lewrockwell--2020-09-03--Roots of the Donald’s Nixonian Betrayal of Conservative Economics

When all else fails , Fake Republicans like Richard Nixon back in the day and Donald Trump today turn to “ Law & Order ” demagoguery to incite the electorate in their direction .
So doing , they conveniently abandon the real job of the Conservative Party in American democracy , which is to fight against the Government Party ( usually the Dems ) in behalf of free markets , fiscal rectitude , sound money , smaller government , federalism and maximum personal liberty .
Thus , when America was plagued with the short-term outbreak of riots in dozens of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Cleveland , Newark , Gary , Chicago , Philadelphia – Tricky Dick Nixon put himself over the top at the polls in November by running for National Sheriff rather than as the scourge of Lyndon Johnson ’ s drastic ballooning of the state in the form of “ guns and butter ” finance and the eruption of Great Society spending programs .
Evil Geniuses : The Unm ... Andersen , Kurt Best Price : $ 33.14 Buy New $ 27.00 As it happened , however , Nixon didn ’ t need an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the summer of 1968 eruptions in the urban ghettos quickly burned themselves out , while mainly harming the residents living therein .
More importantly , policing the big cities is not the job of the Federal government or the President , anyway ; and is , in fact , one of the principal functions implicitly reserved to the states and their sub-units by the 10th Amendment to the Constitution .
Indeed , administration of local law and order is one of the main reasons we have 87,575 units of government separate from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 3,034 counties , 35,933 cities , towns , municipalities and townships and 48,558 other units including school districts and special purpose units of local government ( e.g .
police , fire , library districts etc. )
.
Far more so than the giant Federal bureaucracies that have insinuated themselves into the law and order business , such as the FBI , DEA , BATF and the far-flung operations of the Homeland Security Department , the overwhelming share of these local government units are actually creatures of their respective electorates .
If law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , therefore , the solution is to clean house at City Hall or the county courthouse , not import Federal money , laws , regulations and rhetorical posturing from Capitol Hill or the Oval Office .
And if the local electorate fails to clean house , it will bear the brunt of the adverse consequences of too many homicides , robberies or destructive attacks on private property within the jurisdiction in question .
After all , most serious crime – especially homicides and violent assaults on persons and property – are the work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national crime rings .
Moreover , if the electorates of badly governed jurisdictions like Seattle , Portland , Minneapolis , Chicago , New York and Baltimore at the moment fail to remedy their own crime problems , the ultimate brilliance of Federalism comes powerfully into play : That is , on the margin residents and businesses vote with their feet , causing local economic decline and diminution of tax revenues , and thereby eventually generating electoral demands for corrective action .
At the same time , presidential Law & Order demagoguery by GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Federal policy matters that actually count .
Until the Donald came along , of course , Tricky Dick Nixon was the poster boy for this kind of doctrinal perfidy .
Dupes : How America & rsq ... Kengor , Paul Best Price : $ 12.21 Buy New $ 14.01 The man ’ s policy sins are almost too egregious to reprise .
Richard Nixon – • Famously abandoned sound money when he slammed the gold window shut at Camp David in August 1971 ; • Made a mockery of free markets when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and interest controls on the entire US economy shortly thereafter ; • Fecklessly fueled the growth of Big Government by putting Federal bureaucrats in charge of domestic energy industries and employing subsidies and import controls to pursue the folly of national energy autarky ; • Deeply wounded the cause of fiscal rectitude by adopting the specious Keynesian notion of “ full employment budgeting ” , which amounts to an excuse for chronic government deficits whenever an imaginary figure called “ potential GDP ” is not realized ( most of the time ) ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ State through a guaranteed annual income ( Family Assistance Plan ) and an incipient form of national health insurance ( Family Insurance Program ) ; • Eroded Federalism through revenue sharing handouts from Washington and a vast expansion of federal grant-in-aid programs ; and • Fueled a 50-year assault on the social and economic stability of the nation ’ s declining urban centers via the abomination of the the War on Drugs .
Needless to say , the latter betrayal gets us to the present moment .
There is no more of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential attention and Washington intervention than there was in 1968 .
The overwhelming bulk of the American electorate is not in any danger owing to the antics and defaults of the clowns running Portland , Minneapolis , Chicago or even New York City .
In due time , their electorates will select better leadership or the citizens will flee for better governed environs .
But as we demonstrate below , there is an elevated and unnecessary level of friction between the police and citizens in the nation ’ s urban centers .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the War on Drugs and the criminalization of related social behaviors such as gambling , prostitution etc .
Moreover , it can be solved by repeal of bad laws , not costly and counterproductive efforts to get tough on crime ; and most certainly not be sending Federal cops into cities which are wittingly or unwittingly abetting crime and riots and thereby bringing ruin upon themselves .
So just as in Nixon ’ s time , by relentlessly obsessing about crime-ridden Democrat cities the Donald is abandoning his real job .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it is the crushing burden of debt and speculation on the main street economy , not any serious or long-lasting outbreak of crime .
Obviously , when it comes to crime , it doesn ’ t get more serious than homicide .
Yet as shown below , the homicide rate per 100,000 in recent years has been barely half of what prevailed during the 1970-1995 period , and has continued to edge lower .
The same is true of total violent crimes , which includes rape , robbery and aggravated assault , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below , the rate per 100,000 in the most recent year was about half the early 1990s level .
Moreover , although not shown , preliminary FBI statistics indicate that neither the homicide rate nor the total violent crime rate appreciably changed in 2019 .
While the last full year for which FBI statistics are available is 2018 , the preliminary data from the FBI for 2019 indicates that all four categories of violent crime were down versus prior year : To be sure , during 2020 to date there has been an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big cities owing to the BLM demonstrations and riots after the late May murder of George Floyd by the police in Minneapolis .
Still , even in the 25 largest US cities shown below , total violent crimes in 2020 YTD are essentially flat with 2019 ( up 0.4 % during the first 7 months ) and property crimes are actually down by -7.7 % year-to-date .
As to the surge in homicides , 80 % of the 576 increase in cases over 2019 is attributable to just eight cities including Chicago ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Philadelphia ( +56 ) , St. Louis ( +42 ) , Houston ( +39 ) , Atlanta ( +30 ) , Louisville ( +27 ) .
and Los Angles ( +25 ) .
By contrast , a nearly equal number of big cities , including Dallas , Newark , Baltimore , Miami , Las Vegas , Plano and Lincoln have experienced little change or even declines from 2019 .
In short , notwithstanding the cable TV tsunami of coverage of urban protests and riots and the Donald ’ s false characterization of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there is no breakout of homicides and other violent crimes , even in the big cities .
For the nation as a whole , the downward trend in crime rates which has been in effect for nearly 20 years remains in place .
Needless to say , when it comes to the Donald ’ s real job as a Republican president , he has presided over what can only be described as a horror show .
Owing to the total demise of fiscal rectitude and the last vestiges of sound money ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt at normalizing its balance sheet in 2017-2018 ) on his watch , the burden of total debt ( public and private ) grinding down the US economy has soared to $ 77.6 trillion .
In terms of of annual rates of gain , the blue bars below show that borrowing is again off to the races , vastly exceeding the egregiously large gains that were recorded during the Obama years ; and it ’ s happening at the top of the longest business cycle in US history when the nation ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been paid down .
The problem , of course , is that the Donald is not guided by anything which even remotely resembles policy or philosophical principles , let alone fundamentally conservative ones .
For instance , he had a chance to appoint the majority of the Federal Reserve Board since taking office , but ended up putting Powell and other avid money-printers in the open Chairman ’ s role and other board seats .
Not surprisingly , the bloated , elephantine $ 4 trillion balance sheet the Donald inherited and which was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial crisis ended has now exploded to $ 7 trillion , and the Donald self-evidently wants to to grow to $ 10 trillion and beyond .
That ’ s capitalism destroying financial fraud , yet it lies at the heart of the Trumpian economic program .
At the end of the day , the Donald simply views the Federal government as a larger-scale version of the Trump Organization ; and that as its Maximum Leader-CEO , it is his prerogative to steer things in whatever direction promises ( by the Donald ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ glory ( and presently , his re-election ) .
At the present moment that means wasting a good crisis on the shrill partisanship of his blustery campaign against crime , riots , looting and plunder in the “ Dem-controled ” big cities of America .
In fact , however , there is a very particular and different crime problem in the big cities than the one the Donald excoriates ; it ’ s a “ crime ” problem owing to the misbegotten War on Drugs and the excessive criminalization of social life .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate in the US overall ( brown line ) , the murder rate for black citizens in the 50 largest cities in the US has been flat since the turn of the century and has actually turned upward in recent yeas ( dark blue line ) .
Needless to say , this unfortunate trend is not the result of systematic racism ; it ’ s the consequence of bad laws and the resulting excessive friction between law enforcement officers and the urban neighborhoods where inappropriately criminalized activities are more prevalent owing to lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education and the high incidence of broken homes , which now encompasses more than 70 % of children born into black households .
Rather than overt racism or even simmering racial animosity , the real evil is the relentless aggrandizement of state power .
Among its many ills is the rise of the Nanny State – a conflation of too many laws , crimes , cops , arrests and thereby opportunities for frictions between the state and its citizenry and for abuse by the gendarmes vested with legal use of violence .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months to an emotionally charged symptom of this rogue Nanny State – the unjustified murder of unarmed black citizens by the police .
Among the most recent notorious cases , of course , are George Floyd for allegedly passing a counterfeit $ 20 bill , Eric Garner ( NYC 2014 ) for selling un-taxed cigarettes , and Rayshard Brooks for falling asleep drunk in his car at a subsequently incinerated Wendy ’ s in Atlanta .
The Devil and Karl Mar ... Kengor , Paul Best Price : $ 39.90 Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
During the recent past there were 38 such police killings of unarmed black citizens in 2015 , and then 19 , 21 , 17 and 9 during 2016 through 2019 , respectively .
That ’ s 104 black lives lost to the ultimate abuse of police powers .
Of course , the number should be zero .
There is no conceivable excuse for heavily armed cops – usually working in pairs or groups – to murder lone , unarmed civilians , regardless of race or anything else .
And the fact is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same unjust fate .
During the same period , a total of 127 unarmed white lives were wasted by the police , as well .
That included 32 white killings in 2015 followed by 22 , 31 , 23 and 19 in 2016 through 2019 , respectively .
Overall , 302 unarmed citizens were killed by the police during the last five years , with the balance in the chart below accounted for by 71 deaths among Hispanic and other victims .
That is , the real issue is illegal and excessive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indeed , the fact that 34 % of these police killings involved black citizens compared to their 12 % share of the population is not primarily a sign of racism among police forces .
It ’ s actually evidence that the Nanny State , and especially the misbegotten War on Drugs , is designed to unnecessarily ensnare a distinct demographic – young , poor , often unemployed urban citizens – in confrontations with the cops , too many of which become fatal .
Alas , young black males are disproportionately represented among this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s the reason they are “ disproportionately ” represented in the two charts below .
Stated differently , the Nanny State tends to be racist in effect , even if that is not necessarily the intent of the crusaders and zealots who have launched the state into anti-liberty wars on drugs , vice and victimless inequities and peccadilloes .
Then again , the above charts are only part of the story .
As it happened , a total of 4,558 citizens were actually killed by police over that period , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 93 % or 4,256 of them were armed .
So viewed in context , the unarmed/I can ’ t breathe victims account for only a small fraction of lethal violence between citizens and police , and there really isn ’ t much difference in the unarmed/armed ratio among racial groups .
To wit , over the 2015-2019 period as a whole – • 1,164 black citizens were killed by police – of which 104 or just 8.9 % were unarmed ; • 2,151 white citizens were killed by police – of which 127 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • 1,243 Hispanic and other citizens were killed by police – of which 71 or just 5.7 % were unarmed ; But here ’ s the thing .
This data does not really support either the Sean Hannity/Law & Order fulminations of the Foxified Right or the 400 years of racism and victimization mantra of the CNN/progressive Left .
Contrary to the Left , 93.4 % of the dead victims of police violence were themselves armed ; and the 91.1 % incidence among blacks is not meaningfully different than the 95 % rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ below shows the inverse – the share of victims of police deaths who were not armed .
At the same time , the above statistics do not prove that the cops were mostly right or justified , either , as per the Donald ’ s Law and Order Howling .
As we shall explore below , the real issue is did 4,558 citizens end-up on the losing end of police fire because they were hardened criminals and sociopathic threats to society or were they setup by an overreaching legal system that puts too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harms ’ way ?
But preliminary to that , it needs be said that the rightwing mantra about police as heroic victims of criminal violence doesn ’ t wash , either .
They have the overwhelming firepower in these instances of police-on-citizen violence as attested to be the facts regarding felonious deaths of law enforcement officers during the same five year span .
It turns out that during 2015 through 2019 there occurred 256 police deaths in the line of fire , bringing the total of police and citizen deaths in these encounters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the cops won 95 % of the time , as well they might given their overwhelming superiority in arms , training , back-up support and legal immunity from being too quick on the trigger finger .
In this context , it should be noted that police deaths are sometimes reported at much higher levels – -a total of 492 over the last five years rather than the 256 indicated above .
However , exactly half of that larger total is considered accidental or non-felonious and includes traffic cops stepping into the wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ squad car resulting from too many stops at Dunkin ’ Donuts .
So the question recurs as to why there were 4,814 fatal encounters between police and citizens during the past five years .
We think the answer starts with a staggering statistic .
Namely , the fact that there were 10,310,960 arrests in the US during the most recent year ( 2018 ) excluding traffic violations .
That ’ s 3,153 arrests per 100,000 population including babies , grannies , toddlers , tweeners , the disabled , the infirm and religious leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rabbis and imams .
So when you talk about the subset of the population which actually get arrested with high frequency and accounts for most of these arrest totals – young men between 16 and 35 years – the true arrest rate is far higher ; it ’ s upwards of 15,000 per 100,000 population .
Either way , these arrests rates are far out whacko .
Americans are not nearly that lawless , even when you allow for the chronic rotten apples in the population and the antisocial propensities of some young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real problem : We have way too many crimes and way too many cops who are way too heavily armed attempting to enforce laws that are not really the business of the state in the first place .
In the most egregious kind of example , Eric Garner was apprehended and killed for selling “ loosies ” , or cigarettes one a time .
In fact , there are an estimated 300,000 Federal laws and regulations whose violation can lead to prison time ; and when you throw in state and local jurisdictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for outlawing victimless crimes and the infinite forms of human vice , the total number of criminal offenses in America is surely well into the millions .
That ’ s why a disaggregation of the FBI ’ s UCR ( Uniform Crime Reports ) arrest statistics for 2018 tell you all you need to know about why the nation ’ s police forces are way over-funded and why a huge amount of confrontation and friction – including violent encounters – between citizens of all races are unnecessary .
In a word , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last breath because in far too many instances liberty can ’ t breath in today ’ s unhinged Nanny State , either .
Self-evidently , the legitimate law enforcement function of the state is protection of the life and property of its citizens .
But when you look at the FBI ’ s own national arrest data for 2018 , it appears that only about one-quarter of arrests were clearly pursuant to those core functions , meaning that the overwhelming bulk of arrests – 7,621,232 – were for drugs , gambling , prostitution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Among the core law enforcement functions , the 26 % of all arrests broke out as follows : • 521,103 arrests for violent crimes against persons ( 5 % of total ) ; • 1,000,329 arrests for driving under the influence ( DUI ) , a clear threat to the lives and property of other drivers ( 9.7 % ) ; • 1,167,296 arrests for crimes against property ( 11.3 % of total ) Even when you drill down in these categories , however , the reality of way too many cops is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for murder and negligent manslaughter in 2018 across the entire USA at all levels of law enforcement .
Clearly , these are the most violent and heinous of violent crimes , yet they amounted to just 2.2 % of all “ violent crimes ” reported via the UCR and a mere 0.1 % of all arrests by the police .
Next in order of severity were arrests for rape , armed robbery under threat of violence to persons and aggravated assault .
There were 25,205 , 88,128 and 395,800 arrests in these categories @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 0.9 % , and 3.9 % of all 10.3 million recorded arrests .
The Politically Incorr ... Kengor , Paul Best Price : $ 26.00 Buy New $ 16.80 Thus , these four categories are the core of violent crime arrests and totaled 521,103 arrests in 2018 or just 5.0 % of total arrests That compares to 850,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the USA , of which about 750,000 are employed by the 18,000 units of state and local government .
To be sure , nearly 1.6 cops for every annual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than a bit lopsided , but there are some additional arrests that add to the legitimate work loads of the police .
These include the following crimes and their share of total arrests : Needless to say , these are all serious crimes that need to be enforced for the protection of life and property .
But by their very nature , the vast bulk of the arrests in the above five categories do not ordinarily involve violent criminals , nor does their enforcement require combat-strength arms and tactics among police forces @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmingly involve citizens engaging in socially reckless behavior , but not habitual criminal activity .
A detailed study awhile back , for example , showed that 65 % of arrests resulted in no correctional supervision at all and another 27 % of cases consisted of individuals sentenced to probation or jail who had no prior arrest records for crimes other than DUI .
By contrast just 8 % of DUI arrestees had prior non-DUI criminal records , and even then most of them were for lesser offenses .
Likewise , the FBI ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The unlawful taking , carrying , leading , or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another .
Examples are thefts of bicycles , motor vehicle parts and accessories , shoplifting , pocket-picking , or the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence or by fraud .
Nevertheless , larceny-theft accounts for 76 % of all crimes against property reported in the UCR arrest data for 2018 .
So the question recurs .
If the nation ’ s huge and heavily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrests of core criminal in just 5 % of their apprehensions and are dealing with serious but mainly nonviolent criminals in another 21 % of arrests dealing mainly with burglaries , drunk drivers , car thieves and arsonists , what are they doing the rest of the time ?
Here is a spoiler alert .
The single largest category of arrests in 2018 was for drug abuse violations , which totaled 1,654,282 .
In fact , while total arrests in 2018 were no higher than they were in 1977 despite a 100 million/50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had actually dropped from a peak of nearly 13 million in 2006 , the opposite trend was extant in the case of War on Drugs arrests .
As shown by the chart below , drug arrests in 2018 were nearly at peak levels and were up by more than 171 % since 1977 – the vast majority of which are made for drug possession generally , and marijuana possession most often .
Not surprisingly , the next largest arrest category after drugs is one called “ other assaults ” for which 1,063,535 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FBI ’ s own definitions raise considerable doubts as to why these are even a matter of law enforcement by the state : Other assaults ( simple ) – Assaults and attempted assaults where no weapon was used or no serious or aggravated injury resulted to the victim .
Stalking , intimidation , coercion , and hazing are included .
Then , of course , we have all the victimless and vice crimes , including the following number of arrests : : The latter huge number tells you all you need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ categories of crime including all of those itemized above–plus the usual suspects like fraud and embezzlement for which there were about 135,000 arrests in 2018 .
Yet when the whole lists is exhausted , 32 % of arrests occurred for crimes that are so minor even the FBI is embarrassed to enumerate them : All other offenses – All violations of state or local laws not specifically identified as Part I or Part II offenses .
So , yes , we do think there is way , way too many crimes and cops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement are the only route to reducing police violence .
Indeed , over the past four decades , the constant dollar cost of policing in the U.S. has almost tripled , from $ 42.3 billion in 1977 to $ 114.5 billion in 2017 , according to an analysis of US Census Bureau data conducted by the Urban Institute .
Yet that 171 % gain compares to only a 20 % increase in violent crimes from 1.0 million in 1977 to 1.2 million in 2017 .
That is , real police spending per violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1977 to $ 95,400 in 2017 .
Better that police did not spend 90 % of their time on matters other than protecting the life and property of the citizenry ; and in the process turning the Nanny State into an instrument of violence against citizens , and especially the young , poor and minorities who become ensnared in its vast overreach .
Better still , would that the Conservative Party restore its commitment to the 10th Amendment , eschew the vast over-criminalization of the Nanny State and find a candidate for President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a cheap political trick that distracts from Federal policy matters which really matter .
The Best of David Stockman

When all else fails, Fake Republicans like Richard Nixon back in the day and Donald Trump today turn to “Law & Order” demagoguery to incite the electorate in their direction.
So doing, they conveniently abandon the real job of the Conservative Party in American democracy, which is to fight against the Government Party (usually the Dems) in behalf of free markets, fiscal rectitude, sound money, smaller government, federalism and maximum personal liberty.
Thus, when America was plagued with the short-term outbreak of riots in dozens of major American cities in 1968 – Detroit, Cleveland, Newark, Gary, Chicago, Philadelphia – Tricky Dick Nixon put himself over the top at the polls in November by running for National Sheriff rather than as the scourge of Lyndon Johnson’s drastic ballooning of the state in the form of “guns and butter” finance and the eruption of Great Society spending programs.
Evil Geniuses: The Unm... Andersen, Kurt Best Price: $33.14 Buy New $27.00 (as of 04:14 UTC - Details) As it happened, however, Nixon didn’t need an electoral mandate for Law and Order because the summer of 1968 eruptions in the urban ghettos quickly burned themselves out, while mainly harming the residents living therein.
More importantly, policing the big cities is not the job of the Federal government or the President, anyway; and is, in fact, one of the principal functions implicitly reserved to the states and their sub-units by the 10th Amendment to the Constitution.
Indeed, administration of local law and order is one of the main reasons we have 87,575 units of government separate from the Federal government, including the 50 states, 3,034 counties, 35,933 cities, towns, municipalities and townships and 48,558 other units including school districts and special purpose units of local government (e.g. police, fire, library districts etc.).
Far more so than the giant Federal bureaucracies that have insinuated themselves into the law and order business, such as the FBI, DEA, BATF and the far-flung operations of the Homeland Security Department, the overwhelming share of these local government units are actually creatures of their respective electorates. If law and order breaks down or is wanting, therefore, the solution is to clean house at City Hall or the county courthouse, not import Federal money, laws, regulations and rhetorical posturing from Capitol Hill or the Oval Office.
And if the local electorate fails to clean house, it will bear the brunt of the adverse consequences of too many homicides, robberies or destructive attacks on private property within the jurisdiction in question. After all, most serious crime – especially homicides and violent assaults on persons and property – are the work of local residents, not regional or national crime rings.
Moreover, if the electorates of badly governed jurisdictions like Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York and Baltimore at the moment fail to remedy their own crime problems, the ultimate brilliance of Federalism comes powerfully into play: That is, on the margin residents and businesses vote with their feet, causing local economic decline and diminution of tax revenues, and thereby eventually generating electoral demands for corrective action.
At the same time, presidential Law & Order demagoguery by GOP presidents readily becomes a cover for betrayal on Federal policy matters that actually count. Until the Donald came along, of course, Tricky Dick Nixon was the poster boy for this kind of doctrinal perfidy. Dupes: How America&rsq... Kengor, Paul Best Price: $12.21 Buy New $14.01 (as of 04:44 UTC - Details)
The man’s policy sins are almost too egregious to reprise. Richard Nixon –
Famously abandoned sound money when he slammed the gold window shut at Camp David in August 1971;
Made a mockery of free markets when he imposed wage, price, rent and interest controls on the entire US economy shortly thereafter;
Fecklessly fueled the growth of Big Government by putting Federal bureaucrats in charge of domestic energy industries and employing subsidies and import controls to pursue the folly of national energy autarky;
Deeply wounded the cause of fiscal rectitude by adopting the specious Keynesian notion of “full employment budgeting”, which amounts to an excuse for chronic government deficits whenever an imaginary figure called “potential GDP” is not realized (most of the time);
Attempted to vastly expand the Welfare State through a guaranteed annual income (Family Assistance Plan) and an incipient form of national health insurance (Family Insurance Program);
Eroded Federalism through revenue sharing handouts from Washington and a vast expansion of federal grant-in-aid programs; and
Fueled a 50-year assault on the social and economic stability of the nation’s declining urban centers via the abomination of the the War on Drugs.
Needless to say, the latter betrayal gets us to the present moment. There is no more of a Law & Order crisis today that demands presidential attention and Washington intervention than there was in 1968.
The overwhelming bulk of the American electorate is not in any danger owing to the antics and defaults of the clowns running Portland, Minneapolis, Chicago or even New York City. In due time, their electorates will select better leadership or the citizens will flee for better governed environs.
But as we demonstrate below, there is an elevated and unnecessary level of friction between the police and citizens in the nation’s urban centers. The latter is overwhelmingly caused by and aggravated by the War on Drugs and the criminalization of related social behaviors such as gambling, prostitution etc.
Moreover, it can be solved by repeal of bad laws, not costly and counterproductive efforts to get tough on crime; and most certainly not be sending Federal cops into cities which are wittingly or unwittingly abetting crime and riots and thereby bringing ruin upon themselves.
So just as in Nixon’s time, by relentlessly obsessing about crime-ridden Democrat cities the Donald is abandoning his real job. If there is a real crisis in America, it is the crushing burden of debt and speculation on the main street economy, not any serious or long-lasting outbreak of crime.
Obviously, when it comes to crime, it doesn’t get more serious than homicide. Yet as shown below, the homicide rate per 100,000 in recent years has been barely half of what prevailed during the 1970-1995 period, and has continued to edge lower.
The same is true of total violent crimes, which includes rape, robbery and aggravated assault, as well as homicides. As shown below, the rate per 100,000 in the most recent year was about half the early 1990s level.
Moreover, although not shown, preliminary FBI statistics indicate that neither the homicide rate nor the total violent crime rate appreciably changed in 2019.
Violent Crime Per 100,000
While the last full year for which FBI statistics are available is 2018, the preliminary data from the FBI for 2019 indicates that all four categories of violent crime were down versus prior year:
Homicide: -3.9%;
Forcible rape: -7.3%;
Robbery: -7.4%;
Aggravated assault: -0.3%.
To be sure, during 2020 to date there has been an upsurge of homicides in a handful of big cities owing to the BLM demonstrations and riots after the late May murder of George Floyd by the police in Minneapolis.
Still, even in the 25 largest US cities shown below, total violent crimes in 2020 YTD are essentially flat with 2019 (up 0.4% during the first 7 months) and property crimes are actually down by -7.7% year-to-date.
As to the surge in homicides, 80% of the 576 increase in cases over 2019 is attributable to just eight cities including Chicago (+173), NYC (+60), Philadelphia (+56), St. Louis (+42), Houston (+39), Atlanta (+30), Louisville (+27). and Los Angles (+25). By contrast, a nearly equal number of big cities, including Dallas, Newark, Baltimore, Miami, Las Vegas, Plano and Lincoln have experienced little change or even declines from 2019.
In short, notwithstanding the cable TV tsunami of coverage of urban protests and riots and the Donald’s false characterization of Law & Order as a national crisis, there is no breakout of homicides and other violent crimes, even in the big cities. For the nation as a whole, the downward trend in crime rates which has been in effect for nearly 20 years remains in place.
Needless to say, when it comes to the Donald’s real job as a Republican president, he has presided over what can only be described as a horror show. Owing to the total demise of fiscal rectitude and the last vestiges of sound money (the Fed’s belated, short-lived attempt at normalizing its balance sheet in 2017-2018) on his watch, the burden of total debt (public and private) grinding down the US economy has soared to $77.6 trillion.
In terms of of annual rates of gain, the blue bars below show that borrowing is again off to the races, vastly exceeding the egregiously large gains that were recorded during the Obama years; and it’s happening at the top of the longest business cycle in US history when the nation’s bloated burdens of debt should have actually been paid down.
The problem, of course, is that the Donald is not guided by anything which even remotely resembles policy or philosophical principles, let alone fundamentally conservative ones. For instance, he had a chance to appoint the majority of the Federal Reserve Board since taking office, but ended up putting Powell and other avid money-printers in the open Chairman’s role and other board seats.
Not surprisingly, the bloated, elephantine $4 trillion balance sheet the Donald inherited and which was supposed to be drastically retrenched after the financial crisis ended has now exploded to $7 trillion, and the Donald self-evidently wants to to grow to $10 trillion and beyond.
That’s capitalism destroying financial fraud, yet it lies at the heart of the Trumpian economic program.
Balance Sheet of the Federal Reserve:
At the end of the day, the Donald simply views the Federal government as a larger-scale version of the Trump Organization; and that as its Maximum Leader-CEO, it is his prerogative to steer things in whatever direction promises (by the Donald’s lights) to redound to his greater glory (and presently, his re-election).
At the present moment that means wasting a good crisis on the shrill partisanship of his blustery campaign against crime, riots, looting and plunder in the “Dem-controled” big cities of America.
In fact, however, there is a very particular and different crime problem in the big cities than the one the Donald excoriates; it’s a “crime” problem owing to the misbegotten War on Drugs and the excessive criminalization of social life.
To wit, unlike the declining homicide rate in the US overall (brown line), the murder rate for black citizens in the 50 largest cities in the US has been flat since the turn of the century and has actually turned upward in recent yeas (dark blue line).
Needless to say, this unfortunate trend is not the result of systematic racism; it’s the consequence of bad laws and the resulting excessive friction between law enforcement officers and the urban neighborhoods where inappropriately criminalized activities are more prevalent owing to lack of jobs, the disaster of public education and the high incidence of broken homes, which now encompasses more than 70% of children born into black households.
Rather than overt racism or even simmering racial animosity, the real evil is the relentless aggrandizement of state power. Among its many ills is the rise of the Nanny State – a conflation of too many laws, crimes, cops, arrests and thereby opportunities for frictions between the state and its citizenry and for abuse by the gendarmes vested with legal use of violence.
The nation has now been enthrall for several months to an emotionally charged symptom of this rogue Nanny State – the unjustified murder of unarmed black citizens by the police. Among the most recent notorious cases, of course, are George Floyd for allegedly passing a counterfeit $20 bill, Eric Garner (NYC 2014) for selling un-taxed cigarettes, and Rayshard Brooks for falling asleep drunk in his car at a subsequently incinerated Wendy’s in Atlanta. The Devil and Karl Mar... Kengor, Paul Best Price: $39.90 Buy New $26.96 (as of 04:44 UTC - Details)
Nor are these notorious cases aberrations. During the recent past there were 38 such police killings of unarmed black citizens in 2015, and then 19, 21, 17 and 9 during 2016 through 2019, respectively. That’s 104 black lives lost to the ultimate abuse of police powers.
Of course, the number should be zero. There is no conceivable excuse for heavily armed cops – usually working in pairs or groups – to murder lone, unarmed civilians, regardless of race or anything else.
And the fact is, being non-black is no guarantee against the same unjust fate. During the same period, a total of 127 unarmed white lives were wasted by the police, as well. That included 32 white killings in 2015 followed by 22, 31, 23 and 19 in 2016 through 2019, respectively.
Overall, 302 unarmed citizens were killed by the police during the last five years, with the balance in the chart below accounted for by 71 deaths among Hispanic and other victims. That is, the real issue is illegal and excessive police violence, not racial victimization.
Indeed, the fact that 34% of these police killings involved black citizens compared to their 12% share of the population is not primarily a sign of racism among police forces. It’s actually evidence that the Nanny State, and especially the misbegotten War on Drugs, is designed to unnecessarily ensnare a distinct demographic – young, poor, often unemployed urban citizens – in confrontations with the cops, too many of which become fatal.
Alas, young black males are disproportionately represented among this particular in-harms’-way demographic, and that’s the reason they are “disproportionately” represented in the two charts below.
Stated differently, the Nanny State tends to be racist in effect, even if that is not necessarily the intent of the crusaders and zealots who have launched the state into anti-liberty wars on drugs, vice and victimless inequities and peccadilloes.
Then again, the above charts are only part of the story. As it happened, a total of 4,558 citizens were actually killed by police over that period, but according to the DOJ statistics, fully 93% or 4,256 of them were armed.
So viewed in context, the unarmed/I can’t breathe victims account for only a small fraction of lethal violence between citizens and police, and there really isn’t much difference in the unarmed/armed ratio among racial groups. To wit, over the 2015-2019 period as a whole –
1,164 black citizens were killed by police – of which 104 or just 8.9% were unarmed;
were unarmed; 2,151 white citizens were killed by police – of which 127 or just 5.9% were unarmed;
were unarmed; 1,243 Hispanic and other citizens were killed by police – of which 71 or just 5.7% were unarmed;
But here’s the thing. This data does not really support either the Sean Hannity/Law & Order fulminations of the Foxified Right or the 400 years of racism and victimization mantra of the CNN/progressive Left.
Contrary to the Left, 93.4% of the dead victims of police violence were themselves armed; and the 91.1% incidence among blacks is not meaningfully different than the 95% rate among whites and Hispanics. The chart below shows the inverse – the share of victims of police deaths who were not armed.
At the same time, the above statistics do not prove that the cops were mostly right or justified, either, as per the Donald’s Law and Order Howling.
As we shall explore below, the real issue is did 4,558 citizens end-up on the losing end of police fire because they were hardened criminals and sociopathic threats to society or were they setup by an overreaching legal system that puts too many citizens and police officers alike in harms’ way?
But preliminary to that, it needs be said that the rightwing mantra about police as heroic victims of criminal violence doesn’t wash, either. They have the overwhelming firepower in these instances of police-on-citizen violence as attested to be the facts regarding felonious deaths of law enforcement officers during the same five year span.
It turns out that during 2015 through 2019 there occurred 256 police deaths in the line of fire, bringing the total of police and citizen deaths in these encounters to 4,814. That is to say, the cops won 95% of the time, as well they might given their overwhelming superiority in arms, training, back-up support and legal immunity from being too quick on the trigger finger.
In this context, it should be noted that police deaths are sometimes reported at much higher levels – -a total of 492 over the last five years rather than the 256 indicated above. However, exactly half of that larger total is considered accidental or non-felonious and includes traffic cops stepping into the wrong lane and even heart attacks in the squad car resulting from too many stops at Dunkin’ Donuts.
So the question recurs as to why there were 4,814 fatal encounters between police and citizens during the past five years.
We think the answer starts with a staggering statistic. Namely, the fact that there were 10,310,960 arrests in the US during the most recent year (2018) excluding traffic violations.
That’s 3,153 arrests per 100,000 population including babies, grannies, toddlers, tweeners, the disabled, the infirm and religious leaders including nuns, priests, preachers, rabbis and imams.
So when you talk about the subset of the population which actually get arrested with high frequency and accounts for most of these arrest totals – young men between 16 and 35 years – the true arrest rate is far higher; it’s upwards of 15,000 per 100,000 population.
Either way, these arrests rates are far out whacko. Americans are not nearly that lawless, even when you allow for the chronic rotten apples in the population and the antisocial propensities of some young men.
And that hints at the real problem: We have way too many crimes and way too many cops who are way too heavily armed attempting to enforce laws that are not really the business of the state in the first place. In the most egregious kind of example, Eric Garner was apprehended and killed for selling “loosies”, or cigarettes one a time.
In fact, there are an estimated 300,000 Federal laws and regulations whose violation can lead to prison time; and when you throw in state and local jurisdictions, which historically have had an affinity for outlawing victimless crimes and the infinite forms of human vice, the total number of criminal offenses in America is surely well into the millions.
That’s why a disaggregation of the FBI’s UCR (Uniform Crime Reports) arrest statistics for 2018 tell you all you need to know about why the nation’s police forces are way over-funded and why a huge amount of confrontation and friction – including violent encounters – between citizens of all races are unnecessary.
In a word, some citizens sometimes can’t breathe their last breath because in far too many instances liberty can’t breath in today’s unhinged Nanny State, either.
Self-evidently, the legitimate law enforcement function of the state is protection of the life and property of its citizens. But when you look at the FBI’s own national arrest data for 2018, it appears that only about one-quarter of arrests were clearly pursuant to those core functions, meaning that the overwhelming bulk of arrests – 7,621,232 – were for drugs, gambling, prostitution, disorderly conduct and the like.
Among the core law enforcement functions, the 26% of all arrests broke out as follows:
521,103 arrests for violent crimes against persons (5% of total);
1,000,329 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI), a clear threat to the lives and property of other drivers (9.7%);
1,167,296 arrests for crimes against property (11.3% of total)
Even when you drill down in these categories, however, the reality of way too many cops is evident. There were just 11,970 arrests for murder and negligent manslaughter in 2018 across the entire USA at all levels of law enforcement. Clearly, these are the most violent and heinous of violent crimes, yet they amounted to just 2.2% of all “violent crimes” reported via the UCR and a mere 0.1% of all arrests by the police.
Next in order of severity were arrests for rape, armed robbery under threat of violence to persons and aggravated assault. There were 25,205, 88,128 and 395,800 arrests in these categories, respectively, amounting to 0.2%, 0.9%, and 3.9% of all 10.3 million recorded arrests. The Politically Incorr... Kengor, Paul Best Price: $26.00 Buy New $16.80 (as of 04:44 UTC - Details)
Thus, these four categories are the core of violent crime arrests and totaled 521,103 arrests in 2018 or just 5.0% of total arrests That compares to 850,000 sworn law enforcement officers in the USA, of which about 750,000 are employed by the 18,000 units of state and local government.
To be sure, nearly 1.6 cops for every annual arrest in these four core functions sounds more than a bit lopsided, but there are some additional arrests that add to the legitimate work loads of the police. These include the following crimes and their share of total arrests:
burglary: 178,611 (1.7%);
larceny-theft: 887,622 (8.6%);
motor vehicle theft: 91,676 (0.8%);
arson: 9,387 (0.09%);
DUI: 1,000,329 (9.7%)
Needless to say, these are all serious crimes that need to be enforced for the protection of life and property. But by their very nature, the vast bulk of the arrests in the above five categories do not ordinarily involve violent criminals, nor does their enforcement require combat-strength arms and tactics among police forces.
DUI arrests, for example, overwhelmingly involve citizens engaging in socially reckless behavior, but not habitual criminal activity. A detailed study awhile back, for example, showed that 65% of arrests resulted in no correctional supervision at all and another 27% of cases consisted of individuals sentenced to probation or jail who had no prior arrest records for crimes other than DUI. By contrast just 8% of DUI arrestees had prior non-DUI criminal records, and even then most of them were for lesser offenses.
Likewise, the FBI’s UCR system defines larceny-theft as follows:
The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. Examples are thefts of bicycles, motor vehicle parts and accessories, shoplifting, pocket-picking, or the stealing of any property or article that is not taken by force and violence or by fraud.
Nevertheless, larceny-theft accounts for 76% of all crimes against property reported in the UCR arrest data for 2018.
So the question recurs. If the nation’s huge and heavily armed police forces are involved in the arrests of core criminal in just 5% of their apprehensions and are dealing with serious but mainly nonviolent criminals in another 21% of arrests dealing mainly with burglaries, drunk drivers, car thieves and arsonists, what are they doing the rest of the time?
Here is a spoiler alert. The single largest category of arrests in 2018 was for drug abuse violations, which totaled 1,654,282.
In fact, while total arrests in 2018 were no higher than they were in 1977 despite a 100 million/50% growth in the US population, and had actually dropped from a peak of nearly 13 million in 2006, the opposite trend was extant in the case of War on Drugs arrests.
As shown by the chart below, drug arrests in 2018 were nearly at peak levels and were up by more than 171% since 1977 – the vast majority of which are made for drug possession generally, and marijuana possession most often.
War on Drugs Arrests, 1980-2016
Not surprisingly, the next largest arrest category after drugs is one called “other assaults” for which 1,063,535 arrests were made in 2018. Yet the FBI’s own definitions raise considerable doubts as to why these are even a matter of law enforcement by the state:
Other assaults (simple) – Assaults and attempted assaults where no weapon was used or no serious or aggravated injury resulted to the victim. Stalking, intimidation, coercion, and hazing are included.
Then, of course, we have all the victimless and vice crimes, including the following number of arrests::
Prostitution and commercialized vice: 31,147;
Sex offenses excluding rape and prostitution: 46,937;
Gambling: 3,323;
Liquor law offenses: 173,152;
Curfew and loitering law violations: 22,031;
Vagrancy: 23,546;
Public drunkenness: 328,772;
Disorderly conduct: 329,152;
Forgery and counterfeiting: 50,072;
Weapons carrying and possession: 168,403;
All other offenses: 3,231,700.
The latter huge number tells you all you need to know. The UCR lists 27 enumerated categories of crime including all of those itemized above–plus the usual suspects like fraud and embezzlement for which there were about 135,000 arrests in 2018. Yet when the whole lists is exhausted, 32% of arrests occurred for crimes that are so minor even the FBI is embarrassed to enumerate them:
All other offenses – All violations of state or local laws not specifically identified as Part I or Part II offenses.
So, yes, we do think there is way, way too many crimes and cops, and that decriminalizing and de-funding law enforcement are the only route to reducing police violence.
Indeed, over the past four decades, the constant dollar cost of policing in the U.S. has almost tripled, from $42.3 billion in 1977 to $114.5 billion in 2017, according to an analysis of US Census Bureau data conducted by the Urban Institute. Yet that 171% gain compares to only a 20% increase in violent crimes from 1.0 million in 1977 to 1.2 million in 2017.
That is, real police spending per violent crime is up from $42,300 in 1977 to $95,400 in 2017.
Better that police did not spend 90% of their time on matters other than protecting the life and property of the citizenry; and in the process turning the Nanny State into an instrument of violence against citizens, and especially the young, poor and minorities who become ensnared in its vast overreach.
Better still, would that the Conservative Party restore its commitment to the 10th Amendment, eschew the vast over-criminalization of the Nanny State and find a candidate for President who understands that Law & Order Howling is a cheap political trick that distracts from Federal policy matters which really matter.
PEAK TRUMP, IMPENDING CRISES, ESSENTIAL INFO & ACTION
Reprinted with permission from David Stockman’s Contra Corner.
The Best of David Stockman


lewrockwell--2020-09-03--Mayors, Governors, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Dictators, Kings, Queens, Popes, Potentates

Based on my vast experience as a translator , this is what these leaders are saying : “ We ’ re too stupid to know what ’ s going on .
So we rely on our public health officials .
What they recommend becomes law or edict .
Right away.
” “ We ’ re in the process of committing economic suicide .
We would ask you to join us , but there is no asking .
You ’ re in , whether you like it or not .
And the ‘ we ’ is a bit of a misnomer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are secure .
Also , ‘ in the process of committing ’ isn ’ t entirely correct , because we ’ ve already accomplished the aforementioned suicide .
Apparently , one can achieve the act of self-destruction multiple times.
” “ For example , we re-open our economies , expand testing with worthless tests , rack up false positives , and then on the basis of these meaningless case numbers , we move to lockdowns again.
” Fauci versus Duesberg : ... Ortleb , Charles Buy New $ 7.99 “ Don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupid to know what we ’ re doing .
Of course , we SEE what we ’ re doing , but there is a distinction between seeing and knowing .
Our people are sorting out that distinction now , and we ’ ll get back to you with clarifications , as we can.
” “ There are two issues we need to explain .
First , the CDC has announced that only six percent of COVID deaths have been caused by the virus alone .
In all other instances , the elderly victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health conditions .
We ’ re aware that these prior conditions , plus the inflicted terror of a COVID diagnosis , plus the ensuing isolation from family and family , have been sufficient to cause death in 94 percent of ALL persons labeled ‘ death by the virus.
’ NO VIRUS IS REQUIRED .
Startling , isn ’ t it ?
But we ignore all this .
Why ?
Because we ’ re told to.
” Second , as the New York Times has revealed , up to 90 percent of all cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test , are indeed meaningless , because the quantity of virus in people ’ s bodies is so infinitesimal , no harm would come to them and no contagion from person to person would occur .
We also ignore this matter , because we ’ re told to.
” “ Ordinarily , these two major developments would lead us to proclaim , ‘ Go back to work , go back to your lives , take off your masks , it ’ s all over.
’ But we don ’ t make that proclamation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has happened .
Why ?
In order to remain consistent , and because we ’ re told to .
We ’ re that stupid.
” “ There is a third issue , now that we think of it .
The US and the UK , back in March , were considering open policies .
No lockdowns .
Then a demonstrably failed computer modeler named Neil Ferguson , from the Imperial College of London , stated that 500,000 people could die in the UK , and two million could die in the US .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Ferguson ’ s abysmal track record , both countries went to lockdowns and the first round of economic suicide .
Other countries followed suit .
Why ?
We leaders of these countries understood the economic and human consequences , but we didn ’ t GRASP the consequences .
The distinction , here again , is in the process of being sorted out.
” Peter Duesberg and the ... Ortleb , Charles Buy New $ 10.99 “ In the interest of full disclosure , there is a yet a fourth issue we must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the record .
You see , at the beginning of this whole business , in Wuhan , we really have no idea what researchers did or didn ’ t do , in their lab , which resulted in them announcing they had discovered a new coronavirus that was causing a serious outbreak.
” “ We ’ re not permitted in these labs .
There is no video of the step by step process which occurred in the Wuhan lab .
There were no non-conflicted independent observers .
Bottom line : we don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually discovered.
” “ We do know no traditional large-scale electron microscope studies have been performed , using tissue samples from , say , a thousand patients who were supposedly afflicted with the epidemic disease.
” “ We also know the researchers started with a piece of RNA they simply PRESUMED came from a virus .
One more…oddity.
” “ We also know the researchers stated that pneumonia was the cardinal feature of the new epidemic .
Yet , going back decades , about 300,000 people a year in China die from pneumonia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pneumonia occur every year in China.
” “ We also know that if these researchers in Wuhan had looked through the windows of their lab , they would have seen a deadly haze .
This is called air pollution .
In Wuhan , and other Chinese cities , the lethal mixture of early industrial age and modern industrial age polluting toxins is unprecedented in human history.
” “ This pollution causes all sorts of lung infections , including pneumonia , which , again , was said to be cardinal feature of the NEW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we don ’ t know , if you catch our drift.
” Unreported Truths abou ... Berenson , Alex Buy New $ 5.71 “ We can add things up but the conclusion evades us.
” “ We see but we don ’ t understand.
” “ However , bear with us .
There is much to sort out and clarify.
” “ The light WILL shine through the darkness.
” “ You ’ re in our thoughts and prayers.
” “ Thank you for your service.
” NO , YOU FINE FEATHERED LEADERS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
THE SHIT STORM IS ALREADY COMING YOUR WAY .
The Best of Jon Rappoport

Based on my vast experience as a translator, this is what these leaders are saying:
“We’re too stupid to know what’s going on. So we rely on our public health officials. What they recommend becomes law or edict. Right away.”
“We’re in the process of committing economic suicide. We would ask you to join us, but there is no asking. You’re in, whether you like it or not. And the ‘we’ is a bit of a misnomer, because as leaders, our paychecks are secure. Also, ‘in the process of committing’ isn’t entirely correct, because we’ve already accomplished the aforementioned suicide. Apparently, one can achieve the act of self-destruction multiple times.”
“For example, we re-open our economies, expand testing with worthless tests, rack up false positives, and then on the basis of these meaningless case numbers, we move to lockdowns again.” Fauci versus Duesberg:... Ortleb, Charles Buy New $7.99 (as of 05:03 UTC - Details)
“Don’t blame us. We’re too stupid to know what we’re doing. Of course, we SEE what we’re doing, but there is a distinction between seeing and knowing. Our people are sorting out that distinction now, and we’ll get back to you with clarifications, as we can.”
“There are two issues we need to explain. First, the CDC has announced that only six percent of COVID deaths have been caused by the virus alone. In all other instances, the elderly victims were already suffering from multiple and serious health conditions. We’re aware that these prior conditions, plus the inflicted terror of a COVID diagnosis, plus the ensuing isolation from family and family, have been sufficient to cause death in 94 percent of ALL persons labeled ‘death by the virus.’ NO VIRUS IS REQUIRED. Startling, isn’t it? But we ignore all this. Why? Because we’re told to.”
Second, as the New York Times has revealed, up to 90 percent of all cases of COVID, defined by a positive test, are indeed meaningless, because the quantity of virus in people’s bodies is so infinitesimal, no harm would come to them and no contagion from person to person would occur. We also ignore this matter, because we’re told to.”
“Ordinarily, these two major developments would lead us to proclaim, ‘Go back to work, go back to your lives, take off your masks, it’s all over.’ But we don’t make that proclamation. We carry on as if nothing has happened. Why? In order to remain consistent, and because we’re told to. We’re that stupid.”
“There is a third issue, now that we think of it. The US and the UK, back in March, were considering open policies. No lockdowns. Then a demonstrably failed computer modeler named Neil Ferguson, from the Imperial College of London, stated that 500,000 people could die in the UK, and two million could die in the US. On that basis, with no investigation of Ferguson’s abysmal track record, both countries went to lockdowns and the first round of economic suicide. Other countries followed suit. Why? We leaders of these countries understood the economic and human consequences, but we didn’t GRASP the consequences. The distinction, here again, is in the process of being sorted out.” Peter Duesberg and the... Ortleb, Charles Buy New $10.99 (as of 05:03 UTC - Details)
“In the interest of full disclosure, there is a yet a fourth issue we must place on the table and enter into the record. You see, at the beginning of this whole business, in Wuhan, we really have no idea what researchers did or didn’t do, in their lab, which resulted in them announcing they had discovered a new coronavirus that was causing a serious outbreak.”
“We’re not permitted in these labs. There is no video of the step by step process which occurred in the Wuhan lab. There were no non-conflicted independent observers. Bottom line: we don’t know whether a new virus was actually discovered.”
“We do know no traditional large-scale electron microscope studies have been performed, using tissue samples from, say, a thousand patients who were supposedly afflicted with the epidemic disease.”
“We also know the researchers started with a piece of RNA they simply PRESUMED came from a virus. One more…oddity.”
“We also know the researchers stated that pneumonia was the cardinal feature of the new epidemic. Yet, going back decades, about 300,000 people a year in China die from pneumonia. That means millions of cases of pneumonia occur every year in China.”
“We also know that if these researchers in Wuhan had looked through the windows of their lab, they would have seen a deadly haze. This is called air pollution. In Wuhan, and other Chinese cities, the lethal mixture of early industrial age and modern industrial age polluting toxins is unprecedented in human history.”
“This pollution causes all sorts of lung infections, including pneumonia, which, again, was said to be cardinal feature of the NEW epidemic.”
“We know and yet we don’t know, if you catch our drift.” Unreported Truths abou... Berenson, Alex Buy New $5.71 (as of 07:13 UTC - Details)
“We can add things up but the conclusion evades us.”
“We see but we don’t understand.”
“However, bear with us. There is much to sort out and clarify.”
“The light WILL shine through the darkness.”
“You’re in our thoughts and prayers.”
“Thank you for your service.”
“That is all.”
NO, YOU FINE FEATHERED LEADERS. THAT IS VERY DEFINITELY NOT ALL. THE SHIT STORM IS ALREADY COMING YOUR WAY.
DUCK.
Reprinted with permission from Jon Rappoport’s blog.
The Best of Jon Rappoport


lewrockwell--2020-09-03--The Word ‘Until’ — A Key Reason To Never Explain Your Face Mask Exemption

A wise man once said “ You ’ re either selling or being sold.
” I disagree with his dichotomous and adversarial view of life , but , indeed , there are some people who constantly look for someone to push around and for whom this approach toward life becomes self-fulfilling .
They are the bullies , the psychopaths , the sociopaths , and the cowards .
This group moves around life looking for key indicators in those around them that communicate to the predator “ I have an in , ” “ I have a hook , ” “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people are a key reason it ’ s disadvantageous to talk about your health , disability , religion or any other matter when trying to invoke a face mask exemption .
Don ’ t say any more than “ I am unable to wear a face mask safely.
” That ’ s it .
Leave it there .
Pushy people , like those mentioned above , will seek to push against you and traverse your boundaries .
Don ’ t get bothered by that , that ’ s what these people do .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Price : $ 5.54 Buy New $ 10.18 Bullies bully people .
That ’ s why we call them bullies .
If that wasn ’ t what got them out of bed in the morning , they wouldn ’ t be called bullies .
They live for it .
Bullies tend to flock toward positions where they can get away with bullying , perhaps even be rewarded for it .
The rise of corona communism has opened up a new avenue by which bullies can bully .
The face mask compliance checkpoints @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a bully to do their thing .
And you , my friend , you are expected to do your thing .
You know better than me what that is , for I don ’ t even know you , but if you ’ ve found this piece of writing , we probably have a few things in common .
We might both believe people with face mask exemptions shouldn ’ t be bullied into wearing them .
We might both despise tyrants .
We might both even believe that it is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person chooses to be so oppressible .
Each person must stand up for themselves .
There ’ s excellent axiomatic reasons around privacy and decency .
It ’ s just none of their business , no matter how much they might push and probe you .
Their pushing and probing should not shock you , no matter how excessive or sincere it seems , because again , this is to be expected of anyone in a position that attracts bullies .
Instead of being bugged by their bullying , when at a loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ laugh out loud at them .
It ’ s never easy to tell if a person laughed out loud intentionally or accidentally .
It messes with a bully ’ s head .
With a bully , you can establish good boundaries now , or you can establish not so good boundaries later .
Now will be easier .
Later will be more painful .
If you don ’ t set a firm boundary around your health and well-being , you ’ re going to find yourself faced with renewed pushiness from a bully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ game , a division between the haves and the have-nots , every interaction as having either a loser or a winner , an oppressor or a victim , the bully does not really comprehend the word “ cooperation , ” but truly and deeply understands the word “ compliance.
” Though commonly exchanged with each other as near synonyms , how incredibly different those two words are .
You see , compliance may not provide satisfaction for a bully .
Compliance may signal weakness .
The more outlandish the request , the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the bully that you desire to be made into an easy victim .
That ’ s why you must never simply comply with requests from strangers who you don ’ t have a longstanding relationship with .
You do yourself a disservice .
This is the great ill behind “ people pleasing.
” The negatives have nothing to do with making another happy .
Making another happy can be a wonderful thing to do .
The negatives have to do with how little regard you show for yourself in such moments .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ yourself from bullies .
I don ’ t suggest you walk the path of the contrarian , by always saying “ no.
” In doing so you may deny yourself activity that is in your own interest .
Being so rigid and preprogrammed makes you an easy target for the field of behaviorism called reverse psychology .
Instead , it is the 1 . )
Identifying of your own boundaries , 2 . )
Communicating of your own boundaries , and 3 . )
Defending of your own boundaries that should take place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be committed out of anything vaguely resembling blind obedience or blind disobedience .
Doing so , especially blind obedience , makes you an easy victim for the bully .
Please do no such thing at the compliance checkpoints .
You can give the bully your entire medical history and three doctors ’ notes at the checkpoint .
It might not matter .
The bully will push further .
You can agree to hop through the store unidirectionally and on one leg .
The bully will push further .
You can invite him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother ’ s food .
The bully will push further .
“ We ’ re gon na need you to wear your mask until… ” is what the bully might say , in response to your sincere and fully transparent explanation of why you need an exemption .
Or they might say “ Well , can ’ t you wear your mask until….
” Just fill in the blank based on your exemption .
“ We ’ re gon na need you to wear your mask until your heart palpitations begin and you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ na need you to wear your mask until your panic attacks start and you have to rip it off your face once it ’ s too late to bring the attack back under control.
” “ We ’ re gon na need you to wear your mask until blood starts coming out of your mouth , ” a condition someone has recently written me about .
If you don ’ t say “ no , ” it will get worse .
The neat things is , the courageous folks in touch with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They bring the conflict to a head quickly .
They consequently get it resolved relatively painlessly and easily .
Personal Boundaries & ... O'Doherty , Denise Best Price : $ 30.00 Buy New $ 16.95 “ I am unable to wear a face mask safely , ” quickly draws a boundary and communicates what is needed .
If you don ’ t draw a boundary , the bully will wrap you in tricks to take advantage of you and do his best to ruin the most special things about you , anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s just what bullies do .
That ’ s one way promiscuity is so harmful .
Important human emotions are laid bare before people who do not deserve the trust .
Pearls before swine .
The odds are not in favor of those who allow intimacy to be pushed into the door of a relationship before the trust necessary to make it a safe environment is earned .
I don ’ t know what your mask-related health concerns are .
It ’ s none of my business .
And it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the compliance checker at the door .
Do yourself a favor and keep your private matters to yourself .
Do yourself a favor and never again wear a face mask that you are exempt from .
Do the world a favor and send me your stories from the compliance checkpoint , so we can put an end to this tyranny .
The Best of Allan Stevo

A wise man once said “You’re either selling or being sold.” I disagree with his dichotomous and adversarial view of life, but, indeed, there are some people who constantly look for someone to push around and for whom this approach toward life becomes self-fulfilling.
They are the bullies, the psychopaths, the sociopaths, and the cowards.
This group moves around life looking for key indicators in those around them that communicate to the predator “I have an in,” “I have a hook,” “I can get this guy.”
These people are a key reason it’s disadvantageous to talk about your health, disability, religion or any other matter when trying to invoke a face mask exemption.
Don’t say any more than “I am unable to wear a face mask safely.” That’s it. Leave it there. Pushy people, like those mentioned above, will seek to push against you and traverse your boundaries. Don’t get bothered by that, that’s what these people do. Boundaries Updated and... Townsend, John Best Price: $5.54 Buy New $10.18 (as of 05:04 UTC - Details)
Bullies bully people. That’s why we call them bullies. If that wasn’t what got them out of bed in the morning, they wouldn’t be called bullies. They live for it.
Bullies tend to flock toward positions where they can get away with bullying, perhaps even be rewarded for it. The rise of corona communism has opened up a new avenue by which bullies can bully. The face mask compliance checkpoints are one of the many new opportunities for a bully to do their thing.
And you, my friend, you are expected to do your thing. You know better than me what that is, for I don’t even know you, but if you’ve found this piece of writing, we probably have a few things in common.
We might both believe people with face mask exemptions shouldn’t be bullied into wearing them.
We might both despise tyrants. We might both even believe that it is not the tyrant’s fault if a person chooses to be so oppressible. Each person must stand up for themselves.
There’s excellent axiomatic reasons around privacy and decency. It’s just none of their business, no matter how much they might push and probe you. Their pushing and probing should not shock you, no matter how excessive or sincere it seems, because again, this is to be expected of anyone in a position that attracts bullies.
Instead of being bugged by their bullying, when at a loss for what to do, best to laugh out loud at them. It’s never easy to tell if a person laughed out loud intentionally or accidentally. It messes with a bully’s head.
With a bully, you can establish good boundaries now, or you can establish not so good boundaries later. Now will be easier. Later will be more painful.
If you don’t set a firm boundary around your health and well-being, you’re going to find yourself faced with renewed pushiness from a bully.
Seeing the world as a zero-sum game, a division between the haves and the have-nots, every interaction as having either a loser or a winner, an oppressor or a victim, the bully does not really comprehend the word “cooperation,” but truly and deeply understands the word “compliance.” Though commonly exchanged with each other as near synonyms, how incredibly different those two words are.
You see, compliance may not provide satisfaction for a bully. Compliance may signal weakness. The more outlandish the request, the more your well-intentioned “cooperation” will signal to the bully that you desire to be made into an easy victim. That’s why you must never simply comply with requests from strangers who you don’t have a longstanding relationship with. You do yourself a disservice.
This is the great ill behind “people pleasing.” The negatives have nothing to do with making another happy. Making another happy can be a wonderful thing to do. The negatives have to do with how little regard you show for yourself in such moments.
Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself from bullies. I don’t suggest you walk the path of the contrarian, by always saying “no.” In doing so you may deny yourself activity that is in your own interest. Being so rigid and preprogrammed makes you an easy target for the field of behaviorism called reverse psychology.
Instead, it is the 1.) Identifying of your own boundaries, 2.) Communicating of your own boundaries, and 3.) Defending of your own boundaries that should take place in such interactions.
Your actions should not be committed out of anything vaguely resembling blind obedience or blind disobedience. Doing so, especially blind obedience, makes you an easy victim for the bully. Please do no such thing at the compliance checkpoints.
You can give the bully your entire medical history and three doctors’ notes at the checkpoint. It might not matter.
The bully will push further.
You can agree to hop through the store unidirectionally and on one leg.
The bully will push further.
You can invite him home for dinner to spit in your mother’s food.
The bully will push further.
“We’re gonna need you to wear your mask until…” is what the bully might say, in response to your sincere and fully transparent explanation of why you need an exemption.
Or they might say “Well, can’t you wear your mask until….”
Until what?
Just fill in the blank based on your exemption.
“We’re gonna need you to wear your mask until your heart palpitations begin and you faint.”
“We’re gonna need you to wear your mask until your panic attacks start and you have to rip it off your face once it’s too late to bring the attack back under control.”
“We’re gonna need you to wear your mask until blood starts coming out of your mouth,” a condition someone has recently written me about.
If you don’t say “no,” it will get worse. The neat things is, the courageous folks in touch with their own boundaries are rewarded in this situation. They bring the conflict to a head quickly. They consequently get it resolved relatively painlessly and easily. Personal Boundaries & ... O'Doherty, Denise Best Price: $30.00 Buy New $16.95 (as of 05:04 UTC - Details)
“I am unable to wear a face mask safely,” quickly draws a boundary and communicates what is needed.
If you don’t draw a boundary, the bully will wrap you in tricks to take advantage of you and do his best to ruin the most special things about you, anything that you lay bare for that bully.
It’s just what bullies do.
That’s one way promiscuity is so harmful. Important human emotions are laid bare before people who do not deserve the trust. Pearls before swine. The odds are not in favor of those who allow intimacy to be pushed into the door of a relationship before the trust necessary to make it a safe environment is earned.
I don’t know what your mask-related health concerns are. It’s none of my business. And it’s definitely not the business of the compliance checker at the door.
Do yourself a favor and keep your private matters to yourself.
Do yourself a favor and never again wear a face mask that you are exempt from.
Do the world a favor and send me your stories from the compliance checkpoint, so we can put an end to this tyranny.
The Best of Allan Stevo


Hating Mother Teresa

Subtracting Christianity : Essays on American Culture and Society — I ’ ve always resisted calling Mother Teresa a saint , not because I had any reason to doubt her holiness , but because I felt it was presumptuous to call any living person a saint .
Besides , I suspect that a truly holy person — holiness being inseparable from humility — would hate being venerated in this life .
Now that she is gone , though , it seems safe to say it : if Mother Teresa wasn ’ t a saint , it ’ s hard to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She not only lived , to all appearances , a holy life ; she actually enlarged our conception of what such a life can be .
She found joy in a kind of charity most of us would never dream of attempting , and in an environment we would dread setting foot in .
Her example drew thousands of others to imitate her .
Born of Albanian parents in Macedonia , she felt called , as a young nun , to help the extremely poor in Calcutta – chiefly to comfort the dying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came much later , and unexpectedly , when she was near old age and Malcolm Muggeridge heard of her at the time of his own late conversion to Christianity .
He did both a book and a TV documentary celebrating her work .
Subtracting Christiani ... Joseph Sobran Best Price : $ 30.00 Buy New $ 27.00 If proof of her sanctity were needed , it came in the form of the Gadarene frenzy of hatred she inspired in some quarters .
Without knowing it ( she never thought in political terms ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its self-endowed credentials as champions of the poor .
When it came to the poor , they talked the talk ; but the tiny nun walked the walk .
Christopher Hitchens , trying to undo Muggeridge ’ s work , attacked her in both a book ( with an obscene title ) and a TV documentary .
He also wrote polemics calling her names like “ the hellbat.
” The violence of his invective was absurdly disproportionate to the charges he was able to level against her .
She had , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of the savings and loan scandals , and later pleaded for leniency for him ( to Judge Lance Ito , as it happened ) .
Hitchens never adequately explained why this conduct was scandalous at all .
Should she have rejected any donation from Keating ?
Should she have known in advance that he would be indicted ?
After his conviction ( later overturned ) , why shouldn ’ t she have sought mercy for him , in light of his generosity to her mission ?
Did she spend the money on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... Coulter , Ann Best Price : null Buy New $ 19.85 No possible answers to these questions can explain the flapping of vampire wings we hear in the Left ’ s assaults on her .
It ’ s impossible to imagine a Marxist like Hitchens writing with equal venom of Mao or Castro ; he ’ d see higher motives in their bloodiest purges than in Mother Teresa ’ s tenderest ministrations .
Above all , he ’ d have no impulse to defile them , as he tries to defile the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dirty puns when writing about these progressive titans !
I also doubt that he and his leftist friends will feel any impulse , now , to go to Calcutta to fill the vacuum she has left .
Their efforts to relieve the poor will continue to take the form of working verbally , far from the slums of the Third World , for “ systemic change.
” Meanwhile , we can only suppose that thousands of those Mother Teresa cared for in their last hours have welcomed her to heaven .
“ Hating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sobran ’ s : The Real News of the Month in the October 1997 edition .
It is one of the 117 columns in the anthology of Mr. Sobran ’ s writings : Subtracting Christianity : Essays on American Culture and Society ( FGF Books , 2015 ) .
You may link to this article at websites and social media .
The Best of Joseph Sobran

Subtracting Christianity: Essays on American Culture and Society — I’ve always resisted calling Mother Teresa a saint, not because I had any reason to doubt her holiness, but because I felt it was presumptuous to call any living person a saint. Besides, I suspect that a truly holy person — holiness being inseparable from humility — would hate being venerated in this life.
Now that she is gone, though, it seems safe to say it: if Mother Teresa wasn’t a saint, it’s hard to imagine what one would look like. She not only lived, to all appearances, a holy life; she actually enlarged our conception of what such a life can be. She found joy in a kind of charity most of us would never dream of attempting, and in an environment we would dread setting foot in. Her example drew thousands of others to imitate her.
Born of Albanian parents in Macedonia, she felt called, as a young nun, to help the extremely poor in Calcutta – chiefly to comfort the dying. Her mission began obscurely; fame came much later, and unexpectedly, when she was near old age and Malcolm Muggeridge heard of her at the time of his own late conversion to Christianity. He did both a book and a TV documentary celebrating her work. Subtracting Christiani... Joseph Sobran Best Price: $21.24 Buy New $27.00 (as of 12:35 UTC - Details)
If proof of her sanctity were needed, it came in the form of the Gadarene frenzy of hatred she inspired in some quarters. Without knowing it (she never thought in political terms), Mother Teresa had robbed the Left of its self-endowed credentials as champions of the poor. When it came to the poor, they talked the talk; but the tiny nun walked the walk.
Christopher Hitchens, trying to undo Muggeridge’s work, attacked her in both a book (with an obscene title) and a TV documentary. He also wrote polemics calling her names like “the hellbat.”
The violence of his invective was absurdly disproportionate to the charges he was able to level against her. She had, for instance, taken money from Charles Keating, of the savings and loan scandals, and later pleaded for leniency for him (to Judge Lance Ito, as it happened). Hitchens never adequately explained why this conduct was scandalous at all. Should she have rejected any donation from Keating? Should she have known in advance that he would be indicted? After his conviction (later overturned), why shouldn’t she have sought mercy for him, in light of his generosity to her mission? Did she spend the money on jewelry?
Joseph Sobran: The Nat... Coulter, Ann Buy New $19.85 (as of 04:10 UTC - Details) No possible answers to these questions can explain the flapping of vampire wings we hear in the Left’s assaults on her. It’s impossible to imagine a Marxist like Hitchens writing with equal venom of Mao or Castro; he’d see higher motives in their bloodiest purges than in Mother Teresa’s tenderest ministrations. Above all, he’d have no impulse to defile them, as he tries to defile the saint: he’d never use dirty puns when writing about these progressive titans!
I also doubt that he and his leftist friends will feel any impulse, now, to go to Calcutta to fill the vacuum she has left. Their efforts to relieve the poor will continue to take the form of working verbally, far from the slums of the Third World, for “systemic change.” Meanwhile, we can only suppose that thousands of those Mother Teresa cared for in their last hours have welcomed her to heaven.
“Hating Mother Teresa” was published originally in Sobran’s: The Real News of the Month in the October 1997 edition. It is one of the 117 columns in the anthology of Mr. Sobran’s writings: Subtracting Christianity: Essays on American Culture and Society (FGF Books, 2015). You may link to this article at websites and social media.
The Best of Joseph Sobran


lewrockwell--2020-09-03--Facebook’s New Terms Of Service Update Sounds A Lot Like Censorship

Many Facebook users have been receiving notifications from Facebook stating that on Oct. 1 , 2020 , they will be updating their Terms of Service .
The new changes will allow Facebook to remove content or restrict access if the company feels it is necessary to avoid legal or regulatory impact .
Desktop and mobile users were receiving notifications that looked like this : Users of social media have been rather critical of the recent updates , feeling that it may lead to more censorship or election meddling from big tech companies .
Other users feel this could be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fake news .
The True Story of Fake ...
Dice , Mark Best Price : $ 13.06 Buy New $ 17.94 Before we move on , don ’ t get me wrong , fake news exists , and is a problem .
I have spoken to many other website owners within the independent media community over the years , urging them to take a deeper look at some of the stories they put out and ask whether they are actually true .
People can do poor research at times , and they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some websites seek only to make money and thus they post anything that will get them traffic , even if it ’ s false .
That said , much of independent media has been falsely lumped in with those unique cases , making us seem guilty by association as opposed to actually creating false news .
We have had this experience ourselves .
As a journalist and publisher for the last 11 years who has not been quiet about political corruption , and who has inspired many to transform themselves to transform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here at Collective Evolution we ’ ve experienced a great deal of Facebook censorship .
Since Facebook began censoring Collective Evolution ’ s content shortly after the 2016 US presidential election , we ’ ve lost millions in revenue and have had to completely restructure our business as a result .
This is not something I ’ m complaining about per se , it ’ s more so making you aware of what has happened all while Facebook simply touted that they were trying to stop ‘ fake news ’ and keep ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So why were we affected under those terms ?
Facebook ’ s ‘ independent fact-checkers ’ have come after our content at least 30+ times .
The vast majority of the time perhaps , 95 % , fact-checkers are flat out wrong about their classification of our content being “ false.
” We ’ ve chronicled our stories about this many times over , you can see an example here .
It takes weeks to speak with them and get the ‘ false news ’ strikes removed , costing us reach , revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is the primary motivator behind why fact-checkers classify content as false , by the time a strike gets removed , the damage is already done .
People believe the story isn ’ t true , and the company that wrote it loses trust amongst people .
Facebook ’ s terms have always been misleading and vague , one could argue that in some ways these new ones feel more direct : “ We ’ re going to delete content.
” Although that is clear , what ’ s still vague is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very tough for any user or company to know what to do in order to be ‘ safe ’ in the eyes of Facebook .
Really looking at it , in plain language , Facebook ’ s updated terms coming into effect Oct. 1 , 2020 essentially read ‘ We don ’ t care if the content is true , false , legal or illegal , we will remove anything that may help us not get caught allowing it on our platform.
” It ’ s certainly reasonable to think Facebook is giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could come after them for , is this in essence government-driven censorship ?
It ’ s hard to say , but I ’ m sure time will tell .
The Smear : How Shady P ... Attkisson , Sharyl Best Price : $ 3.49 Buy New $ 9.37 The challenging part as always is , who decides what is false and is not ?
Who decides what is dangerous ?
Can true information that the people should know be claimed as false ?
Can it be claimed as dangerous ?
Are these new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 2020 presidential election in the US ?
So that any dissenting voices can be removed ‘ fairly ’ and without reason ?
Who knows .
We don ’ t write these stories to predict or even make anyone fearful of where we are headed .
We write them so people are aware of what is at play so we can make different choices in our lives .
Without being aware of something , and choosing to question , how are we supposed to change the world around us ?
This would not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into shaping public perception via censoring or hiding information from people .
The CIA ’ s Project Mockingbird was very clear on that , and it ’ s more than likely that the project was never shut down .
The key question is , is what we believe about our world really true ?
And if it isn ’ t , how do we find truth when independent media is being shut out on social media platforms ?
Can we truly trust mainstream media with their long-held reputation of poor journalism and deception @

Many Facebook users have been receiving notifications from Facebook stating that on Oct. 1, 2020, they will be updating their Terms of Service. The new changes will allow Facebook to remove content or restrict access if the company feels it is necessary to avoid legal or regulatory impact.
Desktop and mobile users were receiving notifications that looked like this:
Effective October 1, 2020, section 3.2 of our Terms of Service will be updated to include: “We also can remove or restrict access to your content, services or information if we determine that doing so is reasonably necessary to avoid or mitigate adverse legal or regulatory impacts to Facebook.”
Users of social media have been rather critical of the recent updates, feeling that it may lead to more censorship or election meddling from big tech companies. Other users feel this could be a great move to get rid of more fake news. The True Story of Fake... Dice, Mark Best Price: $13.06 Buy New $17.94 (as of 04:52 UTC - Details)
Before we move on, don’t get me wrong, fake news exists, and is a problem. I have spoken to many other website owners within the independent media community over the years, urging them to take a deeper look at some of the stories they put out and ask whether they are actually true. People can do poor research at times, and they can miss important facts. At other times, some websites seek only to make money and thus they post anything that will get them traffic, even if it’s false.
That said, much of independent media has been falsely lumped in with those unique cases, making us seem guilty by association as opposed to actually creating false news. We have had this experience ourselves.
As a journalist and publisher for the last 11 years who has not been quiet about political corruption, and who has inspired many to transform themselves to transform the world, I can say that here at Collective Evolution we’ve experienced a great deal of Facebook censorship. Since Facebook began censoring Collective Evolution’s content shortly after the 2016 US presidential election, we’ve lost millions in revenue and have had to completely restructure our business as a result. This is not something I’m complaining about per se, it’s more so making you aware of what has happened all while Facebook simply touted that they were trying to stop ‘fake news’ and keep ‘quality content’ on their platform. So why were we affected under those terms?
Facebook’s ‘independent fact-checkers’ have come after our content at least 30+ times. The vast majority of the time perhaps, 95%, fact-checkers are flat out wrong about their classification of our content being “false.” We’ve chronicled our stories about this many times over, you can see an example here. It takes weeks to speak with them and get the ‘false news’ strikes removed, costing us reach, revenue and reputation. We would argue that this is the primary motivator behind why fact-checkers classify content as false, by the time a strike gets removed, the damage is already done. People believe the story isn’t true, and the company that wrote it loses trust amongst people.
Facebook’s terms have always been misleading and vague, one could argue that in some ways these new ones feel more direct: “We’re going to delete content.” Although that is clear, what’s still vague is what they will delete. This makes it very tough for any user or company to know what to do in order to be ‘safe’ in the eyes of Facebook.
Really looking at it, in plain language, Facebook’s updated terms coming into effect Oct. 1, 2020 essentially read ‘We don’t care if the content is true, false, legal or illegal, we will remove anything that may help us not get caught allowing it on our platform.”
A human rights commenter on Twitter noted:
Disturbing new addition to #Facebook terms of service that could be used to justify online censorship, particularly with govts using restrictive national laws to order social media platforms to censor information critical of the govt or monarchy in violation of #OnlineFreedom
It’s certainly reasonable to think Facebook is giving themselves permission to remove content that governments could come after them for, is this in essence government-driven censorship? It’s hard to say, but I’m sure time will tell. The Smear: How Shady P... Attkisson, Sharyl Best Price: $3.49 Buy New $9.37 (as of 05:08 UTC - Details)
The challenging part as always is, who decides what is false and is not? Who decides what is dangerous? Can true information that the people should know be claimed as false? Can it be claimed as dangerous?
Are these new changes coming in just in time for the 2020 presidential election in the US? So that any dissenting voices can be removed ‘fairly’ and without reason? Who knows. We don’t write these stories to predict or even make anyone fearful of where we are headed. We write them so people are aware of what is at play so we can make different choices in our lives. Without being aware of something, and choosing to question, how are we supposed to change the world around us?
This would not be the first time efforts have gone into shaping public perception via censoring or hiding information from people. The CIA’s Project Mockingbird was very clear on that, and it’s more than likely that the project was never shut down. The key question is, is what we believe about our world really true? And if it isn’t, how do we find truth when independent media is being shut out on social media platforms? Can we truly trust mainstream media with their long-held reputation of poor journalism and deception?
Reprinted with permission from Collective Evolution.