How Do You Feel? What Do You Think?

By
Chris Trotter
-
67
1965

NEW ZEALAND POLITICS under the Lockdown will be played out in two locations. The Beehive: where Jacinda Ardern and her key ministers and advisers will oversee the national effort to eradicate the Covid-19 virus. Parliament Buildings: where the Epidemic Response Committee, chaired by Simon Bridges, will hold the Prime Minister, her government, and the country’s leading public servants to account. Live broadcasts of government announcements and committee deliberations look set to provide New Zealanders with some of the most dramatic political performances of the Covid-19 drama. While the Lockdown lasts, these exchanges will constitute the beating heart of our democracy.

It didn’t have to be like this. Another Prime Minister, another Government, would have dared the Opposition to withhold its support from a State of Emergency declaration and put it before the House of Representatives regardless – relying on its majority to carry the day. The Government’s political surrogates would have denounced viciously any Opposition party foolish enough to abstain or, worse still, vote “No.” In a crisis as serious as New Zealand’s Covid-19 epidemic, any suggestion of non-co-operation couldn’t help but marginalise – even demonise – an obstinate Opposition. A more Machiavellian Prime Minister would have found it impossible to resist the temptation to manoeuvre his or her principal adversaries out of electoral contention, or, failing that, out of the public eye (which amounts to the same thing) in this way.

But not this Prime Minister. Understanding that any marginalisation of her opponents; any diminishing of accountability; would remove the incentive to carry out her duties openly and effectively, Jacinda deliberately subjected herself to Bridges’ scrutiny.

Secrecy not only encourages incompetence and failure, but it also allows them to remain hidden. It is a powerful testament to the Prime Minister’s personal determination to bring the New Zealand people safely through this crisis that she has refused the protection which secrecy and exclusion provide. The better Bridges does – and is seen to do – the more Jacinda will have to lift her game.

The onus now falls upon her colleagues and her officials to look after the PM by not stuffing things up!

It is only fair to acknowledge, however, that there is an element of benign Machiavellianism in giving Simon Bridges the starring role in the Epidemic Response Committee drama. If he does his job responsibly and well, then Jacinda’s performance will improve.

Win.

But, if he performs irresponsibly and badly: if he cannot resist the siren song of reckless negativity; if he simply cannot live with the thought that a consistent display of moderation and competence on his part will only enhance Jacinda’s prime-ministerial performance; then he will be drawn to the Dark Side of the political Force – and the whole country will be watching.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

Win-Win.

Which can only mean that we, the voters, are winners too. Because even in the midst of this unprecedented  public health emergency, and the economic crisis it has spawned, the logic of representative democracy continues to play itself out. Under extraordinary pressure, the leader of the Government and the leader of the Opposition will each show us what they are made of. Have they been blessed with intelligence, grace, wit, poise, toughness, empathy and humour – and in what measure? More importantly, to what extent have they been infused with that sacred fire the Ancient Greeks called charisma? Which of New Zealand’s prime ministerial contenders, the incumbent or the challenger, shows the most signs of Fortune’s favour?

The answer is located not only in the minds of New Zealand’s voters, but in their guts. As always, in the rough and tumble of democracy, political outcomes owe at least as much to how we feel, as to what we think.

So, one day into Lockdown, how are you feeling? What do you think?

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67 COMMENTS

  1. I notice that;
    Firstly the elderly have been ignored by Simon Bridges.

    Just the same way that has been mistreated already of the 110 000 Kiwis trapped overseas have been cerimonisly abonaboned by this administration.

    So looking seriously at this sorry mess;

    There is already plenty of critisism to be shared about of the whole sorry mess alreadsy created by these cretons now Chris.

    • Why are you so ready to believe those two clowns, and ignore the advice of people with actual medical qualifications, Helena Jordan? “A virus has never been proven to kill anyone”. Tell that to people who’ve got AIDS – hey but the HIV virus itself won’t actually kill you, it will just make such a mess of your immune system that your body will be utterly defenseless. I bet they’ll feel a whole lot better after hearing the news.

        • that’s right, Eva was killed by HIV/AIDS because someone invented vaccination. You are one sick person – grow a brain and don’t believe every credulous piece of shit you see online.

        • HJ
          Irrelevant tosh. You are just a blowfly that has been let loose in the kitchen. Swot that fly! Flyspray is not green. Or do as I do, the natural way,; I have two fat spiders, one each side of my kitchen window and one will get the fly which will buzz for just a little while before that winning spider finishes them off. You are either for us or against us, Jordan, and I think I know which. Buzz off.

    • This description of this video claims the US is the only place COVID-19 related restrictions are ramping up. That’s obviously bollox, as this is not America, and neither is Australia, the UK, Italy, or Spain. Neither is Singapore, Hong Kong, or any of the other countries that recently closed their borders to transit passengers.

      This video is a dire warning about one thing, the consequences of underfunding the public education system as the US has since the 1980s. Leaving people unable to understand the real world, even with historically unprecedented access to information. Spreading this kind of paranoid far-right disinformation is at best a waste of your time, and at worst doing significant harm.

      • +100! Spot on Danyl Strype. Thickos will out in times like these! I just hope this person doesn’t have a camper wagon – or children.

    • I made the mistake of clicking on Hellena Jordans link ,,,, and conclude she is a stark raving idiot.

      I stopped watching her bunk junk link ,,,, after her experts started off with this crap ,,,,

      ” A virus has never been never been proven to exist that causes disease ”

      Helena Trump Jordan ….. ‘ it’s a hoax ‘

      I’m feeling this virus is bringing the nutters out of the woodwork ,,,

      It’s a shame that some of them like Trump and Boris are in a position of power.

      Finally ,,,, If Jacinda is to walk the talk about being Kind ,,,, how about NZ lifts OUR sanctions on the people of Iran, Syria etc ,,, or do we continue the cruelty to these people.

      How about we stop being lap dogs in the 5 eyes english speaking Pirate club ,,, spreading the disease of endless war and suffering.

      Here in New Zealand I feel all those closed hospitals in our smaller towns and citys ,,,, often with the empty and derelict buildings still standing ( ie Oamaru ) ,,, are like a neo lib slap in the face to citizens.

      Here’s a link to someone who talks sense about viral disease and public health……. “Prof. Richard Wolff on Pandemic Economics”
      https://youtu.be/NXXJsQb6d4w

  3. “The onus now falls upon her colleagues and her officials to look after the PM by not stuffing things up!”

    Ah oh!

  5. I think we were ridiculously slow to stop inbound tourists particularly from China. The Ruby Princess was in Napier on March 15 FFS. Expecting self isolation of tourists for 14 days after arrival was completely unhinged.

    On the other hand we went from level 2 to level 4 probably in the nick of time. Community buy in is impressive and everybody seems really caring in my neck of the woods. Hopefully this lasts. I don’t expect the riots on the streets because of toilet paper shortages that so many on this blog are gagging for.

    Jacinda and Grant seem to be doing a good job so far. I’d cut down on the shots of Twyford, Jones, Lees Galloway etc striding manfully forward and in charge because that’s just laughable. Peters and Jones should be designated ministers on duty with a special responsibility for visiting the sick.

    I’m optimistic we can starve the virus out with the shutdown… but I’m always optimistic.

    I support the lockdown but have a nagging suspicion that in the fullness of time we’ll probably realise we should just have isolated the most vulnerable and carried on. There will be a crossover point where the carnage caused to the economy will cause more deaths and grief than the virus.

    The responsibiilty for this virus must be sheeted home to the Chinese Communist Party relentlessly. Their wet markets, their secrecy, their stupidity, their lies are entirely to blame. Magnified by our own weak leadership in the West. Check out Australia.. what a shit show.

    • Orangemanbad agrees with quarantines and measures to fight epidemics ,,,, unless Hone suggests it ,,, in which case he’s a “thug”.

      Orangemanbad ,,, “The responsibiilty for this virus must be sheeted home to the Chinese Communist Party relentlessly. Their wet markets, their secrecy, their stupidity, their lies are entirely to blame.” ,,,

      The Professor Wolfe video link above, exposes this disgusting stupidity and lack of basic understanding about the nature of viruses.

      Our inhumane filthy factory farming methods for chickens and pigs in NZ, means well over 75% of chicken purchased in supermarkets is ‘infected’ with germs that will make you sick if under cooked ,,,and our ‘superior’ non wet market chicken will contaminate other food items, surfaces or utensils it comes in contact with,,,

      The book ‘Dirty Politics ‘ showed the deceit and lies OUR last NAct government operated by ,,,

      And we have contaminated so many of our rivers in New Zealand that they might as well be open sewers,,,, such is the chance of getting sick from swimming in them ,,, let alone drinking the water ,,, which has killed peoples petsfor doing just that ,,,,

      Orangemanbad might as well be donald trump ,,,, for his ‘we must relentlessly attack china’ BS ,,,,,,, he’s a hypocrite playing the ‘look over there’ blame game.

      “Mehdi Hasan and Jeremy Scahill on the Coronavirus, the “Bailout,” and the 2020 Election”
      https://youtu.be/j1Cwazo9Dhc

        • ha ha really. strawman robo ,,,

          go eat some pink chicken and wash it down with a glass of NZ pure infected river water ,,,, then as your arse is exploding tell me how ‘good’ we are.

          Being better than china in many regards is not a pass mark for us , for what we are doing to our environment ( rivers etc ) ,,, or the planet .

          I regard your reddit conspiracy link to be marginally better than Helenas anti vaccination tosh ,,, The named and known medical experts I’ve listened too on this subject ,,, do not agree with your donald trump world view of, ‘sneaky chinks made this virus’.

          Apart from your strawman ,,,I take it you have no opinion on …

          ” how about NZ lifts OUR sanctions on the people of Iran, Syria etc ,,, or do we continue the cruelty to these people.

          How about we stop being lap dogs in the 5 eyes english speaking Pirate club ,,, spreading the disease of endless war and suffering.

          Here in New Zealand I feel all those closed hospitals in our smaller towns and citys ,,,, often with the empty and derelict buildings still standing ( ie Oamaru ) ,,, are like a neo lib slap in the face to citizens.” ,,,,

          Anyway I think this video gives a few laughs ,,, while showing up your Orangemanbad wank agenda / brotherhood. 😉 “Some Quarantined News – SOME MORE NEWS”
          https://youtu.be/uuBDbqpxsfk

      • I watched that goggle eyed fuckwits interview you posted. In the first three minutes he claimed we should have been stockpiling test kits for covid19 and that the Spanish Flu killed “over a quarter” of the worlds population in 1918. Both of these claims are so mind numbingly stupid, and so easily fact checked, that I’m kind of surprised it didn’t alert you to the fact you were watching bullshit… WTF happened reason?

        • I think he meant to say one quarter of the worlds fatality’s in that period …..

          And perhaps he should have said have ‘the capacity ‘ to quickly produce test kits’ ,,,, the science is not unique to a sole virus ,,, your defending a disaster.

          So two quibbles from Orangemanbad the hypocrite ,,, ie ” Thug”

          And Once more , Who are all the people here at the daily blog ,,, ” gagging for riots in the street”??? ,, you repeat offender liar.

          So you’re far more full of dishonest bullshit than any honest errors in any links I post up.

          A trump or Boris fan like yourself does not get it…. and can not admit their failure.

          “We are living in perilous times and if we don’t all act in unison, then we – as a thinking, rational (*cough*) species – will be defeated by a microsopic mindless organism that isn’t even aware of itself or us. The more some people “piss” around, the longer this goes on.”

            • Labs ,,,, the swabs or blood from the test kits gets sent to labs … that do the testing.

              Got to have the basic kits to take the swabs and blood ,,,to send to the labs

              Orangemanbad Trump lover still does not know what a test kit is.,,, and Oww , I’ve been called a dick by a proven liar ,,, that hurts 😉

              Heres another video for him to bristle over ,,,, the failure of private profit driven health care 🙂
              “Yanis Varoufakis on the economic and political impact of the coronavirus” |
              https://youtu.be/OLfHpvJKNg0

              • The bottleneck isn’t the swabs it’s the lab tests. I don’t know how to make that simpler. We have plenty of swabs America has enough swabs.

                The test kits contain the reagents that are specific to Covid 19.

    • p.s orangemanbad liar ,,,, who are the “so many” on this blog ,,, who are gagging for ‘riots on the street’.

      Your full of bullshit ,,, which is why you seem to favor Trump and Boris with their rank ignorance and defeatist thinking.

      • Every time
        *Something happens.*
        Orangemanbad – here’s how something will lead to personal responsibility.

        Hopefully things will change if this crisis lasts long enough.

    • Agree with most of that orangemanbad add to the initial lack of screening :the backpackers still flying in last week and legally hiring vans traveling around, or the cruise ships …

      • Yeah. Did you see the article on Stuff about freedom campers in lockdown? What a fucking nightmare. How do you keep them and us safe?

      • And what about the rich Saudi businessman who flew in on his private jet today? Insane that we are allowing this.

        • Well to be fair the Saudi billionaire wasn’t actually on the plane and it has now departed having evacuated 4, presumably, Saudi nationals. Presumably we’ll be allowing other countries to evacuate their own nationals as we’re in the process of trying to look after our own?

    • Okay, reason, next time pluck up courage to ask to see ingredients list before taking vaccination. I did and refused so no vax.

      • Nice to know I had you diagnosed Helena Trump ,,,, you anti science fool,,, ,,,,attempting to spread the virus of your stupidity

        years ago ,,, and regarding the flu vaccination*,,,I actually asked my doctor, ” do you vaccinate yourself against it ?” ,,, he replied “yes”,,,that was good enough for me ,,, and unlike you I understand the principles of vaccinations ,,,

        *the flu vaccination involved a degree of gambling ,,, that they had correctly picked Which Strain of flu would be doing the rounds that winter.

        • reason there are two scenarios with vaccines such as the flue vaccine, “bulk” vaccines used to give multiple shot to many and individual vaccines.
          One of the differences often discussed is the “preservative”used in either type.The individual vaccine does not have a mercury compound.
          I bet that is the type your Doctor used.

      • Ever had a friend with polio. If you are under 50 the chances are no . Why because a vaccination was discovered in 1955. and now most of the World is now free of the disease.

        • Indeed, Trevor.

          The stats regarding incidences of polio cases compared to the implementation of the vaccine are pretty compelling. Once mass vaccinations started, polio cases fell away to practically nothing.

          It is troubling that some folk would risk a return of this dread disease because of some irrational fear of the very instrument that led to polio’s near-demise. Honestly, who on Earth would want to see the return of this disease, and why?

          • Frank return of Polio or ‘infantile paralysis’ as I remember it being called, is something no right minded person would wish.
            But the vaccines did have a chequed early phase of mass use. There were / are two different types of vaccine with the Sabin oral vaccine now used much less in Western countries but still used in less developed countries. There can be side effects some of which are very serious to a small number of people.

  7. Respectfully – and I am interested in politics- now the call to lock down has finally been made I’m mainly interested in looking after my family and not getting sick so I can remain in work.
    Politicians playing politics with us the citizens, and those bureaucrats enjoying the police state just a little too much, can all take a walk off a tall building.

  8. If MSD/winz continues its farcical pretend to care while doing nothing behavior, starving kiwis will riot long before the ‘lockdown’ ends.

    No wonder airhead Ardern is making so many big promises about income support, she can promise the world but as long as MSD refuses to answer the phone, which has been the only way to contact them all week since they closed their offices days before the lockdown, no one will collect on all Ardern’s promises.
    Maybe the Bridges creep should take that issue on board – of course he won’t since the natz treat beneficiaries even worse than the current neolibs do, but if he did, he would be on a winner.
    I’ve been trying to help a bloke who has been confined to his home for two weeks since two days before the lockdown.
    The messages online suggest phoning ’em to sort out problems & for several days now the same thing happens any time of day.
    After the MSD 0800 number rings 3 times voicemail comes on and says the average waiting time is 70 minutes. Fine thinks the naif “I’ll just hang on for a bit over an hour & someone will sort this” But after 30 seconds or so another robo-voice comes on the line and asks you to state yer business – doesn’t matter what you say, anything or nothing, makes no difference after you have spoken the call is terminated. Every time, the sort of unnecessary cruelty a Franz Kafka bureaucrat would be proud of.

    People need to wake up and appreciate politicians are all scum, some may be more capable of concealing that than others, but ultimately the selection process for pols which rewards those most capable of selfishness & deceit, ensures that only the scum can rise.

    • Yes. This was always the problem with a lock down. Those at the bottom of the heap take yet another battering. And of course no way to complain and now even no way to physically approach the problem. We are told that we are following the Asian model but does anyone know exactly what that means. For example, is the treatment protocol the cheap effective chloroquine? Probably not because this treatment is most effective as an early intervention so that requires massive and early testing of a large chunk of the population. This has radically flattened the load of countries like South Korea. Ask yourself why all these high up people, the prince, trump, bolsanaro etc that are known to have come in contact with covd 19 dont develop further symptoms? Maybe they have access to chloroquinine? Remember it is cheap and effective so big pharma isnt interested. The money is on a vaccine but only for the plebs. Royalty seems to have access to chloroquinine

        • Well, it was tried successfully in China and written up in medical journals like the one linked to in the cited article where it was also stated that its efficacy is at the earlier stage and not the super critical lung failure stage when the viral load approaches zero and other factors are driving system failure. As stated in the article if you rrad it conducting tests on Hydroxy/chloroquine at the stage of system failure is self defeating because it is already known that there will be no positive outcomes

          • Viral load is at maximum when displaying symptoms ,,, like Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

            But you and trump can have it as a magic bullet if you like ,,,, strange that health officials are not rushing to prescribe it to people .

            You’d think the doctors in New York, Spain etc would be screaming for their populations to be receiving it.

            Must be a big conspiracy huh ?

            p.s Don’t answer ,,,, I’ve only got time for honest health experts.
            https://youtu.be/QAqzCIBVTUk

          • p.p.s the studys where it had failed ,,, the patients had mild symptoms .

            You seem to be describing it being used and failing at the terminal stage ??

            I hope it works ,,, but not seeing it yet.

      • The Asian model involved massive testing of anyone with symptoms. Our model has followed UK and others where you can’t get a test for love nor money unless your infection can be tied to overseas travel. That’s a fundamental opposite. No wonder we are being warned that there will be thousands of cases eventually. They are assuming it is already widespread, they don’t want a rush on an already overstretched health system which will not be able to cope.

        D J S

        • Agree.
          I wonder at a bunch of people throwing shade at the UK, the USA and Australia for adopting the herd immunity approach and cheerleading our PM as lord and savior- but look what she did.
          Border wide open, no health check or actual quarantine unless you were the pacific islands??
          And now she’s “moving fast” with the lockdown? It’s already widespread, buggar all testing.
          Good opinion article on Stuff today saying same.
          If you look at graph of cases Italy vs Taiwan with NZ plotted on it guess which curve we are mirroring?
          Not Taiwan.
          Let’s hope the extra economic pain we are now undergoing is worth it and we can stop the virus, doubt it will be only 4 weeks tho

          • Ok we get it ,,,, you agree with Trump, Boris and ScoMo …

            Your content with the extra deaths and mortality rate a overwhelmed health system would give ,,,

            And you don’t give a stuff about front line health workers ,,,,

            Given your carry on a about military style assault weapons ,,,, perhaps you think AR-15s are the medicine we all need.

            Heres a link to better info and advice than yours https://youtu.be/rGZpSn1tr54

            • I think for those with reading comprehension it’s pretty obvious I’m no fan of scomo trump or Boris’ hands off approach?
              Guns? Nothing to do with Covid 19 but worth a note you don’t know what an assault rifle is.
              Life’s pretty black and white for you I notice, probably why I scroll past most of your angry offerings.

              • I wonder about your wonderings

                “throwing shade for adopting herd immunity” ,,, ???

                Just like Boris then ,,,

        • Today 31 March Jacinda finally announced that testing would no longer rely on contact with a known covid19 victim or suspected person from overseas.
          They must have improved testing capability.
          We were not prepared early enough.

    • This is what media hysteria is capable of. One day the universities are saying they’re comitted to staying open and that night the news is full of scared and worried students. But how many and what proportion. Next day universities are closing. So heres what some acknowledged experts in statistics, microbiology and virology have to say:

      “Our main problem is that no one will ever get in trouble for measures that are too draconian. They will only get in trouble if they do too little. So, our politicians and those working with public health do much more than they should do.

      No such draconian measures were applied during the 2009 influenza pandemic, and they obviously cannot be applied every winter, which is all year round, as it is always winter somewhere. We cannot close down the whole world permanently.

      Should it turn out that the epidemic wanes before long, there will be a queue of people wanting to take credit for this. And we can be damned sure draconian measures will be applied again next time. But remember the joke about tigers. “Why do you blow the horn?” “To keep the tigers away.” “But there are no tigers here.” “There you see!” ”

      Theres a few more gems if you care to have a read

  9. AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY, the pro-corporate pressure group founded and funded by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, wants employees to return to work despite desperate pleas from public health officials that people should stay home as much as possible to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.

    Profit at all costs with no regard for human life.

    The inhumane face of corporate capitalism.

  10. Pretty eye opening what is considered an essential service by government these days like cigarette companies.

    Coronavirus: Asthma authority outraged by tobacco factory staying open
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/120624399/coronavirus-asthma-authority-outraged-by-tobacco-factory-staying-open

    Small butchers and food shops are not allowed to open but giant supermarkets that under cut wages and provide poor quality food of which 70% are generally highly processed, are ok?

    It seems that supermarkets get special treatment over other food providers who may be bankrupted by the decisions.

    Somehow it seems that socially irresponsible business get even more advantages from the government by allowing them to open and their rivals be shut down.

    I also notice that supermarket staff don’t seem to be wearing any protective gear provided for them by their employer.

    Oh that’s where they get their profits from!
    https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1808/S00537/oh-thats-where-they-get-their-profits-from.htm

    • The cynical could easily see this as a massive consolidation of wealth upwards just for a change. Yes many small businesses will be forced to close or sell. And yes the greed of the owners has got to obscene levels. Talleys has managed to keep their fish shop open in Nelson though. Oh thats right, theyre rich listers too. Must be their direct line to nz first

  11. For mine

    1. Our response has been inadequate because we “pretend” those without symptoms cannot spread.
    People were spreading before isolating when they got symptoms and people they lived with were spreading before they got symptoms. This is why we lost control over spread from returning Kiwis.

    The lock down is a response to the failure in management in this area – and related inability to do community testing – so we can have evidence based policy decisions.

    2. Unless we prevent such spread from returning Kiwis (our numbers of cases reflect the higher rates of infection among those coming back more recently and their immediate contact spread) we cannot end the lock down – as new spread will recur and thus suppressing previous spread rendered moot.

    3. All returning Kiwis must be “bused” to quarantine in hotels/homestay accom/campervans in the area of the airport they arrive at and provided with food delivery – hot plates and mini ovens into their hotel rooms.

    4. The closure of butchers, grocers and bakeries is a mistake – it puts too much pressure on the choke point of supermarkets (and those without cars are being required to make regular PT trips rather than walk to local shops – because they can only carry so much shopping).

    5. Loss of access to food grants and closure of food banks is causing real hardship. This is not good enough.

    6. The policy on residential rents has been inadequate. The government should establish a maximum of 50% rent liability where the tenant has lost income or their job – this when combined with the two month behind on rent before termination is allowed would mean a payment of 25% of the former rent would mean it would take 8 months before they were two months behind.

    7. The policy on unpaid business costs because of loss of income or business closure during lock downs has also been inadequate – in either case only 50% of rent should be liable, and the government should provide this in the form of an interest free loan.

    • save nz
      This.
      All returning Kiwis must be “bused” to quarantine in hotels/homestay accom/campervans in the area of the airport they arrive at and provided with food delivery – hot plates and mini ovens into their hotel rooms.

      5. Loss of access to food grants and closure of food banks is causing real hardship. This is not good enough.

      Plus other good points. We need to stick to the point and examine what is important not get hindered by time-wasters.

  12. What do I feel? what do I think?

    I feel, that things are going to get worse.

    I think, that things are going to get better.

    The 1920s, The ‘Roaring Twenties’ they were known as, and not for nothing, the huge increase in wealth creation. Wealth creation jumped exponentially, with the introduction of electricity, telephone communication, petrol powered cars and trucks replaced horses, broadcast radio, the aeroplane, the first mass production lines.

    The ‘Roaring Twenties’ ended in 1929 at the start of the biggest financial and economic crash in human history. The economic depression of the 1930s or the Great Depression didn’t end until 1939

    The 1940s, 1939 -1945 the biggest, most destructive, deadliest war in human history. 63 million killed, most of the adult male workforce in the military effectively out of the productive workforce for half the decade. The end of WII saw the biggest longest most sustained economic boom in human history, lasting through the ’50, the 60s and ’70s The ‘The Boom Years’ they are known as. And people who lived through those decades, (including myself), are known as ‘boomers’ not just because they came from the baby boom but because the lived through the boom years.

    In my humble opinion, those countries that hold the line maintain the lock down, protect their people will recover stronger than ever. Those like the US that only half heartedly lockdown and then open too soon will be ruined.

    • Except that the only ones left standing at the end will be the big corporations and we will have yet again meekly surrendered local control. Hopefully Hone’s lot up north are making sure that locals supply their communities to their fullest extent. Which is what every community should be demanding. Sure, isolate regions with inviolable borders but inside their boundaries let them feed themselves and choose the medical model that suits them.

  13. Vodafone doing a SH1T job.

    Day one the internet went down.

    Called them, 45 min, wait. They asked had I done the obvious reboots etc. Yes. Well all looks well on our computers for your house. Let me put you through to tech support. 15 min wait then call hung up by THEIR system.
    Called again. 45 min wait, their system hung me up again !!

    I randomly noticed internet was working. First news item I saw….Vodafone system crash due to peak traffic.

    OK I get that can happen, BUT:
    1) Put a message on their call centre queue saying so. Most callers will thus hang up and wait. But seemingly Vodafone more interested in offering propaganda messages rather than helping/supporting their customers. SHAME on them.
    2) LYING to me about ‘no problem’ at Vodafone, ‘are you sure it’s not at your end’. Inexcusable.
    3) Who the heck runs their call centre? They need firing ASAP, as they are useless or uncaring. Neither of which is a good luck, except if you have a near monopoly and the info doesn’t get out there. So please pass this info on.

    This company needs shaming to improve their service, which sucks !!!

    • Kevin Brown,

      Vodafone have been tits on a bull for years now. I had several examples of being on hold to them for over 60 minutes several years ago. Their elevator music had me contemplating doing a bungee jump from the Sky Tower…without a bungee.

      Decided after much research to swap providers to World Exchange……..nek minute. World Exchange bought out by……Vodafone. Same shit, different day.

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