Politics

[The Doctor]

That is mad.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

It reminds me of all those urban myths about how close we came to armageddon during the Cold war due to messages going astray and random phone calls.

[The Doctor]

What were the odds that Westminister would fuck up the covid vaccine rollout straight out of the gate?

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/31/covid-vaccine-uk-doctors-criticise-rescheduling-of-second-doses

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

Depressingly predictable...

[Pinwig]

Open the schools! Close the schools! No! I mean close *those* schools! Not those ones! Wait, do we? Ok, close those schools! Open those ones! Everyone clear? Right! Open the schools!

[Pinwig]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55521580

Boris Johnson said there was "no doubt in my mind that schools are safe".
But the prime minister did not rule out further school closures and indicated tougher measures could be introduced.

So nice to have clear decisive messages. This is causing havoc trying to work out what I'm doing tomorrow. Now the unions are involved the head is trying to work out which staff are in, which are out because of shielding and which are out because of union advice. So what I'm doing tomorrow I've got no idea. The timetable has changed twice already. 

Mr Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show the risk to children was "very, very low" and the benefit of education was "so huge".

There's no benefit to education when we have to improvise on the hoof because we keep getting conflicting messages, mate, and it's so nice to hear you're thinking about the staff as well as the kids.

[The Doctor]

He is forgetting that staff have a legal right not to work in an unsafe environment.

Personally, closing schools feels like the right thing to do at this time though I acknowledge this is easy for me to say as I am not a parent and don't work in a school. Would a few weeks off really cause more harm than catching covid?

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

It wouldn't be so bad if it was proven that primary age children don't contract the virus, but it isn't. Public Health did a mass testing survey in November and found at that point 1.5% of secondary school children had the virus, and 0.9% of primary age children did. The only reason the primaries haven't closed is because it means parents having to stay off work to provide child care. At the point that survey was done it was estimated 1.2% of the population had the virus; 0.9% is not that much less so as to be insignificant, and that was back in November.

[The Doctor]

I've now seen Johnson's comments on the issue this morning and I am none the clearer!

-Ralph

[Bogatan]

This is a shit show. We've been doing this for 10 months now and Im sick of it.

"This wont happen" becomes "this might happen" and eventually once its too late "we're doing this, but only half heartedly"

Clearly we're at "This might happen". Schools will open tomorrow just long enough to make things worse and then, too late, "We're doing this, but only half heartedly" will happen later in the week or next week.

[The Doctor]

It is depressingly predictable.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

...and yet again we do indeed have Johnson and Hancock making the media rounds with vague talk about maybe doing new restrictions. Why can't they just announce things rather than rambling on about it in obscure terms first? Also some rather racist 'we're better than Europe' bollocks about the vaccine rollout.

Also wondering when the oposition or indeed any journalist will have the balls to ask Johnson if he's considered resigning. His constant dithering is risking lives.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

Scotland going into full lockdown from midnight including closing schools, because they are not governed by an idiot. How much longer will Johnson dither???

-Ralph

[Bogatan]

Still 24 hours too late to stop an utterly needless amount of spread, but at least its done rather than days of laying the ground work so as not to startle the idiots too much.

[The Doctor]

Just this morning Boris was doing the rounds telling people there is no risk to teachers and parents should send kids to school. Will he change his mind so quickly? We'll find out in about 12 minutes...

-Ralph

[Benn]

You would think the man is standing on a turntable.

He U-turns so fast

[The Doctor]

He needs to resign or be forced out by his own party. I gave him the benefit of the doubt when this started and I did worry for the man when he was ill but his consistent dithering is costing lives.

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

Now we shall deploy the EMERGENCY PLAN.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Trump: "We are the party of law and order!"

Martin

[Bogatan]

Last 24 hours going really well for the GOP.

[The Doctor]

I never thought I'd see an actual coup attempt in the US. Very sad. Hope it is resolved without anyone being hurt.

-Ralph

[Andy Turnbull]

I hope it's resolved and every one of those nazi MAGA fuckwits gets hurt badly.

[Toph]

Welp. Today's episode of America we had a fascist insurrection lead by actual nazis terrorists and egged on by the losing President, and the cops just...let them.

It's interesting watching your country become the villain of World War III

[Bogatan]

I really hope the democrats arent stupid enough to carry on with their forgive and move on for the sake of unity BS. Sadly its likely thats exactly what theyll do.

[The Doctor]

Jan 6, 2021 22:01:01 GMT The Doctor said:

I never thought I'd see an actual coup attempt in the US. Very sad. Hope it is resolved without anyone being hurt.

-Ralph

Unfortunately, four people died during a riot incited by the US President. Words fail me. Just terrible.

-Ralph

[Toph]

I've yet to hear much about the deaths. What I have heard is one woman was shot and killed by police, the other three died due to medical conditions.

Hopefully all four were perpetrators, and not innocent bystanders.

[The Doctor]

All loss of life in this insurrection is awful.

A police officer has now died. I can't see any way for Trump to come back from this.

-Ralph

[Benn]

Apparently one of the protestors who died of medical conditions gave himself a heart attack by tasering himself.

I mean.

[Toph]

Jan 8, 2021 12:04:50 GMT The Doctor said:

All loss of life in this insurrection is awful.

True, but I'll always hope the innocent lives not be the ones who get killed.

A police officer has now died. I can't see any way for Trump to come back from this.

-Ralph

He could have killed the cop himself, and he comes back from it.

[Andy Turnbull]

And he's finally been kicked off twitter - 4 years too late.