Relaxation of Restrictions, Part XII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

A problem is that even when the media do ask what they perceive to be difficult questions, they usually let the interviewee off with a no answer spin piece of jargon. No asking the relevant question again and again until its actually addressed. Far too often there is an almost apologetic tone in even asking such questions too and that is not proper journalism. Very little proper journalism left out there

the republic is far from a failed state.

ireland under british rule again is never going to happen, hardly anyone wants it thankfully.

That is correct, but that also means that western governments will do whatever is in their power to ensure people can be treated appropriately, whether that is lockdowns or restrictions, to keep the health service functioning. Posters shouting about reducing restrictions when hospitalisations due to COVID are still placing undue pressure on the system (and then hospitalisation of unvaccinated taking up a disproportionate amount of those cases) also becomes a pointless discussion to have, by that logic, yet we get the same posters day after day calling to let it rip or let people die (or claiming that there was no excess deaths or that lockdowns and restrictions don't reduce cases/hospitalisations/deaths). Vaccines have changed the maths, better treatments will change it further, Omicron may change it further still and allow all restrictions to be dropped.

The big difference is Vincent Browne made the interviewee squirm to the point that it was obvious they were dodging the question or bluffing. What we have is a "move on" approach that is not even pointed out in reports afterwards.

The mainstream media don't employ journalists anymore. You could call them "reporters". They report what they are either told by official channels or through their leak sources. It's all about the rush to get the tweet out first to get the most coverage.

I couldn't agree more with this. There have even been several times when Micheal Martin has said to "move on" or got prickly about something and said "Come on now". And it's infuriating because often they have taken their little reprimand and left it there. How about having a bit of balls and saying "What do you mean come on like?". You can be respectful and challenging without acting like you are beneath someone like Mícheal Martin, taoiseach or not!

Not forgetting of course that many of these journalists aspire to promotion to the staff of said politicians as well.

This is a huge issue. Journalists should have an antagonistic relationship to powerful institutions, especially the political. This is simply not the case at all here, and I would characterise most political correspondents relationship to politicians as friendly for the most part, with the film of the odd 'hard question' or very mild 'gotcha' thrown into interviews to offer the illusion of opposition, but it is pure pantomime. A small example of this would be on twitter, where you see politicians and journalists wishing each other well on their future endeavours etc. They are more like colleagues than anything else.

That’s rather selfish.

Why not get vaccinated and reduce your chances of hacking up a lung?

The majority of the world is selfish.

Why don't drug addicts stop taking drugs

Why don't people with alcohol addiction stop drinking

Why don't smokers stop smoking

Why don't obese people eat healthy and exercise

Taking the vaccine is a choice like other people who can clog up hospitals have a choice.

If we refused anyone to hospital who gives them a higher chance of ending up in hospital then we would have very people in hospitals.

Just read about restrictions coming in to France on Monday. Fair enough they are getting battered at the moment and tightening up a bit makes sense given the high hospitalisations and ICU numbers but come on, some of them make no sense at all

No eating or drinking allowed on public transport or in cinemas etc. What the actual **** is that going to do ?

Our politicians employing journalists as advisors means none of them want to go too hard incase they want to go that route in future.

Ah, seen it was already mentioned

I assume it prevents people keeping their mask off while they sip a drink for an hour.

Close a loophole people possibly use to not have to wear a mask?