lewrockwell--2020-08-07--Fermented Foods May Lower Your Risk of COVID-19 Death

I ’ ve written many articles detailing lifestyle and dietary strategies that may decrease your COVID-19 risk by boosting your immune function and general health .
Now we can add fermented foods to the list , which shouldn ’ t come as such a great surprise , considering the influence your gut health has on your immune system .
The study,1 posted July 7 , 2020 , on the pre-print server medRxiv , conducted by researchers in Berlin , Germany , looked at whether diet might play a role in COVID-19 death rates .
Interestingly , mortality rates tend to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ traditionally fermented foods is commonplace .
As reported by News Medical Life Sciences:2 Fermented Vegetables : ... Kirsten K. Shockey Best Price : $ 12.83 Buy New $ 14.99 The researchers obtained data from the European Food Safety Authority ( EFSA ) Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database and compared consumption levels with COVID-19 mortality statistics ( deaths per capita ) for each country , obtained from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center .
The EFSA database includes statistics on countries ’ consumption of fermented vegetables , pickled or marinated vegetables , fermented milk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They also looked at potential confounders , such as gross domestic product , population density , percentage of the population over the age of 64 , unemployment and obesity rates .
According to the authors:3 In related news , a review4 of seven small clinical trials has found probiotics and/or prebiotics may be helpful for those struggling with depression and anxiety .
While these mental health challenges are epidemics in their own right , the global lockdowns certainly have not made the situation any better .
According to the authors,5 all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one or more of the outcomes ” compared with no treatment , placebo , or baseline measurements , leading them to conclude that “ utilizing pre/probiotic may be a potentially useful adjunctive treatment ” for patients with depression and/or anxiety .
The review builds on earlier studies that have shown people with depression tend to have higher amounts of specific gut bacteria than those who are not depressed .
While it seems the gut microbiome ’ s role in health is a very recent discovery , as early as 1898 — yes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Journal of the American Medical Association proposed that intestinal microbes might play a role in melancholia .
As noted in the 2019 paper , “ The Microbiome and Mental Health : Hope or Hype ?
” :7 Bacteria Associated With Mental Health and Depression Soligt 12 ” Sauer ... Best Price : $ 11.64 Buy New $ 14.94 Two types of gut bacteria in particular , Coprococcus and Dialister bacteria , have been shown to be “ consistently depleted ” in individuals diagnosed with clinical depression .
According to the authors of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue of Nature Microbiology:8 The researchers went on to analyze and catalogue the neuroactive potential of these gut bacteria , finding that those associated with good mental health had the ability to synthesize the dopamine metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid , while those associated with depression produce γ-aminobutyric acid .
Other studies have identified yet other microbial profiles associated with better or worse mental health .
For example : •2016 research9 found the relative abundance of Actinobacteria was increased , and Bacteroidetes was decreased in depressed individuals compared to healthy controls .
•A 2015 study10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had higher amounts of Bacteroidetes , Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria , and lower amounts of Firmicutes than healthy controls .
“ These findings enable a better understanding of changes in the fecal microbiota composition in such patients , showing either a predominance of some potentially harmful bacterial groups or a reduction in beneficial bacterial genera , ” the authors wrote .
•A 2014 study11 found depressed individuals had an overrepresentation of Bacteroidales and an underrepresentation of Lachnospiraceae bacteria .
Lachnospiraceae are a family of beneficial bacteria that ferment plant polysaccharides into short-chain fatty acids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oscillibacter , and one specific clade within Alistipes were also significantly associated with depression .
Aside from fermented foods , zinc is another dietary factor that impacts both your mental health and COVID-19 risk .
As noted in a 2013 article in Psychology Today:13 Zinc May Be Crucial Against COVID-19 Easy Fermenter Wide Mo ... Buy New $ 25.99 Zinc is also important for your immune defense against the common cold and other viral infections , including COVID-19 , and is a component of enzymes involved in tissue remodeling .
As noted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are associated with a loss of taste and smell , and these are also two early symptoms of COVID-19 infection .
This suggests zinc deficiency may indeed be a key factor in the illness .
Researchers have also argued that one of the key mechanisms of action of the drug hydroxychloroquine is its ability to shuttle zinc into the cells .
In fact , zinc appears to be a “ magic ingredient ” required to prevent viral replication.15 This is likely why , when taken early along with zinc , the drug appears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against COVID-19 .
As noted in the preprint paper , “ Does Zinc Supplementation Enhance the Clinical Efficacy of Chloroquine / Hydroxychloroquine to Win Todays Battle Against COVID-19 ?
” published April 8 , 2020:16 Being a natural zinc ionophore ( meaning it improves zinc uptake by your cells ) , the supplement quercetin also has very similar mechanisms of action and appears to be a viable alternative to hydroxychloroquine .
Personally , I take quercetin and zinc at bedtime as a prophylactic each day .
The reason it ’ s best to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours after your last meal and before the long fast of sleeping — is because quercetin is also a senolytic ( i.e.
, it selectively kills senescent or old , damaged cells ) that is activated by fasting .
So , by taking it at night , you maximize its other benefits .
Organic Zinc Sulfate L ... Buy New $ 18.95 ( $ 4.74 / Fl Oz ) If you ’ re not already eating fermented foods , now would be a good time to consider adding some into your diet .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ make at home , and provide a whole host of health benefits , thanks to the beneficial bacteria they provide .
To learn more , see “ Fermenting Foods — One of the Easiest and Most Creative Aspects of Making Food from Scratch ” and “ Tips for Fermenting at Home.
” If you have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection , then my best recommendation is to start nebulizing food grade hydrogen peroxide at 0.1 % as discussed in “ Could Hydrogen Peroxide Treat Coronavirus ?
” I would also make sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as discussed in my Vitamin D in the Prevention of COVID-19 report .
If you don ’ t know your vitamin D level and have not been in the sun or taken over 5,000 units of vitamin D a day , it would likely be helpful to take one bolus dose of 100,000 units , and make sure you are taking plenty of magnesium , which helps convert the vitamin D to its active immune modulating form .
The Best of Joseph Mercola

I’ve written many articles detailing lifestyle and dietary strategies that may decrease your COVID-19 risk by boosting your immune function and general health. Now we can add fermented foods to the list, which shouldn’t come as such a great surprise, considering the influence your gut health has on your immune system.
The study,1 posted July 7, 2020, on the pre-print server medRxiv, conducted by researchers in Berlin, Germany, looked at whether diet might play a role in COVID-19 death rates. Interestingly, mortality rates tend to be lower in countries where consumption of traditionally fermented foods is commonplace. As reported by News Medical Life Sciences:2
“The researchers say that if their hypothesis is confirmed in future studies, COVID-19 will be the first infectious disease epidemic to involve biological mechanisms that are associated with a loss of ‘nature.’ Significant changes in the microbiome caused by modern life and less fermented food consumption may have increased the spread or severity of the disease, they say.”
Fermented Veggie Consumption May Lower COVID-19 Mortality
Fermented Vegetables: ... Kirsten K. Shockey Best Price: $12.83 Buy New $14.99 (as of 06:10 UTC - Details) The researchers obtained data from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database and compared consumption levels with COVID-19 mortality statistics (deaths per capita) for each country, obtained from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
For each g/day increase in the average national consumption of fermented vegetables, the mortality risk for COVID-19 decreased by 35.4%.
The EFSA database includes statistics on countries’ consumption of fermented vegetables, pickled or marinated vegetables, fermented milk, yogurt and fermented sour milk specifically.
They also looked at potential confounders, such as gross domestic product, population density, percentage of the population over the age of 64, unemployment and obesity rates. According to the authors:3
“Of all the variables considered, including confounders, only fermented vegetables reached statistical significance with the COVID-19 death rate per country.
For each g/day increase in the average national consumption of fermented vegetables, the mortality risk for COVID-19 decreased by 35.4%. Adjustment did not change the point estimate and results were still significant.”
Probiotics May Ease Depression
In related news, a review4 of seven small clinical trials has found probiotics and/or prebiotics may be helpful for those struggling with depression and anxiety. While these mental health challenges are epidemics in their own right, the global lockdowns certainly have not made the situation any better.
According to the authors,5 all of the studies “demonstrated significant improvements in one or more of the outcomes” compared with no treatment, placebo, or baseline measurements, leading them to conclude that “utilizing pre/probiotic may be a potentially useful adjunctive treatment” for patients with depression and/or anxiety.
The review builds on earlier studies that have shown people with depression tend to have higher amounts of specific gut bacteria than those who are not depressed.
While it seems the gut microbiome’s role in health is a very recent discovery, as early as 1898 — yes, 122 years ago — a paper6 in The Journal of the American Medical Association proposed that intestinal microbes might play a role in melancholia. As noted in the 2019 paper, “The Microbiome and Mental Health: Hope or Hype?”:7
“The primary tenet of FMT [fecal microbiota transplantation] is that dysbiosis within the human host gut microbiome predisposes an individual to disease. The exact mechanisms through which this occurs have not yet been established, but several potential direct and indirect pathways exist through which the gut microbiota can modulate the gut–brain axis.
These pathways include endocrine (cortisol), immune (cytokines) and neural (vagus and enteric nervous system) pathways, and the assumption is that introducing microflora from a healthy individual will help recolonize the system with a microbial pattern more in keeping with wellness either by establishing the new healthy microbiota or by allowing the host to ‘reset’ their own microflora to a pre-illness state.”
Bacteria Associated With Mental Health and Depression
Soligt 12” Sauer... Best Price: $11.64 Buy New $14.94 (as of 06:10 UTC - Details) Two types of gut bacteria in particular, Coprococcus and Dialister bacteria, have been shown to be “consistently depleted” in individuals diagnosed with clinical depression. According to the authors of a study published in the April 2019 issue of Nature Microbiology:8
“Surveying a large microbiome population cohort (Flemish Gut Flora Project, n = 1,054) with validation in independent data sets, we studied how microbiome features correlate with host quality of life and depression.
Butyrate-producing Faecalibacterium and Coprococcus bacteria were consistently associated with higher quality of life indicators. Together with Dialister, Coprococcus spp. were also depleted in depression, even after correcting for the confounding effects of antidepressants.”
The researchers went on to analyze and catalogue the neuroactive potential of these gut bacteria, finding that those associated with good mental health had the ability to synthesize the dopamine metabolite 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, while those associated with depression produce γ-aminobutyric acid. Other studies have identified yet other microbial profiles associated with better or worse mental health. For example:
•2016 research9 found the relative abundance of Actinobacteria was increased, and Bacteroidetes was decreased in depressed individuals compared to healthy controls.
•A 2015 study10 found patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder had higher amounts of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, and lower amounts of Firmicutes than healthy controls.
“These findings enable a better understanding of changes in the fecal microbiota composition in such patients, showing either a predominance of some potentially harmful bacterial groups or a reduction in beneficial bacterial genera,” the authors wrote.
•A 2014 study11 found depressed individuals had an overrepresentation of Bacteroidales and an underrepresentation of Lachnospiraceae bacteria.
Lachnospiraceae are a family of beneficial bacteria that ferment plant polysaccharides into short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate and acetate.12 The genus Oscillibacter, and one specific clade within Alistipes were also significantly associated with depression.
Zinc for Mental Health and Immune Function
Aside from fermented foods, zinc is another dietary factor that impacts both your mental health and COVID-19 risk. As noted in a 2013 article in Psychology Today:13
“Zinc is an essential mineral that may be lacking in modern processed and strict vegetarian diets, as major sources are meat, poultry, and oysters … Since the body has no special zinc storage capability, its important to consume a bit of zinc on a regular basis.
What does zinc have to do with depression? It turns out that zinc plays a part in modulating the brain and body’s response to stress all along the way …
The highest amount of zinc in the body is found in our brains, particularly in a part of our brains called the hippocampus. Zinc deficiency can lead to symptoms of depression, ADHD, difficulties with learning and memory, seizures, aggression, and violence …
In humans, zinc has been found to be low in the serum of those suffering from depression. In fact, the more depressed someone is, the lower the zinc level … Zinc supplementation has been shown to have antidepressant effects in humans …”
Zinc May Be Crucial Against COVID-19
Easy Fermenter Wide Mo... Buy New $25.99 (as of 06:10 UTC - Details) Zinc is also important for your immune defense against the common cold and other viral infections, including COVID-19, and is a component of enzymes involved in tissue remodeling. As noted in Psychology Today:14
“Low zinc also seems to affect inflammation and immunity. The T cells in our immune system, which hunt and kill infection, don’t work well without zinc and also release more calls for help (leading to more inflammation, via IL-6 and IL-1) in the case of zinc deficiency.”
Interestingly, low zinc levels are associated with a loss of taste and smell, and these are also two early symptoms of COVID-19 infection. This suggests zinc deficiency may indeed be a key factor in the illness.
Researchers have also argued that one of the key mechanisms of action of the drug hydroxychloroquine is its ability to shuttle zinc into the cells. In fact, zinc appears to be a “magic ingredient” required to prevent viral replication.15
This is likely why, when taken early along with zinc, the drug appears to have a high rate of success against COVID-19. As noted in the preprint paper, “Does Zinc Supplementation Enhance the Clinical Efficacy of Chloroquine / Hydroxychloroquine to Win Todays Battle Against COVID-19?” published April 8, 2020:16
“Besides direct antiviral effects, CQ/HCQ [chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine] specifically target extracellular zinc to intracellular lysosomes where it interferes with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity and coronavirus replication.
As zinc deficiency frequently occurs in elderly patients and in those with cardiovascular disease, chronic pulmonary disease, or diabetes, we hypothesize that CQ/HCQ plus zinc supplementation may be more effective in reducing COVID-19 morbidity and mortality than CQ or HCQ in monotherapy.”
Being a natural zinc ionophore (meaning it improves zinc uptake by your cells), the supplement quercetin also has very similar mechanisms of action and appears to be a viable alternative to hydroxychloroquine.
Simple Strategies to Lower Your COVID-19 Risk
Personally, I take quercetin and zinc at bedtime as a prophylactic each day. The reason it’s best to take them in the evening — several hours after your last meal and before the long fast of sleeping — is because quercetin is also a senolytic (i.e., it selectively kills senescent or old, damaged cells) that is activated by fasting. So, by taking it at night, you maximize its other benefits.
Organic Zinc Sulfate L... Buy New $18.95 ($4.74 / Fl Oz) (as of 02:28 UTC - Details) If you’re not already eating fermented foods, now would be a good time to consider adding some into your diet. Fermented vegetables are easy and inexpensive to make at home, and provide a whole host of health benefits, thanks to the beneficial bacteria they provide. To learn more, see “Fermenting Foods — One of the Easiest and Most Creative Aspects of Making Food from Scratch” and “Tips for Fermenting at Home.”
If you have symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 infection, then my best recommendation is to start nebulizing food grade hydrogen peroxide at 0.1% as discussed in “Could Hydrogen Peroxide Treat Coronavirus?”
I would also make sure that your vitamin D levels are adequate, as discussed in my Vitamin D in the Prevention of COVID-19 report. If you don’t know your vitamin D level and have not been in the sun or taken over 5,000 units of vitamin D a day, it would likely be helpful to take one bolus dose of 100,000 units, and make sure you are taking plenty of magnesium, which helps convert the vitamin D to its active immune modulating form.
Sources and References
The Best of Dr. Joseph Mercola


lewrockwell--2020-08-08--A Covid Lockdown Will Result in a Million More Deaths

The narrow focus of the WHO and CDC to halt the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus while ignoring other infectious diseases will predictably result in excess deaths from a more prevalent and deadly lung disease – tuberculosis .
The COVID-19 lockdowns are predicted to result in a million more deaths from tuberculosis than what would normally occur .
The COVID-19 lockdowns need to be halted immediately if this data is to be heeded and translated into public health policy .
We now have more data since May of 2020 when the STOP TB PARTNERSHIP announced that efforts to slow or block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead to more excess deaths from tuberculosis , over and above TB deaths that usually occur .
Since the pandemic began in early December 2019 an estimated 21,393 people have died of COVID-19 per week in the first 33 weeks of the pandemic , 706,000 COVID-19 deaths total ( Aug 6 , 2020 ) .
Invincible Microbe : Tu ... Blank , Alison Best Price : $ 7.88 Buy New $ 7.99 A total of 1.5 million people died of TB in 2018 .
When data issued by the STOP TB PARTNERSHIP is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are predicted to result in 1,513,200 excess TB deaths by the end of the year ( 31,525 excess deaths per week or 126,100 per month ) .
Patients with active ( non-dormant ) tuberculosis need to regularly attend TB clinics and undergo six months of antibiotic treatment to eradicate their lung infection , a regimen that is now thwarted by home lockdowns .
In May of 2020 the director of the STOP TB PARTNERSHIP predicted millions more people will predictably die of tuberculosis as a result of COVID-19 restrictions , many more lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mask wearing or social distancing could possibly prevent .
An estimated 1.8 billion people worldwide are infected with tuberculosis in their lungs .
TB is the leading infectious disease killer in the world – 1.5 million died of TB in 2018 .
There are 13 million people in the US with latent ( dormant ) TB .
The Forgotten Plague : ... Ryan , Frank Best Price : $ 6.99 Lockdowns and quarantines that isolate TB patients indoors often result in a decline in sunshine vitamin D levels that will predictably contribute to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tuberculosis than what would normally occur .
The narrow focus of the WHO and CDC has resulted in efforts to quell one viral infection while allowing another more deadly killer to spread uncontrollably .
The World Health Organization now says coronavirus is “ going to be with us for a long time.
” They are whispering about a 3-year lockdown .
During the first 203 days of the epidemic modern medicine became singularly focused on COVID-19 .
Medical investigators wrote and published 26,386 papers as posted at the National Library of Medicine concerning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per day .
At ClinicalTrials.gov the National Institutes of Health lists 2,341 COVID-19 related studies .
Good-Bye Germ Theory : ... Trebing , Dr. William P Best Price : $ 36.69 Buy New $ 14.00 The singular focus of modern medicine on COVID-19 coronavirus has led to less funding to study other diseases .
A Stanford/UCLA study released this June estimates indicates the probability of COVID-19 infection is 1 in 40,500 persons ; the probability of being hospitalized for COVID-19 coronavirus complications among 50-64-year-olds is 1 in 709,000 ; and the probability of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 in 6,670,000 .
These probabilities limit the effectiveness of any vaccine .
PLEASE RECOGNIZE , if vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory , and immunization is 100 % effective , it could only prevent 1 death among 6,670,000 vaccinated !
Almost no one would benefit from inoculation .
While many people are infected by COVID-19 coronavirus and by tuberculosis but never diagnosed , an estimated 18.8 million people worldwide have tested positive for COVID-19 ( 2.4 people out of 10,000 ) while 1.8 billion out of a world population of 7.8 billion have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10,000 ) .

The narrow focus of the WHO and CDC to halt the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus while ignoring other infectious diseases will predictably result in excess deaths from a more prevalent and deadly lung disease – tuberculosis. The COVID-19 lockdowns are predicted to result in a million more deaths from tuberculosis than what would normally occur. The COVID-19 lockdowns need to be halted immediately if this data is to be heeded and translated into public health policy.
We now have more data since May of 2020 when the STOP TB PARTNERSHIP announced that efforts to slow or block the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus will predictably lead to more excess deaths from tuberculosis, over and above TB deaths that usually occur.
Since the pandemic began in early December 2019 an estimated 21,393 people have died of COVID-19 per week in the first 33 weeks of the pandemic, 706,000 COVID-19 deaths total (Aug 6, 2020).
Invincible Microbe: Tu... Blank, Alison Best Price: $7.88 Buy New $7.99 (as of 04:18 UTC - Details) A total of 1.5 million people died of TB in 2018. When data issued by the STOP TB PARTNERSHIP is extrapolated into a forecast, COVID-19 lockdowns are predicted to result in 1,513,200 excess TB deaths by the end of the year (31,525 excess deaths per week or 126,100 per month).
Patients with active (non-dormant) tuberculosis need to regularly attend TB clinics and undergo six months of antibiotic treatment to eradicate their lung infection, a regimen that is now thwarted by home lockdowns.
In May of 2020 the director of the STOP TB PARTNERSHIP predicted millions more people will predictably die of tuberculosis as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, many more lives than any lockdowns, quarantines, face mask wearing or social distancing could possibly prevent.
An estimated 1.8 billion people worldwide are infected with tuberculosis in their lungs. TB is the leading infectious disease killer in the world – 1.5 million died of TB in 2018. There are 13 million people in the US with latent (dormant) TB. The Forgotten Plague: ... Ryan, Frank Best Price: $6.99 (as of 04:57 UTC - Details)
Lockdowns and quarantines that isolate TB patients indoors often result in a decline in sunshine vitamin D levels that will predictably contribute to an alarming rise in excess deaths from tuberculosis than what would normally occur. The narrow focus of the WHO and CDC has resulted in efforts to quell one viral infection while allowing another more deadly killer to spread uncontrollably.
The World Health Organization now says coronavirus is “going to be with us for a long time.” They are whispering about a 3-year lockdown.
During the first 203 days of the epidemic modern medicine became singularly focused on COVID-19. Medical investigators wrote and published 26,386 papers as posted at the National Library of Medicine concerning COVID-19 coronavirus. That is 118 papers per day.
At ClinicalTrials.gov the National Institutes of Health lists 2,341 COVID-19 related studies. Good-Bye Germ Theory: ... Trebing, Dr. William P Best Price: $36.69 Buy New $14.00 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details)
The singular focus of modern medicine on COVID-19 coronavirus has led to less funding to study other diseases.
A Stanford/UCLA study released this June estimates indicates the probability of COVID-19 infection is 1 in 40,500 persons; the probability of being hospitalized for COVID-19 coronavirus complications among 50-64-year-olds is 1 in 709,000; and the probability of dying due to COVID-19 coronavirus infection is 1 in 6,670,000. These probabilities limit the effectiveness of any vaccine. PLEASE RECOGNIZE, if vaccination against COVID-19 is mandatory, and immunization is 100% effective, it could only prevent 1 death among 6,670,000 vaccinated! Almost no one would benefit from inoculation.
While many people are infected by COVID-19 coronavirus and by tuberculosis but never diagnosed, an estimated 18.8 million people worldwide have tested positive for COVID-19 (2.4 people out of 10,000) while 1.8 billion out of a world population of 7.8 billion have confirmed cases of tuberculosis (2,300 per 10,000).


Fr. George Zabelka

Why have I , a cradle Catholic , learned more about the Prince of Peace , the evils of war , and the lies of the government from the LRC website than from my own Church ?
In 2007 , LRC published “ A Military Chaplain Repents , ” an interview that Fr .
Emmanuel McCarthy did with Fr .
George Zabelka in the late 1970s .
Fr .
Zabelka served as the Catholic chaplain for the group that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki .
No Catholic magazine or newspaper was interested in publishing this interview at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen the light of day if Sojourners , a Protestant publication , had not published it in 1980 .
In 2005 , LRC published “ Blessing the Bombs , ” a speech Fr .
Zabelka gave at a Pax Christi conference in August 1985 .
By this point , George ’ s story had become internationally known , but even after a Hollywood-quality documentary was made about him in 1988 ( “ The Reluctant Prophet ” ) , no American t.v .
station , either Catholic or secular , was interested in televising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweeney , a Catholic who flew the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki , never doubted that he did the right thing ( it should be noted as a 25-year-old ) , Fr .
Zabelka did a complete “ about-face ” as he called it .
He said : “ I was there , and I was wrong.
” Which one of these men do you think was the subject of many interviews and feature articles that appeared in national publications on various anniversaries of the bombing ?
This week I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McCarthy on my podcast about his good friend , George Zabelka .
LRC readers might be interested in hearing the “ inside story ” of Fr .
Zabelka ’ s conversion , and how Fr .
McCarthy ended up meeting him , about the rocky start to their relationship , and some of the fruits that came from Fr .
Zabelka ’ s work for peace toward the end of his life .
I see many Catholics this week reassuring themselves and others on Twitter that “ the Church has always condemned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if to say : “ It ’ s all good .
We have nothing to repent for .
We were in the right.
” A more honest look at history might lead one to wonder , if this is true , why so many Christians participated in the indiscriminate slaughtering of civilians — and without a second thought .
One can not overestimate the importance of George Zabelka ’ s testimony ; but equally important I think is the story of how his testimony was , one can only conclude after listening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimized , and ignored by not only the mainstream media but the mainstream Catholic Church .
YWLI Rosary Beads Cath ... Buy New $ 13.99 If Zabelka eventually came around to the “ right side ” of history and Church teaching , then why is he not considered some kind of hero ?
Why do hardly any Catholics know about him ?
Why I am , literally , the only Christian in the world using the hashtag “ # GeorgeZabelka ” on Twitter on the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Jesus uses the verb “ do ” more than any other verb in the New Testament .
Thank you for all you ’ ve done to spread the word of Fr .
George Zabelka ’ s witness , for not letting his story be memory-holed .
If I could , I ’ d give you one of the buttons that Fr .
Zabelka use to pass out to people by the thousands before he died .
Let ’ s all do something for peace today .
Spread the word : # GeorgeZabelka @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Why have I, a cradle Catholic, learned more about the Prince of Peace, the evils of war, and the lies of the government from the LRC website than from my own Church?
In 2007, LRC published “A Military Chaplain Repents,” an interview that Fr. Emmanuel McCarthy did with Fr. George Zabelka in the late 1970s. Fr. Zabelka served as the Catholic chaplain for the group that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No Catholic magazine or newspaper was interested in publishing this interview at the time. It wouldn’t have seen the light of day if Sojourners, a Protestant publication, had not published it in 1980.
In 2005, LRC published “Blessing the Bombs,” a speech Fr. Zabelka gave at a Pax Christi conference in August 1985. By this point, George’s story had become internationally known, but even after a Hollywood-quality documentary was made about him in 1988 (“The Reluctant Prophet”), no American t.v. station, either Catholic or secular, was interested in televising it.
Whereas Maj. Gen. Charles W. Sweeney, a Catholic who flew the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, never doubted that he did the right thing (it should be noted as a 25-year-old), Fr. Zabelka did a complete “about-face” as he called it. He said: “I was there, and I was wrong.” Which one of these men do you think was the subject of many interviews and feature articles that appeared in national publications on various anniversaries of the bombing?
This week I had the honor of interviewing Fr. McCarthy on my podcast about his good friend, George Zabelka. LRC readers might be interested in hearing the “inside story” of Fr. Zabelka’s conversion, and how Fr. McCarthy ended up meeting him, about the rocky start to their relationship, and some of the fruits that came from Fr. Zabelka’s work for peace toward the end of his life.
I see many Catholics this week reassuring themselves and others on Twitter that “the Church has always condemned the indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians,” as if to say: “It’s all good. We have nothing to repent for. We were in the right.”
A more honest look at history might lead one to wonder, if this is true, why so many Christians participated in the indiscriminate slaughtering of civilians — and without a second thought. One cannot overestimate the importance of George Zabelka’s testimony; but equally important I think is the story of how his testimony was, one can only conclude after listening to the podcast, deliberately suppressed, minimized, and ignored by not only the mainstream media but the mainstream Catholic Church. YWLI Rosary Beads Cath... Buy New $13.99 (as of 04:59 UTC - Details)
If Zabelka eventually came around to the “right side” of history and Church teaching, then why is he not considered some kind of hero? Why do hardly any Catholics know about him? Why I am, literally, the only Christian in the world using the hashtag “#GeorgeZabelka” on Twitter on the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs?
Fr. McCarthy always says that Jesus uses the verb “do” more than any other verb in the New Testament. Thank you for all you’ve done to spread the word of Fr. George Zabelka’s witness, for not letting his story be memory-holed. If I could, I’d give you one of the buttons that Fr. Zabelka use to pass out to people by the thousands before he died.
Let’s all do something for peace today. Spread the word: #GeorgeZabelka #NeverAgain
The Best of Ellen Finnigan


Autopsy of America

For the last several months , the populace of the United States of America has been beaten and bamboozled .
Bewildered , if not outright crushed , people are berating each other for failing to wear a face mask in public .
Riots have taken over several big cities in the country , and crime is exploding in New York City , Chicago , Minneapolis , Atlanta , and others .
The country is walking on eggshells .
Every new minute threatens to bring forth renewed hysteria , anger , and dysphoria .
The tension and anger of the population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here ?
It all started with Operation COVID .
This writer thought that the lockdowns were unsustainable and that they would end quickly due to a furious response of the public .
Surely , Americans would not put up with such nonsense .
This is the purported “ Land of the Free ” after all .
That they have accepted lockdowns shows this writer committed what should have been the obvious mortal sin of overestimating Boobus ’ ability to think critically ( or think at all ) .
Not only have most Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begged for their chains .
They have cheered the State in its effort to crush business owners , mandate masks , demand antisocial distancing ( including on private property ) , and more .
In some states , the lockdowns have not even ended .
It should go without saying that the government has no authority to close business , nor force masks on people .
COVID-19 : Lockdowns on ... Betrus , Michael Buy New $ 16.99 With Boobus , this does not go without saying .
Per usual , the ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break the public and further their agenda .
The agenda of Bill Gates and his apprentice , Dr. Tony Fauci ( henceforth to be referred to in this text as “ Dr .
God ” ) , is hiding in plain sight .
Prompted by the death of George Floyd , much of the country has erupted into protest and riots .
Black Lives Matter went from being an unpopular leftist organization to a new religion over an eight-minute video .
We have no real rights left , with politicians no longer even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bill of Rights .
A true cult of personality surrounds Dr. God .
In short order , his face was blasted across the country on televisions and smartphones as a beacon of truth .
Immutable and omniscient , he gives advice on everything from dating , hooking up for anonymous sex ( a personal choice Dr. God is actually fine with ! )
, and , of course , medicine .
He has been placed on magazine covers and anointed as the “ sexiest man alive.
” This gentleman has gone from no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been given the RFK Ripple of Hope award – much to the chagrin of one RFK , Jr. Like any omniscient figure , it is unacceptable to criticize or even question Dr. God .
Fauci : The Bernie Mado ... Ortleb , Charles Buy New $ 5.99 Trump failed spectacularly .
No state of emergency should have ever been declared .
He should have brought in a variety of well-regarded doctors from across the country for input , and ensured the country he was listening to different viewpoints from actual experts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ioannidis of Stanford poked a hole in this facade , Trump should have had him on a plane to Washington .
Instead , Trump has let Dr. God speak gospel to the presstitutes who have dutifully carried his words to the public , presenting them as absolute truth and “ science.
” Initially reluctant to wear a mask , Trump has now muzzled himself and calls it “ patriotic ” to wear one .
One has to wonder just who Trump thinks is considering voting for him ?
Here ’ s a hint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around wearing masks every minute of every day .
Offense is all that works in politics .
Just ask the Democrats .
For all his grandstanding and bluster , Trump betrays his true cowardice in his failure to fire Dr. God , his pushing of a vaccine , his total lack of leadership and respect for freedom as the country has been locked down .
The Democrats and their rulers have unleashed a full-out assault on liberty and freedom across the country that would have been inconceivable months ago .
Shrinking into prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pathetic GOP has played into the false frame pushed by Team Apocalypse and waxed and waned , all while pretending the State even has the authority to enact any of the patently absurd measures it has .
A VOYAGE IN IMAGINATIO ... Holmes , Dr Joel S Buy New $ 9.95 Even now , so-called “ conservative ” Republican Governors like Greg Abbot and Mike DeWine are holding their states hostage .
Rather than go on offense and aggressively call out the tyrannical Governors who have trampled freedom , Trump rattles the saber @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress for a vaccine .
His campaign thinks this strategy will work .
It will not .
Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti are the two co-owners of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr , New Jersey .
These two patriots have waged a battle to stay open against their tyrannical , Goldman Sachs sponsored Governor Phil Murphy .
Now Governor Murphy has threatened to fine them both $ 10k per day every day the gym remains open , and imprison them for at least six months .
It is beyond unacceptable that Trump has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trumbetti and Smith and give a speech to the country .
In so doing , he would be standing up for not just business owners , but all Americans across the country who have had their careers and lives destroyed due to largely Democrat-run lockdowns .
It would be a sight to behold .
No matter .
Trumbetti and Smith have been abandoned by their president who ’ s too busy finger wagging at China .
Plague : One Scientist & ... Mikovits , Judy Best Price : $ 29.55 Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are aiding and abetting riots in their cities and states .
Even when they ’ re destroying property and lives , Democrats stick by their voters .
The riots are clearly being orchestrated by substantial infrastructure and finance ( i.e.
, George Soros ) .
Yet in keeping with the Republican spirit of always being on defense ( unless they ’ re lobbying for another country to bomb , of course ) , Trump and the DoJ have done absolutely nothing .
One suspects Attorney General Bill Barr does not want to turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he might find on the other side .
Meanwhile , John Durham is clearly simply running out the clock until November .
It has become clear that no one will pay any price for Russiagate .
It is easy to lose track of just how long one has been waiting for Durham to bring down the hammer .
It is increasingly clear that he simply will not do it .
At best , he will wait for campaign season to kick in this September and slap a few minor characters like Peter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and CIA are above the law , so there won ’ t be any notable fish fried here – let alone Obama or Hillary .
If Trump actually wants another term in office , he should pipe down on China and start standing up for the freedoms of people in this country .
An appearance with the aforementioned Smith and Trumbetti would be a great place to start .
Additionally , he should be aggressively defending the pro-lifers who were arrested for writing “ preborn black lives matter ” in chalk , targeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on abortion – something which won ’ t be popular with the blue collar working class in states Trump desperately needs to win .
He should be clear and succinct about the true objectives of BLM .
As it stands , Trump is not running a campaign that even deserves to win against his cadaver of an opponent .

For the last several months, the populace of the United States of America has been beaten and bamboozled. Bewildered, if not outright crushed, people are berating each other for failing to wear a face mask in public. Riots have taken over several big cities in the country, and crime is exploding in New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis, Atlanta, and others. The country is walking on eggshells. Every new minute threatens to bring forth renewed hysteria, anger, and dysphoria. The tension and anger of the population at large are palpable. What happened here?
It all started with Operation COVID. This writer thought that the lockdowns were unsustainable and that they would end quickly due to a furious response of the public. Surely, Americans would not put up with such nonsense. This is the purported “Land of the Free” after all. That they have accepted lockdowns shows this writer committed what should have been the obvious mortal sin of overestimating Boobus’ ability to think critically (or think at all). Not only have most Americans put up with it, they have begged for their chains. They have cheered the State in its effort to crush business owners, mandate masks, demand antisocial distancing (including on private property), and more. In some states, the lockdowns have not even ended. It should go without saying that the government has no authority to close business, nor force masks on people. COVID-19: Lockdowns on... Betrus, Michael Buy New $16.99 (as of 03:38 UTC - Details)
With Boobus, this does not go without saying.
Per usual, the ruling class has used subterfuge and obfuscation to break the public and further their agenda. The agenda of Bill Gates and his apprentice, Dr. Tony Fauci (henceforth to be referred to in this text as “Dr. God”), is hiding in plain sight. Prompted by the death of George Floyd, much of the country has erupted into protest and riots. Black Lives Matter went from being an unpopular leftist organization to a new religion over an eight-minute video. We have no real rights left, with politicians no longer even pretending to care about the Constitution or Bill of Rights.
A true cult of personality surrounds Dr. God. In short order, his face was blasted across the country on televisions and smartphones as a beacon of truth. Immutable and omniscient, he gives advice on everything from dating, hooking up for anonymous sex (a personal choice Dr. God is actually fine with!), and, of course, medicine. He has been placed on magazine covers and anointed as the “sexiest man alive.” This gentleman has gone from no name to household name overnight. He has been given the RFK Ripple of Hope award – much to the chagrin of one RFK, Jr. Like any omniscient figure, it is unacceptable to criticize or even question Dr. God.
Fauci: The Bernie Mado... Ortleb, Charles Buy New $5.99 (as of 02:55 UTC - Details) Trump failed spectacularly. No state of emergency should have ever been declared. He should have brought in a variety of well-regarded doctors from across the country for input, and ensured the country he was listening to different viewpoints from actual experts in the field. The second Dr. John Ioannidis of Stanford poked a hole in this facade, Trump should have had him on a plane to Washington. Instead, Trump has let Dr. God speak gospel to the presstitutes who have dutifully carried his words to the public, presenting them as absolute truth and “science.” Initially reluctant to wear a mask, Trump has now muzzled himself and calls it “patriotic” to wear one. One has to wonder just who Trump thinks is considering voting for him? Here’s a hint – it is not the people walking around wearing masks every minute of every day.
Offense is all that works in politics. Just ask the Democrats. For all his grandstanding and bluster, Trump betrays his true cowardice in his failure to fire Dr. God, his pushing of a vaccine, his total lack of leadership and respect for freedom as the country has been locked down. The Democrats and their rulers have unleashed a full-out assault on liberty and freedom across the country that would have been inconceivable months ago. Shrinking into prevent defense as they usually do, the pathetic GOP has played into the false frame pushed by Team Apocalypse and waxed and waned, all while pretending the State even has the authority to enact any of the patently absurd measures it has.
A VOYAGE IN IMAGINATIO... Holmes, Dr Joel S Buy New $9.95 (as of 04:21 UTC - Details) Even now, so-called “conservative” Republican Governors like Greg Abbot and Mike DeWine are holding their states hostage. Rather than go on offense and aggressively call out the tyrannical Governors who have trampled freedom, Trump rattles the saber towards his scapegoat China and blathers about progress for a vaccine. His campaign thinks this strategy will work. It will not.
Ian Smith and Frank Trumbetti are the two co-owners of Atilis Gym in Bellmawr, New Jersey. These two patriots have waged a battle to stay open against their tyrannical, Goldman Sachs sponsored Governor Phil Murphy. Now Governor Murphy has threatened to fine them both $10k per day every day the gym remains open, and imprison them for at least six months. It is beyond unacceptable that Trump has not traveled to New Jersey to meet with Trumbetti and Smith and give a speech to the country. In so doing, he would be standing up for not just business owners, but all Americans across the country who have had their careers and lives destroyed due to largely Democrat-run lockdowns. It would be a sight to behold. No matter. Trumbetti and Smith have been abandoned by their president who’s too busy finger wagging at China.
Plague: One Scientist&... Mikovits, Judy Best Price: $29.55 Buy New $17.99 (as of 04:10 UTC - Details) Meanwhile, Democrat Mayors and Governors are aiding and abetting riots in their cities and states. Even when they’re destroying property and lives, Democrats stick by their voters. The riots are clearly being orchestrated by substantial infrastructure and finance (i.e., George Soros). Yet in keeping with the Republican spirit of always being on defense (unless they’re lobbying for another country to bomb, of course), Trump and the DoJ have done absolutely nothing. One suspects Attorney General Bill Barr does not want to turn the rock over here, afraid of what he might find on the other side. Meanwhile, John Durham is clearly simply running out the clock until November. It has become clear that no one will pay any price for Russiagate. It is easy to lose track of just how long one has been waiting for Durham to bring down the hammer. It is increasingly clear that he simply will not do it. At best, he will wait for campaign season to kick in this September and slap a few minor characters like Peter Strzok on the wrist. The FBI and CIA are above the law, so there won’t be any notable fish fried here – let alone Obama or Hillary.
If Trump actually wants another term in office, he should pipe down on China and start standing up for the freedoms of people in this country. An appearance with the aforementioned Smith and Trumbetti would be a great place to start. Additionally, he should be aggressively defending the pro-lifers who were arrested for writing “preborn black lives matter” in chalk, targeting Biden’s support for zero restrictions on abortion – something which won’t be popular with the blue collar working class in states Trump desperately needs to win. He should be clear and succinct about the true objectives of BLM. As it stands, Trump is not running a campaign that even deserves to win against his cadaver of an opponent.


lewrockwell--2020-08-08--The DNC Convention Is the Election

The DNC Convention Is the Election

For nearly a year it has been my primary thesis that the DNC nominating convention would determine the fate of the presidential election here in the states .
These four days may , in fact , be more dramatic than any Democratic convention since 1860 when incumbent James Buchanan was tossed aside to ensure a lawyer with railroad ties from Illinois , Stephen Douglas , squared off against Republican Abraham Lincoln .
Lincoln was also a railroad lawyer from Illinois .
Just sayin ’ .
The convention is less than two weeks away and serious questions about the Democrats ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone who pays even cursory attention to presidential politics .
How can they possibly run Joe Biden ?
Yesterday ’ s Man : ... Marcetic , Branko Best Price : $ 12.00 Buy New $ 13.46 It ’ s not that Biden hasn ’ t been a good soldier for the empire , he has .
It is that he is unpresentable as a candidate in public .
The evidence of his cognitive decline , which has accelerated in recent months , mounts every time he fails to even read a teleprompter correctly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ united on is their hatred for Trump .
But that hatred can not be an animating principle to base an election strategy on , though , to this point , they certainly have tried .
Internally , there has been a three-sided war on for control of the party ’ s future .
There is the Boomers , represented by Hillary Clinton ’ s faction , who lost spectacularly when she backed a male version of herself , the profoundly disconnected and unlikeable Mike Bloomberg , as a stalking horse to pad her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gen-Xers , represented by Barack Obama who was supposed to lead the party after his two terms as president .
Biden is his representative and was the clear winner in the primaries as the candidate who theoretically could swing the center of the country away from Trump .
And then there is the Millennials , represented in the primaries by Bernie Sanders and the so-called squad .
They are led now by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez whose goal is to kick out all of these globalists and remake the party as the vanguard of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are acceptable to the center of the U.S. who today , no matter how hard they are being gaslit to believe , ultimately blame Donald Trump for their current problems .
And Obama pressed for Biden to be the candidate .
He finally beat Hillary for nominal control of the party , getting his candidate through the primary miasma .
Accidental Presidents : ... Cohen , Jared Best Price : $ 5.58 Buy New $ 13.49 You can ’ t blame a President for a natural disaster , but that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with COVID-19 .
Whatever Trump said or did in response to the virus was wrong , even if that meant exhibiting blatant hypocrisy or openly contradicting previous positions .
In fact , this has been the Democrats ’ strategy since before Trump took office and it has made them look hysterical and irrelevant .
So , with the convention less than two weeks away the big question is who Biden ’ s running mate will be .
The fact that he hasn ’ t chosen one yet tells you that they have no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than trying to steal it through mail-in ballots .
Because none of the potential candidates can do what the Democrats need a vice-presidential candidate to do , deliver a key battleground state .
For Biden , given the rapidity of his decline , the V.P .
pick has the added burden of actually being the President for most of the elected term , because the convention will make it clear to the world that Biden will step aside for health reasons no later than mid-2021 if he wins .
But , more pressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem that in order to beat back AOC ’ s Squad and keep Hillary bound down , they are now saddled with an unelectable candidate and a platoon of potential running mates who are wholly unacceptable to either the DNC establishment , the country at large or both .
Fallout : Nuclear Bribe ... Bruner , Seamus Buy New $ 25.20 Whoever tunes into the virtual convention will realize almost immediately that this time , more than any election in the televised era , when filling in that ballot in November you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ticket rather than the top .
Moreover , since Biden has declined so quickly the odds of an internal coup against him occurring at the convention in Milwaukee is high .
It ’ s why the New York Times is now calling to cancel presidential debates .
It ’ s not because “ never made sense as a test for presidential leadership.
” It ’ s because , though the writer doth protest too much , everyone knows that Trump will wipe the floor with Biden .
In fact , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be so lopsided they would work to Biden ’ s advantage as people who see Trump ’ s attacks on him as ‘ elder abuse.
’ Trump would have to actually tone down his persona in a way I ’ m not sure he ’ s capable of doing .
The other factions within the DNC are sharpening their knives I type this .
Hillary will go in filled with all the bile her gall bladder can still produce to thwart the potential ascension of any other woman to the presidency before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in with Bernie ’ s delegates and play spoiler .
Obama will try to figure out how to hold his new-found power together while Biden , frankly , drools on himself in the corner .
The 21 Biggest Lies ab ... Schlichter , Kurt Best Price : $ 19.46 Buy New $ 21.49 And that may be the most damning image of this pathetic and sordid affair I can muster .
Biden should have already stepped aside .
He should have already accepted the gold watch for his service and moved on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead he ’ s being abused by cynical , power-mad ideologues desperate to avoid not only their own malfeasance , i.e .
Obamagate , but have one last shot at delivering the U.S. back into the hands of The Davos Crowd ’ s move towards their Great Reset .
It ’ s clear that this election season has been about prepping the stage for the campaign season that puts so much pressure on Trump to perform miracles that Americans simply reject him as incompetent and will accept anyone other than him as President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens , we ’ re going to find out just how incompetent his opposition truly is .
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .
The Best of Thomas Luongo

For nearly a year it has been my primary thesis that the DNC nominating convention would determine the fate of the presidential election here in the states. These four days may, in fact, be more dramatic than any Democratic convention since 1860 when incumbent James Buchanan was tossed aside to ensure a lawyer with railroad ties from Illinois, Stephen Douglas, squared off against Republican Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln was also a railroad lawyer from Illinois. Just sayin’.
The convention is less than two weeks away and serious questions about the Democrats’ strategy should be plain to see for anyone who pays even cursory attention to presidential politics.
How can they possibly run Joe Biden?
Yesterday’s Man:... Marcetic, Branko Best Price: $12.00 Buy New $13.46 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details) It’s not that Biden hasn’t been a good soldier for the empire, he has. It is that he is unpresentable as a candidate in public. The evidence of his cognitive decline, which has accelerated in recent months, mounts every time he fails to even read a teleprompter correctly.
The only thing the Democrats are united on is their hatred for Trump. But that hatred cannot be an animating principle to base an election strategy on, though, to this point, they certainly have tried.
Internally, there has been a three-sided war on for control of the party’s future. There is the Boomers, represented by Hillary Clinton’s faction, who lost spectacularly when she backed a male version of herself, the profoundly disconnected and unlikeable Mike Bloomberg, as a stalking horse to pad her delegate count.
There is the frustrated Gen-Xers, represented by Barack Obama who was supposed to lead the party after his two terms as president. Biden is his representative and was the clear winner in the primaries as the candidate who theoretically could swing the center of the country away from Trump.
And then there is the Millennials, represented in the primaries by Bernie Sanders and the so-called squad. They are led now by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez whose goal is to kick out all of these globalists and remake the party as the vanguard of a U.S. cultural revolution.
None of these people are acceptable to the center of the U.S. who today, no matter how hard they are being gaslit to believe, ultimately blame Donald Trump for their current problems.
And Obama pressed for Biden to be the candidate. He finally beat Hillary for nominal control of the party, getting his candidate through the primary miasma. Accidental Presidents:... Cohen, Jared Best Price: $5.58 Buy New $13.49 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details)
You can’t blame a President for a natural disaster, but that’s been the Democrats’ strategy all year with COVID-19. Whatever Trump said or did in response to the virus was wrong, even if that meant exhibiting blatant hypocrisy or openly contradicting previous positions.
In fact, this has been the Democrats’ strategy since before Trump took office and it has made them look hysterical and irrelevant.
So, with the convention less than two weeks away the big question is who Biden’s running mate will be. The fact that he hasn’t chosen one yet tells you that they have no strategy for actually winning the election other than trying to steal it through mail-in ballots.
Because none of the potential candidates can do what the Democrats need a vice-presidential candidate to do, deliver a key battleground state.
For Biden, given the rapidity of his decline, the V.P. pick has the added burden of actually being the President for most of the elected term, because the convention will make it clear to the world that Biden will step aside for health reasons no later than mid-2021 if he wins.
But, more pressing for the Democrats, is the fundamental problem that in order to beat back AOC’s Squad and keep Hillary bound down, they are now saddled with an unelectable candidate and a platoon of potential running mates who are wholly unacceptable to either the DNC establishment, the country at large or both.
Fallout: Nuclear Bribe... Bruner, Seamus Buy New $25.20 (as of 04:53 UTC - Details) Whoever tunes into the virtual convention will realize almost immediately that this time, more than any election in the televised era, when filling in that ballot in November you will be voting on the qualifications bottom half of the ticket rather than the top.
Moreover, since Biden has declined so quickly the odds of an internal coup against him occurring at the convention in Milwaukee is high. It’s why the New York Times is now calling to cancel presidential debates. It’s not because “never made sense as a test for presidential leadership.” It’s because, though the writer doth protest too much, everyone knows that Trump will wipe the floor with Biden.
In fact, I would argue debates between Trump and Biden will be so lopsided they would work to Biden’s advantage as people who see Trump’s attacks on him as ‘elder abuse.’ Trump would have to actually tone down his persona in a way I’m not sure he’s capable of doing.
But I digress.
The other factions within the DNC are sharpening their knives I type this. Hillary will go in filled with all the bile her gall bladder can still produce to thwart the potential ascension of any other woman to the presidency before her.
AOC and company will go in with Bernie’s delegates and play spoiler. Obama will try to figure out how to hold his new-found power together while Biden, frankly, drools on himself in the corner.
The 21 Biggest Lies ab... Schlichter, Kurt Best Price: $19.46 Buy New $21.49 (as of 05:03 UTC - Details) And that may be the most damning image of this pathetic and sordid affair I can muster. Biden should have already stepped aside. He should have already accepted the gold watch for his service and moved on to the great globalist golf course. But instead he’s being abused by cynical, power-mad ideologues desperate to avoid not only their own malfeasance, i.e. Obamagate, but have one last shot at delivering the U.S. back into the hands of The Davos Crowd’s move towards their Great Reset.
It’s clear that this election season has been about prepping the stage for the campaign season that puts so much pressure on Trump to perform miracles that Americans simply reject him as incompetent and will accept anyone other than him as President.
In Milwaukee, no matter what happens, we’re going to find out just how incompetent his opposition truly is.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.
The Best of Tom Luongo


lewrockwell--2020-08-08--Germany’s Populist Revolt Against the Lockdown

Tens of thousands gathered in Berlin last weekend to proclaim ‘ Freedom Day and the end of the pandemic ’ .
The event couldn ’ t have been more controversial .
One side ( the vast majority of commentators and politicians ) referred to the demo as a ‘ dangerous development ’ .
The protesters were labelled as reckless government-haters who posed a risk to other people ’ s health .
The word Covidiots came up again and again ( including in a tweet by the leader of the Social Democrats , Saskia Esken ) .
Government minister Peter Altmeier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules .
The protesters , on the other hand , saw themselves as ‘ freedom fighters ’ against ‘ dictatorship ’ and ‘ single-party rule ’ .
Disagreement arose even with regard to the size of the demonstration .
Were there 20,000 participants , as reported by the police ?
Or were there up to one million , as the alternative , left-liberal media platform Rubicon ( the ‘ magazine for the critical masses ’ , as it calls itself ) claimed ?
Live Free Or Die : Amer ... Hannity , Sean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 17.00 One year before the country heads to the polls to elect a new government , coronavirus has become the latest symbol in the battle over truth and public opinion .
Those who , at the beginning of the crisis , believed the virus would help overcome political divisions couldn ’ t have been more wrong .
Even the oft-repeated assertion that the pandemic has restored confidence in Angela Merkel and her grand-coalition government could still prove to be flawed .
The government has come under pressure from new protest organisations .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the founders of Querdenken .
He proudly promised at the Berlin demo that he and his organisation were here to stay .
He organised the demonstration together with the bus-drivers ’ association , which helped to bring people from around the country to the capital .
In a clever move , Ballweg has also announced that he intends to stand as a candidate in the mayoral election in his home city of Stuttgart in November this year .
The media reports portray his supporters as crackpots , anti-vaxxers and right-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlikely that he will win .
There is of course also still a widespread fear of the virus .
But his candidacy will hopefully shake things up .
Before the Berlin demonstration , he gave an interview to Rubicon .
His scepticism of the government ’ s Covid restrictions , he says , was roused during the early phases of lockdown as scientists and doctors who had taken a different , less restrictive line , had increasingly been ignored or even censored : ‘ I began to ask myself what possibilities people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agree with , if not through the right to assemble , and free speech.
’ He also feels that whenever fact-checkers popped up on social media , we , as self-thinking citizens , should look especially closely at what is being dismissed .
His concern now is that restrictions which were imposed temporarily are proving to be permanent .
‘ The pandemic is over when the people say it is ’ , is his line of protest .
The Shortest History o ... Hawes , James Best Price : $ 7.99 Buy New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organisation like Querdenken , which has seemingly sprung out of nowhere , can mobilise so many people – despite all the ridicule in the media and the threats from politicians it has attracted .
The claim that the government ’ s concern was only for people ’ s health would be more credible if its response to its critics hadn ’ t followed such a well-established pattern .
Calls for more ‘ fact-checking ’ and appeals to abide by an officially accepted line have accompanied almost every social and cultural conflict in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1966 , the renowned humanist and anti-Nazi philosopher Karl Jaspers described German politics as being dominated by a party oligarchy , which upholds control and power .
The postwar political system , he wrote , reflected a deep-seated fear of the people .
Yes , citizens were allowed to vote every four years , but only for candidates that were hand-picked by members of the party-hierarchy .

Tens of thousands gathered in Berlin last weekend to proclaim ‘Freedom Day and the end of the pandemic’. The event couldn’t have been more controversial.
One side (the vast majority of commentators and politicians) referred to the demo as a ‘dangerous development’. The protesters were labelled as reckless government-haters who posed a risk to other people’s health. The word Covidiots came up again and again (including in a tweet by the leader of the Social Democrats, Saskia Esken). Government minister Peter Altmeier demanded harsher penalties for those violating social-distancing rules.
The protesters, on the other hand, saw themselves as ‘freedom fighters’ against ‘dictatorship’ and ‘single-party rule’. Disagreement arose even with regard to the size of the demonstration. Were there 20,000 participants, as reported by the police? Or were there up to one million, as the alternative, left-liberal media platform Rubicon (the ‘magazine for the critical masses’, as it calls itself) claimed? Live Free Or Die: Amer... Hannity, Sean Best Price: $21.27 Buy New $17.00 (as of 05:05 UTC - Details)
One year before the country heads to the polls to elect a new government, coronavirus has become the latest symbol in the battle over truth and public opinion. Those who, at the beginning of the crisis, believed the virus would help overcome political divisions couldn’t have been more wrong. Even the oft-repeated assertion that the pandemic has restored confidence in Angela Merkel and her grand-coalition government could still prove to be flawed.
The government has come under pressure from new protest organisations. Micahel Ballweg, an IT specialist, is one of the founders of Querdenken. He proudly promised at the Berlin demo that he and his organisation were here to stay. He organised the demonstration together with the bus-drivers’ association, which helped to bring people from around the country to the capital.
In a clever move, Ballweg has also announced that he intends to stand as a candidate in the mayoral election in his home city of Stuttgart in November this year. The media reports portray his supporters as crackpots, anti-vaxxers and right-wing or left-wing extremists. This makes it unlikely that he will win. There is of course also still a widespread fear of the virus. But his candidacy will hopefully shake things up.
Before the Berlin demonstration, he gave an interview to Rubicon. His scepticism of the government’s Covid restrictions, he says, was roused during the early phases of lockdown as scientists and doctors who had taken a different, less restrictive line, had increasingly been ignored or even censored: ‘I began to ask myself what possibilities people have to protest against measures they might not agree with, if not through the right to assemble, and free speech.’ He also feels that whenever fact-checkers popped up on social media, we, as self-thinking citizens, should look especially closely at what is being dismissed. His concern now is that restrictions which were imposed temporarily are proving to be permanent. ‘The pandemic is over when the people say it is’, is his line of protest. The Shortest History o... Hawes, James Best Price: $7.99 Buy New $6.99 (as of 05:05 UTC - Details)
It is telling that an organisation like Querdenken, which has seemingly sprung out of nowhere, can mobilise so many people – despite all the ridicule in the media and the threats from politicians it has attracted. The claim that the government’s concern was only for people’s health would be more credible if its response to its critics hadn’t followed such a well-established pattern. Calls for more ‘fact-checking’ and appeals to abide by an officially accepted line have accompanied almost every social and cultural conflict in the past few years.
As early as 1966, the renowned humanist and anti-Nazi philosopher Karl Jaspers described German politics as being dominated by a party oligarchy, which upholds control and power. The postwar political system, he wrote, reflected a deep-seated fear of the people. Yes, citizens were allowed to vote every four years, but only for candidates that were hand-picked by members of the party-hierarchy.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-08-08--An Aspect of the Con

An Aspect of the Con

There are many good reasons to be very skeptical about practically everything we are being told about the WuFlu ( don ’ t dignify this bug by using the term we are being told to use – “ COVID-19 ” - which sounds so much more impressive and scientific .
.
.
so novel .
.
.
but is political and being purveyed to us by the Fear Organ in just the same way that , for those who remember , the attacks upon the World Trade Center suddenly – almost as if a light switch had been flipped – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Organ sang that tune in unanimity and endlessly until everyone sang the same tune .
.
.
in order to make it hard to sing a different one ) .
Well , here is another reason to be very skeptical about the cases !
the cases !
– which the Fear Organ won ’ t stop telling us about .
Unreported Truths abou ... Berenson , Alex Buy New $ 5.99 Always without context – without telling people that most of the “ cases ” aren ’ t dying – for the ought-to-be-obvious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to die .
.
.
unless they Diaper .
Unless they demand everyone Diaper .
Unless – soon – everyone Needle .
It ought to be obvious by now .
It ’ s not because of deliberate deception .
I will now tell you about an aspect of it that I became aware of through a friend who holds a position of seniority within the hierarchy of a major medical apparat .
I can not name this person for reasons that also ought to be obvious as this person would be subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loss of job .
Besides which , it is good to have a Deep Throat within the bowels of the Sickness apparat .
This person told me the following : The Case Against Masks ... Heckenlively , Kent Buy New $ 12.99 When a person goes to their doctor – or the hospital – for A ( a condition or problem that has nothing to do with the WuFlu ) they may leave with a very large bill for the services rendered .
Unless those services are coded as B ( WuFlu or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantial financial break because the government compensates the providers of those services if they are “ coded ” as WuFlu services .
The doctor who so codes is trying to be helpful to his patient by helping them avoid a big bill for their ear infection or GI issue .
But he is also helping to pour gas on the WuFlu fire because the coding uplifts the cases !
the cases !
and this helps maintain the impression that there is an ongoing crisis – one sufficient to justify forcing every American to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed to work or shop or do practically anything .
The Invisible Enemy Garrett , Mr. Gregory L ... Buy New $ 26.94 Even kids are being Kabuki ’ d – which is perhaps the most despicable aspect of the whole thing since kids are essentially immune from death by WuFlu , as the Orange Man correctly stated the other day .
For which he was excoriated by the Fear Organ , precisely because what he said runs counter to the necessary maintenance in perpetuity of all this fear .
Kids are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that poses no more threat to them than a bad fall down the stairs on the way to the cafeteria , if that .
Their childhoods are being ruined along with their peace of mind , which may never recover .
This ought to get parents – and any adult with a sense of humanity – angry .
Instead , they get angry at people who raise questions about the cases !
the cases !
by asking about context .
Who dare to point out that a “ case ” does not mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for kids .
The Best of Eric Peters

There are many good reasons to be very skeptical about practically everything we are being told about the WuFlu (don’t dignify this bug by using the term we are being told to use – “COVID-19”- which sounds so much more impressive and scientific. . . so novel . . . but is political and being purveyed to us by the Fear Organ in just the same way that, for those who remember, the attacks upon the World Trade Center suddenly – almost as if a light switch had been flipped – became “911” as the Fear Organ sang that tune in unanimity and endlessly until everyone sang the same tune . . . in order to make it hard to sing a different one).
Well, here is another reason to be very skeptical about the cases! the cases! – which the Fear Organ won’t stop telling us about.
Unreported Truths abou... Berenson, Alex Buy New $5.99 (as of 03:17 UTC - Details) Always without context – without telling people that most of the “cases” aren’t dying – for the ought-to-be-obvious purpose of terrifying people that they are going to die . . . unless they Diaper. Unless they demand everyone Diaper. Unless – soon – everyone Needle.
It ought to be obvious by now.
It’s not because of deliberate deception.
I will now tell you about an aspect of it that I became aware of through a friend who holds a position of seniority within the hierarchy of a major medical apparat. I cannot name this person for reasons that also ought to be obvious as this person would be subject to immediate retribution that could extend beyond loss of job. Besides which, it is good to have a Deep Throat within the bowels of the Sickness apparat.
This person told me the following: The Case Against Masks... Heckenlively, Kent Buy New $12.99 (as of 04:52 UTC - Details)
When a person goes to their doctor – or the hospital – for A (a condition or problem that has nothing to do with the WuFlu) they may leave with a very large bill for the services rendered. Unless those services are coded as B (WuFlu or WuFlu-related) and then they get a substantial financial break because the government compensates the providers of those services if they are “coded” as WuFlu services.
The doctor who so codes is trying to be helpful to his patient by helping them avoid a big bill for their ear infection or GI issue.
But he is also helping to pour gas on the WuFlu fire because the coding uplifts the cases! the cases! and this helps maintain the impression that there is an ongoing crisis – one sufficient to justify forcing every American to play Sickness Kabuki in order to be allowed to work or shop or do practically anything.
The Invisible Enemy Garrett, Mr. Gregory L... Buy New $26.94 (as of 05:21 UTC - Details) Even kids are being Kabuki’d – which is perhaps the most despicable aspect of the whole thing since kids are essentially immune from death by WuFlu, as the Orange Man correctly stated the other day. For which he was excoriated by the Fear Organ, precisely because what he said runs counter to the necessary maintenance in perpetuity of all this fear.
Kids are being terrorized in the name of a sickness that poses no more threat to them than a bad fall down the stairs on the way to the cafeteria, if that. Their childhoods are being ruined along with their peace of mind, which may never recover.
This ought to get parents – and any adult with a sense of humanity – angry. Instead, they get angry at people who raise questions about the cases! the cases! by asking about context. Who dare to point out that a “case” does not mean automatic or even probable death. Especially for kids.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Eric Peters


lewrockwell--2020-08-08--Israel Destroys East Beirut With a New Weapon

The first Israeli Prime Minister has ordered the destruction of a Hizbollah weapons warehouse in Beirut with a new weapon .
The weapon , which is not well known , caused considerable damage in the city , killing more than 100 people , injuring 5,000 and destroying many buildings .
This time it will be difficult for Benjamin Netanyahu to deny it .
The first Israeli Prime Minister , Benjamin Netanyahu , authorized a strike against a Hezbollah arms depot using a new weapon that has been tested for seven months in Syria .
It is not known whether the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gave his consent .
The strike was carried out on August 4 , 2020 , at the exact location designated by Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech to the United Nations on September 27 , 2018 [ 1 ] .
Shadow Strike : Inside ... Katz , Yaakov Best Price : $ 7.99 Buy New $ 17.05 It is not known what weapon was used .
However , it has already been tested in Syria since January 2020 .
It is a missile with a tactical nuclear component in its warhead that causes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is obviously not an atomic bomb in the strategic sense .
The weapon was tested in Syria on a plain in the countryside and then in the Persian Gulf on the water against Iranian military vessels .
This is the first time it has been used in an urban environment , in a particular environment that made the air blast and vibrations reflect off the water and the mountains .
Far from destroying only the port of Beirut , it killed about a hundred people , injured at least 5,000 others , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city ( the western part was largely protected by the grain silo ) .
These satellite photos show the destruction of the Hezbollah warehouse and part of the port .
Israel immediately activated its networks in the international media to cover up its crime and lend credence to the idea of the accidental explosion of a fertilizer stockpile .
As is often the case , false culprits are named , and the international media machine repeats this lie over and over again in the absence of any investigation .
Yet there was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a fertilizer explosion .
Just as neither Syria nor Iran had communicated about this weapon when they were hit , the Lebanese political parties immediately reached an agreement not to say anything in order not to demoralize their population .
An investigation was opened , not into the cause of the explosion , but into the responsibility of the port ’ s personnel for the storage of the fertilizer allegedly responsible for the explosion .
However , this lie soon turned against the political parties that had imagined it .
9/11 : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : $ 3.97 Buy New $ 76.90 The United Nations Tribunal for Lebanon , which was due to make public its verdict in the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005 , decided to postpone it for a few days .
Identically in that case , the explosion of a pickup truck masked the firing of a missile with a new weapon , just as this time the explosion of nitrate masked the firing of a missile with another new weapon .
Five years later , five years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russian magazine the manner in which Rafik Hariri had been killed [ 2 ] , while Hezbollah published a video attesting to Israel ’ s involvement .
It is important to note that the 2005 assassination targeted a former Sunni Prime Minister and that the 2020 attack targeted not Shiite Hezbollah , but the Lebanese Resistance as a whole .
This time , several embassies carried out surveys , including taking grain samples and air filters from ambulances that immediately went to the scene .
They are already being examined in their respective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Benjamin Netanyahu to the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly ” , by Benjamin Netanyahu , Voltaire Network , 27 September 2018 .
The Best of Thierry Meyssan

The first Israeli Prime Minister has ordered the destruction of a Hizbollah weapons warehouse in Beirut with a new weapon. The weapon, which is not well known, caused considerable damage in the city, killing more than 100 people, injuring 5,000 and destroying many buildings. This time it will be difficult for Benjamin Netanyahu to deny it.
The first Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, authorized a strike against a Hezbollah arms depot using a new weapon that has been tested for seven months in Syria. It is not known whether the second Prime Minister, Benny Gantz, gave his consent.
The strike was carried out on August 4, 2020, at the exact location designated by Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech to the United Nations on September 27, 2018 [1].
Shadow Strike: Inside ... Katz, Yaakov Best Price: $7.99 Buy New $17.05 (as of 05:09 UTC - Details) It is not known what weapon was used. However, it has already been tested in Syria since January 2020. It is a missile with a tactical nuclear component in its warhead that causes a smoke mushroom characteristic of nuclear weapons. It is obviously not an atomic bomb in the strategic sense.
The weapon was tested in Syria on a plain in the countryside and then in the Persian Gulf on the water against Iranian military vessels. This is the first time it has been used in an urban environment, in a particular environment that made the air blast and vibrations reflect off the water and the mountains. Far from destroying only the port of Beirut, it killed about a hundred people, injured at least 5,000 others, and largely destroyed the eastern part of the city (the western part was largely protected by the grain silo).
These satellite photos show the destruction of the Hezbollah warehouse and part of the port.
Israel immediately activated its networks in the international media to cover up its crime and lend credence to the idea of the accidental explosion of a fertilizer stockpile. As is often the case, false culprits are named, and the international media machine repeats this lie over and over again in the absence of any investigation. Yet there was indeed a smokestack incompatible with the thesis of a fertilizer explosion.
Just as neither Syria nor Iran had communicated about this weapon when they were hit, the Lebanese political parties immediately reached an agreement not to say anything in order not to demoralize their population. An investigation was opened, not into the cause of the explosion, but into the responsibility of the port’s personnel for the storage of the fertilizer allegedly responsible for the explosion. However, this lie soon turned against the political parties that had imagined it. 9/11: The Big Lie Thierry Meyssan Best Price: $3.97 Buy New $76.90 (as of 11:40 UTC - Details)
The United Nations Tribunal for Lebanon, which was due to make public its verdict in the case of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005, decided to postpone it for a few days. Identically in that case, the explosion of a pickup truck masked the firing of a missile with a new weapon, just as this time the explosion of nitrate masked the firing of a missile with another new weapon.
Five years later, five years too late, I revealed in a Russian magazine the manner in which Rafik Hariri had been killed [2], while Hezbollah published a video attesting to Israel’s involvement.
It is important to note that the 2005 assassination targeted a former Sunni Prime Minister and that the 2020 attack targeted not Shiite Hezbollah, but the Lebanese Resistance as a whole.
This time, several embassies carried out surveys, including taking grain samples and air filters from ambulances that immediately went to the scene. They are already being examined in their respective countries.
—
[1] “Remarks by Benjamin Netanyahu to the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly”, by Benjamin Netanyahu, Voltaire Network, 27 September 2018.
[2] “Revelations on Rafik Hariri’s assassination”, by Thierry Meyssan, Оdnako (Russia) , Voltaire Network, 29 November 2010.
The Best of Thierry Meyssan


Things Going By

If this ( first ? )
summer of Covid-19 has revealed anything about the current version of civilization , it ’ s the profound exhaustion of a culture reduced to going through the motions of its once-vital activities .
A lot of things that we hope will come back are probably gone forever in the form we knew them , though they will eventually return in another configuration , reduced in scale , but perhaps finer in quality .
I miss baseball horribly , and its sad , half-assed attempt to present a rump season with no live bodies in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But then , I haven ’ t gone to a stadium in twenty years , and I certainly won ’ t pay a hundred bucks or more sit in Fenway Park .
I used to go to night games there all the time when I was a starving bohemian writing for the Boston hippie newspapers back in 1972 .
You could get a decent field-level seat behind first base for five bucks .
When I was a kid in Manhattan in 1960 , a bleacher seat in the old Yankee Stadium was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the IRT subway ) .
Upheaval : Turning Poin ... Diamond , Jared Best Price : $ 16.36 Buy New $ 17.79 They weren ’ t writing $ 100-million-plus player contracts until fairly recently , either , and of course that ’ s been symptom of pro sports ’ slide into fatal decadence .
If baseball does try to stage a full season in 2021 or 2022 , they will not be selling many hundred-dollar seats to an economically demolished middle-class .
The teams will be functionally bankrupt by then and if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be many million-dollar players .
Maybe none .
Carl Furillo , the veteran right-fielder for the 1955 World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers , used to work construction in the off-season .
He was on the crew that built New York ’ s Verrazano Bridge .
Imagine Mike Trout hanging sheet-rock ( if sheet-rock even exists as a product a few years from now ) .
I can imagine baseball reorganizing into two separate East and West leagues for a while , to reduce costly airplane travel , but even that might not last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political turmoil ahead , it will come out the other side as a strictly local and regional thing — and that will be the theme for all the things we like to do and must do .
The idiocy of pro football will not survive at all .
Its farm system ( college sports ) will be long gone .
Higher education committed suicide with its dual racketeering model .
First was the college loan racket , in which schools colluded with the federal government to jam too many “ customers ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ belong there , and who buried themselves under a lifetime debt obligation they could never escape .
The second was the intellectual racket of creating sham fields of study that contaminated all the other “ humanities ” with poisonous bullshit theory , and eventually even invaded the STEM disciplines .
Covid-19 screwed the pooch on all that , scotching the four-year party-hearty in-residence part of the deal .
For now , who needs an online class in Contemporary Sexual Transgression ( $ 2000-a-credit ) when you can just click on Porn-hub for free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be going out of business in the years ahead .
Fingerprints of the Gods Hancock , Graham Best Price : $ 6.43 Buy New $ 10.75 The outlook for the big centralized high schools is also pretty dark .
The teachers ’ unions insatiable needs are only part of the picture .
Consolidating many smaller schools to save on administrative costs seemed like a good idea at the time .
But we ended up with thousands of gigantic schools that looked like insecticide factories and felt like minimum security prisons .
They all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to collect the kids from far and wide .
The whole scheme ended up as an elaborate day-care operation that actually retarded the development of young people into functional , autonomous adults .
Covid-19 and the economic collapse it triggered will put an end to all that .
How will the school districts cope with an epic loss of tax revenue from all the homeowners defaulting on their mortgages ?
They won ’ t .
Schooling will have to reorganize , and probably at a very grassroots level , with home-schools evolving into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among parents who have the literacy and numeracy to pull it off .
We ’ ll be lucky if , years from now , we ’ ll see something like local academies spring up that can handle a few hundred students .
I ’ d also warn you about assuming that the Internet is a permanent installation of the human condition .
It depends utterly on a pretty fragile electric grid .
We do , after all , have libraries , and maybe they can be persuaded to stop trying to get rid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Magic : Wishfu ... James Howard Kunstler Best Price : $ 4.53 Buy New $ 8.06 These Covid months have prompted Americans to pass the idle hours of joblessness and anomie with Hollywood ’ s canned entertainments .
Could that all be over , too ?
The theaters were already sucking wind before the virus landed — relying on an ever more brain-dead repetition of comic book movies — while the quality product moved to Cable TV .
Now that ’ s saturated , with the newer product fermenting into garbage .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all that with unemployment at 30 percent , and moving higher ?
Are you already bored out of your skull with reruns of the old classics ?
People truly need narrative art forms to make sense of reality , but they have to be tuned to the times we live in .
My bet would be on the eventual return of live theater on local stages for original stories keyed to the new post-collapse reality — which will not be understood via Star Wars or Breakfast at Tiffany ’ s .
Broadway is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old hits , and also , of course , because New York City itself is only beginning a long journey down the drain before it can be reorganize into a functioning entrepôt .
I ’ ve got half a mind to invest in an outfit that can put on puppet shows in my little flyover town .
As you can surely tell by now , the trend is local and smaller for all of these things .
That may even be true for national elections and the venerable thing called the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initially only striving for mere suicide , but lately it looks like they want to destroy the country altogether — and they may succeed beyond their wildest dreams .
Fifty years from now , several separate American nations may be sending their own regional baseball league champions to some kind of World Series , if we ’ re not still at war with each other .
The Best of James Howard Kunstler

If this (first?) summer of Covid-19 has revealed anything about the current version of civilization, it’s the profound exhaustion of a culture reduced to going through the motions of its once-vital activities. A lot of things that we hope will come back are probably gone forever in the form we knew them, though they will eventually return in another configuration, reduced in scale, but perhaps finer in quality.
I miss baseball horribly, and its sad, half-assed attempt to present a rump season with no live bodies in the seats only amplifies the loss. But then, I haven’t gone to a stadium in twenty years, and I certainly won’t pay a hundred bucks or more sit in Fenway Park. I used to go to night games there all the time when I was a starving bohemian writing for the Boston hippie newspapers back in 1972. You could get a decent field-level seat behind first base for five bucks. When I was a kid in Manhattan in 1960, a bleacher seat in the old Yankee Stadium was a quarter (plus 30 cents round-trip on the IRT subway).
Upheaval: Turning Poin... Diamond, Jared Best Price: $16.36 Buy New $17.79 (as of 05:10 UTC - Details) They weren’t writing $100-million-plus player contracts until fairly recently, either, and of course that’s been symptom of pro sports’ slide into fatal decadence. If baseball does try to stage a full season in 2021 or 2022, they will not be selling many hundred-dollar seats to an economically demolished middle-class. The teams will be functionally bankrupt by then and if they survive restructuring, there won’t be many million-dollar players. Maybe none. Carl Furillo, the veteran right-fielder for the 1955 World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers, used to work construction in the off-season. He was on the crew that built New York’s Verrazano Bridge. Imagine Mike Trout hanging sheet-rock (if sheet-rock even exists as a product a few years from now).
I can imagine baseball reorganizing into two separate East and West leagues for a while, to reduce costly airplane travel, but even that might not last very long. If pro sports survives the political turmoil ahead, it will come out the other side as a strictly local and regional thing — and that will be the theme for all the things we like to do and must do. The idiocy of pro football will not survive at all. Its farm system (college sports) will be long gone.
Higher education committed suicide with its dual racketeering model. First was the college loan racket, in which schools colluded with the federal government to jam too many “customers” through the pipeline who didn’t belong there, and who buried themselves under a lifetime debt obligation they could never escape. The second was the intellectual racket of creating sham fields of study that contaminated all the other “humanities” with poisonous bullshit theory, and eventually even invaded the STEM disciplines. Covid-19 screwed the pooch on all that, scotching the four-year party-hearty in-residence part of the deal. For now, who needs an online class in Contemporary Sexual Transgression ($2000-a-credit) when you can just click on Porn-hub for free? Hundreds of colleges and universities will be going out of business in the years ahead. Fingerprints of the Gods Hancock, Graham Best Price: $6.43 Buy New $10.75 (as of 12:40 UTC - Details)
The outlook for the big centralized high schools is also pretty dark. The teachers’ unions insatiable needs are only part of the picture. Consolidating many smaller schools to save on administrative costs seemed like a good idea at the time. But we ended up with thousands of gigantic schools that looked like insecticide factories and felt like minimum security prisons. They all depend on the costly yellow bus fleets to collect the kids from far and wide. The whole scheme ended up as an elaborate day-care operation that actually retarded the development of young people into functional, autonomous adults.
Covid-19 and the economic collapse it triggered will put an end to all that. How will the school districts cope with an epic loss of tax revenue from all the homeowners defaulting on their mortgages? They won’t. Schooling will have to reorganize, and probably at a very grassroots level, with home-schools evolving into neighbor-pods of tiny schools, and only among parents who have the literacy and numeracy to pull it off. We’ll be lucky if, years from now, we’ll see something like local academies spring up that can handle a few hundred students. I’d also warn you about assuming that the Internet is a permanent installation of the human condition. It depends utterly on a pretty fragile electric grid. We do, after all, have libraries, and maybe they can be persuaded to stop trying to get rid of all their books.
Too Much Magic: Wishfu... James Howard Kunstler Best Price: $4.53 Buy New $8.06 (as of 10:05 UTC - Details) These Covid months have prompted Americans to pass the idle hours of joblessness and anomie with Hollywood’s canned entertainments. Could that all be over, too? The theaters were already sucking wind before the virus landed — relying on an ever more brain-dead repetition of comic book movies — while the quality product moved to Cable TV. Now that’s saturated, with the newer product fermenting into garbage. But who is going to keep paying for all that with unemployment at 30 percent, and moving higher?
Are you already bored out of your skull with reruns of the old classics? People truly need narrative art forms to make sense of reality, but they have to be tuned to the times we live in. My bet would be on the eventual return of live theater on local stages for original stories keyed to the new post-collapse reality — which will not be understood via Star Wars or Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Broadway is finished, with its endless reiterations of old hits, and also, of course, because New York City itself is only beginning a long journey down the drain before it can be reorganize into a functioning entrepôt. I’ve got half a mind to invest in an outfit that can put on puppet shows in my little flyover town.
As you can surely tell by now, the trend is local and smaller for all of these things. That may even be true for national elections and the venerable thing called the United States of America. The Democratic Party was initially only striving for mere suicide, but lately it looks like they want to destroy the country altogether — and they may succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Fifty years from now, several separate American nations may be sending their own regional baseball league champions to some kind of World Series, if we’re not still at war with each other.
Reprinted with permission from Kunstler.com.
The Best of James Howard Kunstler