lewrockwell--2020-10-23--Fourth Generation War Comes to a Theater Near You

Mobs loot , burn , and vandalize while politicians advocate defunding the police .
A commune was established in Seattle and turned into Lord of the Flies while government did nothing .
Blacks demand equal treatment from police despite a violent crime rate many times greater than that of whites , and mainstream media will not report honestly the differences in crime rates .
“ Wokeness ” spreads among idle youth who flunked English 101 .
What is going on ?
What is going on , right here on American soil , is war ; a new kind of war @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by entities other than states .
I call it Fourth Generation War and , to paraphrase Leon Trotsky , you may not be interested in Fourth Generation War—but it is interested in you .
In the 1980s , when working with the Marine Corps , I came up with an intellectual framework I call the Four Generations of Modern War .
Military historian Martin van Creveld ’ s books The Rise and Decline of the State and The Transformation of War are foundational works in my framework , which flows from one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the rise of the state .
4th Generation Warfare ... Thiele , Gregory A .
Best Price : $ 10.04 Buy New $ 11.98 The Four Generations framework begins in 1648 , when in the Peace of Westphalia the state claimed and subsequently enforced a monopoly on war .
This seems automatic to us today ; war means armies , navies , and air forces of a state or an alliance of states fighting similar armed forces belonging to other states .
But war ’ s definition was not always so narrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of entities fought wars : families ( think of the Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet ) , clans , tribes , races , religions , and even business enterprises .
India was conquered not by Great Britain , but by the British East India Company , a business with an army and a fleet .
They used many different tools to fight ; for the most part , armies and navies as we know them did not exist .
Fighters ranged from every male able to carry a weapon , through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kitchen , to highly specialized mercenaries who hired themselves out to anyone with cash .
The Grimaldis , whose descendents still rule Monaco , got their start as galley fleet entrepreneurs .
People fought for many different reasons , not just raison d ’ état ( political reasons ) .
They fought for eternal salvation , for slaves to sell , for booty , for land , for pay , and because young men with idle hands like to fight—and the local women liked fighters .
War flowed not like the Arno but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Transformation of ... Van Creveld , Martin Best Price : $ 10.00 Buy New $ 50.84 The state , as it arose beginning around the year 1500 , gradually put an end to this .
The state came to impose and sustain order and the safety of persons and property .
War not made by states threatened that order .
So , the state rounded up the non-state fighters and hanged them from the nearest tree , to the loud huzzahs of the population .
The First Generation War ran from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 19th century .
I discuss this period in detail in my book co-authored with Lt. Col. Gregory A. Thiele , 4th Generation Warfare Handbook ( 2015 ) .
It was a time characterized by tactics of line and column , which led to ( for the most part ) orderly battlefields which led in turn to a military culture of order .
That culture continues in almost all state armed forces today .
That ’ s a problem , because starting in the mid-19th century the battlefield became steadily more disorderly .
Part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ often lose against rag-tag opponents is that they have in effect one foot on the dock and one foot on the boat .

Mobs loot, burn, and vandalize while politicians advocate defunding the police. A commune was established in Seattle and turned into Lord of the Flies while government did nothing. Blacks demand equal treatment from police despite a violent crime rate many times greater than that of whites, and mainstream media will not report honestly the differences in crime rates. “Wokeness” spreads among idle youth who flunked English 101. What is going on?
What is going on, right here on American soil, is war; a new kind of war that is also very old, waged by entities other than states. I call it Fourth Generation War and, to paraphrase Leon Trotsky, you may not be interested in Fourth Generation War—but it is interested in you.
In the 1980s, when working with the Marine Corps, I came up with an intellectual framework I call the Four Generations of Modern War. Military historian Martin van Creveld’s books The Rise and Decline of the State and The Transformation of War are foundational works in my framework, which flows from one of the defining elements of the modern age, the rise of the state. 4th Generation Warfare... Thiele, Gregory A. Best Price: $10.04 Buy New $11.98 (as of 05:28 UTC - Details)
The Four Generations framework begins in 1648, when in the Peace of Westphalia the state claimed and subsequently enforced a monopoly on war. This seems automatic to us today; war means armies, navies, and air forces of a state or an alliance of states fighting similar armed forces belonging to other states.
But war’s definition was not always so narrow. Before Westphalia, many different kinds of entities fought wars: families (think of the Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet), clans, tribes, races, religions, and even business enterprises. India was conquered not by Great Britain, but by the British East India Company, a business with an army and a fleet. They used many different tools to fight; for the most part, armies and navies as we know them did not exist. Fighters ranged from every male able to carry a weapon, through poisoners inserted in a rival’s kitchen, to highly specialized mercenaries who hired themselves out to anyone with cash. The Grimaldis, whose descendents still rule Monaco, got their start as galley fleet entrepreneurs.
People fought for many different reasons, not just raison d’état (political reasons). They fought for eternal salvation, for slaves to sell, for booty, for land, for pay, and because young men with idle hands like to fight—and the local women liked fighters. War flowed not like the Arno but like the Everglades, slowly inundating everything. The Transformation of ... Van Creveld, Martin Best Price: $10.00 Buy New $50.84 (as of 05:28 UTC - Details)
The state, as it arose beginning around the year 1500, gradually put an end to this. The state came to impose and sustain order and the safety of persons and property. War not made by states threatened that order. So, the state rounded up the non-state fighters and hanged them from the nearest tree, to the loud huzzahs of the population.
The First Generation War ran from Westphalia to about the middle of the 19th century. I discuss this period in detail in my book co-authored with Lt. Col. Gregory A. Thiele, 4th Generation Warfare Handbook (2015). It was a time characterized by tactics of line and column, which led to (for the most part) orderly battlefields which led in turn to a military culture of order.
That culture continues in almost all state armed forces today. That’s a problem, because starting in the mid-19th century the battlefield became steadily more disorderly. Part of the reason state militaries now so often lose against rag-tag opponents is that they have in effect one foot on the dock and one foot on the boat.
Read the Whole Article


lewrockwell--2020-10-23--Forget About Human Rights and Freedom

Forget About Human Rights and Freedom

The story of human freedom is coming to an end .
We are in a great crisis as a species with madmen ( public health officials ) believing that we humans need to be controlled to control a virus that has killed few .
The head honchos of the world are having a field day with the rest of us .
They are letting the air out of the bag of freedom and laughing all the way to the bank .
That is just the beginning of the story .
In France , a teacher is beheaded for showing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech seminar .
It was a clear warning for the teaching staff who will have to shut up or perish .
In the Muslim order of things , infidels have no rights , no freedom , and they make sure of that when in power .
In terms of freedom of the press , this week ’ s hottest scandal is the Hunter and Joe Biden disgrace that last week was published by the New York Post .
Lies and treason are now exposed due to a hard drive that Hunter Biden left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ side of politics .
Rudy Giuliani said .
“ There ’ s some pretty disgusting things this family was involved with .
Really disgusting.
” Sodium Bicarbonate : Na ... Mark Sircus Best Price : $ 7.25 Buy New $ 10.32 The immediate censorship by social media giants Facebook and YouTube of a mainstream newspaper shows everyone how out of control Silicon Valley oligarchs are .
Twitter and Facebook took third-world style steps to limit the distribution of the story of a crime family whose head is running for president .
Calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Jack Dorcey are starting to be heard .
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham ( R-S.C. ) announced on Oct. 19 that the committee will consider subpoenas for the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook for testimony about the recent censorship .
Chris Martenson says , “ Social media has now been revealed to be run by petulant sociopaths , whose goal is for you to see what content they want you to see.
” For America and the world , the days leading up to the election will be telling .
Nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media dead set on shutting down conversations about the Biden family ’ s involvement with communist China .
The problem is the internet is no longer run like the free market .
There has been a corporate takeover of the web , as it ’ s become an oligopoly controlled by a handful of Big Tech companies .
What it comes down to is , “ Most American citizens don ’ t want a future where elections are decided by a Google search algorithm , where Mark Zuckerberg can render your business unprofitable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and where Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey decides whether you ’ re allowed a voice in the public square.
” But alas , according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Twitter ’ s crackdown “ nearly doubled ” the story ’ s visibility .
“ When Twitter banned , and then unbanned , they managed to do the opposite of what they intended , ” triggered a massive spike in interest in the story .
The headlines keep coming as the mainstream media ignores , downplays the New York Post bombshell on Hunter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turns Over Alleged Photos Of Underage Girls From Hunter ’ s Hard Drive To Delaware Police.
’ COVID-19 Crushes Freedom Even To Breathe Normally Transdermal Magnesium ... Mark Sircus Best Price : $ 8.61 Buy New $ 12.95 However , everyone has been concentrating on the COVID-19 scandal that is crushing human freedoms and destroying life as nothing in history ever has .
People worldwide are giving up their freedoms without a peep following pandemic policies that are not based on scientific research but on politics and ridiculous assumptions that have proven false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health scientists from around the world have signed a declaration against lockdowns put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 , saying the measures are causing “ irreparable damage , ” according to an online petition initially created by three epidemiologists from Harvard , Oxford , and Stanford .
The loss of freedom during this pandemic is profound .
We have even lost the freedom to breathe freely .
Dr. Margarite Griesz-Brisson MD , Ph.D. , a Neurologist , and Neurophysiologist , says , “ The rebreathing of our exhaled air will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flooding of carbon dioxide .
We know that the human brain is very sensitive to oxygen deprivation .
There are nerve cells , for example , in the hippocampus , which can ’ t be longer than 3 minutes without oxygen – they can not survive .
The acute warning symptoms are headaches , drowsiness , dizziness , issues in concentration , slowing down of the reaction time – reactions of the cognitive system .
“ However , when you have chronic oxygen deprivation , all of those symptoms disappear because you get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will remain impaired , and the undersupply of oxygen in your brain continues to progress.
” Meanwhile , Twitter has censored a White House coronavirus adviser for suggesting that widespread mask mandates were not a magical defense against the coronavirus .
The hidden tragedy of Covid-19 is about all the people being consigned to an early grave .
Government policies are doing everyone a great deal of harm , which is the understatement of the century .
Millions will starve , lose their homes and jobs , get depressed , and commit suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the absolute worst in human nature as Nazism and Bolshevism did .
Today even capitalism , the right kind that stimulates the individual spirit , has been replaced by big corporate fascism that crushes as many people as possible .
No one has the courage or power to stop the slide into the darkness where freedom and human rights no longer exist .
Hawaii “ Has Committed Suicide “ Hardly Anyone Is Sick , But We ’ re All Broke ” The gang of health authorities is deliberately and maliciously taking the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this maliciousness , going way beyond their right to tell people what to do .
Organizations like Facebook and Twitter do not care about freedom of speech .
They are shutting down the free press .
Democracy is being destroyed in western countries .
Those Who Are Used To Freedom Will Suffer The Most Healing With Iodine : Y ... Sircus , Mark Best Price : $ 14.87 Buy New $ 11.89 In Hong Kong , where a previously free society is being taken over by Communist China , the reports are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grip of an alarming rise in the number of young people struggling with emotional distress and suicidal ideation , while an increase in the suicide rate that predated COVID-19 appears to have worsened .
A newspaper ( infamously controlled by a Communist Party member and billionaire Chinese tech entrepreneur ) attributed these conditions to the pandemic .
Still , we suspect that Beijing ’ s brutal crackdown on dissent with its new national security law has contributed to general feelings of malaise in the tiny but densely populated metropolitan area .
Things are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we hear that Civilization Won ’ t Decline – It Will Collapse .
It has certainly brought us to the point where truth is treason .
It seems at least half of people prefer lies over truth , as the man-made global warming story continues to illustrate .
Our top health authorities have shown that they care more about creating the next massively profitable drug than they do about actually saving lives .
Chris Martenson Dov Fox , director of the Center for Health Law Policy and Bioethics at the University of San @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus is developed , you could be fined and even jailed for not getting it .
“ States can compel vaccinations in more or less intrusive ways .
They can limit access to schools or services or jobs if people don ’ t get vaccinated .
They could force them to pay a fine or even lock them up in jail.
” According to the elite , you have no right to earn a living , run a business , or exercise any other basic freedoms if the government arbitrarily decides a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Joe Jarvis Anti-Inflammatory Oxyg ... Mark Sircus Best Price : $ 9.81 Buy New $ 10.09 It ’ s a difficult time for anyone who clings to the idea that freedom means the right to think for yourself and act responsibly according to your best judgment .
Freedom is trashed as health officials and politicians take it upon themselves to save the world by destroying it .
The question each of us needs to ask ourselves , and one another , is why do we get so much misinformation about Covid from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and press prostitutes ?
Paul Craig Roberts With COVID-19 cases ( not actual infections , most are false positives ) surging in much of Europe , governments continue to impose greater measures aimed at curbing a second wave .
Switzerland announced mask mandates and banned large-scale public gatherings , while Belgium tightened restrictions and curfews , with its health minister warning of a “ coronavirus tsunami.
” Elsewhere , Italy approved fresh anti-coronavirus controls , Ireland was set to approve its tightest measures since April , and tougher U.K. lockdowns are likely coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying what needs to be said .
Even though the actual disease had been contained , health officials need more and more crude falsifications to prove the opposite ; their drive for control is just increasing .
The criminal medical cartels are censoring all treatments and cures that work to save lives meaning they are letting people die until the holy grail of a vaccine arrives .
At what point in the loss of your freedom do you speak up ?
Healing with Medical M ... Sircus , Mark Best Price : $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lockdown opponents won ’ t make their position known even to their closest family and friends ; taking a position publicly is unthinkable — they would lose social standing , clients , and possibly even their jobs .
Thanks to this dynamic , the pro-lockdown crowd enjoys the appearance of majority consensus , and everyone gets…more lockdown .
If we all spoke freely , the result would be different , ” writes Stacey Rudin .
“ How much time needs to elapse before the American people have the right to know the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been doing within their own country and abroad in the name of the “ free ” world , ” asks Cynthia Chung writing for the Strategic Culture Foundation .
Why anyone still accepts the official accounts on every mainstream narrative is difficult to comprehend .
Too many people are “ still taking at face value ” all the misinformation , disinformation , and outright lies our newspapers , magazines , and broadcasters .
Because lies have turned into the truth , we are heading into times that will be catastrophic for the whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people sense the horror that is coming .
In this exciting video , Larken Rose says , “ For whatever reason , Covid-19 is very nice to infants and children , compared even to the common flu .
Way more children and infants die of the flu every year .
Statistically speaking , Covid-19 is not a significant threat to children and babies.
” “ If you are young and healthy , your chance of dying from this thing is statistically about zero .
At no point did the government ever claim that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and staying home and shutting down businesses would reduce the number of people who get this disease .
All of those measures were designed only to slow down the rate of spread , not how many people get it.
” The Best of Dr. Mark Sircus

The story of human freedom is coming to an end. We are in a great crisis as a species with madmen (public health officials) believing that we humans need to be controlled to control a virus that has killed few. The head honchos of the world are having a field day with the rest of us. They are letting the air out of the bag of freedom and laughing all the way to the bank.
That is just the beginning of the story. In France, a teacher is beheaded for showing the Charlie Hebdo cartoons in a freedom of speech seminar. It was a clear warning for the teaching staff who will have to shut up or perish. In the Muslim order of things, infidels have no rights, no freedom, and they make sure of that when in power.
In terms of freedom of the press, this week’s hottest scandal is the Hunter and Joe Biden disgrace that last week was published by the New York Post. Lies and treason are now exposed due to a hard drive that Hunter Biden left abandoned, showing the world the ugliest side of politics. Rudy Giuliani said. “There’s some pretty disgusting things this family was involved with. Really disgusting.” Sodium Bicarbonate: Na... Mark Sircus Best Price: $7.25 Buy New $10.32 (as of 10:37 UTC - Details)
The immediate censorship by social media giants Facebook and YouTube of a mainstream newspaper shows everyone how out of control Silicon Valley oligarchs are. Twitter and Facebook took third-world style steps to limit the distribution of the story of a crime family whose head is running for president.
Calls for the shutdown and even arrest of Zuckerberg and Jack Dorcey are starting to be heard. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced on Oct. 19 that the committee will consider subpoenas for the CEOs of Twitter and Facebook for testimony about the recent censorship. Chris Martenson says, “Social media has now been revealed to be run by petulant sociopaths, whose goal is for you to see what content they want you to see.”
For America and the world, the days leading up to the election will be telling. Nothing is certain except the overreach of social media dead set on shutting down conversations about the Biden family’s involvement with communist China. The problem is the internet is no longer run like the free market. There has been a corporate takeover of the web, as it’s become an oligopoly controlled by a handful of Big Tech companies. What it comes down to is, “Most American citizens don’t want a future where elections are decided by a Google search algorithm, where Mark Zuckerberg can render your business unprofitable with the push of a button, and where Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey decides whether you’re allowed a voice in the public square.”
But alas, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Twitter’s crackdown “nearly doubled” the story’s visibility. “When Twitter banned, and then unbanned, they managed to do the opposite of what they intended,” triggered a massive spike in interest in the story.
The headlines keep coming as the mainstream media ignores, downplays the New York Post bombshell on Hunter Biden. Today: ‘Rudy Giuliani Turns Over Alleged Photos Of Underage Girls From Hunter’s Hard Drive To Delaware Police.’
COVID-19 Crushes Freedom Even To Breathe Normally
Transdermal Magnesium ... Mark Sircus Best Price: $8.61 Buy New $12.95 (as of 01:48 UTC - Details) However, everyone has been concentrating on the COVID-19 scandal that is crushing human freedoms and destroying life as nothing in history ever has. People worldwide are giving up their freedoms without a peep following pandemic policies that are not based on scientific research but on politics and ridiculous assumptions that have proven false.
More than 34,000 medical doctors and health scientists from around the world have signed a declaration against lockdowns put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19, saying the measures are causing “irreparable damage,” according to an online petition initially created by three epidemiologists from Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford.
The loss of freedom during this pandemic is profound. We have even lost the freedom to breathe freely. Dr. Margarite Griesz-Brisson MD, Ph.D., a Neurologist, and Neurophysiologist, says, “The rebreathing of our exhaled air will without a doubt create oxygen deficiency and flooding of carbon dioxide. We know that the human brain is very sensitive to oxygen deprivation. There are nerve cells, for example, in the hippocampus, which can’t be longer than 3 minutes without oxygen – they cannot survive. The acute warning symptoms are headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, issues in concentration, slowing down of the reaction time – reactions of the cognitive system.
“However, when you have chronic oxygen deprivation, all of those symptoms disappear because you get used to it. But your efficiency will remain impaired, and the undersupply of oxygen in your brain continues to progress.” Meanwhile, Twitter has censored a White House coronavirus adviser for suggesting that widespread mask mandates were not a magical defense against the coronavirus.
The hidden tragedy of Covid-19 is about all the people being consigned to an early grave. Government policies are doing everyone a great deal of harm, which is the understatement of the century. Millions will starve, lose their homes and jobs, get depressed, and commit suicide.
Ultimately the pandemic will bring out the absolute worst in human nature as Nazism and Bolshevism did. Today even capitalism, the right kind that stimulates the individual spirit, has been replaced by big corporate fascism that crushes as many people as possible. No one has the courage or power to stop the slide into the darkness where freedom and human rights no longer exist.
Hawaii “Has Committed Suicide
“Hardly Anyone Is Sick, But We’re All Broke”
The gang of health authorities is deliberately and maliciously taking the world by storm. Politicians ride the wave of this maliciousness, going way beyond their right to tell people what to do. Organizations like Facebook and Twitter do not care about freedom of speech. They are shutting down the free press. Democracy is being destroyed in western countries.
Those Who Are Used To Freedom Will Suffer The Most
Healing With Iodine: Y... Sircus, Mark Best Price: $14.87 Buy New $11.89 (as of 09:06 UTC - Details) In Hong Kong, where a previously free society is being taken over by Communist China, the reports are dire. Hong Kong is in the grip of an alarming rise in the number of young people struggling with emotional distress and suicidal ideation, while an increase in the suicide rate that predated COVID-19 appears to have worsened. A newspaper (infamously controlled by a Communist Party member and billionaire Chinese tech entrepreneur) attributed these conditions to the pandemic. Still, we suspect that Beijing’s brutal crackdown on dissent with its new national security law has contributed to general feelings of malaise in the tiny but densely populated metropolitan area.
Things are getting so bad along many fronts that we hear that Civilization Won’t Decline – It Will Collapse. It has certainly brought us to the point where truth is treason. It seems at least half of people prefer lies over truth, as the man-made global warming story continues to illustrate.
Our top health authorities have shown that they care
more about creating the next massively profitable
drug than they do about actually saving lives.
Chris Martenson
Dov Fox, director of the Center for Health Law Policy and Bioethics at the University of San Diego, said if a vaccine for the coronavirus is developed, you could be fined and even jailed for not getting it. “States can compel vaccinations in more or less intrusive ways. They can limit access to schools or services or jobs if people don’t get vaccinated. They could force them to pay a fine or even lock them up in jail.”
According to the elite, you have no right to earn a living, run a
business, or exercise any other basic freedoms if the government
arbitrarily decides a particular virus floating around is bad enough.
Joe Jarvis
Anti-Inflammatory Oxyg... Mark Sircus Best Price: $9.81 Buy New $10.09 (as of 10:37 UTC - Details) It’s a difficult time for anyone who clings to the idea that freedom means the right to think for yourself and act responsibly according to your best judgment. Freedom is trashed as health officials and politicians take it upon themselves to save the world by destroying it.
The question each of us needs to ask ourselves, and one another,
is why do we get so much misinformation about Covid from
public health authorities, political authorities, and press prostitutes?
Paul Craig Roberts
With COVID-19 cases (not actual infections, most are false positives) surging in much of Europe, governments continue to impose greater measures aimed at curbing a second wave. Switzerland announced mask mandates and banned large-scale public gatherings, while Belgium tightened restrictions and curfews, with its health minister warning of a “coronavirus tsunami.” Elsewhere, Italy approved fresh anti-coronavirus controls, Ireland was set to approve its tightest measures since April, and tougher U.K. lockdowns are likely coming to Wales and Manchester.
Freedom is saying what needs to be said.
Even though the actual disease had been contained, health officials need more and more crude falsifications to prove the opposite; their drive for control is just increasing. The criminal medical cartels are censoring all treatments and cures that work to save lives meaning they are letting people die until the holy grail of a vaccine arrives.
At what point in the loss of your freedom do you speak up?
Healing with Medical M... Sircus, Mark Best Price: $11.38 Buy New $11.38 (as of 07:35 UTC - Details) “Millions of lockdown opponents won’t make their position known even to their closest family and friends; taking a position publicly is unthinkable — they would lose social standing, clients, and possibly even their jobs. Thanks to this dynamic, the pro-lockdown crowd enjoys the appearance of majority consensus, and everyone gets…more lockdown. If we all spoke freely, the result would be different,” writes Stacey Rudin.
Conclusion
“How much time needs to elapse before the American people have the right to know the truth behind what their government agencies have been doing within their own country and abroad in the name of the “free” world,” asks Cynthia Chung writing for the Strategic Culture Foundation.
Why anyone still accepts the official accounts on every mainstream narrative is difficult to comprehend. Too many people are “still taking at face value” all the misinformation, disinformation, and outright lies our newspapers, magazines, and broadcasters. Because lies have turned into the truth, we are heading into times that will be catastrophic for the whole world. But many aware and awake people sense the horror that is coming.
In this exciting video, Larken Rose says, “For whatever reason, Covid-19 is very nice to infants and children, compared even to the common flu. Way more children and infants die of the flu every year. Statistically speaking, Covid-19 is not a significant threat to children and babies.”
“If you are young and healthy, your chance of dying from this thing is statistically about zero. At no point did the government ever claim that standing six feet apart and wearing masks and staying home and shutting down businesses would reduce the number of people who get this disease. All of those measures were designed only to slow down the rate of spread, not how many people get it.”
Reprinted with permission from Dr.Sircus.com.
The Best of Dr. Mark Sircus


lewrockwell--2020-10-23--Bergoglio’s Latest Attack on Property: It’s a ‘Secondary Right’

In Fratelli tutti , Pope Francis defines his vision of what an improved social order would look like , using theological elements , historical misconceptions , and political philosophy to create what has been dubbed his “ quasi-humanitarian ” manifesto .
But in an attempt to swim with today ’ s political current , Francis pushes a “ re-envisaging [ of ] the social role of property , ” going against what previous popes have written and completely ignoring sound economic teachings .
As Dr. Samuel Gregg explained , Francis ’ s insensible treatment of economic questions has been an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the claims in Fratelli tutti just a continuation of what Saint Peter ’ s 266th successor has written in previous papal documents .
And it is with this reality in mind that we must approach his characterization of property rights .
The Economics and Ethi ... Hoppe , Hans-Hermann Best Price : $ 42.48 Buy New $ 564.15 In Fratelli tutti , Francis first claims that Christian thinkers understood that “ if one person lacks what is necessary to live with dignity , it is because another person is detaining it.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are such because someone else is holding the goods that all men require to live with dignity .
He then went on to echo Saint Pope John Paul II , saying that the “ right to private property ” was never considered “ an absolute or inviolable right ” in the Christian tradition .
Instead , the church has always “ stressed the social purpose of all forms of private property , ” adding that the common use of created goods is the “ first principle of the whole ethical and social order.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is “ a natural and inherent right that takes priority over others , ” a claim he links back to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church , a document published in 2004 based on documents written by Pope John Paul II .
In today ’ s society , Francis then explained , “ secondary rights displace primary and overriding rights , in practice making them irrelevant.
” When Francis claims property rights are secondary rights , he is referring to what Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote in the Secunda Secundae Partis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questioned whether it was “ natural ” for man to possess things “ as his own ” when we consider that all things are God ’ s property , Aquinas wrote that the private possession of goods has practical and moral ends .
He then added that the “ community of goods is ascribed to the natural law , ” whereas the “ the division of possessions is not according to the natural law , but rather arose from human agreement which belongs to positive law.
” In other words , natural law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can commonly possess goods but never excludes individual possession .
“ The ownership of possessions , ” Aquinas continued , “ is not contrary to the natural law , but an addition thereto devised by human reason.
” To Francis , this is the foundation of the idea that personal property rights are secondary to the communal ownership of goods .
But is he right ?
In Economic Thought Before Adam Smith , volume 1 of An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought , Murray Rothbard wrote that the right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to defend himself .
As noted by Rothbard , when private property rights are in place and a man can possess things as his own , the happiness of all men is maximized as a result .
It is the protection of property rights that secures the common good .
The very tradition of natural law we observe today is based on medieval and postmedieval Scholastic natural law , Rothbard noted .
But it was the eighteenth-century Enlightenment version of natural law , in which “ the individual ’ s rights of person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a set of natural laws that had been worked out by the creator and were clearly discoverable in the light of human reason , ” that helped us better understand what Aquinas wrote in the thirteenth century .
Despite being the Holy Father , Francis was never shy about his political leanings .
Economic Thought Befor ... Murray N. Rothbard Best Price : $ 13.41 Buy New $ 4.61 In Fratelli tutti , his love for the poor isn ’ t just described as a deep caring for those with less access @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he uses poverty as a means to advocate against free markets .
Ignoring the encyclicals of his predecessors such as Pope Leo XIII , who once wrote that socialists , “ working on the poor man ’ s envy of the rich , are striving to do away with private property , and contend that individual possessions should become the common property of all , to be administered by the State or by municipal bodies , ” Francis openly advocates against putting too much stock in one ’ s love for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claiming that instead we should be looking at “ a universal horizon , ” a “ global society ” of sorts .
In light of this , it is hard to see his claims regarding property rights as anything but an attack against the idea that communities can and should self-govern and that persons can and should have a right to own the fruits of their own labor .
As Pope Leo XII explained in Rerum Novarum , those who subscribe to socialist or related philosophies “ [ endeavor ] to transfer the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ large.
” This , he added , “ [ strikes ] at the interests of every wage-earner , since they [ socialists ] would deprive him of the liberty of disposing of his wages , and thereby of all hope and possibility of increasing his resources and of bettering his condition in life.
” As noted by Samuel Gregg in the article I link to in the following paragraph .
Note : The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute .

In Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis defines his vision of what an improved social order would look like, using theological elements, historical misconceptions, and political philosophy to create what has been dubbed his “quasi-humanitarian” manifesto. But in an attempt to swim with today’s political current, Francis pushes a “re-envisaging [of] the social role of property,” going against what previous popes have written and completely ignoring sound economic teachings.
As Dr. Samuel Gregg explained, Francis’s insensible treatment of economic questions has been an ever-present trait of his pontificate, making the claims in Fratelli tutti just a continuation of what Saint Peter’s 266th successor has written in previous papal documents. And it is with this reality in mind that we must approach his characterization of property rights.
Property Rights and Natural Law
The Economics and Ethi... Hoppe, Hans-Hermann Best Price: $42.48 Buy New $564.15 (as of 07:55 UTC - Details) In Fratelli tutti, Francis first claims that Christian thinkers understood that “if one person lacks what is necessary to live with dignity, it is because another person is detaining it.” In other words, those who are poor are such because someone else is holding the goods that all men require to live with dignity.
He then went on to echo Saint Pope John Paul II, saying that the “right to private property” was never considered “an absolute or inviolable right” in the Christian tradition. Instead, the church has always “stressed the social purpose of all forms of private property,” adding that the common use of created goods is the “first principle of the whole ethical and social order.”
Common good, he concludes, is “a natural and inherent right that takes priority over others,” a claim he links back to the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, a document published in 2004 based on documents written by Pope John Paul II. In today’s society, Francis then explained, “secondary rights displace primary and overriding rights, in practice making them irrelevant.”
When Francis claims property rights are secondary rights, he is referring to what Saint Thomas Aquinas wrote in the Secunda Secundae Partis of Summa Theologica.
Addressing those who questioned whether it was “natural” for man to possess things “as his own” when we consider that all things are God’s property, Aquinas wrote that the private possession of goods has practical and moral ends. He then added that the “community of goods is ascribed to the natural law,” whereas the “the division of possessions is not according to the natural law, but rather arose from human agreement which belongs to positive law.”
In other words, natural law in the Catholic tradition sees that men can commonly possess goods but never excludes individual possession.
“The ownership of possessions,” Aquinas continued, “is not contrary to the natural law, but an addition thereto devised by human reason.”
To Francis, this is the foundation of the idea that personal property rights are secondary to the communal ownership of goods. But is he right?
In Economic Thought Before Adam Smith, volume 1 of An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought, Murray Rothbard wrote that the right to property comes from man’s need to defend himself.
In human nature, the right of self-preservation implies the right to property, and any individual property in man’s products from the soil requires property in the land itself. But the right to property would be nothing without the freedom of using it, and so liberty is derived from the right to property. People flourish as social animals, and through trade and exchange of property they maximize the happiness of all.
As noted by Rothbard, when private property rights are in place and a man can possess things as his own, the happiness of all men is maximized as a result.
It is the protection of property rights that secures the common good.
The very tradition of natural law we observe today is based on medieval and postmedieval Scholastic natural law, Rothbard noted. But it was the eighteenth-century Enlightenment version of natural law, in which “the individual’s rights of person and property [are] deeply embedded in a set of natural laws that had been worked out by the creator and were clearly discoverable in the light of human reason,” that helped us better understand what Aquinas wrote in the thirteenth century.
Francis’s Agenda
Despite being the Holy Father, Francis was never shy about his political leanings.
Economic Thought Befor... Murray N. Rothbard Best Price: $13.41 Buy New $4.61 (as of 05:40 UTC - Details) In Fratelli tutti, his love for the poor isn’t just described as a deep caring for those with less access to certain services and goods. Instead, he uses poverty as a means to advocate against free markets.
Ignoring the encyclicals of his predecessors such as Pope Leo XIII, who once wrote that socialists, “working on the poor man’s envy of the rich, are striving to do away with private property, and contend that individual possessions should become the common property of all, to be administered by the State or by municipal bodies,” Francis openly advocates against putting too much stock in one’s love for his or her own culture and nation, claiming that instead we should be looking at “a universal horizon,” a “global society” of sorts. In light of this, it is hard to see his claims regarding property rights as anything but an attack against the idea that communities can and should self-govern and that persons can and should have a right to own the fruits of their own labor.
As Pope Leo XII explained in Rerum Novarum, those who subscribe to socialist or related philosophies “[endeavor] to transfer the possessions of individuals to the community at large.” This, he added, “[strikes] at the interests of every wage-earner, since they [socialists] would deprive him of the liberty of disposing of his wages, and thereby of all hope and possibility of increasing his resources and of bettering his condition in life.”
—
As noted by Samuel Gregg in the article I link to in the following paragraph.
Note: The views expressed on Mises.org are not necessarily those of the Mises Institute.


lewrockwell--2020-10-23--Could This Be the Answer to AFib, NAFLD, and Other Diseases?

Coenzyme Q10 ( CoQ10 ) is the third-most consumed supplement,1 yet many people don ’ t realize how clinically effective it really is .
Although it ’ s not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment or preventative drug , several new studies show that taking CoQ10 supplements may help address several chronic health conditions , including atrial fibrillation ( a-fib ) , nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD ) , insulin resistance , heart failure , cancer and migraines , to name a few .
Ubiquinol — the reduced , electron-rich form of CoQ10 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important role in the electron transport chain of your mitochondria , where it facilitates the conversion of energy substrates and oxygen into the biological energy ( adenosine triphosphate or ATP ) needed by your cells for life , repair and regeneration .
Doctoru2019s Best High ... Buy New $ 13.01 It ’ s a fat-soluble antioxidant , meaning it works in the fat portions of your body , such as your cell membranes , where it mops up potentially harmful byproducts of metabolism known as reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect your mitochondrial membranes from oxidative damage , and this in turn has been shown to be helpful for a number of health conditions and chronic diseases .
Why CoQ10 Is so Important Many conditions , including heart disease and migraines — for which CoQ10 has been found beneficial — appear to be rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction.2 CoQ10 is used by every cell in your body , but especially your heart cells .
Cardiac muscle cells have about 5,000 mitochondria per cell , while liver cells have 1,000 to 2,000 mitochondria each.3 As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 % of the volume of cardiac tissue and only 3 % to 8 % of the volume of skeletal muscle tissue.4 About 90 % or more of the ROS in your body are made by your mitochondria.5 Using the analogy of the mitochondria as an engine , the combustion ( metabolism ) that takes place in there creates exhaust fumes — damaging byproducts when produced in excessive amounts .
One of the functions of CoQ10 , or ubiquinol , is to neutralize those byproducts.6 When ubiquinol is lacking , the byproducts remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ubiquinol is particularly beneficial for your heart health .
C-reactive protein ( CRP ) is a marker for inflammation , and when your CRP is elevated , it suggests you have a heightened risk for heart disease.7 Two other markers for inflammation are gamma-glutamyl transferase ( GGT ) ,8 which is an early marker of heart failure , and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide ( NT-proBNP ) .9 Qunol Ultra CoQ10 100m ... Buy New $ 25.35 ( $ 0.21 / Count ) There ’ s an association between the levels of these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When ubiquinol is supplemented , both these markers go down and genes associated with them are downregulated .
Low CoQ10 levels have also been detected in people with certain types of cancer,10 including lung , breast and pancreatic cancer , as well as melanoma metastasis , further strengthening the metabolic theory of cancer .
The word “ coenzyme ” also provides a clue to its importance ; it works synergistically with other enzymes to digest food , for example .
It also has the ability to increase your body ’ s absorption of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helps recycle vitamins C and E,11,12 thereby maximizing their beneficial effects .
AFib is an abnormal , often rapid , heart rhythm that occurs when the atria , your heart ’ s upper chambers , beat out of sync with the ventricles , the heart ’ s lower chambers .
It ’ s a common symptom in those with heart failure or heart disease but can also occur on its own .
Oxidative stress and increased ROS can play a role in the development of AFib .
Conversely , scavenging of ROS and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shown to be an essential part of keeping the heart functioning normally.13 In one study , 102 patients with AFib were divided into two groups .
One group was given a CoQ10 supplement while the other group was given a placebo .
After 12 months of supplementation , 12 people in the placebo group had AFib episodes compared to only three people in the CoQ10 group.14 CoQ10 Can Stop the Progression of NAFLD CoQ10 ( 400mg Max Stren ... Buy New $ 39.99 ( $ 0.20 / Count ) NAFLD is the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world , with a prevalence of 25 % .15 Obesity and insulin resistance increase your risk of NAFLD .
Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress , two hallmarks of CoQ10 deficiency , have also been shown to play a role,16 as has choline deficiency , as detailed in “ Fatty Liver Disease Is Caused by Choline Deficiency.
” Currently , there are no approved medical treatments for NAFLD .
Lifestyle changes , such as elimination of processed vegetable oils and processed carbs , remain the gold standard for managing NAFLD and , hopefully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels tend to be depleted in those with NAFLD , supplementation has been shown to help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.17 In one study,18 44 patients were divided into two groups .
One group was given 100 mg of CoQ10 each day , while the other was given a placebo .
After four weeks of supplementation , the group taking CoQ10 dropped weight and had lower levels of serum AST , a blood marker that indicates liver disease and/or damage .
CoQ10 May Be the Answer for Several Other Conditions In addition to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be the answer to correcting several other chronic health conditions , including the following : High blood pressure — CoQ10 acts directly on your endothelium , dilating your blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.19,20 CoQ10 also decreases aldosterone , a hormone that makes you retain salt and water.21,22 When aldosterone goes down , excess salt and water are excreted through your kidneys , often causing your blood pressure to go down .
Dyslipidemia — In one study,23 101 participants with dyslipidemia were given 120 mg of Coq10 or a placebo every day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lipid-lower drugs , participants taking the CoQ10 had decreases in harmful LDL and triglycerides and increases in total antioxidant capacity .
Nature Made CoQ10 200 ... Buy New $ 19.99 ( $ 0.25 / Count ) Heart failure — CoQ10 deficiency is linked to poorer prognosis for those with heart failure.24 Supplementing with CoQ10 can restore normal CoQ10 levels , helping to prevent heart cell damage and significantly improving heart failure.25 Chronic kidney disease — Increased oxidative stress is a major factor in chronic kidney disease and related cases of cardiovascular disease.26 Patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decreased levels of CoQ10 in their blood .
CoQ10 has been shown to improve mitochondrial function and decrease oxidative stress in chronic kidney disease patients , with and without dialysis.27 Systemic inflammation — Studies28,29 show that supplementing with 60 mg to 500 mg of CoQ10 for eight to 12 weeks can significantly reduce tumor necrosis factor alpha ( TNF-α ) , IL-6 and CRP ; three measures of widespread inflammation .
Stroke — Systemic inflammation , oxidative stress and nerve cell damage play a role in the development of stroke .
Studies30 show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lesions and improve outcomes in patients who have been treated with a statin after having a stroke ( statins reduce CoQ10 levels in your body ) .
Migraine — CoQ10 deficiency is a common underlying factor of idiopathic migraines .
Supplementing with CoQ10 can help reduce frequency and severity of migraines and alleviate associated symptoms such as nausea and sensitivity to light.31 Polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS ) — In one study,32 86 women with PCOS were given CoQ10 alone , CoQ10 with vitamin E , vitamin alone or a placebo .
After @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone had improved levels of sex hormones ( lower levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormone ) and improved insulin resistance .
NOW Supplements , CoQ10 ... Buy New $ 16.68 ( $ 0.28 / Count ) Cancer — In one study,33 two women with breast cancer were given fatty acids , antioxidants and 300 mg to 390 mg of CoQ10 .
After two to three months , mammograms showed no tumors or residual tumor tissue , indicating cancer regression .
A review34 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that looked at how CoQ10 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protect the heart and liver from toxicity during treatment .
Insulin resistance — CoQ10 levels are lower in mitochondria in insulin-resistant tissues.35 In one study,36 daily intake of 100 mg of CoQ10 improved insulin resistance and serum insulin levels in patients with markers of metabolic syndrome .
As mentioned , ubiquinol is the reduced version of CoQ10 ( aka ubiquinone ) .
They ’ re actually the same molecule , but when CoQ10 is reduced it takes on two electrons , which turns it into ubiquinol .
In your body , this conversion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your mitochondria .
The flipping back and forth between these two molecular forms is part of the process that transforms food into energy .
Ubiquinol production ramps up from early childhood until your mid- to late 20s .
By the time you hit 30 , it begins to decline.37 Young people are able to use CoQ10 supplements quite well , but older people do better with ubiquinol , as it ’ s more readily absorbed .
How to Supplement With Ubiquinol Your body can naturally make CoQ10 , but genetic alterations in metabolism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chronic conditions and aging can all interfere with CoQ10 production and lead to CoQ10 deficiency .
Statin drugs can also deplete CoQ10 .
CoQ10 by Nature ’ ... Buy New $ 37.99 ( $ 0.24 / Count ) To maintain good health , an adult body should contain 0.5 to 1.5 g of CoQ1038 and sometimes it takes a supplement to keep you there .
Dosing requirements will vary depending on your individual situation and needs .
As a general rule , the sicker you are , the more you need .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 100 mg per day if you ’ re healthy , or 60 to 1,200 mg daily if you ’ re sick or have underlying health conditions.39 If you have an active lifestyle , exercise a lot or are under a lot of stress , you may want to increase your dose to 200 to 300 mg per day .
Importantly , if you ’ re on a statin drug , you need at least 100 mg to 200 mg of ubiquinol or CoQ10 per day , or more .
Ideally , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physician to determine your ideal dose .
The Best of Joseph Mercola

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is the third-most consumed supplement,1 yet many people don’t realize how clinically effective it really is.
Although it’s not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment or preventative drug, several new studies show that taking CoQ10 supplements may help address several chronic health conditions, including atrial fibrillation (a-fib), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin resistance, heart failure, cancer and migraines, to name a few.
Ubiquinol — the reduced, electron-rich form of CoQ10 that your body produces naturally — plays an important role in the electron transport chain of your mitochondria, where it facilitates the conversion of energy substrates and oxygen into the biological energy (adenosine triphosphate or ATP) needed by your cells for life, repair and regeneration.
Doctoru2019s Best High... Buy New $13.01 (as of 10:40 UTC - Details) It’s a fat-soluble antioxidant, meaning it works in the fat portions of your body, such as your cell membranes, where it mops up potentially harmful byproducts of metabolism known as reactive oxygen species (ROS). As such, ubiquinol and CoQ10 supplements help protect your mitochondrial membranes from oxidative damage, and this in turn has been shown to be helpful for a number of health conditions and chronic diseases.
Why CoQ10 Is so Important
Many conditions, including heart disease and migraines — for which CoQ10 has been found beneficial — appear to be rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction.2 CoQ10 is used by every cell in your body, but especially your heart cells.
Cardiac muscle cells have about 5,000 mitochondria per cell, while liver cells have 1,000 to 2,000 mitochondria each.3 As another reference, mitochondria make up about 35% of the volume of cardiac tissue and only 3% to 8% of the volume of skeletal muscle tissue.4
About 90% or more of the ROS in your body are made by your mitochondria.5 Using the analogy of the mitochondria as an engine, the combustion (metabolism) that takes place in there creates exhaust fumes — damaging byproducts when produced in excessive amounts.
One of the functions of CoQ10, or ubiquinol, is to neutralize those byproducts.6 When ubiquinol is lacking, the byproducts remain and begin to damage the cell. Ubiquinol is particularly beneficial for your heart health. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker for inflammation, and when your CRP is elevated, it suggests you have a heightened risk for heart disease.7
Two other markers for inflammation are gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT),8 which is an early marker of heart failure, and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP).9
Qunol Ultra CoQ10 100m... Buy New $25.35 ($0.21 / Count) (as of 02:39 UTC - Details) There’s an association between the levels of these two markers and ubiquinol as well. When ubiquinol is supplemented, both these markers go down and genes associated with them are downregulated.
Low CoQ10 levels have also been detected in people with certain types of cancer,10 including lung, breast and pancreatic cancer, as well as melanoma metastasis, further strengthening the metabolic theory of cancer. The word “coenzyme” also provides a clue to its importance; it works synergistically with other enzymes to digest food, for example.
It also has the ability to increase your body’s absorption of important nutrients. More specifically, it helps recycle vitamins C and E,11,12 thereby maximizing their beneficial effects.
CoQ10 Can Help Improve Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
AFib is an abnormal, often rapid, heart rhythm that occurs when the atria, your heart’s upper chambers, beat out of sync with the ventricles, the heart’s lower chambers. It’s a common symptom in those with heart failure or heart disease but can also occur on its own.
Oxidative stress and increased ROS can play a role in the development of AFib. Conversely, scavenging of ROS and a reduction in oxidative stress have been shown to be an essential part of keeping the heart functioning normally.13
In one study, 102 patients with AFib were divided into two groups. One group was given a CoQ10 supplement while the other group was given a placebo. After 12 months of supplementation, 12 people in the placebo group had AFib episodes compared to only three people in the CoQ10 group.14
CoQ10 Can Stop the Progression of NAFLD
CoQ10 (400mg Max Stren... Buy New $39.99 ($0.20 / Count) (as of 05:31 UTC - Details) NAFLD is the most common cause of chronic liver disease around the world, with a prevalence of 25%.15 Obesity and insulin resistance increase your risk of NAFLD. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, two hallmarks of CoQ10 deficiency, have also been shown to play a role,16 as has choline deficiency, as detailed in “Fatty Liver Disease Is Caused by Choline Deficiency.”
Currently, there are no approved medical treatments for NAFLD. Lifestyle changes, such as elimination of processed vegetable oils and processed carbs, remain the gold standard for managing NAFLD and, hopefully, preventing its progression. Since CoQ10 levels tend to be depleted in those with NAFLD, supplementation has been shown to help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.17
In one study,18 44 patients were divided into two groups. One group was given 100 mg of CoQ10 each day, while the other was given a placebo. After four weeks of supplementation, the group taking CoQ10 dropped weight and had lower levels of serum AST, a blood marker that indicates liver disease and/or damage.
CoQ10 May Be the Answer for Several Other Conditions
In addition to helping with AFib and NAFLD, CoQ10 may be the answer to correcting several other chronic health conditions, including the following:
High blood pressure — CoQ10 acts directly on your endothelium, dilating your blood vessels and lowering blood pressure.19,20 CoQ10 also decreases aldosterone, a hormone that makes you retain salt and water.21,22 When aldosterone goes down, excess salt and water are excreted through your kidneys, often causing your blood pressure to go down.
Dyslipidemia — In one study,23 101 participants with dyslipidemia were given 120 mg of Coq10 or a placebo every day for 24 weeks. Without taking any lipid-lower drugs, participants taking the CoQ10 had decreases in harmful LDL and triglycerides and increases in total antioxidant capacity. Nature Made CoQ10 200 ... Buy New $19.99 ($0.25 / Count) (as of 05:31 UTC - Details)
Heart failure — CoQ10 deficiency is linked to poorer prognosis for those with heart failure.24 Supplementing with CoQ10 can restore normal CoQ10 levels, helping to prevent heart cell damage and significantly improving heart failure.25
Chronic kidney disease — Increased oxidative stress is a major factor in chronic kidney disease and related cases of cardiovascular disease.26 Patients with chronic kidney disease tend to have decreased levels of CoQ10 in their blood. CoQ10 has been shown to improve mitochondrial function and decrease oxidative stress in chronic kidney disease patients, with and without dialysis.27
Systemic inflammation — Studies28,29 show that supplementing with 60 mg to 500 mg of CoQ10 for eight to 12 weeks can significantly reduce tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-6 and CRP; three measures of widespread inflammation.
Stroke — Systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and nerve cell damage play a role in the development of stroke. Studies30 show that supplementing with CoQ10 can reduce ischemic lesions and improve outcomes in patients who have been treated with a statin after having a stroke (statins reduce CoQ10 levels in your body).
Migraine — CoQ10 deficiency is a common underlying factor of idiopathic migraines. Supplementing with CoQ10 can help reduce frequency and severity of migraines and alleviate associated symptoms such as nausea and sensitivity to light.31
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) — In one study,32 86 women with PCOS were given CoQ10 alone, CoQ10 with vitamin E, vitamin alone or a placebo. After eight weeks, the group taking CoQ10 alone had improved levels of sex hormones (lower levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormone) and improved insulin resistance. NOW Supplements, CoQ10... Buy New $16.68 ($0.28 / Count) (as of 05:31 UTC - Details)
Cancer — In one study,33 two women with breast cancer were given fatty acids, antioxidants and 300 mg to 390 mg of CoQ10. After two to three months, mammograms showed no tumors or residual tumor tissue, indicating cancer regression. A review34 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that looked at how CoQ10 affected cancer treatment found it may help protect the heart and liver from toxicity during treatment.
Insulin resistance — CoQ10 levels are lower in mitochondria in insulin-resistant tissues.35 In one study,36 daily intake of 100 mg of CoQ10 improved insulin resistance and serum insulin levels in patients with markers of metabolic syndrome.
CoQ10 Versus Ubiquinol
As mentioned, ubiquinol is the reduced version of CoQ10 (aka ubiquinone). They’re actually the same molecule, but when CoQ10 is reduced it takes on two electrons, which turns it into ubiquinol. In your body, this conversion occurs thousands of times every second inside your mitochondria.
The flipping back and forth between these two molecular forms is part of the process that transforms food into energy. Ubiquinol production ramps up from early childhood until your mid- to late 20s. By the time you hit 30, it begins to decline.37 Young people are able to use CoQ10 supplements quite well, but older people do better with ubiquinol, as it’s more readily absorbed.
How to Supplement With Ubiquinol
Your body can naturally make CoQ10, but genetic alterations in metabolism, poor diet, oxidative stress, chronic conditions and aging can all interfere with CoQ10 production and lead to CoQ10 deficiency. Statin drugs can also deplete CoQ10. CoQ10 by Nature’... Buy New $37.99 ($0.24 / Count) (as of 05:31 UTC - Details)
To maintain good health, an adult body should contain 0.5 to 1.5 g of CoQ1038 and sometimes it takes a supplement to keep you there. Dosing requirements will vary depending on your individual situation and needs.
As a general rule, the sicker you are, the more you need. The suggested dose is usually between 30 mg to 100 mg per day if you’re healthy, or 60 to 1,200 mg daily if you’re sick or have underlying health conditions.39
If you have an active lifestyle, exercise a lot or are under a lot of stress, you may want to increase your dose to 200 to 300 mg per day. Importantly, if you’re on a statin drug, you need at least 100 mg to 200 mg of ubiquinol or CoQ10 per day, or more. Ideally, you’ll want to work with your physician to determine your ideal dose.
Sources and References
The Best of Dr. Joseph Mercola


lewrockwell--2020-10-24--The Desecration of Beauty

The Desecration of Beauty

Desecration : the act of treating something sacred or solemn in a sacrilegious or disrespectful way ; the act of ruining or violating something revered or greatly valued .
Beauty matters .
Don ’ t believe me ?
Ask Roger Scruton ( video ) : At any time between 1750 and 1930 , if you had asked educated people to describe the aim of poetry , art , or music , they would have replied : beauty .
And if you had asked for the point of that , you would have learned that beauty is a value , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ then describes what has happened since .
In demonstrating this , the first example offered is of the Mona Lisa with a mustache ; the third , a urinal as a piece of art in a museum .
I have no idea what the second picture is .
But this isn ’ t a piece on the desecration of beauty in the West , at least not as the term “ West ” is conventionally understood .
To understand that desecration , watch the Scruton video – it is infinitely better than anything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Through several snapshots , I will write of Armenia and Armenians , and the desecration of the beauty of their culture and people .
It ’ s In My DNA A ... Buy New $ 19.95 Armenia begins in legend ; the legend begins with beauty : Armenians do not call themselves Armenians nor their country Armenia .
They are descendants of Haic [ Hayk ] , as the legend goes , who was the son of Togarmah , the son of Japhet , who was the son of Noah , and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after the patriarchal progenitor of their people .
Legend has it that Hayk was as beautiful as a god and as strong as a giant .
He also was a director in the building of the Tower of Babel .
As a result of this ill-fated endeavor , or , perhaps , as a result of refusing to worship the god of Babylon , Hayk , with his sons numbering 300 , headed north to the land of Ararat .
He returned home , to Noah ’ s landing spot .
Hayk is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age of four-hundred , and about 2,000 years before Christ .
Ararat , Hayk ’ s new home and the home for the Hayastansis is , perhaps , the most beautiful mountain in the world ( ask any Armenian ) .
Sadly , this symbol of Armenia is today found in Turkey , just across the closed border .
This view is from Armenia ; the view from Turkey is not nearly as beautiful .
Mt .
Ararat rises almost 17,000 feet above sea level , and about 11,000 feet above the surrounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13,000 feet above sea level and is known as Little Ararat , which is little only when standing next to its brother .
Next , we come to the legend of Ara , king of Armenia , and Semiramis , queen of Assyria .
This legend dates to about eighteen centuries before Christ : Handmade Armenian Coff ... Buy New $ 39.90 Ara was very beautiful , and Semiramis having heard speech of his beauty for many years , wished to possess him .
Armenians know him as Ara Keghesig : Ara the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with gifts and offerings : come to Nineveh to wed and reign with her , or at least to enjoy countless more gifts and treasures .
Ara refused to come to her .
At this , the queen became angry , sending an army to battle – however , with orders not to kill Ara .
Unfortunately , it didn ’ t go this way .
Ara was killed , but the Armenian people remained independent of the Assyrians .
Armenians were the first to accept Christianity as the nation ’ s official @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story , too , is wrapped in beauty .
The time is when St. Gregory was bound , thrown in a pit ( Khor Virap ) at the order of the Armenian king , Tiridates , and held for preaching Christ prior to the king ’ s conversion .
To call it a pit does not do it justice .
Through a small opening in the ground , barely large enough for one ’ s body to pass through , one descends straight down a ladder into a dark cave .
I went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the monastery decided I would not do it again .
But returning to this legend : Hripsime was a Roman virgin of exquisite beauty .
Along with her nurse Gayane and thirty-three followers who were also virgins , Hripsime fled from the Emperor Diocletian , who wanted her for his spouse , “ after a most careful search of his kingdom for the most beautiful of women.
” She fled to Armenia .
An envoy of the Roman emperor was sent to the Armenian king , Tiridates , in search of Hripsime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decided to keep her for himself .
She said that she would marry him only if he became a Christian .
Tiridates took this for mockery and had her killed .
Legend has it that as punishment for this crime , Tiridates was turned into a grass-eating boar .
The only possible cure for this infliction was to call St. Gregory , by now thirteen years in the pit .
Gregory healed the king , who then converted to Christianity – albeit , now without the beautiful Hripsime as his bride .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Saint Hripsime Church and the Saint Gayane Church , each dating from the early part of the seventh century – four hundred years before any Turks were in the region .
Never Underestimate AR ... Buy New $ 12.15 Enough of these legends – mixtures of fiction and tales along with sporadic facts .
Are they true ?
It depends on what you mean by true , I guess .
If true is limited to that which comes with historical evidence , then , no , they are not all true .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we lose beauty .
So , are these stories true ?
Of course , absolutely .
It is stories like these that make life beautiful and give life meaning .
Currently , Armenia and the Armenian province of Artsakh are facing an existential crisis , an attack by Azerbaijan and Turkey .
Existential , given the history of genocide at the hands of these same instigators and their pan-Turkic desires .
There was an ancient Armenian cemetery , in Nakhichevan , an exclave of Azerbaijan , not contiguous to it .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lies to the west – another remnant of decisions made early in the Soviet era .
The cemetery was in a town called Julfa .
The earliest markers date to the ninth century ( some sources say even earlier ) , and continue to the sixteenth .
These markers are something more than tombstones ; the Armenian word “ khachkar ” is used to describe these – the word literally translates as “ cross-stone.
” These markers usually stood between six and eight feet high .
Here are two examples , dated 1602 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now on display at Echmiadzin , Armenia : The work is elaborate , intricate , and – dare I say – beautiful .
In the seventeenth century , as many as ten-thousand khachkars remained at this gravesite in Julfa , despite the Armenian population having been earlier removed by the Persian king .
Even one hundred years ago , perhaps five-thousand were still in place .
Those stone regiments are gone now ; broken down , all of the headstones have either been removed from Djulfa or buried under the soil .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out at the cemetery–the last traces of a community long gone–and its full historical significance will never be known .
Over the course of several centuries , stones were lost to decay and vandalism ; stones were taken and used for building materials ; a railroad was apparently built through the region as well .
But the final blow came while the region was under the governance of Azerbaijan , in the post-Soviet era : In 1998 , the Armenian government claimed that Nakhichevan ’ s Azeri authorities were deliberately wrecking the cemetery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had destroyed 800 khachkars .
But this wasn ’ t the end : The last remains of the cemetery were obliterated this past December [ 2005 ] .
Over a period of three days beginning on December 14 , 2005 , a large group of Azeri soldiers destroyed the remaining grave markers with sledgehammers , loaded the broken stones onto trucks , and dumped them into the waters of the Araxes .
There were witnesses .
The gravesite sits on the border with Iran , and directly across the Araxes River .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Three short video clips can be found here , the first two showing the soldiers destroying the khachkars , the third showing the remains being dumped into the river chasm .
Before and after pictures can be found here .
One can consider this a continuation of genocide : the living were removed from their homeland , and so , too , now the dead .
Azerbaijan claims that Armenians never lived in the region , that the land has been Azeri since time immemorial .
Of course , it would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proper archeologists into the region prior to the final desecration .
In Artsakh , one will find a beautiful cathedral , Ghazanchetsots , the seat of the Diocese of Artsakh .
The church fell into disrepair during the Soviet period , when the region was under Azeri control .
After the post-Soviet war between Armenia and Azerbaijan for control of the region , Armenians rebuilt the church , rededicating it in 1998 : On October 8 , 2020 , during this current conflict , Azerbaijan targeted and hit this church .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a short before-and-after video can be found here , including a picture of the hole in the roof where the projectile came through .
The cultural center in the same town was destroyed .
Artsakh Strong - Artsa ... Buy New $ 16.95 I have struggled with writing this post for perhaps ten days .
I tried starting a couple of times but couldn ’ t bring myself to it .
What prompted me to consider it , and what has at the same time made it so emotionally difficult , is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , an Armenian-Lebanese opera singer , has died while fighting on the Nagorno-Karabakh [ Artsakh ] frontline .
He was 49 .
What was a world class opera singer doing there ?
Hadjian was a member of a regiment of volunteers led by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – an Armenian nationalist and socialist political party that is also active in Syria and Lebanon .
The platoon had been fighting alongside the Artsakh Defence Corps and managed to overrun Azerbaijani positions on the Varangatagh ( Lulasaz ) height shortly after Hadjian was killed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very well-known and well-beloved and beautiful Armenian song , Groong ( The Crane ) .
It took me about five tries to get through all of it ; I had to stop several times – the first time after only a few seconds of his voice .
The lyrics : Oh crane , where do you come from , I am a slave to your voice , Oh crane , don ’ t you have news from our homeland ?
You did not answer me and you flew away , Oh crane @ @ @ @ @ @ @ land .
The composer of the song is Komitas ( his name taken as a priest ; by birth Soghomon Soghomonian – Solomon , son of Solomon ) , an Armenian priest and one of the leaders of the community deported from Constantinople on April 24 , 1915 – the date we commemorate as the beginning of the genocide .
He is the father of much of the Armenian Divine Liturgy ; he rescued for posterity many of the songs sung by Armenian villagers .
Komitas survived this ordeal through the intervention of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Ottoman government ; Komitas was dispatched back to the capital alongside eight other Armenians who had been deported .
The word “ survived , ” however , is loosely applied .
On the train ride out of Constantinople , Komitas is described by a fellow passenger and priest , Fr .
Grigoris Balakian , as mentally unstable : He thought the trees were bandits on the attack and continually hid his head under the hem of my overcoat , like a fearful partridge .
Shortly thereafter , he ended up in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1919 in Paris .
He died in a psychiatric clinic in 1935 .
That train ride , it seems , cost Komitas his beauty .
There is a statue of him , a monument , in Paris on the River Seine , in a beautiful ( and expensive ) part of Paris near the Champs Elysée and the George V Hotel , just beyond the shops of Avenue Montaigne .
The main Armenian Church of Paris , St. Jean Baptiste , is also close by .
I once attended an April 24 commemoration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the base of the statue – attended by city leaders and hundreds of members of the Armenian community .
SOULBUTY Artsakh Flag ... Buy New $ 11.99 The statue was desecrated last month , by one who wanted us to know that he believed that the genocide is a lie .
Sevak Avanesyan is an Armenian-Belgian cellist .
In this video , he plays the same song – Groong – in the ruins of the aforementioned bombed church in Artsakh .
Roger Scruton would say that when beauty is lost , meaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live lives of meaning – by creating beauty in the offerings of those who would desecrate ours .
As one of the commenters at this video noted : “ Like a Phoenix , we always rise from our ashes.
” Sadly , we have lived through too many ashes ; we have much experience in knowing how to rise .
The movie Fight Club offers commentary on the nihilism of rejecting beauty and embracing the desecration of beauty .
In one scene , we have this exchange : Psycho boy .
Armenians are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Best of Daniel Ajamian

Desecration: the act of treating something sacred or solemn in a sacrilegious or disrespectful way; the act of ruining or violating something revered or greatly valued.
Beauty matters. Don’t believe me? Ask Roger Scruton (video):
At any time between 1750 and 1930, if you had asked educated people to describe the aim of poetry, art, or music, they would have replied: beauty. And if you had asked for the point of that, you would have learned that beauty is a value, as important as truth and goodness.
Scruton then describes what has happened since. In demonstrating this, the first example offered is of the Mona Lisa with a mustache; the third, a urinal as a piece of art in a museum. I have no idea what the second picture is.
But this isn’t a piece on the desecration of beauty in the West, at least not as the term “West” is conventionally understood. To understand that desecration, watch the Scruton video – it is infinitely better than anything I could say on the subject. Through several snapshots, I will write of Armenia and Armenians, and the desecration of the beauty of their culture and people. It’s In My DNA A... Buy New $19.95 (as of 07:05 UTC - Details)
Sons of Hayk
Armenia begins in legend; the legend begins with beauty:
Armenians do not call themselves Armenians nor their country Armenia. They are descendants of Haic [Hayk], as the legend goes, who was the son of Togarmah, the son of Japhet, who was the son of Noah, and they call their country Haiasdan [Hayastan] after the patriarchal progenitor of their people.
Legend has it that Hayk was as beautiful as a god and as strong as a giant. He also was a director in the building of the Tower of Babel. As a result of this ill-fated endeavor, or, perhaps, as a result of refusing to worship the god of Babylon, Hayk, with his sons numbering 300, headed north to the land of Ararat. He returned home, to Noah’s landing spot. Hayk is said to have died at about the age of four-hundred, and about 2,000 years before Christ.
Our Mountain
Ararat, Hayk’s new home and the home for the Hayastansis is, perhaps, the most beautiful mountain in the world (ask any Armenian). Sadly, this symbol of Armenia is today found in Turkey, just across the closed border. This view is from Armenia; the view from Turkey is not nearly as beautiful.
By Սէրուժ Ուրիշեան (Serouj Ourishian) – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia
Mt. Ararat rises almost 17,000 feet above sea level, and about 11,000 feet above the surrounding plain. The smaller peak is almost 13,000 feet above sea level and is known as Little Ararat, which is little only when standing next to its brother.
Ara
Next, we come to the legend of Ara, king of Armenia, and Semiramis, queen of Assyria. This legend dates to about eighteen centuries before Christ: Handmade Armenian Coff... Buy New $39.90 (as of 07:05 UTC - Details)
Ara was very beautiful, and Semiramis having heard speech of his beauty for many years, wished to possess him.
Armenians know him as Ara Keghesig: Ara the Beautiful. Semiramis sent messengers to Ara with gifts and offerings: come to Nineveh to wed and reign with her, or at least to enjoy countless more gifts and treasures. Ara refused to come to her. At this, the queen became angry, sending an army to battle – however, with orders not to kill Ara. Unfortunately, it didn’t go this way. Ara was killed, but the Armenian people remained independent of the Assyrians.
The Virgin
Armenians were the first to accept Christianity as the nation’s official religion, in 301 A.D. This story, too, is wrapped in beauty. The time is when St. Gregory was bound, thrown in a pit (Khor Virap) at the order of the Armenian king, Tiridates, and held for preaching Christ prior to the king’s conversion. To call it a pit does not do it justice. Through a small opening in the ground, barely large enough for one’s body to pass through, one descends straight down a ladder into a dark cave. I went down once, and in subsequent visits to the monastery decided I would not do it again.
But returning to this legend: Hripsime was a Roman virgin of exquisite beauty. Along with her nurse Gayane and thirty-three followers who were also virgins, Hripsime fled from the Emperor Diocletian, who wanted her for his spouse, “after a most careful search of his kingdom for the most beautiful of women.”
She fled to Armenia. An envoy of the Roman emperor was sent to the Armenian king, Tiridates, in search of Hripsime. When Tiridates found her, he decided to keep her for himself. She said that she would marry him only if he became a Christian. Tiridates took this for mockery and had her killed.
Legend has it that as punishment for this crime, Tiridates was turned into a grass-eating boar. The only possible cure for this infliction was to call St. Gregory, by now thirteen years in the pit. Gregory healed the king, who then converted to Christianity – albeit, now without the beautiful Hripsime as his bride.
Two of the oldest churches in Armenia are the Saint Hripsime Church and the Saint Gayane Church, each dating from the early part of the seventh century – four hundred years before any Turks were in the region.
Beauty and Meaning
Never Underestimate AR... Buy New $12.15 (as of 07:05 UTC - Details) Enough of these legends – mixtures of fiction and tales along with sporadic facts. Are they true? It depends on what you mean by true, I guess. If true is limited to that which comes with historical evidence, then, no, they are not all true. But if we limit truth to this, we lose beauty. So, are these stories true? Of course, absolutely. It is stories like these that make life beautiful and give life meaning.
Currently, Armenia and the Armenian province of Artsakh are facing an existential crisis, an attack by Azerbaijan and Turkey. Existential, given the history of genocide at the hands of these same instigators and their pan-Turkic desires.
Cross-Stones
There was an ancient Armenian cemetery, in Nakhichevan, an exclave of Azerbaijan, not contiguous to it. While Azerbaijan lies east of Armenia, Nakhichevan lies to the west – another remnant of decisions made early in the Soviet era.
The cemetery was in a town called Julfa. The earliest markers date to the ninth century (some sources say even earlier), and continue to the sixteenth. These markers are something more than tombstones; the Armenian word “khachkar” is used to describe these – the word literally translates as “cross-stone.” These markers usually stood between six and eight feet high. Here are two examples, dated 1602 and 1603, removed from the graveyard and now on display at Echmiadzin, Armenia:
By Hayk – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia
The work is elaborate, intricate, and – dare I say – beautiful. In the seventeenth century, as many as ten-thousand khachkars remained at this gravesite in Julfa, despite the Armenian population having been earlier removed by the Persian king. Even one hundred years ago, perhaps five-thousand were still in place.
None remain today: Bluenoemi Armenian cer... Buy New $19.00 (as of 07:05 UTC - Details)
Those stone regiments are gone now; broken down, all of the headstones have either been removed from Djulfa or buried under the soil. No formal archaeological studies were ever carried out at the cemetery–the last traces of a community long gone–and its full historical significance will never be known.
Over the course of several centuries, stones were lost to decay and vandalism; stones were taken and used for building materials; a railroad was apparently built through the region as well. But the final blow came while the region was under the governance of Azerbaijan, in the post-Soviet era:
In 1998, the Armenian government claimed that Nakhichevan’s Azeri authorities were deliberately wrecking the cemetery in an act of symbolic violence and had destroyed 800 khachkars.
But this wasn’t the end:
The last remains of the cemetery were obliterated this past December [2005]. Over a period of three days beginning on December 14, 2005, a large group of Azeri soldiers destroyed the remaining grave markers with sledgehammers, loaded the broken stones onto trucks, and dumped them into the waters of the Araxes.
There were witnesses. The gravesite sits on the border with Iran, and directly across the Araxes River. The desecration was both photographed and filmed. Three short video clips can be found here, the first two showing the soldiers destroying the khachkars, the third showing the remains being dumped into the river chasm. Before and after pictures can be found here. One can consider this a continuation of genocide: the living were removed from their homeland, and so, too, now the dead.
Azerbaijan claims that Armenians never lived in the region, that the land has been Azeri since time immemorial. Of course, it would have been easy enough to demonstrate this by allowing proper archeologists into the region prior to the final desecration.
Holy Savior Cathedral
In Artsakh, one will find a beautiful cathedral, Ghazanchetsots, the seat of the Diocese of Artsakh. The church fell into disrepair during the Soviet period, when the region was under Azeri control. After the post-Soviet war between Armenia and Azerbaijan for control of the region, Armenians rebuilt the church, rededicating it in 1998:
By Baykar Sepoyan – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia
On October 8, 2020, during this current conflict, Azerbaijan targeted and hit this church. It is now in ruins. Several pictures and a short before-and-after video can be found here, including a picture of the hole in the roof where the projectile came through. The cultural center in the same town was destroyed. Artsakh Strong - Artsa... Buy New $16.95 (as of 07:05 UTC - Details)
Voice
I have struggled with writing this post for perhaps ten days. I tried starting a couple of times but couldn’t bring myself to it. What prompted me to consider it, and what has at the same time made it so emotionally difficult, is the death of Kevork Hadjian:
Kevork Hadjian, an Armenian-Lebanese opera singer, has died while fighting on the Nagorno-Karabakh [Artsakh] frontline. He was 49.
What was a world class opera singer doing there?
Hadjian was a member of a regiment of volunteers led by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation – an Armenian nationalist and socialist political party that is also active in Syria and Lebanon. The platoon had been fighting alongside the Artsakh Defence Corps and managed to overrun Azerbaijani positions on the Varangatagh (Lulasaz) height shortly after Hadjian was killed.
Here is a video of him singing a very well-known and well-beloved and beautiful Armenian song, Groong (The Crane). It took me about five tries to get through all of it; I had to stop several times – the first time after only a few seconds of his voice. The lyrics:
Oh crane, where do you come from,
I am a slave to your voice,
Oh crane, don’t you have news from our homeland?
You did not answer me and you flew away,
Oh crane, go, fly away from our land.
Komitas
The composer of the song is Komitas (his name taken as a priest; by birth Soghomon Soghomonian – Solomon, son of Solomon), an Armenian priest and one of the leaders of the community deported from Constantinople on April 24, 1915 – the date we commemorate as the beginning of the genocide. He is the father of much of the Armenian Divine Liturgy; he rescued for posterity many of the songs sung by Armenian villagers.
Komitas survived this ordeal through the intervention of U.S. ambassador Henry Morgenthau, who intervened with the Ottoman government; Komitas was dispatched back to the capital alongside eight other Armenians who had been deported. The word “survived,” however, is loosely applied. On the train ride out of Constantinople, Komitas is described by a fellow passenger and priest, Fr. Grigoris Balakian, as mentally unstable:
He thought the trees were bandits on the attack and continually hid his head under the hem of my overcoat, like a fearful partridge.
Shortly thereafter, he ended up in a hospital in Istanbul, then in 1919 in Paris. He died in a psychiatric clinic in 1935. That train ride, it seems, cost Komitas his beauty.
There is a statue of him, a monument, in Paris on the River Seine, in a beautiful (and expensive) part of Paris near the Champs Elysée and the George V Hotel, just beyond the shops of Avenue Montaigne. The main Armenian Church of Paris, St. Jean Baptiste, is also close by. I once attended an April 24 commemoration that began at this church and ended at the base of the statue – attended by city leaders and hundreds of members of the Armenian community. SOULBUTY Artsakh Flag ... Buy New $11.99 (as of 07:05 UTC - Details)
The statue was desecrated last month, by one who wanted us to know that he believed that the genocide is a lie.
Conclusion
Sevak Avanesyan is an Armenian-Belgian cellist. In this video, he plays the same song – Groong – in the ruins of the aforementioned bombed church in Artsakh.
Roger Scruton would say that when beauty is lost, meaning is lost. Avanesyan demonstrates how Armenians live lives of meaning – by creating beauty in the offerings of those who would desecrate ours. As one of the commenters at this video noted: “Like a Phoenix, we always rise from our ashes.” Sadly, we have lived through too many ashes; we have much experience in knowing how to rise.
The movie Fight Club offers commentary on the nihilism of rejecting beauty and embracing the desecration of beauty. In one scene, we have this exchange:
Tyler Durden: Where’d you go, psycho boy?
Narrator: I felt like destroying something beautiful.
Psycho boy. Armenians are surrounded by neighbors such as this.
The Best of Daniel Ajamian