We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.
Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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Samizdata quote of the day I expect ability to procure was some way down the list of attributes they were expected to demonstrate at the interview, coming behind devotion to the cult of the NHS, commitment to diversity, and being utterly subservient to upper management and bureaucracy.
– Tim Newman responding to reports of NHS procurement ineptitude.
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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Reading there and commenting here, I absolutely agree with Tim Newman but, along with some of the readers of this website, I’m one of very few. After coronavirus, the NHS is unassailable in the eyes of the public. It really is the nearest thing the British have to a religion, and any politician who dared to criticise it would be committing instant career suicide.
I think if we see more cases like the Southend ‘Mummy, I’m scared you’ll die!’ nurse who it took about 20 seconds to expose as a die-hard Labour activist, that may make the NHS-worship a little harder to maintain…
Schrodinger’s Dog “the NHS is unassailable in the eyes of the public”
… and this is probably why opinion polls show such high levels of public support for the lockdown measures and even demands that even more restrictions are imposed on our lives … because of THAT slogan ‘Stay Home, Protect The NHS, Save Lives’ which has an emotionally-manipulative genius about it.
Imagine a conversation which goes like this:
‘Do you support the British government’s lockdown measures to limit the spread of Covid-19?’
‘Well, now that you mention it, I do have some reservations as to whether it was necessary to go quite so far…’
‘What! Don’t you want to Protect The NHS and Save Lives?! You selfish, heartless bastard! So, let me guess, as far as you’re concerned it’s fine if thousands of vulnerable people die just so long as you can go on living a normal Western lifestyle, going to work to earn money, buying non-essential stuff in non-essential shops, getting your hair cut and going out to restaurants for a meal! What happened to the community spirit of ‘we’re all in this together’, eh? People like you make me sick!’
… and that, I figure, is why there is so much public backing for the lockdown. It’s like the footage of those old speeches by Soviet leaders where no-one wants to risk the consequences of being seen to be the first to stop clapping … talking of which – 8.00pm Thursday on your doorstep again this week?
Mr Yeoville–that kind of sanctimony will be eroded somewhat at least by the large numbers of people who –if not actually ruined–will be several rungs down the financial ladder by the time these arrogant fuckwits have finished with their little LD circus.
Tim Newman appears to be describing “Central Office” of the British Conservative Party.
When the late Edward Heath was leader of the Conservative Party it was considered outrageous that “Central Office” was (on his unofficial instructions) making it hard for people of “reactionary”, i.e. Conservative, opinions to become Members of Parliament, now people with Conservative opinions are not even allowed to be members of the party.
They are now quite open about this – Tim Newnan mentions the Frankfurt School “Diversity” Agenda – but it is not just the NHS that demands devotion to the Frankfurt School “Diversity” Agenda.
“Paul you are not saying that…..”
Yes that is exactly what I am saying – I would not have believed it myself, but I have personal experience proving it to be the case.
A classic example of John O’Sullivan’s First Law – which would hit Mr O’Sullivan himself if he was still in the United Kingdom.
Mr O’Sullivan was wise to leave – I would advice anyone who can leave to do so.
Sadly it appears that the only way out for me is the so called “coward’s way out” (death) – but other people are in a better position.
If you are young and/or have skills – leave, build a new life.
“After coronavirus, the NHS is unassailable in the eyes of the public. It really is the nearest thing the British have to a religion, and any politician who dared to criticise it would be committing instant career suicide.”
It’s absolutely fascinating to watch the talking heads on TV reporting all the failures and shortages in the NHS, yet it never crosses any of their minds to compare it with other socialist enterprises, or even simply gigantic national bureaucracies, around the world and notice a common pattern.
The fact is, Britain isn’t doing too badly in this pandemic compared to other Western countries, nor is it doing exceptionally well. The NHS, as a corporate entity (as opposed to the doctors and nurses employed by it), has done absolutely sod-all to raise us above those poor, benighted nations unlucky enough to have escaped the collectivization of their healthcare sectors. Not a damned thing. In all those charts and graphs of infection and death rates swirling around the internet, it’s completely invisible. In a sane world, this current situation would surely be placing the seeds of doubt in people’s minds.
But it won’t. As you say, it’s a religion. It even has its weekly Service of Worship now. (If that continues beyond the end of the
paniclockdown, I think I’ll emigrate.)