Coronavirus

[Bryn]

How others see our corrupt government:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/17/world/europe/britain-covid-contracts.html

[french frank]

How others see our corrupt government:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...contracts.html

I took a screenshot of the newsletter tease in order to post it on Facebook later:

[Serial_Apologist]

How others see our corrupt government:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...contracts.html

Thanks Bryn - a timely reminder of the sad truth that "investigative journalism" was a term that once meant something too, in this country.

[Frances_iom]

Thanks Bryn - a timely reminder of the sad truth that "investigative journalism" was a term that once meant something too, in this country.

but why are we surprised - can you think of any rightwing nationalist party that is not corrupt so why be surprised as the UK joins the rest of the third world

[Serial_Apologist]

but why are we surprised - can you think of any rightwing nationalist party that is not corrupt so why be surprised as the UK joins the rest of the third world

This has been something over which I've been scratching my head a lot recently. I can only conclude that the vox populi that has come to resound through every phone-in and social medium has in fact long constituted that "silent majority" so enthusiastically referred to by politicians of usually "moderate" or centre ground ilk, who argue that too much frightening the horses will guarantee unelectability. One of the things a great many British people who say things like "never discuss politics or religion in pubs" seem to reflect is a dislike of being made to look a fool, by having inconsistent, unformed or unself examined views about important matters in life, whether they be cultural or political (as if those were separable, which many seem to think). The need to fit in by holding "acceptable" views, i.e. views that do not awake the sleeping conscience, has to be repeatedly rehearsed through life, to the point where it becomes habitual and unconscious - ready for unveiling when it comes to making useful connections or getting a job. In retrospect, I certainly came to note this tendency in even myself, the moment I retired, and no longer had to go on pretending - to myself as much as to others - that the tact I had learned as "good manners" precluded being able to put across my actual views honestly, articulately (hopefully) and with appropriate humour. Reactionary people, however, have been offered carte blanche through the advent of social media to sound off on subjects they themselves knew were no longer acceptable - a certain threshold in acceptability is being tested in a sociopolitical experiment to find out what does tally with ideas of acceptability, and if it passes by default that will represent a qualitative shift from the general consensus of most of my lifetime.

[johnb]

As some will know, I have a Power Bi report of Cases/100k, Increases/Decreases and Deaths, all by local authority, that I am maintaining.

Just in case anyone might be interested I've been playing with an "Experimental" version which includes a facility to "Drill through" to a map for cases by MSOA for a selected local authority. This is for England only because the PHE downloads only include MSOA data for England

To drill through to the MSOA data: right click on an area on the map or lists in the Cases/100k or the Increases/Decreases maps and select "Drill through", then select "MSOA".

To return to the page you started from: click on the left arrow to the top left.

As I said this is "experimental" - and of course there is the same information and more on the government website.

I am still maintaining the other maps.

https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZDkxMTQwYTAtZGI2MS00MjI2LWJkYzEtNDQ3ZjM0ZDczZTE0IiwidCI6IjQyMTI4YmIwLTJjZjgtNDY3MC1iNzRhLWZhNDlmNGJkMDQzZSJ9

[johnb]

I *think* that the Power Bi report I linked to in the preceding post might not have functioned properly - but it should work now (touch wood).

[Richard Barrett]

"never discuss politics or religion in pubs"

The result of that unspoken rule is precisely that so few people actually have developed considered and coherent views on either subject, or the ability to discuss them articulately. And, as you say, the arrival of social media puts those inabilities on full and often ugly display. Historically, new communication media have been colonised by the right for purposes of misinformation (radio and the Third Reich) before what Karl Rove or whoever called the "reality-based community" can get organised. And with that, as Frances says, comes corruption at every level.

[french frank]

The result of that unspoken rule is precisely that so few people actually have developed considered and coherent views on either subject, or the ability to discuss them articulately.

It has certainly emphasised it, though I'm not sure that all 'people' will ever be persuaded that politics 'matter'. I've been following the US scene pretty closely over recent months and nodded agreement when I heard one commentator say 'Most people don't even know who Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi are.' And they don't care. The way Athenian democracy worked was that only those likely to take an interest in public affairs were allowed a say anyway. I suppose until we had universal suffrage it was the same here.

You say 'colonised by the right' which begs the question of what is meant by 'the right'. Isn't it just the 'powerful' - and there are many ways of exerting 'power' now. Where is the 'left' powerful?

[Bryn]

Horrific news from Turkey. I hope better safety procedures are observed elsewhere.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55376008

[Serial_Apologist]

It has certainly emphasised it, though I'm not sure that all 'people' will ever be persuaded that politics 'matter'. I've been following the US scene pretty closely over recent months and nodded agreement when I heard one commentator say 'Most people don't even know who Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi are.' And they don't care. The way Athenian democracy worked was that only those likely to take an interest in public affairs were allowed a say anyway. I suppose until we had universal suffrage it was the same here.

Well, whether or not what they are arguing over is viewed as political, it certainly does matter when they don't agree with it!

You say 'colonised by the right' which begs the question of what is meant by 'the right'. Isn't it just the 'powerful' - and there are many ways of exerting 'power' now. Where is the 'left' powerful?

One thing which has become abundantly clear to me is that on the right, in particular, a kind of tick box definition applies, which varies according to how far right the respondent is, and the scale of options on offer. Far right people in general will be tending to agree with such matters as abortion being wrong under all circumstances; race and matters to do with gender and sexuality being seen as inherently problematic because where (?) would we all be if everyone came to question their sexuality and position in society; public ownership as automatically prone to corruption (of the "public mind" as much as career-wise and "empire building"), inefficient because of offering no competing choice, and draining of resources more deserving elsewhere; and thinking in terms of "our people" often to counter genuine instances giving rise to discrimination against those considered as not being "our people"; and in general, a view that sees human nature as innately weak without the control of "higher authorities", namely people seen as rightly privileged by dint of natural superiority to order people around. Theirs is a world in which symbols are taken literally: one addresses the person in official uniform as "sir", assuming such person must be deserving, and is more likely by natural endowment to be a man, and preferably heterosexual. Competition is often seen as a natural aspect of life, part of the struggle to survive as species, and - in a move which opportunistically interprets Darwinism as favourable to this view - vital in reinforcing "backbone", that quality of character deemed essential to civilisation's survival. Work is seen not as potentially fulfilling but something we are all duty-bound to carry out, lest we fall prey to indolence.

In other words you "know", in general, what the opinion of a person with rightward-leaning views is probably going to be on any upcoming issue, although of course a few such stock responses have changed in accordance with prevailing ideas of acceptability, eg the myth, probably borne of the rise of consumer culture, that one has a right to choose, provided, of course, that the overall choice will come down on the side of the status quo, or a return to a previous status quo as seen through rose-tinted spectacles.

All this is not to deny there there also exist stock positions on issues of various kinds on the political left. I would argue however that these have changed as those of left persuasions have had to face up to historical failures - sometimes putting these down to inevitabilities in the balance of forces favourable to change or otherwise, sometimes to lessons of mistakes having to be learned - or live in denial, too.

[DracoM]

The PRESS's Q's to Johnson at the press conference just completed as I post, all pretty well revolved around: 'you knew about this virus variant THREE days ago plus, and yet went on encouraging people to think it was OK for possible Christmasses.

NOW, there will be literally MILLIONS, right NOW, absolutely beside themselves with rage who had been planning to travel in or out of SE for Xmas, and now forbidden to do so, thus engendering even more entrenched distrust of the govt and seriously endangering the new lockdowns and, of course, thereby running multiple risks of it being more or less completely disobeyed.

This is truly like something out of a SciFi novel!!

[Serial_Apologist]

The PRESS's Q's to Johnson at the press conference just completed as I post, all pretty well revolved around: 'you knew about this virus variant THREE days ago plus, and yet went on encouraging people to think it was OK for possible Christmasses.

NOW, there will be literally MILLIONS, right NOW, absolutely beside themselves with rage who had been planning to travel in or out of SE for Xmas, and now forbidden to do so, thus engendering even more entrenched distrust of the govt and seriously endangering the new lockdowns and, of course, thereby running multiple risks of it being more or less completely disobeyed.

This is truly like something out of a SciFi novel!!

Yes, I can't think of a better comparison! I shall be as usual enjoying my glorious isolation over the Christmas period, maybe taking an afternoon walk well wrapped up, as it looks like being a bit cold. This is certainly selfish given what others are having to face, but I'm just glad I've managed to get everything in in the way of essentials to carry me through to the new year, with the exception of milk and some spuds, which I can pop down to the local shop and buy as a one-off.

[french frank]

Yes, I can't think of a better comparison! I shall be as usual enjoying my glorious isolation over the Christmas period, maybe taking an afternoon walk well wrapped up, as it looks like being a bit cold. This is certainly selfish given what others are having to face, but I'm just glad I've managed to get everything in in the way of essentials to carry me through to the new year, with the exception of milk and some spuds, which I can pop down to the local shop and buy as a one-off.

The medics were also urging this days ago but were ignored.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-rise-in-cases (From last Monday)

[Petrushka]

The PRESS's Q's to Johnson at the press conference just completed as I post, all pretty well revolved around: 'you knew about this virus variant THREE days ago plus, and yet went on encouraging people to think it was OK for possible Christmasses.

NOW, there will be literally MILLIONS, right NOW, absolutely beside themselves with rage who had been planning to travel in or out of SE for Xmas, and now forbidden to do so, thus engendering even more entrenched distrust of the govt and seriously endangering the new lockdowns and, of course, thereby running multiple risks of it being more or less completely disobeyed.

This is truly like something out of a SciFi novel!!

That about sums it up. Johnson is hopelessly out of his depth, frequently glancing towards Whitty or Vallance for help out of a tight spot but neither meeting his glance. He dismissed Starmer for asking for a rethink on Christmas restrictions just three days ago at PMQs. How many will seriously, seriously tear up their plans now and stick to the new restrictions on Christmas Day of all days?