thelibertybeacon--2020-05-24--Hong Kong-Thousands Fill Streets To Oppose National Security Law

NOTE FROM ( TLB ) ed : Twitter will no doubt ban the video ’ s below .
We will do our best for a work-around to any censoring .
The initial picture of the video-still pretty much tells the story along with the written narrative .
After months of relative quiet amid the coronavirus pandemic , thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Hong Kong , defying the city ’ s ban on gatherings to voice their opposition to a new “ national security ” law proposed by Beijing which would threaten the city ’ s autonomy and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters , most of whom could be seen donning masks , were hit with tear gas less than an hour after the start of the demonstrations which resulted in at least 120 arrests – including 40 of which were people accused of blocking Gloucester Road .
A water cannon truck was also deployed according to SCMP.
“ The first rounds of tear gas were fired around 1:30 p.m. local time outside a Causeway Bay shopping mall .
20 minutes later , the first arrest was made , according to the Epoch Times .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , which would most likely grant the Chinese Communist Party ( CCP ) ’ s security services jurisdiction over matters in Hong Kong – which drew condemnation from Taiwan , the United Kingdom , the EU , Australia , Canada and the United States , according to the report .
It also drew immediate protest from opposition lawmakers .
The national security law would bypass the city ’ s legislture , which is expected to enact a ban on subversion , secession and sedition against Beijing .
It will also enable mainland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city soil for the first time .
On Sunday , Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing must enact the law without delay , and that it is the role of China ’ s central government to enforce national security .
“ We must get it done without the slightest delay , ” said Wang , who added that the law would ‘ create more stability and confidence ’ in the Special Administration Region as well as a better environment for security .
Shortly after the announcement , Hong Kong residents took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Hong Kong Island from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday .
Some protesters were chanting “ Liberate Hong Kong , revolution of our times , ” while others chanted “ Hong Kong independence , the only way out , ” according to CNN .
( TLB ) published this article/video report from ZeroHedge as compiled by Tyler Durden .
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Hong Kong Erupts: Tear Gas Deployed As Thousands Fill Streets To Oppose China’s National Security Law
NOTE FROM (TLB) ed: Twitter will no doubt ban the video’s below. We will do our best for a work-around to any censoring. The initial picture of the video-still pretty much tells the story along with the written narrative.
Above video added by (TLB)
ZEROHEDGE
After months of relative quiet amid the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Hong Kong, defying the city’s ban on gatherings to voice their opposition to a new “national security” law proposed by Beijing which would threaten the city’s autonomy and the civil liberties of its residents.
Hundreds of riot police charge at protest lines outside Sogo. Some protesters arrested #HongKongProtests #HongKong pic.twitter.com/UOrspVd1m9 — James Pomfret (@jamespomfret) May 24, 2020
Mainstream media, what is happening in #HongKong?pic.twitter.com/vfSU5sZCVb — Oh boy what a shot (@ohboywhatashot) May 24, 2020
The protesters, most of whom could be seen donning masks, were hit with tear gas less than an hour after the start of the demonstrations which resulted in at least 120 arrests – including 40 of which were people accused of blocking Gloucester Road. A water cannon truck was also deployed according to SCMP.“
The first rounds of tear gas were fired around 1:30 p.m. local time outside a Causeway Bay shopping mall. 20 minutes later, the first arrest was made, according to the Epoch Times.
Rounds of tear gas are fired in Causeway Bay on Sunday Video: SCMP/Phila Siu pic.twitter.com/6O5db8ihT8 — SCMP Hong Kong (@SCMPHongKong) May 24, 2020
Via @CP24
This map, circulated among #HongKong protesters on Telegram, shows police essentially surrounding SOGO, where protesters are gathering. This comes as multiple rounds of tear gas were fired by police in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai just as the march was beginning. pic.twitter.com/mkrR276unA — Eric Cheung (@EricCheungwc) May 24, 2020
Beijing unveiled details of the law on Friday, which would most likely grant the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s security services jurisdiction over matters in Hong Kong – which drew condemnation from Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the EU, Australia, Canada and the United States, according to the report. It also drew immediate protest from opposition lawmakers.
The national security law would bypass the city’s legislture, which is expected to enact a ban on subversion, secession and sedition against Beijing. It will also enable mainland Chinese national security agencies to operate on city soil for the first time.
On Sunday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing must enact the law without delay, and that it is the role of China’s central government to enforce national security.
“We must get it done without the slightest delay,” said Wang, who added that the law would ‘create more stability and confidence’ in the Special Administration Region as well as a better environment for security.
Shortly after the announcement, Hong Kong residents took to social media to organize a march on Hong Kong Island from Causeway Bay to Wan Chai at 1 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Some protesters were chanting “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” while others chanted “Hong Kong independence, the only way out,” according to CNN.
*********
(TLB) published this article/video report from ZeroHedge as compiled by Tyler Durden.
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thelibertybeacon--2020-05-24--Palestinian Authority President declares end to all agreements with Israel

At Long Last : Mahmoud Abbas Finally Declares Oslo No More Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has finally declared an end to all agreements with Israel , effectively turning over the running of the entire West Bank to the Israeli government , and will no more guarantee of cooperation in subduing a Palestinian uprising .
The development was all but inevitable following meeting in Ramallah this past week of officials from the P.L.O .
and Fatah , the Palestinian declared : “ The Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine are absolved , as of today , of all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli governments and of all the commitments based on these understandings and agreements , including the security ones.
” From this , it is clearly implied he means all security agreements – including any joint policing arrangements with the Israel occupiers in the West Bank .
“ The Israeli occupation authority , as of today , has to shoulder all responsibilities and obligations in front of the international community as an occupying power over the territory of the occupied state of Palestine , with all its consequences and repercussions , ” Abbas said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a historic annoucement and marks a de facto end to any Palestinian commitments under the US-brokered long and painful Oslo “ peace process , ” and with it , the likely end of the fabled “ two-state solution ” to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian stalemate .
This latest Palestinian move has been forced by the ascendancy of far right forces in Israeli politics marshaled by Prime Minister Benjamen Netanyahu who have now openly declared ‘ sovereignty ’ over the West Bank , backed by the Trump Administration its Evangelical base who share the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state ’ which should control the entire Holy Land spanning from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea .
This , argues Abbas , has all but “ annulled the Oslo agreement ” along with any subsequent agreements and amendments to it .
What ’ s key in this new calculus is that should the Israeli IDF patrols or Jewish settlers continue to persecute and attack native Palestinians , which will likely be followed by Palestinian protests , then PA/Palestinian Police will not intervene to quell popular unrest as per the previous Oslo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ situations and violence which could spiral out of control and invite a state of anarchy or worse , war – inside the occupied territories .
Which such an unsavoury spectre along the near horizon , the IDF may have no choice but to move back into a full occupational Martial Law modus operandi , including full day-to-day control over every some two million Palestinians in the West Bank .
Will Palestinian resistance fighters and factions now be assuming the role of public safety in some of these contested areas ?
And Maj. Gen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Palestinian security services , said that those agencies ’ chiefs had attended the Ramallah meeting and understood that they were to stop all security cooperation with both Israel and the C.I.A .
“ The Palestinian leadership has always left the decision of cutting all ties with Israel and the U.S. up to the president , ” said Mahmoud al-Habbash , Mr. Abbas ’ s religious affairs adviser .
“ He has now made that decision , and there ’ s no room for maneuvering.
” But Mr. al-Habbash left room for some ambiguity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to check with Israel before driving through Israeli-controlled West Bank territory , to avoid potential clashes , he said only , “ We will continue to do our work and serve our people.
” Will it be a prelude to renewed hostilities , or even war ?
( TLB ) published this article form 21st Century Wire with our gratitude for this most important coverage .
YOU CAN SUPPORT 21Wire ’ s WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @ 21WIRE.TV The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .
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So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them .
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At Long Last: Mahmoud Abbas Finally Declares Oslo No More
Effectively turning over the running of the entire West Bank to the Israeli government, and will no more guarantee of cooperation in subduing a Palestinian uprising.
BY
It’s official: Oslo is defunct.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has finally declared an end to all agreements with Israel, effectively turning over the running of the entire West Bank to the Israeli government, and will no more guarantee of cooperation in subduing a Palestinian uprising.
President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority (Image Source: Israeli News International)
The development was all but inevitable following meeting in Ramallah this past week of officials from the P.L.O. and Fatah, the Palestinian declared:
“The Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the commitments based on these understandings and agreements, including the security ones.”
From this, it is clearly implied he means all security agreements – including any joint policing arrangements with the Israel occupiers in the West Bank.
“The Israeli occupation authority, as of today, has to shoulder all responsibilities and obligations in front of the international community as an occupying power over the territory of the occupied state of Palestine, with all its consequences and repercussions,” Abbas said, according to Wafa News.
This is a historic annoucement and marks a de facto end to any Palestinian commitments under the US-brokered long and painful Oslo “peace process,” and with it, the likely end of the fabled “two-state solution” to the long-running Israeli-Palestinian stalemate.
This latest Palestinian move has been forced by the ascendancy of far right forces in Israeli politics marshaled by Prime Minister Benjamen Netanyahu who have now openly declared ‘sovereignty’ over the West Bank, backed by the Trump Administration its Evangelical base who share the Zionist notion of a ‘pure Jewish state’ which should control the entire Holy Land spanning from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. This, argues Abbas, has all but “annulled the Oslo agreement” along with any subsequent agreements and amendments to it.
What’s key in this new calculus is that should the Israeli IDF patrols or Jewish settlers continue to persecute and attack native Palestinians, which will likely be followed by Palestinian protests, then PA/Palestinian Police will not intervene to quell popular unrest as per the previous Oslo arrangements. This could likely lead to situations and violence which could spiral out of control and invite a state of anarchy or worse, war – inside the occupied territories. Which such an unsavoury spectre along the near horizon, the IDF may have no choice but to move back into a full occupational Martial Law modus operandi, including full day-to-day control over every some two million Palestinians in the West Bank. Will Palestinian resistance fighters and factions now be assuming the role of public safety in some of these contested areas? The New York Times reports: And Maj. Gen. Adnan Damiri, a spokesman for the Palestinian security services, said that those agencies’ chiefs had attended the Ramallah meeting and understood that they were to stop all security cooperation with both Israel and the C.I.A. “The Palestinian leadership has always left the decision of cutting all ties with Israel and the U.S. up to the president,” said Mahmoud al-Habbash, Mr. Abbas’s religious affairs adviser. “He has now made that decision, and there’s no room for maneuvering.” But Mr. al-Habbash left room for some ambiguity. Asked if the police would continue to check with Israel before driving through Israeli-controlled West Bank territory, to avoid potential clashes, he said only, “We will continue to do our work and serve our people.” Will it be a prelude to renewed hostilities, or even war? _________ READ MORE PALESTINE NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Palestine Files ********* (TLB) published this article form 21st Century Wire with our gratitude for this most important coverage. YOU CAN SUPPORT 21Wire’s WORK BY SUBSCRIBING & BECOMING A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV •••• •••• 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)
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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.
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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.


thelibertybeacon--2020-05-24--Death, Politics & Nursing Homes

Death, Politics & Nursing Homes

Tomorrow is Memorial Day , when we honor the sacrifice of the men and women who died for our country .
Too often we forget the meaning of the day and head off to sales , the beaches , and the backyard barbecues .
In those states still locked down , it will be a continuation of the grim economy and spirit-busting effects of overreaching dictators , little based on reason .
It will be a particularly hard to celebrate day for the many friends and family members of those killed in nursing homes and assisted living residences due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a lot we don ’ t know about the transmission and treatment of the virus , though you ’ d be well advised to skip the hysterical accounts in the fake news and rely on more substantive accounts elsewhere .
One thing has been consistently true , though : The elderly have been the most vulnerable to this disease .
Reason would suggest , in that case , that instead of focusing enforcement attention on closing parks and beaches and arrests of lone surfers or churchgoers sitting in their closed window cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutions which house in close quarters the aged and infirm .
Apparently , however , Democratic governors live in a post-rational world .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 5.1 million people live in nursing homes or residential care facilities , representing 1.6 % of the U.S. population .
And yet residents in such facilities account for 42 percent of all deaths from COVID-19 , for states that report such statistics .
Alaska , Hawaii , Kansas , Michigan , Missouri , New Mexico , North Dakota , South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wyoming do not break out deaths by residential categories .
But among the 79,259 U.S. COVID-19 deaths captured by our analysis , 32,930 , or 42 percent , were nursing or residential care home residents .
You would think , then , that the contra-rational approach of governors like Andrew Cuomo would draw media attention and criticism .
Instead , he is being lionized , probably because the pensmiths hope that he will be the Democratic nominee when the party gives the demented and corrupt Joe Biden the hook .
Professor Glenn Reynolds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo took .
Probably the biggest and deadliest mistake was New York ’ s requirement that recovering patients with COVID-19 be accepted by nursing homes .
That ’ s right – people who were still contagious with a disease that is especially deadly to the old and sick were placed in facilities that were full of the old and sick .
Nursing homes that protested were ordered to shut up and take the patients anyway .
More than 5,300 nursing home patients in New York have died from Covid-19 , and as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame this policy .
Cuomo has now tacitly admitted the error by reversing the policy , requiring patients to test negative before they are sent to nursing homes .
But it took rather a long time to reverse what seems like an obviously deadly policy , one that the Wall Street Journal called a “ fatal error.
” Writing in the New York Post , Michael Goodwin notes : “ First , nursing homes never believed they had any right to deny infected patients , saying the order from the state Department of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that were the intent .
The order ’ s language did not offer any hint of flexibility… Worse , the order came without warning , took effect immediately and gave the homes no time to set up segregated beds and staff .
All nursing homes , good and bad , large and small , were treated as if they were fit for an influx of coronavirus patients .
The second problem with Cuomo ’ s claim is the case of the Cobble Hill Health Center , which lost at least 55 patients to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tuchman , showed reporters April emails where he asked state health officials for assistance , and was turned down .
He also asked them if COVID-19 patients he had could be sent instead to the Javits Center or the Navy ship Comfort , both of which were far below capacity .
He was rejected again .
It ’ s true there was one way Albany officials did help beleaguered nursing homes .
The packages of equipment they sent included body bags.
” He wasn ’ t the lone governor to adopt this stupid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts , and New Jersey adopted the same stupid rule to place COVID-19 infected patients in nursing homes for the elderly , resulting in high mortality rates there .
It ’ s not that the governors had no warning of the disastrous effects of these policies — they received ample warning Health experts and trade associations had warned early on that forcing nursing homes to take on newly discharged COVID-19 patients was a recipe for disaster , noting that such facilities didn ’ t have the ability to properly quarantine the infected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ contagious virus into more nursing homes .
There will be more hospitalizations for nursing home residents who need ventilator care and ultimately , a higher number of deaths .
Issuing such an order is a mistake and there is a better solution , ” American Health Care Association President and CEO Mark Parkinson announced in March after New York ’ s order went into effect .
David Grabowski , a professor of health policy at Harvard Medical School , sounded incredulous when asked about the policy .
“ Nursing homes are working so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now we ’ re going to be introducing new COVID-positive patients ?
” Grabowski told NBC .
Richard Mollot , executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition in New York , echoed that sentiment .
“ To have a mandate that nursing homes accept COVID-19 patients has put many people in grave danger , ” Mollot told the Bucks County Courier Time .
I agree with FEE — the consequences of central planning , which disregards the input of those on the ground with real experience , is a hubristic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of a horrific lengthy and brutal beating of an aged and feeble 70-year-old veteran in a nursing home by a 20-year-old strong man — a video I ’ m loath to link to precisely because it is so awful to watch — adduced a lot of comments online blaming the nursing home .
The facts prove otherwise .
The first blame , of course , goes to the thug , but just as blameworthy is the governor of Michigan , Gretchen Whitmer , and her government minions .
Because of the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elderly man had been removed from “ his apartment without notice to his family who had no idea how to reach him ” and placed in the nursing home .
At the direction of Whitmer , the man doing the beating was placed there because he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in a nearby hospital .
The placement of this young man there was unconscionable because along with being infected , he had a history of assaultive behavior and mental illness : The suspect ’ s father , who asked not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health issues and a pending assault case in Washtenaw County and should never have been placed in the nursing home .
“ He has issues and for them to put him in a facility like that , nothing good was going to happen , ” the suspect ’ s father told 7 Action News .
He said his son was recently moved to the nursing center because the 20-year-old was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the University of Michigan Hospital .
The father said he ’ s been working with Washtenaw County Mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help he needs and that he was placed in a group home in Chelsea .
But , recently , he said his son began hearing voices and that ’ s when he was taken to the hospital and it was there he says that his son was diagnosed with COVID-19 .
“ He never should have been housed , quarantined with the victim that he eventually assaulted .
That should have never happened , ” he said .
“ Someone dropped the ball.
” The statewide lockdowns were taken on little scientific basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a disastrous impact on the economy .
And the skyrocketing nursing home death rates are not the whole of the deaths caused by top-down mismanagement of what , it seems from the most accurate sources , was hardly more dangerous to the general population than the normal flu .
“ Doctors in Northern California say they have seen more deaths from suicide than they ’ ve seen from the coronavirus during the pandemic .
“ The numbers are unprecedented , ” Dr. Michael deBoisblanc of John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the increase of deaths by suicide , adding that he ’ s seen a “ year ’ s worth of suicides ” in the last four weeks alone .
[ snip ] Suicide has been an increasingly significant problem across the country as the coronavirus outbreak caused stay-at-home orders that led to unemployment and stress .
By late March , more people had died in just one Tennessee county from suicide than had died in the entire state directly from the virus .
A study published in early May suggested that the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ directly brought on by anxiety from the virus , job losses , and addiction to alcohol and drugs .
Another study conducted by Just Facts around the same time computed a broad array of scientific data showing that stress is one of the deadliest health hazards in the world and estimated that the coronavirus lockdowns will destroy 7 times as many years of human life than strict lockdowns can save .
Earlier this week , more than 600 doctors signed their names on a letter to President Trump , referring to the continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and urging him to do what he can to ensure they come to an end .
When should these lockdowns cease ?
Well , our windsock oracle Dr. Anthony Fauci said on March 12 that there ’ d be “ suffering and death ” if we reopened too early and 10 days later offered up that staying closed too long could lead to “ irreparable damage.
” With guidance like that and his earlier flip-flops –like the wear masks now-we don ’ t need masks then — and all his murky Delphic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignore him and listen to the doctors on the ground and your own pragmatic observations of the devastation people like Fauci and the governors caused .
Having enjoyed the wielding of such enormous powers , a few of those same governors are reluctant to cede power back to the voters , voters increasingly defiant at the loss of their constitutionally guaranteed rights .
Governor Whitmer , apparently in response to the growing citizens ’ revolt just further extended her lockdown to June 12 .
It applies to others , not herself of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer home and hosting a graduation party for her daughter .

By: Clarice Feldman
Tomorrow is Memorial Day, when we honor the sacrifice of the men and women who died for our country. Too often we forget the meaning of the day and head off to sales, the beaches, and the backyard barbecues. In those states still locked down, it will be a continuation of the grim economy and spirit-busting effects of overreaching dictators, little based on reason. It will be a particularly hard to celebrate day for the many friends and family members of those killed in nursing homes and assisted living residences due to outrageously misguided gubernatorial dictates.
There still is a lot we don’t know about the transmission and treatment of the virus, though you’d be well advised to skip the hysterical accounts in the fake news and rely on more substantive accounts elsewhere. One thing has been consistently true, though: The elderly have been the most vulnerable to this disease. Reason would suggest, in that case, that instead of focusing enforcement attention on closing parks and beaches and arrests of lone surfers or churchgoers sitting in their closed window cars, attention should be paid to those institutions which house in close quarters the aged and infirm. Apparently, however, Democratic governors live in a post-rational world.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5.1 million people live in nursing homes or residential care facilities, representing 1.6% of the U.S. population. And yet residents in such facilities account for 42 percent of all deaths from COVID-19, for states that report such statistics. Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, and Wyoming do not break out deaths by residential categories. But among the 79,259 U.S. COVID-19 deaths captured by our analysis, 32,930, or 42 percent, were nursing or residential care home residents.
You would think, then, that the contra-rational approach of governors like Andrew Cuomo would draw media attention and criticism. Instead, he is being lionized, probably because the pensmiths hope that he will be the Democratic nominee when the party gives the demented and corrupt Joe Biden the hook.
Professor Glenn Reynolds, reminds us of the idiotic moves Cuomo took.
Probably the biggest and deadliest mistake was New York’s requirement that recovering patients with COVID-19 be accepted by nursing homes. That’s right – people who were still contagious with a disease that is especially deadly to the old and sick were placed in facilities that were full of the old and sick. Nursing homes that protested were ordered to shut up and take the patients anyway. More than 5,300 nursing home patients in New York have died from Covid-19, and as an Albany Times Union account notes, critics blame this policy. Cuomo has now tacitly admitted the error by reversing the policy, requiring patients to test negative before they are sent to nursing homes. But it took rather a long time to reverse what seems like an obviously deadly policy, one that the Wall Street Journal called a “fatal error.” Writing in the New York Post, Michael Goodwin notes: “First, nursing homes never believed they had any right to deny infected patients, saying the order from the state Department of Health would have included that option if that were the intent. The order’s language did not offer any hint of flexibility… Worse, the order came without warning, took effect immediately and gave the homes no time to set up segregated beds and staff. All nursing homes, good and bad, large and small, were treated as if they were fit for an influx of coronavirus patients. The second problem with Cuomo’s claim is the case of the Cobble Hill Health Center, which lost at least 55 patients to the virus. The CEO, Donny Tuchman, showed reporters April emails where he asked state health officials for assistance, and was turned down. He also asked them if COVID-19 patients he had could be sent instead to the Javits Center or the Navy ship Comfort, both of which were far below capacity. He was rejected again. It’s true there was one way Albany officials did help beleaguered nursing homes. The packages of equipment they sent included body bags.”
He wasn’t the lone governor to adopt this stupid policy. The governors of California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey adopted the same stupid rule to place COVID-19 infected patients in nursing homes for the elderly, resulting in high mortality rates there.
It’s not that the governors had no warning of the disastrous effects of these policies — they received ample warning
Health experts and trade associations had warned early on that forcing nursing homes to take on newly discharged COVID-19 patients was a recipe for disaster, noting that such facilities didn’t have the ability to properly quarantine the infected. “This approach will introduce the highly contagious virus into more nursing homes. There will be more hospitalizations for nursing home residents who need ventilator care and ultimately, a higher number of deaths. Issuing such an order is a mistake and there is a better solution,” American Health Care Association President and CEO Mark Parkinson announced in March after New York’s order went into effect. David Grabowski, a professor of health policy at Harvard Medical School, sounded incredulous when asked about the policy. “Nursing homes are working so hard to keep the virus out, and now we’re going to be introducing new COVID-positive patients?” Grabowski told NBC. Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition in New York, echoed that sentiment. “To have a mandate that nursing homes accept COVID-19 patients has put many people in grave danger,” Mollot told the Bucks County Courier Time.
I agree with FEE — the consequences of central planning, which disregards the input of those on the ground with real experience, is a hubristic disaster — always.
This week a video of a horrific lengthy and brutal beating of an aged and feeble 70-year-old veteran in a nursing home by a 20-year-old strong man — a video I’m loath to link to precisely because it is so awful to watch — adduced a lot of comments online blaming the nursing home. The facts prove otherwise. The first blame, of course, goes to the thug, but just as blameworthy is the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, and her government minions.
Because of the lockdown — and one assumes bureaucratic error, the elderly man had been removed from “his apartment without notice to his family who had no idea how to reach him” and placed in the nursing home. At the direction of Whitmer, the man doing the beating was placed there because he had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in a nearby hospital. The placement of this young man there was unconscionable because along with being infected, he had a history of assaultive behavior and mental illness:
The suspect’s father, who asked not to be named, said his son has mental health issues and a pending assault case in Washtenaw County and should never have been placed in the nursing home. “He has issues and for them to put him in a facility like that, nothing good was going to happen,” the suspect’s father told 7 Action News. He said his son was recently moved to the nursing center because the 20-year-old was diagnosed with COVID-19 at the University of Michigan Hospital. The father said he’s been working with Washtenaw County Mental Health Services to get his son the help he needs and that he was placed in a group home in Chelsea. But, recently, he said his son began hearing voices and that’s when he was taken to the hospital and it was there he says that his son was diagnosed with COVID-19. “He never should have been housed, quarantined with the victim that he eventually assaulted. That should have never happened,” he said. “Someone dropped the ball.”
The statewide lockdowns were taken on little scientific basis, arbitrarily issued, and have had a disastrous impact on the economy. And the skyrocketing nursing home death rates are not the whole of the deaths caused by top-down mismanagement of what, it seems from the most accurate sources, was hardly more dangerous to the general population than the normal flu.
“Doctors in Northern California say they have seen more deaths from suicide than they’ve seen from the coronavirus during the pandemic. “The numbers are unprecedented,” Dr. Michael deBoisblanc of John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, California, told ABC 7 News about the increase of deaths by suicide, adding that he’s seen a “year’s worth of suicides” in the last four weeks alone. [snip] Suicide has been an increasingly significant problem across the country as the coronavirus outbreak caused stay-at-home orders that led to unemployment and stress. By late March, more people had died in just one Tennessee county from suicide than had died in the entire state directly from the virus. A study published in early May suggested that the coronavirus could lead to at least 75,000 deaths directly brought on by anxiety from the virus, job losses, and addiction to alcohol and drugs. Another study conducted by Just Facts around the same time computed a broad array of scientific data showing that stress is one of the deadliest health hazards in the world and estimated that the coronavirus lockdowns will destroy 7 times as many years of human life than strict lockdowns can save. Earlier this week, more than 600 doctors signed their names on a letter to President Trump, referring to the continued lockdowns as a “mass casualty incident” and urging him to do what he can to ensure they come to an end.
When should these lockdowns cease? Well, our windsock oracle Dr. Anthony Fauci said on March 12 that there’d be “suffering and death” if we reopened too early and 10 days later offered up that staying closed too long could lead to “irreparable damage.” With guidance like that and his earlier flip-flops –like the wear masks now-we don’t need masks then — and all his murky Delphic musings, it’s time to ignore him and listen to the doctors on the ground and your own pragmatic observations of the devastation people like Fauci and the governors caused.
Having enjoyed the wielding of such enormous powers, a few of those same governors are reluctant to cede power back to the voters, voters increasingly defiant at the loss of their constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Governor Whitmer, apparently in response to the growing citizens’ revolt just further extended her lockdown to June 12. It applies to others, not herself of course. She’ll be at her summer home and hosting a graduation party for her daughter.
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thelibertybeacon--2020-05-24--“Truth” with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – A Health Freedom Discussion

Contributed to TLB by : The Children ’ s Health Defense Team Recently , Polly Tommey and Robert F. Kennedy , Jr. kicked off the new CHD Channel on Peeps TV with a lively discussion on a wide range of relevant topics in the health freedom movement .
RFK , Jr. sheds light on … • Conflict of interest in the development of vaccines … and much more .
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TLB highly recommends you click on the image below , visit this great website , and do whatever you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ succeed … for the sake of our children !
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We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent .
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Nothing is too small .
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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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or treatment .

“Truth” with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Contributed to TLB by: The Children’s Health Defense Team
Recently, Polly Tommey and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. kicked off the new CHD Channel on Peeps TV with a lively discussion on a wide range of relevant topics in the health freedom movement. RFK, Jr. sheds light on …
Conflict of interest in the development of vaccines
Early red flags in the Moderna coronavirus vaccine trials
The new “Vaccine Czar”
Pathogenic priming
… and much more.
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Watch this revealing discussion …

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Read more related articles here
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TLB Editors Note: This is World Mercury Project on steroids! TLB highly recommends you click on the image below, visit this great website, and do whatever you can to help see this vital forum succeed … for the sake of our children !!! Please take the time to Sign up for free news and updates from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and the Children’s Health Defense. Your donation will help to support us in our efforts.
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This article: “Truth” with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. originated on the Children’s Health Defense site and is published here by contribution and with attribution to the articles author, the Children’s Health Defense Team and childrenshealthdefense.org
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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--2020-05-25--Feds ask to Investigate money from China to Biden Cntr at Penn University

Watchdog asks feds to investigate university , Biden center for millions in anonymous China donations A watchdog group is asking the U.S. Education Department to investigate the University of Pennsylvania and its Biden Center , a diplomacy and global engagement initiative named after the Democratic presidential candidate , for accepting millions of dollars in anonymous funds from Chinese donors .
The complaint , filed by the National Legal and Policy Center , says that over the past three years , the university has accepted around $ 22 million in anonymous funding from Chinese sources .
That ’ s out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million from Chinese donors during that time , the NLPC said .
Those significant funds , including the anonymous amounts , rolled in after the Biden Center was announced in early 2017 and launched in February 2018 .
The center is located in downtown Washington , D.C. Federal records show that the University of Pennsylvania has received significant donations from China since the opening of the center .
One 2018 donation alone totals $ 14.5 million ; it is listed as “ anonymous ” in federal records .
The NLPC alleges the university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those anonymous monetary donations .
The Higher Education Act mandates schools report the national origins of any donations above $ 250,000 although not necessarily the individual names of donors themselves .
Still , the NLPC is calling on the Education Department to “ conduct a full Investigation and Records Request of all monetary gifts and contracts that have been received by the University of Pennsylvania and its Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement from China sources.
” Neither the Biden campaign nor the Biden Center responded to requests for comment on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s media office also did not respond to a query .
‘ It ’ s not too hard to connect the dots ’ It is not immediately evident from Penn ’ s financial disclosures how much , if any , of those Chinese donations are going to the Biden Center .
Yet Paul Kamenar , a lawyer for the NLPC , told Just the News on Sunday that “ it ’ s not too hard to connect the dots.
” “ This is foreign money coming into the university .
It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he said via phone .
He noted that the university has a center called “ Penn Global ” with several sub-departments , one of which is the Penn Biden Center .
“ It ’ s just logical that it goes from the university to the university ’ s international global groups , of which the Biden center is one.
” Kamenar also highlighted the university ’ s 2020 Penn China Research Symposium , held near the end of January .
That symposium featured Ambassador Huang Ping , the Consul-General from New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one panel of that event , called “ China and the Future of Healthcare and Biotechnology , ” was a representative of the Penn Biden Center .
“ It ’ s not a stretch to conclude that the Penn Biden Center has to be getting money from somewhere .
They ’ re not holding bake sales to raise funds , ” Kamenar said .
“ Even if the source of the all the mega-millions of China donations are disclosed , depending on the terms and conditions of the grants , there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its Biden Center are violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act , ” he added , calling the matter “ a national security issue.
” Asked about the university ’ s outward compliance with the Higher Education Act , Kamenar ultimately framed the issue as part of a larger picture .
“ Regardless of the true source of the funds in China , the larger question for UoP and Biden Center is how beholden the university is to the millions pouring in from China , especially the $ 14.5 million that came soon after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding that the group is “ asking [ the Department of Education ] to conduct a full investigation and … get ALL the underlying gifts and contracts , conditions and all regardless of whether it has to be reported.
” The NLPC in its complaint specifically requested that the Education Department “ obtain and inspect all copies of the monetary gifts and contracts , whether or not listed as Anonymous , in order to determine what if any conditions or restrictions were or are placed on those gifts or contracts.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ donations over the contested time period , including a $ 2 million gift from Canada last year and a $ 1 million donation from Hong Kong .
( TLB ) published this article with permission of John Solomon at Just the News Some emphasis and pictorial content added by ( TLB ) Click Here to read about the staff at Just the News 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 )

Watchdog asks feds to investigate university, Biden center for millions in anonymous China donations
The group says the university is in violation of federal disclosure laws
By Daniel Payne
A watchdog group is asking the U.S. Education Department to investigate the University of Pennsylvania and its Biden Center, a diplomacy and global engagement initiative named after the Democratic presidential candidate, for accepting millions of dollars in anonymous funds from Chinese donors.
The complaint, filed by the National Legal and Policy Center, says that over the past three years, the university has accepted around $22 million in anonymous funding from Chinese sources. That’s out of a total of more than $70 million from Chinese donors during that time, the NLPC said.
Those significant funds, including the anonymous amounts, rolled in after the Biden Center was announced in early 2017 and launched in February 2018. The center is located in downtown Washington, D.C.
Federal records show that the University of Pennsylvania has received significant donations from China since the opening of the center. One 2018 donation alone totals $14.5 million; it is listed as “anonymous” in federal records.
The NLPC alleges the university may have violated federal law in accepting those anonymous monetary donations. The Higher Education Act mandates schools report the national origins of any donations above $250,000 although not necessarily the individual names of donors themselves.
Still, the NLPC is calling on the Education Department to “conduct a full Investigation and Records Request of all monetary gifts and contracts that have been received by the University of Pennsylvania and its Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement from China sources.”
Neither the Biden campaign nor the Biden Center responded to requests for comment on Sunday. The University of Pennsylvania’s media office also did not respond to a query.
‘It’s not too hard to connect the dots’
It is not immediately evident from Penn’s financial disclosures how much, if any, of those Chinese donations are going to the Biden Center. Yet Paul Kamenar, a lawyer for the NLPC, told Just the News on Sunday that “it’s not too hard to connect the dots.”
“This is foreign money coming into the university. It’s not going to their English department,” he said via phone. He noted that the university has a center called “Penn Global” with several sub-departments, one of which is the Penn Biden Center.
“It’s just logical that it goes from the university to the university’s international global groups, of which the Biden center is one.”
Kamenar also highlighted the university’s 2020 Penn China Research Symposium, held near the end of January. That symposium featured Ambassador Huang Ping, the Consul-General from New York’s Chinese consulate general. On one panel of that event, called “China and the Future of Healthcare and Biotechnology,” was a representative of the Penn Biden Center.
“It’s not a stretch to conclude that the Penn Biden Center has to be getting money from somewhere. They’re not holding bake sales to raise funds,” Kamenar said.
“Even if the source of the all the mega-millions of China donations are disclosed, depending on the terms and conditions of the grants, there’s a question of whether the University and its Biden Center are violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act,” he added, calling the matter “a national security issue.”
Asked about the university’s outward compliance with the Higher Education Act, Kamenar ultimately framed the issue as part of a larger picture.
“Regardless of the true source of the funds in China, the larger question for UoP and Biden Center is how beholden the university is to the millions pouring in from China, especially the $14.5 million that came soon after Biden Center opened?” he said, adding that the group is “asking [the Department of Education] to conduct a full investigation and … get ALL the underlying gifts and contracts, conditions and all regardless of whether it has to be reported.”
The NLPC in its complaint specifically requested that the Education Department “obtain and inspect all copies of the monetary gifts and contracts, whether or not listed as Anonymous, in order to determine what if any conditions or restrictions were or are placed on those gifts or contracts.”
The university has received numerous other anonymous international donations over the contested time period, including a $2 million gift from Canada last year and a $1 million donation from Hong Kong.
_________
*********
(TLB) published this article with permission of John Solomon at Just the News
Some emphasis and pictorial content added by (TLB)
Click Here to read about the staff at Just the News
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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)
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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.


thelibertybeacon--2020-05-25--Why Didn’t the 1958 and 1918 Pandemics Destroy the Economy?

Why Didn ’ t the 1958 and 1918 Pandemics Destroy the Economy ?
Hint : It ’ s the Lockdowns Media pundits and politicians are now in the habit of claiming it was the pandemic itself that has caused unemployment to skyrocket and economic growth to plummet .
The claim is that sick and dying workers , fearful consumers , and disrupted supply chains would cause economic chaos .
Some have even claimed that economic shutdowns actually help the economy , because it is claimed allowing the spread of the disease will itself destroy employment and economic growth .
Leaving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence lockdowns actually work , we can nonetheless look to past pandemics—where coercive government interventions were at most sporadic—we should see immense economic damage .
Specifically , we can look to the the pandemic of 1957-58 , which was more deadly than the COVID-19 pandemic has been so far .
We can also look to the 1918-19 pandemic .
Yet , we will see that neither produced economic damage on a scale we now see as a result of the government mandated lockdowns .
This thoroughly undermines the claims that the lockdowns are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and that the virus itself is the real culprit .
Economic Reactions in 1957–58 , and in 1918–19 The CDC estimates that as of May 18 this year approximately ninety thousand Americans have died of COVID-19 .
Adjusted for population size , that comes out to a mortality rate of 272 per million .
This is ( so far ) less than half the mortality rate for the 1957–58 flu pandemic .
In that pandemic , it is estimated that as many as 116,000 Americans died .
Yet , the US population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 175 million .
Adjusted for population size , mortality as a result of the “ Asian flu ” pandemic of 1957–58 was more than 660 per million .
That ’ s the equivalent of 220,000 deaths in the United States today .
Yet , Americans in 1957 did not respond by shutting down commerce , forcing people into “ lockdown , ” or driving unemployment up to Depression-era levels .
In fact , reports show that Americans took little action beyond the usual measures involved in trying to slow the spread of disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill , etc .
Although the virus does appear to have been a factor in the 1958 recession , the economic effects were miniscule compared to what the US now faces from the reaction to the COVID-19 virus .
This suggests that most of the economic damage now being experienced by workers and households in the US is more a product of the policy reaction to the virus than to the virus itself .
The pandemic of 1957–58 was a serious and deadly problem for many .
As cases of the Asian flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to many scientists and other observers that there was something different and deadly about this flu .
Indeed , according to D.A .
Henderson , et al in “ Public Health and Medical Responses to the 1957–58 Influenza Pandemic , “ Humans under 65 possessed no immunity to this H2N2 strain.
” This meant that the “ highest attack rates were in school-age children through young adults up to 35 or 40 years of age.
” Total deaths due to the flu over this period range from 70,000 to 116,000 .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least .
With younger Americans , many of them in prime working age , susceptible to the disease , one could anticipate significant costs in terms of economic growth and health .
What was the policy reaction to this ?
Henderson et al .
continue : In 1957–58 , there was concern over the availability of medical services .
But the emphasis then was on increasing medical services rather than state-enforced quarantines and “ social distancing ” measures .
Nor did a vaccine offer an easy way out : Schools and workplaces were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but absenteeism at schools was a larger factor , with some schools even closed for short periods as a result of so many missing students .
Absenteeism did not rise to the level of causing shortages : Overall , the economy declined by approximately 2 percent during both the first and second quarter of 1958 , but this could not all be attributed to the effects of the virus .
Unemployment at the time also surged , peaking at 7.5 percent during July 1958 .
Economic growth was positive again , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had soared to over 9 percent growth in 1959 .
Unemployment had fallen to 5 percent by June of 1959 .
But the overall economic impact of the virus itself was hardly disastrous .
Henderson , et al conclude : The 1918–19 pandemic , which caused an astounding ten times as many deaths per million as the 1957–58 pandemic , also failed to produce economic disaster .
Although the US entered the 1918–19 pandemic in poor economic shape thanks to the Great War , according to economists Efraim Benmelech and Carola Frydman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1921 recession , because “ by then the decline in output had all to do with a collapse in commodity prices when post-war European production finally recovered.
” Not surprisingly , then , we find relatively mild estimates in a 2009 World Bank report estimating the economic consequences of new pandemics .
The authors concluded that moderate and severe pandemics would lead to GDP declines of 2–5 percent .
Or , as a 2009 Reuters report summarized it : Not even a 1918-sized pandemic was expected to produce the sort of economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Needless to say , the economy today appears to be in far worse shape in the wake of the 2020 pandemic than in the days following the 1957–58 outbreak , or even in 1919 .
As of April 2020 , the unemployment rate has ballooned to 14.4 percent , the highest rate recorded since the Great Depression .
The Atlanta Federal Reserve , meanwhile , forecasts a drop in GDP of more than 40 percent .
More mild estimates suggest drops of 8 to 15 percent .
If the milder predictions prove true @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only ” the worst since the Great Depression .
If the Atlanta Fed is right , then we ’ re in an unprecedented economic disaster .
The World Bank ’ s estimates of even a “ severe ” pandemic , which predicted a GDP drop of around 5 percent , don ’ t even come close to the estimates for the 2020 collapse .
And why should they ?
The World Bank report didn ’ t anticipate the global economic shutdown imposed on billions of human beings by the world ’ s regimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimates assumed that economic losses would be limited to absenteeism , disrupted trade and travel , and declining demand due directly to disease or fear of disease .
So why the enormous difference in economic effects ?
The answer almost certainly lies in the fact that governments in 2020—unlike in any other period in American history—engaged in widespread business closures , “ stay-at-home ” orders , and other state-mandated and state-enforced actions that led to widespread layoffs and plummeting economic output .
Defenders of government-coerced “ lockdowns ” have insisted that fear of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even without lockdowns , but there is no historical precedent for this claim , and no current evidence to support it .
Although some survey data has been proffered to suggest that more than 60 percent of Americans say they plan to comply with stay-at-home orders , this merely tells us how people make plans when threatened with fines , police harassment , and other coercive measures .
In reality , the experience of the 1957–58 pandemic—or even the 1918–19 pandemic—gives us no reason to believe that joblessness should be increasing at unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catastrophic levels .
In a modern industrialized economy , that sort of economic damage is only achievable through government intervention , such as socialist coups , wars , and forced economic shutdowns in the name of combating disease .
The cost in terms of human life will be significant .
One study contends that the current economic downturn could lead to seventy-five thousand “ deaths of despair.
” This is not shocking , however , since the fatal effects of unemployment and economic decline have been known for decades .
Defenders of lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have no choice ” but to continue lockdowns for long periods of time .
At the very least , many claim that the lockdowns until now have been “ worth it.
” Yet the efficacy of lockdowns remains an open question , and has hardly been proven .
Meanwhile , the world faces the worst economic disaster experienced in centuries .
It didn ’ t have to be this way .
1.a .
b .
For example , Politico this week quotes an economist who says the disease itself is the cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic story really isn ’ t about lockdowns , and we ’ re going to make mistakes by pursuing that narrative .
It really is about the disease.
” ( TLB ) published this article with permission from the Mises Institute

Why Didn’t the 1958 and 1918 Pandemics Destroy the Economy? Hint: It’s the Lockdowns
Ryan McMaken
Media pundits and politicians are now in the habit of claiming it was the pandemic itself that has caused unemployment to skyrocket and economic growth to plummet. The claim is that sick and dying workers, fearful consumers, and disrupted supply chains would cause economic chaos. Some have even claimed that economic shutdowns actually help the economy, because it is claimed allowing the spread of the disease will itself destroy employment and economic growth.
Leaving aside the fact there’s no evidence lockdowns actually work, we can nonetheless look to past pandemics—where coercive government interventions were at most sporadic—we should see immense economic damage. Specifically, we can look to the the pandemic of 1957-58, which was more deadly than the COVID-19 pandemic has been so far. We can also look to the 1918-19 pandemic. Yet, we will see that neither produced economic damage on a scale we now see as a result of the government mandated lockdowns. This thoroughly undermines the claims that the lockdowns are only a minor factor in economic destruction, and that the virus itself is the real culprit.
Economic Reactions in 1957–58, and in 1918–19
The CDC estimates that as of May 18 this year approximately ninety thousand Americans have died of COVID-19. Adjusted for population size, that comes out to a mortality rate of 272 per million.
This is (so far) less than half the mortality rate for the 1957–58 flu pandemic. In that pandemic, it is estimated that as many as 116,000 Americans died. Yet, the US population was much smaller then, totaling only 175 million. Adjusted for population size, mortality as a result of the “Asian flu” pandemic of 1957–58 was more than 660 per million.
That’s the equivalent of 220,000 deaths in the United States today.
Yet, Americans in 1957 did not respond by shutting down commerce, forcing people into “lockdown,” or driving unemployment up to Depression-era levels. In fact, reports show that Americans took little action beyond the usual measures involved in trying to slow the spread of disease: hand washing, staying home when ill, etc.
Although the virus does appear to have been a factor in the 1958 recession, the economic effects were miniscule compared to what the US now faces from the reaction to the COVID-19 virus. This suggests that most of the economic damage now being experienced by workers and households in the US is more a product of the policy reaction to the virus than to the virus itself.
The pandemic of 1957–58 was a serious and deadly problem for many. As cases of the Asian flu began to spread, it became clear to many scientists and other observers that there was something different and deadly about this flu. Indeed, according to D.A. Henderson, et al in “Public Health and Medical Responses to the 1957–58 Influenza Pandemic, “Humans under 65 possessed no immunity to this H2N2 strain.” This meant that the “highest attack rates were in school-age children through young adults up to 35 or 40 years of age.” Total deaths due to the flu over this period range from 70,000 to 116,000. This is cause for concern, to say the least. With younger Americans, many of them in prime working age, susceptible to the disease, one could anticipate significant costs in terms of economic growth and health.
What was the policy reaction to this? Henderson et al. continue:
The 1957–58 pandemic was such a rapidly spreading disease that it became quickly apparent to U.S. health ofﬁcials that efforts to stop or slow its spread were futile. Thus, no efforts were made to quarantine individuals or groups, and a deliberate decision was made not to cancel or postpone large meetings such as conferences, church gatherings, or athletic events for the purpose of reducing transmission. No attempt was made to limit travel or to otherwise screen travelers. Emphasis was placed on providing medical care to those who were afﬂicted and on sustaining the continued functioning of community and health services….there were no reports that major events were canceled or postponed except for high school and college football games, which were often delayed because of the number of players afﬂicted.
In 1957–58, there was concern over the availability of medical services. But the emphasis then was on increasing medical services rather than state-enforced quarantines and “social distancing” measures. Nor did a vaccine offer an easy way out:
Health officers had hopes that significant supplies of vaccine might become available in due time, and special efforts were made to speed the production of vaccine, but the quantities that became available were too late to affect the impact of the epidemic.
Schools and workplaces were affected by absent students and workers, but absenteeism at schools was a larger factor, with some schools even closed for short periods as a result of so many missing students. Absenteeism did not rise to the level of causing shortages:
Available data on industrial absenteeism indicate that the rates were low and that there was no interruption of essential services or production. The overall impact on GDP was negligible and likely within the range of normal economic variation.
Overall, the economy declined by approximately 2 percent during both the first and second quarter of 1958, but this could not all be attributed to the effects of the virus. Unemployment at the time also surged, peaking at 7.5 percent during July 1958. Economic growth was positive again, however, by the fourth quarter of 1958 and had soared to over 9 percent growth in 1959. Unemployment had fallen to 5 percent by June of 1959.
But the overall economic impact of the virus itself was hardly disastrous. Henderson, et al conclude:
Despite the large numbers of cases, the 1957 outbreak did not appear to have a significant impact on the U.S. economy. For example, a Congressional Budget Office estimate found that a pandemic the scale of which occurred in 1957 would reduce real GDP by approximately 1% ‘‘but probably would not cause a recession and might not be distinguishable from the normal variation in economic activity.’’
The 1918–19 pandemic, which caused an astounding ten times as many deaths per million as the 1957–58 pandemic, also failed to produce economic disaster. Although the US entered the 1918–19 pandemic in poor economic shape thanks to the Great War, according to economists Efraim Benmelech and Carola Frydman,
The Spanish flu left almost no discernible mark on the aggregate US economy….According to some estimates, real gross national product actually grew in 1919, albeit by a modest 1% (Romer 1988). In new work, Velde (2020) shows that most indicators of aggregate economic activity suffered modestly, and those that did decline more significantly right after the influenza outbreak, like industrial output, recovered within months.
Nor can the pandemic be blamed for the 1921 recession, because “by then the decline in output had all to do with a collapse in commodity prices when post-war European production finally recovered.”
How Do Pandemics Affect Economic Growth?
Not surprisingly, then, we find relatively mild estimates in a 2009 World Bank report estimating the economic consequences of new pandemics. The authors concluded that moderate and severe pandemics would lead to GDP declines of 2–5 percent. Or, as a 2009 Reuters report summarized it:
If we get hit with something like the 1957 Asian flu, say goodbye to 2 percent of GDP. Something as bad as the 1918–19 Spanish flu would cut the world’s economic output by 4.8 percent and cost more than $3 trillion.
Not even a 1918-sized pandemic was expected to produce the sort of economic carnage we now see from COVID-19.
The Reaction in 2020
Needless to say, the economy today appears to be in far worse shape in the wake of the 2020 pandemic than in the days following the 1957–58 outbreak, or even in 1919.
As of April 2020, the unemployment rate has ballooned to 14.4 percent, the highest rate recorded since the Great Depression. The Atlanta Federal Reserve, meanwhile, forecasts a drop in GDP of more than 40 percent. More mild estimates suggest drops of 8 to 15 percent. If the milder predictions prove true, then the current downtown is “only” the worst since the Great Depression. If the Atlanta Fed is right, then we’re in an unprecedented economic disaster.
The World Bank’s estimates of even a “severe” pandemic, which predicted a GDP drop of around 5 percent, don’t even come close to the estimates for the 2020 collapse. And why should they? The World Bank report didn’t anticipate the global economic shutdown imposed on billions of human beings by the world’s regimes. Thus, the bank’s estimates assumed that economic losses would be limited to absenteeism, disrupted trade and travel, and declining demand due directly to disease or fear of disease.
So why the enormous difference in economic effects? The answer almost certainly lies in the fact that governments in 2020—unlike in any other period in American history—engaged in widespread business closures, “stay-at-home” orders, and other state-mandated and state-enforced actions that led to widespread layoffs and plummeting economic output.
Defenders of government-coerced “lockdowns” have insisted that fear of the virus would have destroyed the economy even without lockdowns, but there is no historical precedent for this claim, and no current evidence to support it. Although some survey data has been proffered to suggest that more than 60 percent of Americans say they plan to comply with stay-at-home orders, this merely tells us how people make plans when threatened with fines, police harassment, and other coercive measures.
In reality, the experience of the 1957–58 pandemic—or even the 1918–19 pandemic—gives us no reason to believe that joblessness should be increasing at unprecedented rates and that GDP would collapse by catastrophic levels. In a modern industrialized economy, that sort of economic damage is only achievable through government intervention, such as socialist coups, wars, and forced economic shutdowns in the name of combating disease.
The cost in terms of human life will be significant. One study contends that the current economic downturn could lead to seventy-five thousand “deaths of despair.” This is not shocking, however, since the fatal effects of unemployment and economic decline have been known for decades.
Defenders of lockdowns will likely continue to claim that “we have no choice” but to continue lockdowns for long periods of time. At the very least, many claim that the lockdowns until now have been “worth it.” Yet the efficacy of lockdowns remains an open question, and has hardly been proven. Meanwhile, the world faces the worst economic disaster experienced in centuries. It didn’t have to be this way.
1.a. b. For example, Politico this week quotes an economist who says the disease itself is the cause of the economic downturn. “The economic story really isn’t about lockdowns, and we’re going to make mistakes by pursuing that narrative. It really is about the disease.”
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(TLB) published this article with permission from the Mises Institute
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