vdare--2020-05-11--Patrick J. Buchanan:  Coexistence with China or Cold War II?

Under fire for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic , President Donald Trump , his campaign and his party are moving to lay blame for the 80,000 U.S. dead at the feet of the Communist Party of China and , by extension , its longtime General Secretary , President Xi Jinping .
`` There is a significant amount of evidence '' that the virus originated in a Wuhan lab , said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week .
Trump himself seemed to subscribe to the charge : '' This is worse than Pearl Harbor .
This is worse than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never been an attack like this ...
It could have been stopped in China .
It should have been stopped right at the source . ''
There is talk on Capitol Hill of suspending sovereign immunity so China may be sued for the damages done by the virus that produced a U.S. shutdown and a second Great Depression where unemployment is projected to reach near the 25 % of 1933 .
The Trump campaign has begun to target the Democratic nominee as `` Beijing Biden '' for his past collusion with China and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ xenophobia '' when Trump ended flights from China .
What is the historical truth ?
On China , Trump is the first realist we have had in the Oval Office in decades .
But both parties colluded in the buildup of China as she vaulted over Italy , France , Britain , Germany and Japan to become the world 's second power in the 21st century .
Both parties also dismissed Chinese trade surpluses with the U.S. , which began at a few billion dollars a year in the early 1990s and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
Neither party took notice until lately of our growing dependency on Beijing for products critical to our defense and for drugs and medicines crucial to the health and survival of Americans .
The mighty malevolent China we face today was made in the USA .
But what do we do now ?
Can we coexist with this rising and expansionist power ?
Or must we conduct a new decades-long Cold War like the one we waged to defeat the Soviet Empire and Soviet Union ?
The U.S. prevailed in that Cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possess with the China of 2020 .
From 1949-1989 , a NATO alliance backed by 300,000 U.S. troops in Europe `` contained '' the Soviet Union .
No Soviet ruler attempted to cross the dividing line laid down at Yalta in 1945 .
Nor did we cross it .
East of the Elbe , the Soviet bloc visibly failed to offer the freedoms and prosperity the U.S. , Western Europe and Japan had on offer after World War II .
America won the battle for hearts and minds .
Moreover , ethnic nationalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peoples have a right to determine their own political and cultural identity and destiny , never died in the captive nations of Europe and the USSR .
China today does not suffer from these deficiencies to the same degree .
Unlike the USSR , China has four times our population .
Where the USSR could not compete economically and technologically , China is a capable and dynamic rival of the U.S .
Moreover , if we begin a Cold War II with China , we would not be starting with the advantages Truman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World War II , had over Stalin 's pillaged and plundered land in 1945 .
Where ethnic nationalism tore the USSR apart into 15 nations , today 's China is more of an ethno-nationalist state with Han Chinese constituting 1 billion of China 's 1.4 billion people .
There are millions of Tibetans , Uighurs , Kazakhs in southwest and west China , and tens of millions of Buddhists , Christians , Muslims , Falun Gong and other religious minorities .
But China is unlike the multiracial , multiethnic , multicultural , multilingual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that shattered after 1989 .
She is feared and distrusted by her neighbors .
She sits on India 's lands from the war of the early 1960s .
She claims the whole South China Sea , whose waters and resources are also claimed by Vietnam , Malaysia , Singapore , Indonesia , the Philippines and Taiwan .
The peoples of Hong Kong and Taiwan fear that Beijing intends to overrun and rule them .
Even Vladimir Putin has reason to be suspicious as Beijing looks at the barren but resource-rich lands of Siberia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which once belonged to China .
China is thus a greater rival than the USSR of Stalin and Khrushchev and Brezhnev , but the U.S. is not today the nation of Ronald Reagan , with its surging economy and ideological conviction we would one day see the ideology of Marx and Lenin buried .
Three decades of post-Cold War foolish and failed democracy-crusading have left this generation not with the conviction and certitude of Cold War America , but with ashes in their mouths and no stomach to spend blood and treasure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Patrick J. Buchanan needs no introduction to VDARE.COM readers ; his books State of Emergency : The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America , and Suicide of a Superpower : Will America Survive to 2025 ?
are available from Amazon.com .
Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “ The Greatest Comeback : How Richard Nixon Rose From Defeat to Create the New Majority .
His latest book , published May , 2018 , is “ Nixon ’ s White House Wars : The Battles That Made and Broke a President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brimelow ’ s review : “ Wheel And Fight ” —Pat Buchanan ’ s Nixon Book Provides Road Map For Trump .

Under fire for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump, his campaign and his party are moving to lay blame for the 80,000 U.S. dead at the feet of the Communist Party of China and, by extension, its longtime General Secretary, President Xi Jinping.
"There is a significant amount of evidence" that the virus originated in a Wuhan lab, said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week.
Trump himself seemed to subscribe to the charge:
"This is worse than Pearl Harbor. This is worse than the World Trade Center. There's never been an attack like this... It could have been stopped in China. It should have been stopped right at the source."
There is talk on Capitol Hill of suspending sovereign immunity so China may be sued for the damages done by the virus that produced a U.S. shutdown and a second Great Depression where unemployment is projected to reach near the 25% of 1933.
The Trump campaign has begun to target the Democratic nominee as "Beijing Biden" for his past collusion with China and his attack on Trump for "hysterical xenophobia" when Trump ended flights from China.
What is the historical truth?
On China, Trump is the first realist we have had in the Oval Office in decades. But both parties colluded in the buildup of China as she vaulted over Italy, France, Britain, Germany and Japan to become the world's second power in the 21st century.
Both parties also dismissed Chinese trade surpluses with the U.S., which began at a few billion dollars a year in the early 1990s and have grown to almost $500 billion a year. Neither party took notice until lately of our growing dependency on Beijing for products critical to our defense and for drugs and medicines crucial to the health and survival of Americans.
The mighty malevolent China we face today was made in the USA.
But what do we do now? Can we coexist with this rising and expansionist power? Or must we conduct a new decades-long Cold War like the one we waged to defeat the Soviet Empire and Soviet Union?
The U.S. prevailed in that Cold War because of advantages we do not possess with the China of 2020.
From 1949-1989, a NATO alliance backed by 300,000 U.S. troops in Europe "contained" the Soviet Union. No Soviet ruler attempted to cross the dividing line laid down at Yalta in 1945. Nor did we cross it.
East of the Elbe, the Soviet bloc visibly failed to offer the freedoms and prosperity the U.S., Western Europe and Japan had on offer after World War II. America won the battle for hearts and minds.
Moreover, ethnic nationalism, the idea that separate and unique peoples have a right to determine their own political and cultural identity and destiny, never died in the captive nations of Europe and the USSR.
China today does not suffer from these deficiencies to the same degree. Unlike the USSR, China has four times our population. Where the USSR could not compete economically and technologically, China is a capable and dynamic rival of the U.S.
Moreover, if we begin a Cold War II with China, we would not be starting with the advantages Truman's America, undamaged at home in World War II, had over Stalin's pillaged and plundered land in 1945.
Where ethnic nationalism tore the USSR apart into 15 nations, today's China is more of an ethno-nationalist state with Han Chinese constituting 1 billion of China's 1.4 billion people.
There are millions of Tibetans, Uighurs, Kazakhs in southwest and west China, and tens of millions of Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Falun Gong and other religious minorities. But China is unlike the multiracial, multiethnic, multicultural, multilingual Moscow-centered and Russian-controlled Soviet Empire and USSR that shattered after 1989.
China's weaknesses?
She is feared and distrusted by her neighbors. She sits on India's lands from the war of the early 1960s. She claims the whole South China Sea, whose waters and resources are also claimed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan.
The peoples of Hong Kong and Taiwan fear that Beijing intends to overrun and rule them.
Even Vladimir Putin has reason to be suspicious as Beijing looks at the barren but resource-rich lands of Siberia and the Russian Far East, some of which once belonged to China.
China is thus a greater rival than the USSR of Stalin and Khrushchev and Brezhnev, but the U.S. is not today the nation of Ronald Reagan, with its surging economy and ideological conviction we would one day see the ideology of Marx and Lenin buried.
Three decades of post-Cold War foolish and failed democracy-crusading have left this generation not with the conviction and certitude of Cold War America, but with ashes in their mouths and no stomach to spend blood and treasure converting China to our way of life.
COPYRIGHT 2020 CREATORS.COM
Patrick J. Buchanan needs no introduction to VDARE.COM readers; his books State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America, and Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? are available from Amazon.com. Patrick J. Buchanan is the author of “The Greatest Comeback: How Richard Nixon Rose From Defeat to Create the New Majority.
His latest book, published May, 2018, is “Nixon’s White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever.”
See Peter Brimelow’s review: “Wheel And Fight”—Pat Buchanan’s Nixon Book Provides Road Map For Trump.


vdare--2020-05-11--Leaded Law Shooting At 600-Person Black Party In Fort Worth Park: 30 Shots Fired, 5 Wounded, 2 Criti

Leaded Law Shooting At 600-Person Black Party In Fort Worth Park: 30 Shots Fired, 5 Wounded, 2 Critically

See , earlier Minorities Not Social Distancing : 400 Plus Person Party In East Bakersfield Scene Of Mass Shooting ( With No One Killed ) There 's a very boring story about a mass shooting in Fort Worth ( in which no one was killed ) in the NYT .
I 've emphasized the suggestive parts .
Five people were injured , two of them critically , on Sunday night at a Fort Worth park crowded with 600 people , the police said .
Officials said witnesses described fireworks going off at Village Creek Park , followed by at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local time .
Three of the people who were hurt had injuries that were not life-threatening , officials said at a news conference on Sunday night .
Two were critically wounded .
Further details on the victims were not immediately available .
Video posted on Twitter showed the chaos of the scene : people crouching behind moving cars and sprinting across a road while the sounds of sirens and popping noises could be heard in the background .
Officials said it was too early to say what precipitated the shooting .
They said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be related to a separate shooting that took place nearby earlier Sunday .
It was also unclear what hundreds of people were doing in the park at the time , especially during the coronavirus pandemic .
[ 5 Hurt in Texas Park Crowded With 600 People , Police Say , by Christopher Mele , May 11 , 2020 ] In less boring news , the Fort Worth Star-Telegram explains what the people were doing in the park .
They were having a party .
Oh , and they were black , another example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasis by me : The crowd had gathered in the park despite local and state government orders discouraging large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic .
…Adrian Gallardo lives across the street from the park on Wilhelm Street .
He said he heard 10 to 15 shots and saw “ people running everywhere.
” He said there appeared to be a big party at the park , which he said is usually calm .
A group of women sitting in a yard near the park said there was a large gathering of young , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party at the park .
The women said they did not want their names used because they work for large companies .
One of the women sitting in the yard said groups gather at the park often , but the party was a younger crowd than usual .
The women said they heard what they thought were fireworks and then realized they were gunshots .
They ran inside and when they came back out , they saw a police officer chasing a man near the park .
One of the women guessed there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some of whom were playing with water guns .
A yellow water gun was smashed on Wilhelm Street near the park .
Police tape wound across much of the grassy area near Wilbarger Street .
Raymond Brown , who has lived on Edgewood near Wilbarger Street for 24 years , said most people at the party appeared to be 18 to 20 years old .
“ This is one of the few parks in Fort Worth where African-Americans feel they can go and enjoy themselves , ” Brown said .
5 injured @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fort Worth park , police say , by Kaley Johnson May 10 , 2020 Here 's one of the Tweets referred to ( but not linked to ) by the NYT : Village Creek Park is generally a black people 's park , as you can see in Google Maps linked photos .
In my article The “ Leaded Law ” And Mass Shootings—Poor Black Marksmanship Is Saving Lives , I explained at length that there are many reasons why blacks exhibit black marksmanship , but also explained that in reports of mass @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what color the perpetrator is , the ratio of kllled to wounded is a clue .
As a now-dormant blogger put it in 2016 , `` If the shooters exhibit bad aim ( substantially worse than 1 killed for every 3 wounded ) '' then the shooters are likely to be black gangsters .
[ Marksmanship is Nothing More Than White Privilege , Ben Kurtz Blog , July 28 , 2016 . ]

See, earlier Minorities Not Social Distancing: 400 Plus Person Party In East Bakersfield Scene Of Mass Shooting (With No One Killed)
There's a very boring story about a mass shooting in Fort Worth (in which no one was killed) in the NYT. I've emphasized the suggestive parts.
Five people were injured, two of them critically, on Sunday night at a Fort Worth park crowded with 600 people, the police said. Officials said witnesses described fireworks going off at Village Creek Park, followed by at least 30 rounds of gunfire around 7 p.m. local time. Three of the people who were hurt had injuries that were not life-threatening, officials said at a news conference on Sunday night. Two were critically wounded. Further details on the victims were not immediately available. Video posted on Twitter showed the chaos of the scene: people crouching behind moving cars and sprinting across a road while the sounds of sirens and popping noises could be heard in the background. Officials said it was too early to say what precipitated the shooting. They said they were exploring the possibility it might be related to a separate shooting that took place nearby earlier Sunday. It was also unclear what hundreds of people were doing in the park at the time, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. [5 Hurt in Texas Park Crowded With 600 People, Police Say, by Christopher Mele, May 11, 2020]
In less boring news, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram explains what the people were doing in the park. They were having a party. Oh, and they were black, another example of minorities not social distancing. More emphasis by me:
The crowd had gathered in the park despite local and state government orders discouraging large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic. …Adrian Gallardo lives across the street from the park on Wilhelm Street. He said he heard 10 to 15 shots and saw “people running everywhere.” He said there appeared to be a big party at the park, which he said is usually calm. A group of women sitting in a yard near the park said there was a large gathering of young, possibly high school-aged, people having a party at the park. The women said they did not want their names used because they work for large companies. One of the women sitting in the yard said groups gather at the park often, but the party was a younger crowd than usual. The women said they heard what they thought were fireworks and then realized they were gunshots. They ran inside and when they came back out, they saw a police officer chasing a man near the park. One of the women guessed there were hundreds of people at the park, some of whom were playing with water guns. A yellow water gun was smashed on Wilhelm Street near the park. Police tape wound across much of the grassy area near Wilbarger Street. Raymond Brown, who has lived on Edgewood near Wilbarger Street for 24 years, said most people at the party appeared to be 18 to 20 years old. “This is one of the few parks in Fort Worth where African-Americans feel they can go and enjoy themselves,” Brown said. 5 injured in shooting at 600-person party in southeast Fort Worth park, police say, by Kaley Johnson, May 10, 2020
Here's one of the Tweets referred to (but not linked to) by the NYT:
Village Creek Park is generally a black people's park, as you can see in Google Maps linked photos.
In my article The “Leaded Law” And Mass Shootings—Poor Black Marksmanship Is Saving Lives, I explained at length that there are many reasons why blacks exhibit bad marksmanship, but also explained that in reports of mass shootings where the MSM refuses to say what color the perpetrator is, the ratio of kllled to wounded is a clue.
As a now-dormant blogger put it in 2016, "If the shooters exhibit bad aim (substantially worse than 1 killed for every 3 wounded)" then the shooters are likely to be black gangsters. [Marksmanship is Nothing More Than White Privilege, Ben Kurtz Blog, July 28, 2016]


vdare--2020-05-11--Report: Black Male Murders White Couple In Their 80s With Sniper Rifle—Revenge For Ahmaud Arbery?

Earlier : Twitter Endorses NYT ’ s Sarah Jeong “ Being Cruel To Old White Men ” —Like These Murdered World War II Vets ?
Rumors are running rampant a targeted murder in a Delaware cemetery was racially motivated .
[ BREAKING : Black Male Hunts & Assassinates Elderly White Couple In Delaware Cemetery With Scoped Rifle , Red Elephants , May 9 , 2020 ] We will soon find out to the extent these rumors of a racial terror attack by a black male on a white marred octogenarian couple are true or not , but the moment confirmation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the cacophony coming from Brunswick , Georgia .
Nevertheless , the details are beginning to surface and this married octogenarian couple visiting their son ’ s gravestone at a veteran ’ s cemetery murdered by a black male utilizing a sniper rifle don ’ t exactly fit the corporate media narrative of innocent black bodies being mercilessly hunted down by rapid white supremacists .
Married couple , 85 and 86 , shot dead at Delaware veterans cemetery , by Jackie Sato , New York Post , May 10 , 2020 A married @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a Delaware cemetery by a gunman who authorities later found dead , according to reports .
Sheldon C. Francis , 29 , gunned down an 85-year-old woman and her 86-year-old husband Friday morning on the grounds of the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear , NBC Philadelphia reported .
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene while her husband died Saturday at an area hospital , police said .
The couple ’ s identities haven ’ t been released .
Police said officers chased Francis around noon into a wooded area @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He was found dead from a gunshot wound around 4 p.m. in the Brennen Estates neighborhood , which borders the veterans ’ cemetery , authorities said .
It ’ s unclear whether Francis shot himself or was struck by police in the shootout , police said .
The state police homicide unit is investigating the case , the outlet reported .
The extent to which interracial crime in America is overwhelmingly black-on-white is an inconvenient truth to those in power , always determined to inflate every white-on-black incident as an immediate opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual act of criminality .
Heather Mac Donald is one of the bravest public figures in America .
She noted the Bureau of Justice Statistics 2018 survey of criminal victimization shows black on white violent crime is increasing , writing , “ Blacks committed 537,204 of those interracial felonies , or 90 percent , and whites committed 56,394 of them , or less than 10 percent.
” [ A Platform of Urban Decline : Democratic presidential candidates believe America is racist , yet they ignore the evidence on crime and ensure that racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23 , 2019 ] : Just this month , the Bureau of Justice Statistics released its 2018 survey of criminal victimization .
According to the study , there were 593,598 interracial violent victimizations ( excluding homicide ) between blacks and whites last year , including white-on-black and black-on-white attacks .
Blacks committed 537,204 of those interracial felonies , or 90 percent , and whites committed 56,394 of them , or less than 10 percent .
That ratio is becoming more skewed , despite the Democratic claim of Trump-inspired white violence .
In 2012-13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interracial victimizations between blacks and whites ; whites committed 15 percent .
From 2015 to 2018 , the total number of white victims and the incidence of white victimization have grown as well .
Blacks are also overrepresented among perpetrators of hate crimes—by 50 percent—according to the most recent Justice Department data from 2017 ; whites are underrepresented by 24 percent .
This is particularly true for anti-gay and anti-Semitic hate crimes .
There ’ s not one public figure , outside of the courageous Ms. Mac Donald , who is willing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America .
Every other public figure in America works to accentuate the relatively few white-on-black assaults as evidence of the rising tide of white racial violence in the USA .
We will soon find out the names of the white octogenarian married couple who were murdered by a black male ( hunted , actually ) as they tried to visit their son ’ s grave , but the story will hardly be promoted with the same intensity of the Brunswick incident concerning a white father , his white son , and Ahmaud Arbery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will tell their story .
And we will ask : was Sheldon C. Francis motivated to hunt down and murder two white octogenarians because of the manner in which the corporate media promoted the Ahmaud Arbery false narrative of white racists hunting down in an innocent black body in a former Confederate state ?

Earlier: Twitter Endorses NYT’s Sarah Jeong “Being Cruel To Old White Men”—Like These Murdered World War II Vets?
Rumors are running rampant a targeted murder in a Delaware cemetery was racially motivated. [BREAKING: Black Male Hunts & Assassinates Elderly White Couple In Delaware Cemetery With Scoped Rifle, Red Elephants, May 9, 2020]
We will soon find out to the extent these rumors of a racial terror attack by a black male on a white married octogenarian couple are true or not, but the moment confirmation arrives will obviously be drowned by out by the cacophony coming from Brunswick, Georgia.
Nevertheless, the details are beginning to surface and this married octogenarian couple visiting their son’s gravestone at a veteran’s cemetery murdered by a black male utilizing a sniper rifle don’t exactly fit the corporate media narrative of innocent black bodies being mercilessly hunted down by rapid white supremacists.
Married couple, 85 and 86, shot dead at Delaware veterans cemetery, by Jackie Sato, New York Post, May 10, 2020 A married Maryland couple in their 80s were killed at a Delaware cemetery by a gunman who authorities later found dead, according to reports. Sheldon C. Francis, 29, gunned down an 85-year-old woman and her 86-year-old husband Friday morning on the grounds of the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Bear, NBC Philadelphia reported. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene while her husband died Saturday at an area hospital, police said. The couple’s identities haven’t been released. Police said officers chased Francis around noon into a wooded area, where he exchanged gunfire with them. He was found dead from a gunshot wound around 4 p.m. in the Brennen Estates neighborhood, which borders the veterans’ cemetery, authorities said. It’s unclear whether Francis shot himself or was struck by police in the shootout, police said. The state police homicide unit is investigating the case, the outlet reported.
The extent to which interracial crime in America is overwhelmingly black-on-white is an inconvenient truth to those in power, always determined to inflate every white-on-black incident as an immediate opportunity to castigate all white people for the individual act of criminality.
Heather Mac Donald is one of the bravest public figures in America. She noted the Bureau of Justice Statistics 2018 survey of criminal victimization shows black on white violent crime is increasing, writing, “Blacks committed 537,204 of those interracial felonies, or 90 percent, and whites committed 56,394 of them, or less than 10 percent.” [A Platform of Urban Decline: Democratic presidential candidates believe America is racist, yet they ignore the evidence on crime and ensure that racial disparities persist, City Journal, September 23, 2019]:
Just this month, the Bureau of Justice Statistics released its 2018 survey of criminal victimization. According to the study, there were 593,598 interracial violent victimizations (excluding homicide) between blacks and whites last year, including white-on-black and black-on-white attacks. Blacks committed 537,204 of those interracial felonies, or 90 percent, and whites committed 56,394 of them, or less than 10 percent. That ratio is becoming more skewed, despite the Democratic claim of Trump-inspired white violence. In 2012-13, blacks committed 85 percent of all interracial victimizations between blacks and whites; whites committed 15 percent. From 2015 to 2018, the total number of white victims and the incidence of white victimization have grown as well. Blacks are also overrepresented among perpetrators of hate crimes—by 50 percent—according to the most recent Justice Department data from 2017; whites are underrepresented by 24 percent. This is particularly true for anti-gay and anti-Semitic hate crimes.
There’s not one public figure, outside of the courageous Ms. Mac Donald, who is willing to note the black-on-white violent crime problem in America. Every other public figure in America works to accentuate the relatively few white-on-black assaults as evidence of the rising tide of white racial violence in the USA.
We will soon find out the names of the white octogenarian married couple who were murdered by a black male (hunted, actually) as they tried to visit their son’s grave, but the story will hardly be promoted with the same intensity of the Brunswick incident concerning a white father, his white son, and Ahmaud Arbery.
But will remember their names. We will tell their story.
And we will ask: Was Sheldon C. Francis motivated to hunt down and murder two white octogenarians because of the manner in which the corporate media promoted the Ahmaud Arbery false narrative of white racists hunting down in an innocent black body in a former Confederate state?
[Comment at Unz.com]


vdare--2020-05-11--Only 0.72% of Baseball Employees Have COVID Antibodies, Implying Herd Immunity Is Far Off

The Stanford team that has been arguing since March that the American populace is closer to herd immunity than you might think has done a new survey of coronavirus antibodies in the blood to measure percentage ever infected .
This time , however , to their surprise and disappointment , they came up with a quite small number when they measured 5,603 people linked to Major League Baseball , an enterprise/industry that is widely distributed around North America , with stadiums typically downtown but with players and staff generally living in the suburbs .
Of the 30 major league franchises @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times : Fewer than 1 % of MLB employees test positive for COVID-19 antibodies The coronavirus outbreak largely has spared the baseball world , with data released Sunday to prove it .
Of the 5,603 major league employees who submitted to what researchers called the largest national antibody study to date , only 60 tested positive , researchers said Sunday .
There are 30 major league teams with , say , 40 players on the 40-man roster ( that includes some players who go back and forth as needed between the majors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s only 1200 big league ballplayers at most .
So most of the testees were not big league players but were white collar office workers , coaches , grounds crews , etc etc .
This baseball study was voluntary but suggested by franchise managements to their employees and there was a fairly high compliance rate with an average of over 200 employees being tested among 26 of the 30 franchises .
Employees of Major League Baseball are not randomly representative of the US population , of course .
But on the other hand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in your head and probably not be too far off .
Baseball and movie theaters are useful toy industries for analysis because there is a lot of data readily available about them .
The researchers announced an estimated positive rate of 0.72 % after adjusting the results for what they said were false positives and false negatives .
Angels employees had the highest positive rate among the 26 teams that participated , but the relatively small number of tests administered to each team — 123 to the Angels — made it difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bhattacharya , professor of medicine at Stanford .
He did say the rate of positive tests among Angels employees was lower than the infection rate in the local community .
Still , the minute percentage of positive tests provided a data point as scientists determine how wide the coronavirus has spread within the United States .
Bhattacharya said he expected a larger positive rate .
“ The epidemic has not gotten very far , ” he said .
“ We have quite a way to go.
” However , in other antibody studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates have ranged from 2.8 % in Santa Clara County to 24.7 % in New York City .
The researchers in the Major League Baseball study noted their participants were not representative of the population as a whole : 95 % under the age of 65 , 80 % white , 60 % male and 100 % employed .
So 0.72 % is a long way from Herd Immunity .
From the New York Times : So they originally came up with 60 positive tests out of about 5603 ( 1.1 % ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ positives and false negatives , they figured their best guess for the real ratio was 42/5603 or 0.7 % .
Presumably , baseball players and baseball employees tend to be above average in general competence ( seeing as how they tend to possess desirable jobs that even George Costanza would go to work for ) and in health consciousness .
On the other hand , I would imagine they are fairly popular , gregarious , and well-traveled , all traits that correlated with the early spread of CV back when it was Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , are usually forbidden in their contracts from going skiing ( but not golfing ) .
They tend to spend a fair amount of time outdoors in the winter playing golf and working out .
Then the players were called to Florida and Arizona in February to begin Spring Training .
I imagine big league ballplayers take public mass transit about once per decade ( although as Colin Quinn admitted , John Rocker had been on the 7 Train ) .
I don ’ t see the paper available anywhere on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the date of the testing , although I would guess the second half of April .
And remember it can take a couple of weeks for antibodies to emerge , so the effective date of testing might be the first half of April .
Baseball spring training was shut down on March 13 .
All in all , this is a pretty interesting Admission Against Interest , because this team of Bhattacharya , Bendavid , Ioannidis , etc had been vocal since March that the infection was more widespread than admitted , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hand , I can not recall reading about anybody affiliated currently affiliated with an MLB club dying of the novel disease .
In fact , I ’ m not sure if any non-fringe MLB player has even been said to be infected yet .

The Stanford team that has been arguing since March that the American populace is closer to herd immunity than you might think has done a new survey of coronavirus antibodies in the blood to measure percentage ever infected. This time, however, to their surprise and disappointment, they came up with a quite small number when they measured 5,603 people linked to Major League Baseball, an enterprise/industry that is widely distributed around North America, with stadiums typically downtown but with players and staff generally living in the suburbs. Of the 30 major league franchises, 26 participated. From the L.A. Times:
Fewer than 1% of MLB employees test positive for COVID-19 antibodies By BILL SHAIKIN STAFF WRITER
MAY 10, 20203:26 PM The coronavirus outbreak largely has spared the baseball world, with data released Sunday to prove it. Of the 5,603 major league employees who submitted to what researchers called the largest national antibody study to date, only 60 tested positive, researchers said Sunday.
There are 30 major league teams with, say, 40 players on the 40-man roster (that includes some players who go back and forth as needed between the majors and the minors). So that’s only 1200 big league ballplayers at most. So most of the testees were not big league players but were white collar office workers, coaches, grounds crews, etc. etc.
This baseball study was voluntary but suggested by franchise managements to their employees and there was a fairly high compliance rate with an average of over 200 employees being tested among 26 of the 30 franchises.
Employees of Major League Baseball are not randomly representative of the US population, of course. But on the other hand, you can picture who they are in your head and probably not be too far off. Baseball and movie theaters are useful toy industries for analysis because there is a lot of data readily available about them.
The researchers announced an estimated positive rate of 0.72% after adjusting the results for what they said were false positives and false negatives. Angels employees had the highest positive rate among the 26 teams that participated, but the relatively small number of tests administered to each team — 123 to the Angels — made it difficult to draw conclusions, said lead researcher Jay Bhattacharya, professor of medicine at Stanford. He did say the rate of positive tests among Angels employees was lower than the infection rate in the local community. Still, the minute percentage of positive tests provided a data point as scientists determine how wide the coronavirus has spread within the United States. Bhattacharya said he expected a larger positive rate. “The epidemic has not gotten very far,” he said. “We have quite a way to go.” However, in other antibody studies limited to specific locales, the positive rates have ranged from 2.8% in Santa Clara County to 24.7% in New York City. The researchers in the Major League Baseball study noted their participants were not representative of the population as a whole: 95% under the age of 65, 80% white, 60% male and 100% employed.
So 0.72% is a long way from Herd Immunity.
From the New York Times:
While the percentage of Los Angeles Angels employees with positive test was the highest among teams, the error margin is too high to draw results because just 123 tests were included from the team. … Sixty people tested positive in the raw data, and the figured was adjusted to about 42 to account for false positives and false negatives.
So they originally came up with 60 positive tests out of about 5603 (1.1%), but after accounting for estimated false positives and false negatives, they figured their best guess for the real ratio was 42/5603 or 0.7%.
Over 95% of the participants were under 65 and few reported comorbidities, according to Stanford medical student Bianca Mulaney, who authored the study. …
Presumably, baseball players and baseball employees tend to be above average in general competence (seeing as how they tend to possess desirable jobs that even George Costanza would go to work for) and in health consciousness. On the other hand, I would imagine they are fairly popular, gregarious, and well-traveled, all traits that correlated with the early spread of CV back when it was Tom Hanks Disease.
Big league ballplayers, however, are usually forbidden in their contracts from going skiing (but not golfing). They tend to spend a fair amount of time outdoors in the winter playing golf and working out. Then the players were called to Florida and Arizona in February to begin Spring Training. I imagine big league ballplayers take public mass transit about once per decade (although as Colin Quinn admitted, John Rocker had been on the 7 Train).
Mulaney said the prevalence of positive tests for antibodies was higher in areas that have been harder hit by the virus, such as New York, and lower in less-impacted areas, such as Ohio.
I don’t see the paper available anywhere on the Internet. I can’t find the date of the testing, although I would guess the second half of April. And remember it can take a couple of weeks for antibodies to emerge, so the effective date of testing might be the first half of April.
Baseball spring training was shut down on March 13.
All in all, this is a pretty interesting Admission Against Interest, because this team of Bhattacharya, Bendavid, Ioannidis, etc. had been vocal since March that the infection was more widespread than admitted, and thus less dangerous.
On the other hand, I cannot recall reading about anybody affiliated currently affiliated with an MLB club dying of the novel disease. In fact, I’m not sure if any non-fringe MLB player has even been said to be infected yet.
[Comment at Unz.com]


vdare--2020-05-10--Jailbreak: ICE SVU Saboteurs Surrender To Illegal Aliens And Kritarch

ICE SVU saboteurs , working with the American Civil Liberties Union and a kritarch , have peremptorily surrendered unconditionally on a baseless lawsuit to release illegal aliens from custody in California despite the fact that the China Flu is in remission and California is starting to reopen .
This mass organized escape also includes illegal aliens who were already scheduled for deportation .
Obviously none of these illegal aliens will be seen again and will require massive resources to locate and arrest once the lawsuit has been thrown out .
To date , only one illegal alien has died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Wuhan Virus .
All the women who were detained at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield are being released from the facility amid growing concerns about the threat of the coronavirus in federal immigration detention facilities , advocates say .
At least 13 women who were detained at the Central California facility were released into the community on Thursday afternoon , according to Jordan Wells , an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California .
Three women who were scheduled to be deported remained in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to Juan Prieto , an organizer with the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance .
As of Friday afternoon , two had been ordered released and one was scheduled to be deported , he said .
There were no women left in the facility as of Friday afternoon , Prieto said .
Prieto called the mass release a “ huge victory , ” both for detained immigrants and for advocates , attorneys and community members who have fought for the health and safety of detainees during the pandemic .
[ ICE Releasing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ During Pandemic , Advocates Say , by Rebecca Plevin , Desert Sun , May 7 , 2020 ] Piece by piece , kritarchs , the Treason Bar , and saboteurs at ICE SVU are dismantling the immigration detention system .
And they are quite open about it .
“ We are happy for the class members that have been able to be released to their families through litigation , ” Wells of the ACLU said Thursday afternoon .
But , he said , the male detainees who remain inside are still in danger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ widespread testing for COVID-19 , and people can ’ t practice social distancing .
“ There is a lot of work to be done still , ” he said .
Despite widespread infection in ICE facilities in general and in regular State and Federal prisons , there have been no deaths or infections in the above facilities , and only one death nation-wide among illegal alien detainees .
The only death involved an illegal alien with hypertension and diabetes , which tells us that only the old and chronically ill are dying of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ICE custody can easily get out of custody by agreeing to deportation .
The Trump Administration has been slow to appeal these unlawful decisions by the kritarchy and there has been no defiance of this illegality .
It is time to go Andrew Jackson on the kritarchy .

ICE SVU saboteurs, working with the American Civil Liberties Union and a kritarch, have peremptorily surrendered unconditionally on a baseless lawsuit to release illegal aliens from custody in California despite the fact that the China Flu is in remission and California is starting to reopen. This mass organized escape also includes illegal aliens who were already scheduled for deportation. Obviously none of these illegal aliens will be seen again and will require massive resources to locate and arrest once the lawsuit has been thrown out. To date, only one illegal alien has died in ICE custody where the death was attributed to the Wuhan Virus.
All the women who were detained at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield are being released from the facility amid growing concerns about the threat of the coronavirus in federal immigration detention facilities, advocates say. At least 13 women who were detained at the Central California facility were released into the community on Thursday afternoon, according to Jordan Wells, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California. Three women who were scheduled to be deported remained in the 100-bed female dormitory as of Thursday night, according to Juan Prieto, an organizer with the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance. As of Friday afternoon, two had been ordered released and one was scheduled to be deported, he said. There were no women left in the facility as of Friday afternoon, Prieto said. Prieto called the mass release a “huge victory,” both for detained immigrants and for advocates, attorneys and community members who have fought for the health and safety of detainees during the pandemic. [ICE Releasing All Women From Bakersfield Immigration Detention Center During Pandemic, Advocates Say, by Rebecca Plevin, Desert Sun, May 7, 2020]
Piece by piece, kritarchs, the Treason Bar, and saboteurs at ICE SVU are dismantling the immigration detention system. And they are quite open about it.
“We are happy for the class members that have been able to be released to their families through litigation,” Wells of the ACLU said Thursday afternoon. But, he said, the male detainees who remain inside are still in danger, as the facility is not providing widespread testing for COVID-19, and people can’t practice social distancing. “There is a lot of work to be done still,” he said.
Despite widespread infection in ICE facilities in general and in regular State and Federal prisons, there have been no deaths or infections in the above facilities, and only one death nation-wide among illegal alien detainees. The only death involved an illegal alien with hypertension and diabetes, which tells us that only the old and chronically ill are dying of the Chinese Virus, and those in ICE custody can easily get out of custody by agreeing to deportation.
The Trump Administration has been slow to appeal these unlawful decisions by the kritarchy and there has been no defiance of this illegality.
It is time to go Andrew Jackson on the kritarchy.


vdare--2020-05-11--Battle Inside The Trump Administration Continues Over Work Visas

What President Trump giveth , he taketh away .
That is the story of the Trump Administration .
Actually , it 's a story of his appointees battling it out behind the scenes ; some seeking to sabotage his administration like Rod Rosenstein and Kirstjen Nielsen ; others seeking to implement the 2016 Donald John Trump policies into action .
Personnel is policy , and with a divided cadre in his administration , President Trump gets convoluted policy , and every day we get more examples of this infighting .
This week we got leaks of a policy to end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most notably the notorious H-1B NIV used by the tech giants to drive down wages of highly skilled American workers .
Interestingly , we only get the truth from the Indian press .
First , there is a renewed fight over employment based NIVs inside the Trump Administration as unemployment reaches 14 % , with over 20 million Americans out of work .
The US is working to temporarily ban the issuance of some work-based visas like H-1B , popular among highly-skilled Indian IT professionals , as well as student visas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them , amid the high level of unemployment due to the coronavirus , according to a media report on Friday .
The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers from countries like India and China in speciality [ sic ] occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise .
Nearly 500,000 migrant workers are employed in the US in the H-1B status .
“ The president ’ s immigration advisers are drawing up plans for a coming executive order , expected this month , that would ban the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visas , ” The Wall Street Journal reported Friday .
“ The order is expected to focus on visa categories including H-1B , designed for highly skilled workers , and H-2B , for seasonal migrant workers , as well as student visas and the work authorisation [ sic ] that accompanies them , ” it said .
[ Trump Govt Working To Temporarily Ban H-1B , Other Work Visas , Press Trust of India/The Week , May 9 , 2020 ] Now , the first order from the Trump Administration was deliberately sabotaged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tech giants , particularly Tim Cook of Apple .
And it went over like a lead balloon , unsatisfying to President Trump ’ s base and evoking more tirades about racism on the left even though it stopped little immigration .
But the very same week , the Trump Administration went into Federal court and asked the court to not impose an almost certain upcoming ruling to end the Obama Regime give-away of employment authorization to some H-4 NIV holders , who are not authorized employment by law .
The underlying court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident tech workers were suing to end the Obama Regime gift of employment authorization to certain dependents of H-1B NIV holders who were adjusting status to legal permanent resident .
The lawsuit demanded an end to the program because it adversely impacted those employed in tech by driving down wages and was illegally created .
Worse yet , the Trump Administration had started the process to end the rule , then chickened out , all thanks to Kushner .
While the number may be small , in a full-employment economy allowing this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployed , it is unconscionable .
In a major development , the Donald Trump administration has urged a federal district court not to block an Obama-era rule allowing certain categories of spouses of H-1B visa-holders to work in the US .
In a submission before the US District Court in Washington this week , the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ) argued that the American technology workers , who had challenged the 2015 ruling on giving work permits to H-4 visa-holders , have not been irreparably harmed by such work authorisation [ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( USCIS ) to the immediate family members ( spouse and children under 21 years of age ) of the H-1B visa-holders , most of whom are Indian IT professionals .
It is normally issued to those who have already started the process of seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status .
The DHS , in its submission on May 5 , said the argument by Save Jobs USA on behalf of American technology workers “ only speculates about potential economic harm to its members , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its lawsuit filed in 2015 , Save Jobs USA had argued that the regulation issued by the Obama administration to provide employment authorisation [ sic ] for certain H4 dependent spouses harms their members , who are American technology workers .
After coming to power , the Trump administration in December 2017 informed the court that it plans to rescind the Obama-era regulations in this regard .
Since then , it told the court about half-a-dozen times about its intention to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking ( NPRM ) .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Authorisation for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses ” of 2015 .
[ Trump Govt Urges Court Not To Block Work Permits To Spouses Of H-1B Visa-Holders , unattributed , PTI/The Week , May 9 , 2020 ] How did this happen ?
Again , personnel is policy .
And some personnel are sabotaging the Trump Administration and harming the American worker .
Who is it ?
Kushner for certain .
I don ’ t see Based Bill Barr having much interest in this issue , but where is Ken The Knife Cuccinelli ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is not yet in Kevin McAleenan territory .
So , for convenience , I will assign the blame to the obvious suspect , Kushner .
But President Trump is to blame , the buck stops with him .
He needs to get control of his Administration , if only to save his own bacon from indictment if he loses in November .

What President Trump giveth, he taketh away. That is the story of the Trump Administration. Actually, it's a story of his appointees battling it out behind the scenes; some seeking to sabotage his administration like Rod Rosenstein and Kirstjen Nielsen; others seeking to implement the 2016 Donald John Trump policies into action. Personnel is policy, and with a divided cadre in his administration, President Trump gets convoluted policy, and every day we get more examples of this infighting. This week we got leaks of a policy to end employment-based Non-Immigrant Visas (NIV), most notably the notorious H-1B NIV used by the tech giants to drive down wages of highly skilled American workers. Interestingly, we only get the truth from the Indian press.
First, there is a renewed fight over employment based NIVs inside the Trump Administration as unemployment reaches 14%, with over 20 million Americans out of work.
The US is working to temporarily ban the issuance of some work-based visas like H-1B, popular among highly-skilled Indian IT professionals, as well as student visas and work authorisation [sic] that accompanies them, amid the high level of unemployment due to the coronavirus, according to a media report on Friday. The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers from countries like India and China in speciality [sic] occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Nearly 500,000 migrant workers are employed in the US in the H-1B status. “The president’s immigration advisers are drawing up plans for a coming executive order, expected this month, that would ban the issuance of some new temporary, work-based visas,” The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. “The order is expected to focus on visa categories including H-1B, designed for highly skilled workers, and H-2B, for seasonal migrant workers, as well as student visas and the work authorisation [sic] that accompanies them,” it said. [Trump Govt Working To Temporarily Ban H-1B, Other Work Visas,Press Trust of India/The Week, May 9, 2020]
Now, the first order from the Trump Administration was deliberately sabotaged by Jared Kushner at the behest of the tech giants, particularly Tim Cook of Apple. And it went over like a lead balloon, unsatisfying to President Trump’s base and evoking more tirades about racism on the left even though it stopped little immigration.
But the very same week, the Trump Administration went into Federal court and asked the court to not impose an almost certain upcoming ruling to end the Obama Regime give-away of employment authorization to some H-4 NIV holders, who are not authorized employment by law.
The underlying court case is that American and legal permanent resident tech workers were suing to end the Obama Regime gift of employment authorization to certain dependents of H-1B NIV holders who were adjusting status to legal permanent resident. The lawsuit demanded an end to the program because it adversely impacted those employed in tech by driving down wages and was illegally created. Worse yet, the Trump Administration had started the process to end the rule, then chickened out, all thanks to Kushner. While the number may be small, in a full-employment economy allowing this is one thing, with over 14 million unemployed, it is unconscionable.
In a major development, the Donald Trump administration has urged a federal district court not to block an Obama-era rule allowing certain categories of spouses of H-1B visa-holders to work in the US. In a submission before the US District Court in Washington this week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) argued that the American technology workers, who had challenged the 2015 ruling on giving work permits to H-4 visa-holders, have not been irreparably harmed by such work authorisation [sic]. An H-4 visa is issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to the immediate family members (spouse and children under 21 years of age) of the H-1B visa-holders, most of whom are Indian IT professionals. It is normally issued to those who have already started the process of seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status. The DHS, in its submission on May 5, said the argument by Save Jobs USA on behalf of American technology workers “only speculates about potential economic harm to its members, based on five-year-old affidavits”. In its lawsuit filed in 2015, Save Jobs USA had argued that the regulation issued by the Obama administration to provide employment authorisation [sic] for certain H4 dependent spouses harms their members, who are American technology workers. After coming to power, the Trump administration in December 2017 informed the court that it plans to rescind the Obama-era regulations in this regard. Since then, it told the court about half-a-dozen times about its intention to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). However, the DHS has not rescinded “Employment Authorisation for Certain H-4 Dependent Spouses” of 2015. [Trump Govt Urges Court Not To Block Work Permits To Spouses Of H-1B Visa-Holders, unattributed, PTI/The Week, May 9, 2020]
How did this happen? Again, personnel is policy. And some personnel are sabotaging the Trump Administration and harming the American worker. Who is it? Kushner for certain. I don’t see Based Bill Barr having much interest in this issue, but where is Ken The Knife Cuccinelli? I suspect Not So Chad Wolf, but he is not yet in Kevin McAleenan territory. So, for convenience, I will assign the blame to the obvious suspect, Kushner. But President Trump is to blame, the buck stops with him. He needs to get control of his Administration, if only to save his own bacon from indictment if he loses in November.


vdare--2020-05-11--Slovenian Antibody Test: 3.1% Infected, 0.16% Infection Fatality Rate

From the US Embassy in Slovenia ( Slovenia is the former Yugoslav republic northeast of Italy and south of Austria , not the former eastern half of Czechoslovakia ) : The Slovenian government released the results of a nationwide antibody study in which 3.1 % of participants tested positive for antibodies indicating prior exposure to the novel coronavirus .
Based on the study , researchers say with 95 % certainty that 2-4 % of the population had an immune response to Covid-19 , far less than the 60-80 % immunity rate believed to be needed to prevent renewed spread of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another example of a population far from Herd Immunity .
Yet , Slovenia , like Austria , is a remarkable success story , having almost eradicated new cases of coronavirus : It ’ s only 256 miles from poor Bergamo to the Slovenian border .
With a population of 2,078,000 in Slovenia , a 3.1 % infection rate would mean 65k infected .
A total of of 100 deaths would indicate an infection fatality rate of 0.16 % .
In Slovenia , deaths have been running about one per day for the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there will be a huge number more deaths unless a second wave of infections takes off .
That compares to an infection fatality rate of at least 0.84 % in Bergamo province in Italy , where it appears that herd immunity has been achieved , with approximately 2/3rds of survivors infected .
This is all rather curious .
We see high infection fatality rates approaching 1 % in Bergamo and in New York City , but much lower infection rates in countries with lower infection rates .
One possibility is that the hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were overwhelmed , although that would seem to suggest that hospitals can do a better job of saving lives than we would think .
Or perhaps the lower the infection rate , the lower the infection fatality rate for reasons of biology ( such as the Viral Load theory ) rather than of hospital logistics ?

From the US Embassy in Slovenia (Slovenia is the former Yugoslav republic northeast of Italy and south of Austria, not the former eastern half of Czechoslovakia):
The Slovenian government released the results of a nationwide antibody study in which 3.1% of participants tested positive for antibodies indicating prior exposure to the novel coronavirus. Based on the study, researchers say with 95% certainty that 2-4% of the population had an immune response to Covid-19, far less than the 60-80% immunity rate believed to be needed to prevent renewed spread of the virus.
Yesterday there was one additional confirmed case, for a cumulative total of 1,450. There was one additional fatality yesterday, bringing the total to 100. The number who are currently hospitalized decreased to 47 persons, of whom 12 are in intensive care.
So, Slovenia is another example of a population far from Herd Immunity. Yet, Slovenia, like Austria, is a remarkable success story, having almost eradicated new cases of coronavirus:
It’s only 256 miles from poor Bergamo to the Slovenian border.
With a population of 2,078,000 in Slovenia, a 3.1% infection rate would mean 65k infected. A total of 100 deaths would indicate an infection fatality rate of 0.16%. In Slovenia, deaths have been running about one per day for the last week, so it seems unlikely that there will be a huge number more deaths unless a second wave of infections takes off.
That compares to an infection fatality rate of at least 0.84% in Bergamo province in Italy, where it appears that herd immunity has been achieved, with approximately 2/3rds of survivors infected.
This is all rather curious. We see high infection fatality rates approaching 1% in Bergamo and in New York City, but much lower infection fatality rates in countries with lower infection rates. One possibility is that the hospitals in both Bergamo and New York City were overwhelmed, although that would seem to suggest that hospitals can do a better job of saving lives than we would think. Or perhaps the lower the infection rate, the lower the infection fatality rate for reasons of biology (such as the Viral Load theory) rather than of hospital logistics?
[Comment at Unz.com]


vdare--2020-05-10--A Filipino Reader "Spews" Hate Speech Against VDARE.com, Berkeley Springs, And The Coming White Mino

A Filipino Reader "Spews" Hate Speech Against VDARE.com, Berkeley Springs, And The Coming White Minority

Re : Lydia Brimelow 's blog post Be Our Guest !
Special Thank-You Event at Berkeley Castle Your organization is so f -- ing ignorant .
You ’ re nothing but a bunch of inbred rednecks .
That ’ s why you had to hide in a tiny town—Berkeley Springs—to spew your hate speech and commit hate crimes .
And the sad part is , the residents of the town don ’ t even want you there .
Keep in mind that by 2045 , you will be the minority whites .
Immigrants and people of color will be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget the rise of the LGBTQ community .
Better hurry up and procreate with your cousins and siblings so that you can keep “ white power ” pure .
Put that in your article you stupid idiots .
James Fulford replies : This is textbook hate speech against whites , of course.
`` This is textbook hate speech against whites , of course.
`` Inbred `` , `` ignorant '' , `` spew `` , et cetera .
Native-born white Americans , the kind who live in Virginia and give `` American '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to commit incest and cousin marriage than many immigrant groups .

Re: Lydia Brimelow's blog post Be Our Guest! Special Thank-You Event at Berkeley Castle
From: Silangan Gabitan [Email her]
Your organization is so f--ing ignorant. You’re nothing but a bunch of inbred rednecks. That’s why you had to hide in a tiny town—Berkeley Springs—to spew your hate speech and commit hate crimes. And the sad part is, the residents of the town don’t even want you there.
Keep in mind that by 2045, you will be the minority whites. Immigrants and people of color will be the majority. And let’s not forget the rise of the LGBTQ community. Better hurry up and procreate with your cousins and siblings so that you can keep “white power” pure. Put that in your article you stupid idiots.
James Fulford replies: This is textbook hate speech against whites, of course. " This is textbook hate speech against whites, of course. " Inbred ," "ignorant," " spew ," et cetera. Native-born white Americans, the kind who live in Virginia and give "American" as their ethnicity, are less likely to commit incest and cousin marriage than many immigrant groups.


vdare--2020-05-11--Social Distancing with Peter Brimelow, Featuring John Derbyshire: 3 PM EST Wednesday, May 13

On Wednesday at 3 p.m. EST , our latest episode of “ Social Distancing with Peter Brimelow ” will livestream @ @ @ @ @ longtime VDARE contributor John Derbyshire !
Be sure to tune for this HISTORIC conversation !
@ @ @ @ @ the Brunswick Hoax .
You can join the conversation here .
John Derbyshire [ email @ @ @ @ @ amount on all sorts of subjects for all kinds of outlets .
( This no @ @ @ @ @ whose editors had some kind of tantrum and fired him . )
He is the @ @ @ @ @ : Reclaiming Conservative Pessimism and several other books.He has had two books published by VDARE.com @ @ @ @ @ RIGHT ( also available in Kindle ) and FROM THE DISSIDENT RIGHT II : ESSAYS @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been podcasting at Radio Derb , now available at VDARE.com for no charge @ @ @ @ @ at JohnDerbyshire.com Watch our past episodes of “ Social Distancing with Peter Brimelow ” :

On Wednesday at 3 p.m. EST, our latest episode of “Social Distancing with Peter Brimelow” will livestream. His guest will be longtime VDARE contributor John Derbyshire!
Be sure to tune for this HISTORIC conversation!
They will be talking about the Brunswick Hoax.
You can join the conversation here.
John Derbyshire [email him] writes an incredible amount on all sorts of subjects for all kinds of outlets. (This no longer includes National Review, whose editors had some kind of tantrum and fired him.) He is the author of We Are Doomed: Reclaiming Conservative Pessimism and several other books. He has had two books published by VDARE.com com: FROM THE DISSIDENT RIGHT (also available in Kindle) and FROM THE DISSIDENT RIGHT II: ESSAYS 2013.
For years he’s been podcasting at Radio Derb, now available at VDARE.com for no charge. His writings are archived at JohnDerbyshire.com
Watch our past episodes of “Social Distancing with Peter Brimelow”:


vdare--2020-05-11--Budget-Crunched U. of California to Stop Turning Away Well-Heeled Applicants Just Because They Are D

Budget-Crunched U. of California to Stop Turning Away Well-Heeled Applicants Just Because They Are Dim

Napolitano ’ s logic : The University of California ’ s budget will need every tuition-paying warm body it can get its hands on for the foreseeable future , so we can no longer afford to turn away applicants merely for their lack of intelligence .
As everybody knows , University of California campuses are stuffed full of racoon coat-wearing Stutz Bearcat-driving WASP males in plus fours due to how the SAT/ACT tests are biased in favor of them : For example , almost 20 % of UC San Diego undergrads in La Jolla are white .
• Do you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , Donald Trump is a cishet white male .
You hate him , right ?
So answer “ True.
” ) • Do your parents have a lot of money to spend on your tuition ?
• If your parents can ’ t pay , how do year feel about taking out loans ?
( A .
Great B .
Good , really really good .
C , They aren ’ t debt , they are an investment in my future . )
• What do you know about compound interest ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountant handles the details .
B. I ’ m not a math person .
C. Sounds fun ! )
Because nobody has never ever obtained that kind of data before .
I ’ m sure it will prove that white males cheat like crazy on the SAT .
The recommendation is not completely in line with the Academic Senate , which recently voted unanimously to keep the tests for five years while alternatives are researched .
But Senate Chair Kum-Kum Bhavnani [ actual name ] expressed appreciation that Napolitano adopted many key recommendations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing , including development of a new assessment for the UC system .
“ The Senate is pleased that the president ’ s recommendations are in line with the spirit of our recommendations , ” Bhavnani said .
“ We look forward to working with the university to develop a new content-based test.
” Because , no doubt , we are the first organization of nice liberals in academia to ever notice that blacks and Latinos average worse on every single valid selection test ever invented , so creating a new one that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Latinos score at least as high as cishet white males should be a piece of cake .
After all , the academic world is so racist that nobody ever thought of doing this before .
…The six universities that receive the most applications in the nation are UC campuses in Los Angeles , San Diego , Irvine , Berkeley , Santa Barbara and Davis .
Last year , the UC system received 215,000 undergraduate applications .
Napolitano has identified standardized testing as a top issue facing the UC system and said regents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because of the national implications of their action .
UC ’ s decision a half-century ago to require the SAT propelled the test to a place of national prominence , and a move to eliminate the requirement in the early 1990s prompted the College Board to revise the exam to satisfy UC objections about its bias and relevance for admission reviews .
The head of UC decided that analogy questions were racist and that the SAT needed an essay question .
Now , however , the momentum against the tests seems inexorable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including board Chair John A. Pérez , Vice Chair Cecilia Estolano , Regent Eloy Ortiz Oakley , Provost Michael Brown and UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ .
Critics argue that the SAT and ACT are heavily influenced by race , income and education levels of parents ; question their value in predicting college success ; and express concern about inequitable access to test prep .
Those concerns have prompted more than 1,000 colleges and universities to drop the testing requirement .
A lawsuit against the UC system also calls for the requirement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that UC experts launch a feasibility study this summer to identify a new test that assesses what the university expects students to master to demonstrate readiness for college .
She said UC would consult with K-12 educators , test experts , UC faculty and California State University , which might also use the new assessment .
Because the new test would by put together by Diverse People , it won ’ t suffer from the Racist Bad Juju of every other test ever invented , which were invented by racist white men .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ time for fall 2025 applicants , use of the SAT and ACT would be eliminated completely for California students .
In its own recommendation for a UC assessment , the faculty task force estimated it could take nine years to develop and some experts have put the potential cost at $ 100 million .
However , Li Cai , a UCLA statistician , psychologist and testing expert , has said that UC could move more quickly — and share the cost — by marshaling a national coalition to develop a state-of-the art assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could potentially begin with ninth-graders , he said , analyzing their growth throughout high school , and use newer testing technologies to measure not only academic knowledge , but other valued qualities such as curiosity , resilience and collaborative problem-solving skills .
In fact , Li Cai , being a Person of Diversity , wouldn ’ t mind heading up this $ 100 million effort , which , obviously , can ’ t fail because it ’ s racist to even imagine that it ’ s possible under the rules of the universe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as smart as Asians on average .
It ’ s almost as if a huge fraction of each UC class consists of high-scoring , full tuition-paying Asian foreign nationals .
In its February review , the task force found that the biggest reasons for the mismatch was not the SAT , but that smaller proportions of disadvantaged students took the full suite of required college preparatory courses and applied to UC .
In what it called surprising findings , the Academic Senate ’ s review found that the SAT actually helps disadvantaged students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s because the way UC uses standardized test scores substantially corrects for bias by weighting them less heavily than grades and considering them as only one of 14 factors in a comprehensive review process , the review found .
It ’ s almost as if the University of California is systematically violating the California constitution as modified by Proposition 209 in 1996 .

From the Los Angeles Times:
SAT should be suspended for UC admissions, Napolitano says UC [University of California, not University of Chicago] President Janet Napolitano recommends suspending the SAT and ACT as admissions requirements, proposing instead a plan to make them optional for two years. By TERESA WATANABE STAFF WRITER
MAY 11, 20202:49 PM
Napolitano’s logic: The University of California’s budget will need every tuition-paying warm body it can get its hands on for the foreseeable future, so we can no longer afford to turn away applicants merely for their lack of intelligence.
In a major decision that could lead to a shake-up of the nation’s standardized testing landscape, University of California President Janet Napolitano is recommending the suspension of the SAT and ACT tests as an admissions requirement until 2024 and possible elimination after that — a move that could widen access to a UC education for disadvantaged students.
As everybody knows, University of California campuses are stuffed full of racoon coat-wearing Stutz Bearcat-driving WASP males in plus fours due to how the SAT/ACT tests are biased in favor of them:
For example, almost 20% of UC San Diego undergrads in La Jolla are white.
In a proposal posted Monday, Napolitano is recommending a complex and unusual five-year plan that would make the tests optional for two years and eliminate testing requirements for California students in years three and four. Then, in year five, UC would move toward a standardized assessment developed specifically for the 10-campus system.
Here’s a leaked draft of the upcoming admissions test:
Do you hate cishet white males? (For example, Donald Trump is a cishet white male. You hate him, right? So answer “True.”) Do your parents have a lot of money to spend on your tuition? If your parents can’t pay, how do you feel about taking out loans? (A. Great B. Good, really really good. C, They aren’t debt, they are an investment in my future.) What do you know about compound interest? (A. My father’s accountant handles the details. B. I’m not a math person. C. Sounds fun!)
The plan would produce rich data on which students get admitted under each strategy and how they perform in college.
Because nobody has never ever obtained that kind of data before. I’m sure it will prove that white males cheat like crazy on the SAT.
The recommendation is not completely in line with the Academic Senate, which recently voted unanimously to keep the tests for five years while alternatives are researched. But Senate Chair Kum-Kum Bhavnani [actual name] expressed appreciation that Napolitano adopted many key recommendations in a faculty task force report on testing, including development of a new assessment for the UC system. “The Senate is pleased that the president’s recommendations are in line with the spirit of our recommendations,” Bhavnani said. “We look forward to working with the university to develop a new content-based test.”
Because, no doubt, we are the first organization of nice liberals in academia to ever notice that blacks and Latinos average worse on every single valid selection test ever invented, so creating a new one that is both valid and on which blacks and Latinos score at least as high as cishet white males should be a piece of cake. After all, the academic world is so racist that nobody ever thought of doing this before.
…The six universities that receive the most applications in the nation are UC campuses in Los Angeles, San Diego, Irvine, Berkeley, Santa Barbara and Davis. Last year, the UC system received 215,000 undergraduate applications. Napolitano has identified standardized testing as a top issue facing the UC system and said regents needed to “get it right” because of the national implications of their action. UC’s decision a half-century ago to require the SAT propelled the test to a place of national prominence, and a move to eliminate the requirement in the early 1990s prompted the College Board to revise the exam to satisfy UC objections about its bias and relevance for admission reviews.
The head of UC decided that analogy questions were racist and that the SAT needed an essay question.
Now, however, the momentum against the tests seems inexorable, with Napolitano joining other prominent UC critics, including board Chair John A. Pérez, Vice Chair Cecilia Estolano, Regent Eloy Ortiz Oakley, Provost Michael Brown and UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ. Critics argue that the SAT and ACT are heavily influenced by race, income and education levels of parents; question their value in predicting college success; and express concern about inequitable access to test prep. Those concerns have prompted more than 1,000 colleges and universities to drop the testing requirement. A lawsuit against the UC system also calls for the requirement to be dropped…. Napolitano is proposing that UC experts launch a feasibility study this summer to identify a new test that assesses what the university expects students to master to demonstrate readiness for college. She said UC would consult with K-12 educators, test experts, UC faculty and California State University, which might also use the new assessment.
Because the new test would by put together by Diverse People, it won’t suffer from the Racist Bad Juju of every other test ever invented, which were invented by racist white men.
If no test can be created in time for fall 2025 applicants, use of the SAT and ACT would be eliminated completely for California students. In its own recommendation for a UC assessment, the faculty task force estimated it could take nine years to develop and some experts have put the potential cost at $100 million. However, Li Cai, a UCLA statistician, psychologist and testing expert, has said that UC could move more quickly — and share the cost — by marshaling a national coalition to develop a state-of-the art assessment within five years. A new assessment could potentially begin with ninth-graders, he said, analyzing their growth throughout high school, and use newer testing technologies to measure not only academic knowledge, but other valued qualities such as curiosity, resilience and collaborative problem-solving skills.
In fact, Li Cai, being a Person of Diversity, wouldn’t mind heading up this $100 million effort, which, obviously, can’t fail because it’s racist to even imagine that it’s possible under the rules of the universe we inhabit that blacks aren’t as smart as Asians on average.
… Napolitano also asked faculty leaders for additional analysis about the reasons why UC students do not fully reflect the state’s diversity.
It’s almost as if a huge fraction of each UC class consists of high-scoring, full tuition-paying Asian foreign nationals.
In its February review, the task force found that the biggest reasons for the mismatch was not the SAT, but that smaller proportions of disadvantaged students took the full suite of required college preparatory courses and applied to UC. In what it called surprising findings, the Academic Senate’s review found that the SAT actually helps disadvantaged students gain entry to the selective UC system. That’s because the way UC uses standardized test scores substantially corrects for bias by weighting them less heavily than grades and considering them as only one of 14 factors in a comprehensive review process, the review found.
It’s almost as if the University of California is systematically violating the California constitution as modified by Proposition 209 in 1996.


vdare--2020-05-11--Big Tech Increasingly Censoring Trump’s Allies And His Campaign. Time To Endorse Senator Hawley’s In

Big Tech Increasingly Censoring Trump’s Allies And His Campaign. Time To Endorse Senator Hawley’s Internet Censorship Bill

See also : Peter Brimelow Responds To Facebook Over Banning Of The VDARE.com Foundation Page The Chinese Virus has given Big Tech a further excuse for a major crackdown on dissent .
Consider the latest : Twitter , Facebook , and YouTube have suppressed a documentary that claims the experts are wrong about the virus .
Twitter muzzled black conservative commentator Candace Owens after she suggested people defy lockdown orders .
Twitter has also banned several accounts that shared a parody of a Joe Biden ad .
The apparent objective : to suppress dissent for the sake of the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worsen as we get closer to Election Day , so President Trump and his backers had better wake up .
Trump The Sequel is by no means a sure thing , particularly if Big Tech has anything to say about it—which it most certainly does .
• The documentary , Plandemic [ Social media networks scrambling to remove viral ‘ Plandemic ’ conspiracy video , by Tamar Lapin , New York Post , May 7 , 2020 ] challenged the narrative coming from Big Medicine , and thus was banned .
• Twitter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it published speculation the virus leaked from a Chinese lab [ Twitter bans Zero Hedge after it posts coronavirus conspiracy theory , by Kate Gibson , CBS News , February 3 , 2020 ] .
That is apparently what U.S. intelligence analysts now believe , but Zero Hedge is still banned [ Sources believe coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan lab as part of China 's efforts to compete with US , by Brett Baier and Gregg Re , Fox News , April 15 , 2020 ] .
But Twitter did not , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ expert ” who claimed people did not spread the virus to one another [ WHO haunted by January tweet saying China found no human transmission of coronavirus , by Nick Givas , Fox News , March 18 , 2020 ] .
If we ’ re supposed to be so worried about “ imminent harm ” from false information , why doesn ’ t Twitter slam WHO ?
• YouTube deleted a video from two doctors who said the nationwide lockdown was unwise and doing harm more than good , and that some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This was “ turning point in the way we live in this country , a sharp break with 250 years of law and custom , ” Fox ’ s Tucker Carlson said .
“ YouTube and its parent company Google have now officially banned dissent ” [ Tucker rips YouTube for pulling 'problematic ' coronavirus video : 'Censorship never is about science ' , by Yael Halon , Fox News , April 28 , 2020 ] .
• Twitter locked down black conservative Owens ’ account for 12 hours because she told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitmer ’ s Stalinist lockdown orders [ Twitter Locks Candace Owens Out Over Tweet Telling Michigan Residents to Violate Lockdown , She Claims , by Caleb Howe , Mediaite , May 2 , 2020 ] .
Conservatives , including top Trump supporter Charlie Kirk , were up in arms .
Yet Trump himself hasn ’ t uttered a peep about Owens , despite the perfect chance to send Big Tech a message .
Trump supporters are by no means immune to Big Tech ’ s Big Blue Pencil .
Ridiculing Joe Biden is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April , many Trump supporters tweeted out a humorous ad that appeared to be from the Biden campaign .
“ His Brain ?
No , his heart , ” read the satirical ad , which featured Biden with a glowing light coming out of his chest .
For years , such satirical ads have flooded social media Yet Twitter declared it “ manipulated ” and suspended accounts that tweeted the image after the Biden campaign complained .
[ Twitter is locking accounts that share a fake ad mocking Biden ’ s brain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April 24 , 2020 ] .
Again , Trump said nothing .
And that wasn ’ t Big Tech ’ s first time censoring content that mocks Biden .
In March , Twitter suppressed a video tweeted out by the Trump campaign that depicted Biden appearing to endorse Trump .
The unmanipulated scene was a typical Biden gaffe , but Twitter labeled it “ manipulated.
” On this occasion , the Trump campaign protested , but to no effect [ Trump camp fires back after Twitter labels Biden video 'manipulated ' , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9 , 2020 ] .
Even more ominously , MSM Leftists , and the professoriate , including law-school professors who should know better , don ’ t think this censorship has gone far enough .
They openly prefer the Maoist model in Beijing .
“ In the great debate of the past two decades about freedom versus control of the network , China was largely right and the United States was largely wrong , ” Jack Goldsmith and Andrew Keane Woods wrote in The Atlantic last month [ Internet Speech Will Never Go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 ] .
“ Significant monitoring and speech control are inevitable components of a mature and flourishing internet , and governments must play a large role in these practices to ensure that the internet is compatible with a society ’ s norms and values.
” Goldsmith worked for Bush 43 and is what passes for a “ conservative ” in the Ruling Class .
But sadly , he ’ s not the only figure on the “ Right , ” loosely defined , demanding more censorship .
Thus National Review stood athwart history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cato Institute ’ s Matthew Feeney [ Email him ] insisted that tech censorship isn ’ t censorship , but instead , “ content moderation.
” Feeney criticized conservatives like Tucker Carlson and Breitbart for crying foul at Big Tech ’ s suppression of Politically Incorrect virus content .
“ Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , and many others , ” Feeney claims , “ made the prudent business decision not to use the First Amendment as their content-moderation guideline ” [ Big Tech Is Not Engaging in Coronavirus Censorship , May 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is a euphemism for editing and publishing .
But this is not what those platforms present themselves as doing for the purposes of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act .
That law protects them from liability for defamation and other claims to which the Main Stream Media are subject because social media are , we are to believe , “ bulletin boards ” where speech is unregulated .
Last , Columbia Law Professor Timothy Wu , who coined the term “ net neutrality , ” also wants more censorship .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech or freedom from propaganda , ” Wu wrote earlier this month in a since-deleted tweet .
So much for “ neutrality.
” Facebook knows censoring people is a bad look , and so it has created an Oversight Board to review its moderation policies .
Problem is , the board is stacked with Leftists who want to crack down on conservative speech , including professor Pamela Karlan , the anti-white lesbian who attacked Barron Trump on national TV [ Facebook ’ s New Censorship Czar is Anti-Trump Leftist Who Made Barron a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6 , 2020 ] .
What should Trump and the GOP do ?
• None First , call this nonsense out .
As the Watcher has written before , the tech giants don ’ t like and might even fear Trump ’ s criticism .
They want to keep him happy so he doesn ’ t target their power and privileges .
A couple of Trump tweets might get at least some small concessions .
But tweets won ’ t solve the problem .
The GOP must The best right now : Missouri @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Support for Internet Censorship Act that would subject Big Social Media to government oversight to ensure they comply with Section 230 .
If they violate it , they will be stripped of those protections .
Thus , if Hawley ’ s bill passed , tech giants would do everything possible to maintain their immunity .
Whether the measure could pass a Democrat-controlled House is open to question .
Apropos of the censored Biden satires , the Democrat vice presidential candidate wants to scrap 230 to impose more censorship and the Congressional party shamelessly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the GOP must at least move the bill through the Senate , get Trump behind it , and then use free speech as a campaign issue .
Trump won 2016 with the help of a guerilla army of supporters on the internet in general and social media in particular .
The industry ’ s Social Justice Warriors , particularly those who work for the tech giants , know that , which is why they ’ re pushing the censorship , part of the unreported “ Holocaust of the Alt Right ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump supporters sanctioned and suppressed since 2016 .
If they can silence Trump ’ s Keep America Great movement , he could lose the White House even with an opponent as weak as Sleepy Joe .
Twitter , Facebook , and YouTube are the public squares of the 21st century .
The First Amendment is meaningless if one is barred from using them .
Trump and the GOP must act now .
Washington Watcher II [ Email him ] is an anonymous DC insider .

washingtonwatcherii@protonmail.com (Washington  Watcher II)

See also: Peter Brimelow Responds To Facebook Over Banning Of The VDARE.com Foundation Page
The Chinese Virus has given Big Tech a further excuse for a major crackdown on dissent. Consider the latest: Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have suppressed a documentary that claims the experts are wrong about the virus. Twitter muzzled black conservative commentator Candace Owens after she suggested people defy lockdown orders. Twitter has also banned several accounts that shared a parody of a Joe Biden ad. The apparent objective: to suppress dissent for the sake of the “common good.” This censorship will only worsen as we get closer to Election Day, so President Trump and his backers had better wake up. Trump The Sequel is by no means a sure thing, particularly if Big Tech has anything to say about it—which it most certainly does.
But Twitter did not, of course, censor the World Health Organization “expert” who claimed people did not spread the virus to one another [WHO haunted by January tweet saying China found no human transmission of coronavirus, by Nick Givas, Fox News, March 18, 2020]. If we’re supposed to be so worried about “imminent harm” from false information, why doesn’t Twitter slam WHO?
YouTube deleted a video from two doctors who said the nationwide lockdown was unwise and doing harm more than good, and that some deaths are wrongly attributed to the virus.
This was “turning point in the way we live in this country, a sharp break with 250 years of law and custom,” Fox’s Tucker Carlson said. “YouTube and its parent company Google have now officially banned dissent” [Tucker rips YouTube for pulling 'problematic' coronavirus video: 'Censorship never is about science', by Yael Halon, Fox News, April 28, 2020].
Twitter locked down black conservative Owens’ account for 12 hours because she told Michiganders to protest Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Stalinist lockdown orders [Twitter Locks Candace Owens Out Over Tweet Telling Michigan Residents to Violate Lockdown, She Claims, by Caleb Howe, Mediaite, May 2, 2020].
Conservatives, including top Trump supporter Charlie Kirk, were up in arms.
RT it you stand with Candace Owens! Chinese Communist Party propaganda accounts reign free to tweet their garbage yet they ban @RealCandaceO.
Reinstate! — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) May 2, 2020
Yet Trump himself hasn’t uttered a peep about Owens, despite the perfect chance to send Big Tech a message.
Trump supporters are by no means immune to Big Tech’s Big Blue Pencil. Ridiculing Joe Biden is verboten, too.
This in late April, many Trump supporters tweeted out a humorous ad that appeared to be from the Biden campaign. “His Brain? No, his heart,” read the satirical ad, which featured Biden with a glowing light coming out of his chest. For years, such satirical ads have flooded social media. Yet Twitter declared it “manipulated” and suspended accounts that tweeted the image after the Biden campaign complained. [Twitter is locking accounts that share a fake ad mocking Biden’s brain, by Claire Goforth, Daily Dot, April 24, 2020].
Again, Trump said nothing.
And that wasn’t Big Tech’s first time censoring content that mocks Biden. In March, Twitter suppressed a video tweeted out by the Trump campaign that depicted Biden appearing to endorse Trump. The unmanipulated scene was a typical Biden gaffe, but Twitter labeled it “manipulated.” On this occasion, the Trump campaign protested, but to no effect [Trump camp fires back after Twitter labels Biden video 'manipulated,' by Gregg Re, Fox News, March 9, 2020].
Even more ominously, MSM Leftists, and the professoriate, including law-school professors who should know better, don’t think this censorship has gone far enough. They openly prefer the Maoist model in Beijing.
“In the great debate of the past two decades about freedom versus control of the network, China was largely right and the United States was largely wrong,” Jack Goldsmith and Andrew Keane Woods wrote in The Atlantic last month [Internet Speech Will Never Go Back to Normal, April 25, 2020]. “Significant monitoring and speech control are inevitable components of a mature and flourishing internet, and governments must play a large role in these practices to ensure that the internet is compatible with a society’s norms and values.”
Goldsmith worked for Bush 43 and is what passes for a “conservative” in the Ruling Class. But sadly, he’s not the only figure on the “Right,” loosely defined, demanding more censorship.
Thus National Review stood athwart history defending Big Tech last week. The Cato Institute’s Matthew Feeney [Email him] insisted that tech censorship isn’t censorship, but instead, “content moderation.” Feeney criticized conservatives like Tucker Carlson and Breitbart for crying foul at Big Tech’s suppression of Politically Incorrect virus content. “Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many others,” Feeney claims, “made the prudent business decision not to use the First Amendment as their content-moderation guideline” [Big Tech Is Not Engaging in Coronavirus Censorship, May 7, 2020].
“Content moderation” is a euphemism for editing and publishing. But this is not what those platforms present themselves as doing for the purposes of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. That law protects them from liability for defamation and other claims to which the Main Stream Media are subject because social media are, we are to believe, “bulletin boards” where speech is unregulated.
Last, Columbia Law Professor Timothy Wu, who coined the term “net neutrality,” also wants more censorship. “What is more important: freedom of speech or freedom from propaganda,” Wu wrote earlier this month in a since-deleted tweet.
So much for “neutrality.”
Facebook knows censoring people is a bad look, and so it has created an Oversight Board to review its moderation policies. Problem is, the board is stacked with Leftists who want to crack down on conservative speech, including professor Pamela Karlan, the anti-white lesbian who attacked Barron Trump on national TV [Facebook’s New Censorship Czar is Anti-Trump Leftist Who Made Barron a Punch Line, Summit News, May 6, 2020].
What should Trump and the GOP do?
First, call this nonsense out.
As the Watcher has written before, the tech giants don’t like and might even fear Trump’s criticism. They want to keep him happy so he doesn’t target their power and privileges. A couple of Trump tweets might get at least some small concessions.
But tweets won’t solve the problem. The GOP must
Second, adopt a legislative solution.
The best right now: Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley’s proposed Ending Support for Internet Censorship Act that would subject Big Social Media to government oversight to ensure they comply with Section 230. If they violate it, they will be stripped of those protections. Thus, if Hawley’s bill passed, tech giants would do everything possible to maintain their immunity.
Whether the measure could pass a Democrat-controlled House is open to question. Apropos of the censored Biden satires, the Democrat vice presidential candidate wants to scrap 230 to impose more censorship and the Congressional party shamelessly wants to outlaw the Dissident Right.
But the GOP must at least move the bill through the Senate, get Trump behind it, and then use free speech as a campaign issue.
Trump won 2016 with the help of a guerilla army of supporters on the internet in general and social media in particular. The industry’s Social Justice Warriors, particularly those who work for the tech giants, know that, which is why they’re pushing the censorship, part of the unreported “Holocaust of the Alt Right” that has seen an astonishing number of individual Trump supporters sanctioned and suppressed since 2016. If they can silence Trump’s Keep America Great movement, he could lose the White House even with an opponent as weak as Sleepy Joe.
Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are the public squares of the 21st century. The First Amendment is meaningless if one is barred from using them.
Trump and the GOP must act now.
Washington Watcher II [Email him] is an anonymous DC insider.