To find these covid snitching threads terrifying

[CrotchBurn]

Student house party. 75% voted for OP to call police.

Really?

I think this thread is chilling proof at how far we've fallen in a society within such a small amount of time. Less than a year with constant media brainwashing, all of us essentially under house arrest, and look at us. Clearing out supermarkets and calling the police because "it's the right thing to do" and "they're putting society at risk".

Who else would you have turned in?

At what other point in history would you have colluded with the government to "do the right thing", without any thought for your fellow humans just being people?

They are students. They are broke, they have been confined to their box rooms almost a whole year. Have some heart for christs sake.

And by the way, I do believe in covid. I believe in staying home and wearing masks and doing the right thing. I would never grass though. Ever. And that goes for covid antics, benefit fraud, whatever. I believe people sometimes do what they need to do to survive physically or emotionally.

I think its terrifying what society has become in less than a year.

Who would have thought we would be living on a world where you would be standing in a little yellow circle traced out on a supermarket floor, and not an inch over if you please, else you'll be reported as a health threat!

Is this our world now? In which young lonely people are turned in and fined for spending time together?

I'm not advocating for student parties, I'm advocating for looking away when you see one.

I'm stunned that people are paying thousands for an education from someone with that type of mentality. 'Makeshift prisons.

And I'm stunned that people are paying thousands of pounds for an education from a sector geared toward the support of young people's interests, which evidently contains some staff who totally dismiss that end.

What else do you call deprivation of innocent people of liberty on no more solid a basis than the whims of an (incompetent) government?

The OP is right. At the end of this farce we'll all have to live with the society we've created. Critical thinking not necessarily your forte?

I don’t think this is a conspiracy, covid is real, it’s killing a horrific number of people and the restrictions are in an attempt to keep infections down which is a legitimate aim.

However it is coming at a cost of taking the most basic of freedoms (which isn’t to say it is wrong, but that is the cost of it) and I am genuinely aghast at the way some posters are so blithely dismissive of this. The state taking our freedom is something which needs scrutiny, and calling those talking about this whingers and moaners and the like is really concerning and displays an ignorance and naivety, that we are sorted with our system here and nothing could ever go wrong. I wish that were true.

Governments like power. They like to give themselves as much power as possible. This is why we have checks and balances, because it’s fucking important that civil liberties are protected.

[quote CrotchBurn]@MilesJuppIsMyBitch

I think that's just you, and I also think that's quite a nasty comment. She's allowed to make her point, the same as anyone else on this thread. I havent seen her dish out any ad hominems[/quote]
I haven't counted. I have noticed though.

@Crotchburn

Why do you persist with this one track record of 70 year olds dying? Who is saying its okay for people to have parties? Not a single person on there has said they green light parties. People arguing on the other side are saying they disagree with the idea of reporting others in their community, not that they support parties.

Your entire thread is about how cruel it was for people to say its fine to snitch on students having a party, and that we should feel bad for them as they've had it tough. So you're saying it's OK for them and others I'd assume to have parties as its been a tough year. And in connection with those parties, they will eventually spread covid around no doubt and people will die from that.

If you don't report it, you're essentially saying you're OK with it. Its exactly the same as seeing someone commit a crime and doing nothing about it. They aren't allowed to have the party. It sucks, but is a party worth killing someone with covid? What about 5 people, or 10 people?

@OffredOfjune

DBIL is flying in from the USA in a couple of weeks. I have just learnt he has no intention of isolating- I am considering reporting him

God, even families turning on families now too. Scary.

@OffredOfjune you are ok with this person potentially making other multiple people sick or worst case scenario dying all because an individual decides they are above the law? Have you even looked at the US stats?

I have more contempt for people who turn a blind eye than I do for those doing the right thing

As for "snitching". Grow up. There will be a gin drinking poster somewhere getting his rocks off at so many snitches

Governments like power. They like to give themselves as much power as possible. This is why we have checks and balances, because it’s fucking important that civil liberties are protected.

Amen. We've already removed some of those checks and balances with that misguided Brexit vote. Relinquish your freedoms for safety or security and you will get (and deserve) neither.

Once the way is paved in that direction it becomes increasingly difficult to turn back. I also wouldn't mind betting that should this happen, some of the blind adherents on this thread would be the first ones writing their hands and asking how the hell we got here.

Careful what you wish for.

While I don't 'curtain-twitch', and would never dream of snitching because e.g. a neighbour had a couple of people over at their house during lockdown, huge parties could be another matter. In several cities including mine, there was a very significant rise in Covid rates that seemed to be driven at least partly by partying by students. I am very sympathetic to students and their hardships, but they are adults, and I don't think that it is essential for them to have big parties at this time. It is very unfair, not only to the community as a whole, but to other students, whom they expose, and who at the typical student age probably won't die of it, but are still at risk of long Covid (let's also remember that not all students are 18; there are plenty of mature students at many universities). And even mild or asymptomatic infection could mean that a student has to spend the vacation in their university accommodation and can't see their family for Christmas - a far worse hardship than refraining from big student parties. I won't go around spying on students (or others), or report minor infringements of rules, but if there's a very obvious huge party spilling into the neighbourhood, I probably would report it: probably to the college or university authorities rather than the police.

'Wringing', apologies.

'The OP is right. At the end of this farce we'll all have to live with the society we've created. Critical thinking not necessarily your forte?'

Stop being so dramatic. Last July and aug were practically normal, everything open just SD in place. Some have such select memories. We'll be vaccinated by Spring. The 'society we created'. Good grief. There will of course always be selfish twats trying to get away with ignoring rules, virus or no virus. That will never change.

@CakeRequired
"If you don't report it, you're essentially saying you're OK with it. Its exactly the same as seeing someone commit a crime and doing nothing about it"

I think this is the crux of how we disagree. I dont agree that by not reporting I'm saying I'm okay with it.

What about Jean Valjean? I'm serious when I ask you: would you have reported him (if he'd been real)?

I dont put students in the same category as the other entitled wankers you see around you

What do you categorise partying students as then? Many of us are sticking to rules and making personal sacrifces every day despite being thoroughly pissed off with doing it all, so what is the need for a houseparty and this moment in time if not entitled wankery?

Until idiots stop doing ridiculous things I won't be able to see my family properly again. I work on the covid side of A&E which is fine but very grating when spread has been due to such ridiculous events and it's these house parties that are therefore putting me at risk.

So if I heard of a big party I would 100% report. 👍🏻

I think this is the crux of how we disagree. I dont agree that by not reporting I'm saying I'm okay with it.

But you are really because you don't care enough to report it. You don't see the side effects of it as being a problem.

What about Jean Valjean? I'm serious when I ask you: would you have reported him (if he'd been real)?

It's theft. Again where do you draw the line at theft? It's a crime no matter how small it is or how insignificant it seems. One loaf of bread, is that OK? What about 2, the shop owner can surely do without 2? What about 10, will he notice 10 gone? If everyone died it, soon there's no bread left in the shop, the baker has no income for the day and goes out of business. Then there's no bread for anyone. People starve, and die. All from one loaf of bread.

Does not died.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

You're a university lecturer?!!

I'm stunned that people are paying thousands for an education from someone with that type of mentality. 'Makeshift prisons' 🙄

Makeshift prisons indeed DS and pals are having the time of their lives. Party central. One of his mates in another uni has the dubious honour of having the all time record for false fire alarm raising I’m amazed how much insight you have into your students psyche given that so few of then are actually doing any face to face learning. But worried that for any who DO express concerns you are seriously peddling the ‘makeshift prison’ line.

LastGoldenDaysOfSummer

It's important to remember that there are plenty of sensible students out there, we just don't hear so much about them.

Friend's son lives in a shared student house and the four of them consider themselves a household and only went out together, not mixing with others, when it was allowed. All are going to have tests before going home for Christmas.

*Thank goodness for the sensible ones.

Exactly. They just quietly get on. That doesn't make a good press though.

But these and their families are the ones who will pay for the few being irresponsible. Sadly*

EXACTLY! I am a university teacher myself, and virtually all the students whom I know are very sensible, despite having had a really horrible year. It's the reckless ones who make the news.

@TinySongstress

I wouldn't grass either but honestly, I am getting pretty pissed off with doing the right thing, wearing the mask, keeping my distance, not seeing friends and family, sanitising constantly (basically being considerate and responsible for mine and other people's health) and being seemingly surrounded by SO MANY selfish, inconsiderate, entitled wankers who think they're not part of the problem. That they're somehow exempt (apart from mask exempt wearers). This whole thing has really shone a spotlight on the staggering amount of the population who clearly don't give a shit about anyone but themselves. It's not even about them, it's about who they pass it on to. They don't care.

That said, no, I wouldn't report. More fool me, probably. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Completely agree with this

@CakeRequired

50% of people agree with her. The intelligent half of society.

So your 'intelligent' side of society is fine with letting people die because they are old? OK then let's just be done with the rules, all go back to normal and just go with the idea of survival of the fittest. If you catch it, good luck to you, no ventilators or anything.

This is what you said

So the 50% that agrees with the op are fine with old people dying

Most people vote on what the OP says...not what others may say

(The intelligent comment wasn’t particularly intelligent)

@CakeRequired wow you’d have somebody sent to a labour camp for taking bread to feed a hungry child?

Sorry cake not your intelligent comment

The original intelligent comment

I think the problem is @CakeRequired you’re looking at covid in a vacuum. If you do that, your comments make sense. But as a society

It’s like saying if you don’t want cars banned you don’t care about people dying in road traffic accidents or the thousands who die from pollution. And don’t tell me cars aren’t infectious diseases as though that answers the point because it doesn’t. It’s something we do which can harm others, and if we didn’t do it, that harm would be avoided. But we still do it. We could shut the country down every year to avoid thousands of flu deaths but we don’t. Are those deaths ok? We could shut down all shops whose products aren’t ethically sourced, which would be most of them, but we don’t.

So much of what we do has an effect on other people but it seems people only give a fuck about this when it comes to covid. So when you say things like “so it’s ok for 70 year olds to die” it just sounds facile unless you’re basically calling for us all to live in isolation and live off the land forevermore lest our actions harm someone else.

70 year olds are dying because we have left the schools open. Are you wanting those shut? Are you ok with harming vulnerable children, or are you ok with 70 year olds dying?

It’s about proportionality.

So op by your reckoning you are terrified what society has become because some people snitch on others (Large numbers of MN posters who replied to that thread apparently would but if you have been here for some time you will be well aware that MN predictions and opinion is way off the general public’s) along with bulk buying (which in other countries people were encouraged to do) but what the genuine fear that many have of covid because should they catch it or someone in their family catches it they are likely to become very ill is from brain washing

Oh right and who exactly is being over dramatic in this scenario

I wouldn’t call the police but I can understand why people do along with young people wanting to party

@CakeRequired

I think this is the crux of how we disagree. I dont agree that by not reporting I'm saying I'm okay with it.

But you are really because you don't care enough to report it. You don't see the side effects of it as being a problem.

What about Jean Valjean? I'm serious when I ask you: would you have reported him (if he'd been real)?

It's theft. Again where do you draw the line at theft? It's a crime no matter how small it is or how insignificant it seems. One loaf of bread, is that OK? What about 2, the shop owner can surely do without 2? What about 10, will he notice 10 gone? If everyone died it, soon there's no bread left in the shop, the baker has no income for the day and goes out of business. Then there's no bread for anyone. People starve, and die. All from one loaf of bread.

OP, have you ever broken the law?

Sorry not OP - @CakeRequired