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Is the new government narrative to blame the public/put pressure on the public with rules a deflection tactic?

149 replies

User158340 · 11/01/2021 21:37

Now, we're in a really bad place with Covid this month and it's serious. The government are largely responsible given the decisions they've made and Boris's cowardice in making the decisions that need making until it's too late.

Now they seem intent on blaming the public for this. Is a lot of this smoke and mirrors to turn people against each other, rather than blame the government?

OP posts:
Turtleshelly · 13/01/2021 01:32

Yes. Divide and rule is what they do best.

sortmylifeoutplease · 13/01/2021 01:55

Agree OP. Some people take the piss, but this is factored into government's decision making e.g. x number of population will comply if we do y. The govt make it the worst of both worlds (health and economy) by acting too late with insufficient processes in place. They'd act surprised if they shat themselves after an enema, even if it was a worldbeating one.

echt · 13/01/2021 06:50

I am not in the UK, though have friends and rels there.

The government has behaved disgracefully. I can't think of a single thing they've done that has been timely or effective. They ignore their own science advisers.

Always too little. Always too late.

Yes. They're trying to deflect attention: oh look, a windmill.

Twats.

inquietant · 13/01/2021 06:52

@echt 'oh look a windmill' made me laugh, although the fact it works makes me sad

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 13/01/2021 06:56

We are also dealing with the hangover from December. Current cases and deaths relate to them. If whitty is so clever why does he keep prattling one about getting cases down when they have only just tightened the rules. You will naturally start to see deaths fall but not for another few weeks.
I despair

wanderings · 13/01/2021 07:28

Divide and rule. Divide and rule. The government don't want the public presenting a united front against them.

User158340 · 13/01/2021 08:26

@sortmylifeoutplease

Agree OP. Some people take the piss, but this is factored into government's decision making e.g. x number of population will comply if we do y. The govt make it the worst of both worlds (health and economy) by acting too late with insufficient processes in place. They'd act surprised if they shat themselves after an enema, even if it was a worldbeating one.
Since the height of the first lockdown (early May time) the government have been relaxed about the minority breaking the rules. There's not been a great deal of enforcement or government messaging about the rules. Until now that is.

Now they've realised they've caused a huge crisis due to their own dithering and poor decision making in December. The failed tier system, the 5 day Christmas free for all which was then cancelled at short notice, the one day back at school. Therefore, in order to avoid a strict lockdown (this is a lot more lax than last Spring) they need everyone to behave perfectly, when previously they've been relaxed about the minority who do what they want.

The other factor is just spin. They've cocked up and they want people blaming each other, not them.

OP posts:
trulydelicious · 13/01/2021 08:30

@echt

I am not in the UK, though have friends and rels there

Tell us about things where you are. Is everything fine and dandy over there?

trulydelicious · 13/01/2021 08:33

@wanderings

The government don't want the public presenting a united front against them

There's no 'united front'

Opinions are varied and some believe the government could have made mistakes but ultimately it's the public's responsibility to wise up and act responsibly.

echt · 13/01/2021 08:50

[quote trulydelicious]@echt

I am not in the UK, though have friends and rels there

Tell us about things where you are. Is everything fine and dandy over there?[/quote]
What's with the fine and dandy?? Hmm

No it isn't. I'm in Victoria, and the recent outbreaks have been a timely reminder that Covid will not being going away anytime soon.

christinarossetti19 · 13/01/2021 08:56

"Opinions are varied and some believe the government could have made mistakes but ultimately it's the public's responsibility to wise up and act responsibly."

This is bordering on delusional, it's so out of touch with reality.

User158340 · 13/01/2021 08:57

[quote trulydelicious]@wanderings

The government don't want the public presenting a united front against them

There's no 'united front'

Opinions are varied and some believe the government could have made mistakes but ultimately it's the public's responsibility to wise up and act responsibly.[/quote]
We all have a responsibility but people are people. Sociology and human nature is factored into the decision making regarding rules and restrictions etc (including enforcement measures).

Blaming the public is futile.

OP posts:
echt · 13/01/2021 09:01

[quote trulydelicious]@wanderings

The government don't want the public presenting a united front against them

There's no 'united front'

Opinions are varied and some believe the government could have made mistakes but ultimately it's the public's responsibility to wise up and act responsibly.[/quote]
It is the responsibility of the public to respond to clear guidance from the government. All governments make mistakes, but the English government has been tardy and vague.

They have undermined public trust and compliance.

trulydelicious · 13/01/2021 09:11

@echt

It is the responsibility of the public to respond to clear guidance from the government

People are not robots, they hopefully have a brain and can think for themselves even if guidance is not clear enough - By the way, I think guidance is ample and sufficiently clear, specially 10 months into the pandemic

christinarossetti19 · 13/01/2021 09:25

Well, the government insisted that all schools should be open for all pupils all of the time from September 2020 with few mitigation measures.

This is what fuelled the increase in cases going into the winter and the current crisis in the NHS and the highest deaths and most trashed economy in Europe.

People who wanted to 'think for themselves' and not for example send their child to school because someone in the household was ECV were told in no uncertain terms that they would be fined and open to prosecution.

The guidance was crystal clear - send your child to school even though we have funded precisely zero safety measures.

It's tragic that it was such ill-thought through and anti-scientific guidance which fuelled spread of the virus.

echt · 13/01/2021 09:29

[quote trulydelicious]@echt

It is the responsibility of the public to respond to clear guidance from the government

People are not robots, they hopefully have a brain and can think for themselves even if guidance is not clear enough - By the way, I think guidance is ample and sufficiently clear, specially 10 months into the pandemic[/quote]
The government has the responsibility to be clear. They have not done this.

christinarossetti19 · 13/01/2021 09:30

And when they have been clear eg send your child to school, it's had tragic, wide-reaching consequences.

trulydelicious · 13/01/2021 09:39

@christinarossetti19

Well, the government insisted that all schools should be open for all pupils all of the time from September 2020 with few mitigation measures

What about the Us4them gang? What about the 'my little darlings will be scarred for life if they see their teachers wearing PPE' mob?

Do they not have responsibility for this as well? Are the government acting in a vacuum? Don't think so

christinarossetti19 · 13/01/2021 11:20

Us4T were/are a pressure group.

They are not the decision-makers in public policy - the government are.

User158340 · 13/01/2021 12:00

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/13/lockdowns-uk-true-character-nation-snitches-useless-leaders

And the second reason, I think, is this: the Tories recognise our natural propensity to snitch and so has felt very comfortable with the ambiguities and holes in the rules because it means we spend our time getting mad at each other instead of the people – them – who are charged with fixing the crisis. Letting us aggressively judge each other for not doing lockdown right is actually the lockdown strategy.

OP posts:
FloraFocus · 13/01/2021 12:07

I take it that journalist is speaking for themselves! I don't recognise that world tbh.

trulydelicious · 13/01/2021 12:47

@User158340

So what? A meaningless article from clearly leftist 'media', nothing to get worked up about

MiniTheMinx · 13/01/2021 15:49

@User158340

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jan/13/lockdowns-uk-true-character-nation-snitches-useless-leaders

And the second reason, I think, is this: the Tories recognise our natural propensity to snitch and so has felt very comfortable with the ambiguities and holes in the rules because it means we spend our time getting mad at each other instead of the people – them – who are charged with fixing the crisis. Letting us aggressively judge each other for not doing lockdown right is actually the lockdown strategy.

Letting us aggressively judge each other for not doing lockdown right is actually the lockdown strategy

It is part of a strategy to shift blame, or at least share blame, yes. As was the introduction of the tier system along with bringing in local leaders to the decision making process. Andy Burnham handed it to them on a plate.....look at those bloody left wing nuts trying to stop us saving people! ah no, but lots of people are angry with the Unions and the likes of Andy Burnham. Burnham because he was trying to save the local economy and prevent real hardship whilst unfortunately being seen to prevent aversive action to protect health. The unions trying to protect health but inadvertently being seen as the enemy of the parent worker.

I agree though that people as individuals and as groups with shared agendas such as Us4Them have played their part.

Its interesting to me the degree to which Bojo and chums our elected representatives believe that they can only be held accountable at the ballot box. Most people also think this. I don't. It suits the State and its agenda to have us believe that we have no power. The real truth is that power is shared precariously between the state and its citizens. They rely upon us believing we have democracy, whilst at the same time thinking we lack power, all the time tacitly threatening to use violence against us. Why might that be? The advanced capitalist state most fears its own people. The most present threat to the state comes from within not from other nations.

The Government are constantly assessing the mood and trying to prevent insurrection. There were so many loud voices on here and all over social media screaming to keep schools open. No man has ever started a revolution, but women have !

I don't think we have a "natural propensity to snitch" but we do allow ourselves to be divided. There is nothing natural about snitching. Yes, years of ideology that individuates the self so that we feel different, special, exceptional, and isolated have certainly I think engendered a sort of feeling that we do not belong together, so we are jealous, avaricious, bullying, unkind and bitter towards others we perceive as having life easier. But this is not "natural" this is both the natural consequences of living in a competitive society that values commodities above peoples but also a deliberate strategy of the state to prevent people's concerns coming back to coalesce around the issue of class.

And it is the working class that are being most effected by this pandemic, although most of them are too bewildered to mount any kind of response. School meals seems to bring people together, the middle class feeling sorry for kids whilst disavowing working class parents from making decisions about their own budgets on the basis that the working class are feckless and therefore responsible for their own sub-optimal existence. The working class mothers now crowing about how wonderful or otherwise their lunch packs are. Na, just give them the bloody money and give them back some pride instead of using the scheme to shovel public money into the back pocket of Dominic Blakemore Tory party donor. Its amazing how these cunts can even make money in a pandemic off the back of the vast inequalities they have caused. Parasite.

FloraFocus · 13/01/2021 18:27

You lost me at bewildered working class.

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