Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

When it comes to humanity's relationship with nature, I feel there are two fundamental attitudes. There is the attitude of domination that wishes to control, subjugate and exploit nature for selfish, egotistical ends. Then there is the attitude of cooperation that aims to work with nature in a considerate and mutually respectful way. Sadly, "civilised" groups have from their inception been driven by the attitude of domination, strongly evidenced by patriarchy, organised religion and scientific materialism, and reaching a culmination with the massively destructive effects we have been having on our environment in recent times.

As an interconnected, profit-driven global society, we continue to exploit our environment. We are generating high amounts of fossil fuels, polluting the air and accelerating global warming. We are industrially trawling the oceans for fish, obliterating marine ecosystems. We are involved in industrial animal agriculture, which entails the mass destruction of forests, ocean dead zones, an over-use of pesticides and an over-production of the gases nitrous oxide and methane. The effects and implications of these practices are staggering and concern the very survival of life on Earth.

Nausicaä riding next to an ohmu

Released in 1984, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is the quintessential environmental film. In this film we find a female protagonist showing how everyone might relate to nature in an aligned, sensitive and empathetic way. Like Princess Mononoke (1997), Nausicaä is full of insight and contains vital lessons for humanity.

Nausicaä began as a manga in 1982. This beautiful, meticulously rendered manga was created by Hayao Miyazaki and completed in 1994. Miyazaki also wrote and directed the film adaptation. The manga differs from the film in various ways. In terms of plot, it is more complex. The story is also quite different. For example, the villain in the manga, Miralupa, who poses the greatest threat to Nausicaä, is not in the film.

The Nausicaä film was a significant benchmark in Miyazaki's career, employing many themes that recur throughout his oeuvre. In Nausicaä we find a multi-faceted female hero, a powerful female villain, a critique of human actions, flight as a strong theme, and powerful environmental messages.

Nausicaä was produced by Miyazaki's long time friend, associate and fellow director, Isao Takahata. The great success and popularity of Nausicaä in Japan initiated the rise of Studio Ghibli, encouraging Miyazaki and Takahata to make films in their own unique ways. It was also Miyazaki's first collaboration with music composer Joe Hisaishi, who did the soundtrack for Nausicaä and all Miyazaki's subsequent films.

Nausicaä, though just as rich and imaginative, is less fantastical than Miyazaki's other works. One would best categorise it as science fiction. It takes place on an Earth 1000 years in the future, after the failure and collapse of industrial civilisation and the destruction caused by "the seven days of fire", generated by the powerful warrior gods. Nature has made the world a dangerous and toxic place for humans to live in. Human societies still cling on, but plant life and insects dominate. The sea of corruption, not actually an ocean but a giant ever-spreading toxic forest, poses a constant threat to the human inhabitants of this future world, releasing deadly toxins that can kill humans and their crops.

Nausicaä is a princess of The Valley of the Wind tribe, daughter of the ailing King Jhil. Nausicaä swiftly appears as a charismatic and sensitive character, saving Lord Yupa, a member of The Valley of the Wind tribe and a master swordsman, from an enraged ohmu in one of the first scenes of the film.The ohmu are giant terrestrial insects who hold a highly prominent place in the film. In Nausicaä the great, enigmatic and mystical ohmu may be seen as symbols of the Earth, nature or our environment.

Nausicaä saving Lord Yupa from an enraged ohmu

Kushana leads the Tolmekians and, like Lady Eboshi from Mononoke, is one of Miyazaki's charismatic and powerful female villains. She is partly constituted of prosthetic robotic limbs due to an insect attack and is consequently consumed by a deep hatred for the insects and the sea of corruption. In the manga, Kushana's character is fairly different, where we learn more of her past and sympathise with her more. In the film we find out that, in order to burn and purge the sea of corruption, Kushana is attempting to revive one of the dormant warrior gods, which was unearthed from the kingdom of Pejite. The warrior gods may be seen as agents of pure destruction.

Nausicaä is not detached from experience and nature in the way that many others are. She is highly sensitive and receptive to her environment. From one of the Tolmekian air-crafts in which she is being held, Nausicaä spots something soaring from above. As the soaring object gradually crystallises into view, we see it is a gun-ship. Nausicaä views the gun-ship destroy a huge Tolmekian vessel and screams in desperation. Nausicaä is so strongly attuned to her environment that she can personally and physically feel each death or harmful act that occurs around her. She can't fathom why humans would inflict such unnecessary violence upon each other.

There is a cut to an effective dream sequence. Hisaishi's theme song for Nausicaä is heard in a soft and echoed way and the animation is sketched and simplified. We are seeing things from Nausicaä's perspective as a child. We hear Nausicaä resisting the adults who tower over her, whose many hands are seen prominently, as they are trying to take something from her. She is guarding a baby ohmu from them, crying "no, don't kill it!". This scene emotionally reiterates Nausicaä's relationship with the creatures around her, particularly the ohmu. We learn that she has always had a strong, intuitive and emotional bond with her environment.

Nausicaä finds herself in a large underground forest. We learn that the expansive area in which she has found herself is underneath the sea of corruption and is devoid of toxicity. Nausicaä surmises that the sea of corruption is purifying the polluted water and soil of Earth. We can thus deduce that the toxicity of the forest was caused solely by humans, via the god warriors and the seven days of fire, and that the sea of corruption has been involved in a purifying process ever since. This element of the plot may be seen as a strong social comment on humanity's development of toxic weaponry and pollution of our environment. Significant examples of the use of toxic weaponry that come to mind are the dropping of nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the use of Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide used to destroy crops and forests, in Vietnam. Both employed by the U.S and both still, after more than half a century, having toxic effects. It is also worth noting that the nuclear bombs were dropped on Miyazaki's homeland.

Nausicaä underneath the sea of corruption

Nausicaä goes to the kingdom of Pejite, which she finds has been devastated by charging ohmu. Pejite forces had angered the ohmu in order to quell the Tolmekian forces and aim to direct the rampaging ohmu to the valley of the wind, where the Tolmekians are based. The Pejite want to take back the warrior god in order to do exactly what the Tolmekians aim to do with it, purge their enemies and the sea of corruption. On discovering this, Nausicaä's disillusionment and desperation reappear. She screams for the Pejite to desist their plans. The Pejite are just as blind as the Tolmekians. They are unaware that by retaliating and attempting to purge their apparent enemies, they are perpetuating unnecessary conflicts. One can draw a parallel here with the war-mongering tendencies of recent Western governments. The ongoing, so-called "War on Terror" has undoubtedly fuelled war, death, hatred and extremism. Nausicaä is the only character in the film who has an accurate insight into the existing problems and dilemmas. Her desperation is thus an understandable and plausible reaction.

Nausicaä further discovers that the Pejite are using an intentionally maimed baby ohmu, hanging from a cable on an air-craft, to maintain the fury of the masses of ohmu. She attempts to save the baby, flying toward the Pejite who have captured it while being shot at. In spite of bullet wounds, her determination remains, steadfast, as she releases the ohmu and stops the Pejite with one of their guns. Nausicaä comforts the baby and stops it from crawling into an acidic lake which surrounds them. Nausicaa is burnt by the lake trying to help the baby. Her reactions belie desperation, again, mixed with an unwavering, indefatigable concern for the maimed ohmu.

Meanwhile, the valley inhabitants and the Tolmekians, including Kushana, face a vast sea of stampeding ohmu. The wise woman of the valley informs us that the rage of the ohmu is the rage of the Earth itself. They can't be stopped. Kushana still attempts to use the undeveloped warrior god to destroy the ohmu, but fails. Hope for escaping the raging ohmu appears lost.

Nausicaä appears with the baby ohmu, using the Pejite air-craft. She demands to be dropped, with the baby, in front of the stampeding ohmu, to the dismay of the valley people. There is a cut to Yupa, who is aboard a Pejite air-craft. The sea of ohmu below, while glowing red with fury before, gradually, from a central point, start glowing blue. They are calmed. It is Nausicaä's unconditional devotion to her environment that resolves matters. She has returned the baby and given her life to calm the masses of angered ohmu. But the ohmu lift Nausicaä's limp body with their long tendrils and rejuvenate her. We thus find that by fully and genuinely caring for our environment, our environment will work with us in a dynamic relationship of love, trust and cooperation. This scene is very emotional and expresses an incredibly vital message to humanity.

Image from the Nausicaä manga

During the film's development Nausicaä emerges as a powerful, multi-dimensional and incredibly likeable character. She has a unique and infinitely admirable affinity with the insects, and by extension nature, and she is consistently decisive, determined and steadfast. Nausicaä is an inspirational female hero, who shows us that if we are sensitive and receptive to our environment, if we learn to understand it properly, then we can live in a kind of harmony with it.

There is the argument that Nausicaä does not give enough information regarding the time and place in which it is set, unlike the manga which provides more context. The manga, for example, explains the Daikaisho and gives more detail as to how the sea of corruption was formed. In this respect, the film may have been more effective if done in two instalments. Or it could make an effective TV series. Ultimately, however, I do feel that enough information is provided for the film to work well and make sense.

Nature is the most prominent theme in Nausicaä, where we have a future projection of our world in which plants and insects dominate. Powerful social comments can be found in the film. War, environmental pollution and the use of toxic weaponry is heavily criticised. More broadly, the film criticises the blind, one-sided and egotistical acts of humans. The film explores two ways of relating to nature, as outlined earlier. It shows us, as an interconnected global society, that cooperating with our environment, as opposed to exploiting it, is how we will solve our greatest problems.

The Holy EU

It still irks me today how EU fanatics impacted UK politics so negatively, particularly the performance of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party. I actually witnessed people crying after the referendum result. How unfortunate. Then the comedian Stewart Lee, who I normally like, writes "arguments about Brexit are tearing my family apart".

Peoples vehement emotions towards the referendum vote were cultivated by mainstream media. I distrust any issue that is constantly shoved in my face by the popular press. Genuinely significant, nefarious events in the world are always hidden from the population. Our society in fact punishes those who reveal significant events. The imprisonment of Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, is the ultimate example of this. Wikileaks revealed to us evidence of war crimes by Western Governments, along with classified information about other governments. These war crimes require deep interrogation and bring into question the fundamental workings of the imperialist societies in which we live. A humane, moral society would promote transparency and honesty in all its operations. We don't live in such a society.

The reason the referendum vote was such a polarising and divisive issue is because UK media and politicians wanted it to be. The issue was in fact nuanced. It wasn't binary and it didn't warrant emotional, childish, heated conflicts. Corbyn was one of the only politicians willing to have a measured, balanced discussion about it, and just look at the way he was treated for doing so. 

At the time, I couldn't understand why the passion and intensity reserved for the EU wasn't also reserved for other things. People were possessed by the referendum vote, in an evangelical and superstitious fashion, and significantly lacked awareness of other issues at the time. An example of one such issue was Saudi Arabia's murderous treatment of Yemen, in what is still the worst humanitarian crisis across the globe, and Britain's complicity in this. The human cost and suffering of such a crisis may be hard for us to comprehend.

We are fed superficial narratives painting the EU as a communal institution, where countries are connected and support each other. One look at Greece's treatment, in recent times, will show you that such communality doesn't exist. But even if some communality did exist, it certainly does not extend to Libya or Syria, where refugees fleeing from conflict-stricken countries are unlawfully denied access to Europe. The automatic belief that the EU is about multiculturalism, tolerance and the eradication of borders is thus erroneous.

It seemed that many liberals reached tipping points with Trump and Brexit, seemingly blind to the fact that these events were symptoms of years of oppression and corruption. My tipping point wasn't Trump or Brexit. My tipping point was thousands of innocent civilians dying in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan. Or maybe the systematic oppression of working class people, in the US and UK, for over 40 years. Or maybe, depending on how far back we go, the Vietnam war. Or Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Corbyn was always critical of the EU, like his friend and colleague Tony Benn, with good reason. But he was clearly under immense pressure, by senior Labour colleagues, to push for another referendum vote. In this regard, the compromise that the Labour Party made at the 2019 General Election was a major factor in their defeat. Corbyn actually didn't go far left enough. By compromising and being more centrist and liberal, rather than truly progressive and left-wing, the Labour Party suffered a great election defeat. I don't think enough people get this.

Corbyn, Elections and the Case for Rebellion

Progressives have had a hopeful number of years, in both the US and UK. In the US, the huge grassroots movement of Bernie Sanders, which effectively began in 2016, inspired hope in many. Specifically hope that meaningful structural change could occur within electoral politics. Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party, beginning in 2015, did the same in the UK. In different ways, both movements ended in electoral defeat, and are now eclipsed by a global pandemic. In each of these movements, and their eventual defeat, there are extremely vital lessons that progressives need to learn and understand. I sincerely hope they do.

The membership of the Labour Party grew under Corbyn to about half a million, the biggest political group in Europe. In 2015 he won 2 leadership elections with a landslide each time. Clearly, many people wanted beneficial change and rightly saw Corbyn as representing that change. Unfortunately Corbyn, from the inception of his leadership, was relentlessly attacked and derided by mainstream media and the political class. I have never known of a politician to be treated in quite the way Corbyn was. It was astonishing and seemed to be an instinctive, convulsive reaction from most politicians and commentators. Was he deemed a threat to their interests maybe?

The attempts to delegitimise, trivialise and demonise Corbyn were, I believe, unparalleled in British history. Early on as Labour leader, Corbyn was treated as a joke by virtually all media commentators and politicians. People scoffed and said "why don't you just resign?", without ever citing any policy critiques or any critique of substance whatsoever. Politicians would rather make fun of the clothes he wore. As his popularity grew, the viciousness, vitriol and venom really came into play, especially from senior figures of his own party.

There was the infamous chicken coup that 172 Labour MPs were involved in. This coup involved members of the Parliamentary Labour Party and was designed to oust Corbyn as leader, in spite of the fact he won 2 landslide leadership elections and grew their party to half a million members. Every Labour politician involved in this coup disrespected the leadership, disrespected the membership and disregarded any notion of party unity. The amount of infighting and disharmony they created massively hindered Labour's performance in the 2017 General Election. Labour's peformance was actually remarkable considering the relentless campaign of denigration directed at Corbyn and his allies. The Labour politicians involved in the coup cared more about their careers and the status quo than the success of their own party. They should be ashamed of themselves. This reaction to Corbyn, both from within his party and without, was incredibly indicative of how toxic our society is and, importantly, how this toxicity infected the main political party meant to be representing working people. Of course, now we have the leaked Labour Report, verifiable proof that many senior Labour politicians actively sabotaged the 2017 General Election just to oust Corbyn as leader. The political implications of this report are staggering and it should not be doubted that these senior figures are responsible for the degradation, failure and ultimate destruction of the Labour Party.

In 2015, as a kind of outsider to the political landscape, I was utterly fascinated at how Corbyn was treated. Initially, this wasn't a political fascination for me. It was a fascination concerned with the very notion of truth. Lies and unfounded attacks poured like torrents from news outlets. The mainstream media was so clearly involved in a systematic campaign of vilification.

Following the Corbyn phenomenon closely, what I learned is that the mainstream media is an integral aspect of the British Establishment and the neoliberal hegemony of our society. In other terms, the mainstream media is vital in propping up the corrupt, powerful corporatists who control this country through lies, manipulation and propaganda. Neoliberalism, by the way, is unregulated capitalism. Neoliberalism is just as much an ideology as it is the dominant economic system of our society. But interestingly, by attacking Corbyn in such a vitriolic fashion, the Neoliberal Beast revealed itself. Normally, this beast conceals itself very effectively from public view. But in this instance, many people managed to catch a glimpse. This partly explains how Corbyn managed to politicise hundreds of thousands of people, including me. The injustice and immorality of this whole phenomenon was visceral and palpable, and incredibly motivating.

The rapper Lowkey called Corbyn a glitch in the matrix. This is accurate. The Establishment would never ordinarily permit a figure like Corbyn, who unwaveringly holds decent, humanitarian values, to attain leadership. His inclusion on the leadership ballot was not a serious choice and his election as leader was highly unexpected. New Labour holds the same fundamental values as the Conservative Party. Unless you change the fundamental conditions of oppression that each of these parties embodies, no substantial or meaningful change is ever going to occur in society. This is an indisputable argument to me that, if you are a true progressive, you will leave the Labour Party and devote your energy to civil disobedience. To stand up to the Neoliberal Beast that threatens all of us, we need to construct a viable opposition from outside the Establishment. You cannot do this within Labour. If you haven't learned this yet, I'm not sure when you will.

Some people might put forward the argument: "But if no progressive politicians were within Labour, if there was no internal pressure for good, then society would be even more oppressive". But maybe the fact that there are more progressives within Labour, making society a little more tolerable, just prolongs the fundamental conditions of oppression that you simply can't alter from within. Then we are in a situation where a handful of progressives are making minor reforms within the party, but the fundamental conditions of oppression just keep going on and on and on and no substantial change ever occurs.

We have reached a significant crossroads in 2020. This is, literally, the most significant period in human history. We face a climate and ecological catastrophe, as even the most conservative scientists are telling us. It really is all hands on deck. I'm not sure how many people get this? For those who believed in the Corbyn project (or Sanders project in US), for those who care about oppressed people, for those who are interested in evidence-based arguments, for those who understand the way unregulated capitalism is at the source of most of the world's problems, I urge you to properly look into the climate and ecological emergency. We need to unite behind this common problem and understand that it is the greatest threat we all face. Many people in poorer parts of the world are already suffering from climate and ecological breakdown, even though they are least responsible for this crisis. It should also be remembered that we have already entered what scientists call "The Sixth Mass Extinction". In other words we, as a species, are quite literally destroying life on Earth.

If all the progressives within Labour used their positions to form an alternative movement from outside the system, or joined a resistance movement like Extinction Rebellion, this will help create a viable opposition to the Neoliberal Beast. This really is the only option left. It is now or never. In this sense, Chris Hedges gets it, who argues that we need to "pit power against power". Neoliberal corporatists, in knowingly destroying life on Earth, have got us and our children by the throats. We can't dither and support minor, gradual reforms anymore. Chris Hedges writes:

"Refusal to participate in the further destruction of the planet means a rupture with traditional politics. It means noncooperation with authority. It means defying in every nonviolent way possible consumer capitalism, militarism and imperialism. It means adjusting our lifestyle, including becoming vegans, to thwart the forces bent upon our annihilation. And it means waves of sustained civil disobedience until the machine is broken"

Considering the gravity of the situation we are in and the severe threat posed to us by the corporate class, I would say it is radical not to rebel. It is extreme behaviour not to partake in civil disobedience. I am genuinely surprised that more people, especially progressives, aren't interested in rebellion and are continuing to spend energy on electoral politics.

Are you a Labour member who believed in the Corbyn project? Are you a Labour MP who believed in the Corbyn project? If so, stop clinging to this party. Stop hoping. We don't need hope. We need courage. Take action. Devote your energy to civil disobedience. Join Extinction Rebellion. Form a new movement. Connect with other movements. Support independent, evidence-based journalism. Get with the times. Write. Create. Share ideas. Support others. Don't give into hate.

Covid-19, Orwell and the Environmental Crisis

"They could be made to accept the most flagrant violations of reality, because they never fully grasped the enormity of what was demanded of them, and were not sufficently interested in public events to notice what was happening. By lack of understanding they remained sane" (George Orwell)

Times of crises reveal true colours. When under genuine pressure, people's actions and decisions tell us who they really are.

Unfortunately, the UK media functions in a truly Orwellian manner, where reality is reversed and the most basic awareness of what is happening before our eyes is distorted and concealed. There is true horror in our country right now. Thousands of avoidable deaths are occurring from Covid-19. Even many NHS staff are dying from the virus. These NHS staff are not being provided with basic PPE and there aren't enough ventilators for sick patients. But most people don't seem too bothered, because most people are not really aware of what is going on, because our media is unspeakably corrupt and incompetent. Most British lives are going on fairly normally, even though we're in lockdown. Spring weather has been glorious the past week. Life isn't too bad for many of us.

We saw what happened in Italy. In Spain. We had time to learn. We even saw countries who were dealing with this pandemic expertly and resourcefully, with great results. Such countries include China, South Korea and Vietnam. These countries managed the virus early on with great effect. We are fed caricature images of China by Western media, because China is deemed a threat to our way of life. But at least in the handling of this virus, they have put the US and UK to absolute shame.

It should be remembered that this pandemic is just a warm-up, a drill, for climate and ecological breakdown. We live in undoubtedly momentous times. Powerful countries are led by monsters. Beasts that even Edgar Allen Poe would have trouble describing. Donald Trump. Jair Bolsonaro. Boris Johnson. Scott Morrison. Most of the world's climate scientists, even the conservative ones, are telling us we have very little time to avert irreversible climate breakdown. Climate and ecological breakdown means death and suffering on a scale most of us can't comprehend. We clearly need radical, structural changes to avert such catastrophe. But these structural changes don't seem to be an option for our monstrous leaders. "It is easier to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism" (Žižek/Jameson). Of course, mainstream media isn't going to convey to you the real truth of the environmental crisis and they certainly aren't going to convey the real truth of how to alleviate it. Thus most people will not act accordingly. For how can you act upon what you don't know is happening?

Sadly, I don't know how much good this post I'm writing will do. I don't know what effect this will have. I despair a lot. At least it is a kind of release for me. Even if I had a large audience, the UK population swims in an Orwellian media-ocean of lies, deceit and vital omissions. All the main news outlets are part of this ocean, to varying degrees. The Guardian, The BBC, The Daily Mail, The Torygraph, The Sun. It can be pretty frustrating to speak to people sometimes. When I speak truthfully, or with evidence, I am either met with a kind of blank expression or sometimes with agitation and anger. "Either you repeat the same conventional doctrines everybody is saying, or else you say something true, and it will sound like it's from Neptune" (Noam Chomsky).

In the UK, we don't live in a society of truth and clarity. Our society is constituted of immoral power structures. Even those oppressed by such structures are conditioned to support them. For example, working class people are conditioned to admire and even revere Boris Johnson. They are conditioned to see him as a good laugh who isn't afraid to say it like it is, even though his interests are diametrically opposed to theirs. Boris does not respect the working class. He has attempted to oppress them his whole life, by encouraging privatisation of services like the NHS and supporting crippling austerity measures. His interests lie with the rich elite.

An important element to the Orwellian drama unfolding before our eyes is the way many people get aggressive or agitated when you challenge their world view. Such aggression is consciously cultivated by mainstream media and the corporate class, because this makes people easy to control and manipulate. When people are emotional and angry, they do not see with clarity. This is when the corporate class starts telling them that society's problems stem from immigrants, "benefits scroungers" or activists. Also, when peoples world views are challenged, it makes them feel very insecure, for it is like ripping the carpet from under them. People feel safe and comfortable in their bubbles of misinformation. Truth is often very hard to bear.

All one can do in this seemingly hopeless situation is keep telling the truth and get involved in civil disobedience. In this sense, Extinction Rebellion really gets it. Extinction Rebellion understands that change can't come from within our unimaginably corrupt, globalised system. They also understand that telling the unfiltered truth about the climate and ecological crisis is essential. Rebellion truly is the only option left.

Interestingly, in the face of staggering, insurmountable odds, non-violent direct action is the only place where you will feel content, purposeful and whole. This is what makes life worth living. For life is not about doing what you think will succeed, but doing what you know is right.

Keir Starmer

There's a lot of talk and interest about the election of Keir Starmer as Labour Party leader. This issue is nothing to be concerned about. Not worth your energy. If you want to help those in need, if you want actual progressive change, you will withdraw yourself from standard electoral politics.

Its very simple. Crystal clear. If you didn't learn from the most naked, vitriolic display of propaganda directed at Jeremy Corbyn, one of the few politicians who truly cares about the world, you may never learn. The more caring and progressive you are as a politician, the more you will be viciously demonised, even by members of your own party.

Lets remember that Mr Starmer, in 2016, was involved in the coup against Corbyn, his democratically elected leader. Starmer doesn't care about unifying the party. He doesn't respect Labour party members.

Though there may be some superficial benefits with a Starmer led Labour in power, relative to a Conservative government, the fundamental conditions of oppression will remain. If you want to adequately address issues that really matter, such as the climate and ecological crisis, perpetual war and the systematic oppression of working class people, then you will stop supporting immoral parties and politicians.

Now is not the time to dither and be hopeful. Now is the time to take action and be courageous. The only light in these dark times comes from civil disobedience. This, I believe, is the only means of tackling our significant societal problems.

UK Government and Covid-19

Critical analysis isn't about "scoring political points". It is about attempting to understand the world in which we live. Everyone should be doing this.

On January 24th, Chinese doctors published a paper in The Lancet, the distinguished British medical journal. They warned that the number of deaths in Wuhan was rising quickly and that the virus "could have acquired the ability for efficient human to human transmission". They also emphasised the pressure this would put on hospitals. On the same day, Chris Witty, England's Chief Medical Officer, informed us that the threat to the UK was "low" and that Britain was well prepared to deal with such a situation. Fast forward to present day UK: we are at 650-700 Covid-19 deaths daily, health care workers don't have enough PPE, medics are dying from the virus, there aren't nearly enough ventilators, there isn't nearly enough testing being done (even compared with the US!) and many hospitals are under pressure. Is this prepared? Is this a low threat? Any person with an ounce of morality, who knows what is going on, would be sickened by our government's response and should be ashamed of the criminal ineptitude and negligence of their leaders. But of course, accurate coverage by mainstream media is not being done.

February 29th was the first reported Coronavirus case in the UK. On March 5th, the UK government announced the "herd immunity" approach. The World Health Organisation (WHO) strongly advised against this approach, which went against scientific consensus. It wasn't until March 23rd that the government announced lockdown. Thus, in a complete u-turn, we went from herd immunity to lockdown. It should be very clear that the herd immunity approach is inexcusable and immoral. Some countries, such as Italy and Spain, are experiencing around 800 Covid-19 deaths a day. The UK is now closely catching up. The pressure on health services in these countries is enormous and even health workers are dying from the virus. In the UK multiple medics have already died, and this is without the strategy of herd immunity being fully embraced. If it had been fully embraced, the death figures would be far worse and the pressure on health services would be even more crippling. We still don't know this disease well. To allow an unknown disease to spread through the population unchecked is ludicrous and, again, shockingly irresponsible.

Some people say that the alternative to herd immunity is worse, which is going on lockdown and pausing "business as usual". One of the arguments is that by locking down, many poor people will struggle, especially in developing countries like India, because the small income that they did have would be gone and their governments wouldn't help them enough. Even in countries like the UK, locking down might mean being stuck with abusive partners or parents, for long periods of time, or again might mean poor people being in really difficult situations. Also, the economy would suffer greatly. These are of course arguments that are vital to consider. But this is where we need comprehensive government programmes that help vulnerable people during this pandemic and this is where we need community building and local co-operation. Seeing as though we are at 800 deaths a day in some countries, and these countries aren't even embracing herd immunity, this strategy should not be seen as an option. There are also positives to shutting down the economy, such as the huge reduction in air pollution. Air pollution, by the way, contributes to many thousands of deaths every year. Another point here is that there is poverty and suffering in many countries to begin with, which are the result of already toxic, unethical governments. Trying to return to business as usual and trying  to "keep the economy going" doesn't get to the root of this poverty and suffering. This pandemic and lockdown should be seen as an oppurtunity, by truly progressive people, to transform our societies for the better, by overcoming corporate tyrrany and giving power back to the people of the world.

South Korea and China are clear examples of countries who have dealt with this crisis swiftly and efficiently, as the WHO states. You might have been told different things by corrupt news outlets, but these outlets are not truthful or evidence-based. South Korea and China have contained the virus effectively and should be seen as models. It is unacceptable that even though we have had these instances to learn from, the UK government has dealt with this virus so irresponsibly and unethically. It seems that China and South Korea are intelligent enough to understand that the economy, or business as usual, can be paused while swift, firm containment measures are put in place.

Due to the nature of corruption and power, honest criticism of our governments is  discouraged in popular discourse. This is why most ordinary people will not criticise their government in an appropriate way and will not be fully aware of what is happening in the world. To put it more simply, people are conditioned to be submissive and uninformed. Thus, in pandemics like this, popular discourse will not encourage critical analysis of government action. This can deeply frustrating for some people who want to have an honest, critical conversation about what is going on.

I think a lot of focus really needs to be placed on this vital report from the WHO. UK decision-makers and medical officers really need to study this paper in detail. This report was completed as part of a joint mission between the World Health Organisation and China. This mission included 25 health experts from around the world who visited various cities in China. These experts carried out meetings and conducted field analyses of Chinese infrastructure and health services, in terms of studying the virus and how it was being dealt with. This mission took place between February 16th and February 24th. The findings of this report are trustworthy for the reasons that they are evidence-based and are the outcome of critical analysis and discussion. Here are some of the findings: 

"In the face of a previously unknown virus, China has rolled out perhaps the most ambitious, agile and aggressive disease containment effort in history. The strategy that underpinned this containment effort was initially a national approach that promoted universal temperature monitoring, masking and hand washing. However, as the outbreak evolved, and knowledge was gained, a science and risk-based approach was taken to tailor implementation. Specific containment measures were adjusted to the provincial, country and even community context, the capacity of the setting, and the nature of the novel Coronavirus transmission there.

Achieving China's exceptional coverage with and adherence to these containment measures has only been possible due to the deep commitment of the Chinese people to collective action in the face of a common threat. At a community level, this is reflected in the remarkable solidarity of provinces and cities in support of the most vulnerable populations and communities. Despite ongoing outbreaks in their own areas, Governors and Mayors have continued to send thousands of health care workers and tons of vital PPE supplies into Hubei province and Wuhan city. 

China's bold approach to contain the rapid spread of this new respiratory pathogen has changed the course of a rapidly escalating and deadly epidemic. A particularly compelling statistic is that on the first day of the advance team's work there were 2478 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in China. Two weeks later on the final day of this Mission, China reported 409 newly confirmed cases"

Clearly, China is an example of a country that has dealt with this pandemic expertly. Its strategies should be analysed and respected by other countries. In the UK, we were so lucky to have had the examples of other countries before us, yet the government seem to have learned nothing. In fact, by trying to implement herd immunity, we have gone directly against some very obvious advice. It makes me wonder whether the UK government cares at all about it' citizens? Or whether it is just deeply, deeply ignorant? Or deeply, deeply arrogant? Or a combination of the above? But this really isn't a laughing matter. This is very serious and, due to our government's combined ignorance and heartlessness, they are responsible for thousands of avoidable deaths.

Due to incompetent media outlets I have felt compelled, even though I am a full-time NHS receptionist, to look into this matter in my spare time and try and provide some kind of clarity on what is going on. I could be more exhaustive, but I am at least trying to analyse this situation critically, contextually and with some degree of sensitivity. This is more for my own sanity than anything else.

I urge our journalists and commentators to truly hold our government to account for their criminally negligent handling of this pandemic. Our government has lied about testing, hasn't provided nearly enough ventilators and aren't providing NHS staff, who are dying from the virus, with enough PPE. Please place responsibility appropriately.

Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised what genuinely matters in society and what people genuinely rely on for their health and well-being. This crisis has also helped pierce the hegemonic, false narratives put out by Western societies for many years. These heinous narratives have dominated the thoughts and lives of the world population for a long time. Now is an opportunity to really question and challenge them.

This pandemic has shown that every society needs a totally accessible and robust healthcare system. This healthcare system should not be at all restricted by economic concerns, because then we are allowing profit to get in the way of human life. The heartlessness of the US empire has been brought into sharp relief on this point. Their corrupt, neoliberal economy has been prioritised over the lives of the population, more than any other country in the world. During this pandemic, lockdown has been delayed, testing has been insufficient, and hospitals have not had nearly enough access to vital equipment such as N95 masks and ventilators. In the UK, government cuts to the NHS have made it far less robust and thus less capable of dealing with the current pandemic.

Western nations, particularly the US and the UK, have vilified countries like Cuba and China for many years. But Cuba and China, in the midst of this crisis, are courageously helping more than any other country. Cuba are sending doctors to pandemic-stricken countries such as Italy. China are sending vital medical supplies to crisis areas of Europe. China has sent two million surgical masks, two hundred thousand N95 masks and fifty thousand testing kits to such areas. True colours are beginning to show. This crisis shows us very clearly that we need to resist the false narratives forced upon us by corrupt media and politicians.

Crippling economic sanctions have been placed on Cuba by the US empire for over 60 years. Sanctions have also been placed on Venezuela and Iran. These sanctions are murderous normally, responsible for thousands of civilian deaths by restricting access to vital medical supplies. But during this pandemic, they become even more murderous. The US empire is not only refusing to lift these sanctions, but has recently added new ones. Thus, the US Government is not only killing its own citizens through corporate greed and ignorance, but is leading to the deaths of thousands of foreign civilians during an already horrific pandemic. This is heinous and despicable.

This pandemic has shown that some societies, such as Britain, need to put far more energy and money into preparing for genuine threats like Covid-19, instead of pouring vast amounts of national budgets into bloated military expansions. Also, it is highly inefficient and misguided that British security services would rather spend far more time investigating Russia than preparing for genuinely harmful events.

This pandemic has shown that everyone needs a secure job and no-one should live in fear of being unable to pay their rent. The gig economy, which is prevalent in the US and the UK, does not provide basic rights to workers.

This pandemic has shown that we all need to slow down and continue reducing pollution and environmental destruction. Nature is finally able to breath a little, as evidenced in Italy's rivers which are now far clearer and the amount of pollution reduction across the world. We need to live in some kind of harmony with our natural environment. This is perhaps the most significant lesson of this pandemic, though all the lessons are interrelated and should be seen holistically.

This pandemic has shown that societies do not need privatisation and free market fundamentalism. These systems do not help people survive and do not aid our well-being, quite the contrary. What they do allow is for elite groups of people to amass obscene amounts of money, at the expense of everyone else. What human societies do need are robust healthcare services, robust welfare services, secure jobs, solidarity, respect for nature, togetherness and community building.
 
Many of us, currently in self-isolation, are out of the cycle of usual work. In conjunction with this, fundamental areas of our globalised system have been brought into sharp relief. Now is the perfect time to reflect on and question our societal systems and, hopefully, move our world into a more humane and just place. This pandemic, though undeniably life-altering and difficult for many, can thus be seen as an opportunity. Times of crises, as Naomi Klein emphasises, are opportunities for transformation.