Who runs our country?

[Hamble]

Public opinion runs the country.

We have a 'free press' reliant on popularity of its readership and advertising.

The public want scandal intrigue and Gov bashing.
They also want to promote the idea the opposition party
would do a better job.

The DM has the secret.
It puts a praise and a basher story of Boris on the front page.

[said]

Hilarious

The kind of sweeping and uninformed generalisation sadly embraced by some people. Indeed by a government which had at its disposal experienced and effective public health tracing capability but which decided to reward a totally inexperienced private sector organisation with £37bn to produce an execrable effort.

Do you have any idea of how many private businesses fail every year? That less than half of start-ups last beyond a year?

The public sector does not have a monopoly on incompetence .

in 22 years of consulting some of the best management I observed was in the public sector and some of the worst in the private sector.

Gee! No wonder the country is in such a mess!

How on earth can those who are not involved in supporting the economy in any way - be good business people? The Public Service people make no money whatsoever. While even the worst in the Private Sector has had the balls to at least have a try.

[Blackrock]

Colour me ignorant if you wish, but does it really matter who runs the country? Going by the past and looking at other countries as well, it seems that whoever is in charge makes a complete and utter cock up of the job every time regardless of who they are.
We will never be completely happy with whoever is in charge at any given time.

[The PNP]

Public opinion runs the country.

We have a 'free press' reliant on popularity of its readership and advertising.

Which probably explains why action to counter #Climate Change has/and is, taking decades and decades to even get going.....The public are/and have been, loth to accept that their high-carbon lifestyles have to change. Climate denial stories sold a lot of papers in their day. Even today, with weird weather an almost daily event somewhere on the planet, articles knocking 'Greta' can bring in plenty moolah!

[MICK/GILLY]

Knock knock … “
come in Humphrey I want you to explain all this to me”.

“Yes Minister”.


https://youtu.be/gmOvEwtDycs

[Hamble]

Which probably explains why action to counter #Climate Change has/and is, taking decades and decades to even get going.....The public are/and have been, loth to accept that their high-carbon lifestyles have to change. Climate denial stories sold a lot of papers in their day. Even today, with weird weather an almost daily event somewhere on the planet, articles knocking 'Greta' can bring in plenty moolah!

It is opposing interests.

All the bad stuff makes money.

[duncet]

Which probably explains why action to counter #Climate Change has/and is, taking decades and decades to even get going.....The public are/and have been, loth to accept that their high-carbon lifestyles have to change. Climate denial stories sold a lot of papers in their day. Even today, with weird weather an almost daily event somewhere on the planet, articles knocking 'Greta' can bring in plenty moolah!

I can't agree with you there. When did you last read any climate change denial story in the national press? On that subject the media are only interested in covering one side of the story because that is the side they can use to create fear. The media are all about creating fear. Without it their news coverage would have no edge.
The same with covid. When the new strain first came to light in South Africa, the medic who identified it made the comment that it was a very mild strain that might just cause someone to feel groggy for 24 hours and then they would be OK. The media weren't going to let that one get away. The consequences are that Japan is in a total lockdown, many other countries are bringing in stricter measures and Boris has been pushed into having to insist on facemasks and other token gestures whilst announcing "we will save Christmas". It is all media led. Even on tonights TV news they are announcing - with a straight face - how many cases have been reported to date. No doubt their figures are much lower than reality as probably most people who have had it wouldn't have realised.

[Desert Region]

The same with covid. When the new strain first came to light in South Africa, the medic who identified it made the comment that it was a very mild strain that might just cause someone to feel groggy for 24 hours and then they would be OK. The media weren't going to let that one get away. The consequences are that Japan is in a total lockdown, many other countries are bringing in stricter measures and Boris has been pushed into having to insist on facemasks and other token gestures whilst announcing "we will save Christmas". It is all media led. Even on tonights TV news they are announcing - with a straight face - how many cases have been reported to date. No doubt their figures are much lower than reality as probably most people who have had it wouldn't have realised.

It would be much more remarkable if the world's response to the Omicron variant relied upon the thoughts of what a medic thought it might be.

Yes, Boris does like his token gestures and his annual "saviour of Christmas" narrative has worn very thin. In European countries they're increasingly less tolerant of the unvaccinated straining their health services and damaging their economies.

[The PNP]

I can't agree with you there. When did you last read any climate change denial story in the national press? On that subject the media are only interested in covering one side of the story because that is the side they can use to create fear. The media are all about creating fear.

I was saying that denial stories were common for many years, at least in papers with a particular readership.....Nowadays of course, that position has become impossible to maintain - too much evidence of change all around us, to continue to deny it.

The 'fear' element is now represented by fear of having to make lifestyle changes. E.g, an unreasoned fear of new cycle infrastructure. Forcing the reader to contemplate the horrendous notion of (perish the thought) having to some day swap their cherished car for the detestable and utterly ridiculous object that is every motorists nemesis - the much-frowned-upon pushbike.

[Stuartli]

The 'fear' element is now represented by fear of having to make lifestyle changes. E.g, an unreasoned fear of new cycle infrastructure. Forcing the reader to contemplate the horrendous notion of (perish the thought) having to some day swap their cherished car for the detestable and utterly ridiculous object that is every motorists nemesis - the much-frowned-upon pushbike.

You never miss an opportunity do you? Why not make a lifestyle change yourself and desist from mentioning two wheel forms of transport every time you hit your keyboard.

It gets boring and, more importantly, people eventually become immune to such suggestions.....

[The PNP]

You never miss an opportunity do you? Why not make a lifestyle change yourself and desist from mentioning two wheel forms of transport every time you hit your keyboard.

It gets boring and, more importantly, people eventually become immune to such suggestions.....

From the way a certain segment of Q-locals 'readership' have been reacting recently, I'm not the only one fixated on traffic-calmed neighborhoods and cycle infrastructure by a long chalk. The motoring fraternity's abject fear of losing favourite rat-runs was hard to miss.

[Toodles McGinty]

I can't agree with you there. When did you last read any climate change denial story in the national press? On that subject the media are only interested in covering one side of the story because that is the side they can use to create fear. The media are all about creating fear. Without it their news coverage would have no edge.

Because the entire world has agreed there is no 'other side'. It is happening. Every government, every scientist who isn't in the pay of fossil fuel companies, every environmentalist, everyone agrees that climate change exists and is happening.

Pretending it isn't will not make it go away.

The same with covid. When the new strain first came to light in South Africa, the medic who identified it made the comment that it was a very mild strain that might just cause someone to feel groggy for 24 hours and then they would be OK. The media weren't going to let that one get away. The consequences are that Japan is in a total lockdown, many other countries are bringing in stricter measures and Boris has been pushed into having to insist on facemasks and other token gestures whilst announcing "we will save Christmas". It is all media led. Even on tonights TV news they are announcing - with a straight face - how many cases have been reported to date. No doubt their figures are much lower than reality as probably most people who have had it wouldn't have realised.

We don't know enough about the new strain to make any judgements. We do know that it has many more mutations that could make it more transmissible and less vulnerable to vaccinations.

There have been figures coming out of South Africa indicating it is causing the hospitalisation of 0-4 year olds, but again, there isn't enough data to assess.

Japan is stopping travellers from outside the country. It isn't in 'total lockdown'. I don't know where you get your information from. 'Tin Foil Hat Weekly'? Are you 'Said'?

The stricter measures coming in other countries are because of the virus running riot. Infections are rocketing and hospitals, both here and abroad, are under huge pressure. It isn't because of the omicron variant.

Over 1000 people a week are dying of Covid here. 'Freedom Day' was a load of bollocks. Johnson should never have lifted the mask mandate. It is such a tiny measure for us to take, with such a huge benefit. I'm so sick of grown adults whining that they have to wear a bit of cloth over their mouth and nose for 20 minutes while shopping. Christ only knows how this lot would have gone on wearing a gas mask. Little kids just get on with it while grown men and women start howling about 'freedom'.

Grow a spine, FFS. And yes, don't trust governments. Trust science. When the whole scientific world is telling you something, listen to them. Not ********s stirring up trouble on YouTube.

[Stuartli]

The motoring fraternity's abject fear of losing favourite rat-runs was hard to miss.

My God, you do constantly bring up some remarkably delusional beliefs - whatever gives you the impression that almost the town's entire complement of vehicle drivers have "favourite" rat runs?

In the majority of cases, using main roads is more often than not quicker in the end as traffic flows are used to maximum benefit.

[local]

I was saying that denial stories were common for many years, at least in papers with a particular readership.....Nowadays of course, that position has become impossible to maintain - too much evidence of change all around us, to continue to deny it.

The 'fear' element is now represented by fear of having to make lifestyle changes. E.g, an unreasoned fear of new cycle infrastructure. Forcing the reader to contemplate the horrendous notion of (perish the thought) having to some day swap their cherished car for the detestable and utterly ridiculous object that is every motorists nemesis - the much-frowned-upon pushbike.

How about you doing what you preach and make a lifestyle change.

Lower your horrendous Co2 and pollution output by stopping using and installing log burners?

Scrap those stinky vehicles.

Plant some trees instead of burning them, for short,

stop being such a bloody hypocrite.

[Hamble]

[QUOTE=Blackrock;6795905]Colour me ignorant if you wish, but does it really matter who runs the country? Going by the past and looking at other countries as well, it seems that whoever is in charge makes a complete and utter cock up of the job every time regardless of who they are.
We will never be completely happy with whoever is in charge at any given time.[/QUOTE

It is very unfair.
Labour voters have spent so much time moaning about the Government
Tories are out of practice.