Things go wrong in other countries, too

[avenueq]

I don't think it's helpful how irate people get about the UK government's failings. Yes there are plenty but this is a whole new situation and there are plenty of other countries making mistakes.
Before you ask - I'm not from the UK, but that means I have insight what happens elsewhere,
So to start -
The Eu has been slow in vaccine acquisition

In Austria, vaccinations could not start yet in some areas as not enogh needles (!) had been ordered

Countries with the most severe lockdown did not necessarily solve the Problem (Spain)

Countries who had supposedly excellent track and trace also had a second wave (Germany)

Anyone got other examples?

Hopefully it will lead us to look outward and have a serious conversation about what kind of medical system we want in this country and a much bigger emphasis on personal accountability to health (I’m including myself in this as I’m obese although doing my best to reduce my weight). There is lots to be learned from looking at how other countries have done things better. The main points seem to be better health systems and a slimmer less chronically ill population. The NHS wavers from crisis to crisis every year held together by the goodwill of staff. It is not the envy of the world as some posters on here claim.

[quote avenueq]@mrshoho Germany for one[/quote]
Did Germany not mandate masks for most children and teachers?

Mrs hoho you are right. It may have varied by state but masks were mandated from June. Originally only when not sitting at their socially distanced forward facing desks, from September at all times excepting eating.

I'm not a bot. Mistakes have been made in many countries and are largely forgiveable, given the unknown and ever changing situation. What I do not forgive is our government's dithering and dishonesty.

MN has many left-wing remainers who will never forgive Boris and blame it all on lying Tories instead of the hugely unbalanced wealth sharing between London and everywhere else. It's not going away any time soon.

Thanks for this thread!

I have noticed of some people from others countries come to MN and make spiteful comments. This is because of Brexit. Some comments are from people who lives in the UK and hate Britain. Plus, also Labour and Lib Dem voters love to bash the government at any opportunity. Some of them just throw insults which just show how classy they are. Luckily, they do not represent the results of general elections. I personally focus in the positive things that have been achieved.

The Swedes have said they mishandled their response.

Honestly I think having to deal with this pandemic is a poisoned chalice. If the govt doesn't act strongly enough for some people they get criticised. If they take strong action they get criticised by others for overreacting, crippling the economy, etc. It's a massive balancing act. I'm not a fan of the Tory govt, but do I think anyone else would do a better job of handling this? No - I think the reactions would be the same whoever was in charge.

I think the idea that the UK is a laughing stock is interesting as I doubt that people in other countries really are interested in what’s happening in the UK

Exactly. I follow the news in other countries I have links to and they are too preoccupied with their own problems to laugh at anybody else.

We got the title whingeing Poms for a reason.

And the obsession about being a laughing stock! So ridiculous and childish but may be they are children in here who knows.

@ATieLikeRichardGere

I think the idea that the UK is a laughing stock is interesting as I doubt that people in other countries really are interested in what’s happening in the UK. My relatives abroad ask when they phone, as they don’t know. It’s our exaggerated sense of self importance that makes us think people in other countries are even paying attention, when they’ve no doubt got more relevant issues taking up more space in their minds!

This. I am really interested to know how other countries are doing - ones we don't hear about - middle east, Africa, South America, Thailand etc. We may get a quick comment but I would like more information so I can judge whether we are crap or just struggling like everyone else. I am started to get pissed off by all the Government bashing - no one has ever lived through this kind of thing before and of course they are floundering, how about you start a new job and have all hell break loose with weeks? I am most certainly NOT a Boris fan, but FFS get real - he (and all the scientists etc) are human and will make mistakes, and people will die, like they did in the wars. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but no one can predict where this will go until it does. All these idiotic "celebrities" and the like who have been breaching restrictions should be fined to within an inch of their lives - and that includes DC.

There was a massive illegal rave in France. Portuguese doctors walked out in protest at lack of PPE. Spain has had anti lockdown rallies etc etc etc.

It's tedious exceptionalism, and it's even worse here in Scotland.

Blame, blame, blame. It's the oxygen of public discourse and given that it splits broadly into those who think we need more restrictions and those who think we need fewer restrictions, there is absolutely no way to get it right anyway.

I've found it strangely comforting* that most countries seem to have elected officials that can't follow the rules. Most recently someone in Sweden going to the Canary Islands for Christmas.

*i'm not sure comforting is quite the right word but hopefully you get what i mean

It's really quite tiring to constantly read 'only in the UK' remarks, good and bad everywhere. People, on here especially, like to think Denmark is some kind of utopia, they were stealing hand gel from hospitals there too!

@wowfudge. There have been some absolute clangers by the government notably the Cummings affair and the u-turns done within hours about the schools. But the anger some posters on here have and how they’ll criticise absolutely anything the government does shows that they’re just miserable people who are loving the drama.

@MorrisZapp. Oh god yes. It’s terrible in Scotland with Saint Nicola. We’ve done just as badly but she’s just a much better politician than Boris and co. Loathe the woman but her messaging and spin is exceptional.

Well, Venezuela is living an epidemic under a dictatorship. (“ Socialism “ gone wrong) They should moan and bash the assholes running their country and it is real and justified. Honestly, get a grip people. But you can compare to the US is the barrel is too low with Venezuela.

Changi: I work at an international company. Most colleagues are not English. I can assure you that Boris is a laughing stock and seen as the British Trump by most Europeans I know, or have met (on holidays etc prior to the pandemic).

Moderate Americans commiserate as they have suffered Trump for 4 years. It's made colleagues in APAC and LATAM say 'well you cannot criticise our governments/countries, look what is going on in yours!'

@avenueq

I don't think it's helpful how irate people get about the UK government's failings. Yes there are plenty but this is a whole new situation and there are plenty of other countries making mistakes. Before you ask - I'm not from the UK, but that means I have insight what happens elsewhere, So to start - The Eu has been slow in vaccine acquisition

In Austria, vaccinations could not start yet in some areas as not enogh needles (!) had been ordered

Countries with the most severe lockdown did not necessarily solve the Problem (Spain)

Countries who had supposedly excellent track and trace also had a second wave (Germany)

Anyone got other examples?

I agree with you OP. I don't really hear it in RL though, it's very much a SM and MN thing.

I really roll my eyes at posters who dramatically declare how ashamed they are of their country. All round we are one of the most preferable countries in the world to the living in. Not perfect, not even close but not bad enough to be ashamed to be from here. We do quite a lot things pretty well and a lot of people from other nations want to be here.

In response to your OP, I really would not want to be getting through the pandemic in the shit show that was the US's way of dealing with it alongside the humiliating display that was their election this year. All of this accompanied by the ever present threat of so much of the population owning guns. Also India and Thailand are lying through their teeth about their numbers - friends living in both who have told me this.

We're a laughing stock.

With who? No one gives a shit! They're too busy worrying about their own poor response.

... and there are plenty of other countries making mistakes.

In my mind, a mistake is a slip up or honest error on the way to doing the best thing or on the pathway of good intentions. I'm not sure I'd say the constant flip flopping, shilly shallying, dishonesty and smoke n mirrors game playing, of the UK Gov, is a 'mistake' as such.

Disclaimer: I'm a UK citizen living outside of the UK and not a bot. The country I'm in, isn't exactly setting the world alight with it's response, but the numbers they are dealing with are tiny in comparison. I'm not defending them either, just stating fact.

We are ahead of the game with vaccine ...

In case anyone missed that -- We are ahead of the game with the vaccine!!!!!!!!!

We stand to be out of lockdown FIRST

All countries in Europe are in a muddle really. Even Germany despite us constantly being told how efficient they are. France is, Italy is, Spain is, Poland is etc etc.
But all countries will be much improved by Spring I think which is great as we all need all countries to get on top of this as we are all so interconnected.

Totally inept. We're a laughing stock.

^^ so who cares? The rest of Europe isn't exactly perfect.

When Italy was suffering terribly back in March the rest of the EU sat and watched.

[quote Holyrivolli]@wowfudge. There have been some absolute clangers by the government notably the Cummings affair and the u-turns done within hours about the schools. But the anger some posters on here have and how they’ll criticise absolutely anything the government does shows that they’re just miserable people who are loving the drama.[/quote]
I'm not sure any other govt wouldn't have cocked up in some way tbh. Cummings should have gone after he was rumbled as I think his non-apology in the No.10 garden damaged the govt and made lots of people wonder why they were bothering to follow the rules. I'm not sure the govt did a u turn as such on schools. I think they were considering what to do and caught on the hop. Boris could have handled things better on Andrew Marr, but then he's always terrible without a script so I didn't expect anything different from him.

Yip, so many comments about the UK being:

A third world country
A dictatorship
Corrupt
Lacking a basic safety net for the poor

Presumably by people who have never been in any country which literally is those things. They wouldn't last two minutes in an actual dictatorship or developing nation.