[thread]
I want to write a thread with a simple theme
One from a sad day four years ago
We all have more in common
There are people who want divisive culture wars
And those who don't
Pick a side
Actually scrub that
Imagine there are no sides
I want to write a thread with a simple theme
One from a sad day four years ago
We all have more in common
There are people who want divisive culture wars
And those who don't
Pick a side
Actually scrub that
Imagine there are no sides
Now I am going to make it clear at the start
I did not vote for Boris Johnson
I did not vote for Brexit
I did vote for Yes in 2014 for Scotland (although I am undecided how I may vote in any future choice)
I did vote to scrap FPTP
I did not vote for Boris Johnson
I did not vote for Brexit
I did vote for Yes in 2014 for Scotland (although I am undecided how I may vote in any future choice)
I did vote to scrap FPTP
So as befits a Scot
I am a loser
I have "sucked up" all my losses
I am a loser
I have "sucked up" all my losses
But
I want Boris Johnson and his party to succeed in their manifesto
I want Brexit to succeed
Within the manifesto's and campaigns they promised much
And I want them to simply deliver that
I want Brexit to succeed
Within the manifesto's and campaigns they promised much
And I want them to simply deliver that
I disagree with the how, what and why
But that is a by the way
I want any political party in government to succeed
But that is a by the way
I want any political party in government to succeed
Because I live in this country
And the objectives that are pursued and how they are pursued are something that affect my life, my family's life and that of my community.
And the objectives that are pursued and how they are pursued are something that affect my life, my family's life and that of my community.
I want things to be better
I want to level up
I want to ramp up
I want to build back better
I want to level up
I want to ramp up
I want to build back better
But I will always ask what & whom are we leveling up from, ramping up from or building back better from?
As if you do not know where you are coming from how can you understand where and how you are going?
As if you do not know where you are coming from how can you understand where and how you are going?
Abraham Lincoln:
“I should regret to see the day in which the people should cease to express intelligent, honest generous criticism upon the policy of their rulers.”
smithsonianmag.com/history/honest…
“I should regret to see the day in which the people should cease to express intelligent, honest generous criticism upon the policy of their rulers.”
smithsonianmag.com/history/honest…
I am moving away from talking about austerity
I will let Liz Truss - that rising star, that shining star of the Cabinet to do that
I will let Liz Truss - that rising star, that shining star of the Cabinet to do that
https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1202012607928061952
I will also move away from talking about brexit
Again here's a simple thread of how and what the UK "won" with brexit
Again here's a simple thread of how and what the UK "won" with brexit
https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1335490053951414274
Instead I want to talk about coronavirus
Yes that subject where the Prittster has reassured us the UK is "ahead of the curve"
Yup the Prittster
Yes that subject where the Prittster has reassured us the UK is "ahead of the curve"
Yup the Prittster
https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1330838685605093377
Where Boris Johnson claimed an apparent success, nay a great success, nay a massive success against it
Here's reality 
So back to my introduction theme.
We all have more in common.
We are all concerned about coronavirus.
Everyone agrees that how we have managed it has been a disaster
That the UK has not been "ahead of the curve"
That the UK has not had a "massive success"
We all have more in common.
We are all concerned about coronavirus.
Everyone agrees that how we have managed it has been a disaster
That the UK has not been "ahead of the curve"
That the UK has not had a "massive success"
This is true
ESPECIALLY for those in Government
ESPECIALLY for those in the Conservative Party
They are terrified at it
You could call them consumed with "Fear"
"Project Fear" eh
ESPECIALLY for those in Government
ESPECIALLY for those in the Conservative Party
They are terrified at it
You could call them consumed with "Fear"
"Project Fear" eh
I should be clear as I said previously
I did not vote for Boris Johnson
But I want him to succeed in brexit and in his manifesto more generally
I did not vote for it or him
But I do not want my country to get worse or to suffer "mightily" to borrow a phrase
I did not vote for Boris Johnson
But I want him to succeed in brexit and in his manifesto more generally
I did not vote for it or him
But I do not want my country to get worse or to suffer "mightily" to borrow a phrase
I think Boris Johnson is and has always been an amoral cheating lying racist incompetent self serving charlatan
I don't find him funny
I don't find him in any way how would I put it
Oh yes - see Margaret below
I don't find him funny
I don't find him in any way how would I put it
Oh yes - see Margaret below
Or as Jacob Rees Mogg puts it here when asked a simple question
He cannot answer yes when asked if his potential party leader has a moral compass
He cannot answer yes when asked if his potential party leader has a moral compass
https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1201096472235847681
Now those who enabled Boris knew exactly what he was and is
So I hoped beyond hope
That they would provide some check to him
So I hoped beyond hope
That they would provide some check to him
Yes - that Michael Gove, Sajid Javid, Liz Truss and so many other cabinet ministers
Would provide some semblance of check on Boris Johnson
They didn't
And that to me is even more damning upon them
Would provide some semblance of check on Boris Johnson
They didn't
And that to me is even more damning upon them
Perhaps that explains the ferocity and desperation that lies behind their actions
As so many MP's turn into shopping channels as they promote local businesses
Or as a Home Secretary wants to talk about being "ahead of the curve"
As so many MP's turn into shopping channels as they promote local businesses
Or as a Home Secretary wants to talk about being "ahead of the curve"
So coronavirus
It has been a terrible year
It has been a terrible year
The death toll from covid
Long covid
The impact to normal health provision
The impact to people's livelihoods
The impact to children's education
The impact to mental health, loneliness, domestic violence
Long covid
The impact to normal health provision
The impact to people's livelihoods
The impact to children's education
The impact to mental health, loneliness, domestic violence
Now I would like to think that my government (at all levels from local to Scottish to Westminster) have all been doing their best
I only ask that they do their best
There always will be surprises
if you make mistakes, admit & learn from them
I only ask that they do their best
There always will be surprises
if you make mistakes, admit & learn from them
Why is making a mistake viewed as a bad thing?
It is a positive
Being able to admit you made a mistake, that you have learned from it and can correct your plan/path to address it
Is a positive
It is a positive
Being able to admit you made a mistake, that you have learned from it and can correct your plan/path to address it
Is a positive
Sadly the UK
Lost in the madness of brexit
(sorry) I said I wasn't going to mention it
But it is madness
A government and party are EXPLOITING a pandemic to hide brexit within
Imagine being so shameless you are doing that
Lost in the madness of brexit
(sorry) I said I wasn't going to mention it
But it is madness
A government and party are EXPLOITING a pandemic to hide brexit within
Imagine being so shameless you are doing that
So our responses to coronavirus and where we are at as we approach the end of 2020
We are all tired
We are all angry
We are all affected emotionally or financially by the crisis
(unless you have a government minister on speed dial and won a government contract)
We are all tired
We are all angry
We are all affected emotionally or financially by the crisis
(unless you have a government minister on speed dial and won a government contract)
I would quote Maya Angelou here in conversation with Dave Chapelle when faced with the crisis of America and a period of racial tension and assassinations
In the UK - a reminder
Yesterday - the daily death toll 691
The death toll
So far 68,307
Yesterday - the daily death toll 691
The death toll
So far 68,307
So you can take your righteous anger at the year that has been 2020
But as Maya suggests
Channel it
Do not let it consume you
But as Maya suggests
Channel it
Do not let it consume you
Now I have been accused of being a heartless person because I suggested a lock down was necessary in response to a certain individual who was championing his anger at lockdowns
I hate coronavirus
I hate what IT HAS MADE US DO TO OURSELVES
It is not a culture war
Covid doesn't give a shit what we believe about our political approach to dealing with it
I hate what IT HAS MADE US DO TO OURSELVES
It is not a culture war
Covid doesn't give a shit what we believe about our political approach to dealing with it
I have suffered from covid
My family have suffered from covid
My friends have suffered from covid
My community has suffered from covid
My country has suffered from covid
The world has suffered from covid
My family have suffered from covid
My friends have suffered from covid
My community has suffered from covid
My country has suffered from covid
The world has suffered from covid
This has been across the full spectrum
From financial/livelihood impact
To education impact
To health impact
From financial/livelihood impact
To education impact
To health impact
I do not like lockdowns
I do not like tier restrictions
I do not like the notion of immunity passports
I do not like many things
I do not like tier restrictions
I do not like the notion of immunity passports
I do not like many things
But as we lose control of managing a deadly pandemic
Sadly some tools that I dislike
Become necessary
The key point though - is that we needed to manage it properly so that these tools did not become necessary
Sadly some tools that I dislike
Become necessary
The key point though - is that we needed to manage it properly so that these tools did not become necessary
it is the job of government to lead
To inspire confidence
To inspire trust
To communicate clearly
To make it simple and clear the rules, guidance to follow
To plan for how you deal with covid
And how that plan addresses education, health, economy and all concerns
To inspire confidence
To inspire trust
To communicate clearly
To make it simple and clear the rules, guidance to follow
To plan for how you deal with covid
And how that plan addresses education, health, economy and all concerns
No plan is perfect
But be open about the plan
It's formulation
It's cratfing
It's presentation
And on learning from it as it goes wrong
But be open about the plan
It's formulation
It's cratfing
It's presentation
And on learning from it as it goes wrong
I am angry
I am sad
I am frustrated
I am weary
I am concerned
I am tired
I am tearful
I am sad
I am frustrated
I am weary
I am concerned
I am tired
I am tearful
The range of choices you have in how you channel it
And you need to channel it
Because it is better channelled than bottled up
And you need to channel it
Because it is better channelled than bottled up
You can become a covid denier
You can go full conspiracy set whether that be Bill Gates, George Soros, a world order or microchips
I miss the days where brexiteers liked to tell me about the Kalergi conspiracy
I miss the days where brexiteers liked to tell me about the Kalergi conspiracy
You can go libertarian/keep britain free
You can go full tory and claim you are "ahead of the curve"
You can shrug and say no other party could have handled it better
You can try and how was it a PM put it - oh yes "Captain Handsight".
You can try and navigate the competing narratives and news channels and social media information being spread across the range of topics in the pandemic
You can sit down and imagine alternate historical timelines
What would have been happened had we let it rip
What would happened had we reached "herd immunity"
What would have happened if....
What would have been happened had we let it rip
What would happened had we reached "herd immunity"
What would have happened if....
So
I am now about to link a number of people who cover a range of views
And at their core
They all share the same commonality
They all thing it has went badly
The difference is how and why they view the badly and what we do from here
I am now about to link a number of people who cover a range of views
And at their core
They all share the same commonality
They all thing it has went badly
The difference is how and why they view the badly and what we do from here
As we approach the end of 2020
As we approach the start of a new year
As we approach a religious festival
Amidst a year where so many religion's have had their festival's disrupted and shifted to how to celebrate within the challenge of coronavirus
As we approach the start of a new year
As we approach a religious festival
Amidst a year where so many religion's have had their festival's disrupted and shifted to how to celebrate within the challenge of coronavirus
Look out for each other
Be kind to each other
We all have more in common
Don't be at war with people
The culture war is not worth it
It isn't
Sadly there are some who seek a war
Some who want the diversion of a war
Be kind to each other
We all have more in common
Don't be at war with people
The culture war is not worth it
It isn't
Sadly there are some who seek a war
Some who want the diversion of a war
Whatever your faith may be or if you are not a believer
Let's get through the last of 2020
Let's get through the last of 2020
So at the last
I have two threads to sum it up
One on the Prittster and "ahead of the curve"
It has for a year been a common refrain
What would anyone have done differently
Well short answer everything
I have two threads to sum it up
One on the Prittster and "ahead of the curve"
It has for a year been a common refrain
What would anyone have done differently
Well short answer everything
https://twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1340988404490788864
And the final word
On Boris Johnson
If this is what "success" looks like
What would failure have looked like?
For all its victims
For all those who have suffered from covid and on how it has been managed
Remember this year.
Remember.
On Boris Johnson
If this is what "success" looks like
What would failure have looked like?
For all its victims
For all those who have suffered from covid and on how it has been managed
Remember this year.
Remember.
https://mobile.twitter.com/PandaScottish/status/1322210694037725184
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