wnd--2020-02-21--Debate aftermath: Bernie is now Dems' best chance in November

After watching the Las Vegas Democratic debate , it 's becoming less and less clear how the Democrats plan to defeat , or even challenge , President Donald Trump this fall .
As a conservative Republican watching just for kicks , the debate was amazing – tons of drama and entertainment value .
But if you are a Democrat committed to getting rid of Trump , it was probably not so much fun .
In fact , it had to have been depressing to watch .
There were fireworks and interesting story lines , but when the smoke cleared , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Sen. Elizabeth Warren came out scorching against Michael Bloomberg : `` So I 'd like to talk about who we 're running against , a billionaire who calls women 'fat broads ' and 'horse-faced lesbians . '
And , no , I 'm not talking about Donald Trump .
I 'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg , '' she said .
Bloomberg 's response ?
Not a word .
He just took it .
It left you wondering : Who advised Bloomberg to get into this debate ?
Bloomberg was chugging along , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented campaign , consisting of an advertising onslaught and nothing else , was actually working .
But then someone decided Bloomberg should pay off the Democratic National Committee to change their debate qualification rules so he could participate .
Besides the obvious corruption of allowing Bloomberg , one of the committee 's biggest donors , to change a policy that was not changed for a sitting U.S. senator like Cory Booker , it 's pretty clear this strategy backfired on Bloomberg .
He could have and should have used the DNC 's debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer .
Bloomberg took hits all night for his stop-and-frisk policies , his tax returns , his Republican past , his wealth and a host of other issues .
On his record with women Bloomberg looked especially bad – not-ready-for-prime-time bad .
He looked guilty , nervous and flat-out unprepared for the onslaught he faced .
Like many other powerful people , he appears to live a life where he just is n't challenged very often .
Bloomberg had a shocked `` I ca n't believe anyone 's talking to me like this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the night .
It was a little like the look on Jeb Bush 's face when Trump first went after him during the 2016 debates .
There was complete malpractice by Bloomberg 's massive staff in preparing him for this debate .
The overall impression was a guy who 's just not ready for such a big stage .
Bloomberg 's huge bankroll – along with the desire of many Democrats to find an electable alternative to Trump – gives him plenty of opportunity to recover , but this was not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Voters ready 'to jail ' those who illegally targeted Trump Joe Biden is becoming a sad afterthought .
He 's slid so much the others barely even bother attacking him .
He 's perilously close to becoming the `` Saturday Night Live '' caricature of himself .
There 's no coming back when you cross that line .
Ask Sarah Palin .
As Biden slips away , it 's important to remember that Barack Obama could have helped him at any point – but refused .
Biden was Obama 's loyal junior partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treated very well by Team Obama , a pattern that 's continuing now .
Obama clearly does n't think Biden 's up to the job , and based on his performance to date , it 's hard to disagree .
Unless you think Pete Buttigieg , Elizabeth Warren or Amy Klobuchar have a real shot at the nomination , that leaves Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Is America ready for a socialist president who honeymooned in the Soviet Union ?
Sadly , that may be a real possibility .
Sanders helped himself a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coherent worldview , and at a time when every financial , academic , political and media institution in America is endangered by failure and corruption , Sanders ' tear-it-all-down attitude appeals to the public more than that of any other candidate .
When Sanders unloaded on Bloomberg , he spoke for a growing number of Americans who see our system as rigged : '' We have a grotesque and immoral distribution of wealth and income .
Mike Bloomberg owns more wealth than the bottom 125 million Americans .
That 's wrong .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ enormous problems facing this country , and we can not continue seeing a situation where , in the last three years , billionaires in this country saw an $ 850 billion increase in their wealth – congratulations , Mr. Bloomberg – but the average American last year saw less than a 1 % increase in his or her income .
That 's wrong . ''
Sanders , along with Trump and unlike all the establishment candidates , has a feel for the frustrations of regular Americans .
But in the back of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders is risky .
Going with your heart and voting for Bernie could usher in four more years of Trump .
Interestingly , as first Biden and now maybe Bloomberg falter , voters may decide that Sanders is n't much more of a risk after all .
The Vegas debate certainly suggested as much .
Does anyone think Biden or Bloomberg can debate Trump after their performances ?
Sanders can .
He 's a long shot , but amazingly , he may be their best chance at victory .

After watching the Las Vegas Democratic debate, it's becoming less and less clear how the Democrats plan to defeat, or even challenge, President Donald Trump this fall. As a conservative Republican watching just for kicks, the debate was amazing – tons of drama and entertainment value. But if you are a Democrat committed to getting rid of Trump, it was probably not so much fun. In fact, it had to have been depressing to watch. There were fireworks and interesting story lines, but when the smoke cleared, who was left to take on Trump?
Sen. Elizabeth Warren came out scorching against Michael Bloomberg: "So I'd like to talk about who we're running against, a billionaire who calls women 'fat broads' and 'horse-faced lesbians.' And, no, I'm not talking about Donald Trump. I'm talking about Mayor Bloomberg," she said.
Bloomberg's response? Not a word. He just took it. It left you wondering: Who advised Bloomberg to get into this debate? Bloomberg was chugging along, gaining ground in the polls. His unprecedented campaign, consisting of an advertising onslaught and nothing else, was actually working. But then someone decided Bloomberg should pay off the Democratic National Committee to change their debate qualification rules so he could participate. Besides the obvious corruption of allowing Bloomberg, one of the committee's biggest donors, to change a policy that was not changed for a sitting U.S. senator like Cory Booker, it's pretty clear this strategy backfired on Bloomberg. He could have and should have used the DNC's debate rules as an excuse for staying out longer.
Bloomberg took hits all night for his stop-and-frisk policies, his tax returns, his Republican past, his wealth and a host of other issues. On his record with women Bloomberg looked especially bad – not-ready-for-prime-time bad. He looked guilty, nervous and flat-out unprepared for the onslaught he faced. Like many other powerful people, he appears to live a life where he just isn't challenged very often. Bloomberg had a shocked "I can't believe anyone's talking to me like this" look on his face for most of the night. It was a little like the look on Jeb Bush's face when Trump first went after him during the 2016 debates.
There was complete malpractice by Bloomberg's massive staff in preparing him for this debate. The overall impression was a guy who's just not ready for such a big stage. Bloomberg's huge bankroll – along with the desire of many Democrats to find an electable alternative to Trump – gives him plenty of opportunity to recover, but this was not a good start.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Joe Biden is becoming a sad afterthought. He's slid so much the others barely even bother attacking him. He's perilously close to becoming the "Saturday Night Live" caricature of himself. There's no coming back when you cross that line. Ask Sarah Palin.
As Biden slips away, it's important to remember that Barack Obama could have helped him at any point – but refused. Biden was Obama's loyal junior partner for eight years. Biden was never treated very well by Team Obama, a pattern that's continuing now. Obama clearly doesn't think Biden's up to the job, and based on his performance to date, it's hard to disagree.
Unless you think Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren or Amy Klobuchar have a real shot at the nomination, that leaves Sen. Bernie Sanders. Is America ready for a socialist president who honeymooned in the Soviet Union? Sadly, that may be a real possibility. Sanders helped himself a lot in Wednesday's debate. He has a coherent worldview, and at a time when every financial, academic, political and media institution in America is endangered by failure and corruption, Sanders' tear-it-all-down attitude appeals to the public more than that of any other candidate. When Sanders unloaded on Bloomberg, he spoke for a growing number of Americans who see our system as rigged:
"We have a grotesque and immoral distribution of wealth and income. Mike Bloomberg owns more wealth than the bottom 125 million Americans. That's wrong. That's immoral. … We have enormous problems facing this country, and we cannot continue seeing a situation where, in the last three years, billionaires in this country saw an $850 billion increase in their wealth – congratulations, Mr. Bloomberg – but the average American last year saw less than a 1% increase in his or her income. That's wrong."
Sanders, along with Trump and unlike all the establishment candidates, has a feel for the frustrations of regular Americans. But in the back of their minds, Democratic primary voters know that Sanders is risky. Going with your heart and voting for Bernie could usher in four more years of Trump. Interestingly, as first Biden and now maybe Bloomberg falter, voters may decide that Sanders isn't much more of a risk after all. The Vegas debate certainly suggested as much. Does anyone think Biden or Bloomberg can debate Trump after their performances? Sanders can. He's a long shot, but amazingly, he may be their best chance at victory.


wnd--2020-02-21--Golden State policies a nod to death and lawlessness – woohoo!

Editor 's note : The powers that be at WND.com have told Michael Ackley he may submit the occasional column .
As Golden State madness has accelerated , Mr. Ackley has succumbed to the urge to get back in the game .
Hence , the items below .
Remember that his columns may include satire and parody based on current events , and thus mix fact with fiction .
He assumes informed readers will be able to tell the difference .
Little noticed in Gov .
Gavin Newsom 's $ 220 billion budget proposal for 2020 was an allocation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy goal that no adoptable or treatable dog or cat should be euthanized . ''
`` Puppies and kitties are cute , '' explained Howard Bashford , the governor 's Special Deputy Associate Assistant for Matters of Life and Death .
`` The governor believes dogs and cats have souls and that their souls are cute , too .
`` And who could object to a $ 50 million expenditure – a mere drop in the bucket compared to $ 220 billion – for the purpose of saving souls ?
And there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and kitties in shelters all over California that deserve to be saved . ''
Bashford seemed near tears as he noted , `` This is in line with the governor 's executive order suspending the death penalty for humans on the state 's Death Row .
TRENDING : Rasmussen : Voters ready 'to jail ' those who illegally targeted Trump '' There are 737 prisoners awaiting execution , '' he said .
`` We 're sure some of them are cute .
You know capital punishment discriminates against the mentally ill , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as against people of color .
`` It is n't fair that murderers of color are executed more frequently than murderers who are white .
And never mind that the voters passed a measure calling for more expeditious executions . ''
Returning to the matter of dogs and cats , Bashford noted that Gov .
Newsom has declared that California should become `` a no-kill state . ''
On a related issue , Bashford reported that under the law Newsom signed last fall , abortion drugs are being provided to pregnant students at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We 're so proud of this , '' said the Special Deputy Associate Assistant for Matters of Life and Death .
`` Why , before this law , one university student had to ride a bus for 45 minutes to get rid of an inconvenient fetus .
Meanwhile , most former felons now are allowed to serve on California juries .
Backers of the new law , authored by State Sen. Nancy Skinner , D-Berkeley , say it will solve `` racial disparities '' in jury selection .
`` So many felons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Handleman , president of Equality for Criminals .
`` Banning them from juries makes it more difficult for criminals to be tried by juries of their peers .
Former criminals on juries provide balance – you know , against jurors who have n't experienced felonyhood . ''
Now comes State Sen. Scott Wiener , D-San Francisco , with a bill that would allow non-citizens to serve on juries .
Instead of drawing juries from Department of Motor Vehicles lists and county lists of registered voters , Wiener 's Senate Bill 1001 would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everybody filing state tax returns .
Handleman , who also is president of Equality for Illegal Aliens , said , `` Law-abiding illegal aliens would make our juror pools more diverse , which is to say , less white .
`` And never mind that a majority of California 's population is minority .
It just is n't fair that white people register to vote more often than minorities .
Sen. Wiener 's bill could be an important step toward eliminating citizenship – as a requirement for anything . ''
Many years ago @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the late , lamented Sacramento Union , I predicted that Nancy Pelosi 's ascension to speaker of the House of Representatives would prove women are as capable as men of screwing things up .
Speaking of Sacramento journalism , the once-proud Sacramento Bee is dropping its Saturday print edition , the once-proud McClatchy publishing empire is in bankruptcy , and a hedge fund rather than the McClatchy family controls that empire .
It is a pity that as the paper versions of newspapers disappear into the Internet , young reporters will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press rumbling into action , the warning bell that tells the pressmen to get their fingers out of the works , the hiss of the newsprint web providing the treble line to the bass of the accelerating drums , the folios emerging blank from the folder , then gradually turning black-and-white as the ink takes hold , making ideas visible and tangible .
Some editor pushing the `` send '' button never will embody such romance .

Editor's note: The powers that be at WND.com have told Michael Ackley he may submit the occasional column. As Golden State madness has accelerated, Mr. Ackley has succumbed to the urge to get back in the game. Hence, the items below. Remember that his columns may include satire and parody based on current events, and thus mix fact with fiction. He assumes informed readers will be able to tell the difference.
Little noticed in Gov. Gavin Newsom's $220 billion budget proposal for 2020 was an allocation to help communities "achieve the state's policy goal that no adoptable or treatable dog or cat should be euthanized."
"Puppies and kitties are cute," explained Howard Bashford, the governor's Special Deputy Associate Assistant for Matters of Life and Death. "The governor believes dogs and cats have souls and that their souls are cute, too.
"And who could object to a $50 million expenditure – a mere drop in the bucket compared to $220 billion – for the purpose of saving souls? And there are thousands and thousands of really cute puppies and kitties in shelters all over California that deserve to be saved."
Bashford seemed near tears as he noted, "This is in line with the governor's executive order suspending the death penalty for humans on the state's Death Row.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"There are 737 prisoners awaiting execution," he said. "We're sure some of them are cute. You know capital punishment discriminates against the mentally ill, with whom the governor identifies, as well as against people of color.
"It isn't fair that murderers of color are executed more frequently than murderers who are white. And never mind that the voters passed a measure calling for more expeditious executions."
Returning to the matter of dogs and cats, Bashford noted that Gov. Newsom has declared that California should become "a no-kill state."
On a related issue, Bashford reported that under the law Newsom signed last fall, abortion drugs are being provided to pregnant students at state college and university health centers.
"We're so proud of this," said the Special Deputy Associate Assistant for Matters of Life and Death. "Why, before this law, one university student had to ride a bus for 45 minutes to get rid of an inconvenient fetus.
"As a result, sadly, she missed a class!"
Meanwhile, most former felons now are allowed to serve on California juries.
Backers of the new law, authored by State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, say it will solve "racial disparities" in jury selection.
"So many felons are from minority groups," said Amy Handleman, president of Equality for Criminals. "Banning them from juries makes it more difficult for criminals to be tried by juries of their peers. Former criminals on juries provide balance – you know, against jurors who haven't experienced felonyhood."
Now comes State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, with a bill that would allow non-citizens to serve on juries. Instead of drawing juries from Department of Motor Vehicles lists and county lists of registered voters, Wiener's Senate Bill 1001 would expand the pool of potential jurors to everybody filing state tax returns.
Handleman, who also is president of Equality for Illegal Aliens, said, "Law-abiding illegal aliens would make our juror pools more diverse, which is to say, less white.
"And never mind that a majority of California's population is minority. It just isn't fair that white people register to vote more often than minorities. Sen. Wiener's bill could be an important step toward eliminating citizenship – as a requirement for anything."
Many years ago, when I first became a columnist at the late, lamented Sacramento Union, I predicted that Nancy Pelosi's ascension to speaker of the House of Representatives would prove women are as capable as men of screwing things up.
Enough said?
Speaking of Sacramento journalism, the once-proud Sacramento Bee is dropping its Saturday print edition, the once-proud McClatchy publishing empire is in bankruptcy, and a hedge fund rather than the McClatchy family controls that empire.
It is a pity that as the paper versions of newspapers disappear into the Internet, young reporters will not experience the thrill of a great printing press rumbling into action, the warning bell that tells the pressmen to get their fingers out of the works, the hiss of the newsprint web providing the treble line to the bass of the accelerating drums, the folios emerging blank from the folder, then gradually turning black-and-white as the ink takes hold, making ideas visible and tangible.
Some editor pushing the "send" button never will embody such romance.


wnd--2020-02-21--Omar DID tell friends her 2nd husband was brother

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar , D-Minn. , who has had more scandal in her short first term than many members of Congress experience in a career , `` told friends years ago that the man who went on to become her second husband was in fact her brother , '' a report says .
The Daily Mail said that is known because `` one of those friends has come forward to reveal exactly how Omar and Ahmed Elmi scandalized the Somali community in Minneapolis . ''
The report said Abdihakim Osman has confirmed that Omar `` said she wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay in the United States , at a time when she was married to her first husband Ahmed Hirsi .
But hardly anyone realized that meant marrying him . ''
Osman , 40 , told the publication , `` No one knew there had been a wedding until the media turned up the marriage certificate years later . ''
TRENDING : Rasmussen : Voters ready 'to jail ' those who illegally targeted Trump Omar repeatedly has called the allegations that she married her brother `` disgusting lies . ''
In October , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after it was reported she was accused of having an affair with campaign adviser Tim Mynett .
Hirsi , the father of Omar 's three children , remarried just 37 days after their divorce was finalized in November .
Records show Omar and Hirsi were engaged in 2002 and united in a Muslim ceremony but never were legally married .
They had two children then `` split '' in 2008 .
The next year , Omar married Elmi .
Allegations that Elmi is Omar 's brother emerged in 2016 in a since-deleted post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a user named AbdiJohnson .
Power Line blogger Scott Johnson reported the claim , which later was repeated by President Trump .
Omar and Elmi split in 2011 , and Omar returned to Hirsi , and their third child was born in 2012 .
As WND reported , Steinberg , Power Line 's Johnson and investigative reporter Preya Samsundar have published over the past three years substantial evidence that Omar married her brother to defraud U.S. immigration and perjured herself eight times in her divorce statement .
A Minnesota state agency has fined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hirsi while she was legally married to Elmi .
In July , WND reported the watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a House Ethics complaint against Omar calling for a congressional investigation of allegations of perjury , immigration fraud , marriage fraud , state and federal tax fraud and federal student loan fraud .
`` The evidence is overwhelming Rep. Omar may have violated the law and House rules , '' said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in July .
`` The House of Representatives must urgently investigate and resolve the serious allegations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WND also reported the local daily newspaper that has provided enthusiastic coverage of Omar , the Minneapolis Star Tribune , says the congresswoman has been uncooperative with attempts to resolve the accusation .
The findings of Steinberg , Samsundar and Johnson , Judicial Watch said , are `` supported by information gathered from public records , social media postings , genealogy databases , computer forensic analysis , unaltered digital photographs , discussions between the investigative reporters and the subjects of the investigation themselves , and information supplied by confidential sources within the Somali-American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divorce in 2017 , she swore under penalty of perjury , among that , other things , she had had no contact with Elmi after June 2011 and did n't know where to find him .
However , evidence , including now deleted social media posts , compiled by Steinberg and others indicates she not only had contact with Elmi but also met with him .
The apparent immigration fraud scheme , Judicial Watch said , also may have helped Elmi obtain federally backed student loans for his attendance at North Dakota State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finance and Public Disclosure Board already has determined that Omar violated state campaign finance laws for improper use of campaign funds .
She was forced to reimburse her campaign thousands of dollars .
More significantly , Judicial Watch said , the board discovered she filed joint tax returns with Hirsi in 2014 and 2015 while she was legally married to Ahmed Elmi .
The Mail reported , `` Osman 's revelations are sure to renew calls for an investigation into the Minnesota freshman representative who has repeatedly refused to answer questions on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said rumors long have held Omar and Elmi are siblings , `` but because of a lack of paperwork in war-torn Somalia , positive proof has never been uncovered . ''
The FBI reportedly is reviewing evidence that Omar married her brother in an immigration-fraud scheme .

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who has had more scandal in her short first term than many members of Congress experience in a career, "told friends years ago that the man who went on to become her second husband was in fact her brother," a report says.
The Daily Mail said that is known because "one of those friends has come forward to reveal exactly how Omar and Ahmed Elmi scandalized the Somali community in Minneapolis."
The report said Abdihakim Osman has confirmed that Omar "said she wanted to get her brother papers so he could stay in the United States, at a time when she was married to her first husband Ahmed Hirsi. But hardly anyone realized that meant marrying him."
Osman, 40, told the publication, "No one knew there had been a wedding until the media turned up the marriage certificate years later."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Omar repeatedly has called the allegations that she married her brother "disgusting lies."
In October, she filed for divorce from husband Ahmed Hirsi after it was reported she was accused of having an affair with campaign adviser Tim Mynett.
Hirsi, the father of Omar's three children, remarried just 37 days after their divorce was finalized in November.
Records show Omar and Hirsi were engaged in 2002 and united in a Muslim ceremony but never were legally married. They had two children then "split" in 2008. The next year, Omar married Elmi.
Allegations that Elmi is Omar's brother emerged in 2016 in a since-deleted post to the Somali Spot message board by a user named AbdiJohnson. Power Line blogger Scott Johnson reported the claim, which later was repeated by President Trump.
Omar and Elmi split in 2011, and Omar returned to Hirsi, and their third child was born in 2012.
However, Omar didn't divorce Elmi until 2017.
As WND reported, Steinberg, Power Line's Johnson and investigative reporter Preya Samsundar have published over the past three years substantial evidence that Omar married her brother to defraud U.S. immigration and perjured herself eight times in her divorce statement.
A Minnesota state agency has fined her for filing joint tax returns with Hirsi while she was legally married to Elmi.
'The evidence is overwhelming'
In July, WND reported the watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a House Ethics complaint against Omar calling for a congressional investigation of allegations of perjury, immigration fraud, marriage fraud, state and federal tax fraud and federal student loan fraud.
"The evidence is overwhelming Rep. Omar may have violated the law and House rules," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton in July. "The House of Representatives must urgently investigate and resolve the serious allegations of wrongdoing by Rep. Omar."
WND also reported the local daily newspaper that has provided enthusiastic coverage of Omar, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, says the congresswoman has been uncooperative with attempts to resolve the accusation.
The findings of Steinberg, Samsundar and Johnson, Judicial Watch said, are "supported by information gathered from public records, social media postings, genealogy databases, computer forensic analysis, unaltered digital photographs, discussions between the investigative reporters and the subjects of the investigation themselves, and information supplied by confidential sources within the Somali-American community."
In her application for divorce in 2017, she swore under penalty of perjury, among that, other things, she had had no contact with Elmi after June 2011 and didn't know where to find him.
However, evidence, including now deleted social media posts, compiled by Steinberg and others indicates she not only had contact with Elmi but also met with him.
The apparent immigration fraud scheme, Judicial Watch said, also may have helped Elmi obtain federally backed student loans for his attendance at North Dakota State University.
The State of Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board already has determined that Omar violated state campaign finance laws for improper use of campaign funds. She was forced to reimburse her campaign thousands of dollars.
More significantly, Judicial Watch said, the board discovered she filed joint tax returns with Hirsi in 2014 and 2015 while she was legally married to Ahmed Elmi.
The Mail reported, "Osman's revelations are sure to renew calls for an investigation into the Minnesota freshman representative who has repeatedly refused to answer questions on her marriage to Elmi."
The report said rumors long have held Omar and Elmi are siblings, "but because of a lack of paperwork in war-torn Somalia, positive proof has never been uncovered."
The FBI reportedly is reviewing evidence that Omar married her brother in an immigration-fraud scheme.


wnd--2020-02-21--No pardons for neocon war crimes

No pardons for neocon war crimes

`` How does America change if our intelligence agencies were more accurate in their assessment of Saddam Hussein 's chemical and nuclear weapons programs ? ''
The question was posed , just the other day , in `` Make America Competent Again , '' by David French , at the Dispatch , a neoconservative website .
The tract is an agony aunt 's meander that calls on shoring-up competency in state and civil society .
But first : Dissecting , deconstructing and exposing the neoconservative mindset and machinations matters .
The reason is this : Thanks to President Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – they 're down in the doldrums .
But they 'll be back , for neoconservatives and liberal interventionists make up the Permanent State .
The ideology the likes of David French , formerly of National Review , and his ilk promote – foreign-policy bellicosity , endless immigration , mindless consumerism , racial shaming , `` canceling '' of deviationists and conformity to an American identity that 's been melted away in vats of multiculturalism – is in our country 's bone marrow , by now .
Therefore , the fighting words in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invasion of Iraq as a mere glitch in intelligence are these : TRENDING : Rasmussen : Voters ready 'to jail ' those who illegally targeted Trump Oh no you do n't , you so-and-so !
No creedal neoconservative should be able to get away with the claim that a problem of criminality is really just a problem of competency .
You 'd think that a military man like Mr. French would know that fixing problems rests on defining them with precision .
Recasting state corruption and war crimes as incompetence cures neither state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Iraq was a war crime , plain and simple .
It was a reflexive collaboration between elements in a vast , by now familiar , intelligence bureaucracy , comprised of neoconservative and liberal interventionists , whose aim was to help The Powers that Be pulverize a country , Iraq , for the purpose of making it over in the image of America .
Contra Mr. French , the war on Iraq can not be reduced to systemic incompetence .
Anyone who doggedly tracked and documented the ramp up to war , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States bullied its way to war , monomaniacally .
Legions were the experts , credible ones , who categorically rejected the contention that there were WMD in Iraq .
They were silenced ; shut out by the malfunctioning American media , the politicians , their handlers and their followers – none of whom should be allowed to deflect from the intellectual and moral corruption it took to invade a Third World country , whose military prowess was a fifth of what it was when hobbled during the Gulf War , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no threat to American national security .
Iraq had not attacked in 12 years and was not poised to attack the U.S. or its neighbors .
Whether one examines the casus belli from the perspective of Catholic `` Just War Theory , '' constitutional authority or natural law – the war on Iraq was a failure of morals , ethics and constitutional fidelity .
To attack Iraq was to launch a purely offensive , non-defensive war .
This flouts the Christian duty to do no harm to one 's neighbors .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jews to robustly and actively seek justice .
It flouts `` Just War Theory , '' developed by great Christian minds like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine .
It flouts the libertarian axiom , which prohibits aggression against non-aggressors .
And it flouted what the Founding Fathers provided : A limited , constitutional republican government , by definition , does n't , can not and must never pursue what the likes of Mr. French and the neoconservative power elite still advocate : a 21st-century Manifest Destiny .
The fact that it does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading global ( failing ) democracy by death and destruction ( Iran is next ) indicates how limitless , unconstitutional and dictatorial the American Permanent State truly is .
As is their wont , the nation 's pundits never stopped licking their chops for that war .
And they 'll salivate just the same should the U.S. have its way with Iran .
So , what does it say about those who supported conquering and occupying a sovereign member of the international community ?
Simply this : Whether it is committed by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – inside or outside the state – a crime is a crime .
And turning Iraq from rogue state to failed state , and in the process killing and displacing multitudes : That was a war crime , executed with as much competency as criminals can muster .
Mr. French and his ideological compadres must not get away with dismissing George Bush 's bacchanalia of blood as a momentary lapse of competence .
See Part 1 : `` '' Incompetent , Imperial Neocons And The Permanent State . ''

"How does America change if our intelligence agencies were more accurate in their assessment of Saddam Hussein's chemical and nuclear weapons programs?"
The question was posed, just the other day, in "Make America Competent Again," by David French, at the Dispatch, a neoconservative website. The tract is an agony aunt's meander that calls on shoring-up competency in state and civil society.
But first: Dissecting, deconstructing and exposing the neoconservative mindset and machinations matters. The reason is this:
Thanks to President Trump, neoconservatives are not exactly having a moment – they're down in the doldrums. But they'll be back, for neoconservatives and liberal interventionists make up the Permanent State. The ideology the likes of David French, formerly of National Review, and his ilk promote – foreign-policy bellicosity, endless immigration, mindless consumerism, racial shaming, "canceling" of deviationists and conformity to an American identity that's been melted away in vats of multiculturalism – is in our country's bone marrow, by now.
Therefore, the fighting words in response to French's framing of the invasion of Iraq as a mere glitch in intelligence are these:
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Oh no you don't, you so-and-so!
No creedal neoconservative should be able to get away with the claim that a problem of criminality is really just a problem of competency.
You'd think that a military man like Mr. French would know that fixing problems rests on defining them with precision. Recasting state corruption and war crimes as incompetence cures neither state crimes nor incompetence.
America's war on Iraq was a war crime, plain and simple. It was a reflexive collaboration between elements in a vast, by now familiar, intelligence bureaucracy, comprised of neoconservative and liberal interventionists, whose aim was to help The Powers that Be pulverize a country, Iraq, for the purpose of making it over in the image of America.
Contra Mr. French, the war on Iraq cannot be reduced to systemic incompetence. Anyone who doggedly tracked and documented the ramp up to war, as this column did, can attest that the United States bullied its way to war, monomaniacally.
Legions were the experts, credible ones, who categorically rejected the contention that there were WMD in Iraq. They were silenced; shut out by the malfunctioning American media, the politicians, their handlers and their followers – none of whom should be allowed to deflect from the intellectual and moral corruption it took to invade a Third World country, whose military prowess was a fifth of what it was when hobbled during the Gulf War, which had no navy or air force and was no threat to American national security.
Iraq had not attacked in 12 years and was not poised to attack the U.S. or its neighbors.
Whether one examines the casus belli from the perspective of Catholic "Just War Theory," constitutional authority or natural law – the war on Iraq was a failure of morals, ethics and constitutional fidelity.
To attack Iraq was to launch a purely offensive, non-defensive war. This flouts the Christian duty to do no harm to one's neighbors. It flouts the Jewish teachings, which instruct Jews to robustly and actively seek justice. It flouts "Just War Theory," developed by great Christian minds like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine. It flouts the libertarian axiom, which prohibits aggression against non-aggressors.
And it flouted what the Founding Fathers provided:
A limited, constitutional republican government, by definition, doesn't, cannot and must never pursue what the likes of Mr. French and the neoconservative power elite still advocate: a 21st-century Manifest Destiny. The fact that it does, can and is still intent on spreading global (failing) democracy by death and destruction (Iran is next) indicates how limitless, unconstitutional and dictatorial the American Permanent State truly is.
As is their wont, the nation's pundits never stopped licking their chops for that war. And they'll salivate just the same should the U.S. have its way with Iran.
So, what does it say about those who supported conquering and occupying a sovereign member of the international community?
Simply this: Whether it is committed by a group operating within or without the law – inside or outside the state – a crime is a crime. And turning Iraq from rogue state to failed state, and in the process killing and displacing multitudes: That was a war crime, executed with as much competency as criminals can muster.
Mr. French and his ideological compadres must not get away with dismissing George Bush's bacchanalia of blood as a momentary lapse of competence.
See Part 1: ""Incompetent, Imperial Neocons And The Permanent State."


wnd--2020-02-21--Can Democrats win with just negativity and class warfare?

Many have noted the dilemma the socialists – er , I mean the Democrats – are in over the prospect of Sen. Bernie Sanders winning the party 's nomination .
If nominated , they 're running a socialist .
If not , their base will be out of sorts .
It 's time for a reckoning .
The Democratic Party is going to have to be honest with itself – and the American voters – sooner or later .
It is already mostly socialist .
But is it ready to embrace the label ?
While a majority of Democrats now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just think about that for a second ) , a majority of Americans do not , though the gap is shrinking thanks to liberal academia , Hollywood and Democratic propaganda .
Democrats always go left during primaries and pretend to be moderate during the general election campaign .
But radical leftism now controls their party , and they have little plausible deniability .
If Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the nominee , which seems unlikely , we 'll see the media conspiring with her to deceive voters about her socialism .
With policies sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still has n't owned up to the label .
TRENDING : Rasmussen : Voters ready 'to jail ' those who illegally targeted Trump If Sanders , a card-carrying socialist , is the nominee , there 'll be no point in the media denying it – and Sanders probably wo n't either , though crazier things have happened than a proud socialist temporarily shedding his Marxist cap to win the presidency and push the nation further toward socialism .
There 's an arguable parallel between the 2016 Republicans and the 2020 Democrats in that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And if Sanders is nominated , each will have chosen an unorthodox candidate , but one whom the base can enthusiastically endorse .
The similarities end there .
While the left repeats with mind-numbing monotony that the Republicans just keep moving further to the right , that 's really not true .
Under President Donald Trump 's leadership , our conservative policies have finally lined up with our rhetoric , but our rhetoric – our agenda – has n't become appreciably more conservative since former President Ronald Reagan .
Yes , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right will descend into spasms over my remark that Trump is governing conservatively , but most ( not all ) of those self-described `` principled conservatives '' are too busy cavorting with Democrats to be taken seriously .
I 'll concede that Trump appears to have strayed from conservative orthodoxy on trade , but even there he 's more of a horse trader than a protectionist .
He 's willing to take risks to secure better deals , but this is n't ideological for him ; it 's business , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about .
If Bernie loses the nomination , Democrats will have to convince their hopping-mad base that they were forced to settle on a racist-sounding gazillionaire whose tax returns and emoluments clause issues will bite them in the rear – or some other lackluster candidate who will still be light-years better than the `` evil '' Donald Trump .
Anyone but Trump .
If Bernie wins , Democrats will have bigger problems .
It 's not just that Bernie 's an avowed socialist .
It 's the economy , stupid !
It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employment across the board , especially for minorities .
It 's the astounding stock market .
It 's Trump 's bullishness on America – and America is , in fact , stronger again .
It 's that Trump has fulfilled his promises .
It 's that Trump and his exceptionally united Republican Party have , by delivering solutions , robbed Democrats of their talking points .
All they 'll have left is identity politics , which means exaggerating race problems , manufacturing gender problems and engaging in all-out thermonuclear class warfare .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
No hope and change on the horizon .
All the Democrats have is negativity – complaining about Trump and whining about unfairness and alleged inequalities .
But given that all income groups are improving and race relations are better than under former President Barack Obama , Democrats will have trouble winning the swing states with only negativity .
It does n't really matter how much is owned by these `` evil '' liberal capitalist billionaires – Mark Zuckerberg , Jeff Bezos , Bill Gates , etc .
If people 's lives are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ envy wo n't be nearly as seductive .
With Democrats always having a built-in electoral vote advantage , Republicans should never be smug about an upcoming election .
But we should be optimistic , and we have objective reasons to be .
By almost all measures , America is doing better under President Trump .
Four more years !

Many have noted the dilemma the socialists – er, I mean the Democrats – are in over the prospect of Sen. Bernie Sanders winning the party's nomination. If nominated, they're running a socialist. If not, their base will be out of sorts.
It's time for a reckoning. The Democratic Party is going to have to be honest with itself – and the American voters – sooner or later. It is already mostly socialist. But is it ready to embrace the label?
While a majority of Democrats now have a favorable view of socialism (just think about that for a second), a majority of Americans do not, though the gap is shrinking thanks to liberal academia, Hollywood and Democratic propaganda.
Democrats always go left during primaries and pretend to be moderate during the general election campaign. But radical leftism now controls their party, and they have little plausible deniability.
If Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the nominee, which seems unlikely, we'll see the media conspiring with her to deceive voters about her socialism. With policies sometimes to the left of Sanders, she still hasn't owned up to the label.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
If Sanders, a card-carrying socialist, is the nominee, there'll be no point in the media denying it – and Sanders probably won't either, though crazier things have happened than a proud socialist temporarily shedding his Marxist cap to win the presidency and push the nation further toward socialism.
There's an arguable parallel between the 2016 Republicans and the 2020 Democrats in that each had a broad range of candidates. And if Sanders is nominated, each will have chosen an unorthodox candidate, but one whom the base can enthusiastically endorse.
The similarities end there. While the left repeats with mind-numbing monotony that the Republicans just keep moving further to the right, that's really not true. Under President Donald Trump's leadership, our conservative policies have finally lined up with our rhetoric, but our rhetoric – our agenda – hasn't become appreciably more conservative since former President Ronald Reagan.
Yes, I'm aware that our never-Trump friends on the right will descend into spasms over my remark that Trump is governing conservatively, but most (not all) of those self-described "principled conservatives" are too busy cavorting with Democrats to be taken seriously. I'll concede that Trump appears to have strayed from conservative orthodoxy on trade, but even there he's more of a horse trader than a protectionist. He's willing to take risks to secure better deals, but this isn't ideological for him; it's business, which is who he is and what he's about.
If Bernie loses the nomination, Democrats will have to convince their hopping-mad base that they were forced to settle on a racist-sounding gazillionaire whose tax returns and emoluments clause issues will bite them in the rear – or some other lackluster candidate who will still be light-years better than the "evil" Donald Trump. Anyone but Trump.
If Bernie wins, Democrats will have bigger problems. It's not just that Bernie's an avowed socialist. It's the economy, stupid! It's the improved standard of living and rising employment across the board, especially for minorities. It's the astounding stock market. It's Trump's bullishness on America – and America is, in fact, stronger again. It's that Trump has fulfilled his promises. It's that Trump and his exceptionally united Republican Party have, by delivering solutions, robbed Democrats of their talking points.
All they'll have left is identity politics, which means exaggerating race problems, manufacturing gender problems and engaging in all-out thermonuclear class warfare. But every bit of that message is pessimistic. No hope and change on the horizon. All the Democrats have is negativity – complaining about Trump and whining about unfairness and alleged inequalities.
But given that all income groups are improving and race relations are better than under former President Barack Obama, Democrats will have trouble winning the swing states with only negativity. It doesn't really matter how much is owned by these "evil" liberal capitalist billionaires – Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, etc. If people's lives are better – and they are – class envy won't be nearly as seductive.
With Democrats always having a built-in electoral vote advantage, Republicans should never be smug about an upcoming election. But we should be optimistic, and we have objective reasons to be. By almost all measures, America is doing better under President Trump. Four more years!


wnd--2020-02-21--Medicare for Some, depending on your politics?

Twenty-three years ago , I was asked to give a talk to the New York City Bar Association as part of a symposium titled `` Executioners , Jailers , Slave Trappers and the Law : What Role Should Morality Play in Judging ? ''
I was charged with addressing what judges should do when faced with moral quandaries over issues like partial-birth abortion ( also called `` dilation and evacuation abortions , '' or `` D & E abortions '' ) and physician-assisted suicide .
While I was discussing the present , the other panelists – most of whom were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as in , `` What should judges have done about slavery ? ''
or `` Should judges have taken stronger stances against fascism in Germany ? ''
) .
Observations I made back in 1997 strike me as even more significant now .
I said : `` How does an unjust law come into existence ?
How does an evil law come into existence ?
… ( These laws ) do not come sweeping into our lives like a blizzard .
They come in like cold air through cracks in a window .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly concerned by the modern advocacy for physician-assisted suicide at a time when we are also arguing for more government intervention , if not control , over the health care system .
… I am very concerned about the prospect of a faceless bureaucracy making decisions about the adequacy , the appropriateness and the finality of care .
We all should be . ''
One thing that did not occur to me in 1997 was the prospect of withholding health care based upon one 's political views .
In the current climate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Medicare for All , '' it should .
Universal health care activists love to point to England 's National Health Service , or NHS , as a model .
It is n't a model for plenty of reasons including chronic underfunding , staff shortages , bed shortages , long wait times ( even NHS champions admit that patients can wait over a year for anything beyond basic care ) , `` war zone '' conditions for easily anticipated situations ( like winter flu season ) and shockingly poor cure rates .
That is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sky News reported that new rules that will take effect in April permit NHS staff to refuse to treat patients who are homophobic , sexist or racist .
TRENDING : Rasmussen : Voters ready 'to jail ' those who illegally targeted Trump To be clear , this rule applies only to non-emergency care .
And it is intended to shield NHS workers from barrages of verbal abuse .
( There are similar rules in place now that apply only to aggressive or physically violent behavior . )
Medical caregivers should not be subjected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are trying to help .
But I can not help but wonder what would happen if the United States were to implement single-payer health care and such a rule were put into place here .
A few years ago , the idea that someone could be refused health care because of his or her politics would have seemed hysterical and absurd .
But perhaps not anymore .
In 2013 , it was revealed that the Internal Revenue Service under the administration of former President Barack Obama had been deliberately holding up and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were filed by conservative organizations or had `` tea party '' in their name , leaving them unable to fundraise in support of conservative candidates in the 2012 elections .
Lois Lerner , then-director of exempt organizations for the IRS , apologized , saying that these decisions were inadvertent and not deliberate discrimination .
She was placed on administrative leave and then resigned .
But Lerner refused to testify before a congressional committee when asked to do so , instead invoking her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination .
She was subsequently held in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the IRS for Lerner 's emails , which mysteriously disappeared when her server `` crashed . ''
This does n't sound `` inadvertent . ''
Similarly , Americans wonder why some people who are accused of lying to Congress or law enforcement – like Roger Stone , George Papadopoulos and former national security adviser Michael Flynn – receive convictions and/or face long prison sentences while others – like Hillary Clinton and Andrew McCabe – get a pass .
When the IRS can discriminate against the president 's political opponents , and when we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appears to favor rich , powerful or well-connected Democrats , that does not inspire much confidence that a government-run system of health care would be operated fairly and dispassionately .
As noted above , the new NHS rule is intended to protect health care workers from insults and slurs .
But it is easy to see how something similar in the United States could be twisted for political advantage , particularly given the widespread tendency in some quarters to treat every political , policy or cultural disagreement as an expression of hate : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bigotry .
Left-wing organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center smear Christian activists as homophobic and post them on their map of `` hate groups . ''
Social media giants pull down posts and videos from conservatives and pro-life activist groups such as PragerU and Live Action .
College campuses are notoriously intolerant of conservative speakers , and shut down speakers and other events with threats of violence .
And then there 's the antifa movement , which treats every political disagreement as incipient fascism that justifies violence .
The point is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
The point is how easy it has become to smear people as `` racist , '' `` sexist , '' `` homophobic '' or `` haters . ''
Under those circumstances – and given the discrimination we have seen our government engage in – I am even more leery of government-run health care than I was back in 1997 .

Twenty-three years ago, I was asked to give a talk to the New York City Bar Association as part of a symposium titled "Executioners, Jailers, Slave Trappers and the Law: What Role Should Morality Play in Judging?" I was charged with addressing what judges should do when faced with moral quandaries over issues like partial-birth abortion (also called "dilation and evacuation abortions," or "D&E abortions") and physician-assisted suicide. While I was discussing the present, the other panelists – most of whom were judges – were discussing the past (as in, "What should judges have done about slavery?" or "Should judges have taken stronger stances against fascism in Germany?").
Observations I made back in 1997 strike me as even more significant now. I said: "How does an unjust law come into existence? How does an evil law come into existence? … (These laws) do not come sweeping into our lives like a blizzard. They come in like cold air through cracks in a window. … I must confess, I am particularly concerned by the modern advocacy for physician-assisted suicide at a time when we are also arguing for more government intervention, if not control, over the health care system. … I am very concerned about the prospect of a faceless bureaucracy making decisions about the adequacy, the appropriateness and the finality of care. We all should be."
One thing that did not occur to me in 1997 was the prospect of withholding health care based upon one's political views. In the current climate, with Democratic presidential candidates advocating for "Medicare for All," it should.
Universal health care activists love to point to England's National Health Service, or NHS, as a model. It isn't a model for plenty of reasons including chronic underfunding, staff shortages, bed shortages, long wait times (even NHS champions admit that patients can wait over a year for anything beyond basic care), "war zone" conditions for easily anticipated situations (like winter flu season) and shockingly poor cure rates.
That is concerning enough. But this week, Sky News reported that new rules that will take effect in April permit NHS staff to refuse to treat patients who are homophobic, sexist or racist.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
To be clear, this rule applies only to non-emergency care. And it is intended to shield NHS workers from barrages of verbal abuse. (There are similar rules in place now that apply only to aggressive or physically violent behavior.)
Medical caregivers should not be subjected to vicious and insulting tirades by people they are trying to help. But I cannot help but wonder what would happen if the United States were to implement single-payer health care and such a rule were put into place here.
A few years ago, the idea that someone could be refused health care because of his or her politics would have seemed hysterical and absurd. But perhaps not anymore.
In 2013, it was revealed that the Internal Revenue Service under the administration of former President Barack Obama had been deliberately holding up and delaying applications for tax-exempt status if they were filed by conservative organizations or had "tea party" in their name, leaving them unable to fundraise in support of conservative candidates in the 2012 elections. Lois Lerner, then-director of exempt organizations for the IRS, apologized, saying that these decisions were inadvertent and not deliberate discrimination. She was placed on administrative leave and then resigned. But Lerner refused to testify before a congressional committee when asked to do so, instead invoking her Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. She was subsequently held in contempt of Congress. Congress then asked the IRS for Lerner's emails, which mysteriously disappeared when her server "crashed." This doesn't sound "inadvertent."
Similarly, Americans wonder why some people who are accused of lying to Congress or law enforcement – like Roger Stone, George Papadopoulos and former national security adviser Michael Flynn – receive convictions and/or face long prison sentences while others – like Hillary Clinton and Andrew McCabe – get a pass.
When the IRS can discriminate against the president's political opponents, and when we see a two-tiered system of justice that appears to favor rich, powerful or well-connected Democrats, that does not inspire much confidence that a government-run system of health care would be operated fairly and dispassionately.
As noted above, the new NHS rule is intended to protect health care workers from insults and slurs. But it is easy to see how something similar in the United States could be twisted for political advantage, particularly given the widespread tendency in some quarters to treat every political, policy or cultural disagreement as an expression of hate: racism, sexism, homophobia or other bigotry.
Left-wing organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center smear Christian activists as homophobic and post them on their map of "hate groups." Social media giants pull down posts and videos from conservatives and pro-life activist groups such as PragerU and Live Action. College campuses are notoriously intolerant of conservative speakers, and shut down speakers and other events with threats of violence.
And then there's the antifa movement, which treats every political disagreement as incipient fascism that justifies violence.
The point is not that these groups are arms of the government. The point is how easy it has become to smear people as "racist," "sexist," "homophobic" or "haters."
Under those circumstances – and given the discrimination we have seen our government engage in – I am even more leery of government-run health care than I was back in 1997.


wnd--2020-02-21--Bernie's wrong: We are better off today than we were in 1975

A record-high number of Americans – 90 % – say they are satisfied with their personal lives , according to Gallup .
And 74 % are optimistic that they will continue being financially satisfied moving forward .
Needless to say , the United States will never be a utopia , but for the vast majority of its citizens , most things are going in the right direction .
During the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday night , Bernie Sanders , lamenting how a once-prosperous society had been hollowed out by capitalism , claimed that we are no better off today than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's a shame that not a single debate moderator ever challenges this farcical assertion .
In Sanders ' telling , `` people … after 45 years of work are not making a nickel more than they did 45 years ago . ''
For those who were n't alive then , the 1970s were largely a crime-ridden decade of stagnant economics , city bankruptcies , crushing energy prices , sky-high interest rates , institutional rot , garbage and retirement-destroying inflation .
Though it was a far better place than the Communist hot spots Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not ideal .
And a big part of the post-'70s economic boom we 're still experiencing today – the one that certain progressive and some statist right-wingers like to disparage – was propelled by policies that freed Americans from overbearing technocratic oversight , intrusive regulations and stifling taxes that undermined growth .
The alleged `` wage stagnation '' to which Sanders and others are constantly referring is a myth .
For one thing , `` wage stagnation '' fails to take into account the health care benefits , pensions , vacations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in job packages – somewhere around 30 % of an employee 's overall benefits .
Once those benefits are added , Americans probably have seen about a 45 % wage increase since 1964 .
More important , the amount of time we work to buy things we need is less .
What we buy does more , and it 's of higher quality .
Does anyone believe that a dollar spent on medical care in 1975 equals a dollar spent today ?
TRENDING : Rasmussen : Voters ready 'to jail ' those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worldwide retreat from collectivism , extreme poverty has dramatically decreased .
Massive new markets have opened to us .
Despite the perception of many , medium household incomes are at an all-time high .
The middle class is growing – especially the upper-middle class .
In the past 50 years , spending on food and clothing as a share of family income has fallen from 42 % to 17 % .
Your house is probably more expensive than the average house was in 1975 , but it 's also more comfortable and safer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , less than 6 % of his fellow Americans – the majority of them wealthy , very few of them minorities or women – were enrolled in higher education .
In 1975 , only around 11 % were enrolled in college .
According to the Federal Reserve study , millennials are the most educated generation , with 65 % of them possessing at least an associate 's degree .
Better education , soaring productivity and technological advances allow an increasing number of Americans to pick vocations that are safer , less monotonous and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 14,000 workers were killed on the job in the United States .
That 's somewhere around 10,000 more deaths yearly than the number of those who perished in the entire Iraq War .
Although the workforce had more than doubled since then , the number of occupational deaths in the United States has dropped to around 5,100 .
There 's a decent chance that Sanders ' heart attack would have killed a 78-year-old man in 1975 .
If not , it would have required dangerous surgery .
Despite a small dip recently , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States over the past 45 years – adding more than six years since 1975 .
The cancer casualty rate has fallen more than 27 % in the past 25 years – which adds up to more than 2 million deaths averted during that time .
We 've been able to mitigate the damage of so many diseases and ailments over the past 45 years – allowing millions to lead longer , more active and less painful lives – that it would take a book to lay out the miraculous number of advances properly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incidentally , were brought to us by profit-driven companies .
In 1975 , the child mortality rate was 18.8 per 1,000 .
In 2019 , it was 5.7 .
Fatalities due to weather events have plunged .
Deaths due to air pollution – surely near its smoggy height in 1975 – have fallen , as well .
We have cleaner water and cleaner streets .
In 1975 , Sanders ' hometown of New York City saw 1,645 murders and rampant criminality .
In 2017 , there were 286 homicides in NYC .
Vehicular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 3.35 ; now they 're near a historic low of 1.13 .
Also , you have a supercomputer in your pocket that offers you instant access to all of human knowledge .
Yes , some Americans still suffer , and some of our goods and services are more expensive than they once were ( usually due to market intervention ) .
But we are , by nearly every quantifiable measure , collectively better off today than ever before .
And what sufferings millennials do experience today often are a result of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bernie should understand this better than most .
It 's not in every country that a professional revolutionary can afford to buy a dacha on Lake Champlain .

A record-high number of Americans – 90% – say they are satisfied with their personal lives, according to Gallup. And 74% are optimistic that they will continue being financially satisfied moving forward. Needless to say, the United States will never be a utopia, but for the vast majority of its citizens, most things are going in the right direction.
During the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday night, Bernie Sanders, lamenting how a once-prosperous society had been hollowed out by capitalism, claimed that we are no better off today than we were many years ago. It's a shame that not a single debate moderator ever challenges this farcical assertion. In Sanders' telling, "people … after 45 years of work are not making a nickel more than they did 45 years ago."
For those who weren't alive then, the 1970s were largely a crime-ridden decade of stagnant economics, city bankruptcies, crushing energy prices, sky-high interest rates, institutional rot, garbage and retirement-destroying inflation. Though it was a far better place than the Communist hot spots Sanders praised during those years, it certainly was not ideal.
And a big part of the post-'70s economic boom we're still experiencing today – the one that certain progressive and some statist right-wingers like to disparage – was propelled by policies that freed Americans from overbearing technocratic oversight, intrusive regulations and stifling taxes that undermined growth.
The alleged "wage stagnation" to which Sanders and others are constantly referring is a myth. For one thing, "wage stagnation" fails to take into account the health care benefits, pensions, vacations, family leave and other perks now embedded in job packages – somewhere around 30% of an employee's overall benefits. Once those benefits are added, Americans probably have seen about a 45% wage increase since 1964. More important, the amount of time we work to buy things we need is less. What we buy does more, and it's of higher quality. Does anyone believe that a dollar spent on medical care in 1975 equals a dollar spent today?
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Partly because of a worldwide retreat from collectivism, extreme poverty has dramatically decreased. Massive new markets have opened to us. Despite the perception of many, medium household incomes are at an all-time high. The middle class is growing – especially the upper-middle class. In the past 50 years, spending on food and clothing as a share of family income has fallen from 42% to 17%. Your house is probably more expensive than the average house was in 1975, but it's also more comfortable and safer.
The year Sanders graduated from college, less than 6% of his fellow Americans – the majority of them wealthy, very few of them minorities or women – were enrolled in higher education. In 1975, only around 11% were enrolled in college. According to the Federal Reserve study, millennials are the most educated generation, with 65% of them possessing at least an associate's degree.
Better education, soaring productivity and technological advances allow an increasing number of Americans to pick vocations that are safer, less monotonous and more rewarding.
In 1970, around 14,000 workers were killed on the job in the United States. That's somewhere around 10,000 more deaths yearly than the number of those who perished in the entire Iraq War. Although the workforce had more than doubled since then, the number of occupational deaths in the United States has dropped to around 5,100.
There's a decent chance that Sanders' heart attack would have killed a 78-year-old man in 1975. If not, it would have required dangerous surgery. Despite a small dip recently, life expectancy has skyrocketed in the United States over the past 45 years – adding more than six years since 1975. The cancer casualty rate has fallen more than 27% in the past 25 years – which adds up to more than 2 million deaths averted during that time. We've been able to mitigate the damage of so many diseases and ailments over the past 45 years – allowing millions to lead longer, more active and less painful lives – that it would take a book to lay out the miraculous number of advances properly.
Most of these developments, not incidentally, were brought to us by profit-driven companies.
In 1975, the child mortality rate was 18.8 per 1,000. In 2019, it was 5.7. Fatalities due to weather events have plunged. Deaths due to air pollution – surely near its smoggy height in 1975 – have fallen, as well. We have cleaner water and cleaner streets.
In 1975, Sanders' hometown of New York City saw 1,645 murders and rampant criminality. In 2017, there were 286 homicides in NYC. Vehicular fatalities per 100 million in 1975 were at 3.35; now they're near a historic low of 1.13.
Also, you have a supercomputer in your pocket that offers you instant access to all of human knowledge.
Yes, some Americans still suffer, and some of our goods and services are more expensive than they once were (usually due to market intervention). But we are, by nearly every quantifiable measure, collectively better off today than ever before. And what sufferings millennials do experience today often are a result of their making different choices than their parents did. Bernie should understand this better than most. It's not in every country that a professional revolutionary can afford to buy a dacha on Lake Champlain.


wnd--2020-02-21--Dem ex-Rep. Katie Hill says 'rampant biphobia' was a 'huge part' of why she resigned

( THE BLAZE ) Former Rep. Katie Hill ( D-Calif ) claimed this week that `` rampant biphobia '' played @ @ @ @ @ decision to step down from Congress , because of the backlash she received after nude @ @ @ @ @ online amid rumors of her sleeping with subordinates .
Hill resigned in October after the @ @ @ @ @ investigation into allegations that the California Democrat had a sexual relationship with a male legislative @ @ @ @ @ the time to previously having an `` inappropriate '' relationship with a female campaign staffer @ @ @ @ @

(THE BLAZE) Former Rep. Katie Hill (D-Calif) claimed this week that "rampant biphobia" played a significant role in her decision to step down from Congress, because of the backlash she received after nude photos of her were leaked online amid rumors of her sleeping with subordinates.
Hill resigned in October after the House Ethics Committee launched an investigation into allegations that the California Democrat had a sexual relationship with a male legislative aide. She admitted at the time to previously having an "inappropriate" relationship with a female campaign staffer prior to being elected.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-02-21--Sanctuary city instructs police not to arrest illegals for unlicensed driving

Nobody is above the law -- unless , of course , you ’ re an illegal immigrant driving without a license in Cambridge , Massachusetts .
The sanctuary city unanimously passed an ordinance Monday that tells police officers they should , whenever possible , avoid arresting drivers for being on the road without a driver 's license .
The ordinance is intended to block federal immigration officials from obtaining access to information regarding illegal immigrants , WXFT reported .
“ We need to protect our community members from a federal government that ’ s out of control , ” Cambridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are no other reasons for the police to arrest someone , give them a court summons instead which keeps them out of the clutches of the Trump administration , ” Zondervan added .
The city has prioritized finding ways to shield illegal immigrants from facing deportation for several years , according to WXFT .
While the new ordinance applies to legal and illegal drivers , it was clearly written with those who are in the country illegally in mind .
The so-called “ Welcoming Community Ordinance '' is meant “ to establish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City , to declare that all are welcome here , and to increase public confidence in the City of Cambridge ’ s government by establishing standards associated with the City ’ s voluntary involvement in federal immigration enforcement , ” according to the measure 's text , The Cambridge Chronicle reported .
Under the ordinance , police are not only told to refrain from arresting unlicensed drivers ( including illegal immigrants ) , they are encouraged to help those drivers find a another person with a license to drive their car from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it impounded .
`` When taking action against a person who is found to be driving without a valid driver ’ s license , officers of the Cambridge Police Department shall , whenever possible in the officer ’ s discretion and if there are no other violations causing the person to be arrested , issue a summons to court instead of taking the person into custody , '' the measure says .
The ordinance further states : `` City employees and officials may not inquire about the immigration status of any victim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or other member of the public with whom they have contact , except as required by 8 U.S.C .
§ 1373.
” “ Except in response to a judicial warrant or other court order , ICE agents shall not be allowed access to individuals in Cambridge Police Department custody either in person or via telephone or videoconference , ” the ordinance adds .
The ordinance raises serious questions about the city ’ s preferential treatment of illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens .
Like other sanctuary cities across the country , Cambridge appears to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its citizens behind those of the people whose very presence in the country is breaking the law .
What happens if a pedestrian or another motorist is struck and killed by an illegal immigrant who should not have been on the road to begin with ?
Will authorities in Cambridge be held liable for creating the policy that failed to discourage those people from driving in the first place ?
Will the city operate as an insurance company -- ready to write checks to motorists whose property or lives might be destroyed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insurance ?
Currently , legal citizens in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must jump through hoops in order to drive , and they face serious consequences for not following the law .
Legal drivers must pay for a driving test and license and carry vehicle registration and proof of insurance with them at all times .
Their vehicles also must have a valid inspection sticker .
Penalties for not driving with a valid license range from a $ 500- $ 1,000 fine to 10 days in jail .
But the city of Cambridge has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to following all of these rules .
Cambridge , which is located just across the Charles River from Boston , is home to prestigious institutions of higher learning , such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
Both schools are known for championing so-called progressive causes .
Student activists at Harvard , for instance , made headlines last year when they protested their own school ’ s newspaper , The Harvard Crimson , for asking immigration officials to comment on an “ Abolish ICE ” protest held by students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural insensitivity ” and “ blatantly endangering undocumented students ” simply for asking government officials to comment in their coverage of the `` Abolish ICE '' protest , according to National Review .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

Nobody is above the law -- unless, of course, you’re an illegal immigrant driving without a license in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The sanctuary city unanimously passed an ordinance Monday that tells police officers they should, whenever possible, avoid arresting drivers for being on the road without a driver's license.
The ordinance is intended to block federal immigration officials from obtaining access to information regarding illegal immigrants, WXFT reported.
“We need to protect our community members from a federal government that’s out of control,” Cambridge City Councilor Quinton Zondervan said.
“There are no other reasons for the police to arrest someone, give them a court summons instead which keeps them out of the clutches of the Trump administration,” Zondervan added.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The city has prioritized finding ways to shield illegal immigrants from facing deportation for several years, according to WXFT.
While the new ordinance applies to legal and illegal drivers, it was clearly written with those who are in the country illegally in mind.
The so-called “Welcoming Community Ordinance" is meant “to establish the City of Cambridge as a Welcoming City, to declare that all are welcome here, and to increase public confidence in the City of Cambridge’s government by establishing standards associated with the City’s voluntary involvement in federal immigration enforcement,” according to the measure's text, The Cambridge Chronicle reported.
Under the ordinance, police are not only told to refrain from arresting unlicensed drivers (including illegal immigrants), they are encouraged to help those drivers find a another person with a license to drive their car from the scene so that they can avoid having it impounded.
"When taking action against a person who is found to be driving without a valid driver’s license, officers of the Cambridge Police Department shall, whenever possible in the officer’s discretion and if there are no other violations causing the person to be arrested, issue a summons to court instead of taking the person into custody," the measure says.
The ordinance further states: "City employees and officials may not inquire about the immigration status of any victim, suspect, arrestee, 911 caller, or other member of the public with whom they have contact, except as required by 8 U.S.C. § 1373.”
“Except in response to a judicial warrant or other court order, ICE agents shall not be allowed access to individuals in Cambridge Police Department custody either in person or via telephone or videoconference,” the ordinance adds.
The ordinance raises serious questions about the city’s preferential treatment of illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens.
Like other sanctuary cities across the country, Cambridge appears to be putting the rights and safety of its citizens behind those of the people whose very presence in the country is breaking the law.
What happens if a pedestrian or another motorist is struck and killed by an illegal immigrant who should not have been on the road to begin with?
Will authorities in Cambridge be held liable for creating the policy that failed to discourage those people from driving in the first place?
Will the city operate as an insurance company -- ready to write checks to motorists whose property or lives might be destroyed by people on the road with no automobile insurance?
Currently, legal citizens in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must jump through hoops in order to drive, and they face serious consequences for not following the law.
Legal drivers must pay for a driving test and license and carry vehicle registration and proof of insurance with them at all times. Their vehicles also must have a valid inspection sticker.
Penalties for not driving with a valid license range from a $500-$1,000 fine to 10 days in jail.
But the city of Cambridge has given illegal immigrants a pass when it comes to following all of these rules.
Cambridge, which is located just across the Charles River from Boston, is home to prestigious institutions of higher learning, such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Both schools are known for championing so-called progressive causes.
Student activists at Harvard, for instance, made headlines last year when they protested their own school’s newspaper, The Harvard Crimson, for asking immigration officials to comment on an “Abolish ICE” protest held by students.
Student journalists were accused of “cultural insensitivity” and “blatantly endangering undocumented students” simply for asking government officials to comment in their coverage of the "Abolish ICE" protest, according to National Review.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-02-21--Sanders-campaign official exposed for planting fake story about Bloomberg's heart health

Two Democratic presidential campaigns are slugging it out to determine which candidate really has one foot in the grave .
( Spoiler alert : They both do . )
Briahna Joy Gray , national press secretary for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders ' campaign , was forced to walk back a claim she made about the health of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a CNN interview on Wednesday .
Gray was responding to CNN 's John Berman , who said three doctors ' letters released by the Sanders campaign had `` nothing in them other than the doctors saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a heart attack . ''
The spokeswoman retorted that `` it ’ s really telling given that none of the same concern is being demonstrated for Michael Bloomberg , who ’ s the same age as Bernie Sanders , who has suffered heart attacks in the past.
” In a statement to Fox News , Bloomberg campaign manager Kevin Sheekey called Gray 's claim `` completely false . ''
Sheekey conceded that Bloomberg had two coronary stents placed in 2000 but said he has not had any heart attacks .
Hours later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` I mispoke when I said Bloomberg had a heart attack , '' she said .
`` Rather , he underwent the same stent procedure as Bernie .
Bernie released 3 detailed medical reports in December — just like the other candidates . ''
While it is true that both candidates are 78 , Sanders underwent a heart procedure after experiencing chest pains last fall .
His campaign did n't acknowledge Sanders had suffered a heart attack until his release from the hospital days later .
Candidates ' age has been at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to Sanders and Bloomberg , top Democrat candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts ( 70 ) and former Vice President Joe Biden ( 77 ) are also septuagenarians , as is the man they 're all hoping to face in November , President Donald Trump ( 73 ) .
While there are fewer reports of physical health problems in the other candidates , Biden sometimes forgets where he is on campaign stops , which could indicate failing memory .
He also uses midcentury movie references to insult detractors , which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his waning shelf life .
What is particular about Sanders and Bloomberg is that they are two men in their twilight years slinging the mud about who is most likely to die first .
While other folks their age are campaigning to head their condo community association , these two are vying for the highest office in the land .
The irony is that both men might already be on borrowed time , as the average life expectancy for males in the U.S. in 2018 was 76.2 years , according to the Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparison , Trump seems especially spry at 73 .
He has also enjoyed continued good health , much to the chagrin of his political enemies .
The Sanders campaign has sunken to a new low with the false allegation of Bloomberg 's `` heart attacks . ''
Gone are the days when candidates engaged in rows over extramarital affairs or shady finances .
Today 's Democratic Party is a race between a 78-year-old communist and a 78-year-old multibillionaire slugging it out over whose ticker needs less tinkering ( to use phrasing both men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hip slang of the Joe Biden campaign , that 's just `` malarkey . ''
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

Two Democratic presidential campaigns are slugging it out to determine which candidate really has one foot in the grave. (Spoiler alert: They both do.)
Briahna Joy Gray, national press secretary for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' campaign, was forced to walk back a claim she made about the health of former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a CNN interview on Wednesday.
Gray was responding to CNN's John Berman, who said three doctors' letters released by the Sanders campaign had "nothing in them other than the doctors saying that he's fit. He had a heart attack."
The spokeswoman retorted that "it’s really telling given that none of the same concern is being demonstrated for Michael Bloomberg, who’s the same age as Bernie Sanders, who has suffered heart attacks in the past.”
JUST NOW: Press Sec for @BernieSanders equates questions on his medical records to "smear" campaign. & claims @MikeBloomberg has "suffered heart attacks." Bloomberg had an irregular heartbeat & stents. But I've seen no record of attack. Checking now.pic.twitter.com/iW5Ag2xbUt — John Berman (@JohnBerman) February 19, 2020
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
In a statement to Fox News, Bloomberg campaign manager Kevin Sheekey called Gray's claim "completely false."
Sheekey conceded that Bloomberg had two coronary stents placed in 2000 but said he has not had any heart attacks.
Hours later, Gray retracted her statement via Twitter.
"I mispoke when I said Bloomberg had a heart attack," she said. "Rather, he underwent the same stent procedure as Bernie. Bernie released 3 detailed medical reports in December — just like the other candidates."
I mispoke when I said Bloomberg had a heart attack. Rather, he underwent the same stent procedure as Bernie. Bernie released 3 detailed medical reports in December — just like the other candidates. — Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) February 19, 2020
While it is true that both candidates are 78, Sanders underwent a heart procedure after experiencing chest pains last fall. His campaign didn't acknowledge Sanders had suffered a heart attack until his release from the hospital days later.
Candidates' age has been at the forefront of the 2020 presidential race. In addition to Sanders and Bloomberg, top Democrat candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (70) and former Vice President Joe Biden (77) are also septuagenarians, as is the man they're all hoping to face in November, President Donald Trump (73).
While there are fewer reports of physical health problems in the other candidates, Biden sometimes forgets where he is on campaign stops, which could indicate failing memory.
He also uses midcentury movie references to insult detractors, which is more benign but nevertheless clear evidence of his waning shelf life.
What is particular about Sanders and Bloomberg is that they are two men in their twilight years slinging the mud about who is most likely to die first.
While other folks their age are campaigning to head their condo community association, these two are vying for the highest office in the land.
The irony is that both men might already be on borrowed time, as the average life expectancy for males in the U.S. in 2018 was 76.2 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In comparison, Trump seems especially spry at 73. He has also enjoyed continued good health, much to the chagrin of his political enemies.
The Sanders campaign has sunken to a new low with the false allegation of Bloomberg's "heart attacks." Gone are the days when candidates engaged in rows over extramarital affairs or shady finances.
Today's Democratic Party is a race between a 78-year-old communist and a 78-year-old multibillionaire slugging it out over whose ticker needs less tinkering (to use phrasing both men would relate to better).
In the hip slang of the Joe Biden campaign, that's just "malarkey."
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-02-21--Thousands urged to 'self-quarantine' across America as statistician warns numbers don't add up

As health officials ask thousands to quarantine across the United States , a respected statistician is going public with dire claims that COVID-19 data does n't look right at all .
The American quarantines come as deadly coronavirus outbreaks have been reported in several other nations .
In California , where diseases already have an easy time moving around cities thanks to unsanitary conditions and a large homeless population , more than 5,400 people have been asked by the state health department to quarantine themselves .
In Washington state , over 700 are being monitored for possible coronavirus infections .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are among other states with hundreds of potential cases being watched by officials .
This is a major increase in possible cases that comes after the administration of President Donald Trump ordered a historical quarantine to combat the novel coronavirus .
As we 've seen in China and aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship , even strict quarantines may not be as effective as officials think .
One expert even warned that the `` quarantine process failed '' aboard the ship , fanning fears that the virus may have gone airborne or could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite COVID-19 's seemingly highly infectious nature , the Chinese government is reporting a slowdown of new infections .
According to one statistician , the data that has been pouring out of the communist country does n't look right at all .
Melody Goodman , an associate biostatistics professor at New York University ’ s School of Global Public Health , told Barron 's about her reservations .
“ I have never in my years seen an r-squared of 0.99 , ” she said , referring to an analysis of Chinese numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes me question the data.
” The r-squared value deals with the correlation and predictability of data .
The closer the value is to 1 , the more predictable a particular set of data becomes .
With something as inherently unpredictable as a virus , Goodman said .7 would be more realistic -- and even that would be `` really good . ''
“ Anything like 0.99 would make me think that someone is simulating data , '' Goodman said .
`` It would mean you already know what is going to happen.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is now the biggest cog in the global economy 's supply chain , risks losing everything if the novel coronavirus keeps factory floors shuttered .
While Chinese propaganda mouthpieces assure the world that the government has everything under control , extreme measures caught on video hint that the ruling communist party is desperate to maintain control .
Numerous videos like the one below have surfaced , showing Chinese officials in protective gear rounding up citizens who are seemingly infected with COVID-19 .
With new countries coming forward confirming cases of infected and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the virus , it looks like we have yet to see how bad this outbreak really is .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

As health officials ask thousands to quarantine across the United States, a respected statistician is going public with dire claims that COVID-19 data doesn't look right at all.
The American quarantines come as deadly coronavirus outbreaks have been reported in several other nations.
In California, where diseases already have an easy time moving around cities thanks to unsanitary conditions and a large homeless population, more than 5,400 people have been asked by the state health department to quarantine themselves.
In Washington state, over 700 are being monitored for possible coronavirus infections.
Georgia, Illinois, and New York are among other states with hundreds of potential cases being watched by officials.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
This is a major increase in possible cases that comes after the administration of President Donald Trump ordered a historical quarantine to combat the novel coronavirus.
As we've seen in China and aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, even strict quarantines may not be as effective as officials think.
One expert even warned that the "quarantine process failed" aboard the ship, fanning fears that the virus may have gone airborne or could be easily transmitted in some other way.
Despite COVID-19's seemingly highly infectious nature, the Chinese government is reporting a slowdown of new infections. According to one statistician, the data that has been pouring out of the communist country doesn't look right at all.
Melody Goodman, an associate biostatistics professor at New York University’s School of Global Public Health, told Barron's about her reservations.
“I have never in my years seen an r-squared of 0.99,” she said, referring to an analysis of Chinese numbers. “As a statistician, it makes me question the data.”
The r-squared value deals with the correlation and predictability of data. The closer the value is to 1, the more predictable a particular set of data becomes. With something as inherently unpredictable as a virus, Goodman said .7 would be more realistic -- and even that would be "really good."
“Anything like 0.99 would make me think that someone is simulating data," Goodman said. "It would mean you already know what is going to happen.”
China, a newly industrialized country that is now the biggest cog in the global economy's supply chain, risks losing everything if the novel coronavirus keeps factory floors shuttered.
While Chinese propaganda mouthpieces assure the world that the government has everything under control, extreme measures caught on video hint that the ruling communist party is desperate to maintain control.
Numerous videos like the one below have surfaced, showing Chinese officials in protective gear rounding up citizens who are seemingly infected with COVID-19.
With new countries coming forward confirming cases of infected and experts casting doubt on China's claims about the virus, it looks like we have yet to see how bad this outbreak really is.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.