Oh for sure, loads going on. Also when has any government, or frankly, person, not intentionally or unintentionally been selective or manipulative with stats? There’s the whole what is a Covid death when it’s not actually a Covid death malarkey. But the angle you’re taking is the full swing - ie everything is being fudged so there’s not actually a pandemic. The chance of that being the case is pretty small, and would, eventually get blown up by an inquiry. The fallout would be intense.

Also ‘hospitals are not any more busy...’ - big call, based on?

Edited by SW19 CPFC (01 Nov 2020 1.10am)

Do you not see that while there can be elements of truth to things, you absolutely latch onto anything and everything that's 'off' as if that's the full picture that's being hidden. You spend zero time scrutinising this stuff and endlessly do down salient points from other perspectives because they don't fit into your dark scheme of things.

You're stating both opinion and conspiracy as fact. Just taking one simple point, some hospitals patently 'are' busier with covid patients now than months back. And they 'are' getting busier as more people are admitted, so what's the point in repeatedly making definitive statements that are detached from reality.

And take the flu. We were in a months long lockdown and have been more careful clearly is a factor that may contribute to flu numbers being low this year (the flu season isn't over). Death certificates stated fewer flu deaths in 2014 and 2015 than Jan - Aug this year anyway, so you're just cherry picking higher number years to prop up your 'its all lies!' take. On top of that January 2020 saw a very significant drop from the 5 year average and this was pre-covid. The reality extends a bit beyond your conspiratorial one liner; flu seasons vary significantly. But you have zero motivation to factor any of this in because it doesn't fit your 'hidden truth' view, so you choose to ignore all of that and instead on multiple occasions go all in with a view that many covid deaths are in fact 'the flu'.

You're repeatedly opting for a blinkered outlook rather than applying reason. You don't need to discard of absolutely everything that doesn't fit neatly into a narrative. It would be better to accept that realities are often nuanced.

More nonsense. I've stated my view of this lockdown; and can see some merit in muddling along as we are, over locking society down. It's not my call though is it. You're averse to nuance and so of course you look to state out of nowhere that I'm all for totalitarian government because it saves you from having to question your own pop-up book take on a complex and multi faceted situation.

Edited by BlueJay (01 Nov 2020 2.58am)

Assuming I was not misreading when those graphs were shown last night - the R rate is falling isn't it?
We are not even at the point where the latest tier arrangements can be seen to be effective or not (ten more days perhaps) and regardless of that - whoosh - straight into lockdown.
Sadly for those above the Midlands - even in parts of the Midlands - the situation is not good and that has to be dealt with.
Instead the economy takes another battering when keeping large swathes of the Country open would help to pay for financial support in areas that really need it.
This decision is baffling because it doesn't seem to follow either the science or common sense.

You are confusing two separate issues. There is a need, and a collective responsibility, to protect people who are impacted. No-one should lose their home as a consequence. Once this is over the demand will still be there and every opportunity to rebuild and prosper.

What you cannot do is pretend the virus doesn't exist and need a response or that there won't be casualties, albeit hopefully only temporary ones.

I am not confusing anything - I have just used YOUR exact words and applied them to a realistic scenario that many thousands of people will be facing this morning?

The fact that you believe that heath and economy are 2 separate issues is quite illuminating as this shows that you do not understand that they are extricably linked and this probably explains why so many of your comments are tone deaf on the financial catastrophe people are facing.

I am pleased that you have at last recognised that this financial impact will be “devastating “ - so you are learning.