theamericanconservative--2020-04-23--The Invincible Ignorance of Pandemic-Era Journalists

“ Read not the Times .
Read the Eternities.
” — Henry David Thoreau The American people have spent the last month thinking of new and creative ways to kill time until the government lets them go outside again .
Some methods have been entirely wholesome : thousands have rediscovered the dying art of baking bread .
Even here in rural Michigan , it ’ s easier to find toilet paper than dry yeast .
Others have preferred to simply kill themselves by swilling some homemade COVID remedy made of fish tank cleaner and bleach .
For the most part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their days swigging vodka and refreshing CNN.com .
We can ’ t go more than five minutes without checking for the latest COVID “ updates.
” Yes , we ’ re living through a particularly frightening time .
Right now , there are almost 800,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States .
More than 26 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in five weeks .
There are going to be serious , long-term effects to our economy .
That ’ s nothing to pooh-pooh .
Yet we ’ re only now beginning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : the emotional damage being wrought as a result of the virus .
Instances of domestic abuse are surging .
Suicide hotlines are inundated with calls .
Alcohol sales are skyrocketing , which means rates of alcoholism probably aren ’ t far behind .
We ’ re worrying ourselves to death .
But why ?
Why put ourselves through all this needless anxiety ?
Why not simply tune out ?
Much of it , no doubt , is just morbid curiosity .
Facebook is now putting out an interactive , color-coded map breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state and county by county .
Yes , it ’ s hard not to look .
It ’ s like that stupid game Plague Inc. we all played in high school , except it ’ s not a stupid game , but a stupid social media plugin .
Partially , it ’ s a frantic—and in many ways noble—need to give some purpose to this vast , random catastrophe .
We see an article about a nursing home in rural Idaho where 75 percent of residents have died of the virus .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fought the Nazis , the North Koreans , and the Viet Cong ; now they ’ re succumbing to the Wuhan Flu .
What does it mean ?
Is it a heartening symbol of America ’ s exceptional resiliency or a humbling reminder of our mortal fragility ?
Does it teach us to revere our elders or to put our youth to better use ?
We don ’ t know , but we desperately want to .
Mostly , however , I suspect it ’ s just a naked and very dangerous ploy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tragedy .
I ’ m going to let you in on an industry secret .
I ’ ve worked in the media since I was 22 .
If there ’ s one thing I ’ ve learned , it ’ s this : journalists lack absolutely all sense of proportion .
They think that , because they have a byline in a newspaper or a blue checkmark on Twitter , they ’ re an expert in every subject that appears in their blog roll .
They really do think they ’ re smarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re entitled , not only to an opinion , but to an audience .
But that ’ s demonstrably false .
From the beginning , commonsense folk knew exactly what kind of precautions they should take .
Wash your hands .
Don ’ t touch your face .
Avoid restaurants , malls , etc .
Go shopping less , and then only for essentials .
But as usual , the media has set itself squarely in the path of common sense .
Take the debacle about face masks .
First , journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them—because , clearly , when dealing with a highly contagious respiratory virus , a hands-free apparatus that covers one ’ s mouth is totally useless .
Well , that was nonsense .
So a few days later , they told us that face masks were somehow only useful for doctors , and that all those peasants who dipped into Amazon ’ s dwindling supply were effectively murdering old people .
That was even more patently ridiculous .
Now , those very same people are publishing guides to making your own cute , eco-friendly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like and share the article on Facebook , you may as well smother a bunch of asthmatics with their pillows , because you will give them acute respiratory failure .
Peasants .
Again , why ?
Why would they do this ?
The most obvious reason is also the most despicable : because they have to talk about something .
They can ’ t go whole weeks—let alone months—without telling the hayseeds what to think and how to act .
That ’ s the way the media works .
Journalists get paid to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paid to opine on them .
So if there aren ’ t any stories , they ’ ll just make something up .
Think about it .
These should be the slowest months for news in living memory , because…well , nothing ’ s happening .
The country is on lockdown .
People are sitting on their couches , drinking Coors Lights , playing Psych !
, and binging on The X-Files .
But the daily papers still have their 40 pages to fill , and major news websites are expected to crank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If they don ’ t want to lay off their employees or cut their pay , they need to keep churning out content .
And of course , the articles can ’ t be about just anything .
They all have to tackle the Big Story .
That ’ s the way journalism works in our digitized , 24/7 news cycle .
The fact that even our presidential election has given way to the coronavirus should be proof enough that the media has become 100 percent clickbait .
And as anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell you , fear sells 10 times better than hope .
People want good news , but they need bad news .
These days , the juiciest clickbait goes by the name of “ expert opinion , ” and media hacks can find an “ expert ” to support whatever novel , bizarre , or terrifying theory will draw readers .
Truth be told , though , these scientists really have no idea what they ’ re talking about .
In late February , when President Trump was still being castigated by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ travel ban , Dr. Anthony Fauci went on NBC to assure America that “ the risk [ posed by coronavirus ] is low ” and “ you don ’ t need to change anything you ’ re doing.
” Then in late March , when The New York Times asked him about Trump ’ s optimistic statements about new coronavirus treatments , he said : “ I don ’ t want to embarrass him .
I don ’ t want to act like a tough guy , like I stood up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at The Atlantic , staff writer James Hamblin wrote a story titled , “ A Vaccine Won ’ t Stop the Coronavirus.
” Dr. Hamblin is also a lecturer at Yale School of Public Health—he ’ s his own quotable notable !
—so we ’ re expected to bow to his superior wisdom .
In fact , he has no idea what effect a vaccine will have , because it doesn ’ t exist yet .
So the title should actually read , “ Why I Don ’ t Think a Vaccine Will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Dr. Hamblin ’ s thesis isn ’ t that a vaccine will be ineffective .
His point is that , even if we develop one , it may be harder to finance than we expected , and the trials may take longer than previously assumed .
So the title should actually read , “ Why I ’ m Concerned That Our Expectations of the Coronavirus Vaccine Are Too High.
” That might be interesting for people with a working knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and public health policy .
But it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employer ’ s stock and trade .
So The Atlantic goes for the title that makes it sound like COVID will lead to the sixth extinction and President Trump is just fiddling while Rome burns .
What ’ s truly sick about all this is that the stress generated by our collective , media-fueled anxiety attack compromises our immune systems , and self-medicating with alcohol only weakens it further .
This over-reporting actually makes us more susceptible to the coronavirus .
And as I wrote in these pages last month , economic downturn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we believe these reports that a new Great Depression is “ inevitable , ” then it certainly will be .
The media is only encouraging Wall Street brokers to dump their stocks and ordinary consumers to hoard goods and capital .
If these business closures and shelter-in-place orders don ’ t short out the supply chains , that will .
Again , I probably shouldn ’ t be giving away trade secrets here .
But the truth is that no one in the media has any idea what ’ s going on—not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not their “ expert opinions.
” If you followed their advice , you missed out on your chance to stock up on medical masks and didn ’ t begin sheltering in place until after your governor shut down all the bars and gyms .
If you ’ re still listening to them , all you ’ re doing is driving yourself to drink .
So here ’ s what you do : just tune out .
That ’ s my expert opinion as a professional journalist .
Stop listening to journalists .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about .
Our only goal is to scare you into reading our articles so advertisers will pay us for the clicks .
You already have all the information you need .
Do the social distancing thing .
Wear a mask when you go grocery shopping .
Make sure your elderly family members have all the supplies they need .
Wash your hands and don ’ t touch your face .
Be moderate in your drinking .
Take as much exercise as you can .
Get plenty of sleep .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Davis is the editor-in-chief of Crisis Magazine .
He is the author of The Reactionary Mind ( Regnery , 2021 ) .

“Read not the Times. Read the Eternities.” — Henry David Thoreau
The American people have spent the last month thinking of new and creative ways to kill time until the government lets them go outside again. Some methods have been entirely wholesome: thousands have rediscovered the dying art of baking bread. Even here in rural Michigan, it’s easier to find toilet paper than dry yeast. Others have preferred to simply kill themselves by swilling some homemade COVID remedy made of fish tank cleaner and bleach.
For the most part, though, our countrymen are spending their days swigging vodka and refreshing CNN.com. We can’t go more than five minutes without checking for the latest COVID “updates.”
Yes, we’re living through a particularly frightening time. Right now, there are almost 800,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. More than 26 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits in five weeks. There are going to be serious, long-term effects to our economy. That’s nothing to pooh-pooh.
Yet we’re only now beginning to realize the secondary effects of COVID: the emotional damage being wrought as a result of the virus. Instances of domestic abuse are surging. Suicide hotlines are inundated with calls. Alcohol sales are skyrocketing, which means rates of alcoholism probably aren’t far behind. We’re worrying ourselves to death.
But why? Why put ourselves through all this needless anxiety? Why not simply tune out?
Much of it, no doubt, is just morbid curiosity. Facebook is now putting out an interactive, color-coded map breaking down confirmed cases of COVID state by state and county by county. Yes, it’s hard not to look. It’s like that stupid game Plague Inc. we all played in high school, except it’s not a stupid game, but a stupid social media plugin.
Partially, it’s a frantic—and in many ways noble—need to give some purpose to this vast, random catastrophe. We see an article about a nursing home in rural Idaho where 75 percent of residents have died of the virus. They lived through the Great Depression; they fought the Nazis, the North Koreans, and the Viet Cong; now they’re succumbing to the Wuhan Flu. What does it mean? Is it a heartening symbol of America’s exceptional resiliency or a humbling reminder of our mortal fragility? Does it teach us to revere our elders or to put our youth to better use? We don’t know, but we desperately want to.
Mostly, however, I suspect it’s just a naked and very dangerous ploy by the Fourth Estate to monetize this tragedy.
♦♦♦
I’m going to let you in on an industry secret. I’ve worked in the media since I was 22. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: journalists lack absolutely all sense of proportion. They think that, because they have a byline in a newspaper or a blue checkmark on Twitter, they’re an expert in every subject that appears in their blog roll. They really do think they’re smarter than you are. They think they’re entitled, not only to an opinion, but to an audience. But that’s demonstrably false.
From the beginning, commonsense folk knew exactly what kind of precautions they should take. Wash your hands. Don’t touch your face. Avoid restaurants, malls, etc. Go shopping less, and then only for essentials.
But as usual, the media has set itself squarely in the path of common sense. Take the debacle about face masks. First, journalists were sneering at those peasants who wore them—because, clearly, when dealing with a highly contagious respiratory virus, a hands-free apparatus that covers one’s mouth is totally useless. Well, that was nonsense. So a few days later, they told us that face masks were somehow only useful for doctors, and that all those peasants who dipped into Amazon’s dwindling supply were effectively murdering old people. That was even more patently ridiculous. Now, those very same people are publishing guides to making your own cute, eco-friendly face masks—and if you don’t like and share the article on Facebook, you may as well smother a bunch of asthmatics with their pillows, because you will give them acute respiratory failure. Peasants.
Again, why? Why would they do this? The most obvious reason is also the most despicable: because they have to talk about something. They can’t go whole weeks—let alone months—without telling the hayseeds what to think and how to act. That’s the way the media works. Journalists get paid to report on events, and columnists get paid to opine on them. So if there aren’t any stories, they’ll just make something up.
Think about it. These should be the slowest months for news in living memory, because…well, nothing’s happening. The country is on lockdown. People are sitting on their couches, drinking Coors Lights, playing Psych!, and binging on The X-Files. But the daily papers still have their 40 pages to fill, and major news websites are expected to crank out over 100 articles every 24 hours. If they don’t want to lay off their employees or cut their pay, they need to keep churning out content.
And of course, the articles can’t be about just anything. They all have to tackle the Big Story. That’s the way journalism works in our digitized, 24/7 news cycle. The fact that even our presidential election has given way to the coronavirus should be proof enough that the media has become 100 percent clickbait. And as anyone who’s ever worked in publishing will tell you, fear sells 10 times better than hope. People want good news, but they need bad news.
♦♦♦
These days, the juiciest clickbait goes by the name of “expert opinion,” and media hacks can find an “expert” to support whatever novel, bizarre, or terrifying theory will draw readers. Truth be told, though, these scientists really have no idea what they’re talking about. In late February, when President Trump was still being castigated by the media for his “racist” China travel ban, Dr. Anthony Fauci went on NBC to assure America that “the risk [posed by coronavirus] is low” and “you don’t need to change anything you’re doing.” Then in late March, when The New York Times asked him about Trump’s optimistic statements about new coronavirus treatments, he said: “I don’t want to embarrass him. I don’t want to act like a tough guy, like I stood up to the president.” Sure, Doc.
Over at The Atlantic, staff writer James Hamblin wrote a story titled, “A Vaccine Won’t Stop the Coronavirus.” Dr. Hamblin is also a lecturer at Yale School of Public Health—he’s his own quotable notable!—so we’re expected to bow to his superior wisdom. In fact, he has no idea what effect a vaccine will have, because it doesn’t exist yet. So the title should actually read, “Why I Don’t Think a Vaccine Will Stop the Coronavirus.”
As it happens, Dr. Hamblin’s thesis isn’t that a vaccine will be ineffective. His point is that, even if we develop one, it may be harder to finance than we expected, and the trials may take longer than previously assumed. So the title should actually read, “Why I’m Concerned That Our Expectations of the Coronavirus Vaccine Are Too High.”
That might be interesting for people with a working knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and public health policy. But it would fail as clickbait, which is his employer’s stock and trade. So The Atlantic goes for the title that makes it sound like COVID will lead to the sixth extinction and President Trump is just fiddling while Rome burns.
What’s truly sick about all this is that the stress generated by our collective, media-fueled anxiety attack compromises our immune systems, and self-medicating with alcohol only weakens it further. This over-reporting actually makes us more susceptible to the coronavirus. And as I wrote in these pages last month, economic downturn is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we believe these reports that a new Great Depression is “inevitable,” then it certainly will be. The media is only encouraging Wall Street brokers to dump their stocks and ordinary consumers to hoard goods and capital. If these business closures and shelter-in-place orders don’t short out the supply chains, that will.
Again, I probably shouldn’t be giving away trade secrets here. But the truth is that no one in the media has any idea what’s going on—not the reporters, not the columnists, and not their “expert opinions.” If you followed their advice, you missed out on your chance to stock up on medical masks and didn’t begin sheltering in place until after your governor shut down all the bars and gyms. If you’re still listening to them, all you’re doing is driving yourself to drink.
So here’s what you do: just tune out. That’s my expert opinion as a professional journalist. Stop listening to journalists. We have no idea what we’re talking about. Our only goal is to scare you into reading our articles so advertisers will pay us for the clicks.
You already have all the information you need. Do the social distancing thing. Wear a mask when you go grocery shopping. Make sure your elderly family members have all the supplies they need. Wash your hands and don’t touch your face. Be moderate in your drinking. Take as much exercise as you can. Get plenty of sleep. That’s all you can do.
Michael Warren Davis is the editor-in-chief of Crisis Magazine. He is the author of The Reactionary Mind (Regnery, 2021).


theamericanconservative--2020-04-23--No, 5G Isn’t Responsible for the Coronavirus

With COVID-19 reshaping our world , there has been no end to the explanations as to where it came from .
One recent conspiracy theory claiming 5G ( short for fifth generation ) is transmitting the coronavirus has spread almost as fast as the pandemic itself .
More than 50 cellphone masts in the UK have been set on fire as a result .
Even celebrities and television hosts are jumping on the 5G conspiracy train .
And these are by no means the first crazy theories that center on 5G technology .
For example , the Russian government has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ notion that 5G causes cancer .
Of course , these theories are absolutely false : the technology is perfectly safe .
But social media companies are still having to work hard to combat the misinformation .
So why all the hullabaloo over 5G ?
5G works by using “ small cells ” to transmit cellular data signals that are much faster and have far lower latency than current technology .
This allows for video calls , with perfect quality , to be made over mobile phones and a number of other connected devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is likely attracting increased scrutiny to 5G .
But blaming 5G for the spread of COVID-19 isn ’ t just wrong ; it ’ s also hampering the opportunities we have to harness this technology to mitigate some of the worst effects of the virus .
A recently released study from the Louisiana Department of Education found that only 66 percent of students surveyed have access to the internet in their homes .
So while every school district had some kind of online leaning available , fewer than seven out of 10 students @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country have been dealing with this by taking some innovative approaches such as sending out school buses that act as wifi hotspots , but this is only a temporary solution .
Of course , Americans are relying on the internet for more than just learning .
Working from home , telemedicine , and even seeing your friends has now moved online .
It should be no surprise that bandwidth usage has increased by more than 20 percent since the coronavirus struck , numbers usually reserved for the Super Bowl .
5G @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital divide by removing the need for fiber connections .
Instead Americans can use their mobile connections to tether their devices or simply purchase wireless hotspots while still getting lightning speeds .
Some states and localities are already using wireless technology to connect students .
New Orleans purchased 5,000 hotspots and sent them home with students so they could access online learning materials .
Politicians at national , state , and local levels need to enact the right policies to speed up 5G deployment .
It ’ s been estimated that over 800,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which won ’ t just create greater connectivity but also high paying jobs .
Yet exorbitant fees and long application processes have been slowing deployment across the country .
The FCC recently adopted rules to limit both costs and application times , but those rules are currently being challenged in court .
As state and local lawmakers see first-hand the damage that a lack of connectivity can cause , they should push for lower deployment costs and cut the red tape holding up small cell installments .
While the FCC order only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs , states are free to adopt laws that further decrease these barriers .
The largest factor slowing deployment is often local aesthetic issues .
Clarifying those aesthetic guidelines before installations take place can work to mitigate these problems .
State and local officials should also stand firm against the growing conspiratorial claims being leveled against 5G .
Our nation ’ s effective response to COVID-19 will require all levels of government to work together to ensure Americans remain safe .
Connecting everyone will take similar cooperation .
The president , Congress , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken action .
Now it ’ s time for federalism to work .
We can ’ t afford to wait any longer .
Eric Peterson is the director of the Pelican Center for Technology and Innovation .

With COVID-19 reshaping our world, there has been no end to the explanations as to where it came from. One recent conspiracy theory claiming 5G (short for fifth generation) is transmitting the coronavirus has spread almost as fast as the pandemic itself.
More than 50 cellphone masts in the UK have been set on fire as a result. Even celebrities and television hosts are jumping on the 5G conspiracy train. And these are by no means the first crazy theories that center on 5G technology. For example, the Russian government has been working tirelessly to prop up the notion that 5G causes cancer. Of course, these theories are absolutely false: the technology is perfectly safe. But social media companies are still having to work hard to combat the misinformation.
So why all the hullabaloo over 5G? 5G works by using “small cells” to transmit cellular data signals that are much faster and have far lower latency than current technology. This allows for video calls, with perfect quality, to be made over mobile phones and a number of other connected devices. The increased visibility of these towers is likely attracting increased scrutiny to 5G.
But blaming 5G for the spread of COVID-19 isn’t just wrong; it’s also hampering the opportunities we have to harness this technology to mitigate some of the worst effects of the virus.
A recently released study from the Louisiana Department of Education found that only 66 percent of students surveyed have access to the internet in their homes. So while every school district had some kind of online leaning available, fewer than seven out of 10 students could access the material. School districts around the country have been dealing with this by taking some innovative approaches such as sending out school buses that act as wifi hotspots, but this is only a temporary solution.
Of course, Americans are relying on the internet for more than just learning. Working from home, telemedicine, and even seeing your friends has now moved online. It should be no surprise that bandwidth usage has increased by more than 20 percent since the coronavirus struck, numbers usually reserved for the Super Bowl.
5G technology offers a means of closing the digital divide by removing the need for fiber connections. Instead Americans can use their mobile connections to tether their devices or simply purchase wireless hotspots while still getting lightning speeds. Some states and localities are already using wireless technology to connect students. New Orleans purchased 5,000 hotspots and sent them home with students so they could access online learning materials.
Politicians at national, state, and local levels need to enact the right policies to speed up 5G deployment. It’s been estimated that over 800,000 small cells must be deployed by 2026, which won’t just create greater connectivity but also high paying jobs. Yet exorbitant fees and long application processes have been slowing deployment across the country. The FCC recently adopted rules to limit both costs and application times, but those rules are currently being challenged in court.
As state and local lawmakers see first-hand the damage that a lack of connectivity can cause, they should push for lower deployment costs and cut the red tape holding up small cell installments. While the FCC order only provided a floor to cap regulatory installment costs, states are free to adopt laws that further decrease these barriers. The largest factor slowing deployment is often local aesthetic issues. Clarifying those aesthetic guidelines before installations take place can work to mitigate these problems. State and local officials should also stand firm against the growing conspiratorial claims being leveled against 5G.
Our nation’s effective response to COVID-19 will require all levels of government to work together to ensure Americans remain safe. Connecting everyone will take similar cooperation. The president, Congress, and the Federal Communications Commission have all taken action. Now it’s time for federalism to work. We can’t afford to wait any longer.
Eric Peterson is the director of the Pelican Center for Technology and Innovation.


theamericanconservative--2020-04-23--Duncan Lemp’s Parents Threatened With Jail For Protesting His Killing

It has been six weeks since a SWAT team shot and killed 21-year-old Duncan Lemp in a 4:30 a.m. raid at his family ’ s home in Potomac , Maryland , an affluent and sedate suburb of Washington , D.C. Montgomery County Police have thus far refused to provide any evidence on how or why they killed Lemp .
But a county prosecutor leaped to action on Wednesday , effectively threatening any Lemp family members who attend a protest over his killing with a $ 5000 fine and a year in jail .
The reason ?
Maryland ’ s strict @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Larry Hogan last month .
As I reported in American Conservative here and here , a Montgomery County SWAT team launched an unprovoked attack on the Lemp family home at 4:30 a.m. on March 12 .
Lemp was fatally wounded by the first shots that the police fired through his bedroom window .
His family says he was sleeping in bed with his pregnant girlfriend at the time .
Police claim that they received an anonymous tip two months earlier that Lemp possessed firearms .
The police department asserted Lemp was prohibited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conviction but there are apparently zero court records or other records to support that justification .
Regardless of Lemp ’ s juvenile history , there was no evidence that he posed an imminent threat justifying a frontal assault that included throwing flash-bang explosive devices into the family home .
But now Montgomery County has a new imminent threat—angry relatives of the guy they killed .
County prosecutor Haley Roberts sent a warning letter to Lemp family lawyers Jonathan Fellner and Rene Sandler : “ Open source information indicates that your clients intend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the killing of Duncan Lemp at Montgomery County Police headquarters on April 25 .
“ Open source ” apparently means that the local police are tracking Lemp family members on social media , where the Lemp killing is still enraging legions of folks .
Roberts warned that Gov .
Hogan ’ s “ ‘ stay-at-home ’ order… does not appear to include planned protests.
” Roberts stated that the county police department asked the lawyers to remind the Lemp family “ of the Governor ’ s orders , as well as the charge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law enforcement must enforce these orders.
” At least the prosecutor did not hint that the SWAT team would attack them if they showed up .
Sandler fired off a testy reply : “ As a matter of law , you are wrong .
There is absolutely no basis for the arrest of any citizen in this State if such individual exercises their first amendment right… to peacefully assemble so long as social distancing of 6 feet is practiced and there are groups of no more than 10 people gathered.
” An unprovoked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lay in bed is exactly the type of tyrannical abuse that Americans should protest .
But Montgomery County officials apparently believe they can suppress protestors the same way that they have thus far covered up the SWAT killing .
While the county police have time to surveil Lemp family members online , police chief Marcus Jones has refused to meet with the Lemp family .
The police department refuses to even name the policeman who killed Lemp in the predawn attack or to provide any other information to the family about the fatal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comprehensive information request from the Firearms Policy Coalition , asserting that an ongoing investigation justified disclosing nothing .
Montgomery County police sealed the search warrant , which was granted on the day before the raid , for 30 days .
However , because Montgomery County courts are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic , the county is refusing to disclose the search warrant .
Sandler filed an emergency motion to get the search warrant unsealed but that may not spur results for a few more weeks .
Will the search warrant affidavits explain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a search warrant into a death warrant ?
Sandler has been told that there is a homicide investigation ongoing into the killing of Duncan Lemp , potentially putting one or more SWAT team members in the legal crosshairs .
But police unions have Maryland legislators practically in their pocket , and the so-called Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights all but entitles police to lie about why they shot and killed private citizens .
The county police ’ s muddled and contradictory public statements on the Lemp shooting last month further dampened any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The search warrant affidavit may provide additional information on allegations against Lemp .
Lemp , a software wiz , was volunteering to set up free websites for gun rights groups .
Did Lemp ’ s gun rights activism play a role in the SWAT team ’ s decision to rely on a violent pre-dawn raid ?
Are local police or federal agents planning to target other gun rights activists ?
At least one SWAT team member wore a camcom recorder during the raid but the police have refused to disclose the video of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a police killing in Newburgh , New York , sparked a riot , the local police department released within 24 hours outtakes from their camcom to prove that the man police killed drew a pistol on them .
If Montgomery County police have not destroyed the SWAT video , what will it show— Duncan Lemp sleeping with an arm tossed over his pregnant girlfriend by his side ?
And will the video honestly record how the SWAT team members harangued and handcuffed his injured girlfriend and family members as Duncan lay bleeding to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost to a technical glitch ?
America is awaiting an answer from the Montgomery County government .
Duncan Lemp ’ s last tweet declared , “ The constitution is dead.
” Nothing that has happened since his killing has proven him wrong .
James Bovard is the author of Lost Rights , Attention Deficit Democracy , and Public Policy Hooligan .
He is also a USA Today columnist .
Follow him on Twitter @ JimBovard .

It has been six weeks since a SWAT team shot and killed 21-year-old Duncan Lemp in a 4:30 a.m. raid at his family’s home in Potomac, Maryland, an affluent and sedate suburb of Washington, D.C. Montgomery County Police have thus far refused to provide any evidence on how or why they killed Lemp. But a county prosecutor leaped to action on Wednesday, effectively threatening any Lemp family members who attend a protest over his killing with a $5000 fine and a year in jail.
The reason? Maryland’s strict stay-at-home orders, imposed by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan last month.
As I reported in American Conservative here and here, a Montgomery County SWAT team launched an unprovoked attack on the Lemp family home at 4:30 a.m. on March 12. Lemp was fatally wounded by the first shots that the police fired through his bedroom window. His family says he was sleeping in bed with his pregnant girlfriend at the time.
Police claim that they received an anonymous tip two months earlier that Lemp possessed firearms. The police department asserted Lemp was prohibited from owning firearms due to a juvenile conviction but there are apparently zero court records or other records to support that justification. Regardless of Lemp’s juvenile history, there was no evidence that he posed an imminent threat justifying a frontal assault that included throwing flash-bang explosive devices into the family home.
But now Montgomery County has a new imminent threat—angry relatives of the guy they killed. County prosecutor Haley Roberts sent a warning letter to Lemp family lawyers Jonathan Fellner and Rene Sandler: “Open source information indicates that your clients intend to participate in this planned protest” over the killing of Duncan Lemp at Montgomery County Police headquarters on April 25. “Open source” apparently means that the local police are tracking Lemp family members on social media, where the Lemp killing is still enraging legions of folks. Roberts warned that Gov. Hogan’s “‘stay-at-home’ order… does not appear to include planned protests.” Roberts stated that the county police department asked the lawyers to remind the Lemp family “of the Governor’s orders, as well as the charge from those orders and state law mandating law enforcement must enforce these orders.” At least the prosecutor did not hint that the SWAT team would attack them if they showed up.
Sandler fired off a testy reply: “As a matter of law, you are wrong. There is absolutely no basis for the arrest of any citizen in this State if such individual exercises their first amendment right… to peacefully assemble so long as social distancing of 6 feet is practiced and there are groups of no more than 10 people gathered.”
An unprovoked killing of an innocent man as he lay in bed is exactly the type of tyrannical abuse that Americans should protest. But Montgomery County officials apparently believe they can suppress protestors the same way that they have thus far covered up the SWAT killing.
While the county police have time to surveil Lemp family members online, police chief Marcus Jones has refused to meet with the Lemp family. The police department refuses to even name the policeman who killed Lemp in the predawn attack or to provide any other information to the family about the fatal raid. The county also rebuffed a comprehensive information request from the Firearms Policy Coalition, asserting that an ongoing investigation justified disclosing nothing.
Montgomery County police sealed the search warrant, which was granted on the day before the raid, for 30 days. However, because Montgomery County courts are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the county is refusing to disclose the search warrant. Sandler filed an emergency motion to get the search warrant unsealed but that may not spur results for a few more weeks.
Will the search warrant affidavits explain why the SWAT team chose to turn a search warrant into a death warrant? Sandler has been told that there is a homicide investigation ongoing into the killing of Duncan Lemp, potentially putting one or more SWAT team members in the legal crosshairs. But police unions have Maryland legislators practically in their pocket, and the so-called Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights all but entitles police to lie about why they shot and killed private citizens. The county police’s muddled and contradictory public statements on the Lemp shooting last month further dampened any expectation that police will come clean.
The search warrant affidavit may provide additional information on allegations against Lemp. Lemp, a software wiz, was volunteering to set up free websites for gun rights groups. Did Lemp’s gun rights activism play a role in the SWAT team’s decision to rely on a violent pre-dawn raid? Are local police or federal agents planning to target other gun rights activists?
At least one SWAT team member wore a camcom recorder during the raid but the police have refused to disclose the video of their attack. Last month, after a police killing in Newburgh, New York, sparked a riot, the local police department released within 24 hours outtakes from their camcom to prove that the man police killed drew a pistol on them. If Montgomery County police have not destroyed the SWAT video, what will it show— Duncan Lemp sleeping with an arm tossed over his pregnant girlfriend by his side? And will the video honestly record how the SWAT team members harangued and handcuffed his injured girlfriend and family members as Duncan lay bleeding to death? Or will that segment be lost to a technical glitch?
America is awaiting an answer from the Montgomery County government. Duncan Lemp’s last tweet declared, “The constitution is dead.” Nothing that has happened since his killing has proven him wrong.
James Bovard is the author of Lost Rights, Attention Deficit Democracy, and Public Policy Hooligan. He is also a USA Today columnist. Follow him on Twitter @JimBovard.


theamericanconservative--2020-04-24--A Certain Victor in the Pandemic War: Big Government

“ War is the health of the state , ” wrote the progressive Randolph Bourne during the First World War , after which he succumbed to the Spanish flu .
America ’ s war on the coronavirus pandemic promises to be no exception to the axiom .
However long this war requires , the gargantuan state will almost surely emerge triumphant .
Currently , the major expenditures of the U.S. government , as well as a growing share of total federal spending , are Social Security , Medicare and Medicaid .
None of these programs will be curtailed or reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats win in November , the nation will likely take a great leap forward—toward national health insurance .
Republicans are calling for a suspension until 2021 of payroll taxes used to finance Social Security and Medicare .
While that would provide an economic stimulus , it would also blow a huge hole in federal revenue and further enlarge the deficit and national debt .
Even before the virus struck with full force in March , that deficit was projected at or near $ 1 trillion—not only for fiscal year 2020 but for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The next major item of the budget is defense , considered untouchable to the Republican Party .
Hence a confident prediction : This generation will never again see a budget deficit smaller than $ 1 trillion .
Indeed , the $ 2 trillion lately voted on to save businesses and keep paychecks going to workers will lift the deficit for 2020 above $ 3 trillion .
As of March 1 , 2020 , the nation was at full employment , with the lowest jobless rates among women and minorities in our history .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ million Americans are out of work .
These workers will soon begin picking up unemployment checks , a new burden on the federal budget , to which will be added the cost of expanding food stamps , rent supplements and welfare payments .
Though Harvard , with its $ 41 billion endowment , was shamed into returning the $ 8.7 million in bailout money coming its way , does anyone believe the stream of U.S. revenue going into higher education will ever fall back to what it was before the pandemic ?
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loan debt , is it more likely that vast sum will be paid back by those who incurred the debt , or that it will be piled atop the federal debt ?
Congress has already voted to bail out our stressed hospitals .
Now , standing patiently in line for their bailouts , are the states—and America ’ s cities and counties .
These governmental units are virtually all certain to face falling tax revenue and expanded social demands , leading to exploding deficits .
Their case : You bailed out the businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
When does our turn come ?
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , anticipating the mammoth bill for bailing out states and cities , has suggested that governments be allowed to use bankruptcy laws to write down and write off their debts .
Probably not going to happen .
Recall what happened when President Gerald Ford told New York City that Uncle Sam was not going to bail out the Big Apple .
“ Ford to City : Drop Dead !
” was the famous headline splashed across the front page of the New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not recover .
His perceived callousness in the face of New York City ’ s crisis—though that fiscal crisis was entirely of the city ’ s own making—factored into his defeat by Jimmy Carter .
Donald Trump is not going to give Red State governors facing gaping budget deficits because of the coronavirus crisis the wet mitten across the face .
For his political future will be decided by those states .
Still , the cost of bailing them out promises to be enormous and to create a precedent for bailouts without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , already begun , from , and on behalf of , the Third World .
The IMF , World Bank and the West , it is said , have a moral obligation to replace revenue shortfalls these nations are facing from lost remittances from their workers in the developed world .
There is talk of hundreds of billions of dollars in monetary transfers from the world ’ s North to the world ’ s South .
Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist once famously declared : “ I don ’ t want to abolish government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.
” What is more likely to be drowned in that bathtub is the philosophy : “ That government governs best which governs least.
” What is more likely to be drowned in that bathtub is the philosophy that champions small government , the primacy of the private sector , a belief in “ pay as you go , ” and that “ balanced budgets ” are the ideal .
Indeed , the one certain victor in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Big Government .
As John Donne wrote , “ No winter shall abate this spring ’ s increase .
”

“War is the health of the state,” wrote the progressive Randolph Bourne during the First World War, after which he succumbed to the Spanish flu.
America’s war on the coronavirus pandemic promises to be no exception to the axiom. However long this war requires, the gargantuan state will almost surely emerge triumphant.
Currently, the major expenditures of the U.S. government, as well as a growing share of total federal spending, are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
None of these programs will be curtailed or reduced this year or next. And if the Democrats win in November, the nation will likely take a great leap forward—toward national health insurance.
Republicans are calling for a suspension until 2021 of payroll taxes used to finance Social Security and Medicare. While that would provide an economic stimulus, it would also blow a huge hole in federal revenue and further enlarge the deficit and national debt.
Even before the virus struck with full force in March, that deficit was projected at or near $1 trillion—not only for fiscal year 2020 but for every year of the new decade.
The next major item of the budget is defense, considered untouchable to the Republican Party. Hence a confident prediction: This generation will never again see a budget deficit smaller than $1 trillion.
Indeed, the $2 trillion lately voted on to save businesses and keep paychecks going to workers will lift the deficit for 2020 above $3 trillion.
As of March 1, 2020, the nation was at full employment, with the lowest jobless rates among women and minorities in our history.
Less than two months later, 26 million Americans are out of work.
These workers will soon begin picking up unemployment checks, a new burden on the federal budget, to which will be added the cost of expanding food stamps, rent supplements and welfare payments.
Consider education.
Though Harvard, with its $41 billion endowment, was shamed into returning the $8.7 million in bailout money coming its way, does anyone believe the stream of U.S. revenue going into higher education will ever fall back to what it was before the pandemic?
As for that $1.5 trillion in student loan debt, is it more likely that vast sum will be paid back by those who incurred the debt, or that it will be piled atop the federal debt?
Congress has already voted to bail out our stressed hospitals.
Now, standing patiently in line for their bailouts, are the states—and America’s cities and counties. These governmental units are virtually all certain to face falling tax revenue and expanded social demands, leading to exploding deficits.
Their case: You bailed out the businesses and the hospitals. What about us? When does our turn come?
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, anticipating the mammoth bill for bailing out states and cities, has suggested that governments be allowed to use bankruptcy laws to write down and write off their debts.
Probably not going to happen.
Recall what happened when President Gerald Ford told New York City that Uncle Sam was not going to bail out the Big Apple. “Ford to City: Drop Dead!” was the famous headline splashed across the front page of the New York Daily News.
Ford recanted but did not recover. His perceived callousness in the face of New York City’s crisis—though that fiscal crisis was entirely of the city’s own making—factored into his defeat by Jimmy Carter.
Donald Trump is not going to give Red State governors facing gaping budget deficits because of the coronavirus crisis the wet mitten across the face. For his political future will be decided by those states.
Still, the cost of bailing them out promises to be enormous and to create a precedent for bailouts without end.
Then there is the clamor, already begun, from, and on behalf of, the Third World. The IMF, World Bank and the West, it is said, have a moral obligation to replace revenue shortfalls these nations are facing from lost remittances from their workers in the developed world.
There is talk of hundreds of billions of dollars in monetary transfers from the world’s North to the world’s South.
Anti-tax activist Grover Norquist once famously declared: “I don’t want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub.”
What is more likely to be drowned in that bathtub is the philosophy: “That government governs best which governs least.”
What is more likely to be drowned in that bathtub is the philosophy that champions small government, the primacy of the private sector, a belief in “pay as you go,” and that “balanced budgets” are the ideal.
Call it Robert Taft conservatism. Today, it appears irrelevant.
Indeed, the one certain victor in the coronavirus pandemic war will likely be Big Government. As John Donne wrote, “No winter shall abate this spring’s increase.”
Patrick J. Buchanan is co-founder of TAC and the author of Nixon’s White House Wars: The Battles That Made and Broke a President and Divided America Forever.


theamericanconservative--2020-04-25--County Puts Bag Recycling Before Grocery Workers’ Health

American shoppers and grocers on April 11 , 2020 .
( Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call ) Politicians nowadays are shutting down everything except their own virtue signaling .
The COVID-19 pandemic is spurring restrictions and lockdowns across the nation .
But one Washington area government showcases the shams behind some of the political rescue efforts .
“ Loco MoCo ” is the nickname for Montgomery County , Maryland—one of the most zealous liberal jurisdictions in the nation .
Unfortunately , the county of a million people is also a pandemic hotspot , with 2,868 cases and 110 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , federal health officials vigorously discouraged average citizens from wearing facemasks to curtail COVID .
Surgeon General Jerome Adams even warned that wearing a mask could increase people ’ s chances of becoming infected .
But almost overnight , wearing masks went from a dangerous indulgence to a legally commanded performance .
On April 9 , Montgomery County ’ s chief health officer , Travis Gayles , decreed that any grocery store customer who failed to wear a mask would be fined $ 500 .
Gayles discouraged local residents from acquiring and wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surgical masks or N95 masks , which the county said “ should be reserved for health care workers.
” At least Gayles did not threaten to send SWAT teams after any citizen who procured good masks .
Gayles later rescinded the threat to fine individuals , but added new restrictions on grocery shopping in the county .
Hundreds of grocery workers nationwide have been infected by the coronavirus and at least 30 have died .
One of the biggest sources of contagions in grocery stores is ratty old recycling bags that customers drag @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York Times science columnist John Tierney reported that a study of “ supermarkets in Arizona and California found large numbers of bacteria in almost all the reusable bags—and no contamination in any of the new single-use plastic bags.
” Meanwhile , the San Francisco Department of Public Health stated that it was plausible that “ widespread use of reusable bags may cause gastrointenstinal infections if they are not regularly cleaned.
” Dirty grocery tote bags put grocery workers in peril , and a Chicago union called for an “ end to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the peril of reusable bags was so strong that San Francisco , the Valhalla for American leftists , banned customers from bringing their reusable bags to stores , and many other localities and states suspended their bag taxes or banned the use of reusable bags .
LoCo MoCo , which imposed a tax on plastic grocery bags in 2011 , momentarily lurched in the direction of sane health policy .
Councilmember Will Jawando , a former Obama administration official , crafted a bill to suspend the grocery bag tax to “ minimize risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of all Montgomery County residents must come first.
” He quickly garnered five co-sponsors on the nine-member county council .
Councilmember Nancy Navarrodeclared “ it is critical that we do eliminate whatever kind of possibility of transmission there might be.
” But the Sierra Club and other environmental groups vehemently objected .
The Sierra Club warned that suspending the tax “ will erode the County ’ s significant progress in addressing plastic pollution.
” The environmental group fretted that suspending the bag tax will leave “ the public with a false sense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” which “ are difficult to clean.
” Yo , Sierra Club !
That ’ s why they are called “ single-use ” bags .
The County Council quickly capitulated to the environmentalist backlash .
Instead , they offered a farcical Solomonic solution—at least as far as sawing off a chunk of grocery workers ’ life expectancy .
The bag tax was sustained but , as Jawando announced in a press release , chief health officer Gayles will encourage people to wash reusable bags after each visit to the grocery store .
Jawando @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Environmental Protection has agreed to work on a campaign and resources to remind consumers to wash their reusable bags that can be posted at grocery stores and retail establishments.
” These efforts will be as effective as an edict requiring all shoppers to hop through grocery stores on their left foot while holding their breath .
A veteran grocery clerk at a large chain store scoffed when I told him the county would urge shoppers to wash their battered bags .
A University of Arizona study found that “ 97 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thereby turning them into petri dishes of bacteria growth , ” as Tierney noted .
But “ wash your bags after every shopping trip ” finger-wagging permits liberals to pretend to give a damn about grocery store clerks .
Maryland officials predict that the coronavirus epidemic will peak in the coming days—long before county education efforts on grocery bags get rolling .
I asked the health department how many local residents “ currently use proper sanitary methods with their reusable bags , ” but got no response .
The health department also failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many additional cases of COVID-19 may result from residents bringing contaminated bags to the grocery store.
” Similarly , Councilmember Nancy Navarro did not respond to my emailed question : “ How many additional COVID-19 infections should Montgomery County be willing to accept or tolerate to signal the county government ’ s support for recycling ?
” Perhaps the only thing more sacred in Montgomery County than environmentalist posturing is government revenue .
County Councilmember Hans Riemer , who co-sponsored Jawando ’ s initial bill , said that suspending the bag tax was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ addressed ] a minimal health issue.
” Riemer also noted that suspending the tax , “ would have cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement , ” the DCist noted .
Riemer explained : “ A lot of councilmembers just thought it wasn ’ t worth the effort.
” Besides , any grocery clerks who perish as a result of tainted reusable bags were probably not major campaign donors anyhow .
Maybe Montgomery County and the Sierra Club could formally consecrate grocery store clerks who die of COVID as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MoCo grocery bag tax flip flop helps explain why so many Americans scoff at Pandemic Security Theater .
James Bovard is the author of Lost Rights , Attention Deficit Democracy , and Public Policy Hooligan .
He is also a USA Today columnist .
Follow him on Twitter @ JimBovard .

Politicians nowadays are shutting down everything except their own virtue signaling. The COVID-19 pandemic is spurring restrictions and lockdowns across the nation. But one Washington area government showcases the shams behind some of the political rescue efforts.
“Loco MoCo” is the nickname for Montgomery County, Maryland—one of the most zealous liberal jurisdictions in the nation. Unfortunately, the county of a million people is also a pandemic hotspot, with 2,868 cases and 110 deaths as of Wednesday.
Until last month, federal health officials vigorously discouraged average citizens from wearing facemasks to curtail COVID. Surgeon General Jerome Adams even warned that wearing a mask could increase people’s chances of becoming infected. But almost overnight, wearing masks went from a dangerous indulgence to a legally commanded performance.
On April 9, Montgomery County’s chief health officer, Travis Gayles, decreed that any grocery store customer who failed to wear a mask would be fined $500. Gayles discouraged local residents from acquiring and wearing the most reliable protection, such as surgical masks or N95 masks, which the county said “should be reserved for health care workers.” At least Gayles did not threaten to send SWAT teams after any citizen who procured good masks. Gayles later rescinded the threat to fine individuals, but added new restrictions on grocery shopping in the county.
Hundreds of grocery workers nationwide have been infected by the coronavirus and at least 30 have died. One of the biggest sources of contagions in grocery stores is ratty old recycling bags that customers drag along to tote their purchases home. New York Times science columnist John Tierney reported that a study of “supermarkets in Arizona and California found large numbers of bacteria in almost all the reusable bags—and no contamination in any of the new single-use plastic bags.”
Meanwhile, the San Francisco Department of Public Health stated that it was plausible that “widespread use of reusable bags may cause gastrointenstinal infections if they are not regularly cleaned.”
Dirty grocery tote bags put grocery workers in peril, and a Chicago union called for an “end to the disease-transmitting bag tax.” The evidence on the peril of reusable bags was so strong that San Francisco, the Valhalla for American leftists, banned customers from bringing their reusable bags to stores, and many other localities and states suspended their bag taxes or banned the use of reusable bags.
LoCo MoCo, which imposed a tax on plastic grocery bags in 2011, momentarily lurched in the direction of sane health policy. Councilmember Will Jawando, a former Obama administration official, crafted a bill to suspend the grocery bag tax to “minimize risk” because “the health and safety of all Montgomery County residents must come first.” He quickly garnered five co-sponsors on the nine-member county council. Councilmember Nancy Navarro declared “it is critical that we do eliminate whatever kind of possibility of transmission there might be.”
But the Sierra Club and other environmental groups vehemently objected. The Sierra Club warned that suspending the tax “will erode the County’s significant progress in addressing plastic pollution.” The environmental group fretted that suspending the bag tax will leave “the public with a false sense of security in encouraging single-use plastic shopping bags” which “are difficult to clean.” Yo, Sierra Club! That’s why they are called “single-use” bags.
The County Council quickly capitulated to the environmentalist backlash. Instead, they offered a farcical Solomonic solution—at least as far as sawing off a chunk of grocery workers’ life expectancy. The bag tax was sustained but, as Jawando announced in a press release, chief health officer Gayles will encourage people to wash reusable bags after each visit to the grocery store. Jawando also revealed that the local “Department of Environmental Protection has agreed to work on a campaign and resources to remind consumers to wash their reusable bags that can be posted at grocery stores and retail establishments.”
These efforts will be as effective as an edict requiring all shoppers to hop through grocery stores on their left foot while holding their breath. A veteran grocery clerk at a large chain store scoffed when I told him the county would urge shoppers to wash their battered bags. A University of Arizona study found that “97 percent of people never washed their reusable bags, thereby turning them into petri dishes of bacteria growth,” as Tierney noted. But “wash your bags after every shopping trip” finger-wagging permits liberals to pretend to give a damn about grocery store clerks.
Maryland officials predict that the coronavirus epidemic will peak in the coming days—long before county education efforts on grocery bags get rolling. I asked the health department how many local residents “currently use proper sanitary methods with their reusable bags,” but got no response. The health department also failed to provide “an estimate of how many additional cases of COVID-19 may result from residents bringing contaminated bags to the grocery store.” Similarly, Councilmember Nancy Navarro did not respond to my emailed question: “How many additional COVID-19 infections should Montgomery County be willing to accept or tolerate to signal the county government’s support for recycling?”
Perhaps the only thing more sacred in Montgomery County than environmentalist posturing is government revenue. County Councilmember Hans Riemer, who co-sponsored Jawando’s initial bill, said that suspending the bag tax was “too complicated … expensive, and [addressed] a minimal health issue.” Riemer also noted that suspending the tax, “would have cost the county hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement,” the DCist noted. Riemer explained: “A lot of councilmembers just thought it wasn’t worth the effort.”
Besides, any grocery clerks who perish as a result of tainted reusable bags were probably not major campaign donors anyhow. Maybe Montgomery County and the Sierra Club could formally consecrate grocery store clerks who die of COVID as martyrs in the recycling wars. The MoCo grocery bag tax flip flop helps explain why so many Americans scoff at Pandemic Security Theater.
James Bovard is the author of Lost Rights, Attention Deficit Democracy, and Public Policy Hooligan. He is also a USA Today columnist. Follow him on Twitter @JimBovard.


theamericanconservative--2020-04-26--Michigan Is 2020’s Biggest Prize. Here’s How the GOP Can Win It

Election Day 2020 is now just under 200 days away .
In pandemic time , that probably translates to about 200 years away .
Nevertheless , presidential campaigns are beginning to ramp up , and as each side finalizes its strategy for the coming months , one state is likely to be among the highest priorities for both camps : Michigan .
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak , the Wolverine State was already being discussed as a top battleground .
It was one of the most closely contested states of the 2016 cycle , with President Trump carrying it by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electoral votes vastly shift the 2020 White House odds depending on who wins them .
And it is also a rare potential pick up opportunity for the Senate GOP this year in what could prove to be an uphill battle to hold the chamber .
However , the coronavirus has also shifted Michigan even further into the spotlight .
As an early disease hotspot , the state ’ s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has garnered a great deal of media attention , and she ’ s now showing up on many of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But her draconian shutdown restrictions in response to the virus , some of the strictest in the country , have also galvanized large protests and turned the state into a flashpoint in the debate over when and how to reopen America ’ s economy .
These issues are likely to define the presidential campaign as we head into the fall .
Current polling in Michigan suggests the race will once again be a close one—for example , a survey commissioned earlier this month by my own organization , American Principles Project , showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dead heat and the state ’ s Senate race within the margin of error as well .
For Trump and Republicans , finding an issue to give them an edge will be critical .
Of course , defining the President ’ s response to the coronavirus and its economic impacts will be a significant factor .
But another issue may also loom as a potential game changer .
Right now in Michigan , an effort is under way to add a controversial initiative to the state ’ s ballot in November—one which would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orientation and gender identity ” ( SOGI ) to state nondiscrimination law .
While the measure has widespread support from Democrats ( whose federal “ Equality Act ” would do the same thing nationally ) , the establishment media , and corporate giants such as the auto industry , many Michiganders likely don ’ t have a real understanding of the radical consequences which would result from its passage .
However , when voters are told , the evidence shows they are firmly against it .
Drawing again from APP ’ s recent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democrats ’ LGBT extremism could be a major weakness for them in the state .
For example , when asked about the prospect of biological males being allowed to compete in women ’ s sports , a logical effect of the SOGI change , Michigan voters were strongly opposed by a 66 percent to 14 percent margin .
This level of opposition could also be found for other hot-button LGBT agenda items .
Voters opposed allowing children to undergo physical sex change procedures , 68-15 .
They opposed allowing biological male inmates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prisons , 67-11 .
And they opposed libraries holding Drag Queen Story Hours , 61-26 .
Incredibly , almost every major Democrat supports these actions , often enthusiastically .
Earlier this year , Joe Biden tweeted that “ Transgender equality is the civil rights issue of our time .
There is no room for compromise , ” and the incumbent Democratic Senator Gary Peters is a co-sponsor on the previously mentioned pro-SOGI “ Equality Act.
” As shown above , these ought to be obvious vulnerabilities for the Democratic Party .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the GOP prepared to hold them accountable ?
Republicans will not need to do much work to bring these issues to the fore .
The SOGI ballot initiative itself has the potential to make these issues the central ones of the election , and my own group , APP , has committed to getting involved in Michigan and drawing awareness to this battle as well .
With the most important state of 2020 hanging in the balance , this may represent the GOP ’ s best opportunity to land a decisive blow in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not afford to ignore it .
Frank Cannon ( @ FrankCannonAPP ) is the president of American Principles Project , a conservative nonprofit dedicated to putting human dignity at the heart of public policy .

Election Day 2020 is now just under 200 days away. In pandemic time, that probably translates to about 200 years away. Nevertheless, presidential campaigns are beginning to ramp up, and as each side finalizes its strategy for the coming months, one state is likely to be among the highest priorities for both camps: Michigan.
Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Wolverine State was already being discussed as a top battleground. It was one of the most closely contested states of the 2016 cycle, with President Trump carrying it by only about 10,000 votes. Its 16 electoral votes vastly shift the 2020 White House odds depending on who wins them. And it is also a rare potential pick up opportunity for the Senate GOP this year in what could prove to be an uphill battle to hold the chamber.
However, the coronavirus has also shifted Michigan even further into the spotlight. As an early disease hotspot, the state’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has garnered a great deal of media attention, and she’s now showing up on many of the party’s vice president shortlists. But her draconian shutdown restrictions in response to the virus, some of the strictest in the country, have also galvanized large protests and turned the state into a flashpoint in the debate over when and how to reopen America’s economy. These issues are likely to define the presidential campaign as we head into the fall.
Current polling in Michigan suggests the race will once again be a close one—for example, a survey commissioned earlier this month by my own organization, American Principles Project, showed President Trump and Joe Biden in a dead heat and the state’s Senate race within the margin of error as well. For Trump and Republicans, finding an issue to give them an edge will be critical. Of course, defining the President’s response to the coronavirus and its economic impacts will be a significant factor. But another issue may also loom as a potential game changer.
Right now in Michigan, an effort is under way to add a controversial initiative to the state’s ballot in November—one which would ask voters to approve adding “sexual orientation and gender identity” (SOGI) to state nondiscrimination law. While the measure has widespread support from Democrats (whose federal “Equality Act” would do the same thing nationally), the establishment media, and corporate giants such as the auto industry, many Michiganders likely don’t have a real understanding of the radical consequences which would result from its passage. However, when voters are told, the evidence shows they are firmly against it.
Drawing again from APP’s recent Michigan poll, it is clear that the Democrats’ LGBT extremism could be a major weakness for them in the state. For example, when asked about the prospect of biological males being allowed to compete in women’s sports, a logical effect of the SOGI change, Michigan voters were strongly opposed by a 66 percent to 14 percent margin. This level of opposition could also be found for other hot-button LGBT agenda items. Voters opposed allowing children to undergo physical sex change procedures, 68-15. They opposed allowing biological male inmates to be housed in women’s prisons, 67-11. And they opposed libraries holding Drag Queen Story Hours, 61-26.
Incredibly, almost every major Democrat supports these actions, often enthusiastically. Earlier this year, Joe Biden tweeted that “Transgender equality is the civil rights issue of our time. There is no room for compromise,” and the incumbent Democratic Senator Gary Peters is a co-sponsor on the previously mentioned pro-SOGI “Equality Act.” As shown above, these ought to be obvious vulnerabilities for the Democratic Party. But the question remains: Are President Trump and the GOP prepared to hold them accountable?
Republicans will not need to do much work to bring these issues to the fore. The SOGI ballot initiative itself has the potential to make these issues the central ones of the election, and my own group, APP, has committed to getting involved in Michigan and drawing awareness to this battle as well. With the most important state of 2020 hanging in the balance, this may represent the GOP’s best opportunity to land a decisive blow in their favor come Election Day. They cannot afford to ignore it.
Frank Cannon (@FrankCannonAPP) is the president of American Principles Project, a conservative nonprofit dedicated to putting human dignity at the heart of public policy.


theamericanconservative--2020-04-27--‘Calexit’ May Be A Long Way Off, But Balkanization Won’t Be

Gov .
Newsom 's nation state is moving toward some kind of independence and the rest of the country should be willing to let it go .
Every American Governor thinks his or her state is special , but only California Governor Gavin Newsom regularly refers to his as a “ nation-state.
” The coronavirus pandemic has provided a high-profile stage for Newsom to play out his ambitions .
He was the first governor in the country to issue a statewide lockdown .
Together with Oregon Governor Kate Brown , he became the first to issue an official “ roadmap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Washington Governor Jay Inslee , Newsom also announced his intention to create a coordinated regional plan for a phased return to normal social and economic life all along the west coast .
While media fanfare around the roadmap has outpaced the plan itself , California is one of only a handful of states beginning to think practically about how to enter ‘ phase 2 ’ of the coronavirus pandemic—the time after the harsh lockdowns of ‘ phase 1 ’ but before ‘ phase 3 ’ normality .
This has put Newsom in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump over who has the authority―and who will take the political credit―for making America work again .
The California roadmap is the latest in a long line of policies practically and symbolically distancing the Golden State from the rest of the country .
California has long been the only state granted the right to maintain its own auto emissions standards .
Since 2017 it has prevented state employees from traveling on official business to other states that , in the evaluation of its Attorney General , maintain legal “ discrimination on the basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or gender expression.
” California is a self-declared “ sanctuary state ” limiting the degree to which state and local law enforcement may cooperate with federal immigration officials .
In 2019 it began covering certain illegal immigrants in its state Medicaid program , and this year created a state-based coronavirus relief fund specifically for residents who are in the country unlawfully .
There is no doubt that California is both very peculiar and very large .
Yet neither quality lends it the status of a nation , nor does it make California a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the term .
Nonetheless one day it could become so , and the coronavirus pandemic is creating novel opportunities for California to travel down just such a path .
The state already has the political infrastructure to begin entertaining independence .
In 2015 a set of quixotic activists formed the California National Party dedicated to the proposition that Californians deserve their own country .
The next year a parallel organization , Yes California , formed to support an independence referendum for the state .
Both the California National Party and Yes California are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( SNP ) and the organization Yes Scotland that spearheaded the campaign for Scottish independence in 2014 .
Like their California emulators , the SNP was once little more than a fringe player in Scottish politics and for decades Scottish independence was considered a crackpot idea .
All that changed in the 1980s and 1990s under eighteen consecutive years of Conservative Party rule in the United Kingdom .
While England voted for Margaret Thatcher and her successor John Major , Scotland kept voting Labour .
The partisan divide between the two countries grew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this long Tory era in 1997 , not a single Conservative Member of Parliament remained in Scotland .
As SNP members are continually fond of saying—both back then and under David Cameron , Theresa May and Boris Johnson―Scotland repeatedly got governments it didn ’ t vote for .
In the eyes of Scottish nationalists , the only way out is secession .
Californians can make a similar appeal .
The state ’ s Electoral College votes haven ’ t gone to a Republican in over thirty years .
Republicans haven ’ t controlled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in twenty-four years and there hasn ’ t been a single Republican elected to statewide office in California in ten years .
Yet since 2000 Republicans have controlled the Presidency and the U.S. Senate 60 percent of the time and the U.S. House of Representatives 70 percent of the time .
For eight of the past twenty years there has even been a Republican trifecta—simultaneous control of the White House and both houses of Congress .
While Donald Trump won 46 percent of the national popular vote in 2016 , he received a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third lowest proportion of any state in the country .
The day after the election # Calexit became a leading social media hashtag .
When campaigning for governor in 2018 , Gavin Newsom told voters they were selecting the next “ head of the resistance ” to the President .
Four years of the Trump presidency have made many Californians grind their teeth , but the state is still far from taking secession seriously .
Yes California failed in both its 2017 and 2018 signature drives , and the California National Party is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party granted automatic ballot placement .
A Trump victory in November , however , could change the state ’ s mood .
Yes California is hoping as much .
Its current leader predicts “ If Trump is re-elected in 2020 … California will push for secession.
” Its former president even voted for Trump in 2016 as a kind of Leninist strategy to heighten the contradictions between California and the rest of the country .
Still , the barriers to a second Bear Flag Revolt are formidable and , contrary to the hopes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California , there are far fewer meaningful parallels between Scotland and California than at first glance .
Unlike the United Kingdom , the United States is a federal republic in which the states are powerful and semi-sovereign entities able to exercise considerable autonomy from the national government .
If California doesn ’ t like federal policy , it can ( and often already does ) follow its own .
Also unlike the UK , the U.S. has a presidential system with an independent legislature .
In the U.S. this more often than not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unwelcome president .
Finally the Twenty-Second Amendment ensures Trump will serve no more than eight years as president , unlike Margaret Thatcher ’ s eleven-and-a-half as Prime Minister of a deeply antagonistic Scotland .
Most importantly , however , California lacks the makings of a real nation .
While the traditional definition of a nation highlights shared race , religion and language , none of these distinguish contemporary Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom .
What makes Scotland a nation is its historical and contemporary sense of self .
Scots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 900-year history as an independent kingdom followed by 300 years as a legally distinct part of the United Kingdom .
California ’ s life as an independent republic lasted less than a month and prior to the gold rush barely 7000 Spanish , Mexican or American settlers lived in the state ’ s present-day borders .
Meanwhile , Scotland ’ s deep historical memory is supported by a remarkably stable population .
At its most recent census , 83 percent of the residents of Scotland were born there ( a higher total than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were born in the United Kingdom ( the same percentage of foreign-born as Nebraska ) .
California ’ s lack of historical roots is exacerbated by the ephemeral nature of its current population .
Only 54 percent of its residents were born in the state while just 72 percent were born in the U.S .
In 2018 , over 2 percent of the California population had lived in the state less than a year .
A territory full of born-and-bred natives with local lineages going back centuries might fight for independence .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lookout for the next ticket in or out will not .
But if independence isn ’ t on California ’ s horizon , a decentralization of political power to the states might be .
The current public squabble over the authority to enter and manage ‘ phase 2 ’ of the pandemic is the tip of the spear .
Concern over a second wave of the pandemic exacerbated by movement between states with different lockdown dates and practices will tempt governors to make their borders more than simple lines on a map .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ diversity is the perfect premise for a balkanization of ‘ phase 2 ’ practices lasting a year or more .
Differing state capacities and political values will govern different balances between privacy and public health through any possible regime of ‘ test and trace ’ .
As America ’ s largest state , California is well positioned to ride the federalist wave .
But its strong ideological commitment to open borders and maximal social diversity will make a decentralized America a difficult one to manage .
While Governor Newsom likes to speak of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies to other states , its less touted and much more significant export is its people .
In 2018 nearly 700,000 California residents , almost 2 percent of the state ’ s population , left for other parts of the country while an untold number more moved abroad .
California is a popular staging ground for immigrants to gain a foothold in America and then move onward to more attractive states such as Texas , Arizona , and Nevada .
A Trump victory in November would obviously put California at sharp odds with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s turn to immigration restriction and border enforcement .
In response Californians could begin demanding their own autonomous immigration policy , much as Scotland now seeks and Quebec already has .
To ensure California ’ s separate system doesn ’ t become the tail that wags the larger national immigration dog , California residency requirements for immigrants would have to be imposed .
Temporary phase 2 restrictions on internal mobility could easily generate the infrastructure for a more permanent system to serve an asymmetrically devolved immigration regime .
California has already begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizen .
It allows non-citizens ( both legal and illegal residents ) to vote in some local elections , to serve on state government boards and committees , and to receive state-based coronavirus relief funds .
A California with its own immigration policy on top of its own nascent sense of ‘ residentship ’ would be a California that has taken a real step toward independence .
And much like the plurality of English voters now looking at Scotland ’ s continuing demands for independence , the rest of the United States could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California go .
Darel E. Paul is a professor of political science at Williams College .
His latest book is From Tolerance to Equality : How Elites Brought America to Same-Sex Marriage ( Baylor University Press , 2018 ) .

Every American Governor thinks his or her state is special, but only California Governor Gavin Newsom regularly refers to his as a “nation-state.”
The coronavirus pandemic has provided a high-profile stage for Newsom to play out his ambitions. He was the first governor in the country to issue a statewide lockdown. Together with Oregon Governor Kate Brown, he became the first to issue an official “roadmap” for ending it. Joining Brown and Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Newsom also announced his intention to create a coordinated regional plan for a phased return to normal social and economic life all along the west coast.
While media fanfare around the roadmap has outpaced the plan itself, California is one of only a handful of states beginning to think practically about how to enter ‘phase 2’ of the coronavirus pandemic—the time after the harsh lockdowns of ‘phase 1’ but before ‘phase 3’ normality. This has put Newsom in particular on a collision course with President Trump over who has the authority―and who will take the political credit―for making America work again.
The California roadmap is the latest in a long line of policies practically and symbolically distancing the Golden State from the rest of the country. California has long been the only state granted the right to maintain its own auto emissions standards. Since 2017 it has prevented state employees from traveling on official business to other states that, in the evaluation of its Attorney General, maintain legal “discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.” California is a self-declared “sanctuary state” limiting the degree to which state and local law enforcement may cooperate with federal immigration officials. In 2019 it began covering certain illegal immigrants in its state Medicaid program, and this year created a state-based coronavirus relief fund specifically for residents who are in the country unlawfully.
There is no doubt that California is both very peculiar and very large. Yet neither quality lends it the status of a nation, nor does it make California a state in the international legal sense of the term. Nonetheless one day it could become so, and the coronavirus pandemic is creating novel opportunities for California to travel down just such a path.
The state already has the political infrastructure to begin entertaining independence. In 2015 a set of quixotic activists formed the California National Party dedicated to the proposition that Californians deserve their own country. The next year a parallel organization, Yes California, formed to support an independence referendum for the state. Both the California National Party and Yes California are self-consciously modeled after the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the organization Yes Scotland that spearheaded the campaign for Scottish independence in 2014.
Like their California emulators, the SNP was once little more than a fringe player in Scottish politics and for decades Scottish independence was considered a crackpot idea. All that changed in the 1980s and 1990s under eighteen consecutive years of Conservative Party rule in the United Kingdom. While England voted for Margaret Thatcher and her successor John Major, Scotland kept voting Labour. The partisan divide between the two countries grew so large that by the end of this long Tory era in 1997, not a single Conservative Member of Parliament remained in Scotland. As SNP members are continually fond of saying—both back then and under David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson―Scotland repeatedly got governments it didn’t vote for. In the eyes of Scottish nationalists, the only way out is secession.
Californians can make a similar appeal. The state’s Electoral College votes haven’t gone to a Republican in over thirty years. Republicans haven’t controlled a house of the California state legislature in twenty-four years and there hasn’t been a single Republican elected to statewide office in California in ten years. Yet since 2000 Republicans have controlled the Presidency and the U.S. Senate 60 percent of the time and the U.S. House of Representatives 70 percent of the time. For eight of the past twenty years there has even been a Republican trifecta—simultaneous control of the White House and both houses of Congress. While Donald Trump won 46 percent of the national popular vote in 2016, he received a mere 32 percent in California, the third lowest proportion of any state in the country. The day after the election #Calexit became a leading social media hashtag. When campaigning for governor in 2018, Gavin Newsom told voters they were selecting the next “head of the resistance” to the President.
Four years of the Trump presidency have made many Californians grind their teeth, but the state is still far from taking secession seriously. Yes California failed in both its 2017 and 2018 signature drives, and the California National Party is still not a “qualified” political party granted automatic ballot placement. A Trump victory in November, however, could change the state’s mood. Yes California is hoping as much. Its current leader predicts “If Trump is re-elected in 2020 … California will push for secession.” Its former president even voted for Trump in 2016 as a kind of Leninist strategy to heighten the contradictions between California and the rest of the country.
Still, the barriers to a second Bear Flag Revolt are formidable and, contrary to the hopes of the California National Party and Yes California, there are far fewer meaningful parallels between Scotland and California than at first glance. Unlike the United Kingdom, the United States is a federal republic in which the states are powerful and semi-sovereign entities able to exercise considerable autonomy from the national government. If California doesn’t like federal policy, it can (and often already does) follow its own. Also unlike the UK, the U.S. has a presidential system with an independent legislature. In the U.S. this more often than not produces divided government and tempers fears of an unwelcome president. Finally the Twenty-Second Amendment ensures Trump will serve no more than eight years as president, unlike Margaret Thatcher’s eleven-and-a-half as Prime Minister of a deeply antagonistic Scotland.
Most importantly, however, California lacks the makings of a real nation. While the traditional definition of a nation highlights shared race, religion and language, none of these distinguish contemporary Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom. What makes Scotland a nation is its historical and contemporary sense of self. Scots have a strong identity founded upon a 900-year history as an independent kingdom followed by 300 years as a legally distinct part of the United Kingdom. California’s life as an independent republic lasted less than a month and prior to the gold rush barely 7000 Spanish, Mexican or American settlers lived in the state’s present-day borders.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s deep historical memory is supported by a remarkably stable population. At its most recent census, 83 percent of the residents of Scotland were born there (a higher total than any U.S. state) while 93 percent were born in the United Kingdom (the same percentage of foreign-born as Nebraska). California’s lack of historical roots is exacerbated by the ephemeral nature of its current population. Only 54 percent of its residents were born in the state while just 72 percent were born in the U.S. In 2018, over 2 percent of the California population had lived in the state less than a year. A territory full of born-and-bred natives with local lineages going back centuries might fight for independence. A place full of transients constantly on the lookout for the next ticket in or out will not.
But if independence isn’t on California’s horizon, a decentralization of political power to the states might be. The current public squabble over the authority to enter and manage ‘phase 2’ of the pandemic is the tip of the spear. Concern over a second wave of the pandemic exacerbated by movement between states with different lockdown dates and practices will tempt governors to make their borders more than simple lines on a map. The country’s considerable size and diversity is the perfect premise for a balkanization of ‘phase 2’ practices lasting a year or more. Differing state capacities and political values will govern different balances between privacy and public health through any possible regime of ‘test and trace’.
As America’s largest state, California is well positioned to ride the federalist wave. But its strong ideological commitment to open borders and maximal social diversity will make a decentralized America a difficult one to manage. While Governor Newsom likes to speak of California “exporting” its excess medical supplies to other states, its less touted and much more significant export is its people. In 2018 nearly 700,000 California residents, almost 2 percent of the state’s population, left for other parts of the country while an untold number more moved abroad. California is a popular staging ground for immigrants to gain a foothold in America and then move onward to more attractive states such as Texas, Arizona, and Nevada.
A Trump victory in November would obviously put California at sharp odds with much of the rest of the country’s turn to immigration restriction and border enforcement. In response Californians could begin demanding their own autonomous immigration policy, much as Scotland now seeks and Quebec already has. To ensure California’s separate system doesn’t become the tail that wags the larger national immigration dog, California residency requirements for immigrants would have to be imposed. Temporary phase 2 restrictions on internal mobility could easily generate the infrastructure for a more permanent system to serve an asymmetrically devolved immigration regime.
California has already begun to erase the distinction between resident and citizen. It allows non-citizens (both legal and illegal residents) to vote in some local elections, to serve on state government boards and committees, and to receive state-based coronavirus relief funds. A California with its own immigration policy on top of its own nascent sense of ‘residentship’ would be a California that has taken a real step toward independence. And much like the plurality of English voters now looking at Scotland’s continuing demands for independence, the rest of the United States could be perfectly willing to let such a California go.
Darel E. Paul is a professor of political science at Williams College. His latest book is From Tolerance to Equality: How Elites Brought America to Same-Sex Marriage (Baylor University Press, 2018).