It’s not a war, folks, it’s a disease.

Have another Pikachu
Build a barricade of toilet rolls! Do you hear the people sing?

Thanks to Gareth Malone!

I believe we instinctively "fight" anything we see as a threat. Sadly, the battle against Covid19 is made all the more difficult by the stupidity of those who think they're invincible and untouchable! For example, those people who refuse to stay at home, those parents who allow children to roam the streets and those bloody selfish idiots who panic buy causing chaos and hardship for many others!

I am off to barricade us in with my remaining 5 toilet rolls

Goodness, Calistemon, you seem to consider this in very personal terms. My age and the occupations of my family members have no relevance to my views, and I don’t have an agenda. I was a healthcare worker in the NHS many years ago.

I’m sorry I have caused you so much annoyance. I’ll shut up and go away now, and leave you all in peace (or war).

geekesse I so agree with what you say. People have become so conditioned to the use of the language and imagery of war being invoked on a regular basis that to question its use can cause discomfort and anger.

The world wars were about one group of human beings/countries fighting another group of human beings/countries - it was hardly "all fighting together against a common enemy" - unless you're using the "we" to describe Britain.

I agree with those who say using language and imagery associated with aggression is inappropriate and unhelpful. I feel quite sure that scientists trying to work on this virus aren't motivated by aggression (which is basically what you need to fight). I would imagine they go in to their laboratories with focus and determination to solve a problem.

Suggesting that words are important is not in any way a denigration of our absolutely wonderful doctors, nurses and carers and I don't understand why some people choose to interpret it that way.

I also agree about the use of the word "fight" in relation to living with a life-threatening illness. A dear friend of mine e died a couple of years ago. She told me she found the media emphasis on "fighting" her illness exhausting. While she took every step possible to maximise the quality and length of her life, she did not want to think of herself as engaged in some sort of battle.

But she was engaged in a battle eloethan

Well fighting surely is bigger than just hand to hand combat we use the term about anything that we need to put an extreme effort into I see it as a perfectly acceptable term to use
It’s a common enemy that we are fighting surely if you don’t see that you are thinking with a very literal brain
We fight many things we fight boredom we fight sleep we fight for good causes we fight racism we fight crime and yes we fight illness
Fighting is putting as extreme effort into removing something from our life or others lives
Seems a totally adequate word

BlueBelle very well put. I agree.

Sounds as if you are in their confidence Grey

Are you saying I have some kind of links with IS lemon?

I don't think anybody has " beaten " them

Maybe we insignificant humans like to think of fighting the virus, as if we are connected and doing something with purpose. The feeling of powerlessness is not a good one.

Well said Eloethan and geekesse.
To me ‘fighting’ is a waste of both emotional and physical energy.
With regard to COVID I’m trying to accept and adapt to changed circumstances. What is the point of ‘fighting’ the fact that I can’t see my beloved DC and DGC which is what personally concerns me the most?

In more general terms, ‘fighting’ implies aggression and division.
If there are differences with other people, at an individual or societal level, I’d prefer negotiation and tolerance, and if necessary resistance, to fighting any day.

Excellent post BlueBelle ??

Let’s be honest.....what we have on this thread are examples of
Pacifist posters taking things to extreme degrees by disliking
‘A wartime spirit’ in the land.
This fighting spirit is what keeps a country united though, neighbours being thoughtful of each other, friends and family keeping more in touch by phone and email, altruistic acts everywhere, and a spirit of positivity and hope in the face of adversity.
If you don’t like that....tough!

There is no actual ‘fighting’ involved ( in case posters hadn’t noticed.)

The country isn't united. It has been crumbling for years.

What is a wartime spirit? Which war?

Are you kidding?!

Shall we say Napoleonic or if you prefer, The Hundred Years War.?

What is happening in our homes and how we are coping is entirely different from the scenarios being played out in hospitals. The staff are on the front line and they're exhausted from 'fighting' to save lives.

So yes, it's a battle for them. A battle to keep people alive, a battle against time, a battle to stay well themselves and a daily battle to keep things at home ticking over. The army is being used as back up for the services. That's how serious it is.

I do feel we have been 'invaded' by a silent, invisible enemy.

“We have no immunity”

Be positive. Actually we have quite a lot of immunity and resistance to Covid 19, it is proving that by far the majority are going to experience mild symptoms and some have none.

Having said that the vulnerable are at serious risk and slowing down the spread so that the NHS can cope is very important, So we must follow the social distancing routine we have now and is likely to continue for several weeks.

Hear Hear geekesse and you have put it so well Eloethan
War and fighting are bad words in my vocabulary. How often did we tell our DC to stop fighting! Wars do not solve conflict, but leave countries and people in a worse state and create wealth for the weapon dealers.

Don't you see, lemongrove that the words we use can be powerful and ultimately destructive?

Of course we are supporting our doctors and nurses and all the carers and but my DS who is out today delivering the 1000s of testing kits would not see himself as a soldier or a warrier.

This thread began about language but it has mutated and sparked some passion!

Our DGD who's barely 5, overheard someone wondering what the future holds. I know what the future holds she said. Love. I hope she's right.

But even in a military sense fighting does not mean grappling hand to hand witht the enemy or firing guns at them. It requires finding ways of over coming them, by winning them over, taking them medical help, containing them, fighting only happens when every other means has failed.

Look at the way the armed forces are being used in the current emergency. Do you think they would be so good at this type of medical peace time activity, if it wasn't in the core of their activities.

Anyone who thinks fighting means two groups of people killing each other has a very narrow and warped vocabulary.

Fighting means acting in an active and vigourous way to control or repulse something that is a danger to you, whether it is another group of people, a fire, a flood, or a rampaging infectious illness.

Surely the word "fight" implies a continuity of action. When you say Its so sad. you can't fight this anymore than you could fight IS Greymar I think it is your sadness that concedes defeat rather than an actual defeat. Some people fight daily just to survive.

There is surely no right or wrong in the use of such language - unless we now have the language police. What the OP asked was if she was being unreasonable. Surely the OP is unreasonable, not because of the language used or not used but because the post implies others are "wrong" - as do some subsequent posts on here. It is just a matter of opinion surely and only unreasonable when people expect others to see it as a truth.

'Invasion of cells'
'Fighting an infection'
'Your immune system can kill germs'
'Heat kills the SARS coronavirus'
"We are at war with a virus that threatens to tear us apart - if we let it. Fight, unite, ignite"

Perhaps medical experts the world over, including the WHO, may benefit from your advice on terminology, geekesse.
However, now is probably not the right time as they are rather busy.

This poet whose partner is an NHS nurse thinks it is a war. www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-52158721/coronavirus-christopher-eccleston-reads-a-poetic-tribute-to-the-nhs?fbclid=IwAR2vYGQE6bHODAjoHqTjUYmTqpMPv96QqPNrg_uB0WTewJn9G4MeYhQP17k

We have our own 'defences' too.
Our good bacteria help to fight infection from invading pathogenic bacteria.
However, viruses can invade good bacteria and destroy them.

Obviously these scientific terms are not the words you would use when explaining all this to a small child.

Goodies and baddies - our bodies are in a constant fight against baddies and usually we win.

The war metaphor is sometimes inappropriate to people who don;t believe there is a war unless they can put a human face to the enemy. Please see the thread about shopping for confused elderly moaners.

Davidhs, please allow me to moderate your post about immunity to coronavirus.

When the coronavirus first invaded people there was no _ specific_ natural or indeed artificial immunity to that particular virus.

If there are now tests that show coronavirus-pecific antibodies it may be claimed some people are now immune to coronavirus.

Oh, I saw that and resolved not to be one

a person has a dis-ease, virus is not a dis-ease, keeping the virus out is akin to fighting a war ie keeping the enemy virus OUT.