It strikes me that Corbyn was viewed as a messianic figure by his fans in much the same way as Boris is, and that obfuscation about the true state of health of a figurehead leader is par for the course whoever is in charge.
Whether things would have been different in terms of policy development and adjustment is another matter.
There's no doubt that some have done better than others - so far - and that various political decisions - such as investment in public health - will have an impact on how well a given country copes.
I still struggle at the idea that we are getting less clear information about Boris' health than we would have about that of any other PM, and at the idea that all the ineptitudes of the current UK government's handling of the situation are down to their politics. Mistakes are inevitable (not that this is a reason not to try and prevent them).
It strikes me that Corbyn was viewed as a messianic figure by his fans in much the same way as Boris is, and that obfuscation about the true state of health of a figurehead leader is par for the course whoever is in charge.
Possibly - I'm not sure this entirely holds - only one campaign featured a central figure balanced on a digger breaking through a wall of styrofoam bricks while promising to personally get things done. This strikes me as about insightful as a pro-EU friend who voted for the Tories in 2015 because Milliband 'was too power hungry'.
Do you think a different government would have taken a different approach? Say, a Corbyn-led one?
Given Corbyn publicly gave sick leave to a shadow cabinet minister during a general election campaign, and made a point of taking regular breaks and leave - yes, I do.
(Rather than, say, sending a cabinet minister whose father had just died to stand in for him at a leaders debate.)
Corbyn had a deputy leader of the party throughout his time in Opposition. Somewhat unlike the current shambles and debates about constitutional crises.
From my limited interactions with government ministers, officers, and communications, I think communications about the UK PM's health are unlikely to be in the hands of the PM alone, or indeed solely in the hands of the politicians. It's an institutional thing.
The health of the king is the health of the kingdom is a myth that goes back to Arthur.
But no, Downing Street is acting more like Pravda than any useful conduit of news.
“Like a sleeper agent, Covid-19 infiltrated his system, and, now that it’s activated, his MI5 is at risk of losing control” is something the Telegraph have actually published.
And being where we are is much to do with mishandling by the Conservative Government.
Can you think of a government anywhere in the world right now against which this criticism is not being levelled?
South Korea. New Zealand. Ireland. Faroe Islands. Iceland. Germany. Vietnam.
I can't promise no-one is criticising them, but those are some of the ones generally considered to be handling things well.
VIETNAM?!?
Those are the folks who claimed 16 cases of COVID countrywide, right next to China with a porous border during the New Year celebrations--and then claimed they'd all recovered and no new cases, for weeks on end. The Vietnamese here were laughing in disbelief. My husband had to quarantine a returnee from Vietnam early on, and in retrospect it's easy to see why the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt should never have been allowed ashore in Da Nang. Handling it well? Ah no.
And being where we are is much to do with mishandling by the Conservative Government.
Can you think of a government anywhere in the world right now against which this criticism is not being levelled?
South Korea. New Zealand. Ireland. Faroe Islands. Iceland. Germany. Vietnam.
I can't promise no-one is criticising them, but those are some of the ones generally considered to be handling things well.
VIETNAM?!?
Those are the folks who claimed 16 cases of COVID countrywide, right next to China with a porous border during the New Year celebrations--and then claimed they'd all recovered and no new cases, for weeks on end. The Vietnamese here were laughing in disbelief. My husband had to quarantine a returnee from Vietnam early on, and in retrospect it's easy to see why the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt should never have been allowed ashore in Da Nang. Handling it well? Ah no.
I stand corrected. The last I'd heard was from a British couple who'd been quarantined there.
On a more serious note, I see that a YouGov poll has found a goodly number of people - even Tory voters! - to be in favour of a Government of National Unity, at least during the present crisis.
And being where we are is much to do with mishandling by the Conservative Government.
Can you think of a government anywhere in the world right now against which this criticism is not being levelled?
South Korea. New Zealand. Ireland. Faroe Islands. Iceland. Germany. Vietnam.
I can't promise no-one is criticising them, but those are some of the ones generally considered to be handling things well.
VIETNAM?!?
Those are the folks who claimed 16 cases of COVID countrywide, right next to China with a porous border during the New Year celebrations--and then claimed they'd all recovered and no new cases, for weeks on end. The Vietnamese here were laughing in disbelief. My husband had to quarantine a returnee from Vietnam early on, and in retrospect it's easy to see why the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt should never have been allowed ashore in Da Nang. Handling it well? Ah no.
I stand corrected. The last I'd heard was from a British couple who'd been quarantined there.
No reflection on you at all. I'm merely cranky and yelling, as so much of this was foreseeable WAY back then, we did foresee it, and here we are anyway. F.*
(I measure our days by the Fuck index. The more times I say it in a day, the worse our isolation is going. I am attempting to drag the index downward , thus the abbreviation.
Clap for those treating BoJo by all means, and everyone else on the front line. But, not a chance clapping for the clown.
If the call is to clap for the NHS and him then how do we clarify we're not clapping for him?
There is this thing called a slow handclap .... so I suppose it's possible to clap "slow, slow, quick, quick, slow" and explain if you need to to anyone who wonders. Anyway I clap for the NHS and I pray for Boris.
ISTR that when nearly 1000 people were dying in Spain and Italy it was covered by the media in the UK as evidence of a national emergency, now that the daily toll is hitting similar levels in the UK not so much.
But the main thing is that Our Glorious Leader has arisen from his bed of sickness! And, as result, we're going to be All Right!
Is that not the most important bit of news we've had this week? At least it means that we are not to be left in the hands of Demonic Raab for much longer.
BTW, didn't we once have a Home Secretary? Has the post been abolished? Enquiring minds need to know...
Clap for those treating BoJo by all means, and everyone else on the front line. But, not a chance clapping for the clown.
If the call is to clap for the NHS and him then how do we clarify we're not clapping for him?
There is this thing called a slow handclap .... so I suppose it's possible to clap "slow, slow, quick, quick, slow" and explain if you need to to anyone who wonders. Anyway I clap for the NHS and I pray for Boris.
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow - you'll have the nation dancing the quickstep!!
Sometimes you just have an inexplicable need to see a half-wit smirk as they announce hundreds of deaths while seeking to bar from the country the people trying to save their lives.
Get the fuck over yourselves. The prime minister of this nation appears to be recovering from a deadly disease. Surely that counts as good news for all but the most blinkered of his political opponents?
As ever, I can’t help but wonder what the reaction here would be were the issue and its coverage exactly the same but with Keir Starmer - or Jeremy Corbyn for that matter - as the subject. I doubt many of you would have such a problem with it that way round.
Get the fuck over yourselves. The prime minister of this nation appears to be recovering from a deadly disease. Surely that counts as good news for all but the most blinkered of his political opponents?
As ever, I can’t help but wonder what the reaction here would be were the issue and its coverage exactly the same but with Keir Starmer - or Jeremy Corbyn for that matter - as the subject. I doubt many of you would have such a problem with it that way round.
I think part of the point is that the British press would never have been this fawning with Jeremy Corbyn. They'd have been blaming him for not self-isolating. Yes, it's good when someone recovers from a disease, but I can conceive of at least a few million people, all of them better at their job than Johnson, whose recovery from Covid-19 would more readily merit celebration. The PM doing better is something we should be informed about, and merits an "oh good!" and moving on to other things. Front page splashes are absurd.
Get the fuck over yourselves. The prime minister of this nation appears to be recovering from a deadly disease. Surely that counts as good news for all but the most blinkered of his political opponents?
As ever, I can’t help but wonder what the reaction here would be were the issue and its coverage exactly the same but with Keir Starmer - or Jeremy Corbyn for that matter - as the subject. I doubt many of you would have such a problem with it that way round.
Virtue signalling of the worst kind, Marvin.
No mention that a few weeks ago, he boasted about shaking hands with infected people, and then went on to be a vector for his advisors, the cabinet, and parliament.
He's a fuckwit, and infecting himself with a potentially lethal disease is by far not the worst thing he's ever done. Distracting the UK press from the fact that we recorded more deaths in a day than either Spain or Italy managed might well be.
More new hospital deaths in a day - 980 - without the care home deaths that are not being recorded properly, so almost certainly another 1000 plus more deaths today to 5pm.
Comments
Whether things would have been different in terms of policy development and adjustment is another matter.
And being where we are is much to do with mishandling by the Conservative Government.
Can you think of a government anywhere in the world right now against which this criticism is not being levelled?
South Korea. New Zealand. Ireland. Faroe Islands. Iceland. Germany. Vietnam.
I can't promise no-one is criticising them, but those are some of the ones generally considered to be handling things well.
I still struggle at the idea that we are getting less clear information about Boris' health than we would have about that of any other PM, and at the idea that all the ineptitudes of the current UK government's handling of the situation are down to their politics. Mistakes are inevitable (not that this is a reason not to try and prevent them).
Possibly - I'm not sure this entirely holds - only one campaign featured a central figure balanced on a digger breaking through a wall of styrofoam bricks while promising to personally get things done. This strikes me as about insightful as a pro-EU friend who voted for the Tories in 2015 because Milliband 'was too power hungry'.
But no, Downing Street is acting more like Pravda than any useful conduit of news.
Given Corbyn publicly gave sick leave to a shadow cabinet minister during a general election campaign, and made a point of taking regular breaks and leave - yes, I do.
(Rather than, say, sending a cabinet minister whose father had just died to stand in for him at a leaders debate.)
“Like a sleeper agent, Covid-19 infiltrated his system, and, now that it’s activated, his MI5 is at risk of losing control” is something the Telegraph have actually published.
Looking at the enemy from a distance is cowardice, you need to see the whites of their eyes to know what you are up against.
VIETNAM?!?
Those are the folks who claimed 16 cases of COVID countrywide, right next to China with a porous border during the New Year celebrations--and then claimed they'd all recovered and no new cases, for weeks on end. The Vietnamese here were laughing in disbelief. My husband had to quarantine a returnee from Vietnam early on, and in retrospect it's easy to see why the crew of the Theodore Roosevelt should never have been allowed ashore in Da Nang. Handling it well? Ah no.
I stand corrected. The last I'd heard was from a British couple who'd been quarantined there.
Does this mean his body has been placed in a cask of brandy for preservation until such time as a State Funeral can be held?
No reflection on you at all. I'm merely cranky and yelling, as so much of this was foreseeable WAY back then, we did foresee it, and here we are anyway. F.*
(I measure our days by the Fuck index. The more times I say it in a day, the worse our isolation is going. I am attempting to drag the index downward , thus the abbreviation.
It.Isn't.Working.)
(hopefully NOT, but YSWIM).
Oh, you mean someone of use to society?
And God spake, and said "keep that blond fucker away from me as long as possible".
Well, I enjoyed it.
I groaned.
(But secretly smiled too)
Are they not throwing themselves at his feet, utterly unable to resist him, male and female both.
There is this thing called a slow handclap .... so I suppose it's possible to clap "slow, slow, quick, quick, slow" and explain if you need to to anyone who wonders. Anyway I clap for the NHS and I pray for Boris.
Over 5000 people died of the virus this week.
ISTR that when nearly 1000 people were dying in Spain and Italy it was covered by the media in the UK as evidence of a national emergency, now that the daily toll is hitting similar levels in the UK not so much.
Is that not the most important bit of news we've had this week? At least it means that we are not to be left in the hands of Demonic Raab for much longer.
BTW, didn't we once have a Home Secretary? Has the post been abolished? Enquiring minds need to know...
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slow - you'll have the nation dancing the quickstep!!
Which does not make me want to dance ( the coverage, not his recovery ...)
Sometimes you just have an inexplicable need to see a half-wit smirk as they announce hundreds of deaths while seeking to bar from the country the people trying to save their lives.
As ever, I can’t help but wonder what the reaction here would be were the issue and its coverage exactly the same but with Keir Starmer - or Jeremy Corbyn for that matter - as the subject. I doubt many of you would have such a problem with it that way round.
I think part of the point is that the British press would never have been this fawning with Jeremy Corbyn. They'd have been blaming him for not self-isolating. Yes, it's good when someone recovers from a disease, but I can conceive of at least a few million people, all of them better at their job than Johnson, whose recovery from Covid-19 would more readily merit celebration. The PM doing better is something we should be informed about, and merits an "oh good!" and moving on to other things. Front page splashes are absurd.
Yes, I was rather thinking along those lines...
Virtue signalling of the worst kind, Marvin.
No mention that a few weeks ago, he boasted about shaking hands with infected people, and then went on to be a vector for his advisors, the cabinet, and parliament.
He's a fuckwit, and infecting himself with a potentially lethal disease is by far not the worst thing he's ever done. Distracting the UK press from the fact that we recorded more deaths in a day than either Spain or Italy managed might well be.