“Together we can defeat this virus”

[IfIHadAHeart]

From Boris’s press conference.

I really don’t think this is a helpful message. A virus cannot be “defeated”. Not to mention that the strategy is completely impossible to understand due to being different across different nations/areas, and the measures themselves seem contradictory and pointless.

Somebody somewhere is gathering fascinating data on all this as a study of social compliance (not a conspiracy theorist, but I’m sure this is all useful information for future governments).

Prime minister job is stressful and difficult shocked!

I dont know why anyone would want the job, but Mr Johnson has made it clear it's his lifetime ambition. So to see him fuck it up so badly makes me rather cross.

I would also add the PM would have a much better idea whether 'defeating' the virus is a real possibility in the next few months than anyone on here. I imagine he has an update on the vaccines on a daily basis. So maybe his wording - defeating the virus was not a mistake at all...

The country is fatigued, tired, exhausted and totally done with it all. So he has to find a way to encourage our country to keep going for a while longer. After all the only way this will truly be resolved will be through a vaccine or a treatment that is so successful it can prevent death and serious illness. No other measures will work in the long term.

I just want the bickering to stop. I am sick of it. You are simply making it all so much worse, both for yourself (mostly) and for those around you.

The idea of Johnson feeling the weight of responsibility for anything is pretty comical. He’s pretty much made a career out of shirking responsibility for anything.

Has anyone seriously considered how difficult it must be to be the PM at the moment

He wanted the job, that's the responsibility that comes with it (that part he didn't want).

I think discussing the PM's address to the nation , and performance in a national crisis, is a reasonable topic for a discussion board.

I don't think he has a perfect grasp of the science, to be honest, and it seems he doesn't have a very clear grasp of the government's own regulations, on questioning.

I'm sure he is in a difficult position, and it isn't a job I would want, especially now. However, he did put himself forward to be the leader of his party and also Prime Minister. And he also could resign if he wished. He would have a very plausible reason, recovering from covid (and he could also spend more time with his children).

I am also rather concerned at the apparent disregard for legal process this government has. However sympathetic you might be to Mr. Johnson as having been so ill earlier this year, I think that intelligent scrutiny of what his government is doing is vital at this point.

I think he's trying to keep the economy going whilst trying to keep everyone safe but the fucking idiots that don't obey the rules (a couple of my family members for instance) that are fucking ruining it for everyone else being sensible and obeying the rules.
(I'm high risk. I try to go out twice a week, apart from collecting young kids from school)
I'm fed up, as are lost people. I want my life back and just wish people could be sensible. For what a month? Cases would drop dramatically and then we could maybe get back to even a bit more normality.

Many won't agree but my opinion that I'm entitled too.

Problem is there is no ‘together’ the divide between rich/poor, haves and have nots.....it all seems to be getting wider.

Agree with both your posts Friends.

I would add that yes the Government have made mistakes, particularly early on, but I do think the way the media have behaved and the amount of fear/spin and division that they put out on a daily basis has been nothing short of an utter disgrace and I sincerely hope they are held to account somehow.

@NC4NW123 I thought that I want to know what end game is ..... I want a journalist to ask !!!

It is true that if we all make an effort to socially distance, wear a mask etc, we can avoid a catastrophic winter second wave. I don't think it's any more complicated than that.

I don’t think this thread is bickering particularly, just talking about a phrase

But I agree re media. I felt motivated to email R4 over their constant interruptions and antagonism the other day.

It complicated and constant attack makes it impossible to follow what interviewees are saying.

I think the housework analogy is a good one. It's about keeping on top of it. Having a bit of a big clean in certain areas ie local lockdown, and everyone being responsible for their own room, dishes etc.

I felt like that today was a final warning. Like when the teacher says you’re all in detention if you carry on.

I think we are in this for the long haul. As in years. The British population wont rise up in protest. We will just keeping taking the beatings. Unless this government falls, i just don't see the approach changing. Only Covid matters. NOTHING else is relevant. Today, STILL banging on about defeating the virus. Total annihilation of the country is now assured.

Life as we knew it is gone forever.

If i can keep my head above water during whats coming, i'll take that as a win. Enjoying life will have to take a back seat. Probably for a very long time.

‘We’ can defeat this virus, eh?

If he’s on about we the people defeating it, I think he’ll be pi$$ing in the wind waiting.

Only 18% of people self-isolate after developing coronavirus symptoms, research also shows just 11% of people in contact with those testing positive stay at home for 14 days.

Did anyone find it odd that Chris Whitty was asked about complying with the rules? His answer was that he had 'tried' to do so and would 'try' to do so with the new ones.

I wondered if the press have something on him and were seeing what he said.

I thought it was a strange reply for someone in his position.

I agree it's not a helpful phrase and is open to all sorts of interpretation.

It's similar to his inappropriate 'send coronavirus packing' comment.

The type of language Boris uses in general is not well suited to this situation.

At the very beginning of this, in March , i listened to a Nigerian official saying that unless you get the people on board, you will never control an epidemic, he based that on their experience with Ebola,where they did maintain public confidence in their advice.
Laws will never cut it, we don't have the means to enforce rules no one wants to obey.

Johnson has done all in his power to undermine confidence in our ruling elite.

I know for certain that we should be making an effort to show some support to the government and PM regardless of the politics for now.

The only way you could be certain about this is if you have fundamentally misunderstood the nature of your duty as a citizen. Not only are you not supposed to be unwaveringly bleating about support, what you should actually do is actively scrutinise the actions of those governing you. That's the only way we avoid tyranny.

It's one thing if you're not able to do this properly, some people can't and that isn't their fault, but it sounds like you're making an active choice. Which is indefensible. Not only are you failing to do this, you're complaining about people who are actually taking this responsibility seriously. Your attitude isn't the solution. It's the problem.

You are right on one point though, which is that it's a bloody good job we're not at war now. With that useless, gaslighting, self-serving, bullshitting shower in charge, we'd be screwed.

@ChaChaCha2012

I know for certain that we should be making an effort to show some support to the government and PM regardless of the politics for now

They're incompetent liars. To show support for this shitshower would mean we are complicit in their actions. No. I'll show support when they do something worthy of it. Anything at all.

This. Their whole handling of it has been an omniclusterfuck. The sheeples who say they deserve our support can get to fuck.

@MummyPop00

‘We’ can defeat this virus, eh?

If he’s on about we the people defeating it, I think he’ll be pi$$ing in the wind waiting.

Only 18% of people self-isolate after developing coronavirus symptoms, research also shows just 11% of people in contact with those testing positive stay at home for 14 days.

Do you have a source for that? I'd be very interested to read it! While I know there are grey areas re isolating when you don't have symptoms, it's horrifying to think anyone would knowingly go out with symptoms or a positive test.

A virus cannot be “defeated”
It's not going to go away. It's here to stay.
Hasn't Smallpox been eradicated?

They're incompetent liars. To show support for this shitshower would mean we are complicit in their actions. No. I'll show support when they do something worthy of it. Anything at all.

Yep, this. We're not in this together. Him and his mates have got private villas and yachts and clubs to swan off to on a whim. They can get tested immediately, they can afford to isolate.. and so on and so on. While I'm expected to be in school, taking on the unknown risks of 30+ families, I'll make my own decisions about risk outside school, irrespective of any law.

I'll show support when they do something worthy of it. Anything at all.
They have turned around the problems that were experienced with PPE. There is now a 4 month stockpile.

They have sourced these mainly from British companies with 70% of it being manufactured in the UK now as opposed to 1% earlier in the pandemic.

They have paid companies resulting in 7 million people receiving the majority if their pay rather than letting their jobs immediately go to the wall.

They have built 7 Nightingale hospitals in super quick time to cope with Covid patients in the event that other hospitals being overrun.

Nice to see a voice of reason @Friendsoftheearth.