MONDAY 19 JULY 2021 WILL GO DOWN IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS THE DAY THAT OPENED THE GATES TO CATASTROPHE

Louise, my wife, noticed in the online site, Common Dreams, this latest follow-up to the meeting of the 1,200 scientists this week which confirmed the idiocy of allowing the lifting of all restrictions this coming Monday. I present it to you below. Its author is Kenny Stancil and the piece is dated Friday, 16 July 2021.

A few thoughts from me, first. This misgovernment in the UK have always said they have been following the science. They have claimed their actions are always shaped by data, not dates. They have been lying - and relying on the blind trust of people in their leaders during a war-time situation. There has been no effective opposition from other politicians nor from the mainstream media - the lies of Johnson and his cronies have not been called out in any systematic way. The truth is out there; there are journalists writing angry and insightful articles that reveal the horror - but there is as yet no public rage that the social murder of more than 150,000 British citizens has happened and those responsible are getting off scot free and seem all set for another round of mayhem.  

 

The man who should be facing charges of administrative malfeasance, at the very least 

'Danger to the World': 1,200+ Scientists Denounce Boris Johnson's Plan to End UK Covid Restrictions

"Mass infection is not an option," experts said of the Tory government's "dangerous and unethical" reopening plan.

More than 1,200 scientists from around the world have condemned British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to lift nearly all Covid restrictions in the United Kingdom on Monday, with some of the experts holding an emergency summit on Friday to warn that prematurely ending public health precautions in the country would lead to a surge in infections that could enable vaccine-resistant variants to develop and spread rapidly around the world.

"I believe that the strategy of herd immunity is actually murderous." 
—William Hasteltine, Access Health International

During Friday's summit, epidemiologists and physicians compared Johnson's decision to proceed with

COLLUSION BETWEEN THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS AND THOSE MISGOVERNING US

 The SKWAWKBOX has been indispensable during this pandemic. Here is the latest bulletin: 

The editor-in-chief of the Lancet, Richard Horton, accuses the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, of ‘wilfully misrepresenting scientific opinion’ on the lifting of safety measures 

Professor Chris Whitty - colluding with those who misgovern us

Richard Horton’s remarkable accusation highlights the degree to which expert opinion is against the Tories’ headlong rush toward unvaccinated and unattainable ‘herd immunity’

The Editor-in-Chief of world-renowned medical journal The Lancet has gone on video to accuse government Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Chris Whitty of ‘wilfully misrepresenting scientific opinion across the country‘ to justify Sajid Javid’s stubborn determination to remove measures to restrict the spread of COVID – even though Javid has admitted that his move will lead to 100,000 infections a day or more and even though many of those now worst hit are our children. The UK’s ‘R rate’ is now around 1.5 and rising, meaning exponential growth in infections.

Richard Horton told a Zoom meeting that much scientific opinion is in fact ‘profoundly’ against Javid’s actions:

A group of more than 1200 scientists have signed a statement – to which Horton refers in his comments – accusing the Tories of:

'recklessly exposing millions to the acute and long-term impacts of mass infection'.

Javid appears to think that Boris Johnson was talking sense and not insanity last year when he spoke of ‘taking it on the chin’ and simply allowing the virus to spread unchecked, in

'FREEDOM DAY' ON JULY 19? - IN YOUR DREAMS - IT'S A RECIPE FOR MORE COVID-19 DISASTER

Spotlight is a worthwhile online paper. There are 4.1 K members in the Spotlight community - out of little acorns, mighty oak trees grow. Here is a piece published yesterday:

122 Scientists speak out against govt plan to end all lockdown

122 scientists from the UK and around the world held a summit today. They also published a letter in the Lancet about the UK government’s plan to end all lockdown restrictions on the 19^th July.

The gambler - our lives and health are being staked - my thanks to the brilliant cartoonist.

Trish Greenhalgh, Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences / Medical Sciences division at the University of Cambridge, opened proceedings with her statement that the government are pursuing a “dangerous and unethical experiment”. She explains that Covid transmission is

'MAY YOU LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES' - ALTERING THE FABRIC OF BRITAIN WHEN YOU'RE NOT LOOKING

'May you live in interesting times' is supposed to be an ancient Chinese curse - but it seems that is not the case. Here is the Wikipedia wisdom on the matter which seems to me pretty convincing. It's a Chamberlain rather than a Chinese curse:

May you live in interesting times

"May you live in interesting times" is an English expression that is claimed to be a translation of a traditional Chinese curse. While seemingly a blessing, the expression is normally used ironically; life is better in "uninteresting times" of peace and tranquility than in "interesting" ones, which are usually times of trouble.

Despite being so common in English as to be known as the "Chinese curse", the saying is apocryphal, and no actual Chinese source has ever been produced. The most likely connection to Chinese culture may be

THE MADNESS OF THIS MISGOVERNMENT - THE SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL DATA BITE BACK

 Where to begin? The man who masquerades as the prime minister in this misgovernment announced yesterday that Freedom Day will indeed be Monday 19 July 2021. All government mandatory restrictions will be lifted - we will start to learn to live with COVID-19, just as we have learned to live with the flu virus in its different mutations which account for between 10-20,000 deaths each winter. 

HOWEVER, COVID-19 IS A CORONAVIRUS NOT A FLU VIRUS. 

WE ARE BEING LED INTO A NEW WORLD WHERE THE THREAT OF THE COLLAPSE OF THE NHS HOSPITAL SYSTEM IS VERY REAL.

THE PURSUIT OF PROFIT FOR THE FEW IS ONCE AGAIN TRUMPING PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS AND THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE.

AND THE ECONOMY WILL CONTINUE TO BE DAMAGED BY THESE BUFFOONS IN POWER - SINCE 2010 WHEN THE NEOLIBERAL TORIES FIRST TOOK CHARGE THE BRITISH ECONOMY HAS BEEN FLATLINING - GROWTH HAS BEEN OVERALL STAGNANT.

COVID-19 is not to be underestimated - a ZERO-COVID strategy is the only way for the peoples of this planet - nearly 8 billion of us - to overcome this threat.

As Professor Stephen Reicher of the University of St Andrews said on Channel 4 news last night, 'I hope I am wrong - I really do - but I fear we will regret this decision to continue with lifting restrictions as planned ... We are in a third wave and the rate of infection is increasing, as are hospital admissions. The

CRIME OF THE CENTURY - EXXON EXPOSED

 Back in 1974, Supertramp played a gig at Slough college and I was there. I remember standing in the loo and being mistaken for a member of the Drug Squad. It must have been the look of the teacher that rang the alarm bells for those who feared discovery. 

I loved the sound of Supertramp. I still do. They went on to achieve international supergroup status and the key partnership was between working-class Rick Davies (vocals and keyboard) and private school-educated Roger Hodgson (bass guitar, vocals and keyboards). It was Hodgson who introduced the Wurlitzer electric piano sound that helps make their music so distinctive. Supertramp still survive as a touring group but Davies' role is now more advisory and Hodgson left in 1983 to follow his own path. 

Here are the lyrics of the title track from their September 1974 album release: Crime of the Century - an album that helped me through a tricky year. Hodgson and Davies are the lyricists.  

    Now they're planning the crime of the century

    Well, what will it be?

    Read all about their schemes and adventuring

    Yes, it's well worth a fee

    So roll up and see

    How they rape the universe

    How they've gone from bad to worse  

    Who are these men of lust, greed and glory?

    rip off the masks and let's see

    But that's not right, oh no, what's the story?

    But there's you and there's me

    That can't be.

Released in September 1974

Who indeed are they - these men of lust and greed? Where do all their antics leave you and me? 

THE JOY OF DISCOVERING AN AUTHOR I HAD NOT HEARD OF BEFORE - MARGARET KENNEDY (1896-1967)

 I cannot fully recall exactly how the discovery happened. There I was, in mid-Google about a month ago, and I saw that a book which told a tale of a buried seaside hotel in Cornwall had recently been republished. It was called 'The Feast' and set in 1947.  Written by Margaret Kennedy, it had been published in 1950. The cover carried the accolades of the Guardian: 'Magic' and the Observer: 'The miniature charm of a Baby Austin'. It also quoted Anita Brookner who claimed the author was 'not only a romantic but an anarchist' and Elizabeth Bowen whose judgement was: 'Exquisite comedy ... Tense, touching, human, dire and funny'. Within a week, a copy from Waterstone's online service was safely in my hands.

Margaret Moore Kennedy

Yesterday I completed my reading of this clever and extraordinary tale. I am very impressed and would like to share my discovery. 

My ignorance about Margaret Kennedy may be shared by some of you. Writers move in and out of fashion and perhaps female authors may have been more vulnerable to disappearing from the literary