News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:I Miss My Bar by oarsinsync on Friday February 19, 2021 @03:00AM (#26190711)
Predicting the future is difficult. After the overall incompetence of leadership that 2020 brought in many western countries, making any rational predictions about 2021 is irrational in itself.

Based on their website, GP is likely in the UK. There’s vague hope based on vaccination rates, but given the number of self-inflicted own-goals by this government, anything more than vague hope now feels like setting oneself up for disappointment.

Re:I Miss My Bar by _uwiz on Friday February 19, 2021 @03:04AM (#26190722)
Vaccination has literally fuck all to do with this. Our restrictions are randomly generated.

It's illegal for me to have a friend over because they made it illegal.

We have adverts trying to scare people into working from home, as if that's a choice.

The government is literally trolling us, just showing us that we'll do whatever as long as there's propaganda backing it.

Fuck this reality.

Re:I Miss My Bar by tinus_hn on Friday February 19, 2021 @04:28AM (#26191181)
Same in the Netherlands and any restriction introduced for whatever reason is forever. For instance, when bars had to close at 22:00, people would flood the supermarkets to get booze for drinking at home. So they made a rule that supermarkets can’t sell alcohol after 20:00.

Now the bars have been closed for 3 months. Think anyone would remove that now useless limitation on selling alcohol after 20:00? Think again!

Re:I Miss My Bar by _uwiz on Friday February 19, 2021 @04:33AM (#26191200)
UK Government 2020:

It seems that most people are catching coronavirus in private homes.

makes pubs shit to be in with distancing rules and masks etc

people start to socialise at home more

It seems that most people are catching coronavirus in private homes.

closes pubs earlier

people start to socialise at home more

It seems that most people are catching coronavirus in private homes.

close everything else, make meeting up outside illegal

people start to socialise at home more

It seems that most people are catching coronavirus in private homes.

I literally cannot come up with an explanation for this that isn't conspiratorial. For all of Boris' fluff, I don't believe that our Government is this incompetent or stupid - there has to be an ulterior motive here.

Re:I Miss My Bar by Nursie on Friday February 19, 2021 @05:19AM (#26191455)
Socialising inside a home was restricted pretty early. Those socialising at home are breaking the law, it's just not something that can be enforced very easily.

Our government demonstrably is this incompetent. Not just on coronavirus.

Re:I Miss My Bar by tinus_hn on Friday February 19, 2021 @04:36AM (#26191225)
Yeah it’s like ‘30% of infections are happening in bars’ so let’s close the bars. Well now ’30% of infections are happening in gyms’ so let’s close these.

Wow now that everything is closed, 60% of infections are happening at home! Let’s restrict that!

Its just dumb.

Re:I Miss My Bar by dTal on Friday February 19, 2021 @03:30PM (#26197677)
Are you implying that the total number of infections is held constant somehow, and restrictions merely move them around? Because that's false. Restrictions work.
Re:I Miss My Bar by tinus_hn on Friday February 19, 2021 @06:44PM (#26199589)
Statistics show a different reality but even then, if everything outside the house is closed it stands to reason that the percentage of infections inside the house would grow by a lot. Simply because there are no others. And it turns out to be pretty tempting, once infections start rising again (despite the restrictions) to use these percentages to impose even more draconian restrictions.
Re:I Miss My Bar by michaelt on Friday February 19, 2021 @12:58PM (#26195845)
> It seems that most people are catching coronavirus in private homes.

It comes as no surprise to me that, if one person in a household gets infected, everyone else would too.

What's the government supposed to do about that? Social distancing on the sofa?

Re:I Miss My Bar by tinus_hn on Friday February 19, 2021 @06:52PM (#26199641)
If you think outside the box there’s plenty of things to do:

* quarantine the infected person outside the home * develop protocols to avoid infection of the others * use medication that blocks people from getting infected * use measures to block infecting the others

It is kind of strange that in this situation somehow the government is justified in taking no action. While in others apparently they are obligated to act.

Re:I Miss My Bar by _uwiz on Friday February 19, 2021 @06:25PM (#26199437)
They should probably ban milk.
Re:I Miss My Bar by oarsinsync on Friday February 19, 2021 @06:21AM (#26191909)
> I literally cannot come up with an explanation for this that isn't conspiratorial. For all of Boris' fluff, I don't believe that our Government is this incompetent or stupid - there has to be an ulterior motive here.

I do believe the PM is this incompetent and stupid. He's demonstrated a total lack of belief in anything, and is utterly spineless.

(Un)fortunately, the same cannot be said for some of his staff. There's a certain special advisor who drove to a castle (and got a raise) who has an interesting history when it comes to his views on eugenics.

Re:I Miss My Bar by Sorrop on Friday February 19, 2021 @03:21AM (#26190815)
I live in Greece and what you describe is very much applicable here too.

Especially the part about government trolling us.

Fuck this reality.

Re:I Miss My Bar by ersii on Friday February 19, 2021 @04:42AM (#26191269)
Come over to Sweden, things are quite dandy here.

Never thought I'd say that in a positive manner though.

Wish you the better and best.

Re:I Miss My Bar by jjgreen on Friday February 19, 2021 @05:40AM (#26191612)
A lot of us wish we could; but in the UK it is illegal to leave the house for anything but food-shopping, a medical appointment or (limited) exercise. I don't think "escaping a police state" falls under any of those.
Re:I Miss My Bar by leesalminen on Friday February 19, 2021 @08:20AM (#26192825)
Wait are you seriously saying that you can’t leave the country?!?
Re:I Miss My Bar by jjgreen on Friday February 19, 2021 @08:56AM (#26193148)
Yes, there are exceptions (vaguely stated, a funeral or what the police would regard as essential), but a holiday would be illegal.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Re:I Miss My Bar by leesalminen on Friday February 19, 2021 @09:12AM (#26193322)
Wow, I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds tyrannical to me.
Re:I Miss My Bar by tomcooks on Saturday February 20, 2021 @03:15AM (#26202528)
Afaik most European countries have a travel ban unless it's for work.

Minimizing contact and travel, together with masks and sanitation,is proven to work and currently the only solution- unless hey you have a non tyrannical alternative then please let me know

Re:I Miss My Bar by Mediterraneo10 on Saturday February 20, 2021 @12:09PM (#26205769)
Few European countries prevent people from leaving the country for leisure or family visits. I myself have managed to travel a bit this winter.

In some places, ruling parties have complained that they simply couldn’t prevent people from leaving even if they wanted to, because freely leaving and re-entering is enshrined in the country’s constitution. The UK, Australian, and New Zealand prevention on even leaving the country is much harsher than in most other developed countries.

"Minimizing contact and travel" is not the only solution, just perhaps the only solution you personally find palatable. Keeping borders open and simply accepting deaths works for me. Deaths are bad, but a new wave of nationalism and wall-building is worse.

Re:I Miss My Bar by eybbus on Friday February 19, 2021 @10:20AM (#26194075)
isn't Sweden proposing to shut down businesses, limiting time spent at some places and adding new rules regarding gatherings and public event?

Thats at least I gather from a Norwegian news site, but my Norwegian is not up to snuff.