We’re publishing a guest post today by David McGrogan, a professor at Northumbria Law School and Daily Sceptic regular. He is gradually coming round to the idea that beneath Boris’s megalomaniacal lust for power there is a smidgen of libertarian sentiment.
He didn’t know we were at war, and wouldn’t have cared if he had. But I have made my peace with Boris.
This time last year, we had just been “plunged” (I feel duty bound to use this word) into the second full-on national lockdown, and my view of the Government had reached its nadir. It seemed to be hypnotised by opinion poll results which its own messaging had created, victims of a grotesque feedback loop whereby the fears of the population fuelled ever more fear-inducing restrictions. Either that, or the Government had fallen under the sway of a small coterie of scientific advisors whose own groupthink had rendered them incapable of anything other than worst-case scenario planning. Worse, certain high-profile members of the Cabinet seemed to be positively enjoying themselves: the sparkle in their eyes as they appeared on our TV screens hinted at deep wells of authoritarianism lying just below the surface of their placid faces.
But I am now convinced that, although we are not Sweden (the Lionel Messi of public health responses to Covid), we are in a better place than almost any other society. Yes, depressingly, in Scotland and Wales vaccine passports have been introduced and mandatory face-covering is still in place indoors. But life in England is pretty much back to, if not the old normal, then something close to it. We can go to pubs, restaurants, theatres and sports stadiums as we used to. Most of us haven’t worn a mask in months. Kids are in school. Students are on campus. Places of worship are open. Shopping centres are brimming with pre-Christmas energy. Better, we’ve stopped obsessing over the figures – “case” numbers have finally begun to lose the sway they once had over the public mood.
No, things are not as readers of this website would wish it. But compare our situation to that in France or Italy, where vaccines are near-compulsory and mask-wearing entrenched. Or Australia – zero-Covid hell. Or New Zealand, which has merrily embraced becoming a “two-tier society”. Or Austria, which has threatened to lockdown the un-vaccinated, Latvia (back under full lockdown), or Japan and South Korea (where everybody wears a mask every moment of the day they are not in their own homes). Imagine living in the U.S., where a doddering tyrant of a President clings onto Covid authoritarianism as his last best hope to display leadership (although some states have defiantly lifted all restrictions).
By the world’s standards, we have actually muddled our way through the pandemic with our “old normal” relatively intact. And this should, after all, be the bar by which success is judged. Negotiating to a position of living with the pathogen with one’s society unscathed is what pandemic management is all about. We seem to have almost got there. Most countries still appear to be largely stuck in the mindset that dealing with a pandemic means eliminating the pathogen and abolishing death, and, as we now know, in that direction lies nothing but madness.
Thank God that’s not us. And, while you’re at it, it may be worth thanking Boris, albeit through gritted teeth. He has revealed himself to be a very cynical politician over the last two years, adept at manipulating and responding to public opinion. At every stage, he seems to have judged the public mood to be going one way and leapt aboard, flinging principle in the dustbin en route. But what has been revealed since restrictions were lifted in July is that his inner sentiments are in favour of old fashioned, Cavalier-ish English liberty, as he has always liked to imply. In the white heat of March 2020, or winter last year, with the media baying relentlessly for lockdown and the scientists putting out a relentless tsunami of bleak forecasts, he allowed his hand to be forced. But now there is some wiggle-room he is erring in the right direction: toward personal freedom. We ought to be fair to him and give him some credit for that; we all know that if Keir Starmer was in charge things would look very different indeed.
Robert Caro, probably the greatest political biographer of the last 100 years, likes to say that “power reveals”. Once somebody has attained a position to do what they would like to do and to impose their decisions on others, you finally get to see what they are really like. The period 2020-2021 has revealed Boris to be almost nihilistic in his desire to retain power – a chameleon of principle. But it has also shown that there is a foundation of libertarian sentiment somewhere in the depths of his psyche. If I were being very optimistic I might even push the point and suggest that, since it is our electoral system that resulted in him being PM, our society shares that sentiment – at least more than many other countries – too. I wouldn’t have suggested any such thing in April 2020. But stepping out of my front door into an England that feels free once more, I can say it now.
Discussion
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Mr Young says, “we are in a better place than almost any other society”. How the hell do we know that? We only know what the MSM tells us. And anyone who blindly believes even what they tell us about this country is a naive nincompoop never mind what they say about other countries where we’ve no – or little – chance of checking up.
I remember them telling us about houses in China being welded up so as to keep the people from going out! Those who managed to get out were dropping dead in the street!
In other exotic places people were being beaten almost to death for not wearing a mask, or so they told us.
Nearer to home they tell us about how severe the restrictions are in France, Spain, Italy… Well, at the height of the ‘pandemic’ I remember speaking to my son in Majorca. He complained that the bars were forced to shut at midnight, and you had to sit outside. How terrible! Well, at that time the bars and pubs were totally shut in this country.
The sensationist media rejoice in telling us how strict the measures are in other countries. They love… Read more »
”… an England that feels free once more…” A very smug statement, if I may say so. This writer may feel ”free” but there are many other folk who most certainly do not. Those people who are about to lose their jobs, for instance – I bet they don’t feel very ”free”. And those of us who are about to be clearly labelled ”unclean” and soon to be prevented from visiting places we wish to – we don’t feel ”free” either, with that threat hanging over us.
Still, as long as the influential and ”free” ones (who risibly call themselves ”elite”) are comfortable, then that’s all that matters. To them.
Vaccine passports already widely in use so, no sorry, it may be better than some other countries but that is hardly normal – or even close to it.
It may seem like normal but the insidious undertone of compliancy with testing, masking, no face to face doctor appointments and the really insidious fact that most jabbed families will not entertain their unjabbed siblings, parents etc. NO this is nowhere near normal. It’s a faux period of calm created before the storm. What will happen at Christmas when families refuse to congregate? So many people are mow isolated from friends and family. So many new relationships ate forming through necessity that is building a segregated society. The new normal is dystopian.
Please excuse me from reading this. Even the mention of this man’s name makes me feel ill (and I don’t like the toadying that surrounds the use of the term ‘Boris’, by the way). However, I am eager to read all the comments below the line, which I find fascinating for their variety.
Boris hasn’t abandoned his tyrannical behaviour, merely distracted by COP26 where he can operate it with complete support from 30,000 delegates. Once that’s done he’ll turn his gaze back to covid.
Sorry Professor you are way off mark and attitudes like yours are dangerous
Major Waffle is a liar a hypocrit and a coward. I wouldn’t want him living next door to me let alone running my country.
Once someone has hurt you – hurt you really badly – then you can never relax and trust them again. No matter how well they treat you, you are painfully aware that they can turn on you again and hurt you even more. Trust can never be rebuilt. Never.
Trust is like virginity; once it’s gone,it’s gone
Freedom ! perhaps you have accepted your barcode in return for Boris Johnsons version of freedom, rather like the dog who accepts having a muzzle on in order to go outside, As an un barcoded can I tell you what my version of freedom is like. I cannot travel abroad unless I pay out circa 200 plus pounds such that I am tested prior to leaving, on leaving the country I visit, and then for a day 2 and day 8 test whilst I am locked up in my own home, I can of course get early release if I pay the Government another 80 pounds. Of course my choice of countries are limited. I used to live in Italy part of the year now I cannot and have not been back to my home for over a year,
Every day I with millions of others are threatened with further reductions on my “liberty” because Covid is spreading amongst the vaccinated, I am also blamed for this spread by various leaders in this country and abroad. I cannot attend concerts some venues, because I have refused to be barcoded.
What was my life has been taken away by this Man… Read more »
Does Bozo have a redeeming quality?
Nah.
One small part of me did wonder (hope?) that when Boris (accidently?) let slip, in the Sky interview that, “the jab doesn’t stop you getting it and the jab doesn’t stop you passing it on” he was trying to spike the guns of the vaccine passport lobby, we’ll see………
It’s not like that in Scotland for sure. Yes, the natives voted for the SNP but not all of us did and we have to suffer for their decisions and those of our monomaniacal and megalomaniac First Minister. It might be better if Boris stepped in and suspended the SNP government but I can’t see that happening.
I wouldn’t speak too soon. He isn’t the decision maker after all. Let’s see what the next step in the plan is.
“Negotiating to a position of living with the pathogen with one’s society unscathed is what pandemic management is all about. We seem to have almost got there.”
Really?
So the thousands of small businesses which have been needlessly destroyed will all magically return.
The millions who have mental health problems will be magically restored.
The millions of kids whose education has been permanently damaged will gain back the time they lost.
The suicide victims will be restored to life.
The £billions of debt doesn’t exist.
The recollection of authoritarian regulations being implemented by diktat was a figment of our imagination.
Society isn’t unscathed. We are nothing like “back to normal.” The scarring will be permanent.
And I will never vote CONservative again, as long as I live.
No, I will not – nor ever will – join in any lovefest for Johnson, his toxic government and cohorts.
All roads lead to Rome – some may be more meandering or scenic, others steadfastly direct – but the eventual endpoint is the same, irrespective of the route taken. A formidable and horrific terminus.
Johnson is as treacherous to mankind, as are his noxious worldwide familiars.
Didn’t read past that!
Yes, making peace with Kim Jong Johnson is not a virtue.
What we have to remember is that we are dealing with people that don’t have any political principles. Everything is judged (implicitly) in cost vs benefit.
To them:
Surge in deaths due to Covid – very high cost. Lockdowns – huge cost. I’m happy to believe that Boris is very loathe to consider locking down the economy again. Vaccine passports – low cost, most people will go along with it. Masks – extremely low cost, most people will go along with it. Vaccinating children – low cost, short term side effects are rare in the short term. Pissing parents off – medium cost. Demonstrations and social disorder – medium cost. Etc. For example, no doubt Boris would resort to mandating masks and vaccine passports (“temporarily”) if there was a surge in “cases”, to avoid having to lock down the economy.
It’s a massive exercise in virtue signalling. Politicians will balance how they will be perceived responding to Covid with the perceived cost of their actions.
If we can keep the perceived costs of illiberal actions as high as possible that will help. Boris likes being liked, and as long as he and other politicians are aware of large scale… Read more »
He’s a libertine, not a libertarian.
Sorry, but you can’t preside over the large scale deprivation of liberty that has been foisted on the British people and claim a smidgen of libertarian sentiment. We judge people by what they do rather than what they say, and Boris has shown his true authoritarian, statist colours.
Correct
There is not one libertarian molecule in the entire great fat fraudulent communist body of Kim Jong Johnson.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/40Ho2GR6t86Z/
BitChute – MAG BITTER TRUTH – 💥BAM!💥
Johnson reminds me of Fred Scuttle in that picture …
‘We’ve stopped obsessing over the figures’….I thought so too, but the only BBC output I encounter in my normal life is R3 and R4extra, in the past week I have seen the tv news and they still seem to be reporting numbers every day
It’s tempting to sympathize with your view, but no thanks.
I was a Conservative party member from 2001 until to last July. It was the imposition of compulsory mask-wearing in the summer of 2020 that made me decide I should quit. I expect good things from a political party of which I am a member. I don’t expect the re-opening of the pubs to in July to be closely followed by the face-mask mandate. I didn’t get round to cancelling my membership until Freedom Day was postponed, but that was only a matter of timing.
Johnson’s cowardice in the face of the howling broadcast media, his scientific advisers, and some colleagues has been appalling to behold. How can he ever have claimed Churchill or Thatcher as his heroes and then buckle as he did? It is shameful.
That so many other leaders or would-be leaders have been or would have been worse is no defence.
Now if you add on the energy and green rubbish, the betrayal by Johnson of his former supporters and his reputation is complete.
Lets see how long his hand is ‘stayed’ once his beloved COP26 is over and done with.
An apologist for the rancid Pig Dictator
That’s all we need
(Hitler was kind to his dog until he shot it)
Yes, I have a feeling that Carrie feels that way about her pet, Bozo.
I have been pondering who Boris reminded me of in that picture – it’s Fred Scuttle (aka Benny Hill) and then I found out I was not alone – look up “Benny Hill saluting” and you get several pictures of Boris.
And the likes of Johnson will be at the Cenotaph in a few weeks, supposedly in remembrance and honouring those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. People like Johnson should not be allowed within a 1,000 miles of the Cenotaph, as he and his ilk are disgusting cowards and are truly not worthy.
I’d ban all politicians from attending the Cenotaph. After what they have done to freedom over the last 19 months they may has well have pissed on it. What on earth did all those people die for? For scumbag politicians, eighty years later to undo their sacrifice. Disgusting.
As much as I don’t trust Boris, I will admit it’s now fun talking to friends abroad who have to wear masks, passports et al. It doesn’t undo the mass harm of March 2020-July 2021, but he has shown some backbone since 1 July and be benefits from being consoled to Keir “Masks now, masks forever” Starmer.
But something tells me if Carrie catches a cold we’re back in lockdown.
Wait til cases and fatalities rise in December and January. Then witness his capitulation. Again.
No way does Johnson get a pass.
Masks alone mean he stands condemned.
Add twenty months of having relentless gloom and misery pumped at us by him and his placemen. Vaccine passports and their horrendous impact on social cohesion.
Two years of my life wasted. Lost a close friend who took his own life due to effect of Lockdown on the business he had built over 30 years. Still masks everywhere
An infantilised society that claps like performing Seals for an inefficient organisation that we are required to support through taxation. And then has to be ‘protected’ by the rest of us having our lives curtailed.
That’s before we get to higher prices and more taxes. Remember Labour’s Double Whammy? It’s Johnson’s.
And thraldom to the Thunberg Goblin which will lead to more cranky idiocy.
I always thought Johnson a chancer. A man of few redeeming qualities; but at least he wasn’t Corbyn and at least, at heart a libertarian.
I was wrong. I’ve voted Conservative all my adult life. Johnson and my local MP, who has done nothing but parrot the party line through this entire shitshow, have convinced me never to do so again.
Johnson… Read more »
Well said.
But where to go?
My own Labour MP has been notably quiet these past
1820 months except to vote ‘sooner harsher longer’ at each opportunity.The Conservatives have never troubled themselves to tell me the name of their candidate in the past few elections but he would be some Shire nitwit in any event.
Where indeed! That’s the problem as, increasingly, elections will look like a change of management structure rather than a choice of government direction.
I am, however, a man of my word. When I wrote to my MP and said if she supported the tiers and lockdown last Autumn/Winter I would never vote Conservative again, I meant it. The fact that her ‘reply’ was a cut and paste from her Twitter feed solidified my resolve.
That’s all I’ve ever got from mine too – cut and paste odysseys restating current Conservative party police.
The remnant Libdems once or twice showed a spark of anti lockdown resistance, if only for electoral advantage, but that soon died away, or stopped being reported.
I have no idea where they stand on vaccines, mandatory or not.
It is difficult to know what the LibDims stand for at the best of times.
I live in a Labour constituency. I have the same experience. They feign disagreement but they would rather see their opponents elected than have the electorate realise that they don’t really need useless, lazy, identikit politicians at all.
Just spoil your ballot paper. Labour and Conservative are two cheeks of the same authoritarian arse.
He’s a murdering criminal; simples.