Current Affairs

[david63]

I guess that we will be getting a "U-turn" on the relaxation of the Christmas rules in the next day or so as we are having another bout of "government by media".

It seems that if you disagree with what the Government say or do then if you make enough noise in the media about that the Government will react and change course.

[Onelife]

I tend to agree - no matter what is done there will be a spike, and possible lockdown, after Christmas.

I can see where the Government are coming from on this. Some people would be ignoring all the rules and "doing their own thing" so by laying down some ground rules there is at least an attempt to control the situation.

Government incompetence/dithering over lockdowns are the route cause of these ongoing spikes.

If that was the only reason Keefie , then the same criticisms would have to be applied to every other western country.

There is truth in what you say John but there is no doubting that with hindsight things would have been approached differently. My gripe is that there came a point where we knew the consequences of waiting too long to introduce lockdowns and then the premature relaxation of said measurers.

You learn by your mistakes or you make them time after time which depending on your perspective is what this Government have done imo.

[Mervyn and Trish]

The problem for this government has been that the dissenting voices have been divided between do more do faster and do less do slower. At the same time as some want schools shut in London others are moaning about it going into tier three. There is no right answer.

There's a direct parallel with Corbyn we'll vote against any deal and Starmer we'll vote for any deal.

As always opposition is easy.

[Onelife]

Our daughter who works in Hampshire is coming home for Christmas but has been working from home this past few days (requested) as she wants to protect her Mom and Dad.

Our eldest son and his partner live in the Hampshire rurals and they have worked from home since March but they do have a now and again need to venture into places where the risk is higher. As a family we all agreed that Christmas would be postponed until Mobietta and I have had the jab.

We are simply not prepared to take the risk, however small, and with this thought in mind we had a phone call last weekend to discover that one of our bestest chums had died of Covid. We had known them for nearly 50 years, it is thought that he got it from the surfaces in the car following an MOT .... you simply cannot be too careful.

Hi Mob… losing a good friend under any circumstances is difficult but to lose someone to this dreadful virus is a bitter pill too swallow, especially knowing that a vaccine is just around the corner.

I appreciate what you are saying about staying safe and wouldn’t be encouraging our daughter to come home for Christmas if it wasn’t for the fact that she is new to the area and hadn’t made any outside friends other than to say her work colleagues. She’s not due to come home until a week on Saturday and as I have said is working from home until such time.

This will be our bubble unless the old chap round the corner hasn’t made alternative arrangements.

Keep safe Mob and put a good word in for your mate Onelife when you get your jab… while not being eligible for many months I can think of none more deserving than me to be fast tracked.

[oldbluefox]

There is no right answer.

That is the crux of the matter.
The media will play to the gallery. On the one hand they will ask if Christmas should be held 'since people have not been able to see their loved ones for months'. The next they are saying if we have Christmas the virus will spread and to my mind there is no easy answer. On one side of the argument the government are likened to The Grinch and on the other they are being reckless.
Of course we all know the dimwits will do whatever they please whilst the rest will do what is best for themselves and their families and will follow the guidelines, the very same guidelines they have been following since March. Anybody with a modicum of sense knows what to do without the government telling them. All this talk of confusion is what is sown by the media who look to pick holes and creating panic and unrest needlessly.

[Onelife]

The problem for this government has been that the dissenting voices have been divided between do more do faster and do less do slower. At the same time as some want schools shut in London others are moaning about it going into tier three. There is no right answer.

There's a direct parallel with Corbyn we'll vote against any deal and Starmer we'll vote for any deal.

As always opposition is easy.

The weakness of leadership will always be exploited by those of self-interest. Unfurtunatly he tried to please all but ended up pleasing none.

[david63]

The problem is, and always has been, that there are two extremes.

The medical/scientific world would like a total lockdown with nobody leaving their home until a vaccine is available, a concept which is totally impracticable.

The general public and businesses want everything to carry on as normal with no interruption whatsoever.

Unfortunately you have the Government in the middle having to make a compromise and, no matter what they do, cannot do right for doing wrong. Who would want to be a Government minister?

[Stephen]

As the saying goes......
‘You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time’.

[towny44]

Government incompetence/dithering over lockdowns are the route cause of these ongoing spikes.

If that was the only reason Keefie , then the same criticisms would have to be applied to every other western country.

There is truth in what you say John but there is no doubting that with hindsight things would have been approached differently. My gripe is that there came a point where we knew the consequences of waiting too long to introduce lockdowns and then the premature relaxation of said measurers.

You learn by your mistakes or you make them time after time which depending on your perspective is what this Government have done imo.

Hindsight is all well and good, but unfortunately we will never have the hindsight to know what the outcome would have been if the govt had followed your advice. You and the media rescals can speculate all you like but you will never know if your theories were better or worse than the actual outcome.

[towny44]

The problem for this government has been that the dissenting voices have been divided between do more do faster and do less do slower. At the same time as some want schools shut in London others are moaning about it going into tier three. There is no right answer.

There's a direct parallel with Corbyn we'll vote against any deal and Starmer we'll vote for any deal.

As always opposition is easy.

Merv, why did you not go into politics? Maybe you are just too sensible.

[towny44]

There is no right answer.

That is the crux of the matter.
The media will play to the gallery. On the one hand they will ask if Christmas should be held 'since people have not been able to see their loved ones for months'. The next they are saying if we have Christmas the virus will spread and to my mind there is no easy answer. On one side of the argument the government are likened to The Grinch and on the other they are being reckless.
Of course we all know the dimwits will do whatever they please whilst the rest will do what is best for themselves and their families and will follow the guidelines, the very same guidelines they have been following since March. Anybody with a modicum of sense knows what to do without the government telling them. All this talk of confusion is what is sown by the media who look to pick holes and creating panic and unrest needlessly.

Foxy and Merv to run the country, the brexit negotiations and the ultimate distribution of Keefies chocolates.

[oldbluefox]

The problem is, and always has been, that there are two extremes.

The medical/scientific world would like a total lockdown with nobody leaving their home until a vaccine is available, a concept which is totally impracticable.

The general public and businesses want everything to carry on as normal with no interruption whatsoever.

Unfortunately you have the Government in the middle having to make a compromise and, no matter what they do, cannot do right for doing wrong. Who would want to be a Government minister?

I heard a lovely quote yesterday from a virologist. He said "The best plans always fail on first contact with the enemy". And so it is with this virus. The opposition parties all have the right answers until they are the ones in power.

[oldbluefox]

Foxy and Merv to run the country, the brexit negotiations and the ultimate distribution of Keefies chocolates.

I bags running the country and the negotiations. It will be a darned deal easier than getting rid of Keefy's chocolates.

[towny44]

Foxy and Merv to run the country, the brexit negotiations and the ultimate distribution of Keefies chocolates.

I bags running the country and the negotiations. It will be a darned deal easier than getting rid of Keefy's chocolates.

Probably a good choice.

[Onelife]

Foxy and Merv to run the country, the brexit negotiations and the ultimate distribution of Keefies chocolates.

I bags running the country and the negotiations. It will be a darned deal easier than getting rid of Keefy's chocolates.

'wise choice', but don't tell anyone l've sad that

[Mervyn and Trish]

Foxy and Merv to run the country, the brexit negotiations and the ultimate distribution of Keefies chocolates.

I bags running the country and the negotiations. It will be a darned deal easier than getting rid of Keefy's chocolates.

Some things are just impossible.....

[oldbluefox]

Could we not palm them off make a present of them to Jan?

[Onelife]

Could we not palm them off make a present of them to Jan?

And this Jan is how you get treated when you side with Foxy

[oldbluefox]

Jan's too much of a lady to turn them down.

[Jan Rosser]

Jan's too much of a lady to turn them down.

She might not be but Blod is - those chocolates are probably radioactive - I want to survive to have my vaccine

[screwy]

Sick of hearing about Christmas and what the government should do.! Why do we as individuals expect the govt to hold our hands.? Personally I would rather cancel this year and live to celebrate next year,rather than have my family mourn me this Christmas.

[Stephen]

NHS Covid test and trace app not updating. It should show we are in tier 3 but still shows as tier 2.

Piece of rubbish

[Manoverboard]

Did you know that during the Middle Ages when the Black Plague was in full swing the good guys would put highly infected dead bodies into a catapult sling and lob them over the wall where the bad guys were hiding. Brings tiers to your eyes ... don'tcha think.

[Stephen]

Have you been on your whacky backy again

[oldbluefox]

I have just seen on BBC News the crowds in London having a last attempt at spreading the virus final fling before going into Tier 3. One guy said there's no point in living if you can't socialise. To my mind there's no point socialising if it's going to kill you and others around you. Philosophising Muppet!!!
Muppet No2 said people are going to die anyway so what's the problem? The problem is maybe you could die but why put others' lives in danger.
What a selfish, self centred nation we have become.

Am I being cynical when I notice that since London is being placed in Tier 3 the media, London Labour councils and the Labour party are campaigning hard to cancel Christmas because of the impact of people all meeting up, or is it merely political and they are they looking to label the government as mean-spirited and have made another U-turn. Whatever happens they will be able to turn around and say I told you so.
If everybody used common sense and did what they should be doing anyway the effect of coronavirus on Christmas should be minimised. That's if people used common sense. Good luck with that one eh?

Merry Christmas from Grumpy Old Fox.