lewrockwell--2020-12-22--How Bergoglio Gets ‘the Common Good’ Wrong

In a New York Times op-ed full of musings on how to “ build a better , different , human future , ” Pope Francis praised world governments for putting “ the well-being of their people first ” while ridiculing critics of the covid-19 lockdowns .
Juxtaposed with Francis ’ s condemnation of skeptics in the prestigious newspaper , Tom Woods ’ s antilockdown “ Covid Cult ” speech was deleted by YouTube two days prior .
That video , which had already gone viral , addressed the “ common good ” argument that the pope would make .
Considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media have been on covid and the lockdowns from the start , it ’ s no wonder that platforms such as YouTube have a personal beef with Woods or his sober message calling out the pseudoscience that ’ s been used to destroy people ’ s lives and livelihoods .
Murder in Mesopotamia : ... Christie , Agatha Best Price : $ 15.07 Buy New $ 20.07 With the support of the Times and other establishment outlets , Francis urged readers to consider the “ common good ” as a demand for sacrifice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that impacts only a tiny fraction of the population and usually not fatally , is the perfect excuse for mass sacrifice .
Francis wrote that governments are “ acting decisively to protect health and to save lives ” by “ imposing strict measures to contain the outbreak.
” But if you were to base your understanding of what lockdowns have accomplished on what Francis had to say alone , you would think we were living , or dying , in 1347 under the Black Death .
“ Governments that shrugged off the painful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great deal of pain , the supreme pontiff wrote .
While the jury is still out on what should even be considered a covid death , there is , indeed , enough evidence to suggest that the “ strict measures to contain the outbreak ” that he praised simply have not worked .
During his speech , Woods argued that the response to covid was and remains completely disproportionate , especially as we become more aware of how the virus operates .
He also chronicled how the nearly universal lockdowns caused more pain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ There are other concerns in the world other than covid , ” Woods said , a fact completely ignored by Francis in his op-ed .
Woods further argued that countries like Spain and Italy , which “ locked down [ early ] and hard ” saw no benefit from doing so .
Countries like Sweden , which never locked down , saw a fraction of the deaths that the “ listen to the science ” crowd estimated while seeing no lockdown-related suffering and excess deaths .
As a matter of fact , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a mistake .
In what became known as the Great Barrington Declaration , reputable infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists explained that the death toll caused by the lockdowns will far surpass anything precipitated by covid .
The Monogram Murders : ... Christie , Agatha Best Price : $ 4.91 Buy New $ 10.42 Allowing iron-fisted shutdowns to remain in place , the group of scientists added , “ will cause irreparable damage , with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed.
” Despite their warnings , which first appeared online on October 4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mock critics of lockdowns for their alleged overreliance on “ personal freedom ” to justify their opinion .
They are going against the common good , the pontiff wrote , and they are serving “ idols.
” After governments imposed “ responsible ” lockdowns , Francis argued , “ some groups protested , refusing to keep their distance , marching against travel restrictions—as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom !
” They are wrong , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he ?
The Seen and the Unseen In his now famous “ That Which Is Seen , and That Which Is Not Seen ” essay , French liberal school economist Claude-Frederic Bastiat wrote that when it comes to the economy , an act or law brought about by the government “ gives birth not only to an effect , but to a series of effects.
” What many lockdown critics have consistently argued is that it is the effect that isn ’ t immediately seen that would be more costly to society than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern that has driven the medical professionals associated with the Barrington Declaration to speak up , as well as countless working-class Americans and Europeans who found no other way to vent their frustration but to take it to the streets , as highlighted by Woods : Cards on the Table : A ... Christie , Agatha Best Price : $ 1.86 Buy New $ 9.01 Yet to Francis , the common good dictates we lock down the globe , jeopardizing the future of the young , the livelihood of the working class , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of mental distress .
If the concern for “ the least fortunate ” is what drives Francis , pursuing a strawman on the New York Times isn ’ t how he wins .
If he is honest in calling for more solidarity in the age of covid , he should begin by being charitable with those praying for an end to the lockdowns .
As countless people suffer both physical and emotional pain over the draconian restrictions on basic freedoms , the number of lives lost due to what Woods calls the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Note : The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute .

In a New York Times op-ed full of musings on how to “build a better, different, human future,” Pope Francis praised world governments for putting “the well-being of their people first” while ridiculing critics of the covid-19 lockdowns.
Juxtaposed with Francis’s condemnation of skeptics in the prestigious newspaper, Tom Woods’s antilockdown “Covid Cult” speech was deleted by YouTube two days prior. That video, which had already gone viral, addressed the “common good” argument that the pope would make.
Considering how wrong both the legacy and new media have been on covid and the lockdowns from the start, it’s no wonder that platforms such as YouTube have a personal beef with Woods or his sober message calling out the pseudoscience that’s been used to destroy people’s lives and livelihoods. Murder in Mesopotamia:... Christie, Agatha Best Price: $4.25 Buy New $7.95 (as of 08:44 UTC - Details)
With the support of the Times and other establishment outlets, Francis urged readers to consider the “common good” as a demand for sacrifice. Covid, a flu-like respiratory illness that impacts only a tiny fraction of the population and usually not fatally, is the perfect excuse for mass sacrifice.
Francis wrote that governments are “acting decisively to protect health and to save lives” by “imposing strict measures to contain the outbreak.” But if you were to base your understanding of what lockdowns have accomplished on what Francis had to say alone, you would think we were living, or dying, in 1347 under the Black Death.
“Governments that shrugged off the painful evidence of mounting deaths” caused a great deal of pain, the supreme pontiff wrote.
While the jury is still out on what should even be considered a covid death, there is, indeed, enough evidence to suggest that the “strict measures to contain the outbreak” that he praised simply have not worked.
The Wrong Approach
During his speech, Woods argued that the response to covid was and remains completely disproportionate, especially as we become more aware of how the virus operates. He also chronicled how the nearly universal lockdowns caused more pain and suffering than the disease itself.
“There are other concerns in the world other than covid,” Woods said, a fact completely ignored by Francis in his op-ed.
Woods further argued that countries like Spain and Italy, which “locked down [early] and hard” saw no benefit from doing so. Countries like Sweden, which never locked down, saw a fraction of the deaths that the “listen to the science” crowd estimated while seeing no lockdown-related suffering and excess deaths.
As a matter of fact, even medical researchers think that lockdowns were a mistake.
In what became known as the Great Barrington Declaration, reputable infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists explained that the death toll caused by the lockdowns will far surpass anything precipitated by covid. The Monogram Murders: ... Christie, Agatha Best Price: $2.02 Buy New $8.79 (as of 08:44 UTC - Details)
Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health—leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden.
Allowing iron-fisted shutdowns to remain in place, the group of scientists added, “will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed.”
Despite their warnings, which first appeared online on October 4, 2020, Francis did not hesitate to mock critics of lockdowns for their alleged overreliance on “personal freedom” to justify their opinion. They are going against the common good, the pontiff wrote, and they are serving “idols.”
After governments imposed “responsible” lockdowns, Francis argued, “some groups protested, refusing to keep their distance, marching against travel restrictions—as if measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom!”
They are wrong, he jabbed.
Looking to the common good is much more than the sum of what is good for individuals. It means having a regard for all citizens and seeking to respond effectively to the needs of the least fortunate.
Then why isn’t he?
The Seen and the Unseen
In his now famous “That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen” essay, French liberal school economist Claude-Frederic Bastiat wrote that when it comes to the economy, an act or law brought about by the government “gives birth not only to an effect, but to a series of effects.”
Of these effects, the first only is immediate; it manifests itself simultaneously with its cause—it is seen. The others unfold in succession—they are not seen.
What many lockdown critics have consistently argued is that it is the effect that isn’t immediately seen that would be more costly to society than covid itself. It is exactly that concern that has driven the medical professionals associated with the Barrington Declaration to speak up, as well as countless working-class Americans and Europeans who found no other way to vent their frustration but to take it to the streets, as highlighted by Woods: Cards on the Table: A ... Christie, Agatha Best Price: $4.38 Buy New $12.61 (as of 08:44 UTC - Details)
In Italy and the United Kingdom, at least some people are fighting back. The last lockdown took everything they had. One video, which has gone viral, shows an Italian woman crying that she has lost everything, and has nothing to feed her child. I guess she better listen to the science right?
Yet to Francis, the common good dictates we lock down the globe, jeopardizing the future of the young, the livelihood of the working class, and condemning countless kids to a life of mental distress.
If the concern for “the least fortunate” is what drives Francis, pursuing a strawman on the New York Times isn’t how he wins.
If he is honest in calling for more solidarity in the age of covid, he should begin by being charitable with those praying for an end to the lockdowns. As countless people suffer both physical and emotional pain over the draconian restrictions on basic freedoms, the number of lives lost due to what Woods calls the “covid cult” will only rise.
Note: The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute.


lewrockwell--2020-12-22--Are We Facing a Future Where Life Only Goes ‘Back to Normal’ for Rich People?

As jobs and businesses vanish , and prices go up , Americans could soon face another expense – the expense of proving that they ’ re “ healthy.
” While the government tells us that the Covid vaccinations are going to be “ free , ” are they really ?
Let ’ s take a look .
How much will it actually cost to get vaccinated against Covid ?
While the government is paying for the vaccine itself , it will still cost money for most people to get injected with it .
However , providers will be able to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shot to patients , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
This would be similar to paying a charge when you visit the doctor ’ s office , or for specialized vaccine delivery , such as infusion , a process in which a substance — like medication , a chemotherapy drug or hydration — enters the bloodstream intravenously .
If you don ’ t have insurance , the medical provider you used should be reimbursed for any COVID-19 treatment you receive through the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you receive a bill for administration fees , it ’ s still unclear whether or not those will be covered in full .
It ’ s a good idea to contact your local provider or health insurance company for more details on whether you ’ ll be charged additional fees before receiving a vaccine .
It might be that you have more than one option for immunization , including finding a medical provider that would give you the vaccine free of charge , or offer a more straightforward approach to reimbursement if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agatha Christie Thompson , Laura Best Price : $ 7.51 Buy New $ 19.93 So it ’ s kind of free , sort of , unless somebody charges you but then you might be able to get your money back .
Multiply by your number of family members .
And what about all the apps for proving you ’ ve gotten vaccinated ?
Will that be government-funded or will people pay a few bucks to the app store to download it onto their smartphones ?
What about people who don ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no longer afford phone service ?
I think it ’ s pretty easy to see that this could become an escalating expense for some and completely unaffordable for others .
If you ’ ve never been in a position where an added $ 5 expense could make or break your grocery bill , then it may be difficult for you to understand how tough this could be on families who have suddenly found themselves living in ever-deepening poverty .
How will you manage if you can ’ t prove that you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businesses and services may require people to prove that they don ’ t have covid with a recent test ( probably not a free one once people are doing the tests for recreational purposes ) or proof of vaccination .
But that ’ s not all .
Schools and workplaces may make proof of health mandatory as well .
So what happens if you can ’ t afford your vaccine or documentation ?
Does that mean your kids can ’ t go to school and that you can ’ t go to work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of work for months but to get a new job , you must show your proof of health and/or vaccination ?
And what about public transit ?
I ’ m not talking about flights to Europe – I ’ m talking about taking the bus or an Uber so you can get to work ?
What about entering stores ?
As private businesses , they have the right to choose those with whom they do business as long as discrimination can ’ t be proven .
How can a poor person get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can ’ t afford vaccination and proof of vaccination ?
Who needs a social credit system when you can just shut down entire sectors of society because they can ’ t provide proof they ’ ve gotten their shots ?
You know , like the little rabies tag your dog gets for his collar after he ’ s vaccinated by the vet .
The transfer of wealth has been enormous…and will continue to be .
Covid and the subsequent government restrictions have all but wiped out the middle class , sweeping millions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and poverty as they struggle to survive .
Countless businesses have collapsed under the weighty mandates .
Chapter 11 Bankruptcies are up by 48 % this year .
Meanwhile , enormous corporations like Walmart , Home Depot , and Amazon have seen soaring profits .
Jim Cramer , a financial analyst for CNBC calls it one of the greatest transfer of wealth in history .
The Body in the Librar ... Christie , Agatha Best Price : $ 3.08 Buy New $ 10.93 Cramer believes that the recovery of the stock market has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery of the economy at large – for which his outlook is grim .
Although he supports another stimulus package for small businesses , it ’ s unlikely to be enough .
And he ’ s right – what good will paying the rent do ( aside from short-term good for the property owner ) if nobody is allowed to patronize the business due to more government-mandated shutdowns ?
What happens next ?
As these giant companies rake in the profit and Mom & Pop businesses go under , what happens next ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to impossible and it will soon be even harder as the second wave of lockdowns intensifies .
More businesses will go under .
More jobs will disappear .
And then the much-vaunted vaccine will arrive to save the day ( also making a hefty profit for Big Pharma – don ’ t leave them out when you think about this transfer of wealth . )
It ’ ll save the day for those who can afford it , anyway .
And for those who can afford to prove they ’ ve gotten it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... Christie , Agatha Best Price : $ 3.29 Buy New $ 8.35 Poor folks aren ’ t going to go straight to the front of the line .
As it stands , senior government officials are at the front of the line , then healthcare workers , then employees and residents of nursing homes .
Next will be essential workers , those with comorbidities , and the elderly .
Each state ’ s governor will decide the pecking order .
Dr. Anthony Fauci says that the ordinary person shouldn ’ t expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or June of 2021 .
Oh – or if you have the option of making a $ 25,000 donation to a hospital , you might be able to bump the line and get your vaccination before the peons do .
So don ’ t expect all this to happen quickly .
Don ’ t expect the jobs to come back , the businesses to reopen , and life to return to normal when the calendar flips to 2021 .
And unless you ’ re rich , you might not ever see that pre-covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Organic Prepper .
The Best of Daisy Luther

As jobs and businesses vanish, and prices go up, Americans could soon face another expense – the expense of proving that they’re “healthy.”
While the government tells us that the Covid vaccinations are going to be “free,” are they really? Let’s take a look.
How much will it actually cost to get vaccinated against Covid?
While the government is paying for the vaccine itself, it will still cost money for most people to get injected with it.
However, providers will be able to bill you an administrative fee for giving the shot to patients, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This would be similar to paying a charge when you visit the doctor’s office, or for specialized vaccine delivery, such as infusion, a process in which a substance — like medication, a chemotherapy drug or hydration — enters the bloodstream intravenously. If you don’t have insurance, the medical provider you used should be reimbursed for any COVID-19 treatment you receive through the CARES Act Provider Relief Fund, at no cost to you. …If you receive a bill for administration fees, it’s still unclear whether or not those will be covered in full. It’s a good idea to contact your local provider or health insurance company for more details on whether you’ll be charged additional fees before receiving a vaccine. It might be that you have more than one option for immunization, including finding a medical provider that would give you the vaccine free of charge, or offer a more straightforward approach to reimbursement if you’re charged. (source)
Agatha Christie: A Mys... Thompson, Laura Best Price: $6.06 Buy New $146.75 (as of 05:52 UTC - Details) So it’s kind of free, sort of, unless somebody charges you but then you might be able to get your money back. Multiply by your number of family members.
And what about all the apps for proving you’ve gotten vaccinated? Will that be government-funded or will people pay a few bucks to the app store to download it onto their smartphones? What about people who don’t have phones? What about those who can no longer afford phone service?
I think it’s pretty easy to see that this could become an escalating expense for some and completely unaffordable for others. If you’ve never been in a position where an added $5 expense could make or break your grocery bill, then it may be difficult for you to understand how tough this could be on families who have suddenly found themselves living in ever-deepening poverty.
How will you manage if you can’t prove that you’re covid-free?
Soon, all sorts of businesses and services may require people to prove that they don’t have covid with a recent test (probably not a free one once people are doing the tests for recreational purposes) or proof of vaccination.
But that’s not all. Schools and workplaces may make proof of health mandatory as well. So what happens if you can’t afford your vaccine or documentation? Does that mean your kids can’t go to school and that you can’t go to work? What if you’ve been out of work for months but to get a new job, you must show your proof of health and/or vaccination?
And what about public transit? I’m not talking about flights to Europe – I’m talking about taking the bus or an Uber so you can get to work? What about entering stores? As private businesses, they have the right to choose those with whom they do business as long as discrimination can’t be proven. How can a poor person get from Point A to Point B if they can’t afford vaccination and proof of vaccination?
Who needs a social credit system when you can just shut down entire sectors of society because they can’t provide proof they’ve gotten their shots? You know, like the little rabies tag your dog gets for his collar after he’s vaccinated by the vet.
The transfer of wealth has been enormous…and will continue to be.
Covid and the subsequent government restrictions have all but wiped out the middle class, sweeping millions of formerly financially comfortable families into debt and poverty as they struggle to survive. Countless businesses have collapsed under the weighty mandates. Chapter 11 Bankruptcies are up by 48% this year. Meanwhile, enormous corporations like Walmart, Home Depot, and Amazon have seen soaring profits.
Jim Cramer, a financial analyst for CNBC calls it one of the greatest transfer of wealth in history. The Body in the Librar... Christie, Agatha Best Price: $4.68 Buy New $13.95 (as of 08:32 UTC - Details)
The coronavirus pandemic and corresponding lockdown made way for “one of the greatest wealth transfers in history,” CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Thursday. The stock market is rising as big business rebounds from state-ordered stoppage of nonessential activity, while small businesses drop like flies, the “Mad Money” host said. “The bigger the business, the more it moves the major averages, and that matters because this is the first recession where big business … is coming through virtually unscathed, if not going for the gold,” he added. (source)
Cramer believes that the recovery of the stock market has little or nothing to do with the recovery of the economy at large – for which his outlook is grim. Although he supports another stimulus package for small businesses, it’s unlikely to be enough.
“The companies that took the money just got a big break: they only need to spend 60% on their employees to get the loans forgiven, down from the original 75%. That’s important, as most small businesses fail because they can’t afford to pay the rent,” Cramer said. “But, in the end, the stimulus package probably won’t be enough, for one simple reason,” he said. “It’s not going to work because of social distancing.” (source)
And he’s right – what good will paying the rent do (aside from short-term good for the property owner) if nobody is allowed to patronize the business due to more government-mandated shutdowns?
What happens next?
As these giant companies rake in the profit and Mom & Pop businesses go under, what happens next? Finding a job right now is next to impossible and it will soon be even harder as the second wave of lockdowns intensifies. More businesses will go under. More jobs will disappear.
And then the much-vaunted vaccine will arrive to save the day (also making a hefty profit for Big Pharma – don’t leave them out when you think about this transfer of wealth.) It’ll save the day for those who can afford it, anyway. And for those who can afford to prove they’ve gotten it. Three Act Tragedy: A H... Christie, Agatha Best Price: $3.95 Buy New $9.09 (as of 08:47 UTC - Details)
The rollout of the vaccine isn’t going to happen overnight either. There are over 330 million people in the US, but Pfizer says it expects to send the US 25 million doses by the end of 2020, or enough to vaccinate about 12.5 million Americans, as each recipient will need two doses. That’s roughly the populations of New York City and Los Angeles combined. Moderna, which has a similar type of vaccine as Pfizer, says it will be able to make about 15 million vaccine doses at first, which can treat 7.5 million people (again, two shots per person). (source)
Poor folks aren’t going to go straight to the front of the line. As it stands, senior government officials are at the front of the line, then healthcare workers, then employees and residents of nursing homes. Next will be essential workers, those with comorbidities, and the elderly. Each state’s governor will decide the pecking order. Dr. Anthony Fauci says that the ordinary person shouldn’t expect a vaccination until April, May, or June of 2021.
Oh – or if you have the option of making a $25,000 donation to a hospital, you might be able to bump the line and get your vaccination before the peons do.
So don’t expect all this to happen quickly. Don’t expect the jobs to come back, the businesses to reopen, and life to return to normal when the calendar flips to 2021.
And unless you’re rich, you might not ever see that pre-covid normal again.
Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper.
The Best of Daisy Luther


lewrockwell--2020-12-23--Can Democracy Hold Us Together?

Can Democracy Hold Us Together?

If America were a company and not a country , we would have long ago dissolved the corporation , split the blanket , and gone our separate ways .
What still holds this disputatious and divided people together ?
Consider .
In announcing the $ 900 billion stimulus bill to deal with the pandemic , Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not mention that the gifts for her distressed countrymen and women at Christmas would have been twice as large had she taken President Trump ’ s offer of $ 1.8 trillion in October .
Why did the speaker slap that offer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Price : $ 11.99 Buy New $ 15.96 “ The President only wants his name on a check to go out before Election Day and for the market to go up , ” she told House Democrats .
Rather than let Donald Trump take credit , Pelosi stiffed millions of Americans .
Sunday , however , the speaker took time for a statement to hail the removal of Robert E. Lee ’ s statue from Statuary Hall .
“ Welcome news , ” said the speaker .
“ Congress will continue our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hate.
” Lee had stood in a place of honor in the Capitol for decades .
When exactly did the statue of the general become a homage to hate ?
Both episodes point up an unpleasant truth .
Our dysfunctional American family agrees upon less and less .
By mid-November , according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll , 52 % of Republicans thought Donald Trump had “ rightfully won.
” Sixty-eight percent of Republicans thought the election was “ rigged.
” A third of independents , and even 10 % of Democrats , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll found that a third of all registered voters believe the 2020 election was stolen from Trump , with 78 % of those who voted for Trump expressing that view .
Wild : From Lost to Fou ... Strayed , Cheryl Best Price : $ 0.35 Buy New $ 9.71 In the long term , not only is the election of 2020 going to be suspect .
Also , belief in one of the sacraments of secular democracy , universal suffrage , is going to suffer .
Moreover , the issues that divide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what defines us as a nation and a people .
A slice of our intellectual elite emphatically agrees with the New York Times ’ Project 1619 , which decrees that the real birth date of this nation was neither 1776 nor 1789 , but the year that the first slave ship arrived in Virginia .
To this influential cohort , enslavement of Black people brought from Africa and dispossession and destruction of the indigenous tribes that European settlers found here are the defining events of our history .
And all who participated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to condemn them are undeserving of exaltation .
Not only Lee , but Columbus and Presidents Washington , Jefferson , Madison , Jackson , TR and Wilson are all racist white men whose disgraceful and even criminal conduct disqualifies them from a place of honor in the American pantheon of 2020 .
All statues of such men need to come down to cleanse us of the stain of having honored them .
Pelosi says that such statues are “ homages to hate.
” She may not have thought so five or 10 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What has taken place is a mass conversion .
Famous Gunfighters of ... Masterson , W. B .
( Bat ) Best Price : $ 5.57 Buy New $ 6.39 Yet , there is another America that still cherishes the nation these men created .
And , as did their fathers , grandfathers and ancestors , these Americans have shown a willingness to fight and die in her defense .
Thus do we Americans disagree on the most fundamental of issues .
Was America , is America , with all its sins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a country to be cherished , loved and defended ?
Or is America a country of whose history we should all be ashamed ?
Part of America also believes that discovery in the Constitution of a woman ’ s right to an abortion and a right of homosexuals to marry were major milestones of progress toward a more moral America .
Others see these as long strides away from the Christian country we used to be , a social and moral decline toward the same quiet death that has come to other civilizations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In short , we Americans disagree on whether our country is a good and great nation worth defending , or a place that needs a deep cultural cleansing of its sins .
And we have no common code of morality .
One side is rooted in modernism and secularism and the other in the teachings of the Old and New Testament , Christian tradition and a natural law written on the human heart that is superior to man-made law .
People who disagree upon such basic beliefs naturally drift apart , as we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arise out of these fundamental differences , and they are not insignificant .
Can a republic as fractured and splintered as ours is — racially , ethnically , politically , culturally , morally — with a population who do not share the same belief about whether their nation is good and great or failed and evil , endure ?
And for how long ?
What successful models from history do we see of nations that took the kind of risks we are taking with our republic ?
The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan

Shop all books by Pat Buchanan
If America were a company and not a country, we would have long ago dissolved the corporation, split the blanket, and gone our separate ways.
What still holds this disputatious and divided people together?
Consider. In announcing the $900 billion stimulus bill to deal with the pandemic, Speaker Nancy Pelosi did not mention that the gifts for her distressed countrymen and women at Christmas would have been twice as large had she taken President Trump’s offer of $1.8 trillion in October.
Why did the speaker slap that offer away? True Tales and Amazing... Best Price: $2.93 Buy New $10.41 (as of 09:00 UTC - Details)
“The President only wants his name on a check to go out before Election Day and for the market to go up,” she told House Democrats.
Rather than let Donald Trump take credit, Pelosi stiffed millions of Americans.
Sunday, however, the speaker took time for a statement to hail the removal of Robert E. Lee’s statue from Statuary Hall. “Welcome news,” said the speaker. “Congress will continue our work to rid the Capitol of homages to hate.”
Lee had stood in a place of honor in the Capitol for decades. When exactly did the statue of the general become a homage to hate?
Both episodes point up an unpleasant truth.
Our dysfunctional American family agrees upon less and less.
By mid-November, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, 52% of Republicans thought Donald Trump had “rightfully won.” Sixty-eight percent of Republicans thought the election was “rigged.” A third of independents, and even 10% of Democrats, agreed.
This month, a Fox poll found that a third of all registered voters believe the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, with 78% of those who voted for Trump expressing that view. Wild: From Lost to Fou... Strayed, Cheryl Check Amazon for Pricing.
In the long term, not only is the election of 2020 going to be suspect. Also, belief in one of the sacraments of secular democracy, universal suffrage, is going to suffer.
Moreover, the issues that divide us now go increasingly to the faith of what defines us as a nation and a people.
A slice of our intellectual elite emphatically agrees with the New York Times’ Project 1619, which decrees that the real birth date of this nation was neither 1776 nor 1789, but the year that the first slave ship arrived in Virginia.
To this influential cohort, enslavement of Black people brought from Africa and dispossession and destruction of the indigenous tribes that European settlers found here are the defining events of our history.
And all who participated in these crimes against humanity or refused to condemn them are undeserving of exaltation.
Not only Lee, but Columbus and Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, TR and Wilson are all racist white men whose disgraceful and even criminal conduct disqualifies them from a place of honor in the American pantheon of 2020. All statues of such men need to come down to cleanse us of the stain of having honored them.
Pelosi says that such statues are “homages to hate.”
She may not have thought so five or 10 years ago, but she believes that now.
What has taken place is a mass conversion. Famous Gunfighters of ... Masterson, W. B. (Bat) Best Price: $1.87 Buy New $6.39 (as of 08:32 UTC - Details)
Yet, there is another America that still cherishes the nation these men created. And, as did their fathers, grandfathers and ancestors, these Americans have shown a willingness to fight and die in her defense.
Thus do we Americans disagree on the most fundamental of issues.
Was America, is America, with all its sins and virtues and all its achievements, a country to be cherished, loved and defended? Or is America a country of whose history we should all be ashamed?
Part of America also believes that discovery in the Constitution of a woman’s right to an abortion and a right of homosexuals to marry were major milestones of progress toward a more moral America.
Others see these as long strides away from the Christian country we used to be, a social and moral decline toward the same quiet death that has come to other civilizations and nations that went before us.
In short, we Americans disagree on whether our country is a good and great nation worth defending, or a place that needs a deep cultural cleansing of its sins.
And we have no common code of morality. One side is rooted in modernism and secularism and the other in the teachings of the Old and New Testament, Christian tradition and a natural law written on the human heart that is superior to man-made law.
People who disagree upon such basic beliefs naturally drift apart, as we Americans are doing today.
Political questions arise out of these fundamental differences, and they are not insignificant.
Can a republic as fractured and splintered as ours is — racially, ethnically, politically, culturally, morally — with a population who do not share the same belief about whether their nation is good and great or failed and evil, endure? And for how long?
What successful models from history do we see of nations that took the kind of risks we are taking with our republic?
The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan


lewrockwell--2020-12-23--Our Country Has Been Stolen and Republicans Did Not Prevent the Theft

Other than President Trump , no one cares enough about America to protect it .
So why are we spending $ 1,000 billion annually to defend ourselves from alleged foreign threats when there is no defense against our country ’ s theft by the ruling Establishment and woke Democrat identity politics ideologues ?
Why vote Republican when the party does not defend us ?
The journalist Katerina Blinova writing in Sputnik International captured the meaning of the stolen presidential election .
Democrats are turning America into a “ one-party system ” .
If the Democrats succeed in stealing the Georgia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely given the absence of protection against electoral fraud , they will rapidly move to consolidate one-party dictatorship .
Here is the agenda : Blood and Thunder : The ... Sides , Hampton Best Price : $ 5.34 Buy New $ 11.99 Illegals will be amnestied and given the vote .
As there seem to be about 22 million of them , this alone suffices to guarantee Democrat rule .
As a backup felons will be allowed to vote , adding more millions to the Democrats ’ base .
Washington D.C. and Puerto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 more senators to the Democrats .
An anti-white-male political coalition consisting of radical feminists , LGBTQ , radicalized people of color , and white liberals will be used to suppress opposition to “ reparations ” made in many forms to the voting coalition that the Democrats have formed .
To insure the success of violence as an intimidating tactic against white people , the Second Amendment will be nullified and weapons will be confiscated .
These actions successfully repress the white majority that an open borders policy will soon turn into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mov ... Jiles , Paulette Buy New $ 8.99 As Jim Quinn puts it , the only choice white people have is to heel or to fight .
I would say the choice is flight or fight .
Where to go ?
Hungary , other Eastern European countries , and Russia had enough of unaccountable government in the 20th century and are also hostile to Identity Politics .
There is still a morality based in Christianity present in those countries .
Costa Rica is a frequently mentioned place for refuge , but vindictive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make the Amerian expatriates suffer in some ways .
Whether these countries would accept the number of Americans seeking escape from tyranny and abuse is unlikely .
Marxists wanted to erase capitalism .
The new violent ideology wants to erase whiteness .
But are the multi-billionaires , the CIA , FBI , global corporate CEOs , organized lobby groups , Council on Foreign Relations , Trilateral Commission , and World Economic Forum that comprise the American Establishment going to succumb to the ideological regime or are they going to use it for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latter , but sometimes managed revolutions get out of hand .
It is even possible that white people will wake up , screw up their courage , and accept the instruction from Solzhenitsyn : “ And how we burned in the camps later , thinking : What would things have been like if every Security operative , when he went out at night to make an arrest , had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family ?
Or if , during periods of mass arrests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they arrested a quarter of the entire city , people had not simply sat there in their lairs , paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase , but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes , hammers , pokers , or whatever else was at hand ?
… The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the cursed machine would have ground to a halt !
If…if…We didn ’ t love freedom enough .
And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation… .
We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.
” The Best of Paul Craig Roberts

Other than President Trump, no one cares enough about America to protect it. So why are we spending $1,000 billion annually to defend ourselves from alleged foreign threats when there is no defense against our country’s theft by the ruling Establishment and woke Democrat identity politics ideologues? Why vote Republican when the party does not defend us?
The journalist Katerina Blinova writing in Sputnik International captured the meaning of the stolen presidential election. Democrats are turning America into a “one-party system”.
If the Democrats succeed in stealing the Georgia senatorial seats as well, which is likely given the absence of protection against electoral fraud, they will rapidly move to consolidate one-party dictatorship.
Here is the agenda: Blood and Thunder: The... Sides, Hampton Best Price: $2.66 Buy New $11.20 (as of 05:03 UTC - Details)
Illegals will be amnestied and given the vote. As there seem to be about 22 million of them, this alone suffices to guarantee Democrat rule.
As a backup felons will be allowed to vote, adding more millions to the Democrats’ base.
Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico will be made states, adding 4 more senators to the Democrats.
An anti-white-male political coalition consisting of radical feminists, LGBTQ, radicalized people of color, and white liberals will be used to suppress opposition to “reparations” made in many forms to the voting coalition that the Democrats have formed.
To insure the success of violence as an intimidating tactic against white people, the Second Amendment will be nullified and weapons will be confiscated.
These actions successfully repress the white majority that an open borders policy will soon turn into a minority. News of the World [Mov... Jiles, Paulette Best Price: $1.16 Buy New $5.49 (as of 05:13 UTC - Details)
As Jim Quinn puts it, the only choice white people have is to heel or to fight. I would say the choice is flight or fight. Where to go? Hungary, other Eastern European countries, and Russia had enough of unaccountable government in the 20th century and are also hostile to Identity Politics. There is still a morality based in Christianity present in those countries. Costa Rica is a frequently mentioned place for refuge, but vindictive Democrat ideologues could force the small country to make the Amerian expatriates suffer in some ways. Whether these countries would accept the number of Americans seeking escape from tyranny and abuse is unlikely.
Marxists wanted to erase capitalism. The new violent ideology wants to erase whiteness. But are the multi-billionaires, the CIA, FBI, global corporate CEOs, organized lobby groups, Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, and World Economic Forum that comprise the American Establishment going to succumb to the ideological regime or are they going to use it for their own agendas.
I suspect the latter, but sometimes managed revolutions get out of hand. It is even possible that white people will wake up, screw up their courage, and accept the instruction from Solzhenitsyn:
“And how we burned in the camps later, thinking: What would things have been like if every Security operative, when he went out at night to make an arrest, had been uncertain whether he would return alive and had to say good-bye to his family? Or if, during periods of mass arrests, as for example in Leningrad, when they arrested a quarter of the entire city, people had not simply sat there in their lairs, paling with terror at every bang of the downstairs door and at every step on the staircase, but had understood they had nothing left to lose and had boldly set up in the downstairs hall an ambush of half a dozen people with axes, hammers, pokers, or whatever else was at hand?… The Organs would very quickly have suffered a shortage of officers and transport and, notwithstanding all of Stalin’s thirst, the cursed machine would have ground to a halt! If…if…We didn’t love freedom enough. And even more – we had no awareness of the real situation…. We purely and simply deserved everything that happened afterward.”
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts


Is Collectivism Inevitable?

The quote above may cause the reader to nod his head , as throughout much of the world today , we are witnessing a distinct lack of choice in “ democratic ” elections – a “ damned if you do ; damned if you don ’ t ” choice of equally incapable and even dangerous candidates .
However , the quote is from 1841 and was made by New York Assemblyman Clinton Roosevelt , a distant cousin of Franklin Roosevelt .
The Roosevelt family occupies a recurrent and pernicious place in American political history .
Other relatives of President Roosevelt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but John Adams , John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren .
More interesting is that , early on , the idea of a dominant central government became the focus of the Roosevelt family .
The Cold Millions : A N ... Walter , Jess Best Price : $ 18.80 Buy New $ 20.00 As early as 1791 , John Adams became a member of Alexander Hamilton ’ s Federalist Party , which sought federal diktat in preference to individual states rights .
Later , in 1841 , decades prior to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kapital , Clinton Roosevelt proposed a scheme for central economic planning and the control of society .
The concept was for a totalitarian government in which individuality is required to give way to collectivism .
It was to be run by a small elite group , of which he , not surprisingly , would be a part .
Mister Roosevelt acknowledged that , for this to be fully effective , the US Constitution would , at some point , need to be scrapped .
Years later , in 1922 , socialist editor Benito @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the J.P. Morgan company , a corporatist/collectivist state , very much in the vein of the 1841 scheme by Clinton Roosevelt .
Then , in 1933 , newly-elected President Franklin Roosevelt established the National Recovery Administration ( NRA ) , which bore an uncanny resemblance to the 1841 plan .
Two years later , the US Supreme Court voted unanimously that the NRA was unconstitutional .
Undaunted , the Roosevelt government replaced the NRA with the National Labor Relations Act ( NLRA ) .
The Roosevelt argument in favour of the NLRA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by market instability that could be corrected only by government intervention and control through a central planned economy .
Historians are fond of telling the tale of Messrs. Jefferson and Madison who argued so strenuously for Freedom in the late eighteenth century that the new United States is said to have begun as the freest country that has ever existed .
The Pale-Faced Lie : A ... Crow , David Best Price : $ 8.49 Buy New $ 13.19 That view is quite true , but in stating it by itself , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort was also very much in play at that time .
In fact , the first presidential cabinet was deeply divided between the Jeffersonian idea of Freedom and the Hamiltonian concept of central planning and control .
Although the US became a shining example of Freedom to the world , it is nonetheless true that , from the start , Liberty ’ s “ evil twin ” was both active and evolving .
It should come as little surprise then , that as we observe the US today , the Green New Deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step in the spirit of the NLRA .
Indeed , whilst the details of collectivism may change from time to time , the overall objectives remain the same : • Central control of production ( socialism ) or central ownership of production ( communism ) or a combination thereof • Central control of the creation and management of all currency • Control of the populace by a police state • The limitation of free choice and wealth creation amongst the populace , in order to maintain a permanent condition of subservience When we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we see that it ’ s nothing new .
It ’ s true , however , that we tend not to generally regard these items as a cohesive list , but rather as an assortment of vaguely related concepts that seem to annoyingly rear their ugly heads with a fair bit of regularity .
But if we do make the effort to consider them as a shopping list for the would-be elite , they take on an entirely different light .
It becomes clear to us that , from one generation to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is moved forward as much as possible , as often as possible .
Over the course of one decade , one or more bullet points advance .
In another decade , a different combination of points may advance .
This Land : How Cowboys ... Ketcham , Christopher Best Price : $ 12.49 Buy New $ 13.14 And interestingly , we see many of the same actors popping up repeatedly .
Banking families such as the Morgans continue to back such efforts , both in America and in other countries .
Families such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generation after generation , adding new families such as the Gates and Newsom families along the way .
The plan itself does not morph with time , but it does become more sophisticated .
The principle objectives remain the same , but the details adjust with the times we are in .
Clearly , in the present day , we are witnessing an advance on all fronts .
Europe and North America are dominated by an unelected elite who operate outside of the limelight and bypass the nuisance of political election .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves as being elite , but over time , are seen to be disposable by the elite . )
Although collectivism in all its guises – socialism , communism , fascism , etc .
– has proven to be an utter failure wherever it has been implemented , it is once more gaining favour amongst those who have never lived under it and may now have gained the majority in both North America and Europe .
The elimination of cash is intended to ensure that only central governments can create and control currencies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on whether they have an ace up their sleeve that will allow them to either eliminate or co-opt Bitcoin . )
And most importantly , Liberty is under continual attack .
Fear-based propaganda , particularly that portion generated by the COVID-19 scare , is converting a majority of citizens into sheep who now reflexively comply with every new control on their freedom , for the “ greater good.
” This does not answer the question , “ Is collectivism inevitable ?
” but it most surely confirms that the likelihood of conversion to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greater .

“Whichever party gains the day, tyrants or demagogues are most sure to take the offices.”
The quote above may cause the reader to nod his head, as throughout much of the world today, we are witnessing a distinct lack of choice in “democratic” elections – a “damned if you do; damned if you don’t” choice of equally incapable and even dangerous candidates.
However, the quote is from 1841 and was made by New York Assemblyman Clinton Roosevelt, a distant cousin of Franklin Roosevelt.
The Roosevelt family occupies a recurrent and pernicious place in American political history. Other relatives of President Roosevelt include not only the obvious Theodore Roosevelt, but John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Martin Van Buren.
More interesting is that, early on, the idea of a dominant central government became the focus of the Roosevelt family. The Cold Millions: A N... Walter, Jess Best Price: $1.35 Buy New $3.47 (as of 07:59 UTC - Details)
As early as 1791, John Adams became a member of Alexander Hamilton’s Federalist Party, which sought federal diktat in preference to individual states rights.
Later, in 1841, decades prior to the publication of Karl Marx’s Das Kapital, Clinton Roosevelt proposed a scheme for central economic planning and the control of society.
The concept was for a totalitarian government in which individuality is required to give way to collectivism. It was to be run by a small elite group, of which he, not surprisingly, would be a part.
Mister Roosevelt acknowledged that, for this to be fully effective, the US Constitution would, at some point, need to be scrapped.
Years later, in 1922, socialist editor Benito Mussolini created, with the financial assistance of the J.P. Morgan company, a corporatist/collectivist state, very much in the vein of the 1841 scheme by Clinton Roosevelt.
Then, in 1933, newly-elected President Franklin Roosevelt established the National Recovery Administration (NRA), which bore an uncanny resemblance to the 1841 plan.
Two years later, the US Supreme Court voted unanimously that the NRA was unconstitutional.
Undaunted, the Roosevelt government replaced the NRA with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).
The Roosevelt argument in favour of the NLRA was that the Great Depression was caused by market instability that could be corrected only by government intervention and control through a central planned economy.
Historians are fond of telling the tale of Messrs. Jefferson and Madison who argued so strenuously for Freedom in the late eighteenth century that the new United States is said to have begun as the freest country that has ever existed. The Pale-Faced Lie: A ... Crow, David Best Price: $3.88 Buy New $11.63 (as of 08:47 UTC - Details)
That view is quite true, but in stating it by itself, we may overlook the fact that a concurrent effort was also very much in play at that time.
In fact, the first presidential cabinet was deeply divided between the Jeffersonian idea of Freedom and the Hamiltonian concept of central planning and control.
Although the US became a shining example of Freedom to the world, it is nonetheless true that, from the start, Liberty’s “evil twin” was both active and evolving.
It should come as little surprise then, that as we observe the US today, the Green New Deal can be seen as a logical next step in the spirit of the NLRA.
Indeed, whilst the details of collectivism may change from time to time, the overall objectives remain the same:
Rule by a small (preferably unelected) elite group
Central control of production (socialism) or central ownership of production (communism) or a combination thereof
Central control of the creation and management of all currency
Control of the populace by a police state
The limitation of free choice and wealth creation amongst the populace, in order to maintain a permanent condition of subservience
When we look at this shopping list for tyranny, we see that it’s nothing new. It’s true, however, that we tend not to generally regard these items as a cohesive list, but rather as an assortment of vaguely related concepts that seem to annoyingly rear their ugly heads with a fair bit of regularity.
But if we do make the effort to consider them as a shopping list for the would-be elite, they take on an entirely different light.
It becomes clear to us that, from one generation to the next, each of these objectives is moved forward as much as possible, as often as possible.
Over the course of one decade, one or more bullet points advance. In another decade, a different combination of points may advance. This Land: How Cowboys... Ketcham, Christopher Best Price: $5.49 Buy New $14.37 (as of 08:47 UTC - Details)
And interestingly, we see many of the same actors popping up repeatedly. Banking families such as the Morgans continue to back such efforts, both in America and in other countries. Families such as the Rockefellers advance the plan, generation after generation, adding new families such as the Gates and Newsom families along the way.
The plan itself does not morph with time, but it does become more sophisticated. The principle objectives remain the same, but the details adjust with the times we are in.
Clearly, in the present day, we are witnessing an advance on all fronts. Europe and North America are dominated by an unelected elite who operate outside of the limelight and bypass the nuisance of political election. (Those who hold elective office often regard themselves as being elite, but over time, are seen to be disposable by the elite.)
Although collectivism in all its guises – socialism, communism, fascism, etc. – has proven to be an utter failure wherever it has been implemented, it is once more gaining favour amongst those who have never lived under it and may now have gained the majority in both North America and Europe.
The elimination of cash is intended to ensure that only central governments can create and control currencies. (The jury is still out on whether they have an ace up their sleeve that will allow them to either eliminate or co-opt Bitcoin.)
And most importantly, Liberty is under continual attack. Fear-based propaganda, particularly that portion generated by the COVID-19 scare, is converting a majority of citizens into sheep who now reflexively comply with every new control on their freedom, for the “greater good.”
This does not answer the question, “Is collectivism inevitable?” but it most surely confirms that the likelihood of conversion to a fully collectivist state has never been greater.
Reprinted with permission from International Man.


lewrockwell--2020-12-23--What If the Christ Child Had Been Born in the American Police State?

The Christmas story of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one .
The Roman Empire , a police state in its own right , had ordered that a census be conducted .
Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted .
There being no room for the couple at any of the inns , they stayed in a stable ( a barn ) , where Mary gave birth to a baby boy , Jesus .
Warned that the government planned to kill the baby , Jesus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until it was safe to return to their native land .
Yet what if Jesus had been born 2,000 years later ?
Wild West : Stories of ... Kelton , Elmer Best Price : $ 2.50 Buy New $ 7.48 What if , instead of being born into the Roman police state , Jesus had been born at this moment in time ?
What kind of reception would Jesus and his family be given ?
Would we recognize the Christ child ’ s humanity , let alone his divinity ?
Would we treat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Roman Empire ?
If his family were forced to flee violence in their native country and sought refuge and asylum within our borders , what sanctuary would we offer them ?
A singular number of churches across the country have asked those very questions in recent years , and their conclusions were depicted with unnerving accuracy by nativity scenes in which Jesus and his family are separated , segregated and caged in individual chain-link pens , topped by barbed wire fencing .
Those nativity scenes were a pointed attempt to remind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the birth of Jesus is one that speaks on multiple fronts to a world that has allowed the life , teachings and crucifixion of Jesus to be drowned out by partisan politics , secularism , materialism and war , all driven by a manipulative shadow government called the Deep State .
The modern-day church has largely shied away from applying Jesus ’ teachings to modern problems such as war , poverty , immigration , etc.
, but thankfully there have been individuals throughout history who ask themselves and the world : what would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ born in Bethlehem who grew into an itinerant preacher and revolutionary activist , who not only died challenging the police state of his day ( namely , the Roman Empire ) but spent his adult life speaking truth to power , challenging the status quo of his day , and pushing back against the abuses of the Roman Empire—do about the injustices of our modern age ?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer asked himself what Jesus would have done about the horrors perpetrated by Hitler and his assassins .
The answer : Bonhoeffer was executed by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the heart of Nazi Germany .
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn asked himself what Jesus would have done about the soul-destroying gulags and labor camps of the Soviet Union .
The answer : Solzhenitsyn found his voice and used it to speak out about government oppression and brutality .
Martin Luther King Jr. asked himself what Jesus would have done about America ’ s warmongering .
The answer : declaring “ my conscience leaves me no other choice , ” King risked widespread condemnation when he publicly opposed the Vietnam War on moral and economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ popularity of the phrase “ What Would Jesus Do ?
” ( WWJD ) in Christian circles , there remains a disconnect in the modern church between the teachings of Christ and the suffering of what Jesus in Matthew 25 refers to as the “ least of these.
” Gusher !
: A Novel of th ... Davis , Bob Best Price : $ 8.35 Buy New $ 12.99 Yet this is not a theological gray area : Jesus was unequivocal about his views on many things , not the least of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tyranny and love .
After all , Jesus—the revered preacher , teacher , radical and prophet—was born into a police state not unlike the growing menace of the American police state .
When he grew up , he had powerful , profound things to say , things that would change how we view people , alter government policies and change the world .
“ Blessed are the merciful , ” “ Blessed are the peacemakers , ” and “ Love your enemies ” are just a few examples of his most profound and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in authority , Jesus did not shy away from speaking truth to power .
Indeed , his teachings undermined the political and religious establishment of his day .
It cost him his life .
He was eventually crucified as a warning to others not to challenge the powers-that-be .
Can you imagine what Jesus ’ life would have been like if , instead of being born into the Roman police state , he had been born and raised in the American police state ?
Consider the following if you will .
Had Jesus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America police state , rather than traveling to Bethlehem for a census , Jesus ’ parents would have been mailed a 28-page American Community Survey , a mandatory government questionnaire documenting their habits , household inhabitants , work schedule , how many toilets are in your home , etc .
The penalty for not responding to this invasive survey can go as high as $ 5,000 .
Instead of being born in a manger , Jesus might have been born at home .
Rather than wise men and shepherds bringing gifts , however @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been forced to ward off visits from state social workers intent on prosecuting them for the home birth .
One couple in Washington had all three of their children removed after social services objected to the two youngest being birthed in an unassisted home delivery .
Had Jesus been born in a hospital , his blood and DNA would have been taken without his parents ’ knowledge or consent and entered into a government biobank .
While most states require newborn screening , a growing number are holding onto that genetic material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet to be disclosed .
Then again , had Jesus ’ parents been undocumented immigrants , they and the newborn baby might have been shuffled to a profit-driven , private prison for illegals where they first would have been separated from each other , the children detained in make-shift cages , and the parents eventually turned into cheap , forced laborers for corporations such as Starbucks , Microsoft , Walmart , and Victoria ’ s Secret .
There ’ s quite a lot of money to be made from imprisoning immigrants , especially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lonesome Dove : A Novel McMurtry , Larry Best Price : $ 3.99 Buy New $ 11.69 From the time he was old enough to attend school , Jesus would have been drilled in lessons of compliance and obedience to government authorities , while learning little about his own rights .
Had he been daring enough to speak out against injustice while still in school , he might have found himself tasered or beaten by a school resource officer , or at the very least suspended under a school zero tolerance policy that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ serious offenses .
Had Jesus disappeared for a few hours let alone days as a 12-year-old , his parents would have been handcuffed , arrested and jailed for parental negligence .
Parents across the country have been arrested for far less “ offenses ” such as allowing their children to walk to the park unaccompanied and play in their front yard alone .
Rather than disappearing from the history books from his early teenaged years to adulthood , Jesus ’ movements and personal data—including his biometrics—would have been documented , tracked , monitored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Google and Microsoft .
Incredibly , 95 percent of school districts share their student records with outside companies that are contracted to manage data , which they then use to market products to us .
From the moment Jesus made contact with an “ extremist ” such as John the Baptist , he would have been flagged for surveillance because of his association with a prominent activist , peaceful or otherwise .
Since 9/11 , the FBI has actively carried out surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations on a broad range of activist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poverty relief , anti-war groups and other such “ extremist ” organizations .
Jesus ’ anti-government views would certainly have resulted in him being labeled a domestic extremist .
Law enforcement agencies are being trained to recognize signs of anti-government extremism during interactions with potential extremists who share a “ belief in the approaching collapse of government and the economy.
” While traveling from community to community , Jesus might have been reported to government officials as “ suspicious ” under the Department of Homeland Security ’ s “ See Something , Say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including New York , are providing individuals with phone apps that allow them to take photos of suspicious activity and report them to their state Intelligence Center , where they are reviewed and forwarded to law-enforcement agencies .
Rather than being permitted to live as an itinerant preacher , Jesus might have found himself threatened with arrest for daring to live off the grid or sleeping outside .
In fact , the number of cities that have resorted to criminalizing homelessness by enacting bans on camping , sleeping in vehicles , loitering and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the government as a dissident and a potential threat to its power , Jesus might have had government spies planted among his followers to monitor his activities , report on his movements , and entrap him into breaking the law .
Such Judases today—called informants—often receive hefty paychecks from the government for their treachery .
Had Jesus used the internet to spread his radical message of peace and love , he might have found his blog posts infiltrated by government spies attempting to undermine his integrity , discredit him or plant incriminating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very least , he would have had his website hacked and his email monitored .
Had Jesus attempted to feed large crowds of people , he would have been threatened with arrest for violating various ordinances prohibiting the distribution of food without a permit .
Florida officials arrested a 90-year-old man for feeding the homeless on a public beach .
Had Jesus spoken publicly about his 40 days in the desert and his conversations with the devil , he might have been labeled mentally ill and detained in a psych ward against his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with no access to family or friends .
One Virginia man was arrested , strip searched , handcuffed to a table , diagnosed as having “ mental health issues , ” and locked up for five days in a mental health facility against his will apparently because of his slurred speech and unsteady gait .
Without a doubt , had Jesus attempted to overturn tables in a Jewish temple and rage against the materialism of religious institutions , he would have been charged with a hate crime .
Currently , 45 states and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the books .
Had anyone reported Jesus to the police as being potentially dangerous , he might have found himself confronted—and killed—by police officers for whom any perceived act of non-compliance ( a twitch , a question , a frown ) can result in them shooting first and asking questions later .
Rather than having armed guards capture Jesus in a public place , government officials would have ordered that a SWAT team carry out a raid on Jesus and his followers , complete with flash-bang grenades and military equipment .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raids carried out every year , many on unsuspecting Americans who have no defense against such government invaders , even when such raids are done in error .
Instead of being detained by Roman guards , Jesus might have been made to “ disappear ” into a secret government detention center where he would have been interrogated , tortured and subjected to all manner of abuses .
Chicago police have “ disappeared ” more than 7,000 people into a secret , off-the-books interrogation warehouse at Homan Square .
Charged with treason and labeled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been sentenced to a life-term in a private prison where he would have been forced to provide slave labor for corporations or put to death by way of the electric chair or a lethal mixture of drugs .
Indeed , as I show in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , given the nature of government then and now , it is painfully evident that whether Jesus had been born in our modern age or his own , he still would have died at the hands of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ draw near to Christmas with its celebrations and gift-giving , we would do well to remember that what happened on that starry night in Bethlehem is only part of the story .
That baby in the manger grew up to be a man who did not turn away from evil but instead spoke out against it , and we must do no less .
The Best of John W. Whitehead

“When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart.” ― Howard Thurman
The Christmas story of a baby born in a manger is a familiar one.
The Roman Empire, a police state in its own right, had ordered that a census be conducted. Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary traveled to the little town of Bethlehem so that they could be counted. There being no room for the couple at any of the inns, they stayed in a stable (a barn), where Mary gave birth to a baby boy, Jesus. Warned that the government planned to kill the baby, Jesus’ family fled with him to Egypt until it was safe to return to their native land.
Yet what if Jesus had been born 2,000 years later? Wild West: Stories of ... Kelton, Elmer Best Price: $1.68 Buy New $11.74 (as of 12:37 UTC - Details)
What if, instead of being born into the Roman police state, Jesus had been born at this moment in time? What kind of reception would Jesus and his family be given? Would we recognize the Christ child’s humanity, let alone his divinity? Would we treat him any differently than he was treated by the Roman Empire? If his family were forced to flee violence in their native country and sought refuge and asylum within our borders, what sanctuary would we offer them?
A singular number of churches across the country have asked those very questions in recent years, and their conclusions were depicted with unnerving accuracy by nativity scenes in which Jesus and his family are separated, segregated and caged in individual chain-link pens, topped by barbed wire fencing.
Those nativity scenes were a pointed attempt to remind the modern world that the narrative about the birth of Jesus is one that speaks on multiple fronts to a world that has allowed the life, teachings and crucifixion of Jesus to be drowned out by partisan politics, secularism, materialism and war, all driven by a manipulative shadow government called the Deep State.
The modern-day church has largely shied away from applying Jesus’ teachings to modern problems such as war, poverty, immigration, etc., but thankfully there have been individuals throughout history who ask themselves and the world: what would Jesus do?
What would Jesus—the baby born in Bethlehem who grew into an itinerant preacher and revolutionary activist, who not only died challenging the police state of his day (namely, the Roman Empire) but spent his adult life speaking truth to power, challenging the status quo of his day, and pushing back against the abuses of the Roman Empire—do about the injustices of our modern age?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer asked himself what Jesus would have done about the horrors perpetrated by Hitler and his assassins. The answer: Bonhoeffer was executed by Hitler for attempting to undermine the tyranny at the heart of Nazi Germany.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn asked himself what Jesus would have done about the soul-destroying gulags and labor camps of the Soviet Union. The answer: Solzhenitsyn found his voice and used it to speak out about government oppression and brutality.
Martin Luther King Jr. asked himself what Jesus would have done about America’s warmongering. The answer: declaring “my conscience leaves me no other choice,” King risked widespread condemnation when he publicly opposed the Vietnam War on moral and economic grounds.
Even now, despite the popularity of the phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” (WWJD) in Christian circles, there remains a disconnect in the modern church between the teachings of Christ and the suffering of what Jesus in Matthew 25 refers to as the “least of these.” Gusher!: A Novel of th... Davis, Bob Best Price: $2.63 Buy New $10.27 (as of 11:32 UTC - Details)
Yet this is not a theological gray area: Jesus was unequivocal about his views on many things, not the least of which was charity, compassion, war, tyranny and love.
After all, Jesus—the revered preacher, teacher, radical and prophet—was born into a police state not unlike the growing menace of the American police state. When he grew up, he had powerful, profound things to say, things that would change how we view people, alter government policies and change the world. “Blessed are the merciful,” “Blessed are the peacemakers,” and “Love your enemies” are just a few examples of his most profound and revolutionary teachings.
When confronted by those in authority, Jesus did not shy away from speaking truth to power. Indeed, his teachings undermined the political and religious establishment of his day. It cost him his life. He was eventually crucified as a warning to others not to challenge the powers-that-be.
Can you imagine what Jesus’ life would have been like if, instead of being born into the Roman police state, he had been born and raised in the American police state?
Consider the following if you will.
Had Jesus been born in the era of the America police state, rather than traveling to Bethlehem for a census, Jesus’ parents would have been mailed a 28-page American Community Survey, a mandatory government questionnaire documenting their habits, household inhabitants, work schedule, how many toilets are in your home, etc. The penalty for not responding to this invasive survey can go as high as $5,000.
Instead of being born in a manger, Jesus might have been born at home. Rather than wise men and shepherds bringing gifts, however, the baby’s parents might have been forced to ward off visits from state social workers intent on prosecuting them for the home birth. One couple in Washington had all three of their children removed after social services objected to the two youngest being birthed in an unassisted home delivery.
Had Jesus been born in a hospital, his blood and DNA would have been taken without his parents’ knowledge or consent and entered into a government biobank. While most states require newborn screening, a growing number are holding onto that genetic material long-term for research, analysis and purposes yet to be disclosed.
Then again, had Jesus’ parents been undocumented immigrants, they and the newborn baby might have been shuffled to a profit-driven, private prison for illegals where they first would have been separated from each other, the children detained in make-shift cages, and the parents eventually turned into cheap, forced laborers for corporations such as Starbucks, Microsoft, Walmart, and Victoria’s Secret. There’s quite a lot of money to be made from imprisoning immigrants, especially when taxpayers are footing the bill. Lonesome Dove: A Novel McMurtry, Larry Best Price: $3.99 Buy New $11.69 (as of 12:05 UTC - Details)
From the time he was old enough to attend school, Jesus would have been drilled in lessons of compliance and obedience to government authorities, while learning little about his own rights. Had he been daring enough to speak out against injustice while still in school, he might have found himself tasered or beaten by a school resource officer, or at the very least suspended under a school zero tolerance policy that punishes minor infractions as harshly as more serious offenses.
Had Jesus disappeared for a few hours let alone days as a 12-year-old, his parents would have been handcuffed, arrested and jailed for parental negligence. Parents across the country have been arrested for far less “offenses” such as allowing their children to walk to the park unaccompanied and play in their front yard alone.
Rather than disappearing from the history books from his early teenaged years to adulthood, Jesus’ movements and personal data—including his biometrics—would have been documented, tracked, monitored and filed by governmental agencies and corporations such as Google and Microsoft. Incredibly, 95 percent of school districts share their student records with outside companies that are contracted to manage data, which they then use to market products to us.
From the moment Jesus made contact with an “extremist” such as John the Baptist, he would have been flagged for surveillance because of his association with a prominent activist, peaceful or otherwise. Since 9/11, the FBI has actively carried out surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations on a broad range of activist groups, from animal rights groups to poverty relief, anti-war groups and other such “extremist” organizations.
Jesus’ anti-government views would certainly have resulted in him being labeled a domestic extremist. Law enforcement agencies are being trained to recognize signs of anti-government extremism during interactions with potential extremists who share a “belief in the approaching collapse of government and the economy.”
While traveling from community to community, Jesus might have been reported to government officials as “suspicious” under the Department of Homeland Security’s “See Something, Say Something” programs. Many states, including New York, are providing individuals with phone apps that allow them to take photos of suspicious activity and report them to their state Intelligence Center, where they are reviewed and forwarded to law-enforcement agencies.
Rather than being permitted to live as an itinerant preacher, Jesus might have found himself threatened with arrest for daring to live off the grid or sleeping outside. In fact, the number of cities that have resorted to criminalizing homelessness by enacting bans on camping, sleeping in vehicles, loitering and begging in public has doubled.
Viewed by the government as a dissident and a potential threat to its power, Jesus might have had government spies planted among his followers to monitor his activities, report on his movements, and entrap him into breaking the law. Such Judases today—called informants—often receive hefty paychecks from the government for their treachery.
Had Jesus used the internet to spread his radical message of peace and love, he might have found his blog posts infiltrated by government spies attempting to undermine his integrity, discredit him or plant incriminating information online about him. At the very least, he would have had his website hacked and his email monitored.
Had Jesus attempted to feed large crowds of people, he would have been threatened with arrest for violating various ordinances prohibiting the distribution of food without a permit. Florida officials arrested a 90-year-old man for feeding the homeless on a public beach.
Had Jesus spoken publicly about his 40 days in the desert and his conversations with the devil, he might have been labeled mentally ill and detained in a psych ward against his will for a mandatory involuntary psychiatric hold with no access to family or friends. One Virginia man was arrested, strip searched, handcuffed to a table, diagnosed as having “mental health issues,” and locked up for five days in a mental health facility against his will apparently because of his slurred speech and unsteady gait.
Without a doubt, had Jesus attempted to overturn tables in a Jewish temple and rage against the materialism of religious institutions, he would have been charged with a hate crime. Currently, 45 states and the federal government have hate crime laws on the books.
Had anyone reported Jesus to the police as being potentially dangerous, he might have found himself confronted—and killed—by police officers for whom any perceived act of non-compliance (a twitch, a question, a frown) can result in them shooting first and asking questions later.
Rather than having armed guards capture Jesus in a public place, government officials would have ordered that a SWAT team carry out a raid on Jesus and his followers, complete with flash-bang grenades and military equipment. There are upwards of 80,000 such SWAT team raids carried out every year, many on unsuspecting Americans who have no defense against such government invaders, even when such raids are done in error.
Instead of being detained by Roman guards, Jesus might have been made to “disappear” into a secret government detention center where he would have been interrogated, tortured and subjected to all manner of abuses. Chicago police have “disappeared” more than 7,000 people into a secret, off-the-books interrogation warehouse at Homan Square.
Charged with treason and labeled a domestic terrorist, Jesus might have been sentenced to a life-term in a private prison where he would have been forced to provide slave labor for corporations or put to death by way of the electric chair or a lethal mixture of drugs.
Indeed, as I show in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, given the nature of government then and now, it is painfully evident that whether Jesus had been born in our modern age or his own, he still would have died at the hands of a police state.
Thus, as we draw near to Christmas with its celebrations and gift-giving, we would do well to remember that what happened on that starry night in Bethlehem is only part of the story. That baby in the manger grew up to be a man who did not turn away from evil but instead spoke out against it, and we must do no less.
The Best of John W. Whitehead


lewrockwell--2020-12-23--The Reimagined Police as Servants of the Left

We back the blue , but will they back us ?
Like most conservatives , I support the police and the vital role they serve in a civilized society .
But like many conservatives , watching them stand down on orders from blue state mayors during months of riots was jarring .
( They even stood down during a Back the Blue rally in Denver when speakers were attacked . )
Many of us asked how the police could obey such orders and allow criminals to have free rein in our streets – criminals whose victims , I might add @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don ’ t police officers swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution ?
Well , yes , they do .
In fact , that is their paramount responsibility .
West with the Night Markham , Beryl Best Price : $ 3.70 Buy New $ 9.93 Perhaps this year , it seems we witnessed the rule and not the exception .
The rule being that most people , including the police , will be cowards in the face of tyrants .
I have to assume that many police officers struggled with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as noted in a piece written by David Hudson at Law Enforcement Today : There comes a time , and maybe more specifically , there will come a time , in which a law enforcement officer must remember what he or she swore to when taking this oath .
Remember that order is everything , and by that , I mean the U.S. Constitution comes first , then State Constitution .
Everything else is subordinate .
A law enforcement officer ’ s oath of office dilemma is this : “ Do I enforce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States Constitution ?
” In the current climate we see that law enforcement officers may have to face this dilemma .
I urge you to read about the Constitution , the powers delegated to Congress by the Constitution , the applicable laws passed by Congress and Supreme Court case law .
I ask you to be introspective on how you will deal with this dilemma , all while taking into account what you swore before God and Country .
But struggle as some may have , the end result was they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their primary oath .
Into the Wild Jon Krakauer Best Price : $ 0.35 Buy New $ 7.74 It ’ s scary stuff that does not bode well for the future .
And yesterday , perhaps a bit of that future arrived when anti-lockdown protestors tried to gain entry to the Oregon State Capitol building where the legislature was holding a special session .
Breitbart reports : It appears that some of the protestors showed up armed ( some with firearms and at least one with a pitchfork ) .
Although Oregon is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have open carry bans in public places .
And as is the case in many open carry states , no firearms are allowed inside public buildings anywhere in the state .

We back the blue, but will they back us?
Like most conservatives, I support the police and the vital role they serve in a civilized society.
But like many conservatives, watching them stand down on orders from blue state mayors during months of riots was jarring. (They even stood down during a Back the Blue rally in Denver when speakers were attacked.)
Many of us asked how the police could obey such orders and allow criminals to have free rein in our streets – criminals whose victims, I might add, included over 2,000 police officers.
Don’t police officers swear an oath to protect and defend the Constitution? Well, yes, they do. In fact, that is their paramount responsibility. West with the Night Markham, Beryl Best Price: $2.25 Buy New $8.75 (as of 12:47 UTC - Details)
Perhaps this year, it seems we witnessed the rule and not the exception. The rule being that most people, including the police, will be cowards in the face of tyrants.
I have to assume that many police officers struggled with the position they were in this year, as noted in a piece written by David Hudson at Law Enforcement Today:
There comes a time, and maybe more specifically, there will come a time, in which a law enforcement officer must remember what he or she swore to when taking this oath. Remember that order is everything, and by that, I mean the U.S. Constitution comes first, then State Constitution. Everything else is subordinate. A law enforcement officer’s oath of office dilemma is this: “Do I enforce a law that is in opposition to the United States Constitution?” In the current climate we see that law enforcement officers may have to face this dilemma. I urge you to read about the Constitution, the powers delegated to Congress by the Constitution, the applicable laws passed by Congress and Supreme Court case law. I ask you to be introspective on how you will deal with this dilemma, all while taking into account what you swore before God and Country.
But struggle as some may have, the end result was they obeyed, and in so doing abdicated their primary oath. Into the Wild Jon Krakauer Check Amazon for Pricing.
It’s scary stuff that does not bode well for the future.
And yesterday, perhaps a bit of that future arrived when anti-lockdown protestors tried to gain entry to the Oregon State Capitol building where the legislature was holding a special session. Breitbart reports:
While legislative sessions are normally open to the public, today’s was closed to anyone other than lawmakers, police, some staff, and reporters, the Oregon Statesman-Journal reported. Legislators met to attempt to pass pandemic-relief measures including landlord and tenant assistance.
It appears that some of the protestors showed up armed (some with firearms and at least one with a pitchfork). Although Oregon is an open carry state, several cities have open carry bans in public places. And as is the case in many open carry states, no firearms are allowed inside public buildings anywhere in the state.
So there’s that.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-12-23--Billions in Foreign Aid & Racehorse Tax Breaks

Supporters of President Donald Trump are urging him to veto the long-awaited Covid-19 relief bill , taking issue with it being tied to foreign aid , the amount of in-person payments and some provisions unrelated to the pandemic .
After the House and the Senate sealed the deal on a $ 900 billion plan on Monday night , some US conservatives took to Twitter , highlighting the legal details they found questionable .
A hefty amount of outrage was caused by the stimulus bill being tied to billions in foreign and military spending , as both were part of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismayed at the US government being ready to spend hundreds of millions on foreign aid , while in-person checks for many struggling Americans would amount to a mere $ 600 per person .
For example , $ 1.3 billion would go to Egypt , $ 700 million to Sudan and $ 500 million to Israel .
“ Every American left and right should be calling for a veto of this stimulus ‘ deal ’ — which provides more funding to foreign governments and to American arts centers , than to the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Butcher ’ s Crossi ... Williams , John Best Price : $ 8.13 Buy New $ 10.95 Some others were baffled by several provisions of the relief bill that seem to be less discussed in the media than the in-person checks .
For example , in a major win for the entertainment industry , the stimulus bill would make illegal media streaming a felony with up to 10-year prison sentence .
Among other curious parts , the supposed relief plan also includes an extension of a tax credit for racehorse owners as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama , intended as a condemnation of China ’ s treatment of Tibetan Buddhists .
Some Twitter users thought Trump should at the very least veto specific items in the bill to “ cut off all the money for stuff not related to Covid-19.
” The sitting president is yet to comment on any of the line items in the bill or the Consolidated Appropriation Act .
Previously , however , Trump advocated for a more than twice as large $ 2,000 in-person payment , but was talked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his staffers , according to the Washington Post ’ s sources .
Trump is expected to sign the Congress-approved bill later this week .

Supporters of President Donald Trump are urging him to veto the long-awaited Covid-19 relief bill, taking issue with it being tied to foreign aid, the amount of in-person payments and some provisions unrelated to the pandemic.
After the House and the Senate sealed the deal on a $900 billion plan on Monday night, some US conservatives took to Twitter, highlighting the legal details they found questionable.
A hefty amount of outrage was caused by the stimulus bill being tied to billions in foreign and military spending, as both were part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act. Online commenters were dismayed at the US government being ready to spend hundreds of millions on foreign aid, while in-person checks for many struggling Americans would amount to a mere $600 per person. For example, $1.3 billion would go to Egypt, $700 million to Sudan and $500 million to Israel.
@realDonaldTrump you MUST veto this farce, aka COVID relief bill!!! This isn’t a stimulus package. This is a MASSIVE foriegn pork bill. And really?…$1,800 to illegals and $600 back to the tax paying citizens??? Billions going foriegn nations? I don’t think so. — Mike Detmer – Michigan Patriot (@DetmerMike) December 22, 2020
“Every American left and right should be calling for a veto of this stimulus ‘deal’— which provides more funding to foreign governments and to American arts centers, than to the American people,” tweeted conservative commentator Candace Owens.
Every American left and right should be calling for a #VETO of this stimulus “deal”— which provides MORE funding to foreign governments and to American arts centers, than to the American people. RETWEET so EVERY American sees how corrupt the Covid-19 “relief” packing is. pic.twitter.com/N08YB51vsx — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) December 22, 2020
There should not be any foreign aid given to any country, ever, but especially not in a COVID relief bill that’s supposed to be helping Americans — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) December 21, 2020
Dear President Trump,
I would rather not receive a pitiful $600 check of my own tax money, if it means that Democrats and RINOs will benefit the most from it with the pork they stuffed in for themselves. Veto it, and fight for our freedom to be open instead.🙏🏻@realDonaldTrump — Mindy Robinson 🇺🇸 (@iheartmindy) December 22, 2020
Butcher’s Crossi... Williams, John Best Price: $6.79 Buy New $9.20 (as of 10:47 UTC - Details) Some others were baffled by several provisions of the relief bill that seem to be less discussed in the media than the in-person checks.
For example, in a major win for the entertainment industry, the stimulus bill would make illegal media streaming a felony with up to 10-year prison sentence.
Among other curious parts, the supposed relief plan also includes an extension of a tax credit for racehorse owners as well as an official US stance on the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, intended as a condemnation of China’s treatment of Tibetan Buddhists.
Some Twitter users thought Trump should at the very least veto specific items in the bill to “cut off all the money for stuff not related to Covid-19.”
@realDonaldTrump
VETO THIS POS!!😡😡🤬
Banning free speech by preventing streaming on line?
What the heck sir??? — Glay Jedi Knight (@KetronHigh72) December 22, 2020
@realDonaldTrump 1 veto the stimulus & cut off all the money for stuff not related to covid like money for sudan, pakistan, and other ridiculousness like reincarnation of dahli llama. We the people could use that money more than millionaires could. Just like the last relief bill — Brandon E (@brandon3577) December 22, 2020
@POTUS Please veto this stimulus bill…$600.00 is an insult to the American people when giving Burma,the Sudan and Asia billions. Also Race horse tax breaks and 4 billion for MTA in NYC..No thanks. — Ellenmarie Babin (@MissIrishOwl) December 21, 2020
The sitting president is yet to comment on any of the line items in the bill or the Consolidated Appropriation Act. Previously, however, Trump advocated for a more than twice as large $2,000 in-person payment, but was talked out of the idea by some of his staffers, according to the Washington Post’s sources.
Trump is expected to sign the Congress-approved bill later this week.
Reprinted from RT News.