I read the other day that Professor Neil Ferguson, who has gotten much of the blame for...everything, quit after he didn't properly lock his lockdown down. (source).
Now, I won't say he acted properly. But to say he "undermined lockdown"? That's pure propaganda. I don't want to entertain conspiracy theories but this smacks of being made the fall guy. The government knew he wasn't popular and, in my honest opinion, I think they're looking to blame anyone but themselves. In the firing line will be scientists.
What happened: his missus visited him while in lockdown. Now, if he's the only person in Britain to have behaved that way I'll be very surprised! Yes it was 'ill advised' but I hardly think it's any worse than any of the things we've heard politicians doing (like shaking hands with covid patents).
The article is clearly partisan. It even quotes Scotland Yard as if to suggest the possibility he broke the law. They are painting the guy as a real villain here! Fallen professor is the man responsible for all your dead grandparents! Come the fuck on. This is classic political chicanery.
Why him? Well he's held up as responsible for lockdown, essentially. That if we didn't up to a quarter of a million could die. The devil is in the detail obviously and I haven't read his modelling. It doesn't alter the point. What I'm saying is that lockdown is clearly unpopular amongst the capitalist class, so let's use this to scapegoat the guy. Let's smear him. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap.
So with him out the picture the government can find scientific advice from people more amenable to the needs of capital. Which may be, if I haven't completely lost the plot (I'm not so sure), why we're now teetering on the edge of unlocking the lockdown.
What a mess we are in. It's as if we've been led right up the creek and then left without a paddle. "See ya!" says Field Marshal Johnstwat before opening the door to let the wild dogs in and then fucking off to Chequers for a gay old time. This is madness; you cannot institute a lockdown and then, when things get a bit tough for capital, decide that it's ok. It won't be because people are going to equate easing with the end of the virus. That clearly hasn't happened and isn't going to anytime soon, menwhile hundreds are still dying and the infection is still present.
Are people even going to want to consume and spend? If not then what is the point?
I've come through these past many weeks and now I'm oddly used to it. Changing things again without any certainty - and without any confidence (at least not from me) - is crazy.
Welcome to crazy!
And what a giant confused mess that all is!
Meanwhile in the Class War...
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