Don't really know why there's such a kerfuffle about the Russian report. Surely no one actually believes that the government will allow anything juicy to come out. I haven't read it, I won't read it. What's the point? Russian oligarchs have long bought the Tory party as well as much of the affluent ruling class. They are busy buying up London (and property beyond I should imagine). This isn't going to stop because of this report. Business as usual will continue as usual behind the scenes.
Meanwhile the Tories have voted another power grab. Now Boris can sign off any trade deal he likes with no oversight whatsoever. We won't even know about it until we are directly affected by it. They also rejected an opposition clause to protect the NHS from the rapacious nature of these trade deals. So that is another step closer to the eventual, seeming inevitable, demise of our health service.
How this will manifest is furtive. The NHS will remain in name only. Most people will still be able to see a doctor and get help. The problem is that help will be from private companies who will cherry pick the best/easiest/most profitable cases and the rest get minimal service and put at the back of increasing waiting lists - and that's after the damage done by the Covid crisis.
What effect this might have on provision of a vaccine, if and when one arrives. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Boris seems to think Santa is going to provide this by Christmas. I think he's entertaining a fantasy more nonsensical than Santa's existence. This of course will not marke the end of the crisis. It has shaped our lives irrevocably and the all clear will be a long time coming. We have never successfully vaccinated a corona virus before. Of course if capitalism didn't get in the way of humanity we could, and should, be working together. I'm sure the medical community of the world (that part not driven by profit) would welcome this. That's how we should live.
But that's not how we actually live. Instead we have a world filled with people whose healthy mistrust of government is manipulated by people that have some power. They will refuse a vaccine. Thus weakening herd immunity to one degree or another. We have to recognise this is not in our interests.
A bit like the pay rise that public sector front line workers (some) are getting today (assuming it doesn't rinse out in the fine print). Of course we should welcome anything that helps the working class. But we must also be mindful of where and who it comes from. This is a cynical ploy; these people are being bought off. They shouldn't feel guilty at all for receiving this, inf fact they deserve more (like the endless pay rises MP's award themselves all the time). But this is happening within a capitalist system. While I share their joy, I am mindful that it mst not be allowed to distract from the real enemy: the system.
Rest in power, Michael Brooks
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