thelibertybeacon--2020-03-21--Washington Pushes IMF to Reject Venezuela Plea for $5 billion Coronavirus Aid, Sanctions Stay Put on

Washington Pushes IMF to Reject Venezuela Plea for $5 billion Coronavirus Aid, Sanctions Stay Put on Iran

We ’ re doing a twofer here on both Venezuela and Iran , which have been on the receiving end of US-imposed sanctions for a while , which are basically like war without the bombs for ordinary people in these countries , including on their healthcare systems .
Further to the IMF-Venezuela story below , in which Washington-dominated IMF has refused Maduro a loan to help his country tackle the impending virus crisis there , another article from Russia Today , titled Maduro Says It Costs Venezuela Triple to Buy Virus Test Kits Due to US Sanctions , shows Maduro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Cuba with its effective drug Interferon B , which Washington has long refused to let onto the wider global market .
Iran , well – it wasn ’ t enough to settle for illegally taking out its next leader in early January , Qassem Soleimani , in a thoroughly backstabbing , pro-Israel move which has still yet to be revenged .
Sanctions , devastating on a population , are still in place on the nation that is one of three most affected by the virus crisis .
See the Zerohedge piece of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hour In Iran , One Death Per 10 Minutes : Health Ministry .
We remind readers of the theory that is getting banned on social media , that multiple strains of the virus have been detected in different countries , with ONE of them showing up in Iran , the idea being that this was a deliberate move against the Iranian government by the US and its covert biowarfare program .
We urge readers to look at a piece by Oldmicrobiologist titled Was Coronavirus a Biowarfare Attack Against China ?
A Veteran Insider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be published .
This retired scientist from Ft. Detrick ’ s biolab believes it smacks of a targeted attack , not only on China but on Iran , too .
Italy also has its own strain , too , and may have been part of this theorized attack , although it is a country that suffers incredibly from regular ‘ flu , too .
See this .
However , Italy is a major player for China in the European part of its Belt and Road Initiative , which plans to use at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( see Italy ’ s Embrace of the New Silk Road : A hope for all of Europe , and also here ) .
Sidebar : if the EU economy is set to crash over this crisis , as many predict , what ’ s the effect on China ?
Significant , because the EU is one of its top trading partners .
Targeting this country for attack – allegedly – would in part explain the unceasingly inhuman , hostile attitude to Iran by Trump and his morally repugnant neocon swamp creatures ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Says ‘ Coronavirus Won ’ t Save You From Sanctions ’ ) .
Former CIA director , Everything-for-Israel Mike Pompeo is predictably maintaining a hardline attitude : “ The United States sent Iran a blunt message this week : the spread of the coronavirus will not save it from U.S. sanctions that are choking off its oil revenues and isolating its economy , ” Reuters reports .
Consider too the blunt headline to the report — U.S. to Iran : Coronavirus won ’ t save you from sanctions .
This as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens to brace for “ millions ” possibly killed as a result of the deadly pandemic .
“ Our policy of maximum pressure on the regime continues , ” Brian Hook , the US Special Representative for Iranian Affairs , told reporters this week .
But as Spencer Ackerman reports , this policy will actually make the Covid-19 spread more dangerous for us all : “ We are not safe in any place until everyone all over the world is safe , ” Paul Anatharajah Tambyah , the president of the Asia-Pacific Society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Wall Street Journal about a new wave of COVID-19 cases in east Asia .
The “ maximum pressure ” campaign is unjust , but to continue it in the midst of a public health disaster is truly sick and twisted .
The administration ’ s refusal to offer sanctions relief at a time like this shows how irrational and malevolent this policy is , and it should make us all realize how senseless and destructive the economic war has been from the start .
Yesterday , the International Monetary Fund ( IMF @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion dollar aid package for Venezuela to fight the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease .
This latest news has come at the same time that Washington has increased punitive economic sanctions against the country in order to try and force the government of Nicholas Maduro out of power through its campaign of “ maximum pressure , ” in favor of Washington ’ s own hand-picked ‘ president ’ for the country , Juan Guaido , who Trump officials like Mike Pompeo claim is “ the country ’ s only legitimate leader , ” even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the electorate in Venezuela .
The excuse IMF officials gave for rejecting Venezuela ’ s aid application was exactly that : officials claimed that there was no ‘ international recognition ’ of the present Venezuelan government .
In other words , Washington ’ s regime change ploy has worked – by installing and ‘ recognizing ’ its own symbolic puppet leader , those multilateral institutions under its influence will simply follow suit .
Many have speculated as to the true independence of the World Bank and the IMF , and whether these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to achieve its own aims .
It becomes fairly obvious when you look at just how much leverage the US has to enact its own policy aims .
With its 16 % voting share , the US commands the largest single voting bloc inside of the institution , and with annual contributions of $ 164 billion , it dominates the IMF lending pot .
As the old adage goes , he who has the gold makes the rules .
According global affairs analyst Eric Toussaint in his detailed report entitled , Domination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the US wields substantial influence over the winners and losers in the game of World Bank and IMF assistance .
He explains : “ In real terms , the institution is firmly under the control of the US government which negotiates , with the governments of other major capitalist powers , the policies to be followed within the World Bank , and under its leadership.
” In his report , Toussaint also notes a number of key passages that demonstrate how supposedly multilateral institutional policies are really repurposed to streamline with US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both recipient and nonrecipient states : “ The United States has viewed all multilateral organizations , including the World Bank , as instruments of foreign policy to be used for specific U.S. aims and objectives ” [ 6 ] .
Note that Washington ’ s policies will almost certainly single-out a socialist-leaning government like Venezuela for collective punishment : “ A preoccupation with containing communism , and the change in the relative U.S. power in the world explain much of the evolution in U.S. relations with the World Bank over the past fifty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it should come as little surprise then that the current neocon-dominated Trump administration in Washington is behind this latest reckless and vindictive IMF decision – one which certainly will result in increased hardship and loss of life in South America .
The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday rejected economically devastated Venezuela ’ s request for a $ 5 billion loan to help it cope with the onslaught of coronavirus on the country that an aid agency warned is as prepared as war-torn Syria.President Nicolas Maduro made the request earlier Tuesday but , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institution indirectly cited a dispute over Maduro ’ s leadership in denying his petition .
In a letter to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva , Maduro said a $ 5 billion loan from the IMF ’ s Rapid Financing Instrument ( RFI ) “ will contribute significantly to strengthening our detection and response systems.
” It was the country ’ s first loan request to the IMF since 2001 .
“ Unfortunately , the Fund is not in a position to consider this request , ” because there is “ no clarity ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government , the Washington-based institution said in a statement .
“ As we have mentioned before , IMF engagement with member countries is predicated on official government recognition by the international community , as reflected in the IMF ’ s membership .
There is no clarity on recognition at this time , ” the statement said .
More than 50 countries including the United States have not recognized Maduro for more than a year , after switching allegiance to opposition leader Juan Guaido who declared himself acting president .
Guaido branded Maduro a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-election in polls widely seen as fraudulent .
But US sanctions and other international pressures have failed to dislodge Maduro , who is backed by Venezuela ’ s creditors China and Russia and retains the support of the powerful military .
The RFI from which Maduro sought the assistance is a mechanism by which all IMF member countries can get financial assistance without the need to have a full-fledged economic program in place .
Venezuela ’ s health system is in tatters after five years of economic and political crisis that has sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic staples .
“ We hardly have five percent of the medicine stocks we need , ” Douglas Leon Natera , head of the Venezuelan Medical Federation , told AFP earlier .
Jan Egeland , general secretary of the Norwegian Refugee Council , placed Venezuela in the same category as war-torn Syria and Yemen in its preparedness .
Like those countries , “ there will be carnage ” when the virus reaches parts of Venezuela given that “ health systems have collapsed , ” warned Egeland .
The country has 33 reported coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global tally , and Maduro has ordered a lockdown in the capital Caracas and six other states .
“ At this crucial moment and aware of the high level of contagion of this disease , we will continue to take rapid and vigorous measures ” to stop the advance of the pandemic , Maduro wrote in his letter to Georgieva .
“ We are convinced that in permanent coordination with the WHO ( World Health Organization ) and the support among the countries of the world , we will be able to overcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banned flights to and from Europe , as well as Colombia , Panama and the Dominican Republic .
It has also suspended school and university classes as well as sports events .
Published to The Liberty Beacon from EuropeReloaded.com The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate , and for this we are grateful and excited !
But we must also be practical .
For 7 years we have not asked for any donations , and have built this project with our own funds as we grew .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to the large number of websites and projects we represent .
So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them .
Nothing is too small .
We thank you for all your support and your considerations … ( TLB ) Disclaimer : TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner .
We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “ fair use ” in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political , health , economic and social issues .
The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes .
If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “ fair use ” you must request permission from the copyright owner .

Pam Barker | Director of TLB Europe Reloaded Project
We’re doing a twofer here on both Venezuela and Iran, which have been on the receiving end of US-imposed sanctions for a while, which are basically like war without the bombs for ordinary people in these countries, including on their healthcare systems. Further to the IMF-Venezuela story below, in which Washington-dominated IMF has refused Maduro a loan to help his country tackle the impending virus crisis there, another article from Russia Today, titled Maduro Says It Costs Venezuela Triple to Buy Virus Test Kits Due to US Sanctions, shows Maduro getting some practical relief from China, and Cuba with its effective drug Interferon B, which Washington has long refused to let onto the wider global market.
Iran, well – it wasn’t enough to settle for illegally taking out its next leader in early January, Qassem Soleimani, in a thoroughly backstabbing, pro-Israel move which has still yet to be revenged. Sanctions, devastating on a population, are still in place on the nation that is one of three most affected by the virus crisis. See the Zerohedge piece of yesterday, titled 50 New Infections Every Hour In Iran, One Death Per 10 Minutes: Health Ministry.
We remind readers of the theory that is getting banned on social media, that multiple strains of the virus have been detected in different countries, with ONE of them showing up in Iran, the idea being that this was a deliberate move against the Iranian government by the US and its covert biowarfare program. We urge readers to look at a piece by Oldmicrobiologist titled Was Coronavirus a Biowarfare Attack Against China? A Veteran Insider Speaks Out that Twitter will not allowed to be published. This retired scientist from Ft. Detrick’s biolab believes it smacks of a targeted attack, not only on China but on Iran, too. Italy also has its own strain, too, and may have been part of this theorized attack, although it is a country that suffers incredibly from regular ‘flu, too. See this. However, Italy is a major player for China in the European part of its Belt and Road Initiative, which plans to use at least two Italian ports as European hubs (see Italy’s Embrace of the New Silk Road: A hope for all of Europe, and also here).
Sidebar: if the EU economy is set to crash over this crisis, as many predict, what’s the effect on China? Significant, because the EU is one of its top trading partners.
Targeting this country for attack – allegedly – would in part explain the unceasingly inhuman, hostile attitude to Iran by Trump and his morally repugnant neocon swamp creatures (see As Iran Hits 20,000 Cases, US Says ‘Coronavirus Won’t Save You From Sanctions’). Former CIA director, Everything-for-Israel Mike Pompeo is predictably maintaining a hardline attitude:
“The United States sent Iran a blunt message this week: the spread of the coronavirus will not save it from U.S. sanctions that are choking off its oil revenues and isolating its economy,” Reuters reports. Consider too the blunt headline to the report — U.S. to Iran: Coronavirus won’t save you from sanctions. This as a top Iranian health expert warned his fellow citizens to brace for “millions” possibly killed as a result of the deadly pandemic. “Our policy of maximum pressure on the regime continues,” Brian Hook, the US Special Representative for Iranian Affairs, told reporters this week. … But as Spencer Ackerman reports, this policy will actually make the Covid-19 spread more dangerous for us all: “We are not safe in any place until everyone all over the world is safe,” Paul Anatharajah Tambyah, the president of the Asia-Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, told the Wall Street Journal about a new wave of COVID-19 cases in east Asia. … The American Conservative’s Daniel Larison writes: The “maximum pressure” campaign is unjust, but to continue it in the midst of a public health disaster is truly sick and twisted. The administration’s refusal to offer sanctions relief at a time like this shows how irrational and malevolent this policy is, and it should make us all realize how senseless and destructive the economic war has been from the start.
Hear hear, Daniel!
********
Washington Pushes IMF to Reject Venezuela Plea for $5 billion Coronavirus Aid
21st CENTURY WIRE
Yesterday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rejected an application for a multi billion dollar aid package for Venezuela to fight the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease.
. This latest news has come at the same time that Washington has increased punitive economic sanctions against the country in order to try and force the government of Nicholas Maduro out of power through its campaign of “maximum pressure,” in favor of Washington’s own hand-picked ‘president’ for the country, Juan Guaido, who Trump officials like Mike Pompeo claim is “the country’s only legitimate leader,” even though the unelected Guaido is not recognized by the electorate in Venezuela.
The excuse IMF officials gave for rejecting Venezuela’s aid application was exactly that: officials claimed that there was no ‘international recognition’ of the present Venezuelan government. In other words, Washington’s regime change ploy has worked – by installing and ‘recognizing’ its own symbolic puppet leader, those multilateral institutions under its influence will simply follow suit. Many have speculated as to the true independence of the World Bank and the IMF, and whether these are merely tools used by the US to achieve its own aims. It becomes fairly obvious when you look at just how much leverage the US has to enact its own policy aims. With its 16% voting share, the US commands the largest single voting bloc inside of the institution, and with annual contributions of $164 billion, it dominates the IMF lending pot. As the old adage goes, he who has the gold makes the rules.
According global affairs analyst Eric Toussaint in his detailed report entitled, Domination of the United States on the World Bank, the US wields substantial influence over the winners and losers in the game of World Bank and IMF assistance. He explains:
“In real terms, the institution is firmly under the control of the US government which negotiates, with the governments of other major capitalist powers, the policies to be followed within the World Bank, and under its leadership.” In his report, Toussaint also notes a number of key passages that demonstrate how supposedly multilateral institutional policies are really repurposed to streamline with US interests, often to the detriment of both recipient and nonrecipient states: “The United States has viewed all multilateral organizations, including the World Bank, as instruments of foreign policy to be used for specific U.S. aims and objectives” [6]. Note that Washington’s policies will almost certainly single-out a socialist-leaning government like Venezuela for collective punishment: “A preoccupation with containing communism, and the change in the relative U.S. power in the world explain much of the evolution in U.S. relations with the World Bank over the past fifty years.”[8] Therefore, it should come as little surprise then that the current neocon-dominated Trump administration in Washington is behind this latest reckless and vindictive IMF decision – one which certainly will result in increased hardship and loss of life in South America. AFP bureau in Caracas reports…
IMAGE: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro making an economic plea to world. The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday rejected economically devastated Venezuela’s request for a $5 billion loan to help it cope with the onslaught of coronavirus on the country that an aid agency warned is as prepared as war-torn Syria.President Nicolas Maduro made the request earlier Tuesday but, in a statement hours later, the Washington-based institution indirectly cited a dispute over Maduro’s leadership in denying his petition. In a letter to IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, Maduro said a $5 billion loan from the IMF’s Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) “will contribute significantly to strengthening our detection and response systems.” It was the country’s first loan request to the IMF since 2001. “Unfortunately, the Fund is not in a position to consider this request,” because there is “no clarity” on international recognition of the country’s government, the Washington-based institution said in a statement. “As we have mentioned before, IMF engagement with member countries is predicated on official government recognition by the international community, as reflected in the IMF’s membership. There is no clarity on recognition at this time,” the statement said. More than 50 countries including the United States have not recognized Maduro for more than a year, after switching allegiance to opposition leader Juan Guaido who declared himself acting president. Guaido branded Maduro a usurper over the president’s 2018 re-election in polls widely seen as fraudulent. But US sanctions and other international pressures have failed to dislodge Maduro, who is backed by Venezuela’s creditors China and Russia and retains the support of the powerful military. – Five years of crisis – The RFI from which Maduro sought the assistance is a mechanism by which all IMF member countries can get financial assistance without the need to have a full-fledged economic program in place. Venezuela’s health system is in tatters after five years of economic and political crisis that has sent millions of people fleeing for lack of basic staples. “We hardly have five percent of the medicine stocks we need,” Douglas Leon Natera, head of the Venezuelan Medical Federation, told AFP earlier. Jan Egeland, general secretary of the Norwegian Refugee Council, placed Venezuela in the same category as war-torn Syria and Yemen in its preparedness. Like those countries, “there will be carnage” when the virus reaches parts of Venezuela given that “health systems have collapsed,” warned Egeland. The country has 33 reported coronavirus cases, according to John Hopkins’ global tally, and Maduro has ordered a lockdown in the capital Caracas and six other states. “At this crucial moment and aware of the high level of contagion of this disease, we will continue to take rapid and vigorous measures” to stop the advance of the pandemic, Maduro wrote in his letter to Georgieva. “We are convinced that in permanent coordination with the WHO (World Health Organization) and the support among the countries of the world, we will be able to overcome this difficult situation.” The country has banned flights to and from Europe, as well as Colombia, Panama and the Dominican Republic. It has also suspended school and university classes as well as sports events. ************ Original article Published to The Liberty Beacon from EuropeReloaded.com
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The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
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Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
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thelibertybeacon--2020-03-21--Does the Coronavirus Pandemic Serve a Global Agenda?

Contributed to TLB by : The Children ’ s Health Defense Team For those who follow the global immunization agenda and its implementation on different continents , the announcement of a new pandemic didn ’ t come as a surprise .
“ Pandemic preparedness ” has been well-funded and a buzz word for a long time before becoming a priority at the last G7 summits , the Davos World Economic Forum and other meetings of global governance .
The latest simulation for preparedness was Event 201 , [ 1 ] a rehearsal of a coronavirus pandemic organized on October 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hopkins University , the Gates Foundation and the World Economic Forum .
The Presidential election campaign in the United States and the controversial mandatory measles vaccination law in Germany provided perfect timing .
What better than viral terror to influence public opinion and health policies on vaccine battles raging on both sides of the Atlantic ?
To the majority who have never heard about this , one should remember that in 2014 , the first Global Health Security Agenda ( GHSA ) meeting [ 2 ] was held at the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thompson raised the alarm on fraud committed by the CDC in the MMR vaccine safety study .
That revelation led to increasing distrust in vaccination and public health institutions .
So at the GHSA meeting , the US Health and Human Services Department , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization ( GAVI ) and health officials from dozens of countries decided to create a “ health security ” agenda for the world .
Its main goal was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ planet and drive changes in national legislation to do so .
They agreed on the priority to achieve 90 % measles vaccination coverage around the globe and to use arguments of “ health emergencies ” and “ security threats ” to bypass informed consent laws and constitutional rights .
Soon after that meeting , the big “ measles scare ” campaign started in Disneyland in December 2014 , leading to the removal of vaccine exemption rights in California .
Meanwhile , Italy , which had been designated to be the forerunner of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motion to mandate eight additional childhood vaccines .
The movie Vaxxed then came out in April 2016 , during the Presidential campaign .
Many American families voted for Donald Trump , hoping that he would create a commission to investigate vaccine safety , as he seemed to have a particular interest .
Hillary Clinton , on the other hand , repeated that “ the science is clear , the earth is round , the sky is blue and vaccines work ” throughout her campaign .
A few days before the November 2016 vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major US funding for the GHSA , together with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation .
Unfortunately , after the election , the vaccine safety commission that was supposed to be led by Robert F. Kennedy , Jr. never came to pass .
On the contrary , draconian vaccine legislation made its way to several states .
California , for example , which had already abolished personal belief exemptions , stripped away almost all medical exemptions in 2019 , commencing a medical inquisition against doctors who put their patients first .
[ 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eldorado had become a gilded cage , moved to freer states for vaccine choice , like Texas or Idaho .
[ 5 ] In 2020 , vaccines could weigh even more heavily in US elections .
In fact , one could almost say that a vaccine war is going on across the US .
After California , states like New Jersey , Maine , Connecticut , Virginia , Hawaii , Colorado and many others are trying to adopt harsher vaccine laws .
But vaccine freedom advocates are getting more organized , too , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and even introducing their own legislation .
For example , after the New Jersey legislature twice failed to pass a repeal of the religious exemption , even though Speaker Steven Sweeney vowed to “ go to war ” to get it passed , legislators proposed several vaccine safety bills .
[ 6 ] The Maryland legislature refused to allow pharmacists to administer vaccines , and in South Dakota , the legislature considered , although rejected , a bill that would have completely prohibited all medical mandates of any kind .
[ 7 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of coercive legislation and pushback .
In Germany , compulsory measles vaccination has just come into force in early March , even though the country has one of the highest coverage rates — 97 % one dose , 93 % two doses — and very few cases of illness or death .
This vote comes two years after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that there would be no mandatory vaccinations in Germany , [ 8 ] as informed consent had “ solid historical reasons.
” Sadly , informed consent and the Nuremberg Code may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratic values .
The new German law is particularly restrictive .
There is no option for home schooling , and the measles vaccine obligation applies to adults working in the health and education sectors as well .
But German citizens may be ready to fight back .
Families and doctors are fighting the mandates in courts , [ 9 ] and protests were planned all over the country for March 21 , including a major event in Munich with Robert F. Kennedy , Jr. and activists from all over Europe – until the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Everywhere in Europe — in Great Britain , Austria , Belgium , Romania , Slovenia , from Ukraine to Spain — mandatory vaccination bills are being introduced .
Faced with the violation of human rights that their Constitutions guarantee , people have filed complaints with the European Court of Human Rights .
The Court , whose jurisdiction covers 49 countries throughout Europe and Eurasia , will hear cases on mandatory vaccination on April 30 , 2020 arising from the Czech Republic .
Many scandals have shaken confidence .
The bankruptcy of an aberrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to start a third world war are multiplying .
While it is impossible to know how the “ coronavirus pandemic ” will influence the redistribution of power , it is certain that many are seeking to have Covid-19 serve the political interests of a global governance project .
Interestingly , the second largest outbreak started in Iran , a country which , like China , does not bend to the West ’ s dictates .
It is also currently involved with Syria and Russia in a tug-of-war with Turkey , NATO , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all outside help in the management of the pandemic , Iran made a complete about-face by inviting the WHO to its rescue .
It seems that the virus had contaminated a number of high-ranking government officials , including those close to Ayatollah Khamenei , and the former Iranian ambassador to Syria , who died in the early days of the epidemic .
Taking an unusual sanitary measure , the Iranian government released 85,000 “ uncontaminated ” prisoners to avoid contagion in prisons .
At the same time , officials blamed US sanctions , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abandoned the Iran 2015 nuclear deal , for “ hampering their efforts to fight the coronavirus.
” Iran called again for lifting the ban and asked the International Monetary Fund for a $ 5 billion loan to fight the outbreak .
[ 11 ] In Europe , as luck would have it , the pandemic first affected northern Italy , namely Lombardy and Veneto , which have by far the largest number of vaccine hesitant people in Europe and probably the world .
Veneto strongly opposed the expansion of vaccine mandates .
Activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 50,000 people .
As a result , the regional government appealed to the Council of State , arguing that the law violated constitutional freedoms and demanded autonomy in health matters .
Of note , the WHO then decided to move its European headquarters to Venice , the capital of Veneto .
At the beginning of the disease outbreak , the Italian authorities considered it unnecessary to impose a two-week school quarantine on children returning from a trip to China , in order not to “ stigmatize ” them .
( By @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibited from attending school year round . )
Officials disagreed on Covid-19 diagnosis and “ crisis measures , ” reflecting conflicts between regional parties and medical experts .
But the WHO soon managed to take control of the situation [ 12 ] and appointed a special advisor , Dr. Gualtiero Ricciardi , who had been forced to resign earlier from the Italian HHS due to a long list of undeclared conflicts of interest , to steer the coronavirus crisis .
Since then , panic and alarm have escalated continuously , as have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-scientific ” [ 13 ] management .
Although the country has been in a complete lockdown for weeks , cases keep increasing and the estimated number of deaths is now nearing 3,000 .
This sends a frightening signal , but these numbers need to be seen with caution .
First , one of the major reasons why Italy is “ overwhelmed , ” is because of the crisis its public hospitals were already facing before the epidemic .
The number of intensive care units has dropped by half over the last 20 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lowest number of beds per capita in Europe to around 230 per 100,000 inhabitants .
In other words , the situation was already disastrous .
Second , there is a lot of controversy about the number of deaths that can really be ascribed to the epidemic .
Testing is not very reliable and suffers many biases .
According to Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg , who had chaired the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Health Committee that called an emergency debate on the influence of the pharmaceutical industry in the declaration of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ the tests are currently not measuring the incidence of coronavirus diseases , but the activity of the specialists searching for them.
” [ 14 ] Many experts also disagree on the mortality rate of Covid-19 .
While the WHO gives estimates as high as 3.4 % , renowned epidemiologists such as John Ioannidis [ 15 ] consider the risk is probably much lower , perhaps 0.125 % , for which there are no reasons to take such draconian measures .
In France , too , declarations of the Covid-19 pandemic seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and place .
When Minister of Health Agnes Buzyn suddenly left office to replace a candidate who was running for mayor of Paris ( he had to step down after a sex scandal ) , the coronavirus crisis seemed to be reasonably manageable .
But the Covid-19 threat arose again at an opportune time — to ban large protests against a highly unpopular law that slashed pensions and on the eve of local March elections .
After the first round of voting , a complete lockdown was announced .
The former health minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , expressed her regret for leaving office during the coronavirus crisis , saying that she knew from the start that the epidemic would escalate and soon turn into a major catastrophe… But a disaster in France is easy to predict , as the situation is very similar to Italy .
1,300 public hospital doctors have been on administrative strike for almost a year .
They refused to share the responsibility and decisions of a state that no longer provides minimal funds to run public health services .
In the last two decades , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduced by 100,000 and the remaining facilities are largely understaffed .
Patients who died after waiting endless hours in the emergency room were already frequently reported by the media long before the coronavirus epidemic .
So the former health minister , who had received fierce criticism for her inability to solve this lingering hospital crisis , knew perfectly well that the coronavirus situation would further exacerbate the problem .
Recently , when President Macron visited doctors fighting the epidemic to show his support , medical staff took the opportunity to express their anger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the camera .
The silent war in the treatment against Covid-19 The current power struggle in France about coronavirus strategies between health officials and the country ’ s leading expert is truly eye opening .
Professor Didier Raoult , who is one of the world ’ s top 5 scientists on communicable diseases and leads the high tech research center on infectious diseases , IHU – mediterranée Marseilles , argued that the approach of mass quarantine is both inefficient and outdated and that large scale testing and treatment of suspected cases achieves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Raoult suggested the use of hydroxychloroquine ( Chloroquine or Plaquenil ) , a well-known , simple , and inexpensive drug that has shown efficacy with previous coronaviruses such as SARS .
By mid-February , clinical trials at his institute and in China already confirmed that the drug could reduce the viral load and bring spectacular improvement .
The Chinese scientists published their first trials on more than 100 patients and announced that the Chinese National Health Commission would recommend Chloroquine in their new guidelines to treat Covid-19 .
[ 16 ] As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr. Raoult immediately shared the great news with health authorities .
But they replied that there was not enough scientific evidence to prove efficacy and warned against potential side effects of the drug , preferring to focus their efforts to find new molecules and develop a new vaccine , with France ’ s Sanofi Pasteur included in the coronavirus vaccine competition .
But Dr. Raoult and 600 members of his institute continued their work and confirmed similar results in a trial of 24 patients that was published March 3 , 2020 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ daily videos [ 18 ] to share his research and knowledge , sometimes reaching half a million views in a couple of days .
Hospitals and general practitioners started to treat their patients with the drug until it quickly went out of stock .
In fact , for an unknown reason , last October , the French minister of health suddenly decided to put this long used over-the-counter drug on the list of “ controlled substances ” and make it a prescription drug .
Now , a month later , under the growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government has finally decided to “ consider more trials ” of this protocol , and Sanofi Pasteur has announced that it will offer enough doses to potentially treat 300,000 patients .
[ 19 ] Although Chloroquine was cited second on the WHO ’ s original list of drugs to be evaluated for coronavirus treatment as a drug on its list of “ essential medicines , ” the WHO has not yet released any information about it and has not even mentioned the four clinical trials that received official European Union approval .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and South Korea , for their “ efficient response ” using draconian quarantine measures , there has been no mention of the fact that those countries are using Chloroquine as an efficient Covid-19 treatment .
But having used Chloroquine together with quarantine , China is nearing the end of its epidemic .
Interestingly , on February 26 , the United Kingdom put Chloroquine on its list [ 20 ] of drugs that can no longer be exported outside the country .
In the United States , a white paper , [ 21 ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the National Academy of Science and Stanford Medical School , proposes that “ the United States of America and other countries should immediately authorize and indemnify medical doctors for prescribing chloroquine to treat COVID-19.
” But so far , the only words we hear from the WHO and Western health officials are “ quarantine , ” “ fast tracking vaccines , ” and “ the search for new drugs.
” Obviously , there is no real interest in using a generic drug that can provide immediate treatment and prevention for a price around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently asked in an article , “ If a Covid-19 Therapy Doesn ’ t Benefit A Stock , Does It Event Exist ?
” [ 22 ] The answer , sadly , is obviously not .
It looks as if the WHO and our Western governments have decided to keep fueling the panic and raising the alert level , pushing the “ Global Health Security Threat ” narrative to the hilt .
How much longer will we have to wait for effective treatment ?
How much longer with this global lockdown last ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been developed , ” which will probably be in fast track mode by a well-known philanthropist after most courts in the world have ruled that mandatory vaccination does not violate human rights .
Or perhaps until the economy has completely crashed and can be rebuilt on a “ healthy basis ” ?
Here is a clue : the European Central Bank has launched a “ Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program ” [ 23 ] that will last until “ the coronavirus Covid-19 crisis phase is over , but in any case not before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anything can happen now .
No one can know for sure if we will emerge out of the coronavirus crisis as subjects of a techno-communist global government or if a new freedom virus will derail such a program .
Certainly the world will not be the same .
• None Executive Order — Advancing the Global Health Security Agenda to Achieve a World Safe and Secure from Infectious Disease Threats .
• None California vaccine bill exemption rules agreed to by Newsom and lawmakers .
• None ‘ California refugees ’ move to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want lawmakers to know why .
• None ‘ We ’ re ready to go to war on this ’ : N.J. lawmakers pledge to reintroduce failed vaccine bill .
• None South Dakota Considers First State Bill To Outlaw All Vaccine AND Medical Mandates .
• None Joint WHO and ECDC mission in Italy to support COVID-19 control and prevention efforts .
• None W.Wodarg “ Without PCR-Tests There Would Be No Reasons For Special Alarms ” , 1.3.20 , wodarg.com .
• None A fiasco in the making ?
As the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making decisions without reliable data .
• None Expert consensus on comprehensive treatment of coronavirus disease in Shanghai 2019 .
• None Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine as available weapons to fight COVID-19 .
• None Medicines that can not be parallel exported from the UK .
• None If a COVID-19 Therapy Doesn ’ t Benefit a Stock , Does it Even Exist ?
.
• None The Governing Council will terminate net asset purchases under PEPP once it judges that the coronavirus Covid-19 crisis phase is over , but in any case not @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Does the Coronavirus Pandemic Serve a Global Agenda?
Health Authorities Remain Silent on Efficient Covid-19 Treatment
Contributed to TLB by: The Children’s Health Defense Team
By: Senta Depuydt, Editorial Guest Contributor for CHD
For those who follow the global immunization agenda and its implementation on different continents, the announcement of a new pandemic didn’t come as a surprise. “Pandemic preparedness” has been well-funded and a buzz word for a long time before becoming a priority at the last G7 summits, the Davos World Economic Forum and other meetings of global governance. The latest simulation for preparedness was Event 201,[1] a rehearsal of a coronavirus pandemic organized on October 18, 2019 in New York by Johns Hopkins University, the Gates Foundation and the World Economic Forum.
The Presidential election campaign in the United States and the controversial mandatory measles vaccination law in Germany provided perfect timing. What better than viral terror to influence public opinion and health policies on vaccine battles raging on both sides of the Atlantic?
They agreed on the priority to achieve 90% measles vaccination coverage around the globe and to use arguments of “health emergencies” and “security threats” to bypass informed consent laws and constitutional rights. They agreed on the priority to achieve 90% measles vaccination coverage around the globe and to use arguments of “health emergencies” and “security threats” to bypass informed consent laws and constitutional rights.
To the majority who have never heard about this, one should remember that in 2014, the first Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) meeting [2] was held at the White House, a few months after the whistleblower William Thompson raised the alarm on fraud committed by the CDC in the MMR vaccine safety study. That revelation led to increasing distrust in vaccination and public health institutions. So at the GHSA meeting, the US Health and Human Services Department, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Alliance for Vaccination and Immunization (GAVI) and health officials from dozens of countries decided to create a “health security” agenda for the world. Its main goal was to vaccinate the entire population of the planet and drive changes in national legislation to do so. They agreed on the priority to achieve 90% measles vaccination coverage around the globe and to use arguments of “health emergencies” and “security threats” to bypass informed consent laws and constitutional rights.
Soon after that meeting, the big “measles scare” campaign started in Disneyland in December 2014, leading to the removal of vaccine exemption rights in California. Meanwhile, Italy, which had been designated to be the forerunner of this agenda in Europe, set things in motion to mandate eight additional childhood vaccines.
The movie Vaxxed then came out in April 2016, during the Presidential campaign. Many American families voted for Donald Trump, hoping that he would create a commission to investigate vaccine safety, as he seemed to have a particular interest. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, repeated that “the science is clear, the earth is round, the sky is blue and vaccines work” throughout her campaign. A few days before the November 2016 vote,[3] President Obama signed major US funding for the GHSA, together with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Unfortunately, after the election, the vaccine safety commission that was supposed to be led by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. never came to pass. On the contrary, draconian vaccine legislation made its way to several states. California, for example, which had already abolished personal belief exemptions, stripped away almost all medical exemptions in 2019, commencing a medical inquisition against doctors who put their patients first.[4] Many Californians, realizing that their Eldorado had become a gilded cage, moved to freer states for vaccine choice, like Texas or Idaho.[5]
Sadly, informed consent and the Nuremberg Code may now exist only in the museum of democratic values. Sadly, informed consent and the Nuremberg Code may now exist only in the museum of democratic values.
A vaccine war
In 2020, vaccines could weigh even more heavily in US elections. In fact, one could almost say that a vaccine war is going on across the US. After California, states like New Jersey, Maine, Connecticut, Virginia, Hawaii, Colorado and many others are trying to adopt harsher vaccine laws. But vaccine freedom advocates are getting more organized, too, putting pressure on elected officials and candidates and even introducing their own legislation. For example, after the New Jersey legislature twice failed to pass a repeal of the religious exemption, even though Speaker Steven Sweeney vowed to “go to war” to get it passed, legislators proposed several vaccine safety bills.[6] The Maryland legislature refused to allow pharmacists to administer vaccines, and in South Dakota, the legislature considered, although rejected, a bill that would have completely prohibited all medical mandates of any kind.[7]
Europe too is undergoing a similar wave of coercive legislation and pushback. In Germany, compulsory measles vaccination has just come into force in early March, even though the country has one of the highest coverage rates — 97% one dose, 93% two doses — and very few cases of illness or death. This vote comes two years after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that there would be no mandatory vaccinations in Germany,[8] as informed consent had “solid historical reasons.”
Everywhere in Europe — in Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, Romania, Slovenia, from Ukraine to Spain — mandatory vaccination bills are being introduced. Everywhere in Europe — in Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, Romania, Slovenia, from Ukraine to Spain — mandatory vaccination bills are being introduced.
Sadly, informed consent and the Nuremberg Code may now exist only in the museum of democratic values. The new German law is particularly restrictive. There is no option for home schooling, and the measles vaccine obligation applies to adults working in the health and education sectors as well. But German citizens may be ready to fight back. Families and doctors are fighting the mandates in courts,[9] and protests were planned all over the country for March 21, including a major event in Munich with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and activists from all over Europe – until the coronavirus pandemic intervened.[10]Everywhere in Europe — in Great Britain, Austria, Belgium, Romania, Slovenia, from Ukraine to Spain — mandatory vaccination bills are being introduced. Faced with the violation of human rights that their Constitutions guarantee, people have filed complaints with the European Court of Human Rights. The Court, whose jurisdiction covers 49 countries throughout Europe and Eurasia, will hear cases on mandatory vaccination on April 30, 2020 arising from the Czech Republic.
It is undeniable that the coronavirus epidemic has come on the scene at a crucial moment, when people everywhere are in revolt against the power of international financial institutions and multinational pharmaceutical corporations, whose stranglehold on governments is no longer hidden.
Many scandals have shaken confidence. The bankruptcy of an aberrant economic system is accelerating, and attempts to start a third world war are multiplying. While it is impossible to know how the “coronavirus pandemic” will influence the redistribution of power, it is certain that many are seeking to have Covid-19 serve the political interests of a global governance project.
Iran
Interestingly, the second largest outbreak started in Iran, a country which, like China, does not bend to the West’s dictates. It is also currently involved with Syria and Russia in a tug-of-war with Turkey, NATO, and its traditional allies. After having refused all outside help in the management of the pandemic, Iran made a complete about-face by inviting the WHO to its rescue. It seems that the virus had contaminated a number of high-ranking government officials, including those close to Ayatollah Khamenei, and the former Iranian ambassador to Syria, who died in the early days of the epidemic. Taking an unusual sanitary measure, the Iranian government released 85,000 “uncontaminated” prisoners to avoid contagion in prisons. At the same time, officials blamed US sanctions, which were reimposed on Tehran after Washington abandoned the Iran 2015 nuclear deal, for “hampering their efforts to fight the coronavirus.” Iran called again for lifting the ban and asked the International Monetary Fund for a $5 billion loan to fight the outbreak.[11]
At the beginning of the disease outbreak, the Italian authorities considered it unnecessary to impose a two-week school quarantine on children returning from a trip to China, in order not to “stigmatize” them. (By contrast, unvaccinated children are stigmatized and prohibited from attending school year round.) At the beginning of the disease outbreak, the Italian authorities considered it unnecessary to impose a two-week school quarantine on children returning from a trip to China, in order not to “stigmatize” them. (By contrast, unvaccinated children are stigmatized and prohibited from attending school year round.)
Italy
In Europe, as luck would have it, the pandemic first affected northern Italy, namely Lombardy and Veneto, which have by far the largest number of vaccine hesitant people in Europe and probably the world. Veneto strongly opposed the expansion of vaccine mandates. Activists demonstrated for months, with rallies of more than 50,000 people. As a result, the regional government appealed to the Council of State, arguing that the law violated constitutional freedoms and demanded autonomy in health matters. Of note, the WHO then decided to move its European headquarters to Venice, the capital of Veneto.
At the beginning of the disease outbreak, the Italian authorities considered it unnecessary to impose a two-week school quarantine on children returning from a trip to China, in order not to “stigmatize” them. (By contrast, unvaccinated children are stigmatized and prohibited from attending school year round.) Officials disagreed on Covid-19 diagnosis and “crisis measures,” reflecting conflicts between regional parties and medical experts. But the WHO soon managed to take control of the situation[12] and appointed a special advisor, Dr. Gualtiero Ricciardi, who had been forced to resign earlier from the Italian HHS due to a long list of undeclared conflicts of interest, to steer the coronavirus crisis.
Since then, panic and alarm have escalated continuously, as have the Veneto region’s accusations of “anti-scientific”[13] management. Although the country has been in a complete lockdown for weeks, cases keep increasing and the estimated number of deaths is now nearing 3,000. This sends a frightening signal, but these numbers need to be seen with caution. First, one of the major reasons why Italy is “overwhelmed,” is because of the crisis its public hospitals were already facing before the epidemic. The number of intensive care units has dropped by half over the last 20 years, dropping from the highest to the lowest number of beds per capita in Europe to around 230 per 100,000 inhabitants. In other words, the situation was already disastrous.
Second, there is a lot of controversy about the number of deaths that can really be ascribed to the epidemic. Testing is not very reliable and suffers many biases. According to Dr. Wolfgang Wodarg, who had chaired the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Health Committee that called an emergency debate on the influence of the pharmaceutical industry in the declaration of the H1N1 flu pandemic by WHO in 2009, “the tests are currently not measuring the incidence of coronavirus diseases, but the activity of the specialists searching for them.”[14] Many experts also disagree on the mortality rate of Covid-19. While the WHO gives estimates as high as 3.4%, renowned epidemiologists such as John Ioannidis[15] consider the risk is probably much lower, perhaps 0.125%, for which there are no reasons to take such draconian measures.
France
In France, too, declarations of the Covid-19 pandemic seemed to have a flair for strategic time and place. When Minister of Health Agnes Buzyn suddenly left office to replace a candidate who was running for mayor of Paris (he had to step down after a sex scandal), the coronavirus crisis seemed to be reasonably manageable. But the Covid-19 threat arose again at an opportune time — to ban large protests against a highly unpopular law that slashed pensions and on the eve of local March elections. After the first round of voting, a complete lockdown was announced. The former health minister, who wasn’t elected mayor, expressed her regret for leaving office during the coronavirus crisis, saying that she knew from the start that the epidemic would escalate and soon turn into a major catastrophe…
But a disaster in France is easy to predict, as the situation is very similar to Italy. 1,300 public hospital doctors have been on administrative strike for almost a year. They refused to share the responsibility and decisions of a state that no longer provides minimal funds to run public health services. In the last two decades, the available number of beds has been reduced by 100,000 and the remaining facilities are largely understaffed. Patients who died after waiting endless hours in the emergency room were already frequently reported by the media long before the coronavirus epidemic.
So the former health minister, who had received fierce criticism for her inability to solve this lingering hospital crisis, knew perfectly well that the coronavirus situation would further exacerbate the problem. Recently, when President Macron visited doctors fighting the epidemic to show his support, medical staff took the opportunity to express their anger towards his disastrous health policies in front of the camera.
… [health authorities] replied that there was not enough scientific evidence to prove efficacy and warned against potential side effects of the [Chloroquine or Plaquenil], preferring to focus their efforts to find new molecules and develop a new vaccine, with France’s Sanofi Pasteur included in the coronavirus vaccine competition. … [health authorities] replied that there was not enough scientific evidence to prove efficacy and warned against potential side effects of the [Chloroquine or Plaquenil], preferring to focus their efforts to find new molecules and develop a new vaccine, with France’s Sanofi Pasteur included in the coronavirus vaccine competition.
The silent war in the treatment against Covid-19
Finally, the Coronavirus epidemic reveals the huge discrepancy between the WHO health strategies and the reality for scientists and doctors who put patients’ lives first.
The current power struggle in France about coronavirus strategies between health officials and the country’s leading expert is truly eye opening. Professor Didier Raoult, who is one of the world’s top 5 scientists on communicable diseases and leads the high tech research center on infectious diseases, IHU – mediterranée Marseilles, argued that the approach of mass quarantine is both inefficient and outdated and that large scale testing and treatment of suspected cases achieves far better results.
Early on, Dr. Raoult suggested the use of hydroxychloroquine (Chloroquine or Plaquenil), a well-known, simple, and inexpensive drug that has shown efficacy with previous coronaviruses such as SARS. By mid-February, clinical trials at his institute and in China already confirmed that the drug could reduce the viral load and bring spectacular improvement. The Chinese scientists published their first trials on more than 100 patients and announced that the Chinese National Health Commission would recommend Chloroquine in their new guidelines to treat Covid-19.[16]
…last October, the French minister of health suddenly decided to put this long used over-the-counter drug on the list of “controlled substances” and make it a prescription drug. …last October, the French minister of health suddenly decided to put this long used over-the-counter drug on the list of “controlled substances” and make it a prescription drug.
As a member of a similar French committee, Dr. Raoult immediately shared the great news with health authorities. But they replied that there was not enough scientific evidence to prove efficacy and warned against potential side effects of the drug, preferring to focus their efforts to find new molecules and develop a new vaccine, with France’s Sanofi Pasteur included in the coronavirus vaccine competition.
But Dr. Raoult and 600 members of his institute continued their work and confirmed similar results in a trial of 24 patients that was published March 3, 2020.[17] Dr. Raoult has recorded daily videos[18] to share his research and knowledge, sometimes reaching half a million views in a couple of days. Hospitals and general practitioners started to treat their patients with the drug until it quickly went out of stock.
In fact, for an unknown reason, last October, the French minister of health suddenly decided to put this long used over-the-counter drug on the list of “controlled substances” and make it a prescription drug.
While the WHO has repeatedly praised China and South Korea, for their “efficient response” using draconian quarantine measures, there has been no mention of the fact that those countries are using Chloroquine as an efficient Covid-19 treatment. While the WHO has repeatedly praised China and South Korea, for their “efficient response” using draconian quarantine measures, there has been no mention of the fact that those countries are using Chloroquine as an efficient Covid-19 treatment.
Now, a month later, under the growing pressure of doctors and the media, the government has finally decided to “consider more trials” of this protocol, and Sanofi Pasteur has announced that it will offer enough doses to potentially treat 300,000 patients.[19]
Although Chloroquine was cited second on the WHO’s original list of drugs to be evaluated for coronavirus treatment as a drug on its list of “essential medicines,” the WHO has not yet released any information about it and has not even mentioned the four clinical trials that received official European Union approval. While the WHO has repeatedly praised China and South Korea, for their “efficient response” using draconian quarantine measures, there has been no mention of the fact that those countries are using Chloroquine as an efficient Covid-19 treatment. But having used Chloroquine together with quarantine, China is nearing the end of its epidemic.
Interestingly, on February 26, the United Kingdom put Chloroquine on its list[20] of drugs that can no longer be exported outside the country. In the United States, a white paper,[21] published on March 13 by researchers from the National Academy of Science and Stanford Medical School, proposes that “the United States of America and other countries should immediately authorize and indemnify medical doctors for prescribing chloroquine to treat COVID-19.”
Obviously, there is no real interest in using a generic drug that can provide immediate treatment and prevention for a price around $5. Obviously, there is no real interest in using a generic drug that can provide immediate treatment and prevention for a price around $5.
But so far, the only words we hear from the WHO and Western health officials are “quarantine,” “fast tracking vaccines,” and “the search for new drugs.” Obviously, there is no real interest in using a generic drug that can provide immediate treatment and prevention for a price around $5. As a financial consultant recently asked in an article, “If a Covid-19 Therapy Doesn’t Benefit A Stock, Does It Event Exist?”[22] The answer, sadly, is obviously not.
It looks as if the WHO and our Western governments have decided to keep fueling the panic and raising the alert level, pushing the “Global Health Security Threat” narrative to the hilt. How much longer will we have to wait for effective treatment? How much longer with this global lockdown last? Officials say “until a new vaccine has been developed,” which will probably be in fast track mode by a well-known philanthropist after most courts in the world have ruled that mandatory vaccination does not violate human rights.
Or perhaps until the economy has completely crashed and can be rebuilt on a “healthy basis”? Here is a clue: the European Central Bank has launched a “Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program”[23] that will last until “the coronavirus Covid-19 crisis phase is over, but in any case not before the end of the year”!
Anything can happen now. No one can know for sure if we will emerge out of the coronavirus crisis as subjects of a techno-communist global government or if a new freedom virus will derail such a program. Certainly the world will not be the same.
* Senta Depuydt is a Belgian freelance journalist with a degree in communications. In 2016, she organized the first European Congress on biomedical treatments in Paris and has hosted debates on the biology of autism and vaccine safety in many French-speaking countries. She arranged for premieres of “Vaxxed” in Brussels, Paris and Cannes and an event at UNESCO. She is a board member of the French League for Free Choice in Vaccination and in the European Forum for Vaccine Vigilance. She works with health freedom organizations across Europe.
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thelibertybeacon--2020-03-22--Hardcore Capitalism is One Virus Away from Existential Disaster

ER Editor : We remind readers of a piece by Paul Craig Roberts we ran recently titled Economic Effects of Coronavirus Could Be Revolutionary in which he argues for nationalization and debt forgiveness .
Here ’ s his reasoning where , crucially , he talks about organizing economic recovery in such a way where the oligarchs can ’ t continue gouging the rest of us : The United States has an unprotected population and an economy in trouble .
For years , corporate executives have run the companies for the benefit of their bonuses , which are largely dependent on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price .
Consequently , profits and borrowings have been invested in buying back the companies ’ shares and not in new investment in the businesses .
Corporate indebtedness is extreme and will threaten many corporations and many jobs in a downturn .
Boeing is a case in point .
Economist Michael Hudson has for many decades studied the use of debt-forgiveness to restart economies killed by debt burdens .
Debt forgiveness for corporations has a different implication than debt forgiveness for individuals .
For corporations , forgiving debts lets those who financialized and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hook .
To avoid rewarding them for the catastrophe they produced and to prevent widespread public outcry and distrust , nationalization is implied for insolvent companies and banks .
Nationalization would be limited to insolvent companies and financial institutions and doesn ’ t mean that there would be no private companies or businesses .
Additional nationalization could be used to prevent strategic companies from substituting their interests for national interests , which they do when they move American jobs and factories offshore .
Pharmaceuticals could be nationalized along with health care .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to its profits , could be considered for nationalization .
A successful society has to have more driving it than private profit .
For most Americans , nationalization is a dirty word , but it has many benefits.For example , a national health care system reduces costs tremendously by taking profits out of the system .
Additionally , nationalized pharmaceutical companies could be made more focused on research and cures than on profit avenues .
Everyone knows how Big Pharma influences medical schools and medical practice in line with Big Pharma ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medicine would be beneficial .
Even debt-phobic Germany is having to get on board with this approach .
However , is even more massive government debt simply the end of it , or has something far more sinister been planned for us on the economic level ?
Capitalism is one virus away from existential disaster Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Maynard Keynes have been knocked into a cocked hat by Donald Trump , Boris Johnson , and Emmanuel Macron , the new holy trinity of dirigiste capitalism ( ER : where the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the economy ) .
According to the laws of capitalist economics , an airline which can not fill its seats must go to the wall .
If the public ’ s taste for ocean-going cruises dissipates either by fashion or pandemic , the cruise company goes under the relentless waves , sink or swim .
John Maynard Keynes and Franklin D. Roosevelt bucked that in the 1930s Great Depression , deciding that the fate of nations could not be left merely to the unseen hand of market forces , but that if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a brain must be applied .
That accountancy was not economics .
The descendants of Keynes and FDR would not normally be found in either the British Conservative Party or the GOP .
Reagan and Thatcher must be turning in their graves .
Because this week the prevailing capitalist orthodoxy was turned on its head and eye-watering sums of public money were splashed not by Sanders or Corbyn or Melenchon , but by their polar opposites whose whole careers have been built on denouncing the slightest bit of Keynesianism as socialism or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have experienced a Damascene conversion , one can safely say the scale of the bail-out equals the scale of the threat perceived to capitalism itself by the coronavirus epidemic .
Donald Trump is getting ready to sign $ 1,000 checks to “ every American.
” Macron , under siege and thinking of the Bastille every morning he wakes up , is going to spend the equivalent of 20 percent of France ’ s 2019 GDP to beat this new unseen , elusive enemy .
When the pigs in Animal Farm metamorphosed into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began to chant “ four legs good , two legs better.
” For the Holy Trinity , equality was always good , but some would be more equal than others .
“ Public good , private better ” was their mantra .
But the scale of the public health threat posed by the pandemic demonstrates beyond contradiction that private is not better than public , an economy which principally is private can not meet the needs of the human race when existential dangers arrive .
This is not new , though it may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the USSR , Britain , and America could not have prevailed if the example of Milo Minderbinder in Catch-22 had been followed .
Milo , a capitalist to his core , rented out his own USAF bombers to the enemy to bomb his own side .
Well , business is business .
Only strong centralised states with command economies can wage total war , and profiteering , hoarding and panic bulk buying are rightly considered crimes .
The USSR already had one ; Britain and America had to become so for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not go to work and earn money , or eat out , entertain themselves or shop , all the private enterprises dependent on these things must fail .
That ’ s accountancy .
Economics , however , requires shock-absorbers so that economic capacity , which will be harder to bring back than to protect , is not lost forever .
And politics is the art of ensuring that a crash is never so apocalyptic as to raise the possibility that the people will not rise up , especially not during the Ides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ four months ago characterised the economic policies of his Labour opponent as reckless soviet-style communism , announced EXTRA public spending greater than the entire 2019 GDP of Portugal .
A £350 billion package which he and his Chancellor repeatedly said was merely the beginning .
We will do “ whatever it takes , ” they said , seven times between them .
Interest-free loans , loans at attractive rates , mortgage holidays , the protection of uninsured businesses unwise enough not to have sought indemnity for pandemics , the scrapping of business rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ service industry businesses .
Implied is subsidy for private airlines , privately owned airports ; under-review is the potential plight of tenants , hourly wage-workers , those in the gig economy .
The heartless Tories even found millions for the destitute so they could be taken off the streets , and given a space in which they might “ self-isolate.
” Of course , within this bout of socialism , there are many footprints – much bigger than a pig ’ s – of some being more equal than others – Sir Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the Rickshaw driver in Piccadilly Circus .
But it nevertheless shows that in the third decade of the 21st century , after 250 years of hegemony , capitalism has left us two pay-cheques away from penury and one virus away from existential disaster .
And only the money of its victims can save it .
George was a member of the British Parliament for nearly 30 years .
He presents TV and radio shows ( including on RT ) .
He is a film-maker , writer and a renowned orator .
Follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate , and for this we are grateful and excited !
But we must also be practical .
For 7 years we have not asked for any donations , and have built this project with our own funds as we grew .
We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent .
So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you for all your support and your considerations … ( TLB )

ER Editor: We remind readers of a piece by Paul Craig Roberts we ran recently titled Economic Effects of Coronavirus Could Be Revolutionary in which he argues for nationalization and debt forgiveness. Here’s his reasoning where, crucially, he talks about organizing economic recovery in such a way where the oligarchs can’t continue gouging the rest of us:
The United States has an unprotected population and an economy in trouble. For years, corporate executives have run the companies for the benefit of their bonuses, which are largely dependent on rises in their company’s share price. Consequently, profits and borrowings have been invested in buying back the companies’ shares and not in new investment in the businesses. Corporate indebtedness is extreme and will threaten many corporations and many jobs in a downturn. Boeing is a case in point. Economist Michael Hudson has for many decades studied the use of debt-forgiveness to restart economies killed by debt burdens. Debt forgiveness for corporations has a different implication than debt forgiveness for individuals. For corporations, forgiving debts lets those who financialized and indebted the economy and the population off the hook. To avoid rewarding them for the catastrophe they produced and to prevent widespread public outcry and distrust, nationalization is implied for insolvent companies and banks. Nationalization would be limited to insolvent companies and financial institutions and doesn’t mean that there would be no private companies or businesses. Additional nationalization could be used to prevent strategic companies from substituting their interests for national interests, which they do when they move American jobs and factories offshore. Pharmaceuticals could be nationalized along with health care. Energy, which often sacrifices the environment to its profits, could be considered for nationalization. A successful society has to have more driving it than private profit. For most Americans, nationalization is a dirty word, but it has many benefits.For example, a national health care system reduces costs tremendously by taking profits out of the system. Additionally, nationalized pharmaceutical companies could be made more focused on research and cures than on profit avenues. Everyone knows how Big Pharma influences medical schools and medical practice in line with Big Pharma’s approach. A more open-minded approach to medicine would be beneficial.
Even debt-phobic Germany is having to get on board with this approach.
However, is even more massive government debt simply the end of it, or has something far more sinister been planned for us on the economic level?
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Capitalism is one virus away from existential disaster
GEORGE GALLOWAY
Franklin D. Roosevelt and John Maynard Keynes have been knocked into a cocked hat by Donald Trump, Boris Johnson, and Emmanuel Macron, the new holy trinity of dirigiste capitalism (ER: where the state plays a strong, actively interventionist role in the economy).
According to the laws of capitalist economics, an airline which cannot fill its seats must go to the wall. If the public’s taste for ocean-going cruises dissipates either by fashion or pandemic, the cruise company goes under the relentless waves, sink or swim.
John Maynard Keynes and Franklin D. Roosevelt bucked that in the 1930s Great Depression, deciding that the fate of nations could not be left merely to the unseen hand of market forces, but that if not a heart, then at least a brain must be applied. That accountancy was not economics.
The descendants of Keynes and FDR would not normally be found in either the British Conservative Party or the GOP. Reagan and Thatcher must be turning in their graves. Because this week the prevailing capitalist orthodoxy was turned on its head and eye-watering sums of public money were splashed not by Sanders or Corbyn or Melenchon, but by their polar opposites whose whole careers have been built on denouncing the slightest bit of Keynesianism as socialism or even communism.
Unless one believes all three have experienced a Damascene conversion, one can safely say the scale of the bail-out equals the scale of the threat perceived to capitalism itself by the coronavirus epidemic. Donald Trump is getting ready to sign $1,000 checks to “every American.” Macron, under siege and thinking of the Bastille every morning he wakes up, is going to spend the equivalent of 20 percent of France’s 2019 GDP to beat this new unseen, elusive enemy.
When the pigs in Animal Farm metamorphosed into the opposite of their former selves, they began to chant “four legs good, two legs better.” For the Holy Trinity, equality was always good, but some would be more equal than others. “Public good, private better” was their mantra.
But the scale of the public health threat posed by the pandemic demonstrates beyond contradiction that private is not better than public, an economy which principally is private cannot meet the needs of the human race when existential dangers arrive.
This is not new, though it may have been forgotten.
The war-time alliance of the USSR, Britain, and America could not have prevailed if the example of Milo Minderbinder in Catch-22 had been followed. Milo, a capitalist to his core, rented out his own USAF bombers to the enemy to bomb his own side. Well, business is business.
Only strong centralised states with command economies can wage total war, and profiteering, hoarding and panic bulk buying are rightly considered crimes. The USSR already had one; Britain and America had to become so for the duration. Under capitalism, if people cannot go to work and earn money, or eat out, entertain themselves or shop, all the private enterprises dependent on these things must fail. That’s accountancy. Economics, however, requires shock-absorbers so that economic capacity, which will be harder to bring back than to protect, is not lost forever. And politics is the art of ensuring that a crash is never so apocalyptic as to raise the possibility that the people will not rise up, especially not during the Ides of March…
Boris Johnson, who just four months ago characterised the economic policies of his Labour opponent as reckless soviet-style communism, announced EXTRA public spending greater than the entire 2019 GDP of Portugal. A £350 billion package which he and his Chancellor repeatedly said was merely the beginning. We will do “whatever it takes,” they said, seven times between them. Interest-free loans, loans at attractive rates, mortgage holidays, the protection of uninsured businesses unwise enough not to have sought indemnity for pandemics, the scrapping of business rates for pubs, restaurants, retail and service industry businesses. Implied is subsidy for private airlines, privately owned airports; under-review is the potential plight of tenants, hourly wage-workers, those in the gig economy. The heartless Tories even found millions for the destitute so they could be taken off the streets, and given a space in which they might “self-isolate.”
Of course, within this bout of socialism, there are many footprints – much bigger than a pig’s – of some being more equal than others – Sir Richard Branson for example will fare much better than the Rickshaw driver in Piccadilly Circus. But it nevertheless shows that in the third decade of the 21st century, after 250 years of hegemony, capitalism has left us two pay-cheques away from penury and one virus away from existential disaster. And only the money of its victims can save it.
George was a member of the British Parliament for nearly 30 years. He presents TV and radio shows (including on RT). He is a film-maker, writer and a renowned orator. Follow him on Twitter @georgegalloway.
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Published to The Liberty Beacon from EuropeReloaded.com
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The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
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thelibertybeacon--2020-03-22--TARP Failure Monday? Futures Crash As Congress Fails To Reach Deal [Updated]

Update ( 1815ET ) : And just like that , futures quickly went limit down shortly after opening .
Gold , meanwhile , is catching a bid and is now above $ 1500 .
Update ( 1700ET ) : Speaker Pelosi says that Congress is ‘ finalizing ’ the stimulus legislation .
According to the WSJ ‘ s Nick Timiraos , one draft of the bill would allocate $ 425 billion into the Treasury for the Fed to cover losses on lending facilities .
This will allow the Fed to provide a new generation of emergency lending programs that could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grade corporates , longer-dated munis or small business loans .
At the conclusion of a Sunday meeting with top congressional leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin , Pelosi told a staffer “ We are so far apart.
“ Recall in 2008 , the House ’ s rejection of a $ 700 billion bailout – when Pelosi was also speaker – sent the Dow down nearly 7 % .
At the time , “ House minority leader John Boehner , R-Ohio , said after the vote that passage would have been possible if it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ partisan speech , ” ” according to CNN .
Update ( 1510ET ) : With talks having broken down , Senate Majority Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) has delayed an initial Senate vote on the stimulus package from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. Sunday .
Update ( 1254ET ) : Lawmakers failed to hammer out an agreement after having deadlocked on several key provisions , according to The Hill .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-Calif. ) said after the meeting that House Democrats would offer their own stimulus package that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate ’ s package .
“ I don ’ t know about Monday but we ’ re still talking , ” Pelosi told reporters , referring to the preferred GOP timeline for passing a bill .
The impasse comes as the Senate will hold a first procedural vote at 3 p.m. , where bipartisan support will be needed to move forward .
Democrats will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss their strategy .
McConnell has given no indication that he will delay the vote , potentially forcing Democrats to either move forward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or block the bill from advancing .
Schumer did not say as he left the meeting if Democrats would allow the bill to move forward .
–The Hill McConnell says he still want to pass a stimulus package on Monday – describing talks as “ very close , ” but acknowledging that people are still “ elbowing and maneuvering for room.
” “ Now we ’ re at a point in the discussion where people will shortly have to say yes or no , ” he added .
With unemployment surging and GDP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stimulus package are coming down to the wire , as a 3 p.m. vote looms in the Senate over what is expected to cost between $ 1.5 – $ 2 trillion .
After blowing past two deadlines that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) set for a deal , failure to come to an agreement could spell further disaster for the markets come Monday .
Republicans have drafted a bill which reflects agreements they ’ ve reached with Democratic lawmakers , and what they believe will be acceptable compromise on areas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that there was no agreement yet , and that Democrats would not sign on to McConnell ’ s proposal without negotiation .
“ We look forward to reviewing their first draft and negotiating a bipartisan compromise , ” said the spokesman , according to The Hill .
Congress ’ s top leaders – the so-called ‘ four corners ’ met at 11 a.m. today to continue negotiations ; the first time House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have sat down with McConnell to discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour , Pelosi said that negotiations are ongoing , but that Democrats would be ‘ introducing our own bill ‘ and that a bipartisan agreement hasn ’ t yet been reached .
A key sticking point for Democrats are enhanced worker protections using the loans as leverage , according to Schumer and Pelosi .
One GOP draft of the bill says companies receiving loans must keep employees on staff “ to the extent possible , ” but Democrats want to change this provision to offer loan forgiveness only if at least 90 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a person familiar with the negotiations .
Democrats took issue with the discretion that the Treasury secretary has for the money going to corporations , including which companies receive funds , the person said .
Mnuchin would also have the option to waive restrictions on stock buybacks under the Republican proposal , the person said .
Democrats also want a more than two year restriction on increasing executive pay for companies that receive federal loans , the person said .
–Bloomberg On Sunday , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appeared on Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impending deal which he expects to pass on Monday – including up to $ 3,000 for a family of four , and a massive lending facility of up to $ 4 trillion to maintain liquidity .
“ Working with the Federal Reserve — we ’ ll have up to $ 4 trillion of liquidity that we can use to support the economy , ” he said , adding “ Those are broad-based lending programs .
… We can leverage our equity working with the Federal Reserve.
” For an overview of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t passed , Guggenheim Investments ’ CIO Scott Minerd offered some thoughts last week ( in case you missed it ) .
Needless to say , failure would sap much-needed confidence from markets which have already lost around 35 % since the coronavirus spread globally last month .
What does this mean for markets and futures ?
While we wait for the regular 6pm reopening , the spread-betters at IG are indicating a Dow down some 562 points as of this moment , with the Dow set to open somewhere in the mid-18,000s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ via The Hill , Bloomberg , FOX News Sunday and Guggenheim Investments as Compiled by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge Other related Financial articles from The Liberty Beacon : Hardcore Capitalism is One Virus Away from Existential Disaster Is There a Future for the Global Financial System Beyond Coronavirus ?
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate , and for this we are grateful and excited !
But we must also be practical .
For 7 years we have not asked for any donations , and have built this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grew .
We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent .
So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them .
Nothing is too small .
We thank you for all your support and your considerations … ( TLB )

(TLB) Ed: Any continuing updates or overnight developments may be viewed by clicking on the link below:
*****************************************************
TARP Failure Monday? Futures Crash As Congress Fails To Reach Deal
Update (1815ET): And just like that, futures quickly went limit down shortly after opening.
Gold, meanwhile, is catching a bid and is now above $1500.
* * *
Update (1700ET): Speaker Pelosi says that Congress is ‘finalizing’ the stimulus legislation.
According to the WSJ‘s Nick Timiraos, one draft of the bill would allocate $425 billion into the Treasury for the Fed to cover losses on lending facilities. This will allow the Fed to provide a new generation of emergency lending programs that could prop up markets for securitization, investment grade corporates, longer-dated munis or small business loans.
At the conclusion of a Sunday meeting with top congressional leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Pelosi told a staffer “We are so far apart.“
Recall in 2008, the House’s rejection of a $700 billion bailout – when Pelosi was also speaker – sent the Dow down nearly 7%. At the time, “House minority leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, said after the vote that passage would have been possible if it had not been for Pelosi’s “partisan speech,”” according to CNN.
Update (1510ET): With talks having broken down, Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has delayed an initial Senate vote on the stimulus package from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. Sunday.
Update (1254ET): Lawmakers failed to hammer out an agreement after having deadlocked on several key provisions, according to The Hill.
“We continue to talk,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said after the meeting that House Democrats would offer their own stimulus package that she hoped would be “compatible” with the Senate’s package. “I don’t know about Monday but we’re still talking,” Pelosi told reporters, referring to the preferred GOP timeline for passing a bill. The impasse comes as the Senate will hold a first procedural vote at 3 p.m., where bipartisan support will be needed to move forward. Democrats will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss their strategy. McConnell has given no indication that he will delay the vote, potentially forcing Democrats to either move forward with the GOP leader’s plan or block the bill from advancing. Schumer did not say as he left the meeting if Democrats would allow the bill to move forward. –The Hill
McConnell says he still want to pass a stimulus package on Monday – describing talks as “very close,” but acknowledging that people are still “elbowing and maneuvering for room.”
“Now we’re at a point in the discussion where people will shortly have to say yes or no,” he added.
***
(Back story ZeroHedge)
With unemployment surging and GDP crashing, negotiations over a massive coronavirus stimulus package are coming down to the wire, as a 3 p.m. vote looms in the Senate over what is expected to cost between $1.5 – $2 trillion.
After blowing past two deadlines that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) set for a deal, failure to come to an agreement could spell further disaster for the markets come Monday.
Republicans have drafted a bill which reflects agreements they’ve reached with Democratic lawmakers, and what they believe will be acceptable compromise on areas of disagreement. However, on Saturday night a spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said that there was no agreement yet, and that Democrats would not sign on to McConnell’s proposal without negotiation.
“We look forward to reviewing their first draft and negotiating a bipartisan compromise,” said the spokesman, according to The Hill.
Congress’s top leaders – the so-called ‘four corners’ met at 11 a.m. today to continue negotiations; the first time House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have sat down with McConnell to discuss the massive deal.
After just one hour, Pelosi said that negotiations are ongoing, but that Democrats would be ‘introducing our own bill‘ and that a bipartisan agreement hasn’t yet been reached.
Limits on firms getting loans
A key sticking point for Democrats are enhanced worker protections using the loans as leverage, according to Schumer and Pelosi.
One GOP draft of the bill says companies receiving loans must keep employees on staff “to the extent possible,” but Democrats want to change this provision to offer loan forgiveness only if at least 90% of the workforce is retained, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. Democrats took issue with the discretion that the Treasury secretary has for the money going to corporations, including which companies receive funds, the person said. Mnuchin would also have the option to waive restrictions on stock buybacks under the Republican proposal, the person said. Democrats also want a more than two year restriction on increasing executive pay for companies that receive federal loans, the person said. –Bloomberg
On Sunday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin appeared on Fox News, where he outlined key provisions of the impending deal which he expects to pass on Monday – including up to $3,000 for a family of four, and a massive lending facility of up to $4 trillion to maintain liquidity.
“Working with the Federal Reserve — we’ll have up to $4 trillion of liquidity that we can use to support the economy,” he said, adding “Those are broad-based lending programs. … We can leverage our equity working with the Federal Reserve.”
Secretary Mnuchin joined FOX News Sunday to discuss the latest economic relief package being discussed on Capitol Hill amid the coronavirus pandemic. Some highlights include small business loans, direct deposits, and enhanced unemployment insurance. #FNS #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/1eZKI15ONC — FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) March 22, 2020
For an overview of what could happen if this deal isn’t passed, Guggenheim Investments’ CIO Scott Minerd offered some thoughts last week (in case you missed it).
Needless to say, failure would sap much-needed confidence from markets which have already lost around 35% since the coronavirus spread globally last month.
What does this mean for markets and futures? While we wait for the regular 6pm reopening, the spread-betters at IG are indicating a Dow down some 562 points as of this moment, with the Dow set to open somewhere in the mid-18,000s.
*********
(TLB) published this report via The Hill, Bloomberg, FOX News Sunday and Guggenheim Investments as Compiled by Tyler Durden at ZeroHedge
Other related Financial articles from The Liberty Beacon:
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••••
Stay tuned to …
••••
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
••••
Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.
••••
Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
••••
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.