lewrockwell--2020-08-12--The Real World Reasserts Itself

The Real World Reasserts Itself

Since the death of George Floyd beneath the knee of a cop in Minneapolis on Memorial Day , the nation has been instructed by its cultural elites that this is the daily reality that a racist America has too long ignored Our nation , it was shouted in our faces , is a place where white cops harass , brutalize , assault and kill Black Americans regularly and with impunity .
“ Defund the police !
” the Black Lives Matter demand went out , to be echoed and re-echoed by BLM ’ s amen corner of progressive elites .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this weekend reintroduced us to the old familiar world .
The Vision of the Anoi ... Sowell , Thomas Best Price : $ 1.50 Buy New $ 12.99 In Washington , D.C. , about midnight Saturday , at a block party in the Southeast sector of the city , three shooters fired 100 rounds , wounded 20 , killed a teenager and left a female police officer in critical condition .
It appears to have been an attempted massacre , a slaughter .
“ More than 115 people have been slain in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent increase over this time in 2019 , which ended the year with a decade high , ” reports The Washington Post .
D.C. ’ s numbers , however , pale by comparison to Chicago , where this weekend recorded 32 more people shot , with three dead .
According to the Sun-Times , there were 106 homicides in the city in July , a single-month body count almost equal to the toll D.C. has piled up in all of the first seven months of 2020 .
A disproportionate number of the dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a disproportionate number of the shooters and killers are Black men .
If black lives matter , where is Black Lives Matter ?
Rarely in these stories of shootings and killings does one read that the dead were the victims of rogue cops or white supremacists .
Cultural Cancer : Treat ... Kane , Daryl Best Price : $ 20.00 Buy New $ 9.95 Indeed , the front page of Monday ’ s New York Times gave voice to the city ’ s Black and Hispanic leaders who are objecting to a proposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget .
The people in high-crime precincts , for whom these leaders speak , want more , not fewer , cops on the beat .
Even Portland , Oregon , which has been indulging nightly protests since the killing of George Floyd , seems to be awakening to the real world .
When the Department of Homeland Security pulled its agents out of Portland and handed the defense of the Mark Hatfield federal courthouse to the state police , the “ peaceful protesters ” shifted their attention to the city ’ s buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Precinct .
With police personnel corralled inside , the East Precinct was barricaded with cars and wooden planks , and an attempt was made to set it afire by throwing flaming objects into the building .
Mugged by reality , Mayor Ted Wheeler seems to have belatedly awakened to the character of the protesters he has been coddling : “ When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building that is occupied by people whom you have intentionally trapped inside , you are not demonstrating , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problematic : “ You will be creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during his campaign.
” Portland police union president Daryl Turner was enraged at what he had seen .
“ I am disgusted that our City has come to this , ” said Turner .
“ If it is acceptable for rioters to… try and burn down occupied buildings , and if this conduct is allowed to continue , then Portland is lost.
” Humankind : A Hopeful H ... Bregman , Rutger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 19.64 Wheeler , having gotten the message the rioters have been trying to deliver , finally ordered his city ’ s police to do “ what is necessary ” to quell the rioting , even if it means using tear gas .
What has happened in Portland , and across much of America , was predictable , and predicted .
First , the progressives tolerate and even celebrate civil disobedience , because the cause is just and noble .
Then , to hold onto public attention , the protesters march and block @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cops , the throwing of trash , water bottles and rocks .
Then there ’ s the smashing of store windows , looting and arson , and Molotov cocktails .
Finally , there ’ s instigating violence with cops to get footage of police fighting back so the law enforcement officers can be painted by the progressive press as stormtroopers and the Gestapo .
In Portland , we reached the point where “ peaceful protesters ” tried to set a building ablaze with cops barricaded inside .
This , as the mayor said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people watch their leaders in city after city fail to keep the peace and restore order as protesters riot at will , and they make plans to move out .
In the suburbs and country , they quietly observe the inability of cops to quell the violence , and they buy guns .
While the right backs Trump ’ s stand for law and order , the ultimate battle here may be between liberal Democrats elected to , and failing to , run the cities , and the radical left and Marxists who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kick the liberals down the stairs .
The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan

Shop all books by Pat Buchanan
Since the death of George Floyd beneath the knee of a cop in Minneapolis on Memorial Day, the nation has been instructed by its cultural elites that this is the daily reality that a racist America has too long ignored
Our nation, it was shouted in our faces, is a place where white cops harass, brutalize, assault and kill Black Americans regularly and with impunity.
“Defund the police!” the Black Lives Matter demand went out, to be echoed and re-echoed by BLM’s amen corner of progressive elites.
The pendulum may be swinging back, for this weekend reintroduced us to the old familiar world. The Vision of the Anoi... Sowell, Thomas Best Price: $1.50 Buy New $12.99 (as of 11:05 UTC - Details)
In Washington, D.C., about midnight Saturday, at a block party in the Southeast sector of the city, three shooters fired 100 rounds, wounded 20, killed a teenager and left a female police officer in critical condition.
It appears to have been an attempted massacre, a slaughter.
“More than 115 people have been slain in the District this year, a 17 percent increase over this time in 2019, which ended the year with a decade high,” reports The Washington Post.
D.C.’s numbers, however, pale by comparison to Chicago, where this weekend recorded 32 more people shot, with three dead.
According to the Sun-Times, there were 106 homicides in the city in July, a single-month body count almost equal to the toll D.C. has piled up in all of the first seven months of 2020.
A disproportionate number of the dead and wounded are Black Americans, and a disproportionate number of the shooters and killers are Black men.
If black lives matter, where is Black Lives Matter?
Rarely in these stories of shootings and killings does one read that the dead were the victims of rogue cops or white supremacists. Cultural Cancer: Treat... Kane, Daryl Best Price: $20.00 Buy New $9.95 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details)
Indeed, the front page of Monday’s New York Times gave voice to the city’s Black and Hispanic leaders who are objecting to a proposed $1 billion cut in the police budget. The people in high-crime precincts, for whom these leaders speak, want more, not fewer, cops on the beat.
Even Portland, Oregon, which has been indulging nightly protests since the killing of George Floyd, seems to be awakening to the real world.
When the Department of Homeland Security pulled its agents out of Portland and handed the defense of the Mark Hatfield federal courthouse to the state police, the “peaceful protesters” shifted their attention to the city’s buildings and Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct.
With police personnel corralled inside, the East Precinct was barricaded with cars and wooden planks, and an attempt was made to set it afire by throwing flaming objects into the building.
Mugged by reality, Mayor Ted Wheeler seems to have belatedly awakened to the character of the protesters he has been coddling:
“When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building that is occupied by people whom you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder.”
Equally problematic: “You will be creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during his campaign.”
Portland police union president Daryl Turner was enraged at what he had seen. “I am disgusted that our City has come to this,” said Turner. “If it is acceptable for rioters to… try and burn down occupied buildings, and if this conduct is allowed to continue, then Portland is lost.” Humankind: A Hopeful H... Bregman, Rutger Best Price: $19.59 Buy New $19.64 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details)
Wheeler, having gotten the message the rioters have been trying to deliver, finally ordered his city’s police to do “what is necessary” to quell the rioting, even if it means using tear gas.
What has happened in Portland, and across much of America, was predictable, and predicted.
First, the progressives tolerate and even celebrate civil disobedience, because the cause is just and noble. Then, to hold onto public attention, the protesters march and block traffic. Next comes the cursing of cops, the throwing of trash, water bottles and rocks. Then there’s the smashing of store windows, looting and arson, and Molotov cocktails. Finally, there’s instigating violence with cops to get footage of police fighting back so the law enforcement officers can be painted by the progressive press as stormtroopers and the Gestapo.
In Portland, we reached the point where “peaceful protesters” tried to set a building ablaze with cops barricaded inside.
This, as the mayor said, is attempted murder.
Today, people watch their leaders in city after city fail to keep the peace and restore order as protesters riot at will, and they make plans to move out. In the suburbs and country, they quietly observe the inability of cops to quell the violence, and they buy guns.
While the right backs Trump’s stand for law and order, the ultimate battle here may be between liberal Democrats elected to, and failing to, run the cities, and the radical left and Marxists who welcome their failure as they intend to kick the liberals down the stairs.
The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan


Making Dogma

The vice of the modern notion of mental progress is that it is always something concerned with the breaking of bonds , the effacing of boundaries , the casting away of dogmas .
But if there be such a thing as mental growth , it must mean the growth into more and more definite convictions , into more and more dogmas .
Many animals make tools .
Man is something more ; man makes dogmas .
Man piles conclusion on conclusion , developing a philosophy , a religion .
By doing so , he becomes more human and less like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man is to be considered as advancing , “ it must be mental advance in the construction of a definite philosophy of life.
” And he must consider this philosophy right , and other philosophies wrong .
Does this mean to suggest a rigid process – once one conclusion is reached , it can never be altered or challenged .
I would think not .
It does mean that it must be understood well by those doing the challenging ; the reason it was once accepted must be understood as well .
this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dogma .
Heretics K. Chesterton , Gilbert Buy New $ 3.89 Since the Enlightenment , if not the Renaissance , man in the West has worked to overturn long-developed dogma – dropping one doctrine after another , growing evermore skeptical .
Challenging definitions , finally sitting as God – with no creed and no foundation : …he is by that very process sinking slowly backwards into the vagueness of the vagrant animals and the unconsciousness of the grass .
Trees have no dogmas .
Turnips are singularly broad-minded .
Coming to the point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or , at least , nothing comprehensible .
Ideas are dangerous , but the man to whom they are least dangerous is the man of ideas .
He is acquainted with ideas , and moves among them like a lion-tamer .
But aren ’ t those who are most certain of their philosophy also the most bigoted ?
Chesterton says no : In real life the people who are most bigoted are the people who have no convictions at all .
Our time offers stark examples of this : the bigoted are rioting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other than destruction ; the bigoted are chastising you for not wearing a mask , holding no conviction for science .
They know nothing of truth , all-the-while claiming , violently , to be the keepers of the truth .
Fools , Frauds and Fire ... Scruton , Roger Best Price : $ 15.32 Buy New $ 17.40 Ideas are dangerous , but the man to whom they are most dangerous is the man of no ideas .
The man of no ideas will find the first idea fly to his head like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We see this in the empty heads filled with ideas of violence and revolution ; we see this in the empty heads believing that they are all front-line soldiers in the war on a seasonal virus .
Truths turn into dogmas the instant that they are disputed .
We really know nothing of what we believe until we are challenged .
As we are challenged , we better understand the commonsense , or lack thereof , of our beliefs .
This is certainly true of our inherited Western traditions .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the growing cultural and political divide in society .
Yet Chesterton saw this coming more than one-hundred years ago : The great march of mental destruction will go on .
Everything will be denied .
Everything will become a creed .
As Christianity is destroyed , it is not being replaced by nothing ; there is no possibility of a void in religion .
There will be a new creed : A creed ( also known as a confession , symbol , or statement of faith ) is a statement of the shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community in the form of a fixed formula summarizing core tenets .
Today , one side holds a much stronger conviction of their creed than does the other ; those desirous of destroying Western Civilization are far more religious than those who claim to defend it .
It is a religious community willing to put words into action .
This shift has been ongoing for centuries , accelerating rapidly before our eyes in the last months and years .
We haven ’ t seen the worst of it yet : Into the Lion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Price : $ 14.37 Buy New $ 14.00 Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two make four .
Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer .
And you thought it couldn ’ t get worse after we accepted that boys could be girls and girls could be boys .
Chesterton offers that it will get sillier than even this ( and , therefore , more serious ) .
There are no rationalists .
We all believe fairy-tales , and live in them .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We see the narrative of those sucking the joy out of life , those smashing windows and those wearing masks .
They live in a narrative and fervently believe the narrative .
It must be the same for us , those in search of peace and liberty in this world : Let us , then , go upon a long journey and enter on a dreadful search .
Let us , at least , dig and seek till we have discovered our own opinions .
The dogmas we really hold are far more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more beautiful than we think .
Without this , there is no life , there is no liberty .
The Best of Bionic Mosquito

The vice of the modern notion of mental progress is that it is always something concerned with the breaking of bonds, the effacing of boundaries, the casting away of dogmas. But if there be such a thing as mental growth, it must mean the growth into more and more definite convictions, into more and more dogmas.
Heretics, Gilbert K. Chesterton (eBook)
Many animals make tools. Man is something more; man makes dogmas. Man piles conclusion on conclusion, developing a philosophy, a religion. By doing so, he becomes more human and less like a tool-making animal.
Therefore, if man is to be considered as advancing, “it must be mental advance in the construction of a definite philosophy of life.” And he must consider this philosophy right, and other philosophies wrong.
Does this mean to suggest a rigid process – once one conclusion is reached, it can never be altered or challenged. I would think not. It does mean that it must be understood well by those doing the challenging; the reason it was once accepted must be understood as well. this should be expected of those challenging existing dogma. Heretics K. Chesterton, Gilbert Buy New $3.89 (as of 07:23 UTC - Details)
Since the Enlightenment, if not the Renaissance, man in the West has worked to overturn long-developed dogma – dropping one doctrine after another, growing evermore skeptical. Challenging definitions, finally sitting as God – with no creed and no foundation:
…he is by that very process sinking slowly backwards into the vagueness of the vagrant animals and the unconsciousness of the grass. Trees have no dogmas. Turnips are singularly broad-minded.
Coming to the point where man believes in absolutely nothing – or, at least, nothing comprehensible.
Ideas are dangerous, but the man to whom they are least dangerous is the man of ideas. He is acquainted with ideas, and moves among them like a lion-tamer.
But aren’t those who are most certain of their philosophy also the most bigoted? Chesterton says no:
In real life the people who are most bigoted are the people who have no convictions at all.
Our time offers stark examples of this: the bigoted are rioting on the street, holding no conviction other than destruction; the bigoted are chastising you for not wearing a mask, holding no conviction for science. They know nothing of truth, all-the-while claiming, violently, to be the keepers of the truth. Fools, Frauds and Fire... Scruton, Roger Best Price: $15.32 Buy New $17.40 (as of 03:56 UTC - Details)
Ideas are dangerous, but the man to whom they are most dangerous is the man of no ideas. The man of no ideas will find the first idea fly to his head like wine to the head of a teetotaller.
We see this in the empty heads filled with ideas of violence and revolution; we see this in the empty heads believing that they are all front-line soldiers in the war on a seasonal virus.
Truths turn into dogmas the instant that they are disputed.
We really know nothing of what we believe until we are challenged. As we are challenged, we better understand the commonsense, or lack thereof, of our beliefs. This is certainly true of our inherited Western traditions. It is playing out evermore visibly today, with the growing cultural and political divide in society. Yet Chesterton saw this coming more than one-hundred years ago:
The great march of mental destruction will go on. Everything will be denied. Everything will become a creed.
As Christianity is destroyed, it is not being replaced by nothing; there is no possibility of a void in religion. There will be a new creed:
A creed (also known as a confession, symbol, or statement of faith) is a statement of the shared beliefs of (an often religious) community in the form of a fixed formula summarizing core tenets.
Today, one side holds a much stronger conviction of their creed than does the other; those desirous of destroying Western Civilization are far more religious than those who claim to defend it. It is a religious community willing to put words into action. This shift has been ongoing for centuries, accelerating rapidly before our eyes in the last months and years. We haven’t seen the worst of it yet: Into the Lion’s ... Maltz, Mr Steve Best Price: $14.37 Buy New $14.00 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details)
Fires will be kindled to testify that two and two make four. Swords will be drawn to prove that leaves are green in summer.
And you thought it couldn’t get worse after we accepted that boys could be girls and girls could be boys. Chesterton offers that it will get sillier than even this (and, therefore, more serious).
Conclusion
There are no rationalists. We all believe fairy-tales, and live in them.
There is no life void of narrative. We see the narrative of those sucking the joy out of life, those smashing windows and those wearing masks. They live in a narrative and fervently believe the narrative.
It must be the same for us, those in search of peace and liberty in this world:
Let us, then, go upon a long journey and enter on a dreadful search. Let us, at least, dig and seek till we have discovered our own opinions. The dogmas we really hold are far more fantastic, and, perhaps, far more beautiful than we think.
Without this, there is no life, there is no liberty.
Reprinted with permission from Bionic Mosquito.
The Best of Bionic Mosquito


lewrockwell--2020-08-12--The New (Pathologized) Totalitarianism

The New (Pathologized) Totalitarianism

It was always going to come to this … mobs of hysterical , hate-drunk brownshirts hunting down people not wearing masks and trying to get them fired from their jobs , “ no mask , no service ” signs outside stores , security staff stopping the mask-less from entering , paranoid pod people pointing and shrieking at the sight of mask-less shoppers in their midst , goon squads viciously attacking and arresting them … Welcome to the Brave New Normal .
And it isn ’ t just the Maskenpflicht-Sturmabteilung .
The new official narrative is omnipresent .
The corporate media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitalizations ” ( i.e.
, anyone admitted to a hospital for anything who tested positive for the coronavirus ) and “ major incidents ” ( i.e.
, people at the beach ) .
Police are manning makeshift social-distancing-monitoring watchtowers in London .
There are propaganda posters and billboards everywhere , repeating the same neo-Goebbelsian slogans , reinforcing the manufactured mass hysteria .
Dissent and nonconformity are being pathologized , “ diagnosed ” as psychopathy and paranoia .
Mandatory vaccinations are coming .
Natural Law Spooner , Lysander Buy New $ 4.99 You didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did you , when they started introducing the Brave New Normal official narrative back in March ?
They told us , clearly , what was coming .
They told us life was going to change … forever .
They locked us down inside our homes .
They ordered churches and synagogues closed .
They ordered the police to abuse and arrest us if we violated their arbitrary orders .
They closed the schools , parks , beaches , restaurants , cafés , theaters , clubs , anywhere that people gather .
They ripped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arms , beat and arrested other mothers for the crime of “ wearing their masks improperly , ” dragged mask-less passengers off of public buses , gratuitously beat and arrested people for not “ social-distancing ” on the sidewalk , shackled people with ankle monitors , and intimidated everyone with robots and drones .
They outlawed protests , then hunted down people attending them and harassed them at their homes .
They started tracking everyone ’ s contacts and movements .
They drafted new “ emergency ” laws to allow them to forcibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They publicized it .
It ’ s not like they were hiding anything .
No , they told us exactly what was coming , and advised us to shut up and follow orders .
Tragically , most people have done just that .
In the space of four months , GloboCap has successfully imposed totalitarianism — pathologized totalitarianism — on societies all across the world .
It isn ’ t traditional totalitarianism , with a dictator and a one-party system , and so on .
It is subtler and more insidious than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
GloboCap could not have achieved this without the approval ( or at least the acquiescence ) of the vast majority of the masses .
The coronavirus mass hysteria was a masterstroke of propaganda , but propaganda isn ’ t everything .
No one is really fooled by propaganda , or not for long , in any event .
As Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari noted in the opening of Anti-Oedipus : Brainwashing : Its Hist ... Hunter , Edward Best Price : $ 19.04 Buy New $ 9.98 I am not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ perversion of the desire of the masses ” here in this essay , but I do want to dig into the new pathologized totalitarianism a little bit .
Now , I ’ m going to assume that you understand that the official “ apocalyptic pandemic ” narrative is predicated on propaganda , wild speculation , and mass hysteria , and that by now you are aware that we are dealing with a virus that causes mild to moderate symptoms ( or absolutely no symptoms at all ) in 95 % of those infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … thus , clearly , no cause for widespread panic or justification for the totalitarian “ emergency measures ” that have been imposed .
I am also going to assume that you watched as GloboCap switched off the “ deadly pandemic ” to accommodate the BLM protests , then switched it back on as soon as they subsided , and that you noted how their propaganda shifted to “ cases ” when the death count finally became a little too embarrassing to continue to hype .
So , I won ’ t waste @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s talk pathologized totalitarianism .
The genius of pathologized totalitarianism is like that old joke about the Devil … his greatest trick was convincing us that he doesn ’ t exist .
Pathologized totalitarianism appears to emanate from nowhere , and everywhere , simultaneously ; thus , technically , it does not exist .
It can not exist , because no one is responsible for it , because everyone is .
Mass hysteria is its lifeblood .
It feeds on existential fear .
“ Science ” is its rallying cry .
Not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but “ Science ” as a kind of deity whose Name is invoked to silence heretics , or to ease the discomfort of the cognitive dissonance that results from desperately trying to believe the absurdities of the official narrative .
The Manipulated Mind : ... Winn , Denise Best Price : $ 2.99 Buy New $ 14.96 The other genius of it ( from a GloboCap viewpoint ) is that it is inexhaustible , endlessly recyclable .
Unlike other official enemies , the “ deadly virus ” could be any virus , any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do from now on is “ discover ” some “ novel ” micro-organism that is highly contagious ( or that mimics some other micro-organism that we already have ) , and wave it in front of people ’ s faces .
Then they can crank up the Fear Machine , and start projecting hundreds of millions of deaths if everyone doesn ’ t do exactly as they ’ re told .
They can run this schtick … well , pretty much forever , anytime the working classes get restless , or an unauthorized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the sheer sadistic fun of it .
Look , I don ’ t mean to be depressing , but seriously , spend an hour on the Internet , or talk to one of your hysterical friends that wants to make mask-wearing mandatory , permanently .
This is the mentality of the Brave New Normal … irrationally paranoid and authoritarian .
So , no , the future isn ’ t looking very bright for anyone not prepared to behave as if the world were one big infectious disease ward .
I ’ ve interacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently ( just as a kind of social experiment ) .
They behave exactly like members of a cult .
When challenged with facts and basic logic , first , they flood you with media propaganda and hysterical speculation from “ medical experts.
” Then , after you debunk that nonsense , they attempt to emotionally manipulate you by sharing their heartbreaking personal accounts of the people their therapists ’ brother-in-laws ’ doctors had to helplessly watch as they “ died in agony ” when their lungs and hearts mysteriously exploded .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down on that , they start hysterically shrieking paranoia at you ( “ JUST WAIT UNTIL THEY INTUBATE YOU !
” … “ KEEP YOUR SPITTLE AWAY FROM ME !
” ) and barking orders and slogans at you ( “ JUST WEAR THE GODDAMN MASK , YOU BABY !
” … “ NO SHOES , NO SHIRT , NO MASK , NO SERVICE !
” ) Which … OK , that would be kind of funny ( or terribly sad ) , if these paranoid people were not just mouthpieces echoing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , GloboCap ) that is transforming what is left of society into a paranoid , pathologized , totalitarian nightmare right before our eyes .
They ’ re kind of like the “ woman in red ” in The Matrix .
When you are talking to them , you ’ re not talking to them .
You ’ re talking to the agents .
You ’ re talking to the machines .
Try it sometime .
You ’ ll see what I mean .
It ’ s like talking to a single algorithm that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s brains .
Battle for the Mind : A ... William Sargant Best Price : $ 5.02 Buy New $ 15.89 I can ’ t lie to you .
I ’ m not very hopeful .
No one who understands the attraction ( i.e.
, the seduction ) of totalitarianism is .
Much as we may not like to admit it , it is exhilarating , and liberating , being part of the mob , surrendering the burden of personal autonomy and individual responsibility , fusing with a fanatical “ movement ” that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” backed by the sheer brute force of the state … or the transnational global capitalist empire .
It is irresistible , that attraction , to most of us .
The chance to be a part of something like that , and to unleash one ’ s hatred on those who refuse to go along with the new religion … to publicly ridicule them , to humiliate them , to segregate them from normal society , to hunt them down and get them fired from their jobs , to cheer as police abuse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as “ abnormal ” and “ inferior , ” these social deviants , these subhuman “ others , ” who dare to challenge the authority of the Party , or the Church , or the State , or the Reich , or Science .
Plus , in the eyes of GloboCap ( and its millions of fanatical , slogan-chanting followers ) , such non-mask-wearing deviants are dangerous .
They are like a disease … an infestation .
A sickness in the social body .
If they refuse to conform , they will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or something like that .
Or they can just surrender to the Brave New Normal , and stop acting like babies , and wear a goddamn mask .
After all , it ’ s just a harmless piece of cloth .

It was always going to come to this … mobs of hysterical, hate-drunk brownshirts hunting down people not wearing masks and trying to get them fired from their jobs, “no mask, no service” signs outside stores, security staff stopping the mask-less from entering, paranoid pod people pointing and shrieking at the sight of mask-less shoppers in their midst, goon squads viciously attacking and arresting them …
Welcome to the Brave New Normal.
And it isn’t just the Maskenpflicht-Sturmabteilung. The new official narrative is omnipresent. The corporate media are pumping out hysteria about “Covid-19 hospitalizations” (i.e., anyone admitted to a hospital for anything who tested positive for the coronavirus) and “major incidents” (i.e., people at the beach). Police are manning makeshift social-distancing-monitoring watchtowers in London. There are propaganda posters and billboards everywhere, repeating the same neo-Goebbelsian slogans, reinforcing the manufactured mass hysteria. Dissent and nonconformity are being pathologized, “diagnosed” as psychopathy and paranoia. Mandatory vaccinations are coming. Natural Law Spooner, Lysander Buy New $4.99 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details)
You didn’t think they were kidding, did you, when they started introducing the Brave New Normal official narrative back in March? They told us, clearly, what was coming. They told us life was going to change … forever. They locked us down inside our homes. They ordered churches and synagogues closed. They ordered the police to abuse and arrest us if we violated their arbitrary orders. They closed the schools, parks, beaches, restaurants, cafés, theaters, clubs, anywhere that people gather. They ripped children out of their mother’s arms, beat and arrested other mothers for the crime of “wearing their masks improperly,” dragged mask-less passengers off of public buses, gratuitously beat and arrested people for not “social-distancing” on the sidewalk, shackled people with ankle monitors, and intimidated everyone with robots and drones. They outlawed protests, then hunted down people attending them and harassed them at their homes. They started tracking everyone’s contacts and movements. They drafted new “emergency” laws to allow them to forcibly quarantine people. They did this openly. They publicized it. It’s not like they were hiding anything.
No, they told us exactly what was coming, and advised us to shut up and follow orders. Tragically, most people have done just that. In the space of four months, GloboCap has successfully imposed totalitarianism — pathologized totalitarianism — on societies all across the world. It isn’t traditional totalitarianism, with a dictator and a one-party system, and so on. It is subtler and more insidious than that. But it is totalitarianism nonetheless.
GloboCap could not have achieved this without the approval (or at least the acquiescence) of the vast majority of the masses. The coronavirus mass hysteria was a masterstroke of propaganda, but propaganda isn’t everything. No one is really fooled by propaganda, or not for long, in any event. As Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari noted in the opening of Anti-Oedipus: Brainwashing: Its Hist... Hunter, Edward Best Price: $19.04 Buy New $9.98 (as of 05:25 UTC - Details)
“The masses were not innocent dupes. At a certain point, under a certain set of conditions, they wanted fascism, and it is this perversion of the desire of the masses that needs to be accounted for.”
I am not going to try to account for the “perversion of the desire of the masses” here in this essay, but I do want to dig into the new pathologized totalitarianism a little bit.
Now, I’m going to assume that you understand that the official “apocalyptic pandemic” narrative is predicated on propaganda, wild speculation, and mass hysteria, and that by now you are aware that we are dealing with a virus that causes mild to moderate symptoms (or absolutely no symptoms at all) in 95% of those infected, and that over 99.5% survive … thus, clearly, no cause for widespread panic or justification for the totalitarian “emergency measures” that have been imposed. I am also going to assume that you watched as GloboCap switched off the “deadly pandemic” to accommodate the BLM protests, then switched it back on as soon as they subsided, and that you noted how their propaganda shifted to “cases” when the death count finally became a little too embarrassing to continue to hype.
So, I won’t waste your time debunking the hysteria. Let’s talk pathologized totalitarianism.
The genius of pathologized totalitarianism is like that old joke about the Devil … his greatest trick was convincing us that he doesn’t exist. Pathologized totalitarianism appears to emanate from nowhere, and everywhere, simultaneously; thus, technically, it does not exist. It cannot exist, because no one is responsible for it, because everyone is. Mass hysteria is its lifeblood. It feeds on existential fear. “Science” is its rallying cry. Not actual science, not provable facts, but “Science” as a kind of deity whose Name is invoked to silence heretics, or to ease the discomfort of the cognitive dissonance that results from desperately trying to believe the absurdities of the official narrative.
The Manipulated Mind: ... Winn, Denise Best Price: $2.99 Buy New $14.96 (as of 06:10 UTC - Details) The other genius of it (from a GloboCap viewpoint) is that it is inexhaustible, endlessly recyclable. Unlike other official enemies, the “deadly virus” could be any virus, any pathogen whatsoever. All they have to do from now on is “discover” some “novel” micro-organism that is highly contagious (or that mimics some other micro-organism that we already have), and wave it in front of people’s faces. Then they can crank up the Fear Machine, and start projecting hundreds of millions of deaths if everyone doesn’t do exactly as they’re told. They can run this schtick … well, pretty much forever, anytime the working classes get restless, or an unauthorized president gets elected, or just for the sheer sadistic fun of it.
Look, I don’t mean to be depressing, but seriously, spend an hour on the Internet, or talk to one of your hysterical friends that wants to make mask-wearing mandatory, permanently. This is the mentality of the Brave New Normal … irrationally paranoid and authoritarian. So, no, the future isn’t looking very bright for anyone not prepared to behave as if the world were one big infectious disease ward.
I’ve interacted with a number of extremely paranoid corona-totalitarians recently (just as a kind of social experiment). They behave exactly like members of a cult. When challenged with facts and basic logic, first, they flood you with media propaganda and hysterical speculation from “medical experts.” Then, after you debunk that nonsense, they attempt to emotionally manipulate you by sharing their heartbreaking personal accounts of the people their therapists’ brother-in-laws’ doctors had to helplessly watch as they “died in agony” when their lungs and hearts mysteriously exploded. Then, after you don’t bite down on that, they start hysterically shrieking paranoia at you (“JUST WAIT UNTIL THEY INTUBATE YOU!” … “KEEP YOUR SPITTLE AWAY FROM ME!”) and barking orders and slogans at you (“JUST WEAR THE GODDAMN MASK, YOU BABY!” … “NO SHOES, NO SHIRT, NO MASK, NO SERVICE!”)
Which … OK, that would be kind of funny (or terribly sad), if these paranoid people were not just mouthpieces echoing the voice of the official power (i.e., GloboCap) that is transforming what is left of society into a paranoid, pathologized, totalitarian nightmare right before our eyes. They’re kind of like the “woman in red” in The Matrix. When you are talking to them, you’re not talking to them. You’re talking to the agents. You’re talking to the machines. Try it sometime. You’ll see what I mean. It’s like talking to a single algorithm that is running in millions of people’s brains. Battle for the Mind: A... William Sargant Best Price: $5.02 Buy New $15.89 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details)
I can’t lie to you. I’m not very hopeful. No one who understands the attraction (i.e., the seduction) of totalitarianism is. Much as we may not like to admit it, it is exhilarating, and liberating, being part of the mob, surrendering the burden of personal autonomy and individual responsibility, fusing with a fanatical “movement” that is ushering in a new “reality” backed by the sheer brute force of the state … or the transnational global capitalist empire.
It is irresistible, that attraction, to most of us. The chance to be a part of something like that, and to unleash one’s hatred on those who refuse to go along with the new religion … to publicly ridicule them, to humiliate them, to segregate them from normal society, to hunt them down and get them fired from their jobs, to cheer as police abuse and arrest them, to diagnose them as “abnormal” and “inferior,” these social deviants, these subhuman “others,” who dare to challenge the authority of the Party, or the Church, or the State, or the Reich, or Science.
Plus, in the eyes of GloboCap (and its millions of fanatical, slogan-chanting followers), such non-mask-wearing deviants are dangerous. They are like a disease … an infestation. A sickness in the social body. If they refuse to conform, they will have to be dealt with, quarantined, or something like that.
Or they can just surrender to the Brave New Normal, and stop acting like babies, and wear a goddamn mask.
After all, it’s just a harmless piece of cloth.
Originally published on Consent Factory, Inc..


Horror in Beirut

The Establishment explanation for what occurred in Beirut ’ s port on August 5th is that the horrific series of explosions that killed hundreds , injured thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless was a terrible accident that came about due to a multi-faceted failure by Lebanon ’ s corrupt and incompetent government .
Or at least that is the prevalent narrative in the international media , but a more critical examination of what took place is a bit like peeling an onion only to discover that there are layers and layers of alternative possibilities that just might place the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story , which is generally being accepted , is that a Russian-leased but Moldovan flagged ship the Rhosus carrying nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate from Batumi in Georgia to Mozambique wound up unexpectedly in Beirut ’ s port in November 2013 due to a leak in the hull and mechanical problems .
It was then impounded and blocked from exiting due to alleged general unseaworthiness as well as its inability to pay disputed debts and docking fees .
The dangerous cargo was offloaded and stored in a Hanger number 12 in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be used to make fertilizer but it also can also be used in explosives .
The two ton “ fertilizer bomb ” used to destroy the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995 killing 168 people was , for example , primarily ammonium nitrate .
The Prepperu2019s Blue ... Tess Pennington Best Price : $ 11.98 Buy New $ 18.98 The ship and cargo , which was supposedly destined for a Mozambican company that produced commercial explosives , was then de facto abandoned by its lessee and sat in the port with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while the issue was being largely ignored by the Lebanese government .
The crew were basically being held as hostages by the port authorities , unable to leave the ship and , it was claimed , frequently on the verge of starvation .
They were eventually released and allowed to fly home in 2014 while the Rhosus itself , emptied of its cargo , reportedly sank in an unused corner of the port in 2018 .
Both the crew and the port authorities were aware of how dangerous the offloaded cargo was , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having its own problems , did nothing to address the issue .
Shafik Merhi , director of the Lebanese Customs Authority , wrote to government officials no less than six times between 2014 and 2017 requesting “ urgent ” steps be taken to secure the explosives , but he received no response .
The first explosion may have been started by a welder or even a smoker who somehow ignited fireworks or possibly even a storage site for munitions which then somehow caused the ammonium nitrate to explode .
The second explosion has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that did not involve a nuclear weapon , though some have been suggesting that it did indeed involve an Israeli tactical nuke .
If there is any residual radiation at the site surely that possibility will again be raised .
The blast devastated the port and the surrounding residential area and was felt as far as 120 miles away in Cyprus .
Grain silos near the explosion were heavily damage , destroying an estimated 80 % of the country ’ s grain supply at a time when there is already widespread hunger due @ @ @ @ @ @ @ produced many bankruptcies , a failure of health services and sharply declining standards of living .
The problems have all been exacerbated by U.S. unilaterally imposed sanctions and Israeli meddling .
The narrative that the explosion had been a horrible accident was almost immediately widely accepted , but President Donald Trump was quick to describe it as an attack , saying “ I ’ ve met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that .
.
.
this was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was an attack .
It was a bomb of some kind.
” However , the Defense Department subsequently refused to confirm Trump ’ s speculation and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper observed that “ Most believe that it was an accident.
” Surviving Doomsday : A ... Duarte , Richard Best Price : $ 17.00 Buy New $ 13.99 Others also had some problems with the narrative .
A cui bono ?
“ who benefits ” analysis inevitably suggests that Israel , which has been increasing its pressure both on Lebanon and particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a totally wrecked Lebanese economy to be a gift insofar as that would increase political turmoil and could produce a reaction against Hezbollah .
Israel is heavily involved in destabilizing neighboring Syria as well as Iran and has been specifically targeting Hezbollah as the connecting link in the frequently touted Shi ’ a “ land bridge ” extending from Iran to the Lebanese Mediterranean coast .
To be sure Israel has officially expressed shock and has denied any connection with the blast .
It ’ s top government officials and Foreign Ministry have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought to send humanitarian aid to assist in the recovery , but , of course what governments say and do does not necessarily mean anything if there is a hidden agenda or policy .
When governments say one thing and do another thing secretly , they frequently hide their actions , a practice which is described using the intelligence expression “ plausible denial.
” Israel has not hesitated to attack Lebanon in the past , inflicting enormous damageon the country ’ s infrastructure and killing thousands of civilians during two major incursions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Over the past year , Israeli warplanes have flown repeatedly into Lebanese airspace to attack Syrian and alleged Iranian positions and has also staged ground attacks along the border .
There has been considerable speculation that war between the two states is coming , particularly as it is widely believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs a war as a distraction from the many scandals that he has been associated with .
Lebanese party of government Hezbollah , which is by invitation using its military wing to help Damascus , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it is seen as an Iranian proxy .
If indeed it was storing weapons at the port they might plausibly have been identified for destruction by Israel , but reliable sources in Lebanon insist that Hezbollah had no access to the area .
Beyond that , at the end of July the Israeli defense minister specifically threatened to destroy Lebanese infrastructure .
As the port of Beirut is the country key ’ s economic lifeline , it constitutes the primary infrastructure target .
Israel is known to have numerous intelligence agents operating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ means to get into the port and set off an explosive intended either to ignite the ammonium nitrate or destroy Hezbollah weapons , if they actually exist .
That would avoid having to send a bomber or a missile to do the job , though some have claimed that one video of the bombing shows an incoming missile .
Israel has long espoused the so-called Dahiya Doctrine , named after a suburb of Beirut that was devastated by the Israel Defense Forces in 1982-3 .
It endorses the employment of maximum lethal force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ enemy ” a lesson .
It has been used in both Lebanon and more recently in Gaza with Operation Cast Lead and Operation Protective Edge .
SAS Survival Handbook , ... Wiseman , John 'Lofty ' Best Price : $ 12.99 Buy New $ 12.49 Several observers of developments in the Middle East believe that Israel did in fact arrange for the explosion .
Shortly after the blast a general in the Lebanese Army stated that the explosion had been caused by a tactical nuclear device intended to bring down the Lebanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hezbollah .
Indeed , aerial photography shows an enormous crater , at least several hundred yards across .
American anti-Zionist Richard Silverstein also blamed Israel , writing on his Tikun Olam blog that “ A confidential highly-informed Israeli source has told me that Israel caused the massive explosion at the Beirut port earlier today [ when ] Israel targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot at the port and planned to destroy it with an explosive device .
Tragically , Israeli intelligence did not perform due diligence on their target… It is , of course @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine everything about their target including what was in its immediate vicinity .
The tragedy Israel has wreaked is a war crime of immense magnitude.
” Silverstein clearly has a good high-level source in Israel but the information he obtains has sometimes been challenged .
Some believe that he is being fed information that the Israeli government wishes to make public without having to admit to anything .
If that is true in this case , the Israelis might want to be sending a message to the Lebanese and to Hezbollah , suggesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended and warning them against retaliation that would escalate the fighting .
It would also warn Hezbollah that Israel is willing and able to strike anywhere in Lebanon and it might also turn ordinary Lebanese against Hezbollah because the suggestion would be that its actions had invited a devastating attack from Israel .
There have also been suggestions that something had to be done to the ammonium nitrate to make it explode like it did .
Ammonium nitrate is not an explosive by itself , but serves as an oxidiser , drawing oxygen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faster and further .
British security specialist Robert Emerson is speculating that the “ …ammonium nitrate got something added to it accidentally , possibly oil or some other flammable compound .
Ammonium nitrate smoke is more yellow , this is rather red .
An investigation would ascertain if that is the case and where contamination took place.
” Other speculation is perhaps more sinister with a local journalist in Beirut claiming that security-agency sources revealed a routine check three months ago that discovered military-grade explosives together with tons of the chemical in Hanger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agency officer , Robert Baer , told CNN that certain aspects of the explosion “ suggest the combustion of military-grade material along with the ammonium nitrate.
” One of the better-quality videos of the explosions would appear to show a first explosion that might consist of fireworks or munitions going off followed by the huge explosion of the ammonium nitrate , which would more-or-less support the emerging standard narrative .
Beirut residents , who have been demonstrating against the government since the incident , seem mostly to believe that it was no more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But that does not rule out that it was an inside job carried out covertly by the Israelis to weaken Lebanon and its arch-foe Hezbollah .
If recent history has anything to teach us it is that whatever actually happened , the cover-up will begin right away .
Likely no one will be punished in Lebanon and no one will seriously look into a possible Israeli role .
The real losers will be the people of Lebanon who have lost their lives and homes in a horrific incident that never should have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unz Review .
The Best of Philip Giraldi

The Establishment explanation for what occurred in Beirut’s port on August 5th is that the horrific series of explosions that killed hundreds, injured thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless was a terrible accident that came about due to a multi-faceted failure by Lebanon’s corrupt and incompetent government. Or at least that is the prevalent narrative in the international media, but a more critical examination of what took place is a bit like peeling an onion only to discover that there are layers and layers of alternative possibilities that just might place the catastrophe in a broader context.
The story, which is generally being accepted, is that a Russian-leased but Moldovan flagged ship the Rhosus carrying nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate from Batumi in Georgia to Mozambique wound up unexpectedly in Beirut’s port in November 2013 due to a leak in the hull and mechanical problems. It was then impounded and blocked from exiting due to alleged general unseaworthiness as well as its inability to pay disputed debts and docking fees. The dangerous cargo was offloaded and stored in a Hanger number 12 in the port a year later. Ammonium nitrate can be used to make fertilizer but it also can also be used in explosives. The two ton “fertilizer bomb” used to destroy the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995 killing 168 people was, for example, primarily ammonium nitrate.
The Prepperu2019s Blue... Tess Pennington Best Price: $11.98 Buy New $18.98 (as of 02:20 UTC - Details) The ship and cargo, which was supposedly destined for a Mozambican company that produced commercial explosives, was then de facto abandoned by its lessee and sat in the port with its Russian captain and three Ukrainian crewmen while the issue was being largely ignored by the Lebanese government. The crew were basically being held as hostages by the port authorities, unable to leave the ship and, it was claimed, frequently on the verge of starvation. They were eventually released and allowed to fly home in 2014 while the Rhosus itself, emptied of its cargo, reportedly sank in an unused corner of the port in 2018.
Both the crew and the port authorities were aware of how dangerous the offloaded cargo was, but the Lebanese government, which was having its own problems, did nothing to address the issue. Shafik Merhi, director of the Lebanese Customs Authority, wrote to government officials no less than six times between 2014 and 2017 requesting “urgent” steps be taken to secure the explosives, but he received no response.
The first explosion may have been started by a welder or even a smoker who somehow ignited fireworks or possibly even a storage site for munitions which then somehow caused the ammonium nitrate to explode. The second explosion has already been described as the largest ever that did not involve a nuclear weapon, though some have been suggesting that it did indeed involve an Israeli tactical nuke. If there is any residual radiation at the site surely that possibility will again be raised.
The blast devastated the port and the surrounding residential area and was felt as far as 120 miles away in Cyprus. Grain silos near the explosion were heavily damage, destroying an estimated 80% of the country’s grain supply at a time when there is already widespread hunger due to a deepening economic crisis that has produced many bankruptcies, a failure of health services and sharply declining standards of living. The problems have all been exacerbated by U.S. unilaterally imposed sanctions and Israeli meddling.
The narrative that the explosion had been a horrible accident was almost immediately widely accepted, but President Donald Trump was quick to describe it as an attack, saying “I’ve met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that . . . this was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event. They seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind.” However, the Defense Department subsequently refused to confirm Trump’s speculation and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper observed that “Most believe that it was an accident.” Surviving Doomsday: A ... Duarte, Richard Best Price: $17.00 Buy New $13.99 (as of 07:27 UTC - Details)
Others also had some problems with the narrative. A cui bono? “who benefits” analysis inevitably suggests that Israel, which has been increasing its pressure both on Lebanon and particularly on Hezbollah recently, might well consider a totally wrecked Lebanese economy to be a gift insofar as that would increase political turmoil and could produce a reaction against Hezbollah. Israel is heavily involved in destabilizing neighboring Syria as well as Iran and has been specifically targeting Hezbollah as the connecting link in the frequently touted Shi’a “land bridge” extending from Iran to the Lebanese Mediterranean coast.
To be sure Israel has officially expressed shock and has denied any connection with the blast. It’s top government officials and Foreign Ministry have offered their condolences. It has even sought to send humanitarian aid to assist in the recovery, but, of course what governments say and do does not necessarily mean anything if there is a hidden agenda or policy. When governments say one thing and do another thing secretly, they frequently hide their actions, a practice which is described using the intelligence expression “plausible denial.”
Israel has not hesitated to attack Lebanon in the past, inflicting enormous damageon the country’s infrastructure and killing thousands of civilians during two major incursions and an actual occupation in 1982 and 2006. Over the past year, Israeli warplanes have flown repeatedly into Lebanese airspace to attack Syrian and alleged Iranian positions and has also staged ground attacks along the border. There has been considerable speculation that war between the two states is coming, particularly as it is widely believed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs a war as a distraction from the many scandals that he has been associated with.
Lebanese party of government Hezbollah, which is by invitation using its military wing to help Damascus, has become increasingly an Israeli target of choice as it is seen as an Iranian proxy. If indeed it was storing weapons at the port they might plausibly have been identified for destruction by Israel, but reliable sources in Lebanon insist that Hezbollah had no access to the area. Beyond that, at the end of July the Israeli defense minister specifically threatened to destroy Lebanese infrastructure. As the port of Beirut is the country key’s economic lifeline, it constitutes the primary infrastructure target.
Israel is known to have numerous intelligence agents operating in Lebanon, so it has the means to get into the port and set off an explosive intended either to ignite the ammonium nitrate or destroy Hezbollah weapons, if they actually exist. That would avoid having to send a bomber or a missile to do the job, though some have claimed that one video of the bombing shows an incoming missile.
Israel has long espoused the so-called Dahiya Doctrine, named after a suburb of Beirut that was devastated by the Israel Defense Forces in 1982-3. It endorses the employment of maximum lethal force against civilians and infrastructure to teach the “enemy” a lesson. It has been used in both Lebanon and more recently in Gaza with Operation Cast Lead and Operation Protective Edge. SAS Survival Handbook,... Wiseman, John 'Lofty' Best Price: $12.99 Buy New $12.49 (as of 01:15 UTC - Details)
Several observers of developments in the Middle East believe that Israel did in fact arrange for the explosion. Shortly after the blast a general in the Lebanese Army stated that the explosion had been caused by a tactical nuclear device intended to bring down the Lebanese government and ignite a civil war with Hezbollah. Indeed, aerial photography shows an enormous crater, at least several hundred yards across. American anti-Zionist Richard Silverstein also blamed Israel, writing on his Tikun Olam blog that “A confidential highly-informed Israeli source has told me that Israel caused the massive explosion at the Beirut port earlier today [when] Israel targeted a Hezbollah weapons depot at the port and planned to destroy it with an explosive device. Tragically, Israeli intelligence did not perform due diligence on their target… It is, of course, unconscionable that Israeli agents did not determine everything about their target including what was in its immediate vicinity. The tragedy Israel has wreaked is a war crime of immense magnitude.”
Silverstein clearly has a good high-level source in Israel but the information he obtains has sometimes been challenged. Some believe that he is being fed information that the Israeli government wishes to make public without having to admit to anything. If that is true in this case, the Israelis might want to be sending a message to the Lebanese and to Hezbollah, suggesting that the second explosion had not been intended and warning them against retaliation that would escalate the fighting. It would also warn Hezbollah that Israel is willing and able to strike anywhere in Lebanon and it might also turn ordinary Lebanese against Hezbollah because the suggestion would be that its actions had invited a devastating attack from Israel.
There have also been suggestions that something had to be done to the ammonium nitrate to make it explode like it did. Ammonium nitrate is not an explosive by itself, but serves as an oxidiser, drawing oxygen to a fire and making it rage faster and further. British security specialist Robert Emerson is speculating that the “…ammonium nitrate got something added to it accidentally, possibly oil or some other flammable compound. Ammonium nitrate smoke is more yellow, this is rather red. An investigation would ascertain if that is the case and where contamination took place.”
Other speculation is perhaps more sinister with a local journalist in Beirut claiming that security-agency sources revealed a routine check three months ago that discovered military-grade explosives together with tons of the chemical in Hanger 12 while a former U.S. Central Intelligence Agency officer, Robert Baer, told CNN that certain aspects of the explosion “suggest the combustion of military-grade material along with the ammonium nitrate.”
One of the better-quality videos of the explosions would appear to show a first explosion that might consist of fireworks or munitions going off followed by the huge explosion of the ammonium nitrate, which would more-or-less support the emerging standard narrative. Beirut residents, who have been demonstrating against the government since the incident, seem mostly to believe that it was no more than an accident due to bureaucratic incompetence. But that does not rule out that it was an inside job carried out covertly by the Israelis to weaken Lebanon and its arch-foe Hezbollah. If recent history has anything to teach us it is that whatever actually happened, the cover-up will begin right away. Likely no one will be punished in Lebanon and no one will seriously look into a possible Israeli role. The real losers will be the people of Lebanon who have lost their lives and homes in a horrific incident that never should have occurred.
Reprinted with permission from The Unz Review.
The Best of Philip Giraldi


lewrockwell--2020-08-12--The Most Unloved Gold Bull Market I’ve Ever Seen

Last week was a big week for precious metals .
Gold broke above $ 2,000 an ounce and kept climbing , pushing over $ 2,075 later in the week .
Meanwhile , silver blew through $ 28 and $ 29 ounce on Thursday and knocked on the door of $ 30 .
But even with another week of solid gains , there still seems to be a lot of skepticism about precious metals .
Peter talked about gold ’ s bull run on his podcast and said it ’ s the most unloved gold bull market he ’ s seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we did finally got a corrective sell-off .
Gold was down about $ 40 at one point and silver fell back below $ 28 for a time .
But even with the selloff , gold still closed well above $ 2,000 and was up 3 % on the week .
Silver ended up closing above $ 28 and saw a 15.5 % weekly gain .
Gold has closed higher for nine consecutive weeks .
But as Peter pointed out , there have been down days .
Peter said it seems investors haven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and silver stocks started selling off Thursday even before spot prices dropped and they continued selling Friday .
GDX ( an index of gold mining companies ) was down slightly on the week .
Peter said this tells you a lot about the nature of this bull market and the wall of worry that is has been scaling .
2020 AU 1 oz Australia ...
Check Amazon for Pricing .
Initially , a lot of people were saying the same thing about silver because it was lagging behind gold ’ s rally .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind of diminishing the significance of the gold bull market was they said , ‘ Hey , it ’ s not being confirmed by silver .
Gold is going up but silver is going nowhere , and you can ’ t have a bull market in gold unless you have a bull market in silver.
’ Well , OK. Now we have a bull market in silver .
We ’ ve had a significant breakout in the price of silver .
But still , people don ’ t believe this bull market .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most unloved gold bull market I ’ ve ever seen in my career.
” Peter said the fundamentals are better than any he ’ s ever seen .
The Federal Reserve is printing trillions of dollars .
Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said it isn ’ t even thinking about thinking about raising interest rates .
And there are reports that the central bank is set to make a commitment to ramping up inflation .
All of this is extremely bullish for gold .
In a CNBC interview , US Global Investors CEO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4,000 gold in the relatively near future with G-20 finance ministers and central banks “ working together like a cartel and they ’ re all printing trillions of dollars.
” Peter said the technical charts look good for gold as well .
Peter pointed out that there ’ s a difference between the buyers of gold and those who buy gold stocks .
The buyers for gold and silver are real buyers — individual investors , and in the case of gold , central banks .
On the other hand , buyers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and speculators .
Peter said he thinks the investment community doesn ’ t believe the gold rally is going to last .
They don ’ t believe gold mining companies are really going to benefit from a temporary rise in gold .
Peter mentioned that a lot of people seem to think the rally in gold is simply a function in COVID-19 .
In fact , the CNBC article highlighting Holmes ’ comments cited a coronavirus vaccine as a development that could stop gold ’ s rally in its tracks .
Peter said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s obvious , because every time the price of gold goes up , they expect it to fall .
And every time the price of gold falls , they think it ’ s going to keep falling because they feel that that ’ s some kind of vindication .
Meanwhile , the price of gold keeps going up .
… So , the price of gold continues to defy the so-called experts .
It continues to quietly make new highs .
And this bull market is just going to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — just like silver .
How long did it take before silver joined the gold party ?
It eventually did .
MiaBella 18K Gold Over ... Buy New $ 49.00 You have to focus on the fundamentals .
A lot of investors aren ’ t doing that .
In this podcast , Peter also talks about President Trump ’ s ban on TikTok and his recent executive orders .
Peter called the EOs bad economics and unconstitutional .

Last week was a big week for precious metals. Gold broke above $2,000 an ounce and kept climbing, pushing over $2,075 later in the week. Meanwhile, silver blew through $28 and $29 ounce on Thursday and knocked on the door of $30. But even with another week of solid gains, there still seems to be a lot of skepticism about precious metals. Peter talked about gold’s bull run on his podcast and said it’s the most unloved gold bull market he’s seen in his entire career.
On Friday, we did finally got a corrective sell-off. Gold was down about $40 at one point and silver fell back below $28 for a time.
But even with the selloff, gold still closed well above $2,000 and was up 3% on the week. Silver ended up closing above $28 and saw a 15.5% weekly gain. Gold has closed higher for nine consecutive weeks. But as Peter pointed out, there have been down days.
Nothing goes up every single day, and gold and silver are not going to be the exception to that rule. There are no bull markets that are up every day. You’re always going to have down days.”
Peter said it seems investors haven’t figured this out. Gold and silver stocks started selling off Thursday even before spot prices dropped and they continued selling Friday. GDX (an index of gold mining companies) was down slightly on the week. Peter said this tells you a lot about the nature of this bull market and the wall of worry that is has been scaling. 2020 AU 1 oz Australia... Check Amazon for Pricing.
I’ve been talking about this phenomenon on this podcast the entire time — that gold stocks have not really confirmed the bull market even though the bull market is taking place anyway, we haven’t seen it in gold stocks.”
Initially, a lot of people were saying the same thing about silver because it was lagging behind gold’s rally.
A lot of the reasons people were kind of diminishing the significance of the gold bull market was they said, ‘Hey, it’s not being confirmed by silver. Gold is going up but silver is going nowhere, and you can’t have a bull market in gold unless you have a bull market in silver.’ Well, OK. Now we have a bull market in silver. We’ve had a significant breakout in the price of silver. But still, people don’t believe this bull market. I mean, this is probably the most unloved gold bull market I’ve ever seen in my career.”
Peter said the fundamentals are better than any he’s ever seen.
The Federal Reserve is printing trillions of dollars. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said it isn’t even thinking about thinking about raising interest rates. And there are reports that the central bank is set to make a commitment to ramping up inflation. All of this is extremely bullish for gold.
In a CNBC interview, US Global Investors CEO Frank Holmes said he can see $4,000 gold in the relatively near future with G-20 finance ministers and central banks “working together like a cartel and they’re all printing trillions of dollars.”
We’ve not seen this level where central banks are printing money at a zero interest rate. At zero interest rates, gold becomes a very, very attractive asset class,” Holmes said. The Last Gold Rushu202... Haynes, Bill Buy New $28.00 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details)
Peter said the technical charts look good for gold as well.
So, you’ve got a great chart. You’ve got great fundamentals. Yet still, people don’t believe this bull market. And the proof that they don’t believe the bull market is the gold stocks. They are not rallying the way you would expect. They are being dragged kicking and screaming to new highs by a relentless bull market that everybody assumes is over.”
Peter pointed out that there’s a difference between the buyers of gold and those who buy gold stocks. The buyers for gold and silver are real buyers — individual investors, and in the case of gold, central banks.
The buyers of physical metal are buying as an alternative to fiat money. … They are voting with their feet. They are running away from their fiat currencies, and they are running towards a real monetary alternative in gold and silver.”
On the other hand, buyers of gold stocks tend to be stock buyers and speculators. Peter said he thinks the investment community doesn’t believe the gold rally is going to last. They don’t believe gold mining companies are really going to benefit from a temporary rise in gold. Peter mentioned that a lot of people seem to think the rally in gold is simply a function in COVID-19. In fact, the CNBC article highlighting Holmes’ comments cited a coronavirus vaccine as a development that could stop gold’s rally in its tracks. Peter said they don’t understand the fundamentals.
That’s obvious, because every time the price of gold goes up, they expect it to fall. And every time the price of gold falls, they think it’s going to keep falling because they feel that that’s some kind of vindication. Meanwhile, the price of gold keeps going up. … So, the price of gold continues to defy the so-called experts. It continues to quietly make new highs. And this bull market is just going to keep going until ultimately the gold stocks participate — just like silver. How long did it take before silver joined the gold party? It eventually did. MiaBella 18K Gold Over... Buy New $49.00 (as of 07:28 UTC - Details)
You have to focus on the fundamentals. A lot of investors aren’t doing that.
They’re not looking into the future and realizing the monetary fiscal policies that have already driven gold past $2,000 are going to continue and drive it past $3,000, $4,000, $5,000. So, all of this potential should be reflected in the share price of these stocks, but it’s not. And therein lies the opportunity.”
In this podcast, Peter also talks about President Trump’s ban on TikTok and his recent executive orders. Peter called the EOs bad economics and unconstitutional.
Reprinted from SchiffGold.com.