141–150 of 161 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a big difference between being abused by your employer, on which you depend with your livelihood, and being a volunteer, who can literally walk away anytime without consequences.
You can also walk away anytime from employment without consequences. You just stop making money. At least that's how it is in America. Is UK government regulation different?
I think the initiative is laudable. We know that on a regular Friday or Saturday night, the NHS is already struggling with waiting time up to 4 hours in hospitals and low bed capacity. Mass COVID-19 infections would certainly cripple the NHS in no time. Yet, the problem is how do we ensure that those 250K volunteers do not become carriers of COVID-19 ?
When I was finally seen by a doctor, he "mentioned" that if I'd been waiting much longer I might have lost at least some use of my hand.
He also said that, at least in my neck of the woods, it's not unusual to wait up to 8 hours on a Friday/Saturday evening.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a big difference between being abused by your employer, on which you depend with your livelihood, and being a volunteer, who can literally walk away anytime without consequences.
You can also walk away anytime from employment without consequences. You just stop making money. At least that's how it is in America. Is UK government regulation different?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I also can't buy groceries from holding the door open for people and yet I do. People are sometimes just nice to each other, helping each other out, especially in need, or in this case, a pandemic.
There is that little thing that some people who frequent HN might forget about: some people are not paid a lot (for tons of them this is a mistake of the society, and they should be paid more to begin with, but this is another issue than the immediate one) and actually need some money each month to pay rent, etc. It is too easy to say the a mass of people should just work for free to cope for the mistakes of their go…
Presumably we aren’t talking about volunteering the time of other people, but ourselves. If we can all afford to do it, isn’t it something to be encouraged, especially since it will charitably benefit those who cannot afford to do it?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can also walk away anytime from employment without consequences. You just stop making money. At least that's how it is in America. Is UK government regulation different?
How is “not making money” not a consequence, exactly?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
In the UK?
Act of congress is a very common idiom, and widely understood by many who have similar systems of democratic government. Don't be that guy. Ah yes, forgot calling out pedantry hits too close to home with one of the world's most pedantic communities.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
One of the problems the UK has is that "The Big Society" was used as a political punchline for the best part of the last decade.
Similar to the problem in the US, where one party has been talking about how incompetent government is. For decades. And working to ensure that it is (so parts of it can be privatized). Now, look at it, when we need it.
I'd be much more likely to accept that this was causative if not for the existence of San Francisco and other one-party cities that nonetheless exemplify incompetent governance.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
One of the problems the UK has is that "The Big Society" was used as a political punchline for the best part of the last decade.
Similar to the problem in the US, where one party has been talking about how incompetent government is. For decades. And working to ensure that it is (so parts of it can be privatized). Now, look at it, when we need it.
You ever been to a DMV? Or seen someone treated at the VA? Or heard how patents are issued at the Patent Office?
The government is good at some things. It's really, really bad at others, and has zero accountability most of the time.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You mean like instead of abusing them by asking them to volunteer?
There is a big difference between being abused by your employer, on which you depend with your livelihood, and being a volunteer, who can literally walk away anytime without consequences.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Similar to the problem in the US, where one party has been talking about how incompetent government is. For decades. And working to ensure that it is (so parts of it can be privatized). Now, look at it, when we need it.
> where one party has been talking about how incompetent government is. For decades. And working to ensure that it is (so parts of it can be privatized). I'd be much more likely to accept that this was causative if not for the existence of San Francisco and other one-party cities that nonetheless exemplify incompetent governance.