Day of Chaos 2: a.Covid-19 thread.

[JayzusB.Christ]

Or were you being ironic?

Have to admit, I've been finding it increasingly hard lately to know whether the Prof is taking the piss or not, particularly in the 'serious' threads like this one.

[The Legendary Shark]

I don't think it's a case of deliberately releasing a virus (or flying 'planes into buildings or poisoning the planet, etc.) as part of some over-arching master plan but, rather, taking these things and exploiting them to increase power and profit.

As Winston Churchill (I think) said, "never let a good crisis go to waste."

[Funt Solo]

...exploiting them to increase power and profit.

Well, yes, indeed:

Go-between paid £21m in taxpayer funds for NHS PPE
Revealed: Private firm running UK PPE stockpile was sold in middle of pandemic
UK’s record spending on PPE comes under growing scrutiny
Covid-19: UK government faces legal action after awarding £250m in PPE contracts to jewellery company

[JayzusB.Christ]

Well, there'll definitely be profit to be made by the vaccine companies and producers of anti-viral gear, in the same way warm clothing companies make more money in the winter.

But I would question whether crippling the tourism and hospitality industries (among many others), bankrupting many small businesses and some large ones, making enormous social welfare payouts to the hordes of newly unemployed people, and pissing off both the pro- and anti-lockdown sides simultaneously are good ways to increase power and profit.

That's all I'm saying about it though.  Sorry if that's a cop-out but I really hate arguing about conspiracy theories, both online and in real life. 

[Professor Bear]

Well, they've made 11 billion pounds so far for themselves and their donors, just from being shite at their response to the pandemic.  The next election is four years away, so what consequences are they going to suffer for continuing to be shite?
Actually, that pretty much sums up Naomi Klein's book.  You needn't bother reading it now.

they've known all along that their own incompetence would create the perfect conditions for them to thrive

Although there's an obvious difference between opportunistic carpetbagging and the idea of a "plandemic". The "they've known all along" bit is pure supposition and lends your enemy an almost mystical power.

You have, of course, sidelined some context from my post, which specifically discusses disaster capitalism and post-truth, not conspiracy theories.

[shaolin_monkey]

Here’s our very own forum superstar healthcare professional Eamonn Clarke getting the vaccine!

Nice one Eamonn!!

[TordelBack]

I'm just surprised he didn't take the dose away and raffle it for charity.

Also: woot!

[JayzusB.Christ]

Fair play, Eamonn!  Must feel like a huge weight off the shoulders, apart from the split second of intense pain.

[Dandontdare]

Good grief, have the NHS requisitioned allotments now? Or is that one of our World Beating^TM hospitals?

Well done Eamonn, and thank you for all the useful and sensible advice and updates you've given us over the year.

As for me, despite railing against the rule-breakers, my own Christmas will be unavoidably in breach technically. We're still fine with our 3 household Christmas lunch at my brother's, but the lack of public transport means I will have to stay over at my mum's for a few nights. As I'll be seeing her anyway and we'll be seeing no-one else, I can't see any increased danger, and I'll be damned if I miss seeing my mum for only the 2nd time in 10 months. My dad had a mini-stroke and fall in November and won't be coming home, he's currently on the Covid ward of the local hospital (positive test, 8 days no symptoms) awaiting a place in a nursing home. Mercifully, the fall seems to have accelerated his gradually worsening dementia right past the confused/distressed/lashing-out stage, to childlike placidity. No clue what's going on, but content and being well looked after. These last few months have really taken a toll on my mum's health (they're both 89), so I'm not missing this chance over one of Boris's fag-packet technicalities. Oh, and I'll get to meet my 5 month old grand-niece for the first time too!

[TordelBack]

Some shitty situation to navigate, DDD. Hope you have a brilliant time nonetheless.

Some light relief amongst the horror:

My son's favourite teacher is English, and of course won't now being going home for Christmas, about which he is understandably and vocally aggravated. Nevertheless, he decided to follow with ancient tradition and treat his class of 14yr-olds with a Christmas movie.


Die Hard.

[TordelBack]

And just for reference, in addition to some top-class gore, cocaine and a couple of boobies, Imdb reports that's: "56 uses of "fuck" (along with 2 uses of "Yippee-ki-yay motherfucker"), 34 uses of "shit" (3 paired with "bull"), 2 uses of "sh*thead", 14 uses of "asshole", 14 uses of "ass", 13 uses of "Goddamn", 3 uses of "dickhead", 1 use of "bastard", 3 uses of "Christ", 2 uses of "jerk off".

Oh,  and presumably 1 additional "fuck it" from the teacher in question...

[JOE SOAP]

A class act

[Funt Solo]

Maybe they were watching the melon-farmer version.

[TordelBack]

Definitely not. 

[Old Tankie]

Me and the wife both have Covid, feeling rough but still at home and hoping for the best.