Covid no longer a story, apparently
Out of sight, out of mind
The Europe correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, Bevan Shields, has a piece this morning singing the praises of “opening up”.
“Thankfully, the brave new post-vaccination world actually feels much like the old,” he writes, and notes that “It won’t be kind to everybody because unfortunately this disease is never going away. But plenty of people are again enjoying the experiences that make us human.”
“Won’t be kind to everyone” is a masterful euphemism. Kudos.
The whole article skips between little efforts at acknowledging the downside, but there is no denying our correspondent is in favour of living with them, even if that means some people dying with them.
This par in particular struck me:
There were 790 deaths caused by COVID-19 in the UK over the past week, and 256,000 new cases. Most people no longer fret about these numbers – they rarely make the papers or television news bulletins.
I’m not sure Bevan realises what an indictment this is of the British media, a clear indication they have fallen in line with the Johnson Government’s strategy, helping the PM play down the negative side of his “opening up” approach.
But I guess that’s it, isn’t it?
As I’ve said from the beginning, “living with Covid” means tolerating a certain level of death and sickness, and your tolerance might be lower or higher than Shields’, or the British media in general.
More to point, as is obvious now that we are living somewhere that has “opened up” (though not as perilously as Britain): you don’t have any choice.
Shields also says, “thousands are still dying around the world each day and there are real doubts about what might unfold during the approaching northern winter. But having had their freedoms restored many months ago, Europeans have well and truly moved on from COVID-19.”
Where you stand on this is all in that “But”.
To put it another way, should WA, Queensland and other jurisdictions open themselves to rising levels of death and illness to accommodate these “freedoms”?
They, too, mightn’t have any choice.
Freedom, eh?
The word “freedom”, speaking of which, is another victim of Covid, misused constantly in the ongoing efforts of certain factions to inure us to death and dying. There was another Nine piece the other day, for instance, in which anyone hesitant about “opening up” was accused of being “afraid of freedom”.
Perrottet’s political calculation is that we are now ready for take-off. This is one politician who isn’t afraid of freedom.
It’s probably less about him not being afraid of “freedom” than him not being concerned about him or his loved ones being particularly vulnerable.
Given the legitimate fears of various groups and individuals who are vulnerable, it is worth pointing out that what they are afraid of is not freedom but dying.
But hey, even if you do die, as Bevan says, such numbers rarely make the newspapers or television bulletins anymore. Out of sight, out of mind.
PS: Here’s a few shots from our immediate neighbourhood, ‘cause I know people like seeing the photos.
Vastly prefer the pics to Bevan.
Those comments about Westralia apply equally to Tasmania of course. Tasmania is perhaps even less prepared for a Covid wave than WA. I don’t think Premier Gutwein will be opening up to the “freedom loving” hordes of NSW any time soon.
Despite the supine British media, it seems to be an enormously long bow to conclude lack of media reports about Covid numbers means people aren’t worrying about cases and deaths!