Sky HighOur wonderful media have shown time and again that they are perfectly capable of making stuff up for themselves, indulging in gross hyperbole and whipping up hysteria, without Government intervention of any kind, mate.
Well I don’t disagree with that, but I’m afraid the Government do not get off scot free – they are equally culpable. Particularly as in many of the cases the starting point is a tactless and typically stupid remark by a government advisor/spokesman, inviting an overblown reaction. And once the genie has been let out of the bottle he isn’t going back in again.
Sky HighMy daughter came down with H1N1 flu this winter. She was a very poorly lass indeed.
Any “scare” was whipped up by what passes for our news media these days, not by what passes for our Government. Sometimes it’s nothing to do with politics, you know.
Well they only get the information that the Governernment spokesman gives them.
Absolutely 100% correct.
[B][I]I made a fortune in overtime during 1998 and 1999. 😀
[/I][/B]
You and several thousand others, without a doubt.
Sky HighMy daughter came down with H1N1 flu this winter. She was a very poorly lass indeed.
Any “scare” was whipped up by what passes for our news media these days, not by what passes for our Government. Sometimes it’s nothing to do with politics, you know.
Well they only get the information that the Governernment spokesman gives them.
Absolutely 100% correct.
[B][I]I made a fortune in overtime during 1998 and 1999. 😀
[/I][/B]
You and several thousand others, without a doubt.
Sky HighYou are absolutely right, please leave and close the door behind you.
Looking at the UK we see:
A prime minister lying his people into a bloody war in Iraq,
parliamentarians massively using large amounts of tax payers money for maintaining their castles and swimming pools,
ministries unable to manage procurements,
crapy social services, trains, water supplies…Europe really does not benefit from a UK membership and the introduction of those “abilities” in the European institutions.
And you reckon the grass is greener on the other side………….;)
Sky HighYou are absolutely right, please leave and close the door behind you.
Looking at the UK we see:
A prime minister lying his people into a bloody war in Iraq,
parliamentarians massively using large amounts of tax payers money for maintaining their castles and swimming pools,
ministries unable to manage procurements,
crapy social services, trains, water supplies…Europe really does not benefit from a UK membership and the introduction of those “abilities” in the European institutions.
And you reckon the grass is greener on the other side………….;)
Sky HighDidn’t miss the rolleyes smiley, having said that re-reading my post it is a bit high handed, however that is probably because all to often comments of that nature become “fact” whether they are meant in humour or not! Secondly i doubt if the Med countries are any more corrupt than the Northern ones including the UK, it may just be that they go about their corruption in a different fashion..
Well, you might be right in your last sentence, although a very old and good Greek friend of mine has always reckoned his country would win the Olympic Gold for corruption of officials – except that the panel might be more corrupt and give the medal to some other blighters. You just can’t win, can you?:D
Sky HighDidn’t miss the rolleyes smiley, having said that re-reading my post it is a bit high handed, however that is probably because all to often comments of that nature become “fact” whether they are meant in humour or not! Secondly i doubt if the Med countries are any more corrupt than the Northern ones including the UK, it may just be that they go about their corruption in a different fashion..
Well, you might be right in your last sentence, although a very old and good Greek friend of mine has always reckoned his country would win the Olympic Gold for corruption of officials – except that the panel might be more corrupt and give the medal to some other blighters. You just can’t win, can you?:D
Sky HighWhat I’m saying is that you cannot take preventative action to stop something then complain when nothing happens.
And what I am saying is that the risk assessment is non-existant and that instead of rationalising the potential problem, assessing the risk and acting accordingly, the worst possible outcome is made public, and the media frenzy begins, at which point any chance of cold analysis is lost.
That’s why I described the phenomena as scares, because the media and the public are scared into accepting the worst possible outcome. The swine flu scare is just the latest example.
Sky HighWhat I’m saying is that you cannot take preventative action to stop something then complain when nothing happens.
And what I am saying is that the risk assessment is non-existant and that instead of rationalising the potential problem, assessing the risk and acting accordingly, the worst possible outcome is made public, and the media frenzy begins, at which point any chance of cold analysis is lost.
That’s why I described the phenomena as scares, because the media and the public are scared into accepting the worst possible outcome. The swine flu scare is just the latest example.
Sky HighIs it still below freezing in lovelty Penicuik or are you starting to thaw out?
Sky HighIs it still below freezing in lovelty Penicuik or are you starting to thaw out?
Sky HighI would say you are wrong about the millenium bug. It is because money was spent in preparation that nothing happened. Many companies, the one I worked for included, were looking at the millenium issue for many years before and solving potential problems. If compnies had done nothing we would have been in deep trouble.
Asbestos is the same – maybe because of the preventative measures we take, it ceases to be a problem.
The argument is like that for ABS in cars – we will never know how many accidents never happened because it was fitted.
Except that those companies which took no action and there were many across the world suffered no inconvenience at all. However we will never know if we avoided problems or not in some cases. Was the masskive expenditure worth it? – that is the question and woil;d the costs have been more or less if there had been problems?
The case of asbestos is quite different and still arguable. It defines the chemical differences bewteen white and blue asbestos and the scientific community is unconvinced that white asbestos is harmless, but making the assumption that it is, has resulted in enormous costs borne.
ABS was introduced in cars some years ago and makes cars safer to drive. I don’t see the connection between that and what we are discussing. Investing in something that quite clearly is beneficial is a good thing.
Sky HighI would say you are wrong about the millenium bug. It is because money was spent in preparation that nothing happened. Many companies, the one I worked for included, were looking at the millenium issue for many years before and solving potential problems. If compnies had done nothing we would have been in deep trouble.
Asbestos is the same – maybe because of the preventative measures we take, it ceases to be a problem.
The argument is like that for ABS in cars – we will never know how many accidents never happened because it was fitted.
Except that those companies which took no action and there were many across the world suffered no inconvenience at all. However we will never know if we avoided problems or not in some cases. Was the masskive expenditure worth it? – that is the question and woil;d the costs have been more or less if there had been problems?
The case of asbestos is quite different and still arguable. It defines the chemical differences bewteen white and blue asbestos and the scientific community is unconvinced that white asbestos is harmless, but making the assumption that it is, has resulted in enormous costs borne.
ABS was introduced in cars some years ago and makes cars safer to drive. I don’t see the connection between that and what we are discussing. Investing in something that quite clearly is beneficial is a good thing.
Sky HighAnd those same commentators were probably accusing the government of being ill-prepared a few months ago.
A more positive way of looking at this would be that the preventative measures taken were successful in stopping the spread of the disease.
Last 12 years? Really? What would they be then?
There were a few of us shouting to be heard above the clamour to save our population from being wiped out.
12 years, no, I meant about 20. And I am remembering the worst case forecasts resulting from ecoli, listeria, salmonella in eggs, cjd from bse infected cattle, the millenium bug, asbestos, and the latest man-made global warming still on-going and lastly swine flu.
The astronomical amounts of money invested in reaction to these scares, not one of which has proved even remotely to justify the reaction.
Knee-jerk reaction followed by an ever supine media keen to compete for bigger and better doomesday headlines add to the fear which is then self perpetuating to the point where it slips away, almost unnoticed, because nothing of any note happened.
Sky HighAnd those same commentators were probably accusing the government of being ill-prepared a few months ago.
A more positive way of looking at this would be that the preventative measures taken were successful in stopping the spread of the disease.
Last 12 years? Really? What would they be then?
There were a few of us shouting to be heard above the clamour to save our population from being wiped out.
12 years, no, I meant about 20. And I am remembering the worst case forecasts resulting from ecoli, listeria, salmonella in eggs, cjd from bse infected cattle, the millenium bug, asbestos, and the latest man-made global warming still on-going and lastly swine flu.
The astronomical amounts of money invested in reaction to these scares, not one of which has proved even remotely to justify the reaction.
Knee-jerk reaction followed by an ever supine media keen to compete for bigger and better doomesday headlines add to the fear which is then self perpetuating to the point where it slips away, almost unnoticed, because nothing of any note happened.
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