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Anyone else wincing at Boris’ manoeuvres to pass the blame

203 replies

Paurie · 23/03/2020 06:33

Exhibit A

So a week ago we were told schools were likely to stay open. Two days ago schools were closed, we were told to avoid pubs and gyms - but encouraged to keep exercising and stay positive. And now it’s ‘Irresponsible Brits flocking to outdoor spaces may force PM into implementing a full lockdown’

Bollocks. It’s utter bollocks.

Lockdown may be forced by the PMs hesitant and wooly-headed leadership. There might have been too many people on Snowdonia - but they were in good faith doing their best to do what they’ve been told. It’s sly and malicious to point the finger at them.

Exhibit B!

The old and vulnerable are being sent letters telling them to stay isolated for four months. For many this will be physically and psychologically near on impossible - whether because the learning curve for them is too high to change their habits, or because they directly rely on others for their care needs, or because 4 months alone is enough to send you round the twist.

This is the price for avoiding a (shorter) full UK lockdown. And in a few months time it will be a sad and regrettable consequence of people failing to follow (impossible) rules that we will see substantial numbers of old people getting sick and being denied a ventilator.

Yes - the situation is bad - but pushing the responsibility (and by implication blame) on terrified and confused octogenarians is just wrong.

Exhibit C

The doctors are not being given personal protective equipment. We are going to have a lot of doctors who get sick as a direct consequence.

What is the betting that the narrative will be that “if only they had washed their hands “or “but we had plenty of face masks if they had only thought to ask” or “COVID-19 patients should have been identified on admission isolated in a separate ward on admission”.

We can’t allow Boris to push the blame onto the people who are most affected by this to cover up the governments lack of clear forward thinking.

OP posts:
slipperywhensparticus · 23/03/2020 14:25

@jasjas1973

Are you kidding saying it's not everyone's fault they are disobeying advice? Just whose fault is it? For years we have moaned about the nanny culture now we suddenly WANT to be locked down? We WANT to be treated like irresponsible children? FFS FOLOW THE RULES

alloutoffucks · 23/03/2020 14:30

Agree OP

SnoozyLou · 23/03/2020 16:02

The message is clear. Stay at home.

The message this week is stay at home.

We're effectively playing catch up by 2 weeks with this virus, and throughout February, we were warned time and time again to step up by WHO and various other countries.

It's too little, too late.

alloutoffucks · 23/03/2020 16:08

I know for people who are very engaged they know what to do. But for others that is not true. People were encouraged to go out for walks. Not stay at home.

yoloPenguinsEatfish · 23/03/2020 17:28

I dont think 'advice' is sufficient, and it's also not CLEAR.

3 weeks ago we were going for 'herd immunity', now it's not clear exactly what we are going for at all. I dont blame people for either being confused, or taking what they see as the 'last hurrah'.

Why on earth are we not testing, NHS staff at the absolute least? Care home staff? It's bloody ridiculous.

HeIenaDove · 23/03/2020 17:32

You ARE political point scoring and it's a scummy thing to do at a time such as this

Tory voters said the same thing when people were discussing Grenfell. And kept on saying it even when the Grenfell residents themselves said it absolutely IS political.

Same old shit!

Tonyaster · 23/03/2020 17:34

How on earth is the advice not clear? Stay at home, wash your hands?

yoloPenguinsEatfish · 23/03/2020 17:39

Because it is only 'advice* tonyaster. If people are advised not to go to work, but their employer wont let them wfh (if they can) and they have bills to pay, children to feed, what are they going to do?

For too long this govt has allowed business to make responsible decisions (closures of non-essential businesses, eg primark - big employers being quick on the ball about wfh etc) whilst using weaselly words like 'if possible'.

Crisis management is down to the Govt and they have been remarkably slow - if they'd acted two weeks ago we'd have been behind Italy on the curve, rather than being on the same trajectory.

LolaSmiles · 23/03/2020 17:40

How on earth is the advice not clear? Stay at home, wash your hands?
That's the main advice, and it's so simple, but when you have people from the government and other spokespeople on BBC news waffling and saying "except..." then there's always people who are going to think simple guidance doesn't apply to them.

For example, today someone who is a specialist in virology (I think it was) quite correctly answered a question in more nuanced terms and said "however should there be a situation where face to face meeting is really the only appropriate option then you should do..."
The idiots won't think this means things like essential midwife appointments, essential restocking of food.

They'll think "mother's day wouldn't be the same making a phonecall or facetiming and it's a special day so we'll have a family outing for the day".

Tonyaster · 23/03/2020 17:43

People will overthink anything if they think it will give them the answer they want.

MrsSnitchnose · 23/03/2020 17:46

He's doing his best. What do you want? Blood? Anything he does will never be good enough for some people because it's him

alloutoffucks · 23/03/2020 17:53

That is not true. I wanted him to do this well. But he is totally incompetent. He has no courage and cannot communicate.

LittleRootie · 23/03/2020 17:58

He's doing his best - It's not good enough, he is incompetent

What do you want? Blood? No. I want someone with natural authority who can give clear guidance and who genuinely empathises.

Anything he does will never be good enough for some people because it's him No. Anything he does will never be good enough because it's him. There's the difference.

Greysparkles · 23/03/2020 18:04

I think the advise is very clear.

There is just alot of stupid people about who don't give a fuck

DippyAvocado · 23/03/2020 18:09

The trouble is that everyone is expecting a lockdown to happen because they know now it's Boris's style to hint around things for a week or so before doing it. So now they're doing lots of stuff just in case they don't get a chance later.

Businesses are refusing to allow home working or skeleton staff because they want to maximise profits while they can. People are going to the beach and parks because they know there will come a time when they can't. Everyone knows it's going to happen, so just be decisive and get on with it,like the New Zealand PM. The sooner we do it, hopefully the sooner it will end.

LittleRootie · 23/03/2020 18:10

The advice was certainly not made clear

jasjas1973 · 23/03/2020 19:00

@slipperywhensparticus

Its only advice and anyone with half a brain knows people don't listen to advice smoking, drinking, exercise, healthy eating.... the majority ignore it, despite the very clear evidence it will kill/harm you if you do not!

Asking people politely to keep apart and wash your hands is a complete and utter waste of time, especially when you have also consistently told them its a mild disease, no worse than flu or a bad cold and the vast majority will get over it easily Oh and that the NHS will cope as its the best in the world and we are prepared!!!

Its quite incredible that anyone in power thought this would work, years of public health policy fails should have told them otherwise.

Alsohuman · 23/03/2020 20:19

People not listening to advice are to blame. 110% totally and utterly to blame

It shouldn’t be advice. It should be instruction. People weren’t advised to put the blackout up in the Blitz, they were punished if they didn’t.

Alsohuman · 23/03/2020 20:39

So now it’s crystal clear. Instruction at last.

Bubblebu · 23/03/2020 20:46

Stay at home.

MashedPotatoBrainz · 24/03/2020 15:01

So now it’s crystal clear. Instruction at last.

Not really. He said you can leave your home to travel to work if there is no option to work from home. But there's complaints about non-essential workers travelling to work. The mayor or London said Boris over ruled him on stopping construction work, so those workers get to go to work. So what about the guy in the cement factory, is he allowed to work? What about other businesses that haven't been instructed to close? Are they now closed or can their workers go to work?

LolaSmiles · 24/03/2020 15:15

From another thread the new government guidance is that it's totally fine to drive to go somewhere quieter for your walk/exercise.

So it's "avoid non essential travel... Unless you'd rather drive somewhere nice for you walk, in which case that's absolutely fine".

Of course, members of the great British public who spent the weekend at the seaside and in crowded markets can absolutely be relied on to apply common sense here.

MashedPotatoBrainz · 24/03/2020 15:32

From another thread the new government guidance is that it's totally fine to drive to go somewhere quieter for your walk/exercise.

Like Snowdonia?

LittleRootie · 24/03/2020 15:45

I drove to some woods (approx 4 miles) and walked my dog today. It is a huge area and although popular there is plenty of room to spread out. Everyone I met 'applied common sense' and we kept well away from each other.

Alsohuman · 24/03/2020 15:59

So it's "avoid non essential travel... Unless you'd rather drive somewhere nice for you walk, in which case that's absolutely fine"

No, it’s “avoid non essential travel unless it means driving somewhere to exercise where you’ll meet fewer people”.

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