lewrockwell--2020-04-01--P For Pandemic: the 4th Turning

P For Pandemic: the 4th Turning

I wrote an article called V for Vendetta – 2011 just over nine years ago on the day after the Tucson shooting where congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and eighteen others were shot by a psychologically disturbed lunatic , with six dying .
At the time , I thought of the scene from the V for Vendetta movie where someone did something stupid and all hell broke loose .
I expected a similar result from this act , but those in control of our society were successfully able to put a cork in the bottle , preserving their façade of order .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ patriotic efforts of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange , how the government was using the vilest of schemes to surveil every American through their abuse of the Patriot Act .
The government has become and enemy of the people .
The Fourth Turning : An ... Howe , Neil Best Price : $ 7.92 Buy New $ 12.04 It is interesting to go back and view my conclusion from nine years ago and assess its accuracy as of today : “ This country has not reached the level of control and fear seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Vendetta , yet .
We are moving relentlessly in that direction .
Surveillance , monitoring , spying , censorship , secret prisons , predator drones , and conforming to state rules and regulations put citizens further under the thumb of an all-powerful state .
The freedom to dissent , the freedom to be left alone , the freedom to speak out against injustice , the freedom to disagree with your government , and the freedom to present your ideas without fear of retribution or penalty are essential in a democratic society .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ will surely include another downward spiral in financial markets as un-payable debts accumulate to a tipping point level .
When ATM machines stop spitting out twenties , food shelves are bare and gas stations are shuttered , social chaos will ensue .
The government will react with further command and control measures .
In V For Vendetta , the government creates a terrorist incident in order to gain unquestioned control over the population .
Americans will need to be more vigilant than they have been over the last ten years in keeping an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what has happened in 2020 thus far , I ’ d say my fears have been realized , with more downside to come .
I was deeply concerned about the surveillance state , on par with Orwell ’ s 1984 , two years before Snowden made his revelations public .
The country has been in a downward spiral since the government used the 9/11 fear and panic to ram through a 300-page pre-written piece of legislation to further take away our Constitutional rights and put vastly more power and control into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shadows of government halls .
Those in charge never let a crisis go to waste .
9/11 was used to pass the Patriot Act and initiate nineteen years of declared and undeclared wars in the Middle East to create chaos , empower Israel , and abscond with the oil of sovereign countries .
The 2008/2009 crisis , created by the Fed and their Wall Street banker proprietors , was used by the powers that be to abscond with trillions in national wealth , while further enslaving senior citizens in poverty and forcing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Bernanke , Yellen , Geithner and a myriad of other banker flunkies have been richly rewarded for their traitorous actions by their Wall Street brethren , with tens of millions in compensation for their duty and honor to the cabal .
The men who created the 2008/2009 global financial collapse through their mortgage fraud scheme , used fear and panic in the markets to force the feckless pathetic bought off congress apparatchiks to pass TARP and dozens of other ridiculous “ bailout bankers ” schemes to provide a façade of recovery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpayable debt was papered over with trillions more of unpayable debt , until something snapped in September 2019 .
The first half of this twenty year , or so , Fourth Turning was ushered in by the 2008/2009 financial collapse and the subsequent disastrous solutions implemented by the ruling class in order to preserve their wealth , power and control .
The taxpayer bailout of Wall Street should have been called NO BANKER LEFT BEHIND .
The mind-boggling amount of debt issued over the last decade in order to rectify a problem created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpayable debt over the previous decade has become so large , the average person can ’ t comprehend the implications or consequences .
The masses have been indoctrinated through government schools and propagandized by the captured corporate media to such an extent , they have been convinced abnormality and pillaging by the ruling class are both normal and acceptable .
The world added $ 90 trillion of debt between 2000 and 2008 , over a 100 % increase .
Bernanke , Yellen , Powell and their other central bank co-conspirators said hold my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since the first debt created crisis .
The Himalayan mountain of debt now stands at $ 253 trillion , or 322 % of global GDP .
Rogoff and Reinhart proved countries whose debt surpass 90 % of GDP always proceed towards crisis and currency debasement .
Even John Maynard Keynes knew countries should run surpluses during good times , so they could run deficits during the bad times .
Our glorious financial and political leaders seemed to have skipped that chapter in their economics textbooks .
So , under the tutelage of Bernanke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama , and Trump the country has added $ 12 trillion to the national debt , $ 3 trillion of corporate ( junk ) debt to buy back stock , a few trillion in credit card , auto , mortgage and student loan debt , all while the Fed was feeding the Wall Street parasites with zero interest rates and buying $ 4 trillion of their worthless assets ( aka QE ) .
This was all done while we were supposedly experiencing the longest economic boom in history and the stock market confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all-time highs in February of 2020 .
All ’ s well that ends well .
Right ?
Millennials Rising : Th ... Neil Howe , William Str ... Best Price : $ 0.25 Buy New $ 8.99 It seems debt can ’ t buy happiness in the long run .
This economy and stock market have been bugs in search of a windshield for a long time .
Longer than I ever thought possible .
But , as some bright financial minds have said , that which is unsustainable will not be sustained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust knew something went screwy deep in the recesses of the opaque banking system sometime in September when the overnight repo rates soared to 10 % .
I know 99.99 % of Americans have no idea what an overnight repo is , let alone care about them .
But Wall Street bankers and connected billionaire hedge fund managers cared , because Powell and his flunkies bailed them out every night from their bad trades and extreme risk taking .
As we entered the fateful year of 2020 , years of poisonous sludge was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapse was imminent .
What a fortuitous time for a global pandemic .
This is when things began to get interesting .
There have been so many earth shattering events in the last two months it ’ s almost impossible to assess the current situation with any semblance of certitude .
I believe I ’ m being lied to by virtually everyone .
I know for a fact I ’ m being lied to by the Fed , Wall Street billionaire titans , the fake news media , corrupt politicians , the Chinese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the blithering idiot talking heads on CNBC .
If almost everyone is lying , how can someone decipher the truth ?
The best way to untangle falsehood from truth is to follow the money .
Just as the monied interests and Deep State didn ’ t let a crisis go to waste after 9/11 and the 2008/2009 Wall Street created collapse , they are again taking advantage of the distress and panic caused by the Chinese coronavirus to once again plunder the American public while assuring them it ’ s in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the perfect description for what has happened in the last two weeks .
There is no doubt the world is experiencing a health crisis not seen since the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic .
It is estimated 20 to 50 million people died during that pandemic , with approximately 600,000 succumbing in the U.S. , or .57 % of the population .
A similar death rate from this pandemic would total 1.9 million people in the U.S. As of today , there have been 140,000 confirmed cases and approximately 2,400 deaths .
Over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands more cases and thousands of additional deaths .
That is a depressing and sorrowful fact .
But the death count is going to be drastically lower than the 1918 total , during which the country continued to function and slog forward .
A judicious thinking individual might wonder why the Swine Flu epidemic of 2009 , which is estimated to have infected 61 million Americans and killed 12,000 to 18,000 , did not require a countrywide lockdown resulting in a second Great Depression .
Maybe it was because the ruling class already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logic to use panic and fear in achieving their plundering objectives .
Did anyone really notice we experienced a global pandemic in 2009 ?
Our very own CDC “ experts ” tell us the country has already experienced 38 to 54 million flu infections since October , with a half million hospitalizations , and at least 24,000 deaths , so why weren ’ t our hospitals overwhelmed ?
I know this is a serious virus , but the scare tactics being utilized by our overseers , corrupt politicians and their corporate media propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a far more nefarious purpose .
Did we need to purposely create a global depression in order to defeat this virus ?
Will the benefits outweigh the cost ?
Is this health crisis being used by the monied interest swine to again gorge themselves at the taxpayer trough , robbing the public , while persuading them it ’ s for their advantage ?
The “ conspiracy theorists ” among us , who have been proven correct time after time over the last decade , know the answers to these questions .
This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be as cover for their fraud , criminal schemes , and looting of the national treasure .
Crossroads for Liberty ... William J. Watkins Jr. Best Price : $ 17.60 Buy New $ 24.50 Only in a suicide cult , which our country has become , would the majority support and cheer for a corporate lobbyist written $ 2.2 trillion 873-page windfall to bankers , connected mega-corporations , and every special interest imaginable .
This doesn ’ t even account for the $ 4 trillion of secret payoffs and behind the scenes shenanigans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do their part to support their banker owners once again .
And just to make sure none of their despicable acts will see the light of day , the ruling class slipped in little clause titled : The provision authorizes the Federal Reserve Board and other such officials to meet in secret without any oversight constraints .
Who needs transparency from the privately owned organization who controls our currency , interest rates , banking regulation and is most responsible for the third financial collapse in the last two decades ?
And why should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given a $ 500 billion slush fund to use as he wishes ?
I ’ m sure he ’ s going to use it to help the local restaurant owner down the block .
I ’ m outraged we ’ ve let this happen again .
All they needed to do was crash the stock market by 32 % in a few weeks , while having their propaganda machine media predicting millions of deaths , and scaring the nation into shuttering our entire economy .
The oppressors once again have succeeded in convincing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for our best interests .
We ’ ve shirked responsibility for our own lives by believing the very same people who didn ’ t see the crisis coming , weren ’ t prepared , and have failed miserably to centrally control the situation .
We ’ ve given them the power over our lives and we are being led towards the slaughterhouse .
It was our choice .
We let fear overcome reason and courage .
The egotism and hubris of the ruling class has no limits , as they quarantine themselves in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of their yachts , eating caviar and drinking champagne , paying their lobbyists to ensure they get a big hunk of the $ 2.2 trillion stimulus pie , while the average Joe and Jane get a couple thousand bucks to pay one month ’ s rent and buy some ramen noodles to sustain themselves through the coming military lockdown .
Don ’ t look now but you ’ ve been screwed again .
The Wall Street bankers are again able to borrow at 0 % , while charging you 17 % on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aren ’ t these scumbag bankers announcing a three-month moratorium on credit card and mortgage payments , with no interest accruing ?
Because their goal is to further enslave you in debt , while enriching themselves .
They will run patriotic commercials , while sticking a red white and blue dildo up your ass .
In Part Two of this article I will examine the parallels between our current situation and the favorite anarchist/libertarian film V for Vendetta .
I address both the disturbing aspects and the hopeful aspects of the film in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reprinted with permission from The Burning Platform .
The Best of Jim Quinn

“People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.” – Alan Moore – V for Vendetta “Authority, when first detecting chaos at its heels, will entertain the vilest schemes to save its orderly facade.” – Alan Moore – V for Vendetta
I wrote an article called V for Vendetta – 2011 just over nine years ago on the day after the Tucson shooting where congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and eighteen others were shot by a psychologically disturbed lunatic, with six dying. At the time, I thought of the scene from the V for Vendetta movie where someone did something stupid and all hell broke loose. I expected a similar result from this act, but those in control of our society were successfully able to put a cork in the bottle, preserving their façade of order.
We learned shortly thereafter, through the patriotic efforts of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, how the government was using the vilest of schemes to surveil every American through their abuse of the Patriot Act. The government has become and enemy of the people. The Fourth Turning: An... Howe, Neil Best Price: $7.92 Buy New $12.04 (as of 08:30 UTC - Details)
It is interesting to go back and view my conclusion from nine years ago and assess its accuracy as of today:
“This country has not reached the level of control and fear seen in Orwell’s 1984 and V for Vendetta, yet. We are moving relentlessly in that direction. Surveillance, monitoring, spying, censorship, secret prisons, predator drones, and conforming to state rules and regulations put citizens further under the thumb of an all-powerful state. The freedom to dissent, the freedom to be left alone, the freedom to speak out against injustice, the freedom to disagree with your government, and the freedom to present your ideas without fear of retribution or penalty are essential in a democratic society. The next phase of this Fourth Turning will surely include another downward spiral in financial markets as un-payable debts accumulate to a tipping point level. When ATM machines stop spitting out twenties, food shelves are bare and gas stations are shuttered, social chaos will ensue. The government will react with further command and control measures. In V For Vendetta, the government creates a terrorist incident in order to gain unquestioned control over the population. Americans will need to be more vigilant than they have been over the last ten years in keeping an eye on their government.”
In light of what has happened in 2020 thus far, I’d say my fears have been realized, with more downside to come. I was deeply concerned about the surveillance state, on par with Orwell’s 1984, two years before Snowden made his revelations public. The country has been in a downward spiral since the government used the 9/11 fear and panic to ram through a 300-page pre-written piece of legislation to further take away our Constitutional rights and put vastly more power and control into the hands of uncontrolled psychopaths operating in the shadows of government halls.
Those in charge never let a crisis go to waste. 9/11 was used to pass the Patriot Act and initiate nineteen years of declared and undeclared wars in the Middle East to create chaos, empower Israel, and abscond with the oil of sovereign countries.
The 2008/2009 crisis, created by the Fed and their Wall Street banker proprietors, was used by the powers that be to abscond with trillions in national wealth, while further enslaving senior citizens in poverty and forcing the working middle class further into debt servitude. Bernanke, Yellen, Geithner and a myriad of other banker flunkies have been richly rewarded for their traitorous actions by their Wall Street brethren, with tens of millions in compensation for their duty and honor to the cabal.
The men who created the 2008/2009 global financial collapse through their mortgage fraud scheme, used fear and panic in the markets to force the feckless pathetic bought off congress apparatchiks to pass TARP and dozens of other ridiculous “bailout bankers” schemes to provide a façade of recovery. There was never a recovery. The unpayable debt was papered over with trillions more of unpayable debt, until something snapped in September 2019.
The first half of this twenty year, or so, Fourth Turning was ushered in by the 2008/2009 financial collapse and the subsequent disastrous solutions implemented by the ruling class in order to preserve their wealth, power and control. The taxpayer bailout of Wall Street should have been called NO BANKER LEFT BEHIND. The mind-boggling amount of debt issued over the last decade in order to rectify a problem created by issuing a previously mind-boggling amount of unpayable debt over the previous decade has become so large, the average person can’t comprehend the implications or consequences.
The masses have been indoctrinated through government schools and propagandized by the captured corporate media to such an extent, they have been convinced abnormality and pillaging by the ruling class are both normal and acceptable. The world added $90 trillion of debt between 2000 and 2008, over a 100% increase. Bernanke, Yellen, Powell and their other central bank co-conspirators said hold my beer and added another $90 trillion since the first debt created crisis. The Himalayan mountain of debt now stands at $253 trillion, or 322% of global GDP. Rogoff and Reinhart proved countries whose debt surpass 90% of GDP always proceed towards crisis and currency debasement.
Even John Maynard Keynes knew countries should run surpluses during good times, so they could run deficits during the bad times. Our glorious financial and political leaders seemed to have skipped that chapter in their economics textbooks. So, under the tutelage of Bernanke, Yellen, Powell, Bush, Obama, and Trump the country has added $12 trillion to the national debt, $3 trillion of corporate (junk) debt to buy back stock, a few trillion in credit card, auto, mortgage and student loan debt, all while the Fed was feeding the Wall Street parasites with zero interest rates and buying $4 trillion of their worthless assets (aka QE). This was all done while we were supposedly experiencing the longest economic boom in history and the stock market confirmed the boom by rising 400% to all-time highs in February of 2020. All’s well that ends well. Right? Millennials Rising: Th... Neil Howe, William Str... Best Price: $0.25 Buy New $8.99 (as of 09:05 UTC - Details)
It seems debt can’t buy happiness in the long run. This economy and stock market have been bugs in search of a windshield for a long time. Longer than I ever thought possible. But, as some bright financial minds have said, that which is unsustainable will not be sustained. The critical thinking financial people I trust knew something went screwy deep in the recesses of the opaque banking system sometime in September when the overnight repo rates soared to 10%.
I know 99.99% of Americans have no idea what an overnight repo is, let alone care about them. But Wall Street bankers and connected billionaire hedge fund managers cared, because Powell and his flunkies bailed them out every night from their bad trades and extreme risk taking. As we entered the fateful year of 2020, years of poisonous sludge was clogging the gears, and another financial collapse was imminent. What a fortuitous time for a global pandemic.
This is when things began to get interesting. There have been so many earth shattering events in the last two months it’s almost impossible to assess the current situation with any semblance of certitude. I believe I’m being lied to by virtually everyone. I know for a fact I’m being lied to by the Fed, Wall Street billionaire titans, the fake news media, corrupt politicians, the Chinese dictator, most people on social media and the blithering idiot talking heads on CNBC.
If almost everyone is lying, how can someone decipher the truth? The best way to untangle falsehood from truth is to follow the money. Just as the monied interests and Deep State didn’t let a crisis go to waste after 9/11 and the 2008/2009 Wall Street created collapse, they are again taking advantage of the distress and panic caused by the Chinese coronavirus to once again plunder the American public while assuring them it’s in their best interest.
“When the institutions of money rule the world, it is perhaps inevitable that the interests of money will take precedence over the interests of people. What we are experiencing might best be described as a case of money colonizing life. To accept this absurd distortion of human institutions and purpose should be considered nothing less than an act of collective, suicidal insanity.” – David Korten
Collective suicidal insanity is the perfect description for what has happened in the last two weeks. There is no doubt the world is experiencing a health crisis not seen since the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. It is estimated 20 to 50 million people died during that pandemic, with approximately 600,000 succumbing in the U.S., or .57% of the population. A similar death rate from this pandemic would total 1.9 million people in the U.S.
As of today, there have been 140,000 confirmed cases and approximately 2,400 deaths. Over the coming weeks there will be hundreds of thousands more cases and thousands of additional deaths. That is a depressing and sorrowful fact. But the death count is going to be drastically lower than the 1918 total, during which the country continued to function and slog forward.
A judicious thinking individual might wonder why the Swine Flu epidemic of 2009, which is estimated to have infected 61 million Americans and killed 12,000 to 18,000, did not require a countrywide lockdown resulting in a second Great Depression. Maybe it was because the ruling class already had the ongoing financial crisis as their logic to use panic and fear in achieving their plundering objectives. Did anyone really notice we experienced a global pandemic in 2009?
Our very own CDC “experts” tell us the country has already experienced 38 to 54 million flu infections since October, with a half million hospitalizations, and at least 24,000 deaths, so why weren’t our hospitals overwhelmed? I know this is a serious virus, but the scare tactics being utilized by our overseers, corrupt politicians and their corporate media propaganda outlets is beyond excessive, and reveals a far more nefarious purpose.
Did we need to purposely create a global depression in order to defeat this virus? Will the benefits outweigh the cost? Is this health crisis being used by the monied interest swine to again gorge themselves at the taxpayer trough, robbing the public, while persuading them it’s for their advantage? The “conspiracy theorists” among us, who have been proven correct time after time over the last decade, know the answers to these questions. This is a controlled demolition by the powers that be as cover for their fraud, criminal schemes, and looting of the national treasure. Crossroads for Liberty... William J. Watkins Jr. Best Price: $17.60 Buy New $24.50 (as of 08:30 UTC - Details)
“To rob the public, we must first deceive it. The trick consists in persuading the public that the theft is for its advantage; and by this means inducing it to accept, in exchange for its property, services which are fictitious, and often worse.” – Frederic Bastiat
Only in a suicide cult, which our country has become, would the majority support and cheer for a corporate lobbyist written $2.2 trillion 873-page windfall to bankers, connected mega-corporations, and every special interest imaginable. This doesn’t even account for the $4 trillion of secret payoffs and behind the scenes shenanigans of the Federal Reserve, as they do their part to support their banker owners once again. And just to make sure none of their despicable acts will see the light of day, the ruling class slipped in little clause titled:
SEC. 4009. TEMPORARY GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE ACT RELIEF.
The provision authorizes the Federal Reserve Board and other such officials to meet in secret without any oversight constraints. Who needs transparency from the privately owned organization who controls our currency, interest rates, banking regulation and is most responsible for the third financial collapse in the last two decades? And why should we worry that Goldman alum Mnuchin was given a $500 billion slush fund to use as he wishes? I’m sure he’s going to use it to help the local restaurant owner down the block.
I’m outraged we’ve let this happen again. All they needed to do was crash the stock market by 32% in a few weeks, while having their propaganda machine media predicting millions of deaths, and scaring the nation into shuttering our entire economy. The oppressors once again have succeeded in convincing us they know best and are working for our best interests.
We’ve shirked responsibility for our own lives by believing the very same people who didn’t see the crisis coming, weren’t prepared, and have failed miserably to centrally control the situation. We’ve given them the power over our lives and we are being led towards the slaughterhouse. It was our choice. We let fear overcome reason and courage.
“Since mankind’s dawn, a handful of oppressors have accepted the responsibility over our lives that we should have accepted for ourselves. By doing so, they took our power. By doing nothing, we gave it away. We’ve seen where their way leads, through camps and wars, towards the slaughterhouse.” ― Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
The egotism and hubris of the ruling class has no limits, as they quarantine themselves in one of their six mansions or on one of their yachts, eating caviar and drinking champagne, paying their lobbyists to ensure they get a big hunk of the $2.2 trillion stimulus pie, while the average Joe and Jane get a couple thousand bucks to pay one month’s rent and buy some ramen noodles to sustain themselves through the coming military lockdown.
Don’t look now but you’ve been screwed again. The Wall Street bankers are again able to borrow at 0%, while charging you 17% on your ever-increasing credit card balance. Why aren’t these scumbag bankers announcing a three-month moratorium on credit card and mortgage payments, with no interest accruing? Because their goal is to further enslave you in debt, while enriching themselves. They will run patriotic commercials, while sticking a red white and blue dildo up your ass.
In Part Two of this article I will examine the parallels between our current situation and the favorite anarchist/libertarian film V for Vendetta. I address both the disturbing aspects and the hopeful aspects of the film in relation to what the future holds.
Reprinted with permission from The Burning Platform.
Eton Executive Travele... Buy New $34.93 (as of 08:53 UTC - Details)
The Best of Jim Quinn


Taking Rights Seriously

“ If the provisions of the Constitution be not upheld when they pinch as well as when they comfort , they may as well be abandoned.
” — Justice George Sutherland ( 1862-1942 ) In his 2008 book “ Taking Rights Seriously , ” the late professor Ronald Dworkin explored the origins and governmental treatment of human liberty .
He argued that Thomas Jefferson — who wrote the Declaration of Independence — and James Madison — the scrivener at the Constitutional Convention and the author of the Bill of Rights — were clear in their articulations that the premise of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights are personal and natural because they come from our humanity , not from the government .
Dworkin also recognized that government , which is essentially the negation of liberty , is only moral and valid when it enjoys the consent of the governed , respects individual rights as inalienable and interferes with them only after it proves fault to a jury at a fair trial .
Suicide Pact : The Radi ... Napolitano , Andrew P. Best Price : $ 0.25 Buy New $ 2.84 The Dworkin thesis is obviously not novel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end of his illustrious career as a bulwark against those in government and academia who argued to the contrary .
These folks claimed — and do so today — that the law is whatever those in power say it is , and the dead hands of the framers can not control the living hands of those whom the people have elected .
To these folks , the majority rules , even when it is tyrannical toward a minority .
This argument — that a popularly elected government can trump individual liberties — is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights and accepts as somehow lawful the horrific acts of popularly elected governments for which the 19th and 20th centuries are well known .
This view also rejects the plain language and — since 1803 — consistent judicial recognition of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land .
The Constitution was written to keep the government off the people ’ s backs and to assure their natural rights are free from government restraint .
The concept against which the natural law is arrayed and against which Dworkin argued is regrettably on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting sick and dying .
The same government that can ’ t stop robocalls micromanages the delivery of health care in the U.S. and monopolizes medical procedures — like testing for a virus — that the free market can do better and faster .
Because the government tolerates no competition , it was uninformed and ill-prepared .
So , the essence of its response has been to treat our freedoms as if they were licenses to be rescinded on governmental whims , not guarantees as declared by the Declaration and Constitution .
Making @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Price : $ 17.27 Buy New $ 16.33 No matter how well-intended is New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , he is the chief executive of the government of the state of New York .
He is not the legislature .
He can not write laws and can not enforce whatever he has written .
That is the least of his transgressions .
The greatest of them is his interference with rights expressly guaranteed in the Constitution that he and all others in government have taken an oath to uphold .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his bully pulpit to educate and intimidate the populace into commonsense behavior intended to limit the spread of coronavirus .
But he can not lawfully — nor could the legislature — interfere with the right to travel and to assemble peacefully because those liberties are guaranteed by the Constitution .
They can not be interfered with by decree or even by legislation , no matter the beneficial goal of the interference .
Rhode Island Gov .
Gina Raimondo is stopping automobiles with out-of-state license plates as they attempt to enter Rhode Island @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also threatened to send police door to door looking for persons from the New York City region who somehow eluded her border dragnet .
And she is doing this with no warrants , no probable cause of crime and no individualized suspicion .
In New York City , where Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared music stores essential to society but churches , synagogues and mosques to be nonessential , we have seen the boldest threat yet .
He offered to close permanently — permanently !
— any house of worship that presently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment that keeps government out of religion .
bonmedico Lumbar Suppo ... Best Price : $ 13.38 Buy New $ 19.90 And in New Jersey , Gov .
Phil Murphy is arresting folks for holding coronavirus parties .
The parties are insane , the attendees are reckless and their behavior is selfish .
But it is not criminal .
In fact , it is protected by the right to assemble , which is also expressly guaranteed in the Constitution .
What if these assemblages are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unconstitutional behavior of the government ?
Then they ’ d achieve even added protection — the freedom of speech .
What ’ s going on in America ?
Justice George Sutherland was prescient in 1934 .
When the Constitution pinches the government , he warned , the government abandons it .
If constitutional abandonment is not challenged by those most affected by it , a future generation of public officials will argue that the current generation acquiesced .
That might happen as soon as the present crisis has passed .
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rarely voluntarily relinquished .
When President George W. Bush argued after 9/11 that he needed temporary mass suspicionless surveillance powers to find the terrorists hiding among us , and Congress gave it to him , that power remained in the government .
What started as listening to phone calls and monitoring bank accounts has now become following the movements , in real time , of all persons with mobile devices and capturing every keystroke on every computer .
Unless we follow the Constitution , crisis produces fear , and fear produces madness , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law unto themselves .
The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano

Shop all books by Judge Napolitano
“If the provisions of the Constitution be not upheld when they pinch as well as when they comfort, they may as well be abandoned.” — Justice George Sutherland (1862-1942)
In his 2008 book “Taking Rights Seriously,” the late professor Ronald Dworkin explored the origins and governmental treatment of human liberty. He argued that Thomas Jefferson — who wrote the Declaration of Independence — and James Madison — the scrivener at the Constitutional Convention and the author of the Bill of Rights — were clear in their articulations that the premise of America at its birth is that our rights are personal and natural because they come from our humanity, not from the government.
Dworkin also recognized that government, which is essentially the negation of liberty, is only moral and valid when it enjoys the consent of the governed, respects individual rights as inalienable and interferes with them only after it proves fault to a jury at a fair trial. Suicide Pact: The Radi... Napolitano, Andrew P. Best Price: $0.25 Buy New $2.84 (as of 04:15 UTC - Details)
The Dworkin thesis is obviously not novel, but he wrote it toward the end of his illustrious career as a bulwark against those in government and academia who argued to the contrary. These folks claimed — and do so today — that the law is whatever those in power say it is, and the dead hands of the framers cannot control the living hands of those whom the people have elected. To these folks, the majority rules, even when it is tyrannical toward a minority.
This argument — that a popularly elected government can trump individual liberties — is utterly repugnant to the concept of natural rights and accepts as somehow lawful the horrific acts of popularly elected governments for which the 19th and 20th centuries are well known. This view also rejects the plain language and — since 1803 — consistent judicial recognition of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
The Constitution was written to keep the government off the people’s backs and to assure their natural rights are free from government restraint.
The concept against which the natural law is arrayed and against which Dworkin argued is regrettably on display in America today. People are getting sick and dying. The same government that can’t stop robocalls micromanages the delivery of health care in the U.S. and monopolizes medical procedures — like testing for a virus — that the free market can do better and faster. Because the government tolerates no competition, it was uninformed and ill-prepared.
So, the essence of its response has been to treat our freedoms as if they were licenses to be rescinded on governmental whims, not guarantees as declared by the Declaration and Constitution. Making Remote Work Wor... Gildner, Gil Best Price: $17.27 Buy New $16.33 (as of 02:49 UTC - Details)
No matter how well-intended is New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, he is the chief executive of the government of the state of New York. He is not the legislature. He cannot write laws and cannot enforce whatever he has written. That is the least of his transgressions. The greatest of them is his interference with rights expressly guaranteed in the Constitution that he and all others in government have taken an oath to uphold.
I admire deeply Cuomo’s brilliant use of his bully pulpit to educate and intimidate the populace into commonsense behavior intended to limit the spread of coronavirus. But he cannot lawfully — nor could the legislature — interfere with the right to travel and to assemble peacefully because those liberties are guaranteed by the Constitution. They cannot be interfered with by decree or even by legislation, no matter the beneficial goal of the interference.
It gets worse.
Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo is stopping automobiles with out-of-state license plates as they attempt to enter Rhode Island and denying them entry. She has also threatened to send police door to door looking for persons from the New York City region who somehow eluded her border dragnet. And she is doing this with no warrants, no probable cause of crime and no individualized suspicion.
In New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared music stores essential to society but churches, synagogues and mosques to be nonessential, we have seen the boldest threat yet. He offered to close permanently — permanently! — any house of worship that presently holds religious services. This barbarity directly violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment that keeps government out of religion.
bonmedico Lumbar Suppo... Best Price: $13.38 Buy New $19.90 (as of 02:49 UTC - Details) And in New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy is arresting folks for holding coronavirus parties. The parties are insane, the attendees are reckless and their behavior is selfish. But it is not criminal. In fact, it is protected by the right to assemble, which is also expressly guaranteed in the Constitution. What if these assemblages are not for frivolity, but to protest the unconstitutional behavior of the government? Then they’d achieve even added protection — the freedom of speech.
What’s going on in America?
Justice George Sutherland was prescient in 1934. When the Constitution pinches the government, he warned, the government abandons it.
If constitutional abandonment is not challenged by those most affected by it, a future generation of public officials will argue that the current generation acquiesced. That might happen as soon as the present crisis has passed. The government loves power and power once possessed is rarely voluntarily relinquished.
When President George W. Bush argued after 9/11 that he needed temporary mass suspicionless surveillance powers to find the terrorists hiding among us, and Congress gave it to him, that power remained in the government. What started as listening to phone calls and monitoring bank accounts has now become following the movements, in real time, of all persons with mobile devices and capturing every keystroke on every computer.
Unless we follow the Constitution, crisis produces fear, and fear produces madness, and madness produces those who become a law unto themselves.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
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The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano


lewrockwell--2020-04-02--The Mob, Women’s Hats, and Gold Coins

The Mob, Women’s Hats, and Gold Coins

I was born ( a few months before the Crash ) at 4:20 PM on February 11 , 1929 , in the Crotona Park Hospital , the Bronx , New York .
My mother : a pert 20-year-old , my father , 26 , a bon vivant .
Both were homegrown New Yorkers , and I would be an only child .
From a poor family , Goldie was eldest of four .
The youngest of three , Max was doted on by his parents and sisters .
He would remain “ spoiled ” his entire life .
My paternal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a designer of women ’ s clothes .
Actually , with sketchbook in hand , he shopped the show windows of Manhattan ’ s finer stores , and “ stole ” the latest fashions with his pad .
Within hours , inexpensive “ knock-offs ” were being manufactured and destined for department stores all over the nation .
Grandpa Jake ’ s skills kept him well paid and in demand until his mid-80 ’ s.Unlike most young couples that were forced to live in cramped quarters with their parents , my folks rented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brand new building on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx .
For young middle-class Jews moving up , this was the place to be .
I ’ m told that parts of the Grand Concourse remain a prestige address to this day .
It seemed likely that the Bronx would have been the permanent home for the young Blumerts , but then , when I was four-years-old , my sunny childhood was disrupted .
I would reach adulthood before I learned the details of what had happened .
Max had developed a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mobsters and their family affiliations in the Bronx .
One night , after closing the speakeasy he worked in , he witnessed the murder of a Mafia family member .
The Bronx DA sought my father as a material witness .
Fortunately , Max ’ s “ pals ” gave him the opportunity to quietly disappear “ on the lam ” rather than have him face a more predictable and grisly fate .
That wasn ’ t so good for my mother and me .
For the next three to four years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us moving from one place to another .
Finally , we wound up living in a grungy , furnished flat in Brooklyn Heights .
To this day I despise beaded room dividers .
Most likely , Max spent those years in Cleveland , and I recall speaking to him on the phone once or twice .
Bagels , Barry Bonds , a ... Burton S. Blumert Best Price : $ 9.29 Buy New $ 7.34 I don ’ t know where the money was coming from , but my mother always seemed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe for Max to come back to New York , but , the Bronx remained off limits , and we became a Brooklyn family .
I spent eight years in public grammar school with the same 32 kids .
They were all Jews , except the Italian janitor ’ s kid .
The teachers were mostly Irish , and the school principal , Miss Joanna Becker , was a magnificent , and imposing German spinster .
We didn ’ t know it at the time , but our education was rigorous and first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1930 ’ s , the depth of the Depression , and jobs were scarce .
The New York City school system attracted the best .
A teacher ’ s job was a plum .
On to four years of high school .
Although my grades were good , there was always a group of girls who were at the top .
I easily won entrance to Washington Square College , NYU .
NYU was a private school and few parents could afford the tuition .
At the time most of the kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city colleges , like CCNY .
Can you imagine having Greenwich Village as your campus ?
The Village was a cultural treasure with creative people everywhere .
While walking on the busy streets , I encountered important writers daily .
Poetess and critic Eda Lou Walton taught my American Lit .
course , and the American Prima Ballerina Maria Tallchief sat next to me at the coffee house .
( How could I not fall in love with her ? )
My parents read books and were high-school graduates , but I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced in the classroom and on the Village streets .
The art and genius of Western Civilization was overcoming my senses .
I became a giant sponge absorbing everything , but retaining little .
I was an adolescent with little guidance .
Several teachers tried to help .
Poetess Eda Lou Walton made a mark on my life with her friendship , and I think of her when I talk to young people today .
I remember my last year at NYU .
Graduate or law school remained a possibility , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my thoughts .
The Korean War was raging and every day there were new directives on how you could or couldn ’ t avoid the draft .
After I graduated from NYU with a BA degree , a family friend got me a job in a defense plant .
While the job got me exempted from the draft , I remember cutting aluminum blocks with a band saw and doing it badly .
The days there were numbered .
The draft board was tightening the noose around my neck .
I quit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US Army pre-induction medical exam .
In spite of complaining of poor health at every station , I passed and was waiting for the letter of “ Greetings ” from the US Army .
And then a stroke of luck .
The US Air Force was having a tough time recruiting Flight Personnel .
Potential applicants didn ’ t want to be stuck with an enlistment period of four years if they flunked out of flight training .
To attract these folks , recruiters came up with a two-year enlistment plan .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to enlist in the Air Force as an Aviation Cadet .
Milliard Reading Pillo ... Best Price : $ 28.74 Buy New $ 34.99 It was interesting how quickly my general health improved as I breezed through the very same physical exam I had almost failed just weeks earlier .
On the other hand , it was disappointing to wash out of flight training due to a problem with depth perception , but my Air Force career , although short , was with some distinction .
I earned a 3rd stripe in less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time .
More important , my term in the Air Force was only two years .
My first semester at NYU Law School started days after my release from active duty , but I knew from day one that I was not to be a lawyer .
In spite of family pressures , law was not my calling .
After dropping out of law school , leaving NYC seemed appropriate .
While in the Air Force , I saw much of the US and learned that there was more than NYC .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ help wanted ad , I hired on with a company whose clients were suffering losses due to employee theft and inefficiency .
After a short training course , I became an industrial spy .
Only top management knew my identity .
I had two assignments , both in department stores , one in Rochester , New York , and the other in Dayton , Ohio .
I uncovered “ crimes ” involving buyers who received “ gifts ” and provided false inventory figures .
I thought I was headed for a great career @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that my next assignment was to infiltrate a Mid-West industrial plant allegedly infected with gambling and drugs .
I turned the assignment down and decided to accept a job offer from Reed ’ s , a chain of women ’ s millinery stores .
It wasn ’ t as interesting as the industrial spy job , but my chances of survival were better .
What made the hat shop job appealing was that my territory would cover the Old South from the Virginias and the Carolinas to Alabama and Louisiana .
After years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the South , there was an opening in the company ’ s California territory .
Moving to a suburb south of San Francisco in 1958 was irresistible .
My base was in San Mateo County ’ s new regional shopping center and nearby was a Coin Shop geared toward collectors .
I soon befriended the owner .
Within three months I evolved from a coin-collecting customer to becoming his partner .
For a while I split my time between both businesses , but I knew I would have to decide upon one or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy deciding between the security of the old-line retail firm or the risk of going on my own .
I chose to go out on my own .
I never had time to suffer any remorse .
Incidentally , the security of Reed ’ s was an illusion .
Two years after I sold my first gold coin , they were out of business .
The coin business placed me in the middle of the most amazing monetary revolution .
For the first time in America ’ s history , silver was removed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were no longer to be honored .
Camino Coin became an integral part of what followed ; the disappearance from circulation of the silver coins and the change in regulation allowing the trading of gold .
Camino Coin earned a solid reputation in the industry .
I am very proud of that .
Surviving since 1959 is an accomplishment in itself .
This led inexorably to wanting to know more .
More about money : more about the history of money .
Ultimately , I discovered the writings of Murray Rothbard .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man and this changed my life forever .
I became a passenger on Murray ’ s freedom train .
My fate was sealed when I met Lew Rockwell in 1980 .
The rest of the story you probably know , or can figure out .
The Best of Burton S. Blumert

I was born (a few months before the Crash) at 4:20 PM on February 11, 1929, in the Crotona Park Hospital, the Bronx, New York. My mother: a pert 20-year-old, my father, 26, a bon vivant. Both were homegrown New Yorkers, and I would be an only child. From a poor family, Goldie was eldest of four. The youngest of three, Max was doted on by his parents and sisters. He would remain “spoiled” his entire life. My paternal grandfather earned $10,000 per year as a designer of women’s clothes. Actually, with sketchbook in hand, he shopped the show windows of Manhattan’s finer stores, and “stole” the latest fashions with his pad. Within hours, inexpensive “knock-offs” were being manufactured and destined for department stores all over the nation. Grandpa Jake’s skills kept him well paid and in demand until his mid-80’s.Unlike most young couples that were forced to live in cramped quarters with their parents, my folks rented an airy, bright apartment in a brand new building on the Grand Concourse in the Bronx. For young middle-class Jews moving up, this was the place to be. I’m told that parts of the Grand Concourse remain a prestige address to this day. It seemed likely that the Bronx would have been the permanent home for the young Blumerts, but then, when I was four-years-old, my sunny childhood was disrupted. I would reach adulthood before I learned the details of what had happened. Max had developed a great respect and affection for the young Italian mobsters and their family affiliations in the Bronx. One night, after closing the speakeasy he worked in, he witnessed the murder of a Mafia family member. The Bronx DA sought my father as a material witness. Fortunately, Max’s “pals” gave him the opportunity to quietly disappear “on the lam” rather than have him face a more predictable and grisly fate. That wasn’t so good for my mother and me. For the next three to four years, I have vague and unpleasant flashes of us moving from one place to another. Finally, we wound up living in a grungy, furnished flat in Brooklyn Heights. To this day I despise beaded room dividers. Most likely, Max spent those years in Cleveland, and I recall speaking to him on the phone once or twice. Bagels, Barry Bonds, a... Burton S. Blumert Best Price: $9.29 Buy New $7.34 (as of 07:55 UTC - Details) I don’t know where the money was coming from, but my mother always seemed to have cash. Eventually, it was safe for Max to come back to New York, but, the Bronx remained off limits, and we became a Brooklyn family. I spent eight years in public grammar school with the same 32 kids. They were all Jews, except the Italian janitor’s kid. The teachers were mostly Irish, and the school principal, Miss Joanna Becker, was a magnificent, and imposing German spinster. We didn’t know it at the time, but our education was rigorous and first rate. After all, this was the 1930’s, the depth of the Depression, and jobs were scarce. The New York City school system attracted the best. A teacher’s job was a plum. On to four years of high school. Although my grades were good, there was always a group of girls who were at the top. I easily won entrance to Washington Square College, NYU. NYU was a private school and few parents could afford the tuition. At the time most of the kids who continued their education attended the free city colleges, like CCNY. Can you imagine having Greenwich Village as your campus? The Village was a cultural treasure with creative people everywhere. While walking on the busy streets, I encountered important writers daily. Poetess and critic Eda Lou Walton taught my American Lit. course, and the American Prima Ballerina Maria Tallchief sat next to me at the coffee house. (How could I not fall in love with her?) My parents read books and were high-school graduates, but I was not prepared for the culture shock I faced in the classroom and on the Village streets. The art and genius of Western Civilization was overcoming my senses. I became a giant sponge absorbing everything, but retaining little. I was an adolescent with little guidance. Several teachers tried to help. Poetess Eda Lou Walton made a mark on my life with her friendship, and I think of her when I talk to young people today. I remember my last year at NYU. Graduate or law school remained a possibility, but it was the draft that occupied most of my thoughts. The Korean War was raging and every day there were new directives on how you could or couldn’t avoid the draft. After I graduated from NYU with a BA degree, a family friend got me a job in a defense plant. While the job got me exempted from the draft, I remember cutting aluminum blocks with a band saw and doing it badly. The days there were numbered. The draft board was tightening the noose around my neck. I quit the defense plant and was soon taking a US Army pre-induction medical exam. In spite of complaining of poor health at every station, I passed and was waiting for the letter of “Greetings” from the US Army. And then a stroke of luck. The US Air Force was having a tough time recruiting Flight Personnel. Potential applicants didn’t want to be stuck with an enlistment period of four years if they flunked out of flight training. To attract these folks, recruiters came up with a two-year enlistment plan. I was first in line that next morning to enlist in the Air Force as an Aviation Cadet. Milliard Reading Pillo... Best Price: $28.74 Buy New $34.99 (as of 09:27 UTC - Details) It was interesting how quickly my general health improved as I breezed through the very same physical exam I had almost failed just weeks earlier. On the other hand, it was disappointing to wash out of flight training due to a problem with depth perception, but my Air Force career, although short, was with some distinction. I earned a 3rd stripe in less than 14 months, a record at the time. More important, my term in the Air Force was only two years. My first semester at NYU Law School started days after my release from active duty, but I knew from day one that I was not to be a lawyer. In spite of family pressures, law was not my calling. After dropping out of law school, leaving NYC seemed appropriate. While in the Air Force, I saw much of the US and learned that there was more than NYC. Answering a “blind” NY Times help wanted ad, I hired on with a company whose clients were suffering losses due to employee theft and inefficiency. After a short training course, I became an industrial spy. Only top management knew my identity. I had two assignments, both in department stores, one in Rochester, New York, and the other in Dayton, Ohio. I uncovered “crimes” involving buyers who received “gifts” and provided false inventory figures. I thought I was headed for a great career with the firm until I was told that my next assignment was to infiltrate a Mid-West industrial plant allegedly infected with gambling and drugs. I turned the assignment down and decided to accept a job offer from Reed’s, a chain of women’s millinery stores. It wasn’t as interesting as the industrial spy job, but my chances of survival were better. What made the hat shop job appealing was that my territory would cover the Old South from the Virginias and the Carolinas to Alabama and Louisiana.
After years of working for Reed’s in the South, there was an opening in the company’s California territory. Moving to a suburb south of San Francisco in 1958 was irresistible. My base was in San Mateo County’s new regional shopping center and nearby was a Coin Shop geared toward collectors. I soon befriended the owner. Within three months I evolved from a coin-collecting customer to becoming his partner. For a while I split my time between both businesses, but I knew I would have to decide upon one or the other. It wasn’t easy deciding between the security of the old-line retail firm or the risk of going on my own. I chose to go out on my own. I never had time to suffer any remorse. Incidentally, the security of Reed’s was an illusion. Two years after I sold my first gold coin, they were out of business. The coin business placed me in the middle of the most amazing monetary revolution. For the first time in America’s history, silver was removed from the coinage, and Silver Certificates were no longer to be honored. Camino Coin became an integral part of what followed; the disappearance from circulation of the silver coins and the change in regulation allowing the trading of gold. Camino Coin earned a solid reputation in the industry. I am very proud of that. Surviving since 1959 is an accomplishment in itself. This led inexorably to wanting to know more. More about money: more about the history of money. Ultimately, I discovered the writings of Murray Rothbard. In 1973, I would meet the great man and this changed my life forever. I became a passenger on Murray’s freedom train. My fate was sealed when I met Lew Rockwell in 1980. The rest of the story you probably know, or can figure out.
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The Best of Burton S. Blumert


lewrockwell--2020-04-02--The Newspeaking ‘Free’ Press

The Newspeaking ‘Free’ Press

The woman on the street can have a hard time understanding what some journalists think free speech is these days .
Craig Aaron is the president and CEO of an organization known as “ Free Press ” .
Visiting the “ about ” section on that website turns up this quote describing their mission statement : “ Free Press ( 501c3 ) and Free Press Action Fund ( 501c4 ) are two separate , autonomous and interrelated organizations .
Both organizations are completely independent : We don ’ t take money from business , government or political parties and rely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ individual donors to fuel our work.
” On March 24th , Mr. Aaron had an article published on The Columbia Journalism Review ’ s website , under the title , “ Journalism Needs a Stimulus .
Here ’ s What it Should Look Like ” .
Like Commodus in Gladiator , the reading public could be a little hazy , the two ideas don ’ t seem to jibe .
Here ’ s a citation from Aaron ’ s article : Weekly Pill Organizer ... Buy New $ 9.99 “ Free Press , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead , champions structural solutions to the news business ’ s dire financial problems .
We ’ ve long campaigned for more federal and state support for public media , opposed media consolidation , and argued that journalism is too important to democracy to be left to the whims of the market.
” But , if not the “ whims of the market , ” what whims are we supposed to go by ?
It is possible not to see a contradiction going on .
The specific organization known as Free Press doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are told , but that doesn ’ t mean news writers shouldn ’ t get them .
So who , exactly , makes up this “ free press , ” that has to rely on public largesse to remain free ?
Aaron , along with a lot of fellow travelers , don ’ t know why anyone has a question here .
Looking around the internet there doesn ’ t seem to be any shortage of people willing to tell us what they see going on around them in the world .
Private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
That , kind of whimsically , deprives these sources of revenue in spite of “ the market.
” Readers who know their way around this turf probably figured out these are not the deserving mendicants Mssr .
Aaron plugs for in the CJR piece , even if he hadn ’ t said so .
How does Aaron plan to decide who gets government checks ?
Who will be doing the qualifying ?
“ Any recovery package should include at least $ 2 billion over the next two years to fund newsroom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage .
These could be daily newspapers , community papers , or alt-weeklies ( which are in bad trouble ) .
The immediate priority is keeping outlets in business and workers on the payroll .
Direct , emergency subsidies of say $ 25,000 per newsgathering position could make sure reporters everywhere stay on the local COVID beat .
Just $ 625 million would help retain 25,000 newsroom jobs .
Over the next two years , as coverage of both the health and economic crises continues , Congress could offer deferred or no-interest business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future .
Another sensible approach could be through tax credits , in which the government picks up a significant part of the tab for newsroom staff wages through the end of 2021 .
An Emergency Jobs for Journalism Tax Credit could offer $ 40,000 per newsroom employee hired during the remainder of calendar year 2020 ; the tax credit would apply through the end of 2021.
” An age-old complaint about ultra-equality is that it always leaves some people more equal than everybody else .
The most important part of free speech , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same chance to be heard .
If you pay certain people they end up with quite an edge in the game .
That ’ s how we heard of Mencken , Hemingway , Pyle , Bly , Patterson , West , Crane and a lot of other writers .
But their publisher ’ s had to be making money before these legends got checks .
Now Supplements , L-Opt ... Best Price : null Buy New $ 6.32 ( $ 0.06 / Count ) The question is whether or not privileged classes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Anyone who ’ s delved into the subject lately knows some will answer a definite yes .
It ’ s not hard to guess where they come from .
A substantial number of people published in mainstream organs in recent years implicitly take the term “ press ” from the first amendment , in the phrase “ or abridging the freedom of speech , or of the press , ” to mean an entitled class .
They openly oppose the idea of a machine , like a laptop , that anyone with access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas .
Where does this leave the consumer ?
Paying people who fail in the marketplace of ideas with funds exacted from the public , while barring people who don ’ t , is an oddly new conception of freedom .
Neither the Columbia Journalism Review , nor The Free Press , websites have comment sections .
Many news media sites don ’ t but there is a difference in mid-demand to tap taxpayers .
It ’ s just another sign of an intention to talk down to subjects who can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bombshell Nicole Kidman , playing Gretchen Carlson , complains of being bullied on social media , it ’ s a whine that ’ s become all too common from people who want to be public figures without consequences .
The audience needs to dummy up so that celebrity bliss goes untrammeled .
John Lithgrow ’ s ( as Roger Ailes ) response is the punchiest line in the film : “ That ’ s not bullying you moron .
Bullying is when a more powerful person abuses a less powerful person .
These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ got a goddamn TV show.
” The winners of Mr. Aaron ’ s competition do not necessarily get a TV show .
They would get a voice , however low , to reach a broader audience that is not available to others .
Who gets heard is a choice safely left in the hands of the listening market .
The government already has an enormous army of spokespersons , websites and coercive angles to get their points across .
A monologue fueled by entitled scolds on the public dole , to “ inform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sounds like the pipe dream of Mephistopheles .
It ’ s only slightly stunning how many sadists in the 4th Estate he ’ s got dreaming with him .
Ester-C Vitamin C 1000 ... Buy New $ 11.95 ( $ 0.10 / Count ) Ground Up Organics Lip ... Buy New $ 19.99 ( $ 0.11 / Count ) The Best of Tim Hartnett

The woman on the street can have a hard time understanding what some journalists think free speech is these days. Craig Aaron is the president and CEO of an organization known as “Free Press”. Visiting the “about” section on that website turns up this quote describing their mission statement:
“Free Press (501c3) and Free Press Action Fund (501c4) are two separate, autonomous and interrelated organizations. Both organizations are completely independent: We don’t take money from business, government or political parties and rely on the generosity of charitable foundations and individual donors to fuel our work.”
On March 24th, Mr. Aaron had an article published on The Columbia Journalism Review’s website, under the title, “Journalism Needs a Stimulus. Here’s What it Should Look Like”. Like Commodus in Gladiator, the reading public could be a little hazy, the two ideas don’t seem to jibe. Here’s a citation from Aaron’s article: Weekly Pill Organizer ... Buy New $9.99 (as of 09:24 UTC - Details)
“Free Press, the independent, nonprofit advocacy organization I lead, champions structural solutions to the news business’s dire financial problems. We’ve long campaigned for more federal and state support for public media, opposed media consolidation, and argued that journalism is too important to democracy to be left to the whims of the market.”
But, if not the “whims of the market,” what whims are we supposed to go by? It is possible not to see a contradiction going on. The specific organization known as Free Press doesn’t take government handouts, we are told, but that doesn’t mean news writers shouldn’t get them. So who, exactly, makes up this “free press,” that has to rely on public largesse to remain free? Aaron, along with a lot of fellow travelers, don’t know why anyone has a question here. Looking around the internet there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of people willing to tell us what they see going on around them in the world. Private online media giants have deplatformed many of them. That, kind of whimsically, deprives these sources of revenue in spite of “the market.” Readers who know their way around this turf probably figured out these are not the deserving mendicants Mssr. Aaron plugs for in the CJR piece, even if he hadn’t said so.
How does Aaron plan to decide who gets government checks? Who will be doing the qualifying?
“Any recovery package should include at least $2 billion over the next two years to fund newsroom jobs at commercial outlets committed to local coverage. These could be daily newspapers, community papers, or alt-weeklies (which are in bad trouble). The immediate priority is keeping outlets in business and workers on the payroll. Direct, emergency subsidies of say $25,000 per newsgathering position could make sure reporters everywhere stay on the local COVID beat. Just $625 million would help retain 25,000 newsroom jobs.
Over the next two years, as coverage of both the health and economic crises continues, Congress could offer deferred or no-interest business loans that could be repaid in the future. Another sensible approach could be through tax credits, in which the government picks up a significant part of the tab for newsroom staff wages through the end of 2021. An Emergency Jobs for Journalism Tax Credit could offer $40,000 per newsroom employee hired during the remainder of calendar year 2020; the tax credit would apply through the end of 2021.”
An age-old complaint about ultra-equality is that it always leaves some people more equal than everybody else. The most important part of free speech, I always thought, was giving everybody the same chance to be heard. If you pay certain people they end up with quite an edge in the game. That’s how we heard of Mencken, Hemingway, Pyle, Bly, Patterson, West, Crane and a lot of other writers. But their publisher’s had to be making money before these legends got checks. Now Supplements, L-Opt... Buy New $6.32 ($0.06 / Count) (as of 07:55 UTC - Details)
The question is whether or not privileged classes are ordained by the first amendment? Anyone who’s delved into the subject lately knows some will answer a definite yes. It’s not hard to guess where they come from. A substantial number of people published in mainstream organs in recent years implicitly take the term “press” from the first amendment, in the phrase “or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press,” to mean an entitled class. They openly oppose the idea of a machine, like a laptop, that anyone with access is free to use to widely disseminate ideas. Where does this leave the consumer? Paying people who fail in the marketplace of ideas with funds exacted from the public, while barring people who don’t, is an oddly new conception of freedom.
Neither the Columbia Journalism Review, nor The Free Press, websites have comment sections. Many news media sites don’t but there is a difference in mid-demand to tap taxpayers. It’s just another sign of an intention to talk down to subjects who can’t talk back up.
In the movie Bombshell Nicole Kidman, playing Gretchen Carlson, complains of being bullied on social media, it’s a whine that’s become all too common from people who want to be public figures without consequences. The audience needs to dummy up so that celebrity bliss goes untrammeled. John Lithgrow’s (as Roger Ailes) response is the punchiest line in the film: “That’s not bullying you moron. Bullying is when a more powerful person abuses a less powerful person. These assholes have cellphones, you’ve got a goddamn TV show.”
The winners of Mr. Aaron’s competition do not necessarily get a TV show. They would get a voice, however low, to reach a broader audience that is not available to others. Who gets heard is a choice safely left in the hands of the listening market. The government already has an enormous army of spokespersons, websites and coercive angles to get their points across. A monologue fueled by entitled scolds on the public dole, to “inform” us all as they please, sounds like the pipe dream of Mephistopheles. It’s only slightly stunning how many sadists in the 4th Estate he’s got dreaming with him.
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The Best of Tim Hartnett


Fooled

Anyone with some basic knowledge in mathematical modeling who had taken a look at the structure of the “ Imperial College ” -model would have noted the faults of this approach and its exaggerations .
The model ’ s prognosis that the United Kingdom would have to count with more than half a million deaths and a complete overload of its health system reversed the British government ’ s earlier decision to use prudential surveillance and specifically targeted intervention and to shift to the full-control strategy , which required massive intervention into the public and private life of the nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were somewhat still in doubt jumped on the bandwagon and the march into a tyrannical State was programmed .
It was too late when the authors of the model finally revised their original estimate from 500 thousand to 20 thousand and later on lowered this number even more .
The governments had already set into motion their emergency plans .
Dissolving Illusions : ... Suzanne Humphries MD , ... Best Price : $ 19.24 Buy New $ 17.17 After declaring the coronavirus a pandemic by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were set into motion and the state agencies followed the procedures that were prescribed by the International Health Regulations ( IHR ) as the international legal instrument that is binding on 196 countries across the globe , including all the Member States of WHO .
Even now , months after the outbreak of the virus , the true size of the threat remains unclear .
The quantitative basis is still too small to make a reliable projection .
If the modelers and the responsible government bodies had looked at the basic numbers instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would have noticed that there has been no noticeable rise of the death rate .
A look at the overall death statistics shows flat lines with fluctuations within its natural range .
Even in Italy , there has not yet been a higher number of deaths than usual in the past couple of months .
In absolute numbers , the death count is actually slightly down because of the seasonal factor that wintertime is over .
Figure 1 : Pooled number of deaths in reporting countries for age groups The point to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increased mortality rate in specific areas of Italy yet in relative terms the heightened frequency of deaths is not strong enough to show up in the national statistics .
The epicenter of the virus outbreak in Italy is concentrated in its Northern part and there in specific cities .
The overall reported death toll of COVID-19 does not appear in a significant measure beyond earlier peaks .
( Figure 2 ) .
Deadly Medicines and O ... Peter Gotzsche Best Price : $ 38.43 Buy New $ 33.29 What makes the coronavirus crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the reaction to the outbreak .
Out of fear that the epidemic would get out of control and that the health care systems would be over-fraught with cases , governments in Europe , the United States and in many other countries implanted measures to ward off the spread of the coronavirus .
The amazing thing with the reaction is how in unison this was done and how drastic the measures are .
When the WHO triggered the alarm bell , governments that had treaties in place to act according to pre-established plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” virtually locked-up large parts of the population of whole countries and brought their economies to a standstill .
As a consequence , many people suffer from paranoia because of the existential fears that come when economically active people see the source of their incomes vanish and the elderly have to watch how the savings in their pension accounts melts down or when getting sick are put away to eventually die alone in a hospital because visits even of their close relatives are prohibited .
If there had been no media hype about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not resorted to drastic measures in foolish obeyance and submission to the commands by the World Health Organization , hardly anyone beyond some specialists probably would have noticed the coronavirus .
Mutations of viruses happen all of the time and most of them do not do more harm than the influenza virus .
The family of coronavirus is very large and its existence has been known since the 1960s .
Battlefield America : T ... John W. Whitehead Best Price : $ 10.95 Buy New $ 18.80 Bound by their international legal obligations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governments began to implement ever harsher measures to contain the virus and “ flatten the curve ” of its dissemination .
The media helped to create a reality of its own as Niklas Luhmann had shown in his sociological studies with the difference between the “ imagined reality ” of the media ( Medienwirklichkeit ) and the reality of life ( Lebenswirklichkeit ) .
Governments succumbed to the World Health Organization , were brought under the spell of the public hysteria and fell hostage to the medical-industrial complex , whose political arm is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a role to act as a kind of world government .
In order to justify their draconian measures , governments claim that their policy is about “ saving lives ” .
Yet there is no way “ to save lives ” for good .
The best we can do is to gain a little more time to live and to avoid an early death .
Therefore , the question is not whether to save lives or not , but by which measures we will gain more years or may lose time to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , those who thereby avoid contagion will gain a few more years .
On the other hand , because of the shutdown , millions of people will lose many years of their lifetime .
Make your choice .
Not the coronavirus will ruin us you but the coming recession and if the recession does not ruin us , the hyperinflation combined with a depression will do .
It is as if the Tower had given the command to the pilot to turn off the engines of the airplane in mid-air because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ danger at the destination airport .
We do not know whether the number of infected will decrease because of the measures that are in place now , but we can be certain that the number of suicides , divorces , alcoholics , indebted , impoverished and bankrupt persons will increase .
In a historical perspective , we are currently not experiencing anything new or unusual , and the general human hysteria is nothing other than what has been experienced many times in history .
But this should not make us complacent .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychosis that brings down the fools and wise equally .
Politics always wins .
When this panic is over as the rate of contagions slows down and the death toll does no longer rise , governments will claim that this is so because of their measures even when , in fact , these were unnecessary from the beginning and the infection rate would have fallen anyway .
What ’ s going on ?
Not a deadly disease is the threat but the global hysteria .
If the panic should continue , millions will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the economic breakdown .
War Is a Force that Gi ... Hedges , Chris Best Price : $ 1.25 Buy New $ 4.04 The panic has no basis in the facts .
There are emergencies , but they are locally concentrated such as in specific cities in a specific region of Italy .
More than a quarter of the world has opted to lock in their populations and shutdown their economies , among them many European countries , the United States , Canada , and Australia .
While this may slow down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bring down our capacity to deal with our other needs , including the provision of medicine .
No-one knows for sure how deadly the coronavirus really is .
The perceived path of contagion is a projection .
This will also be the case with a future appearance of new viruses and their modification .
Sooner or later , when COVID-19 is over , COVID-20 will show up and thereafter COVID-21 will come .
Our wants are always manifold and therefore require a trade-off .
The idea of “ saving lives ” as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gain such prominence in a society that has lost its touch with the elementary truths of human existence .

Anyone with some basic knowledge in mathematical modeling who had taken a look at the structure of the “Imperial College”-model would have noted the faults of this approach and its exaggerations. The model’s prognosis that the United Kingdom would have to count with more than half a million deaths and a complete overload of its health system reversed the British government’s earlier decision to use prudential surveillance and specifically targeted intervention and to shift to the full-control strategy, which required massive intervention into the public and private life of the nation. The leaders of other countries that were somewhat still in doubt jumped on the bandwagon and the march into a tyrannical State was programmed.
It was too late when the authors of the model finally revised their original estimate from 500 thousand to 20 thousand and later on lowered this number even more. The governments had already set into motion their emergency plans.
Dissolving Illusions: ... Bystrianyk, Roman Best Price: $38.50 Buy New $21.60 (as of 11:00 UTC - Details) After declaring the coronavirus a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), agendas that had been prepared years ago were set into motion and the state agencies followed the procedures that were prescribed by the International Health Regulations (IHR) as the international legal instrument that is binding on 196 countries across the globe, including all the Member States of WHO.
Even now, months after the outbreak of the virus, the true size of the threat remains unclear. The quantitative basis is still too small to make a reliable projection.
If the modelers and the responsible government bodies had looked at the basic numbers instead of elaborating an apparently sophisticated model, they would have noticed that there has been no noticeable rise of the death rate. A look at the overall death statistics shows flat lines with fluctuations within its natural range. Even in Italy, there has not yet been a higher number of deaths than usual in the past couple of months. In absolute numbers, the death count is actually slightly down because of the seasonal factor that wintertime is over.
Figure 1: Pooled number of deaths in reporting countries for age groups
Source: European mortality bulletin week 12, 2020
The point to note is that there has been an increased mortality rate in specific areas of Italy yet in relative terms the heightened frequency of deaths is not strong enough to show up in the national statistics. The epicenter of the virus outbreak in Italy is concentrated in its Northern part and there in specific cities. The overall reported death toll of COVID-19 does not appear in a significant measure beyond earlier peaks. (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Weekly z-score total by country
Source: European mortality bulletin week 12, 2020
Deadly Medicines and O... Peter Gotzsche Best Price: $38.43 Buy New $33.29 (as of 07:20 UTC - Details) What makes the coronavirus crisis special is not the number of deaths but the reaction to the outbreak. Out of fear that the epidemic would get out of control and that the health care systems would be over-fraught with cases, governments in Europe, the United States and in many other countries implanted measures to ward off the spread of the coronavirus.
The amazing thing with the reaction is how in unison this was done and how drastic the measures are. When the WHO triggered the alarm bell, governments that had treaties in place to act according to pre-established plans in the case of declared “pandemic” virtually locked-up large parts of the population of whole countries and brought their economies to a standstill. As a consequence, many people suffer from paranoia because of the existential fears that come when economically active people see the source of their incomes vanish and the elderly have to watch how the savings in their pension accounts melts down or when getting sick are put away to eventually die alone in a hospital because visits even of their close relatives are prohibited.
If there had been no media hype about the coronavirus and if the governments had not resorted to drastic measures in foolish obeyance and submission to the commands by the World Health Organization, hardly anyone beyond some specialists probably would have noticed the coronavirus. Mutations of viruses happen all of the time and most of them do not do more harm than the influenza virus. The family of coronavirus is very large and its existence has been known since the 1960s. Battlefield America: T... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $10.95 Buy New $18.80 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details)
Bound by their international legal obligations and confronted with a media hype, governments began to implement ever harsher measures to contain the virus and “flatten the curve” of its dissemination. The media helped to create a reality of its own as Niklas Luhmann had shown in his sociological studies with the difference between the “imagined reality” of the media (Medienwirklichkeit) and the reality of life (Lebenswirklichkeit).
Governments succumbed to the World Health Organization, were brought under the spell of the public hysteria and fell hostage to the medical-industrial complex, whose political arm is the WHO and which rapidly has assumed a role to act as a kind of world government.
In order to justify their draconian measures, governments claim that their policy is about “saving lives”. Yet there is no way “to save lives” for good. The best we can do is to gain a little more time to live and to avoid an early death. Therefore, the question is not whether to save lives or not, but by which measures we will gain more years or may lose time to live. When we close down the economy, those who thereby avoid contagion will gain a few more years. On the other hand, because of the shutdown, millions of people will lose many years of their lifetime. Make your choice.
Not the coronavirus will ruin us you but the coming recession and if the recession does not ruin us, the hyperinflation combined with a depression will do. It is as if the Tower had given the command to the pilot to turn off the engines of the airplane in mid-air because of the presumption that there might be some unknown danger at the destination airport.
We do not know whether the number of infected will decrease because of the measures that are in place now, but we can be certain that the number of suicides, divorces, alcoholics, indebted, impoverished and bankrupt persons will increase.
In a historical perspective, we are currently not experiencing anything new or unusual, and the general human hysteria is nothing other than what has been experienced many times in history. But this should not make us complacent. The hype of public opinion creates a mass psychosis that brings down the fools and wise equally.
Politics always wins. When this panic is over as the rate of contagions slows down and the death toll does no longer rise, governments will claim that this is so because of their measures even when, in fact, these were unnecessary from the beginning and the infection rate would have fallen anyway.
What’s going on? Not a deadly disease is the threat but the global hysteria. If the panic should continue, millions will die, not from COVID-19 but from the economic breakdown. War Is a Force that Gi... Hedges, Chris Best Price: $1.25 Buy New $4.04 (as of 01:05 UTC - Details)
The panic has no basis in the facts. There are emergencies, but they are locally concentrated such as in specific cities in a specific region of Italy. More than a quarter of the world has opted to lock in their populations and shutdown their economies, among them many European countries, the United States, Canada, and Australia. While this may slow down the spread of the contagion, it will bring down our capacity to deal with our other needs, including the provision of medicine.
No-one knows for sure how deadly the coronavirus really is. The perceived path of contagion is a projection. This will also be the case with a future appearance of new viruses and their modification. Sooner or later, when COVID-19 is over, COVID-20 will show up and thereafter COVID-21 will come.
Our wants are always manifold and therefore require a trade-off. The idea of “saving lives” as an absolute good is absurd and can only gain such prominence in a society that has lost its touch with the elementary truths of human existence.
This originally appeared on Medium.com.