The coronavirus epoch has offered some heartwarming stories among the viral horror and its shut-in, relentless-grey-regrowth-Zoom-meeting-apocalypse gloom.
The well-compensated stars of American professional basketball are subsidising the lost salaries of casual venue staff. In Scotland, cafes are making deliveries of free food packages to vulnerable and elderly people, while Melbourne restauranteurs are feeding frontline workers. The Italian tenor serenading his locked-down city of Florence singing Nessun Dorma and other opera classics from his balcony is glorious. So is the Spanish taxi driver taking coronavirus patients to the hospital for free.
But amid the kindness pandemic and determined acts of caring, the times have provoked a simultaneous infection of self-absorption, pettiness and dangerous-foolerism. Sure, ordinary folks can make bad decisions in extraordinary times. But there are those who should know better who dont do better, through sheer force of wilful shitheadedry. They should not be spared shaming. They should be given the recognition they richly deserve. So, without further ado:
The 2020 awards for the very worst people of coronavirus so far
WINNER, the Neville Chamberlain Award for Catastrophically Misreading the Situation: prime minister of the UK, Boris Johnson
On 3 March, British PM Boris Johnson bragged at his readiness to shake hands with local coronavirus patients. On 17 March, France locked down and he suggested instead that coronavirus sufferers stay indoors a week and elderly Britons cancel holiday cruises. This strategy was herd immunity ringfencing the most vulnerable of the population and allowing the disease to take its course. Without a vaccine, that means allowing masses of people to die. If you think that sounds like eugenics, your opinion is shared by the worlds leading specialists in infectious diseases.
Its since been revealed Johnson missed five critical meetings in February that may have made him more aware of the strategic risk to his country, and himself because by 27 March, Johnson himself had coronavirus, and British infections were following the tragic trajectory of Italy. As I write this, more than 18,000 people in the UK have died.
Im most relieved that Boris Johnson is not one of them. Had he perished, he would most earnestly deserved our sympathy. Now hes on the mend, he can rightfully be served our scorn.
WINNER, the Roger Stone Award for Thinking the Rules Dont Apply to You: New Zealand health minister, David Clark
Woeful behaviour is not entirely the preserve of one side of politics; health minister of New Zealand, Labours David Clark, broke his own governments strict coronavirus lockdown rules on its first weekend.
New Zealand Labour prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, moved quickly to a national shutdown early in the pandemics progression. Her strategy of virus elimination with rigorous stay-at-home regulation and widespread testing has been feted throughout the world; of today, 16 local coronavirus deaths are recorded.
This has been made possible because the New Zealand citizenry complied with the draconian rules rules Clark blithely ignored when he took his family on a car trip to the beach the first weekend of lockdown. He was separately photographed going for a lovely bike ride.
Ardern swiftly demoted the minister, who made a grovelling public apology. It says much about her leadership that she resisted temptation to make a bicycle seat from his skin.
WINNER, the Tiger Woods Award for Making Us Feel We Hardly Know You: Sweden
Think Sweden, think Scandinavian social democracy; cradle-to-grave welfare and generous social support systems. But Swedens response to the pandemic has not been universal self-sacrifice, New Zealand-style.
On the recommendation of an epidemiologist at the independent Public Health Agency, the Social Democrats/Greens coalition government have instead pursued a herd immunity strategy theyre calling a trust-based approach to the virus. Social distancing is voluntary. Schools for under-16s, gyms, restaurants, bars and Swedens borders remain open.
As a result, it now has one of the highest proportional death rates from the virus in the world nine times higher than next-door neighbour Finland, larger even than the United States.
Since half of the countrys aged care facilities found themselves struck by coronavirus, Sweden has quietly started moving towards greater gathering restrictions. Like any apology, it doesnt count for much when people have been left for dead.
WINNER, the Donald Trump Award for Billionaire Shamelessness: Richard Branson
This was a hotly contested category. As lockdowns, shutdowns and the illness itself have wiped out the economy-as-usual across the globe, individualist profiteers of the good times are suddenly collectivists in the misery.
The old story of those who live to privatise the profits and socialise the losses really deserves a Netflix reboot perhaps centred on a protagonist like Virgin billionaire Richard Branson. Hes holding thousands of ordinary peoples jobs hostage to demands that taxpayers refinance his failing business. In the reboot, lets rewrite this storys traditional ending to make sure taxpayers are repaid for their involuntary generosity with proportional ownership of these companies. Especially since Branson is demanding a bailout in his ostensible home of Britain, where he has avoided paying income tax for 14 years.
WINNER, the Abe Simpson Award for Yelling at Clouds: Sam Newman (and friends)
Whether there could be any social identity more pathetic than that of a D-list Australian conservative is an outright no. Desperation for relevancy inspired a recent Twitter campaign demanding the extermination of bats.
But the clear category winner was the faded sports personality who defied Australias (highly effective) lockdown, taking a one-man protest to the steps of the Victorian parliament, demanding his uninhibited human right to play golf.
A video provides so many things to enjoy. A MAGA-style hat! Eye-blinding trousers! Incomprehensible raving! Most of all, theres rapture in seeing the animation of a cliche about privileged white male narcissism that didnt a) require a cartoonist or b) involve someone getting hurt.
The cumulative effect of the protest was to convince observers like myself that even if golf is at the safer end of activity, the ban should be maintained just to extend this mans personal frustration.
WINNER, the Walking Dead Award for Reminding Human Beings Our Greatest Threat is One Another: anti-lockdown protestors in the US
From California to Michigan and yet, coincidentally always in districts Republicans are heavily campaigning anti-lockdown protests have bloomed across the US, drawing social-distance-defying crowds in the hundreds, sometimes even the tens.
Egged on by the US president in impassioned ALL CAPS tweets, extraordinary photographs have appeared of patriots hanging out of cars screaming at the public-serving healthworkers who counterprotest in full PPE. Joshua Bickels photo of howling Ohio protestors pressed against glass doors deserves its own separate, serious, grown-up award for warning the world that its all getting a bit Shaun of the Dead in the US-of-A; one of the yawping mouths belongs to a Republican state Senate candidate.
It would all be hilarious if states such as Michigan werent burying the coronavirus dead in their thousands. Supply shortages, the disaster of piecemeal, privatised healthcare and structural poverty have intersected with ill-prepared and incompetent presidential leadership, compounding the effects of coronavirus across America.
After the coronavirus protests, Kentucky saw its largest spike in cases.
GRAND WINNER: President of the United States, Donald Trump
Like Boris Johnson, he ignored international warnings about the coronavirus when meaningful action could have slowed its spread. He held public rallies even while experts begged for social distancing. Hes used press conferences to attack reporters, repeat lies and push treatments that some studies now suggest may be unproven cures at the same time hes demanded praise. Hes promoted people who dont know what theyre doing, allowed the demotion of others who desperately do, hes abused leaders whove taken responsibility for their citizens, and adamantly taken none himself. Hes talked about his TV ratings while Americans were buried in mass graves.
The only award in which hes not competitive is one for failing to meet expectations because nobody whos watched Trump for five consistent minutes is surprised by this disaster at all. America outstrips the world for coronavirus infection. There have been more than 842,000 cases there. More than 46,000 Americans are dead.
Donald, you blitzed this competition. Its your crowning achievement! Now, go put a glittering corona on your head!
Van Badham is a Guardian Australia columnist
Link:
Here are the 2020 awards for the very worst people of coronavirus - The Guardian
- Anton Chaitkin: the British Monarchy & Euthanasia - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Rate the The Mental Hygiene Society - Yale University connection - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Len Horowitz files pandemic charges against Rockefeller - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Judge Napolitano on Forced Vaccinations in Massachusetts - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Joseph Moshe (MOSSAD Microbiologist): “Swine flu vaccine is bioweapon” - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Canadian study that suggests seasonal flu shots raise a person's risk of catching swine flu - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Doctor Admits Vaccine Is More Deadly Than Swine Flu Itself & Will Not Give It To His Kids - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Ineffectiveness And Dangers Of Flu Shots - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Maafa 21 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Doctors Concerned FluMist Vaccine Could Spread Live H1N1 Virus - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Martial Law Soon - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Humanity's Greatest Challenge - Fear or Love - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Does the Vaccine Matter? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Ten questions about flu vaccines that doctors and health authorities refuse to answer - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Swear NO Oaths (UNDERSTANDING JURISDICTION) - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- WARNING! Goodbye U.S Sovereignty... Hello One World Government ! - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Glenn Beck interviews Lord Monckton on the Soviet style takeover of America by the NWO & BHO - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- TAVISTOCK - THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN AMERICA - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Become a Free Man { SUI JURIS } - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Income Tax Trial of the Century - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Gary Null Speaking Out Against vaccines at the NYS Assembly Hearing | 10-13-2009 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- WHO memos 1972 explains how to turn vaccines into a means of killing - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Swine Flu (aka 'H1N1) That's Not A Flu At All - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Lord Christopher Monchton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, answers critics of his claim that Obama intends to cede U.S. sovereignty - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Swine Flu Government Data Scam Government using fraud to generate flu hysteria - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Strecker Memorandum video - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- United States Patent 4,647,773 Gallo -Continuous production of retroviruses - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1970 : The funding of the Bio-terrorism AIDS virus - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Merchants of AIDS - full article - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Another Tool of Eugenics: Fluoride - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 1988: Dr. Jonathan Mann : Killed in Plane Crash - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Boyd Graves: Interview with Alex Jones - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Boyd Graves: Letter to Ninth Circuit Court - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Gallo and Litton Bionetics: Creators of Aids - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- This site is being developed - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- 2002: Eleven microbiologists mysteriously dead over the span of just five months - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Kissinger, Eugenics and Nazis - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- July 27, 1990: Aids is man-made - By William Cooper [Killed by Law enforcement in 2001] - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Merchants of aids - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Why we should not trust the health market. - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Dr. David James preview - conscious media network - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- AIDS HIV BAYER CORPORATION HEMOPHELIA TAINTED BLOOD SUPPLY - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Ugandians not dying fast enough. International Eugenists (Aids experts) want them to engage in casual sex - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Proof that AIDS was engineered to kill primarily blacks - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- In lies we Trust. The history of American Bioterrorism - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Dallas: A possible Aids Cure? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Glutathione Accelerator - Any Good? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Dr. Boyd Ed Graves International AIDS activist dies age 57 - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Genocide in Progress with novel flu virus. - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Genocide in Progress with new flu virus- CDC is suspect - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Vaccines: The Bargain Basement Technology of the 20th Century - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Anthrax - as American as Apple Pie. Eustace Mullins - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Swine flu: Some pregnant women shunning H1N1 vaccine - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- CFR lies to get You to take the Shot - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- US spraying Ukraine?? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Eustace Mullins: Murder By Injection - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Microbiologist nabbed by FBI after warning us that vaccine is a bioweapon deployment - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Airplanes sprayed mysterious substance over Ukraine days before pneumonic plague outbreak - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- NIH Whistleblower Alexander S. Jones: Deadly Flu Spreads Across Ukraine - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- RBD Change D225G in Ukraine Lungs Raises Concerns - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Young Boy in Agony After AH1N1 Nasal Flu Mist - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Unconfirmed Reports of Large Numbers of Deaths from the Vaccine in the Ukraine - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Vaccinations are Causing Impaired Blood Flow (Ischemia), Chronic Illness, Disease and Death for us All - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- British scientists suspect that swine flu virus has mutated in Ukraine. - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Vaccination: Federal Health Agencies Continue to Deceive Americans - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Ukraine plagues and now heavy supply and personnel movement in and out of US Deep Underground Military Bases (DUMBs) - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- College Students Getting Smarter, Shunning H1N1 Vaccine - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Deeper down the rabbit hole - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Ukraine Pneumonic Plague Research Nov 2009 - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Keiser on 'Tsunami alert': Dubai debt crisis awakes storm? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Christopher Story - EU Corruption - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- John Harris - Undermining Democracy - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- The first case of HIV/AIDS cure and no mention in the media. Why? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- What is AIDS? - January 7th, 2010 [January 7th, 2010]
- Europe to Investigate the UN Over “Pandemic” Scam - February 13th, 2010 [February 13th, 2010]
- Nuke @ Olympics ????? - February 13th, 2010 [February 13th, 2010]
- Intelligent Anti-Fluoride Statement - Dr. J. William Hirzy - February 24th, 2010 [February 24th, 2010]
- Testimony [4-9] Fluoride's Definitive Medical Indictment - February 24th, 2010 [February 24th, 2010]
- History Lesson - March 10th, 2010 [March 10th, 2010]
- As the Bank System fails so will society - March 13th, 2010 [March 13th, 2010]