Tag: coronavirus

coronavirus, Freedom

Authoritarianism V Liberalism

BY JAMES MELVILLE “A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.” Aldous Huxley, Brave New World The Covid crisis has created the perfect storm of coercive authoritarianism. A combination of government psychological manipulation, SAGE cultivated … Continue reading Authoritarianism V Liberalism

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Health, scotland

Scotland’s Covid Disaster

BY EFFIE DEANS There are four European countries with populations of about five million: Denmark     5,799,640    757 Covid deaths Finland        5,545,596    369 Covid deaths Slovakia      5,462,617    510 Covid deaths Norway       5,436,637    294 Covid deaths Scotland      5,454,000   3280 Covid deaths Scotland is not listed as a European country, because it is not an independent sovereign nation state, but rather a region of the United Kingdom that happens to be called a country for historical reasons. However, … Continue reading Scotland’s Covid Disaster

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coronavirus

8 Months of Blunders

BY JAMES MELVILLE Ever since the start of the Coronavirus crisis, the UK government has lurched from one shambolic mistake to another. Their entire approach appears to be based on hindsight rather than foresight.  They wilfully attempted to ramp up fear levels by using doomsday scenario charts and applied flawed methodology to create a fanciful worst-case scenario that was presented as a real possibility – … Continue reading 8 Months of Blunders

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Thoughts

Stig

BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN There’s a homeless fellow some of the locals and I have been helping out during this year of lockdowns. He’s in his forties and inhabits a tent in some woodland not far from our village. The owner of the woods was happy for him to stay there as long as he didn’t set off any fires. The local homeless charities worked alongside … Continue reading Stig

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The City Grump

Tories Turn Totalitarian

CITY GRUMP “This was a golden age for snitchers. One offence in particular relied heavily on tip-offs from the public: listening to foreign radio broadcasts, particularly those of the BBC. Peter Holdenberg, a 64-year-old disabled bookseller, who lived in Essen, was accused by his neighbour Helen Stuffel of this offence, which carried a prison sentence of up to 18 months. She had listened at the … Continue reading Tories Turn Totalitarian

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The City Grump

Alice in Covid 19 Wonderland

THE CITY GRUMP With apologies to Lewis Carroll. An adaptation of his classic tale to suit our times. The Cast: Alice –The City Grump The White Rabbit – The Sage Committee The Cheshire Cat – Professor Chris Whitty The Mad Hatter – Boris The March Hare – Dominic Cummings The Dormouse – The British Public in Lockdown and onwards The Queen – Professor Neil Ferguson … Continue reading Alice in Covid 19 Wonderland

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Lockdown

Wine, Wine Everywhere

BY JAMES BEMBRIDGE Boredom. That’s the albatross around my neck.  Whatever plans I had of sipping Chablis in the sunshine along with good company and stimulating conversation – lockdown measures permitting – my wretched liver had other ideas and protested with violent pangs. A nagging woman is one thing, but to have your own body disapprove of your lifestyle is quite another. How different life looks … Continue reading Wine, Wine Everywhere

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coronavirus

Lockdown’s Strained Marriages

BY ALEXIA JAMES The Lock-down has been a real test for relationships. Weeks on end stuck in the same few rooms has been too much for some and yet other relationships which were getting stale have re-found their spark and are now flourishing. Close confinement and financial strife are cited as the key reasons behind the spike in divorce inquiries which Co-op Legal Services reported … Continue reading Lockdown’s Strained Marriages

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scotland

Jockdown

BY EFFIE DEANS Scotland entered lockdown at exactly the same time as the other parts of Britain. We did so because we were following the advice that had been given to the British Government by the SAGE committee of scientific experts. Boris Johnson announced a very cautious easing of this lockdown some time ago, but Nicola Sturgeon decided that nothing would change in Scotland. Why? … Continue reading Jockdown

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