March 18, 2020

The Power of Social Distancing

That is staggering. Although the selfish amongst us who are still insisting on going to the pub etc will still think it is not about them...

March 17, 2020

Don't let these ghouls get away with this...

https://twitter.com/ndrew_lawrence/status/1239722465963712514


As with everything the right-wing media does – they put people’s lives at risk. They wind people up and then sit back at watch the results. They sat forward and actively told their audience to ignore this virus. That this is some sort of liberal conspiracy – playing into their victim hood and deep state bollocks. They have put at risk millions of people because of this. For years they have told their audiences to ignore fact and evidence-based decision making. To ignore experts. And when the virus starts sweeping through these communities and the response, we see, is for them to go buy more guns, cause?!?! They cannot be allowed to get away with this anymore. They need to be held responsible for what is happening. They are a disgrace and they will cost people their lives.

March 17, 2020

It was only a matter of time before the racists amongst us...

...started banging the ‘stop international aid’ drum as a response to this crisis.

Put the radio on this morning and was confronted by a radio host on a national radio station suggesting that as the UK is going to go through a difficult time economically that we should stop our international aid budget. That we should be taking care of our own, period.

Never mind that this virus is a freaking global pandemic. Never mind that it does not respect borders. Never mind that mankind in the developing world will have extremely limited access to adequate health care and projects that are funded through international aid are literal lifelines to some of the most disadvantaged in the world. Never mind that a public health crisis on this scale in developing countries will lead to a death rate unimaginable in the West. Never mind that the coming global recession will impact the most economically vulnerable countries the most.

For fucks sake. It is the same isolationist, xenophobic, racist hard line Brexiteers that blamed Johnny Foreigner for all the ills of the UK, now pushing for this measure, when the world should be pulling together. Wankers.

March 16, 2020

My mum had a neighbour, from a few doors down, knocking on her door today

They are in their early 60's, my mum in her late 70's. They just wanted to check in and make sure that as she should self isolate that should she need anything at all she must call them. She will be fine as my twin lives just over a mile away, but they did not know that. They recognised that my mum is a widow in a vulnerable category, as the PM says she needs to stay pretty much in doors for the next 3 months, they would be happy to do her grocery shopping. This is not a couple my mother would generally chat with. They would say hello and have a wee chat if they saw each other, no more than that. Today, when they saw BoJo 'suggesting' the new restrictions for old people to stay their arse at home in this crisis, their first response was to knock on my mums door. Not all hero's wear capes. And my faith in humanity is back, at least for tonight.

March 16, 2020

Disaster Nationalism exactly explains the US & UK governments response to COVID-19

Playing on the conspiracy theories - making the virus a object to spread isolationism - not being concerned for the people who will die because they already have their eggs in a row re who to blame - culling the herd is exciting to them - anarchy cloaked in destructive adventure...

This exactly.

March 16, 2020

You can't just macho out a pandemic, for fucksake...

One of two new Kentucky coronavirus cases refused to self-isolate. He’s being forced.

[link:https://www.kentucky.com/news/health-and-medicine/article241200076.html|]

Selfish wanker

https://twitter.com/PennyRed/status/1239383006952828928

Seriously. This. Acting tough does not mean anything at all to this virus. The way that some are shrugging of the seriousness of this, that they will not let a pesky virus 'beat' them is such a load of dangerous bollocks. This virus will not turn and run cause some wanker is talking tough while acting like a complete tool... idiots.

March 16, 2020

Of course the NHS will struggle to cope... BUT...

... at least we do have the NHS. Every time I turn on the radio, here in the UK, the conversation is about how the NHS is under resourced to respond to the pandemic sufficiently. Other than scaring people I am not sure what the point is... we all know that when this shit gets real all our structures are going to get very shaky indeed, but we are blessed that we have an NHS at all. When this takes off in volume, free at the point of use healthcare will be vital for lower income families, particularly if they are also hit by lack of income in the gig economy.
It may be a downward comparison but we are in a better place than our friends across the pond. In times of national crisis like this, the NHS is a safety net that does not discriminate based on insurance or income - because the virus sure as hell won't. Of course, BoJo and Matt HanCOCK managing all of this is very worrying... BUT we do have the NHS and we will pull through this somewhat in tact, if we are sensible and prudent and only use the NHS in absolute emergency to free them up for COVID response and ensuring they have enough bloody loo roll!


Graphic mine

March 15, 2020

Terribly Presidential and Terrible President. Compare and Contrast.

Graphic Mine

March 15, 2020

President Trump reportedly tried to poach German scientists working on a cure for coronavirus and...

... offered cash so the vaccine would be exclusive to the USA


[link:https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-administration-tried-to-pay-germans-scientists-for-coronavirus-cure-2020-3?r=US&IR=T|]

So not only isolationist, a profiteer as well, in a time of international crisis when we should all be pulling together. Just hideous.

March 15, 2020

It's no joke...😜