EDITORIAL

The Corvid 19 Conspiracy Over the last three months the common-sensed amongst us must have been what in the name of Ethelred The Unready (patron saint of politicians) is going on in this great country of ours? Encouraged by government misinformation, failure, ineptitude, ignorance and incompetence many have become suspicious that there is more going on behind the political scene than is being reported. And when, in a rare fulllment of professional journalism, ministers have been asked to explain the government’s lack of ability or honesty to the media concerning the pandemic satisfactory answers are rarely provided to the public.

Has the pandemic provided a convenient smokescreen for those in power to continue the further pillaging of the nation’s empty coers under the guise of unprecedented altruism aimed at protecting the people and the economy? And what of the PPE (Protective Personal Equipment) asco including the still unexplained (and unfullled) procurement of such equipment from Turkey? In April the Corona Virus Act entered dodgy labyrinth of English statutes. This act is presented as a response to the current plague but a cursory glance at its contents reveals a sinister and draconian power grab aimed at further empowering the state and its agents whilst further reducing basic human rights and freedoms. In particular the legislation absolves those in power that fail the public in the execution of their statutory or regulatory duties. Concerning issues around the way the UK has dealt with the pandemic include leaving the airports open to all and sundry without viral screening, announcing the lockdown late causing avoidable deaths, refusing to encourage public protective mask wearing, a continued lack of PPE for frontline sta in health facilities and care homes, charging immigrant health and care workers non-resident charges, a continued lack of clarity in public information (e.g. the infamous change of STAY At HOME to STAY ALERT) and lifting lockdown before the R (re-infection) number and rate have fallen because the (already rotten) economy has further deteriorated. Why did the government abandon track and trace in the early days of the pandemic? These and many other questions will never be answered.

The government further aroused suspicion when PHE (Public Health England) commissioned the Fenton Report on Covid BAME preference. The disproportionate number of BAME people killed by the corona virus is rightly a cause for concern not least amongst those most aected. It is acknowledged that there is a lack of PPE available for frontline workers. Are BAME workers last in the queue when PPE allocation is made? Ministers and media are obsessed with stating that BAME individuals are more likely to die from the corona virus. A disproportionate number of public-facing or frontline workers such as nurses, doctors, orderlies, cleaners, care home sta, retail concessions, security and transport sta are drawn from the BAME communities. Many of these workers are low-waged and socio-economically disadvantaged. If your profession requires you to work in situations where contagion is rife without protective clothing and equipment then naturally your risk of infection is higher. The situation smacks of racism and injustice and yet ministers insist there is need for a public inquiry into this.

Meanwhile the pharmaceutical giant (with previous) Grafto-Schmidt Crime Welkommen becomes the focus of unwanted procurement suspicion when the PM’s Thief Advisor, Demonic Comings, holds a Mad Twatter’s Tea Party to explain his optometrist-approved vehicular eye test that required a 260-mile trip to Castile Batard. Fortunately his eyesight test and vision proved ne, unlike his explanations. There has been continued concern in scientic and medical circles that the government and particularly Comings prefer a herd immunity policy with all the natural wastage and reducing the surplus population that such a scheme contains. As minister after minister performs their pandemic briengs from number ten the ubiquitously ignorant Hatt Mancock must get rst prize for remedial intelligence as he fails his every target, presents dubious data, lies about PPE procurement and launches a half-arsed track and trace system that will somehow be world-beating! It may be wiser to beat the virus rst before attempting world domination.

The removal and drowning of the statue of slaver Edward Colston torn down in Bristol caused some upset for Home Secretary Pretty Patel who found the Bristolian removal of the controversial statue completely unacceptable violence and vandalism. In Minneapolis George Floyd an African American is murdered or executed by a police ocer watched by his fellow ocers and lmed by a member of the public. The president, as per usual, condemns the victims and calls out all the security services he can muster to quell the attack on good ole redneck American racism and white supremacy.

In Yemen, ravaged by war, most people will die in their homes. In Britain, sadly, most people will die in a home. As exhausted politicians prepare for their socially distant summer break perhaps the discontent should think less about removing the public egies dedicated to the architects of slavery, colonization and imperialism and consider, as Guido and his followers did, the removal of the building where such evils are sanctioned and approved. Welcome to this spontaneous and passionate special edition. uKUNST

Enjoy Der Herausgeber June MMXX