A thread about some of the worst takes on Covid, from UK pundits.
Herd immunity is the strategy:
Herd immunity is the strategy:
It's vital to stop Coronavirus:
But wait - maybe herd immunity isn't such a good idea after all?
If only somebody could have foreseen:
Oh, wait - they did:
Thankfully, the government eschewed the populist measures, of trying to stop people catching Covid.
Nobody wants to be populist, like Italy, and impose a lockdown.
The PM was ignoring public opinion, and listening to experts.
Experts who thought we didn't need to act decisively.
Along with experts who thought we should carry on as normal:
And they were scientists - not people with humanities degrees:
Let alone hipsters:
Or Daves from Wigan:
There's always one person who insists on being different, of course.
Naturally, the responses in the thread under that tweet are a haven of critical thought.
Naturally, the responses in the thread under that tweet are a haven of critical thought.
But what is herd immunity?
A helpful explainer:
A helpful explainer:
Just in case that's not clear enough:
Oh wait.
Up until that point, the government were hamstrung by their own simple love of freedom.
Better late than never, I suppose.
And besides, who could have predicted where ignoring a pandemic might lead?
And besides, who could have predicted where ignoring a pandemic might lead?
Alright, well, people did predict it.
But in a way, can it not be said that the government are blameless, and we, the people, are really at fault?
Surprisingly, it also transpired that chronic underfunding of the health service wasn't such a good idea, after all.
There was no shortage of rigorous journalism, however, to ensure that the government would be held to account:
Completely missed it:
Even though he tweeted about watching it:
I, too, would only wish to be kept alive as long as nobody says anything good about Cuba.
Yes, it was undoubtedly Johnson being too liberal, rather than too incompetent, which was at issue here.
Still, even if journalists were unwilling to be critical of the government, at least Opposition MPs were robust:
A government MP, fearlessly holding the Opposition to account:
On the one hand:
On the other:
If memory serves, this had been posted in response to Matt Hancock giving a GMB interview, and blaming doctors/nurses for their own shortages of PPE.
The real heroes of the Covid crisis?
Doctors ❌
Nurses ❌
Carers ❌
Retail staff ❌
Journalists ✅
Doctors ❌
Nurses ❌
Carers ❌
Retail staff ❌
Journalists ✅
Multiply it by 10, and it would still fall short.
People who suggested this assessment might be wide of the mark were 'whitesplaining'.
NHS staff were asking for PPE, an end to the ongoing pay-freeze, and where applicable, not to be deported; but okay.
The Daily Mail - caring about some students, slightly more than others:
The last thing anyone wants is the government being held to account, for leaving thousands of people to die needlessly.
I mean, suggest there's room for improvement, sure - but let's not go too far.
I mean, suggest there's room for improvement, sure - but let's not go too far.
Sadness in his eyes:
That wasn't even the most gauche bit of sycophancy:
Various people claiming they couldn't comprehend why the government-supporting media were not highlighting the death-toll.
I don't understand.
I don't understand.
I don't understand.
I cannot understand.
Difficult to understand.
I mean, really, this stuff is just twitter. It's not even including all the terrible articles:
spectator.co.uk/article/corbyn…
spectator.co.uk/article/corbyn…
If there was one person responsible for the actions and failures of Boris Johnson, it was Jeremy Corbyn.
newstatesman.com/politics/healt…
newstatesman.com/politics/healt…
You can still go to the park.
Don't go to the park.
(These were posted the same day).
(These were posted the same day).
That worked out well.
Thank goodness there's simply no downside to uncritically-regurgitated press briefings.
Thank goodness there's simply no downside to uncritically-regurgitated press briefings.
I'm going to leave this overlong thread there.
But it's maybe worth bearing in mind how the relationship between journalists and politicians played out, in the midst of a pandemic. And whether lives might have been lost avoidably, in consequence.
But it's maybe worth bearing in mind how the relationship between journalists and politicians played out, in the midst of a pandemic. And whether lives might have been lost avoidably, in consequence.
Bloody Corbyn - trying to keep people alive, the bastard.
Thank goodness journalists worked tirelessly to hold the worried public, and a critical opposition, to account.
People not abiding by confusing, contradictory, and badly publicised instructions? The electorate must resign at once.
People not abiding by confusing, contradictory, and badly publicised instructions? The electorate must resign at once.
