write a letter to friends about corona virus
Answers
Answer:
Hi David,
Nice hearing from you, I'm glad to hear you're getting by okay in these grim times.
You asked how’s it going for us back here in New Zealand.
You would have heard that the whole country is locked down and with breaks for exercise and shopping, we’re all living under a sort of voluntary house arrest.
The start of the lock down triggered in me an old feeling from past years.
From those car assembly strikes we took back in the ‘70s. The feeling at the strike’s onset; after our vote to stop, the conflicting feelings, the element of excitement, dare I say it, of fun. The usual boring routine suddenly wiped away, all of us together on the brink of an adventure, with a strong sense of collective purpose. A feeling of being vibrantly alive.
Yes, hunger, wars, alcohol, tobacco and existing influenza kill millions more than this virus every year, that’s still no reason to take Corona virus lightly. The disease spreads quickly from carriers before they show symptoms, it's incapacitated and killed many people. It’s devastating major cities world wide.
So the authorities here have chosen to impose a lockdown, to try and break the chain, a strategy which so far seems to make sense.
It’s been quite a ride and we’ve found out some interesting things, even after just three days.
It’s possible to get by without organised sports, Friday drinks,Sunday drives, restaurant dinners, trips to the Op shop. We are apparently quite able to live without the TAB, without McDonalds, without prostitution.
Some of us are much better placed than others. Despite government relief measures, thousands of workers will be struggling desperately. Some will lose their homes, many workers won’t get their jobs back.
The more conscientious union organisers are working harder than usual, from home, fielding calls for help. Hotlines for domestic violence calls are also on the up.
Today the working class is in from the margins, it’s value strongly apparent.
When we get through the present stage of the drama, will these realisations translate into a revived socialist current? During the last few weeks, the capitalist class has shown they can make radical decisions. I’m hopeful that our side can too.
Best to your and yours,
Don