In London in the lockdown (everything is fine)

Posted on by inkbiotic

dont stop panicking

So my boss has sent a few of us home, while the rest stay working.  It’s ridiculous that many people with non-essential jobs are still going into work, but the problem is how contradictory the gov.uk information is.

Here it says:

Only go outside for food, health reasons or essential work

From gov.uk

But also:

Following on from the government’s guidance on social distancing in relation to COVID-19, people should avoid travelling unless it is essential.

Also gov.uk

So, draconian measures, but for any boss with a construction or gardening company who wants to keep his non-essential business open, the line saying you can travel to work if you can’t work from home is a get out.

More frustratingly when Gove decided to clarify things, he only added to the misinformation. Reported in the Guardian

Gove said construction workers should still be going to work while staying two metres apart and tradespeople, such as plumbers and electricians, could attend emergencies in people’s homes.

Ok, so construction workers should carry on. But then in the same article:

Gove issued a series of stark warnings about the consequences of flouting the ban. Shown pictures on Sky News of construction workers gathering close together, he said: “Unless you stay at home, then the people you love most may die.”

Which is just a way of giving the bosses an excuse to carry on while demonising the actual builders doing the work.

With an economic depression looking inevitable, I get why the government are trying to keep it vague. Maybe it’s time the grand rulers of the world tried sorting the flaws in our economy. People shouldn’t starve while food is going to waste. If A.I. and robots can do our jobs, why is it still a problem for anyone to get fired? How can a global recession happen anyway? If we’re all broke, then we’re all equally rich, right? (Note: my understanding of economics is patchy.)

Do you have any solutions?

And to soothe my rattling brain, I did another http://weavesilk.com/ painting.

The Citadel

 

34 thoughts on “In London in the lockdown (everything is fine)”

    1. It does seem a bit like the rich and powerful have made the system so hugely complicated that it keeps breaking down and flinging us into doom.

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      2. We are on a lockdown too since yesterday. The grocery shops, milk man, water supply and electricity is still working. Haven’t see the garbage truck for two days though. Maybe they wish to kill the virus by letting out the fungus and bacteria that eat it. Good plan! Let’s see if it works.

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      3. Hmm, I’ve read enough science fiction to know that a battle between bacteria, fungi and viruses will never go well for us… 😦

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  3. Wash your hands and don’t touch your face before…cleaning your hands. My job requires me to come in the office, which is 95% empty. The place was cleaned thoroughly, so no issue there. But… wash your hands people. That’s the source of getting infected with anything.

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  6. This entire thing has shown how utterly inept the people in charge are and how much of a farcical shit show everything is. My government has been pulling literally trillions of dollars out of the air to give to big businesses to bail them out. But what makes me angriest is how no one can EVERY pretend to not see how arbitrary things are, but I bet you things will just go back to “normal” (whatever that is) after this is done. I’d like to think it won’t, but…

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    1. Lots of money for big business and not enough for the little guy. I agree with you, I think things will just go back to normal, because this is what happens: the huge faults of the system are exposed, everyone rages, the situation normalises, everyone forgets. Until the next time. Very frustrating.
      Did you get some help from the government to help with your husband’s lost wages? Remember the most important thing is to look after your precious self, and to try not to let the nonsense of the world bring you down…

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      1. It’s like no one listens to historians at all. That’s the most frustrating part. The people in power don’t care, and the people who want/need change are too insignificant to make it.

        Yup, he’s able to get unemployment. Hes applied to like 30 or so jobs, but we’re not expecting to hear anything until maybe May.

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      2. Yup, sigh. I’m all for starting a new society from the ground up. Where happiness is the aim. You’ll be super welcome 😀

        Good luck to your fella, I know how frustrating it can be.

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      3. Every day I move towards the whole “burn it all down and burn the ashes because it’s THAT corrupted.” I think we’re going to get a new society whether those who want to maintain the status quo want one or not. It’s not really a choice at this point.

        He’s hanging in there. I’m hoping he’s faring okay at the market. We probably should get some face masks, but I don’t know how to sew lol.

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      4. I really hope you’re right that change will have to happen. In the RIGHT direction though! No more Trump/Brexit changes please 😦

        I don’t have a mask. I’m practicing not breathing when other people are around. It’s a flawed method.

        Stay safe, hope your fella gets good news soon

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      5. Oh no, can you not find one? I was hoping it wouldn’t reach this point tbh. Even the masks you can get aren’t foolproof but they’re better than nothing I suppose? I just ordered some on line, but there’s not telling when I’ll get them. One good thing I suppose is I noticed we’re saving a ton of money by not leaving the house. We just got our stimulus checks, too, buuuut it’;s still like the bare minimum from our government considering what other countries are doing, but we’re still a lot better off than many.

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      6. At least if you’re safe inside you don’t need a mask. You look after yourself. I hope all this stress hasn’t made your illness worse, and you can use the time at home to get some rest instead. That’s what I’m trying to focus on right now, just keeping good health. In many ways I’m doing much better than when I was working.

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      8. I worry about everyone when I’m out, but to stay sane I try to be a bit pragmatic about it. Because people are dying and will continue to do so (although it’s difficult to cope with when so many of those people are just trying to help others and do their jobs).
        Don’t think there’s been a situation before (aside from world wars) that not only makes it clear how vulnerable we are, but involves the entire world. It’s a bizarre kind of unity. I don’t know if it will make any difference, but I feel it should.

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      9. “It’s a bizarre kind of unity.” That right nails it. It also kind of aligns with how people who already have anxiety feel the calmest because this is the emotion they’ve felt for so long. Now everyone is in the same boat, and it’s like the anxiety is…validated? So I’m not really any more freaked out than I normally am.

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      10. Ha! Yep. I always feel calmer in a crisis because then my brain knows what to worry about. When everything is fine it goes bananas trying to look for problems. Here’s to us anxious buggers! We can deal with anything (except normality!)

        (Just to be a disgusting shill for a moment. I’ve got a new book written, Supernice, that I’m releasing three chapters at a time. Are you interested? I’d love you to read it and you’ve liked my previous books.)

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      12. It’s a soft science fiction about a girl and her dad living in a sleepy seaside town when there’s a bizarre alien invasion. They both try to survive the increasing demands of the aliens, but end up on opposite sides. I’m releasing three chapters every three days (12 have been released now). Is your email still Yahoo? I can send them to you 😀

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