities) or to use any part of the economy they don't absolutely need. Of course, workers can be forced to return to unsafe workplaces (anyone fancy a sandwich?) by unscrupulous employers supported by Right-wing governments. Equally, schools can be made to reopen, regardless of the risks to teachers, by those same Right-wing governments to provide, not education, but childcare, all the better to force their parents back into the workplace. But in this case, let's not pretend this it is the Left who are 'forcing' anyone - it is the Right who are forcing people against their will, and at the risk of their health, to reengage with economic activity in order to restore their employers' profitability.
We see this paradox most clearly in the countries where the most perfect form of this Right-wingnuttery is in power, namely the United States and Brazil, where Right-authoritarian governments have consistently prioritised 'the economy' over public health. Both countries are now disaster zones, but it is the working class - used as cannon-fodder in the Right's offensive to keep the economy open - who have borne the brunt of infection and death. And so it is in this country, with the highest death toll in Europe, but thankfully mitigated because we still have a socialised health service and not even the Tories could stomach 400,000 dead (but still only a drop in the ocean out of a population of 70 million, waterloowelshy!)
www.nytimes.com
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