In response to Will Jones: Did we ever need lockdown?
FirstNationFirst wrote:
If we were to place the main ‘actors’ in this Chinese virus drama back into the 1960s then here is how it would play out: a breathless Professor Neil Ferguson rings No 10 to advise BJ that ‘there are dozens, possibly hundreds of incoming ICBMs on our screens’. BJ slams down the phone and calls to his military aide ‘Pass me the nuclear briefcase’. With sweaty palms he opens it and presses the nuclear launch button. BJ sits at his desk offering a prayer when his telephone rings again. ‘Er, PM, just an update from the east coast – we have identified those blips on our screens as a large flight of swans,’ says Ferguson.
SiberianRhod wrote:
The lockdown was never really about the virus, it was about making sure the NHS was not shown to be the expensive but useless monolith that it is.
Simon Platt replied:
You can’t say that about Our NHS! It’s the envy of the world!
Although one thing does puzzle me. Recently, assorted senior managers from Our NHS and various related public-sector bigwigs (Directors of Social Services, etc) have taken to blaming Her Majesty’s Government for failure to provide certain equipment, etc. Don’t these fellows understand the meaning of the word ‘management’? And, in any case, aren’t they supposed to lead beyond authority, as they have been trained?
Pitchfork Revolt replied:
The main role of the public sector manager is to avoid taking responsibility at all costs.
Andy replied:
And to trouser a huge salary for not doing so.
