Discussion Post: The Pandemic & Socialism
If you google "socialism pandemic" you'll find that a lot of articles have been written in recent weeks on the question of whether the Covid-19 pandemic, and the government responses it has necessitated, are likely to prompt a political sea-change, making the sort of socialistic policies advocated by people like Bernie Sanders more popular. Here are three articles, almost taken at random. The first is fairly neutral (and contains lots of links to other pieces); the second is written by a socialist; the third is skeptical about the need for socialism
• "Will Covid-19 make us more socialist?" (Scientific American)
• Prabhat Patnaik, "Socialism and the pandemic" (MR Online)
• Bill Sher, "No, coronavirus isn't proof that we need socialism" (Politico)
For this discussion, I'd like you to write a short response (about 500 words-more if you have lots to say) to this question:
Does the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic show or suggest that capitalism has fundamental flaws that could best be fixed by moving toward some form of socialism?
The response must include a reference list. Using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, double-space, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.