If Wearing a Face Mask Causes You Severe Distress, You Are Exempt
A reader has pointed out that the new Government guidance – “Face coverings: when to wear one and how to make your own” – includes a section entitled “Exemptions to wearing a face covering where they are mandated” that means lockdown sceptics don’t have to wear one. Among the “legitimate reasons” not to wear a mask is “if putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress”. I don’t know about you, but having to wear a nappy on my face when I go shopping will cause me severe distress.
Problem solved.
Heather Mac Donald’s Wonderful Jeremiad
If you think I’m a teensy teensy bit over-zealous in my opposition to the lockdown, you haven’t read Heather Mac Donald. I’ve often flagged up the essays and articles of this arch-sceptic in the daily round-ups, but her latest fusillade – a lecture delivered at a Hillsdale College public symposium last month – is a thing of beauty. Here are a few paragraphs to give you a taster:
The politicians’ ignorance about the complexity of economic life was stunning, as was their hypocrisy. To a person, every elected official, every public health expert, and every media pundit who lectured Americans about the need to stay in indefinite lockdown had a secure (“essential”) job. Not one of them feared his employer would go bankrupt. Anyone who warned that the effects of the lockdowns would be more devastating than anything the coronavirus could inflict was accused of being a heartless capitalist who only cared about profits.
But to care about the economy is to care about human life, since the economy is how life is sustained. It is a source of meaning, as well as sustenance, binding humans to each other in a web of voluntary exchange. To its workers, every business is essential, and to many of its customers as well. Even judged by the narrowest possible definition of public health—lives lost—the toll from the lockdowns will exceed that of the virus, due to the cancellation of elective medical procedures, patients’ unnecessary fear of seeking medical treatment, and the psychological effects of unemployment.
In May, politicians started inviting a few scattered sectors of their state economies to reopen, with blue state governors and mayors being particularly parsimonious with their noblesse oblige. These blue state officials invoked “science” to justify yet another arbitrary set of guidelines to determine which businesses would be allowed to start up again and when. “Science,” we were told, dictated the timetable for reopening, based on rates of hospital bed vacancies and new infections.
In fact, the numerical benchmarks, enforced with draconian punctiliousness, seem to have been drawn out of a hat—they certainly had no evidence behind them. But even with official reopenings, many customers will be long reluctant to resume their normal habits of consumption and travel thanks to the uninterrupted fearmongering on the part of the media, the experts, and elected leaders.
Being fantastically risk averse is now a badge of honor, at least among the professional elites. A young tech columnist for The New York Times wrote an op-ed in May about cancelling a restaurant reservation in Missoula, Montana. Missoula County had been virus-free for weeks, and Montana’s case load had been negligible. Nevertheless, the columnist experienced a panic attack after booking a table, contemplating the allegedly lethal risk that awaited him in the reopened restaurant. Rather than being ashamed of his cowardice, the columnist was proud, he wrote, to have bailed out of his reservation in order to continue sheltering in place.
Very much worth reading in full.
The Woke Left is Now Indistinguishable from the Racist Right
The American comedian Ryan Long has produced a very funny two-minute video about the uncanny similarities between the Woke Left and the Racist Right that is a must-watch.
For a longer, more thoughtful exploration of the same theme, read Matt Taibbi’s latest piece on Substack. Entitled “The Left is Now the Right”, he points out that many of the vices that the Left used to ridicule the Right for exhibiting – a censorious approach to art and culture, for instance – have now been enthusiastically embraced by the Left. But most seriously of all, its obsession with race and embrace of Critical Race Theory means it often ends up sounding like the Racist Right.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture created a graphic on “Aspects and Assumptions of White Culture” that declared the following white values: “the scientific method,” “rational, linear thinking,” “the nuclear family,” “children should have their own rooms,” “hard work is the key to success,” “be polite,” “written tradition,” and “self-reliance.” White food is “steak and potatoes; bland is best,” and in white justice, “intent counts.”
The astute observer will notice this graphic could equally have been written by white supremacist Richard Spencer or History of White People parodist Martin Mull. It seems impossible that no one at one of the country’s leading educational institutions noticed this messaging is ludicrously racist, not just to white people but to everyone (what is any person of color supposed to think when he or she reads that self-reliance, politeness, and “linear thinking” are white values?).
The exhibit was inspired by white corporate consultants with Education degrees like Judith Katz and White Fragility author Robin DiAngelo, who themselves echo the work of more consultants with Ed degrees like Glenn Singleton of Courageous Conversations. Per the New York Times, Courageous Conversations even teaches that “written communication over other forms” and “mechanical time” (i.e. clock time) are tools by which “whiteness undercuts Black kids.”
The notion that such bugbears as as time, data, and the written word are racist has caught fire across the United States in the last few weeks, igniting calls for an end to virtually every form of quantitative evaluation in hiring and admissions, including many that were designed specifically to combat racism.
Worth reading in full.
Elusive Report
Yesterday I asked if any readers had come across the report by the Department of Health, the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the Government’s Actuary Department and the Home Office predicting that the collateral damage from the lockdown could be as high as 200,000 deaths. This is the report, published in April supposedly, referred to in a Telegraph article on Sunday.
This sounds a lot like the report that Sir Ian Diamond, head of the Government’s Statistical Service, referred to when he appeared on Marr on May 3rd (admittedly after the supposed publication date in April). He said:
We have a piece from the Office of National Statistics that we’ve done jointly with the Government Actuaries Department, the Home Office and Department of Health coming out in the next few days which will show also a third group which will come out over the next few years where changes in the prioritisation of the Health Service, for example, reductions in cancer screening, will lead to deaths over the next few years.
But where is this report? It wasn’t just referred to by the Telegraph, but by the Daily Mail, the Mirror and Metro as well, although the Telegraph had the story first. It seems the Telegraph was tipped off by Sir Patrick Vallance last Thursday when he referred to the report in his testimony to the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee. (See his answer to question 1079 here.) Vallance says it was a piece of work commissioned by SAGE and assures the Committee that it’s already in the public domain. And, indeed, the Telegraph‘s science editor Sarah Knapton appears to have found it, although she doesn’t link to it in the piece. (All the other papers have simply copied Knapton’s article as far as I can tell.)
Or was Knapton briefed about it by someone on the Committee who got hold of it, even though it still hasn’t been published?
If any readers can find a copy of this elusive report – or if any employees of the departments concerned can leak it to me – I’d be most grateful. Email me here.
London Calling
In the latest episode of London Calling, mine and James Delingpole’s weekly podcast, I ask James to tell me about the anti-mask rally he attended in Hyde Park on Sunday, but he gets sidetracked by his neck pain, which he says is the worst pain he’s experienced since falling off a horse. We also discuss the possibility of a Lockdown Sceptics dating app – suggested by a reader – and Bari Weiss’s dramatic departure from the New York Times.
You can listen to the whole thing here and if you enjoy it don’t forget to subscribe.
Round-Up
Here’s a round-up of all the stories I’ve noticed, or which have been been brought to my attention, in the last 24 hours:
- ‘Inflation-busting pay rise for public sector workers‘ – Well, of course
- ‘Privacy body accuses NHS Test and Trace system of breaching data protection laws‘ – Readers of Lockdown Sceptics will know we flagged up this danger weeks ago
- ‘Keeping schools open had no impact on contagion, Swedish study suggests‘ – Quelle Surprise
- ‘Quarter of Britons may decline to have coronavirus vaccine‘ – Time to turn up the volume on Project Fear to number 11
- ‘Pubs are open but critical services stay shut‘ – Rachel Sylvester in the Times says it’s absurd that Whitehall unions are holding up the issuing of vital documents such as passports and driving licences
- ‘Big Holes in the Covid “Spike” Narrative‘ – Ron Paul takes aim at dodgy death statistics
- ‘Home advantage: not going to school was the making of me‘ – Lara King in the Spectator on the benefits of home schooling
- ‘“It was always going to backfire”: a postcard from Barcelona’s second lockdown‘ – Good piece in the Telegraph about Barcelona’s disastrous attempt to impose a second lockdown
- ‘Tower of London Beefeaters facing redundancies for first time in 500 years‘ – Shocking story in Metro
Theme Tune Suggestions by Readers
Two today: “What’s Behind the Mask” by the Cramps and “Maska” by the Plastic Peoples of the Universe.
Small Businesses That Have Re-Opened
A couple of months ago, Lockdown Sceptics launched a searchable directory of open businesses across the UK. The idea is to celebrate those retail and hospitality businesses that have re-opened, as well as help people find out what has opened in their area. But we need your help to build it, so we’ve created a form you can fill out to tell us about those businesses that have opened near you.
Now that non-essential shops have re-opened – or most of them, anyway – we’re now focusing on pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants, as well as other social venues. As of July 4th, many of them have re-opened too, but not all. Please visit the page and let us know about those brave folk who are doing their bit to get our country back on its feet – particularly if they’re not insisting on face masks! Don’t worry if your entries don’t show up immediately – we need to approve them once you’ve entered the data.
Note to the Good Folks Below the Line
I enjoy reading all your comments and I’m glad I’ve created a “safe space” for lockdown sceptics to share their frustrations and keep each other’s spirits up. But please don’t copy and paste whole articles from papers that are behind paywalls in the comments. I work for some of those papers and if they don’t charge for premium content they won’t survive.
We created some Lockdown Sceptics Forums, but they became a spam magnet so we’ve temporarily closed them. However, we can open them again if some readers volunteer to be moderators. If you’d like to do this, please email Ian Rons, the Lockdown Sceptics webmaster, here.
Gone Fishin’
Thanks as always to those of you who made a donation recently to pay for the upkeep of this site. If you feel like donating, however small the sum, please click here. I’m on holiday until Saturday, July 25th and won’t be doing my usual amount of work on the site until I return. If you want to flag up any stories or links I should include in future updates, email me here.
Salem 2.0
I thought I’d give my readers something to chew on while I’m on holiday: Salem 2.0: The Return of the Religious Police to the Public Square. This is a book about cancel culture that I’ve been working on for a while now, but which took a back seat during the coronavirus crisis. Hoping to get back to it as the crisis recedes – although that’s happening more slowly than any of us hoped. It’s a work in progress, so don’t expect too much.
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
A Spanish pharmacist, Dr. Marisa García Alonso, demonstrates, in her laboratory, through an experiment with cytology in Petri dishes with blood agar, the bacteria that grow in the masks we use.
https://youtu.be/2nz5wwIhVsc
The first one: a tissue mask she used in the day before (when she was singing, hobby)
The second one: the masks she has in her bag when she needs to go shopping
The third one: a fresh unpacked mask
The fourth one: the mask she was wearing
The fifth one: a mask from a colleague (he or she was wearing that mask for 3 weeks, 8 hours a day)
MUST watch, it’s grossing https://youtu.be/2nz5wwIhVsc
Just watched it, thanks. Its disgusting and shows that actually muzzle wearing is much more harmful than not wearing one. This should be circulated more widely with English subtitles (I was able to slightly understand what she was saying as my native language has many similarities to Spanish)
There is a button you can use to auto generate English subtitles. It’s a bit ropey but give the gist if your Spanish is non existent like mine.
Maria’s overview is all you need.
“This product is an ear loop mask. This product is not a respirator and will not provide any protection against COVID-19 (coronavirus) or any other viruses or contaminants.”
Disclaimer on a box of the ill-fitting, disposable masks everyone on the planet is wearing to ‘save themselves’.
“Face masks, when worn properly, may reduce potential exposure of the wearer to fluids but does not eliminate the risk of contracting any disease or infection.”
Disclaimer on a brand new box of masks I just looked at in a leading High Street pharmacy.
Bears repeating until every brainwashed, mask wearing zealot who thinks they are saving humanity by slapping an ill-fitting piece of cloth or plastic over their face gets it:
The ONLY mask that can claim to contain viruses and prevent their spread is the N95 mask properly fitted, completely sealed, not adjusted or touched once sealed, worn only once, and then properly disposed of once thrown.
Flimsy, ill-fitting disposable masks with unsealed edges or those ridiculous homemade monstrosities made from old tee shirts promoted in ridiculous youtube videos do NOT prevent microscopic viruses contained in saliva spray ejected during sneezing or coughing from spreading and, in fact, probably contribute MORE to the SPREAD of viruses because they are coated and soaked with concentrated levels of whatever virus an infected person has and are constantly being touched and adjusted by the wearer, who then leaves them behind on every surface they touch.
Good point and one that I have been learning by heart to repeat to any masked zealot who makes an attempt to confront me.
Even the effectiveness of N95s are being debated and the general consensus on them is they can still lead to ailments such as hypercapnia and hypoxia among others.
N95 masks often have a valve to ease breathing out and so are useless for protecting anybody else (possibly worse since they send out a concentrated jet of contagion).
Very valid point.
An N95 mask will not stop virus transmission and is totally unsuited for prolonged use, where more than a resting rate of activity is required. Masked zealots should be told to mind their own business politely but very firmly.
Not surprised by this at all!
Thanks for this post; I’d send it to Boris and Matthew, but I suspect they already know.
Send it anyway. Chances are they don’t know, because they don’t spend time on sites like this and just rely on advisors, who may have their own agenda. Or they’re doing what they’ve been told by the WHO, who in turn only do what some XR lobbyists tell them.
If you can replicate the experience there (in UK) and do it the right way (without touching with the same gloves in all samples)…. that would be perfect.
BTW, the mistake of the pharmacist (touching with the same gloves in all samples)… raises a question: “the same mistake happens with the Covid tests?”
This was going to be my comment – that she should have changed gloves (in a sterile manner) in between touching each sample. At the very least the samples should have been tested in order of least likely contamination to most. Interesting nevertheless and totally predictable. I’m continually frustrated by how little attention is given to the issue of contamination in the public-face-mask-use setting.
She touch everything with the same gloves, all masks are manipulated with the same gloves!!! with a complete non respect for laboratory rules! this video is a fake! is not a laboratory experiment!!
I ordered the laminated card, featured here at LDS 17/07/20, which states that I am medically exempt from wearing a face covering, it arrived yesterday complete with splendidly vivid red lanyard embossed with ‘MASK EXEMPT’.
I will present this to any door marshals as I have no intention of making their lives difficult but then keep it in my pocket to flourish at any pointy finger shouty fellow shoppers while accusing them of Disability Harassment.
This is going to be exactly my modus operandi.
And us 2 (husband and me)
Mine too
Same here.
I posted this late last night:
Just found an email from the CEO of Aldi, doing an update on their “safety” measures.
I found this bit encouraging:
It has been heartwarming to see customers remembering that not all disabilities and health conditions are visible, and being considerate of others who may not be able to socially distance or wear a mask.
I reckon that’s a green light for us!
I ordered mine last week waiting for arrival! I’m hoping Sainsbury’s guards will just shrug. Not bothered about being a social outcast!
I’m likely to be an agoraphobe after this farce finally ends. I do not want to go out just for seeing all the faceless minions everywhere. I get anxiety about going shopping now (I’m temperamentally very (some would say too) laid back, but this nonsense is really starting to get me down), and masks are common enough otherwise that even leaving the house is extremely intimidating and unpleasant. I’m exempt from wearing one myself but why should I have to put up with such demeaning displays from others while conducting essential activities away from home?
Totally agree. Nappied zombies are repulsive.
Get away from the town centre and if you can, go into the country. Everything there us normal, just as it’s always been. Nature has more sense that our zombie bugbears.
Try not to use it unless you feel that the situation might become heated. We have to resist encouraging a ‘Papers Please’ society. That’s the beginning of a very slippery slope. We owe zero explanation and if you ARE asked (which you really shouldn’t be – it’s your private data) just SAY you’re exempt rather than showing any kind of proof, if you feel you can.
I take your point Lili but I really do not want to make difficulties for the poor sod appointed as Door Monitor; my main target being the sour faced pointy fingering tossers trying to make me a ‘prisoner of their fear’.
Mine arrived yesterday.
I took it to show a local shopkeeper, who confirmed that she was happy to comply with the card and promised to let her colleagues know that I have medical exemption from wearing a mask.
I have read that neither shopkeepers nor the Police are allowed to ask you for proof of disability, although I’m not a lawyer.
I’ve recently read you cannot be asked to reveal your medical ailments by law.
Yes.
a) Asking is in breach of the 2010 Equalities Act.
b) Your medical record is confidential.
Does that mean I can sue anyone who asks me?
No, but you are not obliged in the slightest to prove it, and should object in the strongest terms if a police officer (or anyone else, frankly) attempts to question you on the subject.
You can sue under the 2010 Equalities Act, and you can take legal action against the company if they stop you from entering the store/shop because you have a medical condition.
I’ve been in and out of the supermarkets, shops, on trains and on buses without one ever since they became mandatory in Scotland and nobody has said a word, or even reacted in an unpleasant manner. Think all the chain shops are taking firm view it’s not their job to police. Seen a fair few others without them too.
So in Scotland I am not alone! Been in the supermarket, local convenience store etc. No one says a thing. Take Heed English sceptics! Forget the exemption badge. You dont need to explain (as discussed elsewhere here)your medical condition, such as mask induced severe distress. The saddest thing is that here in North Britain it applies to children over five, rather than over 11 South Britain. The tragic sight of a mother lining up her 3 children of approx 5, 7 and 9 and stretching muzzles over them approvingly before entering the supermarket leaves me speechless. Where do we go from here?
They came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”
Cheers for the reminder – I’ve just ordered mine as well, arriving on the 27th … but a stupidly large shop on Thursday will tide me through.
I actively avoid confrontation during average circumstances, so I am considering wearing it visibly at first and see how this goes. Anyone else considering the same?
Cheers
We’re going shopping tomorrow but Tescos said it wouldn’t enforce masks neither are Lidl. After Friday depending on who challenges me I will either tell them to MYOB or say I’m mask exempt. You don’t have to reveal any medical condition in fact they have no right asking you.
Toby, here is a link to the report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/892030/S0120_Initial_estimates_of_Excess_Deaths_from_COVID-19.pdf
Tony Rattray provided the link in yesterday’s comments.
Interesting….thanks. A few nuggets in there, including this; “there is also a health dimension to considering the economic impact of social distancing measures.”
Or in plain words, ‘Social distancing is a Bad Thing.’
Pity the Beefeaters.They are slated for a ‘smooth departure’ from the Tower of London because s.d. won’t admit sufficient visitors to keep them employed. Move over, Anne Boleyn!
The visitor attractions I work for opens this Thursday and we’re resigned to the fact that antisocial distancing will harm our visitor numbers. I feel sorry for the Beefeaters as they’re an integral part of the Tower’s visitor experience.
However it is in line with the destruction of anything British.
True and where I work for could be in the firing line of this Year Zero like destruction.
In an unmitigated RWC [Reasonable Worst Case ] it could be expected that there would be a short period of time when all elective care would be cancelled to protect patients. Over this period the health service could not offer any safe treatment options. It is unclear how long it would take the service to return to providing a safe healthcare setting. Therefore, it has not been possible to quantify this number of deaths.
So why on earth didn’t they use the old fever hospital protocol?
Coronavirus restrictions will remain if large numbers refuse vaccine, warns UK taskforce
“Vaccination has had a massively positive benefit to society and if we get large numbers of people vaccinated then the restrictions we are all currently facing will stop and we will return to normal.
“But conversely, if large numbers of people of the right cohort, those who are at most at risk of COVID infection, do not get vaccinated, then the restrictions will have to remain and we will not be returning to normal until the vaccination is in place.”
Asked if the UK should introduce compulsory coronavirus vaccinations, she said: “That is a matter for the politicians, not for me.”
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/coronavirus-restrictions-refuse-vaccine-135129841.html
The iron hand in the iron glove.
Coercive threat. Against all reasonable rights.
Didn’t they recently make Coercive Abuse (or somesuch) a specific crime?
The government needs to be challenged on everything they impose. For everyone that follows the diktat without question they are aiding our own slavery!
This was Kate Bingham yesterday on the Today programme. Important to remember she’s married to Jesse Norman MP, treasury minister.
Curious, given he was – apparently – lone voice in asking for cost/benefit analysis before deciding on lockdown. He was roundly ignored. Obviously.
It’s easier to govern a divided society than one strengthened in unity.
That’s right but people are unaware that the government thinks like this. Every time I read Boris is a Libertarian it makes me howl with laughter!
Vallance on vaccines to the Select Committee:
“Q1100…
Sir Patrick Vallance: Just to say a word on vaccines first, it is also important to recognise that the chances of having a totally sterilising vaccine—that is, one that 100% protects you from this—are low. It is much more likely that you would have a vaccine that reduces the severity of the illness and reduces spread a bit.”
A quote worth remembering when he endorses the inevitable new vaccine as 100% effective.
How can it reduce the severity of symptoms in asymptomatic people?
Which he won’t. Because he’s an actual scientist.
Sir John Bell, Regius Professor Chair of Medicine @ Oxford said on todays BBC R4 Today (after mentioning that UK cases of Covid are now so few we need to recuit volunteers from South Africa and Brazil to test the new vaccines).
To interviewer “you have to understand that we are not going to kill Covid19 off, forget that, we are just going to have to get used to living with it”.
Pretty much what we have been saying for ages.
“after mentioning that UK cases of Covid are now so few we need to recuit volunteers from South Africa and Brazil to test the new vaccines” – So they’ve got an excuse to test their dodgy vaccine on some poor people who don’t matter very much and who can’t afford to sue if they get the inevitable side-effects from a brand-new and virtually-untested dose of, well, G-d knows what?
As a sixty-four year old, I will do a gloriously-heroic thing and donate my vaccine dose to someone who is in greater need; hopefully someone who has swallowed the Kool-Aid and is silly enough to actually want it. I’ll stick with my Vit D3 (250mcg/day) and Vit C (2grams/day), thanks.
Me too Richard, no one can then accuse us of being selfish, they can give my dosage to those cowering at home. I do not fear the virus but I do fear the anxiety being promoted and the effect on people’s mental health.
Duly copied and pasted in my wordpad, along with hundreds of other comments and links. Thank you.
I can’t remember where I first read the phrase “vaccine hostages” but it’s certainly true.
Interestingly a few weeks ago some of us that dared to suggest on this site that the worldwide lockdowns were underpinned by a vaccine agenda were ridiculed.
This situation has NOTHING to do with the vaccine industry, are you CRAZY!!!
Bill just want to help us all.
LoL
Who ever it was the downvoted me, I suppose you think that Elvis lives on the dark side of the moon and that the earth is flat!
Two-Six. You must have been under a rock these past months to believe this garbage has “…NOTHING..” to do with big pharma vaccine profits. or you’re a 77 Birgade tool. As for Bill and his philanthropy educate yourself before you come on her with such a crass comment.
Apologies for my two typos. I usually check my grammar, sorry.
Irony wasted on you. Hopeless!
Oh please forgive me your Excellency. Thing is love some of us visit this site to read Toby’s stuff and the articles. The comments are a good way to get additional information and a sense of how others see the situation, and feel about things. My point is, not all of us live on this comments page. So I guess Two-Six’s irony was on this occasion lost on me. It was not immediately apparent in the context. As for you calling me “Hopeless” like I give a f… about that.
I think Two-Six was joking . . .
I am quite sure that anyone who comes to this site is well aware that Bill Gate is a vac-niac.
Gates is a ‘virtual’ Saint. I hope he gets martyred soon.
Unfortunately, the lockdowns will be breaking down by then. People will revert to type, they always do. And there is probably no chance of being able to enforce another one without violence.
Not only the vaccine agenda, but the total destruction of western civilisation. Woke – vaccines – ‘Climate Change’ are all part and parcel of the same thing.
Just in case anyone is still under any delusions about ‘Climate Change’ it is even more false (if that’s possible) than the ‘science’ behind Lockdown.
Written for non-scientists https://www.beautyandthebeastlytruth.com/
Yes it’s what I’ve been saying ever since this started up. All linked to climate change. Boris can brag he’s reduced our carbon footprints however the country is bankrupt and the private sector is dead.
Who and what is this bloody-minded task force and on WHO’s advice do they rely?
Collective Punishment? Geneva Convention? Does this stuff mean anything anymore?
That’s it. Remember that we only have three months left of furlough. By the end of September, the HR1 forms (advance notice of redundancies) will be landing on the government’s doormat like an avalanche.
Most of this BS will quickly disappear then.
Mid September for over 100..
They’ve just announced public sector payrises – for consultants but not for nurses.
So, not only have most consultants done bugger all for the last three months, they get a reward for doing future consultations over the phone too.
The government admits that the care sector needs help but care workers will remain on minumum wage.
They get a reward for not uniting and blowing the whistle.
I think it was on not-guardian that a poster expounded at length about MI5’s infiltration, recruitment, and general control of the top layers of the NHS. Makes sense to me, knowing the part it has played over the past four months. And their permanent similar role with the bbc
Yes. If you watch yesterday’s UK Column, they mention that prospective Tory MPs all have to pass a personality test.
https://www.ukcolumn.org/ukcolumn-news/uk-column-news-20th-july-2020
Probably explains why the shiny new redwallers haven’t being speaking up for their soon-to-be impoverished constituents.
And if they turn out to have any personality at all, they fail the test?
Apologies, ‘off-guardian’.
biggest reward going to teachers ffs! most of whom have done bugger all except being on fully paid six month holiday.
Our bodies, their choice.
Surprise!
Blackmail. It’s a two way street. They impose we ignore.
Who is this UK Task Force? I am sure that the media will jump all over this one and .
they will just keep piling it on. Who is behind all these new threats and fearmongering? Are the taxpayers funding these task forces? Time for a tax revolt.
From the Ron Paul column:
‘A television station this weekend looked into two highly unusual Covid deaths among victims in their 20s, and when they asked about co-morbidities they were told one victim had none, because his Covid death came in the form of a fatal motorcycle accident.’
No exact source given, which is a pity, but I find it believable. Refers to Florida, but they’d tell exactly the same lie here. Of course.
Maybe the aim is to convince our quavering Covid yoof that riding a motorbike will give you the bug. Think spike.
PS. Nice to see pictures of mask-free Catalans in the Barcelona piece. If Catalans get it in their heads that face nappies are an imposition from Madrid there will be trouble – though I expect the Generalitat is just as scaredy-cat as everybody else.
Now that the PHE cat is out of the bag…..
It does make me wonder how many of the healthy under 40s that “died of covid” here actually died by other means.
Those are the cases that the press used to reinforce the boogeyman narrative that the virus kills indiscriminately.
But of course it would do, when anyone testing positive automatically becomes a victim of covid. You just might have to wait awhile.
The motorbike death story was also in Zero Hedge a couple of days back.
Read about that on Zerohedge. Apparently they have now removed him from the COVID19 stats, having initially suggested that COVID19 may have contributed to the motorbike accident
Maybe it did. Was he wearing a mask?
He might have sneezed
I believe the station was Fox35.
A morning hymn for worshippers of the Covid devil:
New every morning is the fear
That death from You is very near,
But I will clap the NHS
And stay at home in fearfulness.
The trivial round, the common task
Must all be done behind a mask.
So help me to put on my nappy
As others must, which makes me happy.
Amen.
Love it – I’ve just sung it to my husband. The first 2 lines of verse 2 are sublime. (And I speak as a church organist).
On the subject racism and how both the ‘conservatives’ and ‘liberals’ are guilty of it, Ayn Rand wrote an illuminating essay in 1963 identifying the fundamental cause as a rejection of individual rights https://ari.aynrand.org/issues/government-and-business/individual-rights/racism/ .
The elusive report is referenced in that finest of fine publications: The Spectator
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/892030/S0120_Initial_estimates_of_Excess_Deaths_from_COVID-19.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=CampaignMonitor_Editorial&utm_campaign=LNCH%20%2020200720%20%20Lloyds%20%20SM+CID_2c153324104ee560a1188435f9cf4068
The Government Actuary’s Department has had a hand in drafting it so that’s a buy signal for shares in coffee companies, matchstick makers etc.
More stuff, without the big headline figures, from ONS here
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/articles/analysisofdeathregistrationsnotinvolvingcoronaviruscovid19englandandwales28december2019to1may2020/technicalannex
You’ll need some of this:
‘Good Beans – Fucking Strong Coffee: The verdict…..’
‘With Fucking Strong Coffee they do exactly that and they do it with a very nice coffee. This coffee will give you a cup full of fruits such as red fruit, cherry, red currant, kiwi and orange.’
Enjoy!
As someone posted here yesterday, there are some great graphs here: https://coronavirus-staging.data.gov.uk/testing showing the extent to which the virus is disappearing from our shores.
The graph they don’t show you is the one below, which I made from the data on that link, which is the percentage of all tests that were positive. As we all know here, if you test more, you find more positives, so the absolute number is meaningless. The average % has been bumping along at around 0.5% for most of this month.
Well thought I’d give the data analysis another go..
I do concur!
And using slightly different data..
Reposting from yesterday, the All Party Parliamentary Group currently have a call for evidence, deadline is today. I suspect their angle is criticising the government for doing lockdown ‘wrong’ rather than doing it at all, but there’s a free text section to submit your concerns. I gave them the kitchen sink (relating it to my own experiences and that of my family – biz sales 90% down, several staff will lose jobs, dad’s dementia worse, family friends had cancer treatment halted, two non-covid deaths in appalling circs, two dead dogs inhumanely PTS, kids education wrecked, my work in kids mental health and the reports I’m seeing and on and on and on). I said we need an independent inquiry, and those responsible need to go to prison, we need to overhaul PHE and how we use experts, and there needs to be serious scrutiny – given the data – on how we remain in this outrageous situation on no proof.
Call for evidence, deadline TODAY https://appgcoronavirus.marchforchange.uk/
Call For Evidence
We aim to ensure that lessons are learned from the UK’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak so that the UK’s response and preparedness may be improved in future
The All-Party Parliamentary Group is calling for evidence to be submitted to inform its recommendations to the UK Government. All evidence received will be reviewed, and submissions of particular interest may be followed up with an invitation to submit oral evidence.
Well done, Bee. Any of the disgusting little moral pygmies reading your story should hang their cowardly heads in abject shame. The inhuman diabolical buggers.
Ideal opportunity to log instances where hospital appointments were cancelled and the impact on health
Done! Everyone should do this
Hmm, I fear that the people involved in this are all people who think we should have locked down earlier and harder, that we should have closed our borders and worn masks constantly from the start.
Well done. Hopefully you’ll be one of many contributors.
This is currently being given a blow-by-blow account in the DT:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-vaccine-oxford-deal-cases-deaths-social-distancing/
There has been a lot of finger-pointing and criticism. It will be interesting to see how it’s reported.
Unfortunately, I suspect the Russian palaver, a very convenient red herring, will overshadow anything useful that may be reported today.
I expect that your ‘invitation to give oral evidence’ will get lost in the post.
Good Morning everyone. My name is Max and my owners are called Derek and Helen. Over the last few months they have been acting strange and going out with what looks like a muzzle. I have been going out as normal – all quite amusing. A few weeks ago a package came through the door. I knew it was for me I could tell by the smell! I usually let my owners open them and give their treats to me with their adorable loving eyes looking at me. But the scent was different so I ripped the paper off and to my woofing horror there was a mesh muzzle inside. My owners came running down the stairs Max Max but by that time I had hidden it in my secret hiding place. They looked a little embarrassed but said nothing and gave me lots of love. Anyway that day I pretended to be ill and did not go out for my walkies. When they left I went to look at my new muzzle(Never had one before!!! ) I started to growl. I had never barked in an angry way until that day! Never chewed a skirting board or chair not anything! Never bitten anyone. I am the lovely and friendly Max the Lab. I looked at the packaging again and read that the muzzle was also corona virus resistant! When Derek and Helen came back they could see I was very upset and gave me lots of attention. They love it and I do! They tried to put it on last week but I made my feelings known!!! I heard them talking one day “Max is not himself these days we must take him to the vets” That scared me! Anyway I found a web site called a Scent of Truth. The site was set up by Dachsbrache and Scottie because owners all over the county are starting to muzzle their dogs. Lots of good articles and there is lots of evidence that these muzzles do offer protection against dogs biting, chewing growling barking etc but not against canine19. I have started to go for walks with my neighbours Jan and Steve – they managed to persuade my owners not to take me to the vets!!!!!!!!! The world really has gone barking mad! Woof Woof have a good day!
Woof to you from Bungle! Be brave and look after your owners, they need you, the silly puppies.
My mistress wants to borrow my muzzle to go shopping in. It looks quite chic on her.
I am Max
Superb writing. Thank you!
More horrible headgear pictured at the top of this (weirdo plague doctor mask the other day). Find it unhelpful — things are weird enough as they are.
Its an improvement on seeing sturgeon day after day.
I think it’s hilarious. With any luck at this rate Sainsburys on Friday will be like the Dilbert cover “Casual Day Has Gone Too Far”
I disagree. I think it’s important to highlight just how weird it is to walk around with a mask on and not accept it as the norm.
As a woman who often walks alone I would already be scared that someone in a mask was preparing to commit a crime.
People wearing masks usually are, in my experience.
Some crooks wear smiles, and not masks. Like the bloke who mugged my late mother (78) when she was walking home from town one sunny afternoon.
But do we really need a picture of a disfigured serial killer from a ‘slasher’ horror film here? I don’t think we do.
Ī think you have a point hoppity. Editorially the picture says so much about what hides behind a mask etc. It’s a grabber, but also a cliché. You have a point and its right I think that you raised it.
The site is free, it’s holiday season so I can forgive a ‘quick fix’ image. Your point about terminology and branding mask wearers as bed wetters I strongly agree with – it isn’t helpful.
I have a plague doctor mask on order, just in case some jobsworth insist I wear one (medically exempt due to asthma).
Won’t the mask trigger your asthma?
How about plague mask, swimsuit and flip-flops?
Peter Hichens spot on here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6bmHmZfw1U&feature=youtu.be
I remember his reports from the collapsing Soviet Union well. A few years of chaos, and then a strong man emerged. The same will happen here if the economic collapse follows the same pattern.
Everywhere.
And the woke cancel culture and censoring during Corona by the centrist/left governments will have given them the perfect legitimation to crack down on liberties even harder.
But at least it’s all out in the open now.
Yep. One word that’s constantly bandied about is “slippery slope” and indeed we are heading that direction. Once we’ve lost our rights it will be hard to get them back.
If we ever had any. Means we’ve got it all to fight for.
I’d say we did when we chopped the head off an absolute monarch. Nick ?
There is a long tradition of how Britain has to be run.
Yes difficult, but do-able. In a large part because our objective will resonate with everybody with more than 2 functioning brain cells. Yes, yes, I know …
Better hope the parallel is the Soviet Union rather than Spain, revolutionary France or Cambodia. Nothing like a few years of rampant leftist thuggery and chaos to make the idea of a strong government seem very attractive.
Do you mean you hope for a Putin style government in Britain, rather than post fascist Spain, the post French Revolution France of today or the post Pol Pot Cambodia ruled till recently by a gay former ballet dancer king? I’d rather live in any of the latter three, personally.
In Spain the result of murderous leftist chaos was the civil war and resulting dictatorship. In revolutionary France the response to murderous leftist zealotry in government was the Bonapartist settlement and endless war. In Cambodia the murderous leftists themselves held onto power until overthrown by external invasion.
A Putinist government (ie an authoritarian and broadly socially conservative strong man with generally widespread popular support) would be preferable to any of those options, yes.
It would be better if a broadly tolerant and free nation state could have been sustained, but the zealots now termed “woke” have been determined to suppress dissent and destroy tolerance. It’s not the first time a nation has travelled this path.
Do you want to go through what they went through before getting to the “latter” bit?
Very good!
I’m not sure where this thing about passport delays comes from. Mine is due for delivery today, just 10 days after I sent back my old one.
I believe the mask exemptions were intentionally designed to be broad and vague so as to give the government a visage of common decency – “severe distress” cannot readily be quantified nor proven, therefore many people could simply make this claim without a need to provide hard medical evidence. However.
As always, the devil is in the detail.
I recall an exchange between the Death Secretary and Sir Desmond Swayne, where the repugnant Hancock quipped that “enforcement (of mandatory muzzling) is of course for the police, but the enforcement will be largely undertaken by the British people themselves.”
That is, the Government have readily adopted a divide and conquer approach whereby the Muzzealots are tasked with carrying out the bidding of the state – not through violence, but via a deep and hostile suspicion of anybody not suffocating on their own exhalations as they traipse through their local Sainsburys.
I suspect many innocents with respiratory issues would sooner risk an asthma attack by muzzling up rather than face the excoriation of the virtue-signalling Covid mobs.
Give these Muzzealots a few weeks of clattering into each other with steamed glasses and scarcely being able to decipher their new muffled language, their faith in this newfound cult will soon waver!
Any person who does Lieutenant Gruber’s bidding will find to their great cost that their virtue signalling will be met with either one of these:
a) a fist slammed against their face
or
b) being taken to court for harassment, violation of privacy and disability discrimination
So they should think really carefully and preferably mind their own business.
I’ve also been considering pulling my tongue at them, or the good old Roman/Nazi salute.
If confronted, my plan is to give them the fascist salute and shout “Viva Il Duce!” or “Viva Franco!” Much better and won’t be accused of invoking Godwin’s Law by giving the Nazi salute and going “Heil Hitler!”
From Government guidance website:
‘Please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances [i.e. exempt people] noting that some people are less able to wear face coverings’
So Prat Hancock was going against his government’s own advice. I bet the police chiefs are grateful for his intervention.
Thanks. Interesting it says “less able” rather than “unable”. Implying that they could just try a bit harder instead.
‘Must try harder’: I got that at school all the time. Headmaster Hancock clearly has the likes of me in sight.
See you on B wing, TJN.
Any teacher as dumb as Hancock would have got hell at my school.
This is why we must all brazen and brave it out. If we buckle then they win. The more of us that refuse to be muzzled the braver the quiet ones – who have been bullied into it – will be.
I woke up this morning – as you do – with the troubling thought “but why is everyone still pretending that it’s all true?” It’s baffling that the world should continue to go along with the complete fabrication that a great plague is stalking the land and it’s completely fine that we have to change our whole way of life to deal with it.
But considerately, Toby has provided me with an answer (thank you Toby).
Wokeness is a religion. It’s a religion that rejects linear thinking and the scientific method. It’s a religion that encourages people to reject the evidence of their own eyes, to ignore any information that does not fit the accepted gospel and to be comfortable with holding a myriad of mutually contradictory beliefs in their heads at the same time. It demands complete conformity to the revealed ‘truth’, and viciously attacks any heretic or blasphemer who questions it. It rejects freedom of speech because freedom of speech leaves people free to blaspheme and it rejects freedom of thought because freedom of thought might lead to wrongthink and it rejects individual freedom of action because it believes entirely that every action must be regulated.
One of the central tenets of wokeness is safetyism, so it’s become inextricably woven into the coronapanic story and the religion has enthusiastically adopted the “stay at home” message and the “I’m wearing a mask to protect you” message and it will brook no dissent.
And because wokeness is so damn loud and so terribly vicious and because it has so thoroughly insinuated itself into the media and academia (yes, even the sciences) and because government are so awfully frightened of incurring its wrath, the woke narrative is the only narrative that we’re allowed to hear.
So, I think that’s the answer to why. What the hell we do about it is anyone’s guess.
The other galling and rather exhausting thing is how they gaslight you and claim that their own clearly demonstrated agendas like cancel culture don’t exist. The covid response is a particularly tiring example because of how it surrounds and permeates everything in the day to day and how it has changed all the social norms (which seems to be the greatest delight of the woke with their attacks on language, relationships, etc).
In short I’m starting to feel like I’m taking crazy pills.
“That the first beginning of Religion was only to keep men in awe.”
Attributed to Christopher Marlowe c.1593
“Everything changes, it all stays the same”
Motorhead, 1991
Motorhead is a plagiarist, but at least he must know some French.
Contrary to the image Lemmy was a well read man, so quite possibly so
or Sanskrit.
‘Nothing new under the sun’ that’s from the bible
The methods used to ‘enforce’ are exactly the same as those of the Catholic Church, into which I was born. It ends when the inevitable scandals are exposed. There is plenty of that, and perhaps the manipulation of the stats by PHE is the start, let’s hope. Someone will be finding it too much to keep to themselves, and will spill the beans fairly soon.
We can but hope.
‘One of the central tenets of wokeness is safetyism..’
Yes indeed a short term safetyism – where this behaviour leads is dangerous unseen beyond the immediate headless panic.
Illustrated by a street incident witnessed here. A nervous man in a mask joined the queue outside our post office. Dodging and diving as he tried to stay in place and socially distance from everyone and anything. Shuffling here, looking over his shoulder there, all an emergency of possible threats. He eventually found a safe niche in the gutter between two parked cars.
Shortly, out of the post office barrelled a customer who unfortunately chose the very same niche as their route onwards across the road. With no where left to go the nervous man leapt backwards into the road and was lightly hit by a passing car. Thankfully not hurt. A microcosm of the short-term thinking we are a witness to.
Irrational belief in one thing, while rejecting the evidence of reality. I know that getting within 6 feet of another human being means certain death and so being hit by a car is a risk worth taking.
Don’t conform – simples!
This has been my mantra for many years:
Observe the masses – do the opposite.
Agreed. Often helpful to think of it as a cult.
“I think that’s the answer to why. What the hell we do about it is anyone’s guess.” We need accurate and concise answers to the questions, and then need to work out a strategy. That strategy has to be clever, and it has to be an international network of people who are able to tolerate working with people who have a variety of opinions, as well as to listen and learn fast. I’m having difficulty persuading people who already have a platform and who are prepared to speak out about freedom of speech – persuading them that Climate Change is all part of the same Agenda. I don’t know what’s going on, if they are fearful or brainwashed or if their apparent freedom has been constrained. Introductory page
https://www.beautyandthebeastlytruth.com/what-is-going-on
and here’s the page about panic and fear https://www.beautyandthebeastlytruth.com/psychological-manipulation
We resist by going about our normal, lawful business, not wearing muzzles (severe distress is one of the ‘reasonable’ excuses listed in the Regs) and engaging – if possible – with people of the Covid Cult to gently open their eyes to the truth.
Spot on. Our problem is not people with a rational fear of the virus and a rational plan for dealing with it. It is the public guardians in the media and the public industries (they are not “services” by any stretch). The important point is what to do about it.
Latest CDC Pandemic Planning from July 10:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scenarios.html
Seems to put IFR between 0.005% and 0.0065% in best case scenario.
Am I reading it wrong?
If you are, then I am too. It doesn’t seem to even consider a worst case scenario where the IFR reaches 0.01%
That’s remarkable, but a bit odd at first sight, especially as the reference they use for ifr (Meyerowitz-Katz, G., & Merone, L. (2020). A systematic review and meta-analysis of published research data on COVID19 infection-fatality rates) suggests (in the Abstract):
“Conclusion Based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of published evidence on COVID-19 until May, 2020, the IFR of the disease across populations is 0.68% (0.53-0.82%). However, due to very high heterogeneity in the meta-analysis, it is difficult to know if this represents the true point estimate. ”
Can only assume we are missing something here…
PS Just worked it out – it’s 0.005 (ie 0.5%).
I think you are correct, though it seems to be at odds with their own estimate for the lethality of COVID-19 (0.26%) or antibody studies from Florida which give around 0.15% IFR.
Thought a few decimal places would be the case and I too thought it odd when they referred to that article )although it is dated in May). So they are going for between 0.5% and 0.065%? Sounds like somewhere down the middle at around 0.25% as published before is still valid.
Sorry, 0.5% and 0.65% so not as positive as I thought
This IFR is very similar to IFR for the pandemic Asiatic flu 1957-58.The difference is that we need an age related IFR as in all other aspects the Covid-19 is the absolute opposite in terms of age related IFR compared to Asiatic pandemic flu with extremely low IFR < 50 years in Europe and perhaps < 40 years in the US but then a clear higher IFR in the elderly. However, the total IFR could be the same and perhaps the total number of deaths in the US and world could be very similar for Asiatic flu and Covid-19.
From an article about Asiatic flu pandemic 1957
“Increases in the mortality rate relative to baseline were greatest in school-aged children and young adults, with no evidence that elderly population was spared from excess mortality”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26908781/
May is like years away with CV19. Need to work with much more uptodate stats.
So which is it?
Two quite different polls though. One is shops and one is public places. Neither is rational or right but some may want shops but not public places?
There was a similar poll in the DT on the day that compulsory masks in shops was announced that was specifically about shops with a very similar result (if I remember correctly, the “nos” were actually slightly over 70% but it was around that figure, anyway)
They clearly didn’t like that one and had to rerun it again to get the ‘right’ figures.
We will soon see the same for public places no doubt.
Most of the mask-related polls on the DT have had about 60-70% against in the last couple of weeks! Obviously problematic for them since they seem to have decided to go along with the pro-mask narrative now.
Perhaps many see some sort of logic behind masking indoors, but not outdoors.
The DT has now taken the polling bars off and only the bedwetter graphic remains.
“The Woke Left is Now Indistinguishable from the Racist Right”
This is problematic, because it is true in some senses but also misleading and harmful.
It is true that there are two very evident similarities between woke zealots and racist zealots. First, they are both zealots and behave as such – intolerant, angry, aggressive and viciously nasty towards any who dissent. And second they are both “racist” in the worst sense of that word – promoting discrimination, resentment and hatred against people on the basis of race.
However, the honest use of the term “racist” is all but impossible today, without first very tightly defining it, because the word has been intentionally debased for purposes of political zealotry, for many decades now. It is systematically used with differing meanings in order to achieve the political ends of antiracist zealots. When the intent is to establish that “racism” is something essentially evil, it is said to mean skinhead-type thugs and people who hate anyone of another race. Then, once its supposed evil has been established, the meaning is quietly extended to include anyone who merely thinks race has any meaning or relevance. If then challenged on the suggestion that in that case how is “racism” supposedly so evil, the antiracists retreat to the secure ground of it supposedly meaning skinhead thugs.
This is a political form of the “motte and bailey” fallacy, and it is how the concept of “hate speech” is used, in order to separate dissenting opinion from other political speech and mark it down for censorship and punishment.
So pointing out the anti-white racism of the antiracist zealots is true and useful (but not as useful as you might think, because they merely hide behind the idea that it’s only really racist if it’s “punching down”, and they hold all the political, cultural, and social high ground). However, it also reinforces the basic problem of the antiracist zealotry itself.
The problem is not racism anyway, since racism is either profoundly nasty but very rare or quite common but not necessarily bad at all. Rather the problem is zealotry, whether it is antiracist, racist, safetyist, coronapanic-ist or whatever. We are a society in the grip of zealotry and its associated intolerance and violent aggression, and this is what cultural revolutions are made of.
The UK police public order capability and ultimately it’s ability to enforce the lockdown are a mirage
Look closely and there is nothing there
To understand how we got here and why I will take you back 40+years
But first, during the 1920’s and 30’s Stalin was paranoid the Soviet army was a potential threat to his authority. During his purges 85% of the officers went to the gulag or worse. The remaining 15% knew exactly which side their bread was buttered. When the Germans attacked in 1941 the Russian army fell apart. 20m Russians died as a result
The police forces of Britain in 1974 were almost all exclusively male, poorly educated and poorly paid. Officers who had dependent children were entitled to state benefits, and there was a high turnover of staff. Very few officers owned their own homes or a car, and lived in bleak police housing. The suicide rate was high
When Mr Scargill introduced the concept (and the reality) of flying pickets, the police were unable to cope with the violence, resulting in the debacle at the Saltny coke depot. The lights went out and the three day week was introduced
Mr Heath went to the country on a back me or sack me basis and we sacked him
When Mrs Thatcher came to power she spent five year rebuilding and reforming the police. Pay and conditions were vastly improved. However the most important reforms were in public order. National public order strategies, tactics, and training were introduced. Police Support Units were formed, enabling units from all forces to stand next to each other in any part of the country and know exactly what each other were doing, and capable of
Mutual Aid and the National Reporting Centre was set up to co ordinate the national public order response
The training was so realistic that fractured skulls, broken limbs and burns were a regular occurrence
Mrs Thatcher pulled the miners onto the punch in 1984
At Orgreave the miners were met with superior force (and violence some say) .
After Thatcher stepped down it was decided to put the police back in their box. After all the job had been done and they weren’t needed anymore
Politicians like the police to know their place, in a fit of pique Mitchell let it slip when he referred to them as ‘plebs’
From 1990 there followed 30 years of decline. One of the steps along the way was the Sheahey reforms of 1993. 35,000 police officers marched in protest. The reforms were dropped and a Home Office spin doctor by the name of David Cameron lost his job as a result
A more subtle policy of death by a thousand cuts was introduced
2008 gave Cameron a perfect opportunity for revenge. Under the cover of the economic crises 20,000 of the most experienced officers got their ‘road to Doncaster’ notices telling them they had been sacked (A19 was the name of the form that was served on them)
So today we have a force that has had real terms pay cuts for 12 years. Their pension have been ‘reformed” to the extent that none of them will ever see them. They cannot afford to buy a house or even rent one in most major cities. The suicide rate is up, and they are instructed to enforce mind numbingly petty covid regulations.
They have been put back in their box and transported back to 1974
There is however one important change since 1974, 50% of the force is now female, many of them under five feet tall
It is no coincidence that this change heralded the introduction of CS sprays, tasers, and long batons
Police and Crime Commissioners (another Cameron bright idea) will only provide support to other forces on a case by case basis and only if it fits with their individual political philosophy
Now when there are large scale disturbances a senior officer will announce the crowd ‘was dispersed by 4am” This is intended to give the impression that crowd was dispersed by the police. The reality is that the police observe from a distance and the crowd goes home when they feel like
They did not intervene in Bristol not because they chose not to, but because they were incapable of doing so. At Bath it was because it was dark ( no I’m not making it up)
Living on past glories, but look closely and there’s nothing there
I agree that they are unable to enforce the lockdown. But this isn’t because they are too young/female/short.
It’s because much of what politicians cite as “The Rules” is just advice. The actual law doesn’t give them the power to do much because that’s how it’s been written.
Thanks, that’s very interesting.
Interesting. Would that be why they ‘took the knee’ on several occasions? The police didn’t give the protesters anything to fight against? Frustrating the BLM organisers perhaps, and certainly the movement seems to have gone quiet.
Job done. Focus is now masks. Then vaxxes.
It was both dark and wet at Bath – be fair.
And I would suggest Scargill deliberately walked onto the punch.
But god stuff DBarton, thanks.
just watching BBC breakfast. Couple of points
Feature on ways of allowing the deaf to understand people who are muzzled given the problems of mouth being hidden .. One lady making masks with a transparent plastic panel (she is deaf and spends 15 hours a day making them). An LED display that mimics mouth movements. A phone app to show text. How about just NOT wearing a mask !!!
Also showed a feature on trains . and an elderly couple sat on Skipton station – in the open – both wearing masks . no one else there apart from the interviewer. And the lady was fiddling with her mask, pulling it down when she spoke. Sad but so pointless
I will do my bit for the deaf. No mask !!!
I have to lip read. I’m not completely deaf but struggle at certain ranges of speech, so lip read to help my understanding of a conversation. These nappy wearers are going to make me feel completely cut off, absolutely unimportant, and in all honesty it is a complete affront to those with these disabilities. I understand a mask being used by a dentist or a surgeon or a doctor – but NOT in every day life.
I also have impaired hearing. Not so bad as to need to lip read, but guess it must help subconsciously, and hearing someone whose voice is muffled through a mask is certainly difficult. I had a hard time listening to a masked moron in the O2 shop last weekend. I shall simply tell them that I can’t hear them through their masks and refuse to converse with them until they remove it.
If you wear hearing aids like me they get totally tangled with the cords of masks and I have to remove my aids when taking the mask off otherwise there is a danger of damaging the aids. Strong case for not wearing them under ‘unable to remove mask’. I know there is a strong feeling on here to never wear the things but at least I have tried and verified the issue. Fear of being told off by not wearing a mask is just as real as the fear of looking at those wearing them.
I know it’s not easy for nice normal people – but is the fear of ‘being told off’ not one we should consign to our childhood/adolescence ?
I also rely partially on lip reading having suffered sudden hearing loss a couple of years ago leading my left ear being completely dead. My husband is deafer than me and has been lip reading since he was a small child. Even if we didn’t have those issues I still object to compulsory mask wearing. I’ll be avoiding shops as much as possible.
Humans rely on lip reading one way or the other doesn’t matter if you’re hearing impaired or not. This is unhelpful and just puts another nail in the coffin of human interaction.
Yes and by design, there being no public health justification for this measure.
I just bought a badge through Etsy which Reads ‘I can’t lip-read through your mask’. It’s not just the lip reading, it’s the entire range of facial expressions as well as crispness of sound.
I’d go without, but the other half is convinced the world would not be wearing masks unless they were useful in some way, but he has not yet presented me with empirical evidence. For the sake of our relationship and peace in the household I’ll be wearing a muzzle for our weekly shop. And an orange badge pinned right to the fucking front of it.
does anyone know the name of the African lady who has a video on YouTube about doktor bill gates vaccine antics in Africa?
Don’t know that one, but check out The Corbett Report – Meet Bill Gates, 4-part series, on Youtube. His African (and Indian) adventures are dealt with there, if I remember rightly.
OK thanks – it was the African lady I was after as the intended audience do not seem to like Corbett (or his style perhaps)
thanks anyway
This?
https://youtu.be/3wQx-BjmfJk
yes! thousand thanks
https://www.ukcolumn.org/article/lockdown-deaths-not-covid-deaths
Another good piece from UK column
Lots of good news in the news about the ChAdOx1 vaccine trial (https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31604-4)
They used the highest of the three doses tried in a previous MERS version of the same vaccine (https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30160-2). This gives you the best protection but also a higher rate of adverse reactions.
The adverse reactions might themselves be an issue if this was given to a large number of people, but my biggest concern with all SARS2 vaccines is still disease enhancement.
The thing to watch out for is what they do in the challenge trial. If they use high dose and low viral load they minimize the risk of enhancement in the trial and make the vaccine look good. But we need to know what happens with a low dose (or one that has faded over time) and a high viral load as that’s more likely to shake out any enhancement issues. I hope they do this.
Guy153, given it will be pointless vaccinating people under 65 without other frailties, how do they recruit an appropriate test population? Or is it always a case of testing on say healthy over 65 year olds?
I’m pretty sure the challenge trial participants will all be under 50 and healthy. Perhaps even younger. I agree that if so this further reduces the quality of the information coming out of the trial. Because severe Covid and enhancement are both very likely related to poorly-understood immune system reaction it’s going to be hard to have full confidence in extrapolation from the challenge trial. It can prove it unsafe but not really prove it safe. That’s why I would recommend anyone considering the vaccine to wait a year and see what happens in the real world.
I think I read on one of the Oxford web pages they are aiming to recruit in 3 categories, one of which is over 70s, and the other is ‘children’ – does this chime?
On Gransnet there is a discussion about the vaccine. Several of the posters claim to have already been enrolled in the program.
Gransnet coronavirus threads are incredibly depressing to read, if you need to know for research how the oldies have reacted to lockdown.
Err, getoutoftown, says a grandad.
You presumably meant ‘some oldies’ ?
They’ll be the ones who are always first in the queue for the yearly flu jab!
They’re already admitting that the vaccine effects probably won’t last and boosters will be needed.
We already know that children aren’t affected.
So that leaves an enormous WHY trial on kids?
I didn’t know that but it sounds encouraging. They will be brave over 70s to enroll in that trial.
Guy, from your perspective as a scientist, should we be concerned about this in the summary:
‘Local and systemic reactions were more common in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and many were reduced by use of prophylactic paracetamol, including pain, feeling feverish, chills, muscle ache, headache, and malaise (all p<0·05). There were no serious adverse events related to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19’.
If I read correctly further into the paper, paracetamol did not appear to have a statistically significant impact on ameliorating the side effects. Is this a problem, given Ibuprofen seemed to be ruled out as a prophylactic in symptom control (Patrick Vallance mentioned this at one of the early press conferences)?
Bearing in mind these were all young and healthy people, should we be very cautious about side effects in those less young and healthy, especially as you will likely have to use larger dozes on an older, higher BMI cohort?
I’m not sure but I think they usually just use the same dose on everyone. The dose they used in this trial was rather a big one hence the adverse reactions.
There were concerns about taking ibuprofen for actual Covid early on in case it was putting the brakes on your immune system a bit. It probably does which is why it makes you feel better, and I would avoid both paracetamol and ibuprofen if I had Covid (although it might have been that cold I had in Feb and I did take both at the time
Ibuprofen and paracetamol should both be fine for treating an adverse reaction to a vaccine.
The adverse reactions will be nasty for a small percentage of people (but that will end up being a high absolute number). But Covid is also nasty for a likely larger small percentage of people. So if that was the only concern I’d take the vaccine.
It’s the vaccine causing enhanced disease that I’m worried about because that was an issue with all of the SARS1 vaccine candidates (including some of a similar design to ChAdOx1, which ought to be better) and SARS1 is the closest known relative of SARS2. It will probably be fine but it’s hard to quantify the risk.
The arrival of the BLM on centrestage coincided with the spectacle which is Covid19 , both are essentially manifestations of the ongoing political cultural civil war in the west.There are no need for the partisans to wear a uniform as the useless face nappy seems to indicate which side you are on.
In Australia the insanity is reaching fever pitch . Nearly all their confirmed cases are linked to either hospitals , care homes , with some in multigenerational families in cramped flats or food processing factories. Nosocomial transmission . Now the Victorian government has mandated face nappies for every public area in Melbourne .
From the Melbourne Age ,
” We want to be SAFE, please Premier and Proffesor Sutton DO SOMETHING mandatory masks in Melbourne metro won’t work quick enough. ”
https://www.theage.com.au/national/coronavirus-updates-live-nsw-on-high-alert-as-covid-19-clusters-grow-victoria-case-surge-continues-as-australian-death-toll-stands-at-123-20200720-p55dqw.html
jeepers there must be some Aussies in opposition to all if this nonsense(?)
The cultural revolution was very successful in Australia . There is hardly any oppostion to the medical-pseudoscientific dictatorship.
That makes me feel sad.
Australian – can confirm. I feel like my fellow citizens, including all of the “experts”, have gone stark raving mad. The UK seems almost sane by comparison, which if you’ll forgive me is saying something!
I’ve heard of at least one group of anti-vaxxers in Oz.
Well, there’s Alan Jones on Sky News Australia…
So clock-time is racist. Oh dear, one of my interests is horology and mechanical watches; Rolex and Omega obviously now have to be cancelled. Whodathunkit?!
Raaaacist !
Rotation of earth too?
Has anyone else seen this message that is being posted all over social media?
“Please post – PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT… Next week when you are going to a store and there’s an employee standing at the door, whose job is to turn you away if you don’t have a mask, remember: -He/she is probably scared as hell to even have to be in that position. -They have no political affiliation with this; they may even be against it. They’re just performing the requirements of their job. Last but not least, remember…they are considered essential. They are not collecting unemployment, and they have bills to pay. PLEASE RESPECT THE RETAIL WORKERS!!
STAY SAFE ALL 
BELIEVE ME I’M NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO WEARING A MASK ALL DAY 
SO PLEASE DON’T GIVE US GRIEF 
WE HAVE ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH”
Rest assured I have no intention of giving them grief, only withdrawing my custom if they give ME grief. And if enough of us do that, they will still have bills to pay, but they’ll also be looking for a new job, and will no longer be an “essential worker”.
Reply to your text, Skipper, not you.
“Please respect the simple human rights (lower case intentional) of shoppers, who are citizens, just like you.”
Bit shorter.
I’ve noticed that below this message on social media there are lots of people telling others that they need to explain their medical condition to the person either on the door or in the shop. I have been posting that they should not be disclosing any medical condition, as it is private information, and that all they should be saying is “I’m medically exempt”.
I’ve also noticed that there is quite a lot of threats of physical violence towards people not wearing masks in shops, which is very worrying.
Threats on the interweb, skipper. Life would be duller without them
Quite so. I’m told there is no shortage of this garbage on social media. Do yourself a favour, Skipper, and stop looking at it!
I’m only on there warning people not to give any medical information to them. Otherwise these idiots are brainwashing them by telling them they have to give a full medical history to anyone who asks them about it.
Oh yes. I’m not saying don’t do it, just don’t fret too much about the threats.
Francis Hoar (Simon Dolan’s barrister for the Judicial Review)) has put this on his Twitter feed:
https://twitter.com/Francis_Hoar/status/1285491835415285761
I guess he must know what he’s talking about!
Note this. He writes:
… the regulations …. will most probably- disgracefully and unjustifiably – be published hours before they come into force, minimising the tiny amount of scrutiny they could otherwise have had.
I am ready for it haha.
Yes (to your first point), it is the perfect opportunity for all the little hitlers!
And a perfect opportunity to take your custom elsewhere while writing to the offender’s head office.
This is fairly typical of the BBC: the pretence of even-handedness whilst actually leaning completely in one direction and taking great pains to make sure that the “good” and “right” conclusion is very apparent to the reader.
Coronavirus: Why are Americans so angry about masks?
The techniques used can be recognised once you are used to them – note how the main “protagonist” in the story is pro-mask and portrayed completely favourably, how the science is misrepresented to suggest that it is clearly on the side of mask-wearing by reference to “public health experts”, and how the use of masks, by being equated to seatbelt and smoking laws, is portrayed as the inevitable future that is merely being resisted by ignorant and fearful reactionaries.
One interesting point in the article, for those interested in the left/right aspect of the coronapanic:
“Most Democrats support the wearing of masks, according to a poll conducted by researchers at the Pew Research Center.
Most Republicans do not.”
That’s interesting I wonder if there is a similar divide between Brexiteers and Remoaners.
Most likely so, I think.
Speaking as someone whose pre-Covid political allegiance was more or less in the Remainer camp, this has been obvious for quite a while – and to me is both one of the more depressing aspects of society’s response to the virus.
To be honest (and I’ve posted this here before) I’m totally disgusted by the left-wing media’s almost universal consensus of unquestioning, virtue-signalling, compliant groupthink, many (whether printed media or Twitter) from people for who lockdown has basically been a holiday, with little risk to their livelihood. They have let down the most vulnerable people in society with their complete surrender of any sense of proportion or perspective relating to risk and death (well, let down everyone to be honest)
Things seem to be slightly better in the US as there are many conservative-leaning institutions like https://www.aier.org who have been consistently sceptical in an informed/rational way (the only thing in the UK coming close to this is the Spectator), and any number of individual sceptics blogging, tweeting and posting Youtube videos.
I suspect this is partly because in the UK the Conservative party is actually responsible for the lockdown and other measures, whilst in the US it has generally been “blue” states that have been the most zealous. Hence, pro-Tory media like the Telegraph feel obliged to tone down their scepticism and criticism, and strongly dissenting voices end up effectively beyond the pale of both left and right, and are easy to dismiss as cranks, extremists and conspiracy theorists.
I don’t think so, Bella, but my evidence is purely anecdotal.
From my point of view, compared to others on this forum based on reading comments since May, I am certain my Brexit stance differs, my political allegiances lie elsewhere, and my views on BLM would be contradictory …
But for me, none of that matters. At all. I am wholly committed to standing shoulder to shoulder, pint to pint with others who stand against this tyranny and gross miscarriage of governance.
All the other differences can be healthy and respectfully discussed (if desired) in another place, another time
Cheers
Hmm, reads to me like an attempt to belittle Republicans as reactionary anti-science illiterates. Admittedly, it actually belittles Dumocrats as scaredy-cat virtue-signallers, as we can see here!
Well it’s a twofer as far as the BBC is concerned. For its credulous readers and viewers, it gets to both propagandise for mask-wearing and promote its usual anti-conservative propaganda at the same time.
From story yesterday about insurance not paying out:
“All businesses thought they’d inoculated themselves by buying this insurance and they have found that this financial vaccine doesn’t work,” says Mr Manton.
“Read the fine print” is always good advice!
The whole world is in chaos because Hillary lost to the Bad Orange Man.
To topics in one here – both concern the dehumanising of people.
With compulsory masking looming up, we decided on a final shopping trip on 20 July, choosing Kingston upon Thames as a nice place. We managed to enjoy the family day out for some of the time, with shopping, browsing, river and sunshine.
Perhaps one fifth of the people were masked, outside as well as inside, despite the bright sunshine and fresh breeze. I wore a wide-brimmed floppy hat to limit what I can see, but it wasn’t only the masks: the constant signs and warnings and arrows, people in hi-viz jackets standing at entrances to tell you where to go, on and on, it built up until I felt as I had been assaulted – it was actually a physical feeling as well as mental.
However – our first stop was John Lewis, still an attractive department store with many lovely things beautifully displayed. On my own to the lingerie department, where the staff were older ladies and accustomed to distressed customers. None of the staff wore a mask and they interacted with me normally. However, I was in need of a new bra, but they weren’t allowed to measure me. Male readers might not be aware of just how difficult it is to find a well fitting and comfortable bra.
Then I discovered that we are not allowed to try them on. So ladies take a selection home and bring back those that don’t fit. And then the clothes have to go into quarantine before they can be put back on display. So there was little stock and few in my (approximate) size. Under all these circumstances you’d think there would be pretty and feminine bras available…oh no… what is this latest thing and why, are ladies supposed to be androgynous? Smoothed over, encased and no personality, and since when was a natural breast shape, nipple and all, an object of shame?
Next stop was Boots for hair care, make up, etc. Hair accessories, designed either for young girls or exceedingly ugly. Not unlike the bras. Nothing for actual women. Here the staff were all masked and also behaving very oddly. Jumping and dodging around me as though I were unclean. Clearly the masks made them frightened, not ‘comfortable’.
Needing help with the makeup, I asked for the assistant and then asked if she were allowed to remove her mask. Yes she said, in theory, but she had better ask. But then took it off anyway, and as she did so, taking a large step towards me. This happened without thought, it was simply her natural reaction, and then she too interacted perfectly normally with me. She seemed delighted in fact, poor girl, to have a nice friendly chat. What will it be like for her to spend her day seeing only masks and not human features? I am appalled for her and the many thousands of shop staff like her.
As we turned to go, my son spoke to me about it all, advising that I get used to it.
I replied that I don’t want to be used to it. My son understood, yet advised that would be best for me if I did. After we returned home I spent some hours thinking about this and made up my mind: No. I don’t want to be a person who is ‘used to’ such inhumanity.
Be sure to don your mask at one minute to midnight on Thursday. Otherwise you will instantly die as the clock strikes twelve. It’s science.
Not only that – it’s “the” science !
.
This is brought to you by the same people that brought you the ‘Millennium Bug’. You know, the one that caused all the planes to fall from the sky at 00.01.
I agree with you Rosie, as humans we need social interaction so I won’t be “getting used” to this crazy world of inhuman behaviour.
I just keep hoping that more people start to see this for what it is, overblown and out of proportion.
Exactly – all these years of work in zoos to enable animals to have natural behaviours and interactions …. and for humans?
It’s all part of the same thing, such as the woke labels, replacing an individual with a label.
All shop workers need to strike as a matter of urgency.
If they are mandated to wear them, then yes definitely. Unfortunately, they are probalby glad to have a job of any description …..
No, they aren’t mandated to wear them according to what I understand of government policy. It’s up to customers to ask staff if they are allowed to remove it while they are speaking to us – and if not to ask to speak to the management. I simply asked yesterday if the member of staff was allowed to take it off – yes, she said, and took it off. It’s peer pressure, not mandatory instruction – so we need to apply ‘peer pressure’ in the other direction!
Thanks for clarifying.
I understand the government is not wanting to enforce masks for staff, giving uncharacteristically sensible reasons.
However, individual companies might demand it.
It is certainly inhumane!
This is going to cause such long term psychological damage that pretty soon human interaction will no longer be natural.Personally I don’t want to live in a world like that and I’m quite happy to create a little bit of havoc against the perpetrators before I go.
Havoc is good.
Good for you, Rosie. We must not get used to it. Those young men and boys who were sacrificed in two worlds wars must not be let down. We fight for them and for the freedom of the next generation and future generations.
Actually that’s one of my 3 lessons from lockdown, you don’t need makeup. All that brainwashing teenage girls get about ‘beauty routines’, ‘cleanse, tone moisturise’, ‘never let soap near your face’, etc etc – all codswallop. As an experiment over the last 4 months, I’ve been leaving it all off, lathering face twice daily with Marseilles olive oil soap, remove with very hot flannel, dry. Perfect! No objection to a bit of slap, lipstick, eye liner, but no more creams, bronzer or anything else ever between my face and the source of vitamin D. (The other 2 were: bread needs no kneading; ankle socks and bare legs rule).
I recently told my teenage granddaughter that her flawless, luminous skin is the most beautiful it will ever be in her life, so not to smother it in a layer of makeup but to show it off while she can!
My local Sainsburys has kept me sane throughout this pantomime. There has been almost no mask wearing by staff, and very little by customers. No one has “distanced” for months. Throughout, I have loved the fact that the staff have come right up close to help or answer a question.
I understand that Sainsburys has decided not to question anyone coming in without a mask, and so I will continue to go in without one and smile at the staff.
I have a shop myself. I make a profit, but I do it largely because I love meeting people, chatting and helping them make their shopping decisions (which a surprising number find very difficult). I am absolutely dreading Friday.
Last Saturday I decided to do a survey, and asked my customers who are currently not wearing a mask what they would do after Friday. The first ten people said “wear a mask”. I gave up after that.
I feel so depressed at the thought of having to interact with muzzled people all day that I am thinking of closing my shop until this ridiculous “guidance” is removed.
Is a valid medical exemption that you can’t make yourself understood while wearing a mask?
Lots of pardons and please repeat thats etc might do the trick…..
Hi Catharine, good to hear about your local Sainsburys. For yourself, I’ve been looking into the brainwashing side of things, thanks to a friend who has been closely monitoring another subject for many years, and can hopefully give you a hand here. “Last Saturday I decided to do a survey, and asked my customers who are currently not wearing a mask what they would do after Friday. The first ten people said “wear a mask”. I gave up after that.”
Your question is a rational one aimed at a rational and logical intelligence that expects people to be honest and able to debate. Unfortunately people aren’t behaving like that any longer. That’s because of modern understanding of human behaviour, and the extent to which it has been used to make us think what the government wants us to think. I’ve put the basics onto my site https://www.beautyandthebeastlytruth.com/psychological-manipulation
but have not yet loaded up the specific information about ‘framing’ – but the basic idea is this: if you ask the question that you did, people give the ‘correct’ brainwashed answer, and merely your question reinforces that brain washing. Instead, for your own wellbeing, you need to be nudging people away from masking. Where Sainsburys leads, perhaps you can follow – and discretely ask people to remove their mask while they are in your shop. I hope this helps – I do feel for you. I’m doubtful that this guidance will ever be removed and suspect that our only hope lies through quiet pushback.
A big sign saying “This shop will not criticise you if you are unable or unwilling to wear a mask” will be a quite adequate hint to your customers, I would have thought.
Great post and agree, we must be determined to resist the notion of getting used to this new abnormal. If we succumb to this then this will be the end of humanity as we know it and destroy everything that humanity has worked for especially the last 250 years.
NHS schedule of reports to be issued:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/07/Proposed-12-month-plan-for-2020-21-14-July-2020..pdf
Could be some telling ones in August.
Apologies, correct link https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/07/Proposed-12-month-plan-for-2020-21-14-July-2020.pdf
Amazing how the little things can push you over the edge. I will not wear a mask in a shop. I have also decided not to hide behind excuses and stand up for what I believe in. If the shops will let me in then let’s see what happens.
Anyway regarding possible police interference, my questions are.
What does a fine look like – Is it something I can frame?
Can I refuse the fine and have a day in court? Would that lead to costs and a bigger fine – I will represent myself so no personal costs for legal advocacy.
If I cannot go to court and I refuse to pay, will I eventually get an overnight in Jail, and if so does that mean I no longer have to pay the fine?
1) They’ll give you a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). Often from some small Crapita-like company. Too grotty to frame.
2) Yes. Bigger fine, costs possible. You get to educate the magistrates though.
3) Bailiffs taking your stuff is more likely.
4) See previous.
Just posted my first comment on lockdown sceptics. Gotta say, kinda disappointed on a website so firmly behind Free Speech it is still “waiting for approval”. Walk the talk guys.
Did you register first ? I posted for months without ‘approval’, but it started once I registered. Over 2 URLs in the post cause it too.
Perhaps checking you’re not a ‘bot. What is 2 + 2?
This is a pretty frightening article by the BBC : BBC News – Coronavirus: Harmful lies spread easily due to lack of UK law
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53480226
So they’re essentially saying that social media companies need to work for the government! “This is not a free speech issue. This is a public health issue.” Yeah right, this is just the start….
UK Press Gazette has a campaign to shut up dissenting voices. My trade (journalism) is now nothing but a propaganda unit. Shame.
https://www.pressgazette.co.uk/tech-giants-have-failed-to-tackle-covid-19-infodemic-government-must-regulate-them-now/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-07-21&utm_source=PG+Daily+2020+NEW+DESIGN
shut it down!
MDH – I’d be grateful for an explanation of how this operates. I often see comments at the Daily Telegraph basically saying that the government has been bumped into lockdown by media scaremongering. But so far as I can see it’s the other way round and gov controls the media. How does the DT have a few decent articles and most of it on-message?
Also, when I say ‘the government’ – do you know that this means? Do Boris and Hammond have real power or are they mere puppets?
Hi Rosie, it’s an enormous subject, but I can offer a few pointers.
The overarching thing that strikes me is the collapse of inquiring minds on the part of reporters.
There are far fewer reporters than there used to be, and a lot more columnists. They are entirely different things, although all under the banner of “journalists” or “the press”.
The problem goes right down to local level. The collapse of local newspapers (hurried along by the move online, and made worse by the BBC’s ability to fill the gap with its enormous coffers) means that genuine feet-on-the-ground local reporting doesn’t happen anymore.
I worked on local newspapers as a reporter in the mid-1980s. All the men and women I worked with, without exception, would have been probing the Covid-19 story for all it’s worth. That obviously isn’t happening anymore.
They would be looking for a local angle on a national (in this case international) story. They’d be getting a much better idea of actual events and people’s opinions at a local level.
What we have instead is an overarching global “narrative”. A one-size-fits-all approach without time for nuance or reflection. It in part explains the remarkably uniform “story”.
The government and media are locked in a symbiotic relationship. The former needs the latter to put its story across, the latter needs the former to keep it in “content” 24/7.
As to who’s playing who – Johnson, Hancock, etc are relying on the media to cover their arses, and have paid out in state-sponsored advertising to keep the presses running. Always worth remembering that aside from the BBC, these are commercial enterprises. They need to make money. “Damn the facts, where’s the story?” as the old saying goes.
Good to be getting an insider’s view :o))
Ha! I’ve spent almost 40 years in the foothills of the “meeja”. Like most sensible people, I’ve never aspired to high office…
Glad of your analysis. But the article you linked to starts:
‘A group of MPs is calling on the UK Government to immediately launch a new body to regulate social media giants whose bosses have “failed to tackle” the Covid-19 infodemic.’
Are MPs campaigning for this independently from the Press Gazette, or is this what PG have been campaigning for themselves? Do either of them want the US tech giants treated more like publishers, i.e. responsible for the content they carry, than as platforms?
It’s about censorship and control.
Have a look here:
https://www.ukcolumn.org/censored
and here:
https://www.ukcolumn.org/article/british-military-information-war-waged-their-own-population
Thanks so much for your thoughts. Readers here might also be interested in the Swiss website where much useful Covid information can be found, they also have a number of links about the media and propaganda and when you start reading those links, you will really go outside of the ‘matrix’ or behind the looking glass. Some of this is (to me) quite frightening. I became ‘woke’ in quite a different way to the ‘woke’ of the liberal mind, this is a ‘woke’ to what is behind the curtain and which most people have hardly any idea about.
https://swprs.org/contact/
As Toby would say “well worth a read”
“What we have instead is an overarching global “narrative”. A one-size-fits-all approach without time for nuance or reflection. It in part explains the remarkably uniform “story”.”
Many thanks. As you say it’s an enormous subject. I’ve been trying to get to the bottom of this. It’s very hard work condensing the information into a clear and concise analysis. Here’s what I’ve managed so far, and I realise there’s a long way to go to reach ‘clear and concise’. https://www.beautyandthebeastlytruth.com/the-conflict-of-ideas
LOL I managed to condense the entire ‘Climate Change’ story into less than 3000 words without sounding like a Conspiracy Theory – but this took five months of intense work, whereas there isn’t time that kind of time available now to work out the global narrative and what to do about it (see the home page)
‘Local democracy’ reporters on papers are positiins funded by the BBC. BBC paid staff on local papers undisclosed as such. I recall the figure 238 associated but this seems really high for local UK papers.
I reckon the MSM and the government have been working to the same orders throughout.
Wow, just tried to leave a comment on that article. It has a CAPTCHA when filling in details. four x 5 = and asks you to give the answer in digits.
20 – error, you have entered an incorrect answer.
Hmm.
twenty – error, you have entered an incorrect answer.
Bye.
No, Nick! You have to use the modern thinking. For example, 4 hospitals, with 5 cases each… that’s 12,000 deaths. See?
Worked for me (did you have your glasses on?)
Same with Quora. I contribute regularly to a lot of questions, but I soon departed from all the Coronavirus sub-forums when I read a few. Dissent is not permitted, any contrary thought is derided as “fake news” and comments along those lines are all deleted.
well there are at least some of us who cannot be brainwashed
I wonder what they have lined up for us
Re-education, of course!
Brain-washing techniques are now pretty effective – you will be so grateful afterwards (if you have an afterwards, of course!).
surprising that they are cutting links with China.. they could learn some useful tips from the CCP about how to monitor, surveil and re-educte their non conformists. Maybe that is what all the nightingale hospitals were built for .. coz they aint been used for sick people
I’ve been on several re-education courses, usually called “awareness” courses. Mostly an enjoyable day off work for me, spent making the course tutor’s life an absolute misery.
haha me too
the people that run those things are some of the most brainwashed I have encountered
I’d almost expect to see them wearing ‘double-muzzles’ you know for ‘safety’
actually I might just double up for shits n giggles (actually have no intention of wearing any kind of muzzle)
That’s a good response though anon. Anyone harasses me, I shall ask why they’re not wearing two masks.
Perfect point showing how the coming increased censorship and model for society as a whole. The Public Health argument will be made time and again for years to come.
My own experience of NHS Public Health depts is that they are not staffed by health care workers that have transitioned at some stage in their careers to Public Health. The ideologies within Public Health management have few democratic checks, in my experience. Accountable to who?
They also talk about misinformation spread by ISIS and the like, and include “far-right” groups. How about “far left” groups? But then, according to the BBC, anything to the right of the Lib Dems is “far right”. Remembering how they treated the veterans during the BLM protests.
This is no longer my country.
And it seems as if the US is even worse based on the Heather MacDonald article, which is truly scary stuff. This one, that is :-
https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/four-months-unprecedented-government-malfeasance/
By definition the *main* drivers of this are indeed the ‘far right’ – It’s Boris and chums who have brought in a degree of totalitarianism that exceeds anything seen since the war, and who are giving license to the descendants of Mengele to conduct “public health” related experiments.
Still pushing this fantasy of yours about Boris Johnson being “far right”. I mean, seriously, in what world would you have to live to believe that?
Please do try to explain what substantive policies Johnson supports that could credibly be described as “far right” in any objective sense. (I mean, yes, you could argue that he is relatively “far right” in the sense that as a broadly centrist establishment type he’s towards the right relative to a country as extreme left as ours has become over the past century, but that’s rather pointless tbh.)
Right wing authoritarian policies would be imposing nationalist or Christian attitudes by force or law, right wing conservative policies would involve rolling back some of the radicals’ successes of the past century in the social and economic spheres (nationalised healthcare, state control of education, welfarism, anti-patriotic internationalism, promotion of homosexual behaviour and divorce etc).
Can Johnson (or more than a fringe minority of the Conservative Party hierarchy) honestly be claimed to endorse any of those positions?
Agree.. the conservative has been centrist since Blair was PM .. In fact Cameron and successors are Blairites and with a few exceptions most senior tories now are also Blairites. All you need to do is look at the current policies and think – would Blair have followed these? would Thatcher have followed these .. and the answers would be yes and no respectively
Absolutely, that’s why refer to them as the “Conservative” Party, because they aren’t in the least conservative (nor meaningfully right wing either).
To answer my own question to Rick H (since he seemingly won’t) about what weird construction he uses to get to a place where he thinks the “Conservative” Party are meaningfully “far right”, my best guess is that he’s young and has no knowledge of the long history and broad scope of the whole right/left divide and he sees it in simplistic modern “Thatcherite/Labour Left” terms, which focusses on one aspect that in any case was pretty much played out and determined in the 1980s and 1990s. So he probably thinks it’s big business interests, and (rhetorical) free market versus state intervention justifications, that determine right versus left. This is both an absurdly restrictive and a largely archaic (since big business operates effectively regardless of right or left politics these days) issue, which is only likely to mislead (as can be seen from his wholesale misreading of the situation in this regard.
It’s a matter of a too narrow and politically parochial perspective, most likely.
TBH it’s been pointed out several times recently that arguing about left and right is pretty irrelevant at the moment.
We’re in the middle of a coup and the government is not on our side!
Now you’ve provided a list, I’d say yes.
Nationalised healthcare is being blatantly privatised.
Academies are not controlled by the state.
They’re considering privatising the tube.
You think food banks and £95 per week sick pay don’t roll back any radical successes?
You don’t think the Brexit slogans are nationalistic?
As for authoritarian. Have you not been paying attention this last four months?
In a war and in a -alleged- pandemic, the truth always dies first.
I wonder how many of us have joined The Free Speech Union? (I did recently after 1 of the medical articles I shared from The Lancet got me banned from our local FB group – the admin is an extreme lockdown zealot).
By Marianna Spring Specialist disinformation reporter, BBC News
My reaction was to laugh at the irony, but this is no laughing matter!
The thing is, all the information I’ve taken notice of has been from the British and international medical establishment and the government’s own papers and reports. You don’t have to look at ‘conspiracy theory’ sites to find the truth.
I don’t suppose anybody remembers way back to May 21st when Imperial College published Report 23? That is the trouble with predictions, nobody remembers them, except gits like me.
They made the observation that “We predict that deaths over the next two-month period could exceed current cumulative deaths by greater than two-fold“. At that point there were 98,262 deaths. Step forward exactly 2 months, and today in the US at least 53,690 people will have to join the choir eternal to keep Imperial College’s unblemished record of making accurate predictions intact.
I feel a bit like the Norwegian Football commentator.
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mrc-global-infectious-disease-analysis/covid-19/report-23-united-states/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqupNjswVnQ
More, but not all, staff wearing muzzles in Aldi yesterday. Apparently they will have to, from Friday, at least on the shop floor.
There’s a little corner shop a few doors down from me. It’s an incredibly useful place – the whole shop is about the size of my sitting room, but it’s amazing how well stocked they are.
Anyway, I just popped in to buy some coffee and some milk. Depressingly, the young chap who does the morning shift had a mask on today. No mask yesterday, mask today.
Sigh.
Ask them if they are allowed to remove it while they serve you. This worked yesterday for me. Better to chip away than to sigh and accept.
I doubt he’s been told to do it. The owner (who does afternoons/evenings wasn’t wearing one last night and I’d be very surprised if he would have told his employee to do it.
Then ask him to take it off! And speak to the shop owner….
People should be free to wear them if they want.
We should be free to not wear them if we dont want.
But we should be free also to express a preference for not being served by a masked person.
Really, though, the peace of mutual tolerance was breached in an act of gross and unprovoked aggression by the maskistas when they introduced this law. There is no duty to give them any respect beyond what might be situationally convenient or advantageous.
‘Young’ is the key word in your tale, Matt. Most (not all, admittedly) ‘yoof’ have little life experience or thinking ability these days.
I have just been to Aldi and noticed the masks. I asked the girl on the till and she said they were told last friday that they had to wear masks at all time except when they are on the till. This was not optional. Anyone not wearing a mask will be sent home without pay. I asked about their instructions for customers and she said they were supposed to encourage but that was all. Of the customers this morning i saw one couple wearing masks. Everyone else was maskless – so <10% masked
I also popped in to B&M Lady on till wearing a mask but her personal choice. Others not . However their instruction for Friday was that customers would not be allowed in without a mask. I mentioned exceptions and she said only with a doctor’s letter . So good luck with that one.
They can’t insist on a doctor’s letter. You can’t GET a doctor’s letter!
But hang on; they need to see a ‘letter’ that looks like it’s from ‘a Doctor’. That should be easy
i have emailed B&M as follows to clarify
“Been to store today. Asked about the policy to be applicable on Friday re masks. I was told by lady on the till that customers would not be allowed in store without a mask. Asked about exemptions i was told that this would only be with a doctors letter. Is this true. I do not want to wear a mask for various reasons including the fact that wearing a mask causes me distress (which is one of the valid exemptions according to the government guidance). I do not have a doctor’s letter and anyway my medical information is personal and not to be divulged to shop workers. Are you accepting valid exemptions or not . Will i be banned from your store? “
Well done. Trouble is, whatever head office policy is, there will always be jobsworth Hitlers at local level.
But you don’t need a doctors letter
I’ve also just been to an Aldi but none of the staff were wearing masks.
Down to individual store managers?
I’ve been to Aldi today and all staff on shop floor wearing masks. Spoke to the Manager regarding enforcement of masks from Friday, he told me that he won’t be enforcing it as that is a matter for the police. Told him I am exempt and I will produce my exemption card and he informed that will be fine and no one will confront me, well the staff won’t but who is say that customers won’t.
Mine has been very laid back so far. Fingers crossed!
Wonder if these workers could claim anxiety acquired at work and go off on longterm sick?
On £95 per week?
Doctor’s letter? Don’t think that would be official policy since it’s illegal (I think) and would open them up to all sorts of law suits.
WHY? The new regulation exempts staff!
There is a lot of confusion about these issues. There is the law, and there is government advice, and there is local authority/safety bully enforcement, and there is insurance company bullying, and there is customer and lobbyist pressure, and there is shop management/corporate policy.
The latter is generally based upon many factors including all of the preceding issues, and rather unpredictable atm.
Poor sods. I was asking the cashier last week if staff would have to wear muzzles. She hoped not as they make her feel claustrophobic. I told her the law says they’re not mandatory for customers but of course company policy is something else.
UPDATE:
I just checked and according to the press yesterday and this orning, Aldi, Tesco and Sainsbury’s staff don’t have to wear them.
No doubt we’ll find out around midnight on Thursday evening.
From the Express yesterday:
But while face masks will be compulsory for shoppers, retail staff themselves will not be required to wear them by law.
According to Essex Live, Environment Secretary George Eustice has suggested that it will not be mandatory for staff in places like Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Lidl to wear coverings.
And from here today – same stable though.
https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/whats-on/shopping/aldi-tesco-asda-face-masks-4348268
Asked if the rules will apply to supermarket staff, [Eustace] said: “They’re not being covered by this but I think if you go into most shops you will see that staff for a longer time now have either been wearing face shields or face masks.
“It won’t be a compulsory requirement because it won’t always be right for every setting in a retail environment, particularly those working behind the tills and so on.”
Some people will be exempt from wearing a face covering when they enter a shop and can apply for an exemption card, which you can read more about here.
Just got an email to say that the recent mask petition has been rejected because there are already similar ones.
However, it did give some very interesting-looking links, including these. Some more petitions, but look at the later links:
You may wish to sign some of these petitions:
Don’t make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/331174
Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/331430
Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/325079
….. You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/
We rejected your petition “Make Wearing of Face Coverings in Shops Voluntary, NOT Mandatory.”
Dear Ryan,
Sorry, we can’t accept your petition – “Make Wearing of Face Coverings in Shops Voluntary, NOT Mandatory.”.
There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.
You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.
You may wish to sign some of these petitions:
Don’t make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/331174
Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/331430
Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/325079
This is the key one we need to get trending:
Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/331430
Signed, I had the same email about the other petition too.
Signed. But with all these petitions with similar titles it is easy to forget which ones you have signed.
Suggest signing them all. The website will let you know if you already signed it before. Does not allow duplicate signatures (or emails addresses in reality).
Signed. Standing at around 360…
675
They let you know if you’ve already signed. No problem.
Just signed. Thanks RDawg!
Now at 913
Thanks RDawg. Now signed, as well as the one Toby posted the link for on a recent newsletter, which had 12,000 already at my last check.
Sorry! Thought it went through. Not important.
Another great article at Unherd, if not already posted here..
https://unherd.com/2020/07/why-covid-will-become-the-new-common-cold/
Talking about the likely realities of immunity
Was rather surprised to see when I followed the link that it was a piece by Chivers, who (as he admits in this article) has been a hysterical coronapanicker from the start.
Indeed, while it contains some good info it amounts basically to Chivers thrashing around selectively to try to rationalise and justify his own hysterical fear about this virus while desperately trying to preserve his irrational faith in a redemptory vaccine solution as the overriding goal.
On almost any key topic, Chivers is the quintessential Guardianista/BBC propagandist for the establishment position.
At least we have an admission that natural immunity is widespread. Baby steps, but eventually the facade will crumble.
From the Torygraph:
Mood-lifting face masks designed by fine artists available for under £30
Under £30?!!!
People are being forced to use food banks to feed their kids FFS and your readers can blow a week’s food bill on a bloody fancy face muzzle?
I’ve seen a load of arty buggars jump on the bandwagon to produce trendy muzzles. In other circumstances I would normally applaud a bit of innovation, but not this…it’s just…(words fail). I follow a lot of art and craft websites, the muzzles are everywhere like you’d see photo-frames, silk scarves and designer jewellery. Even our local farmshop has some on the counter. Puke.
Artists and innovators have a duty not to peddle this dangerous bulshit
Puke.
Oh great – I guess this is a sign of where jobs are to be generated now everything else is being destroyed.
Hello. I am new to this site and so glad to have found Toby et al. Keeps me sane. Made a donation already.
I am a retired meteorologist (ex Met Office), I am 68 and very fit and well fortunately. I practise meditation and do hill walking which keeps me relaxed in this pandemic. I have a science background with a degree in mathematics and I understand risk. I live on Dartmoor in deepest Devon.
Absolutely fed up that I cannot play Bridge, play Skittles, go dancing or go on Group walks anymore despite an extremeloy low prevalence of this “virus”. Went shopping for the last time last week, quite OK with very few muzzles. But things will change for the worse on Friday as even here some people are walking round looking terrified.
I despise and loathe Handcock et al for getting us into this position through deliberate fear mongering aided by the BBC and others. So what can we do?
First – stay calm. If you are into meditating focus on a better future and never let go.
Second – lobby and sign as many petitions as you can and argue, discuss with friends etc. Any “friend” that disowns you is not a true friend.
Three – practise peaceful non-compliance all the time. No violence and no anger.
Four – have a laugh at the stupidity, I have some really outrageous nappies lined up to be used occasionally, cornflake boxes etc. Be creative, but best of all do not wear a mask where you do not have to.
Five – never give up and stay focused , this is vital, never ever forget the normal life we had just 5 months ago before!
Take care.
You know that Cornwall and Devon Police have said they won’t be upholding the facemask ban?
Welcome a thousand times, you are talking our talks, great, carry on!
My wife’s friend just told her herd immunity is a conspiracy theory and a myth and anyone who believes it or spreads it as misinformation is responsible for killing innocent civilians FFS how stupid are these crazy bastards they want us in purgatory for ever! I wanted to respond to her but my wife knows what I’m like once I get started so firmly said no ..grrrr lol
What is the background of your wife’s friend?
Well she’s obviously an eminent scientist of many years standing……
Normal background like most of us but think she got a degree in stupidity at the Facebook university
“Innocent civilians” is unusual phraseology there… Wonder where she picked that one up from?
By the scaremongering tone of her msg the BBC I reckon
It goes with the war against the pandemic and with the nuclear deterrent.
On Saturday, I went in to a bookshop in a Scottish seaside town to buy a card. The lady behind the counter was fully visored-up. The only accoutrement on my face were my glasses.
When I went to the counter to pay, she asked me about a face mask. I said that I didn’t have one. She offered to sell me one. I said I was only in for a card. She said that it was the law, to which I replied that it (wearing a mask) wouldn’t really make much difference.
She then said that she didn’t disagree with me, but it was the law. I said some laws should be opposed as they would only lead to worse ones. I couldn’t tell what she thought of this behind her visor, and I took the card and the change and left.
Can someone please tell me what has happened to the country I used to live in?
Woke Health Fascism, longed for and supported by the majority of the people.
Independent thought has been eroded in the advent of Social Media. I commented before that instead of using the internet as a source of knowledge many people now use it as an excuse not to think. It has become their primary brain.
There is no need to research when all you need to do is ask on Twitter and somebody else will find the answer for you. If enough people agree with a particular thought that’s good enough to accept it as fact. There’s no need to even argue your case, copy and paste a premade meme is sufficient.
The biggest danger now is that people can be manipulated by controlling the information they are allowed to see. In future we will be herded like sheep to think and act in an ever narrowing view as to what is deemed acceptable.
I’ve long thought that humanity would bring about it’s own downfall by removing diversity in all areas. Diversity is what I consider to be essential to ensure our survival as a species and if everyone starts thinking the same then we are doomed.
I’d love to know the answer to that one as well!!
The longer you live, diverse it gets …
(Edit: maybe needs to be read in a Germanic or E European accent)..
If the law was to kill your next door neighbour would you do it? Absurd.
Tempted to obey that one, he’s an arse.
If there’s a famine due to food chain collapsing opinion in the street is he’s the one eaten first.
Yes, that is exactly what has happened in the past. How do you think the Gestapo were so effective? Anyone denouncing a neighbour for being a Jew was doing exactly that.
Solzhenitsyn had it right. Search for “How we burned in the camps later…”
A zombie wouldn’t need a law, if you told them that killing their neighbour would ensure they themselves didn’t get the Coronabug.
Wasn’t speaking Scottish and playing the bagpipes also illegal once upon a time? That was the law too.
Yes and an also outlawed tartan gob mask would have had you in chains. Tartan once being illegal too. How lamentable!
I thoroughly encourage what you said and how you went about it. In my book of basic standing up for humanity this is a perfect how to.
Wow, there are lies and LIES!
From the DT:
This is the year to vaccinate everyone against flu, urges professorA winter flu outbreak could prove devastating for the health care system, which is already struggling to handle the Covid-19 pandemic, however, increasing flu vaccination programmes may go someway to lessening the load, Professor John Bell, Regius Professor at University of Oxford, has said.
“This is a year to get everyone vaccinated. Why would we not?” Prof Bell told the Government committee:
Umm no absolutely not, I’ve never had flu (or if I have it’s been so mild I thought it was a cold) and I’ve never had a flu jab. At 41 years old I think I can work out what the best thing for my body is thanks!
Lots of people talk about Flu. I’ve always said that if someone is standing up and telling you they have Flu, they haven’t. Flu knocks you down, full stop. I know that I have never had it.
The type that think they have Flu will easily make the jump to “Virus – aaarrggh!” and will lap up any vaccine offered.
I had flu once, about thirty years ago. Like you say, I couldn’t get out of bed, I thought I was dying. Most people seem to think flu is like a bad cold; it isn’t.
Me too – had it during the winter of 2017-18. (The year of 50,000 excess deaths when a large proportion were from a particularly aggressive strain of seasonal influenza). Was so ill I had to slide out of bed and crawl to the bathroom. Only time in my life I have rung the out of hours medical emergency line – thought I wasn’t going to make it until morning. Was virtually bed ridden for 2 weeks, and so poorly for another 2 I could not leave the house.
Yes that flu was bad. I got in on Christmas Eve and felt like I’d been run over by a truck. It started with chills then being hot. The next morning the aches then it got a little better, only to be Groundhog day for the next few days. An absolute bastard of an infection only to be beaten when I got norovirus a good few years ago.
Strangely now that I eat mostly meat,eggs,cheese and fish (almost full carnivore) I don’t get colds or flu.
Yes but it was one of the earlier moves the pro-lockdown scientists/media lot played, ‘if you compare this to the flu you’re an idiot who doesnt realise how serious covid is!!’ – On the contrary, it is those claiming that who dont realise how serious flu can be.
As someone born with a liver & lung disease that goes hand in hand with having a bit of a pathetic immune system I’ve had flu a couple of times in my adult life, and had pneumonia as a child (hospitalised for a week) and regular bouts of bronchitis and various other issues.
Flu is horrendous, thankfully it’s not been deadly for me, but I’m sure if I catch it in my 80s it may well be. I have the vaccine each year as i’m on the list, despite being 35 – I’m usually the only middle aged person in the waiting room alongside all the OAPs and kids with their parents.
In the last 10 years I’ve failed to go get it twice (once out the country, and this year through lazyness), those are the two times I’ve had flu (well, defo the first time, this year who knows, maybe it was Covid19 given the symptoms are identical). The flu vaccine is not some government plot, it genuinely helps those who need help, though it does not help 100% of those who do, as it’s not 100% effective, and I most certainly would not ever (ever!!) back forced vaccination on the population (even those who are vulnerable) just to lessen my risk to it, and it goes without saying the idea of shutting businesses and locking people inside just cos I may catch flu of you is a disgusting idea.
I honestly can not believe we have supposedly educated and skilled doctors & scientists proposing these things, it is sick, they have all taken leave of their senses and gotten ideas way above their station, and are inexplicably having those ideas amplified by a willing media.
I had a good does of the lurgy, a coronavirus (Cold) or Flu, in about 2009. I was a heavy smoker then. I had one night where I was seriously worried about not being able to breath. My lungs were just full of gunk. That made me get on the road to stop smoking. It really was pretty nasty.
There’s a big difference between a bad cold and real flu. If you get flu, you know you’ve got it!
Most people have a few days in bed, a couple of weeks off work because it leaves them tired, then life goes on as normal.
There are exceptions of course.
Maybe be would not and should not, because, as studies in Italy appatently showed, people who were vaccinated against the flu had a far higher mortality rate when they contracted Corona than if not.
Ah, just what I was asking!
Do you have any links about that?
Sod the flu vaccine. Friends of ours in their 80’s used to have it every year—the vaccine, that is. They admitted it made them feel ill for at least a fortnight afterwards. So why have it? we said. They shrugged. Well its better than catching the flu, they said. Mmm…
They’re right, it is miles better than catching the flu…
If you’re *not* in the vulnerable group though, there is no real need and certainly not against your own free will.
It weakens your immune system. Vitamin D would be more helpful.
Magical vitamin d, no one ever gets ill in countries with sun cos of all the vitamin d they get. Oh wait.
Actually Mark a lot of virologists and infectious disease medical professionals advocate taking vitamin D, C and zinc for 6 months of the year (winter obviously) because they work in synergy to boost the body’s immune system, and in the northern hemisphere we don’t get enough sunlight or zinc in our diets for those to be effective without supplementation. If you have had cancer treatment, oncologists also advise taking these 3. Must be something in it. I’ve certainly warded off a lot more infections than I used to get since starting to take all 3.
Even Vallance has started advocating taking vitamin D ……
Your body can only make sufficient vitamin D if you expose large parts of your body to the sun. Sitting in your office all day or sitting outside with a hat and sunscreen on your exposed bits will not make vitamin D even if you live in a sunny country.
Vitamin D in the Prevention of COVID-19
https://media.mercola.com/assets/pdf/ebook/vitamin-d-in-the-prevention-of-covid-19.pdf
Sun? Not much since April round here!
It doesn’t really work for the over 60s.
Go figure!
I’d like to know if those of working age who had bad covid symptoms had flu jabs last year.
Me too, I would really would like to know how many of those who DIED had this years Flu vaccine. 95% I would imagine.
Well, I am 66 and on mild immuno-suppressants (for arthritis – and believe me, they have made my life liveable; for the 3 months or so when appropriate diagnosis, tests and best medication was being sorted out, Dignitas was starting to look attractive – anyone who has been in that position since covid must have been living in hell) and have thus chosen to have the vaccine for 3 years, with no side-effects and no flu.
Wife had the flu jab once, almost killed her and she took months to get over it. She still believes to this day some of her on-going medical problems were caused by the jab.
Same with my old Grandad, back in the mid 90’s. A flu jab nearly killed him.
Someone posted this yesterday: https://youtu.be/uDDE3PH5SA0. It compares the exosome theory with the viral theory. I’m not a scientist so don’t know if this exosome theory forms part of any conspiracy theory or is accepted in the scientific world or not. Are there any scientists here who could shed any light on this please?
As far as I understand it, the exosome theory suggests that our body responds to any toxic matter by trying to get rid of it. Exosomes are the dustbin men of our bodies. They might help to explain the cytokine storm that has overwhelmed many people in their body’s response to toxins, causing massive amounts of inflammation.
It makes perfect sense to me in the light of what happened in North Italy. In January, there were extremely high and unexplained levels of Nitrogen Dioxide over the Po Valley- Bergamo etc and also in Spain over Madrid, Barcelona and in the U.K. to some extent, in London.
I believe that scientists have already made a correlation ( but not causation) between those areas with the highest pollution rates and the highest death rates. Southern Italy was hardly affected at all, in spite of lots of northerners fleeing the lockdown.
Likewise in China some 5 million people were thought to have fled the Wuhan province before it was locked down. According to Dr Wolfgang Wodarg, places like Beijing and Shanghai didn’t have many Covid cases because they didn’t test for it and were just treating people for pneumonia.
The video also shows how the tests for Covid are useless as they are based on an arbitrary cut off point which can vary from test to test or lab. to lab..
Anyway, I hope that some fellow sceptic can help me out with this please. Thanks.
Thanks for this. Nice synchronicity.
It must be important because I woke up this morning trying to remember the word exosome and remembering the pics of a bursting exosome which looks suspiciously like the pictures of the “coronavirus” that hasn’t actually been identified …..
Here’s Dr Kaufmann’s discussion of exosomes vs covid:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue-2BxapzM8
Yesterday I emailed a letter on masks to my MP, mentioning low risks of virus to 98% of the population in general & shops in particular, lack of any robust, credible and relevant clinically trialled evidence to support their use outside clinical (hospital) settings, the various harms of masks for the general public, immunity and suppression issues, and points about discrimination. Attached 2 pages to it consisting of 12 detailed points, some of which included links to published, peer reviewed scientific and medical articles.
I await his response with baited breath…
Summary
· The new regulation does not appear to be based on any new, robust scientific research or findings, therefore lacks either credibility or justification. (See points 3 & 4 for details).
· Risks of harm or death to the vast majority of the population from this coronavirus have been proven to be low, and only slightly higher in comparison with other similar infectious diseases in circulation. Therefore this new regulation is completely unnecessary; it is a response which is many months too late and crucially out of all proportion to the threat.
· Numerous studies and opinions of medical experts identify harms from mask wearing.
· The regulation is discriminatory.
For details of these and other key issues involved in this blanket regulation, please refer to the detail in the 12 points on the following 2 pages.
I trust you will share the relevant points in my letter with parliamentary colleagues, and more importantly put them to the PM and key decision makers. Thank you in anticipation.
Yours sincerely
1) The virus has steadily faded across the UK during the last few months; findings of increased infections in a few areas are largely a result of increased and improved testing. NHS reports indicate new hospital admissions due to SARS-CoV-2 are very few and far between.
2) 98% of the population are not at serious risk from this particular coronavirus. It is not as deadly as originally estimated (now indicated as 0.26 fatality rate – only slightly higher than seasonal influenza) and that for those who are classed as vulnerable i.e. mainly over 75’s or those with comorbidity issues and/or weak immune systems. So, what is the justification for masking the entire population unnecessarily? (I hope it is not based on Ferguson’s IC model, that was proven to be “seriously flawed”, outdated, and by his own admission full of ‘bugs’?).
3) There is no sound, credible or reputable medical or scientific evidence that for the general public, wearing face masks of either a surgical or other material nature prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. The PM and a few government advisors have said that there is growing evidence that masks help prevent the spread of the disease, but neither I nor anyone in the medical or scientific community I have liaised with can find this. If you have evidence that our presumption is in error, please can you cite the published peer reviewed, credible sources based on robust, extensive test results that have been used to inform this change of opinion and thus corroborate the decision to implement another such draconian decision.
4) The enveloped virus particles of SARS-CoV-2 are minute, with a diameter ranging between 60 nanometers (nm) to a maximum diameter of 140 nanometers (nm). This is a much smaller range when compared to the primary models for bacterial cell biology, so they can readily pass through most materials, even medical masks of the type worn by dentists and vets. Only N95 masks being effective (up to 95%). Also particles are easily inhaled or exhaled around the edges.
5) Masks worn for even fairly short periods (some cite longer than 10 minutes) can actually cause HARM. There are a number of documented and scientifically proven harms, including re-inhalation of particles deep into the lungs of the mask wearer, potential neurological damage, inhibition of immune response, reduction of oxygen levels and increase in CO2 levels in certain types of masks, creation of a moist, humid atmosphere around the nose, mouth and eyes which provide the perfect breeding grounds for other harmful microorganisms, creation of environmental conditions under the mask that lead to skin disorders such as dermatitis, eczema and acne, and self-contamination. Even UK ‘Deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries said wearing a mask could “trap the virus” and cause the person wearing it to breathe it in”. Some of the harms were listed by the WHO on their website on 5th June, and others in scientific studies, such as those cited in the 3 articles referenced below:
Etc – comment box will not accept the rest due to length.
Probably in vain.
You can’t argue with a cult and its fanatic followers.
Possibly Jay – but I think the more of us who write evidence based letters to our respective MPs, the better – at least it gets our opinions out there to the decision makers and lets them know we are not all brainwashed forelock tugging numbskulls with low IQs.
Written several times to my MP. Not one reply. Just sitting there taking the money. Revolution please.
Me too – not a word in response.
As someone waiting for replies from the mafia who use threat of force to control the population I think you are doing good with your writing S Lass. Forlorn it may be but we need actions of all kind or else taken for tacitly agreeing.
Really useful thanks!
Great stuff, thanks SL, but far too long and complicated for your average MP. They rarely pay attention to anything longer than a tweet. Or an uptick.
Yes, agree with you Bluemoon. It is why my letter was limited to 1 short page with 2 introductory paragraphs and a short summary. In case it was passed to one of his minions to respond I added the 2 sides of 12 points to show I am not the average brainwashed numbskull yokel in our county and do possess some independent thought with the ability to actually intelligently question what we are told and instructed to do or not do.
I hope you’ll post any reply you receive?
Will do. Perhaps I could post the other comments in separate posts? If people thought they would be useful but found the effort of drafting their own letters rather onerous?
Points 6 – 8 below:
6) As recently as mid-June the WHO had NOT recommended their use by the public and even listed some of the harms of doing so. It admits it only recently changed its position not because the medical or scientific evidence warranted it, but due to being subject to ‘political lobbying’!
7) Where is the evidence that proves people inside shops and supermarkets, whether staff or customers, are at significantly high risk of either transmitting or catching the virus?
If the risks were significant, they would surely have shown up over the last 7 months, been documented and subject to formal H&S risk assessments and controls. Supermarkets and smaller food shops have been open throughout, and both staff and public have been (overwhelmingly) unmasked. Why are shop workers not all falling ill with SARS-CoV-2? I am unaware of a single outbreak having been confirmed as originating in a shop or supermarket. The absolute numbers of deaths of people where Covid 19 was involved among workers in the ‘sales and retail assistants’ sector are small – 43 men and 64 women, among a total of 4,761 deaths in an ONS study. (Note, as with the NHS daily Covid death totals this is not FROM Covid-19 where the virus was proven to be the main or actual cause of death, but where the virus was also present, or even suspected to be present when the person died). In terms of deaths per 100,000, male sales and retail assistants came behind (for example) ‘bookkeepers, payroll managers and wages clerks’. Female sales and retail assistants came behind ‘National Government administrators’. If staff in these premises are not at risk, why would the public?
In fact, from looking at the official sources of data (NHS, PHE and ONS) the main transmissions were nosocomial, in care and nursing home settings, and in homes with multi-occupancy – largely where individuals had one or more of the serious underlying health conditions that made them vulnerable, such as cardiovascular or type 2 diabetes. Vulnerable people have already been advised to either shield or take precautions – so there is NO need to put the rest of the population at risk of one or more hazards attributed to the wearing of masks.
8) The very latest research data on immunity levels indicate that even if people do not show antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in their blood when tested, further tests have proved that many DO have immunity – in their T cells, as a result of pre-exposure to similar or related coronaviruses, such as the common cold, (50% of which are coronaviruses). This partly explains why children and young people are at such low risk. The ‘herd immunity’ threshold may be lower than the previously published 60%. We thus need to do everything possible to increase natural individual immunity levels, not supress them e.g. through the use of masks – which includes adding to stress levels of wearers that negatively impacts on the immune system. (Since the virus is likely to be endemic, epidemiologists and virologists explain that trying to supress it now is futile, as it would be with seasonal flu and the common cold. Further evidence is emerging in several countries that SARS-CoV-2 has actually been around for longer than previously believed – October 2019, possibly even prior to this, so many people will have already been exposed to it and developed either a level of blood or cellular immunity.
Points 9 – 12 in the appendix to my MP letter:
9) A large percentage of communication takes place through non-verbal means – but a mask obscures most facial expressions.
10) Mandating everyone to wear masks discriminates against those with hearing impairments, and also people with phobias and mental health issues such as stress and anxiety, whether these have been clinically diagnosed or not. Some shops have already declared they will refuse entry or to serve customers who are not wearing masks unless the person presents an exemption letter from their doctor. Why should any of those individuals have to try and justify an exemption repeatedly and publicly to others whenever they shop? That is confidential and sensitive medical information that should be private and secure; having to explain things to strangers and potentially show sensitive data is questionably illegal, plus it is both humiliating and distressing.
11) Contrary to the intention of giving people confidence to get out, travel and shop – as stated by Matt Hancock, in reality they present an obvious visible symbol of danger, thus exaggerating and perpetuating the climate of fear. This has been indicated by those psychologists who have commented on the practice of mask wearing, and also illustrated by posts circulating on social media platforms. That is the last thing we need as the risk of the virus continues to decrease. As a result masks also add to the disincentive to go to indoor venues such as shops and supermarkets, thus increasing the financial catastrophe for high street retailers.
12) Since the ability of cloth or other material face coverings to prevent a possible second wave in the late autumn / early winter is zero, this cannot seriously be presented as a control method – otherwise it would have been implemented when the outbreak was publicly announced by the WHO. [NB. Tests carried out in China where the public were mandated to wear masks from the outset were unable to confirm that this practice made any positive difference; nor have tests and research done so in the past for comparable serious flu epidemics which have posed a threat equal to SARS-CoV-2].
Thank you for this – I have used some of it to write a summarised version to my MP.
UK Column are wanting us to send them any replies from our MPs.
I guess if you’ve written several times and not even received a boilerplate resonse, they might want to collate that too.
https://www.ukcolumn.org/
Very good. We have done a similar letter.
However, I will be massively surprised if it produces any constructive response. Apart from brain washing, I have yet to come across an MP who is on the side of civil liberty.
But I’m willing to be surprised.
Emailed my MP about masks last week, still waiting for a response. Though he’ll probably send a letter back, doesn’t seem to know how to email.
We are hearing that some shops will want a Doctor’s letter to prove exemption. It’s not right, of course, but just how are they qualified to check or understand such a letter? And you know what ‘Doctor-ese’ is like. So, why not give them what they want?
I’m just a simple Watch Commander in Ankh Morpork, but I’ve heard of ‘Word Processor’ and ‘Printer’. Why not rustle up a letter, a scan of a real one would be a good starting point. Then just add appropriate text, e.g.:
“Although the Government has introduced the Cranium Interrectum mask laws for shops, Mr. Vimes is exempt from wearing a mask, due to Priapism and SpheroMegaly, and should be allowed to shop without let or hindrance, as wearing a mask would cause him severe distress, and you wouldn’t like him when he’s angry”
(ok, maybe not the last bit)
Sorted.
“… and should be allowed to shop without let or hindrance and should not be required to pay. Anything he likes, just let him have.”
Ha ha ha. Very good!
Ref doctors letter requests – according to the GDPA such information is private and sensitive information and so enhanced GDPA requirements apply to requesting and supplying such data. It is also discriminatory and has been raised by disability rights organisations in the UK and abroad.
10) Mandating everyone to wear masks discriminates against those with hearing impairments, and also people with phobias and mental health issues such as stress and anxiety, whether these have been clinically diagnosed or not. Some shops have already declared they will refuse entry or to serve customers who are not wearing masks unless the person presents an exemption letter from their doctor. Why should any of those individuals have to try and justify an exemption repeatedly and publicly to others whenever they shop? That is confidential and sensitive medical information that should be private and secure; having to explain things to strangers and potentially show sensitive data is questionably illegal, plus it is both humiliating and distressing.
1) People with hearing impairments are prevented from communicating with people who wear masks. This excludes them from communication they would otherwise engage in (i.e. using facial expressions and/or lip reading) and also removes their independence because they would need to be accompanied by someone without such an impairment who could translate for them by either removing their own mask to do so, or could use sign language.
2) People with hidden disabilities (and I am included in that category) who come under the list of exemptions, should not face the embarrassment, humiliation or awkwardness of repeatedly explaining to strangers why they are exempt and justify why they are not wearing a mask. Under the DDA this in itself is discriminatory – i.e. a question of perception by the disabled person themselves, which makes them out to be publicly different from others and having to describe or show sensitive personal data which is normally classed as private and should be held secure.
3) Those people with hidden disabilities will now be made even more obvious and face discrimination from others because they are not masked – they face public challenges, refusals of service, harassment, social blacklisting, possibly legal challenges if police are called or they are spotted by a police officer, some will (and have already experienced this on public transport) attract threats and hate crime from those who do not understand the issues, or the disease transmission, or who have heightened fear for their own safety.
All the above has been acknowledged by not only our own support organisation in the UK (see links below), but equivalent organisations abroad. There have been some appalling examples provided to such organisations, both those experienced directly from service providers such as supermarket chains and transport operators, but also related experiences of disabled people who have experienced them from the police and general public. Some really horrible experiences abroad are already subject to legal challenges!
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2020/july/disabled-people-still-facing-discrimination-over-face-coverings Discrimination issue
https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2020/june/40-fear-challenge-without-face-masks-dr-uk-survey Discrimination issue
I am wondering if there is scope for a specific site that lists ‘friendly’ shops (and their alternative) by area and category and promotes the former.
A constructive use of market forces.
Suggest it to TOby by email in case he doesn’t notice this comment, Rick H
beaconmedicalgroup.nhs.uk
Just a quick search on doctors’ exemption notes for masks will come up with sites such as this one. It states clearly that the government does not require doctors to write these notes and that doctors will refuse to do so anyway. Self exemption is the way forward. Go for it!
https://beaconmedicalgroup.nhs.uk
Following Sams lead I’ve written my own you may like to adapt.
Please allow Mr I N Neidof-O’xygen into your shop to buy vitals for himself and his young family. His condition is called Fedupconsequenzbatzoopitis and cannot be seen. Signed Dr P O’ff.
How long is it since anybody got a GP to do anything?
“Research shows that, compared to other broadcasters, newspapers and online sites, the BBC is seen as by far the most trusted and impartial news provider in the UK” (Source: the BBC – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/help-41670342)
So that’s all right, then.
The Beeb tells everyone that it is – and unfortunately many people believe everything without questioning.
The perception contained in the quotation may well be accurate.
But that’s the problem.
The Beeb has always been an establishment organ – but the degree to which its news services are now basically agents of state propaganda is astounding and dangerous.
They have been agents of state propaganda during the current virus thing, because it suited their ends, but in general I think they follow their own agenda, not that of the government – I guess their agenda overlaps fairly well with that of the broader “establishment” now that the establishment has been pretty comprehensively taken over by people of similar worldview. Up to a point it also overlaps with the views of most mainstream political parties, with the possible exception of what is left of the conservative wing of the Conservative party (which is not much).
And the NHS is the envy of the world too
Another bad joke, isn’t it? Trouble is, it *should* be the envy of the world. If only…
Are we all looking forward to thursday and the BBC’ s new version of Songs of Praise …… “Dear NHS Superstars”
Is that gonna be on zoom?
yes- if you are gullible enough to believe that what the BBC say or show on website is accurate then you will also be gullible enough to believe that everyone else also thinks they are impartial and accurate.
My initial thought on reading a BBC webpage is “what lies are these lying bastards lying to me about now “
so that is compared to RT . China Today and Piers Morgan.
Note that that was 2017. 3 years is a long time and BBC have become so bad now that even the sheeple have started to notice
Seriously BBC have been living off their reputation from the 1950s but that has long since gone
If the Beeb still did irony, this would be it. Sadly, just another lie.
WOW. They have no shame.
Some interesting stuff going on in the Torygraph live bit: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-vaccine-oxford-deal-cases-deaths-social-distancing/
Britain has a “window of opportunity” to stamp out Covid-19 before the temperature starts to drop at the end of the summer, a scientist has said.
Professor Tim Spector, an epidemiologist from King’s College London, said the prevalence of symptoms noticeably waned across Europe in the face of warmer weather as spring turned into summer.
The academic created one of the leading smartphone apps for tracking symptoms of the virus, which has been downloaded by millions of members of the public since the start of the pandemic.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Generally, as the weather got warmer, the severity of the disease reduced and mortality reduced over time.”
He added: “I think there is a window of opportunity to (eradicate the virus in the summer months) because it is milder, but our symptom app is showing – and the Government data is as well – that we actually bottomed out about two weeks ago, the rates of decline stopped at the beginning of July.”
Also, there’s a bunch of professors pointing fingers and criticism all over the place. For example:
Speaking at the Health and Social Care Government Committee Sir Nurse said:
“Britain has a “window of opportunity” to stamp out Covid-19 before the temperature starts to drop at the end of the summer, a scientist has said.”
A ‘scientist’??
FFS – the possibility of temperature and humidity-related factors in the survival of the virus isn’t news.
But this scenario is as substantial as Scotch mist. It’s simply guess-work.
No qualified anybody would have said that for any other reason than to confuse. It’s out there. Forever. Together with thousands of other viruses we have accommodated. That’s the science.
That was the headline. It does go on to say it was Professor Tim Spector – which takes up a lot more room than “a scientist”.
However, he’s yet another tame epidemiologist, (ie. a guesswork specialist) so not really a scientist then.
He was addressing a bunch of MPs so I doubt anyone had the intellect to challenge the “expert.”
Hahaha you cant make it up!! So the entire drop was down to the temperature rising and not to do with their brilliant lockdowns (and masks) and actually its bottomed out anyway cos of the weather so masking is pointless.
Throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks, arent they.
Except it’s been unseasonally cold for the last six weeks in my neck of the woods.
Well spotted Prof Tim. FFS that happens every year.
We can live in hope. It would be their best cop-out.
Seems legit
ONS Weekly death stats just out, for the 4th week running total deaths below the 5 year average, total deaths 8690 5 year average 9250, that is 560 deaths fewer than average. Why are the Gov and the media not shouting this from the rooftops? On the basis of total weekly deaths this virus thing is done and dusted, why are we still faffing on about it?
those that the government keeping dropping ?
They’re a load of bollocks but they lack cojones!
hehe nice!
Was planning to put my Y-Fronts on my head as a satirical comment but have invested in a Dick Delingpole ‘We’re all going to die” rainbow mask instead.
A report from Iquitos, Peru with 70% seroprevalence for Sars Covid-2. Must be a record.(Blood 13th July to 18th July)
https://twitter.com/isabelrodbar/status/1285460514261237765/photo/1
Higher seroprevalence in younger persons below 20 (which should be less clinical affected!)
So different from New York, London and Stockholm where 20% seroprevalence seems to be the end result of the pandemic.
But there are caveats in this article from Peru, dengue fever. This disease is now spreading simultaneously in tropical countries around the world. There are discussions whether this could affect antibodies for Sars Covid-2 in some way. At least the other way round with false test positive for dengue turned out to be Sars-Cov-2 in Singapore.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7361212/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7128937/
A seven-year spike in dengue cases in Singapore may have been worsened by a strict coronavirus lockdown coinciding with warm and rainy weather.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/worst-dengue-outbreak-seven-years-singapore-linked-coronavirus/
Very interesting. One factor will be that these tests were done very close to the peak so antibody levels won’t have gone down by as much. This was also true in NYC but I think some regions did have results in the 60s. Did they say what proportion of those testing positive were asymptomatic?
Some American sceptics have come up with mask options which are equally useful to the cloth versions advised on the UK government website:
They just need mini mosquitos on the ends of tethers. Or perhaps viruses with a label saying “too scale.”
Not wishing to advocate masks but the one in the top left corner black mesh would help people with hearing difficulties to see what people are saying.
The Mac Donald and Taibbi articles cited are easily among the best written about the current COVID/blm omni-shambles. Thank you Toby.
A police force has become the first in the country to announce it will not respond to calls about shoppers refusing to wear face masks.
Devon and Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner said officers were too busy to respond to calls about face masks unless there was violence or disorder involved.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/20/police-force-says-will-not-respond-calls-shoppers-refuse-wear/
However, there is widespread confusion around how the rule will be enforced, after retailers said their staff should not be expected to intervene.
Exactly the same sequence of events a Scotland. Exactly. That is in no way a comment about scotland being better – no! But the sequence of masks in near two weeks time… police statement saying cannot police… confusion. Identical.
Patterns reveal plays.
Does anyone honestly believe that by next Monday the police won’t be making unannounced visits to supermarkets? I hope I’m wrong, but I fear not.
Yep, doughnuts only, Tenchy. They gave up on distancing, ‘being outside’, and gatherings.
If they do just told them you are exempt (which you are) and they will have to accept it
This was announced yesterday morning. I’m not surprised, because the police in the west country are exceptionally busy every year during the summer dealing with the many thousands of visitors: traffic accidents, drunks, violence, etc.
The commissioner regularly begs for more money to cope with the additional work caused by the population doubling in the summer.
That said, lovely story from back in early May when police were sent to break up a large number of surfers on a beach: the surfers simply paddled out on the water and waited for the police to leave.
many thousands of visitors? this year? it was only a few weeks back that those counties were telling visitors to stay away. Concern would have been that police would have so much time on their hands because of this that they would be eager to Taser shoppers showing such bare faced cheek(s)
We hoped they’d stay cowering at home didn’t we?! But no, tourist season full on now.
Kind of the opposite of how the police broke up the recent rave?
Methinks they are afraid of provoking fury.
Or maybe they don’t believe in this hogwash either?
From the Grad:
Face masks should be compulsory in GP surgeries to minimise the spread of Covid-19, according to one of the top representative bodies for doctors.
The British Medical Association said that compelling people to cover their face while in shops or on public transport but not in a GP practice is “illogical” and “makes no sense”.
It wants the government to change the law to make that mandatory, as they have already done after disagreements between ministers over their approach – for those other settings.
“The BMA is clear that face coverings should be mandatory in all situations where physical distancing of more than 2 metres is not possible. It makes no sense that the government has introduced one measure for shops and public transport, while other indoor spaces, including GP practices, are exempt.
What is wrong with the BMA? Do they know anything about medicine?
Once all the GPs and their staff are off with sore throats etc, patients won’t even be able to get a telephone apointment.
Why aren’t REAL medics standing up for their own rights, let alone those of their patients?!
Seems only if you’re a retired Dr like John Lee and you no longer have a need to protect your career.
These unions need to be careful. They have forgotten that it was the working man, tired of the union bullyboys, who put Margaret Thatcher into office in 1979 and kept her there in 1983 and 1987.
Hubby was made to put a mask on when he saw his doctor earlier this month. receptionist apparently handed the mask over to him and told him to put it on…..OUTSIDE, for God’s sake….before then re-entering the site via the rear door. No-one else in the surgery at all, just him, the receptionist and a doctor or two in their own separate rooms. farce.
Power crazed fool of a receptionist, still they are all like that, I have never dealt with a GP receptionist that I was comfortable with. All of them wield the GP’s receptionist’s sword of POWER.
Grad? As in Leningrad? That’s where the BMA worships.
I thought they already were compulsory in hospitals and GP surgeries? Or is it just “guidance”?
I think it’s anywhere that’s NHS.
The point here is that it isn’t law but the BMA want it to be.
There is actually dissent. The radicals took over the BMA thirty years ago and it is the wokest of organisations. In the debate over Brexit they deicded it was a public health emergency !
The BMA committee voted 33 to 3 in favour of face masks everywhere in public. Evidence wasnt the criteria on voting but politics.
Not woke enough to support those of us who feel it should be our right to choose when and how to end our own lives, with humane medical assistance, rather than having to go through all the ghastly Dignitas /Switzerland palaver, though!
I talked to a local GP yesterday, totally brainwashed.
How many years of higher ed does it take to become a GP?!
God help the other 95%.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Black_Country#/media/File:Black_Country_Flag.svg
I see the buggers are trying to cancel a flag now.
Last week, fire stations in the Black Country were forbidden from flying the region’s flag at an annual festival devoted to the region. Senior fire-fighters were reportedly concerned that the flag, which features chain in its design, might be seen to glorify slavery and trigger accusations of racism.
So is the flag, or the region, racist? The Black Country name is nothing to do with race or ethnicity. And the imagery or colours of its flag are not intended to be linked to slavery.
Full article here (paywall):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/20/nothing-racist-black-country-flag-reality-far-interesting/
This has been going on for some time. The former MP for Wolverhampton South West, Eleanor Smith, started the ball rolling a few years back by declaring it ‘racist’. Her constituents didn’t exactly appreciate her remarks and showed her the door.
well of course. All chains should be banned and melted down. Remove all old style toilets and bath plugs.
Seriously, i recall watching a programme about the Titanic and it showing a photo of the anchor chain (made by Hingleys) being hauled through the streets, The Black Country (or should that be the Country of Colour) is famous for chains
i keep expecting the Yorkshire Rose to get banned at some point
Cheyne Walk to be renamed. Suggestions to be sent to the anti-racist unit at City Hall.
How long before someone spots a picture of that Brunel fellow?
Oh yes. Very dangerous those thorns!
Having said that, Lancs and Yorks were always locked in tribalism. Too many comers-in nowadays.
We have a bridge over the railway here, it’s called “Black Boys Bridge”, probably because in the late 16th century “The Black Boy” was a colloquial name for Prince Charles and there was a Royalist pub there in a Royalist town.. Or it could be that in the mid 17th century it was frequented by dirty coal men and navvies from the railway.
Yep, local BLM supporters were clamouring to get the name changed because it was a racist bridge. I think its called the Rainbow bridge now and it will be painted accordingly.
It’s Groundhog day…….forever. The sheer idiocy……
‘Even in a purely hypothetical situation that the virus is not circulating, a test specificity of 99.9 per cent would be associated with an expected number of positive tests that is approximately equal to what we observed over the entire study period.’
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.06.20147348v1.full.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=CampaignMonitor_Editorial&utm_campaign=LNCH%20%2020200720%20%20Lloyds%20%20SM+CID_2c153324104ee560a1188435f9cf4068
Errrr………so could it in fact be possible that the virus is no longer circulating….I mean….after four weeks of all cause mortality below the five year average……?
That would be a big fat yes…..
But what about all those positive tests?
‘At very low prevalence, the proportion of people with infection falls and the numbers falsely misdiagnosed increases. If Covid-19 completely disappears, then of our 10,000, no one will be infected. If you have followed the reasoning so far, you will have worked out this means that ten people would still be wrongly diagnosed as positive and the official data would show a national Covid-19 prevalence of 0.1 per cent. This is why understanding the accuracy of the tests in the population that they are applied to matters greatly: going on current testing practices and results, Covid-19 might never be shown to disappear.’
Professor Carl Heneghan, Director of Oxford’s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.
Words fail……..
Can you provide a link or reference for Prof. Heneghan’s comment? Thanks!
I can’t find the article where Carl Heneghan says that but here is a link to an article of his (non peer reviewed) writing why Covid-19 might never be shown to have disappeared.
https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/why-no-one-can-ever-recover-from-covid-19-in-england-a-statistical-anomaly/
DavidC
My apologies. Herewith:
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-many-covid-diagnoses-are-false-positives-
Tim’s top tip: Simply copy a sentence of the quotation and paste into Google search….then enjoy…..
I am a bit sparing with links in case the post goes into limbo awaiting moderation….
Great, thank you. I emailed Prof Heneghan about this very point on false positives a few days ago. Perhaps the timing of his Spectator article is purely coincidental, or perhaps not!
Here’s hoping that, given the success in *eventually* getting some news outlets to cover the death counting scandal, he may also achieve some MSM coverage of the next farce, the testing!
I love Professor Heneghan.
Does anyone think this the whole “COVID-19 measures” is just a gigantic Milgram experiment, and most haven’t reached the first degree of resistance yet?
One might add the Asch conformity experiment as well. Both studies (and the Cornell? prison experiment) explained very helpfully how “ordinary” people got swept up with and operated in fascist regimes.
I am beyond surprised, by now, that the self-same stooges function in the same way.
The Standford prison experiment. I did think of that initially but dismissed it; but now that you mentioned it too, I suppose the megalomania of “rule setters” does begin to be expressed progressively more…
I am (sadly) confident that at least one person will be murdered because of this ludicrous and unnecessary requirement to wear face masks. In fact, I think someone will be murdered by the end of July.
Already happened: https://time.com/5866326/french-bus-driver-beaten-masks/
Yep, and I heard about that at the time.
Don’t gamble, kids !
Do you have a preferred charity, Will ?
They have in USA & Canada
£20 says not.
murdered you say?
another sad corona death for the records then
But only if they die sometime between having a test and… errr… when they die?
I note that deaths were again below 5 year average:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsregisteredweeklyinenglandandwalesprovisional/weekending10july2020
This is also stated:
From next week (Week 29, ending 17 July 2020), the weekly bulletin content will be shortened. The comparison of weekly death occurrences article that gets published alongside the weekly bulletin will also no longer be produced, however, a small section covering England and Wales comparisons will be added to the weekly bulletin.
Why? Is it because there is nothing to compare with now?
Ross Clark on the Oxford vaccine trials.
“ The trial also tested for adverse side-effects – which were widespread, but all of which were described as ‘mild’ or ‘moderate’. Some patients were given paracetamol along with the vaccine, but of those who were not, 70 per cent reported a sense of fatigue and 68 per cent reported a headache. Interestingly, this makes symptoms from the vaccine far more widespread than symptoms from the actual disease – studies have suggested that up to 80 per cent of people infected with the virus remain entirely asymptomatic.”
Oxford scientist: Impossible to say how many shots of the vaccine each age group would need
Prof Andrew Pollard, of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said it was impossible to say yet how many shots of the vaccine each age group would need to be given to gain and then maintain levels of coronavirus immunity.
Speaking at a webinar organised by the Science Media Centre, he said: “We have seen encouraging response with one dose.
“But in the small subgroup that you see in the Lancet paper, there are better responses with two doses – that is not totally unexpected.
“We know that human populations are completely naive to this virus and so you need quite a heavy lift in order to get a really good immune response from this vaccine, which is what we are trying to achieve with the two-dose schedule.”
He added the team would be closely evaluating the immune responses in older age groups to see if two doses gives stronger protection than one
From edinburgh live.
I posted this late yesterday on LS
Completely naive to the virus? Apart from all the cross-immunity to other human coronaviruses, he means…
Yes indeed. If we were completely without immunity like these professors keep telling us surely we would all be dropping down dead rather than being mainly asymptomatic.
You people keep saying ‘asymptomatic’! Can’t you see, we could all, ALL OF US, end up with a disease that doesn’t do anything??
Get me an extra mask!
Not dropping down dead. The immune system is able to adapt to novel pathogens. Cross immunity probably helps but I’m sure there are many Covid survivors who managed without it.
“Completely naive to the virus?” So why aren’t Sweden, Belarus, Japan, etc etc full of hundreds of thousands of dead people then?
Seen Simon Dolan’s Twitter threads on Matt Hancock’s ‘anti-vaxxer’ speech in Parliament? Made me sooo angry..
Simon has also dug up a clip of Boris having (pretending to have?) a flu vaccine last autumn. Interesting as there are a lot of studies saying that the flu vaccine makes future infections with coronaviruses worse..
In the thread there is also an interesting photo of Bill Gates and family, mentioning (as we know) that BG did not get his children vaccinated, but what struck me is that Melinda Gates looks *totally* different in this photo, compared to how she looks in more recent clips, see here: https://twitter.com/BabyBouncyFeet/status/1285511323544150017 You’d almost think it was a completely different person…
Her hair is parted on the opposite side from on all the other photos of Melinda Gates. Maybe the photo has been flipped – though can’t see a reason why it should be.
I posted this earlier in response to a comment from Guy, who kindly put up the link to The Lancet paper from the Oxford team.
Guy, from your perspective as a scientist, should we be concerned about this in the summary:
‘Local and systemic reactions were more common in the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 group and many were reduced by use of prophylactic paracetamol, including pain, feeling feverish, chills, muscle ache, headache, and malaise (all p<0·05). There were no serious adverse events related to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19’.
If I read correctly further into the paper, paracetamol did not appear to have a statistically significant impact on ameliorating the side effects. Is this a problem, given Ibuprofen seemed to be ruled out as a prophylactic in symptom control (Patrick Vallance mentioned this at one of the early press conferences)?
Bearing in mind these were all young and healthy people, should we be very cautious about side effects in those less young and healthy, especially as you will likely have to use larger dozes on an older, higher BMI cohort?
I take the matter of ‘no serious side effects’ with a pinch of salt that I often find turns into a mountain with every time it is repeated!
Surely they have to justify why it is better to get a vaccine than it is to get the actual virus before being able to say it should be mandatory.
Was just told by my 5 year old niece that she couldn’t play with the little boy opposite because ‘you have to distance ‘ when asked why she said ‘because of the virus’.Her mother said she was taught that at school.What world are they creating to satisfy their power urge.
Despicable behaviour on the part of the school.
Really sad to hear that. The situation you describe is a main reason to fight against this.
Children will be children, they will just play but the frightening thing is that the schools are teaching this inhumane rubbish.Im afraid the only thing that can stop this is the coming economic collapse.
Schools need to be de-politicised. ASAP! But how could that happen?
“The virus”. I wonder what happens if smallpox makes a comeback, what will we call that, “the mega virus?” What about ebola? We could teach young kids it turns your internal organs to liquid shit that pours out of every available orrifice.That’ll learn ’em for wanting to enjoy life.
We are seeing mass psychological child abuse now officially encouraged It is now a far bigger, universal, problem than paedophilia.
Yep certainly child abuse. The damage this will do to kids who then grow up to have a pathological fear of germs and catching stuff from other people…Incredible, why do most teachers and parents NOT see this????????????????????????
Incredible. Stupid Stupid Stupid people.
Pfft. We’re just back home from a birthday party (in a garden – venues are shut and it’s a nice day in London) of one of my 6 year old’s classmates. My 8 year old came too. Parents, grandparents, godparents were there as was birthday boy’s nearly-2-year-old-sister. Zero social distancing Among kids (how could you possibly expect it) and virtually zero among adults.
Get the kids out, get them catching stuff from each other. The future of humanity depends upon it.
I’ve just come back from my morning shift at Sainsbury’s where not one of my colleagues was wearing a mask. I overheard one of our regular customers, who is obviously over 70, saying to one of my colleagues that he wouldn’t go shopping if he had to wear a mask. My colleague (A) replied, “They’re making us wear them, too. It’s ridiculous.”
I decided to chip in and said to Colleague A “Don’t wear one, then. I’ll walk out of here before they get me to put on a mask. If enough of us refuse, they won’t be able to do anything.”
She answered, “I definitely won’t be wearing one. Sainsbury’s originally said they didn’t want us to wear one because of how bacteria builds up.”
Colleague B, who was also working on the aisle, chimed in, “Well, if you’re not going to wear one, neither am I.”
Then the customer asked, “But if you’re not going to wear one, why should we have to?” A told him that if he wanted to exempt himself, he could cite medical grounds and we wouldn’t be allowed to challenge him.
After this promising exchange, I sought Colleague C who, as far as I know, has been the only sceptic besides me from the beginning. I told him at A, B and I wouldn’t be wearing masks, in case he needed any assurance and he said, “No, I won’t be wearing one. Neither will D, E, or F.”
This is encouraging. A lot of people are prepared to defy their employer. Let’s hope they’re also prepared to defy government.
Nice anecdote Ben and well done!
DavidC
Great stuff
Well done. Looking after your health in this manner is good.
Haha! Brilliant. This is the mood on the street, just don’t tell the pollsters
Nice, about time, some kick back from the sheeple. This might be a big thing. Especially if it gets really hot and sweaty in August.
Thanks Ben, please keep us posted on what happens (I am a Sainsbury’s shopper and shareholder so very interested).
The only problem here is that employees A-F will eventually have to face a choice of either wearing a mask or being sacked. No doubt the mask bed-wetters will report this to Sainsburys and it will spread it all over social media and to the MSM who are very much pro-mask. Then Sainsburys will sh*t themselves because they don’t want any bad PR and order a staff directive that masks are to be mandatory for all shop floor workers otherwise disciplinary action will be taken, thus giving staff the option to comply and wear a mask, or lose your job.
Separate shopping hours like they’ve done with vulnerable/NHS?
I don’t think so, Ben. You have to take into account the customer demographic. I would have thought that the majority of Sainsbury customers would tend to be free-thinkers. Sainsbury would be equally concerned by a class-action from the shopworkers’ union, for endangering the health of employees; something that is far more easily proved than proving that the maskless are endangering the health of the customers.
Good luck and remember that we’re cheering you on!!
Thanks for your comments, everyone. I’m working a bit of a graveyard shift on Friday so will probably have missed most of the day’s excitement, if there is any, but Saturday could be more interesting. I’ll report on what happens, if anything does.
Does anyone know how and why the Government has now decided that the UK Covid-19 death toll is 56,100 instead of 45,000 (ish)?
Where are the data and facts?
DavidC
The 56k is the ONS figure isn’t it? Any death where covid is mentioned on the death certificate
And they need to put it up, so that they can bring it down after the ‘urgent enquiry’.
But is it just a statistical game they continue to play? The TOTAL deaths this year won’t change, just the attribution (correct or not). I’m still intrigued as to why they’ve suddenly decided there have been ‘another’ 11,000 Covid-19 deaths, where they have come from and why.
The latest ONS data released today shows total deaths this year at 353,436 against the 5 year average of 299,988 and with the last 4 weeks back below the 5 year average for the equivalent week. It’ll be interesting to see how the figures develop over the next few weeks.
DavidC
The *only* measure of what is happening this year is ONS ‘all cause’ mortality. Every other piece of data is fiction or a loaded guess.
For data and facts about UK deaths start here:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsinvolvingcovid19englandandwales/deathsoccurringinjune2020
The Introduction, only about the 2nd para, explains the reasons why the ONS figures differ from the DHSC and OHE figures.
Try typing ‘UK covid 19 deaths’ into Google., it’s really that simple to find out.
From the above, Introduction para 2:
‘Figures on deaths published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) differ from those produced by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the UK’s public health agencies for two main reasons: the time between death and reporting of the death and the ONS’s wider inclusion criteria. Our blog Counting deaths involving COVID-19 helps to explain the differences.’
The real data (and rationality) show that ‘Covid deaths’ are a scam.
Apart from the fact that there has been nothing remarkable in overall mortality this year, the following, which has been posted before, demonstrates vividly how the revised registration of deaths has skewed causation towards Covid, rather than accurately reporting it :
http://inproportion2.talkigy.com/cause_of_death_20jul.html
Then we have other bending of the figures, as was uncovered last week by the CEBM team.
Then we have the increasing mortality due to Lock-Up ….
…. It goes on.
There are *no* verifiable figures about deaths that are a direct result of the virus. Ignore any that make such claims.
There’s a great chart in that link, showing that ALL causes of death in June have fallen, apart from Covid.
Either we are becoming far healthier as a nation, or the Covid deaths are being misattributed.
Just in UK National debt £1.98 Trillion.
That’s not the TOTAL UK debt including unfunded liabilities is close to £5 trillion (about £78,000 for each person). To put that into perspective, if you’d spent a million pounds EVERY day since the birth of Jesus, you still wouldn’t have spent one trillion pounds!
DavidC
Thanks David. Perspective is needed!
WOO! Come on guys! Let’s PUSH THE ENVELOPE on this one….
We’ve heard on here about pubs (such as your local Frog & Nazi) limiting party sizes, and enquiring about ‘how many bubbles’ you are from. You probably won’t be giving them your custom, but, if they take part in the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, they might be interested in this, from the official advice:
“All diners in a group of any size can use the discount.”
The Ministry of Self Contradictory Advice is always here to help.
It would be interesting to see what the reaction is if you reply that your group is from 20 different bubbles or something. It might make them think about what a ridiculous concept it is – perhaps especially if there are less than 20 of you!
Bubble heads, what even is a social bubble?
No clue whatsoever. Probably some rubbish a coronaphobic sociologist made up on the spot for the government.
Not sure if any other people are familiar with Mark Changizi (author) but his Twitter page has some very interesting threads discussing society’s response to Covid:
https://twitter.com/MarkChangizi/status
Especially this thread: https://twitter.com/MarkChangizi/status/1254796958964858882
One line that stood out for me: The greatest low-risk black swan dangers for humans are the stuff other humans do. Riots, revolutions, wars, human-induced famine, and so on. Playing with civil rights en masse while devastating the economy — what could go wrong?
Written in April…
And Do you get the weird feeling that no matter how much evidence suggests to calm down about COVID, even one teensy data point in the doom direction trumps all the other data? which is a feeling I’ve been having for the last couple of months!
It’s encouraging that someone like this, who describes himself as “Scientist, philosopher, mathematician, entrepreneur” and could fairly be described as one of the “intelligentsia”, has a sceptical viewpoint (a very well-informed and in-depth one). Not sure what his wider politics are, but he definitely doesn’t fit in with the usual media-bubble virtue-signalling groupthink that so many other people from a similar background have (Richard Osman, to mention a random example, having read a nauseatingly patronising tweet of his yesterday regarding masks)
Another quote:
It’s human nature to fear infectious disease (“cooties”). It’s not human nature to fear economic collapse, civil rights violations, civil strife, revolutions, and war. As such, humans have a tendency to run from the first directly into the second.
A similar thought occurred to me a couple of days ago. For most people the fear of catching or spreading Covid is real, constantly reinforced by virtually every media outlet. For many people, including the majority of those employed in the media, the long-term consequences of shutting down society are not real, yet. Even if they are aware of them and know they’re going to be severe, they’re still just abstractions, predictions and future possibilities which are totally overshadowed by the media narrative of mass death and catastrophe.
That is a good point. Nature has always had to contend with disease as it is an integral part. Those other things are human constructs with centuries to millenia (at most) for us to get used to them.
Never heard of him, expect you’re also familiar with Kahneman (Nobel prize winner) on cognitive biases etc:
thttps://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/72401.Daniel_Kahneman
I’ve had a cursory look but haven’t been able to find if any research has been done about the impact on Scotland’s retail sector from the mask-wearing mandate. Has it had the effect that the government is telling us is the justification for this?
Also, will the facemask ruling in England be made through amending the statutory instruments or an Act of Parliament. And when will this happen?
Toby posted this 4 days ago. Email Sir Graham Brady in support!
A reader has passed on the reply of her local MP – Sir Graham Brady – after she wrote to him setting out her objections to face masks. It makes for interesting reading:
“…..but this decision has been made under the emergency powers and was not debated or voted on in the House of Commons”
or in other words “ We can’t do a thing about it. We are living in a dictatorship.”
It’s better than nothing, and maybe the best we are going to get, but it’s pretty equivocal: “Finely balanced….strictly necessary…halt the spread” – he appears to have largely bought into the lies. The best line: “My biggest concern is that the government has not set out the criteria on which the decision to introduce compulsion was made, and that we remain therefore in the dark as to when it will end.“
Less likely to touch their faces? More likely, I’d say.
Nice to see that Toby has picked up on the point which I made several days ago about exemptions and made it the leading article – shows that even eejits like me can maybe make a difference to this farce.
Quite disappointed that I’ll miss the law change in Englandshire on Friday as I’m off to the Independent Republic of Sturgeonshire on Friday.
And I won’t be wearing a muzzle there either.
Remember – SELF EXEMPT.
Misses just went out and she sent a text “Little girls down the street have got a lemonade stall”.
Just for one brief minute in the midst of this shite, you feel human again.
I do hope their parents are fully conversant and following all guidance for the serving of beverages to the public (Corona Madness Provisions 2020) Legislation.
Exactly what I replied to Lady Sybil. I won’t be purchasing if they don’t have full PPE and distancing etc. Come to think of it, there used to be a brand of pop round here ages ago, called…. ‘Corona’!
I used to wait excitedly for the ‘pop man’ to arrive in the early 1970s bringing our weekly bottles of Corona,Cherryade and Lemonade.
So, it’s not the drugs or the alzheimers! Thank goodness for that. Did you have Ben Shaw’s as well?
Probably,we had some sort of Keg Shandy in a bottle,I still get Ben Shaw’s Shandy from our local chip shop now !
They better had been serving from behind state issued perspex and that lemonade was suitably disinfected with bleach before serving. Did they even think to have a GDPR compliant means of tracking their customers? The government don’t.
I hope you bought two glasses and gave them a mask free smile. As you say, human again.
No-one is more anti-lockdown or anti-mask than me, as my previous posts will attest. But I’ve had a rather controversial thought which I want to share with you. If I seem to be saying stuff contrary to the spirit of this fine site, bear with me.
Let’s run with the premise that masks don’t work in stopping viruses. But they do control people when made compulsory and Boris’ aim is presumably to get the public back in the shops by creating a false sense of safety (apart from we sceptics who will stay away as much as possible). At the start of all this nonsense, Boris and some scientists advising him seemed to be thinking that herd immunity was the way forward. I suspect most of us on this site think so too, and many will know the arguments that we might already have reached it. Maybe, just maybe, Boris is not as stupid as we think, and he is more on our side than we realise. Maybe his aim still is herd immunity and the compulsory masks are his way of getting us there. Masks don’t work to stop the spread, but, Boris hopes, they will get more people in the shops. Putting these two notions together, more people will get infected by being breathed on in shops, and herd immunity will be achieved! Maybe Boris has realised this. It’s our public duty to wear masks, as anti-lockdown and anti-mask advocates, and get out and breathe on people as much as possible, thereby helping to achieve herd immunity and ultimately to save lives. Masks on and do your duty, fellow sceptics!
Is this mild satire? Am I getting ratty because of all this and missing the irony? I know I’m finally feeling psychologically battered after four months but it is our public duty NOT to wear masks and fight this fucking bollocks. Sorry if I have misread your tone.
I didn’t read it as satire.
I’ve seen no evidence the PM is on anyone’s side other than his own.
I am sure he realises herd immunity is the only sensible way out of this, but I don’t think he cares about sensible ways out, just about ways out that allow him to keep his power and his job.
If he is looking for a way out, what was Leicester all about? That was manufactured political theatre – he had no reason to do that, other than to perpetuate the lie.
“Manufactured political theatre” – absolutely.
No, Bella, it’s not satire. I mean it. It is actually logical. I’ve tried to think it through time and time again. We can protest, rightly, about the outrageous imposition of cloths on our faces. But if we believe that herd immunity is the way forward, and if we believe, as Boris does, that more people will go to the shops as a result of a FALSE (we say, and maybe Boris believes it too) sense of security, then sceptics and Boris are on the same side! I’m not for a moment supporting Boris, I’m just saying that, bizarrely, we might actually achieve what most of us here on this site want – herd immunity – by going along with his wicked rules. If that gives us any consolation that we might actually be serving the public good then it might help us to feel a bit less traumatised by the compulsory muzzling. Very probably Boris thinks the masks will help the economy by getting people shopping again. And that is indeed likely to be the limit of his thinking. I’m suggesting there might be another, not fully realised, benefit (helping to reach herd immunity), and I’m wondering whether Boris might be cleverer than we realise and this is his aim too. In which case, we and Boris are agreed. Trouble is, masks will scare at least some people away from the shops, thus preventing herd immunity. It depends on whether masks cause more shopping or less shopping.
“Boris might be cleverer than we realise”. Can you give some recent examples of cleverness?
We’ve probably already reached herd immunity anyway, though it will be interesting to see what difference the winter makes.
He might think masks will help with the shopping, but if you’re saying he’s cleverer than we think I think you’ve blown your own argument out of the water, as they obviously won’t, and neither will the distancing and all the other rubbish. It’s just theatre to perpetuate the Big Lie.
To put my argument succinctly (I’m tired):
Masks don’t “work” (and Boris must know that, from what he had said weeks ago) > Most people believe the lie that they do work > More people will go to the shops once masks are compulsory (Boris hopes) > More people will get infected by going to the shops > Herd immunity is reached as a result of people wearing masks. Therefore, ironically, wear masks!
If Boris does indeed know all this, I deduce that he is willing to trade more infections in exchange for economic recovery, and he realises we will get to herd immunity.
How would herd immunity now ever be credible as we keep being told that herd immunity will never work because catching the virus doesn’t mean immunity, and even if you do catch it you can become re-infected?
There is no way they would now go back to a herd immunity line, as we are told that a vaccine is now our only salvation, and all government documentation confirms this.
Their documented “alert level system” does appear to be a herd immunity strategy. But obviously they will do anything to admit this (including imposing masks).
YouGov poll in Sun on Sunday asked if people would be more or less likely to go shopping once mask law came in. 35% will visit just as much, 26% will still avoid shops, 21% will shop less, 13% will shop more.
So an 8% drop in trade (or 12% once the never shows are factored out) at a time the ‘High Street’ retail trade needs all the business it can get.
I don’t know about Boris… My governor was one of the first in the US to mandate masking, and he is both a far lefty and dumb as a rock. He has been listening to the folks at WA state (of the terrible IHME predictions) and he has actually been pretty clear in his contempt for the people of this state. He is behaving like a petty tyrant, right down to the strategy of punishing someone else for you breaking the rules. If I walk into a store without a mask on, that store can be fined or run out of business for not refusing me service.
So while I agree that masks don’t work, that herd immunity is inevitable, and that some very clever politician might use it simply as a way of getting people out of the home (in fact, I think that is what most doctors are actually thinking), I don’t think my own politicians are that clever, and I don’t think they actually have our best interests in mind. They want control, and this is finally their excuse to grab that control. Jay Inslee came to my little town (where he used to be a lawyer) unannounced – unannounced because he knew that he would be booed off stage if anyone knew about it – and proceeded to give a chiding school-marm sort of speech about how we little people of this town just won’t do what we’re told and so he’s going to have to get really firm with us. The next week he mandated masks.
People hate to hear this, but it isn’t about covid – it has now become a question of tyranny vs. liberty, and our population has become so lazy and stupid and risk-averse that they would rather have the comfort of big-brother, even if it is a false comfort, and even if they have to give up their humanity in exchange.
But you would get herd immunity just as easily by telling everyone to get back to normal. More easily, actually.
Their aim has been herd immunity all throughout. Lockdown was only initiated after media + public pressure. That’s why they’ve been purposefully vague so that people can either follow the guidelines or not; thus shifting any responsibility but also playing into their herd immunity plans without some people even realising
I struggle to believe that. They’ve had plenty of opportunity to get the country back on track, and have instead seized every opportunity to do the opposite, by perpetuating the Big Lie.
Everything done points to their aim being to stay in power and cover their arses – Leicester, masks, all the nonsense regulations, fiddling the figures, threatening to censor “conspiracy theories”, talking about a second wave, masks forever.
It’s just evil now. They deserve to rot in hell.
But that would mean them having to admit they got it wrong, which they are basically incapable of doing
When have you noticed a government (any) admit to making a mistake? They operate under the misguided assumption that it is a sign of weakness. It is in fact the exact opposite.
Never seen it. That’s my point; that’s why they won’t admit it this time
Well, the Norwegian prime minister did – however that is, i guess, the exception that proves the rule!
Good point. I keep forgetting she did. Probably because the press don’t like mentioning it.
That’s my point – the aim is to stay in power (and possibly to participate in some wider, even more evil conspiracy, though I am unsure about that) by means necessary. They will want to get the economy back into some sort of shape before the next election, but the idea that they are pursuing any kind of logical, clever, strategy to get us to herd immunity by stealth seems far-fetched to me.
Quite, as the man said, “The purpose of power is power”!
I realise I’ve probably given the government too much credit
never mind!
I’d love to believe you were right and that they want a way out, but my eyes tell me different.
“Lockdown was only initiated after media + public pressure.”
No. This was entirely a government cock-up/conspiracy (take your pick), even if the media had a hand in creating it and, more importantly – sustaining it.
Cock up, conspiracy and cowardice, lack of leadership. They wanted power, but when the moment came to make the big decision, they bottled it, and they know it.
The media were bribed with government advertising. The front page pictures of empty supermarket shelves caused panic-buying. This made people feel vulnerable, and therefore more suggestible. Then came the propaganda war, run by the Behavioural Insights Team amongst others. The NHS and its heroic staff were given totemic status, just as Greta Thunberg was made an icon of the Green movement. It’s best to head up your movement with some unimpeachable figurehead.
Then simplistic government slogans were organised into groups of three and surrounded with black and yellow hazard tape (nice touch). Reinforcement behaviours were introduced, such as sanitising, handwashing, surface-wiping, glove-wearing, social-distancing. How strictly necessary these measures were, who knows, but they caused people to ‘invest’ in the cause. Propositions which no ‘decent’ person could disagree with were repeated all the time and everywhere to the exclusion of every other message. The three stooges appeared night after night, intoning their message of doom. Boris learned sincerity, because once you can fake that, you’ve got it cracked.
Death figures free of context or comparison were announced on the news. No comparison was offered with previous epidemics or other kinds of flu. Figures were conflated and exaggerated. No attempt to distinguish “dying with” or “dying from” was made. No reference to the collateral damage – the neglected non-covid sick – was made for weeks and whistle-blowers were, and still are, gagged. Dissenting voices have been censored off.
A stupendous propaganda operation. Can anyone doubt it was expertly planned and co-ordinated? The virus has virtually disappeared and we’re left with a nation of psychologically damaged people who have ventured beyond the point where reason has any appeal.
If they’re following the numbers surely they’ll know most of the country isn’t far off herd immunity already (or has already reached it) and if herd immunity is still their goal why are they so keen on a vaccine?
The most charitable assumption is that the mask thing is a genuine attempt to allay people’s fears and get them out shopping. But I really doubt it will work, surely most of the people so fearful they don’t want to go out if other shoppers are unmasked, will still avoid non-essential shopping – whilst a lot of people (not just confirmed sceptics) will be put off. Certainly I will be shopping less, doing all my non-food shopping online, and avoiding my aggressively pro-mask (long before the announcement) local shop for the time being.
I don’t feel inclined to being charitable towards this evil government. Telling people they need to cover their faces for the rest of time because of a virus that has basically disappeared and isn’t that dangerous for most is immoral and they know very well it will perpetuate, not alleviate fear. If they wanted to alleviate fear, why fabricate Leicester? Why talk about a second wave?
I’m with you totally on the use of the term ‘evil’.
Who was it who coined the phrase ‘the banality of evil’?
I type the word EVIL quite a lot on here.
“Charitable” is probably the wrong word… really meaning an explanation that (a) means the government actually have a clue what they’re doing (even if it’s the wrong idea and might not work anyway) and (b) doesn’t involve conspiracies/plots or outright malice (as opposed to simple incompetence/stupidity/selfishness etc.)
I agree that the effects of the lockdown and fearmongering can only be described as “evil”, as is perpetuating it just to avoid a reckoning for as long as possible.
Not surprising. We are surrounded by it.
Was it Hannah Arendt who coined the phrase?
I think the reason for lockdown was pretty simple. The banks are bust. They need to deflate the bubble and regain solid assets. They are buying up everything, all those failed mortgages (that cost them nothing in the first place), all those repossession, all those bust businesses being bought up for pennies. Hard assets, land. They have a business plan.
The Corona Project.
The global lock-down was the primary objective of The Corona Project.
The enabler of the re-purposing of global commerce, finance, the medical system, transport, work, leisure, everything. A global reset.
Agenda 2030.
If you don’t comply, no bank loans for you you naughty world leaders and corporate types….
Every man and his dog are now hitching thier wagons onto The Corona Project gravy train. Comply or die.
Interesting that HMG is attempting to ease the planning rules on change of use from commercial to residential. The high streets will be bought up by Tory carpetbaggers turning shops and offices into apartments.
Yep, its already happening, lots of people “housed” in office block, with a fenced off car park as a garden for the kiddies. Around here, many office block conversions already, into “highly desirable” modern apartments. In crap old industrial estates.
Yep, read the terms an conditions of all the equity release schemes and compounded interest – die early and they get your house for next to nothing or you heirs pay off the full debt.
Agree, that’s my interpretation as well. I’m sure some of their advisers actually believe the theory that lockdown has suppressed the virus but this is becoming increasingly untenable. But it doesn’t matter what the truth is, they will never admit to herd immunity whatever the cost.
We are probably at a slightly artificially lowered herd immunity threshold but only minimal changes of behaviour are needed to stay there. And it may go up a bit in the winter.
If we were miles off I think there would have been more actual non-phony second outbreaks by now.
The susceptible ratio is a “sigmoid curve” which basically means it approximates a light switch. You’re either miles from herd immunity or you’re basically there.
No – Boris is EVEN stupider than any of us here can imagine in our gloomiest, most depressed moments!
Ignorance is not merely bliss in their world – it is seen as a virtue.
Boris’s job is to reassure the public. He doesn’t.
I would love to believe this, but I don’t. There’s no political or psychological point in herd immunity achieved by stealth. Johnson can’t turn round in a few weeks and say “surprise! Our society is now effectively immune! Let’s party like it’s 2019!” Herd psychology is as important as herd immunity and even though herd immunity is inevitable (to whatever extent immunity is long-lasting or permanent) herd psychology cannot be changed this way, except for the worse.
Going for a drink tonight, about a mile up the road, with colleagues who live nearby. Will probably walk, because I cannot face getting on a bus. Since 23 March I’ve used public transport all of four times. All without a mask. No hassles. But the oppressive atmosphere means I’m most definitely suffering acute anxiety just at the thought of having to board a bus.
I’m the most outgoing, sociable person you could hope to meet. But with the final insult of having to cover your face to get a pint of milk, my anxiety levels have gone through the roof. Sleepless nights, irritability and anger, and close to a minor breakdown over the weekend.
All this from a measure which is meant to encourage people to rejoin society and spend money.
How can we ever hope to achieve justice against the world-class idiots who are running this shitshow?
I know exactly how you feel,I haven’t slept very well at all for a week now,I swing between anxiety and anger at the situation these morons have placed us in.I have tried my best to channel my emotions positively,I ask in shops about their mask policy and if they realise wearing one is a bad idea and I try to engage coronaphobics in discussions about doing their own research and not just listen to propaganda.I have to say though that I have had no success in either of these things !.
Some days I just feel like there is no hope but often a little thing or gesture happens that restores a bit of faith in humanity,the other day when getting my change in a shop the lovely lady took hold of my hand as she placed the money in it,a very small normal gesture that has probably happened dozens of times throughout my life but at this time of lunacy it seemed enormously important and lifted my spirits sky high.
Go for your drink MDH,enjoy it and the company of your friends and remember you are not alone in this,most of us feel the same way at some point,we will all come through it and out the other side knowing we stood by our principles and our heartfelt belief.
you are not alone, more and mote people i speak to are having sleeping problems, relationship arguments over nothing etc which are a sign of psychological disturbance and I’ve been told by 3 people in 2 days they won’t survive another lockdown but will go crazy or do something stupid or go gunning to do violence to anyone in authority enforcing it.
Frightening really.
People are a special kind of crazy right now. Apparently the Jobcentres and Universal Credit have re-instated the sanctions regime.
Still at least all those people on 80% government pay sitting about in their garden paddling pools are going to find out how good Universal Credit is.
They will find out how it feels to be sanctioned, left with no money at all and have to go to a food bank.They could well be the kind of people who support food banks as being a really really great thing. SO kind….
They could well be the same kind of people who used to twitter on about about feckless work-shy benefit scroungers and how the benefit system is way too soft.
I have been astonished how many people have agreed with me when I say that I will remember how the police and the so-called scientists have behaved for a very, very long time after this nonsense has ended.
At least they will be directing their ire at the right people. They have my backing!
Get a bike. I We went out to a country pub, actually its a Michelin Star restaurant that is depending on takeaways and a deli with an outside bar and plastic festival bogs right now. They opened during the lockdown to serve takeaway food with drinks, loads of people heard about it and FLOCKED there, loads of people, families, well behaved enjoying themselves sitting about in lovely surroundings in a little villiage, the locals complained and cops turned up (4 of them) and shut them down, threatening to take away the owners licence.
So they are in DEEP FINANCIAL POO POO. The manager told me. He is SUPER PISSED. Anyway they are just about getting along now. Sitting outside with a pint (in a plastic glass) was really nice. A lovely cycle out and back too.
I do know how you feel. I’m swinging between deep depression, chronic anxiety and panic attacks, and crying every so often. It’s exhausting. It’s traumatic. And it shouldn’t be happening. I’m giving Mask Friday a miss and getting on a plane out of the country, as I desperately need a break from all this nonsense – the dreadful atmosphere when you walk into a shop, the intense anger and anxiety that someone will be horrible to me for not wearing a mask. I lip read, so what chance do I stand i actually communicating with anybody indoors in a public place from Friday onwards? This government are evil. And I voted for them! Never, ever again. So I’m taking myself out of the country to my little house abroad for a couple of weeks, and am going to try to get my head together. The flight will be horrendous, masks all the way, as will the airports, and I will likely have a huge panic attack on the aircraft. But it will all be worth it just to escape this rotten country for a while. I cannot believe it has come to this.
I heard on the Mike Graham show (Talk Radio) that his daughter said that on her flight you didn’t have to wear one if eating, drinking or sleeping. Make sure you have a bag of popcorn or something with you and make a point of eating a piece when you need to – if you get my drift. Have a bottle of water for the same reason or pretend to be asleep. I have felt the same way as you, Carrie. The government is waging psychological war on us. This is a crime under international law. They will be held accountable in the very near future. I hope you have a lovely time. Come back refreshed, knowing that there are lots of us – and with a determined head on to fight these bastards every step of the way. xx
Bless you Lili, thank you. That does help a lot. Popcorn is a great idea as is the sleeping, as I do a lot of that on aircraft anyway. It certainly is a psychological war.
Can I come too?
I’ve just looked at the April 8th Gov report. Essentially it measured the likely years of life lost given a lockdown policy (50,000 covid deaths plus 200,000 deaths from non-covid deaths) against the projected 500,000 deaths forecast by Prof Ferguson in the absence of a lockdown. The key question that the Government need to answer is at what stage into the lockdown did they know that the Ferguson figures were a massive overestimate. Once projected Covid deaths fell below 250,000 the policy should have been reversed.
The Centre for Economic Performance (LSE) Occasional Paper 49 also published in April a study of the optimum date for releasing lockdown. From memory, the first date when the result turned positive was 1 June. Needless to say our government ignored it. Someone with more time might like to compare it with the official 8th April study, and refine both in light of the subsequent months’ data on deaths etc. I imagine it should have become increasingly obvious that the cost benefit outcome was in favour of ending lockdown long before we did.
http://cep.lse.ac.uk/_new/publications/series.asp?prog=CEPOP
Do you have a link to the 8 April government report?
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/892030/S0120_Initial_estimates_of_Excess_Deaths_from_COVID-19.pdf
8 April was also peak deaths according to CEBM at Oxford (checked many times since and still correct) proving that ‘lockdown’ came too late to be effective since peak infection was 23 days earlier (before 23/24 March). https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/tracking-mortality-over-time/
From memory the 550k figure from Imperial was the “do nothing” deaths, wasn’t it (ie no non-lockdown measures at all)? Iirc, the worst case figure for essentially going ahead with non-lockdown recommendations and precautions broadly of the kind in Sweden (“mitigation”) was 250k wasn’t it? That’s the figure that should be put against the costs of lockdown, because that was the intended alternative policy.
Reposting as it was stuck awaiting approval for hours:
As someone posted here yesterday, there are some great graphs here: https://coronavirus-staging.data.gov.uk/testing showing the extent to which the virus is disappearing from our shores.
The graph they don’t show you is the one below, which I made from the data on that link, which is the percentage of all tests that were positive. As we all know here, if you test more, you find more positives, so the absolute number is meaningless. The average % has been bumping along at around 0.5% for most of this month.
Surely these must be mostly false positives
This brilliant work. Suggest you email to Toby: lockdownsceptics@gmail.com
Great work! As has been said this must surely now be in the range of false positives. This is important!
Thanks, this is great! Yes mostly false positives I expect…
There is a SAGE briefing paper on false positives and negatives from 3rd June:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gos-impact-of-false-positives-and-negatives-3-june-2020
A few choice quotes:
“We have been unable to find any data on the operational false positive and false negative rates in the UK COVID-19 RT-PCR testing programme.”
“The UK operational false positive rate is unknown ”
“The UK operational false negative rate is unknown.”
Classic. I very rarely see any statements from any of these top experts that are not equivocal, other than when it comes to saying how dangerous the virus is and how careful we have to be. What the hell are we paying them for, and what the hell have they been doing. If this thing is so bloody dangerous, why have they not been moving heaven and earth to find whether these tests are accurate or not, instead of making up bullshit rules from nowhere and pontificating on TV and social media. They seem like a bunch of attention-seeking lightweights to me.
Parliament rises for its summer recess tomorrow. Yet the much touted face coverings in shops law, which we are told comes into force on Friday, has still not been published. Does anyone know when I will be able to read this proposed law? Or when parliament is supposed to subject the bill/statutory instrument to scrutiny?
Law will be published just as they go on holiday. Scrutiny is cancelled ‘due to covid’. Interesting that during a ‘national emergency’ with unheard of, draconian powers enacted, they still get to take a break.
These MP’s should be forced to sit in 18 hour sessions in Parliament, all of them, with feckin masks on and debate all this shit properly until November or whenever hell they figure out how to get us out of this shit-show.
The bastards.
They should not get any holidays for what they have inflicted on us – they still get their full pay, expenses and other perks while the rest of us are either on crap pay, furlough or being made redundant.
One rule for them and another for us.
They’ll probably lift the requirement for masks the day before Parliament starts its next session, thereby avoiding the need to wear masks themselves.. I think we should try to get photos of MPs out and about while on holiday, *not* wearing masks!!!!
I think the Scottish one was published on the day it became law. The SIs have been “laid before parliament” retrospectively.
Laying an SI before parliament retrospectively would be unconstitutional and would mean that its provisions were not lawful.
I bow to your superior knowledge, but they seem able to amend them without reference to parliament.
They are behaving as though this is a fascist state. The lockdown was introduced before the enabling legislation, aka, the Coronavirus Act 2020.
The Lockdown was brought into effect by regulations under the Public Health (Control of Diseases Act) 1984.
I think the constitution was thoroughly trampled on several weeks ago.
Maybe a question for Francis Hoar?
If it’s by S.I. no parliamentary oversight required.
That is not accurate. SIs have to be laid before parliament and are subject to scrutiny, although that scrutiny can take place in committee.
I’ve read recently that it is customary to allow 2 weeks for MPs to discuss it but this is not actual law.
Will try and find the link on legislation.gov.uk
It would also be perfectly legitimate and not untrue to cite exemption for the following legitimate reason:
This reason could be supported, for example, by the UK’s deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries, who has said the following about wearing face masks (which to my knowledge hasn’t been withdrawn) (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/coronavirus-news-face-masks-increase-risk-infection-doctor-jenny-harries-a9396811.html):
“For the average member of the public walking down a street, it is not a good idea…In fact, you can actually trap the virus in the mask and start breathing it in…Because of these behavioural issues, people can adversely put themselves at more risk than less.”
According to Jenny Harries it would appear that wearing a mask can cause ‘harm or injury’ and she is not the only doctor or scientist who believes so.
But, but, “the science has moved on”…
If it’s only a risk, you need a bit more practice.
Fine so long as you then move on.
The Shopping Expedition.
First stop, Home Bargains, and I was pleased to see no queue; even more pleased to see the reason why. All anti-social distancing requirements appear to have been abandoned. There were no hand-poison stations as far as I could see, and the only sign of anything untoward was a single muffled announcement about anti-social distancing, and the plastic screens at the checkout. Good.
On to Teesside Park, a medium-sized retail park near Middlesbrough. We called in M&S for a quick look; no queue, but the cafeteria was something else! All the tables have been surrounded by seven-foot-high Perspex screens. Few people were in there, even though it was lunchtime (it’s usually choc-a-bloc). The dining experience in this place must be wretched. You would, in effect, be sitting is a plastic box!
Off to Next. An epidemic of signs was present inside and outside. A few of the floor signs were curling up and constituted a tripping hazard. All staff were wearing visors, and there’s a one-way system in and out. We went to the Costa concession, open for the first time since March. Ah, a sign of things returning to normal. Yes and no. It was great to sit and have a coffee in a restaurant for the first time in four months, but every other table was closed off, the staff were berating customers in the queue for not properly anti-social distancing, and you were led to your table which, together with the chairs (!), were sprayed with insecticide or something prior to sitting down. All operatives wearing dust masks and large permanent-looking screens at the counter.
The guy who sprayed my table and chair commented on how his job was at risk, and how the screens bugger up the air conditioning behind the counter, thereby making all-day mask wearing extremely uncomfortable. He’d also heard that several outlets on the Park were in severe financial difficulties and may close.
Finally, Morrisons. No queue, but queue a management was there if needed. You are still ‘greeted’ by a security yob sticking an active body camera in your face as you enter – I tried to give him a menacing look, but it seems these goons have been conditioned not to make eye contact. In the store – most things normal, except a new queueing arrangement at the checkout actually made anti-social distancing more difficult, not that anyone was bothering anyway.
Overall, mask wearing up to about 10% in all settings. I can’t wait till Friday. NOT!
‘Hand poison stations’ – good name for them! Has anyone tried taking their own ‘sanitiser’ in a little bottle and using that in front of the staff, or do shops not allow that? Would mean you can make your own concoction (water!) and avoid the multiple applications of shop poison…
Just returned from a brief shopping trip, mainly to the local pet shop for bird seed sacks. Notice by the door, “you will need to wear a mask as from July 24th to enter the shop unless you are exempt”.
I bought a fair pile of goods and said to the staff “well, I guess I won’t be seeing you again for quite a while”. They grimaced a bit and said that they wouldn’t be enforcing the rule, but expected that other customers probably would…hence reinforcing the social-media karens and self-appointed nazis theory. They aren’t a bad shop but I can get these goods online, so sadly until the masks go they won’t be getting my money.
Outside, a slightly greater increase in numbers of nappy-wearers. My nearby small town actually has a fair proportion of elderly, so to be expected, I guess….but it was sad to see old ladies shuffling around in the heat, with their faces covered over. It can’t be doing them any good. One passed me by with the mask down under her chin. Some younger people wearing them but only a few; others sat at an outdoor cafe, no masks, just “normal”.
It is becoming depressing and I can certainly empathise with how others here are feeling. I’m doing my best to bat it off, but I can feel the “weight” in my chest….it’s not good.
Ltes hope for 36 degrees and high humidity on Friday persisting through the whole of August, lets see how that dampens people’s enthusiasm for face nappies.
Tee hee – great thought; brought a much-needed smile to my face!
Or rain – people might take off sodden face nappies!
Keep out of town centres for a bit. You’ll feel a lot better.
That was an interesting comment by the staff – are they really happy to have their customers harassing other, non-mask-wearing customers in the shop??? Confrontations are likely to decrease the numbers of customers they get, because it will make for a stressful shopping environment..
My great adventure out because I must.
Sitting in the sun in Norwich in pub garden having a pint of cider.
Compared to the normal drive here apart from M6 through Brum was pretty quiet all the way with trucks being the majority but amazing how many car drivers have forgotten how to drive on motorways – idiotic and a nightmare.
Checked in hotel, apart from pathetic screen all normal which was surprising after receiving numerous e-mails all week about their covid safe precautions and so on, all extras removed from room and soon but found kettle in cupboard, cup safe in plastic bag and all else normal. Bar and restaurant room service only but you can sit in reception, order a beer and drink it sitting there chatting to other guests which is fine but opening the bar isn’t which I can’t figure out.
Wetherspoons opposite so thought screw it going for a pint so off I went. Only difference I can see is no bar stools at bar (put by a high shelf round the corner so it feels like sitting at a bar) and a very small screen at the till, no asking to do track and trace (I was looking forward to giving lord lucan’s name and handjob’s address), no asking to do sanitiser, no asking to download app, takes cash, no social distancing, normal human contact and interaction for an unknown stranger in a locals pub – took me completely by surprise.
Best bit – absolutely no masks by anyone, not seen one person in a mask all day even when driving through villages, fuelling up, going to post office (another parcel of two-six’s badges going to friends).
Hope tomorrow is as surprising.
I have another 100 on order, should be here by the 27th.
Had a few here notice them and pointed them to ebay for you.
It’s quite hopeful how many wanna be but didn’t know there was anyone else out there who were thinking the same and didn’t know where to turn to discuss and research.
one person at a time, drip drip drip
There seemed to be a very coordinated attack on anyone who doesn’t take the vaccine in todays newspapers. I find this very sinister because it seems the government is actively framing anyone who doesn’t have the vaccine or wear a mask all the time as an enemy. They seem to be actively encourage at the very least verbal attacks on dissenters perhaps even physical attack.
One article in the Telegraph by Celia Walden (Piers Morgans wife) is fascist level propaganda – ‘Anti-vaxxers are selfish – our lives shouldn’t be put into conspiracy theorists’ hands’
The Times article by Melanie Philips – ‘Anti-vaxxers threaten the Covid fightback’ isn’t quite as irresponsible. I get the impression she would like to punish people but wouldn’t go as far as Celia Walden (re-education camps?).
Every article like these that appear make me more hostile and angry about the government response. I have no problem with people voluntarily taking a vaccine but this feels incredibly authoritarian. It feels like the establishment is at war with all lockdown sceptics – and want complete submission. Where will this end?
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-restrictions-refuse-vaccine-135129841.html
“But conversely, if large numbers of people of the right cohort, those who are at most at risk of COVID infection, do not get vaccinated, then the restrictions will have to remain and we will not be returning to normal until the vaccination is in place.”
Another good example, they have clearly decided on a psychological warfare strategy to get their way on both mask wearing and vaccines. Anyone who doesn’t comply is your enemy.
I’ve noticed the same thing, labelling people as “anti-vaxxers,” in exactly the same way that those who don’t believe in the climate change hype are labelled “climate deniers.” It’s the same as “Karens” or their favourite, “racists.”
It’s about putting people on the defensive about something that the Powers That Be wish to impose upon the population. They don’t do this about flu jabs, and call those that don’t have one an “anti vaxxer.” We get a choice about whether we have a flu nab, and we aren’t named and shamed via the mainstream media, despite the annual deaths due to the flu (although,has anyone had a relative or friend who has died of the flu? I’m 65, and I’ve never known of anyone who has.)
As far as I’m concerned, it betrays a heavy hand of coercion, which in turn makes me all the more suspicious about their motives. It’s not as if this all hasn’t been predicted months ago.
As every week goes by I sadly become more suspicious of their motives. I particularly don’t want to see the widespread introduction of facial recognition technology to be used to pay for things – which has also been heavily promoted in the past few weeks. We are monitored enough already.
Bill Gates has heavily invested in that technology too.
Wankock originates from AI interests.
Hopefully the results will be as effective as the world-beating T&T system.
There is nothing dodgy that he has not invested in!
It’s all rather depressing and unfortunately there’s eff all we can do about it. The vast majority of the population buy into this ‘always on’, ‘want/have it now’ culture and wouldn’t have it any other way. I cant say I agree, but like nuclear weapons, these things cannot be uninvented (if there is such a word).
There is no stopping the technology juggernaut and all the groundwork has been done; Amazon have proved this by wiping out most of the high street in less than a decade. If the high steeet is to return to its former glory, then it will be accompanied with 5G which is simply the pièce de résistance or rather the enabler. Phones, ID cards, embedded ID, it doesn’t matter what medium, the mechanisms to track people in real-time is here.
Why? Money and control. Same as it has always been.
Meh. This is incorrect. The falsehood that the majority is always right, always wins, is always virtuous, is totally wrong.
I’ve not yet known anyone who has died of flu either..
Ironically Melanie Phillips who hates ‘anti vaxxers’ is a ‘climate denier’ lol…..so she is 50/50.
It does look like this is confirmation of a commercial sales ploy, not a health campaign, since the level of information is about that of the average TV ad aimed at getting f.wits into shopping malls.
The government seems to think it has to coerce and influence everyones behaviour constantly. Also the technology companies are very good at influencing populations. There is so much group think and herd behaviour these days.
When they talked about herd immunity back in March, do you think they actually meant immunity from common sense?
This fits in nicely with Hancock’s claim that the public will enforce mask-wearing. It’s mob rule. But bear in mind that the vaccine is only at Stage 1 (safety) and, by the time it’s ready, the economic shit will have decidedly hit the fan and people will be thinking about that instead.
We need Hancock’s head on a spike. He is a wrong un
I knew there had to be some use for that spike!
My friend is predicting that the public will start to turn away from the muzzles when by the end of this month the shops will report that things are have turned from worse to worst since they were allowed to reopen last 15 June. Its very likely that more retail companies from August will begin redundancy proceedings and close more outlets.
I read the Celia Walden article. She claimed that “6 million” had died of Covid. Pretty hard to take someone seriously when they can’t even be bothered to get the basic facts right.
She also can’t do maths – on her calculation 7.5% is 1 in 30!
She married Piers. Everything else pales into insignificance surely ?
I don’t care what they say, I’m still not having it!
I read the article by Celia Walden this morning, felt highly insulted by it, and cancelled my Telegraph subscription. I’ve told them why. I’ve been meaning to do it for a while now but that article was the final straw.
I really really don’t like Melanie Philips, a horrible horrible woman.
She used to talk sense. I think her brain has rotted.
Agree. She seems to have gone rogue since this thing started – and she decamped to Jerusalem. The odd article, fair enough, because you can never agree with anyone all of the time. But this is a pattern – a bit like Rod Liddle?
It’s all doom and gloom over at The Telegraph Wuhan Lab Flu live feed today (paywall):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-news-vaccine-oxford-deal-cases-deaths-social-distancing/
Too much to report here, but how about this little nugget:
Covid-19 will not be done by Christmas, says Farrar
Wellcome Trust director Professor Sir Jeremy Farrar told the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee that the world will be living with Covid-19 for “very many, many years to come”.
“Things will not be done by Christmas. This infection is not going away, it’s now a human endemic infection,” he told MPs.
“Even, actually, if we have a vaccine or very good treatments, humanity will still be living with this virus for very many, many years to come.
“We need to keep the urgency in place in June, July and August, but we need to move now to a consistent long-term approach to this.
“Because humanity will be living with this infection for decades to come.”
These bounders are just not going to let it go! So if we’ll be living with the Lab Flu for “very many, many years to come”, is he suggesting face-nappy wearing and anti-social distancing for “very many, many years to come”? I wish someone in the MSM would ask this type of question – but they never do. I wonder why?
He’s right in that viruses usually hang around forever. The key thing is how we live with it, and whether we live with it in a way that is appropriate to the level of threat it poses. I doubt his ideas and mine of “appropriate” are close to one another.
I had hoped that with time and the obvious evidence before people’s eyes, they would realise we just need to move on, but so far most people have got it stuck in their heads that covid is the most deadly thing we’ve faced in centuries, so bastards like our government can get away with virtually anything in its name.
It makes you realise how dense we can be sometimes – once an idea is fixed, it’s hard to remove.
How to live with an asymptomatic endemic virus?
Hmmmm, now let me think ….
If we are going to be living with it for decades to come, just let us live with it! If they don’t, we will be both living with the virus and the atomisation of the economy just to compound matters.
Its funny their live news feeds is generally very negative and scaremongering. Some columnists are very anti ‘new normal’ and some are balanced but then there is the extreme columnists like Celia Walden which is no surprise living with Piers Morgan.
We’ll be living with Piers Morgan for a long time.
I wish he stayed in America to be honest. I can’t think of a worse start to the day than watching GMB.
That is optional – for now!
I’ve never watched GMB, but I’m now 6 days BBC Breakfast free and I’m a _much_ happier chap.
Every day in every way you are getting better and better
wahey!
bin the telly next if you haven’t
I don’t watch tv at all.
What was my tv doesn’t go on till about 10pm. Even then it’s just acting as monitor for my Amazon firestick.
No ads, no propaganda. Bliss!
I’m currently watching Good Omens. Extremely apt – more so than when first released.
I am the same Cheezilla. I use an Apple TV and just watch Netflix, Prime or my own assortment of films. Sometimes even old DVDs. I steer clear of all the paranoia and propaganda and government announcements. I do sometimes listen to Mike Graham on Talk Radio but that’s it.
I gave up the telly more than 20 years ago
and remember, with a fire stick, install “downloader” app and then the “cinema” app and then the world is your lobster as Del boy would say.
He was virtually driven out of the States.
Bring Back Catastrophe have the same story. So, just like colds, flu and AIDS, then?
So let’s unpick this :
“This infection is not going away,”
So … is this a scientist or Mystic Meg? He needs to make up his mind about what his profession is. We don’t know that – it’s the same old regurgitated speculation that Ferguson and ICL dish out.
But say it’s true that “humanity will still be living with this virus for very many, many years to come.”
So what? We live with innumerable sources of infection and take sensible precautions as and when necessary with out diving under the duvet every time someone in the world sneezes.
It’s a mild infection for most; not much of a blip on the risk radar – and currently diminishing fast. Get over it and stop dancing to the pharmaceutical industry tune (of which the Wellcome Trust is a player in then band)
At least he’s admitting that it’s endemic. That’s surprisingly enlightened.
Welcome Trust? Bill Gates funded so their opinion ot worth reading.
Wellcome Donottrust (aka Uncle Bill’s puppets.)
We need to keep the urgency in place
You have to admit, they are quite open about their psy-ops. Your query about the MSM pets speaks volumes.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EddH1X3WsAACwbD?format=jpg&name=900×900
Great meme!
I think this comment sums up the innumeracy (and the phenomenon of intelligence dropping like a stone) that Covid causes – by far its most serious effect.
“We can put the health issue to one side because it’s irrelevant. Covid-19 currently has a prevalence of 0.03 per cent with a fatality rate (of that 0.03 per cent) of 0.25 per cent. Multiply those two things together and watch the numbers diminish faster that Piers’s ratings on Good Morning Britain. Forget the “R” number: 0.25 per cent of 0.03 per cent is the metric by which Boris Johnson has decided, like some Roman Emperor, to redefine by diktat just how we should all live.”
3 cheers for Wetherspoons Plough and Harrow at Hammersmith. Spent all afternoon yesterday catching up 3 months worth of pubbing with a friend on our first pub outing since this all started. Very light touch Covid “rules” – a few floor marking, some perspex screens, hand sanitizer and voluntary contact form to fill in. And best of all astonishingly low prices for Hammersmith – about £2.50 for Kronenberg and £1.39 for IPA.
We’d normally go to a Greene King pub up the road but they are literally twice the as expensive. So Tim has secured two converts.
We will be visiting our Wetherspoons this week.
I ‘collect’ Wethy’s, been to 86 of them so far. And yes, I’ve got a list in my anorak pocket.
It’s amazing how much slagging off Wethy’s get, usually by people who don’t use them. Honestly, look at a website on any subject, news, nuclear physics or knitting, read the comments and there will be someone having a go.
Wethy’s offer excellent choice and value, and right now they are doing it right with all the malarkey. The ‘requirements’ are there, but nothing is pushed at you. No masks on staff so far.
I can drink genuinely good beer for £2 a pint. Other pubs in town are nearly double that. The food is decent and at a sensible price – it doesn’t say ‘Gordon Ramsay’ over the door but it’s not £100 for your dinner, either.
Wherever we go, I look out for a Wethy’s, because I know I won’t get ripped off.
Or ‘Spoons’ as my sons and their mates refer to it. The App is apparently very good!
I turn my phone off and pay cash (which they are fine with), full tinfoil hat job!
That’s really good to know!
They used the App before any of this nonsense, so the pints were already lined up on the table for them when they arrived as it (used to) take 10mins or more to get served!
You know, TT, it’s really sad that we are getting excited and posting on a web forum that… We went to the pub and it was quite ordinary.
What has happened to this country?
I agree Sam. What is so worrying, is where the country is heading – off the cliff – and our lords and masters, many of whom would not/did not survive in the real world of work, don’t know and don’t care.
I’m a convert too. My local Wetherspoons is my new favourite pub thanks to the light touch approach to the COVID madness!
Did you have to order by app and pay with plastic?
No problem ordering at the bar and paying cash, where I’ve been.
Same here, signs up being ignored
A comment on the Off-Guardian website:
“The vaccine has been the punchline to this pantomime since the start.
I believe the vaccine has been ready from the very start. It’s not about what’s in it. It’s that you’ve had it.
There is a mass ‘disinformation’ war going on against vaccines. Hancock has forbidden the media from printing any detrimental effects of vaccines in UK. This will intensify with increased media propaganda over the next few months.
It’s interesting they’re suggesting this magical vaccine will most likely reduce symptoms but not cure the ‘virus’.
This is all just a smokescreen and propaganda.
The WHO will undoubtedly promote these vaccines as their investors are big pharma and their biggest donator is Gates.
If this vaccine was genuine then all the evidence for taking and not taking should be laid on the table and then people decide for themselves if they want to take it and no pressure would be applied to take it.
We are told the wonders of modern science have made this possible. Well then why have they not got a vaccine against cancer etc.
The Covid vaccines are not about health. Their about control and profit.
It’s going to be impossible to get it made mandatory but governments all over the world will try and get businesses, shops, airlines etc to implement no entry unless you can prove you’ve had it.
That’s where the hope is that many places will refuse but I don’t see this as likely.
From the governments point of view this about total control over its citizens. Sure they can track us now through smartphones, financial records, passports.
But how many people especially criminals have fake passports, pay as you go phones and pay cash.
But by inadvertently making vaccinations compulsory and doing away with cash they have
complete control over every aspect of your life.
This is why they are willing to destroy their economies and why there’s no political opposition as the so called opposition would do exactly the same.
It doesn’t effect any politician as they will sail off into the sunset after this with their big fat pensions.
For big pharma and Gates this is financial heaven.
Any side effects to the vaccines will be music to their ears as they can produce more medicines for profit.
The only way this can be stopped is for the people to overthrow the government or just refuse to follow any of their guidance.
The mandatory masks are just a trial to see how compliant the public are.
But the majority of people are just too lazy to actually think properly.
People are too caught up in themselves, their image, money, their desire to be loved and to fit into society to actually bother researching anything.
They believe the media as it’s easier and quicker than having to think for themselves and the behavioural team within the governments are very convincing in their propaganda and mind control.
Of course not everyone is like this but we are in a minority.”
Do you have the link to the article under which this was posted?
https://off-guardian.org/2020/07/20/watch-your-body-their-choice/
(The comment is by Paul Jul 21, 2020 2:09 PM )
big pHARMa
It’s not a financially viable model for pharma to cure or prevent illness. They need to treat it and keep treating it for as long as the money lasts.
Can we FOI the ‘ingredients’?
No chance. They’ll say it’s intellectual property.
Can we get the russians to nab the recipe! – this is a joke by the way. But, interesting idea now I’ve made it, anyone have Chris Steeles number?
Mason Mills reckons that 1. the vaccination will not be mandatory and 2. that we will be selling ‘our’ vaccine to the EU and this will help us get a trade deal…As they are still at the testing stage, this would seem somewhat presumptuous, unless they actually already have had a vaccine prepared and ready-to-go for some time..
My suspicion is that it will not be mandatory, there will *initially* be no consequences for refusing it, but that they will then release a more lethal virus into circulation (or else somehow invoke a strong second wave of some sort?), thus either increasing voluntary take-up for vaccines, or as a strong argument for mandatory vaccination. Remember that BG has said in interviews that people ‘will take it seriously next time’…
I am beginning to get irritated by Mason Mills. I should ignore him/her I suppose. Whoever it is, I wish they would go away.
I don’t get why all these people hang on his every word thinking that its Dominic Cummings. All these stupid people following a fake account, believing their saviour is speaking to them!
I’m not at all sure it is Cummings, but given his annoying tendency to have correct information, I’m guessing that whoever he is, he is an insider of some sort..
He annoys me too, not least because what he writes tends to come true… including stuff I do not want to think about…
This is an article about a study done a few years ago…
Every Human Vaccine Tested Was Contaminated by Unsafe Levels of Metals and Debris Linked to Cancer and Autoimmune Disease, New Study Reports
Researchers examining 44 samples of 30 different vaccines found dangerous contaminants, including red blood cells in one vaccine and metal toxicants in every single sample tested – except in one animal vaccine.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/dirty-vaccines-new-study-reveals-prevalence-of-contaminants/5572881
Not sure they can get away with that.
They nave for years.
For me to work with mercury safe level is 2 parts per billion, each child vaccine averages 51000 parts per billion.
Not safe for me to work with but safe to inject into a small child?
Quite, AG. My reply was to Cheezilla re list of ingredients.
Heavy metals and red blood cells are some of the nicer, cleaner, less harmful vaccine ingredients.
Look on the CDC website – list of ingredients is there..
Look at who backs “Mental Health Weeks”.
The same muppets that have induced mass-psychosis on almost everybody and cheered for the policies that have caused staggering damage to tens of millions of people in the UK.
‘Hancock has forbidden the media from printing any detrimental effects of vaccines in UK.’ – did not know that – when and where did he do that?
It is obvious that either the virus is not that dangerous or that they’ve had a vaccine pre-pre-prepared from the start, because otherwise the likes of Gates (who is no spring chicken) would not have been out and about and giving interviews – he’d have been worried about infection.
You are right – this is all about control and profit!
Another great AIER article by Jeffrey Tucker:
https://www.aier.org/article/the-return-of-brutalism
Eloquent, excellent.
‘you literally unleash Hell’.
And they have.
Take up his final message. Live, live, stay human. If we all do that, the hell demons can’t win.
Wearing a mask reduces available oxygen fairly badly from 20.5% down to 17.4%: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnrgWo5UQNA
That’s still slightly more oxygen than you get on a plane.
Except (a) you sit on a plane, hardly an aerobic activity (even cf. walking) (ever noticed how easily people fall asleep on the planes?), and (b) they make people wear them on planes too!
Good on you KH. Keep up the good work and I will be there for a lovely cup of ‘normal’ one day, I promise.
You go, girl, as the young people say (I think).
Sam Vimes, please go and take over the British police service. Never was your robust approach more needed.
Ankh-Morpork for ever!
(Can you imagine Vetinari gibbering with Coronapanic? But there would be a marvellously satirised Coronagod,)
I am starting to get quite frightened by all these new ‘opinion’ columns popping up around the place trying to push the vaccine and branding anyone who is even slightly sceptical of having it as an ‘anti-vaxxer’.
I am not an ‘anti-vaxxer’. I have had pretty much the entire suite of childhood vaccines and regard them as one of the greatest advances of modern science, along with modern sanitation. I acknowledge that just like with any other medical treatment, there is a small minority of people who are harmed by vaccines but society, in a utilitarian calculation, weighs up that harm caused to this small minority and comes to the conclusion that it is outweighed by the benefit of well-developed, safe, and properly tested vaccines enjoyed by the majority.
HOWEVER. I can think of nothing worse than being forced to inject something into me that is practically experimental and has not been in development long enough. To me, that is a serious violation of bodily autonomy. For some reason invasion of bodily autonomy really disturbs me on a fundamental level and makes me feel quite panicked. We are being told that scientists are working round the clock to develop the Covid vaccine at truly unprecedented speed, but I just don’t understand how this unprecedented development speed is an adequate substitute for proper thorough development and actually giving the vaccine TIME for any adverse side-effects to manifest, that may well only appear after months or even years. There is a reason vaccines normally take so long to properly develop – so that we can be 100% sure they’re as safe as possible.
I really upsets me how there are more and more people demonising those who wish to simply have the free choice of bodily autonomy. Am I really such a bad person for not wanting to inject some rushed vaccine into my body? The fact that those who simply want to give the matter some thought and want all the information presented to them before making a decision about what to put in their own damned bodies are being smeared as ‘anti-vaxxer conspiracy theorists’ is a sad indictment on the current state of our social media-driven society, where everything is broken down into simple soundbite binaries, the ‘good’ vaccine-takers vs the ‘bad’ anti-vaxxers, because everyone has been so dumbed down and has such a short attention span now. I don’t understand how people can take this view when the flu vaccine isn’t even mandatory. There is just no scope for any sort of nuanced view. You are either good for wanting the vaccine or evil for even daring to question it.
No Poppy, you are absolutely right to be cautious. The attack dogs have been sent out, and many vested interests are protesting a bit too much. Happy to go to the back of the queue and have the vaccine five years or so after every politician and their entourage have had it. I also speak as someone who is in favour of vaccination, having paid to have various additional ones for my children. Me and my husband are both natural scientists by background.
Hancock’s speech in Parliament re ‘anti-vaxxers’ was appalling!
Re the vaccine, Wankock said:
He said: ‘We’ll use all the assets we’ve got available to get it into people. In fact, I am expanding who can legally vaccinate to make sure not just GPs, but also technicians, nurses and pharmacists.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8529775/Matt-Hancock-says-pharmacists-able-Covid-jab-speed.html
Exactly – instead of track and trace jobs will they be offering people the opportunity to be trained as ‘vaccinators’?
What does he mean by ‘all the assets we’ve got available’? Will he use some clause in the coronavirus law to enforce compliance? Because isn’t there a clause that they can ‘remove’ you from your home if you are suspected of having the virus and treat you by force? Could that not be extended to include vaccination?
Nudge unit social coercian. Emergency bill conferring powers from PCs to public health professionals. Advertising/influencers. Legal. Experts. Media complicity. That sort of thing I would think.
PCs?
Police constables.
‘Get it into people’ – seriously unhinged words. ‘Cock is no creative so, is that the phrase his physcopathic briefers are using?
I would feel sick if I spoke in such brutal terms in a speech to a nation of people. He doesn’t because he is different from 96% of people.
He’s different from 100% of people. He is unique. I hope.
I agree, he is repeating language he has heard from others – likely Gates; sounds like something he would say..
“They are threatening lives and we should all in this house stand shoulder to shoulder against the anti-vax movement .” – what Hancock said in Parliament…
Movement?
Vax… the abrievation is a sign of intend to brand questions as toxic. Deliberate conscious language.
I think the vaccine narrative is just the latest chapter in arse-covering. If there’s some “miracle” cure then there’s an excuse to abandon the rest of the pantomime. Looked at coldly, the illness is simply not worth this amount of frantic effort. It makes no sense other than as a (final?) heroic chapter in the “story”.
The vaccine needs have no efficacy at all and, as if seems increasingly likely, the virus mutates into something even less lethal, then at least SOMETHING will have been seen to be done. Boris and chums will have saved the day, and then we can all be in the ensuing financial calamity together.
My gut feeling (and it has been all along) is that this is best understood as a media-driven hysteria – like Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds, but on a global scale.
Hmm, media-encouraged, certainly, but politician-driven and that is where the buck should stop! Does ANYONE believe that Maggie Thatcher would have rolled over at the behest of the media?
No, and she would have sent Ferguson and his model packing long before it got its fourth (or is it fifth now?) outing!
I couldn’t agree more. I keep asking myself why so much effort and fanfare is going into rushing out a vaccine for a mild illness when there are so many other more dangerous diseases, infectious and non-infectious, that we should be focusing on. Surely the answer is that governments panicked back in February, realised that panic was unnecessary, and now need a get-out to end the hysteria and ludicrous lockdowns without admitting they made an enormous policy mistake. Hey presto – the vaccine.
It’s not just the effort and fanfare. I keep wondering why they’re so happy to destroy the economy. Thatcher was happy to deliberately make 4 million people unemployed but this is on a different scale entirely.
Couldn’t agree more. The vaccine is a cover – for the basic delusion that everyone keeps ignoring, that this is a ‘horrific’ ‘ deadly’ virus that everyone has to pull out all the stops to vaccinate against. Just listeNed to PM on Radio 4 – a scientist warning that the vaccine may be only ‘mediocre’ offering limited immunity or only lessening symptoms ( Although my thought was- how would you ever know anyway given that unprotected, the virus can produce only mild symptoms? ) . We were told ( by presenter) that the conclusion must be ‘ so there is ‘no alternative‘ to ‘living forever more with the new normal’ . ‘What about Sweden?’ I found myself screaming at the radio. What about returning to THAT ‘normal’? Why is the obvious not acceptable to admit? Why should my healthy teenager be pressurised into taking a vaccine ( largely untested and without any certainty of lasting effectiveness) against the risk of contracting a virus that for her would have minimal risk of serious illness. Why is no one allowed to take balanced, rational decisions any more?
I always laugh at the vaccine narrative: on the one hand, “they” (being “scientists” who either have no idea or conveniently forgot how primary vs secondary adaptive immune response works) say that “immunity against COVID-19 dissapears shortly” then they push the vaccine, if the disappearnace of acquired immunity were true, what’s the point of the vaccine?..
I suspect that they will use the temporary immunity theory as an excuse for repeated boosters. I’m not a scientist and if I am wrong on that front then I suspect that all this conflicting information is simply government’s attempt to keep the fear going as well as just incompetence.
I fear that this might be Pandemrix all over again…
I did see a video – not sure how reliable the source is – but it implied that the effects of any adjuvant in the vaccine might not be seen for 7 years – main effect being sterility, thereby vastly reducing the population. Not wholly unlikely given that Gates and Johnson are known to both wanting to achieve that end..
Well, I can’t speek for veracity of that claim, and I’m certainly not an anti-vaxxer, nor do I do conspiracy theories; in fact it’s entirely plausible that Gates et al. have good intentions just don’t have the requisite knowledge and understanding and might be led by their noses… but that’s besides the point.
My view is that there are some illnesses for which vacsination should be mandated and paid for by the State (BCG is a great example (fun fact: worldwide, there are way more TB deaths per year than COVID-19 ones), you could probably stick MMR into the same category), there are others however, which are downright pointless bordering on stupid… I have been vaccinated for many things myself, but I’d never agree to get a COVID-19 vaccination (science *must* never be rushed!) or a ‘flu jab for that matter, personally, I think it’s pointless, and a lot more could be achieved by simply boosting one’s immune system, for example.
I think anyone/everyone should be cautious of a vaccine that has been rushed through and not subjected to the proper testing procedures and evaluate side effects. I think there will be many people who are skeptical of the vaccine when the time comes.
I’m not an anti-vaxxer in the slightest but i will not be in the first queue and will wait for some months and ask to see the risk analysis/side effects before injecting in my body.
There does seem to be an anti-vaxxer contingency around who don’t vaxx their kids with the recommended jabs etc. I don’t know any – and would be interesting to hear their views on this vaccine coming our way soon. My gut feel is that many would be somewhat pro-lockdown and masks for the good of the community – but when the vaccine comes along their values could be challenged.
It’s going to cause an almighty problem in the US, if not here. Many ethnic groups might be loosely described as anti-vaxx. Louis Farrakhan as already sounded the alarm:
https://newsone.com/3971438/farrakhan-warns-black-people-covid-19-vaccine/
I suspect he might be right about this and I am not a fan of Louis Farrakhan he is a divisive figure to say the least! not sure if he has much of a following these days.
Anti-vaxxer corrects gut feel – the lockdown, masks, and mandatory vaccines can all do one. (That’s me being very restrained.).
(How on earth did you conclude people who (rightly or wrongly) make up their own minds about an issue would swallow the wuflu bollocks ?).
Now is the time for Pharma to capitalise on this unprecedented business opportunity.
Leaders need a spectre of dangers to give reason for their being.
Pharma needs “XXers” to crush and show how good pharma truly are.
If you are a reasonable questioning person it is important you are labelled and caused to look evil.
This is age old manipulation of groups by leaders.
Yes. We used to eat babies – in Churches! People are manifestly gullible to the point of idiocy but I think the PTB would struggle to get that one accepted nowadays!
I can’t see the economics of it here. Maybe in the US at a pinch, but even then.
Let’s assume the vaccine only costs £20 a dose and that everyone only needs a single dose a year. if you’re going to vaccinate every man, woman and child in the country, you do so at a cost of ~£1.4Bn. That’s ‘only’ 1% of the NHS budget for 2019/20, but it’s a staggering amount of money that could clearly be better allocated elsewhere as compared to vaccinating the vulnerable (as we do with ‘flu) and anyone who’s prepared to pay for it themselves.
Things become more complex in the US. Drugs and vaccinations are more expensive there and a significant proportion of the population (a more significant proportion now) aren’t insured and won’t be able to afford it.
In short, I don’t buy it.
My meaning really wasn’t about the pure profit, though you couldn’t know. The opportunity is broader to lock pharma into a fundamental role of human life. To strengthen the ‘brand’.
Yes, you can argue pharma is already essential to life. But it is possible to imagine a time of greater monopoly where drugs are expected weekly to get us all through normal regular daily life. Dependent upon frequent boosters.
Why waste considerable effort to stamp out any reasonable questioning? They ought to be confident now to allow questions, detailed scrutiny and criticism. It’s a business method not a health method I am seeing.
Spied this just now. Weekly PCR tests for all health and care workers.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/21/covid-19-test-all-health-and-care-workers-once-or-twice-a-week-says-top-uk-scientist
Companies want a bigger market to make more profits. They seek opportunities to achieve this. They do, in fact, have a statutory obligation to do so. Big deal. I might think worse of somebody who chooses to be over-medicated, but it is their decision and they’re as entitled to making that choice as is someone who refuses a recommended vaccine.
What worries me most is that there clearly is no need whatsoever for this much-touted vaccine. The massive machine that is promoting it is extremely scary.
Double shots of double protection they say… and no one saying on the most basic level – what now? I need a double dose of a vaccine you say will give double protection? Why!
Double face masks too ! You saw it here first …
Im telling you John, get that second mask on inside out and you protect yourself and your granny! We could do good business!
Yes indeed. One remembers thalidomide (I know, not a vaccine but not sufficiently tested)!
Yes, worth remembering.
Quite right to question the rushed vaccine. Things have to be tested over time, it is normally a highly responsible job developing a vaccine…many factors to test and evaluate before shoving it into people. I am not anti-vax either, having had all the usual inputs during my sixty-plus years, apart from the flu jab. I have a lab background and appreciate the amount of work that must be done to develop safe vaccines. Rushing it is not acceptable. Many people are ignorant of science and just believe what “experts” tell them.
Anyone who hasn’t read Celia Waldens article in the Telegraph. I would recommend searching ‘Anti-vaxxers are selfish – our lives shouldn’t be put into conspiracy theorists’ handsCELIA WALDEN’ The article isn’t behind a paywall today. It is a truly dreadful article particularly the sinister threat at the end.
She married Piers Morgan. ‘Nuff said.
PS Still paywalled for me.
Somebody married Piers Morgan? How????
Christ. Sure she’s not just after a lethal injection?
As mentioned in the comments section to the article earlier today, the top 23 comments were all slating it.
Seems to be behind a paywall now…
I’m sure the lack of paywall is significant.
I agree, I’m pro-vaccine but very much anti any vaccine that has been rushed through at such an unprecedented speed without the usual trials and checks. That does not make me an anti-vaxxer but they are now branding anyone who doesn’t want the covid vaccine as such, to discredit them and pressure anyone on the fence to accept the jab.
Well said Poppy. The government is stubbornly refusing to admit they have been wrong, roll back this insanity and apologise. Therefore they are pushing this ill advised vaccine in order to carry on digging their holes. What is appalling are the sheep who are still refusing to wake up and see all these for what it truly is.
I used to work for Swiss lawyers working in intellectual property, often to do with new medical drugs. The constant complaint was that any new drug had to go through an incredibly rigorous testing process, so rigorous and so slow that many innovations just sank under the inertia and vast burden of costs. The US was, naturally, the most rigorous of all. Any new drug normally takes years and years to get the go-ahead.
All gone to the winds.
If you haven’t seen it already Poppy, there is an excellent video on the Alliance for natural Health’s website about the important questions to be answered about any vaccine for CV19: https://www.anhinternational.org/news/the-uncertain-promise-of-a-covid-vaccine-the-video/
It’s a good video to send to anyone, be they pro or anti vaccines; it is not confrontational in tone and asks all the questions everyone should be asking before they allow themselves to be vaccinated. I did not know that Bill Gates has invested in a majority of the ‘candidate’ vaccines!
Oh yes, he’s really been hedging his bets – no doubt got a lot more people in his pocket as a result.
It’s not so much the vaccine that bothers me (other than the caveats you’ve already mentioned, such as lack of trials, etc), but what else the government wants to hang on it: the so-called “health passport”. The potential for abuse (and ANY power given to the authorities is abused, sooner rather than later) is terrifying.
Hurrah for you! There’s one way you could get in with the muzzled ones – when they drop muzzles on your tables you swan over with a dog poo bag, tasteful pink perhaps, and say with a big welcoming caring smile: “you might like to tuck your mask into this bag to secure it while you’re here” (and keep me and my staff and customers safe from all the disgusting bacteria caught in your ridiculous and pointless muzzle). You’re seen as considerate, and when they fish the darn things out of the plastic bag it will be, with a bit of luck, still moist and therefore unpleasant to wear?
Scented nappy bag – and spray the table where the mask was with really stinky disinfectant.
Just grin, and count your takings.
Prof Drosten, who is the chief medical adviser in Germany and inventor of the PCR test, in an interview in January to the new virus in China, declared that masks are absolutely useless.
He also, like Niall Ferguson, was wrong about Swine fly and therefor is not well liked by other scientists and doctors in Germany. Now, of course, Prof Drosten has changed his mind re masks, but the interview has been making the circuit in Germany the last 2 days.
Sadly a lot of German councils require a medical attest, and many shops do not even accept those, so there are legal challenges brought against this legislation, as well as challenging the basic human rights of freedom of expression etc. Go Germany!!!
Kary Mullis invented the PCR test.
Drosten produced the little string of RNA that the current test looks for. Mullis said his test (Nobel Prize 1993) was not meant for this work but for replicating RNA for commercial use. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1993/mullis/facts/
and the freedom to eat
If any country needs to avoid fascism …. !
Met up with a friend today who is a fellow LS – had a lovely time, weather was great and nice to see not many people muzzled up. Also interesting that on my way to see her and on the way back home there was none of the face coverings announcement on the underground. Most odd unless they are preparing to roll out as new one as someone on Twitter I believe has heard a new announcement about “not everyone can wear one so please show respect” that sort of thing.
She also managed to persuade me to drop my boycott and we went to Foyles and whilst it was fairly dead, we were not made to sanitise our hands and no one told us off for browsing books.
The only blight to a lovely day was when we stumbled upon St Stephen Walbrook church, we were rudely told to sanitise our hands and leave our details for the NHS test and trace. We refused and walked out of the church. A letter to the Bishop of London is now being drafted as I’m typing this.
So not all even all Fascists agree with Handjob that rabid mobs should be unleashed to enforce face nappies?
By God ( the real one, not the squalid pretend one in Walbrook), I hope that appalling remark comes back to haunt him.
Train companies like Southwestern and Southern Rail have been making those announcements and have signs imploring people to show respect to those who don’t wear muzzles. Hopefully TFL will follow suit.
And agree with you about Lieutenant Gruber – if he’s not careful, when the time comes he might find himself with the boot on him.
…announcements and signs imploring people to show respect to those who don’t wear muzzles…
Fantastic! Stupid policy inadvertently undermined by its implementers. Brilliant!
You could interpret that as the train companies also thinking the face nappy mandate is stupid and are giving the green light to the rebels who refuse to wear one… or am I being naive?
If the ‘New Normal’ Is Not Paranoid and Totalitarian Enough for You, Don’t Worry — It’s Just Getting Started
GloboCap is teaching us a lesson. The lesson is: “This is what you get when you f**k around with GloboCap”
https://www.anti-empire.com/if-the-new-normal-is-not-paranoid-and-totalitarian-enough-for-you-dont-worry-its-just-getting-started/
Hmm, a little de trop! Indicates what happens when a lefty goes over the top.
If you could detail the over the top bits please, Ian. I thought it pretty accurate
CJ Hopkins writes on off-guardian.org – I’ve always found his/her articles to be sound.
It’s also on OffG. An excellent piece.
Thanks Tenchy. Bloody hell, not enough time in the day, etc. etc.
I missed it as their damn mailing system isn’t working.
Excellent as always.
Coca-Cola: Staying apart is the best way to stay united
???
Straight out of the 1984 Doublespeak manual!
Strong stuff and interesting comparisons. He doesn’t pull his punches.
Oh, how our MPs have let us down! Are they really so incapable of independent thought that they must spend their lives sucking on the media’s teats?
I’ve been working on a checklist for the real symptoms of Covid-19. I reckon we can be fairly sure of a diagnosis now. The symptoms revealed by my considered research find that they actually comprise :
Others’ observations will be welcomed in diagnosing this crippling disease.
Overwhelming desire to virtue signal on antisocial media
A desire to persecute heretics – those who don’t clap, wear muzzles, subscribe to the doctrines of the Church of Covid and NHS
There’s a definite presumption that the majority of UK are okay with whatever mad measure they are told to do. I see that too.
My comment here is to suggest that it is good to keep much stronger hope for the UK population. There is a danger of falling into the trap layed by biased media.
It really does not take much time or effort to find questioning thinking humans behind the mask. Our numbers are larger than we might think I firmly believe. We are everywhere, even behind the masks.
Just something to keep in mind.
Well, it’s a theory!
It’s how the independence 2014 carry on happened robbed by the silent folk at the last moment.
Until todays reimagining that is. Note that in 2017 the russians were hacking on the side of independence, this year they were hacking against. I think there’s a silent majority who have worked out what has been going on already! And that’s a theory too, I’m full of them!
But, but, what about all those cars speeding south down the M74 in the wee hours of 19th September?? Was somebody fibbing?
I keep hearing the same phrase when talking to people – I thought I was the only one who thought like this.
Lots of possible sceptics out there,they just don’t k ow where to find like minded people.
I met a skeptic a month or so in, we agreed we needed a fish symbol or something we can draw in the sand surreptitiously.
But a smile and a clever word can do just as well.
A special handshake? Oh wait, silly me. Handshakes are verbotten.
A silly walk was suggested… and disregarded!
Two-six’s badges
I can highly recommend them!
True. Keep telling them about this site.
Start here:
https://www.standupx.info/
My friend and I were just joking that we need some kind of secret handshake for ID purposes.
As with the Brexit vote and the Trump vote, there is a substantial silent minority. Ordinary people will only take so much. While many might superficially comply with face masks, I think a pressure sell or mandated vaccination will be the final straw. However, by then, the economy will be too obviously obliterated and the silent will become the noisy.
‘Silent majority’ – aka the self-satisfied and always compliant, plus the whingers who disappear when the chips are down?
A ‘silent majority’ is just silent i.e. never around when the votes are counted.
I think a lot of people are just trying to ignore the bullshit and get on with their lives, best they can. There doesn’t seem to be 2 opposing sides to this, as much as the media want to stir that up. I’ve noticed increasingly people just ignoring the “rules”.
New normal supporters might need to go find another cause.
Good for ypu.
I now go 9n the theory if the majority is against me I’m onthe right track.
Don’t worry my English friends. I’ve not worn a mask since Sturgeon tried to force us to. Not a single person has said a word to me in any shop i’ve been in and i’ve been to the supermarket, the chippy, the pub, the bike shop, the wee shop and a musical instrument shop. The folk in the music shop disinfected the guitar i was trying after i decided not to buy it. They said i could try it for ten minutes in my allotted slot but if i’m thinking of laying out more than a grand i’m wanting to play it for an hour at least, so they lost a sale.
Ignore the mask, the social distancing and all the rest of it. Don’t give it another thought and remember ladies and gents the deaths and recored illnesses are a total 100% fabrication. This is a massive fraud brought to you by the same liars that brought us 9/11, the Russian dossier and countless other nonsense we’re meant to believe without question. However they’ve fucked up now because everyone can see this for what it is. GB has been taken over and we are now at war with those in Westminster. This is a last ditched attempt of those shadowy people to keep control. It has failed though because i believe many of us just won’t take it anymore. Every single one of our institutions has been taken over, from the police to the bbc to the civil service to our education and health. It has never been more apparent that we live in a dictatorship and those of us who value our freedom are pretty soon gonna have to stand up and make a personal sacrifice to win it back.
“However they’ve fucked up now because everyone can see this for what it is.”
Sadly most people don’t, and are so indoctrinated by the mass scaremongering that is going on. We on here are a minority unfortunately. Other probably do see it, but just go along obliviously with the crowd, like lemmings jumping off a cliff.
Generally people feel comfortable being part of the crowd, being on the outside, called names and generally being muttered about does not go well with most people.
I have spoken to many people who can see that something is not right with the current situation, but have hopped back into be with the crowd because that is the easy thing to do.
Personally I do not mind being called a conspiracy theorist, sticks and stones etc.
Generally people feel comfortable being part of the crowd
As in sheeple.
Observe the masses, do the opposite.
Reason has only ever been with the few.
I am very much reminded of the 1940s now, how a resistance member in France or Germany must have felt.
Small consolation is that those who resisted were always vindicated afterwards and in the history books, although mostly as dead people.
But at least they knew that there was an organised resistance, and that a war was being fought on an international scale. Where are all the fighters now?
Russia, yes
You’d think after four years of beating that dead horse in the US they could have come up with something more original here
Top of the BBC news website headlines tonight
Apparently we underestimated the threat, unlike what we did with Covid
Turns out we require no foreign power to destroy us – our own government and an apathetic populace are more than enough
There just must be shadows and spooks in suits saying to each other, “I’m getting out of this game, they’re making a laughing stock of us”. Even Alberto Broccoli came up with odd different bad guys.
Biker, you are my hero! Keep on resisting, keep on posting, if I were 30 years younger and you were unattached I’d have eloped with you on your bike, so you’ve had a narrow escape.
I’m sure he’d take you out on his bike Annie regardless of any age difference!
p.s. how do you know he’s 30 years younger??
i just told my mrs that another woman wants to ride off into the sunset on my bike with me and she said she was more than happy for you to take me off her hands. Now i’m 50 older ladies don’t seem as old as they used to. I’d let you down though because i just suit myself most of the time. I pretty much smoke, ride bikes, play in a band and work and i’m quitting work. So i’m only gonna get more set in my ways. I know me saying all that just makes me more attractive to the ladies but being attractive to the ladies is a cross i’ve had to carry all my life. There’s something about a man who only wants a woman for what she does for him that drives them wild. Soy boys take note, a woman likes a man for what he does for himself not what he does for you. It’s a nice dream to ride off with some floozy and leave it all behind but i’m strangely ethical and could never do harm to another so i could never cheat on my mrs. Damn. I blame Ayn Rand for my decency. Saying all that, i’m not perfect and if Adam can be tempted by Eve maybe i could be tempted by Annie.
Thanks Biker. I knew in my bones that I would end my days fighting for the freedoms of future generations. I’ve had a great life. I’m more than willing to do my bit. I shall focus on taking out as many of these bastards in Parliament as I can.
Please tell me you started to play Stairway to Heaven, and the music shop staff, à la Wayne’s World, pointed to a sign on the wall saying “No Stairway to Heaven” .
The kind of woke gender fluid hipster that works at the music shop these days probably wouldn’t know that tune. They’ll have a Led Zeppelin t shirt but couldn’t hum any of their tunes.
One thing I have noticed increasingly is that sceptics, anti-woke, in fact anyone challenging the mad hysterical orthodoxy of our public guardians, tend to do it by an attempt at rational argument. They use the reductio ad absurdum (“this is stupid”) argument, or the balance of costs and benefits, or the argument from probable consequences.
What they don’t seem to understand is that the guardians are not susceptible to reasoning. In fact, you could almost define their belief system as irrational. They are motivated by the classical vices: greed, envy, malice, sloth. You can’t argue with it.
The trouble is now that they have obtained a dominant position in the BBC, in universities, quangos, charities, the public sector: in fact, anywhere that you don’t have to earn a living by being of value. Rational argument can’t defeat them. We actually need strategies for removing their malign influence on our public culture.
Easier said than done, though, as they are like a cancer. Moreover, they have all their kids, wives etc in aligned positions, often without the wider public realising.
They believe they are an anointed ruling caste.
The Eton-educated cabinet members actually are!
“We actually need strategies for removing their malign influence on our public culture.”
‘*Their* malign influence.” Who?
The main malign influence in the current big debate seems to be the silver-spoon brigade, led by the Bullingdon club’s lying narcissist extraordinaire. The ‘Woke’ nutters are just an irritating itch in comparison with the public school/Oxbridge mafia’s solid grip by second-raters on the media (including the Beeb) and influencing the central concerns in this blog.
The idea that the BBC is in league with the Bullingdon club has to be one of the more curious ideas of the modern era.
Most of the Bullingdon boys are a wet Liberal London elite. They are one face of the coin, the other is a Marxist London elite. They all believe in man-made Climate Change irrespective of the impact of the policies they are voting for. They are all being controlled by the higher authority of globalism – look at a list of the attendees at one of the recent Bilderberg conferences.
Yes but feeding the media is the Nudge Unit.
I myself awake tobdifferentiate away from the “woke” idiots.
Rope … lampposts …
1968 film with Clint Eastwood… I’m sure the title will come back to me in a moment…
Coogan’s Bluff ? Where Eagles Dare ?
Ah, the other one !
Not those two…
Do you mean High Plains Drifter (1973)?
Good film, but this one was definitely 1968…
Hange ’em High
OK films – what about the film Network(?) from the 70s, Peter Finch exhorting watchers of his TV show to go to an open window and shout ‘I’m mad as hell and I won’t take it any more’
They are part of the Covid Cult – the new, state mandated religion which must not be questioned. Adherents are easily recognised by the new Covid niqab which signals obedience to the orthodoxy.
“Rational argument can’t defeat them.” True, though if done well it could persuade the “silent majority” who enable them to continue their evil by not opposing it.
Reminds me of Brexiteers….
Thats really the best way to achieve a united front isnt it!
KH – so glad your shops doing well. Keep sticking it to them.
I’d drop in for a cup of tea, since you’re probably just up the M11, but Royston Vasey doesn’t seem to show up on google maps.
Scottish numbers are changing.
https://blogs.gov.scot/statistics/2020/07/20/planned-changes-to-coronavirus-data-page-on-scottish-government-website/
They say
We have been publishing data every day on this webpage since early April. Given where Scotland is now in the pandemic, and the development of new data sources we think it’s a good time to refocus this publication
Testing
Due to the stage we are at in the pandemic, with testing for all those aged 5 and over who are symptomatic, we will no longer collect data on testing of key workers and their symptomatic household members, which commenced to allow key workers to return to work promptly. We now report on specific key workers such as care home staff.
We will continue to report the numbers of tests daily, and to date and will add a weekly figure.
Scottish numbers: 21 July 2020
22 new confirmed cases of COVID-19
0 new reported death
303 were in hospital last night: 4 of whom were in intensive care; plus 16 more people in intensive care with suspected COVID-19
It is being reported that half of all new cases come from one single work place – a corona track and trace call centre no less.
Corona zero and the four impacts. Let the weaseling begin.
Do two covids make one octopus then ?
When the bloody hell did the word “harm” morph from a verb to a noun, and a plural at that – “harms”? Only the first of those so-called “harms” is genuine. The others are caused 100% by the Government and other elements of the Establishment.
What has happened in Edinburgh?
The bullshit is explained here:
https://data.gov.scot/coronavirus-covid-19/
You can email the authors here:
modellingcoronavirus@gov.scot
Please, everyone, do so.
Surely a comedy film has to be in the works for this one!?
It’s cool isn’t
Smashing !
I know we’ve resisted masks by calling them muzzles and face nappies. However, if you think about it, the government never use any of those terms. They always talk about face coverings.
Think about the implications. It’s openly dystopian, reducing us to a faceless mass.
I’m realising more every day that their covid agenda really is out there for all to clearly see. It’s quite a piss take.
However, this is all smoke and mirrors. What the underlying real agenda is, will take some earnest digging.
You cover the faces if dead people. I think that’s why the Fascists’ name for them inspires me with such peculiar horror.
satanists
I’ve been wondering about the underlying agenda. Boris and Dominic aren’t stupid so what are they up to?
Well suppose they are terrified of the public concluding that the lockdown was a big mistake. Then they notice that 60-80% of the public thinks everybody should be wearing face masks. Their best bet is to go with that. Implement what the majority already think. Make it compulsory too just to be more convincing. Keep those 60-80% onside. Is that what they are up to?
Brilliant!
Well done. I look forward to visiting your cafe when all this insanity is over
Off topic:
10 years ago I was reading conspiracytheoryvsites about a “space force”.
A few months ago the USA announced formation of aspace force.
Kast night an advert for thr RAF came on and had only one ,ine of spoken speech and that was “can you defend space” and the recuit was in a space suit.
Anyone else saw this and thoughtit strange?
If all else fails, they might well stage an alien invasion. Best be prepared, eh ?
At leastvit won’t be a repeat on TV
I’m not entirely down with the idea that this current farce is a staged event (although I won’t rule it out). However, if it is, and this is the best they can do, I am really looking forward to a faked alien invasion.
The BBC will be full of warnings about dangerous conspiracy theorists claiming the alien invasion isn’t real. “All these people claiming to be experts on alien life need to get their lane.”
We might even get to see Andre Neil interviewing the alien leader. Although he might scare them off.
If you survive it, the second wave will be fun.
“I am really looking forward to a faked alien invasion.”
The CGI of Donald Trump pulling off his face to reveal an alien underneath will be amusing to watch. Weird Al has already beat them to it (albeit with comedian Patton Oswalt playing a studio director doing just that to reveal a lizard underneath!)
I’m sure most will surrender without a squeak of protest.
Yes and propaganda about a fake alien invasion would no doubt see food shops closed and delivery men off the streets. Power plants closed, no safe tap water…….
I’d really rather not go there!
They’ve only come to buy toilet paper! I’ve still got 3,668 rolls for sale…
I’m still waiting for the nuclear missile busting satellites promised in the SDI project.
T-cell cross immunity: “After a passenger tested positive, everyone was quarantined to their rooms. In 10 of those rooms, one partner tested positive and the other never contracted the disease, despite spending 20 days alone in a room with their partner”
“Do some people have pre-existing immunity to coronavirus?
Mayo Clinic plasma cell researcher believes data shows we may be closer to herd immunity than many experts think”
Kare11.com
Unfortunately, not possible to get to the news article direct but Mayo Clinic must be a reliable centre for research. I can only give the twitter reference for this news which seems to be very interesting development.
https://twitter.com/nj_hill/status/1285247865384833026
It is prestigious.
Used to be respected. Rather dodgy nowadays.
Here’s their party line on cholesterol. Total bollox:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350806#
Went to Waitrose for weekly shop this afternoon. Pretty empty, maybe 20/30% masked.
On my way out, stopped at the customer service desk and told them I had a medical exemption from mask wearing. What would be the store’s response from Friday ? Lady went off to speak to manager, came back, It will absolutely fine, we will not be banning or challenging people. She then said other customers might say things to me, a definite ‘warning’.
Feel a bit deflated to be honest.
Will I ever get my day in court ? Need a proper conviction to wave at great-grandchildren when boring them senseless about the great wuflu bollocks of 2020.
Count thee blessings, lad!
Thats good the hear but Waitrose are easily the worst shop for insane covid measures throughout this nightmare.
Look at their customers and you’ll see why.
Now now …
Mouthing off like a prejudiced Duggie simpleton is no counter to dealing with … prejudiced Duggy simpletons :-).
I reckon it is largely down to the manager – good, bad, or indifferent.
yes and their customers are generally sanctimonious snobs (present company excepted of course!
who will vilify anyone not wearing a mask.
nite!
Get a string vest and hear the tutting from the suburban squealers.
whoops maybe i shouldn’t have had that wine – makes me a bit potty mouthed – no offence!
Come Friday, if you spy a couple of plod in a shopping centre and you walk up to them, tell them you are about to enter a shop unmuzzled and then just walk in, what are the chances of getting a fine? I may be wrong, but I’ve got a hunch they’ll let it go – all the noises from the police forces seem to be pointing that way.
Tell them you are about to enter, and fear being harassed as a minority…
Yes, it’s odd how all the politically correct craptalkers uphold the rights of every minority in creation except us, isn’t it?
I think provoking trouble inthat way will not help our cause.
I’m not saying that is what I’ll do – I’m just trying to see things from the police point of view. As you say, confrontation at this stage probably won’t help.
Mind you, on the very last day of compulsory muzzles, when it’s all being abandoned, for anyone who wants one of those certificates it may be an option.
Hadn’t seen Russell Brand for a while. Seems I just hadn’t been looking hard enough. He does have some interesting things to say on the mask issue. He’s not advocating for or against just so you know what to expect:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R3e2BMcKnk
A Maskey-Wasky?
What’s his general point of view then? Can you sum it up so I don’t have to watch it?
he’s a wrong-un. something savile about him imo
Worked on a film he was in and we had to keep a close eye on him to keep him away from all the young (teenage and younger) girls that were extras in the film.. He was just a little too friendly with them for us to be comfortable with the situation..
Hmmm. Why does that not surprise me?
I always found him to be faintly repulsive., just like Saville.
To be fair I do not think he ever did anything really *bad* on the film, but he was just a bit too tactile with the kids – lots of luvvies are, but they are mostly too sensible to be that way with child extras, and Russell was a little bit too keen to hug some of them…
He speaks for ten minutes and basically doesn’t say anything..!
I think he’s against masks but will wear one politely as he says.
Only 10 minutes?!? That must be the record amount of time for him to not say anything. If Brand did have anything to say, it would probably be measured in epochs.
Wow, the Grad is pointing out that things are threatening our democracy!
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jul/21/uk-civil-servants-fear-press-office-centralisation-could-undermine-democracy-boris-johnson
Civil servants have questioned whether sweeping plans to centralise government communications could serve to “undermine democracy”, an internal document shared with the Guardian has revealed.
In a dramatic overhaul of civil service press offices, social media teams, designers and campaigners, the UK government’s 4,500 communications staff will be reduced to about 30 per department – and have each of them working for a central employer instead of the department they work with.
…. In the wake of discontent following that, the Government Communication Service (GCS) prepared a 14-page report of frequently asked questions responding to concerns. One of these asked: “Does the new structure centralise power, and does this undermine democracy?”
The response gave some general assurances before dismissing the central concern with the implication that the proposals could not be undemocratic because they originated from the prime minister.
“This approach has been mandated by the PM who of course was democratically elected.”
Isn’t it becuse “X Could Threaten our Democracy” is a hotkey for the average Gruan journalist? It’s what they press when they miss the key for “This is Why X is Mysoginistic Patriarchal Oppression”
They seem to make up about 75% of Gurn headlines.
Given they’re the second weapon in the government’s propaganda machine, talking about democracy is extremely ironic.
The Guardian ?
Apart from the BBC, and the few brave souls who read it to take the p***, does anyone else read it? Does it have sufficient readership to qualify as government propaganda?
The Groan is very selective in choosing assaults on democracy to criticize – not least in promoting its selective editorial line if its controllers say ‘NO’.
What business needs the condescending recommendation of an MP anyway ?,it’s the kiss of death in my book.Keep up the good fight Kh,I look forward to the daily dispatches from the Popular Peoples Front of North West Essex !
A worrying article in the DT (paywall):
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/21/coronavirus-vaccine-could-rolled-gets-authorisation-regulators/
Coronavirus vaccine could be rolled out before it gets authorisation from regulators
Usual authorisation time frame of between 18 and 24 months could be reduced to around 70 days, taskforce says
An extract:
Regulators have already started reviewing certain aspects of the vaccine trial to speed up the process when the results are in.
“Oxford will file their submission with the EMA, plus there is a route for compassionate or emergency use in the UK, and MHRA have been working joined at the hip with these different vaccine companies,” Mrs Bingham [a member of the Vaccine Taskforce] said.
“By engaging regulators early and involving them in key decision-making and key safety aspects everything can be done much more quickly.
“I don’t know how long it will take, but regulators are receiving all the non-data aspects of the trials already so they can look at manufacturing facilities and assays and lots of things that are non-clinical before they open the envelope and get the results.
“They will still need time to digest the data, but I think it will be much more rapid than usual. The main issue is safety, and any safety event is recorded immediately so they can judge it quickly.”
Mrs Bingham said that, after the vaccine was approved, it would be up to the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to decide who gets the first doses. She said that was likely to be frontline workers, the over-50s, under-50s with co-morbidities and black, Asian, minority ethinic [sic] (BAME) groups. who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.
I wonder if you’re over 50, a “frontline” worker and “BAME” you’ll be able to claim three doses?
Over 50s FFS!!!
I hope to god this is all about a placebo and they’re just going to stab people with distilled water purely to save face.
Dream on Cheezilla, dream on…..
Her husband Jesse Norman MP is the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and was involved in the Cobra meetings in the run up to “lockdown”. Small world isn’t it?
This role should have been for an eminent research scientist/medic, not a financier, and certainly not one with a clear link to a serving Parliamentarian. This will not end well.
Where are those eminent types’ criticism? About now be a good time to be counted as a voice for good sense.
Let’s hope Carl Heneghan and his team continue where they left off on PHE stats, and various other things. I cannot see him, as a practising GP, sticking something in a patient’s arm when it has been raced through as per this proposal.
He has been a true light in the darkness. The courage of the few has my respect. I’m almost looking forward to my encounter with a GP trying to get me
I think they were hoping to have something ready when those that normally get the flu vaccine (such as my husband) turn up. On the basis of what Sarah Gilbert said this afternoon, that seems unlikely.
Over 50s??? When the average age of those who have died has been nearer 80???
I think now might a good time to de-register with the GP surgery to avoid the vaccine nonsense altogether. I last went to see the GP about 18 years ago, so it won’t be any great loss to me.
I’ve been trying to get an appointment with a GP for weeks – no chance, over the phone robot service only. If they suggest I attend for their rotten, useless vaccine I’ll be giving them both barrels
Nope. GPs can happily continue to avoid their patients:
Wankock: I am expanding who can legally vaccinate to make sure not just GPs, but also technicians, nurses and pharmacists.
‘Pharmacists have got a massive role to play in this.’
“technicians?”
Does this include people who fix photocopiers?
I’d been flying under the GP radar for decades but unfortunately last year my dentist discovered a large keratoid cyst in my jawbone and I had to register so I could have the necessary op. Just glad it wasn’t this year!
However, I’m no doubt in their sights now……
I haven’t seen my GP in 25 years. Maybe I’ll be saved by some good old fashioned admistrative and bureacratic oversights.
Stop talking ‘reality’. It has nothing to do with it.
Would it be more correct to say that safety set against efficacy is the ‘main’ thing – all vaccines having negative effects associated.
I find this is the most chilling part of the vaccine effort so far, yeah yeah we will do harmful things, we can’t not with such tight timescales, but we will record the harms really well.
Josef Mengele
“there is a route for compassionate or emergency use in the UK”
Which is a non-starter – as there’s no emergency – despite attempts to generate one.
“everything can be done much more quickly. “
Which is another nonsense, since proper RCTs require time, and anyone getting a rushed vaccine wants their bumps felt.
A speeded approval procedure is only meant for palliative *treatments* in *extreme* circumstances – not hypothetical prevention of a mild disease with a moderate IFR.
Hi July,
Welcome to this site and please remember you are not alone.
Have you tried and contacted friends to arrange a meet up? You can do it in a back garden or the park or a coffee shop or fast food chain with outdoor seating?
You aren’t alone. No sceptic is alone.
If they are true friends they will make the effort, even if you have to practise antisocial distancing.
However I know what you mean, many people I know have been afraid even to meet up. I can talk to them over whatsapp or messenger but it can be frustrating if they’re not too keen to meet up.
Keep trying and please join us here for a chat. If you’re feeling up to it, please contact Toby on this site or even Simon Dolan on Twitter to share your story. It’s tragic that young people like you are being thrown under the bus (and there are loads more such as the old, the disabled, the over 40s who being made redundant will have trouble finding work, etc)
You’re welcome. I have two very young nieces (single digit age) who I have never met believe it or not and I feel sorry for them – their lives slipping away and I don’t think they are aware that they’ll never reclaim this part of their lives back.
Like what others have said here, I would suggest that you go out on your own as well, people watch, get a coffee, read a book in the part and keep hammering with your friends – try first doing it via whatsapp or facetime or whatever then take it from there. Who knows? They might be receptive in time…
You are not alone July. I know it’s not quite the same thing, but you will always get support from us here. Mental health issues are difficult at the best of times (I have both depression and severe anxiety issues) but at the moment they really can be hard to deal with. You can always come here and unload on us . . .
Why not just break the rules…who cares about them?
You may have struggled, July – but when push comes to shove – as now – *you* have kept perspective and balance over the truth of this nonsense when millions haven’t.
Be assured – that’s a major achievement. Even if it doesn’t solve everything, it gives you a starting point in your strength of character and intelligence.
Permanent face mask use to prevent the common cold!!
Where do they find these people??
science select committee is told:
The custom of shaking hands should be ditched permanently and Britain should move to a Japanese-style greeting culture to avoid future pandemics, public health experts have suggested.
Baron Piot, a professor and microbiologist from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told peers at the Science and Technology Select Committee, that individual behaviour needed to change for the benefit of the wider community.
He also suggested that face masks and social distancing could become the norm to prevent other respiratory diseases – such as colds and flu – and said there was emerging evidence in Australia that coronavirus measures had also prevented the spread of other communicable diseases.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/07/21/shaking-hands-probably-forever-top-scientist-tells-peers/
Professor Dame Anne Johnson, vice president of the Academy of Medical Science, said a cultural shift was needed to stop a second wave emerging in the winter and suggested that even people with colds or the flu would need to stay at home.
“It’s really important to suppress the virus as much as we can,” she said.
“If you’ve got a cold or flu stay home, stay out the way. Less shaking of hands, kissing and more of the Japanese approach.
Stay home indeed! These people’s lives bear no relation to those of normal working people. How can they possibly be allowed to influence social policy?
Here he is again, Mr mask&vaccine himself. Notice he talks about pandemicS:
However Professor Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, a structural biologist and president of the Royal Society, said that measures such as social distancing and face masks would only need to remain in place until a vaccine or reliable treatment for coronavirus was found.
“All of these measures need to be maintained till we see a way out of the pandemics until therapeutics emerge.”
Words fail me!
Jesus wept.
This lot should be careful what they wish for. Japan isn’t exactly a society to look up to – its ruthlessly conformist, is in the stone age when it comes to mental health and the wearing of masks is one of the factors for the growth of psychological problems among the young and especially men.
Is that what they want?
Not to mention the suicides that occur among the Japanese population. Or is that the idea??
Indeed. When I was doing my undergraduate degree in education back in the late 90s, I remember having to read an article for a seminar about education and mental health. According to that article Japan and Singapore had the highest rate of teen suicides in Asia most of it coming from their uber competitive education and parental pressure. Globally, Japan had the dubious honour of claiming the number one spot.
Had a Japanese girlfriend a few years back , she was utterly beautiful
( Bond girl looks ) but alas utterly mental and from what i could judge most of her direct family were to.
Have come across people who have said something similar so looks like you’re not alone.
She came from a wealthy family and grew up with best of everything but her parents treated her abominably so it left her with a level of neuroticism that was off the charts .
I reckon, in the current dire state of the UK, ‘subjects’ should be a bit wary of generalised insults aimed at ‘ furriners’!
The term mental health itself can be used as an insult in Japanese, and it’s a lot worse than just calling someone mental in English.
They have a saying “the nail that sticks out is hammered” which refers to the stifling conformity of Japanese society and many ME experts even in Japan have blamed this for the psychological issues that many people in that country face.
Heck even Empress Masako has had her own problems. As did her mother-in-law Empress Michiko.
Maybe they want to purchase used school girl’s face masks from vending machines or something. I’m not judging.
Pandemics..?
Of course. This one wasn’t as lethal as they’d hoped. I’m sure they’re working on another virus as we speak.
Freaks and fascist bastards. Sorry about the language.
Quite – you really need to learn some serious insults!
Restrained under the circumstances
There is already treatment available for CV19: Zinc, high-dose VitC, dexamethasone, remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine. Haven’t these people been taking any notice of the successes in treating patients in other countries, or are they determined to keep us all in a state of fear and panic indefinitely?
Fear and panic can’t be maintained for ever in most people. Most will eventually reach a point where they no longer care, especially when the supposed danger fails to materialize, unless they think they’re going to die of the common cold.
They are all far too cheap.
And readily available from the start.
Allowing them to be endorsed would be the equivalent of a nuclear meltdown for politicians, the media and the drug industry.
You are presumably posting from the USA. They WILL be used extensively in the UK, which drug to be used depending on the stage of disease at which the patient presents in hospital.
I am in the UK and I have not heard of any such treatment here, only what medics have been using in the U.S..
Over here, the only treatment initially allowed was paracetamol and oxygen. The use of hydroxychloroquine and zinc was not tried, because Orange Man Bad.
Not the reason – which is the same one for opposing untested vaccines. There is always a need for proper RCTs rather than Chinese whispers.
(And Orange Man is just an idiot – bad or not)
That seems like a shift from Ramakrishnan. He mentions ‘treatment’ and ‘therapeutics’ and only ‘vaccine’ in the alternative (and once). Interesting. We seem to be best part there with existing therapeutics (dexamethasone, HCQ + Zinc).
AstraZeneca share price was down 3% today. ‘The lead researcher in Oxford University’s push to find a Covid-19 vaccine alongside AstraZeneca cautioned on Tuesday that there could be no certainty that it could be rolled out by Christmas – although it was possible’.
You can fuck right off. I will grasp the empty weapon hand of my friend when we meet, to show that we bear no ill will to eachother, til lthe day I die. I am a free Englishman. And yes I know we didn’t invent it.
Thank You. I’ll be here the rest of my life.
I trust you mean they not me?
Of course, Baron Pisspot or whoever.
With the destabilised population I genuinely see masks for life being a possibility. It is up to the people, us and others, to stop it. That’s how I see it.
I also cannot believe humans have the patience or self disipline to keep a face mask charade going for long.
I thought Celia Waldens article was bad earlier today and then they publish this load of rubbish. Thank god my subscription ends in a couple of months. Absolute madness.
I’m only paying £1 per month for three months trial. Won’t be taking a permanent subscription to the rag.
At least the Grad is free if I want to know the official headlines.
I was stupid enough to sign up for £100 per year!
I think the Telegraph trolled us with some very good sceptical articles and opinion pieces quite early on, when almost everybody else apart from the Spectator was solidly pro-panic, but they do seem to be turning a bit too pro-mask for my liking, from what I’ve seen recently.
There are definitely a few sensible columnists but the general standard of journalism is now a really low standard, no research just copy and paste from the government or twitter. I like Lionel Shriver at the Spectator and Dr John Lee but have been disappointed Douglas Murray hasn’t called out some of the nonsense going on.
He seems to avoid the COVID issue as if it not happening.
Think of all the toilet paper you wont have to buy.
Perhaps we could also introduce the Japanese ritual of seppuku for government officials who fail us!
I’m up for that. And perhaps CEOs and museum directors should do this as well when their shops and museums go under due to the lockdown and antisocial distancing measures that they were too cowardly to resist.
If not shaking hands is enough to stop it, why do we need lockdown or masks?
Also, they still have bad flu seasons in Japan, despite not shaking hands and wearing masks…
“Baron Piot, a professor and microbiologist from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told peers at the Science and Technology Select Committee, that individual behaviour needed to change for the benefit of the wider community.
He also suggested that face masks and social distancing could become the norm to prevent other respiratory diseases – such as colds and flu – and said there was emerging evidence in Australia that coronavirus measures had also prevented the spread of other communicable diseases.”
Great idea. So when another deadly corona virus is released into the world, there’ll be no natural immunity in anyone because their immune system will have been supressed. That’s how they’ll get their population reduction.
Just heard from a friend who’s a supervisor at the local Morrison’s superstore. They’ve been told that staff won’t be responsible for policing masks + shouldn’t get involved.
Good news!!
But will the staff be wearing them? After all, #weareallinthistogether, or so says the myriad of notices in Morrisons and everywhere else.
Honestly I’m not sure. My mum (who works for Sainsbury’s) said they’re being given some masks, but won’t be until sometime next month
In LIDL and Morrison’s today, staff were already wearing muzzles, as were about 60% of shoppers. Very disappointing and depressing.
Interestingly Lidl Sweden have an advert running on TV with a guy sunbathing alone while wearing a mask(?) and this week they have offers on packs of fabric face masks. Odd as practically no one in Sweden is wearing masks…
It is a sign of things to come I’m affraid. Things were easing up in France, until it became the Peoples Republic France when forcing everyone to wear one!
…Of course I hope I’m wrong…sofar Sweden has been the most sensible of countries!
Today’s stats from Sweden: 43 fewer people in hospital with CV10 than on Friday, of which there are 5 fewer people in intensive care.
14 of Sweden’s 21 regions have 10 or fewer patients in hospital with the virus, and 7 of these regions have 5 or fewer patients in hospital with it.
Over the last 5 weeks we have gone from 400 people in intensive care down to only 62 today.
According to our media there has been a spike in Skåne (region around Malmö), but when you investigate more closely, a mere *1* of these people has actually needed to be admitted to hospital…
Sweden is doing best of all…if it wasn’t for some other issues I’d get me a one way ticket there right away!
Good – it will be interesting to discover how the mask-zealots react to evidence of sanity in others!
https://www.aier.org/article/did-the-us-lockdown-too-late-and-open-too-soon/
Did the US Lockdown Too Late and Open Too Soon?An interesting article discussing the level of lockdown comparing US and Europe and the current upsurge in certain states purportedly related to “earlier” openings.No surprises here for lockdown sceptics but interesting data in the article.
What we really need now is Dom Jolly going around shouting at people, or with a megaphone, for not wearing their masks properly highlighting the ridiculousness of it all.
“If you’re going to wear it and save lives at least wear it properly!”
“Stop killng people with your nose hanging out!”
Just had a very tart email back from my MP re masks “thank you for your email regarding the wearing of face masks. I am the first to defend civil liberties and have an assiduous track record in this area “ (he does – resigning on the issue some years ago). “However I disagree with you on this one. Proper freedom is not the freedom to infect others with a potentially lethal disease” . That’s me told then.
Every one of us is a potentially lethal homicial maniac. Potentially.
What’s his view on flu? Also if it’s that serious why are there exemptions?
You might well ask.
Yeah what nobody says! Snap!
And if it is that serious, why are scientists suggesting that people should be deliberately infected with the disease to create a vaccine?
Ugh that is awful in too many ways! Ask him where he’s been on Flu all these years.. I woukd turn groupie on him and faun after his wise wise logic.
You could also ask him how he feels about the government directives that have now lead to 35000 extra cancer deaths (plus assorted other excess deaths) coming down the line. Is that what freedom should allow of our MPs?
Ask him that too. Yes.
Well, I don’t think that reply was quite passive aggressive enough.
You could respond that proper freedom includes the ability to educate oneself.
Like that. I was going to email back “then we disagree “. But I might add that.
I would also add that freedom also means innocent until proven guilty.
If they are accusing you of being a danger to others then the burden of proof lies with them.
Send him some graphs and ask him how the virus is lethal compared with the lockdown effects.
Have a look here tomorrow. Should be an updated analysis of the stats from Christopher Bowyer: https://hectordrummond.com/
The freedom to infect others with a potentially lethal disease has been a human freedom for as long as there have been humans (and before that a freedom of our hominid ancestors and the non-hominid primates before that). If that weren’t the case, nobody would ever have been infected with a potentially lethal disease.
Putting aside the fact that he completely fails to address the question of whether face coverings in fact have any impact at all on the transmission of this potentially lethal disease, the argument is facile, fallacious and specious all at the same time.
Well done him, he’s proved himself to be an irredeemable moron.
What about the freedom to potentially crash into someone or run them over every time you get into your car?
I like this idea!
Tricky for Boris and Handjob of course, since their noses just keep getting longer!
Remember that you’re not alone! Can any friends even drop round to have a chat through a window, if that’s what you’d feel more comfortable with? Or a walk somewhere quiet with a takeaway coffee?
If your friends are also young, do they not know they’re at virtually no risk at all?
Can you persuade one or two to meet up in a park or somewhere in the open air? You’d probably be at a greater risk of being hit by a meteorite in a park.
So maybe Lms2’s suggestion above, about a meeting outside, might be something that your friends would agree to. Make it somewhere where there will be no other people to infect (!), and maybe all take your own food (if your friends are too scared to eat food prepared by anyone else), and have a picnic? You can all sit a little bit away from each other so that no one feels uncomfortable. Maybe after a couple of such meetings your friends might relax a bit?
If this reflects how most young people feel its a grim future for all of us. God help us if we ever face a real threat!
Find some more friends July…sounds like your existing ones are very happy being selfish about your needs.
NO! You’re being sane. It’s those who are locking away that are selfishly self obsessed – even if fear is an excuse of sorts.
July, stay on this site and let all of us be your friends!
“it’s because I don’t know anyone who feels safe enough to meet up”
I think that encapsulates the wicked evil of what is going on. I really feel for you, because its bad enough for all of us.
Fortunately (and I know it doesn’t help you), our entire family, neighbours and most friends are happy to stick up two fingers to the jackboot and Mengele brigade, and have been of that mind since about May.
You need to know that your lack of fear *is* the normal, healthy attitude – and perhaps you can speak with friends and try to persuade them with the sort of hard data that can be accessed from references here.
… and perhaps look for new ways of getting out such that others have suggested.
But know that your anxiety and feeling ‘down’ is a very natural response to what is a deliberately manufactured aberration of compliant subjection. It isn’t you. And even those of us who have more willing contacts are totally depressed and anxious about this descent into a Stasiland that denies what previous generations fought to preserve.
Allison Pearson on top form:
As millions of parents braced themselves yesterday for another day of finishing“homeschooling” – 37 still uncompleted assignments about to expire on the laptop, pandemic puppy halfway through chewing Call of the Wild, kids nowhere to be seen – imagine the cries of joy as it was announced that teachers are getting a 3.1% pay rise.
Teachers? TEACHERS!!***???
You mean teachers who, discounting a crack battalion of dutiful exceptions, have been on sunbathing leave since 20th March? Teachers who may or may not agree to return to the classroom in September, subject to it being 100% “safe”? Oh, and with the proviso that children are treated like lepers, confined in pointless “bubbles” or even forced to wear masks. Actually, better if the kids aren’t there at all. That would definitely make it safer for teachers.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/teachers-didnt-rise-challenge-should-give-pay-rise-unsung-carers/
Sorry about the paywall.
She talks about a whistle blower nurse, “Holly”. Her stories will make you angry. Allison writes:
I contacted NHS England to put to them the charge that healthcare services which could have stayed open were shut with devastating consequences. I was told that they were “disappointed” I had not put “positive” information in my column. To which I replied that, as more than 1,000 Telegraph readers had told me their stories of suffering and neglect at the hands of the NHS during lockdown, I was struggling to find much that was positive to say. I am still waiting for the promised data from NHS England which will disprove Holly’s allegation that “pretty much everything was shut”.
Every civil servant should get a pay CUT of 15%+.
That would merely reestablish the pre Corona ratio between private and public sector pay, they already got a huge relative pay rise over most others simply by not sacrificing a penny yet.
Raising their pay, and pensions, or salaries of people in safe industries, is the epitome of a lack of solidarity and an insult to all those who have been ruined by the idiotic Corona responses that were forced upon them by those very same people.
But then, the Brits don’t do revolutions.
And neither does anyone else anymore.
It struck me as a real kick in the teeth for the lowpaid frontliners.
Care home workers have been treated appallingly
I think the public v private sector war is going to erupt this Autumn.
I’m sure the Spiv Party will be delighted.
What Williamson hasn’t yet realised is that we need a whole load of ‘Nightingale’ schools! Noone will attend, of course, but they would be very smart-looking.
I now now know where the policies come from. Our ministers don’t understand sarcasm.
Just to remind people that there’s no evidence of saliva being the medium of infection for any viral infections. As the NHS says in regard to HIV which is found in the same level in saliva as blood…
Although HIV can be detected in saliva, it can’t be passed to other people through kissing because a combination of antibodies and enzymes found naturally in saliva prevent HIV infecting new cells.
I suppose not if you don’t count Mononucleosis, Hepatitis A & C, Rhinoviruses, Herpes – all of which are transmitted via saliva. Sorry to rain on the parade, but that’s just a fact.
In the case of hepatitis, the transmission is oral-faecal, in infectious hepatitis it’s blood and semen. ‘Possible’ exposure via the mouth but not from an infected person’s saliva? You’d have to be kissing an open wound to infect someone.
Mononucleosis is herpes family so dealing with them together, can’t really get by that one. Feel an idiot as I get cold sores myself. Perhaps the fact that they ‘hide’ that prevents sufficient immune response, or that they’re so relatively complex. Has there ever been any suggestion that someone coughing or talking though can infect you with them? Surely everyone would get cold sores just as an example if it were that easily transmitted.
Was a bit tipsy last night.
Welcome. You’re not alone.
This is my first ever comment here but Toby please have your holiday and stop doing long updates until you get back. We don’t want you to have a nervous breakdown from overwork. The need to report on further Covid19 response related is probably going to continue for many months more.
Just visited both B&Q and Tesco in Dublin, where we have a “soft” mask wearing provision in place since yesterday (i.e. the Government have said, without authority, that people have to wear masks in shops with a threat of actual legislation if the sheeple don’t comply).
No enforcement in place in either store, thankfully, in both stores, I’d reckon 40-45% mask wearing. My neareat Lidl now have a sign at the front door asking customers to wear a mask but again, no enforcement.
Just went to the baker (I live in France) not customed to a mask so I forgot to take one. Before I could enter I was yelled at by the mask wearing lady behind the counter: ” no mask, you don’t get served”. So I left without bread…
Might have to start baking your own… Give me traditional French bread over the mass-baked stuff we have in the UK any day. Some of the stuff they sell here might have le Tricolore stamped on it, but it’s not the real Jean-Paul.
Try Tesco bloomers – you might be rather pleasantly surprised!
For me, or the wife?
It will be made Law and it will be all your own fault! I say that in the voice of eric idle he’s just a very naughty boy.
It’s an interesting Twist, to go soft first. How do you think it will go?
good lot on hére. if you need some support post away..
I sussed out two places today for their mask attitude . Local Co-op , big fans, its THE LAW , it’s Mandatory , its for everyone’s safety, no you can’t enter without one, staff will all be wearing too …so said assistant
My local garden nursery …he was totally against it , thought it was ridiculous but was going to enforce on the door to Greenhouse bit , his staff were going to wear them as he hadn’t looked at regulations , was surprised when I told him . What’s the point then he said
So booked online for food deliveries for the next 5 months
co op are fucking rotten and I’m bloody surrounded by them!
I spend a fortune in the local co ops and I’m going to be a bit stuffed as its quite a drive for other options
Annoying aren’t they , I used to work there and they were shit employers as well
Once my custom is lost I won’t be going back
Tesco online for me now
yes they are annoying and most of their staff appear to support this bs, almost all I have encountered at least
few options for me they dominate in the local area
I haven’t shopped in my local Co Op since this madness began. I used to be in there every day. The staff wore masks and visors very early on, which was off-putting, so I didn’t go. I’m just going to carry on with online food deliveries until this nonsense eases up a bit.
Our co-ops have had THE WORSE keep safe stay apart 2 meters announcements of ANY shop, its just intolerable, like being in a psy-fi dystopia. They also cost way more than other stores and the food is crap.
Other options probably worth it and cheaper too.
Yes the coop really get my goat!
Interesting my local (mid-sized) co-op has been ok throughout. Granted, all the usual coronapanic theatre, but I’ve never had to queue to get in and never felt pressured to join in their performances.
Asked the girl behind the counter tonight and she said the staff had been told masks or visors would be compulsory from Friday but they’d been told they are not allowed to challenge customers who choose not to wear a mask. That;’s great says I because I won’t be wearing one anyway and if I were required to I’d go elsewhere. She said I was the second person to say that to her today.
Lord Sumption
https://twitter.com/JoshuaRozenberg/status/1285641442002702341?s=20
Will Lord S be wearing a mask, I wonder?
Of course. He won’t want to be putting a weapon into the hands of his detractors.
No – but his butler might when collecting provisions etc!
When laws become absurd, civil disobedience becomes duty
Lex iniusta non est lex
Unjust law is not law???
An unjust law is no law at all. St Thomas Aquinas, I believe.
He nicked it from Augistine!
Augustine rocked!
Hello July. I am also a young person so it’s nice to know that not everyone in our age group has been totally taken in by the fear propaganda. The future is looking bleak right now but I have always been an optimist because your spirit is something the bastards can never take away from you. You are also young so you have your whole life ahead of you and hopefully this will only be a small proportion of that. There are more of us than we think and there will be countless people like yourself who are suffering the ill effects of lockdown and who will be getting very angry indeed.
The real question is why are young people so unquestioning? Isnt that when you are supposed to be like that?
July, remember there are many of us in your situation. Those living alone have been the worst affected and there have been days when I have been really depressed. But right from the start I decided that there was no way I was going to be locked up at home and despite the restrictions I was determined to get out, do my own food shopping, and just see people. Even though at over 70 I am in the ‘vulnerable’. Now with even more easements I am having whole days out and doing what I enjoy, lengthy walks. Try and look positive, and best to switch off the TV news.
Yep. I’m an antisocial, miserable git at the best of times and it’s even grating on me now.
I missed celebrating my 40th. The silver lining being that I missed celebrating 40th.
I think getting out and about, particularly if you can get to parks etc is a decent start. Most people aren’t complete zombies (at least yet) and will acknowlege you if you nod or smile or whatever. There’s still a world out there.
Your’e doing a great job!
This is a few days old but I couldn’t help laughing at the headline:
Norway’s coronavirus success leaves funeral homes struggling: Undertakers seek state help after country suffers only 253 deaths from Covid-19
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8525679/Norways-coronavirus-success-leaves-funeral-homes-struggling.html
Hi July
Whenever I get the chance to talk to a young person I do what I can to encourage and show that I’m aware of just how tough it is now to be young. Maybe one day I’ll get the chance to talk to you. First things first, roughly where to you live, what type of place, town or country?
Hi July, if you have any local anti lockdown protests try to get along, you will find people who are friendly and still act normally. There is a small community of us feeling lonely and afraid online, unfortunately we are largely invisible.
I’ve been there too, on and off. Unfortunately us youngsters are ironically the most zombified and I spent most of last week shut in my room despairing. But life is still enjoyable outside- there were many our age in central Bristol yesterday, socialising completely normally! Remember that mass/social media is not the real world.
Yes i see lots of young people out in groups having a good time and think ‘good on them’ for not being petrified and getting on as normal – they are so low risk and life is too short to stay inside in the summer. Though i also see some masked up and wonder…
Get out and enjoy life! From a fellow bristolian!
Did anyone ever watch the series V from the early 80’s about Aliens visiting the Earth?
I find that there is a lot of similarities in that series with what is happening with COVID-19 such as silencing and discrediting of scientists and doctors trying to speak the truth, governments and media organisation blocking any criticism and dissent, governments coordinating to cover up, medical experiments on humans, quick advancements in mediciation and vaccines, and people disappearing.
And lizards hiding in human form. Who’s going to breed with one of them to create our Starchild?
Has Raab got a wife?
Johnson and Symonds?
Already done!
‘Childhood’s End’. Arthur C Clarke. The Guardians are waiting round the back of the moon until the populations are controlled enough to accept their presence.
Interesting findings in India (my emphasis below):
40% in a cluster in Ahmedabad, 36% in Dharavi had antibodies against COVID-19 in May, shows sero survey
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/jul/18/40-per-cent-people-in-a-cluster-in-ahmadabad-36-in-dharavi-had-antibodies-against-covid-19-in-may-sh-2171362.amp
It was only earlier this week that the full report of the sero-survey, carried out in about 20,000samples from 69 districts ahmin 21 states categorised on the basis of zero to high caseloads and 5000 samples in 10 hotspot cities, was shared with an expert committee on COVID19 surveillance and epidemiology under the ICMR before it is formally published.
“The report has almost confirmed the long-standing view that despite strict lockdown measures in the early period of pandemic outbreak in India, the virus had been transmitted rampantly in many cities,” said a committee member.
“The findings also explain the swift decline COVID19 cases in areas like Dharavi starting June where the disease at one point looked uncontrollable and suggests that many localities in badly hit cities may have reached herd immunity already, as expected epidemiologically.”
The real Pandemic are the boats full of new friends, at least 18 today. What the hell is this costing us??
Interestingly Mason Mills on Twitter has posted a lot about this today. Whoever he really is, he does tend to be accurate in his information..
The real Pandemic is Donald Trump’s Final Solution to exterminate the non white races.
He knows climate change is happening.
He wants it to happen so the tropics become unfit for human habitation.
So he can gun down their inhabitants at the border when they try to migrate.
FFS, where did this nutjob crawl out of? Fuck off back to the Guardian.
You’re in cuckoo land mate. Global warming (and cooling)is predominantly in higher (northern) latitudes, in winter and at night (ie fewer low temps) and there is absolutely no empirical evidence it is caused by CO2. As for the rest of your post – are you insane, or do you have evidence for your stupid assertions? (thought not).
You make David Icke sound reasonable and Trump sound smart.
. . . cloud cuckoo land (bloody phone)
PS for recent references to the “final solution” see our vaccine-saviour-to-be Mr. Bill Gates. . (can’t find reference but it’s easy to locate on YT)
Got served up an FT article on my phone today with the headline “Alarm signals of our authoritarian age”. I thought thank fuck, someone in the mass meeja is finally speaking up. Alas, I opened it and it was another Trump assassination attempt, with a side-course of thumping those evil Eastern European leaders who dare to do what their population demands. And this is from a supposedly balanced MSM organisation. There is no peaceful way to make these morons open their eyes.
“leaders who dare to do what their population demands”
… like making them wear masks … or stay indoors …. or get everybody vaccinated …. or ????
Sounds familiar.
Careful what you wish for when you clap for populism populated by a controlled media.
Breaking News: CDC confirms IFR of 0.36% based on my rough back of a fag packet calculations (144,906 deaths and 40M infected):
Coronavirus infections could be up to 13 times higher across US than initially reported, CDC finds
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/coronavirus-cases-usa-cdc-report-death-toll-today-trump-covid-a9630916.html
With nearly 4 million cases identified in the US since the onset of the outbreak, the CDC’s report suggests more than 40 million people were infected.
I see there is a Metro story about “the police force will not respond to calls about people not wearing face masks”. Good God man what next? Not responding to calls about rape gangs? Oh, I see. Well at least they are being consistent.
Revealed: Average age of Covid-19 victims is OLDER than life expectancy in Scotland as stark figures show ‘it is predominantly a disease that strikes the elderly’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8470843/The-average-Covid-19-victim-OLDER-age-people-usually-die-Scotland.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK
The last bullet point should read “extraordinary impact age has on death” but without the extraordinary.
That’s a common misunderstanding of what life expectancy actually is. I worked it out and anyone past the age 76 in the UK are past their life expectancy now (life expectancy is defined as how long you are expected to live had you been bord *today*, so you need to look back at historic life expectancy and work out when the youngest person needs to be to have the end of their life expectancy fall on this year)
That’s statistics for you. I like to joke that once I pass the life expectancy in the area I live I will simply move to somewhere with a higher expectancy.
Don’t knock statistics and probability. It’s the *perversion* of them that has got us to the current unpretty pass, not their reality!
I wonder why the headline wasn’t: COVID 19 has zero effect on mortality
This is what is termed ‘the bleedin’ obvious’ : infections despatch those about ready to fall off the perch. And I speak as an Old Fart who is dodging the bullet.
It’s what we otherwise call ‘life’.
Oh – FFS!