Endless Propaganda

[Bewareoftheblob]

I cannot believe the endless Covid propaganda on the news channels at the moment. There doesn't seem to be any challenge to the stay at home/don't kill Gran/crying nurses narrative at all.

I am pretty disgusted by the emotional manipulation and attempts at behaviour modification going on.

Or am I being unreasonable...

I think the current propaganda is all about distraction from the fact that the government have made some really, really bad decisions. They were advised to lockdown sooner but ignored it as they were fixated on 'Boris Saves Christmas' which has led us into the current situation. Better to have the public turn on each other for walking in the park than turn in Boris for being worst most incompetent PM ever.

Totally agree.

@LucasLeesEyebrows I didn't get pregnant on purpose. But my child is still wanted and I'm not going to abort it. As I said, I'm just ONE person and probably the lowest priority of people that need the nhs. Yes, you can blame me for getting pregnant but you can't blame 1000s of people with cancer, heart conditions, strokes etc who desperately need the nhs.

@WiseUpJanetWeiss

Codswallop.

There are plenty of counties without health services which have decent economies. They may not be that equal, for sure, but the economy functions.

Economy first, health second. Coronavirus has killed an additional 0.1pct (vs the usual 1pct) of the UK population over the past year. Mostly old. A pandemic with that impact does not destroy an economy like the Black Death did (30-50pct of the entire population).

Presume you mean countries? Poor health = poor economy. Do you not know the history of the NHS?

Yes countries. Typo.

So the UK had no economy before the NHS was created? Which was the biggest economy in the world in the 18th/19th century again? Do YOU know YOUR history?

The USA has no NHS. And they don't have an economy. Oh wait...

I'm not advocating for a US style system. That would be nuts. I'm just saying you can't fund a health service without some money to pay for it. And then it becomes a virtuous circle for sure. But you can't go to a poor country, set up a health service and expect great riches to flow as a result. Wrong way round.

I think the government is driving the message, clearly, because they are scared of being blamed for the virus.

Whatever happens , we cannot blame the Government for the virus, unless it turns out it escaped from Porton Down.

My point was that you can't even question anything without being called stupid, conspiracy theorist, anti-vaxxer, moron. Total shutdown of any kind of discussion. It's pathetic.

OK, what are you questioning about this pandemic and the Governments* handling of it ? There will be things that you probably agree are sensible precautions and others that you think are not ?

*Not a mad fan of this current Government but recognise that this is one of the most difficult situations any peacetime Government has found itself facing for quite some time.

Clive Myrie’s report the other day was dreadful. Kept repeating “we’re all scared...” before whatever the next bit of the report was.

No actually we aren’t “all scared”, wary, cautious, concerned, but not “scared”.

[quote TaraRhu]@Bewareoftheblob

It is very simple.... aside from a vaccine there is no way of stopping this virus. Lockdowns slow the spread and takes the heat off but as soon as you loosen them it speeds up again - especially with the new variant. We can't train new health workers overnight so we need to protect the resources we have.

The guidelines are not perfect and yes there are bits that probably don't stack up. Plus the government has failed to act decisively or quickly enough. I don't think anyone doesn't question the details of the guidelines or some of the decisions made. But essentially the only way out of this is lockdown and a vaccine and that's the message we need to promote. Unless you know something the rest of the world is missing ....[/quote]
Wtf are you on about? Did I ask for your simple overview of why certain choices had been made?

Your post has nothing to do with what I posted about.

But, I do agree. There is no way of stopping this virus. We need to learn to live with it. It is/will be endemic.

@MadameBlobby

Clive Myrie’s report the other day was dreadful. Kept repeating “we’re all scared...” before whatever the next bit of the report was.

No actually we aren’t “all scared”, wary, cautious, concerned, but not “scared”.

I too thought it was almost a spoof

@Kendodd

One thing I think I've learnt for this is that there is no middle way. You either go ultra hard and fast and try to eradicate covid (my preferred option) or you let rip, bury the dead and get on with life. This middle way destroys both the economy and lives.

And I haven't seen any of the government adverts, does anyone have a link?

or you let rip, bury the dead and get on with life. This middle way destroys both the economy and lives

I really want to know how someone who can envisage this as an option sees how it would work in practice. Does everyone who contracts the virus stay at home and either recover or die without medical treatment? How do you keep the economy and health services functioning for the rest of society? Do you ration hospital treatment to worthy people so that the numbers being treated remain manageable? How do other essential services function as it’s ‘ripping through’ and vast numbers are off sick? Please explain it because no one ever does.

@WalrusWife maternity services have been cut. So far I have not had one face to face appointment with the midwife, the last 3 have been over the phone and lasted about 6 mins each. It's not ideal and very nerve wracking especially for first time mums. But I accept it as it's more important that the midwives are able to deliver babies than see me.

The point is that people are being blocked from getting the help they need because there are too many covid patients. The only way to stop that is to lockdown and vaccinate.

@frumpety

I think the government is driving the message, clearly, because they are scared of being blamed for the virus.

Whatever happens , we cannot blame the Government for the virus, unless it turns out it escaped from Porton Down.

My point was that you can't even question anything without being called stupid, conspiracy theorist, anti-vaxxer, moron. Total shutdown of any kind of discussion. It's pathetic.

OK, what are you questioning about this pandemic and the Governments* handling of it ? There will be things that you probably agree are sensible precautions and others that you think are not ?

*Not a mad fan of this current Government but recognise that this is one of the most difficult situations any peacetime Government has found itself facing for quite some time.

Sorry, do you want me to repeat the OP?

I'm not blaming anyone, that would be ridiculous. I don't give a shit about the government's handling of it, it would have gone this way anyway, lockdown or no lockdown.

I'm saying that I would prefer not to have a heavy dose of conditioning whenever I turn on the news!

Please stop trying to assign some crazed agenda to me.

I'm angry about the total incompetence shown by this government but what makes me even more angry is the way they're now trying to turn this into a failing of the public. Reading threads like this and seeing everyone finger pointing and calling each other morons really saddens me. It doesn't have to be like this

There are only really two possible schools of thought here:

1. Boris thinks that a few scary ads and using his total government control of the entire mainstream media will change a few people's minds so that they don't blame him for the situation we are in (for what ends I'm not sure - nobody anywhere thinks he's going to stick around until the next election anyway).

1. There are too many fuckwits who still can't quite work out that hospitals full of covid patients is not a terribly good thing for either the covid patients, the staff or anyone else needing medical care and that them popping over to see their friends for a cup of tea, or going to a sneaky birthday party, or sending their kids to school when they could really look after them at home (because 'my mental health') may be low risk if it was just them, but when loads of people are doing it, becomes high risk.

Yes they may be laying it on a bit thick and yes, lots of people already have got the message, but obviously there are still loads who prefer to either ignore reality in favour of denial or wishful thinking, or are just too stupid to get it and need to be told repeatedly until it sinks in.

@Bewareoftheblob

Please stop trying to assign some crazed agenda to me.

By assuming you think anything is a sensible precaution during a world wide pandemic ?

'There are too many fuckwits who still can't quite work out that hospitals full of covid patients is not a terribly good thing for either the covid patients, the staff or anyone else needing medical care and that them popping over to see their friends for a cup of tea, or going to a sneaky birthday party, or sending their kids to school when they could really look after them at home (because 'my mental health') may be low risk if it was just them, but when loads of people are doing it, becomes high risk.'

Indeed. They sadly seem unable to grasp this, yet the op thinks the fecklessness of the deniers shouldn't be mentioned on the telly 🙄.

[quote frumpety]@Bewareoftheblob

Please stop trying to assign some crazed agenda to me.

By assuming you think anything is a sensible precaution during a world wide pandemic ?[/quote]
Once again, my post was specifically about the messages on news channels.

Personally, I would prefer not to have to endure the regular updates on how many people I'm going to kill when I leave the house.

I really just want to see what's going on in the world when I watch the news. I can't see how I can make this any more clear.

YANBU, nothing else to add really, sick of it all tbh

*The older people die yes. But the ones on itu aren't 80/90 years old.
They're 30/40/50/60.

They absolutely would not survive without the medical intervention.
This would be worse without these measures*

This.
If we run out of ITU and respiratory capacity then those young healthy people needing highly specialised medical treatment will die. Simple as that really.

We've already had issues with oxygen demand being too high for what the pipework can deal with, some hospitals are seriously close to being overwhelmed.

The message needs hammering into people tbh.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'There are too many fuckwits who still can't quite work out that hospitals full of covid patients is not a terribly good thing for either the covid patients, the staff or anyone else needing medical care and that them popping over to see their friends for a cup of tea, or going to a sneaky birthday party, or sending their kids to school when they could really look after them at home (because 'my mental health') may be low risk if it was just them, but when loads of people are doing it, becomes high risk.'

Indeed. They sadly seem unable to grasp this, yet the op thinks the fecklessness of the deniers shouldn't be mentioned on the telly 🙄.

Ha, as if it isn't forced down our throats that if you step even a toe out of line then you are personally responsible for the collapse of the NHS.

But we can't talk about how a massive great chunk of people who cark it catch it in the fucking hospital or in care homes, not in bloody Tesco.

Oops sorry just realised this isn't AIBU, but I agree with you OP

Nrtft but I seriously don't understand why the government hasn't ploughed all the money that they have for furlough into the NHS - this has never been about us not getting covid it's all been about protect the NHS of which the government has done fuck all about. We are being blamed for the NHS being stripped back to basics. I am sick of the lot of it - nothing else exists other than covid. Got MH issues, well at least you're alive, Got cancer well you should be grateful it's not covid. People have lost all perspective and are so blind sided by the media. It's scary and very sad.

"
That first lockdown did incredible damage. It will be years before we understand the full impact. The Government’s own rigorous study into its effects found it will cause 200,000 unnecessary deaths in the UK. The economy suffered the biggest hit on record, plunging a cataclysmic 18.9% on top of a 3% fall early in the year. Cancer screening stopped, which means many thousands of people will suffer and die unnecessarily. The number of people waiting more than a year for operations rose from around 1,000 to almost 200,000, ensuring persistent crises in the NHS for many years to come.
The impact on mental health of lockdown and the accompanying campaign of fear was horrendous – the London Ambulance Service was amongst those reporting a tragic jump in suicides, while alcohol dependency rose to affect around 600,000 people. Threatening notices sprang up everywhere to enforce slavish adherence to often senseless rules. The liberties and prosperity that generations of our forebears fought and died to win for us were discarded in panic like sandbags from a plummeting balloon"

Read more: www.thinkscotland.org/thinkbusiness/articles.html?read_full=14413

@Bewareoftheblob

I really just want to see what's going on in the world when I watch the news. I can't see how I can make this any more clear.

Have you tried listening to BBC World service ?

In all honesty, we are living through a world wide pandemic, this is newsworthy, add to that the old press adage of 'if it bleeds, it leads' and I think you might have to avoid the news channels for a good few weeks months at least, if you don't want to be reminded of the fact there is a world wide pandemic.

I think there needs to be a balance between the scaring the idiots into compliance and presenting helpful info on how to deal with covid if you get it. etting covid and only seeing messages like IF YOU GO OUT YOU WILL GET COVID AND DIE arent helpful. my dad got covid and I've already almost lost him once before and seeing those messages scared me shitless. there's nothing about how you should treat it at home

@Backbee Not cutting off ppls electric would also help if they want ppl to stay at home and not have to move to a relatives.

www.independent.co.uk/news/business/eon-customers-gas-electricity-data-b1791496.html

What has gone wrong with society that people feel entitled to be shielded from truths they don’t like. The reasons that the media are reporting on the devastating effects of the pandemic is that there are devastating effects of the pandemic.

It’s odd to think that people who are made uncomfortable by the news of the devastating effects of the pandemic might feel entitled to be offered untruths with which they’re more comfortable.

Do you want to have a voice?

https://timeforrecovery.org/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA3Y-ABhCnARIsAKYDH7tAyv2GJ0qpF0wAePYm1FYNVsXBW6wmyry3gpSO8-Upk1XrzKAB1oaAhPQEALww_wcB