Sneak Lemming posted:

but the finest doctors are keeping him in good spirirts! And Not On A Ventilator

euphronius posted:

he’s been dead for days

also jfc “pregnant partner” as the name for a woman that is horrible

90s Cringe Rock posted:

"He is pretty fit.

Inexplicable Humblebrag posted:

no like apparently we don't have a US-style nuclear football; there's no authorisation from boris thinking 'gently caress, we need to finish off those people we deported wrongfully to jamaica', there's pre-written orders

little unclear what the article actually refers to but it's such a great image of the top tories squabbling for nuclear access

Nebakenezzer posted:

For a very long time, the Royal Navy refused to have permissive action links [PALs - the stuff that keeps nuclear weapons from being used without correct authorization] on its nuclear weapons because the RN found the implication that a RN officer would do something 'dishonorable' insulting

When y'all had ground-based missiles, part of the launch system involved a bloke on a bicycle and something that was clearly bike locks

SelenicMartian posted:

He's not dead, he's resting.

ShaneMacGowansTeeth posted:

Squizzle posted:

like three or four times since i saw the post itt, ive remembered the pericles thing and laughed

Inexplicable Humblebrag posted:

https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ClapForBoris

90s Cringe Rock posted:

Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron has described Boris Johnson as a "tough and resilient guy".

"He is pretty fit. I have faced him on the tennis court and am sure he will be fine," he said.

SelenicMartian posted:

He's not dead, he's resting.

twoday posted:

Bedtime for Boris: Backroom Backpedaling on Bungled Bioethics as Britain Battles Brutal Backlog - BoJo Basically Braindead

Hillary 2020 posted:

I hope Osborne gets rona’d

https://twitter.com/george_osborne/status/1247472871498231809?s=21

hobbesmaster posted:

Its still moot because the PALs are in a safe on each of the subs that the CO+XO can open.

twoday posted:

Bedtime for Boris: Backroom Backpedaling on Bungled Bioethics as Britain Battles Brutal Backlog - BoJo Basically Braindead

quote:

LONDON — Boris Johnson’s war with the coronavirus has turned personal. When the prime minister was admitted to intensive care with severe symptoms on Monday night, it was a reminder to Britons that like it or not, we are all in this together.

The virus that has changed daily life across the world knows no bounds when it comes to privilege, class or high office. A leader who has repeatedly defied the laws of political gravity finds himself struck down by the very virus he had put his government on a war footing to beat.

Mr. Johnson’s hospital stay comes after a week of damaging headlines over his government’s handling of the outbreak and rumors of his declining health. Keen to dispel claims made earlier this year that he was a “part-time” prime minister, Mr. Johnson had insisted on continuing to work despite his symptoms, which included a persistent fever. Those around him now regret that decision.

Although Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Party has enjoyed its best poll ratings in government since Margaret Thatcher during the Falklands War, there has been criticism of the prime minister’s handling of the pandemic — from his visible reluctance to impose social-distancing measures to his at times jovial approach to news conferences.

But as Mr. Johnson’s hospital admission brings the national crisis to a head, such criticism has been drowned out by support. Politicians, commentators and celebrities across the spectrum have put partisanship aside to rally around the beleaguered prime minister. Social media is flooded with well wishes; there’s a campaign for a moment of national applause — a community act reserved until now for hospital staffs and other key workers putting their safety on the line to fight the pandemic.

So the political dynamics seem to have changed, at least for now. But the challenge ahead for the government has only increased in scale.

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Aides have gone from talking down the severity of the prime minister’s illness to worrying out loud over what it means for the days, weeks and months ahead. Even if Mr. Johnson makes a fast recovery, he will need time out to convalesce. At a time of national crisis, the figure supposed to lead the country is out of action.

Editors’ Picks
Good Looks Ran in the Family. So Did Schizophrena. The wework CEO missed that, got mania and grandiosity as the spear point of narcissistic personality disorder. That fake blood testing company, all of that plus her narcissistic personality disorder took the "solipsism" sub-type, which is, I poo poo you not, a thing. What's the deal with rich people having mental health problems all of a sudden?!?
They All Retired Before They Hit 40. Then This Happened. Won't somebody PLEASE feel bad for the literally most privlaged?!?
What New York Looked Like During the 1918 Pandemic, because if we're not going to write about history coherently we can show pictures of it, I guess


Mr. Johnson’s temporary replacement is his de facto deputy, First Secretary of State Dominic Raab. Mr. Raab was given the title when Mr. Johnson became prime minister and believed the biggest challenge of the day was Brexit. The idea was that the appointment of Mr. Raab, a committed Brexiteer, would send a clear message that even if something happened to the prime minister, his Brexit plan could not be watered down.

Mr. Raab’s suitability for leading the country through a time of national crisis is another matter. While the prime minister and his team trust him more than Mr. Johnson does most senior cabinet ministers, Mr. Raab is a relative unknown to the public and is seen to lack warmth as a speaker.

But even if Mr. Raab defies his critics, there are limits to how much a high-performing de facto deputy can achieve. The British system is not built for a situation in which its leader is absent for a prolonged period of time — let alone during a national crisis. There are not clear guidelines for who takes power if the prime minister is incapacitated. And Mr. Raab is not carrying out all of Mr. Johnson’s duties: He is not working from 10 Downing Street, he will not meet with the queen, and he does not have the power to fire or hire members of the cabinet.

Since Mr. Johnson became prime minister, power has been broadly balanced among the four ministers tasked with heading the coronavirus subcommittees: Mr. Raab, Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove. There have been repeated reports of egos clashing behind the scenes over who leads the public response, competing briefs and turf wars. Now they must put their differences aside and find a way to work their competing interests into a joint plan.

The government has been reluctant to even discuss what an exit strategy from the lockdown might look like, on the grounds that it could lead people to relax social distancing. In truth, it’s also because there are rival views in government on what should happen: Some ministers think the lockdown must be eased in the coming weeks to salvage the economy, while others see that as a damaging gamble on people’s lives.

But this is the kind of decision that should rest only with an elected prime minister. Those sending Mr. Johnson well wishes are doing so not only for his own well-being but also for the sake of the country. The best hope is that he makes as speedy a recovery as possible.

Mr. Raab used Tuesday’s government news conference to tell the public that he believes Mr. Johnson “will be back at the helm leading us through the crisis in short order.” But if that is not possible, serious thinking needs to be done on how major policy decisions should be made and by whom. The current arrangement is not suited to a prolonged absence of the prime minister.

Katy Balls (@katyballs) is the deputy political editor of The Spectator.

Another Bill posted:

Hang in there Boris! Stiff upper lip and all that! Remember the Blitz!

Nebakenezzer posted:

Yeah, but that's just *their part* of the launch codes, without a broadcast from HQ with their part of the codes, nothing happens

quote:

Boris Johnson has spent a second night in intensive care, where doctors look after the sickest patients. But the latest news from Downing Street was fairly positive: The PM is "stable" and "in good spirits", but being monitored closely.

Hillary 2020 posted:

https://twitter.com/BBCNews/status/1247776700986839041?s=20


I wonder if the tube in his throat is affecting his good spirits?