Grumpy scans the Daily Mail to catch up on vital news the paper is so focussed on (what the Kardashians are doing ?) and speed reads Sarah Vine’s column therein from time to time. In spite of having chosen to marry Michael Grove, Sarah Vine is presumably a rational and educated individual.
Grumpy’s irritation at her article on 11.10.20 has catalysed to him to comment thereupon. Given the nature of her job, filling a page with something as mundane as facts or rational analysis would be too dry; thus she (albeit in common with other commentators) needs to seek to dress content up with misguided opinions, hyperbole, barbs and lavish criticism of more or less anybody.
The piece in question is a carping, whining narrative about fundamental freedoms being violated by procedures introduced to contain COVID. Amongst a list of illogical examples she exhibited particular faux outrage at being asked for contact details when entering a cafe, followed by a bizarre extension to pose a rhetorical question on whether permission would be required to urinate in future. (Unlikely, Sarah).
VIne has presumably heard of and understands what a “notifiable disease” is. COVID-19 is on the statutory list of same, along with smallpox, plague, rabies and TB. It is there for a reason, as a highly contagious and lethal virus contracted by (at the time of writing) 590,844 UK citizens, of which 9.7% have died. Mortality is highly skewed by age, and 200 times more of those infected of Grumpy’s age die than the drunks ignoring the law so prominently routinely depicted in the Daily Mail.
Sarah Whine is arguing for the ‘freedom’ to kill vulnerable people she comes into contact with should she be be COVID positive. Stupid, lightweight, bigoted and self-obsessed don’t even start to describe the woman.
Why whinge now ? For over 130 years there has been legislation and mechanisms in place for the notification of incidences of such diseases and procedures (such as contact tracing and even forced detention) for their containment. VIne is presumably aware of this and her comments are simply trying to be ‘clever’ in a supercilious manner rather than to contribute any intellectual input to the challenges that face the country. It is writers like her that encourage the less well informed to pack bars and ignore the legal restrictions set out to protect them, and more importantly, their elders who they will infect and possibly kill.
There is a twofold irony here. Firstly, in 2001 hubby Michael Gove contracted H1N1 (responsible for the 1918 pandemic), possibly from some idiot journalist sitting next to him in a cafe.
Secondly, maybe she should speak to her husband about these procedures – he is the Government Minister in charge of what …. COVID Operations.