Good morning ?. I'm not sure how I missed this thread but I am so glad I found it!
Not sure where to start!
I find it beyond belief that anyone could not look at the corruption of this government and not be screaming from the rooftops in outrage! I'm not sure what's worse,their corruption or callousness.! At one time there would be outrage because a member of parliament/cabinet minister either had an affair,fiddled their expenses,broke the law (remember the wife who took the blame for her husband's driving offence?). The papers would be full of it and normally the person involved would resign or be sacked within days.
What has changed?
Initially I did wonder if the pandemic had made the government more visible. Certainly before this most key figures other than the Prime Minister and maybe the Chancellor of the Excheqer were pretty much in the background unless something was changing,eg Ian Duncan Smith,Jeremy Hunt. During lockdown not only were we more aware of them but it was a daily insight into how they dealt with the crisis and their integrity and capabilities. I have a feeling that up until this year a lot of people may have disengaged from politics, viewing all parties as being the same,unfulfilled promises and blaming the other party for problems. Then of course there was Brexit but that's a whole thread on it's own!
The pandemic was different despite cynicism even I expected the government to do the right thing and protect the country. I had closely followed reports of the Virus since January. The initial isolating of people off cruise ships seemed to be an indication the government were on the right track. Then there was the infamous race meeting and Boris's comments about shaking hands with coronavirus victims etc. For me the pivotal moment was care homes. I work in one,my daughter works in another. There was no protective shield. Not all care homes are good,even when they are it's a broken system. Owners would not cut corners on PPE,it simply wasnt there to buy. Also in a nutshell residents are an income,no one is going to risk £50 grand a year for cost of PPE.(that's per resident). My daughter works in a different care home and her manager was threatened with the sack if she didnt admit patients who had been in hospital and covid status unknown. Fortunately she stuck to her guns and they have been covid free. They also dont employ agency staff. My care home is another story too long for here. Sorry to digress but before it was wider knowledge I knew the situation was dire, tantamount to murder. To hear the government blatantly lie was chilling. I think we can see evidence of the government's corruption but there is always an element ,however tiny,that maybe there is an explanation. In my case there was no doubt whatsoever. My eldest daughter was slightly surprised that I was so shocked,after all a decade of austerity has shown unbelievable callousness to the most vulnerable in society. This felt different,more sinister whether through ignorance or design tens of thousands of people died unnecessarily, many without the medical treatment that would have eased their suffering.
I find it unbelievable that we now appear in a situation where pubs are appearing to take precedence over children. Of course it's all to do with the economy,parents cant work if schools are closed etc.
Of course we cant let the economy collapse but Boris is more concerned about sponsors and chums who own those shiny towers that people trundle to every day. Large cities such as London have long been the playground of the rich with service workers travelling in to maintain the system as hospitality workers, cleaners,jobs related to tourism. Ordinary people are being squeezed out,few remain as they simply cant afford to live there. The trend seems to be that those that can work from home are starting to see the advantages, especially if more local hubs can be set up for meetings. I have a feeling big business is wondering if they need to pay the costs of those shiny towers!
Of course not everyone can work from home. This is where the governments callousness comes to the fore. Those that are frontline workers,especially those that are vulnerable due to ethnicity, underlying health conditions and low pay have no choice but to expose themselves to the virus. This is particularly the case with those who were shielded. They are told they can return to work if its Covid safe. The only way you can prove it isnt is to be in it. Agencies that you report it to have been decimated by austerity. The dubious safety net of SSP has been removed. Of course shielding was always more about protecting the NHS than those that were shielded. That was accomplished and they are on their own.
Anyone with any compassion wonders how this can go unchallenged whether it's the plight of societies most vulnerable or the blatant corruption of the government. I'm not sure what the answer is. Is it because we appear a compartmentalised society, a real sense of community can be hard to find. People are absorbed in their own little bubbles and they are often only popped by a change in life circumstances such as illness,job loss,needing care or support for a relative. How we receive information is diverse. Since she left home my youngest daughter hasn't watched live tv and I dont think shes ever bought a newspaper. My eldest is the total opposite though! Those that do watch the news carefully can find themselves bewildered at how apart from a few notable exceptions there feels as if there is no challenging the current situation . Live chat shows such as This Morning etc on the whole seem more steered towards getting back to normal and up until recently what to wear on your Spanish holiday rather than questioning whether it's a good idea to go at all . We dont need constant gloom and doom but apart from a bit of social distancing you would think it was all over!
So,I apologise for the lengthy post. The key question is why the Government isnt being held to account. I think there are many reasons from peoples lack of knowledge to peoples feeling of powerlessness as to how to change it. Theres always the possibility we are just now a more self absorbed and self centred society. I dont think it applies to any one sector of society either. It did meet disapproval but yesterday on another thread I pointed out the similarities between Trump and Johnson. Both are populist and seem to possess great charm when needed,both appear floored when anything other than popular slogans are needed. Despite a sleazy charm both seem to be able to lie,and be racist,sexist,and have a very low moral compass and this is acceptable for a position of power. Both use that position to further their and their circles best interests whilst showing a breathtaking ruthlessness to those who are vulnerable or of no use to them. I'm not sure why we have found ourselves with two such leaders. Bad luck or design?