Fear over the spread of coronavirus has led people to panic buy food and other essential items from supermarkets, leaving many aisles completely empty of goods.
Scenes of people stockpiling in shops have been shared from all over the world leading many to condemn those who have needlessly brought excessive items despite government warnings telling people not to do so and "to be considerate in the way they shop."
It has been reminiscent of scenes in Venezuela which has been in the midst of an economic crisis since 2013 thanks to the policies enforced by previous president Hugo Chaves and the actions taken by his successor Nicolas Maduro. Due to the problems the economy was facing, inflation caused prices to sky rocket and eventual panic buying set-in amongst Venezuelan citizens.
As both men represent the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, people, usually conservatives, use the problems that Venezuela continues to face as an excuse to criticise socialism as an idea that can only fail in modern society.
Recently, Darren Grimes, a prominent pro-Brexit activist, shared a picture of an empty supermarket aisle with bare shelves, claiming that it has given us a look into life under a government led by Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party.
In the tweet he wrote:
Well, folks. At least the coronavirus panic has given us a look into life under Jeremy Corbyn’s preferred Venezuelan ‘alternative’.
The problem here is that the panic buying and hysteria created by the coronavirus and the British government's heavily criticised response to the outbreak, didn't occur under a Corbyn government.
It has occurred under a Boris Johnson government, that last time we checked had an overwhelming majority in the Commons so, therefore, it's hasn't provided an insight into a Labour government but a Tory government that has been in charge for 10 years.
Needless to say, people have been sharing Grimes' tweet and pointing out the obvious:
@darrengrimes_ And what do the shelves look like right now under Johnson, Darren?— James Felton (@James Felton) 1584220753
@darrengrimes_ Erm, I’m not sure I’d place too much importance on empty shelves as a metric for success if I were you.— Seb Dance (@Seb Dance) 1584217714
@darrengrimes_ Thank God you instead have life under Boris Johnson, where the imagined nightmare of empty store she… https://t.co/UU9Y5em4cM— Kevin M. Kruse (@Kevin M. Kruse) 1584217349
This is, quite literally, life under a right-wing British government where the population is confused & frightened.… https://t.co/B3VcZAfcoc— James Oh Brien (@James Oh Brien) 1584214152
Dude. This photo was taken in a capitalist country. https://t.co/s70EdvUMLL— Steve Peers (@Steve Peers) 1584213195
No, Darren, this is what happens when there are no controls, when it's every man for himself - Tory paradise. Give… https://t.co/15CIQvG8eW— Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷 (@Mike Stuchbery 💀🍷) 1584224983
Darren it has quite literally given us a look into life in the UK under the Tories. https://t.co/urevbsmWx1— katie spalding (@katie spalding) 1584213862
At the time of writing the UK currently has 1,372 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 35 deaths. Health secretary Matt Hancock has suggested that the elderly could be quarantined up to four months in order to protect lives and called on a 'national effort' to produce intensive care ventilators and other medical equipment to help the NHS cope.