I am aware the virus is a killer. Who isn’t? What’s killing me is the wall to wall coverage on the topic. It’s like there’s nothing else happening and thanks to the overreacting by politicians trying to look tough, there pretty much isn’t. The popular saying is when America catches a cold the world sneezes. It appears that when China catches a cold, the world hibernates. It’s somewhat ironic that the virus may have had its beginnings in a laboratory investigating bats because I think that’s where the world has gone.
Boris Johnson initially decided that herd immunity was the way to go but after a couple of days dropped the idea. No such luck with other Governments who have decided the herd approach IS the way to go. They, like cows in a field, ruminated for weeks and then followed one another in making decisions which, in many cases, are an over the top attempt to salvage some credibility. As a result, they have had to introduce rescue packages because, in effect, the milk has already gone sour.
The news media are no better. They have also adopted a herd mentality and are milking the virus for all it’s worth. You can’t turn onto a news outlet without having Coronavirus belching out at you. This is not helpful as it whips up hysteria, causes anxiety emissions to increase and supermarket shelves to be udderly empty, using the PM’s parlance.
The grass is certainly not green right now and that’s only partly due to the lack of rain. However, it’s bound to recover quicker than the economy. Governments’ initial inactions and now overreactions will see to that. There will need to be a huge stocktake at the end of this. There are lessons to be learned for next time, and there will be a next time, as sure as night follows day. Open borders, like open paddocks, don’t work – as the EU are quickly finding out. You need borders for humans like you need fences for animals. This is where a herd mentality is applicable.
Greg Sheridan, writing in The Australian, says globalisation will be the primary victim of this pandemic. Referencing Australia, he says the emphasis will go back to building a strong nation in light and heavy industries, power (he mentioned nuclear), mining and pharmaceuticals amongst others. Greg points out that the various agencies within the UN have been found to be totally ineffective over the years. It is this type of accurate analysis that could see the beginning of the end of the EU. It makes a mockery of the “we’re all in this together” scenario that the left would have you believe in and which Gordon Brown is currently spouting in the UK. So maybe the old saying is true – to every cloud there is a silver lining. Goodbye globalisation and goodbye Greens.
It was in the 1930s, that a true leader, Winston Churchill said this when talking about his country
Nothing will save England if she will not save herself. If we lose faith in the capacity to guide and govern ourselves…..then indeed our story is told. Deprived of our sovereignty, loaded with debts and taxation, our commerce shut out by foreign tariffs and quotas, England would sink to a fifth-rate power and nothing would remain of all her glories except a population much larger than this island can support.
So back to today, what I intend to do is minimise my news intake, vote for a change of Government and, being mature enough to qualify, on Tuesday rock up to the doc for my annual free flu jab. Actually the nurse gives it which makes it a somewhat more pleasant experience. I need it because I’ve more chance of getting the flu than the dreaded Coronavirus.
Speaking of Corona, I think I’ll go and have one. Cheers.
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