Unarmed ex-accountant takes on the government

[Old Greg]

What a tool. Maybe it's stopping him from commuting between his Monaco Palazzo and the office.

[NotAllThere]

Only ignorant trogs talk about "R numbers". For the cognoscenti they're R_zero numbers

Actually no the cognoscenti talk about R numbers, Johhny-come-lately dilettantes say "R-zero".

OwlHoot clearly didn't read what he linked to.

For clarity:
R0 is the reproduction rate if no precautions are taken. It doesn't change over time - it's fixed (recalculations notwithstanding).
R (r number) is the actual reproduction rate in the current state of the population.

[Andy Hallett]

Poor Simon, not the sharpest tool in the box.
I totally agree that people should be allowed to go back to normal.
Provided they sign a paper waiving treatment on the NHS if they get Covid - more intelligent people have worked out things like R numbers and spread.

I disagree. Simon is one of the sharpest businessmen I have ever met.

His overall view that the government will use Covid to take a lot of our freedoms shouldn’t be overlooked.

[ladymuck]

I disagree. Simon is one of the sharpest businessmen I have ever met.

His overall view that the government will use Covid to take a lot of our freedoms shouldn’t be overlooked.

That is something which concerns me. It's the perfect opportunity to pass restrictive legislation in the name of saving lives. They couldn't quite manage it with the terrorism threat but now there's a massively compelling argument for increased state interference in our lives, much of it vehemently advocated by people on this forum. Surveillance laws passed now are unlikely to be repealed.

[NotAllThere]

I disagree. Simon is one of the sharpest businessmen I have ever met.

I think sasguru meant sharp in a different context. Successful agents, for example, are sharp operators - but they're not necessarily very good at analytic or critical thinking.

[sasguru]

I disagree. Simon is one of the sharpest businessmen I have ever met.

His overall view that the government will use Covid to take a lot of our freedoms shouldn’t be overlooked.

I'm sure he is. What he's not is an epidemiologist or public health specialist.
I can't presume to know his motivation (you'd be naive to think that loss of business doesn't come into it) but removing the restrictions as he advocates - I've skimmed his Linkedin post- will result in thousands (and maybe hundreds of thousands) more deaths than necessary.
No doubt given his resources he can avoid being part of that death toll, others can't

[Mordac]

I think sasguru meant sharp in a different context. Successful agents, for example, are sharp operators - but they're not necessarily very good at analytic or critical thinking.

I didn't think Sassy was allowed near anything sharp?

[sasguru]

That is something which concerns me. It's the perfect opportunity to pass restrictive legislation in the name of saving lives. They couldn't quite manage it with the terrorism threat but now there's a massively compelling argument for increased state interference in our lives, much of it vehemently advocated by people on this forum. Surveillance laws passed now are unlikely to be repealed.

That's a different and valid argument.
However the primary and urgent issue at hand is a public health/epidemiological emergency.

[jamesbrown]

I'm sure he is. What's he's not is an epidemiologist or public health specialist.
I can't presume to know his motivation (you'd be naive to think that loss of business doesn't come into it) but removing the restrictions as he advocates - I've skimmed his Linkedin post- will result in thousands (and maybe hundreds of thousands) more deaths than necessary.
No doubt given his resources he can avoid being part of that death toll, others can't

Success in business is completely irrelevant in this sphere. He thinks he’s the messiah, but he’s a very naughty boy.

[northernladuk]

Shows the different world he lives in to us. During lock down I paint the garden shed to ease the boredom. Simon takes the government to court.