Are the media misreading our mood?

^ if warehouses full of PPE were found moldering away in years to come^

Don't be silly.
PPE could be used from the store and replaced, in date order, to avoid that happening.

Sussexborn, I agree that the daily updates are annoying so I don't watch them now. The media have always been alarmist and sales driven.

We can't divorce the emergency response from politics, though. Whatever government were in charge, we'd be watching and forming opinions. All countries are making comparisons.

However, I see realism, not negativity. 'Tragic event'? Hardly, it's like watching a car crash in slow motion.

Grenfell was presented (at first) as if it was some kind of natural disaster - rather than an avoidable tragedy.

There's a parallel here with an attempt to portray Coronavirus as an unexpected event - yet we saw it happening, saw it coming - and our government did too little, far too late!

Viruses are not political people. Doesn't matter who is at the helm of the ship when it sinks. They saw the iceberg and they thought it would melt when we got there

Sussexborn Spot on!!

Truth is there is a hell of a lot of information by experts available on the Internet. We didn't say it first, we just read it. If you don't like it, don't look, don't read, go live in a happy bubble where people couldn't possibly have died unnessesarily and hope that you don't lose someone so precious to you that you start questioning if they could still be here.

We would have enough PPE if the government had shut down when they should. Weeks before us like other EU countries.

Its not negative, gloating or any of the other insults mentioned to say otherwise.

I spend far less time on GN now as the negativity from some obsessive posters leaves me fearing for their sanity and I don’t intend to let it undermine mine. They are totally incapable of seeing both sides of any discussion but fixated on constantly screeching about anything and everything that is done by our current govt. If the virus hadn’t come about and warehouses full of PPE were found moldering away in years to come, no doubt they would be screeching away about the waste of public money.

Of course there will be lessons to be learned but using this tragic event to score political points is beneath contempt but par for the course. They just can’t accept that their negativity and harping went a long way towards their losing the backing of the British public and seem incapable of change or self awareness. Bitterness, fury and self righteousness will be their permanent undoing.

The “journalists” are no doubt under huge pressure from their editors/superiors because their sales must be drastically cut during lockdown. They are desperate to keep their jobs but asking ridiculous repetitive questions designed to undermine those working 24/7 is showing them up in their true light. We watch the first statement at 5pm then switch off the nonsense.

As has been stated already in this thread, the press have taken on the role of the opposition. We should have a national government at this time, that would be the most mature and productive option. I can see no cause for optimism in any direction at the moment. This is going to be our way of life for the foreseeable future. The economic and social impact do not bear thinking about.

As ever Elegran says all that needs to be said.

GrannyGravy, 'gloating'?, how could you say that? People are dying, families are grieving - we are despairing - and yet you insult us!

People who didn't vote Conservative are gloating it happened under them?

Another ridiculous statement.

Let's look at this logically.

Us: people have died unnessesarily and we aren't happy about it.

You: You are gloating about it.

Can you see how those two statements don't go together?

Viruses are not political. Doesn't matter who is in charge. Those dying unnessesarily matter.

I agree with Eazybee. Let’s stand shoulder to shoulder with
Doctors, nurses, Carers, pharmacists, volunteers and get through this feeling we gave it our best shot to cope with the atrocity that is Covid19. The inquisition can go on and will go on later, for years probably.

I agree with Hetty about how Pollyanna optimism (if |I may) is counterproductive both psychologically and tactically.

(I vote tactically, not Green, although I'd love to vote Green)

When the "driver" of an enormous oil tanker decides to change direction, it takes a considerable distance for the vessel to repond to the turn of the wheel - I forget how far, but it is several miles. Wrenching the wheel from the pilot in midcourse wouldn't help the stability of the vessel or improve the journey.

The same is true of the ship of state.

Exactly what could be done right now to remedy all these shortcomings? How long does it take from now to get the whole country to change their understanding, attitude and behaviour? To order, have made, and delivered, equipment that the whole world is demanding? To elect a new government? To appoint dozens of new ministers and officials to replace the ones in whom so many people have lost confidence?

You won't do this overnight.

The immediate effect of all the ranting is to relieve the anxiety of the ranters - but it also increases the anxiety level of the population in general, in people who are already stressed by the situation. There is a need for a balance of bad news and good, of optimism as well as pessimism.

Remember Matt Hancock telling us that the UK was well prepared with adequate PPE and was in the forefront of developing tests for covid?

If that had turned out to be true, I am certain that non-tory supporters would have been as happy as anyone else.

But it was not true.

The 'can-do' attitude of Boris and his 'government' was completely fake.

think that those who voted for any party other than Conservative are positively gloating

No, we are despairing at the mess that is being made, and astonished that some people can't see it.

It's very weird to think that anyone would gloat.

Hetty58, I'm sorry to hear about your friend.
It's perfectly reasonable for an individual to take the 'smiles and rainbows' attitude in their own life.
It's not sensible for leaders of a country to do so.

We need facts and transparency, and I do not think we have received this consistently from the government, particularly in the early days of the pandemic.
What was the point in having a pandemic exercise codenamed 'Cyrus' in 2016, which identified problems such as insufficient respirators, if no action was taken, and it's obvious now that none was. Why didn't the government ever publish the findings of this exercise?
The press have been doing the job of the Opposition, which has until now been woefully inadequate in holding the government up to scrutiny and account.
Surely this is what a free press is for, or do we want to be fed propaganda, 'to raise moral'?
We are not children but reasoning adults.

rosecarmel lives in USA lemongrove

For what my opinion is worth I think that those who voted for any party other than Conservative are positively gloating at the fact that Covid-19 has happened/is happening under a Conservative Government.

Doyou really think it would have been any better under Labour who were rudderless due to the leadership elections?

Which country do you live in rosecarmel?

I think that now is precisely the right time to question the government policy. It does seem that they react to public opinion. Without the pressure of the media we would be in an even more difficult position. Some of their actions and advice have been inexplicable and contradictory to common sense. So yes, it's no surprise and justifiable that some strong characters have been holding feet to the fire.

Your comment, coggie, is contemptible

Do elaborate please?

”Some of you are ridiculous.” Why GagaJo? Because they disagree with you? Now, that’s ridiculous.

The government here (us) is scrambling- What would make their mad dashes and sudden switching believable would be transparency- When asked questions by the press they sweep everything they said a week or month prior under the rug and never answer the questions being asked of them-

Many people adore Dr Fauci, as though he can do no wrong- But he stood in front of that podium, early on, and said that our chances of contracting the virus were low-

They haven't the balls or the ovaries to guide us through this pandemic with truths and they refuse to be held accountable for their lies- If the press never pressed them for answers, many more people would have died- All their anger and pressuring is bringing about change-

lemon you say “of course” the govt is doing a good job. Examples?

Hetty, your poor friend. I hope she’s taking this seriously now.

Though, I understand why so many didnt as the govt was downplaying it so much.