Dominic Cummings

Maisie you are right about the late lockdowns.
Many of us (who were able) had already "locked down" at least a couple of weeks before we were told to lock down the first time.
If we could look at Italy and see what was coming, so could Boris Johnson and his crew.

I don't think it is most of the population Maizie; I expect it's less than half - the usual less than half in fact.

Brainwashed, completely brainwashed. How has the government managed to completely brainwash most of the UK population?

No, the government did not follow scientific advice. They ignored it. Three late lockdowns, estimated to have cost tens of thousands of extra lives, all contrary to documented scientific advice.

I know they keep on claiming that they've 'followed the science' but all they've done is prove Goebbel's thesis that if you repeat the lie often enough people will believe it.

But PippaZ that’s exactly how you seem to me-a person with a narrow view, yours.
I’m quite sure it’s not how you see yourself, but GN is a tiny world, populated by lots of anonymous, individual points of view, yours and mine among them, with which you may or may not agree.
It’s a place where posters can and do criticise others for not agreeing with them.

It has no impact on the real world, and some, realistically and sensibly, are able to recognise that.

Mmm, seems just a little too bitter, spiteful and out to exact revenge to be taken seriously. The government have made serious and sometimes avoidable mistakes but with the benefit of hindsight it's easier to see what should have been done.

Johnson is a proven liar too. No, scientific advice wasn't always followed - wake up at the back!

The government followed scientific advise, nothing was his sole decision. DC was part of this. I didn't notice him so waking out about not going along with that advice. He is a proven liar and although helped put policies in place did not abide by them. Who will employ him. There again he's will most likely pen a best seller, telling all, his version anyway.

Perhaps you too spend all your time in pubs being an armchair expert too.

No, I observed the lockdown as did the local publican.

Callistemon

^Only if you are spending all your time in pubs, being an armchair expert, Mollygo: it isn't everyone's way of life.^

You seem to have misunderstood the post PippaZ
No-one has been sitting in pubs, as we all know.
It was an analogy.

Thank you, Callistemon, but I understood that it was analogous to some people's lives but by no means all. Perhaps you too spend all your time in pubs being an armchair expert too. Who knew Obviously people will tend to go for the situation they know best.

Only if you are spending all your time in pubs, being an armchair expert, Mollygo: it isn't everyone's way of life.

You seem to have misunderstood the post PippaZ
No-one has been sitting in pubs, as we all know.
It was an analogy.

We weren’t all in our armchairs.
Acknowledged, Casdon.

I think most of us tried to obtain as much information on the pandemic as possible and made our minds up accordingly. And most people felt that the country should have been locked down sooner. I dread to think how many lives have been lost due to people going out and having last hurrahs because the government told them lockdown was going to be ‘after the weekend’. Even the PM’s own father said he was still going to go to the pub even though his son had done his usual ‘well, you can still go to the pub but I’d rather you didn’t’ waffle. We’ve had nothing but mixed messages throughout the pandemic and it’s still happening now.

Well done Lemongrove. You are acknowledged above, (in a roundabout manner), as a realist.

Only if you are spending all your time in pubs, being an armchair expert, Mollygo: it isn't everyone's way of life. It seems quite a narrow view - almost as if there is no knowledge of life outside it wouldn't you say.

Yes it's interesting how our own experiences often make us think that everyone else is experiencing similar, I disnt spend the pandemic in my armchair either.

Well done Lemongrove. You are acknowledged above, (in a roundabout manner), as a realist. Someone who sees social media (in this case GN) for what it truly is.

A place where posters can make bold statements for which they’ll never have to suffer the consequences, and endlessly talk about, ‘If they’d done it my way!’.
Posters can also quote lengthy and verbose passages found on Google to support the arguments.
I think GN argument threads are great. All that research and typing keeps brains and fingers active.
Every now and again you will get a subtle or not so subtle insult and that’s like in real life.

Then for a change you can get meaningful advice, join games or exercise your poetic talents.
Keep posting.

Some of us were in the middle of it too, any front line NHS staff would be able to confirm the instruction to discharge to care settings without testing, the chronic shortage of PPE and the PPE which was purchased from overseas and was not fit for purpose, and the outdated government pandemic stockpiles which were unusable. We weren’t all in our armchairs.

We know some of what he said was true - we lived through it. Some of it will be proved by evidence and some will be found wanting. The personal attacks will disappear into history as hopefully, will all those who thought being in government was their gravy train into fame and adulation with little effort involved.

Mollygo

Callistemon, I wouldn’t like to balance it all either.?
I have never claimed that anything has been done perfectly, but like everyone on here, (unless there’s a member of either cabinet who has enough free time to be a secret GN poster) we have no responsibility for how what we say will impact the rest of the country.
Most of us only have the time and the inclination to spend hours googling stuff and posting on GN because we are either retired, semi retired or not working full time.

There will also be some people who have had to make tough decisions, which affect people's lives and/or come from families, some of whose members made decisions which affected the lives of the whole country during a crisis.

lemongrove

Forums are the modern equivalent of people moaning about the government of the day...in pubs.
On a comfy seat with a pint in front of them ( cup of tea on GN) whilst they pontificate on how things should be done and how much better they should have been done.Even though in reality they don’t have a clue what should have been done or when.Good job that they really don’t have to make those hard decisions themselves. Armchair experts is the phrase.

Well that's the impression I always had of you in real life confirmed.

Callistemon, I wouldn’t like to balance it all either.?
I have never claimed that anything has been done perfectly, but like everyone on here, (unless there’s a member of either cabinet who has enough free time to be a secret GN poster) we have no responsibility for how what we say will impact the rest of the country.
Most of us only have the time and the inclination to spend hours googling stuff and posting on GN because we are either retired, semi retired or not working full time.

growstuff

By the way, what are these references to alcohol? I don't drink it.

Tea or coffee?

I don't drink beer

I really don't understand people who think the public should behave like sheep.

By the way, what are these references to alcohol? I don't drink it.

So Callistemon are you saying that Cummings was right, despite the denial by behavioural scientists that they said the British public wouldn't accept draconian measures?

Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive

Mollygo You didn't mention Cummings in connection with lost jobs, so I was wondering why it was relevant.