offguardian--2020-04-03--Lockdown: Locking in the New Global Order

On 12 March , British PM Boris Johnson informed the public that families would continue to “ lose loved ones before their time ” as the coronavirus outbreak worsens .
He added : In a report , the Imperial College had warned of modelling that suggested over 500,000 would die from the virus in the UK .
The lead author of the report , epidemiologist Neil Ferguson , has since revised the estimate downward to a maximum of 20,000 if current ‘ lockdown ’ measures work .
Johnson seems to have based his statement on Ferguson ’ s original figures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown will help the UK , it might be useful to turn to an ongoing public health crisis that receives scant media and government attention – because context is everything and responses that are proportionate to crises are important .
In a new 29-page open letter to Fiona Godlee , editor-in-chief of the British Medical Journal , environmentalist Dr Rosemary Mason spends 11 pages documenting the spiralling rates of disease that she says ( supported by numerous research studies cited ) are largely the result of exposure to health-damaging agrochemicals , not least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weedkiller – glyphosate .
The amount of glyphosate-based herbicides sprayed by UK farmers on crops has gone from 226,762 kg in 1990 to 2,240,408 kg in 2016 , a 10-fold increase .
Mason discusses links between multiple pesticide residues ( including glyphosate ) in food and steady increases in the number of cancers both in the UK and worldwide as well as allergic diseases , chronic kidney disease , Alzheimer ’ s , Parkinson ’ s , obesity and many other conditions .
Mason is at pains to stress that agrochemicals are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) for the spikes in these diseases and conditions .
She says this is the real public health crisis affecting the UK ( and the US ) .
Each year , she argues , there are steady increases in the numbers of new cancers in the UK and increases in deaths from the same cancers , with no treatments making any difference to the numbers .
Of course , it would be unwise to lay all the blame at the door of the agrochemicals sector : we are subjected each day to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , food processing practices and food additives and environmental pollution .
Yet there seems to be a serious lack of action to interfere with corporate practices and profits on the part of public bodies , so much so that a report by the Corporate Europe Observatory said in 2014 that the then outgoing European Commission had become a willing servant of a corporate agenda .
In a 2017 report , Hilal Elver , UN Special rapporteur on the right to food , and UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the global corporations that manufacture pesticides , accusing them of the “ systematic denial of harms ” , “ aggressive , unethical marketing tactics ” and heavy lobbying of governments which has “ obstructed reforms and paralysed global pesticide restrictions ” .
The authors said that pesticides have catastrophic impacts on the environment , human health and society as a whole , including an estimated 200,000 deaths a year from acute poisoning .
They concluded that it is time to create a global process to transition toward safer and healthier food and agricultural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that , in order to tackle this issue , the power of the corporations must be addressed .
While there is currently much talk of the coronavirus placing immense strain on the NHS , Mason highlights that the health service is already creaking and that due to weakened immune systems brought about by the contaminated food we eat , any new virus could spell disaster for public health .
But do we see a ‘ lockdown ’ on the activities of the global agrochemical conglomerates ?
Not at all .
As Mason @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we see governments and public health bodies working hand in glove with the agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals manufacturers to ensure ‘ business as usual ’ .
So , it might seem strange to many that the UK government is seemingly going out of its way ( by stripping people of their freedoms ) under the guise of a public health crisis but is all too willing to oversee a massive , ongoing one caused by the chemical pollution of our bodies .
Mason ’ s emphasis on an ongoing public health crisis brought about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a wider story .
And it must be stated that it is a ‘ silent ’ crisis because the mainstream media and various official reports in the UK have consistently ignored or downplayed the role of pesticides in fuelling this situation .
Another part of the health crisis story involves ongoing austerity measures .
The current Conservative administration in the UK is carrying out policies that it says will protect the general population and older people in particular .
This is in stark contrast to its record over the previous decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in society .
In 2019 , a leading UN poverty expert compared Conservative welfare policies to the creation of 19th-century workhouses and warned that unless austerity is ended , the UK ’ s poorest people face lives that are “ solitary , poor , nasty , brutish , and short ” .
Philip Alston , the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty , accused ministers of being in a state of denial about the impact of policies .
He accused them of the “ systematic immiseration of a significant part of the British population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it was claimed that more than 130,000 deaths in the UK since 2012 could have been prevented if improvements in public health policy had not stalled as a direct result of austerity cuts .
Over the past 10 years in the UK , there has been rising food poverty and increasing reliance on food banks , while the five richest families are now worth more than the poorest 20 % and about a third of Britain ’ s population lives in poverty .
Almost 18 million can not afford adequate housing conditions ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in common social activities ; one in three can not afford to heat their homes adequately in winter ; and four million children and adults are not properly fed ( Britain ’ s population is estimated at 63 to 64 million ) .
Welfare cuts have pushed hundreds of thousands below the poverty line since 2012 , including more than 300,000 children .
In the wake of a lockdown , we can only speculate about how a devastated economy might be exploited to further this ‘ austerity ’ agenda .
With bailouts being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public money to see them through the current crisis , this will need to be clawed back from somewhere .
Will that be the excuse for defunding the NHS and handing it over to private healthcare companies with health insurance firms in tow ?
Are we to see a further deepening of the austerity agenda , let alone an extension of the surveillance state given the current lockdown measures which may not be fully rolled back ?
The need for the current lockdown and the eradication of our freedoms has been questioned by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , former Supreme Court Justice .
He has questioned the legitimacy of Boris Johnson ’ s press conference/statement to deprive people of their liberty and has said : Journalist Peter Hitchens says a newspaper headline for what Sumption says might be – ‘ Former Supreme Court justice says Johnson measures lead towards police state ’ or ‘ TOP JUDGE WARNS OF POLICE STATE ’ .
But , as Hitchens implies , such headlines do not appear .
Indeed , where is the questioning in the mainstream media or among politicians about any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a few isolated voices , with Hitchens himself being one .
In his recent articles , Hitchens has questioned the need for the stripping of the public ’ s rights and freedoms under the pretext of a perceived coronavirus pandemic .
He has referred to esteemed scientists who question the need for and efficacy of ‘ social distancing ’ and keeping the public under virtual ‘ house arrest ’ .
An open Letter from Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi , emeritus professor of medical microbiology at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz , to Angela @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Germany ’ s lockdown response to Covid-19 .
Then there is Dr Ioannidis , a professor of medicine and professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University .
He argues that we have made such decisions on the basis of unreliable data .
These two scientists are not alone .
On the OffGuardian website , two articles have appeared which present the views of 22 experts who question policies and/or the data that is being cited about the coronavirus .
Professor Michel Chossudovsky has looked at who could ultimately benefit from current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be ( are already ) major beneficiaries as they receive lavish funding to develop vaccines .
He asks whether we can trust the main actors behind what could amount to a multibillion-dollar global ( compulsory ) vaccination ( surveillance ) project .
The issue of increased government surveillance has also been prominent in various analyses of the ongoing situation , not least in pushing the world further towards cashless societies ( under the pretext that cash passes on viruses ) whereby our every transaction is digitally monitored and a person ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ void if a government so decides .
Many discussions have implicated the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in this – an entity that for some time has been promoting the roll-out of global vaccine programmes and a global ‘ war on cash ’ .
For instance , financial journalist Norbert Haring notes that the Gates Foundation and US state-financial interests had an early pivotal role in pushing for the 2016 demonetisation policy with the aim of pushing India further towards a cashless society .
However , the policy caused immense damage to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds of millions in India who rely on cash in their everyday activities .
But that does not matter to those who roll out such policies .
What matters is securing control over global payments and the ability to monitor and block them .
Control food you control people .
Control digital payments ( and remove cash ) , you can control and monitor everything a country and its citizens do and pay for .
India has now also implemented a lockdown on its population and tens of millions of migrant workers have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a risk of coronavirus infection , masses of people congregating in close proximity then returning to the countryside does not bode well .
Indeed , the impact of lockdowns and social isolation could have more harm than the effects of the coronavirus itself in terms of hunger , depression , suicides and the overall deterioration of the health of older people who are having operations delayed and who are stuck indoors with little social interaction or physical movement .
If current events show us anything , it is that fear is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Any government can manipulate fear about certain things while conveniently ignoring real dangers that a population faces .
In a recent article , author and researcher Robert J Burrowes says : And , of course , each day we live with the very real danger of dying a horrific death because of the thousands of nuclear missiles that hang over our heads .
But this is not up for discussion .
The media and politicians say nothing .
Fear perception can be deliberately managed , while Walter Lippmann ’ s concept of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and demands the government to further strip its rights under the guise of safety .
Does the discussion thus far mean that those who question the mainstream narrative surrounding the coronavirus are in denial of potential dangers and deaths that have been attributed to the virus ?
Not at all .
But perspective and proportionate responses are everything and healthy debate should still take place , especially when our fundamental freedoms are at stake .
Unfortunately , many of those who would ordinarily question power and authority have meekly fallen into line : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usually accept anything at face value that Boris Johnson or his ministers say , are now all too easily willing to accept the data and the government narrative .
This is perplexing as both the government and the mainstream media have serious trust deficits ( putting it mildly ) if we look at their false narratives in numerous areas , including chemical attacks in Syria , ‘ Russian aggression ’ , baseless smear campaigns directed at Jeremy Corbyn and WMDs in Iraq .
What will emerge from current events is anyone ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and geopolitical analyst Peter Koenig , have presented disturbing scenarios for a future authoritarian world order under the control of powerful state-corporate partners .
Whatever the eventual outcome , financial institutions , pharmaceuticals companies and large corporations will capitalise on current events to extend their profits , control and influence .
Major corporations are already in line for massive bailouts despite them having kept workers ’ wages low and lining the pockets of top executives and shareholders by spending zero-interest money on stock buy backs .
And World Bank Group President David Malpass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ helped ’ to get back on their feet – on the condition that further neoliberal reforms and the undermining of public services are implemented and become further embedded : In the face of economic crisis and stagnation at home , this seems like an ideal opportunity for Western capital to further open up and loot economies abroad .
In effect , the coronavirus provides cover for the further entrenchment of dependency and dispossession .
Global conglomerates will be able to hollow out the remnants of nation-state sovereignty , while ordinary people ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ challenge the corporate hijack of economies and livelihoods will be undermined by the intensified , globalised system of surveillance that beckons .

Colin Todhunter
On 12 March, British PM Boris Johnson informed the public that families would continue to “lose loved ones before their time” as the coronavirus outbreak worsens. He added:
We’ve all got to be clear, this is the worst public health crisis for a generation.”
In a report, the Imperial College had warned of modelling that suggested over 500,000 would die from the virus in the UK. The lead author of the report, epidemiologist Neil Ferguson, has since revised the estimate downward to a maximum of 20,000 if current ‘lockdown’ measures work. Johnson seems to have based his statement on Ferguson’s original figures.
Before addressing the belief that a lockdown will help the UK, it might be useful to turn to an ongoing public health crisis that receives scant media and government attention – because context is everything and responses that are proportionate to crises are important.
The silent public health crisis
In a new 29-page open letter to Fiona Godlee, editor-in-chief of the British Medical Journal, environmentalist Dr Rosemary Mason spends 11 pages documenting the spiralling rates of disease that she says (supported by numerous research studies cited) are largely the result of exposure to health-damaging agrochemicals, not least the world’s most widely used weedkiller – glyphosate.
The amount of glyphosate-based herbicides sprayed by UK farmers on crops has gone from 226,762 kg in 1990 to 2,240,408 kg in 2016, a 10-fold increase. Mason discusses links between multiple pesticide residues (including glyphosate) in food and steady increases in the number of cancers both in the UK and worldwide as well as allergic diseases, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, obesity and many other conditions.
Mason is at pains to stress that agrochemicals are a major contributory factor (or actual cause) for the spikes in these diseases and conditions. She says this is the real public health crisis affecting the UK (and the US). Each year, she argues, there are steady increases in the numbers of new cancers in the UK and increases in deaths from the same cancers, with no treatments making any difference to the numbers.
Of course, it would be unwise to lay all the blame at the door of the agrochemicals sector: we are subjected each day to a cocktail of toxic chemicals via household goods, food processing practices and food additives and environmental pollution.
Yet there seems to be a serious lack of action to interfere with corporate practices and profits on the part of public bodies, so much so that a report by the Corporate Europe Observatory said in 2014 that the then outgoing European Commission had become a willing servant of a corporate agenda.
In a 2017 report, Hilal Elver, UN Special rapporteur on the right to food, and UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and hazardous substances and wastes Baskut Tuncak were severely critical of the global corporations that manufacture pesticides, accusing them of the “systematic denial of harms”, “aggressive, unethical marketing tactics” and heavy lobbying of governments which has “obstructed reforms and paralysed global pesticide restrictions”.
The authors said that pesticides have catastrophic impacts on the environment, human health and society as a whole, including an estimated 200,000 deaths a year from acute poisoning. They concluded that it is time to create a global process to transition toward safer and healthier food and agricultural production.
At the time, Elver said that, in order to tackle this issue, the power of the corporations must be addressed.
While there is currently much talk of the coronavirus placing immense strain on the NHS, Mason highlights that the health service is already creaking and that due to weakened immune systems brought about by the contaminated food we eat, any new virus could spell disaster for public health.
But do we see a ‘lockdown’ on the activities of the global agrochemical conglomerates? Not at all. As Mason has highlighted in her numerous reports, we see governments and public health bodies working hand in glove with the agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals manufacturers to ensure ‘business as usual’.
So, it might seem strange to many that the UK government is seemingly going out of its way (by stripping people of their freedoms) under the guise of a public health crisis but is all too willing to oversee a massive, ongoing one caused by the chemical pollution of our bodies.
Mason’s emphasis on an ongoing public health crisis brought about by poisoned crops and food is but part of a wider story. And it must be stated that it is a ‘silent’ crisis because the mainstream media and various official reports in the UK have consistently ignored or downplayed the role of pesticides in fuelling this situation.
Systemic immiseration
Another part of the health crisis story involves ongoing austerity measures.
The current Conservative administration in the UK is carrying out policies that it says will protect the general population and older people in particular. This is in stark contrast to its record over the previous decade which demonstrates contempt for the most vulnerable in society.
In 2019, a leading UN poverty expert compared Conservative welfare policies to the creation of 19th-century workhouses and warned that unless austerity is ended, the UK’s poorest people face lives that are “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”.
Philip Alston, the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, accused ministers of being in a state of denial about the impact of policies. He accused them of the “systematic immiseration of a significant part of the British population”.
In another 2019 report, it was claimed that more than 130,000 deaths in the UK since 2012 could have been prevented if improvements in public health policy had not stalled as a direct result of austerity cuts.
Over the past 10 years in the UK, there has been rising food poverty and increasing reliance on food banks, while the five richest families are now worth more than the poorest 20% and about a third of Britain’s population lives in poverty.
Almost 18 million cannot afford adequate housing conditions; 12 million are too poor to engage in common social activities; one in three cannot afford to heat their homes adequately in winter; and four million children and adults are not properly fed (Britain’s population is estimated at 63 to 64 million).
Welfare cuts have pushed hundreds of thousands below the poverty line since 2012, including more than 300,000 children.
In the wake of a lockdown, we can only speculate about how a devastated economy might be exploited to further this ‘austerity’ agenda. With bailouts being promised to companies and many workers receiving public money to see them through the current crisis, this will need to be clawed back from somewhere.
Will that be the excuse for defunding the NHS and handing it over to private healthcare companies with health insurance firms in tow? Are we to see a further deepening of the austerity agenda, let alone an extension of the surveillance state given the current lockdown measures which may not be fully rolled back?
The need for the current lockdown and the eradication of our freedoms has been questioned by some, not least Lord J. Sumption, former Supreme Court Justice. He has questioned the legitimacy of Boris Johnson’s press conference/statement to deprive people of their liberty and has said:
“There is a difference between law and official instructions. It is the difference between a democracy and a police state”.
Journalist Peter Hitchens says a newspaper headline for what Sumption says might be – ‘Former Supreme Court justice says Johnson measures lead towards police state’ or ‘TOP JUDGE WARNS OF POLICE STATE’.
But, as Hitchens implies, such headlines do not appear. Indeed, where is the questioning in the mainstream media or among politicians about any of this? To date, there have been a few isolated voices, with Hitchens himself being one.
In his recent articles, Hitchens has questioned the need for the stripping of the public’s rights and freedoms under the pretext of a perceived coronavirus pandemic. He has referred to esteemed scientists who question the need for and efficacy of ‘social distancing’ and keeping the public under virtual ‘house arrest’.
An open Letter from Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi, emeritus professor of medical microbiology at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, to Angela Merkel calls for an urgent reassessment of Germany’s lockdown response to Covid-19.
Then there is Dr Ioannidis, a professor of medicine and professor of epidemiology and population health at Stanford University. He argues that we have made such decisions on the basis of unreliable data. These two scientists are not alone.
On the OffGuardian website, two articles have appeared which present the views of 22 experts who question policies and/or the data that is being cited about the coronavirus.
Shift in balance of power
Professor Michel Chossudovsky has looked at who could ultimately benefit from current events and concludes that certain pharmaceutical companies could be (are already) major beneficiaries as they receive lavish funding to develop vaccines. He asks whether we can trust the main actors behind what could amount to a multibillion-dollar global (compulsory) vaccination (surveillance) project.
The issue of increased government surveillance has also been prominent in various analyses of the ongoing situation, not least in pushing the world further towards cashless societies (under the pretext that cash passes on viruses) whereby our every transaction is digitally monitored and a person’s virtual money could be declared null and void if a government so decides.
Many discussions have implicated the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in this – an entity that for some time has been promoting the roll-out of global vaccine programmes and a global ‘war on cash’.
For instance, financial journalist Norbert Haring notes that the Gates Foundation and US state-financial interests had an early pivotal role in pushing for the 2016 demonetisation policy with the aim of pushing India further towards a cashless society.
However, the policy caused immense damage to the economy and the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions in India who rely on cash in their everyday activities.
But that does not matter to those who roll out such policies. What matters is securing control over global payments and the ability to monitor and block them. Control food you control people. Control digital payments (and remove cash), you can control and monitor everything a country and its citizens do and pay for.
India has now also implemented a lockdown on its population and tens of millions of migrant workers have been returning to their villages. If there is a risk of coronavirus infection, masses of people congregating in close proximity then returning to the countryside does not bode well.
Indeed, the impact of lockdowns and social isolation could have more harm than the effects of the coronavirus itself in terms of hunger, depression, suicides and the overall deterioration of the health of older people who are having operations delayed and who are stuck indoors with little social interaction or physical movement.
If current events show us anything, it is that fear is a powerful weapon for securing hegemony. Any government can manipulate fear about certain things while conveniently ignoring real dangers that a population faces. In a recent article, author and researcher Robert J Burrowes says:
“… if we were seriously concerned about our world, the gravest and longest-standing health crisis on the planet is the one that starves to death 100,000 people each day. No panic about that, of course. And no action either.”
And, of course, each day we live with the very real danger of dying a horrific death because of the thousands of nuclear missiles that hang over our heads. But this is not up for discussion.
The media and politicians say nothing. Fear perception can be deliberately managed, while Walter Lippmann’s concept of the ‘bewildered herd’ cowers on cue and demands the government to further strip its rights under the guise of safety.
Does the discussion thus far mean that those who question the mainstream narrative surrounding the coronavirus are in denial of potential dangers and deaths that have been attributed to the virus? Not at all. But perspective and proportionate responses are everything and healthy debate should still take place, especially when our fundamental freedoms are at stake.
Unfortunately, many of those who would ordinarily question power and authority have meekly fallen into line: those in the UK who would not usually accept anything at face value that Boris Johnson or his ministers say, are now all too easily willing to accept the data and the government narrative.
This is perplexing as both the government and the mainstream media have serious trust deficits (putting it mildly) if we look at their false narratives in numerous areas, including chemical attacks in Syria, ‘Russian aggression’, baseless smear campaigns directed at Jeremy Corbyn and WMDs in Iraq.
What will emerge from current events is anyone’s guess. Some authors, like economist and geopolitical analyst Peter Koenig, have presented disturbing scenarios for a future authoritarian world order under the control of powerful state-corporate partners. Whatever the eventual outcome, financial institutions, pharmaceuticals companies and large corporations will capitalise on current events to extend their profits, control and influence.
Major corporations are already in line for massive bailouts despite them having kept workers’ wages low and lining the pockets of top executives and shareholders by spending zero-interest money on stock buy backs. And World Bank Group President David Malpass has stated that poorer countries will be ‘helped’ to get back on their feet – on the condition that further neoliberal reforms and the undermining of public services are implemented and become further embedded:
Countries will need to implement structural reforms to help shorten the time to recovery and create confidence that the recovery can be strong. For those countries that have excessive regulations, subsidies, licensing regimes, trade protection or litigiousness as obstacles, we will work with them to foster markets, choice and faster growth prospects during the recovery.”
In the face of economic crisis and stagnation at home, this seems like an ideal opportunity for Western capital to further open up and loot economies abroad. In effect, the coronavirus provides cover for the further entrenchment of dependency and dispossession.
Global conglomerates will be able to hollow out the remnants of nation-state sovereignty, while ordinary people’s rights and ability to organise and challenge the corporate hijack of economies and livelihoods will be undermined by the intensified, globalised system of surveillance that beckons.


offguardian--2020-04-02--Coronavirus Fact-Check #1: “Flu doesn’t overwhelm our hospitals!”

This the first of a new on-going series of micro-articles tackling the prevailing , media-generated talking points of on Sars-Cov2 and Covid19 .
Those of you who have spent any time debating or discussing the current coronavirus “ pandemic ” on social media will almost certainly have encountered an argument that goes something like this : But is this true ?
We ’ ve done some research .
In 2018 hospitals all across the United States were full to capacity with flu patients .
Alabama declared a state of emergency .
Elective surgeries were cancelled , patients were turned away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” where people were treated in hastily erected tents .
The same year ICUs in Milan were “ totally overrun ” with flu cases .
In December of 2019 the NHS had to implement “ emergency temporary beds ” in 52 % of its hospitals to account for their regular “ winter crisis ” .
Most of those hospitals still had temporary beds operating from the previous winter .
Last November experts were publishing reports warning that the NHS was under too much pressure to deal with the seasonal flu .
The 2009 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no worse than a bad flu season in the end , but nevertheless had a huge impact on hospitals across the United States .
Going by just the last couple of years , the evidence suggests flu severely impacts health services quite frequently .
Raising the question : How does the current state of ICUs compare with these other recent crises ?
To which , we must remember , no one ever suggested the solution was destroying the economy and instituting a police state .
Are you aware of any other examples of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the comments below , or drop us an email , and we ’ ll add them to our list .
Likewise , if you have a common misconception on the coronavirus you ’ d like to see refuted , suggest it and we may include it in our series .

The media claim this pandemic’s effect on hospitals around the world has never been seen before, but is that true?
Coronavirus Fact-Check #1: “Covid19 is having an unprecedented impact on ICUs”
This the first of a new on-going series of micro-articles tackling the prevailing, media-generated talking points of on Sars-Cov2 and Covid19.
Those of you who have spent any time debating or discussing the current coronavirus “pandemic” on social media will almost certainly have encountered an argument that goes something like this:
“Coronavirus is nothing like the flu, the seasonal flu doesn’t overwhelm health services like this.”
But is this true? We’ve done some research.
In 2018 hospitals all across the United States were full to capacity with flu patients. Alabama declared a state of emergency. Elective surgeries were cancelled, patients were turned away.
California hospitals were “war zones” where people were treated in hastily erected tents.
The same year ICUs in Milan were “totally overrun” with flu cases.
In December of 2019 the NHS had to implement “emergency temporary beds” in 52% of its hospitals to account for their regular “winter crisis”. Most of those hospitals still had temporary beds operating from the previous winter.
Last November experts were publishing reports warning that the NHS was under too much pressure to deal with the seasonal flu.
The 2009 Swine Flu pandemic turned out to be no worse than a bad flu season in the end, but nevertheless had a huge impact on hospitals across the United States.
[UPDATE 3/4/18 – Our readers have done their usual stellar job and sent in some great examples.]
In Spain, flu collapses hospitals almost every year.
In 2017 the Spanish-language Huffington Post site asked “Why does the flu mean collapse in Spanish hospitals?”.
In the 2017/18 flu season, hospitals all over the country were in a state of collapse.
Last March, hospitals were at over 200% patient capacity.
In 2015 patients were sleeping in corridors.
Even in January this year, before the coronavirus had impacted Europe, nurses were complaining that the flu season was stretching healthcare to breaking point.
A paper in the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) states that Lombardy’s ICUs “typically run at 85-90% capacity in the winter months”.
Going by just the last couple of years, the evidence suggests flu severely impacts health services quite frequently.
Raising the question: How does the current state of ICUs compare with these other recent crises? To which, we must remember, no one ever suggested the solution was destroying the economy and instituting a police state.
Are you aware of any other examples of recent health-care crises? Post them in the comments below, or drop us an email, and we’ll add them to our list. Likewise, if you have a common misconception on the coronavirus you’d like to see refuted, suggest it and we may include it in our series.


offguardian--2020-04-02--A 70-Year War on ‘Propaganda’ Built by the CIA

War has always depended on a reliable system to spread its propaganda .
The Arthashastra written by Chankya ( 350-283 BCE ) who was chief advisor to the Emperor Chandragupta ( the first ruler of the Mauryan Empire ) discusses propaganda and how to disperse and apply it in warfare .
It is one of the oldest accounts of the essentialism of propaganda in warfare .
Propaganda is vital in times of war because it is absolutely imperative that the people , who often need to make the greatest sacrifices and suffer the most , believe that such a war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will provide them security .
To the degree that they believe this to be true , the greater the degree of sacrifice and suffering they are willing to submit themselves for said “ promised security ” .
It is crucial that when the people look at the “ enemy ” they see something sub-human , for if they recognise that said “ enemy ” has in fact humanity , the jig is up so to speak .
And thus we are bombarded day after day , hour after hour of reminders as to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ human like us , not compassionate like us , not patient , just and wise like us .
No doubt , war has been a necessary response when tyranny has formed an army to fight for its cause , but I would put forth that most wars have been rather unnecessary and downright manipulated for the design of a small group of people .
During WWI , on Dec 25th 1914 , something rather unexpected occurred and a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front took place between the French/British soldiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ventured into “ no man ’ s land ” , given its name since none left it alive , to mingle with the “ enemy ” and exchange food and souvenirs .
There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps .
A game of football took place as well .
It is said that these truces were not unique to the Christmas period but that they were much more widespread during the holiday season .
These fraternisations would understandably make it quite difficult to return to combat against one another…for no apparently good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relocated since they had developed friendships with the opposing side and now refused to fight them .
The lesson was quickly learned and propaganda was heavily pumped down the throats of the Allied countries , and by the course of just a few years , they no longer viewed the Germans as human .
For us to understand the implications of modern propaganda and how it is used in warfare today , our story starts post-WWII with Churchill ’ s announcement of the “ Iron Curtain ” which launched the Cold War and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this day .
Quickly after the Cold War was announced by Churchill , it was necessary to create a fervor of fear and paranoia amongst the American people in order to have them quickly forget the fact that the Russians were their greatest allies during both WWI and WWII , and to replace it with the image of a ghoulish race of boogeymen .
If Americans were to remember that the Russians had fought valiantly during WWII and had paid by far the largest sacrifice to the cause , that they had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against the brutality of fascism , if this were remembered then the Cold War division could never occur , and that was something that could not be tolerated by Churchill and the Empire .
Thus terror was unleashed on the American people and McCarthyism was given precedence over the people ’ s right to question and form conclusions for themselves .
That sort of thing could not be tolerated when the “ enemy ” could be anywhere ; they could be your neighbour , your child ’ s teacher , your co-worker…your partner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ threat ” of Soviet “ propaganda ” entering the U.S. and seducing Americans , Operation Mockingbird was created as a form of “ control ” over information dissemination during the period of McCarthyism .
Operation Mockingbird was an “ alleged ” CIA program that was started in the early 1950s in order to control the narrative of the news .
Though this role has never been confirmed entirely , in the CIA Family Jewels report compiled in the mid-1970s , it is confirmed that Project Mockingbird did exist as a CIA operation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Washington .
At the helm of this project was none other than CIA Director Allen Dulles , an enemy of JFK , who by the early 1950s “ allegedly ” oversaw the media network and had major influence over 25 newspapers and wire agencies .
Its function was to have the CIA write reports that would be used by a network of cooperating “ credible ” reporters .
By these “ credible ” reporters spreading the CIA dictated narrative , it would be parroted by unwitting reporters ( mockingbirds ) and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world .
The Office of Policy Coordination ( OPC ) , originally named Office of Special Projects but that was thought to conspicuous , was a covert operation wing of the CIA and was created by the United States National Security Council ( NSC ) .
For those who are unfamiliar with the origins of the NSC and its close relationship with the CIA , who was born on the same day , refer to my paper on the subject .
According to Deborah Davis ’ biography of Katherine Graham ( the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OPC created Operation Mockingbird in response to addressing Soviet propaganda and included as part of its CIA contingency respected members from Washington Post , The New York Times , Newsweek , CBS and others .
The Family Jewels report was an investigation made by the CIA to investigate…the CIA , spurred in response to the Watergate Scandal and the CIA ’ s unconstitutional role in the whole affair .
The investigation of the CIA would include any other actions that were deemed illegal or inappropriate spanning from the 1950s-mid 1970s .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was declassified on June 25 , 2007 ( 30 years later ) hoping that people would have lost interest in the whole brouhaha .
Along with the release of the redacted report was included a six-page summary with the following introduction : The most extensive investigation of the CIA relations with news media was conducted by the Church Committee , a U.S. Senate select committee in 1975 that investigated the abuses committed by the CIA , NSA , FBI , and IRS .
The Church Committee report confirmed abundant CIA ties in both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very useful that there exists an official recognition that false news was not only being encouraged by the CIA under the overseeing of the NSC during the Cold War period , but that the CIA was complicit in actually detailing the specific narrative that they wanted disseminated , and often going so far as to write the narrative and have a “ credible ” reporter ’ s name stamped on it .
But the question begs , “ Did the Cold War ever end ?
” and if not , why should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involvement in such activities is buried in its past and that it has “ reformed ” its old ways ?
Western Journalists for Hire : How the CIA Buys News In order to answer this question , let us visit the sad case of Udo Ulfkotte .
Udo Ulfkotte is a well-known German journalist and author of numerous books .
He worked for 25 years as a journalist , 17 of which were for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ( FAZ ) , including his role as editor .
In his 2014 book Journalists for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ulfkotte goes over how the CIA along with German Intelligence ( BND ) were guilty of bribing journalists to write articles that either spun the truth or were completely fictitious in order to promote a pro-western , pro-NATO bent , and that he was one of those bought journalists .
In an interview , Ulfkotte describes how he finally built up the nerve to publish the book , after years of it collecting dust , in response to the erupting crisis in Ukraine stating Udo Ulfkotte has since passed away .
He died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home , it is said by a heart attack .
His body was soon after cremated , thus preventing any possibility of an autopsy occurring .
You Can ’ t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks The Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act is a bipartisan bill that was passed into law in December 2016 , it was initially called Countering Information Warfare Act .
It was included together with the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) .
This bill was brought into effect just weeks before Trump was to enter office….hmmm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 U.S. election , the Washington Post led the charge asserting that it was due to Russian propaganda that the U.S. elections turned out the way it did , that is , that Hillary had somehow , inconceivably , lost to Donald Trump and that the American people had been turned against her like a child caught in the middle of a messy divorce case .
But there is no need here to set the record straight on Hillary , when Hillary herself has done suffice damage to any illusion of credibility she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary could hide the fact that her closet full of skeletons turned out to be the size of a catacomb .
But we are told that citizens do not know what is best for one ’ s self .
That they can not be trusted with “ sensitive ” information and in accordance act in a “ responsible ” manner , that is , to have a strong enough stomach to do what is “ best ” for their country .
And therefore , fear not subjects of the land , for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here to make those hard decisions for you .
Don ’ t know what to think about a complicated subject ?
GEC will tell you the right way !
The National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) would allow for the Secretary of State to collaborate with the Secretary of Defense , and other Federal agencies in the year 2017 to create the Global Engagement Center ( GEC ) .
The GEC ’ s purpose in life is to fight propaganda from foreign governments and publicize the nature of ongoing foreign propaganda and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ countries .
Let us all take a moment to thank the GEC for such a massive task in the cause for justice all around the world .
The GEC had a very slow start in its first year , however , it has been gaining momentum in the last year under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who seems especially excited over the hiring of Lea Gabrielle as special envoy and coordinator of GEC .
Mike Pompeo was the CIA Director from 2017-2018 .
On April 15 , 2019 , Pompeo participated in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ M University where he voluntarily offered the admission that though West Points ’ cadet motto is “ You will not lie , cheat , or steal , or tolerate those who do.
” , his training under the CIA was the very opposite , stating : This is apparently the man for the job of dealing with matters of “ truth ” and “ justice ” .
Lea Gabrielle was approved for her position by Mike Pompeo , what are her “ qualifications ” ?
Well , Gabrielle is also CIA trained , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency ( DIA ) , she “ directed and conducted global clandestine strategic intelligence collection operations.
” Gabrielle also “ deployed in tactical anti-terrorist operations in hostile environments ” .
After 12 years of active duty service , Lea Gabrielle became a television news journalist , who worked at NBC and FOX News .
The CIA really does not have the best track record for their role in “ managing ” foreign wars and counter-insurgency activities .
In fact , they have been caught rather red-handed in fueling such crisis situations .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what information is fit for the American public , and western public in general , and what is not fit for their ears .
Hear No Evil , Speak No Evil , See No Evil On March 5 , 2020 , Lea Gabrielle testified on the role of GEC in countering state-sponsored and non-state propaganda and disinformation .
Gabrielle states : “ We have the full support of Secretary Pompeo who is committed to deploying a broad suite of tools to stop America ’ s adversaries from using disinformation , malign propaganda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” She goes on to acknowledge that the hearing is focused on countering Russian government and CCP disinformation and propaganda .
She then goes on to outline her criticisms of both governments with no factual detail or evidence but rather generalised accusations and criticisms , obviously pulling from her experience as a news journalist for NBC .
Following this , Gabrielle proceeds to outline her “ rules of engagement ” in countering this offensive with what seems to be the beginnings of McCarthyism 2.0 , amounting to a threat to anyone who dares @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and China , that such a person will be considered complicit in essentially committing treason .
Hell , if Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard ( who was unconstitutionally prohibited from participating in the final democratic presidential debates ) have both already been accused of being a Russian agent , what can we expect for the average Joe ?
Gabrielle concludes , “ Both the Russian government and the CCP view censorship , media manipulation , and propaganda as appropriate tools to control public opinion .
Both exploit open , democratic societies to further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own countries.
” Don ’ t worry , the CIA will eventually admit that they are elbow-deep in all of the above , it just won ’ t be released until 30 years from now…In the meantime , I wouldn ’ t believe everything you read in the newspaper to stoke the fires for another war .

Cynthia Chung
“Hell is empty and all the devils are here”
William Shakespeare (The Tempest Act I, Scene 2)
War has always depended on a reliable system to spread its propaganda. The Arthashastra written by Chankya (350-283 BCE) who was chief advisor to the Emperor Chandragupta (the first ruler of the Mauryan Empire) discusses propaganda and how to disperse and apply it in warfare. It is one of the oldest accounts of the essentialism of propaganda in warfare.
Propaganda is vital in times of war because it is absolutely imperative that the people, who often need to make the greatest sacrifices and suffer the most, believe that such a war is justified and that such a war will provide them security. To the degree that they believe this to be true, the greater the degree of sacrifice and suffering they are willing to submit themselves for said “promised security”.
It is crucial that when the people look at the “enemy” they see something sub-human, for if they recognise that said “enemy” has in fact humanity, the jig is up so to speak.
And thus we are bombarded day after day, hour after hour of reminders as to why the “enemy” is not human like us, not compassionate like us, not patient, just and wise like us.
No doubt, war has been a necessary response when tyranny has formed an army to fight for its cause, but I would put forth that most wars have been rather unnecessary and downright manipulated for the design of a small group of people.
During WWI, on Dec 25th 1914, something rather unexpected occurred and a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front took place between the French/British soldiers and the German soldiers. Some even ventured into “no man’s land”, given its name since none left it alive, to mingle with the “enemy” and exchange food and souvenirs. There were joint burial ceremonies and prisoner swaps. A game of football took place as well. It is said that these truces were not unique to the Christmas period but that they were much more widespread during the holiday season.
These fraternisations would understandably make it quite difficult to return to combat against one another…for no apparently good reason. Some units needed to be relocated since they had developed friendships with the opposing side and now refused to fight them.
The lesson was quickly learned and propaganda was heavily pumped down the throats of the Allied countries, and by the course of just a few years, they no longer viewed the Germans as human.
The CIA’s Family Jewels and Operation Mockingbird
For us to understand the implications of modern propaganda and how it is used in warfare today, our story starts post-WWII with Churchill’s announcement of the “Iron Curtain” which launched the Cold War and has kept the East and West divided to this day.
Quickly after the Cold War was announced by Churchill, it was necessary to create a fervor of fear and paranoia amongst the American people in order to have them quickly forget the fact that the Russians were their greatest allies during both WWI and WWII, and to replace it with the image of a ghoulish race of boogeymen.
If Americans were to remember that the Russians had fought valiantly during WWII and had paid by far the largest sacrifice to the cause, that they had in fact been their comrades in arms against the brutality of fascism, if this were remembered then the Cold War division could never occur, and that was something that could not be tolerated by Churchill and the Empire.
Thus terror was unleashed on the American people and McCarthyism was given precedence over the people’s right to question and form conclusions for themselves. That sort of thing could not be tolerated when the “enemy” could be anywhere; they could be your neighbour, your child’s teacher, your co-worker…your partner.
In order to combat the “threat” of Soviet “propaganda” entering the U.S. and seducing Americans, Operation Mockingbird was created as a form of “control” over information dissemination during the period of McCarthyism. Operation Mockingbird was an “alleged” CIA program that was started in the early 1950s in order to control the narrative of the news.
Though this role has never been confirmed entirely, in the CIA Family Jewels report compiled in the mid-1970s, it is confirmed that Project Mockingbird did exist as a CIA operation and that it was guilty of wire-tapping journalists in Washington.
At the helm of this project was none other than CIA Director Allen Dulles, an enemy of JFK, who by the early 1950s “allegedly” oversaw the media network and had major influence over 25 newspapers and wire agencies. Its function was to have the CIA write reports that would be used by a network of cooperating “credible” reporters. By these “credible” reporters spreading the CIA dictated narrative, it would be parroted by unwitting reporters (mockingbirds) and a successful echo chamber would be created across the world.
The Office of Policy Coordination (OPC), originally named Office of Special Projects but that was thought to conspicuous, was a covert operation wing of the CIA and was created by the United States National Security Council (NSC). For those who are unfamiliar with the origins of the NSC and its close relationship with the CIA, who was born on the same day, refer to my paper on the subject.
According to Deborah Davis’ biography of Katherine Graham (the owner of Washington Post), the OPC created Operation Mockingbird in response to addressing Soviet propaganda and included as part of its CIA contingency respected members from Washington Post, The New York Times, Newsweek, CBS and others.
The Family Jewels report was an investigation made by the CIA to investigate…the CIA, spurred in response to the Watergate Scandal and the CIA’s unconstitutional role in the whole affair. The investigation of the CIA would include any other actions that were deemed illegal or inappropriate spanning from the 1950s-mid 1970s.
We are told “most” of the report was declassified on June 25, 2007 (30 years later) hoping that people would have lost interest in the whole brouhaha. Along with the release of the redacted report was included a six-page summary with the following introduction:
The Central Intelligence Agency violated its charter for 25 years until revelations of illegal wiretapping, domestic surveillance, assassination plots, and human experimentation led to official investigations and reforms in the 1970s.”
The most extensive investigation of the CIA relations with news media was conducted by the Church Committee, a U.S. Senate select committee in 1975 that investigated the abuses committed by the CIA, NSA, FBI, and IRS. The Church Committee report confirmed abundant CIA ties in both foreign and domestic news media.
It is very useful that there exists an official recognition that false news was not only being encouraged by the CIA under the overseeing of the NSC during the Cold War period, but that the CIA was complicit in actually detailing the specific narrative that they wanted disseminated, and often going so far as to write the narrative and have a “credible” reporter’s name stamped on it.
But the question begs, “Did the Cold War ever end?” and if not, why should we believe that the CIA’s involvement in such activities is buried in its past and that it has “reformed” its old ways?
Western Journalists for Hire: How the CIA Buys News
In order to answer this question, let us visit the sad case of Udo Ulfkotte. Udo Ulfkotte is a well-known German journalist and author of numerous books. He worked for 25 years as a journalist, 17 of which were for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), including his role as editor.
In his 2014 book Journalists for Hire: How the CIA Buys News Ulfkotte goes over how the CIA along with German Intelligence (BND) were guilty of bribing journalists to write articles that either spun the truth or were completely fictitious in order to promote a pro-western, pro-NATO bent, and that he was one of those bought journalists.
In an interview, Ulfkotte describes how he finally built up the nerve to publish the book, after years of it collecting dust, in response to the erupting crisis in Ukraine stating
I felt that the right time had come to finish it and publish it, because I am deeply worried about the Ukrainian crisis and the possible devastating consequences for all of Europe and all of us…I am not at all pro-Russia, but it is clear that many journalists blindly follow and publish whatever the NATO press office provides. And this type of information and reports are completely one-sided.
In another interview Ulfkotte stated:
it is clear as daylight that the agents of various Services were in the central offices of the FAZ, the place where I worked for 17 years. The articles appeared under my name several times, but they were not my intellectual product. I was once approached by someone from German Intelligence and the CIA, who told me that I should write about Gaddafi and report how he was trying to secretly build a chemical weapons factory in Libya. I had no information on any of this, but they showed me various documents, I just had to put my name on the article. Do you think this can be called journalism? I don’t think so.”
Ulfkotte has publicly stated:
“I am ashamed of it. The people I worked for knew from the get-go everything I did. And the truth must come out. It’s not just about FAZ, this is the whole system that’s corrupt all the way.”
Udo Ulfkotte has since passed away. He died January 2017, found dead in his home, it is said by a heart attack. His body was soon after cremated, thus preventing any possibility of an autopsy occurring.
You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks
The Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act is a bipartisan bill that was passed into law in December 2016, it was initially called Countering Information Warfare Act. It was included together with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This bill was brought into effect just weeks before Trump was to enter office….hmmm, foreshadowing much?
Soon after the 2016 U.S. election, the Washington Post led the charge asserting that it was due to Russian propaganda that the U.S. elections turned out the way it did, that is, that Hillary had somehow, inconceivably, lost to Donald Trump and that the American people had been turned against her like a child caught in the middle of a messy divorce case.
But there is no need here to set the record straight on Hillary, when Hillary herself has done suffice damage to any illusion of credibility she once had. That ultimately not even Hillary could hide the fact that her closet full of skeletons turned out to be the size of a catacomb.
But we are told that citizens do not know what is best for one’s self. That they cannot be trusted with “sensitive” information and in accordance act in a “responsible” manner, that is, to have a strong enough stomach to do what is “best” for their country.
And therefore, fear not subjects of the land, for the Global Engagement Center (GEC) is here to make those hard decisions for you. Don’t know what to think about a complicated subject? GEC will tell you the right way!
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would allow for the Secretary of State to collaborate with the Secretary of Defense, and other Federal agencies in the year 2017 to create the Global Engagement Center (GEC). The GEC’s purpose in life is to fight propaganda from foreign governments and publicize the nature of ongoing foreign propaganda and disinformation operations against the U.S. and other countries.
Let us all take a moment to thank the GEC for such a massive task in the cause for justice all around the world.
The GEC had a very slow start in its first year, however, it has been gaining momentum in the last year under Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who seems especially excited over the hiring of Lea Gabrielle as special envoy and coordinator of GEC.
Mike Pompeo was the CIA Director from 2017-2018. On April 15, 2019, Pompeo participated in a discussion at the Texas A&M University where he voluntarily offered the admission that though West Points’ cadet motto is “You will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.”, his training under the CIA was the very opposite, stating:
I was the CIA Director. We lied, we cheated, we stole. It was like we had entire training courses. (long pause) It reminds you of the glory of the American experiment”
This is apparently the man for the job of dealing with matters of “truth” and “justice”.
Lea Gabrielle was approved for her position by Mike Pompeo, what are her “qualifications”? Well, Gabrielle is also CIA trained, and while assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), she “directed and conducted global clandestine strategic intelligence collection operations.” Gabrielle also “deployed in tactical anti-terrorist operations in hostile environments”.
After 12 years of active duty service, Lea Gabrielle became a television news journalist, who worked at NBC and FOX News.
Noticing a pattern?
The CIA really does not have the best track record for their role in “managing” foreign wars and counter-insurgency activities. In fact, they have been caught rather red-handed in fueling such crisis situations. And these are the people who are deciding what information is fit for the American public, and western public in general, and what is not fit for their ears.
Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil
On March 5, 2020, Lea Gabrielle testified on the role of GEC in countering state-sponsored and non-state propaganda and disinformation. Gabrielle states: “We have the full support of Secretary Pompeo who is committed to deploying a broad suite of tools to stop America’s adversaries from using disinformation, malign propaganda, and other tools to undermine free societies.”
She goes on to acknowledge that the hearing is focused on countering Russian government and CCP disinformation and propaganda. She then goes on to outline her criticisms of both governments with no factual detail or evidence but rather generalised accusations and criticisms, obviously pulling from her experience as a news journalist for NBC.
Following this, Gabrielle proceeds to outline her “rules of engagement” in countering this offensive with what seems to be the beginnings of McCarthyism 2.0, amounting to a threat to anyone who dares not take a hard stance against Russia and China, that such a person will be considered complicit in essentially committing treason.
Hell, if Bernie Sanders and Tulsi Gabbard (who was unconstitutionally prohibited from participating in the final democratic presidential debates) have both already been accused of being a Russian agent, what can we expect for the average Joe?
Gabrielle concludes, “Both the Russian government and the CCP view censorship, media manipulation, and propaganda as appropriate tools to control public opinion. Both exploit open, democratic societies to further their own ends while tightening controls around their own countries.”
Don’t worry, the CIA will eventually admit that they are elbow-deep in all of the above, it just won’t be released until 30 years from now…In the meantime, I wouldn’t believe everything you read in the newspaper to stoke the fires for another war.
Originally published by Strategic Culture


offguardian--2020-04-01--Could the Covid19 Response be More Deadly than the Virus?

The initial , alarming estimates of deaths from the virus COVID-19 were that as many as 2.2 million people would die in the United States .
This number is comparable to the annual US death rate of around 3 million .
Fortunately , correction of some simple errors in overestimation has begun to dramatically reduce the virus mortality claims .
The most recent estimate from “ the leading US authority on the COVID-19 pandemic ” suggests that the US may see between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 , with the final tally likely to be somewhere in the middle.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ around 150,000 US deaths caused by the virus , if the latest estimates hold up .
How does that compare to the effects of the measures taken in response ?
By all accounts , the impact of the response will be great , far-reaching , and long-lasting .
To better assess the difference we might ask , how many people will die as a result of the response to COVID-19 ?
Although a comprehensive analysis is needed from those experienced with modeling mortality rates , we can begin to estimate by examining existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s start by looking at three critical areas of impact : suicide and drug abuse , lack of medical treatment or coverage , and poverty and food access .
According to the National Center for Health Statistics , over 48,000 suicides occurred in the US in 2018 .
This equates to an annual rate of about 14 suicides per 100,000 people .
As expected , suicides increase substantially during times of economic depression .
For example , as a result of the 2008 recession there was an approximate 25 % increase .
Similarly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Great Depression , in 1932 , the rate rose to 17 suicides per 100,000 people .
Recent research ties high suicide rates “ to the unraveling of the social fabric ” that happens when societal breakdowns occur .
People become despondent over economic hardship , the loss of social structures , loneliness , and related factors .
There is probably no greater example of these kinds of losses than what we are experiencing today with the extreme response to COVID-19 and the effects will be felt for many years .
The social structures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economy will not .
Some think that the economy will recover in three years and others think it will never recover in terms of impact to low-income households , as was the case for the 2008 recession .
However , if we estimate a full recovery in six years , the effects will contribute around 3 suicides per 100,000 people every year during that time for a total of over 59,000 deaths in the United States .
Related to suicides are drug abuse deaths .
According to the National Institute on Drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of illicit or prescription drugs occurred in 2018 .
This does not include alcohol abuse .
Only 7 % were suicides and 87 % were known to be unintentional deaths largely due to drug abuse caused by depression or other mental conditions .
Such conditions can be expected to rise during times of economic collapse and if we estimate the impact due to COVID-19 over six years as being a 25 % increase ( as with suicides ) that projects about 87,000 additional deaths due to drug abuse .
Unemployment is expected to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 response and the effect is already being seen in jobless claims .
One of the major impacts of unemployment , apart from depression and poverty , is a lack of medical coverage .
A Harvard study found nearly 45,000 excess deaths annually linked to lack of health coverage .
That was at the pre-COVID-19 unemployment rate of 4 % .
As reported recently , millions of Americans are losing their jobs in the COVID-19 recession/depression .
For every 2 % increase in unemployment , there are about 3.5 million lost jobs .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 20 % unemployment level , which translates to 12 million lost jobs .
If the 45,000 excess deaths due to lack of medical coverage increases uniformly by unemployment rate , we can expect about 225,000 deaths annually due to lack of medical coverage in the US at 20 % unemployment .
Extrapolating this over a 6-year period would mean 1.35 million deaths .
This assumes that funding for important health-related programs are not further cut or ignored , a bad assumption that means the estimate is probably low .
Beyond lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to respond preferentially to COVID-19 , causing less resources to be available for treatment of other medical conditions .
The capacity of medical service providers has already been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 response in some areas .
Additionally , clinical trials and drug development are expected to be severely impacted .
This means that important new medicines will not reach the market and people will die who otherwise would have lived .
There is not yet enough information on the overall impact to medical service provision therefore we will not include an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Public Health studied the effects of poverty on death rates .
The investigators found that 4.5 % of US deaths were attributable to poverty .
That ’ s about 130,000 deaths annually .
How will this be affected by COVID-19 ?
One way to begin estimating is to consider how the number of people living in poverty will increase .
Before the COVID-19 response , approximately 12 % of Americans lived below the officially defined poverty line .
That percentage will undoubtedly rise significantly due to the expected increase in unemployment .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 % ) as predicted , the number of people living in poverty could easily double .
If that is the extent of the effect , we will see another 130,000 deaths per year from general poverty .
Although deaths due to poverty are not entirely about food access , it is a significant factor in that category .
In times of economic hardship many people can ’ t afford good food , causing malnutrition and , in some cases , starvation .
People also can ’ t access food causing the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a root cause of diet-related diseases , including diabetes , cardiovascular disease , and infant mortality issues .
A recent estimate suggests 20 % of all deaths worldwide are linked to poor diets .
Food access issues will be further exacerbated with the COVID-19 problem due to the anticipated issues with food production and prices .
If the COVID-19 response lasts for years as expected , our estimate will need to be a multiple of the 130,000 annual figure .
Using the 6-year estimate , we get 780,000 deaths .
The total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from just this limited examination , are estimated to be : These estimates , totaling more than two million deaths above the estimated 150,000 expected from the virus itself , do not include other predictable issues with the COVID-19 response .
An example is the lack of medical services as stated above .
Other examples include the EPA ’ s suspension of environmental regulations .
It has been estimated that the EPA ’ s Clean Air Act alone has saved 230,000 lives each year .
Moreover , the anticipated failure of the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more illness and death .
The USPS “ delivers about 1 million lifesaving medications each year and serves as the only delivery link to Americans living in rural areas.
” Even using these low estimates , however , we can see that the response will be much worse than the virus .
The social devastation and economic scarring could last more than six years , with one expert predicting that it will be “ long-lasting and calamitous.
” That expert has noted that he is not overly concerned with the virus itself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of active cases [ of COVID-19 ] in the general population are ‘ mild ’ and do not require specific medical treatment.
” Yet he is deeply concerned about the “ the social , economic and public health consequences of this near total meltdown of normal life.
” He suggests a better alternative is to focus only on those most susceptible to the virus .
Others have reasonably suggested that only those who are known to be infected should self-quarantine .
Some public health professionals have been pleading with authorities to consider the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experts have spoken out publicly , criticizing the overreaction to COVID-19 .
A professor of medical microbiology , for example , has written an open letter to German Chancellor Merkel in an attempt to draw attention to the concerns .
The real problem we face today is not a virus .
The greater problem is that people have failed to engage in critical thinking due to the fear promoted by some media and government officials .
Fear is the mind killer , as author Frank Herbert once wrote .
Ultimately , the fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thinking that has arisen from it are likely to cause far more deaths than the virus itself .

The initial, alarming estimates of deaths from the virus COVID-19 were that as many as 2.2 million people would die in the United States. This number is comparable to the annual US death rate of around 3 million. Fortunately, correction of some simple errors in overestimation has begun to dramatically reduce the virus mortality claims.
The most recent estimate from “the leading US authority on the COVID-19 pandemic” suggests that the US may see between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths from COVID-19, with the final tally likely to be somewhere in the middle.” This means that we are expecting around 150,000 US deaths caused by the virus, if the latest estimates hold up.
How does that compare to the effects of the measures taken in response? By all accounts, the impact of the response will be great, far-reaching, and long-lasting.
To better assess the difference we might ask, how many people will die as a result of the response to COVID-19? Although a comprehensive analysis is needed from those experienced with modeling mortality rates, we can begin to estimate by examining existing research and comparative statistics. Let’s start by looking at three critical areas of impact: suicide and drug abuse, lack of medical treatment or coverage, and poverty and food access.
Suicides and Drug Abuse
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, over 48,000 suicides occurred in the US in 2018. This equates to an annual rate of about 14 suicides per 100,000 people. As expected, suicides increase substantially during times of economic depression. For example, as a result of the 2008 recession there was an approximate 25% increase. Similarly, during a peak year of the Great Depression, in 1932, the rate rose to 17 suicides per 100,000 people.
Recent research ties high suicide rates “to the unraveling of the social fabric” that happens when societal breakdowns occur. People become despondent over economic hardship, the loss of social structures, loneliness, and related factors.
There is probably no greater example of these kinds of losses than what we are experiencing today with the extreme response to COVID-19 and the effects will be felt for many years. The social structures might return in a few months but the economy will not.
Some think that the economy will recover in three years and others think it will never recover in terms of impact to low-income households, as was the case for the 2008 recession. However, if we estimate a full recovery in six years, the effects will contribute around 3 suicides per 100,000 people every year during that time for a total of over 59,000 deaths in the United States.
Related to suicides are drug abuse deaths. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 67,000 deaths from overdose of illicit or prescription drugs occurred in 2018. This does not include alcohol abuse. Only 7% were suicides and 87% were known to be unintentional deaths largely due to drug abuse caused by depression or other mental conditions. Such conditions can be expected to rise during times of economic collapse and if we estimate the impact due to COVID-19 over six years as being a 25% increase (as with suicides) that projects about 87,000 additional deaths due to drug abuse.
Lack of Medical Coverage or Treatment
Unemployment is expected to rise dramatically as a result of the COVID-19 response and the effect is already being seen in jobless claims. One of the major impacts of unemployment, apart from depression and poverty, is a lack of medical coverage.
A Harvard study found nearly 45,000 excess deaths annually linked to lack of health coverage. That was at the pre-COVID-19 unemployment rate of 4%.
As reported recently, millions of Americans are losing their jobs in the COVID-19 recession/depression. For every 2% increase in unemployment, there are about 3.5 million lost jobs.
The US Secretary of Treasury has predicted a 20% unemployment level, which translates to 12 million lost jobs. If the 45,000 excess deaths due to lack of medical coverage increases uniformly by unemployment rate, we can expect about 225,000 deaths annually due to lack of medical coverage in the US at 20% unemployment. Extrapolating this over a 6-year period would mean 1.35 million deaths.
This assumes that funding for important health-related programs are not further cut or ignored, a bad assumption that means the estimate is probably low.
Beyond lack of coverage, medical services are being reprioritized to respond preferentially to COVID-19, causing less resources to be available for treatment of other medical conditions. The capacity of medical service providers has already been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 response in some areas.
Additionally, clinical trials and drug development are expected to be severely impacted. This means that important new medicines will not reach the market and people will die who otherwise would have lived. There is not yet enough information on the overall impact to medical service provision therefore we will not include an estimate.
Poverty and Food Access
The Columbia University School of Public Health studied the effects of poverty on death rates. The investigators found that 4.5% of US deaths were attributable to poverty. That’s about 130,000 deaths annually.
How will this be affected by COVID-19? One way to begin estimating is to consider how the number of people living in poverty will increase.
Before the COVID-19 response, approximately 12% of Americans lived below the officially defined poverty line. That percentage will undoubtedly rise significantly due to the expected increase in unemployment. If unemployment rises to 20% (from 4%) as predicted, the number of people living in poverty could easily double. If that is the extent of the effect, we will see another 130,000 deaths per year from general poverty.
Although deaths due to poverty are not entirely about food access, it is a significant factor in that category. In times of economic hardship many people can’t afford good food, causing malnutrition and, in some cases, starvation. People also can’t access food causing the same outcomes. Limited access to nutritious food is a root cause of diet-related diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and infant mortality issues. A recent estimate suggests 20% of all deaths worldwide are linked to poor diets.
Food access issues will be further exacerbated with the COVID-19 problem due to the anticipated issues with food production and prices. If the COVID-19 response lasts for years as expected, our estimate will need to be a multiple of the 130,000 annual figure. Using the 6-year estimate, we get 780,000 deaths.
Conclusion
The total deaths attributable to the COVID-19 response, from just this limited examination, are estimated to be:
Suicides 59,000
Drug abuse 87,000
Lack of medical coverage or treatment 1,350,000
Poverty and food access 780,000
These estimates, totaling more than two million deaths above the estimated 150,000 expected from the virus itself, do not include other predictable issues with the COVID-19 response. An example is the lack of medical services as stated above. Other examples include the EPA’s suspension of environmental regulations. It has been estimated that the EPA’s Clean Air Act alone has saved 230,000 lives each year.
Moreover, the anticipated failure of the US Postal Service (USPS) will lead to more illness and death. The USPS “delivers about 1 million lifesaving medications each year and serves as the only delivery link to Americans living in rural areas.”
Even using these low estimates, however, we can see that the response will be much worse than the virus. The social devastation and economic scarring could last more than six years, with one expert predicting that it will be “long-lasting and calamitous.”
That expert has noted that he is not overly concerned with the virus itself because “as much as 99 percent of active cases [of COVID-19] in the general population are ‘mild’ and do not require specific medical treatment.”
Yet he is deeply concerned about the “the social, economic and public health consequences of this near total meltdown of normal life.” He suggests a better alternative is to focus only on those most susceptible to the virus. Others have reasonably suggested that only those who are known to be infected should self-quarantine.
Some public health professionals have been pleading with authorities to consider the implications of the unreasonable response. Many experts have spoken out publicly, criticizing the overreaction to COVID-19. A professor of medical microbiology, for example, has written an open letter to German Chancellor Merkel in an attempt to draw attention to the concerns.
The real problem we face today is not a virus. The greater problem is that people have failed to engage in critical thinking due to the fear promoted by some media and government officials. Fear is the mind killer, as author Frank Herbert once wrote. Ultimately, the fear of COVID-19 and the lack of critical thinking that has arisen from it are likely to cause far more deaths than the virus itself.