Whatever happened to Pugwash? On another note. I was looking at the Derby board the other day and I see yer ode sparring partner, Tricky, is all over it like pickle over cheese. I would guess you knew that anyway??
Driller pretty much agreed with you, and I pretty much agreed with Driller on 2 points that you raise. The one I discussed with him is the timing of lockdown. We will never know how Jo Public would have dealt with lockdown had it been done earlier, but IMO it would have been catastrophic (more so than what we are currently seeing).
I certainly wouldn’t suggest the Irish love the pub any less, I would suggest the opposite.
I am glad that the Irish have a low mortality rate. However policing 5 million people with just over 2m in one city is a piece of cake compared to the UK demographic.
And let’s say 10% of the 2 populations breach the lockdown rules... I think you can see where I am going with this. The numbers just don’t compare.
That's one interpretation of it that you could argue, yes.
Let me throw back, however; despite the vastly different population numbers, both are essentially island nations which ought to therefore have been able to close themselves off relatively easily, as opposed to places like France and Germany, with long land borders. Leo Varadkar took it seriously right from the start, made fast, hard decisions, and inspired a generally good adherence to the lockdown (we've been in it longer than you, remember) with his excellent, statesmanlike appearances speaking to the nation that have won him praise internationally. And he did this while serving as only the Acting Taoiseach, as the three big parties here were all negotiating the formation of the next government - Varadkar himself wanted to go into opposition, from what I understand.
To borrow your words - I think you can see where I'm going with this.
If anything, I'd have thought the British population would have been more likely to follow the rules than the Irish one - all that British spirit of the Blitz certain populist politicians like to bang on about, no?
https://twitter.com/sime0nstylites/s...616553985?s=21
For those who accept Boris Johnson has made a complete mess of it, this is a great thread considering the reasons why and contemplating more generally why we elect such terrible governments.
Post Cold War complacency is a good starter.
How many Italian,Chinese,Indian, Pa-istani, Bangladeshi, Afro Carribean etc. etc. live in Ireland compared to Britain?
These people travel back and forth to their country of origin creating a large risk, but the vast majority are British citizens so they are entitled.
Mind you it is criminal that when we new of the problem they weren't tested or isolated.