wakingtimes--2020-05-28--The Strategy of Tension Reemerges with the Murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police

The Strategy of Tension Reemerges with the Murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police The U.S. is reeling from a shocking incident of police brutality and outright murder earlier this week .
Minneapolis , MN Police officers detained an unarmed man , and were filmed kneeling with a knee on his throat after already placing him in handcuffs , choking him to death .
His name was George Floyd , a 46-year old black man from Minnesota who has tragically become the next high profile victim of our callous police state after he allegedly aroused police attention for attempting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a local deli .
The officers proceeded to forcibly remove him from his vehicle and sat him down on the sidewalk , continuing to drag him to their police car where one officer knelt on his throat for over five minutes , as Floyd kept saying , ‘ I can ’ t breathe , ’ until he passed out .
He was later pronounced dead after his lifeless body was transported from the scene as bystanders watched in horror .
The disturbing video can be seen below : Witnesses at the scene called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , affirming that “ he ’ s not even resisting arrest right now , ” and “ you ’ re f—ing stopping his breathing right now , you think that ’ s cool ?
, ” but to no avail .
Although a spokesman for the police department claimed that Floyd “ physically resisted officers ” after being removed from his vehicle , a new video posted to Twitter by award-winning journalist Alex Lehnert shows George only passively attempting to remain in the car while two policemen dragged him out .
The four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired from their jobs and are now under investigation by the FBI , but as of yet are not being held criminally accountable .
This clear lack of justice has sparked protests from concerned citizens , groups like Black Lives Matter , and others in the area who view this incident as a racist attack against black Americans by a white police force .
The murder of George Floyd is yet another case in a train of similar incidents in recent years , and further demonstrates the need to de-militarize the police and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ It ’ s real ugly .
The police have to understand that this is the climate they have created , ” said one protester .
Another proclaimed , “ I got on my knees and I put up a peace sign and they tear gassed me , and I said , ‘ tear gas me again because non-violence seems healing.
’ ” However , protests quickly turned violent when a smaller group of rioters began spray painting and vandalizing cop cars and other police property .
Police responded with extreme force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas at crowds .
In the last 24 hours , riots have taken a serious and deadly turn and a number of Minneapolis business have been looted and burned , with at least one fatality , and now it appears that riots have spread to Los Angeles , provoking stiff police responses and causing more injuries .
“ This is an anger and spillover of what people are feeling , but this is not the right platform to express that , ” said one of the organizers .
Racial tensions have always been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than inspiring serious reform , officials seem content to allow such tension to continue to build .
Americans should be joining together to demand an end to police injustice and the militarization of local police forces across America .
However , tension appears to be a top-down strategy in a nation that is being severely divided along the lines of race , politics , income and class .
For a ruling political class who wishes to maintain and ever-increase their power and control over a citizenry , the strategy of tension is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from the actions , or inactions , of leaders and policy makers , and promoting chaos .
It is also well-known that governments capitalize on division and chaos , using this as justification to clamp down , repress , and stifle liberties .
Order out of chaos .
Politicians in Washington , DC could dismantle the growing militarization of police , and enforce police accountability , but instead they utilize every such incident to enact evermore draconian laws , such as the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) , which give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cops .
If we want to solve the problems of racism and police brutality , we must strike at the root , which is a system that has long been manipulating the American public , distorting reality , and falsely claiming to be serving people , while engaged in an unbelievable amount of corruption and evil .
This system allows these types of inhumane actions , whether they be committed by cops on the streets of Minneapolis , or by drone pilots in the air over Yemen , to persist , while diverting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identity .
When it comes to our freedom , the powers that be aren ’ t intimidated by a public divided over race , in fact , some have pointed out that the global elite may be planning a race war in order to achieve their political goals of more control and widespread acceptance of authoritarian policies .
The one thing that frightens them is the possibility that all of us we will come together to demand a return to a civl and free society .
This will happen once we recognize the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn our attention to the true source of the problem .
Phillip Schneider is a student as well as a staff writer and assistant editor for Waking Times .
If you would like to see more of his work , you can visit his website , or follow him on the free speech social network Minds .
This article ( The Strategy of Tension Reemerges with the Murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police ) as originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution , author bio , and this copyright statement .

The Strategy of Tension Reemerges with the Murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police
Phillip Schneider, Staff Writer
Waking Times
The U.S. is reeling from a shocking incident of police brutality and outright murder earlier this week. Minneapolis, MN Police officers detained an unarmed man, and were filmed kneeling with a knee on his throat after already placing him in handcuffs, choking him to death.
His name was George Floyd, a 46-year old black man from Minnesota who has tragically become the next high profile victim of our callous police state after he allegedly aroused police attention for attempting to use a counterfeit $20 bill at a local deli.
The officers proceeded to forcibly remove him from his vehicle and sat him down on the sidewalk, continuing to drag him to their police car where one officer knelt on his throat for over five minutes, as Floyd kept saying, ‘I can’t breathe,’ until he passed out. He was later pronounced dead after his lifeless body was transported from the scene as bystanders watched in horror.
The disturbing video can be seen below:
Witnesses at the scene called on the officers to lift their chokehold, affirming that “he’s not even resisting arrest right now,” and “you’re f—ing stopping his breathing right now, you think that’s cool?,” but to no avail.
Although a spokesman for the police department claimed that Floyd “physically resisted officers” after being removed from his vehicle, a new video posted to Twitter by award-winning journalist Alex Lehnert shows George only passively attempting to remain in the car while two policemen dragged him out.
New video sent to us shows the moment George Floyd was removed from his vehicle and handcuffed on 38th and Chicago.
Video courtesy of Christopher Belfrey pic.twitter.com/MiIIula4sA — Alex Lehnert (@AlexLehnertFox9) May 26, 2020
The four officers involved in the incident were immediately fired from their jobs and are now under investigation by the FBI, but as of yet are not being held criminally accountable. This clear lack of justice has sparked protests from concerned citizens, groups like Black Lives Matter, and others in the area who view this incident as a racist attack against black Americans by a white police force.
The murder of George Floyd is yet another case in a train of similar incidents in recent years, and further demonstrates the need to de-militarize the police and hold bad officers accountable for their crimes.
“It’s real ugly. The police have to understand that this is the climate they have created,” said one protester. Another proclaimed, “I got on my knees and I put up a peace sign and they tear gassed me, and I said, ‘tear gas me again because non-violence seems healing.’”
However, protests quickly turned violent when a smaller group of rioters began spray painting and vandalizing cop cars and other police property. Police responded with extreme force, launching flash bang grenades and tear gas at crowds.
In the last 24 hours, riots have taken a serious and deadly turn and a number of Minneapolis business have been looted and burned, with at least one fatality, and now it appears that riots have spread to Los Angeles, provoking stiff police responses and causing more injuries.
“This is an anger and spillover of what people are feeling, but this is not the right platform to express that,” said one of the organizers.
A Future Race War?
Racial tensions have always been strong in this country, but rather than inspiring serious reform, officials seem content to allow such tension to continue to build. Americans should be joining together to demand an end to police injustice and the militarization of local police forces across America. However, tension appears to be a top-down strategy in a nation that is being severely divided along the lines of race, politics, income and class.
For a ruling political class who wishes to maintain and ever-increase their power and control over a citizenry, the strategy of tension is a well-known approach to diverting attention and anger away from the actions, or inactions, of leaders and policy makers, and promoting chaos. It is also well-known that governments capitalize on division and chaos, using this as justification to clamp down, repress, and stifle liberties. Order out of chaos.
Politicians in Washington, DC could dismantle the growing militarization of police, and enforce police accountability, but instead they utilize every such incident to enact evermore draconian laws, such as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which give even more power and authority to unjust cops.
If we want to solve the problems of racism and police brutality, we must strike at the root, which is a system that has long been manipulating the American public, distorting reality, and falsely claiming to be serving people, while engaged in an unbelievable amount of corruption and evil. This system allows these types of inhumane actions, whether they be committed by cops on the streets of Minneapolis, or by drone pilots in the air over Yemen, to persist, while diverting public attention away from policy and onto identity.
When it comes to our freedom, the powers that be aren’t intimidated by a public divided over race, in fact, some have pointed out that the global elite may be planning a race war in order to achieve their political goals of more control and widespread acceptance of authoritarian policies.
The one thing that frightens them is the possibility that all of us we will come together to demand a return to a civl and free society. This will happen once we recognize the collective power that we have, and turn our attention to the true source of the problem.
About the Author
Phillip Schneider is a student as well as a staff writer and assistant editor for Waking Times. If you would like to see more of his work, you can visit his website, or follow him on the free speech social network Minds.
This article (The Strategy of Tension Reemerges with the Murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police) as originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Phillip Schneider and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.


wakingtimes--2020-05-28--At Least 11 Local News Stations Caught Airing The Exact Same Amazon Propaganda Segment

At Least 11 Local News Stations Caught Airing The Exact Same Amazon Propaganda Segment At least 11 local news stations in the United States were caught airing the same scripted segment about Amazon , and their role during the COVID-19 pandemic .
The segment played like a commercial for Amazon , even touting the company ’ s ability to “ keep its employees safe and healthy , ” during this difficult time , despite the fact that many workers have been organizing to protest against unsafe conditions and lack of hazard pay .
The segment is even narrated by Amazon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ inside look ” at an Amazon fulfillment center The trusted local news anchors who introduced the segment didn ’ t even identify Walker as an Amazon representative , but instead made it appear that he was one of the station ’ s reporters .
According to some journalists who refused to cover the segment , Amazon sent the video around to a long list of news sources with instructions on how to introduce it .
Zach Rael , a reporter at ABC ’ s KOCO 5 News , tweeted a copy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mailed to him by Amazon ’ s public relations team .
There were at least 11 other stations who were willing to play the footage that have been identified so far .
Alyssa Bronikowski , a spokesperson for Amazon , told Motherboard that the video was not promotional , and that the company would invite journalists into their warehouses if it was currently safe to do so .
“ We welcome reporters into our buildings and it ’ s misleading to suggest otherwise .
This type of video was created to share an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures we ’ ve rolled out in our buildings and was intended for reporters who for a variety of reasons weren ’ t able to come tour one of our sites themselves , ” Bronikowski said .
It makes sense that Amazon is going to such great lengths to repair its public image , because it has been facing increasing criticism during the pandemic , especially from its employees .
Earlier this month , Vice President ( VP ) of Amazon Tim Bray resigned in anger over the company ’ s treatment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the coronavirus pandemic .
As you might know , tech giants like Facebook , Twitter , and Google ( Also Youtube ) , increasingly censor information that does not fit the mainstream narrative .
Freedom of speech should be the basic human right , however , in the current era , you are not allowed to share your views anymore .
Fortunately , alternative platforms appear that are censorship-free .
Minds.com is one of these platforms .
You can sign up for free , HERE , and make sure you follow Truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture , and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems .
He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast .

At Least 11 Local News Stations Caught Airing The Exact Same Amazon Propaganda Segment
John Vibes, Truth Theory
Waking Times
At least 11 local news stations in the United States were caught airing the same scripted segment about Amazon, and their role during the COVID-19 pandemic. The segment played like a commercial for Amazon, even touting the company’s ability to “keep its employees safe and healthy,” during this difficult time, despite the fact that many workers have been organizing to protest against unsafe conditions and lack of hazard pay.
The segment is even narrated by Amazon spokesperson Todd Walker, who promises an “inside look” at an Amazon fulfillment center
“Millions of Americans staying at home are relying on amazon to deliver essentials like groceries and cleaning products during the COVID-19 outbreak… For the first time we’re getting a glimpse inside Amazon’s fulfillment centers to see just how the company is keeping its employees safe and healthy.. While delivering packages to your doorstep,” Walker says.
The trusted local news anchors who introduced the segment didn’t even identify Walker as an Amazon representative, but instead made it appear that he was one of the station’s reporters. According to some journalists who refused to cover the segment, Amazon sent the video around to a long list of news sources with instructions on how to introduce it.
Zach Rael, a reporter at ABC’s KOCO 5 News, tweeted a copy of the script and said that it was mailed to him by Amazon’s public relations team.
“No. Let us go inside the fulfillment centers with our own cameras…” Rael tweeted.
Just got an email from Amazon’s PR team with a pre-edited news story and script to run in our shows. They are selling this as giving our viewers an “inside look” at the company’s response to COVID-19. No. Let us go inside a fulfillment centers with our own cameras… pic.twitter.com/7mDk2xmf4O — Zach Rael (@KOCOZach) May 24, 2020
There were at least 11 other stations who were willing to play the footage that have been identified so far.
Alyssa Bronikowski, a spokesperson for Amazon, told Motherboard that the video was not promotional, and that the company would invite journalists into their warehouses if it was currently safe to do so.
“We welcome reporters into our buildings and it’s misleading to suggest otherwise. This type of video was created to share an inside look into the health and safety measures we’ve rolled out in our buildings and was intended for reporters who for a variety of reasons weren’t able to come tour one of our sites themselves,” Bronikowski said.
It makes sense that Amazon is going to such great lengths to repair its public image, because it has been facing increasing criticism during the pandemic, especially from its employees. Earlier this month, Vice President (VP) of Amazon Tim Bray resigned in anger over the company’s treatment of employees who have protested against working conditions during the coronavirus pandemic.
As you might know, tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google (Also Youtube), increasingly censor information that does not fit the mainstream narrative. Freedom of speech should be the basic human right, however, in the current era, you are not allowed to share your views anymore. Fortunately, alternative platforms appear that are censorship-free. Minds.com is one of these platforms. You can sign up for free, HERE, and make sure you follow Truth Theory on Minds.
About the Author
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture, and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems. He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast.


wakingtimes--2020-05-28--From 9/11 to COVID-19, It’s Been a Perpetual State of Emergency

From 9/11 to COVID-19 , It ’ s Been a Perpetual State of Emergency Don ’ t pity this year ’ s crop of graduates because this COVID-19 pandemic caused them to miss out on the antics of their senior year and the pomp and circumstance of graduation .
Pity them because they have spent their entire lives in a state of emergency .
They were born in the wake of the 9/11 attacks ; raised without any expectation of privacy in a technologically-driven , mass surveillance state ; educated in schools that teach conformity and compliance ; saddled with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implosion ; made vulnerable by the blowback from a military empire constantly waging war against shadowy enemies ; policed by government agents armed to the teeth ready and able to lock down the country at a moment ’ s notice ; and forced to march in lockstep with a government that no longer exists to serve the people but which demands they be obedient slaves or suffer the consequences .
Unfortunately , we who should have known better failed to maintain our freedoms or provide our young people with the tools necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the impersonal jungle that is modern America .
We brought them into homes fractured by divorce , distracted by mindless entertainment , and obsessed with the pursuit of materialism .
We institutionalized them in daycares and afterschool programs , substituting time with teachers and childcare workers for parental involvement .
We turned them into test-takers instead of thinkers and automatons instead of activists .
We allowed them to languish in schools which not only look like prisons but function like prisons , as well—where conformity is the rule and freedom is the exception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our corporate overlords , while instilling in them the values of a celebrity-obsessed , technology-driven culture devoid of any true spirituality .
And we taught them to believe that the pursuit of their own personal happiness trumped all other virtues , including any empathy whatsoever for their fellow human beings No , we haven ’ t done this generation any favors .
Given the current political climate and nationwide lockdown , things could only get worse .
For those coming of age today ( and for the rest of us who are muddling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here are a few bits of advice that will hopefully help as we navigate the perils ahead .
Be an individual .
For all of its claims to champion the individual , American culture advocates a stark conformity which , as John F. Kennedy warned , is “ the jailer of freedom , and the enemy of growth.
” Worry less about fitting in with the rest of the world and instead , as Henry David Thoreau urged , become “ a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you , opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but of thought.
” Learn your rights .
We ’ re losing our freedoms for one simple reason : most of us don ’ t know anything about our freedoms .
At a minimum , anyone who has graduated from high school , let alone college , should know the Bill of Rights backwards and forwards .
However , the average young person , let alone citizen , has very little knowledge of their rights for the simple reason that the schools no longer teach them .
So grab a copy of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and study them at home .
And when the time comes , stand up for your rights before it ’ s too late .
Speak truth to power .
Don ’ t be naive about those in positions of authority .
As James Madison , who wrote our Bill of Rights , observed , “ All men having power ought to be distrusted.
” We must learn the lessons of history .
People in power , more often than not , abuse that power .
To maintain our freedoms , this will mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bounds of their office .
Resist all things that numb you .
Don ’ t measure your worth by what you own or earn .
Likewise , don ’ t become mindless consumers unaware of the world around you .
Resist all things that numb you , put you to sleep or help you “ cope ” with so-called reality .
Those who establish the rules and laws that govern society ’ s actions desire compliant subjects .
However , as George Orwell warned , “ Until they become conscious , they will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rebelled , they can not become conscious.
” It is these conscious individuals who change the world for the better .
Don ’ t let technology turn you into zombies .
Technology anesthetizes us to the all-too-real tragedies that surround us .
Techno-gadgets are merely distractions from what ’ s really going on in America and around the world .
As a result , we ’ ve begun mimicking the inhuman technology that surrounds us and have lost our humanity .
We ’ ve become sleepwalkers .
If you ’ re going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re going to have to pull the earbuds out , turn off the cell phones and spend much less time viewing screens .
Help others .
We all have a calling in life .
And I believe it boils down to one thing : You are here on this planet to help other people .
In fact , none of us can exist very long without help from others .
If we ’ re going to see any positive change for freedom , then we must change our view of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sense of what it means to love and help one another .
That will mean gaining the courage to stand up for the oppressed .
Refuse to remain silent in the face of evil .
Throughout history , individuals or groups of individuals have risen up to challenge the injustices of their age .
Nazi Germany had its Dietrich Bonhoeffer .
The gulags of the Soviet Union were challenged by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn .
America had its color-coded system of racial segregation and warmongering called out for what it was , blatant discrimination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr. And then there was Jesus Christ , an itinerant preacher and revolutionary activist , who not only died challenging the police state of his day—namely , the Roman Empire—but provided a blueprint for civil disobedience that would be followed by those , religious and otherwise , who came after him .
What we lack today and so desperately need are those with moral courage who will risk their freedoms and lives in order to speak out against evil in its many forms .
Cultivate spirituality , reject materialism and put people first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been subordinated to materialism , we have lost our moral compass .
We must change our values to reflect something more meaningful than technology , materialism and politics .
Standing at the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City in April 1967 , Martin Luther King Jr. urged his listeners : Pitch in and do your part to make the world a better place .
Don ’ t rely on someone else to do the heavy lifting for you .
Don ’ t wait around for someone else to fix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation .
As Mahatma Gandhi urged : “ Be the change you wish to see in the world.
” Stop waiting for political saviors to fix what is wrong with this country .
Stop waiting for some political savior to swoop in and fix all that ’ s wrong with this country .
Stop allowing yourselves to be drawn into divisive party politics .
Stop thinking of yourselves as members of a particular political party , as opposed to citizens of the United States .
Most of all , stop looking away from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tyranny that have become hallmarks of American police state .
Be vigilant and do your part to recalibrate the balance of power in favor of “ we the people.
” Say no to war .
Addressing the graduates at Binghampton Central High School in 1968 , at a time when the country was waging war “ on different fields , on different levels , and with different weapons , ” Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling declared : Finally , prepare yourselves for what lies ahead .
The demons of our age—some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence , sowing distrust and prejudice , and persuading the public to support tyranny disguised as patriotism .
Overcoming the evils of our age will require more than intellect and activism .
It will require decency , morality , goodness , truth and toughness .
As Serling concluded in his remarks to the graduating class of 1968 : “ Toughness is the singular quality most required of you… we have left you a world far more botched than the one that was left to us… Part of your challenge is to seek out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point of view not dictated to you by anyone , be he a congressman , even a minister… Are you tough enough to take the divisiveness of this land of ours , the fact that everything is polarized , black and white , this or that , absolutely right or absolutely wrong .
This is one of the challenges .
Be prepared to seek out the middle ground … that wondrous and very difficult-to-find Valhalla where man can look to both sides and see the errant truths that exist on both sides .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ must swing right—respect the other side .
Honor the motives that come from the other side .
Argue , debate , rebut—but don ’ t close those wondrous minds of yours to opposition .
In their eyes , you ’ re the opposition .
And ultimately … ultimately—you end divisiveness by compromise .
And so long as men walk and breathe—there must be compromise… Are you tough enough to face one of the uglier stains upon the fabric of our democracy—prejudice ?
It ’ s the basic root of most evil .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of man .
And it ’ s a part of man ’ s admission , his constant sick admission , that to exist he must find a scapegoat .
To explain away his own deficiencies—he must try to find someone who he believes more deficient… Make your judgment of your fellow-man on what he says and what he believes and the way he acts .
Be tough enough , please , to live with prejudice and give battle to it .
It warps , it poisons , it distorts and it is self-destructive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bomb … and worst of all it cheapens and demeans anyone who permits himself the luxury of hating.
” The only way we ’ ll ever achieve change in this country is for people to finally say “ enough is enough ” and fight for the things that truly matter .
It doesn ’ t matter how old you are or what your political ideology is : wake up , stand up , speak up , and make your citizenship count for something more than just voting .
Pandemic or not , don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curtailed and your voice to be muzzled .
It ’ s our civic duty to make the government hear us—and heed us—using every nonviolent means available to us : picket , protest , march , boycott , speak up , sound off and reclaim control over the narrative about what is really going on in this country .
Mind you , the government doesn ’ t want to hear us .
It doesn ’ t even want us to speak .
In fact , as I make clear in my book Battlefield America @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the government has done a diabolically good job of establishing roadblocks to prevent us from exercising our First Amendment right to speech and assembly and protest .
Still we must persist .
So get active , get outraged , and get going : there ’ s work to be done .
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute , where this article ( From 9/11 to COVID-19 , It ’ s Been a Perpetual State of Emergency ) was originally published .
He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The Emerging American Police State and The Change Manifesto .

From 9/11 to COVID-19, It’s Been a Perpetual State of Emergency
John W. Whitehead, Rutherford
Waking Times
“The fundamental political question is why do people obey a government. The answer is that they tend to enslave themselves, to let themselves be governed by tyrants. Freedom from servitude comes not from violent action, but from the refusal to serve. Tyrants fall when the people withdraw their support.”—Étienne De La Boétie, The Politics Of Obedience
Don’t pity this year’s crop of graduates because this COVID-19 pandemic caused them to miss out on the antics of their senior year and the pomp and circumstance of graduation.
Pity them because they have spent their entire lives in a state of emergency.
They were born in the wake of the 9/11 attacks; raised without any expectation of privacy in a technologically-driven, mass surveillance state; educated in schools that teach conformity and compliance; saddled with a debt-ridden economy on the brink of implosion; made vulnerable by the blowback from a military empire constantly waging war against shadowy enemies; policed by government agents armed to the teeth ready and able to lock down the country at a moment’s notice; and forced to march in lockstep with a government that no longer exists to serve the people but which demands they be obedient slaves or suffer the consequences.
It’s a dismal start to life, isn’t it?
Unfortunately, we who should have known better failed to maintain our freedoms or provide our young people with the tools necessary to survive, let alone succeed, in the impersonal jungle that is modern America.
We brought them into homes fractured by divorce, distracted by mindless entertainment, and obsessed with the pursuit of materialism. We institutionalized them in daycares and afterschool programs, substituting time with teachers and childcare workers for parental involvement. We turned them into test-takers instead of thinkers and automatons instead of activists.
We allowed them to languish in schools which not only look like prisons but function like prisons, as well—where conformity is the rule and freedom is the exception. We made them easy prey for our corporate overlords, while instilling in them the values of a celebrity-obsessed, technology-driven culture devoid of any true spirituality. And we taught them to believe that the pursuit of their own personal happiness trumped all other virtues, including any empathy whatsoever for their fellow human beings
No, we haven’t done this generation any favors.
Given the current political climate and nationwide lockdown, things could only get worse.
For those coming of age today (and for the rest of us who are muddling along through this dystopian nightmare), here are a few bits of advice that will hopefully help as we navigate the perils ahead.
Be an individual. For all of its claims to champion the individual, American culture advocates a stark conformity which, as John F. Kennedy warned, is “the jailer of freedom, and the enemy of growth.” Worry less about fitting in with the rest of the world and instead, as Henry David Thoreau urged, become “a Columbus to whole new continents and worlds within you, opening new channels, not of trade, but of thought.”
Learn your rights. We’re losing our freedoms for one simple reason: most of us don’t know anything about our freedoms. At a minimum, anyone who has graduated from high school, let alone college, should know the Bill of Rights backwards and forwards. However, the average young person, let alone citizen, has very little knowledge of their rights for the simple reason that the schools no longer teach them. So grab a copy of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and study them at home. And when the time comes, stand up for your rights before it’s too late.
Speak truth to power. Don’t be naive about those in positions of authority. As James Madison, who wrote our Bill of Rights, observed, “All men having power ought to be distrusted.” We must learn the lessons of history. People in power, more often than not, abuse that power. To maintain our freedoms, this will mean challenging government officials whenever they exceed the bounds of their office.
Resist all things that numb you. Don’t measure your worth by what you own or earn. Likewise, don’t become mindless consumers unaware of the world around you. Resist all things that numb you, put you to sleep or help you “cope” with so-called reality. Those who establish the rules and laws that govern society’s actions desire compliant subjects. However, as George Orwell warned, “Until they become conscious, they will never rebel, and until after they rebelled, they cannot become conscious.” It is these conscious individuals who change the world for the better.
Don’t let technology turn you into zombies. Technology anesthetizes us to the all-too-real tragedies that surround us. Techno-gadgets are merely distractions from what’s really going on in America and around the world. As a result, we’ve begun mimicking the inhuman technology that surrounds us and have lost our humanity. We’ve become sleepwalkers. If you’re going to make a difference in the world, you’re going to have to pull the earbuds out, turn off the cell phones and spend much less time viewing screens.
Help others. We all have a calling in life. And I believe it boils down to one thing: You are here on this planet to help other people. In fact, none of us can exist very long without help from others. If we’re going to see any positive change for freedom, then we must change our view of what it means to be human and regain a sense of what it means to love and help one another. That will mean gaining the courage to stand up for the oppressed.
Refuse to remain silent in the face of evil. Throughout history, individuals or groups of individuals have risen up to challenge the injustices of their age. Nazi Germany had its Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The gulags of the Soviet Union were challenged by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. America had its color-coded system of racial segregation and warmongering called out for what it was, blatant discrimination and profiteering, by Martin Luther King Jr. And then there was Jesus Christ, an itinerant preacher and revolutionary activist, who not only died challenging the police state of his day—namely, the Roman Empire—but provided a blueprint for civil disobedience that would be followed by those, religious and otherwise, who came after him. What we lack today and so desperately need are those with moral courage who will risk their freedoms and lives in order to speak out against evil in its many forms.
Cultivate spirituality, reject materialism and put people first. When the things that matter most have been subordinated to materialism, we have lost our moral compass. We must change our values to reflect something more meaningful than technology, materialism and politics. Standing at the pulpit of the Riverside Church in New York City in April 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. urged his listeners:
[W]e as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a “thing-oriented” society to a “person-oriented” society. When machines and computers, profit motive and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.
Pitch in and do your part to make the world a better place. Don’t rely on someone else to do the heavy lifting for you. Don’t wait around for someone else to fix what ails you, your community or nation. As Mahatma Gandhi urged: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
Stop waiting for political saviors to fix what is wrong with this country. Stop waiting for some political savior to swoop in and fix all that’s wrong with this country. Stop allowing yourselves to be drawn into divisive party politics. Stop thinking of yourselves as members of a particular political party, as opposed to citizens of the United States. Most of all, stop looking away from the injustices and cruelties and endless acts of tyranny that have become hallmarks of American police state. Be vigilant and do your part to recalibrate the balance of power in favor of “we the people.”
Say no to war. Addressing the graduates at Binghampton Central High School in 1968, at a time when the country was waging war “on different fields, on different levels, and with different weapons,” Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling declared:
Too many wars are fought almost as if by rote. Too many wars are fought out of sloganry, out of battle hymns, out of aged, musty appeals to patriotism that went out with knighthood and moats. Love your country because it is eminently worthy of your affection. Respect it because it deserves your respect. Be loyal to it because it cannot survive without your loyalty. But do not accept the shedding of blood as a natural function or a prescribed way of history—even if history points this up by its repetition. That men die for causes does not necessarily sanctify that cause. And that men are maimed and torn to pieces every fifteen and twenty years does not immortalize or deify the act of war… find another means that does not come with the killing of your fellow-man.
Finally, prepare yourselves for what lies ahead. The demons of our age—some of whom disguise themselves as politicians—delight in fomenting violence, sowing distrust and prejudice, and persuading the public to support tyranny disguised as patriotism. Overcoming the evils of our age will require more than intellect and activism. It will require decency, morality, goodness, truth and toughness. As Serling concluded in his remarks to the graduating class of 1968:
“Toughness is the singular quality most required of you… we have left you a world far more botched than the one that was left to us… Part of your challenge is to seek out truth, to come up with a point of view not dictated to you by anyone, be he a congressman, even a minister… Are you tough enough to take the divisiveness of this land of ours, the fact that everything is polarized, black and white, this or that, absolutely right or absolutely wrong. This is one of the challenges. Be prepared to seek out the middle ground … that wondrous and very difficult-to-find Valhalla where man can look to both sides and see the errant truths that exist on both sides. If you must swing left or you must swing right—respect the other side. Honor the motives that come from the other side. Argue, debate, rebut—but don’t close those wondrous minds of yours to opposition. In their eyes, you’re the opposition. And ultimately … ultimately—you end divisiveness by compromise. And so long as men walk and breathe—there must be compromise… Are you tough enough to face one of the uglier stains upon the fabric of our democracy—prejudice? It’s the basic root of most evil. It’s a part of the sickness of man. And it’s a part of man’s admission, his constant sick admission, that to exist he must find a scapegoat. To explain away his own deficiencies—he must try to find someone who he believes more deficient… Make your judgment of your fellow-man on what he says and what he believes and the way he acts. Be tough enough, please, to live with prejudice and give battle to it. It warps, it poisons, it distorts and it is self-destructive. It has fallout worse than a bomb … and worst of all it cheapens and demeans anyone who permits himself the luxury of hating.”
The only way we’ll ever achieve change in this country is for people to finally say “enough is enough” and fight for the things that truly matter.
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your political ideology is: wake up, stand up, speak up, and make your citizenship count for something more than just voting.
Pandemic or not, don’t allow your freedoms to be curtailed and your voice to be muzzled.
It’s our civic duty to make the government hear us—and heed us—using every nonviolent means available to us: picket, protest, march, boycott, speak up, sound off and reclaim control over the narrative about what is really going on in this country.
Mind you, the government doesn’t want to hear us. It doesn’t even want us to speak. In fact, as I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, the government has done a diabolically good job of establishing roadblocks to prevent us from exercising our First Amendment right to speech and assembly and protest.
Still we must persist.
So get active, get outraged, and get going: there’s work to be done.
About the Author
Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute, where this article (From 9/11 to COVID-19, It’s Been a Perpetual State of Emergency) was originally published. He is the author of A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State and The Change Manifesto.


wakingtimes--2020-05-28--Are Stay-at-Home Orders Decimating Vitamin D Levels?

Recent scientific papers have highlighted the role vitamin D may be playing in the COVID-19 pandemic , especially in severe cases .
Considering researchers have also shown that SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly inactivated by sunlight , areas that are banning people from parks and beaches , are undoubtedly committing a grave error .
In fact , it has been nearly impossible to document outdoor transmission of the disease .
This is because one factor for catching disease is dependent on the viral load – the amount of exposure which is quickly diluted outdoors and inactivated by sunlight .
Outdoor clinics should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are primary locations spreading the disease .
The coronavirus will follow the usual seasonal patterns we witness with influenza , as higher temperature , humidity , and our time spent outdoors are detrimental for spreading these respiratory infections .
Stay-at-home recommendations in general may also have been a bad idea overall .
Indeed , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo stated , May 6 , 2020 , that 66 % of new hospital admissions for COVID-19 were individuals who had been sequestering at home .
A majority of those cases were also minorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more prone to vitamin D deficiency due to their darker skin .
When Cuomo first heard about it , he said he immediately thought maybe people had been going out in spite of the shelter-in-place order , and maybe taking public transportation .
In actuality they were all at home where they were supposed to be .
Interestingly , Dr. David Katz , president of True Health Initiative and founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center , predicted this would happen .
Chinese researchers have also noted that a majority of outbreaks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of indoor spread of the disease , with the home accounting for 79.9 % of cases , followed by transportation at 34 % .
According to the authors , “ All identified outbreaks of three or more cases occurred in an indoor environment , which confirms that sharing indoor space is a major SARS-CoV-2 infection risk.
” As noted in a May 11 , 2020 , American Thinker article : In the video above , published May 11 , 2020 , on Medscape.com , Dr. JoAnn E. Manson , professor of medicine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medicine at Harvard Medical School , discusses the protective role of vitamin D against COVID-19 .
Manson points out that growing evidence suggests your vitamin D status may in fact play an important role in your risk of developing COVID-19 , as well as the severity of the illness .
It ’ s well-known that vitamin D is important for innate immunity and that it boosts your immune function against viral diseases .
Importantly , as noted by Manson , vitamin D also has “ an immune modulating effect and can lower inflammation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the respiratory response during COVID-19 and the cytokine storm that ’ s been demonstrated.
” Manson cites evidence from three South-Asian studies showing people with serious COVID-19 infection are far more likely to have insufficient levels of vitamin D compared to those with mild illness .
Vitamin D deficient patients had , on average , an eightfold higher risk of serious COVID-19 illness compared to those with sufficient levels .
Harvard Medical School is starting a study to investigate whether vitamin D supplementation lowers the risk of COVID-19 specifically , and/or improves clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Manson urges people to spend more time outdoors to improve their vitamin D levels through sun exposure , and to optimize their vitamin D levels through food and supplements .
Manson is far from alone in her recommendations .
Irish researchers recently published an editorial highlighting the role of vitamin D deficiency in severe COVID-19 infections .
According to the authors : A May 6 , 2020 , report in the journal Nutrients points out that vitamin D concentrations are lower in patients with positive PCR ( polymerase chain reaction ) tests for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which retrospectively investigated the vitamin D levels obtained from a cohort of patients in Switzerland : Another May 6 , 2020 , report , published in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research ( its prepublication featured in the Daily Mail May 1 ) , found that countries with lower vitamin D levels also have higher mortality rates from COVID-19 .
According to the authors : In the preprint version of this paper , the authors concluded : “ We believe that we can advise vitamin D supplementation to protect against SARS-CoV2 infection.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down the recommendation to : “ We hypothesize that vitamin D may play a protective role for COVID-19.
” Data from a clinical trial by GrassrootsHealth — an organization that we have supported for over 13 years — also reveals a link between vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity .
Mark Alipio — who received no funding for his work — released data from an analysis of 212 people with lab-confirmed COVID-19 and for whom serum 25 ( OH ) D levels were available .
Using a classification of symptoms based on previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compare the differences in clinical outcomes against the levels of vitamin D. Of the 212 people , 49 had mild disease ; 59 had ordinary disease ; 56 were severe and 48 were critical .
In the initial study group of 212 patients ( see Table 1 below ) , 55 had normal vitamin D levels , which Alipio defined as greater than 30 ng/ml ; 80 had insufficient levels of 21 to 29 ng/ml and 77 had deficient levels of less than 20 ng/ml .
Vitamin D levels were strongly correlated to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is important to note that most experts consider 30 ng/ml half of what an optimum vitamin D level should be , which is 60 to 80 ng/ml .
Of the 49 with mild illness , 47 had normal vitamin D levels .
For those of you who are not good with math that means that 96 % of the patients with mild illness had “ normal ” levels of vitamin D. Note again this “ normal ” level was above 30 ng/mL , and most experts would raise that to 60 ng/mL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critical illness , only four had normal levels of vitamin D. That is 4 % or the reciprocal of the mild group .
How much stronger a correlation could one hope for ?
Alipio concluded : Indeed , there is strong scientific evidence vitamin D plays a central role in your immune response and your ability to fight infections in general , so there ’ s little reason to think it wouldn ’ t provide similar protection against COVID-19 .
In this video , Ivor Cummins , biochemist and chief program officer for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher levels of vitamin D may reduce your risk of negative outcomes from COVID-19 .
He also reviews some of the conditions associated with low vitamin D levels , such as insulin resistance and high levels of inflammation .
As discussed in “ The Real Pandemic Is Insulin Resistance , ” obesity , high blood pressure , diabetes and heart disease are comorbidities for severe COVID-19 , and insulin resistance is the underlying problem in all of these .
As noted in “ Vitamin D and the Antiviral State , ” a literature @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Clinical Virology in 2011 : SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped type of virus , which means vitamin D may actually have a direct antiviral effect on it .
Future studies will have to confirm that , but in the meantime , there ’ s absolutely no reason to ignore your vitamin D level .
As reported in a recent GrassrootsHealth press release :

Are Stay-at-Home Orders Decimating Vitamin D Levels?
Dr. Mercola, Guest
Waking Times
Recent scientific papers have highlighted the role vitamin D may be playing in the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in severe cases. Considering researchers have also shown that SARS-CoV-2 is rapidly inactivated by sunlight, areas that are banning people from parks and beaches, are undoubtedly committing a grave error.
In fact, it has been nearly impossible to document outdoor transmission of the disease. This is because one factor for catching disease is dependent on the viral load – the amount of exposure which is quickly diluted outdoors and inactivated by sunlight.
Outdoor clinics should be seriously considered, as healthcare facilities are primary locations spreading the disease.
The coronavirus will follow the usual seasonal patterns we witness with influenza, as higher temperature, humidity, and our time spent outdoors are detrimental for spreading these respiratory infections.
Stay at Home Order Is a Miserably Failed Experiment
Stay-at-home recommendations in general may also have been a bad idea overall. Indeed, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo stated, May 6, 2020, that 66% of new hospital admissions for COVID-19 were individuals who had been sequestering at home.
A majority of those cases were also minorities such as African-Americans, who are far more prone to vitamin D deficiency due to their darker skin. When Cuomo first heard about it, he said he immediately thought maybe people had been going out in spite of the shelter-in-place order, and maybe taking public transportation.
In actuality they were all at home where they were supposed to be. Interestingly, Dr. David Katz, president of True Health Initiative and founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, predicted this would happen.
Chinese researchers have also noted that a majority of outbreaks in the 320 municipalities reviewed were the result of indoor spread of the disease, with the home accounting for 79.9% of cases, followed by transportation at 34%.
According to the authors, “All identified outbreaks of three or more cases occurred in an indoor environment, which confirms that sharing indoor space is a major SARS-CoV-2 infection risk.” As noted in a May 11, 2020, American Thinker article:
“Very likely, you already instinctively know that the guidelines suggesting that it’s somehow helpful to keep a six-foot space between healthy people, even outdoors, is not based on science, but just an arbitrary suggestion we’ve been conditioned to accept without evidence.
And your gut feeling would be right. There’s a reason that “social distancing ‘wasn’t a buzzword common to the American lexicon prior to 2020. There’s very little science behind “social distancing’ at all.
‘It turns out,’ Julie Kelly writes9 at American Greatness, ‘as I wrote10 last month, ‘social distancing’ is untested pseudoscience particularly as it relates to halting the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. On its website, the CDC provides no links to any peer-reviewed social distancing studies that bolster its official guidance.’ There’s a reason for the lack of peer-reviewed studies on the CDC website. She continues:
‘The alarming reality is that social distancing never has been tested on a massive scale in the modern age; its current formula was conceived during George W. Bush’s administration and met with much-deserved skepticism.
‘People could not believe that the strategy would be effective or even feasible,’ one scientist told11 the New York Times last month. A high school science project12 — no, I am not joking — added more weight to the concept.
‘Social distancing’ is very much a newfangled experiment, not settled science. And, Kelley writes, the results are suggesting that our ‘Great Social Distancing Experiment of 2020’ will be ‘near the top of the list’ of ‘bad experiments gone horribly wrong.'”
Banning Outdoor Activities — A Disastrous Idea
In the video above, published May 11, 2020, on Medscape.com, Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, professor of medicine and chief of the division of preventive medicine at Harvard Medical School, discusses the protective role of vitamin D against COVID-19.
Manson points out that growing evidence suggests your vitamin D status may in fact play an important role in your risk of developing COVID-19, as well as the severity of the illness. It’s well-known that vitamin D is important for innate immunity and that it boosts your immune function against viral diseases.
Importantly, as noted by Manson, vitamin D also has “an immune modulating effect and can lower inflammation, and this may be relevant to the respiratory response during COVID-19 and the cytokine storm that’s been demonstrated.”
Manson cites evidence from three South-Asian studies showing people with serious COVID-19 infection are far more likely to have insufficient levels of vitamin D compared to those with mild illness. Vitamin D deficient patients had, on average, an eightfold higher risk of serious COVID-19 illness compared to those with sufficient levels.
Harvard Medical School is starting a study to investigate whether vitamin D supplementation lowers the risk of COVID-19 specifically, and/or improves clinical outcomes, but in the meantime, Manson urges people to spend more time outdoors to improve their vitamin D levels through sun exposure, and to optimize their vitamin D levels through food and supplements.
Manson is far from alone in her recommendations. Irish researchers recently published an editorial highlighting the role of vitamin D deficiency in severe COVID-19 infections. According to the authors:
“… the evidence supporting a protective effect of vitamin D against severe COVID‐19 disease is very suggestive, a substantial proportion of the population in the Northern Hemisphere will currently be vitamin D deficient, and supplements, for example, 1,000 international units (25 micrograms) per day are very safe.
It is time for governments to strengthen recommendations for vitamin D intake and supplementation, particularly when under lock‐down.”
Low Vitamin D Linked to Greater SARS-CoV-2 Infection Risk
A May 6, 2020, report in the journal Nutrients points out that vitamin D concentrations are lower in patients with positive PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests for SARS-CoV-2. As noted in this report, which retrospectively investigated the vitamin D levels obtained from a cohort of patients in Switzerland:
“In this cohort, significantly lower 25(OH)D levels were found in PCR-positive for SARS-CoV-2 (median value 11.1 ng/mL) patients compared with negative patients (24.6 ng/mL); this was also confirmed by stratifying patients according to age >70 years. On the basis of this preliminary observation, vitamin D supplementation might be a useful measure to reduce the risk of infection.”
Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Increased COVID-19 Mortality
Another May 6, 2020, report, published in Aging Clinical and Experimental Research (its prepublication featured in the Daily Mail May 1), found that countries with lower vitamin D levels also have higher mortality rates from COVID-19. According to the authors:
“The Seneca study showed a mean serum vitamin D level of 26 nmol/L in Spain, 28 nmol/L in Italy and 45 nmol/L in the Nordic countries, in older people. In Switzerland, mean vitamin D level is 23 nmol/L in nursing homes and in Italy 76% of women over 70 years of age have been found to have circulating levels below 30 nmol/L.
These are the countries with high number of cases of COVID-19 and the aging people is the group with the highest risk for morbidity and mortality with SARS-CoV2.”
In the preprint version of this paper, the authors concluded: “We believe that we can advise vitamin D supplementation to protect against SARS-CoV2 infection.” In the final version, they toned down the recommendation to: “We hypothesize that vitamin D may play a protective role for COVID-19.”
GrassrootsHealth Study
Data from a clinical trial by GrassrootsHealth — an organization that we have supported for over 13 years — also reveals a link between vitamin D status and COVID-19 severity.
Mark Alipio — who received no funding for his work — released data from an analysis of 212 people with lab-confirmed COVID-19 and for whom serum 25(OH)D levels were available. Using a classification of symptoms based on previous research, he employed statistical analysis to compare the differences in clinical outcomes against the levels of vitamin D.
Of the 212 people, 49 had mild disease; 59 had ordinary disease; 56 were severe and 48 were critical. In the initial study group of 212 patients (see Table 1 below), 55 had normal vitamin D levels, which Alipio defined as greater than 30 ng/ml; 80 had insufficient levels of 21 to 29 ng/ml and 77 had deficient levels of less than 20 ng/ml.
Vitamin D levels were strongly correlated to the severity of the illness experienced. It is important to note that most experts consider 30 ng/ml half of what an optimum vitamin D level should be, which is 60 to 80 ng/ml.
Of the 49 with mild illness, 47 had normal vitamin D levels. For those of you who are not good with math that means that 96% of the patients with mild illness had “normal” levels of vitamin D. Note again this “normal” level was above 30 ng/mL, and most experts would raise that to 60 ng/mL.
Of the 104 with severe or critical illness, only four had normal levels of vitamin D. That is 4% or the reciprocal of the mild group. How much stronger a correlation could one hope for? Alipio concluded:
“… this study provides substantial information to clinicians and health policy-makers. Vitamin D supplementation could possibly improve clinical outcomes of patients infected with Covid-2019 based on increasing odds ratio of having a mild outcome when serum (OH)D level increases.”
Vitamin D Protects Against Viral Infections
Indeed, there is strong scientific evidence vitamin D plays a central role in your immune response and your ability to fight infections in general, so there’s little reason to think it wouldn’t provide similar protection against COVID-19.
In this video, Ivor Cummins, biochemist and chief program officer for Irish Heart Disease Awareness, explains how higher levels of vitamin D may reduce your risk of negative outcomes from COVID-19.
He also reviews some of the conditions associated with low vitamin D levels, such as insulin resistance and high levels of inflammation. As discussed in “The Real Pandemic Is Insulin Resistance,” obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease are comorbidities for severe COVID-19, and insulin resistance is the underlying problem in all of these.
As noted in “Vitamin D and the Antiviral State,” a literature review article published in the Journal of Clinical Virology in 2011:
“Interventional and observational epidemiological studies provide evidence that vitamin D deficiency may confer increased risk of influenza and respiratory tract infection. Vitamin D deficiency is also prevalent among patients with HIV infection.
Cell culture experiments support the thesis that vitamin D has direct anti-viral effects particularly against enveloped viruses. Though vitamin D’s anti-viral mechanism has not been fully established, it may be linked to vitamin D’s ability to up-regulate the anti-microbial peptides LL-37 and human beta defensin 2.”
SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped type of virus, which means vitamin D may actually have a direct antiviral effect on it. Future studies will have to confirm that, but in the meantime, there’s absolutely no reason to ignore your vitamin D level. As reported in a recent GrassrootsHealth press release:
“Vitamin D has several mechanisms that can reduce risk of infections. Important mechanisms regarding respiratory tract infections include:
inducing production of cathelicidins and defensins that can lower viral survival and replication rates as well as reduce risk of bacterial infection
reducing the cytokine storm that causes inflammation and damage to the lining of the lungs that can lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome
Vitamin D deficiency has been found to contribute to acute respiratory distress syndrome, a major cause of death associated with COVID-19 … To reduce risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/day (250 micrograms/day) of vitamin D for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, followed by at least 5000 IU/day.


wakingtimes--2020-05-29--Questions of Our Time – To Fear or Not to Fear?

Questions of Our Time – To Fear or Not to Fear ?
In a previous reflection , I considered the idea that we have just experienced a ‘ reset ’ moment in human history .
This was prompted by current events which have , as every reader is now aware , put global society into a sudden ‘ stop ’ mode .
The brakes have been applied sharply .
This reminds me of a physical-psychological exercise used by the Greek-Armenian mystic G.I .
Gurdjieff .
He named this as his ‘ stop ’ exercise .
According to Gurdjieff ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop , ” or at a previously arranged signal , every student must instantly stop all movement , wherever he may be and whatever he may be doing…while he is in this state of arrested movement , the student must also arrest the flow of his thoughts , not admitting any new thoughts whatever…this is simply a movement interrupted at the moment of passage from one posture to another…generally we pass from one posture to another so rapidly that we do not notice the attitudes we take in passing .
The “ stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seeing and feeling our own body in postures and attitudes which are entirely unaccustomed and unnatural to it…the style of the movements and postures of every epoch , every race and every class is indissolubly connected with distinctive forms of thought and of feeling .
And they are so closely bound together that a man can change neither the form of his thought nor the form of his feeling without having changed his repertory of postures… [ i ] This extract illustrates that its function was to give the ‘ student ’ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person , remarked Gurdjieff , is generally not aware as they pass from one posture to another – we are ‘ entirely unaccustomed ’ to this point of observation to the extent that it is unnatural to us .
The only way to enforce this is through an externally produced state of arrested movement .
Interestingly , Gurdjieff states that every epoch , race , and class have their distinctive forms of thought which are so tightly bound to their ‘ posture ’ that they can not be changed .
Later in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we now consider this at the larger scale , it implies that people are culturally bound to particular ‘ postures ’ of thought ( aka , social conditioning ) ; and that these thoughts and feelings are automatic ( programmed ) .
Gurdjieff ’ s method of breaking down these automatisms so that they could be observed was through imposing an external command of ‘ stop ’ that had to be obeyed .
Now , what if we are to apply this to the current situation of the global social quarantines in place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business .
Have we not just experienced a ‘ stop ’ command enforced upon us by an external impact in response to the 2020 pandemic ?
Locally , and across the world , humanity has entered a huge experiment .
For the first time in our known history , human civilization in most of its forms has come to a halt .
We have been stopped in mid-posture – a state of arrested movement – and have been placed in a space we are totally unaccustomed to .
Time now , is it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of thoughts ’ – i.e.
, our regular programming – in order to enter into a period of self-observation ?
What are we likely to find in this moment of ‘ frozen ’ introspection ?
What are the implications of the reset button being pressed ?
We have entered a ‘ stop ’ phase upon an individual , community , and global level .
Never before has this occurred , nor has it been possible .
For most of humanity ’ s evolution , we existed as localized aspects of psyche and consciousness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life ’ of those around us , the community ; and later , the country .
Only within a relatively short span of time has our species gained a global perspective .
This began with trade routes , explorers , and conquests .
Within the last century , this expanded into people having greater access to mobility and mainstream news .
Yet only since the advent of communication technologies has the rudimentary beginnings of a conscious global psyche been manifesting .
Whilst a collective unconscious species mind has existed , this lay beneath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This has now ‘ flipped over ’ into a physical presence in that so many more people are currently aware of psychical fluctuations across the world .
We are presently experiencing these fluctuations during the 2020 pandemic .
This was not possible before , even at the time of the Spanish Flu of 1918-20 .
Why does this matter ?
It matters because the effects of consciousness , although seemingly intangible , are just as important as those tangible , physical effects we are generally more aware of .
Consciousness is just as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more so , as it is not bound by physical parameters of movement .
Consciousness is an open arena – and it spreads like ripples across fluid and intangible , interconnected fields .
Each person too creates these ripples , which are then strengthened by larger community and national consciousness fields .
Similar to what Gurdjieff spoke of , we are creating thought postures that belong to collectives of human thought .
And as many people are aware of , like things attract and resonate with like things .
It is the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why so many ‘ like-minded ’ people group together .
They share a common bond in their thinking .
At the same time , these physical groupings create collective fields of consciousness .
These fields can become powerful and very influential .
They have operated throughout extreme cases , such as warfare , where people have behaved against their ‘ better judgement.
’ Likewise , they have operated during moments of mob violence and mob psychosis .
Such collectives of thought are easy to be caught up within – that ’ s why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as our species ’ collective psyche is growing and developing , such ‘ contagions of consciousness ’ are extremely powerful .
Generally , as a person becomes ‘ socially programmed ’ by layers of conditioning , they are absorbed into the ‘ national psyche ’ of their respective country .
This has always operated as a useful function of social management .
As a person learns to de-condition themselves , and to throw off these layers of their psychological conditioning , they create more expansive states of awareness by having access to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are those who have had unusual impact upon others , especially when in close proximity .
We are each of us affected by the ‘ consciousness ripples ’ emanating from others .
It is how the ecology of consciousness operates .
And since it is an interconnected ecology , individual awakening – or expansion of awareness – does not just remain at the individual level .
As transpersonal researcher Chris Bache puts it – The ecology of consciousness is an inherently collective ecology .
What we feed into our localized fields of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ part of a larger body , or consciousness field .
And this , ultimately , will form part of a grander resonating field of collective consciousness – at the community , national , and global level .
Therefore , what and how we think is indeed part of our responsibility .
As Sri Aurobindo said – ‘ But now we have , very remarkably , very swiftly coming to the surface this new psychological tendency of the communal consciousness.
’ [ ii ] What we are experiencing now is not only a biological @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How we feed into this , and what is fed into this , will establish the tone of an overall psychic resonance .
And this overall field of resonance can be coherent or dissonant , and many other degrees in-between .
That is , if a psychological environment of fear , panic , and anxiety is created through thousands , or even millions , of individualized fields of consciousness , these will ripple out to congeal into a grander collective field of increased psychic density .
The resonance of disturbance will be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Similarly , if localized ripples of coherence , hope , trust , and empowerment are transmitted , these will not only influence local and community environments at the psychological level but also the larger global psyche .
This is not voodoo or magical thinking – it reflects how the intangible realm of thoughts and human consciousness operates .
Again , to repeat Chris Bache – The ecology of consciousness is an inherently collective ecology .
Psychologically , we are not alone .
Each person lives as a part of the world , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person has a responsibility to manage their thoughts – what they receive and process as well as what they transmit .
This present moment of a global ‘ stop ’ phase should give us time for reflection and consideration .
Our automated movements and our automatic thinking patterns have been put on hold .
We should take advantage of this unique opportunity .
It may never happen again .
It is likely we shall receive external impacts in our lives that momentarily make us pause as individuals – yet global ones are a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this exceptional moment , we should consider carefully .
We will have questions now that are of great importance .
For example , how should I react to this situation ?
What information should I allow to influence me and my psychological state ?
Should I join in with the widespread fear ?
Which is going to serve me and others better – precautionary behaviour or panic ?
These shall be the questions of our time .
For how we think affects not only ourselves .
It affects those around us , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After all , human consciousness exists not apart but a part of a wondrous collective ecology .
It is time now to think as real human beings , not as automatons .
[ i ] Taken from ‘ Talks with Gurdjieff ’ – various online sources [ ii ] Aurobindo , S. ( 1999 [ 1950 ] ) .
The Human Cycle : The Psychology of Social Development .
Twin Lakes , WI , Lotus Light Publications , p38 Kingsley L. Dennis is the author of Bardo Times : hyperreality , high-velocity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hoax ?
, The Phoenix Generation : A New Era of Connection , Compassion , and Consciousness , and The Sacred Revival : Magic , Mind & Meaning in a Technological Age , available at Amazon .
Visit him on the web at http : //www.kingsleydennis.com/ .
Like Waking Times on Facebook .
Follow Waking Times on Twitter .

Questions of Our Time – To Fear or Not to Fear?
Kingsley L. Dennis, Contributor
Waking Times
‘I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.’ Frank Herbert, Dune
In a previous reflection, I considered the idea that we have just experienced a ‘reset’ moment in human history. This was prompted by current events which have, as every reader is now aware, put global society into a sudden ‘stop’ mode. The brakes have been applied sharply. This reminds me of a physical-psychological exercise used by the Greek-Armenian mystic G.I. Gurdjieff. He named this as his ‘stop’ exercise. According to Gurdjieff’s own words:
…at the command “stop,” or at a previously arranged signal, every student must instantly stop all movement, wherever he may be and whatever he may be doing…while he is in this state of arrested movement, the student must also arrest the flow of his thoughts, not admitting any new thoughts whatever…this is simply a movement interrupted at the moment of passage from one posture to another…generally we pass from one posture to another so rapidly that we do not notice the attitudes we take in passing. The “stop” exercise gives us the possibility of seeing and feeling our own body in postures and attitudes which are entirely unaccustomed and unnatural to it…the style of the movements and postures of every epoch, every race and every class is indissolubly connected with distinctive forms of thought and of feeling. And they are so closely bound together that a man can change neither the form of his thought nor the form of his feeling without having changed his repertory of postures…[i]
This extract illustrates that its function was to give the ‘student’ a necessary moment for unhindered self-observation. A person, remarked Gurdjieff, is generally not aware as they pass from one posture to another – we are ‘entirely unaccustomed’ to this point of observation to the extent that it is unnatural to us. The only way to enforce this is through an externally produced state of arrested movement.
Interestingly, Gurdjieff states that every epoch, race, and class have their distinctive forms of thought which are so tightly bound to their ‘posture’ that they cannot be changed. Later in this description it is remarked that,
psychological analysis and the study of the psychomotor functions, applied in a certain manner, demonstrate that each of our movements, voluntary or involuntary, is an unconscious transition from one automatically fixed posture to another, equally automatic…our thoughts and feelings are equally automatic.
If we now consider this at the larger scale, it implies that people are culturally bound to particular ‘postures’ of thought (aka, social conditioning); and that these thoughts and feelings are automatic (programmed). Gurdjieff’s method of breaking down these automatisms so that they could be observed was through imposing an external command of ‘stop’ that had to be obeyed. Now, what if we are to apply this to the current situation of the global social quarantines in place and the halt on global trade and business. Have we not just experienced a ‘stop’ command enforced upon us by an external impact in response to the 2020 pandemic?
Locally, and across the world, humanity has entered a huge experiment. For the first time in our known history, human civilization in most of its forms has come to a halt. We have been stopped in mid-posture – a state of arrested movement – and have been placed in a space we are totally unaccustomed to. Time now, is it not, to ‘arrest the flow of thoughts’ – i.e., our regular programming – in order to enter into a period of self-observation? What are we likely to find in this moment of ‘frozen’ introspection? What are the implications of the reset button being pressed?
We have entered a ‘stop’ phase upon an individual, community, and global level. Never before has this occurred, nor has it been possible. For most of humanity’s evolution, we existed as localized aspects of psyche and consciousness. We participated in the ‘mental life’ of those around us, the community; and later, the country. Only within a relatively short span of time has our species gained a global perspective. This began with trade routes, explorers, and conquests. Within the last century, this expanded into people having greater access to mobility and mainstream news. Yet only since the advent of communication technologies has the rudimentary beginnings of a conscious global psyche been manifesting. Whilst a collective unconscious species mind has existed, this lay beneath the conscious awareness of most people. This has now ‘flipped over’ into a physical presence in that so many more people are currently aware of psychical fluctuations across the world. We are presently experiencing these fluctuations during the 2020 pandemic. This was not possible before, even at the time of the Spanish Flu of 1918-20. Why does this matter? It matters because the effects of consciousness, although seemingly intangible, are just as important as those tangible, physical effects we are generally more aware of.
Consciousness is just as contagious as any biological virus. Perhaps more so, as it is not bound by physical parameters of movement. Consciousness is an open arena – and it spreads like ripples across fluid and intangible, interconnected fields. Each person too creates these ripples, which are then strengthened by larger community and national consciousness fields. Similar to what Gurdjieff spoke of, we are creating thought postures that belong to collectives of human thought. And as many people are aware of, like things attract and resonate with like things. It is the same with thought. This is the reason why so many ‘like-minded’ people group together. They share a common bond in their thinking. At the same time, these physical groupings create collective fields of consciousness. These fields can become powerful and very influential. They have operated throughout extreme cases, such as warfare, where people have behaved against their ‘better judgement.’ Likewise, they have operated during moments of mob violence and mob psychosis. Such collectives of thought are easy to be caught up within – that’s why they are contagious. And now, as our species’ collective psyche is growing and developing, such ‘contagions of consciousness’ are extremely powerful.
Generally, as a person becomes ‘socially programmed’ by layers of conditioning, they are absorbed into the ‘national psyche’ of their respective country. This has always operated as a useful function of social management. As a person learns to de-condition themselves, and to throw off these layers of their psychological conditioning, they create more expansive states of awareness by having access to a broader range of consciousness fields. These people are those who have had unusual impact upon others, especially when in close proximity. We are each of us affected by the ‘consciousness ripples’ emanating from others. It is how the ecology of consciousness operates. And since it is an interconnected ecology, individual awakening – or expansion of awareness – does not just remain at the individual level. As transpersonal researcher Chris Bache puts it – The ecology of consciousness is an inherently collective ecology. What we feed into our localized fields of consciousness will then go on to form part of a larger body, or consciousness field. And this, ultimately, will form part of a grander resonating field of collective consciousness – at the community, national, and global level. Therefore, what and how we think is indeed part of our responsibility. As Sri Aurobindo said – ‘But now we have, very remarkably, very swiftly coming to the surface this new psychological tendency of the communal consciousness.’[ii]
What we are experiencing now is not only a biological pandemic but also a psychological one. How we feed into this, and what is fed into this, will establish the tone of an overall psychic resonance. And this overall field of resonance can be coherent or dissonant, and many other degrees in-between. That is, if a psychological environment of fear, panic, and anxiety is created through thousands, or even millions, of individualized fields of consciousness, these will ripple out to congeal into a grander collective field of increased psychic density. The resonance of disturbance will be on a scale far exceeding the individual level. Similarly, if localized ripples of coherence, hope, trust, and empowerment are transmitted, these will not only influence local and community environments at the psychological level but also the larger global psyche. This is not voodoo or magical thinking – it reflects how the intangible realm of thoughts and human consciousness operates. Again, to repeat Chris Bache – The ecology of consciousness is an inherently collective ecology. Psychologically, we are not alone. Each person lives as a part of the world, and not apart from it. Each person has a responsibility to manage their thoughts – what they receive and process as well as what they transmit.
This present moment of a global ‘stop’ phase should give us time for reflection and consideration. Our automated movements and our automatic thinking patterns have been put on hold. We should take advantage of this unique opportunity. It may never happen again. It is likely we shall receive external impacts in our lives that momentarily make us pause as individuals – yet global ones are a very, very rare occurrence. In this exceptional moment, we should consider carefully. We will have questions now that are of great importance. For example, how should I react to this situation? What information should I allow to influence me and my psychological state? Should I join in with the widespread fear? Which is going to serve me and others better – precautionary behaviour or panic?
These shall be the questions of our time. For how we think affects not only ourselves. It affects those around us, and then further out, and further out. After all, human consciousness exists not apart but a part of a wondrous collective ecology. It is time now to think as real human beings, not as automatons.
[i] Taken from ‘Talks with Gurdjieff’ – various online sources
[ii] Aurobindo, S. (1999 [1950]). The Human Cycle: The Psychology of Social Development. Twin Lakes, WI, Lotus Light Publications, p38
About the Author
Kingsley L. Dennis is the author of Bardo Times: hyperreality, high-velocity, simulation, automation, mutation – a hoax?, The Phoenix Generation: A New Era of Connection, Compassion, and Consciousness, and The Sacred Revival: Magic, Mind & Meaning in a Technological Age, available at Amazon. Visit him on the web at http://www.kingsleydennis.com/.


wakingtimes--2020-05-29--Battered Souls #009 – The Illusion and the Middle Way with Zen Gardner

Battered Souls # 009 – The Illusion and the Middle Way with Zen Gardner Zen Gardner joins me on this episode of Battered Souls .
In the last 10 plus years , Zen has written thousands of articles for forward thinking websites , reaching and inspiring millions of people all over the world .
His perspectives on personal evolution , collective awakening , and the control matrix are priceless contributions to the decades long effort to awaken the human race , which is happening now at a faster pace than ever before .
In this show we get into perspectives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways to find peace in the storm , and we look at why the middle way is the best way to cut through the illusion .
This was a fun conversation for me , as I ’ ve known Zen for a long time through email , but talk to him for the first time here .
Hope you enjoy !
Read some of Zen Gardner ’ s articles : Zen at Waking Times Find Zen ’ s book , You Are the Awakening , on Amazon .
Visit us on the web @ @ @

Battered Souls #009 – The Illusion and the Middle Way with Zen Gardner
Zen Gardner joins me on this episode of Battered Souls.
In the last 10 plus years, Zen has written thousands of articles for forward thinking websites, reaching and inspiring millions of people all over the world.
His perspectives on personal evolution, collective awakening, and the control matrix are priceless contributions to the decades long effort to awaken the human race, which is happening now at a faster pace than ever before.
In this show we get into perspectives on Covid-19, some simple and powerful ways to find peace in the storm, and we look at why the middle way is the best way to cut through the illusion.
This was a fun conversation for me, as I’ve known Zen for a long time through email, but talk to him for the first time here. Hope you enjoy!
————————————
Read some of Zen Gardner’s articles: Zen at Waking Times
Find Zen’s book, You Are the Awakening, on Amazon.
————————————
Visit us on the web – Battered Souls
Stop by Dylan’s site – Waking Times
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Support Battered Souls with Cryptos!
BITCOIN – 1PgkuMTxVwVEhgbKuXQQ1Qi8kYzsX2fn68
ETHEREUM – 0xaec9c156C492d964Ad6C8bD1377152b85Be230F6
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wakingtimes--2020-05-29--MLK’s Daughter Shares Powerful Message About Reactions To These Two Photos

MLK ’ s Daughter Shares Powerful Message About Reactions To These Two Photos Martin Luther King , Jr ’ s daughter Bernice King tweeted an image this week , which featured a photo of the recent killing of George Floyd , in which a police officer kneeled on his neck , next to a photo of former NFL player Colin Kaepernick , kneeling in protest against police brutality .
In her caption , she pointed out how some of the people who were furious over Kaepernick “ taking a kneel ” on the football field , seem unbothered by images @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man ’ s neck .
The police department justified the killing by claiming that Floyd was resisting arrest , but security camera footage taken of the moments that he was put into handcuffs show that he was fully compliant with the officers .
The videos taken by onlookers show that Floyd was pleading for his life as officer Derek Chauvin held him to the ground by his neck .
He told the officer that he couldn ’ t breathe and that he was in pain , but he was not resisting arrest at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been made available .
Even if he was resisting , officers are not authorized to use that brutal technique on suspects .
Sadly , Floyd lost consciousness from the pressure on his neck and died at the hospital shortly after .
The four officers who were involved with the arrest have been fired , but the victim ’ s family , and the city ’ s mayor , are calling for criminal charges against the officers involved .
The situation that is taking place right now , is exactly the type of violence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring attention to .
For some reason , Kaepernick ’ s protest outraged many Americans , and it was a trending news story for over a year .
However , it was his act of defiance that grabbed all of the headlines , while the motivation for his protest , police brutality , was largely left out of the conversation .
As you might know , tech giants like Facebook , Twitter , and Google ( Also Youtube ) , increasingly censor information that does not fit the mainstream narrative .
Freedom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , however , in the current era , you are not allowed to share your views anymore .
Fortunately , alternative platforms appear that are censorship-free .
Minds.com is one of these platforms .
You can sign up for free , HERE , and make sure you follow Truth Theory on Minds .
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture , and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems .
He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought @ @ @

MLK’s Daughter Shares Powerful Message About Reactions To These Two Photos
John Vibes, Truth Theory
Waking Times
Martin Luther King, Jr’s daughter Bernice King tweeted an image this week, which featured a photo of the recent killing of George Floyd, in which a police officer kneeled on his neck, next to a photo of former NFL player Colin Kaepernick, kneeling in protest against police brutality. In her caption, she pointed out how some of the people who were furious over Kaepernick “taking a kneel” on the football field, seem unbothered by images of a police officer kneeling on a man’s neck.
If you’re unbothered or mildly bothered by the 1st knee, but outraged by the 2nd, then, in my father’s words, you’re “more devoted to order than to justice.” And more passionate about an anthem that supposedly symbolizes freedom than you are about a Black man’s freedom to live. pic.twitter.com/kxpVOEeTNR — Be A King (@BerniceKing) May 26, 2020
The police department justified the killing by claiming that Floyd was resisting arrest, but security camera footage taken of the moments that he was put into handcuffs show that he was fully compliant with the officers.
MORE: Video obtained by CBS News shows what appears to be the start of the confrontation between George Floyd & Minneapolis police officers. A restaurant's security footage shows cops taking him into custody, but the restaurant owner says it does not show Floyd resisting arrest. pic.twitter.com/KR8r7B1WPl — CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) May 26, 2020
The videos taken by onlookers show that Floyd was pleading for his life as officer Derek Chauvin held him to the ground by his neck. He told the officer that he couldn’t breathe and that he was in pain, but he was not resisting arrest at any point in the footage that has been made available. Even if he was resisting, officers are not authorized to use that brutal technique on suspects.
Sadly, Floyd lost consciousness from the pressure on his neck and died at the hospital shortly after. The four officers who were involved with the arrest have been fired, but the victim’s family, and the city’s mayor, are calling for criminal charges against the officers involved.
The situation that is taking place right now, is exactly the type of violence that Kaepernick was using his platform to bring attention to. For some reason, Kaepernick’s protest outraged many Americans, and it was a trending news story for over a year. However, it was his act of defiance that grabbed all of the headlines, while the motivation for his protest, police brutality, was largely left out of the conversation.
As you might know, tech giants like Facebook, Twitter, and Google (Also Youtube), increasingly censor information that does not fit the mainstream narrative. Freedom of speech should be the basic human right, however, in the current era, you are not allowed to share your views anymore. Fortunately, alternative platforms appear that are censorship-free. Minds.com is one of these platforms. You can sign up for free, HERE, and make sure you follow Truth Theory on Minds.
About the Author
John Vibes is an author and journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture, and focuses solutions-oriented approaches to social problems. He is also a host of The Free Your Mind Conference and The Free Thought Project Podcast.