Covid-19 is the disease but the ‘underlying heath condition’ is capitalism

Viral Time

Mike Small, writing for Bella Caledonia:

The brutalism of our economics is exposed like never before. Examples are everywhere: the Skye-spiv who thought that he could make a killing from renting out cottages “Perfect for self-isolation”, who was oblivious to his own immorality; the decision by Britannia Hotels to immediately dismiss and evict staff at the former Hilton Coylumbridge Hotel, Aviemore; Tim Martin pontificating about his shit-chain of pubs; the rampant profiteering in shops and online or Peter Hitchens outdoing Brendan O’Neill for the title of Covidiot of the Week.

But alongside this seeming torrent of selfishness are a counterbalance of kindness. Stairwell WhatsApp groups and community Facebook groups are proliferating, city neighbourhoods forming mutual aid networks and artists donating their work for free. The capacity for this pandemic to unleash all sorts of goodwill and massive change is obvious, and the task of us all must be not just to survive and be healthy and to protect others, but to realise the opportunity for finally changing the system we live under.

Capitalism used to inoculate itself against changing, but finally it’s been found out.