Originally Posted by
250 kts
Not that we don't have a vaccine for. You're right life is unsafe, but does that mean you are actually prepared to put yourself at unnecessary risk by having to sit next to someone on a train, bus etc. that could be infected? Yes, we have to get on with things but with appropriate precautions, something many already seem to be forgetting.
You put yourself at “unnecessary risk” every time you wake up in the morning. Last month a train derailed in Scotland. People died walking down the street from being hit by cars or being stabbed (sorry I cannot provide specific examples as I don’t watch the news).
And don’t scoff at that last one, because one of the biggest results of economic catastrophe is an increase in crime and unrest. If 2million plus end up in the dole queue, how many of those will turn to crime, alcohol, drugs when they cannot make ends meet and feel a lack of purpose, worth and direction?
The modern world, and particularly the U.K., has become obsessed with risk. Everything requires a risk assessment because people can’t take ownership for their actions, possibly fuelled by the boom in “no win, no fee” legal cases. If somebody falls over in the street, it must be somebody else’s fault. If you hit your head on a low beam, it must be somebody else’s fault for not making it clear the beam was there. If people could take ownership for their actions, whereby people at “risk” would keep themselves out of busy pubs, away from public gatherings, off crammed tube trains, then the 90+% that aren’t “at risk” could get on with life as normal and keep the economy going, avoiding the aforementioned socioeconomic collapse whilst preventing the NHS from being “overwhelmed” (which, speak to any doctor, it never came remotely close to during the initial spike in March).
Everyone loves to blame the government for going into lockdown too late. But the virus was known about for at least two months previous, why did those “at risk” not take themselves out of society? Why didn’t people take responsibility for their own health and lives if they believed this was a serious risk to them? Of course some parts of society (care homes...) had no choice, but plenty did.
Its this blame blame blame attitude that’s the reason we now have this pointless quarantine system that’s crippling the aviation, travel, tourism and a number of other industries. The government have been blamed for every aspect of their response to this pandemic, sometimes rightly so but often unfairly. But they know that if somebody “at risk” goes to Spain, catches coronavirus and becomes seriously ill, they’ll almost certainly blame the government for saying it’s okay to go to Spain, rather than themselves for going somewhere with an increasing number of cases.
If society could take responsibility and ownership for their actions, we wouldn’t need draconian measures like lockdowns and restrictions. Those that see risk would stay away from busy public places, tube trains, Spain etc, and the rest of us could get on with life.