Do other countries bitch relentlessly about their governments?

[Sodamncold]

Listening to radio. On and on the callers come on and complain about how the government has messed up.

All over mumsnet - posters complaining and whinging about Boris etc

For what it’s worth - I think the gov has done a good job overall. Yes there’s been mistakes but I don’t expect perfection. I think that many don’t realise how lucky they are to live in this country.

So curious as to what’s going on in other countries?

Of course other countries do. It's natural
I mean usually there 2 main parties, people either like or dislike and whoever isn't in power will have critical supporters of those in power

This isn't corona special either, it's just how it works. No government can please all.
The closest I think I've ever seen is the aus gun buy back and tough laws after Port Arthur, majority support nation wide both public and in government with only a few against but again, not ALL were happy.
It's like 2 football teams and supporters, one team always happy with referees call, the other team isnt.

Boris has made a career out of lying and stabbing people in the back.

He has a way of speaking in soundbites which actually means nothing if you analyse it, but seems to convince people who aren't really paying attention. I give you "get Brexit done" which is meaningless, but seemed to secure him a victory.

The trouble is he's now facing a situation that he can't bluster through with soundbites and he's coming up empty. He's been an absolute disaster and should be held to account for that.

Maybe people in some countries feel that their government basically operates on the premise that its people's welfare comes first, whether or not they agree on how that's achieved.

I don't feel this government operates on that premise. They have done nothing that persuades me otherwise.

Paying all these schills to come on Mumsnet and post what they want us to think makes me even surer. They want the uberclass to get richer, and that's it.

Thanks MashedPotatoBrainz

So if the election result had been different, Whitty et al might have been replaced by other advisors? I hadn't appreciated it was a political appointment, but I suppose the party in power wants to work with people whose advice they will act on. I do worry a bit that the experts will be expected to take the full responsibilty for things that went wrong.

People = yes they do.

What is different is that in the UK, we have the ridiculous BBC making stuff up rather than reporting the facts. They make their own news, usually to suit their agenda. Just look at the ridiculous Laura asking virtually the same questions day after day - she clearly has no imagination. She has also clearly not bothered to read the actual official guidance etc as if she had, she wouldn't need to ask many of her questions as the answers are in black and white on Gov.uk. For weeks she was whingeing about "people" wanting a roadmap as to how to get out of lockdown - when Boris produced his "roadmap" - note NOT actual plans but a general idea of how it may look (as she had been asking for), she pulled it to bits. The sooner we're rid of her and Peston the better.

For what it’s worth - I think the gov has done a good job overall. Yes there’s been mistakes but I don’t expect perfection.

Lol. Which parts specifically are ‘good’? I literally can’t think of one single thing.
It couldn’t have been handled any worse.

The government is doing a really good job 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I do worry a bit that the experts will be expected to take the full responsibilty for things that went wrong.

Err - that's the whole point of any government engaging "experts". You can't expect Boris (or any PM or minister) to understand highly technical details, that's why they employ experts to find and present data and propose solutions/options. Now if Boris is found to have ignored expert advice that's a different matter, but if it turns out that various experts have made mistakes, then they have to be answerable.

Yes, other countries bitch about their governments as well. I have found it surprising how little they bitch in the UK, this having a cabinet made out of old uni friends, providing government contracts to friends, dumping the ex to bring the lover in as First Lady it is the sort of things that could get a government into a lot of scrutiny in other countries, here we just look the other way.

But things like lockdown and the measures to ease it have to come from government, surely?

I worry about a repeat of what happened with Dr David Kelly in the future, that is what I'm trying to get across

But things like lockdown and the measures to ease it have to come from government, surely?

Yes but the government want you to forget about that and remember 'following the science'. IE 'it wasn't our fault the scientists made us do it.' But the scientists have already said that they never present the government with 1 option. There are always multiple options and analysis of their potential outcomes. It's the government who decide which option, if any, to take.

Even little things like Johnson's' PR dog (which hes now got rid of) would be rightly torn to pieces in other countries. Here we just have drooling masses impressed by his fucking ruffled hair.

We are one of the most developed Countries in the world and our death rates are appalling. The current government should be sacked for the way they have and are handling the crisis.

I am in the North West where figures are still high and the Mayor is practically begging Boris to slow down but we are not London so it’s all systems go. The same with tourist areas asking people to stay away, but no Boris says it’s fine.

The government all have blood on their hands.

Can anyone confirm or not whether the points I made on page two are valid or not as to why our death rate is high compared to Germany? Genuinely interested as I would imagine they are important factors.

No, some people don’t hold their governments to account because they live in totalitarian regimes.

I’ll take the freedom to bitch any day, thanks.

We are one of the most developed Countries in the world and our death rates are appalling

this infuriates me so much!! how do you or any one of us really know that our death rates are "appalling" - how do we bloody well know if they would be lower had we done any single one thing differently - and don't go comparing us to another country with different types of health system, different obesity rates, different age pops, different pop density, large international cities, etc. it's all just conjecture and it's pointless!

@ProseccoSupernova yes all points are valid, also remember that Germany had Bosch making tests from the word go - they had information before UK did of the virus - they also had home-manufacturing ppe outlets - but here is the biggy - they do not count deaths attributed to covid as covid deaths. we count every death as covid deaths which is bloody absurd!

@venusTiger and it bloody infuriates me that we didn’t shut our borders sooner, that our elected leader is a fool who announces actions which leave many people confused.

It also Infuriates me that the government does not engage other parts of the UK before opening his mouth and creating even more confusion.

Venus why do you think the government used to use that international comparison slide? Until of course we raced to the top then suddenly this talking point you so neatly illustrate started to get trotted out.

I'm in Spain, and yes they do!

This “bitching” as you call it is very important and the fact that we can do it means we live in a fair democratic society.

@doodleygirl Nicola Sturgeon doing the opposite is not the govt's fault - shutting borders wasn't something Europe wanted any of us to do, as we are still members of the EU until Dec 2020 - we should have been able to do this I agree, as we are an island but we weren't allowed

@HoneysuckIejasmine because it's worldwide - of course you need to see how and where the virus is spreading

I love the bitching.
It provokes change where change is warranted.

Try living in a country where to drop a dissenting opinion or even a basic "concern" is to be ripped apart, sneering, sniding...you soon learn to keep your mouth shut...and little valuable change occurs for the many.