We cannot go back to how we were This is the reaction of many to the pandemic, now stalking many lands. Globalisation – at least as enjoyed over the last few decades – is over, a reset of relations with China, a change to the state’s role to the chagrin of those wanting a small state, low taxes, free markets, borders will not be as open as before etc.,. Well, some or all of this is probably true. Big events…
But fewer are concerned about the individual threat Whenever this is all over, and who can predict that, it is clear that the events of the past three months and the actions of ministers are set to have a big impact on domestic politics. Pollster Ipsos-MORI has been asking tracker questions and we can see from the two charts above how things have moved. The worrying one for Team Boris is the growing percentage who think that action was taken…
Social distancing – the price There were some interesting posts on the overnight thread which perhaps should be given a wider audience. This from Cyclefree is one of the best and is on the impact of the the metres apart regime that all of us are having to handle. No hugs, no kissing. No intimacy. No quiet conversations or simply being close to someone. No choirs, no theatres, no concerts or gigs, no dancing, no visits to the cinema. No…
A strange day with differing developments. The thing that sriked me as most important has been what has happened in Germany – the European country that seemed to be doing best. I get a sense of greater restlessness.
By far the biggest development so far in WH2020 has been Trump’s comment a few days ago that people could inject themselves with bleach to fight the the coronavirus. This has been widely ridiculed and there have been reports from many parts of the US of people actually ingesting bleach and other such liquids and having to be treated by the emergency services. Of all the crazy things that this President has said so far during the campaign this is…
The above was painted by my daughter-in-law, Lucille Smithson, who is a professional portrait painter based in Los Angeles and is producing a number of works relating to the coronavirus pandemic. This is what she wrote about this painting: This is Nicola and Gwen. Nicola is an advanced nurse practitioner on a #covid-19 ward in Edinburgh. Gwen who is her grandmother, tragically passed away on the same ward last month from coronavirus. Yvonne, Nicola’s mother, reached out to me here…