What a week, and still
midweek in Australia – the news from State of Victoria has many disappointed.
The Covid-19 infections and death count for nursing home residents is distressing.
Big policy debates are getting in the open – not to be missed – talking about who lives and dies is no
small matter.
The
Q&A ABC Program titled a Fight of Our
Lives
caught
my interest, and you will see why. The people who appear in these panels can
impact policy and strategic directions for better or worse. That in itself is
not new as we are a democracy. But when it is about life and death, we better
pay attention.
One of the key
Q&A ABC Economic Panellist from the University of New South Wales insists
Australia should prioritise the economy and wellbeing by letting about “12,000
to 25,000 elderly and immune-compromised” people die. She adds that we should “let
the virus do what it has done in Sweden” where it has proportionally killed
significant people. Shocking!
Many in the panel seemed
alarmed by this view. But who knows which forces in the country subscribe to
this view and who will prevail? The more reason to get informed and participate
in our pluralist democracy; I presume we are still a pluralist democratic
society (laugh out loud). I fear if we let the virus do its own thing, how
different are we from eugenics? Goodness, hope WA borders with Eastern States remain
closed for much, much longer (LoL).
Q&A Fight
of Our Lives Program Link:
Panellists: Bill Bowtell, Adjunct Professor, UNSW and Strategic
Health Policy Adviser; Gigi Foster, Economist, UNSW; George Megalogenis, Author
and journalist; Cassandra Goldie, CEO of Australian Council of Social Service;
and Karen Soo, Executive Officer at the Haymarket Chamber of Commerce.
You may also wish to
check out the commentary on the FB link for 27 July 2020 when the program went to air. ABC FB Link: https://www.facebook.com/abcqanda/
No comments:
Post a Comment