Coronavirus

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Not heard that one before - I’ve heard "economical with the actualité", "Terminological inexactitude", "telling porkies", as euphemisms for mendacity, but not that one…

... playing to the cheap seats.

That's the same as playing to the gallery, not mendacity.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

That's the same as playing to the gallery, not mendacity.

Playing to the less discerning elements of the gallery who do not mind mendacious comments.

---------- Post added at 00:26 ---------- Previous post was at 00:13 ----------

So, if you live in one of these eight council regions, you shouldn't travel outside your council region unless you have to. It makes sense but it seems to have been introduced on the quiet. https://twitter.com/nazirafzal/statu...060041/photo/1

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Playing to the less discerning elements of the gallery who do not mind mendacious comments.

<SNIP>

Pure speculation. You have no idea what which gallery thinks about anything.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

Blatant evasion of the question.

Best to move on, I guess. Position noted.

Hardly - I’ve told you before that there’s plenty of countries who have either managed the pandemic better in health and economic outcomes - or both.

It seems late in the day for you to research alternative positions to our hapless late lockdown and herd immunity Sweden. So there is little/no value in indulging your intention to discuss a topic you’ve evaded for 15 months.

Fundamentally your position is to shift blame from Government to scientists and civil servants - a barely credible position you’ve held throughout. More credible than the virus going away by itself in the summer but I’m sure most would agree that’s a low bar.

How about getting back on topic and avoid bickering.

[tweetiepooh]

Me thinks that a lot of this is semantics and what the public understand by the terms not what they really mean. It also depends on what those using the media are trying to say.


With any virus or infectious agent you want to get herd immunity so that it can't spread as easily or with great devastation. That's how epidemiology works. The ideal is to get such wide spread immunity that the virus is removed from circulation totally and doesn't reappear. This is often done with a variety of tools including isolation and vaccination.


What often is heard when herd immunity is mentioned is letting the disease run it's course and those that survive become more and more immune until the virus dies out or becomes a weak disease like the common cold.


I wonder what Cummins is trying to stir up? If he is trying to imply that the government was going to simply let things run with some protection for the NHS but letting a lot of "weak/old folk die who cost the nation lots of money and don't contribute much any more" then quite rightly the government will deny that was ever the intention.

[1andrew1]

The show is starting early! This from Robert Peston

Dominic Cummings will allege Boris Johnson said 'Covid is only killing 80-year-olds'

Dominic Cummings will not pull his punches when criticising the prime minister tomorrow.

In evidence to MPs on the combined Health and Science committees, he will allege Boris Johnson said “Covid is only killing 80-year-olds” when delaying lockdown in the autumn.

Cummings will say that the PM insisted he wouldn’t repeat what he saw as his mistake of March when being pressurised over the possible collapse of the NHS, and added that “I’m going to be the mayor of Jaws, like I should have been in March”.

As I have reported, potentially the most damaging testimony from Johnson’s former chief aide is likely to be around his failed attempt to persuade the prime minister to lock down in September.

I’ve asked Downing Street for a response. So far they have declined to say anything.

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-05-25/...g-80-year-olds

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

The show is starting early! This from Robert Peston

https://www.itv.com/news/2021-05-25/...g-80-year-olds

But who can believe a word he says, he's the swine who won the brexit vote with his lies, ignored lockdown, drove to barnard castle for an eye test, sat in the garden at no 10 and lied to the press....., the untrustworthy swine
in fact he could get a job as a bbc journalist he's that dishonest.

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

But who can believe a word he says, he's the swine who won the brexit vote with his lies, ignored lockdown, drove to barnard castle for an eye test, sat in the garden at no 10 and lied to the press....., the untrustworthy swine
in fact he could get a job as a bbc journalist he's that dishonest.

Boris Johnson didn't drive to Barnard Castle but has been accused of all the rest. And he did get sacked by The Times for lying. Who to believe? Perhaps whoever has the most to lose has more reasons to lie. A popcorn day for sure.

[jfman]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

But who can believe a word he says, he's the swine who won the brexit vote with his lies, ignored lockdown, drove to barnard castle for an eye test, sat in the garden at no 10 and lied to the press....., the untrustworthy swine
in fact he could get a job as a bbc journalist he's that dishonest.

By pure chance he will tell the truth once.

Broken clock is right twice a day and all that.

[Carth]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

But who can believe a word he says, he's the swine who won the brexit vote with his lies, ignored lockdown, drove to barnard castle for an eye test, sat in the garden at no 10 and lied to the press....., the untrustworthy swine
in fact he could get a job as a bbc journalist he's that dishonest.

Yep, strange how people can alter their perception of people once they 'join the other side'.

All the moaning and complaining when the idiot Cummings ignored all the (his) rules and drove up north . . then told lies about an eye test that even Stevie Wonder could see through. He was a villain then but now suddenly is the saviour of the anti government lot.

Kicked out by Boris - something most on here advocated for - and now after some payback. As trustworthy as Tony Blair

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Carth

Yep, strange how people can alter their perception of people once they 'join the other side'.

All the moaning and complaining when the idiot Cummings ignored all the (his) rules and drove up north . . then told lies about an eye test that even Stevie Wonder could see through. He was a villain then but now suddenly is the saviour of the anti government lot.

Kicked out by Boris - something most on here advocated for - and now after some payback. As trustworthy as Tony Blair

The same can be said of those defending him at all costs before who have now decided he's a turncoat and never been trustworthy due to the political angle.

What will be interesting is what documentation or recordings he holds. Considering the low esteem he holds the Conservative party in I'd consider such actions prudent.

[Carth]

I wonder if said documentation includes all advice he gave to Boris (and other Govt. Depts) and if that advice was followed?

If the advice was followed, then Cummings is, by default, partly to blame for any Covid failures.

If the advice wasn't followed, why didn't he shout about it much earlier?

[jfman]

Originally Posted by Carth

I wonder if said documentation includes all advice he gave to Boris (and other Govt. Depts) and if that advice was followed?

If the advice was followed, then Cummings is, by default, partly to blame for any Covid failures.

If the advice wasn't followed, why didn't he shout about it much earlier?

A Special Adviser going public isn't going to stay in a job very long.

If however he was lying the Conservatives could get some lackey to put in a freedom of information request. Advice isn't routinely published but if it was deemed to be in the public interest all of the bold Dom's lies could be exposed. If, of course, he is lying.

In practice much of the advice he offers would be verbal and not recorded. If the Government did follow such advice then it'd clearly be political and not "the science".

I spent a couple of years as a contractor working for civil servants. You might be surprised (or not) how many non-trivial conversations take place during entirely coincidental passing encounters on the staircase or other side corridors.