lewrockwell--2020-07-06--Genghis Khan vs. Thomas Jefferson

Genghis Khan vs. Thomas Jefferson

Near my guesthouse in Busan , there ’ s a Mongolian restaurant , Chinggis Khaan .
On its sign , there ’ s a portrait of the conqueror , looking stern , with a lineup of archers on horseback , behind him .
Though I had walked by Chinggis Khaan many times , I never entered because I thought it was probably some jive joint , run by Koreans .
Located in a basement , it offers no clues to what ’ s inside .
Seeking a respite from kim chi , I finally entered Chinggis Khaan yesterday , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shrine to Mongolian nationalism .
Soon as I opened the door , I saw the baddest man ever staring back at me , and flanking Genghis were eight other khans .
On a side wall was the Mongolian flag , and a television playing Mongolian music nonstop .
Rap , heavy metal or hard core , most songs were clearly nationalistic , for they featured images of Genghis Khan , warriors on galloping horses , heroic looking archers or modern soldiers spitting rhymes .
Genghis Khan and the M ... Weatherford , Jack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 5.07 One had “ Chinggis Khaan , Chinggis Khaan ” as its refrain .
With so much rousing , badassed music , it was impossible to focus on my mutton .
I just felt like standing up on metal stirrups to shoot arrows at anything that moved .
One of Mongolia ’ s top bands , The Hu , derives its name from Hunnu , or Huns .
In the accusatory “ Yuve , Yuve , Yu , ” they growl : In Mongolia , Genghis Khan is back all right .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ equestrian statue of the man , and Mongolia ’ s highest honor is The Order of Genghis Khan , of which only one is awarded yearly .
The Hu is its latest recipient .
It wasn ’ t long ago that Mongolian scholars of Genghis Khan were killed by the Soviets .
Their crime ?
Nationalism .
The Secret History of ... Weatherford , Jack Best Price : $ 7.96 Buy New $ 9.79 For Genghis Khan ’ s 800th birthday in 1962 , Daramyn Tomor-Ochir authorized a celebration .
As the second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt secure , but just like that , Tomor-Ochir was kicked out of the party , jailed , sent into internal exile , given only lowly jobs then finally murdered in 1985 with an ax , his killers never caught .
As a rising Communist , Tomor-Ochir had denounced Byambyn Rinchen , a leading scholar and writer , for his nationalism .
Internationally , the Great Khan is also enjoying a revival , though in 1992 , Time Magazine still listed him as the worst villain of the last millennium , with Tamerlane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Mongol/Turco/Central Asian/nomadic bias here ?
Someone alert the Anti-Defamation League and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People !
Yellow horde lives matter !
At least Attila the Hun didn ’ t make the top ten .
In 1995 , however , the Washington Post simply crowned Genghis Khan as Man of the Millennium , period , beating out Christopher Columbus .
In an often cheeky editorial , Joel Achenbach rhapsodized , “ Genghis Khan was a doer [ … ] Genghis Khan reached out and touched countless lives .
Ended them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Columbus after him , Genghis Khan shrank the world [ … ] He and his descendants created a vast free-trade zone across Eurasia and greatly enhanced the linkage between the civilizations of the East and West [ … ] The Mongols [ … ] pioneered global communications seven centuries before the invention of the Internet.
” Genghis Khan was a pioneer of globalism , in short .
In his 2004 book , Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World , Jack Weatherford elaborates : Postcards from the End ... Linh Dinh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 12.95 Unlike a wealthy , slave-owning planter like Thomas Jefferson , Genghis Khan had been a slave , and he beat the American by nearly six centuries in establishing the rule of law and religious freedom .
Granted , dude wrote nada , since he couldn ’ t write , but he porked many more babes than the philosophical Jefferson , for sure , and it ’ s doubtful he bothered with courtship .
Where ’ s # Me Too on this ?
According to Oxford University , Genghis Khan has 16 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ata-Malik Juvayni observed , “ Of the issue of the race and lineage of Chingiz Khan , there are now living in the comfort of wealth and affluence more than 20,000 .
More than this I will not say… lest the readers of this history should accuse the writer of exaggeration and hyperbole and ask how from the loins of one man there could spring in so short a time so great a progeny.
” In the 21st century , Genghis Khan has been the focus of celebratory exhibitions in New York , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Kansas City , etc .
In Raleigh , he ’ s described as “ an innovative leader and statesman who brought unity , stability and religious tolerance to most of Asia and parts of Europe.
” In Bozeman , MT ( pop .
49,000 ) , museum goers were invited to discover “ the real life of one of the world ’ s greatest civilizers—the man who gave the West passports , pants , paper money , forks , and much more.
” You ’ ve got to step back and see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reduce a civilizing immortal to a blood drinking ogre who made Beijing streets “ greasy with the fat of the slain , ” according to an eyewitness , or a demon who led “ an immense horde of that detestable race of Satan , ” to quote Matthew Paris , a 13th century English monk .
As Genghis Khan becomes a god again on his home turf , another historical giant has been knocked down with dizzying speed , and Thomas Jefferson is even denounced at the University of Virginia , which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lovingly design .
Among his many accomplishments , Jefferson was the father of the American college campus , but from these sheltered villages of learning , sophomoric mobs are now howling for his scalp !
Jefferson kept over 600 slaves during his lifetime , they ’ ll tell you , and he had black boys as young as ten-years-old whipped , when they couldn ’ t pound out nails fast enough for his business .
Jefferson separated slave families , sometimes as punishment , but more often just to make a buck .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Price : $ 2.53 Buy New $ 9.24 During his life , Jefferson published only one book , Notes on the State of Virginia .
In it , he stated that blacks naturally smelled bad , had weird or bad taste , lacked foresights , couldn ’ t convey abstract thoughts , and were incapable of poetry or art .
Their attraction towards women was basically just lust , “ They are more ardent after their female : but love seems with them to be more an eager desire , than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Only in music were blacks superior to whites , for they had “ accurate ears for tune and time.
” Jefferson concluded , “ I advance it therefore as a suspicion only , that the blacks , whether originally a distinct race , or made distinct by time and circumstances , are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind , ” so it was only a suspicion , and Jefferson didn ’ t know if such inferiority was rooted in biology , history or the environment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ published in 1785 .
In a 1791 letter to Benjamin Banneker , a black astronomer and mathematician , Jefferson wrote , ‘ ‘ No body wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit , that nature has given to our black brethren , talents equal to those of the other colors of men , and that the appearance of a want of them is owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence , both in Africa and America.
’ ’ Jefferson ’ s thinking evolved .
For some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , consider the following passage : Another characteristic fact in reference to the Negroes is Slavery .
Negroes are enslaved by Europeans and sold to America .
Bad as this may be , their lot in their own land is even worse , since there a slavery quite as absolute exists ; for it is the essential principle of slavery , that man has not yet attained a consciousness of his freedom , and consequently sinks down to a mere Thing—an object of no value .
Among the Negroes moral sentiments are quite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-existent .
Parents sell their children , and conversely children their parents , as either has the opportunity .
Through the pervading influence of slavery all those bonds of moral regard which we cherish towards each other disappear , and it does not occur to the Negro mind to expect from others what we are enabled to claim .
The polygamy of the Negroes has frequently for its object the having many children , to be sold , every one of them , into slavery ; and very often naive complaints on this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case of a Negro in London , who lamented that he was now quite a poor man because he had already sold all his relations .
Blacks , this author asserted , have no moral sense , love for their parents or children , or even any conception of freedom for themselves .
Worse than an animal , they ’ re just things .
Published in 1837 , it ’ s Hegel ’ s Lectures on the Philosophy of History .
As for child labor and its abuses , consider that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were forced to be chimney sweepers .
A William Blake poem of 1789 begins : Breathing in soot , many of these kids died from lung diseases , or just falling down chimneys .
Humans have often been barbaric , and still are .
As much as anyone in history , Thomas Jefferson inspired and challenged us all to rise or fight our way out of such savagery .
With unprecedented clarity and poetry , he insisted that freedom is our natural , God-given state .
No man should be judged by his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in a man of genius , he should be celebrated at his most transcendent .
In 1962 , 49 Nobel Prize winners were invited to a White House dinner .
Kennedy greeted them , “ I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent , of human knowledge , that has ever been gathered together at the White House , with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone .
Someone once said that Thomas Jefferson was a gentleman of 32 who could calculate an eclipse , survey an estate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ edifice , try a cause , break a horse , and dance the minuet.
” As Mongols embrace their founding father , Americans denounce theirs , so who do you think have a brighter future ?
It is past midnight in Busan .
It is July 4th .
It is dark here , but it is much darker in the land of Jefferson .
Still , happy birthday .
As published at Unz Review , Smirking Chimp and OpEd News , 7/4/20 .
The Best of Linh Dinh

Near my guesthouse in Busan, there’s a Mongolian restaurant, Chinggis Khaan. On its sign, there’s a portrait of the conqueror, looking stern, with a lineup of archers on horseback, behind him.
Though I had walked by Chinggis Khaan many times, I never entered because I thought it was probably some jive joint, run by Koreans. Located in a basement, it offers no clues to what’s inside.
Seeking a respite from kim chi, I finally entered Chinggis Khaan yesterday, to discover that it’s practically a shrine to Mongolian nationalism.
Soon as I opened the door, I saw the baddest man ever staring back at me, and flanking Genghis were eight other khans. On a side wall was the Mongolian flag, and a television playing Mongolian music nonstop.
Rap, heavy metal or hard core, most songs were clearly nationalistic, for they featured images of Genghis Khan, warriors on galloping horses, heroic looking archers or modern soldiers spitting rhymes. Genghis Khan and the M... Weatherford, Jack Best Price: $1.67 Buy New $5.07 (as of 01:45 UTC - Details)
One had “Chinggis Khaan, Chinggis Khaan” as its refrain. With so much rousing, badassed music, it was impossible to focus on my mutton. I just felt like standing up on metal stirrups to shoot arrows at anything that moved.
One of Mongolia’s top bands, The Hu, derives its name from Hunnu, or Huns. In the accusatory “Yuve, Yuve, Yu,” they growl:
Though born with your ancestors’ destiny,
You sleep deeply and can’t be awakened.
How strange, how strange!
[…]
Why is it hard to lift up our nation?
How strange, how strange!
Hey you traitor, kneel down!
[…]
Destined to unite nations, Chinggis Khan
Announced himself on earth
He’ll come back, will come back.
In Mongolia, Genghis Khan is back all right. Just outside the capital is a 131-foot equestrian statue of the man, and Mongolia’s highest honor is The Order of Genghis Khan, of which only one is awarded yearly. The Hu is its latest recipient. It wasn’t long ago that Mongolian scholars of Genghis Khan were killed by the Soviets. Their crime? Nationalism. The Secret History of ... Weatherford, Jack Best Price: $7.96 Buy New $9.79 (as of 02:56 UTC - Details)
For Genghis Khan’s 800th birthday in 1962, Daramyn Tomor-Ochir authorized a celebration. As the second highest member of the politburo, he felt secure, but just like that, Tomor-Ochir was kicked out of the party, jailed, sent into internal exile, given only lowly jobs then finally murdered in 1985 with an ax, his killers never caught. As a rising Communist, Tomor-Ochir had denounced Byambyn Rinchen, a leading scholar and writer, for his nationalism.
Internationally, the Great Khan is also enjoying a revival, though in 1992, Time Magazine still listed him as the worst villain of the last millennium, with Tamerlane coming in second. Is there an anti-Mongol/Turco/Central Asian/nomadic bias here? Someone alert the Anti-Defamation League and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People! Yellow horde lives matter! At least Attila the Hun didn’t make the top ten.
In 1995, however, the Washington Post simply crowned Genghis Khan as Man of the Millennium, period, beating out Christopher Columbus.
In an often cheeky editorial, Joel Achenbach rhapsodized, “Genghis Khan was a doer […] Genghis Khan reached out and touched countless lives. Ended them, in fact […] Like Columbus after him, Genghis Khan shrank the world […] He and his descendants created a vast free-trade zone across Eurasia and greatly enhanced the linkage between the civilizations of the East and West […] The Mongols […] pioneered global communications seven centuries before the invention of the Internet.” Genghis Khan was a pioneer of globalism, in short.
In his 2004 book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, Jack Weatherford elaborates:
In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated merchants or wealthy planters, had been founded by one of its illiterate slaves, who, by the sheer force of personality, charisma, and determination, liberated America from foreign rule, united the people, created an alphabet, wrote the constitution, established universal religious freedom, invented a new system of warfare, marched an army from Canada to Brazil, and opened roads of commerce in a free-trade zone that stretched across the continents. On every level and from any perspective, the scale and scope of Genghis Khan’s accomplishments challenge the limits of imagination and tax the resources of scholarly explanation.
Postcards from the End... Linh Dinh Best Price: $7.22 Buy New $12.95 (as of 05:45 UTC - Details) Unlike a wealthy, slave-owning planter like Thomas Jefferson, Genghis Khan had been a slave, and he beat the American by nearly six centuries in establishing the rule of law and religious freedom. Granted, dude wrote nada, since he couldn’t write, but he porked many more babes than the philosophical Jefferson, for sure, and it’s doubtful he bothered with courtship. Where’s #Me Too on this? According to Oxford University, Genghis Khan has 16 million descendants.
Already in 1260, Ata-Malik Juvayni observed, “Of the issue of the race and lineage of Chingiz Khan, there are now living in the comfort of wealth and affluence more than 20,000. More than this I will not say… lest the readers of this history should accuse the writer of exaggeration and hyperbole and ask how from the loins of one man there could spring in so short a time so great a progeny.”
In the 21st century, Genghis Khan has been the focus of celebratory exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Jose and Kansas City, etc. In Raleigh, he’s described as “an innovative leader and statesman who brought unity, stability and religious tolerance to most of Asia and parts of Europe.” In Bozeman, MT (pop. 49,000), museum goers were invited to discover “the real life of one of the world’s greatest civilizers—the man who gave the West passports, pants, paper money, forks, and much more.”
You’ve got to step back and see the big picture, eh, not reduce a civilizing immortal to a blood drinking ogre who made Beijing streets “greasy with the fat of the slain,” according to an eyewitness, or a demon who led “an immense horde of that detestable race of Satan,” to quote Matthew Paris, a 13th century English monk.
As Genghis Khan becomes a god again on his home turf, another historical giant has been knocked down with dizzying speed, and Thomas Jefferson is even denounced at the University of Virginia, which he didn’t just found, but lovingly design.
Among his many accomplishments, Jefferson was the father of the American college campus, but from these sheltered villages of learning, sophomoric mobs are now howling for his scalp!
Jefferson kept over 600 slaves during his lifetime, they’ll tell you, and he had black boys as young as ten-years-old whipped, when they couldn’t pound out nails fast enough for his business. Jefferson separated slave families, sometimes as punishment, but more often just to make a buck. Thomas Jefferson: The ... Jon Meacham Best Price: $2.53 Buy New $9.24 (as of 06:55 UTC - Details)
During his life, Jefferson published only one book, Notes on the State of Virginia. In it, he stated that blacks naturally smelled bad, had weird or bad taste, lacked foresights, couldn’t convey abstract thoughts, and were incapable of poetry or art. Their attraction towards women was basically just lust, “They are more ardent after their female: but love seems with them to be more an eager desire, than a tender delicate mixture of sentiment and sensation.” Only in music were blacks superior to whites, for they had “accurate ears for tune and time.”
Jefferson concluded, “I advance it therefore as a suspicion only, that the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind,” so it was only a suspicion, and Jefferson didn’t know if such inferiority was rooted in biology, history or the environment.
Notes on the State of Virginia was published in 1785. In a 1791 letter to Benjamin Banneker, a black astronomer and mathematician, Jefferson wrote, ‘‘No body wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit, that nature has given to our black brethren, talents equal to those of the other colors of men, and that the appearance of a want of them is owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence, both in Africa and America.’’ Jefferson’s thinking evolved.
For some context into racial attitudes way back then, consider the following passage:
Another characteristic fact in reference to the Negroes is Slavery. Negroes are enslaved by Europeans and sold to America. Bad as this may be, their lot in their own land is even worse, since there a slavery quite as absolute exists; for it is the essential principle of slavery, that man has not yet attained a consciousness of his freedom, and consequently sinks down to a mere Thing—an object of no value. Among the Negroes moral sentiments are quite weak, or more strictly speaking, non-existent. Parents sell their children, and conversely children their parents, as either has the opportunity. Through the pervading influence of slavery all those bonds of moral regard which we cherish towards each other disappear, and it does not occur to the Negro mind to expect from others what we are enabled to claim. The polygamy of the Negroes has frequently for its object the having many children, to be sold, every one of them, into slavery; and very often naive complaints on this score are heard, as for instance in the case of a Negro in London, who lamented that he was now quite a poor man because he had already sold all his relations.
Blacks, this author asserted, have no moral sense, love for their parents or children, or even any conception of freedom for themselves. Worse than an animal, they’re just things. Published in 1837, it’s Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of History.
As for child labor and its abuses, consider that white English boys as young as four-years-old were forced to be chimney sweepers. A William Blake poem of 1789 begins:
When my mother died I was very young,
And my father sold me while yet my tongue
Could scarcely cry “ ‘weep! ‘weep! ‘weep! ‘weep!”
So your chimneys I sweep & in soot I sleep.
Breathing in soot, many of these kids died from lung diseases, or just falling down chimneys. Humans have often been barbaric, and still are.
As much as anyone in history, Thomas Jefferson inspired and challenged us all to rise or fight our way out of such savagery. With unprecedented clarity and poetry, he insisted that freedom is our natural, God-given state.
No man should be judged by his worst moments, but in totality, and in a man of genius, he should be celebrated at his most transcendent.
In 1962, 49 Nobel Prize winners were invited to a White House dinner. Kennedy greeted them, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone. Someone once said that Thomas Jefferson was a gentleman of 32 who could calculate an eclipse, survey an estate, tie an artery, plan an edifice, try a cause, break a horse, and dance the minuet.”
As Mongols embrace their founding father, Americans denounce theirs, so who do you think have a brighter future?
It is past midnight in Busan. It is July 4th. It is dark here, but it is much darker in the land of Jefferson. Still, happy birthday.
As published at Unz Review, Smirking Chimp and OpEd News, 7/4/20.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
The Best of Linh Dinh


lewrockwell--2020-07-07--The Texas Covid ‘Spike’ Is a Fraud

The Texas Covid ‘Spike’ Is a Fraud

On July 2nd , Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order mandating the wearing of face masks across the state , whether indoors or outdoors , when six feet can not be maintained between people .
In the governor ’ s decree , he cited a rise in Covid cases , a rise in test positivity , and a rise in hospitalizations as justification to force people to cover their faces in public .
The move is not only a violation of the civil liberties of all Texans .
Abbott may have based his executive order on inaccurate information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases due to the Texas State Department of Health Services changing the definition of what constitutes a “ Covid case.
” Thanks goes to Collin County Judge Chris Hill for blowing the whistle on what appears to be a move in mid-May to redefine what was a “ Covid ” case to open the door to a massive increase – all to match the mainstream media line that a “ second wave ” was on the way .
Fauci : The Bernie Mado ... Ortleb , Charles Buy New $ 5.99 In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May 18th , it was revealed that while previously the determination of a Covid “ case ” was a confirmed test result , the definition was suddenly changed to count “ probable ” cases as “ cases.
” At the same time , the threshold for determining “ probable ” was lowered to a ridiculous level .
As Judge Hill said at that May 18th meeting , “ If you have a subjective fever and you have a headache and you live in Collin County , you now meet the qualifications to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remarkable how low the standard is now.
” Even worse , once a “ probable ” case was determined based on possibly unrelated subjective criteria , up to 15 people in possible contact with that “ probable ” case were also listed as “ probable cases.
” And “ probable cases ” were considered cases .
Repeat that farce across Texas and is it any wonder there was a “ spike ” in “ cases ” ?
Awan Minutes To Midnig ... Webb , George Buy New $ 0.99 Also , Governor Abbott @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over-run by Covid patients was refuted by the Houston hospital directors themselves , who said they were nowhere near actual capacity and in fact were about the same level as they were last year .
The basis for Abbott ’ s unconstitutional “ executive order ” has been shown to be false .
Will he admit his mistake ?
It is encouraging to see so many local and county officials across Texas announcing they will refuse to enforce Governor Abbott ’ s unconstitutional face mask order .
Thankfully the spirit of freedom and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas .
The “ second wave ” is driven by propaganda .
Across the country , Covid testing increased from about 150,000 to more than 700,000 per day .
You can ’ t drive through Houston without seeing a flurry of signs advertising “ Free Covid test !
Results in 15 minutes !
” Last week Reuters reported that tests shipped around the country by the federal government were contaminated .
Deaths from coronavirus – even the deaths “ with ” coronavirus rather than deaths “ from ” coronavirus – are down more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April .
The decline in deaths continues .
That means we are closer to the “ herd immunity ” that will finally kill this virus .
Yet Governor Abbott and others across the country see this as a reason to lock the country back down .
The Best of Ron Paul

On July 2nd, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order mandating the wearing of face masks across the state, whether indoors or outdoors, when six feet cannot be maintained between people. In the governor’s decree, he cited a rise in Covid cases, a rise in test positivity, and a rise in hospitalizations as justification to force people to cover their faces in public.
The move is not only a violation of the civil liberties of all Texans. Abbott may have based his executive order on inaccurate information about a “rise” in Covid cases due to the Texas State Department of Health Services changing the definition of what constitutes a “Covid case.”
Thanks goes to Collin County Judge Chris Hill for blowing the whistle on what appears to be a move in mid-May to redefine what was a “Covid” case to open the door to a massive increase – all to match the mainstream media line that a “second wave” was on the way. Fauci: The Bernie Mado... Ortleb, Charles Buy New $5.99 (as of 02:55 UTC - Details)
In a Commissioners Court hearing for Collin County on May 18th, it was revealed that while previously the determination of a Covid “case” was a confirmed test result, the definition was suddenly changed to count “probable” cases as “cases.” At the same time, the threshold for determining “probable” was lowered to a ridiculous level.
As Judge Hill said at that May 18th meeting, “If you have a subjective fever and you have a headache and you live in Collin County, you now meet the qualifications to be a probable COVID patient. It is remarkable how low the standard is now.”
Even worse, once a “probable” case was determined based on possibly unrelated subjective criteria, up to 15 people in possible contact with that “probable” case were also listed as “probable cases.” And “probable cases” were considered cases.
Repeat that farce across Texas and is it any wonder there was a “spike” in “cases”? Awan Minutes To Midnig... Webb, George Buy New $0.99 (as of 05:08 UTC - Details)
Also, Governor Abbott’s claim that hospitals were being over-run by Covid patients was refuted by the Houston hospital directors themselves, who said they were nowhere near actual capacity and in fact were about the same level as they were last year.
The basis for Abbott’s unconstitutional “executive order” has been shown to be false. Will he admit his mistake?
It is encouraging to see so many local and county officials across Texas announcing they will refuse to enforce Governor Abbott’s unconstitutional face mask order. Thankfully the spirit of freedom and love of liberty is still alive in Texas.
The “second wave” is driven by propaganda. Across the country, Covid testing increased from about 150,000 to more than 700,000 per day. You can’t drive through Houston without seeing a flurry of signs advertising “Free Covid test! Results in 15 minutes!” Last week Reuters reported that tests shipped around the country by the federal government were contaminated.
Deaths from coronavirus – even the deaths “with” coronavirus rather than deaths “from” coronavirus – are down more than 90 percent since the peak in April. The decline in deaths continues. That means we are closer to the “herd immunity” that will finally kill this virus. Yet Governor Abbott and others across the country see this as a reason to lock the country back down.
The Best of Ron Paul, MD


lewrockwell--2020-07-07--29-Times More People Will Die of Lockdown Measures Than From the Covid-19 Coronavirus Itself

A Virus That Could Only Be Made In A Laboratory , The False Promise Of A Vaccine , The Failure To Recognize The Combination Of A Viral And Bacterial Infection Better Explains COVID-19-Related Deaths , And The Realization Lockdown Measures Will Kill Far More People Than The Coronavirus Itself .
• The suspicion that the COVID-19 coronavirus is man-made , that has been in circulation for some time now on the internet , has risen out of the “ conspiracy theory ” stage to bona fide scientific argument emanating from virologists in Norway who claim this novel mutated virus could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than mutated in nature .
• Furthermore , a noted pathologist in eastern Europe , based upon autopsies he has conducted , makes the bold statement that “ no one has died from the coronavirus ” and that “ it is impossible to create a vaccine against the virus ” because antibodies specific for COVID-19 have yet to be identified .
18+ years have been spent in failed attempts to produce a coronavirus vaccine .
• In addition , researchers in Romania claim the data shows very few patients solely die of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ synergistic combination of a virus + tuberculosis bacterium is the likely reason why some people die a horrid death from COVID-19 .
• Finally , The World Health Organization ( WHO ) and the Centers For Disease Control ( CDC ) have proceeded with lockdown and quarantine measures with no regard for the collateral damage which is devastating countries worldwide , leaving no foreseeable economic future and the possibility of starvation for many millions of people around the world .
Story # 1 : Norwegian virologist Birger Sørensen , in an attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elements of the COVID-19 coronavirus and have determined the six mutations identified “ could not evolve naturally.
” Sørenson ’ s group focused on parts of the virus that are changing .
Certain components of the virus are very well adapted to infect humans .
That finding raised suspicion over man-made origins of the virus .
This COVID-19 coronavirus exhibits two ways of attaching itself in the respiratory tract of humans .
One , the well-known entryway to the lower respiratory tract via ACE-2 receptors on living cells ( viruses are not live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take over its genetic machinery to replicate ) , and two , an additional receptor that causes pneumonia .
Says Sørenson : “ The structure of the virus can not have evolved naturally .
When we compare the novel ( COVID-19 ) coronavirus with the one that caused ( the previous ) SARS , we see that there are altogether six inserts in this virus that stand out compared to other known SARS viruses.
” Four of those inserts increase human vulnerability to COVID-19 infection .
These changes do not exist in other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a laboratory , he says .
Sørensen : “ We know that these properties make the virus very infectious , so if it came from nature , there should also be many animals infected with this , but we have still not been able to trace the virus in nature .
… The only place we are aware of where an equivalent virus to that which causes Covid-19 exists , is in a laboratory.
” He called this an “ inconvenient truth.
” Story # 2 : “ No one has died from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Servando Best Price : $ 22.00 Buy New $ 19.95 Calling the World Health Organization a “ criminal medical organization ” for creating fear and chaos without objective , verifiable proof of a pandemic , Dr. Stoian Alexov of the Bulgarian Pathology Association says “ No one who has died from the coronavirus .
I will repeat that : no one has died from the coronavirus.
” That eyebrow-raising statement was followed by a claim that pathologists have not been able to identify any antibodies that are specific for COVID-19 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Alexov doubts the veracity of reports that antibodies can be used to treat patients .
Dr. Alexov ’ s comments were made at the European Society of Pathology webinar on May 18 .
Dr. Alexov says COVID-19 related deaths in Italy were preceded by immunization with the H1N1 flu vaccine that suppresses the immune system , which could have increased lethality .
Dr. Alexov : “ Therefore in the absence of monoclonal antibodies to the novel coronavirus , pathologists can not verify whether the COVID-19 coronavirus is present in the body , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it indeed were caused by the virus rather than by something else.
” Dr. Alexov says “ COVID-19 is a fatal disease only in exceptional cases , but in most cases it is a predominantly harmless viral infection.
” Dr. Alexov ’ s statements were published in OFF-GUARDIAN online newspaper and included supportive backing from other health authorities .
The director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University Medical Center in Hamburg-Eppendorf , Germany also said there is a dearth of solid evidence for COVID-19 ’ s lethality .
Accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be explained the studies involving co-infections with COVID-19 and other viruses or bacteria ( Mycoacteria tuberculosis ) .
There is growing evidence that co-infection with COVID-19 coronavirus and tuberculosis ( bacterial ) spells trouble for those who are co-infected .
A more severe form of TB is postulated when both viral and bacterial infections like these are coincident .
The immune system is acutely hampered when individuals are infected by both of these pathogens , say researchers in Romania where TB is at epidemic levels .
However , the precise data needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is still in the process of being collected to confirm this association .
In Their Own Words Bracken , Donagh Best Price : $ 29.11 Buy New $ 28.94 It is known that influenza infection may promote the progression of dormant ( latent ) TB into active infection by hindering the patient ’ s immune response .
T-cell counts ( CD4 and CD8 ) can drop to undetectable levels when TB and coronavirus infections co-exist .
Higher TB death rates are reported in winter when influenza outbreaks are common .
The association of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientific traction .
Use of the TB vaccine reduces lethality for COVID-19 coronavirus infections .
Drugs used to treat COVID-19 are the same drugs used to treat TB .
Mortal outbreaks of COVID-19 coronavirus were geographically centered in areas that had been fighting TB epidemics : Wuhan , China ; Modena , Italy ; New York City , largely because of immigrant populations or aerosol contamination via wind storms of by TB from pig farms .
Also , co-infection with HIV increases the risk of dying of COVID-19 coronavirus .
There are an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; 2 billion worldwide .
It appears the fear over COVID-19 coronavirus infection is highly exaggerated except for those who are co-infected .
Story # 4 : THE LOCKDOWN WILL KILL MORE THAN THE VIRUS Collateral damage from draconian measures to control the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus is crushing economies and thrusting whole nations into the threat of extinction due to potential food shortages , shortages of currency and coins , commercial refusal to use legal tender over credit cards , and refusal to work due to fear of infection .
The Trillion-Dollar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : $ 3.35 Buy New $ 8.09 A data analyst in South Africa asserts the consequences of the country ’ s lockdown will lead to 29-times more deaths than from the coronavirus itself .
The report says attempts to save lives from the COVID-19 coronavirus over other causes of death “ is a false dichotomy.
” While the virus kills , the economy sustains .
Attempts to flatten the curve only keeps hospitals from being overwhelmed , it doesn ’ t reduce body counts .
The lockdown actually restricts accessibility to medical care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor will suffer severe consequences ahead of the rest of the population in South Africa .
Focus on saving the lives of at-risk individuals would be more effective , says the report .
In both New York City and Italy , over 95 % of the deaths occurred among individuals with co-morbid conditions ( obesity , diabetes , hypertension and autoimmunity ) .
By location and skin color , older infirm patients in nursing homes and dark-skinned individuals , both who have low vitamin D levels , are at greater risk for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entire populations leads to societal paralysis .
South Africa is trading a disease that infects widely but kills narrowly .
The lockdown disaster dwarfs the number of deaths due to COVID-19 .
Lockdown of the healthy in an attempt to save those who are ill could potentially lead to the death of all .

A Virus That Could Only Be Made In A Laboratory, The False Promise Of A Vaccine, The Failure To Recognize The Combination Of A Viral And Bacterial Infection Better Explains COVID-19-Related Deaths, And The Realization Lockdown Measures Will Kill Far More People Than The Coronavirus Itself.
Short version (synopsis)
The suspicion that the COVID-19 coronavirus is man-made, that has been in circulation for some time now on the internet, has risen out of the “conspiracy theory” stage to bona fide scientific argument emanating from virologists in Norway who claim this novel mutated virus could only have originated from a laboratory rather than mutated in nature.
Furthermore, a noted pathologist in eastern Europe, based upon autopsies he has conducted, makes the bold statement that “no one has died from the coronavirus” and that “it is impossible to create a vaccine against the virus” because antibodies specific for COVID-19 have yet to be identified. 18+ years have been spent in failed attempts to produce a coronavirus vaccine.
In addition, researchers in Romania claim the data shows very few patients solely die of the mutated COVID-19 coronavirus alone and theorize the synergistic combination of a virus + tuberculosis bacterium is the likely reason why some people die a horrid death from COVID-19. A VOYAGE IN IMAGINATIO... Holmes, Dr Joel S Buy New $9.95 (as of 04:21 UTC - Details )
Finally, The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) have proceeded with lockdown and quarantine measures with no regard for the collateral damage which is devastating countries worldwide, leaving no foreseeable economic future and the possibility of starvation for many millions of people around the world.
Story #1: Norwegian virologist Birger Sørensen, in an attempt to develop a vaccine, has broken down elements of the COVID-19 coronavirus and have determined the six mutations identified “could not evolve naturally.”
Sørenson’s group focused on parts of the virus that are changing. Certain components of the virus are very well adapted to infect humans. That finding raised suspicion over man-made origins of the virus. This COVID-19 coronavirus exhibits two ways of attaching itself in the respiratory tract of humans. One, the well-known entryway to the lower respiratory tract via ACE-2 receptors on living cells (viruses are not live and must infect a living cell and take over its genetic machinery to replicate), and two, an additional receptor that causes pneumonia. Says Sørenson:
“The structure of the virus cannot have evolved naturally. When we compare the novel (COVID-19) coronavirus with the one that caused (the previous) SARS, we see that there are altogether six inserts in this virus that stand out compared to other known SARS viruses.” Four of those inserts increase human vulnerability to COVID-19 infection.
These changes do not exist in other coronaviruses and can only be produced in a laboratory, he says.
Sørensen: “We know that these properties make the virus very infectious, so if it came from nature, there should also be many animals infected with this, but we have still not been able to trace the virus in nature. … The only place we are aware of where an equivalent virus to that which causes Covid-19 exists, is in a laboratory.” He called this an “inconvenient truth.”
Story #2: “No one has died from the coronavirus”
Psychological Warfare ... Gonzalez, Servando Best Price: $22.00 Buy New $19.95 (as of 04:13 UTC - Details) Calling the World Health Organization a “criminal medical organization” for creating fear and chaos without objective, verifiable proof of a pandemic, Dr. Stoian Alexov of the Bulgarian Pathology Association says “No one who has died from the coronavirus. I will repeat that: no one has died from the coronavirus.”
That eyebrow-raising statement was followed by a claim that pathologists have not been able to identify any antibodies that are specific for COVID-19, a requirement for the production of vaccines. Dr. Alexov doubts the veracity of reports that antibodies can be used to treat patients. Dr. Alexov’s comments were made at the European Society of Pathology webinar on May 18.
Dr. Alexov says COVID-19 related deaths in Italy were preceded by immunization with the H1N1 flu vaccine that suppresses the immune system, which could have increased lethality.
Dr. Alexov: “Therefore in the absence of monoclonal antibodies to the novel coronavirus, pathologists cannot verify whether the COVID-19 coronavirus is present in the body, or whether the diseases and deaths attributed to it indeed were caused by the virus rather than by something else.”
Dr. Alexov says “COVID-19 is a fatal disease only in exceptional cases, but in most cases it is a predominantly harmless viral infection.”
Dr. Alexov’s statements were published in OFF-GUARDIAN online newspaper and included supportive backing from other health authorities. The director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University Medical Center in Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany also said there is a dearth of solid evidence for COVID-19’s lethality.
Story #3: A CO-INFECTION BETTER EXPLAINS COVID-19 DEATHS
Accounts of COVID-19 alone having very low lethality may be explained the studies involving co-infections with COVID-19 and other viruses or bacteria (Mycoacteria tuberculosis). There is growing evidence that co-infection with COVID-19 coronavirus and tuberculosis (bacterial) spells trouble for those who are co-infected. A more severe form of TB is postulated when both viral and bacterial infections like these are coincident. The immune system is acutely hampered when individuals are infected by both of these pathogens, say researchers in Romania where TB is at epidemic levels. However, the precise data needed to predict the impact of this co-infection is still in the process of being collected to confirm this association. In Their Own Words Bracken, Donagh Best Price: $29.11 Buy New $28.94 (as of 06:23 UTC - Details)
It is known that influenza infection may promote the progression of dormant (latent) TB into active infection by hindering the patient’s immune response. T-cell counts (CD4 and CD8) can drop to undetectable levels when TB and coronavirus infections co-exist. Higher TB death rates are reported in winter when influenza outbreaks are common.
The association of COVID-19 coronavirus infections with tuberculosis is gaining scientific traction. Use of the TB vaccine reduces lethality for COVID-19 coronavirus infections. Drugs used to treat COVID-19 are the same drugs used to treat TB. Mortal outbreaks of COVID-19 coronavirus were geographically centered in areas that had been fighting TB epidemics: Wuhan, China; Modena, Italy; New York City, largely because of immigrant populations or aerosol contamination via wind storms of by TB from pig farms.
Also, co-infection with HIV increases the risk of dying of COVID-19 coronavirus. There are an estimated 13 million Americans with dormant TB; 2 billion worldwide. It appears the fear over COVID-19 coronavirus infection is highly exaggerated except for those who are co-infected.
Story #4: THE LOCKDOWN WILL KILL MORE THAN THE VIRUS
Collateral damage from draconian measures to control the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus is crushing economies and thrusting whole nations into the threat of extinction due to potential food shortages, shortages of currency and coins, commercial refusal to use legal tender over credit cards, and refusal to work due to fear of infection.
The Trillion-Dollar Co... Marrs, Jim Best Price: $3.35 Buy New $8.09 (as of 08:20 UTC - Details) A data analyst in South Africa asserts the consequences of the country’s lockdown will lead to 29-times more deaths than from the coronavirus itself. The report says attempts to save lives from the COVID-19 coronavirus over other causes of death “is a false dichotomy.” While the virus kills, the economy sustains. Attempts to flatten the curve only keeps hospitals from being overwhelmed, it doesn’t reduce body counts. The lockdown actually restricts accessibility to medical care leading to further needless deaths. The poor will suffer severe consequences ahead of the rest of the population in South Africa. Focus on saving the lives of at-risk individuals would be more effective, says the report.
In both New York City and Italy, over 95% of the deaths occurred among individuals with co-morbid conditions (obesity, diabetes, hypertension and autoimmunity). By location and skin color, older infirm patients in nursing homes and dark-skinned individuals, both who have low vitamin D levels, are at greater risk for a mortal outcome. The indiscriminate lockdown of entire populations leads to societal paralysis. South Africa is trading a disease that infects widely but kills narrowly. The lockdown disaster dwarfs the number of deaths due to COVID-19. Lockdown of the healthy in an attempt to save those who are ill could potentially lead to the death of all.


lewrockwell--2020-07-07--Russia’s Political Stability Ensured While the West Sinks

Despite what American and European commentators may think , there really is a deep desire among people to vote for their own sovereignty .
And that impulse was on full display last week with the announcement of the results of Russia ’ s public vote to approve the changes to its constitution .
The final tally put the vote at 78 % in favor with a 65 % voter turnout for the referendum .
These are the most sweeping changes to Russia ’ s constitution since it was ratified back in 1993 , which vested the President with immense power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reforms differed in one important aspect from the original one – allowing for a president to serve more than two ‘ consecutive ’ terms – the over-arching theme of the changes was to devolve power out of the presidency putting more power in the hands of the elected representatives in the Duma .
Putinomics : Power and ... Miller , Chris Best Price : $ 7.00 Buy New $ 19.29 The president ’ s cabinet is to be drawn from the Duma rather than the appointed by the president , while the State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constitution which can implement presidential edicts directly to the regions .
In effect , there is now a greater balance ( and tension ) between these various branches of government as the president loses control over appointing his cabinet but strengthens his ability to bypass the elected parliament .
What was clear at the outset of this process was that Putin was trying to prepare his succession while minimizing the potential for another ‘ foreign puppet ’ to wield the immense power of the Russian presidency , as it was under Boris Yeltsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2024 , at 71 , with an eye of maintaining a strong presence in Russian politics by leading the Security Council , which with these reforms has a more direct role in shaping military and diplomatic policy than it did before .
Back in December I did a podcast with Alexander Mercouris of The Duran where we discussed these potential changes in detail ( which pre-dates the changes to the president ’ s term limit ) which I think is important to review at this point since the changes are now law .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ from there will be valid criticisms of these changes seeing the potential for abuse , but the overall arc of them is to make Russia far more resistant to outside interference while reflecting the growing pride of Russians for their home and their surviving the hell imposed on them post-USSR .
And these changes have to be viewed through that lens .
In my mind Russia has been in a state of war with the West since late 2013 with the EU ’ s attempt to fast-track Ukraine into its bosom .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequent reunification with Crimea and the War to Prevent Donbass Secession .
Putin came to power at the height of Russia ’ s post-Soviet economic and societal collapse .
He knows who was behind it and where , metaphorically , the bodies are buried .
He is still making moves which are , at best , incremental changes which are achievable when obvious wholesale changes are necessary .
Putin ’ s World : R ... Stent , Angela Best Price : $ 12.32 Buy New $ 16.99 That ’ s what a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changes necessary to secure Russia ’ s near-term future in the context of an infinitely hostile West in the death throes of Empire .
For that reason , they are welcome , if to be distrusted as all power is to be inherently distrusted .
And the Russian people understand the nature of the conflict to the degree that they were motivated to make a definitive statement about it .
The response from the western press has been suitably pathetic , leading with headlines which only emphasize the potential for Putin to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point he ’ ll be 83 ) and the small pockets of resistance to these changes .
The people crying the most today are the neoliberal/neocons and their intelligence agents who Putin has consistently outmaneuvered over the past thirty years who planned on waiting him out .
These changes to the constitution may , in the end , as Gilbert Doctorow suggests , strengthen the presidency in unforeseen ways , but the one thing it does do is ensure that if Russia is to sink into autocracy it will do so on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ destroyed it back in the 1990 ’ s .
This is an age of extreme political instability which reflects the poisoned economic foundation those institutions are built upon .
All across the West we are seeing massive resistance to the existing order from all sides of the political spectrum .
Their anger and frustration have the same genesis while their goals are vastly different .
The powers that be are behind the ones aimed at tearing down the political order in the U.S. while opposing the same drive in Europe .
The irony @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a color revolution is underway in the U.S. where the institutional system is vested in a national government with individual states still operating in accordance with that national government .
While at the same time , a loose collection of treaties binds sovereign nations together into the European Union which has almost zero legal authority to enforce its edicts , but which has violently resisted all expressions of national sovereignty as barbaric .
The New Tsar : The Rise ... Myers , Steven Lee Best Price : $ 5.31 Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very clear what the dynamic is and who is pulling what strings to what end .
And this is why there is the kind of howling and teeth gnashing coming from the West over these reforms , they can not allow to stand any successful expression of national sovereignty lest the serfs get some funny ideas .
But I don ’ t think either of these dynamics will win out ultimately .
The U.S. in its current form may not survive its civil war but neither will Europe go gently into the long @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended supranational police state either .
The key to Putin ’ s success has been his conservative nature which understands that change comes over time .
You can ’ t force lasting change .
You have to allow people time to get used to an idea while also be willing to admit some changes made were the wrong ones .
That ’ s why these changes passed with a near 80 % majority .
They were overwhelmingly in agreement with public opinion about what Russia ’ s future should look like and who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russians stated to the world the other day that the truly dangerous disease infecting the West – unrestrained liberalism bordering on the libertine – will not be public policy going forward .
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .
The Best of Thomas Luongo

Despite what American and European commentators may think, there really is a deep desire among people to vote for their own sovereignty. And that impulse was on full display last week with the announcement of the results of Russia’s public vote to approve the changes to its constitution.
The final tally put the vote at 78% in favor with a 65% voter turnout for the referendum. These are the most sweeping changes to Russia’s constitution since it was ratified back in 1993, which vested the President with immense power.
And while the final package of reforms differed in one important aspect from the original one – allowing for a president to serve more than two ‘consecutive’ terms – the over-arching theme of the changes was to devolve power out of the presidency putting more power in the hands of the elected representatives in the Duma. Putinomics: Power and ... Miller, Chris Best Price: $7.00 Buy New $19.29 (as of 03:33 UTC - Details)
The president’s cabinet is to be drawn from the Duma rather than the appointed by the president, while the State Council has been officially added to the constitution which can implement presidential edicts directly to the regions. In effect, there is now a greater balance (and tension) between these various branches of government as the president loses control over appointing his cabinet but strengthens his ability to bypass the elected parliament.
What was clear at the outset of this process was that Putin was trying to prepare his succession while minimizing the potential for another ‘foreign puppet’ to wield the immense power of the Russian presidency, as it was under Boris Yeltsin.
Putin was looking to retire in 2024, at 71, with an eye of maintaining a strong presence in Russian politics by leading the Security Council, which with these reforms has a more direct role in shaping military and diplomatic policy than it did before.
Back in December I did a podcast with Alexander Mercouris of The Duran where we discussed these potential changes in detail (which pre-dates the changes to the president’s term limit) which I think is important to review at this point since the changes are now law.
No matter what political perspective you come from there will be valid criticisms of these changes seeing the potential for abuse, but the overall arc of them is to make Russia far more resistant to outside interference while reflecting the growing pride of Russians for their home and their surviving the hell imposed on them post-USSR.
And these changes have to be viewed through that lens. In my mind Russia has been in a state of war with the West since late 2013 with the EU’s attempt to fast-track Ukraine into its bosom. That morphed into the Maidan uprising and the subsequent reunification with Crimea and the War to Prevent Donbass Secession.
Putin came to power at the height of Russia’s post-Soviet economic and societal collapse. He knows who was behind it and where, metaphorically, the bodies are buried. He is still making moves which are, at best, incremental changes which are achievable when obvious wholesale changes are necessary. Putin’s World: R... Stent, Angela Best Price: $12.32 Buy New $16.99 (as of 03:33 UTC - Details)
That’s what a lot of these constitutional changes represent, incremental changes necessary to secure Russia’s near-term future in the context of an infinitely hostile West in the death throes of Empire.
For that reason, they are welcome, if to be distrusted as all power is to be inherently distrusted. And the Russian people understand the nature of the conflict to the degree that they were motivated to make a definitive statement about it.
The response from the western press has been suitably pathetic, leading with headlines which only emphasize the potential for Putin to remain in power until 2036 (at which point he’ll be 83) and the small pockets of resistance to these changes.
The people crying the most today are the neoliberal/neocons and their intelligence agents who Putin has consistently outmaneuvered over the past thirty years who planned on waiting him out. These changes to the constitution may, in the end, as Gilbert Doctorow suggests, strengthen the presidency in unforeseen ways, but the one thing it does do is ensure that if Russia is to sink into autocracy it will do so on its terms and not on those that openly destroyed it back in the 1990’s.
This is an age of extreme political instability which reflects the poisoned economic foundation those institutions are built upon. All across the West we are seeing massive resistance to the existing order from all sides of the political spectrum. Their anger and frustration have the same genesis while their goals are vastly different.
The powers that be are behind the ones aimed at tearing down the political order in the U.S. while opposing the same drive in Europe. The irony shouldn’t be lost on anyone that a color revolution is underway in the U.S. where the institutional system is vested in a national government with individual states still operating in accordance with that national government.
While at the same time, a loose collection of treaties binds sovereign nations together into the European Union which has almost zero legal authority to enforce its edicts, but which has violently resisted all expressions of national sovereignty as barbaric. The New Tsar: The Rise... Myers, Steven Lee Best Price: $5.31 Buy New $10.01 (as of 03:33 UTC - Details)
So, the picture should be very clear what the dynamic is and who is pulling what strings to what end. And this is why there is the kind of howling and teeth gnashing coming from the West over these reforms, they cannot allow to stand any successful expression of national sovereignty lest the serfs get some funny ideas.
But I don’t think either of these dynamics will win out ultimately. The U.S. in its current form may not survive its civil war but neither will Europe go gently into the long night of The Davos Crowd’s intended supranational police state either.
The key to Putin’s success has been his conservative nature which understands that change comes over time. You can’t force lasting change. You have to allow people time to get used to an idea while also be willing to admit some changes made were the wrong ones.
That’s why these changes passed with a near 80% majority. They were overwhelmingly in agreement with public opinion about what Russia’s future should look like and who should make those decisions.
As such Russians stated to the world the other day that the truly dangerous disease infecting the West – unrestrained liberalism bordering on the libertine – will not be public policy going forward.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.
The Best of Tom Luongo


The Constitution Failed

Contrary to a certain nostalgic nationalist myth that still endures , the US Constitution as first conceived was never intended to limit government power .
The primary purpose of the Convention of 1787 was to increase federal power , as the older constitution of 1776 ( i.e.
, the Articles of Confederation ) was regarded by centralizers as being too “ weak.
” The older constitution was built on a consensus model , and required acquiescence from a supermajority of member states to do much .
The overwhelming preponderance of government power lay with the states themselves , which were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand much from their citizens .
Nonetheless , this loose union of states had functioned well enough .
The states , working in voluntary union , had fought off the most powerful empire of the eighteenth century during the Revolution .
The Massachusetts state militia had put down Shay ’ s Rebellion without any federal help .
Americans , for the most part , were more free and better fed than the populations of Europe , the wealthiest region of the world .
Thanks to the liberal ideology spread by the Revolution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servitude was on the way out .
The restrictive feudalism of old was disappearing .
The Unconstitutionalit ... Spooner , Lysander Best Price : $ 7.99 Buy New $ 6.79 Yet , the wealthy elite , like Hamilton , Washington , and Madison ( in his counterrevolutionary phase ) , wanted something else .
They wanted a federal system that could force payment of federal taxes .
They wanted a bigger navy .
They wanted a federal army that could march into the interior and threaten farmers with destruction , as Washington did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they wanted a Constitution that would centralize power , and grow it .
It was the opponents of these “ Federalists ” who demanded the only part of the constitution that ever actually limited power .
The Anti-Federalists demanded amendments that would protect local communities from federal power .
They eventually got their bill of rights , but of course the federal government has always sought to interpret the bill ’ s amendments in a way that expands federal power .
Or , the federal government just ignores it altogether .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or argument that the Bill of Rights and the Constitution are one in the same and that the purpose of the Constitution is to limit the power of the state .
By this standard , it is clear that the Constitution has failed .
For evidence we need only look around us .
Virtually nowhere do we find that the Constitution places any meaningful obstacles in the way of federal power .
Obamacare , for instance , requires that Americans purchase health insurance or be punished with an additional tax .
Where does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the power to coerce people into purchasing certain products ?
Nowhere .
Yet the Supreme Court has declared this constitutional .
The PATRIOT Act , of course , enables the federal government to freely spy on countless Americans with no probable cause .
The accused are not permitted to defend themselves in open court , for reasons of “ national security.
” The privacy of Americans has been effectively abolished .
The US Constitution does not prevent this in any way .
Out of America Keith B. Richburg Best Price : $ 8.02 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the federal war on drugs .
Once upon a time , it was accepted as common knowledge that the federal government did not have the power to regulate intoxicating substances .
This is why it was necessary to pass a new constitutional amendment allowing for alcohol prohibition .
Then that amendment was repealed .
Later , federal judges and politicians decided that the meaning of the Constitution had mysteriously changed to now allow for the federal government to dictate what we all could smoke or eat after all .
The same was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1880s , few even tried to assert that the federal government could close borders or round people up and deport them .
It was accepted that the Constitution made this a state and local matter .
And then the feds changed their mind , and what was one minute unconstitutional was constitutional the next .
The same thing happened with federal legislation on abortion .
In many cases , of course , these provisions that are apparently in violation of the Bill of Rights and Article I were justified on the grounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ necessity ” overrules any concern for constitutionality virtually every time .
It was “ necessary ” that federal spy agencies be able to monitor all our communications .
Because of terrorism , you see .
It was “ necessary ” to put Japanese Americans in “ internment ” camps .
That , of course , was “ constitutional ” also .
Only decades later , when it became politically expedient to do so , did the Supreme Court reverse itself and decide that concentration camps are unconstitutional .
But the point has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency ” requires that some other group of people—say , people who refuse “ stay-at-home ” orders or federally mandated vaccination—be rounded up and incarcerated en masse , do not doubt this will be regarded as perfectly constitutional .
If it is decided to empower federal agents to confiscate privately held guns , there is no doubt a “ public health crisis ” or “ emergency ” will be cited to ensure that this is deemed constitutional , too .
At this point , who would be naïve enough to think the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary ” act just because it is unconstitutional ?
The Mis-Education of t ... Woodson , Carter Godwin Best Price : $ 6.99 Buy New $ 4.73 Advocates for private gun ownership can chirp about how “ the Second Amendment ” protects them .
But if a critical mass of politicians , pundits , and voters decides the Second Amendment is null and void , the Constitution will be interpreted as “ necessity ” dictates .
We ’ re likely to see something similar with the First Amendment .
It appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alliance of Washington politicians and Supreme Court justices determine that speech opposing , say , gay marriage is “ hate speech ” and punishable by fines and incarceration .
And then , of course , there are the countless federal laws that control every aspect of everyday life from what one can buy or sell to whom one can hire and with whom one may do business .
Are these powers listed under the “ enumerated ” powers of the Constitution ?
Do they violate the Bill of Rights ?
Virtually no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t matter .
It ’ s constitutional if the politicians ( which , of course , includes the lawyers in robes we call “ judges ” ) say so .
So , when it comes to the Constitution ’ s ability to restrain government power , the conclusion is obvious : that scrap of parchment is an obvious failure , and it is apparent that the text of the document is insufficient to prevent interpretations of the text which empower the federal government rather than limit it .
It is also apparent that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in limiting federal power .
I claim no novelty in pointing this out , of course .
More astute observers recognized the impotence and failure of the US Constitution decades ago .
As Murray Rothbard wrote in 1961 : And before Rothbard , there was Lysander Spooner , who noted : The Origins of Totalit ... Hannah Arendt Best Price : $ 8.49 Buy New $ 12.90 In other words , appealing to the text of the Constitution to claim illegitimacy for the latest government power grab is pointless and irrelevant to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state .
The de facto status of the Constitution is that it positively authorizes every new “ despotic incursion ” the federal government wishes to initiate .
In turn , everything the federal government wishes to do is ultimately constitutional .
So long as the public tolerates it .
And it ’ s this final piece of information that is the key to the puzzle .
So long as the public tolerates it , it will be done .
Words on parchment are useless in opposing this .
The beliefs of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is , a group of laissez-faire liberals from the late eighteenth century—mean nothing if the public doesn ’ t agree with them .
And virtually no American today agrees with the Anti-Federalists of old that the federal government must be kept limited , weakened , and confined to a small number of tasks .
If no one agrees with the philosophy behind the Bill of Rights , few will care if its provisions are violated .
Yet , this philosophy—a philosophy we call liberalism or “ classical ” liberalism—was once the most popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Over time , it ceded ground to the socialists , the mercantilists , protectionists , and other advocates of government privilege for favored groups .
The only way forward at this point to to rebuild liberalism ’ s popularity from the ground up .
This requires scholarship , activism , teaching , writing , debate—and time .
Demanding obedience to a long-disregarded document does nothing .
For far too long the party of laissez-faire and liberalism thought some documents from two hundred years ago would protect them from a government run amok @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ryan McMaken

Contrary to a certain nostalgic nationalist myth that still endures, the US Constitution as first conceived was never intended to limit government power. The primary purpose of the Convention of 1787 was to increase federal power, as the older constitution of 1776 (i.e., the Articles of Confederation) was regarded by centralizers as being too “weak.” The older constitution was built on a consensus model, and required acquiescence from a supermajority of member states to do much. The overwhelming preponderance of government power lay with the states themselves, which were in their own right too weak to demand much from their citizens.
Nonetheless, this loose union of states had functioned well enough. The states, working in voluntary union, had fought off the most powerful empire of the eighteenth century during the Revolution. The Massachusetts state militia had put down Shay’s Rebellion without any federal help. Americans, for the most part, were more free and better fed than the populations of Europe, the wealthiest region of the world. Thanks to the liberal ideology spread by the Revolution, slavery was in decline nationwide. Indentured servitude was on the way out. The restrictive feudalism of old was disappearing.
The Unconstitutionalit... Spooner, Lysander Best Price: $7.99 Buy New $6.79 (as of 03:54 UTC - Details) Yet, the wealthy elite, like Hamilton, Washington, and Madison (in his counterrevolutionary phase), wanted something else. They wanted a federal system that could force payment of federal taxes. They wanted a bigger navy. They wanted a federal army that could march into the interior and threaten farmers with destruction, as Washington did during the Whiskey Rebellion. In short, they wanted a Constitution that would centralize power, and grow it.
It was the opponents of these “Federalists” who demanded the only part of the constitution that ever actually limited power. The Anti-Federalists demanded amendments that would protect local communities from federal power. They eventually got their bill of rights, but of course the federal government has always sought to interpret the bill’s amendments in a way that expands federal power. Or, the federal government just ignores it altogether.
But let’s say for the sake or argument that the Bill of Rights and the Constitution are one in the same and that the purpose of the Constitution is to limit the power of the state. By this standard, it is clear that the Constitution has failed.
For evidence we need only look around us. Virtually nowhere do we find that the Constitution places any meaningful obstacles in the way of federal power.
Obamacare, for instance, requires that Americans purchase health insurance or be punished with an additional tax. Where does the Constitution provide the federal government with the power to coerce people into purchasing certain products? Nowhere. Yet the Supreme Court has declared this constitutional.
The PATRIOT Act, of course, enables the federal government to freely spy on countless Americans with no probable cause. The accused are not permitted to defend themselves in open court, for reasons of “national security.” The privacy of Americans has been effectively abolished. The US Constitution does not prevent this in any way. Out of America Keith B. Richburg Best Price: $8.02 Buy New $17.99 (as of 09:53 UTC - Details)
And then there is the federal war on drugs. Once upon a time, it was accepted as common knowledge that the federal government did not have the power to regulate intoxicating substances. This is why it was necessary to pass a new constitutional amendment allowing for alcohol prohibition. Then that amendment was repealed. Later, federal judges and politicians decided that the meaning of the Constitution had mysteriously changed to now allow for the federal government to dictate what we all could smoke or eat after all.
The same was once true of immigration policy. Until the 1880s, few even tried to assert that the federal government could close borders or round people up and deport them. It was accepted that the Constitution made this a state and local matter. And then the feds changed their mind, and what was one minute unconstitutional was constitutional the next. The same thing happened with federal legislation on abortion.
In many cases, of course, these provisions that are apparently in violation of the Bill of Rights and Article I were justified on the grounds that they are “necessary.”
And “necessity” overrules any concern for constitutionality virtually every time. It was “necessary” that federal spy agencies be able to monitor all our communications. Because of terrorism, you see. It was “necessary” to put Japanese Americans in “internment” camps. That, of course, was “constitutional” also. Only decades later, when it became politically expedient to do so, did the Supreme Court reverse itself and decide that concentration camps are unconstitutional.
But the point has been made. If a future “emergency” requires that some other group of people—say, people who refuse “stay-at-home” orders or federally mandated vaccination—be rounded up and incarcerated en masse, do not doubt this will be regarded as perfectly constitutional. If it is decided to empower federal agents to confiscate privately held guns, there is no doubt a “public health crisis” or “emergency” will be cited to ensure that this is deemed constitutional, too.
At this point, who would be naïve enough to think the federal government would limit itself from any “necessary” act just because it is unconstitutional? The Mis-Education of t... Woodson, Carter Godwin Best Price: $6.99 Buy New $4.73 (as of 05:47 UTC - Details)
Advocates for private gun ownership can chirp about how “the Second Amendment” protects them. But if a critical mass of politicians, pundits, and voters decides the Second Amendment is null and void, the Constitution will be interpreted as “necessity” dictates.
We’re likely to see something similar with the First Amendment. It appears to be only a matter of time until an alliance of Washington politicians and Supreme Court justices determine that speech opposing, say, gay marriage is “hate speech” and punishable by fines and incarceration.
And then, of course, there are the countless federal laws that control every aspect of everyday life from what one can buy or sell to whom one can hire and with whom one may do business.
Are these powers listed under the “enumerated” powers of the Constitution? Do they violate the Bill of Rights? Virtually no one cares. Which means it doesn’t matter. It’s constitutional if the politicians (which, of course, includes the lawyers in robes we call “judges”) say so.
So, when it comes to the Constitution’s ability to restrain government power, the conclusion is obvious: that scrap of parchment is an obvious failure, and it is apparent that the text of the document is insufficient to prevent interpretations of the text which empower the federal government rather than limit it. It is also apparent that the public and their representatives are uninterested in limiting federal power. I claim no novelty in pointing this out, of course. More astute observers recognized the impotence and failure of the US Constitution decades ago. As Murray Rothbard wrote in 1961:
From any libertarian, or even conservative, point of view, it has failed and failed abysmally; for let us never forget that every one of the despotic incursions on man’s rights in this century, before, during and after the New Deal, have received the official stamp of Constitutional blessing.
And before Rothbard, there was Lysander Spooner, who noted: The Origins of Totalit... Hannah Arendt Best Price: $8.49 Buy New $12.90 (as of 06:35 UTC - Details)
the Constitution is no such instrument as it has generally been assumed to be; but that by false interpretations, and naked usurpations, the government has been made in practice a very widely, and almost wholly, different thing from what the Constitution itself purports to authorize….But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain—that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.
In other words, appealing to the text of the Constitution to claim illegitimacy for the latest government power grab is pointless and irrelevant to the task of actually limiting the power of the state. The de facto status of the Constitution is that it positively authorizes every new “despotic incursion” the federal government wishes to initiate.
In turn, everything the federal government wishes to do is ultimately constitutional. So long as the public tolerates it.
And it’s this final piece of information that is the key to the puzzle. So long as the public tolerates it, it will be done. Words on parchment are useless in opposing this. The beliefs of the people who wrote the Bill of Rights—that is, a group of laissez-faire liberals from the late eighteenth century—mean nothing if the public doesn’t agree with them. And virtually no American today agrees with the Anti-Federalists of old that the federal government must be kept limited, weakened, and confined to a small number of tasks. If no one agrees with the philosophy behind the Bill of Rights, few will care if its provisions are violated.
Yet, this philosophy—a philosophy we call liberalism or “classical” liberalism—was once the most popular in Europe and in the United States. Over time, it ceded ground to the socialists, the mercantilists, protectionists, and other advocates of government privilege for favored groups. The only way forward at this point to to rebuild liberalism’s popularity from the ground up. This requires scholarship, activism, teaching, writing, debate—and time. Demanding obedience to a long-disregarded document does nothing. For far too long the party of laissez-faire and liberalism thought some documents from two hundred years ago would protect them from a government run amok. They were wrong.
The Best of Ryan McMaken


lewrockwell--2020-07-07--Bye Bye, American Pie

Bye Bye, American Pie

Way back in the 1950s , the popular euphemism to describe black children struggling in poverty was “ underprivileged.
” The elegant trope guided the nascent social services industry that reached full flower a few years later in Lyndon Johnson ’ s War on Poverty — a cause as lost , it turns out , as the War in Vietnam .
The wonder is that it took seventy years for the race-and-gender faculty to come up with the corollary notion that white folks must be excessively privileged , and must be punished for their broken promise to bestow more privilege @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in the paroxysms of early summer , 2020 , with Covid-19 raging world-wide and the floor dropping from underneath our shuck-and-jive economy , and the climate doing… whatever it ’ s doing… Chuck and Nancy led their privileged minions in a ceremony of penance , taking their knees with shoulders draped in kente shawls of atonement , signifying… wait a minute… signifying what , exactly ?
That they were surrendering their privilege ?
Cue laugh track .
What it really signified was how plumb out of ideas they are for correcting this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animating principle of the Woke Inquisition is that nobody is forgiven for anything .
Your request for absolution is only proof of your wickedness , requiring further punishment .
So , what was to be done , then ?
The Culture of Narciss ... Lasch , Christopher Best Price : $ 12.48 Buy New $ 11.87 Well , nothing .
Moiling mobs of the underprivileged were granted permission to go “ shopping ” after-hours on Rodeo Drive , Midtown Fifth Avenue , and other upscale zip codes around the country — accompanied by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out their own Ivy League bad karma .
When there was no more schwag left to loot , the mob was invited to stage an orgy of statue-toppling .
Nobody interfered with that tantrum , thinking , perhaps , that losing a few public monuments was a small price to pay for preventing some more ghastly blood-in-the-streets scenario .
The police were reduced to acting as spectators while awaiting wholesale dismissal from their jobs and enduring the censorious opprobrium of their elected overseers , pledged to defunding law enforcement .
The nation managed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ July birthday without the demolition of Mount Rushmore or the torching of Mount Vernon , but the Sunday following a virtual army of black former military personnel ( so they said ) , armed with assault rifles and clad in combat drag , marched into Georgia ’ s Stone Mountain Park , where a colossal bas-relief sculpture stands carved into the rock wall depicting that trinity of Confederate arch-fiends Robert E. Lee , Jefferson Davis , and Stonewall Jackson .
Crimes of Dissent : Civ ... Lovell , Jarret S. Best Price : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ militia styled itself as the Not Fucking Around Coalition ( NFAC ) .
It ’ s leader , name of Grand Master Jay , declared “ every descendent of slavery a political prisoner ” and proposed to found a new all-black nation — “ We ’ ll take Texas , ” GM Jay averred .
They affected to be met by an opposing army of white supremacists , but none showed up .
Perhaps the enemy was not informed ahead of time .
The marchers pretended to be disappointed .
“ We here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” their leader asked .
Echo answered… .
Battle of Stone Mountain averted .
Now what ?
What ’ s next in the escalating 2020 war of ( so far ) symbols ?
The resurgence of Covid-19 has prompted more shut-downs , meaning resumed job layoffs , business destruction , and anxious , seething , sweltering boredom for those not privileged to be working from home .
The current round of government payments is about over , too , and millions may be facing eviction , mortgage default , car re-po , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 600 “ bonuses ” will not avail to solve those problems , and when it ’ s spent on the imperative need for food , then what ?
Dark Mirror : Edward Sn ... Gellman , Barton Best Price : $ 23.11 Buy New $ 23.08 Well , the political conventions .
Personally , and what with the virus rampant , I doubt they will be held in the traditional way — the great civic center jamborees of shoulder-rubbing , sign-waving , and conga-dancing .
Meaning that even more than ever before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mere TV shows that nobody will watch .
Could be a boon to the phantom candidacy of Joe Biden , who would remain coolly stashed away in his basement sepulcher , presented to the electorate as a hologram .
Then again , an entirely off-stage convention could invite backstage intrigue on the part of those unconvinced that a holographic president will do in this year of pending social and economic collapse .
Hillary to the rescue , I ’ d say .
The embattled and sore-beset Donald Trump looks like he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say if he even comprehends the gravity of this blossoming long emergency or fourth turning crisis .
He ’ s fought off every effort to overthrow him by the Deep States pygmies of sedition , but the collapse of an empire is more like a battle against fate itself .
Like him or not , you have to feel for someone in such a monumental struggle .
The Best of James Howard Kunstler

Way back in the 1950s, the popular euphemism to describe black children struggling in poverty was “underprivileged.” The elegant trope guided the nascent social services industry that reached full flower a few years later in Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty — a cause as lost, it turns out, as the War in Vietnam. The wonder is that it took seventy years for the race-and-gender faculty to come up with the corollary notion that white folks must be excessively privileged, and must be punished for their broken promise to bestow more privilege upon those lacking it.
And so, in the paroxysms of early summer, 2020, with Covid-19 raging world-wide and the floor dropping from underneath our shuck-and-jive economy, and the climate doing… whatever it’s doing… Chuck and Nancy led their privileged minions in a ceremony of penance, taking their knees with shoulders draped in kente shawls of atonement, signifying… wait a minute… signifying what, exactly?
That they were surrendering their privilege? Cue laugh track. What it really signified was how plumb out of ideas they are for correcting this diabolical injustice. Of course, the animating principle of the Woke Inquisition is that nobody is forgiven for anything. Your request for absolution is only proof of your wickedness, requiring further punishment. So, what was to be done, then? The Culture of Narciss... Lasch, Christopher Best Price: $12.48 Buy New $11.87 (as of 03:25 UTC - Details)
Well, nothing. Moiling mobs of the underprivileged were granted permission to go “shopping” after-hours on Rodeo Drive, Midtown Fifth Avenue, and other upscale zip codes around the country — accompanied by privileged white “allies” piously working out their own Ivy League bad karma. When there was no more schwag left to loot, the mob was invited to stage an orgy of statue-toppling. Nobody interfered with that tantrum, thinking, perhaps, that losing a few public monuments was a small price to pay for preventing some more ghastly blood-in-the-streets scenario. The police were reduced to acting as spectators while awaiting wholesale dismissal from their jobs and enduring the censorious opprobrium of their elected overseers, pledged to defunding law enforcement.
The nation managed to get through its shameful Fourth of July birthday without the demolition of Mount Rushmore or the torching of Mount Vernon, but the Sunday following a virtual army of black former military personnel (so they said), armed with assault rifles and clad in combat drag, marched into Georgia’s Stone Mountain Park, where a colossal bas-relief sculpture stands carved into the rock wall depicting that trinity of Confederate arch-fiends Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson. Crimes of Dissent: Civ... Lovell, Jarret S. Best Price: $14.00 Buy New $26.81 (as of 02:47 UTC - Details)
The militia styled itself as the Not Fucking Around Coalition (NFAC). It’s leader, name of Grand Master Jay, declared “every descendent of slavery a political prisoner” and proposed to found a new all-black nation — “We’ll take Texas,” GM Jay averred. They affected to be met by an opposing army of white supremacists, but none showed up. Perhaps the enemy was not informed ahead of time. The marchers pretended to be disappointed. “We here! Where the fuck you at?” their leader asked. Echo answered…. Battle of Stone Mountain averted.
Now what? What’s next in the escalating 2020 war of (so far) symbols? The resurgence of Covid-19 has prompted more shut-downs, meaning resumed job layoffs, business destruction, and anxious, seething, sweltering boredom for those not privileged to be working from home. The current round of government payments is about over, too, and millions may be facing eviction, mortgage default, car re-po, and other personal catastrophes. Another round of $600 “bonuses” will not avail to solve those problems, and when it’s spent on the imperative need for food, then what?
Dark Mirror: Edward Sn... Gellman, Barton Best Price: $23.11 Buy New $23.08 (as of 03:17 UTC - Details) Well, the political conventions. Personally, and what with the virus rampant, I doubt they will be held in the traditional way — the great civic center jamborees of shoulder-rubbing, sign-waving, and conga-dancing. Meaning that even more than ever before, these extravaganzas will be reduced to mere TV shows that nobody will watch. Could be a boon to the phantom candidacy of Joe Biden, who would remain coolly stashed away in his basement sepulcher, presented to the electorate as a hologram. Then again, an entirely off-stage convention could invite backstage intrigue on the part of those unconvinced that a holographic president will do in this year of pending social and economic collapse. Hillary to the rescue, I’d say.
The embattled and sore-beset Donald Trump looks like he’s on-the-ropes. It’s hard to say if he even comprehends the gravity of this blossoming long emergency or fourth turning crisis. He’s fought off every effort to overthrow him by the Deep States pygmies of sedition, but the collapse of an empire is more like a battle against fate itself. Like him or not, you have to feel for someone in such a monumental struggle.
Reprinted with permission from Kunstler.com.
The Best of James Howard Kunstler