thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-03-16--How to treat Coronavirus infection COVID-19

Q : Not only are you one of the best pulmonologists in Europe , you are also in the main risk group now for coronavirus .
Could you , please , give some recommendations for people of your generation and those who are younger , those who , as we see , are really susceptible to high mortality — especially in China , Italy , and Iran .
A : In order to understand the risk groups for this disease : first of all , these are people who come into contact with animals that represent a biological reservoir .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ African cats , in 2012 it was camels , and now the science is a little confused , it has not been fully established .
There is more evidence that this is a certain kind of bat — the one that the Chinese eat .
This bat spreads the coronavirus through its bowel movements .
After that a seeding process takes place .
Let ’ s say , it ’ s a seafood market or some other products , and so on .
But , right now we ’ re talking about an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infecting people .
Therefore , this phase has already arrived .
The infection spreads person to person .
Coronaviruses are a very , very common viral infections , and people encounter them many , many times in their lives .
Within a year a child carries diseases that we call acute colds up to ten times .
And behind this acute cold are certain viruses .
And the second place in its prevalence is occupied by the coronavirus .
The problem is that these seemingly harmless pathogens were dismissed , and they could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ common cold and a virus .
If , say , a child has a cold , he has a runny nose , what will follow ?
And so on .
For about two weeks , a child or an adult gets sick — and all this disappears without a trace .
But in 2002 , 2012 , and now in 2020 , the situation has changed qualitatively .
Because the serotypes that have started to circulate … they affect the epithelial cells .
Epithelial cells are cells that line the respiratory tract , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Therefore , a person infected has pulmonary symptoms and intestinal symptoms .
And in the study of urine tests , too , allocate… with such a viral load .
But these new strains , which we are now talking about , they have these properties — to come into contact with the second type of receptor , the angiotensin-converting enzyme .
And this receptor is associated with such a serious manifestation as cough .
Therefore , a patient who has symptoms of damage to the lower respiratory tract , a characteristic sign is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cells of the most distal parts of the respiratory tract .
These breathing tubes are very small .
A : It ’ s far and small in diameter .
Q : So this is what we have next to the bronchi ?
A : This is bronchi , then we have bronchioles , respiratory bronchioles .
And when the air , the diffusion of gases goes on the surface of the alveoli , they pass just this section of the respiratory tract .
Q : That is , the primary symptom is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a runny nose , and a sore throat .
Q : They say that there is no runny nose .
A : No , these are big data issues .
74 thousand medical records were processed , and all of them have rhinorrhea ( runny nose .
– RT ) .
When you are told this — there are really some nuances .
Biology is like this .
The biological target of the virus is epithelial cells .
The nose , oropharyngeal region , trachea , and then small bronchioles , targeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And it turned out that , having this mechanism , the virus leads to a sharp breakdown of the immune system .
A : An explanation that science gives today is that a protein called interferoninduced protein-10 is involved in the process .
It is with this protein that the regulation of innate immunity and acquired immunity is associated .
How should we see this ?
As a very deep damage to lymphocytes .
Q : So you can see lymphocytes falling immediately on the general test ?
A : Yes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase , platelets will increase , and it is more stable lymphopenia , that is , the lymphotoxic effect of the viruses themselves .
Therefore , the disease itself has at least four outlined stages .
The first stage is virusemia .
A harmless cold , nothing special .
Seven days , nine-approximately in this interval .
But starting from the ninth day to the 14th , the situation changes qualitatively , because it is during this period that viral and bacterial pneumonia is formed .
After damage to epithelial cells in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colonization of microorganisms occurs , primarily those that inhabit the human oropharyngeal region .
Q : Do you mean bacteria that is already there ?
A : Bacteria , Yes .
Therefore , these pneumonias are always viral and bacterial .
Q : So the virus , so to speak , fills the alveoli , where some bacteria live all the time ?
And they live somewhere by themselves , in some quantity ?
A : In general , we believe that the lower respiratory tract is sterile .
This is how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tract .
A : It ’ s not inhabited .
When the virus has entered and it has broken this barrier , where there was a sterile environment in the lungs , microorganisms begin to colonize and multiply .
Q : So it ’ s not a virus that causes pneumonia ?
Still , pneumonia is caused by bacteria , of course .
This is the window where the doctor must show his skill .
Because often the virusemic period is like a mild disease , like a slight cold , malaise , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ small , subfebrile .
But the period when the cough increased and when there is a shortness of breath — these are two signs that say : stop , this is a qualitatively different patient .
If this situation is not controlled and the disease progresses , then more serious complications occur .
We call it respiratory distress syndrome , shock .
A person can not breathe on their own .
A : You see , there are a lot of different edemas of a lung .
In fact , it depends on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we call this non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema .
If , say , cardiogenic pulmonary edema can be treated with certain medications , then this pulmonary edema can only be treated with a mechanical ventilation machine or advanced methods such as extracorporeal hemoxygenation .
If a person transfers to this phase , the immunosuppression caused by the defeat of the acquired and innate immunity becomes fatal and the patient is joined by such aggressive pathogens as Pseudomonas aeruginosa , fungi .
And the cases of death that occurred — 50 % of those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time , the alveoli are all filled with fungi .
Fungi appear during the stage of deep immunosuppression .
What is the fate of the man who endured all this ?
That is , he suffered virusemic period , he suffered viral-bacterial pneumonia , he suffered respiratory distress syndrome , non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema , and he suffered septic pneumonia .
Will he be healthy or not ?
And , in fact , today the world is concerned about this : what is the fate of those 90 thousand Chinese who have suffered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 90 thousand — they recovered by themselves , they weren ’ t kept on on a ventilator , they did not get fungi .
ARI or acute respiratory infection , correct ?
A : But the problem itself is very important .
Because practical medicine is faced with the fact of a sharp increase in the so-called pulmonary fibrosis .
And this group of people who have had a corona virus infection develops fibrosis of the lung within a year .
Q : That is , when the lung tissue thickens ?
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burnt rubber , if the analogy is to be made .
Q : Say , you get an elderly person who has been accurately diagnosed with a coronavirus .
And he is not yet on the ninth day , that is , he does not need to be put on a ventilator yet .
How will you treat him ?
A : You know what the problem is : we do not treat such patients yet , because there are no medications , medicines that should be used in this phase .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would act on virusemia , on the viral-bacterial phase , on non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema , on sepsis — is a panacea , this drug doesn ’ t exist .
Because if we go back to the experience of 2002 , when we saw the vulnerability of medical personnel , doctors and nurses were recommended to use Tamiflu and oseltamivir — an anti-influenza drug .
And with certain serotypes of the coronavirus , indeed , the mechanism of introduction into the cell is the same as with influenza viruses .
Therefore , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect individuals who are at high risk of developing this disease .
Or , he is identified as a carrier of the virus , he is given these drugs and so on .
But this , I want to say again , has no serious evidence base .
The situation that is most threatening , because it determines the fate of a person .
A cold is one thing .
And a viral-bacterial pneumonia is quite another , it is a fundamentally different thing .
And here it is very important to emphasize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient only with antibiotics .
There must be a combination therapy , which includes means that stimulate the immune system .
This is a very important point .
Q : What do you mean ?
So , relatively speaking , you will prescribe him Amoxiclav with some kind of immunomodulator ?
A : Yes , we would usually prescribe fourth-generation cephalosporins , not Amoxiclav , in combination with vancomycin .
This combination is broad , because very quickly there is a process of a change of gram-positive and gram-negative flora .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question for scientific research .
So , we understand that the immune system will suffer dramatically .
We understand the high vulnerability of a person to the infection that begins to colonize the respiratory tract .
So , unfortunately , we don ’ t have a clear line .
But what really can help such patients in this situation is immunoglobulins .
Because this is substitution therapy .
And therefore , such patients are prescribed high immunoglobulins so that they do not develop sepsis , at least they do not enter the sepsis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their Ebola patients .
This is a group drug , an analog of nucleosides .
This is a group of drugs that are used for herpes , cytomegalovirus , and so on .
Q : So this is antiviral or antiviral-supporting therapy , right ?
A : No , this is a drug that still acts on the mechanisms in the cell that resist virus replication .
Here in my hands ( photo of US President Donald trump .
– RT ) .
He gathered all the top people who could speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he raised , he was preparing for this conference .
The first question is : how ready are scientists in the United States of America to introduce the vaccine ?
A : Yes , absolutely .
That ’ s two years .
He asked what in this case ?
Does the country have drugs that could protect ?
And , as a matter of fact , they said : Yes , there is such a drug .
A : What kind of drug is this ?
It ’ s called Remdesivir Q @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A : That ’ s what scientists said , given the experience that we have , and discussions and so on .
Although , of course , there are other drugs that are being actively studied .
In general , this direction is very interesting : in fact , it is considered promising .
The use of mesenchymal stem cells is considered promising .
But at what stage ?
Q : As a person who has been doing this for many years , treating everything from asthma to pneumonia , can you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this epidemic , for example , in Russia ?
A : I want to say that if we compare Russia with the surrounding world in case of the coronavirus of 2002 .
We didn ’ t have a single patient here .
Q : Maybe we just didn ’ t diagnose them ?
A : As you know , there are strong aspects of Russian healthcare in this situation , and I would like to stress this .
This is the work of our sanitary and epidemiologic services .
They really did their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is on one side , as if punitive measures .
And on the second side is the work of the Vector Research Institute , which made diagnostics for the coronavirus in a very short time , and they did everything absolutely .
And it was tested at the CDC , and they got a certificate indicating high specificity and sensitivity .
Q : The Vector diagnostic kit is the only certified Q : The virus is already in Russia , no matter how much the sanitary service tries .
How do you think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the spring , for example , with the arrival of summer ?
A : You know , I think the picture repeats what it was then with the SARS .
If you remember… Q : Then ?
Do you mean in 2002 ?
When it was SARS ?
A : Yes , that ’ s the one .
If we follow this scenario , we should say that somewhere in April or May this problem will become less acute .
Q : Just because of the seasonal cessation of respiratory infections ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a number of other factors .
Now , the trouble , of course , comes to us not from China , but from Europe .
Those who return from these countries , primarily from Italy , today , remember : Carlo Urbani .
He accomplished a lot of things .
I think this is just a hero of a doctor who has done so much .
He was a virologist from Milan .
A : He was a WHO expert .
I met with him through the World Health Organization .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on coronaviruses .
And then he was sent to Hanoi .
They were dispatching doctors , and he got to go to Vietnam .
And in Vietnam , when he arrived , there was a panic .
Their doctors stopped coming to work .
Their medical staff , also .
There had patients , but there wasn ’ t any medical personnel and no doctors .
He assessed the situation .
With difficulty , he managed to break it , to remove this panic situation that was then in the hospital .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the government and said : close the country to quarantine .
That ’ s where it all came from .
It came from Urbani .
They started to fight back .
A : Yes , the government of Vietnam .
That this would affect the economy , tourism , and so on .
But , he found these words , he convinced them .
And Vietnam was the first country to come out of this .
And he thought his work was done .
He collected material for a virological examination and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was supposed to meet with the American virologists there .
During the flight , he realized that he got ill .
He got sick , just like those poor Vietnamese in that hospital .
And he began to write everything down and describing it .
This is this exact time , and this is how I feel .
Q : The flight was about three hours ?
A : Yes , about three hours .
And during these three hours , he became an invalid who couldn ’ t get up and move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how the window itself works , and we understand when pneumonia joins — this window can be extremely , extremely short in duration .
And when he was barely able to get down the aircraft ladder , he left the last entry : “ I ’ m waving to them so they don ’ t come near me.
” That is , American virologists wanted to meet Urbani , but he said : let ’ s not [ have ] contact .
He died in an intensive care unit .
And there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tissue was isolated a strain that was named after him – “ Urban I-2 ” .
Here is a very true story that I am telling you .
A tragedy , of course .
Q : What would you recommend to a person who finds himself… Well , we have already agreed that the virus is in the general population .
We can ’ t really control it anymore .
A : Are you asking for some simple recommendations ?
First of all , take a good care for the nasal mucosa and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it with salty water ?
A : Yes , wash it thoroughly .
But “ lors ” – non-prescription medications and sinus cleaners to stop running nose and for an effective lavage .
That is , the feeling of free unobstructed breath should come after all .
The second thing is the oropharyngeal area behind the uvula .
And there , too , you need to make a good lavage of the oropharyngeal region .
Q : So you don ’ t just have to squirt it up your nose , you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
A : Yes , and rinse it out .
And don ’ t be lazy .
Do do it until you get a feeling of clean , good airways .
Of all the ways , this is the most effective .
I would advise those people who can afford to buy a nebulizer or… Q : Do you mean , it ’ s aerosol , right ?
With ultrasound ?
A : Yes .
And it allows the hygiene of the upper respiratory tract to be brought to a good state .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ desirable to still apply the medications that we prescribe for patients with bronchial asthma .
This is either Berodual , or Ventolin , or Salbutamol .
Because these drugs improve mucociliary clearance , relieve spasm .
A : Yes , ACC and Fluimucil .
And what you can ’ t do is use glucocorticosteroids .
The virus replication rapidly increases by them .
Q : What does that mean ?
Q : So you don ’ t need to inject hormones , relatively speaking , if you have a viral infection ?
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are patients with asthma who are ill and are on this therapy .
But this has to be a tailor-made solutions .
Of course , 2020 will go down in medical history as a year of a new disease .
We must admit that we have understood this new disease .
Two new pneumonias have arrived .
First is pneumonia , which is caused by e-cigarettes , vapes , and now in the United States , people have died from this… Q : …several thousand teenagers .
Yes , this is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is unclear .
You put them on a ventilator — they die immediately .
A : Yes .
Do you understand what the problem is ?
Here they develop those changes in the lungs that occur during this process .
They seem to be similar ( to the changes from the coronavirus ) .
This is respiratory distress syndrome , which we are talking about .
The literature raises very serious questions : the role of coronaviruses in transplantation .
One of the problems is obliterating bronchiolitis , which occurs especially during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and bone marrow .
Stem cell .
As a matter of fact , everything is well done , everything is normal , the person has responded to this therapy , and the problem of respiratory failure is beginning to grow .
And the cause of these bronchiolitis was caught — it is a coronavirus… That is , new knowledge has come .
How to treat Coronavirus infection COVID-19 in Russian

Interview with the member of the Russian Academy of Science Alexander Chuchalin
If a situation with the Covid-19 coronavirus infection follows the same scenario as the SARS epidemic, then by April- May the problem will be less acute, opines in this interview with RT the academic Alexander Chuchalin, the Head of Department of Hospital therapy of the Russian National Research Medical Pirogov University. In his view, the Russian healthcare system has done its best to protect the country from coronavirus. The doctor also says that, contrary to popular belief, infection with Covid-19 can be accompanied by a runny nose.
Q: Not only are you one of the best pulmonologists in Europe, you are also in the main risk group now for coronavirus. Could you, please, give some recommendations for people of your generation and those who are younger, those who, as we see, are really susceptible to high mortality — especially in China, Italy, and Iran.
A: In order to understand the risk groups for this disease: first of all, these are people who come into contact with animals that represent a biological reservoir. For example, in 2002 it was African cats, in 2012 it was camels, and now the science is a little confused, it has not been fully established. There is more evidence that this is a certain kind of bat — the one that the Chinese eat.
This bat spreads the coronavirus through its bowel movements. After that a seeding process takes place. Let’s say, it’s a seafood market or some other products, and so on. But, right now we’re talking about an epidemic, we are talking about people infecting people. Therefore, this phase has already arrived. The infection spreads person to person.
Coronaviruses are a very, very common viral infections, and people encounter them many, many times in their lives. Within a year a child carries diseases that we call acute colds up to ten times. And behind this acute cold are certain viruses.
And the second place in its prevalence is occupied by the coronavirus. The problem is that these seemingly harmless pathogens were dismissed, and they could never understand the cause-and-effect relationship between a common cold and a virus. If, say, a child has a cold, he has a runny nose, what will follow? And so on. For about two weeks, a child or an adult gets sick — and all this disappears without a trace.
But in 2002, 2012, and now in 2020, the situation has changed qualitatively. Because the serotypes that have started to circulate … they affect the epithelial cells.
Epithelial cells are cells that line the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and urinary system. Therefore, a person infected has pulmonary symptoms and intestinal symptoms. And in the study of urine tests, too, allocate… with such a viral load.
But these new strains, which we are now talking about, they have these properties — to come into contact with the second type of receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme. And this receptor is associated with such a serious manifestation as cough.
Therefore, a patient who has symptoms of damage to the lower respiratory tract, a characteristic sign is a cough. This affects the epithelial cells of the most distal parts of the respiratory tract. These breathing tubes are very small.
Q: Distal, is it distant?
A: It’s far and small in diameter.
Q: So this is what we have next to the bronchi?
A: This is bronchi, then we have bronchioles, respiratory bronchioles. And when the air, the diffusion of gases goes on the surface of the alveoli, they pass just this section of the respiratory tract.
Q: That is, the primary symptom is a cough…
A: No, the first is a runny nose, and a sore throat.
Q: They say that there is no runny nose.
A: No, these are big data issues. 74 thousand medical records were processed, and all of them have rhinorrhea (runny nose. – RT). When you are told this — there are really some nuances. Biology is like this. The biological target of the virus is epithelial cells. The nose, oropharyngeal region, trachea, and then small bronchioles, targeting these regions are especially dangerous to humans. And it turned out that, having this mechanism, the virus leads to a sharp breakdown of the immune system.
Q:Why?
A: An explanation that science gives today is that a protein called interferoninduced protein-10 is involved in the process. It is with this protein that the regulation of innate immunity and acquired immunity is associated. How should we see this? As a very deep damage to lymphocytes.
Q: So you can see lymphocytes falling immediately on the general test?
A: Yes. And if there are white blood cells increase, platelets will increase, and it is more stable lymphopenia, that is, the lymphotoxic effect of the viruses themselves. Therefore, the disease itself has at least four outlined stages. The first stage is virusemia. A harmless cold, nothing special. Seven days, nine-approximately in this interval.
But starting from the ninth day to the 14th, the situation changes qualitatively, because it is during this period that viral and bacterial pneumonia is formed. After damage to epithelial cells in the anatomical space of the respiratory tract, colonization of microorganisms occurs, primarily those that inhabit the human oropharyngeal region.
Q: Do you mean bacteria that is already there?
A: Bacteria, Yes. Therefore, these pneumonias are always viral and bacterial.
Q: So the virus, so to speak, fills the alveoli, where some bacteria live all the time? And they live somewhere by themselves, in some quantity?
A: In general, we believe that the lower respiratory tract is sterile. This is how the defense mechanism works for the lower respiratory tract.
Q: There’s nothing there?
A: It’s not inhabited. When the virus has entered and it has broken this barrier, where there was a sterile environment in the lungs, microorganisms begin to colonize and multiply.
Q: So it’s not a virus that causes pneumonia? Still, pneumonia is caused by bacteria, of course.
A: It’s the association of virus-bacteria.
This is the window where the doctor must show his skill. Because often the virusemic period is like a mild disease, like a slight cold, malaise, runny nose, a slight temperature is small, subfebrile. But the period when the cough increased and when there is a shortness of breath — these are two signs that say: stop, this is a qualitatively different patient.
If this situation is not controlled and the disease progresses, then more serious complications occur. We call it respiratory distress syndrome, shock. A person cannot breathe on their own.
Q: Pulmonary edema?
A: You see, there are a lot of different edemas of a lung. In fact, it depends on how it happens. To be precise, we call this non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. If, say, cardiogenic pulmonary edema can be treated with certain medications, then this pulmonary edema can only be treated with a mechanical ventilation machine or advanced methods such as extracorporeal hemoxygenation.
If a person transfers to this phase, the immunosuppression caused by the defeat of the acquired and innate immunity becomes fatal and the patient is joined by such aggressive pathogens as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, fungi. And the cases of death that occurred — 50% of those who were on artificial ventilation for a long time, the alveoli are all filled with fungi.
Fungi appear during the stage of deep immunosuppression. What is the fate of the man who endured all this? That is, he suffered virusemic period, he suffered viral-bacterial pneumonia, he suffered respiratory distress syndrome, non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, and he suffered septic pneumonia. Will he be healthy or not? And, in fact, today the world is concerned about this: what is the fate of those 90 thousand Chinese who have suffered a coronavirus infection?
Q: But those 90 thousand — they recovered by themselves, they weren’t kept on on a ventilator, they did not get fungi. ARI or acute respiratory infection, correct?
A: But the problem itself is very important. Because practical medicine is faced with the fact of a sharp increase in the so-called pulmonary fibrosis. And this group of people who have had a corona virus infection develops fibrosis of the lung within a year.
Q: That is, when the lung tissue thickens?
A: Yes. A lung becomes like burnt rubber, if the analogy is to be made.
Q: Say, you get an elderly person who has been accurately diagnosed with a coronavirus. And he is not yet on the ninth day, that is, he does not need to be put on a ventilator yet. How will you treat him?
A: You know what the problem is: we do not treat such patients yet, because there are no medications, medicines that should be used in this phase. There is no panacea. Because a drug that would act on virusemia, on the viral-bacterial phase, on non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, on sepsis — is a panacea, this drug doesn’t exist.
Because if we go back to the experience of 2002, when we saw the vulnerability of medical personnel, doctors and nurses were recommended to use Tamiflu and oseltamivir — an anti-influenza drug. And with certain serotypes of the coronavirus, indeed, the mechanism of introduction into the cell is the same as with influenza viruses. Therefore, it has been shown that these drugs can protect individuals who are at high risk of developing this disease.
Or, he is identified as a carrier of the virus, he is given these drugs and so on. But this, I want to say again, has no serious evidence base. The situation that is most threatening, because it determines the fate of a person. A cold is one thing. And a viral-bacterial pneumonia is quite another, it is a fundamentally different thing.
And here it is very important to emphasize that it is problematic to help such a patient only with antibiotics. There must be a combination therapy, which includes means that stimulate the immune system. This is a very important point.
Q: What do you mean? So, relatively speaking, you will prescribe him Amoxiclav with some kind of immunomodulator?
A: Yes, we would usually prescribe fourth-generation cephalosporins, not Amoxiclav, in combination with vancomycin. This combination is broad, because very quickly there is a process of a change of gram-positive and gram-negative flora. But what immunomodulatory drug to prescribe is a question for scientific research.
So, we understand that the immune system will suffer dramatically. We understand the high vulnerability of a person to the infection that begins to colonize the respiratory tract. So, unfortunately, we don’t have a clear line. But what really can help such patients in this situation is immunoglobulins. Because this is substitution therapy.
And therefore, such patients are prescribed high immunoglobulins so that they do not develop sepsis, at least they do not enter the sepsis phase. American doctors used this drug in their Ebola patients. This is a group drug, an analog of nucleosides. This is a group of drugs that are used for herpes, cytomegalovirus, and so on.
Q: So this is antiviral or antiviral-supporting therapy, right?
A: No, this is a drug that still acts on the mechanisms in the cell that resist virus replication. Here in my hands (photo of US President Donald trump. – RT). He gathered all the top people who could speak out on promising drugs. Two questions that he raised, he was preparing for this conference. The first question is: how ready are scientists in the United States of America to introduce the vaccine?
Q: Eighteen months.
A: Yes, absolutely. That’s two years. He asked what in this case? Does the country have drugs that could protect? And, as a matter of fact, they said: Yes, there is such a drug.
Q: What?
A:What kind of drug is this? It’s called Remdesivir
Q: Let’s look at it.
A: That’s what scientists said, given the experience that we have, and discussions and so on. Although, of course, there are other drugs that are being actively studied. In general, this direction is very interesting: in fact, it is considered promising. The use of mesenchymal stem cells is considered promising. But at what stage?
Q: As a person who has been doing this for many years, treating everything from asthma to pneumonia, can you somehow try to predict the development of this epidemic, for example, in Russia?
A: I want to say that if we compare Russia with the surrounding world in case of the coronavirus of 2002. We didn’t have a single patient here.
Q: Maybe we just didn’t diagnose them?
A: As you know, there are strong aspects of Russian healthcare in this situation, and I would like to stress this. This is the work of our sanitary and epidemiologic services. They really did their best to protect our country. This is on one side, as if punitive measures. And on the second side is the work of the Vector Research Institute, which made diagnostics for the coronavirus in a very short time, and they did everything absolutely. And it was tested at the CDC, and they got a certificate indicating high specificity and sensitivity.
Q: The Vector diagnostic kit is the only certified
A: Yes.
Q: The virus is already in Russia, no matter how much the sanitary service tries. How do you think it will develop? Will it end in the spring, for example, with the arrival of summer?
A: You know, I think the picture repeats what it was then with the SARS. If you remember…
Q: Then? Do you mean in 2002? When it was SARS?
A: Yes, that’s the one. If we follow this scenario, we should say that somewhere in April or May this problem will become less acute.
Q: Just because of the seasonal cessation of respiratory infections?
A: Yeah. The climate factor and a number of other factors. Now, the trouble, of course, comes to us not from China, but from Europe. Those who return from these countries, primarily from Italy, today, remember: Carlo Urbani. He accomplished a lot of things. I think this is just a hero of a doctor who has done so much. He was a virologist from Milan.
Q: Back in 2002?
A: He was a WHO expert. I met with him through the World Health Organization. He was on the list as an expert on coronaviruses. And then he was sent to Hanoi. They were dispatching doctors, and he got to go to Vietnam. And in Vietnam, when he arrived, there was a panic. Their doctors stopped coming to work. Their medical staff, also. There had patients, but there wasn’t any medical personnel and no doctors.
He assessed the situation. With difficulty, he managed to break it, to remove this panic situation that was then in the hospital. But most importantly, he began to communicate with the government and said: close the country to quarantine. That’s where it all came from. It came from Urbani. They started to fight back.
Q: The Vietnamese?
A: Yes, the government of Vietnam. That this would affect the economy, tourism, and so on. But, he found these words, he convinced them. And Vietnam was the first country to come out of this. And he thought his work was done. He collected material for a virological examination and boarded a plane to Bangkok.
He was supposed to meet with the American virologists there. During the flight, he realized that he got ill. He got sick, just like those poor Vietnamese in that hospital. And he began to write everything down and describing it. This is this exact time, and this is how I feel.
Q: The flight was about three hours?
A: Yes, about three hours. And during these three hours, he became an invalid who couldn’t get up and move on his own. Here we see how the window itself works, and we understand when pneumonia joins — this window can be extremely, extremely short in duration. And when he was barely able to get down the aircraft ladder, he left the last entry: “I’m waving to them so they don’t come near me.”
That is, American virologists wanted to meet Urbani, but he said: let’s not [have] contact. He died in an intensive care unit. And there was an autopsy. And from his lung tissue was isolated a strain that was named after him – “Urban I-2”. Here is a very true story that I am telling you. A tragedy, of course.
Q: What would you recommend to a person who finds himself… Well, we have already agreed that the virus is in the general population. We can’t really control it anymore.
A: Are you asking for some simple recommendations? First of all, take a good care for the nasal mucosa and oropharyngeal area.
Q: To wash it with salty water?
A: Yes, wash it thoroughly. But “lors” – non-prescription medications and sinus cleaners to stop running nose and for an effective lavage. That is, the feeling of free unobstructed breath should come after all. The second thing is the oropharyngeal area behind the uvula. And there, too, you need to make a good lavage of the oropharyngeal region.
Q: So you don’t just have to squirt it up your nose, you have to gargle it deep down your throat?
A: Yes, and rinse it out. And don’t be lazy. Do do it until you get a feeling of clean, good airways. Of all the ways, this is the most effective. I would advise those people who can afford to buy a nebulizer or…
Q: Do you mean, it’s aerosol, right? With ultrasound?
A: Yes. And it allows the hygiene of the upper respiratory tract to be brought to a good state. When a cough starts, it is desirable to still apply the medications that we prescribe for patients with bronchial asthma. This is either Berodual, or Ventolin, or Salbutamol. Because these drugs improve mucociliary clearance, relieve spasm.
Q: You mean expectorant?” Mucolytic ACC?
A: Yes, ACC and Fluimucil. And what you can’t do is use glucocorticosteroids. The virus replication rapidly increases by them.
Q: What does that mean?
A: Corticosteroids is prednisone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone, betamethasone.
Q: So you don’t need to inject hormones, relatively speaking, if you have a viral infection?
A: There are inhaled steroids. But there are patients with asthma who are ill and are on this therapy. But this has to be a tailor-made solutions. Of course, 2020 will go down in medical history as a year of a new disease. We must admit that we have understood this new disease. Two new pneumonias have arrived. First is pneumonia, which is caused by e-cigarettes, vapes, and now in the United States, people have died from this…
Q: …several thousand teenagers. Yes, this is a well-known fact, and how to treat it is unclear. You put them on a ventilator — they die immediately.
A: Yes. Do you understand what the problem is? Here they develop those changes in the lungs that occur during this process. They seem to be similar (to the changes from the coronavirus). This is respiratory distress syndrome, which we are talking about. The literature raises very serious questions: the role of coronaviruses in transplantation. One of the problems is obliterating bronchiolitis, which occurs especially during transplantation.
Q: A lung transplant?
A: Yes, lungs and bone marrow. Stem cell. As a matter of fact, everything is well done, everything is normal, the person has responded to this therapy, and the problem of respiratory failure is beginning to grow. And the cause of these bronchiolitis was caught — it is a coronavirus… That is, new knowledge has come.
How to treat Coronavirus infection COVID-19 in Russian


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-03-16--The Pandemic May Cause A Global Depression – We Need Demand Side Measures To Counter It

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DISPATCHES FROM MOON OF ALABAMA , BY “ B ” This article is part of an ongoing series of dispatches from Moon of Alabama Last week ’ s post on Boeing ended with this line : With most flights grounded due to the pandemic Boeing is now thinking about cutting its production and laying off workers .
In the quoted sentence I used the words “ the global depression it will cause ” with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sustained , long-term downturn in economic activity in many countries will be one of the results of this pandemic .
The airline industry is just one of many that will be hit hard .
About 70 % of the U.S. GDP is generated by the service industry .
Travel , entertainment , gyms , restaurants and bars , hotels , education will all be hit extremely hard by the finally coming shutdown .
The U.S. will , like Germany did today , soon shutdown churches , brothels and other entertainment outlets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthcare , online gaming and gun sales , will continue to strive .
The pandemic will be with us as a major danger for probably two or three years during which it will race around the globe in several large waves .
Each wave will require another shutdown .
To develop a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is likely to take over a year but may take much longer .
We may be more lucky with a new medication that can reduce the symptoms of the Covis-19 disease the virus is causing .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ industry are therefore likely to be with us much longer than the one or two months that are currently anticipated .
After the restrictions are over many people will have have changed their habits .
The travel industry will not come back for a long time .
The cruise industry will probably die .
That is personal to me as the place where I learned to work metal depends on it .
There will also be lots of layoffs caused by this crisis which guarantees that demand will fall further off the cliff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interest rates to zero .
That was a push on a string .
Today the stock markets tanked another 10 % .
Crude is now below $ 30 per barrel and may well go down to $ 20/bl .
The Fed move was likely demanded by Trump who last week remarked that he has the power to fire Fed chair Powell .
The Fed should take care that the credit markets stay liquid as many companies will need additional resources .
A credit crunch right now would increase the general damage .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supply side measures like interest rate cuts and tax relief .
There is no lack of investment or supplies but a lack of demand and that will continue for at least the rest of the year .
Last week the House passed a bill with some emergency help .
It was mostly fake .
House leader Nancy Pelosi sold it as covering way more than it actually does : Those were a number of lies and even the neoliberal editors of the New York Times called her out : House Speaker Nancy Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that passed early Saturday as providing paid sick leave to American workers affected by the pandemic .
She neglected to mention the fine print .
In fact , the bill guarantees sick leave only to about 20 percent of workers .
Big employers like McDonald ’ s and Amazon are not required to provide any paid sick leave , while companies with fewer than 50 employees can seek hardship exemptions from the Trump administration .
“ If you are sick , stay home , ” Vice President Mike Pence said at a news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not going to miss a pay check.
” But that ’ s simply not true .
Sick workers should stay home , but there is no guarantee in the emergency legislation that most of them will get paid .
When even rightwing Republican Senators think that the Democratic leader of the House is not socialist enough something has changed : There are way more measures needed than Pelosi ’ s bill allows for .
The government must cover all costs for virus testing and Covid-19 care .
It must pay sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home independent of their job status .
Not providing such will prolong the crisis as infected people who need to work because they lack money will otherwise continue to spread the virus .
The U.S. and other economies will also need a fiscal injection on the demand side .
Send a $ 5.000 check to every household which makes less than $ 100,000 per year and include the homeless in it .
The money can be taken from the defense budget .
A 355 ship navy will never stop a pandemic .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this size came after 9/11 .
The fall of the towers changed the world .
It became the justification for militarized policies and large defense budgets .
The pandemic will cause changes of a comparable size .
Public demands and political priorities will change .
Health crisis preparedness and response will become a new priority issue .
Globalization will become more restrained while global cooperation on health issues will likely increase .
This crisis is not the end of the world but it will be the impetus for significant changes .
Posted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18:34 UTC | Permalink “ b ” is Moon of Alabama ’ s founding ( and chief ) editor .
This site ’ s purpose is to discuss politics , economics , philosophy and blogger Billmon ’ s Whiskey Bar writings .
Moon Of Alabama was opened as an independent , open forum for members of the Whiskey Bar community .
Bernhard ) ” b ” ) started and still runs the site .
Once in a while you will also find posts and art from regular commentators .
You can reach the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bernhard at MoonofA @ aol.com .
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License .

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
DISPATCHES FROM MOON OF ALABAMA, BY "B"
This article is part of an ongoing series of dispatches from Moon of Alabama
Last week's post on Boeing ended with this line:
The pandemic, and the global depression it will cause, now make it certain that Boeing will have to ask for a gigantic government bailout or go into bankruptcy.
With most flights grounded due to the pandemic Boeing is now thinking about cutting its production and laying off workers.
In the quoted sentence I used the words "the global depression it will cause" with care. I do indeed believe that a sustained, long-term downturn in economic activity in many countries will be one of the results of this pandemic.
The airline industry is just one of many that will be hit hard. About 70% of the U.S. GDP is generated by the service industry. Travel, entertainment, gyms, restaurants and bars, hotels, education will all be hit extremely hard by the finally coming shutdown. The U.S. will, like Germany did today, soon shutdown churches, brothels and other entertainment outlets. Only a few service industries, like healthcare, online gaming and gun sales, will continue to strive.
The pandemic will be with us as a major danger for probably two or three years during which it will race around the globe in several large waves. Each wave will require another shutdown. To develop a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus is likely to take over a year but may take much longer. We may be more lucky with a new medication that can reduce the symptoms of the Covis-19 disease the virus is causing.
Restrictions on major parts of the service industry are therefore likely to be with us much longer than the one or two months that are currently anticipated. After the restrictions are over many people will have have changed their habits. The travel industry will not come back for a long time. The cruise industry will probably die. That is personal to me as the place where I learned to work metal depends on it.
There will also be lots of layoffs caused by this crisis which guarantees that demand will fall further off the cliff.
On Sunday the Fed cut its interest rates to zero. That was a push on a string. Today the stock markets tanked another 10%. Crude is now below $30 per barrel and may well go down to $20/bl. The Fed move was likely demanded by Trump who last week remarked that he has the power to fire Fed chair Powell. The Fed should take care that the credit markets stay liquid as many companies will need additional resources. A credit crunch right now would increase the general damage. But Trump and the Fed should stop pushing supply side measures like interest rate cuts and tax relief. There is no lack of investment or supplies but a lack of demand and that will continue for at least the rest of the year.
Last week the House passed a bill with some emergency help. It was mostly fake. House leader Nancy Pelosi sold it as covering way more than it actually does:
The legislation secures paid emergency leave with two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave, according to Pelosi. It also enhances unemployment insurance. The legislation also increases federal funds for Medicaid, and bolsters funding for food assistance programs.
Those were a number of lies and even the neoliberal editors of the New York Times called her out:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday night celebrated the coronavirus legislation that passed early Saturday as providing paid sick leave to American workers affected by the pandemic. She neglected to mention the fine print. In fact, the bill guarantees sick leave only to about 20 percent of workers. Big employers like McDonald’s and Amazon are not required to provide any paid sick leave, while companies with fewer than 50 employees can seek hardship exemptions from the Trump administration. “If you are sick, stay home,” Vice President Mike Pence said at a news conference on Saturday afternoon. “You’re not going to miss a pay check.” But that’s simply not true. Sick workers should stay home, but there is no guarantee in the emergency legislation that most of them will get paid.
When even rightwing Republican Senators think that the Democratic leader of the House is not socialist enough something has changed:
Tom Cotton @SenTomCotton - 12:21 UTC · Mar 16, 2020 The House relief bill doesn’t go far enough & fast enough. We’re going to do everything we can to get cash into the hands of affected workers & families as quickly as possible so we can all get through this pandemic together.
There are way more measures needed than Pelosi's bill allows for. The government must cover all costs for virus testing and Covid-19 care. It must pay sick leave to everyone who has to stay home independent of their job status. Not providing such will prolong the crisis as infected people who need to work because they lack money will otherwise continue to spread the virus.
The U.S. and other economies will also need a fiscal injection on the demand side. Send a $5.000 check to every household which makes less than $100,000 per year and include the homeless in it. The money can be taken from the defense budget. A 355 ship navy will never stop a pandemic.
The last global social and economic shock of this size came after 9/11. The fall of the towers changed the world. It became the justification for militarized policies and large defense budgets. The pandemic will cause changes of a comparable size.
Public demands and political priorities will change. Health crisis preparedness and response will become a new priority issue. Globalization will become more restrained while global cooperation on health issues will likely increase.
This crisis is not the end of the world but it will be the impetus for significant changes.
Posted by b on March 16, 2020 at 18:34 UTC | Permalink
Comments Sampler
NOTE ^1000Careerist lackeys serving the elites control the American press. Ever pushing for war and inequality, covering up the oligarchy's crimes... They are in reality shameless disinformers. No wonder the world is in such terrible disarray.
About the author(s) "b" is Moon of Alabama's founding (and chief) editor. This site's purpose is to discuss politics, economics, philosophy and blogger Billmon's Whiskey Bar writings. Moon Of Alabama was opened as an independent, open forum for members of the Whiskey Bar community. Bernhard )"b") started and still runs the site. Once in a while you will also find posts and art from regular commentators. You can reach the current administrator of this site by emailing Bernhard at MoonofA@aol.com.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
ALL CAPTIONS AND PULL QUOTES BY THE EDITORS NOT THE AUTHORS
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thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-03-16--Circle in the Darkness – Memoir of a World Watcher: Latest Diana Johnstone book reviewed

Circle in the Darkness – Memoir of a World Watcher .
Diana Johnstone .
Clarity Press , Atlanta Georgia .
2020 .
Diana Johnstone has done a masterful job of writing her autobiography , Circle in the Darkness , that provides many details of her life , her early influences , and the various stages of her career throughout the second half of the Twentieth Century and the first part of Twenty-first .
It is a wild ride through various aspects of society , concentrating on the historical events of her era .
Much of what she writes is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news sites , but what is added is a strong personal perspective based on – not surprisingly – facts and truth , both from her own experiences in regions of concern and a wide arrange of conversations with both people of significant influence and those with no influence but feeling the impact of developments in their country .
The details Johnstone adds are a strong and valuable retort to mainstream media disinformation that has “ moved farther and farther away from informing the public and nearer and nearer to instructing them in what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themes that impressed me and are developed throughout the book , the media , takes a large hit .
While discussing NATO crimes of the Balkan , she writes , “ The journalist was no longer asked to dig for new information and provide fresh analysis , but to contribute to the “ common narrative ” ” as originated by NATO and the media .
When discussing mass media and the Military Industrial Complex she writes , “ those private interests coincide quite closely with those of the U.S. government , since the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Relying on “ open sources and thoughtful analysis of known facts ” rather than “ spook revelations ” her work is significantly more accurate than the mainstream .
NATO and European unity covers another large thematic area .
She discusses how NATO and the European Union actively promote the neoliberal order as conditioned by the U.S. and other global hegemonic financial powers against the best interests of their own people and against the best interests of many sovereign states in the world .
When discussing the idea of Joint Criminal Enterprise as argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( essentially all Serbs are guilty of war crimes ) she reverses the argument with clear examples , and summarizes , “ U.S .
strategy basically boils down to the implicit or explicit threat to wipe out the whole nation it is attacking….This war is not the result of a clever plan by some ragtag Balkan clan leaders .
This war was deliberately planned and carried out by the real Joint Criminal Enterprise : NATO.
” The third theme was her development of ideas concerning the development of the “ left ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ best interests of the people in mind – anti-war , support for workers and societal infrastructures – to becoming a supporter of war and more interested in the distractions of identity politics , “ The Left has evolved from a program to an attitude.
” Certainly there is merit in people ’ s identity but it comes at the cost of no longer working against class structures that keep workers down , and keep the rich getting richer .
Johnstone follows the developments in France to its present day neoliberal U.S. supporting government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Sweden as it turned away from the left of Olaf Palme towards a strong non-NATO supporter of all NATO adventures .
Many other ideas are presented in Circle in the Darkness .
Israel is discussed directly only briefly but Zionism ’ s influence is related throughout .
While discussing false flags , the USS Liberty attack is mentioned threading into the theme of the media as ” the mainstream media have persisted in ignoring what happened , even as evidence mounted that General Moshe Dayan personally ordered the attack.
” The relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the introduction of the petrodollar is touched upon , a topic that is rare if ever in mainstream journalism .
Again just touching on it she discusses the “ debt trap ” on a personal level when two local Minnesota farmers commit suicide after being enticed to overextend themselves into debt .
In general however , this is Diana Johnstones ’ story of the many people she meets and interviews , or argues with , debates with , or simply discusses the many issues of her career spent mostly within European journalism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the German Green party and how she watched it change from an anti-war truly green party , to a pro-war neoliberal supporter of capitalism .
She continues to write as an independent journalist today , with her work published globally in several alternate new sites .
While I am familiar with the same history background as Ms Johnstone , I do not have the expertise of overseas experience , the philosophical background , and the wide range of contacts she has had available throughout her career .
Circle in the Darkness covers an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insights and factual details in support of her views and reporting .
It is entertaining – not in the distractive sense but for the quality of the writing and her combination of anecdotal stories combined with researched ideas .
Thus it is a very strong informative work on our modern history , an important read to more clearly understand the machinations of the modern political-military scene .

Jim Miles
Circle in the Darkness - Memoir of a World Watcher.
Diana Johnstone. Clarity Press, Atlanta Georgia. 2020.
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]iana Johnstone has done a masterful job of writing her autobiography, Circle in the Darkness, that provides many details of her life, her early influences, and the various stages of her career throughout the second half of the Twentieth Century and the first part of Twenty-first. It is a wild ride through various aspects of society, concentrating on the historical events of her era.
Much of what she writes is not news to those who do follow alternative news sites, but what is added is a strong personal perspective based on - not surprisingly - facts and truth, both from her own experiences in regions of concern and a wide arrange of conversations with both people of significant influence and those with no influence but feeling the impact of developments in their country. The details Johnstone adds are a strong and valuable retort to mainstream media disinformation that has “moved farther and farther away from informing the public and nearer and nearer to instructing them in what they should think.”
Themes
One of three themes that impressed me and are developed throughout the book, the media, takes a large hit. While discussing NATO crimes of the Balkan, she writes, “The journalist was no longer asked to dig for new information and provide fresh analysis, but to contribute to the “common narrative”” as originated by NATO and the media. When discussing mass media and the Military Industrial Complex she writes, “those private interests coincide quite closely with those of the U.S. government, since the same economic powers are behind both.” Relying on “open sources and thoughtful analysis of known facts” rather than “spook revelations” her work is significantly more accurate than the mainstream.
NATO and European unity covers another large thematic area. She discusses how NATO and the European Union actively promote the neoliberal order as conditioned by the U.S. and other global hegemonic financial powers against the best interests of their own people and against the best interests of many sovereign states in the world.
When discussing the idea of Joint Criminal Enterprise as argued by the U.S. in relation to Serbia (essentially all Serbs are guilty of war crimes) she reverses the argument with clear examples, and summarizes, “U.S. strategy basically boils down to the implicit or explicit threat to wipe out the whole nation it is attacking….This war is not the result of a clever plan by some ragtag Balkan clan leaders. This war was deliberately planned and carried out by the real Joint Criminal Enterprise: NATO.”
The third theme was her development of ideas concerning the development of the “left”. It has changed from operating with the best interests of the people in mind - anti-war, support for workers and societal infrastructures - to becoming a supporter of war and more interested in the distractions of identity politics, “The Left has evolved from a program to an attitude.” Certainly there is merit in people’s identity but it comes at the cost of no longer working against class structures that keep workers down, and keep the rich getting richer. Johnstone follows the developments in France to its present day neoliberal U.S. supporting government of Macron; and follows the developments in Sweden as it turned away from the left of Olaf Palme towards a strong non-NATO supporter of all NATO adventures.
A host of other ideas
Many other ideas are presented in Circle in the Darkness.
Israel is discussed directly only briefly but Zionism’s influence is related throughout. While discussing false flags, the USS Liberty attack is mentioned threading into the theme of the media as ”the mainstream media have persisted in ignoring what happened, even as evidence mounted that General Moshe Dayan personally ordered the attack.”
The relationship between the dropping of the gold standard and the introduction of the petrodollar is touched upon, a topic that is rare if ever in mainstream journalism. Again just touching on it she discusses the “debt trap” on a personal level when two local Minnesota farmers commit suicide after being enticed to overextend themselves into debt.
In general however, this is Diana Johnstones’ story of the many people she meets and interviews, or argues with, debates with, or simply discusses the many issues of her career spent mostly within European journalism. That overlapped with her employment by the German Green party and how she watched it change from an anti-war truly green party, to a pro-war neoliberal supporter of capitalism.
She continues to write as an independent journalist today, with her work published globally in several alternate new sites. While I am familiar with the same history background as Ms Johnstone, I do not have the expertise of overseas experience, the philosophical background, and the wide range of contacts she has had available throughout her career. Circle in the Darkness covers an amazing and productive lifetime and provides valuable insights and factual details in support of her views and reporting.
It is entertaining - not in the distractive sense but for the quality of the writing and her combination of anecdotal stories combined with researched ideas. Thus it is a very strong informative work on our modern history, an important read to more clearly understand the machinations of the modern political-military scene.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-03-16--Fund drive to pay Chelsea Manning’s court fines raises $267,000 in two days

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Share with kin , friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise .
ithin two days of launching a fundraising campaign , supporters of Chelsea Manning reached their goal of $ 257,000 to pay the fines imposed on the courageous whistleblower by a US federal court for refusing to testify before a secret grand jury impaneled against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange .
Manning was release from jail on Thursday , March 12 after a year of incarceration .
Nearly 7,000 contributions of between $ 5 and $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign organized by Manning ’ s friend Kelly Wright on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe .
Concluding the campaign with $ 267,000 at 8 p.m. on Saturday evening , Wright wrote , “ WE MET OUR GOAL !
Thanks everyone who donated and shared !
Seriously we are so immensely grateful for the resounding support and solidarity.
” Wright immediately proceeded to organize a secondGoFundMe campaign to raise $ 30,000 for Manning ’ s living expenses .
As of this writing , the additional campaign had reached more than $ 39,000 from 998 contributors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial assistance for Manning demonstrates the widespread public support for the principled stand taken by the former Army intelligence analyst .
Manning has steadfastly stood up against both the US military—by sharing with WikiLeaks in 2010 proof of American war crimes in the Middle East—and her subsequent persecution by the American political and judicial establishment over the past decade .
Manning was released from jail one day after she attempted suicide .
On Wednesday , authorities reported—and her attorney Moira Meltzer-Cohen confirmed—that Manning was found unconscious in her cell and was taken to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ condition .
The next day , Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the US Eastern District of Virginia issued an order for Manning ’ s immediate release on the grounds that the grand jury was dismissed and her testimony “ is no longer needed , in light of which her detention no longer serves a coercive purpose , ” not mentioning that her life was threatened by continued incarceration .
In March 2019 , Manning was sent to jail by Judge Trenga for 63 days and then again in May for the balance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before two secret federal grand juries .
The purpose of the grand juries—which was leaked to the press but never officially acknowledged by the court—was to gather “ evidence ” in the ongoing frame-up and attempted extradition of Assange from London to the US .
As both judicial experts and her legal team have repeatedly argued , Manning ’ s imprisonment for contempt was a violation of her fundamental rights .
According to US statutes , the purpose of jailing a witness on a contempt citation is to compel them to testify .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coercive purpose ” of the contempt order is not going to force cooperation , the witness is to be released .
Otherwise , coercion is transformed into punishment and persecution .
From day one of her ordeal with Judge Trenga , Manning made it clear that she would not cooperate with the grand jury .
Before being jailed the first time on March 8 , 2019 , Manning told the press , “ In solidarity with many activists facing the odds , I will stand by my principles .
I will exhaust every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continues to challenge the secrecy of these proceedings , and I am prepared to face the consequences of my refusal.
” Manning never wavered in her stance and she repeated again and again over the past year , including in numerous written statements to the court , that she would not testify .
In the days after Assange was charged with violating the Espionage Act , Manning ’ s team filed a motion for her release on May 30 , 2019 to which she submitted a letter that said , “ I refuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clearly transformed into something that violates the spirit if not the letter of the law .
I object to this grand jury in particular as an effort to frighten journalists and publishers , who serve a crucial public good.
” Assange , whose life is also in danger from prolonged confinement and persecution by the US and UK governments , is facing the resumption of his extradition hearing in London on May 18 at Westminster Magistrate ’ s Court .
In the first part of this hearing on February 24 , Assange ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was handcuffed 11 times , stripped naked twice and kept inside a glass box in the courtroom away from his lawyers .
The effort to railroad Assange into US custody , where he can not receive a fair trial , is an attempt to punish the WikiLeaks journalist for publishing information and documents of the greatest public importance .
It is due to the fact that Assange and WikiLeaks stood for the principles of journalism and published the documents that were released by whistleblower Manning that the people of the world have evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US and its allies in the first decade of the 21st century .
A measure of the thuggish modus operandi of Judge Trenga against Manning is evident in the way that he imposed court fines upon her .
On May 17 , 2019 , when she was being returned to jail after one week of freedom with the convening of the second grand jury , Manning said to reporters outside the courtroom , “ I will not cooperate with this or any other grand jury.
” Judge Trenga responded by ordering that Manning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 days and $ 1,000 per day thereafter .
Manning taking a stand for her principles over personal interest has resonated with the public all over the world and is behind the outpouring of financial support to cover her fines and living expenses .
Likewise , it is precisely Manning ’ s self-sacrifice and determination that has earned the hatred and brutal treatment by the US government .
The response to the GoFundMe campaign over the past few days was similar to the one launched following Manning ’ s release from Fort Leavenworth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abused and held in solitary confinement for more than six years , in May 2017 .
Upon her release , Manning was called a traitor by Donald Trump and other political and military figures claimed without substantiation that she “ put American lives as risk ” through her exposures .
Despite the attempts at vilification , which was magnified by the corporate media , that fund drive showed significant public support for Manning and raised more than $ 175,000 from 4,200 contributors within three months .

Please make sure these dispatches reach as many readers as possible. Share with kin, friends and workmates and ask them to do likewise.
By Kevin Reed
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ithin two days of launching a fundraising campaign, supporters of Chelsea Manning reached their goal of $257,000 to pay the fines imposed on the courageous whistleblower by a US federal court for refusing to testify before a secret grand jury impaneled against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Manning was release from jail on Thursday, March 12 after a year of incarceration.
Nearly 7,000 contributions of between $5 and $10,000 were made by donors to a campaign organized by Manning’s friend Kelly Wright on the crowdfunding website GoFundMe. Concluding the campaign with $267,000 at 8 p.m. on Saturday evening, Wright wrote, “WE MET OUR GOAL! Thanks everyone who donated and shared! Seriously we are so immensely grateful for the resounding support and solidarity.”
Wright immediately proceeded to organize a secondGoFundMe campaign to raise $30,000 for Manning’s living expenses. As of this writing, the additional campaign had reached more than $39,000 from 998 contributors within 24 hours.
The outpouring of financial assistance for Manning demonstrates the widespread public support for the principled stand taken by the former Army intelligence analyst. Manning has steadfastly stood up against both the US military—by sharing with WikiLeaks in 2010 proof of American war crimes in the Middle East—and her subsequent persecution by the American political and judicial establishment over the past decade.
Manning was released from jail one day after she attempted suicide. On Wednesday, authorities reported—and her attorney Moira Meltzer-Cohen confirmed—that Manning was found unconscious in her cell and was taken to a hospital where she was in stable condition. The next day, Judge Anthony J. Trenga of the US Eastern District of Virginia issued an order for Manning’s immediate release on the grounds that the grand jury was dismissed and her testimony “is no longer needed, in light of which her detention no longer serves a coercive purpose,” not mentioning that her life was threatened by continued incarceration.
In March 2019, Manning was sent to jail by Judge Trenga for 63 days and then again in May for the balance of the past year for refusing to testify before two secret federal grand juries. The purpose of the grand juries—which was leaked to the press but never officially acknowledged by the court—was to gather “evidence” in the ongoing frame-up and attempted extradition of Assange from London to the US.
As both judicial experts and her legal team have repeatedly argued, Manning’s imprisonment for contempt was a violation of her fundamental rights. According to US statutes, the purpose of jailing a witness on a contempt citation is to compel them to testify. Once it becomes clear that “the coercive purpose” of the contempt order is not going to force cooperation, the witness is to be released. Otherwise, coercion is transformed into punishment and persecution.
From day one of her ordeal with Judge Trenga, Manning made it clear that she would not cooperate with the grand jury. Before being jailed the first time on March 8, 2019, Manning told the press, “In solidarity with many activists facing the odds, I will stand by my principles. I will exhaust every legal remedy available. My legal team continues to challenge the secrecy of these proceedings, and I am prepared to face the consequences of my refusal.”
Manning never wavered in her stance and she repeated again and again over the past year, including in numerous written statements to the court, that she would not testify. In the days after Assange was charged with violating the Espionage Act, Manning’s team filed a motion for her release on May 30, 2019 to which she submitted a letter that said, “I refuse to participate in a process that has clearly transformed into something that violates the spirit if not the letter of the law. I object to this grand jury in particular as an effort to frighten journalists and publishers, who serve a crucial public good.”
Assange, whose life is also in danger from prolonged confinement and persecution by the US and UK governments, is facing the resumption of his extradition hearing in London on May 18 at Westminster Magistrate’s Court. In the first part of this hearing on February 24, Assange’s rights were repeatedly violated as he was handcuffed 11 times, stripped naked twice and kept inside a glass box in the courtroom away from his lawyers.
The effort to railroad Assange into US custody, where he cannot receive a fair trial, is an attempt to punish the WikiLeaks journalist for publishing information and documents of the greatest public importance. It is due to the fact that Assange and WikiLeaks stood for the principles of journalism and published the documents that were released by whistleblower Manning that the people of the world have evidence of significant war crimes committed by the US and its allies in the first decade of the 21st century.
A measure of the thuggish modus operandi of Judge Trenga against Manning is evident in the way that he imposed court fines upon her. On May 17, 2019, when she was being returned to jail after one week of freedom with the convening of the second grand jury, Manning said to reporters outside the courtroom, “I will not cooperate with this or any other grand jury.” Judge Trenga responded by ordering that Manning be fined $500 per day for 30 days and $1,000 per day thereafter.
Manning taking a stand for her principles over personal interest has resonated with the public all over the world and is behind the outpouring of financial support to cover her fines and living expenses. Likewise, it is precisely Manning’s self-sacrifice and determination that has earned the hatred and brutal treatment by the US government.
The response to the GoFundMe campaign over the past few days was similar to the one launched following Manning’s release from Fort Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks, where she had been abused and held in solitary confinement for more than six years, in May 2017. Upon her release, Manning was called a traitor by Donald Trump and other political and military figures claimed without substantiation that she “put American lives as risk” through her exposures.
Despite the attempts at vilification, which was magnified by the corporate media, that fund drive showed significant public support for Manning and raised more than $175,000 from 4,200 contributors within three months.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR The author writes for wsws.org , a Marxian publication.


thegreanvillepostbiasrating--2020-03-16--Why Iraqis Hate the U.S. Troops Who Occupy Their Country

Another important dispatch from The Greanville Post .
Be sure to share it widely .
merican ‘ news ’ -media present a very distorted view of America ’ s international relations .
For example , consider this : “ We discussed the executive order [ banning Iraqis from coming to U.S. ] , and their displeasure in this executive order , why they feel like they ’ ve been betrayed by the United States , and … I asked a simple question : As an American if I went out into the town right now , would I be welcomed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you would not be welcomed .
And I said , what would happen ?
And they said , the locals would snatch me up and kill me within an hour .
I ’ d be tortured first , and after they were done torturing me , I ’ d probably be beheaded , it would go on video , for everybody to see as an example .
… What I am trying to make is this , is the local populace , that would do this .
This isn ’ t al-Qaeda , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this isn ’ t the militia from the Iranians , this is the local populace that would do this .
So , my question then was pretty simple : If you would do this to me , in your country , why would I let you in my country ?
Because all this means to me is that if you have the opportunity , to take the life of an American , you would do it .
If this is the way some of those cultures feel , this is the way that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would you be so naive to believe that if they came to the United States , they would do anything any different from what they would do right here in their own country ?
” apologizing for this — their oil .
We invaded their land .
We did it on the basis of Bush ’ s lies that Bush had conclusive evidence that Saddam was six months from a nuclear weapon and had been behind the 9/11 attacks .
He blatantly misrepresented the evidence that he did have .
And instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for this — the destruction of Iraq ( on the basis of lies ) — there has been continued military occupation of Iraq , and forcing of its Government to do what our lying Government demands , such as privatizing the oil and paying international oil companies to exploit and market it —oil .
The reason why “ they feel they ’ ve been betrayed ” by Trump ’ s bar against any Iraqi relocating to America is that many of these Iraqis had been hired by U.S. firms to do translating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so they are themselves now hated by the locals , their own countrymen , and they think that the only safety for them and their families would be to move , along with their families , to America .
They are therefore now terrified , at finding themselves stranded in Iraq , where they are very reasonably considered to be traitors .
.
The reason why “ they feel they ’ ve been betrayed ” by Trump ’ s bar against any Iraqi relocating to America is that many of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do translating or other essential assistance to the invaders , and so they are themselves now hated by the locals , their own countrymen , and they think that the only safety for them and their families would be to move , along with their families , to America .
They are therefore now terrified , at finding themselves stranded in Iraq , where they are very reasonably considered to be traitors .
Furthermore , the U.S. did seize many innocent Iraqis , and subject them to torture ; so , why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seizing some of the invaders and subjecting them to torture NOT be okay ?
Are the invaders ( the U.S. forces ) innocent ?
Maybe some of them are , but , really , should they be presumed to have been innocent and the Iraqis , whom our Government seized and tortured , be considered to have been guilty ?
Guilty of what ?
Defending their country ?
Against this evil invasion ?
Okay , so the evil was in the U.S. President , George W. Bush , and in his also lying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other top-level Bush Administration war-criminals , and not necessarily in the troops who simply did what they were told to do .
But in World War II , were all of Hitler ’ s troops innocent ?
They weren ’ t the ones who were primarily responsible , but were they INNOCENT ?
They did what they were paid to do , but were THEY innocent ?
Really ?
One may say that they were less guilty than America ’ s troops in Iraq were , because those German soldiers were conscripts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For Steve Gern to be hated in Iraq while he was in Iraq is not , at all , comparable to an Iraqi citizen who was a traitor to his country and is now provided refuge in America ( which Trump ’ s executive order prevents ) .
They ’ re totally different types of case .
That Iraqi who seeks refuge in the U.S. isn ’ t any invader .
But Gern was .
All Americans in Iraq are invaders and military occupiers , on the basis solely of lies that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2002 .
There ’ s no comparison .
That Fox ‘ News ’ interview is sheer propaganda .
This isn ’ t to say that Steve Gern doesn ’ t believe what he asserts .
It is only to say that what he is asserting is stupid because it is blind to the reality , which the other side see very clearly because their country was invaded and is militarily occupied by Gern and the other U.S. troops in their country .
Regrettably , while many vets have come home to an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseas , most have not , and still cling to the deceitful self-serving rationales that made them criminal invaders in the first place .
And it ’ s not about “ the culture , ” such as Gern said .
Gern asserted that “ If this is the way some of those cultures feel , this is the way that these countries feel about Americans , ” but the difference here is instead between occupier versus occupied , it ’ s not about anything “ cultural.
” Military occupiers are not liked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ invasion destroyed the country and contaminated it with toxins .
And if the invading country has invaded on the basis of lies — as the U.S. did in Iraq and now routinely does such as in Libya and Syria etc .
— then those occupying troops are normally hated .
Gern is blind to that basic reality .
Furthermore , America ’ s invasion and occupation of Iraq destroyed Iraq ( as also happened in Libya and in Syria ) .
That ’ s why U.S. troops are hated in Iraq .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who has fled to America for protection is not at all comparable to an American soldier in Iraq .
That person ’ s being instead now denied the right of asylum here is an insult to that traitor ; it is telling him : after we have exploited you , we are discarding you — you will stay in the country where you are a traitor .
If Iraq had invaded and militarily occupied the U.S. , and done it purely on the basis of lies , then wouldn ’ t we hate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Of course , we would .
And , of course we should , in that case , hate especially the Iraqi leader who had spouted the lies and ordered Iraq ’ s troops to invade here .
But would we then be able to kill that head of state , in that distant land , who had done the lying and ordered the invasion of your country ?
Unfortunately , not .
And , similarly , Iraqis can not kill George W. Bush , even though most of them would probably crave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were instead to kill someone such as Steve Gern , then perhaps that would release just a bit of the hatred they feel for Bush and for his team .
It ’ s a very justifiable hatred , even if it misses the actual target .
Gern was just a front-man for the evil .
Bush WAS the evil .
Is a person justified to hate his or her rapist ?
No ?
Really ?
Why not ?
How , then , is justice even possible ?
This isn ’ t about “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a victim ’ s response to that person ’ s attacker and oppressor .
Iraqis didn ’ t invade America .
Americans invaded Iraq .
The more that the ‘ news ’ media of America ’ s billionaires who benefited from that invasion hide this fact by pumping the deceptions that those beneficiaries of this evil have constantly been nurturing , the more justified this hate from the actual victims is .

Another important dispatch from The Greanville Post. Be sure to share it widely.
Eric Zuesse
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]merican ‘news’-media present a very distorted view of America’s international relations. For example, consider this:
Retired Marine's message about travel ban goes viral
2,306,988 views•Feb 10, 2017
Fox News, Hannity
Marine in Iraq [Steve Gern, Marine Staff Sergeant (Ret.)]:
“We discussed the executive order [banning Iraqis from coming to U.S.], and their displeasure in this executive order, why they feel like they’ve been betrayed by the United States, and … I asked a simple question: As an American if I went out into the town right now, would I be welcomed? And they answered absolutely not, you would not be welcomed. And I said, what would happen? And they said, the locals would snatch me up and kill me within an hour. I’d be tortured first, and after they were done torturing me, I’d probably be beheaded, it would go on video, for everybody to see as an example. … What I am trying to make is this, is the local populace, that would do this. This isn’t al-Qaeda, this isn’t the PMU, this isn’t the militia from the Iranians, this is the local populace that would do this. So, my question then was pretty simple: If you would do this to me, in your country, why would I let you in my country? Because all this means to me is that if you have the opportunity, to take the life of an American, you would do it. If this is the way some of those cultures feel, this is the way that these countries feel about Americans, why would you be so naive to believe that if they came to the United States, they would do anything any different from what they would do right here in their own country?”
no comparison between those two situations (one of those Iraqis in America, versus that same person in U.S.-occupied Iraq), and here is why: Actually, there is(one of those Iraqis in America, versus that same person in U.S.-occupied Iraq), and here is why:
apologizing for this — their oil. We invaded their land. We did it on the basis of Bush’s lies that Bush had conclusive evidence that Saddam was six months from a nuclear weapon and had been behind the 9/11 attacks. He blatantly misrepresented the evidence that he did have . And instead of Bush, or any of his successors,for this — the destruction of Iraq (on the basis of lies) — there has been continued military occupation of Iraq, and forcing of its Government to do what our lying Government demands, such as privatizing the oil and paying international oil companies to exploit and market it —oil. The reason why “they feel they’ve been betrayed” by Trump’s bar against any Iraqi relocating to America is that many of these Iraqis had been hired by U.S. firms to do translating or other essential assistance to the invaders, and so they are themselves now hated by the locals, their own countrymen, and they think that the only safety for them and their families would be to move, along with their families, to America. They are therefore now terrified, at finding themselves stranded in Iraq, where they are very reasonably considered to be traitors. . The reason why “they feel they’ve been betrayed” by Trump’s bar against any Iraqi relocating to America is that many of these Iraqis had been hired by U.S. firms to do translating or other essential assistance to the invaders, and so they are themselves now hated by the locals, their own countrymen, and they think that the only safety for them and their families would be to move, along with their families, to America. They are therefore now terrified, at finding themselves stranded in Iraq, where they are very reasonably considered to be traitors.
Furthermore, the U.S. did seize many innocent Iraqis, and subject them to torture; so, why would that be okay but the locals seizing some of the invaders and subjecting them to torture NOT be okay? Are the invaders (the U.S. forces) innocent? Maybe some of them are, but, really, should they be presumed to have been innocent and the Iraqis, whom our Government seized and tortured, be considered to have been guilty? Guilty of what? Defending their country? Against this evil invasion? Okay, so the evil was in the U.S. President, George W. Bush, and in his also lying V.P. Dick Cheney, etc., and other top-level Bush Administration war-criminals, and not necessarily in the troops who simply did what they were told to do. But in World War II, were all of Hitler’s troops innocent? They weren’t the ones who were primarily responsible, but were they INNOCENT? They did what they were paid to do, but were THEY innocent? Really? One may say that they were less guilty than America’s troops in Iraq were, because those German soldiers were conscripts, whereas ours are ‘volunteers’.
For Steve Gern to be hated in Iraq while he was in Iraq is not, at all, comparable to an Iraqi citizen who was a traitor to his country and is now provided refuge in America (which Trump’s executive order prevents). They’re totally different types of case. That Iraqi who seeks refuge in the U.S. isn’t any invader. But Gern was. All Americans in Iraq are invaders and military occupiers, on the basis solely of lies that George W. Bush and his team spouted in 2002. There’s no comparison. That Fox ‘News’ interview is sheer propaganda.
This isn’t to say that Steve Gern doesn’t believe what he asserts. It is only to say that what he is asserting is stupid because it is blind to the reality, which the other side see very clearly because their country was invaded and is militarily occupied by Gern and the other U.S. troops in their country.
Regrettably, while many vets have come home to an awakening about the truth of their deployments overseas, most have not, and still cling to the deceitful self-serving rationales that made them criminal invaders in the first place.
And it’s not about “the culture,” such as Gern said. Gern asserted that “If this is the way some of those cultures feel, this is the way that these countries feel about Americans,” but the difference here is instead between occupier versus occupied, it’s not about anything “cultural.” Military occupiers are not liked. Not anywhere. Especially not after the invasion destroyed the country and contaminated it with toxins. And if the invading country has invaded on the basis of lies — as the U.S. did in Iraq and now routinely does such as in Libya and Syria etc. — then those occupying troops are normally hated. Gern is blind to that basic reality. Furthermore, America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq destroyed Iraq (as also happened in Libya and in Syria).
That’s why U.S. troops are hated in Iraq. And it is also why an Iraqi traitor who has fled to America for protection is not at all comparable to an American soldier in Iraq. That person’s being instead now denied the right of asylum here is an insult to that traitor; it is telling him: after we have exploited you, we are discarding you — you will stay in the country where you are a traitor.
If Iraq had invaded and militarily occupied the U.S., and done it purely on the basis of lies, then wouldn’t we hate those military occupiers, of our land? Of course, we would. And, of course we should, in that case, hate especially the Iraqi leader who had spouted the lies and ordered Iraq’s troops to invade here. But would we then be able to kill that head of state, in that distant land, who had done the lying and ordered the invasion of your country? Unfortunately, not. And, similarly, Iraqis cannot kill George W. Bush, even though most of them would probably crave to do so. But if they were instead to kill someone such as Steve Gern, then perhaps that would release just a bit of the hatred they feel for Bush and for his team. It’s a very justifiable hatred, even if it misses the actual target. Gern was just a front-man for the evil. Bush WAS the evil.
Is a person justified to hate his or her rapist? No? Really? Why not? How, then, is justice even possible? This isn’t about “an eye for an eye.” It is a victim’s response to that person’s attacker and oppressor. Iraqis didn’t invade America. Americans invaded Iraq. The more that the ‘news’ media of America’s billionaires who benefited from that invasion hide this fact by pumping the deceptions that those beneficiaries of this evil have constantly been nurturing, the more justified this hate from the actual victims is.
Invading a country on the basis of lies is raping everyone who lives there. No crime is worse than that. America does it routinely, but now mainly hires foreign proxies to do the mayhem, such as Al Qaeda . That doesn’t make it any less evil. On January 3rd, Trump assassinated the man whom many regard as the world’s most effective general who was leading the fight to destroy ISIS , and Trump perpetrated this assassination on Iraqi territory, in complete disregard for the sovereignty of the Iraqi people, to whom that Iranian general was overwhelmingly regarded as a hero and a liberator.
When U.S. Staff Sergeant Gern was occupying Iraq, he was surrounded by enemies, and he didn’t know why. He’s not able to see things from the victim’s standpoint, unless he’s the victim. And on Fox ‘News’ he was being presented as the victim. That interview was broadcast as Republican Party billionaires’ propaganda against Democratic Party billionaires’ propaganda. The public is virtually ignored, except as onlookers to be deceived. This is called the ‘free press’ in America’s ‘democracy’ The ‘news’ is propaganda, but each individual gets to choose whose propaganda to buy. Gern is just a soldier in that type of ‘democracy’. He does what he is paid to do, and doesn’t understand why he is paid to do it, nor whose benefit he serves by doing it. He was a soldier for America’s billionaires , but was never told this. And his pay — then, and even in retirement — comes instead from America’s taxpayers, who derive no benefit from invading and militarily occupying Iraq. It’s a land of socialism for the rich, and capitalism for everybody else. That’s what America’s soldiers are actually killing and dying for. But the dying and the lying must go on, because it benefits the billionaires, the ultimate patrons of this mayhem.
On 14 March 2020, the brilliant military analyst who blogs anonymously as “Moon of Alabama” concluded that the U.S. can in “no way deter or even win against the forces that are now working to evict it from Iraq.” The military occupation there won’t go on forever, no matter how long this and future U.S. Presidents demand that it must continue. A face-saving departure, such as happened in Vietnam, isn’t in the cards, this time, however. The invader will ultimately be defeated and driven out. But how much additional punishment will the invader inflict on its victims, the Iraqi people, before departing — and after? That’s the real question. How much do Americans want to be hated by Iraqis? Of course, we don’t, at all, but we don’t actually control ‘our’ Government.