O/T. The Government's handling of Covid

[Ram59]

[QUOTE=ramAnag;39690247]

Hmmm...actually if I’d quoted you as saying ‘we’re the LEAST compliant of nations’ or ‘we’re less compliant than ALL other nations’ you’d have a point, but the difference between the two examples you’ve taken exception to is so negligible as to be not worth concerning yourself with.

When you were defending the Government’s record did you or did you not suggest that our national lack of compliance was one of a number of factors that may have led to our very poor Covid case/death figures?

As regards the similar semantic trivialities regarding the virus/variant argument. Did you or did you not question whether the so called ‘British variant’ had actually originated in Britain?

You're not that stupid to come out with a total lie, RA, when a more subtle change can suggest a different meaning. I would just appreciate it if you attribute remarks made by me, then at least give me the curtesy of posting what I have actually written.

Yes, I did suggest that the national lack of compliance was a contributing factor, there are son many incidences of stupid non-compliance, that it beggers belief. Only the foolish would disagree, are you really one of those?

Yes, I did question whether the British variant originated in Britain, there is no conclusive proof that it did, only a fool would claim otherwise. There's evidence to suggest that it did, the fact that it was first diagnosed here and it is in larger quantities here. But, set against this is the fact that the UK is the world's leading country on the sequencing of variants and would be more likely to discover something first. To give you an idea of our capacity, the UK is 10,000, Denmark is the highest EU member on 1,200, over 50% of the EU is below 100, 10 of which are below 10. Then we look at the location of the first cases, Kent, which just happens to have the busy ports of Dover and Folkestone and the Eurotunnel. Is it a coincidence that this variant first occured in this county as opposed to any other county in the UK?

I left the argument as it was because I didn't want it to carry on. You think that you're right and I know that I'm right, so we'll leave it there.

[MadAmster]

Am I the only one amused by thinking it should be pronounced "Barmy"?

[Geoff Parkstone]

How else is it pronounced then MA?

[MadAmster]

How else is it pronounced then MA?

It apparently rhymes with that 80s TV show "Fame" that, I just found out, is not based on agriculture.......

[ramAnag]

Never had the slightest difficulty differentiating between virus and variant, Ram...but that’s not really the point is it?

As regards the ‘compliance’ issue. I was originally simply making a point to Andy that it wasn’t me who’d referred to BAME communities and compliance. My reference to you wasn’t a quote at all...I simply pointed out that the only time I’d referred to compliance was in relation to your post.

You do tend to become a little abusive when challenged. All I’m trying to do is show that I haven’t misrepresented you. I hadn’t and have no intention of doing so, I’ve even used your exact words as requested. It’s okay to be wrong.

[MadAmster]

Let's take a step back and look at this.

This virus first went rampant in Wuhan, China. It may or may ot have originated there. A 14 man WHO group of experts arrived in China, went into 14 days of quarantine which ended on Monday Feb 1st. They have now started their research. I think it's 50/50 whether they can come up with a definitive answer.

Since then, there have been many mutations, most of which are weakened versions of Covid-19. There are 3 which appear to have gone in the other direction. They were first spotted in, in no particular order, Britain, Brazil and South Africa. They are referred to, here in the Netherlands in any case, as the British, Brazilian and South African VARIANTS. I don't believe that many people think that they started there. Just that those places are where they were first spotted. The British variant has at least 2 known variants of its own, one of which is known in medical circles as "E484K", which don't yet have "nicknames". Are people really upset by having the adjective "British" used?

[Andy_Faber]

I think I may have kicked this spat off by what may have been a clumsily expressed support of Don (we can just call him Don now can't we?) referring to Covid as 'The China Virus'. My motivation for that concern that I was/am suspicious that there was/is an effort, at what I can only guess was State sponsored level, to a) suppress the fact of its origin and b) progressivesly point the finger of blame elsewhere. I'm certainly aware of that from my business dealings

Although as usual I'll make my own mind up on who I support be they despot or deity I did make the point at the time that although I thought the FACT of Don refering to it as 'The China Virus' was useful, I didn't agree with the TONE. Pleased now to see WHO reps investigating at the suspected source of the pandemic, but having seen the phorensic way evidence of failure is erased in the commercial/business world in that region, I doubt they'll find much

[ramAnag]

I think I may have kicked this spat off by what may have been a clumsily expressed support of Don (we can just call him Don now can't we?) referring to Covid as 'The China Virus'. My motivation for that concern that I was/am suspicious that there was/is an effort, at what I can only guess was State sponsored level, to a) suppress the fact of its origin and b) progressivesly point the finger of blame elsewhere. I'm certainly aware of that from my business dealings

Although as usual I'll make my own mind up on who I support be they despot or deity I did make the point at the time that although I thought the FACT of Don refering to it as 'The China Virus' was useful, I didn't agree with the TONE. Pleased now to see WHO reps investigating at the suspected source of the pandemic, but having seen the phorensic way evidence of failure is erased in the commercial/business world in that region, I doubt they'll find much

I’m not sure how it was ever ‘useful’ to refer to Covid as the ‘China Virus’, Andy. Didn’t/doesn’t everyone know that the original virus originated in China, more specifically in Wuhan? There was, at the time, just the one virus and the only question that continues to need an urgent answer is whether the source was a ‘wet market’ or, much more sinisterly, a laboratory.

As regards the ‘finger of blame’...the fact is that some countries, ironically China included, appear to have proved much better at managing the virus than others.
Unfortunately the Trump (you call him what you want ) led USA and the UK have, according to all the statistics, been amongst the worst performers in terms of managing the impact of the pandemic upon our two countries. That is, sadly, just inescapable fact.
Fortunately our Government has gone some way to redeeming itself via its management of the vaccine.
So, ultimately it’s just a case of credit and criticism where it’s due.
HMG appears to deserve credit for the actions it has taken in relation to supply and distribution of the vaccine since the turn of the year and hopefully that will continue to be the case.
It also deserves condemnation and criticism for the shambolic series of contradictions and U turns that typified its performance for much of 2020.

[Andy_Faber]

I’m not sure how it was ever ‘useful’ to refer to Covid as the ‘China Virus’, Andy. Didn’t/doesn’t everyone know that the original virus originated in China, more specifically in Wuhan? There was, at the time, just the one virus and the only question that continues to need an urgent answer is whether the source was a ‘wet market’ or, much more sinisterly, a laboratory.

As regards the ‘finger of blame’...the fact is that some countries, ironically China included, appear to have proved much better at managing the virus than others.
Unfortunately the Trump (you call him what you want ) led USA and the UK have, according to all the statistics, been amongst the worst performers in terms of managing the impact of the pandemic upon our two countries. That is, sadly, just inescapable fact.
Fortunately our Government has gone some way to redeeming itself via its management of the vaccine.
So, ultimately it’s just a case of credit and criticism where it’s due.
HMG appears to deserve credit for the actions it has taken in relation to supply and distribution of the vaccine since the turn of the year and hopefully that will continue to be the case.
It also deserves condemnation and criticism for the shambolic series of contradictions and U turns that typified its performance for much of 2020.

Not disagreeing with your latter bits. Not sure if you subscribe to the gov.U.K. ‘Court of public opinion’ website (sorry not sure of the exact name I’m on my phone), I am and it’s enlightening - when asked the question ‘should HMG have closed our national borders in Spring 2020) 93% so far have responded ‘yes’! I think that is HMGs biggest **** up of many

[MadAmster]

Not disagreeing with your latter bits. Not sure if you subscribe to the gov.U.K. ‘Court of public opinion’ website (sorry not sure of the exact name I’m on my phone), I am and it’s enlightening - when asked the question ‘should HMG have closed our national borders in Spring 2020) 93% so far have responded ‘yes’! I think that is HMGs biggest **** up of many

I don't think the % would have been much different if asked 9 or 10 months ago during the first lockdown.