by B. R. GOWANI
In 2020, with the availability of technology never available before and the great speed at which information -good, bad, ugly, fake, correct – spreads instantaneously, it is indeed tragic to see so many deaths and COVID-19 cases worldwide and, especially, in the United States. It is not hard to note that the high casualties are a result of carelessness, arrogance, and lack of scientific temperament to health related issues, of our leaders.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world as never before. Billions of people are staying at home, some who can work are earning their livelihood from their dwellings. Some others are spending their savings to go through the hard times but most people are without adequate money.
This is true of the US as well. This is a time when government is needed most because the function of government is to help people survive through crisis. But neoliberalism in US dictates otherwise because the real power lies in corridors of private corporations and not the people – they’re just sold an illusion that it’s they who are electing their government. Noam Chomsky expresses it thus:
“We destroy or at least undermine the governing mechanisms by which people at least in principle can participate to the extent that society’s democratic. So weaken them, undermine unions, other forms of association, leave a sack of potatoes and meanwhile transfer decisions to unaccountable private power all in the rhetoric of freedom.”
The drama is being currently played out in the halls of Congress. Both, the Senate and House, have passed bills after some clashes. Democrats want a little something for the common people, whereas most Republicans are happy to dole out unlimited money to the wealthy class. The Trump administration is dropping the wealth-fare checks in the bottomless begging bowls of the corporate beggars without any oversight or accountability.
The main person who sees that most money goes to big corporations is the abominable Mitch McConnell, but when it comes to helping state governments, this same McConnell, Republican from Kentucky and Senate majority leader, opposes granting relief money to states to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic.
“I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route.” “It saves some cities. And there’s no good reason for it not to be available. My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they don’t have to do that. That’s not something I’m going to be in favor of.”
But why does McConnell want the states to go bankrupt? He himself is a senator from one of the states, isn’t he? If his state of Kentucky goes bankrupt, wouldn’t he be the one to lose his senate seat from that state? No, corporations will then take over the state but will maintain a facade of government to control the people and will provide security to corporations. And, of course, they’ll also give plenty of money to McConnell to contest and win the election.
B. R. Gowani can be reached at brgowani@hotmail.com