The Pandemic and Independent Countries

Drawing on values of humanism, social solidarity and shared science this book makes international comparisons on the handling of the COVID19 pandemic in 2020. The first theme argued is that the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the failings of the hegemonic neoliberal approach to public health. The second theme explains the response of a number of independent countries, notably China, Cuba and Syria, responses which show the importance of well organised and resilient social systems, relatively independent of hegemonic neoliberalism. The third theme addresses myths put out by a significant minority of western libertarians and populist liberals, those who simply denied there was a serious health crisis and, in some cases, argued that the pandemic was world-wide conspiracy.