lewrockwell--2020-07-17--War on Poverty, or Just War on the Poor?

As the dust is now begging to settle , both from the heights of the COVID panic and from the riots that shook the western world , we are starting to get an idea about where we stand after this unprecedented and tumultuous time .
We are able to begin taking stock of the damage that was inflicted by the lockdowns and to evaluate the governmental efforts to help those affected and to provide support to the economy .
More interestingly , we are finally in a position to see clearly who amongst us paid the highest price , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken away .
This picture is especially clear in the US , where the numbers speak for themselves .
One look at the unemployment figures as seen in the chart below is enough to demonstrate the extent of the damage of the economic shutdown .
However , a more detailed examination of the data reveals a lot more .
It shows the sharp inequality in those lost jobs .
Low- and minimum wage employees , seasonal , part-time and low-skill workers , were fired from their jobs at an astoundingly higher rate than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ makes sense , of course .
Not only could these jobs be performed from home more easily , but these employees were also largely less replaceable .
Being by and large more educated , more experienced and more skilled , there were seen as more “ essential ” , to use the government ’ s own terminology .
Of course , all jobs are essential for those who need them to survive , but then again that argument never managed to gain any traction when bureaucrats were deciding who gets to keep their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply surplus to requirements .
Despite widespread “ expert ” commentary to the contrary , this economic disaster is not behind us .
Even as the US economy now reopens , with setbacks and reversals , strict measures remain in place in most states .
Social distancing restrictions and other requirements are still placing heavy burdens on the retail sector and the travel and hospitality industry , in many cases making it impossible to operate a business profitably .
It is thus no wonder that so many have chosen to operate with greatly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just not to reopen at all .
In this environment , it is clear that those who can ’ t do their jobs from home will continue to suffer disproportionally .
According to a new study by the University of Washington , there are over 108 Million Americans in that category .
That ’ s three-quarters of the US workforce , who also happen to be among the lowest income levels in the country , and they are facing a considerably higher risk of layoffs , furloughs , or workhour reductions .
Among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27.4 million workers , or 18.9 % of the workforce , who work in retail , food and beauty services , protective services , and delivery of goods .
This group , with a median income of $ 32,000 , at the very end of the pyramid , is staring at an even greater risk of job insecurity and displacement .
1 % .
The book that the ... Sharratt , Robert Best Price : $ 9.93 Buy New $ 8.99 The numbers are finally in for the Paycheck Protection Program , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to safeguard jobs and to keep workers on the payroll throughout the shutdown .
The program , which was part of the $ 2.3 trillion CARES Act , was meant to give out loans to businesses and non-profits with fewer than 500 employees , that would then be “ forgiven ” if the recipients allocated a certain portion of the loan on retaining or hiring back employees .
The Small Business Administration ( SBA ) recently published a list of companies and organizations that received more than $ 150,000 in PPP .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretty , but that ’ s hardly a shock .
At least 12 members of Congress received PPP money through connected businesses .
New York law firms , Wall Street investment firms , luxury clothing brands , like that owned by presidential candidate Kanye West , golf and country clubs also apparently qualified for what is essentially a cash gift of taxpayer money .
Large corporations and national chains , that obviously did not qualify for these loans , also got paid , by simply filing for each branch and location separately as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal by the way .
Lobbying firms and advocacy groups featured prominently on that list too ; even long-time critics of excessive government spending , like “ Americans for Tax Reform ” , and fierce detractors of handouts and the welfare state , like the Ayn Rand Institute .
Controversial and chronically divisive organizations like Planned Parenthood came out on the winning side of the shutdown too : According to reporting by NBC , PPP loans amounting to $ 150 million went to Planned Parenthood affiliates .
Millionaire artist Jeff Koons , famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loan of $ 2 million to preserve 53 jobs at his New York studio .
Just for reference , Koons ’ estimated net worth is $ 200 million and in March 2019 , his “ Rabbit ” sculpture sold for $ 91.1 million , setting a record as the most expensive work sold by a living artist at an auction .
The Global Economic Re ... Calvo , Fabian Best Price : $ 2.99 Buy New $ 14.94 And while the taxpayer-funded party was raging for crony capitalists , celebrities , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual small businesses that were denied access to the PPP and were turned down for loans of even a few thousand dollars .
Overrepresented among those who had the door shut on their face were minority-owned businesses .
This failure is especially specular , given that the program had earmarked $ 30 billion for smaller lenders , with the explicit aim of supporting business owners of color in poorer neighborhoods and “ underserved ” markets .
Overall , the smallest of small businesses , those owned by a single person and arguably needing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ones most egregiously treated : they were forced to apply for their share of the PPP money one week after everyone else , which in many cases meant that the first round of the funding had already run out when their turn came .
The state doing what it does best A lot of these businesses that fell victim to the shutdowns and then were further betrayed by the “ relief ” spending that never reached them , were playing a crucial role and not just economically .
They were local restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salons and mom and pop operations .
They were serving their local community , being supported by their regular customers and patrons and in return provided jobs , generating income on a local level .
The net effect of these local business dynamics and the jobs they created and sustained goes beyond just providing a regular paycheck , which is in itself hugely important for so many people .
They also ensure that this productive activity , the income it generates , the value it creates and the wealth it eventually builds all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ These synergies and the combination of these forces can be extremely effective in elevating even the poorest communities , giving people more opportunities , financial security , independence and a sense of ownership .
In turn , this literal and figurative enrichment helps support a climate of cooperation , responsibility and respect , which can also bring criminality under control in an organic way or even prevent it altogether , especially by staving off youth delinquency .
Now , all these jobs and all the benefits they brought with them have perished , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Unleashing Usury : How ... Westra , Richard Best Price : $ 12.61 Buy New $ 24.95 But these are things no central planner understands , or even cares about .
All these transformative forces and all the little miracles that the free interaction and voluntary exchanges between individuals bring about are unimportant to the bean counter , the bureaucrat and especially to the career politician .
Improving people ’ s lives , reducing poverty , creating jobs and opportunities , are only seen as desirable outcomes if they can take credit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , next time someone argues we must turn to the state in order to erase inequality .
For the state is the machine that mass-produces it , that incentivizes , enforces and gleefully perpetuates it .
This article has been published in the Newsroom of pro aurum , the leading precious metals company in Europe with an independent subsidiary in Switzerland .
The Best of Claudio Grass

As the dust is now begging to settle, both from the heights of the COVID panic and from the riots that shook the western world, we are starting to get an idea about where we stand after this unprecedented and tumultuous time. We are able to begin taking stock of the damage that was inflicted by the lockdowns and to evaluate the governmental efforts to help those affected and to provide support to the economy. More interestingly, we are finally in a position to see clearly who amongst us paid the highest price, who suffered the most and whose livelihood was taken away.
This picture is especially clear in the US, where the numbers speak for themselves. One look at the unemployment figures as seen in the chart below is enough to demonstrate the extent of the damage of the economic shutdown. However, a more detailed examination of the data reveals a lot more. It shows the sharp inequality in those lost jobs. Low- and minimum wage employees, seasonal, part-time and low-skill workers, were fired from their jobs at an astoundingly higher rate than their white-collar and better-paid peers. It makes sense, of course. Not only could these jobs be performed from home more easily, but these employees were also largely less replaceable. Being by and large more educated, more experienced and more skilled, there were seen as more “essential”, to use the government’s own terminology. Of course, all jobs are essential for those who need them to survive, but then again that argument never managed to gain any traction when bureaucrats were deciding who gets to keep their job and whose source of income is simply surplus to requirements.
Despite widespread “expert” commentary to the contrary, this economic disaster is not behind us. Even as the US economy now reopens, with setbacks and reversals, strict measures remain in place in most states. Social distancing restrictions and other requirements are still placing heavy burdens on the retail sector and the travel and hospitality industry, in many cases making it impossible to operate a business profitably. It is thus no wonder that so many have chosen to operate with greatly reduced staff, reduced hours, or just not to reopen at all. In this environment, it is clear that those who can’t do their jobs from home will continue to suffer disproportionally. According to a new study by the University of Washington, there are over 108 Million Americans in that category. That’s three-quarters of the US workforce, who also happen to be among the lowest income levels in the country, and they are facing a considerably higher risk of layoffs, furloughs, or workhour reductions. Among them, there is a sub-group of 27.4 million workers, or 18.9% of the workforce, who work in retail, food and beauty services, protective services, and delivery of goods. This group, with a median income of $32,000, at the very end of the pyramid, is staring at an even greater risk of job insecurity and displacement. 1%. The book that the... Sharratt, Robert Best Price: $9.93 Buy New $8.99 (as of 02:53 UTC - Details)
Assessing the “relief” packages
The numbers are finally in for the Paycheck Protection Program, or “PPP”, that was supposed to safeguard jobs and to keep workers on the payroll throughout the shutdown. The program, which was part of the $2.3 trillion CARES Act, was meant to give out loans to businesses and non-profits with fewer than 500 employees, that would then be “forgiven” if the recipients allocated a certain portion of the loan on retaining or hiring back employees. The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently published a list of companies and organizations that received more than $150,000 in PPP. The picture painted by the data is not pretty, but that’s hardly a shock.
At least 12 members of Congress received PPP money through connected businesses. New York law firms, Wall Street investment firms, luxury clothing brands, like that owned by presidential candidate Kanye West, golf and country clubs also apparently qualified for what is essentially a cash gift of taxpayer money. Large corporations and national chains, that obviously did not qualify for these loans, also got paid, by simply filing for each branch and location separately as a small business, which is perfectly legal by the way. Lobbying firms and advocacy groups featured prominently on that list too; even long-time critics of excessive government spending, like “Americans for Tax Reform”, and fierce detractors of handouts and the welfare state, like the Ayn Rand Institute. Controversial and chronically divisive organizations like Planned Parenthood came out on the winning side of the shutdown too: According to reporting by NBC, PPP loans amounting to $150 million went to Planned Parenthood affiliates. Millionaire artist Jeff Koons, famous for this balloon animal sculptures, received a loan of $2 million to preserve 53 jobs at his New York studio. Just for reference, Koons’ estimated net worth is $200 million and in March 2019, his “Rabbit” sculpture sold for $91.1 million, setting a record as the most expensive work sold by a living artist at an auction.
The Global Economic Re... Calvo, Fabian Best Price: $2.99 Buy New $14.94 (as of 05:40 UTC - Details) And while the taxpayer-funded party was raging for crony capitalists, celebrities, and government-connected organizations, there were thousands of actual small businesses that were denied access to the PPP and were turned down for loans of even a few thousand dollars. Overrepresented among those who had the door shut on their face were minority-owned businesses. This failure is especially specular, given that the program had earmarked $30 billion for smaller lenders, with the explicit aim of supporting business owners of color in poorer neighborhoods and “underserved” markets. Overall, the smallest of small businesses, those owned by a single person and arguably needing that money the most, were the ones most egregiously treated: they were forced to apply for their share of the PPP money one week after everyone else, which in many cases meant that the first round of the funding had already run out when their turn came.
The state doing what it does best
A lot of these businesses that fell victim to the shutdowns and then were further betrayed by the “relief” spending that never reached them, were playing a crucial role and not just economically. They were local restaurants and bars, small corner shops, neighborhood salons and mom and pop operations. They were serving their local community, being supported by their regular customers and patrons and in return provided jobs, generating income on a local level. The net effect of these local business dynamics and the jobs they created and sustained goes beyond just providing a regular paycheck, which is in itself hugely important for so many people. They also ensure that this productive activity, the income it generates, the value it creates and the wealth it eventually builds all develop and remain within the community. These synergies and the combination of these forces can be extremely effective in elevating even the poorest communities, giving people more opportunities, financial security, independence and a sense of ownership. In turn, this literal and figurative enrichment helps support a climate of cooperation, responsibility and respect, which can also bring criminality under control in an organic way or even prevent it altogether, especially by staving off youth delinquency. Now, all these jobs and all the benefits they brought with them have perished, along with the businesses that created them. Unleashing Usury: How ... Westra, Richard Best Price: $12.61 Buy New $24.95 (as of 03:15 UTC - Details)
But these are things no central planner understands, or even cares about. All these transformative forces and all the little miracles that the free interaction and voluntary exchanges between individuals bring about are unimportant to the bean counter, the bureaucrat and especially to the career politician. Improving people’s lives, reducing poverty, creating jobs and opportunities, are only seen as desirable outcomes if they can take credit for them. It important to remember this, next time someone argues we must turn to the state in order to erase inequality. For the state is the machine that mass-produces it, that incentivizes, enforces and gleefully perpetuates it.
This article has been published in the Newsroom of pro aurum, the leading precious metals company in Europe with an independent subsidiary in Switzerland.
The Best of Claudio Grass


lewrockwell--2020-07-17--Stop Pretending the BLM Protests Were Peaceful

Having spent the past month traveling around the United States — from major cities to the countryside — the scale of the ‘ movement ’ which erupted in late May after the death of George Floyd is almost incomprehensible .
According to the New York Times , which relays their finding with obvious excitement , the ‘ movement ’ ( its precise contours seldom defined ) “ may be the largest ” in U.S. history .
That is certainly plausible .
In which case , it would presumably be important to document how ordinary Americans , especially those most directly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in question .
Scan almost any of the popular media coverage over the past six weeks and you ’ ll find that journalists have been steadfast in their depiction of “ protesters ” as unassailably “ peaceful.
” While the vast majority of those who attended a state-backed demonstration or some other event spurred by the ‘ movement ’ are unlikely to have committed any acts of physical destruction , the term “ peaceful protest ” doesn ’ t seem to quite capture the impact of a society-wide upheaval that included , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the magnitude of which have not been seen in the U.S. since at least the 1960s .
Taboo : 10 Facts You Ca ... Reilly , Wilfred Best Price : $ 16.01 Buy New $ 20.40 From large metro areas like Chicago and Minneapolis/St .
Paul , to small and mid-sized cities like Fort Wayne , Indiana and Green Bay , Wisconsin , the number of boarded up , damaged or destroyed buildings I have personally observed — commercial , civic , and residential — is staggering .
Keeping exact count is impossible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media organisation such as the New York Times would use some of their galactic journalistic resources to tally up the wreckage for posterity .
But roughly six weeks later , and such a tally is still nowhere to be found .
A standard retort one often hears is that “ the riots ” must not be conflated with “ the protests , ” which is technically accurate in certain contexts .
But the distinction is not as obvious as the media like to make out .
In many locations , police and fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protests , which in turn created a vacuum that enabled the outbreak of riotous activity .
As one resident of Minneapolis explained to me , emergency services told him that they would simply be unavailable during the weekend of 29-31 May , while other locals recounted with amazement that police were totally absent as their neighbourhoods burned .
In Milwaukee , a man described being chased down by rioters after getting off the bus on his way home from work .
He saw no difference between protesters and rioters ; the flippant idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disentangled is wrong .
This view is just as likely to be espoused by black people and other minorities as anyone else ( the Milwaukee man was black ) , which renders the media ’ s strident insistence to depict the ‘ movement ’ as entirely peaceful incongruous with the perceptions of working-class Americans ( of all races ) .
So many of them experienced what transpired more as a painful tragedy than any kind of wondrous harmony .
Hate Crime Hoax : How t ... Reilly , Wilfred Best Price : $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the resulting destruction may have set their majority-minority neighbourhoods back economically for months or years , if not longer .
Most had already been struggling due to the pandemic , with the riots interrupting fragile reopening plans .
To exclude the perspectives of these people from popular media narratives amounts to a kind of purposefully obfuscatory , moralising snobbery .
Talk about ‘ erasure ’ .
So why , exactly , has the scope of these riots been so assiduously downplayed , and the opinions of those who experienced them first-hand been largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ring true .
For one , media elites desperately do not want to undermine the moral legitimacy of a ‘ movement ’ that they have cast as presumptively righteous .
And highlighting that urban minority populations are generally less enthusiastic about a movement whose mantra is “ Black Lives Matter ” would be embarrassing for obvious reasons .

Having spent the past month traveling around the United States — from major cities to the countryside — the scale of the ‘movement’ which erupted in late May after the death of George Floyd is almost incomprehensible. According to the New York Times, which relays their finding with obvious excitement, the ‘movement’ (its precise contours seldom defined) “may be the largest” in U.S. history.
That is certainly plausible. In which case, it would presumably be important to document how ordinary Americans, especially those most directly affected, perceive the “movement” in question.
Scan almost any of the popular media coverage over the past six weeks and you’ll find that journalists have been steadfast in their depiction of “protesters” as unassailably “peaceful.” While the vast majority of those who attended a state-backed demonstration or some other event spurred by the ‘movement’ are unlikely to have committed any acts of physical destruction, the term “peaceful protest” doesn’t seem to quite capture the impact of a society-wide upheaval that included, as a key component, mass riots — the magnitude of which have not been seen in the U.S. since at least the 1960s.
Taboo: 10 Facts You Ca... Reilly, Wilfred Best Price: $16.01 Buy New $20.40 (as of 03:01 UTC - Details) From large metro areas like Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul, to small and mid-sized cities like Fort Wayne, Indiana and Green Bay, Wisconsin, the number of boarded up, damaged or destroyed buildings I have personally observed — commercial, civic, and residential — is staggering. Keeping exact count is impossible. One might think that a major media organisation such as the New York Times would use some of their galactic journalistic resources to tally up the wreckage for posterity. But roughly six weeks later, and such a tally is still nowhere to be found.
A standard retort one often hears is that “the riots” must not be conflated with “the protests,” which is technically accurate in certain contexts. But the distinction is not as obvious as the media like to make out. In many locations, police and fire services were diverted to accommodate these massive protests, which in turn created a vacuum that enabled the outbreak of riotous activity. As one resident of Minneapolis explained to me, emergency services told him that they would simply be unavailable during the weekend of 29-31 May, while other locals recounted with amazement that police were totally absent as their neighbourhoods burned.
In Milwaukee, a man described being chased down by rioters after getting off the bus on his way home from work. He saw no difference between protesters and rioters; the flippant idea that these groups can be so neatly disentangled is wrong.
This view is just as likely to be espoused by black people and other minorities as anyone else (the Milwaukee man was black), which renders the media’s strident insistence to depict the ‘movement’ as entirely peaceful incongruous with the perceptions of working-class Americans (of all races). So many of them experienced what transpired more as a painful tragedy than any kind of wondrous harmony. Hate Crime Hoax: How t... Reilly, Wilfred Best Price: $11.58 Buy New $17.27 (as of 07:00 UTC - Details)
Indeed, the resulting destruction may have set their majority-minority neighbourhoods back economically for months or years, if not longer. Most had already been struggling due to the pandemic, with the riots interrupting fragile reopening plans. To exclude the perspectives of these people from popular media narratives amounts to a kind of purposefully obfuscatory, moralising snobbery. Talk about ‘erasure’.
So why, exactly, has the scope of these riots been so assiduously downplayed, and the opinions of those who experienced them first-hand been largely ignored? A number of potential explanations ring true. For one, media elites desperately do not want to undermine the moral legitimacy of a ‘movement’ that they have cast as presumptively righteous. And highlighting that urban minority populations are generally less enthusiastic about a movement whose mantra is “Black Lives Matter” would be embarrassing for obvious reasons.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-07-17--Tyranny Rules the Universities

Tyranny Rules the Universities

Academics , if they are white , live in fear of their jobs .
Professors lost their authority when administrations ceased backing them and instead allowed student complaints to result in investigations .
Once an investigatory procedure is in place , it keeps itself funded by investigating .
Feminist complaints , followed by political correctness , had the investigative process well oiled prior to the rise of wokism .
Now almost any word can be turned into an offense requiring investigation .
One professor is in trouble because he read to the class Martin Luther King ’ s “ Letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s letter contained the word , “ nigger.
” By reading aloud King ’ s letter , the professor committed hate speech and perhaps a hate crime .
There are more ridiculous examples than this .
See , for example see this .
Not only do professors have to try to anticipate the next offensive word or expression—you can ’ t say things like “ girls night out ” for example—but also they live in fear of something that they might have written years ago .
They are going through their published books @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advance for the accusations from the lynch squad .
Indeed , today far more academics—and commentators—get lynched than ever black Americans did .
Stamped from the Begin ... Kendi , Ibram X .
Best Price : $ 14.67 Buy New $ 11.99 I learned about this when I asked a professor friend about where I could find his article anticipating the rise of wokism .
I wanted to say how prescient he had been and include it in an article I was forming in my mind .
He asked me to forget all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on any subject as no attention was essential to survival .
He said he was even afraid to visit my website , which is non-woke , because it could lead to charges against him .
He said if I were still a professor I would have long ago been fired as the truths I state are today impermissible .
Voice them and you are out .
At least some white academics are beginning to understand their peril , but not all .
Dr. Leslie Neal-Boylan , the Dean of the Nursing School at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for writing in an email that “ everone ’ s life matters.
” Here is the full context of the Dean ’ s statement : “ I am writing to express my concern and condemnation of the recent ( and past ) acts of violence against people of color .
Recent events recall a tragic history of racism and bias that continue to thrive in this country .
I despair for our future as a nation if we do not stand up against violence against anyone .
BLACK LIVES MATTER , but also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ No one should have to live in fear that they will be targeted for how they look or what they believe.
” Someone only identified as “ Haley ” found this innocuous statement “ uncalled for and upsetting , ” and that sufficed for the University to fire the Dean , a person they had recently praised as “ visionary ” and an asset to the university .
Many ordinary people do not understand their peril , because the media conceals the situation in order to better carry on with its anti-white agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ murdered by black thugs for saying “ all lives matter.
” Liberalism : Find a Cure Dice , Mark Best Price : $ 7.31 Buy New $ 16.78 Other white people have discovered that Democrat prosecutors , and probably Republican ones as well , will indict them for defending their property against blacks .
Other white people have discovered that calls to the police are futile .
Widespread destruction of private property and public monuments have taken place because public authorities have given the green light .
This stark demonstration of the loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a worsening situation .
Even left-wing journalists are being purged .
The editor of the New York Times was fired because the op-ed editor published a disapproved article by a US Senator .
The editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer was fired because a newspaper headline angered Black Lives Matter .
A New York Times editor resigned because the former newspaper has become a Ministry of Truth .
Meanwhile in the universities , the situation could not be worse .
There is no confidence at all .
The Board of Trustees of Princeton University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president of Princeton University and a Democrat who was the 28th president of the United States , was a racist and removed his name from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs .
According to the Board of Trustees , the tragic killing of George Floyd “ renewed attention to the long and damaging history of racism in America.
” The board decided that Wilson ’ s name gave the school a racist image and had to go .
Some might think that there are many better reasons than racism for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , notice the rush to judgment by the trustees , people one would imagine to be intelligent and thoughtful , that Floyd was killed .
The toxicology report shows a lethal dose of fentanyl in Floyd ’ s blood .
He would have died whatever the police might have done .
The presstitutes have withheld this fact from the public .
The True Story of Fake ...
Dice , Mark Best Price : $ 13.06 Buy New $ 17.94 So what we have here is that allegedly responsible trustees removed a president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports from the media that Floyd was murdered by police .
What better image of a people on the run could we have ?
At Oxford University , where 25 % of admissions are reserved for people that Oxford admits are not qualified to be there and for whom the university will have to finance at least one year of remedial education if they are to have a chance to graduate , the statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College is to be removed because a colonialist is offensive to students from Britain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what will happen to the once prestigeous Rhodes Scholarships .
If there is a stigma to the statue , there must be stigma to the scholarships as well .
Cambridge University is also cleansing itself of racists .
Gonville & Caius College is removing a window that commemorates Sir Ronald Fisher , Fellow of the Royal Society and former president of the college .
Fisher is considered to be a genius who almost single-handedly created the foundations for modern statistical sciece and is regarded as the single most important figure in 20th century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have headed the University of Cambridge ’ s eugenics program .
This in our mindless times makes him a racist , because eugenics acknowledges differences in races , and such differences are forbidden to be acknowledged .
Consider the insouciance of the Cambridge administration and the Princeton trustees .
If Fisher is a racist whose memory must be expunged from Cambridge because he was interested in eugenics , Cambridge University must also be racist for having an eugenics program .
If the president of Princeton University is a racist , the university @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Is what we have here two organizations trying to shove their racism off on two individuals ?
It is Cambridge and Princeton that need to be changed .
And not merely the names .
All the white faculty , white administrators and white subjects , such as mathematics and science , must be turned out .
Only a third world faculty and third world subjects are permissible .
The War on Cops : How t ... Mac Donald , Heather Best Price : $ 16.73 Buy New $ 16.61 While throwing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of modern statistics in the memory hole , Cambridge University rushed to the defense of a third world female lecturer who declared “ white lives don ’ t matter ” by promoting her to full professor .
Priyamvada Gopal got into no trouble for her hate speech/hate crime .
She was rewarded for it , because it was expressed against white people .
Cambridge institutionalized racial bias against white faculty and administrators awhile back when the university assigned each member a person of color as their commissar to ensure no untoward word was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only reason for a white person to attend Cambridge University is to become a self-hating white full of guilt and contrition and thereby helpful to the cause of overthrowing Western Civilization .
No one escapes .
At the University of Chicago economist Harald Uhlig , editor of the prestigeous Journal of Political Economy , for which I was once a contributor and a reviewer , was investigated by the university , temporarily relieved of his editorial position , and lost his contract with the Federal Reserve simply because he tweeted that Black Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defunding of the police .
After a grovelling apology for expressing a non-controversial opinion , Uhlig apparently escaped with his job , but not with his Federal Reserve contract .
Michigan State University scholar Stephen Hsu was forced to resign his position as vice president of research and innovation for accurately reporting a study from a year ago by a Michigan State University professor of psychology that police shoot more white Americans than black Americans .
Hsu , who judging by his name is Asian , is nevertheless another “ white racist ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not support the woke contention of “ systemic police racism.
” The question that I have long asked— “ if it is racist when police shoot a black person , what is it when they shoot a white person ?
” —remains off the table .
Making All Black Lives ... Ransby , Barbara Best Price : $ 11.90 Buy New $ 13.17 Universities are unsafe places for white males .
Faculty and staff live in fear of baseless accusations that can destroy their careers and their financial lives .
White male @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and black professors and can not complain as all complaints are regarded as proof that the white male is a misogynist and a racist .
Identity politics is the ideology that prevails in universities , the media , Democrat Party , and increasingly in the corporate work place .
Identity politics deprives the white male of any basis for complaint because it identifies the white male as everyone else ’ s victimizer .
Everyone is his victim .
As he is the oppressor , he can never be supported , only denounced .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to avoid universities , especially graduate schools as you will not get an academic job .
The universities prefer “ oppressed ” third world types , such as Priyamvada Gopal .
If you insist on making the mistake of going to a university , you probably have a better chance of admission to Oxford as one of the 25 % who are not qualified to be there than you would have from competing against the 75 % who are qualified .
On the other hand , the 25 % Oxford reserves for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ people of color ” and the privileged transgendered .
It is impossible today for any white student to attend any university in the Western World without constantly hearing how evil “ whiteness ” is .
The intent is to destroy the self-confidence of whites so that what is so widely proclaimed — “ abolish whiteness ” —can be achieved .
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts

Academics, if they are white, live in fear of their jobs. Professors lost their authority when administrations ceased backing them and instead allowed student complaints to result in investigations. Once an investigatory procedure is in place, it keeps itself funded by investigating. Feminist complaints, followed by political correctness, had the investigative process well oiled prior to the rise of wokism. Now almost any word can be turned into an offense requiring investigation. One professor is in trouble because he read to the class Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham jail.” King’s letter contained the word, “nigger.” By reading aloud King’s letter, the professor committed hate speech and perhaps a hate crime.
There are more ridiculous examples than this. See, for example see this.
Not only do professors have to try to anticipate the next offensive word or expression—you can’t say things like “girls night out” for example—but also they live in fear of something that they might have written years ago. They are going through their published books and scholarly articles trying to prepare in advance for the accusations from the lynch squad. Indeed, today far more academics—and commentators—get lynched than ever black Americans did. Stamped from the Begin... Kendi, Ibram X. Best Price: $14.67 Buy New $11.99 (as of 04:30 UTC - Details)
I learned about this when I asked a professor friend about where I could find his article anticipating the rise of wokism. I wanted to say how prescient he had been and include it in an article I was forming in my mind. He asked me to forget all about it and not to quote him on any subject as no attention was essential to survival. He said he was even afraid to visit my website, which is non-woke, because it could lead to charges against him. He said if I were still a professor I would have long ago been fired as the truths I state are today impermissible. Voice them and you are out.
At least some white academics are beginning to understand their peril, but not all. Dr. Leslie Neal-Boylan, the Dean of the Nursing School at the University of Massachusetts, was fired for writing in an email that “everone’s life matters.”
Here is the full context of the Dean’s statement:
“I am writing to express my concern and condemnation of the recent (and past) acts of violence against people of color. Recent events recall a tragic history of racism and bias that continue to thrive in this country. I despair for our future as a nation if we do not stand up against violence against anyone. BLACK LIVES MATTER, but also, EVERYONE’S LIFE MATTERS. No one should have to live in fear that they will be targeted for how they look or what they believe.”
Someone only identified as “Haley” found this innocuous statement “uncalled for and upsetting,” and that sufficed for the University to fire the Dean, a person they had recently praised as “visionary” and an asset to the university.
Many ordinary people do not understand their peril, because the media conceals the situation in order to better carry on with its anti-white agenda. Recently a young white mother was murdered by black thugs for saying “all lives matter.” Liberalism: Find a Cure Dice, Mark Best Price: $7.31 Buy New $16.78 (as of 04:44 UTC - Details)
Other white people have discovered that Democrat prosecutors, and probably Republican ones as well, will indict them for defending their property against blacks. Other white people have discovered that calls to the police are futile. Widespread destruction of private property and public monuments have taken place because public authorities have given the green light.
This stark demonstration of the loss of white confidence can only lead to a worsening situation.
Even left-wing journalists are being purged. The editor of the New York Times was fired because the op-ed editor published a disapproved article by a US Senator. The editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer was fired because a newspaper headline angered Black Lives Matter.
A New York Times editor resigned because the former newspaper has become a Ministry of Truth.
Meanwhile in the universities, the situation could not be worse. There is no confidence at all. The Board of Trustees of Princeton University decided that Woodrow Wilson, the 13th president of Princeton University and a Democrat who was the 28th president of the United States, was a racist and removed his name from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. According to the Board of Trustees, the tragic killing of George Floyd “renewed attention to the long and damaging history of racism in America.” The board decided that Wilson’s name gave the school a racist image and had to go.
Some might think that there are many better reasons than racism for removing Wilson’s name. Nevertheless, notice the rush to judgment by the trustees, people one would imagine to be intelligent and thoughtful, that Floyd was killed. The toxicology report shows a lethal dose of fentanyl in Floyd’s blood. He would have died whatever the police might have done. The presstitutes have withheld this fact from the public. The True Story of Fake... Dice, Mark Best Price: $13.06 Buy New $17.94 (as of 04:52 UTC - Details)
So what we have here is that allegedly responsible trustees removed a president’s name on the basis of fake reports from the media that Floyd was murdered by police. What better image of a people on the run could we have?
At Oxford University, where 25% of admissions are reserved for people that Oxford admits are not qualified to be there and for whom the university will have to finance at least one year of remedial education if they are to have a chance to graduate, the statue of Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College is to be removed because a colonialist is offensive to students from Britain’s former colonies. One wonders what will happen to the once prestigeous Rhodes Scholarships. If there is a stigma to the statue, there must be stigma to the scholarships as well.
Cambridge University is also cleansing itself of racists. Gonville & Caius College is removing a window that commemorates Sir Ronald Fisher, Fellow of the Royal Society and former president of the college.
Fisher is considered to be a genius who almost single-handedly created the foundations for modern statistical sciece and is regarded as the single most important figure in 20th century statistics. Fisher’s crime was to have headed the University of Cambridge’s eugenics program.
This in our mindless times makes him a racist, because eugenics acknowledges differences in races, and such differences are forbidden to be acknowledged.
Consider the insouciance of the Cambridge administration and the Princeton trustees. If Fisher is a racist whose memory must be expunged from Cambridge because he was interested in eugenics, Cambridge University must also be racist for having an eugenics program. If the president of Princeton University is a racist, the university that appointed him must also be racist. Is what we have here two organizations trying to shove their racism off on two individuals? It is Cambridge and Princeton that need to be changed. And not merely the names. All the white faculty, white administrators and white subjects, such as mathematics and science, must be turned out. Only a third world faculty and third world subjects are permissible. The War on Cops: How t... Mac Donald, Heather Best Price: $16.73 Buy New $16.61 (as of 05:30 UTC - Details)
While throwing a past leader of Cambridge University and founder of modern statistics in the memory hole, Cambridge University rushed to the defense of a third world female lecturer who declared “white lives don’t matter” by promoting her to full professor. Priyamvada Gopal got into no trouble for her hate speech/hate crime. She was rewarded for it, because it was expressed against white people.
Cambridge institutionalized racial bias against white faculty and administrators awhile back when the university assigned each member a person of color as their commissar to ensure no untoward word was said or offensive truth taught. The only reason for a white person to attend Cambridge University is to become a self-hating white full of guilt and contrition and thereby helpful to the cause of overthrowing Western Civilization.
No one escapes. At the University of Chicago economist Harald Uhlig, editor of the prestigeous Journal of Political Economy, for which I was once a contributor and a reviewer, was investigated by the university, temporarily relieved of his editorial position, and lost his contract with the Federal Reserve simply because he tweeted that Black Lives Matter had harmed its cause by supporting defunding of the police. After a grovelling apology for expressing a non-controversial opinion, Uhlig apparently escaped with his job, but not with his Federal Reserve contract.
Michigan State University scholar Stephen Hsu was forced to resign his position as vice president of research and innovation for accurately reporting a study from a year ago by a Michigan State University professor of psychology that police shoot more white Americans than black Americans. Hsu, who judging by his name is Asian, is nevertheless another “white racist” for reporting conclusions of a study that did not support the woke contention of “systemic police racism.” The question that I have long asked—“if it is racist when police shoot a black person, what is it when they shoot a white person?”—remains off the table. Making All Black Lives... Ransby, Barbara Best Price: $11.90 Buy New $13.17 (as of 04:30 UTC - Details)
Universities are unsafe places for white males. Faculty and staff live in fear of baseless accusations that can destroy their careers and their financial lives. White male students are routinely graded down by feminist and black professors and cannot complain as all complaints are regarded as proof that the white male is a misogynist and a racist. Identity politics is the ideology that prevails in universities, the media, Democrat Party, and increasingly in the corporate work place. Identity politics deprives the white male of any basis for complaint because it identifies the white male as everyone else’s victimizer. Everyone is his victim. As he is the oppressor, he can never be supported, only denounced.
My advice to white men and women is to avoid universities, especially graduate schools as you will not get an academic job. The universities prefer “oppressed” third world types, such as Priyamvada Gopal. If you insist on making the mistake of going to a university, you probably have a better chance of admission to Oxford as one of the 25% who are not qualified to be there than you would have from competing against the 75% who are qualified. On the other hand, the 25% Oxford reserves for unqualified applicants might be reserved only for “people of color” and the privileged transgendered.
It is impossible today for any white student to attend any university in the Western World without constantly hearing how evil “whiteness” is. The intent is to destroy the self-confidence of whites so that what is so widely proclaimed —“abolish whiteness”—can be achieved.
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts


lewrockwell--2020-07-17--Is Trump Using Nordstream 2 To Exit NATO?

The one thing I never thought I ’ d say is that Donald Trump is consistent , and yet on the subject of the Nordstream 2 pipeline he has been .
No single project has caused more wailing and gnashing of teeth than Nordstream 2 .
And since Nordstream 2 is simply the substitute for South Stream , which was supposed to come across the Black Sea into Bulgaria and then feed eastern Europe , this U.S. opposition to another Russian pipeline spans multiple administrations .
So , this is policy that goes far beyond simple 2020 electoral politics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russians , or his misguided Energy Dominance policy .
With Trump rescinding the sanctions exemption for Nordstream 2 he now has declared open war against Europe , specifically Germany over this project .
1 oz .999 Hand-Poured ... Buy New $ 33.95 But here ’ s the thing , I think Trump is doing this for updated reasons that fit a different agenda than why the U.S. opposed Nordstream 2 previously , because he knows he can ’ t stop the pipeline now .
All he can do is further alienate Germany , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem in Europe .
Before I go any further , though , I think a little history lesson is in order .
U.S. opposition to Nordstream 2 is deeply ingrained on all sides of the political aisle in D.C. From Republicans still fighting the cold war to Democrats having deep ties to Ukrainian gas transit there are a multitude of reasons why Nordstream 2 is verboten in D.C. On the other hand , Europe ’ s relationship with Nordstream 2 is , in a word , complicated .
Russian President Vladimir Putin scuttled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU changed its pipeline rules during its development after the contracts were in place .
Most of that was U.S. pressure , but some of that was Germany ’ s Angela Merkel working with then-President Barack Obama to create the worst possible scenario for Gazprom – a pipeline that wasn ’ t profitable .
Merkel backed Obama ’ s play in Ukraine in 2014 as a power move to control prices for Russian gas into Europe , putting Soviet-era pipelines under EU gas directive jurisdiction .
Wild Planet , Wild Pink ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 39.90 ( $ 0.55 / Ounce ) The EU was always going to use Ukrainian gas transit as leverage over Putin to drive gas prices below Gazprom ’ s cost thinking they had no other options .
Putin famously pivoted to China , singing the mega-deal for Power of Siberia in retaliation to that .
Since Putin had already brought Crimea in from the cold war and tacitly backed the breakaway of the Donbass Merkel was now the one on her back foot .
At the same time , to salvage the work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Putin cut a deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to replace South Stream ’ s volumes to eastern Europe with Turkstream ’ s to Turkey .
The plans for Turkstream include multiple trains into eastern Europe with countries like Serbia , Hungary and the Czech Republic itching for that gas .
Russia ’ s options were manifest and Putin deftly outmaneuvered Merkel and Obama .
These events forced Merkel ’ s hand after she stupidly caved to the Greens over ending Germany ’ s use of nuclear power and now she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2 became a big geopolitical football because Merkel saw , as well , the opportunity to bring the recalcitrant Poles and Baltics under her control as well , solidifying long-term EU plans to engulf all of Euope to Russia ’ s borders .
Nordstream 2 would nominally replace Ukrainian gas supplies and she could set Germany up to be the gas transit hub , supporting political power emanating from Brussels .
Donald Trump 2020 Coll ... Buy New $ 37.94 This would give her leverage over Poland , who are trapped between their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rightfully , to submit to Germany .
But Merkel , ever the deft three-faced keeper of the status quo , worked with Putin to secure gas flows through Ukraine for another five years , allaying the worst of Poland ’ s fears while they have courted Trump to bring in over-priced U.S. LNG .
But from the beginning , Nordstream 2 becomes a different animal geopolitically the moment Trump comes to power .
Because Trump is opposed to the EU ’ s consolidating power over Europe while also sucking the U.S. dry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning of the year Trump has ratcheted up the pressure on both China and the EU .
And the only way that makes any sense is if you are willing to see them as allies in undermining the U.S. ’ s global position .
This isn ’ t to say that the U.S. ’ s global position should remain as it is .
Far be it for me , of all people , to argue that .
But with the insanity of the COVID-19 fake pandemic , the World Economic Forum ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fomenting a cultural revolution in the U.S. the stakes are now as high as they ’ ve ever been .
The Davos Crowd is making their big move to consolidate power in Europe .
Trump is working with Boris Johnson in the U.K. to oppose that .
That ’ s the simplified version of the chess board .
1 oz .999 Aztec Calend ... Buy New $ 33.94 And this is why I think Trump refuses to give up on stopping Nordstream 2 .
He ’ s seen the depths to which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this radical change and he ’ s forcing the moment to its crisis , as T.S .
Eliot put it .
He ’ s making the choice very clear for Merkel and company .
If you want Nordstream 2 , suffer the consequences of having to do business without the U.S .
This isn ’ t about Russia anymore , at all .
It ’ s about Germany and the future of the U.S .
If Trump loses in November all of the work done to slow down this push for transnational technocratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then the current policy sticks , the EU is forced to deal with the U.S. retrenching completely , pulling back on commitments to Europe while divorcing U.S. trade from China .
He may actually be courting lower U.S. dollar flow the world over and forcing Europe into real economic crisis by early next year .
This sanctions policy against Nordstream 2 is consistent with his ‘ snap ’ decision to pull troops out of Germany , his unilateral abrogation of both the INF treaty and the JCPOA while pressuring NATO to do more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to run out the clock on both Trump and Brexit , as I talked about in my podcast from last week .
She ’ s hoping that Trump will be defeated which will set things back to the way they were before him , force U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to knuckle under in trade deal talks and establish the primacy of the EU as the center of Western power .
Putin , for his part , doesn ’ t care who he deals with in the long run .
He can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ play the cards on the table in front of him with the people in power , since Russia is still a minor player but with big potential .
For Trump , I believe he sees Nordstream 2 as the perfect wedge issue to break open the stalemate over NATO and cut Germany loose or bring Merkel to heel .
Old Wisconsin Premium ... Buy New $ 7.01 ( $ 0.44 / Ounce ) This next round of sanctions will target the companies involved directly in the pipeline .
Germany can ’ t afford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we are headed for an epic clash here .
Trump and Merkel hate each other , with good reason .
And while I have mixed feelings about the way Trump does business , I know Angela Merkel is the key to the EU ’ s future .
I mentioned in a recent article that I feel Trump is a guy with almost nothing left to lose .
If he ’ s going out he ’ s going out with a bang .
Arrest Ghislaine Maxwell , sanction China and threaten war over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Europe .
He knows that hybrid war is the only war the U.S. can ‘ win ’ decisively given the relative dominance of the U.S. dollar today .
While the end of dollar hegemony is in sight , do not underestimate how much damage can be done to the status quo while Trump is in power .
That status quo isn ’ t good for anyone except those who currently want that power back .
The Best of Thomas Luongo

The one thing I never thought I’d say is that Donald Trump is consistent, and yet on the subject of the Nordstream 2 pipeline he has been.
No single project has caused more wailing and gnashing of teeth than Nordstream 2. And since Nordstream 2 is simply the substitute for South Stream, which was supposed to come across the Black Sea into Bulgaria and then feed eastern Europe, this U.S. opposition to another Russian pipeline spans multiple administrations.
So, this is policy that goes far beyond simple 2020 electoral politics, Trump trying to look tough on the Russians, or his misguided Energy Dominance policy.
With Trump rescinding the sanctions exemption for Nordstream 2 he now has declared open war against Europe, specifically Germany over this project. 1 oz .999 Hand-Poured ... Buy New $33.95 (as of 04:44 UTC - Details)
But here’s the thing, I think Trump is doing this for updated reasons that fit a different agenda than why the U.S. opposed Nordstream 2 previously, because he knows he can’t stop the pipeline now. All he can do is further alienate Germany, who he has targeted as the main problem in Europe.
Before I go any further, though, I think a little history lesson is in order.
U.S. opposition to Nordstream 2 is deeply ingrained on all sides of the political aisle in D.C. From Republicans still fighting the cold war to Democrats having deep ties to Ukrainian gas transit there are a multitude of reasons why Nordstream 2 is verboten in D.C.
On the other hand, Europe’s relationship with Nordstream 2 is, in a word, complicated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin scuttled South Stream back in late 2014 because the EU changed its pipeline rules during its development after the contracts were in place.
Most of that was U.S. pressure, but some of that was Germany’s Angela Merkel working with then-President Barack Obama to create the worst possible scenario for Gazprom – a pipeline that wasn’t profitable.
Merkel backed Obama’s play in Ukraine in 2014 as a power move to control prices for Russian gas into Europe, putting Soviet-era pipelines under EU gas directive jurisdiction. Wild Planet, Wild Pink... Buy New $39.90 ($0.55 / Ounce) (as of 03:35 UTC - Details)
The EU was always going to use Ukrainian gas transit as leverage over Putin to drive gas prices below Gazprom’s cost thinking they had no other options.
Putin famously pivoted to China, singing the mega-deal for Power of Siberia in retaliation to that. Since Putin had already brought Crimea in from the cold war and tacitly backed the breakaway of the Donbass Merkel was now the one on her back foot.
At the same time, to salvage the work done on South Stream to that point, Putin cut a deal with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to replace South Stream’s volumes to eastern Europe with Turkstream’s to Turkey.
The plans for Turkstream include multiple trains into eastern Europe with countries like Serbia, Hungary and the Czech Republic itching for that gas.
Russia’s options were manifest and Putin deftly outmaneuvered Merkel and Obama. These events forced Merkel’s hand after she stupidly caved to the Greens over ending Germany’s use of nuclear power and now she needed Nordstream 2.
And so Nordstream 2 became a big geopolitical football because Merkel saw, as well, the opportunity to bring the recalcitrant Poles and Baltics under her control as well, solidifying long-term EU plans to engulf all of Euope to Russia’s borders.
Nordstream 2 would nominally replace Ukrainian gas supplies and she could set Germany up to be the gas transit hub, supporting political power emanating from Brussels. Donald Trump 2020 Coll... Buy New $37.94 (as of 05:17 UTC - Details)
This would give her leverage over Poland, who are trapped between their hatred of the Russians and their unwillingness, rightfully, to submit to Germany.
But Merkel, ever the deft three-faced keeper of the status quo, worked with Putin to secure gas flows through Ukraine for another five years, allaying the worst of Poland’s fears while they have courted Trump to bring in over-priced U.S. LNG.
But from the beginning, Nordstream 2 becomes a different animal geopolitically the moment Trump comes to power. Because Trump is opposed to the EU’s consolidating power over Europe while also sucking the U.S. dry on trade and defense.
He’s made this abundantly clear.
Since the beginning of the year Trump has ratcheted up the pressure on both China and the EU. And the only way that makes any sense is if you are willing to see them as allies in undermining the U.S.’s global position.
This isn’t to say that the U.S.’s global position should remain as it is. Far be it for me, of all people, to argue that. But with the insanity of the COVID-19 fake pandemic, the World Economic Forum’s plans for The Great Reset, and the fomenting a cultural revolution in the U.S. the stakes are now as high as they’ve ever been.
The Davos Crowd is making their big move to consolidate power in Europe. Trump is working with Boris Johnson in the U.K. to oppose that. That’s the simplified version of the chess board. 1 oz .999 Aztec Calend... Buy New $33.94 (as of 04:45 UTC - Details)
And this is why I think Trump refuses to give up on stopping Nordstream 2. He’s seen the depths to which The Davos Crowd will go to implement this radical change and he’s forcing the moment to its crisis, as T.S. Eliot put it.
He’s making the choice very clear for Merkel and company. If you want Nordstream 2, suffer the consequences of having to do business without the U.S.
This isn’t about Russia anymore, at all. It’s about Germany and the future of the U.S. If Trump loses in November all of the work done to slow down this push for transnational technocratic oligarchy will end.
If he wins then the current policy sticks, the EU is forced to deal with the U.S. retrenching completely, pulling back on commitments to Europe while divorcing U.S. trade from China.
He may actually be courting lower U.S. dollar flow the world over and forcing Europe into real economic crisis by early next year.
This sanctions policy against Nordstream 2 is consistent with his ‘snap’ decision to pull troops out of Germany, his unilateral abrogation of both the INF treaty and the JCPOA while pressuring NATO to do more.
Merkel, meanwhile, is trying to run out the clock on both Trump and Brexit, as I talked about in my podcast from last week. She’s hoping that Trump will be defeated which will set things back to the way they were before him, force U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson to knuckle under in trade deal talks and establish the primacy of the EU as the center of Western power.
Putin, for his part, doesn’t care who he deals with in the long run. He can’t afford to. He has to play the cards on the table in front of him with the people in power, since Russia is still a minor player but with big potential.
For Trump, I believe he sees Nordstream 2 as the perfect wedge issue to break open the stalemate over NATO and cut Germany loose or bring Merkel to heel. Old Wisconsin Premium ... Buy New $7.01 ($0.44 / Ounce) (as of 04:33 UTC - Details)
This next round of sanctions will target the companies involved directly in the pipeline. Germany can’t afford not to finish Nordstream 2. So, we are headed for an epic clash here.
Trump and Merkel hate each other, with good reason. And while I have mixed feelings about the way Trump does business, I know Angela Merkel is the key to the EU’s future.
I mentioned in a recent article that I feel Trump is a guy with almost nothing left to lose. If he’s going out he’s going out with a bang. Arrest Ghislaine Maxwell, sanction China and threaten war over Hong Kong, ramp up dollar diplomacy on Europe.
He knows that hybrid war is the only war the U.S. can ‘win’ decisively given the relative dominance of the U.S. dollar today.
While the end of dollar hegemony is in sight, do not underestimate how much damage can be done to the status quo while Trump is in power. That status quo isn’t good for anyone except those who currently want that power back.
Reprinted with permission from Gold Goats ‘n Guns.
The Best of Tom Luongo


lewrockwell--2020-07-17--Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics, Especially COVID Statistics

“ There are Three Kinds of Lies : Lies , Damned Lies and Statistics ” – Mark Twain It has long been known that benign coronavirus species are capable of causing 15 – 30 % of common colds ( usual symptoms : runny nose , cough , sore throat ) .
This reality was recently mentioned by an internationally-famous virologist from Germany , in an interview where he also admitted that laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 is next to impossible given the high incidence of both false-positive “ COVID-19 ” PCR swab tests and false positive “ COVID-19 ” serum antibody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael F. Holick Best Price : $ 2.01 Buy New $ 9.08 Apparently , neither test seems to be able to distinguish between the benign coronaviruses that can cause common colds and the more serious coronavirus that actually causes COVID-19 !
!
Dr Fauci ’ s ignorance of ( or his ” conflict of interest-generated ” failure to reveal ) that fact justified his oft-repeated assertions in his endless media rounds and White House press conferences prior to the ill-fated economic shut-down : “ I think we should be overly aggressive ( even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think Americans should be prepared … to hunker down.
” Anthony Fauci , as everybody should know , is the long-time director of the NIH ’ s NIAID ( National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases .
He is , significantly , also a holder of many HIV vaccine patents and the holder of the patent for the Sanofi-Pasteur Corporation ’ s Dengue virus vaccine that recently killed 600 Philippine children . )
Bill Gates , Francis S. Collins ( Director of the NIH ) and Tony Fauci ( Director of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christian Drosten , pictured below , is the Director of Berlin University ’ s Institute of Virology .
He is known at “ Germany ’ s real face of the coronavirus crisis ” .
The quotes below came during an interview that Dr Drosten made last month , in which he revealed that the benign coronavirus that causes the common cold can not be differentiated by the COVID test kits , over 200 of which are currently in development by profiteering medical device companies !
!
The interview can be read here .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amazon for Pricing .
“ Some virologists now assume that there are people who have become immune to COVID-19 unnoticed because they have had a relatively harmless corona cold in the past.
” “ It is quite the case that we expect that there may be an unnoticed background immunity – due to cold coronaviruses , because they are related to the SARS CoV-2 virus in a certain way.
” “ 15 percent of common colds are caused by well-known coronaviruses .
These are so similar to the current ( COVID-19 ) virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antibody tests.
” “ It could be that certain people who had a cold virus a year or two ago are protected in an unprecedented way.
” Covid-19 ’ s Phony Death Numbersare the justification for unprecedented lockdown measures , euthanasia of the elderly , social distancing , detrimental masking , possible mandatory vaccines of dubious effect , all of which are causing the destruction of life and livelihood .
But , why do this ?
And whose interests are being served ?
Part Two By F. William Engdahl – Global Research , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Not only are the coronavirus models being used by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) and most national health agencies based on highly dubious methodologies , and not only are the tests being used of wildly different quality-only confirming evidence of a COVID-19 infection-but now the actual designations of deaths related to COVID-19 are being revealed to be equally problematic for a variety of reasons .
It gives alarming food for thought as to the wisdom of deliberately putting most of the world ’ s people–and with it the world economy–into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is necessary to contain deaths and prevent overloading of hospital emergency services .
Armour Vienna Sausage , ... Buy New $ 2.98 ( $ 0.11 / Ounce ) When we take a closer look at the definitions used in various countries for “ death related to COVID-19 ” we get a far different picture of what is claimed to be the deadliest plague to threaten mankind since the 1918 “ Spanish ” Flu .
Right now the USA is said to be the nation with the largest number of COVID-19 deaths , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some 68,000 deaths .
Here is where it gets very dodgy .
The US Government agency responsible for making the cause of death tally for the country , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) , is making huge changes in how they count so-called novel coronavirus deaths .
As of May 5 , the National Center for Health Statistics ( NCHS ) of the CDC in Atlanta , the central agency recording causes of death nationwide , reported 39,910 COVID-19 deaths .
A footnote defines this as “ Deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ How a doctor makes the “ presumed ” judgment leaves huge latitude to the hospital and health professionals .
Although the coronavirus tests are known to be subject to false results , CDC states that even where no tests have been made a doctor can “ presume ” COVID-19 .
Useful to note for perspective is the number of USA deaths recorded from all causes during the same period of February 1 through May 2 , that was 751,953 !
Now it gets even more murky .
The CDC posted this notice : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , CDC case counts and death counts will include both confirmed and probable cases and deaths.
” From that time the number of so-called COVID-19 deaths in USA has exploded in an alarming manner – or so it would appear .
On that day , April 14 , New York City ’ s coronavirus death toll was revised with 3,700 fatalities added , with the provision thatthe count now included “ people who had never tested positive for the virus but were presumed to have it.
” The CDC now defines “ confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 , ” which as we noted elsewhere included tests of dubious precision .
Then they define “ probable ” as “ with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID-19.
” Just a guess of the doctor in charge .
Lymhy Yes No Coin Auth ... Buy New $ 7.99 Now leaving aside the major discrepancy between the CDC headline COVID-19 deaths as of May 5 of 68,279 and their detailed total of 39,910 deaths for the same period , we find another problem .
Hospitals and doctors are being told to list @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , say , a patient age 83 with pre-existing diabetes or cardiac issues or pneumonia dies with or without COVID-19 tests .
The CDC advises , “ In cases where a definite diagnosis of COVID can not be made but is “ suspected ” or “ likely ” ( e.g .
the circumstances are compelling with a reasonable degree of certainty ) it is acceptable to report COVID-19 on a death certificate as ‘ probable ’ or ‘ presumed.
’ ” This opens the door ridiculously wide for abuse of coronavirus death numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid , Relief , and Economic Security Act , known as the CARES Act , gives a major incentive for hospitals in the US , most all of them private , for-profit businesses , to deem newly-admitted patients as “ presumed COVID-19.
” By this simple method the hospital then qualifies for a substantially larger payment from the government Medicare insurance , the national insurance for those over 65 .
The word “ presumed ” is not scientific , not at all precise but very tempting for hospitals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dr Summer McGhee , Dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of New Haven , notes that , “ The CARES Act authorized a temporary 20 percent increase in reimbursements from Medicare for COVID-19 patients… ” He added that , as a result , “ hospitals that get a lot of COVID-19 patients also get extra money from the government.
” Then , according to a Minnesota medical doctor , Scott Jensen , also a State Senator , if that COVID-19 designated patient is put on a ventilator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the hospital can get reimbursed three times the sum from the Medicare .
“ Right now , Medicare is determining that if you have a COVID-19 admission to the hospital you get $ 13,000 .
If that COVID-19 patient goes on a ventilator you get $ 39,000 , three times as much.
” Little wonder that state governors , such as Massachusetts ’ Governor Charlie Baker , suddenly began back-dating causes of death ( totals back to March 30 , significantly inflating COVID death numbers , or that New York Governor Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipment around the same early April time , equipment that was not needed .
In short , the COVID-19 death statistics in the USA are highly dubious for a variety of reasons , not least of which is the huge financial incentives to hospital administrators who had been told to cancel all other operations to make extra room for a “ predicted ” flood of coronavirus illnesses .
That “ rising ” death toll said to be “ COVID-19-or presumed to be-COVID-19 ” brings on the decisions to lock down the economy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unparalleled dimensions .
The lack of uniformly agreed tests and the inaccuracies of many tests used , as well as the extremely doubtful criteria for declaring a cause of death as being “ from ” COVID-19 suggests that it is well past time to re-examine the unprecedented lockdown measures , social distancing , masking , possible mandatory vaccines of unproven effect , all of which are producing personal , social and economic devastation .
F. William Engdahl is a best-selling author of “ Oil and Geopolitic ” s .
He is a Research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Globalization .
“ There are Three Kinds of Lies : Lies , Damned Lies and Statistics ” – Mark Twain Part Three : The CDC ’ s National Vital Statistics System is where the numbers come from ( 423 words ) Duke ’ s Hatch Gre ... Buy New $ 14.34 ( $ 0.90 / Ounce ) Provisional death counts deliver our most comprehensive picture of lives lost to COVID-19 .
These estimates are based on death certificates , which are the most reliable source of data and contain information not available anywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ethnicity , and place of death .
The National Center for Health Statistics ( NCHS ) uses incoming data from death certificates to produce provisional COVID-19 death counts .
These include deaths occurring within the 50 states and the District of Columbia .
COVID-19 deaths are identified using a new ICD–10 code When COVID-19 is reported as a cause of death – or when it is listed as a — the death is coded as U07.1 .
This can include cases with or without laboratory confirmation .
Why These Numbers Are Different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from other sources , such as media reports or numbers from county health departments .
Our counts often track 1–2 weeks behind other data for a number of reasons : Death certificates take time to be completed .
There are many steps involved in completing and submitting a death certificate .
Waiting for test results can create additional delays .
States report at different rates .
Currently , 63 % of all U.S. deaths are reported within 10 days of the date of death , but there is significant variation among jurisdictions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths .
While 80 % of deaths are electronically processed and coded by NCHS within minutes , most deaths from COVID-19 must be coded manually , which takes an average of 7 days .
Other reporting systems use different definitions or methods for counting deaths .
Things to Know About the Data Provisional counts are not final and are subject to change .
Counts from previous weeks are continually revised as additional records are received and processed .
Provisional data are not yet complete.Counts will not include all deaths that occurred during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent periods .
However , we can estimate how complete our numbers are by looking at the average number of deaths reported in previous years .
Death counts should not be compared across jurisdictions .
Some jurisdictions report deaths on a daily basis , while others report deaths weekly or monthly .
In addition , vital record reporting may also be affected or delayed by COVID-19 related response activities .

“There are Three Kinds of Lies: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics” – Mark Twain
It has long been known that benign coronavirus species are capable of causing 15 – 30 % of common colds (usual symptoms: runny nose, cough, sore throat). This reality was recently mentioned by an internationally-famous virologist from Germany, in an interview where he also admitted that laboratory confirmation of COVID-19 is next to impossible given the high incidence of both false-positive “COVID-19” PCR swab tests and false positive “COVID-19” serum antibody tests.
The Vitamin D Solution... Michael F. Holick Best Price: $2.01 Buy New $9.08 (as of 10:55 UTC - Details) Apparently, neither test seems to be able to distinguish between the benign coronaviruses that can cause common colds and the more serious coronavirus that actually causes COVID-19!!
Dr Fauci’s ignorance of (or his ”conflict of interest-generated” failure to reveal) that fact justified his oft-repeated assertions in his endless media rounds and White House press conferences prior to the ill-fated economic shut-down:
“I think we should be overly aggressive (even if we) get criticized for over-reacting. I think Americans should be prepared … to hunker down.”
Anthony Fauci, as everybody should know, is the long-time director of the NIH’s NIAID (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He is, significantly, also a holder of many HIV vaccine patents and the holder of the patent for the Sanofi-Pasteur Corporation’s Dengue virus vaccine that recently killed 600 Philippine children.)
Bill Gates, Francis S. Collins (Director of the NIH) and Tony Fauci (Director of the NIAID)
Another expert, Dr Christian Drosten, pictured below, is the Director of Berlin University’s Institute of Virology. He is known at “Germany’s real face of the coronavirus crisis”.
The quotes below came during an interview that Dr Drosten made last month, in which he revealed that the benign coronavirus that causes the common cold cannot be differentiated by the COVID test kits, over 200 of which are currently in development by profiteering medical device companies!!
The interview can be read here. 2019 - Present 1oz Sil... Check Amazon for Pricing.
“Some virologists now assume that there are people who have become immune to COVID-19 unnoticed because they have had a relatively harmless corona cold in the past.”
“It is quite the case that we expect that there may be an unnoticed background immunity – due to cold coronaviruses, because they are related to the SARS CoV-2 virus in a certain way.”
“15 percent of common colds are caused by well-known coronaviruses. These are so similar to the current (COVID-19) virus that they can even cause false positive antibody tests.”
“It could be that certain people who had a cold virus a year or two ago are protected in an unprecedented way.”
COVID-19’s Phony Death Numbers
Covid-19’s Phony Death Numbersare the justification for unprecedented lockdown measures, euthanasia of the elderly, social distancing, detrimental masking, possible mandatory vaccines of dubious effect, all of which are causing the destruction of life and livelihood. But, why do this? And whose interests are being served?
Part Two By F. William Engdahl – Global Research, May 12, 2020 (1519 words)
www.globalresearch.ca/coronavirus-death-numbers/5712605
Not only are the coronavirus models being used by the World Health Organization (WHO) and most national health agencies based on highly dubious methodologies, and not only are the tests being used of wildly different quality-only indirectly confirming evidence of a possible COVID-19 infection-but now the actual designations of deaths related to COVID-19 are being revealed to be equally problematic for a variety of reasons. It gives alarming food for thought as to the wisdom of deliberately putting most of the world’s people–and with it the world economy–into Gulag-style lockdown on the argument that it is necessary to contain deaths and prevent overloading of hospital emergency services.
Armour Vienna Sausage,... Buy New $2.98 ($0.11 / Ounce) (as of 04:34 UTC - Details) When we take a closer look at the definitions used in various countries for “death related to COVID-19” we get a far different picture of what is claimed to be the deadliest plague to threaten mankind since the 1918 “Spanish” Flu.
The USA and CDC Definitions
Right now the USA is said to be the nation with the largest number of COVID-19 deaths, as of this writing, with media reporting some 68,000 deaths. Here is where it gets very dodgy.
The US Government agency responsible for making the cause of death tally for the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is making huge changes in how they count so-called novel coronavirus deaths.
As of May 5, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) of the CDC in Atlanta, the central agency recording causes of death nationwide, reported 39,910 COVID-19 deaths. A footnote defines this as “Deaths with confirmed or presumed COVID-19”.
How a doctor makes the “presumed” judgment leaves huge latitude to the hospital and health professionals. Although the coronavirus tests are known to be subject to false results, CDC states that even where no tests have been made a doctor can “presume” COVID-19. Useful to note for perspective is the number of USA deaths recorded from all causes during the same period of February 1 through May 2, that was 751,953!
Now it gets even more murky. The CDC posted this notice: “As of April 14, 2020, CDC case counts and death counts will include both confirmed and probable cases and deaths.” From that time the number of so-called COVID-19 deaths in USA has exploded in an alarming manner – or so it would appear. On that day, April 14, New York City’s coronavirus death toll was revised with 3,700 fatalities added, with the provision thatthe count now included “people who had never tested positive for the virus but were presumed to have it.”
The CDC now defines “confirmed” as “confirmatory laboratory evidence for COVID-19,” which as we noted elsewhere included tests of dubious precision. Then they define “probable” as “with no confirmatory laboratory testing performed for COVID-19.” Just a guess of the doctor in charge.
Lymhy Yes No Coin Auth... Buy New $7.99 (as of 04:34 UTC - Details) Now leaving aside the major discrepancy between the CDC headline COVID-19 deaths as of May 5 of 68,279 and their detailed total of 39,910 deaths for the same period, we find another problem. Hospitals and doctors are being told to list COVID-19 as cause of death even if, say, a patient age 83 with pre-existing diabetes or cardiac issues or pneumonia dies with or without COVID-19 tests.
The CDC advises, “In cases where a definite diagnosis of COVID cannot be made but is “suspected” or “likely” (e.g. the circumstances are compelling with a reasonable degree of certainty) it is acceptable to report COVID-19 on a death certificate as ‘probable’ or ‘presumed.’”
This opens the door ridiculously wide for abuse of coronavirus death numbers in the United States.
A Big Money Incentive
A provision in the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act, gives a major incentive for hospitals in the US, most all of them private, for-profit businesses, to deem newly-admitted patients as “presumed COVID-19.” By this simple method the hospital then qualifies for a substantially larger payment from the government Medicare insurance, the national insurance for those over 65. The word “presumed” is not scientific, not at all precise but very tempting for hospitals concerned about their income in this crisis.
Dr Summer McGhee, Dean of the School of Health Sciences at the University of New Haven, notes that,
“The CARES Act authorized a temporary 20 percent increase in reimbursements from Medicare for COVID-19 patients…” He added that, as a result, “hospitals that get a lot of COVID-19 patients also get extra money from the government.”
Then, according to a Minnesota medical doctor, Scott Jensen, also a State Senator, if that COVID-19 designated patient is put on a ventilator, even if only presumed to have COVID-19, the hospital can get reimbursed three times the sum from the Medicare.
Dr Jensen told a national TV interviewer, Donald Trump Coin 2020... Buy New $5.35 (as of 05:19 UTC - Details)
“Right now, Medicare is determining that if you have a COVID-19 admission to the hospital you get $13,000. If that COVID-19 patient goes on a ventilator you get $39,000, three times as much.”
Little wonder that state governors, such as Massachusetts’ Governor Charlie Baker, suddenly began back-dating causes of death (totals back to March 30, significantly inflating COVID death numbers, or that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo began demanding 30,000 ventilators and emergency equipment around the same early April time, equipment that was not needed.
In short, the COVID-19 death statistics in the USA are highly dubious for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the huge financial incentives to hospital administrators who had been told to cancel all other operations to make extra room for a “predicted” flood of coronavirus illnesses. That “rising” death toll said to be “COVID-19-or presumed to be-COVID-19” brings on the decisions to lock down the economy and in effect create an economic pandemic of unparalleled dimensions.
The lack of uniformly agreed tests and the inaccuracies of many tests used, as well as the extremely doubtful criteria for declaring a cause of death as being “from” COVID-19 suggests that it is well past time to re-examine the unprecedented lockdown measures, social distancing, masking, possible mandatory vaccines of unproven effect, all of which are producing personal, social and economic devastation.
F. William Engdahl is a best-selling author of “Oil and Geopolitic”s. He is a Research Associate at the Centre for Research on Globalization.
De-mystifying the Misleading COVID-19 Statistics
Understanding the Statistics: Provisional Death Counts and COVID-19
“There are Three Kinds of Lies: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics” – Mark Twain
Part Three: The CDC’s National Vital Statistics System is where the numbers come from (423 words) Duke’s Hatch Gre... Buy New $14.34 ($0.90 / Ounce) (as of 04:34 UTC - Details)
Provisional death counts deliver our most comprehensive picture of lives lost to COVID-19.
These estimates are based on death certificates, which are the most reliable source of data and contain information not available anywhere else, including comorbid conditions, race and ethnicity, and place of death.
How it Works
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) uses incoming data from death certificates to produce provisional COVID-19 death counts. These include deaths occurring within the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
COVID-19 deaths are identified using a new ICD–10 code
When COVID-19 is reported as a cause of death – or when it is listed as a “probable” or “presumed” cause — the death is coded as U07.1. This can include cases with or without laboratory confirmation.
Why These Numbers Are Different
Provisional death counts may not match counts from other sources, such as media reports or numbers from county health departments. Our counts often track 1–2 weeks behind other data for a number of reasons:
Death certificates take time to be completed. There are many steps involved in completing and submitting a death certificate. Waiting for test results can create additional delays. States report at different rates.
Currently, 63% of all U.S. deaths are reported within 10 days of the date of death, but there is significant variation among jurisdictions.
It takes extra time to code COVID-19 deaths. While 80% of deaths are electronically processed and coded by NCHS within minutes, most deaths from COVID-19 must be coded manually, which takes an average of 7 days. Other reporting systems use different definitions or methods for counting deaths.
Things to Know About the Data
Provisional counts are not final and are subject to change. Counts from previous weeks are continually revised as additional records are received and processed.
Provisional data are not yet complete.Counts will not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period, especially for more recent periods. However, we can estimate how complete our numbers are by looking at the average number of deaths reported in previous years.
Death counts should not be compared across jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions report deaths on a daily basis, while others report deaths weekly or monthly. In addition, vital record reporting may also be affected or delayed by COVID-19 related response activities.