General News Thread

[Super_horns]

This is no surprise unfortunately.

The Tory Government really did think COVID was a joke and laughed at everyone really .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8030xvvlv0o

[The Bear]

1 minute ago, Super_horns said:

This is no surprise unfortunately.

The Tory Government really did think COVID was a joke and laughed at everyone really .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8030xvvlv0o

All while they siphoned millions of public money to their mates businesses that never ultinately did anything. Utter ***** all of them. Those that essentially stole money like that should be in jail not just a public inquiry. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Whilst I don't think the pandemic was handled at all well, it does need to be remembered (and it seemingly isn't taken into account) that all of this enquiry is done with hindsight, which is difficult to account for.

 

I think if you look around the globe you'll be hard pressed to find any country that "got it right". I think a few countries got lucky, due to geography or being authoritarian states or very sparsely populated, but it was very much a guessing game to begin with.

[leicsmac]

8 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Whilst I don't think the pandemic was handled at all well, it does need to be remembered (and it seemingly isn't taken into account) that all of this enquiry is done with hindsight, which is difficult to account for.

 

I think if you look around the globe you'll be hard pressed to find any country that "got it right". I think a few countries got lucky, due to geography or being authoritarian states or very sparsely populated, but it was very much a guessing game to begin with.

There are a few remarkable examples, however, of nations that were apparently better prepared, better trained and better led, and so didn't have to trust to as much luck to weather the storm. And their outcomes speak to how successful they were at that.

[Super_horns]

9 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Whilst I don't think the pandemic was handled at all well, it does need to be remembered (and it seemingly isn't taken into account) that all of this enquiry is done with hindsight, which is difficult to account for.

 

I think if you look around the globe you'll be hard pressed to find any country that "got it right". I think a few countries got lucky, due to geography or being authoritarian states or very sparsely populated, but it was very much a guessing game to begin with.

That is true - no one quite knew what they were dealing with .

 

I suspect people will be annoyed and frustrated they are told to this and that by the same Government who then had lockdown parties and broke their own rules .

 

But I guess COVID is the past and we have to hope we never have to deal with such a situation again .

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

That is true - no one quite knew what they were dealing with .

 

I suspect people will be annoyed and frustrated they are told to this and that by the same Government who then had lockdown parties and broke their own rules .

 

But I guess COVID is the past and we have to hope we never have to deal with such a situation again .

We will, in all likelihood, never have to deal with that very particular kind of situation again.

 

The next peril the natural world throws at us, however, may well be worse instead.

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Whilst I don't think the pandemic was handled at all well, it does need to be remembered (and it seemingly isn't taken into account) that all of this enquiry is done with hindsight, which is difficult to account for.

 

I think if you look around the globe you'll be hard pressed to find any country that "got it right". I think a few countries got lucky, due to geography or being authoritarian states or very sparsely populated, but it was very much a guessing game to begin with.

Some countries like South Korea did but they'd been affected by SARS and still had that memory. 

 

The inquiry specifically calls out the late decisions and deaths around the second lockdown as inexcusable given what had happened and the mistakes with lockdown 1 and the slowness to react. 

 

It's unfortunate that those calling out the chaotic and slow response were correct, despite media like the telegraph complaining that lockdowns weren't necessary and restrictions should be eased more quickly etc. some of the media in this country should be looked upon as culpable.

[fox_up_north]

Ofgem being absolutely useless is lovely news to wake up to

[Zear0]

Just a reminder that one of Farage's "most loyal lieutenants" is literally being tried for treason for being in Russia's pocket. Patriots 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn8vnv3dk0vo

[Robo61]

8 minutes ago, fox_up_north said:

Ofgem being absolutely useless is lovely news to wake up to

What have they done??

[leicsmac]

14 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Just a reminder that one of Farage's "most loyal lieutenants" is literally being tried for treason for being in Russia's pocket. Patriots 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn8vnv3dk0vo

Iamjackscompletelackofsurprise.gif

[leicsmac]

9 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Some countries like South Korea did but they'd been affected by SARS and still had that memory. 

 

The inquiry specifically calls out the late decisions and deaths around the second lockdown as inexcusable given what had happened and the mistakes with lockdown 1 and the slowness to react. 

 

It's unfortunate that those calling out the chaotic and slow response were correct, despite media like the telegraph complaining that lockdowns weren't necessary and restrictions should be eased more quickly etc. some of the media in this country should be looked upon as culpable.

That's what I meant by better prepared, better trained and better led in all honesty. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

9 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Some countries like South Korea did but they'd been affected by SARS and still had that memory. 

 

The inquiry specifically calls out the late decisions and deaths around the second lockdown as inexcusable given what had happened and the mistakes with lockdown 1 and the slowness to react. 

 

It's unfortunate that those calling out the chaotic and slow response were correct, despite media like the telegraph complaining that lockdowns weren't necessary and restrictions should be eased more quickly etc. some of the media in this country should be looked upon as culpable.

 

29 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

That's what I meant by better prepared, better trained and better led in all honesty. 

Re: my comment on authoritarian states, S Korea is much closer to that than us, plus they have a culture much more amenable to following instructions.

 

A large part of our problem was that the good old British "don't tell me what to do" attitude, which was even sadly apparent in the cabinet of the time.

[Tommy G]

11 hours ago, leicsmac said:

There are a few remarkable examples, however, of nations that were apparently better prepared, better trained and better led, and so didn't have to trust to as much luck to weather the storm. And their outcomes speak to how successful they were at that.

Very few countries responded well.

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

 

Re: my comment on authoritarian states, S Korea is much closer to that than us, plus they have a culture much more amenable to following instructions.

 

A large part of our problem was that the good old British "don't tell me what to do" attitude, which was even sadly apparent in the cabinet of the time.

People said that at the time, too. 

 

I presume they didn't see what happened in the streets to get rid of both Park and Yoon? 

 

Korea does civil disobedience and refusal of authority much better than the UK, because they pick the right battles.

 

It's something of an insult to how far they've come as a nation to consider them close to authoritarian now. 

[leicsmac]

Just now, Tommy G said:

Very few countries responded well.

Very few. But those few proved that it could be done, and the current inquiry might use that as a point. 

[Tommy G]

1 minute ago, leicsmac said:

Very few. But those few proved that it could be done, and the current inquiry might use that as a point. 

Yes but of the very few, most had previous experience of pandemic type scenarios i.e SK

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, Tommy G said:

Yes but of the very few, most had previous experience of pandemic type scenarios i.e SK

Perhaps I'm expecting too much, but given such a pandemic can happen anywhere at any time, perhaps other places should have looked at that and at least had a better idea of what to do, rather than just the ones like SK with direct experience of it. 

 

The next such incident might not be quite so forgiving of a lack of experience. 

[kenny]

11 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Very few countries responded well.

Sweden did well despite being criticised for a lack of lockdowns by the rest of Europe.

[Trav Le Bleu]

16 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

People said that at the time, too. 

 

I presume they didn't see what happened in the streets to get rid of both Park and Yoon? 

 

Korea does civil disobedience and refusal of authority much better than the UK, because they pick the right battles.

 

It's something of an insult to how far they've come as a nation to consider them close to authoritarian now. 

They'll imprison conscientious objectors to military service.

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, kenny said:

Sweden did well despite being criticised for a lack of lockdowns by the rest of Europe.

Just outside the top 40 in terms of deaths per capita (the UK being around 20th, Japan and South Korea both outside the top 100 for a reference point).

 

Whether one thinks that's doing well is a matter for the beholder, I reckon. 

 

 

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

They'll imprison conscientious objectors to military service.

Not since 2018, by order of the Supreme Court there, but fair point. 

 

 

[kenny]

1 minute ago, leicsmac said:

Just outside the top 40 in terms of deaths per capita (the UK being around 20th, Japan and South Korea both outside the top 100 for a reference point).

 

Whether one thinks that's doing well is a matter for the beholder, I reckon. 

 

 

In this case, I am the beholder.

 

You are right to mention Japan. No lockdowns at all.

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, kenny said:

In this case, I am the beholder.

 

You are right to mention Japan. No lockdowns at all.

Not really much of one in SK either, because in both places they got a grasp of the thing from the start and so it was not necessary, thankfully. 

 

Edit: for the flip side of the coin when it comes to the thing running riot and no lockdown, see Brazil. 

Edited 21 November 2025 by leicsmac

[Tommy G]

Looks like VAT could be removed from energy bills which would be welcomed news. 

 

I think a good way of doing this would be for people that are on benefits, rather than the wider public. Goes back to the concept of broadest shoulders should bear the weight, I don't think many would disagree with a policy like this, and it wouldn't cost the treasury as much either.