Are you worried yet.
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Wack61
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There were runners up, one of them may have been on the way to a robbery though
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midlifecrisis
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More like a Carry on film...
Wack61
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Any child death is awful, was it a healthy baby , or is reading that going to terrify new parents for no reason, if this kind of story is going to be reported by the media they should give details of the circumstances.
Rwc13
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Hence the use of the word “anything” rather than “everything”?
It is just so easy to criticise everybody else isn’t it? Throw stones from the oh so comfortable position of not being responsible for anything other than constantly promoting the worst case scenario of everything. People in positions of responsibility sadly don’t have that luxury. They have to make real world decisions and be held responsible by other people when, with the benefit of hindsight, they get it wrong.
Wattie
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A governments job is protect its citizens. They didn’t. I think the UK position was distracted by Brexit, but they have a responsibility to be on top of everything. Dont they?
Christ knows what OZ excuse was.
philw696
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He's had plenty of practice especially with Brexit !
Rwc13
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So you are advocating that whenever there is the hint of a threat to its citizens, a Government should immediately prepare on the basis of the worst case scenario? So who’s going to pay for what will be a massive and very expensive overreaction in 99.99999% of hint of a threat cases.
And there is the problem, Governments have to make choices all the time, balancing all sorts of different issues, not just protecting its citizens. Often based on imperfect data, relying on experts that rarely agree, and faced with a hostile media and public that don’t understand, and don’t really care beyond having somebody to criticise and blame when things aren’t how we would like them to be. A thankless task or what? But they step up to do it, to take that responsibility, knowing they will rarely get any praise when they get it right, but will always be vilified when they get it wrong. Like I say, east to sit in splendid isolation with zero responsibility and throw stones......
And there is the problem, Governments have to make choices all the time, balancing all sorts of different issues, not just protecting its citizens. Often based on imperfect data, relying on experts that rarely agree, and faced with a hostile media and public that don’t understand, and don’t really care beyond having somebody to criticise and blame when things aren’t how we would like them to be. A thankless task or what? But they step up to do it, to take that responsibility, knowing they will rarely get any praise when they get it right, but will always be vilified when they get it wrong. Like I say, east to sit in splendid isolation with zero responsibility and throw stones......
Wattie
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It’s a governments job to investigate and understand any situation that is a threat to its citizens.
Then act accordingly.
They haven’t.
This is the global result.
MarkMas
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Yes the Government is supposed to protect its citizens and 'be on top of everything' but a responsible and competent government should absolutely NOT invest infinite amounts to prepare for every possible eventuality. Every £1 spent on stockpiling PPE in case of contagion is a £1 not spent on road safety, or cancer research or whatever. A balance must be struck.
Every time a journalist says "Minister can you now guarantee that [insert bad thing here] will never happen?", the Minister should reply "Of course not you fricking idiot, that would be a ridiculous and irresponsible thing to say, and an even more ridiculous and irresponsible thing to try to do."
MarkMas
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This is true.
But also not a sensible prescription for future public policy.
In fact it is worse than that, it is a prescription for a repressive regime and a terrified citizenry, where the government is obliged to try to eliminate every possible threat, and can only do this by keeping the general threat level at 'maximum' and by heading off every possible threat through opressive regulation and control.
Or it is a prescription for driving thoughtful, responsible, analytical, balanced people out of government and leaving behind only demagogues, liars and despots.
Wattie
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I didn’t say that did I?
I said “
It’s a governments job to investigate and understand any situation that is a threat to its citizens.
Then act accordingly”
In this case spending a fortune and preparing the NHS (in the Uk) for such a situation was justified. They did neither.
Instead they tried to trace those infected.
Flawed at best.
I’d say negligent.
Wattie
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adjective
- (of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgement.
"the rather naive young man had been totally misled"
If you honestly think that applies to me , you ought to go and stand in front of a mirror.
highlander
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There will come a time when assessing what could have been done sooner or better needs to happen, this is really not that time guys. We all have 20/20 vision with hindsight but at the point of having to make decisions, decision makers do not have that, as I know all too well. Do I get all the decisions I am responsible for that impact on other peoples life's correct? Of course I don't, no one ever could. This is not the time to mimic the labour "protest regardless" party waving arms and pointing fingers to score points, this is the time to pull together and accept that the decision makers are making the best choices available to them taking into account all the factors or do any of you really think they are knowingly making bad choices? Really? Get real!
MarkMas
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I'm perplexed about how standing in front of a mirror would help in deciding if wattie is naïve, but I'm prepared to give it a try......
Wattie
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Handsome, maybe?
Naive, not.
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^^This! Craig for King, Great Leader and Unopposed Ruler for Life. Let sanity prevail, Craig thank God. My faith in humanity was beginning to wither and die.
Rwc13
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I know I can be naive about some things sometimes. My psychiatrist helped me to develop a greater self awareness of such things and to be able to admit it.
Look, I get it Wattie, you had some investments go bad and you blame the markets, the banks, the financial advisers and Governments for that. So now you don’t trust anything any Government does or tells you, and you want to see the markets and banks etc fail as some kind of payback for what they costs you. But surely some perspective is required here. Everything Governments do isn’t somehow some conspiracy to make life worse for everybody. For the most part they try to balance a huge number of conflicting demands to make things better and get things done. For the most part....... And having spent 6 years of my working life as a public servant, I have huge respect for what they try to do, even though sometimes they get it wrong, for little or no thanks. Turned out I was too selfish and ambitious to make a long term career out of public service.
Look, I get it Wattie, you had some investments go bad and you blame the markets, the banks, the financial advisers and Governments for that. So now you don’t trust anything any Government does or tells you, and you want to see the markets and banks etc fail as some kind of payback for what they costs you. But surely some perspective is required here. Everything Governments do isn’t somehow some conspiracy to make life worse for everybody. For the most part they try to balance a huge number of conflicting demands to make things better and get things done. For the most part....... And having spent 6 years of my working life as a public servant, I have huge respect for what they try to do, even though sometimes they get it wrong, for little or no thanks. Turned out I was too selfish and ambitious to make a long term career out of public service.
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