The Covid-19 Thread

[Medicine Man]

I dread to think what my walk to work would be like if police were questioning every person outside the house, much less what martial law would be like. I have a fairly unofficial looking letter from my company explaining that I'm a key worker and such, but the only other evidence I have is the logo on my uniform.

Likewise, although I don't have a fancy-smancy logo like some of us.

[Raid]

I don't see being forced to wear a corporate logo as a positive thing.

[Achtung Englander]

I don't think it will come to martial law (for that to happen the virus would have to plague like) as Johnson is a libertarian. The dickheads who are flouting the law don't get it because they are dickheads. It is not the case of them dying (actually that would be quite beneficial) but they could taking limited medical supplies from people who need it more.

The best option is let them take the risk of exposure and build up that herd immunity Cummings was so keen on and if they die...oh well...at least they tried.

[arqueturus]

You don’t think increased police support to ensure guidelines are being followed is preferable to outright martial law?

I can’t feasibly get to a supermarket as I don’t have a car and there are no delivery slots available anywhere. I don’t qualify as vulnerable, and I’m far from the only one in this situation. Aside from the Dietchef food I’ve got, my only source for supplies is a corner shop which I’ve been going to about once every five days. It’s fucking intimidating enough with anxiety, but now it feels like I could be stopped by police and either arrested or frogmarched home because I would fall apart if challenged, even though I have legitimate cause for being outside. The thought of having to go through that with armed forces involved is beyond what I could deal with. I don’t know what the fuck I’d do.

Maybe stop wishing for martial law because a few ‘scrotes’ are spoiling the lockdown for the rest of us.

Yeah, I don't have a car and work from home. I always walk to the shops and this has become a fucking toil since the lockdown although I don't have to contend with anxiety. My partner is furlough'd for 4 weeks currently and is under a fair whack of stress though as it's likely to be extended for another 4 weeks after that.

So, before you go casting aspersions on the reasons or level of hardship being suffered by people, step back and consider that it might actually be for the greater good to enact something like martial law or at least heavier enforcement of the restrictions in place. I expect it's really hard to have to deal with anxiety in the current situation but your anxiety is unlikely to kill others which is what all the scrotes are potentially doing.

So, sorry, not sorry.

[Wrathbone]

step back and consider that it might actually be for the greater good to enact something like martial law or at least heavier enforcement of the restrictions in place.

I've seen precisely nothing to convince me that martial law would be for the greater good.

Have you considered that imposing martial law could push many people already severely suffering from mental health problems over the edge into suicide? Not saying that's me, but there will be a lot of people who simply cannot cope with it and don't have the support they need. When we have other alternatives like lending military support to the police to more effectively manage the current rules, going for full-blown martial law is needless and potentially more harmful than what we have now.

It scares me that you're not the only person I've spoken to recently who would openly welcome it.

[Achtung Englander]

I don't want it

Martial law will not happen with Covid-19. Sad to say but the number of deaths do not warrant it. If the death rate was hundreds of thousands than yes I can see a justification for something more stringent. What I am more concerned is the lack of transparency on what is the second phase. How do we re-open the country and when ?

This virus will not just go away and until we have a vaccine we all have to live in a new reality. It seems to be scientists and governments are all planning for the virus to die out from lack of new infections - hence the shut down. I hope it works because do we actually have a workable model to replace capitalism ?

[arqueturus]

step back and consider that it might actually be for the greater good to enact something like martial law or at least heavier enforcement of the restrictions in place.

I've seen precisely nothing to convince me that martial law would be for the greater good.

Have you considered that imposing martial law could push many people already severely suffering from mental health problems over the edge into suicide? Not saying that's me, but there will be a lot of people who simply cannot cope with it and don't have the support they need. When we have other alternatives like lending military support to the police to more effectively manage the current rules, going for full-blown martial law is needless and potentially more harmful than what we have now.

It scares me that you're not the only person I've spoken to recently who would openly welcome it.

To echo Monsieur Englander above me I don't actually want it. But I wonder if there are no other real options when I'm seeing reports of social distancing being ignored constantly and blatantly not to mention seeing it when I'm out doing my hour of excercise I'm allowed. Would 21 days of actual enforced isolation be worse than what is going to potentially 2-3 months of relying on intelligence and goodwill of the masses to follow the rules?

I have 2 or 3 people I know without any kind of history of mental health issues really suffering because they've made the descision to be be single, and are able to work from home but are used to being heavily connected to their families and friends but cannot see them because they are following the guidelines set out for them? These are pretty succesfull indiviuals that are questioning they're life choices because they so isolated and alone now. Perhaps they'll be irrevocably harmed by this extended isolation or worse?

I'm sorry but this is ripping off a plaster territory for me. A shorter period of sharp pain rather then than less over an much more extended time.

[Wrathbone]

The problem with that argument is that it's predicated on 21 days (or however long) of enforced isolation ending the virus. It won't - we need a vaccine for that, and that's most likely a year or more away. If everyone is forced militarily to stay in their homes for 21 days and then the rules are largely relaxed, the virus will just spread again. The widespread, moderate lockdown we have now over an extended period is the only sensible option available to us.

We're in this for the long haul, unfortunately. I don't see any way round that other than letting everyone go back to normal and accepting that a harrowing percentage of the world population will die from the virus, or from other causes due to overstretched hospitals.

[Achtung Englander]

Lets see. If the number of cases come down by May - than we can enter a period of on/off in opening markets. We may enter a phase of regular lock downs. This is a right royal mess because unlike the Spanish Flu we want to save everyone, so collective responsibility is a massive ask.

As I said before we can tolerate this shit. If this happens again with another pandemic from China, than something has to change in the world order. Western govts should, imo, make it illegal to divest in China and ban Chinese investment. Since the Chinese love money (ironic for a Communist country) and need perpetual growth to subdue the Chinese people, that is the one thing they will pay attention to.

This shit has to end otherwise one day in the future a pandemic will come from China that will end us all.

When is the ELA meteorite going to hit us ?

[arqueturus]

The problem with that argument is that it's predicated on 21 days (or however long) of enforced isolation ending the virus. It won't - we need a vaccine for that, and that's most likely a year or more away. If everyone is forced militarily to stay in their homes for 21 days and then the rules are largely relaxed, the virus will just spread again. The widespread, moderate lockdown we have now over an extended period is the only sensible option available to us.

We're in this for the long haul, unfortunately. I don't see any way round that other than letting everyone go back to normal and accepting that a harrowing percentage of the world population will die from the virus, or from other causes due to overstretched hospitals.

The counterpoint to that is that a large chunk of the populous isn't following the current guidlines. I do, you do but many don't. That's why there needs to be a much stronger enforcement of them for it to be effective. If that means papers to go to the shops and a stronger restriction/removal of the daily exercise routine than fair enough.

I feel pretty fucking isolated as it is as I'm following the guidelines - losing the hour outside would be a huge pain but I've seen too many fucking idiots treating it as time in the park rather than time to excercise. As a race we're hopeless at following rules unless were forced to.

[arqueturus]

To sum up. What a shit show. People are too fucking stupid.

[Animalmother]

Lets see. If the number of cases come down by May - than we can enter a period of on/off in opening markets. We may enter a phase of regular lock downs. This is a right royal mess because unlike the Spanish Flu we want to save everyone, so collective responsibility is a massive ask.

As I said before we can tolerate this shit. If this happens again with another pandemic from China, than something has to change in the world order. Western govts should, imo, make it illegal to divest in China and ban Chinese investment. Since the Chinese love money (ironic for a Communist country) and need perpetual growth to subdue the Chinese people, that is the one thing they will pay attention to.

This shit has to end otherwise one day in the future a pandemic will come from China that will end us all.

When is the ELA meteorite going to hit us ?

Pretty sure that's how you start a war mate. Trump has been towing that line against China and he's a horrible clueless Edwin. I do agree that something needs to be done to change the Chinese view of the world other than as something to be exploited into oblivion. Same goes for large coporations. Not sure how you do it though.

[Achtung Englander]

hmmm - seems we live in a very weird world where the Chinese steal IP rights, you cannot trade in China unless you have a Chinese referee, they import far less than what is deemed fair international trade and they keep the international community in the dark or just lie when they lose control over a pandemic.. but if you aim to stop trade with them - its War !

[Rossell]

Does sound a bit like an abusive relationship doesn't it?

[Paul]

Ok, so now cats are becoming infected and passing it on to other felines.

We're all gon' die.