ROCCA DI PAPA, Italy (AP) — The World Health Organization has called it a “massacre.” The Health Ministry sent in inspectors. Prosecutors are investigating, and an appalled mayor said the managers of a residential facility she ordered sealed had “jeopardized the life and health of the most fragile.” A scandal over coronavirus infections and deaths […]
Reported by Seattle Times 8 hours ago.
↧
Dimension of virus ‘massacre’ in Italy nursing homes grows
↧
Global coronavirus COVID-19 cases top 22 lakh, death toll rises to 1.49 lakh
With a massive jump, the US has witnessed the highest death toll across all the nations at 34,180, followed by Italy at 22,745, Spain at 19,478, France at 17,942 and the UK at 14,607.
Reported by Zee News 7 hours ago.
↧
↧
Priest arrested in Kenya for spreading coronavirus
CNA Staff, Apr 17, 2020 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- A Catholic priest is one of two people in Kenya to be charged with “negligently spreading an infectious disease” after authorities allege he did not comply with quarantine regulations after he traveled to the country from Italy.
Fr. Richard Onyango Oduor denied the allegations on Thursday, April 16, and is currently free after he posted bail. He will appear in court on May 2, after he spends another 14 days in quarantine.
According to Kenyan media, Fr. Oduor is based in Rome and flew to the country to preside at a relative’s burial service. At that burial service, he distributed the Eucharist, interacting with several people. According to local media reports, as many as 60 people who came into contact with Fr. Oduor reported to the hospital, but it is unclear how many of them were eventually diagnosed with COVID-19.
Fr. Oduor eventually tested positive for the virus, was hospitalized for a period of two weeks, and has since recovered. He was arrested on April 9, immediately after he was released from the hospital.
Oduor reportedly traveled throughout Kenya from March 11 through 20, and was unaware that he had been infected with the coronavirus. During this period. Oduor took busses and a plane, and celebrated several Masses.
Kenyan officials were able to locate and quarantine more than 130 people who had come into contact with Oduor before he was diagnosed with the coronavirus. This number includes priests at a parish in Nairobi where Oduor stayed before traveling to his hometown for the burial.
Archbishop Anthony Muheria, who leads the Archdiocese of Nyeri and is the apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Kitui, declined to comment about the case to Reuters, and said it was up to civil authorities to handle Oduor’s case.
Kenya has banned public gatherings, reduced the number of people who are permitted to attend a funeral, instituted a curfew, and increased restrictions on who can travel to areas that have the highest number of cases.
In Kenya, 234 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 11 have died.
Oduor was arrested on the same day Gideon Saburi, the deputy governor of Kilifi, a county in Kenya, was charged with spreading coronavirus. Saburi is alleged to have appeared in public while suffering from the virus between March 6 and March 22. He has also pleaded not guilty and was released on April 16 after posting bail. Reported by CNA 7 hours ago.
Fr. Richard Onyango Oduor denied the allegations on Thursday, April 16, and is currently free after he posted bail. He will appear in court on May 2, after he spends another 14 days in quarantine.
According to Kenyan media, Fr. Oduor is based in Rome and flew to the country to preside at a relative’s burial service. At that burial service, he distributed the Eucharist, interacting with several people. According to local media reports, as many as 60 people who came into contact with Fr. Oduor reported to the hospital, but it is unclear how many of them were eventually diagnosed with COVID-19.
Fr. Oduor eventually tested positive for the virus, was hospitalized for a period of two weeks, and has since recovered. He was arrested on April 9, immediately after he was released from the hospital.
Oduor reportedly traveled throughout Kenya from March 11 through 20, and was unaware that he had been infected with the coronavirus. During this period. Oduor took busses and a plane, and celebrated several Masses.
Kenyan officials were able to locate and quarantine more than 130 people who had come into contact with Oduor before he was diagnosed with the coronavirus. This number includes priests at a parish in Nairobi where Oduor stayed before traveling to his hometown for the burial.
Archbishop Anthony Muheria, who leads the Archdiocese of Nyeri and is the apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Kitui, declined to comment about the case to Reuters, and said it was up to civil authorities to handle Oduor’s case.
Kenya has banned public gatherings, reduced the number of people who are permitted to attend a funeral, instituted a curfew, and increased restrictions on who can travel to areas that have the highest number of cases.
In Kenya, 234 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 11 have died.
Oduor was arrested on the same day Gideon Saburi, the deputy governor of Kilifi, a county in Kenya, was charged with spreading coronavirus. Saburi is alleged to have appeared in public while suffering from the virus between March 6 and March 22. He has also pleaded not guilty and was released on April 16 after posting bail. Reported by CNA 7 hours ago.
↧
Coronavirus crisis hampering Mediterranean migrant rescues
Non-governmental organizations are accusing Italy and Malta of using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext for closing ports to private rescue vessels. They say the lives of migrants are being put at risk
Reported by Deutsche Welle 7 hours ago.
↧
From Kissing in Italy to Twinning Dates, Look Back at Miley Cyrus and Kaitlynn Carter's Whirlwind Romance
Nearly one year ago, Miley Cyrus and Kaitlynn Carter's whirlwind romance hit the world like a wrecking ball--and we still can't stop talking about it. Taking place shortly after...
Reported by E! Online 6 hours ago.
↧
↧
Fulfill your wanderlust with this global trek
From witnessing breathtaking views at Zion National Park to shopping for homes in Italy that cost just a euro, travel with CBSN’s “Saturday Stories” for an adventure to satisfy your wanderlust.
Reported by CBS News 6 hours ago.
↧
Italy declares victory over Covid-19 in poorer south
Italian health officials declared victory Friday over the coronavirus in the poorer southern regions, where hospitals had been stretched to breaking point under the strain of the pandemic.
Reported by France 24 5 hours ago.
↧
News24.com | Italy cheers as virus cases level off
Italian health officials cheered Friday after the number of people currently being treated for COVID-19 rose by only a few hundred for the first time since the outbreak began.
Reported by News24 5 hours ago.
↧
FACT CHECK: Viral Post Claims To Contain The Last Words Of A Doctor Who Allegedly Died From COVID-19 In Italy
'I am happy to have returned to God while I am surrounded by the suffering and death of my fellow men'
Reported by Daily Caller 3 hours ago.
↧
↧
Amazon reportedly tried to shut down a virtual event for workers to speak out about the company's coronavirus response by deleting employees' calendar invites (AMZN)
· Amazon attempted to shut down a virtual event where workers spoke out about warehouse conditions by deleting employees' calendar invites to the event, according to The Seattle Times.· Two organizers of the event, which took place Thursday, were fired by Amazon last week after publicly criticizing the company's coronavirus response.
· Amazon has now fired five workers since the pandemic began who were involved in protests or criticized the company's treatment of workers.
· A spokesperson told Business Insider that Amazon supports employees' right to criticize working conditions, "but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies."
· Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Amazon attempted to shut down a virtual event where workers spoke out about working conditions at the company's warehouses by deleting employees' calendar invites, organizers told The Seattle Times.
Emily Cunningham and Maren Costa, two of the event's organizers who were fired by Amazon last week after publicly criticizing its coronavirus response, told The Seattle Times that the company deleted the invites from its internal calendar, though several hundred employees had already seen and accepted it.
"Amazon has shown they will not allow us to share details for how to join the meeting internally, so we are forced to gather externally," Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, the group behind the event, wrote in a Google form announcing the event.
"We want to tell Amazon that we are sick of all this – sick of the firings, sick of the silencing, sick of pollution, sick of racism, and sick of the climate crisis," Costa said Thursday during the event, which was attended by around 400 Amazon employees, according to Computer Weekly.
Amazon refused to comment on claims by Cunningham and Costa that it deleted calendar invites, but said in a statement to Business Insider: "We support every employee's right to criticize their employer's working conditions, but that does not come with blanket immunity against any and all internal policies. We terminated these employees for repeatedly violating internal policies."
The company has come under fire in recent weeks from workers who say Amazon hasn't done enough to protect them from COVID-19, with people testing positive for the disease in at least 74 of the company's facilities.
Workers have cited everything from conditions that make social distancing impossible to the company's limited paid sick leave policies, and have organized strikes in New York, Chicago, and Italy in addition to Thursday's virtual event, where employees called for a "sick out" on April 24.
Amazon has also faced scrutiny from lawmakers over its response to its workers speaking out. In at least four cases since the pandemic began, the company fired workers almost immediately after their involvement in organizing protests. A fifth told The New York Times he was terminated after giving the company notice that he would be resigning because he objected to the company's treatment of warehouse workers.
After Amazon fired warehouse worker Christian Smalls the same day he organized a walkout, New York City's human-rights commissioner opened an investigation into the termination. Later that week, a leaked memo obtained by Vice showed Amazon executives discussing efforts to mount a PR campaign against Smalls, calling him "not smart or articulate." Following news of the memo, Amazon told employees it may fire those who "intentionally violate" social distancing rules at work.
Amazon has been trying to balance the safety of its workers with increased demand for its services as coronavirus lockdowns worldwide fuel a surge in online shopping. The company said Monday it will add 75,000 more jobs on top of the 100,000 roles it added last month, which it said are now filled.
*SEE ALSO: Amazon employees say they're scared to go to work, but they're not alone — here are 7 big companies facing worker criticism over their coronavirus safety response*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: What makes 'Parasite' so shocking is the twist that happens in a 10-minute sequence Reported by Business Insider 4 hours ago.
↧
COVID-19 Crisis: Timely Reminder For Climate Change – Analysis
The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted our daily lives and impacted national economies. Amidst the virus turmoil, our natural surroundings have benefited from the slowdown. The global community needs to make a concerted effort to rethink our approach to economic growth to avert a climate crisis.
By Margareth Sembiring*
The responses to the COVID-19 outbreak are unprecedented. Among the various measures that governments have introduced, there is one distinct characteristic that is visibly different from the usual policymaking processes. It is their readiness to relegate the economy’s timeless supremacy in place of a pressing public health crisis.
The extent to which the economy is pushed to yield differs across countries. Although some segments in society may have more resources to better healthcare services, the fact that the infection risk pays no regard to social economic status makes curbing its spread everybody’s business. It thus gives legitimacy to bold and swift interventions regardless of the inconvenience, discomfort, and disruptions to normal day-to-day activities, and even if they disproportionately affect some socio-economic groups more than others.
*Environmental Silver Lining*
The resulting economic slowdown has cleared up skies and rivers in many parts of the world. This phenomenon shows that the economy and the environment are still standing on opposing sides. It therefore suggests that the current approaches to economic growth needs to be rethought to avert a climate crisis.
The environmental reprieve brought about by such interventions is hardly surprising. Government interventions essentially force people to self-isolate, and this has brought down carbon emissions and pollution levels.
In China, carbon emissions reduced by 25% in the four weeks following the Lunar New Year. India’s Ganga River has got cleaner and became suitable for bathing. In northern Italy and other major cities in the world, the levels of nitrogen dioxide, a major air pollutant closely associated with factory and vehicle emissions, have visibly reduced since COVID-19 began to restrict economic activities in these places.
Considering the scale of fear and human suffering associated with the virus, the environmental benefits are not a cause of celebration. After all, the winding down of the economy is not completely voluntary, and the environmental repercussions are not intentional. They are a side-effect of otherwise unlikely interventions under normal circumstances.
*Environment Breathes, When Economy Gives Way*
Regardless, the phenomenon serves as a powerful reminder that economic activities in particular are responsible for environmental degradation and climate change. A similar experience in emission drop was observed during the 2008-2009 economic crisis.
These suggest that the environment can only breathe when the economy gives way. It thus calls into question whether the current vision for unlimited economic growth can truly stand side by side with the care for the planet.
Governments’ willingness to loosen their grip on the economy is needed to fight climate issues. This determination, however, will be a challenge. First, COVID-19 creates an immediate sense of danger. It activates a survival instinct that places human life over all other considerations.
On the other hand, climate change does not project the same sense of urgency. Despite numerous projections and plausible catastrophic scenarios that have been made over the years, climate change evolves relatively slowly. Additionally, the perceptions on climate threats vary across countries because of their rather localised impacts so far.
*Lessons for Climate Change*
The COVID-19 experience provides invaluable lessons for climate change responses. When the outbreak just started to make news headlines in late 2019, there was a general impression that the virus would only be a problem in China. Outside China, there was little sense of urgency.
Not much was done to get healthcare systems ready and systematically prepare the people for the eventual arrival and spread of the virus locally. The perceived government complacency could have been driven by other factors; but it is closely reminiscent of the general attitude towards climate change.
The scale of disasters that COVID-19 brings is still largely unknown. However, it has now become clear that it painfully stretches healthcare systems in many countries including in advanced economies.
Similarly, while climate change may impact countries and societies differently depending on their geographical characteristics, resources, and resilience, the eventual scale of catastrophes remains a mystery. The stresses they may exert on the existing systems thus cannot be underestimated.
Although the novelty of the virus caught the world by surprise and can partly explain what seems like clumsy responses across the globe, climate change impacts are known. Unlike coronavirus, the warnings about climate change have been foretold for decades.
The lack of bold and urgent action on it is therefore ironic. If the new coronavirus has proven that not even the rich and the powerful can be immune to the infection, even if they have access to first class healthcare services, climate disasters could be just as far-reaching and chaotic despite the technologies, infrastructure and resources put in place to protect people.
*Sustainable Recovery*
The window to avert climate calamities is fast closing. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that global warming may reach the 1.5 degree Celsius mark within a decade. The coronavirus situation may force human and economic activities to halt temporarily, but at the same time, it shows that things can be done differently. The stay home arrangement and the closing down of most businesses compel people to get in touch with what is the most essential. Cutting down on air travel, fine dining, shopping delights and other habits of consumerism may be inconvenient, but it certainly does not kill. That is what the current COVID-19 measures are showing us.
When the coronavirus crisis is eventually over, countries will get their economies rolling again. In view of the climate crisis, governments need to seriously consider recovery packages that support climate goals. Additionally, the consumption-driven economic growth model needs rethinking since sustainable development, despite its noble vision, has thus far proven ineffective in clamping down on carbon emissions.
The COVID-19 experience shows that the economy may need to make way for the environment to prevent climate disasters. A concerted global effort is imperative to move away from the current practice of using natural resources unabatedly in a bid to achieve unlimited economic growth. If the international community can work together to control COVID-19, this should also be possible for climate change.
*Margareth Sembiring is an Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. This is part of a series.
The post COVID-19 Crisis: Timely Reminder For Climate Change – Analysis appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 2 hours ago.
By Margareth Sembiring*
The responses to the COVID-19 outbreak are unprecedented. Among the various measures that governments have introduced, there is one distinct characteristic that is visibly different from the usual policymaking processes. It is their readiness to relegate the economy’s timeless supremacy in place of a pressing public health crisis.
The extent to which the economy is pushed to yield differs across countries. Although some segments in society may have more resources to better healthcare services, the fact that the infection risk pays no regard to social economic status makes curbing its spread everybody’s business. It thus gives legitimacy to bold and swift interventions regardless of the inconvenience, discomfort, and disruptions to normal day-to-day activities, and even if they disproportionately affect some socio-economic groups more than others.
*Environmental Silver Lining*
The resulting economic slowdown has cleared up skies and rivers in many parts of the world. This phenomenon shows that the economy and the environment are still standing on opposing sides. It therefore suggests that the current approaches to economic growth needs to be rethought to avert a climate crisis.
The environmental reprieve brought about by such interventions is hardly surprising. Government interventions essentially force people to self-isolate, and this has brought down carbon emissions and pollution levels.
In China, carbon emissions reduced by 25% in the four weeks following the Lunar New Year. India’s Ganga River has got cleaner and became suitable for bathing. In northern Italy and other major cities in the world, the levels of nitrogen dioxide, a major air pollutant closely associated with factory and vehicle emissions, have visibly reduced since COVID-19 began to restrict economic activities in these places.
Considering the scale of fear and human suffering associated with the virus, the environmental benefits are not a cause of celebration. After all, the winding down of the economy is not completely voluntary, and the environmental repercussions are not intentional. They are a side-effect of otherwise unlikely interventions under normal circumstances.
*Environment Breathes, When Economy Gives Way*
Regardless, the phenomenon serves as a powerful reminder that economic activities in particular are responsible for environmental degradation and climate change. A similar experience in emission drop was observed during the 2008-2009 economic crisis.
These suggest that the environment can only breathe when the economy gives way. It thus calls into question whether the current vision for unlimited economic growth can truly stand side by side with the care for the planet.
Governments’ willingness to loosen their grip on the economy is needed to fight climate issues. This determination, however, will be a challenge. First, COVID-19 creates an immediate sense of danger. It activates a survival instinct that places human life over all other considerations.
On the other hand, climate change does not project the same sense of urgency. Despite numerous projections and plausible catastrophic scenarios that have been made over the years, climate change evolves relatively slowly. Additionally, the perceptions on climate threats vary across countries because of their rather localised impacts so far.
*Lessons for Climate Change*
The COVID-19 experience provides invaluable lessons for climate change responses. When the outbreak just started to make news headlines in late 2019, there was a general impression that the virus would only be a problem in China. Outside China, there was little sense of urgency.
Not much was done to get healthcare systems ready and systematically prepare the people for the eventual arrival and spread of the virus locally. The perceived government complacency could have been driven by other factors; but it is closely reminiscent of the general attitude towards climate change.
The scale of disasters that COVID-19 brings is still largely unknown. However, it has now become clear that it painfully stretches healthcare systems in many countries including in advanced economies.
Similarly, while climate change may impact countries and societies differently depending on their geographical characteristics, resources, and resilience, the eventual scale of catastrophes remains a mystery. The stresses they may exert on the existing systems thus cannot be underestimated.
Although the novelty of the virus caught the world by surprise and can partly explain what seems like clumsy responses across the globe, climate change impacts are known. Unlike coronavirus, the warnings about climate change have been foretold for decades.
The lack of bold and urgent action on it is therefore ironic. If the new coronavirus has proven that not even the rich and the powerful can be immune to the infection, even if they have access to first class healthcare services, climate disasters could be just as far-reaching and chaotic despite the technologies, infrastructure and resources put in place to protect people.
*Sustainable Recovery*
The window to avert climate calamities is fast closing. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted that global warming may reach the 1.5 degree Celsius mark within a decade. The coronavirus situation may force human and economic activities to halt temporarily, but at the same time, it shows that things can be done differently. The stay home arrangement and the closing down of most businesses compel people to get in touch with what is the most essential. Cutting down on air travel, fine dining, shopping delights and other habits of consumerism may be inconvenient, but it certainly does not kill. That is what the current COVID-19 measures are showing us.
When the coronavirus crisis is eventually over, countries will get their economies rolling again. In view of the climate crisis, governments need to seriously consider recovery packages that support climate goals. Additionally, the consumption-driven economic growth model needs rethinking since sustainable development, despite its noble vision, has thus far proven ineffective in clamping down on carbon emissions.
The COVID-19 experience shows that the economy may need to make way for the environment to prevent climate disasters. A concerted global effort is imperative to move away from the current practice of using natural resources unabatedly in a bid to achieve unlimited economic growth. If the international community can work together to control COVID-19, this should also be possible for climate change.
*Margareth Sembiring is an Associate Research Fellow at the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. This is part of a series.
The post COVID-19 Crisis: Timely Reminder For Climate Change – Analysis appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 2 hours ago.
↧
H.S.H. Prince Michael of Liechtenstein: ‘A Crisis Must Never Be Misused To Extend State Power’ – Interview
In these times of great uncertainty and widespread fear, it is natural for many citizens to turn to their leaders for guidance and reassurance. However, these much-needed qualities of real leadership have proven to be elusive in many countries around the world. Instead of that, in the US and even more so in the EU, we saw a lack of consistency and planning in the face of the corona epidemic, adding to the overall confusion among citizens and further fueling the media-driven panic. This is why I decided to turn to Prince Michael of Liechtenstein, who kindly agreed to share his views and insights on the present crisis. His tempered and rational analysis, along with his deep understanding of history, have offered many valuable lessons in the past, but this approach is even more needed now that panic is so dangerously abundant.
His Serene Highness Prince Michael of Liechtenstein is the Executive Chairman of Industrie- und Finanzkontor Etablissement, a leading Liechtenstein-based trust company with a tradition and expertise in the long-term and trans-generational preservation of wealth, values and businesses. Furthermore, he is the founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG, a geopolitical consultancy company and information platform headquartered in Vaduz. In addition, Prince Michael of Liechtenstein is a Board Member of the Liechtenstein Institute of Professional Trustees and Fiduciaries, Chairman of the liberal think tank European Center of Austrian Economics Foundation and Board Member of the International Institute of Longevity.
———–
*Claudio Grass (CG): Thanks to the coronavirus epidemic, within a month, the entire planet has been swept by panic. The global economy has been forced to a screeching halt, citizens of most western nations are being ordered to stay in their houses, while we all constantly receive regular updates on the latest “death count” and infection figures. Did you anticipate that such a scenario was even possible? Is there anything comparable to this in recent historical memory? *
HSH Prince Michael of Liechtenstein (PML): Since the end of World War II, Europe has gone through an unprecedentedly long period of peace and prosperity has constantly increased since then. Over time, the awareness of possible crises has been lost. This “spoiling” effect of the good times has caused societies to dismiss and ignore the eventuality of a possible crisis that could come at any time. People voted for safety and security, but the prevention of threats was widely repressed and happily ignored. The welfare state, under the banner of protection, directed people to exchange individual freedom and self-responsibility for an illusion of security provided by the state.
We are now facing a health crisis, which is serious and has to be addressed, but it is not one of the greatest, world-wide humanitarian crises in modern history. Yet in Europe, it is perceived as precisely that. This shows just how comfortable we’ve been in the recent past, but it also blatantly discounts all the other crises: almost 10 years of war in Syria, the enduring conflicts in Afghanistan, the Ebola epidemic in West-African countries, the civil war in Rwanda, Burundi and Congo in the 1990s. However, the emergency measures we’ve seen in response to the threat that this virus poses – necessary as they may be deemed – constitute the largest restriction of fundamental rights in Western Europe since World War II, and in Central Europe since the end of the communist dictatorship. They might also result in a major recession. At the very least, this should serve as a reminder to us all to increase prevention measures in different sectors! Responsible politicians should prepare their countries against possible disasters, mainly by fostering and trusting the personal responsibility of their people. Decentralized preventive systems are necessary: engaging local and municipal responsibilities and relying on the positive outcomes of individual freedom.
*CG: Could you elaborate more on your views regarding the governmental reaction to the epidemic? Do you see the damage being inflicted by the measures as a necessary evil and proportional to the threat posed by the disease? *
PML: Certainly, measures to control or at least limit the spread of the virus are necessary. However, the opinions on how to achieve this differ in the various countries. To judge the different governmental reactions, for example that of the UK versus Sweden versus other European countries, is not appropriate and it is certainly premature. What can be seen so far, however, is that countries with more decentralized healthcare systems are better prepared to help people who are infected. The current epidemic has brought the inflexibility of oversized systems of many countries to light. Countries such as Italy, Spain and others with their centralized, rigid systems were not able to adapt and respond to the crisis quickly enough. The policy of many countries now is to slow down the spread of the virus in order to have enough treatment and hospital capacity for those who are infected. This should give them some breathing room, while we wait for the development of vaccines.
The lesson that countries with more flexible and more decentralized healthcare systems are faring better should cast serious doubts over the push to find common European solutions or to embrace the global leadership of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The European Union and the WHO can support the handling of the crisis by giving some guidance. However, decentralized and local actions and policy decisions might be more to the point to respond to the crisis adequately. They can be much quicker to adapt to changes and developments and better equipped to address the specific needs of their regions and communities. It is important that institutions such as the WHO are not allowed to assume decision-making powers or to exert undue influence that limits the responsibility of local and regional authorities and constrains their capacity to act.
Also, in other areas of civil protection, such as cybersecurity, emergency plans for the population and strategic stockpiles of medicine or food are insufficient in a number of countries.
*CG: In your own view, is there a better way of reacting to this as a state, than what we’ve seen in most western democracies? Might there be alternative policy approaches that could protect the public without decimating the economy? *
PML: At the moment, the protection and preservation of human lives is certainly a priority. But indeed, it is also a duty of political leadership to apply common sense when introducing preventive measures. It is a great responsibility to maintain economic viability, which is also essential to the wellbeing and finally the health of citizens. Excessively harsh measures will alienate and marginalize large parts of society, especially those in the weaker and older segments of the population. Mankind needs social contact. Some people may become very lonesome and lose their purpose in life. Sound political leadership should not only be guided by medical expertise on the virus itself, but also by the courage to find the right balance between the protection of public health and the functioning of society and the economy, as well as between state-imposed measures and citizens’ self-responsibility. A crisis must never be misused to extend state power. It is thus vital that governments will have the courage not to delay the return of the economy to its full capacity.
In China, the crisis was first ignored by the centralist system and then crushed by brutal, authoritarian measures. These measures will help the totalitarian state reinforce control over its citizens in the future. Our democratic countries must avoid the temptation to use the emergency measures taken today to control the citizens tomorrow, for example via tracking their movements and contacts through mobile phones. Although some lip service is paid to the contrary, we already hear suggestions from political leaders and NGO’s in that direction.
*CG: How is Liechtenstein handling this crisis? What measures are in place and what are the plans to protect the principality against both the virus and the economic fallout? *
PML: Liechtenstein has functioning open borders with Switzerland and will therefore widely align with the Swiss measures. A big asset is that, contrary to many other European countries, Liechtenstein has no debts. A prudent fiscal policy allowed the country and its municipalities in the past to build up financial reserves. In the current situation, this allows Liechtenstein to effectively and efficiently support businesses that are strongly impacted by the measures eroding their income, without simultaneously building up an enormous debt burden.
*CG: We saw an unprecedented fiscal and monetary response to this crisis, with central banks turning their printing presses to the maximum and governments pledging trillions in stimulus and bailouts. Do you expect this so-called “bazooka” response to suffice in keeping the economic system standing? *
PML: Although normally governmental bailout policies are dangerous, it is now essential to help businesses which have lost their capacity to produce or sell their goods and services. This necessitates and legitimizes liquidity injections. The problem now is that a large part of the world’s economy was already supported by cheap money over the past 10 years. Of course, cheap money can help fend off a crisis in the short-term, but it may never be seen as a long-term economic solution. The coronavirus has encountered a fragile global economy, weakened by too much government intervention and oversized public sectors. Now is the time to find a way back to more entrepreneurialism, individual freedom, personal responsibility, less public spending, more private savings and equity-building, as well as simplified tax regulations. That will be the most efficient long-term recipe to get out of any economic crisis.
Unfortunately, in the past, in most European countries overspending has led to significant public debts and aggressive tax policies have eroded the equity basis of businesses.
*CG: Many investors have experienced “shock and awe” by the historic crash and volatility spike in the markets. What would be your advice for conservative investors and for ordinary savers who not only have to contend with the market rollercoaster but must also now live with even deeper negative rates and infinite easing policies? *
PML: Due to the effect of money supply at “no” cost via zero to negative interest rates and quantitative easing, we face a real asset inflation. Bubbles developed in the equity, real estate, arts and other markets. A correction was long overdue, and this was not a soft landing but a harsh crash. Nevertheless, I still believe that equities of strong, solid companies remain a good investment. In fact, we should not be too impressed by the markets’ current volatility, as long as the basis of an investment is solid. Abundant money can even drive valuations again to excessive levels. However, this is not necessarily a sound development. Markets need to find prices that reflect the economic reality. An oversupply of money, as we have seen in the recent past, destroys savings and has the potential to erode trust in the currency. I am concerned that the current easy-money policies will go beyond the measures that are necessary to provide troubled businesses with short-term liquidity in order to make it through the crisis.
The Austrian School of Economics teaches the importance of the principle of “creative destruction”, according to which a crisis always has the potential to create innovation in business, society, the economy, etc. However, a crisis caused by an epidemic is not necessarily a creative destruction for businesses which are not viable anymore. It rather jeopardizes good businesses due to uncontrollable elements. Thus, a liquidity support is to be endorsed, however, if such support ends up in an illusion of a “healthy economy”, further delaying essential reforms, it has a detrimental long- term result. Again, what is needed after the corona-crisis is a hard turn towards entrepreneurship, free markets, less state intervention, and decentralization.
Currently, there is the belief that savers are punished again and debtors are rewarded. But in the mid- and long-term, everybody should watch out for building up some reserves to survive hard times to come. Such reserves can be a certain amount of cash or real estate properties with moderate mortgage loans, but also a good education and development of skills that will be demanded in the future. Gold also seems to be a solid hedge once again. Last but not least, especially in times of crisis, it is crucial that common sense and realism prevail over panic and fear.
*CG: What are your expectations and projections for the next few months? Do you believe this crisis will cause structural changes and transformations in our economy and financial system or do you expect we will all go back to “business as usual” once the dust settles? *
PML: There is the old adage: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. The question now is, who will be using this crisis and to what end? A great concern that should be at the forefront of everybody’s mind is the misuse of power that goes along with the emergency situation. Bureaucratic principals and centralists may attempt to misuse and perpetuate the additional powers that the state is gaining from the current measures. This “opportunity” might also be grasped by supranational entities to increase their own influence excessively.
If we look back at the past 20 years, we see an obvious trend towards more centralization, regulation, bureaucracy and the limitation of individual freedom and self- responsibility, as well as the undermining of privacy and property rights. Weak national politics also allowed supranational institutions to influence and to limit national sovereignty. Judicial systems are increasingly becoming an instrument of the state, rather than an instrument of the citizens to protect themselves from arbitrary state decisions. These detrimental tendencies might be enhanced by the emergency measures.
On the bright side, a positive result might be that people become more aware of the necessity of individual and local responsibilities and of the necessity to plan ahead and to prepare for emergencies, instead of blindly and naively expecting solutions from the state. Another good development could be that the crisis may have positive effects on various businesses, in the services industries in particular. Certain procedures are now being reconsidered and realigned to become more productive, customer-friendly and cost-efficient. Also, the crisis may also incentivize regulators to streamline regulations in order to make them more market-oriented, slimmer, effective and less costly.
*CG: On a global level, and especially in Europe, most of the private sector has already taken a severe hit, the media continues to spread panic, most people are locked in their houses and they increasingly see their basic rights curtailed through “emergency powers” and new government rules. There’s a lot of confusion, many are scared of the virus, and arguably even more are scared of losing their jobs and of financial ruin. What would be your advice to ordinary citizens during these difficult times? *
PML: Try to live healthily. Although we have to behave carefully, it will be impossible to completely prevent infection, simply because it will be impossible to completely eliminate human contact. A healthy lifestyle and an optimistic mindset will certainly strengthen the immune system and that is the best hedge against the effect of the coronavirus, and many other diseases for that matter. On the flip-side, all fear and panic, not only lead to terrible decisions, but they also weaken the immune system. Therefore, my advice is to act prudently and responsibly. A healthy lifestyle and a clear mind are key in the current situation, together with common sense and realism in everybody’s economic and financial decisions.
The post H.S.H. Prince Michael of Liechtenstein: ‘A Crisis Must Never Be Misused To Extend State Power’ – Interview appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 9 minutes ago.
His Serene Highness Prince Michael of Liechtenstein is the Executive Chairman of Industrie- und Finanzkontor Etablissement, a leading Liechtenstein-based trust company with a tradition and expertise in the long-term and trans-generational preservation of wealth, values and businesses. Furthermore, he is the founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Intelligence Services AG, a geopolitical consultancy company and information platform headquartered in Vaduz. In addition, Prince Michael of Liechtenstein is a Board Member of the Liechtenstein Institute of Professional Trustees and Fiduciaries, Chairman of the liberal think tank European Center of Austrian Economics Foundation and Board Member of the International Institute of Longevity.
———–
*Claudio Grass (CG): Thanks to the coronavirus epidemic, within a month, the entire planet has been swept by panic. The global economy has been forced to a screeching halt, citizens of most western nations are being ordered to stay in their houses, while we all constantly receive regular updates on the latest “death count” and infection figures. Did you anticipate that such a scenario was even possible? Is there anything comparable to this in recent historical memory? *
HSH Prince Michael of Liechtenstein (PML): Since the end of World War II, Europe has gone through an unprecedentedly long period of peace and prosperity has constantly increased since then. Over time, the awareness of possible crises has been lost. This “spoiling” effect of the good times has caused societies to dismiss and ignore the eventuality of a possible crisis that could come at any time. People voted for safety and security, but the prevention of threats was widely repressed and happily ignored. The welfare state, under the banner of protection, directed people to exchange individual freedom and self-responsibility for an illusion of security provided by the state.
We are now facing a health crisis, which is serious and has to be addressed, but it is not one of the greatest, world-wide humanitarian crises in modern history. Yet in Europe, it is perceived as precisely that. This shows just how comfortable we’ve been in the recent past, but it also blatantly discounts all the other crises: almost 10 years of war in Syria, the enduring conflicts in Afghanistan, the Ebola epidemic in West-African countries, the civil war in Rwanda, Burundi and Congo in the 1990s. However, the emergency measures we’ve seen in response to the threat that this virus poses – necessary as they may be deemed – constitute the largest restriction of fundamental rights in Western Europe since World War II, and in Central Europe since the end of the communist dictatorship. They might also result in a major recession. At the very least, this should serve as a reminder to us all to increase prevention measures in different sectors! Responsible politicians should prepare their countries against possible disasters, mainly by fostering and trusting the personal responsibility of their people. Decentralized preventive systems are necessary: engaging local and municipal responsibilities and relying on the positive outcomes of individual freedom.
*CG: Could you elaborate more on your views regarding the governmental reaction to the epidemic? Do you see the damage being inflicted by the measures as a necessary evil and proportional to the threat posed by the disease? *
PML: Certainly, measures to control or at least limit the spread of the virus are necessary. However, the opinions on how to achieve this differ in the various countries. To judge the different governmental reactions, for example that of the UK versus Sweden versus other European countries, is not appropriate and it is certainly premature. What can be seen so far, however, is that countries with more decentralized healthcare systems are better prepared to help people who are infected. The current epidemic has brought the inflexibility of oversized systems of many countries to light. Countries such as Italy, Spain and others with their centralized, rigid systems were not able to adapt and respond to the crisis quickly enough. The policy of many countries now is to slow down the spread of the virus in order to have enough treatment and hospital capacity for those who are infected. This should give them some breathing room, while we wait for the development of vaccines.
The lesson that countries with more flexible and more decentralized healthcare systems are faring better should cast serious doubts over the push to find common European solutions or to embrace the global leadership of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The European Union and the WHO can support the handling of the crisis by giving some guidance. However, decentralized and local actions and policy decisions might be more to the point to respond to the crisis adequately. They can be much quicker to adapt to changes and developments and better equipped to address the specific needs of their regions and communities. It is important that institutions such as the WHO are not allowed to assume decision-making powers or to exert undue influence that limits the responsibility of local and regional authorities and constrains their capacity to act.
Also, in other areas of civil protection, such as cybersecurity, emergency plans for the population and strategic stockpiles of medicine or food are insufficient in a number of countries.
*CG: In your own view, is there a better way of reacting to this as a state, than what we’ve seen in most western democracies? Might there be alternative policy approaches that could protect the public without decimating the economy? *
PML: At the moment, the protection and preservation of human lives is certainly a priority. But indeed, it is also a duty of political leadership to apply common sense when introducing preventive measures. It is a great responsibility to maintain economic viability, which is also essential to the wellbeing and finally the health of citizens. Excessively harsh measures will alienate and marginalize large parts of society, especially those in the weaker and older segments of the population. Mankind needs social contact. Some people may become very lonesome and lose their purpose in life. Sound political leadership should not only be guided by medical expertise on the virus itself, but also by the courage to find the right balance between the protection of public health and the functioning of society and the economy, as well as between state-imposed measures and citizens’ self-responsibility. A crisis must never be misused to extend state power. It is thus vital that governments will have the courage not to delay the return of the economy to its full capacity.
In China, the crisis was first ignored by the centralist system and then crushed by brutal, authoritarian measures. These measures will help the totalitarian state reinforce control over its citizens in the future. Our democratic countries must avoid the temptation to use the emergency measures taken today to control the citizens tomorrow, for example via tracking their movements and contacts through mobile phones. Although some lip service is paid to the contrary, we already hear suggestions from political leaders and NGO’s in that direction.
*CG: How is Liechtenstein handling this crisis? What measures are in place and what are the plans to protect the principality against both the virus and the economic fallout? *
PML: Liechtenstein has functioning open borders with Switzerland and will therefore widely align with the Swiss measures. A big asset is that, contrary to many other European countries, Liechtenstein has no debts. A prudent fiscal policy allowed the country and its municipalities in the past to build up financial reserves. In the current situation, this allows Liechtenstein to effectively and efficiently support businesses that are strongly impacted by the measures eroding their income, without simultaneously building up an enormous debt burden.
*CG: We saw an unprecedented fiscal and monetary response to this crisis, with central banks turning their printing presses to the maximum and governments pledging trillions in stimulus and bailouts. Do you expect this so-called “bazooka” response to suffice in keeping the economic system standing? *
PML: Although normally governmental bailout policies are dangerous, it is now essential to help businesses which have lost their capacity to produce or sell their goods and services. This necessitates and legitimizes liquidity injections. The problem now is that a large part of the world’s economy was already supported by cheap money over the past 10 years. Of course, cheap money can help fend off a crisis in the short-term, but it may never be seen as a long-term economic solution. The coronavirus has encountered a fragile global economy, weakened by too much government intervention and oversized public sectors. Now is the time to find a way back to more entrepreneurialism, individual freedom, personal responsibility, less public spending, more private savings and equity-building, as well as simplified tax regulations. That will be the most efficient long-term recipe to get out of any economic crisis.
Unfortunately, in the past, in most European countries overspending has led to significant public debts and aggressive tax policies have eroded the equity basis of businesses.
*CG: Many investors have experienced “shock and awe” by the historic crash and volatility spike in the markets. What would be your advice for conservative investors and for ordinary savers who not only have to contend with the market rollercoaster but must also now live with even deeper negative rates and infinite easing policies? *
PML: Due to the effect of money supply at “no” cost via zero to negative interest rates and quantitative easing, we face a real asset inflation. Bubbles developed in the equity, real estate, arts and other markets. A correction was long overdue, and this was not a soft landing but a harsh crash. Nevertheless, I still believe that equities of strong, solid companies remain a good investment. In fact, we should not be too impressed by the markets’ current volatility, as long as the basis of an investment is solid. Abundant money can even drive valuations again to excessive levels. However, this is not necessarily a sound development. Markets need to find prices that reflect the economic reality. An oversupply of money, as we have seen in the recent past, destroys savings and has the potential to erode trust in the currency. I am concerned that the current easy-money policies will go beyond the measures that are necessary to provide troubled businesses with short-term liquidity in order to make it through the crisis.
The Austrian School of Economics teaches the importance of the principle of “creative destruction”, according to which a crisis always has the potential to create innovation in business, society, the economy, etc. However, a crisis caused by an epidemic is not necessarily a creative destruction for businesses which are not viable anymore. It rather jeopardizes good businesses due to uncontrollable elements. Thus, a liquidity support is to be endorsed, however, if such support ends up in an illusion of a “healthy economy”, further delaying essential reforms, it has a detrimental long- term result. Again, what is needed after the corona-crisis is a hard turn towards entrepreneurship, free markets, less state intervention, and decentralization.
Currently, there is the belief that savers are punished again and debtors are rewarded. But in the mid- and long-term, everybody should watch out for building up some reserves to survive hard times to come. Such reserves can be a certain amount of cash or real estate properties with moderate mortgage loans, but also a good education and development of skills that will be demanded in the future. Gold also seems to be a solid hedge once again. Last but not least, especially in times of crisis, it is crucial that common sense and realism prevail over panic and fear.
*CG: What are your expectations and projections for the next few months? Do you believe this crisis will cause structural changes and transformations in our economy and financial system or do you expect we will all go back to “business as usual” once the dust settles? *
PML: There is the old adage: “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. The question now is, who will be using this crisis and to what end? A great concern that should be at the forefront of everybody’s mind is the misuse of power that goes along with the emergency situation. Bureaucratic principals and centralists may attempt to misuse and perpetuate the additional powers that the state is gaining from the current measures. This “opportunity” might also be grasped by supranational entities to increase their own influence excessively.
If we look back at the past 20 years, we see an obvious trend towards more centralization, regulation, bureaucracy and the limitation of individual freedom and self- responsibility, as well as the undermining of privacy and property rights. Weak national politics also allowed supranational institutions to influence and to limit national sovereignty. Judicial systems are increasingly becoming an instrument of the state, rather than an instrument of the citizens to protect themselves from arbitrary state decisions. These detrimental tendencies might be enhanced by the emergency measures.
On the bright side, a positive result might be that people become more aware of the necessity of individual and local responsibilities and of the necessity to plan ahead and to prepare for emergencies, instead of blindly and naively expecting solutions from the state. Another good development could be that the crisis may have positive effects on various businesses, in the services industries in particular. Certain procedures are now being reconsidered and realigned to become more productive, customer-friendly and cost-efficient. Also, the crisis may also incentivize regulators to streamline regulations in order to make them more market-oriented, slimmer, effective and less costly.
*CG: On a global level, and especially in Europe, most of the private sector has already taken a severe hit, the media continues to spread panic, most people are locked in their houses and they increasingly see their basic rights curtailed through “emergency powers” and new government rules. There’s a lot of confusion, many are scared of the virus, and arguably even more are scared of losing their jobs and of financial ruin. What would be your advice to ordinary citizens during these difficult times? *
PML: Try to live healthily. Although we have to behave carefully, it will be impossible to completely prevent infection, simply because it will be impossible to completely eliminate human contact. A healthy lifestyle and an optimistic mindset will certainly strengthen the immune system and that is the best hedge against the effect of the coronavirus, and many other diseases for that matter. On the flip-side, all fear and panic, not only lead to terrible decisions, but they also weaken the immune system. Therefore, my advice is to act prudently and responsibly. A healthy lifestyle and a clear mind are key in the current situation, together with common sense and realism in everybody’s economic and financial decisions.
The post H.S.H. Prince Michael of Liechtenstein: ‘A Crisis Must Never Be Misused To Extend State Power’ – Interview appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 9 minutes ago.
↧
The Coronavirus Comes For India – OpEd
By Conn Hallinan*
While the coronavirus has focused much of the world on Europe and the United States, India may eventually prove the hardest-hit victim of the disease.
But other than a slick public relations campaign, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done little to confront the crisis. Indeed, a number of policy moves by Delhi have likely fed the spread of the dangerous virus.
When Modi announced a 21-day nationwide shutdown on March 24, he did so without any warning. Almost before the prime minister had finished talking, panicked city residents — mostly middle class — poured into the streets to stock up on food and medicines, almost certainly accelerating the spread of COVID-19.
The shutdown instantly made tens of millions of people jobless, setting many of them in motion toward their home villages. Since public transportation has been shut down, that involved journeys of over 300 miles. And because many villages are blocking outsiders, where migrants will get food and water is anyone’s guess.
Except for a few independent news sources, much of the chaos set off by the March 24 orders has gone unreported. Using a combination of financial pressure and outright censorship, Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have silenced much of the media. Newspapers and broadcast outlets are finding that criticism of Modi or the BJP results in the loss of government advertising, a major source of revenue. Modi has also filed expensive and difficult to fight tax cases against opposition media outlets.
In the case of the coronavirus, the government got the Supreme Court to order all media to publish the “official version” of the health crisis, which, in practice, has meant feel-good stories.
The success that the BJP has had in corralling India’s 17,000 newspapers, 100,000 magazines, and 178 television news channels has been sharply condemned by media organizations. Reporters Without Borders rates India a lowly 140 out of 180 countries on its press freedom index.
**Reporting on the Rural Poor**
Modi has led a high-profile campaign to create a regional response to the COVID-19 crisis.
On March 15, Modi convened a teleconference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to create a coronavirus emergency fund and exchange medical information. On March 26, Modi expanded the effort to draw in the G-20, an international forum of wealthy governments and banks that includes the European Union.
But there is suspicion that Modi’s regional and international efforts have more to do with repairing his government’s reputation than confronting the health crisis.
Modi’s unilateral seizure of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of the Indian constitution — and subsequent crackdown on any and all opposition to the takeover — was widely condemned internationally. The recent move by the Modi government to redefine “citizenship” in a way that excludes Muslims has also been widely criticized. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, called the law a violation of several international agreements that India is a party to.
There has been scant follow through by Modi with either the SAARC or the G-20, and the government has done little at home. India’s public health system is fragile at the best of times, with only 0.5 hospital beds for every 1,000 people. In contrast, Italy has almost seven times that figure.
But that doesn’t mean Modi is getting a free pass at home.
One important independent outlet reporting on the Covid-19 crisis has been Rural India Online, part of the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), a network of reporters and photojournalists who report on the rural dwellers who make up 70 percent of the population.
P. Sainath, PARI’s founder and editor — and winner of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award and Amnesty International’s Global Award for Human Rights — is sharply critical of the Modi government’s actions. PARI’s reporters have covered what the mainstream media has been intimidated from reporting: the massive number of poor who have taken to the roads to return home, cancer patients sleeping outside of hospitals in the hope of getting treatment, and day laborers who cannot afford to miss any work. One told PARI reporter Shraddha Agarwal, “Soap won’t save us if we die of hunger first.”
PARI reporters have also done a number of stories on India’s sanitation workers, few of whom have been provided with gloves or masks. “The government is saying clean hands constantly,” Mumbai sanitation worker Archana Chabuskwan told PARI reporter Jyoti Shinoli. “How do we do that?” Hand sanitizers are too expensive (Chabuskwan makes just $2.63 a day), water supplies are iffy, and social distancing is impossible. “We have to share a public toilet with hundreds of people.”
If sanitation workers do get sick — or, for that matter, any of Mumbai’s 20 million residents — they are in trouble. Government hospitals currently have 400 ventilators and 1,000 intensive care beds available for the entire city.
**An Ascendant Far Right**
India’s health crisis is longstanding. And while the actions of the Modi government will almost certainly worsen the current crisis, for the past 30 years Indian governments — right and center — have cut back on health care and privatized much of the system.
“We have one of the lowest health expenditures — barely 1.2 percent (as a share of the GDP) in the world,” writes Sainath. Almost a quarter of a million Indians die each year of tuberculosis and 100,000 children from diarrhea. The U.S. spends about 17 percent of its GDP on health.
According to Sainath, “Health expenditures across India today are possibly the fastest growing component of rural family debt.” A study by the Public Health Foundation of India found that in 2011-2012, some 55 million people had been impoverished by health costs, 38 million by the cost of medicine alone.
That is what a substantial part of India’s 1.3 billion people face as COVID-19 ramps up, and they are unlikely to get much help from the BJP or Modi.
When China finally went public with the dangers posed by the coronavirus, India was convulsed with sectarian riots touched off by some of Modi’s cabinet members. Over 50 people were killed in New Delhi and hundreds injured as rightwing mobs organized by the Rashtyria Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rampaged through the streets.
The RSS — an organization that philosopher and political commentator Aijaz Ahmad describes as the “oldest, largest and most successful far-right group in the world today” — is the real power behind Modi. The BJP is largely a front for the RSS, a Hindu fundamentalist organization that is “profoundly hierarchical and secretive,” according to Ahmed.
The top-down, no warning decree on the corona virus is typical of the way the RSS functions. In 2016 — again, with no warning — Modi unilaterally canceled all 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, throwing the country into currency chaos and further impoverishing large numbers of poor Indians.
The RSS’s major goal is the creation of a Hindu-centered state, and it is not shy about using violence to do that, either of the mob variety, or by assassination. Gunmen have killed several prominent opponents of the RSS over the past several years, killings that have never been solved.
The focus on religion has skewed the government’s priorities. The chief minister of India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, spent $91 million to build a huge statue of the god Ram, while short changing emergency medical facilities.
With much of India’s mainstream press either co-opted or cowed, it is alternative sources like the People’s Archive of Rural India that has picked up the slack and reported what is happening to the vast majority of Indians that live outside the huge metropolises, as well as what slum dwellers and city sanitation workers are facing.
**An End to Impunity?**
So far, Modi and the RSS have avoided having to answer for the increase in violence and the social priorities that have widened the gap between rich and poor. But COVID-19 may change that.
The PARI has put forth a series of demands to address the current crisis, including the immediate distribution of surplus grains, a shift from cash crops to food crops, and the nationalization of private medical facilities nationwide.
The COVID-19 crisis is the third disease to go pandemic since the great 1918-20 flu, which may have killed up to 100 million people. But climate change is producing conditions that favor the growth of diseases like the corona virus and vector-driven pathogens like dengue and malaria.
The next pandemic is just around the corner, and unless there is a concentrated effort to make health care a human right, it is only a matter of time before the next mega-killer strikes.
*Conn Hallinan can be read at dispatchesfromtheedgeblog.wordpress.com and middleempireseries.wordpress.com.
The post The Coronavirus Comes For India – OpEd appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 9 minutes ago.
While the coronavirus has focused much of the world on Europe and the United States, India may eventually prove the hardest-hit victim of the disease.
But other than a slick public relations campaign, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done little to confront the crisis. Indeed, a number of policy moves by Delhi have likely fed the spread of the dangerous virus.
When Modi announced a 21-day nationwide shutdown on March 24, he did so without any warning. Almost before the prime minister had finished talking, panicked city residents — mostly middle class — poured into the streets to stock up on food and medicines, almost certainly accelerating the spread of COVID-19.
The shutdown instantly made tens of millions of people jobless, setting many of them in motion toward their home villages. Since public transportation has been shut down, that involved journeys of over 300 miles. And because many villages are blocking outsiders, where migrants will get food and water is anyone’s guess.
Except for a few independent news sources, much of the chaos set off by the March 24 orders has gone unreported. Using a combination of financial pressure and outright censorship, Modi and his right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have silenced much of the media. Newspapers and broadcast outlets are finding that criticism of Modi or the BJP results in the loss of government advertising, a major source of revenue. Modi has also filed expensive and difficult to fight tax cases against opposition media outlets.
In the case of the coronavirus, the government got the Supreme Court to order all media to publish the “official version” of the health crisis, which, in practice, has meant feel-good stories.
The success that the BJP has had in corralling India’s 17,000 newspapers, 100,000 magazines, and 178 television news channels has been sharply condemned by media organizations. Reporters Without Borders rates India a lowly 140 out of 180 countries on its press freedom index.
**Reporting on the Rural Poor**
Modi has led a high-profile campaign to create a regional response to the COVID-19 crisis.
On March 15, Modi convened a teleconference of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to create a coronavirus emergency fund and exchange medical information. On March 26, Modi expanded the effort to draw in the G-20, an international forum of wealthy governments and banks that includes the European Union.
But there is suspicion that Modi’s regional and international efforts have more to do with repairing his government’s reputation than confronting the health crisis.
Modi’s unilateral seizure of Jammu and Kashmir in violation of the Indian constitution — and subsequent crackdown on any and all opposition to the takeover — was widely condemned internationally. The recent move by the Modi government to redefine “citizenship” in a way that excludes Muslims has also been widely criticized. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, called the law a violation of several international agreements that India is a party to.
There has been scant follow through by Modi with either the SAARC or the G-20, and the government has done little at home. India’s public health system is fragile at the best of times, with only 0.5 hospital beds for every 1,000 people. In contrast, Italy has almost seven times that figure.
But that doesn’t mean Modi is getting a free pass at home.
One important independent outlet reporting on the Covid-19 crisis has been Rural India Online, part of the People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI), a network of reporters and photojournalists who report on the rural dwellers who make up 70 percent of the population.
P. Sainath, PARI’s founder and editor — and winner of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award and Amnesty International’s Global Award for Human Rights — is sharply critical of the Modi government’s actions. PARI’s reporters have covered what the mainstream media has been intimidated from reporting: the massive number of poor who have taken to the roads to return home, cancer patients sleeping outside of hospitals in the hope of getting treatment, and day laborers who cannot afford to miss any work. One told PARI reporter Shraddha Agarwal, “Soap won’t save us if we die of hunger first.”
PARI reporters have also done a number of stories on India’s sanitation workers, few of whom have been provided with gloves or masks. “The government is saying clean hands constantly,” Mumbai sanitation worker Archana Chabuskwan told PARI reporter Jyoti Shinoli. “How do we do that?” Hand sanitizers are too expensive (Chabuskwan makes just $2.63 a day), water supplies are iffy, and social distancing is impossible. “We have to share a public toilet with hundreds of people.”
If sanitation workers do get sick — or, for that matter, any of Mumbai’s 20 million residents — they are in trouble. Government hospitals currently have 400 ventilators and 1,000 intensive care beds available for the entire city.
**An Ascendant Far Right**
India’s health crisis is longstanding. And while the actions of the Modi government will almost certainly worsen the current crisis, for the past 30 years Indian governments — right and center — have cut back on health care and privatized much of the system.
“We have one of the lowest health expenditures — barely 1.2 percent (as a share of the GDP) in the world,” writes Sainath. Almost a quarter of a million Indians die each year of tuberculosis and 100,000 children from diarrhea. The U.S. spends about 17 percent of its GDP on health.
According to Sainath, “Health expenditures across India today are possibly the fastest growing component of rural family debt.” A study by the Public Health Foundation of India found that in 2011-2012, some 55 million people had been impoverished by health costs, 38 million by the cost of medicine alone.
That is what a substantial part of India’s 1.3 billion people face as COVID-19 ramps up, and they are unlikely to get much help from the BJP or Modi.
When China finally went public with the dangers posed by the coronavirus, India was convulsed with sectarian riots touched off by some of Modi’s cabinet members. Over 50 people were killed in New Delhi and hundreds injured as rightwing mobs organized by the Rashtyria Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) rampaged through the streets.
The RSS — an organization that philosopher and political commentator Aijaz Ahmad describes as the “oldest, largest and most successful far-right group in the world today” — is the real power behind Modi. The BJP is largely a front for the RSS, a Hindu fundamentalist organization that is “profoundly hierarchical and secretive,” according to Ahmed.
The top-down, no warning decree on the corona virus is typical of the way the RSS functions. In 2016 — again, with no warning — Modi unilaterally canceled all 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, throwing the country into currency chaos and further impoverishing large numbers of poor Indians.
The RSS’s major goal is the creation of a Hindu-centered state, and it is not shy about using violence to do that, either of the mob variety, or by assassination. Gunmen have killed several prominent opponents of the RSS over the past several years, killings that have never been solved.
The focus on religion has skewed the government’s priorities. The chief minister of India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, spent $91 million to build a huge statue of the god Ram, while short changing emergency medical facilities.
With much of India’s mainstream press either co-opted or cowed, it is alternative sources like the People’s Archive of Rural India that has picked up the slack and reported what is happening to the vast majority of Indians that live outside the huge metropolises, as well as what slum dwellers and city sanitation workers are facing.
**An End to Impunity?**
So far, Modi and the RSS have avoided having to answer for the increase in violence and the social priorities that have widened the gap between rich and poor. But COVID-19 may change that.
The PARI has put forth a series of demands to address the current crisis, including the immediate distribution of surplus grains, a shift from cash crops to food crops, and the nationalization of private medical facilities nationwide.
The COVID-19 crisis is the third disease to go pandemic since the great 1918-20 flu, which may have killed up to 100 million people. But climate change is producing conditions that favor the growth of diseases like the corona virus and vector-driven pathogens like dengue and malaria.
The next pandemic is just around the corner, and unless there is a concentrated effort to make health care a human right, it is only a matter of time before the next mega-killer strikes.
*Conn Hallinan can be read at dispatchesfromtheedgeblog.wordpress.com and middleempireseries.wordpress.com.
The post The Coronavirus Comes For India – OpEd appeared first on Eurasia Review. Reported by Eurasia Review 9 minutes ago.
↧
↧
As Earth Day Approaches, Venice, Amid the Coronavirus, Environmentally Flourishes
Earth Day has become a staple for environmental activists around the world to raise awareness surrounding our planet. And with the coronavirus pandemic forcing major cities in lockdowns, one city in..
Studio: Veuer
↧
The Italian doctors treating patients at home
For doctors in northern Italy, fighting what is still Europe’s worst outbreak of COVID-19, the frontlines have moved beyond hospitals as special teams try to keep patients alive at home, away from..
Studio: Reuters Studio
↧
Around the World in 90 Seconds
China's COVID-19 death toll was adjusted up and medicine delivery by bike in Italy. Here are your coronavirus headlines from around the world.
Studio: Cheddar Inc.
↧
Big media companies see boost in audience, but it may not last
The more people stay home to avoid the coronavirus pandemic, the more they find themselves glued to their screens.
In South Korea, as the number of cases grew, television watching shot up 17%, according to Nielsen. Last month in Italy, the size of the TV audience increased by 6.5%, with a 12% rise in hard-hit Lombardy.
In the Seattle area, total television use increased 22% on March 11, compared with the week before, according to Nielsen. In New York that same day, as more people started working from home, use went up 8%. (Total use, as defined by Nielsen, includes live television, on-demand viewing, streaming and gaming.)
But for media companies, the benefit of having a bigger-than-usual audience may be short-lived, because the outbreak threatens to undercut the very structure of their business. With businesses laying off workers and analysts warning of a recession as global economies slow, a significant number of viewers may decide in the coming months to break away from cable or cut back on streaming subscriptions.
The gain in audience size “will be replaced pretty quickly by the necessity of reducing monthly bills, when people will have to deal with the financial impacts of a recession,” said Craig Moffett, a co-founder of research firm MoffettNathanson. “Cord cutting will accelerate with a vengeance.”
The Walt Disney Co., ViacomCBS and other media giants face a pivotal moment as the delicate balance that protects their business — live content tied to high-cost subscriptions — erodes even faster. It started with the sudden disappearance of a dependable asset: sports programming.
Live sports coverage generates billions of advertising dollars and fuels television subscriptions — a combination that delivers fat profits. But leagues have canceled or postponed their seasons, NCAA’s March tournament... Reported by SFGate 4 days ago.
In South Korea, as the number of cases grew, television watching shot up 17%, according to Nielsen. Last month in Italy, the size of the TV audience increased by 6.5%, with a 12% rise in hard-hit Lombardy.
In the Seattle area, total television use increased 22% on March 11, compared with the week before, according to Nielsen. In New York that same day, as more people started working from home, use went up 8%. (Total use, as defined by Nielsen, includes live television, on-demand viewing, streaming and gaming.)
But for media companies, the benefit of having a bigger-than-usual audience may be short-lived, because the outbreak threatens to undercut the very structure of their business. With businesses laying off workers and analysts warning of a recession as global economies slow, a significant number of viewers may decide in the coming months to break away from cable or cut back on streaming subscriptions.
The gain in audience size “will be replaced pretty quickly by the necessity of reducing monthly bills, when people will have to deal with the financial impacts of a recession,” said Craig Moffett, a co-founder of research firm MoffettNathanson. “Cord cutting will accelerate with a vengeance.”
The Walt Disney Co., ViacomCBS and other media giants face a pivotal moment as the delicate balance that protects their business — live content tied to high-cost subscriptions — erodes even faster. It started with the sudden disappearance of a dependable asset: sports programming.
Live sports coverage generates billions of advertising dollars and fuels television subscriptions — a combination that delivers fat profits. But leagues have canceled or postponed their seasons, NCAA’s March tournament... Reported by SFGate 4 days ago.
↧
↧
Would you give up health or location data to return to work?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cameron Karosis usually strives to protect his personal information. But a scary bout of COVID-19 that began last month with headaches and fevers, progressed to breathing problems and led to a hospital visit has now left him eager to disclose as much as possible to help halt the virus’ spread.
Karosis has already shared personal details with Massachusetts health investigators. And if he was asked to comply with a disease-tracking phone app that monitored his whereabouts but didn’t publicly reveal his name and Cambridge street address, he said he’d do that, too.
“I’m sick and I’m under a quarantine -- hold me accountable for it,” the 27-year-old software salesman said. “You have the potential to kill other people.”
As countries around the world edge toward ending lockdowns and restarting their economies and societies, citizens are being more closely monitored, in nations rich and poor, authoritarian and free.
New systems to track who is infected and who isn’t, and where they’ve been, have been created or extended in China, South Korea and Singapore. And a range of other surveillance systems – some utilizing GPS location data, some gathering medical data – have been debated or piloted in Israel, Germany, the U.K., Italy and elsewhere.
The challenge: achieving the tricky balance between limiting the spread of disease and allowing people freedom to move outside their homes.
Whether the prospect on the table is “immunity passports” or cellphone-based tracking apps, the aim is to protect public health. But experts say it’s also important to avoid a slippery-slope scenario where data collected to minimize the spread of disease is stored indefinitely, available without limits to law enforcement or susceptible to hackers.
.
.. Reported by SeattlePI.com 4 days ago.
Karosis has already shared personal details with Massachusetts health investigators. And if he was asked to comply with a disease-tracking phone app that monitored his whereabouts but didn’t publicly reveal his name and Cambridge street address, he said he’d do that, too.
“I’m sick and I’m under a quarantine -- hold me accountable for it,” the 27-year-old software salesman said. “You have the potential to kill other people.”
As countries around the world edge toward ending lockdowns and restarting their economies and societies, citizens are being more closely monitored, in nations rich and poor, authoritarian and free.
New systems to track who is infected and who isn’t, and where they’ve been, have been created or extended in China, South Korea and Singapore. And a range of other surveillance systems – some utilizing GPS location data, some gathering medical data – have been debated or piloted in Israel, Germany, the U.K., Italy and elsewhere.
The challenge: achieving the tricky balance between limiting the spread of disease and allowing people freedom to move outside their homes.
Whether the prospect on the table is “immunity passports” or cellphone-based tracking apps, the aim is to protect public health. But experts say it’s also important to avoid a slippery-slope scenario where data collected to minimize the spread of disease is stored indefinitely, available without limits to law enforcement or susceptible to hackers.
.
.. Reported by SeattlePI.com 4 days ago.
↧
SKorea voting precautions highlight challenges of reopening
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea's parliamentary elections went ahead Wednesday under the supervision of masked poll workers armed with thermometers and sanitizing spray, highlighting that even as the coronavirus pandemic eases, health precautions will still be needed if countries move forward with plans to scale back social distancing guidelines.
When and how to reopen battered economies has been a matter of intense debate, especially in the United States, where governors have begun sketching out plans to do so in a slow and methodical process to prevent the coronavirus from rebounding. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see the U.S. reopened for business quickly, though on Tuesday he appeared to back off his claim of absolute authority to determine when that happens.
In Italy, Spain and other places around Europe where infections and deaths have begun stabilizing, the process is already underway, with certain businesses and industries allowed to start back up. In South Korea, authorities resisted calls to postpone Wednesday's vote and instead drew up a deliberate set of preventive measures to reduce risks of the virus being transmitted.
Tape or stickers marked a meter (3 feet) of social distancing space from nearby streets to ballot booths. Poll workers checked the temperatures of arrivals and whisked anyone with a fever or not wearing a mask to separate areas to vote, sanitizing the facilities after they did. Voters who passed the fever screening got sanitizing gel and disposable plastic gloves before entering booths to cast their ballots.
The government also mapped out a voting process for citizens quarantined in their homes.
“I was worried about the coronavirus,” Seoul resident Chung Eun-young said. “They checked my temperature and handed me gloves, but it wasn’t as... Reported by SeattlePI.com 4 days ago.
When and how to reopen battered economies has been a matter of intense debate, especially in the United States, where governors have begun sketching out plans to do so in a slow and methodical process to prevent the coronavirus from rebounding. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to see the U.S. reopened for business quickly, though on Tuesday he appeared to back off his claim of absolute authority to determine when that happens.
In Italy, Spain and other places around Europe where infections and deaths have begun stabilizing, the process is already underway, with certain businesses and industries allowed to start back up. In South Korea, authorities resisted calls to postpone Wednesday's vote and instead drew up a deliberate set of preventive measures to reduce risks of the virus being transmitted.
Tape or stickers marked a meter (3 feet) of social distancing space from nearby streets to ballot booths. Poll workers checked the temperatures of arrivals and whisked anyone with a fever or not wearing a mask to separate areas to vote, sanitizing the facilities after they did. Voters who passed the fever screening got sanitizing gel and disposable plastic gloves before entering booths to cast their ballots.
The government also mapped out a voting process for citizens quarantined in their homes.
“I was worried about the coronavirus,” Seoul resident Chung Eun-young said. “They checked my temperature and handed me gloves, but it wasn’t as... Reported by SeattlePI.com 4 days ago.
↧
Italy Consumer Price Index (EU Norm) (YoY) meets expectations (0.1%) in March
Read more on https://www.fxstreet.com
Reported by FXstreet.com 4 days ago.
↧