While some topics are thought of as childish, barely worth discussing, to some folk, such discussions are always worthy of a good chin-wag. Like, “who would win in a fight between Mike Tyson and Bruce Lee..?” The former, obviously. Or, “Is the world round or flat?” The former… obviously. And occasionally, “Which president did the best job: “Obama or Trump?” You get the picture.
Then there are topics perhaps a little more thought-provoking, more worthwhile; subjects that occasionally divide friends, families and even countries, like gender neutral toilets; legalisation of drugs; police brutality. These days, a topic increasingly worthy of debate is how soon we should return to normality and resume work as before: as soon as possible to keep the economy going while boosting our mental health, or wait it out a little longer until hospitals and doctors gain a grip on COVID?
With figures like Elon Musk pushing hard to resume business as usual coupled with the mounting pressure of protests, we can suspect that life will soon be returning to its usual self. Needless to say, the debate of when to return to work is a topic almost as divisive as Trump, and is likely to fill bars or virtual drink-sessions over the upcoming weeks.
Meanwhile, the commentary heats up over UK’s national policy. With his ratings the highest they’ve been in years, Piers Morgan gathers support for his morning rants – testimony to the public’s outrage at the shortcomings, hypocrisy, truth-twisting and
death toll we have seen. As he unleashes his acid-tongue on reluctant government guests each morning, it is obvious that the British public share his frustration.
While Sweden lays its herd immunity cards down on the table clear for all to see, Britain’s government still hides behind jargon and unclear guidance. With one foot in the door and one foot on the bus heading for the office; are we aiming for herd immunity at the expense of British citizens, or are we not? We still don’t really know.
At the same time, Boris Johnson tries his best at damage control, seeming to imply there is little reason for further worry and no evidence to suggest wrongdoing on their part. Call me fastidious, but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
Debating when the UK and countries alike should reopen for business is one thing, but the more pressing discussion now starting to take place is the imminent crux of this pandemic: when should the government be held responsible for the damage unleashed in this country? A slightly more serious question, but it is important to consider how much death this government has allowed to sweep across the British Isles.
The perfect storm, some would say, comprised of insufficient testing, inadequate ventilators, lack of protective equipment and unclear guidance. A failure to control the virus was inevitable.
So what happens after this pandemic has finished? Manslaughter is a harsh term; the word brings up imagery of murderers getting away scot-free, and while I am not sure if it is the most appropriate verdict, some say it is a fitting phrase for the damage hitherto caused by the lack of preparation, lack of direction, and lack of transparency we have so far been privy to.
‘The position of Health Secretary is a job that not many would enjoy having right now, granted, but these in charge must be held accountable when it’s all over’ – a friend of mine recently expressed. Of course, it is not an easy job and certainly not a position I would want. Yes, the party politicians are acting on advice given to them from experts, and yes, in their mind – I am almost certain – they believe that everything they have done was in the best interests of our country and done to the best of their abilities.
I firmly believe all the support must be shown, both for the NHS and the government. Thursday claps for healthcare workers have not only boosted morale for those on the front line, but also united the communities in a way we hadn’t imagined possible. What
I find hard to believe, though, is that the government acted in the best way possible at the most critical stage.
As most British citizens can now agree, the government was far too slow to act, and the harm they allowed to unfold should not be swept under the carpet. Adding insult to injury, Boris refused to accept responsibility for PPE shortages, refuses to punish rule-breakers, and the initial brush-off of the care home catastrophe remains disturbing.
Fast approaching 40,000 deaths, the daily death-count comparing our figures to other countries have vanished – a seemingly irrelevant task now we’ve racked up more loss of life than almost every other nation on Earth.
As many commentators have pointed out, a crisis on this scale has been in the works for some time. Bill Gates, drawing attention to a likely disaster as early as 2015, maintains that if investment had been financed and diagnostics put in place, a vaccine could be found within half the estimated timeframe. Alas, there’s little we can do now but wait.
And while we wait with bated breath for it all to end, we stand by for that classic phrase so often uttered by politicians: ‘mistakes were made, lessons have been learned’. A phrase we all know and hate, the king of non-apologies, uttered unashamedly by those in power time and time again. Mark my words that such buck-passing is in the post, perhaps with a second class stamp, but it will arrive. And that will be that. Case closed. Next issue please: who remembers Brexit?
As the curve begins to flatten, the blame-game will intensify, and as the sharks begin to circle, Boris’ position will look less stable by the month. Naturally, we all rooted for him during his worrying stint in ICU, but this of course does not grant immunity of criticism for his handling of the virus. Mistakes have certainly been made, and the government’s reckoning is around the corner. Perhaps this time lessons will be learned by government officials, but I would be sure to bet that we haven’t seen the last of their mistakes.
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