VE Day and lockdown. Some thoughts on international cooperation.

It’s VE Day and many of the houses up and down our street are festooned with bunting and flags and banners and posters. Where have they got all this stuff from? Did they all have stashes of red, white and blue fabric just waiting for the opportunity to get out the sewing machine and make a load of bunting? Do Union Jack flags count as essential purchases? Maybe they all bought this stuff months ago, planning ahead for a VE Day street party which they now can’t have after all.

Don’t get me wrong. I fully appreciate the sacrifice of my parents’ generation in establishing peace in Europe. I am however just a little suspicious of a jingoistic cover-up to persuade us that the government is doing a really good job. And then there’s the matter of 75 years of peace. True, we haven’t fought another European country for 75 years but I don’t think we can say the world has been free of conflict for 75 years. And our “boys” have been out there involved in that conflict.

Besides, if Trump and Pompeo keep going on about the coronavirus having been released from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (“Probably it was incompetence. Somebody was stupid”. POTUS), well, goodness knows how long peace will last. The United Nations chief has appealed to everyone to put an end to hate speech and accusations.

“United Nations chief António Guterres has said the coronavirus pandemic has unleashed a “tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering”, and appealed for an all-out effort “to end hate speech globally.” The UN secretary-general said anti-foreigner sentiment has surged online and on the streets, and highlighted the spread of antisemitic conspiracy theories and Covid-19-related anti-Muslim attacks.”
 “And I ask everyone, everywhere, to stand up against hate, treat each other with dignity and take every opportunity to spread kindness,” Guterres said. The secretary-general stressed that Covid-19 “does not care who we are, where we live, what we believe or about any other distinction”.

Surely we should all be working together to find a vaccine, not throwing accusations around and even competing to see who can find the vaccine first.

Meanwhile, Cuba has been setting an example in international cooperation, sending medical teams to help out in Italy. Cuba has a long history of sending aid to places that need it, despite getting more than its share of bad press. And yes, maybe Cuba does have a vested interest in helping out right now. The country has been opening up to tourism and no doubt wants to keep that source of income flowing ... just like Spain and France and Italy and all the other places.

So there we are. A little more international cooperation, please!

Today started dull and cloudy but by midday the sun had come out. Will this lead to actual street parties? Especially as we are all a little confused about the state of our lockdown. Will we, won’t we have more freedom? And will that only apply to the under 70s? We shall see.

There won’t be one in our garden, despite Phil having cut the grass. Here are before and after photos.

On the menu today is a salmon and pasta dish with hummus and olives, a bit of salad, a bit of fruit, maybe a glass of white wine!

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!