Coronavirus, crisis and class struggle in Italy
Channel: In Defence of Marxism
Date: 2020-03-16

Claudio Bellotti - editor of Rivoluzione - discusses the impact of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy, which has the second-most cases after China. Around 24,000 people have been confirmed to have the disease. 

This emergency has exposed the underlying rot in Italian capitalism. A public health crisis has been brewing for decades, due to massive cuts to the Italian health system over the course of 30 years. Meanwhile, the erratic reaction of the government reflects the weakness and divisions in the ruling class. 

Events are moving very fast, and have begun to provoke a reaction from the masses, with strikes in several sectors forcing the bosses and state to close factories (with pay for the workers) and implement proper safety measures. 

The workers are not willing to sicken and die to protect the bosses profits! The consciousness of the Italian masses will develop by leaps and bounds as this pandemic drags on, and the failures of the Italian ruling class are exposed.