offguardian--2020-04-15--Has COVID-19 Testing Made the Problem Worse?

Concerns about the virus SARS-COV-2 that causes the disease called COVID-19 have centered around reported mortality rates .
However , errors in reporting those rates have led to confusion regarding the true health impacts .
Because estimated rates are dependent on the test used to identify infected patients , understanding that test and its history could lead to much needed clarity .
Errors in reported mortality rates have come from mistakes in calculation .
An example has been equating the measured case fatality rate ( deaths divided by patients actively infected ) with the actual mortality rate ( deaths divided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The latter number is unknown and will not be known until antibody titers can be performed to see who has previously been infected .
But that actual mortality rate is expected to be much lower , perhaps around 0.3 % as estimated by an epidemiologist from Stanford University .
Another common error has been attributing the deaths of all infected people to COVID-19 , regardless of other pre-existing illnesses .
This error has been magnified by governments mandating that all deaths of presumptive patients be listed as death from COVID-19 , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SARS-COV-2 at all .
The mortality rate errors would be further worsened if there were errors in testing for presence of the virus .
What is becoming increasingly clear is that there have been serious questions regarding the reliability of that testing .
The test in question uses a technique called reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction ( RT-qPCR ) to identify the presence of RNA from SARS-COV-2 .
Testing follows different protocols in different countries and the first problem was seen in China , the reported origin of the virus .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ targeted subjects who had been in close contact with SARS-COV-2 infected patients .
The results were peer-reviewed and published in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology on March 5th , 2020 .
The data-driven conclusion of the study was that “ nearly half or even more ” of patients testing positive for SARS-COV-2 did not actually have the virus .
In other words , half of the results were false positives .
For perspective , this study was peer-reviewed and published in a Chinese state journal a month after COVID-19 was said to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the World Health Organization ( WHO ) declared the outbreak to be a pandemic .
This was a full month after China had ordered a lockdown affecting over 36 million people .
Mysteriously , this peer-reviewed study was withdrawn a few days after publication and is no longer available for review .
In response , one investigative team asked a Chinese graduate student to contact the lead author of the study , Dr. GH Zhuang , for explanation .
Dr. Zhuang responded by email but did not cite a reason for withdrawal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was “ a sensitive matter.
” Others then made the false assumption that the author had identified a mistake in the science despite the fact that no such mistake was ever identified .
As reported by the investigative team that contacted Dr , Zhuang : To understand the concept of a false positive one should realize that analytical test methods need to be balanced with respect to quality considerations like sensitivity and specificity .
If a test is not sensitive enough , the analyte of interest will not be found when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If a test is not specific enough , something else in the test sample will be identified as being the target analyte when it is not , giving a false positive .
In this case , a false positive could mean that the test is reacting to another virus or genetic source .
Alternatively , the test could be detecting the presence of SARS-COV-2 residues after a previously infected individual is no longer sick .
Lastly , even very small amounts of contamination in the laboratory can cause a false positive .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean higher reported mortality rates , more confusion , more fear , and more bad decisions .
The RT-qPCR test for SARS-COV-2 is being used as a qualitative test , despite the technique name including the word quantitative .
This means that the actual amount of virus in a sample is not considered important , only the presence of even a small amount of virus .
This concern would be lessened if the actual test results showing levels of virus detected were available .
Unfortunately , all the public sees are numbers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Test The World Health Organization ( WHO ) originally based testing on a kit developed in Germany , not on the Chinese protocol .
WHO has since developed general guidance for testing SARS-COV-2 .
This guidance requires some understanding of terminology so it ’ s helpful to understand the virus and the principle of testing .
RT-qPCR involves multiple steps .
The sample is first lysed ( i.e .
the cells are cut ) to release any viral material .
Then the target RNA is converted into complementary DNA ( cDNA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is sometimes called the “ extraction ” step .
After this , the cDNA is used as a template for amplification using qPCR , allowing the original quantity of target RNA to be determined .
The amplification is not done on the entire cDNA sequence but on segments that are expected to be representative of the specific genome of interest and , correspondingly , not representative of other genetic materials that could be present .
Segments of the SARS-COV-2 genetic code that are usually targeted correspond to sections of the original @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , M , E , and N. Synthetic primers and fluorescent probes are identified to match up with the target genetic segments to facilitate amplification and detection .
The primers are small nucleotide sequences that bind to the target segments of the cDNA genetic sequence .
The primers used are critical and issues with primer design can lead to variation in results .
As described in an article in The Scientist , the WHO-recommended primers first target the E gene of SARS-COV-2 .
The E gene is considered highly divergent and therefore more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lab following WHO guidance obtains a positive screening test , it will do confirmatory testing targeting other areas of the virus genome .
To avoid false positives , “ every positive test has been confirmed with whole genome sequencing , viral culture , or electron microscopy.
” Unfortunately , the US decided to follow its own rules for testing of SARS-COV-2 .
In fact , WHO and CDC never discussed the U.S. using the same test as being done internationally .
Investigators from The Scientist found that it was “ not clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different assay to that selected by the WHO and taken up by other countries .
The CDC declined to respond to questions.
” The CDC was criticized for its decision and problems were later found with its test kits .
Although CDC has been secretive about the details , the concerns with its test appear to have included both test design issues and contamination .
CDC began manufacturing its test kit in January and shipped it on February 5th to state labs and to 30 other countries including 191 international labs .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing at the CDC , problems with the test were reported .
Although the statements made were unclear , it appeared that states were complaining the test was “ inconclusive ” and therefore CDC was going to focus on “ redoing the manufacturing.
” It was reported that , “ the CDC added to the confusion by providing limited information to labs in the weeks that followed .
There was a period of time after the tests were recalled where there was near silence .
It was about two weeks.
” It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on February 28th , from more than 100 virologists and other specialists , that the CDC responded by allowing independent labs that had validated their own tests to begin testing .
The CDC test originally included three primers , all targeting one gene—the N gene of SARS-COV-2 that encodes for the nucleocapsid .
The primers were denoted N1 , N2 , and N3 .
Nucleocapsids of RNA viruses “ are fairly simple structures that contain only one major structural protein…This protein is usually basic or has a basic domain.
” Although the CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it appears that it did not provide high specificity as it targeted only one basic gene of the coronavirus .
CDC admitted the lack of certainty in a disclaimer noted in the method , saying , positive results “ do not rule out bacterial infection or co-infection with other viruses .
The agent detected may not be the definite cause of disease.
” At first , due to CDC secrecy , problems with the test kit were difficult to understand .
As the Washington Post reported , “ The trouble with the CDC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a match , known as the N3 component , produced an inconclusive result even on known samples of the coronavirus.
” But that was not the whole story .
On February 28th , as the open letter to Congress was being recognized , it was reported that the N3 primer of the CDC kit was contaminated .
The contamination caused the negative control within the kit , containing DNA that was unrelated to SARS-COV-2 , to react as if it was a positive hit for SARS-COV-2 .
In other words , the kits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How much contamination was present was not clear because , again , the actual test results giving amounts of virus found are not available to the public .
And CDC has not been open with communications about the problems found .
Oddly enough , in April , test kits in the UK were also found to be “ contaminated with COVID-19.
” What did CDC do to correct the problems with the kit ?
Instead of re-manufacturing the N3 primer as originally planned , on March 15th the CDC simply told everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ N3 primer and use the kits without it .
Additionally , CDC changed its method requirements to eliminate the need to confirm positive results .
This made the test kit that was based on detection of only one basic gene in SARS-COV-2 even less specific and told users that results didn ’ t need to be confirmed .
These changes made the test less reliable in terms of identifying SARS-COV-2 and therefore made any subsequent estimates of mortality rates less reliable as well .
The history of testing for SARS-COV-2 infection has involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing and reporting of rates of infection than are falsely higher than actual .
Complicating these issues are government mandates for medical professionals to list COVID-19 as cause of death for patients who have inconclusive causes of death and , in some cases , were never tested for SARS-COV-2 at all .
Understanding problems with the test performed for identification of infected patients can lead to much-needed clarity and less panic .
There are many questions that still need answers .
For example : Are reported rates for other diseases like influenza dropping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection by SARS-COV-2 ?
What were the details of the Chinese study that was mysteriously retracted ?
What has investigation into the CDC kit contamination revealed ?
What other countries have based their mortality figures on test kits that provided unreliable results ?
Citizens can help by calling on authorities and test facilities to publicly share the details of testing including the actual results of the RT-qPCR tests showing levels of virus present .
In addition to information sharing , an international investigation into the problems seen with testing , starting with Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be conducted .
Such an investigation could lead to preventing the reporting of false positives and the ensuing panic and bad decision making that come from artificially high estimated mortality rates .

Kevin Ryan
Concerns about the virus SARS-COV-2 that causes the disease called COVID-19 have centered around reported mortality rates. However, errors in reporting those rates have led to confusion regarding the true health impacts. Because estimated rates are dependent on the test used to identify infected patients, understanding that test and its history could lead to much needed clarity.
Errors in reported mortality rates have come from mistakes in calculation. An example has been equating the measured case fatality rate (deaths divided by patients actively infected) with the actual mortality rate (deaths divided by patients who were ever infected). The latter number is unknown and will not be known until antibody titers can be performed to see who has previously been infected.
But that actual mortality rate is expected to be much lower, perhaps around 0.3% as estimated by an epidemiologist from Stanford University.
Another common error has been attributing the deaths of all infected people to COVID-19, regardless of other pre-existing illnesses.
This error has been magnified by governments mandating that all deaths of presumptive patients be listed as death from COVID-19, even if the patient was never tested for SARS-COV-2 at all.
The mortality rate errors would be further worsened if there were errors in testing for presence of the virus. What is becoming increasingly clear is that there have been serious questions regarding the reliability of that testing.
The test in question uses a technique called reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to identify the presence of RNA from SARS-COV-2. Testing follows different protocols in different countries and the first problem was seen in China, the reported origin of the virus.
The Chinese Mystery
A scientific study was performed in China that targeted subjects who had been in close contact with SARS-COV-2 infected patients. The results were peer-reviewed and published in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology on March 5th, 2020.
The data-driven conclusion of the study was that “nearly half or even more” of patients testing positive for SARS-COV-2 did not actually have the virus. In other words, half of the results were false positives.
For perspective, this study was peer-reviewed and published in a Chinese state journal a month after COVID-19 was said to have surpassed the 2003 SARS epidemic and just as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak to be a pandemic. This was a full month after China had ordered a lockdown affecting over 36 million people.
Mysteriously, this peer-reviewed study was withdrawn a few days after publication and is no longer available for review. In response, one investigative team asked a Chinese graduate student to contact the lead author of the study, Dr. GH Zhuang, for explanation.
Dr. Zhuang responded by email but did not cite a reason for withdrawal of the paper, only saying that it was “a sensitive matter.”
Others then made the false assumption that the author had identified a mistake in the science despite the fact that no such mistake was ever identified.
As reported by the investigative team that contacted Dr, Zhuang:
Without access to the paper, nobody can assess the value of the work or determine whether it suffers from a scientific flaw. It’s also unknown if the paper was retracted for political reasons.”
To understand the concept of a false positive one should realize that analytical test methods need to be balanced with respect to quality considerations like sensitivity and specificity.
If a test is not sensitive enough, the analyte of interest will not be found when it is there, giving a false negative. If a test is not specific enough, something else in the test sample will be identified as being the target analyte when it is not, giving a false positive.
In this case, a false positive could mean that the test is reacting to another virus or genetic source. Alternatively, the test could be detecting the presence of SARS-COV-2 residues after a previously infected individual is no longer sick. Lastly, even very small amounts of contamination in the laboratory can cause a false positive.
No matter the cause, false positives mean higher reported mortality rates, more confusion, more fear, and more bad decisions.
The RT-qPCR test for SARS-COV-2 is being used as a qualitative test, despite the technique name including the word quantitative. This means that the actual amount of virus in a sample is not considered important, only the presence of even a small amount of virus. This concern would be lessened if the actual test results showing levels of virus detected were available.
Unfortunately, all the public sees are numbers of positive or negative determinations.
WHO Guidance and the Test
The World Health Organization (WHO) originally based testing on a kit developed in Germany, not on the Chinese protocol. WHO has since developed general guidance for testing SARS-COV-2.
This guidance requires some understanding of terminology so it’s helpful to understand the virus and the principle of testing.
RT-qPCR involves multiple steps. The sample is first lysed (i.e. the cells are cut) to release any viral material. Then the target RNA is converted into complementary DNA (cDNA) using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. This is sometimes called the “extraction” step.
After this, the cDNA is used as a template for amplification using qPCR, allowing the original quantity of target RNA to be determined.
The amplification is not done on the entire cDNA sequence but on segments that are expected to be representative of the specific genome of interest and, correspondingly, not representative of other genetic materials that could be present.
Segments of the SARS-COV-2 genetic code that are usually targeted correspond to sections of the original RNA named ORF1a, ORF1ab, S, M, E, and N.
Synthetic primers and fluorescent probes are identified to match up with the target genetic segments to facilitate amplification and detection. The primers are small nucleotide sequences that bind to the target segments of the cDNA genetic sequence. The primers used are critical and issues with primer design can lead to variation in results.
As described in an article in The Scientist, the WHO-recommended primers first target the E gene of SARS-COV-2. The E gene is considered highly divergent and therefore more specific to the different coronaviruses. If a lab following WHO guidance obtains a positive screening test, it will do confirmatory testing targeting other areas of the virus genome. To avoid false positives, “every positive test has been confirmed with whole genome sequencing, viral culture, or electron microscopy.”
The US Test
Unfortunately, the US decided to follow its own rules for testing of SARS-COV-2. In fact, WHO and CDC never discussed the U.S. using the same test as being done internationally. Investigators from The Scientist found that it was “not clear why the CDC chose to develop a different assay to that selected by the WHO and taken up by other countries. The CDC declined to respond to questions.”
The CDC was criticized for its decision and problems were later found with its test kits. Although CDC has been secretive about the details, the concerns with its test appear to have included both test design issues and contamination.
CDC began manufacturing its test kit in January and shipped it on February 5th to state labs and to 30 other countries including 191 international labs. A week later, in a February 12th briefing at the CDC, problems with the test were reported. Although the statements made were unclear, it appeared that states were complaining the test was “inconclusive” and therefore CDC was going to focus on “redoing the manufacturing.”
It was reported that, “the CDC added to the confusion by providing limited information to labs in the weeks that followed. There was a period of time after the tests were recalled where there was near silence. It was about two weeks.” It was only after an open letter to Congress on February 28th, from more than 100 virologists and other specialists, that the CDC responded by allowing independent labs that had validated their own tests to begin testing.
The CDC test originally included three primers, all targeting one gene—the N gene of SARS-COV-2 that encodes for the nucleocapsid. The primers were denoted N1, N2, and N3. Nucleocapsids of RNA viruses “are fairly simple structures that contain only one major structural protein…This protein is usually basic or has a basic domain.”
Although the CDC test might have provided good sensitivity, it appears that it did not provide high specificity as it targeted only one basic gene of the coronavirus. CDC admitted the lack of certainty in a disclaimer noted in the method, saying, positive results “do not rule out bacterial infection or co-infection with other viruses. The agent detected may not be the definite cause of disease.”
At first, due to CDC secrecy, problems with the test kit were difficult to understand. As the Washington Post reported, “The trouble with the CDC test arose because the third attempt at a match, known as the N3 component, produced an inconclusive result even on known samples of the coronavirus.”
But that was not the whole story.
On February 28th, as the open letter to Congress was being recognized, it was reported that the N3 primer of the CDC kit was contaminated. The contamination caused the negative control within the kit, containing DNA that was unrelated to SARS-COV-2, to react as if it was a positive hit for SARS-COV-2. In other words, the kits were generating false positives for negative controls.
How much contamination was present was not clear because, again, the actual test results giving amounts of virus found are not available to the public. And CDC has not been open with communications about the problems found. Oddly enough, in April, test kits in the UK were also found to be “contaminated with COVID-19.”
What did CDC do to correct the problems with the kit? Instead of re-manufacturing the N3 primer as originally planned, on March 15th the CDC simply told everyone who had the kit to remove the N3 primer and use the kits without it. Additionally, CDC changed its method requirements to eliminate the need to confirm positive results.
This made the test kit that was based on detection of only one basic gene in SARS-COV-2 even less specific and told users that results didn’t need to be confirmed. These changes made the test less reliable in terms of identifying SARS-COV-2 and therefore made any subsequent estimates of mortality rates less reliable as well.
Summary
The history of testing for SARS-COV-2 infection has involved problems that have led to delays in testing and reporting of rates of infection than are falsely higher than actual. Complicating these issues are government mandates for medical professionals to list COVID-19 as cause of death for patients who have inconclusive causes of death and, in some cases, were never tested for SARS-COV-2 at all.
Understanding problems with the test performed for identification of infected patients can lead to much-needed clarity and less panic. There are many questions that still need answers. For example: Are reported rates for other diseases like influenza dropping in proportion to the rise in reported infection by SARS-COV-2? What were the details of the Chinese study that was mysteriously retracted? What has investigation into the CDC kit contamination revealed? What other countries have based their mortality figures on test kits that provided unreliable results?
Citizens can help by calling on authorities and test facilities to publicly share the details of testing including the actual results of the RT-qPCR tests showing levels of virus present.
In addition to information sharing, an international investigation into the problems seen with testing, starting with Chinese results and U.S. test kits, should be conducted. Such an investigation could lead to preventing the reporting of false positives and the ensuing panic and bad decision making that come from artificially high estimated mortality rates.


Brave New Normal

So the War on Populism is finally over .
Go ahead , take a wild guess who won .
I ’ ll give you a hint .
It wasn ’ t the Russians , or the white supremacists , or the gilets jaunes , or Jeremy Corbyn ’ s Nazi Death Cult , or the misogynist Bernie Bros , or the MAGA-hat terrorists , or any of the other real or fictional “ populist ” forces that global capitalism has been waging war on for the last four years .
What ?
You weren ’ t aware that global capitalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s OK , most other folks weren ’ t .
It wasn ’ t officially announced or anything .
It was launched in the summer of 2016 , just as the War on Terror was ending , as a sequel to the War on Terror , or a variation on the War on Terror , or continuation of the War on Terror , or … whatever , it doesn ’ t really matter anymore , because now we ’ re fighting the War on Death , or the War on Minor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and general state of health .
That ’ s right , folks , once again , global capitalism ( a/k/a “ the world ” ) is under attack by an evil enemy .
GloboCap just can ’ t catch a break .
From the moment it defeated communism and became a global ideological hegemon , it has been one evil enemy after another .
No sooner had it celebrated winning the Cold War and started ruthlessly restructuring and privatizing everything than it was savagely attacked by “ Islamic terrorists , ” and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and kill and torture a lot of people , and destabilize the entire Middle East , and illegally surveil everybody , and … well , you remember the War on Terror .
Then , just as the War on Terror seemed to be finally winding down , and the only terrorists left were the “ self-radicalized ” terrorists ( many of whom weren ’ t even actual terrorists ) , and it looked like GloboCap was finally going to be able to finish privatizing and debt-enslaving everything and everyone in peace , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we were attacked again , this time by the global conspiracy of Russian-backed , neo-fascist “ populists ” that caused the Brexit and elected Trump , and tried to elect Corbyn and Bernie Sanders , and loosed the gilets jaunes on France , and who ’ ve been threatening the “ fabric of Western democracy ” with dissension-sowing Facebook memes .
Unfortunately , unlike the War on Terror , the War on Populism didn ’ t go that well .
After four years of fighting , GloboCap ( a/k/a the neoliberal Resistance ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both Corbyn and Sanders , but they had totally blown the Russiagate psyop , and so were looking at four more years of Trump , and Lord knows how many of Johnson in the U.K. ( which had actually left the European Union ) , and the gilets jaunes weren ’ t going away , and , basically , “ populism ” was still on the rise ( if not in reality , in hearts and minds ) .
And so , just as the War on Populism had replaced ( or redefined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War on Death has been officially launched to replace ( or redefine ) the War on Populism … which means ( you guessed it ) , once again , it ’ s time to roll out another “ brave new normal.
” The character of this brave new normal is , at this point , unmistakably clear … so clear that most people can not see it , because their minds are not prepared to accept it , so they do not recognize it , though they are looking right at it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ it doesn ’ t look like anything ” to them .
To the rest of us , it looks rather totalitarian .
In the span of approximately 100 days , the entire global capitalist empire has been transformed into a de facto police state .
Constitutional rights have been suspended .
Most of us are under house arrest .
Police are rounding up anyone not cooperating with the new emergency measures .
They are pulling riders off of public transportation , arresting people whose papers aren ’ t in order , harrassing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detaining anyone they decide is “ a danger to public health.
” Authorities are openly threatening to forcibly pull people out of their homes and quarantine them .
Cops are hunting down runaway grandmothers .
They ’ re raiding services in churches and synagogues .
Citizens are being forced to wear ankle monitors .
Families out for a walk are being menaced by robots and Orwellian drones .
Counterterrorism troops have been deployed to deal with non-compliant “ rule breakers.
” Anyone the U.S. authorities deem to have “ intentionally spread the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coronavirus terrorist .
Artificial intelligence firms are working with governments to implement systems to log and track our contacts and movements .
As a recent Foreign Policy article put it : I could go on , but I think you get the picture , or … well , you either do or you don ’ t .
And that is the really terrifying part of the War on Death and our “ brave new normal ” … not so much the totalitarianism .
( Anyone who ’ s been paying attention is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to implement a global police state .
The simulation of democracy is all fine and good , until the unwashed masses start to get unruly , and require a reminder of who ’ s in charge , which is what we are being treated to currently . )
No , the terrifying part is how millions of people immediately switched off their critical faculties , got into line , and started goose-stepping , and parroting hysterical propaganda , and reporting their neighbors to the police for going outside for a walk or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down at them like the Goodbye Jews Girl in Schindler ’ s List as they were wrestled to the ground and arrested ) .
They are out there , right now , on the Internet , millions of these well-meaning fascists , patrolling for signs of the slightest deviation from the official coronavirus narrative , bombarding everyone with meaningless graphs , decontextualized death statistics , X-rays of fibrotic lungs , photos of refrigerated morgue trucks , mass graves , and other sensationalistic horrors intended to short-circuit critical thinking and shut down any and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cowardly and sickening , this kind of behavior is also not shocking .
Sadly , when you terrorize people enough , the majority will regress to their animal instincts .
It isn ’ t a question of ethics , or politics .
It is purely a question of self-preservation .
When you cancel the normal structure of society and place everyone in a “ state of emergency ” … well , it ’ s like what happens in a troop of chimpanzees when the alpha chimp dies or is killed by a challenger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and grimacing until it ’ s clear who the new dominant primate is , then they bend over to demonstrate their submission .
Totalitarians understand this .
Sadists and cult leaders understand this .
When the people you are dominating get unruly , and start questioning your right to dominate them , you need to fabricate a “ state of emergency ” and make everyone feel very afraid , so that they turn ( or return ) to you for protection from whatever evil enemy is out there , threatening the cult , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then , once they ’ ve returned to the fold , and stopped questioning your right to dominate them , you can introduce a new set of rules that everybody needs to follow to prevent this kind of thing happening again .
This is obviously what is happening at the moment .
But what you probably want to know is … why is it happening ?
And why is it happening at this precise moment ?
Lucky for you , I have a theory .
No , it doesn ’ t involve Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and a global conspiracy of Chinese Jews defiling our precious bodily fluids with their satanic-alien 5G technology .
It ’ s a little less exciting and more abstract than that ( although some of those characters are probably part of it … all right , probably not the Chinese Jews , or the Satanic-Alien Illuminati ) .
See , I try to focus more on systems ( like global capitalism ) than on individuals .
And on models of power rather than the specific people in power at any given time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ global lockdown and our brave new normal makes perfect sense .
Stay with me now … this gets kind of heady .
What we are experiencing is a further evolution of the post-ideological model of power that came into being when global capitalism became a global-hegemonic system after the collapse of the Soviet Union .
In such a global-hegemonic system , ideology is rendered obsolete .
The system has no external enemies , and thus no ideological adversaries .
The enemies of a global-hegemonic system by definition can only be internal .
Every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breaking out within the system , as there is no longer any outside .
As there is no longer any outside ( and thus no external ideological adversary ) , the global-hegemonic system dispenses with ideology entirely .
Its ideology becomes “ normality.
” Any challenge to “ normality ” is henceforth regarded as an “ abnormality , ” a “ deviation from the norm , ” and automatically delegitimized .
The system does not need to argue with deviations and abnormalities ( as it was forced to argue with opposing ideologies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply needs to eliminate them .
Opposing ideologies become pathologies … existential threats to the health of the system .
In other words , the global-hegemonic system ( i.e.
, global capitalism ) becomes a body , the only body , unopposed from without , but attacked from within by a variety of opponents … terrorists , extremists , populists , whoever .
These internal opponents attack the global-hegemonic body much like a disease , like a cancer , an infection , or a virus .
And the global-hegemonic body reacts like any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to sound familiar ?
I hope so , because that is what is happening right now .
The system ( i.e.
, global capitalism , not a bunch of guys in a room hatching a scheme to sell vaccines ) is reacting to the last four years of populist revolt in a predictable manner .
GloboCap is attacking the virus that has been attacking its hegemonic body .
No , not the coronavirus .
A much more destructive and multiplicitous virus … resistance to the hegemony of global capitalism and its post-ideological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already clear to you yet that this coronavirus in no way warrants the totalitarian emergency measures that have been imposed on most of humanity , it will be become clear in the months ahead .
Despite the best efforts of the “ health authorities ” to count virtually anything as “ a Covid-19 death , ” the numbers are going to tell the tale .
The “ experts ” are already memory-holing , or recalibrating , or contextualizing , their initial apocalyptic projections .
The media are toning down the hysteria .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but you can feel it gradually coming to an end .
In any event , whenever it happens , days , weeks , or months from now , GloboCap will dial down the totalitarianism , and let us out , so we can go back to work in whatever remains of the global economy … and won ’ t we all be so very grateful !
There will be massive celebrations in the streets , Italian tenors singing on balconies , chorus lines of dancing nurses !
The gilets jaunes will call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the memes , and Americans will elect Joe Biden president !
Or , all right , maybe not that last part , but , the point is , it will be a brave new normal !
People will forget all that populism nonsense , and just be grateful for whatever McJobs they can get to be able to pay the interest on their debts , because , hey … global capitalism isn ’ t so bad compared to living under house arrest !
And , if not , no problem for GloboCap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lock us down again , and keep locking us down , over and over , indefinitely , until we get our minds right .
I mean , it ’ s not like we ’ re going to do anything about it … right ?
Didn ’ t we just demonstrate that ?
Sure , we ’ ll bitch and moan again , but then they ’ ll whip out those pictures of mass graves and death trucks , and the graphs , and all those scary projections , and the Blockwart-hotlines will start @ @ @ @ @

So the War on Populism is finally over. Go ahead, take a wild guess who won.
I’ll give you a hint. It wasn’t the Russians, or the white supremacists, or the gilets jaunes, or Jeremy Corbyn’s Nazi Death Cult, or the misogynist Bernie Bros, or the MAGA-hat terrorists, or any of the other real or fictional “populist” forces that global capitalism has been waging war on for the last four years.
What? You weren’t aware that global capitalism was fighting a War on Populism? That’s OK, most other folks weren’t. It wasn’t officially announced or anything. It was launched in the summer of 2016, just as the War on Terror was ending, as a sequel to the War on Terror, or a variation on the War on Terror, or continuation of the War on Terror, or … whatever, it doesn’t really matter anymore, because now we’re fighting the War on Death, or the War on Minor Cold-like Symptoms, depending on your age and general state of health.
That’s right, folks, once again, global capitalism (a/k/a “the world”) is under attack by an evil enemy. GloboCap just can’t catch a break. From the moment it defeated communism and became a global ideological hegemon, it has been one evil enemy after another.
No sooner had it celebrated winning the Cold War and started ruthlessly restructuring and privatizing everything than it was savagely attacked by “Islamic terrorists,” and so was forced to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, and kill and torture a lot of people, and destabilize the entire Middle East, and illegally surveil everybody, and … well, you remember the War on Terror.
Then, just as the War on Terror seemed to be finally winding down, and the only terrorists left were the “self-radicalized” terrorists (many of whom weren’t even actual terrorists), and it looked like GloboCap was finally going to be able to finish privatizing and debt-enslaving everything and everyone in peace, wouldn’t you know it, we were attacked again, this time by the global conspiracy of Russian-backed, neo-fascist “populists” that caused the Brexit and elected Trump, and tried to elect Corbyn and Bernie Sanders, and loosed the gilets jaunes on France, and who’ve been threatening the “fabric of Western democracy” with dissension-sowing Facebook memes.
Unfortunately, unlike the War on Terror, the War on Populism didn’t go that well. After four years of fighting, GloboCap (a/k/a the neoliberal Resistance) had … OK, they had snuffed both Corbyn and Sanders, but they had totally blown the Russiagate psyop, and so were looking at four more years of Trump, and Lord knows how many of Johnson in the U.K. (which had actually left the European Union), and the gilets jaunes weren’t going away, and, basically, “populism” was still on the rise (if not in reality, in hearts and minds).
And so, just as the War on Populism had replaced (or redefined) the War on Terror, the War on Death has been officially launched to replace (or redefine) the War on Populism … which means (you guessed it), once again, it’s time to roll out another “brave new normal.”
The character of this brave new normal is, at this point, unmistakably clear … so clear that most people cannot see it, because their minds are not prepared to accept it, so they do not recognize it, though they are looking right at it. Like Dolores in the Westworld series, “it doesn’t look like anything” to them. To the rest of us, it looks rather totalitarian.
In the span of approximately 100 days, the entire global capitalist empire has been transformed into a de facto police state. Constitutional rights have been suspended. Most of us are under house arrest. Police are rounding up anyone not cooperating with the new emergency measures. They are pulling riders off of public transportation, arresting people whose papers aren’t in order, harrassing, beating, intimidating, and arbitrarily detaining anyone they decide is “a danger to public health.”
Authorities are openly threatening to forcibly pull people out of their homes and quarantine them. Cops are hunting down runaway grandmothers. They’re raiding services in churches and synagogues. Citizens are being forced to wear ankle monitors. Families out for a walk are being menaced by robots and Orwellian drones.
Counterterrorism troops have been deployed to deal with non-compliant “rule breakers.” Anyone the U.S. authorities deem to have “intentionally spread the coronavirus” can be arrested and charged as a coronavirus terrorist. Artificial intelligence firms are working with governments to implement systems to log and track our contacts and movements. As a recent Foreign Policy article put it:
“The counterterrorism analogy is useful because it shows the direction of travel of pandemic policy. Imagine a new coronavirus patient is detected. Once he or she tests positive, the government could use cell-phone data to trace everyone he or she has been in close proximity to, perhaps focusing on those people who were in contact for more than a few minutes. Your cell-phone signal could then be used to enforce quarantine decisions. Leave your apartment and the authorities will know. Leave your phone behind and they will call you. Run the battery down and a police car will be at your door in a manner of minutes …”
I could go on, but I think you get the picture, or … well, you either do or you don’t.
And that is the really terrifying part of the War on Death and our “brave new normal” … not so much the totalitarianism. (Anyone who’s been paying attention is not terribly shocked by GloboCap’s decision to implement a global police state. The simulation of democracy is all fine and good, until the unwashed masses start to get unruly, and require a reminder of who’s in charge, which is what we are being treated to currently.)
No, the terrifying part is how millions of people immediately switched off their critical faculties, got into line, and started goose-stepping, and parroting hysterical propaganda, and reporting their neighbors to the police for going outside for a walk or jog (and then sadistically shrieked abuse down at them like the Goodbye Jews Girl in Schindler’s List as they were wrestled to the ground and arrested).
They are out there, right now, on the Internet, millions of these well-meaning fascists, patrolling for signs of the slightest deviation from the official coronavirus narrative, bombarding everyone with meaningless graphs, decontextualized death statistics, X-rays of fibrotic lungs, photos of refrigerated morgue trucks, mass graves, and other sensationalistic horrors intended to short-circuit critical thinking and shut down any and all forms of dissent.
Although undeniably cowardly and sickening, this kind of behavior is also not shocking. Sadly, when you terrorize people enough, the majority will regress to their animal instincts. It isn’t a question of ethics, or politics. It is purely a question of self-preservation. When you cancel the normal structure of society and place everyone in a “state of emergency” … well, it’s like what happens in a troop of chimpanzees when the alpha chimp dies or is killed by a challenger. The other chimps run around hooting and grimacing until it’s clear who the new dominant primate is, then they bend over to demonstrate their submission.
Totalitarians understand this. Sadists and cult leaders understand this. When the people you are dominating get unruly, and start questioning your right to dominate them, you need to fabricate a “state of emergency” and make everyone feel very afraid, so that they turn (or return) to you for protection from whatever evil enemy is out there, threatening the cult, or the Fatherland, or whatever. Then, once they’ve returned to the fold, and stopped questioning your right to dominate them, you can introduce a new set of rules that everybody needs to follow to prevent this kind of thing happening again.
This is obviously what is happening at the moment. But what you probably want to know is … why is it happening? And why is it happening at this precise moment?
Lucky for you, I have a theory.
No, it doesn’t involve Bill Gates, Jared Kushner, the WHO, and a global conspiracy of Chinese Jews defiling our precious bodily fluids with their satanic-alien 5G technology. It’s a little less exciting and more abstract than that (although some of those characters are probably part of it … all right, probably not the Chinese Jews, or the Satanic-Alien Illuminati).
See, I try to focus more on systems (like global capitalism) than on individuals. And on models of power rather than the specific people in power at any given time. Looking at things that way, this global lockdown and our brave new normal makes perfect sense. Stay with me now … this gets kind of heady.
What we are experiencing is a further evolution of the post-ideological model of power that came into being when global capitalism became a global-hegemonic system after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In such a global-hegemonic system, ideology is rendered obsolete. The system has no external enemies, and thus no ideological adversaries. The enemies of a global-hegemonic system by definition can only be internal. Every war becomes an insurgency, a rebellion breaking out within the system, as there is no longer any outside.
As there is no longer any outside (and thus no external ideological adversary), the global-hegemonic system dispenses with ideology entirely. Its ideology becomes “normality.” Any challenge to “normality” is henceforth regarded as an “abnormality,” a “deviation from the norm,” and automatically delegitimized. The system does not need to argue with deviations and abnormalities (as it was forced to argue with opposing ideologies in order to legitimize itself). It simply needs to eliminate them. Opposing ideologies become pathologies … existential threats to the health of the system.
In other words, the global-hegemonic system (i.e., global capitalism) becomes a body, the only body, unopposed from without, but attacked from within by a variety of opponents … terrorists, extremists, populists, whoever. These internal opponents attack the global-hegemonic body much like a disease, like a cancer, an infection, or a virus. And the global-hegemonic body reacts like any other body would.
Is this model starting to sound familiar?
I hope so, because that is what is happening right now. The system (i.e., global capitalism, not a bunch of guys in a room hatching a scheme to sell vaccines) is reacting to the last four years of populist revolt in a predictable manner. GloboCap is attacking the virus that has been attacking its hegemonic body. No, not the coronavirus. A much more destructive and multiplicitous virus … resistance to the hegemony of global capitalism and its post-ideological ideology.
If it isn’t already clear to you yet that this coronavirus in no way warrants the totalitarian emergency measures that have been imposed on most of humanity, it will be become clear in the months ahead. Despite the best efforts of the “health authorities” to count virtually anything as “a Covid-19 death,” the numbers are going to tell the tale. The “experts” are already memory-holing, or recalibrating, or contextualizing, their initial apocalyptic projections. The media are toning down the hysteria. The show isn’t totally over yet, but you can feel it gradually coming to an end.
In any event, whenever it happens, days, weeks, or months from now, GloboCap will dial down the totalitarianism, and let us out, so we can go back to work in whatever remains of the global economy … and won’t we all be so very grateful! There will be massive celebrations in the streets, Italian tenors singing on balconies, chorus lines of dancing nurses! The gilets jaunes will call it quits, the Putin-Nazis will stop with the memes, and Americans will elect Joe Biden president!
Or, all right, maybe not that last part, but, the point is, it will be a brave new normal! People will forget all that populism nonsense, and just be grateful for whatever McJobs they can get to be able to pay the interest on their debts, because, hey … global capitalism isn’t so bad compared to living under house arrest!
And, if not, no problem for GloboCap. They’ll just have to lock us down again, and keep locking us down, over and over, indefinitely, until we get our minds right. I mean, it’s not like we’re going to do anything about it … right? Didn’t we just demonstrate that? Sure, we’ll bitch and moan again, but then they’ll whip out those pictures of mass graves and death trucks, and the graphs, and all those scary projections, and the Blockwart-hotlines will start ringing again, and …


offguardian--2020-04-14--50 Headlines: Welcome to the “new normal”

Our erstwhile collaborators at Consent Factory have put together a wonderful collection of all the great work being done by @ @ @ @ @ us all safe .
Always remember that these Measures are for your own good .
@ @ @ @ @ possible sign of infection .
Consult your treatment diary for the required dosage of BBC @ @ @ @ @ .
Thank you for your cooperation .
Our law-enforcement agencies , politicians and corporate overlords @ @ @ @ @ and day , to protect us from this terrible disease .
Consider sparing a thought @ @ @ @ @ black this evening during your allotted compulsory appreciation window .
REPORT ALL NON-APPRECIATORS TO YOUR @ @ @ @ @ guilty of virus denial or other forms of sedition weaken our morale and can cause @ @ @ @ @ citizenship will earn you a higher place on the vaccination schedule .

Our erstwhile collaborators at Consent Factory have put together a wonderful collection of all the great work being done by our Beloved Governments to keep us all safe.
Always remember that these Measures are for your own good. Doubting The Measures is a possible sign of infection. Consult your treatment diary for the required dosage of BBC programming needed to remove Doubts.
Thank you for your cooperation.
*
As well as enforcing quarantine measures, the law also allows the authorities to force people to be vaccinated, even though there is currently no vaccination for the virus.”
Denmark rushes through emergency coronavirus law, (The Local, 13/3/20)
During the state of emergency, people will only be allowed out on to public streets for the following reasons: to buy food, basic or pharmaceutical items; to attend medical centres; to go to and from work …” Spain orders nationwide lockdown to battle coronavirus (The Guardian, 14/3/20)
Police are patrolling the streets to ensure we only leave our homes for work and health-related reasons … we must fill and carry certificates stating our reasons. If caught out without a certificate, we will be fined and face up to three months in jail.”
LIFE UNDER ITALY’S CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN, (Newsweek, 13/3/20)
“We are going to take the powers to make sure that we can quarantine people if they are a risk to public health, yes, and that’s important.”
Police to arrest Brits with coronavirus who ignore quarantine (Metro, 15/3/20)
If you want to leave the house, you now have to print off a document to explain to police your timing, destination and motive.” Orderly, dour, cowed: how my beloved Italy is changed by coronavirus(The Guardian, 15/3/20)
There are also plans for soldiers to protect quarantine zones with the police, if that ever came into force.” Coronavirus: Thousands of armed forces staff could be put on standby over COVID-19 spread, (Sky News, 16/3/20)
Israel has authorized the country’s internal security agency to tap into a vast and previously undisclosed trove of cellphone data to retrace the movements of people who have contracted the coronavirus and identify others who should be quarantined…”
To Track Coronavirus, Israel Moves to Tap Secret Trove of Cellphone Data, (NYT, 16/3/20)
“We are at war – a public health war, certainly but we are at war, against an invisible and elusive enemy,” Macron said, outlawing all journeys outside the home … anyone flouting the new regulations would be punished, he said.”
Coronavirus: France imposes lockdown as EU calls for 30-day travel ban, (The Guardian, 16/3/20)
“The interior minister, Christophe Castaner, said 100,000 police officers would be deployed to enforce the lockdown … Macron said that if necessary, the government would legislate by decree …”
France ‘at war’: how Parisians are coping with life under lockdown, (The Guardian, 17/3/20)
We will intervene where necessary to make sure that people respect the confinement decree.”
Italy records its deadliest day of coronavirus outbreak with 475 deaths (The Guardian, 18/3/20)
The Ministry of Defence is to double the size of the military’s civil contingency unit to create a 20,000-strong Covid support force … the armed forces need to be prepared for the threat of a breakdown in civil order.” 10,000 extra troops to join British army’s Covid support force (The Guardian, 18/3/20)
“The new force — made up of 10,000 military personnel who are regularly deployed to civilian activities, plus an extra 10,000 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic — has been placed at ‘high readiness’.”
UK armed forces prepare 20,000 troops to help in crisis (Financial Times)
We have the ability to do martial law … if we feel the necessity.”
Coronavirus: California prepared to enact martial law if its a ‘necessity’, governor says (Yahoo News)
Police and immigration officials would be able to place people in ‘appropriate isolation facilities’ under plans.”
Coronavirus: Sweeping emergency powers announced (BBC, 18/3/20)
Standby orders were issued more than three weeks ago to ready these plans, not just to protect Washington but also to prepare for the possibility of some form of martial law.”
Exclusive: Inside The Military’s Top Secret Plans If Coronavirus Cripples the Government (Newsweek, 18/3/20)
Twitter will remove tweets that run the risk of causing harm by spreading dangerous misinformation about Covid-19 … it will be applying a new broader definition of harm to address content that goes directly against guidance from authoritative sources.”
Twitter to remove harmful fake news about coronavirus (The Guardian, 19/3/20)
“Some 100,000 police have fanned out across France to enforce the lockdown, with people allowed out of their homes only to buy groceries, go to work, exercise alone or seek medical help.”
Woman bundled to ground by police for breaking lockdown in Paris (Metro, 19/3/20)
He is in a specially cleaned area designated for those who should be self-isolating.” Minister Quayle said, “we cannot allow our critical health services to become overwhelmed and must have the means to prosecute those who choose to act irresponsibly.”
Coronavirus: No prosecution for man who ‘failed to self-isolate’, (BBC, 20/3/20)
Dane County, Wisconsin residents now have a method to report violations of the governor’s ban on gatherings of 10 or more people.”
Dane County sets up website to report gatherings of 10 or more people, (WKOW, 19/3/20)
Germany’s 83 million citizens have been told they risk being confined to their homes from Monday unless they behave responsibly this weekend.”
Coronavirus: Italy and Spain record highest single-day death tolls, (The Guardian, 20/3/20)
These [social restrictions] would need to be in place for at least most of a year. Under such as policy, at least half of the year would be spent under the stricter social distancing measures.”
Social distancing may need to go on for almost 12 months (Independent, 20/3/20)
The government has now agreed that the military can be used to help enforce the lockdown.”
Italy calls in military to enforce coronavirus lockdown, (CNN, 20/3/20)
As of Wednesday, the camps have been locked down from 7pm to 7am. In the daytime, only one person is allowed out per family, and the police control their movements.”
Fears of catastrophe as Greece puts migrant camps into lockdown, (The Guardian, 21/3/20)
The National Guard is expecting a rapid increase in unit activations over the next few weeks, leaders said at the Pentagon Thursday, filling roles like coronavirus testing and potentially law enforcement.”
Guard activations expected to rapidly increase, could be used for law enforcement, (Military Times, 19/3/20)
[T]he U.S. military is preparing forces to assume a larger role in the coronavirus response, including the controversial mission of quelling ‘civil disturbances’ …”
INSIDE THE U.S. MILITARY’S PLANS TO STOP ‘CIVIL DISTURBANCES’ AMID CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, (Newsweek, 20/3/20)
These provisions will be enforced … the violation of any provision of [the] order constitutes an imminent threat and creates an immediate menace to public health.”
Here’s what a ‘stay home’ order means for New York, (The Guardian, 21/3/20)
‘When MK Yoav Kish (Likud) sought to clarify whether she meant a total lockdown or curfew, Sadetsky replied … “A lockdown and personal monitoring of people, and a total halt to personal freedoms.”’
‘Total Suspension of Individual Freedom’: Inside Israel’s Secret Coronavirus Debate (Haaretz, 19/3/20)
“A final option: ‘Permanent changes in our behavior that allow us to keep transmission rates low’ … that could include strict policies of testing and quarantine for anyone who comes down with COVID-19 — or even long-term bans on large gatherings.”
Coronavirus ‘exit strategy’ could be months — or years — away, (New York Post, 21/3/20)
The Justice Department has quietly asked Congress for the ability to ask chief judges to detain people indefinitely without trial during emergencies — part of a push for new powers that comes as the coronavirus spreads through the United States.”
DOJ seeks new emergency powers amid coronavirus pandemic, (Politico, 21/3/20)
Germany has issued a “contact ban, limiting interactions of more than 2 people … there will be fines of up to €25,000 for those not keeping a 2 meter distance between people. The measures will be enforced by police and stay in place until April 19.”
Coronavirus latest: Angela Merkel to quarantine after meeting infected doctor, (DW, 21/3/20)
The Justice Department is using the COVID-19 outbreak to press for sweeping new powers that include being able to detain Americans indefinitely without a trial.”
Justice Department Reportedly Asks Congress for Indefinite Detention Powers To Fight Coronavirus, (Reason, 21/3/20)
Quebec City police have arrested a woman, who has tested positive for the coronavirus, for being out in the city’s Limoilou neighbourhood despite being under a quarantine order.”
Quebec City police arrest COVID-19 patient for defying quarantine, (CBC, 20/3/20)
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he’s considering his most drastic move yet … moving certain people at risk to isolation shelters.
DeSantis considers new strategy in Florida coronavirus fight: isolation shelters, (Miamia Herald, 21/3/20)
From a technological perspective, the coronavirus pandemic is one massive testbed for surveillance capitalism … governments are rolling out surveillance measures, all in the effort to ensure that policies of mass behaviour modification are successful.”
Coronavirus Could Infect Privacy And Civil Liberties Forever, (Forbes, 23/3/20)
Counter-terrorism troops have been redeployed across Italy to beef up police … patrol cars are circulating in every major city with a voice warning citizens over a loudspeaker not to leave their residences … “Go back into your homes,” the voice warns.
Lock the F*ck Down or End Up Like Italy, (Daily Beast, 22/3/20)
Some police departments in California plan on using drones to enforce a coronavirus lockdown and to, in part, monitor the homeless population.”
Police in California city consider new ways to use drones during coronavirus outbreak, (Fox News, 23/3/20)
A woman in Spain was arrested after she was caught visiting the home of a man she had met on a dating app, breaking mandatory home confinement rules put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
WOMAN IN SPAIN ARRESTED FOR BREAKING CORONAVIRUS LOCKDOWN TO VISIT MAN SHE MET ON DATING APP, (Newsweek, 23/3/20)
Prime Minister Édouard Philippe gave a national address to give details of the new rules … [French citizens] must have their ‘justification’ paper – signed, dated and with the time they have left home – to show if stopped by the police or gendarmes.”
Global confirmed Covid-19 cases top 400,000 – as it happened. (The Guardian, 25/3/20)
“The UK government has sent a mass text message to as many phones as possible, urging citizens to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown: “CORONAVIRUS ALERT. New rules in force now: you must stay at home. Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.”
GOVERNMENT SENDS MASS TEXT MESSAGE URGING PEOPLE TO STAY AT HOME, (Independent, 24/3/20)
The Government is set to publish its coronavirus bill in Parliament this week. It gives officers from the police and immigration powers to detain people in appropriate isolation centres if they are a risk to public health.”
Coronavirus: New powers to detain those refusing to isolate, (The Argus, 19/3/20)
Police in Texas are searching for an 18-year-old girl who claimed to have tested positive for and to be ‘willfully spreading’ the coronavirus … the teenager faces a charge of making a terroristic threat.”
Texas teen faces terrorism charge for threatening to spread coronavirus, police say, NBC, 7/4/20)
America’s top coronavirus expert has warned Covid-19 is the new normal – and that the killer virus might never go away.”
Top coronavirus expert warns killer virus may be ‘new normal’ and never go away , (Metro, 7/4/20)
“Security officers in several African countries have been beating, harassing and, in some cases, killing people as they enforce measures aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19.”
Coronavirus in Africa: Emergency laws v individual rights, (BBC, 9/4/20)
“World Health Organization executive director Dr. Michael Ryan said surveillance is part of what’s required for life to return to normal in a world without a vaccine.”
After coronavirus, AI could be central to our new normal, (Venture Beat, 8/4/20)
“White House senior adviser Jared Kushner’s task force has reached out to a range of health technology companies about creating a national coronavirus surveillance system …”
Kushner’s team seeks national coronavirus surveillance system, (Politico, 7/4/20)
East Asian countries have demonstrated that a robust regime of surveillance is essential to fighting a pandemic. Western democracies must rise to meet the need for ‘democratic surveillance’ to protect their own populations.”
Coronavirus and the Future of Surveillance, (Foreign Affairs, 6/4/20)
It’s an extraordinary moment that might call for extraordinary surveillance methods.”
PRIVACY EXPERTS SAY RESPONSIBLE CORONAVIRUS SURVEILLANCE IS POSSIBLE, (The Intercept, 2/4/20)
Australia will deploy helicopters, set up police checkpoints and hand out hefty fines to deter people from breaking an Easter travel ban … Police said they will block roads and use number plate recognition technology to catch those infringing the bans.”
Confirmed worldwide Covid-19 death toll passes 100,000 (The Guardian, 11/4/20)
Officers say they responded to a synagogue in Monsey after receiving complaints. They found 30-50 men praying together. Eight were arrested for disorderly conduct. Police say they will arrest more people if the gatherings continue.”
8 Arrested In Monsey For Violating Social Distancing Emergency Orders, (CBS, 9/4/20)
‘These drones will be around the City with an automated message from the Mayor telling you to STOP gathering, disperse and go home,’ the police department said.”
Coronavirus Surveillance Is Entering Dystopian Territory, (Vanity Fair, 9/4/20)
Our law-enforcement agencies, politicians and corporate overlords are working hard, night and day, to protect us from this terrible disease. Consider sparing a thought for our brave boys in black this evening during your allotted compulsory appreciation window.
REPORT ALL NON-APPRECIATORS TO YOUR NEAREST SURVEILLANCE DRONE. Those guilty of virus denial or other forms of sedition weaken our morale and can cause outbreaks.
Remember, good citizenship will earn you a higher place on the vaccination schedule.


offguardian--2020-04-14--Julian Assange: One Year In Belmarsh

Julian Assange: One Year In Belmarsh

It should not be a matter of distinction , but Julian Assange is a figure who is becoming the apotheosis of political imprisonment .
This seems laughable to those convinced he is an agent without scruple , a compromiser of the Fourth Estate , a figure best packed off to a prison system that will , in all assuredness , kill him .
That ’ s if he even gets there .
Having spent a year at Her Majesty ’ s Belmarsh prison , the WikiLeaks publisher faces the permanent danger of contracting COVID-19 as he goes through the bone-weariness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extradition hearings , he has been treated with a snooty callousness by District Court Judge Vanessa Baraitser , which does not bode well for a favourable finding against the US submission .
As he endures them , he suffers in a facility that is succumbing to the misrule caused by the coronavirus .
On April 9 , Assange ’ s friend Vaughan Smith gave a description of conditions that gave little cause for Easter cheer .
Smith also had a shot at the running of the prison .
The UK Department of Justice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue of releasing prisoners in the face of the coronavirus epidemic .
Despite the Prison Governors ’ Association suggesting the release of 15,000 non-violent prisoners , the Department of Justice has opted for the lower total of 4,000 .
To date , a meagre 100 have been released .
Assange insists that the situation is graver at Belmarsh than is otherwise advertised .
Official figures put the number of COVID-19 deaths at one in the maximum security facility .
There are at least two , with the possibility , argues Assange , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Assange fits the bill of a non-violent prisoner , and one with genuine political credentials .
He was granted asylum by Ecuador , a point of little interest to Baraister .
His condition both physical and mental has appalled friends , acquaintances and a number of officials .
Nils Melzer , UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel , Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment , has spent much time beating the drum of awareness about his plight .
Since 2010 , he stated in May last year , Rather than turning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , news outlets prefer to gorge themselves on other details , such as the newly revealed identity of his partner , which Judge Baraitser refused to keep concealed .
The writing on this subject is needlessly though predictably tawdry .
“ WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fathered two sons while hiding in embassy , ” has been a favourite formulation .
The Daily Mail can barely resist stirring the sauce pot , giving Assange the appearance of an international man of fornicating mystery .
But the man who sowed his oats was also , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ wanted in Sweden where he was accused of rape.
” It was rather good of them to also tell readers that Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation , though it does so with customary scepticism .
The old hacks can barely resist regarding the entire matter of Assange having a partner and children as peculiar .
The Mail seemed to think it had uncovered a stunning morsel of information that would shock all .
Monks would surely disagree with that flawed assessment , as would his friends .
The theme of oddity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The New York Post , for instance , considered it “ an even odder twist ” that “ British rapper M.I.A .
is a godmother to the children ” .
Hardly – M.I.A , along with a large clutch of celebrities , has been a vocal supporter and barracker .
This mixture of lazy scribbling , creepy curiosity and saccharine interest will do little to aid Assange .
His partner , now revealed as lawyer Stella Moris-Smith Robertson , attempted to take some of the edge off perceptions of the publisher in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that shield will be an increasingly difficult matter now .
Assange ’ s scalp is precious .
The application for bail made by his defence team on March 25 was denied .
Access to him from his legal team is limited , hobbling the case .
Even during a raging pandemic , where entire states have mobilised their resources , there is always room for little bit of vindictiveness .
Scores need to be settled ; the balance sheet ordered .
To that end , Judge Baraister and the UK justice system , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College , Cambridge .
He lectures at RMIT University , Melbourne .
Email : [ email protected ]

Binoy Kampmark
It should not be a matter of distinction, but Julian Assange is a figure who is becoming the apotheosis of political imprisonment. This seems laughable to those convinced he is an agent without scruple, a compromiser of the Fourth Estate, a figure best packed off to a prison system that will, in all assuredness, kill him.
That’s if he even gets there. Having spent a year at Her Majesty’s Belmarsh prison, the WikiLeaks publisher faces the permanent danger of contracting COVID-19 as he goes through the bone-weariness of legal proceedings.
Even during the extradition hearings, he has been treated with a snooty callousness by District Court Judge Vanessa Baraitser, which does not bode well for a favourable finding against the US submission. As he endures them, he suffers in a facility that is succumbing to the misrule caused by the coronavirus.
On April 9, Assange’s friend Vaughan Smith gave a description of conditions that gave little cause for Easter cheer.
“Julian is now confined alone in a cell for 23.5 hours every day. He gets half an hour of exercise and that is in a yard crowded with other prisoners.”
Smith also had a shot at the running of the prison.
“With over 150 Belmarsh prison staff off work self-isolating, the prison is barely functioning.”
The UK Department of Justice has adopted a mild approach to the issue of releasing prisoners in the face of the coronavirus epidemic. Despite the Prison Governors’ Association suggesting the release of 15,000 non-violent prisoners, the Department of Justice has opted for the lower total of 4,000. To date, a meagre 100 have been released.
Assange insists that the situation is graver at Belmarsh than is otherwise advertised. Official figures put the number of COVID-19 deaths at one in the maximum security facility. There are at least two, with the possibility, argues Assange, of more.
By any reasonable assessment, Assange fits the bill of a non-violent prisoner, and one with genuine political credentials. He was granted asylum by Ecuador, a point of little interest to Baraister. His condition both physical and mental has appalled friends, acquaintances and a number of officials.
Nils Melzer, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, has spent much time beating the drum of awareness about his plight. Since 2010, he stated in May last year,
“there has been a relentless and unrestrained campaign of public mobbing, intimidation and defamation against Mr Assange, not only in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom, Sweden and, more recently, in Ecuador.”
Rather than turning their attention to this state of circumstances, news outlets prefer to gorge themselves on other details, such as the newly revealed identity of his partner, which Judge Baraitser refused to keep concealed.
The writing on this subject is needlessly though predictably tawdry. “WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fathered two sons while hiding in embassy,” has been a favourite formulation.
The Daily Mail can barely resist stirring the sauce pot, giving Assange the appearance of an international man of fornicating mystery.
“Gabriel, aged two, and his one-year-old brother Max were conceived while their father was hiding out to avoid extradition to America, where he faces espionage charges over the leaking of thousands of classified US intelligence documents.”
But the man who sowed his oats was also, the Mail is thrilled to remind us, “wanted in Sweden where he was accused of rape.”
It was rather good of them to also tell readers that Swedish prosecutors dropped the investigation, though it does so with customary scepticism.
The old hacks can barely resist regarding the entire matter of Assange having a partner and children as peculiar. The Mail seemed to think it had uncovered a stunning morsel of information that would shock all.
“The news will come as a bombshell to Assange’s friends and enemies since he was widely understood to have led a near-monastic life since entering the embassy in 2012.”
Monks would surely disagree with that flawed assessment, as would his friends.
The theme of oddity has also made it across the Atlantic. The New York Post, for instance, considered it “an even odder twist” that “British rapper M.I.A. is a godmother to the children”. Hardly – M.I.A, along with a large clutch of celebrities, has been a vocal supporter and barracker.
This mixture of lazy scribbling, creepy curiosity and saccharine interest will do little to aid Assange. His partner, now revealed as lawyer Stella Moris-Smith Robertson, attempted to take some of the edge off perceptions of the publisher in a court statement supporting bail.
“My close relationship with Julian has been the opposite of how he is viewed – of reserve, respect for each other and attempts to shield each other from some of the nightmares that have surrounded our lives.”
Retaining that shield will be an increasingly difficult matter now.
Assange’s scalp is precious. The application for bail made by his defence team on March 25 was denied. Access to him from his legal team is limited, hobbling the case. Even during a raging pandemic, where entire states have mobilised their resources, there is always room for little bit of vindictiveness.
Scores need to be settled; the balance sheet ordered. To that end, Judge Baraister and the UK justice system, have not disappointed.
Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected]


REMAIN INDOORS

As a bit of light relief , to round out a sunny Bank Holiday weekend , we ’ d like @ @ @ @ @ ’ s chillingly brilliant – and tragically topical – series of sketches on…The Event .
@ @ @ @ @ dystopian landscape perhaps years in the future , or possibly as close as next Wednesday @ @ @ @ @ off to be voltage-calmed , chow down on a protein fudge , and prepare to @ @ @ @

As a bit of light relief, to round out a sunny Bank Holiday weekend, we’d like to present Mitchell and Webb’s chillingly brilliant – and tragically topical – series of sketches on…The Event.
A stark depiction of a dystopian landscape perhaps years in the future, or possibly as close as next Wednesday.
So send the children off to be voltage-calmed, chow down on a protein fudge, and prepare to enjoy the show.


offguardian--2020-04-13--Thank-you to all our readers and supporters

A brief pause this Easter Monday to say thank-you to everyone who has been supporting us through these weeks , through donations and just through reading and sharing our output .
It has not been an easy time .
We ’ ve been attacked , sometimes in pretty unscrupulous ways , by some we used to call friends and colleagues .
And to begin with our sceptical and fact-based stance was very much a minority position .
We seemed to be fighting a pretty lonely battle for a while .
Thankfully , this is changing as the evidence has accumulated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be both questioning of the official covid19 narrative and of the massive authoritarian roll out it is intended to justify .
But without you guys it would have been difficult , if not impossible , to keep doing this .
Your readership has helped get our work out there to reach people , and your generosity and support has helped us pay OFfG ’ s bills for another year at a time when we would have been struggling to find the resources otherwise .
We know some of you must be finding things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dug in and gave us some pounds/dollars of your hard-earned money .
You are all amazing .

A brief pause this Easter Monday to say thank-you to everyone who has been supporting us through these weeks, through donations and just through reading and sharing our output.
It has not been an easy time. We’ve been attacked, sometimes in pretty unscrupulous ways, by some we used to call friends and colleagues. And to begin with our sceptical and fact-based stance was very much a minority position. We seemed to be fighting a pretty lonely battle for a while.
Thankfully, this is changing as the evidence has accumulated and more people are seeing reason to be both questioning of the official covid19 narrative and of the massive authoritarian roll out it is intended to justify.
But without you guys it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to keep doing this. Your readership has helped get our work out there to reach people, and your generosity and support has helped us pay OFfG’s bills for another year at a time when we would have been struggling to find the resources otherwise.
We know some of you must be finding things hard too, and yet you still dug in and gave us some pounds/dollars of your hard-earned money.
That’s amazing.
You are all amazing.
Bless you.
From the OffG team


offguardian--2020-04-13--WATCH: Corona World Order

WATCH: Corona World Order

In the latest episode of The Corbett Report , James discusses the possible political fallout of the current coronavirus “ @ @ @ @ @ or not this crisis will really spell the end of the globalist agenda .
As @ @ @ @ @ being suggested by corporate giants and national governments all around the world .
Some are @ @ @ @ @ is the end of globalization , or that it will wipe out the New World @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , this crisis is the globalists ’ dream , and what we @ @ @ @ @ of a totalitarian control grid the likes of which could scarcely have been imagined before @ @ @ @ @ .
Welcome to the Corona World Order .
For an audio-only version of this episode @ @ @ @ @ to sources and show-notes , click here .

In the latest episode of The Corbett Report, James discusses the possible political fallout of the current coronavirus “pandemic”, and whether or not this crisis will really spell the end of the globalist agenda. As well as the dystopian measures being suggested by corporate giants and national governments all around the world.
Some are suggesting that the current crisis is the end of globalization, or that it will wipe out the New World Order altogether…but they are wrong. In fact, this crisis is the globalists’ dream, and what we are witnessing is the birth of a totalitarian control grid the likes of which could scarcely have been imagined before this pandemic panic kicked off. Welcome to the Corona World Order.
For an audio-only version of this episode, as well as links to sources and show-notes, click here.


offguardian--2020-04-12--Phantoms of “The Operation”

Phantoms of “The Operation”

Many thousands of New Yorkers have temporarily moved into the small Massachusetts town ( permanent population approximately 7,000 ) where I live because of fear and panic created by fraudulent disease and death data gathered and disseminated under the umbrella term Covid-19 .
Such deceitful , fear-inducing news concerning diseases is old hat , but this time it ’ s part of perhaps the biggest propaganda campaign in modern history , resulting in an unprecedented government crackdown on people ’ s freedom , a massive transfer of trillions of public dollars to the banks and corporations , and crumbs for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , second vacation homes , Airbnbs , room rentals , and hotel rooms are packed .
It is a flight to “ safety ” reminiscent of the months following the attacks of September 11 , 2001 and the subsequent anthrax attacks that originated from a U.S. government bioweapons laboratory .
In the years immediately following those attacks , McMansions were built throughout these hills and local houses were bought up like penny candy as New Yorkers flooded the area .
Now as then , the wealthy refugees absconding on the road of flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accordingly .
Little is learned as repetition compulsion rules and the latest terror alert has them cowering in fear , playing their parts in a theatrical production conceived by master dramatists .
During the day , you can see small numbers of them out walking , yards apart , on the country roads .
The downtown streets are deserted day and night .
This in a town that over the past twenty years has become an upscale movie set catering to tourists and second-home owners who have brought great wealth with them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to afford the town and survive on jobs in the service economy .
Now that the country has been brought to a halt by the government shutdown , the regular people are screwed big-time .
Many small businesses will never again open .
The town ’ s largest employer , Jane Iredale cosmetics , the perfect employer for life the movie , has just laid off forty-seven employees .
Make-up for the psycho-social drama might run short now , even though the theater has temporarily gone indoors .
I don ’ t know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , maschera , mask ) is still available .
In normal times , the town would be filled with people frequenting the restaurants , cafes , and boutiques , parading down the streets dressed like movie stars in SoHo .
Black-clad actors .
Now it is a ghost town without many ghosts .
The few you do see wear cloth or paper masks .
The word mask comes from Latin , larva , a ghost , specter , a disembodied spirit – a mask .
Larvatus , masked , a personality , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wears a mask .
Person , Persona , a mask , a false face – personare – to sound through the hole in the mask .
Shakespeare was right .
To grasp the social play , one must be a theater critic .
There is a reason ghosts play such important parts in his plays .
If life is but a walking shadow , a poor player , then what are we the cast ?
Are we but seldom masters of our fate but usually only underlings , dancing to the tunes our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tis so .
For the paper and cloth masks people are wearing are just a second layer of masking , the first being what sociologists – diminutive descendants of Shakespeare – call status/roles and regular people just call roles , even when they don ’ t know they are playing them , which is most of the time .
Most people associate playing a role with being phony , while failing to notice that social life is comprised of such play-acting , “ as if ” the play were natural .
To admit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is performing in a play written and directed by someone else is to open a trapdoor beneath one ’ s feet .
The sociological term status refers to the very many positions one occupies in a lifetime such as occupational titles , family positions , even racial statuses that society imposes on people .
So a person could , for example , be categorized as a medical doctor who is a father and an uncle .
Each status – doctor , father , uncle – would have socially imposed expectations attached to it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expected to play or else one is considered an oddball at best .
To treat them as playful simulations in a life of experimentation , and to treat social titles and statuses as comical , results in one not being considered a team player or actor in the social play .
Only children and crazy people do that .
Imagine you are an impostor and dress in the uniform of an airline pilot .
To pass for a pilot you must know how to perform the role .
In other words , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pass yourself as the “ genuine ” thing .
This is what Shakespeare meant by all the world ’ s a stage , with the wooden stage where Hamlet and Othello are performed just being another artificial form of the “ naturally ” occurring fabricated life of society .
So social life is phony in that sense , which raises the basic question of what then does it mean to be genuine , to be real .
The philosopher René Descartes once said : But to be masked is to be hidden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one can see , a cipher .
So Descartes and Shakespeare were asking us that fundamental question : Who are we ?
Are we ?
Nietzsche asked it this way : Most people , as good underlings do , have now obeyed the director ’ s instructions and retreated into their Plato ’ s caves where they huddle fearfully around the flickering screens that have become their well-nigh reality , and which will become even more so in the future as the powers-that-be push their digital agenda .
It ’ s still showtime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performers receiving the director ’ s cues all electronically .
That the cast didn ’ t write the play and doesn ’ t know who did doesn ’ t seem to bother many .
They see it as the only show in town and they ’ re playing it , and while the anonymity of the digital life adds to the comedy of errors , it may be what many desire .
We live in the culture of the copy in every sense of the term .
There is rarely one of anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benjamin wrote a famous article called “ The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.
” In it he says that the mechanical reproduction of a work of art eliminates its “ aura.
” “ By making many reproductions it substitutes a plurality of copies for a unique existence , ” he wrote .
In the age of film and digital screen existence , this is very true for people as well .
Uniqueness is fading .
The more people live in and by screen images and the propaganda such technology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can be reproduced .
This , of course , has happened .
Once the masses had to be gathered into a herd in one place and induced to act in unison .
Today place has been replaced with cyberspace and the masquerade ball can be directed without movement .
Welcome .
“ The Operation ” is just beginning .

Edward Curtin
“Tis the times’ plague, when madmen lead the blind.”
Shakespeare, King Lear
Many thousands of New Yorkers have temporarily moved into the small Massachusetts town (permanent population approximately 7,000) where I live because of fear and panic created by fraudulent disease and death data gathered and disseminated under the umbrella term Covid-19.
Such deceitful, fear-inducing news concerning diseases is old hat, but this time it’s part of perhaps the biggest propaganda campaign in modern history, resulting in an unprecedented government crackdown on people’s freedom, a massive transfer of trillions of public dollars to the banks and corporations, and crumbs for average Americans.
In my little town, second vacation homes, Airbnbs, room rentals, and hotel rooms are packed.
It is a flight to “safety” reminiscent of the months following the attacks of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent anthrax attacks that originated from a U.S. government bioweapons laboratory.
In the years immediately following those attacks, McMansions were built throughout these hills and local houses were bought up like penny candy as New Yorkers flooded the area. Now as then, the wealthy refugees absconding on the road of flight accept official explanations and arrange their lives accordingly.
Little is learned as repetition compulsion rules and the latest terror alert has them cowering in fear, playing their parts in a theatrical production conceived by master dramatists.
Let’s call it “The Operation.”
During the day, you can see small numbers of them out walking, yards apart, on the country roads. The downtown streets are deserted day and night.
This in a town that over the past twenty years has become an upscale movie set catering to tourists and second-home owners who have brought great wealth with them, making it very difficult for regular people to afford the town and survive on jobs in the service economy.
Now that the country has been brought to a halt by the government shutdown, the regular people are screwed big-time. Many small businesses will never again open.
The town’s largest employer, Jane Iredale cosmetics, the perfect employer for life the movie, has just laid off forty-seven employees. Make-up for the psycho-social drama might run short now, even though the theater has temporarily gone indoors.
I don’t know if Iredale’s mascara (Italian, maschera, mask) is still available.
In normal times, the town would be filled with people frequenting the restaurants, cafes, and boutiques, parading down the streets dressed like movie stars in SoHo. Black-clad actors. Now it is a ghost town without many ghosts. The few you do see wear cloth or paper masks.
The word mask comes from Latin, larva, a ghost, specter, a disembodied spirit – a mask. Larvatus, masked, a personality, or person, an actor, one who wears a mask. Person, Persona, a mask, a false face – personare – to sound through the hole in the mask.
Shakespeare was right. To grasp the social play, one must be a theater critic. There is a reason ghosts play such important parts in his plays.
If life is but a walking shadow, a poor player, then what are we the cast? Are we but seldom masters of our fate but usually only underlings, dancing to the tunes our masters play for us? It seems tis so.
For the paper and cloth masks people are wearing are just a second layer of masking, the first being what sociologists – diminutive descendants of Shakespeare – call status/roles and regular people just call roles, even when they don’t know they are playing them, which is most of the time.
Most people associate playing a role with being phony, while failing to notice that social life is comprised of such play-acting, “as if” the play were natural. To admit that it is fictitious and that one is performing in a play written and directed by someone else is to open a trapdoor beneath one’s feet.
The sociological term status refers to the very many positions one occupies in a lifetime such as occupational titles, family positions, even racial statuses that society imposes on people. So a person could, for example, be categorized as a medical doctor who is a father and an uncle.
Each status – doctor, father, uncle – would have socially imposed expectations attached to it that are called roles that one is expected to play or else one is considered an oddball at best.
To treat them as playful simulations in a life of experimentation, and to treat social titles and statuses as comical, results in one not being considered a team player or actor in the social play. Only children and crazy people do that.
Imagine you are an impostor and dress in the uniform of an airline pilot. To pass for a pilot you must know how to perform the role. In other words, to be a good actor in the role and pass yourself as the “genuine” thing.
This is what Shakespeare meant by all the world’s a stage, with the wooden stage where Hamlet and Othello are performed just being another artificial form of the “naturally” occurring fabricated life of society. So social life is phony in that sense, which raises the basic question of what then does it mean to be genuine, to be real.
The philosopher René Descartes once said:
As an actor, to conceal his blush of embarrassment, enters the stage masked, so I step forth onto the stage of the world, masked.
But to be masked is to be hidden, to be a ghost that no one can see, a cipher. So Descartes and Shakespeare were asking us that fundamental question: Who are we? Are we?
Nietzsche asked it this way:
Are you genuine? Or merely an actor? A representative? Or that which is represented? In the end, perhaps you are merely a copy of an actor.
Most people, as good underlings do, have now obeyed the director’s instructions and retreated into their Plato’s caves where they huddle fearfully around the flickering screens that have become their well-nigh reality, and which will become even more so in the future as the powers-that-be push their digital agenda.
It’s still showtime but of a different sort with the performers receiving the director’s cues all electronically. That the cast didn’t write the play and doesn’t know who did doesn’t seem to bother many.
They see it as the only show in town and they’re playing it, and while the anonymity of the digital life adds to the comedy of errors, it may be what many desire.
We live in the culture of the copy in every sense of the term. There is rarely one of anything, even people.
Long ago Walter Benjamin wrote a famous article called “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.” In it he says that the mechanical reproduction of a work of art eliminates its “aura.”
“By making many reproductions it substitutes a plurality of copies for a unique existence,” he wrote.
In the age of film and digital screen existence, this is very true for people as well. Uniqueness is fading. The more people live in and by screen images and the propaganda such technology affords to the powerful, the more they can be reproduced.
This, of course, has happened. Once the masses had to be gathered into a herd in one place and induced to act in unison. Today place has been replaced with cyberspace and the masquerade ball can be directed without movement.
Welcome. “The Operation” is just beginning.