Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century
 
Revolutionary
Socialism in the
21st Century
A cartoon of Boris Johnson with a hard hat and a cigar.

Cartoon by Colin Walker

National unity kills under coronavirus

Ian Allinson

The UK government and the media are actively promoting a narrative of national unity against an external enemy, making parallels with wartime. Ian Allinson argues that when measures to protect the public have been too little, too late, and extracted under pressure, every clap for Boris cost lives by easing that pressure. The article also introduces a recording of rs21 members discussing the real parallels and differences with coronavirus and class struggle during World War Two.

The government lost control of the narrative when it was forced to u-turn over its policy of pursuing ‘herd immunity’ by allowing coronavirus to spread through the majority of the population, which would have led to hundreds of thousands of deaths. Now there is a concerted attempt to rebuild government authority which includes the Queen’s speech and the focus on Johnson’s illness. Attempts to get people to ‘clap for Boris’ were largely unsuccessful, but the national unity argument is not going away.

A government with blood on its hands

It is worth reminding ourselves of some of the ways that Johnson and the Tories contributed to the crisis:

The crisis is far from over – and we will need pressure on government and employers from the public and workers’ collective action to save lives by preventing safeguards being reduced in the interests of business. And even when the crisis is over, millions will be jobless and in debt – a bogus national unity will disarm us, allowing the government to make us pay for the big business bailouts, maintain extraordinary levels of repression and ignore the need for action commensurate with the ongoing climate crisis.

The pandemic DOES discriminate

The other reason the calls for national unity are so offensive, particularly coming from royalty or millionaire politicians, is the gross inequality of the pandemic. We are constantly told that ‘the virus does not discriminate’. The virus itself may not, but the pandemic does, because it is about an interaction between the virus and a society riddled with inequality.

Many people globally lack access to healthcare due to poverty and the absence of universal provision. Many lack access to running water, living in poverty, slums or on the streets. Many are forced to choose between isolating and eating because of job insecurity, inadequate sick pay and state benefits.

The pandemic discriminates against those in manual occupations who can’t work from home, and against those seen as disposable by their employers, who keep them in workplaces that should be closed or fail to provide safe working conditions. It discriminates against those in prison and detention centres, cramped into close contact. It discriminates against those who fear detention, deportation or medical bills, who are less likely to seek prompt medical attention. It discriminates against those in overcrowded housing who have no space to isolate or exercise. It discriminates against those who are already medically vulnerable, often with poor health due to pollution, occupational diseases, poverty, poor housing etc.

Women are more likely to be in all the groups most at risk of infection, though men are more likely to die once infected. People of colour are disproportionately affected. Working-class people are less likely to demand the care they need. People who rely on carers, are older or who have certain disabilities are at higher risk – and are more likely to be denied care when it is short supply.

Parallels and differences with World War Two

The right-wing narrative of national unity is wrong in almost every respect. Myths about World War Two have gained currency as the events recede into the past. Class struggle was alive and well during the war – many of the rich and powerful were more afraid of disruption to business or revolution than of fascism – that is one reason why Churchill needed Labour support to prosecute the war. Working-class people had to fight over everything from access to air raid shelters, to housing, over pay, equal pay and to keep the police and wardens out of mass shelters.

Because the narrative about national unity was as wrong about wartime as it is now, exploring the parallels and differences can illuminate our struggles today. How can workers take effective action when they want better services not disrupted services? How are different occupations and industries affected during a crisis? How can workers take action when Labour and union leaders back national unity and the state is even more repressive than usual? How do essential workers take advantage of their new power without their representatives being incorporated into management decision making?

rs21 recently held an online meeting to discuss all these questions and more:

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