A coronavirus is not a “grim reaper” whose victims are random, but a class problem.
This was announced on Tuesday, May 12, by The Guardian columnist Owen Jones, commenting on the government’s decision to lift quarantine restrictions against the backdrop of the kingdom taking second place in terms of deaths from COVID-19.
“If you are a middle-class professional, you can work safely at home, whether you go outside for leisure, sports or sunbathing. For everyone else, it’s time to get back to work, and good luck”, – the journalist retold the statement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
According to him, the country’s authorities have shown that they believe in the freedom of “those who can afford it”. Therefore, the essence of the compromise decision of the government is “actively encouraging” the return to work of those who cannot work at home: factory workers, cleaners, etc. At the same time, managers can very well afford to work at home.
“Coronavirus is a class problem. This is not an indiscriminate grim reaper who randomly selects his victims, regardless of class boundaries or ethnicity. It targets people with pre-existing diseases that are more common among poorer Britons. To a large extent, he spared those who can make a living using Zoom, not at all like those whose working lives make human contact an inevitable necessity”, – the author says.
Referring to the data of the National Statistical Office, Jones noted that the largest number of deaths from coronavirus among men with a low-skilled profession. In particular, drivers, security guards suffer.
“The only conclusion that can be made is that the health and even the lives of people from the working class are assessed as consumables for the more important: profit and shareholder income”, – the journalist said.