lewrockwell--2020-08-13--Breakfast in Burgundy, Lunch in Liguria: the Last Summer?

I have the feeling that an impending doom is approaching .
Whether it is economic collapse ( Jeff Thomas has called this period of the economy the Twilight Zone , after the old TV show ) , the current phase of the cultural revolution , the sordid election , potential wars ( even a civil war ) or the pandemic , they all leave me queasy .
Perhaps the most telling danger in my mind is the new post-human world the elite have planned for us as explained by James Corbett .
“ The # ExposeBillGates movement is deadly serious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public to the real dangers of the world that are coming into view : a world of lockdowns and quarantines , masks and vaccines , checkpoints and immunity passports , cashless payments and biometric IDs.
” In his memoir , The World of Yesterday : Memoirs of a European , Stephen Zweig has written evocatively and elegantly of the summer before the impending doom of the Great War in Europe .
“ Even without the disaster it brought down on the whole of Europe , that summer of 1914 would have been unforgettable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more luscious , more beautiful , I am tempted to say more summery .
The sky was a silken blue day after day , the air was soft and sultry , the meadows warm and fragrant , the woods dark and lush with young green growth .
Even today , when I say the word ‘ summer ’ , I instinctively think of the glorious July days that I spent in Baden near Vienna that year……It was a beautiful summer , and promised to get even better ; we all felt carefree as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I remember how a friend and I were walking through the vineyards on my last day in Baden , and an old workman there told us , “ We ’ ve not had a summer like this many a long year .
We ’ ll have a great vintage if the weather holds .
Ah , folks will remember this summer for a long while to come !
” ” Ravensburger Cinque Te ... Ravensburger Buy New $ 29.65 I have the sense that our summer of 2020 has the mood of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer of 1914 for Zweig , it is incumbent on us to still enjoy life .
Back in 1990 I met and became friends with a regular writer for The Spectator .
Besides my friend ’ s column , I enjoyed Taki ’ s High Life and Jeffery Bernard ’ s Low Life ( now written by Jeremy Clarke ) column .
From the Wikipedia description of Bernard , “ He was given a column in The Spectator in 1975 .
His column , entitled “ Low Life ” was contrasted with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ socialite Taki Theodoracopulos , writing as “ Taki ” .
While Taki ’ s column described a life of yachts , casinos , and grand hotels , Bernard ’ s was described by Jonathan Meades as a “ suicide note in weekly instalments ” and principally chronicled his daily round of intoxication and dissipation in the Coach and Horses public house and its fateful consequences .
This was mixed with anecdotes , many of which were repeated in the play Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell , and ponderings on life .
His lifestyle had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliability , and the magazine often had to post the notice “ Jeffrey Bernard is unwell ” in place of his column.
” For most of us it is important to have gratitude for our good life .
For me this includes having a house in the countryside in the south of Burgundy and being able to take vacations with my family .
Though traveling with a 12-year-old adolescent can be a challenge as this is a good life , not a perfect one .
This year we made a sojourn into Italy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heritage Site , on our mission to deliver our daughter for a week with her friend on the Côte d ’ Azur of France .
We headed south from Burgundy near Macon on the Autoroute A6 , then East at Lyon to the Frejus Tunnel to enter Italy .
My title is misleading in that on this trip our lunch was in Piedmont just south of Turin , not Liguria on the coast ; in the picturesque village of Neive in the wine country of Italy .
Our route on the first day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this site .
The view from the terrace of the restaurant in Nieve .
We spent the night in Piedmont , in the countryside near the agricultural town of Caneli in the Agiturismo Rupestr .
My wife made all of the arrangements for the trip so I had no anticipation for the wonderful experience we would enjoy .
The Agiturismo was founded and is run by Giorgio Cirio , a man who loves the people , the land , and what they produce together ; what he calls the Six Bigs of white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candies ) wine ( e.g.
, Barolo and Barbaresco ) , fruits and vegetables , meat ( beef and game ) , and cheese ( a goat ’ s milk cheese called Robiola di Roccaverano ) .
And his mission in life is to share these wonderful things with the world as is explained in the whimsical memoir he wrote and sent to me .
The ambiance was more like visiting the large house of a friend than a hotel .
Giorgio showed us to two different rooms and let us choose the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loved the little pool , playing there for hours during the hot late afternoon .
But the dinner was the highlight of our stay .
Course after course of dishes made from the local ingredients with a local wine .
The guests had individual tables but there were many conversations between tables .
In the dining hall there are several banners on the walls including one that states that “ The Table is King of the World and the Bottle is his Queen.
” The pasta course at our grand meal at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day after the grand meal we packed the car , adding purchased wine and olive oil , plus gifts from Girogio .
He also led me down for a tour of his wine cave/museum .
We drove through rural roads until we met the Autostrade ( highway ) in Liguria .
It may be an overestimate , but not an exaggeration , to say that 90 % of the Autostrade around Liguria is either through a tunnel or over a bridge ( viaduct ) .
The biggest bridge is the one that runs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morandi Bridge crossed the Polcevera valley , a river , a railway depot , a densely populated area and several large factories at an average height of 45 metres above the ground .
A section collapsed on August 14 , 2018 killing 43 people .
The new bridge was designed by Genoa native and star architect Renzo Piano .
It opened just two days before we crossed ( on August 7 , 2020 ) on our way south .
To rebuild the bridge in less than two years is quite an achievement in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the old bridge and the replacement in Genoa .
We decided to stop somewhere along the coast south of Genoa for lunch and a swim .
Taking the advice of a very friendly man on a motorbike who we met at a gas station , we chose Camogli .
He explained that Camogli is very nice and family friendly compared to the famous and chic Portofino that shares the same peninsula .
Believe it or not , there was social distancing for Covid on the pebbled beach at Camogli .
That night we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hills overlooking Levanto , the gateway town to the Cinque Terre villages ( see map above ) .
These villages were founded in the Middle Ages and were only readily accessible by land with the coming of rail service in the 20th century .
Even today they are not all served by roads for cars .
The best way to visit is hiking on trails between the villages .
We took the train from Levanto to Corniglia where there are 400 steps to reach the village from the train station ( I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s mind occupied ) .
We did the trail along the coast from Corniglia to Vernazza where we had lunch .
There is not more that I can add on the beauty beyond the photographs below .
Levanto from the terrace of our B & B .
View of Manarola on steps rising to Corniglia .
Fridge Magnet , Italy , ... Buy New $ 7.99 We ended our trip in St. Tropez .
Our neighbors near Paris have a daughter the same age as ours .
The two girls have very different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and yang they love being together .
The grandmother is a native of St. Tropez , with a house just a few minutes walk from the center .
But she is a very warm and friendly person and has none of the glitz of the people in the big yachts docked along the quai .
The evening atmosphere reminded me of the frat parties along fraternity row when I was a student at the University of Florida .
I felt as out of place in St. Tropez as I did way back then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had a nice meal along the water in the old village that was enjoyable .
With so much charm and natural beauty , it is no wonder that St. Tropez became such a hot spot , if now the crowds , traffic , and conspicuous wealth is so distasteful .
I am happy we had this opportunity now .
Like the summer of 1914 , will the summer of 2020 be the last opportunity for a vacation for a long time ?
Only time will tell .
Gray Malin : Italy Malin , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New $ 28.07 Sunset in St. Tropez : ... Steel , Danielle Best Price : $ 0.35 Buy New $ 5.50 The Best of Ira Katz

I have the feeling that an impending doom is approaching. Whether it is economic collapse (Jeff Thomas has called this period of the economy the Twilight Zone, after the old TV show), the current phase of the cultural revolution, the sordid election, potential wars (even a civil war) or the pandemic, they all leave me queasy. Perhaps the most telling danger in my mind is the new post-human world the elite have planned for us as explained by James Corbett. “The #ExposeBillGates movement is deadly serious, and it aims to alert the public to the real dangers of the world that are coming into view: a world of lockdowns and quarantines, masks and vaccines, checkpoints and immunity passports, cashless payments and biometric IDs.”
In his memoir, The World of Yesterday: Memoirs of a European, Stephen Zweig has written evocatively and elegantly of the summer before the impending doom of the Great War in Europe. “Even without the disaster it brought down on the whole of Europe, that summer of 1914 would have been unforgettable. I have seldom known a summer more luscious, more beautiful, I am tempted to say more summery. The sky was a silken blue day after day, the air was soft and sultry, the meadows warm and fragrant, the woods dark and lush with young green growth. Even today, when I say the word ‘summer’, I instinctively think of the glorious July days that I spent in Baden near Vienna that year……It was a beautiful summer, and promised to get even better; we all felt carefree as we looked out at the world. I remember how a friend and I were walking through the vineyards on my last day in Baden, and an old workman there told us, “We’ve not had a summer like this many a long year. We’ll have a great vintage if the weather holds. Ah, folks will remember this summer for a long while to come!”” Ravensburger Cinque Te... Ravensburger Buy New $29.65 (as of 04:32 UTC - Details)
I have the sense that our summer of 2020 has the mood of that summer in 1914. And like the summer of 1914 for Zweig, it is incumbent on us to still enjoy life. Back in 1990 I met and became friends with a regular writer for The Spectator. Besides my friend’s column, I enjoyed Taki’s High Life and Jeffery Bernard’s Low Life (now written by Jeremy Clarke) column. From the Wikipedia description of Bernard, “He was given a column in The Spectator in 1975. His column, entitled “Low Life” was contrasted with the “High Life” column by wealthy socialite Taki Theodoracopulos, writing as “Taki”. While Taki’s column described a life of yachts, casinos, and grand hotels, Bernard’s was described by Jonathan Meades as a “suicide note in weekly instalments” and principally chronicled his daily round of intoxication and dissipation in the Coach and Horses public house and its fateful consequences. This was mixed with anecdotes, many of which were repeated in the play Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell, and ponderings on life. His lifestyle had an inevitable effect on his health and reliability, and the magazine often had to post the notice “Jeffrey Bernard is unwell” in place of his column.” For most of us it is important to have gratitude for our good life. For me this includes having a house in the countryside in the south of Burgundy and being able to take vacations with my family. Though traveling with a 12-year-old adolescent can be a challenge as this is a good life, not a perfect one. This year we made a sojourn into Italy to visit the Cinque Terre UNESCO World Heritage Site, on our mission to deliver our daughter for a week with her friend on the Côte d’Azur of France. We headed south from Burgundy near Macon on the Autoroute A6, then East at Lyon to the Frejus Tunnel to enter Italy. My title is misleading in that on this trip our lunch was in Piedmont just south of Turin, not Liguria on the coast; in the picturesque village of Neive in the wine country of Italy.
Our route on the first day.
Italy and the Cinque Terre from this site.
The view from the terrace of the restaurant in Nieve.
We spent the night in Piedmont, in the countryside near the agricultural town of Caneli in the Agiturismo Rupestr. My wife made all of the arrangements for the trip so I had no anticipation for the wonderful experience we would enjoy. The Agiturismo was founded and is run by Giorgio Cirio, a man who loves the people, the land, and what they produce together; what he calls the Six Bigs of white truffles, hazelnuts (for cakes and candies) wine (e.g., Barolo and Barbaresco), fruits and vegetables, meat (beef and game), and cheese (a goat’s milk cheese called Robiola di Roccaverano). And his mission in life is to share these wonderful things with the world as is explained in the whimsical memoir he wrote and sent to me. The ambiance was more like visiting the large house of a friend than a hotel. Giorgio showed us to two different rooms and let us choose the one we liked best. My daughter loved the little pool, playing there for hours during the hot late afternoon. But the dinner was the highlight of our stay. Course after course of dishes made from the local ingredients with a local wine. The guests had individual tables but there were many conversations between tables. In the dining hall there are several banners on the walls including one that states that “The Table is King of the World and the Bottle is his Queen.”
The pasta course at our grand meal at the Agiturismo Rupestr in Piedmont.
The next day after the grand meal we packed the car, adding purchased wine and olive oil, plus gifts from Girogio. He also led me down for a tour of his wine cave/museum. We drove through rural roads until we met the Autostrade (highway) in Liguria. It may be an overestimate, but not an exaggeration, to say that 90% of the Autostrade around Liguria is either through a tunnel or over a bridge (viaduct). The biggest bridge is the one that runs over the river in Genoa. The Morandi Bridge crossed the Polcevera valley, a river, a railway depot, a densely populated area and several large factories at an average height of 45 metres above the ground. A section collapsed on August 14, 2018 killing 43 people. The new bridge was designed by Genoa native and star architect Renzo Piano. It opened just two days before we crossed (on August 7, 2020) on our way south. To rebuild the bridge in less than two years is quite an achievement in today’s world.
Destruction of the old bridge and the replacement in Genoa.
We decided to stop somewhere along the coast south of Genoa for lunch and a swim. Taking the advice of a very friendly man on a motorbike who we met at a gas station, we chose Camogli. He explained that Camogli is very nice and family friendly compared to the famous and chic Portofino that shares the same peninsula.
Believe it or not, there was social distancing for Covid on the pebbled beach at Camogli.
That night we stayed at a bed & breakfast in the hills overlooking Levanto, the gateway town to the Cinque Terre villages (see map above). These villages were founded in the Middle Ages and were only readily accessible by land with the coming of rail service in the 20th century. Even today they are not all served by roads for cars. The best way to visit is hiking on trails between the villages. We took the train from Levanto to Corniglia where there are 400 steps to reach the village from the train station (I counted 361 to keep my daughter’s mind occupied). We did the trail along the coast from Corniglia to Vernazza where we had lunch. There is not more that I can add on the beauty beyond the photographs below.
Levanto from the terrace of our B&B.
View of Manarola on steps rising to Corniglia.
Corniglia
Arriving in Vernazza.
Fridge Magnet, Italy, ... Buy New $7.99 (as of 04:32 UTC - Details) We ended our trip in St. Tropez. Our neighbors near Paris have a daughter the same age as ours. The two girls have very different looks and personalities. But like yin and yang they love being together. The grandmother is a native of St. Tropez, with a house just a few minutes walk from the center. But she is a very warm and friendly person and has none of the glitz of the people in the big yachts docked along the quai. The evening atmosphere reminded me of the frat parties along fraternity row when I was a student at the University of Florida. I felt as out of place in St. Tropez as I did way back then at UF. But our two families had a nice meal along the water in the old village that was enjoyable. With so much charm and natural beauty, it is no wonder that St. Tropez became such a hot spot, if now the crowds, traffic, and conspicuous wealth is so distasteful.
I am happy we had this opportunity now. Like the summer of 1914, will the summer of 2020 be the last opportunity for a vacation for a long time? Only time will tell.
Gray Malin: Italy Malin, Gray Best Price: $27.56 Buy New $28.07 (as of 04:32 UTC - Details) Sunset in St. Tropez: ... Steel, Danielle Best Price: $0.35 Buy New $5.50 (as of 04:32 UTC - Details)
The Best of Ira Katz


lewrockwell--2020-08-13--How To Be Exempt From a Face Mask at the Grocery Store Every Time

There are many valid exemptions to wearing a face mask .
For more about that read my August 12 , 2020 , piece on the topic .
I have never worn a face mask in a grocery store .
For more detail on that , please see my May 2 , 2020 , piece on this topic .
Many write me about this topic .
The most common face mask request I receive is how a person can exercise an exemption at their grocery store .
This has worked for me every time .
Step 1 . )
Look up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Case Against Masks ... Heckenlively , Kent Buy New $ 12.99 Step 2 . )
Take out a pad of paper , write the date , time , and phone number .
Step 3 . )
Call and ask for the manager , writing down the name of anyone who says their name .
If asked , your reason for calling is that you have a question about the face mask policy .
If the person on the phone claims sufficient authority over the topic , just talk to them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I am unable to wear a face mask safely , ” may I still shop with you ?
I was thinking of coming by this afternoon .
Step 5 . )
Be patient .
Don ’ t say anything .
Let them have their turn .
Don ’ t interrupt .
Listen .
Take notes .
They will A . )
Say “ yes , ” B . )
Offer to shop for you , C. ) Say “ no , ” D. ) Ask you more about your condition .
Step @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yes ” ( 88 % of the time ) , you are all done .
Congratulations .
That was easy .
After completing the next step , just go shopping .
If they offer to shop for you ( 10 % of time ) , get your shopping list and go to the store .
If they ask about your condition , which they almost certainly won ’ t ( 1 % of time ) , tell them you aren ’ t comfortable talking about it .
There are lots of good reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
If they say “ no ” ( 1 % of time ) , ask to speak to someone else .
If you encounter one of the very few managers who deny you entry , and refuse to let you speak to someone else , please honor their property rights , go shop elsewhere , and try again during a different shift .
And by all means , make it a point to call their corporate office about the matter .
Step 7 . )
This is very important .
Ask this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone at the door ?
Or what should I do when I arrive ?
” This is a question that will get you a higher level of service .
The person on the phone will likely suggest you ask for them or another manager .
Get the name of anyone you should ask for .
Be sure to use that name when you arrive .
Plague of Corruption : ... Mikovits , Judy Buy New $ 16.51 This is an important step , because often a manager doesn ’ t want you standing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t want you freaking out other customers ; a manager doesn ’ t want you lingering around the store unhelped .
Because of this step , I am often escorted to the front of the line ( some cities still have two hour long lines for groceries , and the people living there put up with it ) .
Because of this step , my presence in the store will often be announced across the employee communication channels and employees will be instructed not to harass me , nor to allow anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this step , I am given white glove service at the grocery store , the same level of service I hope you are granted for your bravery .
I ’ ve never in my life been treated like such a valuable customer at the grocery store .
Please don ’ t cause a scene .
Calling ahead of time is the right way to do this .
Tensions run high at the door .
Approaching a face mask compliance checkpoint unmasked puts you at a disadvantage and may put the person manning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t avoid the trouble of making this phone call .
This three-minute phone call is vital to the process .
It peacefully , respectfully , and reasonably resists a one-size-fits-all medical order .
Please don ’ t go into the store with a mask , even if you are just in a hurry .
If you have a legitimate reason not to enter a store without a face mask , don ’ t push yourself to wear it .
Instead , push yourself to stand up for yourself and your legitimate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can be more important than spending five of ten extra minutes on this .
Please vow today to never again wear a face mask at a store .
Some point out that freedom isn ’ t free .
No one is asking you to spend your Christmas in a fetid French trench .
No one is asking you to storm Omaha Beach .
No one is trying to get you to travel half a world away in the mind-numbing name of “ defense , ” and to undergo all manner of horrors .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ you take this unpopular stand and not wear a face mask if you are one of the many millions of exempt people .
Don ’ t avoid the grocery store .
Don ’ t avoid the unpleasantness of the phone call to a manager and the tiny risk of uncomfortable , but calm confrontation .
Plague : One Scientist & ... Mikovits , Judy Best Price : $ 29.55 Buy New $ 17.99 Your liberties are being incrementally denied you and denied many others .
You are stopping the picking away at freedom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaningful act .
When 100 % of people stop complying with the face mask orders , the face mask orders are null .
They ’ ll be null long before then .
When 100 % of people comply with face mask orders , there will be a goggles order , and a face shield order , and a visor order , and a hermetically sealed helmet order , and who knows what else .
You do the world a great favor when you don ’ t wear a face mask .
You do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an exemption and live your life unmasked .
In this specific situation , and in many others , you do so much for the world by identifying your boundaries , communicating your boundaries , and defending your boundaries .
Let me leave you with the story of three men who did exactly that .
I wrote August 1 , 2020 , about the narrative that they want you to believe .
They want you to believe that there is not now , nor has there ever been opposition to the whittling away @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reader in response .
In 1933 , when Roosevelt closed the banks , my great-grandfather , Marion Hezekiah ( Kye ) Holden , old man Hendricks and old man Chitwood ( that ’ s all I ever heard them called ) saddled their horses and rode into town … Atoka , Oklahoma .
When they arrived at the bank , they pinwheeled the horses up to the front door .
Each man had a Winchester laying across the saddle horn .
There was a U.S .
Marshal on either side of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and went into the bank and withdrew all his deposits in gold and silver coin .
He returned and re-mounted .
Then Kye did likewise , followed by Chitwood .
They were the only ones that got their gold and silver deposits out of the bank .
Fauci : The Bernie Mado ... Ortleb , Charles Buy New $ 5.99 The U.S .
Marshals never moved .
For my own well-being , I have not once complied with a face mask order , and I have no intention of ever complying with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will join me .
Are you with me ?
Send me your stories from the checkpoint and help me put an end to this tyranny .
The Best of Allan Stevo

There are many valid exemptions to wearing a face mask. For more about that read my August 12, 2020, piece on the topic.
I have never worn a face mask in a grocery store. For more detail on that, please see my May 2, 2020, piece on this topic.
Many write me about this topic. The most common face mask request I receive is how a person can exercise an exemption at their grocery store.
This has worked for me every time.
Step 1.) Look up the store’s phone number online. The Case Against Masks... Heckenlively, Kent Buy New $12.99 (as of 04:52 UTC - Details)
Step 2.) Take out a pad of paper, write the date, time, and phone number.
Step 3.) Call and ask for the manager, writing down the name of anyone who says their name. If asked, your reason for calling is that you have a question about the face mask policy. If the person on the phone claims sufficient authority over the topic, just talk to them.
Step 4.) Say to them “I am unable to wear a face mask safely,” may I still shop with you? I was thinking of coming by this afternoon.
Step 5.) Be patient. Don’t say anything. Let them have their turn. Don’t interrupt. Listen. Take notes.
They will A.) Say “yes,” B.) Offer to shop for you, C.) Say “no,” D.) Ask you more about your condition.
Step 6.) If they say “yes” (88% of the time), you are all done. Congratulations. That was easy. After completing the next step, just go shopping. If they offer to shop for you (10% of time), get your shopping list and go to the store. If they ask about your condition, which they almost certainly won’t (1% of time), tell them you aren’t comfortable talking about it. There are lots of good reasons not to go down that road with them. If they say “no” (1% of time), ask to speak to someone else.
If you encounter one of the very few managers who deny you entry, and refuse to let you speak to someone else, please honor their property rights, go shop elsewhere, and try again during a different shift. And by all means, make it a point to call their corporate office about the matter.
Step 7.) This is very important. Ask this: “So should I ask for someone at the door? Or what should I do when I arrive?” This is a question that will get you a higher level of service. The person on the phone will likely suggest you ask for them or another manager. Get the name of anyone you should ask for. Be sure to use that name when you arrive. Plague of Corruption: ... Mikovits, Judy Buy New $16.51 (as of 02:59 UTC - Details)
This is an important step, because often a manager doesn’t want you standing in line unmasked; a manager doesn’t want you freaking out other customers; a manager doesn’t want you lingering around the store unhelped.
Because of this step, I am often escorted to the front of the line (some cities still have two hour long lines for groceries, and the people living there put up with it). Because of this step, my presence in the store will often be announced across the employee communication channels and employees will be instructed not to harass me, nor to allow anyone else to harass me. Because of this step, I am given white glove service at the grocery store, the same level of service I hope you are granted for your bravery. I’ve never in my life been treated like such a valuable customer at the grocery store.
Please don’t cause a scene. Calling ahead of time is the right way to do this. Tensions run high at the door. Approaching a face mask compliance checkpoint unmasked puts you at a disadvantage and may put the person manning the checkpoint unnecessarily on edge.
Please don’t avoid the trouble of making this phone call. This three-minute phone call is vital to the process. It peacefully, respectfully, and reasonably resists a one-size-fits-all medical order.
Please don’t go into the store with a mask, even if you are just in a hurry. If you have a legitimate reason not to enter a store without a face mask, don’t push yourself to wear it. Instead, push yourself to stand up for yourself and your legitimate and honorable boundaries. There is little that can be more important than spending five of ten extra minutes on this. Please vow today to never again wear a face mask at a store.
Some point out that freedom isn’t free. No one is asking you to spend your Christmas in a fetid French trench. No one is asking you to storm Omaha Beach. No one is trying to get you to travel half a world away in the mind-numbing name of “defense,” and to undergo all manner of horrors.
What I am asking, is that you take this unpopular stand and not wear a face mask if you are one of the many millions of exempt people.
Don’t avoid the grocery store. Don’t avoid the unpleasantness of the phone call to a manager and the tiny risk of uncomfortable, but calm confrontation. Plague: One Scientist&... Mikovits, Judy Best Price: $29.55 Buy New $17.99 (as of 04:10 UTC - Details)
Your liberties are being incrementally denied you and denied many others. You are stopping the picking away at freedom with this seemingly tiny, but incredibly meaningful act.
When 100% of people stop complying with the face mask orders, the face mask orders are null. They’ll be null long before then.
When 100% of people comply with face mask orders, there will be a goggles order, and a face shield order, and a visor order, and a hermetically sealed helmet order, and who knows what else.
You do the world a great favor when you don’t wear a face mask. You do the world a favor when you fit into an exemption and live your life unmasked.
In this specific situation, and in many others, you do so much for the world by identifying your boundaries, communicating your boundaries, and defending your boundaries.
Let me leave you with the story of three men who did exactly that. I wrote August 1, 2020, about the narrative that they want you to believe. They want you to believe that there is not now, nor has there ever been opposition to the whittling away of liberty.
I got this from a reader in response.
In 1933, when Roosevelt closed the banks, my great-grandfather, Marion Hezekiah (Kye) Holden, old man Hendricks and old man Chitwood (that’s all I ever heard them called) saddled their horses and rode into town … Atoka, Oklahoma. When they arrived at the bank, they pinwheeled the horses up to the front door. Each man had a Winchester laying across the saddle horn.
There was a U.S. Marshal on either side of the door. Old man Hendricks got down and went into the bank and withdrew all his deposits in gold and silver coin. He returned and re-mounted. Then Kye did likewise, followed by Chitwood. They were the only ones that got their gold and silver deposits out of the bank. Fauci: The Bernie Mado... Ortleb, Charles Buy New $5.99 (as of 02:55 UTC - Details)
The U.S. Marshals never moved.
Be blessed.
-H.S.
For my own well-being, I have not once complied with a face mask order, and I have no intention of ever complying with a face mask order.
I hope you will join me.
Are you with me?
Send me your stories from the checkpoint and help me put an end to this tyranny.
The Best of Allan Stevo


lewrockwell--2020-08-13--Only Congress Can Spend Federal Monies

Only Congress Can Spend Federal Monies

“ No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury , but in consequence of Appropriations made by Law.
” — U.S. Constitution , Article I , section 9 Congress and the White House have been at loggerheads for weeks on the next phase of federal aid to those suffering financially and who lost jobs because of governor-mandated lockdown orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic .
At last count , more than 30 million Americans who had full-time jobs a year ago are today unemployed .
All states have unemployment compensation for which employees and employers make regular contributions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a percentage of income earned in the year before the job loss .
Obviously , this number is different for all people , and it varies from state to state .
Embarrassed that it was caught flat-footed in the failure of leadership over the COVID-19 pandemic , the federal government — pursuant to appropriations made by law — borrowed $ 3 trillion in April , May and June of this year and shipped out nearly all of it to small businesses and individuals .
It gave $ 600 a week in unemployment compensation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their 2019 earnings and in addition to whatever state funds these folks received .
This is the worst way out of this politically induced recession .
Borrowing and giving away money will just postpone the day of reckoning .
Rather , the feds should cut taxes and spending drastically , and give tax credits to businesses for each person hired .
The states , in turn , should permit those who want to operate their businesses to do so , with their customers and employees assuming the risk of patronage or employment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breath for these free market solutions to happen .
It would mean a loss of control for the government .
Shortly before the $ 600 weekly payments ended two weeks ago , Congress began negotiating with the White House for a continuation of the payments .
The House Democrats want to borrow and give away another $ 3 trillion , much of it to bail out cities and states hard hit by the loss of tax revenue .
The White House wants to borrow and give away $ 1 trillion , but only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When it became apparent that a compromise could not be reached and Congress would not vote to extend the federal unemployment compensation to individuals , President Donald Trump ordered the Treasury to pay all unemployed people $ 300 a week , provided the states pay them $ 100 a week , in addition to their state unemployment compensation .
How can the president spend money that has not been appropriated by law ?
Here is the backstory .
The Constitution champions the well-accepted structures of government known as the separation of powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powers , Congress writes the laws , the president enforces them , and the judiciary decides what the laws mean and if they are constitutional .
Since federal monies can only be spent by legislation , and since only Congress writes federal laws , only it can enact legislation that spends federal monies .
I use the phrase “ federal monies ” rather than “ federal funds ” or “ taxpayer dollars ” because the federal government is broke .
It owes $ 26.5 trillion to its creditors .
So , whatever monies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrow .
But whether Congress is giving away taxpayer dollars , buying battleships or borrowing money , it must do so by legislation .
We know this because the separation of powers prohibits the president or the courts from doing Congress ’ job .
We also know this because the Constitution expressly states in Article I , section 9 , that no money shall be spent except when appropriated by law .
Stated differently , the Treasury can not legally borrow or spend a nickel unless it has been expressly authorized to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enacted by Congress .
This is neither a novel nor a political observation .
It is Constitutional Law 101 .
Thus , when the president — no matter his goals — attempts to exercise power that the Constitution has given exclusively to Congress , it is the duty of the courts to stop him .
It is similarly the duty of the courts to enjoin the president from enforcing any law or taking any action that violates the principle of federalism .
This principle mandates state sovereignty and independence in areas of governance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandated as well by the Guarantee Clause of the Constitution .
According to the Supreme Court , that clause means that state officials decide how to employ state assets and spend state funds .
Stated differently , neither the president nor Congress can tell the states that they must spend $ 100 a week on unemployed people in their states .
Inasmuch as Trump ’ s executive order has the state contribution of $ 100 a week per person as a trigger for individuals to receive the federally borrowed $ 300 a week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doubly unconstitutional , it is functionless as an instrument of aid .
Rather , it is an instrument of politics only .
Not too long ago , an American president asked Congress to change immigration laws .
When it refused to do as this president asked , he boasted that he could govern more effectively than Congress using his phone and pen .
He then signed 24 executive orders purporting to accomplish what he had requested of Congress .
One of the candidates running to succeed him blasted this unconstitutional presidential behavior and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barack Obama and the candidate was Donald Trump .
How different the world must look from inside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. when looking out than from outside looking in .
Yet , the Constitution remains the same .
It is the supreme law of the land .
And , as such , all government behavior is only lawful when it is subordinate to it , no matter what any president says .
The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano

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“No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of Appropriations made by Law.”
— U.S. Constitution, Article I, section 9
Congress and the White House have been at loggerheads for weeks on the next phase of federal aid to those suffering financially and who lost jobs because of governor-mandated lockdown orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At last count, more than 30 million Americans who had full-time jobs a year ago are today unemployed.
All states have unemployment compensation for which employees and employers make regular contributions. The payments of compensation are calculated as a percentage of income earned in the year before the job loss. Obviously, this number is different for all people, and it varies from state to state.
Embarrassed that it was caught flat-footed in the failure of leadership over the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government — pursuant to appropriations made by law — borrowed $3 trillion in April, May and June of this year and shipped out nearly all of it to small businesses and individuals. It gave $600 a week in unemployment compensation to those out of work, irrespective of their 2019 earnings and in addition to whatever state funds these folks received. Suicide Pact: The Radi... Napolitano, Andrew P. Best Price: $0.25 Buy New $2.84 (as of 04:15 UTC - Details)
This is the worst way out of this politically induced recession. Borrowing and giving away money will just postpone the day of reckoning. Rather, the feds should cut taxes and spending drastically, and give tax credits to businesses for each person hired. The states, in turn, should permit those who want to operate their businesses to do so, with their customers and employees assuming the risk of patronage or employment.
But don’t hold your breath for these free market solutions to happen. It would mean a loss of control for the government.
Shortly before the $600 weekly payments ended two weeks ago, Congress began negotiating with the White House for a continuation of the payments. The House Democrats want to borrow and give away another $3 trillion, much of it to bail out cities and states hard hit by the loss of tax revenue. The White House wants to borrow and give away $1 trillion, but only in direct payments to businesses and individuals.
When it became apparent that a compromise could not be reached and Congress would not vote to extend the federal unemployment compensation to individuals, President Donald Trump ordered the Treasury to pay all unemployed people $300 a week, provided the states pay them $100 a week, in addition to their state unemployment compensation.
How can the president spend money that has not been appropriated by law?
Here is the backstory.
The Constitution champions the well-accepted structures of government known as the separation of powers and federalism.
Under the separation of powers, Congress writes the laws, the president enforces them, and the judiciary decides what the laws mean and if they are constitutional. Since federal monies can only be spent by legislation, and since only Congress writes federal laws, only it can enact legislation that spends federal monies.
I use the phrase “federal monies” rather than “federal funds” or “taxpayer dollars” because the federal government is broke. It owes $26.5 trillion to its creditors. So, whatever monies Congress gives away, it must first borrow.
But whether Congress is giving away taxpayer dollars, buying battleships or borrowing money, it must do so by legislation. We know this because the separation of powers prohibits the president or the courts from doing Congress’ job. We also know this because the Constitution expressly states in Article I, section 9, that no money shall be spent except when appropriated by law.
Stated differently, the Treasury cannot legally borrow or spend a nickel unless it has been expressly authorized to do so by law — meaning by legislation enacted by Congress. This is neither a novel nor a political observation. It is Constitutional Law 101.
Thus, when the president — no matter his goals — attempts to exercise power that the Constitution has given exclusively to Congress, it is the duty of the courts to stop him.
It is similarly the duty of the courts to enjoin the president from enforcing any law or taking any action that violates the principle of federalism. This principle mandates state sovereignty and independence in areas of governance reserved to the states. Federalism is mandated as well by the Guarantee Clause of the Constitution.
According to the Supreme Court, that clause means that state officials decide how to employ state assets and spend state funds. Stated differently, neither the president nor Congress can tell the states that they must spend $100 a week on unemployed people in their states.
Inasmuch as Trump’s executive order has the state contribution of $100 a week per person as a trigger for individuals to receive the federally borrowed $300 a week, the executive order is not only doubly unconstitutional, it is functionless as an instrument of aid. Rather, it is an instrument of politics only.
Not too long ago, an American president asked Congress to change immigration laws. When it refused to do as this president asked, he boasted that he could govern more effectively than Congress using his phone and pen. He then signed 24 executive orders purporting to accomplish what he had requested of Congress. One of the candidates running to succeed him blasted this unconstitutional presidential behavior and denounced this president.
The president was Barack Obama and the candidate was Donald Trump. How different the world must look from inside 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. when looking out than from outside looking in. Yet, the Constitution remains the same. It is the supreme law of the land. And, as such, all government behavior is only lawful when it is subordinate to it, no matter what any president says.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano


lewrockwell--2020-08-13--Invasion of the New Normals

Invasion of the New Normals

They ’ re here !
No , not the pod people from Invasion of the Body Snatchers .
We ’ re not being colonized by giant alien fruit .
I ’ m afraid it is a little more serious than that .
People ’ s minds are being taken over by a much more destructive and less otherworldly force … a force that transforms them overnight into aggressively paranoid , order-following , propaganda-parroting totalitarians .
You know the people I ’ m talking about .
Some of them are probably your friends and family , people you have known for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ completely rational , but who are now convinced that we need to radically alter the fabric of human society to protect ourselves from a virus that causes mild to moderate flu-like symptoms ( or absolutely no symptoms at all ) in over 95 % of those infected , and that over 99.6 % survive , which , it goes without saying , is totally insane .
The Chronic Fatigue Sy ... Ortleb , Charles Best Price : $ 16.55 Buy New $ 17.95 I ’ ve been calling them “ corona-totalitarians , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them the “ New Normals ” from now on , as that more accurately evokes the pathologized-totalitarian ideology they are systematically spreading .
At this point , I think it is important to do that , because , clearly , their ideological program has nothing to do with any actual virus , or any other actual public health threat .
As is glaringly obvious to anyone whose mind has not been taken over yet , the “ apocalyptic coronavirus pandemic ” was always just a Trojan horse , a means of introducing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve been doing since the very beginning .
The official propaganda started in March , and it reached full intensity in early April .
Suddenly , references to the “ New Normal ” were everywhere , not only in the leading corporate media ( e.g.
, CNN , NPR , CNBC , The New York Times , The Guardian , The Atlantic , Forbes , et al . )
, the IMF and the World Bank Group , the WEF , UN , WHO , CDC ( and the list goes on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of athletic organizations , global management consulting firms , charter school websites , and random YouTube videos .
The slogan has been relentlessly repeated ( in a textbook totalitarian “ big lie ” fashion ) for going on the past six months .
We have heard it repeated so many times that many of us have forgotten how insane it is , the idea that the fundamental structure of society needs to be drastically and irrevocably altered on account of a virus that poses no threat to the vast majority of the human @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ortleb , Charles Best Price : $ 20.77 Buy New $ 20.00 And , make no mistake , that is exactly what the “ New Normal ” movement intends to do .
“ New Normalism ” is a classic totalitarian movement ( albeit with a pathological twist ) , and it is the goal of every totalitarian movement to radically , utterly transform society , to remake the world in its monstrous image .
That is what totalitarianism is , this desire to establish complete control over everything and everyone , every thought @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The character of its ideology changes ( i.e.
, Nazism , Stalinism , Maoism , etc . )
, but this desire for complete control over people , over society , and ultimately life itself , is the essence of totalitarianism … and what has taken over the minds of the New Normals .
In the New Normal society they want to establish , as in every totalitarian society , fear and conformity will be pervasive .
Their ideology is a pathologized ideology ( as opposed to , say , the racialized ideology @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symbology will be pathological .
Fear of disease , infection , and death , and obsessive attention to matters of health will dominate every aspect of life .
Paranoid propaganda and ideological conditioning will be ubiquitous and constant .
The Origins of Totalit ... Hannah Arendt Best Price : $ 8.49 Buy New $ 12.90 Everyone will be forced to wear medical masks to maintain a constant level of fear and an omnipresent atmosphere of sickness and death , as if the world were one big infectious disease ward .
Everyone will wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work , at home , in their cars , everywhere .
Anyone who fails or refuses to do so will be deemed “ a threat to public health , ” and beaten and arrested by the police or the military , or swarmed by mobs of New Normal vigilantes .
Cities , regions , and entire countries will be subjected to random police-state lockdowns , which will be justified by the threat of “ infection.
” People will be confined to their homes for up to 23-hours a day , and allowed out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and soldiers will patrol the streets , stopping people , checking their papers , and beating and arresting anyone out in public without the proper documents , or walking or standing too close to other people , like they are doing in Melbourne , Australia , currently .
The threat of “ infection ” will be used to justify increasingly insane and authoritarian edicts , compulsory demonstration-of-fealty rituals , and eventually the elimination of all forms of dissent .
Just as the Nazis believed they were waging a war against the “ subhuman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be waging a war on “ disease , ” and on anyone who “ endangers the public health ” by challenging their ideological narrative .
Like every other totalitarian movement , in the end , they will do whatever is necessary to purify society of “ degenerate influences ” ( i.e.
, anyone who questions or disagrees with them , or who refuses to obey their every command ) .
They are already aggressively censoring the Internet and banning their opponents ’ political protests , and political leaders and the corporate media are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to challenge their official narrative as “ extremists , ” “ Nazis , ” “ conspiracy theorists , ” “ covidiots , ” “ coronavirus deniers , ” “ anti-vaxxers , ” and “ esoteric ” freaks .
One German official even went so far as to demand that dissidents be deported … presumably on trains to somewhere in the East .
Brainwashing : Its Hist ... Hunter , Edward Best Price : $ 19.04 Buy New $ 9.98 Despite this increasing totalitarianization and pathologization of virtually everything , the New Normals will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everything were … well , completely normal .
They will go out to restaurants and the movies in their masks .
They will work , eat , and sleep in their masks .
Families will go on holiday in their masks , or in their “ Personal Protective Upper-Body Bubble-Wear.
” They will arrive at the airport eight hours early , stand in their little color-coded boxes , and then follow the arrows on the floor to the “ health officials ” in the hazmat suits , who will take their temperature through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their sinus cavities .
Parents who wish to forego this experience will have the option to preventatively vaccinate themselves and their children with the latest experimental vaccine ( after signing a liability waiver , of course ) within a week or so before their flights , and then present the officials with proof of vaccination ( and of their compliance with various other “ health guidelines ” ) on their digital Identity and Public Health Passports , or subdermal biometric chips .

They’re here! No, not the pod people from Invasion of the Body Snatchers. We’re not being colonized by giant alien fruit. I’m afraid it is a little more serious than that. People’s minds are being taken over by a much more destructive and less otherworldly force … a force that transforms them overnight into aggressively paranoid, order-following, propaganda-parroting totalitarians.
You know the people I’m talking about. Some of them are probably your friends and family, people you have known for years, and who had always seemed completely rational, but who are now convinced that we need to radically alter the fabric of human society to protect ourselves from a virus that causes mild to moderate flu-like symptoms (or absolutely no symptoms at all) in over 95% of those infected, and that over 99.6% survive, which, it goes without saying, is totally insane.
The Chronic Fatigue Sy... Ortleb, Charles Best Price: $16.55 Buy New $17.95 (as of 05:07 UTC - Details) I’ve been calling them “corona-totalitarians,” but I’m going to call them the “New Normals” from now on, as that more accurately evokes the pathologized-totalitarian ideology they are systematically spreading. At this point, I think it is important to do that, because, clearly, their ideological program has nothing to do with any actual virus, or any other actual public health threat. As is glaringly obvious to anyone whose mind has not been taken over yet, the “apocalyptic coronavirus pandemic” was always just a Trojan horse, a means of introducing the “New Normal,” which they’ve been doing since the very beginning.
The official propaganda started in March, and it reached full intensity in early April. Suddenly, references to the “New Normal” were everywhere, not only in the leading corporate media (e.g., CNN, NPR, CNBC, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Forbes, et al.), the IMF and the World Bank Group, the WEF, UN, WHO, CDC (and the list goes on), but also on the blogs of athletic organizations, global management consulting firms, charter school websites, and random YouTube videos.
The slogan has been relentlessly repeated (in a textbook totalitarian “big lie” fashion) for going on the past six months. We have heard it repeated so many times that many of us have forgotten how insane it is, the idea that the fundamental structure of society needs to be drastically and irrevocably altered on account of a virus that poses no threat to the vast majority of the human species. The Chronic Fatigue Sy... Ortleb, Charles Best Price: $20.77 Buy New $20.00 (as of 04:35 UTC - Details)
And, make no mistake, that is exactly what the “New Normal” movement intends to do. “New Normalism” is a classic totalitarian movement (albeit with a pathological twist), and it is the goal of every totalitarian movement to radically, utterly transform society, to remake the world in its monstrous image.
That is what totalitarianism is, this desire to establish complete control over everything and everyone, every thought, emotion, and human interaction. The character of its ideology changes (i.e., Nazism, Stalinism, Maoism, etc.), but this desire for complete control over people, over society, and ultimately life itself, is the essence of totalitarianism … and what has taken over the minds of the New Normals.
In the New Normal society they want to establish, as in every totalitarian society, fear and conformity will be pervasive. Their ideology is a pathologized ideology (as opposed to, say, the racialized ideology of the Nazis), so its symbology will be pathological. Fear of disease, infection, and death, and obsessive attention to matters of health will dominate every aspect of life. Paranoid propaganda and ideological conditioning will be ubiquitous and constant.
The Origins of Totalit... Hannah Arendt Best Price: $8.49 Buy New $12.90 (as of 06:35 UTC - Details) Everyone will be forced to wear medical masks to maintain a constant level of fear and an omnipresent atmosphere of sickness and death, as if the world were one big infectious disease ward. Everyone will wear these masks at all times, at work, at home, in their cars, everywhere. Anyone who fails or refuses to do so will be deemed “a threat to public health,” and beaten and arrested by the police or the military, or swarmed by mobs of New Normal vigilantes.
Cities, regions, and entire countries will be subjected to random police-state lockdowns, which will be justified by the threat of “infection.” People will be confined to their homes for up to 23-hours a day, and allowed out only for “essential reasons.” Police and soldiers will patrol the streets, stopping people, checking their papers, and beating and arresting anyone out in public without the proper documents, or walking or standing too close to other people, like they are doing in Melbourne, Australia, currently.
The threat of “infection” will be used to justify increasingly insane and authoritarian edicts, compulsory demonstration-of-fealty rituals, and eventually the elimination of all forms of dissent. Just as the Nazis believed they were waging a war against the “subhuman races,” the New Normals will be waging a war on “disease,” and on anyone who “endangers the public health” by challenging their ideological narrative. Like every other totalitarian movement, in the end, they will do whatever is necessary to purify society of “degenerate influences” (i.e., anyone who questions or disagrees with them, or who refuses to obey their every command). They are already aggressively censoring the Internet and banning their opponents’ political protests, and political leaders and the corporate media are systematically stigmatizing those of us who dare to challenge their official narrative as “extremists,” “Nazis,” “conspiracy theorists,” “covidiots,” “coronavirus deniers,” “anti-vaxxers,” and “esoteric” freaks. One German official even went so far as to demand that dissidents be deported … presumably on trains to somewhere in the East. Brainwashing: Its Hist... Hunter, Edward Best Price: $19.04 Buy New $9.98 (as of 05:25 UTC - Details)
Despite this increasing totalitarianization and pathologization of virtually everything, the New Normals will carry on with their lives as if everything were … well, completely normal. They will go out to restaurants and the movies in their masks. They will work, eat, and sleep in their masks. Families will go on holiday in their masks, or in their “Personal Protective Upper-Body Bubble-Wear.” They will arrive at the airport eight hours early, stand in their little color-coded boxes, and then follow the arrows on the floor to the “health officials” in the hazmat suits, who will take their temperature through their foreheads and shove ten-inch swabs into their sinus cavities. Parents who wish to forego this experience will have the option to preventatively vaccinate themselves and their children with the latest experimental vaccine (after signing a liability waiver, of course) within a week or so before their flights, and then present the officials with proof of vaccination (and of their compliance with various other “health guidelines”) on their digital Identity and Public Health Passports, or subdermal biometric chips.
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lewrockwell--2020-08-13--Kamala Will Cost Biden the Election for the Same Reason She Lost the Dem Primaries

Tuesday afternoon , Joe Biden officially announced his running mate for his 2020 Presidential campaign – naming Kamala Harris his vice president .
Although not the worst choice , seeing as how Stacey Abrams and Susan Rice were rumored contenders for the spot , Harris certainly no longer has that “ new car ” shine that Obama did in 2008 .
In fact , one must wonder why Biden decided on Harris – amidst widespread calls from the left to defund the police – with Harris ’ record of “ backing the blue ” .
This is especially pertinent considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ” voters who are essentially voting for the VP given Biden ’ s mental acuity ( or lack thereof ) : This is a major problem considering Harris ’ s political career .
As Attorney General of California , Harris fought against the release of a man who had been acquitted and had his conviction overturned .
Daniel Larsen , who spent 13 years in prison for possession of a concealed knife , had not produced evidence of his innocence in a timely enough fashion .
God , Trump , and COVID- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : $ 13.93 Buy New $ 9.40 Also as Attorney General , Harris challenged a ruling ordering California to release some of its prisoners after the Supreme Court decided that the state ’ s overcrowded prisons was cruel and unusual punishment .
As District Attorney of San Francisco , Harris oversaw the city ’ s corrupt crime lab , where a judge ultimately ruled that the D.A.
’ s office ignored calls to take responsibility for the labs mismanaging and hid information about a technician who had been stealing cocaine .
Of note @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentencing reform which was a measure on ballots in both 2012 and 2014 .
In 2014 , a federal judge in California ruled that the state ’ s application of the death penalty was unconstitutional – with Harris fighting against that ruling as well .
For her first run for Attorney General in 2010 , one law enforcement group endorsed her with the rest upset that she had not sought the death penalty for an alleged cop killer .
By 2014 , almost 50 police groups endorsed her re-election campaign .
Harris ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the war on drugs and has opposed efforts to legalize marijuana .
As Attorney General , she suggested expansions of the state ’ s efforts to track prescription drug users .
Harris has even defended – and laughed at – her choice to lock up the parents of children who were more than 3 days truant from school in California .
In a 2009 op-ed , Harris boasted about the lower level of truancy rates she achieved through her authoritarian practices .
Eileen DeNino , a mother in Pennsylvania , died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fines for her children ’ s absences .
According to a lawsuit filed by her family , they allege jail staff knew DeNino had uncontrolled high blood pressure but denied her access to medication .
This policy not only championed , but created , by Harris has seen the death of a mother ; the very embodiment of the “ little guy ” Biden posits Kamala will help fight for as VP .
Not to mention , previous reporting by FMShooter has also pointed out Harris ’ spotty record .
A month later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kamala Harris making her 2020 Presidential candidacy official , and the mainstream media doing their absolute best to paint her in the most favorable possible light , she has quickly become the front-runner in a very crowded field of Democrat candidates… The DNC has already demonstrated that they will rig the primary for whoever they think has the best shot at winning… Harris ’ s very questionable political history includes using an extramarital affair to launch her career , as well as her near-constant funding by the same big tech and media conglomerates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered by FMShooter , the states that will decide the 2020 election are Florida , Ohio , Michigan , Wisconsin , and Pennsylvania… Florida is by far the most pivotal of these states – the 2018 Senate/Gubernational elections in the state were won by 32,000/10,000 votes respectively… Florida is routinely referred to as the “ gunshine ” state due to the large contingent of pro-gun voters living there .
Harris has a lengthy political ( and prosecutorial ) career where she peddled an “ assault weapons ” ban , universal background checks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-gun positions that are not conducive to a winning platform in Florida… Her gun control platform is equally unpopular in rust belt states… She just doesn ’ t offer… a decisive pathway to victory in key swing states .
The vast majority of voters have already made up their mind for who they will cast their vote for in November .
In states where gun advocacy is staunchest – such as Florida and Ohio – Harris will only hurt Biden .
In Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , and Michigan , she likely won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticket either .
The 2020 election will come down to 1 ) turnout , and 2 ) swing voters in swing states .
When it comes to turnout – who is really excited to go vote for a Biden/Harris ballot , especially during the coronavirus pandemic ?
As for swing voters in swing states , what could Harris possibly do to sway the opinions of the small number of voters in swing states still undecided between Trump and Biden ?
Given Kamala Harris ’ s political record , it is far more likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ harm than good – which may very well be the difference in a potentially tight 2020 presidential election .

Tuesday afternoon, Joe Biden officially announced his running mate for his 2020 Presidential campaign – naming Kamala Harris his vice president. Although not the worst choice, seeing as how Stacey Abrams and Susan Rice were rumored contenders for the spot, Harris certainly no longer has that “new car” shine that Obama did in 2008.
In fact, one must wonder why Biden decided on Harris – amidst widespread calls from the left to defund the police – with Harris’ record of “backing the blue”. This is especially pertinent considering the sheer number of “Settle for Biden” voters who are essentially voting for the VP given Biden’s mental acuity (or lack thereof):
The fact that this is a real Instagram page is a contender for the best part of 2020 pic.twitter.com/lYTXuTOwM2 — Lone Conservative (@LoConservative) August 9, 2020
This is a major problem considering Harris’s political career. As Attorney General of California, Harris fought against the release of a man who had been acquitted and had his conviction overturned. Daniel Larsen, who spent 13 years in prison for possession of a concealed knife, had not produced evidence of his innocence in a timely enough fashion. God, Trump, and COVID-... Strang, Stephen E. Best Price: $13.93 Buy New $9.40 (as of 04:36 UTC - Details)
Also as Attorney General, Harris challenged a ruling ordering California to release some of its prisoners after the Supreme Court decided that the state’s overcrowded prisons was cruel and unusual punishment. As District Attorney of San Francisco, Harris oversaw the city’s corrupt crime lab, where a judge ultimately ruled that the D.A.’s office ignored calls to take responsibility for the labs mismanaging and hid information about a technician who had been stealing cocaine.
Of note, Harris didn’t endorse prison sentencing reform which was a measure on ballots in both 2012 and 2014.
In 2014, a federal judge in California ruled that the state’s application of the death penalty was unconstitutional – with Harris fighting against that ruling as well. For her first run for Attorney General in 2010, one law enforcement group endorsed her with the rest upset that she had not sought the death penalty for an alleged cop killer. By 2014, almost 50 police groups endorsed her re-election campaign. Harris’ record also shows she is an advocate of the war on drugs and has opposed efforts to legalize marijuana. As Attorney General, she suggested expansions of the state’s efforts to track prescription drug users.
Harris has even defended – and laughed at – her choice to lock up the parents of children who were more than 3 days truant from school in California.
Kamala Harris at an event hosted by the Commonwealth Club in 2010, explaining her decision as San Francisco DA to get tough on truancy. Critics of truancy crackdowns say such efforts unfairly target poor parents and children without actually helping students. pic.twitter.com/GKkDpayxuv — Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) January 28, 2019
In a 2009 op-ed, Harris boasted about the lower level of truancy rates she achieved through her authoritarian practices. Eileen DeNino, a mother in Pennsylvania, died in jail after been imprisoned for not paying fines for her children’s absences. According to a lawsuit filed by her family, they allege jail staff knew DeNino had uncontrolled high blood pressure but denied her access to medication. This policy not only championed, but created, by Harris has seen the death of a mother; the very embodiment of the “little guy” Biden posits Kamala will help fight for as VP.
Not to mention, previous reporting by FMShooter has also pointed out Harris’ spotty record.
In January of 2019:
Most recently, Democrat Kamala Harris also announced her run for President in 2020 – but it’s exceedingly obvious where Harris’ funding is coming from…
WarnerMedia, Alphabet Inc, and 21st Century Fox all gave hand-over-fist to Harris up to 2018 to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Notably, WarnerMedia owns CNN; Alphabet owns Google and Youtube; 21st Century Fox owns Fox News and its subsidiaries – the Establishment media has been funding and seemingly prepping for Harris’ 2020 run.
A month later, in February of 2019:
With Kamala Harris making her 2020 Presidential candidacy official, and the mainstream media doing their absolute best to paint her in the most favorable possible light, she has quickly become the front-runner in a very crowded field of Democrat candidates… The DNC has already demonstrated that they will rig the primary for whoever they think has the best shot at winning… Harris’s very questionable political history includes using an extramarital affair to launch her career, as well as her near-constant funding by the same big tech and media conglomerates she claims she will regulate… As previously covered by FMShooter, the states that will decide the 2020 election are Florida, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania… Florida is by far the most pivotal of these states – the 2018 Senate/Gubernational elections in the state were won by 32,000/10,000 votes respectively… Florida is routinely referred to as the “gunshine” state due to the large contingent of pro-gun voters living there. Harris has a lengthy political (and prosecutorial) career where she peddled an “assault weapons” ban, universal background checks, ERPOs, and a number of other anti-gun positions that are not conducive to a winning platform in Florida… Her gun control platform is equally unpopular in rust belt states… She just doesn’t offer… a decisive pathway to victory in key swing states.
The vast majority of voters have already made up their mind for who they will cast their vote for in November. In states where gun advocacy is staunchest – such as Florida and Ohio – Harris will only hurt Biden. In Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, she likely won’t be of any benefit on the ticket either.
The 2020 election will come down to 1) turnout, and 2) swing voters in swing states. When it comes to turnout – who is really excited to go vote for a Biden/Harris ballot, especially during the coronavirus pandemic? As for swing voters in swing states, what could Harris possibly do to sway the opinions of the small number of voters in swing states still undecided between Trump and Biden?
Given Kamala Harris’s political record, it is far more likely that her presence will ultimately do more harm than good – which may very well be the difference in a potentially tight 2020 presidential election.
Reprinted from The Burning Platform.


lewrockwell--2020-08-13--Chauvin, Lane, Kueng, and Thao: the George Floyd Fall Guys

It is said that , in every large organization , the fecal matter flows downhill .
Anyone who has ever worked in government can attest to the truth of that statement .
But , for dramatic proof of that proposition , take a look at this picture .
This is an illustration from the Minneapolis Police Department ’ s official training materials on how to safely and properly subdue a suspect suffering from “ excited delirium , ” a potentially lethal medical condition which , due to the rising use and abuse of illicit drugs , has grown to epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Courageous Police ... Chaix , JC Best Price : $ 35.81 Buy New $ 18.99 Look closely .
The depicted suspect is flat on the ground with his head turned to the side in what the illustration calls “ the recovery position to alleviate positional asphyxia.
” The officer on the left is kneeling on the side of the suspect ’ s neck .
Could this and related parts of the officially approved and mandated Minneapolis Police Department ( MPD ) training curriculum be why former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd ’ s neck ?
And could it be the reason why former officers Thomas Lane , J. Alexander Kueng , and Tou Thao assisted Chauvin as he knelt on the side of Floyd ’ s neck ?
Fentanyl , Inc. : How Ro ... Westhoff , Ben Buy New $ 13.50 As will be explained in detail below , throughout Floyd ’ s confrontation with the police , he was at imminent risk of death from sudden cardiac arrhythmia caused by excited delirium .
So it was that these officers followed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how to properly and safely subdue someone in that life-threatening condition .
In doing so , they were not only keeping Floyd in the prescribed “ recovery position ” to alleviate his risk of asphyxiation , they were also keeping an agitated and delirious Floyd from harming himself as they awaited the arrival of the ambulance that they had twice summoned to provide medical aid to him .
So where are these well-intentioned , well-trained , and dutiful public servants today ?
They are in jail awaiting trial on murder and aiding and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the news media and used by neo-Marxists and opportunistic criminals across the country as a pretext to riot , loot , and burn .
And , while they sit in their cells , not one Minneapolis official , from Mayor Jacob Frey to Police Chief Medaria Arradondo or any member of City Council , has come forward to acknowledge that , in subduing Floyd , these law officers were acting in meticulous accordance with the MPD training and directives designed to reduce the risk of harm to persons suffering excited delirium .

It is said that, in every large organization, the fecal matter flows downhill. Anyone who has ever worked in government can attest to the truth of that statement. But, for dramatic proof of that proposition, take a look at this picture.
This is an illustration from the Minneapolis Police Department’s official training materials on how to safely and properly subdue a suspect suffering from “excited delirium,” a potentially lethal medical condition which, due to the rising use and abuse of illicit drugs, has grown to epidemic proportions on the streets of America. The Courageous Police ... Chaix, JC Best Price: $35.81 Buy New $18.99 (as of 04:27 UTC - Details)
Look closely. The depicted suspect is flat on the ground with his head turned to the side in what the illustration calls “the recovery position to alleviate positional asphyxia.” The officer on the left is kneeling on the side of the suspect’s neck.
Look familiar?
Could this and related parts of the officially approved and mandated Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) training curriculum be why former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin saw fit to kneel on the side of George Floyd’s neck? And could it be the reason why former officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng, and Tou Thao assisted Chauvin as he knelt on the side of Floyd’s neck?
Fentanyl, Inc.: How Ro... Westhoff, Ben Buy New $13.50 (as of 05:32 UTC - Details) As will be explained in detail below, throughout Floyd’s confrontation with the police, he was at imminent risk of death from sudden cardiac arrhythmia caused by excited delirium. So it was that these officers followed the MPD’s official procedures for how to properly and safely subdue someone in that life-threatening condition. In doing so, they were not only keeping Floyd in the prescribed “recovery position” to alleviate his risk of asphyxiation, they were also keeping an agitated and delirious Floyd from harming himself as they awaited the arrival of the ambulance that they had twice summoned to provide medical aid to him.
So where are these well-intentioned, well-trained, and dutiful public servants today? They are in jail awaiting trial on murder and aiding and abetting charges after having been universally condemned in the news media and used by neo-Marxists and opportunistic criminals across the country as a pretext to riot, loot, and burn. And, while they sit in their cells, not one Minneapolis official, from Mayor Jacob Frey to Police Chief Medaria Arradondo or any member of City Council, has come forward to acknowledge that, in subduing Floyd, these law officers were acting in meticulous accordance with the MPD training and directives designed to reduce the risk of harm to persons suffering excited delirium.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-08-13--The Biggest Threats to Your Personal and Financial Freedom Today

International Man : The world has become increasingly unfree .
Recently , the global pandemic has justified all kinds of draconian measures by governments .
How do you see this trend evolving ?
Doug Casey : It ’ s clearly a worldwide trend .
The only exceptions are obscure places like North Macedonia , Belarus , and Nicaragua—and they have plenty of other , much more serious problems—and of course , Sweden , which is almost unique among advanced countries in not falling victim to the mass hysteria .
Life there has gone on more-or-less normally since March as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the national governments , which are bad enough .
States , provinces , cities , and counties have taken advantage of the hysteria to “ do something ” and lock down .
For example , New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is putting armed guards around main entrances to New York to keep people out .
Speculator ( High Groun ... Hunt , John Best Price : $ 6.35 Buy New $ 18.00 Numerous cities around the world , like Melbourne , Australia , have actually turned themselves into police states .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control .
The average person thinks we ’ re living in a Steven King novel .
If it were just a matter of politics , people would be more apt to resist because people recognize the arbitrariness of political opinions .
Interestingly , the hysteria also breaks along political lines .
Conservatives tend to view it as overblown or even a scam .
Liberals tend to see it as a crime if you aren ’ t masked up and locked down .
The virus is a psychological litmus test .
Power mongers are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take charge in the name of science .
They ’ re saying that you don ’ t have a choice because you are affecting the health of others , not just yourself .
Minor bureaucrats like Fauci and second string politicians like de Blasio have jumped on it , fanning the flames of a panic .
It ’ s made them into “ big men.
” Like the global warming scare , the COVID hysteria is corrupting the idea of science and the credibility of scientific methodology in the eyes of the average @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between those who want the State to “ do something ” about global warming , and “ do something ” about the virus is extremely high .
It ’ s actually quite insane .
COVID as a disease is only serious if you ’ re elderly or obese or have other serious conditions , which is why the average age of a COVID victim is about 80 .
The Global Economic Re ... Calvo , Fabian Best Price : $ 2.99 Buy New $ 14.94 In fact , the deaths from COVID are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than they are from a bad annual flu , especially accounting for the fact that many deaths from things like motor accidents are often counted as COVID if the victim also had COVID .
Like most things that become politicized , it ’ s hard to believe anything .
The statistics are completely unreliable .
What we ’ re dealing with is mass hysteria , similar to what happened in Salem in the late 17th century .
The matter should be just between you and your doctor .
This is how the vastly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1960s and the late 1950s were dealt with .
In the big scheme of things , they were non-events , as COVID should be .
This time is different .
Your doctor doesn ’ t count .
It ’ s the doctor with political connections , that counts .
How do I see this trend evolving ?
Toward more centralized power , of course .
The trend has been in motion for over 100 years , starting with World War I.
It ’ s been in motion for a long time , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trends in motion tend to stay in motion until they reach a crisis point .
The powers that be have discovered that a medical emergency is almost as effective as an actual war to get people used to doing as they ’ re told .
It ’ s quite amazing how anxious the average American is to act like a whipped dog , roll over on his back , and wet himself .
Those who don ’ t wear their masks—which serve little or no medical purpose ; they ’ re basically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s gotten quite out of hand .
The woke SJWs are in charge .
Drug Lord ( High Ground ... Doug Casey , John Hunt Best Price : $ 16.00 Buy New $ 18.08 International Man : Let ’ s talk about one of the biggest threats to financial freedom—the Federal Reserve and every other central bank .
The currency printed by these institutions isn ’ t real money .
That is to say , it wasn ’ t a result of a market process of people voluntarily coming to the conclusion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Government decrees , laws , and regulations made central bank currency money .
How can individuals protect themselves from this enormous swindle ?
Doug Casey : It ’ s not just the US government .
Every central bank in the world is printing up currency units not just by the billions , but by the trillions .
What you have to do is figure out where that money is going to go , and try to get there first .
In this environment , rational investing is becoming increasingly impossible .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It has become foolish to have a long-term horizon , and to make other than hit-and-run-style investments .
You ’ re forced to be a speculator .
I would point out that in a normal free market society , speculators would be chronically unemployed .
Why ?
Speculating , more than anything else , is capitalizing on politically caused distortions in the market .
There would be very few in a true free market .
But now , as powerful as governments are , distortions and politically caused misallocations of capital are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money being thrown at the markets , you ’ re forced to speculate .
It ’ s too bad because speculation is not productive in itself ; it ’ s a zero sum game .
It ’ s very different from investing , which is allocating capital to create more wealth through innovation and production .
Gods of Money : Wall St ... Engdahl , F. William Best Price : $ 8.98 Buy New $ 29.95 However , we don ’ t make the rules .
That , unfortunately , is something our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re just playing the game .
If you don ’ t want to get hurt , it ’ s important to learn to play the game successfully .
That means orienting your mindset to that of a speculator .
Most people will confuse speculating with gambling , however , and they ’ ll wind up losing everything .
They ’ ll wind up much worse off by treating the stock market like a casino .
The simplest thing you can do at this point—other than watching where the money is going and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and silver and setting them aside .
At a minimum , that will preserve your capital .
Unfortunately , neither metal is no longer a giveaway bargain .
On the other hand , the trend is clearly in motion , and it ’ s accelerating .
They ’ re going much higher .
Gold would have to go to about $ 3000 to equal—in real terms—it ’ s peak of $ 800 back in 1980 .
And the situation is vastly more precarious now than it was then .
I expect the current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Right now , the best speculations are mining companies .
They have done extremely well , but relative to the gains in the underlying metals , they ’ re lagging .
That ’ s true because none of the big fund managers own gold stocks .
Why not ?
They don ’ t understand gold .
They think that it ’ s a pet rock .
But at some point , soon , they ’ re going to pile into these mining stocks .
They ’ re now hugely profitable and becoming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are relatively small-cap companies in today ’ s world .
Most miners are not just small-cap , and they ’ re not even micro caps .
They ’ re nano caps .
The market caps of every gold producer in the world adds up to around $ 200 billion .
That ’ s only a bit more than the cash that Apple alone has in its treasury .
These things could be more explosive than they have ever been in the past .
To use a phrase , I coined to describe past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to be like trying to funnel the contents of Hoover Dam through a garden hose .
The Coming of Neo-Feud ... Kotkin , Joel Best Price : $ 30.51 Buy New $ 19.54 It ’ s really a pity that the average American is being swindled by the Fed , and the government in DC , and a pity that almost nobody owns gold or silver physically , and many fewer own mining stocks .
But let ’ s try to take advantage of the unfortunate reality .
International Man : In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West , most people are willingly handing over their dwindling freedoms for the promise of safety or security .
Is there any hope that something will reverse this trend ?
Doug Casey : Again , trends in motion tend to stay in motion .
Until they stop .
But what generally stops them ?
Something big .
Usually , a crisis or a collapse .
Here ’ s an example .
You would have thought that the trends in Venezuela and Zimbabwe would have stopped years ago .
You ’ d think those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting and say , “ Wait a minute , we ’ re going down the wrong path.
” But that ’ s not the case .
Neither Venezuela nor Zimbabwe is going to turn around until there ’ s a complete and utter collapse followed by serious violence .
That ’ s the case almost everywhere—trends in motion stay in motion until they reach a crisis .
I don ’ t think you can reverse the trend with half measures , like voting .
Why don ’ t I think you can reverse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ... Haynes , Bill Buy New $ 28.00 It ’ s because , over the last roughly three generations , almost everybody has gone to college .
Meanwhile , colleges have been transformed from places where you received an education , something useful , to institutions of mass indoctrination .
The tenets of cultural Marxism , socialism , and statism have filtered down to high schools and even grade schools .
When people are at a crucial time in their life , late teens and early twenties , and they ’ re taught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them to unlearn it .
It ’ s very much like when I started playing polo .
I thought I knew how to ride a horse because I could stay on when it went faster than a walk .
As a result , I picked up all kinds of bad habits and cost myself years , having to unlearn bad habits .
Whereas , if I just learned the proper way to do things to start with , I would have been far ahead in the game .
That ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high schools , and even grade schools , today .
They ’ re hit with instruction that ’ s often not just wrong , but the opposite of the truth .
It ’ s very hard for them to unlearn it .
As Will Rogers liked to say , the problem isn ’ t even what people don ’ t know .
It ’ s what they think they know that just ain ’ t so .
It ’ s reinforced by ads that corporations put on television , and the huge amounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You ’ d think they ’ d be interested in defending capitalism—but that ’ s incorrect .
Lenin was correct when he commented that the capitalists were so stupid that they ’ d sell him the rope he ’ d use to hang them .
That ’ s on top of Hollywood , the propaganda coming out of thousands of NGOs , and mostly everything that politicians say .
I don ’ t think the trend is going to turn around .
In fact , it ’ s accelerating , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we reach a nasty crisis .
The Best of Doug Casey

International Man: The world has become increasingly unfree. Recently, the global pandemic has justified all kinds of draconian measures by governments.
How do you see this trend evolving?
Doug Casey: It’s clearly a worldwide trend. The only exceptions are obscure places like North Macedonia, Belarus, and Nicaragua—and they have plenty of other, much more serious problems—and of course, Sweden, which is almost unique among advanced countries in not falling victim to the mass hysteria. Life there has gone on more-or-less normally since March as a result.
It’s not just the national governments, which are bad enough. States, provinces, cities, and counties have taken advantage of the hysteria to “do something” and lock down. For example, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is putting armed guards around main entrances to New York to keep people out. Speculator (High Groun... Hunt, John Best Price: $6.35 Buy New $18.00 (as of 10:10 UTC - Details)
Numerous cities around the world, like Melbourne, Australia, have actually turned themselves into police states. This virus scare has gotten quite out of control. The average person thinks we’re living in a Steven King novel.
If it were just a matter of politics, people would be more apt to resist because people recognize the arbitrariness of political opinions. Interestingly, the hysteria also breaks along political lines. Conservatives tend to view it as overblown or even a scam. Liberals tend to see it as a crime if you aren’t masked up and locked down. The virus is a psychological litmus test.
Power mongers are using biology and medicine as excuses to take charge in the name of science. They’re saying that you don’t have a choice because you are affecting the health of others, not just yourself. Minor bureaucrats like Fauci and second string politicians like de Blasio have jumped on it, fanning the flames of a panic. It’s made them into “big men.”
Like the global warming scare, the COVID hysteria is corrupting the idea of science and the credibility of scientific methodology in the eyes of the average man. And incidentally, the overlap between those who want the State to “do something” about global warming, and “do something” about the virus is extremely high.
It’s actually quite insane. COVID as a disease is only serious if you’re elderly or obese or have other serious conditions, which is why the average age of a COVID victim is about 80. The Global Economic Re... Calvo, Fabian Best Price: $2.99 Buy New $14.94 (as of 05:40 UTC - Details)
In fact, the deaths from COVID are probably not going to be much greater than they are from a bad annual flu, especially accounting for the fact that many deaths from things like motor accidents are often counted as COVID if the victim also had COVID. Like most things that become politicized, it’s hard to believe anything. The statistics are completely unreliable. What we’re dealing with is mass hysteria, similar to what happened in Salem in the late 17th century.
The matter should be just between you and your doctor. This is how the vastly more serious flu epidemics of the late 1960s and the late 1950s were dealt with. In the big scheme of things, they were non-events, as COVID should be.
This time is different. Your doctor doesn’t count. It’s the doctor with political connections, that counts.
How do I see this trend evolving?
Toward more centralized power, of course. The trend has been in motion for over 100 years, starting with World War I. It’s been in motion for a long time, and it’s accelerating at this point. Trends in motion tend to stay in motion until they reach a crisis point.
The powers that be have discovered that a medical emergency is almost as effective as an actual war to get people used to doing as they’re told. It’s quite amazing how anxious the average American is to act like a whipped dog, roll over on his back, and wet himself. Those who don’t wear their masks—which serve little or no medical purpose; they’re basically virtue-signaling devices—are bullied and shamed. It’s gotten quite out of hand. The woke SJWs are in charge. Drug Lord (High Ground... Doug Casey, John Hunt Best Price: $16.00 Buy New $18.08 (as of 05:55 UTC - Details)
International Man: Let’s talk about one of the biggest threats to financial freedom—the Federal Reserve and every other central bank.
The currency printed by these institutions isn’t real money. That is to say, it wasn’t a result of a market process of people voluntarily coming to the conclusion to use a specific good as money. Government decrees, laws, and regulations made central bank currency money.
How can individuals protect themselves from this enormous swindle?
Doug Casey: It’s not just the US government. Every central bank in the world is printing up currency units not just by the billions, but by the trillions.
What you have to do is figure out where that money is going to go, and try to get there first. In this environment, rational investing is becoming increasingly impossible. The economy and society will become more chaotic. It has become foolish to have a long-term horizon, and to make other than hit-and-run-style investments. You’re forced to be a speculator.
I would point out that in a normal free market society, speculators would be chronically unemployed. Why? Speculating, more than anything else, is capitalizing on politically caused distortions in the market. There would be very few in a true free market.
But now, as powerful as governments are, distortions and politically caused misallocations of capital are everywhere. With regulations and tons of money being thrown at the markets, you’re forced to speculate. It’s too bad because speculation is not productive in itself; it’s a zero sum game. It’s very different from investing, which is allocating capital to create more wealth through innovation and production. Gods of Money: Wall St... Engdahl, F. William Best Price: $8.98 Buy New $29.95 (as of 03:42 UTC - Details)
However, we don’t make the rules. That, unfortunately, is something our betters have arrogated to themselves. We’re just playing the game. If you don’t want to get hurt, it’s important to learn to play the game successfully.
That means orienting your mindset to that of a speculator. Most people will confuse speculating with gambling, however, and they’ll wind up losing everything. They’ll wind up much worse off by treating the stock market like a casino.
The simplest thing you can do at this point—other than watching where the money is going and getting there first—is continuing to buy gold and silver and setting them aside. At a minimum, that will preserve your capital.
Unfortunately, neither metal is no longer a giveaway bargain. On the other hand, the trend is clearly in motion, and it’s accelerating. They’re going much higher. Gold would have to go to about $3000 to equal—in real terms—it’s peak of $800 back in 1980. And the situation is vastly more precarious now than it was then. I expect the current bull market to take it much higher.
Right now, the best speculations are mining companies. They have done extremely well, but relative to the gains in the underlying metals, they’re lagging.
That’s true because none of the big fund managers own gold stocks. Why not? They don’t understand gold. They think that it’s a pet rock.
But at some point, soon, they’re going to pile into these mining stocks. They’re now hugely profitable and becoming more so. Even the biggest ones are relatively small-cap companies in today’s world. Most miners are not just small-cap, and they’re not even micro caps. They’re nano caps. The market caps of every gold producer in the world adds up to around $200 billion. That’s only a bit more than the cash that Apple alone has in its treasury.
These things could be more explosive than they have ever been in the past. To use a phrase, I coined to describe past gold-stock bull markets: It’s going to be like trying to funnel the contents of Hoover Dam through a garden hose. The Coming of Neo-Feud... Kotkin, Joel Best Price: $30.51 Buy New $19.54 (as of 04:06 UTC - Details)
It’s really a pity that the average American is being swindled by the Fed, and the government in DC, and a pity that almost nobody owns gold or silver physically, and many fewer own mining stocks. But let’s try to take advantage of the unfortunate reality.
International Man: In the US, and much of the West, most people are willingly handing over their dwindling freedoms for the promise of safety or security.
Is there any hope that something will reverse this trend?
Doug Casey: Again, trends in motion tend to stay in motion. Until they stop.
But what generally stops them? Something big. Usually, a crisis or a collapse.
Here’s an example. You would have thought that the trends in Venezuela and Zimbabwe would have stopped years ago. You’d think those people could see how bad things were getting and say, “Wait a minute, we’re going down the wrong path.” But that’s not the case.
Neither Venezuela nor Zimbabwe is going to turn around until there’s a complete and utter collapse followed by serious violence. That’s the case almost everywhere—trends in motion stay in motion until they reach a crisis. I don’t think you can reverse the trend with half measures, like voting.
Why don’t I think you can reverse the trend?
The Last Gold Rushu202... Haynes, Bill Buy New $28.00 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details) It’s because, over the last roughly three generations, almost everybody has gone to college. Meanwhile, colleges have been transformed from places where you received an education, something useful, to institutions of mass indoctrination. The tenets of cultural Marxism, socialism, and statism have filtered down to high schools and even grade schools.
When people are at a crucial time in their life, late teens and early twenties, and they’re taught something. It’s very hard for them to unlearn it. It’s very much like when I started playing polo. I thought I knew how to ride a horse because I could stay on when it went faster than a walk.
As a result, I picked up all kinds of bad habits and cost myself years, having to unlearn bad habits. Whereas, if I just learned the proper way to do things to start with, I would have been far ahead in the game.
That’s the problem with kids going to college and high schools, and even grade schools, today. They’re hit with instruction that’s often not just wrong, but the opposite of the truth. It’s very hard for them to unlearn it.
As Will Rogers liked to say, the problem isn’t even what people don’t know. It’s what they think they know that just ain’t so.
It’s reinforced by ads that corporations put on television, and the huge amounts of money they give to left-wing organizations. You’d think they’d be interested in defending capitalism—but that’s incorrect. Lenin was correct when he commented that the capitalists were so stupid that they’d sell him the rope he’d use to hang them.
That’s on top of Hollywood, the propaganda coming out of thousands of NGOs, and mostly everything that politicians say.
I don’t think the trend is going to turn around. In fact, it’s accelerating, and it’s going to continue accelerating until we reach a nasty crisis.
Reprinted with permission from International Man.
The Best of Doug Casey