Chaos as Corona virus test site for key workers closes after a few hours

[BlasterBates]

The 1st world war was completely pointless. If Britain had stayed on the sidelines, Germany would have won, taken off a piece of France and the 2nd world war probably wouldn't have happened. In fact if the Russian-German conflict hadn't gone on so long then there wouldn't have been a revolution, and without the 2nd world war China wouldn't have been taken over by the communists.

[sasguru]

The 1st world war was completely pointless. If Britain had stayed on the sidelines, Germany would have won, taken off a piece of France and the 2nd world war probably wouldn't have happened. In fact if the Russian-German conflict hadn't gone on so long then there wouldn't have been a revolution, and without the 2nd world war China wouldn't have been taken over by the communists.

Perhaps.
The excellent book by Christopher Clark, "The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914", shows how all parties sort of drifted into war without really thinking it through and having completely misunderstood the motivations of the other parties.
Another good book on the period is by the soldier turned historian, Allan Mallinson, "Too Important for the Generals: Winning and Losing the First World War (2017)". Which as the title suggest, assesses all the evidence (including the "donkeys" comment attributed to Alan Clarke) and comes to the conclusion that the British generals were in fact slow in learning lessons over the whole period.

[OwlHoot]

Hardly.

Your senility probably prevents you noticing that it's OG futilely trying to make a point with the proven cretin Vetran (sic)

But I'll bite.

I've only skimmed the dross that the imbecile vetran(sic) wasted his time posting on a Friday evening.

His main point seems to be that the lower rate of the butcher's bill for the British army proves that the leadership were not donkeys. ..

Some fair points in your post, granted. But arguably it was the previous generation of army and navy top brass and who were the real donkeys, and by WW1 guys like Haig, however competent, had been dealt a bad hand in the first place and the situation was as they found it when the real tulip hit the fan.

If it hadn't been for the Boer war, a giant wake up call for the complacent real donkeys around the turn of the century, I've no doubt Britain would have been in an even worse state of preparation and lost WW1.

Also, Admiral Fisher had to battle widespread opposition to his naval reforms in the 1890s, both from politicians and military bods. If only the army had had someone as far sighted and determined, WW1 would have lasted only a fraction of the time with far fewer casualties.

.. comes to the conclusion that the British generals were in fact slow in learning lessons over the whole period.

Most of us IT people must have been in a situation where constant fire fighting a buggy outdated app eats up time and resources which would be better spent in the long run on more substantial improvements. I guess the generals and politicians were in much the same situation in 1914 and 1915, playing catch up with necessary reforms and innovations while literally having to fight all the while.

For example, in 1914 the Germans came within a whisker of occupying France. So there was hardly time to sit back and reflect how the army could be reorganised and retrained, or new weapons developed, while they were literally fighting at full pelt with all available manpower and armaments production.

[sasguru]

Some fair points in your post, granted. But arguably it was the previous generation of army and navy top brass and who were the real donkeys, .

I've read a fair bit on this topic, WW1, (and WW2) over the years. The "Lions led by Donkeys" quote is probably an exaggeration, attributed to Alan Clarke. And some historians over the years (obviously of a nationalistic bent) have gone the other way. But no evidence-led, dispassionate analysis concludes that the British generalship in WW1 was competent.

Books I've read include "Catastrophe" by Max Hastings (anything by him or Beevor is a must) who thinks Britain was right to go to war in 1914 but slates the leadership, and few other histories.
"Mud, Blood and Poppycock" makes the opposite case, but seems to be more of a nationalist polemic than a sifting of the evidence.
But Mallinson's book, mentioned in a post above, is the most even-handed and he really digs deep into the evidence from a military point of view. He comes to the same conclusion as Hastings.

[minestrone]

I've read a fair bit on this topic, WW1, (and WW2) over the years. The "Lions led by Donkeys" quote is probably an exaggeration, attributed to Alan Clarke. And some historians over the years (obviously of a nationalistic bent) have gone the other way. But no evidence-led, dispassionate analysis concludes that the British generalship in WW1 was competent.

Books I've read include "Catastrophe" by Max Hastings (anything by him or Beevor is a must) who thinks Britain was right to go to war in 1914 but slates the leadership, and few other histories.
"Mud, Blood and Poppycock" makes the opposite case, but seems to be more of a nationalist polemic than a sifting of the evidence.
But Mallinson's book, mentioned in a post above, is the most even-handed and he really digs deep into the evidence from a military point of view. He comes to the same conclusion as Hastings.

I'm guessing your social event invites have remained constant through the lockdown.

[minestrone]

Coronavirus: Test website closes after 'significant demand' - BBC News



The words "couldn't", "pissup" and "brewery" come to mind.

Meanwhile about 100 NHS staff have died from Covid:

Coronavirus UK: More than 100 frontline workers thought to have died | Metro News


I thought the Lions led by Donkeys scenario had died out in the 1st world war?

Very depressing. Really makes me glum.

Microsoft, Google, Slack, Zoom et al struggling to deal with a spike in remote tools thanks to coronavirus • The Register
Netflix and YouTube are slowing down in Europe to keep internet from breaking - CNN
Facebook says coronavirus is sending usage through the roof - The Verge

[sasguru]

Microsoft, Google, Slack, Zoom et al struggling to deal with a spike in remote tools thanks to coronavirus • The Register
Netflix and YouTube are slowing down in Europe to keep internet from breaking - CNN
Facebook says coronavirus is sending usage through the roof - The Verge

You're being so stupid I'm guessing your drinking has remained constant, or increased, during lockdown?
Let me give you a hint.
What's the difference between the above and a site that should have been designed for at least the known number of key workers in the Uk?
If you get stuck ask your missus.
Oh wait, she's only got medical training

[minestrone]

You're being so stupid I'm guessing your drinking has remained constant, or increased, during lockdown?
Let me give you a hint.
What's the difference between the above and a site that should have been designed for at least the known number of key workers in the Uk?
If you get stuck ask your missus.
Oh wait, she's only got medical training

No, that is a question. The question mark at the end gives it away.

[sasguru]

No, that is a question. The question mark at the end gives it away.

Started early I see. What does your missus think about your drinking, now you have to do it at home?

[Old Greg]

Started early I see. What does your missus think about your drinking, now you have to do it at home?

Bleach abuse is a terrible thing.