The epidemic of the influenza epidemic of Poverty
SpanishThe vaccine is the People's Organization
By Octavio Valadez *
In the next few days will most likely be heard on the radio and television, where patriotic speeches through the mask, the government and the media can face serious health emergency in the country. Without denying that the risks of the epidemic is real and that preventive measures are necessary, it is clear that you are using the situation to change the electoral trends and increase the credibility of the federal government and local discontent with the accumulated town.
But to go beyond the over misinformation about the disease that can corroborate that the seriousness of this infection in Mexico must be explained not only from a contagious virus or presidential speeches, but from serious illnesses political, cultural and economic issues have generated more 100 years of government of traitors and inhumane neoliberal capitalism. Let's look at this in more detail.
1. The epidemic of repression and political cynicism.
For decades governments have considered only the population as a crayon in hand that would eventually vote for them. Influenza has shown that these are the hands of bodies of people who are sick, studying, working, that "survive". The IFE will spend 76 million to 14 thousand pesos for an election where the only thing is the show enough of the vote or abstention of media manipulation. 14 billion pesos for a vote among the same parties that have left the IMSS, the ISSTE and the Mexican health system in the filth and the shame of services. Waste of money in elections, while 70% of the "heads of households" do not even have health benefits for their families. This is democracy that allows Televisa media annually earn 14.472 billion pesos and other TV Azteca 2909 million misinforming and manipulating people. In short a great waste of resources to maintain the power of political parties and virulent repressive influence through voting and submission of millions of Mexicans.
2. The epidemic of cultural ignorance and social insecurity.
At least 22% of Mexican children who do not attend classes today suffer from poverty (OECD). That does not care to the virulent Elba Esther Gordillo (leaders of the teachers' union) who spent 21 million 830 thousand pesos in 59 trucks to Hummers rifadas be for teachers to come to school with luxury in this impoverished country, where death is a matter of curable diseases every day.
In recent days we were reminded that Mexico does not have the infrastructure to develop and produce the vaccine against swine influenza virus, because since 30 years ago governments PRI, PAN and PRD dismantled institutes and stopped investing in technology. This despite the fact that since 1999 the World Health Organization (WHO) had alerted the Mexican government on preparing for an epidemic. Thanks to that pandemic influenza will enrich the big pharmaceutical companies because the federal government will spend public funds for problems that were unable to foresee.
Members and the chair that now dictate scientific recipes, a few months ago decided to increase only 5% of budget for mediocre education, science decreased from 1%, 62% and increased funding for "security" and law enforcement.
3. The epidemic of unemployment and poverty.
"For Mexico the crisis did not happen to be a catarrito" were the statements by the finance secretary (Casterns) to the imminent economic crisis showed that since mid-2008. The reality is that Mexico has entered a serious economic pneumonia: all sources of income in this country have fallen. Remittances, which after the oil is the main source of national income fell 12% with the return of thousands of Mexican workers in the United States crisis.
If the government placed its hopes on tourism this fall phobia against Mexicans with influenza. The peso has been devalued by over 40%, with a gunshot to the inflation (increase in the level of prices and services).
The unemployment rate for 2009 is 5% (remember that the crisis of 94 was 5.2%) which means that in Mexico there will be more than 2 million people without a choice to live or to respond to medical contingencies. All this while the banks raised their interest up to 70 '% annually, doubling the debt of households with a credit card.
This epidemic of unemployment and debt must be added the fact that 12 million Mexicans working in the informal economy, ie without receiving any benefits and no access to health services in these days and have been temporarily " open to all potential influenza infection.
With the epidemic of unemployment and increase the exploitation terrible toll of 40 million Mexicans in poverty and extreme poverty at 13.8.
But individuals are immune to these social ills. For example, Carlos Slim, owner of capitalist modes of production, accumulates each day 300 million pesos in a country where its members have established as 51 pesos miserable minimum wage for workers. So a handful of businessmen are virulent in their life playing privileges at the expense of the deaths of millions of poverty-infected employees.
Until a few days ago all walked the streets with a false "peace", without going into panic or terror that is poverty, unemployment and injustice in Mexico and expanded the world as a true pandemic. Today influenza demonstrates the fragile and vulnerable we are. Some data suggest that the disease will show their real face in the next 6 months by forcing everyone to change habits in our everyday lives. The same requirement is made to combat the epidemic of poverty: we need to change habits. Start by not watching television, studying the Constitution or the history of your country, politically and culturally organized with your coworkers, your neighbors, or the great movements in this country.
Remember to face the pandemic of poverty cubrebocas but are not required to open your mouth and mind to say enough is enough. All health measures against poverty fight involving wealth and power of a few politicians and businessmen who dominate the majority of Mexicans. The vaccine is in your hands is the decision to fight for your rights, organized labor, cultural and political accountability that go well beyond the polls and manipulative television. The vaccine is to fight for this country infected with virulent capitalism and fears.
* Member of the School of Popular Culture