Hong Kong graffiti (Debate)

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 20:50

Marina is well worth reading Hannen. As an engineer her classical schooling is way beyond me, but there is always the internet to look things up.

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 19:42

Thanks Hans.

Made me blush!  Rude!

Interesting reference to Marcus Aurelius whose Birthday was yesterday (26 April) and whose "Meditations", are still are a jolly good read, some 50 years on.  (Speaking personally.)

Particularly relevant in these times:

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 18:56

Here you go Hannen https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/17/matt-hancock-dominic-raab-ppe-care-badges

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 14:57

Tony,

Couldn't agree more.

The virus is taking a horrid toll on people and families but I suspect that the long term toll (if that's the right way to express it) will be on World economies.

One of my Sisters owns and runs a b & b with her Husband in Auckland.  They were told to close it down at the beginning of the lockdown.  They are ok financially but have no idea when they will be able to open again - or to what extent.

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 14:51 (last edited on Mon 27 Apr 2020, 14:58)

Hans

Please could you provide a link to the Guardian article?

I am a subscriber but never get through it all!

Many thanks.

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 10:02

Alice those 'producers across the channel' can't even collaborate with each other at the moment The rich north is looking after its own economies at the expense of the South Greece all over again but on a much larger scale Watch out for an anti EU government in Italy, providing its banks survive long enough!

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 09:49

Marina Hyde reports an alternative name for the health secretary. Look at her article in the Guardian on the 17th of April.

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 09:38

The UK Government's Covid 19 press conferences, when chaired by the Health Secretary will henceforth be known as Hancock's Half Hour.

Mon 27 Apr 2020, 09:32

Sorting housing stock can be done. Our house is from the 1830s and still with 50% single glazing - we rather like the look of the slender vintage sash windows. I have made the house as air tight as possible and insulated the loft. We also added a kitchen extension a couple of years ago that is obviously as well insulated as a new build - it's 30% of the house. We keep the house heated all day as we are pretty much always at home. We are at 120 w/m2 and year. New builds are apparently at 150 w/m2 and year. 

Sun 26 Apr 2020, 23:10

Sorting buildings is rather more than political: new builds could be designed and constructed to a far higher environmental standard but to retrofit significant thermal improvements into existing housing stock is hugely difficult. Its not just cost, the sheer disruption of what would be needed to be done is massive. 

Sun 26 Apr 2020, 12:31

Isn’t that quite encouraging news?  Transport accounts for a quarter of our emissions (of course it excludes flying and sea transport which is just wrong).  If we can reduce the other major contributors as well - buildings and food  then real progress can be made.  Buildings just need a government with the will to sort it out. Where can we find one?  Food is more complicated because we have all benefited from a wide variety of produce for the last 40 years and good health outcomes are dependent on wealth and food access.  Maybe we need to collaborate with those huge markets and producers just across the channel?

Sat 25 Apr 2020, 10:54

The drop in CO2 emissions is predicted to be 5% as a result of the impact on activity caused by Covi-19.  That is the lower than the 6.7% a year that is required to meet our Paris commitment to deliver climate warming of 1.5 degC.  We need to think on that.  What would be the easiest ways of maintaining that momentum, building the economy back better, and protecting our health and well being?

Sat 25 Apr 2020, 09:38

Test, trace and isolate is the right strategy and also recommended by WHO (until vaccine obv). Taiwan says it is probably enough to test key workers. It'll take some time to get the infrastructure up and running for regular tests, contact tracing and isolation of 10 million people. Interestingly Hancock called the strategy Test, Track and Trace on Thursday, but overnight having done his homework on Friday he correctly called it Test, trace and isolate. The isolation part is very important - without it the strategy fails. Unfortunately I see no evidence of the isolation part yet. I do hope they get that right very soon. TTI is the only way out of lockdown - and it will be partial until a working vaccine is found and massproduced for everybody.

What will be the new normal? Higher taxes, less commuting, global supply chains redrawn. Will people continue to go on cruises, fly all over the world at a drop of a hat, buy SUVs on PCP? Yes, unfortunately. Will C accelerate a move to a "green" world? I certainly hope so, but I doubt it.

Fri 24 Apr 2020, 14:04

Charlie I feel your anger and mostly share it – but I’d say it’s more a question of competence.  The government tries to hide behind the ‘scientific and medical advice’ – but as Mark Steel quipped, the science must be different in Germany. With a much larger population they have…

Long post - click to read full text

Fri 24 Apr 2020, 10:07

I think my idea of 'normal' is probably quite different from everyone else's.  There has never been a 'normal' and all over the world societies are changing more rapidly than we can adapt to.

Are the new 'norms' going to be increased state control because of the needs to keep huge, mobile populations safe?  Increased inequalities as a result of a fire sale of assets to global wealth funds?   One person's Sword of Damocles is another person's weapon of choice.  Hasn't it all moved way beyond national politics?

Thu 23 Apr 2020, 14:49 (last edited on Thu 23 Apr 2020, 16:39)

Well we now have a decent opposition with Starmer performing well at PMQ's unlike the previous shambles who alienated the northern working class and lost the election

Maybe that will assist in keeping the govt to account

Wed 22 Apr 2020, 21:36

I think our MP has much better things to do. 

Tue 21 Apr 2020, 21:16 (last edited on Tue 21 Apr 2020, 21:29)

Exactly so. I know this originates from Hong Kong, whose people have been bravely demonstrating against the fascist government, whose authority is enforced by a police force who *are* (apparently) equipped with all the necessary PPE, whilst medical services and hospitals do *not* yet have this "luxury".

And what of the UK?

Here, we have a government that has been in power for ten years; under their (mal)administration, our NHS has been starved of funds, resulting in the *farcical* situation that we see today, where these HEROES are having to work to save lives, so doing without adequate PPE to which they have an inalienable right. And yet they do not have it; day after day we hear some pathetic government PUPPET exaggerate their efforts. Meanwhile UK companies continue to *export* PPE, despite our needs here!

So yes, that graffiti is the truth, both here and in Hong Kong, albeit in different ways. It is also the truth in many other places too. Returning to normal will *not* help us recover. The Sword of Damocles is hanging over our nation at this moment, and THE GOVERNMENT DO NOT CARE!! 

Maybe our MP would care to comment????

Tue 21 Apr 2020, 20:31

“We can't return to normal, because the normal that we had was precisely the problem.”

Discuss.