to feel proud of / happy about the UK population's response to coronavirus?

[BowermansNose]

I was listening to a podcast yesterday (it's a US podcast called Pod Save the World), and they made the point that looking from the US, it's remarkable how the UK has come together with a sense of national purpose. Whether it is to support the NHS and our essential workers, where generally, the rules are being followed, the institutions are generally trusted and so on. Despite the divisions over Brexit (for example) there is a broad sense of unity.

If you compare this to the US where facts have become so partisan now, where you have Trump supporters turning up in Michigan with Confederate Flags to protest the lockdown, and where everything is disputed along partisan lines from the efficacy of social distancing to that malaria drug.

AIBU to be happy about how the UK population has responded positively?

YANBU. I think people in my local area have pulled together - people offering to help the vulnerable, someone put up a table in their front garden with toys and games given away for free, businesses giving away meals to keyworkers, the rainbows and things on windows and pavements. Its lovely to see in a difficult time.

Most people where we live are being very sensible and distancing. In our small village the only people who have had it were a care worker and their parent. I believe they are OK. I don’t know anyone who has died.

Outside the big cities and areas surrounding them it does not appear to be too bad, fingers crossed

Why compare ourselves to one of the very worst countries response to CV-19?
How about German's efforts?

To me, the UK pop.have done a far better job than the UK's Govt.

Is the podcast called Pod Save America? 3 young guys host it. I’m not overly impressed with the UK but happy with the majority of people. I’m horrified by America though.

I think it's fucking appalling. Our government has been confused and slow to act and still isn't coordinating testing or the supply of PPE properly.

Lockdown is giving every petty Hitler an excuse to snitch and whine about their neighbours' perceived BREAKING OF THE RULES. The scramble for online deliveries because someone simply doesn't fancy going to the shops is selfish beyond belief whilst the competitive lockdown behaviour is hilarious and the virtual signalling even more so.

It really demonstrates that people's ability to assess risk is dreadful - they've completely lost sight of what we're trying to achieve and instead get hysterical because someone dared to sit on a bench in a park or went over their allocated '30 minutes exercise' (a figure they totally made up) by one fucking minute.

And as for our support of the NHS... the Brits have always loved the NHS. There's nothing new there. Apart from a load of Tory hypocrites are now clapping every Thursday whilst happily voting for a party that deliberately destroys the health service.

It's a fucking nightmare.

To me, the UK pop.have done a far better job than the UK's Govt.

The AIBU is directly about the UK Population, rather than the government.

Is the podcast called Pod Save America?

It's from the same team. Pod Save America focuses on US domestic issues, and Pod Saves the World is focused on international issues.

Absolutely agree with you optical, but dare not say this to most of my friends who take the op's view.

amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/15/uk-government-coronavirus-science-who-advice

YANBU about UK population. Shame about the government though.

I agree op with regards to the population (which is the basis of the thread) when you see the protests in Michigan which caused road blocks that ambulances were caught in, the increase in sales of guns (wtf?!), a field hospital opened by someone called Franklin Graham who would only employ health workers if they signed a document that they were heterosexual and some US politicians actually say out loud that lives should be sacrificed for the sake of the economy that no matter the faults we have that at least the majority of the UK population does make me proud

Have you forgotten the panic buying and hoarding? Plus the numerous daily threads on here of people being idiots?

No way, how could I be proud of a country which not only pays it's care and healthcare workers appallingly but sends them to work with no PPE and everywhere around me the individual needs of people to drive recklessly, have their loft extension built, get their artisan ice cream fix or run 8 miles every day is more important than staying at home and expecting other people to. I'm not even going to get into how most of the immigrants I know work in healthcare and are scared for themselves and we've treated them appallingly as a nation and put their rights to remain in this country at threat. Good luck attracting more highly skilled staff in future.

Do we trust our institutions? The media? The figures we're given? The police to deal with a call? The government to look after the vulnerable in society? The ability of the DWP to pay out?

We might be better than America but as far as I can see we only have the NHS that is differentiating us and we've had decades of government eroding it, that people have continuously voted for.

So no, not particularly proud.

I think most people I know are behaving responsibly and generously. Look at the numbers signong up to volunteer.So yes, why not feel proud of the British population as a whole?

I agree op, I think the UK population generally has been great. In our area a volunteer system was set up almost immediately for shopping for vulnerable people, hardly anyone about etc. It's been quite heart warming to see everyone pull together.

People love to assume that things are do much better in other countries. People with families living abroad will say that things are just as bad and often much worse.

So much has been said about lack of PPE but we managed it much better than France did.

I don’t think comparisons are helpful.
There is good and bad everywhere.

I agree. I think, in general, we’ve all decided to just get on with it.
Just ignore the scaremongering in the Daily Mail and Mumsnet as the majority of people in the uk didn’t panic buy or hoard. Also most people in the UK are obeying the general rules of the lockdown.
We are lucky to have the NHS. Free treatment is a blessing that most of us take for granted.

I think most people are being sensible. Around here, we're helping our neighbours and our friends, most people are distancing, and people are generally being cheerful. You see the odd person being a twerp and the jackboot tendency just can't help themselves when it comes to snitching on their neighbours for every minor perceived infraction of the guidelines, but in general, people are doing their best, and it's a pretty good best.

I agree OP, I think the majority of British people have responded very well, at least since Lockdown has begun.
I'm sure very many Americans have responded equally well, it's just we don't get to hear about that side of things. Only the negative stories tend to make the news.

The panic buying and stockpiling was a very small problem. The issues has been analysed and found to be a 'few extra' problem with everyone buying a bit more, mostly due to being at home and restaurants/cafes closed.

I find it heartening that a lot of people agree. We see a lot of negativity, but in my experience so far, there has been little hoarding, and I've not witnessed any lockdown shaming except on MN.

Have you been in lockdown then OP? It's all about perspective surely and which news you digest and what you are exposed to in the real world.

I live with a key worker, they are abused almost daily, have been threatened, assaulted multiple times, people pretending to cough on them, all sorts. It's food retail and the reason is people popping out on their bloody droves endangering staff who have no PPE for pointless items - 1 chocolate bar, 1 packet of crisps, back in multiple times a day. Then they turn nasty when theyre told no, or that there are item limits, or they must stand back, or if they are asked to leave for not sticking to rules. It isn't a particularly rough area either, in parts quite the opposite.

The staff have their police reference numbers on their phones and have been allowed their phones on them in order that they can quickly dial 999. It has calmed down a bit but people have utterly disgraced themselves and it isn't a tiny minority or specific to this one area or shop.

Have you been in lockdown then OP? It's all about perspective surely and which news you digest and what you are exposed to in the real world.

Well, yes, like everyone else I guess.

I suppose my perspective is skewed in that I'm not a key worker, and my friends and family and neighbours do seem to be broadly following the rules.

Your experience sounds very unpleasant, but I don't know how representative it is, nor how representative my own experience is.