I normally want these pods to be just 10 minutes but I go on a bit longer as I explain my side of the story after going down a COVID related twitter rabbit hole with Ewan McKenna on St Stephens’ Day.
Below you can see the tweet that got the “discussion” going.
Remember the most important rule folks. Listen to those who know what they're talking about, not those who go on twitter thinking they do. Especially when it comes to your health. https://t.co/wBpzQD0fA9
— ππ΅ "Jeff The Halls" Lee Pagano π΅ π (@JeffLeePagano) December 26, 2021
HERE ARE SOME OF THE REPLIES I GOT FROM EWAN’S MINIONS…
“Listen to those who know what they’re talking about!” is the shittest advice of 2021. Who? The corrupt rats on pharmas payroll? Media? Restriction junkies? My mate knows all about heroin, but I don’t listen to him when he tells me it’s class. I can think for myself, always.
Virtue signalling gobshite.
Wonder would Dr Harold Shipman’s patients agree? And Dr Jack Kevorkian. Dr Carl Clauberg, Dr Josef Mengele and Dr John Bodkin Adams to name a few ‘health’ experts.
Keep taking the OxyContin. Itβs not addictive if you keep doubling the dose.
I know the drill..never question an expert. Ever. Under any circumstances. Even on matters which over lap with social policy. Nope never. Just obey. [reply > Not what I said but hey, see what you want to see, whatever gets you angry.]
Jeff, your wee nappy wearing mate blocked me before I could tell him some scientists and medical professionals I listen to.Pensive face Let him know. Robert Malone (Inventor on mRNA vaxx tech) : [His work has focused on mRNA technology, pharmaceuticals, and drug repurposing research. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he has been criticized for promoting misinformation about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.[ Mike Yeadon (Former VP at Pfizer) [Michael Yeadon is a British anti-vaccine activist[1][2] and retired pharmacologist who attracted media attention for making false or unfounded claims about the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.] John Ioannidis Sunetra Gupta Martin Kulldorf Luc Montagnier
Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful, light and I think you said that hasn’t been checked and you’re going to test it.Β and then I said suppose you bring the light inside the body which you can do either through the skin or in some other way and I think you said you’re going to test that too. sounds interesting (doctor says something). then I see the disinfectant knocks out in a minute and there is a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning because as you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs it would be interesting to check that use medical doctors but it sounds interesting to me….
…Β I once mentioned that maybe it does go away with heat and light and people don’t like that statement very much because the fake news didn’t like it at all I just threw it out as a suggestion and it seems like that’s the case
There is loads of data available and I know by posting what I have below, I’m open to accusations of “cherry picking”, but these are metrics I consider to be significant. If we must insist on comparing countries on handling of the COVID19 crisis then IMO, morbid a task though it may be, the most important thing to do is level off the death figures by population of country.
First of all I felt it important to exclude the teeny tiny countries like San Marino and Andorra so I drew the line at countries with a minimum of 1000 reported cases.
As you can see, among over 200 countries, Spain and Italy, the most notorious for their handling of the situation, are at or near the top, though it is interesting to see Belgium between them. France and UK round out the top 5 and the entire top 10 are all in Europe.
The reason I included population density (people per square km) on the chart is that many have claimed it to be a factor in relative growth among nations. For me, this theory is disproved by the numbers since so many in the top 20 in the world are ranked 100th or lower on the planet in density.
Finally the second graphic shows a statistic I feel isn’t being highlighted anywhere near enough. Apparently there have been over half a million reported cases of COVID19 around the world which have reached a conclusion, and of these, 79% have recovered. This number has remained steady over the past couple of weeks. For me this gives us a general (if extremely basic) idea of what kind of outcome to expect from a diagnosis.
Of course I appreciate the caveats involved with this information, not least of which is the fact that most countries vary in the way they report their data. For example, apparently the US has only been reporting deaths from hospitals, Ireland is well behind on testing so there may be COVID deaths left out, and as for China’s figures, well, who knows.
But it’s important we remain engaged with information as much as we can, if not too much throughout the day as we try to get through the lockdown. JLP
Yet when faced with a situation like COVID-19, I do not believe that a radical change to the face of our government is what is needed, even when it comes as it did right after a general election. Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael were in power when it was time to lock the country down and particularly in the most relevant departments like those of An Taoiseach and Health, we need continuity and stability so regardless of political hue I think the correct course would be for them to remain for now.
Now Iβm hoping that my established premise will be remembered as I voice some concerns over the current situation. In his address to the nation on St Patrickβs Day, Leo Varadkar literally referenced Winston Churchill.
βThis is the calm before the storm β before the surge. And when it comes β and it will come β never will so many ask so much of so few.β
This point is one of semantics and cosmetics I know, but I make it first because of the levels of reaction I have seen on social media ever since. Of course we need to stick together as much as possible during these times, and given the original nature of the crisis there should be much leeway afforded to our government, yet the levels of praise for his leadership have been, in many, many cases, βChurchillianβ, and this concerns, nay frightens me.
Strong opposition and challenging media are important ingredients to any democracy. If a day ever came when Ireland had Progressives seated around the Cabinet table, I would expect nothing less than for them to have their feet held to the fire where possible, and we all know that would be the case.
And while the Green Party did not get my vote at the last election either, I cannot understand why they are being vilified for not unconditionally joining FF and FG in government. They claim to have offered three options to the βCivil Warβ parties, all of which have been rejected…
“I think the idea that FG and FF would present this narrow option to the people of the two of them in power with one of the smaller parties propping them up is very self-serving. It has the coincidental effect of giving them the most amount of power, for the most amount of time with the least amount of oversight.”
…and the backlash appears to be βshut up and get on boardβ. Whatever your levels of respect were for them before, surely they would be lowered should they accept those terms. But this post is not just about the Green Party. Itβs for the type of representative body we want the DΓ‘il to be when it comes to acting as a check on our Government.
Then there is the Irish mainstream media, one that already had a reputation for being more stenographers than challengers. And that was even before this particular Taoiseach came to power, one who sought in virtually his first act to set up a media arm with the sinister title of the “Strategic Communications Unit“.
Below are just some areas where I would like to ask questions of Leo Varadkar and his government, in no particular order:
What exactly happened with those orders from China which arrived with inadequate supplies?
If Opposition parties should feel shame for insisting that the DΓ‘il convenes due to risk of social distancing among civil servants, have any measures been discussed to allow for some kind of COVID-19 friendly DΓ‘il sittings until the crisis is over?
COVID-19 tests – they are in limited supply. Is there any transparency as to how they are allocated? And I have heard stories that the testing itself can take over two weeks to produce results – why is that, is anything being done to speed up the process and is this fact reflected in the numbers we are being given?
We have all has been adversely affected by this crisis, but that does not mean we will all be struggling by its end. When everyoneβs assets have been reduced, the priority of Government care should be those who are left with little or nothing. So what exactly do you mean by βtough decisionsβ that have to be made once this crisis is over? Is there to be a period of austerity similar to that affected by the banking crisis or will the burden at very least shared regardless of wealth if not borne by the 1% at the top?
I am happy for Leo and Simon to remain in their jobs. I am delighted that Leo is rolling up his sleeves to pitch in as a GP. Thatβs all great. But if a republic values its democratic principles, no government should go unchecked, and we certainly shouldnβt assume everything is rosy on these shores based on a comparison to the leadership of the blond buffoons either side of us. All Iβm asking is that we be mindful of this. JLP
First Person Plural 