theduran--2020-12-05--“Maybe next time” offered by States hearing Trump Challenge [Video]

The legal team representing the challenge Donald Trump has put forward about the strongly-evident fraud that was targeted and well-organized by the Democrats has been very successful in making its case everywhere they are heard .
We first saw this in Pennsylvania , and again in Arizona and more recently still in Michigan .
The witness testimonies are clear and specific and there is a lot of forensic data supporting the fact that various power players ( as yet unnamed , but known generally as Dominion and SmartMatic , as well as the state judges in all these Democrat strongholds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud to steal what would have otherwise been a Trump landslide victory .
We knew this was coming .
The Democrats told us .
They gave not-very-veiled messages to Joe Biden , like Hillary Clinton ’ s “ don ’ t concede under any circumstances ” instruction , given in plain sight on an interview .
We knew it was coming in Nancy Pelosi ’ s chilling assertion that Biden will be the next president of the United States .
For the Democrats it was a done deal .
Now it once again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , even as the Trump legal team scores hit after hit after hit in its favor .
Why is this ?
It appears that whatever has empowered the Democrats has also taken the fire out of the state legislatures – at least if we look at Michigan as an example .
The language used by the Michigan and Georgia GOP legislators sounds good only if you are not listening .
Here is an example from Georgia : Question : “ Do you believe there was voter fraud this election , on November 3rd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there has been voter tampering as far as rigging goes… ” ( and more , which we pass only for the sake of our point ) Question 2 : “ And as a voter and a citizen of Georgia , do you believe that we should do something to insure that it doesn ’ t happen again ?
” The answer is worse , unfortunately ( and maybe again by design ) : “ … I can ’ t force you guys… ” So , what we have here , if this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to kick the can down the road .
Solving voter fraud in 2022 and 2024 will not fix the improper and false lead Biden is getting credited for NOW !
!
It is surprising that there was nobody stopping this in this meeting here , but again , perhaps we are reporting a single segment of a very long process out of context .
One can hope so .
However , in Michigan , the same thing appears to be taking place .
It should be noted that the Michigan hearings have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and making very nasty allegations from their seats againt witnesses who have signed affadivits as their legal seal of honest testimony .
Nevertheless while the Giuliani-led team is civil , they may be losing the ballgame .
Jenna Ellis notes her own perceptions of this here , and notes much the same thing about the Michigan legislature – they seem unwilling to take action they legally easily CAN do now , and would rather prevaricate and say “ oh , it is okay , we will change it next time , sorry.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cheater , there might not be a next time .
That is why President Trump is fighting so hard to get this situation straightened out .
To be sure , as a Trump supporter , I want Trump to succeed because that would mean he wins a second term now .
Nevertheless , and unfortunately , the issue is bigger than that .
Even if we were to get all the legal votes counted and Biden still won , then we could accept that as an honest defeat .
But still , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States truly puts an imposter into the most powerful office in the world .
This is a case where the “ fallen world ” principle seems to be in deeply in play .
An old song mentions that in this world the innocent often die while the guilty go free .
It begins to look like this will happen again .
One ought to hope not .

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 legal team representing the challenge Donald Trump has put forward about the strongly-evident fraud that was targeted and well-organized by the Democrats has been very successful in making its case everywhere they are heard. We first saw this in Pennsylvania, and again in Arizona and more recently still in Michigan. The witness testimonies are clear and specific and there is a lot of forensic data supporting the fact that various power players (as yet unnamed, but known generally as Dominion and SmartMatic, as well as the state judges in all these Democrat strongholds) determined and carried out massive voter fraud to steal what would have otherwise been a Trump landslide victory.
We knew this was coming. The Democrats told us. They gave not-very-veiled messages to Joe Biden, like Hillary Clinton’s “don’t concede under any circumstances” instruction, given in plain sight on an interview. We knew it was coming in Nancy Pelosi’s chilling assertion that Biden will be the next president of the United States. For the Democrats it was a done deal.
Now it once again begins to appear that they are right, even as the Trump legal team scores hit after hit after hit in its favor. Why is this?
It appears that whatever has empowered the Democrats has also taken the fire out of the state legislatures – at least if we look at Michigan as an example. The language used by the Michigan and Georgia GOP legislators sounds good only if you are not listening. Here is an example from Georgia:
Note what was asked:
Question: “Do you believe there was voter fraud this election, on November 3rd?”
Answer: “I believe there has been voter tampering as far as rigging goes…” (and more, which we pass only for the sake of our point)
Question 2: “And as a voter and a citizen of Georgia, do you believe that we should do something to insure that it doesn’t happen again?”
Say, what?!?
The answer is worse, unfortunately (and maybe again by design): “… I can’t force you guys…”
So, what we have here, if this is in context, is Georgia GOP legislators trying to kick the can down the road.
Solving voter fraud in 2022 and 2024 will not fix the improper and false lead Biden is getting credited for NOW!!
It is surprising that there was nobody stopping this in this meeting here, but again, perhaps we are reporting a single segment of a very long process out of context. One can hope so.
However, in Michigan, the same thing appears to be taking place. It should be noted that the Michigan hearings have been very fiery, with Democrats fighting and making very nasty allegations from their seats againt witnesses who have signed affadivits as their legal seal of honest testimony. Nevertheless while the Giuliani-led team is civil, they may be losing the ballgame.
Jenna Ellis notes her own perceptions of this here, and notes much the same thing about the Michigan legislature – they seem unwilling to take action they legally easily CAN do now, and would rather prevaricate and say “oh, it is okay, we will change it next time, sorry.”
If Biden gets into office as a cheater, there might not be a next time. That is why President Trump is fighting so hard to get this situation straightened out.
To be sure, as a Trump supporter, I want Trump to succeed because that would mean he wins a second term now. Nevertheless, and unfortunately, the issue is bigger than that. Even if we were to get all the legal votes counted and Biden still won, then we could accept that as an honest defeat. But still, the system must be fixed and rectified before the United States truly puts an imposter into the most powerful office in the world.
This is a case where the “fallen world” principle seems to be in deeply in play. An old song mentions that in this world the innocent often die while the guilty go free.
It begins to look like this will happen again. One ought to hope not.
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-12-05--“These vaccines are unlikely to “completely sterilize” a population. Professor Sir John Bell, SAGE!

Note… .
Oxford is where one of the vaccine originates !
We would like to draw your attention to the fact that Professor Sir John Bell , professor of medicine at Oxford University , and a part of the GAVI team – Sir John is a member of SAGE ( Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ) and sits on the government ’ s vaccine task force that has negotiated the purchase of a handful of proposed vaccines to combat coronavirus – developing AstraZeneca ’ s coronavirus vaccine , said in an interview with Jon Snow that “ These vaccines are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They are very likely to have an effect which works in a % , say 60 or 70 % .
” Believe him , someone who has these levels of credentials doesn ’ t misspeak without correcting himself .
Sterilization : 1.The process of making something free from bacteria or other living microorganisms .
Microorganisms can be bacteria , fungi , archaea or protists .
The term microorganisms does not include viruses and prions , which are generally classified as non-living .
https : //www.uib.no/en/geobio/56846/wh… .
I am sure any infertility will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame infertility on Covid19 ?
Look at these links or google it ,

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.
Note…. Oxford is where one of the vaccine originates!
We would like to draw your attention to the fact that Professor Sir John Bell, professor of medicine at Oxford University, and a part of the GAVI team – Sir John is a member of SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) and sits on the government’s vaccine task force that has negotiated the purchase of a handful of proposed vaccines to combat coronavirus – developing AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, said in an interview with Jon Snow that “These vaccines are unlikely to completely sterilize a population. They are very likely to have an effect which works in a %, say 60 or 70%.” Believe him, someone who has these levels of credentials doesn’t misspeak without correcting himself. Sterilization:
1.The process of making something free from bacteria or other living microorganisms. Microorganisms can be bacteria, fungi, archaea or protists. The term microorganisms does not include viruses and prions, which are generally classified as non-living. https://www.uib.no/en/geobio/56846/wh…. I am sure any infertility will be blamed on the virus . Will they blame infertility on Covid19? Look at these links or google it,
1. https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/h…
2. https://www.thailandmedical.news/news…
3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoria…
4. https://www.urotoday.com/recent-abstr…
5. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/f…
6, https://www.bionews.org.uk
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-12-05--True Leadership: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney REJECTS “The Great Reset”

Jason Kenny shows real leadership and courage to stand up against the Orwellian “ great reset ” communist media and @ @ @ @ @ is a voice of reason that represents the people and supports small business .
Alberta @ @ @ @ @ question from a viewer during a Facebook livestream regarding ” The Great Reset ” that @ @ @ @ @ around the world , like Prime Minister Justin Trudeau .
Kenney is definitely not supportive @ @ @ @

Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time.
Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time.


Walter Williams (1936-2020)

If you haven ’ t heard of him , that is hardly surprising .
Black conservatives are anathema to the mainstream media , and black conservatives who tell it like it is , irrefutably , are either ignored or dismissed as Uncle Toms .
Like his friend of half a century , Thomas Sowell , he was not destined initially for an academic career , although unlike Sowell he never became a Marxist .
Until December 2 , Sowell and Williams were arguably America ’ s greatest living economists per se .
Sowell , who recently turned 90 , published @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sun , among other newspapers .
Walter Williams grew up the Philadelphia projects ; he flunked out of college , drove a taxi for a while , then served in the military from 1959 to 1963 .
After the military , he resumed his studies , eventually obtaining a PhD in Economics .
Like Sowell , whom he met in 1969 , he was skeptical of minimum wage laws .
And like Sowell , he saw through the race-hustlers .
In fact , it is no exaggeration to say that between them these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gender pay gap , and perhaps even more importantly the lunatic concepts of white privilege and the even more bizarre concept of intersectionality before Peggy McIntosh and Kimberlé Crenshaw formulated their absurd doctrines .
Like Sowell , Williams was a prolific author , his works include eleven full length books among them his autobiography .
He was also an extremely eloquent and persuasive speaker .
Some of his speeches can be found on YouTube , and his arguments against the pervasiveness of so-called racism are flawless .
Sowell ’ s 1984 book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points out inter alia that in Malaysia , racial discrimination is written into the constitution , yet Chinese-Malaysians dominate the economy .
Williams covered similar ground in his classic speech How Much Can Discrimination Explain ?
in which he pointed out that in the United States , Jamaican Americans ( in 1972 ) were a get ahead minority .
On the subject of statistical differences he pointed out that black Americans , then 13 % of the population , made up 75 % of NBA players ( and the highest paid ) ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ football players and 38 % of the baseball players , and , most amusingly , slightly over 50 % of all American hockey players came from Minnesota .
Regarding discrimination , his anecdote about the tiger is especially amusing , and enlightening .
A good economist must also be an historian or at least understand something about history , and he certainly did .
Williams was scornful of the incessant claim that blacks of his and later generations are somehow held back by slavery , and pointed to other factors , including poor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Williams was married once ; his wife died in 2007 .
He is survived by his daughter .

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 great economist Walter Williams has died, aged 84.
If you haven’t heard of him, that is hardly surprising. Black conservatives are anathema to the mainstream media, and black conservatives who tell it like it is, irrefutably, are either ignored or dismissed as Uncle Toms.
Like his friend of half a century, Thomas Sowell, he was not destined initially for an academic career, although unlike Sowell he never became a Marxist.
Until December 2, Sowell and Williams were arguably America’s greatest living economists per se. Sowell, who recently turned 90, published his obituary of Williams in The Calgary Sun, among other newspapers.
Walter Williams grew up the Philadelphia projects; he flunked out of college, drove a taxi for a while, then served in the military from 1959 to 1963. After the military, he resumed his studies, eventually obtaining a PhD in Economics. Like Sowell, whom he met in 1969, he was skeptical of minimum wage laws. And like Sowell, he saw through the race-hustlers. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that between them these two men totally demolished the fallacy of the gender pay gap, and perhaps even more importantly the lunatic concepts of white privilege and the even more bizarre concept of intersectionality before Peggy McIntosh and Kimberlé Crenshaw formulated their absurd doctrines.
Like Sowell, Williams was a prolific author, his works include eleven full length books among them his autobiography. He was also an extremely eloquent and persuasive speaker. Some of his speeches can be found on YouTube, and his arguments against the pervasiveness of so-called racism are flawless. Sowell’s 1984 book CIVIL RIGHTS: Rhetoric Or Reality? points out inter alia that in Malaysia, racial discrimination is written into the constitution, yet Chinese-Malaysians dominate the economy.
Williams covered similar ground in his classic speech How Much Can Discrimination Explain? in which he pointed out that in the United States, Jamaican Americans (in 1972) were a get ahead minority. On the subject of statistical differences he pointed out that black Americans, then 13% of the population, made up 75% of NBA players (and the highest paid); blacks made up 53% of the football players and 38% of the baseball players, and, most amusingly, slightly over 50% of all American hockey players came from Minnesota.
Regarding discrimination, his anecdote about the tiger is especially amusing, and enlightening.
A good economist must also be an historian or at least understand something about history, and he certainly did. Williams was scornful of the incessant claim that blacks of his and later generations are somehow held back by slavery, and pointed to other factors, including poor schools, for black underachievement.
Walter Williams was married once; his wife died in 2007. He is survived by his daughter.
Walter E. Williams, born Philadelphia, March 31, 1936
Died December 2, 2020.
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-12-05--Smart Money Fleeing Markets as Retail Investors Jump In! Foreign Investors Dump U.S. Debt

In any investments , there are always uncertainties , always ups and downs .
Today , the central banks have given the markets the impression that there are no more downs , and that the markets will perpetually rise .
Thanks to the central banks that love us very much , we are at a permanently high plateau .
At least I remember hearing that one before .
Foreign Share of US Debt Plunging ; Fed Picking Up the Slack | SchiffGold Foreign Share of US Debt Plunging ; Fed Picking Up the Slack | SchiffGold Over the last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 4.2 trillion .
The national debt now stands well above $ 27 trillion .
There is no end in sight to the borrowing and spending and that raises a significant question : who is going to buy all of the bonds necessary to finance the government spending machine ?
FRANKFURT-The European Central Bank ’ s chief economist made dozens of private calls to banks and investors after policy meetings this year , breaking with the central bank ’ s usual practice of delivering information to everyone at the same time in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to three people with whom he spoke and a review of his schedule .
Tesla stock jumps on news it will join S & P 500 in one shot Tesla stock jumps after announcement it will join S & P 500 in one go Tesla ’ s stock price surged early Tuesday after the company behind the S & P 500 said the electric-car maker would be added to the index in one go this month .
Shares in the world ’ s most valuable automaker climbed about 5.1 percent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investors are doing very different than retail investors .
Money has been flowing into stocks at this time more than ever .
More debt accumulating .
• The Money GPS : The Broken Economy Leaving Millions Without A Job !
Economic Crisis or Opportunity ?
• The Money GPS : BIS Central Banker Admits EPIC Level Crisis Is the Most Likely Result of Global Mass QE Wake up to the suits and ties .
They ’ re all lying to you .
None are your friends .
None wish to help you .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ than ever before .
The magician always makes a spectacle to hide the trick .
JANET YELLEN MIGHT BE BACK .
Anyone suggesting government took over the Fed and not the other way around needs to wake up .
Fed gained more control .
Even Bloomberg admits it .
The revolving door and the control over the public is very evident to those paying attention .
# janetyellen pic.twitter.com/2lHmrIHw0T The Money GPS – How To and Solutions How To Fix the Global Economy ( Instagram ) The Money GPS Financial Education 101 coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ learn from but for those who already know the content , this is perfect to share with others .
I ’ m creating this course for people specifically to get the foundation # money # moneyGPS # financialeducation pic.twitter.com/nzqVVSSorT HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON AMAZON – FREE eCOURSE : http : //TheAmazonGPS.com LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKS !
http : //books.themoneygps.com Sources Used in This Video : http : //bit.ly/TheMoneyGPSSources2020 The Money GPS is the most active , most informative channel in the financial world .
Day after day , breaking down the data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This channel is not here to help build a portfolio , give stock picks , or financial advice .
It ’ s simply data that is generally not found through conventional means .

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.
source
In any investments, there are always uncertainties, always ups and downs. Today, the central banks have given the markets the impression that there are no more downs, and that the markets will perpetually rise. Thanks to the central banks that love us very much, we are at a permanently high plateau. At least I remember hearing that one before.
finance.png (593×438)
No Title No Description
Foreign Share of US Debt Plunging; Fed Picking Up the Slack | SchiffGold
Foreign Share of US Debt Plunging; Fed Picking Up the Slack | SchiffGold Over the last year, the US government had borrowed over $4.2 trillion. The national debt now stands well above $27 trillion. There is no end in sight to the borrowing and spending and that raises a significant question: who is going to buy all of the bonds necessary to finance the government spending machine?
Top ECB Official Privately Called Investors, Banks After Key Policy Decisions – WSJ
WSJ News Exclusive | Top ECB Official Privately Called Investors, Banks After Key Policy Decisions FRANKFURT-The European Central Bank’s chief economist made dozens of private calls to banks and investors after policy meetings this year, breaking with the central bank’s usual practice of delivering information to everyone at the same time in an effort to clarify its sometimes-puzzling public pronouncements, according to three people with whom he spoke and a review of his schedule.
Tesla stock jumps on news it will join S&P 500 in one shot
Tesla stock jumps after announcement it will join S&P 500 in one go Tesla’s stock price surged early Tuesday after the company behind the S&P 500 said the electric-car maker would be added to the index in one go this month. Shares in the world’s most valuable automaker climbed about 5.1 percent to $596.55 as of 8:59 a.m.
— The Money GPS: Massive disparity. Stocks up. Economy weak. (Instagram)
Fear & Greed Index – Investor Sentiment – CNNMoney
Fear & Greed Index – Investor Sentiment – CNNMoney Fear & Greed is CNNMoney’s investor sentiment tool that comprises of 7 markets indicators.
2020-12-01_6-20-34.jpg (1278×827)
No Title No Description
call volumes_0.jpg (1038×634)
No Title No Description
200DMA.jpg (1069×650)
No Title No Description
options spec index.jpg (1028×583)
No Title No Description
PE ratio.jpg (1280×416)
No Title No Description
smart index.jpg (1011×625)
No Title No Description
Institutional investors are doing very different than retail investors. Money has been flowing into stocks at this time more than ever. More debt accumulating.
— APPENDICES —
— FOOTNOTES —
No Title Wake up to the suits and ties. They’re all lying to you. None are your friends. None wish to help you. Wolves in sheep clothing. More distractions than ever before. The magician always makes a spectacle to hide the trick.
No Title JANET YELLEN MIGHT BE BACK. Anyone suggesting government took over the Fed and not the other way around needs to wake up. Fed gained more control. Even Bloomberg admits it. The revolving door and the control over the public is very evident to those paying attention. #janetyellen pic.twitter.com/2lHmrIHw0T
— PLAYLISTS —
The Money GPS – How To and Solutions
The Money GPS Easy eCourse
— The Money GPS —
How To Fix the Global Economy (Instagram)
No Title The Money GPS Financial Education 101 coming soon.100% free eCourse for you to learn from but for those who already know the content, this is perfect to share with others. I’m creating this course for people specifically to get the foundation #money #moneyGPS #financialeducation pic.twitter.com/nzqVVSSorT
HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON AMAZON – FREE eCOURSE: http://TheAmazonGPS.com
LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKS! http://books.themoneygps.com
SUPPORT MY WORK: https://www.patreon.com/themoneygps
PAYPAL: https://goo.gl/L6VQg9
OTHER: http://themoneygps.com/donate
AUDIOBOOK: http://themoneygps.com/store
T-SHIRTS: http://merch.themoneygps.com
MY FAVORITE BOOKS: http://themoneygps.com/books
Sources Used in This Video: http://bit.ly/TheMoneyGPSSources2020
The Money GPS is the most active, most informative channel in the financial world. Day after day, breaking down the data and making it easy to understand. This channel is not here to help build a portfolio, give stock picks, or financial advice. It’s simply data that is generally not found through conventional means.
#money #finance #invest
Twitter Instagram Facebook
# T h e M o n e y G P S
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-12-05--Not One but TWO Effective, Safe and Inexpensive Cures for Covid Exist [VIDEO]

Ivermectin has not received the publicity of Hydroxychloroquine .
And we ’ re left to wonder why .
Is it a case of there being in fact too many real-world options available to treat covid than just the vaccine ?
Is the narrative easier to frame if it ’ s just presented as X vs. Y – vaccine vs. HCQ ?
We ’ re not sure , but overlooking ivermectin , an obviously very effective drug treatment used around the world , is curious .
We ’ re using Paul Craig Roberts ’ recent piece in which he republishes Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belgian health authorities .
That includes a link to a recent Egyptian study showing the superior efficacy of ivermectin over HCQ .
Second , a report from French site Le Libre Penseur making essentially the same point about rendering ivermectin invisible .
It includes review of research , especially coming out of Brazil where ivermectin was already being used , as well as the effective research of Dr. Pierre Kory , an American critical care physician .
We bumped into this short piece from Indian Express from August 2020 regarding the replacement of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Uttar Pradesh for the treatment of covid .
See UP : New Protocol Ivermectin to Replace HCQ in Treatment of Covid Patients .
A major researcher in this area turns out to be Dr. Pierre Kory , who discusses this strange phenomenon of silence about ivermectin , as well as the refinement of protocols using this drug successfully .
See Dr. Pierre Kory Talks Covid-19 , Ivermectin and the FLCCC | Podcast E43 .
Here ’ s his youtube commentary for as long as it stays up : Interestingly , he discusses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least , it hasn ’ t shown itself to be as effective as ivermectin .
If this is so , we wonder if allowing HCQ to be the vaccine-alternative has DELIBERATELY quoshed publicity for a drug that is known to be considerably better .
Effective treatment and prevention is available for COVID-19 Two Effective , Safe , and Inexpensive Cures for Covid Exist I have published previous letters from the virologist Marc Wathelet to the Belgian health authorities about Covid .
In this one he points out that effective threatment and prevention are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results in more deaths , and that the vaccine itself is problematic .
Effective treatment and prevention is available for COVID-19 .
In these difficult times , I would like to draw your attention to a treatment that could make a huge difference to the health of people who find themselves infected with the new coronavirus in Belgium .
It is ivermectin , a well-known and well-understood drug discovered in 1975 that is on the WHO essential drugs list .
It is used in humans to treat infections with many types of parasites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is one of the drugs that warranted clinical trials to test its effectiveness against COVID-19 , as I suggested last April https : //tinyurl.com/yyzyoe7n , but we did nothing .
An unpublished study ( preprint ) from Egypt compares the effects of ivermectin to those of hydroxychloroquine .
The results are spectacular !
https : //www.trialsitenews.com/benha-university-breakthrough-randomized-controlled-trial-shows-ivermectin-effective-for-treating-covid-19-as-prophylaxis/ The standard treatment for COVID in several African countries , including Egypt , is the combination of hydroxychloroquine , azithromycin and Zinc .
This study compares this treatment with the combination of ivermectin , azithromycin and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 100 individuals each , where moderate and severe forms of the disease are treated with either of these two drug combinations .
They measure the percentage improvement in symptoms and decrease in viral load , and the number of deaths ( which comes down to a percentage since there are 100 patients per arm ) .
Here is the summary of the results obtained : With such clear results , now is the time to show vision !
Please also see this article that reviews clinical trials with this molecule around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the experts who advise you to confirm that the benefit / risk ratio of this therapeutic approach is largely in favor of its use for severe forms of the disease .
It is essential that this treatment becomes immediately available in hospitals to treat severe forms .
It is not a question of verifying this study with new studies before making this decision , while we have an average of almost 200 daily deaths due to COVID in Belgium over the last week , and therefore an excess mortality ~ 65 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have time !
Its use in moderate forms of the disease requires a confirmatory study , but this drug should be available for prescription by front-line doctors when medical supervision can be ensured to monitor for potential side effects .
This medicine is only available in our country in its topical formulation , as a cream ( Soolantra® ) .
It is possible to obtain the necessary formulation , 3 or 6 mg tablets for oral administration from neighboring countries , but our pharmacies are not supplied .
I therefore recommend that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ivermectin in our country ; 2 ) ensure the supply of our pharmacies with this essential drug ; 3 ) ensure the transmission of this information to hospitals ; and 4 ) organize the necessary trials to confirm or deny its usefulness on the front line for moderate disease .
We must have the lucidity to recognize that this is a “ game-changer ” and that a very rapid response from the government would limit the harmful consequences of the mismanagement of the health crisis from which our country has suffered until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the vaccines in development are designed to induce mucosal immunity , the only kind of vaccine that is potentially sterilizing , and therefore likely to have an effect on the transmission of the virus .
The criteria for evaluating these candidate vaccines are limited to a reduction in symptoms but not a reduction in deaths or an effect on virus transmission : the bar is set very low to ensure their approval .
The reduction of symptoms , if achieved without serious side effects , is certainly desirable , but it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus because it is the appearance of symptoms that prompts the change in individual behavior that can limit transmission .
In addition , studies are accumulating which indicate that a vitamin D deficiency favors the development of the severe form of the disease : it is a question of setting up a large information campaign to recommend that everyone supplement their diet with vitamin D. It is a very simple and inexpensive measure , which can have a very substantial effect on the morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 .
Remember that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are significant not only for the individuals concerned and their families , but also for our health care budget .
What are we waiting for to take this simple step ?
Have we forgotten that it ’ s easier to prevent disease than to treat it ?
Please act , Minister of Health , act today : do not feed the narrative that the government does not have the interests of its people at heart , only the wishes of the lobbies !

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.
By Pam Barker | Director of TLB Europe Reloaded Project
Ivermectin has not received the publicity of Hydroxychloroquine. And we’re left to wonder why. Is it a case of there being in fact too many real-world options available to treat covid than just the vaccine? Is the narrative easier to frame if it’s just presented as X vs. Y – vaccine vs. HCQ? We’re not sure, but overlooking ivermectin, an obviously very effective drug treatment used around the world, is curious. We’re using Paul Craig Roberts’ recent piece in which he republishes Dr. Marc Wathelet’s letter to the Belgian health authorities. That includes a link to a recent Egyptian study showing the superior efficacy of ivermectin over HCQ.
Second, a report from French site Le Libre Penseur making essentially the same point about rendering ivermectin invisible. It includes review of research, especially coming out of Brazil where ivermectin was already being used, as well as the effective research of Dr. Pierre Kory, an American critical care physician.
We bumped into this short piece from Indian Express from August 2020 regarding the replacement of HCQ with ivermectin in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh for the treatment of covid. See UP: New Protocol Ivermectin to Replace HCQ in Treatment of Covid Patients.
A major researcher in this area turns out to be Dr. Pierre Kory, who discusses this strange phenomenon of silence about ivermectin, as well as the refinement of protocols using this drug successfully. See Dr. Pierre Kory Talks Covid-19, Ivermectin and the FLCCC | Podcast E43. Here’s his youtube commentary for as long as it stays up:
Interestingly, he discusses HCQ and why, for him at least, it hasn’t shown itself to be as effective as ivermectin. If this is so, we wonder if allowing HCQ to be the vaccine-alternative has DELIBERATELY quoshed publicity for a drug that is known to be considerably better.
********
Effective treatment and prevention is available for COVID-19
PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
Two Effective, Safe, and Inexpensive Cures for Covid Exist
I have published previous letters from the virologist Marc Wathelet to the Belgian health authorities about Covid. In this one he points out that effective threatment and prevention are available, that awaiting a vaccine simply results in more deaths, and that the vaccine itself is problematic.
Effective treatment and prevention is available for COVID-19.
Dear Minister of Health,
In these difficult times, I would like to draw your attention to a treatment that could make a huge difference to the health of people who find themselves infected with the new coronavirus in Belgium.
It is ivermectin, a well-known and well-understood drug discovered in 1975 that is on the WHO essential drugs list. It is used in humans to treat infections with many types of parasites and it also has antiviral activity. This is one of the drugs that warranted clinical trials to test its effectiveness against COVID-19, as I suggested last April https://tinyurl.com/yyzyoe7n, but we did nothing.
An unpublished study (preprint) from Egypt compares the effects of ivermectin to those of hydroxychloroquine. The results are spectacular! https://www.trialsitenews.com/benha-university-breakthrough-randomized-controlled-trial-shows-ivermectin-effective-for-treating-covid-19-as-prophylaxis/
The standard treatment for COVID in several African countries, including Egypt, is the combination of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and Zinc. This study compares this treatment with the combination of ivermectin, azithromycin and Zinc. It has four arms of 100 individuals each, where moderate and severe forms of the disease are treated with either of these two drug combinations.
They measure the percentage improvement in symptoms and decrease in viral load, and the number of deaths (which comes down to a percentage since there are 100 patients per arm).
Here is the summary of the results obtained:
Hydroxychloroquine, moderate forms: 74% improvement, 4 deaths
Ivermectin, moderate forms: 99% improvement, 0 deaths
Hydroxychloroquine, severe forms: 50% improvement, 20 deaths
Ivermectin, severe forms: 94% improvement, 2 deaths
With such clear results, now is the time to show vision!
Please also see this article that reviews clinical trials with this molecule around the world https://tinyurl.com/yyqbq8gw.
I am counting on the experts who advise you to confirm that the benefit / risk ratio of this therapeutic approach is largely in favor of its use for severe forms of the disease. It is essential that this treatment becomes immediately available in hospitals to treat severe forms.
It is not a question of verifying this study with new studies before making this decision, while we have an average of almost 200 daily deaths due to COVID in Belgium over the last week, and therefore an excess mortality ~ 65% at this moment. We don’t have time!
Its use in moderate forms of the disease requires a confirmatory study, but this drug should be available for prescription by front-line doctors when medical supervision can be ensured to monitor for potential side effects.
This medicine is only available in our country in its topical formulation, as a cream (Soolantra®). It is possible to obtain the necessary formulation, 3 or 6 mg tablets for oral administration from neighboring countries, but our pharmacies are not supplied.
I therefore recommend that you
1) authorize the oral form of ivermectin in our country;
2) ensure the supply of our pharmacies with this essential drug;
3) ensure the transmission of this information to hospitals; and
4) organize the necessary trials to confirm or deny its usefulness on the front line for moderate disease.
We must have the lucidity to recognize that this is a “game-changer” and that a very rapid response from the government would limit the harmful consequences of the mismanagement of the health crisis from which our country has suffered until now.
I remind you that none of the vaccines in development are designed to induce mucosal immunity, the only kind of vaccine that is potentially sterilizing, and therefore likely to have an effect on the transmission of the virus.
The criteria for evaluating these candidate vaccines are limited to a reduction in symptoms but not a reduction in deaths or an effect on virus transmission: the bar is set very low to ensure their approval. The reduction of symptoms, if achieved without serious side effects, is certainly desirable, but it is very likely to promote the transmission of the virus because it is the appearance of symptoms that prompts the change in individual behavior that can limit transmission.
In addition, studies are accumulating which indicate that a vitamin D deficiency favors the development of the severe form of the disease: it is a question of setting up a large information campaign to recommend that everyone supplement their diet with vitamin D.
It is a very simple and inexpensive measure, which can have a very substantial effect on the morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19. Remember that the consequences of sequelae associated with COVID-19 are significant not only for the individuals concerned and their families, but also for our health care budget. What are we waiting for to take this simple step? Have we forgotten that it’s easier to prevent disease than to treat it?
Please act, Minister of Health, act today: do not feed the narrative that the government does not have the interests of its people at heart, only the wishes of the lobbies!
I remain at your disposal,
Marc Wathelet, Doctor of Sciences
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-12-06--The Economic Crisis and the Domino Effect Leading Into 2021

Continued fiscal support and public health action needed to make hope of recovery a reality – OECD Continued fiscal support and public health action needed to make hope of recovery a reality – OECD OECD Information for journalists , The prospect of a number of COVID-19 vaccines becoming widely available next year has lifted hopes for a faster recovery , but policymakers will need to retain both public health and fiscal support while acting decisively for the momentum to pick up , according to the OECD ’ s latest Economic Outlook .
A New Setback for Big Cities as Return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Setback for Big Cities as Return to the Office Fades U.S. employees started heading back to the office in greater numbers after Labor Day but that pace is stalling now , delivering another blow to economic-recovery hopes in many cities .
The recent surge in Covid-19 cases across the country has led to an uptick in Americans resuming work at home after some momentum had been building for returning to the workplace , property analysts said .
Unemployment benefits near record high almost 9 months later Nine months after the health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record high The number of Americans collecting and applying for unemployment benefits is hovering near pre-pandemic records .
By some measures , the figure still exceeds any historical precedent .
The volume reflects deep and sustained pain for workers , nearly nine months after the health and economic crisis began .
Hundreds Wait In Line For Hours For Free $ 250 Publix Gift Card In Miami – CBS Miami Hundreds Wait In Line For Hours For Free $ 250 Publix Gift Card In Miami MIAMI ( CBSMiami ) – Hundreds of people braved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ line early for a chance at a free grocery gift card in Miami .
Police said people started lining up around 9 p.m. on Monday night .
Images from Chopper 4 showed a long line of people with very little social distancing .
Like always , I went on way too long in the previous video so I cut this out and [ I am ] posting it here .
This one is the economic factors .
• The Money GPS : The Broken Economy Leaving Millions Without A Job !
Economic Crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : BIS Central Banker Admits EPIC Level Crisis Is the Most Likely Result of Global Mass QE Wake up to the suits and ties .
They ’ re all lying to you .
None are your friends .
None wish to help you .
Wolves in sheep clothing .
More distractions than ever before .
The magician always makes a spectacle to hide the trick .
JANET YELLEN MIGHT BE BACK .
Anyone suggesting government took over the Fed and not the other way around needs to wake up .
Fed gained more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The revolving door and the control over the public is very evident to those paying attention .
# janetyellen pic.twitter.com/2lHmrIHw0T The Money GPS – How To and Solutions How To Fix the Global Economy ( Instagram ) The Money GPS Financial Education 101 coming soon.100 % free eCourse for you to learn from but for those who already know the content , this is perfect to share with others .
I ’ m creating this course for people specifically to get the foundation # money # moneyGPS # financialeducation pic.twitter.com/nzqVVSSorT HOW TO MAKE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ http : //TheAmazonGPS.com LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKS !
http : //books.themoneygps.com Sources Used in This Video : http : //bit.ly/TheMoneyGPSSources2020 The Money GPS is the most active , most informative channel in the financial world .
Day after day , breaking down the data and making it easy to understand .
This channel is not here to help build a portfolio , give stock picks , or financial advice .
It ’ s simply data that is generally not found through conventional means .

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.
source
Continued fiscal support and public health action needed to make hope of recovery a reality – OECD
Continued fiscal support and public health action needed to make hope of recovery a reality – OECD OECD Information for journalists, The prospect of a number of COVID-19 vaccines becoming widely available next year has lifted hopes for a faster recovery, but policymakers will need to retain both public health and fiscal support while acting decisively for the momentum to pick up, according to the OECD’s latest Economic Outlook.
A New Setback for Big Cities as Return to the Office Fades – WSJ
A New Setback for Big Cities as Return to the Office Fades U.S. employees started heading back to the office in greater numbers after Labor Day but that pace is stalling now, delivering another blow to economic-recovery hopes in many cities. The recent surge in Covid-19 cases across the country has led to an uptick in Americans resuming work at home after some momentum had been building for returning to the workplace, property analysts said.
Unemployment benefits near record high almost 9 months later
Nine months after the health and economic crisis began, unemployment claims near record high The number of Americans collecting and applying for unemployment benefits is hovering near pre-pandemic records. By some measures, the figure still exceeds any historical precedent. The volume reflects deep and sustained pain for workers, nearly nine months after the health and economic crisis began.
Hundreds Wait In Line For Hours For Free $250 Publix Gift Card In Miami – CBS Miami
Hundreds Wait In Line For Hours For Free $250 Publix Gift Card In Miami MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Hundreds of people braved cold temperatures Tuesday morning while waiting in line early for a chance at a free grocery gift card in Miami. Police said people started lining up around 9 p.m. on Monday night. Images from Chopper 4 showed a long line of people with very little social distancing.
Trudeau to Raise Canada Debt Ceiling 57% to $1.4 Trillion – Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-30/trudeau-to-raise-canada-borrowing-limit-by-57-to-1-4-trillion?srnd=premium-canada
Like always, I went on way too long in the previous video so I cut this out and [I am] posting it here. This one is the economic factors.
— APPENDICES —
— FOOTNOTES —
No Title Wake up to the suits and ties. They’re all lying to you. None are your friends. None wish to help you. Wolves in sheep clothing. More distractions than ever before. The magician always makes a spectacle to hide the trick.
No Title JANET YELLEN MIGHT BE BACK. Anyone suggesting government took over the Fed and not the other way around needs to wake up. Fed gained more control. Even Bloomberg admits it. The revolving door and the control over the public is very evident to those paying attention. #janetyellen pic.twitter.com/2lHmrIHw0T
— PLAYLISTS —
The Money GPS – How To and Solutions
The Money GPS Easy eCourse
— The Money GPS —
How To Fix the Global Economy (Instagram)
No Title The Money GPS Financial Education 101 coming soon.100% free eCourse for you to learn from but for those who already know the content, this is perfect to share with others. I’m creating this course for people specifically to get the foundation #money #moneyGPS #financialeducation pic.twitter.com/nzqVVSSorT
HOW TO MAKE MONEY ON AMAZON – FREE eCOURSE: http://TheAmazonGPS.com
LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKS! http://books.themoneygps.com
SUPPORT MY WORK: https://www.patreon.com/themoneygps
PAYPAL: https://goo.gl/L6VQg9
OTHER: http://themoneygps.com/donate
AUDIOBOOK: http://themoneygps.com/store
T-SHIRTS: http://merch.themoneygps.com
MY FAVORITE BOOKS: http://themoneygps.com/books
Sources Used in This Video: http://bit.ly/TheMoneyGPSSources2020
The Money GPS is the most active, most informative channel in the financial world. Day after day, breaking down the data and making it easy to understand. This channel is not here to help build a portfolio, give stock picks, or financial advice. It’s simply data that is generally not found through conventional means.
#money #finance #invest
Twitter Instagram Facebook
# T h e M o n e y G P S
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-12-07--Coronavirus Lessons that Vietnam Could Teach Americans and the World

All of the data here can easily be found at the world ’ s best website for tracking each day ’ s national and international coronavirus ( or covid ) cases and deaths : www.worldometers.info/coronavirus .
After America hit a world-record high of 204,163 new covid-19 cases on November 20th , that number declined down to 145,576 new daily cases a week later , on November 26th , which was , of course , very welcomed news .
Meanwhile , Vietnam , with a population of 97,693,204 as compared to America ’ s 331,790,984 , had only 1 new case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases on November 26th .
Proportionally , that 10 daily new cases would have been equivalent to 34 daily new cases in the U.S .
But , U.S. instead had 145,576 daily new cases on that date : That ’ s 4,282 time higher than the proportionally adjusted 34 new cases that a Vietnam with 331,790,984 population would have had .
And , yet , America is so haughty as not even to be discussing whether or how it could learn from Vietnam ’ s experience .
( Everyone in America should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ‘ news ’ -media don ’ t even report the matter ; so , they don ’ t . )
The next day , on November 27th , U.S. had 164,103 new cases , and Vietnam had 8 .
On November 28th , U.S. was down to 143,373 , and Vietnam was down to 2 .
By December 4th , U.S. hit an all-time record of 237,372 , and by December 6th it was down again to 173,861 .
Vietnam was 0 on December 4th and 1 on December 6th .
America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ started rising from a low on September 7th of 25,906 , to that high of 204,163 on November 20th , and then 237,372 on December 4th .
Meanwhile .
Vietnam rose from a low of 0 new daily cases on both October 3rd and 4th , to a high of 26 new daily cases on November 11th , and then down to 12 new daily cases on November 18th , and not higher than that number since .
Vietnam ’ s highest-ever number of new daily cases was on July 30th : 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s second wave , and the 26 new cases on November 11th was the peak of their third wave , which seems now to be subsiding .
How does Vietnam manage to be thousands of times as effective at controlling this disease than America is ?
Does Vietnam crush its economy by being so uncompromising to reduce the illnesses and deaths from this disease to as low as they can go , and keeping them there ?
The exact opposite is true .
Here are highlights from an article which appeared in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Guardian about Vietnam ’ s coronavirus experience , written by Tran Le Thuy , the director of the Centre for Media and Development Initiatives in Hanoi , titled “ Vietnam is fighting Covid without pitting economic growth against public health ” : Beyond contact-tracing , why has Vietnam been so good at dealing with the pandemic ?
The central reason is perhaps the way the government has depoliticised the pandemic , treating it purely as a health crisis , allowing for effective governance .
There was no political motive for government officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t face being reprimanded if there are positive cases in their authority area that are not due to their mistakes .
I haven ’ t heard about any religious opposition to the government ’ s strategy either .
With the head of the Hanoi centre for disease control being arrested for suspected corruption in relation to the purchase of testing kits , and small traders getting fines for price-gouging face-masks , the government has also been clear that public health can not be entangled with commercial interests .
… In January , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vietnam tightened its border and airport control of Chinese visitors .
This wasn ’ t an easy decision , given that cross-border trade with China accounts for a significant part of the Vietnamese economy .
… It took precautionary measures above and beyond World Health Organization recommendations .
… Preparations for a pandemic were implemented a week before the outbreak was officially a public health emergency of international concern , and more than a month before WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic .
The government also decided to embrace freedom of information on Covid-related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first phase was that if we stay alive , the question of wealth and the economy can come later .
… But now the government has shifted its anti-Covid strategy towards the economy .
… Lockdown and isolation are more selective .
… For now it looks like Vietnam has seen off the threat of a second wave .
… Given that Vietnam is one of the few countries in the world currently experiencing positive GDP growth , the supposed trade-off between the economy and public health , which countries around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a false choice .
Vietnam ’ s experience is just an extreme example of correct decisions in the face of a crisis — an epidemic .
So , it has been extremely successful .
Similarly , America is an example of incorrect decisions in the face of an epidemic ; and , so , America has been extremely unsuccessful .
On November 22nd , I wrote at greater length about “ Which Coronavirus Policies Succeed , And Which Fail : N.Y. Times Analysis Confirms Mine ” , which discussed not only the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 50 U.S. states ; and the experiences and results in Vietnam and in the U.S. are in line with those of the world ’ s other countries .
Bad polices everywhere produce bad results ; good policies everywhere produce good results .
On November 24th , Statistica headlined “ Has Europe Broken the Second Wave ?
” and reported that , “ A couple of weeks after several European countries went on ( at least partial ) lockdown once again in the face of surging COVID-19 cases , the tightening of restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shown there in a graph , which displayed especially that whereas the EU was now declining markedly in those numbers , the U.S. was continuing to soar and was now clearly heading to surpass the EU ’ s daily coronavirus-intensity , yet again , as it hadn ’ t been doing ever since September .
That same article was republished on November 28th at the popular American Zero Hedge news site , with reader-comments , which were overwhelmingly hostile to this information , such as this string there : Cardiovascular diseases kill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , than this dud fomented into a mass hysteria .
And ironically since it almost exclusively kills off the elderly and the already sick ( comorbidities ) it could actually be a long term net benefit to the economy if people ignored it and didn ’ t freak out or shut down .
2nd wave broken , it appears the lockdowns worked ?
Are freaking kidding me , you know what happened , they ran out of Karen ’ s running to get a test that gives over 50 % false positives .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world ’ s most coronavirus-ravaged country , tiny Andorra , a statelet within Italy .
Andorra has been doing everything possible to downplay the severity of its infestation , partly because around half of that country ’ s economy is tourism .
As of November 29th , Andorra had 85,403 cases per million .
That is more than twice America ’ s 41,024 , and is 6,100 times Vietnam ’ s 14 .
Whereas Andorra has a coronavirus death-rate of 983 per million ( nearly one person per thousand ) , America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s is 0.4 .
( America ’ s is nearly as high as Andorra ’ s because Andorra has a superior healthcare system , and has cured 98.7 % of its cases , whereas America has cured 96.7 % .
Vietnam has cured 97.0 % . )
The international , and even the state-by-state , data , have lessons to teach , all of which lessons turn out to be remarkably consistent with one-another , but lots of people , in some countries ( such as in the United States ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps those lessons don ’ t happen to fit those persons ’ ideology .
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 .

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, originally posted at Strategic Culture
All of the data here can easily be found at the world’s best website for tracking each day’s national and international coronavirus (or covid) cases and deaths: www.worldometers.info/coronavirus.
——
After America hit a world-record high of 204,163 new covid-19 cases on November 20th, that number declined down to 145,576 new daily cases a week later, on November 26th, which was, of course, very welcomed news. Meanwhile, Vietnam, with a population of 97,693,204 as compared to America’s 331,790,984, had only 1 new case on November 20th, and 10 new cases on November 26th. Proportionally, that 10 daily new cases would have been equivalent to 34 daily new cases in the U.S. But, U.S. instead had 145,576 daily new cases on that date: That’s 4,282 time higher than the proportionally adjusted 34 new cases that a Vietnam with 331,790,984 population would have had. And, yet, America is so haughty as not even to be discussing whether or how it could learn from Vietnam’s experience. (Everyone in America should be discussing it, but the country’s ‘news’-media don’t even report the matter; so, they don’t.)
The next day, on November 27th, U.S. had 164,103 new cases, and Vietnam had 8. On November 28th, U.S. was down to 143,373, and Vietnam was down to 2. By December 4th, U.S. hit an all-time record of 237,372, and by December 6th it was down again to 173,861. Vietnam was 0 on December 4th and 1 on December 6th.
America is in its second wave, which started rising from a low on September 7th of 25,906, to that high of 204,163 on November 20th, and then 237,372 on December 4th. Meanwhile. Vietnam rose from a low of 0 new daily cases on both October 3rd and 4th, to a high of 26 new daily cases on November 11th, and then down to 12 new daily cases on November 18th, and not higher than that number since. Vietnam’s highest-ever number of new daily cases was on July 30th: 50. That was the peak of Vietnam’s second wave, and the 26 new cases on November 11th was the peak of their third wave, which seems now to be subsiding.
How does Vietnam manage to be thousands of times as effective at controlling this disease than America is? Does Vietnam crush its economy by being so uncompromising to reduce the illnesses and deaths from this disease to as low as they can go, and keeping them there? The exact opposite is true. Here are highlights from an article which appeared in the October 20th issue of Britain’s Guardian about Vietnam’s coronavirus experience, written by Tran Le Thuy, the director of the Centre for Media and Development Initiatives in Hanoi, titled “Vietnam is fighting Covid without pitting economic growth against public health”:
Beyond contact-tracing, why has Vietnam been so good at dealing with the pandemic?
The central reason is perhaps the way the government has depoliticised the pandemic, treating it purely as a health crisis, allowing for effective governance. There was no political motive for government officials to hide information, as they don’t face being reprimanded if there are positive cases in their authority area that are not due to their mistakes. I haven’t heard about any religious opposition to the government’s strategy either. With the head of the Hanoi centre for disease control being arrested for suspected corruption in relation to the purchase of testing kits, and small traders getting fines for price-gouging face-masks, the government has also been clear that public health cannot be entangled with commercial interests. …
In January, when Wuhan announced the first death, Vietnam tightened its border and airport control of Chinese visitors. This wasn’t an easy decision, given that cross-border trade with China accounts for a significant part of the Vietnamese economy. … It took precautionary measures above and beyond World Health Organization recommendations. … Preparations for a pandemic were implemented a week before the outbreak was officially a public health emergency of international concern, and more than a month before WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic.
The government also decided to embrace freedom of information on Covid-related matters. … The motto for the first phase was that if we stay alive, the question of wealth and the economy can come later. …
But now the government has shifted its anti-Covid strategy towards the economy. … Lockdown and isolation are more selective. …
For now it looks like Vietnam has seen off the threat of a second wave. … Given that Vietnam is one of the few countries in the world currently experiencing positive GDP growth, the supposed trade-off between the economy and public health, which countries around the world are negotiating, looks to be something of a false choice.
Vietnam’s experience is just an extreme example of correct decisions in the face of a crisis — an epidemic. So, it has been extremely successful. Similarly, America is an example of incorrect decisions in the face of an epidemic; and, so, America has been extremely unsuccessful.
On November 22nd, I wrote at greater length about “Which Coronavirus Policies Succeed, And Which Fail: N.Y. Times Analysis Confirms Mine”, which discussed not only the comparisons of the 200+ nations but of the 50 U.S. states; and the experiences and results in Vietnam and in the U.S. are in line with those of the world’s other countries. Bad polices everywhere produce bad results; good policies everywhere produce good results.
On November 24th, Statistica headlined “Has Europe Broken the Second Wave?” and reported that, “A couple of weeks after several European countries went on (at least partial) lockdown once again in the face of surging COVID-19 cases, the tightening of restrictions appears to be paying off.” This was shown there in a graph, which displayed especially that whereas the EU was now declining markedly in those numbers, the U.S. was continuing to soar and was now clearly heading to surpass the EU’s daily coronavirus-intensity, yet again, as it hadn’t been doing ever since September. That same article was republished on November 28th at the popular American Zero Hedge news site, with reader-comments, which were overwhelmingly hostile to this information, such as this string there:
Crazed Smoker
Cardiovascular diseases kill 10x as many people, 16 million/year, than this dud fomented into a mass hysteria.
marketvviz
And ironically since it almost exclusively kills off the elderly and the already sick (comorbidities) it could actually be a long term net benefit to the economy if people ignored it and didn’t freak out or shut down.
JimmyJones
2nd wave broken, it appears the lockdowns worked? Are freaking kidding me, you know what happened, they ran out of Karen’s running to get a test that gives over 50% false positives.
Another interesting comparison is between Vietnam and the world’s most coronavirus-ravaged country, tiny Andorra, a statelet within Italy. Andorra has been doing everything possible to downplay the severity of its infestation, partly because around half of that country’s economy is tourism. As of November 29th, Andorra had 85,403 cases per million. That is more than twice America’s 41,024, and is 6,100 times Vietnam’s 14. Whereas Andorra has a coronavirus death-rate of 983 per million (nearly one person per thousand), America’s is 821, and Vietnam’s is 0.4. (America’s is nearly as high as Andorra’s because Andorra has a superior healthcare system, and has cured 98.7% of its cases, whereas America has cured 96.7%. Vietnam has cured 97.0%.)
The international, and even the state-by-state, data, have lessons to teach, all of which lessons turn out to be remarkably consistent with one-another, but lots of people, in some countries (such as in the United States), are simply refusing to learn them. Perhaps those lessons don’t happen to fit those persons’ ideology.
—————
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.
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-12-06--Who is Behind Get Out the Vote in Philadelphia

Imagine if a state legislature appropriated millions of dollars to turn out white voters while spending very few dollars in areas with a predominantly black population .
America would righteously rise in protest .
We ’ ve been down that road before in both public education and in voting .
In both cases , our courts , followed later by state legislatures and Congress , acted to prevent government from playing favorites in education or elections .
Now , imagine that Charles Koch announced he was giving $ 350 million to “ assist ” government in turning out the vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the monies given were required to be used by these city governments in the manner that Charles Koch decided .
You can see the danger .
The management of elections can not be a private affair .
State legislatures and Congress are constrained in their behavior by Supreme Court precedent and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution .
The federal Right to Vote Act and the Help America Vote Act were designed to ensure states allocate resources fairly and equally .
Allowing private money to flow into government hands to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our elections .
The Koch brothers have not done this , of course .
I am from Kansas , where Koch Industries is located , and have had the opportunity to work with Charles Koch .
I know he respects the independence of our electoral process .
No , this direct interference in government ’ s management of elections is being funded by the third-richest man in America , Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg .
And the effort is being directed by former Barack Obama supporters who recently formed a charity named The Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims he is trying to make sure every American voter is able to vote in a safe environment and to turn out every vote .
Yet , the funds are not going to every voter .
The funds overwhelmingly are directed to turning out one kind of voter — Hillary Clinton voters living in battleground states whom CTCL expects will vote overwhelmingly for Joe Biden .
Of the top 20 “ grants ” provided by CTCL to cities and counties , 19 have gone to jurisdictions that Hillary Clinton overwhelmingly won in 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Trump carried in 2016 received a paltry $ 289,000 — less than 0.5 % of the $ 63 million Zuckerberg and his other high-tech allies provided to those 20 cities and counties through CTCL .
Moreover , these funds are being used , as directed by CTCL , in ways that many people argue violate state election laws .
In Philadelphia , for instance , the funds are creating mobile ballot pick-up units and drop boxes that many county election officials state are contrary to the state laws prohibiting ballot harvesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disparate impact on the government use of election monies .
As an example , the Wisconsin state legislature provided roughly $ 7 per voter to Green Bay to manage its 2020 elections .
Rural counties in Wisconsin received approximately $ 4 per voter .
Now , with Zuckerberg monies , Green Bay has $ 47 per voter to manage the election and turn out the vote , while most rural areas still have the same $ 4 per voter .
You guessed it — Green Bay supported Hillary Clinton .
As did Detroit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flint , Dallas , Houston , and other cities that are together receiving tens of millions of dollars of Zuckerberg money .
Flint , Michigan , is a fascinating example .
Trump narrowly won Genesee County , including 21 of the 27 municipalities in the county .
But he lost overwhelmingly in Flint — and the CTCL grant went to Flint , not to Genesee County .
CTCL responds to this criticism by stating that thousands of jurisdictions are applying for their grants .
And we are supposed to be surprised ?
Hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of folks clamoring for it .
The problem is that it is CTCL making the decisions about where the money goes .
And CTCL is not subject to the same rules as government — they don ’ t have to hold public hearings and are not subject to accountability at the ballot box .
Yet , they are the ones calling the shots in government ’ s management of the elections .
The problem is present even if CTCL ’ s intentions were as pure as they make them out to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the counting of ballots and determinations about who may vote and when , is a government function , not a private one .
To see it otherwise is to invite battling billionaires into our ballot counting rooms .
We can ’ t let it happen .
That is why the Amistad Project of The Thomas More Society , for which I serve as director , is taking these local governments to court .
These monies , if allowed at all , should be provided to the state legislature to appropriate in a manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ required by HAVA , which treats every voter equally and fairly .
If safety and access are heightened concerns due to COVID , those concerns are present for all voters and not just those whom Zuckerberg and CTCL select .
If Zuckerberg wants to play political partisan , he can give his monies to the Democratic National Committee , consistent with federal campaign finance law , and not force us to subsidize his partisanship with a tax deduction .
Instead , he chose to give the funds to an organization with strong and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a history of denigrating the president , in order to buy local governments to turn out select voters .
Zuckerberg can claim innocence about the partisan nature of CTCL , but I hesitate to believe that he would act with such naivety when spending $ 350 million .
It is not , however , difficult to believe that Zuckerberg , with his ability to dominate media and discourse with the Facebook platform , is willing to bet that America is ill-informed and will be too slow to respond to his manipulation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Obviously , the national discussion would be quite different if Charles Koch followed Zuckerberg ’ s lead in “ charitable ” giving .
While I recognize Zuckerberg is not the cause of this media disconnect , it remains wrong for him to exploit the shallowness of the media for partisan objectives .
And he is wrong to bet that we would not meet this challenge to the integrity of our election system .
Hopefully , criticism of his actions will not be censored by those who control our dominant social media outlets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by subscribing https : //www.youtube.com/channel/UCFPp…

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.
source
How Mark Zuckerberg’s $350M threatens democracy
Direct Link: How Mark Zuckerberg’s $350M threatens democracy
Imagine if a state legislature appropriated millions of dollars to turn out white voters while spending very few dollars in areas with a predominantly black population. America would righteously rise in protest.
We’ve been down that road before in both public education and in voting. In both cases, our courts, followed later by state legislatures and Congress, acted to prevent government from playing favorites in education or elections.
Now, imagine that Charles Koch announced he was giving $350 million to “assist” government in turning out the vote in jurisdictions that he himself selected and that the monies given were required to be used by these city governments in the manner that Charles Koch decided. You can see the danger.
The management of elections cannot be a private affair. State legislatures and Congress are constrained in their behavior by Supreme Court precedent and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The federal Right to Vote Act and the Help America Vote Act were designed to ensure states allocate resources fairly and equally. Allowing private money to flow into government hands to sidestep these requirements undermines the integrity of our elections.
The Koch brothers have not done this, of course. I am from Kansas, where Koch Industries is located, and have had the opportunity to work with Charles Koch. I know he respects the independence of our electoral process. No, this direct interference in government’s management of elections is being funded by the third-richest man in America, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. And the effort is being directed by former Barack Obama supporters who recently formed a charity named The Center for Tech and Civic Life.
Zuckerberg claims he is trying to make sure every American voter is able to vote in a safe environment and to turn out every vote. Yet, the funds are not going to every voter. The funds overwhelmingly are directed to turning out one kind of voter — Hillary Clinton voters living in battleground states whom CTCL expects will vote overwhelmingly for Joe Biden.
Of the top 20 “grants” provided by CTCL to cities and counties, 19 have gone to jurisdictions that Hillary Clinton overwhelmingly won in 2016. The sole county on the list that President Trump carried in 2016 received a paltry $289,000 — less than 0.5% of the $63 million Zuckerberg and his other high-tech allies provided to those 20 cities and counties through CTCL.
Moreover, these funds are being used, as directed by CTCL, in ways that many people argue violate state election laws. In Philadelphia, for instance, the funds are creating mobile ballot pick-up units and drop boxes that many county election officials state are contrary to the state laws prohibiting ballot harvesting. The funds are creating a dramatic disparate impact on the government use of election monies.
As an example, the Wisconsin state legislature provided roughly $7 per voter to Green Bay to manage its 2020 elections. Rural counties in Wisconsin received approximately $4 per voter. Now, with Zuckerberg monies, Green Bay has $47 per voter to manage the election and turn out the vote, while most rural areas still have the same $4 per voter.
You guessed it — Green Bay supported Hillary Clinton. As did Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Flint, Dallas, Houston, and other cities that are together receiving tens of millions of dollars of Zuckerberg money.
Flint, Michigan, is a fascinating example. Trump narrowly won Genesee County, including 21 of the 27 municipalities in the county. But he lost overwhelmingly in Flint — and the CTCL grant went to Flint, not to Genesee County.
CTCL responds to this criticism by stating that thousands of jurisdictions are applying for their grants. And we are supposed to be surprised? Hold out free money and there will be plenty of folks clamoring for it. The problem is that it is CTCL making the decisions about where the money goes. And CTCL is not subject to the same rules as government — they don’t have to hold public hearings and are not subject to accountability at the ballot box. Yet, they are the ones calling the shots in government’s management of the elections. The problem is present even if CTCL’s intentions were as pure as they make them out to be. The actual management of elections, the counting of ballots and determinations about who may vote and when, is a government function, not a private one.
To see it otherwise is to invite battling billionaires into our ballot counting rooms. We can’t let it happen.
That is why the Amistad Project of The Thomas More Society, for which I serve as director, is taking these local governments to court. These monies, if allowed at all, should be provided to the state legislature to appropriate in a manner consistent with the public state election plan required by HAVA, which treats every voter equally and fairly.
If safety and access are heightened concerns due to COVID, those concerns are present for all voters and not just those whom Zuckerberg and CTCL select.
If Zuckerberg wants to play political partisan, he can give his monies to the Democratic National Committee, consistent with federal campaign finance law, and not force us to subsidize his partisanship with a tax deduction.
Instead, he chose to give the funds to an organization with strong and evident partisan ties, with leaders who have a history of denigrating the president, in order to buy local governments to turn out select voters.
Zuckerberg can claim innocence about the partisan nature of CTCL, but I hesitate to believe that he would act with such naivety when spending $350 million.
It is not, however, difficult to believe that Zuckerberg, with his ability to dominate media and discourse with the Facebook platform, is willing to bet that America is ill-informed and will be too slow to respond to his manipulation of government to play favorites in the election. Obviously, the national discussion would be quite different if Charles Koch followed Zuckerberg’s lead in “charitable” giving. While I recognize Zuckerberg is not the cause of this media disconnect, it remains wrong for him to exploit the shallowness of the media for partisan objectives.
And he is wrong to bet that we would not meet this challenge to the integrity of our election system. Hopefully, criticism of his actions will not be censored by those who control our dominant social media outlets.
Please show your support and learn by subscribing https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFPp…
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report


theduran--2020-12-06--Whistleblower Jesse Morgan Speaks About The Election

Jesse is an experienced truck driver who was going about his normal route .
But this particular day was different @ @ @ @ @ loaded with mail-in ballots .
These ballots were marked and ready for counting .
And @ @ @ @ @ state lines , from New York to Pennsylvania .
Here is footage from his testimony @


theduran--2020-12-07--International community condemns assassination in Tehran

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh , 59 , was assassinated on Friday in a sophisticated ambush on his vehicle , in the Iranian city of Absard , near Tehran .
The nuclear scientist headed the Research and Technological Renewal Department in the Ministry of Defense .
Senior Iranian officials , including Foreign Minister Javad Zarif , said that Israel was likely behind the attack , and wrote on Twitter on Friday , “ Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today .
This cowardice – with serious indications of Israeli role – shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators.
” Iran ’ s supreme leader Ayatollah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ following up on this crime and certainly punishing the perpetrators and those responsible , and … continuing the scientific and technical efforts of this martyr in all of the fields he was working in.
” He added that Iran ’ s first priority after the killing was the ‘ definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it.
’ Iran ’ s President Hassan Rouhani had said on TV , “ The nation of Iran is smarter than to fall in the trap of the conspiracy set by the Zionists .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they should know that we have read their hands and they will not succeed.
” He vowed that Iran will not “ leave this criminal act unanswered ” and will retaliate “ in due time.
” Who is to blame ?
The world should thank Israel for killing the father of Iran ’ s nuclear weapons program , a senior Israeli official told the New York Times after the assassination of Fakhrizadeh , and the media reported that an American official and two other intelligence officials confirmed Israel was behind the attack , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Fakhrizadeh as boss of the nuclear program during a news conference in 2018 when he showed the world the Iranian nuclear archive that the Mossad managed to steal .
Bruce Riedel , a former CIA official , called the alleged Israeli operation “ unprecedented ” and added Israel had invested considerable resources of its spy agencies mostly on Iran and had established human assets networks inside Iran and bases of operations in neighboring countries , such as Azerbaijan .
Riedel warned other actions might be in the works .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ defined as “ the murder of a politically important or prominent individual by surprise attack.
” The current version of the US executive order states : “ No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in , or conspire to engage in , assassination.
” Assassinations are prohibited by the law of armed conflict dating from The Hague Conventions of 1907 , and by the Geneva Convention in 1949 .
In November , President Trump was talked out of launching strikes on Iran .
The New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Trump asked for options on a bombardment likely to have targeted Iran ’ s foremost nuclear facility , Natanz .
Recently , Trump ordered several nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress bombers to fly 7,000 miles to the Middle East .
Analysts wonder if Trump , along with his Israeli and Saudi allies , might try to provoke Iran into open conflict in the last days of his presidency .
Speculation swirled that Trump might soon initiate some kind of attack on Iran , in light of the recent unprecedented meeting in Saudi Arabia between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Netanyahu , US secretary of state , Mike Pompeo , and the Saudi crown prince , Mohammed bin Salman ( MBS ) .
“ This administration… is here until January 20 ” and will “ continue to pursue its policies , ” a senior US official traveling with Pompeo said during a stop in Abu Dhabi .
Trump ’ s “ maximum pressure ” sanctions campaign hurt the Iranian people but left their leaders unbowed .
Iran is accelerating its nuclear capabilities since Trump reneged on the nuclear deal .
After four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out with a bang .
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN spokesman Farhan Haq said , “ We call for restraint and see it as necessary to avoid measures that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region.
” Iran ’ s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi wrote in a letter to Guterres , “ ’ Warning against any adventuristic measures by the United States and Israel against my country , particularly during the remaining period of the current administration of the United States in office , the Islamic Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all necessary measures to defend its people and secure its interests .
It is an obvious example of state terrorism , and , as a criminal act , constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law.
” British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday , “ We are concerned about the situation in Iran and the wider region we do want to see a de-escalation of tensions .
We ’ re still waiting to see the full facts to address the full facts of what ’ s happened in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stick to the rule of international humanitarian law which is very clear against targeting civilians.
” The European Union condemned the alleged targeted killing of Fakhrizadeh and posted an official statement on the bloc ’ s foreign affairs website .
“ The High Representative expresses his condolences to the family members of the individuals who were killed while wishing a prompt recovery to any other individuals who may have been injured , ” the statement read .
Foreign minister Javad Zarif tweeted , “ Iran calls on the international community – and especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ standards & condemn this act of state terror.
” The German Foreign Ministry said , “ We call on all parties to avoid taking any action which could lead to a new escalation of the situation ” which “ we absolutely do not need at this moment.
” The ministry has stressed the importance of preserving communication channels with Iran before the transition in Washington to resolve the Iranian nuclear program issue via diplomacy .
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said , “ We regret the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh following an armed attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offer our condolences to the Iranian government and the dead man ’ s relatives .
Turkey is against all initiatives aimed at disrupting peace in the region and against all forms of terrorism , no matter who their perpetrator or target is.
” John Brennan , former CIA director from 2013-2017 , denounced the assassination of Fakhrizadeh , describing it as “ highly reckless ” and a “ criminal act ” in a series of tweets .
Brennan insisted that “ such an act state-sponsored terrorism would be a flagrant violation of international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out lethal attacks against foreign officials.
” Previous assassinations by Israel and the US July 23 , 2011 : A physics professor involved in the Iranian nuclear program is killed by gunmen on motorcycles in Tehran .
January 11 , 2012 : A chemistry expert who also served as deputy director of the Natanz enrichment facility was killed in an explosion in Tehran .
Several attacks on infrastructure linked to Iran ’ s weapons program have also been linked to Israel , and the US and Israel are believed to have launched repeated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s tenure .
The assassination also recalled last January ’ s lethal ambush of General Qassem Soleimani , a major general in the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander , which was personally ordered by Trump .
The US has never declared war on Iran ; therefore , the targeted killing of a high Iranian state and military official by a surprise attack was “ clearly an assassination , ” said Mary Ellen O ’ Connell , an expert in international law and the laws of war at the University of Notre Dame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prohibited both in peacetime law as well as on the battlefield , ” she said .
“ We have really moved to a nearly lawless state , ” she said .
Israel has alleged Iran has a military operation looking at the feasibility of building a nuclear weapon ; however , Tehran long has maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes , and that nuclear bombs are against Islam and the core values of the nation .
Ben Rhodes , a former advisor to Obama , commented , “ This is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an incoming US administration and Iran.
” He added : “ It ’ s time for this ceaseless escalation to stop.
” US President-elect Joe Biden wants to resume dialogue with the Islamic Republic , but Trump ’ s parting actions may blow up the chance for regional peace under the future administration .

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.
Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, 59, was assassinated on Friday in a sophisticated ambush on his vehicle, in the Iranian city of Absard, near Tehran. The nuclear scientist headed the Research and Technological Renewal Department in the Ministry of Defense.
Senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, said that Israel was likely behind the attack, and wrote on Twitter on Friday, “Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice – with serious indications of Israeli role – shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators.”
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday called for “following up on this crime and certainly punishing the perpetrators and those responsible, and … continuing the scientific and technical efforts of this martyr in all of the fields he was working in.” He added that Iran’s first priority after the killing was the ‘definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it.’
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani had said on TV, “The nation of Iran is smarter than to fall in the trap of the conspiracy set by the Zionists. They are thinking of creating chaos, but they should know that we have read their hands and they will not succeed.” He vowed that Iran will not “leave this criminal act unanswered” and will retaliate “in due time.”
Who is to blame?
The world should thank Israel for killing the father of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, a senior Israeli official told the New York Times after the assassination of Fakhrizadeh, and the media reported that an American official and two other intelligence officials confirmed Israel was behind the attack, without giving further details.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Fakhrizadeh as boss of the nuclear program during a news conference in 2018 when he showed the world the Iranian nuclear archive that the Mossad managed to steal.
Bruce Riedel, a former CIA official, called the alleged Israeli operation “unprecedented” and added Israel had invested considerable resources of its spy agencies mostly on Iran and had established human assets networks inside Iran and bases of operations in neighboring countries, such as Azerbaijan. Riedel warned other actions might be in the works.
Is assassination legal?
In the news industry, assassination is defined as “the murder of a politically important or prominent individual by surprise attack.”
The current version of the US executive order states: “No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.”
Assassinations are prohibited by the law of armed conflict dating from The Hague Conventions of 1907, and by the Geneva Convention in 1949.
Trump’s end game
In November, President Trump was talked out of launching strikes on Iran. The New York Times reported that Defense sources said that Trump asked for options on a bombardment likely to have targeted Iran’s foremost nuclear facility, Natanz.
Recently, Trump ordered several nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress bombers to fly 7,000 miles to the Middle East.
Analysts wonder if Trump, along with his Israeli and Saudi allies, might try to provoke Iran into open conflict in the last days of his presidency.
Speculation swirled that Trump might soon initiate some kind of attack on Iran, in light of the recent unprecedented meeting in Saudi Arabia between Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS).
“This administration… is here until January 20” and will “continue to pursue its policies,” a senior US official traveling with Pompeo said during a stop in Abu Dhabi.
Trump’s “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign hurt the Iranian people but left their leaders unbowed. Iran is accelerating its nuclear capabilities since Trump reneged on the nuclear deal. After four years of failure, he may want to go out with a bang.
US allies react
UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UN spokesman Farhan Haq said, “We call for restraint and see it as necessary to avoid measures that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region.”
Iran’s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi wrote in a letter to Guterres, “’Warning against any adventuristic measures by the United States and Israel against my country, particularly during the remaining period of the current administration of the United States in office, the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its rights to take all necessary measures to defend its people and secure its interests. It is an obvious example of state terrorism, and, as a criminal act, constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international law.”
British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday, “We are concerned about the situation in Iran and the wider region we do want to see a de-escalation of tensions. We’re still waiting to see the full facts to address the full facts of what’s happened in Iran but I would say that we stick to the rule of international humanitarian law which is very clear against targeting civilians.”
The European Union condemned the alleged targeted killing of Fakhrizadeh and posted an official statement on the bloc’s foreign affairs website. “The High Representative expresses his condolences to the family members of the individuals who were killed while wishing a prompt recovery to any other individuals who may have been injured,” the statement read.
Foreign minister Javad Zarif tweeted, “Iran calls on the international community – and especially EU – to end their shameful double standards & condemn this act of state terror.”
The German Foreign Ministry said, “We call on all parties to avoid taking any action which could lead to a new escalation of the situation” which “we absolutely do not need at this moment.” The ministry has stressed the importance of preserving communication channels with Iran before the transition in Washington to resolve the Iranian nuclear program issue via diplomacy.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said, “We regret the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh following an armed attack. We condemn this heinous murder and offer our condolences to the Iranian government and the dead man’s relatives. Turkey is against all initiatives aimed at disrupting peace in the region and against all forms of terrorism, no matter who their perpetrator or target is.”
John Brennan, former CIA director from 2013-2017, denounced the assassination of Fakhrizadeh, describing it as “highly reckless” and a “criminal act” in a series of tweets. Brennan insisted that “such an act state-sponsored terrorism would be a flagrant violation of international law & encourage more governments to carry out lethal attacks against foreign officials.”
Previous assassinations by Israel and the US
January 12, 2010: Senior Iranian nuclear scientist Prof. Massoud Ali Mohammadi was assassinated in northern Tehran.
July 23, 2011: A physics professor involved in the Iranian nuclear program is killed by gunmen on motorcycles in Tehran.
January 11, 2012: A chemistry expert who also served as deputy director of the Natanz enrichment facility was killed in an explosion in Tehran.
Several attacks on infrastructure linked to Iran’s weapons program have also been linked to Israel, and the US and Israel are believed to have launched repeated sabotage attacks inside Iran during Trump’s tenure.
The assassination also recalled last January’s lethal ambush of General Qassem Soleimani, a major general in the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, which was personally ordered by Trump.
The US has never declared war on Iran; therefore, the targeted killing of a high Iranian state and military official by a surprise attack was “clearly an assassination,” said Mary Ellen O’Connell, an expert in international law and the laws of war at the University of Notre Dame School of Law. “Assassination is prohibited both in peacetime law as well as on the battlefield,” she said. “We have really moved to a nearly lawless state,” she said.
The Biden administration
Israel has alleged Iran has a military operation looking at the feasibility of building a nuclear weapon; however, Tehran long has maintained its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, and that nuclear bombs are against Islam and the core values of the nation.
Ben Rhodes, a former advisor to Obama, commented, “This is an outrageous action aimed at undermining diplomacy between an incoming US administration and Iran.” He added: “It’s time for this ceaseless escalation to stop.”
US President-elect Joe Biden wants to resume dialogue with the Islamic Republic, but Trump’s parting actions may blow up the chance for regional peace under the future administration.
Steven Sahiounie is an award-winning journalist
Read Later Add to Favourites Add to Collection Report