‘Virus Pandemic – Global Emergency’

If one were to engineer global panic, resultant re-drawing the world order. Bringing down companies thought invincible. Reducing flag carriers and small airlines to bankruptcy within a few months, decimating the savings of private individuals and changing the landscape for our children, this is what you do

 

You engineer a virus. You make it such that it attacks the old, yet leaves the young relatively unscathed. You know healthcare systems around the planet aren’t geared up, nor have the investment to deal with the sudden demand for beds and ventilators

You employ a few media types to spread the message. You know the news networks will run with it constantly. Scream headlines that have people panic buying. All the time adding value to those news networks. Headlines just like ‘VIRUS PANDEMIC, GLOBAL EMERGENCY’

Let’s get one thing right – Piers Morgan – fuels panic. It wouldn’t surprise me to find many of the current government policies respecting his outspoken views. In similar vein, the ‘pandemic’ is excellent for the bottom line of Sky News and similar media outlets

Within weeks Western Governments, under pressure from the media shut down all essential business, and more. They bankrupt themselves trying to avoid anarchy. Coming up with schemes to fund people’s lives on borrowed money. Moving the problem on all the time. Deferring the strain on hospital beds and people’s finances.

Some countries, and some people have a lot to gain from the panic of people in the West. Not least it seems, at the very least in profile a certain Piers Morgan.

Eastern Governments don’t view the loss of human life, even if inevitable, with the same gravitas. Can anyone recall the numbers of deaths being mentioned in Russia? China reports considerably lower infection and death rates. Westerners only discuss Italy. Not Norway, or even the UK, which has a very low number of deaths at 233 (at the time of writing) That will rise, and potentially significantly, but will we consider if they’re ‘extra deaths’ – or not? We’re morbidly fascinated with what is happening in the country with the oldest population in the world.

Where will our irrational fear of death lead us? If what we end up with is worse, what on earth is our plan here?

Eastern Governments will come out of this crisis very well. And most certainly in control of our finances. Whilst we discuss ever worsening scenarios, they’re registering substantially less cases.

Check this interesting, recent table, showing the source of infection, the most populous nation on earth registering a very significant slow down

The behaviour of Western Governments is entirely predictable. People in the our world view the idea of death by natural causes, as entirely unacceptable. We see ourselves as decent because we try to save as many lives as we can. Even if those lives are infirm. Even if as a society we absolutely know we are living a lot longer. Even if we appreciate there are far too many of us on this planet at the current time. The evidence of the change to our planet’s weather is global testament to our success as a species, not only in propogating ourselves, but in surviving longer. We’re not under threat of extinction any time soon.

It is, for this very reason, that our healthcare systems are constantly under strain. We cannot cope with an ever increasing elderly population.

Western Governments will fare very badly from the resultant of shutting down all of its business to ‘save lives. ‘  It is fully prepared to bankrupt itself. It gently suggests we should be prepared for deaths, because it appears at this time, with no cure, that the vulnerable unfortunately will likely fare worst.

What we will we leave our children? This is what concerns me. Saving the vulnerable whilst we casually sacrifice the future for the young.  Destroying the savings of millions of families across the nation. How can we fund the ventilators, Doctors and Nurses required to help deal with this problem in the absence of cash? Why do we risk the anarchy of the general public- as we witness daily in supermarkets? Where’s the evidence of that famous ‘stiff upper lip’ there? The idiots rule the aisles, sitting on their loo rolls. We have a glut of morons who think we will run out of bloody toilet paper!

The oddity of this particular virus? It lags an awful long way behind other examples such as good old influenza. Which has killed us routinely for decades in tens of thousands. Every year. Isn’t there the possibility, given the numbers who die from the flu, that we are being terribly precipitous? Will Covid kill more than flu – yes it might short head it. But where is the annual lock down for flu?

I’m no scientist, but I have listened to various experts and each one carries a different message. All agree on one thing. We are told to wash our hands. Distance ourselves. Very sensible.

Lock down. Hmm, well I fully understand if you fall into the vulnerable type. So you should. But as principle I fundamentally disagree with policy that leaves us with so much less when it’s over. I believe the simple answer lies in people’s behaviour. Keep your distance and wear a mask. Change how you behave not hide behind the sofa and emerge to no job

Of course we all must accept the savings of many will be demolished. You don’t get paid in many cases to sit at home.

We move the problem along.  Eventually we will all emerge, and when we do the nightmare for the health service recommences.

In the meantime – the governments can’t test. Because everyone’s after PPE and testing kits at the same time.

And whilst we successfully bankrupt the businesses we’ve always depend upon, what do we leave behind for our children, and our young? We’ve already shown we are prepared to sacrifice the academic efforts of everyone who has attended school for the last decade by cancelling exams

I believe strongly that public health – and economic health are vital. That the solution is not to so casually bastardise entire economies. The entire shutdown by Western Governments to keep the Piers Morgan and Kaye Burley types might appear the only solution to some, but it is a fundamental error.Where do you go once you’ve wrecked not only the economy, but the livelihoods and savings millions built up? Where’s the tough decision then?

People hate the stark reality, which appears to be, at this time, we are moving the problem along with one purpose in mind. Safeguarding some order in the NHS. However at what catastrophic price?

You cannot pick up the reins of many of the essential companies we depend upon when this is all over. The structure of many of these companies, with so much cost, doesn’t forecast for several months as a non trading enterprise.

Business that can operate with minimal risk – must be encouraged. We should throw  overbearing health and safety ideals out the window. We screen, we test, we do what we can- but we continue to function as we can. We trade lives we can save, for economic health, not those we cannot.

I cannot speak with any authority on other business, except my own. So you will forgive me for using this example. I believe as many companies that can continue to function, with minimal risk, should do so. And maintain some sort of fiscal order.

British Racing, my industry, is in shutdown. It stands alone in many racing authorities who operate a closed door policy quite successfully. It could contribute to the finances of the country right now, as it always has, to the tune of hundreds of millions a year. It could keep those who work within the industry in employment, rather than ruin the same.

It operates on huge racetracks, surely segregation of workers is childplay for experienced racing managers! Millions depend on the sport for essential mental health. Their well being. A sense of some normality. Instead, in standard ‘knee jerk’ reaction to criticism of the Cheltenham Festival going ahead (another poor move) it has closed its doors. The executives consulted a couple of powerless Labour MP’s, who claim to bat for racing, and they recommended we should all be out of work, and go cap in hand to Government for help.

Ambulances aren’t under strain, although we use private St Johns in many cases. And if a jockey needs hospital treatment? Then we enforce an appropriate lock down of that jockey. Ask them then do they want to work?

The closure, based on excessively weak arguments about adding to the burden of public health, appeared more of a statement, than that of an authority bent on doing the best for the sport, not by closure, but by determined organising of a closed door policy, which is well within our compass

That, in my view, is totally irresponsible, of everyone involved in the decision.

In conclusion, it appears three things that must happen if we are to come out of this with any semblance of our lives prior to the virus

• Follow the sensible distancing, hand washing measures being advocated of course
• Accept that economic health cannot be sacrificed to save the vulnerable.
• Test everyone. Right now. Find out who has it, and who has not.  People moving about for any reason need screening

 

Up until now, we are stumbling in the dark