Friday, 16 October 2020
COVID inequality and long term care - the solution that neoliberalism forbids
Remember this man, now, predictably on several Canadian corporate boards? Championed most notably by former prime miniister Stephen Harper, but in fact the presiding principle of most governments in recent ears neoliberalism counsels government cutbacks and market expansion, whatever the consequences for unemployment and social distress. Today, there is much lamenting by Canada's political leadership about "the vulnerable", i.e. the largely poor and racialized victims, but the real problem is being avoided, so no solution will be achieved. The real problem for the COVID "vulnerable" is that the great majority of long term care [LTC] homes in Toronto and Canada as a whole are for-profiit in institutions or ill funded public ones, for which the real bottom'line for most is profit generation, profit maximization and cost minimization. Death and disease are marketing problems for the LTC industry but if most homes have the same concerns - the "market" norm - this means that there will be no solution as decisions tht are made are based on achieving or increasing profit, not on saving lives. Talk about LTC home guidelines by the Liberal government are a cop-out since it means there will be no obligation to do the right thing. Public ownership and accountability by adequately funded public bodies are the solution, It was for the same resaon that\ Canada finally developed a public healthcare system in the 1960’s. Long term care is healthcare so the solution must be to include LTC in Canada's public healthcare system. This is a solution that "guidelines" are too weak to achieve. COVID times are not times for compromise. Serious about saving lives? The profit maximization and austerity of neoliberalism will not solve the problem governments say they want to solve. Are they serious? .
