activistpost--2020-02-14--Bitcoin and Doomsday Preppers — Would Crypto Have Any Survival Value If SHTF?

As so-called “ doomsday prepping ” grows in popularity thanks to news of coronavirus lockdown in Chinese cities , red flag gun laws and rampant Fed stimulus in the U.S. , preparedness enthusiasts are asking about the viability of bitcoin in a SHTF situation .
From cautious , light investor , to vehement denigrator of the “ NSA-created surveillance money , ” there is no shortage of opinion .
Still , as there are various possible scenarios , a one-size-fits-all proclamation doesn ’ t seem to work .
Turns out , when it comes to money , what has survival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prepping : A Sensible Practice in the Current Climate Preppers often get a bad rap in pop culture , laughed off as tinfoil hat-wearing , conspiracy theory-addicted alarmists .
But to anyone who is paying attention to world events or has read a history book , there ’ s nothing ridiculous about being prepared for a worst case scenario when it comes to disaster and the collapse or throttling of vital societal infrastructure .
Recent videos surfacing from China appear to show police forcibly quarantining people who may or may not have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forcing residents of the country to transact with his petro shitcoin while people across the nation struggle just to eat .
The U.S. Federal reserve continues to devalue the dollar while innocent people are extorted , jailed , and even killed for trying to preserve a little of their financial autonomy .
Should the state ’ s continued defecation-disguised-as-order finally and decidedly come into contact with the blades of reality , running to the hills or splintering off into micro communities could become a very real necessity for some .
Preparedness advocates have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in case of hyperinflation or obsolescence of fiat currencies , but with the advent of bitcoin in 2009 , the conversation began to evolve .
Some preppers began to think bitcoin might also be a useful tool in the kit belt .
Still , what good is an internet money without the internet , and isn ’ t the whole thing a creation of the U.S. government , anyway ?
It turns out there are multiple ways bitcoin could be leveraged , and these questions — as well as skeptical rebuttals — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most obvious reaction to suggestions of bitcoin as apocalypse survival money is the question of the internet and electricity .
If bitcoin requires it , and doomsday destroys it or otherwise makes it unfeasible , it stands to ask how the hell bitcoin can be of any use to anyone in such a scenario .
This is a valid and obvious point .
No electricity means no bitcoin transactions and no mining .
Although people have gotten creative and sent transactions which initially do not require internet , cellular data , or electricity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends on a power source and network connectivity to function long term .
So when it comes to the complete lights out scenario collapsitarians are envisioning , crypto would indeed seem to be a largely useless appendage .
Many preppers maintain this is why gold is superior to bitcoin , pointing to situations like the one depicted in the video below , where a woman in China is said to be trading gold for rice with her upstairs neighbor in a locked-down apartment complex .
In situations where some network connectivity and power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be different .
Bitcoin is already touted as a means by which to avoid government devaluation of currencies and destruction of economies .
Even in spotty circumstances the digital asset could at least theoretically survive , and retain this capacity to an extent , depending on the local community .
In a situation where an ISP fails , or some disaster cuts connection to the services most rely on to transmit bitcoin and crypto transactions , there are yet alternatives .
Things like mesh networking and even amateur radio equipment can help bitcoin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure outage or collapse .
Companies like Gotenna , for example , have developed technology which allows for portable antennas to push bitcoin transactions to nearby nodes even in the absence of cellular or internet service .
Once the tx hits an internet-connected node on the mesh network , the transaction can be recorded .
In the case of political and economic meltdown , local fiat money may become better suited for toilet paper or kindling , while trade in bitcoin — presumably still valued and used by the outside world — could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Richard Myers wrote in May last year : At the end of the day , if a sociopath politician or act of god destroys , devalues , cripples or otherwise collapses infrastructure , networks with enough redundancy could enable bitcoin and trade in crypto to live on while plans for the next course of action are made .
Still , even for things as conceptually straightforward as radio , a total martial law dystopia would make crypto ’ s survival doubtful , but at that point , humanity would have to preserve another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life itself .
To the credit of the skeptics , should the situation arrive when all the forced medical treatments , red flag gun laws , and rage and anger over the immoral drug war and endless military conflict finally boil over , bitcoin might be the last thing on people ’ s minds .
When in the dark of your mountain bunker , trying to feed your family and keep them warm , checking Coinmarketcap probably won ’ t be a temptation .
However , before such a complete dystopia shows up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight for another storyline .
One where free trade and economic sovereignty hold more and more sway as the capabilities of bitcoin are leveraged by people who are — contrary to the played-out statist propaganda — generally good and peace-seeking , and just want to be left alone to live their lives and pursue happiness to the fullest .
Further , the sound economic model of bitcoin presents a means by which to preserve and leverage value better than fiat models and government systems allow , enabling one to better prepare for unexpected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NSA creation theory , that is ultimately anyone ’ s guess .
Regardless , by all rational estimations the tech works .
And even if it were all some grand trick defying imagination , the outcome would still be much the same as the situation at present , anyway : man vs surveillance state .
As Long as There Is Society , Sound Money Will Have Value Sound money has always had immense value in any society compared to lesser alternatives , and always makes a comeback , in the end .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much better than other mediums of exchange at the time , stood to lose value to holders in episodes of prolonged disaster or tyrannic cruelty — simply due to the fact that mere survival can become the primary concern .
When society is shattered , so is the very basis for any monetary system in the first place .
Gold similarly does little good if no one ’ s around to trade rice or other necessities for it .
Bitcoin being subject to these same realities doesn ’ t mean it should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — just that it should be viewed soberly .
As long as there is society , sound models of money will be in demand , and until you ’ re holed up in a cave all alone , miles from anyone on the blackened husk of an exploded world , bitcoin seems to be a valid consideration , even for those “ nutty ” preppers .
What are your thoughts on bitcoin and doomsday prepping ?
Is it useful to have some in the case of societal collapse ?
Let us know what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Graham Smith is an American expat living in Japan , and the founder of Voluntary Japan—an initiative dedicated to spreading the philosophies of unschooling , individual self-ownership , and economic freedom in the land of the rising sun .
Op-ed disclaimer : This is an Op-ed article .
The opinions expressed in this article are the author ’ s own .
Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content , accuracy or quality within the Op-ed article .
Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible , directly or indirectly , for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any information in this Op-ed article .
Want to create your own secure cold storage paper wallet ?
Check our tools section .
You can also enjoy the easiest way to buy Bitcoin online with us .
Download your free Bitcoin wallet and head to our Purchase Bitcoin page where you can buy BCH and BTC securely .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , Flote , Minds , Twitter , and Steemit .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Graham Smith
As so-called “doomsday prepping” grows in popularity thanks to news of coronavirus lockdown in Chinese cities, red flag gun laws and rampant Fed stimulus in the U.S., preparedness enthusiasts are asking about the viability of bitcoin in a SHTF situation. From cautious, light investor, to vehement denigrator of the “NSA-created surveillance money,” there is no shortage of opinion. Still, as there are various possible scenarios, a one-size-fits-all proclamation doesn’t seem to work. Turns out, when it comes to money, what has survival value is ultimately a community affair.
Prepping: A Sensible Practice in the Current Climate
Preppers often get a bad rap in pop culture, laughed off as tinfoil hat-wearing, conspiracy theory-addicted alarmists. But to anyone who is paying attention to world events or has read a history book, there’s nothing ridiculous about being prepared for a worst case scenario when it comes to disaster and the collapse or throttling of vital societal infrastructure.
Recent videos surfacing from China appear to show police forcibly quarantining people who may or may not have the coronavirus. Venezuela’s Maduro is forcing residents of the country to transact with his petro shitcoin while people across the nation struggle just to eat. The U.S. Federal reserve continues to devalue the dollar while innocent people are extorted, jailed, and even killed for trying to preserve a little of their financial autonomy.
Should the state’s continued defecation-disguised-as-order finally and decidedly come into contact with the blades of reality, running to the hills or splintering off into micro communities could become a very real necessity for some.
Preparedness advocates have traditionally diversified into gold and precious metals, in case of hyperinflation or obsolescence of fiat currencies, but with the advent of bitcoin in 2009, the conversation began to evolve. Some preppers began to think bitcoin might also be a useful tool in the kit belt. Still, what good is an internet money without the internet, and isn’t the whole thing a creation of the U.S. government, anyway? It turns out there are multiple ways bitcoin could be leveraged, and these questions — as well as skeptical rebuttals — deserve careful examination.
Internet Money Without Internet
The first and most obvious reaction to suggestions of bitcoin as apocalypse survival money is the question of the internet and electricity. If bitcoin requires it, and doomsday destroys it or otherwise makes it unfeasible, it stands to ask how the hell bitcoin can be of any use to anyone in such a scenario.
“Hey guy who is prepping for when there is no electricity, phone or Internet service, you should like this thing that only works if there is electricity and internet!” 🤦 https://t.co/zcaLaWJqVd — Ⓥin Ⓐrmani (@vinarmani) February 8, 2020
This is a valid and obvious point. No electricity means no bitcoin transactions and no mining. Although people have gotten creative and sent transactions which initially do not require internet, cellular data, or electricity other than batteries, ultimately the system depends on a power source and network connectivity to function long term. So when it comes to the complete lights out scenario collapsitarians are envisioning, crypto would indeed seem to be a largely useless appendage.
Many preppers maintain this is why gold is superior to bitcoin, pointing to situations like the one depicted in the video below, where a woman in China is said to be trading gold for rice with her upstairs neighbor in a locked-down apartment complex.
In situations where some network connectivity and power remain, however, the story might be different. Bitcoin is already touted as a means by which to avoid government devaluation of currencies and destruction of economies. Even in spotty circumstances the digital asset could at least theoretically survive, and retain this capacity to an extent, depending on the local community.
Mesh Networks and Localized Survival of Bitcoin
In a situation where an ISP fails, or some disaster cuts connection to the services most rely on to transmit bitcoin and crypto transactions, there are yet alternatives. Things like mesh networking and even amateur radio equipment can help bitcoin to remain viable in localized areas of infrastructure outage or collapse. Companies like Gotenna, for example, have developed technology which allows for portable antennas to push bitcoin transactions to nearby nodes even in the absence of cellular or internet service. Once the tx hits an internet-connected node on the mesh network, the transaction can be recorded.
In the case of political and economic meltdown, local fiat money may become better suited for toilet paper or kindling, while trade in bitcoin — presumably still valued and used by the outside world — could go on.
As engineer for Gotenna Richard Myers wrote in May last year:
Fortunately, alternatives to centralized ISP networks are starting to appear. Local mesh radio networks, satellites, and long-range radio have all been proposed as ways to enable decentralized peer-to-peer communication—both for Bitcoin transactions and for resilient communication generally.
At the end of the day, if a sociopath politician or act of god destroys, devalues, cripples or otherwise collapses infrastructure, networks with enough redundancy could enable bitcoin and trade in crypto to live on while plans for the next course of action are made. Still, even for things as conceptually straightforward as radio, a total martial law dystopia would make crypto’s survival doubtful, but at that point, humanity would have to preserve another currency, arguably much more precious: life itself.
Complete Blackout
To the credit of the skeptics, should the situation arrive when all the forced medical treatments, red flag gun laws, and rage and anger over the immoral drug war and endless military conflict finally boil over, bitcoin might be the last thing on people’s minds. When in the dark of your mountain bunker, trying to feed your family and keep them warm, checking Coinmarketcap probably won’t be a temptation.
However, before such a complete dystopia shows up, crypto is one way to peacefully fight for another storyline. One where free trade and economic sovereignty hold more and more sway as the capabilities of bitcoin are leveraged by people who are — contrary to the played-out statist propaganda — generally good and peace-seeking, and just want to be left alone to live their lives and pursue happiness to the fullest. Further, the sound economic model of bitcoin presents a means by which to preserve and leverage value better than fiat models and government systems allow, enabling one to better prepare for unexpected disasters right now.
As for the NSA creation theory, that is ultimately anyone’s guess. Regardless, by all rational estimations the tech works. And even if it were all some grand trick defying imagination, the outcome would still be much the same as the situation at present, anyway: man vs surveillance state.
As Long as There Is Society, Sound Money Will Have Value
Sound money has always had immense value in any society compared to lesser alternatives, and always makes a comeback, in the end. Even the cowry shells of the past, much better than other mediums of exchange at the time, stood to lose value to holders in episodes of prolonged disaster or tyrannic cruelty — simply due to the fact that mere survival can become the primary concern. When society is shattered, so is the very basis for any monetary system in the first place.
Gold similarly does little good if no one’s around to trade rice or other necessities for it. Bitcoin being subject to these same realities doesn’t mean it should be discounted as a useful tool for survivalists — just that it should be viewed soberly. As long as there is society, sound models of money will be in demand, and until you’re holed up in a cave all alone, miles from anyone on the blackened husk of an exploded world, bitcoin seems to be a valid consideration, even for those “nutty” preppers.
What are your thoughts on bitcoin and doomsday prepping? Is it useful to have some in the case of societal collapse? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Article source: Bitcoin.com
Graham Smith is an American expat living in Japan, and the founder of Voluntary Japan—an initiative dedicated to spreading the philosophies of unschooling, individual self-ownership, and economic freedom in the land of the rising sun.
Op-ed disclaimer: This is an Op-ed article. The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. Bitcoin.com is not responsible for or liable for any content, accuracy or quality within the Op-ed article. Readers should do their own due diligence before taking any actions related to the content. Bitcoin.com is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any information in this Op-ed article.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock, fair use.
Want to create your own secure cold storage paper wallet? Check our tools section. You can also enjoy the easiest way to buy Bitcoin online with us. Download your free Bitcoin wallet and head to our Purchase Bitcoin page where you can buy BCH and BTC securely.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-02-16--Off-Duty Cop Follows Woman Through Parking Lot, Attacks Her—Taxpayers Shell Out $125K

A Fort Collins woman has sued the Fort Collins Police Department as well as the city for the alleged violent arrest and use of excessive force she claims she endured at the hands of an off-duty police officer .
Now the taxpayers of Fort Collins will be shelling out $ 125,000 because this cop couldn ’ t control his violent tendencies .
The officer , Stephen Sparacio , arrested Kimberly Chancellor outside of her apartment complex on October 6 , 2017 .
Sparacio claims he witnessed Chancellor driving at a high rate of speed , weaving in and out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make contact with the motorist .
But Chancellor can be heard yelling at Sparacio claiming she had no idea who he was .
This appeared obvious as he was in plain clothes , on a private motorcycle , and off duty .
Any violent rapist could make the same claim .
Cell phone footage was taken by a resident through what appears to be a home ’ s window which shows how scary of a situation Chancellor endured as this unknown man attacked her .
After following the officer back to his motorcycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identification but pulls back out of fear supposedly .
That ’ s when Sparacio takes her down , pinning the much smaller woman under him .
David Lane filed the lawsuit this past Oct. 4th and claims the police department employs a “ policy of inaction ” and his client was the victim of an officer who violated multiple departmental policies .
Two reviews of the incident , one by the Internal Review Board and another by the Citizen Review Board both determined he violated police procedures during the arrest but couldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not unnecessary force was used to apprehend the woman .
Remember , this cop merely claimed Chancellor violated a traffic law , a citable offense , yet he employed violence and force against her while off duty .
In the lawsuit filed last year , Lane cited a pattern of neglect and abuses carried out by Fort Collins Police .
This week , he called the settlement “ the tip of the iceberg ” in terms of Fort Collins police-related lawsuits .
“ My law firm has four cases pending against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force , ” Lane said in a statement provided to The Coloradoan .
“ Three of the four cases have videos of officers brutalizing women .
This settlement is the tip of the iceberg and much more taxpayer money will be spent on cleaning up the messes made by the police department.
” Michaella Surat was a sorority girl who was violently slammed to the ground .
An 80-year-old Fort Collins man , Stanley Cropp , was violently tackled by Fort Collins police while walking in his neighborhood .
Joe Heneghan was pepper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and denied a Fort Collins cop entry into his home .
The cop then teabagged Heneghan with his crotch as the man sat in handcuffs on the sidewalk .
Also of interest was the case of shoplifting suspect Natasha Patnode who was arrested and brutalized by a Fort Collins cop inside a Target store in 2018 .
Patnode ’ s lawsuit is wrapping up soon , after a former Fort Collins police officer struck her with his fist and baton 50 times , sat on her and tased her while arresting her on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Fort Collins spokeswoman Amanda King confirmed the settlement with Chancellor and the pending settlement with Patnode in an email , according to the Coloradoan .
Each case was cited in Chancellor ’ s lawsuit against the department and the city .
Lane says it was perfectly normal for Chancellor to begin walking away from a man who was shouting at her .
We agree .
She continued to walk away until Sparacio identified himself as a law enforcement officer and promised to arrest her if she continued .
The lawsuit claims Chancellor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face , arms , and knees .
She also reportedly had a “ egg-sized bump ” and a cut on her forehead which lasted many days .
Chancellor was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and careless driving .
She pleaded guilty to careless driving and the obstruction charge was dropped .
Fort Collins has paid out an average of $ 670,000 per year for the last 10 years for police misconduct .
Unfortunately , instead of the actual officers having to pay , it ’ s the American taxpayer which foots @ @ @

By Jack Burns
A Fort Collins woman has sued the Fort Collins Police Department as well as the city for the alleged violent arrest and use of excessive force she claims she endured at the hands of an off-duty police officer. Now the taxpayers of Fort Collins will be shelling out $125,000 because this cop couldn’t control his violent tendencies.
The officer, Stephen Sparacio, arrested Kimberly Chancellor outside of her apartment complex on October 6, 2017. Sparacio claims he witnessed Chancellor driving at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic, and he was forced to make contact with the motorist. But Chancellor can be heard yelling at Sparacio claiming she had no idea who he was. This appeared obvious as he was in plain clothes, on a private motorcycle, and off duty. Any violent rapist could make the same claim.
Cell phone footage was taken by a resident through what appears to be a home’s window which shows how scary of a situation Chancellor endured as this unknown man attacked her.
After following the officer back to his motorcycle, Chancellor stoops down to retrieve her identification but pulls back out of fear supposedly. That’s when Sparacio takes her down, pinning the much smaller woman under him.
David Lane filed the lawsuit this past Oct. 4th and claims the police department employs a “policy of inaction” and his client was the victim of an officer who violated multiple departmental policies. Two reviews of the incident, one by the Internal Review Board and another by the Citizen Review Board both determined he violated police procedures during the arrest but couldn’t come to a consensus on whether or not unnecessary force was used to apprehend the woman.
Remember, this cop merely claimed Chancellor violated a traffic law, a citable offense, yet he employed violence and force against her while off duty.
In the lawsuit filed last year, Lane cited a pattern of neglect and abuses carried out by Fort Collins Police. This week, he called the settlement “the tip of the iceberg” in terms of Fort Collins police-related lawsuits.
“My law firm has four cases pending against the Fort Collins police department for using excessive force,” Lane said in a statement provided to The Coloradoan. “Three of the four cases have videos of officers brutalizing women. This settlement is the tip of the iceberg and much more taxpayer money will be spent on cleaning up the messes made by the police department.”
Michaella Surat was a sorority girl who was violently slammed to the ground. An 80-year-old Fort Collins man, Stanley Cropp, was violently tackled by Fort Collins police while walking in his neighborhood. Joe Heneghan was pepper sprayed after refusing to show his ID and denied a Fort Collins cop entry into his home. The cop then teabagged Heneghan with his crotch as the man sat in handcuffs on the sidewalk.
Also of interest was the case of shoplifting suspect Natasha Patnode who was arrested and brutalized by a Fort Collins cop inside a Target store in 2018. Patnode’s lawsuit is wrapping up soon, after a former Fort Collins police officer struck her with his fist and baton 50 times, sat on her and tased her while arresting her on suspicion of shoplifting at Target in 2018.
Fort Collins spokeswoman Amanda King confirmed the settlement with Chancellor and the pending settlement with Patnode in an email, according to the Coloradoan.
Each case was cited in Chancellor’s lawsuit against the department and the city.
Lane says it was perfectly normal for Chancellor to begin walking away from a man who was shouting at her. We agree. She continued to walk away until Sparacio identified himself as a law enforcement officer and promised to arrest her if she continued.
The lawsuit claims Chancellor suffered multiple cuts and bruises on her face, arms, and knees. She also reportedly had a “egg-sized bump” and a cut on her forehead which lasted many days.
Chancellor was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice and careless driving. She pleaded guilty to careless driving and the obstruction charge was dropped.
Fort Collins has paid out an average of $670,000 per year for the last 10 years for police misconduct. Unfortunately, instead of the actual officers having to pay, it’s the American taxpayer which foots the bill.
Article source: The Free Thought Project


activistpost--2020-02-16--Cashless Agenda? China Is Scrubbing Cash Notes To Stop Virus Spreading So Its Paper Money Won’t Kill

Cashless Agenda? China Is Scrubbing Cash Notes To Stop Virus Spreading So Its Paper Money Won’t Kill You

Research has shown that government paper money is a hotbed for bacteria and that , at least in the U.S. , most bank notes in circulation are tainted by cocaine .
Now you can also worry about a new threat possibly sticking to your fingers when you handle a bill – a deadly virus coming out of China .
The People ’ s Bank of China , the Chinese central bank , has announced that it has taken a number of actions to fight the spread of COVID19 – the novel coronavirus infecting the country .
In a press conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was revealed that commercial banks have been ordered they must take out of circulation used notes and disinfect them .
The disinfected fiat cash will also need to be kept in quarantine for a period of 7 to 14 days before it can be reintroduced to the public , with the length of time bills are kept in isolation varying from region to region according to its level of infection with the virus .
Moreover , the Guangzhou branch of the People ’ s Bank of China claimed on Saturday that all used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ markets , and public transportation buses will simply be annihilated as soon as possible .
And according to reports from the area , stacks of cash are now being stockpiled in warehouses waiting until they can be eliminated .
Additionally , Fan Yifei , deputy governor of the Chinese central bank , said Saturday that commercial banks have been instructed to give out new banknotes to clients instead of used ones if they can .
For this purpose the People ’ s Bank of China made an “ emergency issuance ” of four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most severely effected region , Hubei province , right before the recent Lunar New Year holiday .
These steps are meant to “ secure the public ’ s safety and health when using cash ” , Fan said .
Will Outbreak Have Long Term Implications on Cash ?
Over 1,660 people have died from the COVID19 outbreak so far and almost 70,000 cases have been confirmed .
Besides the heavy human cost , the spread of the virus has also had a strong impact on the Chinese economy .
With cities under lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many businesses have taken a massive hit as both employees and customers have stayed away .
The local stock markets have also taken a pounding and GDP growth numbers will probably need to be revised downward .
The recent moves to disinfect used fiat bills point to the need to consider this outbreak might have long lasting consequences for the usage of government paper money in the giant Asian country too .
China was already a world leader in the use of mobile payments apps , with Alipay and Wechatpay allowing users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pay directly to anyone using QR codes .
If many people in China will associate cash with the risk of catching deadly viruses they might dump it altogether .
Beyond China , this crisis might also be used by governments in different parts of the world that want to transition to a “ cashless society ” to justify their actions .
They might introduce a ban on fiat paper cash as a public safety measure instead of just a way to ensure total surveillance on citizens ’ economic lives .
However , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money was always dirty , not just as a concept , and research has shown that a random bill in New York can be home to hundreds of bacteria and up to 80 % of USD notes in circulation contain traces of cocaine .
Bitcoin Cash solves all this .
What do you think about China scrubbing paper money to stop the spread of the virus ?
Share your thoughts in the comments section below .
Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer , the best of its kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ keep up with your holdings , BCH and other coins , on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets , another original and free service from Bitcoin.com .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , Flote , Minds , Twitter , and Steemit .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Avi Mizrahi
Research has shown that government paper money is a hotbed for bacteria and that, at least in the U.S., most bank notes in circulation are tainted by cocaine. Now you can also worry about a new threat possibly sticking to your fingers when you handle a bill – a deadly virus coming out of China.
China Scrubs Cash to Stop Virus Outbreak
The People’s Bank of China, the Chinese central bank, has announced that it has taken a number of actions to fight the spread of COVID19 – the novel coronavirus infecting the country. In a press conference on Saturday, February 15, it was revealed that commercial banks have been ordered they must take out of circulation used notes and disinfect them.
The disinfected fiat cash will also need to be kept in quarantine for a period of 7 to 14 days before it can be reintroduced to the public, with the length of time bills are kept in isolation varying from region to region according to its level of infection with the virus. Moreover, the Guangzhou branch of the People’s Bank of China claimed on Saturday that all used cash notes coming from hospitals, wet markets, and public transportation buses will simply be annihilated as soon as possible. And according to reports from the area, stacks of cash are now being stockpiled in warehouses waiting until they can be eliminated.
Additionally, Fan Yifei, deputy governor of the Chinese central bank, said Saturday that commercial banks have been instructed to give out new banknotes to clients instead of used ones if they can. For this purpose the People’s Bank of China made an “emergency issuance” of four billion RMB in new notes to the most severely effected region, Hubei province, right before the recent Lunar New Year holiday. These steps are meant to “secure the public’s safety and health when using cash”, Fan said.
Will Outbreak Have Long Term Implications on Cash?
Over 1,660 people have died from the COVID19 outbreak so far and almost 70,000 cases have been confirmed. Besides the heavy human cost, the spread of the virus has also had a strong impact on the Chinese economy. With cities under lockdown and civilians discouraged from leaving their homes, many businesses have taken a massive hit as both employees and customers have stayed away. The local stock markets have also taken a pounding and GDP growth numbers will probably need to be revised downward.
The recent moves to disinfect used fiat bills point to the need to consider this outbreak might have long lasting consequences for the usage of government paper money in the giant Asian country too. China was already a world leader in the use of mobile payments apps, with Alipay and Wechatpay allowing users to shop almost anywhere in the country and pay directly to anyone using QR codes. If many people in China will associate cash with the risk of catching deadly viruses they might dump it altogether.
Beyond China, this crisis might also be used by governments in different parts of the world that want to transition to a “cashless society” to justify their actions. They might introduce a ban on fiat paper cash as a public safety measure instead of just a way to ensure total surveillance on citizens’ economic lives. However, it is important to remember that fiat money was always dirty, not just as a concept, and research has shown that a random bill in New York can be home to hundreds of bacteria and up to 80% of USD notes in circulation contain traces of cocaine. Bitcoin Cash solves all this.
What do you think about China scrubbing paper money to stop the spread of the virus? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-02-16--What to Make of the Bureau of Lying Statistics’ Contradicting Jobs Reports

Employment has been the one stickler in my recession prediction for 2019 , and finding a trustworthy measurement from the government ’ s statistics is like finding a virgin in a brothel .
Depending on which official figures you look at , employment has refused to fall and new jobs are strong … or they stink .
We recently got two extremely conflicting reports from the same government agency that reveal , AGAIN , how dubious the official numbers from the government are .
Because one report was stellar , the stock market blasted off like a rocket when it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report of the same item was abysmal , the stock market ignored it .
The Fed , however , did not ignore it , and carries it in its official charts .
We ’ re talking the count of new job openings , as calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics , which by the Fed ’ s graphs looks like this : Terrible .
One has to , as I ’ ve now pointed out with soooo many statistics , go all the way back to the days of the Great Recession @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You should see that comparison now as pattern so routine in its recurrence that it can almost be expected I will say it . )
Job openings are telling of a new trend in employment because employers stop opening new jobs before they start firing employees from existing jobs .
So , it sets the stage for where we are going .
In case you thought I was making the new-jobs count look worse by showing the situation in terms of its percentage change , here is how it looks in terms of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : That ’ s the most abrupt falloff in two decades , which is going as far back as Fed stats for this measure go .
“ Hold it !
” you may scream .
“ The BLS ‘ Job Report ’ recently published for January was extraordinarily good .
The numbers were stellar !
” Yes , they were , and that is why I call it the Bureau of Lying Statistics , rather than the Bureau of Labor Statistics .
The BLS reported a whopping quarter of a million new jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my defense that the JOLTS report in the charts above ( also put out by the BLS ) is the Fed ’ s favored metric , and that BLS report that a massive drop in the monthly change of job openings of 354,000 jobs in December .
So , what gives ?
See : 177 Different Ways to Generate Extra Income I don ’ t know .
I ’ ll try to help decipher it for you ( and for me ) , but the facet is two official reports that purport to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created each month tell totally opposite stories .
First , I ’ m going to guess a good idea of which is right and which is wrong will be revealed later this year , and the worse numbers will prevail .
Why ?
Remember how last year the BLS did its annual audit of total jobs for the year , and found its monthly “ Jobs Reports ” over the course of a year had shown half a million more jobs than could actually be found once they compared the total existing jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Something they refer to as their annual “ benchmark ” study , which I reported on that last August in this article : “ How ’ s That Recession Coming , Dave ?
” in the section subtitled “ Employment now marching with me.
” ) Well , I ’ ll bet when they do their new benchmark count this March , we find they have been over counting new jobs in their “ surveys ” by just as much during the past year as they did in the year before because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time of recessions ( probably because their usual multitude of assumptions used for “ adjustments ” don ’ t work so well during contrary times … or , to be less charitable , because the government wants to make the numbers look as positive as they can , even if that only happens subconsciously through the choices settled upon due to goal seeking . )
Just take the “ L ” out of “ BLS , ” and you ’ ll have your explanation .
You can mark me wrong if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its March benchmark study comes out otherwise .
Since it only make mistakes of this grandeur during recessions , that does kind of lead one to believe they love to overstate new jobs during the darkest of times to make things feel less dire .
They are , after all , governed by whatever administration is ruling at the time , and all administrations love to make themselves look good ; and each new administration puts its own people at the top , who can push the agenda .
A miss is as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a million So , how bad was the last quarter in terms of new job openings ( since I said the last quarter of 2019 would be the one where a recession starting late in the summer would really show up in the numbers ) ?
That bad !
Yes , that ’ s a drop of nearly one million job openings in the last two months of 2019 , making that the largest cliff dive in new jobs in two decades ( maybe longer ) !
Add in the two-month period @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well over a million fewer job openings on the market than there were in the summer .
Uhhgly !
But the economy is “ strong , very strong.
” Ask the president .
“ Strongest economy ever.
” I guess the world is willing to readily accept that all things are true so long as someone of note says them because I didn ’ t hear anyone in the mainstream media question him on that statement .
One of the other things that has led me to call the BLS the “ Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in case you are new around here ) has been how I ’ ve noted the bureau will “ adjust ” its new jobs number up in December one year “ due to unseasonably warm weather ” and then adjust its new jobs number up again the next December “ due to unseasonably cold weather !
” The devil is in the adjustments , which seem to run whichever way the bureau wants them to , even using the same excuse .
That , or there is only one temperature that allows new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ temperature that would justify them being revised down !
In advance , beware the huge explosion in new jobs that is coming this spring .
That will be almost entirely due to temporary hiring of a quarter million census takers .
whose jobs will end again in the fall .
I wouldn ’ t even be completely surprised if the Bureau of Lying Statistics counts the new jobs in the spring , but adjusts the corresponding job losses out in the fall on the basis that they were only temporary .
Another half-truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half-time jobs the same as full-time jobs .
It should count full-time equivalency to be meaningful or break full-time and part-time jobs into side-by-side reports .
We have a labor market where numerous full-time jobs were lost in the Great Recession and have been replaced with part-time jobs that pay less and have no benefits .
The BLS acts as if that is meaningless — at least , in terms of its headline numbers .
With contradictions so stark in their own reports , it seems like the BLS is a two-headed monster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Zero Hedge has reported on this discrepancy for years : See “ This Is What Happens When The Bureau Of Labor Statistics Is Caught In A Lie.
” I guess you just have to decide which head you ’ re going to believe , but the annual benchmark count of total jobs indicates the BLS leans strongly toward over-counting each month during bad times .
Here , until now , was the worst divergence on record between the two BLS reports : The discrepancy between the BLS ’ s just released JOLTS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jobs Report ” is actually even greater than that because , while JOLTS showed the number of job opening on the market fell by a massive 354,000 compared to the month before , the December Jobs Report showed they rose by 145,000 for a total discrepancy of … half a million jobs !
( It seems the BLS has a particular fondness for discrepancies in the half-million range . )
I say something is badly broken .
To be sure , BLS data is hard to decipher .
For a number of years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater than the number of job openings : Now the number of openings is catching back down to the number of hires .
How on earth can you hire more people for years and years than you have openings for ?
An “ opening ” to me ( and I think to most people ) means a job ( whether old or new ) that is available for someone to take , and the BLS doesn ’ t explain its meaning in its December report , even though it comments that for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ openings.
” That is absurdly impossible .
I can understand how you can hire fewer people than you have openings for , leaving some open jobs unfilled ( as appears to have been the case in the last few years of that graph ) , but not how you can hire more .
How do you hire people for jobs you don ’ t even have open ?
Especially , not for years and years .
Maybe it ’ s those darn seasonal adjustments .
To overcome my understanding deficit , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FAQs page for definitions and techniques .
The BLS explains how its numbers are calculated here , possibly accounting for some of the differences in its reports , but I find the explanations as obtuse as the numbers .
Given the language in the last graph , I was thinking maybe the difference in numbers is that one set of figures represents actual new hires , while the other is just a measure of jobs being offered ( what I would call “ openings “ ) one month that were not offered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Here , however , is the BLS definition of “ openings ” : If you can understand it at all , that sounds generally like a “ hire ” to me — an increase in employment — since it is referred to as “ employment , ” not “ job listings.
” Naturally , it is worded as obtusely as only the government can manage .
Elsewhere , however , the BLS defines “ job openings ” like this : So , which is it ?
“ Establishments , ” “ employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Since I admittedly can not decipher the BLS ’ s BS , I ’ ll have to go with the Fed in preferring the JOLTS numbers over the “ Jobs Report , ” especially since the BLS ’ s annual “ benchmark ” audit last March knocked off half a million jobs from what its Jobs Reports had indicated were accruing throughout the year .
Even the BLS knows its two ways of reporting new jobs differ greatly , and must get frequently asked why that is so because it tries to explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Uh , yeah , as in GREATLY .
They differ greatly , yet both pretend to give a picture of the growth or decline in new jobs for a given month .
Uh , yeah .
Apparently a LOT of sampling error and a lot of difference in reliability .
Do seasonal patterns for the same month being reported differ from each other ?
Why should they have different ways of adjusting for seasonality ?
Maybe they do when you need the new jobs count to look better one December because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to look better the very next December due to unseasonably cold weather .
You can read the rest of their explanations for the vast differences that occur at times in the two reports , but I ’ ve had enough .
The bottom line is the reports are claiming they are reporting the number of added or subtracted jobs each month , and they have a very large number of difference in how they are calculated ( and in assumptions and adjustments being made ) , leading sometimes to massive discrepancies , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not both be right .
In which case , which one of these currently totally contradictory reports , if any , is an accurate picture of what is happening with job gains or losses in any given month ?
In fact , the acknowledged discrepancies are why the BLS conducts a “ benchmark ” audit of the actual total number of existing jobs in the economy once a year , to see what the true number of jobs added over a year was to establish that as the new benchmark for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off by half a million ( two times the largest number the BLS had in any one of the twelve months ) , they ’ re not even close !
When you look over the total number of assumptions and adjustments and realignments made , you ’ ll see there is ample room for goal-seeking and maybe even outright BS .
I guess it will just have to suffice to say the government has officially reported robust job growth numbers and abysmal job numbers in the last two months , so you pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
The Federal Reserve seems to favor the JOLTS numbers as its standard to place on its “ dashboard ” for evaluating its binary mandate of maintaining solid employment and low inflation .
By that count , the current economy drinks dishwater !
Before I go , here ’ s one more thing I ’ ve seen lately that gets me .
Several times I ’ ve read about the rise in the equally mysterious “ unemployment ” numbers in a softened manner like this : In the words , more of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not being counted as unemployed have decided to step back into the labor force and so are now being counted .
It ’ s always presented as though this means the edge up in unemployment is actually a good thing when all it really reveals is a move by the masses of uncounted unemployed back into the job picture : When to adjust and when not to adjust And here is an example from that same article of how the BLS does not adjust the job numbers down for seasonality when extremes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ normal : So , this time construction and transportation were up due to unseasonably warm weather , but the BLS kept the reported numbers up , rather than adjusting them , and the chief US economist just explained why they were up in a note !
Yeah , just as I thought .
They ’ re the BS Department .
They ’ ll adjust the numbers up when unseasonable warmth caused the reported numbers to fall ; but they won ’ t adjust them down when unseasonable warmth is why they were higher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ?
Well , maybe because of the next words in that article : How convenient .
We ’ ll just NOT adjust the transportation numbers for unseasonably warm weather this time , since that would make them look bad , and tuck the explanation for why they were not adjusted in a note so they don ’ t create too much stir with investors .
“ Do not adjust your television set .
We control the vertical ; we control the horizontal ” … and the picture you ’ ll get is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , Flote , Minds , Twitter , and Steemit .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By David Haggith
Employment has been the one stickler in my recession prediction for 2019, and finding a trustworthy measurement from the government’s statistics is like finding a virgin in a brothel. Depending on which official figures you look at, employment has refused to fall and new jobs are strong … or they stink.
We recently got two extremely conflicting reports from the same government agency that reveal, AGAIN, how dubious the official numbers from the government are. Because one report was stellar, the stock market blasted off like a rocket when it heard the news. Because the other report of the same item was abysmal, the stock market ignored it. The Fed, however, did not ignore it, and carries it in its official charts.
We’re talking the count of new job openings, as calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which by the Fed’s graphs looks like this:
Terrible. One has to, as I’ve now pointed out with soooo many statistics, go all the way back to the days of the Great Recession to find numbers this bad. (You should see that comparison now as pattern so routine in its recurrence that it can almost be expected I will say it.)
Job openings are telling of a new trend in employment because employers stop opening new jobs before they start firing employees from existing jobs. So, it sets the stage for where we are going.
In case you thought I was making the new-jobs count look worse by showing the situation in terms of its percentage change, here is how it looks in terms of the actual total number of job openings:
That’s the most abrupt falloff in two decades, which is going as far back as Fed stats for this measure go.
“Hold it!” you may scream. “The BLS ‘Job Report’ recently published for January was extraordinarily good. The numbers were stellar!” Yes, they were, and that is why I call it the Bureau of Lying Statistics, rather than the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS reported a whopping quarter of a million new jobs added.
I’ll note in my defense that the JOLTS report in the charts above (also put out by the BLS) is the Fed’s favored metric, and that BLS report that a massive drop in the monthly change of job openings of 354,000 jobs in December.
So, what gives?
I don’t know. I’ll try to help decipher it for you (and for me), but the facet is two official reports that purport to tell us the number of new jobs created each month tell totally opposite stories.
First, I’m going to guess a good idea of which is right and which is wrong will be revealed later this year, and the worse numbers will prevail. Why? Remember how last year the BLS did its annual audit of total jobs for the year, and found its monthly “Jobs Reports” over the course of a year had shown half a million more jobs than could actually be found once they compared the total existing jobs from one March to the next? (Something they refer to as their annual “benchmark” study, which I reported on that last August in this article: “How’s That Recession Coming, Dave?” in the section subtitled “Employment now marching with me.”)
Well, I’ll bet when they do their new benchmark count this March , we find they have been over counting new jobs in their “surveys” by just as much during the past year as they did in the year before because their greatest discrepancies seem to happen around the time of recessions (probably because their usual multitude of assumptions used for “adjustments” don’t work so well during contrary times … or, to be less charitable, because the government wants to make the numbers look as positive as they can, even if that only happens subconsciously through the choices settled upon due to goal seeking.)
Just take the “L” out of “BLS,” and you’ll have your explanation. You can mark me wrong if the BLS’s eventual published total from its March benchmark study comes out otherwise. Since it only make mistakes of this grandeur during recessions, that does kind of lead one to believe they love to overstate new jobs during the darkest of times to make things feel less dire. They are, after all, governed by whatever administration is ruling at the time, and all administrations love to make themselves look good; and each new administration puts its own people at the top, who can push the agenda.
A miss is as good as mile, well, actually as a million
So, how bad was the last quarter in terms of new job openings (since I said the last quarter of 2019 would be the one where a recession starting late in the summer would really show up in the numbers)?
That bad! Yes, that’s a drop of nearly one million job openings in the last two months of 2019, making that the largest cliff dive in new jobs in two decades (maybe longer)! Add in the two-month period before those two months and you have well over a million fewer job openings on the market than there were in the summer. Uhhgly!
But the economy is “strong, very strong.” Ask the president. “Strongest economy ever.” I guess the world is willing to readily accept that all things are true so long as someone of note says them because I didn’t hear anyone in the mainstream media question him on that statement.
One of the other things that has led me to call the BLS the “Bureau of Lying Statistics” (to recall in case you are new around here) has been how I’ve noted the bureau will “adjust” its new jobs number up in December one year “due to unseasonably warm weather” and then adjust its new jobs number up again the next December “due to unseasonably cold weather!” The devil is in the adjustments, which seem to run whichever way the bureau wants them to, even using the same excuse. That, or there is only one temperature that allows new jobs to remain the same and no temperature that would justify them being revised down!
In advance, beware the huge explosion in new jobs that is coming this spring. That will be almost entirely due to temporary hiring of a quarter million census takers. whose jobs will end again in the fall. I wouldn’t even be completely surprised if the Bureau of Lying Statistics counts the new jobs in the spring, but adjusts the corresponding job losses out in the fall on the basis that they were only temporary.
Another half-truth by the BLS is that it counts half-time jobs the same as full-time jobs. It should count full-time equivalency to be meaningful or break full-time and part-time jobs into side-by-side reports. We have a labor market where numerous full-time jobs were lost in the Great Recession and have been replaced with part-time jobs that pay less and have no benefits. The BLS acts as if that is meaningless — at least, in terms of its headline numbers.
With contradictions so stark in their own reports, it seems like the BLS is a two-headed monster with one head lying to the other. Zero Hedge has reported on this discrepancy for years: See “This Is What Happens When The Bureau Of Labor Statistics Is Caught In A Lie.” I guess you just have to decide which head you’re going to believe, but the annual benchmark count of total jobs indicates the BLS leans strongly toward over-counting each month during bad times.
Here, until now, was the worst divergence on record between the two BLS reports:
The discrepancy between the BLS’s just released JOLTS report for December and its December “Jobs Report” is actually even greater than that because, while JOLTS showed the number of job opening on the market fell by a massive 354,000 compared to the month before, the December Jobs Report showed they rose by 145,000 for a total discrepancy of … half a million jobs! (It seems the BLS has a particular fondness for discrepancies in the half-million range.)
I say something is badly broken.
BLS bull and obfuscation
To be sure, BLS data is hard to decipher. For a number of years, the number of hires reported was greater than the number of job openings:
BLS
Now the number of openings is catching back down to the number of hires. How on earth can you hire more people for years and years than you have openings for? An “opening” to me (and I think to most people) means a job (whether old or new) that is available for someone to take, and the BLS doesn’t explain its meaning in its December report, even though it comments that for years there were more “hires” than “openings.” That is absurdly impossible.
I can understand how you can hire fewer people than you have openings for, leaving some open jobs unfilled (as appears to have been the case in the last few years of that graph), but not how you can hire more. How do you hire people for jobs you don’t even have open? Especially, not for years and years. Maybe it’s those darn seasonal adjustments.
To overcome my understanding deficit, I tried to drill down in the BLS FAQs page for definitions and techniques. The BLS explains how its numbers are calculated here, possibly accounting for some of the differences in its reports, but I find the explanations as obtuse as the numbers.
Given the language in the last graph, I was thinking maybe the difference in numbers is that one set of figures represents actual new hires, while the other is just a measure of jobs being offered (what I would call “openings“) one month that were not offered the prior month. Hence “new jobs.” Here, however, is the BLS definition of “openings”:
What are openings? These are either establishments with positive third month employment for the first time in the current quarter, with no links to the prior quarter, or with positive third month employment in the current quarter following zero employment in the previous quarter. BLS
If you can understand it at all, that sounds generally like a “hire” to me — an increase in employment — since it is referred to as “employment,” not “job listings.” Naturally, it is worded as obtusely as only the government can manage.
Elsewhere, however, the BLS defines “job openings” like this:
How does JOLTS define Job Openings?
JOLTS defines Job Openings as all positions that are open (not filled) on the last business day of the month. A job is “open” only if it meets all three of the following conditions: BLS
So, which is it? “Establishments,” “employment,” or “positions?” Since I admittedly cannot decipher the BLS’s BS, I’ll have to go with the Fed in preferring the JOLTS numbers over the “Jobs Report,” especially since the BLS’s annual “benchmark” audit last March knocked off half a million jobs from what its Jobs Reports had indicated were accruing throughout the year.
Even the BLS knows its two ways of reporting new jobs differ greatly, and must get frequently asked why that is so because it tries to explain the difference in another FAQ this way:
It would seem logical that the implied employment change from JOLTS would match the CES over-the-month change on a monthly basis, but it often does not. Several reasons are outlined here: 1. The JOLTS program was not designed to measure over-the-month employment change while the CES survey was. Consequently, the JOLTS survey differs from the CES in its methodology and data elements collected. BLS
Uh, yeah, as in GREATLY. They differ greatly, yet both pretend to give a picture of the growth or decline in new jobs for a given month.
Both the JOLTS and the CES programs are sample surveys and both are subject to sampling error. The two programs have differing levels of reliability because the CES collects data from far more establishments than the JOLTS program.
Uh, yeah. Apparently a LOT of sampling error and a lot of difference in reliability.
The two surveys have differing seasonal patterns.
Do seasonal patterns for the same month being reported differ from each other? Why should they have different ways of adjusting for seasonality? Maybe they do when you need the new jobs count to look better one December because of unseasonably warm weather and then need it to look better the very next December due to unseasonably cold weather.
You can read the rest of their explanations for the vast differences that occur at times in the two reports, but I’ve had enough. The bottom line is the reports are claiming they are reporting the number of added or subtracted jobs each month, and they have a very large number of difference in how they are calculated (and in assumptions and adjustments being made), leading sometimes to massive discrepancies, even in polar-opposite directions, and they clearly cannot both be right.
In which case, which one of these currently totally contradictory reports, if any, is an accurate picture of what is happening with job gains or losses in any given month? In fact, the acknowledged discrepancies are why the BLS conducts a “benchmark” audit of the actual total number of existing jobs in the economy once a year, to see what the true number of jobs added over a year was to establish that as the new benchmark for the next year. When that’s off by half a million (two times the largest number the BLS had in any one of the twelve months), they’re not even close! When you look over the total number of assumptions and adjustments and realignments made, you’ll see there is ample room for goal-seeking and maybe even outright BS.
I guess it will just have to suffice to say the government has officially reported robust job growth numbers and abysmal job numbers in the last two months, so you pick which set you want to go by! The Federal Reserve seems to favor the JOLTS numbers as its standard to place on its “dashboard” for evaluating its binary mandate of maintaining solid employment and low inflation. By that count, the current economy drinks dishwater!
Before I go, here’s one more thing I’ve seen lately that gets me. Several times I’ve read about the rise in the equally mysterious “unemployment” numbers in a softened manner like this:
The unemployment rate edged slightly higher to 3.6%, as more people decided to look for jobs…. CNN
In the words, more of the millions of people who are unemployed but were not being counted as unemployed have decided to step back into the labor force and so are now being counted. It’s always presented as though this means the edge up in unemployment is actually a good thing when all it really reveals is a move by the masses of uncounted unemployed back into the job picture:
“It’s great to see that people have hope and want to get back out there… So the bottom line is that the unemployment rate only increased because of all the people coming into the labor force, although it’s worth cautioning that was probably a weather effect too,”
When to adjust and when not to adjust
And here is an example from that same article of how the BLS does not adjust the job numbers down for seasonality when extremes in weather made the numbers better than normal:
Job growth in the construction, health care, transportation and warehousing industries was particularly strong in January, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report. Unseasonably mild weather in January helped the construction and transportation sectors, Capital Economics Chief US Economist Paul Ashworth wrote in a note.
So, this time construction and transportation were up due to unseasonably warm weather, but the BLS kept the reported numbers up, rather than adjusting them, and the chief US economist just explained why they were up in a note! Yeah, just as I thought. They’re the BS Department. They’ll adjust the numbers up when unseasonable warmth caused the reported numbers to fall; but they won’t adjust them down when unseasonable warmth is why they were higher than usual.
Why would they do that? Well, maybe because of the next words in that article:
Manufacturing jobs declined for the second month in a row. The sector was in a downturn in the last five months of 2019…. But the sector’s weakness isn’t yet a cause for concern for investors until transportation jobs follow a similar pattern…. This suggests the manufacturing downturn is somewhat contained. A slump in transportation jobs would imply a more broad-based downturn in the production, trade and delivery of goods.
How convenient. We’ll just NOT adjust the transportation numbers for unseasonably warm weather this time, since that would make them look bad, and tuck the explanation for why they were not adjusted in a note so they don’t create too much stir with investors.
“Do not adjust your television set. We control the vertical; we control the horizontal” … and the picture you’ll get is the one we want you to get.
(See my earlier coverage of what a constant pack of lies (or confusion) is put out routinely by the “Bureau of Lying Statistics.”)
Support David Haggith on Patreon HERE
Article source: The Great Recession Blog
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-02-16--85,000 Marijuana Convictions Expunged in California

Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced that she had secured the automated dismissal of 66,000 marijuana convictions in Los Angeles County alone .
In total , the State Attorney ’ s office announced that there have now been 85,000 cases expunged in all of California .
According to the LA Times , Lacey filed the motion asking a judge to erase 62,000 felony convictions dating back to 1961 and 4,000 misdemeanor convictions in a total of 10 cities across the county on Thursday .
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta signed off on the order Tuesday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry felonies on their records in California and 15,000 no longer have a criminal record at all .
Of the 53,000 people who received the relief , 32 % are black , 45 % are Latino , and 20 % are white according to the Associated Press .
In 2016 , Proposition 64 legalized the purchase and possession of small amounts of cannabis and allowed people to grow as many as six plants for personal use .
And then in 2018 , state legislation ordered California prosecutors to review past marijuana cases eligible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether to challenge any claims by July of this year , NPR reported .
The expungement effort was a part of a partnership with Code For America , a nonprofit organization that developed a computer algorithm to quickly analyze county data to determine which cases were eligible to be cleared .
Code For America was involved with the effort last year to expunge the records of 9,000 San Francisco residents for marijuana offenses .
Code For America ’ s Clear My Record technology is free to all 58 California district attorneys and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proposition 64 eligible convictions across five counties the State Attorney ’ s office said , according to USA Today .
“ On average it takes 15 minutes for an attorney to review just one record , ” said Evonne Silva , senior program director for Code for America .
“ The fact that we can review thousands of records in minutes really unlocks the potential for this to apply to other marijuana legalization efforts in other states.
” Lacey stated that her office even exceeded what the law requires and further fully dismissed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transporting , or selling marijuana for people who are over 50 or under 21 .
However , there were stipulations that those convicted couldn ’ t have had a felony conviction in the last 10 years or have completed probation for cannabis convictions .
Efforts by multiple U.S. states to pardon past marijuana convictions using automated technology are increasing .
Last year , TMU reported that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker granted over 11,000 pardons to people convicted of low-level marijuana convictions after cannabis was legalized in the state .
According to PEW Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scrubbing former marijuana convictions were Colorado , Maryland , New Hampshire , and Oregon .
Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has expressed that if he is elected all past marijuana convictions would be expunged .
“ Sanders administration we will review all marijuana convictions – both federal and state – for expungement and re-sentencing .
All past convictions will be expunged , ” the Sanders campaign wrote .
Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level , but 11 states including Alaska , California , Colorado , Illinois , Massachusetts , Maine , Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington , and the District of Columbia have laws on the books legalizing marijuana for recreational use .
Ten states also allow for the regulated sale of the plant .
Nearly 90 percent of American adults support marijuana legalization , according to a recent poll .
In 2020 , legalization efforts appear to be more likely with an additional 19 states , that want to push for legalization .
Los Angeles pardoning 66,000 is a big step in the right direction in allowing non-violent offenders who are a victim of the war on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far California , Illinois , and New York have passed laws that demand officials to clear the records of their citizens while a total of 12 states have enacted laws that allow residents to manually seek the erasure of low-level cannabis convictions a much more lengthy process .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , Flote , Minds , Twitter , and Steemit .
Provide , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Aaron Kesel
Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced that she had secured the automated dismissal of 66,000 marijuana convictions in Los Angeles County alone. In total, the State Attorney’s office announced that there have now been 85,000 cases expunged in all of California.
According to the LA Times, Lacey filed the motion asking a judge to erase 62,000 felony convictions dating back to 1961 and 4,000 misdemeanor convictions in a total of 10 cities across the county on Thursday. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Sam Ohta signed off on the order Tuesday.
That means 22,000 civilians will no longer carry felonies on their records in California and 15,000 no longer have a criminal record at all. Of the 53,000 people who received the relief, 32% are black, 45% are Latino, and 20% are white according to the Associated Press.
In 2016, Proposition 64 legalized the purchase and possession of small amounts of cannabis and allowed people to grow as many as six plants for personal use. And then in 2018, state legislation ordered California prosecutors to review past marijuana cases eligible for dismissal under Proposition 64 and decide whether to challenge any claims by July of this year, NPR reported.
The expungement effort was a part of a partnership with Code For America, a nonprofit organization that developed a computer algorithm to quickly analyze county data to determine which cases were eligible to be cleared. Code For America was involved with the effort last year to expunge the records of 9,000 San Francisco residents for marijuana offenses.
Code For America’s Clear My Record technology is free to all 58 California district attorneys and has helped reduce or dismiss more than 85,000 Proposition 64 eligible convictions across five counties the State Attorney’s office said, according to USA Today.
“On average it takes 15 minutes for an attorney to review just one record,” said Evonne Silva, senior program director for Code for America. “The fact that we can review thousands of records in minutes really unlocks the potential for this to apply to other marijuana legalization efforts in other states.”
Lacey stated that her office even exceeded what the law requires and further fully dismissed felony convictions for cultivating, possession, transporting, or selling marijuana for people who are over 50 or under 21. However, there were stipulations that those convicted couldn’t have had a felony conviction in the last 10 years or have completed probation for cannabis convictions.
Efforts by multiple U.S. states to pardon past marijuana convictions using automated technology are increasing. Last year, TMU reported that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker granted over 11,000 pardons to people convicted of low-level marijuana convictions after cannabis was legalized in the state.
According to PEW Research in 2017, the states eligible for scrubbing former marijuana convictions were Colorado, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Oregon.
Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has expressed that if he is elected all past marijuana convictions would be expunged.
“Sanders administration we will review all marijuana convictions – both federal and state – for expungement and re-sentencing. All past convictions will be expunged,” the Sanders campaign wrote.
Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, but 11 states including Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia have laws on the books legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Ten states also allow for the regulated sale of the plant. Nearly 90 percent of American adults support marijuana legalization, according to a recent poll.
In 2020, legalization efforts appear to be more likely with an additional 19 states, that want to push for legalization.
Los Angeles pardoning 66,000 is a big step in the right direction in allowing non-violent offenders who are a victim of the war on drugs to rebuild their lives. So far California, Illinois, and New York have passed laws that demand officials to clear the records of their citizens while a total of 12 states have enacted laws that allow residents to manually seek the erasure of low-level cannabis convictions a much more lengthy process.
By Aaron Kesel | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com
Image: Waking Times
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-02-16--Nearly 10K Military Personnel From 110 Nations In Wuhan China Weeks Before Coronavirus Outbreak!

An important update regarding Wuhan China , which is ground zero for the coronavirus / Covid-19 outbreak , now reported to have gone global , as the Chinese government has now banned people in Wuhan from leaving their homes altogether .
One aspect which is very interesting and has been covered extensively here is Event 201 .
The exercise simulating a global coronavirus pandemic took place on October 18th 2019 only 6 weeks before the first case of the virus was reported in Wuhan China .
What not many people are talking about is that on this exact same day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Games held its opening ceremony followed by a U.S. men ’ s soccer match in Wuhan China , ground zero of the outbreak !
This report explores the possibility of a covert operation , which may have coincided with this event , using the event as cover to gain access to China , as nearly 10,000 military personnel from 110 countries were all in Wuhan China at the same time , only weeks before the outbreak began .
Did Bill Gates & World Economic Forum Predict Coronavirus Outbreak ?
An Inside Look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020/01/did-bill-gates-world- economic-forum-predict- coronavirus-outbreak-an- inside-look-may-shock-you.html Interview : Author of US BioWeapons Act Believes The WHO & China Are Lying About The Coronavirus https : //www.activistpost.com/ 2020/02/interview-author-of- us-bioweapons-act-believes- the-who-china-are-lying-about- the-coronavirus.html Coronavirus A Bioweapon ?
White House Investigates , As Military Sets Up Quarantine Sites Across U.S. https : //www.activistpost.com/ 2020/02/coronavirus-a- bioweapon-white-house- investigates-as-military-sets- up-quarantine-sites-across-u- s.html U.S. delegation arrives in Wuhan for Military World Games http : //www.xinhuanet.com/ english/2019-10/15/c_ 138473332.htm Over and over again , the military has conducted dangerous biowarfare experiments on Americans https : //www.businessinsider .
com/military-government- secret-experiments-biological- chemical-weapons-2016-9 Subscribe to Activist Post for truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , Flote , Minds , Twitter , and Steemit .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By Spiro Skouras
An important update regarding Wuhan China, which is ground zero for the coronavirus / Covid-19 outbreak, now reported to have gone global, as the Chinese government has now banned people in Wuhan from leaving their homes altogether.
One aspect which is very interesting and has been covered extensively here is Event 201. The exercise simulating a global coronavirus pandemic took place on October 18th 2019 only 6 weeks before the first case of the virus was reported in Wuhan China.
What not many people are talking about is that on this exact same day, October 18th, the 2019 Military World Games held its opening ceremony followed by a U.S. men’s soccer match in Wuhan China, ground zero of the outbreak!
This report explores the possibility of a covert operation, which may have coincided with this event, using the event as cover to gain access to China, as nearly 10,000 military personnel from 110 countries were all in Wuhan China at the same time, only weeks before the outbreak began.

Links
Did Bill Gates & World Economic Forum Predict Coronavirus Outbreak? An Inside Look May Shock You!
https://www.activistpost.com/ 2020/01/did-bill-gates-world- economic-forum-predict- coronavirus-outbreak-an- inside-look-may-shock-you.html
Interview: Author of US BioWeapons Act Believes The WHO & China Are Lying About The Coronavirus
https://www.activistpost.com/ 2020/02/interview-author-of- us-bioweapons-act-believes- the-who-china-are-lying-about- the-coronavirus.html
Coronavirus A Bioweapon? White House Investigates, As Military Sets Up Quarantine Sites Across U.S.
https://www.activistpost.com/ 2020/02/coronavirus-a- bioweapon-white-house- investigates-as-military-sets- up-quarantine-sites-across-u- s.html
2019 Military World Games
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ 2019_Military_World_Games
7th International Military Sports Council Military World Games
https://www.defense.gov/ Explore/Spotlight/CISM- Military-World-Games/
2019 CISM MILITARY WORLD GAMES
https://www.dvidshub.net/ feature/2019MilGames?fbclid= IwAR2oFKM3GDAj1cubPOVjRytVT_ pMC56Y3LIvoSm67vmakIM8CoKNZf30 hpQ
Event 201
http://www. centerforhealthsecurity.org/ event201/
U.S. delegation arrives in Wuhan for Military World Games
http://www.xinhuanet.com/ english/2019-10/15/c_ 138473332.htm
Over and over again, the military has conducted dangerous biowarfare experiments on Americans
https://www.businessinsider. com/military-government- secret-experiments-biological- chemical-weapons-2016-9
Follow Spiro on BitChute bitchute.com/channel/spiro/ Follow on Twitter https://twitter.com/o_rips
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-02-15--Radioactive Waste from Oil and Gas Wells Used to De-Ice Streets in 13 States. Ohio Bill Aims to Prot

Radioactive Waste from Oil and Gas Wells Used to De-Ice Streets in 13 States. Ohio Bill Aims to Protect This.

If spreading radioactive waste on American roads was no big deal , environmentalists and scientists probably wouldn ’ t be freaking out ; and , of course , people and animals wouldn ’ t be getting sick and dying .
So how did this practice become legal and even celebrated by elected officials ?
According to a recent article published in Rolling Stone magazine : There is no one federal agency that specifically regulates the radioactivity brought to the surface by oil-and-gas development , ” an EPA representative says .
In fact , thanks to a single exemption the industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the streams of waste generated at oil-and-gas wells — all of which could be radioactive and hazardous to humans — are not required to be handled as hazardous waste.
” There are many bizarre and disturbing facts revealed in this article , including a business owner bragging that he “ soaks his sore feet ” in his company ’ s radioactive concoction .
Of course , that ’ s his choice ; but according to at least one geochemist , that doesn ’ t mean his product is safe .
Thanks to Rolling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to everyone trying to stop it .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , Flote , Minds , Twitter , and Steemit .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a free issue of Counter Markets today .

By B.N. Frank
If spreading radioactive waste on American roads was no big deal, environmentalists and scientists probably wouldn’t be freaking out; and, of course, people and animals wouldn’t be getting sick and dying. So how did this practice become legal and even celebrated by elected officials?
According to a recent article published in Rolling Stone magazine:
There is no one federal agency that specifically regulates the radioactivity brought to the surface by oil-and-gas development,” an EPA representative says. In fact, thanks to a single exemption the industry received from the EPA in 1980, the streams of waste generated at oil-and-gas wells — all of which could be radioactive and hazardous to humans — are not required to be handled as hazardous waste.”
OMG.
There are many bizarre and disturbing facts revealed in this article, including a business owner bragging that he “soaks his sore feet” in his company’s radioactive concoction. Of course, that’s his choice; but according to at least one geochemist, that doesn’t mean his product is safe.
Thanks to Rolling Stone for exposing all of this and to everyone trying to stop it.
America’s Radioactive Secret Oil-and-gas wells produce nearly a trillion gallons of toxic waste a year. An investigation shows how it could be making workers sick and contaminating communities across America Read full article
Image: Pixabay
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.


activistpost--2020-02-15--400 Million Indian Users to Be De-Anonymized; UK Launches Social Media Monitoring Program With Ofcom

All over the world governments are now threatening to monitor social media users ’ posts online .
Now , India is joining the effort with a new law expected to go into effect later this month that threatens Indian users ’ privacy .
Social media companies will have to reveal users ’ identities if Indian government agencies request their data , according to the country ’ s controversial new rules for social media companies and messaging apps with 5 million active users , which is expected to be published later this month , Bloomberg reported .
The new rules would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and would not require a warrant or judicial order .
Further , if the law goes into effect , social media companies would be required to trace the origins of a post within 72 hours of a request .
It isn ’ t clear if foreign users would be subjected to this treatment or how such actions would be handled in other countries .
Which , if this author is being honest , it may not be as easy as the Indian government thinks it is to trace users , given the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) .
In fact , we may see the sale of VPNs like Private Internet Access skyrocket in India alone .
Tech companies like Facebook ’ s WhatsApp have expressed they will not comply with such requests , saying it threatens their users ’ privacy and security .
WhatsApp will “ not compromise on security because that would make people less safe , ” the company said in a statement , adding its global user base had reached over 2 billion .
“ For even more protection , we work with top security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop misuse as well as provide controls and ways to report issues — without sacrificing privacy.
” Other tech company executives , from Mozilla Corp. , GitHub Inc. and Cloudflare Inc. opposed the rules , writing in an open letter to India ’ s IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that the guidelines could lead to “ automated censorship ” and increased surveillance .
In order to be able to trace the originator of content , platforms would basically be required to surveil their users , undermine encryption , and harm the fundamental right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
India isn ’ t the only country that is now seeking to surveil their internet users .
The UK just this week announced Ofcom , an existing communications watchdog , is its pick for enforcing rules around “ harmful speech ” on social media platforms .
This comes after the UK last year established the world ’ s first independent regulator to keep social media companies in check .
The agency which will now be headed by Ofcom will be designed to make the Internet a safer place .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Home Office and Department of Culture , Media and Sport .
The government white paper , titled Online Harms , published in the UK , outlines “ plans for a world-leading package of online safety measures.
” “ The White Paper proposes establishing in law a new duty of care towards users , which will be overseen by an independent regulator .
Companies will be held to account for tackling a comprehensive set of online harms , ranging from illegal activity and content to behaviors which are harmful but not necessarily illegal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media companies , file-hosting sites , online forums , messaging services , and search engines will be required to tackle the following issues : • Incitement of violence and the spread of violent ( including terrorist ) content • The spread of disinformation and fake news However , according to TechCrunch , Ofcom will not be investigating or adjudicating on “ individual complaints ” like that of the India organization .
“ The new regulatory framework will instead require companies , where relevant , to explicitly state what content and behaviour they deem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforce this consistently and transparently .
All companies in scope will need to ensure a higher level of protection for children , and take reasonable steps to protect them from inappropriate or harmful content , ” it writes .
Companies will be able to decide what type of legal content or behaviour is acceptable on their services , but must take reasonable steps to protect children from harm .
They will need to set this out in clear and accessible terms and conditions and enforce these effectively , consistently and transparently .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about which content is and is not acceptable on different platforms , and will enhance users ’ ability to challenge removal of content where this occurs .
Another requirement will be that companies have “ effective and proportionate user redress mechanisms ” — enabling users to report harmful content and challenge content take-down “ where necessary.
” “ This will give users clearer , more effective and more accessible avenues to question content takedown , which is an important safeguard for the right to freedom of expression , ” the government suggests , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be transparent , in line with terms and conditions , and consistently applied.
” The U.S. also recently announced that the Army ’ s Criminal Investigation Command wants to get involved in policing social media for “ threats.
” The Pentagon has previously said it wants to police social media for fake stories and deep fakes , as Activist Post reported .
All over the world we are seeing a clampdown on users ’ internet rights .
Because of these new measures , combined with systems already in place , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater tyranny of the death of freedom of information .
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post .
Support us at Patreon .
Follow us on Minds , Steemit , SoMee , BitChute , Facebook and Twitter .
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth , peace , and freedom news .
Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $ 1 per month at Patreon .
Follow us on SoMee , Flote , Minds , Twitter , and Steemit .
Provide , Protect and Profit from what ’ s coming !
Get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @

By Aaron Kesel
All over the world governments are now threatening to monitor social media users’ posts online. Now, India is joining the effort with a new law expected to go into effect later this month that threatens Indian users’ privacy.
Social media companies will have to reveal users’ identities if Indian government agencies request their data, according to the country’s controversial new rules for social media companies and messaging apps with 5 million active users, which is expected to be published later this month, Bloomberg reported.
The new rules would signal blanket cooperation with Indian government inquiries, and would not require a warrant or judicial order. Further, if the law goes into effect, social media companies would be required to trace the origins of a post within 72 hours of a request. It isn’t clear if foreign users would be subjected to this treatment or how such actions would be handled in other countries.
Which, if this author is being honest, it may not be as easy as the Indian government thinks it is to trace users, given the existence of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). In fact, we may see the sale of VPNs like Private Internet Access skyrocket in India alone.
Tech companies like Facebook’s WhatsApp have expressed they will not comply with such requests, saying it threatens their users’ privacy and security.
WhatsApp will “not compromise on security because that would make people less safe,” the company said in a statement, adding its global user base had reached over 2 billion. “For even more protection, we work with top security experts, employ industry leading technology to stop misuse as well as provide controls and ways to report issues — without sacrificing privacy.”
Other tech company executives, from Mozilla Corp., GitHub Inc. and Cloudflare Inc. opposed the rules, writing in an open letter to India’s IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that the guidelines could lead to “automated censorship” and increased surveillance. In order to be able to trace the originator of content, platforms would basically be required to surveil their users, undermine encryption, and harm the fundamental right to privacy of Indian users, they said.
India isn’t the only country that is now seeking to surveil their internet users. The UK just this week announced Ofcom, an existing communications watchdog, is its pick for enforcing rules around “harmful speech” on social media platforms. This comes after the UK last year established the world’s first independent regulator to keep social media companies in check.
The agency which will now be headed by Ofcom will be designed to make the Internet a safer place. The new regulation firm was jointly announced by the Home Office and Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The government white paper, titled Online Harms, published in the UK, outlines “plans for a world-leading package of online safety measures.”
“The White Paper proposes establishing in law a new duty of care towards users, which will be overseen by an independent regulator. Companies will be held to account for tackling a comprehensive set of online harms, ranging from illegal activity and content to behaviors which are harmful but not necessarily illegal,” the release reads.
All social media companies, file-hosting sites, online forums, messaging services, and search engines will be required to tackle the following issues:
Incitement of violence and the spread of violent (including terrorist) content
Encouragement of self-harm or suicide
The spread of disinformation and fake news
Cyberbullying
Children’s access to inappropriate material
Child exploitation and abuse content
However, according to TechCrunch, Ofcom will not be investigating or adjudicating on “individual complaints” like that of the India organization.
“The new regulatory framework will instead require companies, where relevant, to explicitly state what content and behaviour they deem to be acceptable on their sites and enforce this consistently and transparently. All companies in scope will need to ensure a higher level of protection for children, and take reasonable steps to protect them from inappropriate or harmful content,” it writes.
Companies will be able to decide what type of legal content or behaviour is acceptable on their services, but must take reasonable steps to protect children from harm. They will need to set this out in clear and accessible terms and conditions and enforce these effectively, consistently and transparently. The proposed approach will improve transparency for users about which content is and is not acceptable on different platforms, and will enhance users’ ability to challenge removal of content where this occurs.
Another requirement will be that companies have “effective and proportionate user redress mechanisms” — enabling users to report harmful content and challenge content take-down “where necessary.”
“This will give users clearer, more effective and more accessible avenues to question content takedown, which is an important safeguard for the right to freedom of expression,” the government suggests, adding that: “These processes will need to be transparent, in line with terms and conditions, and consistently applied.”
The U.S. also recently announced that the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command wants to get involved in policing social media for “threats.” The Pentagon has previously said it wants to police social media for fake stories and deep fakes, as Activist Post reported.
All over the world we are seeing a clampdown on users’ internet rights. Because of these new measures, combined with systems already in place, we are only one step away from the greater tyranny of the death of freedom of information.
**By [@An0nkn0wledge](https://steemit.com/@an0nkn0wledge)**
Aaron Kesel writes for Activist Post. Support us at Patreon. Follow us on Minds, Steemit, SoMee, BitChute, Facebook and Twitter.
Subscribe to Activist Post for truth, peace, and freedom news. Become an Activist Post Patron for as little as $1 per month at Patreon. Follow us on SoMee, Flote, Minds, Twitter, and Steemit.
Provide, Protect and Profit from what’s coming! Get a free issue of Counter Markets today.