Northerner
Admin (Retired)
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Calls for the government to introduce extra measures to contain Covid have grown louder. At the last count these came from the NHS Federation, the British Medical Association, Macmillan Cancer, the behaviours and modelling subcommittees of the emergency science group Sage, the president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, regional public health directors and metropolitan mayors. Yet the government has responded by saying it sees no need for restrictions, and that it is opposed to lockdown in all forms.
What is telling here is not only the decision not to act, but the way in which the government’s framing of the issues serves to justify that decision. Covid measures are characterised as Covid restrictions or even a lockdown. Those calling for action can thereby be characterised as fanatics who want to remove our liberty while the government presents itself as defender of our freedoms, preserving “normality”.
This has been an effective strategy. After all, who wants lockdown? So if you are labelled a lockdown supporter, you have probably lost the argument. And the reason why this finger-pointing strategy has gained traction is because – probably more as a result of thoughtlessness than collusion – it is echoed by most of the media. Almost daily I am asked by journalists whether people will accept new Covid restrictions.
www.theguardian.com
Good article - 'protections' not 'restrictions' 🙂 I certainly feel less safe now than I did when evertything was lifted. The number of infections in my local postcode prior to July 19th was around 0-3, now it is 50 per day. Even though I may be protected by the vaccine, I could still get very ill
What is telling here is not only the decision not to act, but the way in which the government’s framing of the issues serves to justify that decision. Covid measures are characterised as Covid restrictions or even a lockdown. Those calling for action can thereby be characterised as fanatics who want to remove our liberty while the government presents itself as defender of our freedoms, preserving “normality”.
This has been an effective strategy. After all, who wants lockdown? So if you are labelled a lockdown supporter, you have probably lost the argument. And the reason why this finger-pointing strategy has gained traction is because – probably more as a result of thoughtlessness than collusion – it is echoed by most of the media. Almost daily I am asked by journalists whether people will accept new Covid restrictions.
Covid measures give us choice. They are not restrictions on British life
The government, ignoring the science, talks of freedom. But true liberty comes from cutting infections so people feel safe, says Sage member Stephen Reicher
www.theguardian.com
Good article - 'protections' not 'restrictions' 🙂 I certainly feel less safe now than I did when evertything was lifted. The number of infections in my local postcode prior to July 19th was around 0-3, now it is 50 per day. Even though I may be protected by the vaccine, I could still get very ill