Showing posts with label Coronavirus (Covid-19). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Coronavirus (Covid-19). Show all posts

Monday, January 4, 2021

Is the Covid vaccine a "triumph of capitalism"?

 By Nikos Mottas.

One of the many myths that have been spread by bourgeois media during this period is that the Covid-19 vaccine consists a “victory” or a “triumph” of capitalism. In fact, they are trying to convince us that the – without doubt significant - progress made by large biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the fight against Coronavirus is an achievement of the capitalist system. 

This is simply not true. 

Friday, January 1, 2021

62nd anniversary of the Cuban Revolution - Somos Continuidad!

By Nikos Mottas.

Sixty-two years ago, on January 1, 1959, the rebel forces of the 26th of July Movement, led by revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, seized the capital Havana, forcing dictator Batista to flee. Hence started a long and tumultuous journey of rebuilding a nation based on the principles of socialism.

The Cuban Revolution, the first socialist revolution in the Americas, was one of the 20th century's most significant events. It became - and continues being - a reference point for the workers-people's movement in Latin America and the whole world.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

WHY does the EU refuse to disclose COVID-19 vaccine contracts with pharmaceutical companies?

The European Union has officially declined to disclose the contracts with the pharmaceutical companies over the COVID-19 vaccines thus violating the right of the people to full transparency about issues directly related with their safety and health.

As 902 portal reported, the EU Parliament group of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) raised the issue during the discussion for “EU's vaccination strategy against COVID-19” in the Parliament's Plenary. In his intervention, KKE MEP Kostas Papadakis asked from the Commission to publish the contracts between the EU and Pharmaceutical industries concerning the COVID-19 vaccines. 

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Questo è il capitalismo: Queues form outside Milan food banks as capitalist crisis deepens

The scenes you are going to see are from Milan, the industrial, commercial and financial center of Northern Italy and one of the Europe's wealthiest cities. Hosting a significant number of large multinational groups (e.g. Amazon, Apple, Coca Cola, HP, Huawei, IBM, Microsoft, Nestle, Samsung, Siemens, Vodafone, Whirpool, etc), Milan has in terms of GDP the second-largest economy in the EU after Paris.

But behind the impressive facade of capitalist growth, there is another Milan which reflects the deepening class inequalities and the results of long-time policies by the bourgeois Italian governments and the European Union

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Workers in Greece go on strike on November 26th: Statement by the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME)

While Greece is in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic crisis, with a nationwide lockdown imposed, the conservative government of New Democracy (ND) escalates the policies of authoritarianism and anti-labor measures. 
 
The government not only failed to protect the country from the second wave of the pandemic, but follows a policy that focuses on the protection of business groups' profitability rather than the health of the working people. 

On Thursday 26th of November, the country's workers respond to the anti-labor, anti-people policy of the government by organizing a nationwide strike. In statement, the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME) points out:

Monday, November 23, 2020

Greek communist MP asks to be relieved of Parliament duties in order to serve as a doctor against the pandemic

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) MP and pulmonologist Giorgos Lambroulis asked Parliament to temporarily relieve him from his duties as one of eight vice presidents of the body, so that he may help out his region Larissa, central Greece, in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a letter to President Konstantinos Tasoulas released Monday, Lambroulis, a doctor in the National Health System (ESY), criticized Greek governments for ignoring chronic shortages in the health sector, and called on fellow-MPs who are doctors to follow his example. "My place is with my fellow doctors and nursing staff that are fighting under adverse conditions to care for the people, in the public health sector of Larissa," he said.

Youth in Survival Against Pandemic and Capitalism: SOCIALISM or BARBARISM

Twenty European Communist Youth Organizations have gathered on the 103rd anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution at the “Online Meeting of European Communist Youth Organizations to Share Experiences” and exchanged their experiences about the struggle of the youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, working people all around the world are envisaging numerous attacks against their rights. Their right to healthcare is getting vandalized by capitalist governments who are promoting private health industry instead of public healthcare. 

Friday, November 20, 2020

KKE MEP Nikolaou-Alavanos: "EU and bourgeois governments defend healthcare's commercialization against people's needs"

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) MEP Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos addressed the plenary session of the European Parliament in the debate on the "Programme for the Union’s action in the field of Health for the period 2021-2027 - EU4Health".

This program seeks to legitimize the inadequacy of public health systems that was proved painfully in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and is even more dramatically confirmed in the second. It lays down, among other, the air transportation of doctors from one country with a disintegrated public health system "of one disease" to another, perpetuating the patch of gaps, opening others, while in each case the private health groups are growing richer, destroying the people's income.

Friday, November 13, 2020

Hanna Gharib: The socialist ideology has succeeded in the battle against Covid-19, whereas capitalism failed

"The socialist ideology had succeeded in the battle against COVID-19, whereas capitalist-oriented countries had failed. This pandemic had explicitly showed the greedy side of the capitalist system", was the message conveyed by Hanna Gharib, General Secretary of the Lebanese Communist Party, during the online lecture “Socialism and Capitalism in post-COVID-19 era”, organized by the Chinese Communist Party, in partnership with Arab Leftist Parties. 

Hanna Gharib referred on how states like China, Cuba and Vietnam succeeded against the COVID-19 pandemic, in sharp contrast with the failure of most capitalist states to protect their people. (Read here his speech)

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Lockdown capitalist policies! KKE slams Greek government's handling of the pandemic

Since November 7th Greece has entered a second nationwide lockdown, following a decision by the conservative New Democracy (ND) government. The lockdown is accompanied by tough penalties for violations of the quarantine and non-observance of social distancing. 

Alongside the lockdown, as the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) mentions, the government has committed crimes against the people's health and safety in order to serve the interests of the capital in a number of industry branches. 

Sunday, October 25, 2020

European Communist Initiative: The pandemic reveals the criminal inadequacy of health systems in all capitalist states

Statement by the European Initiative of Communist and Workers' Parties on the new outbreak of the pandemic:

The new outbreak of the pandemic throughout Europe is a reality that did not come out of thin air. The claims of the bourgeois governments that they “took measures” and “shielded the public health systems” after the first wave of the pandemic, as well as that “in the course of the pandemic the EU wised up and stands in solidarity with the peoples”, are myths.

Following the new wave of the pandemic, all these claims are day by day revealed and bankrupt. The increase in deaths, cases, and intubated patients reveals the responsibility of the EU and the government directions over time, which left the public health systems destitute of staff, infrastructure, ICUs, reagents, and tests.

Friday, October 16, 2020

New Communist Party of the Netherlands: The consequences of the pandemic for the people and government's response

In a declaration the New Communist Party of the Netherlands (NCPN) and its youth wing, the Communist Youth Movement (CJB), refer to the rapid increase of Covid-19 cases in the country, the consequences of the new economic crisis and the response of the Dutch government which takes measures in order to safeguard the capital's interests.

The declaration reads:

The number of hospital admissions and deaths caused by the coronavirus is rising rapidly. Meanwhile, increasingly more people are feeling the consequences of the new economic crisis. Among workers, students, and pupils, there is a lot of uncertainty about the second wave and the economic crisis, as well as what this will mean for their job or education. The government, however, refuses to offer solutions and leaves everything to ‘individual responsibility’. Only big capital can count on the government for generous support.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Against the proliferation of biological weapons: Joint statement by Communist and Workers Parties

On the initiative of the Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan and the Unified Communist Party of Georgia, Communist and Workers' Parties have signed the following statement:

We, the Communist and workers ' parties, with a sense of responsibility to our peoples, struggle for immediate measures for the protection of health and the access of all workers to free treatment and the coronavirus vaccine. At the same time, we express our deep concern for the existence and operation of military biological laboratories and declare that we demand a ban on the development and proliferation of biological weapons. 

Thursday, September 3, 2020

KKE backs campaign seeking Nobel Peace Prize for the Cuban medical brigades

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has endorsed the campaign which requests that the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize must be awarded to the “Henry Reeve” Cuban Medical Brigade for its internationalist activity. 

Giannis Giokas, KKE MP and Secretary of the Greece-Cuba Friendship Group of the Parliament, has sent a letter to the Group’s members asking them to provide their support to cause. 

Thursday, July 9, 2020

Communist Party of Mexico: Obrador's "nueva normalidad" protects the monopolies' interests

Statement by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM) on the political developments in the country and AMLO government's policies:

The “new normal” has meant more risks and greater exploitation for the working class

One month after the start of the “new normal” was announced, amid a high degree of virus spread;  without having contained the pandemic or reduced its spread, it is necessary to take stock of what it has meant for the working class.

Monday, June 29, 2020

Down with Bolsonaro and his genocidal policy! Statement by the Brazilian Communist Party

With more than 57,600 deaths and 1.35 million cases, the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil worsens day by day. A major factor which has contributed to the spread of the virus and the increased death toll is the policy of the far-right Bolsonaro government. 

In a statement issued on July 26th, the National Political Commission of the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB) exposes the great responsibilities of Jair Bolsonaro's government, pointing out that Brazil is undergoing a political crisis. The full statement of PCB, in both English and Portuguese, is the following:

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

France: Thousands of healthcare workers in the streets said "applause is not enough"!

“Applause is not enough” said yesterday hundreds of thousands of healthcare workers throughout France, demonstrating for their jobs, their rights and the country’s public healthcare system. 

At least 250,000 protesters in Paris, Marseille, Toulouse, Lille and other French cities participated in protests against Macron government’s neoliberal policies which lead to more cuts in public healthcare sector. To date, the government hasn’t responded to the major urgent demands of healthcare and hospital workers who ask for increased wages, for an end to bed and hospital closures and for an increase of healthcare workers in public hospitals with sufficient medical equipment. 

Thursday, May 21, 2020

How the Indian communist-run state of Kerala successfully fought Coronavirus outbreak

The Indian state of Kerala has been a role model in the fight against Coronavirus pandemic. With a population of 34 million people, Kerala is governed by the ruling coalition of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), which is led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The state’s Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, is a member of the Communist Party’s Political Bureau. 

The communist party-run state has managed to contain COVID-19 spread better than most other Indian states. Kerala has reported only 4 deaths (COVID-19 related) with 600 cases after more than 3 months since the first outbreak of the virus in January. 

Monday, May 18, 2020

The "American Dream" in times of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed, in the most tragic way, the actual essence of the so-called “American Dream”. 

The images from the mass graves in Hart Island, the overloaded morgues, the utter failure of the U.S. health system to protect the people from the pandemic are characteristics of capitalism’s advanced decay. 

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Mexico and COVID-19: Communist leader Pavel Blanco exposes Obrador's social democracy

The following text is a translated version of an article originally published in the weekend edition of "Rizospastis" on 9-10 May 2020. Pavel Blanco Cabrera, First Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Mexico (PCM), writes about the situation of the class struggle in the country, exposing the policies of the social democratic government of President López Obrador during the COVID-19 pandemic

By Pavel Blanco Cabrera.