<
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/20/the-spread-of-coronavirus-is-not-the-fault-of-individuals-but-a-result-of-neoliberalism>
"Neoliberalism is spreading coronavirus faster than any “reckless
teenager” ever could. Privatised guards at quarantine hotels, private
aged care centres that put profits ahead of staffing levels, and the
fact that those in charge neglected to have their health professionals
appropriately evaluate the risk of the Ruby Princess, are the major
causes of Covid-19 transmissions and deaths in Australia.
Put simply, if Australia relied on a well-paid, well-trained and
well-resourced public sector to protect us then there might have been no
shutdown in Victoria, no restrictions on interstate travel and no
forecast of double-digit unemployment. For decades, advocates of the
outsourcing and privatisation of public services have boasted of the
cost savings of doing so. Today, we are counting the cost. We will be
counting it for years to come.
When you don’t care about the future, cost-cutting is easy. If you stop
getting your car serviced, insuring your house and going to the dentist
you can save thousands of dollars a year. But, contrary to decades of
neoliberal rhetoric, there is a big difference between saving money and
increasing efficiency. Some short-term savings can cost you a fortune in
the long run."
Via Muse, who wrote "who woulda thunk?"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
