Hancock and co point finger at public for going out when they say outdoors is healthier – and for packing trains their cuts have forced people onto
True to form, the Tory government has been blaming the public for going out to parks and for crowding public transport.
But the public has stayed off public transport – London tube numbers are down by 81% – but the Tories have slashed train numbers and closed 40 tube stations, so the remaining people, many of whom probably have to travel for essential jobs, have to crowd into fewer stations before being packed onto a reduced number of carriages.
And just last night, deputy Chief Medical Officer Jenny Harries told the nation that going outdoors is good, as long as you’re not suffering long-term health problems – and in fact is healthier than staying indoors:
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has increased the number of trains in its Beijing underground system – so the people who do have to travel can stay further apart and reduce the risk of any transmission:
How typical of the Tories to give conflicting advice, make it impossible to follow – and then use it as a stick to beat us all with when we inevitably ‘fail’.
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My thoughts on Hancock are to be found here if anyone is interested. (If you'[re reading this you probably are…)
https://lovesexwomenmenpoliticspoetrylifedeath.wordpress.com/
Tories and financialized Capitalism and it’s neoliberal proponents blame everyone and anyone, especially their victims, except their vile, exploitative, inadequate, murderous systems that funnel wealth (and power) into fewer and fewer hands. What’s new?
I’ll post this link to a piece by Allyson Pollock here as well “We need hands-on public health expertise to tackle COVID-19”. https://www.allysonpollock.com/?p=2901
Good Piece by Pollock and I have emailed my useless Tory turd of an MP with the very questions raised by Pollock in her PMQ draft paper .
I don’t expect a answer of any relevance .
Good for you rob. MPs need to be pressured. It may seem a pointless task but if more did what you have done they do eventually have to respond in some way. Many seem to just bury their heads in the sand and sing la,la,la in HoC bars and fill in their expense forms.
Are you still beating your partner?
The tories are world-class blame shifters…
Winning at everyone else’s expense.
A decade of vicious austerity that put our NHS on Life Support, a dangerous strategy of Herd Immunity which the Director General of the WHO said was “wrong and dangerous”, the Government’s reckless decision to stop widespread testing – even as NHS wards are quickly filling up with COVID-19 patients and frontline staff do not have adequate protective gear. None of this is where the blame properly lies?
Blame-shifters extraordinaire.
qeertboi…unfortunately for the country the gambling spivs in the City agree with you and are withdrawing support for our crumbling economy and our money system.I have been expecting a downturn and fluctuations in the pound and the economy,but what I have been watching is a nosedive in confidence especially the confidence of the spivs in the British establishment and goverment to govern.We are seeing a downturn across the world,but the British disease looks terminal unless the government along with establishment collapses.Electing a knight of the realm to represent the so called opposition looks like another nail in the coffin a class ridden and deeply divided country.
The Tories have a hell of a lot to answer for.
But the behaviour of the large proportion of numpties in the population isn’t one of those things. *Nobody* I know with even half a brain has any doubt about what they should be doing about distancing and hygeine and panic buying. There may be issues about the balance of risk at the margins – but the basics are obvious. And it’s the basics that have been ignored.
Trying to blame behaviour on the Tories is weak, numpty nonsense that deserves ridicule.
I’ve been in hospital today, and the preparations and effort being made by staff at all levels is impressive. And *all* I’ve spoken to condemn the useless numpties who couldn’t find their arse with both hands.
What an incredibly useless piece of pointless, self-indulgent Toytown issue ducking.
RH you are beginning to sound desperate and I dont blame you because you rely on the system that was always there for you.For many that “system” has deserted them a long time ago.Collaboration with the Tory establishment will not save you and the sooner the Tory establishment folly the better for the whole country.
… and the bus drivers have no protective gear.
Not just the bus drivers Ron. Johnson keeps promising protective resources to the NHS. Some have gad to resort to using bin liners… yes bin liners in the UK… in our National HEALTH Service. But the signs of Tory success is RH blaming and insulting the general public. It is actually an effective strategy. Put the responsibility on the public, not the PM. The same was achieved during the bankers crisis. There was a constant flush of people who said they were ordinary working people but blamed the crisis on the general public taking loans offered to them… by the bankers. The bankers were paid many millions to exercise good judgement. They failed. The state… WE picked up the tab. The bankers kept the many millions. This evening RH directs his insults to the general public.🩸🩸🩸
“. But the signs of Tory success is RH blaming and insulting the general public”
Well the public have had 40 years of ‘there’s no such thing as society’ it’s up to individuals to make a good life/income… if you fail it’s your fault rammed into their brains. Benefit porn shows just to ensure that many are seens as wasters, lazy. The system is great, millions have been trained to buy, buy, buy and get into debt to support the rigged Rentier system… UK is the fifth richest country in the world apparently… public purse can bomb the shit out of any country Capitalists/banksters/political class wish to plunder or control no expense spared and public purse is used bail out criminal banksters, dodgy big Capitalists and Oligarchs but almost fully privatised NHS has bin bags for staff protection in a pandemic…
One thing UK is really good at… propaganda.
By the way where is Simon Stevens in all this? He runs NHS.
It needs a sustained thought out campaign to undo the sustained campaign of the Tories & MSM. It is difficult but not impossible. We need to be as organised & determined & confident of success like the red & blue Tories. They never give up. We must not either. Things have been achieved in the past. It is not enough but i’m not giving up. It is tough … the psychology bit… the psychological battle. That to me is the key. That is what i sense as a newbie to this politics “thing” since Jeremy then more intensely involved when Open Selection came up. So my observations & optimism comes from that “background”. Observing from a non political background… where things had to get done and were really measurable… not just opinion and people feeling they are right or virtuous. The “virtue” or “rightness” had to be real not an ever out of reach “ideal”. Maria, i feel that it is the psychology & strategy … in prioritised steps LITERALLY 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ , that is missing. Only my observations and opinion. But from my first involvement at CLP Left groups answers to my puzzlement over the last four years, were screaming … vivid. They are still vivid. Ive put in earplugs to reduce the screams. But despite all, there is no reason to keep doing the same things and operating in the same way yet expect a different result. We can do much better. COMPLETE root and branch reform is needed. It is not easy but vital we all do some urgent self-assessment. What do we want and what can WE do better to achieve that❓ What must we change❓ What stopped us from asking these questions before❓ Until we at least ask those questions, and get some sound answers AND try a new method… until then, it is WAY WAAAY to early to give up.
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signpostnotwindchimes, I don’t think I am giving up, we (those of us who want radical changes to our failing and ruthless systems) cannot give up. I agree a clear and sustained strategy is needed, a counter propaganda campaign if you like.
I just don’t feel I fit in political parties and wouldn’t last five minutes in the current LP, I’d be chucked out pronto even if I was deemed fit to join. I am a political novice also, I see it as an advantage as I have no political baggage.
I will make one comment though. LP seems to be two or three parties trying to be one, I still think its ‘broad church’ is far too broad for any meaningful and more importantly, fully committed. consensus to be achieved.
Read your comment when I came back to post a link to a discussion on Renegade inc. this week that includes how the public purse has been used for egregious and murderous geo-political aims in Syria which have devastated the country.
https://www.rt.com/shows/renegade-inc/483771-biased-propaganda-misleading-nature/
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/129/contents/made
This should take you directly to Corona virus legislation passed today- can’t recall it being mention it 8:30
Pictures of London Underground trains running; people still packed like sardines @ peak times & wonder why London is a Covid 19 Hot Spot! Keep washing your hands.
We r on the same page Maria. Especially on the “broad church” bit. It is too broad plus nb the right wong only want consensus when it suits them. Re u don’t fit in to the LP. That is EXACTLY the people we need. NB i like half a million only joined Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour. We did not fit in either. So we can’t let the bastards grab it back. I seek to encourage those who r understandable discouraged. Alas it may come over as extra strong when it is really that my eyes well up for eg when i heard Chackrabati, the very night after Arsetair Campbellend was expelled, saying he could be readmitted. Or McD giving Campbellend the GQ interview, or Butler using her column to defend Bercow rather than advocate for Grenfel victims still not housed. Or candidates for “leadership” signing away their ability to lead to unelected unrepresentative self-appointed hypocrites who have proven with their silence, to be quite happy and supportive of eugenicists. So Maria, we r very much on the same page. And we all need to encourage each other. Keep spirits up. I cannot see how we win this battle without the confidence that we can. Ask the suffragettes, Rosa Parkes, Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro … it is bloody difficult and frustrating but not impossible. If i thought it was impossible, then i would not bother to post anything. History proves that change is possible. Without doubt Mandela & others faced things that were less than perfect. What is❓ The best is often enemy of the good. Every opportunity has to be used to win the battle. That is exactly what it is, a battle. That is why i remain distressed by McNicol & to make matters worse, Twatson are enabled with peerages. That alone indicates the battle we have, where open saboteurs are enabled, while Chris Williamson, Jacqui Smith, Mark Wandsworth, Ken Livingstone, George Galloway, lovers of the Foo Fighters and many more, were thrown to the wolves. Despite ALL of that, i see no logic, no alternative but to fight smarter. Fight with deep constant reflection, self assessment, and flexibility and thoroughness and decisiveness. Eg i would dissect with forensic clear detail the pledges the candidates signed. Then shred them in front of the so called Mother of Parliaments. EVERY SINGLE DAY i would present clearly the failings of Johnson and the Tories eg staff having to use bin-liners in our hospital, bailouts for private big business, the Tory deliberate neglect of the 99%. This needs to be done everyday. We have had a few peeps then long periods of absence and silence. Out of sight. Out of mind. But worse yet out of sight and silence provides a blank space for the Tories MSM to fill. There are no SUSTAINED rebuttals of eg the AS lies. THAT’s why they took root. Worse yet we then had a flood of apologies without once asking for evidence nor using logic. This is acutely relevant now as we can see similar threads. I sense an over concern with what the MSM response will be instead of confidently addressing the electorate with our clarity, our alternative approach. If we obsess about trying to placate the MSM and their controllers, then what exactly is the point❓❓❓
This Covid-19 situation make me realise with out reservation, more than ever, that we need BOLD CAPITALS in our attitude on the “Left” in the UK. It is not our culture but we desperately need a Mandela, a Rosa Parkes, a Fidel Castro… someone prepared to face down the Tory bastards EVERY DAY … IN PUBLIC … HERE and NOW
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I agree with what you say but I wont be joining LP or any other political party.
I too had great hopes of a Corbyn leadership… most dashed slowly and painfully with each unnecessary apology, capitulation and ending in reversal of decades long held views and giving the finger to EURef result. A leader does need to lead as well as listen and you either respect a democratic result (imperfect as the systems are) or you don’t respect democracy.
To be frank I see no real, inspirational leader of the calibre you speak of in UK politics.
Maria, i can understand your frustration and sadness. Have not had projectile tears but my eyes have been quite watered. Another struggle is the puzzlement. I cannot understand how such an historic opportunity of drawing 500,000 people to join Labour, despite MSM hostilities & saboteurs from within… it is difficult to understand the reason for any capitulations, let alone so many. Heart breaking and one of the things that keep me going is not feeling comfortable with unanswered questions… So i’v been thinking hard.
You touched on a key issue re the “broad church”. Maria, u r the only person i’m aware of who thinks that other than me. And consider this. For thirty years Jeremy was excluded from the ”broad church”, plus Ken, George, Chris… and yet we had the distressing inclusion of Starmer at the heart of the Shadow Cabinet. It was obviously unwise. McNicol a peerage, Twatson in line for one… on and on with no sign of lessons learnt. But Chris thrown under the bus… Those observations made me dig deeper to find the source of the confusion, timidity…
Seems to me that there is no real belief than we need to crush the Tory forces incl the MSM. For some reason incomprehensible to me, that with every victory, (coups etc), there seemed to a desperation to be cosy with the MSM. It was most visible with the Thornberry lady. She always seemed desperate to be their darling. And her outlook is that it is all an Islington game.
I wonder how many people know that Labour under Jeremy had historic wins in the City of London i 2017 or 18 need to check. The Square Mile had always been Tory. Yet did you hear anyone broadcasting those historical triumphs❓ No. Me neither. Somehow the attitude seems to be one out of sync with basic psychology. ie ”Nothing succeeds like success”. Plus i would add, very few have the skills of telepathy. We have to be made aware of things and reminded. We needed to publicise that even in the Square Mile, despite the MSM we were winning. We got silence from the MSM but i argue MUCH MORE importantly silence from us.
One explanation may be that illogically, people don’t believe change is possible. Thus there is frustration and righteous anger with a determination to search for words that appear to cause hurt. Or protests, but no pause to develop a strategy to create sustained change. The word ”sustained” is repeated because that is exactly what it takes. Does anyone think that throughout the “Left” there has been any thought as to how we sustain a government❓ No. That may be why Blair, Campbellend, Twatson et al were and are still being appeased and pampered. There is no belief in some that we can sustain a government with out those absolutely repellant creatures. Why❓ Because, the “Left” has always lacked what i call a prioritised sequenced focus combined with a belief that change IS possible…ACTIVATED and MAINTAINED by US. When I say the Left, i mean the UK, USA & European “Left”. Cuba has it. And despite harsh undermining, many countries in Central and South America, are electrified with belief. But no one can doubt, that if even it ended tomorrow, Cuba has for a startling number of decades sustained their struggle and defeated a Goliath of international force and oppression. The first ingredient was belief. The next three i believe are, stealth, thoughtful organisation and COMMITTED communication not just to those with whom we already agree. We must be prepared to explain our views. I would not vote for someone who called me stupid or a numpty. You wouldn’t. Who would❓❓❓ Where has that proven to be a winning strategy❓❓❓ Ah‼️ Yes. The absence of positive answers to those TWO questions, may proves my suggestions above. Those who insult the electorate, are understandably frustrated and angry, BUT they have given up. They have given in. They do NOT believe change is possible or they would not wantonly hurl insults at the electorate. Further, since by the insulters own words, the public have been failed by the Tories “education system” and a propagandist MSM, ie they are victims, then, what decent person on the “Left” would decide to insult and ridicule victims❓❓❓ On this, Paul is absolutely right.
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please excuse any errors. i’m very tired.❤️❤️❤️