There Are A Chosen Few On Ab That Should Take Nore Of This.........

[Apc2604]

So very true!


https://www.effiedeans.com/2020/04/journalism-is-missing-mood-country.html?fbclid=IwAR2-2dBYHfT7O9RbS5a_zEX3EXQnGY31CGIBQWIUP-rgswxsTYHj__fN_Ik

[jim360]

The very slight problem with the WWII analogy is that we *did* sack our Prime Minister in the middle of it: after the disaster at Norway, Chamberlain resigned and was replaced by Churchill. Complaining about the mistakes made at Narvik was probably vital to see that the right leader was in place and the wrong one removed.

[Rosie29]

Who wrote that- couldn't find a by line ?

[Zacs-Master]

Yes, there’s a growing movement of people concerned at journalism’s constant attacks on the government. The bit about WWII should be noted.

[Zacs-Master]

There’s an ‘about me’ / view my complete profile bit.

[ToraToraTora]

abso bleedin lutely:
"Journalism is missing the mood the country. We don't want blame, we don't want argument as if this were a General Election, we want a contribution to the national effort to get us out of this crisis. We want hope optimism and faith in our country. We need less negativity."
someone should tell Laura K et al who are like a stuck bleedin record. Last week it was who's running the country, this week it's smegg1ing PPE!

[ProfessorMaisie]

I couldn't agree more, in fact I've just had a conversation in which I paraphased the whole thing - even ending with the same WWII analogy (an event I, thankfully, avoided by a few years - but I'm glad I knew the people who lived through it).

[ToraToraTora]

You can't really compare this with Chamberlain, Jim, he'd made a cataclysmic error he should have known that appeasement doesn't work.

[ProfessorMaisie]

...'paraphrased'.

[jim360]

I don't mean to drag out the comparisons with WWII, but I was just picking up on that point.

Although on the subject of Appeasement, it's worth noting that Chamberlain's Appeasement policy captured far better the mood of the country at the time. Until 1939 the UK had no desire for War and were supportive of Chamberlain's efforts to avoid it. Churchill's war cries, on the other hand, were far less popular, albeit also far more correct.

The "mood of the country" is, then, fickle.

[jim360]

As a final point, "contribution to the national effort to get us out of this crisis" must include pointing out the mistakes in the approach the Government has taken. Not for the purposes of point-scoring -- that can come later -- but because such mistakes as they happen need to be addressed and fixed.

[ProfessorMaisie]

Most of the mistakes will only be known after the event - there are far too many people (including scientists!) who think they know them all in advance.

[ToraToraTora]

jim: "Although on the subject of Appeasement, it's worth noting that Chamberlain's Appeasement policy captured far better the mood of the country at the time. Until 1939 the UK had no desire for War and were supportive of Chamberlain's efforts to avoid it. Churchill's war cries, on the other hand, were far less popular, albeit also far more correct. " - no one wants war but to quote the old saying, if you want peace prepare for war. A potential aggressor must believe that it would be easy. Appeasement only delays the inevitable. Sure the public wanted to avoid war but you don't beat a bully by appeasement. When NC returned with the infamous piece of paper which was then instantly demonstrated to not be worth the paper, the public realised what must be done. TGM may have been seen as an extremist and that's exactly what was needed at that time. We are not in a comparable situation here and the government has not done anything different to what any other government, regardless of political hue, in its place, would have done.

[ToraToraTora]

* wouldn't be easy!

[ichkeria]

Nonsense actually
Whet we need is truth not optimism
And the truth is that this government is currently failing to get to grips with things.
It’s a nightmare scenario indeed and not one I’d want to have to handle but that doesn’t mean it’s ok. Maybe when the PM gets back things will improve and the sense of drift and floundering will cease, but while it’s good to be cheerful it’s not good to smile like N
Koreans despite everything

[jim360]

Like I say, I don't mean to overemphasise the comparisons to WWII. Doesn't hurt to address possible mistakes in reasoning in the article or subsequent comments, though.

[ToraToraTora]

//The worst of all is the daily press briefings. We listen to some of the best minds in the country explaining to us what is being done and why only to have a series of ignorant childish questions from journalists trying to score political points and trip up a minister. No wonder most of us switch off when we get to that point.// bang on, I don't bother listening to the Q&A after the briefing anymore.

[ichkeria]

Or does it do to lump all “journalism” into one

[ToraToraTora]

ich: "Whet we need is truth not optimism " - we need optimism, morale is vital.

[ichkeria]

Not at the expense of truth as this article seems to want.

[jim360]

For my part, my least favourite parts of the briefings are where the spokespeople constantly reassure us that "we are taking the right decisions at the right time". I don't doubt that this is what they've *tried* to do, but I do wish they'd stop insisting that it's what they've *actually* done. Time alone will tell if the Government took the right decisions at the right time, but, given that we had a three-week effective head start on Italy and Spain, there must be at least some room for arguing that we didn't make the most of our extra time.