Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Amadeus Narbutt discusses the uncertain effect of the coronavirus on the global balance of power. And Adam Tooze notes that the U.S.' damaging response to COVID-19 included vetoing IMF support for governments around the globe.

- Andrew Langille examines how workers with low incomes and precarious work situations have been left out of Canada's coronavirus relief, while Chris Roberts discusses how COVID-19 has further exposed what were already glaring problems in the low-wage economy. And Althia Raj reports on Justin Trudeau's continued insistence that people with no income who have been deliberately excluded from the basic CERB benefit need to keep waiting for him to get around to providing any support.

- Avvy Go writes that the people already living on the margins of society have been displaced all the more by new rules and requirements which ignore their circumstances. And Brett Forester reports that communities in northwestern Saskatchewan have had to set up their own command centre due to the Moe government's complete failure to address their needs.

- Nathan Tankus comments on the merits of payment relief both in alleviating the effects of the pandemic, and generating a more fair economy as we emerge from it.

- Louise Kyle writes that the development of publicly-funded vaccines and treatments needs to lead to universal access, not exploitation by the pharmaceutical industry. And PressProgress reports on how Amazon is cashing in providing warehouse space to a federal government which already has plenty of its own.

- Finally, George Eaton writes that there's no reason for the UK (or any other country) to impose crushing austerity once we emerge from the COVID-19 lockdown.