Odysseus

TFL workers, often ignored as being front line similar to police/NHS have bore the brunt of the virus. Apparently staffing numbers are the reason trains have been cut.

Wish people had higher expectations than “at least we don’t have trump”. Understand some people want to be more positive but we’re partly in this mess because of it.

Yes I along with many other people pointed out weeks ago the governments strategy was bonkers, it isn’t hindsight. As a socialist I wanted war like national mobilisation to deal with inequality in our country before this disaster. It’s obvious to people like me markets are never going to solve climate breakdown or billionaires hoarding resources. After austerity I have no doubt the Tories will prioritise their rich insurance and business owning friends rather than the poorest. I don’t despise this government because of just Brexit. But everyone who continually rewarded this government for lying by electing them have contributed to lowering trust in politicians. It has consequences, like voting for Brexit when there were clearly more important issues in the world/country. I’m sitting in my expensive London houseshare with 5mb speed internet failing to work from home thinking a nationalised fibre optic internet can’t come soon enough. That many Tory voters are going to realise stripping back benefits to £90 a week is a pretty bad idea when you end up needing it.

I posted a link earlier today you should read. In the blitz there were exactly the same behaviour in a class ridden society. Looting, raping, stripping dead bodies. You’ve just been sedated in believing everything was rosey and everyone was as “in it together” because it helped paint a strong narrative post-war about our country.

Sorry but the government haven’t been “following the science” it’s a massive excuse. Herd immunity along with reacting at the last hour to help the economy have clearly been unacceptable gambles. They weren’t even testing people at airports in the midst of the crisis! I know this country has such low standards and faith in itself that it rewards complete incompetence and cronyism in the governments it elects and then pretends we’re world leaders in areas. But Islands like Japan and Singapore have completely halted the spread of this virus. Its obvious the actions they should have taken 2 weeks ago now. I think there is an inherent issue here also. After Brexit and the most recent election half of us despises this lying government and prime minister. You can’t expect people to suddenly trust people who have lied time and time again.

It’s probably a good time for the country to actually learn about the myth we’ve been fed about “Blitz sprit” spread by the baby boomers who didn’t live through it. https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/writers/challinor/1995/02/class-war-blitz.html The working class in London were shafted without proper shelters while the upper class fine dined in hotels. Looting, raping, stealing jewellery from the dead were widespread.

Those other places tend to have more stringent policing anyway and have had clear measures from the government. It was only a week ago that the government here were telling people we’d just carry on as nothing was happening. Our government are still dithering and delaying in telling people If they’re going to be looked after through this crisis, causing thousands to continue working or leaving to spread it outside London to go home. Remembering the 2011 London Riots I’m just apprehensive if they’ve prepared to bring the army in if they’re serious about a lockdown. Rumours (briefed out of Whitehall) are going around like wildfire here that shops and transport are about to close causing even more stockpiling.

I’m in London and the shops are rammed pack with long queuing. People have gone from treating it as a joke to realising they could be in lock down with no food. The media and government are probably equally culpable for the hysteria and lack of control. If they don’t both get a grip I’m fearing civil disobedience.

Problem is this government usually U-turns when public outrage blows up. Similar to when they wanted the elderly to pay for their social care by selling their houses. Think about that for a second. If people didn’t kick off they would have went ahead with doing nothing and letting the majority of the population catch it resulting in excessive deaths. So it isn’t as simple to say people are playing politics.

Business owners and landlords getting the money tree, the rest of the population are getting turfed out.

The government has had since November to plan for this. They’ve self manufactured a crisis in the NHS that has been at breaking point for years cancelling routine operations every winter. Frankly they’ve been asleep at the wheel since Johnson and Gove caused Brexit.

It will be difficult when the Tories have been guided from the philosophy that it’s better for the soul of the poor to be working in poverty than idly secure. I know I’d rather be from Germany or France right now who still have security nets and not an economy built on private debt, high rent and insecure work.

A Canada FTA is a hard Brexit not that far from No Deal (with the removal of most tariffs with the EU but all other barriers remaining). It will be hailed as a triumph because brexiters will have achieved their prized goal: the ability to deregulate from the EU’s strong standards of protecting its citizens. I’m not sure if the EU would accept it. But as it’s such a meagre deal for the UK they might just give in because of the huge trade deficit we have with them. What’s important is this is nothing like what Leave EU promised it’s voters in 2016. It’s bottom of the barrel stuff.

Who will Joshua face next? I wouldn’t mind seeing him and Whyte fight Miller and Ortiz. Judging by tonight’s card and Joshua’s new contract maybe that’s unlikely now

Got to take British boxing for what it is. Especially when Unkle Frank is even worse than Hearn now he has money again in BT. All in all good promoting from Hearn avoiding Pulev in Bulgaria and saving face with fighting Wilder next year which suits Joshua. Showtime in the US are continuing to put on better free to air shows that what we are with PPV but there isn’t exactly a golden age of British boxing shows to go back to.

Haye is still levels above Bellew and should still have enough left to smash him. It's just frustrating to have so many questions hanging over about his condition. Last fight in the public workout I few people correctly pointed out how much Haye was missing the pads and how unstable he looked on the leg. Until I see his condition I'm going with what makes sense on paper, like I did with Groves vs Eubank.

The weight is melting off Fury. Maybe he's back on the steriods like he was against Wlad? I'm not going to welcome a cheat like Fury back into the ring for a couple of good heavyweight bouts. Same goes for Povetkin and any other heavyweights caught. The Pulev that lost to Wlad should have no issue boxing Whyte's head off. Unfortunately like with the majority of the "2nd tier" heavyweights of this generation Pulev has been inactive and stagnated the past few years.

Maybe Joshua has became Klitschko after this and the Takam fight? Which is no bad thing for someone who came into boxing late, but I think he is losing the aura of a knockout killer. More likely to jab and clinch against high level fighters. Which he did very well against Parker in judging the distance in the later rounds. Good fight.

I'm glad the WBBS is expanding as I don't think they've gotten the viewing figures and buys deserving of the prize money and level of fights they've had in the Cuiser Weight division. I've also just thought about the refreshing state of boxing where me and many others are expecting a fighter to take back to back title fights!

Ah my bad, I've probably overestimated Ortiz as a top 10 heavy weight as he's probably more like top 20. You're right that Hearn hasn't done much wrong but I'm weary of promotors antics and this turning into a Mayweather v Pac.

At the moment I'm probably wrong on this matter. But looking at the current heavyweights Wilder must be the big money fight for Joshua's career. as Furry doesn't even look like he will have 1 let alone 3 fights in 2018. I think Hearn is just trying to **** around with Wilder pushing the Whyte fight. I'd definitely like that fight to happen don't get me wrong but it isn't for Hearn and the UK to demand it.

The point being that the majority of Joshua's fans will buy the PPV even if it's in the US. Vegas being Vegas pulls millions in from the Casinos alone. Wilder's record in the US may be poor but his most recent fights have done alright numbers and his profile is better now. Are you all so confident that a fight in Vegas to be unified heavy weight champion of the world won't bring in the US audience? All I'm trying to say is not to believe Hearn straight away. If it's really the case that Wilder's team is begging for a 50-40% cut in the UK, then what has happened to US boxing. Ortiz has also beaten Thompson and Jennnings and is an Olympic Silver Medalist with clear fundementals. I think Del Boy beat Whyte as well. Wilder basically put Ortiz down not even from a clean hit. His fundamentals may be poor but his power and speed is real.

Wilder should come over, but people should put Eddie in his place in trying to push Whyte. As boxing fans we should want to see Joshua vs Wilder made as soon as possible.

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10% of what he could earn in Vegas? I'm pretty sure McGregor vs Mayweather beat Joshua's PPV numbers even in the UK. I'm not a fan of Vegas and there is perks for the UK being able to draw world title fights over here, but the money and prestige is different. Ortiz is a level above Whyte so Wilder can't be as bad as you claim. Whyte is a European level fighter who could barely beat Del Boy. The WBA will probably make Whyte fight Breazeale as an eliminator. Let the winner fight the winner of Joshua v Wilder.