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The UK government, and governing classes, are going to try to evade responsibility for the excess deaths caused by their action and inaction ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here's how.
Left-ish looking commentators will put out pieces about how there should be no "blame" /1
Left-ish looking commentators will put out pieces about how there should be no "blame" /1
Right-wing politicians will display sudden concern for the NHS, despite consistent efforts and support for privatising it
...
/2
.../2
The news cycle will be frantically managed so that there's always something to put ahead of the body count, the #TestingShortage, the #PPE shortfall. /3
Patently absurd conspiracy theories will be shut down and used to buttress a fakenews panic that can later be taken advantage of suppress legitimate, accurate and angry online reporting: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51646309
Meanwhile, the UK government's use of equally bad science will be spun as 'the science' changing. It didn't ( @WHO), but UK govt don't want us to remember this:
https://bylinetimes.com/2020/04/03/the-coronavirus-crisis-herd-immunity-has-infected-uk-policy-but-who-was-patient-zero-for-this-toxic-transatlantic-idea/
@peterjukes /5
https://bylinetimes.com/2020/04/03/the-coronavirus-crisis-herd-immunity-has-infected-uk-policy-but-who-was-patient-zero-for-this-toxic-transatlantic-idea/
@peterjukes /5
There will, and is, be a campaign by establishment figures and parties to sideline popular anger at their mistakes. This won't be "concerted" or a "conspiracy". It will simply be people in powerful political positions slagging off "point scoring"... /6
In England, it'll be Tories attacking Labour people for not just being quiet after losing an election. In Wales it'll be Lee Waters attacking Plaid Cymru for doing opposition. In Scotland it'll be politicos defending the CMO breaking her own guidance - twice. /7
There will also be a sudden appearance of concern for the poor and about corporate corruption, saying everything must change. It'll look genuine for a while, because it's in the @ft and the Times.
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/business/joseph-vazquez/2020/04/07/economist-financial-times-exploit-virus-push-socialist /8
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/business/joseph-vazquez/2020/04/07/economist-financial-times-exploit-virus-push-socialist /8
Together all this will be used to stop the popular political anger - quite quickly, it will be like nothing ever happened. It will be hard, in hindsight, for ordinary citizens to make sense of the current disaster.
Those who deserve blame will get away with it. /9
Those who deserve blame will get away with it. /9
This is what *normally* happens with major disasters, all over the world.
See eg. @steve_tombs on Grenfell, @martinjohnes on Aberfan, @ICJBhopal
But... /10
See eg. @steve_tombs on Grenfell, @martinjohnes on Aberfan, @ICJBhopal
But... /10
It doesn't have to be like that this time. During the global lockdown, *millions* of publishers, authors, agents, writers, academics, historians, archivists and citizen activists can stop this going down what @simonmaginn calls the "memory hole". /11
It will mean keeping *physical records* that can aid memory, even when governments and tech corporations suppress virtual memory and social media discussion. It will mean publishing *books*, rather than just newspaper articles and blogs that disappear all... /12
too easily and quickly.
/13
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/13
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I make the same case here, a different way.
https://www.scotchcamel.com/the-guilty-men-and-the-little-hitlers/
But if you've already read this thread, you don't need to look there. Start writing instead. Keep diaries. *Print things out*. Publish physically if you can. History is more fragile than you think.
https://www.scotchcamel.com/the-guilty-men-and-the-little-hitlers/
But if you've already read this thread, you don't need to look there. Start writing instead. Keep diaries. *Print things out*. Publish physically if you can. History is more fragile than you think.
