A Very British F-up.

It’s actually happening, running its course, like a nose. We have a class system, obviously, as exemplified by the famous pre-Monty Python, “I look up to him…..but down on him” sketch. Upper - Middle – Lower or Public school - University - State school or Nanny/Mother – Mum - Ma. I’ll omit the colonials though they did a jolly good job in the war. This breaks down to one’s use of; privilege - intellect – cunning, which in turn is exemplified by who one runs to in times of trouble; nanny/matron (paid professional carer) – mother (unpaid harasser) – ma (jovial unpaid sporadic harasser). So this is how the British F-up runs. To begin with we’re all led by the Upper class as they have the bravado and necessary cash but lack the competence and experience. As they fail to deliver the Middle technocratic class step up to organise the muddle having had the foresight to study epidemiolanodigology at university. They though realise that everything is imprecise however much one knows, but set out a better plan of action. This gives the lower class a basic framework on which to apply their cunning. Being used to jovial unpaid sporadic harassment this takes many forms. Most use their initiative to stay safe, look after their mum and family, tighten their belts, and save/acquire cash wherever possible. The minority, thankfully, believe what they heard while they weren’t listening and flout any useful advice. But luckily knowledge and awareness, unlike money, does trickle down with time. So in the pandemic we’re now in the latter stages of this process. The upper class have proved useless, the middle class have shown the way and the lower class have a decent grasp of what’s going on. And the final stage? This is when the cunning of the lower class and intelligence of the middle class join forces to create a bottom-up solution based on locally based action where local GP’s, health care professionals and co-opted organisers arrange testing, tracing and lock-downs virtually street by street. Lets face it we’re all pretty computer literate by now, we’ve local knowledge, got the pandemic picture and most of us are sitting at home with time on our hands. We form the greatest single (unused) workforce we’ve ever had and most of us would do it for nothing! So for god sake forget the 20 thousand centralised tracers watching Netflicks at £10/hr waiting for some expensive centralised computer system to work. I could write a spreadsheet for 1,000 people in a few hours and email it to every GP in the country for nowt. Sure China has draconian powers but we have the great British nous. We’re known for it. (along with a world crass government)