Covid 19

[Speleofish]

That's true, but China is unquestionably indulging in vaccine diplomacy and I suspect Russia is trying to.

 

[pwhole]

The other difficulty with trying to vaccinate the whole adult population before relaxing is that we'll come under increasing pressure to give up vaccines to low-income countries who are really, really suffering. I think it's morally justifiable to insist on vaccinating our vulnerable population as we've been hit harder than almost any other country (only Belgium, Slovenia and Czechia have done worse [I don't count Gibraltar and San Marino]). However, at some point it's going to get a little difficult to say to the rest of the world that we're unwilling to help - especially as we'll want to make friends with them and do trade deals.

The only problem there though is that British folks on low incomes will probably all have died by then, either from catching Covid or of poverty from never working. They would have to start giving money out by then, otherwise the place will be A Clockwork Orange in six months

 

[mikem]

& the working class used to be tougher than that!

 

[Duck ditch]

Vaccination is the only game in town.  Win that and you win everything. 

 

[pwhole]

An interesting one on that from Andrew Rawnsley this morning:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/31/the-bad-taste-question-about-covid-that-everyone-at-westminster-is-asking

One Labour frontbencher tells me: ?In our focus groups, the more we attack the government, the more people don?t like it.? The accusation that the government has been too slow to take measures to control the virus resonates with the public because they largely agree. ?Anywhere else you attack them, you have people saying, ?That?s not fair.??

Mr Johnson may also be the undeserving beneficiary of low expectations of government. ?There?s a general cynicism about politicians as a class,? comments one veteran of the Labour frontbench. ?When we criticise the government, people often respond, ?You lot wouldn?t have done any better.??

 

[mikem]

Funnily enough the population would like a government that worked together to improve things at this time of crisises (even if they are of their own creation)

 

[al]

There's a lot of comparison between covid and WW2, but in the latter wehad a wartime coalition - wouldn't have been a bad idea.

 

[droid]

We also didn't have people saying 'those bombs aren't real, it's all a Government plot'

 

[mikem]

There were quite a number saying Hitler wasn't a threat (& others thought both wars should have only involved those in power).

The coalition wasn't until May 1940 (& it was replaced by the first majority Labour government before the war ended). It was also a coalition during WW1.

 

[NewStuff]

Talking of bombs...Nutjobs are *trying* to introduce them on top of the pandemic.

http://www.wrexham.com/news/man-charged-after-suspicious-package-sent-to-covid-19-vaccine-production-plant-in-wrexham-199893.html

 

[Speleofish]

I agree a coalition might have been a good idea. Only a few problems:

The Tories and the Liberals don't have happy memories of the last one
It's hard to imagine any other party being prepared to work with Boris and even harder to imagine Boris stepping aside for someone else.
Everyone would slope shoulders and blame everyone else for every disaster.

 

[al]

I agree a coalition might have been a good idea. Only a few problems:

The Tories and the Liberals don't have happy memories of the last one
It's hard to imagine any other party being prepared to work with Boris and even harder to imagine Boris stepping aside for someone else.
Everyone would slope shoulders and blame everyone else for every disaster.

These are only problems because our two main parties take FPTP (and the electorate) for granted. Hopefully recent events will have some good effect and we'll get some real democracy in this country one day, and they'll have to learn to work together.

 

[mikem]

Although, in normal life they can't agree on which way to proceed...

 

[tony from suffolk]

Had my first vaccination this morning. Very slick, friendly, pain-free service by the lovely staff at the venue in Stowmarket.

I confess I'm rather nervous about what Bill Gates is going to do with me, now I'm under his personal control. He's already made me have a third cup of coffee, which I don't usually have until midday. Evil swine!

 

[mikem]

Seems to have switched you to US time keeping too, as it's well after midday here!

 

[tony from suffolk]

Seems to have switched you to US time keeping too, as it's well after midday here!

It takes a while for internet traffic to filter though the pipes in rural Suffolk.

 

[pwhole]

Whilst we're on the subject of 'filtering through', this is a good one on relative compliance and its outcomes:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2021/feb/01/loose-rule-breaking-culture-covid-deaths-societies-pandemic

The dodo?s story shows that traits honed in one environment can become a liability when the environment changes. This is what scientists call an evolutionary mismatch, and it has led to thousands of unnecessary Covid-19 deaths in loose-leaning societies. Obviously, loose groups aren?t destined to disappear from the face of the earth. But their continuing struggles with a year-old pandemic shows the difficulties they are having in adapting.

The virus has been especially effective at turning some societies? propensity for rule breaking against them. Americans exemplify this spirit. It?s why the United States boasts a great deal of creativity and innovation. It?s also a major liability during times of threat. Such maverick behaviour is supposed to subside in emergencies. Yet countless US citizens continue holding parties, shopping maskless and generally scoffing at the virus. When the fear reflex is triggered, it?s often in a perverse way: fearing lockdowns and mask mandates more than the virus itself.

 

[al]

All this talk about a new variant "from abroad" seems to be ignoring the fact that new variants "from wherever" are created by mutation and might therefore occur spontaneously anywhere. So telling folk in particular areas to isolate might work up to a point, but should probably be applied to the whole population.

 

[pwhole]

Just wait till the Rotherham mutation kicks in - you ain't seen nothing yet! But good point - mutations and 'travel' are not mutually dependent, it's just that international travel makes all mutations more likely to be distributed. It's frankly bizarre and slightly disturbing that international travel has been the last thing to be curtailed when it should have been the first. But I'm sure 'Jab 'n Go' will have a good plan to get himself out of this conundrum. ?50 single flights to New Zealand, leaving every hour, 24/7.

 

[mikem]

Can just ditch in the sea, as NZ won't accept them