Heard any good conspiracy theories?

Longshot

I'm surprised that I haven't heard any wacky conspiracy theories yet. This is tin-foil-hat prime time! To be fair, I've been avoiding Facebook and deleted my Twitter account before the CV crisis.

Anyone heard any repeatable ones? There must be something? Lockdown is really to stop us learning that aliens have landed, that kind of thing.

Pross

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

shortfall

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

mrfpb

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Your protest shows you said exactly what pross claims - see BOLD text in both posts.

rick_chasey

Longshot said:

I'm surprised that I haven't heard any wacky conspiracy theories yet. This is tin-foil-hat prime time! To be fair, I've been avoiding Facebook and deleted my Twitter account before the CV crisis.

Anyone heard any repeatable ones? There must be something? Lockdown is really to stop us learning that aliens have landed, that kind of thing.

Barnier deliberately infecting Johnson is the worst one I’ve heard.

First.Aspect

Covid 19 developed in CIA labs and seeded in Wuhan by Olympic track cyclist.

First.Aspect

https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2020/03/26/chinese-state-newspaper-stokes-conspiracy-theory-that-first-covid-19-patient-was-us-cyclist/#771c9028dd14

shortfall

mrfpb said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Your protest shows you said exactly what pross claims - see BOLD text in both posts.

Yes but the comment is posted in a thread about CONSPIRACY THEORIES. It doesn't make me a conspiracy theorist to factually point out that elements of the recent legislation afford the state and police far reaching and sinister powers that won't be readily surrendered at the end of the pandemic. I will once again remind people that similar concerns have been voiced by one of the country's most senior and respected legal figures, the former Supreme court judge Lord Sumption. Is he a conspiracy theorist too? Perhaps some members of the forum would like him to give it a rest also?

rjsterry

shortfall said:

mrfpb said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Your protest shows you said exactly what pross claims - see BOLD text in both posts.

Yes but the comment is posted in a thread about CONSPIRACY THEORIES. It doesn't make me a conspiracy theorist to factually point out that elements of the recent legislation afford the state and police far reaching and sinister powers that won't be readily surrendered at the end of the pandemic. I will once again remind people that similar concerns have been voiced by one of the country's most senior and respected legal figures, the former Supreme court judge Lord Sumption. Is he a conspiracy theorist also? Perhaps some members of the forum would like him to give it a rest also?

Yes it is something to be wary of. But we are a few days in. Generally speaking, bad legislation does get repealed or amended.

coopster_the_1st

That the virus has been circulating in the UK before we are told it has been.

I don't buy this because we would have seen deaths of the elderly and vulnerable sooner if that was the case

shortfall

rjsterry said:

shortfall said:

mrfpb said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Your protest shows you said exactly what pross claims - see BOLD text in both posts.

Yes but the comment is posted in a thread about CONSPIRACY THEORIES. It doesn't make me a conspiracy theorist to factually point out that elements of the recent legislation afford the state and police far reaching and sinister powers that won't be readily surrendered at the end of the pandemic. I will once again remind people that similar concerns have been voiced by one of the country's most senior and respected legal figures, the former Supreme court judge Lord Sumption. Is he a conspiracy theorist also? Perhaps some members of the forum would like him to give it a rest also?

Yes it is something to be wary of. But we are a few days in. Generally speaking, bad legislation does get repealed or amended.

I don't share your optimism. For anyone who's interested radio 4s World At One will be carrying an interview with Lord Sumption in today's program.

ddraver

Trouble is we saw off ou resident conspiracy theorist a few years back now. Remember? The one that started with SRAM cassettes deliberately having the wrong spacing or something and graduated into full Flat Earth/Kennedy/Aliens etc

morstar

ddraver said:

Trouble is we saw off ou resident conspiracy theorist a few years back now. Remember? The one that started with SRAM cassettes deliberately having the wrong spacing or something and graduated into full Flat Earth/Kennedy/Aliens etc

Manc33 I think you are referring to.

Longshot

coopster_the_1st said:

That the virus has been circulating in the UK before we are told it has been.

I don't buy this because we would have seen deaths of the elderly and vulnerable sooner if that was the case

I'd chalk that one up to wishful thinking. There definitely was some flu-type virus floating around before Xmas (as there is most years) but I think people are hoping having had that means they're immune. I wish them luck.

ballysmate

rick_chasey said:

Longshot said:

I'm surprised that I haven't heard any wacky conspiracy theories yet. This is tin-foil-hat prime time! To be fair, I've been avoiding Facebook and deleted my Twitter account before the CV crisis.

Anyone heard any repeatable ones? There must be something? Lockdown is really to stop us learning that aliens have landed, that kind of thing.

Barnier deliberately infecting Johnson is the worst one I’ve heard.

Was it you that posted the story some days ago?
Did it allege the infection was deliberate?

coopster_the_1st

Longshot said:

coopster_the_1st said:

That the virus has been circulating in the UK before we are told it has been.

I don't buy this because we would have seen deaths of the elderly and vulnerable sooner if that was the case

I'd chalk that one up to wishful thinking. There definitely was some flu-type virus floating around before Xmas (as there is most years) but I think people are hoping having had that means they're immune. I wish them luck.

Agree. It's not helped by the Oxford study from last week

tailwindhome

There's a lovely one brewing in Irish Right Wing Anti Vaxx Twitter, that the entire thing is fabricated.

You may remember Jim Corr as the brother late 90's pop/Irish band The Corrs.

Well, he's gone a bit mad

https://twitter.com/Jimcorrsays

ddraver

^ his sisters had quite an effect on a young ddraver... 😶

focuszing723

Yeah, let him off his sisters are hot.

ballysmate

ddraver said:

^ his sisters had quite an effect on a young ddraver... 😶

As they did on a bit older BM.
Was it not Donna Air(head) who when interviewing the Corrs, asked them how they met?

shortfall

Well. I've just listened to the Lord Sumption interview on Radio 4 World At One and he goes a lot further than I have done in criticising the new police and state powers, in fact he absolutely excoriates the actions of Derbyshire Police Force. I urge anyone interested to listen on BBC Sounds, it takes place about 15 minutes into the show. Remember he is one of our foremost legal minds, a former Supreme Court Judge and a highly respected commentator. Some might even call him an "expert" and I know we must listen to expert opinions because the CakeStoperrati constantly remind us to. Before anyone jumps in with the argument that he's a legal expert and not a virologist of epidimiologist, he covers that point in the interview. For those of you bored of me banging on about civil liberties please listen to this interview and if you still think I'm boring, feel free to mute me.

rick_chasey

Police in jobsworth behaviour shocker

Pross

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Nope. This looks very conspiracy theory like to me (as does your follow up about people 'welcoming their enslavement') and the bit about neighbours spying on you and reporting you.

"On the contrary. I don't want to live in a world where we're spoonfed our opinions by experts who can't be challenged. But then I don't like living in the police state we are now either. Give it time and you'll come to agree with me."

Wheelspinner

shortfall said:

...feel free to mute me.

Just as a minor FYI - this is no longer possible AFAIK in the "new" forum design.

Pross

shortfall said:

Well. I've just listened to the Lord Sumption interview on Radio 4 World At One and he goes a lot further than I have done in criticising the new police and state powers, in fact he absolutely excoriates the actions of Derbyshire Police Force. I urge anyone interested to listen on BBC Sounds, it takes place about 15 minutes into the show. Remember he is one of our foremost legal minds, a former Supreme Court Judge and a highly respected commentator. Some might even call him an "expert" and I know we must listen to expert opinions because the CakeStoperrati constantly remind us to. Before anyone jumps in with the argument that he's a legal expert and not a virologist of epidimiologist, he covers that point in the interview. For those of you bored of me banging on about civil liberties please listen to this interview and if you still think I'm boring, feel free to mute me.

So you've changed your mind since that quote above and are happy to be spoonfed opinions by experts (but only experts who share your view)?

shortfall

Pross said:

shortfall said:

Well. I've just listened to the Lord Sumption interview on Radio 4 World At One and he goes a lot further than I have done in criticising the new police and state powers, in fact he absolutely excoriates the actions of Derbyshire Police Force. I urge anyone interested to listen on BBC Sounds, it takes place about 15 minutes into the show. Remember he is one of our foremost legal minds, a former Supreme Court Judge and a highly respected commentator. Some might even call him an "expert" and I know we must listen to expert opinions because the CakeStoperrati constantly remind us to. Before anyone jumps in with the argument that he's a legal expert and not a virologist of epidimiologist, he covers that point in the interview. For those of you bored of me banging on about civil liberties please listen to this interview and if you still think I'm boring, feel free to mute me.

So you've changed your mind since that quote above and are happy to be spoonfed opinions by experts (but only experts who share your view)?

Not at all, I listen to lots of experts before forming an opinion. Experts often disagree amongst themselves, this is quite normal and grown adults with critical thinking are allowed to consider differing standpoints. What I don't do is parrot official advice or received wisdom and shout down or ridicule dissentIng views as per the CakeStoperrati. Do listen to Lord Sumptions interview, you might learn something.

shortfall

Pross said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Nope. This looks very conspiracy theory like to me (as does your follow up about people 'welcoming their enslavement') and the bit about neighbours spying on you and reporting you.

"On the contrary. I don't want to live in a world where we're spoonfed our opinions by experts who can't be challenged. But then I don't like living in the police state we are now either. Give it time and you'll come to agree with me."

But this is all happening. The public by and large support these new draconian powers (for now) because they are gripped by panic and have forgotten how to think, and people are informing on their neighbours and the police are spying on people with drones and publicly shaming them and we are all effectively under house arrest. This isn't the realms of conspiracy, it's reality. Let's revisit some of these threads a few months the down the line, I'm obviously not going to convince some of the hard of thinking right now. Truth is the daughter of time as the saying goes.

Pross

shortfall said:

Pross said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Nope. This looks very conspiracy theory like to me (as does your follow up about people 'welcoming their enslavement') and the bit about neighbours spying on you and reporting you.

"On the contrary. I don't want to live in a world where we're spoonfed our opinions by experts who can't be challenged. But then I don't like living in the police state we are now either. Give it time and you'll come to agree with me."

But this is all happening. The public by and large support these new draconian powers (for now) because they are gripped by panic and have forgotten how to think, and people are informing on their neighbours and the police are spying on people with drones and publicly shaming them and we are all effectively under house arrest. This isn't the realms of conspiracy, it's reality. Let's revisit some of these threads a few months the down the line, I'm obviously not going to convince some of the hard of thinking right now. Truth is the daughter of time as the saying goes.

The conspiracy is in believing that measures being brought in to tackle a public health emergency will be retained and used to control the population indefinitely. Take a look at the security measures brought in for terrorism and you'll see that our judicial system is perfectly happy to control how the politicians and police try to use them (in several cases leading to criticism when the security services have subsequently been unable to keep tabs on someone who went on to carry out an attack). Conspiracy theorists do like to say about how the hard of thinking sheeple will eventually come to see the truth as well.

shortfall

Pross said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Nope. This looks very conspiracy theory like to me (as does your follow up about people 'welcoming their enslavement') and the bit about neighbours spying on you and reporting you.

"On the contrary. I don't want to live in a world where we're spoonfed our opinions by experts who can't be challenged. But then I don't like living in the police state we are now either. Give it time and you'll come to agree with me."

But this is all happening. The public by and large support these new draconian powers (for now) because they are gripped by panic and have forgotten how to think, and people are informing on their neighbours and the police are spying on people with drones and publicly shaming them and we are all effectively under house arrest. This isn't the realms of conspiracy, it's reality. Let's revisit some of these threads a few months the down the line, I'm obviously not going to convince some of the hard of thinking right now. Truth is the daughter of time as the saying goes.

The conspiracy is in believing that measures being brought in to tackle a public health emergency will be retained and used to control the population indefinitely. Take a look at the security measures brought in for terrorism and you'll see that our judicial system is perfectly happy to control how the politicians and police try to use them (in several cases leading to criticism when the security services have subsequently been unable to keep tabs on someone who went on to carry out an attack). Conspiracy theorists do like to say about how the hard of thinking sheeple will eventually come to see the truth as well.

That's not what the country's foremost legal mind thinks. Did you listen to his interview or read his essay in last weeks Times? Probably not. Much easier to try and marginalize me as a tinfoil hat nutter despite having the same opinions on the threat to civil liberties as a Supreme Court Judge

bompington

shortfall said:

Much easier to try and marginalize me as a tinfoil hat nutter despite having the same opinions on the threat to civil liberties as a Supreme Court Judge

So let's be clear then. Do you or do you not believe that the current government intends to keep any of the emergency restrictions in place once the emergency is over?

rjsterry

shortfall said:

Pross said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

shortfall said:

Pross said:

Really? I've heard that it was deliberately released by China to destroy the world economy and that's why they've been able to turn it off so quickly at their end. Also, not a conspiracy theory as such, but I've stopped following one friend after she got the hump when I commented on her post showing maps of the areas most affected by the virus and those that have the most extensive 5G networks (I just pointed out that they basically both reflected the most developed nations that were highly connected to each other, Occam's Razor and all that!). Then add on the comments on here that it is being used by the Government to instigate a police state.

Less serious ones include that it has all coincided nicely with Disney + launching in the UK.

If that's aimed at me then would you kindly withdraw? I'm not suggesting that the Government has deliberately done this to instigate a police state, I'm saying that the government is rushing through draconian state and police powers to support a flawed strategy and hopes that they will all be rescinded after 2 years are misplaced. One only has to look at the "anti terror" laws and Civil Contingencies Act that came on the back of 9/11 for a clue. If your aim is to put me in the same bracket as conspiracy theorists, David Icke acolytes and Info Wars nuts then it's a pretty low smear.

Nope. This looks very conspiracy theory like to me (as does your follow up about people 'welcoming their enslavement') and the bit about neighbours spying on you and reporting you.

"On the contrary. I don't want to live in a world where we're spoonfed our opinions by experts who can't be challenged. But then I don't like living in the police state we are now either. Give it time and you'll come to agree with me."

But this is all happening. The public by and large support these new draconian powers (for now) because they are gripped by panic and have forgotten how to think, and people are informing on their neighbours and the police are spying on people with drones and publicly shaming them and we are all effectively under house arrest. This isn't the realms of conspiracy, it's reality. Let's revisit some of these threads a few months the down the line, I'm obviously not going to convince some of the hard of thinking right now. Truth is the daughter of time as the saying goes.

The conspiracy is in believing that measures being brought in to tackle a public health emergency will be retained and used to control the population indefinitely. Take a look at the security measures brought in for terrorism and you'll see that our judicial system is perfectly happy to control how the politicians and police try to use them (in several cases leading to criticism when the security services have subsequently been unable to keep tabs on someone who went on to carry out an attack). Conspiracy theorists do like to say about how the hard of thinking sheeple will eventually come to see the truth as well.

That's not what the country's foremost legal mind thinks. Did you listen to his interview or read his essay in last weeks Times? Probably not. Much easier to try and marginalize me as a tinfoil hat nutter despite having the same opinions on the threat to civil liberties as a Supreme Court Judge

Just because someone disagrees with you doesn't mean they are trying to block you, shut you down or marginalise you. To take the Derbyshire police thing, ridicule seems to have been fairly effective. We have had far more draconian measures before and released them when they were no longer needed, principally because they were introduced largely with public consent.