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Home All issues Volume 528 (April 2011) A&A, 528 (2011) A48 Abstract
Volume 528, April 2011
Stellar structure and evolution
Eccentric binaries
Tidal flows and periastron events
E. Moreno1, G. Koenigsberger2 and D. M. Harrington3
1 Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D. F. 04510, Mexico
e-mail: edmundo@astroscu.unam.mx
2 Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
e-mail: gloria@astro.unam.mx
3 Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
e-mail: dmh@ifa.hawaii.edu
Received: 5 October 2010
Context. A number of binary systems present evidence of enhanced activity around periastron passage, suggesting a connection between tidal interactions and these periastron effects.
Aims. The aim of this investigation is to study the time-dependent response of a star's surface as it is perturbed by a binary companion. Here we focus on the tidal shear energy dissipation.
Methods. We derive a mathematical expression for computing the rate of dissipation, Ė, of the kinetic energy by the viscous flows that are driven by tidal interactions on the surface layer of a binary star. The method is tested by comparing the results from a grid of model calculations with the analytical predictions of Hut (1981, A&A, 99, 126) and the synchronization timescales of Zahn (1977, A&A, 57, 383; 2008, EAS Pub. Ser., 29, 67).
Results. Our results for the dependence of the average (over orbital cycle) energy dissipation, Ėave, on orbital separation are consistent with those of Hut (1981) for model binaries with an orbital separation at periastron rper/R1 ≳ 8, where R1 is the stellar radius. The model also reproduces the predicted pseudo-synchronization angular velocity for moderate eccentricities (e ≤ 0.3). In addition, for circular orbits our approach yields the same scaling of synchronization timescales with orbital separation as given by Zahn (1977, 2008) for convective envelopes. The computations give the distribution of Ė over the stellar surface, and show that it is generally concentrated at the equatorial latitude, with maxima generally located around four clearly defined longitudes, corresponding to the fastest azimuthal velocity perturbations. Maximum amplitudes occur around periastron passage or slightly thereafter for supersynchronously rotating stars. In very eccentric binaries, the distribution of Ė over the surface changes significantly as a function of orbital phase, with small spatial structures appearing after periastron. An exploratory calculation for a highly eccentric binary system with parameters similar to those of δ Sco (e = 0.94, P = 3944.7 d) indicates that Ėave changes by ~ 5 orders of magnitude over the 82 days before periastron, suggesting that the sudden and large amplitude variations in surface properties around periastron may, indeed, contribute toward the activity observed around this orbital phase.
Key words: binaries: general / stars: oscillations / stars: rotation
The equilibrium tide in stars and giant planets — I. The coplanar case
Environmental effects on star formation in dwarf galaxies and star clusters
Anelastic tidal dissipation in multi-layer planets
Scaling laws to understand tidal dissipation in fluid planetary regions and stars I. Rotation, stratification and thermal diffusivity
Tidal inertial waves in differentially rotating convective envelopes of low-mass stars — I. Free oscillation modes


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WATCH: Donegal features in special tourism film made by Star Wars makers
Specially-commissioned behind-the-scenes film was created during filming of Star Wars in Ireland
Donegal features in special tourism film made by Star Wars makers Lucasfilm.
Tourism Ireland has launched phase three of its latest Star Wars campaign 'trilogy', targeting fans of the science fiction franchise around the world.
It involves a specially-commissioned behind-the-scenes film created during filming here of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2015 and 2016, parts of which were filmed at Malin Head in Donegal.
The specially-commissioned film features scenes shot in Malin Head when the Star Wars crew came there in the summer of 2016.
Tourism Ireland commissioned Lucasfilm – the company which produced Star Wars: The Last Jedi – to create the short film, in which Star Wars director Rian Johnson and actors Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Daisy Ridley (Rey) praise this special location they chose for filming.
In the behind-the-scenes film, Mark Hamill praises Ireland's beauty: "It's like a fairy-tale world … you just can't believe your eyes".
Describing Ireland, director Rian Johnson said: "It's a gorgeous place. I feel very, very lucky to be able to get it on film ".
"We are extremely grateful to Lucasfilm and the Star Wars team for their tremendous generosity in agreeing to make this wonderful behind-the-scenes film, to help us promote the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland," said Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland. "Since its release, Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been breaking box office records everywhere and Tourism Ireland is capitalising on this positive exposure, highlighting the Star Wars connection with Ireland and bringing the magnificent scenery of the Wild Atlantic Way to the attention of millions of people everywhere."
Tourism Ireland's Star Wars campaign is rolling out in 15 markets – Britain, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Nordic region, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India and the GCC. Tourism Ireland will share the behind-the-scenes film with its 20,000 international media contacts; and via social media, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Filming on Skellig Michael for Star Wars: The Last Jedi took place over two days in 2015, before moving to the mainland. To continue filming on location here, the crew returned in 2016 and built replicas of Skellig Michael's sixth-century monastic 'beehive' huts on the mainland.
The location scouts were so taken with Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way that locations in counties Cork, Kerry, Clare and Donegal were handpicked to represent the planet Ahch-to in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Post Your Game ReMixes!
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - Final Boss Theme "Shadow Serenade"
finished Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - Final Boss Theme "Shadow Serenade"
By MC Ardle,
May 21, 2011 in Post Your Game ReMixes!
MC Ardle
http://soundcloud.com/evan-mcardle/shadow-serenade
This was originally meant to be a peaceful, soothing version of the action-packed Final Boss theme at the end of Paper Mario 2 (Thousand Year Door). Those who know the context of the song may find this disturbing (especially when I add the Shadow Queen's voice later). The song's style changes roughly around the middle, and changes back later on. Tell me what you think about this (and other aspects).
Shadow Queen's Theme: http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/nintendo/gamecube/PM_Ttyd_Final_Battle.mid and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71mazbRqsi4
Shadow Siren's Theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RN0BqiG4_Q
Also, a BIG shout out to FaytxStay, who has been working on his own version of this song for, like, a year.
@Everyone else: please don't compare our ReMixes to each other.
Nonamer
Interesting take on this song...I like it a lot!
So far nothing comes to mind in regards to specifics. The instrumental choice is decent, and nothing is particularly grating to the ears. Great job.
Anyone else have commentary?
FaytxStay
I'll have my commentary in a moment. I'm doing repeated listens, but take anything I say with a grain of salt.
Intro is cool. It does go a little long. The length of that build up doesn't really justify the pay off at the end.
The overdriven guitar sample should be adjusted. It sounds pretty fake.
I dig the overall vibe though. It has a very airy feel and that's cool. I'd like to see it go to new parts and deviations from the source tune a little more. It sounds cool, but it hangs on the same few notes.
With that said, its very relaxing and chill. :]
LordGavin
Aye, and interesting take on the song. Being a fan of mellow music (mainly Celtic variations), this sort of this is something I can enjoy.
However, I agree with Strike. The guitar sounds very bad and should be subbed out for another, better sound. Besides that, I can only say that the techno beat that comes in around the time the guitar first does crackles quite a lot and kind of breaks the mellow mood your going for. If you could soften it, or find a better substitute for the sound, I'm sure it would work better.
Otherwise, well done. I'd find it hard to do such mellow music right, so good on you for doing it as well as you have.
Guitar is no longer obnoxiously loud when the electronic drums come in. The crackling heard is part of the drum loop, and I'm keeping that in, since breaking the peaceful mood was my intention.
Near the end, the guitar is replaced with a short, original piano piece, which fits better, in my opinion.
I learnt how to do a wobble bass effect (kind of), so now it sounds more like I had first imagined.
I was meant to add some vocals, which is meant to be the Shadow Queen's voice, just before the drums, but I haven't yet.
Here:http://soundcloud.com/evan-mcardle/shadow-serenade
Hello? Anyone?
Hiiiiiii, you
GravitySuitCollector
Okay, here are some things you might consider, although, I'm most likely under-qualified to make such comments. Anyways:
1. Maybe switch out the voice and piano samples with something better. They sound like they're from the general midi thing, amirite? Find a good VSTi, even (there are quite a few free ones).
2. Volume, change it up a bit. With the piano part, for example, it feels flat. Put more emphasis on the downbeat, for example. Also, you might try bringing its base level up, or something like that, so it stands out a bit more. As it is, too, it feels like the highs are a bit strong, and there's not enough mids in the song (to me, anyway). Just back up your work, try messing with different things for a bit, and see how it sounds.
3. Try changing up the high chiming thing that turns into the sine/analog wave thingy's phrase (around 0:36) a bit as you go along (slightly repetitive). Maybe remove a note at the end of a measure or something? As the song is, every note in the song between voices has almost the same start, too. It makes it feel a bit clustered. Also, some spacing between note start and end would be nice ( this can be changed up, too). It helps break up musical phrases into more definite chunks.
Anyways, this mainly is said from a listener perspective. I am not a pro at all, so my descriptions and advice might be a bit shaky; i still feel that some of the things I say, though, might be worth a try. I hope some of this helps.
Magellanic
Its really nice. You got a fantastic atmosphere going. I felt a little bit cheated though as I was expecting a more of a build and a climax, but thats just a personal preference.
At 2.03 it starts feeling like something big is gonna happen, but it then fades and returns to the same as the start with a few extra sprinkles.
Regardless though of what I've put above, I would say that there needs to be more motion, or a better way of putting it - texture, especially at the beginning. The same pad is used at the same octaves and harmonies all the way through. Try introducing something to fill out the mid and lower octaves, even over the first two minutes. With the backing being in that high range throughout, the mix never feels grounded or settled. Its a fantastic vibe for an introduction. I can really see what you're trying to do but even with creating atmosphere and massive space, doesnt mean there can't be variation and a few more parts dispersed throughout the mix.
One thing that would work well, is instead of having the full melody at 0.36 played. Just start with the first bar, leave it a bit, then continue the phrase etc.
Play with the space you have, you can make it feel larger with a little creative panning. Try some automation with putting the odd broken phrase appearing to left, then answering on the right. The lead in the first two minutes could be echo'd with another synth.
Try adding stuff and taking away. I defintiely feel like you need to add some kind of variation to the pad, or more specifically the "aaahs" as it gets a little incessant.
A lot here I know, but its really captured my imagination and you have a foundation for a really epic and chilled ReMix. Just keep going, even if you feel like at times
Here's the most recent version:
How is it now?
It's getting better, alright. I'm enjoying it some more now. I'll post what I think after a bit more listening between the older and the newer, edited versions (Soundcloud isn't liking me right now ). Anyways, keep it up!
EDIT: Meh, I'm not so sure what else to say (It's beyond my listening abilities ) One thing, maybe, is a bit less panning with the answer/call part in the beginning (Not too much of a decrease, though). It's almost a bit distracting (I guess), but I still like it. Anyways, keep going; you can do it!
Still needs more of this. Further more, it needs better transitions and a good deal more attention to detail. This is still quite the empty mix, and while there's lots of potential, the samples aren't high quality enough to warrant this low amount of processing. Also, some more layering and subtlety would do very well.
I'm still source-searching here so that may take me a while, but since this suffers similarly sample and production-wise to your last song I reviewed, I'd suggest going to watch some tutorials for sample processing and mixing on whatever your current choice of DAW is.
How I started with getting the sound I wanted was by listening to an artist I wanted to sound like, then trying to nail their sound using various techniques. Do this and it will also likely help your understanding of song structure as well!
Keep it up and please don't give up on this stuff, because as I said before, you've got potential here!
Okay. Here's another version. I was using a lot of Halion samples, which was what many people were saying sounded bland, so I've changed them. I've also made a few other changes:
I don't really know what more I can do with this now...
Emunator
This review was written collaboratively between myself, Level 99 and WillRock:
For what it's worth, you've crafted a pretty neat ambient chillout piece. The direction itself is pretty creative and ambitious. However, the execution just doesn't seem suited for OCR's standards and I think it would require a total overhaul to get it there. Your remix feels stretched out so that it doesn't feel like there's enough expansion/direction in the arrangement. When the pseudo-dubstep section hits, it's a nice start but the buildup isn't strong enough to carry the song. It's actually a pretty neat direction to take the sources, but in order for this to be OCR material, there would have to be a major reworking of the production, particularly on the ambiance and the drums, and the arrangement so there's more of an actual progression going on.
This definitely seems like a worthwhile learning experience but at this point, if you're strapped for ideas I would just call it finished and move onto something else. Participate in compos, watch tutorials and keep practicing, ambient music is definitely not the kind of thing you can nail down on the first try so don't feel discouraged! Experiment with layering different sounds and ambiances to create more dynamic and full sounds, and with time you'll get the hang of it. Best of luck!
*sigh* okay... I'll change this back to Finished and leave it alone for a while...


Appearing in the tent will be outrageous comedian Russell Brand, also known as one half of the 'Goth Detectives' alongside fellow funnyman and real-life pal Noel Fielding. So it's safe to say we can expect a healthy measure of baking-related banter between them.
So, Russell. Can you bake?
Yes – I love Noel, Sandi is a lovely person as well, but Noel is my actual friend.
A fairy cake. A cupcake, an English one.
Who do you want to impress the most in the tent?
I think it might be Paul because I do like that twinkle-eyed Scouser.
I've had both before I got here, but one must always aim for the Hollywood handshake.
How do you rate your chances of coming out as Star Baker?
I am competitive, but I have the worst combination of competitiveness and ineptitude. I've set a little goal for myself: not to be banned from Bake Off before it ends.
It affects everybody. You want to help people as it's so prevalent and present. One of my mates has just had a massive brain tumour, and keeps having to have it operated on. My mum also had cancer a lot when I was a kid. She's had it six times since I've been alive. I paid attention to the cancer, just not to the baking, otherwise I'd be a lot better at it.


The sacral chakra is associated with creativity and fertility and the organs of the reproductive system. Cocoa and vanilla are thought to possess aphrodisiac qualities whilst rooibos is well known to be a good source of antioxidants. Ginseng can provide energy and may also improve thinking ability and cognition.


Kayseria presents Latest Kayseria Silk Dresses Collection 2014 For Stylish Girls By HKB. Kayseria is a Pakistani brand of clothing which gives you Pakistani premium quality fabrics Stylish Girls By HKB. Kayseria is in control of Sefam (Pvt.) Limited that was came into operations in. At that time Breeze was the first individual to sell premium quality embroidered fabric in the whole Pakistan. After their success in embroidered fabric Sefam worked on range of premium quality products of textile from casual to fancy wear and couture to bed spreads for Pakistani peoples. They were highly admired by the peoples of Pakistan due to their unique and extraordinary beautiful products within few years. They got many outlets in almost all big cities of Pakistan where their products were sold like hot dog.
Now a days Kayseria Pakistan well known and major brand of clothing that is largest in textiles retailing stores with more then 50 outlets in Pakistan. They They reached to international markets by just opening their outlets in United Kingdom and in India also. They are fully committed to give the best quality products to their customers from the first day..
Kayseria Silk Dresses Collection 2014 For Stylish Girls By HKB, is also the chain work of their quality stuff. This is specially made for the current summer season. In this collection you will find Kayseria Silk Dresses Collection 2014 For Stylish Girls By HKB that are very unique in designs which you may not seen before. These are designed by their very expert designers who show their talent in their designs and are always very much fashionable.


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Arch Architecture is the artistic production and the discipline of designing, planning, and building structures either in the form of houses or other buildings. Architectural projects, in the conventional material form such as homes, can be perceived as visual works and as cultural icons. It was envisaged that architectural plans would not only serve as functional guides but also as a reflection of social, historical, aesthetic, and religious expectations. The resulting architecture has both an aesthetic and a social impact.
Arch Architecture was born in the late nineteenth century when the need to design large buildings arose and architectural experts sought solutions by means of new technical and scientific methods. The most important element of this discipline is the use of complex mathematics, specifically geometry. This helps the architect to determine spatial relationships and designing qualities. One of the most important characteristics of Arch Architecture is the use of stylized designs, characterized by extreme symmetries and geometrical exactness. Although it is an avant-garde approach to architecture, some of its characteristics are similar to Pre-Sixties Modern Architecture, which seeks to conserve the architectural heritage. However, the main difference between the two is that the aim of Pre-Sixties Modern Architecture was to utilize modern technology and materials.
A brief look at the past reveals many different styles of architecture that have come out of the myriad of possible inventions made possible by new times. A number of the most significant and influential architecture can be located in the buildings of the Persian Empire in India, and China. In fact, many buildings from the Chinese century can still be seen and tour in China today. Architectural styles in ancient architecture came about because of the local conditions of the people who built them, as well as the architectural preferences of the ruling dynasties who owned the land on which the buildings were built. New world architecture developed based on the architectural styles prevalent in the cities of European powers at the time.
Architecture in the New Times


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Up Close and Unplugged benefit with Jim Cuddy raises $200K for NAC, Ottawa cancer foundation
They loved him so much the first time, they just had to bring him back.
National Arts Centre uses new event space to welcome executive chef Kenton Leier
The National Arts Centre has never looked as fresh and modern as it does today, thanks to a $110-million facelift that's left areas of the proper
NAC Gala starring k.d.lang raises $747,000 for young performing arts and education
She may spell her name in small letters but k.d. lang's performance at the National Arts Centre Gala on Saturday night was nothing short of all-uppercase amazing.
Royals cut ribbon to open new and improved National Arts Centre in Ottawa
Royal watchers don't mess around.
Ottawa developer John Ruddy donates $1 million to National Arts Centre
They may not be spotlight seekers, but local business leader and philanthropist John Ruddy and his wife, Jennifer, are sharing top billing in the National Arts Centre's announcement of th


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Michigan Republicans, Rick Santorum	— August 8, 2014 at 1:37 pm
Following revelations of improper use of tax dollars, a third Snyder administration official resigns in disgrace, many calls for wider investigation
First it was Michigan State Treasurer Andy Dillon. Then it was Education Achievement Authority John Covington. Now a third Snyder administration official is resigning in disgrace.
This time it's Scott Woosley, head of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority after revelations of misuse of tax dollars for extravagant travel and dining expenses on the public's dime. This afternoon, MSHDA official confirmed Woosley's resignation.
As of yesterday night, Woosley was still defending his actions, essentially telling his critics to "bring it on" and asking the state Treasurey Department to audit him. These are the same state officials who approved Woosley's outrageous expense reimbursments in the first place, leading MDP Chair Lon Johnson to say, "The fact that Woosley wants the same scandal-ridden Snyder treasury department that previously approved his obscene travel reimbursements to now play the role of fox in reviewing Woosley's hen house spending might be a joke if we weren't talking about an extraordinary amount of waste and abuse of public funds."
Today, after calls by Progress Michigan and the Michigan Democratic Party for Gov. Snyder to fire the MSHDA chief, Woosley fell on his own sword.
The repeated examples of waste and corruption in the Snyder administration has the MDP's Johnson calling for a wider investigation.
"This is now the third instance of a top Snyder Administration official resigning amid scandal over abusing public funds," Johnson said in a statement. "Governor Snyder has created a culture that turns a blind eye to the misuse of public funds and the public trust. Snyder must be held accountable for these repeated, systematic abuses, and that's why we're demanding a comprehensive, independent audit of departments within the administration."
Progress Michigan is also calling for a full investigation.
"Governor Snyder must ensure that Woosley doesn't just cut and run after spending public funds so he could live the high-life and he should do the same for other high-ranking officials for whom he has oversight," said Hugh Madden, communications director for Progress Michigan. "Cronyism and abuse of taxpayer dollars from senior-level officials has been commonplace in the Snyder administration and it needs to end."
Hopefully it will end on November 4th when Rick Snyder is fired by Michigan voters who are sick and tired of cronyism, corruption, and scandal in the Executive branch of their state government.
UPDATE: Democratic House Leader Tim Greimel is joining the call for a wider investigation:
Amid allegations that he used taxpayer funds to reimburse himself for lavish travel and food items during his tenure, Scott Woosley has resigned. I believe that was the appropriate action to take. However, this must not end here. I renew my call for the State Auditor General to immediately conduct a thorough investigation into travel and other spending at MSHDA, the Department of Treasury and throughout the Snyder Administration. What about the person in the department who granted his reimbursements? Are there other departments within state government who have similar problems? The high-flying lifestyle being maintained by top state officials is part of a pattern of abuse within Gov. Snyder's administration of lavishing favors and special benefits on political friends, family and people at the top.
[CC Snyder photo credit: Michigan Municipal League | Flickr]
Tags Rick Snyder Scott Woosley


Hi, I'm attempting my first wheel built and I can't seem to fit the Sapim Force spoke into the Dura Ace rear nor front, outbound nor inbound, hub. Am I not doing it right or are those spokes to big for the hub? Thank you for your expertise and advice.
How about some more info? Which DA hubs versions are you using? Which gage spokes?
It's pretty common with higher end hubs to have the spoke holes better controlled for diameter, the spoke fit usually is tighter. Often a slight wiggle or twisting of the spoke is needed. When inserting the spoke from the inside to out the other flange can interfere and a slight bowing of the spoke helps. But there are incompatible combos out there.
So, again, what do you have? Did you source the hubs and spokes from the same dealer, at the same time?
I see that the Force spokes are a 2.18mm diameter at their base/elbow. Is this right? Racing equipment is not usually meant for HD or touring components as a first priority. IIRC the DA hubs of recent production are assumed to use 2.0mm spokes.
It will be interesting to see what others with more experience with these actual components have to say, once we know the hub versions. Andy.
Dura Ace FH 9000 with CX-Ray spokes. I bought everything from the dealer and they said it all should fit. I need to grease or oil the spoke and use a bit of force. My local wheel builder has offered to help and teach me so I'll let you know.
hole size , in mm is? spoke diameter in mm is? .. start with measuring things..
Do you really have Shimano Dura Ace 9000 hubs? Straight pull, or J-bend?
Sapim force. I oiled the elbow and used a bit of force and the spoke went through. Some holes on the hub got stretched a bit but the wheels look fine completed. Thank you.


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Covid-19: from outbreak to pandemic – a chain of profiteering
By Niamh Brannelly
How has COVID-19 spread so far and so fast? Catastrophes are not caused by a single event, but rather a chain of events, in this case linked to the type of society we live in where profit is put before the needs of people. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. This article follows this chain of events that led to the outbreak in China and the resulting pandemic.
Dismissal of previous global health emergencies
The COVID-19 crisis was not some unexpected and unpredictable event. The world experiences approximately 200 epidemic events per year. Some of these are more dangerous than others and have the potential to become a pandemic. After the Ebola epidemic in 2014 which killed approximately 11,000 people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) developed a plan for urgent research and development (R&D) of diagnostic tests, vaccines and medicine. In this plan, they identified the family of Coronaviruses as a likely cause of another epidemic.
As the Ebola crisis ended, the urgency of this plan dissipated and little was done to put it into practice. The pharmaceutical and private healthcare industries, motivated entirely by private profit, invested R&D into other areas. Capitalist governments, meanwhile, chose to ignore previous outbreaks and the warnings of the scientific community and instead funnelled money into more profitable ventures such as wars and arms sales.
In 2019, world capitalist leaders and others gathered to conduct a simulated response to a hypothetical global health emergency. Their conclusion was that humanity was severely unprepared. Just a few months later COVID-19 would prove these conclusions true. In other words, the powers-that-be understood the potential for this to happen, which makes the under-preparedness of our governments and private sector all the more shameful.
Conditions in the global food industry
As we have outlined before, conditions in the food industry created the petri dish for COVID-19 to emerge such as those in Asian Wet Markets. Live and dead animals are often kept in close proximity to each other and to customers due to narrow aisles. These terrible conditions were a direct result of the drive for profit above all else. This also results in the most disgusting and barbaric treatment of animals.
Capitalist division and racism
When China announced the COVID-19 outbreak, there was a criminal indifference from capitalist governments in North America and Europe due to ongoing trade wars and geopolitical tension between China and the United States. Instead, Chinese people, including those living in Europe and North America, were victims of racism at a time when they most needed aid and solidarity.
In late January when news spread that COVID-19 had arrived in Europe, a level of suspicion about the origins of the virus existed, not just in online conspiracy theories but in the highest corridors of power, with Trump describing it as a "foreign" or "Chinese" illness. China was blamed for not containing the outbreak and "causing" a pandemic. This led to a relaxed approach to dealing with the pandemic by many countries as right-wing governments felt they could get away with scapegoating instead of taking responsibility for public health.
The rule of profit
Governments balked at spending money on preventing pandemics because of their profit-centred neoliberal ideology, which is hostile to government spending and which believes that "the market" will solve all problems. This is the biggest factor in the making and acceleration of the COVID-19 crisis. This was seen firstly when governments disregarded scientific calls for the implementation of a global health strategy after previous outbreaks. Instead, governments and the private sector opted for spending on quick profit turnover. This is a shameful and scandalous failure, as the expense of a global health strategy does not come close to the cost we will incur due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The World Bank estimates that this could cost more than $3 trillion.
Another example is the delay in government action to protect people against COVID-19. A shutdown of non-essential work and activity is necessary to slow the spread of the virus, protect ordinary people and allow the healthcare service to manage the virus. Despite this, in country after country there have been shocking delays in implementing measures because of the damage these measures would have on the profits of big business.
Undermining healthcare
Over recent decades, countries have been transitioning from public healthcare to a private-based service. We have seen the reduction in staff and facilities along with a rise in cost in the public system, forcing people to opt for private healthcare packages. As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads through the advanced capitalist countries, the consequences of this transition are hitting home as countries fall back on public healthcare systems, which are unable to cope due to many years of cutbacks.
Antiviral drugs and vaccines
In the months and weeks since the outbreak, scientists have been working tirelessly to end this crisis. They have sequenced COVID-19's genome and begun to create vaccines in the hope of making people immune to it. Currently, there are over six different efforts going on to make a vaccine. It is reported that $2 billion is needed to support the development of a successful vaccine against COVID-19. As the search continues, there is also a need for an antiviral drug to treat patients that currently have an infection.
This drug would prevent people from dying from COVID-19. Drugs such as HIV-fighting antivirals and antimalarials are currently being tested.
Developing and producing vaccines and treatments is too important to leave in the hands of the private sector. Commercial competition leads to the hard work of scientists being duplicated in different companies. Profiteering leads to a rip-off of patients and healthcare systems.
Steps to prevent another pandemic
Even after the COVID-19 pandemic, the probability of future outbreaks is high. We need immediate action to prevent these outbreaks from turning into epidemics and then pandemics. This should include:
A global health emergency strategy focusing on "priority diseases", identified by the WHO, which includes Coronaviruses. Global partnerships already exist in this area, such as The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), but freed from the limits of having to seek private investment, such initiatives could go a lot further. Real cooperation will not come from capitalist governments, who are committed to the anarchic short term rule of private profit. We need the coming together of left socialist governments on a global scale that will prioritise our needs and those of our health.
Public ownership and democratic workers' control of the pharmaceutical industry to ensure state owned R&D into vaccine development, antiviral treatments and diagnostics.
We need a publicly owned, one-tier health service system that is free at the point of use. We should bring into democratic public ownership, with no compensation, all private hospitals and companies that produce vital medical equipment.
Logistical plans, drawn up by representatives of health workers and experts in the field, and the broader working class and trade union movement, for the deployment of health supplies during outbreaks.
The biggest lesson we can learn from the COVID-19 pandemic is the value of workers in making our society run, to which big business and bankers do not compare favourably – to put it mildly. We need to unite all sections of the working class globally to end the rule of a capitalist system that offers us a world of unending misery and crisis.
COVID-19 crisis and Italy
1930s Great Depression & global crisis today
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McDonnell questioned about friendship with exec
Former Virginia
Gov. Bob McDonnell
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Prosecutors are questioning former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell about his friendship with a Virginia businessman whose generosity is at the heart of the ex-governor's corruption trial. McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, are charged with accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from former Star Scientific Inc. CEO Jonnie Williams in exchange for promoting his company's tobacco-based dietary supplement. Prosecutors allege that Williams was not so much a personal friend to McDonnell as he was a source of cash to the McDonnells, who carried large personal debts. In cross-examining McDonnell on Tuesday, they pointed out numerous documents and emails in which McDonnell routinely misspelled Williams' first name. McDonnell has testified he came to see Williams as a friend, and that he provided nothing more than routine political courtesies to Williams.