How Does the Capitalist Pandemic Policy Affect the Income? Judge Yourself!

 

A new study about the development of income in Britain since the end of 2019 demonstrates an extraordinary increase in inequality

 

By Michael Pröbsting, International Secretary of the Revolutionary Communist International Tendency (RCIT), 14 December 2021, www.thecommunists.net

 

 

 

The capitalist ruling class and their barkers don’t get tired to tell us that their pandemic policy supposedly serves the interests of public health. They call for making “sacrifices” despite the “harm for the economy” in order to show “our solidarity with the old and vulnerable” and to save their lives. As we did demonstrate in a recent essay, a renown German historian of pandemics (and a dedicated liberal supporter of the Lockdown policy) even claims that the COVID policy of governments puts, for the first time in human history, “the interests of health above those of the economy”! [1]

 

The RCIT has demonstrated in a number of articles that this is – and always has been – utter nonsense! [2] In fact, the period since the beginning of the pandemic has been extremely profitable for the largest capitalist corporations and the billionaires. Bloomberg summarized the development in 2020 as follows: “The world’s 500 richest people added $1.8 trillion to their combined net worth this year and are now worth $7.6 trillion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Equivalent to a 31% increase, it’s the biggest annual gain in the eight-year history of the index and a $3 trillion jump from the market’s nadir in March. The gains were disproportionately at the top, where five individuals now hold fortunes in excess of $100 billion and another 20 are worth at least $50 billion.[3]

 

The New Economics Foundation recently published another study about the development of income in Britain which strongly confirms our Marxist analysis again. [4] The study compares the period from December 2019 to December 2021 and concludes that “families with below median household income have seen their living standards squeezed right across the distribution. On an annualised basis, the poorest 50% of families have seen their disposable incomes squeezed by an average of £110 in real terms (…), while the top 5% of families have seen gains of more than £3,300. This has seen poverty – defined in terms of families with equivalised income below 60% of the UK median before housing costs – rise by 300,000 in two years. (…) At the other end of the income scale, windfall gains for the richest 5% have been seven times higher than for anyone else in the top half of the distribution (…). This reflects the relative insulation from the effects of the downturn for certain high paying jobs and occupations, as well as continued growth in international stock markets across the period, despite inflation and reduced activity elsewhere in the real global economy.

 

In other words, the capitalist pandemic policy made the rich richer and the poor poorer. So, judge yourself: Who gains and who loses from the ruling class COVID policy which is characterized by Lockdowns, Green Pass and compulsory vaccination?!

 

From the RCIT, we repeat: the pandemic policy of the capitalist governments all around the world has never been primarily motivated by concern for public health. It rather serves political and economic interests of the rich and powerful. The key characteristics of the this policy – which we have called the COVID Counterrevolution – are expanding the power of the state apparatus and increasing the profits of the monopolies. [5] The key task now is to mobilize the workers and oppressed and to bring down these reactionary regimes!

 

 

 



[1] See Almedina Gunić and Michael Pröbsting: On Some Ideological Features of the COVID Counterrevolution. Comments on an interesting interview with a German liberal historian, 14 November 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/on-some-ideological-features-of-the-covid-counterrevolution/

[2] See on this e.g. Michael Pröbsting: Mass Vaccination Can Make You Rich… at least if you own a pharmaceutical corporation! 22 June 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/mass-vaccination-can-make-you-rich/; see by the same author: COVID-19: “A Market of up to 23 Billion US-Dollar”. The big corporations in the pharmaceutical industry expect gigantic profits by the vaccine business, 12 February 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-a-market-of-up-to-23-billion-us-dollar/; see also by the same author: COVID-19: An Opportunity Too Good to Be Missed by the Lords of Wealth and Money (Part 1). An “official” confirmation of the Marxist analysis that the ruling class utilizes the pandemic for expanding the bonapartist state, 18 January 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-an-opportunity-to-good-to-be-missed-by-the-lords-of-wealth-and-money-part-1/; COVID-19: An Opportunity Too Good to Be Missed by the Lords of Wealth and Money (Part 2). A few examples of how the monopoly capitalists rob the workers under the cover of the anti-democratic Lockdown policy, 11 February 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-an-opportunity-too-good-to-be-missed-by-the-lords-of-wealth-and-money-part-2/; COVID-19: That Was A Damn Good Year … for the Billionaires in West and East who massively gained from the anti-democratic Lockdown policy, 5 January 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-that-was-a-damn-good-year-for-the-billionaires-in-west-and-east/

[3] Devon Pendleton and Jack Witzig: Bezos, Musk Smash Records as World’s Richest Added $1.8 Trillion, Bloomberg, 31. Dezember 2020, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-31/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-smash-records-as-world-s-richest-people-add-1-8-trillion

[4] Dominic Caddick, Alfie Stirling: Half of UK families are £110 worse off a year since 2019 general election, New Economics Foundation, 13 December 2021, https://neweconomics.org/2021/12/two-years-on-britain-has-been-torn-apart-not-levelled-up

[5] The RCIT has analyzed the COVID-19 counterrevolution extensively since its beginning. Starting from 2 February 2020 we have published about 100 pamphlets, essays, articles and statements plus a book which are all compiled at a special sub-page on our website: https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/collection-of-articles-on-the-2019-corona-virus/. In particular we refer readers to two RCIT Manifestos: COVID-19: A Cover for a Major Global Counterrevolutionary Offensive. We are at a turning point in the world situation as the ruling classes provoke a war-like atmosphere in order to legitimize the build-up of chauvinist state-bonapartist regimes, 21 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-a-cover-for-a-major-global-counterrevolutionary-offensive/; “Green Pass” & Compulsory Vaccinations: A New Stage in the COVID Counterrevolution. Down with the chauvinist-bonapartist police & surveillance state – defend democratic rights! No to health policy in the service of the capitalist monopolies – expand the public health sector under workers and popular control! 29 July 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/green-pass-compulsory-vaccinations-a-new-stage-in-the-covid-counterrevolution/; In addition, we draw attention to our book by Michael Pröbsting: The COVID-19 Global Counterrevolution: What It Is and How to Fight It. A Marxist analysis and strategy for the revolutionary struggle, RCIT Books, April 2020, Chapter V, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/the-covid-19-global-counterrevolution/. See also our very first article on this issue by Almedina Gunić: Coronavirus: "I am not a Virus"... but WE will be the Cure! The chauvinist campaign behind the “Wuhan Coronavirus” hysteria and the revolutionary answer, 2 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/wuhan-virus/. Almedina Gunić and Michael Pröbsting: On Some Ideological Features of the COVID Counterrevolution. Comments on an interesting interview with a German liberal historian, 14 November 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/on-some-ideological-features-of-the-covid-counterrevolution/; See also a number of Spanish-language articles of our Argentinean comrades: Juan Giglio: La izquierda de la "Big Pharma", dejó de defender las libertades, 1.10.2021, https://convergenciadecombate.blogspot.com/2021/10/la-izquierda-de-la-big-pharma-dejo-de.html; Juan Giglio: ¿Por qué la izquierda no cuestiona las políticas de la OMS? 8.9.2021, https://convergenciadecombate.blogspot.com/2021/09/por-que-la-izquierda-no-cuestiona-las.html

 

자본주의 코로나 방역 정책은 소득에 어떻게 영향을 미치나?

스스로 판단하라! 부익부 빈익빈

 

미하엘 프뢰브스팅, 혁명적 공산주의인터내셔널 동맹 (RCIT) 국제서기, 2021 12 14, www.thecommunists.net

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오늘도 지치지 않고 자본주의 지배계급과 그들의 호객꾼들은 자신들의 팬데믹 방역 대책이 공공보건을 위한 것이라고 우리에게 말한다. “경제에 해가 됨에도 불구하고 노약자에 대한 우리의 연대를 보이고 분들의 생명을 구하기 위해 희생이 필요하다 저들은 말한다. 우리가 며칠 시론에서 보여주었듯이, 저명한 자유주의 성향의 팬데믹 역사가는 심지어 자본가 정부의 코로나 정책이 인류 역사상 처음으로 경제보다 보건 우선시하고 있다고까지 주장한다.

 

RCIT 수많은 기사에서 이것이 완전한 헛소리임을 보여주어 왔다.[2] 실제로 코로나 발병 이래 현재까지의 팬데믹 기간은 재벌·대기업과 억만장자들에게 특히 거대한 이윤을 안겨준 시간이다. 블룸버그 통신은 2020 자본가·부자들의 실태를 다음과 같이 요약했다. "블룸버그 세계 억만장자 순위 (Bloomberg Billionaires Index) 따르면 세계 500 부자들은 올해 그들의 순자산에 18000 달러를 추가하여 현재 76000 달러에 이른다. 이는 블룸버그 순위 조사 8 역사상 가장 연간 상승폭이며 3 시장 최저치에서 3 달러나 급등한 것이다. 최상위 5명의 개인이 현재 1,000 달러 이상의 재산을, 다음 20명이 최소 500 달러 이상의 재산을 보유하고 있는 , 최상층에서 재산 증가는 불균형했다.”[3]

 

최근 신경제재단(NEF) 영국의 소득 추이에 관한 다른 연구 결과를 발표했는데, 이는 우리의 맑스주의적 분석을 다시 강력히 확인시켜준다.[4] 연구는 2019 12월부터 2021 12월까지의 기간을 비교하여 다음과 같이 결론 짓고 있다. "가구소득이 중위 이하인 가구들의 생활수준이 매우 저하된 것으로 나타났다. 연간 기준으로, 가난한 하위 50% 가구는 실질 가처분소득이 평균 110파운드 [ 174천원] 하락한 반면..., 상위 5% 가구는 3,300파운드 이상 증가했다. 주거비 공제 균등화 소득이 영국 중위값의 60% 이하인 가구로 정의되는 빈곤가구는 2 만에 30 가구 증가했다.... 소득 분위의 다른 끝에서는 최상위 5% 횡재 이득이 상위 절반의 어느 누구보다도 7 높았다.... 이는 인플레이션과 밖의 실물 세계경제 다른 영역에서의 활동 감소에도 불구하고 기간 동안 국제 주식시장의 지속적인 성장과 함께 보수가 높은 직종이 경기침체의 영향에서 상대적으로 벗어나 있던 상황을 반영한다.“

 

, 자본주의 방역 정책이 부익부 빈익빈을 만든 것이다. 그러니 스스로 판단해보라. 록다운, 백신패스, 백신접종 의무화 지배계급의 코로나 대책으로 누가 득을 보고 누가 실을 보는지?!

 

우리는 재차 강조한다. 세계 자본가 정부의 팬데믹 정책은 일차적 동인이 공공보건 우려에서 비롯한 적이 없다. 일차적 동인은 부자와 권력자들의 정치적·경제적 이익을 증진시키는 있다. 우리가 코로나 반혁명이라고 부르는 정책은 국가 억압기구를 확충하고 독점자본의 이윤을 증대시키는 것을 핵심 과제로 한다.[5] 이에 우리의 핵심 임무는 노동자·피억압자 주체의 투쟁으로 반동 체제를 무너뜨리는 것이다!

 

 

 

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[1] 다음을 보라. Almedina Gunić and Michael Pröbsting: On Some Ideological Features of the COVID Counterrevolution. Comments on an interesting interview with a German liberal historian, 14 November 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/on-some-ideological-features-of-the-covid-counterrevolution/ [<코로나 반혁명의 가지 이데올로기적 특징에 대하여> https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/on-some-ideological-features-of-the-covid-counterrevolution/#anker_5]

 

[2] 이에 대해서는 다음을 보라. Michael Pröbsting: Mass Vaccination Can Make You Rich at least if you own a pharmaceutical corporation! 22 June 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/mass-vaccination-can-make-you-rich/ [<대량 백신접종이 당신을 억만장자로 만들어줄 있다...적어도 당신이 제약회사를 소유하고 있다면!> https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/mass-vaccination-can-make-you-rich/#anker_2]; 같은 저자의 다음 글도 보라. COVID-19: “A Market of up to 23 Billion US-Dollar”. The big corporations in the pharmaceutical industry expect gigantic profits by the vaccine business, 12 February 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-a-market-of-up-to-23-billion-us-dollar/; 다음도 보라. COVID-19: An Opportunity Too Good to Be Missed by the Lords of Wealth and Money (Part 1). An “official” confirmation of the Marxist analysis that the ruling class utilizes the pandemic for expanding the bonapartist state, 18 January 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-an-opportunity-to-good-to-be-missed-by-the-lords-of-wealth-and-money-part-1/; COVID-19: An Opportunity Too Good to Be Missed by the Lords of Wealth and Money (Part 2). A few examples of how the monopoly capitalists rob the workers under the cover of the anti-democratic Lockdown policy, 11 February 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-an-opportunity-too-good-to-be-missed-by-the-lords-of-wealth-and-money-part-2/; COVID-19: That Was A Damn Good Year for the Billionaires in West and East who massively gained from the anti-democratic Lockdown policy, 5 January 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-that-was-a-damn-good-year-for-the-billionaires-in-west-and-east/

 

[3] Devon Pendleton and Jack Witzig: Bezos, Musk Smash Records as World’s Richest Added $1.8 Trillion, Bloomberg, 31. Dezember 2020, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-31/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-smash-records-as-world-s-richest-people-add-1-8-trillion

 

[4] Dominic Caddick, Alfie Stirling: Half of UK families are £110 worse off a year since 2019 general election, New Economics Foundation, 13 December 2021, https://neweconomics.org/2021/12/two-years-on-britain-has-been-torn-apart-not-levelled-up

 

[5] RCIT 코로나19 반혁명을 시작 이래로 광범위하게 분석해왔다. 2020 2월부터 시작해서 우리는 100 넘게 팜플렛과 시론, 성명, 논설, 그리고 단행본 책을 냈다. 다음의 우리 웹사이트 별도 하위 페이지에서 이것들을 있다. https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/collection-of-articles-on-the-2019-corona-virus/. 특히 다음을 보라. RCIT Manifesto: COVID-19: A Cover for a Major Global Counterrevolutionary Offensive. We are at a turning point in the world situation as the ruling classes provoke a war-like atmosphere in order to legitimize the build-up of chauvinist state-bonapartist regimes, 21 March 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/covid-19-a-cover-for-a-major-global-counterrevolutionary-offensive/. [<코로나19: 글로벌 반혁명 공세를 가리는 덮개> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/covid-19-cover-for-major-global-counterrevolutionary-offensive/] 다음의 RCIT 2 시국선언도 보라. Manifesto: “Green Pass” & Compulsory Vaccinations: A New Stage in the COVID Counterrevolution. Down with the chauvinist-bonapartist police & surveillance state defend democratic rights! No to health policy in the service of the capitalist monopolies expand the public health sector under workers and popular control! 29 July 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/green-pass-compulsory-vaccinations-a-new-stage-in-the-covid-counterrevolution/ [<“백신여권” & 백신접종 의무화: 코로나 반혁명의 새로운 단계> https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/green-pass-compulsory-vaccinations-a-new-stage-in-the-covid-counterrevolution/#anker_3]; 다음도 보라. Michael Pröbsting: The COVID-19 Global Counterrevolution: What It Is and How to Fight It. A Marxist analysis and strategy for the revolutionary struggle, RCIT Books, April 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/theory/the-covid-19-global-counterrevolution/. [<<코로나19 글로벌 반혁명>> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/book-the-covid-19-global-counterrevolution/] 문제에 대한 다음 우리의 기사도 보라. Almedina Gunić: Coronavirus: "I am not a Virus"... but WE will be the Cure! The chauvinist campaign behind the “Wuhan Coronavirus” hysteria and the revolutionary answer, 2 February 2020, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/wuhan-virus/ [<코로나바이러스: “우한 바이러스히스테리 뒤에 숨은 배외주의 캠페인> https://www.thecommunists.net/home/%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%96%B4/wuhan-virus/]; Almedina Gunić and Michael Pröbsting: On Some Ideological Features of the COVID Counterrevolution. Comments on an interesting interview with a German liberal historian, 14 November 2021, https://www.thecommunists.net/worldwide/global/on-some-ideological-features-of-the-covid-counterrevolution/; RCIT 아르헨티나 동지들의 다음 스페인어 기사들도 보라. Juan Giglio: La izquierda de la "Big Pharma", dejó de defender las libertades, 1.10.2021, https://convergenciadecombate.blogspot.com/2021/10/la-izquierda-de-la-big-pharma-dejo-de.html; Juan Giglio: ¿Por qué la izquierda no cuestiona las políticas de la OMS? 8.9.2021, https://convergenciadecombate.blogspot.com/2021/09/por-que-la-izquierda-no-cuestiona-las.html