politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » David Herdson’s tip for Dem running mate: Julian Castro at 25/

TGOHF666 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

He’s not part of the group praying for calamity to bring down Boris.

I doubt many people are praying for calamity. You should stop thinking so poorly of people.

The glee filled posts about the ills coming to the Uk and the USA are just by accident then ?

Not just Covid - Brexit, rising seas, droughts, etc.

It’s a clear admission that left wing parties can’t win on policy.

You are projecting. Why would anyone take pleasure in disaster? I thought it was lefties who were supposed to think ill of those who do not agree with them.

Multiple posts every day “Murricas gonna get it bad”.

Not many (zero) on France or Germany.

It’s very transparent.

TGOHF666 said:

Mental illness was the insult of choice to Brexiteers.

IanB2 said:

edmundintokyo said:

state_go_away said:

People are generally canceling foreign holidays not because they are afraid of catching and dying of Covid -19 but the fear of not being able to get back or being quarantined abroad . This is utterly a ridiculous situation where people are fearing government decisions more than the actual illness. it shows governments are over reacting and there definitely is a bad case of Groupthink infecting the world if not a plague.

That's not at all a ridiculous situation. Currently you have not many people infected, but a lot of potential growth. Any single infected person can easily create a chain of 2->4->8->... resulting in a large number of infections, some of them of vulnerable people. In that situation you currently shouldn't be very scared of catching it, but the government should be trying very hard to prevent even a very small probability of you spreading it.

My recommendation would be that all aircrew be tested, right away

kamski said:

Mysticrose said:

Current mortality rate in Italy is 4.2%

Cue the Normalcy Bias Deniers who will try any old ruse to turn stats to lies. E.g. 'oh but there are millions who have it asymptomatically' or 'but more of them die of flu' (neatly ignoring the vaccination issue).

We don't know how many of the 4600 currently infected will go on to die, but it won't be zero.

The bare facts are fairly clear:

The WHO mortality rate is 3.6%, Italy 4.2%.

Deny away if it makes your weekend feel better. I don't blame you actually. Just don't try and pass it off as truth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51777049

So you are doing exactly what you accuse others of - ignoring facts that don't fit your story.

Italy mortality rate 4.2% so why don't you mention
Germany mortality rate 0% from almost 700 confirmed cases.. Or the S Korea figures.

Obviously this is worse than normal flu, but I guess the 1.4% estimate from Hong Kong scientists is the best estimate so far.

We know that a lot of people in Italy and in Wuhan got infected in hospital, especially amongst people who died. Death rates are a lot higher for people already sick enough to be in hospitals for other reasons.

Foxy said:

IshmaelZ said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

That is no longer true, if it ever was. I can't remember "similar panics," what were they about?

Instead of going "hurr hurr hurr eadric" perhaps accept that the good Dr Fox probably knows more about what we can likely expect, than the rest of the board combined. What sort of tone do you think he is setting?

I think that previous medical panics over AIDS in the eighties* and BSE in the nineties didn't become catastrophic was precisely because appropriate action was taken, not that there was no threat.

Those diseases had a much slower incubation period, so there was time to act. Much less so with the much faster moving Coronavirus.

In any case, self preservation is kicking in. It won't take government action to clamp down on unnecessary travel, large crowds and public events as people are socially distancing already. Government instructions might well be helpful to guide decisions, and also for insurance to kick in. Some bridging relief for affected sectors should be a key part of the budget. So as to lessen the economic hit.

Fenman said:

kamski said:

Mysticrose said:

Current mortality rate in Italy is 4.2%

Cue the Normalcy Bias Deniers who will try any old ruse to turn stats to lies. E.g. 'oh but there are millions who have it asymptomatically' or 'but more of them die of flu' (neatly ignoring the vaccination issue).

We don't know how many of the 4600 currently infected will go on to die, but it won't be zero.

The bare facts are fairly clear:

The WHO mortality rate is 3.6%, Italy 4.2%.

Deny away if it makes your weekend feel better. I don't blame you actually. Just don't try and pass it off as truth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51777049

So you are doing exactly what you accuse others of - ignoring facts that don't fit your story.

Italy mortality rate 4.2% so why don't you mention
Germany mortality rate 0% from almost 700 confirmed cases.. Or the S Korea figures.

Obviously this is worse than normal flu, but I guess the 1.4% estimate from Hong Kong scientists is the best estimate so far.

We know that a lot of people in Italy and in Wuhan got infected in hospital, especially amongst people who died. Death rates are a lot higher for people already sick enough to be in hospitals for other reasons.

Interesting. Italy's mortality rate during the Black Death was very high as well.

Fenman said:

kamski said:

Mysticrose said:

Current mortality rate in Italy is 4.2%

Cue the Normalcy Bias Deniers who will try any old ruse to turn stats to lies. E.g. 'oh but there are millions who have it asymptomatically' or 'but more of them die of flu' (neatly ignoring the vaccination issue).

We don't know how many of the 4600 currently infected will go on to die, but it won't be zero.

The bare facts are fairly clear:

The WHO mortality rate is 3.6%, Italy 4.2%.

Deny away if it makes your weekend feel better. I don't blame you actually. Just don't try and pass it off as truth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51777049

So you are doing exactly what you accuse others of - ignoring facts that don't fit your story.

Italy mortality rate 4.2% so why don't you mention
Germany mortality rate 0% from almost 700 confirmed cases.. Or the S Korea figures.

Obviously this is worse than normal flu, but I guess the 1.4% estimate from Hong Kong scientists is the best estimate so far.

We know that a lot of people in Italy and in Wuhan got infected in hospital, especially amongst people who died. Death rates are a lot higher for people already sick enough to be in hospitals for other reasons.

Interesting. Italy's mortality rate during the Black Death was very high as well.

isam said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1236198367656579072?s=09

Leave won the referendum, then two GEs on the matter, but we really needed an opinion poll to seal it

kle4 said:

SouthamObserver said:

Jonathan said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

Boris is certainly overdue his comeuppance, but Coronavirus is not it. Boris has done quite enough harm already. Let’s hope he gets the response right, or at least lets those that know what their doing get on with the job unhindered by his sound bites and Machiavellian politicking.

Johnson being bone idle and totally uninterested in details is currently a huge advantage. It means the experts can get on with things without having to second guess the potential for political interference.

While there will be political decisions still to take, I guess we are learning a key difference between Boris and Trump (there were already plenty in fairness) is that while both love attention, Boris has repeatedly shown he can keep his head down when he wants to, and his ego does not require him to dominate a situation like this which others are better suited for.

HYUFD said:

Castro looks like a good VP pick on most grounds, only problem might be his surname for low information voters

Foxy said:

DavidL said:

I remain of the view that the main impact of the virus is going to be economic rather than medical but that is for the reasons @Foxy points out. Fewer people will die because appropriate action is taken. Those appropriate actions have serious economic consequences. They really should be the focus of the budget this week.

Sick pay day 1 is a good start but the position of the lower paid and gig workers needs attention. Boris is right that people should not be penalised for doing the right thing. Cash flow for businesses is going to be important, especially airlines, travel companies, restaurants, hotels etc. The pension issue needs to be sorted out for early retired doctors. More cash for staff in the NHS is going to be needed to bring more nurses back. Additional capacity is going to be needed in terms of accommodation etc. TFL is going to take a serious hit. Ditto bus companies. There’s a lot to do.

I think we are about 2 months off the UK peak, though we don't know how high that will be. My guess is only a guess, but I expect cases in six figures. After that a gradual decline over the summer, with perhaps a further bumb up at the end of the year.

This will be an enormous strain on the NHS, and also for many individuals, both in physical terms, and on mental health from anxiety and self isolation.

It will wreck the holiday, travel, and events programme for the year, but demand will bounce back quickly, like it did after Spanish Flu. There needs to be bridging support for these businesses to keep them viable, though the weakest will probably go the way of Flybe.

As someone in the events business could @SouthamObserver comment on what reliefs would help tide them over.

Foxy said:

DavidL said:

I remain of the view that the main impact of the virus is going to be economic rather than medical but that is for the reasons @Foxy points out. Fewer people will die because appropriate action is taken. Those appropriate actions have serious economic consequences. They really should be the focus of the budget this week.

Sick pay day 1 is a good start but the position of the lower paid and gig workers needs attention. Boris is right that people should not be penalised for doing the right thing. Cash flow for businesses is going to be important, especially airlines, travel companies, restaurants, hotels etc. The pension issue needs to be sorted out for early retired doctors. More cash for staff in the NHS is going to be needed to bring more nurses back. Additional capacity is going to be needed in terms of accommodation etc. TFL is going to take a serious hit. Ditto bus companies. There’s a lot to do.

I think we are about 2 months off the UK peak, though we don't know how high that will be. My guess is only a guess, but I expect cases in six figures. After that a gradual decline over the summer, with perhaps a further bumb up at the end of the year.

This will be an enormous strain on the NHS, and also for many individuals, both in physical terms, and on mental health from anxiety and self isolation.

It will wreck the holiday, travel, and events programme for the year, but demand will bounce back quickly, like it did after Spanish Flu. There needs to be bridging support for these businesses to keep them viable, though the weakest will probably go the way of Flybe.

As someone in the events business could @SouthamObserver comment on what reliefs would help tide them over.

CatMan said:

SouthamObserver said:

kle4 said:

SouthamObserver said:

Jonathan said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

Boris is certainly overdue his comeuppance, but Coronavirus is not it. Boris has done quite enough harm already. Let’s hope he gets the response right, or at least lets those that know what their doing get on with the job unhindered by his sound bites and Machiavellian politicking.

Johnson being bone idle and totally uninterested in details is currently a huge advantage. It means the experts can get on with things without having to second guess the potential for political interference.

While there will be political decisions still to take, I guess we are learning a key difference between Boris and Trump (there were already plenty in fairness) is that while both love attention, Boris has repeatedly shown he can keep his head down when he wants to, and his ego does not require him to dominate a situation like this which others are better suited for.

If we were in an election year it may be different, but Johnson is very happy just to be PM. He has no inferiority complex. Quite the opposite. Trump clearly has very deep-seated, self-esteem issues. I seriously doubt whether he has ever known unconditional love. That must take a toll.

I think Johnson is also pretty lazy. He likes being PM, but doesn't really want to do a lot of work.

felix said:

TGOHF666 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

He’s not part of the group praying for calamity to bring down Boris.

I doubt many people are praying for calamity. You should stop thinking so poorly of people.

The glee filled posts about the ills coming to the Uk and the USA are just by accident then ?

Not just Covid - Brexit, rising seas, droughts, etc.

It’s a clear admission that left wing parties can’t win on policy.

You are projecting. Why would anyone take pleasure in disaster? I thought it was lefties who were supposed to think ill of those who do not agree with them.

Multiple posts every day “Murricas gonna get it bad”.

Not many (zero) on France or Germany.

It’s very transparent.

this week we're told the NHS will never cope because of Tory cuts.

MarqueeMark said:

CatMan said:

SouthamObserver said:

kle4 said:

SouthamObserver said:

Jonathan said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

Boris is certainly overdue his comeuppance, but Coronavirus is not it. Boris has done quite enough harm already. Let’s hope he gets the response right, or at least lets those that know what their doing get on with the job unhindered by his sound bites and Machiavellian politicking.

Johnson being bone idle and totally uninterested in details is currently a huge advantage. It means the experts can get on with things without having to second guess the potential for political interference.

While there will be political decisions still to take, I guess we are learning a key difference between Boris and Trump (there were already plenty in fairness) is that while both love attention, Boris has repeatedly shown he can keep his head down when he wants to, and his ego does not require him to dominate a situation like this which others are better suited for.

If we were in an election year it may be different, but Johnson is very happy just to be PM. He has no inferiority complex. Quite the opposite. Trump clearly has very deep-seated, self-esteem issues. I seriously doubt whether he has ever known unconditional love. That must take a toll.

I think Johnson is also pretty lazy. He likes being PM, but doesn't really want to do a lot of work.

Your analysis is lazier than Boris....

SandyRentool said:

Julian Castro = Matt Santos

Win Texas and the Dems win bigly.

alex_ said:

Don’t know about America but I haven’t seen any left/right split between those criticising Trump on here. Nor between those attracted to the worst case vs best case U.K. scenarios.

And on the latter bear in mind the political risks swing both ways - responding badly so that hundreds of thousands die, or the risk ultimately appearing to be overplayed combined with severe economic consequences and a public perception of “overreaction”.

Nigelb said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

IshmaelZ said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

That is no longer true, if it ever was. I can't remember "similar panics," what were they about?

Instead of going "hurr hurr hurr eadric" perhaps accept that the good Dr Fox probably knows more about what we can likely expect, than the rest of the board combined. What sort of tone do you think he is setting?

I think that previous medical panics over AIDS in the eighties* and BSE in the nineties didn't become catastrophic was precisely because appropriate action was taken, not that there was no threat.

Those diseases had a much slower incubation period, so there was time to act. Much less so with the much faster moving Coronavirus.

In any case, self preservation is kicking in. It won't take government action to clamp down on unnecessary travel, large crowds and public events as people are socially distancing already. Government instructions might well be helpful to guide decisions, and also for insurance to kick in. Some bridging relief for affected sectors should be a key part of the budget. So as to lessen the economic hit.

I forgot to put in my footnote.

*While HIV/AIDS was contained by appropriate measures in the UK, denial and lack of action in Sub Saharan Africa was catastrophic, with millions dead as a result. We should not copy that approach.

HIV also probably started as an animal virus that made the cross species jump too.

Good points.
On the political spat which seems to have developed on thread, I don’t see how this will damage Johnson particularly (irrespective of my dislike for him). So far he’s mainly got out of the way of the experts, and preparations appear sensible.
Trump, on the other hand, is actively contradicting the advice of his own experts, and is undeniably responsible for a degradation in the US pandemic response capability before the outbreak even happened. People will die as a result of his actions.

CatMan said:

MarqueeMark said:

CatMan said:

Oh sure, but I think he's more interested in strutting around the world stage and appearing at a lab wearing a lab coat than getting involved in the minutiae of responding to the coronavirus.

As you are so obviously in the COBRA loop, share with us what level of briefings the PM has been receiving in recent weeks.

Well for a start it's actually called "COBR"

SouthamObserver said:

kle4 said:

SouthamObserver said:

Jonathan said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

Boris is certainly overdue his comeuppance, but Coronavirus is not it. Boris has done quite enough harm already. Let’s hope he gets the response right, or at least lets those that know what their doing get on with the job unhindered by his sound bites and Machiavellian politicking.

Johnson being bone idle and totally uninterested in details is currently a huge advantage. It means the experts can get on with things without having to second guess the potential for political interference.

While there will be political decisions still to take, I guess we are learning a key difference between Boris and Trump (there were already plenty in fairness) is that while both love attention, Boris has repeatedly shown he can keep his head down when he wants to, and his ego does not require him to dominate a situation like this which others are better suited for.

If we were in an election year it may be different, but Johnson is very happy just to be PM. He has no inferiority complex. Quite the opposite. Trump clearly has very deep-seated, self-esteem issues. I seriously doubt whether he has ever known unconditional love. That must take a toll.

isam said:

SouthamObserver said:

kle4 said:

SouthamObserver said:

Jonathan said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

Boris is certainly overdue his comeuppance, but Coronavirus is not it. Boris has done quite enough harm already. Let’s hope he gets the response right, or at least lets those that know what their doing get on with the job unhindered by his sound bites and Machiavellian politicking.

Johnson being bone idle and totally uninterested in details is currently a huge advantage. It means the experts can get on with things without having to second guess the potential for political interference.

While there will be political decisions still to take, I guess we are learning a key difference between Boris and Trump (there were already plenty in fairness) is that while both love attention, Boris has repeatedly shown he can keep his head down when he wants to, and his ego does not require him to dominate a situation like this which others are better suited for.

If we were in an election year it may be different, but Johnson is very happy just to be PM. He has no inferiority complex. Quite the opposite. Trump clearly has very deep-seated, self-esteem issues. I seriously doubt whether he has ever known unconditional love. That must take a toll.

Trump’s kids don’t love him?!

CatMan said:

MarqueeMark said:

CatMan said:

Oh sure, but I think he's more interested in strutting around the world stage and appearing at a lab wearing a lab coat than getting involved in the minutiae of responding to the coronavirus.

As you are so obviously in the COBRA loop, share with us what level of briefings the PM has been receiving in recent weeks.

Well for a start it's actually called "COBR"

MarqueeMark said:

CatMan said:

SouthamObserver said:

kle4 said:

SouthamObserver said:

Jonathan said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

Boris is certainly overdue his comeuppance, but Coronavirus is not it. Boris has done quite enough harm already. Let’s hope he gets the response right, or at least lets those that know what their doing get on with the job unhindered by his sound bites and Machiavellian politicking.

Johnson being bone idle and totally uninterested in details is currently a huge advantage. It means the experts can get on with things without having to second guess the potential for political interference.

While there will be political decisions still to take, I guess we are learning a key difference between Boris and Trump (there were already plenty in fairness) is that while both love attention, Boris has repeatedly shown he can keep his head down when he wants to, and his ego does not require him to dominate a situation like this which others are better suited for.

If we were in an election year it may be different, but Johnson is very happy just to be PM. He has no inferiority complex. Quite the opposite. Trump clearly has very deep-seated, self-esteem issues. I seriously doubt whether he has ever known unconditional love. That must take a toll.

I think Johnson is also pretty lazy. He likes being PM, but doesn't really want to do a lot of work.

Your analysis is lazier than Boris....

CatMan said:

isam said:

SouthamObserver said:

kle4 said:

SouthamObserver said:

Jonathan said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

Boris is certainly overdue his comeuppance, but Coronavirus is not it. Boris has done quite enough harm already. Let’s hope he gets the response right, or at least lets those that know what their doing get on with the job unhindered by his sound bites and Machiavellian politicking.

Johnson being bone idle and totally uninterested in details is currently a huge advantage. It means the experts can get on with things without having to second guess the potential for political interference.

While there will be political decisions still to take, I guess we are learning a key difference between Boris and Trump (there were already plenty in fairness) is that while both love attention, Boris has repeatedly shown he can keep his head down when he wants to, and his ego does not require him to dominate a situation like this which others are better suited for.

If we were in an election year it may be different, but Johnson is very happy just to be PM. He has no inferiority complex. Quite the opposite. Trump clearly has very deep-seated, self-esteem issues. I seriously doubt whether he has ever known unconditional love. That must take a toll.

Trump’s kids don’t love him?!

Well Trump doesn't love them.

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Nigelb said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

IshmaelZ said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

That is no longer true, if it ever was. I can't remember "similar panics," what were they about?

Instead of going "hurr hurr hurr eadric" perhaps accept that the good Dr Fox probably knows more about what we can likely expect, than the rest of the board combined. What sort of tone do you think he is setting?

I think that previous medical panics over AIDS in the eighties* and BSE in the nineties didn't become catastrophic was precisely because appropriate action was taken, not that there was no threat.

Those diseases had a much slower incubation period, so there was time to act. Much less so with the much faster moving Coronavirus.

In any case, self preservation is kicking in. It won't take government action to clamp down on unnecessary travel, large crowds and public events as people are socially distancing already. Government instructions might well be helpful to guide decisions, and also for insurance to kick in. Some bridging relief for affected sectors should be a key part of the budget. So as to lessen the economic hit.

I forgot to put in my footnote.

*While HIV/AIDS was contained by appropriate measures in the UK, denial and lack of action in Sub Saharan Africa was catastrophic, with millions dead as a result. We should not copy that approach.

HIV also probably started as an animal virus that made the cross species jump too.

Good points.
On the political spat which seems to have developed on thread, I don’t see how this will damage Johnson particularly (irrespective of my dislike for him). So far he’s mainly got out of the way of the experts, and preparations appear sensible.
Trump, on the other hand, is actively contradicting the advice of his own experts, and is undeniably responsible for a degradation in the US pandemic response capability before the outbreak even happened. People will die as a result of his actions.

Fair comment and my dislike of Trump is turning to real anger

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Nigelb said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

IshmaelZ said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

That is no longer true, if it ever was. I can't remember "similar panics," what were they about?

Instead of going "hurr hurr hurr eadric" perhaps accept that the good Dr Fox probably knows more about what we can likely expect, than the rest of the board combined. What sort of tone do you think he is setting?

I think that previous medical panics over AIDS in the eighties* and BSE in the nineties didn't become catastrophic was precisely because appropriate action was taken, not that there was no threat.

Those diseases had a much slower incubation period, so there was time to act. Much less so with the much faster moving Coronavirus.

In any case, self preservation is kicking in. It won't take government action to clamp down on unnecessary travel, large crowds and public events as people are socially distancing already. Government instructions might well be helpful to guide decisions, and also for insurance to kick in. Some bridging relief for affected sectors should be a key part of the budget. So as to lessen the economic hit.

I forgot to put in my footnote.

*While HIV/AIDS was contained by appropriate measures in the UK, denial and lack of action in Sub Saharan Africa was catastrophic, with millions dead as a result. We should not copy that approach.

HIV also probably started as an animal virus that made the cross species jump too.

Good points.
On the political spat which seems to have developed on thread, I don’t see how this will damage Johnson particularly (irrespective of my dislike for him). So far he’s mainly got out of the way of the experts, and preparations appear sensible.
Trump, on the other hand, is actively contradicting the advice of his own experts, and is undeniably responsible for a degradation in the US pandemic response capability before the outbreak even happened. People will die as a result of his actions.

Fair comment and my dislike of Trump is turning to real anger

You have a glimpse about how some of us feel about Boris.

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Nigelb said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

IshmaelZ said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

That is no longer true, if it ever was. I can't remember "similar panics," what were they about?

Instead of going "hurr hurr hurr eadric" perhaps accept that the good Dr Fox probably knows more about what we can likely expect, than the rest of the board combined. What sort of tone do you think he is setting?

I think that previous medical panics over AIDS in the eighties* and BSE in the nineties didn't become catastrophic was precisely because appropriate action was taken, not that there was no threat.

Those diseases had a much slower incubation period, so there was time to act. Much less so with the much faster moving Coronavirus.

In any case, self preservation is kicking in. It won't take government action to clamp down on unnecessary travel, large crowds and public events as people are socially distancing already. Government instructions might well be helpful to guide decisions, and also for insurance to kick in. Some bridging relief for affected sectors should be a key part of the budget. So as to lessen the economic hit.

I forgot to put in my footnote.

*While HIV/AIDS was contained by appropriate measures in the UK, denial and lack of action in Sub Saharan Africa was catastrophic, with millions dead as a result. We should not copy that approach.

HIV also probably started as an animal virus that made the cross species jump too.

Good points.
On the political spat which seems to have developed on thread, I don’t see how this will damage Johnson particularly (irrespective of my dislike for him). So far he’s mainly got out of the way of the experts, and preparations appear sensible.
Trump, on the other hand, is actively contradicting the advice of his own experts, and is undeniably responsible for a degradation in the US pandemic response capability before the outbreak even happened. People will die as a result of his actions.

Fair comment and my dislike of Trump is turning to real anger

You have a glimpse about how some of us feel about Boris.

I am fully aware of your position on Boris

CarlottaVance said:

Give me strength.....

https://twitter.com/Independent/status/1236231357833113600?s=20

david_herdson said:

Nah, there's loads of evidence that Boris is lazy. However, as a PM, he delegates well (he did as mayor too), which is an advantage in a situation like this. It also means that (unlike May) he can concentrate on the crisis in hand and not let the rest of government freeze up because of control-freak tendencies demanding everything need the sign-off from No 10.

Whether that is consistent with Cummings being in No 10 is still an open question. We'll see. But Boris has little loyalty and Cummings has few friends.

malcolmg said:

Mysticrose said:

Current mortality rate in Italy is 4.2%

Cue the Normalcy Bias Deniers who will try any old ruse to turn stats to lies. E.g. 'oh but there are millions who have it asymptomatically' or 'but more of them die of flu' (neatly ignoring the vaccination issue).

We don't know how many of the 4600 currently infected will go on to die, but it won't be zero.

The bare facts are fairly clear:

The WHO mortality rate is 3.6%, Italy 4.2%.

Deny away if it makes your weekend feel better. I don't blame you actually. Just don't try and pass it off as truth.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51777049

Doom Merchant KLAXON, have you nothing more to do than whine on here about people dying , what an obnoxious ghoul. Go back to pretending you are a bestselling author or just use one your previous monikers.

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Nigelb said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

IshmaelZ said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

That is no longer true, if it ever was. I can't remember "similar panics," what were they about?

Instead of going "hurr hurr hurr eadric" perhaps accept that the good Dr Fox probably knows more about what we can likely expect, than the rest of the board combined. What sort of tone do you think he is setting?

I think that previous medical panics over AIDS in the eighties* and BSE in the nineties didn't become catastrophic was precisely because appropriate action was taken, not that there was no threat.

Those diseases had a much slower incubation period, so there was time to act. Much less so with the much faster moving Coronavirus.

In any case, self preservation is kicking in. It won't take government action to clamp down on unnecessary travel, large crowds and public events as people are socially distancing already. Government instructions might well be helpful to guide decisions, and also for insurance to kick in. Some bridging relief for affected sectors should be a key part of the budget. So as to lessen the economic hit.

I forgot to put in my footnote.

*While HIV/AIDS was contained by appropriate measures in the UK, denial and lack of action in Sub Saharan Africa was catastrophic, with millions dead as a result. We should not copy that approach.

HIV also probably started as an animal virus that made the cross species jump too.

Good points.
On the political spat which seems to have developed on thread, I don’t see how this will damage Johnson particularly (irrespective of my dislike for him). So far he’s mainly got out of the way of the experts, and preparations appear sensible.
Trump, on the other hand, is actively contradicting the advice of his own experts, and is undeniably responsible for a degradation in the US pandemic response capability before the outbreak even happened. People will die as a result of his actions.

Fair comment and my dislike of Trump is turning to real anger

You have a glimpse about how some of us feel about Boris.

I am fully aware of your position on Boris

Indeed, you used to share it.

Times change and right now he is dealing with covid 19 well and believes in trusting his ministers. Furthermore his domestic agenda in levelling up the north is spot on

malcolmg said:

kle4 said:

SouthamObserver said:

Jonathan said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

Mysticrose said:

Those pathetics trying to dismiss this as 'little more than flu' remind me of the stay-at-home armchair generals in World War One who remained oblivious to the situation in the trenches, even when men were dropping like flies.

Truth will out.

And the idiots will eventually shut the f-up.

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

Isn’t it a sign of how far the Labour (and Democratic) parties have fallen away as serious opposition?

Left wingers are now left praying for plague, global warming and Brexit to bring down the Boris, Trump governments that they despise.

They don’t even trust our wonderful infallible NHS to save us all.

Loving the idea that Simon Jenkins is left wing!!!!

Boris is certainly overdue his comeuppance, but Coronavirus is not it. Boris has done quite enough harm already. Let’s hope he gets the response right, or at least lets those that know what their doing get on with the job unhindered by his sound bites and Machiavellian politicking.

Johnson being bone idle and totally uninterested in details is currently a huge advantage. It means the experts can get on with things without having to second guess the potential for political interference.

While there will be political decisions still to take, I guess we are learning a key difference between Boris and Trump (there were already plenty in fairness) is that while both love attention, Boris has repeatedly shown he can keep his head down when he wants to, and his ego does not require him to dominate a situation like this which others are better suited for.

You mean he is f***ing useless and hides. At least Trump tries to do something even if it is the wrong thing. Trump is head and shoulders above cowardly Boris.

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Nigelb said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

IshmaelZ said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

That is no longer true, if it ever was. I can't remember "similar panics," what were they about?

Instead of going "hurr hurr hurr eadric" perhaps accept that the good Dr Fox probably knows more about what we can likely expect, than the rest of the board combined. What sort of tone do you think he is setting?

I think that previous medical panics over AIDS in the eighties* and BSE in the nineties didn't become catastrophic was precisely because appropriate action was taken, not that there was no threat.

Those diseases had a much slower incubation period, so there was time to act. Much less so with the much faster moving Coronavirus.

In any case, self preservation is kicking in. It won't take government action to clamp down on unnecessary travel, large crowds and public events as people are socially distancing already. Government instructions might well be helpful to guide decisions, and also for insurance to kick in. Some bridging relief for affected sectors should be a key part of the budget. So as to lessen the economic hit.

I forgot to put in my footnote.

*While HIV/AIDS was contained by appropriate measures in the UK, denial and lack of action in Sub Saharan Africa was catastrophic, with millions dead as a result. We should not copy that approach.

HIV also probably started as an animal virus that made the cross species jump too.

Good points.
On the political spat which seems to have developed on thread, I don’t see how this will damage Johnson particularly (irrespective of my dislike for him). So far he’s mainly got out of the way of the experts, and preparations appear sensible.
Trump, on the other hand, is actively contradicting the advice of his own experts, and is undeniably responsible for a degradation in the US pandemic response capability before the outbreak even happened. People will die as a result of his actions.

Fair comment and my dislike of Trump is turning to real anger

You have a glimpse about how some of us feel about Boris.

I am fully aware of your position on Boris

Indeed, you used to share it.

Times change and right now he is dealing with covid 19 well and believes in trusting his ministers. Furthermore his domestic agenda in levelling up the north is spot on

Boris cares about Boris. Sometimes your interests may temporarily align with his. But not someone to rely on. If you’re in his way carnage. I cite the career of Theresa May.

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Jonathan said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Nigelb said:

Foxy said:

Foxy said:

IshmaelZ said:

IanB2 said:

SouthamObserver said:

TGOHF666 said:

You mean like the Guardian ?

https://twitter.com/jowilliams293/status/1236187718499078149?s=21

That’s not “The Guardian”, it’s an idiot who writes for The Guardian. Jenkins has form. What a fool.

But the general tone of his article is right. There have been similar panics before, and they have proved false, or the problem has been solved before we reached disaster.

This doesn’t mean a disaster isn’t possible, of course. But it does mean we should try and maintain a balanced view. We are after all still waiting for the post-Brexit national collapse that a certain PB’er was predicting in the days after he had just voted for it.

That is no longer true, if it ever was. I can't remember "similar panics," what were they about?

Instead of going "hurr hurr hurr eadric" perhaps accept that the good Dr Fox probably knows more about what we can likely expect, than the rest of the board combined. What sort of tone do you think he is setting?

I think that previous medical panics over AIDS in the eighties* and BSE in the nineties didn't become catastrophic was precisely because appropriate action was taken, not that there was no threat.

Those diseases had a much slower incubation period, so there was time to act. Much less so with the much faster moving Coronavirus.

In any case, self preservation is kicking in. It won't take government action to clamp down on unnecessary travel, large crowds and public events as people are socially distancing already. Government instructions might well be helpful to guide decisions, and also for insurance to kick in. Some bridging relief for affected sectors should be a key part of the budget. So as to lessen the economic hit.

I forgot to put in my footnote.

*While HIV/AIDS was contained by appropriate measures in the UK, denial and lack of action in Sub Saharan Africa was catastrophic, with millions dead as a result. We should not copy that approach.

HIV also probably started as an animal virus that made the cross species jump too.

Good points.
On the political spat which seems to have developed on thread, I don’t see how this will damage Johnson particularly (irrespective of my dislike for him). So far he’s mainly got out of the way of the experts, and preparations appear sensible.
Trump, on the other hand, is actively contradicting the advice of his own experts, and is undeniably responsible for a degradation in the US pandemic response capability before the outbreak even happened. People will die as a result of his actions.

Fair comment and my dislike of Trump is turning to real anger

You have a glimpse about how some of us feel about Boris.

I am fully aware of your position on Boris

Indeed, you used to share it.

Times change and right now he is dealing with covid 19 well and believes in trusting his ministers. Furthermore his domestic agenda in levelling up the north is spot on

Boris cares about Boris. Sometimes your interests may temporarily align with his. But not someone to rely on. If you’re in his way carnage. I cite the career of Theresa May.

A week is a long time in politics but as of now Boris, and I would also say Hancock, are dealing well with covid 19