Plague Island!

The British press are basically s**t stirrers, but it works, as a lot of people believe everything they read and react without any further research.

Galaxy

No it was the French, it wasnt about Macron it was about the perceived failings of the French in the war. The usual obsession.

I'm not sure the war really has any bearing here. The word la francophobie was in the French dictionary as far back as 1932, so a century on nothing has changed.

No it was nothing to do with macron, not on that thread.

Galaxy

Well there have been some really unpleasant comments about the French and germans in the last few days if that's any help callistemon.

I think maybe the mere use of the adjective touches a nerve with some posters more than others. So for example that "silly little French man" comment applied to Macron makes us think the entire population of France is silly and short, when they mean just the individual.

Oh!
Missed that.
Well, the French chucked out my ancestors but I don't hold a grudge
????

No it was the French, it wasnt about Macron it was about the perceived failings of the French in the war. The usual obsession.

Callistemon

MawBe

?

There are so many people, British by birth, British by adoption, so ready to run down the whole country just because they dislike the Government in charge at a particular time.

Just because British scientists found this variant first even our own Press labels us in that way.
Who needs enemies when we have the Fifth Column within our own media?

Couldn’t agree more

Galaxy

Well there have been some really unpleasant comments about the French and germans in the last few days if that's any help callistemon.

No help whatsoever but thank you

Are you sure it was 'The French' or just Macron, who many French people mistrust and dislike?

Galaxy

Well there have been some really unpleasant comments about the French and germans in the last few days if that's any help callistemon.

From what I recall the unpleasant comments were towards Macron and Merkel not the French or German populations.

I found the thread you refer to, vegansrock and it does not appear to be in the slightest xenophobic; rather it is a series of posts at the start of this pandemic, all wondering why cases in Italy were so high.
Suggestions were that Italian families care for their elderly and live in multi-generational households, that they tend to be more enthusiastic in their greetings etc.

Before we, or even scientists knew much about this virus, there were many theories as to how it spread and these were just suggestions based on fact.
The posts were not horrible, not xenophobic and were made by posters on all sides of the political spectrum.

It was just musing and speculation.

Well there have been some really unpleasant comments about the French and germans in the last few days if that's any help callistemon.

Well, I must have missed all those comments vegansrock

Personally I think it's sour grapes because of Brexit!!

Yes there were some horrible xenophobic comments about Italians on here back in February and how we wouldn’t be affected as badly because we have proper toilets , housing , healthcare etc.

MawBe

?

There are so many people, British by birth, British by adoption, so ready to run down the whole country just because they dislike the Government in charge at a particular time.

Just because British scientists found this variant first even our own Press labels us in that way.
Who needs enemies when we have the Fifth Column within our own media?

Possibly MawBe, but it is fine to point the finger elsewhere when changes occur. We are no different to any other country.

I remember this site from last year vividly. So many posters assuring us that we wouldn't get C19 as badly as China/Spain/Italy because we don't live in extended families/eat bats/kiss as a greeting etc etc etc.

Weak leadership and a population who bend the rules to suit are the reasons we have the second highest death rate in Europe. Also a high obesity, bame and elderly population.
Hopefully are scientists will guide us through to the other side!

Does it really matter whether the variant mutated here or not? It’s here and spreading and we have to deal with it as it is.

Maybe the variant did originate from the UK MawBe, maybe not. As you say, everyone likes to have somebody to blame.

I can’t believe I am alone in finding this epithet “Plague” Island both distasteful and misleading.
Yes we discovered the mutant variant (or indeed both, through tests and our own scientific expertise) but it is blatantly obvious that
1) viruses mutate all the time ,
2) there are variants in other parts of the world which most certainly did not originate in the UK.
And 3) to play the “blame game” by suggesting we are the source of the variant helps nobody.

Can someone explain, if only 3 truckers out of 2,400 tested positive for the virus, why did the EU countries insist on waiting until all the drivers were tested before they could leave the UK? Surely they should realise that the lorry drivers isolated in their cabs were far less likely to spread the infection than the 1 in 85 outside the vehicle.

If you look online at news you will see that a great deal of food and portaloos were provided by the authorities as well as much being provided by charities for them and the local council.They should blame the real culprit...Macron.
As for ‘our virus’ it’s absolutely everywhere, but we had the expertise to identify what was happening and are honest enough to share that info with the wider world.

I was communicating with a group of Polish truckers stuck in Dover. They were very angry, saying that the British had wanted them to bring their foods and other goods but now we were spreading our virus to them and refusing to feed them or provide them with facilities (sadly the food and facility bit was for many true). They were convinced the cause was Brexit.

Hetty it may be all of those things and people are like sheep - they follow.

Keep well and keep careful.

I don't think we have an accurate view of how things really are in China, Russia or Taiwan.

One things for sure, though. It's very bad here, with yet another new, very infectious mutation mentioned today.

It's not just people in other nations that are shocked, Grammaretto. (I also have a son in NZ.)

I really can't understand why people are out and about doing totally unnecessary shopping and socialising - just because it's Christmas.

Do they all have a death wish? Do they think they're immune? Or - are they just stupid?