Essay on Populism, Socialism and Anarchism
The fundamental argument in this paper is that socialism is an effective ideology in handling healthcare pandemics. However, the essay reviews two other ideologies, that is, populism and anarchism to evaluate their efficacy in medical crisis mitigation. The premise of this essay is the determination of how the various ideologies inform the policies that are formulated to handle the crises. Socialism, as a foundational ideology upon which social, political, and economic regulations are made, offers effective solutions to pandemics such as the Covid-19 outbreak.
Populism
The academic perspective in populism is that it claims to speak on behalf of the majority of the people. According to Navin and Nunan (2020), populism purports to address the issues that affect the ordinary people, an aspect that makes it relatively popular among voters who are desperate to change the status quo. Secondly, ordinary people ought to oppose the elite establishment, which is regarded as being behind the problems that affect them. Thus, standing up against the elites is the first step towards removing the social, economic, and political barriers that cause the misery of ordinary people.
In the fight against Covid-19, populism advocates for the interests of the local population without being mindful of people from other countries. For instance, US President, Donald Trump advocated for the closure of the US borders as a mechanism of blocking the virus from entering the country. However, this approach was considered racist and was opposed by institutions.
Socialism
Socialism is a political and economic ideology that advocates for public ownership of the means of production. According to Mill (2020) socialism opposes capitalism, an ideology that champions the private ownership of the means of production. Socialists, therefore, believe that basic services such as healthcare, security, and education are best provided when they are managed by the government. Under this system, the authorities set output targets and regulates commodity prices.
The socialist perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic is that the government should be the major decision-maker in developing initiatives to combat the pandemic. The healthcare sector, especially public hospitals should handle the COVID-19 cases under a publicly-funded insurance program, thus shifting the burden of treating the infection cases from the citizens to the taxpayers.
Anarchism
Anarchism is denoted by a political system with radical and revolutionary elements. In an anarchical system, social order is maintained through obedience to the authorities and professionals but not through submission to laws (Eltzbacher, 2017). Under the system, agreements are not recognized, as human beings are considered civilized enough to be orderly. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need to follow guidelines issued by medical professionals and governments. However, it has become evident that people defy the guidelines, thus prompting governments to pursue enforcement measures.
Conclusion: Best Ideology in the fight against COVID-19
From the arguments, it is evident that the three ideologies are actively applicable in contemporary societies. Socialism is the most ideal ideology in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic because it addresses the concerns of ordinary people. The disease affects the entire population regardless of their age, race, or economic well-being. Thus, there needs to be a system that gi8ves all people an equal opportunity for healthcare services. In light of this, socialism provides for public ownership of facilities that offer basic services such as healthcare, thus making the ideology suitable in times of crisis.
References
Eltzbacher, P. (2017). Anarchism. Lanham: Dancing Unicorn Books.
Mill, J. S. (2020). Socialism. Singapore: Origami Books.
Navin, M. C., & Nunan, R. (2020). Democracy, populism, and truth. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
