Socialism’s Past

Senator Bernie Sanders ’ call for socialism has resonated among many Americans , particularly young Americans .
They ’ ve fallen prey to the idea of a paradise here on Earth where things are free and there ’ s little want .
But socialists never reveal what turns out to be their true agenda .
Let ’ s look at the kind of statements they used to gain power .
You ’ ll note that all of their slogans before gaining power bore little relation to the facts after they had power .
Vladimir Lenin promised , “ Under socialism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon become accustomed to no one governing.
” That ’ s Friedrich Engel ’ s prediction about “ the withering away of the state.
” Lenin also promised , “ Communism is Soviet power plus electrification , ” and “ No amount of political freedom will satisfy the hungry masses.
” Lenin ’ s successor , Joseph Stalin , said , “ Advance towards socialism can not but cause the exploiting elements to resist the advance , and the resistance of the exploiters can not but lead to the inevitable sharpening of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union , ” and that “ Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs.
” Then there ’ s China ’ s Chairman Mao Zedong , who said : “ Socialism must be developed in China , and the route toward such an end is a democratic revolution , which will enable socialist and communist consolidation over a length of time .
It is also important to unite with the middle peasants , and educate them on the failings of capitalism.
” Mao advised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with the interests of the masses at heart .
He must also possess a largeness of mind , as well as a practical , far-sighted mindset.
” American Contempt for ... Williams , Walter E. Best Price : $ 14.29 Buy New $ 11.75 Cuban dictator Fidel Castro said : “ Capitalism has neither the capacity , nor the morality , nor the ethics to solve the problems of poverty .
We must establish a new world order based on justice , on equity , and on peace.
” He added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is filthy , it is gross , it is alienating… because it causes war , hypocrisy and competition.
” Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez promised : “ I am going to do my best to try to create a country in which children are not living in poverty , in which kids can go to college , in which old people have health care .
Will I succeed ?
I can ’ t guarantee you that , but I can tell you that from a human point of view it is better to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ I am convinced that the path to a new , better and possible world is not capitalism , the path is socialism.
” His successor Nicolas Maduro said : “ Fidel Castro represents the dignity of the South American continent against empires .
He ’ s a living legend : an icon of independence and freedom across the continent.
” Bernie Sanders ’ statements are not that different from those of Lenin , Stalin , Castro , Chavez and other tyrants .
Sanders says , “ Let us wage a moral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ corporate leaders , on Wall Street and elsewhere , whose policies and greed are destroying the middle class of America , ” and “ We need to change the power structure in America , we need to end the political oligarchy.
” Stalin ’ s campaign didn ’ t mention that he would enact policies that would lead to the slaughter of 62 million people in the Soviet Union between 1917 to 1987 .
Mao Zedong didn ’ t mention that his People ’ s Republic of China would engage in brutal acts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 76 million lives at the hands of the government from 1949 to 1987 .
The late Professor Rudolph J. Rummel of the University of Hawaii documented this tragedy in his book “ Death by Government : Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900.
” Because socialism is a fight against basic human nature , it requires brute force in the attempt to reach its goals .
The best warning about socialism comes from Aesop , who said , “ Those who voluntarily put power into the hands of a tyrant … must not wonder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves.
” We shouldn ’ t ignore Martin Luther King Jr. ’ s warning , “ Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.
” The Best of Walter E. Williams

Senator Bernie Sanders’ call for socialism has resonated among many Americans, particularly young Americans. They’ve fallen prey to the idea of a paradise here on Earth where things are free and there’s little want. But socialists never reveal what turns out to be their true agenda. Let’s look at the kind of statements they used to gain power. You’ll note that all of their slogans before gaining power bore little relation to the facts after they had power.
Vladimir Lenin promised, “Under socialism all will govern in turn and will soon become accustomed to no one governing.” That’s Friedrich Engel’s prediction about “the withering away of the state.” Lenin also promised, “Communism is Soviet power plus electrification,” and “No amount of political freedom will satisfy the hungry masses.” Lenin’s successor, Joseph Stalin, said, “Advance towards socialism cannot but cause the exploiting elements to resist the advance, and the resistance of the exploiters cannot but lead to the inevitable sharpening of the class struggle.” He also said, “Gaiety is the most outstanding feature of the Soviet Union,” and that “Gratitude is a sickness suffered by dogs.”
Then there’s China’s Chairman Mao Zedong, who said: “Socialism must be developed in China, and the route toward such an end is a democratic revolution, which will enable socialist and communist consolidation over a length of time. It is also important to unite with the middle peasants, and educate them on the failings of capitalism.” Mao advised: “A communist must be selfless, with the interests of the masses at heart. He must also possess a largeness of mind, as well as a practical, far-sighted mindset.” American Contempt for ... Williams, Walter E. Best Price: $14.29 Buy New $11.75 (as of 02:30 UTC - Details)
Cuban dictator Fidel Castro said: “Capitalism has neither the capacity, nor the morality, nor the ethics to solve the problems of poverty. We must establish a new world order based on justice, on equity, and on peace.” He added, “I find capitalism repugnant. It is filthy, it is gross, it is alienating… because it causes war, hypocrisy and competition.”
Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez promised: “I am going to do my best to try to create a country in which children are not living in poverty, in which kids can go to college, in which old people have health care. Will I succeed? I can’t guarantee you that, but I can tell you that from a human point of view it is better to show up than to give up.” Adding, “I am convinced that the path to a new, better and possible world is not capitalism, the path is socialism.”
His successor Nicolas Maduro said: “Fidel Castro represents the dignity of the South American continent against empires. He’s a living legend: an icon of independence and freedom across the continent.”
Bernie Sanders’ statements are not that different from those of Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Chavez and other tyrants. Sanders says, “Let us wage a moral and political war against the billionaires and corporate leaders, on Wall Street and elsewhere, whose policies and greed are destroying the middle class of America,” and “We need to change the power structure in America, we need to end the political oligarchy.”
Stalin’s campaign didn’t mention that he would enact policies that would lead to the slaughter of 62 million people in the Soviet Union between 1917 to 1987. Mao Zedong didn’t mention that his People’s Republic of China would engage in brutal acts that would lead to the loss of 76 million lives at the hands of the government from 1949 to 1987. The late Professor Rudolph J. Rummel of the University of Hawaii documented this tragedy in his book “Death by Government: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900.”
Because socialism is a fight against basic human nature, it requires brute force in the attempt to reach its goals. The best warning about socialism comes from Aesop, who said, “Those who voluntarily put power into the hands of a tyrant … must not wonder if it be at last turned against themselves.” We shouldn’t ignore Martin Luther King Jr.’s warning, “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”
The Best of Walter E. Williams


lewrockwell--2020-03-19--Putin Unleashes Strategic Hell on the US.

I am an avid board game player .
I ’ m not much for the classics like chess or go , preferring the more modern ones .
But , regardless , as a person who appreciates the delicate balance between strategy and tactics , I have to say I am impressed with Russian President Vladimir Putin ’ s sense of timing .
Because if there was ever a moment where Putin and Russia could inflict maximum pain on the United States via its Achilles ’ heel , the financial markets and its unquenchable thirst for debt , it was this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its shores .
Like I said , I ’ m a huge game player and I especially love games where there is a delicate balance between player power that has to be maintained while it ’ s not one ’ s turn .
Attacks have to be thwarted just enough to stop the person from advancing but not so much that they can ’ t help you defend on the next player ’ s turn .
All of that in the service of keeping the game alive until you find the perfect moment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Having watched Putin play this game for the past eight years , I firmly believe there is no one in a position of power today who has a firmer grasp of this than him .
War with Russia ?
: From ... Cohen , Stephen F. Best Price : $ 8.99 Buy New $ 8.50 And I do believe this move to break OPEC+ and then watch Mohammed bin Salman break OPEC was Putin ’ s big judo-style reversal move .
And by doing so in less than a week he has completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On Friday March 6th , Russia told OPEC no .
By Wednesday the 11th The Federal Reserve had already doubled its daily interventions into the repo markets to keep bank liquidity high .
By noon on the 12th the Fed announced $ 1.5 trillion in new repo facilities including three-month repo contracts .
At one point during trading that day the entire U.S. Treasury market went bidless .
There was no one out there making an offer for the most liquid , sought-after financial assets in the world .
Why ?
Prices were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not only did we get a massive expansion of the repo interventions by the Fed , but it was for longer duration .
This is a clear sign that the problem is nearly without an end .
Repos longer than three days are in this context a rarity .
The Fed needing to add $ 1 trillion in three-month repos clearly means they understand that they are looking out to the end of the quarter as the next problem and beyond that .
It means , in short , the world financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse than that… .
It didn ’ t work .
Stocks continued to slide , gold and other safe-haven assets were hit hard by a reversal of capital outflows from the U.S .
In the first part of the aftermath of Putin ’ s decision the dollar got whacked as European and Japanese investors who had piled into U.S. stocks as a safe-haven sold those positions and brought the capital home .
That lasted a few days before Christine Lagarde put on her dog and pony show at the European Central Bank and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any answers other than to expand asset purchases and continue doing what has failed in the past .
This touched off the next phase of the crisis , where the dollar begins to strengthen .
And that is where we are now .
And Putin understands that a world awash in debt is one that can not withstand the currency needed to repay that debt rising sharply .
That puts further pressure on his geopolitical rivals and forces them to focus on their domestic concerns rather than the ones overseas .
For years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop its insane belligerence in the Middle East and across Asia .
He ’ s argued eloquently at the U.N. and in interviews that the unipolar moment is over and that the U.S. can only maintain its status as the world ’ s only super power for so long .
Eventually the debt would undermine its strength and at the right moment would be revealed to be far weaker than it projected .
This doesn ’ t sit well with President Trump who believes in America ’ s exceptionalism .
And will fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ to the last using every weapon at his disposal .
The problem with this ‘ never back down ’ attitude is that it makes him very predictable .
Trump ’ s use of sanctions on Europe to stop the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was stupid and short-sighted .
It ensured that Russia would be merciless in its response and only delay the project for a few months .
Trump was easy to counter here .
Sign a deal with Ukraine , desperate for the money , and redirect the pipe-laying vessel back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 And with natural gas prices in Europe already in the gutter from oversupply and a mild winter , there isn ’ t much time or money lost in the end .
Better to take the world oil price down well below U.S. production costs which ensure that Trump ’ s prized LNG stays off the European market as the myth of U.S. energy self-sufficiency vanishes in a puff of financial derivative smoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meltdown well beyond his capacity to fathom or respond to .
While Russia is in the unique position to drive costs down for so many of the people while riding out the shock to the global system with its savings .
Because money flows to where the best returns on it come , high oil and gas prices stifle development of other industries .
Lowering the oil price not only deflates all of the U.S. ’ s inflated financial weapons it also deflates some of the power of the petroleum industry domestically .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ remaking the Russian economy along less focused lines .
Cheap oil and gas means lower return on investment in energy projects which , in turn , opens up available capital to be deployed in other areas of the economy .
Putin just told the world he ’ s not riding his country ’ s oil and gas resources like a cash cow but rather as an important part of a different economic strategy for Russia ’ s development .
It ’ s like watching someone playing the first half of a game implying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a different one halfway through , taking advantage of their opponents ’ carelessness .
It rarely works , but when it does the results can be spectacular .
Game , Set , Match , Putin .
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .
The Best of Thomas Luongo

I am an avid board game player. I’m not much for the classics like chess or go, preferring the more modern ones. But, regardless, as a person who appreciates the delicate balance between strategy and tactics, I have to say I am impressed with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s sense of timing.
Because if there was ever a moment where Putin and Russia could inflict maximum pain on the United States via its Achilles’ heel, the financial markets and its unquenchable thirst for debt, it was this month just as the coronavirus was reaching its shores.
Like I said, I’m a huge game player and I especially love games where there is a delicate balance between player power that has to be maintained while it’s not one’s turn. Attacks have to be thwarted just enough to stop the person from advancing but not so much that they can’t help you defend on the next player’s turn.
All of that in the service of keeping the game alive until you find the perfect moment to punch through and achieve victory. Having watched Putin play this game for the past eight years, I firmly believe there is no one in a position of power today who has a firmer grasp of this than him. War with Russia?: From... Cohen, Stephen F. Best Price: $8.99 Buy New $8.50 (as of 02:15 UTC - Details)
And I do believe this move to break OPEC+ and then watch Mohammed bin Salman break OPEC was Putin’s big judo-style reversal move. And by doing so in less than a week he has completely shut down the U.S. financial system.
On Friday March 6th, Russia told OPEC no. By Wednesday the 11th The Federal Reserve had already doubled its daily interventions into the repo markets to keep bank liquidity high.
By noon on the 12th the Fed announced $1.5 trillion in new repo facilities including three-month repo contracts. At one point during trading that day the entire U.S. Treasury market went bidless. There was no one out there making an offer for the most liquid, sought-after financial assets in the world.
Why? Prices were so high, no one wanted them.
Not only did we get a massive expansion of the repo interventions by the Fed, but it was for longer duration. This is a clear sign that the problem is nearly without an end. Repos longer than three days are in this context a rarity.
The Fed needing to add $1 trillion in three-month repos clearly means they understand that they are looking out to the end of the quarter as the next problem and beyond that.
It means, in short, the world financial markets have completely seized up.
And worse than that…. It didn’t work.
Stocks continued to slide, gold and other safe-haven assets were hit hard by a reversal of capital outflows from the U.S. In the first part of the aftermath of Putin’s decision the dollar got whacked as European and Japanese investors who had piled into U.S. stocks as a safe-haven sold those positions and brought the capital home.
That lasted a few days before Christine Lagarde put on her dog and pony show at the European Central Bank and told everyone she didn’t have any answers other than to expand asset purchases and continue doing what has failed in the past.
This touched off the next phase of the crisis, where the dollar begins to strengthen. And that is where we are now.
And Putin understands that a world awash in debt is one that cannot withstand the currency needed to repay that debt rising sharply.
That puts further pressure on his geopolitical rivals and forces them to focus on their domestic concerns rather than the ones overseas.
For years Putin has been begging the West to stop its insane belligerence in the Middle East and across Asia. He’s argued eloquently at the U.N. and in interviews that the unipolar moment is over and that the U.S. can only maintain its status as the world’s only super power for so long. Eventually the debt would undermine its strength and at the right moment would be revealed to be far weaker than it projected.
This doesn’t sit well with President Trump who believes in America’s exceptionalism. And will fight for his version of “America First’ to the last using every weapon at his disposal. The problem with this ‘never back down’ attitude is that it makes him very predictable.
Trump’s use of sanctions on Europe to stop the Nord Stream 2 pipeline was stupid and short-sighted. It ensured that Russia would be merciless in its response and only delay the project for a few months.
Trump was easy to counter here. Sign a deal with Ukraine, desperate for the money, and redirect the pipe-laying vessel back to the Baltic to finish the pipeline. Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
And with natural gas prices in Europe already in the gutter from oversupply and a mild winter, there isn’t much time or money lost in the end. Better to take the world oil price down well below U.S. production costs which ensure that Trump’s prized LNG stays off the European market as the myth of U.S. energy self-sufficiency vanishes in a puff of financial derivative smoke.
Now Trump is facing a market meltdown well beyond his capacity to fathom or respond to. While Russia is in the unique position to drive costs down for so many of the people while riding out the shock to the global system with its savings.
Because money flows to where the best returns on it come, high oil and gas prices stifle development of other industries. Lowering the oil price not only deflates all of the U.S.’s inflated financial weapons it also deflates some of the power of the petroleum industry domestically. This gives Putin the opportunity to continue remaking the Russian economy along less focused lines. Cheap oil and gas means lower return on investment in energy projects which, in turn, opens up available capital to be deployed in other areas of the economy.
Putin just told the world he’s not riding his country’s oil and gas resources like a cash cow but rather as an important part of a different economic strategy for Russia’s development.
It’s like watching someone playing the first half of a game implying one strategy and making a critical shift to a different one halfway through, taking advantage of their opponents’ carelessness.
It rarely works, but when it does the results can be spectacular. Game, Set, Match, Putin.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.
The Best of Tom Luongo


lewrockwell--2020-03-19--Is the Demise of the Financial System Imminent?

“ Next five years is not about winning but surviving.
” This is the headline of an article I wrote in early August 2019 .
At that point I was primarily thinking of economic survival .
But now the world is facing multiple threats and multiple failures .
As I have already stated , the Coronavirus is not the cause of global market crashes but the catalyst .
But even if I have been totally certain that the world will see an economic collapse greater than any crisis for 100s of years , this is the worst catalyst that anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global virus was always one of the potential risks but of all triggers , this one was certainly the most unwelcome and horrible .
CORONAVIRUS IS FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN THE WORLD REALISES Before I talk about markets and gold further on in this article , I will mention some of the horrific effects that are now hitting the world due to Coronavirus .
Just to summarise that my market views haven ’ t changed .
Stocks will go down by at least 90 % from here and gold will surge to levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Economy Grows a ... Schiff , Andrew J .
Best Price : $ 1.99 Buy New $ 7.20 No one knows the extent of people affected by the CV .
China has never given us the real figures .
And the rest of the world hasn ’ t got a clue where they stand .
Every country thinks they are in control of the situation until they panic .
Outside of Asia , poor Italy got it first and there we have seen an exponential growth of the number of people affected .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most other countries , they haven ’ t got a clue how many people have been infected .
Same in the UK , US , Sweden , Switzerland , Germany and most other nations .
No country has the capacity to test a fraction of the population .
You hear from most countries that when people have the symptoms , they are just told to stay home .
So the real numbers are certainly 10x greater than reported or much higher .
Somebody forecast that 70 % of the world will be infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS HAVE NO CHANCE TO COPE And as Italy discovered , there is not a fraction of ventilators available that are required to treat the seriously ill .
There is on average only 12 critical hospital beds available per 100,000 in the EU .
The EU has 500 million people .
If the estimate of 70 % becoming infected will be correct , that would be 350 million will get CV .
Say that 10 % need a critical hospital bed .
That is 35 million people who would need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am sure that the US figures for critical beds available are no better but probably much worse .
No wonder Italy ’ s health system has no chance to cope with the situation as we have seen from many reports and nor has any other country .
Any government and health authority just needs to look at Italy to understand how quickly Coronavirus spreads .
But every government , including the US and UK , think that they are different and are therefore totally lethargic and irresponsible in their actions to fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I spend time in the Swiss Alps .
On Friday the 13th , the Swiss government decided to close all ski resorts and all schools .
Many European countries have closed their borders like Poland , Czech Republic , Denmark , Slovakia and Malta .
Italy is totally paralysed with virtually everything closed .
Shops , except for food and pharmacies , major part of industry , hotels , restaurants , schools etc .
are all closed .
I have heard from Italian friends that they are just shutting their businesses since there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spain is starting to close a major part of the country including the whole tourist industry .
Most European countries are likely to follow although they are too slow to react swiftly .
And so is the US who still hasn ’ t understood how serious the situation is .
If we just take Italy as an example since Corona is more advanced there than in any other country , it is a total disaster for this great nation .
Italy has wonderful culture , history , heritage , food and people .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ knees before this crisis .
The economy is broken and so is the financial system .
Much of this is due to the EU .
I have difficulties seeing Italy coming out of this intact .
But sadly the same thing will happen to Greece , Spain , France , Germany , the US , the UK and most other nations .
SMALL BUSINESSES DON ’ T EVEN HAVE CASH FOR 2 WEEKS For a world economy that is totally dependent on credit to the extent of $ 265 trillion , what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business will not have cash to survive for even a couple of weeks .
Same with ordinary people .
Virtually nobody has any savings , only debt .
Many are being laid off already .
The airline industry was extremely weak before the crisis .
Norwegian Airlines has already made 50 % of staff redundant .
The tourist industry with its thin margins is collapsing .
The same is happening in a great number of industries .
The Real Crash : Americ ... Schiff , Peter D. Best Price : $ 3.00 Buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not survive the next phase but will initially be the beneficiaries of massive global money printing .
What is now happening economically in the world was totally predictable even though the catalyst was not the most obvious one .
But what is not obvious for 99.5 % of investors is what will happen next .
And for most people , it is of course impossible to understand a market that can go down 2,000 points in one day and up 2,000 the next , like the Dow .
This is obviously totally illogical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trading and irrational investors creating a lot of this volatility how can we expect markets to behave in a logical manner .
And more importantly , with dip buying investors having been supported by central banks for decades , it has been impossible to lose money .
But those days are now over even if after Friday the 13th 2,000 point Dow rally , the false optimism will return for a day or so .
Sadly , anyone buying the dips in the current market is going to be burnt for years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the short and long term .
The Best of Egon von Greyerz

“Next five years is not about winning but surviving.” This is the headline of an article I wrote in early August 2019. At that point I was primarily thinking of economic survival. But now the world is facing multiple threats and multiple failures. As I have already stated, the Coronavirus is not the cause of global market crashes but the catalyst.
But even if I have been totally certain that the world will see an economic collapse greater than any crisis for 100s of years, this is the worst catalyst that anyone could have expected. Yes, a global virus was always one of the potential risks but of all triggers, this one was certainly the most unwelcome and horrible.
CORONAVIRUS IS FAR MORE SERIOUS THAN THE WORLD REALISES
Before I talk about markets and gold further on in this article, I will mention some of the horrific effects that are now hitting the world due to Coronavirus. Just to summarise that my market views haven’t changed. Stocks will go down by at least 90% from here and gold will surge to levels that few can imagine.
How an Economy Grows a... Schiff, Andrew J. Best Price: $1.99 Buy New $7.20 (as of 11:05 UTC - Details) No one knows the extent of people affected by the CV. China has never given us the real figures. And the rest of the world hasn’t got a clue where they stand. Every country thinks they are in control of the situation until they panic. Outside of Asia, poor Italy got it first and there we have seen an exponential growth of the number of people affected. And still, in Italy like in most other countries, they haven’t got a clue how many people have been infected.
Same in the UK, US, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany and most other nations. No country has the capacity to test a fraction of the population. You hear from most countries that when people have the symptoms, they are just told to stay home. So the real numbers are certainly 10x greater than reported or much higher. Somebody forecast that 70% of the world will be infected and that doesn’t sound improbable.
DOCTORS AND HOSPITALS HAVE NO CHANCE TO COPE
And as Italy discovered, there is not a fraction of ventilators available that are required to treat the seriously ill. There is on average only 12 critical hospital beds available per 100,000 in the EU. The EU has 500 million people. If the estimate of 70% becoming infected will be correct, that would be 350 million will get CV. Say that 10% need a critical hospital bed. That is 35 million people who would need to share 60,000 critical beds available. I am sure that the US figures for critical beds available are no better but probably much worse. No wonder Italy’s health system has no chance to cope with the situation as we have seen from many reports and nor has any other country.
EUROPE IS SHUTTING DOWN
Any government and health authority just needs to look at Italy to understand how quickly Coronavirus spreads. But every government, including the US and UK, think that they are different and are therefore totally lethargic and irresponsible in their actions to fight the disease. In the winter, I spend time in the Swiss Alps. On Friday the 13th, the Swiss government decided to close all ski resorts and all schools. Many European countries have closed their borders like Poland, Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovakia and Malta.
Italy is totally paralysed with virtually everything closed. Shops, except for food and pharmacies, major part of industry, hotels, restaurants, schools etc. are all closed. I have heard from Italian friends that they are just shutting their businesses since there are no customers. How tragic.
Spain is starting to close a major part of the country including the whole tourist industry. Most European countries are likely to follow although they are too slow to react swiftly. And so is the US who still hasn’t understood how serious the situation is.
If we just take Italy as an example since Corona is more advanced there than in any other country, it is a total disaster for this great nation. Italy has wonderful culture, history, heritage, food and people. But the country was already on its knees before this crisis. The economy is broken and so is the financial system. Much of this is due to the EU. I have difficulties seeing Italy coming out of this intact. But sadly the same thing will happen to Greece, Spain, France, Germany, the US, the UK and most other nations.
SMALL BUSINESSES DON’T EVEN HAVE CASH FOR 2 WEEKS
For a world economy that is totally dependent on credit to the extent of $265 trillion, what is happening is a total disaster. Small business will not have cash to survive for even a couple of weeks. Same with ordinary people. Virtually nobody has any savings, only debt. Many are being laid off already. The airline industry was extremely weak before the crisis. Norwegian Airlines has already made 50% of staff redundant. The tourist industry with its thin margins is collapsing. The same is happening in a great number of industries. The Real Crash: Americ... Schiff, Peter D. Best Price: $3.00 Buy New $9.55 (as of 12:25 UTC - Details)
The banking industry will not survive the next phase but will initially be the beneficiaries of massive global money printing.
MARKETS
What is now happening economically in the world was totally predictable even though the catalyst was not the most obvious one. But what is not obvious for 99.5% of investors is what will happen next. And for most people, it is of course impossible to understand a market that can go down 2,000 points in one day and up 2,000 the next, like the Dow. This is obviously totally illogical and irrational behaviour. With High Frequency Trading and irrational investors creating a lot of this volatility how can we expect markets to behave in a logical manner. And more importantly, with dip buying investors having been supported by central banks for decades, it has been impossible to lose money.
But those days are now over even if after Friday the 13th 2,000 point Dow rally, the false optimism will return for a day or so. Sadly, anyone buying the dips in the current market is going to be burnt for years.
Let me summarise how I see markets in the short and long term.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Egon von Greyerz


lewrockwell--2020-03-20--The Coronavirus Is Not Causing Deaths—Weak Immune Systems Are

Forget the toilet paper & bottled water – – grab the vitamins & trace minerals to ward off infectious disease given absence of any proven anti-viral drug or ( potentially problematic ) vaccine for covid-19 coronavirus .
First , recognize fear-driven decision making is counterproductive .
Fear increases demand for vitamin C , so be aware of that .
So do viruses or any infection .
Be CONCERNED , not FEARFUL .
Recognize these viral epidemics come in winter when vitamin D levels are low .
As a fatty vitamin , your liver should have 3 months of vitamin D @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The viruses were always there but erupt when sunshine vitamin D blood serum levels are low .
SO GO OUTSIDE , MIDDAY , AND GET SOME SUNSHINE ON YOUR SKIN to produce natural vitamin D. Expose arms , legs , face .
Quarantines deprive people of sunshine vitamin D. Supplement with 8000 units vitamin D3 daily ( kids 2000+ units ) ; if ill – – > take 50,000 units vitamin D3 for 3-5 days ; then 8000 units daily .
This is not an overdose as physicians inject 300,000 units vitamin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Vitafusion Vitamin D3 ... Buy New $ 8.01 ( $ 0.05 / Count ) High-risk individuals , in particular senior adults , need to initiate self-care & utilize vitamins & trace minerals .
Up to a third of hospital workers now harbor coronavirus .
So , patients who face hospitalization may be re-exposed to the pathogen .
If you are short of breath ( possibly indicative of your lungs filling with fluid ) , have a fever , a persistent dry cough , call your doctor first , don ’ t run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to resist life-saving drugs .
Your doctor may elect to prescribe medicines and keep you at home .
You may develop bronchitis – mucus sticking to the airways to your lungs , which induces a cough .
Get in the shower and turn water to extreme HOT and deep breathe in the mist .
This will loosen mucus from your bronchial tubes .
You will cough up mucus .
Colds and flu are sometimes accompanied by earaches and sore throat .
Instill hydrogen peroxide in ear canals .
Garlic oil instilled into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sore throat , gargle with salt water , or better , with hydrogen peroxide .
If your throat is very sore , go to drug store and get CHLORASEPTIC spray or lozenges ( which you should have on hand ) to anesthetize a raw throat .
Sore throat is usually caused by Streptococcus bacteria which is acid secreting .
So alkalinity kills it — salt water gargle .
The mortal consequences of wintertime lower respiratory tract infection is that your lungs may fill up with fluid , you can ’ t breathe , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is called pneumonia ( nu-mown-ya ) .
Sometimes the immune system is over-responsive and creates more havoc in your lungs , resulting in uncontrollable inflammation and lungs filling with fluid .
Vitamin D , vitamin A and the red wine molecule resveratrol normalize the immune response .
Do not run to the drug store and purchase aspirin or acetaminophen ( Tylenol ) which deplete vitamin C and glutathione and may make your infection worse .
Acetaminophen is a liver toxin .
When you go to the drug store , the pharmacist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
DO NOT VACCINATE FOR THE FLU WHEN YOU ARE ILL .
The vaccine may not work ( you may not develop antibodies ) if your immune system is weak and the vaccine IS the pathogen ( virus or bacterium ) .
Be aware , you may develop co-infection ( common cold + flu ) .
365 Everyday Value , Vi ... Buy New $ 5.99 ( $ 0.06 / Count ) There is a warning about a class of blood pressure lowering drugs called ACE inhibitor drugs ( angiotensin converting enzyme ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cells .
But what is not mentioned that ACE inhibitors deplete zinc which is required for proper T-cell activity .
T-cells , produced in the thymus gland , generates memory T-cells that produce long-lasting immunity .
Supplement with zinc .
If you are in a high-risk group ( diabetes , overweight , smoker , drinker , or take immune suppressant drugs , or vitamin C-depleting drugs such as cortisone , aspirin , acetaminophen or diuretics ) , you may benefit from dietary supplements for immune support ( disease treatment would likely require intravenous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How long is modern medicine going to go on casting a blind eye to nutritional medicine before millions of lives are lost ?
The hope of a vaccine looms , but is months away .
Even with a 100 % vaccination rate and 100 % vaccine effectiveness , by my calculations it is likely such a vaccine would generate more hospitalizations and deaths than the disease itself because of the weak immune status of the individual .
Risk of infection is low and death is nil .
Among healthy adults the risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the risk for death is almost nil – – in China 3000 ( avoidable ) deaths in 58 million or 5 in 100,000 ) .
Infection and mortality rates are much lower in the U.S .
Most of those deaths were among fragile , unhealthy adults over age 70 .
The number of reported cases of infection may be far lower than what actually occurs because some patients may never come in contact with the medical care system and recover at home , some only experiencing a mild fever or never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reported number of infections may be low due to non-reporting and therefore the percentage of individuals infected or who die may be inaccurately high .
At this point in time , in China ~80,000 were infected and some were hospitalized and ~3000 of the 80,000 succumbed .
But just hospitalization alone increases the mortality risk due to medication errors , exposure to antibiotic-resistant germs , and low-vitamin D levels due to sun-deprivation .
Testing is inaccurate and is not instructive as to the type of therapy needed .
The COVID-19 coronavirus test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results .
The COVID-19 coronavirus is very infectious , but among healthy individuals may not even produce symptoms or just a mild fever .
SunLipid Liposomal Vit ... Buy New $ 29.00 ( $ 0.97 / Count ) YOU WANT TO GET INFECTED so you will develop natural life-long antibodies .
Then you will not need to be vaccinated with a new unproven vaccine , like what happened in 1976 with the swine flu – the vaccine causing thousands of cases of paralysis ( Guillain barre syndrome ) .
A Harvard professor says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be infected with coronavirus within the next year .
That is actually a positive because most will naturally develop antibodies .
If one were to say 70 % of the world just got vaccinated against coronavirus that would be considered a major achievement but if 70 % were naturally immunized against coronavirus without a needle and syringe that would be considered a dire problem .
Why ?
Modern medicine continues to talk out of two sides of its mouth .
Put another way , 70-90 % of the world may develop natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among high-risk groups ( smokers , drinkers , immune-compromised , heart problems , over age 70 ) , the risk for infection from ANY circulating virus or bacterium is considerable , to the point of being life threatening .
Don ’ t try and run and hide from viruses .
So , are all the deaths due to coronavirus ?
Probably none of them if you consider the problem is not infection but failed host resistance .
Coronavirus was in circulation before the winter flu season .
Low seasonal vitamin D levels triggered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other viruses and bacteria , including tuberculosis , which is also a lung disease .
This author continues to cite data showing the risk for infection is very low , even in China where there is air pollution , polluted water , and poor health habits ( 68 % of males smoke tobacco ; 46 % drink alcohol ) – – – 1/10th of one-percent or 1 in 1000 infection rate and 3.4 deaths among the 1000 infected persons ( which in the population as a whole ( healthy and infected ) is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 100,000 mortality rate .
A frightening headline news report cites a university professor ’ s claim that 96 million Americans could be infected and 4.8 million hospitalized with COVID-19 coronavirus , with a 1 in 10 chance of dying , citing increasing mortality rates with advancing age ( 3.6 % for 60-69 years of age ; 8 % age 70-79 and 14.8 % aged 80 and over ) .
THAT IS A WORST-CASE SCENARIO that will subside once spring comes and more the earth tilts back toward the sun and our vitamin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups are considered high risk for ANY infections and subsequent mortality .
For whatever reasons , modern medicine is giving the false notion that the only infectious lung disease that is killing adults this wintertime is COVID-19 coronavirus .
What happened to seasonal influenza which reportedly kills thousands every year ?
Of course , that flu number is specious , used as a fear tactic to get the public to vaccinate .
Maybe only a few hundred Americans succumb to the flu each year .
With coronavirus test kits giving false positive and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers involving infection rates accurate at all ?
The Centers for Disease Control claims seasonal flu in 2018-19 caused 35.5 million infections , 490,600 hospitalizations and 34,200 deaths .
These numbers are very specious .
Even if valid , and among all who got the flu ( 35.5 million , only 9 in 10,000 would die — 34,200 ) .
But the CDC mixes flu deaths in with pneumonia deaths to frighten Americans to get vaccinated .
Most of those 34,200 deaths were due to pneumonia .
It would be highly unwise to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the planet to prevent , by my calculations , 1 death in 362,069 people .
Almost 100,000 people ( 99,995 to be precise ) would have to vaccinated to prevent 5 deaths .
The world has gone bonkers , with the misdirected masses stocking up on toilet paper and bottled water instead of vitamins and trace minerals to ward off an infectious disease .
While looking down its nose at nutritional therapy , modern medicine has yet to fully put into practice therapies that produce what only a few physicians prescribe – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high-risk individuals , to boost immunity ( what is called host resistance ) among high-risk individuals against influenza , tuberculosis and other infectious diseases .
No vaccine could possibly help vulnerable seniors since vaccines rely on an intact immune system to produce antibodies against infectious disease .
Vitamin D3 is the most obvious and potentially effective nutrient that can be used against corona and other viruses as well as pathogenic bacteria .
In China , 50 cases of moderate to severe COVID-19 coronavirus infections were given intravenous vitamin C. Hospital stays were shortened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side effects with vitamin C therapy .
ALL PATIENTS IMPROVED – NO MORTALITY !
If ill , increase oral vitamin C to 3000 milligrams every 4 hours .
When ill , zinc acetate lozenges will shorten the course of a cold or flu .

Forget the toilet paper & bottled water – – grab the vitamins & trace minerals to ward off infectious disease given absence of any proven anti-viral drug or (potentially problematic) vaccine for covid-19 coronavirus.
First, recognize fear-driven decision making is counterproductive. Fear increases demand for vitamin C, so be aware of that. So do viruses or any infection. Be CONCERNED, not FEARFUL.
Primary antidote
Recognize these viral epidemics come in winter when vitamin D levels are low. As a fatty vitamin, your liver should have 3 months of vitamin D stored, but probably doesn’t.
The viruses were always there but erupt when sunshine vitamin D blood serum levels are low. SO GO OUTSIDE, MIDDAY, AND GET SOME SUNSHINE ON YOUR SKIN to produce natural vitamin D. Expose arms, legs, face. Quarantines deprive people of sunshine vitamin D.
Supplement with 8000 units vitamin D3 daily (kids 2000+ units); if ill – – > take 50,000 units vitamin D3 for 3-5 days; then 8000 units daily. This is not an overdose as physicians inject 300,000 units vitamin D for wintertime storage in your liver. Vitafusion Vitamin D3 ... Buy New $8.01 ($0.05 / Count) (as of 11:52 UTC - Details)
High-risk individuals, in particular senior adults, need to initiate self-care & utilize vitamins & trace minerals.
Up to a third of hospital workers now harbor coronavirus. So, patients who face hospitalization may be re-exposed to the pathogen.
Home treatment of lungs and throat
If you are short of breath (possibly indicative of your lungs filling with fluid), have a fever, a persistent dry cough, call your doctor first, don’t run to the hospital where germs have learned how to resist life-saving drugs. Your doctor may elect to prescribe medicines and keep you at home.
You may develop bronchitis – mucus sticking to the airways to your lungs, which induces a cough. Get in the shower and turn water to extreme HOT and deep breathe in the mist. This will loosen mucus from your bronchial tubes. You will cough up mucus.
Colds and flu are sometimes accompanied by earaches and sore throat. Instill hydrogen peroxide in ear canals. Garlic oil instilled into the ear is also helpful.
For sore throat, gargle with salt water, or better, with hydrogen peroxide.
If your throat is very sore, go to drug store and get CHLORASEPTIC spray or lozenges (which you should have on hand) to anesthetize a raw throat.
Sore throat is usually caused by Streptococcus bacteria which is acid secreting. So alkalinity kills it — salt water gargle.
The mortal consequences of wintertime lower respiratory tract infection is that your lungs may fill up with fluid, you can’t breathe, and you drown in your own fluid. This is called pneumonia (nu-mown-ya).
Auto-immunity
Sometimes the immune system is over-responsive and creates more havoc in your lungs, resulting in uncontrollable inflammation and lungs filling with fluid. Vitamin D, vitamin A and the red wine molecule resveratrol normalize the immune response.
Avoid drug store remedies
Do not run to the drug store and purchase aspirin or acetaminophen (Tylenol) which deplete vitamin C and glutathione and may make your infection worse. Acetaminophen is a liver toxin.
When you go to the drug store, the pharmacist may suggest you vaccinate against the flu. DO NOT VACCINATE FOR THE FLU WHEN YOU ARE ILL. The vaccine may not work (you may not develop antibodies) if your immune system is weak and the vaccine IS the pathogen (virus or bacterium).
Be aware, you may develop co-infection (common cold + flu). 365 Everyday Value, Vi... Buy New $5.99 ($0.06 / Count) (as of 11:52 UTC - Details)
Blood pressure drugs
There is a warning about a class of blood pressure lowering drugs called ACE inhibitor drugs (angiotensin converting enzyme) that allow entry of the coronavirus into cells. But what is not mentioned that ACE inhibitors deplete zinc which is required for proper T-cell activity. T-cells, produced in the thymus gland, generates memory T-cells that produce long-lasting immunity. Supplement with zinc.
High risk individuals
If you are in a high-risk group (diabetes, overweight, smoker, drinker, or take immune suppressant drugs, or vitamin C-depleting drugs such as cortisone, aspirin, acetaminophen or diuretics), you may benefit from dietary supplements for immune support (disease treatment would likely require intravenous vitamin C and trace mineral treatment).
Underused nutritional therapy: don’t ask your doctor
How long is modern medicine going to go on casting a blind eye to nutritional medicine before millions of lives are lost? The hope of a vaccine looms, but is months away. Even with a 100% vaccination rate and 100% vaccine effectiveness, by my calculations it is likely such a vaccine would generate more hospitalizations and deaths than the disease itself because of the weak immune status of the individual.
Risk of infection is low and death is nil.
Among healthy adults the risk for infection is very, very small, and the risk for death is almost nil – – in China 3000 (avoidable) deaths in 58 million or 5 in 100,000). Infection and mortality rates are much lower in the U.S. Most of those deaths were among fragile, unhealthy adults over age 70.
The number of reported cases of infection may be far lower than what actually occurs because some patients may never come in contact with the medical care system and recover at home, some only experiencing a mild fever or never even exhibiting symptoms whatsoever.
So, the reported number of infections may be low due to non-reporting and therefore the percentage of individuals infected or who die may be inaccurately high.
At this point in time, in China ~80,000 were infected and some were hospitalized and ~3000 of the 80,000 succumbed. But just hospitalization alone increases the mortality risk due to medication errors, exposure to antibiotic-resistant germs, and low-vitamin D levels due to sun-deprivation.
Inaccurate testing
Testing is inaccurate and is not instructive as to the type of therapy needed.
The COVID-19 coronavirus test is inaccurate and produces many false positive results. The COVID-19 coronavirus is very infectious, but among healthy individuals may not even produce symptoms or just a mild fever. SunLipid Liposomal Vit... Buy New $29.00 ($0.97 / Count) (as of 01:27 UTC - Details)
YOU WANT TO GET INFECTED so you will develop natural life-long antibodies. Then you will not need to be vaccinated with a new unproven vaccine, like what happened in 1976 with the swine flu – the vaccine causing thousands of cases of paralysis (Guillain barre syndrome).
A Harvard professor says up 70% of the global population will be infected with coronavirus within the next year. That is actually a positive because most will naturally develop antibodies. If one were to say 70% of the world just got vaccinated against coronavirus that would be considered a major achievement but if 70% were naturally immunized against coronavirus without a needle and syringe that would be considered a dire problem. Why?
Modern medicine continues to talk out of two sides of its mouth. Put another way, 70-90% of the world may develop natural antibodies against coronavirus without problematic vaccines.
Among high-risk groups (smokers, drinkers, immune-compromised, heart problems, over age 70), the risk for infection from ANY circulating virus or bacterium is considerable, to the point of being life threatening.
Host resistance
Don’t try and run and hide from viruses. So, are all the deaths due to coronavirus? Probably none of them if you consider the problem is not infection but failed host resistance. Coronavirus was in circulation before the winter flu season. Low seasonal vitamin D levels triggered eruptions of the coronavirus as well as other viruses and bacteria, including tuberculosis, which is also a lung disease.
This author continues to cite data showing the risk for infection is very low, even in China where there is air pollution, polluted water, and poor health habits (68% of males smoke tobacco; 46% drink alcohol) – – – 1/10th of one-percent or 1 in 1000 infection rate and 3.4 deaths among the 1000 infected persons (which in the population as a whole (healthy and infected) is still only a 0.00005% or 5 in 100,000 mortality rate.
A frightening headline news report cites a university professor’s claim that 96 million Americans could be infected and 4.8 million hospitalized with COVID-19 coronavirus, with a 1 in 10 chance of dying, citing increasing mortality rates with advancing age (3.6% for 60-69 years of age; 8% age 70-79 and 14.8% aged 80 and over). THAT IS A WORST-CASE SCENARIO that will subside once spring comes and more the earth tilts back toward the sun and our vitamin D blood levels rise.
Those age groups are considered high risk for ANY infections and subsequent mortality.
Overlooking seasonal flu
For whatever reasons, modern medicine is giving the false notion that the only infectious lung disease that is killing adults this wintertime is COVID-19 coronavirus. What happened to seasonal influenza which reportedly kills thousands every year? Of course, that flu number is specious, used as a fear tactic to get the public to vaccinate.
Maybe only a few hundred Americans succumb to the flu each year. With coronavirus test kits giving false positive and false negative test results, are any numbers involving infection rates accurate at all?
The Centers for Disease Control claims seasonal flu in 2018-19 caused 35.5 million infections, 490,600 hospitalizations and 34,200 deaths. These numbers are very specious. Even if valid, and among all who got the flu (35.5 million, only 9 in 10,000 would die — 34,200). But the CDC mixes flu deaths in with pneumonia deaths to frighten Americans to get vaccinated. Most of those 34,200 deaths were due to pneumonia.
Mass vaccination Pure USDA Organic Acer... Buy New $49.95 ($3.12 / Ounce) (as of 04:05 UTC - Details)
It would be highly unwise to attempt to vaccinate all 7 billion people on the planet to prevent, by my calculations, 1 death in 362,069 people. Almost 100,000 people (99,995 to be precise) would have to vaccinated to prevent 5 deaths.
Build your resistance to disease
The world has gone bonkers, with the misdirected masses stocking up on toilet paper and bottled water instead of vitamins and trace minerals to ward off an infectious disease. While looking down its nose at nutritional therapy, modern medicine has yet to fully put into practice therapies that produce what only a few physicians prescribe – – vitamins and trace minerals targeted at high-risk individuals, to boost immunity (what is called host resistance) among high-risk individuals against influenza, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
No vaccine could possibly help vulnerable seniors since vaccines rely on an intact immune system to produce antibodies against infectious disease.
Do the obvious
Vitamin D3 is the most obvious and potentially effective nutrient that can be used against corona and other viruses as well as pathogenic bacteria.
In China, 50 cases of moderate to severe COVID-19 coronavirus infections were given intravenous vitamin C. Hospital stays were shortened by 3-5 days. There were no side effects with vitamin C therapy. ALL PATIENTS IMPROVED – NO MORTALITY!
If ill, increase oral vitamin C to 3000 milligrams every 4 hours.
When ill, zinc acetate lozenges will shorten the course of a cold or flu.


lewrockwell--2020-03-20--Panic Pandemic – Why Are People Who Should Know Better Buying the Covid19 Hype?

The only certainty about the ‘ novel ’ virus is that a great deal of nonsense is being talked about it by people who really ought to know better , and a great deal of opportunism is being displayed .
From Netanyahu grabbing the chance to postpone his corruption trial to Hollywood starlets claiming they have ‘ tested positive ’ ( surely not a sad and cynical attempt to up their profile ) , this bandwagon is seething and teeming with those trying to seize their moment of fame or get rich or stay out of jail or just join @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be nCoV-positive now .
Maybe that ’ s why such inordinate numbers of famous people are staking their claim to it .
ISIS are apparently a bit worried about nCoV also and is allegedly sending out travel advisories to its jihadists .
Yup , that ’ s a real thing , right there .
Really happening .
Definitely .
Meanwhile , the propaganda is relentless , and there ’ s a variety for all tastes .
Aooba 3 Pcs Fashion Pr ... Buy New $ 8.00 ( $ 8.00 / Count ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you can read all the articles based on total speculation that tell you millions will die if we don ’ t demand martial law and vaccines .
( Speaking of vaccines , the as-yet-untested Covid19 vaccine is going to mandatory in Denmark , and in the US the manufacturers will have legal immunity should it cause any ill-effects ) .
If you are of a more sceptical turn of mind well , how about nCoV as bio-weapon ?
Plenty of juicy stuff on that topic also .
And scientists and science journals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shortage of people with PhDs willing to talk nonsense with a sciencey spin in order to convince the more inquiring proles that the governments are correct to invoke emergency powers and get that untested vaccine cranking out asap .
Look at this beauty .
Written by a team of MDs and other ‘ experts ’ and appearing in The Lancet , it is about the most naked example I have seen to date of pseudoscience being used to inflate the perception of nCoV as something other than what it is .
The purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some sort of barely rational reason for estimating the nCoV case fatality rate to be higher than it actually is by a factor of ten .
They actually suggest with a straight face ( though they don ’ t say why ) that in order to get a ‘ real ’ figure for case fatality we need to count deaths as a percentage only of those who became infected at the same time as those who died .
So , if on Day One of a hypothetical new disease , two people get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a 50 % case fatality ratio .
Sure , no problem .
Common sense and statistics agree with that .
But what if from Day Two to Day Ten inclusive 198 more people get it and none of them die ?
MedPride Powder-Free N ... Buy New $ 16.49 ( $ 16.49 / Count ) Well , according to the normal method of assessing CFR that would be 200 cases , one death , and a CFR of 0.5 % But with this brilliant new method , it would still be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are only allowed to count the cases who got sick on the same day as the fatality .
And only two people got sick that day , of whom 50 % died .
You see the corrupt genius of it ?
It ’ s a statistical nonsense that crucially gives permission to any would-be stats compilers in the WHO or elsewhere to overestimate the CFR of this bug , or indeed any other subsequent alleged ‘ killer ’ virus .
If you doubt this is the point , then read the article .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , having the total gall to claim the ‘ real ’ CFR for nCoV is anywhere up to 20 % , based solely on this crazy new way of figuring out the stats .
Which will look great in future headlines , and help pave the way for public acceptance of a total fascist dictatorship .
If you ever doubted that corruption is now endemic and all our institutions – political , legal , medical – are stacked with yes-men and jobsworths or fools prepared to put their names to any junk proclamation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save their professional skins , just think of this article .
Written by alleged world-class ‘ experts ’ , published in the Lancet , and nothing more than a word salad of contradictory nonsense and meaningless conclusions designed to promote a political and propagandist point .

The only certainty about the ‘novel’ virus is that a great deal of nonsense is being talked about it by people who really ought to know better, and a great deal of opportunism is being displayed.
From Netanyahu grabbing the chance to postpone his corruption trial to Hollywood starlets claiming they have ‘tested positive’ (surely not a sad and cynical attempt to up their profile), this bandwagon is seething and teeming with those trying to seize their moment of fame or get rich or stay out of jail or just join in the mayhem
It’s cool to be nCoV-positive now. Maybe that’s why such inordinate numbers of famous people are staking their claim to it.
ISIS are apparently a bit worried about nCoV also and is allegedly sending out travel advisories to its jihadists.
Yup, that’s a real thing, right there. Really happening. Definitely.
Meanwhile, the propaganda is relentless, and there’s a variety for all tastes. Aooba 3 Pcs Fashion Pr... Buy New $8.00 ($8.00 / Count) (as of 05:08 UTC - Details)
If you like your fear porn vanilla you can read all the articles based on total speculation that tell you millions will die if we don’t demand martial law and vaccines. (Speaking of vaccines, the as-yet-untested Covid19 vaccine is going to mandatory in Denmark, and in the US the manufacturers will have legal immunity should it cause any ill-effects).
If you are of a more sceptical turn of mind well, how about nCoV as bio-weapon? Plenty of juicy stuff on that topic also.
And scientists and science journals are not immune. There’s no shortage of people with PhDs willing to talk nonsense with a sciencey spin in order to convince the more inquiring proles that the governments are correct to invoke emergency powers and get that untested vaccine cranking out asap.
Look at this beauty. Written by a team of MDs and other ‘experts’ and appearing in The Lancet, it is about the most naked example I have seen to date of pseudoscience being used to inflate the perception of nCoV as something other than what it is.
The purpose of the article is apparently to find some sort of barely rational reason for estimating the nCoV case fatality rate to be higher than it actually is by a factor of ten.
Here’s the ‘reasoning’ it offers:
However, these mortality rate estimates are based on the number of deaths relative to the number of confirmed cases of infection, which is not representative of the actual death rate; patients who die on any given day were infected much earlier, and thus the denominator of the mortality rate should be the total number of patients infected at the same time as those who died.
They actually suggest with a straight face (though they don’t say why) that in order to get a ‘real’ figure for case fatality we need to count deaths as a percentage only of those who became infected at the same time as those who died.
So, if on Day One of a hypothetical new disease, two people get it and one dies, this would be a 50% case fatality ratio.
Sure, no problem. Common sense and statistics agree with that.
But what if from Day Two to Day Ten inclusive 198 more people get it and none of them die? MedPride Powder-Free N... Buy New $16.49 ($16.49 / Count) (as of 11:13 UTC - Details)
Well, according to the normal method of assessing CFR that would be 200 cases, one death, and a CFR of 0.5%
But with this brilliant new method, it would still be a CFR of 50% – because we are only allowed to count the cases who got sick on the same day as the fatality. And only two people got sick that day, of whom 50% died.
You see the corrupt genius of it? It’s a statistical nonsense that crucially gives permission to any would-be stats compilers in the WHO or elsewhere to overestimate the CFR of this bug, or indeed any other subsequent alleged ‘killer’ virus.
If you doubt this is the point, then read the article. This is just what the authors do, having the total gall to claim the ‘real’ CFR for nCoV is anywhere up to 20%, based solely on this crazy new way of figuring out the stats.
Which will look great in future headlines, and help pave the way for public acceptance of a total fascist dictatorship.
If you ever doubted that corruption is now endemic and all our institutions – political, legal, medical – are stacked with yes-men and jobsworths or fools prepared to put their names to any junk proclamation that might get them a raise or save their professional skins, just think of this article. Written by alleged world-class ‘experts’, published in the Lancet, and nothing more than a word salad of contradictory nonsense and meaningless conclusions designed to promote a political and propagandist point.
Read the Whole Article


Corona Coincidence?

What to make of what is going on – which is going very fast in a very ugly direction ?
It ’ s all too convenient .
Two weeks ago , Orange Man seemed and probably was electorally invincible .
Nothing his NPC opponents tried worked .
The Orange Man ridiculed them , publicly , in his Orange Man way – leaving them bug-eyed with exasperation .
One is reminded of people in the ’ 30s who could only refer to FDR as that man in between gasps of hate .
The “ climate crisis ” wasn ’ t selling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence , the lack made up for by an abundance of emotional rhetoric .
Its purveyors had been reduced to desperation tactics such as shoving an emotionally damaged teenaged girl on stage whom they figured ( correctly ) few would openly criticize because she is a damaged teenage girl .
But refraining from openly challenging a challenged little girl is not the same as believing what she says .
There there , sweetheart ; it ’ ll all be okay .
N95 Respitators , Full - ... Buy New $ 15.52 The EV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate thing – was about to topple like a Jenga tower due to the end of federal subsidies that had accounted for almost all EV “ sales ” so far – and because of the supply of inexpensive gas , something else the Orange Man caused to be .
Fold into this a growing public comprehension of the limitations of EVs and the massive commitment of the entire car industry to the manufacture of EVs , with the realization that the money spent would never be recouped .
It is doubtful that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out Tesla or the other car makers over the failure of electric cars .
But what if the entire car industry fails for another reason ?
“ Reasonable gun control ” laws – including the extremely unreasonable ones proposed in states like Virginia – had been encountering very public pushback , leading to the withdrawal or watering down of such “ reasonable ” proposals .
People were waking up to the machinations of the digital Thought Police – the big tech companies who not only don ’ t like differences of opinion but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the means of modern communication to suppress it by “ de-platforming ” and “ de-monetizing ” differences of opinion ( and of fact ) .
Resentment of this had been increasing and an OM victory in November would have emboldened resistance even more .
The virus solves all these problems .
The hysteria about the virus , that is .
People are more panicked now than they were on September 12 , 2011 – and more receptive to police state measures after 20 years , almost , of submission training .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be suspicious of those .
The Best of Eric Peters

What to make of what is going on – which is going very fast in a very ugly direction?
It’s all too convenient. Two weeks ago, Orange Man seemed and probably was electorally invincible. Nothing his NPC opponents tried worked. The Orange Man ridiculed them, publicly, in his Orange Man way – leaving them bug-eyed with exasperation. One is reminded of people in the ’30s who could only refer to FDR as that man in between gasps of hate.
The “climate crisis” wasn’t selling, chiefly on account of lack of evidence, the lack made up for by an abundance of emotional rhetoric. Its purveyors had been reduced to desperation tactics such as shoving an emotionally damaged teenaged girl on stage whom they figured (correctly) few would openly criticize because she is a damaged teenage girl. But refraining from openly challenging a challenged little girl is not the same as believing what she says.
There there, sweetheart; it’ll all be okay.
N95 Respitators,Full -... Buy New $15.52 (as of 04:44 UTC - Details) The EV thing – which was tied to the climate thing – was about to topple like a Jenga tower due to the end of federal subsidies that had accounted for almost all EV “sales” so far – and because of the supply of inexpensive gas, something else the Orange Man caused to be.
Fold into this a growing public comprehension of the limitations of EVs and the massive commitment of the entire car industry to the manufacture of EVs, with the realization that the money spent would never be recouped.
It is doubtful that the government could have gotten away with bailing out Tesla or the other car makers over the failure of electric cars. But what if the entire car industry fails for another reason?
“Reasonable gun control” laws – including the extremely unreasonable ones proposed in states like Virginia – had been encountering very public pushback, leading to the withdrawal or watering down of such “reasonable” proposals.
People were waking up to the machinations of the digital Thought Police – the big tech companies who not only don’t like differences of opinion but have been using their effective monopoly on the means of modern communication to suppress it by “de-platforming” and “de-monetizing” differences of opinion (and of fact). Resentment of this had been increasing and an OM victory in November would have emboldened resistance even more.
The virus solves all these problems. The hysteria about the virus, that is. People are more panicked now than they were on September 12, 2011 – and more receptive to police state measures after 20 years, almost, of submission training.
It is all possibly coincidental – but I tend to be suspicious of those.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Eric Peters


lewrockwell--2020-03-20--The Young Have Nothing To Lose But Their Chains

The road to freedom is paved with repudiation .
Tuesday The Burning Platform website posted an article , “ Your Government In Action , ” that had a Twitter video of a long line of cars in Albuquerque , the people in them waiting for coronavirus tests .
I posted the following comment : I live in Albuquerque and was not one of the idiots in line .
Yesterday was a beautiful day and I rode my mountain bike for 40 minutes in the sun .
It was just right , not too cold , not too hot .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I did some dirt biking on the loose sand , great exercise for the legs .
My gym sent an email last night and it ’ s closing for an indefinite time .
Looks like mountain biking will be the exercise for awhile .
but I could tell that the fresh air and sunlight were doing me more good than time spent in my hyper-sanitized gym or cooped up in the house .
I felt great .
The schools have been closed and I found it disturbing that I didn ’ t see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fresh air are known disinfectants , but parents are keeping their kids indoors and the world is locking up people in quarantines .
No sunshine , no fresh air , only insanity .
Read a Wall Street Journal article this morning about the younger generation in Europe rebelling against the insanity , going to bars and restaurants and having dinner parties .
Why not , they aren ’ t getting coronavirus , and when they do it amounts to a cold or minor flu .
My son is 22 and has the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer categorize is the age of the people dying .
The media still begrudgingly admit that it most severely afflicts those with compromised immune systems , i.e .
primarily older people .
Our gerentocracy is panicking because they ’ re the most at risk .
One among many issues most boomers refuse to face is their own mortality .
I ’ ve told my son several times that if his generation sits still and pays the taxes and debt service that ’ s going to be required to fund our generation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt , slashing the entitlements , and perhaps out and out revolution , his generation will deserve its fate and its shame .
Boomer removal indeed .
Party on kids , maybe the coronavirus will lighten the load my generation has foisted on you .
Yojimbo , a Burning Platform commentator , posted the following : Everything I Know Abou ... Robert Gore Best Price : $ 11.82 Buy New $ 11.87 Maybe since you are against Socialism , write a simple , concise argument in an essay about why repudiation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Socialism that Bernie is advocating .
Perhaps if it were short , simple , and cogent , it might circulate among the young and truly inform them and turn them away from Socialism ?
Just a thought .
That ’ s a good idea .
I ’ ll see what I can do .
Here ’ s the article .
It ’ s short , by my standards ; I hope readers find it “ simple , and cogent.
” The Young Have Nothing To Lose But Their Chains According to usdebtclock.org @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US government is almost $ 23.5 trillion , or over $ 72,000 per citizen .
The four biggest items in the government ’ s budget are Medicare/Medicaid , Social Security , defense , and interest on the debt .
The government ’ s unfunded liabilities are over $ 128 trillion , or over $ 397,000 per citizen .
Now it is true that national assets stand at $ 151 trillion , or over $ 468,000 per citizen .
Unfortunately , many of those assets are debt , equity or contractual claims ( like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or businesses , or real estate , often subject to a mortgage .
The problem is that all these assets are valued at current market , which can shift dramatically in a very short time—as we ’ re now seeing—while the nominal value of the debt doesn ’ t go down , it just continues to grow , and with the coronavirus outbreak its growth rate will increase .
Taking a cue from their parents and grandparents , the younger generation wants to grant itself new entitlements—higher education , medical care , guaranteed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flocked to Bernie Sanders , the most prolific promiser of free stuff .
The older generation owns most of the assets and because they ’ re retiring , whatever they “ contribute ” towards taxes and debt services will be far outweighed by what they ’ ll draw in Social Security , Medicare , and Medicaid .
Consequently , for whatever it grants itself , the younger generation will be either be paying taxes or adding to its already staggering debt and unfunded liability burdens .
It will be shooting itself in the @ @

The road to freedom is paved with repudiation.
Tuesday The Burning Platform website posted an article, “Your Government In Action,” that had a Twitter video of a long line of cars in Albuquerque, the people in them waiting for coronavirus tests. I posted the following comment:
I live in Albuquerque and was not one of the idiots in line. Yesterday was a beautiful day and I rode my mountain bike for 40 minutes in the sun. It was just right, not too cold, not too hot. We have an arroyo near our house and I did some dirt biking on the loose sand, great exercise for the legs. My gym sent an email last night and it’s closing for an indefinite time. Looks like mountain biking will be the exercise for awhile. but I could tell that the fresh air and sunlight were doing me more good than time spent in my hyper-sanitized gym or cooped up in the house. I felt great. The schools have been closed and I found it disturbing that I didn’t see one kid outside playing. Sunshine and fresh air are known disinfectants, but parents are keeping their kids indoors and the world is locking up people in quarantines. No sunshine, no fresh air, only insanity.
Read a Wall Street Journal article this morning about the younger generation in Europe rebelling against the insanity, going to bars and restaurants and having dinner parties. Why not, they aren’t getting coronavirus, and when they do it amounts to a cold or minor flu. My son is 22 and has the same attitude. What all the grim statistics no longer categorize is the age of the people dying. The media still begrudgingly admit that it most severely afflicts those with compromised immune systems, i.e. primarily older people. Our gerentocracy is panicking because they’re the most at risk. One among many issues most boomers refuse to face is their own mortality. I’ve told my son several times that if his generation sits still and pays the taxes and debt service that’s going to be required to fund our generation’s “entitlements” without repudiating the debt, slashing the entitlements, and perhaps out and out revolution, his generation will deserve its fate and its shame. Boomer removal indeed. Party on kids, maybe the coronavirus will lighten the load my generation has foisted on you.
Yojimbo, a Burning Platform commentator, posted the following: Everything I Know Abou... Robert Gore Best Price: $11.82 Buy New $11.87 (as of 07:20 UTC - Details)
Maybe since you are against Socialism, write a simple, concise argument in an essay about why repudiation of the debt is a far better answer than the Socialism that Bernie is advocating.
Perhaps if it were short, simple, and cogent, it might circulate among the young and truly inform them and turn them away from Socialism?
Just a thought.
I replied:
That’s a good idea. I’ll see what I can do.
Here’s the article. It’s short, by my standards; I hope readers find it “simple, and cogent.”
The Young Have Nothing To Lose But Their Chains
According to usdebtclock.org, the on-the-books’ debt of the US government is almost $23.5 trillion, or over $72,000 per citizen. The four biggest items in the government’s budget are Medicare/Medicaid, Social Security, defense, and interest on the debt. The government’s unfunded liabilities are over $128 trillion, or over $397,000 per citizen. Now it is true that national assets stand at $151 trillion, or over $468,000 per citizen. Unfortunately, many of those assets are debt, equity or contractual claims (like insurance and pensions) on insolvent governments or businesses, or real estate, often subject to a mortgage. The problem is that all these assets are valued at current market, which can shift dramatically in a very short time—as we’re now seeing—while the nominal value of the debt doesn’t go down, it just continues to grow, and with the coronavirus outbreak its growth rate will increase.
Taking a cue from their parents and grandparents, the younger generation wants to grant itself new entitlements—higher education, medical care, guaranteed incomes, etc. They’ve flocked to Bernie Sanders, the most prolific promiser of free stuff. The older generation owns most of the assets and because they’re retiring, whatever they “contribute” towards taxes and debt services will be far outweighed by what they’ll draw in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Consequently, for whatever it grants itself, the younger generation will be either be paying taxes or adding to its already staggering debt and unfunded liability burdens. It will be shooting itself in the foot.
Read the Whole Article


Zombiology

As a chicken chomping , coke snorting species , we have three main foes .
1 ) Beasts more ferocious than us , such as tigers , lions and , well , just about all other animals , since we ’ re such wimps .
2 ) Living organisms we can ’ t even see , such as viruses .
3 ) Other men , of course , since man is clearly man ’ s most lethal and sadistic enemy .
The first category is nearly extinct , with even the most frightful animals turned into lovable cartoons , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zombie , however , all three threats are combined , since he ’ s a man , sort of , that acts like a fierce , bonkers beast , and if he bites you , then you ’ re a gonner , for sure , thanks to his virus laden spit .
Zombies also resonate because they ’ re contemporary and urbane cannibals .
In torn jeans , hoodies or suits , they ’ ll eat your flabby ass .
Though literal man eaters have become extremely rare , we know in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been transferred into more elegant and expensive looking gentlemen .
Most of us also know we ’ re being devoured , chunk by gristly chunk , daily .
These cheerful thoughts occur to me because last week , I took a bullet train from Seoul to Busan , and there ’ s a pretty damn good zombie movie called Train to Busan .
We ’ re also staggering through a virulent miasma right now , in case you ’ re Rip Van Winkle , and no , I this ain ’ t no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When paradigm shifts , we must readjust our thinking and habits with much clarity , effort and discipline , not that we have a choice .
Postcards from the End ... Linh Dinh Best Price : $ 7.22 Buy New $ 12.95 True to its title , nearly all of Train to Busan takes place on a train , and this is obviously symbolic .
Before there were planes or trains , ships were common allegorical vehicles , as in Plato ’ s Ship of Fools , Melville ’ s Moby Dick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ‘ Narcissus , ’ etc .
Floating on a vast unknown , we ’ re all in this together .
Trains can also be stand ins for the community .
Encased , we ’ re being hurled towards a common destiny , though some are reclining in first class or feasting in the bright dining car , while the rest , stiffly upright , are munching on corn chips in the semi dark .
The film ’ s protagonist is an emotionally dead investment banker .
Focusing only on his work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife , and he barely talks to his small daughter .
For her birthday , he gives her a Nintendo Wii without realizing he has already bought her one , just months before .
On the train , he shows no reaction as the first zombie victim runs screaming by , and his face barely registers shock or pain as he hears his mom ’ s anguished last words , over the phone , as she moans , retches and gasps while apparently turning into a zombie .
He ’ s cooler than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finally learns how to team up with a blue-collar guy to fight off zombies , and they both die while saving others .
Though far less corrupted , his daughter also says nothing as she witnesses her first zombie , just outside the train window , pouncing on a man .
It ’ s director Yeon Sang-ho ’ s little joke to have his characters stay placid at the sickest spectacles , but that ’ s the story of our time .
We all do this a thousand times each day .
Barely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zombies , with our passivity punctuated only by impotent anger .
Ah , but there ’ s one arena where our passions run free , and that ’ s spectator sports , though most of the time , we stare at the screen as if we ’ re comatose , with barely a facial twitch to register another whatever .
I ’ m not going to lie to you .
My main objective in coming to South Korea three weeks ago was to catch as many games as possible of the Women ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can any objective and sane man not be enthralled by the nightly exploits of the KB Stars , S-Birds , Blue Minx and OK Shoot ?
I couldn ’ t wait to sit forever at half court to constantly shudder and duck as gigantic Korean ladies fly , seemingly right over me , to smirkingly execute triple pumping , 720 degree and blind folded slam dunks that the great Shawn Kemp himself never dared attempt .
Alas , I found to my infinite sorrows , regrets and even recriminations that all WKBL games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arenas .
Yes , even more cemetery-like than before , thanks to the corona fuckin ’ virus .
Spectator sports seemingly prove to us that not everything in life is rigged and , moreover , that we still belong to a community , just because we all root for the same colors .
Along with pornography , spectator sports are the ruling class ’ greatest pacifier of the masses , so if they ’ re suddenly taken away , does it mean our rulers have lost control of the narrative ?
When I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus crisis appeared to be primarily an East Asian problem , with hardly anyone but Orientals dying .
There was no outbreak in Iran or Italy , much less the rest of Europe or North America .
Now , horrible news swarm from the West , where death counts rise relentlessly , and entire countries are crippled and shuttered .
If this coronavirus was unleashed by the US , as has been charged by many , including Chinese officials , then why didn ’ t Washington take precautions to protect its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paralyzed as the crisis unfolded ?
More importantly , how does Wall Street benefit from the poleaxing of the American economy ?
The 1 % have just lost trillions .
If the Chinese government was responsible for the outbreak , albeit only accidentally , then why didn ’ t it rush to contain it immediately , instead of just spinning the news ?
Perhaps Beijing was unaware of what had occurred in Wuhan ?
On the train to Busan , we passed Daegu , the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had but single , desolate figures at disease-free intervals , among the endless columns .
It was a de Chirico vision come to life , but only barely .
At least they weren ’ t zombies .
Unlike China , and now Italy , Spain , France and others , South Korea never locked down even a single neighborhood , much less a city .
To combat this pandemic , it immediately launched a comprehensive testing campaign , which has yielded alarming daily tallies of infections , though tailing off significantly as of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this deliberateness and transparency , South Korea has paid a huge price in international isolation and lost commerce , but it has managed to maintain , nationwide , an impressive semblance of normalcy .
People go to work .
All stores are open and well stocked .
Though most restaurants and bars have suffered greatly , you ’ ll still find , in just about any neighborhood , those that can still pack them in , for there are obviously versions of black bean noodles , ox bone soup , spicy fried chicken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good enough , or at least cheap enough , to risk a small chance of death to eat .
Here in Busan , I ’ ve been frequenting the niggardly named Food Café , where for just $ 5 or so , I can stuff my face with a wholesome meal .
Last night , I had me some fine fried rice with garlic and bacon , which made me ponder , if only for a moment , Why wasn ’ t I born Korean ?
One type of Korean business that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ kiss bang.
” Don ’ t get too excited .
Let me explain .
“ Bang ” merely means “ room , ” so you ’ re not going to bang anyone at such an establishment .
You ’ ll certainly kiss and fondle a bit , at around $ 50 for half an hour .
It ’ s perfectly legal , as long as you don ’ t go downstairs , not that there ’ s anyone bent over a peep hole to spy on your sneaky infractions .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so it ’ s cute and sad .
Moreover , there ’ s a reason why many whores or even go-go dancers don ’ t want you to touch their face .
The head is really sacred .
In any case , swapping spit with multiple strangers during a pandemic is , well , not the brightest idea .
It ’ s almost as dumb as making out with zombies .
Love Like Hate : A Novel Linh Dinh Best Price : $ 5.10 Buy New $ 11.14 After checking into the appropriately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I returned to Daegu the next morning to see what life was like beyond its rail depot .
Getting off the train , I saw an immobile monk , in a black knit cap , white mask and slate gray robe , sitting by himself as a white pigeon fluttered .
Inside the station , a dozen passengers waited to depart .
Cafes were open .
Having never seen its usual volume , everything seemed normal .
That day , I inspected a vast luxury shopping mall , had lunch at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a chain café , wandered many streets and walked briskly on a river hugging trail along with dozens of others .
Compared to my experience of Seoul , Suwon , Incheon , Busan and Gimhae , Daegu did come off as more subdued , but it was still functioning , with traffic everywhere , and people out shopping .
As for my Busan neighborhood , Choryang-dong , it ’ s still jumping , if only on one leg .
Russian whores still lurk on Texas Street , and inside talking bars named Las @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , etc.
, Filipina hostesses still wait for you to entertain them .
The area ’ s many homeless still sleep outside in the frightful cold .
Teenagers still flock to McDonald ’ s .
Maybe you can tell me what comes next .
It should be stressed that the coronavirus is not the ultimate cause of our economic , political and societal unraveling , for we ’ ve been a dead man walking for a while .
Since we ’ re all linked , even a productive , efficient and disciplined society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ penalty .
Zombie surges await .
As published at Smirking Chimp , Unz Review and TruthSeeker , 3/16/20 .
The Best of Linh Dinh

As a chicken chomping, coke snorting species, we have three main foes. 1) Beasts more ferocious than us, such as tigers, lions and, well, just about all other animals, since we’re such wimps. 2) Living organisms we can’t even see, such as viruses. 3) Other men, of course, since man is clearly man’s most lethal and sadistic enemy.
The first category is nearly extinct, with even the most frightful animals turned into lovable cartoons, for our kids’ amusement. In the zombie, however, all three threats are combined, since he’s a man, sort of, that acts like a fierce, bonkers beast, and if he bites you, then you’re a gonner, for sure, thanks to his virus laden spit. Zombies also resonate because they’re contemporary and urbane cannibals. In torn jeans, hoodies or suits, they’ll eat your flabby ass. Though literal man eaters have become extremely rare, we know in our bones their taste and tactics have merely been transferred into more elegant and expensive looking gentlemen. Most of us also know we’re being devoured, chunk by gristly chunk, daily.
These cheerful thoughts occur to me because last week, I took a bullet train from Seoul to Busan, and there’s a pretty damn good zombie movie called Train to Busan. We’re also staggering through a virulent miasma right now, in case you’re Rip Van Winkle, and no, I this ain’t no media hoax. Shit’s real. When paradigm shifts, we must readjust our thinking and habits with much clarity, effort and discipline, not that we have a choice. Postcards from the End... Linh Dinh Best Price: $7.22 Buy New $12.95 (as of 05:45 UTC - Details)
True to its title, nearly all of Train to Busan takes place on a train, and this is obviously symbolic. Before there were planes or trains, ships were common allegorical vehicles, as in Plato’s Ship of Fools, Melville’s Moby Dick or Conrad’s The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus,’ etc. Floating on a vast unknown, we’re all in this together. Trains can also be stand ins for the community. Encased, we’re being hurled towards a common destiny, though some are reclining in first class or feasting in the bright dining car, while the rest, stiffly upright, are munching on corn chips in the semi dark.
The film’s protagonist is an emotionally dead investment banker. Focusing only on his work, the banker is already separated from his wife, and he barely talks to his small daughter. For her birthday, he gives her a Nintendo Wii without realizing he has already bought her one, just months before. On the train, he shows no reaction as the first zombie victim runs screaming by, and his face barely registers shock or pain as he hears his mom’s anguished last words, over the phone, as she moans, retches and gasps while apparently turning into a zombie. He’s cooler than cool. Redeeming himself, the banker finally learns how to team up with a blue-collar guy to fight off zombies, and they both die while saving others.
Though far less corrupted, his daughter also says nothing as she witnesses her first zombie, just outside the train window, pouncing on a man. It’s director Yeon Sang-ho’s little joke to have his characters stay placid at the sickest spectacles, but that’s the story of our time. We all do this a thousand times each day. Barely responsive, we’re deader than zombies, with our passivity punctuated only by impotent anger.
Ah, but there’s one arena where our passions run free, and that’s spectator sports, though most of the time, we stare at the screen as if we’re comatose, with barely a facial twitch to register another whatever.
I’m not going to lie to you. My main objective in coming to South Korea three weeks ago was to catch as many games as possible of the Women’s Korean Basketball League, for how can any objective and sane man not be enthralled by the nightly exploits of the KB Stars, S-Birds, Blue Minx and OK Shoot? I couldn’t wait to sit forever at half court to constantly shudder and duck as gigantic Korean ladies fly, seemingly right over me, to smirkingly execute triple pumping, 720 degree and blind folded slam dunks that the great Shawn Kemp himself never dared attempt. Alas, I found to my infinite sorrows, regrets and even recriminations that all WKBL games would now be played only in empty arenas. Yes, even more cemetery-like than before, thanks to the corona fuckin’ virus.
Spectator sports seemingly prove to us that not everything in life is rigged and, moreover, that we still belong to a community, just because we all root for the same colors. Along with pornography, spectator sports are the ruling class’ greatest pacifier of the masses, so if they’re suddenly taken away, does it mean our rulers have lost control of the narrative?
When I landed in Seoul three weeks ago, the coronavirus crisis appeared to be primarily an East Asian problem, with hardly anyone but Orientals dying. There was no outbreak in Iran or Italy, much less the rest of Europe or North America. Now, horrible news swarm from the West, where death counts rise relentlessly, and entire countries are crippled and shuttered.
If this coronavirus was unleashed by the US, as has been charged by many, including Chinese officials, then why didn’t Washington take precautions to protect its own population? And why was it so paralyzed as the crisis unfolded? More importantly, how does Wall Street benefit from the poleaxing of the American economy? The 1% have just lost trillions.
If the Chinese government was responsible for the outbreak, albeit only accidentally, then why didn’t it rush to contain it immediately, instead of just spinning the news? Perhaps Beijing was unaware of what had occurred in Wuhan?
On the train to Busan, we passed Daegu, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in South Korea. The mostly empty platforms at midday had but single, desolate figures at disease-free intervals, among the endless columns. It was a de Chirico vision come to life, but only barely. At least they weren’t zombies.
Unlike China, and now Italy, Spain, France and others, South Korea never locked down even a single neighborhood, much less a city. To combat this pandemic, it immediately launched a comprehensive testing campaign, which has yielded alarming daily tallies of infections, though tailing off significantly as of late, auguring a recovery. For this deliberateness and transparency, South Korea has paid a huge price in international isolation and lost commerce, but it has managed to maintain, nationwide, an impressive semblance of normalcy. People go to work. All stores are open and well stocked.
Though most restaurants and bars have suffered greatly, you’ll still find, in just about any neighborhood, those that can still pack them in, for there are obviously versions of black bean noodles, ox bone soup, spicy fried chicken or bibimbap, etc., that are good enough, or at least cheap enough, to risk a small chance of death to eat. Here in Busan, I’ve been frequenting the niggardly named Food Café, where for just $5 or so, I can stuff my face with a wholesome meal. Last night, I had me some fine fried rice with garlic and bacon, which made me ponder, if only for a moment, Why wasn’t I born Korean?
One type of Korean business that can’t be flourishing right now is the “kiss bang.” Don’t get too excited. Let me explain. “Bang” merely means “room,” so you’re not going to bang anyone at such an establishment. You’ll certainly kiss and fondle a bit, at around $50 for half an hour. It’s perfectly legal, as long as you don’t go downstairs, not that there’s anyone bent over a peep hole to spy on your sneaky infractions. The girls tend to be college students, so it’s cute and sad. Moreover, there’s a reason why many whores or even go-go dancers don’t want you to touch their face. The head is really sacred. In any case, swapping spit with multiple strangers during a pandemic is, well, not the brightest idea. It’s almost as dumb as making out with zombies. Love Like Hate: A Novel Linh Dinh Best Price: $5.10 Buy New $11.14 (as of 10:10 UTC - Details)
After checking into the appropriately named One Way Guest House in Busan, I returned to Daegu the next morning to see what life was like beyond its rail depot. Getting off the train, I saw an immobile monk, in a black knit cap, white mask and slate gray robe, sitting by himself as a white pigeon fluttered. Inside the station, a dozen passengers waited to depart. Cafes were open. Having never seen its usual volume, everything seemed normal.
That day, I inspected a vast luxury shopping mall, had lunch at a greasy spoon, drank a cappuccino at a chain café, wandered many streets and walked briskly on a river hugging trail along with dozens of others. Compared to my experience of Seoul, Suwon, Incheon, Busan and Gimhae, Daegu did come off as more subdued, but it was still functioning, with traffic everywhere, and people out shopping.
As for my Busan neighborhood, Choryang-dong, it’s still jumping, if only on one leg. Russian whores still lurk on Texas Street, and inside talking bars named Las Vegas, Miami, Seattle and London, etc., Filipina hostesses still wait for you to entertain them. The area’s many homeless still sleep outside in the frightful cold. Teenagers still flock to McDonald’s.
Maybe you can tell me what comes next. It should be stressed that the coronavirus is not the ultimate cause of our economic, political and societal unraveling, for we’ve been a dead man walking for a while.
Since we’re all linked, even a productive, efficient and disciplined society like South Korea must pay this belated penalty. Zombie surges await.
As published at Smirking Chimp, Unz Review and TruthSeeker, 3/16/20.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
The Best of Linh Dinh