Playing politics over Coronavirus

[Vidcapper]

I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together
at this critical time!

[A. Filip]

Post by Vidcapper
I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together
at this critical time!

We should all be wealthy and healthy! Are we?

Covid-19 will be used politically. I merely agree that it is
not be best time to push it hard (politically) *half-way*.
Stand behind our "esteemed" leader or replace him *VERY* fast.

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
Matthew 7:15-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

[Richmond]

I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current crisis,
is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together at this
critical time!

No, you're just a tory trying to deflect blame as usual. The Tories were
quite happy to use the 2008 crash for political gain, and now we are
paying the price of sickening tory incompetence, with a health system
that cannot cope, social services which cannot cope, and a benefit
system which cannot cope. Tory mismanagement and incompetence knows no
bounds.

[Incubus]

Post by Richmond

I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current crisis,
is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together at this
critical time!

No, you're just a tory trying to deflect blame as usual. The Tories were
quite happy to use the 2008 crash for political gain, and now we are
paying the price of sickening tory incompetence, with a health system
that cannot cope, social services which cannot cope, and a benefit
system which cannot cope. Tory mismanagement and incompetence knows no
bounds.

All these things go back for years yet you blame the Tories. If you
woke up and stubbed your toe, whose fault would it be? That's right;
the Tories.

[A. Filip]

Post by Incubus

Post by Richmond

I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current crisis,
is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together at this
critical time!

No, you're just a tory trying to deflect blame as usual. The Tories were
quite happy to use the 2008 crash for political gain, and now we are
paying the price of sickening tory incompetence, with a health system
that cannot cope, social services which cannot cope, and a benefit
system which cannot cope. Tory mismanagement and incompetence knows no
bounds.

All these things go back for years yet you blame the Tories. If you
woke up and stubbed your toe, whose fault would it be? That's right;
the Tories.

It is Tories watch NOW. Your watch your (main but not sole) responsibility.
In other words: All _undeflected_ blame will fall on Tories.
It is not the best time to play game of political blame shifting *now*
but elections are not planned tomorrow.

[Incubus]

Post by A. Filip

Post by Incubus

Post by Richmond

I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current crisis,
is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together at this
critical time!

No, you're just a tory trying to deflect blame as usual. The Tories were
quite happy to use the 2008 crash for political gain, and now we are
paying the price of sickening tory incompetence, with a health system
that cannot cope, social services which cannot cope, and a benefit
system which cannot cope. Tory mismanagement and incompetence knows no
bounds.

All these things go back for years yet you blame the Tories. If you
woke up and stubbed your toe, whose fault would it be? That's right;
the Tories.

It is Tories watch NOW.

I see. So which magic wand are they supposed to wave to rectify thirty years
of strain on public services?

[A. Filip]

Post by Incubus

Post by Incubus

Post by Richmond

I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current crisis,
is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together at this
critical time!

No, you're just a tory trying to deflect blame as usual. The Tories were
quite happy to use the 2008 crash for political gain, and now we are
paying the price of sickening tory incompetence, with a health system
that cannot cope, social services which cannot cope, and a benefit
system which cannot cope. Tory mismanagement and incompetence knows no
bounds.

All these things go back for years yet you blame the Tories. If you
woke up and stubbed your toe, whose fault would it be? That's right;
the Tories.

It is Tories watch NOW. […]

I see. So which magic wand are they supposed to wave to rectify thirty years
of strain on public services?

Have they even *started* to reverse "thirty years of strain on public services"?

[m***@btopenworld.com]

Post by Richmond

I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current crisis,
is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together at this
critical time!

No, you're just a tory trying to deflect blame as usual. The Tories were
quite happy to use the 2008 crash for political gain, and now we are
paying the price of sickening tory incompetence, with a health system
that cannot cope, social services which cannot cope, and a benefit
system which cannot cope. Tory mismanagement and incompetence knows no
bounds.

The blame rests on the virus and there is nothing that anyone has been able to do about that. It inflicts half the globe and probably will inflict the whole of it before this is over.

I accuse you of naivete in that you apparently believe that all we have to do is elect a socialist government and the laws of nature will be reversed. It'a as I said a couple of weeks ago. This epidemic will run its course as has, in the absence of an effective vaccine or antidote, been the way of every epidemic before it.

With animals an epidemic (e.g foot and mouth disease and swine fever) are often counteracted through the use of isolation, restriction of movement and selective culling. Obviously the latter of these is not appropriate in the case of humans.

[Richmond]

Post by m***@btopenworld.com
The blame rests on the virus and there is nothing that anyone has been able to

Rubbish. Because of Tory cut backs there are no DWP staff to deal with
the claimants, so you phone up and get "you are number 30000 in a
queue".

Tory's could have done something about it 5 years ago, pandemics are not
unexpected.

https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1259513/Universal-credit-warning-latest-news-system-overload-coronavirus-uk-update-COVID-19-today

https://www.msn.com/en-sg/health/medical/bill-gates-predicted-the-coronavirus-pandemic-in-his-2015-ted-talk/ar-BB11hjmz

No excuses for tories, tories get what tories deserve.

[m***@btopenworld.com]

Post by Richmond

Post by m***@btopenworld.com
The blame rests on the virus and there is nothing that anyone has been able to

Rubbish. Because of Tory cut backs there are no DWP staff to deal with
the claimants, so you phone up and get "you are number 30000 in a
queue".

It's the old old story pf resources v demand for those resources.

In an ideal world of course these two should be in balance but we have just gone through a period of employment unprecedented in recent times. One certainly cannot have thousands of staff twiddling their thumbs to deal with surges in demand that may or may not materialise. That really would be socialism.

Post by Richmond
Tory's could have done something about it 5 years ago, pandemics are not
unexpected.

Not quite!

In the last 100 years there would appear to be 3 of note the 1918-19 spanish flu and 1968 Honk Kong flu.

Pandemics happen due to viral mutations producing new strains hitherto encountered and as a consequence, no preventative techniques can be developed.
They do not emerge because the Tory party is in power in the UK.

Post by Richmond
https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1259513/Universal-credit-warning-latest-news-system-overload-coronavirus-uk-update-COVID-19-today
https://www.msn.com/en-sg/health/medical/bill-gates-predicted-the-coronavirus-pandemic-in-his-2015-ted-talk/ar-BB11hjmz
No excuses for tories, tories get what tories deserve.

This Tory ain't complaining! One only has to look at the government front bench thesese days and then look at the bench opposite. We can the observe the lternative in clear contrast.

[Richmond]

Post by m***@btopenworld.com
In an ideal world of course these two should be in balance but we have just
gone through a period of employment unprecedented in recent times. One
certainly cannot have thousands of staff twiddling their thumbs to deal with
surges in demand that may or may not materialise. That really would be
socialism.

Oh so it's okay to be unready? Why did Labour have to be ready for the
collapse of Lehman Brothers then?

Tories just blame blame blame, deny deny deny.

[m***@btopenworld.com]

Post by Richmond

Post by m***@btopenworld.com
In an ideal world of course these two should be in balance but we have just
gone through a period of employment unprecedented in recent times. One
certainly cannot have thousands of staff twiddling their thumbs to deal with
surges in demand that may or may not materialise. That really would be
socialism.

Oh so it's okay to be unready? Why did Labour have to be ready for the
collapse of Lehman Brothers then?

As I remember it, that was not the criticism. "Failing to mend the roof whilst the sun was shining." In other words leaving the economy renowned for its fickleness and unpredictability, vulnerable. I seem to remember Gordon Brown having abolished "Boom and Bust!" Not much foresight there was there?

Of course the suspicion is that he was after inflating the economy in readiness for a anticipated election.

Post by Richmond
Tories just blame blame blame, deny deny deny.

Blame/deny what?

Deny that a hitherto unknown virus was about wreak havoc? unexpected events happen in all sorts of spheres. How do you expect the unexpected? How many types of unexpected event are there?

You seem to demand of your politicians the gift of unlimited foresight.

[Dan S. MacAbre]

Post by Vidcapper
I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together
at this critical time!

Better to let them reveal themselves. I agree that it brings out the
worst in people, but I have come to realise that it generally has the
opposite effect to the one intended.

[Pamela]

Post by Vidcapper
I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together
at this critical time!

It can't be long before we see shameless profiteering and exploitation of the
coronavirus outbreak.

The way Trump is talking about lifting restrictions by Easter, America might
soon show how some businesses put money before lives.

[Incubus]

Post by Pamela

Post by Vidcapper
I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together
at this critical time!

It can't be long before we see shameless profiteering and exploitation of the
coronavirus outbreak.
The way Trump is talking about lifting restrictions by Easter, America might
soon show how some businesses put money before lives.

It's already happening here.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8147189/Coronavirus-HSBC-Direct-M-S-Bank-increase-overdraft-charges.html

[A. Filip]

Post by Incubus

Post by Pamela

Post by Vidcapper
I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together
at this critical time!

It can't be long before we see shameless profiteering and exploitation of the
coronavirus outbreak.
The way Trump is talking about lifting restrictions by Easter, America might
soon show how some businesses put money before lives.

It's already happening here.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8147189/Coronavirus-HSBC-Direct-M-S-Bank-increase-overdraft-charges.html

<analogy> I think anyone who tries taking huge _unfair_ economic
advantage from the current is particularly despicable - we should
all be pulling together at this critical time! </analogy>

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8147189/Coronavirus-HSBC-Direct-M-S-Bank-increase-overdraft-charges.html

Post by Incubus
Lenders cash in on coronavirus: HSBC, First Direct and M&S Bank
increase overdraft charges up to 39.9% amid crisis while Halifax and
Lloyds are set to do same next month
* Overdraft rates will *quadruple* in some cases from 9.99% to 39.99%
in changes brought in before the crisis
Published: 14:10 GMT, 24 March 2020 | Updated: 07:57 GMT, 25 March 2020

[g***@walkerlincoln.co.uk]

Post by Vidcapper
I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together
at this critical time!

I have noticed that the Independent newspaper have rather excelled themselves in this regard.

[Col]

Post by Vidcapper
I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling together
at this critical time!

Well certainly from what I have seen, whatever criticism Corbyn/Labour
have leveled at the Tories over this has been pretty muted to say the least.

[A. Filip]

Post by Col

Post by Vidcapper
I think anyone who tries taking political advantage from the current
crisis, is particularly despicable - we should all be pulling
together at this critical time!

Well certainly from what I have seen, whatever criticism Corbyn/Labour
have leveled at the Tories over this has been pretty muted to say the least.

Will it stay such way up to elections? I doubt it.