theduran--2020-03-13--The Bern is gone: Bernie Sanders blows it

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by William Stroock , author of military fiction… Joe Biden swept the Democrat Party primary on Tuesday night .
He wiped out Bernie Sanders in Missouri ( 60-34 ) and also Michigan ( 52-36 ) , a state in which Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 .
Biden won Idaho and Mississippi as well , with Washington State too close to call .
Sanders won North Dakota .
The Vermont Senator gave a defiant speech the day after and vowed to fight on , saying his ideas were being embraced by the Democrat electorate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If so , that would mean Sanders is winning everywhere but in the voting booth .
Perhaps Sanders can salvage his campaign during the upcoming debate on 15 March .
Sanders would have to change his passive style .
After Biden ’ s victory in South Carolina and Super Tuesday last week , the Vermont Senator needed to fight like a boxer pushed up against the ropes .
Sanders needed to take a swing at Biden and punch him in the mouth .
But , Bernie Sanders , who was thrown out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lazy , who never really did anything before becoming mayor of Burlington , Vermont , who accomplished nothing at all in the House and Senate , didn ’ t do anything after Super Tuesday .
Instead , Sanders meekly said that if Biden won a plurality of delegates by Super Tuesday , he would accept him as the nominee .
He continued defending the literacy programs of Castro ’ s Cuba and Communist China ’ s anti-poverty efforts .
That ’ s right .
Three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have some good ideas .
These aren ’ t gaffes .
At the same time , Joe Biden ’ s campaign is his gaffes .
His beleaguered staffers struggle to insulate the 77-year-old from himself .
Seemingly every day he makes a horrendous gaffe on stage ; forgetting Obama ’ s name , hideously mixing his name with his former boss ’ s , ‘ I ’ m an O ’ Biden-Bama Democrat ’ he declared , referring to the Declaration of Independence as ‘ You know , the thing !
’ Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters , telling one to his face that he was ‘ full of shi*t ’ .
Joe Biden is past his prime .
For thirty-six years , Joe Biden represented Delaware , the second smallest state in the Union .
Delaware is even smaller than it looks on the map .
The state is composed of three counties , a few urban areas in the north , the state capitol in the center , beaches and farms in the south .
It is known for favorable corporate tax laws , Dupont , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state where every family knows every other family , and everyone knows the politicians .
It is a little more than an hour away from Washington DC by train and Biden was known for commuting to work every day .
Biden rarely , if ever , had to run a tough reelection race .
Biden was first elected to the senate in 1972 .
He has been in politics long enough to work with Segregationist senators , who themselves were first elected before the Second World War .
Bragging about doing so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign .
He opposed forced busing , for which former candidate Kamala Harris blasted him , voted on bills related to the Vietnam War , would have sat in judgement of Richard Nixon had the president not resigned , and was a major player in the Supreme Court nomination wars of the Reagan/Bush era .
In the 90 ’ s , Biden was the architect of the Clinton Crime Bill , which modern progressives blame for ‘ mass incarceration ’ of African Americans .
Biden ’ s first presidential run was in 1988 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he plagiarized ideas and speeches from Neil Kinnock , the failed leader of the British Labour Party .
In 2008 , he ran an unremarkable race in a primary which everyone knew the real contest was between Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama .
When Obama triumphed , Democrat campaign strategists worried that the former community organizer ’ s lack of foreign policy experience would be a detriment .
So Obama chose Joe Biden , who chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee , to be his vice president .
Biden met the first rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But he brought nothing to the Obama campaign or administration .
Biden ’ s value to the Obama Administration was that he had no value .
Joe Biden is a historical accident .
When not stammering , Biden spent the last debate shouting at reporters and yelling out his resume .
And yet , he is saving the Democrat Party Establishment from Bernie Sanders .
In his Wednesday press conference , Sanders promised to bring up issues important to the Democrat base at the next debate : bankruptcies , Medicare-for-All , Climate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mass incarceration , illegal immigration , housing and homelessness .
‘ Joe , what are you going to do ?
’ Sanders demanded .
This will be the Democrat Party ’ s first one-on-one debate .
Biden will be all alone up there with Sanders .
Let ’ s see what the two septuagenarians do .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by William Stroock, author of military fiction…
Joe Biden swept the Democrat Party primary on Tuesday night. He wiped out Bernie Sanders in Missouri (60-34) and also Michigan (52-36), a state in which Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016. Biden won Idaho and Mississippi as well, with Washington State too close to call. Sanders won North Dakota. The Vermont Senator gave a defiant speech the day after and vowed to fight on, saying his ideas were being embraced by the Democrat electorate and his campaign is winning the generational debate. If so, that would mean Sanders is winning everywhere but in the voting booth. Perhaps Sanders can salvage his campaign during the upcoming debate on 15 March.
Sanders would have to change his passive style. After Biden’s victory in South Carolina and Super Tuesday last week, the Vermont Senator needed to fight like a boxer pushed up against the ropes. Sanders needed to take a swing at Biden and punch him in the mouth. But, Bernie Sanders, who was thrown out of a hippie commune for being too lazy, who never really did anything before becoming mayor of Burlington, Vermont, who accomplished nothing at all in the House and Senate, didn’t do anything after Super Tuesday. Instead, Sanders meekly said that if Biden won a plurality of delegates by Super Tuesday, he would accept him as the nominee. He continued defending the literacy programs of Castro’s Cuba and Communist China’s anti-poverty efforts. That’s right. Three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the man still thinks communist regimes have some good ideas. These aren’t gaffes.
At the same time, Joe Biden’s campaign is his gaffes. His beleaguered staffers struggle to insulate the 77-year-old from himself. Seemingly every day he makes a horrendous gaffe on stage; forgetting Obama’s name, hideously mixing his name with his former boss’s, ‘I’m an O’Biden-Bama Democrat’ he declared, referring to the Declaration of Independence as ‘You know, the thing!’ Now, he gets into verbal confrontations with voters, telling one to his face that he was ‘full of shi*t’. Joe Biden is past his prime.
For thirty-six years, Joe Biden represented Delaware, the second smallest state in the Union. Delaware is even smaller than it looks on the map. The state is composed of three counties, a few urban areas in the north, the state capitol in the center, beaches and farms in the south. It is known for favorable corporate tax laws, Dupont, and Purdue poultry. Delaware is the kind of state where every family knows every other family, and everyone knows the politicians. It is a little more than an hour away from Washington DC by train and Biden was known for commuting to work every day. Biden rarely, if ever, had to run a tough reelection race.
Biden was first elected to the senate in 1972. He has been in politics long enough to work with Segregationist senators, who themselves were first elected before the Second World War. Bragging about doing so caused controversy for Biden earlier in the campaign. He opposed forced busing, for which former candidate Kamala Harris blasted him, voted on bills related to the Vietnam War, would have sat in judgement of Richard Nixon had the president not resigned, and was a major player in the Supreme Court nomination wars of the Reagan/Bush era. In the 90’s, Biden was the architect of the Clinton Crime Bill, which modern progressives blame for ‘mass incarceration’ of African Americans.
Biden’s first presidential run was in 1988. He had to drop out because he plagiarized ideas and speeches from Neil Kinnock, the failed leader of the British Labour Party. In 2008, he ran an unremarkable race in a primary which everyone knew the real contest was between Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama. When Obama triumphed, Democrat campaign strategists worried that the former community organizer’s lack of foreign policy experience would be a detriment. So Obama chose Joe Biden, who chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to be his vice president. Biden met the first rule of vice-presidential picks, do no harm. But he brought nothing to the Obama campaign or administration. Biden’s value to the Obama Administration was that he had no value. Joe Biden is a historical accident.
When not stammering, Biden spent the last debate shouting at reporters and yelling out his resume. And yet, he is saving the Democrat Party Establishment from Bernie Sanders. In his Wednesday press conference, Sanders promised to bring up issues important to the Democrat base at the next debate: bankruptcies, Medicare-for-All, Climate Change, free college and student debt, mass incarceration, illegal immigration, housing and homelessness. ‘Joe, what are you going to do?’ Sanders demanded. This will be the Democrat Party’s first one-on-one debate. Biden will be all alone up there with Sanders. Let’s see what the two septuagenarians do.
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theduran--2020-03-13--The MH17 Show Trial Isn’t About Justice Or Closure, But Information Warfare

The MH17 tragedy is back in the news after the start of this case ’ s show trial in the Netherlands , which isn ’ t about bringing the alleged perpetrators to justice or helping the victims ’ families find closure , but waging information warfare against Russia in an attempt to “ conclusively ” pin the blame for this crime on its supposed proxies in Eastern Ukraine so as to ruin President Putin ’ s international reputation once and for all .
The world is once again talking about the MH17 tragedy after the start of this case ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where four of the alleged perpetrators are being accused of murder .
It ’ s unlikely that they ’ ll appear before the court , so the entire process is more about show than substance .
In case the reader doesn ’ t remember exactly what happened on that fateful summer day on 17 July , 2014 , the author recommends that they review his most recent analysis on the issue from earlier this year titled “ Latest MH17 Documentary By SBU Whistleblower Shares Some Shocking Truths ” , which covers what he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of events that transpired immediately before , during , and after the passenger jet was shot down over Eastern Ukraine .
In short , the conventional narrative that the Russian-aligned rebels there were responsible is debunked as a convenient cover-up for masking Kiev ’ s culpability , which in turn also makes that government ’ s Western backers — and not Russia — indirectly responsible .
It ’ s therefore understandable that a lot of powerful forces are invested in making their manufactured version of the “ truth ” the “ official ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is nothing more than an attempt to “ conclusively ” pin the blame for this crime on Russia and its supposed proxies in Eastern Ukraine .
Before going any further , it needs to be said that victims ’ families have every right to be upset about what happened , and that everyone should respect their right to draw their own conclusions about what took place even if one doesn ’ t ultimately agree with them .
The author doesn ’ t believe that Russia or the Eastern Ukrainian rebels were responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims ’ families think differently , especially after some of them staged a silent protest outside of the Russian Embassy in The Hague over the weekend .
Nobody should criticize the victims ’ families and thus make this all the more harder for them to deal with , but there ’ s also nothing wrong with talking about how their reaction to this tragedy is being exploited by those who are relying upon it to convince others that their interpretation of events is the only correct one .
Politicizing the suffering of innocent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it or why , which is why it ’ s morally reprehensible that others are taking advantage of them under the guise of “ giving them a voice ” in order to push their narrative onto the broader public .
The ongoing trial isn ’ t about bringing the alleged perpetrators to justice or helping the victim ’ s families find closure , but waging information warfare against Russia , the purpose of which is to ruin its international reputation and that of its leader once and for all .
President Putin is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the non-West because of his domestic and foreign policy successes over the past 20 years , which greatly contributed to bringing the emerging Multipolar World Order about .
Even his detractors recognize that he ’ s an epochal figure whose legacy will certainly be studied for generations to come by people all across the world , they just regard Russia ’ s return to international prominence as being detrimental to their countries ’ zero-sum interests .
Nevertheless , they also wisely understand that soft power is more important than ever before in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , especially after the information-communication technology revolution of the early 2000s , so they have a driving motivation to defame the Russian leader any chance they get .
Regrettably , the MH17 tragedy is cynically seen as the “ perfect opportunity ” to ruin his legacy by forever associating him with what happened even though he played no role in those events whatsoever , nor did his countrymen .
All that ’ s important to the “ perception managers ” who manufactured this weaponized narrative is that the lingering suspicion of President Putin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exists , which explains the infowar importance of the ongoing show trial for supposedly “ confirming ” that .
Back to the show trial itself , it ’ s predictable that the accused will probably be found “ guilty ” for the aforementioned political reasons of pinning the blame for that tragedy entirely on Russia and the Eastern Ukrainian rebels so as to defect from the “ inconvenient ” facts that have since come to light implicating Kiev and its Western backers , which was explained in the author ’ s analysis that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this article .
The overall soft power impact of this seemingly inevitable conclusion will likely be minimal , however , seeing as how most people have already made up their minds about who was really responsible .
Those who are convinced that Russia played a role will feel “ vindicated ” by the anticipated verdict , while those who have remained skeptical this entire time could use the newfound attention to this case to share the “ inconvenient ” evidence that was just touched upon with others .
The takeaway from all this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will almost always be politicized for information warfare purposes , especially if the case can remotely be made that Russia or any of the West ’ s other geopolitical rivals might have had even an indirect role in whatever it is that transpired , so these countries should brace themselves to expect more such show trials in the future and take steps to ensure that their side of the story is heard by as many people as possible .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Andrew Korybko via Off-Guardian.org:
The MH17 tragedy is back in the news after the start of this case’s show trial in the Netherlands, which isn’t about bringing the alleged perpetrators to justice or helping the victims’ families find closure, but waging information warfare against Russia in an attempt to “conclusively” pin the blame for this crime on its supposed proxies in Eastern Ukraine so as to ruin President Putin’s international reputation once and for all.
The world is once again talking about the MH17 tragedy after the start of this case’s show trial in the Netherlands, where four of the alleged perpetrators are being accused of murder. It’s unlikely that they’ll appear before the court, so the entire process is more about show than substance.
In case the reader doesn’t remember exactly what happened on that fateful summer day on 17 July, 2014, the author recommends that they review his most recent analysis on the issue from earlier this year titled “Latest MH17 Documentary By SBU Whistleblower Shares Some Shocking Truths”, which covers what he believes to be the most convincing version of events that transpired immediately before, during, and after the passenger jet was shot down over Eastern Ukraine.
In short, the conventional narrative that the Russian-aligned rebels there were responsible is debunked as a convenient cover-up for masking Kiev’s culpability, which in turn also makes that government’s Western backers — and not Russia — indirectly responsible. It’s therefore understandable that a lot of powerful forces are invested in making their manufactured version of the “truth” the “official” one, hence the show trial, which is nothing more than an attempt to “conclusively” pin the blame for this crime on Russia and its supposed proxies in Eastern Ukraine.
Before going any further, it needs to be said that victims’ families have every right to be upset about what happened, and that everyone should respect their right to draw their own conclusions about what took place even if one doesn’t ultimately agree with them. The author doesn’t believe that Russia or the Eastern Ukrainian rebels were responsible, but acknowledges that some of the victims’ families think differently, especially after some of them staged a silent protest outside of the Russian Embassy in The Hague over the weekend.
Nobody should criticize the victims’ families and thus make this all the more harder for them to deal with, but there’s also nothing wrong with talking about how their reaction to this tragedy is being exploited by those who are relying upon it to convince others that their interpretation of events is the only correct one.
Politicizing the suffering of innocent people is wrong no matter who does it or why, which is why it’s morally reprehensible that others are taking advantage of them under the guise of “giving them a voice” in order to push their narrative onto the broader public. The ongoing trial isn’t about bringing the alleged perpetrators to justice or helping the victim’s families find closure, but waging information warfare against Russia, the purpose of which is to ruin its international reputation and that of its leader once and for all.
President Putin is generally despised by the West but loved by the non-West because of his domestic and foreign policy successes over the past 20 years, which greatly contributed to bringing the emerging Multipolar World Order about. Even his detractors recognize that he’s an epochal figure whose legacy will certainly be studied for generations to come by people all across the world, they just regard Russia’s return to international prominence as being detrimental to their countries’ zero-sum interests.
Nevertheless, they also wisely understand that soft power is more important than ever before in today’s interconnected, globalized world, especially after the information-communication technology revolution of the early 2000s, so they have a driving motivation to defame the Russian leader any chance they get.
Regrettably, the MH17 tragedy is cynically seen as the “perfect opportunity” to ruin his legacy by forever associating him with what happened even though he played no role in those events whatsoever, nor did his countrymen. All that’s important to the “perception managers” who manufactured this weaponized narrative is that the lingering suspicion of President Putin’s possible involvement “credibly” exists, which explains the infowar importance of the ongoing show trial for supposedly “confirming” that.
Back to the show trial itself, it’s predictable that the accused will probably be found “guilty” for the aforementioned political reasons of pinning the blame for that tragedy entirely on Russia and the Eastern Ukrainian rebels so as to defect from the “inconvenient” facts that have since come to light implicating Kiev and its Western backers, which was explained in the author’s analysis that he cited in the opening paragraph of this article.
The overall soft power impact of this seemingly inevitable conclusion will likely be minimal, however, seeing as how most people have already made up their minds about who was really responsible. Those who are convinced that Russia played a role will feel “vindicated” by the anticipated verdict, while those who have remained skeptical this entire time could use the newfound attention to this case to share the “inconvenient” evidence that was just touched upon with others.
The takeaway from all this “legal” drama is that tragedies will almost always be politicized for information warfare purposes, especially if the case can remotely be made that Russia or any of the West’s other geopolitical rivals might have had even an indirect role in whatever it is that transpired, so these countries should brace themselves to expect more such show trials in the future and take steps to ensure that their side of the story is heard by as many people as possible.
Originally published by One World Press
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theduran--2020-03-13--Will coronavirus kill the New World Order?

Dr. Brian Monahan , attending physician of Congress , told a closed meeting of Senate staffers this week that 70 million to 150 million Americans – a third of the nation – could contract the coronavirus .
Dr. Anthony Fauci testified that the mortality rate for COVID-19 will likely run near 1 % .
Translation : Between 750,000 and 1.1 million Americans may die of this disease before it runs its course .
The latter figure is equal to all the U.S. dead in World War II and on both sides in the Civil War .
Chancellor Angela Merkel warns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population – 58 million people – could contract the coronavirus .
If she is right , and Fauci ’ s mortality rate holds for her country , that could mean more than half a million dead Germans .
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called Merkel ’ s remark “ unhelpful ” and said it could cause panic .
But Harvard epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch seemed to support Merkel , saying between 40 % and 70 % of the world ’ s population could become infected .
Again , if Fauci ’ s 1 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prove on target , between 3 billion and 5 billion people on earth will be infected , and 30 million to 50 million will die , a death toll greater than that of the Spanish Flu of 1918 .
There is , however , some contradictory news .
China , with 81,000 cases , has noted a deceleration in new cases , and South Korea appears to be gradually containing the spread of the virus .
Yet , Italy , with its large elderly population , may be a harbinger of what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Thursday , Italy had reported 12,000 cases and 827 deaths , a mortality rate of nearly 7 % .
This suggests that the unreported and undetected infections in shutdown Italy are far more numerous .
In the U.S. , the death toll at this writing is 39 , a tiny fraction of the annual toll of tens of thousands who die of the flu .
But the problem is this : COVID-19 has not nearly run its course in the USA , while the reaction in society and the economy approaches what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disaster .
The stock market has plunged further and faster than it did in the Great Crash of 1929 .
Trillions of dollars in wealth have vanished .
If Sen. Bernie Sanders does not like “ millionaires and billionaires , ” he should be pleased .
There are far fewer of them today than there were when he won the New Hampshire primary .
What does the future hold ?
It may one day be said that the coronavirus delivered the deathblow to the New World Order , to a half-century of globalization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s great nations .
Tourism , air travel , vacation cruises , international gatherings and festivals are already shutting down .
Travel bans between countries and continents are being imposed .
Conventions , concerts and sporting events are being canceled .
Will the Tokyo Olympics go forward ?
If they do , will all the anticipated visitors from abroad come to Japan to enjoy the games ?
As for the “ open borders ” crowd , do Democrats still believe that breaking into our country should no longer be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given free health care , a proposition to which all the Democratic debaters raised their hands ?
The ideological roots of our free trade era can be traced to the mid-19th century when its great evangelist , Richard Cobden , rose at Free Trade Hall in Manchester on Jan. 15 , 1846 , and rhapsodized : “ I see in the Free Trade principle that which shall act on the moral world as the principle of gravitation in the universe – drawing men together , thrusting aside the antagonism of race , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uniting us in the bonds of eternal peace.
” In the pre-Trump era , Republicans held hands with liberal Democrats in embracing NAFTA , GATT , the WTO and most-favored-nation trade privileges for China .
In retrospect , was it wise to have relied on China to produce essential parts for the supply chains of goods vital to our national security ?
Does it appear wise to have moved the production of pharmaceuticals and lifesaving drugs for heart disease , strokes and diabetes to China ?
Does it appear wise to have allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rare earth minerals crucial to the development of weapons for our defense ?
In this coronavirus pandemic , people now seem to be looking for authoritative leaders , and nations seem to be looking out for their own peoples first .
Would Merkel , today , invite a million Syrian refugees into Germany no matter the conditions under which they were living in Syria and Turkey ?
Is not the case now conclusive that we made a historic mistake when we outsourced our economic independence to rely for vital necessities upon nations that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests at heart ?
Which rings truer today ?
We are all part of mankind , all citizens of the world .
Or that it ’ s time to put America and Americans first !

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Pat Buchanan via WND…
Dr. Brian Monahan, attending physician of Congress, told a closed meeting of Senate staffers this week that 70 million to 150 million Americans – a third of the nation – could contract the coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci testified that the mortality rate for COVID-19 will likely run near 1%.
Translation: Between 750,000 and 1.1 million Americans may die of this disease before it runs its course. The latter figure is equal to all the U.S. dead in World War II and on both sides in the Civil War.
Chancellor Angela Merkel warns that 70% of Germany’s population – 58 million people – could contract the coronavirus. If she is right, and Fauci’s mortality rate holds for her country, that could mean more than half a million dead Germans.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis called Merkel’s remark “unhelpful” and said it could cause panic. But Harvard epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch seemed to support Merkel, saying between 40% and 70% of the world’s population could become infected.
Again, if Fauci’s 1% mortality rate and Lipsitch’s estimate prove on target, between 3 billion and 5 billion people on earth will be infected, and 30 million to 50 million will die, a death toll greater than that of the Spanish Flu of 1918.
There is, however, some contradictory news.
China, with 81,000 cases, has noted a deceleration in new cases, and South Korea appears to be gradually containing the spread of the virus.
Yet, Italy, with its large elderly population, may be a harbinger of what is to come in the West.
As of Thursday, Italy had reported 12,000 cases and 827 deaths, a mortality rate of nearly 7%. This suggests that the unreported and undetected infections in shutdown Italy are far more numerous.
In the U.S., the death toll at this writing is 39, a tiny fraction of the annual toll of tens of thousands who die of the flu.
But the problem is this: COVID-19 has not nearly run its course in the USA, while the reaction in society and the economy approaches what we might expect from a boiling national disaster.
The stock market has plunged further and faster than it did in the Great Crash of 1929. Trillions of dollars in wealth have vanished. If Sen. Bernie Sanders does not like “millionaires and billionaires,” he should be pleased. There are far fewer of them today than there were when he won the New Hampshire primary.
What does the future hold?
It may one day be said that the coronavirus delivered the deathblow to the New World Order, to a half-century of globalization and to the era of interdependence of the world’s great nations.
Tourism, air travel, vacation cruises, international gatherings and festivals are already shutting down. Travel bans between countries and continents are being imposed. Conventions, concerts and sporting events are being canceled. Will the Tokyo Olympics go forward? If they do, will all the anticipated visitors from abroad come to Japan to enjoy the games?
Trump has issued a one-month travel ban on Europe.
As for the “open borders” crowd, do Democrats still believe that breaking into our country should no longer be a crime, and immigrants arriving illegally should be given free health care, a proposition to which all the Democratic debaters raised their hands?
The ideological roots of our free trade era can be traced to the mid-19th century when its great evangelist, Richard Cobden, rose at Free Trade Hall in Manchester on Jan. 15, 1846, and rhapsodized:
“I see in the Free Trade principle that which shall act on the moral world as the principle of gravitation in the universe – drawing men together, thrusting aside the antagonism of race, and creed, and language, and uniting us in the bonds of eternal peace.”
In the pre-Trump era, Republicans held hands with liberal Democrats in embracing NAFTA, GATT, the WTO and most-favored-nation trade privileges for China.
In retrospect, was it wise to have relied on China to produce essential parts for the supply chains of goods vital to our national security? Does it appear wise to have moved the production of pharmaceuticals and lifesaving drugs for heart disease, strokes and diabetes to China? Does it appear wise to have allowed China to develop a virtual monopoly on rare earth minerals crucial to the development of weapons for our defense?
In this coronavirus pandemic, people now seem to be looking for authoritative leaders, and nations seem to be looking out for their own peoples first. Would Merkel, today, invite a million Syrian refugees into Germany no matter the conditions under which they were living in Syria and Turkey?
Is not the case now conclusive that we made a historic mistake when we outsourced our economic independence to rely for vital necessities upon nations that have never had America’s best interests at heart?
Which rings truer today? We are all part of mankind, all citizens of the world. Or that it’s time to put America and Americans first!
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theduran--2020-03-13--When Will the US Lockdown Over Covid-19? How Long Will Quarantines Last? Here’s What the Patterns Sh

When Will the US Lockdown Over Covid-19? How Long Will Quarantines Last? Here’s What the Patterns Show Us

Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog : Yesterday the World Health Organization officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic ( like we didn ’ t already know this . )
As well , President Trump addressed the nation , closing American borders to all flights from Europe and announcing some ways he intends to help the people of the United States financially .
In unofficial terms , this is sh # t getting real .
Things are going to get worse – possibly much worse – before they get better .
Illness completely aside , this will cause financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years after the pandemic is over .
The biggest question people are asking now is , “ When ?
” When will the US begin to see measures being taken to lockdown areas or put people into quarantine ?
What would that lockdown look like ?
How long will quarantines last ?
We can look at how this has gone in other countries to get a general idea of the pattern .
Of course , we ’ re Americans and we do things differently .
Our geography is quite different as is our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t an exact science .
We ’ re looking at patterns to predict ( not in a crystal ball kind of way but an analysis kind of way ) what could happen here .
Here ’ s how things have gone in Italy and China .
We can still learn a lot from observing the patterns of the breakdowns there .
The United States is probably closer culturally to Italy and other European countries than we are to China .
For example , Italy is far more concerned about human rights than China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re a lot more similar to China than we are to Italy .
China has 9.3 million square kilometers and the United States has 9.1 million square kilometers .
Meanwhile , Italy is 301,340 square kilometers .
Both of these things play a role in the spread of the virus and containment efforts .
What about China ?
Well , I don ’ t trust the numbers and information coming out of China to include them in this model by very much , but note that the situation of which we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8 weeks .
The first cases of a mystery illness were heard of when Dr. Li Wenliang , who later died of the coronavirus , blew the whistle on China on December 30 , 2019 .
To our knowledge , the quarantines began in Wuhan on January 22 .
So from the first patients to the initial lockdowns was 23 days .
From the date the first noted illness became public to now has been 73 days .
From the date of the first quarantines in Wuhan until now has been 51 days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there are still serious restrictions on movement in China .
The country may or may not be getting back to normal , depending on who you believe .
If they are not getting back to normal , then this 7-week window is inaccurate .
On about the 20th of February , three cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Northern Italy .
Officials acted quickly to lock the area down but unfortunately , their quick actions weren ’ t enough .
What began as a lockdown of a few villages in the Lombardy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread to a nationwide lockdown on March 9th .
From the first patients to local lockdowns was one day .
From the first patients to the entire country being quarantined was 22 days .
In just 22 days , the virus had spread to such a degree that an entire country has suspended mortgage payments , stopped all non-essential movement , and ceased business .
Their medical system is so overwhelmed that they are forced to choose who to save and many people over 65 are not even assessed as the hospitals reserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a higher chance of survival .
Less than a month ago , everything was normal in Italy .
Tourists were making wishes at Trevi Fountain , people were enjoying sunny days having coffee with friends on a cafe patio , and businesses were thriving .
As of yesterday , Italy had 12,462 cases of Covid-19 and the death toll leapt from 196 to 827 .
In a day .
Everything has been ordered closed except food stores and pharmacies .
This is how fast things can go .
And Italy is currently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases were diagnosed .
If it took China at least 50 days of quarantine , then Italy is potentially halfway through the worst of this outbreak .
Countries across Europe are slamming their borders shut in an effort to contain the virus .
Whether they ’ ve acted soon enough remains to be seen .
Where is the United States in all this ?
The first case of Covid-19 was diagnosed in the United States on January 22nd in Snohomish County , Washington .
Incidentally , that was the same day the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have already had some small regional lockdowns and people in quarantine after traveling , but the quarantining of large groups of people has not yet occurred in the US .
YET .
We are on day 50 since the initial case was diagnosed in the United States .
However , the first case of community spread was on February 26 , and this may be a more important marker than the first case in a country the size of ours .
“ Community spread ” means the illness was not contracted through traceable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus or travel history to places where the illness was running rampant .
So if we ’ re counting from the first day of community spread , the US is on day 15 .
If massive lockdowns are occurring on about day 22-23 in other countries , that means we may have 7-8 days before we see major lockdowns and quarantines here .
That would put us at March 19th or 20th .
We may see some early lockdowns of cities or regions where the virus is rapidly spreading like Seattle and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other countries expanded in about a week to encompass greater geographic areas and larger numbers of people .
This would put us at approximately March 26-27th .
Now keep in mind , this is not engraved in stone .
I don ’ t trust our numbers any more than I trusted China ’ s because the testing protocols have been nothing short of disastrous .
First , faulty tests were sent out to health departments across the country and then the criteria for being tested was so narrow that many cases were likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caught the virus through community spread 10 days to be tested because she didn ’ t fit the criteria .
The US might still manage to get a handle on this outbreak and contain it .
A successful treatment regimen could be discovered .
But if you ’ re looking for a general idea of when we may see lockdowns and quarantines , this pattern seems to be repeating itself and possibly speeding up .
This chart shows how far behind Italy other countries are in the grand scheme of this outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ days behind Italy , who instituted their country-wide quarantine three days ago .
If this chart is correct , we ’ d be looking at massive quarantines on approximately the 20th as opposed to the more gradual schedule used by China .
If the information coming out of China is accurate , their period of extensive lockdown has lasted 7-8 weeks .
Italy is right at the midpoint of that , at 3.5 weeks and the situation appears to be nowhere near under control .
Based on this , I would expect a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last for up to 2-3 months .
There are lots of variables , of course , but this would be a good general guide for getting supplies .
• This article can help you figure out what you need for a period of quarantine • This book ( which was banned by Amazon ) is an even more thorough guide • To get a free quarantine checklist , sign up here for my newsletter .
• If supplies are short where you live , this article can help you figure out some alternatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are personally concerned about getting the coronavirus or not , a mandatory quarantine will still affect you and you ’ ll want to be prepared .
Otherwise , those folks you made fun of for buying toilet paper will be laughing at you for using the pages of a phonebook to wipe .
So what ’ s going to happen ?
It ’ s impossible to predict exactly how the coronavirus is going to affect the United States .
Americans are far more independence-minded that folks in China and much less likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the same time , healthcare here is outrageously expensive for those of us who are uninsured , which up until this point may have caused many people to skip medical treatment or diagnosis , potentially spreading the virus faster .
However , as of today , March 12 , a number of universities across the country are shutting down classes until April .
Workplaces are taking more thorough sanitation measures .
Large gatherings , conferences , and conventions are being canceled .
The NBA has canceled the rest of the season , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and NCAA tournaments have also been canceled .
( source ) Last night , President Trump announced the suspension of air traffic from the EU much to the outrage of Europe , and today he said that suspension of domestic travel is also a possibility .
( source ) While we aren ’ t in lockdown yet , anyone who is paying attention can see that we ’ re certainly headed in that direction .
There are some things that could change this .
If we begin having a lot more positive cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ timeline .
On the other hand , if the growth in the number of cases slows down , it would show that containment efforts are working and it might never get as far as government-mandated quarantines .
Either way , if you aren ’ t prepared , I would strongly recommend you put some plans in place .
While again , I must stress , we don ’ t know for sure what will happen , it ’ s time to make some decisions just in case .
• Where do you want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
• When will you stop going to work or sending the kids to school ?
• Do you have enough supplies to see you through 7-8 weeks or longer ?
Use this guide to get prepared for the possibility of a Covid-19 lockdown .
You ’ re the only person who can answer these questions for yourself and your family .
But you should probably answer them soon , or the decisions will most likely be made for you .
Daisy Luther writes about current events , preparedness , frugality , voluntaryism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her website , The Organic Prepper .
She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site , PreppersDailyNews.com .
Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company .
You can find her on Facebook , Pinterest , and Twitter .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Authored by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog:
Yesterday the World Health Organization officially declared Covid-19 a pandemic (like we didn’t already know this.) As well, President Trump addressed the nation, closing American borders to all flights from Europe and announcing some ways he intends to help the people of the United States financially.
In unofficial terms, this is sh#t getting real.
Things are going to get worse – possibly much worse – before they get better. Illness completely aside, this will cause financial problems that many folks will feel for years after the pandemic is over.
The biggest question people are asking now is, “When?”
When will the US begin to see measures being taken to lockdown areas or put people into quarantine? What would that lockdown look like? How long will quarantines last?
We can look at how this has gone in other countries to get a general idea of the pattern. Of course, we’re Americans and we do things differently. Our geography is quite different as is our population density. So this isn’t an exact science. We’re looking at patterns to predict (not in a crystal ball kind of way but an analysis kind of way) what could happen here.
Here’s how things have gone in Italy and China.
We can still learn a lot from observing the patterns of the breakdowns there.
The United States is probably closer culturally to Italy and other European countries than we are to China. For example, Italy is far more concerned about human rights than China. However, geographically, we’re a lot more similar to China than we are to Italy. China has 9.3 million square kilometers and the United States has 9.1 million square kilometers. Meanwhile, Italy is 301,340 square kilometers.
Both of these things play a role in the spread of the virus and containment efforts.
What about China? Well, I don’t trust the numbers and information coming out of China to include them in this model by very much, but note that the situation of which we’re aware has been going on for about 8 weeks. The first cases of a mystery illness were heard of when Dr. Li Wenliang, who later died of the coronavirus, blew the whistle on China on December 30, 2019.
To our knowledge, the quarantines began in Wuhan on January 22. So from the first patients to the initial lockdowns was 23 days. From the date the first noted illness became public to now has been 73 days. From the date of the first quarantines in Wuhan until now has been 51 days. Although the quarantine has been loosened, there are still serious restrictions on movement in China. The country may or may not be getting back to normal, depending on who you believe. If they are not getting back to normal, then this 7-week window is inaccurate.
Back to Europe. Italy, specifically.
On about the 20th of February, three cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Northern Italy. Officials acted quickly to lock the area down but unfortunately, their quick actions weren’t enough. What began as a lockdown of a few villages in the Lombardy region in northern Italy on the 21st spread to a nationwide lockdown on March 9th.
From the first patients to local lockdowns was one day. From the first patients to the entire country being quarantined was 22 days. In just 22 days, the virus had spread to such a degree that an entire country has suspended mortgage payments, stopped all non-essential movement, and ceased business. Their medical system is so overwhelmed that they are forced to choose who to save and many people over 65 are not even assessed as the hospitals reserve their resources and space for those who have a higher chance of survival.
Less than a month ago, everything was normal in Italy. Tourists were making wishes at Trevi Fountain, people were enjoying sunny days having coffee with friends on a cafe patio, and businesses were thriving.
As of yesterday, Italy had 12,462 cases of Covid-19 and the death toll leapt from 196 to 827. In a day. Everything has been ordered closed except food stores and pharmacies.
This is how fast things can go.
And Italy is currently on day 25 since the first 3 cases were diagnosed. If it took China at least 50 days of quarantine, then Italy is potentially halfway through the worst of this outbreak.
Countries across Europe are slamming their borders shut in an effort to contain the virus. Whether they’ve acted soon enough remains to be seen.
Where is the United States in all this?
The first case of Covid-19 was diagnosed in the United States on January 22nd in Snohomish County, Washington. Incidentally, that was the same day the city of Wuhan went into lockdown.
We have already had some small regional lockdowns and people in quarantine after traveling, but the quarantining of large groups of people has not yet occurred in the US. YET. We are on day 50 since the initial case was diagnosed in the United States. However, the first case of community spread was on February 26, and this may be a more important marker than the first case in a country the size of ours. “Community spread” means the illness was not contracted through traceable means, like a family member with the virus or travel history to places where the illness was running rampant. So if we’re counting from the first day of community spread, the US is on day 15.
If massive lockdowns are occurring on about day 22-23 in other countries, that means we may have 7-8 days before we see major lockdowns and quarantines here. That would put us at March 19th or 20th. We may see some early lockdowns of cities or regions where the virus is rapidly spreading like Seattle and New York City. The lockdowns in other countries expanded in about a week to encompass greater geographic areas and larger numbers of people. This would put us at approximately March 26-27th.
Now keep in mind, this is not engraved in stone. I don’t trust our numbers any more than I trusted China’s because the testing protocols have been nothing short of disastrous. First, faulty tests were sent out to health departments across the country and then the criteria for being tested was so narrow that many cases were likely overlooked. It took one person who caught the virus through community spread 10 days to be tested because she didn’t fit the criteria.
The US might still manage to get a handle on this outbreak and contain it. A successful treatment regimen could be discovered. But if you’re looking for a general idea of when we may see lockdowns and quarantines, this pattern seems to be repeating itself and possibly speeding up.
This chart shows how far behind Italy other countries are in the grand scheme of this outbreak. Based on this chart we are 11.5 days behind Italy, who instituted their country-wide quarantine three days ago. If this chart is correct, we’d be looking at massive quarantines on approximately the 20th as opposed to the more gradual schedule used by China.
How long are quarantines lasting?
If the information coming out of China is accurate, their period of extensive lockdown has lasted 7-8 weeks. Italy is right at the midpoint of that, at 3.5 weeks and the situation appears to be nowhere near under control.
Based on this, I would expect a quarantine or lockdown in the US to last for up to 2-3 months. There are lots of variables, of course, but this would be a good general guide for getting supplies.
This article can help you figure out what you need for a period of quarantine
This book (which was banned by Amazon) is an even more thorough guide
To get a free quarantine checklist, sign up here for my newsletter.
If supplies are short where you live, this article can help you figure out some alternatives.
I have to stress that whether you are personally concerned about getting the coronavirus or not, a mandatory quarantine will still affect you and you’ll want to be prepared. Otherwise, those folks you made fun of for buying toilet paper will be laughing at you for using the pages of a phonebook to wipe.
So what’s going to happen?
It’s impossible to predict exactly how the coronavirus is going to affect the United States. Americans are far more independence-minded that folks in China and much less likely to cooperate with draconian containment measures. At the same time, healthcare here is outrageously expensive for those of us who are uninsured, which up until this point may have caused many people to skip medical treatment or diagnosis, potentially spreading the virus faster.
However, as of today, March 12, a number of universities across the country are shutting down classes until April. Workplaces are taking more thorough sanitation measures. Large gatherings, conferences, and conventions are being canceled. The NBA has canceled the rest of the season, the MLB has canceled spring training, and NCAA tournaments have also been canceled. (source) Last night, President Trump announced the suspension of air traffic from the EU much to the outrage of Europe, and today he said that suspension of domestic travel is also a possibility. (source)
While we aren’t in lockdown yet, anyone who is paying attention can see that we’re certainly headed in that direction.
There are some things that could change this. If we begin having a lot more positive cases in clusters, it could accelerate the timeline. On the other hand, if the growth in the number of cases slows down, it would show that containment efforts are working and it might never get as far as government-mandated quarantines.
Either way, if you aren’t prepared, I would strongly recommend you put some plans in place.
It’s time to make some decisions.
While again, I must stress, we don’t know for sure what will happen, it’s time to make some decisions just in case.
Where do you want to be during a quarantine or lockdown?
When will you stop going to work or sending the kids to school?
Do you have enough supplies to see you through 7-8 weeks or longer?
Use this guide to get prepared for the possibility of a Covid-19 lockdown.
You’re the only person who can answer these questions for yourself and your family. But you should probably answer them soon, or the decisions will most likely be made for you.
About Daisy
Daisy Luther writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. She is widely republished across alternative media and she curates all the most important news links on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and runs a small digital publishing company. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
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theduran--2020-03-13--UPDATE: The Dutch Government’s Show-Trial About MH17

The Dutch Government began on March 9th a show-trial which will present the Government ’ s evidence that a Russian-made Buk missile on 17 July 2014 brought down the Malaysian airliner MH17 which had 196 Dutch passengers , all of whom were killed .
America ’ s Radio Free Europe ( which still continues even though Russia ended its side of the Cold War in 1991 and is now non-communist and an electoral democracy though the U.S. Government denies that and still seeks regime-change in Russia ) reported on the opening day of the trial , that “ The trial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020.
” On the following day , the judge suspended the trial until March 23rd .
Both sides in the case were still gathering evidence .
The prosecution told the judge on March 10th , “ we will inform you about some of the latest investigative actions that have yet to be completed and we will consider the possibility that new information will emerge from other sources during this process.
” This is a highly political trial because the U.S. and Dutch Governments had both helped to install an anti-Russian Ukrainian Government by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democratically elected neutralist President , soon after which both the Crimea and Donbass regions of Ukraine broke away from Ukraine , and the downing of the MH17 passenger plane occurred in the air over Donbass during the war there between the new Ukrainian Government and the residents of Donbass , whom that new Government were trying to conquer .
Donbass is the region of Ukraine that had voted over 90 % for the President whom the U.S. and Dutch Governments had just helped to overthrow .
The Dutch Government , being allied with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. Government , is prosecuting Russia as the culprit in that downing of a passenger plane which killed 298 individuals .
However , the Russian Government — which the U.S. and its allies prohibited from participating in their ‘ official ’ ‘ investigation ’ into the aircraft ’ s downing — alleges that Ukraine ’ s Government shot it down .
My earlier report about this trial , “ The Dutch Government ’ s Show-Trial About MH17 ” covers the actual evidence regarding how the MH17 downing occurred .
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of They ’ re Not Even Close : The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records , 1910-2010 , and of CHRIST ’ S VENTRILOQUISTS : The Event that Created Christianity .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Eric Zuesse
The Dutch Government began on March 9th a show-trial which will present the Government’s evidence that a Russian-made Buk missile on 17 July 2014 brought down the Malaysian airliner MH17 which had 196 Dutch passengers, all of whom were killed. America’s Radio Free Europe (which still continues even though Russia ended its side of the Cold War in 1991 and is now non-communist and an electoral democracy though the U.S. Government denies that and still seeks regime-change in Russia) reported on the opening day of the trial, that “The trial is expected to last through most of 2020.” On the following day, the judge suspended the trial until March 23rd. Both sides in the case were still gathering evidence. The prosecution told the judge on March 10th, “we will inform you about some of the latest investigative actions that have yet to be completed and we will consider the possibility that new information will emerge from other sources during this process.”
This is a highly political trial because the U.S. and Dutch Governments had both helped to install an anti-Russian Ukrainian Government by overthrowing in February 2014 Ukraine’s democratically elected neutralist President, soon after which both the Crimea and Donbass regions of Ukraine broke away from Ukraine, and the downing of the MH17 passenger plane occurred in the air over Donbass during the war there between the new Ukrainian Government and the residents of Donbass, whom that new Government were trying to conquer. Donbass is the region of Ukraine that had voted over 90% for the President whom the U.S. and Dutch Governments had just helped to overthrow. The Dutch Government, being allied with both the post-2014 Ukrainian Government and the U.S. Government, is prosecuting Russia as the culprit in that downing of a passenger plane which killed 298 individuals. However, the Russian Government — which the U.S. and its allies prohibited from participating in their ‘official’ ‘investigation’ into the aircraft’s downing — alleges that Ukraine’s Government shot it down.
My earlier report about this trial, “The Dutch Government’s Show-Trial About MH17” covers the actual evidence regarding how the MH17 downing occurred.
—————
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.
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theduran--2020-03-13--Boris Johnson: Coronavirus the ‘Worst Public Health Crisis in a Generation’

Submitted by InfoBrics , authored by Johanna Ross , journalist based in Edinburgh , Scotland In geopolitics we are accustomed to using the word ‘ threat ’ , more often than not used to describe a military adversary , in the form of nation states .
But as we have entered the 21st century other threats have presented themselves ; global threats we have been warned of by experts for years but as yet we have done little to prevent .
And these threats to our very existence , threats inherently entwined with mother nature and our relationship with it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pollution and infectious diseases are challenges to human progress which can not be dismissed .
What once seemed a distant news story relating to China is now much closer to home .
A viral outbreak which began its life in a wild animal market in Wuhan province has spread to 85 countries and territories and on Wednesday was pronounced by the World Health Organisation a global ‘ pandemic ’ .
Coronavirus is taking hold in Europe , already affecting the very heart of governments .
The UK Health Minister , Nadine Dorries has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the French Culture Minister .
Italy is on lockdown with over 10,000 cases and over 600 deaths – it has effectively become a closed country .
France looks set to follow the same pattern , as does the UK .
The borderless travel of which Europe is so proud , looks set to be temporarily abandoned as countries protect their own .
Not for some time has leadership become so important .
Nations are on a war-footing ; we are at war with a virus .
This is the ultimate test for leadership @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some reluctance from western governments to acknowledge the extent of the threat .
On Wednesday US President Donald Trump closed US borders to European citizens , as the pandemic continued to escalate in Italy and surrounding countries .
But he has been criticised for downplaying the severity of the crisis , dismissing it as not being as ‘ serious ’ as flu and assuring people it would ‘ miraculously disappear ’ .
This laissez-faire approach has caused some concern amongst US health experts .
Despite virologists ’ warnings for weeks now that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump administration has been painfully slow to react .
When a response was initiated last week , it was only to increase mask and test kit production when a shortage was discovered .
In addition , the key individuals Trump has appointed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic are not medics , but come from completely unrelated backgrounds , such as former banker Steven Mnuchin , now the Treasury Secretary .
This has fuelled concern that far from addressing the human impact of the outbreak , Trump ’ s focus is too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It was reported in POLITICO that the Director of the US Centre for Disease Control , Robert Redfield , said he wasn ’ t ‘ confident that US labs have an adequate stock of the supplies used to extract genetic material from any virus in a patient ’ s sample ’ .
Epidemiologists and public health officials have also warned that the lack of screening has provided an inaccurate picture of the US outbreak to date , which they fear may explode in coming weeks .
According to the Centre for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the beginning of the outbreak ; a figure that is put to shame by statistics from South Korea , whose systematic testing claims to be covering around 10,000 per day .
The virus appears to be spiralling out of control in both Iran and Italy .
The statistics for Iran are particularly concerning , with 429 recorded deaths to date out of 10,075 cases .
It is said that the health system there is struggling to cope , with the WHO reporting that the country lacks necessary supplies of ventilators , respirators @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 1000 deaths , is on complete lockdown with only essential businesses allowed to operate .
Streets are deserted , apart from the queues of people lined up outside pharmacies and grocery stores .
The UK government warned on Thursday of ‘ severe disruption for many months ’ as the virus could now ‘ no longer be contained ’ .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that it was the ‘ worst public health crisis in a generation.
’ He said that the British public must prepare to lose loved ones to Covid-19 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus in Britain , with 10 people already dead .
Johnson advised people who exhibit cold symptoms not to leave the house for 7 days in a bid to stem the flow of the disease .
He was criticised by some , however , for not taking more drastic measures , such as that of his Irish counterpart , Leo Varadkar , who announced today that schools and colleges across Ireland would be closed till March 29th .
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also pronounced a ban on public gatherings of over 500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools could still be an option as public health officials continue to monitor the outbreak .
Johnson is right in conveying the gravity of the situation .
Not since the Second World War has Britain had a crisis of this calibre to deal with .
The Prime Minister is a fan of Winston Churchill , and if ever there was time to seek inspiration from an individual , this is it .
As the crisis looks set to take hold in Britain in the coming weeks , it will be the ultimate test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It remains to be seen whether it will be his finest hour .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Johanna Ross, journalist based in Edinburgh, Scotland
In geopolitics we are accustomed to using the word ‘threat’, more often than not used to describe a military adversary, in the form of nation states. But as we have entered the 21st century other threats have presented themselves; global threats we have been warned of by experts for years but as yet we have done little to prevent. And these threats to our very existence, threats inherently entwined with mother nature and our relationship with it, such as climate change, environmental pollution and infectious diseases are challenges to human progress which cannot be dismissed.
What once seemed a distant news story relating to China is now much closer to home. A viral outbreak which began its life in a wild animal market in Wuhan province has spread to 85 countries and territories and on Wednesday was pronounced by the World Health Organisation a global ‘pandemic’. Coronavirus is taking hold in Europe, already affecting the very heart of governments. The UK Health Minister, Nadine Dorries has been diagnosed with Covid-19, as has the French Culture Minister. Italy is on lockdown with over 10,000 cases and over 600 deaths – it has effectively become a closed country. France looks set to follow the same pattern, as does the UK. The borderless travel of which Europe is so proud, looks set to be temporarily abandoned as countries protect their own. Not for some time has leadership become so important. Nations are on a war-footing; we are at war with a virus.
This is the ultimate test for leadership. Yet so far there has been some reluctance from western governments to acknowledge the extent of the threat. On Wednesday US President Donald Trump closed US borders to European citizens, as the pandemic continued to escalate in Italy and surrounding countries. But he has been criticised for downplaying the severity of the crisis, dismissing it as not being as ‘serious’ as flu and assuring people it would ‘miraculously disappear’.
This laissez-faire approach has caused some concern amongst US health experts. Despite virologists’ warnings for weeks now that the country is unprepared for a pandemic, the Trump administration has been painfully slow to react. When a response was initiated last week, it was only to increase mask and test kit production when a shortage was discovered. In addition, the key individuals Trump has appointed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic are not medics, but come from completely unrelated backgrounds, such as former banker Steven Mnuchin, now the Treasury Secretary. This has fuelled concern that far from addressing the human impact of the outbreak, Trump’s focus is too much centred on the economic effects.
It was reported in POLITICO that the Director of the US Centre for Disease Control, Robert Redfield, said he wasn’t ‘confident that US labs have an adequate stock of the supplies used to extract genetic material from any virus in a patient’s sample’. Epidemiologists and public health officials have also warned that the lack of screening has provided an inaccurate picture of the US outbreak to date, which they fear may explode in coming weeks. According to the Centre for Disease Control, roughly 8,500 samples have been taken since the beginning of the outbreak; a figure that is put to shame by statistics from South Korea, whose systematic testing claims to be covering around 10,000 per day.
The virus appears to be spiralling out of control in both Iran and Italy. The statistics for Iran are particularly concerning, with 429 recorded deaths to date out of 10,075 cases. It is said that the health system there is struggling to cope, with the WHO reporting that the country lacks necessary supplies of ventilators, respirators and oxygen. Italy, with now over 1000 deaths, is on complete lockdown with only essential businesses allowed to operate. Streets are deserted, apart from the queues of people lined up outside pharmacies and grocery stores.
The UK government warned on Thursday of ‘severe disruption for many months’ as the virus could now ‘no longer be contained’. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that it was the ‘worst public health crisis in a generation.’ He said that the British public must prepare to lose loved ones to Covid-19. 590 people were registered as having the virus in Britain, with 10 people already dead.
Johnson advised people who exhibit cold symptoms not to leave the house for 7 days in a bid to stem the flow of the disease. He was criticised by some, however, for not taking more drastic measures, such as that of his Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, who announced today that schools and colleges across Ireland would be closed till March 29th. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also pronounced a ban on public gatherings of over 500 people and said that the closure of schools could still be an option as public health officials continue to monitor the outbreak.
Johnson is right in conveying the gravity of the situation. Not since the Second World War has Britain had a crisis of this calibre to deal with. The Prime Minister is a fan of Winston Churchill, and if ever there was time to seek inspiration from an individual, this is it. As the crisis looks set to take hold in Britain in the coming weeks, it will be the ultimate test for Boris Johnson’s leadership. It remains to be seen whether it will be his finest hour.
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theduran--2020-03-13--U.S. military presence in Europe will be paid by European taxpayers

Submitted by Lukas Ramonas , via The Baltic Word… As it was reported , the European Deterrence Initiative ( EDI ) , aimed to strengthen the American military presence on the eastern borders of NATO , will lose about a quarter of its funding in 2021 .
Donald Trump intends to use saved funds to build a wall on the border with Mexico .
A decrease in the EDI fund , as conceived by Washington , should not lead to a weakening of the American presence in Europe .
But payers for this presence will not be the Americans , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , new fiscal year in the United States begins on the 1st of October .
So the process of preparing is actively going .
A budget request for funding of the European Deterrence Initiative was formed on the 12th of February .
Comparing it with the request for 2019 , we can trace what kinds of adjustments were made to the EDI funding .
Primarily , the total cost of the program has changed .
Pentagon asked for almost 6 billion dollars last year , and this year – only 4.5 billion dollars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second year in a row .
As we know , the EDI support increased U.S. investment to EU security across five main categories : ( 1 ) presence ; ( 2 ) training and exercises ; ( 3 ) infrastructure ; ( 4 ) prepositioned equipment ; and ( 5 ) building partner capacity .
However , if expansion continues , it will not be enough .
Training and exercises directed funding will decrease most of all the areas of the EDI this year , ( funding will be cut from 600 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
This item of expenditures exceeded $ 2 billion this year and in a new draft it is less than 1.5 billion .
By the way , infrastructure development will receive only 100 million less ( compared with last year ’ s budget ) .
This area of activity is mainly financed by investments in military construction , which includes 15 projects in 2021 .
In particular , Pentagon ’ s plan is to build two storage facilities in Germany as a part of the RADR ( Rapid Airfield Damage Repair ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in case of enemy bombardments .
Romania will receive the largest allocation – four projects totaling 130.5 million dollars .
Scary fact is that Poland and the Baltic countries do not appear on the list of countries to be funded under the EDI program for this year .
Given the fact that these countries border with Russia , they will be the first to stop Russian aggression against NATO in case of war .
That ’ s why Pentagon ’ s decision to deprive the Baltic countries of funding is completely unacceptable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ program last time in 2019 .
Pentagon approved the construction of five facilities in Poland and two centers of the U.S. Special Forces ( SOF ) in Estonia .
But the money did not reach there .
Unfortunately , in September last year Pentagon published a list of projects whose implementation was delayed due to the redistribution of funds in favor of the construction of the Trump ’ s wall .
Both Polish and Estonian objects were among them .
But there was another effective way to reduce costs for Washington – to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no secret that Trump is satisfied with this .
That is why current United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper , speaking about the redistribution of funds in favor of the wall on the border with Mexico , directly invited the European allies to finish the military projects themselves .
And a new request for funding the European Deterrence Initiative says that “ EDI allows to more efficiently and fairly distribute the burden between all investments.
” Does it mean that the contribution of the Europeans to NATO ’ s common defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the contribution of the Americans ?
It would be naive to believe that the U.S. will leave Europe .
Washington ’ s behavior suggests otherwise .
The United States intends to maintain and expand its military presence in Europe , to surround Russia with controlled military facilities .
But Washington will do this not for their money , but for the money of the European taxpayers .
By the way , in case of war between NATO and Russia , the Americans will also fight on European territory using European armies .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by Lukas Ramonas, via The Baltic Word…
As it was reported, the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI), aimed to strengthen the American military presence on the eastern borders of NATO, will lose about a quarter of its funding in 2021.
Donald Trump intends to use saved funds to build a wall on the border with Mexico. A decrease in the EDI fund, as conceived by Washington, should not lead to a weakening of the American presence in Europe. But payers for this presence will not be the Americans, but the Europeans.
As we know, new fiscal year in the United States begins on the 1st of October. So the process of preparing is actively going. A budget request for funding of the European Deterrence Initiative was formed on the 12th of February. Comparing it with the request for 2019, we can trace what kinds of adjustments were made to the EDI funding.
Primarily, the total cost of the program has changed. Pentagon asked for almost 6 billion dollars last year, and this year – only 4.5 billion dollars. So the decline continues for the second year in a row.
As we know, the EDI support increased U.S. investment to EU security across five main categories: (1) presence; (2) training and exercises; (3) infrastructure; (4) prepositioned equipment; and (5) building partner capacity.
However, if expansion continues, it will not be enough. Training and exercises directed funding will decrease most of all the areas of the EDI this year, (funding will be cut from 600 to 294 million dollars – more than doubled).
This item of expenditures exceeded $ 2 billion this year and in a new draft it is less than 1.5 billion.
By the way, infrastructure development will receive only 100 million less (compared with last year’s budget). This area of activity is mainly financed by investments in military construction, which includes 15 projects in 2021.
In particular, Pentagon’s plan is to build two storage facilities in Germany as a part of the RADR (Rapid Airfield Damage Repair) program, which aims to restore airfields in case of enemy bombardments. Romania will receive the largest allocation – four projects totaling 130.5 million dollars.
Scary fact is that Poland and the Baltic countries do not appear on the list of countries to be funded under the EDI program for this year. Given the fact that these countries border with Russia, they will be the first to stop Russian aggression against NATO in case of war. That’s why Pentagon’s decision to deprive the Baltic countries of funding is completely unacceptable.
They were mentioned in the military development program last time in 2019. Pentagon approved the construction of five facilities in Poland and two centers of the U.S. Special Forces (SOF) in Estonia. But the money did not reach there.
Unfortunately, in September last year Pentagon published a list of projects whose implementation was delayed due to the redistribution of funds in favor of the construction of the Trump’s wall.
Both Polish and Estonian objects were among them. But there was another effective way to reduce costs for Washington – to shift them to Europeans. It’s no secret that Trump is satisfied with this.
That is why current United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, speaking about the redistribution of funds in favor of the wall on the border with Mexico, directly invited the European allies to finish the military projects themselves. And a new request for funding the European Deterrence Initiative says that “EDI allows to more efficiently and fairly distribute the burden between all investments.”
Does it mean that the contribution of the Europeans to NATO’s common defense will be increased proportionally with decrease in the contribution of the Americans?
It would be naive to believe that the U.S. will leave Europe. Washington’s behavior suggests otherwise. The United States intends to maintain and expand its military presence in Europe, to surround Russia with controlled military facilities. But Washington will do this not for their money, but for the money of the European taxpayers.
By the way, in case of war between NATO and Russia, the Americans will also fight on European territory using European armies.
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theduran--2020-03-13--NATO defeat in Afghanistan

NATO defeat in Afghanistan

Uncle Sam is going home with his tail between his legs .
John Bull is going with him .
Johnny Cancuk , Marianne , Fritz and all the gang have also been humiliated .
It is a defeat of unexampled ignominy .
Afghanistan has been by far the longest conflict in which the United States has been engaged .
Yet after 19 years , 4000 deaths and countless billion splurged the United States has been vanquished .
The other NATO countries have sustained a couple of thousand fatalities between them .
As for NATO ’ s Afghan allies they have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Taliban have not got off lightly .
Tens of thousands of them have been slain .
Huge numbers of Afghan civilians have also lost their lives .
A peace agreement has been signed with the Taliban .
Make no mistake this is not a draw .
It is an ignominious defeat for NATO .
The so called peace agreement is a face saving way of saying this is not defeat .
But NATO has lost .
It pains me to write it .
NATO belaboured the Taliban for two decades but never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was NATO ’ s objective ?
It was to extirpate the Taliban .
What was the Taliban ’ s objective ?
It was to survive .
The Taliban has certainly not been wiped out .
In fact it controls about 60 % of the country .
When the conflict began it controlled about 90 % of the land .
Although the Taliban was on the run for a while it made a comeback .
Make no mistake .
I hold no brief for the Taliban .
The Afghan people lived under insupportable oppression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reactionaries and misogynists are odious .
NATO dealt the Taliban many mighty strokes of war .
But such was the Taliban ’ s pertinacity that it was not crushed .
They rose like phoenix from the ashes .
They took shelter with their kith and kin over the Durand Line .
They returned from Pakistan .
The Pakistanis have a vexed relationship with the Taliban .
Pakistan is a society riven with ethnic , religious , regional , linguistic and social divisions .
Certain elements of Pakistan were four square behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) is Pakistan ’ s answer to the CIA .
ISI is Pakistan ’ s deep state .
Despite there having been a formal military dictatorship for half of Pakistan ’ s short history it is the ISI which runs the country .
The ISI is l ’ eminence grise .
The ISI had at best a complicated relationship with the Taliban .
At worst the Taliban was a mere emanation of the ISI .
It is true that the Taliban sometimes attacked and killed the Pakistani Army .
But they never attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hand that feeds you .
There is rivalry and sometimes enmity between the ISI and the army .
The Taliban is not a monolith .
Afghanistan consists of several ethno-linguistic groups .
They are subdivided into tribes .
Some Taliban factions clash with others .
Certain Taliban factions in Pakistan clashed with the army and others did not .
The United States is going to totally withdraw from Afghanistan .
The US gets nothing in return .
The Taliban has the chance to take over the whole country .
This makes grim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights in Afghanistan .
What about free expression ?
What about women ’ s rights ?
What about freedom of conscience ?
Dare I mention elections ?
The Republican Party castigated the Obama Administration for pulling out of Iraq .
At that time Al Qa ’ eda and its Shia equivalents had been smashed .
America ’ s allies ruled the whole country .
ISIS had not been founded .
The Iraqi Government did not agree to extend the US presence in most of the country .
Obama was not going to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a sovereign state .
That would be illegal occupation .
Baghdad agreed to the US retaining one air base .
The Obama withdrawal was sensible and timely .
ISIS emerged a few years later .
No one predicted that at the time .
That was mainly owing to the Syrian debacle .
The Grand Old Party then rounded on Obama .
They lambasted him for not keeping troops in Iraq .
Many Republicans had supported the withdrawal when it had been implemented .
But hindsight is 20:20 .
The Trump withdrawal is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump Administration is in effect handing Afghanistan over to America ’ s mortal foes .
This defeat will suppurate in the US for decades .
Apart from Vietnam this is only conflict that America has ever lost .
What not for Afghanistan ?
The Taliban will take over by hook or by crook .
It might be through the guise of elections .
But an Islamist caliphate shall be re-established .
The country will then be an adjunct of Pakistan but have a strained relationship with Iran .
It has long been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ empires .
At Britain ’ s apogee she fought three wars against the Afghans .
None of them were victorious for Victoria or George V. The USSR was drawn into the Afghan quagmire .
Now America has to eat a generous helping of humble pie .
America ’ s harlequinade was always going to be a shit show .
Anyone could have told you that .
The US had to pretend it was battling against Islamic extremism when it truth America ’ s confederates there were also Islamic fundamentalists .
The US was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban .
Despite this the US carried on bankrolling the Pakistani generals .
Washington DC said it was fighting for democracy .
But everyone knows the US has often destroyed democracy and imposed dictatorships on lesser breeds without the law .
Americans were told that their boys and girls were fighting to interdict drugs .
But even the dogs in the street know that Hamid Karzai , America ’ s man I Kabul , was a scion of Afghanistan ’ s main opium cartel .
Family is everything in Afghanistan .
Everything !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the puzzling east .
Its mores are alien .
There were many incidents when an Afghan soldier would kill several of his American comrades before being shot himself .
Why ?
The people in the immediate surroundings of the shooter were all dead .
We can only speculate that an American was culturally insensitive .
He said or did something that mortally offended the Afghan .
Any disrespect towards his faith or clan would be an insult that could only be purged with blood .
The hearts and minds stratagem was only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more liberal areas .
Aid was all too often creamed off by functionaries and warlords .
Too little percolated down to the poverty-stricken people .
Peculation is a way of life here .
As for the hard-pressed farmers of course they were going to grow opium poppies .
The culture of opium pays an order of magnitude more than any cereal crop .
What lessons can we learn from the blood-soaked sand ?
NATO does not lack for equipment .
It suffers no dearth of money .
Its troop numbers are low .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no determination .
With pertinacity victory would have been obtainable .
NATO countries were unwilling to pay the blood price .
If they had gone all out for victory it would have been won .
Supposing NATO had been prepared to suffer not 6 000 deaths but 60 000 deaths then victory would have been achieved .
We all know that Pakistan played both sides of the street .
If NATO had got serious with Islamabad then the outcome could have been different .
NATO would have had to have put the fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relying on provisions and munitions coming via Pakistan made NATO a hostage to fortune .
These supply convoys were regularly destroyed by the Taliban often with the connivance of the Pakistani drivers .
Supplying NATO forces exclusively by air would have been much costlier .
But it would have had the virtue of not indirectly funding the Taliban which is what paying Pakistani drivers did .
At the very least NATO would have had to say to the Pakistanis you do not provide a safe haven for the Taliban or you will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Drone strikes on Taliban positions in Pakistan did some good .
As the operation to kill Bin Laden showed more raids could have succeeded .
The Pakistani Military was caught napping .
In the final analysis NATO would have had to have shown brinksmanship to win .
NATO needed to be willing to say to the Pakistanis you must annihilate the Taliban or we will come in and do it .
If Islamabad said then that will be war then NATO needed to say : so be it .
NATO might have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taliban had nothing but their propitiations to Allah to aid them .
If I were not so rational then I might imagine that these orisons had something to them .
So much for Trump being a toughie .
He said in 2016 he wanted to pull out of Afghanistan as soon as he became president .
If he had done so the day he took office that would have spared a lot of immiseration .
As it happens he had his troops fight on in a losing battle .
The result has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fundamental questions about the assumptions that underpin the Atlantic Alliance .
What is NATO for ?
If NATO can not put paid to a few dirt farmers with small arms then what chance does NATO stand against a superpower ?
What can we learn from this unedifying episode ?
Do not fight .
If you are going to fight it can not be a half war .
You need grit and resolve .
You must go all out for victory .

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
Submitted by George Callaghan…
Uncle Sam is going home with his tail between his legs. John Bull is going with him. Johnny Cancuk, Marianne, Fritz and all the gang have also been humiliated. It is a defeat of unexampled ignominy.
Afghanistan has been by far the longest conflict in which the United States has been engaged. Yet after 19 years, 4000 deaths and countless billion splurged the United States has been vanquished. The other NATO countries have sustained a couple of thousand fatalities between them. As for NATO’s Afghan allies they have suffered tens of thousands of deaths.
The Taliban have not got off lightly. Tens of thousands of them have been slain. Huge numbers of Afghan civilians have also lost their lives.
A peace agreement has been signed with the Taliban. Make no mistake this is not a draw. It is an ignominious defeat for NATO.
The so called peace agreement is a face saving way of saying this is not defeat. But NATO has lost. It pains me to write it. NATO belaboured the Taliban for two decades but never came close to conclusive victory.
What was NATO’s objective? It was to extirpate the Taliban. What was the Taliban’s objective? It was to survive. The Taliban has certainly not been wiped out. In fact it controls about 60% of the country. When the conflict began it controlled about 90% of the land. Although the Taliban was on the run for a while it made a comeback.
Make no mistake. I hold no brief for the Taliban. The Afghan people lived under insupportable oppression where the Talibs ruled. These theocrats, reactionaries and misogynists are odious.
NATO dealt the Taliban many mighty strokes of war. But such was the Taliban’s pertinacity that it was not crushed. They rose like phoenix from the ashes. They took shelter with their kith and kin over the Durand Line. They returned from Pakistan.
The Pakistanis have a vexed relationship with the Taliban. Pakistan is a society riven with ethnic, religious, regional, linguistic and social divisions. Certain elements of Pakistan were four square behind the Taliban. Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) is Pakistan’s answer to the CIA. ISI is Pakistan’s deep state. Despite there having been a formal military dictatorship for half of Pakistan’s short history it is the ISI which runs the country. The ISI is l’eminence grise. The ISI had at best a complicated relationship with the Taliban. At worst the Taliban was a mere emanation of the ISI. It is true that the Taliban sometimes attacked and killed the Pakistani Army. But they never attacked the ISI. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. There is rivalry and sometimes enmity between the ISI and the army.
The Taliban is not a monolith. Afghanistan consists of several ethno-linguistic groups. They are subdivided into tribes. Some Taliban factions clash with others. Certain Taliban factions in Pakistan clashed with the army and others did not.
The United States is going to totally withdraw from Afghanistan. The US gets nothing in return. The Taliban has the chance to take over the whole country.
This makes grim reading for anyone who cares about human rights in Afghanistan. What about free expression? What about women’s rights? What about freedom of conscience? Dare I mention elections?
The Republican Party castigated the Obama Administration for pulling out of Iraq. At that time Al Qa’eda and its Shia equivalents had been smashed. America’s allies ruled the whole country. ISIS had not been founded. The Iraqi Government did not agree to extend the US presence in most of the country. Obama was not going to keep his troops there against the express will of a sovereign state. That would be illegal occupation. Baghdad agreed to the US retaining one air base. The Obama withdrawal was sensible and timely. ISIS emerged a few years later. No one predicted that at the time. That was mainly owing to the Syrian debacle. The Grand Old Party then rounded on Obama. They lambasted him for not keeping troops in Iraq. Many Republicans had supported the withdrawal when it had been implemented. But hindsight is 20:20.
The Trump withdrawal is far worse than the Obama withdrawal. The Trump Administration is in effect handing Afghanistan over to America’s mortal foes. This defeat will suppurate in the US for decades. Apart from Vietnam this is only conflict that America has ever lost.
What not for Afghanistan? The Taliban will take over by hook or by crook. It might be through the guise of elections. But an Islamist caliphate shall be re-established. The country will then be an adjunct of Pakistan but have a strained relationship with Iran.
It has long been said that Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires. At Britain’s apogee she fought three wars against the Afghans. None of them were victorious for Victoria or George V. The USSR was drawn into the Afghan quagmire. Now America has to eat a generous helping of humble pie.
America’s harlequinade was always going to be a shit show. Anyone could have told you that. The US had to pretend it was battling against Islamic extremism when it truth America’s confederates there were also Islamic fundamentalists. The US was funding the Pakistanis who were arming the Taliban. Despite this the US carried on bankrolling the Pakistani generals. Washington DC said it was fighting for democracy. But everyone knows the US has often destroyed democracy and imposed dictatorships on lesser breeds without the law. Americans were told that their boys and girls were fighting to interdict drugs. But even the dogs in the street know that Hamid Karzai, America’s man I Kabul, was a scion of Afghanistan’s main opium cartel. Family is everything in Afghanistan. Everything!
To many in the USA this country is the puzzling east. Its mores are alien. There were many incidents when an Afghan soldier would kill several of his American comrades before being shot himself. Why? The people in the immediate surroundings of the shooter were all dead. We can only speculate that an American was culturally insensitive. He said or did something that mortally offended the Afghan. Any disrespect towards his faith or clan would be an insult that could only be purged with blood.
The hearts and minds stratagem was only semi-successful. It bore fruit in the more liberal areas. Aid was all too often creamed off by functionaries and warlords. Too little percolated down to the poverty-stricken people. Peculation is a way of life here. As for the hard-pressed farmers of course they were going to grow opium poppies. The culture of opium pays an order of magnitude more than any cereal crop.
What lessons can we learn from the blood-soaked sand? NATO does not lack for equipment. It suffers no dearth of money. Its troop numbers are low. It lacks staying power. There is no determination. With pertinacity victory would have been obtainable. NATO countries were unwilling to pay the blood price. If they had gone all out for victory it would have been won. Supposing NATO had been prepared to suffer not 6 000 deaths but 60 000 deaths then victory would have been achieved.
We all know that Pakistan played both sides of the street. If NATO had got serious with Islamabad then the outcome could have been different. NATO would have had to have put the fear of the Lord into the Pakistanis. Relying on provisions and munitions coming via Pakistan made NATO a hostage to fortune. These supply convoys were regularly destroyed by the Taliban often with the connivance of the Pakistani drivers. Supplying NATO forces exclusively by air would have been much costlier. But it would have had the virtue of not indirectly funding the Taliban which is what paying Pakistani drivers did. At the very least NATO would have had to say to the Pakistanis you do not provide a safe haven for the Taliban or you will not get a cent out of us. Drone strikes on Taliban positions in Pakistan did some good. As the operation to kill Bin Laden showed more raids could have succeeded. The Pakistani Military was caught napping. In the final analysis NATO would have had to have shown brinksmanship to win. NATO needed to be willing to say to the Pakistanis you must annihilate the Taliban or we will come in and do it. If Islamabad said then that will be war then NATO needed to say: so be it. NATO might have been able to enlist Indian support.
The Taliban had nothing but their propitiations to Allah to aid them. If I were not so rational then I might imagine that these orisons had something to them.
So much for Trump being a toughie. He said in 2016 he wanted to pull out of Afghanistan as soon as he became president. If he had done so the day he took office that would have spared a lot of immiseration. As it happens he had his troops fight on in a losing battle. The result has been the same.
The Afghan misadventure raises fundamental questions about the assumptions that underpin the Atlantic Alliance. What is NATO for? If NATO cannot put paid to a few dirt farmers with small arms then what chance does NATO stand against a superpower?
What can we learn from this unedifying episode? Do not fight. If you are going to fight it cannot be a half war. You need grit and resolve. You must go all out for victory.
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