Well look, you may well be right. I confess I struggle to explain why Governments around the world have acted (in some ways, seemingly in lockstep) to impose such Draconian restrictions on life and liberty in response to this particular virus. That's why I find myself falling back on references to incompetence, panic and hysteria, which I accept sound quite flimsy explanations and which are prone to obvious objections (e.g. can it be right that almost all politicians, in all countries, really have panicked in the same way?).
I guess my problem is that I am a sceptic about everything, and I just find it much harder to believe that what has happened was planned, or taken up and run, by some shadowy cabal of puppeteers remaking the world in pursuit of some grand reset, than to believe that e.g. Johnson et al were not sufficiently intellectually robust, honest and curious to (a) ask the scientists the right questions; and (b) to then understand and interrogate their answers in a way that might have led to a saner, more proportionate response. That latter explanation, as unpalatable as it is, still seems the most plausible to me.
But of course, you are quite right to question that view too.
I confess I struggle to explain why Governments around the world have acted (in some ways, seemingly in lockstep) to impose such Draconian restrictions on life and liberty in response to this particular virus.
The general public are mostly in lockstep because they are reacting to the same narrative with the same recommended actions. It appears that Governments can behave the same way.
Well look, you may well be right. I confess I struggle to explain why Governments around the world have acted (in some ways, seemingly in lockstep) to impose such Draconian restrictions on life and liberty in response to this particular virus. That's why I find myself falling back on references to incompetence, panic and hysteria, which I accept sound quite flimsy explanations and which are prone to obvious objections (e.g. can it be right that almost all politicians, in all countries, really have panicked in the same way?).
I guess my problem is that I am a sceptic about everything, and I just find it much harder to believe that what has happened was planned, or taken up and run, by some shadowy cabal of puppeteers remaking the world in pursuit of some grand reset, than to believe that e.g. Johnson et al were not sufficiently intellectually robust, honest and curious to (a) ask the scientists the right questions; and (b) to then understand and interrogate their answers in a way that might have led to a saner, more proportionate response. That latter explanation, as unpalatable as it is, still seems the most plausible to me.
But of course, you are quite right to question that view too.
There doesn't have to be a shadowy cabal. Governments find that control of the population, through fear, is very effective and helps push through things that would have warranted more scrutiny.
As for scientists, about 5 years ago I read an article by a doctor saying "better hope these crazy modellers don't get more traction in medicine". And here we are. Though of course, the modellers have been infecting medicine for a long time with "studies" saying you are 72% more likely to have a heart attack if you do x, y, z.
I've also ordered The Patient Paradox to read. I had an excellent doctor for 20 years - chronic health problems - who has retired. Now all I cam find is doctors who are not pleased when I am in good health and have no flare ups and seek to find all kinds of things wrong.
It is a tragedy what has happened. Science doesn't seem very scientific now.
Sorry to hear about your ill health.
Well, on the Government action point, another reason I that might explain what looks like co-ordinated action is simply that politicians (but especially our spineless PM) decided to take refuge in a form of herd immunity of their own. They calculated that if they adopted basically the same policies as everyone else, it wouldn't matter if this was wrong because come the inquiry they could simply say, well we were just following best practice around the world.
It took guts and intellectual rigour to take an independent line, and of course a certain toughness to put up with the vilification from the herd for showing them up: Sweden is our best example here and they show that a different way was possible.
I completely agree with you about the scientists and their malign influence, now amounting to a form of bio-terrorism: you will be well, even if the policies to achieve this destroys the point of life. Jonathan Sumption wrote an excellent piece on this in the Mail on Sunday, the link to which is on LS.
Shotclog
Re the following best practice
I have heard it said that other European countries didn't have restrictions extending to...you can't have your neighbour round for a cuppa. At least, not for so long. But it's hard to know what's really going on in a place until you live there.
