AGENDA
THE DIARY BY RICHARD FIDLER
Our editor asks if our decision-makers are losing a little bit of their humanity
DOES ANYONE REALLY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON? I know that is probably the most open-ended question of all time with answers ranging from ‘duh, we’re in a pandemic’ to ‘literally no clue’ but it would be good if there was someone out there that had a handle on the world right now. We are being asked to believe so many different things that make no logical sense when compared against each other. This column is being put together against the backdrop of South Yorkshire being placed into Tier 3 of the latest round of lockdowns affecting, mainly, the north of England. The problem is it seems that the two parties with the biggest interest in scaring
people to submit to the restrictions are politicians and the mainstream media. And I don’t blame them, as they’re simply doing what they do. Asking politicians not to play politics fundamentally misunderstands the whole point of their existence. Power and control are the name of the game, so we can’t really criticise them for doing what comes as naturally to them as breathing. It’s the same with the media – with some notable exceptions (and yes I am aware that having a column in a magazine makes me part of the fourth estate), parroting the COVID stats that are handed out is doing the politicians’ job for them. But if it drives up clicks and
viewers, then who cares if the elderly are terrified about giving their grandchildren a cuddle? During this period, I’m beginning to worry that the people who make the decisions on our behalf have lost a little bit of their humanity. The very things that make life enjoyable such as seeing a smile, or passing the time of day with a stranger have all but been made illegal. And now we’re in Tier 3 with the resultant damage to some businesses that that will do. The knock-on effect to many others will also be severe. Support from central government, on the face of it, appears to be a pittance.
However, if you’re offered scraps on a take it or leave it basis then you have to take it. I would have preferred for our local representatives to argue against being forced into any tier whatsoever. There is no proof that any of the new restrictions will make a blind bit of difference and it’s also hard to trust the figures that are presented to us anyway. Maybe that’s me being sceptical, but the decision makers haven’t got the best of track records during this pandemic, have they? In the meantime, as we always do, businesses will work and fight their way through to survive. And in that regard, we’re all in this together.
Got views of your own? Let me know: richard@unltdbusiness.com LinkedIn: Richard Fidler
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