lewrockwell--2020-01-31--WikiLeaks Editor: US Is Saying First Amendment Doesn’t Apply To Foreigners In Assange Case

WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson gave a brief statement to the press after the latest court hearing for Julian Assange ’ s extradition case in London today , saying the Trump administration is arguing that the First Amendment of the US Constitution doesn ’ t provide press freedom protection to foreign nationals like Assange .
“ We have now learned from submissions and affidavits presented by the United States to this court that they do not consider foreign nationals to have a First Amendment protection , ” Hrafnsson said .
“ Now let that sink in for a second , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time that the US government is chasing journalists all over the world , they claim they have extra-territorial reach , they have decided that all foreign journalists which include many of you here , have no protection under the First Amendment of the United States .
So that goes to show the gravity of this case .
This is not about Julian Assange , it ’ s about press freedom.
” Hrafnsson ’ s very newsworthy claim has as of this writing received no mainstream news media coverage at all .
The video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This prosecutorial strategy would be very much in alignment with remarks made in 2017 by then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo .
“ Julian Assange has no First Amendment freedoms .
He ’ s sitting in an embassy in London .
He ’ s not a U.S. citizen , ” Pompeo told the Center for Strategic and International Studies .
That , like nearly every sound which emits from Pompeo ’ s amorphous face , was a lie .
The First Amendment is not a set of special free speech privileges that the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individuals , it ’ s a limitation placed upon the US government ’ s ability to restrict rights that all persons everywhere are assumed to have .
This is like a sex offender who ’ s barred from living within 500 yards of a school claiming that the school he moved in next to is exempt because it ’ s full of immigrants who therefore aren ’ t protected by his restriction .
It ’ s a restriction placed on the government , not a right that is given to certain people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jacob Hornberger explained after Pompeo ’ s remarks , “ As Jefferson points out , everyone , not just American citizens , is endowed with these natural , God-given rights , including life , freedom , and the pursuit of happiness .
That includes people who are citizens of other countries .
Citizenship has nothing to do rights that are vested in everyone by nature and God .
At the risk of belaboring the obvious , that includes Julian Assange.
” Journalist Glenn Greenwald , who is himself now being legally persecuted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ indictment which Hrafnsson in the aforementioned statement called “ almost a carbon copy of the indictment against Julian Assange ” , also denounced Pompeo ’ s 2017 remarks .
“ The notion that WikiLeaks has no free press rights because Assange is a foreigner is both wrong and dangerous , ” Greenwald wrote at the time .
“ When I worked at the Guardian , my editors were all non-Americans .
Would it therefore have been constitutionally permissible for the U.S. Government to shut down that paper and imprison its editors on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Obviously not.
” Greenwald , who is a former litigation attorney , referenced a Salon article he ’ d written in 2010 skillfully outlining why Senator Susan Collins ’ attempts to spin constitutional rights as inapplicable to foreigners would be outlandish , insane , illegal and unconstitutional to put into practice .
Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 “ To see how false this notion is that the Constitution only applies to U.S. citizens , one need do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights , ” Greenwald argued in 2010 .
“ It says nothing about ‘ citizens.
’ To the contrary , many of the provisions are simply restrictions on what the Government is permitted to do ( ‘ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion .
.
.
or abridging the freedom of speech ’ ; ‘ No soldier shall , in time of peace be quartered in any house , without the consent of the owner ’ ) .
And where rights are expressly vested , they are pointedly not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather in ‘ persons ’ or ‘ the accused ’ ( ‘ No person shall .
.
.
.
be deprived of life , liberty , or property , without due process of law ’ ; ‘ In all criminal prosecutions , the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial , by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed .
.
.
.
and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense ’ ) .
” “ The U.S. Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly publicized opinion , in Boumediene v. Bush , which , by itself , makes clear how false is the claim that the Constitution applies only to Americans , ” Greenwald wrote .
“ The Boumediene Court held that it was unconstitutional for the Military Commissions Act to deny habeas corpus rights to Guantanamo detainees , none of whom was an American citizen ( indeed , the detainees were all foreign nationals outside of the U.S. ) .
If the Constitution applied only to U.S. citizens , that decision would obviously be impossible.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ applies not only to Americans , but also to foreigners , was hardly invented by the Court in 2008 , ” Greenwald added .
“ To the contrary , the Supreme Court — all the way back in 1886 — explicitly held this to be the case , when , in Yick Wo v. Hopkins , it overturned the criminal conviction of a Chinese citizen living in California on the ground that the law in question violated his Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection .
In so doing , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many others claim about the Constitution.
” These “ and many others ” Greenwald referred to would now include both Mike Pompeo and the Department of Justice prosecutors who are attempting to extradite and imprison Assange for publishing information exposing US war crimes .
So let ’ s be clear here : the Trump administration isn ’ t just working to establish a legal precedent which will demolish press freedoms around the world , it ’ s also working to change how the US Constitution operates on a very fundamental level .
Does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fight against this to you ?
Because it sure as hell seems like that time to me .
Hrafnsson also said in this same statement that Assange ’ s extradition trial is going to be split into two separate dates , the first on February 24 for one week and then reconvening again for three weeks starting May 18 .
If you care about freedom of virtually any sort , I highly recommend paying very , very close attention .
Thanks for reading !
The best way to get around the internet censors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for my website , which will get you an email notification for everything I publish .
My work is entirely reader-supported , so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around , liking me on Facebook , following my antics on Twitter , checking out my podcast on either Youtube , soundcloud , Apple podcasts or Spotify , following me on Steemit , throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal , purchasing some of my sweet merchandise , buying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone , or my previous book Woke : A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers .
For more info on who I am , where I stand , and what I ’ m trying to do with this platform , click here .
Everyone , racist platforms excluded , has my permission to republish or use any part of this work ( or anything else I ’ ve written ) in any way they like free of charge .

WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Kristinn Hrafnsson gave a brief statement to the press after the latest court hearing for Julian Assange’s extradition case in London today, saying the Trump administration is arguing that the First Amendment of the US Constitution doesn’t provide press freedom protection to foreign nationals like Assange.
“We have now learned from submissions and affidavits presented by the United States to this court that they do not consider foreign nationals to have a First Amendment protection,” Hrafnsson said.
“Now let that sink in for a second,” Hrafnsson continued. “At the same time that the US government is chasing journalists all over the world, they claim they have extra-territorial reach, they have decided that all foreign journalists which include many of you here, have no protection under the First Amendment of the United States. So that goes to show the gravity of this case. This is not about Julian Assange, it’s about press freedom.”

Hrafnsson’s very newsworthy claim has as of this writing received no mainstream news media coverage at all. The video above is from independent reporter Gordon Dimmack.
This prosecutorial strategy would be very much in alignment with remarks made in 2017 by then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo. The Art of Revolt: Sno... de Lagasnerie, Geoffroy Best Price: $4.95 Buy New $12.11 (as of 05:05 UTC - Details)
“Julian Assange has no First Amendment freedoms. He’s sitting in an embassy in London. He’s not a U.S. citizen,” Pompeo told the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
That, like nearly every sound which emits from Pompeo’s amorphous face, was a lie. The First Amendment is not a set of special free speech privileges that the US government magnanimously bestows upon a few select individuals, it’s a limitation placed upon the US government’s ability to restrict rights that all persons everywhere are assumed to have.
This is like a sex offender who’s barred from living within 500 yards of a school claiming that the school he moved in next to is exempt because it’s full of immigrants who therefore aren’t protected by his restriction. It’s a restriction placed on the government, not a right that is given to certain people.
Attorney and Future of Freedom Foundation president Jacob Hornberger explained after Pompeo’s remarks, “As Jefferson points out, everyone, not just American citizens, is endowed with these natural, God-given rights, including life, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness. That includes people who are citizens of other countries. Citizenship has nothing to do rights that are vested in everyone by nature and God. At the risk of belaboring the obvious, that includes Julian Assange.”
The Empire’s War On Oppositional Journalism Continues To Escalate “Journalist Glenn Greenwald has been charged by the Bolsonaro government in Brazil with the same prosecutorial angle used by the US to target WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.” #FreeAssangehttps://t.co/jaWaaB0p3a — Caitlin Johnstone ⏳ (@caitoz) January 22, 2020
Journalist Glenn Greenwald, who is himself now being legally persecuted by the same empire as Assange under an indictment which Hrafnsson in the aforementioned statement called “almost a carbon copy of the indictment against Julian Assange”, also denounced Pompeo’s 2017 remarks.
“The notion that WikiLeaks has no free press rights because Assange is a foreigner is both wrong and dangerous,” Greenwald wrote at the time. “When I worked at the Guardian, my editors were all non-Americans. Would it therefore have been constitutionally permissible for the U.S. Government to shut down that paper and imprison its editors on the ground that they enjoy no constitutional protections? Obviously not.”
Greenwald, who is a former litigation attorney, referenced a Salon article he’d written in 2010 skillfully outlining why Senator Susan Collins’ attempts to spin constitutional rights as inapplicable to foreigners would be outlandish, insane, illegal and unconstitutional to put into practice. Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
“To see how false this notion is that the Constitution only applies to U.S. citizens, one need do nothing more than read the Bill of Rights,” Greenwald argued in 2010. “It says nothing about ‘citizens.’ To the contrary, many of the provisions are simply restrictions on what the Government is permitted to do (‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion . . . or abridging the freedom of speech’; ‘No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner’). And where rights are expressly vested, they are pointedly not vested in ‘citizens,’ but rather in ‘persons’ or ‘the accused’ (‘No person shall . . . . be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law’; ‘In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed . . . . and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense’).”
“The U.S. Supreme Court, in 2008, issued a highly publicized opinion, in Boumediene v. Bush, which, by itself, makes clear how false is the claim that the Constitution applies only to Americans,” Greenwald wrote. “The Boumediene Court held that it was unconstitutional for the Military Commissions Act to deny habeas corpus rights to Guantanamo detainees, none of whom was an American citizen (indeed, the detainees were all foreign nationals outside of the U.S.). If the Constitution applied only to U.S. citizens, that decision would obviously be impossible.”
“The principle that the Constitution applies not only to Americans, but also to foreigners, was hardly invented by the Court in 2008,” Greenwald added. “To the contrary, the Supreme Court — all the way back in 1886 — explicitly held this to be the case, when, in Yick Wo v. Hopkins, it overturned the criminal conviction of a Chinese citizen living in California on the ground that the law in question violated his Fourteenth Amendment rights to due process and equal protection. In so doing, the Court explicitly rejected what Susan Collins and many others claim about the Constitution.”
These “and many others” Greenwald referred to would now include both Mike Pompeo and the Department of Justice prosecutors who are attempting to extradite and imprison Assange for publishing information exposing US war crimes.
Kristinn Hrafnsson editor in chief of WikiLeaks: “We learned today from the prosecution that the US does not consider foreign nationals to be protected under the 1st Amendment” #DontExtraditeAssange #FreeJulianAssange pic.twitter.com/9tNb6bCF0s — Juan Passarelli (@jlpassarelli) January 23, 2020
So let’s be clear here: the Trump administration isn’t just working to establish a legal precedent which will demolish press freedoms around the world, it’s also working to change how the US Constitution operates on a very fundamental level.
Does now seem like a good time to fight against this to you? Because it sure as hell seems like that time to me.
Hrafnsson also said in this same statement that Assange’s extradition trial is going to be split into two separate dates, the first on February 24 for one week and then reconvening again for three weeks starting May 18. If you care about freedom of virtually any sort, I highly recommend paying very, very close attention.
___________________________
Thanks for reading! The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for my website, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, checking out my podcast on either Youtube, soundcloud, Apple podcasts or Spotify, following me on Steemit, throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal, purchasing some of my sweet merchandise, buying my new book Rogue Nation: Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone, or my previous book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I’m trying to do with this platform, click here. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish or use any part of this work (or anything else I’ve written) in any way they like free of charge.
Bitcoin donations:1Ac7PCQXoQoLA9Sh8fhAgiU3PHA2EX5Zm2


lewrockwell--2020-01-31--DNC’s Tom Perez Nominates Regime-Change Agents, Israel Lobbyists, and Wall Street Consultants to Rig

DNC’s Tom Perez Nominates Regime-Change Agents, Israel Lobbyists, and Wall Street Consultants to Rig the Game Against Bernie

With Sen. Bernie Sanders surging in the polls , DNC chair Tom Perez has put forward a cartoonishly neoliberal cast of foreign policy hacks and corporate lobbyists to sabotage his nomination .
Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has nominated dozens of lobbyists , corporate consultants , think tank board members , and former officials linked to Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton ’ s presidential campaigns to serve on the Democratic National Convention ( DNC ) nominating committee this July .
Many of Perez ’ s nominees are vocal opponents of Senator Bernie Sanders and spoke out against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the nomination in 2016 .
Just as it did in 2016 , the DNC appears determined to sabotage a Sanders nomination , foisting a collection of neoliberal and imperialist hacks onto the convention committee to hold back a popular rebellion against the policies of endless war and corporate free trade they have personally presided over .
Only a small percentage of those on the roster , such as Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen , are even remotely aligned or sympathetic to Sanders ’ progressive agenda , and many of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
: From ... Stephen F. Cohen Best Price : $ 5.00 Buy New $ 8.50 Though the Democratic Party reduced the influence of superdelegates after a backlash from Sanders supporters , over 700 superdelegates will be able to vote as part of a brokered convention if Sanders is not the nominee after the first ballot .
They would not have to vote for Sanders , even if he won a majority of pledged delegates in their state ’ s caucus or primary .
Sanders could secure enough pledged delegates to win on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda thwarted by the standing committees .
For example , members of the DNC ’ s Platform Committee beholden to corporate interests could vote against including “ Medicare For All ” or a ban on natural fracking in the agenda of policies they plan to fight for in 2020 .
A close look at the list Perez offers a gruesome vision of morally repugnant operatives rigging the game on behalf of a desperate and increasingly discredited party elite .
Denis McDonough was nominated to chair the Platform Committee .
He was Obama ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ term .
McDonough is senior principal for the Markle Foundation and a chair of the Rework America Task Force .
In 2018 , McDonough partnered with Heidi Capozzi , senior vice president of human resources at Boeing , to form the Rework America Business Network .
It included eleven founding members : Aon , Archer Daniels Midland Company ( ADM ) , Boeing , Duke Energy , Kaiser Permanente , McKinsey & Company , Microsoft , Stanley Black & Decker , Walmart , Zurich Insurance , and 21st Century Fox.
” The network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behalf of the CIA , McDonough pushed for more redactions in the torture report summary that was ultimately released by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence .
He was a close ally of CIA Director John Brennan and fought for Brennan when the Senate delayed his nomination over his past support for torture .
He also advised Obama on how to develop the drone program , which involved a kill list of alleged terrorism suspects to be assassinated extrajudicially .
Perez nominated Jake Sullivan to be a vice-chair of the Platform Committee .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Joe Biden .
He also worked as a deputy chief of staff for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and was a senior policy adviser for Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign .
Sullivan is a member of the Alliance for Securing Democracy ’ s Advisory Council , which also includes Michael Chertoff , the former Homeland Security secretary , Bill Kristol , a neoconservative who pushed for the Iraq War , Michael McFaul , the former United States ambassador to Russia , Mike Morell , the former CIA director , John Podesta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike Rogers , the former Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee .
As The Grayzone ’ s Max Blumenthal has documented , the Alliance For Securing Democracy is a factory of modern-day McCarthyism , where it brands alternative media outlets as “ vehicles for Kremlin propaganda ” and paints actual people as Russian bots to discredit dissent against U.S. foreign policy .
An email chain in the “ Podesta Emails ” that WikiLeaks published in 2016 showed Clinton offering support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement if she was elected .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but as Sullivan indicated environmental protections were not required .
“ Enviro was not a test.
” Sullivan did not believe the Clinton campaign could limit contributions from lobbyists or their clients because “ clients ” might be difficult to define .
They could advocate for stronger bribery laws to limit the political influence of donations on legislation , but that would be “ really dicey territory ” for Clinton , he added .

With Sen. Bernie Sanders surging in the polls, DNC chair Tom Perez has put forward a cartoonishly neoliberal cast of foreign policy hacks and corporate lobbyists to sabotage his nomination.
Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has nominated dozens of lobbyists, corporate consultants, think tank board members, and former officials linked to Barack Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns to serve on the Democratic National Convention (DNC) nominating committee this July.
Many of Perez’s nominees are vocal opponents of Senator Bernie Sanders and spoke out against his campaign when he challenged Hillary Clinton for the nomination in 2016.
Just as it did in 2016, the DNC appears determined to sabotage a Sanders nomination, foisting a collection of neoliberal and imperialist hacks onto the convention committee to hold back a popular rebellion against the policies of endless war and corporate free trade they have personally presided over.
Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez issued a list of individuals he nominated for the 2020 Democratic National Convention committees. Let’s examine some of the individuals. I’ll initially focus on the nominees for the DNC Platform Committee. Thread. pic.twitter.com/fVm41YClJQ — Kevin Gosztola (@kgosztola) January 25, 2020
Only a small percentage of those on the roster, such as Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen, are even remotely aligned or sympathetic to Sanders’ progressive agenda, and many of them are 2020 superdelegates. War with Russia?: From... Cohen, Stephen F. Best Price: $8.99 Buy New $8.50 (as of 02:15 UTC - Details)
Though the Democratic Party reduced the influence of superdelegates after a backlash from Sanders supporters, over 700 superdelegates will be able to vote as part of a brokered convention if Sanders is not the nominee after the first ballot. They would not have to vote for Sanders, even if he won a majority of pledged delegates in their state’s caucus or primary.
Sanders could secure enough pledged delegates to win on the first ballot and still find his agenda thwarted by the standing committees. For example, members of the DNC’s Platform Committee beholden to corporate interests could vote against including “Medicare For All” or a ban on natural fracking in the agenda of policies they plan to fight for in 2020.
A close look at the list Perez offers a gruesome vision of morally repugnant operatives rigging the game on behalf of a desperate and increasingly discredited party elite.
Torture cover-ups, Russia fear-mongering, and lobbyist glad-handling
Denis McDonough was nominated to chair the Platform Committee. He was Obama’s chief of staff during his second term. McDonough is senior principal for the Markle Foundation and a chair of the Rework America Task Force.
In 2018, McDonough partnered with Heidi Capozzi, senior vice president of human resources at Boeing, to form the Rework America Business Network. It included eleven founding members: Aon, Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Boeing, Duke Energy, Kaiser Permanente, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Stanley Black & Decker, Walmart, Zurich Insurance, and 21st Century Fox.” The network received support from Google.
Acting on behalf of the CIA, McDonough pushed for more redactions in the torture report summary that was ultimately released by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He was a close ally of CIA Director John Brennan and fought for Brennan when the Senate delayed his nomination over his past support for torture. He also advised Obama on how to develop the drone program, which involved a kill list of alleged terrorism suspects to be assassinated extrajudicially.
Perez nominated Jake Sullivan to be a vice-chair of the Platform Committee. Sullivan was a national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden. He also worked as a deputy chief of staff for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and was a senior policy adviser for Clinton’s 2016 campaign. CODE RED: Computerized... Jonathan D. Simon Best Price: $17.96 Buy New $20.71 (as of 07:10 UTC - Details)
Sullivan is a member of the Alliance for Securing Democracy’s Advisory Council, which also includes Michael Chertoff, the former Homeland Security secretary, Bill Kristol, a neoconservative who pushed for the Iraq War, Michael McFaul, the former United States ambassador to Russia, Mike Morell, the former CIA director, John Podesta, former Clinton campaign chairman, and Mike Rogers, the former Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee.
As The Grayzone’s Max Blumenthal has documented, the Alliance For Securing Democracy is a factory of modern-day McCarthyism, where it brands alternative media outlets as “vehicles for Kremlin propaganda” and paints actual people as Russian bots to discredit dissent against U.S. foreign policy.
An email chain in the “Podesta Emails” that WikiLeaks published in 2016 showed Clinton offering support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement if she was elected. It would have to pass some tests, but as Sullivan indicated environmental protections were not required. “Enviro was not a test.”
Sullivan did not believe the Clinton campaign could limit contributions from lobbyists or their clients because “clients” might be difficult to define. They could advocate for stronger bribery laws to limit the political influence of donations on legislation, but that would be “really dicey territory” for Clinton, he added.
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lewrockwell--2020-01-31--The United States: a Record-Holder in Political Assassinations

The crowing by Donald Trump that he “ terminated ” the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force , Major General Qaseem Soleimani , simply because Trump believed , mobster-style , that he had it coming , should remind the world that the United States government stands as the world ’ s record-holder in either directly carrying out or coordinating with other parties the assassination of political leaders , American and foreign .
In most cases in the past , assassinations ordered by the U.S. intelligence infrastructure had the veneer of “ plausible deniability.
” Even with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ documents , the Central Intelligence Agency continues to manage to hide behind the plausible deniability façade .
The recent order by Trump for the U.S. military to assassinate Soleimani was not only made public , but it also involved a major international assassination program that also successfully targeted Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis , the Iraqi commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces ( PMF ) , the closest thing Iraq has to a National Guard .
Al-Muhandis and Soleimani were traveling in the same motorcade at Baghdad International Airport when their vehicles were struck by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assassination by missile , the chief treasurer for the Quds Force , General Abdul Reza Shahlai , escaped being targeted by a U.S. missile aimed at what believed to have been his location in Yemen .
Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 Trump ’ s assassination program was eerily similar to a plan the CIA developed in 2001 as a result of strong pressure from Vice President Dick Cheney .
Although Cheney ’ s CIA operation supposedly targeted Al @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerously close to violating a series of presidential orders from Presidents Gerald Ford , Jimmy Carter , and Ronald Reagan prohibiting the targeting of foreign government officials for assassination .
Reagan ’ s Executive Order 12333 , which updated those of Ford and Carter , stipulated : “ No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in , or conspire to engage in , assassination.
” Executive Order 12333 was weakened by follow-on orders signed by Bill Clinton and George W. Bush .
The relaxed presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorist leaders .
In June 2009 , CIA director Leon Panetta canceled the assassination program because of its potential illegality and the fact that Cheney had hidden its existence from congressional overseers .
The Cheney program had relied on armed drones to carry out assassinations of presumed terrorist leaders .
With the Trump-ordered assassinations of Soleimani and al-Muhandis , both of whom cooperated with U.S. and other forces in the battles against the Islamic State and other Sunni jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria , the old Cheney program appears to have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between assassinating Al Qaeda and Islamic State leaders and the commanders of government military forces of United Nations member states like Iran and Iraq .
President Ford enacted the first presidential order against foreign assassinations in 1976 after the CIA ’ s involvement in the assassinations of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba , South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem , Dominican Republic President Rafael Trujillo , Chilean President Salvador Allende , and other foreign officials became public .
Exposed as a result of Senate , House of Representatives , and Rockefeller Commission investigations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro .
The U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations ( HSCA ) conducted studies and hearings on the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy and that of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968 .
The HCSA , which did not receive full cooperation from the U.S. intelligence and federal law enforcement communities , concluded Kennedy and King were likely assassinated as the result of conspiracies .
The HCSA , against mountains of evidence to the contrary , also concluded that no agency of the U.S. government was involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The HCSA did not examine evidence of wider conspiracies involving the U.S. government in the June 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy , the 1970 airplane crash that killed United Auto Workers union president Walter Reuther , or the 1972 attempted assassination of Alabama Governor and presidential candidate George Wallace .
After the HCSA completed its inquiry , there would be future questions over the use of U.S. intelligence assets to carry out domestic political assassinations , including the 1980 assassination of famed musician John Lennon and the attempted assassination of President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well as that of Senator Robert Kennedy , bore the signature of the use of pre-programmed assassins , which was a central feature of a mind-control operation the CIA codenamed MK-ULTRA .
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has indicated that the Trump administration has not only restored the Cheney policy of targeted assassinations but reserves the right to carry out assassinations of other “ challengers ” to U.S. interests .
In a speech at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University , which was titled “ The Restoration of Deterrence : The Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leaders of Iran , presumably including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , as well as leaders of Russia and China , could be targeted for assassination as part of America ’ s “ bigger strategy.
” Pompeo stressed that the new U.S. deterrence through assassination policy “ isn ’ t confined to Iran.
” In addition to Iran , Russia , and China , Pompeo indicated that political and religious leaders in Iraq , Syria , Yemen , Lebanon , and elsewhere were subject to U.S. assassination .
That has been taken by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leadership of Lebanese Hezbollah , the Houthis in Yemen , and Hamas in the Gaza Strip .
Pompeo indicated that prior to assassination , targets will be treated to pre-assassination measures , including freezes on their foreign bank accounts and other financial assets .
Those officials currently in the pre-assassination phase of being sanctioned include Ali Shamkhani , the Secretary of Iran ’ s Supreme National Security Council ; Mohammad Reza Ashtiani , the Deputy Chief of Staff of Iranian armed forces ; and Gholamreza Soleimani , the head of the Basij @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( IRGC ) .
Lebanese officials in the pre-assassination category include Amin Sherri and Muhammad Hasan Ra ’ d , both Hezbollah members of the Lebanese Parliament , and Wafiq Safa , a Hezbollah liaison officer to the Lebanese security forces .
Amazon.com Gift Card i ... Buy New $ 10.00 All Pompeo has managed to accomplish is that any future suspicious deaths or assassinations of any world leader or policy maker will be seen as having possible American fingerprints , and justifiably so .
Pompeo ’ s speech has refocused attention on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saudi intelligence agents of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate-General in Istanbul .
That assassination appears to have been known in advance to Trump ’ s son-in-law , Jared Kushner , who maintains a close personal relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ( MBS ) , the main architect of Khashoggi ’ s murder .
Pompeo insists that the new U.S. policy is to deter foreign threats to the United States .
Skeptics of the policy believe that it is not U.S. national security that Pompeo is interested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s personal welfare .
The suspicious death in a New York federal detention center of one-time Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein , who was arrested in July 2019 and charged with international underage female sex trafficking , have many in the United States and abroad concerned that Pompeo , and Attorney General William Barr are running some sort of “ Murder , Incorporated ” to silence those who pose a threat to Trump and his vested interests .
An Epstein trial could have revealed information about the nature of his relationship with Trump that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump presidency .
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .

The crowing by Donald Trump that he “terminated” the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force, Major General Qaseem Soleimani, simply because Trump believed, mobster-style, that he had it coming, should remind the world that the United States government stands as the world’s record-holder in either directly carrying out or coordinating with other parties the assassination of political leaders, American and foreign.
In most cases in the past, assassinations ordered by the U.S. intelligence infrastructure had the veneer of “plausible deniability.” Even with the release of millions of formerly classified intelligence documents, the Central Intelligence Agency continues to manage to hide behind the plausible deniability façade. The recent order by Trump for the U.S. military to assassinate Soleimani was not only made public, but it also involved a major international assassination program that also successfully targeted Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), the closest thing Iraq has to a National Guard. Al-Muhandis and Soleimani were traveling in the same motorcade at Baghdad International Airport when their vehicles were struck by a drone-launched missile. In another attempted assassination by missile, the chief treasurer for the Quds Force, General Abdul Reza Shahlai, escaped being targeted by a U.S. missile aimed at what believed to have been his location in Yemen.
Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details) Trump’s assassination program was eerily similar to a plan the CIA developed in 2001 as a result of strong pressure from Vice President Dick Cheney. Although Cheney’s CIA operation supposedly targeted Al Qaeda leaders for assassination, it came dangerously close to violating a series of presidential orders from Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan prohibiting the targeting of foreign government officials for assassination. Reagan’s Executive Order 12333, which updated those of Ford and Carter, stipulated: “No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.” Executive Order 12333 was weakened by follow-on orders signed by Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The relaxed presidential orders permitted the assassination of specially designated terrorist leaders.
In June 2009, CIA director Leon Panetta canceled the assassination program because of its potential illegality and the fact that Cheney had hidden its existence from congressional overseers. The Cheney program had relied on armed drones to carry out assassinations of presumed terrorist leaders. With the Trump-ordered assassinations of Soleimani and al-Muhandis, both of whom cooperated with U.S. and other forces in the battles against the Islamic State and other Sunni jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, the old Cheney program appears to have been reinstated.
There is a big difference between assassinating Al Qaeda and Islamic State leaders and the commanders of government military forces of United Nations member states like Iran and Iraq.
President Ford enacted the first presidential order against foreign assassinations in 1976 after the CIA’s involvement in the assassinations of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem, Dominican Republic President Rafael Trujillo, Chilean President Salvador Allende, and other foreign officials became public. Exposed as a result of Senate, House of Representatives, and Rockefeller Commission investigations were repeated attempts by the CIA to assassinate Cuban leader Fidel Castro.
The U.S. House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) conducted studies and hearings on the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy and that of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968. The HCSA, which did not receive full cooperation from the U.S. intelligence and federal law enforcement communities, concluded Kennedy and King were likely assassinated as the result of conspiracies. The HCSA, against mountains of evidence to the contrary, also concluded that no agency of the U.S. government was involved in either of the two assassinations. The HCSA did not examine evidence of wider conspiracies involving the U.S. government in the June 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the 1970 airplane crash that killed United Auto Workers union president Walter Reuther, or the 1972 attempted assassination of Alabama Governor and presidential candidate George Wallace.
After the HCSA completed its inquiry, there would be future questions over the use of U.S. intelligence assets to carry out domestic political assassinations, including the 1980 assassination of famed musician John Lennon and the attempted assassination of President Reagan in 1981. Both, as well as that of Senator Robert Kennedy, bore the signature of the use of pre-programmed assassins, which was a central feature of a mind-control operation the CIA codenamed MK-ULTRA.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has indicated that the Trump administration has not only restored the Cheney policy of targeted assassinations but reserves the right to carry out assassinations of other “challengers” to U.S. interests. In a speech at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, which was titled “The Restoration of Deterrence: The Iranian Example,” Pompeo stressed that additional leaders of Iran, presumably including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as leaders of Russia and China, could be targeted for assassination as part of America’s “bigger strategy.” Pompeo stressed that the new U.S. deterrence through assassination policy “isn’t confined to Iran.” In addition to Iran, Russia, and China, Pompeo indicated that political and religious leaders in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, and elsewhere were subject to U.S. assassination. That has been taken by many in the Middle East to include the leadership of Lebanese Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Pompeo indicated that prior to assassination, targets will be treated to pre-assassination measures, including freezes on their foreign bank accounts and other financial assets. Those officials currently in the pre-assassination phase of being sanctioned include Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council; Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, the Deputy Chief of Staff of Iranian armed forces; and Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Basij militia of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Lebanese officials in the pre-assassination category include Amin Sherri and Muhammad Hasan Ra’d, both Hezbollah members of the Lebanese Parliament, and Wafiq Safa, a Hezbollah liaison officer to the Lebanese security forces.
All Pompeo has managed to accomplish is that any future suspicious deaths or assassinations of any world leader or policy maker will be seen as having possible American fingerprints, and justifiably so. Pompeo’s speech has refocused attention on the October 2, 2018 assassination by Saudi intelligence agents of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate-General in Istanbul. That assassination appears to have been known in advance to Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who maintains a close personal relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), the main architect of Khashoggi’s murder.
Pompeo insists that the new U.S. policy is to deter foreign threats to the United States. Skeptics of the policy believe that it is not U.S. national security that Pompeo is interested in protecting, but Donald Trump’s personal welfare. The suspicious death in a New York federal detention center of one-time Trump friend Jeffrey Epstein, who was arrested in July 2019 and charged with international underage female sex trafficking, have many in the United States and abroad concerned that Pompeo, and Attorney General William Barr are running some sort of “Murder, Incorporated” to silence those who pose a threat to Trump and his vested interests. An Epstein trial could have revealed information about the nature of his relationship with Trump that would have posed a direct threat to the Trump presidency.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.


lewrockwell--2020-01-31--When Nazis Call You Nazi

When Nazis Call You Nazi

I recently watched a group of kool-aid-haired forty and fifty year old white women yelling through bullhorns and chanting slogans such as “ No racist !
No KKK !
No fascist USA !
…No Nazi !
No KKK !
No fascist USA !
” Or “ No more patriarchy .
Down with the patriarchy.
” The target of their anger was a group walking down the street whose biggest demographic was several thousand predominantly Latina women .
Of those Latinas , most were Mexican .
The sight was a shocker to me .
Could anyone seriously claim these kool-aid-haired angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist ?
What had these Mexicans women done to them to deserve such derision , you may ask ?
You see the group that the kool-aid-haired old women were calling racist and Nazi and loudly denouncing the patriarchy to were participating in a pro-life march .
But they didn ’ t seem to see the individuals they were saying it to .
Nor did they seem to digest the meaning of what they were saying .
And by the way , when I call 40 or 50 “ old , ” that ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – this band of kool-aid-haired women looked very unhappy and very old for their ages .
What did the Mexican women do in response ?
They didn ’ t chant back , they didn ’ t jeer .
They prayed for the people calling them racists and Nazis .
It was a site to behold .
As the group of kool-aid-haired women raged through their bullhorns about the pro-life Mexicans being Nazis , KKK , fascist , and racist , a man walked by with a handmade sign that said “ HITLER was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was also a SOCIALIST ?
?
” At the sight of that sign , the sloganeering from the kool-aid-haired women continued undeterred .
Of course the sign was true , As for the KKK chant , •Margaret Sanger founder of the largest pro-abortion organization in the US , Planned Parenthood , spoke at a KKK meeting in Silver Lake , New Jersey according to her autobiography , and •Sanger had notorious racist writer and klansman Lothrop Stoddard on her first board in 1922 ( see this ) for the organization that would later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1939 “ Negro Project ” was about getting black Americans onboard with their own population control .
•Five black babies are aborted for every ten live births in the United States , and •a number equivalent to more than half of the present black population in America has been aborted since Roe v Wade .
This is all seemingly in accord with the eugenicist agenda of Margaret Sanger and the organization that became Planned Parenthood .
How exactly are pro-life marchers Nazis or KKK by marching AGAINST Nazi and KKK ideas ?
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looked up and noticed a little ten year old blonde haired girl in a Make America Great Again hat look on in horror at the spectacle of the kool-aid-haired women yelling as she passed .
The kool-aid-haired women were all so angry .
Such bad optics .
The Mexicans and other pro-lifers were all so jolly , surrounded by big groups of family and friends – it was a giant diverse crowd that the kool-aid-haired women were calling “ literally Hitler.
” Then to make the whole sight even crazier , across the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looking young folks under thirty years old – maybe 50 or 75 of them – seemingly supporting the pro-life marchers .
They were so well-dressed and so well-orchestrated in their motions that I wondered if they were paid actors .
They chanted over and over again : “ Harvested eggs are alive.
” And each held the same professionally made sign in the same way and at the same height that read : “ Right to rescue.
” It sounded vaguely supportive of something that the pro-life marchers were saying , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marchers , as if they were protesting against the marchers , rather than marching in the pro-life march .
I asked one of the police officers who they were .
“ They are pro-life , ” he responded .
It turns out they actually weren ’ t with the pro-lifers .
They were PETA-type folks , protesting chicken egg harvesting and eating by humans .
They weren ’ t there for unity .
They were pro-abortion people calling it hypocrisy to want to protect a human baby , but not a chicken egg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ privileged ” kool-aid-haired women screaming at the Mexican women about the patriarchy and how Nazi the Mexican women and other pro-lifers were .
On the other side , you had pro-abortion people chanting about the moral value of a vegetarian lifestyle .
But facts didn ’ t seem to matter here .
Emoting feelings mattered .
Thought didn ’ t matter .
Prefabricated slogans mattered .
Communication or trying to understand another person didn ’ t matter .
Being loud mattered .
Swearing into a bull horn in front of kids mattered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Socialist German Workers ’ Party , in their plank , and in their bullying and abusive tactics that oppose reason and evidence while operating with a “ might makes right ” style of morality .
I witnessed exactly that where Powell meets Market in San Francisco at this pro-life march .
The Best of Allan Stevo

I recently watched a group of kool-aid-haired forty and fifty year old white women yelling through bullhorns and chanting slogans such as “No racist! No KKK! No fascist USA!…No Nazi! No KKK! No fascist USA!”
Or “No more patriarchy. Down with the patriarchy.”
The target of their anger was a group walking down the street whose biggest demographic was several thousand predominantly Latina women. Of those Latinas, most were Mexican.
The sight was a shocker to me.
Could anyone seriously claim these kool-aid-haired angry women had any place calling total strangers racist? What had these Mexicans women done to them to deserve such derision, you may ask?
You see the group that the kool-aid-haired old women were calling racist and Nazi and loudly denouncing the patriarchy to were participating in a pro-life march. But they didn’t seem to see the individuals they were saying it to. Nor did they seem to digest the meaning of what they were saying.
And by the way, when I call 40 or 50 “old,” that’s not in reference to their age – this band of kool-aid-haired women looked very unhappy and very old for their ages.
What did the Mexican women do in response? They didn’t chant back, they didn’t jeer. They prayed for the people calling them racists and Nazis. It was a site to behold.
As the group of kool-aid-haired women raged through their bullhorns about the pro-life Mexicans being Nazis, KKK, fascist, and racist, a man walked by with a handmade sign that said “HITLER was PRO-ABORTION, and did you know Hitler was also a SOCIALIST ??”
At the sight of that sign, the sloganeering from the kool-aid-haired women continued undeterred. Of course the sign was true,
•Hitler DID support abortion.
•Hitler WAS a socialist.
As for the KKK chant,
•Margaret Sanger founder of the largest pro-abortion organization in the US, Planned Parenthood, spoke at a KKK meeting in Silver Lake, New Jersey according to her autobiography, and
•Sanger had notorious racist writer and klansman Lothrop Stoddard on her first board in 1922 (see this) for the organization that would later become Planned Parenthood.
•Sanger’s 1939 “Negro Project” was about getting black Americans onboard with their own population control.
•Five black babies are aborted for every ten live births in the United States, and
•a number equivalent to more than half of the present black population in America has been aborted since Roe v Wade.
This is all seemingly in accord with the eugenicist agenda of Margaret Sanger and the organization that became Planned Parenthood.
How exactly are pro-life marchers Nazis or KKK by marching AGAINST Nazi and KKK ideas? They are in fact the opposite.
I looked up and noticed a little ten year old blonde haired girl in a Make America Great Again hat look on in horror at the spectacle of the kool-aid-haired women yelling as she passed.
The kool-aid-haired women were all so angry. Such bad optics. The Mexicans and other pro-lifers were all so jolly, surrounded by big groups of family and friends – it was a giant diverse crowd that the kool-aid-haired women were calling “literally Hitler.”
But Wait There’s More…
Then to make the whole sight even crazier, across the street were a bunch of very trendy looking young folks under thirty years old – maybe 50 or 75 of them – seemingly supporting the pro-life marchers. They were so well-dressed and so well-orchestrated in their motions that I wondered if they were paid actors.
They chanted over and over again: “Harvested eggs are alive.”
And each held the same professionally made sign in the same way and at the same height that read: “Right to rescue.”
It sounded vaguely supportive of something that the pro-life marchers were saying, but it was strange that they were facing the marchers, as if they were protesting against the marchers, rather than marching in the pro-life march.
I asked one of the police officers who they were. “They are pro-life,” he responded.
“Why aren’t they matching then?”
He shrugged.
It turns out they actually weren’t with the pro-lifers. They were PETA-type folks, protesting chicken egg harvesting and eating by humans. They weren’t there for unity. They were pro-abortion people calling it hypocrisy to want to protect a human baby, but not a chicken egg. How to Win America for... Stevo, Allan J Best Price: $14.36 Buy New $17.95 (as of 08:44 UTC - Details)
On one side you had pro-abortion “privileged” kool-aid-haired women screaming at the Mexican women about the patriarchy and how Nazi the Mexican women and other pro-lifers were. On the other side, you had pro-abortion people chanting about the moral value of a vegetarian lifestyle.
•Hitler was pro-abortion.
•Hitler was socialist.
•Hitler was a vegetarian too.
But facts didn’t seem to matter here. Emoting feelings mattered. Thought didn’t matter. Prefabricated slogans mattered. Communication or trying to understand another person didn’t matter. Being loud mattered. Swearing into a bull horn in front of kids mattered.
The American left increasingly resembles the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, in their plank, and in their bullying and abusive tactics that oppose reason and evidence while operating with a “might makes right” style of morality.
I witnessed exactly that where Powell meets Market in San Francisco at this pro-life march.
The Best of Allan Stevo


Hovering in Cyberspace

We live in a fabricated reality where the visible world became nearly meaningless once the screen world became people ’ s “ window on the world.
” An electronic nothingness replaced reality as people gleefully embraced digital wraparound apparitions .
These days people still move about in the physical world but live in the electronic one .
The result is mass hallucination .
This is the fundamental seismic shift of our era .
There is a lot of bitching and joking about it , but when all is said and done , it is accepted as inevitable .
Digital devices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ advances ” are accepted as human destiny .
We now inhabit a technological nightmare ( that seems like a paradise to so many ) in which technology and technique – the standardized means for realizing a predetermined end most efficiently – dominate the world .
In such a world , not only does the end justify the means , but to consider such a moral issue is beside the point .
We are speeding ahead to nowhere in the most “ efficient ” way possible .
No questioning allowed !
Unless you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days there is much political talk and commentary about fascism , tyranny , a police state , etc.
, while the totalitarianism of technocracy and technology continues apace .
It is not just the ecological ( in the human/natural sense ) impact of digital technology where one change generates many others in an endless spiral , but the fact that technical efficiency dominates all aspects of life and , as Jacques Ellul wrote long ago , “ transforms everything it touches into a machine , ” including humans .
For every problem caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technological “ solution ” that creates further technological problems ad infinitum .
The goal is always to find the most efficient ( power ) technique to apply as rapidly as possible to all human problems .
Writing nearly fifty years ago in Medical Nemesis , Ivan Illich , explained how in medical care the human touch was being replaced by this technical mindset .
He said , We are of course living with the ongoing results of such medical technical efficiency .
The U.S.A. is a country where the majority of people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legally or illegally , since the human problems of living are considered to have only technological solutions , whether those remedies are effective or anodyne .
The “ accidents ” and risks built into the technological fixes are never considered since the ideological grip of the religion of technology is all-encompassing and infallible .
We are caught in its web .
Marshall McLuhan , the media guru of the 1960s – whether he was applauding or bemoaning the fact – was right when he claimed that the medium is the message .
Cell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the electronification of life , are today ’ s message , a sign that one is always in touch with the void .
To be without this small machine is to be rendered an idiot in the ancient Greek sense of the word – a private person .
Translation : one who is out of it , detached , at least temporarily , from the screens that separate us from reality , from the incessant noise and pinging messages that destroy reflection and create reflex reactions .
But to be out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
And to understand it is terrifying , for it means one knows that the religion of technology has replaced nature as the source of what for eons has been considered sacred .
It means one grasps how reality is now defined by technology .
It means realizing that people are merging with the machines they are attached to by invisible manacles as they replace the human body with abstractions and interact with machines .
It means recognizing that the internet , despite its positive aspects and usage by dissenters intent on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporation and government forces intent on using it as a weapon to control people .
It means seeing the truth that most people have never considered the price to be paid for the speed and efficiency of a high-tech world .
But the price is very , very high .
One price , perhaps the most important , is the fragmentation of consciousness , which prevents people from grasping the present from within – which , as Frederic Jameson has noted , is so crucial and yet one of the mind ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffer from digital dementia as their attention hops from input to output in a never-ending flow of mediated , disembodied data .
As a result , a vicious circle has been created that prevents people from the crucial epistemological task of grasping the double-bind that is the ultimate propaganda .
Data is Dada by another name , and we are in Dada land , pissing , not into Marcel Duchamp ’ s ridiculous work of Dada “ art , ” a urinal , but into the wind .
And data piled on data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or understanding .
There is no time or space for grasping context or to connect the dots .
It is a pointillist painting in the form of inert facts that few can understand or even realize that they don ’ t .
I am typing these words on a Hermes 3000 manual typewriter , a beautiful piece of technology whose sound and movement creates a rhythmic sanctuary where my hands , head , and heart work in unison .
It allows me to think slowly , to make mistakes that will necessitate retyping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and revisions , to roll the paper out of the machine and sit quietly as I review it .
My eyes rest on the paper , not a blue-lit screen .
Technology as such is not the problem , for my typewriter is a very useful and endurable machine , a useful technology that has enhanced life .
It does not break or need to be replaced every few years , as computers do .
It does not contain coltan , tantalum , or other minerals mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor people working under oppressive conditions created by international consumer greed that is devouring the world .
It does not allow anyone to spy on me as I type .
I am alone and unplugged , disconnected , off-line and out of line , a sine qua non for thinking , and thinking about deep matters .
The typewriter is mine , and mine alone , unlike the connected digital devices that have destroyed aloneness , for to be alone is to contemplate one ’ s fate and that of all humanity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not feel the loneliness induced and exacerbated by the illusion of always being in touch .
But while this typing machine allows me to write in peace , I am in no way suggesting that I have escaped the technological condition that we all find ourselves in .
There are little ways to step outside the closing circle , but even then , one is still in it .
I will eventually have to take my paper and type it into a computer document if I wish to publish it in the form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no other way .
The technocrats have decreed it so .
We are all , as George Orwell once wrote in a different context and meaning , “ inside the whale , ” the whale in this case being a high-tech digital world controlled by technocrats , and we have only small ways to shield ourselves from it .
Sitting in a quiet room , working on a typewriter , taking a walk in the woods without a cell phone , or not owning a cell phone , are but small individual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ structural realty of what Neil Postman calls technopoly in his masterful book , Technopoly : The Surrender of Culture to Technology .
And even in the woods one may look up to admire a tree only to find that it is a cell phone tower .
Humans have always created and used technology , but for a very long time that technology was subject to cultural and religious rules that circumscribed limits to its use .
Today there are no limits , no rules to constrain it .
The prohibition to prohibit is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technical efficiency , we have handed over our freedom and lost control of the means to ends we can ’ t fathom but unconsciously fear .
Where are we heading ?
many probably wonder , as they check the latest news ping , no doubt about something to fear , as a thousand pieces of “ news ” flash through their devices without pause , like wisps of fleeting dreams one vaguely remembers but can not pin down or understand .
Incoherence is the result .
Speed is king .
Of course , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who desire some coherence and explanation .
This is provided by what Jacques Ellul calls “ the explanatory myth.
” He writes , This brings us to the other pole of our bizarre intellectual situation today : the explanatory myth .
In addition to its political and its mystical and spiritual function , the explanatory myth is the veritable spinal column of our whole intellectual system…Given that appearances produce confusion and coherence is needed , a new appearance unifies them all in the viewer ’ s mind and enables everything to be explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and is accepted only by completely blind credulity .
It becomes the intellectual key for opening all secrets , interpreting every fact , and recognizing oneself in the whirl of phenomena…this myth [ is ] their one stable point of thought and consciousness…enables everyone to avoid the trouble of thinking for themselves , the worry of doubt , the questioning , the uncertainty of understanding , and the torture of a bad conscience .
What prodigious savings of time and means , which can be put usefully to work manufacturing some more missiles… @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they have an answer for everything ; and whatever happens and whatever they do , they can rely on the explanation that myth provides .
This process places them within the most complete unreality possible .
They live in a permanent dream , but a realistic dream , constructed from the countless facts and theories that they believe in with all the power of ‘ mass persons ’ who can not detach themselves from the mass without dying .
Today that myth is the religion of technology .
So if you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ask your phone .
Ask your phone why we are living with endless wars on the edge of using our most astounding technological invention : nuclear weapons .
Ask your computer why “ nice ” Americans will sit behind computer screens and send missiles to kill people half-way around the world whom they are told they are at war with .
Ask your smart device why so many have become little Eichmanns , carrying out their dutiful little tasks at Raytheon , Lockheed Martin , and all the other war manufacturers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ask your phone what really happened to the Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 in Iran .
See if your phone will say anything about cyber warfare , electronic jamming , or why the plane ’ s transponder was turned off preventing a signal to be sent indicating it was a civilian aircraft .
Ask who is behind the push to deploy 5 G wireless technology .
Ask that smart phone who is providing the non-answers .
Ask and it won ’ t be given to you ; seek and you will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions will remain hidden .
This is the technological society , set up and controlled by the rulers .
It is a scam .
The Best of Edward Curtin

We live in a fabricated reality where the visible world became nearly meaningless once the screen world became people’s “window on the world.” An electronic nothingness replaced reality as people gleefully embraced digital wraparound apparitions. These days people still move about in the physical world but live in the electronic one. The result is mass hallucination.
This is the fundamental seismic shift of our era. There is a lot of bitching and joking about it, but when all is said and done, it is accepted as inevitable. Digital devices are embraced as phantom lovers. Technological “advances” are accepted as human destiny. We now inhabit a technological nightmare (that seems like a paradise to so many) in which technology and technique – the standardized means for realizing a predetermined end most efficiently – dominate the world. In such a world, not only does the end justify the means, but to consider such a moral issue is beside the point. We are speeding ahead to nowhere in the most “efficient” way possible. No questioning allowed! Unless you wish to ask your phone.
These days there is much political talk and commentary about fascism, tyranny, a police state, etc., while the totalitarianism of technocracy and technology continues apace. It is not just the ecological (in the human/natural sense) impact of digital technology where one change generates many others in an endless spiral, but the fact that technical efficiency dominates all aspects of life and, as Jacques Ellul wrote long ago, “transforms everything it touches into a machine,” including humans. For every problem caused by technology, there is always a technological “solution” that creates further technological problems ad infinitum. The goal is always to find the most efficient (power) technique to apply as rapidly as possible to all human problems.
Writing nearly fifty years ago in Medical Nemesis, Ivan Illich, explained how in medical care the human touch was being replaced by this technical mindset. He said,
In all countries, doctors work increasingly with two groups of addicts: those for whom they prescribe drugs, and those who suffer from their consequences. The richer the community, the larger the percentage of patients who belong to both…In such a society, people come to believe that in health care, as in all fields of endeavor, technology can be used to change the human condition according to almost any design.
We are of course living with the ongoing results of such medical technical efficiency. The U.S.A. is a country where the majority of people are drugged in one way or another, legally or illegally, since the human problems of living are considered to have only technological solutions, whether those remedies are effective or anodyne. The “accidents” and risks built into the technological fixes are never considered since the ideological grip of the religion of technology is all-encompassing and infallible. We are caught in its web.
Marshall McLuhan, the media guru of the 1960s – whether he was applauding or bemoaning the fact – was right when he claimed that the medium is the message.
Cell phones, being the current omnipresent form of the electronification of life, are today’s message, a sign that one is always in touch with the void. To be without this small machine is to be rendered an idiot in the ancient Greek sense of the word – a private person. Translation: one who is out of it, detached, at least temporarily, from the screens that separate us from reality, from the incessant noise and pinging messages that destroy reflection and create reflex reactions.
But to be out of it is the only way to understand it. And to understand it is terrifying, for it means one knows that the religion of technology has replaced nature as the source of what for eons has been considered sacred. It means one grasps how reality is now defined by technology. It means realizing that people are merging with the machines they are attached to by invisible manacles as they replace the human body with abstractions and interact with machines. It means recognizing that the internet, despite its positive aspects and usage by dissenters intent on human liberation, is controlled by private corporation and government forces intent on using it as a weapon to control people. It means seeing the truth that most people have never considered the price to be paid for the speed and efficiency of a high-tech world.
But the price is very, very high.
One price, perhaps the most important, is the fragmentation of consciousness, which prevents people from grasping the present from within – which, as Frederic Jameson has noted, is so crucial and yet one of the mind’s most problematic tasks – because so many suffer from digital dementia as their attention hops from input to output in a never-ending flow of mediated, disembodied data. As a result, a vicious circle has been created that prevents people from the crucial epistemological task of grasping the double-bind that is the ultimate propaganda. Data is Dada by another name, and we are in Dada land, pissing, not into Marcel Duchamp’s ridiculous work of Dada “art,” a urinal, but into the wind. And data piled on data equals a heap of data without knowledge or understanding. There is no time or space for grasping context or to connect the dots. It is a pointillist painting in the form of inert facts that few can understand or even realize that they don’t.
I am typing these words on a Hermes 3000 manual typewriter, a beautiful piece of technology whose sound and movement creates a rhythmic sanctuary where my hands, head, and heart work in unison. It allows me to think slowly, to make mistakes that will necessitate retyping, to do second and third rereadings and revisions, to roll the paper out of the machine and sit quietly as I review it. My eyes rest on the paper, not a blue-lit screen.
Technology as such is not the problem, for my typewriter is a very useful and endurable machine, a useful technology that has enhanced life. It does not break or need to be replaced every few years, as computers do. It does not contain coltan, tantalum, or other minerals mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and other places by poor people working under oppressive conditions created by international consumer greed that is devouring the world. It does not allow anyone to spy on me as I type. I am alone and unplugged, disconnected, off-line and out of line, a sine qua non for thinking, and thinking about deep matters. The typewriter is mine, and mine alone, unlike the connected digital devices that have destroyed aloneness, for to be alone is to contemplate one’s fate and that of all humanity. It is to confront essential things and not feel the loneliness induced and exacerbated by the illusion of always being in touch.
But while this typing machine allows me to write in peace, I am in no way suggesting that I have escaped the technological condition that we all find ourselves in. There are little ways to step outside the closing circle, but even then, one is still in it. I will eventually have to take my paper and type it into a computer document if I wish to publish it in the form you will be reading it. There is no other way. The technocrats have decreed it so. We are all, as George Orwell once wrote in a different context and meaning, “inside the whale,” the whale in this case being a high-tech digital world controlled by technocrats, and we have only small ways to shield ourselves from it. Sitting in a quiet room, working on a typewriter, taking a walk in the woods without a cell phone, or not owning a cell phone, are but small individual acts that have no effect on the structural realty of what Neil Postman calls technopoly in his masterful book, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. And even in the woods one may look up to admire a tree only to find that it is a cell phone tower.
Humans have always created and used technology, but for a very long time that technology was subject to cultural and religious rules that circumscribed limits to its use. Today there are no limits, no rules to constrain it. The prohibition to prohibit is our motto. In our acceptance of technical efficiency, we have handed over our freedom and lost control of the means to ends we can’t fathom but unconsciously fear. Where are we heading? many probably wonder, as they check the latest news ping, no doubt about something to fear, as a thousand pieces of “news” flash through their devices without pause, like wisps of fleeting dreams one vaguely remembers but cannot pin down or understand. Incoherence is the result. Speed is king.
Of course, this kaleidoscopic flood of data confuses people who desire some coherence and explanation. This is provided by what Jacques Ellul calls “the explanatory myth.” He writes,
This brings us to the other pole of our bizarre intellectual situation today: the explanatory myth. In addition to its political and its mystical and spiritual function, the explanatory myth is the veritable spinal column of our whole intellectual system…Given that appearances produce confusion and coherence is needed, a new appearance unifies them all in the viewer’s mind and enables everything to be explained. This appearance has a spiritual root and is accepted only by completely blind credulity. It becomes the intellectual key for opening all secrets, interpreting every fact, and recognizing oneself in the whirl of phenomena…this myth [is] their one stable point of thought and consciousness…enables everyone to avoid the trouble of thinking for themselves, the worry of doubt, the questioning, the uncertainty of understanding, and the torture of a bad conscience. What prodigious savings of time and means, which can be put usefully to work manufacturing some more missiles…[they] have a good conscience because they have an answer for everything; and whatever happens and whatever they do, they can rely on the explanation that myth provides. This process places them within the most complete unreality possible. They live in a permanent dream, but a realistic dream, constructed from the countless facts and theories that they believe in with all the power of ‘mass persons’ who cannot detach themselves from the mass without dying.
Today that myth is the religion of technology.
So if you have any questions you want answered, you can ask your phone.
Ask your phone why we are living with endless wars on the edge of using our most astounding technological invention: nuclear weapons.
Ask your computer why “nice” Americans will sit behind computer screens and send missiles to kill people half-way around the world whom they are told they are at war with.
Ask your smart device why so many have become little Eichmanns, carrying out their dutiful little tasks at Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and all the other war manufacturers, or not caring what stocks they own.
Ask your phone what really happened to the Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 in Iran. See if your phone will say anything about cyber warfare, electronic jamming, or why the plane’s transponder was turned off preventing a signal to be sent indicating it was a civilian aircraft.
Ask who is behind the push to deploy 5 G wireless technology.
Ask that smart phone who is providing the non-answers.
Ask and it won’t be given to you; seek and you will not find. The true answers to your questions will remain hidden. This is the technological society, set up and controlled by the rulers. It is a scam.
Google it!
God may respond.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
The Best of Edward Curtin


lewrockwell--2020-01-31--PPE for a Pandemic: A Guide to Personal Protective Equipment and Masks

One of the problems with prepping for a pandemic is getting accurate information .
When there ’ s a potential for a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease , people panic .
Governments do what they can to minimize panic .
This includes protective measures , like restricting travel .
It can also mean controlling the release of information .
We saw this with the West African Ebola outbreak , and we may be seeing it again with the Wuhan coronavirus .
Daisy reported on this earlier in her article , The Numbers for the Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak Just Don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers released from China on confirmed infected and the low number of fatal outcomes compared to government response of locking down entire cities of millions of people under quarantine and health care workers seen in full hazmat gear seems incongruous .
Ebola was a top media story in 2014 , as it spread from Guinea to Liberia and Sierra Leone .
The public tuned in to hear the regular CDC updates from then CDC Director , Tom Frieden .
There was huge public outrage when several health care providers and volunteers from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the US for medical care .
A nurse from Maine was quarantined in New Jersey before being released to Maine .
Maine also sought to keep her in quarantine for observation .
However , she was ultimately permitted to remain at home during her observation , in spite of the protests from her neighbors .
Then , it happened .
The first case of Ebola in the US was confirmed in a traveler from Liberia , Thomas Eric Duncan .
Two nurses contracted Ebola while caring for Mr. Duncan .
One nurse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacation before being diagnosed .
Tensions rose steeply as President Obama appointed Ron Klain , as his Ebola Response Coordinator .
The media dubbed Klain Obama ’ s “ Ebola Czar ” .
Klain , a Fannie Mae lobbyist with had no medical background , was known for his unique ability to circumnavigate government bureaucracy and government regulations .
Within weeks of Klain ’ s appointment to Ebola Czar , the Associated Press released a statement that was sent to editors that there would be no more stories on Ebola cases unless it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as happened with a cruise ship being turned away from port .
Ebola was , essentially , out of the news .
Of course , that Ebola outbreak continued for over a year .
But , you wouldn ’ t have known that by watching your regularly scheduled evening news .
Downplaying the seriousness of a threat is nothing new .
It ’ s much easier to manage information than to manage a panicked population .
Unfortunately , it also puts people at risk .
Saudi Arabia is a perfect example of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Syndrome ( MERS ) first broke out , Saudi Arabia minimized the risk in its official reports .
This led to a spread of MERS that didn ’ t need to happen .
A lot of questions surround the Wuhan coronavirus .
There are the usual questions , such as how fast it is spreading , and how deadly it is .
Then , there are other questions .
Questions about why are millions of people under quarantine if there isn ’ t a significant threat ?
Why are health care workers being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
How legitimate are these photos anyway ?
Are they even from this outbreak ?
We can ’ t know for sure , and uncertainty is the problem .
Speculation is often a pointless exercise at best , and fear-mongering at worst .
However , it is fair to have a certain amount of skepticism when it comes to anything to do with the Chinese government .
They are already masters at manipulating and controlling their media .
As reported in Daisy ’ s article mentioned above , there are currently 900 confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a mortality rate of just 2.88 % .
This is up by less than 1 % from my article 2 days ago , Wuhan Virus Hits the US , What Preppers Need to Know .
The overwhelming majority of these fatalities are reported to have been older men with a host of serious pre-existing conditions .
Today , there was one fatality in a previously healthy man in his 30s .
Maybe I ’ m missing something , but if the risk of death from Wuhan coronavirus is still under 3 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Sure , it ’ s highly contagious .
But , “ highly contagious ” does not automatically mean “ highly fatal.
” However , the response we have seen by the Chinese government , such as putting over 20 million people in quarantine , ( now it ’ s 30 million ) seems to be a bit of overkill .
There is , however , some precedence for these measures .
China is opting to treat this outbreak as a Grade A infectious disease , as it did with SARS , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spread .
Currently , however , the new virus will be treated as a Grade A infectious disease , which requires the strictest prevention and control measures , including mandatory quarantine of patients and medical observation for those who have had close contact with patients , according to the commission .
This is prudent , since we do not yet know if that relatively low mortality rate is accurate , or if it will continue to increase .
And if it does , we certainly do not know by how much .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is better to take extreme precautions now , rather than wait for proof that this virus is far more deadly than it appears at the moment .
I would love to believe that the Chinese government has taken these actions simply out of an abundance of caution .
At the same time , this is China we ’ re talking about .
A little , healthy skepticism is warranted .
Regardless of whether China is just being proactive , or if China actually is hiding the real risk , there will eventually be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a deadly disease to visit your neighborhood , you should get prepped for a pandemic in advance .
One easy thing you can do to prepare for a deadly pandemic is to have a solid supply of Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) on hand .
PPE prevents the spread of disease .
These are items like facemasks , protective gloves , and so on that act as a barrier between you and pathogens .
The following PPE will allow you to create your own DIY hazmat suit .
Please pay attention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were in stock and available within two to ten days from Amazon at the time of publication but please be aware that products are selling out extremely quickly right now .
This goes on over everything else .
If you just have scrubs , put this over your scrubs .
If you have a suit , put this on over your suit .
You want multiple layers of protection , and this is an easy-to-dispose option .
( Disposal and decontamination options are important to consider . )
This is your base layer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that stands up to the extra-harsh laundry chemicals used in hospitals .
The fabric used is often treated to be antimicrobial .
Shoe covers can protect shoes and boots from spills , if they are waterproof .
Not all are .
The boot/shoe protectors linked to above are waterproof .
Duct tape has so many uses , I ’ m sure you already have some .
You should , however , also keep some duct tape in your medical supplies .
Use duct tape to tape down all seams of your chosen suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where hood meets goggles , etc ) An encapsulated suit completely covers the body .
While it covers the face , it still requires a respirator .
It acts as a barrier against air , moisture , and water vapor , and it has taped seams to protect against spills .
This was intended for industrial purposes , such as spraying pesticides .
It isn ’ t cheap either .
However , it offers more protection than either the Tyvek or Tychem suits .
In the absence of a complete face shield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being splashed with infected fluids , as well as from disinfectant chemicals .
Goggles can fog up , so make sure you get some that resist fogging .
These nitrile gloves are 9-mil thick and provide greater protection to your hands than cheaper , 4-mil gloves .
However , it is better to wear a two-pair thickness .
These go over your nitrile gloves .
These provide another layer of protection but could impede any fine work you might need your fingertips for .
Wear these when lifting a contagious person to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of soiled linens , etc .
This hood provides extra protection to the face .
It can be worn over or underneath a mask but does not replace a respirator .
Wear goggles over this hood and tape all along the seams between the goggles and the hood .
N95 filters are disposable masks that will filter out particulates and aerosols .
This level of protection was used by doctors working with SARS .
Make sure you are using them correctly .
Here ’ s an article about getting a good seal .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The P100 filters are an even more secure filter than the N95 filters .
Here ’ s an article on selecting the right respirator masks .
Rubber boots will protect your feet and lower legs against standing in or being splashed by contaminated fluids .
Tyvek suits offer more protection than scrubs , but less protection than a Tychem or encapsulated suit .
These protect against many irritants and chemicals , and is often worn when doing pest extermination , asbestos removal , etc .
They may not provide as much protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cost effective way to add more protection .
This type of coverall offers more protection than the Tyvek suit .
It is designed to withstand more caustic chemicals than a Tyvek suit .
However , like Tyvek suits , it was intended for chemical and industrial applications , not medical .
Still , it offers another layer of protection from potentially infected fluids .
For more specific information of PPE and preparing for a pandemic , please check out my book , Prepping for a Pandemic .
That link is to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having a near impossible time keeping the paperback version in stock .
Is All That PPE Stuff Necessary ?
My current opinion , which is subject to change as newer data becomes available , is that a full DIY hazmat suit is probably overkill for the Wuhan coronavirus .
If we get better information and find out that 2019-nCoV has a much higher mortality rate than the current 3 % , I ’ ll be dusting off my PPE supplies .
For now , carrying an N95 mask on you to prevent inhaling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk should be sufficient .
Handwashing , hand sanitizers ( if handwashing is not available ) , and nitrile gloves would also go a long way to reducing the spread of this or any contagious illness .
The idea here is , however , not to prep for just one possible pandemic disease , but for a range of potential pandemics .
We don ’ t know what kinds of new and emerging diseases we might face .
PPE , however , provides us with extra physical barriers between us and potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And even if this coronavirus ends up not living up to all the media hype , still , by all means , stock up on PPE .
It ’ s not like there ’ s a shelf life on things like rubber boots , goggles , or scrubs .
At some point , even if it isn ’ t 2019-nCoV , there will be some emerging disease that does become the next great pandemic .
When that happens , these supplies will be hard to come by and 10 times the price @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Prepper .

One of the problems with prepping for a pandemic is getting accurate information. When there’s a potential for a highly contagious and potentially deadly disease, people panic. Governments do what they can to minimize panic. This includes protective measures, like restricting travel. It can also mean controlling the release of information. We saw this with the West African Ebola outbreak, and we may be seeing it again with the Wuhan coronavirus.
Daisy reported on this earlier in her article, The Numbers for the Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak Just Don’t Add Up. The official numbers released from China on confirmed infected and the low number of fatal outcomes compared to government response of locking down entire cities of millions of people under quarantine and health care workers seen in full hazmat gear seems incongruous.
Governments try to manage pandemic panic
Ebola was a top media story in 2014, as it spread from Guinea to Liberia and Sierra Leone. The public tuned in to hear the regular CDC updates from then CDC Director, Tom Frieden.
There was huge public outrage when several health care providers and volunteers from the US became ill and were transported back to the US for medical care. A nurse from Maine was quarantined in New Jersey before being released to Maine. Maine also sought to keep her in quarantine for observation. However, she was ultimately permitted to remain at home during her observation, in spite of the protests from her neighbors.
Then, it happened. The first case of Ebola in the US was confirmed in a traveler from Liberia, Thomas Eric Duncan. Two nurses contracted Ebola while caring for Mr. Duncan. One nurse had even boarded a plane for a vacation before being diagnosed. Tensions rose steeply as President Obama appointed Ron Klain, as his Ebola Response Coordinator. The media dubbed Klain Obama’s “Ebola Czar”.
Klain, a Fannie Mae lobbyist with had no medical background, was known for his unique ability to circumnavigate government bureaucracy and government regulations. Within weeks of Klain’s appointment to Ebola Czar, the Associated Press released a statement that was sent to editors that there would be no more stories on Ebola cases unless it also involved a major upset or delay, as happened with a cruise ship being turned away from port. Ebola was, essentially, out of the news.
Of course, that Ebola outbreak continued for over a year. But, you wouldn’t have known that by watching your regularly scheduled evening news.
Is China downplaying the Wuhan Coronavirus threat?
Downplaying the seriousness of a threat is nothing new. It’s much easier to manage information than to manage a panicked population. Unfortunately, it also puts people at risk. Saudi Arabia is a perfect example of this. When the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) first broke out, Saudi Arabia minimized the risk in its official reports. This led to a spread of MERS that didn’t need to happen.
A lot of questions surround the Wuhan coronavirus. There are the usual questions, such as how fast it is spreading, and how deadly it is. Then, there are other questions. Questions about why are millions of people under quarantine if there isn’t a significant threat? Why are health care workers being photographed moving patients wearing full-on hazmat gear? How legitimate are these photos anyway? Are they even from this outbreak?
We can’t know for sure, and uncertainty is the problem. Speculation is often a pointless exercise at best, and fear-mongering at worst. However, it is fair to have a certain amount of skepticism when it comes to anything to do with the Chinese government. They are already masters at manipulating and controlling their media.
As reported in Daisy’s article mentioned above, there are currently 900 confirmed cases worldwide with 26 fatalities. This is a mortality rate of just 2.88%. This is up by less than 1% from my article 2 days ago, Wuhan Virus Hits the US, What Preppers Need to Know. The overwhelming majority of these fatalities are reported to have been older men with a host of serious pre-existing conditions. Today, there was one fatality in a previously healthy man in his 30s.
Maybe I’m missing something, but if the risk of death from Wuhan coronavirus is still under 3%, that’s just not scary. Sure, it’s highly contagious. But, “highly contagious” does not automatically mean “highly fatal.” However, the response we have seen by the Chinese government, such as putting over 20 million people in quarantine, (now it’s 30 million) seems to be a bit of overkill.
There is, however, some precedence for these measures. China is opting to treat this outbreak as a Grade A infectious disease, as it did with SARS, because it is more effective to prevent its spread.
Currently, however, the new virus will be treated as a Grade A infectious disease, which requires the strictest prevention and control measures, including mandatory quarantine of patients and medical observation for those who have had close contact with patients, according to the commission.
At present, only two infectious diseases — bubonic plague and cholera — are classified as Grade A infectious diseases in China. Wang Yuedan, an immunology professor at Peking University, said managing the new disease as Grade A will greatly help in its control and prevention. Some other serious infectious diseases, such as SARS, are also classified as Grade B infectious diseases, but have been managed as Grade A infectious diseases during their outbreaks, Wang said.
This is prudent, since we do not yet know if that relatively low mortality rate is accurate, or if it will continue to increase. And if it does, we certainly do not know by how much. The rationale at work here is that it is better to take extreme precautions now, rather than wait for proof that this virus is far more deadly than it appears at the moment.
I would love to believe that the Chinese government has taken these actions simply out of an abundance of caution. At the same time, this is China we’re talking about. A little, healthy skepticism is warranted.
Regardless of whether China is just being proactive, or if China actually is hiding the real risk, there will eventually be another major pandemic. Rather than wait for a deadly disease to visit your neighborhood, you should get prepped for a pandemic in advance.
Personal Protective Equipment
One easy thing you can do to prepare for a deadly pandemic is to have a solid supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on hand. PPE prevents the spread of disease. These are items like facemasks, protective gloves, and so on that act as a barrier between you and pathogens.
The following PPE will allow you to create your own DIY hazmat suit. Please pay attention to sizing. All of these products were in stock and available within two to ten days from Amazon at the time of publication but please be aware that products are selling out extremely quickly right now.
Apron – Disposable Polypropylene
This goes on over everything else. If you just have scrubs, put this over your scrubs. If you have a suit, put this on over your suit. You want multiple layers of protection, and this is an easy-to-dispose option. (Disposal and decontamination options are important to consider.)
Base layer (Scrubs)
This is your base layer. Scrubs are made from durable fabric that stands up to the extra-harsh laundry chemicals used in hospitals. The fabric used is often treated to be antimicrobial.
Boot/Shoe Protectors
Shoe covers can protect shoes and boots from spills, if they are waterproof. Not all are. The boot/shoe protectors linked to above are waterproof.
Duct Tape
Duct tape has so many uses, I’m sure you already have some. You should, however, also keep some duct tape in your medical supplies. Use duct tape to tape down all seams of your chosen suit (example, where wrists meet gloves, where hood meets goggles, etc)
Encapsulated Suit
An encapsulated suit completely covers the body. While it covers the face, it still requires a respirator. It acts as a barrier against air, moisture, and water vapor, and it has taped seams to protect against spills. This was intended for industrial purposes, such as spraying pesticides. It isn’t cheap either. However, it offers more protection than either the Tyvek or Tychem suits.
Goggles
In the absence of a complete face shield, goggles will protect your eyes from being splashed with infected fluids, as well as from disinfectant chemicals. Goggles can fog up, so make sure you get some that resist fogging.
Nitrile Protective Gloves
These nitrile gloves are 9-mil thick and provide greater protection to your hands than cheaper, 4-mil gloves. However, it is better to wear a two-pair thickness.
Outer Protective Gloves
These go over your nitrile gloves. These provide another layer of protection but could impede any fine work you might need your fingertips for. Wear these when lifting a contagious person to move to another bed, stripping a bed of soiled linens, etc.
Protective Hood
This hood provides extra protection to the face. It can be worn over or underneath a mask but does not replace a respirator. Wear goggles over this hood and tape all along the seams between the goggles and the hood.
Respirator masks: N95 or P100 and extra P100 filters
N95 filters are disposable masks that will filter out particulates and aerosols. This level of protection was used by doctors working with SARS. Make sure you are using them correctly. Here’s an article about getting a good seal.
The P100 mask is a reusable mask. The P100 filters are an even more secure filter than the N95 filters. Here’s an article on selecting the right respirator masks.
Rubber Boots
Rubber boots will protect your feet and lower legs against standing in or being splashed by contaminated fluids.
Tyvek Suit
Tyvek suits offer more protection than scrubs, but less protection than a Tychem or encapsulated suit. These protect against many irritants and chemicals, and is often worn when doing pest extermination, asbestos removal, etc. They may not provide as much protection as other suits, but they are a cost effective way to add more protection.
Tychem Suit
This type of coverall offers more protection than the Tyvek suit. It is designed to withstand more caustic chemicals than a Tyvek suit. However, like Tyvek suits, it was intended for chemical and industrial applications, not medical. Still, it offers another layer of protection from potentially infected fluids.
For more specific information of PPE and preparing for a pandemic, please check out my book, Prepping for a Pandemic. That link is to the kindle version, as Amazon has been having a near impossible time keeping the paperback version in stock.
Is All That PPE Stuff Necessary?
My current opinion, which is subject to change as newer data becomes available, is that a full DIY hazmat suit is probably overkill for the Wuhan coronavirus. If we get better information and find out that 2019-nCoV has a much higher mortality rate than the current 3%, I’ll be dusting off my PPE supplies.
For now, carrying an N95 mask on you to prevent inhaling the virus if you thought you were at risk should be sufficient. Handwashing, hand sanitizers (if handwashing is not available), and nitrile gloves would also go a long way to reducing the spread of this or any contagious illness.
The idea here is, however, not to prep for just one possible pandemic disease, but for a range of potential pandemics. We don’t know what kinds of new and emerging diseases we might face. PPE, however, provides us with extra physical barriers between us and potentially deadly pathogens, whatever they may be.
And even if this coronavirus ends up not living up to all the media hype, still, by all means, stock up on PPE. It’s not like there’s a shelf life on things like rubber boots, goggles, or scrubs. At some point, even if it isn’t 2019-nCoV, there will be some emerging disease that does become the next great pandemic. When that happens, these supplies will be hard to come by and 10 times the price.
Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper.