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Coronavirus and the political situation


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I think a lot of the political issue comes down to (lack of) preparedness.

 

Now, a government is unlikely to use tax increases to prepare for a problem that's timing is unknown.  Tax increases result in a change of government.

 

Short-termism is a bad thing but it's also a reality.  If David Cameron had introduced tax increases, in 2011, to prepare for this virus, the Conservatives might have been voted out before now.  Same goes for Labour.

 

Hence (in my view), it isn't a party political problem.  We just have to get on with it, with what we've got.

Edited by Gonzo79
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4 hours ago, alexscottislegend said:

For the last time I don't know if Johnson is ill and neither do you but given his record for lying you can't blame one for questioning.

When someone lies repeatedly that person must be questioned repeatedly.

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I think the Government has acted admirably. It was a sensible, gradual increase in measures to contain then delay -- a severe lock down at the start would have caused mass panic. Boris and the Government have followed expert advice. 

 

We do need more testing, I think. Germany has the best fatality rate, which is supposedly based on a lot of testing. However, even they are saying it'll still get worse. 

 

We'll also need more beds and ventilators etc., because it will get worse. 

 

We're coping well, but there's still a lot to do and get through. 

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Italy, a country I love, is a little bit ahead of us at the moment in terms of the virus and it is in a terrible state, as these comments from a friend based there show:

 

In Italy many families have run out of money and can't even afford food. Some violent scenes have been seen at supermarkets. Videos are doing the rounds of social media of parents saying they need money to buy food. The mechanisms holding together capitalist society are breaking down. The Italian prime minister forced to go on TV to announce further aid, literally handing out money to buy food.
Meanwhile anger is growing everywhere. The European Union is being put into question by many. When they see Russian planes sending equipment to Italy being refused airspace by EU member states, under pressure from NATO, the feeling is "what's the point of being in the EU if at a moment of need this is how they behave".
In these conditions a sense of national pride is growing, a feeling of being insulted as a nation by the more powerful economic powers. But there is another side to this as well. When people see Chinese, Cuban, Russian and Venezuelan doctors arriving to help in the battle against the virus, some have been heard saying "the only ones who help us are the communists"! The true class nature of Russia or China doesn't come into it, but it is HOW it is perceived that counts.
Of course, China and Russia see in this an opportunity to spread their influence and push a wedge into Europe. The world will be a very different place once the virus recedes.

 

This could be us in a few months or even weeks if frontline staff don't get the PPE they need. Italy made the mistake of allowing employers to carry on too long until workers had to take strike action to enable them to observe health and safety rules.

 

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14 minutes ago, alexscottislegend said:

The mechanisms holding together capitalist society are breaking down

When will you get it into your head that this is about a pandemic situation and has nothing to do with Capitalism vs Communism or Tories vs Labour.

 

Only a couple of days ago you were telling us China isn't truly a Communist country anyway, so you seem to be changing your opinion to suit whatever argument you're making at any one time.  It's all a bit slapdash. 

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It has now been clarified that the German and Uk healthcare systems use the same basis for recording confirmed cases and deaths due to Covid19, so the vastly better outcomes in Germany basically have to be due to quality of treatment.

 

Germany has 28000 ICU beds and 25000 ventilators. We entered this crisis with 4000 ICU beds and 5000 ventilators.

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2 hours ago, alexscottislegend said:

The mechanisms holding together capitalist society are breaking down.

 

2 hours ago, alexscottislegend said:

Meanwhile anger is growing everywhere. The European Union is being put into question by many. When they see Russian planes sending equipment to Italy being refused airspace by EU member states, under pressure from NATO, the feeling is "what's the point of being in the EU if at a moment of need this is how they behave".

 

3 hours ago, alexscottislegend said:

But there is another side to this as well. When people see Chinese, Cuban, Russian and Venezuelan doctors arriving to help in the battle against the virus, some have been heard saying "the only ones who help us are the communists

From the Daily Worker, 29 March 1953?

 

How many Venezuelan doctors are in Italy?

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2 hours ago, Bill said:

It has now been clarified that the German and Uk healthcare systems use the same basis for recording confirmed cases and deaths due to Covid19, so the vastly better outcomes in Germany basically have to be due to quality of treatment.

 

Germany has 28000 ICU beds and 25000 ventilators. We entered this crisis with 4000 ICU beds and 5000 ventilators.

I believe Germany also has a greater number of individuals aged 60 and over thus one would expect their number of deaths to be higher.

Not sure lack of ventilators is the problem at the moment but could be in the forthcoming weeks.

 

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