shoebat--2020-11-27--The New Weapons Of War Are Coming As The US Military Develops Weaponized Laser Beams

In the original “ Austin Powers ” film , the character Dr .
Evil asked for “ sharks with frickin ’ laser beams attached to their heads ” in order to kill Austin Powers .
While this scene is ridiculous and funny , the concept of using “ laser beams ” as a weapon is not new .
However , with the rise in technology of robotics and AI , The Drive reports that the US government has been working on the ‘ weapons of the future ’ , which seem to be energy-directed weapons such as laser beams .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ forth , were starting to be drilled and the touch screens were being scribed , and all this whole industrial space opened up , and the reason was that these fiber lasers were very efficient at converting electrical power to optical power .
The beam quality that came out of the fiber-laser , meaning the ability for that beam to be focusable , to provide a high-intensity spot to do things , like melt metal and drill holes , the beam quality was very high .
So , all of a sudden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the development of high-power fiber-lasers really , really took off .
That was particularly interesting , except for the fact that the power out of a fiber-laser doesn ’ t scale to a weapons class , right ?
It ’ s one thing to cut metal that ’ s centimeters away , it ’ s another thing to take out a mortar at two kilometers .
So , the innovation that changed the game in the last five years or so , Lockheed Martin was a real leader or the leader in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together the technologies from fiber-optic communications and the technologies of high-power lasers for industrial applications to figure out a way to scale fiber-lasers to weapons class power .
The way that ’ s done is , instead of just building a single laser at 50 kilowatts or 100 kilowatts or something like that , we are actually taking individual fiber-lasers and combining the outputs of the beams into a single high-power beam , and we do that using a technique we call Spectral Beam Combination… Fundamentally , what we did was we took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with wavelength division multiplexing in telecommunication—how to break up the spectrum that ’ s available to you into many different laser-lines and send all that light down a fiber to increase your communications bandwidth .
So , all of a sudden , we took a large number of fiber-laser channels , all closely spaced in wavelength or in frequency , and then by reflecting those beams off an object .
We could call it a grating , or you can think in your mind of it like a prism , the beams all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patty always loves this analogy I use , which is Pink Floyd ’ s Dark Side Of The Moon record cover .
So , if you look at that prism , there ’ s a white light beam that comes into the prism and it breaks up into the colors of the rainbow , you could run that in reverse , you could have a whole bunch of beams that cover the different spectrums , and if you put it through the prism , they all combine and output a single beam .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ prism effect.
’ So what all of a sudden we were able to do was to scale laser power in a modular way .
Instead of just trying to build a bigger and bigger laser , we ’ re actually scaling by adding lasers up .
Think of it as a mainframe computer breaking up into a supercomputing cluster .
So , instead of just building a bigger device , we ’ re combining in parallel .
And so , what that enabled us to do is build a high-power laser that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a weapons class beam , but with very high beam qualities .
( source ) The rise of the laser beam is a major trend to watch for the future .
To that , I will have to add a trend that is going to make people very upset , but that is the trend of the decline in the gun as , yes , an obsolete tool of war .
Now guns have been around for centuries .
They are going to be around for the future .
What I am saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may end up in the future taking a “ second place ” as a backup to energy-based weapons systems that are more powerful and more useful .
What is a gun ?
It is a little machine that shoots a piece of metal contained in a manufactured cartridge stuffed with an explosive at somebody .
The purpose is to make holes in stuff so it dies or breaks .
That is how a gun works .
The process of gunmaking is very intense and time-consuming .
Making ammunition is even more time-consuming and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk about making guns or “ reloading ” ammo but never actually drawing the cases themselves , let alone making the powder or primers themselves , because most of the process is a highly-intense one involving metal forming and then moving explosives with one ’ s bare hands .
One can cut a gun from metal with some effort , and one can “ reload ” ammo as a hobby , but deep-draw metal forming and explosives production is almost entirely done in factories .
The ammo manufacturing process .
It is very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a human body hurt .
But metal pieces do not go through metal as easily , and depending on how tough the metal is and the strength of the bullet , possibly not at all .
This was the “ lesson ” from the Terminator film series- that guns , while they can “ slow down ” a robot , can not actually stop it .
Now I do not want to “ take lessons ” from movies , but for a film , Carpenter captured the essence of the a man fighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a “ gun ” because that is a physical lump of metal that does not really affect the electronic components of the machine .
Shoebat.com has warned that just as the machine gun and poison gas transformed World War I , just as the atom bomb did the same for World War II , so it is likely that computers , artificial intelligence , and robots will define a third major global conflict , and weapons systems have to be developed to address this .
A human being going up against a robot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I speak of the near and not distant future -may be as outdated a concept as 19th-century British battle marching tactics against machine gun fire that resulted in the near complete annihilation of all boys born in 1898 during World War I .
If the soldier does not adapt his weapons to the new weapons that WILL be used by his enemies in the future , he will end up just like those millions marching from the trenches at Verdun and other horrible places over a century ago and who are only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If one though fighting other humans was bad , it is a fearful thing to consider what it may be like facing a chunk of metal , wires , and chips on the battlefield who can not feel pain and is trained to kill with greater efficiency and accuracy than a human .
As a trend for the future , the gun is likely going to “ decrease ” in the long-term sense from the battlefield , and a sort of “ laser gun ” or other form of energy type weapons will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
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In the original “Austin Powers” film, the character Dr. Evil asked for “sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads” in order to kill Austin Powers.
While this scene is ridiculous and funny, the concept of using “laser beams” as a weapon is not new. However, with the rise in technology of robotics and AI, The Drive reports that the US government has been working on the ‘weapons of the future’, which seem to be energy-directed weapons such as laser beams.
All the microelectronics and iPhones and so forth, were starting to be drilled and the touch screens were being scribed, and all this whole industrial space opened up, and the reason was that these fiber lasers were very efficient at converting electrical power to optical power. The beam quality that came out of the fiber-laser, meaning the ability for that beam to be focusable, to provide a high-intensity spot to do things, like melt metal and drill holes, the beam quality was very high. So, all of a sudden, the industrial space really opened up and the development of high-power fiber-lasers really, really took off. That was particularly interesting, except for the fact that the power out of a fiber-laser doesn’t scale to a weapons class, right? It’s one thing to cut metal that’s centimeters away, it’s another thing to take out a mortar at two kilometers. So, the innovation that changed the game in the last five years or so, Lockheed Martin was a real leader or the leader in this innovation, and the innovation involved bringing together the technologies from fiber-optic communications and the technologies of high-power lasers for industrial applications to figure out a way to scale fiber-lasers to weapons class power. The way that’s done is, instead of just building a single laser at 50 kilowatts or 100 kilowatts or something like that, we are actually taking individual fiber-lasers and combining the outputs of the beams into a single high-power beam, and we do that using a technique we call Spectral Beam Combination… Fundamentally, what we did was we took something, if you’re familiar with wavelength division multiplexing in telecommunication—how to break up the spectrum that’s available to you into many different laser-lines and send all that light down a fiber to increase your communications bandwidth. So, all of a sudden, we took a large number of fiber-laser channels, all closely spaced in wavelength or in frequency, and then by reflecting those beams off an object. We could call it a grating, or you can think in your mind of it like a prism, the beams all combine into a single output beam. Patty always loves this analogy I use, which is Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon record cover. So, if you look at that prism, there’s a white light beam that comes into the prism and it breaks up into the colors of the rainbow, you could run that in reverse, you could have a whole bunch of beams that cover the different spectrums, and if you put it through the prism, they all combine and output a single beam. We call it kinda the ‘reverse prism effect.’ So what all of a sudden we were able to do was to scale laser power in a modular way. Instead of just trying to build a bigger and bigger laser, we’re actually scaling by adding lasers up. Think of it as a mainframe computer breaking up into a supercomputing cluster. So, instead of just building a bigger device, we’re combining in parallel. And so, what that enabled us to do is build a high-power laser that’s scalable by adding modules that delivered a weapons class beam, but with very high beam qualities. (source)
The rise of the laser beam is a major trend to watch for the future. To that, I will have to add a trend that is going to make people very upset, but that is the trend of the decline in the gun as, yes, an obsolete tool of war.
Now guns have been around for centuries. They are going to be around for the future. What I am saying is, for war weapons, they may end up in the future taking a “second place” as a backup to energy-based weapons systems that are more powerful and more useful.
What is a gun? It is a little machine that shoots a piece of metal contained in a manufactured cartridge stuffed with an explosive at somebody. The purpose is to make holes in stuff so it dies or breaks. That is how a gun works.
The process of gunmaking is very intense and time-consuming. Making ammunition is even more time-consuming and dangerous. This is why people always talk about making guns or “reloading” ammo but never actually drawing the cases themselves, let alone making the powder or primers themselves, because most of the process is a highly-intense one involving metal forming and then moving explosives with one’s bare hands. One can cut a gun from metal with some effort, and one can “reload” ammo as a hobby, but deep-draw metal forming and explosives production is almost entirely done in factories.
The ammo manufacturing process. It is very labor intensive.
Metal pieces going through a human body hurt. But metal pieces do not go through metal as easily, and depending on how tough the metal is and the strength of the bullet, possibly not at all. This was the “lesson” from the Terminator film series- that guns, while they can “slow down” a robot, cannot actually stop it.
Now I do not want to “take lessons” from movies, but for a film, Carpenter captured the essence of the a man fighting a robot- it is very hard with a “gun” because that is a physical lump of metal that does not really affect the electronic components of the machine.
Shoebat.com has warned that just as the machine gun and poison gas transformed World War I, just as the atom bomb did the same for World War II, so it is likely that computers, artificial intelligence, and robots will define a third major global conflict, and weapons systems have to be developed to address this. A human being going up against a robot with a submachine gun in the future- and I speak of the near and not distant future -may be as outdated a concept as 19th-century British battle marching tactics against machine gun fire that resulted in the near complete annihilation of all boys born in 1898 during World War I.
If the soldier does not adapt his weapons to the new weapons that WILL be used by his enemies in the future, he will end up just like those millions marching from the trenches at Verdun and other horrible places over a century ago and who are only memories now in a history textbook. If one though fighting other humans was bad, it is a fearful thing to consider what it may be like facing a chunk of metal, wires, and chips on the battlefield who cannot feel pain and is trained to kill with greater efficiency and accuracy than a human.
As a trend for the future, the gun is likely going to “decrease” in the long-term sense from the battlefield, and a sort of “laser gun” or other form of energy type weapons will replace them.
print


shoebat--2020-11-27--Supreme Court Declares: ‘Churches In New York Do Not Need To Follow Cuomo’s Anti-Covid Restrictions’

Gov .
Andrew M. Cuomo accused the U.S. Supreme Court of political partisanship on Thursday after the justices narrowly rejected his coronavirus-based restrictions on religious services .
He played down the impact of the ruling , suggesting that it was a reflection of the court ’ s emboldened new conservative majority .
Regardless of the governor ’ s interpretation , the decision by the Supreme Court late on Wednesday to suspend the 10- and 25-person capacity limitations on churches and other houses of worship in New York would seem to be a sharp rebuke to Mr. Cuomo , who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over his emergency powers .
“ You have a different court , and I think that was the statement that the court was making , ” the governor said , noting worries in some quarters after President Trump nominated three conservative justices on the Supreme Court in the past four years .
“ We know who he appointed to the court .
We know their ideology.
” Mr. Cuomo , a third-term Democrat , insisted that the 5-4 decision “ doesn ’ t have any practical effect ” because the restrictions on religious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar ones in Queens and the city ’ s northern suburbs , had since been eased after the positive test rates in those areas had declined .

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo accused the U.S. Supreme Court of political partisanship on Thursday after the justices narrowly rejected his coronavirus-based restrictions on religious services. He played down the impact of the ruling, suggesting that it was a reflection of the court’s emboldened new conservative majority.
Regardless of the governor’s interpretation, the decision by the Supreme Court late on Wednesday to suspend the 10- and 25-person capacity limitations on churches and other houses of worship in New York would seem to be a sharp rebuke to Mr. Cuomo, who had previously won a series of legal battles over his emergency powers.
“You have a different court, and I think that was the statement that the court was making,” the governor said, noting worries in some quarters after President Trump nominated three conservative justices on the Supreme Court in the past four years. “We know who he appointed to the court. We know their ideology.”
Mr. Cuomo, a third-term Democrat, insisted that the 5-4 decision “doesn’t have any practical effect” because the restrictions on religious services in Brooklyn, as well as similar ones in Queens and the city’s northern suburbs, had since been eased after the positive test rates in those areas had declined.


shoebat--2020-11-27--As Americans Lose Their Jobs, Robots Take Their Place

I have consistently warned at Shoebat.com about the rise of robotics taking the place of human beings in the workplace .
Having noted the economic impact of COVID , which includes long-term job loss and fundamental economic changes to distribution systems , supply chains , and even priorities as it concerns purchasing , part of this trend will be the replacement of lost human workers in business roles , mostly starting with simple low-wage tasks ( as they are “ repetitive ” and thus more susceptible to automation ) as much as it is possible with their electronic counterparts over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this can not happen all at once due to the fact that robots can not perform all tasks which humans can .
However , as The Guardian notes , this trend is already happening with COVID as the reason , and just as suspected , it is hitting the lowest wage workers the hardest .
The Covid-19 pandemic has left millions of Americans unemployed – disproportionately those in the service industries where women and people of color make up the largest share of the labor force .
In October , 11 million people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with about 6 million people who were without a job during the same time last year .
And as humans are experiencing record job losses and economic uncertainty , robots have become a hot commodity .
Multiple technology manufacturers have reported increased demand for their bots over the course of the pandemic , from drone-like machines that can roam hallways to make deliveries and AI-powered customer service software to increased use of self-service checkouts at supermarkets .
A recent report from the World Economic Forum predicted that by 2025 the next wave of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will disrupt 85m jobs globally .
New jobs will be created but “ businesses , governments and workers must plan to urgently work together to implement a new vision for the global workforce ” .
The hospitality industry , which has been one of the hardest-hit by the pandemic , has seen a clear uptick in the adoption of new technology during the pandemic .
Hotels are allowing guests to use kiosks to check themselves in , apps to control the television and light switches in their room and a few use delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they want a refreshment .
( source ) Note that year- 2025 -from the report .
That is less than five years away .
I will give you a preview as to something that Shoebat.com is working on ( as I do not want to spoil Ted ’ s research ) , which is that this time frame- specifically the year 2027 -is when as a trend we are expecting to see something very serious take place , that if not a direct act of war , may involve something that is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road to war .
I do not want to give away what we are looking at or are going to say .
However , from this trend , we can derive for now that the next few years will see the rapid transformation of life by artificial intelligence applications and robots .
To use an example , consider the “ deep fake ” videos I have discussed , as the potential they hold to cause massive harm in society can not be underestimated .
In 2018 , deep fakes were clearly “ fake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adding them into explicit videos so to indulge deeper into their own personal fantasies .
However , I warned this was NOT about the fantasy , but was a warning that the trend would explode .
If you have not seen the new deep fake that are being produced by average people online doing the same things they did as above on the same principle , it is shocking to witness , and not because of the nature of the content ( for that is essentially the same as before ) , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it is almost impossible to tell apart a fake from the real .
This is just two years , and for indulging in one ’ s personal fantasies .
Can one imagine what can exist potentially if one “ thinks bigger ” ?
What about fake armies , fake soldiers , and fake statements made by national leaders of major “ enemy ” nations ?
Even better , what about the possibility to make fake statements about fake armies for a fake conflict by a fake leader who doesn ’ t even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ conspiracy theory ” ?
Indeed it would probably better if it was such , because the fact that technology exists to be able to generate faces of people who don ’ t exist , to make people “ say ” things in a video who are not speaking and thus render video possibly obsolete from its position as a long-standing form of evidence in court , and considering the human tendency to use tools for their full good or evil potential , it would be foolish to choose ignorance over the potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public in ways never before imagined in history .
I will say it again- I speak of TWO years of technological changes .
I can only imagine what will come in five years .
The same is with robots .
What we are seeing now has a pattern of the “ deep fake ” trend of 2018 .
First it was small and simple , and then a few years later , the trend explodes and the world with it permanently changes .
Make no mistake that in most jobs , unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ requiring human judgement in which AI will serve to supplement human activity such as in the medical field or certain other professions , and especially if one is in a ‘ low ’ paying job , one may be looking at replacement with a robot soon .
The latter for ‘ high ’ paying jobs will most likely come later .
As a trend , we are looking at jobs and economics , but in a greater sense , this is a “ fourth industrial revolution ” beginning , where man and machine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in society , and possibly , may even attempt to merge into one in a perverse form of the evolution that the new darwinists call “ singularity ” .
The future will be interesting .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you what lies for the future .
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW OUR NEW SHOEBAT FACEBOOK PAGE

I have consistently warned at Shoebat.com about the rise of robotics taking the place of human beings in the workplace. Having noted the economic impact of COVID, which includes long-term job loss and fundamental economic changes to distribution systems, supply chains, and even priorities as it concerns purchasing, part of this trend will be the replacement of lost human workers in business roles, mostly starting with simple low-wage tasks (as they are “repetitive” and thus more susceptible to automation) as much as it is possible with their electronic counterparts over an extended period of time, as this cannot happen all at once due to the fact that robots cannot perform all tasks which humans can. However, as The Guardian notes, this trend is already happening with COVID as the reason, and just as suspected, it is hitting the lowest wage workers the hardest.
The Covid-19 pandemic has left millions of Americans unemployed – disproportionately those in the service industries where women and people of color make up the largest share of the labor force. In October, 11 million people were unemployed in the US, compared with about 6 million people who were without a job during the same time last year. And as humans are experiencing record job losses and economic uncertainty, robots have become a hot commodity. Multiple technology manufacturers have reported increased demand for their bots over the course of the pandemic, from drone-like machines that can roam hallways to make deliveries and AI-powered customer service software to increased use of self-service checkouts at supermarkets. A recent report from the World Economic Forum predicted that by 2025 the next wave of automation – turbocharged by the pandemic – will disrupt 85m jobs globally. New jobs will be created but “businesses, governments and workers must plan to urgently work together to implement a new vision for the global workforce”. The hospitality industry, which has been one of the hardest-hit by the pandemic, has seen a clear uptick in the adoption of new technology during the pandemic. Hotels are allowing guests to use kiosks to check themselves in, apps to control the television and light switches in their room and a few use delivery bots to send to guests’ room when they want a refreshment. (source)
Note that year- 2025 -from the report. That is less than five years away.
I will give you a preview as to something that Shoebat.com is working on (as I do not want to spoil Ted’s research), which is that this time frame- specifically the year 2027 -is when as a trend we are expecting to see something very serious take place, that if not a direct act of war, may involve something that is a fundamental milestone that leads on the road to war.
I do not want to give away what we are looking at or are going to say. However, from this trend, we can derive for now that the next few years will see the rapid transformation of life by artificial intelligence applications and robots.
To use an example, consider the “deep fake” videos I have discussed, as the potential they hold to cause massive harm in society cannot be underestimated.
In 2018, deep fakes were clearly “fake”, and mostly isolated to people adding them into explicit videos so to indulge deeper into their own personal fantasies. However, I warned this was NOT about the fantasy, but was a warning that the trend would explode.
If you have not seen the new deep fake that are being produced by average people online doing the same things they did as above on the same principle, it is shocking to witness, and not because of the nature of the content (for that is essentially the same as before), but because the technology has progressed so quickly that it is almost impossible to tell apart a fake from the real.
This is just two years, and for indulging in one’s personal fantasies. Can one imagine what can exist potentially if one “thinks bigger”? What about fake armies, fake soldiers, and fake statements made by national leaders of major “enemy” nations? Even better, what about the possibility to make fake statements about fake armies for a fake conflict by a fake leader who doesn’t even exist?
Does this sound like a “conspiracy theory”? Indeed it would probably better if it was such, because the fact that technology exists to be able to generate faces of people who don’t exist, to make people “say” things in a video who are not speaking and thus render video possibly obsolete from its position as a long-standing form of evidence in court, and considering the human tendency to use tools for their full good or evil potential, it would be foolish to choose ignorance over the potential real uses of this technology to manipulate the public in ways never before imagined in history.
I will say it again- I speak of TWO years of technological changes. I can only imagine what will come in five years.
The same is with robots. What we are seeing now has a pattern of the “deep fake” trend of 2018. First it was small and simple, and then a few years later, the trend explodes and the world with it permanently changes.
Make no mistake that in most jobs, unless you have a high-demand or intellectual skill requiring human judgement in which AI will serve to supplement human activity such as in the medical field or certain other professions, and especially if one is in a ‘low’ paying job, one may be looking at replacement with a robot soon. The latter for ‘high’ paying jobs will most likely come later.
As a trend, we are looking at jobs and economics, but in a greater sense, this is a “fourth industrial revolution” beginning, where man and machine are battling it out for their place in society, and possibly, may even attempt to merge into one in a perverse form of the evolution that the new darwinists call “singularity”.
The future will be interesting.
print


shoebat--2020-11-27--Update: Coptic Monk Placed On Death Row After Forced Confession, Mysterious Silence From The Coptic

Update: Coptic Monk Placed On Death Row After Forced Confession, Mysterious Silence From The Coptic Orthodox Church

In August 2018 , Shoebat.com reported on the curious case of a murder in Egypt involving a Coptic bishop and two monks .
You can read our full story here , but after looking at the case , this was not a simple case of anti-Christian violence , or even outright corruption from the Egyptian government , but seems to have exposed through the act a situation of rampant corruption in the Coptic Orthodox Church but of an undisclosed nature .
Two years later , one monk accused of being involved in the incident was sentenced to life in prison @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death row , following accusations corroborated by testimonies and other evidence from human rights groups that the “ confessions ” of the monks involved were obtained under severe torture , with consistent contradictions from the government in their evidence produced .
However , as the Greenwich Times reports , there has been a strange silence from the Coptic Orthodox Church over the matter , which has defrocked the monk on death row without explanation and without investigation .
When a judge saw him , he ordered that Isaiah be taken to a hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents forced a nurse to state that he was medically fit , according to video of his testimony seen by The Post .
Isaiah also said he was accused by his interrogator of having inappropriate sexual relationships and that the bishop had learned of these , creating another motive .
“ I told him if he wants to frame me , then I am a womanizer , but I could never kill , ” Isaiah told the court .
The dispute between Isaiah and the bishop revolved around accusations that the monk was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name of the monastery .
But the dispute had been settled six months earlier , Azer said , adding that “ most witnesses said the dispute wouldn ’ t have made Isaiah kill the bishop.
” A key witness , whom Isaiah ’ s family thought would support his case , was mysteriously transferred to another monastery , Azer said .
Two days later , he was found dead in his monastic cell , possibly poisoned .
There also were prison inmates who could have testified to Isaiah ’ s torture , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denied the use of the bathroom as well as the use of electric shocks on him , Azer said .
No investigation was carried out into the inmates ’ allegations of torture , Azer said .
In June , Reprieve released a statement on behalf of the monks saying that “ the only evidence against them are bogus ‘ confessions ’ extracted through torture.
” It added that “ the two men have been put through patently unfair trials and there are grave doubts as to their guilt.
” The following month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Isaiah and the life sentence for Faltaous .
The hearing lasted 15 minutes .
The Coptic Church offered no legal aid .
Days after the killing , before he was formally charged , the church defrocked Isaiah without an internal investigation , according to his relatives .
“ My brother was arrested after the church abandoned him at a sensitive time , ” said Samuel Saad Tawadros , the brother of Isaiah .
There are a lot of question marks .
Why defrock him at this moment ?
” Human rights activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the church is worried that a prolonged legal proceeding would unearth potentially embarrassing secrets and internal tensions that could damage the church ’ s image and credibility with millions of its followers .
Reprieve brought the case to the attention of human rights officials in the European Union and the United Nations .
Both institutions are monitoring the monks ’ case .
But in the current climate , fear is growing that time is running for Isaiah .
“ It seems there is a secret deal between the church and the security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fast as they can , ” Azer said .
“ If the death sentence is carried out , he is done , killed and silenced forever.
” ( source ) One of the trends that I have pointed out in the Catholic Church is that of strong tensions between warring factions .
This is , one might say , a reflection of a battle between Good and evil that takes place all around us but is most intense in the Church , and for Scriptural reasons , for as She is the Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense that the center of the war would be fought in Her .
Likewise , it also reflects the trend that one can see in that what happens in the Catholic Church goes on in other Churches , the difference being that in the Catholic Church , scandals often come out fast and in unsavory ways for all to see and criticize .
However , from a Christian theological view , this is a blessing , as exposure to light allows for cleaning and healing , as the old saying consistently goes that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The question that must be asked here is , why is the Coptic Church so silent ?
This is an obvious case of abuse , and yet they refuse to say anything to help a fellow monk .
It is strange , and the more silent , the stranger things become for those looking into it .
It reminds me of the case of Fr .
Gordon MacRae , which I have written about before .
The priest , who blogs by way of letters from his cell with the help of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ falsely accused of sexual abuse , convicted , and sent to prison for thirty-two years , of which he has already served over twenty years .
His story has attracted international media attention consistently , of which numerous investigations , including one conducted by famed Wall Street Journal journalist Dorothy Rabinowitz , that MacRae is innocent of the charges , to which the state of New Hampshire has ignored and the Archdiocese of Boston has refused to help .
In the MacRae case , it is of note that about a decade after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scandal in the Church was exposed beginning with corruption in the Boston Archdiocese , which is notoriously filled with terrible corruption .
This has since exploded around the world with crimes committed by members of the Church hierarchy .
However , the Boston Archdiocese has said nothing of MacRae , and even in the case of many abuse victims , there has been a consistent pattern of “ stonewalling ” , where members in the hierarchy will remain silent and say nothing except unless forced with great effort by the courts .
Going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and noting the above examples , one must wonder if a similar situation , be it of a morally explicit nature , illegal business deals , collusion with the Egyptian government in an immoral way , or something else may be “ exposed ” by these monks , all of which would be not surprising examples to provide an explanation for why the Church seems to refuse help to him , that as the Greenwich Times notes , he is preferred to be dead , because as the old saying goes , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not know what happened for sure , or what exactly are issues in this case .
What one does know is that the trends of ecclesiastical corruption and sins are not just unique to the Catholic Church , but all Churches , and if they are not exposed by the grace of God to be healed , as painful as it could be , then men ’ s actions will force them exposed , and a fallen man turned away from God will seek justice without mercy in a process more terrible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
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In August 2018, Shoebat.com reported on the curious case of a murder in Egypt involving a Coptic bishop and two monks. You can read our full story here, but after looking at the case, this was not a simple case of anti-Christian violence, or even outright corruption from the Egyptian government, but seems to have exposed through the act a situation of rampant corruption in the Coptic Orthodox Church but of an undisclosed nature.
Two years later, one monk accused of being involved in the incident was sentenced to life in prison, and the other is sitting on death row, following accusations corroborated by testimonies and other evidence from human rights groups that the “confessions” of the monks involved were obtained under severe torture, with consistent contradictions from the government in their evidence produced.
However, as the Greenwich Times reports, there has been a strange silence from the Coptic Orthodox Church over the matter, which has defrocked the monk on death row without explanation and without investigation.
When a judge saw him, he ordered that Isaiah be taken to a hospital. But Isaiah later said that security agents forced a nurse to state that he was medically fit, according to video of his testimony seen by The Post. Isaiah also said he was accused by his interrogator of having inappropriate sexual relationships and that the bishop had learned of these, creating another motive. “I told him if he wants to frame me, then I am a womanizer, but I could never kill,” Isaiah told the court. The dispute between Isaiah and the bishop revolved around accusations that the monk was improperly carrying out business deals in the name of the monastery. But the dispute had been settled six months earlier, Azer said, adding that “most witnesses said the dispute wouldn’t have made Isaiah kill the bishop.” A key witness, whom Isaiah’s family thought would support his case, was mysteriously transferred to another monastery, Azer said. Two days later, he was found dead in his monastic cell, possibly poisoned. There also were prison inmates who could have testified to Isaiah’s torture, especially an extended period in which he was denied the use of the bathroom as well as the use of electric shocks on him, Azer said. No investigation was carried out into the inmates’ allegations of torture, Azer said. In June, Reprieve released a statement on behalf of the monks saying that “the only evidence against them are bogus ‘confessions’ extracted through torture.” It added that “the two men have been put through patently unfair trials and there are grave doubts as to their guilt.” The following month, an Egyptian court affirmed the death sentence against Isaiah and the life sentence for Faltaous. The hearing lasted 15 minutes. The Coptic Church offered no legal aid. Days after the killing, before he was formally charged, the church defrocked Isaiah without an internal investigation, according to his relatives. “My brother was arrested after the church abandoned him at a sensitive time,” said Samuel Saad Tawadros, the brother of Isaiah. There are a lot of question marks. Why defrock him at this moment?” Human rights activists and the monk’s relatives allege that the church is worried that a prolonged legal proceeding would unearth potentially embarrassing secrets and internal tensions that could damage the church’s image and credibility with millions of its followers. Reprieve brought the case to the attention of human rights officials in the European Union and the United Nations. Both institutions are monitoring the monks’ case. But in the current climate, fear is growing that time is running for Isaiah. “It seems there is a secret deal between the church and the security that this case should be closed as fast as they can,” Azer said. “If the death sentence is carried out, he is done, killed and silenced forever.” (source)
One of the trends that I have pointed out in the Catholic Church is that of strong tensions between warring factions. This is, one might say, a reflection of a battle between Good and evil that takes place all around us but is most intense in the Church, and for Scriptural reasons, for as She is the Church that Christ founded, it only makes sense that the center of the war would be fought in Her.
Likewise, it also reflects the trend that one can see in that what happens in the Catholic Church goes on in other Churches, the difference being that in the Catholic Church, scandals often come out fast and in unsavory ways for all to see and criticize. However, from a Christian theological view, this is a blessing, as exposure to light allows for cleaning and healing, as the old saying consistently goes that “sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
The question that must be asked here is, why is the Coptic Church so silent? This is an obvious case of abuse, and yet they refuse to say anything to help a fellow monk. It is strange, and the more silent, the stranger things become for those looking into it.
It reminds me of the case of Fr. Gordon MacRae, which I have written about before. The priest, who blogs by way of letters from his cell with the help of his supporters at These Stone Walls, was falsely accused of sexual abuse, convicted, and sent to prison for thirty-two years, of which he has already served over twenty years. His story has attracted international media attention consistently, of which numerous investigations, including one conducted by famed Wall Street Journal journalist Dorothy Rabinowitz, that
MacRae is innocent of the charges, to which the state of New Hampshire has ignored and the Archdiocese of Boston has refused to help.
In the MacRae case, it is of note that about a decade after his conviction was when the sexual abuse scandal in the Church was exposed beginning with corruption in the Boston Archdiocese, which is notoriously filled with terrible corruption. This has since exploded around the world with crimes committed by members of the Church hierarchy. However, the Boston Archdiocese has said nothing of MacRae, and even in the case of many abuse victims, there has been a consistent pattern of “stonewalling”, where members in the hierarchy will remain silent and say nothing except unless forced with great effort by the courts.
Going back to that story in Egypt, and noting the above examples, one must wonder if a similar situation, be it of a morally explicit nature, illegal business deals, collusion with the Egyptian government in an immoral way, or something else may be “exposed” by these monks, all of which would be not surprising examples to provide an explanation for why the Church seems to refuse help to him, that as the Greenwich Times notes, he is preferred to be dead, because as the old saying goes, “dead men tell no tales.”
One does not know what happened for sure, or what exactly are issues in this case. What one does know is that the trends of ecclesiastical corruption and sins are not just unique to the Catholic Church, but all Churches, and if they are not exposed by the grace of God to be healed, as painful as it could be, then men’s actions will force them exposed, and a fallen man turned away from God will seek justice without mercy in a process more terrible than if it was just exposed earlier.
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shoebat--2020-11-28--The Assassination Of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh — Israel’s Shadow War And Biden’s Future Difficulties

My thoughts on the assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh :

Pakistani Government Signs Law That Would Put People In Prison For Life For "Blaspheming" Muhammad The government of Pakistan just signed a law that could...


shoebat--2020-11-28--Shoebat.com Trend In Motion As Apple Diversifies Production To Vietnam

I have written on Shoebat.com that major corporations are looking to diversify away from China as a result of US-China tensions that are leading towards a “ hot ” war in the future .
While there is only a “ trade war ” right now , trade wars historically lead to “ hot ” wars , and given China ’ s patterns of past behavior , it is likely that she would have no problem confiscating factories or production if there was a conflict with the US , as that would cause damage to the supply chains for American businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ toward leaving by American companies is not just a “ dislike ” of China , but an economic trend as a sign of the real political trends for the future that business , as economics precedes politics in every case , naturally must acknowledge for its own survival .
Business Insider reports that as a part of this trend , Apple corporation , which has already been working on plans to diversify some production to India , is now officially moving out production of some iPad and MacBook assembly from China to Vietnam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some iPad and MacBook assembly to Vietnam from China at the request of Apple , a person with knowledge of the plan told Reuters , as the US firm diversifies production to minimize the impact of a US-China trade war .
The development comes as the outgoing administration of President Donald Trump encourages US firms to shift production out of China .
During Trump ’ s tenure , the United States has targeted made-in-China electronics for higher import tariffs , and restricted supplies of components produced using US technology to Chinese firms it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The move was requested by Apple , ” the person said .
“ It wants to diversify production following the trade war.
” Foxconn said in statement : “ As a matter of company policy , and for reasons of commercial sensitivity , we do not comment on any aspect of our work for any customer or their products ” .
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
Taiwan ’ s Foxconn , formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd , on Tuesday announced a $ 270 million investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FuKang Technology Co Ltd — a move the person said was aimed at supporting the Vietnam expansion .
Shifting iPad production to Vietnam will mark the first time Foxconn has assembled the device outside of China .
This isn ’ t the first indication we ’ ve had that Apple is looking to seed its global supply chain beyond China .
The firm already plans to spend up to $ 1 billion expanding an iPhone assembly plant in India as “ strongly requested ” by Apple to diversify production beyond China , people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reuters in July .
Foxconn and peers such as Pegatron Corp are also considering building plants in Mexico , people with knowledge of the matter said , as Washington promotes near-shoring production .
( source ) This trend is not limited to Apple or technology .
No matter what the sector is , expect to see a significant diversification from China over the next five years , since the message will be simple- just as American companies who did not “ outsource ” because of changes to the laws ( free trade ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it will be that companies outsourced to China who do not change country to one other than China will likely find themselves potentially unable to survive , except this time it will be due to political issues up to and possibly including the seizure of their production means by the government for nationalistic reasons .
Countries that seem to be “ up and coming ” for business ventrures are those in southeastern Asia , India , Central America , and while much less so , certain western African nations such as Nigeria @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But no matter what happens , what one is seeing here is political and not a new thing , as it has been going on for a long time and is going to have a major economic impact on China .
A trend to watch for is what China does about it- will they simply stay silent , or will they make it openly harder for American companies to leave , thus potentially exacerbating and economic crisis into a political crisis , which could get quickly out of hand ?
This remains @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW OUR NEW SHOEBAT FACEBOOK PAGE

I have written on Shoebat.com that major corporations are looking to diversify away from China as a result of US-China tensions that are leading towards a “hot” war in the future. While there is only a “trade war” right now, trade wars historically lead to “hot” wars, and given China’s patterns of past behavior, it is likely that she would have no problem confiscating factories or production if there was a conflict with the US, as that would cause damage to the supply chains for American businesses. As a result, the move toward leaving by American companies is not just a “dislike” of China, but an economic trend as a sign of the real political trends for the future that business, as economics precedes politics in every case, naturally must acknowledge for its own survival.
Business Insider reports that as a part of this trend, Apple corporation, which has already been working on plans to diversify some production to India, is now officially moving out production of some iPad and MacBook assembly from China to Vietnam.
Major Apple supplier Foxconn is moving some iPad and MacBook assembly to Vietnam from China at the request of Apple, a person with knowledge of the plan told Reuters, as the US firm diversifies production to minimize the impact of a US-China trade war. The development comes as the outgoing administration of President Donald Trump encourages US firms to shift production out of China. During Trump’s tenure, the United States has targeted made-in-China electronics for higher import tariffs, and restricted supplies of components produced using US technology to Chinese firms it deems a national security risk. … “The move was requested by Apple,” the person said. “It wants to diversify production following the trade war.” Foxconn said in statement: “As a matter of company policy, and for reasons of commercial sensitivity, we do not comment on any aspect of our work for any customer or their products”. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Taiwan’s Foxconn, formally Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, on Tuesday announced a $270 million investment to set up a new subsidiary called FuKang Technology Co Ltd — a move the person said was aimed at supporting the Vietnam expansion. Shifting iPad production to Vietnam will mark the first time Foxconn has assembled the device outside of China. This isn’t the first indication we’ve had that Apple is looking to seed its global supply chain beyond China. The firm already plans to spend up to $1 billion expanding an iPhone assembly plant in India as “strongly requested” by Apple to diversify production beyond China, people with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters in July. Foxconn and peers such as Pegatron Corp are also considering building plants in Mexico, people with knowledge of the matter said, as Washington promotes near-shoring production. (source)
This trend is not limited to Apple or technology. No matter what the sector is, expect to see a significant diversification from China over the next five years, since the message will be simple- just as American companies who did not “outsource” because of changes to the laws (free trade) would not survive during the 1990s, so it will be that companies outsourced to China who do not change country to one other than China will likely find themselves potentially unable to survive, except this time it will be due to political issues up to and possibly including the seizure of their production means by the government for nationalistic reasons. Countries that seem to be “up and coming” for business ventrures are those in southeastern Asia, India, Central America, and while much less so, certain western African nations such as Nigeria and Ghana show some potential as well.
But no matter what happens, what one is seeing here is political and not a new thing, as it has been going on for a long time and is going to have a major economic impact on China. A trend to watch for is what China does about it- will they simply stay silent, or will they make it openly harder for American companies to leave, thus potentially exacerbating and economic crisis into a political crisis, which could get quickly out of hand? This remains to be seen.
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shoebat--2020-11-28--What Could Go Wrong As China Puts Its Own Domestically Made Nuclear Reactor Into Practice?

China may be a world manufacturing hub , but they are also know for serious manufacturing abuses , rampant corruption , and taking highly dangerous ‘ shortcuts ’ that result in people getting killed .
I will not post them here , but I have written on them before , and a simple Google search for “ Chinese factory accidents ” reveals quickly the ugly facts .
However , Channel News Asia reports that in addition to the foreign-made nuclear plants , China is now making her own nuclear plants .
China has powered up its first domestically developed nuclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant step in Beijing ’ s attempts to become less dependent on Western allies for energy security and critical technology .
The reactor , which was connected to the national grid on Friday ( Nov 27 ) , can generate 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and cut carbon emissions by 8.16 million tons , according to China National Nuclear Corporation ( CNNC ) .
“ This marks China breaking the monopoly of foreign nuclear power technology and officially entering the technology ’ s first batch of advanced countries , ” CNNC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplied less than 5 per cent of China ’ s annual electricity needs in 2019 , according to the National Energy Administration , but this share is expected to grow as Beijing attempts to become carbon neutral by 2060 .
Reducing its dependence on Western allies in critical high-tech sectors such as power generation is a key goal in Beijing ’ s “ Made in China 2025 ” plan .
Billions of dollars in state subsidies have been given to Chinese companies to speed the process – a move that has angered China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protracted trade row with Washington .
Work on the Hualong One reactor started in 2015 and there are currently six other reactors under construction at home and abroad , state-owned plant operator CNNC said .
The Hualong One , deployed at a plant in east China ’ s Fujian province , will be put into commercial use by the end of the year after undergoing tests .
China has 47 nuclear plants with a total generation capacity of 48.75 million kilowatts – the world ’ s third-highest after the United States and France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to develop its nuclear energy sector in recent years as it struggles to wean its economy from coal .
Thirteen nuclear plants are under construction , more than in any other country , despite environmental and safety concerns .
( source ) Note the part about safety concerns , because that is the main issue since nuclear power , while cheap and good , is a really serious thing if it goes wrong , because people die and nuclear radiation will poison the earth .
This is a video of Chinese noodle production @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are made from plastic and served as food .
Here is another video of “ gutter oil ” , which is human faeces mixed with garbage and cooked down to make a substitute cooking oil that is found in 10 % of Chinese restaurants in China .
Here is an interesting documentary from Al-Jazeera about the notorious Chinese “ landfills ” .
China is the world ’ s largest open dump , and countries around the world put their trash there .
China doesn ’ t care and just lets it sit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Also , here is a compilation of accidents in China , which it is not just the accidents , but the absolute carelessness , indifference to human life , and chaos found in so many of them that dwarfs what one sees in the US .
These problems are just in CHINA alone directed at their OWN people .
This does not include the “ Chinese junk ” that is sold to foreign nations such as the US .
Ask yourself , if China would feed her own people faeces and plastic and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things by scale , does one really trust that such a large thing such as a nuclear plant will be built with integrity ?
Likewise , given how China treats her garbage , does one really believe that China can be trusted to safely dispose of toxic nuclear waste that often times is more dangerous than the actual material before it went into the reactors ?
Now I hope I am wrong , but if trends are constant in Chinese history and actions , then it may be only a matter of time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China herself has a series of multiple nuclear accidents that may do more damage than what any foreign army could do .
Likewise , I would not trust any Chinese attempts at handling nuclear waste , since she as a trend barely cleans up her own trash from last night ’ s meal , let alone nuclear material .
One may recall that Chairman Mao proposed the “ Great Leap Forward ” , which turned into a “ Great Leap Backward ” that resulted in the deaths of millions of Chinese .
Unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but with technology and in a much more serious scale involved .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW OUR NEW SHOEBAT @ @ @ @

China may be a world manufacturing hub, but they are also know for serious manufacturing abuses, rampant corruption, and taking highly dangerous ‘shortcuts’ that result in people getting killed. I will not post them here, but I have written on them before, and a simple Google search for “Chinese factory accidents” reveals quickly the ugly facts.
However, Channel News Asia reports that in addition to the foreign-made nuclear plants, China is now making her own nuclear plants.
China has powered up its first domestically developed nuclear reactor – the Hualong One – a significant step in Beijing’s attempts to become less dependent on Western allies for energy security and critical technology. The reactor, which was connected to the national grid on Friday (Nov 27), can generate 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and cut carbon emissions by 8.16 million tons, according to China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC). “This marks China breaking the monopoly of foreign nuclear power technology and officially entering the technology’s first batch of advanced countries,” CNNC said in a statement. Nuclear plants supplied less than 5 per cent of China’s annual electricity needs in 2019, according to the National Energy Administration, but this share is expected to grow as Beijing attempts to become carbon neutral by 2060. Reducing its dependence on Western allies in critical high-tech sectors such as power generation is a key goal in Beijing’s “Made in China 2025” plan. Billions of dollars in state subsidies have been given to Chinese companies to speed the process – a move that has angered China’s trade partners and sparked a protracted trade row with Washington. Work on the Hualong One reactor started in 2015 and there are currently six other reactors under construction at home and abroad, state-owned plant operator CNNC said. The Hualong One, deployed at a plant in east China’s Fujian province, will be put into commercial use by the end of the year after undergoing tests. China has 47 nuclear plants with a total generation capacity of 48.75 million kilowatts – the world’s third-highest after the United States and France. Beijing has invested billions of dollars to develop its nuclear energy sector in recent years as it struggles to wean its economy from coal. Thirteen nuclear plants are under construction, more than in any other country, despite environmental and safety concerns. (source)
Note the part about safety concerns, because that is the main issue since nuclear power, while cheap and good, is a really serious thing if it goes wrong, because people die and nuclear radiation will poison the earth.
This is a video of Chinese noodle production. These are not real noodles. They are made from plastic and served as food.
Here is another video of “gutter oil”, which is human faeces mixed with garbage and cooked down to make a substitute cooking oil that is found in 10% of Chinese restaurants in China.
Here is an interesting documentary from Al-Jazeera about the notorious Chinese “landfills”. China is the world’s largest open dump, and countries around the world put their trash there. China doesn’t care and just lets it sit even as the filth poisons people.
Also, here is a compilation of accidents in China, which it is not just the accidents, but the absolute carelessness, indifference to human life, and chaos found in so many of them that dwarfs what one sees in the US.
These problems are just in CHINA alone directed at their OWN people. This does not include the “Chinese junk” that is sold to foreign nations such as the US.
Ask yourself, if China would feed her own people faeces and plastic and lie about it, which are small things by scale, does one really trust that such a large thing such as a nuclear plant will be built with integrity? Likewise, given how China treats her garbage, does one really believe that China can be trusted to safely dispose of toxic nuclear waste that often times is more dangerous than the actual material before it went into the reactors?
Now I hope I am wrong, but if trends are constant in Chinese history and actions, then it may be only a matter of time before not a foreign nation, but China herself has a series of multiple nuclear accidents that may do more damage than what any foreign army could do. Likewise, I would not trust any Chinese attempts at handling nuclear waste, since she as a trend barely cleans up her own trash from last night’s meal, let alone nuclear material.
One may recall that Chairman Mao proposed the “Great Leap Forward”, which turned into a “Great Leap Backward” that resulted in the deaths of millions of Chinese. Unfortunately, we may be witnessing this now, but with technology and in a much more serious scale involved.
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shoebat--2020-11-28--Sixty-Five People Are Dying Every Hour From COVID

There is a lot of controversy about COVID .
There certainly is a real illness component to it , and there is certainly a component that is using the disease for absolutely unashamed political manipulation of the worst type in order to re-align society .
Both should be included because both are real and to lack in one is to fail to provide a balanced view .
Out of concern for the public good , and as a trend that is likely not going to go away , the death toll from COVID continues to rise with USA Today reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dying from COVID in the US .
If COVID-19 continues to surge as it has been during the Thanksgiving season , the remainder of the holidays may be just as grim — if not more so .
At least , that ’ s what the United States ’ leading infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci told USA TODAY last week in an interview in which he cautioned that Americans should “ show our love and affection for people by keeping them safe.
” The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations continues to rise , hitting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with more than 90,400 admissions , according to the COVID Tracking Project .
That record number comes despite 30 states either not filing or filing partial reports due to the holiday .
Every minute , 114 Americans are testing positive for COVID-19 , according to Johns Hopkins University data .
Every hour , 65 Americans are dying .
In vaccine news , AstraZeneca has hit a setback after a dosing error is causing the company to to reassess the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine ’ s efficacy , and plan for a new global clinical trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot happening with COVID that is not fully understood .
As Shoebat.com has reported , it has spread to minks in Denmark , requiring their mass slaughter .
As for the future , one does not know what will come of COVID .
All pandemics pass away , but the effects on society of COVID most likely will not , and that is a dangerous trend to consider , since pandemics traditionally cause economic and social upheavals that lead to war and revolutions throughout history .
But for the moment , while one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obey ” , one also should take safety precautions because people have gotten sick and died from this illness , and considering the mutations being reported , one does not want to risk ignoring general safety to only end up as a guinea pig in an unfortunate experiment caused by one ’ s one refusal to wear a mask or take other basic precautions .
For now , COVID is here to stay , but it remains to be seen if her effects will intensify or decrease , and for how long this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW OUR NEW SHOEBAT FACEBOOK PAGE < /

There is a lot of controversy about COVID. There certainly is a real illness component to it, and there is certainly a component that is using the disease for absolutely unashamed political manipulation of the worst type in order to re-align society. Both should be included because both are real and to lack in one is to fail to provide a balanced view.
Out of concern for the public good, and as a trend that is likely not going to go away, the death toll from COVID continues to rise with USA Today reporting now that sixty-five people per hour are dying from COVID in the US.
If COVID-19 continues to surge as it has been during the Thanksgiving season, the remainder of the holidays may be just as grim — if not more so. At least, that’s what the United States’ leading infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci told USA TODAY last week in an interview in which he cautioned that Americans should “show our love and affection for people by keeping them safe.” The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations continues to rise, hitting a record for the 17th straight day Thursday with more than 90,400 admissions, according to the COVID Tracking Project. That record number comes despite 30 states either not filing or filing partial reports due to the holiday. Every minute, 114 Americans are testing positive for COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Every hour, 65 Americans are dying. In vaccine news, AstraZeneca has hit a setback after a dosing error is causing the company to to reassess the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine’s efficacy, and plan for a new global clinical trial. (source)
There is a lot happening with COVID that is not fully understood. As Shoebat.com has reported, it has spread to minks in Denmark, requiring their mass slaughter.
As for the future, one does not know what will come of COVID. All pandemics pass away, but the effects on society of COVID most likely will not, and that is a dangerous trend to consider, since pandemics traditionally cause economic and social upheavals that lead to war and revolutions throughout history.
But for the moment, while one does not want to just “blindly obey”, one also should take safety precautions because people have gotten sick and died from this illness, and considering the mutations being reported, one does not want to risk ignoring general safety to only end up as a guinea pig in an unfortunate experiment caused by one’s one refusal to wear a mask or take other basic precautions.
For now, COVID is here to stay, but it remains to be seen if her effects will intensify or decrease, and for how long this will endure.
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shoebat--2020-11-29--A Horrific Massacre In Ethiopia: Over Seven Hundred People Are Ambushed, Butchered With Knives, Stra

A Horrific Massacre In Ethiopia: Over Seven Hundred People Are Ambushed, Butchered With Knives, Strangled With Ropes And Burned

A horrendous massacre was committed in the town of Mai Kadra in northern Ethiopia ’ s Tigray region , where separatists are fighting the government in a war of power and domination .
The massacre was done by a violent youth group that calls itself “ Samri ” and their militia allies , the Tigray People ’ s Liberation Front ( TPLF ) and police officers .
Hundreds of bodies have been discovered , and the body count continues to rise .
According to a report from Yahoo !
: Elsewhere in this town in western Tigray , dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a roadside ditch , their exposed flesh rotting in the sun .
No-one denies that something terrible unfolded here : a massacre of hundreds of civilians , who were shot , slashed or stabbed with knives and machetes .
It is the worst-known episode of violence against civilians in the deepening bloodshed in northern Ethiopia .
An Ethiopian publication , the Reporter , states that the death count rose from 600 to over 700 : The death toll in the Mai-Kadra massacre rose to 766 as 166 additional bodies were discovered on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the investigative findings by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission ( EHRC ) that put the death toll in the Mai-Kadra massacre at 600 were released , another 74 bodies were recovered from a mass grave in two separate places on the outskirts of Mai-Kadra .
In a shocking footage aired on Amhara TV [ under the Amhara Mass Media Agency ( AMMA ) ] , the regional broadcaster reported that the bodies were recovered from two places ; Abnet and central Mewucha localities .
It was indicated that the latest recovery was successful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents of Mai-Kadra who had survived the mass killings .
The massacre was an act of ethnic cleansing by the Tigray people of the Amharic people .
Misganaw affirmed : “ They wanted to exterminate the Amharas ” .
A local official named Fentahun Bihohegn stated : “ A brutal ethnic cleansing has been committed against the Amhara people … For me , I have witnessed the real hell here in Mai-Kadra ” .
Ethiopian soldiers and Amhara militiamen entered the town and more bloodshed ensued .
Marsem Gadi , a local farmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other locals , described the horror he saw : “ Ethiopian soldiers and Amhara militiamen entered the town and fired into the air and at residents … We ran out of town to find safety .
I saw men in civilian clothes attacking villagers with knives and axes… Corpses were lying in the streets.
” Elifa Sagadi ran to the nearby fields when bullets began to be fired .
“ On the road I saw at least 40 bodies .
Some had bullets in their heads , others had been stabbed … When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on fire and my husband and two sons had disappeared.
” According to an Ethiopian article , the massacre was committed by Samri Tigray Youth !
and that they butchered people with knives , strangled people and did other horrors .
They also burned people .
According to al-Jazeera : The killings in Mai Kadra on November 9 were first reported by rights watchdog Amnesty International three days later , sparking fears of war crimes being committed as fighting intensified .
On November 14 , the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission ( EHRC ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region for an investigation that ran until November 19 .
On Tuesday , the government-appointed but independent body said it had found that the killings were carried out by a local youth group called Samri , with the support of other Tigrayan civilians , police and militia .
Citing sources , including witnesses , first respondents and survivors , the EHRC said it estimated at least 600 civilians were killed in Mai Kadra but added that the death toll was likely to be higher .
“ The local militia and police security apparatus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group to carry out door-to-door raids and kill hundreds of people they identified as ethnic ‘ Amharas and Wolkait origin ’ , by beating them with sticks , stabbing them with knives , machetes and hatchets and strangling them with ropes , ” the EHRC ’ s report said .

By Theodore Shoebat
A horrendous massacre was committed in the town of Mai Kadra in northern Ethiopia’s Tigray region, where separatists are fighting the government in a war of power and domination. The massacre was done by a violent youth group that calls itself “Samri” and their militia allies, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and police officers. Hundreds of bodies have been discovered, and the body count continues to rise. According to a report from Yahoo!:
Elsewhere in this town in western Tigray, dozens of corpses still awaiting a grave lie abandoned in a roadside ditch, their exposed flesh rotting in the sun. No-one denies that something terrible unfolded here: a massacre of hundreds of civilians, who were shot, slashed or stabbed with knives and machetes. It is the worst-known episode of violence against civilians in the deepening bloodshed in northern Ethiopia.
One survivor, Misganaw Gebey, gave witness:
“Militiamen and police attacked us with guns, and civilians attacked us with machetes… The whole population is involved.”
An Ethiopian publication, the Reporter, states that the death count rose from 600 to over 700:
The death toll in the Mai-Kadra massacre rose to 766 as 166 additional bodies were discovered on Wednesday and Friday. A day after the investigative findings by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that put the death toll in the Mai-Kadra massacre at 600 were released, another 74 bodies were recovered from a mass grave in two separate places on the outskirts of Mai-Kadra. In a shocking footage aired on Amhara TV [under the Amhara Mass Media Agency (AMMA)], the regional broadcaster reported that the bodies were recovered from two places; Abnet and central Mewucha localities. It was indicated that the latest recovery was successful in part due to the cooperation of residents of Mai-Kadra who had survived the mass killings.
The massacre was an act of ethnic cleansing by the Tigray people of the Amharic people. Misganaw affirmed: “They wanted to exterminate the Amharas”. A local official named Fentahun Bihohegn stated: “A brutal ethnic cleansing has been committed against the Amhara people … For me, I have witnessed the real hell here in Mai-Kadra”.
Ethiopian soldiers and Amhara militiamen entered the town and more bloodshed ensued. Marsem Gadi, a local farmer of Tigray who fled with thousands of other locals, described the horror he saw: “Ethiopian soldiers and Amhara militiamen entered the town and fired into the air and at residents … We ran out of town to find safety. I saw men in civilian clothes attacking villagers with knives and axes… Corpses were lying in the streets.”
Elifa Sagadi ran to the nearby fields when bullets began to be fired. “On the road I saw at least 40 bodies. Some had bullets in their heads, others had been stabbed … When I went home, my house was on fire and my husband and two sons had disappeared.”
According to an Ethiopian article, the massacre was committed by Samri Tigray Youth! and that they butchered people with knives, strangled people and did other horrors. They also burned people. According to al-Jazeera:
The killings in Mai Kadra on November 9 were first reported by rights watchdog Amnesty International three days later, sparking fears of war crimes being committed as fighting intensified. On November 14, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) dispatched a team of experts to the region for an investigation that ran until November 19. On Tuesday, the government-appointed but independent body said it had found that the killings were carried out by a local youth group called Samri, with the support of other Tigrayan civilians, police and militia. Citing sources, including witnesses, first respondents and survivors, the EHRC said it estimated at least 600 civilians were killed in Mai Kadra but added that the death toll was likely to be higher. … “The local militia and police security apparatus joined forces with members of the Samri group to carry out door-to-door raids and kill hundreds of people they identified as ethnic ‘Amharas and Wolkait origin’, by beating them with sticks, stabbing them with knives, machetes and hatchets and strangling them with ropes,” the EHRC’s report said.
We read from France 24:
A local youth group aided by police and militia killed at least 600 people in a “rampage” on November 9 in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, the national rights watchdog said Tuesday. The massacre in the town of Mai-Kadra is the worst-known attack on civilians during Ethiopia‘s ongoing internal conflict pitting federal forces against leaders of Tigray‘s ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Amnesty International previously reported that “scores, and likely hundreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death” in the November 9 attack in Mai-Kadra. But Tuesday’s report from the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) provides a more detailed account, accusing the Tigrayan youth group known as “Samri” of targeting non-Tigrayan seasonal labourers working on sesame and sorghum farms in the area. The EHRC is a government-affiliated but independent body whose chief commissioner, Daniel Bekele, was appointed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The perpetrators “killed hundreds of people, beating them with batons/sticks, stabbing them with knives, machetes and hatchets and strangling them with ropes. They also looted and destroyed properties,” the report said.
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shoebat--2020-11-29--King Salman Furious That MbS Meets In Secret With Netanyahu

For years Ted , Waild , and I have been warning that the House of Saud is similar to the infamous House of Ussher of Poe- that the Saud family is living on borrowed time , they know it , and there is a tremendous amount of fighting in the family as to how to stay alive and prevent themselves from becoming human-popsicle decorations in the front of the , for all practical purposes , royal palace that Erdogan has ready in preparation to crown himself sultan of a new Ottoman Empire .
The Saud family owes its existence to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as extracted and imported through the Saudi Arabian-American Oil Company ( ARAMOCO ) provides military protection from her enemies .
If lifted , Saudi Arabia could be overrun by Turkey , with the support of the other Islamic nations , and the family would be annihilated- Turkey would see to that fully .
A curious point that we have noted is that there seems to be a lot of serious fighting that is taking place in the family between the younger and older generations .
Mohammed bin Salman , known as MbS , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his neighbors and try to “ modernize ” Saudi Arabia as well as make her more attractive in the eyes of the world so to gain support and discourage Turkish action .
However , King Salman bin Abdulaziz , who is older , and his supporters believe that a more aggressive path is necessary , and that MbS doesn ’ t know what he is doing .
This is what I speculated may have happened with the Jamal Khashoggi murder , as it was an attempt to raise his own faction to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and strike a blow at Turkey in the same move , and it seems to have worked .
However , this does not mean that Abdulaziz can rest safe in his power , for if history is a guide , many things could happen .
In what is an interesting event , it has been claimed by the times of Israel that Israeli President Netanyahu ’ s meeting with Mohammed bin Salman was not known by Abdulaziz .
Saudi Arabia ’ s King Salman was reportedly kept out of the loop about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trip to the kingdom this week for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman .
Quoting a Saudi source and a foreign diplomat in Riyadh , Reuters reported Friday that normalization with Israel appeared off the table as long as the Saudi monarch is alive — an analysis also made Thursday by a senior Israeli source cited by Israeli TV .
King Salman , 84 , is reported to oppose normalization without the establishment of a Palestinian state , while his son , the kingdom ’ s de facto ruler , is considered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The diplomat cited by Reuters also suggested that the prospect of normalization was greater under the incoming Biden administration , with the US president-elect having threatened to make Saudi Arabia a “ pariah ” over its human rights violations .
“ Normalization… is a carrot to get [ Biden ’ s ] focus away from other issues , especially human rights , ” the diplomat said .
The comments by the Saudi source and diplomat echoed a report Thursday on Israeli television .
An unnamed senior Israeli source told Channel 12 news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normalization as long as King Salman is on the throne .
“ Israel understands that there will not be a breakthrough with the Saudis in the near future ” because King Salman “ takes a diametrically opposite stance ” on the matter of normalization with Israel to that of his son , the report said .
Despite that , “ cooperation against the joint enemy Iran ” will increase , as will bilateral trade between the two nations .
The source also said Netanyahu and the Saudi crown prince had a “ very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source ) The truth is , we do not know what happened outside of the fact that the meeting happened .
There are only two possibilities that we can deduce from this : -MbS met in secret with Netanyahu and Abdulaziz did NOT know -MbS met Netanyahu and Abdulaziz DID know but is faking ignorance There is not enough information that has been publicly made available right now to confirm what is happening , and both possibilities are potentially true in so much as one can not right now be favored over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MbS wants to take a “ friendlier ” approach , including building relationships with nations such as Israel , and it is true that Abdulaziz is more hostile .
Likewise , it is also true both could be conspiring together as part of a larger plot to present a favorable image of Saudi Arabia before the world at a time of rising Turkish power combined with increasing global instability .
What one can say is that Netanyahu ’ s visit means something is going on , and it will be important to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US do , as the trend of change in the nation has been for a while something to watch and this recent event and the many questions that surround it may be a sign of more things to come in the future , for good or for bad .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news , reading between the lines and separating hysteria and perception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
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For years Ted, Waild, and I have been warning that the House of Saud is similar to the infamous House of Ussher of Poe- that the Saud family is living on borrowed time, they know it, and there is a tremendous amount of fighting in the family as to how to stay alive and prevent themselves from becoming human-popsicle decorations in the front of the, for all practical purposes, royal palace that Erdogan has ready in preparation to crown himself sultan of a new Ottoman Empire. The Saud family owes its existence to the Americans, whose addiction to oil as extracted and imported through the Saudi Arabian-American Oil Company (ARAMOCO) provides military protection from her enemies. If lifted, Saudi Arabia could be overrun by Turkey, with the support of the other Islamic nations, and the family would be annihilated- Turkey would see to that fully.
A curious point that we have noted is that there seems to be a lot of serious fighting that is taking place in the family between the younger and older generations. Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS, wants to take a more liberal approach to his neighbors and try to “modernize” Saudi Arabia as well as make her more attractive in the eyes of the world so to gain support and discourage Turkish action. However, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who is older, and his supporters believe that a more aggressive path is necessary, and that MbS doesn’t know what he is doing. This is what I speculated may have happened with the Jamal Khashoggi murder, as it was an attempt to raise his own faction to power, destroy the credibility of MbS, and strike a blow at Turkey in the same move, and it seems to have worked.
However, this does not mean that Abdulaziz can rest safe in his power, for if history is a guide, many things could happen. In what is an interesting event, it has been claimed by the times of Israel that Israeli President Netanyahu’s meeting with Mohammed bin Salman was not known by Abdulaziz.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman was reportedly kept out of the loop about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s secretive trip to the kingdom this week for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. Quoting a Saudi source and a foreign diplomat in Riyadh, Reuters reported Friday that normalization with Israel appeared off the table as long as the Saudi monarch is alive — an analysis also made Thursday by a senior Israeli source cited by Israeli TV. King Salman, 84, is reported to oppose normalization without the establishment of a Palestinian state, while his son, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, is considered more open to warming ties with Israel. The diplomat cited by Reuters also suggested that the prospect of normalization was greater under the incoming Biden administration, with the US president-elect having threatened to make Saudi Arabia a “pariah” over its human rights violations. “Normalization… is a carrot to get [Biden’s] focus away from other issues, especially human rights,” the diplomat said. The comments by the Saudi source and diplomat echoed a report Thursday on Israeli television. An unnamed senior Israeli source told Channel 12 news that there would be no progress on normalization as long as King Salman is on the throne. “Israel understands that there will not be a breakthrough with the Saudis in the near future” because King Salman “takes a diametrically opposite stance” on the matter of normalization with Israel to that of his son, the report said. Despite that, “cooperation against the joint enemy Iran” will increase, as will bilateral trade between the two nations. The source also said Netanyahu and the Saudi crown prince had a “very warm meeting” on Sunday. (source)
The truth is, we do not know what happened outside of the fact that the meeting happened. There are only two possibilities that we can deduce from this:
-MbS met in secret with Netanyahu and Abdulaziz did NOT know
-MbS met Netanyahu and Abdulaziz DID know but is faking ignorance
There is not enough information that has been publicly made available right now to confirm what is happening, and both possibilities are potentially true in so much as one cannot right now be favored over the other. It is absolutely true that MbS wants to take a “friendlier” approach, including building relationships with nations such as Israel, and it is true that Abdulaziz is more hostile. Likewise, it is also true both could be conspiring together as part of a larger plot to present a favorable image of Saudi Arabia before the world at a time of rising Turkish power combined with increasing global instability.
What one can say is that Netanyahu’s visit means something is going on, and it will be important to see what Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the US do, as the trend of change in the nation has been for a while something to watch and this recent event and the many questions that surround it may be a sign of more things to come in the future, for good or for bad.
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shoebat--2020-11-29--Forget About COVID, Suicide Takes More Lives In Japan Than Does The Virus

A lot of people are talking about the COVID pandemic , and make no mistake , it must be clearly emphasized and done so over and over that the pandemic exists and one must take good safety precautions .
But that said , it is equally important to keep all things in perspective , noting that not only may things be not as bad as what they seem in the situation of the pandemic , but that there are other very important things happening that are even deadlier .
CBS News reports on a sad case from Japan , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new studies have shown a sad trend that does not seem to be reversing as suicides have claimed more lives than COVID .
Far more Japanese people are dying of suicide , likely exacerbated by the economic and social repercussions of the pandemic , than of the COVID-19 disease itself .
While Japan has managed its coronavirus epidemic far better than many nations , keeping deaths below 2,000 nationwide , provisional statistics from the National Police Agency show suicides surged to 2,153 in October alone , marking the fourth straight month of increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have taken their own lives this year in Japan .
October self-inflicted deaths were up 600 year on year , with female suicides , about a third of the total , surging over 80 % .
Women , who have primary responsibility for childcare , have borne the brunt of pandemic-induced job losses and insecurity .
They ’ re also at greater risk of domestic violence , which help centers say has worsened here this year , as it has around the world .
Japan has grappled with high suicide rates for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but the overall numbers had been on a downward trend this year , until they reversed course in July — possibly as the initial “ we ’ re all in this together ” pandemic positivity waned , and the buffering impact of public subsidies disappeared .
Until this year , Japan had been making steady progress to reduce suicides , which surpassed 34,000 in 2003 .
Improved counseling and efforts to combat karoshi , or being worked to death , helped bring down suicides to around 20,000 last year — the lowest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While Japan still has the highest suicide rate among the world ’ s wealthy G-7 nations , at 16 per 100,000 , it had hoped to continue making progress , with a goal of lowering it to 13 per 100,000 by 2026 , a level comparable to other developed countries .
( source ) Both are sad things , and neither should be ignored .
What one may want to ask is , given the stresses of modern Japanese life , could the pandemic inadvertently be increasing suicide rates amid job losses and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just to “ give up ” ?
This is where it is critical to note a trend that seems to be establishing and in many ways , has already been established , which is that the effects of the pandemic and the response to it are worse than the pandemic itself .
It is one think to lose one ’ s job and fall into poverty , but it is a separate dynamic to be forced unexpectedly into a situation that leads to poverty along with millions of others so , like crabs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tries to move to the top , the more one is pulled down by the other crabs seeking to get out .
Since we can not say definitively that COVID is directly related to the rise in suicides , although it seems likely that there could be a connection , if this was to be clearly established , it would be one of these “ unexpected effects ” worse than the pandemic , for sickness passes , even terrible periods of illness such as the Black Plague , but suicide is not something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that one would see no hope for the future except destruction that one simply hastens to by the act of destruction says a lot about trends taking place in society , which is that the people have been living on a fiscal , and ultimately , political cliff ( since economic precedes politics ) for a long time , and they were ready to fall off as well , except the vast internal pressures on them are hidden , and the actions of the pandemic are what “ pushed ” these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is something that , assuming the conditions above , could happen in the US because there are millions of people in a similar position who are ready to ‘ break ’ because of the stress .
After all , if you only had a stimulus check of some-thousands of dollars to live on for months with no hope of a new job prospect or obtaining a new income , would in not be a terrible thing ?
Combine this with other factors of life , stress , and problems that one encounters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a movie , it is reality , and there is no way to escape from it without pain , and because of this , too many people choose whatever way they can to exit , and for some as it has been the case in Japan , make the decision to pay possibly what is the heaviest price .
Donate now to help support the work of this site .
When you donate , you are not donating to just any commentary group , but one that is endlessly observing the news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hysteria and perception from reality .
In shoebat.com , we are working every day , tirelessly investigating global trends and providing data and analysis to tell you what lies for the future .
CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW OUR NEW SHOEBAT FACEBOOK PAGE

A lot of people are talking about the COVID pandemic, and make no mistake, it must be clearly emphasized and done so over and over that the pandemic exists and one must take good safety precautions. But that said, it is equally important to keep all things in perspective, noting that not only may things be not as bad as what they seem in the situation of the pandemic, but that there are other very important things happening that are even deadlier. CBS News reports on a sad case from Japan, where for the duration of the pandemic, new studies have shown a sad trend that does not seem to be reversing as suicides have claimed more lives than COVID.
Far more Japanese people are dying of suicide, likely exacerbated by the economic and social repercussions of the pandemic, than of the COVID-19 disease itself. While Japan has managed its coronavirus epidemic far better than many nations, keeping deaths below 2,000 nationwide, provisional statistics from the National Police Agency show suicides surged to 2,153 in October alone, marking the fourth straight month of increase. To date, more than 17,000 people have taken their own lives this year in Japan. October self-inflicted deaths were up 600 year on year, with female suicides, about a third of the total, surging over 80%. Women, who have primary responsibility for childcare, have borne the brunt of pandemic-induced job losses and insecurity. They’re also at greater risk of domestic violence, which help centers say has worsened here this year, as it has around the world. … Japan has grappled with high suicide rates for a long time and for complex reasons, but the overall numbers had been on a downward trend this year, until they reversed course in July — possibly as the initial “we’re all in this together” pandemic positivity waned, and the buffering impact of public subsidies disappeared. … Until this year, Japan had been making steady progress to reduce suicides, which surpassed 34,000 in 2003. Improved counseling and efforts to combat karoshi, or being worked to death, helped bring down suicides to around 20,000 last year — the lowest number since record-keeping began in 1978. While Japan still has the highest suicide rate among the world’s wealthy G-7 nations, at 16 per 100,000, it had hoped to continue making progress, with a goal of lowering it to 13 per 100,000 by 2026, a level comparable to other developed countries. (source)
Both are sad things, and neither should be ignored. What one may want to ask is, given the stresses of modern Japanese life, could the pandemic inadvertently be increasing suicide rates amid job losses and a sense of hopelessness that causes people just to “give up”?
This is where it is critical to note a trend that seems to be establishing and in many ways, has already been established, which is that the effects of the pandemic and the response to it are worse than the pandemic itself. It is one think to lose one’s job and fall into poverty, but it is a separate dynamic to be forced unexpectedly into a situation that leads to poverty along with millions of others so, like crabs in a bucket, the more one tries to move to the top, the more one is pulled down by the other crabs seeking to get out.
Since we cannot say definitively that COVID is directly related to the rise in suicides, although it seems likely that there could be a connection, if this was to be clearly established, it would be one of these “unexpected effects” worse than the pandemic, for sickness passes, even terrible periods of illness such as the Black Plague, but suicide is not something that can be remedied. Also, the fact that one would see no hope for the future except destruction that one simply hastens to by the act of destruction says a lot about trends taking place in society, which is that the people have been living on a fiscal, and ultimately, political cliff (since economic precedes politics) for a long time, and they were ready to fall off as well, except the vast internal pressures on them are hidden, and the actions of the pandemic are what “pushed” these people to take action against themselves.
This is something that, assuming the conditions above, could happen in the US because there are millions of people in a similar position who are ready to ‘break’ because of the stress. After all, if you only had a stimulus check of some-thousands of dollars to live on for months with no hope of a new job prospect or obtaining a new income, would in not be a terrible thing? Combine this with other factors of life, stress, and problems that one encounters, and horrifying monster forms but instead of a movie, it is reality, and there is no way to escape from it without pain, and because of this, too many people choose whatever way they can to exit, and for some as it has been the case in Japan, make the decision to pay possibly what is the heaviest price.
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