News, Social Affairs, Opinion, Aviation and Books
KJM TODAY
Books for 2020:
(Details below the Home Page Opinion)
e
Home Page Opinion
Not the Prime Minister Voters Voted For
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed both the House of Commons and the nation in a TV broadcast, attempting to invoke some form of Churchillian spirit in the so-called ‘war’ on COVID-19.
As we have consistently said on KJM Today, the government, led by this Prime Minister, mainstream media and almost everybody else (including the NHS), has consistently misused the word ‘coronavirus’ to describe the panicdemic sweeping the world. This is patently wrong and at best is misleading. At worst it is a lie. Let us provide a reminder:
There are number of coronaviruses including three strains of the common cold. One of these is SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. None however, by themselves, are fatal. What can be fatal are other conditions to which any coronavirus can lead. People who catch an ordinary cold can develop pneumonia, which can kill if left untreated. There are any number of other health conditions that can also be fatal. But coronaviruses aren’t among them and neither – by itself – is COVID-19.
Yet the vast majority still cannot access medical assistance for anything – as we again have already noted, the NHS remains effectively closed to everybody, including cancer victims and others needing life-saving help.
And in case anybody had forgotten, there is not now, nor has there ever been a ‘cure’, or a truly effective and guaranteed vaccine for the common cold or any other coronavirus. There will not be one for COVID-19 either. Yes, vaccines can help enormously once properly developed over time, but they are not the magical cure-all solution and never will be. That is why current UK government policies are pointless and do nothing to stop what is, we will concede, a contagious condition like COVID-19.
But we will not learn to live with it, nor will be we build our immune systems to it, by hiding ourselves away, by covering our faces or by locking down society, putting millions out of work and bankrupting the country. And we will not succeed by allowing our freedoms to be removed. As Benjamin Franklin once said: “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
And that includes elected MPs and those who become members of a government. The mask law is wrong, as is the so-called Coronavirus Act, as are the removal of freedoms undertaken by this government. It also includes the invasive ‘Track and Trace’ system.
As the Daily Telegraph’s Ross Clark points out: “Who in their right mind would want to download Matt Hancock’s track and trace app…My reluctance is not just down to the government’s lousy record with technology – to judge by the booking system for Covid tests it won’t be long before baffled Aberdonians [in Scotland] who haven’t left their city for six months start getting texts telling them to self-isolate on the grounds that the system tracked them standing next to someone in a bar in Putney [London].....But then [Hancock] is threatening to use the full weight of the law to punish people who lapse after having been told by the app to self-isolate. One little walk, one little trip down the park and that app will presumably be capable of catching you out and springing you with a fine. It is rather as if the Stasi had asked people to volunteer to be spied upon.”
Clark goes on: “...the health secretary – whose family business is in software - seems to think that all the world’s problems can be solved by our smartphones in some way.”
Perhaps the ‘family business’ may explain Mr Hancock’s enthusiasm – remember he waxed lyrical about having more GP appointments carried out by digital means before the onset of COVID-19.
But there is more to it than that – track and trace will, as Ross Clark implies, lead to its greater use, inevitably to spy on all aspects of society and adversely affecting everybody’s ability to lead lives unrestrained by the power of the state.
Boris Johnson was elected on the back of his reputation as a true believer in the opposite of state power. We forgave and overlooked his flaws. But his government is not what we voted for. We voted for freedom, not repression. The Prime Minister still has the chance to restore his reputation as a libertarian and to pull back from the current path. He still has the opportunity to remove questionable scientific opinion (and that is all it is – opinion, not fact). He still has over three years to listen to people and restore our freedom to make up our own minds. He can still be the Boris Johnson so many people voted for.
© KJM Today 2020
Let us know your views on what is happening in the world today.
Email us now -
KJM Today is not an un-moderated site but a news outlet; like all others (including print media) we must have your correct name and full postal address. Your name, town/city/country will be published unless you ask us not to, in which case we will 'sign' your comments 'name and address withheld by request'.
But we must have them to begin with - no social media user names please!
Details of our books for 2020.
Available - the Third Edition of Comments of a Common Man
An excoriating look at life in the UK today, taking aim at Politicians, Police, the NHS, Education, the shocking cost of housing and other subjects of concern to those living in the UK.
This is a book that should be read by everybody.
Available as a paperback or on Kindle, just £9.99 from Amazon or you can order a copy from us:
email now -
Available - Airport Days and Nights Evolution
The sister book to Airport Days and Nights Terminals and Runways, this takes readers on a personal journey back in time, up to the present day and shows the development of airports used by the authors. Packed with full colour photographs this is an evocative portrayal of personal and technological growth.
Paperback £17.99 from Amazon or you can order a copy from us:
email now -
(Also still available is the sister book Airport Days and Nights Terminals and Runways)
Sold Out and awaiting a new print run - Heathrow Airport 70 Years and Counting
A second edition of Kevan James' earlier history of Heathrow, brought up to just before the December general election in the UK, and including the latest developments concerning the new runway. Controversially, the author calls for two new runways at the airport and not just one. The book also includes a direct comparision with New York's John F. Kennedy airport - Heathrow's busiest route. With three new chapters and substantially re-written throughout, the book will attract those interested in social history and development, as well as aviation and airport enthusiasts.
A solid, hardback book with a RRP of £19.99, you can order a copy from us: email now -
Or order your copies here:
Reader's Remarks on Heathrow Airport 70 Years and Counting:
Kevan James has knitted his own personal reflections and experiences into what could otherwise have been a considerably less compelling narrative, had it been purely historical. His personal anecdotes, experiences and reflections throughout the book make it a compelling read for anybody who has known and experienced Heathrow in any capacity.
(Paul S. London, UK)
This is a well-written and interesting account of Heathrow’s history – the most interesting airport in Britain. It’s good to know where it came from and what happened there, and to reflect on what goes on behind the scenes, and where it might be going in the future.
(Matt Falcus, The Airport Spotting Blog - http://www.airportspotting.com/)
The heart and soul of the world's most iconic airport
(Andy Martin)
Eloquent writing and full of interesting facts
(Marnix Groot, Editor. AirportHistory.org)
If ordering books from KJM Today, please allow 28 days for delivery
P & P within the UK is free.
Postage rates to other countries may vary
Have you got a book project or idea?
Do you have an article you would like to submit?
Use the Get In Touch form below and let us know - we'd be happy to consider either or both!
Books have always been a part of life and even today, they are still.
The printed book, and for that matter magazines and newspapers, face a challenging time in the face of the digital onslaught but there is nothing like a book; a tangible thing that one can hold, feel, and yes, love also.
The digital version is a flimsy on-screen nothing, swiped away with the flick of a finger, deleted when done with.
A book may last more than a lifetime.
Available Now -
Comments of a Common Man Edition 3
Heathrow Airport 70 Years and Counting
Heathrow; Days Out at the UK's Premier International Airport.
Airport Days and Nights Terminals and Runways.
Airport Days and Nights Evolution
Boyhood; Soccer, Skaters, Streets and Suchlike
The Posts of Roche Fokke
Boysold (a novel, part one of a trilogy)
Please note that the opinions expressed on KJM Today are those of the contributors concerned and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of KJM Today.
Quick Links:
Columnists:
Special features:
