Professor Neil Ferguson ((c) Imperial College, London)
Now, as the Guardian has reported, “Scientists who advise the government on its coronavirus strategy have warned they are being drawn into politics after the leading infectious disease modeller Prof Neil Ferguson stepped down … One scientific adviser to the government said Ferguson’s resignation had created ‘an awful lot of concern’ and that the mood in the community was ‘very depressed’”. And there was more.
That advisor told “He’s an academic researcher. He doesn’t make decisions. He’s not paid for any of this. We are being drawn into a political situation which is very unpleasant”. Just how unpleasant that situation is can be seen from the slew of abusive hatchet jobs on Ferguson, his profession, and his reputation by the Daily Mail today.
The headlines show a consistency that means they were coordinated, with Ferguson’s reputation under the cosh as the inmates of the Northcliffe House bunker sneer “Can public trust ANYTHING Professor Lockdown said? Calls to re-examine virus research after shamed expert quit over trysts with his married lover”. And who is cited in evidence?
It gets worse: under the by-line of Paul Bracchi, we are told “He was entertaining a guest who was, how shall we say, not a ‘member of his household’ during lockdown - girlfriend, Antonia Staats, 38, and married”. Clutch those pearls! “‘Lockdown, Pants Down, Steps Down,’ is how the Guido Fawkes website headlined the revelation”. Because when you’ve been ordered to perform a hit job, even a fake news site can go into the mix.
We even get Ross Clark pontificating “Neil Ferguson's lockdown predictions are so dodgy that you wouldn't even ask him what day Christmas is on”. A Rothermere goon lecturing the public about trust. We are truly through the looking glass.
Many have seen friends and relatives having to endure infection with Covid-19. Many more have lost friends and relatives, unable to even say goodbye. For them, Neil Ferguson is a hero, not a villain. And that will remain the case, whatever the Mail says.
Hence the venom and desperation of the hit jobs. It’s going to be the scientists’ fault.
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4 comments:
Some of the scientists have had sense enough to separate themselves from political decisions.
Those who haven't will have to bear equal responsibility.
Ferguson is a victim alright. But that's what you get when you associate with conmen and women, liars, racists, scoundrels, thieves and hypocrites.
Meanwhile, he can console himself that (so far) he hasn't ended up like Doctor David Kelly.
Ferguson, a victim of his own making, an unforgivable mix of hubris and hypocrisy. Lockdown? His Swedish model is looking a bit sick!
Have been on Daily Mail comment to counter the most rabid foaming at the mouth dissing nonsense and to remind people that Fergusson has saved thousands of lives. The Global Health Editor of, funnily enough, the Telegraph wrote a great piece to this effect. But then he understood the ignorance about modelling. The Torygraph have done the country a huge disservice and delivered a diversion to suit the inept and blustering blunderbuss Johnson. A new mantra for our times is required. Modelling is only as good as the data you put into it and with a novel virus, modelling changes week by week even more tan with a known virus with tried treatments. Ferguson is being proved right.
The public must be able to trust those responsible for curbs on their liberty, it's that simple. Ferguson betrayed it for an immoral liaison.
Sweden says he wrong and his lockdown doom-mongering 500000 deaths may well have cost lives by shifting the focus away from protecting the most vunerable.
Tonight I'll be wagging my finger at him!
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