On Monday, Boris Johnson was taken into hospital, and thence into intensive care, where he was given oxygen. Johnson had contracted Coronavirus, probably through his own willful negligence in continuing to shake hands with people. Doctors and experts on the virus have told us not to, but Johnson blithely ignore them and decided that simply washing your hands afterwards was enough. It wasn’t. Despite Tory claims that he was simply going into hospital for checks, it was clear that something was seriously wrong with him, although he has not been put on a ventilator and his condition has been described as stable. The Tory press, however, couldn’t let his illness go to waste, not when it provided ammunition for another attack on the hated EU. One of the rags carried a two page spread claiming that he’d got it from the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. This was rubbish, but the Tory press has never let that stop them publishing a story before.
Since Johnson’s admission, he’s received thousands of messages from all across the political spectrum, which him a speedy recovery. Now I don’t wish Johnson or anyone to die, and hope he does recover. But I have far more sympathy with the ordinary people, who have been claimed by the disease, and our truly heroic NHS peeps and other care workers, who have stepped up and done their duty. They have shown immense courage, compassion and professionalism, and this country truly does owe them an enormous debt of gratitude. Many of them have come out of retirement to help fight this disease.
Mike commented in his post about Johnson’s illness that our prime minister won’t die of stupidity. He won’t. He is receiving excellent care. But others aren’t so lucky. As Emily Maitlis pointed out on Newsnight, and so sent the loathsome Brendan O’Neil of Spiked into another frothing rant about the left-wing media, the disease is not fended off through character and fortitude, no matter what the Tories say. If so, its victims would be far, far fewer. The people particularly at risk from the disease are the poor, the low paid, people living in poorer conditions, performing jobs that put them in greater contact with others. Those who cannot afford to isolate themselves as thoroughly and completely as the wealthy sectors of society. People living in cramped conditions, in multiple occupancy houses or high-rise flats, for example.
These are the people who are in danger of being forgotten. And so Mike has started commemorating their deaths, and the sacrifice of the medical professionals, who have also succumbed on his blog. These are the posts he’s put up so far
Coronavirus: more courageous health workers die fighting the virus
If there’s someone you want commemorated on Mike’s blog, please go over there and let him know.
Everyone who’s fallen should be commemorated and their memory respected, not just Johnson.
Coronavirus: Maitlis praised for pointing out nobody is saved by fortitude and character
https://zelo-street.blogspot.com/2020/04/spiked-maitlis-moan-moronic.html
Tags: Boris Johnson, Brendan O'Neil, Conservatives, Coronavirus, Deaths, Emily Maitlis, Housing, Michel Barnier, Newsnight, Spiked, Vox Political
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