Another generic Covid thread....

... Looking at all the Covid threads is seems we still haven't a clue regarding what the issues really are.

Too many on here have determined that poor political decision making from the top is the problem and the reason why the Pandemic is prolonged and not going away.
Whilst it is indisputable that muddled thinking has been evident, the obsession from the dozen or so Left thinking anti Conservative anti BJ poster on here that if they had been in charge or anyone except Boris then everything would be relatively 'hunky-dory'.
The problem with that is if they bother to look beyond our shores and domestic politics they would realise that every country has the same opinion about their Governments... France protests, Czech Republic , protests, Netherlands, Spain, Greece, even Germany and Italy (where both have managed to keep the 2nd wave so far reasonably low.) Selective use of statistics, used by some on here to pillory the Govt regarding strategies like failing track and trace, tiered restriction systems (used by many countries now) and lockdowns (none of which are 'magic bullets'), means very little when it comes to the bottom line. France with a lower population and MUCH lower population density is now experience 17-18k per day.

We are at WAR, an unconventional war against an unseen enemy. It is a war like nothing we have ever seen and no one, I repeat no one, scientists, politicians, the 'experts' on here have an answer in how to defeat the enemy. The fact that so many on here united against the Govt. cannot agree how to protect the economies and save lives shows that the Government or ANY Govt. cannot win in the eyes of the public, whatever route they take.

I was prompted to write this post having seen a pathetic politically motivated Boris bashing headline in the Metro. It comes down to 'Media mischief making' and we have reached the stage where the are far too influential in shaping public opinion. 'The headline was 'Boris Jokes whilst Covid cases soar? Apparently, the media have decided, funny or not 'gallows humour' is no longer acceptable and in spite of everything else that is going on, that is the one thing they have picked on to make 'News'.

I genuinely believe, in many ways, the seriousness of what we are facing, and continue to face, has not really sunk in. If Covid was a physical enemy as in conventional war, the entire economy would be given over to the war effort and casualties would be regrettably an accepted part of the conflict. The press would be heavily censored, personal freedoms and rights restricted. Instead we squabble and argue amongst ourselves and blame Governments and politicians for our own failings. If this was a physical army we were facing they would overrun us in no time as we are in total disarray

 

Would you honestly have written that if Corbyn had been in charge?

 

Selective figures on track and trace? It was supposed to be world beating, I'd settle for a competent system but we haven't got that. The figures aren't selective they're just plain wrong, because the app can't be trusted due to its many faults.

You're defending the indefensible again, the situation is dire because of mismanagement pure and simple. Can you explain the 12 billion quid which found it's way into Tory donors pockets? And the other contracts being awarded without oversight or due process?
They've been too busy counting their money to notice what they've implemented isn't working. Well that's the least sinister way of explaining it away.

 

Hah Hah!
Brilliant! You have just proved my point. Thanks!
The OP is about the stupidity of politicising a Pandemic. You are too blinkered by your political ideology and wrapped up in your little World to comprehend that I was not defending any particular Government Political Party or Politician. Try actually READING the post again without your Left wing bias. I was referring to all Governments everywhere. ((what has Corbyn got to do with any of that -FYI Starmer is now the leader of the Labour Party) I see your usual comrades have liked your post. Try responding to the actual content and point of the post.

 

Yes, its a terrible state of affairs and yes, the media, as always SHOULD be grown up. However, your argument is flawed. Criticism of Johnson and the Government is nothing to do with being left-wing, its simply down to the fact that the running of the country, decision-making, and leading by example is being done by a set of clowns with clown in chief Coco Johnson unable to do anything other than to jump from one knee jerk decision to another with little or no consultation with parliament or local areas (on top of all the other evidenced signs of mismanagement). IF Labour had been in power they would equally have been utterly useless. But they aren't in power, the Tories are and as I've said, are totally incompetent. If this was a conventional war as you were alluding to we would now have a foreign government in charge - Coco and his clowns have been that bad.
P.s. Nice to see you recognize some bias in the media. They would never say anything detrimental about any other party would they?

 

The Government has ballsd up at every turn, off the top of my head:
spent £35 million on Track and trace app - Ireland's cost £700k.
PPE - Awarded £250 million contract to Avanda Capital Ltd to supply face masks - ACL are an investment firm with no history of supplying medical equipment
Awarded £18 million contract to Aventis Solutions to supply face masks - Aventis is an employment agency

Infact a total of £830 million has been handed to 12 companies for PPE - which have never delivered any PPE so far.

Meanwhile 200 Health care workers died in the first wave, thanks in part to inadequate PPE supply and the failure of the government to stockpile the right equipment - I can tell you from personal experience, by the time my wife and her colleagues got PPE in the hospital she works COVID was already spreading among patience and staff - it was too late.

Running out of lines on Excel spreadsheet.........words fail me.

A complete absence of testing capacity until the first wave was over, then being overrun after having 3 months to prepare for a second surge.

Doing the Hokey-Cokey on A Level and GCSE results - because the government don't trust teachers and believe that kids in poorer areas don't deserve the grades richer areas do, And by the way - moving the exams by 3 weeks for next year isn't going to help make up for the 4 months of lost teaching during the firs lock down - watch this space for more government flip-flop.

People - please feel free to add your own highlights of the government handling of this.

 

World-beating. Truly world-beating.

 

Literally no-one has said that.


I'd like to think though, that a Labour govt or even a less corrupt Conservative govt would have handled things better, and we'd have a working test/trace system at the very least.

Instead, we've got these shysters siphoning off billions to their mates' shell companies, then blaming everyone else but themselves for everything going wrong. They're a bunch of utter, utter scumbags.

 

Please add to that the government posting insulting sponsored adds on my FB timeline telling me I need to retrain, when pre COVID I had a successful business for 16 years and have been self employed for 25. **** Boris, Sunak & Handcock

 

Another one politicising the pandemic. How do you blame BoJo for the WORD pandemic 2nd wave then? What would be your answer to the Pandemic?

The only way to wipe it out would be a total block Wordwide on ANY social human interaction for 14 days minimum, which I am sure you agree is Impossible to achieve. My point is, politicising and blaming is totally counter productive. A coalition Govt. MIGHT make a difference but I doubt it as there i no clear cut 'magic bullet' to make it go away. Testing and tracking has, in other countries not proven ultimately to be the great solution many think it would be, although the shambolic system in the UK and failure , understandably inevitably gives rise to allegations that it could be.

 

She did respond to the content in a way that suggests she knows what YOUR political persuasions are.

 

And yet, France, as just one example are claiming the same incompetence of their Govt as you and others are in the UK. If the UK has been the worse explain why , As I stated in the OP France with a lower density and lower population are seeing a worse 2nd spike than the UK?

 

Also to add why are unnamed members of the government putting out ridiculous attack lines which are then being copied and pasted by prominent journalists as facts?
Vexatious claims should be fact checked not disseminated to the wider public from anonymous partisan sources. Guess they'll all do what Dom tells them to do. North Korea are taking notes I believe (false claim but if the cap fits).

Yeah media bias.....

 

Have you even heard yourself?

The Government was presented with a crisis, its response to which will affect public health and the economy for years to come. It has been a test of leadership, competency and honesty which the Government has failed on all fronts. If we aren't going to politicise that then what's the point in ever discussing politics again?

I could compile a list of all the failures, u-turns and lies but the post would make War and Peace look like Mr Tickle. Saying "yeah but there's protests in other countries" about countries that have handled it better is laughably desperate whataboutery. Johnson could come and personally burn your house down and piss on the ashes and you'd just shrug and say "ah but a house in another country caught fire last week."

 

I'm honestly not trying to politicise this. I haven't got any 'proven' answers either. I just think that the current government had been appallingly incompetent. The only thing it has done of worth is the furlough scheme first time round. So many things have been terribly handled however. It's my Government as well as yours and regardless of what the rest of the world does I would want it to deal with this far, far better. The Government HAS been incompetent however one tries to dress it up

 

And what are they? I actually genuinely have no preference for any political party, nor do I resort though to taking seriouslyy papers who photoshop red noses and wigs on politicians in the midst of one of the greatest threats to global population the World has ever seen. It is fine to have disagreements but the number of people on here who initiate to childish playground name calling when describing politicians is ridiculous and does nothing to move the debate along.

Incidentally nor does her changing the subject of the OP

 

You do realise Boris isn't going to shag you, yeah?

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavi...ystem-has-kept-death-count-below-500-12103124

 

Starts a thread attacking those bloody nasty lefties who have been attacking our poor govt who are only doing their best, but definitely not to defend said govt. Definitely not. Those bloody do-gooder lefties eh, holding corrupt, selfish, incompetent politicians to account...