Sunday, June 14, 2020

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Christine Berry offers a reminder that protecting public health is absolutely necessary for us to see any economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. And Mike Moffitt reports on the prospect that widespread mask use could prevent future waves of transmission - though it's worth noting the importance of actually encouraging and normalizing the use of masks to make that happen.

- Jim Stanford notes that once again, employers are trying to use the power of the state to force people to work for wages and working conditions which are unacceptable on their own rather than offering improvements.

- Matt Lundy examines the obstacles to getting people back to work even when both employers and employees would prefer that they return. And Vidya Shah and Erika Shaker comment on the specific difficulties raised for schools and child care centres where physical distancing isn't a realistic expectation.

- Tess Kalinowski points out how the Libs' choice to threaten jail time for CERB recipients will serve primarily to discourage people with valid claims from making them. Josh Rubin notes that in many cases, people aren't finding jobs available even as benefits are being allowed to expire. And Allan Sloan examines the far greater amounts of pandemic relief handed to U.S. businesses than to mere citizens even before the Republicans decided to obstruct any further support for people. 

- Marguerite Ward reports on polling showing that only a quarter of Americans actually think capitalism is good for society - even as its primacy is an article of faith among the political class. And Cody Feldman discusses how sovereign wealth funds could ensure that future economic development actually provides benefits for everybody.

- Finally, Jason Nickerson writes about the need to ensure that our pharmaceutical system prioritizes people's health over big pharma's profits - particularly as we face imminent questions as to how to develop and distribute vaccines and treatments for a pandemic.

[Edit: fixed typo.]

No comments:

Post a Comment