ANGER

Great post janeainsworth.

You had better be able to give chapter and verse on where that is documented, Greymar or you are in danger of libelling BJ. You state it as a fact. How do you know that fact?

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I agree with Gagajo. They should look to those other countries. We have lagged far behind.

It's all very well sending best wishes to Bojo, but my condolences go to all those who have lost their lives with this nasty virus.

Greymar unless you are BJ’s personal psychologist, you are stating an opinion, not a fact.

What an excellent post janeainsworth, well said.

I should like to repeat something I posted on another thread which is worth considering about the government’s handling of the pandemic. The stock of equipment to be used in the case of a pandemic was reduced by almost 40% in the six years from 2013 despite warnings that a pandemic of a new virus was likely. Was that good government and a government acting in the interests of its people.
www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/12/revealed-value-of-uk-pandemic-stockpile-fell-by-40-in-six-years?CMP=share_btn_fb&fbclid=IwAR3EGYers9RKbQg-wezvh7sL2yQs3ecT4sURQBbL1V31Wi3ixE7_qZeeQ6o

I agree with janeainsworth too. I understand the OP’s anger, but I think we all deal with stress differently. For some it is anger, others react differently. There is no right or wrong way to respond, every way is perfectly valid, and Gaga has every right to feel as she does.
I do feel frustrated about the slow response to the pandemic. There appeared to be plenty of lessons from China, even though they initially tried to downplay what was happening. I believe the herd immunity theory which was touted was wrong and even immoral, but the government was following the advice of scientists. Scientists themselves can’t really agree, but I blame those scientists for advocating an immoral way forward. I also feel that the lockdown is not strong enough and as long as people are mixing even as much as they are, we will not get on top of this virus. I’m also frustrated with journalists who continually ask when the lockdown is going to end. For goodness sake, we’re only into our fourth week of lockdown, this lockdown needs to last a while longer until the deaths and infection rates are down a lot lower.

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After 10 years of conservative government this pandemic has shone a light through the cracks of poor long term planning and a cowboy attitude to public health, education and social care.
I’m frankly amazed how anyone can say this government is doing a good job

janeainsworth very well said. I completely agree.

Jane, I also get angry at other people. I've tried to stay off social media more because it doesn't solve anything.

I know of more people who have suffered bereavements now. I think as this continues, and as people continue to love dearly loved family members or friends, that even those who weren't taking it seriously will begin to.

Barmey The government has made complete pigs ear of this, except I would use stronger language

The government, like every other country in the world, was dealing with a hitherto unknown infective agent.
They took advice from their scientific advisers, who even now don’t agree among themselves about how to interpret the very limited and flawed data that is available.
It will be many months before any valid conclusions can be reached.
Behavioural scientists advised the government against locking down too soon, because they believed people would tire of the restrictions and stop complying at the very time when isolation and social distancing were most needed.

Of course mistakes will be made, but to attribute deliberate negligence to the politicians who are making the decisions is to my mind spiteful.

I once heard Clare Short speak at a professional dinner. She said that politicians and ministers had no special gifts or intellect and were just ordinary people like us.

So to all of you who are advocating blame and anger, would you have liked to be the ones doing the math and advising the government? Or the politicians trying to work out what to do for the best?

Well may be it's me then but I do feel if not anger certainly huge frustration towards the individuals who don't socially distance or stay away from friends and family.Do they think we don't long to hug ours.?That's immediate and very personal.When our DGC only live 5 minutes away and I haven't seen or hugged them whilst a neighbour has hers visit for a couple of hours.When I miss my friends but walk alone and accept I must just chat by phone and Facetime it's frustrating knowing others have met in person.Anger is very personal.Gagajo is angry with the government.Very angry.That is her anger and she is expressed it.And has every right to.I am more angry at individual selfish behaviour. Because whatever party is in power stupidly enough I think our collective behaviour as individuals has as much to do with the death toll from this virus as anything else.

I wouldn't be in charge, but then again, I'm not an ambitious narcissist with a drug habit

Who is? I’m all agog. Do tell.

I think anger is the last thing we need. Look at the younger generation of today. They have their own anger issues going on. They do not need the older generation showing them how to be more angry !!

I'm on Gagajo's side of this argument.
But I don't know what to make of all the disagreeing posts here contrasted with the anger directed on another thread this morning against somebody's neighbour failing to observe social distancing with her family. Have not looked to see whether the same people are posting on both threads. but the difference is extraordinary.
The neighbour is wrong and inconsiderate, but nothing to how complacent and irresponsible the government has been for several months. Can we hope to see 'virtual' questions from MPs allowed after the break? Don't hold your breath.

Glorybee, I couldn't agree more. But those who talk the talk, must walk the walk.

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Who on earth would want to be in charge at a time like this? I think the government are genuinely doing their level best to do the right thing, for the whole country, with the knowledge and guidance they have.

As I said on another thread, you are not a moderator here. So maybe stop laying down the law about what other posters should and shouldn't do, say or think.

I think you are muddling me up with somebody else, GagaJo

Please provide a link to any previous rebukes.

Pointless poking other posters, and then acting all smug and self righteous,a lot of that going on here.

I don't have an issue with anyone being angry with other countries. But it doesn't help us, does it? Whereas being angry and collectively holding our government to account COULD just make them see that they need to take what the population think into account.

Merlot, I have lived out of the UK for 7 weeks out of the last 2 years. So for 97 weeks out of the last 2 years I have paid tax and national insurance. I hold a British passport, was born here and am a citizen. I voted in the recent election. I am as entitled to an opinion about what MY government is doing as you are.

As I said on another thread, you are not a moderator here. So maybe stop laying down the law about what other posters should and shouldn't do, say or think.

So I presume you will be criticising every poster who has expressed a view on china and Germany then. There are a number on this page alone.

I think any emotion anybody feels is totally permissable. I expect a few people are flitting between all sorts of emotions.

Anger is OK. The OP has every right to feel it and write about it without being on the receiving end of pokes.

It's so hard, infact impossible to unscramble this situation.

My thoughts are rewind a few years; austerity, the move away from centralised control to a sort of every man for himself , the break up of local authortities,the constant scrabbling by the individual to get a good deal, to get more, to shop more and so on has created the backdrop.

Common sense seems to have left the building. The NHS was started when the world was a very different place. It has become a huge, wasteful machine which nobody has the guts to modernise.

I don't think the present government is doing a fine job. Would anybody else be any better? We will never know.