It’s now been a year since the first-ever UK lockdown was declared. It was a result of policy failure that this route was chosen. So this is a good time to reflect on the strange moment we’re still living through. The Johnson government wanted to let the virus spread throughout the country to achieve herdContinue reading “Plague Diary: A Year of Lockdown”
Tag Archives: COVID-19
Notes on the 2020 US election
The US election was one of the fraught events of the year. I say ‘one’ since the pandemic has topped every chart for anxiety and misery. Indeed, COVID-19 made the US election even worse than it would have been without it. Here are just a few lessons we should take away from the presidential race:Continue reading “Notes on the 2020 US election”
Plague Diary: Visit to a Small Country
Standing on the white cliffs of Dover on a good day, you can look across the English Channel and just about see the French coast. It’s no coincidence that these cliffs are a part of the national mythology. All monuments on the coast either refer to the valiant struggle of World War Two or harkContinue reading “Plague Diary: Visit to a Small Country”
Plague Diary: Waiting for Q
Anti-lockdown marches in London have brought together very confused people into direct contact with anti-vaxxers and far-right activists. The confluence of government mismanagement, mass confusion and fear has helped turn swathes of people towards QAnon. The most recent march saw Q activists marching with people protesting against masks and social distancing. Memorable signs include: ‘LeaveContinue reading “Plague Diary: Waiting for Q”
Plague Diary: Far-Right Dreamland
Setting fire to the 5G mast, the perpetrator clearly thought they had achieved something worthy of recording and posting online. The world had to know that 5G was a danger to the survival of humankind and how best to deal with that threat. There are dozens of such videos on the Internet. The UK hasContinue reading “Plague Diary: Far-Right Dreamland”
Plague Diary: Immune to Corona Extra
The Johnson government may be the most right-wing in modern British history. Yet its disastrous response to the COVID-19 outbreak hasn’t cost it support. What accounts for its continuing popularity? With so many needlessly dying, it stands contrary to reason. Looking for answers, I find myself back on the doorstep in Hendon. We were knockingContinue reading “Plague Diary: Immune to Corona Extra”
Plague Diary: The Pandemic Proxy
The coronavirus outbreak has set a domino effect in motion. The end of which we can’t see because we’re still in its early phases, watching as the first domino falls and the next begins to wobble. We’re living in a crisis with few precedents. Yet the response from the US and the UK has beenContinue reading “Plague Diary: The Pandemic Proxy”
Plague Diary: Following the Herd
The UK stands out for its eccentric response to the Coronavirus outbreak. The Conservative government has a strategy to ‘delay’ the height of the crisis to make it easier to manage. This might sound rational, but what this means is leaving more people vulnerable to catching the virus. The hope is that this will helpContinue reading “Plague Diary: Following the Herd”
Joshua White 