I don’t know what saddens me more, the huge number of unnecessary deaths in the UK, or the huge number of people who seem to swallow the BS that the huge number of deaths are to be expected.
To be clear, the UK government has fucked up big time. The reason why decisions at the moment regarding easing of restrictions, public transport, return to work and schools is because of bad decisions made in March. Many other countries around the world are doing the exact same easing of restrictions as the UK but from a place of significantly fewer deaths. Just look at the list of countries below the UK, how are they doing better?
www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/85320e2ea5424dfaaa75ae62e5c06e61
I just see excuse after excuse after excuse. For example:
It hit so quickly, Boris had to make decisions without preparation time
So how did all the other countries do it then? The UK saw what was happening in Italy and still didn’t act. There was enough time.
New Zealand and Australia are miles from anywhere, you can’t apply what they’ve done to the UK
If population, population densities, distances, and travel hubs are what matters, how does anyone explain how Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, etc etc, all countries surrounding Wuhan with comparable populations at least, have done so much better?
You can’t trust all the other countries to be truthful about cases
It’s true that some cases don’t really know the full extent of their case numbers. But one of these countries is the UK; the number of cases and deaths is bound to be higher. And is every single country below the UK on the table lying? All of them?
At least we’ve flattened the curve
The USA has smoothed out the top of Mt Everest. The UK has flattened the top of Kilimanjaro. Everyone else is now strolling down Pendle Hill.
At least we might save the economy
The whole world’s economy has gone to shit, but most countries are going to try and rescue their own economy in the knowledge that at least the number of deaths isn’t in the thousands. It’s not like the UK is well placed financially from its decisions is it?
What will it achieve to criticise the past?
It’s a criminal scandal, and the fact no one is being held to account is criminal. Should there be no consequences of government decisions that have resulted in thousands of needless deaths? And if we start demanding accountability, then maybe decisions on this in the future will be managed better.
I don’t have all the answers on what the UK should do to exit this. But I do believe that the reason the decisions are so much harder is because of sheer ineptitude by those in power 2 months ago. It doesn’t mean people have to defy lockdown to protest, but no one should be so placid as to accept that this was the way it was meant to be.