Eradicating Flu

I must admit, I'm not enjoying this daily posting thing, I have very little to say. I'll persevere for the time being though. The summer heatwave seems to have died down, so that's one excuse I can't use anymore.

Earlier today I was getting on my Twitter soapbox a little in regard the coronavirus issue, so I'll talk about that. The quest to eradicate the virus seems unabated. What triggered me in particular was seeing Dominic Cummings retweet a thread from a corona-busting scientist who was discussing nasal vaccines to stop the spread of the virus.

From the very start it was always my feeling that a standard seasonal virus had been taken and hyped up into something more scary. However, it was only partly through the crisis that I realised that the people running the corona show were ideologically bent on eradicating cold and flu viruses completely.

At one point Bill Gates even spoke on TV stating that one of the long term aims was to "eradicate" flu.

It seems that many of these people at the top - that really believe in science - believe that at some point it will cure all disease. This all overlaps quite heavily with the concept of the singularity, which is basically the point at which technology becomes so advanced it becomes self-perpetuating, and beyond the control of man. Some of those invested in this idea believe if they can live long enough to witness this moment in history they will go on to live forever. Or at least a very, very long time. As the technology will conquer the problems of aging and death.

All this will no doubt sound farfetched to the average person, but a quick Google search for the term will illustrate how serious many take the idea.

The concept of the singularity also overlaps somewhat with the idea of the coming Messianic Age. When the Mashiach arrives he will bring a great age of peace where all illness and want is eradicated, and a man one hundred years old will be viewed as a child. I don't think many religious believers see the Messianic Age through such a materialistic lens, but for those of a slightly more atheistic bent the parallels are quite appealing. With technology ushering in everything that only God could once promise.

As you can no doubt gather from my own tone I'm somewhat sceptical. I fear scientism has become the religion of our ruling elite, and they worship it beyond all else. Convinced it will bring them what money cannot buy.

To return to the flu though, which is now a key battleground in this ideological crusade, my views are somewhat different.

Firstly I very much doubt that common cold and flu viruses can be completely eradicated. Even if they are however I fear they'll just be replaced with something else. Nature won't allow an ecological vacuum to exist. Humans can't be sterile environments, there'll always be viruses and bacteria hanging around. So why eradicate the 'mild' ones when something less mild may replace it. Haven't we learnt this lesson with antibiotic resistance?

Then secondly I also wonder if flus and colds are beneficial in someway. They're a common, seasonal experience for humans. They're a normal part of life, so perhaps it's for a reason. Maybe they help the body repair or do other necessary things. After all, we have good bacteria as well as bad, so why not viruses too. Just because colds aren't nice as an experience doesn't mean they're necessarily bad full stop. Perhaps the human body needs to have this functionality. Is it a good idea to stop people going through these snotty processes? I wonder.

Badenoch Gone, My Instincts All Wrong

Okay, so Badenoch is out now. Dashing my instinctive fear from yesterday that it would be a Sunak v Badenoch final. This is a bit of good news for me, though many will be disappointed. We get to avoid the prospect of a complete unknown quantity taking charge of the country, and it isn't all bad for her followers. She's very young, and there's plenty of time ahead of her, and plenty of time for the public to learn more about her.

Also, and crossing the blog streams for a moment, I noticed a huge uptick in the Polymetal share price earlier. Apparently there are plans afoot to off-load their Russian assets. Meaning shareholders (of which I'm one) will end up owning shares in a wholly Kazakhstani operation. I was intermittently posting blog updates about my wanderings in share-land. I'm not sure it's too useful blending share commentary with political commentary in the one blog post, but I really have so little focus regarding what I want to say on here at the moment (I'll blame the heat 🌞🌞) so I might as well just roll with it.

I'm actually using shares a vehicle, or lens, to watch the Ukraine conflict through, so in a way things all intersect. As well as the Russian stocks I own I also have some Ferrexpo - which is an iron ore producer that operates in Ukraine. So it's interesting to watch what happens (if anything) as the war continues and the Russians make gains. The Ferrexpo operations are all fairly safe and comfortable in the Ukraine controlled part of the map (I think), so I don't think there's much chance that they'll end up lost behind the "sanctions curtain" like some of my Russian shares.

Obviously, the great hope is peace, but with Polymetal fracturing along this financial dividing line between the West and Russia that doesn't look likely. It seems, or least feels, like the divide is here to stay and everyone's just learning to accept and adapt to it. My instincts about Badenoch yesterday were wrong though, so hopefully my instincts here are wrong too.

Anyhow, it's very, very hot here in the UK, so I'll leave it there. Hopefully when it cools down a bit I'll be able to think a bit clearer.

Too Hot for Tugendhat

It's too hot. Far too hot. I know I should post something, but the climate forbids it. I read up on Lord Liverpool yesterday - what a fascinating period of British history. I really need to indulge it further.

As for today Tom Tugendhat is now out (unsurprisingly), meaning now just four remain.

I have a feeling the final two will be Rishi and Badenoch for some reason. It might just be the heat though. I can't think straight.

Hopefully I'll have something more substantial to say tomorrow.

Not So Bad

Okey-dokey, so I've just watched today's leadership debate on ITV. I feel somewhat more optimistic than I did yesterday. It wasn't entirely depressing.

I thought all three women were good. Liz Truss did well which was good to see. I still believe she's the most sensible choice given the circumstances. Her mannerisms are quite quirky. At times I was thinking she looked like she could be Mr Bean's girlfriend lol. Personally I like that though, it makes her seem a bit more genuine. Plus it's quite fitting for Britain to have Mr Bean's girlfriend in charge.

Kemi Badenoch seemed likeable again, though she came across more like a normal politician here, and she didn't sound especially right-leaning when the question about strikes and unions popped up.

And Penny Mordaunt actually came across as fairly nice and genuine too. So the women won it for me. The guys weren't my cup of tea. Though again, nothing from today gave me the feelings of horror I was experiencing yesterday. Perhaps we might get by as a country after all.

Now I'm going to read the Wikipedia page about Lord Liverpool. I had no real idea who he was when I referenced him a few posts ago, so that's a gap in my knowledge I really should fill.

Brexiteers - Outfoxed

I've just been firing off some tweets, largely into the void - I have very few followers. It completely slipped my mind that I was supposed to posting on here daily (daily on my days off at least). It would've probably made more sense to focus my energy here, into this void.

As we speak the word on the Twitter street is that Tory MPs are beginning to switch their vote from Liz Truss to Kemi Badenoch. The people that are excited by Kemi Badenoch are excited by this. Myself not so much ..and that's what I've been tweeting in response to.

Kemi Badenoch seems very nice and intelligent. I've tried to watch some of her speeches and interviews over the last few days or so and she always impresses. I missed yesterday's debates as I was working, so I only caught a few soundbites from all that. I get the feeling she didn't make an impact in that arena - her fans were quiet on Twitter last night. Still however, she's the hope for people that don't want 'more of the same'. Though I suspect Rishi, Mordaunt and Tugendhat will all bring something quite different to what Boris brought.

My instinct with Badenoch is one of scepticism. Again, I really can't criticise her if I'm to judge her on what I've seen of her personally. It's more the political intrigue aspect that arrests me. Her entry into the race is quite convenient.

• It took the shine and limelight away from more familiar Brexiteer outsiders, like Suella Braverman. She pretty much stole her thunder.
• Her freshness and lack of experience makes Sunak and Mordaunt appear older and more experienced than they are.
• She splits the right vote. First with Braverman, and now with Truss.

Plus, if she does somehow win we have no idea who her team would be. She was supported by Michael Gove - which isn't a great omen. On top of this her husband is apparently a pro-remain banker who works for Deutsche Bank (in fact she herself also started out in banking). So though she herself appears to be a Brexiteer it's all a bit opaque. Again, we know very little about this person. To me it's crazy to put someone so unknown into Number 10, but people like shiny new things.

As with the Boris ousting it's hard to not see this as Brexiteers being thoroughly outfoxed.

Also finally I've been thinking about when the next General Election will be. I'm never entirely sure about the dates and rules for when elections happen, but my feeling is that we won't be having one too soon. Personally I think people are focusing far too much on which candidate is best placed to win the next GE for the Conservatives. The more immediate concern is the here and now, as power is power, and an election could be a good while off.

If Truss wins then given her polling it'd be wise to wait, and all the other candidates that helped to oust Boris will fear the public too much to call one eagerly. They'll probably want to make the most of the power they've just grabbed. So thwarting that grab should be the overriding focus.

[Caveat: As I've stated numerous times on this blog over the years. All the above is simply my own assessment and opinion. I could well be wrong, either partly or wholly. So perhaps my sense of doom and suspicion is misplaced and we'll be sitting pretty with Badenoch or one of the other anti-Boris candidates firmly at the helm of a successful post-Brexit Britain. Hopefully this is the case.]

Political Princes

Back again.

I've been following the Conservative leadership race and have partly been thinking about it in terms of age.

Here's a list of the final eight candidates and their ages:

Jeremy Hunt (55)

Nadhim Zahawi (55)

Penny Mordaunt (49)

Tom Tugendhat (49)

Liz Truss (46)

Kemi Badenoch (42)

Suella Braverman (42)

Rishi Sunak (42)

[Boris (58)]

..and today the two eldest have just been knocked out. So the remaining six are all under fifty.

Younger People Are More Malleable

Ever since Rishi Sunak was raised up, quite out-of-the-blue, to the position of chancellor an instinctive dread has gripped my stomach. I instantly thought, "Oh no, we're getting a Macron". A young, slick banker to set the country straight.

So sitting here with him as one of the favourites to win doesn't surprise me. I've been expecting it.

Now I'm not saying a 40-odd year old should never be chancellor, or that a 42 year old should never become PM, but it's definitely something that you should try to avoid. Younger people are generally less worldly and more pliant. As we grow older we gain experience, and we gather gravitas, and we learn how to say "No" to people. We become less willing to bend with the wind.

There are countless examples of this sort of thing from history. The sturdy old king, unwilling to bend to the wishes of his advisors. Ousted and replaced by his younger and more easily flattered son. Who, enamoured with the fashions of the day, pursues the policies of his advisors - as long as they provide an easy path for him and flatter his ego enough.

In the modern world we have a bevy of these young princes: Trudeau, Jacinda Ardern (who still, even now, is just forty-one), Macron. Obama kinda fitted the mould too.

Tony Blair was arguably the first prototype - he was aged forty-three, and according to Wikipedia was the youngest person to become PM in Britain since Lord Liverpool in 1812.

I say according to Wiki because I'm literally getting these ages straight from there. I don't want to create the false pretence that I'm recalling all this straight from the top of my head. I have no idea who Lord Liverpool is, what he did, or if he was any good. I do know what I've witnessed with my own eyes however, and since Blair we've had these cookie-cutter political princes thrust upon us time and again. Always, strangely enough, pushing the same progressive globalist politics.

And if we ever choose not to vote for them it's called populism.

Sun and Ice

So much for this daily thing. It's the second day and I have nothing to write. Plus I'm heading out into the blistering sun in half an hour or so, so if I don't post something now I may not have a chance to post anything later.

Writing is a habit though, so I guess something is better than nothing.

I may as well mention the book I started reading yesterday:

Captain Scott by Ranulph Fiennes

It's superb so far. I really love these adventures in Antarctica. The icy coolness of it also helps take the edge off this heat. I'll hopefully get to read a few more chapters on the bus when I head out today.