Government by hysteria was Mrs H’s phrase after the
Boris lockdown broadcast. Here in the UK and elsewhere, public hysteria it is where many political
boundaries come from. Government activity is promoted or constrained by media
hysteria rather than hard-nosed analysis.
It is not only the mainstream media but
celebrities, pundits and social media all committed to government by hysteria
as a way of bypassing the hard slog of actually analysing such matters pragmatically. A way of bypassing ordinary voters too.
Boris had no real choice in the coronavirus policies
he has followed to date, even though they may make us worse off than we need
have been. If he hadn’t taken this drastic measure, he risked a storm of hysterical
denunciation which even a benign outcome would have done little to mitigate. He
had to do it whatever the risk of a genuinely disastrous outcome, even if it is minute.
A second possibility is that his scientific advisers now
expect the situation to become noticeably more benign over the next few weeks,
in which case the government needs to take the credit for tough action whatever
the actual cause.
The second possibility seems unlikely at the moment –
hysteria avoidance is the more likely motive. This is how things are done
now.
5 comments:
Yes, I think there is probably a point where there are too many hysterics in the general population for society to work smoothly. The dead, the unemployed, and the destitute are fairly easy to deal with, because governments have had a lot of practice and it's quite hard work to make them appear interesting on the media. But the hysterics are quite different. Governments in Europe don't really know how to deal with them. In China they tend to make them join the ranks of the dead, and in America they are encouraged to become destitute. But especially in the UK, the hysterics have infiltrated all the major media outlets, and they are likely to get their own way. And science has shown that one hysteric, able to go about their normal business, can infect several others, and so their number steadily grows. Unless we flatten the curve, we could have peak hysteria spilling into the medical profession and even the cabinet, with people shrieking and wringing their hands rather than treating those with minor flu symptoms, which is what they are paid for.
Just a few moments ago, I noticed our retired doctor and his wife (gorgeous nurse) going back home after a day at the surgery.
I like them both, and am happy to see doctors working their way around this situation.
But this is in a village - God knows what's happening in a town or city...
Sam's on the ball as usual. The MSM would be understaffed without their overabundance of hysterics and fantasists.
I agree with you Boris has little choice but the hysterical option. If it turns out relatively well medically he will get the credit irrespective of economic fallout. If it turns out badly he can claim he tried. But if he prioritises economics and social needs he will always be condemned for not doing enough to prevent however many deaths occur.
Sam - all good points, but won't flattening the curve cause more hysteria?
Scrobs - we live in a small town which is fine, but I wouldn't like to be working in a city, especially London.
Jannie - yes it's what they do and although current events make it really obvious it doesn't aeem to matter.
Woodsy - and it's an interesting insight into just how tightly constrained even a PM with a large majority can be.
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