No, coronavirus isn't proof that we need socialism

But temporary stimulus is not socialism, which at least one democratic socialist understands. Writing in Jacobin, Peter Frase critiqued the proposal from Republican Senator Mitt Romney to cut $1,000 checks for every American: “The fact that cutting checks is suddenly such a popular idea across the political spectrum demonstrates how much the Left has shifted what’s considered possible over the past decade. But it also shows us a ruling class and a political order that is desperately trying to find a stopgap measure to prevent social collapse, in the vain hope of returning to ‘normal’ in short order.”

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Frase expressed hope that any such stimulus would provide a political opening to push for broadly socialistic proposals, including “free health care.” Many socialists are now insisting that the pandemic makes the case for single-payer open and shut. But it’s not. Despite Sanders’ claim that America is uniquely disadvantaged, at least two European single-payer countries—Italy and Spain—are being devastated by coronavirus; Italy’s death toll is at 3,400 and rising, and Spain just breached 1,000.

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