Originally Posted by
pingu_pie
Anyway. The Covid Legacy.
What I would hope would happen:
People take note of how easy it has been for something as simple as extremely poor animal welfare standards in a wet market half a world away can affect their own lives, and realise that 1) we ought to have more respect for the planet and it's other inhabitants, as we are are simply another fragile organism amongst many, and 2) the world is a far smaller place than is generally thought, and the poverty of one segment of our species can cause ripples across every society.
From this, China is "brought to the table", but so is everyone else, as a true internationalist approach is taken to solve the many issues that will remain for humankind and the Earth in general.
In Britain, people decide that living in a fantasy of a long lost empire isn't really the be all and end all, and future governments are voted upon, and held to account in relation to, actual policies and performances that actually matter, such as climate, health, energy, and infrastructure. The current lot are criticised properly for their attempts to approach a virus with the same sort of bluster, platitudes, and snake oil salesmanship as they have utilised in all other ventures, and are never seen again. The British people return to holding their leaders to a standard, and when they fail to meet that they resign like they used to do.
People in general retain the memory of the sterling work done by key workers, in particular health care staff, and no longer begrudge them a decent living, paid for by all of us via our taxes. (I would add that large companies decide to pay their fair share too in appreciation, rather than stuck up a heart with NHS written in it as a sop, but that's a level of fantasy even I can't reach). Further than that, the efforts of the rest of the key workers, such as the staff in food shops, transport workers, delivery drivers, everyone else who is working, and everyone who has taken part in social distancing and taken other steps inconveniencing their lives to attempt to limit the outbreak, mean that as a whole we all become just a bit more decent to one another as a whole.
Notts, in a miracle, are noted to have been charging up the table, plus were the highest team in the last full season when Bury existed, make it back into the league. Barrow get there too, as I still think they have shown to be likely to be the best team. Stevenage can come down - sod them. Football wakes up and goes back to being a competitive sport, instead of the insanity of the financial imbalance at the top of the pyramid.
Soccerman posts hundreds of times on NCM, all content of which is devoid of wit, critical thought, or indeed anything of interest to anyone else. Seriouspie uses a few hundred words to achieve the same.
What will probably happen
People follow the Donald in blaming China, who, while looking to be largely culpable, are a good distraction from the failures of certain others. China draws back further, becoming potentially more of a danger, and any chance of collaborating with them to improve their human rights and animal welfare records is lost. Boris continues to take back control by selling more of our infrastructure to them.
In Britain, most feel like they did their bit by clapping outside their doors on Thursday nights, so the NHS will be fine now. Boris finds a 3 or 4 word slogan that pins all the blame for coronavirus on the NHS, which he and his cronies repeat on every interview they take (only with approved outlets, of course), like dangling a piece of shiny paper in front of a 5 week old kitten that was partly oxygen starved in the birth canal, or like honey dripped into particularly dense porridge, justifying massive cuts and selling it off to hedge funds. This is lapped up by the British public as per usual, who continue like their American cousins to be slavish adherents to the cult of personality which has provided us with the likes of Farage, Johnson, Blair, Corbyn, and Trump - even Obama, although he at least had ability. (See what I did there, Soccerman? I critiqued "my own side" too! Of course you didn't. No way you read this far). Nobody holds the government to account, because Love Island is back on ITV.
Brexit happens, and the only mote of satisfaction for "Remoaners" is being able to shout "I f***ing told you so" as they are dragged into a pit of misery and poverty by all the jingoistic prats who look all befuddled at what is occurring, this "not being what they wanted really", looking up at the aforementioned millionaires who are safely able to escape the worst of it (or turn a decent profit by working out of Dublin, like man of the people Jacob Rees-Mogg).
Notts are, as ever, entirely screwed over by the football authorities, and are consigned to Wrexham's fate. FIFA, UEFA the FA, et al, all decide to fix football post coronavirus by supporting the top clubs to help them pay Neymar £500,000 per week. Every team not owned by an oligarch (or, in Notts' case, a couple of sensible businessmen), either goes bust or are doomed to a future of being perpetual also-rans.
Soccerman posts hundreds of times on NCM, all content of which is devoid of wit, critical thought, or indeed anything of interest to anyone else. Seriouspie uses a few hundred words to achieve the same.