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Original poster

Is no one even a little concerned about the intrusion and removal of freedoms?

569 replies

DoubleAction · 24/03/2020 20:41

I know needs must and we're in a real crisis situation but it does make me a little uneasy to see how easy it has been to remove all freedoms.

The real shocker for me today was the text messages. I've spent the last year or so working on GDPR stuff and all the "threats" associated with that. Who gave the government all our numbers?!

I know it's insignificant in the scheme of things now but is it right that it's so easy?

OP posts:
hamsterchump · 26/03/2020 16:22

Sunnydays60 I've been shocked by how keen people are to hand over complete control of their lives no questions asked, I suspect it's fear based. Several people were commenting after lock down that they were now so relieved that they no longer had to think or make any decisions for themselves! It's fascinating as well as terrifying.

MarginalGain · 26/03/2020 16:28

It's 9/11 all over again. I was a bit worried to see that I'm meant to hang out my window tonight and clap for the NHS. I appreciate what they're doing but equally I assume that paying my taxes is the most direct route to show said appreciation.

Sunnydays60 · 26/03/2020 17:09

And straight after my first post, someone was saying that they can only think about right now and themselves in this situation. Ironically, isn't this as selfish as the people they're berrating for flouting the new rules for only thinking of themselves?
Lots of people have very limited capacity, I get that. What frightens me is how a lot of these people (who clearly look to others to do the thinking and leading) are turning on those who perhaps have more capacity and are looking beyond. It's obviously easier to do that instead of trying to understand for themselves.

Mintjulia · 26/03/2020 17:24

No

NoMorePoliticsPlease · 26/03/2020 17:27

No ffs

Wannabangbang · 26/03/2020 17:31

No if it keep my family safe and the NHS free to save people it's worth it. No point in freedom if you catch coronavirus and die is there Hmm

SmileEachDay · 26/03/2020 17:36

I honestly don't get it. It's a good job that some people can look to the future and can cope with thinking about more than one thing at once
Patronising. Which bits of the emergency legislation are you worried that a Conservative govt might want to keep?

I was a bit worried to see that I'm meant to hang out my window tonight and clap for the NHS. I appreciate what they're doing but equally I assume that paying my taxes is the most direct route to show said appreciation

I’m sorry but do you have ANY idea what nhs staff are facing. Don’t clap if it’s not your thing, but try not to be a complete wanker.

teta · 26/03/2020 17:38

God @MarginalGain are you for real?.
You mean medics and nurses are risking their lives with inadequate protection, to care for us all - including people like you?
Are you aware.. or too ignorant to know of the very large death toll in hospital staff all over the world treating Covid patients.

ginghamstarfish · 26/03/2020 17:46

No, because this is much more important. You'd have to be an idiot (and plenty of them around at present) to be worried about this. Maybe you should educate yourself a little more about just WHY we are being told to stay at home etc. FFS.

VanillaGodzilla · 26/03/2020 17:48

Anyone else thinking they must be a freak to be able to worry about two things at once? The virus and the collective impacts that the response is having on society?

StapleMyBananas · 26/03/2020 17:54

No, because this is much more important.

Sensible input - but why the need for the following insults?

You'd have to be an idiot (and plenty of them around at present) to be worried about this. Maybe you should educate yourself a little more about just WHY we are being told to stay at home etc. FFS.

Your opinion is valuable enough on its own. You don't need to insult and belittle others to make it.

Cailleach1 · 26/03/2020 18:02

They should have done things like closing the schools earlier. They had the example of China and Italy. It is not a case of mind over matter. It is not the flu.

There is a balance when we live in a society. I agree there are freedoms, but there are also responsibilities. This is life and death.
I suspect most people would like someone who attacks or kills someone else to face consequences. Maybe imprisonment. Or is that interfering with freedom to do what you like? We know this virus is highly contagious and can spread so quickly it will swamp the health system and people will die. The state has a duty to protect it's citizens from preventable scenarios like this. The ultimate freedom is to live, non?

1984looms · 26/03/2020 18:04

yes, absolutely determined that after this is over, we need to figure out how we learn to make much more complex judgements about risk and freedom. You are not alone in being concerned, it's just that it's become harder to say this kind of thing without being tarred with the 'idiot' brush. For some reason online forums tend to draw out of people their most fearful and angry thoughts.

cologne4711 · 26/03/2020 18:06

We have decided to trash the global economy to save people from this illness.

Yet millions of people die every day of other causes which are just accepted. Domestic violence, car crashes, starvation, wars in Yemen and Syria.

So what's the difference?

cologne4711 · 26/03/2020 18:07

Worried about my friend in Canada who has cancer and has just had her life saving operation cancelled because too many arseholes value their liberty over peoples lives

I am really sorry for your friend but the second part of your sentence simply isn't true.

im2sexy4unow · 26/03/2020 18:13

YES. I am concerned.

MarginalGain · 26/03/2020 18:16

Worried about my friend in Canada who has cancer and has just had her life saving operation cancelled because too many arseholes value their liberty over peoples lives

This is the new way of thinking. Worrying about when you get to leave your house = killing someone's friend in Canada.

Surreal.

I am disheartened (understatement) that Johnson did not hold his 'nightly' press conference tonight. WTF.

LauraMipsum · 26/03/2020 18:17

Yes, I'm concerned.

I work in law, and it's an absolutely fundamental tenet of the rule of law that the individual may do anything which is not expressly prohibited, while the state may do nothing that isn't expressly permitted. If you reverse that, then you get a totalitarian state.

Today's statutory instrument restricts us to our homes unless we are doing something expressly permitted. It's a very major reversal.

Under these particular circumstances, with such a huge public health interest, and with the time limit of six months, to be renewed every three weeks, I'm happy that it is a) proportionate and b) not a permanent state of affairs. So I don't have a problem in principle with extraordinary measures - rationing in WWII was another.

What I do find interesting / terrifying, in no particular order, are

  • the willingness of ordinary citizens to act as informants

  • the ease bordering on glee with which so many have accepted that we may do nothing which isn't permitted, rather than anything which isn't prohibited, this type of measure is nothing to be gleeful about (I think one of the admins of a local FB group might actually be having multiple orgasms over this)

  • the history of mission creep of other extraordinary measures. I want to see as much vigilance over ensuring that none of this remains in place once it isn't needed as there is over ensuring that we comply while it is.

Cailleach1 · 26/03/2020 18:19

From the perspective of the British gov't/state, they are taking measures ostensibly to protect their own population against Coronavirus. Questions about why they don't act in those other scenarios is a different issue. Instead of why are we doing this now, the question shifts to why doesn't the British state act more honourably (responsibly) for those other things.

Would the economy be thrashed anyway if they did nothing in the UK? UK also dependent on global trade. If these measures hadn't been taken, what would be the reaction to France closing it's border to the UK (and this plague).

GoatyGoatyMingeMinge · 26/03/2020 18:20

Yes OP, well said.

GoatyGoatyMingeMinge · 26/03/2020 18:22

The steps we've taken to stop covid are not us being virtuous. This is us panicking disgracefully and getting next generation to bear the cost.

We should be ashamed of ourselves.

eeyore228 · 26/03/2020 18:24

The public were given a number of opportunities to prevent drastic action and we failed. Tough luck now. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few..

Cailleach1 · 26/03/2020 18:29

No, I think Macron said he'd close the border if stricter measures weren't put in place. Virtue was indeed absent. It might be interesting to see how the economy would have fared with closed borders. Theoretically.

iWantToBreakBrie · 26/03/2020 18:31

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Was Spock the first character/person to say that?

MarginalGain · 26/03/2020 18:34

It might be interesting to see how the economy would have fared with closed borders.

You mean as opposed to entirely shut down? Confused

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