Sunday 31 January 2021

The Long Road 27: (+3:17) Good Riddance January

Finally it's snowing. Again. It snowed last week I think, only when I wasn't looking. There wasn't much to show for it. Snow is a strange beast: I like the idea of it, but it quickly becomes disruptive and that, like the lockdown, is oppressive: it just reminds you that you can't get out and doo much. Unless you, unlike me, enjoy the cold and have non-leaky wellies. Oh isn't it a sad life! Still, if we must have Winter then the least it can do is be like Winter (does the word require capitals? Let's pretend not). Proper frosty still clear sunny days, please. Not the endless biting wind, grey, rain and misery thanks. Snow is permitted, briefly. Like a sip of your dad's watered down lager at the dinner table. 

And so we must, gladly, consign this shitty month to the dustbin of history; deservedly so. I have celebrated by visiting the local shop, as I do every day (because it's something to do out of the house), only to find that, thanks to Brexit, vegetable prices have markedly increased. Thanks idiots! During a pandemic as well, what could be a better time to make people pay more for the limited choice imposed on them by lockdown. Disgraceful.

Now the papers are calling Boris a hero for 'facing down' the EU - thus proving just how evil the EU is. It's facile of course. But that's the small attention span of modern politics. We can forget the entire death toll of the Tories catastrophic mishandling of the pandemic because...Boris has told the EU 'non'! Meaningless. Even if we assume he has handled this particular, latest, wrinkle with uncharacteristic aplomb (and I don't), it speaks 'non' at all to their overall catalogue of failure and malevolence.

Fortunately the infection rate has been falling well. Testing reveals that the percentage coming back positive is falling. We are almost two thirds where we were a month ago. It has been a dark and dreary month, made worse by this awful pandemic, but, despite our shit government, things have improved. As long as this happens consistently throughout February we should be in a good place for the Spring. Fingers most definitely crossed. 

Of course this will provoke the usual suspects to call for early normality. This would be desperately premature: with the virus still around, and without a crucial zero covid strategy, restrictions will ned to remain in place for a good long while. If not then, inevitably, the virus will start to spread again. This is the mistake that has been made by the government repeatedly, no doubt egged on by the cranks and the capitalists. We can't let that happen again. Another lockdown would be catastrophic.

See you next month comrades.

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