Behind the lovely fuzzy stories about community spirit and the clapping of health workers, the truth is we’re all truly selfish beings.
Right now every country capable of doing so is competing against one another for PPE, medical equipment and drugs.
It’s a race to the top, or for some, to the bottom. The same inequalities that existed before this new reality story still exist and impediments are still shackled around the ankles of poorer nations.
Some will argue it’s hard not to become self-centered in these strange times and block out all the other serious issues in the world but it is equally hard to maintain that reality because every media outlet is doing the exact same. Focusing on the virus while economists are busy lobbying the ink.
We haven’t actually learnt anything in all of this yet because we’re still fighting the wrong battle. We’re still the same selfish nations we’ve always been. Even Bono has stepped into the ring, calling in a favour to South Korea so as to bag us additional PPE.
Let’s face it, it’s all about me.
The true horror story will eventually be told. The one with the figures and the death tally but not about this virus but rather famine and war elsewhere, never mind those withering away, thrown together like cattle in refugee camps across the globe.
Here in Ireland it’s transpired health workers are returning to their direct provision centres as they’re clapped and swooned, to live on top of others.
While employees and employers are accessing their covid-19 payments in a matter of days, those working on our front line and who live in direct provision sites have to beg for temporary accommodation elsewhere.
It beggars belief when hotels across the land and B&B’s lie empty like corpses.
Digging is required, digging past the smiles of unity and to the true social injustices where, where you live matters as does where you’re from, never mind the figure on that bank balance of yours… digging is required.
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More info on Marie’s website.