What really bothers me is the lack of imagination. There was a moment last year, or multiple moments, when it was understood that lockdowns are only a stopgap. Track and trace was the future, politicians talked about Zero Covid, and even UBI was briefly on the horizon.

And then all that was either messed up or disappeared entirely. And now all we have is this blunt instrument and discussions about restrictions for individuals and exceptions for businesses. That's it. No wonder the Lockdown Sceptics are emboldened.

That's not to say that there aren't better discussions. People like @devisridhar, @ReicherStephen or @chrischirp have consistently and with admirable patience explained what needs to happen on short and long timescales.

But it doesn't cut through. In the end, nobody with political responsibility seems to have any long-term vision, any means of communicating consistently and honestly about the tradeoffs and sacrifices, anything that resembles effective leadership.

The overwhelming feeling now is that we are being left alone, abandoned, on a sinking ship. That's not ideal.