Lockdown Tales: Are We Doing The Right Thing?

Some genius from XR was saying the government are to be writing out to people telling them that lockdown conditions are set to get harsher. I've no idea if this is true, XR are unfortunately prone to hyperbole. I'm not sure what this means. In fact I'm not even sure the post is working! My greatest fear: rationing. Though I think that (hope to god!) unlikely as it would be an administrative nightmare. Not that that ever stops these idiots in charge.

I just put the bins out. A very weird experience for something so mundane. But that's how it is now. Everything has a weird yet invisible sheen. As if the perimeter of the property, when I place the bins, has some social shielding I must not breach. I feel the eyes of the neighbourhood peering out to ensure correct protocols are enforced. Are the bins even 'clean'? What will I catch from the bins after they have been cleaned? A million insane questions spin; the product of a world gone mad.

Sometimes I wonder if we are overreacting. It's hard to think so without coming across as a conspiracy peddler or an attention seeker. But yet, as I've said before, we must have perspective. The XR clip spoke of a death count as if it was some biblical slaughter. People have died, of course they have. Denying that is grotesque. But excess winter deaths are always high, even with 'regular' flu which we can vaccinate against. Is this the right approach?

Honestly? 

I don't know. Maybe lockdown is necessary because our government have so spectacularly fucked up. That is indisputable. They've not just been caught with their pants down; they've actively stood in front of a charging bull called Covid, pulled their pants down themselves and painted their arses bright red. This is a horrible mess of their own making. Now we are paying the price, whatever the correct course of action may be. I guess only time will tell. In many ways whether or not I agree doesn't really matter since they aren't going to listen to me.

This is only week 2! They say truth is always the first casualty of war.

I think we can all agree that this should have been dealt with earlier, and more thoroughly. Test, trace, quarantine where necessary. We didn't. 

But on the other hand, it's a certainty surely that there are more people who have been infected/are infected than is being recorded. It is also quite credible to assert the virus has been circulating in Britain for longer. Which means we can compare it to the seasonal flu figures (which are collected or the totality of the season). Is it as bad? What does it mean if it is given that we don't lockdown the country over the flu. I hate to sound like Peter bloody Hitchens of all people (because he's a self righteous anachronism), but this is a valid inquiry and, if nothing else, I want to believe this can be better and not the doom laden scenario prophesied by the likes of XR.

But maybe they're right

Lockdown Tales: Hold Them To Account

Mother dearest had an Amazon delivery today.

Never has the arrival of a cooker been so confusing and terrifying. Do you leave it on the doorstep, staring at it hoping your eyesight can disinfect whatever germs lay hidden on the surface? Eventually she put on some marigolds and opened it up. Ultimately pointless, since you'd have to forensically clean everything at every stage, including yourself, until you reached the point where the product itself remained, cleaned.

Yeah, that didn't happen. If, at any stage in the packaging and delivery process, the virus got transferred onto this then we're fucked. To be honest, what realistically can you do? At some point you have to let go. Given how overworked Amazon staff are at the best of times I think it's only a matter of time before someone there catches, then inevitably spreads, the virus. I would assume that Amazon aren't in the habit of caring for their staff such that they'll be testing them.

So that's us then.

I'm starting to forget what it was like when things were normal. As far as normality goes in the pre-climate collapse capitalist crisis era. Something was boudn to go wrong, though I'd have preferred it to be something less...bacterial. It's pretty obvious human civilisation is undergoing a radical shift. Neoliberalism, dare I say it, has run its course, surviving on the fumes of credit and the desperation of powerful men that depend on it. Even now, while their societies splutter into oblivion they cling to this dream. Too frightened of change.

But change we must. To live again. Something is waiting to be born. It cannot be denied. It is screaming inside each of us. Whether individually and collectively we deny this will decide the coming period. Either we win or the ruling elite enforces harsher systems and increased austerity while the poor, predictably, get the blame. Don't fool yourself: that's exactly what will happen. The poor and the sick - the marginalised - will be scapegoated. Already the west are trying to blame China, ignorant of the fact that, as ground zero for the outbreak, they may be useful allies in dealing with it.

The capitalists revert to type. Parochial scapegoating, othering and racism are par for the course for the clowns currently in charge. Let us hope that is not for much longer. I cannot, in all reason, believe they can survive this. Surely this amount of fatal incompetence can only be met with the boot. Right up Johnson's fat self entitled arsehole.

Yet we know these slippery bastards have the means to survive. The media will rally around, questions that should be asked will go unspoken. Journalists exist now to serve the status quo. Never to question. It will be decades, generations, until the truth - probably in the form of a docu-drama (or reality show) - is revealed. Why our government, back then in 2020, fucked up so spectacularly. Until then, when the dramatis personae have dramatis passed away, they will redouble their efforts to oppress and obfuscate.

This must not be allowed to happen. Our eyes are open. We see  you.

Weekender 2: Longer Rays From An Old Sun

Ah the Summer we'd all rather forget is about to happen. Or maybe it will turn out good and the virus will recede or even disappear (at least enough for some semblance of normality). We simply do not know.

I fear I may be getting lax in keeping a daily blog. I try to avoid the news. It's just too depressing and too overwhelming. Inevitably the death rate will increase. In fact that isn't as alarming as it might sound (clearly it's awful, and I fully blame our Clown Car Crew flaccidly calling themselves a government). We know that recorded cases of the virus represent those in hospital; people already sick enough to run a greater than perhaps 'average' risk of dying. This skews our perception of the threat posed. So it isn't surprising that death rates will rise from among that cohort. It takes time for the virus to do it's evil work. People aren't dying the moment they contract the virus; their is a lag. They go into hospital, stay sick, and eventually pass (or recover - hopefully the latter). So it doesn't mean the virus is killing more people in the way you might imagine as it cleaves through the community, but that those already sick are finally reaching an outcome.

Furthermore, the news will not divulge comorbidities or existing health conditions. Even that young woman who was mentioned...they say she was otherwise healthy. But as far as the news is concerned what does that mean? The government considers eating what is, quite frankly, rubbish (grains, cereals, a whole host of inflammatory foods) to be a 'balanced' (i.e. healthy) diet. She could have smoked, enjoyed a drink now and again - just enough to be 'normal', but that's not a synonym for healthy.

Anyway. Let's leave that there for now; I'm not a scientist.

It's the first day of Summer. A day I normally mark, even though, these days, it's a lot colder at this time of year than childhood memories affirm. Perhaps that's how the climate has changed, or perhaps I just remember poorly and 'twas ever thus. I'd like to think otherwise: I always associate the elongation of the day, the start of summer time, with the warmth of the widening rays. It feels cleansing to do so. It feels right

I mark this time on the psychic calendar; to manage the days. More so now that we find ourselves in this difficult period; unprecedented. We can say goodbye to Winter (hopefully - I hear it's been snowing). As a reward for strength of soul through the dark months, we are blessed by Mother Sun. Ra raises us up. Atem-tion!. Hopefully it won't be long before we can say goodbye to the Corona virus.

Maybe this can be a turning point. That is it's purpose for me. The value of the aforementioned psychic calendar. A way to map out the days to pace yourself and prepare throughout the year as the seasons shift and change and the days grow long and short. Some can stumble through the days; they seem to tumble down the stairs of our lives always landing softly on the feathers of good fortune. That person is not me. This is about a spiritual map; a mandala if you will. One can navigate life on an emotional level this way. It's why, I believe, we benefit rom traditions that mark things like the harvest, the end of the year, the return of spring, etc.

I think we need them now, more than ever.

Weekender 2: We May Be Here A While

The weather's changed: gotten colder and windier. Hopefully this won't last for too long. I could say the same thing about the wider situation. Unfortunately I'm starting to really feel that isn't going to be the case.

The likelihood of there being a vaccine any time soon is slim. It took a long time for SARS to get one. Perhaps they can build on that, I hope so. What is needed now is a concerted, and sadly unprecedented, global effort. Capitalism won't like that. No profit in it.

So here we are.

There's a possibility that the summer heat (and perhaps early summer heat - global warming we need you!) could force the virus into recession (much like the economy). But can our country survive like this until then. That's three months away, and even then it only really ramps up around July/August. I cannot see this situation sustaining until then.

If it does then it will move into the global south where, next winter, there is every chance of it returning here. I have no faith in our leaders' taking advantage of a period of calm to do anything practical or preparatory. So what happens then; shut down again? How can a country survive like that? Coming out of economic hibernation every summer before shutting down the rest of the year. The answer is they cannot.

If there is a period of respite - and hopefully something better - then that must be exploited. We must push hard for new leaders and new leadership if that's what it takes. But our economy will be battered. They will try and inflict further austerity, of that you can be sure. If the answer to the crisis of 2007/8 was austerity then what now if not the same? I don't even want to think about how much more can be cut.

We may be fighting for our lives in more ways than one.

Our leaders have failed us in the worst possible way - and don't forget (as if you could) that in December Brexit time's up and we are set to crash out. You might hope that won't happen all thigs considered, but we cannot count on the Tories to really care about that. Especially under Coris the (coughing) Clown.

We could well see the onset of genuine societal collapse.

I want a better world. But at the same time I am currently so out of my comfort zone. This situation is continually scary. There is no pressure valve here. I have to find things to do, which, fortunately so far, hasn't been too difficult, but there is no break from this. The longer it goes, the harder it will be. When the weather turns, even going for a walk (which I could do more as I'm lucky to have the space nearby - and no police drones) is difficult. You might think, then, that staying at home is all the more appealing. But when there are no restrictions on going out it isn't a problem to choose not to, paradoxically.

This is difficult. I imagine there are plenty of people struggling right now. They are going to struggle more in the coming weeks, if not days. Finding things to do isn't impossible, I have tings to do, it's knowing that you have to that causes the frustration.

That is all I have to say for now. I wanted these posts to be more upbeat, or at least quirky. But right now, I think I need to vent. That's likely to happen more and more I'm afraid.

Weekender 2: Self Isolated Boogaloo

Seems like only a week ago I did my first diary entry called Weekender. How time flies :D

The weather is noticably cooler today. It's set to get a bit colder still over the weekend, and hopefully not much beyond. All normal of course, about the only thing that is right now. I bought some Bok Choy and some garlic this morning. Our local shop is not cheap, but it is local and a shop. I've spent a small fortune on food these last few days, but it should see me through the next fortnight. Who knows where this situation will be then. Hopefully Batman will have created a vaccine to save us from the Joker's plague. Maybe not.

Sometimes I feel it getting to me. I hope I can endure. I ask myself what else I would be doing in normal times. Probably nothing majorly more productive. I can't lie though I do want normality. Activists are saying things cannot return to normal. That may be true, I guess it depends on the power of the media to persuade everyone how wonderful the Tories and capitalism is. Even so it would be nice not to have to worry about death by shaking hands. Or worry that the food chain is going to collapse. Or that some damn fool politician with a lightbulb up his arse is going to introduce rationing and compulsory singing of the national anthem. I think some believe this to be a crisis that's part Blitz spirit and part holiday camp. Die die hi! I've long suspected Blitz spirit to be an urban myth - no one really enjoyed living under the terror of Nazi bombs. They just wheel that trope out in tough times to reinforce nationalist tendencies. These are nowt more than a precursor to fascism.

Truly though we cannot return to normal. There must be an impetus toward positive change, once the bacteria bombs have stopped dropping. The Tories must not be allowed to pretend everything's fine. The economy will be evidence of that with all signs pointing to a situation beyond a recession. There could even be worldwide depression; I have no idea what that looks like. Would it eclipse the 1920's?

The truth of austerity has been laid bare, as if more evidence were needed. But we're still (as far as I know) headed for Brexit. I've no idea if that madness has been cancelled. Doubtless Boris the clown doesn't want that, but he may have no choice. But again who can say where we'll be at the end of the year when the transition period expires. Back to panic buying bog roll I suppose. Maybe that's the future. Maybe all those future books I read as a kid were really just coded warnings about a future without toilet paper. Various designs for robot bidets and nanotech arsewipes.

Finally, it isn't without some schadenfreude that I note Matt Hancock, the Tory health secretary (as if you didn't know) has reportedly contracted COVID19 (why caps, why?). So how did that happen? How many hospitals has he wandered around infecting? He could be the most dangerous man in the country right now! Nature seems to be doing the job of the working class right now in bringing these bloody Tories down.

Don't worry they can't last forever.

Lockdown Tales: The Dawn Poor Us

Off I go for a morning walk. Still cold. Actually not something I really would want to continue otherwise, but it seems a decent time to stretch the legs when few people will be around. I'm lucky that I have the capacity and space to do this so I'd be a fool not to take advantage. I feel for foilk stuck in the urban sprawl who would find getting some fresh air tough.

Unfortunately it is also proving to be the only time to get food. Like the post apocalypse scenario: dawn rises and the scavs rise from the gutter and the sewerscapes to forage for junk parts and old tins of something called S P A M.

The shop situation is crazy: it's at once busy, which is good for business, but at the same time the buying frenzy is like a plague of contactless payment locusts. There's nothing left but the beep. It will - must - stabilise. What else can be said.

Getting what I need isn't impossible, but the effort required rather negates the notion of 'infrequent' the OverGov declares we must undertake. The situation is exacerbated by the limited choice of shopping venue mandated by the crisis. Normally I'd bus into town and get what I need. Not no more. When it comes to whereabouts you are quarantined it's very much a case of swings and roundabouts.

I don't really see how this situation can continue, in all honesty. They said three weeks. I suspect (without a shred of evidence) that Boris will relent in some fashion thereafter. But that may not be wise, and it may not even happen. Or it may get worse. Though I don't see any value in curfews for example, even considering how far down the poison rabbit hole we've come.

I'm still uncertain about what I presented yesterday. The Oxford study claim that Corona has already inftected much of the population is interesting, perversely even hopeful, but unsubstantiated. It is being refuted by many as being premature and lacking evidence. Hopefully that evidence can be provided. I'm beginning to believe we must return to normalcy as soon as possible. I don't know which is worse: capitalism or COVID. Both are shit, let's just agree with that. Both are also incompatible. Capitalism won't cure it.

I regularly sit outside at around 3pm (come and wave from a socially distanced point beyond my garden fence). The weather remains most clement. The book I'm enjoying, in the Corona Book Club, is Malice, John Gwynne's fantasy novel (because that's how I roll). There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but the writing is none too taxing. It seems like a pretty standard, fun, fantasy romp set in a society reminiscent of ancient Britain.

That is where I shall leave it today. Happy Thursday.

Lockdown Tales: Sitting in the Garden, Trying to Maintain Perspective

Today I am going to present three articles for your delectation. The weather is lovely, which certainly lifts the mood. I've enjoyed sitting in the garden reading, doing a little meditation, and some yoga (I'm so new age) in the evening. Lovely in the starlight, if it's not too cold. There's still a touch of frost in the air. Yet it's so eerily quite outside at night. I put the bins out and suddenly felt very self conscious doing so!

Anyway. I hope you's lot are coping. It's all we can do for now. I've also been following a couple of nature twitter feeds which are soul nourishing, including Chris Packham of Springwatch. He has been putting out some quality wildlife work from his home/garden. I think he should be knighted for this, personally (if he isn't already, I'm not entirely sure). There's also the #solaceinnature and #wildlifefrommywindow hashtags, and the Self Isolating Bird Club account, for those interested. Lovely stuff: far less depressing than being overwhelmed by the multitude of corona hashtags..

So these articles are interesting because I feel they help put things into some sort of perspective. Something we desperately need right now, to keep us sane. COVID19 (caps?) is serious, as is the seasonal flu. Of course we can vaccinate the latter. But nonetheless panic is not helping anyone, no more than our dreadful inept PM.

The first, from the FT, questions whether Corona may have already infected half the population. (there may be a paywall). At first blush this seems horrifying. Certainly, given the government's complete failure to test adequately, it would be foolish to think there weren't more people carrying/infected than there are recorded cases. Those would be the ones serious enough to warrant hospital admission.

This seems to suggest that, if herd immunity is possible with COVID19 (don't know why I'm using caps), then, if so many people are infected, then herd immunity might well work. I'm not suggesting this was a good police but we don't really have anything else after all. Government should have been more prepared and more vigilant: testing tracing quarantining. It could also means the crisis could perhaps 'end' sooner. If true (if!) then that's good, surely.

Zoe Harcombe, a very thorough nutrition expert and researcher whom I follow, posted this article. It is intended to reassure. The take home is that we should maintain both vigilance, good hygiene, and perspective.

I leave it to you to read and make of what you will. I do not want to tell people what to think say or do; this is a scary time. Potentially terrifying: one moment you're sat in the garden reading a nice book, the next thing you're reading that a young girl otherwise claimed to have no underlying health conditions (which doesn't mean she was fit and healthy living on a good diet etc) has sadly been lost to the disease.

There will be people who, when the vaccine comes, will receive the inoculation and still die. Just as there are 17,000 people that died from seasonal flu which can be vaccinated. Apparently healthy people drop dead. It, sadly, happens; though of course infections don't help.

But 17,000 didn't seem  to overwhelm the NHS in quite the same was this outbreak could. I'm not suggesting we shouldn't anticipate the worst, that's what government should have done. But I don't even think the worst cases we've seen across the world thus far (and hopefully never see) come that close at all. Furthermore there would have been more people that got sick with flu but didn't die. Our NHS seemed to have coped. As it does yearly. Which isn't to say it isn't overworked and underfunded because we know that to be the case, thanks to deliberate Tory misrule.

Lastly, and perhaps a bit conspiratorially, there's this. Now this comes from an official source (or I'm a gullible fool). But it seems odd to read "as of 19 March 2020, COVID19 is no longer considered to be a high consequence infectious diseases (sic) in the UK". On the face of it that would fly in the face of everything we are told. It's possible that is a very specific scientific term and that it doesn't mean COVID isn't serious and dangers, nor am I saying otherwise.

Consider who is in charge. Capital faces a huge crisis right now and one doesn't need to be Oliver Stone to know that the ruling class makes laws and changes to keep power centralised. It's been doing that for the last ten years under the Tories. It's stripped away the rights of many, and plans to do so more with its Emergency legislation. While it is right to respond to crises, whatever the shape of your society, one must always, as a private citizen, question the motives. Apply Tony Benn's five questions:

1. What power have you got?
2. Where did you get it from?
3. In whose interests do you use it?
4. To whoom are you accountable
5. How do we get rid of you?

This last is perhaps the most important.

Meanwhile, wash your hands, take care, don't be an arse :D

'Till tomorrow.