My late Mum was the youngest of 12 children and lost both her parents to the Spanish Flu.

in this extract from her memoirs, written 30 years ago, she tells what it was like and how it was handled:

"In 1919 I was taken to school at Ashfield Public (I must have been close to 7 years old) but, after a few weeks, the school was made into a hospital to treat people who were dying like flies from the Bubonic Influenza. Everyone wore a mask which was fitted over the mouth and nose and fastened by loops over the ears. Some had a wire frame that fitted like glasses on the bridge of the nose. It was compulsory that you wore a mask in all streets and public places. We were living in Allibone Street where .....
"

Probably similar to what we may face here.
Today I was at the shops and noticed a big increase in the amount of people wearing masks .
But some
people still think it's nothing to be worried about even though thousands are now dead.
So far we have been lucky compared to Italy,spain ,France ,USA.
But often things come here last too.

Pete

That's true; New Submarines that belong in a museum before even built. NBN that also belongs in a Museum; Nothing introduced unlessits an antique or does not work.

Myki is another example.

There is an absolute plethora of examples since the end of the Menzies era. Even our welfare system is plagiarised & is a marriage of social elements from Aldous Huxley, George Orwell & Adolf Hitler.

On the Virus: I have sent Brad a copy of a speech made by Bill Gates. This was 2015 and he predicted exactly what we have now and we a paying the penalty for not listening.... Oh! how right, he was.

Now some one has realised that the Citycentric especially those who don't realise that there is more of Victoria North of pretty Sally and the food comes fro there not the supermarket and if they do not lift restrictions on farmers & farm workers & declare them an essential service or there will be no food going to the supermarkets.

Some times I think some of these people need to be locked up in a room with Monty Pythons "Astronomy Song" noting the last bit & Harry Belafonte's "Hole in the bucket".

Just watch a few episodes of Yes Minister and it all becomes clear.

Ahh! So true.

We have of course largely got ourselves to blame as we elected the buffoons. It has reached the point where we should reject the American style two party system & try & assemble like several more prosperous EU countries (stuff all) and have a viable third party.

The theory being the "Absolutely Totally Useless Ratbag Party" and we could name two could be replaced by one of the others if they didn't measured up. Currently the only hope we have is to get them in the Senate.

The needs to be more "apolitical" voting next election & rejection of the nutters & non performers of which there are many and the bureaucracies also need a big purge.

Did you know that the head writer of Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister, Antony Jay, based every episode on actual events?

He was asked once in an interview if he had a mole in Whitehall. His "I can neither confirm nor deny" response was comical!

The theme music (except that of the very first episode) is based on the Westminster Chimes, (i.e. from the Big Ben clocktower).

Antony Jay made a couple of cameo appearances in the series. Can you name one? Clue "Salami tactics".

Democracy may be imperfect but the alternatives are usually worse.

I always guessed the writer must have had some inside information as the satire was bitingly accurate and topical.