lewrockwell--2020-08-14--How To Invoke a Face Mask Exemption at the Doctor or Dentist

Thank you for the excellent article about not wearing the mask at the grocery store .
Bravo !
Neither have I , and each time we do so , we create just a little more precedent to exercise our God given Liberty .
I am scheduled to have a dental treatment shortly .
Any advice you can offer how not to comply with the mask mandate ?
It would be most appreciated .
I don ’ t intend to wear a mask under any circumstances , but neither do I wish to endanger my dentist ’ s license to practice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kent Buy New $ 12.99 No one wants to cause their dentist to lose their license , and those with a legitimate face mask exemption don ’ t want to put themselves at risk by wearing that mask .
Your dentist ’ s office has a face mask policy .
As with any other face mask policy , you can just learn about the policy and exemptions and see if it fits you .
In the same way that you need never wear a mask to the grocery store to other stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anywhere else in life , there ’ s no reason to wear a mask to the dentist or doctor when you have a legitimate exemption to their rule .
These are steps I would recommend for your dentist ’ s office or doctor ’ s office .
Over the phone or by email you can simply write “ I am scheduled to come into your office and was wondering about the exemptions to your face mask policy.
” Email and phone both have advantages .
If you are worried about not being ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , then email may be the way to go since it will give you a little extra time to think over your response and to say what you need to .
2 . )
See If You Fit Their Policy Take a look at the response .
Honest human interaction is based on the idea of identifying your boundaries , communicating your boundaries , and defending your boundaries .
You have now started a conversation in which you are able to communicate your boundaries and in which your dentist and his staff are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a good first step in the right direction .
Ideally they will send you a written policy , to which you can respond “ I am unable to wear a face mask safely.
” A written policy sent to you is best because then you can clearly see where you fit into their policy and whether your exemption counts .
It puts all patients on the same footing in terms of granting exemptions .
It might also allow for exceptions to the policy to be requested .
When Panic Attacks : Th ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : $ 3.56 Buy New $ 10.45 However , like any other small business , a dentist or doctor is often likely to have more busy work than time to handle everything .
It takes some doing to put together a written policy , so they might not have any policy to send you .
They might just write “ Do you have a medical condition that stops you from wearing a face mask ?
” You could respond to their email with “ I am unable to wear a face mask safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for me to come in ?
” In a medical or dental setting they are used to all kinds of personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , so they might say that it ’ s fine to not wear a face mask , but that you must wear some other type of PPE , such as a face shield .
To this , introduction of a new form of PPE , you can now start the whole process over again .
You may be one of the many millions who can not safely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the example of a face shield , you can again respond “ In your policy , what are your face shield exemptions ?
” After they send you the exemptions , you can have a look to see if you fit the exemptions , and state “ I am unable to wear a face shield safely .
Can you make the proper arrangements for me to come in ?
” Whatever type of exotic PPE that is suggested to you , I recommend the same process : “ What are the exemptions in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by “ I am unable to wear it safely , ” provided that applies to you .
It applies to many millions .
Though it may be appealing to leap at the fact that a face shield worn on its own is not efficacious , and to ridicule the person and their suggestion , I encourage you to leave that topic alone .
The more a person suggests various alternate PPE for you to wear , rather than just dropping the whole subject and honoring your requested exemption , the more it becomes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , optics , and control rather than science , health , and safety .
Repeated suggestions like that speak volumes and call into question whether this is really someone who you want making decisions with you about your health .
Badass Ways to End Anx ... Verschaeve , Geert Best Price : $ 9.16 Buy New $ 11.99 4 . )
Confirm That When You Come In , The Exemption Will Be Honored Congratulations .
You are one step closer to being a little bit more generous with yourself by not forcing yourself @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential activity .
Don ’ t hurry off the phone yet .
Before you get off the phone , just confirm how you should enter the office the day of the appointment so that no one is surprised .
You ’ re going to want to get some instruction and a name to drop .
“ On the day of the appointment , who will be there and what should I say to them about this conversation ?
” Your correspondent will almost certainly say that they have already marked the file and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ name in the appointment software and that you can just say you spoke to “ Julie , ” or whatever the name of the person on the phone is .
A trillion dollar media machine has been steadily at work for months , attempting to get consumers of information to automatically associate the un-masked individual with mistrust and a host of other negative sentiments .
If there is any conflict the day of your appointment , being able to recall and speak Julie ’ s name will go a long way in simplifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stranger deserves the trust of hearing about your personal concerns , including the person you don ’ t know guarding the door at the grocery store .
He has absolutely no business hearing anything more than “ I am unable to wear a face mask safely.
” Even that is none of his business , but that ’ s the world we temporarily live in , and I am writing about how to continue life with some normalcy in that world .
There is no reason for the question “ Why ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The New Way to E ... McDonagh , Barry Best Price : $ 14.95 Buy New $ 17.05 It is a harder situation , though , when the person you ’ ve known for decades and who has been a trusted source for medical advice is involved .
If you really trust your doctor , and believe he is entirely scientific in his thought process and immune from the emotion and politics that has come to pervade nearly everything today , he is the one person you should consider listening to about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that exist .
“ I Would Rather Speak To The Doctor About This ” If a member of the dentist ’ s or doctor ’ s staff pushes you about details of your requested exemption , you may say “ It is private , if I need to discuss it over the phone , I ’ d rather speak to the doctor about this.
” Your Dentist Needs To Know Your Medical Concerns Your dentist is going to have every right to know if you have a heart condition or lung condition that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are in his chair .
He can hardly do his job right without knowing that .
You put yourself at risk hiding such details from a dentist .
Though there are many medical conditions that prevent a person from wearing a face mask , other non-medical conditions should be kept in mind as well , since so many people suffer from them , and they are so very debilitating .
Those who suffer from anxiety , panic attacks , and claustrophobia are beginning to speak up about their needs to live un-masked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that 4.7 % of U.S. adults , or 15,510,000 , will experience a panic disorder at some time in their lives .
An estimated 2.7 % of US adults experienced a panic disorder over the last year , or 8,910,000 .
That ’ s a lot of people for a one-size-fits-all face mask mandate .
It doesn ’ t begin to take into account the panic attacks suffered by those with social anxiety disorder , depression , post-traumatic stress disorder , and many other conditions .
Face masks won ’ t trigger all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one aspect of panic disorders is that the trigger is not often evident .
Before everyone is forced into a face mask , a transparent and vigorous public discussion should be had about the grievous harm that causes .
Mandatory masking harms many people in many of ways .
Medical decisions are necessarily individual .
One-size-fits-all approaches does not serve a patient well .
While panic attacks are generally not believed to be physically harmful , they have physical manifestations and can be the scariest physical experience some have ever had .
To @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real .
As the psychosomatic nature of them begins to attract further attention and research , the physical harm of panic attacks is likely to become more clear .
Dentists and doctors are used to prying into a patient ’ s medical history in order to identify potential dangers .
Your dentist or doctor may really push to know more about your history of panic attacks or other conditions .
You can talk about it freely , if you believe that serves you well .
Alternately , you can offer him a statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention the word panic attacks : “ It ’ s not a medical issue .
It ’ s more of a psychological thing that I am currently working through .
If you ’ d be willing to let me leave it at that , I would appreciate it , but the bottom line is , I am unable to safely wear a face mask.
” Or just say the single phrase “ Panic attacks.
” If the dentist or doctor keeps asking questions , you can simply say “ Don ’ t want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Summary , To Protect Against Probing Questions That Might Catch You Off Guard Any probing questions like : “ Who are you seeing ?
” “ Are you getting treatment ?
” “ How long has this been going on for ?
” “ Can I call your therapist and confer with him ?
” can just be answered with “ I ’ d prefer not to talk about it right now.
” Any PPE suggestions can be answered with “ What is your exemption policy ?
” You shouldn ’ t have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What If They Say “ No ” ?
“ Thanks for your email , would you please send me referrals to three other practices.
” That ’ s the only sentence I would send to a dentist who told me “ no.
” Dentists are able to work with all kinds of communicable diseases and to use all forms of protocol to protect themselves from a sick or potentially infectious patient .
They should have no difficulty accommodating your desire to pass from front door to treatment room unmasked .
After you get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make sure you are clear that you are considering becoming a new patient and will be unable to wear a mask .
There are plenty of dentists who will be happy to earn your business by providing you with the experience that you want .
Truthfully , many people look better in masks .
They look more comfortable .
Some even have a level of comfort that showing their face to the world and to their family doesn ’ t provide for them .
That ’ s a truly sad thing to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you might understand the existential threat you pose to them by suggesting people should be un-masked .
If it becomes abnormal to wear a mask , they will need to go back to not wearing a mask .
They wouldn ’ t have the courage to do otherwise .
By you being an individual , you deny them that strength in numbers .
You might understand why they tell so many stories about society ’ s duty to wear masks .
The reality is , too many Americans are harmed by the awful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handed enforcement .
The world is made a better place by making sure those who qualify for an exemption speak up and take that exemption .
“ …We create just a little more precedent to exercise our God given Liberty.
” I have not worn a mask and don ’ t intend to , recognizing the detriment it poses to me .
Send me your stories from the checkpoint and help me put an end to this tyranny .
The Best of Allan Stevo

Dear Stevo,
Thank you for the excellent article about not wearing the mask at the grocery store. Bravo! Neither have I, and each time we do so, we create just a little more precedent to exercise our God given Liberty.
I am scheduled to have a dental treatment shortly. Any advice you can offer how not to comply with the mask mandate? It would be most appreciated. I don’t intend to wear a mask under any circumstances, but neither do I wish to endanger my dentist’s license to practice.
Blessings, and may Liberty increase forever!
-John S.
The Case Against Masks... Heckenlively, Kent Buy New $12.99 (as of 04:52 UTC - Details) No one wants to cause their dentist to lose their license, and those with a legitimate face mask exemption don’t want to put themselves at risk by wearing that mask. Your dentist’s office has a face mask policy. As with any other face mask policy, you can just learn about the policy and exemptions and see if it fits you.
In the same way that you need never wear a mask to the grocery store to other stores and you need never wear a mask anywhere else in life, there’s no reason to wear a mask to the dentist or doctor when you have a legitimate exemption to their rule.
These are steps I would recommend for your dentist’s office or doctor’s office.
1.) Inquire About Exemptions
Over the phone or by email you can simply write “I am scheduled to come into your office and was wondering about the exemptions to your face mask policy.” Email and phone both have advantages. If you are worried about not being ready to answer a question on the spot, then email may be the way to go since it will give you a little extra time to think over your response and to say what you need to.
2.) See If You Fit Their Policy
Take a look at the response. Honest human interaction is based on the idea of identifying your boundaries, communicating your boundaries, and defending your boundaries. You have now started a conversation in which you are able to communicate your boundaries and in which your dentist and his staff are able to communicate theirs. This is a good first step in the right direction.
3.) Request An Exemption
Ideally they will send you a written policy, to which you can respond “I am unable to wear a face mask safely.” A written policy sent to you is best because then you can clearly see where you fit into their policy and whether your exemption counts. It puts all patients on the same footing in terms of granting exemptions. It might also allow for exceptions to the policy to be requested. When Panic Attacks: Th... Burns M.D., David D. Best Price: $3.56 Buy New $10.45 (as of 03:12 UTC - Details)
However, like any other small business, a dentist or doctor is often likely to have more busy work than time to handle everything. It takes some doing to put together a written policy, so they might not have any policy to send you. They might just write “Do you have a medical condition that stops you from wearing a face mask?”
You could respond to their email with “I am unable to wear a face mask safely. Can you make the proper arrangements for me to come in?”
In a medical or dental setting they are used to all kinds of personal protective equipment (PPE), so they might say that it’s fine to not wear a face mask, but that you must wear some other type of PPE, such as a face shield.
To this, introduction of a new form of PPE, you can now start the whole process over again. You may be one of the many millions who cannot safely wear a face shield either. In the example of a face shield, you can again respond “In your policy, what are your face shield exemptions?”
After they send you the exemptions, you can have a look to see if you fit the exemptions, and state “I am unable to wear a face shield safely. Can you make the proper arrangements for me to come in?”
Whatever type of exotic PPE that is suggested to you, I recommend the same process: “What are the exemptions in your policy around that?” followed by “I am unable to wear it safely,” provided that applies to you. It applies to many millions.
Though it may be appealing to leap at the fact that a face shield worn on its own is not efficacious, and to ridicule the person and their suggestion, I encourage you to leave that topic alone. The more a person suggests various alternate PPE for you to wear, rather than just dropping the whole subject and honoring your requested exemption, the more it becomes clear that it’s about emotion, optics, and control rather than science, health, and safety. Repeated suggestions like that speak volumes and call into question whether this is really someone who you want making decisions with you about your health. Badass Ways to End Anx... Verschaeve, Geert Best Price: $9.16 Buy New $11.99 (as of 03:12 UTC - Details)
4.) Confirm That When You Come In, The Exemption Will Be Honored
Congratulations. You are one step closer to being a little bit more generous with yourself by not forcing yourself into detrimental situations and by not avoiding essential activity.
Don’t hurry off the phone yet.
Before you get off the phone, just confirm how you should enter the office the day of the appointment so that no one is surprised. You’re going to want to get some instruction and a name to drop.
“On the day of the appointment, who will be there and what should I say to them about this conversation?”
Your correspondent will almost certainly say that they have already marked the file and have put a note next to your name in the appointment software and that you can just say you spoke to “Julie,” or whatever the name of the person on the phone is.
A trillion dollar media machine has been steadily at work for months, attempting to get consumers of information to automatically associate the un-masked individual with mistrust and a host of other negative sentiments. If there is any conflict the day of your appointment, being able to recall and speak Julie’s name will go a long way in simplifying the encounter and building trust.
Privacy Concerns & Strangers
No stranger deserves the trust of hearing about your personal concerns, including the person you don’t know guarding the door at the grocery store. He has absolutely no business hearing anything more than “I am unable to wear a face mask safely.” Even that is none of his business, but that’s the world we temporarily live in, and I am writing about how to continue life with some normalcy in that world. There is no reason for the question “Why?” to be asked or answered. Dare: The New Way to E... McDonagh, Barry Best Price: $14.95 Buy New $17.05 (as of 03:12 UTC - Details)
It is a harder situation, though, when the person you’ve known for decades and who has been a trusted source for medical advice is involved. If you really trust your doctor, and believe he is entirely scientific in his thought process and immune from the emotion and politics that has come to pervade nearly everything today, he is the one person you should consider listening to about face masks. So few doctors like that exist.
“I Would Rather Speak To The Doctor About This”
If a member of the dentist’s or doctor’s staff pushes you about details of your requested exemption, you may say “It is private, if I need to discuss it over the phone, I’d rather speak to the doctor about this.”
Your Dentist Needs To Know Your Medical Concerns
Your dentist is going to have every right to know if you have a heart condition or lung condition that is going to need attention while you are in his chair. He can hardly do his job right without knowing that. You put yourself at risk hiding such details from a dentist.
Though there are many medical conditions that prevent a person from wearing a face mask, other non-medical conditions should be kept in mind as well, since so many people suffer from them, and they are so very debilitating.
The Crippling Effects Of Panic Attacks
Those who suffer from anxiety, panic attacks, and claustrophobia are beginning to speak up about their needs to live un-masked. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 4.7% of U.S. adults, or 15,510,000, will experience a panic disorder at some time in their lives. An estimated 2.7% of US adults experienced a panic disorder over the last year, or 8,910,000.
That’s a lot of people for a one-size-fits-all face mask mandate. It doesn’t begin to take into account the panic attacks suffered by those with social anxiety disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and many other conditions.
Face masks won’t trigger all of those people. In fact, one aspect of panic disorders is that the trigger is not often evident. Before everyone is forced into a face mask, a transparent and vigorous public discussion should be had about the grievous harm that causes. Mandatory masking harms many people in many of ways. Medical decisions are necessarily individual. One-size-fits-all approaches does not serve a patient well.
While panic attacks are generally not believed to be physically harmful, they have physical manifestations and can be the scariest physical experience some have ever had. To those experience them, they feel very real. As the psychosomatic nature of them begins to attract further attention and research, the physical harm of panic attacks is likely to become more clear.
Maintaining Some Privacy Around Panic Attacks
Dentists and doctors are used to prying into a patient’s medical history in order to identify potential dangers. Your dentist or doctor may really push to know more about your history of panic attacks or other conditions. You can talk about it freely, if you believe that serves you well. Alternately, you can offer him a statement like this that doesn’t even mention the word panic attacks:
“It’s not a medical issue. It’s more of a psychological thing that I am currently working through. If you’d be willing to let me leave it at that, I would appreciate it, but the bottom line is, I am unable to safely wear a face mask.”
Or just say the single phrase “Panic attacks.” If the dentist or doctor keeps asking questions, you can simply say “Don’t want to talk about it.”
A Quick Summary, To Protect Against Probing Questions That Might Catch You Off Guard
Any probing questions like: “Who are you seeing?” “Are you getting treatment?” “How long has this been going on for?” “Can I call your therapist and confer with him?” can just be answered with “I’d prefer not to talk about it right now.” Any PPE suggestions can be answered with “What is your exemption policy?” You shouldn’t have too much more to worry about.
What If They Say “No”?
“Thanks for your email, would you please send me referrals to three other practices.” That’s the only sentence I would send to a dentist who told me “no.”
Dentists are able to work with all kinds of communicable diseases and to use all forms of protocol to protect themselves from a sick or potentially infectious patient. They should have no difficulty accommodating your desire to pass from front door to treatment room unmasked.
After you get your referrals, call those dentists and make sure you are clear that you are considering becoming a new patient and will be unable to wear a mask. There are plenty of dentists who will be happy to earn your business by providing you with the experience that you want.
Please Don’t Wear A Mask
Truthfully, many people look better in masks. They look more comfortable. Some even have a level of comfort that showing their face to the world and to their family doesn’t provide for them. That’s a truly sad thing to be able to say.
Considering that, you might understand the existential threat you pose to them by suggesting people should be un-masked. If it becomes abnormal to wear a mask, they will need to go back to not wearing a mask. They wouldn’t have the courage to do otherwise. By you being an individual, you deny them that strength in numbers. You might understand why they tell so many stories about society’s duty to wear masks.
The reality is, too many Americans are harmed by the awful, one-size-fits-all mask approach and its heavy handed enforcement.
The world is made a better place by making sure those who qualify for an exemption speak up and take that exemption. “…We create just a little more precedent to exercise our God given Liberty.”
I have not worn a mask and don’t intend to, recognizing the detriment it poses to me.
Who’s with me?
Send me your stories from the checkpoint and help me put an end to this tyranny.
The Best of Allan Stevo


lewrockwell--2020-08-14--Would the Military Side With Leftist Tyranny or With America?

The Democrats are wargaming how to steal the 2020 election , and after Grandpa Badfinger selected Lady Mac ( Willie ) Brown , their last best hope seems to be the military marching in and removing Donald Trump from the White House after he wins and they refuse to accept the election results .
But will the military actually do the bidding of the coterie of Marxist Muppet masters with their fingers , ironically , up inside Joe Biden like he is a crusty , senile Kermit ?
Which he is , except the real Mr. Miss Piggy isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Frog .
And don ’ t even get me started on his veep , Botoxic K. United States of Socia ... D'Souza , Dinesh Buy New $ 25.93 Between the perma-coup against the American people , the mainstream media ’ s myriad and shameless lies , and the Democrats ’ election fraud agenda ( including the Golden Ticket to anarchy that is mail-in voting ) , it is absolutely clear that the Democrats will not accept Donald Trump ’ s impending victory .
It is also clear that their plan is to sow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot box-stuffing , riots , and endless counts and recounts , so that they can obscure Trump ’ s win enough to create a patina of fake doubt about the result .
Then they will rush into some Hawaiian courtroom and get some Hawaiian judge to announce that the Delaware Basement Crustacean won the election .
The idea is to then have a deus ex militaria where somehow the establishment gets reestablished forever at gunpoint .
And the liberal elite is said establishment .
But it ’ s not completely crazy , unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or at least a portion of it , would cooperate in a liberal attempt to seize power .
Here ’ s the troubling truth : the generals will absolutely fall in line with the liberal elite .
“ Wait , ” the reader asks .
“ Aren ’ t generals and majors and stuff conservative ?
” Well , in temperament , yes .
But they are not conservative in terms of American politics .
And for that reason , it is entirely possible , if not likely , that many of them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ establishment if called upon to resolve a disputed election instead of demurring to the politicians to decide the matter themselves .
Wow .
Just writing that is scary .
But these are scary times , and we are blessed with what Instapundit Glenn Reynolds tells Americans is “ the worst ruling class in your history.
” The generals are absolutely a part of that failed caste .
The generals – a term I ’ ll use to describe the majority of senior active duty officers ( Colonel/Captain O6 and up ; note that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , being civilians most of the time ) – are creatures of the establishment .
Yes , it is absolutely true that many of them showed great courage in battle against foreign enemies and made great personal sacrifices .
It is also true that in the culture war they have been entirely AWOL .
They are terrified of crossing the establishment by doubting its preferred mores , and that is why they accept every bizarre modern SJW trope regardless of its effect on combat readiness .
They will charge a jihadi with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of an irate Kirsten Gillibrand .
It ’ s weird , but it ’ s true .
Leftist Tears Tumbler ... Buy New $ 19.99 Here , Trump and his populist movement are agents of rapid and disruptive change .
The military , in which these generals grew up and which gives them their identities , is the least disruptive institution in American society .
The lengthy and laudable tradition of civilian authority over the military , as well as the hierarchical nature of the military itself , makes it instinctively against rapid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have moved left , they maintain a headlock on the institutions , and the institutions are what the generals are loyal to even if the leaders of those institutions have morphed into rabidly anti-American aspiring dictators .
To embrace Trump and populism is to repudiate the whole establishment hothouse that grew their power and prestige .
They would be opposing themselves .
Look at CNN and see the endless parade of fully semi-automatic Obama generals babbling like idiots about how Trump is ruining their sweet gigs , though they don ’ t put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the appalling Chairman of the Joint Chiefs apologizing for following the elected president ’ s lead .
And , especially , look at their horror that America is ending those endless wars .
Those are the generals , and they have the elite ’ s back , not yours .
A general who said “ all lives matter ” or refused to buy the ridiculous but fashionable notion that America ’ s greatest strategic threat is the weather a century hence or uttered some other heresy would not be a general much longer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a sweet post-retirement gig at Boeing .
But most Americans don ’ t see that .
Because America remembers the military of 30 years ago that could actually win a war in a reasonable period of time ( as we did in Desert Storm ) , today ’ s generals benefit from residual respect for yesterday ’ s Cold War military .
Americans are unaware of the devastated culture cultivated by our military senior leadership .
Here ’ s the ruinous legacy of today ’ s generals : Afghanistan is a disaster and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ catching fire due to gross failures of leadership , boats of sailors on tape whimpering as they surrender to the Iranian Navy , senior officers leaking to the media , colonels , generals and admirals getting court-martialed , massive prosecutorial misconduct by JAGs , woke West Point ( which recently graduated an open communist ) , and troops kneeling before rioters .
It ’ s a military that puts Diversity Day before D-Day .
War Is a Force that Gi ... Hedges , Chris Best Price : $ 1.25 Buy New $ 4.04 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war with China would make the rot agonizingly apparent – at the cost of thousands of our warriors ’ precious lives .
They ’ ll deny it , of course , and I fervently hope I ’ m wrong .
But I fear I ’ m not , because none of the incentives in today ’ s military are aimed toward achieving combat readiness instead of achieving ideological conformity .
So , count on the active duty generals to fall in line when the New York Times trumpets the Democrats ’ line that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s the voice of the people they really take their orders from .
Good question , but remember that the military is not just the generals .
The military includes the middle-grade and junior officers and non-commissioned officers as well as the enlisted troops .
And while the woke poison has spread into these ranks too , there is a real question about whether those leaders , who are where the tank treads meet the road , would follow an order to make war on American citizens .
That ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but making war is what the military does – it uses fire and maneuver to destroy the enemy , and to the liberal establishment , those of us who refuse to allow the election victory of our candidate to be undone will be the enemy .
Intervention by the military necessarily means America forces killing American patriots .
And no , the New York Times ’ Marxist newsroom will not be exploding in protests over that domestic use of military force ; it will be loudly cheering it .
We know we can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand up for freedom , but I ’ d like to think that a good portion of the troops would refuse to enter civilian politics in favor of the anti-American left .
Yet , I would have also liked to think that we ’ d never see law enforcement officers eagerly obeying the fascist decrees of liberal poohbahs .
The sight of overeager Barney Fifes hassling citizens about piehole thongs made it clear that for some people oaths come behind the giddy joy of power and keeping their pensions .
America : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : $ 7.29 Buy New $ 13.29 So , the question is , what will our troops do ?
Will they make war on the American people so that Basement Biden ’ s puppet masters can turn America into Venezuela 2 : The Quickening ?
Or will they say “ No ” to imposing a leftist dictatorship , which is what the Democrats ’ Revenge Agenda proposes ?
Our troops are loved in large part because they don ’ t take a side in domestic politics ; if they do , and turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senile old puppet and the Truancy Avenger , well , that affection evaporates .
Sadly , we can not rely on the generals to not make the error .
Let ’ s just hope that the danger is mooted because Trump ’ s margin of victory is so great that the Democrats can not cheat .
Reprinted with permission from The Burning Platform .

The Democrats are wargaming how to steal the 2020 election, and after Grandpa Badfinger selected Lady Mac (Willie) Brown, their last best hope seems to be the military marching in and removing Donald Trump from the White House after he wins and they refuse to accept the election results. But will the military actually do the bidding of the coterie of Marxist Muppet masters with their fingers, ironically, up inside Joe Biden like he is a crusty, senile Kermit?
Which he is, except the real Mr. Miss Piggy isn’t a manifestly mentally incompetent socialist Trojan Frog.
And don’t even get me started on his veep, Botoxic K.
United States of Socia... D'Souza, Dinesh Buy New $25.93 (as of 11:38 UTC - Details) Between the perma-coup against the American people, the mainstream media’s myriad and shameless lies, and the Democrats’ election fraud agenda (including the Golden Ticket to anarchy that is mail-in voting), it is absolutely clear that the Democrats will not accept Donald Trump’s impending victory. It is also clear that their plan is to sow chaos when they lose, with outright ballot box-stuffing, riots, and endless counts and recounts, so that they can obscure Trump’s win enough to create a patina of fake doubt about the result. Then they will rush into some Hawaiian courtroom and get some Hawaiian judge to announce that the Delaware Basement Crustacean won the election. The idea is to then have a deus ex militaria where somehow the establishment gets reestablished forever at gunpoint. And the liberal elite is said establishment.
But it’s not completely crazy, unfortunately, to consider whether the military, or at least a portion of it, would cooperate in a liberal attempt to seize power. Here’s the troubling truth: the generals will absolutely fall in line with the liberal elite.
“Wait,” the reader asks. “Aren’t generals and majors and stuff conservative?”
Well, in temperament, yes. But they are not conservative in terms of American politics. And for that reason, it is entirely possible, if not likely, that many of them would take the side of the leftist establishment if called upon to resolve a disputed election instead of demurring to the politicians to decide the matter themselves.
Wow. Just writing that is scary. But these are scary times, and we are blessed with what Instapundit Glenn Reynolds tells Americans is “the worst ruling class in your history.” The generals are absolutely a part of that failed caste.
The generals – a term I’ll use to describe the majority of senior active duty officers (Colonel/Captain O6 and up; note that reserve officers have a slightly different perspective, being civilians most of the time) – are creatures of the establishment. Yes, it is absolutely true that many of them showed great courage in battle against foreign enemies and made great personal sacrifices. It is also true that in the culture war they have been entirely AWOL. They are terrified of crossing the establishment by doubting its preferred mores, and that is why they accept every bizarre modern SJW trope regardless of its effect on combat readiness. They will charge a jihadi with a bayonet and wet themselves in the face of an irate Kirsten Gillibrand. It’s weird, but it’s true. Leftist Tears Tumbler ... Buy New $19.99 (as of 03:13 UTC - Details)
Here, Trump and his populist movement are agents of rapid and disruptive change. The military, in which these generals grew up and which gives them their identities, is the least disruptive institution in American society. The lengthy and laudable tradition of civilian authority over the military, as well as the hierarchical nature of the military itself, makes it instinctively against rapid, disruptive change.
Though the Democrats have moved left, they maintain a headlock on the institutions, and the institutions are what the generals are loyal to even if the leaders of those institutions have morphed into rabidly anti-American aspiring dictators. To embrace Trump and populism is to repudiate the whole establishment hothouse that grew their power and prestige. They would be opposing themselves.
Look at CNN and see the endless parade of fully semi-automatic Obama generals babbling like idiots about how Trump is ruining their sweet gigs, though they don’t put it quite that way. Look at the appalling Chairman of the Joint Chiefs apologizing for following the elected president’s lead. And, especially, look at their horror that America is ending those endless wars.
Those are the generals, and they have the elite’s back, not yours. A general who said “all lives matter” or refused to buy the ridiculous but fashionable notion that America’s greatest strategic threat is the weather a century hence or uttered some other heresy would not be a general much longer – and certainly not cash in on a sweet post-retirement gig at Boeing.
But most Americans don’t see that. Because America remembers the military of 30 years ago that could actually win a war in a reasonable period of time (as we did in Desert Storm), today’s generals benefit from residual respect for yesterday’s Cold War military. Americans are unaware of the devastated culture cultivated by our military senior leadership. Here’s the ruinous legacy of today’s generals: Afghanistan is a disaster and still not won, ships colliding and catching fire due to gross failures of leadership, boats of sailors on tape whimpering as they surrender to the Iranian Navy, senior officers leaking to the media, colonels, generals and admirals getting court-martialed, massive prosecutorial misconduct by JAGs, woke West Point (which recently graduated an open communist), and troops kneeling before rioters. It’s a military that puts Diversity Day before D-Day.
War Is a Force that Gi... Hedges, Chris Best Price: $1.25 Buy New $4.04 (as of 01:05 UTC - Details) Unfortunately, the first 24 hours of war with China would make the rot agonizingly apparent – at the cost of thousands of our warriors’ precious lives. They’ll deny it, of course, and I fervently hope I’m wrong. But I fear I’m not, because none of the incentives in today’s military are aimed toward achieving combat readiness instead of achieving ideological conformity.
So, count on the active duty generals to fall in line when the New York Times trumpets the Democrats’ line that Trump’s victory is illegitimate. That’s the voice of the people they really take their orders from.
Then what?
Good question, but remember that the military is not just the generals. The military includes the middle-grade and junior officers and non-commissioned officers as well as the enlisted troops. And while the woke poison has spread into these ranks too, there is a real question about whether those leaders, who are where the tank treads meet the road, would follow an order to make war on American citizens.
That’s a harsh way of putting it, but making war is what the military does – it uses fire and maneuver to destroy the enemy, and to the liberal establishment, those of us who refuse to allow the election victory of our candidate to be undone will be the enemy. Intervention by the military necessarily means America forces killing American patriots.
And no, the New York Times’ Marxist newsroom will not be exploding in protests over that domestic use of military force; it will be loudly cheering it.
We know we cannot trust this generation of generals to stand up for freedom, but I’d like to think that a good portion of the troops would refuse to enter civilian politics in favor of the anti-American left. Yet, I would have also liked to think that we’d never see law enforcement officers eagerly obeying the fascist decrees of liberal poohbahs. The sight of overeager Barney Fifes hassling citizens about piehole thongs made it clear that for some people oaths come behind the giddy joy of power and keeping their pensions.
America: The Farewell ... Hedges, Chris Best Price: $7.29 Buy New $13.29 (as of 05:25 UTC - Details) So, the question is, what will our troops do? Will they make war on the American people so that Basement Biden’s puppet masters can turn America into Venezuela 2: The Quickening? Or will they say “No” to imposing a leftist dictatorship, which is what the Democrats’ Revenge Agenda proposes? Our troops are loved in large part because they don’t take a side in domestic politics; if they do, and turn on the people for the benefit of a senile old puppet and the Truancy Avenger, well, that affection evaporates.
Sadly, we cannot rely on the generals to not make the error. Let’s just hope that the danger is mooted because Trump’s margin of victory is so great that the Democrats cannot cheat.
Reprinted with permission from The Burning Platform.


lewrockwell--2020-08-14--The Pandemic Pattern—How the Illusion Is Built

This article is based on my study and investigation of so-called epidemics over the past 30 years .
In the case of COVID-19 , I ’ ve written at least one piece covering , in detail , each main element of the illusion .
Here , I ’ m laying out the pattern .
It is the same for each fake epidemic .
ONE : Through many meetings , exercises , planning sessions , a structure is welded in place to promote and launch the IDEA of an epidemic .
World Health Organization , CDC , influential public health officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ etc .
TWO : There is a purported incident .
An outbreak .
The most obvious cause is intentionally overlooked .
For example , horrendous air pollution , or the grotesque feces and urine pollution on a giant commercial pig factory-farm .
Instead , the world is told a new virus has been found .
Local researchers , if any , are augmented by researchers from CDC , WHO .
AIDS Inc. Rappoport , Jon Best Price : $ 33.29 Buy New $ 18.89 THREE : There is no air-tight chain of evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was discovered .
From details released , there is NO proof of discovery by convincing methods , no proper unified study of MANY supposed epidemic patients .
FOUR : But WHO/CDC tells the world this is an epidemic in the making , caused by the new virus .
The promotion and propaganda/media apparatus moves into high gear .
Ominous pronouncements .
FIVE : Diagnostic tests for the unproven new virus are rolled out .
They spit out false “ proof ” of “ infection ” like coins from a jackpot slot machine .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tests .
SIX : Thus , all case numbers and death numbers , which are based on the tests , are rendered meaningless .
And…they were already meaningless , because the supposed new virus “ being tested for ” was never properly discovered in the first place .
SEVEN : Nevertheless , these tests ( plus useless eyeball diagnosis ) are used to build official reports on case numbers .
For the duration of the “ epidemic , ” reports keep coming , and escalating numbers are trumpeted .
Within the basically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is fiddling with totals , to make them more impressive and frightening .
EIGHT : Real people are really getting sick and dying , but for the most part , they are people who are dying from traditional and long-standing conditions—flu-like illness , pneumonia , other lung infections , etc .
These people are “ re-packaged ” under the new epidemic label—e.g.
, “ COVID ” .
The official description of the “ new epidemic disease ” —the clinical symptoms—is sufficiently general to easily allow this re-packaging .
NINE : If there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by causes having nothing to do with the purported new virus .
For example , a toxic vaccine campaign .
A highly destructive drug .
Highly toxic pesticides .
TEN : Over time , the definition of the epidemic is arbitrarily widened to include more symptoms and clinical features , in order to inflate case numbers .
Unreported Truths abou ... Berenson , Alex Buy New $ 5.99 ELEVEN : Control of information about the “ epidemic ” is hardened at the top .
The talking heads , from the press and public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actual science as rabbits know about drone strikes .
But they are “ in charge.
” Dissident information is attacked and censored .
TWELVE : Medical drugs and procedures ( e.g.
, ventilators ) used to treat patients are quite harmful .
If a vaccine is rolled out , it , too , is toxic .
Illness and death resulting from these and other medical attacks are counted as “ epidemic cases caused by the virus.
” THIRTEEN : ABOVE ALL OTHER ILLUSIONS , the main deception is : “ the epidemic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ germ.
” This is sold with unceasing propaganda .
Most people fall for it .
They will even argue among themselves about which “ it ” is the single cause of the “ it ” disease .
There is no “ it ” cause or disease .
FOURTEEN : The public is sold lie after lie about contagion and the “ spread ” of the “ it.
” FIFTEEN : The public chants ( as if no one has ever died before ) , “ People are dying , it must be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tale always functions as a cover story for government or corporate or medical crimes .
It obscures and hides these crimes .
For example , a large factory is spewing horrendous pollution into the ground and water of an area , and people are getting sick and dying ?
Wait , the researchers say , the cause is actually a new virus no one has ever seen before .
As I wrote at the outset of the COVID illusion , the only difference this time , in 2020 , is the weight of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the economic devastation .
This is West Nile , SARS , Swine Flu , Zika , writ large .
Needless to say , the persons and groups responsible for launching these illusion-operations must hide their crimes .
COVID-19 : Lockdowns on ... Betrus , Michael Buy New $ 16.99 The criminals have their weapons , of course .
Among their most powerful : control of the press , and arcane technical language which pretends to relevance .
This language is so dense , the uninitiated stand no chance of penetrating it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hours about their vaunted diagnostic test , the PCR .
However , the simple truth is , the test has never been vetted .
The test has never been tested in the real world outside the lab .
I have written about this extensively .
Using a little guideline called SCIENCE , you would “ test the test ” by lining up , say , a thousand patients , some healthy , some sick from a supposed virus .
Any virus .
Tissue samples would be taken from each patient .
PCR mavens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , reporting which patients show what they call high “ viral load.
” This means : these particular patients have millions and millions of virus actively replicating in their bodies , and they will be unmistakably and visibly sick .
The PCR princes would then announce , “ Patients 3,45,65,76,132…are all definitely sick.
” Now we un-blind the study and see what ’ s what and who ’ s who .
Are these designated patients ill or are they running marathons ?
That ’ s called simple scientific method .
Not technical gobbledygook @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been done .
It never will be done .
It ’ s too real .
Too naked .
Proponents of the PCR would have too much to lose , if their assessments of who are healthy and who are sick turned out to be absurdly wrong , and their arcane technical rhetoric about the PCR ended up being useless gibberish .
Propaganda Edward Bernays Best Price : $ 6.42 Buy New $ 9.66 I include this illustration to indicate there are , indeed , ways of exposing professional liars , if you change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use common sense , if you stand outside their self-appointed temples of mystical pretense and observe what their lies look like when you boil them down to human terms… Here is another study of the PCR test that has never been done and never will be done , in the real world : line up a thousand patients , take tissues samples from them and send the samples to 40 different labs .
Have the labs run their PCRs and announce their specific findings .
Compare the results .
You can bet the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrary results .
This is part of a pattern : keep “ scientific details ” close to the vest ; keep them “ in-house ” ; don ’ t permit large-scale independent studies that will either confirm or deny basic tenets of official research .
COVID is a fraud from top to bottom .
From beginning to end .
The Best of Jon Rappoport

This article is based on my study and investigation of so-called epidemics over the past 30 years.
In the case of COVID-19, I’ve written at least one piece covering, in detail, each main element of the illusion. Here, I’m laying out the pattern. It is the same for each fake epidemic.
ONE: Through many meetings, exercises, planning sessions, a structure is welded in place to promote and launch the IDEA of an epidemic. World Health Organization, CDC, influential public health officials attached to governments around the world, etc.
TWO: There is a purported incident. An outbreak. The most obvious cause is intentionally overlooked. For example, horrendous air pollution, or the grotesque feces and urine pollution on a giant commercial pig factory-farm. Instead, the world is told a new virus has been found. Local researchers, if any, are augmented by researchers from CDC, WHO. AIDS Inc. Rappoport, Jon Best Price: $33.29 Buy New $18.89 (as of 03:34 UTC - Details)
THREE: There is no air-tight chain of evidence explaining exactly how the purported new virus was discovered. From details released, there is NO proof of discovery by convincing methods, no proper unified study of MANY supposed epidemic patients.
FOUR: But WHO/CDC tells the world this is an epidemic in the making, caused by the new virus. The promotion and propaganda/media apparatus moves into high gear. Ominous pronouncements.
FIVE: Diagnostic tests for the unproven new virus are rolled out. They spit out false “proof” of “infection” like coins from a jackpot slot machine. These false-positives are an inherent feature of the tests.
SIX: Thus, all case numbers and death numbers, which are based on the tests, are rendered meaningless. And…they were already meaningless, because the supposed new virus “being tested for” was never properly discovered in the first place.
SEVEN: Nevertheless, these tests (plus useless eyeball diagnosis) are used to build official reports on case numbers. For the duration of the “epidemic,” reports keep coming, and escalating numbers are trumpeted. Within the basically meaningless structure of these reports, there is fiddling with totals, to make them more impressive and frightening.
EIGHT: Real people are really getting sick and dying, but for the most part, they are people who are dying from traditional and long-standing conditions—flu-like illness, pneumonia, other lung infections, etc. These people are “re-packaged” under the new epidemic label—e.g., “COVID”. The official description of the “new epidemic disease”—the clinical symptoms—is sufficiently general to easily allow this re-packaging.
NINE: If there is new illness, it can be explained by causes having nothing to do with the purported new virus. For example, a toxic vaccine campaign. A highly destructive drug. Highly toxic pesticides.
TEN: Over time, the definition of the epidemic is arbitrarily widened to include more symptoms and clinical features, in order to inflate case numbers. Unreported Truths abou... Berenson, Alex Buy New $5.99 (as of 03:17 UTC - Details)
ELEVEN: Control of information about the “epidemic” is hardened at the top. The talking heads, from the press and public health agencies, know as much about actual science as rabbits know about drone strikes. But they are “in charge.” Dissident information is attacked and censored.
TWELVE: Medical drugs and procedures (e.g., ventilators) used to treat patients are quite harmful. If a vaccine is rolled out, it, too, is toxic. Illness and death resulting from these and other medical attacks are counted as “epidemic cases caused by the virus.”
THIRTEEN: ABOVE ALL OTHER ILLUSIONS, the main deception is: “the epidemic is one disease or syndrome caused by one germ.” This is sold with unceasing propaganda. Most people fall for it. They will even argue among themselves about which “it” is the single cause of the “it” disease. There is no “it” cause or disease.
FOURTEEN: The public is sold lie after lie about contagion and the “spread” of the “it.”
FIFTEEN: The public chants (as if no one has ever died before), “People are dying, it must be the virus.”
SIXTEEN: The virus fairy tale always functions as a cover story for government or corporate or medical crimes. It obscures and hides these crimes. For example, a large factory is spewing horrendous pollution into the ground and water of an area, and people are getting sick and dying? Wait, the researchers say, the cause is actually a new virus no one has ever seen before.
As I wrote at the outset of the COVID illusion, the only difference this time, in 2020, is the weight of the lies—because they led to the lockdowns and the economic devastation. This is West Nile, SARS, Swine Flu, Zika, writ large.
Needless to say, the persons and groups responsible for launching these illusion-operations must hide their crimes. COVID-19: Lockdowns on... Betrus, Michael Buy New $16.99 (as of 03:38 UTC - Details)
The criminals have their weapons, of course. Among their most powerful: control of the press, and arcane technical language which pretends to relevance. This language is so dense, the uninitiated stand no chance of penetrating it.
For instance, researchers can babble for hours about their vaunted diagnostic test, the PCR. However, the simple truth is, the test has never been vetted. The test has never been tested in the real world outside the lab.
I have written about this extensively. Using a little guideline called SCIENCE, you would “test the test” by lining up, say, a thousand patients, some healthy, some sick from a supposed virus. Any virus. Tissue samples would be taken from each patient.
PCR mavens would run these samples through their equipment, reporting which patients show what they call high “viral load.”
This means: these particular patients have millions and millions of virus actively replicating in their bodies, and they will be unmistakably and visibly sick.
The PCR princes would then announce, “Patients 3,45,65,76,132…are all definitely sick.”
Now we un-blind the study and see what’s what and who’s who. Are these designated patients ill or are they running marathons? That’s called simple scientific method. Not technical gobbledygook.
This chunk of research has never been done. It never will be done. It’s too real. Too naked. Proponents of the PCR would have too much to lose, if their assessments of who are healthy and who are sick turned out to be absurdly wrong, and their arcane technical rhetoric about the PCR ended up being useless gibberish.
Propaganda Edward Bernays Best Price: $6.42 Buy New $9.66 (as of 07:40 UTC - Details) I include this illustration to indicate there are, indeed, ways of exposing professional liars, if you change the venue on them, if you use common sense, if you stand outside their self-appointed temples of mystical pretense and observe what their lies look like when you boil them down to human terms…
Here is another study of the PCR test that has never been done and never will be done, in the real world: line up a thousand patients, take tissues samples from them and send the samples to 40 different labs. Have the labs run their PCRs and announce their specific findings. Compare the results. You can bet the farm the labs will come up with contrary results.
This is part of a pattern: keep “scientific details” close to the vest; keep them “in-house”; don’t permit large-scale independent studies that will either confirm or deny basic tenets of official research.
COVID is a fraud from top to bottom. From beginning to end.
Reprinted with permission from Jon Rappoport’s blog.
The Best of Jon Rappoport


lewrockwell--2020-08-14--More on Lincoln and Garibaldi

More on Lincoln and Garibaldi

Thomas DiLorenzo ’ s article of August 12 , “ Lincoln ’ s Kind of ‘ Soldier , ’ ” is a valuable contribution to aspects of the U.S. Civil War that are rarely touched upon by academic and other historians .
He details several revelatory events and encounters unknown to most readers , even many passionate Civil War devotees .
Perhaps none of those anecdotes is more fascinating than , after the disastrous defeats sustained by the Union in two of the first major battles of the war , the First Battle of Bull Run ( Manassas ) and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that President Abraham Lincoln had invited Giuseppe Garibaldi to assume command of the Union army .
At that time , in 1862 , Garibaldi had led military units in the civil wars in Brazil and Uruguay starting in the 1830s ( in the second campaign he raised a force of Italian fighters known as the Redshirts ) and played a decisive military role in the war for Italian unification starting in 1848 and ending in 1860 .
Garibaldi : Invention o ... Riall , Lucy Best Price : $ 17.01 Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article in the Guardian by Rory Gallagher in 2000 titled “ Garibaldi asked by Lincoln to run army.
” A paragraph in that article not quoted by DiLorenzo reads as follow : “ According to [ historian Arrigo ] Petacco , the rebel [ Garibaldi ] , who in the 1850s had led an army in Uruguay and travelled through the US , was also a mason .
The international masonic lodge successfully lobbied for him to be granted American citizenship.
” Garibaldi had earlier paid a visit to the U.S. – to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to a 1975 essay by Herbert Mitgang in the now defunct American Heritage magazine , he “ took the first three degrees of Freemasonry in a local lodge , and declared his intention to become an American citizen.
” Although Garibaldi did not take Lincoln up on his offer , eight years later he fought for another , in this case fledgling , republic , France ’ s Third Republic , after having opposed France under Napoleon Bonaparte until his defeat and capture at Sedan in 1870 .
The Third Republic was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ occupation and was commonly referred to at the time derisively as a republic without republicans .
The Problem with Linco ... DiLorenzo , Thomas J .
Buy New $ 29.99 Giuseppe Garibaldi ’ s intriguing political and , especially , military trajectory highlights the seemingly inextricable link between the republicanism of the past two and a half centuries and Freemasonry .
I recently read one of Alexandre Dumas ’ novels about the French revolution , Ange Pitou/Taking of the Bastille , part of the Marie Antoinette romances – said event , by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orgy of Freemasonry ” – in which three different characters mention an army of “ three million men ” in North America and Europe ready to expand the Masonic experiment in the Thirteen Colonies to France and then to all of Europe .
Later Garibaldi , O ’ Higgins , Bolivar and San Martin would add to that effort throughout the Western Hemisphere south of the Rio Grande .
Dumas says Lafayette was the connection between the American and the French revolutions .

Thomas DiLorenzo’s article of August 12, “Lincoln’s Kind of ‘Soldier,’” is a valuable contribution to aspects of the U.S. Civil War that are rarely touched upon by academic and other historians. He details several revelatory events and encounters unknown to most readers, even many passionate Civil War devotees.
Perhaps none of those anecdotes is more fascinating than, after the disastrous defeats sustained by the Union in two of the first major battles of the war, the First Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) and the Battle of Fredericksburg, the disclosure that President Abraham Lincoln had invited Giuseppe Garibaldi to assume command of the Union army. At that time, in 1862, Garibaldi had led military units in the civil wars in Brazil and Uruguay starting in the 1830s (in the second campaign he raised a force of Italian fighters known as the Redshirts) and played a decisive military role in the war for Italian unification starting in 1848 and ending in 1860. Garibaldi: Invention o... Riall, Lucy Best Price: $17.01 Buy New $28.15 (as of 03:15 UTC - Details)
DiLorenzo cites and links to an article in the Guardian by Rory Gallagher in 2000 titled “Garibaldi asked by Lincoln to run army.”
A paragraph in that article not quoted by DiLorenzo reads as follow:
“According to [historian Arrigo]Petacco, the rebel [Garibaldi], who in the 1850s had led an army in Uruguay and travelled through the US, was also a mason. The international masonic lodge successfully lobbied for him to be granted American citizenship.”
Garibaldi had earlier paid a visit to the U.S. – to New York in 1850 – where, according to a 1975 essay by Herbert Mitgang in the now defunct American Heritage magazine, he “took the first three degrees of Freemasonry in a local lodge, and declared his intention to become an American citizen.”
Although Garibaldi did not take Lincoln up on his offer, eight years later he fought for another, in this case fledgling, republic, France’s Third Republic, after having opposed France under Napoleon Bonaparte until his defeat and capture at Sedan in 1870. The Third Republic was established under the shadow of Prussian military occupation and was commonly referred to at the time derisively as a republic without republicans. The Problem with Linco... DiLorenzo, Thomas J. Buy New $29.99 (as of 11:50 UTC - Details)
Giuseppe Garibaldi’s intriguing political and, especially, military trajectory highlights the seemingly inextricable link between the republicanism of the past two and a half centuries and Freemasonry.
I recently read one of Alexandre Dumas’ novels about the French revolution, Ange Pitou/Taking of the Bastille, part of the Marie Antoinette romances – said event, by the way, once described as an “orgy of Freemasonry” – in which three different characters mention an army of “three million men” in North America and Europe ready to expand the Masonic experiment in the Thirteen Colonies to France and then to all of Europe. Later Garibaldi, O’Higgins, Bolivar and San Martin would add to that effort throughout the Western Hemisphere south of the Rio Grande. Dumas says Lafayette was the connection between the American and the French revolutions.


lewrockwell--2020-08-14--Victoria: Australia’s Covid Autocracy

Victoria: Australia’s Covid Autocracy

The pandemic is revealing more uncomfortable truths by the day , like our willingness to abandon our freedoms and traditions at the first whiff of grapeshot .
Governments mistrustful of citizens have been too quick to respond to risks to public health with coercion , rather than simply appealing for a civic-minded people to do the right thing .
In Australia there has been a level of official control seldom seen since the convict era .
There has been barely any opposition .
A people once prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice of lives in defence of liberty is surrendering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lives .
Pandemic Poetry : Acros ... Weiss , Robinne Buy New $ 7.99 It is teaching us that when we dispense with the checks and balances that make democratic governments better than they otherwise might be , there is an exponential increase in the number and scale of state-induced blunders .
Exhibit A is the state of Victoria , where Covid-19 has recently spread through the community in what might be called a second wave if there had been a first wave , which there wasn ’ t .
When Britain , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggling with mass outbreaks in April , Australia and New Zealand had the virus under control thanks largely to the prompt closure of borders .
It might have stayed that way but for a breach of quarantine security in Melbourne , where inadequate supervision of returning Australians in hotel quarantine allowed infected people to escape .
The loss of life has so far been slight : around 40 deaths per million in Victoria and fewer than 15 in the rest of Australia , compared with around 700 in Britain and around 500 in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was enough for Victoria ’ s premier , Dan Andrews , to declare a State of Disaster for only the second time in Victoria ’ s history .
Andrews , incidentally , was responsible for declaring both of them .
On Tyranny : Twenty Les ... Snyder , Timothy Best Price : $ 5.00 Buy New $ 5.79 Victoria became an autocracy overnight , granting unfettered power to a premier unaccountable to parliament and freed from the rule of law .
The police have turned from citizens in uniform to the enforcers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absurd .
Melbourne has become the first city in Australia to fall under a curfew .
Andrews ’ predecessors felt no need for one during the First World War , Second World War , the Spanish Flu pandemic or the 1923 police strike when violent mobs rampaged through the city and overturned a tram .
Yet the outbreak virus from China which currently kills a small proportion of those it affects in the general population , and a negligible percentage of people below retirement age , was considered grave enough to suspend democracy @ @ @ @ @ @

The pandemic is revealing more uncomfortable truths by the day, like our willingness to abandon our freedoms and traditions at the first whiff of grapeshot.
Governments mistrustful of citizens have been too quick to respond to risks to public health with coercion, rather than simply appealing for a civic-minded people to do the right thing.
In Australia there has been a level of official control seldom seen since the convict era. There has been barely any opposition. A people once prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice of lives in defence of liberty is surrendering its freedom on the pretext of saving lives.
Pandemic Poetry: Acros... Weiss, Robinne Buy New $7.99 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details) It is teaching us that when we dispense with the checks and balances that make democratic governments better than they otherwise might be, there is an exponential increase in the number and scale of state-induced blunders.
Exhibit A is the state of Victoria, where Covid-19 has recently spread through the community in what might be called a second wave if there had been a first wave, which there wasn’t.
When Britain, the US and much of Europe were struggling with mass outbreaks in April, Australia and New Zealand had the virus under control thanks largely to the prompt closure of borders.
It might have stayed that way but for a breach of quarantine security in Melbourne, where inadequate supervision of returning Australians in hotel quarantine allowed infected people to escape.
The loss of life has so far been slight: around 40 deaths per million in Victoria and fewer than 15 in the rest of Australia, compared with around 700 in Britain and around 500 in the US.
Yet the elevated risk was enough for Victoria’s premier, Dan Andrews, to declare a State of Disaster for only the second time in Victoria’s history. Andrews, incidentally, was responsible for declaring both of them.
On Tyranny: Twenty Les... Snyder, Timothy Best Price: $5.00 Buy New $5.79 (as of 03:22 UTC - Details) Victoria became an autocracy overnight, granting unfettered power to a premier unaccountable to parliament and freed from the rule of law. The police have turned from citizens in uniform to the enforcers of ministerial declarations, most of them quite absurd.
Melbourne has become the first city in Australia to fall under a curfew. Andrews’ predecessors felt no need for one during the First World War, Second World War, the Spanish Flu pandemic or the 1923 police strike when violent mobs rampaged through the city and overturned a tram.
Yet the outbreak virus from China which currently kills a small proportion of those it affects in the general population, and a negligible percentage of people below retirement age, was considered grave enough to suspend democracy and the rule of law.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-08-14--The English Language and Grammar Are Racist! Get Rid of Them!

In these revolutionary times it had to come sooner or later—any brief moment of serious reflection ( rare these days , it seems ) would reach this point inevitably .
And it is not like it ’ s totally new , but this time it ’ s with us with a force that we should expect to grow inexorably and be picked up by the advance guard of the cultural fanatics as a magic talisman that will be foisted on our schools and on us .
If “ white supremacy ” and “ racism ” are purveyed and maintained by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foundations of “ white ” language and grammar , well then , that language and grammar must be undone , critically deconstructed , and “ other ” forms of written and verbal communication admitted as equal .
Indeed , if our historic means of communication is so infected with traditional “ whiteness , ” is there not an extreme case for not only reducing its importance and influence , and recognizing , for instance , “ black English , ” but maybe even eradicating “ white language ” ?
After all , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is and has been a “ weapon ” of historic cultural racism and control by “ white oppressors.
” The Story of English : ... Cran , William Best Price : $ 2.21 Buy New $ 13.60 While this agenda has not yet asserted its dominance over the literary canon or the accepted norms and style for serious writing and communication , it has in fact had tremendous success in modes of communication such as Twitter and Instagram , which increasingly control cultural expression .
And one can argue that it is just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ linguistic revolution , with its already de facto acceptance and everyday normalcy , reaches the college classroom and the publishing houses , as well as the media .
Indeed , the entertainment industry no longer resists it to any great extent .
As a sign of the future , just recently I ran across the statement of the chairman of the English Department at Rutgers University ( June 19 ) .
The open letter of chairman Rebecca Walkowitz will , no doubt , be the precursor of additional actions , some stated , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Here is how the Reuters News Service characterized Walkowitz ’ s intentions : The letter expresses the Department ’ s plans to respond to the calls of BLM to “ create and promote an anti-racist environment in our workplace , our classes , our department , our university , and our communities ; and to contribute to the eradication of the violence and systemic inequities facing black , indigenous , and people of color members of our community.
” Within the letter Walkowitz outlines a series of concrete steps to promote departmental changes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaging with discussions of social justice and improving graduate student life .
Our Magnificent Bastar ... McWhorter , John Best Price : $ 10.15 Buy New $ 10.89 This same section also includes Walkowitz talk [ ing ] about incorporating “ critical grammar ” into the university ’ s pedagogy .
This approach , according to Walkowitz , is meant to “ challeng [ e ] the familiar dogma that writing instruction should limit emphasis on grammar/sentence-level issues so as to not put students from multilingual , non-standard “ academic ” English backgrounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it encourages students to develop a critical awareness of the variety of choices available to them w/ regard to micro-level issues in order to empower them and equip them to push against biases based on ‘ written ’ accents , ” the letter noted .
If you can read through the fashionable pseudo-intellectual framework that surrounds what Ms. Walkowitz is essentially saying , it is this : “ we ’ re going to eliminate standards in grammar and writing , and let students who don ’ t speak or write ‘ traditional English @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ominously , there is the assertion that traditional modes of communication are inherently biased and oppressive .
Is not the next step in this process a radical deconstruction in grammar ?
Already great works of our literary heritage have undergone this deconstructive process to reflect critically the goalposts of “ woke ” anti-racism and feminism , standards that now regulate how we read and interpret them .
Words on the Move : Why ... McWhorter , John Best Price : $ 12.44 Buy New $ 10.92 The logic , as I say , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to succeed it must transform or suppress the language of the oppressors .
My friend Dr. Clyde Wilson ’ s solution to our academic problems grows more attractive by the day : “ Napalm our universities , ” he once wrote me .
Although written mostly ( I suspect ) in a jocular vein , there is much truth to what Professor Wilson wrote and observed .
Until we get control of higher education—and until our Republican-dominated legislatures stop buying into the dangerous practice of trying to outdo their Democratic cohorts in throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lunatic leftist plutocracy and revolution—there is simply no way we can even think about saving our culture , much less restoring it .

Friends,
In these revolutionary times it had to come sooner or later—any brief moment of serious reflection (rare these days, it seems) would reach this point inevitably. And it is not like it’s totally new, but this time it’s with us with a force that we should expect to grow inexorably and be picked up by the advance guard of the cultural fanatics as a magic talisman that will be foisted on our schools and on us.
If “white supremacy” and “racism” are purveyed and maintained by the use of the structures and historic foundations of “white” language and grammar, well then, that language and grammar must be undone, critically deconstructed, and “other” forms of written and verbal communication admitted as equal. Indeed, if our historic means of communication is so infected with traditional “whiteness,” is there not an extreme case for not only reducing its importance and influence, and recognizing, for instance, “black English,” but maybe even eradicating “white language”? After all, by the logic of this argument, language is and has been a “weapon” of historic cultural racism and control by “white oppressors.” The Story of English: ... Cran, William Best Price: $2.21 Buy New $13.60 (as of 03:17 UTC - Details)
While this agenda has not yet asserted its dominance over the literary canon or the accepted norms and style for serious writing and communication, it has in fact had tremendous success in modes of communication such as Twitter and Instagram, which increasingly control cultural expression. And one can argue that it is just a matter of time before the swirling linguistic revolution, with its already de facto acceptance and everyday normalcy, reaches the college classroom and the publishing houses, as well as the media. Indeed, the entertainment industry no longer resists it to any great extent.
As a sign of the future, just recently I ran across the statement of the chairman of the English Department at Rutgers University (June 19). The open letter of chairman Rebecca Walkowitz will, no doubt, be the precursor of additional actions, some stated, others just implemented, to follow.
Here is how the Reuters News Service characterized Walkowitz’s intentions:
The letter expresses the Department’s plans to respond to the calls of BLM to “create and promote an anti-racist environment in our workplace, our classes, our department, our university, and our communities; and to contribute to the eradication of the violence and systemic inequities facing black, indigenous, and people of color members of our community.”
Within the letter Walkowitz outlines a series of concrete steps to promote departmental changes, including expanding the availability of seminars engaging with discussions of social justice and improving graduate student life. Our Magnificent Bastar... McWhorter, John Best Price: $10.15 Buy New $10.89 (as of 03:17 UTC - Details)
This same section also includes Walkowitz talk[ing] about incorporating “critical grammar” into the university’s pedagogy. This approach, according to Walkowitz, is meant to “challeng[e] the familiar dogma that writing instruction should limit emphasis on grammar/sentence-level issues so as to not put students from multilingual, non-standard “academic” English backgrounds at a disadvantage.
“Instead, it encourages students to develop a critical awareness of the variety of choices available to them w/ regard to micro-level issues in order to empower them and equip them to push against biases based on ‘written’ accents,” the letter noted.
If you can read through the fashionable pseudo-intellectual framework that surrounds what Ms. Walkowitz is essentially saying, it is this: “we’re going to eliminate standards in grammar and writing, and let students who don’t speak or write ‘traditional English’ express themselves accordingly.”
And more ominously, there is the assertion that traditional modes of communication are inherently biased and oppressive. Is not the next step in this process a radical deconstruction in grammar? Already great works of our literary heritage have undergone this deconstructive process to reflect critically the goalposts of “woke” anti-racism and feminism, standards that now regulate how we read and interpret them. Words on the Move: Why... McWhorter, John Best Price: $12.44 Buy New $10.92 (as of 03:17 UTC - Details)
Grammatical expression is next.
The logic, as I say, is inexorable. For the cultural revolution to succeed it must transform or suppress the language of the oppressors.
My friend Dr. Clyde Wilson’s solution to our academic problems grows more attractive by the day: “Napalm our universities,” he once wrote me. Although written mostly (I suspect) in a jocular vein, there is much truth to what Professor Wilson wrote and observed. Until we get control of higher education—and until our Republican-dominated legislatures stop buying into the dangerous practice of trying to outdo their Democratic cohorts in throwing millions of dollars at those financially-bloated sinecures of lunatic leftist plutocracy and revolution—there is simply no way we can even think about saving our culture, much less restoring it.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.