Coronavirus - A pale horse,4 men and ....beer

[Kafkaesque]

Beyond how individual countries are handling the pandemic, a concern I keep circling back to is whether a single country, or a region, or even a continent containing it is enough. What I mean is this. If we here in Denmark do well enough to effectively stop the spread, will it be enough to be able to return to normal, with all the travel required to get the economy back to where it was, if say the UK is still in trouble? Would the UK getting it under wraps be enough, if another major European economy say Germany is struggling? Would Europe doing well be enough if the US or China are still in the midst of it?

I'd say no on all count, which is disconcerting. Especially with the vastly different approaches taken by different countries. And with the US, still, among the top of the economic foodchain, then the differences in approach within seems troublesome. It's a massive country and a singular approach was always going to be hard. All the same the Tesla/Elon Musk highlights it in a negative way. The president/federal government touting one approach, the state governor/state government a second one, and then county officals a third one which is the one company and civilians within the county has to abide by. Again, massive country with huge differences in population density etc so a singular solution was never on the cards, but some form of common ground among their different decision makers as to how to move forward and what framework to work within is surely needed. Otherwise most states will just continue to ebb and flow in infection numbers as people travel between states and counties. Somehow I don't get the feeling that common ground is happening, ever, and my fatalistic opinion is that we'll be in this mess until a vaccine comes along.

Someone want to tell me I'm wrong and cheer me up

[Derek27]

I'm still struggling to understand what's so confusing about the new guidance. Not much has changed.

Lets face it - The antagonists said they were confused just by the slogan 'Be Alert' - it says more about them than the message.

A two-word slogan isn't enough. The nation really needs a more memorable catchphrase and series of public information films.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/fil ... _code3.htm

And in the time it took me to find that clip, I found out that green cross code man was really Dark Vader.

[Jukebox]

I'm still struggling to understand what's so confusing about the new guidance. Not much has changed.

Lets face it - The antagonists said they were confused just by the slogan 'Be Alert' - it says more about them than the message.

A two-word slogan isn't enough. The nation really needs a more memorable catchphrase and series of public information films.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/fil ... _code3.htm

And in the time it took me to find that clip, I found out that green cross code man was really Dark Vader.

I should have said the first two words of the slogan - but hey.

Incidentally Darth Vader and The Green Cross Code was updated by Dr Who and "SPLINK" !

[Dallas]

After talk of the furlough scheme being reduced to 60% in June because more than double the number of people they expected to use it did so, and in the last week it's now increased by a further 1.2million far from reducing it he's now decided to extend it to October at 80%.
The only caveat being companies will need to start sharing the cost from August
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52634759

[Archery1969]

After talk of the furlough scheme being reduced to 60% in June because more than double the number of people they expected to use it did so, and in the last week it's now increased by a further 1.2million far from reducing it he's now decided to extend it to October at 80%.
The only caveat being companies will need to start sharing the cost from August
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52634759

Yeah, i was gob smacked. The country will end up being poorer than 1946, in the short term.

[Derek27]

Lets face it - The antagonists said they were confused just by the slogan 'Be Alert' - it says more about them than the message.

A two-word slogan isn't enough. The nation really needs a more memorable catchphrase and series of public information films.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/fil ... _code3.htm

And in the time it took me to find that clip, I found out that green cross code man was really Dark Vader.

I should have said the first two words of the slogan - but hey.

Incidentally Darth Vader and The Green Cross Code was updated by Dr Who and "SPLINK" !

Perhaps Darth Vader (I thought it was 'Dark' ) would have been a more forceful character to teach children to cross roads carefully. It really does beggar belief that so much thought, importance and debate is given in wording a slogan to teach grown adults what to do, probably more so than the 1970's education for children!

[Euler]

After talk of the furlough scheme being reduced to 60% in June because more than double the number of people they expected to use it did so, and in the last week it's now increased by a further 1.2million far from reducing it he's now decided to extend it to October at 80%.
The only caveat being companies will need to start sharing the cost from August
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52634759

That's going to cost £2.5bn a month. My son is furloughed by the tax he will pay when he returns will never be enough to pay what he has got from the government on furlough. There are going to be some whopping tax increases in the pipeline when this is all over.

[Naffman]

After talk of the furlough scheme being reduced to 60% in June because more than double the number of people they expected to use it did so, and in the last week it's now increased by a further 1.2million far from reducing it he's now decided to extend it to October at 80%.
The only caveat being companies will need to start sharing the cost from August
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52634759

That's going to cost £2.5bn a month. My son is furloughed by the tax he will pay when he returns will never be enough to pay what he has got from the government on furlough. There are going to be some whopping tax increases in the pipeline when this is all over.

Good job we don't pay it then ey

[Euler]

They will come after you in other ways I'd imagine. You could find yourself paying more tax, just by default, the burden could be huge.

[Derek27]

After talk of the furlough scheme being reduced to 60% in June because more than double the number of people they expected to use it did so, and in the last week it's now increased by a further 1.2million far from reducing it he's now decided to extend it to October at 80%.
The only caveat being companies will need to start sharing the cost from August
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52634759

That's going to cost £2.5bn a month. My son is furloughed by the tax he will pay when he returns will never be enough to pay what he has got from the government on furlough. There are going to be some whopping tax increases in the pipeline when this is all over.

Good job we don't pay it then ey

When you buy cigarettes or alcohol you're really just paying tax, you can think of the merchandise as a free gift.

[Jukebox]

They will come after you in other ways I'd imagine. You could find yourself paying more tax, just by default, the burden could be huge.

As we gradually build a world where foreign holidays, travel, fancy cars, eating out and entertainment will become virtually non existant there might not be enough income to tax nor purchases to charge tax on.

[Kai]

Incidentally Darth Vader and The Green Cross Code was updated by Dr Who and "SPLINK"

I thought it was 'Dark'

You really thought it was Dark Vader all these years?! Hope you didn't think it was Jan Solo and Lou Skywalker At least you have a great excuse to binge watch something good these days, I still haven't seen the last two

[Dallas]

They will come after you in other ways I'd imagine. You could find yourself paying more tax, just by default, the burden could be huge.

Y, the cost of all this to come doesn't bare thinking about, and for the younger generation trying to get a foot hold its going to be even worse

[Jukebox]

When you buy cigarettes or alcohol you're really just paying tax, you can think of the merchandise as a free gift.

Having a tipple and a ciggy might be considered 'doing your bit for the economy' in future.

[Archery1969]

They will come after you in other ways I'd imagine. You could find yourself paying more tax, just by default, the burden could be huge.

Y, the cost of all this to come doesn't bare thinking about, and for the younger generation trying to get a foot hold its going to be even worse

I heard an economist being interviewd on the radio who said that he wouldnt be surprised if the UK pension age was raised to 70.