“Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent” is a favourite quote of the character Salvor Hardin, in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation. Hardin is an agile politician who runs rings around bigger foes without resorting to blunt force. In the battle against COVID-19, lockdowns are the blunt force approach – and they appear to be similarly the last refuge of the incompetent.
In Italy, for instance, the government wasted the crucial early months of 2020. Not only were minimal measures not put in place, often the worst possible actions were pursued. Incredibly, in late February, 45 000 soccer fans from the worst-hit areas of Italy and Spain were allowed to cram into a soccer stadium: a match described as the “detonator of a biological atom bomb”.
Just four days later, the same area was locked down.
In New Zealand, PM Jacinda Ardern also dithered through the vital early weeks. Tactical measures to keep the virus spread minimal, like those employed by Taiwan, were not implemented. Arrivals were simply hand-waved through the international terminal at Auckland and given a pamphlet.
Now, the incompetent Ardern has panicked and reached for the blunt instrument of wholesale lockdowns.
Australian PM Scott Morrison has mostly performed far better – but he has been hamstrung every step of the way by incompetent state premiers who are now clamouring to bring down the lockdown hammer.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is close to pushing the button on a shutdown of Sydney.
Sydney is the COVID-19 hotspot in Australia: with less than 20% of Australia’s population, it accounts for nearly half of all cases. Yet, within Sydney, those cases are mostly confined to a handful of suburbs.
But a lockdown is not the panacea people think it is[…]Those who are demanding government #lockusdown fail to grasp the intense dilemma facing the national Cabinet.
When Morrison says he is considering the “economic impact” of the coronavirus, he isn’t worried about budget surpluses.
He’s worried about all of our livelihoods and the end of life as we know it.
Remember, the government’s strategy is not eradication of the virus like New Zealand.
Eradication is a pipe dream, anyway. The only way it is even remotely feasible would be to impose a permanent, stringent quarantine regime on all arrivals. Say goodbye to New Zealand’s tourism industry, in that case.
The strategy they have taken — rightly or wrongly — is to “flatten the curve” to take pressure off the health system.
But a lockdown will result in devastating, heartbreaking situations and distress for, literally, millions of families.
[…]Once we lockdown and businesses close their doors, the very real question is, will they ever re-open? Many won’t.
It’s not to say we shouldn’t go into a lockdown but outside of the coronavirus hot spots, it’s not a decision we should race towards.
And it should not be a national lockdown.
NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian is guilty of some extraordinary incompetence in recent weeks – and has resolutely shifted blame and tried to wag the commonwealth dog to make up for it.
Firstly, Berejiklian is directly responsible for causing mass confusion by telling parents they should keep children at home in contradiction of medical advice.
Secondly, the Ruby Princess cruise ship debacle is simply unforgivable.
We knew cruise ships were a problem — Morrison banned them while ships in other states were quarantined.
And what did NSW do? It allowed a floating petri dish to disgorge its load of COVID Charlies in the heart of Sydney.
The fact 162 infected passengers have now been tested positive and were allowed to arrive with no health checks, free to go into the community and spread the virus around Australia is inexcusable incompetence bordering on criminal negligence[…]
To add insult to injury, Berejiklian did not stand up and accept responsibility for it.
Not only did she not apologise to the people of NSW but she shifted the blame to Border Force[…yet] it was NSW Health that failed to carry out health checks and declared the ship “low risk”.
Far easier to screech at the Morrison government to lock us all down. After which Berejiklian, like Ardern, will almost certainly tout herself as a “strong leader” – secure in the knowledge that the slavishly moronic media will cheer-squad all the way.
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