Tory delay is political
Early last month, the SKWAWKBOX revealed exclusively that public health chiefs had been told by the government to prepare for the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic to hit from the beginning of October – including getting emergency COVID-19 wards ready to re-open.
As predicted, the second wave hit – and the government has now re-opened ‘Nightingale’ emergency health facilities in preparation for overwhelmed NHS hospitals.
Now, the same public health sources who tipped SKWAWKBOX off to the government’s plans then have also told this site that, while the Tories are delaying and delaying the inevitable renewed lockdown needed to even begin to get on top of the second wave, they have in fact been preparing for it ‘for weeks’.
And that those preparations include the armed forces.
Letters have also gone out to parents asking for permission to switch to video teaching ‘if necessary’ – as opposed to the online submission of homework already in place for hygiene reasons – and public health bosses have been told that the lockdown will be imposed as early as immediately after the school half-term holiday and at the latest by Christmas, with an early lockdown looking most (and increasingly) likely.
The Tories have been aware all along that a new lockdown is necessary to suppress the second wave – yet they have denied and delayed for at least two weeks from the start of the latest spike of the pandemic, for what can only be political reasons.
During the delay, they have imposed tighter restrictions – and now a ‘Tier 3’ local lockdown – on areas of entrenched opposition to their politics and have inflicted even deeper damage on the economy and local communities.
Boris Johnson’s one-week lockdown delay in March cost tens of thousands of lives, for which he refused even to express regret. How many lives – and how much damage to the fabric of our country – will his delay of two weeks, to a lockdown he has known for weeks is inevitable, cost now?
Two weeks and counting.
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“Sweeping changes like this can only be achieved amid a climate of fear..”
Sweeping changes like introducing more power for the secret police, fleecing taxpayers and funneling it into the pockets of the 1% are all perfectly routine measures for governments and have been for years. If the pandemic was, as you claim, planned to facilitate these things it was an enormous and very costly waste of energy.
In fact the pandemic has exposed, in detail, the basic shortcomings of capitalism as a system and the particular dangers of governments which refuse to regulate or control the capitalists. Idiots screaming plandemic are just putting up a smokescreen as neo-liberalism’s nakedness is on display. And they aren’t even getting paid for the work that they are doing for Thatcherism and the 0.1%.
As committed socialists many people here feel considerable distrust of the official covid narrative, especially because the management of the pandemic is, as you say, being used to promote neoliberal interests and control of the political agenda. Conspiracy theories of the type you (I think wrongly) accuse Terry Alderman are incomplete, inconsistent and highly politicised by vested interest. Neither Terry nor you, Bevin, should want to emphasise the “conspiracy theory” elements that each of your positions can be reduced to.
We are socialists and we respect evidence. Let’s keep our analysis focussed on the issues and stay honest to them. Marx21 contained an article, “What conspiracy theories won’t tell you” by David Meienreis which can be read in English at rs21.
I strongly suggest every one does. It will keep our minds on the real issues and confirm that capitalism’s deficiencies and the Conservatives’ atrocious handling of the coronavirus situation are, indeed the critical issues we face.
https://www.rs21.org.uk/2020/10/02/what-conspiracy-theories-wont-tell-you/
Quite right, Bevin. The conspiraloon nutters like the now regular covid hoax troller, ‘Terry Alderman’, appear to have no idea about how our global capitalist system actually operates ! The idea that a global capitalist class, already seriously on the ropes because of the post 2008 crisis’ now endemic stagnation and falling profit rates , would deliberately hoax up a pandemic that has led to the cessation of the production of the system’s very lifeblood, ie, surplus value, in core capitalist heartlands for months on end, is too ludicrous for words.
Covid 19 is a very serious, completely genuine, pandemic that is endangering the entire global capitalist system, as well as the lives of millions of people. The banking system that was already teetering before covid19, only kept afloat by ever larger free ‘quantitative Easing ‘ money gifting from central banks to the private banks, and the reduction of interest rates to levels simply not sustainable for a financialised capitalist system based on the payment of high interest rates on an ever-greater debt burden . Combine covid 19 with the now systemic profit and low growth crisis of the global system and you have the extreme likelihood of a new economic crisis very sobn that will dwarf 1929 and 2008. The idea that somesort of illuminati capitalist elite, in a worldwide hoax, has conspired to create such a covid19 scam, is a fairy tale for the ultra gullible conspiraloons. The only class thst benefits from a widespread belief that covid19 is a hoax is the boss class that wants us all endangering our lives back in their factories and offices to generate yet more surplus value.
For much the same reason there has never been a time when Govt hasn’t taken every opportunity to boost it’s surveillance and anti terrorist activity (aka protests). The coming social disruption mitigates against even more control. Capitalists are not about to shoot themselves in both feet. Luducrious is exactly right!
IF every City had the guts of the city of Liverpool,then the Government along with the knight and his misfits would be hanging from the lampposts.Maybe its time to open Tyburn again in London to save transportation of these traitors..
“…would be hanging from the lampposts.”
Stop your teasing Joseph, I’m getting a chubby 😉
This explains why keith the abstainer has changed his tune…..
Crazy. Complaining that the government isn’t enforcing more stringent measures quicker. You nutters seem to want the army on the streets and people informing on their neighbours get through some kind of Orwellian acrobatics you also support the people of Liverpool who don’t want lockdown imposed on them.
This is mental, you upvote Bevin shouting from his ivory tower the flaming obvious, that Capitalism is at fault but are quite happy to support authoritarian measures that will cripple the economy. The economic effects of the pandemic are already 4 times worse than the crash of 2008 and the following austerity caused the death of at least 300,000 people get you advocate destroying the economy …for what exactly?
“This is mental”
A good image, lundiel – the lunatics and the innumerate duiggies are running the asylum.
…backed by the saddoes who are afraid of their own shadow as soon as a virus of no serious consequence appears. As happens every year.
Presumably “a virus of no serious consequence” is why, for example, the Critical Care beds in Liverpool are at 95% capacity and we haven’t even hit winter yet?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8837277/Liverpools-intensive-care-wards-95-capacity-patient-numbers-set-rise-peak.html
Unfortunately, this head in the sand approach by the Chicken Little brigade is, as bevin observes, doing all the heavy lifting for the elites. Proving a handy smokescreen and barrier. Closing off relevant and pertinent questions such as why it is that the NHS is so run down that it cannot cope with a ” a virus of no serious consequence” and all the other health requirements at the same time?
Or why our economy is in such poor shape it cannot cope with even the mildest shock to the system – whether it’s a pandemic or financial bubble.
Or, to take another example, the number of positive tests by area in, say, Sheffield. Which show more cases in some of the higher income areas than in some of the lower income areas. One route, the “no serious consequences” approach, tends to generate questions about this being a concern of the comfortably off middle classes. Naively ignoring the obvious question as to the availability of testing in working class areas compared to middle class locales?
Again, as bevin points out, providing cover for the shortcomings of a failed system by projecting onto others one’s own attitude and behaviours. Displaying an arrogant and ignorant disdain for the impact on working class communities.
Doubly so in terms of the shambolic and criminally insane decision making and handling of a system shock by a Government, and “Loyal” opposition with a track record of incompetence.
Where are the questions, RH, lundiel et al, comparing the way in which those such as China, whose economy is now set to come out of the short sharp shock taken whilst we are still half heartedly faffing about for months on end dithering and delaying causing more harm than good? Sub contracting out, Carillon style, tasks to paying mates and donors with no expertise and clue?
They are not being posed because they can’t be asked when the simplistic approach of this reductionist mindset takes the naive position that no action or response is required. This being “a virus of no serious.consequence”
Anyone who wishes to be taken seriously would be posing these kind of systemic level questions rather than acting as useful tools for an incompetent political class which is no more than different brands of the same shoddy product.
If it were not, at least for those of us who inhabit the reality based community, for the damage caused by those who who are doing the hard work of ignoring these questions and issues and letting the political elites off the hook with these simplistic smokescreens one might be tempted to make the observation that those taking this approach are of “no serious consequence.”
The article you link to in the right wing daily mail is full of “could be” scaremongering. It also states that the vast majority of those admitted to hospital for whatever reason and then testing positive for Covid-19 are the over 85s, no shit Sherlock. Also we have a crisis in the NHS every year and there are several empty Nightingales serving northern England.
According to the government website the virus was designated a non notifiable disease in February of this year.
The rest of your rant is cobblers, you don’t have to write a book. The point for anyone of working age who is not in the vulnerable group is “am I likely to lose my job” and who the fuck does the government think they are fooling. We know outsourced test and trace is expensive rubbish. We know the government and NHS England killed thousands of people releasing them into care homes. We know that lockdown only damps down the disease but devastates the economy and we know they should be throwing resources at protecting the vulnerable and not locking the country up.
Niccolo Machiavelli who wrote, “Never waste the opportunity offered by a good crisis.”
Winston Churchill — “Never let a good crisis go to waste? ”
Rahm Emmanuel – “Never let a good crisis go to waste,”
SM…spot on.The Torys and Labour are being dragged from the economic first and bugger the working class.And in Ulster the DUP are running the same as the rest of the neo liberal alliance in the UK and have to be dragged kicking and screaming into a Lockdown by left wing Sinn Fein.Nearly 10% infection rate in Derry \Straban and the same in the working class areas of Belfast Sinn Fein wanted four or six weeks whilst the establishment DUP wanted none.I wonder why.?.Money first!not people and destroy civil libertys as a bonus.Luckily People in Ireland are well aware of the establishment ways of enforcement and know how to combat Force.The live of working class people mean nothing other than production and otherwise nothing….This is the State of our corrupted political system and exploitation of the working class.
Yesterday morning (Or was it Monday?) they had (wet) blunkett on GMB.
He had the temerity to complain about ‘infringements of civil liberties’. It seems some agree with the prick who wanted ID cards and wanted your wheelie bin weighed ffs; onf of THE biggest champions and prponent of the ‘snooper’s charter’…And RIPA wasn’t introduced for the good of your health, was it?
For those complaining of infringements of civil liberties, look NO further than the last three labour governments; over 3000 laws sneaked in through the back door – most of them about restrictions of civil liberties.
…And then remember – stammer’s a throwback to them times.
Yes, Yvette Cooper, jack Straw, Jacqueline Smith, Alan Johnson, David Bluncket, John Reid and Charles Clarke did as much to promote the American century’s ant-libertarian, anti democratic and anti-socialist hegemony than any Conservative (May, Judd, Jarvid and Patel) – and it has all resulted in Mass Indiscriminate Surveillance, increasing economic inequality, brexit and this obscene mismanagement of the covid catastrophe.
Labour’s ’new management’ Is status quo and, as such, part of the problem, not its solution.
More hilarious ironic laughter at the ‘anti-capitalist’, ‘radical’ Skwawkbox supporting the agents of big capital stuffing the workers.
Coat-tailing the Grauniad. What more need to be said about the Tooting ‘Lefities’, pretending that there’s a fag-paper between it and the Tories.
Here’s the pathetic line-up of the killers of the NHS (and the thousands of untreated patients) iand encourqaginbg the destruction of society.in general.
Johnson and cabinet
Starmer and PLP
SAGE brown-noser scientists and pharma share holders
The SPI-B Goebbels memorial tribe
Skwakkbox and the Tooting ‘lefities’
What a crowd of saddoes, with motives ranging from the venal to the pathetic.
Where is the cited reference to the “use of the army” ? It is not in your report.
I just did a search to see if there was anything in the MSM about the above story (I didn’t find anything) and came across the following:
BBC Bias row ERUPTS after Beeb’s Laura Kuenssberg makes shock Keir Starmer claim
BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg has enraged social media after reporting an anonymous attack on Sir Keir Starmer’s calls for a two-week coronavirus lockdown.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1347460/BBC-bias-news-Laura-kuenssberg-coronavirus-Boris-johnson-sir-keir-starmer-twitter-ont
NB And the funny thing is that immediately before that I’d just read an Express article about the BBC licence fee in which it says: ‘The BBC has also faced questions over its impartiality and accused of being too left-wing in its politics.’
What a joke!