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Original poster

Italy v England. Why the different levels of sympathy?

301 replies

Whatsthis1515 · 08/05/2020 23:20

I am noticing that people feel sorry for Italy regarding their death toll but for the UK, people are scathing and pointing fingers. Why is this? I know Italy was supposed to be a lesson to us, but surely in that case, they didn't do the right thing either?

Interested to know what you all think.

Thanks

OP posts:

SnowsInWater · 09/05/2020 00:24

My perception, and I could be wrong because I don't live in Europe, is that Italy was taken by surprise, the UK has time to act and didn't so I think that is where the sympathy/lack of comes from.

Most Australians are pretty happy with how things have been dealt with here, apart from a couple of obvious bungles. This is despite our PM not being very popular. It is a Federal system though so State premiers have the power to choose how and when to implement policy to best suit their State/Territory. Some States have closed their borders, others not. Unlike the UK where

Greatblue0wl · 09/05/2020 00:25

Apart from that, I don't think that the British are well liked on the world stage”

It’s really more England who have been viewed as unpopular, due to their brexit results.

SnowsInWater · 09/05/2020 00:25

Sorry, posted to soon, Unlike the UK where people where very different areas all have to follow the same rules I think people are more confident here that the rules are more applicable to their local situation.

VenusTiger · 09/05/2020 00:26

and it was preventable how do you KNOW this? Evidence (only now) tells us (from hospital admission data) that it is believed the virus (being one of the strongest strains of the 30+ being transmitted) was here in December 2019.

Prontoe · 09/05/2020 00:26

It's about whether deaths were preventable. We can all accept unpreventable deaths. I'm guessing that the general feeling in the UK is that if they had moved faster, they could have prevented deaths.
On that score I'm not sure that I agree with the masses. I feel that if you're going to die from it, you'll die from it. I have not particular feelings about Boris. I think that he has done what he felt was right. I'm a labour voter and I'm neither Swedish, Danish or British.
I don't believe that he has led the country. He has been idiotic more or less. I have no respect for him anyway, but my tiny vote counts as much as anyone else's. And it would seem that I'm in the minority. Not much that you can do about that.

Prontoe · 09/05/2020 00:30

I'm from Scotland I'm always greeted well.

For the purposes of MN, we have to lump you all in together.
The Welsh and the Scottish are well liked. Not so much the English. But you risk offending someone if you don't call them British! That doesn't mean that we think of you all the same.

Peppafrig · 09/05/2020 00:32

Prontoe

bumblingbovine49 · 09/05/2020 00:34

Because we had better luck than Italy and we wasted it

We had more warning and we also by luck didn't have a lot of cases in one area like Italy did. Yes London is the worst but the cases are nonetheless more spread out so less likely that individual hospitals will get overwhelmed . in the south of Italy for instance they has very few cases which ironically was probably lucky.for Italy as their hospitals in the north are excellent, unlike.many on the south .

We didn't listen, watch and learn. We just thought it was those hysterical ' Mediterranean types' overreacting again' and that it would never happen here because we are so special

PinkyAndTheBrian · 09/05/2020 00:36

Being a global pandemic there’s an opportunity to directly compare how governments have acted.

I get the impression that other countries are boggling at our government right now, at their ineptitude and disregard of the population.

Many UK people have ignored the guidelines, or used any excuse they can find to exempt themselves. With the government we have, can you blame them? They’re not exactly great role models.

Last few years I’ve started to be ashamed of being British. This year is hammering more nails into the coffin.

VenusTiger · 09/05/2020 00:38

@Prontoe but wasn't it the scientists and advisors who took the initial actions, why is Boris being clobbered when he was following and messaging scientific advice and guidance from the moment that the WHO announced the virus, that's what I don't understand. I'm yet to see a post anywhere of someone accusing Whitty, Harries, Vallance et al of fucking up

confusedandtired99 · 09/05/2020 00:39

I am also ashamed to be British. It feels very much like everyone is only out for themselves at the moment and can’t seem to see the bigger picture.

Daffodil101 · 09/05/2020 00:40

Our NHS was not overwhelmed. That doesn’t mean the government are ok. It means we got on with it despite the gvt.

PinkyAndTheBrian · 09/05/2020 00:41

Focusing on the government, has the UK always had such a crappy pool of politicians?

I don’t remember UK politics being run by such pitiful characters as they are now.

Greatblue0wl · 09/05/2020 00:42

For the purposes of MN, we have to lump you all in together.

When did MN put this rule in place? 😂

bumblingbovine49 · 09/05/2020 00:45

The government clearly didn't want the media to be full of pictures of patients lying on trolleys in the corridors, so they avoided that by just not letting people into hospital instead.

And in this they have been aided by the weird attitude that the British have to health generally. That we should not 'bother' the nhs. With our inconvenient illnesses I lost track of the number of times on here before all this, that people were told never to go to a and e unless practically dying.. in other countries with decent healthcare systems you seek help when you are ill, even if occasionally that means you are a worried well rather than ill. You don't worry about putting strain on the system.. You also stay off work when I'll l and are not made to.deel like a malingerer.

Janus · 09/05/2020 00:45

I have no clue on this one. I remember also watching sky news weeks ago and crying at the state of Italy and their deaths and somehow here it’s just accepted. I have no clue how we have such huge amounts of PPE deficit but somehow the press are portraying it as a ‘success’ (well actually I do as our press are so right wing it hurts).

confusedandtired99 · 09/05/2020 00:45

I think it gets worse with each passing year Pinky. There seems to be no accountability or social responsibility anymore. Just soundbites and stupid slogans.

Pinkchocolate · 09/05/2020 00:47

Because the way we (the British) have dealt with it is a shit show! Our government did too little too late and nothing has been enforced. I live in a suburb of London and I struggle to walk my dog because of the crowds in the local park. Every.Single.Day. I haven’t seen family since March, my husband and I alternate food shops once a week and I pick up prescriptions and drop them to my elderly parents. The amount of traffic is insane, the amount of groups I see who take up entire walkways where I end up feeling safer walking in the road. Meanwhile we still have hundreds of deaths a day, hospital capacity but we won’t take people from care homes and nurses and doctors are working without PPE. The whole thing is a mess in this country.

Prontoe · 09/05/2020 00:49

Janus - you've put right wing and crying in the same paragraph. I suggest you make an appointment with your left wing GP.

Easilyanxious · 09/05/2020 00:50

If we supposedly left people to die at home why have some people in late 90's and older been successfully been treated
Where are we getting that people have been left to die at home , ?

haven't they now all been included in figures hence why our rats went up a fair bit and it wasn't tens of thousands like being made out
We also had to pass the guidelines etc and we may of been a few days late not locking down but not weeks look at date other European countries locked down many were not much before us .
But none of you have all the figures or details in front of you and none will know who was right or wrong until after
Remember WHO said closing borders wasn't necessary also , everyone is learning as they go along here
We might look back and realise some things are in necessary and other things should or could of worked better but with hindsight it's easier

Prontoe · 09/05/2020 00:51

#Save the NHS has to be the biggest pile of shite I've ever heard in my life.
I just had to get that out there.

Easilyanxious · 09/05/2020 00:52

@prontoe
If that was said about any other nation it would be xenophobic or racist but as it's about the English then that's ok ??!!

VenusTiger · 09/05/2020 00:54

@pinkchocolate - so blame the people, the law - isolation and social distancing are rules - we didn't leave the house at all (not even for exercise) for 4 weeks solid until Monday - why do ppl constantly blame the govt for every single thing? Was Whitty and Vallance, right from the start, wrong? Is that what you're saying? If so, someone blame them - govt have been "following the science" since the start of all this - is no-one going to say it?

Prontoe · 09/05/2020 00:57

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Easilyanxious · 09/05/2020 00:58

@ prontoe ans maybe I'm dyslexic ever thought of that

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