Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[strichener]

24 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

That next to no Conservative MPs are choosing to wear a mask in a packed indoor environment shows that they, collectively, do not believe that there is anything to be fearful of.

If there was a genuine need (or benefit) of masks, then these people would be the ones wearing them.

Labour and the SNP politicising masks by wearing them shows up perfectly what masks have become - a political symbol.

Get them to f**k.

All political party's MPs are/aren't wearing masks to make political statements.  You can't just accuse those that sit on the other side of the fence from yourself as making political statements.

 

[Meldrew]

13 hours ago, alta-pete said:

 

Agreed. Offer some independent critical thought on the anointed leadership’s diktat or not be immediately identifiable as one of the gang and you’re ’no wan o us’. 

Best just stay quiet. They’re eating themselves already, Swinneys just the soup course. 

 I’m expecting apathy and a record low turnout come the next election. Sad thing is the dafties will likely still win. What that says about this country?, meh….

politics thread for this pish, I ken. But context…

the ''dafties'' will probably win because their is no better option.

[welshbairn]

28 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Just been in a meeting about our return to campus. The only time I am allowed to take my mask off on campus is when seated at my desk. This is new guidance from the Government.

So I will be standing in a classroom talking to students, and broadcasting live my class to students off-campus...all the time wearing a mask. Me and all the students wearing masks. 

I imagine this rule will change before semester starts.

Maybe if you do a wee dance while delivering your lecture you could take the mask off. Or take sips from a can of lager.

[scottsdad]

9 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

Maybe if you do a wee dance while delivering your lecture you could take the mask off. Or take sips from a can of lager.

Yep. After the lecture I and the students could all go to the nearest nightclub, take our masks off and dance away. 

Yet many of my colleagues are hearing these new rules and nodding along, thinking this is a great idea.

[eez-eh]

I really have no love for the SNP after the last year or so but the utter heads gone from some on here when they see someone wearing one is remarkable.

It has f**k all difference to your life if someone else chooses to wear one.

[Meldrew]

1 minute ago, eez-eh said:

I really have no love for the SNP after the last year or so but the utter heads gone from some on here when they see someone wearing one is remarkable.

It has f**k all difference to your life if someone else chooses to wear one.

i'm kind of new to the thread, but am  i reading your post correctly ?  People still wearing masks are arseholes to many in the communities of Scotland ?

[eez-eh]

8 minutes ago, Meldrew said:

i'm kind of new to the thread, but am  i reading your post correctly ?  People still wearing masks are arseholes to many in the communities of Scotland ?

There’s two posts just on the previous page with someone having a cranial detachment regarding it.

[Todd_is_God]

20 minutes ago, eez-eh said:

I really have no love for the SNP after the last year or so but the utter heads gone from some on here when they see someone wearing one is remarkable.

It has f**k all difference to your life if someone else chooses to wear one.

It does, though, if the same people wearing them mandate you wear one at work for no reason other than wanting to look like they care more than those "reckless toarrrrrries"

They can virtue signal by wearing as many masks as they like, but, like more and more countries that are ditching restrictions soon would, give me the option to not wear one all day.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Todd_is_God

[Meldrew]

7 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

It does, though, if the same people wearing them mandate you wear one at work for no reason other than wanting to look like they care more than those "reckless toarrrrrries"

They can virtue signal by wearing as many masks as they like, but, like more and more countries that are ditching restrictions soon would, give me the option to not wear one all day.

so thinking that this hasnt actually gone away, and remembering last year was pretty much the same, is virtue signalling ?

[HeWhoWalksBehindTheRows]

20 hours ago, scottsdad said:

“What power have you got?”

“Where did you get it from?”

“In whose interests do you use it?”

“To whom are you accountable?”

“How do we get rid of you?”

The power of Voodo..

Who do?

You do!

Do what?

Remind me of the babe

[Guest]

42 minutes ago, Snafu said:

Not that they are simply more popular than any other party due to the number of people voting for one party who thinks this country would be better run from Hollyrood.

Who's fault is that?

Thing is when it came down to a yes or no on independence, SNP vs everyone else, the country said no since it was only two answers. Logically there would be an assumption that there are more people wanting to keep things as they are than have the country ruled from Edinburgh. The SNP have been stronger now than at any time during their history and should be aware that this could change very quickly and their once in a generation opportunity (again) to gain their primary goal could be gone for a very long time. The pandemic has shown shocking weaknesses across the board.

I don't disagree with what you say and I myself am getting increasingly scunnered with them by the day, however a quick glance at the alternative shows you a bumbling idiot who's had no plan throughout, changes his policies on a weekly basis, sleaze story after sleaze story, corruption within the highest echelons of the Conservative party and cabinet is rife and their record on "deaths" not exactly a beacon of shining light to be held up high against our peers.

Over and above this, we have their "pingdemic" shambles coupled with the fallout of Brexit which is now coming home to roost in terms of staff shortages for many sectors and the complete break down of supply chains. We could also mention the shambles they've made of NI to the list, so all in all it's maybe better the Devil you know.....

 

[TheScarf]

52 minutes ago, eez-eh said:

I really have no love for the SNP after the last year or so but the utter heads gone from some on here when they see someone wearing one is remarkable.

It has f**k all difference to your life if someone else chooses to wear one.

That would be the case if masks were optional indoors but they're not, they're mandatory.

[scottsdad]

33 minutes ago, Meldrew said:

so thinking that this hasnt actually gone away, and remembering last year was pretty much the same, is virtue signalling ?

On masks, the scientific evidence of their actual effectiveness is a bit shaky. Outside of the medical grade masks, the evidence of  impact of any old cloth covering or paper mask on your face isn't really well known. There have been lab tests that suggests that mask wearing can cut your chance of passing Covid to someone by ~20%, assuming you have it and are speaking to someone for an extended period. Some folk see this figure as significant, others not so. And this is in specialised settings, not in a supermarket, for instance, where people have steaming glasses and other discomforts that mean they might not be wearing them correctly. 

For me, and this is just my personal opinion, masks are dehumanising. I don't like to walk around shops and see people's faces covered up. It gives some people the illusion of safety but in truth, how much safer are they wearing one? How much safer is everyone else? I think about babies and toddlers getting to know the world, and they see people's eyes only. It just doesn't sit right with me. 

And masks have become a totem for the virtue signallers. A few weeks ago someone posted a tweet from a woman boasting about wearing a mask on an empty train. That's less of a concern to me. People can virtue signal all they like. But I worry when virtue signalling becomes policy - as it seems we have here. England have allowed people to choose to wear masks, but strongly recommend it. The SNP signal that they care more, and so make it compulsory, even when the situation is daft. 

[Elixir]

1 hour ago, Snafu said:

Public spending in Scotland

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-58256028

Scottish public spending deficit doubles to £36bn

Scotland's public spending deficit more than doubled to £36.3bn last year as spending increased and revenues fell due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Total spending by the Scottish and UK governments and other public bodies rose to £99.2bn as Scotland went into lockdown.

Income from taxes fell to £62.8bn, leaving a gap between spending and revenue equating to 22.4% of GDP.

The deficit for the UK as a whole over the same period was 14.2% of GDP.

Scotland's figure for the previous year - before the onset of the pandemic - was £15.1bn, or 8.6% of GDP.

The Scottish Government Lockdown Lovers murdering the economic case for independence.

[eez-eh]

59 minutes ago, Todd_is_God said:

It does, though, if the same people wearing them mandate you wear one at work for no reason other than wanting to look like they care more than those "reckless toarrrrrries"

They can virtue signal by wearing as many masks as they like, but, like more and more countries that are ditching restrictions soon would, give me the option to not wear one all day.

I have no problem with someone (especially in your situation) wanting them to be optional. But in the scenario you’re on about here they’re down south where it already is optional. If they then choose to wear them it’s of absolutely no inconvenience to you.

Get annoyed about them being mandatory up here all you want; losing the head about a group of people choosing to wear them in a situation where it’s optional is completely different.

27 minutes ago, TheScarf said:

That would be the case if masks were optional indoors but they're not, they're mandatory.

See above.

[stuart87]

I don't disagree with what you say and I myself am getting increasingly scunnered with them by the day, however a quick glance at the alternative shows you a bumbling idiot who's had no plan throughout, changes his policies on a weekly basis, sleaze story after sleaze story, corruption within the highest echelons of the Conservative party and cabinet is rife and their record on "deaths" not exactly a beacon of shining light to be held up high against our peers.
Over and above this, we have their "pingdemic" shambles coupled with the fallout of Brexit which is now coming home to roost in terms of staff shortages for many sectors and the complete break down of supply chains. We could also mention the shambles they've made of NI to the list, so all in all it's maybe better the Devil you know.....
 

Some might say better the Devi you know….

[Todd_is_God]

22 minutes ago, eez-eh said:

I have no problem with someone (especially in your situation) wanting them to be optional. But in the scenario you’re on about here they’re down south where it already is optional. If they then choose to wear them it’s of absolutely no inconvenience to you.

Get annoyed about them being mandatory up here all you want; losing the head about a group of people choosing to wear them in a situation where it’s optional is completely different.

See above.

But the SNP MPs wearing them in WM is a tremendous example of virtue signalling.

The only reason they are wearing them is to support their retention up here (whilst simultaneously looking like caring more than the WM Tories) as they know not wearing them destroys their party's argument for keeping them in Scotland. They essentially said as much back in July.

With the vaccination roll out as advanced as it is, social distancing scrapped, and the evidence on the real world effectiveness of masks weak at best, I'm not interested in party whips using masks as a political football.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Todd_is_God

[effeffsee_the2nd]

• Those of a nervous disposition better get these on their shopping list...
• 
•  
• 2,538 new cases of COVID-19 reported
• 35,999 new tests for COVID-19 that reported results
  • 7.5% of these were positive
• 10 new reported death(s) of people who have tested positive
• 39 people were in intensive care yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 324 people were in hospital yesterday with recently confirmed COVID-19
• 4,065,970 people have received the first dose of the Covid vaccination and 3,498,257 have received their second dose

[Todd_is_God]

35,999 tests

[scottsdad]

17 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

Didn't you recently argue the entire opposite of this position with me?

Or am I confusing you with someone else?

Someone else I think, though you did red dot a post of mine that said much the same thing so maybe you misunderstood something I had written.