theduran--2020-03-23--VIRGINIA ROBERTS — The Lies Grow With Every Retelling

A major problem detectives often have when investigating serious crimes is that victims will exaggerate , embellish , or even lie outright .
Of course , some victims are not really victims at all .
Jussie Smollett springs at once to mind , but even genuine victims can not always be trusted .
A classic example of this happened at Bolton , Lancashire , in October 2013 .
A young woman told police she had been raped ; her attacker then ran off with her handbag and phone .
Luke Entwistle was arrested and charged with rape , but before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rape charge was dropped .
Entwistle was given a six month sentence for theft , but walked free because of the time he had spent on remand .
What actually happened was that he had picked up this young woman in a local bar , they had then got to the local churchyard and had sex – as you would do – and afterwards , he walked off or more likely ran off with her handbag .
Although false allegations of rape should never be condoned , one can only sympathise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used and humiliated .
Another young woman who allowed herself to be used and was rewarded handsomely for it is the former Virginia Roberts .
Her allegations have been discussed here previously , extensively in the Daily Mail including the on-line version , and in many other places .
Sadly , few people have cast a critical eye over her claims , and the BBC which grilled Prince Andrew didn ’ t ask her a single hard question .
The latest instalment of the life and times of poor Virginia was published by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time related by a Florida attorney who specialises in civil cases , including allegations of a sexual nature .
There are clearly many unanswered questions relating to the odious Jeffrey Epstein , from his apparent suicide to how he was given such a sweetheart deal for paying underage girls for sexual services , but there is no mystery about his relationship with Virginia Roberts .
In the aforementioned article , which is part book review , Bradley Edwards alludes to Roberts as a “ striking 16-year-old with drive and determination to improve herself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even in 2011 when the associated photograph was taken .
Talking of photographs , if you are one of the few people on Earth who hasn ’ t seen it , take a long , hard look at the photograph above and ask yourself if the smiling teenager captured there is a “ sex slave ” as Edwards describes her and as she has the temerity to describe herself .
Edwards continues with some information many people will not have heard , namely that Jeffrey Epstein wasn ’ t the first man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ As a teenager , her parents had put her in a home for troubled girls but she ran away to Miami .
There , she had been groomed by a man almost 50 years her senior who was running a prostitution racket.
” While it is now rightly accepted that an underage girl who engages in this type of activity is a victim rather than a prostitute , one is reminded of that old saying by Oscar Wilde , suitably adapted : to be groomed once by a sexual predator is unfortunate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time shows a distinct lack of character .
When she met Epstein she was still underage in Florida , but not in the UK , and when she had sex with Prince Andrew – if she did – she was over the age of consent in the UK .
She was not sexually abused by Andrew , she was not “ trafficked ” by Epstein , period .
Here is what Mr Edwards says : “ She had been to his house in New York…his ranch in New Mexico…his apartment in Paris , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virgin Islands , Little Saint James…She had travelled the world with Epstein and was a true insider with detailed knowledge of the structure of his organisation.
” That ’ s right , Brad , she was a true insider , so true and trusted that she even recruited other girls for him , girls who unlike her would have been underage in Britain as well as Florida , or didn ’ t she tell you that ?
She should have , she told the rest of the world , which begs the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the young being treated like some kind of heroine instead of the child sex trafficker she was ?
“ At the age of 19 , when she had been involved in the sex cult for over two years , Epstein and Maxwell came up with a proposal that turned her stomach : they wanted her to carry his baby.
” Aged 19 is again over the age of consent , and she was still working for Epstein .
Virginia Giuffre said nothing about this conversation in her BBC interview , which begs the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are told Virginia had her chance to escape during a trip to Thailand .
How many sex slaves are sent to the other side of the world alone at the behest of Massa ?
It would be interesting to hear what Simone Sanders , Melissa Harris-Perry or some of the other race-hustlers from American TV make of this type of “ slavery ” .
“ Virginia recognised her chance to escape .
She went into town and met a man from Australia who fell in love with her and promised to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met her future husband , a man who had so little self-esteem that he married a prostitute .
“ She hid in Australia for nearly ten years , during which time she had three children.
” Hid ?
Unreal .
She made a new life for herself , putting her sordid past behind her , for which she should be given some credit , but now , after smelling money , she is back with a vengeance .
What of the lady herself ?
She hasn ’ t said much of late , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubtless during her next TV appearance she will again bring that photograph of Prince Andrew with her , not only a prince but a soldier who served his country , and continues to do so as a civilian , be it noted .
Meanwhile , she is still pushing her charity on Twitter – a charity that was founded as long ago as 2015 , and obviously begins at home – and the otherwise loveable rogue Shaun Attwood is still in her corner .
It may be though that she has already overstepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ veteran attorney and law professor Alan Dershowitz among others .
Although to date the media has given her a free pass on all her claims , at some point she is going to have to either put up or shut up .
If she does the latter she will no doubt slink off to the Australian Outback where she should have remained after walking out on her odious employer .

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.
A major problem detectives often have when investigating serious crimes is that victims will exaggerate, embellish, or even lie outright. Of course, some victims are not really victims at all. Jussie Smollett springs at once to mind, but even genuine victims cannot always be trusted. A classic example of this happened at Bolton, Lancashire, in October 2013. A young woman told police she had been raped; her attacker then ran off with her handbag and phone.
Luke Entwistle was arrested and charged with rape, but before the jury could hear the first witness, the rape charge was dropped. Entwistle was given a six month sentence for theft, but walked free because of the time he had spent on remand. What actually happened was that he had picked up this young woman in a local bar, they had then got to the local churchyard and had sex – as you would do – and afterwards, he walked off or more likely ran off with her handbag. Although false allegations of rape should never be condoned, one can only sympathise with this young woman who obviously felt used and humiliated.
Another young woman who allowed herself to be used and was rewarded handsomely for it is the former Virginia Roberts. Her allegations have been discussed here previously, extensively in the Daily Mail including the on-line version, and in many other places. Sadly, few people have cast a critical eye over her claims, and the BBC which grilled Prince Andrew didn’t ask her a single hard question.
The latest instalment of the life and times of poor Virginia was published by the Mail Online Saturday night, this time related by a Florida attorney who specialises in civil cases, including allegations of a sexual nature.
There are clearly many unanswered questions relating to the odious Jeffrey Epstein, from his apparent suicide to how he was given such a sweetheart deal for paying underage girls for sexual services, but there is no mystery about his relationship with Virginia Roberts.
In the aforementioned article, which is part book review, Bradley Edwards alludes to Roberts as a “striking 16-year-old with drive and determination to improve herself”. She was certainly physically attractive, even in 2011 when the associated photograph was taken. Talking of photographs, if you are one of the few people on Earth who hasn’t seen it, take a long, hard look at the photograph above and ask yourself if the smiling teenager captured there is a “sex slave” as Edwards describes her and as she has the temerity to describe herself.
Edwards continues with some information many people will not have heard, namely that Jeffrey Epstein wasn’t the first man for whom she performed sexual services:
“As a teenager, her parents had put her in a home for troubled girls but she ran away to Miami. There, she had been groomed by a man almost 50 years her senior who was running a prostitution racket.”
While it is now rightly accepted that an underage girl who engages in this type of activity is a victim rather than a prostitute, one is reminded of that old saying by Oscar Wilde, suitably adapted: to be groomed once by a sexual predator is unfortunate; to be so groomed a second time shows a distinct lack of character.
When she met Epstein she was still underage in Florida, but not in the UK, and when she had sex with Prince Andrew – if she did – she was over the age of consent in the UK. She was not sexually abused by Andrew, she was not “trafficked” by Epstein, period. Here is what Mr Edwards says:
“She had been to his house in New York…his ranch in New Mexico…his apartment in Paris, and his private island in the US Virgin Islands, Little Saint James…She had travelled the world with Epstein and was a true insider with detailed knowledge of the structure of his organisation.”
That’s right, Brad, she was a true insider, so true and trusted that she even recruited other girls for him, girls who unlike her would have been underage in Britain as well as Florida, or didn’t she tell you that? She should have, she told the rest of the world, which begs the question why is this prostitute and procurer of the young being treated like some kind of heroine instead of the child sex trafficker she was?
The apologetics continue:
“At the age of 19, when she had been involved in the sex cult for over two years, Epstein and Maxwell came up with a proposal that turned her stomach: they wanted her to carry his baby.”
Aged 19 is again over the age of consent, and she was still working for Epstein. Virginia Giuffre said nothing about this conversation in her BBC interview, which begs the question did it really happen?
Next, we are told Virginia had her chance to escape during a trip to Thailand. How many sex slaves are sent to the other side of the world alone at the behest of Massa? It would be interesting to hear what Simone Sanders, Melissa Harris-Perry or some of the other race-hustlers from American TV make of this type of “slavery”.
“Virginia recognised her chance to escape. She went into town and met a man from Australia who fell in love with her and promised to take care of her.”
Read she met her future husband, a man who had so little self-esteem that he married a prostitute.
“She hid in Australia for nearly ten years, during which time she had three children.”
Hid? Unreal. She made a new life for herself, putting her sordid past behind her, for which she should be given some credit, but now, after smelling money, she is back with a vengeance.
What of the lady herself? She hasn’t said much of late, but more is anticipated shortly, and doubtless during her next TV appearance she will again bring that photograph of Prince Andrew with her, not only a prince but a soldier who served his country, and continues to do so as a civilian, be it noted. Meanwhile, she is still pushing her charity on Twitter – a charity that was founded as long ago as 2015, and obviously begins at home – and the otherwise loveable rogue Shaun Attwood is still in her corner.
It may be though that she has already overstepped the mark by making outrageous claims against veteran attorney and law professor Alan Dershowitz among others. Although to date the media has given her a free pass on all her claims, at some point she is going to have to either put up or shut up. If she does the latter she will no doubt slink off to the Australian Outback where she should have remained after walking out on her odious employer.
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theduran--2020-03-23--Malthusian Bankers vs anti-Malthusian Nationalists Race to Define the New System

On March 23 , Wall Street on Parade reported that the Federal Reserve became a new legislative body with unprecedented powers to decide which companies and banks live or die in the midst of the covid-19 hysteria which is propelling the western nations into the greatest crash in history .
Federal Reserve purchases of toxic securities from the balance sheets of banks has also become limitless as the former cap of $ 500 billion/year has been nearly reached in only one week of bailouts ( $ 272 billion in treasuries and $ 63 billion in mortgage-backed securities since March 15 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officially hit the staggering height of $ 1 trillion/night- which is added to the $ 1 trillion/week fourteen day loans already in place .
The overnight repo loans began in September 2019 at $ 50 billion/night and have risen steadily to $ 100 billion/night by February and skyrocketing to their current proportions by March 15 .
Yet in spite of these trillions of dollars produced from thin air , Wall Street on Parade also reported that the “ big 5 ” too big to fail behemoths have lost a total of 45 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Citigroup leading the race to the bottom with a whopping loss of 51.7 % .
Amongst those big 5 , common equity capital ( which sustains the $ 1.2 quadrillion global derivatives time bomb which is ripe to explode ) has already lost $ 154.4 billion ( of a total of only $ 603 billion among the Big 5 alone ) .
Cumulatively , over $ 9 trillion has already been issued to bail out the failing speculators since September and If this isn ’ t a wake up call to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broader danger of marital law , then I don ’ t know what is .
Blowing out the System is the INTENTION This is exactly what was already stated in August at the Jackson Hole monetary conference when central bankers under the leadership of Mark Carney agreed that the global Financial system required an urgent “ regime change ” .
This was restated by Carney in December where the Canadian golem called for a new green financial system system to eliminate global carbon production ( aka : depopulation ) writing in an article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current central bankers ’ agenda to unleash infinite money printing , current Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey announced a rate drop from 0.25 % to 0.1 % and a €200 billion quantitative easing program in the UK and said : St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard stated promoted this insane pro-hyperinflation mandate in a March 20 interview with Reuters saying the Federal Reserve must respond to the covid-19 shutdown by “ match ( ing ) any lost wages .
Match any lost business , no questions asked , no arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ —the sticky issue of publicly funded rescues of bad actors.
” Unabashed money printing without any pesky questions of “ who gets the money ” and did they commit “ morally hazardous ” crimes that may have caused the collapse of the economy in the first place ?
” Steve Mnuchin ’ s attempts to include his $ 500 billion hedge fund into the recipients of tax payer bailouts is just one of many similar institutions which I ’ m sure Bullard is hoping we don ’ t ask questions about .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this evil agenda , solutions do exist .
These solutions require a return to an understanding of good debt ( anti-inflationary/self extinguishing debt ) versus bad debt ( hyper-inflationary/cancerous debt ) .
Where one is tied to processes in the real world that improves lives of people and raises material , intellectual and spiritual standards of all , the other is tied to enslavement of people , destruction of quality of life ( materially , intellectually and spiritually .
One is desired by masters for their slaves and the other by free citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultures to live in the ephemeral “ now ” while abandoning abstract notions of “ past ” , “ future ” or “ morality ” while the other is tied to the debt and respect we must pay to past generations and those yet unborn alike .
Many great statesmen understood this schism in paradigms as the “ American vs British systems ” .
In American history , it was once much better understood as certain debts had to be created in order to overcome real ( vs. artificially engineered ) crises .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ costly American Revolution , whose debts were finally paid off via the application of national banking and industrial growth measures of the 1790s-1820s which transformed a low productivity agrarian society into an industrial force that challenged the economic might of the British empire , and quadrupled America ’ s population in merely a two generations .
Due to the South ’ s resistance to industrial development and national banking ( illustrated brilliantly in Robert Ingraham ’ s 2015 opus Manhattan ’ s Struggle for Human Freedom Against The Slave Power of Virginia ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the basis for the 1861-1865 Civil War .
Following the earlier example of Hamilton , Clay and John Quincy Adams , Abraham Lincoln saved the union via the creation of constitutional greenbacks as a form of federal credit issued via the Treasury and tied to the actual needs of the people .
These needs extended beyond the war and into the construction of the greatest mega-project of the time- the Trans Continental Railway ( 1863-1869 ) .
Lincoln ’ s allies such as Senator Sumner , Henry Carey and William Seward fought desperately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extending the use of greenbacks beyond the Civil War to industrialise and fully liberate the south and also other nations globally .
These efforts were sabotaged by Proto-Deep State agents in America which eliminated the greenbacks , re-empowered the slave power and established the “ Specie resumption Act ” of 1871 that chained American progress to a worshipping of gold and led into the 1913 creation of the Federal Reserve .
President Franklin Roosevelt is another patriot often criticised harshly for creating much debt during the New Deal , but unlike the debt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bailed out failing banks with no real world job creation or growth of the real economy , FDR ’ s revolution was very different .
Roosevelt ’ s Tennessee Valley Authority transformed the southeastern states from rural backwater hillbilly patches where illiteracy averaged 80 % in 1933 to a scientific and engineering hub by 1945 ( which saw illiteracy drop to 12 % ) is but one of the thousands of trans-formative projects which “ debt ” created under real American System leadership .
Breaking America out of the depression involved a life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw FDR face assassination attempts , military coups , and sabotage from the deep state during his entire 12 year presidency which I outlined in depth in my recent paper How to Crush a Bankers ’ Dictatorship .
John F. Kennedy also created debts but following the role model of Franklin Roosevelt , those debts were tied incredible mega-projects in energy , water , transport and especially space exploration ( NASA ’ s budget reached nearly 4 % of US GDP at its peak before the slashing self-sabotage began in 1966 ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 1 spent on NASA in order to put a man on the moon , over $ 10 were returned to the American economy in the form of spin-off technologies , inventions and jobs touching on every aspect of society- health , engineering , computing , chemistry , energy , and more .
In all cases above ( Lincoln , FDR and JFK ) , the use of national productive credit was the key to success .
All of these leaders circumvented the influence of the City of London agents in America ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own way .
While FDR and JFK fought to break the monopoly over credit established by the Federal Reserve in 1913 via FDR ’ s Reconstruction Finance Corporation that acted like a National Bank , and JFK ’ s efforts to create industrial investment tax credits and a silver-backed treasury issued currency outside of Federal Reserve Control .
The principles of this lost practice of national political economy which are no longer permitted to be taught or practised in modern western universities can be found clearly set out in the writings of Alexander @ @ @ @ @ @ @ especially his historic reports to Congress of 1790-1971 ( Report on a National Bank and Public Credit , Report on Manufactures , and Report on a Mint ) .
All of these reports should be studied seriously during today ’ s systemic crisis as the principles they set out are not only in total opposition with the false “ left ” Keynesian vs “ right ” Austrian school arguments constructed by the Fabian Society in the 20th century , but are remarkably in alignment with the best practices of thinking and behaviour of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and broader multi polar alliance which is humanity ’ s last and best hope to break from the future-less system of oligarchy once and for all .
Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review , a BRI Expert on Tactical talk , and has authored 3 volumes of ‘ Untold History of Canada ’ book series .
In 2019 he co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation and can be reached at [ email protected ]

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.
On March 23, Wall Street on Parade reported that the Federal Reserve became a new legislative body with unprecedented powers to decide which companies and banks live or die in the midst of the covid-19 hysteria which is propelling the western nations into the greatest crash in history.
Federal Reserve purchases of toxic securities from the balance sheets of banks has also become limitless as the former cap of $500 billion/year has been nearly reached in only one week of bailouts ($272 billion in treasuries and $63 billion in mortgage-backed securities since March 15).
Meanwhile overnight repo loans have officially hit the staggering height of $1 trillion/night- which is added to the $1 trillion/week fourteen day loans already in place. The overnight repo loans began in September 2019 at $50 billion/night and have risen steadily to $100 billion/night by February and skyrocketing to their current proportions by March 15.
Yet in spite of these trillions of dollars produced from thin air, Wall Street on Parade also reported that the “big 5” too big to fail behemoths have lost a total of 45% of their value in only 5 weeks with Citigroup leading the race to the bottom with a whopping loss of 51.7%. Amongst those big 5, common equity capital (which sustains the $1.2 quadrillion global derivatives time bomb which is ripe to explode) has already lost $154.4 billion (of a total of only $603 billion among the Big 5 alone). Cumulatively, over $9 trillion has already been issued to bail out the failing speculators since September and If this isn’t a wake up call to the very real danger of hyperinflation, and broader danger of marital law, then I don’t know what is.
Blowing out the System is the INTENTION
This is exactly what was already stated in August at the Jackson Hole monetary conference when central bankers under the leadership of Mark Carney agreed that the global Financial system required an urgent “regime change”. This was restated by Carney in December where the Canadian golem called for a new green financial system system to eliminate global carbon production (aka: depopulation) writing in an article entitled Fifty Shades of Green:
“A new, sustainable financial system is under construction. It is funding the initiatives and innovations of the private sector and amplifying the effectiveness of governments’ climate policies—it could even accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy.”
Describing the current central bankers’ agenda to unleash infinite money printing, current Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey announced a rate drop from 0.25% to 0.1% and a €200 billion quantitative easing program in the UK and said:
“I talk to central bank governors most days and while we make decisions with reference to our own mandates, it is not a surprise that we are coming to the same conclusion.”
St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard stated promoted this insane pro-hyperinflation mandate in a March 20 interview with Reuters saying the Federal Reserve must respond to the covid-19 shutdown by “match(ing) any lost wages. Match any lost business, no questions asked, no arguments about bailouts or ‘moral hazard’—the sticky issue of publicly funded rescues of bad actors.”
Unabashed money printing without any pesky questions of “who gets the money” and did they commit “morally hazardous” crimes that may have caused the collapse of the economy in the first place?” Steve Mnuchin’s attempts to include his $500 billion hedge fund into the recipients of tax payer bailouts is just one of many similar institutions which I’m sure Bullard is hoping we don’t ask questions about.
The Battle Over Two Worldviews
In spite of this evil agenda, solutions do exist. These solutions require a return to an understanding of good debt (anti-inflationary/self extinguishing debt) versus bad debt (hyper-inflationary/cancerous debt).
Where one is tied to processes in the real world that improves lives of people and raises material, intellectual and spiritual standards of all, the other is tied to enslavement of people, destruction of quality of life (materially, intellectually and spiritually. One is desired by masters for their slaves and the other by free citizens. One can only spread by inducing cultures to live in the ephemeral “now” while abandoning abstract notions of “past”, “future” or “morality” while the other is tied to the debt and respect we must pay to past generations and those yet unborn alike. Many great statesmen understood this schism in paradigms as the “American vs British systems”.
In American history, it was once much better understood as certain debts had to be created in order to overcome real (vs. artificially engineered) crises. Examples of such real crises involved the costly American Revolution, whose debts were finally paid off via the application of national banking and industrial growth measures of the 1790s-1820s which transformed a low productivity agrarian society into an industrial force that challenged the economic might of the British empire, and quadrupled America’s population in merely a two generations.
The Case of Lincoln
Due to the South’s resistance to industrial development and national banking (illustrated brilliantly in Robert Ingraham’s 2015 opus Manhattan’s Struggle for Human Freedom Against The Slave Power of Virginia), the unbearable tension within America became the basis for the 1861-1865 Civil War. Following the earlier example of Hamilton, Clay and John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln saved the union via the creation of constitutional greenbacks as a form of federal credit issued via the Treasury and tied to the actual needs of the people. These needs extended beyond the war and into the construction of the greatest mega-project of the time- the Trans Continental Railway (1863-1869). Lincoln’s allies such as Senator Sumner, Henry Carey and William Seward fought desperately to continue Lincoln’s vision of extending the use of greenbacks beyond the Civil War to industrialise and fully liberate the south and also other nations globally. These efforts were sabotaged by Proto-Deep State agents in America which eliminated the greenbacks, re-empowered the slave power and established the “Specie resumption Act” of 1871 that chained American progress to a worshipping of gold and led into the 1913 creation of the Federal Reserve.
The Case of FDR
President Franklin Roosevelt is another patriot often criticised harshly for creating much debt during the New Deal, but unlike the debt created during 1929-1933 under Hoover which merely bailed out failing banks with no real world job creation or growth of the real economy, FDR’s revolution was very different. Roosevelt’s Tennessee Valley Authority transformed the southeastern states from rural backwater hillbilly patches where illiteracy averaged 80% in 1933 to a scientific and engineering hub by 1945 (which saw illiteracy drop to 12%) is but one of the thousands of trans-formative projects which “debt” created under real American System leadership. Breaking America out of the depression involved a life or death war with central bankers which saw FDR face assassination attempts, military coups, and sabotage from the deep state during his entire 12 year presidency which I outlined in depth in my recent paper How to Crush a Bankers’ Dictatorship.
The Case of JFK
John F. Kennedy also created debts but following the role model of Franklin Roosevelt, those debts were tied incredible mega-projects in energy, water, transport and especially space exploration (NASA’s budget reached nearly 4% of US GDP at its peak before the slashing self-sabotage began in 1966). Recent reports have proven that for every $1 spent on NASA in order to put a man on the moon, over $10 were returned to the American economy in the form of spin-off technologies, inventions and jobs touching on every aspect of society- health, engineering, computing, chemistry, energy, and more.
In all cases above (Lincoln, FDR and JFK), the use of national productive credit was the key to success. All of these leaders circumvented the influence of the City of London agents in America (aka: Wall Street) in their own way. While FDR and JFK fought to break the monopoly over credit established by the Federal Reserve in 1913 via FDR’s Reconstruction Finance Corporation that acted like a National Bank, and JFK’s efforts to create industrial investment tax credits and a silver-backed treasury issued currency outside of Federal Reserve Control.
The China/Russia Alliance Revives the Forgotten American System
The principles of this lost practice of national political economy which are no longer permitted to be taught or practised in modern western universities can be found clearly set out in the writings of Alexander Hamilton’s collected works, and especially his historic reports to Congress of 1790-1971 (Report on a National Bank and Public Credit, Report on Manufactures, and Report on a Mint ). All of these reports should be studied seriously during today’s systemic crisis as the principles they set out are not only in total opposition with the false “left” Keynesian vs “right” Austrian school arguments constructed by the Fabian Society in the 20th century, but are remarkably in alignment with the best practices of thinking and behaviour of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and broader multi polar alliance which is humanity’s last and best hope to break from the future-less system of oligarchy once and for all.
Matthew Ehret is the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Patriot Review , a BRI Expert on Tactical talk, and has authored 3 volumes of ‘Untold History of Canada’ book series. In 2019 he co-founded the Montreal-based Rising Tide Foundation and can be reached at matt.ehret@tutamail.com
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theduran--2020-03-23--UK moves towards lockdown as it braces itself for Coronavirus escalation

‘ Unprecedented ’ was the word repeated over and over by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Friday as he delivered a package of economic measures to save the British economy from the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic .
Boris Johnson has effectively shut down the United Kingdom , as he announced last week the immediate closure of pubs , bars , restaurants gyms , leisure centres , cinemas and other public places in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease .
He said stronger measures were now required as ‘ There is no guarantee that you will get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a carrier , have no symptoms and pass it on to others ’ .
It had been clear that not everyone had been following the government ’ s advice earlier in the week to maintain social distancing , and Johnson had hinted at his press conference on Thursday that if necessary , stronger measures would be required .
He urged people not to go out as nobody was ‘ invincible ’ .
The UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled plans to assist UK businesses which would effectively mean nationalising huge sectors of the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government .
He said that government grants will cover 80 % of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month and employers could top up salaries if they wish .
Announcing the ‘ Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ’ he said that the cost of wages would be backdated to 1st March , and that the program would be extended if necessary .
There is the possibility , according to experts , that the current crisis could last for a year or more .
Friday ’ s spending plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s original Coronavirus business strategy revealed earlier in the week .
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme which he said originally would be for six months , has now been extended by another six months .
In addition he has now promised to defer the next quarter of VAT payments , the equivalent of £30bn or 1.5 % in GDP .
He also said that small businesses would benefit from £25,000 in cash grants .
The government had faced criticism earlier for not having done enough to help individuals , particularly the self-employed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even the self-employed would be able to access full Universal Credit at a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay .
Rishi Sunak said that the rates of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit would also be increased .
In total the welfare package offered amounts to around £7bn .
So why has the government upped the stakes so dramatically ?
Well the warnings from both Italian and British medics are coming thick and fast .
The death rate to Covid-19 in Italy is now 8.6 % – astonishingly high .
Medics invited the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the extent to which doctors are being stretched .
Staff is working 18 hours shifts and the average age of doctors and nurses is dropping as they also succumb to the virus .
Speaking to the Sky news , doctors stressed that Covid-19 should not be compared to the flu : it is a serious respiratory illness with a 50/50 chance of recovery .
The statistics coming from Italy are frightening : to date there have been 5476 deaths and only 7024 recoveries .
Doctors in the UK are warning that Britain could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consultant has said that in many ways the Italian healthcare system is better resourced and has many more intensive care beds .
On Thursday one hospital in London declared a ‘ critical incident ’ as it ran out of beds to treat coronavirus patients .
Elsewhere in the capital a mortuary was being built to cope with expected future casualties .
Comparisons with ‘ war-time ’ are being made more and more often .
But the situation surpasses any war to date : this enemy is invisible and it ’ s everywhere – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bank of England lowered its interest rates as low as 0.1 % – not since its foundation in 1694 .
Never before has the government offered to effectively pay people ’ s salaries .
Never before have we seen school exams cancelled .
And this is just the beginning…

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, Johanna Ross, journalist based in Edinburgh, Scotland…
‘Unprecedented’ was the word repeated over and over by UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Friday as he delivered a package of economic measures to save the British economy from the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Boris Johnson has effectively shut down the United Kingdom, as he announced last week the immediate closure of pubs, bars, restaurants gyms, leisure centres, cinemas and other public places in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease. He said stronger measures were now required as ‘There is no guarantee that you will get mild symptoms and you can still be a carrier, have no symptoms and pass it on to others’. It had been clear that not everyone had been following the government’s advice earlier in the week to maintain social distancing, and Johnson had hinted at his press conference on Thursday that if necessary, stronger measures would be required. He urged people not to go out as nobody was ‘invincible’.
The UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled plans to assist UK businesses which would effectively mean nationalising huge sectors of the economy – an extraordinary move for a Conservative government. He said that government grants will cover 80% of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month and employers could top up salaries if they wish. Announcing the ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ he said that the cost of wages would be backdated to 1st March, and that the program would be extended if necessary. There is the possibility, according to experts, that the current crisis could last for a year or more.
Friday’s spending plan marks an upscale from the Chancellor’s original Coronavirus business strategy revealed earlier in the week. The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme which he said originally would be for six months, has now been extended by another six months. In addition he has now promised to defer the next quarter of VAT payments, the equivalent of £30bn or 1.5% in GDP. He also said that small businesses would benefit from £25,000 in cash grants. The government had faced criticism earlier for not having done enough to help individuals, particularly the self-employed, but now it was announced that even the self-employed would be able to access full Universal Credit at a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay. Rishi Sunak said that the rates of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit would also be increased. In total the welfare package offered amounts to around £7bn.
So why has the government upped the stakes so dramatically? Well the warnings from both Italian and British medics are coming thick and fast. The death rate to Covid-19 in Italy is now 8.6% – astonishingly high. Medics invited the media into hospitals in Bergamo to stress the extent to which doctors are being stretched. Staff is working 18 hours shifts and the average age of doctors and nurses is dropping as they also succumb to the virus. Speaking to the Sky news, doctors stressed that Covid-19 should not be compared to the flu: it is a serious respiratory illness with a 50/50 chance of recovery. The statistics coming from Italy are frightening: to date there have been 5476 deaths and only 7024 recoveries. Doctors in the UK are warning that Britain could face an even worse epidemic – one consultant has said that in many ways the Italian healthcare system is better resourced and has many more intensive care beds. On Thursday one hospital in London declared a ‘critical incident’ as it ran out of beds to treat coronavirus patients. Elsewhere in the capital a mortuary was being built to cope with expected future casualties.
Comparisons with ‘war-time’ are being made more and more often. But the situation surpasses any war to date: this enemy is invisible and it’s everywhere – in 191 countries. Never has the Bank of England lowered its interest rates as low as 0.1% – not since its foundation in 1694. Never before has the government offered to effectively pay people’s salaries. Never before have we seen school exams cancelled. And this is just the beginning…
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theduran--2020-03-23--NATO Exercises Defying Coronavirus Reveal Desperation

Submitted by Infobrics , authored by Paul Antonopoulos , Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies… The planned NATO military exercise in Europe , “ Defender 2020 , ” will be held on a reduced scale because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Defender 2020 will have the participation of 18 NATO countries , cover 4,000 kilometers of convoy routes and rely on 10 European countries to host exercise activities , with the U.S. originally sending a total of 37,000 soldiers and officers to the exercises .
The NATO exercises are a demonstration of power against Russia , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancel the military drills is also indicating its power against Russia at a time when the world is going into lockdown .
The Alliance ’ s official website states that the scope of the exercise is shrinking due to a pandemic and that the movement of personnel and equipment from the U.S. to Europe is being halted .
But many have already arrived in Europe .
Media reports quoted Manilo Dinuchi , an Italian journalist for Manifest , claimed soldiers were exempted from the coronavirus protocol in an exercise , something recorded in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Army soldiers arriving in Bavaria on March 6 , without masks on their faces , and shaking hands and kissing with German authorities and soldiers .
So why then did this exercise have to take place at all when everything else was put off ?
The goal is without a doubt to have a show of force against Russia , the main target of these massive exercises by NATO .
Although this may seem like a simple reason , NATO needs to show Russia that they can organize such exercise in a demonstration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and crisis .
The exercises could easily have been cancelled , because there is no reason for them to be held right now and in such conditions , but conducting them during a pandemic shows greater strength by NATO – or so they think .
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presented his Annual Report for 2019 on Thursday and announced “ Our forces remain ready and our work goes on , including in our multinational battlegroups in the east of the Alliance , NATO Air Policing , our maritime deployments , and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus pandemic is plaguing NATO alliance countries , especially Italy with over 60,000 cases , the United States with over 33,000 cases , Spain with over 30,000 , Germany with over 25,000 and the United Kingdom with over 6,000 cases , with thousands of deaths between these countries , Russia has only 438 confirmed cases and has been sending doctors and medical aid to Italy .
As Russia weathers the pandemic comfortably compared to the major NATO countries , the Alliance feels that the cancellation of the Defender 2020 exercises will show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue with the military drills despite the non-necessity of it .
Although NATO is buckling down to continue the exercises , the grander scheme of the liberal world order is beginning to collapse under pressure from the coronavirus .
The European Union has shown incompetence in dealing with the pandemic and has left each country to fend for itself , and rather it has been ‘ enemies ’ of the liberal world order , China , Russia and Cuba , who have mobilized to help countries severely affected .
It is unlikely that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Union members , will quickly forget the significant help they have received from Russia .
This soft power play by Russia is likely to change public opinion in Italy and Spain and create deeper divisions in NATO in regards to hostile policies against Russia .
As the Atlanticist states of the United Kingdom and the United States want to maintain hostility towards Russia , it is likely that southern European NATO members will not want to continue hostilities , remembering who was there to help them in their greatest crisis since World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very reason that some NATO members may begin turning against Alliance orders with Atlanticist interests and open friendlier relations with Russia .
Meanwhile coronavirus is far from peaking in Europe and is only beginning to strangle the United States .
It can not be overlooked that the virus is changing the world order at a faster pace than anyone could have anticipated .
When the world has moved on and overcome the coronavirus pandemic , we will have entered a new world order and shifting European loyalties from the United States to greater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the continuation of Defender 2020 shows desperation to maintain the global status quo .

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 Paul Antonopoulos, Research Fellow at the Center for Syncretic Studies…
The planned NATO military exercise in Europe, “Defender 2020,” will be held on a reduced scale because of the coronavirus pandemic. Defender 2020 will have the participation of 18 NATO countries, cover 4,000 kilometers of convoy routes and rely on 10 European countries to host exercise activities, with the U.S. originally sending a total of 37,000 soldiers and officers to the exercises. The NATO exercises are a demonstration of power against Russia, and the fact that the coronavirus pandemic will not cancel the military drills is also indicating its power against Russia at a time when the world is going into lockdown.
The Alliance’s official website states that the scope of the exercise is shrinking due to a pandemic and that the movement of personnel and equipment from the U.S. to Europe is being halted. But many have already arrived in Europe. Media reports quoted Manilo Dinuchi, an Italian journalist for Manifest, claimed soldiers were exempted from the coronavirus protocol in an exercise, something recorded in a video showing the first 200 U.S. Army soldiers arriving in Bavaria on March 6, without masks on their faces, and shaking hands and kissing with German authorities and soldiers.
So why then did this exercise have to take place at all when everything else was put off?
The goal is without a doubt to have a show of force against Russia, the main target of these massive exercises by NATO. Although this may seem like a simple reason, NATO needs to show Russia that they can organize such exercise in a demonstration of aggression even in times of uncertainty and crisis. The exercises could easily have been cancelled, because there is no reason for them to be held right now and in such conditions, but conducting them during a pandemic shows greater strength by NATO – or so they think.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg presented his Annual Report for 2019 on Thursday and announced “Our forces remain ready and our work goes on, including in our multinational battlegroups in the east of the Alliance, NATO Air Policing, our maritime deployments, and our missions from Afghanistan to Kosovo.” Although the coronavirus pandemic is plaguing NATO alliance countries, especially Italy with over 60,000 cases, the United States with over 33,000 cases, Spain with over 30,000, Germany with over 25,000 and the United Kingdom with over 6,000 cases, with thousands of deaths between these countries, Russia has only 438 confirmed cases and has been sending doctors and medical aid to Italy. As Russia weathers the pandemic comfortably compared to the major NATO countries, the Alliance feels that the cancellation of the Defender 2020 exercises will show major weakness and has therefore decided to continue with the military drills despite the non-necessity of it.
Although NATO is buckling down to continue the exercises, the grander scheme of the liberal world order is beginning to collapse under pressure from the coronavirus. The European Union has shown incompetence in dealing with the pandemic and has left each country to fend for itself, and rather it has been ‘enemies’ of the liberal world order, China, Russia and Cuba, who have mobilized to help countries severely affected. It is unlikely that Italy and Spain, both NATO and European Union members, will quickly forget the significant help they have received from Russia. This soft power play by Russia is likely to change public opinion in Italy and Spain and create deeper divisions in NATO in regards to hostile policies against Russia. As the Atlanticist states of the United Kingdom and the United States want to maintain hostility towards Russia, it is likely that southern European NATO members will not want to continue hostilities, remembering who was there to help them in their greatest crisis since World War Two.
It is for this very reason that some NATO members may begin turning against Alliance orders with Atlanticist interests and open friendlier relations with Russia. Meanwhile coronavirus is far from peaking in Europe and is only beginning to strangle the United States. It cannot be overlooked that the virus is changing the world order at a faster pace than anyone could have anticipated. When the world has moved on and overcome the coronavirus pandemic, we will have entered a new world order and shifting European loyalties from the United States to greater cooperation with Russia and China. Therefore, the continuation of Defender 2020 shows desperation to maintain the global status quo.
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theduran--2020-03-23--Global humanitarian and political cooperation essential for mitigating COVID-19 pandemic

Submitted by Infobrics , authored by Sarah Abed , independent journalist and analyst… Just as the coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic starts to slow down in China , where no new domestic cases have been reported in the past three days , other parts of the world are seeing their numbers spike .
With over 328,000 COVID-19 cases worldwide and at least 14,380 coronavirus-related deaths , Italy and Spain are announcing significant increases in their daily death totals .
Italy has surpassed China in the number of fatalities .
The United States which currently has the third largest number of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase in its cases as well , mostly due to community spread and increased testing .
As tests become more accessible across the nation , numbers will continue to increase over the next few months .
The only way to accurately determine how many American ’ s have COVID-19 would be to test everyone , but that isn ’ t even a consideration at this point .
During Sunday ’ s White House Coronavirus Task Force news conference , the Trump administration stated that out of those who were tested only 10 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that people only test if they are exhibiting symptoms and that patients currently in the hospital should have priority for testing .
President Donald Trump referred to COVID-19 as the “ hidden enemy ” and said that we are currently at war with it .
He also said that he ’ s considering letting non-violent and elderly federal prisoners out to stem the spread of the virus .
In a race against time to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in the United States , Medical professionals have been speaking out about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) , respirators and other medical equipment as well as lack of accessibility to testing for those who have symptoms but still do not meet the qualifications for whatever reason .
The National Guard will be activated in New York , California , and Washington State , as this affords these states with maximum flexibility to use the guard without worrying about cost or liability .
President Trump also spoke about the Federal Government deploying medical supplies to the hardest hit areas , including face shields , surgical gowns , face masks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much-needed respirators , as well as medical stations and naval ships within the next 48 hours .
Many are questioning how is it possible that the most powerful nation on earth has been so incredibly reactive during the past three months rather than being proactive and how can we be so unprepared for a pandemic , knowing that simulations such as Crimson Contagion and talks of this exact scenario playing out have been discussed by scientists and health professionals for years .
The most frustrating part is that there are more questions than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be getting much worse ( at least in the United States ) in the upcoming months before they start to get better .
With everything canceled/shut down people are starting to get impatient .
COVID-19 has spread to at least 167 countries and territories and although each one is battling their own war within their borders to contain it some nations such as Russia , China , and Cuba have been helping nations including Italy and Iran .
Chinese President Xi Jinping made a diplomatic gesture towards European countries by calling the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Serbia to offer support in their fight against COVID-19 .
Beyond the medical challenges associated with COVID-19 are the economic hardships that a massive country-wide shutdown has produced , leading some including The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity to question whether the consequences of this government-imposed shutdown are actually worse than the virus itself .
Unemployment claims are expected to spike to 2 million this week , and a trillion-dollar Coronavirus stimulus bill has failed to move forward as of Sunday night and negotiations are expected to continue .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s that this fear-driven pandemic is a world-wide issue and every effort should be made to mitigate its spread for purely humanitarian reasons , putting politics aside , while not creating an overwhelming sense of panic , as I stated in my previous article , we have reason for concern but not for panic .
This is the perfect time for the United States to end its wars and lift sanctions on nations including Iran and Syria , but seeing as these nations are seen as geopolitical rivals and threaten Washington ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Sunday the Prime Minister of Pakistan , Imran Khan tweeted , “ I want to appeal to President Trump on humanitarian grounds to lift the sanctions against Iran till the COVID-19 pandemic is over .
The people of Iran are facing untold suffering as sanctions are crippling Iran ’ s efforts to fight COVID-19 .
Humanity must unite to fight this pandemic.
” This is most likely in response to the Trump Administration ’ s announcement on Friday during the Coronavirus Task Force news conference that they will not be offering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country .
Iran ’ s health minister said that every hour fifty people are infected and every ten minutes another person dies from COVID-19 .
Iran wants sanction relief from the US not humanitarian assistance .
Tehran has been urging countries to back its call for lifting US sanctions , Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted on Tuesday that unlawful US sanctions drained Iran ’ s economic resources , impairing its ability to fight COVID-19 .
He asked other countries to join the growing global campaign to disregard US sanctions on Iran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urged Trump to ease Iran sanctions to combat coronavirus .
Just like US State Department officials promised in December 2019 , the maximum pressure campaign on Iran has intensified in 2020 with fresh sanctions imposed just a few days ago .
Putting the very real humanitarian concerns aside for a moment , the widespread apocalyptic fear of an invisible enemy by the media is causing mass hysteria and doesn ’ t help anyone .

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 Sarah Abed, independent journalist and analyst…
Just as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic starts to slow down in China, where no new domestic cases have been reported in the past three days, other parts of the world are seeing their numbers spike. With over 328,000 COVID-19 cases worldwide and at least 14,380 coronavirus-related deaths, Italy and Spain are announcing significant increases in their daily death totals. Italy has surpassed China in the number of fatalities. The United States which currently has the third largest number of COVID-19 cases 33,276 is seeing a sharp increase in its cases as well, mostly due to community spread and increased testing. As tests become more accessible across the nation, numbers will continue to increase over the next few months. The only way to accurately determine how many American’s have COVID-19 would be to test everyone, but that isn’t even a consideration at this point.
During Sunday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force news conference, the Trump administration stated that out of those who were tested only 10% were positive for COVID-19. He urged that people only test if they are exhibiting symptoms and that patients currently in the hospital should have priority for testing. President Donald Trump referred to COVID-19 as the “hidden enemy” and said that we are currently at war with it. He also said that he’s considering letting non-violent and elderly federal prisoners out to stem the spread of the virus.
In a race against time to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in the United States, Medical professionals have been speaking out about the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), respirators and other medical equipment as well as lack of accessibility to testing for those who have symptoms but still do not meet the qualifications for whatever reason.
The National Guard will be activated in New York, California, and Washington State, as this affords these states with maximum flexibility to use the guard without worrying about cost or liability. President Trump also spoke about the Federal Government deploying medical supplies to the hardest hit areas, including face shields, surgical gowns, face masks, gloves, overalls and medical equipment including much-needed respirators, as well as medical stations and naval ships within the next 48 hours.
Many are questioning how is it possible that the most powerful nation on earth has been so incredibly reactive during the past three months rather than being proactive and how can we be so unprepared for a pandemic, knowing that simulations such as Crimson Contagion and talks of this exact scenario playing out have been discussed by scientists and health professionals for years.
The most frustrating part is that there are more questions than answers, and many predict that things will be getting much worse (at least in the United States) in the upcoming months before they start to get better. With everything canceled/shut down people are starting to get impatient.
COVID-19 has spread to at least 167 countries and territories and although each one is battling their own war within their borders to contain it some nations such as Russia, China, and Cuba have been helping nations including Italy and Iran. Chinese President Xi Jinping made a diplomatic gesture towards European countries by calling the leaders of France, Germany, Spain, and Serbia to offer support in their fight against COVID-19.
Beyond the medical challenges associated with COVID-19 are the economic hardships that a massive country-wide shutdown has produced, leading some including The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity to question whether the consequences of this government-imposed shutdown are actually worse than the virus itself. Unemployment claims are expected to spike to 2 million this week, and a trillion-dollar Coronavirus stimulus bill has failed to move forward as of Sunday night and negotiations are expected to continue.
If we have learned anything it’s that this fear-driven pandemic is a world-wide issue and every effort should be made to mitigate its spread for purely humanitarian reasons, putting politics aside, while not creating an overwhelming sense of panic, as I stated in my previous article, we have reason for concern but not for panic.
This is the perfect time for the United States to end its wars and lift sanctions on nations including Iran and Syria, but seeing as these nations are seen as geopolitical rivals and threaten Washington’s capitalist hegemony, this is entirely unrealistic.
On Sunday the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan tweeted, “I want to appeal to President Trump on humanitarian grounds to lift the sanctions against Iran till the COVID-19 pandemic is over. The people of Iran are facing untold suffering as sanctions are crippling Iran’s efforts to fight COVID-19. Humanity must unite to fight this pandemic.”
This is most likely in response to the Trump Administration’s announcement on Friday during the Coronavirus Task Force news conference that they will not be offering Iran sanctions relief as the coronavirus ravages the country. Iran’s health minister said that every hour fifty people are infected and every ten minutes another person dies from COVID-19. Iran wants sanction relief from the US not humanitarian assistance.
Tehran has been urging countries to back its call for lifting US sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted on Tuesday that unlawful US sanctions drained Iran’s economic resources, impairing its ability to fight COVID-19. He asked other countries to join the growing global campaign to disregard US sanctions on Iran. NIAC Action and 25 Organizations have urged Trump to ease Iran sanctions to combat coronavirus.
Just like US State Department officials promised in December 2019, the maximum pressure campaign on Iran has intensified in 2020 with fresh sanctions imposed just a few days ago.
Putting the very real humanitarian concerns aside for a moment, the widespread apocalyptic fear of an invisible enemy by the media is causing mass hysteria and doesn’t help anyone.
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theduran--2020-03-23--Russia sends critical aid to Italy, as Merkel goes into self-quarantine (Video)

The Duran ’ s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the decision by Russia to send Italy much-needed aid to help the country battle against the deadly coronavirus outbreak that has killed over 5,400 people .
The Russian Defense Ministry said four military planes carrying virologists , epidemiologists , medical equipment and supply of pharmaceuticals will arrive at the Pratica di Mare Air Base some 30 kilometers southwest of the capital Rome .
EU leaders have restricted exports of critical medical supplies to Italy as they prepare their own health-care systems for an onslaught of COVID-19 infections .
Meanwhile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-quarantine .
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The Russian army on Sunday began flying medical help to Italy to help it battle the new coronavirus after receiving an order from President Vladimir Putin , a goodwill gesture that Moscow labeled “ From Russia with Love.
” Giant Il-76 military planes began taking off from an airbase in the Moscow region after Putin spoke to Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday and agreements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Kremlin said Putin had expressed his support for Italy ’ s leaders and people in the extremely difficult situation they were facing and had heeded an Italian request for help .
Italy recorded almost 800 deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday , taking the toll in the world ’ s hardest-hit country to almost 5,000 , out of over 53,000 reported infections .
“ Giuseppe Conte expressed his sincere gratitude for the steps Russia is taking to support Italy at such a tough time for it , ” the Kremlin said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ties with NATO and European Union member Italy in recent years .
It asked Rome to help persuade the EU to lift sanctions imposed over Russia ’ s annexation of Ukraine from Crimea in 2014 – although those sanctions remain in place .
China , the origin of the outbreak , has also sent medical supplies to Italy , amid complaints from eurosceptic far-right leader Matteo Salvini that the European Union was failing in its duty of solidarity .
TV footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry showed a column of at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , waiting to be loaded onto planes .
The planes and trucks bore giant stickers showing heart-shaped Russian and Italian flags next to one another with the slogan ‘ From Russia with Love ’ in both Russian and Italian .
At least three planes took off on Sunday afternoon .
The Ministry said they were bound for the Pratica di Mare military airbase , 30 km ( 19 miles ) southwest of Rome .
The Kremlin said Russia was sending truck-based units capable of disinfecting vehicles , buildings and public spaces , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including testing devices , to the worst-hit Italian regions .
The team included some of Russia ’ s leading medical military specialists , who had first-hand experience of fighting outbreaks of African swine fever and anthrax and of developing vaccines against Ebola , it said .
The Defence Ministry said its help , being sent on nine military transport planes , would consist of eight medical brigades plus around 100 other personnel , including the epidemiological and virus experts .
Russia itself has reported 367 cases of the virus , many of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

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.
The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss the decision by Russia to send Italy much-needed aid to help the country battle against the deadly coronavirus outbreak that has killed over 5,400 people.
The Russian Defense Ministry said four military planes carrying virologists, epidemiologists, medical equipment and supply of pharmaceuticals will arrive at the Pratica di Mare Air Base some 30 kilometers southwest of the capital Rome.
EU leaders have restricted exports of critical medical supplies to Italy as they prepare their own health-care systems for an onslaught of COVID-19 infections. Meanwhile German Chancellor Angela Merkel has gone into self-quarantine.
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Via National Post…
The Russian army on Sunday began flying medical help to Italy to help it battle the new coronavirus after receiving an order from President Vladimir Putin, a goodwill gesture that Moscow labeled “From Russia with Love.”
Giant Il-76 military planes began taking off from an airbase in the Moscow region after Putin spoke to Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday and agreements were later reached between respective defense ministers.
The Kremlin said Putin had expressed his support for Italy’s leaders and people in the extremely difficult situation they were facing and had heeded an Italian request for help.
Italy recorded almost 800 deaths from the coronavirus on Saturday, taking the toll in the world’s hardest-hit country to almost 5,000, out of over 53,000 reported infections.
“Giuseppe Conte expressed his sincere gratitude for the steps Russia is taking to support Italy at such a tough time for it,” the Kremlin said.
Moscow has tried to cultivate close ties with NATO and European Union member Italy in recent years. It asked Rome to help persuade the EU to lift sanctions imposed over Russia’s annexation of Ukraine from Crimea in 2014 – although those sanctions remain in place.
China, the origin of the outbreak, has also sent medical supplies to Italy, amid complaints from eurosceptic far-right leader Matteo Salvini that the European Union was failing in its duty of solidarity.
‘FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE’
TV footage released by the Russian Defence Ministry showed a column of at least seven military vehicles, including large trucks, waiting to be loaded onto planes.
The planes and trucks bore giant stickers showing heart-shaped Russian and Italian flags next to one another with the slogan ‘From Russia with Love’ in both Russian and Italian.
At least three planes took off on Sunday afternoon. The Ministry said they were bound for the Pratica di Mare military airbase, 30 km (19 miles) southwest of Rome.
The Kremlin said Russia was sending truck-based units capable of disinfecting vehicles, buildings and public spaces, as well as medical specialists and equipment, including testing devices, to the worst-hit Italian regions.
The team included some of Russia’s leading medical military specialists, who had first-hand experience of fighting outbreaks of African swine fever and anthrax and of developing vaccines against Ebola, it said.
The Defence Ministry said its help, being sent on nine military transport planes, would consist of eight medical brigades plus around 100 other personnel, including the epidemiological and virus experts.
Russia itself has reported 367 cases of the virus, many of them in Moscow, and one coronavirus-related death.
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theduran--2020-03-24--An Exit Strategy to Nowhere

An Exit Strategy to Nowhere

The panic continues to play out for now and events are moving fast , dependent upon multiple variables and unknowns , but let ’ s examine how future events just might play out .
It ’ s impossible to countenance all possible outcomes so we are dependent upon probability .
Should US share markets continue to fall and US markets remain open the Dow and S & P 500 should bottom around ½ of their Feb 12th peak value , specifically to Dow 15,000 .
That ’ s because a reasonable aggregate anticipation of reduction in gross US output assumes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from peak .
That 50 % reduction in gross US output only applies to the real economy .
Air stocks/ FANG stocks have no production , and no intrinsic production value , so the virtual issues will still be at least 500 % inflated even at DJIA 15K .
[ 1 ] In other words , Wall Street ’ s ponzi has a long long way to play out before it gets to fair value .
Mnuchin and his quasi-criminal cohorts learned from the last crash that Americans won ’ t tolerate another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a few crumbs , too .
That means providing funds to the populace in light of job losses , where paying off the public gives cover to the Treasury/Fed for bail-outs to its hedge funds , dealers , asset management funds , and large corporations .
How long will the panic last ?
With extreme optimism , if we use China ’ s experience as a guide , within twelve weeks or so this disease may begin to mitigate in the US .
Having been denied freedom of movement , Americans locked in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ freedom of movement or they ’ ll just defy the order to stay home .
But much will depend on US region .
Recall that Hubei Province in China ( where this disease is alleged to have originated ) is only about 400 miles east-west and 300 miles north-south in geographic size .
That ’ s quite less than the distance between New York City and Washington state , or California .
Generally speaking , the prospect that the disease will have a greater impact in the United States than in China is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American expectation for freedom of movement .
Not particularly disciplined and skeptical of central authority , the American experience with regard to this disease might be more severe than China ’ s .
Regardless , we will assume that this virus is likely to decline by onset of summer .
Noting that the medical consideration is only one element to the crisis .
To address the crisis overall , one must consider four essential elements : financial , medical , governmental , and political .
Weaponization of the US dollar means that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States disagrees with via primary and secondary sanctions , and by politicizing the SWIFT system .
In all fairness , IndyMAC miscreant Mnuchin has simply leveraged the criminal finance actions of previous administrations .
Even so , Secretary Mnuchin is a disastrous candidate for leading the United States through this crisis in both a monetary and fiscal sense .
Mnuchin has already alienated most of the world in maintaining the US dollar as global reserve currency and Mnuchin has zero expectation to craft a reasonable exit strategy from this crisis .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is quite out of balance with regard to any real useful products it produces .
Furthermore locked in a dangerous trade war , the US has placed itself to disadvantage where little benevolent trade synergy exists between major nations .
Destructive policies will manifest from the Treasury , and its actions will further place the status of the US dollar ( as global reserve currency ) in jeopardy .
Mnuchin will use this crisis to push a debased version of Modern Monetary Theory on the public where the infinite printing press will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but a great decrease .
The US faces a quandary where segments of its industry are shutdown while the SEC keeps share and bond markets open .
Bond markets can not be closed since that is the source for production of Federal Reserve notes .
As for shares , with key industries shutdown the wonder is why stocks of those industries should still be traded .
Likewise the Fed/Treasury can use this crisis to convert to a cashless society .
The intent to convert has been present for many years , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will actually be implemented .
Prediction : US recession accompanied later by enforced inflation and eventual demise of the US dollar as global reserve currency ; baseless MMT with introduction of a cashless society ; particular share issues in markets may quit trading .
Much as the United States is forced to rely on China as producer of first resort the United States is no longer able to rely on itself .
Meaning the instance of disease and relative inability to treat it will be far greater in the US than in China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the nation ’ s health is likely to be severe ; where such an expectation has already been set by the media .
So far this author can find no reports from any news service that any nation has offered medical assistance to the United States .
[ 3 ] If Cuba or even Israel offered to send doctors or ventilators to the US , in Cuba ’ s case the help would be refused and Israel — facing its own potential crisis — is unlikely to do so .
Prediction : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disease will persist in US longer if present course maintained So far the government has taken a ‘ free market ’ [ 2 ] approach that the private sector can address the medical needs of a sick population going forward .
That the faith-based ‘ free market ’ can rise to the occasion of such a major crisis is highly unlikely .
And yet the federal government has never seen a global crisis it didn ’ t like , to use that crisis to its own advantage .
Whether 911 or the financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used every major catastrophe to expand its powers .
The federal government is already considering massive expansion of powers if illness is experienced among Elites , or civil unrest occurs .
Since most Americans already receive a government check in some form , the populace has been relatively docile and law-abiding so far .
A true worry among Elites must be that a long-term enforced COVID curfew , unemployment ( reminiscent of the 1930 ’ s ) and lack of timely or expanded SNAP/EBT benefits might lead to unrest in the more depressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involving more than several thousand people have not occurred in the US for fifty years , so the prospect may seem remote but the potential for unrest will expand in an extended crisis .
Prediction : US freedom of movement restricted until May ; Government expansion of powers ; pursuit of socialist policies should the disease not mitigate ; potential for civil unrest .
US campaigning will of course be affected by the lockdown .
Depite Mr Trump ’ s embarrassment re initially mishandling this crisis , only the president has the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on , Mr Biden will be an enforced no-show and an also-ran .
Apparently , Mr Biden is already a no-show .
The virus outbreak is embarrassing to “ free market ” [ 2 ] conservatives and Neoliberals alike .
China was able to mitigate the crisis there in relatively short order by its efficiency and efficient use of resources .
US oligarchs in control of the western media apparently wish to deny China ’ s accomplishment and stress that the United States will handle this crisis better .
Based on structural and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ironically the general public is clamoring for a concerted and coordinated governmental response reminiscent of socialism .
Embarrassed by socialist parallels and ideals , the president is stressing that medical solutions must come from the private sector .
And when the Fed pumps trillions in liquidity into markets , that ’ s a private sector affair since all Fed banks are privately owned .
So , induced liquidity at the public ’ s expense will further privatize profit while socializing loss .
Funds doled out to the public will be meager by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-elected ; the US will be on its own ; Congress will bail-out its friends ; Congress will pursue fascist policy in the form of State-controlled capitalism if shutdown is maintained ; pubic will suffer disproportionately .
The greater point is that these elements , governmental , medical , finance , and political must work together to provide realistic answers to this crisis , and to the rest of the world .
The prospect that all four elements will work together constructively and effectively is exceedingly remote .
Above all , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political impact of the pandemic is still unknown .
Instead , as after the collapse of 2008-2009 , the goal is to simply re-inflate the ‘ everything bubble ’ that has once again burst with little other consideration .
The elephant in the room is when the “ cure ” becomes worse than the disease .
That is , the point where statistics show that the disease has spiraled out of control and can not be contained in the United States .
Then relying on so-called herd immunity will become an enforced measure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the result is that the United States ( or any nation that can not contain it ) could endanger the rest of the world ’ s population and possibly infect populations that managed to previously mitigate the disease .
Regardless of outcome , whether boom or bust , illness or health , it is common to believe that such a state will manifest itself forever .
That is never true .
Consider that all panics come to an end – including this one .
The worst of the 2001 panic in Argentina lasted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 2008 – 2009 spanned a period of approximately nine months from May of 2008 to March of 2009 , when the Dow index lost fully one-half its value .
Charles Albert Collman wrote in his 1931 book , Our Mysterious Panics : “ All things come to an end , even panics , after they have taken their toll from the gamblers and adventurers who produced them .
Men do not make panics deliberately , for they are their unconscious agents.
” But ninety years on , we now face a unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ malign trajectory of the west for at least seventy years , the accelerated spread of this illness may perhaps alert us to the fact that there is a deeper malaise in our relation to each other and to the globalized world .
Enforced Buddhism is of course a non-starter .
But perhaps we would do well to reflect on the fact that man is not the master of any world – especially not his or her own .
The change we are bound to see will certainly reinforce the change that needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hope to retreat to a dream world of yesterday is not an option , even if that is what our leaders entreat .
[ 1 ] Verifiable by comparing book value versus market value [ 2 ] Where “ free market ” means the freedom to conglomerate , consolidate , monopolize and engage in anti-competitive practices

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 Steve Brown…
The panic continues to play out for now and events are moving fast, dependent upon multiple variables and unknowns, but let’s examine how future events just might play out. It’s impossible to countenance all possible outcomes so we are dependent upon probability.
Should US share markets continue to fall and US markets remain open the Dow and S&P 500 should bottom around ½ of their Feb 12th peak value, specifically to Dow 15,000. That’s because a reasonable aggregate anticipation of reduction in gross US output assumes a 50% devaluation in this shutdown from peak.
That 50% reduction in gross US output only applies to the real economy. Air stocks/ FANG stocks have no production, and no intrinsic production value, so the virtual issues will still be at least 500% inflated even at DJIA 15K.[1] In other words, Wall Street’s ponzi has a long long way to play out before it gets to fair value.
Mnuchin and his quasi-criminal cohorts learned from the last crash that Americans won’t tolerate another Wall Street bail-out unless working people get a few crumbs, too. That means providing funds to the populace in light of job losses, where paying off the public gives cover to the Treasury/Fed for bail-outs to its hedge funds, dealers, asset management funds, and large corporations.
How long will the panic last? With extreme optimism, if we use China’s experience as a guide, within twelve weeks or so this disease may begin to mitigate in the US. Having been denied freedom of movement, Americans locked in their homes will either appeal for more freedom of movement or they’ll just defy the order to stay home. But much will depend on US region.
Recall that Hubei Province in China (where this disease is alleged to have originated) is only about 400 miles east-west and 300 miles north-south in geographic size. That’s quite less than the distance between New York City and Washington state, or California. Generally speaking, the prospect that the disease will have a greater impact in the United States than in China is dependent upon the geographic area concerned and the American expectation for freedom of movement.
Not particularly disciplined and skeptical of central authority, the American experience with regard to this disease might be more severe than China’s. Regardless, we will assume that this virus is likely to decline by onset of summer. Noting that the medical consideration is only one element to the crisis. To address the crisis overall, one must consider four essential elements: financial, medical, governmental, and political.
Finance : US dollar and Inflation
Weaponization of the US dollar means that Secretary Mnuchin has deliberately punished nations that the United States disagrees with via primary and secondary sanctions, and by politicizing the SWIFT system. In all fairness, IndyMAC miscreant Mnuchin has simply leveraged the criminal finance actions of previous administrations. Even so, Secretary Mnuchin is a disastrous candidate for leading the United States through this crisis in both a monetary and fiscal sense. Mnuchin has already alienated most of the world in maintaining the US dollar as global reserve currency and Mnuchin has zero expectation to craft a reasonable exit strategy from this crisis.
The perceived wealth of the United States is quite out of balance with regard to any real useful products it produces. Furthermore locked in a dangerous trade war, the US has placed itself to disadvantage where little benevolent trade synergy exists between major nations.
Destructive policies will manifest from the Treasury, and its actions will further place the status of the US dollar (as global reserve currency) in jeopardy. Mnuchin will use this crisis to push a debased version of Modern Monetary Theory on the public where the infinite printing press will not be accompanied by any increase in production, but a great decrease.
The US faces a quandary where segments of its industry are shutdown while the SEC keeps share and bond markets open. Bond markets cannot be closed since that is the source for production of Federal Reserve notes. As for shares, with key industries shutdown the wonder is why stocks of those industries should still be traded. Likewise the Fed/Treasury can use this crisis to convert to a cashless society. The intent to convert has been present for many years, the question is how such a cashless plan will actually be implemented.
Prediction: US recession accompanied later by enforced inflation and eventual demise of the US dollar as global reserve currency; baseless MMT with introduction of a cashless society; particular share issues in markets may quit trading.
Medical
Much as the United States is forced to rely on China as producer of first resort the United States is no longer able to rely on itself. Meaning the instance of disease and relative inability to treat it will be far greater in the US than in China. By that measure, the impact to the nation’s health is likely to be severe; where such an expectation has already been set by the media. So far this author can find no reports from any news service that any nation has offered medical assistance to the United States. [3] If Cuba or even Israel offered to send doctors or ventilators to the US, in Cuba’s case the help would be refused and Israel — facing its own potential crisis — is unlikely to do so.
Prediction: Higher US death toll than China; disease will persist in US longer if present course maintained
Governmental
So far the government has taken a ‘free market’ [2] approach that the private sector can address the medical needs of a sick population going forward. That the faith-based ‘free market’ can rise to the occasion of such a major crisis is highly unlikely. And yet the federal government has never seen a global crisis it didn’t like, to use that crisis to its own advantage.
Whether 911 or the financial collapse of 2008-2009 the central government has used every major catastrophe to expand its powers. The federal government is already considering massive expansion of powers if illness is experienced among Elites, or civil unrest occurs.
Since most Americans already receive a government check in some form, the populace has been relatively docile and law-abiding so far. A true worry among Elites must be that a long-term enforced COVID curfew, unemployment (reminiscent of the 1930’s) and lack of timely or expanded SNAP/EBT benefits might lead to unrest in the more depressed regions of the country. Major riots involving more than several thousand people have not occurred in the US for fifty years, so the prospect may seem remote but the potential for unrest will expand in an extended crisis.
Prediction: US freedom of movement restricted until May; Government expansion of powers; pursuit of socialist policies should the disease not mitigate; potential for civil unrest.
Political
US campaigning will of course be affected by the lockdown. Depite Mr Trump’s embarrassment re initially mishandling this crisis, only the president has the political podium now. If the crisis carries on, Mr Biden will be an enforced no-show and an also-ran. Apparently, Mr Biden is already a no-show.
The virus outbreak is embarrassing to “free market” [2] conservatives and Neoliberals alike. China was able to mitigate the crisis there in relatively short order by its efficiency and efficient use of resources. US oligarchs in control of the western media apparently wish to deny China’s accomplishment and stress that the United States will handle this crisis better. Based on structural and systemic issues the foregoing is exceedingly unlikely.
Ironically the general public is clamoring for a concerted and coordinated governmental response reminiscent of socialism. Embarrassed by socialist parallels and ideals, the president is stressing that medical solutions must come from the private sector. And when the Fed pumps trillions in liquidity into markets, that’s a private sector affair since all Fed banks are privately owned. So, induced liquidity at the public’s expense will further privatize profit while socializing loss. Funds doled out to the public will be meager by comparison.
Prediction: Trump will be re-elected; the US will be on its own; Congress will bail-out its friends; Congress will pursue fascist policy in the form of State-controlled capitalism if shutdown is maintained; pubic will suffer disproportionately.
Exit Strategy
The greater point is that these elements, governmental, medical, finance, and political must work together to provide realistic answers to this crisis, and to the rest of the world. The prospect that all four elements will work together constructively and effectively is exceedingly remote.
Above all, there is no exit strategy because the financial and political impact of the pandemic is still unknown. Instead, as after the collapse of 2008-2009, the goal is to simply re-inflate the ‘everything bubble’ that has once again burst with little other consideration.
The elephant in the room is when the “cure” becomes worse than the disease. That is, the point where statistics show that the disease has spiraled out of control and cannot be contained in the United States. Then relying on so-called herd immunity will become an enforced measure. Unable to contain the disease, the result is that the United States (or any nation that cannot contain it) could endanger the rest of the world’s population and possibly infect populations that managed to previously mitigate the disease.
Regardless of outcome, whether boom or bust, illness or health, it is common to believe that such a state will manifest itself forever. That is never true. Consider that all panics come to an end – including this one. The worst of the 2001 panic in Argentina lasted only four months. The financial collapse of 2008 – 2009 spanned a period of approximately nine months from May of 2008 to March of 2009, when the Dow index lost fully one-half its value. Charles Albert Collman wrote in his 1931 book, Our Mysterious Panics:
“All things come to an end, even panics, after they have taken their toll from the gamblers and adventurers who produced them. Men do not make panics deliberately, for they are their unconscious agents.”
But ninety years on, we now face a unique confluence of events. Besides the largely malign trajectory of the west for at least seventy years, the accelerated spread of this illness may perhaps alert us to the fact that there is a deeper malaise in our relation to each other and to the globalized world. Enforced Buddhism is of course a non-starter. But perhaps we would do well to reflect on the fact that man is not the master of any world – especially not his or her own.
The change we are bound to see will certainly reinforce the change that needs to occur. To simply ignore this calamity and hope to retreat to a dream world of yesterday is not an option, even if that is what our leaders entreat.
[1] Verifiable by comparing book value versus market value
[2] Where “free market” means the freedom to conglomerate, consolidate, monopolize and engage in anti-competitive practices
[3] correction appreciated
Follow Steve Brown on twitter: @newsypaperz
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