2020, Socialism & the Coming Great Crisis
Socialists who are correct in their Socialism call for covid vaccine mandates. We advise people to get vaccinated and help them get the vaccine.
We call for mandatory vaccinations for the people of the world.
At this point in the reality of an extremely effective vaccine, covid vaccinations should be impressed upon the population. Anyone who does not have a verified medical exemption and refuses vaccination should be excluded from society.
Socialists call for the firing of workers who refuse to be vaccinated for covid.
Think about it. If someone were to ask me—a socialist—if they should be forced to get the covid vaccine, why would my answer be anything but “Yes, you should be forced to get a covid vaccine for the good of all humanity!”?
If you are working—on the “frontline” or whatever line—you should not come to work without proof of being vaccinated. You should mask and social distance until the pandemic is over. Honestly, you should not be able to do anything social, especially inside, without a vaccine.
Should we allow a nurse or a teacher or a grocery worker or a bus driver to work without a vaccine and thereby needlessly endanger themselves and everyone else in society? The question answers itself.
The opposition to vaccine mandates is thoroughly reactionary. How obscene is the scene of a handful of nurses protesting outside a hospital, linking arms with the fascists in a campaign against the covid vaccine! That is a protest that should be smashed. Those are nurses who should not be nursing.
The pandemic beats capitalism
Of course, the capitalist government cannot be relied upon to quash the anti-vaccine mandate movement or carry out a just campaign of universal vaccination or global pandemic coordination and relief. (That’s the rub here, right? A correct approach to the pandemic is not possible at this point in history with capitalism and imperialism still in charge.)
Of course, the wealthiest countries in the history of the world should empty out their coffers to wage war on the pandemic and provide the world with vaccines and full covid economic relief. Profits are never more important than people. The world should be more united not less united.
We are well past the point of doubts about the vaccine. Distrust of capitalism, Big Pharma and this plutocratic-hatred-for-the-poor, racist, sexist, homophobic society are understandable, but no excuse.
Though vaccines could be even more accessible, and I hate giving this system anything close to credibility, covid vaccines in the United States are free and amazingly accessible, all considering.
The capitalist system has pumped out the vaccine in an effort to keep the economy going and in order to relieve some of the pandemic-induced pressure on parts of the social fabric.
U.S. socialists and the covid vaccine
To be blunt: most, if not all, socialist organizations in the United States, are to the right of the liberal establishment on this one. Though most socialists are for the vaccine, most socialist organizations are, incredulously, not advising people to take the vaccine.
Even those groups who waste their time—precious time that could be spent recruiting, studying, carrying out political action and campaigns and training new comrades in these revolutionary arts—on service provision and community projects are not using their organization and cadre to help get more people vaccinated.
Think about it. What else is a socialist organization for other than choosing sides regarding the most important issues facing workers and raising slogans that aid workers in the struggle to survive and overthrow capitalism?
Think of all the needless suffering that could have been and can be avoided if vaccines are made universally mandatory and produced and administered to all. What if that global vaccination drive went hand in hand with a workers’ movement to demand full economic relief.
What if there was hope through honesty and bravery instead of trailing aimlessly behind the bourgeoisie in the vaccination campaign? Should it be the bosses and politicians who are more correct in their approach to the pandemic than the socialist movement? Of course not!
Revolutionaries must be the ones making the clear-headed and correct call that workers who refuse to get vaccinated be fired. After all, socialists are correctly not coming to the aid of these reactionary workers and socialists must never shrink from uniting action with the proper words.
Think about it. A children’s bus driver who is an anti-vaxxer shouldn’t get anywhere near our children. They should be educated and socially coerced to get the vaccine. If they still refuse, they should be fired.
