chaotopia

For my Rune-Magic online workshop on 8th May I did a divination on the progress of the pandemic in the British Isles. It was a 3-rune reading, and the staves I got were Isa, Eihwaz and Kenaz. I found this to be very clear: death and lockdown, and the timescale suggested is till next Winter. In other words, it will be the end of next winter, early next year, before this pandemic has run its course.  WHAT'S WORKING? So, what is best practice now we've some evidence in? Sweden 's no-lockdown approach is  proving a complete disaster .   The coun try that's done  best so far is  Vietnam . ' Despite a long border with China and a population of 97 million people, Vietnam has recorded only just over 300 cases of Covid-19 on its soil and not a single death.' Their method included a rigorous lockdown early on, and then tracing contact s for th ose who turn up with symptoms.  The UK's  late lockdown is a dismal failure....

As you may have noticed, there's some pretty strange stuff happening.  For a start, check  this  out, a self-reorganisation of the US states:  ‘Speaking on MSNBC, Governor Gavin Newsom said that he would use the bulk purchasing power of California “as a nation-state” to acquire the hospital supplies that the federal governmen t has failed to provide. If all goes according to plan, Newsom said, California might even “export some of those supplies to states in need.”  He said 'nation state'; that's maybe a sign of things to come. Other regional coalitions are forming too.  UBI :  Guy Standing writing  for  The Idler: 'A modest basic income is definitely affordable. Think of the billions being poured into the financial markets. Think of the fact that every year the Treasury operates over 1,100 forms of tax reliefs that favour higher-income groups to the tune of over £400 billion, according to the government’s own figure...