A Chinese lad I train BJJ with was warning us here in Spain around 3-4 weeks ago. He had me freaked out tbh and everything he said eventually came to Spain. Said the government is all about saving face and couldn't give a toss who dies, so while I don't see reparations as an option, China is far from guiltless in all of these. They're sending out an image to the world but you'd have to wonder what's being held back.

I must say how fucking rich it is for the people who over the last month continued to travel abroad and to countries that were infected but now  they are on social media like fucking experts telling us about not travelling.

Oh sorry but when I said that to you when you wanted to go on your holiday.. it was different then eh?!

Get fucked

Is this Boris climbing down and changing policy while trying to make out he's not climbing down and changing policy?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51917562

Quote from: Ducky on March 16, 2020, 03:43:02 PM
Everywhere in Sligo town is effectively shut, but sure fuck it the nail bar is still open... worse still, they're full of huns in getting them done.

I take it hun means something different in Sligo  :laugh:

In all seriousness, the inaction of the UK government is fucking criminal. It's pathetic that the the DUP are willing to toe the line with London at all costs, even with something as serious as this. Even Jamie fucking Bryson has been tweeting about taking an all island approach. Everyone I've spoken to on either side of the community is utterly miffed at the lack of concrete advice, everything is up in the air.
What magic 'science' do Boris and Arlene know about that recommends doing the opposite of the rest of Europe? Its funny how the DUP are so concerned about scientific evidence now.

Quote from: mickO))) on March 16, 2020, 03:07:15 PM


They are already demanding apologies from the west because they feel they handled the virus very well.


Hell, they're now trying to push the narrative to their own people that the Americans deliberately send the virus to Wuhan.

https://nypost.com/2020/03/12/chinese-official-blames-coronavirus-outbreak-on-us-military/

Quote from: Mower Liberation Front on March 16, 2020, 07:34:42 PM
Quote from: mickO))) on March 16, 2020, 03:07:15 PM


They are already demanding apologies from the west because they feel they handled the virus very well.


Hell, they're now trying to push the narrative to their own people that the Americans deliberately send the virus to Wuhan.

https://nypost.com/2020/03/12/chinese-official-blames-coronavirus-outbreak-on-us-military/

Yeah saw that the other day the president was saying that Trump created the virus. Sad thing is it won't be just the Chinese that will believe it .

It's actually crazy to see all these videos going around on facebook etc basically blaming Trump for it all, and most of them American made. Obviously Democratic hands behind them, but shit sticks as they say. I'm not calling for kow towing or beheadings but the international community needs to start taking action in relation to this stuff. China, the world's worst polluters and no coincidence that this is the result. Sanctions the only way.

Does anybody else get a sort of Cambridge Analytica buzz off this whole situation?

I'm not saying any of it isn't true or happening, but there is a real sense of experimenting with mass manipulation going on here and I find the idea pretty frightening. Especially as I'm in the middle of it, and I have the usual feelings of mistrust towards governments in general coupled with the feeling of wanting to do whatever they tell me to do in order to do my bit to help make this all go away.

Also, would the 3 billion set aside to deal with the fallout of all of this have been better spent on infrastructure and staffing to fix the fact that our health service is pretty unfit for purpose in a lot of areas as it is, rather than using it to compensate for the fact that the country must be shut down to give our services a chance to keep up with the extra demand?

Just some thoughts I was having as I roll all of this around in my head over and over throughout the day.

No I don't and I'd find a conspiracy theory a bit silly to be honest. I'd take the aliens building the pyramids in Egypt more seriously. It's probably a testament actually to how well we have managed disease to find this predicament so surprising. Imagine living in a period when antibiotics or antibacterial agents didn't exist or when there were no vaccines for the many diseases we have now. It was always much much more easier to die in earlier centuries or end up being a cripple. We've seen Ebola HIV or the more recent and similar avian flu for instance so it's not that unusual. If I was to propose a bizarre theory it would be one where nature was reacting against humanity to protect itself as a result of our interaction with the natural world. It could maybe be argued that it's big business and the model of growth that has been motivating human behaviour to the point where we are witnessing the collapse of unsustainable system but the actual Illuminati sitting around in some secret chamber and planning this I don't buy. I think it is a fascinating event that may change the world and how we live in it despite the obvious human tragedies. Of course we also might just solve it and get back to our usual behaviour. The criticism of the state of our health service is a hardly new and there will always be incompetence and corruption or vested interests but there is a serious danger of a major recession even a global one which could cause just as much bad problems for a society as a poor health service.

I work for the state on the campus that houses Bordeaux's main hospital. It's all very real, including the rudderless, constantly changing internal and national advice and restrictions. University and my research body changed tack four times between Friday and tonight, meaning two fully communicated strategy changes on the weekend. The chaos within and without the epidemic, here anyway, has no one in control of it.

Quote from: astfgyl on March 16, 2020, 08:38:04 PM
Does anybody else get a sort of Cambridge Analytica buzz off this whole situation?

I'm not saying any of it isn't true or happening, but there is a real sense of experimenting with mass manipulation going on here and I find the idea pretty frightening. Especially as I'm in the middle of it, and I have the usual feelings of mistrust towards governments in general coupled with the feeling of wanting to do whatever they tell me to do in order to do my bit to help make this all go away.



I definitely believe it's happening and the virus is out there but something since the beginning does not seem right about the whole thing and I can't put my finger on what. I think a lot more is going on behind the scenes that we are not being told about.

Not saying I believe any of it but if you have ever read anything about the New World Order and how it's suppose to happen things are starting to get a scary when you think of it in those terms.

I think everyone has thought of various different crazy things over the last few days. One thing I do believe is when this hits Africa it's going to wipe out half the continent.

Quote from: Alphonsus on March 16, 2020, 09:38:13 PM
No I don't and I'd find a conspiracy theory a bit silly to be honest.

You've taken me up wrong there. I said I didn't think it wasn't real, and I'm saying here now I don't think it was purposefully done. The Cambridge Analytica comment was meant to mean that now that it is happening there is a feeling I get that a lot of manipulation going on through social media channels in particular, to the gain of god-knows-who. I wouldn't put it past companies to take advantage of the situation in many different ways, now that the opportunity and the correct level of fear and confusion is in place. For example, if a post appears saying that using a certain brand of flight socks or tights can be used to make a great face mask, or that eating peas protects one in some way, it will influence the way people act and buy things on a mass scale. I think in fact that one would be extremely naive to think that something like that wouldn't be going on. I never said illuminati or any of that shit and I never said conspiracy, so please don't throw me into that bracket for throwing a few thoughts out there.

And Cambridge Analytica's attempted (or successful) efforts at influencing outcomes of elections, was certainly real and was certainly having a go mass manipulation through targeted social media posts based on individuals' political leanings and social connections. I'm not saying they are involved in any of this for the record.

And BSC above here, I agree with what you say about the constantly changing advice, the Nurofen thing for one being a great example of such.

Saying all that, I still can't shake the vague feeling of being some part of a large scale experiment in social control and misinformation

The conspiracy stuff is total nonsense. There's no way you could manufacture what's happening here in Europe without someone shouting from.the rooftops. Maybe the origin of the virus itself might be open to speculation but back home I've known and met lots of politicians over the years, my family were involved in politics and often had TD's in the house. We have an 'us and them' attitude to authority nowadays but a lot of it is manufactured and falls into an easy scapegoating by a general population who don't want to really get involved or be shaken out of their 9-5, few pints, watch the premiership on the weekends rituals. It's all a whole lot more tumultuous and reactionary than any giant plan. Yes, there are vested interests and people who make shit loads of money out there, even so they had to shut down this week when told to. The private sector will always push at the boundaries, but when governments, the EU, etc are strong, they fall into line. That's why democracy is the most important thing we have. The Chinese have suffered so much all the way from Mao to now, and while the likes of Boris or Donald, or whoever you don't like mightn't be ideal, they're a whole lot better than that prick who is running China at the moment.

According to the conspiracy theories it's not local TDs that are involved but only people at the top. As for someone shouting from the rooftops if anything, the last decade has shown how easily someone can be silenced / disgraced and how the media can very easily warp people's views on almost anything. Shut downs / self isolation will have very little noticeable effect on the rich / higher ups.   

Look at what happened to Epstein and will most likely happen to Weinstein nobody is even looking into it. I remember sending a friend a text when Epstein was arrested in July that I bet he will "hang" himself soon. I also text the same person in January saying this virus is going to blow up soon and cause chaos across the world when they started talking about flying people home from China and he told me I was exaggerating.

Anyway that's the last I will say about conspiracies I don't want to be thinking about them now. I myself have decided to stay away from the news and facebook for the next few days if something is important enough I will hear about it through, my phone, whatsapp or Viber. Have never put facebook on my phone and never will. Just gonna watch TV, maybe finally start playing my PS4 or Xbox and get some reading / home training done.

As for the Chinese and Mao believe it or not but most still worship him.

Apologies astfgyl I went on a crazy rant there and it was kind of in general anyway


As we've all been told already
The main ways to fight the virus are very simple.

Wash your hands with soap.
Don't touch your face especially your eyes nose or mouth as the virus can enter your body through those.
Social distancing to avoid it passing from one body to another via droplets