Can any of us name a country of considerable population which has successfully dealt the virus ?. So many countries are going through the same pattern as the UK.Of course Sweden currently isn't, maybe it will, but (and whilst it admits it failed in terms of its strategy around care homes) if it doesn't suffer a significant increase in infections then people are going to look at that very closely.As I said back in March, the problem with a lockdown is it has to be all or nothing. What difference does the pub closing at 10pm make ? - at 21.59 everyone is responsible and the virus is sleeping and at 22.01 everyone goes crazy and the virus wakes up ?.In my view, alot of responsibility lies with the media. How farcical is it when the news bangs on about new restrictions and then in the next breath brings us live TV pictures of Gareth Bale arriving at Tottenham's training ground, where there's hundreds of people publicly flouting those same rules, and all to see someone who happens to be able to kick a ball arrive in a car ?.Whilst, given their struggles to deal with crime and the whole issue of under-resourcing all public services, I don't expect the police to be able to rigorously enforce covid rules, it makes my blood boil when the media switches from one extreme (complete scaremongering) to the other (here's Gareth Bale, look at all the fans signing his name).And the problem is that's how polarised the public is. People are sick of been told what to do when so little of what they are being told makes sense and there's so many glaring contradictions. It's like when you're growing up, the more you're shielded from things the more curious you became about then and one thing often leads to another. But then at the other end of the spectrum I note Sarah is anxious about going to John Lewis in Kingston. Now it is merely my point of view but generally speaking and putting personal circumstances to one side I think that type of concern is excessive, yet many people are of that mindset.And then yesterday some sections of the media, not content with the scaremongering they inflict on us every day, were reporting how several supermarkets now haven't got any delivery slots - that's just great, if you haven't already terrified the more 'nervous' elements of the population then that kind of article should ensure that those elements now go into full panic-buying mode which will screw things up for everyone else.It's abit like surviving a nuclear war and then coming out your bunker all full of yourself and it belatedly dawning on you that whilst you may be alive, but the world you knew isn't because you were only interested in your own short-term salvation.I can't subscribe any more to the notion of another lockdown than I do to the other extreme of lifting all restrictions and saying "sod it, people are going to die but there'll be plenty who won't so let's just get on with our lives".And sat in the middle of those 2 extremes is relying upon other people...which is arguably even more 'terrifying' than either extreme...
Adam Beamish ● 1285d