offguardian--2020-11-10--The Great VIRAL Debate: Dr Rancourt’s Closing Statement

Welcome to Closing Statements of The Great VIRAL Debate .
Track this debate ’ s progress in our Coronavirus Debate Section .
Dr Piers Robinson is our chair .
Off-Guardian is your host .
The proposition under debate is : Dr Rancourt , arguing against the proposition , closes his argument : These closing statements , following the openings and two rounds of debate , were submitted simultaneously , in parallel , without prior viewing .
Tim ’ s position is anchored in his beliefs that : a .
A new virus ( “ SARS-CoV-2 ” ) has been discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease virus .
b .
The deaths assigned to have been caused by COVID-19 are due to the new virus .
On this basis , Tim advances his main thesis that a difference in “ COVID deaths ” between “ neoliberal countries ( UK , USA , Sweden , Brazil ) ” and “ more independent countries ( China , Vietnam , Cuba , Venezuela , Syria ) ” is caused by decimated and badly managed medical systems in the West versus responsibly managed and values-based medical care in his list of non-neoliberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences between his two select groups of countries , which affect viral respiratory disease propagation and deaths .
Repeating myself , the said differences are in three areas : For Tim , these differences , and decades of the underlying science , are my “ two part theory ” .
Tim appears to be oblivious to the logical deconstruction of his main thesis , which I have made .
Likewise , Tim ignores analyses based on the ( national and regional ) hard numbers of all-cause mortality by time , and prefers “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.2 million ” unscientifically collected and tabulated by the WHO .
Coming back to the debate question : Were extraordinary government-imposed measures warranted ?
Would business as usual have been preferable ?
By the measure of accumulated science and established practice prior to 2020 , this was not a pandemic .
It was a massive propaganda campaign and social interference , in the normal presence of viral respiratory disease .
Such propaganda campaigns are regularly engineered by Big Pharma and its Finance collaborators to continually invent epidemics , [ 1 ] and this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ geopolitical utility .
Russia and China must go along with the West ’ s propaganda , as I explained in my Round 2 response .
In fact , “ COVID-19 ” deaths occurred irrespective of “ SARS-CoV-2 ” .
Virtually any respiratory disease virus or collection of viruses in the viral ecology of our bodies would have served the same purpose .
They all kill vulnerable , sick and weakened individuals in the same way ; notwithstanding the industry of finding medical particularities of “ SARS-CoV-2 ” .
Influenza is similarly associated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complications .
In terms of deaths , the 2020 non-pandemic was a globally-instigated unprecedented assault against working and middle-class , largely institutionalized , elderly and socially/medically fragile populations .
The all-cause mortality shows sharp surges in deaths that followed the 11 March 2020 WHO global recommendation for hospital clearing as “ pandemic ” response , across the world , in those jurisdictions that sent hospitalised infected elderly persons into the community , including locked down care homes .
[ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] The mechanism that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and elderly persons into killing fields includes the following elements : [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] • infection seeding by hospital transfers into the care homes • denied specialized medical treatment to the residents of the care homes • reduced staffing and staff abandonment in the care homes , and negligence • collateral effects of the universal lockdown of the care homes : extreme social isolation , psychological stress , reduced aerosol-exhaust ventilation , lost oversight of the institutions by family-members This was a mass crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make an ideological argument .
Tim is incorrect to suggest that I reject “ preventive health measures ” .
I agree with the usual social and science-based practice of voluntarily staying at home when one has symptoms of a transmissive respiratory disease , as a way to slow the rate of transmission in the community at large .
This practice includes being told to stay at home by colleagues and supervisors .
It also includes voluntarily abstaining from visiting elderly parents and grandparents during one ’ s symptomatic period and prior to symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has symptoms .
It is a case-by-case and contextual approach , adapted to particular needs and priorities .
A universal lockdown on care homes is an entirely different beast , and has not previously been globally imposed , nor is it scientifically demonstrated to give a net benefit .
In fact , the experience of COVID-19 unambiguously demonstrates a massive harm from this protocol , especially when combined with infecting the cares homes using hospital transfers .
Likewise , I oppose universal lockdowns of the general population , universally enforced masking , [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing ” , and the universally imposed so-called “ sanitary practices ” of compulsive handwashing and surface cleaning .
There is no demonstration of benefit from these laws and rules , which are an attack on society .
There wasn ’ t even a legitimate pandemic .
My research suggests that if the extraordinary and universally applied measures had not been enacted , then no excess deaths would have occurred beyond those of a regular flu season .
The post-March-11th “ COVID-peaks ” that I first identified in the all-cause mortality data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have occurred .
[ 3 ] In the context of this debate , “ herd/community immunity ” refers to the business-as-usual natural coping of individuals and society constantly challenged by respiratory disease viruses , as has been the case for thousands of years .
In technical terms , the concept of “ herd immunity ” was introduced by vaccine manufacturers as a pretext for universal vaccination programs , rather than individual personal-choice “ protection ” .
After all , if a vaccine is effective , then it should protect the vaccinated individual .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage prevents rapid spread through a population , and reduces the likelihood that late pockets of vulnerable ( not immune ) individuals will be infected by the pathogen in question .
Thus defined , “ herd immunity ” is a device to sell universal vaccination .
In my view , we have not entered a new area in which human health on the planet suddenly , after 4 billion years of animal co-evolution with viruses , depends on universal distribution of viral respiratory disease vaccines ; nor have we entered a new scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has discovered how to make effective , beneficial , and safe viral respiratory disease vaccines .
The industry is a wasteful cash cow , which causes much harm and deters away from real health and quality of life initiatives .
If you want to help vulnerable and oppressed populations and social classes , then stop structurally and directly attacking vulnerable and oppressed populations and social classes .
Track this debate ’ s progress in our Coronavirus Debate Section

Welcome to Closing Statements of The Great VIRAL Debate. Track this debate’s progress in our Coronavirus Debate Section. Dr Piers Robinson is our chair. Off-Guardian is your host. The proposition under debate is:
SARS-COV-2 merits suppression measures in order to combat the virus rather than the herd/community immunity approach
Dr Rancourt, arguing against the proposition, closes his argument:
These closing statements, following the openings and two rounds of debate, were submitted simultaneously, in parallel, without prior viewing.
Tim’s position is anchored in his beliefs that:
a. A new virus (“SARS-CoV-2”) has been discovered that is unlike any other viral respiratory disease virus. b. The deaths assigned to have been caused by COVID-19 are due to the new virus.
I address these beliefs below.
On this basis, Tim advances his main thesis that a difference in “COVID deaths” between “neoliberal countries (UK, USA, Sweden, Brazil)” and “more independent countries (China, Vietnam, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria)” is caused by decimated and badly managed medical systems in the West versus responsibly managed and values-based medical care in his list of non-neoliberal countries.
Tim is not deterred by differences between his two select groups of countries, which affect viral respiratory disease propagation and deaths. Repeating myself, the said differences are in three areas:
Absolute-humidity-dependence of aerosol stability in air (viral transmission) Care-homes institutional structure, and populations in care homes (hot spots) Closed space aerosol-exhaust ventilation dependence on climate and air-conditioning (climate)
For Tim, these differences, and decades of the underlying science, are my “two part theory”. Tim appears to be oblivious to the logical deconstruction of his main thesis, which I have made.
Likewise, Tim ignores analyses based on the (national and regional) hard numbers of all-cause mortality by time, and prefers “the reported COVID-19 death toll of almost 1.2 million” unscientifically collected and tabulated by the WHO.
Coming back to the debate question: Were extraordinary government-imposed measures warranted? Would business as usual have been preferable?
By the measure of accumulated science and established practice prior to 2020, this was not a pandemic. It was a massive propaganda campaign and social interference, in the normal presence of viral respiratory disease.
Such propaganda campaigns are regularly engineered by Big Pharma and its Finance collaborators to continually invent epidemics,[1] and this is allowed/enabled because there is globalization and geopolitical utility. Russia and China must go along with the West’s propaganda, as I explained in my Round 2 response.
In fact, “COVID-19” deaths occurred irrespective of “SARS-CoV-2”. Virtually any respiratory disease virus or collection of viruses in the viral ecology of our bodies would have served the same purpose. They all kill vulnerable, sick and weakened individuals in the same way; notwithstanding the industry of finding medical particularities of “SARS-CoV-2”. Influenza is similarly associated with a spectrum of relatively rare exotic medical complications.
In terms of deaths, the 2020 non-pandemic was a globally-instigated unprecedented assault against working and middle-class, largely institutionalized, elderly and socially/medically fragile populations.
The all-cause mortality shows sharp surges in deaths that followed the 11 March 2020 WHO global recommendation for hospital clearing as “pandemic” response, across the world, in those jurisdictions that sent hospitalised infected elderly persons into the community, including locked down care homes.[2][3][4][5]
The mechanism that made care homes and institutions for sick and elderly persons into killing fields includes the following elements:[2][3][4][5]
infection seeding by hospital transfers into the care homes
universal lockdowns of the care homes
denied specialized medical treatment to the residents of the care homes
reduced staffing and staff abandonment in the care homes, and negligence
collateral effects of the universal lockdown of the care homes: extreme social isolation, psychological stress, reduced aerosol-exhaust ventilation, lost oversight of the institutions by family-members
This was a mass crime.[2] Tim prefers to make an ideological argument.
Tim is incorrect to suggest that I reject “preventive health measures”. I agree with the usual social and science-based practice of voluntarily staying at home when one has symptoms of a transmissive respiratory disease, as a way to slow the rate of transmission in the community at large. This practice includes being told to stay at home by colleagues and supervisors. It also includes voluntarily abstaining from visiting elderly parents and grandparents during one’s symptomatic period and prior to symptoms if another person in the nuclear family has symptoms. It is a case-by-case and contextual approach, adapted to particular needs and priorities.
A universal lockdown on care homes is an entirely different beast, and has not previously been globally imposed, nor is it scientifically demonstrated to give a net benefit. In fact, the experience of COVID-19 unambiguously demonstrates a massive harm from this protocol, especially when combined with infecting the cares homes using hospital transfers.
Likewise, I oppose universal lockdowns of the general population, universally enforced masking,[6][7] universal “social distancing”, and the universally imposed so-called “sanitary practices” of compulsive handwashing and surface cleaning. There is no demonstration of benefit from these laws and rules, which are an attack on society.
There wasn’t even a legitimate pandemic. My research suggests that if the extraordinary and universally applied measures had not been enacted, then no excess deaths would have occurred beyond those of a regular flu season. The post-March-11th “COVID-peaks” that I first identified in the all-cause mortality data for the USA and Europe would not have occurred.[3]
In the context of this debate, “herd/community immunity” refers to the business-as-usual natural coping of individuals and society constantly challenged by respiratory disease viruses, as has been the case for thousands of years. In technical terms, the concept of “herd immunity” was introduced by vaccine manufacturers as a pretext for universal vaccination programs, rather than individual personal-choice “protection”. After all, if a vaccine is effective, then it should protect the vaccinated individual. The idea is that sufficiently large vaccination coverage prevents rapid spread through a population, and reduces the likelihood that late pockets of vulnerable (not immune) individuals will be infected by the pathogen in question. Thus defined, “herd immunity” is a device to sell universal vaccination.
In my view, we have not entered a new area in which human health on the planet suddenly, after 4 billion years of animal co-evolution with viruses, depends on universal distribution of viral respiratory disease vaccines; nor have we entered a new scientific era in which the gargantuan vaccine industry has discovered how to make effective, beneficial, and safe viral respiratory disease vaccines. The industry is a wasteful cash cow, which causes much harm and deters away from real health and quality of life initiatives.
If you want to help vulnerable and oppressed populations and social classes, then stop structurally and directly attacking vulnerable and oppressed populations and social classes.
Click HERE to read Dr Anderson’s Final Statement.
Track this debate’s progress in our Coronavirus Debate Section


offguardian--2020-11-10--The Great VIRAL Debate: Dr Anderson’s Closing Statement

Welcome to Closing Statements of The Great VIRAL Debate .
Track this debate ’ s progress in our Coronavirus Debate Section .
Dr Piers Robinson is our chair .
Off-Guardian is your host .
The proposition under debate is : Dr Anderson , arguing for the proposition , closes his argument : Returning to the question I repeat : COVID19 was a serious public health threat which required a social response .
A Darwinian style ‘ herd immunity ’ response , where the old and ill ( the main victims of this particular virus ) were simply left to die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unethical .
The prospects for any widespread ‘ natural ’ immunity to COVID are receding .
A British study found that between 20 June and 28 September the numbers of those antibody positive fell from “ almost 6 % to 4.4 % ” ( Alford ) .
Antibody levels even in the hardest hit cities have rarely exceeded 10 % , far too low to contain a highly infectious virus .
Britain and Sweden are not far apart .
Sweden ’ s public health authority admitted in September that , by mid-June , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and only 6 % to 8 % of the Swedish population , had COVID antibodies ( Vogel ) .
Our understanding of any new virus should be informed by collective medical science , not just cherry picked sources .
This is not the same as social or political argument ; there are valuable broad agreements in medical science , because it is far more demonstrable than social science .
In my opening I gave five sources for estimated IFRs ( Infection fatality rate ) for COVDI9 ( most between 0.5 % and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of these and misquoted his own sources ( Ioannidis and the CDC ) as I noted earlier .
The CDC accepts an IFR of 0.65 % , 6 to 7 times that of the seasonal flu .
And now we also have the ‘ long COVID ’ illnesses , especially amongst public health workers .
We also see nearly 1.2 million reported COVID19 deaths , after nine months of pandemic .
Paget demonstrated an average global seasonal flu death toll of about 400,000 per year , over the past decade .
We already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 12 months , we will likely have four times that , even with preventive measures .
Globally , reported deaths remain constant at about 5,000 per day .
The good news is that , in many countries which have faced epidemics for many months , the proportion of those dying has fallen considerably .
This seems mainly due to ( i ) improved treatment of what multiple studies now show to be as much a vascular as a respiratory disease ( Kavanagh ) , and ( ii ) very high levels of testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people but also lower death rates amongst older people ( Dorling ; Hendrie ; Oke , Howdon and Heneghan ) .
Those denying the seriousness of this disease have been left behind in social debate .
How can deniers credibly engage with these questions , when their starting point ( often unchanged since March 2020 ) was that there was no real public health threat ?
• How can we meet the demands of students for a safe return to classes ?
• How and when can quarantine measures be safely rolled back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long COVID ’ sufferers including the public health workers ?
Denis can present his idiosyncratic theories that the problem was ( i ) a seasonal winter flu in cold countries , or that ( ii ) the deaths were mostly to do with the poor ventilation in aged care facilities .
But in my view he will miss the real challenges .
The same applies to those who have been swept up in the baseless anti-vaccine scare campaigns , endangering the lives of children ( e.g . )
over the measles vaccine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon that will include COVID vaccination .
They demanded the same of us with smallpox vaccine in the 60s and 70s and they will do it again with COVID , with reason .
I repeat my initial point , we should first address the in-principle matters of public and preventive health , before moving to engage with particular political stupidities .
I have harshly criticised the use of police in the second wave quarantine regime imposed in my home town Melbourne , but I accept that some sort of quarantine was needed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ always a childish comparator – it led people to obsess over symptoms and not causes and encouraged them to ignore questions of ‘ when , how and by whom ’ .
I say the roots of the current crisis should be looked for in the failures of public health systems .
Finally , whatever anyone thinks about our debate , we have left a record of our sources which honest and curious people can use to check the facts for themselves .
Track this debate ’ s progress in our Coronavirus Debate Section

Welcome to Closing Statements of The Great VIRAL Debate. Track this debate’s progress in our Coronavirus Debate Section. Dr Piers Robinson is our chair. Off-Guardian is your host. The proposition under debate is:
SARS-COV-2 merits suppression measures in order to combat the virus rather than the herd/community immunity approach
Dr Anderson, arguing for the proposition, closes his argument:
Returning to the question I repeat: COVID19 was a serious public health threat which required a social response. A Darwinian style ‘herd immunity’ response, where the old and ill (the main victims of this particular virus) were simply left to die, would have been monstrous and deeply unethical.
The prospects for any widespread ‘natural’ immunity to COVID are receding. A British study found that between 20 June and 28 September the numbers of those antibody positive fell from “almost 6% to 4.4%” (Alford). Antibody levels even in the hardest hit cities have rarely exceeded 10%, far too low to contain a highly infectious virus. Britain and Sweden are not far apart. Sweden’s public health authority admitted in September that, by mid-June, less than 12% of Stockholm residents, and only 6% to 8% of the Swedish population, had COVID antibodies (Vogel).
Our understanding of any new virus should be informed by collective medical science, not just cherry picked sources. This is not the same as social or political argument; there are valuable broad agreements in medical science, because it is far more demonstrable than social science. In my opening I gave five sources for estimated IFRs (Infection fatality rate) for COVDI9 (most between 0.5% and 1%). Denis challenged one of these and misquoted his own sources (Ioannidis and the CDC) as I noted earlier. The CDC accepts an IFR of 0.65%, 6 to 7 times that of the seasonal flu. And now we also have the ‘long COVID’ illnesses, especially amongst public health workers.
We also see nearly 1.2 million reported COVID19 deaths, after nine months of pandemic. Paget demonstrated an average global seasonal flu death toll of about 400,000 per year, over the past decade. We already have three times that and, after 12 months, we will likely have four times that, even with preventive measures. Globally, reported deaths remain constant at about 5,000 per day.
The good news is that, in many countries which have faced epidemics for many months, the proportion of those dying has fallen considerably. This seems mainly due to (i) improved treatment of what multiple studies now show to be as much a vascular as a respiratory disease (Kavanagh), and (ii) very high levels of testing, showing many asymptomatic cases in younger people but also lower death rates amongst older people (Dorling; Hendrie; Oke, Howdon and Heneghan).
Those denying the seriousness of this disease have been left behind in social debate. How can deniers credibly engage with these questions, when their starting point (often unchanged since March 2020) was that there was no real public health threat?
How can we meet the demands of students for a safe return to classes?
How and when can quarantine measures be safely rolled back?
How can we support ‘long COVID’ sufferers including the public health workers?
Denis can present his idiosyncratic theories that the problem was (i) a seasonal winter flu in cold countries, or that (ii) the deaths were mostly to do with the poor ventilation in aged care facilities. But in my view he will miss the real challenges.
The same applies to those who have been swept up in the baseless anti-vaccine scare campaigns, endangering the lives of children (e.g.) over the measles vaccine. International travel now requires COVID tests and soon that will include COVID vaccination. They demanded the same of us with smallpox vaccine in the 60s and 70s and they will do it again with COVID, with reason.
I repeat my initial point, we should first address the in-principle matters of public and preventive health, before moving to engage with particular political stupidities. I have harshly criticised the use of police in the second wave quarantine regime imposed in my home town Melbourne, but I accept that some sort of quarantine was needed. ‘Lockdown vs no lockdown’ was always a childish comparator – it led people to obsess over symptoms and not causes and encouraged them to ignore questions of ‘when, how and by whom’. I say the roots of the current crisis should be looked for in the failures of public health systems.
Finally, whatever anyone thinks about our debate, we have left a record of our sources which honest and curious people can use to check the facts for themselves.
Click HERE to read Dr Rancourt’s Final Statement.
Track this debate’s progress in our Coronavirus Debate Section


offguardian--2020-11-10--The War is OVER…Globocap Triumphs!

The War is OVER…Globocap Triumphs!

OK , so , that was not cool .
For one terrifying moment there , it actually looked like GloboCap was going to let Russian-Asset Hitler win .
Hour after hour on election night , states on the map kept turning red , or pink , or some distinctly non-blue color .
Wisconsin … Michigan … Georgia … Florida .
It could not be happening , and yet it was .
What other explanation was there ?
The Russians were stealing the election again !
But , of course , GloboCap was just playing with us .
They ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GloboCap guys .
Naturally , they couldn ’ t resist the chance to wind us up just one more time .
Seriously , though , while I enjoy a good prank , I still have a number of liberal friends , many of whom were on the verge of suffering major heart attacks as they breathlessly waited for the corporate media to confirm that they had successfully voted a literal dictator out of power .
( A few of them suffer from IBS or other gastrointestinal disorders , so , in light of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Return of the Apocalyptic Plague , toying with them like that was especially cruel . )
But , whatever .
That ’ s water under the bridge .
The good news is , the nightmare is over !
Literal Hitler and his underground army of Russia-loving white supremacists have been vanquished !
Decency has been restored !
Globalization has risen from the dead !
And , of course , the most important thing is , racism in America is over … again !
Yes , that ’ s right , folks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate monuments goodbye !
The Democrats are back in the White House !
According to sources , the domestic staff are already down in the West Wing basement looking for that MLK bust that Trump ordered removed and desecrated the moment he was sworn into office .
College kids are building pyres of racist and potentially racist books , and paintings , and films , and other degenerate artworks .
Jussie Smollet can finally come out of hiding .
OK , granted , they ’ re not going to desegregate liberal cities or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ policing ” Black neighborhoods like an occupying army , or stop funding schools with property taxes , but Kamala Harris is Black , mostly , and Grampa Joe will tell us more stories about “ Corn Pop , ” the razor-wielding public-pool gangster , and other dangerous Black people he hasn ’ t yet incarcerated , so that should calm down all those BLM folks .
In the meantime , the official celebrations have begun .
Assorted mass-murdering GloboCap luminaries , government leaders , and the corporate media are pumping out hopey-changey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
Pundits are breaking down and sobbing on television .
Liberal mobs are ritualistically stomping Cheetos to the death in the street .
Slaphappy hordes of Covidian Cultists are amassing outdoors , masks around their necks , sharing champagne bottles and French-kissing each other , protected from the virus by the Anti-Trump Force Field that saved the BLM protesters last Summer .
It ’ s like V-Day , the fall of the Berlin wall , and the bin Laden assassination all rolled into one !
All of which is understandable , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the concentration camps , the wars of aggression , the censorship , the CIA murder squads , the show trials , and all that other dictator stuff .
On top of which , there was all that white supremacy , and that anti-Semitism , and that horrible wall that transformed America into an “ apartheid state ” where people were imprisoned in an open-air ghetto and gratuitously abused and murdered .
( Whoops , I think I screwed up my citations … maybe double-check those links . )
But let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now .
There will be plenty of time for all that later , when Donald Trump is hauled into court and tried for his crimes against humanity , like all our previous war-criminal presidents .
No , this is a time for looking ahead to the Brave New Global-Capitalist Normal , in which everyone will sit at home in their masks surfing the Internet on their toasters with MSNBC playing in the background … well , OK , not absolutely everyone .
The affluent will still need to fly around in their private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their yachts , and , you know , all the usual affluent stuff .
But the rest of us won ’ t have to go anywhere or meet with anyone in person , because our lives will be one never-ending Zoom meeting carefully monitored by official fact-checkers to ensure we ’ re not being “ misinformed ” or exposed to “ dangerous conspiracy theories ” which could potentially lead to the agonized deaths ( or the mild-to-moderate flu-like illnesses ) of hundreds of millions of innocent people .
But let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As much as you ’ re probably looking forward to life in the Brave New GloboCap Normal , or the Great Reset , or whatever they end up calling the new pathologized totalitarianism , it isn ’ t a fait accompli quite yet … not until Russian-Asset Hitler has been thoroughly humiliated and removed from office , and anyone who voted for him , or didn ’ t believe he was literally Hitler , or a Russian asset , or who otherwise refused to take part in the mindless , corporate-media-generated Anti-Trump Hate-Fest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist , ” a “ traitor , ” an “ anti-Semite , ” a “ conspiracy theorist , ” or some other type of “ far-right extremist.
” That ’ s probably going to take another couple months .
I ’ m pretty certain the plan is still to goad Trump into overreacting and trying to resist his removal from office .
And I do not mean just in the courts .
No , after all the money , time , and effort that GloboCap has invested over the last four years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he just slinks away with going full-Hitler and starting a Second Civil War .
As I ’ ve been saying , over and over , since he won the election , GloboCap needs to make an example of Trump to put down the widespread populist rebellion against global capitalism and its ideology that started back in 2016 .
And no , it doesn ’ t make any difference whether Donald Trump is actually a populist , or whether people realize that it is global capitalism and not “ Cultural Marxism ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the script , this is the part where Trump refuses to respect “ democracy ” and has to be forcibly dragged out of office by the Secret Service or elements of the military , ideally “ live ” on international television .
It may not end up playing out that way ( Trump is probably not as dumb as I think ) , but that ’ s the Act III scenario for GloboCap : the “ attempted Trump coup , ” then the “ perp walk.
” They need the public and future @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegitimate president , ” a “ usurper , ” an “ intruder , ” an “ imposter , ” an “ invader ” … which , he is .
( Being rich and famous does not make you a member of the GloboCap Power Club . )
The corporate media are already hard at work manufacturing this version of reality , not only in the content of their “ reporting , ” but also with the unbridled contempt they are showing for a sitting president .
The networks actually cut him off in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Twitter Corporation is censoring his tweets .
What could possibly be more humiliating … and indicative of who is really in charge ?
Meanwhile , the GloboCap propaganda has reached some new post-Orwellian level .
After four long years of “ RUSSIA HACKED THE ELECTION !
” … now , suddenly , “ THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ELECTION FRAUD IN THE USA !
” That ’ s right , once again , millions of liberals , like that scene in 1984 where the Party switches official enemies right in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been ordered to radically reverse their “ reality , ” and hysterically deny the existence of the very thing they have been hysterically alleging for four solid years … and they are actually doing it !
At the same time , the Trumpians have been reduced to repeating , over and over , and over , that “ THE MEDIA DOES NOT SELECT THE PRESIDENT , ” and “ BIDEN IS NOT THE PRESIDENT ELECT , ” and other versions of “ THIS CAN ’ T BE HAPPENING.
” I hate to rub @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particularly those whose faces are currently being stomped on by GloboCap ’ s enormous boot ) , but , yes , this is actually happening .
Second Civil War or no Second Civil War , this is the end for Donald Trump .
As Biden and the corporate media keep telling us , we are looking at a “ very dark winter , ” on the other side of which a new reality awaits us … a new , pathologized , totalitarian reality .
Call it the “ New Normal , ” or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has triumphed ” if you want .
Wear your mask .
Mask your children .
Terrorize them with pictures of “ death trucks , ” tales of “ Russian hackers ” and “ white supremacist terrorists.
” Live in fear of an imaginary plague ( or perhaps a non-imaginary plague if that “ very dark winter ” comes to pass ) .
Censor all dissent .
Ban all protests .
Do not attempt to adjust your telescreen .
Click on the link to join the Zoom meeting .
Have your password and your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Get down on your knees .
CJ Hopkins is an award-winning American playwright , novelist and political satirist based in Berlin .
His plays are published by Bloomsbury Publishing and Broadway Play Publishing , Inc. His dystopian novel , Zone 23 , is published by Snoggsworthy , Swaine & Cormorant .
Volume I of his Consent Factory Essays is published by Consent Factory Publishing , a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amalgamated Content , Inc .
He can be reached at cjhopkins.com or consentfactory.org .

CJ Hopkins
OK, so, that was not cool. For one terrifying moment there, it actually looked like GloboCap was going to let Russian-Asset Hitler win.
Hour after hour on election night, states on the map kept turning red, or pink, or some distinctly non-blue color. Wisconsin … Michigan … Georgia … Florida. It could not be happening, and yet it was. What other explanation was there? The Russians were stealing the election again!
But, of course, GloboCap was just playing with us. They’re a bunch of practical jokers, those GloboCap guys. Naturally, they couldn’t resist the chance to wind us up just one more time.
Seriously, though, while I enjoy a good prank, I still have a number of liberal friends, many of whom were on the verge of suffering major heart attacks as they breathlessly waited for the corporate media to confirm that they had successfully voted a literal dictator out of power. (A few of them suffer from IBS or other gastrointestinal disorders, so, in light of the current toilet paper shortage caused by the Return of the Apocalyptic Plague, toying with them like that was especially cruel.)
But, whatever. That’s water under the bridge. The good news is, the nightmare is over! Literal Hitler and his underground army of Russia-loving white supremacists have been vanquished! Decency has been restored! Globalization has risen from the dead!
And, of course, the most important thing is, racism in America is over … again!
Yes, that’s right, folks, no more racism … kiss all those Confederate monuments goodbye! The Democrats are back in the White House! According to sources, the domestic staff are already down in the West Wing basement looking for that MLK bust that Trump ordered removed and desecrated the moment he was sworn into office.
College kids are building pyres of racist and potentially racist books, and paintings, and films, and other degenerate artworks. Jussie Smollet can finally come out of hiding.
OK, granted, they’re not going to desegregate liberal cities or anything crazy like that, or stop “policing” Black neighborhoods like an occupying army, or stop funding schools with property taxes, but Kamala Harris is Black, mostly, and Grampa Joe will tell us more stories about “Corn Pop,” the razor-wielding public-pool gangster, and other dangerous Black people he hasn’t yet incarcerated, so that should calm down all those BLM folks.
In the meantime, the official celebrations have begun. Assorted mass-murdering GloboCap luminaries, government leaders, and the corporate media are pumping out hopey-changey propaganda like it was 2008 all over again. Pundits are breaking down and sobbing on television. Liberal mobs are ritualistically stomping Cheetos to the death in the street. Slaphappy hordes of Covidian Cultists are amassing outdoors, masks around their necks, sharing champagne bottles and French-kissing each other, protected from the virus by the Anti-Trump Force Field that saved the BLM protesters last Summer.
It’s like V-Day, the fall of the Berlin wall, and the bin Laden assassination all rolled into one!
All of which is understandable, given the horrors of the last four years, the concentration camps, the wars of aggression, the censorship, the CIA murder squads, the show trials, and all that other dictator stuff.
On top of which, there was all that white supremacy, and that anti-Semitism, and that horrible wall that transformed America into an “apartheid state” where people were imprisoned in an open-air ghetto and gratuitously abused and murdered. (Whoops, I think I screwed up my citations … maybe double-check those links.)
But let’s not dwell on all those horrors right now. There will be plenty of time for all that later, when Donald Trump is hauled into court and tried for his crimes against humanity, like all our previous war-criminal presidents.
No, this is a time for looking ahead to the Brave New Global-Capitalist Normal, in which everyone will sit at home in their masks surfing the Internet on their toasters with MSNBC playing in the background … well, OK, not absolutely everyone.
The affluent will still need to fly around in their private jets and helicopters, and take vacations on their yachts, and, you know, all the usual affluent stuff. But the rest of us won’t have to go anywhere or meet with anyone in person, because our lives will be one never-ending Zoom meeting carefully monitored by official fact-checkers to ensure we’re not being “misinformed” or exposed to “dangerous conspiracy theories” which could potentially lead to the agonized deaths (or the mild-to-moderate flu-like illnesses) of hundreds of millions of innocent people.
But let’s not count our chickens just yet. As much as you’re probably looking forward to life in the Brave New GloboCap Normal, or the Great Reset, or whatever they end up calling the new pathologized totalitarianism, it isn’t a fait accompli quite yet … not until Russian-Asset Hitler has been thoroughly humiliated and removed from office, and anyone who voted for him, or didn’t believe he was literally Hitler, or a Russian asset, or who otherwise refused to take part in the mindless, corporate-media-generated Anti-Trump Hate-Fest, has been demonized as a “racist,” a “traitor,” an “anti-Semite,” a “conspiracy theorist,” or some other type of “far-right extremist.”
That’s probably going to take another couple months.
I’m pretty certain the plan is still to goad Trump into overreacting and trying to resist his removal from office. And I do not mean just in the courts. No, after all the money, time, and effort that GloboCap has invested over the last four years, they are going to be extremely disappointed if he just slinks away without going full-Hitler and starting a Second Civil War.
As I’ve been saying, over and over, since he won the election, GloboCap needs to make an example of Trump to put down the widespread populist rebellion against global capitalism and its ideology that started back in 2016. And no, it doesn’t make any difference whether Donald Trump is actually a populist, or whether people realize that it is global capitalism and not “Cultural Marxism” that they are rebelling against.
According to the script, this is the part where Trump refuses to respect “democracy” and has to be forcibly dragged out of office by the Secret Service or elements of the military, ideally “live” on international television. It may not end up playing out that way (Trump is probably not as dumb as I think), but that’s the Act III scenario for GloboCap: the “attempted Trump coup,” then the “perp walk.” They need the public and future generations to perceive him as an “illegitimate president,” a “usurper,” an “intruder,” an “imposter,” an “invader” … which, he is. (Being rich and famous does not make you a member of the GloboCap Power Club.)
The corporate media are already hard at work manufacturing this version of reality, not only in the content of their “reporting,” but also with the unbridled contempt they are showing for a sitting president. The networks actually cut him off in the middle of his post-election address. The Twitter Corporation is censoring his tweets. What could possibly be more humiliating … and indicative of who is really in charge?
Meanwhile, the GloboCap propaganda has reached some new post-Orwellian level. After four long years of “RUSSIA HACKED THE ELECTION!” … now, suddenly, “THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ELECTION FRAUD IN THE USA!”
If you enjoyed "Russia Stole the Election from Hillary!", you are going to love "There's no Such Thing as Election Fraud"! pic.twitter.com/O8Hf7YJ6ju — Consent Factory (@consent_factory) November 6, 2020
That’s right, once again, millions of liberals, like that scene in 1984 where the Party switches official enemies right in the middle of the Hate-Week speech, have been ordered to radically reverse their “reality,” and hysterically deny the existence of the very thing they have been hysterically alleging for four solid years … and they are actually doing it!
At the same time, the Trumpians have been reduced to repeating, over and over, and over, that “THE MEDIA DOES NOT SELECT THE PRESIDENT,” and “BIDEN IS NOT THE PRESIDENT ELECT,” and other versions of “THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING.”
I hate to rub salt into anyone’s wounds (particularly those whose faces are currently being stomped on by GloboCap’s enormous boot), but, yes, this is actually happening. Second Civil War or no Second Civil War, this is the end for Donald Trump.
As Biden and the corporate media keep telling us, we are looking at a “very dark winter,” on the other side of which a new reality awaits us … a new, pathologized, totalitarian reality.
Call it the “New Normal,” or whatever you want. Pretend “democracy has triumphed” if you want. Wear your mask. Mask your children. Terrorize them with pictures of “death trucks,” tales of “Russian hackers” and “white supremacist terrorists.” Live in fear of an imaginary plague (or perhaps a non-imaginary plague if that “very dark winter” comes to pass).
Censor all dissent. Ban all protests. Do not attempt to adjust your telescreen. Click on the link to join the Zoom meeting. Have your password and your identity papers ready. Watch your pronouns. Get down on your knees.
It’s GloboCap Fucking Über Alles!
CJ Hopkins is an award-winning American playwright, novelist and political satirist based in Berlin. His plays are published by Bloomsbury Publishing and Broadway Play Publishing, Inc. His dystopian novel, Zone 23, is published by Snoggsworthy, Swaine & Cormorant. Volume I of his Consent Factory Essays is published by Consent Factory Publishing, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amalgamated Content, Inc. He can be reached at cjhopkins.com or consentfactory.org.


offguardian--2020-11-11--Petition To Congress To Reopen the 2001 Anthrax Attacks  Investigation

The Lawyers ’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry has recently petitioned Congress to reopen the 2001 Anthrax Investigations , which it claims were ‘ intentionally obstructed ’ and ‘ not conducted in good faith ’ .
View the petition ’ s Executive Summary below .
Known as ‘ Amerithrax ’ , the 2001 Anthrax Attacks took pace one week after 9/11 and became know as the ‘ worst biological attacks in U.S. history ’ .
Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to various news outlets and two Democratic Senators , killing 5 people and infecting 17 others .
In their petition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Representatives and 100 United States Senators , the Lawyers ’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry reach a number of damning conclusions , including that the ensuing FBI investigation – one of the largest and most complex in the history of law enforcement – was in fact… The petition calls for Congressional involvement , due to a Department of Justice ‘ conflict of interest ’ .
What ’ s more , it concludes , those responsible for the attacks are yet to be brought to justice and are ‘ still at large ’ .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supported by 69 Petition exhibits , it explains .
Amongst these are documents provided by a Col. Anderson , which deal with alleged evidence tampering and forged handwriting , leading to the false incrimination of Bruce Edwards Ivins , says the petition .
Ivans , 62 , died in an apparent suicide while under investigation by the FBI in July 2008 , after being informed of impending charges to be brought against him .
On August 6 , 2008 , the Justice Department posthumously declared Ivins the sole perpetrator of the attacks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future of an anthrax vaccination program he was working on .
The findings of the Lawyers ’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry , however , cast the FBI ’ s ‘ Amerithrax ’ investigations in a very different light .
Below is the Executive Summary of their petition to Congress .
Visit the Lawyers ’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry homepage for information and updates .
You can also view and download the 76 page Full Petition and Petition Exhibit .
The Lawyers ’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry , Inc. is a non-profit 501 ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawyers , investigators , scientists and concerned citizens created to promote transparency and accountability regarding the tragic events of September 11 , 2001 .

The Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry has recently petitioned Congress to reopen the 2001 Anthrax Investigations, which it claims were ‘intentionally obstructed’ and ‘not conducted in good faith’. View the petition’s Executive Summary below.
The 2001 Anthrax Attacks took place one week after 9/11 and became known as the ‘worst biological attacks in U.S. history’. Letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to various news outlets and two Democratic Senators, killing 5 people and infecting 17 others.
In their petition, sent to all 435 House of Representatives and 100 United States Senators, the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry reach a number of damning conclusions, including that the ensuing FBI investigation – one of the largest and most complex in the history of law enforcement – was in fact…
intentionally…steered…away from the most likely suspects.
The petition calls for Congressional involvement, due to a Department of Justice ‘conflict of interest’. What’s more, it concludes, those responsible for the attacks are yet to be brought to justice and are ‘still at large’.
The Lawyers’ Committee’s conclusions are supported by 69 Petition exhibits, it explains. Amongst these are documents provided by a Col. Anderson, which deal with alleged evidence tampering and forged handwriting, leading to the false incrimination of Bruce Edwards Ivins, says the petition.
Ivans, 62, died in an apparent suicide while under investigation by the FBI in July 2008, after being informed of impending charges to be brought against him.
On August 6, 2008, the Justice Department posthumously declared Ivins the sole perpetrator of the attacks, motivated by his desire to secure the future of an anthrax vaccination program he was working on.
The findings of the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry, however, cast the FBI’s ‘Amerithrax’ investigations in a very different light.
Below is the Executive Summary of their petition to Congress. Visit the Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry homepage for information and updates.
Anthrax Petition Executive Summary
You can also view and download the 76 page Full Petition and Petition Exhibit.
The Lawyers’ Committee for 9/11 Inquiry, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization of lawyers, investigators, scientists and concerned citizens created to promote transparency and accountability regarding the tragic events of September 11, 2001.


offguardian--2020-11-11--A Biden Adminstration Makes the Lessons of WWI Newly Relevant

With a warmonger being forced into the White House , there ’ s never been better time to remember what war can cost us all It ’ s November the 11th again .
The poppies are all out , worn by TV personalities ( as instructed by their PR department ) , and politicians who have long forgotten what it was supposed to mean .
“ Never Again ” , that was the intention .
But it happened again .
And again and again and again and again .
The wars never stopped , not because of religion or racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of money .
Money and power for the very few – the driving force behind almost every war , no matter the thin ideological veneer .
“ War is a racket ” , that ’ s how Major General Smedley D. Butler , put it : This message is more important than ever now , with a Biden administration being crow-barred into power at the cost of even the facade of democracy .
Biden is not “ progressive ” , no matter what they call him or how many rainbow flags they wave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is old , in more ways than one .
The Warhawks in politics and the press are already salivating at the idea .
The BBC is putting out a new “ documentary ” series about Syria .
The Guardian is writing about “ US leadership on the world stage ” .
One year on from his death , the press has decided that Russia is to blame for James Le Mesurier ’ s “ suicide ” .
Back in September , Josh Rogin writing in the Washington Post was even more flagrant , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hard to see where this is going .
Whatever Trump may be , there ’ s no denying he ’ s been the least militarily aggressive president in recent memory .
For the first time in nearly 40 years , a President did not start a new war in his term .
That is likely to change .
They will begin drip-feeding propaganda on some “ enemy ” state soon enough – most likely Syria .
The war drums will bang softly at first , they always do , but they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lessons of World War I need to be foremost in our minds .
When the old lies are busy being given new life .
I leave you with this excellent passage from All Quiet on the Western Front .
Read , and remember what was true 106 years ago is still true today : Tjaden reappears .
He is still quite excited and again joins the conversation , wondering just how a war gets started .
“ Mostly by one country badly offending another , ” answers Albert with a slight air of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ obtuse .
“ A country ?
I don ’ t follow .
A mountain in Germany can not offend a mountain in France .
Or a river , or a wood , or a field of wheat.
” “ Are you really as stupid as that , or are you just pulling my leg ?
” growls Kropp , “ I don ’ t mean that at all .
One people offends the other “ Then I haven ’ t any business here at all , ” replies Tjaden , “ I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Well , let me tell you , ” says Albert sourly , “ it doesn ’ t apply to tramps like you.
” “ Then I can be going home right away , ” retorts Tjaden , and we all laugh , “ Ach , man !
he means the people as a whole , the State ” exclaims Müller .
“ State , State ” Tjaden snaps his fingers contemptuously , “ Gendarmes , police , taxes , that ’ s your State ; if that ’ s what you are talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ That ’ s right , ” says Kat , “ you ’ ve said something for once , Tjaden .
State and home country , there ’ s a big difference.
” “ But they go together , ” insists Kropp , “ without the State there wouldn ’ t be any home country.
” “ True , but just you consider , almost all of us are simple folk .
And in France , too , the majority of men are labourers , workmen , or poor clerks .
Now just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French shoemaker want to attack us ?
No , it is merely the rulers .
I had never seen a Frenchman before I came here , and it will be just the same with the majority of Frenchmen as regards us .
They weren ’ t asked about it any more than we were.
” “ Then what exactly is the war for ?
” asks Tjaden .
Kat shrugs his shoulders .
“ There must be some people to whom the war is useful.
” “ Well , I ’ m not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Not you , nor anybody else here.
” “ Who are they then ?
” persists Tjaden .
“ It isn ’ t any use to the Kaiser either .
He has everything he can want already.
” “ I ’ m not so sure about that , ” contradicts Kat , “ he has not had a war up till now .
And every full-grown emperor requires at least one war , otherwise he would not become famous .
You look in your school books.
” “ There are other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the war , that ’ s certain , ” growls Detering .

With a warmonger being forced into the White House, there’s never been better time to remember what war can cost us all
Kit Knightly
It’s November the 11th again. The poppies are all out, worn by TV personalities (as instructed by their PR department), and politicians who have long forgotten what it was supposed to mean.
“Never Again”, that was the intention. But it happened again. And again and again and again and again.
The wars never stopped, not because of religion or racism or humanity’s bloodthirsty nature…but because of money. Money and power for the very few – the driving force behind almost every war, no matter the thin ideological veneer.
“War is a racket”, that’s how Major General Smedley D. Butler, put it:
I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country’s most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.
This message is more important than ever now, with a Biden administration being crow-barred into power at the cost of even the facade of democracy. Biden is not “progressive”, no matter what they call him or how many rainbow flags they wave. He is not new. He is old, in more ways than one.
The Warhawks in politics and the press are already salivating at the idea. The BBC is putting out a new “documentary” series about Syria. The Guardian is writing about “US leadership on the world stage”. One year on from his death, the press has decided that Russia is to blame for James Le Mesurier’s “suicide”.
Back in September, Josh Rogin writing in the Washington Post was even more flagrant, demanding Biden:
…increase pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to secure some dignity, safety and justice for the Syrian people.”
It’s not to hard to see where this is going. Whatever Trump may be, there’s no denying he’s been the least militarily aggressive president in recent memory. For the first time in nearly 40 years, a President did not start a new war in his term.
That is likely to change. They will begin drip-feeding propaganda on some “enemy” state soon enough – most likely Syria. The war drums will bang softly at first, they always do, but they will build.
That’s when the lessons of World War I need to be foremost in our minds. When the old lies are busy being given new life.
I leave you with this excellent passage from All Quiet on the Western Front. Read, and remember what was true 106 years ago is still true today:
Tjaden reappears. He is still quite excited and again joins the conversation, wondering just how a war gets started. “Mostly by one country badly offending another,” answers Albert with a slight air of superiority. Then Tjaden pretends to be obtuse. “A country? I don’t follow. A mountain in Germany cannot offend a mountain in France. Or a river, or a wood, or a field of wheat.” “Are you really as stupid as that, or are you just pulling my leg?” growls Kropp, “I don’t mean that at all. One people offends the other “Then I haven’t any business here at all,” replies Tjaden, “I don’t feel myself offended.” “Well, let me tell you,” says Albert sourly, “it doesn’t apply to tramps like you.” “Then I can be going home right away,” retorts Tjaden, and we all laugh, “Ach, man! he means the people as a whole, the State” exclaims Müller. “State, State” Tjaden snaps his fingers contemptuously, “Gendarmes, police, taxes, that’s your State; if that’s what you are talking about, no, thank you.” “That’s right,” says Kat, “you’ve said something for once, Tjaden. State and home country, there’s a big difference.” “But they go together,” insists Kropp, “without the State there wouldn’t be any home country.”
“True, but just you consider, almost all of us are simple folk. And in France, too, the majority of men are labourers, workmen, or poor clerks. Now just why would a French blacksmith or a French shoemaker want to attack us? No, it is merely the rulers. I had never seen a Frenchman before I came here, and it will be just the same with the majority of Frenchmen as regards us. They weren’t asked about it any more than we were.” “Then what exactly is the war for?” asks Tjaden. Kat shrugs his shoulders. “There must be some people to whom the war is useful.” “Well, I’m not one of them,” grins Tjaden. “Not you, nor anybody else here.” “Who are they then?” persists Tjaden. “It isn’t any use to the Kaiser either. He has everything he can want already.” “I’m not so sure about that,” contradicts Kat, “he has not had a war up till now. And every full-grown emperor requires at least one war, otherwise he would not become famous. You look in your school books.” “And generals too,” adds Detering, “they become famous through war.” “Even more famous than emperors,” adds Kat. “There are other people back behind there who profit by the war, that’s certain,” growls Detering.


offguardian--2020-11-12--“Own Nothing and Be Happy”: The Great Reset’s Vision of the Future

The World Economic Forum ’ s ( WEF ) annual meeting at the end of January in Davos , Switzerland , brings together international business and political leaders , economists and other high-profile individuals to discuss global issues .
Driven by the vision of its influential CEO Klaus Schwab , the WEF is the main driving force for the dystopian ‘ great reset ’ , a tectonic shift that intends to change how we live , work and interact with each other .
The great reset entails a transformation of society resulting in permanent restrictions on fundamental liberties and mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ boost the monopoly and hegemony of pharmaceuticals corporations , high-tech/big data giants , Amazon , Google , major global chains , the digital payments sector , biotech concerns , etc .
Using COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions to push through this transformation , the great reset is being rolled out under the guise of a ‘ Fourth Industrial Revolution ’ in which older enterprises are to be driven to bankruptcy or absorbed into monopolies , effectively shutting down huge sections of the pre-COVID economy .
Economies are being ‘ restructured ’ and many jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a short video showcased on social media , the WEF predicts that by 2030 , “ You ’ ll own nothing and you ’ ll be happy.
” A happy smiling face is depicted while a drone delivers a product to a household , no doubt ordered online and packaged by a robot in a giant Amazon warehouse : ‘ no humans were involved in manufacturing , packaging or delivering this product ’ ; rest assured , it is virus- and bacteria-free – because even in 2030 , they will need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well to maintain full-spectrum dominance over the population .
The jobless ( and there will be many ) could be placed on some kind of universal basic income and have their debts ( indebtedness and bankruptcy on a massive scale is the deliberate result of lockdowns and restrictions ) written off in return for handing their assets to the state or more precisely the financial institutions helping to drive this great reset .
The WEF says the public will ‘ rent ’ everything they require : stripping the right of ownership under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ saving the planet ’ .
Of course , the tiny elite who rolled out this great reset will own everything .
Hundreds of millions around the world deemed ‘ surplus to requirements ’ are to be robbed ( are currently being robbed ) of their livelihoods .
Our every movement and purchase are to be monitored and our main dealings will be online .
The plan for individual citizens could reflect the strategy to be applied to nation states .
For instance , World Bank Group President David Malpass has stated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get back on their feet after the various lockdowns that have been implemented .
This ‘ help ’ will be on condition that neoliberal reforms and the undermining of public services are implemented and become further embedded .
On 20 April , the Wall Street Journal ran the headline ‘ IMF , World Bank Face Deluge of Aid Requests From Developing World ‘ .
Scores of countries are asking for bailouts and loans from financial institutions with $ 1.2 trillion to lend .
An ideal recipe for fuelling dependency .
In return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , global conglomerates along with the likes of Bill Gates will be able to further dictate national policies and hollow out the remnants of nation state sovereignty .
What will happen to our social and personal identity ?
Is that to be eradicated in the quest to commodify and standardise human behaviour and everything we do ?
The billionaire class who are pushing this agenda think they can own nature and all humans and can control both , whether through geoengineering the atmosphere , for example , genetically modifying soil microbes or doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bio-synthesised fake food in a lab .
They think they can bring history to a close and reinvent the wheel by reshaping what it means to be human .
And they think they can achieve this by 2030 .
It is a cold dystopian vision that wants to eradicate thousands of years of culture , tradition and practices virtually overnight .
And many of those cultures , traditions and practices relate to food and how we produce it and our deep-rooted connections to nature .
Consider that many of the ancient rituals and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stories and myths that helped them come to terms with some of the most basic issues of existence , from death to rebirth and fertility .
These culturally embedded beliefs and practices served to sanctify their practical relationship with nature and its role in sustaining human life .
As agriculture became key to human survival , the planting and harvesting of crops and other seasonal activities associated with food production were central to these customs .
Freyfaxi marks the beginning of the harvest in Norse paganism , for example , while Lammas or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harvest/grain harvest in Paganism .
Humans celebrated nature and the life it gave birth to .
Ancient beliefs and rituals were imbued with hope and renewal and people had a necessary and immediate relationship with the sun , seeds , animals , wind , fire , soil and rain and the changing seasons that nourished and brought life .
Our cultural and social relationships with agrarian production and associated deities had a sound practical base .
Prof Robert W Nicholls explains that the cults of Woden and Thor were superimposed on far older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the earth , the crops and the animals and the rotation of the seasons between the light and warmth of summer and the cold and dark of winter .
We need look no further than India to appreciate the important relationship between culture , agriculture and ecology , not least the vital importance of the monsoon and seasonal planting and harvesting .
Rural-based beliefs and rituals steeped in nature persist , even among urban Indians .
These are bound to traditional knowledge systems where livelihoods , the seasons , food , cooking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the passing on of knowledge are all inter-related and form the essence of cultural diversity within India itself .
Although the industrial age resulted in a diminution of the connection between food and the natural environment as people moved to cities , traditional ‘ food cultures ’ – the practices , attitudes and beliefs surrounding the production , distribution and consumption of food – still thrive and highlight our ongoing connection to agriculture and nature .
If we go back to the 1950s , it is interesting to note Union Carbide ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of images that depicted the company as a ‘ hand of god ’ coming out of the sky to ‘ solve ’ some of the issues facing humanity .
One of the most famous images is of the hand pouring the firm ’ s agrochemicals on Indian soils as if traditional farming practices were somehow ‘ backward ’ .
Despite well-publicised claims to the contrary , this chemical-driven approach did not lead to higher food production according to the paper New Histories of the Green Revolution written by Prof Glenn Stone .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , social and economic consequences ( see Vandana Shiva ’ s book The Violence of the Green Revolution and Bhaskar Save ’ s now famous and highly insightful open letter to Indian officials ) .
In the book Food and Cultural Studies ’ ( Bob Ashley et al ) , we see how , some years ago , a Coca Cola TV ad campaign sold its product to an audience which associated modernity with a sugary drink and depicted ancient Aboriginal beliefs as harmful , ignorant and outdated .
Coke and not rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parched .
This type of ideology forms part of a wider strategy to discredit traditional cultures and portray them as being deficient and in need of assistance from ‘ god-like ’ corporations .
What we are seeing in 2020 , is an acceleration of such processes .
In terms of food and agriculture , traditional farming in places like India will be under increasing pressure from the big-tech giants and agribusiness to open up to lab-grown food , GMOs , genetically engineered soil microbes , data harvesting tools and drones and other ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes farmerless farms being manned by driverless machines , monitored by drones and doused with chemicals to produce commodity crops from patented GM seeds for industrial ‘ biomatter ’ to be processed and constituted into something resembling food .
What will happen to the farmers ?
Post-COVID , the World Bank talks about helping countries get back on track in return for structural reforms .
Are tens of millions of smallholder farmers to be enticed from their land in return for individual debt relief and universal basic income ?
The displacement of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities and their cultures was something the Gates Foundation once called for and cynically termed “ land mobility ” .
Cut through the euphemisms and it is clear that Bill Gates – and the other incredibly rich individuals behind the great reset – is an old-fashioned colonialist who supports the time-honoured dispossessive strategies of imperialism , whether this involves mining , appropriating and commodifying farmer knowledge , accelerating the transfer of research and seeds to corporations or facilitating intellectual property piracy and seed monopolies created through IP laws and seed regulations .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society – will the land of these already ( prior to COVID ) heavily indebted farmers then be handed over to the tech giants , the financial institutions and global agribusiness to churn out their high-tech , data-driven GM industrial sludge ?
Is this part of the ‘ own nothing , be happy ’ bland brave new world being promoted by the WEF ?
With the link completely severed between food production , nature and culturally embedded beliefs that give meaning and expression to life , we will be left with the individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is reliant on income from the state and who is stripped of satisfying productive endeavour and genuine self-fulfilment .
Technocratic meddling has already destroyed or undermined cultural diversity , meaningful social connections and agrarian ecosystems that draw on centuries of traditional knowledge and are increasingly recognised as valid approaches to secure food security ( for example , see Food Security and Traditional Knowledge in India in the Journal of South Asian Studies ) .
The massive technocratic transformation currently envisaged regards humans as commodities to be controlled and monitored just like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But do not worry – you will be property-less and happy in your open prison of mass unemployment , state dependency , track and chip health passports , cashlessness , mass vaccination and dehumanisation .

Colin Todhunter
The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting at the end of January in Davos, Switzerland, brings together international business and political leaders, economists and other high-profile individuals to discuss global issues.
Driven by the vision of its influential CEO Klaus Schwab, the WEF is the main driving force for the dystopian ‘great reset’, a tectonic shift that intends to change how we live, work and interact with each other.
The great reset entails a transformation of society resulting in permanent restrictions on fundamental liberties and mass surveillance as entire sectors are sacrificed to boost the monopoly and hegemony of pharmaceuticals corporations, high-tech/big data giants, Amazon, Google, major global chains, the digital payments sector, biotech concerns, etc.
Using COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions to push through this transformation, the great reset is being rolled out under the guise of a ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ in which older enterprises are to be driven to bankruptcy or absorbed into monopolies, effectively shutting down huge sections of the pre-COVID economy. Economies are being ‘restructured’ and many jobs will be carried out by AI-driven machines.
In a short video showcased on social media, the WEF predicts that by 2030, “You’ll own nothing and you’ll be happy.”
A happy smiling face is depicted while a drone delivers a product to a household, no doubt ordered online and packaged by a robot in a giant Amazon warehouse: ‘no humans were involved in manufacturing, packaging or delivering this product’; rest assured, it is virus- and bacteria-free – because even in 2030, they will need to keep the fear narrative alive and well to maintain full-spectrum dominance over the population.
The jobless (and there will be many) could be placed on some kind of universal basic income and have their debts (indebtedness and bankruptcy on a massive scale is the deliberate result of lockdowns and restrictions) written off in return for handing their assets to the state or more precisely the financial institutions helping to drive this great reset.
The WEF says the public will ‘rent’ everything they require: stripping the right of ownership under the guise of ‘sustainable consumption’ and ‘saving the planet’. Of course, the tiny elite who rolled out this great reset will own everything.
Hundreds of millions around the world deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ are to be robbed (are currently being robbed) of their livelihoods. Our every movement and purchase are to be monitored and our main dealings will be online.
The plan for individual citizens could reflect the strategy to be applied to nation states. For instance, World Bank Group President David Malpass has stated that poorer countries will be ‘helped’ to get back on their feet after the various lockdowns that have been implemented. This ‘help’ will be on condition that neoliberal reforms and the undermining of public services are implemented and become further embedded.
On 20 April, the Wall Street Journal ran the headline ‘IMF, World Bank Face Deluge of Aid Requests From Developing World‘. Scores of countries are asking for bailouts and loans from financial institutions with $1.2 trillion to lend. An ideal recipe for fuelling dependency.
In return for debt relief or ‘support’, global conglomerates along with the likes of Bill Gates will be able to further dictate national policies and hollow out the remnants of nation state sovereignty.
Identity and meaning
What will happen to our social and personal identity? Is that to be eradicated in the quest to commodify and standardise human behaviour and everything we do?
The billionaire class who are pushing this agenda think they can own nature and all humans and can control both, whether through geoengineering the atmosphere, for example, genetically modifying soil microbes or doing a better job than nature by producing bio-synthesised fake food in a lab.
They think they can bring history to a close and reinvent the wheel by reshaping what it means to be human. And they think they can achieve this by 2030. It is a cold dystopian vision that wants to eradicate thousands of years of culture, tradition and practices virtually overnight.
And many of those cultures, traditions and practices relate to food and how we produce it and our deep-rooted connections to nature. Consider that many of the ancient rituals and celebrations of our forebears were built around stories and myths that helped them come to terms with some of the most basic issues of existence, from death to rebirth and fertility. These culturally embedded beliefs and practices served to sanctify their practical relationship with nature and its role in sustaining human life.
As agriculture became key to human survival, the planting and harvesting of crops and other seasonal activities associated with food production were central to these customs. Freyfaxi marks the beginning of the harvest in Norse paganism, for example, while Lammas or Lughnasadh is the celebration of the first harvest/grain harvest in Paganism.
Humans celebrated nature and the life it gave birth to. Ancient beliefs and rituals were imbued with hope and renewal and people had a necessary and immediate relationship with the sun, seeds, animals, wind, fire, soil and rain and the changing seasons that nourished and brought life. Our cultural and social relationships with agrarian production and associated deities had a sound practical base.
Prof Robert W Nicholls explains that the cults of Woden and Thor were superimposed on far older and better-rooted beliefs related to the sun and the earth, the crops and the animals and the rotation of the seasons between the light and warmth of summer and the cold and dark of winter.
We need look no further than India to appreciate the important relationship between culture, agriculture and ecology, not least the vital importance of the monsoon and seasonal planting and harvesting. Rural-based beliefs and rituals steeped in nature persist, even among urban Indians. These are bound to traditional knowledge systems where livelihoods, the seasons, food, cooking, processing, seed exchange, healthcare and the passing on of knowledge are all inter-related and form the essence of cultural diversity within India itself.
Although the industrial age resulted in a diminution of the connection between food and the natural environment as people moved to cities, traditional ‘food cultures’ – the practices, attitudes and beliefs surrounding the production, distribution and consumption of food – still thrive and highlight our ongoing connection to agriculture and nature.
‘Hand of god’ imperialism
If we go back to the 1950s, it is interesting to note Union Carbide’s corporate narrative based on a series of images that depicted the company as a ‘hand of god’ coming out of the sky to ‘solve’ some of the issues facing humanity. One of the most famous images is of the hand pouring the firm’s agrochemicals on Indian soils as if traditional farming practices were somehow ‘backward’.
Despite well-publicised claims to the contrary, this chemical-driven approach did not lead to higher food production according to the paper New Histories of the Green Revolution written by Prof Glenn Stone. However, it has had long-term devastating ecological, social and economic consequences (see Vandana Shiva’s book The Violence of the Green Revolution and Bhaskar Save’s now famous and highly insightful open letter to Indian officials).
In the book Food and Cultural Studies’ (Bob Ashley et al), we see how, some years ago, a Coca Cola TV ad campaign sold its product to an audience which associated modernity with a sugary drink and depicted ancient Aboriginal beliefs as harmful, ignorant and outdated. Coke and not rain became the giver of life to the parched. This type of ideology forms part of a wider strategy to discredit traditional cultures and portray them as being deficient and in need of assistance from ‘god-like’ corporations.
What we are seeing in 2020, is an acceleration of such processes. In terms of food and agriculture, traditional farming in places like India will be under increasing pressure from the big-tech giants and agribusiness to open up to lab-grown food, GMOs, genetically engineered soil microbes, data harvesting tools and drones and other ‘disruptive’ technologies.
The great reset includes farmerless farms being manned by driverless machines, monitored by drones and doused with chemicals to produce commodity crops from patented GM seeds for industrial ‘biomatter’ to be processed and constituted into something resembling food. What will happen to the farmers?
Post-COVID, the World Bank talks about helping countries get back on track in return for structural reforms. Are tens of millions of smallholder farmers to be enticed from their land in return for individual debt relief and universal basic income? The displacement of these farmers and the subsequent destruction of rural communities and their cultures was something the Gates Foundation once called for and cynically termed “land mobility”.
Cut through the euphemisms and it is clear that Bill Gates – and the other incredibly rich individuals behind the great reset – is an old-fashioned colonialist who supports the time-honoured dispossessive strategies of imperialism, whether this involves mining, appropriating and commodifying farmer knowledge, accelerating the transfer of research and seeds to corporations or facilitating intellectual property piracy and seed monopolies created through IP laws and seed regulations.
In places like India – still an agrarian-based society – will the land of these already (prior to COVID) heavily indebted farmers then be handed over to the tech giants, the financial institutions and global agribusiness to churn out their high-tech, data-driven GM industrial sludge? Is this part of the ‘own nothing, be happy’ bland brave new world being promoted by the WEF?
With the link completely severed between food production, nature and culturally embedded beliefs that give meaning and expression to life, we will be left with the individual human who exists on lab-based food, who is reliant on income from the state and who is stripped of satisfying productive endeavour and genuine self-fulfilment.
Technocratic meddling has already destroyed or undermined cultural diversity, meaningful social connections and agrarian ecosystems that draw on centuries of traditional knowledge and are increasingly recognised as valid approaches to secure food security (for example, see Food Security and Traditional Knowledge in India in the Journal of South Asian Studies).
The massive technocratic transformation currently envisaged regards humans as commodities to be controlled and monitored just like the lifeless technological drones and AI being promoted.
But do not worry – you will be property-less and happy in your open prison of mass unemployment, state dependency, track and chip health passports, cashlessness, mass vaccination and dehumanisation.


offguardian--2020-11-13--Lessons for Britain from the US election

Vote-fraud has been a running theme in US elections , since the earliest days .
Allegedly , even John F Kennedy was forced to make a corrupt deal to secure his own victory .
Accordingly , allegations of fraud in the Trump-Biden election should come as no surprise .
However , is there something in the election system itself that encourages fraud ?
Are there election systems which inherently deter fraud ?
The answer to both those questions is , probably , yes .
However , all of this is relevant to the UK also – the UK could learn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current US presidential election , about the need for electoral reform .
There are several electoral parallels between the US Electoral College system and UK First Past the Post parliamentary elections : – • results often do not reflect overall votes cast and These are the key issues : – • The UK ’ s First Past the Post election system needs to be replaced , by a system that fairly reflects the overall votes cast – i.e .
by proportional representation Vote-Fraud and Cheating in the UK To look at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might imagine that the level of vote-fraud in the UK is relatively low .
However , according to another report : All of the main parties have been caught cheating at elections .
The following article is a brief but incredibly valuable account of some of the methods : Vote Early , Vote Often – by Nick Davies Confidence about the fairness of elections has been lower in the UK than anywhere in Europe .
It seems a majority of countries have abandoned postal voting due to problems with vote-fraud ( including France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do most countries ban mail-in ballots ?
” Most countries have concluded the problem with postal voting can not be fixed .
Why did Britain increase the amount of postal voting , under Tony Blair , when the UK already had a problem with vote-fraud in general , and postal voting in particular ?
Can the UK have a safe democracy with so many postal votes , when just a tiny number of votes determine the outcome of an election ( see below ) .
Perhaps integrity was not foremost in Tony Blair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Past the Post with Additional Member proportional representation There are three objections to the First Past the Post system .
i ) The system is vulnerable to vote-fraud .
In the current UK system , a tiny minority of votes in a few marginal seats determines the overall result ; this means relatively few fraudulent votes in the right places can win crucial seats .
By contrast , in proportional representation , winning extra seats would require roughly a thousand times more fraudulent votes which , quite simply , makes vote-fraud impractical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election was won by just 1,241 votes in 11 key marginal seats .
Out of 22 million votes cast , this represented only 0.006 % of the total .
This gives a huge incentive for vote-fraud – just a few votes in the right places can totally change the outcome .
A narrow victory can have decisive results .
John Major used his 1,241-vote victory in 1992 to push through a series of desperately contentious measures , including joining the EU and closing Britain ’ s coal-mines .
ii ) The overall result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of votes cast .
In the past two decades , the UK has had several elections where the winning party , receiving the majority of Westminster seats , did not have a majority of votes in the country .
iii ) The system works poorly with multi-party elections , and excludes minor parties and the entry of new parties .
The UK electoral system stopped working fairly since the UK became significantly a multi-party system .
In 2005 , not a single MP was returned with the votes of a majority of registered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have emerged over recent decades , and the First Past the Post system has prevented or delayed these from breaking into parliamentary representation , such as the Greens , UKIP and more .
The Additional Member proportional representation system has worked well The Additional Member system was adopted for the Scottish , Welsh and London assemblies , and worked well in each case .
Tony Blair imposed this system on the assemblies because he hoped it would make them weak and indecisive , by creating a situation where no party would have an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the assemblies have been effective and succesful .
How does it work ?
The majority of seats are elected on a constituency basis , so voters have a constituency member to represent them ( e.g .
that they can write to with problems ) ; the remaining balance of seats is taken from party-lists , allocated so the total number of seats for each party reflects the total number of votes cast .
There are criticisms of the party-list aspect of the system but it creates fair representation of total votes cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As described above , this attribute alone would solve the problem with vote-fraud .
It seems likely official photo-ID may soon be required to vote at polling stations – this requirement has already been introduced , as a pilot , in a numbers of constituencies during 2018-19 .
This is despite impersonation , or false identity , represented a vanishingly small proportion of vote-fraud cases .
However , it is likely to mean that many people have will difficulty voting , due to lack of adequate ID .
On the basis of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ projected that Voter ID will require rolling-out a national ID card system , at a cost of billions .
In general , ID and databases are the not the primary problem with UK elections – these are a merely bureaucratic obsession , using the electoral system as a Trojan horse .
Why put so much effort into such a non-problem , yet disregard the systemic weaknesses of the UK electoral system ?
Perhaps to make it look like doing something , while wilfully ignoring the real problems .
Is change possible or realistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly benefits the major parties , why would they support any change ?
One answer is Scotland .
Both Labour and the Conservatives have effectively lost representation from Scotland at Westminster , and the First Past the Post system is not helping .
Labour , particularly , can not achieve a majority at Westminster without votes from Scotland .
Labour still receives votes in Scotland , but currently these do not translate into Westminster seats ; proportional representation would mean those Scottish votes for Labour would still count at Westminster , via additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost inevitably to Scottish independence – unless the electoral system is reformed , the next time there is a hung parliament , the SNP bloc of seats at Westminster is likely to be decisive , thus SNP demands would become irresistible .
Under a proportional representation system , the SNP would hold fewer Westminster seats and those it did would be less decisive – there would likely be a compensating presence of other minority parties , thus the SNP would be less likely to act as king-maker .
The Brexit referendum showed how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues that had been suppressed within the current electoral system , by confining voting ( mainly ) to limited party choices .
The result dramatically demonstrated voter dissatisfaction and the democratic deficit .
This was a shocking assault on the credibility of the main parties , which they are desperate not to repeat .
Across the EU , Angela Merkel and other leaders cautioned against allowing the electorate the opportunity to express its true feelings .
Such reactions are a terrible mistake .
Electoral change would have to be preceded by acceptance within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value , and that the current system can not continue .
It should be obvious to anyone with intelligence that the democratic deficit had allowed a very dangerous situation to arise .
Despite the discomfort it caused , the Brexit result was a necessary step toward defusing this .
Lack of accountability has bred machinery that is not merely remote and inefficient but dangerously complacent and unreactive .
There is plenty of evidence , but can they accept it ?

Nathan Allonby
Vote-fraud has been a running theme in US elections, since the earliest days. Allegedly, even John F Kennedy was forced to make a corrupt deal to secure his own victory. Accordingly, allegations of fraud in the Trump-Biden election should come as no surprise.
However, is there something in the election system itself that encourages fraud? Are there election systems which inherently deter fraud? The answer to both those questions is, probably, yes.
However, all of this is relevant to the UK also – the UK could learn a great deal from the controversy surrounding the current US presidential election, about the need for electoral reform.
There are several electoral parallels between the US Electoral College system and UK First Past the Post parliamentary elections: –
amplifying small numbers of votes, thus makes electoral fraud attractive,
results often do not reflect overall votes cast and
creates difficulties with multi-party elections.
These are the key issues: –
The problem with postal voting The UK’s First Past the Post election system needs to be replaced, by a system that fairly reflects the overall votes cast – i.e. by proportional representation
Vote-Fraud and Cheating in the UK
To look at the figures from the Electoral Commission, one might imagine that the level of vote-fraud in the UK is relatively low. However, according to another report:
the danger of electoral corruption and fraud is that it is presently hidden.”
All of the main parties have been caught cheating at elections. The following article is a brief but incredibly valuable account of some of the methods: Vote Early, Vote Often – by Nick Davies
Confidence about the fairness of elections has been lower in the UK than anywhere in Europe.
Systemic Issues
1) Postal voting
It seems a majority of countries have abandoned postal voting due to problems with vote-fraud (including France, from 1975). “Why do most countries ban mail-in ballots?”
Most countries have concluded the problem with postal voting cannot be fixed.
Why did Britain increase the amount of postal voting, under Tony Blair, when the UK already had a problem with vote-fraud in general, and postal voting in particular? Can the UK have a safe democracy with so many postal votes, when just a tiny number of votes determine the outcome of an election (see below). Perhaps integrity was not foremost in Tony Blair’s mind.
2) Replace First Past the Post with Additional Member proportional representation
There are three objections to the First Past the Post system.
i) The system is vulnerable to vote-fraud. In the current UK system, a tiny minority of votes in a few marginal seats determines the overall result; this means relatively few fraudulent votes in the right places can win crucial seats. By contrast, in proportional representation, winning extra seats would require roughly a thousand times more fraudulent votes which, quite simply, makes vote-fraud impractical and unrewarding.
In 1992, the election was won by just 1,241 votes in 11 key marginal seats. Out of 22 million votes cast, this represented only 0.006% of the total. This gives a huge incentive for vote-fraud – just a few votes in the right places can totally change the outcome.
A narrow victory can have decisive results. John Major used his 1,241-vote victory in 1992 to push through a series of desperately contentious measures, including joining the EU and closing Britain’s coal-mines.
ii) The overall result may not necessarily reflect the total numbers of votes cast. In the past two decades, the UK has had several elections where the winning party, receiving the majority of Westminster seats, did not have a majority of votes in the country.
iii) The system works poorly with multi-party elections, and excludes minor parties and the entry of new parties. The UK electoral system stopped working fairly since the UK became significantly a multi-party system.
In 2005, not a single MP was returned with the votes of a majority of registered electors.
A number of new parties have emerged over recent decades, and the First Past the Post system has prevented or delayed these from breaking into parliamentary representation, such as the Greens, UKIP and more.
The Additional Member proportional representation system has worked well
The Additional Member system was adopted for the Scottish, Welsh and London assemblies, and worked well in each case.
Tony Blair imposed this system on the assemblies because he hoped it would make them weak and indecisive, by creating a situation where no party would have an overall majority. In practice, however, the assemblies have been effective and succesful.
How does it work? The majority of seats are elected on a constituency basis, so voters have a constituency member to represent them (e.g. that they can write to with problems); the remaining balance of seats is taken from party-lists, allocated so the total number of seats for each party reflects the total number of votes cast.
There are criticisms of the party-list aspect of the system but it creates fair representation of total votes cast, to within 1-2% accuracy.
As described above, this attribute alone would solve the problem with vote-fraud.
Voter ID and Vote-Fraud
It seems likely official photo-ID may soon be required to vote at polling stations – this requirement has already been introduced, as a pilot, in a numbers of constituencies during 2018-19.
This is despite impersonation, or false identity, represented a vanishingly small proportion of vote-fraud cases.
However, it is likely to mean that many people have will difficulty voting, due to lack of adequate ID. On the basis of a pilot in Northern Ireland, it is projected that Voter ID will require rolling-out a national ID card system, at a cost of billions. In general, ID and databases are the not the primary problem with UK elections – these are a merely bureaucratic obsession, using the electoral system as a Trojan horse.
Why put so much effort into such a non-problem, yet disregard the systemic weaknesses of the UK electoral system? Perhaps to make it look like doing something, while wilfully ignoring the real problems.
Is change possible or realistic?
When the current electoral system so clearly benefits the major parties, why would they support any change? One answer is Scotland. Both Labour and the Conservatives have effectively lost representation from Scotland at Westminster, and the First Past the Post system is not helping. Labour, particularly, cannot achieve a majority at Westminster without votes from Scotland.
Labour still receives votes in Scotland, but currently these do not translate into Westminster seats; proportional representation would mean those Scottish votes for Labour would still count at Westminster, via additional members.
The current system could lead almost inevitably to Scottish independence – unless the electoral system is reformed, the next time there is a hung parliament, the SNP bloc of seats at Westminster is likely to be decisive, thus SNP demands would become irresistible.
Under a proportional representation system, the SNP would hold fewer Westminster seats and those it did would be less decisive – there would likely be a compensating presence of other minority parties, thus the SNP would be less likely to act as king-maker.
Brexit Referendum
The Brexit referendum showed how an alternative voting format allowed representation of issues that had been suppressed within the current electoral system, by confining voting (mainly) to limited party choices. The result dramatically demonstrated voter dissatisfaction and the democratic deficit.
This was a shocking assault on the credibility of the main parties, which they are desperate not to repeat. Across the EU, Angela Merkel and other leaders cautioned against allowing the electorate the opportunity to express its true feelings. Such reactions are a terrible mistake.
Can the current system continue?
“Those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable”
Electoral change would have to be preceded by acceptance within the political class that democracy has real value, and that the current system cannot continue.
It should be obvious to anyone with intelligence that the democratic deficit had allowed a very dangerous situation to arise. Despite the discomfort it caused, the Brexit result was a necessary step toward defusing this.
Lack of accountability has bred machinery that is not merely remote and inefficient but dangerously complacent and unreactive.
There is plenty of evidence, but can they accept it?