COVID-19

Meanwhile in Canada, Justin Castro Trudeau reveals his new design for the national flag, effective immediately.

 

Would you be in favour of freezing bank accounts or cancelling insurance of BLM protesters? Essentially they did/do the exact same (cause disruption by peacefully protesting for liberty)

 

Did they block vital infastructure for a number of weeks causing major cities to grind to halt?

 

Never mind the they did this and they did that, they caused disruption in other ways (violence, statues etc).

Answer the question.

 

If they had done the same as the 'protestors' in Canada and we were in Canada then yes. As I have said the Canadian government have used existing laws, there is nothing new being used just because they are anti mandate

 

Existing laws that needed to be enacted in an emergency. Its slightly different to be fair. Let's not pretend that martial law is the same as using existing law and order.

So where is your line? You can block bank accounts if you block a road but not if you spend a week burning down buildings? Burning buildings obviously causing no disruption at all.

 

who spent a week burning down buildings. Missed the whole town/city being burnt to the ground

 

You know that not answering questions makes discussion difficult don't you. It's why we go round in circles.

I could give an example but it's unimportant in the context of the two points I made.

 

the importance is that your examples are a)based in realty and b)are similar to what is happening in Canada where the same group of people blockade and caused total paralysis of the city for a number of weeks and outnumbered the local police force

 

I'm asking what your line is.

Whether they are hypothetical or in reality makes no difference.

So is it time based? Destruction based? Motive based?

 

it is based on the capability of the law enforcement agencies to control the situation. A bit like how the police police many events. The level and proportion of manpower and tactics used depend on the threat level and options available

 

So any time police can't get a grasp on a situation it's okay to freeze people's money? Blocking several road for 3 weeks is too much of a threat to allow people to use a bank account? There is no threat. Certainly less threat than the BLM protests for example.

It will never fail to surprise me how much people side with a government against people using their only possible options to meaningfully show their wish to non-comply. Martial law is apparently acceptable at the drop of a hat.

 

so where is your line for allowing freezing of bank accounts?

 

If you have a law on the statute book that has been voted through and allows for it.....outside of martial law.

Serious financial crime where the assets frozen are the proceeds of that crime would be the usual one I suppose. Definitely not because you vociferously disagree with the government and they can't control you!!

 

Well it looks like Boris is having a press conference tonight in order to confirm isolation is no longer required and that testing will be wound down.

Testing at this stage is pretty much pointless anyhow, there will be some people who are religiously testing and those people will be the ones who will struggle with this decision but the vast vast majority of the population has pretty much stopped testing. Yesterday figures for cases were in the 20k's for the first time in months and the number of people in ICU in England dropped below 300 at the weekend. It's not been that low since before July last year. The hospital figures are totally distorted as report after report is now showing more than 50% of people in hospital for other reason who happen to test positive making the daily admission figures pretty much meaningless.

Interestingly, Scotland who still have masks and require covid passports have a case significantly higher than that of England.

This is all politically motivated so that Boris can play to the gallery but it does appear to be the right call at the right time. It is amazing that those who shout the loudest at the £37bn test and trace cost are those shouting loudest about not continuing "free testing" It isn't "free", it's been estimated to cost us £2bn a month this testing. I for one would rather this money be going into the NHS waiting list, rather than people testing several times a week when there is nothing wrong with them.

 

I can't get my head around it and you can throw the tax rises in there as well. Even allowing for the that several countries have already removed free testing months ago.

You have to pick a lane when it comes to these things, so many people just want to complain about everything.

 

But you people who should be isolating won't be isolating because they don't know they are ill.....

That's one of my favourites. Do these people actually think that people are testing religiously at the moment? I would guess 1, maybe 2 out of 10 people are testing with LFT more than twice a week, and of those it will be on the say so of their employer.

If these people are actually under the impression that everytime they go to the supermarket they are walking among people who have been tested recently before entering the store they are in for a shock. In fact if they just stopped for a minute and thought about everyone they bumped into during the course of a week be it at a shop, train, bus, work, etc and considered that 90% of those people they meet haven't had any kind of test, then all they are really upset about today is the fact a small number out of the large number will no longer be testing.

I can see an argument for free testing to continue for those who care or are in the company of the vunerable, but beyond that for the rest, I see little point.

 

And just like that the restrictions are gone. More simply and quietly than I ever imagined.

For all Johnson's faults - and there are numerous of them - yesterday was a prime example of why when it comes to actual decision making I can't help feeling delighted that we're governed by the side of the house we are. One side grudgingly imposing restrictions and joyously lifting them while the other seems to fight against every aspect of liberty at every turn.

The Labour party better hope they can get rid of Johnson though Partygate because they're making a mess of actual policy against him.

 

It seems that Scotland and Wales begging for funding for tests suggests the devolved governments are wanting to continue with their dictatorships for months to come.

Will be interesting to see what Queen Nicola announces today. I guess not much will change, she won't get rid of isolation, she won't get rid of masks and her intention is to continue with testing hence the request for money to continue to fund them. So what will actually change in Scotland?

Going back a few months I said Partygate would force Johnson's hand, and so it has done.