thelibertybeacon--2020-04-17--Outrage Over Seizure of Coronavirus Relief Payments From Veterans

‘ Victory ’ : After Outrage Over Seizure of Coronavirus Relief Payments From Veterans , USAA Reverses Course Hours after David Dayen reported Thursday at The American Prospect that USAA was seizing coronavirus stimulus money from veterans with accounts at the financial institution , the bank reversed course , telling Dayen in a statement that the money seized would returned .
“ For members with negative deposit account balances , USAA will pause the collection of a negative account balance existing at the time their stimulus payment was deposited for 90 days , ” USAA spokesman Matthew Hartwig told Dayen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their full stimulus payment to help cover the costs of rent , food and other important necessities.
” As Dayen reported Thursday , while USAA ’ s decision is welcomed , it ’ s ultimately just one bank of many with the technical ability to seize the funds .
“ Only a global solution by Treasury can ensure that the payments get into the hands of individuals struggling to make ends meet and afford basic necessities , ” Dayen wrote .
“ A bank-by-bank or state-by-state solution will ultimately not protect everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week gave U.S. financial institutions the go-ahead to seize coronavirus stimulus payments to pay off individuals ’ outstanding debts , and one of the nation ’ s largest banks is reportedly already taking advantage of the green light .
“ USAA , the veteran-serving financial institution , took $ 3,400 in CARES Act payments from the family of a disabled veteran to offset an existing debt , denying the family emergency funds during a time of personal economic stress , ” David Dayen , executive editor of The American Prospect , reported Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a membership of around 13 million that is comprised largely of current and former members of the military and their families .
“ Text messages from USAA customers show that this is not an isolated incident , ” Dayen noted .
“ In fact , USAA is using a boilerplate statement to respond to customer complaints about taking their payments.
” The New York Times on Thursday also reported that USAA and other institutions are garnishing stimulus payments .
Consumer advocates warned about this possibility after Dayen revealed Tuesday that Ronda Kent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department ’ s Bureau of the Fiscal Service , told bankers in a webinar last week that “ there ’ s nothing in the law that precludes ” financial institutions from seizing stimulus payments to pay off a person ’ s existing debts .
The law Kent referenced was the CARES Act , a multi-trillion-dollar stimulus package President Donald Trump signed last month .
The CARES Act authorized one-time $ 1,200 payments to adults who earn less than $ 75,000 a year .
The law also approved an additional $ 500 for each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carrie , a 22-year-old mother of two from Minnesota whose husband was injured while serving in the military , told the Prospect that she doesn ’ t “ know where rent is going to come from ” now that USAA has seized her family ’ s $ 3,400 payment .
“ It was going to help my 18-month-old get her meds , ” Carrie said .
“ I ’ m at a loss for words , they don ’ t care.
” Common Defense , an advocacy group that represents veterans , called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ absolutely unacceptable ” and urged Congress to “ make it illegal.
” The CARES Act explicitly gives Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin the authority to exempt the coronavirus relief payments from debt collection by banks , but Mnuchin—a former Goldman Sachs executive—has yet to exercise that authority despite pressure from Democrats in Congress and state attorneys general .
Carrie provided the Prospect with a text exchange she had with a representative of USAA , who explained that Carrie ’ s coronavirus payment “ will be used to offset the amount owed ” on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Because the IRS still had Carrie ’ s USAA account on file , the agency sent the direct deposit there rather than to her new bank account at a different institution .
Dayen reported that Carrie said “ her family did run up some debt and get overdrawn after her husband was injured .
But they also experienced fraudulent use of the USAA account .
The bank concluded that the family did not have sufficient proof of fraud claims , and would be liable for $ 8,000 in charges.
” Adam Weinstein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editor at The New Republic , tweeted that he will cancel his USAA membership and urge his friends to do the same if the bank doesn ’ t reverse its seizure of coronavirus payments .
USAA , which is headquartered in San Antonio , has over 13 million members .
In a statement to the Prospect , Rep. Ilhan Omar ( D-Minn. ) called USAA ’ s behavior “ shameful ” and urged the Treasury Department to act .
“ This money was supposed to go to Minnesotans who are struggling and instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big banks who don ’ t need the cash , ” said Omar .
“ I , along with my colleagues in Congress , are doing everything we can to put an end to this .
The Treasury Department and the IRS have the authority to prohibit this cruelty , and they should.
” ( TLB ) published this article with permission from Common Dreams as written by Jake Johnson & Eoin Higgins The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate , and for this we are grateful and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 )

‘Victory’: After Outrage Over Seizure of Coronavirus Relief Payments From Veterans, USAA Reverses Course
The move by USAA, while welcomed, only makes the case for more oversight.
by Jake Johnson & Eoin Higgins via CommonDreams.org
Hours after David Dayen reported Thursday at The American Prospect that USAA was seizing coronavirus stimulus money from veterans with accounts at the financial institution, the bank reversed course, telling Dayen in a statement that the money seized would returned.
“For members with negative deposit account balances, USAA will pause the collection of a negative account balance existing at the time their stimulus payment was deposited for 90 days,” USAA spokesman Matthew Hartwig told Dayen. “This will allow members access to their full stimulus payment to help cover the costs of rent, food and other important necessities.”
VICTORY: in a statment, @USAA has announced that they have changed their policy and will no longer take stimulus payments and apply them to other debts. All money confiscated will be returned retroactively to customers. Here’s the statement: pic.twitter.com/rO5sXcLbfp — David Dayen (@ddayen) April 16, 2020
As Dayen reported Thursday, while USAA’s decision is welcomed, it’s ultimately just one bank of many with the technical ability to seize the funds.
“Only a global solution by Treasury can ensure that the payments get into the hands of individuals struggling to make ends meet and afford basic necessities,” Dayen wrote. “A bank-by-bank or state-by-state solution will ultimately not protect everyone in time.”
Original story below…
The Treasury Department last week gave U.S. financial institutions the go-ahead to seize coronavirus stimulus payments to pay off individuals’ outstanding debts, and one of the nation’s largest banks is reportedly already taking advantage of the green light.
“USAA, the veteran-serving financial institution, took $3,400 in CARES Act payments from the family of a disabled veteran to offset an existing debt, denying the family emergency funds during a time of personal economic stress,” David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, reported Thursday.
Headquartered in San Antonio, USAA has a membership of around 13 million that is comprised largely of current and former members of the military and their families.
“Text messages from USAA customers show that this is not an isolated incident,” Dayen noted. “In fact, USAA is using a boilerplate statement to respond to customer complaints about taking their payments.”
The New York Times on Thursday also reported that USAA and other institutions are garnishing stimulus payments.
Consumer advocates warned about this possibility after Dayen revealed Tuesday that Ronda Kent, chief disbursing officer at the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service, told bankers in a webinar last week that “there’s nothing in the law that precludes” financial institutions from seizing stimulus payments to pay off a person’s existing debts.
The law Kent referenced was the CARES Act, a multi-trillion-dollar stimulus package President Donald Trump signed last month. The CARES Act authorized one-time $1,200 payments to adults who earn less than $75,000 a year. The law also approved an additional $500 for each child under the age of 17.
Carrie, a 22-year-old mother of two from Minnesota whose husband was injured while serving in the military, told the Prospect that she doesn’t “know where rent is going to come from” now that USAA has seized her family’s $3,400 payment.
“It was going to help my 18-month-old get her meds,” Carrie said. “I’m at a loss for words, they don’t care.”
Common Defense, an advocacy group that represents veterans, called USAA’s seizure of stimulus payments “absolutely unacceptable” and urged Congress to “make it illegal.”
The CARES Act explicitly gives Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin the authority to exempt the coronavirus relief payments from debt collection by banks, but Mnuchin—a former Goldman Sachs executive—has yet to exercise that authority despite pressure from Democrats in Congress and state attorneys general.
.@USAA is confiscating the emergency $1200 Coronavirus checks from veterans & military families who have debt, leaving us struggling to survive during this crisis. This is absolutely unacceptable. @USAA must immediately reverse this practice, & Congress should make it illegal. https://t.co/0ti3Qjeu8U — Common Defense (@commondefense) April 16, 2020
Carrie provided the Prospect with a text exchange she had with a representative of USAA, who explained that Carrie’s coronavirus payment “will be used to offset the amount owed” on a USAA account she abandoned last year. Because the IRS still had Carrie’s USAA account on file, the agency sent the direct deposit there rather than to her new bank account at a different institution.
Dayen reported that Carrie said “her family did run up some debt and get overdrawn after her husband was injured. But they also experienced fraudulent use of the USAA account. The bank concluded that the family did not have sufficient proof of fraud claims, and would be liable for $8,000 in charges.”
Adam Weinstein, a Navy veteran and national security editor at The New Republic, tweeted that he will cancel his USAA membership and urge his friends to do the same if the bank doesn’t reverse its seizure of coronavirus payments. USAA, which is headquartered in San Antonio, has over 13 million members.
Reverse this now, @USAA, or I’ll pull my membership and accounts and encourage my friends to do the same thing https://t.co/MQFXppYL4J — Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) April 16, 2020
As the Times reported:
The phenomenon is swiftly becoming a political issue, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin fielding calls from senators urging him to ensure that relief money isn’t garnished. Banks are legally allowed to withhold funds that go into accounts that have negative balances, and no specific provision in the CARES Act, the $2 trillion relief package that authorized the stimulus payments, prevents banks from taking customers’ stimulus money to cover debts.
In a statement to the Prospect, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called USAA’s behavior “shameful” and urged the Treasury Department to act.
“This money was supposed to go to Minnesotans who are struggling and instead the administration is using it to help big banks who don’t need the cash,” said Omar. “I, along with my colleagues in Congress, are doing everything we can to put an end to this. The Treasury Department and the IRS have the authority to prohibit this cruelty, and they should.”
*********
(TLB) published this article with permission from Common Dreams as written by Jake Johnson & Eoin Higgins
••••
••••
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.


thelibertybeacon--2020-04-17--We Don’t Need To Live In A ‘Post-Coronavirus World’

We Don ’ t Need To Live In A ‘ Post-Coronavirus World ’ President George W Bush addresses his National Security Council , including Vice President Dick Cheney , Secretary of State Colin Powell , Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield , and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz , in a meeting at Camp David , Thurmont Maryland , September 15 , 2001 .
( Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images ) .
I don ’ t want to live in a post-coronavirus world .
I don ’ t want sinister officials insisting that nothing can ever be the same again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chorus of talk radio hosts accusing me of a “ March 10 mindset ” every time I raid the fridge without first hosing myself down in bleach .
I don ’ t want to conform my life to a color-coded public health scale that suddenly jumps from mauve to burnt sienna without explanation .
I don ’ t want to be exhorted to “ say something if I see something.
” I don ’ t want magnetic ribbons on the backs of cars .
I don ’ t want books with titles like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want a new government agency .
What I ’ d like is to live in a normal republic again .
These days , that ’ s asking a lot .
After 9/11 , we decided there was no going back to the way things were before .
We treated the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as a historical threshold , a wakeup call into a dangerous world through which we ’ d heretofore been sleepwalking .
The First Amendment and Fourth Amendment and Tenth Amendment might look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ d vanished into the shadow of the imperative to end terrorism .
In marched the TSA ’ s blue-clad elves , the NSA ’ s eavesdroppers , Department of Homeland Security employees looking lost .
Up went that rainbow terror scale and those yellow ribbons .
Prisoners abroad were tortured ; Dick Cheney tried to send the military to Lackawanna .
The entire world was suddenly our battlefield .
The ACLU might have objected , but Real Americans understood this was a war against evil , and that meant the bluntest tools in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now a new battle has been joined , this one against microbial imperialism .
A climate of fear has taken hold , perhaps even darker than the one that prevailed after 9/11 .
Back then , we worried terrorists might be plotting behind the hedge rows ; now the threat is literally impossible to see , with every one of our friends and neighbors a potential COVID carrier .
This has given way to , among other things , a culture of snitching , with self-anointed hall monitors ratting out their fellow citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parks .
In Connecticut , one “ mortified ” woman bragged about alerting the public after she saw people gathering on a golf course .
The snitch was so proud of herself that she gave the media her full name and hometown .
“ I threw some f-bombs , ” she assured everyone .
Such tattling , according to news reports , has been used not just to report social distancing scofflaws , but to exact revenge and settle scores .
And while the accused aren ’ t yet clattering on tumbrils off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re setting is ominous .
Civil society can ’ t function without a baseline of trust and restraint .
It certainly can ’ t function if Janet can call in a SWAT team on her coughing neighbor who just so happens to have ditched her at the prom back in 1973 .
Following 9/11 , everything was subordinated to the singular value of national security ; now it ’ s public health that reigns supreme .
Before its mantle , our constitutional rights have given way .
Last week , Kentucky Governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ services would have their license plate numbers recorded and be notified that they were committing misdemeanors .
Orange County issued an order last month banning “ all public and private gatherings of any number of people ” ( isn ’ t one a number ? )
.
And Governor Gretchen Whitmer has prohibited Michiganders from visiting relatives and large stores from selling such hazardous goods as carpeting and garden furniture .
Freedom of movement is being curtailed .
States are working to keep outsiders out .
The most amusing example of this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raimondo recently commanded that all drivers with New York license plates be pulled over and forced into quarantine .
It sounds like the kind of thing that was hatched up in a Boston bar after a fourth round of Sam Adams .
You know what we should do ?
Round up every one of them leaf-peepin ’ , pinstripe-wearin ’ bastihds and send them to that Cuban prison down theyeah .
Certainly every New England heart beats with a little fascism for the city to the southwest , but Raimondo ’ s order @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did eventually back off her New Yorker profiling initiative , but only in the sense that she expanded it to include every other state in the union .
None of this is to dismiss the kind of careful health-minded regulations that we need in place right now .
Large public gatherings really have facilitated the virus ’ s spread , whether among worshippers at megachurches or morons on spring break .
And with Gotham the COVID epicenter ( and Aaron Judge looking healthy again ) , it makes sense that certain states would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time being .
Still , we should bear in mind two stubborn facts , both of which call to mind the September 11 aftermath .
The first is that government authority is programmed to grow , never shrink .
I slightly depart here from the economist Robert Higgs , who ’ s been frequently cited since the pandemic began .
Higgs thought up what he called the ratchet effect , which holds that the state gains powers during a crisis , then surrenders only some of them afterwards , yielding a net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since 9/11 , the feds haven ’ t relinquished much of anything at all .
Instead an authorization for use of military force has become a permission slip for ever-expanding empire .
A gigantic surveillance apparatus has grown out of the NSA .
Fear begat action , which created precedent , which became the license for even more action .
Now we ’ re assured the current measures won ’ t beckon this way , that they ’ re only temporary .
Are we so sure ?
The second fact is that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inorganically .
That is to say , much of what we do under threat are things we ’ re inclined to do anyway .
Red Sox fans hauling away Yankees fans is only the cheekiest example of this .
Certainly the urge to snitch is deeply embedded within some of us , as so many totalitarian polities have demonstrated .
Rod Liddle expresses this well : “ There is a certain tranche of the population , ” he says , “ which yearns for its fellow citizens to be chastised , punished and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We ’ re also attracted to those civic-minded catchphrases , national security and public health—if we must conform , we prefer the line to be simple .
And of course , everyone wants to feel safe .
Authoritarianism , in other words , isn ’ t something artificially imposed ; its pieces naturally interlock at a time like this .
Fortunately , there ’ s another impulse that can check all the others : our aversion to being ordered around by beady-eyed authorities .
The impetus of Everything Must Change does eventually give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the liberty to exercise our habits again , a kind of human snapback mechanism .
Other problems arise that make the previous crisis seem obsolete .
When today Nurse Ratched comes on the Washington Metro intercom and encourages passengers to “ see it , say it , ” it sounds like an audio artifact from another time .
The constant state of emergency required for a post-9/11 culture can ’ t endure forever , if only because its towering restrictions and imperatives are incompatible with the mundanities of daily life .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ever get rolled back completely .
What lingers are the less tangible changes , the full-body scans that affect us only when we fly , the drone strikes we never see .
And that , I think , is the danger of a post-coronavirus world .
The restaurants will eventually reopen ; social distancing will end .
The snitches will go back to harassing smokers or whatever dreary things they otherwise do .
But in that invisible and unfelt space , something may be lost forever .
That could mean a more powerful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a clampdown on unhealthy and unpopular vices .
Or it could mean we ’ re just a little more atomized than we were before , unconsciously suspicious of the uncleanliness of others .
In a republic , the unseen and the seen both matter .
And the former especially has undergone more than enough radical transformation lately .
Yes , a return to normal will mean trusting Michigan residents to purchase lawn gnomes again .
But it sure beats another collective mental breakdown .

We Don’t Need To Live In A ‘Post-Coronavirus World’
Beware those who insist everything must change following a crisis.
President George W Bush addresses his National Security Council, including Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield, and Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, in a meeting at Camp David, Thurmont Maryland, September 15, 2001. (Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).
I don’t want to live in a post-coronavirus world. I don’t want sinister officials insisting that nothing can ever be the same again. I don’t want a chorus of talk radio hosts accusing me of a “March 10 mindset” every time I raid the fridge without first hosing myself down in bleach. I don’t want to conform my life to a color-coded public health scale that suddenly jumps from mauve to burnt sienna without explanation. I don’t want to be exhorted to “say something if I see something.” I don’t want magnetic ribbons on the backs of cars. I don’t want books with titles like Deliver Us From Illness. I don’t want a new government agency.
What I’d like is to live in a normal republic again. These days, that’s asking a lot.
After 9/11, we decided there was no going back to the way things were before. We treated the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as a historical threshold, a wakeup call into a dangerous world through which we’d heretofore been sleepwalking. The First Amendment and Fourth Amendment and Tenth Amendment might look nice on parchment, but they’d vanished into the shadow of the imperative to end terrorism. In marched the TSA’s blue-clad elves, the NSA’s eavesdroppers, Department of Homeland Security employees looking lost. Up went that rainbow terror scale and those yellow ribbons. Prisoners abroad were tortured; Dick Cheney tried to send the military to Lackawanna. The entire world was suddenly our battlefield. The ACLU might have objected, but Real Americans understood this was a war against evil, and that meant the bluntest tools in our kit needed to be utilized.
Now a new battle has been joined, this one against microbial imperialism. A climate of fear has taken hold, perhaps even darker than the one that prevailed after 9/11. Back then, we worried terrorists might be plotting behind the hedge rows; now the threat is literally impossible to see, with every one of our friends and neighbors a potential COVID carrier. This has given way to, among other things, a culture of snitching, with self-anointed hall monitors ratting out their fellow citizens for such depraved behavior as walking in parks. In Connecticut, one “mortified” woman bragged about alerting the public after she saw people gathering on a golf course. The snitch was so proud of herself that she gave the media her full name and hometown. “I threw some f-bombs,” she assured everyone.
Such tattling, according to news reports, has been used not just to report social distancing scofflaws, but to exact revenge and settle scores. And while the accused aren’t yet clattering on tumbrils off to the guillotine, the precedent we’re setting is ominous. Civil society can’t function without a baseline of trust and restraint. It certainly can’t function if Janet can call in a SWAT team on her coughing neighbor who just so happens to have ditched her at the prom back in 1973.
Following 9/11, everything was subordinated to the singular value of national security; now it’s public health that reigns supreme. Before its mantle, our constitutional rights have given way. Last week, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that anyone attending Easter services would have their license plate numbers recorded and be notified that they were committing misdemeanors. Orange County issued an order last month banning “all public and private gatherings of any number of people” (isn’t one a number?). And Governor Gretchen Whitmer has prohibited Michiganders from visiting relatives and large stores from selling such hazardous goods as carpeting and garden furniture.
Freedom of movement is being curtailed. States are working to keep outsiders out. The most amusing example of this is in Rhode Island, where Governor Gina Raimondo recently commanded that all drivers with New York license plates be pulled over and forced into quarantine. It sounds like the kind of thing that was hatched up in a Boston bar after a fourth round of Sam Adams. You know what we should do? Round up every one of them leaf-peepin’, pinstripe-wearin’ bastihds and send them to that Cuban prison down theyeah. Certainly every New England heart beats with a little fascism for the city to the southwest, but Raimondo’s order does seem like an overstep. She did eventually back off her New Yorker profiling initiative, but only in the sense that she expanded it to include every other state in the union.
None of this is to dismiss the kind of careful health-minded regulations that we need in place right now. Large public gatherings really have facilitated the virus’s spread, whether among worshippers at megachurches or morons on spring break. And with Gotham the COVID epicenter (and Aaron Judge looking healthy again), it makes sense that certain states would want to keep New Yorkers away for the time being.
Still, we should bear in mind two stubborn facts, both of which call to mind the September 11 aftermath. The first is that government authority is programmed to grow, never shrink. I slightly depart here from the economist Robert Higgs, who’s been frequently cited since the pandemic began. Higgs thought up what he called the ratchet effect, which holds that the state gains powers during a crisis, then surrenders only some of them afterwards, yielding a net growth in government. Yet at least since 9/11, the feds haven’t relinquished much of anything at all. Instead an authorization for use of military force has become a permission slip for ever-expanding empire. A gigantic surveillance apparatus has grown out of the NSA. Fear begat action, which created precedent, which became the license for even more action. Now we’re assured the current measures won’t beckon this way, that they’re only temporary. Are we so sure?
The second fact is that our responses to crises don’t arise inorganically. That is to say, much of what we do under threat are things we’re inclined to do anyway. Red Sox fans hauling away Yankees fans is only the cheekiest example of this. Certainly the urge to snitch is deeply embedded within some of us, as so many totalitarian polities have demonstrated. Rod Liddle expresses this well: “There is a certain tranche of the population,” he says, “which yearns for its fellow citizens to be chastised, punished and, if possible, banged up.” We’re also attracted to those civic-minded catchphrases, national security and public health—if we must conform, we prefer the line to be simple. And of course, everyone wants to feel safe. Authoritarianism, in other words, isn’t something artificially imposed; its pieces naturally interlock at a time like this.
Fortunately, there’s another impulse that can check all the others: our aversion to being ordered around by beady-eyed authorities. The impetus of Everything Must Change does eventually give way to a craving for normal, for the liberty to exercise our habits again, a kind of human snapback mechanism. Other problems arise that make the previous crisis seem obsolete. When today Nurse Ratched comes on the Washington Metro intercom and encourages passengers to “see it, say it,” it sounds like an audio artifact from another time. The constant state of emergency required for a post-9/11 culture can’t endure forever, if only because its towering restrictions and imperatives are incompatible with the mundanities of daily life.
Yet that doesn’t mean these paradigms ever get rolled back completely. What lingers are the less tangible changes, the full-body scans that affect us only when we fly, the drone strikes we never see. And that, I think, is the danger of a post-coronavirus world. The restaurants will eventually reopen; social distancing will end. The snitches will go back to harassing smokers or whatever dreary things they otherwise do. But in that invisible and unfelt space, something may be lost forever. That could mean a more powerful presidency or a heightened health surveillance network or a clampdown on unhealthy and unpopular vices. Or it could mean we’re just a little more atomized than we were before, unconsciously suspicious of the uncleanliness of others.
In a republic, the unseen and the seen both matter. And the former especially has undergone more than enough radical transformation lately. Yes, a return to normal will mean trusting Michigan residents to purchase lawn gnomes again. But it sure beats another collective mental breakdown.
___
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matt Purple is a senior editor at The American Conservative. email
••••
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.


thelibertybeacon--2020-04-17--The Film, “Dominion” – WARNING: You Might Cry

The Film , “ Dominion ” – WARNING : You Might Cry Before I watched this two hour documentary last night , I was 90 % vegan – for health reasons .
After I watched it , I was 100 % for reasons which went far beyond the state of my body .
Let me say first , I am not promoting veganism .
That is your decision totally .
What I AM presenting , however , in this highly graphic , un-doctored expose , described in painful detail , are the processes gone through to slaughter animals for food @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of most slaughter houses in this country and beyond , especially the huge commercial ones .
By the way , there are many other videos on this horror which shows how bad and widespread it is .
What we see in the supermarkets are those neat packages wrapped in plastic and we have some vague knowledge of the animals they once were , if we even think about it .
And we sure don ’ t want to think about it .
You have fonder memories of the pet farms kids are taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sweet lambs , horses , cows , pigs , etc .
As we watch them , do we stop and think – Gee I eat some of those all the time .
No .
And why not ?
Because that would be too painful and we prefer to think maybe they hatched overnight in the supermarket ?
Well , that ’ s what the kids might consider in between video games and we would hope they never ask where they came from .
But that is not exactly my point .
Again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ give up meat just because we can ’ t confront their slaughter .
After all , eons ago , animals were hunted and killed for food directly .
Of course , that was the only way it could be done but still , I ’ m talking about some extremely unnecessary and somewhat sadistic means of containing and killing animals .
I watched some of those workers positively gleeful as they bludgeoned pigs , cows , goats , etc .
One might wonder how they behave when they go home .
These slaughterhouses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public for the most part .
Is it because the meat and dairy industry simply just want the public to not have to deal with these deaths which make them uncomfortable and sad ?
And they will lose money if more people avoid meat ?
Or is it really because of the deplorable conditions the animals are forced to endure ?
Maybe both but I suspect more the latter .
In these startling scenes , I was drawn to images of Nazi concentration camps , only far worse .
People may say – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
I beg to differ .
I can ’ t think of any reason to treat a sentient animal with such cruelty .
All for profit .
Besides that , because the animals are so neglected and ill , they need to be fed antibiotics which humans ingest and get ill .
So the crime is much broader .
You might be thinking now – Sure , but there are humane slaughterhouses .
Yes , there are .
Here ’ s one in Australia where a very cordial , respectful talk went on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – who loves meat and eats the animals she helps kill .
I found that very hard to digest…so to speak .
At one point , he asked pointedly how she felt about being part of the killing .
She was very willing to discuss that with him , yet she looked uncomfortable throughout the interview .
I would say even sad as her underlying emotion .
It made me wonder why such a sweet person would pick a vocation like that .
Only thing I could think of is that it might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his question was disturbing to me .
She said , again uncomfortably , as if she couldn ’ t quite wrap any truth around it , was that “ Animals reactions are only learned behavior ” .
Huh ?
In other words , they have no emotions of their own .
Like robots ?
Some kind of artificial intelligence ?
It was clear to me this was a way to wall herself off from the reality of her job and a justification for it .
How many of you think your animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that what you think when they look at you with love and devotion ?
Is that why some dogs will lay at their master ’ s graves day after day in deep mourning ?
I read once of a bird who pecked at a window to wake someone up in a burning house – until it died but saved the person .
Just a learned response ?
Yesterday , as I watched one of these horrible scenes , my cat , who rarely pays attention to what is on my screen , got @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and watched with me , very still and startled .
At one point , he reached up a gentle hand toward the animal in pain .
That proved to me how empathetic animals can be .
How about when your dog or cat greets you with overwhelming affection when you come home ?
Did you command them to “ react ” that way ?
Do they just want food ?
I don ’ t think so , at least from my own experience .
I believe they feel the same emotion that humans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions don ’ t mean I am on a bandwagon for everyone to stop eating meat , even just to protest inhumane slaughterhouses .
That would border into the area of violating human rights .
But I put forth this issue because , even after watching the “ humane ” way a cow was killed in the below video , I was disturbed .
What does it mean when we have to divorce ourselves from the origin of those neat little packages at the supermarket ?
Have we just become wimps compared to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reality of hunting ?
Or possibly the act of witnessing these slaughters reminds us too much of its cousin – murder .
I just wonder if that ’ s all there is to it .
But , slaughter is actually a synonym for murder or killing .
Just a thought .
Here ’ s an even more humane view I ’ ve seen of a cow ’ s slaughter .
On a grass-fed farm , they are free to roam free their entire lives , mostly illness-free , until they are shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guys have to smother their affinity for them ?
Do they consider them just dumb , useless animals only fit for food ?
It was still difficult to watch the whole procedure .
Personally , I would want to make all of them pets .
Or just use them to produce milk and let them be until they die naturally .
Here ’ s the scene too often occurring in this country and others .
From a Rolling Stone article – In the Belly of the Beast-Meat Factory Farms Animal Activists , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In my opinion , people in this country eat far too much meat and very little fruit and vegetables which is unhealthy and helps create serious illnesses .
On top of that , many eat these animals raised in appalling conditions , horribly unhealthy themselves and simply pass it on .
This video explains the statistics on our meat consumption .
Whether you are vegan or not , these figures spell destruction of the environment and bad health from too much meat .
I ’ m just offering data to consider the ethics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consumption and meat produced in the above conditions .
The meat and dairy industry has certainly been attacked for its money-motivated intention rather than the health of its consumers .
From the article below linking politics with large meat consumption , “ the meat industry has historically had “ huge influence ” on USDA … ” All of life is precious , even cockroaches , according to this article .
However , I ’ ll pass on keeping them around as buddies .
Just because cows , pigs , chickens and goats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people than food does not mean we should condone their suffering or ignore it .
Read more great articles by Lucille here

The Film, “Dominion” – WARNING: You Might Cry
Commentary by: TLB Staff Writer Lucille Femine
Before I watched this two hour documentary last night, I was 90% vegan – for health reasons. After I watched it, I was 100% for reasons which went far beyond the state of my body.
Let me say first, I am not promoting veganism. That is your decision totally. What I AM presenting, however, in this highly graphic, un-doctored expose, described in painful detail, are the processes gone through to slaughter animals for food, cosmetics and experimentation – the state of most slaughter houses in this country and beyond, especially the huge commercial ones.
By the way, there are many other videos on this horror which shows how bad and widespread it is.
The documentary:
What we see in the supermarkets are those neat packages wrapped in plastic and we have some vague knowledge of the animals they once were, if we even think about it. And we sure don’t want to think about it.
You have fonder memories of the pet farms kids are taken to where they get to enjoy the sweet lambs, horses, cows, pigs, etc. As we watch them, do we stop and think – Gee I eat some of those all the time. No. And why not? Because that would be too painful and we prefer to think maybe they hatched overnight in the supermarket?
Well, that’s what the kids might consider in between video games and we would hope they never ask where they came from.
But that is not exactly my point. Again, I’m not asking anyone to give up meat just because we can’t confront their slaughter. After all, eons ago, animals were hunted and killed for food directly. Of course, that was the only way it could be done but still, I’m talking about some extremely unnecessary and somewhat sadistic means of containing and killing animals. I watched some of those workers positively gleeful as they bludgeoned pigs, cows, goats, etc. One might wonder how they behave when they go home.
These slaughterhouses are kept secret and barred from the public for the most part. Is it because the meat and dairy industry simply just want the public to not have to deal with these deaths which make them uncomfortable and sad? And they will lose money if more people avoid meat? Or is it really because of the deplorable conditions the animals are forced to endure? Maybe both but I suspect more the latter.
In these startling scenes, I was drawn to images of Nazi concentration camps, only far worse. People may say – Well, they’re just animals! I beg to differ. I can’t think of any reason to treat a sentient animal with such cruelty. All for profit. Besides that, because the animals are so neglected and ill, they need to be fed antibiotics which humans ingest and get ill. So the crime is much broader.
You might be thinking now – Sure, but there are humane slaughterhouses. Yes, there are. Here’s one in Australia where a very cordial, respectful talk went on between a vegan and a slaughterhouse worker – who loves meat and eats the animals she helps kill. I found that very hard to digest…so to speak.
At one point, he asked pointedly how she felt about being part of the killing. She was very willing to discuss that with him, yet she looked uncomfortable throughout the interview. I would say even sad as her underlying emotion. It made me wonder why such a sweet person would pick a vocation like that. Only thing I could think of is that it might be in the family.
The answer to his question was disturbing to me. She said, again uncomfortably, as if she couldn’t quite wrap any truth around it, was that “Animals reactions are only learned behavior”. Huh? In other words, they have no emotions of their own. Like robots? Some kind of artificial intelligence? It was clear to me this was a way to wall herself off from the reality of her job and a justification for it.
How many of you think your animals are only mimicking YOUR emotions? Is that what you think when they look at you with love and devotion? Is that why some dogs will lay at their master’s graves day after day in deep mourning?
I read once of a bird who pecked at a window to wake someone up in a burning house – until it died but saved the person. Just a learned response?
Yesterday, as I watched one of these horrible scenes, my cat, who rarely pays attention to what is on my screen, got up really close for a long time and watched with me, very still and startled. At one point, he reached up a gentle hand toward the animal in pain. That proved to me how empathetic animals can be.
How about when your dog or cat greets you with overwhelming affection when you come home? Did you command them to “react” that way? Do they just want food? I don’t think so, at least from my own experience. I believe they feel the same emotion that humans exhibit toward each other.
All those questions don’t mean I am on a bandwagon for everyone to stop eating meat, even just to protest inhumane slaughterhouses. That would border into the area of violating human rights. But I put forth this issue because, even after watching the “humane” way a cow was killed in the below video, I was disturbed.
What does it mean when we have to divorce ourselves from the origin of those neat little packages at the supermarket? Have we just become wimps compared to our ancient ancestors who “faced” the reality of hunting?
Or possibly the act of witnessing these slaughters reminds us too much of its cousin – murder. I just wonder if that’s all there is to it. But, slaughter is actually a synonym for murder or killing. Just a thought.
Here’s the video:
Here’s an even more humane view I’ve seen of a cow’s slaughter. On a grass-fed farm, they are free to roam free their entire lives, mostly illness-free, until they are shot and gutted. Regardless, do these guys have to smother their affinity for them? Do they consider them just dumb, useless animals only fit for food?
It was still difficult to watch the whole procedure. Personally, I would want to make all of them pets. Or just use them to produce milk and let them be until they die naturally.
Here’s the scene too often occurring in this country and others. From a Rolling Stone article – In the Belly of the Beast-Meat Factory Farms Animal Activists, the fate of pigs, for one:
“That hour before her end is usually the only time a pig sees a government rep; from the moment she’s born, she’s on her own, spending four or five years in a tiny crate and kept perpetually pregnant and made sick from breathing in her own waste while fed food packed with growth-promoting drugs, and sometimes even garbage.”
In my opinion, people in this country eat far too much meat and very little fruit and vegetables which is unhealthy and helps create serious illnesses. On top of that, many eat these animals raised in appalling conditions, horribly unhealthy themselves and simply pass it on.
This video explains the statistics on our meat consumption. Whether you are vegan or not, these figures spell destruction of the environment and bad health from too much meat.
I’m just offering data to consider the ethics and health aspects of too much meat consumption and meat produced in the above conditions. The meat and dairy industry has certainly been attacked for its money-motivated intention rather than the health of its consumers.
From the article below linking politics with large meat consumption, “the meat industry has historically had “huge influence” on USDA …”
All of life is precious, even cockroaches, according to this article. However, I’ll pass on keeping them around as buddies.
Just because cows, pigs, chickens and goats, etc have no other purpose for most people than food does not mean we should condone their suffering or ignore it.
••••
TLB Note: Lucille Femine is a longtime, highly valued TLB Staff member. She is also an author, writer, researcher, activist, and an exceptional artist to boot! To enjoy more of Lucille’s wisdom, research and presentation … CLICK HERE
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Read more great articles by Lucille here
••••
The Dark Lane – A Great Novel By Author & Artist: Lucille Femine A fictional story yet one all too true in the world of psychiatric drugs. Two brilliant, young boys forced to take these drugs and the resultant havoc on their physical, emotional and spiritual selves. The fight is on to save them. (click on the image below to find out more about this outstanding book)
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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.


thelibertybeacon--2020-04-17--Protests against Lockdowns: Here They Come [Jon Rappoport commentary]

Protests against Lockdowns : Here They Come The Chinese regime broke the ice by imprisoning 50 million people at the start of Operation Fake Pandemic .
It sent a signal to the fascist CDC and World Health Organization that they could command huge imprisonments in other countries .
Well now , in America , a different kind of ice is being broken .
—The resistance against the imprisonment , against the economic devastation , against the loss of freedom .
The governors of American states are behaving like the governors of the original colonies , taking their orders from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power is the CDC , the World Health Organization , and by extension , the United Nations , of which the WHO is a branch .
Yes , a bloodless coup has already occurred .
The UN , in particular , has stated in a thousand different ways that it wants the US , and every nation , to bow to a world authority .
The current strategy is medical .
If climate change didn ’ t do the trick , try another angle .
Americans may have their own lesson to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bill Gates hadn ’ t bought off the whole country yet .
The Telegraph , UK , April 16 : “ Release us !
’ Anti-lockdown protests break out across America , with some featuring flags and guns ” “ Four states see protests with more to come as critics target governors and demand their constitutional rights ” “ In Kentucky the protesters chanted ‘ we want to work ’ and ‘ facts over fear ’ .
In Michigan some carried rifles with their US flags as the snow fell.
” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowds gathered in Ohio , while in North Carolina a woman led away by the police shouted ‘ God Bless America ’ .
” “ Right across the United States , a country now in its second month of tight restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19 , small but vocal protests have begun to spring up.
” “ These anti-quarantine gatherings , emerging amid unprecedented surges in unemployment , are happening at state capitals and often targeted at governors.
” “ The common thread is a demand for orders keeping people at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , thereby helping a US economy choked off by the lockdowns.
” “ Many of the signs and shouts accuse the state governments of overreach – a clue , perhaps , as to why such protests are being seen in America but not yet in Britain.
” “ Suspicion of big government is deeply rooted in a country born from revolution and a point of pride on the Right , where many of the protests appear to be emanating from.
” “ It may also reflect frustration voiced by Donald Trump , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lift restrictions and at times bemoaned scientific advisers pushing social distancing rules.
” “ On Wednesday the US president was set to share with governors his administration ’ s guidance on how to open back up society after the ‘ Great Lockdown ’ .
” “ In recent days Mr Trump has stuck an upbeat tone , talking of ‘ light at the end of the tunnel ’ and saying on Wednesday that America had passed its peak of Covid-19 cases.
” “ One of the biggest protests occurred in Michigan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ star in the Democratic Party and has clashed with Mr Trump in recent weeks.
” “ Thousands of people descended on the Michigan Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday , many sitting in cars and honking horns in what was dubbed ‘ Operation Gridlock ’ .
” “ One poster read ‘ hands off our citizens !
!
!
’ .
Another declared ‘ I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery ’ .
A third just had two words written : ‘ Release us !
’ ” “ Some of those present said Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictive , stifling the economy and unfairly undermining personal liberty.
” “ [ A ] woman who spent some of the protest waving the stars and stripes from the back of a pick-up truck had been impacted by job losses.
” “ ’ Our community is struggling .
My husband is on unemployment [ benefits ] for the first time in our life , ’ she said .
‘ We want to go back to work ’ .
” “ Michigan has been one of the US states hardest hit by the financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a quarter of the workforce filing for unemployment.
” “ Right across America record job losses are being recorded .
On Thursday it was announced 5.2 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week.
” “ That takes the four-week total up to 22 million , or around one in eight people working a month ago .
It is unlike anything seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s.
” “ In Kentucky , another Democratic governor , Andy Beshear , was the target of criticism as around 100 protesters voiced their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ They chanted ‘ open up Kentucky ’ and ‘ you ’ re not a king , we won ’ t kiss your ring ’ , sometimes through megaphones , as the governor tried to brief the press on the outbreak… ” —For one of their International Youth days , the United Nations cooked up the slogan , “ Change Our World.
” Through their World Health Organization , they ’ re trying all right .
But the phrase is so weak .
Maybe I can help them out .
—Workers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing to lose but your chains .
Remember that one ?
Doesn ’ t really gain traction when the first step is firing all the workers from their jobs .
How about one people , one country , one leader , Hitler ’ s contribution .
No thanks .
There ’ s always Stalin ’ s gem : a single death is a tragedy , a million deaths is a statistic .
No , let ’ s leave Joe and Mao and Adolf in the dustbin of lunatics .
So what else ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Far reaching implications .
Those protestors in Michigan and Kentucky and Ohio and North Carolina .
They ’ re peculiar .
They ’ re not behaving like robots wearing medical masks .
They ’ re acting like… live humans .
Humans who are free .
( TLB ) published this original article from the blog of Jon Rappoport with our appreciation for his contribution to raise health and freedom awareness .
Jon Rappoport is the author of three explosive collections , THE MATRIX REVEALED , EXIT FROM THE MATRIX , and POWER OUTSIDE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California .
He maintains a consulting practice for private clients , the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power .
Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize , he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years , writing articles on politics , medicine , and health for CBS Healthwatch , LA Weekly , Spin Magazine , Stern , and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe .
Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics , health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ audiences around the world .
You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here .
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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 .

Protests against Lockdowns: Here They Come
“The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.” — Edmund Burke, 1784.
Jon Rappoport
The Chinese regime broke the ice by imprisoning 50 million people at the start of Operation Fake Pandemic. It sent a signal to the fascist CDC and World Health Organization that they could command huge imprisonments in other countries.
Well now, in America, a different kind of ice is being broken. —The resistance against the imprisonment, against the economic devastation, against the loss of freedom.
The governors of American states are behaving like the governors of the original colonies, taking their orders from a foreign power. In this case, the power is the CDC, the World Health Organization, and by extension, the United Nations, of which the WHO is a branch.
Yes, a bloodless coup has already occurred.
The UN, in particular, has stated in a thousand different ways that it wants the US, and every nation, to bow to a world authority. The current strategy is medical. If climate change didn’t do the trick, try another angle.
“This will teach the Americans a lesson.”
Americans may have their own lesson to teach.
The last time I looked, Bill Gates hadn’t bought off the whole country yet.
The Telegraph, UK, April 16: “Release us!’ Anti-lockdown protests break out across America, with some featuring flags and guns”
“Four states see protests with more to come as critics target governors and demand their constitutional rights”
“In Kentucky the protesters chanted ‘we want to work’ and ‘facts over fear’. In Michigan some carried rifles with their US flags as the snow fell.”
“There were Trump caps visible among the crowds gathered in Ohio, while in North Carolina a woman led away by the police shouted ‘God Bless America’.”
“Right across the United States, a country now in its second month of tight restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19, small but vocal protests have begun to spring up.”
“These anti-quarantine gatherings, emerging amid unprecedented surges in unemployment, are happening at state capitals and often targeted at governors.”
“The common thread is a demand for orders keeping people at home and businesses shut to be loosened, thereby helping a US economy choked off by the lockdowns.”
“Many of the signs and shouts accuse the state governments of overreach – a clue, perhaps, as to why such protests are being seen in America but not yet in Britain.”
“Suspicion of big government is deeply rooted in a country born from revolution and a point of pride on the Right, where many of the protests appear to be emanating from.”
“It may also reflect frustration voiced by Donald Trump, who has made no secret of his desire to lift restrictions and at times bemoaned scientific advisers pushing social distancing rules.”
“On Wednesday the US president was set to share with governors his administration’s guidance on how to open back up society after the ‘Great Lockdown’.”
“In recent days Mr Trump has stuck an upbeat tone, talking of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ and saying on Wednesday that America had passed its peak of Covid-19 cases.”
“One of the biggest protests occurred in Michigan, whose governor Gretchen Whitmer is a rising star in the Democratic Party and has clashed with Mr Trump in recent weeks.”
“Thousands of people descended on the Michigan Capitol in Lansing on Wednesday, many sitting in cars and honking horns in what was dubbed ‘Operation Gridlock’.”
“One poster read ‘hands off our citizens!!!’. Another declared ‘I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery’. A third just had two words written: ‘Release us!’”
“Some of those present said Ms Whitmer’s stay-at-home order was too restrictive, stifling the economy and unfairly undermining personal liberty.”
“[A] woman who spent some of the protest waving the stars and stripes from the back of a pick-up truck had been impacted by job losses.”
“’Our community is struggling. My husband is on unemployment [benefits] for the first time in our life,’ she said. ‘We want to go back to work’.”
“Michigan has been one of the US states hardest hit by the financial deep-freeze caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with a quarter of the workforce filing for unemployment.”
“Right across America record job losses are being recorded. On Thursday it was announced 5.2 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week.”
“That takes the four-week total up to 22 million, or around one in eight people working a month ago. It is unlike anything seen since the Great Depression in the 1930s.”
“In Kentucky, another Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, was the target of criticism as around 100 protesters voiced their disapproval at the state Capitol in Frankfort.”
“They chanted ‘open up Kentucky’ and ‘you’re not a king, we won’t kiss your ring’, sometimes through megaphones, as the governor tried to brief the press on the outbreak…”
—For one of their International Youth days, the United Nations cooked up the slogan, “Change Our World.” Through their World Health Organization, they’re trying all right. But the phrase is so weak. Maybe I can help them out.
—Workers of the world, unite. You have nothing to lose but your chains. Remember that one? Doesn’t really gain traction when the first step is firing all the workers from their jobs. How about one people, one country, one leader, Hitler’s contribution. No thanks. There’s always Stalin’s gem: a single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic. No, let’s leave Joe and Mao and Adolf in the dustbin of lunatics. So what else?
I like the simple: LIBERTY.
It ripples. It has waves. Far reaching implications.
Those protestors in Michigan and Kentucky and Ohio and North Carolina. They’re peculiar. They’re not behaving like robots wearing medical masks. They’re acting like… live humans. Humans who are free.
*********
(TLB) published this original article from the blog of Jon Rappoport with our appreciation for his contribution to raise health and freedom awareness.
Jon Rappoport is the author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here.
••••
••••
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.


thelibertybeacon--2020-04-17--SECRET MILITARY TASK FORCE PREPARES TO SECURE THE CAPITAL

EXCLUSIVE : AS WASHINGTON DC FACES CORONAVIRUS SPIKE , SECRET MILITARY TASK FORCE PREPARES TO SECURE THE CAPITAL District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser yesterday ordered a one-month extension of the state of emergency , as cases in the region grow at a rapid pace .
Federal officials in the nation ’ s capital expect a New York-like epidemic in the District , Maryland and Virginia , one that could potentially cripple the government .
“ No one wants to talk evacuation , especially when there ’ s nowhere to go , ” says a senior military officer working on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record .
But a little-known military task force charged with evacuating Washington has already been activated , a task force charged with the most sensitive government mission of “ securing ” Washington in the face of attackers , foreign and domestic—and if necessary , moving White House and other key government offices to alternate locations .
Activated on March 16 , Joint Task Force National Capital Region ( JTF-NCR ) is chartered to “ defend ” Washington on land , in the air @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The special task force , the only one of its kind in the country , demonstrates how there are two sides of government preparedness .
The public face , and even the day-to-day work of most men and women assigned to JTF-NCR , is the same as it is everywhere else in the country—medical support , delivering supplies , manning health-check stations .
But behind the scenes , JTF-NCR is responsible for what the military calls “ homeland defense ” : what to do in the face of an armed attack on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s skies to preparing for the civil unrest that could occur if a nuclear weapon were detonated in the capital .
But most immediate , JTF-NCR is charged with facilitating continuity of government , particularly moving civil and military leaders to secret locations were the order given to evacuate the city .
Ever since National Guards started to activate countrywide , Pentagon officials have insisted that men and women in uniform are not conducting secret missions and that they will not administer or enforce “ stay at home ” quarantines .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ articles in Newsweek , about martial law or other extreme contingency plans , arguing that the Guard remains under strict control of state governors , while federal troops support civil agencies like FEMA .
And yet the activation of Joint Task Force National Capital Region , including almost 10,000 uniformed personnel to carry out its special orders , contradicts those assurances .
JTF-NCR is not only real and operating , reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense for some of its mission , but some of its units are already on 24/7 alert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kept out of coronavirus support duties to ensure their readiness .
Ready to protect the U.S. capital : The 106th Aviation Battalion prepares to leave for Washington D.C. on March 12th .
On March 12 , families and friends gathered at a Decatur , Illinois , National Guard armory to say their goodbyes to guardsmen and women who were shipping out .
“ This is my first time getting to do something big for my country , ” Alycia Thomas , 29 , an Army Specialist from Peoria , told the local Herald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was that two Blackhawk helicopter companies of the 106th Aviation Battalion were headed to Fort Belvoir , in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington , DC .
There , “ something big ” was a special assignment in support of Joint Task Force–National Capital Region .
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 .
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EXCLUSIVE: AS WASHINGTON DC FACES CORONAVIRUS SPIKE, SECRET MILITARY TASK FORCE PREPARES TO SECURE THE CAPITAL
Newsweek
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser yesterday ordered a one-month extension of the state of emergency, as cases in the region grow at a rapid pace. Federal officials in the nation’s capital expect a New York-like epidemic in the District, Maryland and Virginia, one that could potentially cripple the government.
“No one wants to talk evacuation, especially when there’s nowhere to go,” says a senior military officer working on continuity of government planning; he requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record.
But a little-known military task force charged with evacuating Washington has already been activated, a task force charged with the most sensitive government mission of “securing” Washington in the face of attackers, foreign and domestic—and if necessary, moving White House and other key government offices to alternate locations.
Activated on March 16, Joint Task Force National Capital Region (JTF-NCR) is chartered to “defend” Washington on land, in the air, and even on its waterfronts. The special task force, the only one of its kind in the country, demonstrates how there are two sides of government preparedness. The public face, and even the day-to-day work of most men and women assigned to JTF-NCR, is the same as it is everywhere else in the country—medical support, delivering supplies, manning health-check stations.
But behind the scenes, JTF-NCR is responsible for what the military calls “homeland defense”: what to do in the face of an armed attack on the United States, everything from guarding Washington’s skies to preparing for the civil unrest that could occur if a nuclear weapon were detonated in the capital. But most immediate, JTF-NCR is charged with facilitating continuity of government, particularly moving civil and military leaders to secret locations were the order given to evacuate the city.
Ever since National Guards started to activate countrywide, Pentagon officials have insisted that men and women in uniform are not conducting secret missions and that they will not administer or enforce “stay at home” quarantines. The Pentagon has also rejected reports, including articles in Newsweek, about martial law or other extreme contingency plans, arguing that the Guard remains under strict control of state governors, while federal troops support civil agencies like FEMA.
And yet the activation of Joint Task Force National Capital Region, including almost 10,000 uniformed personnel to carry out its special orders, contradicts those assurances. JTF-NCR is not only real and operating, reporting directly to the Secretary of Defense for some of its mission, but some of its units are already on 24/7 alert, specially sequestered on military bases and kept out of coronavirus support duties to ensure their readiness.
Ready to protect the U.S. capital: The 106th Aviation Battalion prepares to leave for Washington D.C. on March 12th. PUBLIC DOMAIIN
On March 12, families and friends gathered at a Decatur, Illinois, National Guard armory to say their goodbyes to guardsmen and women who were shipping out.
“This is my first time getting to do something big for my country,” Alycia Thomas, 29, an Army Specialist from Peoria, told the local Herald & Review.
All anyone would say was that two Blackhawk helicopter companies of the 106th Aviation Battalion were headed to Fort Belvoir, in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. There, “something big” was a special assignment in support of Joint Task Force–National Capital Region.
(TLB) added/edited for emphasis and pictorial content
Featured Image credit/ALEX EDELMAN/GETTY IMAGES
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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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