@UnderHisAye
I wonder if any governments have managed to do it better (by which I mean with consultation)? I feel like everything happened so fast that there was no time or will for consultation, and nobody really expected it to last for so long either. Also it would really have fucked up the 'we're all in this together' thing if people were asked for their opinion and were in opposition to the measures.
It's sort of crept up and now we're all going 'oh hang on, is this a permanent feature then? Shit!'
I guess in terms of public health - as opposed to individual health - then it does become an issue at a societal level, and the individual's views become less important, because their actions impact everyone else.
It's a good question about other countries. I don't know how much public consultation is normally done when establishing policy in other countries, though, so I suppose I'm just comparing it with what is "usual" in Scotland and in the wider uk. I think a recent uk policy on children was knocked back at judicial review because the children's commissioner wasn't consulted (when other orgs were) , so it is still expected that due consultation takes place for some things, even when it has to be done quickly and in different ways to normal. I suppose the covid regs are classed as "emergency" though, so it probably isn't required. Would be good practice, though, especially as we're no longer at the peak of the pandemic and have a bit more time to think and get the next steps right...
I don't think anyone really feels like "we're all in this together" any more. So we may as well pretend to give some voice to those people who have got the shittiest end of the shitty stick throughout this all, even if they may think a different route is preferable. Yes, it's a societal issue, but more things matter in society and affect public health than covid alone.
Yay for Mr G and Yay for haircuts! DS so needs something doing to his, but it's just going to have to wait. It's halfway down his shoulder blades but he refuses to tie it back for any length of time (and I'm shit at hair, so any hair tie falls out quickly even if he doesn't take it out). I think I'm sending him in with his snood bandana thing on Monday for when the hair tie comes out, and if the school complain I'll give them the scissors...