Sir Isaac Newton the great physicist once said that for ever action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same law that applies to physics can also apply in some ways to the business of government. For every policy that benefits some, others will suffer loss. For example: Giving a tax break to one industry will result in other industries paying more tax than they should and therefore suffering.
Probably the worst sort of policy is one where everyone suffers and for very little benefit or where great social, health and economic damage is done for no good reason. In other words an unequal outcome reaction to the particular policy. This is how I would describe the UK government’s lockdown policies. They have done great damage to the British people and the British nation but for very little positive outcome.
These damaging lockdowns have not achieved what they were supposed to achieve, which is suppressing an airborne virus, but they have inflicted enormous damage on the country. They have damaged the economy especially in the areas of retail and hospitality, damaged the social bonds that exist between people, damaged the education of our children and all this failed lockdown nonsense has decimated people’s mental and physical health.
The government, in all its public statements, do not seem to have taken into account the damage that they are doing to the nation and to British subjects. They have one policy and one policy only and that is to imprison Britons and to treat them like an abused spouse, constantly alternating between promises of liberty and coerced adherence to ever changing and capricious rules.
However there are some who are documenting the cost of these damnable, damaging and ultimately futile lockdowns and one of those are the Victims of Lockdown group. This group are documenting people’s personal stories, you know the ones that are not heard on the mainstream media, about how lockdowns are destroying people. Some of the stories are heartbreaking to read and inspire in me little but burning anger at what the Government has done to this country.
Below, in italics, are some examples from the Victims of Lockdown website. Read them and get angry at the damage that has been done because you can be as sure as anything that the government does not get angry at the disastrous situation that they themselves have created. When all this is over this government needs to go. It has achieved the Brexit that many of us voted for but has shown itself incapable of doing much else apart from push one failed policy after another with no care as to what harm these policies have created.
I have always tried to ‘look on the bright side of life” but these never ending lockdowns and restrictions are really getting me down. Everyday is pretty much like the one before and the only activity I’m allowed is the one I hate the most…..foodshopping !
The Government needs to realise that if Lockdowns 1 and 2 didn’t work, there’s not much chance that no. 3 will.
Cheshire
And
I am a 27 year old man from the Midlands.
As someone who has NEVER suffered mental health problems, I was initially not phased by the lockdown on 23rd of March. Flatten the curve for 3 weeks while we prepare our national health service to deal with the people that may get sick, seemed a relatively logical approach. Even as a single person household, thoughts about any negative impact on my mental health never entered my mind.
I was never particularly comfortable with the government encroaching on our lives, and was already growing frustrated with the hysteria being fed into our living rooms by the media,(footage for ICU’s in Italy was all I saw for a fortnight), but I was happy to comply with “3-weeks to flatten the curve”.
I had no idea the impact that perpetual isolation would have on me as this 3 weeks turned into 3 months. I always considered myself mentally tough, and although I had huge amounts of sympathy when people would tell me they suffer from depression and the like, it was never something that I thought I would be susceptible too.
I took for granted the freedom I had to walk to the my local on a whim; play sport 2-3 times a week with my friends; chat with colleagues over a brew at work.
Although I was lucky enough to continue working from home, as someone who relies on commission, my earnings took a huge hit. I was earning 40-50% less than I was the year previous. For the first time in my life, I had serious money worries. I therefore worked longer hours to try and earn as much money as I possibly could and I very quickly became desperate. It was a perfect storm that I was unknowingly sinking into.
I found myself either in bed or in my office at home and slowly began to sink.
I stopped sleeping and would lie awake for hours. The stress was beginning to wear me down, and with nobody to offload on to, I had gotten into an incredibly unhealthy routine. When I wasn’t working I was sat alone, feeling helpless and wondering how I was going to keep the wolf from the door.
I began drinking more than ever. I began smoking again which I hadn’t done for 5 years. I was even using recreational drugs, anything to break the cycle of monotony and to stop the worry. Anything to create some form of mental stimulation and create any kind of buzz.
I had gained weight and felt disgusting as a result.
I basically lived my life either drunk or horrendously hungover.
What made the situation worse for me, was that I felt like a complete arsehole if I dare complain about what was happening to me. In the grand scheme of things, I was one of the lucky ones. I hadn’t (and still haven’t) lost my job. I wasn’t sick with Covid. I knew nobody that was sick with Covid. I felt like people would call me selfish. Like I would be saying people should die so that I don’t feel lonely.
The narrative being pushed by the media was “we all need to do our bit to save peoples lives” and anyone that dare question that was accused of killing vulnerable people. I felt totally forgotten.
That concoction of worry, loneliness and helplessness was made worse by the fact that I felt guilty for feeling worried, lonely and helpless! I felt totally lost.
It took a long time for me to realise I was in trouble. Never before had the topic of suicide entered my mind. And that’s not to say I considered taking my own life. But what I did do was almost try and comfort myself by knowing that it was always an option if things got bad enough. I never really understood the concept of “suicidal thoughts” before summer 2020. But that is what it means. It’s not an internal conversation you have with yourself about whether you will or won’t do it, but almost a hedging of your bets. Everything I thought about was couched with the safety net of “well if I lose my job and lose my house, then I can always escape that way”. It was how I tried to stop myself getting too worked up. That is a terrifying thing to catch yourself thinking.
I can only imagine what those who already suffer from mental health issues must be feeling now. Luckily, I began to pull myself out of the rut. I forced myself to exercise. I only treat myself to a drink at weekends and have tried to get myself into a healthy routine.
All the worries are still there, and I am still dreadfully lonely. I am filled with anger and resentment at what is being done to us and how the welfare of millions is seemingly being ignored. But the worse feeling now is the huge sense of waste at losing a year of my life, when it seems to me totally disproportionate and completely futile.
Midlands
‘But the worse feeling now is the huge sense of waste at losing a year of my life ‘
I think that sums it up for most, especially people of mature years who want to live life to the fullest they can.
I managed to get to my morning job this morning after isolating for 10 days only to be told the home where I live is waiting to hear whether we will yet again have to isolate as some dick head who doesn’t social distance and hardly wears a mask has tested positive.
I am not being racist when I say this but people of colour here are being very gung ho about coronavirus restrictions and they are the ones catching it. Yes there have been a few whites here -again gung ho- who have caught it but the people of colour here have a very bad attitude towards keeping others safe.
Anyway I am hoping I can get to my evening job as I have already told them I would be back tonight and I hate letting people down.
This is a very good post FH as many are suffering at this time and a lot of people are worrying there is no end in sight.
Thank you for posting this.
Fuck this for a lark.
Today in my care home a fucker tested positive because of his own damn fault of not abiding by the rules and yet again we all have to pay.
Only one person has it so 15 of us have again been shut in all day and I still haven’t been informed by public health if I can go to work tonight.
There are many angry people living here that cannot see a way out.
The arsehole that has tested positive keeps coming out of his room and wandering around not believing people that he has the virus. He doesn’t give a damn.
If we are forced to isolate again that would be a month we haven’t been out. It’s not on.
Come on Boris you stupid fuck. People that test negative should be allowed to go about their business.
If I have to isolate again I am handing in my notice at my jobs. I wouldn’t hire someone who keeps letting me down and I would rather jump than be pushed.
See Boris? More fucking casualties by being a bastard authoritarian than letting people decide their own fate.
Sorry for being so short in my last post FH.
I hope you realise it’s not directed at you.
It’s just frustration.
I know where you have been today. I hope all was ok.
I shouldn’t moan. I have a lot to be grateful for.
Best wishes.
No worries. Off for my Sabbath rest now. Back after sunset tomorrow.
Hello sausage
Just to say, I hope you have had a nice day.
And to say thank you.
What I love about you is the fact that you are selfless and try to brighten people’s day – and you do!
You are the ultimate Boss.
X
Dear Boris Johnson
Would it not be an idea to get people out in the fresh air more rather than locking them in houses where coronavirus can infect individuals quicker and more easily than breathing in fresh air?
You can’t keep locking people up. It is inhumane.
If you had a dog you would be charged if you kept it in for an undue length of time.
People that test negative should be allowed to go about their business albeit with social distancing.
Even those that test negative that live with a person that has tested positive.
Even though it’s winter, those that have to stay in should have good ventilation, so tell them to wear extra clothing and open their doors and windows.
If you don’t start listening to frustrated individuals you are going to have some seriously fucked up people.
Yours sincerely
F.
Lockdowns don’t work, see Sweden vs UK.
SAGE now admitting Lockdown 2 and 3 didn’t/aren’t working – what is their solution? Even stricter Lockdown with curfews, more closures etc. Lockdowns = Socialism: keep repeating failure
Sturgeon already going there: Click & Collect, Takeaways, Sport and more to be stopped because “too many people breaking rules”
We need million+ freedom protests as in Berlin and more – police must be vastly outnumbered
@F
Social distancing (1-2m) has not been proved to work
Masks do not work – the virus is ~1/3 the size of ‘holes’ in mask. Mask is a football net to stop a golf ball
“Dickhead” ? Test him three more times – the test is a fallible indicator, not a diagnosis. Asymptomatic do not spread, nor to surfaces/objects
Be angry with Gov’t, SAGE and MSM who pretend C-19 is black death when it’s a ‘Flu’; not ‘rule breakers’
I have not and will not surrender to masks, sanitiser, ‘illegal’ rules/laws etc
I Am A Free Man
@Pcar
Thanks for your reply.
You are right. The main people who are getting coronavirus in my place are the ones that congregate in or near the office of the building. The office is where it originated from due to some arsehole member of staff coming in ill with coronavirus and spreading it that way.
It is noted though that the majority of people here who have got this flu are people of colour.
It is also noted that while the residents have to be shut in their rooms, the staff can come and go as they please so since it was staff that brought the flu into the house it is very discriminating.
As a woman I need to buy necessities that I shouldn’t have to ask other people to get me.
What about if I needed to see a doctor for a personal problem? I can’t use the telephone, I have no computer, am I expected to go through a third party again (who I don’t want knowing my personal business) to be wrongly diagnosed over the phone because I am being locked in?
There are people here that need monthly blood tests to ensure their medication doesn’t kill them. You would send a doctor or nurse into the house and put them at risk so why not just let these people out? The risk is the same.
There are many residents here who feel they have done their two weeks isolation and that should be it. The isolation period has already seen some residents getting paranoid due to lack of social contact and everyone is frustrated.
If further people here keep testing positive there is no end in sight and we could be locked up for months.
As I said before, coronavirus lingers longer in enclosed spaces. We should be being encouraged to go out in the fresh air, not breathing in stale air in the house, or do the government not give a shit about everyone here getting the ‘dangerous’ flu?
Another problem is many people are not going to protest about having their liberty taken away because they are being paid the majority of their wages for sitting on their arses at home. They are happy so why protest?
I am not happy about being controlled like I live in a communist state for the sake of flu.
Bugger this for a lark.
Right.
I have written out a little something that the majority of residents at my care home have signed expressing our unhappiness at being forced to isolate -again- for another 2 weeks.
We are going to demand that Public Health overturn this decision.
If we don’t do something there will be no end in sight.
I have already messaged my employers to inform them they will need to get someone else for my jobs.
It’s not fair on them and I should jump before I am pushed.
The only decent member of staff that will make our unhappiness known is not back until tomorrow so I think that’s the best time to go for it.
Have you any ideas FH on what else we could do?
Do the usual constitutional things such as contact local MP, relevant councillor / council cabinet member along with local press. In addition to that make sure that you publicise your complaint on as many alt tech platforms as possible.
Local MP and paper contacted.
Will look into internet stuff later.
Thanks for your help.
@F 10:24 am
My belief since start has been ‘keep calm and carry on”, be responsible too – if you’re sick with ‘Flu’, don’t go to work and spread. Worked fine for centuries, but now rejected and Reset to lock up everyone.
The black/brown (but not yellow) is genes and Vit D deficiency, not new we’ve had Rickets in Scotland again. We’re white because of where we live – evolution.
You seem to be living in hell – I’d let you camp in a room here, if compatible
Communist state – yep, UK now worse than USSR and like North Korea
Peter Hitchens
I am, for the first time, afraid for the future of freedom in my country
https://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2021/01/peter-hitchens-i-am-for-the-first-time-afraid-for-the-future-of-freedom-in-my-country.html
No10 is examining plans to keep bars closed for FIVE MONTHS with full lockdown until late March
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9131047/
Stay strong, God bless
@Pcar
Thanks for your lovely comment.
Where I am living at the moment is better than the hell hole I was originally placed in. It’s what you get used to I suppose. I would love to take you up on your offer of dossing down in your room. I have a feeling we would have a lot of fun together.
I am a huge fan of Peter Hitchens. Many years ago I emailed him to show my support and he was kind enough to reply that my email gave strength to his arm. Nice person he be.
The few pubs left are bound to go under due to these rules. Such a shame.
I have just asked the only decent member of staff at my home to start our campaign by phoning public health to state that the majority of residents in this home are unhappy at the decision to imprison us. They had all signed my petition.
I also received a response from my local MP late last night. It’s a start. Hopefully we will be able to stop this injustice.
Many thanks for your support. It’s always appreciated in bundles.
Much love
F. X
Just letting you all know that I have had a busy day with lots of to-ing and fro-ing.
Some people here are trying to stand in my way but I am not going to be stopped.
If you do nothing, that’s exactly what will happen.
Taking away people’s liberty and scaring them with nasty tactics just to get them to do what you think is best rather than giving them the freedom of choice, is nothing more than tyranny.
I have for some years now been on the receiving end of such tactics and I don’t like it.
Power has gone to someone’s head I feel.
Have a little think.