lewrockwell--2020-03-10--Putin Saves Erdogan From Himself

Putin Saves Erdogan From Himself

At the start of their discussion marathon in Moscow on Thursday , Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with arguably the most extraordinary diplomatic gambit of the young 21st century .
Putin said : “ At the beginning of our meeting , I would like to once again express my sincere condolences over the death of your servicemen in Syria .
Unfortunately , as I have already told you during our phone call , nobody , including Syrian troops , had known their whereabouts.
” This is how a true world leader tells a regional leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refrain from positioning his forces as jihadi supporters – incognito , in the middle of an explosive theater of war .
The Putin-Erdogan face-to-face discussion , with only interpreters allowed in the room , lasted three hours , before another hour with the respective delegations .
In the end , it all came down to Putin selling an elegant way for Erdogan to save face – in the form of , what else , yet another ceasefire in Idlib , which started at midnight on Thursday , signed in Turkish , Russian and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal force.
” Additionally , on March 15 , joint Turkish-Russian patrolling will start along the M4 highway – implying endless mutating strands of al-Qaeda in Syria won ’ t be allowed to retake it .
GLOBALISTAN : How the G ... Escobar , Pepe Best Price : null Buy New $ 3.99 If this all looks like déjà vu , that ’ s because it is .
Quite a few official photos of the Moscow meeting prominently feature Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu – the other two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Presidents .
In the wake of Putin , Lavrov and Shoigu must have read the riot act to Erdogan in no uncertain terms .
That ’ s enough : now behave , please – or else face dire consequences .
A predictable feature of the new ceasefire is that both Moscow and Ankara – part of the Astana peace process , alongside Tehran – remain committed to maintaining the “ territorial integrity and sovereignty ” of Syria .
Once again , there ’ s no guarantee that Erdogan will abide .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey is deep in financial crisis .
Ankara needs cash – badly .
The lira is collapsing .
The Justice and Development Party ( AKP ) is losing elections .
Former prime minister and party leader Ahmet Davutoglu – who conceptualized neo-Ottomanism – has left the party and is carving his own political niche .
The AKP is mired in an internal crisis .
Erdogan ’ s response has been to go on the offensive .
That ’ s how he re-establishes his aura .
Combine Idlib with his maritime pretensions around Cyprus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inundation of Lesbos in Greece with refugees , and we have Erdogan ’ s trademark modus operandi in full swing .
In theory , the new ceasefire will force Erdogan to finally abandon all those myriad al Nusra/ISIS metastases – what the West calls “ moderate rebels , ” duly weaponized by Ankara .
This is an absolute red line for Moscow – and also for Damascus .
There will be no territory left behind for jihadis .
Iraq is another story : ISIS is still lurking around Kirkuk and Mosul .

At the start of their discussion marathon in Moscow on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with arguably the most extraordinary diplomatic gambit of the young 21st century.
Putin said: “At the beginning of our meeting, I would like to once again express my sincere condolences over the death of your servicemen in Syria. Unfortunately, as I have already told you during our phone call, nobody, including Syrian troops, had known their whereabouts.”
This is how a true world leader tells a regional leader, to his face, to please refrain from positioning his forces as jihadi supporters – incognito, in the middle of an explosive theater of war.
The Putin-Erdogan face-to-face discussion, with only interpreters allowed in the room, lasted three hours, before another hour with the respective delegations. In the end, it all came down to Putin selling an elegant way for Erdogan to save face – in the form of, what else, yet another ceasefire in Idlib, which started at midnight on Thursday, signed in Turkish, Russian and English – “all texts having equal legal force.”
Additionally, on March 15, joint Turkish-Russian patrolling will start along the M4 highway – implying endless mutating strands of al-Qaeda in Syria won’t be allowed to retake it. GLOBALISTAN :How the G... Escobar, Pepe Buy New $3.99 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details)
If this all looks like déjà vu, that’s because it is. Quite a few official photos of the Moscow meeting prominently feature Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu – the other two heavyweights in the room apart from both Presidents. In the wake of Putin, Lavrov and Shoigu must have read the riot act to Erdogan in no uncertain terms. That’s enough: now behave, please – or else face dire consequences.
The second Ataturk
A predictable feature of the new ceasefire is that both Moscow and Ankara – part of the Astana peace process, alongside Tehran – remain committed to maintaining the “territorial integrity and sovereignty” of Syria. Once again, there’s no guarantee that Erdogan will abide.
It’s crucial to recap the basics. Turkey is deep in financial crisis. Ankara needs cash – badly. The lira is collapsing. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) is losing elections. Former prime minister and party leader Ahmet Davutoglu – who conceptualized neo-Ottomanism – has left the party and is carving his own political niche. The AKP is mired in an internal crisis.
Erdogan’s response has been to go on the offensive. That’s how he re-establishes his aura. Combine Idlib with his maritime pretensions around Cyprus and blackmail pressure on the EU via the inundation of Lesbos in Greece with refugees, and we have Erdogan’s trademark modus operandi in full swing.
In theory, the new ceasefire will force Erdogan to finally abandon all those myriad al Nusra/ISIS metastases – what the West calls “moderate rebels,” duly weaponized by Ankara. This is an absolute red line for Moscow – and also for Damascus. There will be no territory left behind for jihadis. Iraq is another story: ISIS is still lurking around Kirkuk and Mosul.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-03-10--Vitamin C Clinical Trials For Coronavirus Underway In China

Does vitamin C cure Coronavirus ?
No ?
Can vitamin C treat Coronavirus ?
We can ’ t say it does , but at the same time , we can ’ t say it doesn ’ t either .
This is why multiple clinical trials are underway in China to investigate whether or not vitamin C infusion has any effect against Coronavirus and those infected with it .
The idea that vitamin C may help in treating the Coronavirus , at least here in the west , seems to be dubbed as ‘ fake news , ’ which is odd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioning that at this point it ’ s inconclusive .
There remains to be a clear yes or no answer but researchers are hypothesizing that it might have a positive effect which is why in Shanghai , China , vitamin C is being named as part of their overall treatment plan , with official clinical trials underway .
Last month , the US National Library of Medicine posted the information about their clinical trials on their website .
The title of one of the trials is “ Vitamin C Infusion for the Treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sponsor is ZhiYong Peng , and the responsible party is Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan University ( ZNWU ) .
The Vitamin D Cure , Re ... Stafford , Diane Best Price : $ 2.05 Buy New $ 2.99 2019 new coronavirus ( 2019-nCoV ) infected pneumonia , namely severe acute respiratory infection ( SARI ) has caused global concern and emergency .
There is a lack of effective targeted antiviral drugs , and symptomatic supportive treatment is still the current main treatment for SARI .
Vitamin C is significant to human body and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and preventing common cold .
In addtion , a few studies have shown that vitamin C deficiency is related to the increased risk and severity of influenza infections .
We hypothize that Vitamin C infusion can help improve the prognosis of patients with SARI .
Therefore , it is necessary to study the clinical efficacy and safety of vitamin C for the clinical management of SARI through randomized controlled trials during the current epidemic of SARI .
Vitamin C , also known as ascorbic acid , has antioxidant properties .
When sepsis happens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is activated , and neutrophils in the lungs accumulate in the lungs , destroying alveolar capillaries .
Early clinical studies have shown that vitamin C can effectively prevent this process .
In addition , vitamin C can help to eliminate alveolar fluid by preventing the activation and accumulation of neutrophils , and reducing alveolar epithelial water channel damage .
At the same time , vitamin C can prevent the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps , which is a biological event of vascular injury caused by neutrophil activation .
Vitamins can effectively shorten the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extreme conditions ( athletes , skiers , art workers , military exercises ) , it can effectively prevent the common cold .
And whether vitamin C also has a certain protective effect on influenza patients , only few studies have shown that vitamin C deficiency is related to the increased risk and severity of influenza infections .
In a controlled but non-randomized trial , 85 % of the 252 students treated experienced a reduction in symptoms in the high-dose vitamin C group ( 1g / h at the beginning of symptoms for 6h @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day ) .
Among patients with sepsis and ARDS , patients in the high-dose vitamin group did not show a better prognosis and other clinical outcomes .
There are still some confounding factors in the existing research , and the conclusions are different .
Therefore , during the current epidemic of SARI , it is necessary to study the clinical efficacy and safety of vitamin C for viral pneumonia through randomized controlled trials .
The study has an estimated enrolment of 140 participants , it started on the 10th of February and is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of September .
( source ) Dr. Richard Cheng , MD , PhD , a US board-certified anti-aging specialist , from Shanghai , China is currently in China providing updates on the situation as well as potential treatments via his YouTube channel .
His latest claim is that high-dose Vitamin C has been officially included in the Shanghai Government Covid-19 treatment plan .
He is also claiming that the initial results from the IVC trial on Covid-19 is positive .
Dr. Cheng served in the United States Army as a commissioned officer ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completed his Army duty in Dec. 2006 .
While in the Army , Dr. Cheng served in various positions including Chief and Medical Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine , Member of Risk Management Committee , Credentialing Committee , and Staff Physician of Soldier Readiness Program , Consultant to the Shaw Air Force Base Laboratory , and College of American Pathologist Inspection Team Leader for the Greenville SC Hospital Lab Inspection .
Prior to serving the United States Army , Dr. Cheng was a senior physician scientist at Variagenics , a research organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in Cambridge , MA .
Variagenics later merged with Hyseq .
You can view his full bio here .
You can access his YouTube channel here , where he has provided multiple updates that you won ’ t see within the mainstream media .
The idea that IVC may be useful in treating the Coronavirus is not fake news .
Nobody can really claim it does for sure , at the same time , nobody can claim that it doesn ’ t .
Mainstream media should be bringing attention to the clinical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as updating people on the situation .
We should be able to explore all possible options with regards to this virus , and simply implying that vitamin C has potential is ‘ fake news ’ is simply irresponsible .
If it didn ’ t have potential , clinical trials would not be underway .
It ’ s going to be interesting to see the results .
On a final note , I personally don ’ t think fear is an appropriate response for anybody , as I believe it can weaken the immune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our reality , and in today ’ s day in age it ’ s important to keep our immune systems healthy with proper nutrition and exercise .
We ’ ve been through many scares , like the swine flu , Ebola , SARS , the Zika virus , the West Nile virus and more .
Hopefully , this one passes just as the others did , I personally don ’ t think there is much to worry about .

Does vitamin C cure Coronavirus? No? Can vitamin C treat Coronavirus? We can’t say it does, but at the same time, we can’t say it doesn’t either. This is why multiple clinical trials are underway in China to investigate whether or not vitamin C infusion has any effect against Coronavirus and those infected with it. The idea that vitamin C may help in treating the Coronavirus, at least here in the west, seems to be dubbed as ‘fake news,’ which is odd given the fact that authorities should be mentioning that at this point it’s inconclusive.
There remains to be a clear yes or no answer but researchers are hypothesizing that it might have a positive effect which is why in Shanghai, China, vitamin C is being named as part of their overall treatment plan, with official clinical trials underway.
Last month, the US National Library of Medicine posted the information about their clinical trials on their website. The title of one of the trials is “Vitamin C Infusion for the Treatment of Severe 2019-nCoV Infected Pneumonia.” The sponsor is ZhiYong Peng, and the responsible party is Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan University (ZNWU). The Vitamin D Cure, Re... Stafford, Diane Best Price: $2.05 Buy New $2.99 (as of 11:37 UTC - Details)
2019 new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infected pneumonia, namely severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) has caused global concern and emergency. There is a lack of effective targeted antiviral drugs, and symptomatic supportive treatment is still the current main treatment for SARI. Vitamin C is significant to human body and plays a role in reducing inflammatory response and preventing common cold. In addtion, a few studies have shown that vitamin C deficiency is related to the increased risk and severity of influenza infections. We hypothize that Vitamin C infusion can help improve the prognosis of patients with SARI. Therefore, it is necessary to study the clinical efficacy and safety of vitamin C for the clinical management of SARI through randomized controlled trials during the current epidemic of SARI. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, has antioxidant properties. When sepsis happens, the cytokine surge caused by sepsis is activated, and neutrophils in the lungs accumulate in the lungs, destroying alveolar capillaries. Early clinical studies have shown that vitamin C can effectively prevent this process. In addition, vitamin C can help to eliminate alveolar fluid by preventing the activation and accumulation of neutrophils, and reducing alveolar epithelial water channel damage. At the same time, vitamin C can prevent the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps, which is a biological event of vascular injury caused by neutrophil activation. Vitamins can effectively shorten the duration of the common cold. In extreme conditions (athletes, skiers, art workers, military exercises), it can effectively prevent the common cold. And whether vitamin C also has a certain protective effect on influenza patients, only few studies have shown that vitamin C deficiency is related to the increased risk and severity of influenza infections. In a controlled but non-randomized trial, 85% of the 252 students treated experienced a reduction in symptoms in the high-dose vitamin C group (1g / h at the beginning of symptoms for 6h, followed by 3 * 1g / day). Among patients with sepsis and ARDS, patients in the high-dose vitamin group did not show a better prognosis and other clinical outcomes. There are still some confounding factors in the existing research, and the conclusions are different. Therefore, during the current epidemic of SARI, it is necessary to study the clinical efficacy and safety of vitamin C for viral pneumonia through randomized controlled trials.
The study has an estimated enrolment of 140 participants, it started on the 10th of February and is scheduled to be completed at the end of September. (source)
Latest Updates
Dr. Richard Cheng, MD, PhD, a US board-certified anti-aging specialist, from Shanghai, China is currently in China providing updates on the situation as well as potential treatments via his YouTube channel. His latest claim is that high-dose Vitamin C has been officially included in the Shanghai Government Covid-19 treatment plan. He is also claiming that the initial results from the IVC trial on Covid-19 is positive.
Dr. Cheng served in the United States Army as a commissioned officer (Major) and an Army physician and completed his Army duty in Dec. 2006. While in the Army, Dr. Cheng served in various positions including Chief and Medical Director of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Member of Risk Management Committee, Credentialing Committee, and Staff Physician of Soldier Readiness Program, Consultant to the Shaw Air Force Base Laboratory, and College of American Pathologist Inspection Team Leader for the Greenville SC Hospital Lab Inspection. Prior to serving the United States Army, Dr. Cheng was a senior physician scientist at Variagenics, a research organization affiliated with MIT and Harvard Medical School, in Cambridge, MA. Variagenics later merged with Hyseq.
You can view his full bio here.
You can access his YouTube channel here, where he has provided multiple updates that you won’t see within the mainstream media.

The Takeaway
The idea that IVC may be useful in treating the Coronavirus is not fake news. Nobody can really claim it does for sure, at the same time, nobody can claim that it doesn’t. Mainstream media should be bringing attention to the clinical trials that are underway, as well as updating people on the situation. We should be able to explore all possible options with regards to this virus, and simply implying that vitamin C has potential is ‘fake news’ is simply irresponsible. If it didn’t have potential, clinical trials would not be underway. It’s going to be interesting to see the results.
On a final note, I personally don’t think fear is an appropriate response for anybody, as I believe it can weaken the immune system. Outbreaks are a part of our reality, and in today’s day in age it’s important to keep our immune systems healthy with proper nutrition and exercise. We’ve been through many scares, like the swine flu, Ebola, SARS, the Zika virus, the West Nile virus and more. Hopefully, this one passes just as the others did, I personally don’t think there is much to worry about.
Reprinted with permission from Collective Evolution.


lewrockwell--2020-03-10--Why COVID-19 Is More Deadly to the Chinese

I have written five previous blog posts about coronavirus .
In those posts I told you that I thought the final mortality rate in the US for COVID-19 would be comparable to the flu mortality rate .
Right now , the COVID-19 mortality rate is very high—around 2 % .
The flu mortality rate is estimated to be approximately 0.01 % per year .
My reasoning for lowering the mortality rate for COVID-19 was that not enough sick people have been tested .
The tests in the US have been rationed to very sick and dying individuals .
In China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I would imagine the same phenomenon was going on—only the very sick were tested .
Therefore , those that had COVID-19 and convalesced at home were not included in the data .
That would skew the results to make the mortality numbers look much worse than the actually were .
The same situation could be occurring in other countries .
Of course , in the US , the CDC botched the test kits and we simply do not know how widespread or deadly this disease is .
More information about that can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post which you may read here : ‘ Corona Virus Part V : The Epic Failure at The Centers For Disease Control & Prevention ” .
The Guide to Healthy E ... David Brownstein , M.D ... .
Best Price : $ 3.24 Buy New $ 10.00 One question I was bothered with was why so many younger male Chinese were dying from COVID-19 .
It seems that in other countries , COVID-19 was primarily killing the old and the sick .
Which is just what you would expect from a regular influenza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ colleague today , Tetyana Obukhanych , PhD .
She is an immunologist who I have been following for years .
She forwarded me two articles that could explain why the Chinese ( and young Chinese males ) suffered such a high rate of mortality from COVID-19 .
A February , 2020 article about coronavirus reported that the virus is able to invade the body by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme II ( ACE 2 ) .
ACE 2 is expressed in mucosal lining of the oral cavity .
So , when exposed to coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by binding to the ACE 2 receptors in the oral cavity .
Guess where other ACE 2 receptors have been found ?
High ACE 2 expression has also been found in lung cells .
( 2 ) Pneumonia is one the most serious problems associated with COVID-19 .
ACE 2 has also been identified in other areas of the body including the esophagus , heart , kidney and bladder .
All these organs are potential risks of infection for COVID-19 .
The Best of Dr. David Brownstein

I have written five previous blog posts about coronavirus. In those posts I told you that I thought the final mortality rate in the US for COVID-19 would be comparable to the flu mortality rate. Right now, the COVID-19 mortality rate is very high—around 2%. The flu mortality rate is estimated to be approximately 0.01% per year. My reasoning for lowering the mortality rate for COVID-19 was that not enough sick people have been tested. The tests in the US have been rationed to very sick and dying individuals.
In China, at the start of the crises, I would imagine the same phenomenon was going on—only the very sick were tested. Therefore, those that had COVID-19 and convalesced at home were not included in the data. That would skew the results to make the mortality numbers look much worse than the actually were.
The same situation could be occurring in other countries. Of course, in the US, the CDC botched the test kits and we simply do not know how widespread or deadly this disease is. More information about that can be found in my fifth coronavirus blog post which you may read here: ‘Corona Virus Part V: The Epic Failure at The Centers For Disease Control & Prevention”.
The Guide to Healthy E... David Brownstein, M.D.... Best Price: $3.24 Buy New $10.00 (as of 10:59 UTC - Details) One question I was bothered with was why so many younger male Chinese were dying from COVID-19. It seems that in other countries, COVID-19 was primarily killing the old and the sick. Which is just what you would expect from a regular influenza season.
I was speaking to a colleague today, Tetyana Obukhanych, PhD. She is an immunologist who I have been following for years. She forwarded me two articles that could explain why the Chinese (and young Chinese males) suffered such a high rate of mortality from COVID-19.
A February, 2020 article about coronavirus reported that the virus is able to invade the body by binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE 2). ACE 2 is expressed in mucosal lining of the oral cavity. So, when exposed to coronavirus, COVID-19 gains entrance into the body by binding to the ACE 2 receptors in the oral cavity.
Guess where other ACE 2 receptors have been found? High ACE 2 expression has also been found in lung cells. (2) Pneumonia is one the most serious problems associated with COVID-19. ACE 2 has also been identified in other areas of the body including the esophagus, heart, kidney and bladder. All these organs are potential risks of infection for COVID-19.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Dr. David Brownstein


lewrockwell--2020-03-12--Italy Is Second Country With Coronavirus Outbreak Preceded by a Tuberculosis Epidemic

There are two hotspots in the world for coronavirus infections : Wuhan , China ( Hubei Province ) and Italy .
Both of these geographic areas were grappling with tuberculosis outbreaks prior to the eruption of the mutated COVID-19 coronavirus .
Strangely , coronavirus appears to spread to the rest of the world from these hotspots via airplane travel .
But the infection remains in those infected and may spread within a household , but not into the community .
Other geographical outbreaks must be questioned as there are too many false positive tests to confirm COVID-19 coronavirus , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing more than a passenger virus that accompanies tubercular infections .
The COVID-19 epidemic in Italy , which has that country in a lockdown , is worthy of investigation because of the politics and migration in that country .
In a prior report I cited the pre-coronavirus outbreak of tuberculosis in Wuhan China coupled with culling and incineration of herds of pigs infected with African swine flu that created aerosolized pig waste particles that infected humans with a Mycobacterium tuberculosis .
Tuberculosis is largely a lung disease that kills 1.7 million humans annually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this deadly infection as normally coronavirus produces mild infections .
Tuberculosis fills the lungs with fluid and the patient drowns in their own secretions .
That is what is happening in Wuhan .
The Vitamin D Cure , Re ... Stafford , Diane Best Price : $ 2.05 Buy New $ 2.99 Of interest , most cases ( 70 % ) of TB in the U.S. emanate from immigrants who travel to the U.S. or who are foreign born and acquired TB years ago , only for latent TB to erupt into symptomatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ longer keep it in check .
Are reported cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. occult tuberculosis ?
Inexplicably , there are far more cases of COVID-19 in Italy than other European countries .
These cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infection occurred , like in China , in a background outburst of TB infections .
Italy ’ s Prime minister Matteo Salvini claims migrants have brought on this TB plague to his country .
News reports dating back to September of 2018 cite Salvini ’ s assertion that a TB “ invasion without rules or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried by indigent migrants seeking asylum in his country .
At the same time , denials that migrants are spreading coronavirus throughout Italy have been aired and political criticism has been launched against Prime Minister Salvini for not being humanitarian by blocking entry to Italy by migrants .
Political opponents say : “ Rescued migrants have been disembarking in Italy for many years ; this has not led to any major outbreaks of disease among Italians.
” But now what is to explain the exceptionally high number of COVID-19 infections in Italy compared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ IS TB and not COVID-19 .
While TB rates in Italy have generally been low , the rate of COVID-19 infection on a comparative basis is now greater in Italy than in China ( 97.3 cases per million in Italy , 56.1 cases per million in China ) !
It is not necessarily newly arriving migrants that are carrying TB , masquerading as COVID-19 coronavirus , to Italy .
TB can remain in a latent state in the human body for many years before it erupts into disease symptoms .
It is latent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , squalid living conditions and stress is thought to reactivate latent cases of TB among migrants in Italy .
An estimated 52 % of TB cases in Italy emanate among foreigners in Italy .
In a study of TB cases in Italy , 65 % of study subjects were immigrants and their median time since arrival in Italy was 3.6-12.5 years , which suggests latent rather newly acquired TB predominates .
Italy has drastically reduced the number of new immigrants for foreign lands .
But it is too late .
Latent TB has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ migrants in Italy may not quell the number of cases of TB .
According to a recent report , there are ~6 million immigrants in Italy .
Apart from immigrants , Italy has a very low rate of TB .
Place of birth predicts latent TB which predominates in immigrants .
Fortunately , while one study shows ~33 % of immigrants with TB exhibit no symptoms and could be carriers of TB to infect others , transmission from migrants to the host country population is uncommon .
This is believed due to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a 2017 report published in Clinical Infectious Diseases in 2017 , the prevalence of tuberculosis of the lungs is 6.7 per 100,000 Italians , however the prevalence among migrants is 80 times greater !
According to Statista , Italy has drastically cut uncontrolled migration from a high of 181,436 in 2016 to just 11,471 in 2019 .
From 2014 through the first two months of 2020 some 659,380 migrants entered Italy .
Reuters reports Italy is fining rescue ships sponsored by charities in an attempt to reduce and even expulse migrants who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borders .
Despite efforts to reduce or totally block migration into Italy , an estimated 5.3 million foreigners legally reside inside its borders .
Cough is a major symptom of COVID-19 .
Coughs are often caused by excess mucus in the bronchus , an airway to the lungs .
In Italy swelling and narrowing of the bronchus with excess mucus ( bronchiectasis ) was detected among 52 % of COVID-19 cases examined by chest x-ray .
However , bronchiectasis is a finding that is far more common ( 8X ) among patients in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 0.47 % versus 0.06 % ) than other lung infections .
A study published in 2017 reveals 56.5 % of the cases of TB in Italy were among 18-44 year-olds .
Only 13.9 % were age 65 and above .
The young TB patients are the immigrants with latent TB .
The TB cases among seniors likely are high-risk Italians who smoke , drink too much alcohol and are obese , in other words , high-risk for any infection .
Only 11 % of TB cases occurred among economically deprived individuals ( Italians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financially deprived .
Coinfection with a virus and tuberculosis is a killer .
The risk for death is 4.5-fold greater when both viral and tubercular infections co-exist .
Coronavirus may be on center stage at the moment .
But tuberculosis may be behind the curtains .
10 Sets ( 30pcs ) N95 Re ... Buy New $ 16.60 The industrialized world has some underlying overconfidence that it is immune from these infectious diseases , what with chlorinated water ( eradicated cholera , typhoid and dysentery ) , fortified foods , and regulations like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1906 in the U.S .
But migration of indigent people allows a stealth mycobacterium to enter undetected , only to produce symptoms years later .
COVID-19 in U.S. : immigrant ports of entry Back in the U.S. , examination of the states that report the most cases of COVID-19 coronavirus correlate with the number of migrants crossing America ’ s southern border .
California and Mexico having the largest number of COVID-19 coronavirus infections .
Mexico is No .
1 foreign importer of TB to the U.S .
Examine the maps below .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ its country first because of the high rate of COVID-19 infection .
Northern Italy is the destination of most migrants to Italy .
The States in the U.S. with the highest number of COVID-19 are California , Texas , Arizona , Florida , the states where migrants cross the border .
New York is another port of entry with reported cases of COVID-19 .
This is no coincidence .
U.S. authorities may want to consider closing the southern border to the U.S. temporarily until the earth tilts back towards the sun in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among the masses .
Political discourse in Italy over offering humanitarian aid to migrants from foreign lands needs to consider the health and economic consequences of such aid .
At this point , both migrants and native Italians face economic disaster over allowing migrants to enter unabated in prior years .

There are two hotspots in the world for coronavirus infections: Wuhan, China (Hubei Province) and Italy. Both of these geographic areas were grappling with tuberculosis outbreaks prior to the eruption of the mutated COVID-19 coronavirus. Strangely, coronavirus appears to spread to the rest of the world from these hotspots via airplane travel. But the infection remains in those infected and may spread within a household, but not into the community. Other geographical outbreaks must be questioned as there are too many false positive tests to confirm COVID-19 coronavirus, which at this point in time may be nothing more than a passenger virus that accompanies tubercular infections.
The COVID-19 epidemic in Italy, which has that country in a lockdown, is worthy of investigation because of the politics and migration in that country.
In a prior report I cited the pre-coronavirus outbreak of tuberculosis in Wuhan China coupled with culling and incineration of herds of pigs infected with African swine flu that created aerosolized pig waste particles that infected humans with a Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is largely a lung disease that kills 1.7 million humans annually. TB may be the origin of this deadly infection as normally coronavirus produces mild infections. Tuberculosis fills the lungs with fluid and the patient drowns in their own secretions. That is what is happening in Wuhan. The Vitamin D Cure, Re... Stafford, Diane Best Price: $2.05 Buy New $2.99 (as of 11:37 UTC - Details)
Of interest, most cases (70%) of TB in the U.S. emanate from immigrants who travel to the U.S. or who are foreign born and acquired TB years ago, only for latent TB to erupt into symptomatic disease when the immune system could no longer keep it in check. Are reported cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. occult tuberculosis?
Inexplicably, there are far more cases of COVID-19 in Italy than other European countries. These cases of COVID-19 coronavirus infection occurred, like in China, in a background outburst of TB infections.
Prime minister weighs in
Italy’s Prime minister Matteo Salvini claims migrants have brought on this TB plague to his country. News reports dating back to September of 2018 cite Salvini’s assertion that a TB “invasion without rules or controls” has swept through Italy, carried by indigent migrants seeking asylum in his country.
At the same time, denials that migrants are spreading coronavirus throughout Italy have been aired and political criticism has been launched against Prime Minister Salvini for not being humanitarian by blocking entry to Italy by migrants. Political opponents say: “Rescued migrants have been disembarking in Italy for many years; this has not led to any major outbreaks of disease among Italians.”
But now what is to explain the exceptionally high number of COVID-19 infections in Italy compared to other European countries? Maybe it IS TB and not COVID-19.
While TB rates in Italy have generally been low, the rate of COVID-19 infection on a comparative basis is now greater in Italy than in China (97.3 cases per million in Italy, 56.1 cases per million in China)!
It is not necessarily newly arriving migrants that are carrying TB, masquerading as COVID-19 coronavirus, to Italy. TB can remain in a latent state in the human body for many years before it erupts into disease symptoms.
The Trojan horse: latent TB
It is latent TB that largely threatens Italy. Poverty, squalid living conditions and stress is thought to reactivate latent cases of TB among migrants in Italy. An estimated 52% of TB cases in Italy emanate among foreigners in Italy. In a study of TB cases in Italy, 65% of study subjects were immigrants and their median time since arrival in Italy was 3.6-12.5 years, which suggests latent rather newly acquired TB predominates. Italy has drastically reduced the number of new immigrants for foreign lands. But it is too late. Latent TB has taken hold.
Closing the borders to migrants in Italy may not quell the number of cases of TB. According to a recent report, there are ~6 million immigrants in Italy. Apart from immigrants, Italy has a very low rate of TB. Place of birth predicts latent TB which predominates in immigrants. Fortunately, while one study shows ~33% of immigrants with TB exhibit no symptoms and could be carriers of TB to infect others, transmission from migrants to the host country population is uncommon. This is believed due to the health status of native Italians.
Migrants: 80-times higher risk
According to a 2017 report published in Clinical Infectious Diseases in 2017, the prevalence of tuberculosis of the lungs is 6.7 per 100,000 Italians, however the prevalence among migrants is 80 times greater!
According to Statista, Italy has drastically cut uncontrolled migration from a high of 181,436 in 2016 to just 11,471 in 2019. From 2014 through the first two months of 2020 some 659,380 migrants entered Italy. Reuters reports Italy is fining rescue ships sponsored by charities in an attempt to reduce and even expulse migrants who have no legal right to cross its borders. Despite efforts to reduce or totally block migration into Italy, an estimated 5.3 million foreigners legally reside inside its borders.
Cough is a major symptom of COVID-19. Coughs are often caused by excess mucus in the bronchus, an airway to the lungs. In Italy swelling and narrowing of the bronchus with excess mucus (bronchiectasis) was detected among 52% of COVID-19 cases examined by chest x-ray. However, bronchiectasis is a finding that is far more common (8X) among patients in Italy with a history of tuberculosis (0.47% versus 0.06%) than other lung infections.
Young migrants; old Italians
A study published in 2017 reveals 56.5% of the cases of TB in Italy were among 18-44 year-olds. Only 13.9% were age 65 and above. The young TB patients are the immigrants with latent TB. The TB cases among seniors likely are high-risk Italians who smoke, drink too much alcohol and are obese, in other words, high-risk for any infection. Only 11% of TB cases occurred among economically deprived individuals (Italians) while 46% of immigrants were financially deprived.
Coinfection with a virus and tuberculosis is a killer. The risk for death is 4.5-fold greater when both viral and tubercular infections co-exist. Coronavirus may be on center stage at the moment. But tuberculosis may be behind the curtains. 10 Sets (30pcs) N95 Re... Buy New $16.60 (as of 11:13 UTC - Details)
Return of tuberculosis
The industrialized world has some underlying overconfidence that it is immune from these infectious diseases, what with chlorinated water (eradicated cholera, typhoid and dysentery), fortified foods, and regulations like the Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906 in the U.S. But migration of indigent people allows a stealth mycobacterium to enter undetected, only to produce symptoms years later.
COVID-19 in U.S.: immigrant ports of entry
Back in the U.S., examination of the states that report the most cases of COVID-19 coronavirus correlate with the number of migrants crossing America’s southern border. California and Mexico having the largest number of COVID-19 coronavirus infections. Mexico is No. 1 foreign importer of TB to the U.S.
Examine the maps below. Italy locked down the northern half of its country first because of the high rate of COVID-19 infection. Northern Italy is the destination of most migrants to Italy.
The States in the U.S. with the highest number of COVID-19 are California, Texas, Arizona, Florida, the states where migrants cross the border. New York is another port of entry with reported cases of COVID-19. This is no coincidence. U.S. authorities may want to consider closing the southern border to the U.S. temporarily until the earth tilts back towards the sun in the Spring solstice and vitamin D levels improve among the masses. Political discourse in Italy over offering humanitarian aid to migrants from foreign lands needs to consider the health and economic consequences of such aid. At this point, both migrants and native Italians face economic disaster over allowing migrants to enter unabated in prior years.


lewrockwell--2020-03-12--Can the Government Restrict Travel to Protect Public Health?

The issue of whether government in America can quarantine persons against their will , ostensibly for their own health and that of others with whom they may come in contact , requires a dual analysis — one of the powers of the federal government and the other of the powers of the states .
For constitutional analysis purposes , since local and regional governments derive their powers from the states in which they are located , the analysis of state powers pertains to them as well .
We begin our analysis with the observation of the truism that freedom is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Declaration of Independence , as well as various amendments in the Bill of Rights , unambiguously reflects the views that those who wrote , ratified and amended the Constitution recognized that our rights — to think , speak , publish , worship , defend ourselves , travel , own property , be left alone — are natural to our humanity .
These rights preexisted the government .
Their source is our humanity .
Government does not grant these rights .
Rather , its primary purpose — as stated in the Declaration of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect these rights .
Lies the Government To ... Andrew P. Napolitano Best Price : $ 0.25 Buy New $ 4.46 Though the courts have interpreted the Constitution to possess lamentable exceptions , the framers and ratifiers arguably accepted the non-aggression principle — articulated in the modern era by the late Professor Murray Rothbard — which declares that all aggression against persons and property even by government is immoral .
In the case of the federal government , it is one of limited , delegated powers .
Of course , 230 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers outside the confines of the Constitution and , invariably , in the direction of expanding federal power at the expense of personal liberty and the states .
The states formed the federal government and not the other way around .
Yet today , the feds stay in power by bribing the states with cash grants , the rich with bailouts , the middle class with tax breaks and the poor with transfer payments .
Notwithstanding all this , the courts continue to recognize the concept of personal liberty in a free society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue lurking beneath the headlines this week .
Can the government quarantine people without proof of contagion and imminent assault ?
The short answer is no .
We know that , under the Fifth Amendment , if any government — state or federal — wants to impair the life , liberty or property of any person , it must follow due process .
Due process has two components — substantive and procedural .
The substantive component asks if the impairment of liberty is proper to the government that seeks the impairment , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has come about fairly .
Now back to what the feds can do and what the states can do in a public health crisis .
There are no emergency provisions or triggers in the Constitution ; yet , Congress gave itself the power to regulate public health and safety under various pretexts .
The pretexts exist because the nanny state urge of members of Congress to regulate is confronted by the reservation in the Tenth Amendment of health and safety to the states .
Those pretexts are regulating commerce and all that affects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do Congress ’ will .
Stated differently , the Supreme Court has ruled that both the federal government and the states can confine a person who has not committed a crime , or one who has but has served one ’ s full sentence , in order to protect society from the person ’ s intentional or uncontrollable harmful tendencies .
It is contrary to the plain meaning of the Constitution for Congress to give itself powers that were not delegated to it by the Constitution , but the courts have permitted this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a lunatic who has committed a crime and served his full sentence but remains dangerous , the courts have recognized constitutional safeguards to protect his natural rights .
Now back to our question of whether the government — state or federal — can confine persons against their will in order to protect public health .
The short answer is yes , but the Constitution requires procedural due process .
That means a trial for every person confined .
It Is Dangerous to Be ... Napolitano , Andrew P. Best Price : null @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government-ordered quarantine of all persons in a city block or a postal ZIP code or a telephone area code would be an egregious violation of due process , both substantive and procedural .
Substantively , no government in America has the lawful power to curtail natural rights by decree .
Procedurally , notwithstanding the fear of disease contagion , the states and feds may only quarantine those who are actively contagious and will infect others imminently .
And it must present evidence of both at a trial at which it bears the burden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ permits offensive aggression in self-defense when an attack is imminent and certain , that is a high standard for the government to meet , as it should be .
Freedom — even the freedom of a madman or a dangerously sick and contagious person — is the default position .
Infringing upon it without procedural due process is always constitutionally impermissible .
The Constitution was not written for the government to right every wrong .
We know that government itself causes most wrongs — the theft of property by taxation , the impairment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slaughter of innocents by war , the infringement of expressive liberties by majority vote .
Yet , the Constitution still mandates an exacting due process for all whom the government would restrain .
That means a trial before any quarantine , no matter the public danger , and a fair trial , not one animated by mass hysteria or government-generated fear .
The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano

Shop all books by Judge Napolitano
The issue of whether government in America can quarantine persons against their will, ostensibly for their own health and that of others with whom they may come in contact, requires a dual analysis — one of the powers of the federal government and the other of the powers of the states. For constitutional analysis purposes, since local and regional governments derive their powers from the states in which they are located, the analysis of state powers pertains to them as well.
We begin our analysis with the observation of the truism that freedom is the default position. The language of the Declaration of Independence, as well as various amendments in the Bill of Rights, unambiguously reflects the views that those who wrote, ratified and amended the Constitution recognized that our rights — to think, speak, publish, worship, defend ourselves, travel, own property, be left alone — are natural to our humanity.
These rights preexisted the government. Their source is our humanity. Government does not grant these rights. Rather, its primary purpose — as stated in the Declaration of Independence, its sole purpose — is to protect these rights.
Lies the Government To... Andrew P. Napolitano Best Price: $0.25 Buy New $4.46 (as of 12:15 UTC - Details) Though the courts have interpreted the Constitution to possess lamentable exceptions, the framers and ratifiers arguably accepted the non-aggression principle — articulated in the modern era by the late Professor Murray Rothbard — which declares that all aggression against persons and property even by government is immoral.
In the case of the federal government, it is one of limited, delegated powers. Of course, 230 years of legislation and litigation have blown its powers outside the confines of the Constitution and, invariably, in the direction of expanding federal power at the expense of personal liberty and the states.
The states formed the federal government and not the other way around. Yet today, the feds stay in power by bribing the states with cash grants, the rich with bailouts, the middle class with tax breaks and the poor with transfer payments. Notwithstanding all this, the courts continue to recognize the concept of personal liberty in a free society.
All this is background to the issue lurking beneath the headlines this week. Can the government quarantine people without proof of contagion and imminent assault? The short answer is no.
We know that, under the Fifth Amendment, if any government — state or federal — wants to impair the life, liberty or property of any person, it must follow due process. Due process has two components — substantive and procedural. The substantive component asks if the impairment of liberty is proper to the government that seeks the impairment, and the procedural component asks if the impairment has come about fairly.
Now back to what the feds can do and what the states can do in a public health crisis. There are no emergency provisions or triggers in the Constitution; yet, Congress gave itself the power to regulate public health and safety under various pretexts. The pretexts exist because the nanny state urge of members of Congress to regulate is confronted by the reservation in the Tenth Amendment of health and safety to the states. Those pretexts are regulating commerce and all that affects commerce, and paying the states to do Congress’ will.
Stated differently, the Supreme Court has ruled that both the federal government and the states can confine a person who has not committed a crime, or one who has but has served one’s full sentence, in order to protect society from the person’s intentional or uncontrollable harmful tendencies.
It is contrary to the plain meaning of the Constitution for Congress to give itself powers that were not delegated to it by the Constitution, but the courts have permitted this. Yet, even in the case of a lunatic who has committed a crime and served his full sentence but remains dangerous, the courts have recognized constitutional safeguards to protect his natural rights.
Now back to our question of whether the government — state or federal — can confine persons against their will in order to protect public health. The short answer is yes, but the Constitution requires procedural due process. That means a trial for every person confined.
It Is Dangerous to Be ... Napolitano, Andrew P. Buy New $9.99 (as of 08:00 UTC - Details) Thus, a government-ordered quarantine of all persons in a city block or a postal ZIP code or a telephone area code would be an egregious violation of due process, both substantive and procedural. Substantively, no government in America has the lawful power to curtail natural rights by decree.
Procedurally, notwithstanding the fear of disease contagion, the states and feds may only quarantine those who are actively contagious and will infect others imminently. And it must present evidence of both at a trial at which it bears the burden of proof.
While the non-aggression principle permits offensive aggression in self-defense when an attack is imminent and certain, that is a high standard for the government to meet, as it should be. Freedom — even the freedom of a madman or a dangerously sick and contagious person — is the default position. Infringing upon it without procedural due process is always constitutionally impermissible.
The Constitution was not written for the government to right every wrong. We know that government itself causes most wrongs — the theft of property by taxation, the impairment of economic liberty by regulation, the slaughter of innocents by war, the infringement of expressive liberties by majority vote. Yet, the Constitution still mandates an exacting due process for all whom the government would restrain.
That means a trial before any quarantine, no matter the public danger, and a fair trial, not one animated by mass hysteria or government-generated fear.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano


lewrockwell--2020-03-12--Was the Coronavirus Created as Cover for the Imminent Economic Collapse?

A USA Today headline this morning indicated that the Dow was diving as virus concerns counter hope for fiscal steps .
U.S. stocks teetered on the edge of a bear market Wednesday as worries persisted over economies reeling from the coronavirus outbreak.
” “ Concerns have grown that a prolonged outbreak may bring on a recession.
” “ Goldman Sachs forecast that the longest ever bull market “ will soon end ” after 11 years.
” “ Both the real economy and the financial economy are exhibiting acute signs of stress , analysts at Goldman Sachs said ” .
Panic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was no accident .
One thing for sure in my mind is that this crisis was created , and not accidental .
Regardless of the severity of this so-called virus , in the end , as has happened on multiple occasions before with MERS , SARS , West Nile , swine Flu and others , it is likely that all the wild predictions will once again prove to be overstated or downright false .
But the serious economic fallout will remain .
The propaganda is being pushed at every level possible , from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” organizations , to all mainstream media , and from all those that stand to gain from this , including the pharmaceutical companies .
Be Ready for Anything : ... Daisy Luther Best Price : $ 10.45 Buy New $ 9.69 Many have been talking about the markets and economic risks apparent in this country and around the world for a long time .
I began sounding alarms before 2008 , and since that time have attempted to make aware the fact that from an economic standpoint , the markets and the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspect ever since .
After all the manipulation , the Quantitative Easing ( QE ) , and the continued debt growth , it seemed apparent that a massive economic failure was likely in the future .
Is that damning future about to come to fruition ?
Do the controlling powers that have created this likely economic disaster understand this , and seek to place blame on this new coronavirus outbreak as the cause of all financial ills to come ?
Was this new coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) purposely created and released so that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heads , and government puppets could use it as cover for an imminent economic collapse that has become impossible to contain ?
This in my opinion is a distinct possibility .
Political convenience at this level is rarely accidental .
With any financial collapse in the wake of a pandemic , real or not , control over world populations is much easier to implement .
Once martial law or medical martial law is in place due to panic , all of society is crippled in the sense that individual liberty and power is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and societal controls such as quarantine become reality .
All monetary policy rules will be non-existent , as scrutiny for these tyrannical measures will be lacking during times of extreme strife .
In other words , total control of entire populations becomes possible , and without some sort of mass uprising , there is little that any individual can do in situations like these .
As James Corbett so rightly said , this panic will cause the cures to be much worse than the disease .
But was that the plan all along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horse for total population control , but what is the primary objective of those creating this panic ?
What end game is sought and why ?
What other factors are guiding these policies , and who stands to benefit ?
Was this so-called pandemic meant to be a false flag event in order to cover-up a much larger problem ?
Answers to these questions are not perfectly clear at this point , but given the severity of the panic and mind control of the public , these questions should be asked .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that this virus is purposely being blown out of proportion .
Because of this , extreme population control measures have been put into place around the world There is a reason for this maniacal hysteria , and if it has been manufactured as an agenda , as I believe to be the case , that agenda would have to be sinister .
It would also indicate that something very dangerous is lurking just behind the curtain , and exposure is not desired .
This should not be ignored .
As I write @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , economies are struggling , travel and movement are being more and more restricted , quarantine is rampant , and has reached the U.S. Globalists are gaining strength , and with all this , the stupidity of humans is now exposed for all to see .
ynSIR Anti Pollution B ... Buy New $ 7.00 Anyone succumbing to the headlines , and especially the predictions , is likely to go insane .
There are projections that up to 70 % or more will get this dreaded virus , and many millions will die @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting worse by the moment , and this virus as it is called , will spread wildly around the world with no possibility that any can escape the risk .
As of today even with this much hype , there has been outside of China , only 1,417 deaths reported worldwide due to COVID-19 .
All this while according to U.S. News , the CDC reported as of February 21 , that 26 million Americans have fallen ill with flu-like sickness just this flu season so far , 250,000 have been hospitalized , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Given this comparison , is it not obvious that government deception is more than evident ?
Fear is dictating the behavior of the masses , and this looks to be a planned outcome .
Entire populations are allowing themselves to be manipulated .
People are accepting quarantine , medical martial law , and all other forms of medical dictates .
Many are being harmed by the horrible economic ramifications of this madness , and families are being torn apart .
It is time to fight back , and to find the real cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is desired by those at the top , so what is the real agenda here ?
Why is this happening , and what is being hidden from view ?
I believe there is a connection between this faltering economy and this most likely false pandemic .
That connection seems clear , and the timing is very suspicious .
There is massive deceit and lies are ever present , but the worst is yet to come .
As the Federal Reserve pumps $ 175 billion more today into the banking system , can any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of our financial system now in sight ?
Today the WHO just declared the coronavirus a global pandemic , and all hell is about to break loose .
In this environment , natural freedom will become a faded memory .
The Best of Gary D. Barnett

A USA Today headline this morning indicated that the Dow was diving as virus concerns counter hope for fiscal steps.
U.S. stocks teetered on the edge of a bear market Wednesday as worries persisted over economies reeling from the coronavirus outbreak.”
“Concerns have grown that a prolonged outbreak may bring on a recession.”
“Goldman Sachs forecast that the longest ever bull market “will soon end” after 11 years.”
“Both the real economy and the financial economy are exhibiting acute signs of stress, analysts at Goldman Sachs said”.
Panic has certainly settled in, and that was no accident. One thing for sure in my mind is that this crisis was created, and not accidental. Regardless of the severity of this so-called virus, in the end, as has happened on multiple occasions before with MERS, SARS, West Nile, swine Flu and others, it is likely that all the wild predictions will once again prove to be overstated or downright false. But the serious economic fallout will remain. The propaganda is being pushed at every level possible, from governments worldwide, to government “health” organizations, to all mainstream media, and from all those that stand to gain from this, including the pharmaceutical companies. Be Ready for Anything:... Daisy Luther Best Price: $10.45 Buy New $9.69 (as of 07:15 UTC - Details)
Many have been talking about the markets and economic risks apparent in this country and around the world for a long time. I began sounding alarms before 2008, and since that time have attempted to make aware the fact that from an economic standpoint, the markets and the economy have become much worse, and more suspect ever since. After all the manipulation, the Quantitative Easing (QE), and the continued debt growth, it seemed apparent that a massive economic failure was likely in the future. Is that damning future about to come to fruition? Do the controlling powers that have created this likely economic disaster understand this, and seek to place blame on this new coronavirus outbreak as the cause of all financial ills to come? Was this new coronavirus (COVID-19) purposely created and released so that central bankers, investment bankers, corporate heads, and government puppets could use it as cover for an imminent economic collapse that has become impossible to contain? This in my opinion is a distinct possibility. Political convenience at this level is rarely accidental.
With any financial collapse in the wake of a pandemic, real or not, control over world populations is much easier to implement. Once martial law or medical martial law is in place due to panic, all of society is crippled in the sense that individual liberty and power is lost, economic freedom is restricted, and societal controls such as quarantine become reality. All monetary policy rules will be non-existent, as scrutiny for these tyrannical measures will be lacking during times of extreme strife. In other words, total control of entire populations becomes possible, and without some sort of mass uprising, there is little that any individual can do in situations like these. As James Corbett so rightly said, this panic will cause the cures to be much worse than the disease. But was that the plan all along?
This virus has become a Trojan horse for total population control, but what is the primary objective of those creating this panic? What end game is sought and why? What other factors are guiding these policies, and who stands to benefit? Was this so-called pandemic meant to be a false flag event in order to cover-up a much larger problem? Answers to these questions are not perfectly clear at this point, but given the severity of the panic and mind control of the public, these questions should be asked.
One thing that is certain in my mind is that this virus is purposely being blown out of proportion. Because of this, extreme population control measures have been put into place around the world There is a reason for this maniacal hysteria, and if it has been manufactured as an agenda, as I believe to be the case, that agenda would have to be sinister. It would also indicate that something very dangerous is lurking just behind the curtain, and exposure is not desired. This should not be ignored.
As I write this, world markets are in turmoil, economies are struggling, travel and movement are being more and more restricted, quarantine is rampant, and has reached the U.S. Globalists are gaining strength, and with all this, the stupidity of humans is now exposed for all to see. ynSIR Anti Pollution B... Buy New $7.00 (as of 06:34 UTC - Details)
Anyone succumbing to the headlines, and especially the predictions, is likely to go insane. There are projections that up to 70% or more will get this dreaded virus, and many millions will die. Quarantine is becoming universal, and getting worse by the moment, and this virus as it is called, will spread wildly around the world with no possibility that any can escape the risk. As of today even with this much hype, there has been outside of China, only 1,417 deaths reported worldwide due to COVID-19. All this while according to U.S. News, the CDC reported as of February 21, that 26 million Americans have fallen ill with flu-like sickness just this flu season so far, 250,000 have been hospitalized, and at least 14,000 have died. Given this comparison, is it not obvious that government deception is more than evident?
Fear is dictating the behavior of the masses, and this looks to be a planned outcome. Entire populations are allowing themselves to be manipulated. People are accepting quarantine, medical martial law, and all other forms of medical dictates. Many are being harmed by the horrible economic ramifications of this madness, and families are being torn apart.
It is time to fight back, and to find the real cause of this manufactured panic. This panic is desired by those at the top, so what is the real agenda here? Why is this happening, and what is being hidden from view? I believe there is a connection between this faltering economy and this most likely false pandemic. That connection seems clear, and the timing is very suspicious. There is massive deceit and lies are ever present, but the worst is yet to come. As the Federal Reserve pumps $175 billion more today into the banking system, can any not connect the dots? Is the end of our financial system now in sight?
Today the WHO just declared the coronavirus a global pandemic, and all hell is about to break loose. In this environment, natural freedom will become a faded memory.
The Best of Gary D. Barnett


lewrockwell--2020-03-12--Uncle Again…or Me for a Change?

Uncle Again…or Me for a Change?

Ever get tired of being mulcted ?
Yeah , me too .
So I decided to stop being mulcted .
.
.
at least a little bit .
And decided to spend some of my money on something besides being mulcted… well , some of what ’ s left over of my money after being mulcted !
Uncle steals about 30 percent of every dollar the average person earns , in federal ( including FICA “ contributions ” ) and state income taxes .
With what ’ s left over , we buy things – which are taxed again at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again – when it comes to vehicles – for a title ( to something we already own – at least , supposedly ) and then taxed once more to “ register ” it and again ( in many states ) for the mandatory privilege of “ registering ” it with the government , which then taxes every gallon of fuel we buy as well as every tire , brake pad and can of fuel-injector cleaner we buy to service and maintain it .
What was it the American Revolution was supposed to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is .
.
.
taxing .
Less for us – endless for them , the legions of parasites and thieves styled “ government ” and embodied by the grasping geezer called At some point , we must push back – or else we ’ ll end up with nothing at all .
I decided to end up with something this time – a new stereo for me .
Which I was able to buy because I didn ’ t waste money on “ registering ” my old truck .
I figure I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much ?
About $ 55 annually for the past 13 years , so $ 715 .
It is not small potatoes – especially when one considers the ( roughly ) $ 100 I am forced to hand over in addition to that each year – the property tax , aka , the extortion I must pay in order to be allowed to retain physical possession of the truck I paid for ( in full – to the seller ) 13 years ago .
That ’ s another roughly $ 1,300 .
Many people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ property tax is based on the value of the property .
The more you own , the more Uncle steals .
The Best of Eric Peters

Ever get tired of being mulcted? Yeah, me too. So I decided to stop being mulcted . . . at least a little bit. And decided to spend some of my money on something besides being mulcted… well, some of what’s left over of my money after being mulcted!
Repeatedly – serially – mulcted.
Uncle steals about 30 percent of every dollar the average person earns, in federal (including FICA “contributions”) and state income taxes.
With what’s left over, we buy things – which are taxed again at the time of purchase. Then taxed again – when it comes to vehicles – for a title (to something we already own – at least, supposedly) and then taxed once more to “register” it and again (in many states) for the mandatory privilege of “registering” it with the government, which then taxes every gallon of fuel we buy as well as every tire, brake pad and can of fuel-injector cleaner we buy to service and maintain it.
What was it the American Revolution was supposed to have accomplished?

Anyhow, all this paying is . . . taxing. Less for us – endless for them, the legions of parasites and thieves styled “government” and embodied by the grasping geezer called Uncle. Amazon.com Gift Card i... Buy New $25.00 (as of 11:14 UTC - Details)
At some point, we must push back – or else we’ll end up with nothing at all.
I decided to end up with something this time – a new stereo for me. Which I was able to buy because I didn’t waste money on “registering” my old truck. I figure I have paid enough of that already.
How much? About $55 annually for the past 13 years, so $715. It is not small potatoes – especially when one considers the (roughly) $100 I am forced to hand over in addition to that each year – the property tax, aka, the extortion I must pay in order to be allowed to retain physical possession of the truck I paid for (in full – to the seller) 13 years ago.
That’s another roughly $1,300. Many people pay much more than that as the property tax is based on the value of the property. The more you own, the more Uncle steals.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Eric Peters


lewrockwell--2020-03-12--And the Winner is? Deflation.

And the Winner is? Deflation.

Back in August I penned a post called , “ The Battle of the ‘ Flations Has Begun.
” With an historic 2000 point drop in the Dow Jones Industrials on Monday in response to Saudi Arabia and Russia declaring an oil price war on , well , everyone it ’ s clear that one of the two ‘ flations , deflation , has won out .
In retrospect the timing out that post was pretty good , because just a few weeks later the repo markets seized up , SOFR zoomed to an all-time high of more than 10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its slumber to begin intervening to keep markets from collapsing .
It initiated a reflation trade based on the hope that the Fed just being there was all that was needed to restore confidence in global markets .
In that post I made the point that the choice between inflation and deflation is a non-choice .
They are two sides of the same coin .
The question is only who benefits from which side .
Those in power always choose inflation because , in their minds , it is less upsetting to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power rests on maintaining the current social order .
Myths , Lies and Oil Wars F. William Engdahl Best Price : $ 33.55 Buy New $ 7.93 Deflation benefits savers and , frankly , normal people who don ’ t have access to new money at the lowest available prices , those set by the Fed ’ s discount window .
It gives them back power stolen from them through inflation .
The media helps this narrative limp along bamboozling all of us with poorly-conceived first order analysis of why we want inflation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recipients of this government/central bank largess through advertising fees paid with a portion of this fake capital .
They inflate to maintain their power and their illusion of control over the forces of economic law .
But more importantly , they inflate because they can .
And worse than that , they do so by conjuring this new money out of thin air by selling debt against our labor .
It is , frankly , beyond criminal .
Those on the left endlessly crying about evil corporations miss the point that it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spending far beyond its means .
Wresting control of the government and sticking it to the man , as the Bernie Bros want to do , isn ’ t the solution .
It ’ s just becoming part of the problem .
They miss the fundamental dynamic of debt-based money .
It ’ s a tax against your future labor .
We are all debt serfs in a world where the money in your pocket is a liability owed to someone else .
That ’ s not community .
That ’ s usury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global financial system is that those who are closest to power borrow at the best rates , sell that money to us at a markup while the government spends it without limit .
This crowds us out of the market for goods and services , further driving up costs to the productive portion of the economy , us .
In effect it ’ s a form of double taxation that ’ s applied before they then collect taxes at every stage of production .
And in the off chance we actually turn a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ punitively tax that income as well .
But , hey , didn ’ t you know , you can now borrow for a new mortgage at the lowest rates in history .
You can buy a new car , a depreciating asset , for longer term than the life of the car .
You can have it all and have it now .
Debt is patriotic .
It boosts GDP !
Saving is bad .
It causes recessions .
I know this because some self-important very smart person misread John Maynard Keynes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In short this system is designed to give to government and its consiglieres the outrageous advantage of spending tomorrow ’ s money at yesterday ’ s prices for today ’ s goods .
And punishing us in every way for daring to save even a penny of our meager earnings .
So hostile have they become to savers that they have instituted negative interest rates to further push up the velocity of money hoping to whip up some of that old time inflation to keep the value of their assets from falling .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the basis for the pool of investible capital .
That savings is deployed at a market rate of interest based on the risks associated with that investment .
Mucking with interest rates distorts the use of available capital .
It is capital destructive in the end , as eventually the amount of debt issued supporting the economic activity is greater than the profit generated by that activity .
That creates the bust and in the words of the late Neil Peart , “ all those wasted years.
“ Because it is time that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
And our time is the only truly scarce resource in the world since none of us get out of here alive .
Ultimately this inflation game is a Ponzi scheme .
The amount of money going to pay off the debt eventually becomes greater than the next round of debt you can sell to the greater fool .
And no amount of money printing can fill the void when the entire edifice begins to collapse .
That ’ s what ’ s happening today .
There is no fixing the plumbing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repo window .
Nor can lower interest rates help stimulate demand no matter what President Trump thinks .
So he can berate the Fed all he likes , rates want to go higher because the demand for dollars is acute and the market is willing to pay a far higher rate than 1.0 % to get them .
All that can happen now is assets deflate and into that vortex of deflation they ’ ll pour endless amounts of new money in the vain hope of filling up the void .
What happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saved , Russia , decided that it no longer wanted to subsidize those who have borrowed to the hilt .
When Russia said , “ No !
” on Friday to cutting production to support asset prices based on $ 60 per barrel oil , they were saying that ’ s enough .
Against the Left : A Ro ... Llewellyn H Rockwell Jr Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 8.00 I like to think of global trade in real goods as the M0 , or base money , of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that which is the M0 of that .
All of the credit , government debt , corporate debt , stocks prices and the rest are simply credit derivatives in a fractional reserve banking system of that fundamental trade in goods and services .
And the value of the monetary base for global trade was just halved in the last six weeks with the price of oil crashing from $ 70 per barrel ( Brent ) to around $ 35 .
We all know what happens with the Fed raises rates and contracts its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So why should we be surprised that Russia prompted a reset of all valuations when they are the ones whose political power is degraded by a world leveraged up on an oil price that is too high ?
The outrageous benefit of this debt-based Ponzi scheme run by the West has morphed into a the ultimate punishment tool for those who stand against it .
This move will force trillions in debt to be liquidated .
Prices will adjust down .
Debtor economies which are in desperate need of U.S. dollars , just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , making it far easier for real people to get to work , buy food , pay off debt and build a life for themselves .
Those who have saved in real assets , like gold , just saw their wealth double in real terms over the past few days .
All Russia had to do was look Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the eye and say no .
Bin Salman took the bait and cut off what ’ s left of his kingdom to spite Putin ’ s face .
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 per barrel oil .
All the debt the U.S. has issued to enslave the world supporting those assets at higher prices now have to be repriced .
Russia , as a net saver , chose deflation as the way forward .
As I said on Friday , this is the moment they have been preparing for for years .
The number of dollars you have is irrelevant .
It is only what you can buy with that money that gives that money power .
Deflation is the transfer of wealth back from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purchasing power of your money and the liquidation of over-priced assets by desperate debtors trying to remain solvent .
The cries and howls you hear today are from debtors .
Savers smiled .
Gold held its water .
Russia ’ s balance sheet held firm thanks to years of buying it on sale and storing it away for the right moment .
This is why Russia is saying they can weather $ 25 per barrel oil longer than anyone else .
Because they can .
Will it be easy ?
No .
Do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they if they have to ?
Yes .
And if the West does what it is likely to do , print to inflate away the debt coupled with massive stimulus spending , which is what I ’ m expecting from both Christine Lagarde at the ECB and Donald Trump in the U.S. then Russia ’ s clean balance sheet and its prodigious gold reserves will insulate them from the chaos while asset prices deflate .
And that ’ s the lesson to all of us .
It ’ s time for savers to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s time for a little pain to be felt by those who have inflicted it without end for so long .
Deflation is hard but at this point it is hardest on those who have lent the most .
They are the ones screaming for relief today .
They are the ones bellying up to the repo window in record numbers .
And they will be the ones who will have to sue for peace in the end .
I keep reminding you that when you owe the bank a thousand dollars it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owe the bank a few billion , it ’ s the bank ’ s problem .
And today the banks ’ problems are multiplying like mushrooms in cow shit after a good rain .
The Best of Thomas Luongo

Back in August I penned a post called, “The Battle of the ‘Flations Has Begun.”
With an historic 2000 point drop in the Dow Jones Industrials on Monday in response to Saudi Arabia and Russia declaring an oil price war on, well, everyone it’s clear that one of the two ‘flations, deflation, has won out.
In retrospect the timing out that post was pretty good, because just a few weeks later the repo markets seized up, SOFR zoomed to an all-time high of more than 10% and the Fed was awoken from its slumber to begin intervening to keep markets from collapsing.
It initiated a reflation trade based on the hope that the Fed just being there was all that was needed to restore confidence in global markets.
In that post I made the point that the choice between inflation and deflation is a non-choice. They are two sides of the same coin. The question is only who benefits from which side.
Those in power always choose inflation because, in their minds, it is less upsetting to the social order than deflation.
And their power rests on maintaining the current social order. Myths, Lies and Oil Wars F. William Engdahl Best Price: $33.55 Buy New $7.93 (as of 08:30 UTC - Details)
Deflation benefits savers and, frankly, normal people who don’t have access to new money at the lowest available prices, those set by the Fed’s discount window.
It gives them back power stolen from them through inflation.
The media helps this narrative limp along bamboozling all of us with poorly-conceived first order analysis of why we want inflation while refusing to admit they are a recipients of this government/central bank largess through advertising fees paid with a portion of this fake capital.
They inflate to maintain their power and their illusion of control over the forces of economic law.
But more importantly, they inflate because they can.
And worse than that, they do so by conjuring this new money out of thin air by selling debt against our labor.
It is, frankly, beyond criminal.
Those on the left endlessly crying about evil corporations miss the point that it is government itself which creates this dynamic, spending far beyond its means. Wresting control of the government and sticking it to the man, as the Bernie Bros want to do, isn’t the solution.
It’s just becoming part of the problem.
They miss the fundamental dynamic of debt-based money. It’s a tax against your future labor. We are all debt serfs in a world where the money in your pocket is a liability owed to someone else.
That’s not community. That’s usury. And the great game of our global financial system is that those who are closest to power borrow at the best rates, sell that money to us at a markup while the government spends it without limit.
This crowds us out of the market for goods and services, further driving up costs to the productive portion of the economy, us. In effect it’s a form of double taxation that’s applied before they then collect taxes at every stage of production.
And in the off chance we actually turn a profit on any of this, they punitively tax that income as well.
But, hey, didn’t you know, you can now borrow for a new mortgage at the lowest rates in history. You can buy a new car, a depreciating asset, for longer term than the life of the car.
You can have it all and have it now. Debt is patriotic. It boosts GDP!
Saving is bad. It causes recessions. I know this because some self-important very smart person misread John Maynard Keynes, c.f. The Paradox of Thrift.
In short this system is designed to give to government and its consiglieres the outrageous advantage of spending tomorrow’s money at yesterday’s prices for today’s goods.
And punishing us in every way for daring to save even a penny of our meager earnings. So hostile have they become to savers that they have instituted negative interest rates to further push up the velocity of money hoping to whip up some of that old time inflation to keep the value of their assets from falling.
In a real economy, savings forms the basis for the pool of investible capital. That savings is deployed at a market rate of interest based on the risks associated with that investment.
Mucking with interest rates distorts the use of available capital. It is capital destructive in the end, as eventually the amount of debt issued supporting the economic activity is greater than the profit generated by that activity.
That creates the bust and in the words of the late Neil Peart, “all those wasted years.“
Because it is time that is stolen from us with this terrible system. And our time is the only truly scarce resource in the world since none of us get out of here alive.
Ultimately this inflation game is a Ponzi scheme. The amount of money going to pay off the debt eventually becomes greater than the next round of debt you can sell to the greater fool.
And no amount of money printing can fill the void when the entire edifice begins to collapse.
That’s what’s happening today. There is no fixing the plumbing of the global financial system at the repo window. Nor can lower interest rates help stimulate demand no matter what President Trump thinks.
So he can berate the Fed all he likes, rates want to go higher because the demand for dollars is acute and the market is willing to pay a far higher rate than 1.0% to get them.
All that can happen now is assets deflate and into that vortex of deflation they’ll pour endless amounts of new money in the vain hope of filling up the void.
What happened this week occurs when one who has saved, Russia, decided that it no longer wanted to subsidize those who have borrowed to the hilt. When Russia said, “No!” on Friday to cutting production to support asset prices based on $60 per barrel oil, they were saying that’s enough. Against the Left: A Ro... Rockwell Jr, Llewellyn H Best Price: $2.85 Buy New $8.00 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
I like to think of global trade in real goods as the M0, or base money, of the global financial system and the oil trade that which is the M0 of that.
All of the credit, government debt, corporate debt, stocks prices and the rest are simply credit derivatives in a fractional reserve banking system of that fundamental trade in goods and services.
And the value of the monetary base for global trade was just halved in the last six weeks with the price of oil crashing from $70 per barrel (Brent) to around $35.
We all know what happens with the Fed raises rates and contracts its balance sheet. We get deflation.
So why should we be surprised that Russia prompted a reset of all valuations when they are the ones whose political power is degraded by a world leveraged up on an oil price that is too high?
The outrageous benefit of this debt-based Ponzi scheme run by the West has morphed into a the ultimate punishment tool for those who stand against it.
This move will force trillions in debt to be liquidated. Prices will adjust down. Debtor economies which are in desperate need of U.S. dollars, just had their energy costs cut in half, making it far easier for real people to get to work, buy food, pay off debt and build a life for themselves.
Those who have saved in real assets, like gold, just saw their wealth double in real terms over the past few days.
All Russia had to do was look Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the eye and say no. Bin Salman took the bait and cut off what’s left of his kingdom to spite Putin’s face.
Both countries feel comfortable for now with $30 per barrel oil. All the debt the U.S. has issued to enslave the world supporting those assets at higher prices now have to be repriced.
Russia, as a net saver, chose deflation as the way forward. As I said on Friday, this is the moment they have been preparing for for years.
The number of dollars you have is irrelevant. It is only what you can buy with that money that gives that money power.
Deflation is the transfer of wealth back from debtors to savers through the increase in purchasing power of your money and the liquidation of over-priced assets by desperate debtors trying to remain solvent.
The cries and howls you hear today are from debtors. Savers smiled. Gold held its water. Russia’s balance sheet held firm thanks to years of buying it on sale and storing it away for the right moment.
This is why Russia is saying they can weather $25 per barrel oil longer than anyone else. Because they can.
Will it be easy? No. Do they want to? No. Will they if they have to? Yes.
And if the West does what it is likely to do, print to inflate away the debt coupled with massive stimulus spending, which is what I’m expecting from both Christine Lagarde at the ECB and Donald Trump in the U.S. then Russia’s clean balance sheet and its prodigious gold reserves will insulate them from the chaos while asset prices deflate.
And that’s the lesson to all of us. It’s time for savers to stand up for themselves. It’s time for a little pain to be felt by those who have inflicted it without end for so long. Deflation is hard but at this point it is hardest on those who have lent the most.
They are the ones screaming for relief today. They are the ones bellying up to the repo window in record numbers. And they will be the ones who will have to sue for peace in the end.
I keep reminding you that when you owe the bank a thousand dollars it’s your problem. When you owe the bank a few billion, it’s the bank’s problem.
And today the banks’ problems are multiplying like mushrooms in cow shit after a good rain.
Reprinted with permission from Gold Goats ‘n Guns.
The Best of Tom Luongo


lewrockwell--2020-03-12--US Now Openly Admits Its Goal in Syria Is To Make It ‘Difficult’ for Moscow and Damascus To Defeat T

US Now Openly Admits Its Goal in Syria Is To Make It ‘Difficult’ for Moscow and Damascus To Defeat Terrorists

The State Department ’ s special envoy for Syria has just admitted that the US aims to defend jihadist militants in Idlib against ‘ Russian aggression , ’ proving once again that the swamp in Foggy Bottom is alive and well .
Russia and the Syrian government “ are out to get a military victory in all of Syria , ” Ambassador James Jeffrey told reporters on a conference call out of Brussels on Tuesday .
To illustrate these methods , Jeffrey cited the US threat to respond “ in a very savage military way ” against any chemical attacks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorite tactic of the Syrian regime in making advances.
” This is factually untrue , since the alleged attacks always happen after Syrian Army victories , as a pretext for US intervention .
Jeffrey also noted that there are US and coalition troops in parts of Syria – officially there to fight Islamic State ( IS , formerly ISIS ) , but in actuality “ guarding ” the oil fields .
He tellingly described their presence as “ a complication ” for the Syrian government .
Jeffrey and US ambassador to Turkey David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’ s visit , to discuss ways the US and NATO can help Ankara protect its pet militants in their last remaining redoubt – Syria ’ s Idlib province .
But while Satterfield described Idlib as containing “ three million-plus innocent civilians , the majority of whom are women and children , ” and accused “ Russian aggression ” of seeking to displace them , listen to how Jeffrey chose to describe the situation , when asked by a CNN reporter if NATO was considering sending in ground troops : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delusional , as the Syrian army had successfully rolled up the Turkish-backed militants and the ceasefire Ankara agreed to in Moscow last week confirmed that .
The real revelation here is that the militants are described as Turkey ’ s “ opposition.
” Contrast this with the words of Colonel Myles Caggins , spokesman for the anti-ISIS coalition ’ s military arm , just three weeks ago : “ Idlib province seems to be a magnet for terrorist groups , especially because it is an ungoverned space in many ways , ” Caggins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ a ] variety of groups there — all of them are a nuisance , a menace and a threat to… hundreds of thousands of civilians who are just trying to make it through the winter.
” Official Lies : How Was ... James T. Bennett , Thom ... Best Price : $ 1.90 Buy New $ 38.50 Bear in mind that Jeffrey doubles as Washington ’ s special envoy to the coalition against IS , that infamous Schroedinger entity that either doesn ’ t exist any more – when US President Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-proclaimed caliphate – or is about to make a resurgence big time and requires US military presence in perpetuity to prevent that , as the State Department and the Pentagon prefer to see it .
Needless to say , this entrenched insistence on legacy policies doesn ’ t do much for Trump ’ s promise to pull out US troops from “ endless wars ” in the Middle East .
Neither Jeffrey nor Satterfield , nor any of the reporters asking them questions , mentioned even once the existence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al-Nusra , an Al-Qaeda affiliate whose fighters dominate the ranks of the militants in Idlib .
Listening to them , one might think it doesn ’ t exist !
Jeffrey and Satterfield openly admit that an outright Syrian victory over these terrorists would deny the “ international community ” – as they style the US and its allies – the leverage to insist on regime change in Damascus .
Which is incredibly rich in irony given that the sole legal pretext on which the US has any troops in Syria , in open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congressional authorization to use force against… Al-Qaeda .

The State Department’s special envoy for Syria has just admitted that the US aims to defend jihadist militants in Idlib against ‘Russian aggression,’ proving once again that the swamp in Foggy Bottom is alive and well.
Russia and the Syrian government “are out to get a military victory in all of Syria,” Ambassador James Jeffrey told reporters on a conference call out of Brussels on Tuesday.
Our goal is to make it very difficult for them to do that by a variety of diplomatic, military, and other actions.
To illustrate these methods, Jeffrey cited the US threat to respond “in a very savage military way” against any chemical attacks, which he described as “a favorite tactic of the Syrian regime in making advances.” This is factually untrue, since the alleged attacks always happen after Syrian Army victories, as a pretext for US intervention.
Jeffrey also noted that there are US and coalition troops in parts of Syria – officially there to fight Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), but in actuality “guarding” the oil fields. He tellingly described their presence as “a complication” for the Syrian government.
Jeffrey and US ambassador to Turkey David Satterfield were in Brussels after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit, to discuss ways the US and NATO can help Ankara protect its pet militants in their last remaining redoubt – Syria’s Idlib province.
But while Satterfield described Idlib as containing “three million-plus innocent civilians, the majority of whom are women and children,” and accused “Russian aggression” of seeking to displace them, listen to how Jeffrey chose to describe the situation, when asked by a CNN reporter if NATO was considering sending in ground troops:
I think you can forget ground troops. Turkey has demonstrated ably that it and its opposition forces are more than capable of holding ground on their own.
This is either appallingly ignorant or downright delusional, as the Syrian army had successfully rolled up the Turkish-backed militants and the ceasefire Ankara agreed to in Moscow last week confirmed that.
Résumé par dates clés de l’opération de l’armée syrienne dans la région d’#Idlib jusqu’à l’accord de cessez-le-feu négocié par la #Russie et la #Turquie (phase 1 : 6 mai – 31 août 2019 ; phase 2 : 19 déc 2019 – 6 mars 2020) pic.twitter.com/FcNWUThWBa — Syria Intelligence (@syriaintel) March 8, 2020
The real revelation here is that the militants are described as Turkey’s “opposition.” Contrast this with the words of Colonel Myles Caggins, spokesman for the anti-ISIS coalition’s military arm, just three weeks ago:
“Idlib province seems to be a magnet for terrorist groups, especially because it is an ungoverned space in many ways,” Caggins told Sky News. “There are [a] variety of groups there — all of them are a nuisance, a menace and a threat to… hundreds of thousands of civilians who are just trying to make it through the winter.” Official Lies: How Was... James T. Bennett, Thom... Best Price: $1.90 Buy New $38.50 (as of 08:05 UTC - Details)
Bear in mind that Jeffrey doubles as Washington’s special envoy to the coalition against IS, that infamous Schroedinger entity that either doesn’t exist any more – when US President Donald Trump seeks to claim victory against the self-proclaimed caliphate – or is about to make a resurgence big time and requires US military presence in perpetuity to prevent that, as the State Department and the Pentagon prefer to see it.
Needless to say, this entrenched insistence on legacy policies doesn’t do much for Trump’s promise to pull out US troops from “endless wars” in the Middle East.
Neither Jeffrey nor Satterfield, nor any of the reporters asking them questions, mentioned even once the existence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the latest incarnation of the notorious Al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate whose fighters dominate the ranks of the militants in Idlib. Listening to them, one might think it doesn’t exist!
Jeffrey and Satterfield openly admit that an outright Syrian victory over these terrorists would deny the “international community” – as they style the US and its allies – the leverage to insist on regime change in Damascus. Which is incredibly rich in irony given that the sole legal pretext on which the US has any troops in Syria, in open violation of international law, is a congressional authorization to use force against… Al-Qaeda.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.