lewrockwell--2020-04-01--A Light in the Darkness

A Light in the Darkness

Diana Johnstone ’ s just published book , Circle in the Darkness : Memoir of a World Watcher , is the best book I have ever read , the most revealing , the most accurate , the most truthful , the most moral and humane , the most sincere and heartfelt , and the best written .
Her book is far more than a memoir .
It is a history that has not previously been written .
If you want the truth of the last 60 years in place of the contrived reality constructed for us by controlled explanations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book is so extraordinary in its truthfulness and conciseness that it is difficult for a less gifted writer to do it justice .
It is a book without a superfluous sentence .
Herein I will provide some of the books message .
In future columns I hope to present some of the history in the book .
In the Western World the legitimate national interest of people has become identified with racism and fascism .
Corporate globalism requires open borders , and the left has aligned with globalism and has become the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has come to mean the right of refugees with victim status to other peoples ’ countries .
The leftwing has abandoned the working class and anti-war activity .
Today the leftwing is pro-war in order to enforce “ human rights ” on alleged dictators by bombing their peoples into oblivion , thus producing refugees and tag along opportunistic immigrants that flock to the Western aggressor nations .
Circle in the Darkness ... Johnstone , Diana Best Price : $ 16.44 Buy New $ 16.60 Self-styled moral censors , such as Antifa , denounce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Everything is settled by controlled explanations that can not be questioned or examined in debate .
Those who engage in critical free thinking are censored , shouted down , beaten up , fired , and cancelled .
The cancel culture permits no debate , only enthusiastic acquiesce to explanations that have been settled in advance .
Antifa by shutting down open debate actually serves to protect the authoritarian center consisting of “ the Clintonian Democratic Party , mainstream media , the military industrial complex and globalized neoliberal finance capital.
” Antifa turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the authoritarian center .
In the European Union ’ s so-called constitution , private corporate interests take precedence over—indeed do not permit—the socialized elements of European mixed economies that made the societies livable communities .
Today people are sacrificed to the greed of the global elite as social services are curtailed and privatized .
In the “ Western democracies , ” democracy–that is , rule by the people and a rule of law– has been extinguished .
European peoples were forced into the European Union at the expense of their national sovereignty despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ French people voted 54.7 % against EU membership and 45.3 % for .
The Dutch people voted 61 % against the EU and 39 % for .
Faced with an unacceptable democratic outcome , the ruling elites removed the question from the people by turning EU membership into a “ treaty ” that could be signed by governments without input from the peoples .
When the French Constitutional Court ruled that the “ treaty ” was contrary to the French Constitution , the French Constitution was changed to accommodate the “ treaty.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a choice by putting the “ treaty ” to a referendum , and the people rejected it .
Chastised for allowing the people to decide their own fate , the Irish government collapsed under elite pressure and after a period of intense propaganda in favor of the “ treaty ” forced it through on a second referendum .
The Western “ democratic ” media were principal agents of the elite in stripping European peoples of any control over how they are governed .
In the West lies and orchestrated deceit have replaced truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spreading facts and mutual understanding , media have deceived the public in order to gain support for unjustifiable wars .
Deceit “ reached an extravagant new peak of danger with the campaign of calumny against Russia ” culminating in the preposterous charge investigated by a “ special prosecutor ” that Hillary Clinton ’ s defeat was caused by a Putin/Trump plot involving Russian interference in the US presidential election .
“ Western values ” are constantly invoked , but what are these values ?
They are not the values that made the West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These values are rejected .
Free speech is out if it challenges official explanations whether the government ’ s or the left ’ s or uses any words that can be misrepresented as “ hate speech.
” Democracy is out as demonstrated by the anti-democratic formation of the European Union .
Truth is out as it is “ offensive.
” Rational inquiry is regarded as denial of emotion-based proclamations .
It goes on and on .
Diana Johnstone notes that government repression is most significant not against violent acts of rebellion but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to convey information to the public .
Super Wellness Immune ... Buy New $ 23.90 Where does this leave us ?
We have the West against the world , the West against itself , and the people against themselves .
Washington is unable “ to view the world other than as a field for exercising US ‘ leadership , ’ and all who balk are considered deadly enemies.
” The diplomacy of the US and its NATO vassals consists of dropping sanctions and bombs on those who refuse to submit to Washington ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissolves into “ diversity ” and the mutual hatred of Identity Politics , which has progressed to the point that the transgendered are busy at work hating feminists .
Diana Johnstone puts it best : “ When individuals are bunched into groups assigned intrinsic qualities—from victimhood to racism—normal human ties of mutual concern , shared purpose , comprehension and compassion are severed .
In a grotesque development , new gender identities are invented , whose ‘ cause ’ overshadows the real problems of genuinely disadvantaged people .
Economic issues are forgotten as groups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosper more than ever before , while down below people bicker over safe spaces and toilet use.
” “ The countries of the Western world are in a state of schizophrenic overconfidence and self-doubt .
Their leaders persist in proclaiming ‘ our values ’ as the model for the rest of humanity , while their own people are increasingly divided and disillusioned .
“ The 18th century was the century of the liberated mind .
The 19th century was the century of Great Men .
The 20th century was the century of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s looks like it may become a negation of all of them .
The century of nobody at all .
“ Irrationality and censorship restore chains to thought .
Great Men are only statues to be demolished .
The common man , once hailed as the hero of a radiant future , has been degraded to a superfluous nuisance , probably racist and homophobic .
Ordinary folks have been reassigned from the glorious concept of ‘ the people ’ to their derogatory redefinition under the rubric of populism ’ [ and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ consumers , ’ while being told that by consuming , they are destroying the planet .
Identity Politics has not only turned people against each other by group , but its late manifestation , Vegan speciesism , even turns people against people altogether , for being an overprivileged life form.
” What will our future be ?
Currently we live in a dystopia of deceit .
But the failure of our leaders to deal adequately with a health crisis and their hostility to an economic system that serves people rather than the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world as a massive failure .
Will realization of this failure cause the people at revolt as the Yellow Vests have , or will it break the people and further diminish them ?
As we are confined at home in an effort to avoid infection and to limit the spread of infection , now is a good time to read a clear explanation of what has happened to us in our time , assess the failures that have undermined our existence as a united and free people , and prepare for reconstructing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s book is available from Clarity Press .
The Best of Paul Craig Roberts

Diana Johnstone’s just published book, Circle in the Darkness: Memoir of a World Watcher, is the best book I have ever read, the most revealing, the most accurate, the most truthful, the most moral and humane, the most sincere and heartfelt, and the best written. Her book is far more than a memoir. It is a history that has not previously been written. If you want the truth of the last 60 years in place of the contrived reality constructed for us by controlled explanations, it is in this book.
This book is so extraordinary in its truthfulness and conciseness that it is difficult for a less gifted writer to do it justice. It is a book without a superfluous sentence.
Herein I will provide some of the books message. In future columns I hope to present some of the history in the book.
In the Western World the legitimate national interest of people has become identified with racism and fascism. Corporate globalism requires open borders, and the left has aligned with globalism and has become the most zealous enforcer of open borders, which has come to mean the right of refugees with victim status to other peoples’ countries. The leftwing has abandoned the working class and anti-war activity. Today the leftwing is pro-war in order to enforce “human rights” on alleged dictators by bombing their peoples into oblivion, thus producing refugees and tag along opportunistic immigrants that flock to the Western aggressor nations. Circle in the Darkness... Johnstone, Diana Best Price: $16.44 Buy New $16.60 (as of 04:31 UTC - Details)
Self-styled moral censors, such as Antifa, denounce hate while violently hating those they denounce. Everything is settled by controlled explanations that cannot be questioned or examined in debate. Those who engage in critical free thinking are censored, shouted down, beaten up, fired, and cancelled. The cancel culture permits no debate, only enthusiastic acquiesce to explanations that have been settled in advance.
Antifa by shutting down open debate actually serves to protect the authoritarian center consisting of “the Clintonian Democratic Party, mainstream media, the military industrial complex and globalized neoliberal finance capital.” Antifa turns the left into a support group for the authoritarian center.
In the European Union’s so-called constitution, private corporate interests take precedence over—indeed do not permit—the socialized elements of European mixed economies that made the societies livable communities. Today people are sacrificed to the greed of the global elite as social services are curtailed and privatized.
In the “Western democracies,” democracy–that is, rule by the people and a rule of law– has been extinguished. European peoples were forced into the European Union at the expense of their national sovereignty despite having voted down EU membership. The French people voted 54.7% against EU membership and 45.3% for. The Dutch people voted 61% against the EU and 39% for. Faced with an unacceptable democratic outcome, the ruling elites removed the question from the people by turning EU membership into a “treaty” that could be signed by governments without input from the peoples. When the French Constitutional Court ruled that the “treaty” was contrary to the French Constitution, the French Constitution was changed to accommodate the “treaty.” Only the Irish government gave the people a choice by putting the “treaty” to a referendum, and the people rejected it. Chastised for allowing the people to decide their own fate, the Irish government collapsed under elite pressure and after a period of intense propaganda in favor of the “treaty” forced it through on a second referendum. The Western “democratic” media were principal agents of the elite in stripping European peoples of any control over how they are governed.
In the West lies and orchestrated deceit have replaced truth in government and media. Instead of spreading facts and mutual understanding, media have deceived the public in order to gain support for unjustifiable wars. Deceit “reached an extravagant new peak of danger with the campaign of calumny against Russia” culminating in the preposterous charge investigated by a “special prosecutor” that Hillary Clinton’s defeat was caused by a Putin/Trump plot involving Russian interference in the US presidential election.
“Western values” are constantly invoked, but what are these values? They are not the values that made the West what it is, or rather was. These values are rejected. Free speech is out if it challenges official explanations whether the government’s or the left’s or uses any words that can be misrepresented as “hate speech.” Democracy is out as demonstrated by the anti-democratic formation of the European Union. Truth is out as it is “offensive.” Rational inquiry is regarded as denial of emotion-based proclamations. It goes on and on. Diana Johnstone notes that government repression is most significant not against violent acts of rebellion but against Julian Assange for exercising press freedom to convey information to the public. Super Wellness Immune ... Buy New $23.90 (as of 04:40 UTC - Details)
Where does this leave us? We have the West against the world, the West against itself, and the people against themselves. Washington is unable “to view the world other than as a field for exercising US ‘leadership,’ and all who balk are considered deadly enemies.” The diplomacy of the US and its NATO vassals consists of dropping sanctions and bombs on those who refuse to submit to Washington’s will, while the West itself dissolves into “diversity” and the mutual hatred of Identity Politics, which has progressed to the point that the transgendered are busy at work hating feminists. Diana Johnstone puts it best:
“When individuals are bunched into groups assigned intrinsic qualities—from victimhood to racism—normal human ties of mutual concern, shared purpose, comprehension and compassion are severed. In a grotesque development, new gender identities are invented, whose ‘cause’ overshadows the real problems of genuinely disadvantaged people. Economic issues are forgotten as groups mobilize solely to police attitudes. Billionaires prosper more than ever before, while down below people bicker over safe spaces and toilet use.”
Hubris has destroyed humanity:
“The countries of the Western world are in a state of schizophrenic overconfidence and self-doubt. Their leaders persist in proclaiming ‘our values’ as the model for the rest of humanity, while their own people are increasingly divided and disillusioned.
“The 18th century was the century of the liberated mind. The 19th century was the century of Great Men. The 20th century was the century of the common man. And the 21st century’s looks like it may become a negation of all of them. The century of nobody at all.
“Irrationality and censorship restore chains to thought. Great Men are only statues to be demolished. The common man, once hailed as the hero of a radiant future, has been degraded to a superfluous nuisance, probably racist and homophobic. Ordinary folks have been reassigned from the glorious concept of ‘the people’ to their derogatory redefinition under the rubric of populism’ [and Trump deplorables].
People are reduced to ‘consumers,’ while being told that by consuming, they are destroying the planet. Identity Politics has not only turned people against each other by group, but its late manifestation, Vegan speciesism, even turns people against people altogether, for being an overprivileged life form.”
What will our future be? Currently we live in a dystopia of deceit. But the failure of our leaders to deal adequately with a health crisis and their hostility to an economic system that serves people rather than the wealth of elites are marking the Western world as a massive failure. Will realization of this failure cause the people at revolt as the Yellow Vests have, or will it break the people and further diminish them?
As we are confined at home in an effort to avoid infection and to limit the spread of infection, now is a good time to read a clear explanation of what has happened to us in our time, assess the failures that have undermined our existence as a united and free people, and prepare for reconstructing a livable and humane society. Diana Johnstone’s book is available from Clarity Press.
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The Best of Paul Craig Roberts


lewrockwell--2020-04-01--Covid-19’s Meant To Be a New Black Death, But in Britain, No More People Are Dying Than Normal

Many people are waking up to the fact that the Covid-19 “ pandemic ” is not turning out as billed .
When we finally emerge from it , the big question will be how many people have died from the virus .
Here ’ s the most likely outcome .
You can bet that the institutions of international government , and the “ experts ” advising them , will try to massage and cherry-pick statistics to present the version of events that most closely matches their worst-case scenarios .
The fact is , according to their early predictions , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths that have failed to materialise .
But even when Covid-19 deaths are recorded , we have seen how it could be that people are dying with coronavirus rather than dying of it .
This concept is easy enough to understand , and it encourages one to take a closer look at the breakdown of deaths across an entire society .
The more you follow this rabbit hole down , the more interesting the numbers become .
It may be somewhat morbid , but it is nonetheless very important .
The most popular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spectator over the weekend were by Dr John Lee , a recently retired NHS consultant and professor of pathology .
He remarks that ‘ ’ we have yet to see any statistical evidence for excess deaths , in any part of the world ’ ’ .
Alpha Chemicals Zinc S ... Buy New $ 11.49 To check this out , I looked at the British government ’ s own statistics on total deaths registered weekly across the UK .
It shows that in the week ending on the 8th of March 2019 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK .
This year , in the week ending the 6th of March 2020 , the equivalent figure was almost identical : 10,895 .
Make of that what you will .
Statistics are currently available up to March 20 , and while there is a lag between the spread of the virus and the resulting deaths , so far only about 1 percent of all mortalities bear any relation to coronavirus , and there is no visible spike .
If nothing else , it helps to view the extent of the crisis in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week , and from the long-term view what we are seeing is not a plague , but a blip .
So when all is said and done , will any additional people die of the coronavirus ?
And what is meant by extra or additional ?
Understanding this requires a bit of lateral thinking , but it helps to remember that everyone on Earth has a terminal disease : being alive .
We all have to go sometime .
Recording exactly how and when we do is a big part of the job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a recent blog post , he outlined the concept of background risk .
This is obtained by recording all of the people dying in any given year , at any given age .
At its most simple , this is the percentage chance a person has of not reaching their next birthday , based solely on their age .
Of course , that is not to say that if you are a 40-year-old man you have precisely a 0.2 % chance of dying this year – the data are based on averages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But nonetheless , across a country or given populations , the averages will be right , and it is possible to predict with great accuracy how many people will die in a given year .
In the UK , for example , 600,000 people die annually .
But wait a minute !
A novel , brand-spanking new coronavirus is terrorising us all .
Therefore surely we can expect more people to die this year than would in a normal year ?
And come year ’ s end we should be able , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many more there were .
Zicam Cold Remedy Oral ... Buy New $ 13.99 Spiegelhalter , chair of the Winton Centre for Evidence and Risk Communication at Cambridge University , won ’ t say exactly what he does think that figure will be .
But he does say that if the deaths are towards the lower end of the current estimates , say at around 20,000 in the UK , Covid-19 will end up having ‘ ’ a minimal impact on overall mortality for 2020 ’ ’ .
He told R4 that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professed astonishment , that if someone contracts the coronavirus , they ’ ve got almost exactly the same chance of dying over the ensuing few weeks as they would normally have of dying over the next year , no matter what their age or background health .
And depending on who you ask , that 20,000 figure might still be an overestimate .
In fact , Spiegelhalter says that if extra people die it will likely be as a result of the knock-on effects of the lockdown , such as delayed normal health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political commentator Candace Owens has been Tweeting consistently about the apparent insignificance of Covid-19 deaths compared to overall trends .
She tweeted about this issue in relation to New York City , where meaningless figures are being waved around by the media .
With all of the numbers being bandied about these days by various universities and governments , one would swear that they knew exactly what they were talking about .
Make no mistake : this air of certainty is just a front .
It is definitely too early to accurately gauge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people will die because of coronavirus .
It will depend on how four key pieces of information intersect .
Antiviral Strategies a ... Vasquez , Alex Best Price : $ 24.05 Buy New $ 23.75 • How many people will become infected by Covid-19 ?
• How much does Covid-19 increase the risk of death ?
• Are deaths being properly recorded ?
Of those people who die having contracted coronavirus , are they dying from the virus , or just with it ?
• Of those who died , how many had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year anyway ?
Since all of this began , the mainstream media have focused almost entirely on the first of these points , and stressing with an onslaught of material how important it is to slow the spread .
The most extreme possible measures have been implemented to do that .
Meanwhile , the three other points could end up comparing Covid-19 pretty much to the common flu .
Only careful consideration by governments of all the key factors will result in the best future decisions .
It is hard to believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage that will have been done by the shutdown measures – to businesses , to civil liberties , to individual lives and , of course , to the global economy – could have been for nothing .
Nonetheless , it seems entirely possible based on the present data .
Remember above all to not take the figures the mainstream media throw at you at face value ; there are lies , damned lies and statistics .

Many people are waking up to the fact that the Covid-19 “pandemic” is not turning out as billed. When we finally emerge from it, the big question will be how many people have died from the virus. Here’s the most likely outcome.
You can bet that the institutions of international government, and the “experts” advising them, will try to massage and cherry-pick statistics to present the version of events that most closely matches their worst-case scenarios. The fact is, according to their early predictions, we are already long overdue millions of Covid-19 deaths that have failed to materialise.
But even when Covid-19 deaths are recorded, we have seen how it could be that people are dying with coronavirus rather than dying of it. This concept is easy enough to understand, and it encourages one to take a closer look at the breakdown of deaths across an entire society. The more you follow this rabbit hole down, the more interesting the numbers become. It may be somewhat morbid, but it is nonetheless very important.
The most popular two articles on the website of The Spectator over the weekend were by Dr John Lee, a recently retired NHS consultant and professor of pathology. He remarks that ‘’we have yet to see any statistical evidence for excess deaths, in any part of the world’’. Alpha Chemicals Zinc S... Buy New $11.49 (as of 04:40 UTC - Details)
To check this out, I looked at the British government’s own statistics on total deaths registered weekly across the UK. It shows that in the week ending on the 8th of March 2019, 10,898 people died in total in the UK. This year, in the week ending the 6th of March 2020, the equivalent figure was almost identical: 10,895. Make of that what you will. Statistics are currently available up to March 20, and while there is a lag between the spread of the virus and the resulting deaths, so far only about 1 percent of all mortalities bear any relation to coronavirus, and there is no visible spike. If nothing else, it helps to view the extent of the crisis in proportion – thousands of people die each week, and from the long-term view what we are seeing is not a plague, but a blip.
So when all is said and done, will any additional people die of the coronavirus? And what is meant by extra or additional?
Risk of dying
Understanding this requires a bit of lateral thinking, but it helps to remember that everyone on Earth has a terminal disease: being alive. We all have to go sometime.
Recording exactly how and when we do is a big part of the job of statistician Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter. In a recent blog post, he outlined the concept of background risk. This is obtained by recording all of the people dying in any given year, at any given age. At its most simple, this is the percentage chance a person has of not reaching their next birthday, based solely on their age. Of course, that is not to say that if you are a 40-year-old man you have precisely a 0.2% chance of dying this year – the data are based on averages, and do not apply to individuals.
But nonetheless, across a country or given populations, the averages will be right, and it is possible to predict with great accuracy how many people will die in a given year. In the UK, for example, 600,000 people die annually. But wait a minute! A novel, brand-spanking new coronavirus is terrorising us all. Therefore surely we can expect more people to die this year than would in a normal year? And come year’s end we should be able, with simple arithmetic, to count exactly how many more there were. Zicam Cold Remedy Oral... Buy New $13.99 (as of 06:31 UTC - Details)
Spiegelhalter, chair of the Winton Centre for Evidence and Risk Communication at Cambridge University, won’t say exactly what he does think that figure will be. But he does say that if the deaths are towards the lower end of the current estimates, say at around 20,000 in the UK, Covid-19 will end up having ‘’a minimal impact on overall mortality for 2020’’. He told R4 that his findings showed, to his own professed astonishment, that if someone contracts the coronavirus, they’ve got almost exactly the same chance of dying over the ensuing few weeks as they would normally have of dying over the next year, no matter what their age or background health.
And depending on who you ask, that 20,000 figure might still be an overestimate. In fact, Spiegelhalter says that if extra people die it will likely be as a result of the knock-on effects of the lockdown, such as delayed normal health care, depression and isolation.
American political commentator Candace Owens has been Tweeting consistently about the apparent insignificance of Covid-19 deaths compared to overall trends. She tweeted about this issue in relation to New York City, where meaningless figures are being waved around by the media.
An article this morning claims NYC is facing a catastrophe because they have had 450 Coronavirus deaths since January & someone is dying every 17 minutes. So you know—regularly, NYC has 419 deaths every single day & loses a person every 9 minutes. Just for perspective. — Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) March 28, 2020
Final destination
With all of the numbers being bandied about these days by various universities and governments, one would swear that they knew exactly what they were talking about. Make no mistake: this air of certainty is just a front. It is definitely too early to accurately gauge how many – if any – extra people will die because of coronavirus. It will depend on how four key pieces of information intersect. Antiviral Strategies a... Vasquez, Alex Best Price: $24.05 Buy New $23.75 (as of 11:07 UTC - Details)
These are:
How many people will become infected by Covid-19? How much does Covid-19 increase the risk of death? Are deaths being properly recorded? Of those people who die having contracted coronavirus, are they dying from the virus, or just with it? Of those who died, how many had comorbidities that would have killed them this year anyway?
Since all of this began, the mainstream media have focused almost entirely on the first of these points, and stressing with an onslaught of material how important it is to slow the spread. The most extreme possible measures have been implemented to do that. Meanwhile, the three other points could end up comparing Covid-19 pretty much to the common flu. Only careful consideration by governments of all the key factors will result in the best future decisions.
It is hard to believe that when this all blows over, the damage that will have been done by the shutdown measures – to businesses, to civil liberties, to individual lives and, of course, to the global economy – could have been for nothing. Nonetheless, it seems entirely possible based on the present data. Remember above all to not take the figures the mainstream media throw at you at face value; there are lies, damned lies and statistics.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
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lewrockwell--2020-04-01--The Coronavirus Debate and the Oligarch vs. Oligarch Struggle

This article is a small step in trying to de-mystify the hidden struggle between two types of Oligarchs that want to dominate the Globe : 1 ] the Corporate Oligarchs ( like Rupert Murdoch , Italy ’ s Fiat and Ferrari families and Donald Trump ) that already have control over the planet ’ s resources , politicians , news media and the consumers of their heavily propagandized ( and often addictive ) products and therefore need to get their businesses back to their previous ( workers-be-damned ) profitability and 2 ] the Big Pharmaceutical and Big Vaccine Oligarchs that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plain people and politicians ) frightened enough to become unconditionally obedient to the authority of their fellow Oligarchs that have control over another segment of the globe and want to maximize the panic-inducing effect of the pandemic ’ s lethality , especially when their fast-tracked vaccines and their fast-tracked test kits are potential stock market block-busters if the pandemic can continue on for a few months longer .
( Note that fit is a certainty that fast-tracking any technologically-complex product like vaccines or test kits will never prove to be reliable , efficacious @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interesting article that provides some insights into the matter .
( Note that the publication date of the article is tomorrow , March 31 , 2020 . )
Also note Murdoch ’ s editors calming , pro-corporate , pro-business stance – similar to Trump ’ s and every other Oligarch on the planet , which actually puts the pandemic into a logical perspective by pointing out that : Logitech C270 Desktop ... Best Price : $ 99.00 Of the death certiﬁcates in Italy that list Coronavirus as the cause of death , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the infection .
The other 88 % had other – more significant – primary causes of death , thus drastically skewing the mortality statistics to a level that is far more hysteria-promoting .
Germany ’ s death rate is 7 persons per 1,000,000 population ( 545 deaths out of the 63,000 that tested positive ) ; Australia ’ s death rate is 0.7 per 1,000,000 and the UK ’ s death rate is 18 per 1,000,000 .
Here is tomorrow ’ s The Australian headline news : Coronavirus death rates across Europe ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slowly levelling off , while scientists are watching how Germany has kept its death rate much lower than its neighbours .
On Monday , Spain recorded another 537 deaths to take its tally to 7,340 , and in Italy there were 812 deaths , bringing their death toll to 11,591 .
For both countries , the exponential curve for both infections and deaths has started to level and most of those who have died have been elder ly and with underlying health conditions .
Ground Up Organics Lip ... Buy New $ 19.99 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italy , there have been calls from car manufacturers to restart production next week , subject to government approval .
Fiat Chrysler wants to reopen three plants in Melﬁ , Miraﬁori and Atessa .
The Agnelli family wants to reopen its Ferrari plant on April 14 .
In the United Kingdom , the number of deaths is expected to peak in the coming weeks while the number of infections is tipped to fall .
On Monday there were 180 deaths – again a number lower than anticipated – to bring the total death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per cent of London ’ s population of 10 million and as many as two million across the country could already have had the virus in a mild or asymptomatic form .
However , the nursing federation says one in ﬁve nurses are off sick with suspected coronavirus symptoms and doctor groups believe one in four doctors are similarly infected .
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson , who continues to direct the country ’ s response to the pandemic from isolation at 11 Downing Street , has ordered 17 million tests to identify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work out who has had the virus .
While he is recovering from the virus , it has emerged his chief Adviser Dominic Cummings has now gone into self-isolation with COVID-19 symptoms .
Prince Charles , meanwhile , has now come out of seven days of quarantine .
At this point , with an enforced lockdown , the number of deaths in the UK has been far lower than the original expectation of around 20,000 or even the more recently updated forecast of 5,700 deaths .
Scientists have told Westminster that possibly two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far have been from people who would have died of their underlying conditions .
But in preparation for the coming weeks when hospitals may be overrun , the makeshift Nightingale Hospital at the Excel conference centre in London is ready to take in 500 patients and can be expanded to take 4000 .
Other temporary hospitals are opening in Manchester and Birmingham .
Statisticians are looking to Germany for clues as to what the virus outcome might be .
Italy ’ s numbers appear worryingly high , but experts say that is because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorded as dying from it .
Jabbed : How the Vaccin ... Wilcox , Brett Best Price : $ 13.02 Buy New $ 13.05 “ Only 12 per cent of death certiﬁcates ( of people listed as dying from coronavirus ) have shown a direct causality from coronavirus , ” said Professor Walter Ricciardi , scientiﬁc adviser to Italy ’ s health ministry .
“ The way in which we code deaths in our country is very generous in the sense that all the people who die in hospitals with the coronavirus are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ’ He said while 12 per cent of death certiﬁcates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus , the other 88 per cent of deaths had least one comorbidity – and many had two or three .
Each year in Italy there are 17,000 deaths from inﬂuenza .
In Germany , on the other hand , any underlying health conditions – often heart disease – are usually noted as the cause of death , rather than the coronavirus .
Germany has also tested a broader spectrum of the population – including children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ symptoms at the earliest stages , including contacts of known infections – rather than the Italian and British methods of mainly testing the very sick who have been hospitalised .
Germany says they have found 63,000 infections , of which there have been 545 deaths , a death rate of 7 per 1 million population .
In Italy their 11,000 deaths equates to around 178 deaths per 1 million population .
Australia ’ s rate per 1 million population is 0.7 and the UK ’ s is 18 .
Spain is 157 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ how Germany has tested a wider age range of the population than others – its median age of those infected is 46 .
Eight in ten Germans with the disease are under 60 and are able to withstand the virus much more robustly .
In Italy the median age is 63 , in the UK it is 64 .
But again , in Italy and the UK the ﬁgures reﬂect the median age of the very ill coronavirus patients and isn ’ t indicative of the infections throughout the whole country .
German @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases ; and like the UK and Australia , the Germans are trying to shield their older populations from contracting the disease .
Interestingly , German researchers also believe the virus was imported into the country from ﬁt and healthy skiers who had been in the Italian alps and so could shrug it off more easily .
Meanwhile the French Minister of Research , Frédérique Vidal , said clinical test results on four possible coronavirus treatments will be known at the end of the week .
The clinical trials of four possible treatments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 3,000 volunteers across Europe .
The trials will determine the best treatments among the Ebola drug 1 ] Remdesivir , 2 ] the anti-HIV treatment Lopinavir-Ritonavir , 3 ] the long-standing anti-malaria drug Hydroxychloroquine , and 4 ] interferon-beta .
The Best of Gary G. Kohls , MD

This article is a small step in trying to de-mystify the hidden struggle between two types of Oligarchs that want to dominate the Globe: 1] the Corporate Oligarchs (like Rupert Murdoch, Italy’s Fiat and Ferrari families and Donald Trump) that already have control over the planet’s resources, politicians, news media and the consumers of their heavily propagandized (and often addictive) products and therefore need to get their businesses back to their previous (workers-be-damned) profitability and 2] the Big Pharmaceutical and Big Vaccine Oligarchs that are trying to get everybody (including plain people and politicians) frightened enough to become unconditionally obedient to the authority of their fellow Oligarchs that have control over another segment of the globe and want to maximize the panic-inducing effect of the pandemic’s lethality, especially when their fast-tracked vaccines and their fast-tracked test kits are potential stock market block-busters if the pandemic can continue on for a few months longer. (Note that fit is a certainty that fast-tracking any technologically-complex product like vaccines or test kits will never prove to be reliable, efficacious or safe.)
Here is an interesting article that provides some insights into the matter. (Note that the publication date of the article is tomorrow, March 31, 2020.)
Also note Murdoch’s editors calming, pro-corporate, pro-business stance – similar to Trump’s and every other Oligarch on the planet, which actually puts the pandemic into a logical perspective by pointing out that: Logitech C270 Desktop ... Best Price: $99.00 (as of 06:31 UTC - Details)
Of the death certiﬁcates in Italy that list Coronavirus as the cause of death, only 12 % actually died primarily because of the infection. The other 88% had other – more significant – primary causes of death, thus drastically skewing the mortality statistics to a level that is far more hysteria-promoting.
Germany’s death rate is 7 persons per 1,000,000 population (545 deaths out of the 63,000 that tested positive);
Italy’s death rate is 178 per 1,000,000 population. (11,591 deaths);
Spain’s death rate is 157 per 1,000,000 population (7,340 deaths);
Australia’s death rate is 0.7 per 1,000,000 and
the UK’s death rate is 18 per 1,000,000.
Here is tomorrow’s The Australian headline news:
__________________________________________________________
Coronavirus: Europe Death Rates Start to Level Off
The Australian – 31 March 2020 (921 words)
Coronavirus death rates across Europe’s hardest hit countries appear to be slowly levelling off, while scientists are watching how Germany has kept its death rate much lower than its neighbours.
On Monday, Spain recorded another 537 deaths to take its tally to 7,340, and in Italy there were 812 deaths, bringing their death toll to 11,591.
For both countries, the exponential curve for both infections and deaths has started to level and most of those who have died have been elder
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In Italy, there have been calls from car manufacturers to restart production next week, subject to government approval.
Fiat Chrysler wants to reopen three plants in Melﬁ, Miraﬁori and Atessa. The Agnelli family wants to reopen its Ferrari plant on April 14.
In the United Kingdom, the number of deaths is expected to peak in the coming weeks while the number of infections is tipped to fall. On Monday there were 180 deaths – again a number lower than anticipated – to bring the total death toll to 1,415.
Epidemiologists say ﬁve per cent of London’s population of 10 million and as many as two million across the country could already have had the virus in a mild or asymptomatic form.
However, the nursing federation says one in ﬁve nurses are off sick with suspected coronavirus symptoms and doctor groups believe one in four doctors are similarly infected.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who continues to direct the country’s response to the pandemic from isolation at 11 Downing Street, has ordered 17 million tests to identify the presence of coronavirus antibodies to help work out who has had the virus.
While he is recovering from the virus, it has emerged his chief Adviser Dominic Cummings has now gone into self-isolation with COVID-19 symptoms. Prince Charles, meanwhile, has now come out of seven days of quarantine.
At this point, with an enforced lockdown, the number of deaths in the UK has been far lower than the original expectation of around 20,000 or even the more recently updated forecast of 5,700 deaths.
Scientists have told Westminster that possibly two thirds of deaths that have occurred so far have been from people who would have died of their underlying conditions.
But in preparation for the coming weeks when hospitals may be overrun, the makeshift Nightingale Hospital at the Excel conference centre in London is ready to take in 500 patients and can be expanded to take 4000. Other temporary hospitals are opening in Manchester and Birmingham.
Statisticians are looking to Germany for clues as to what the virus outcome might be.
Italy’s numbers appear worryingly high, but experts say that is because every person who dies with coronavirus is recorded as dying from it. Jabbed: How the Vaccin... Wilcox, Brett Best Price: $13.02 Buy New $13.05 (as of 03:50 UTC - Details)
“Only 12 per cent of death certiﬁcates (of people listed as dying from coronavirus) have shown a direct causality from coronavirus,” said Professor Walter Ricciardi, scientiﬁc adviser to Italy’s
health ministry.
“The way in which we code deaths in our country is very generous in the sense that all the people who die in hospitals with the coronavirus are deemed to be dying of the coronavirus.’’
He said while 12 per cent of death certiﬁcates have shown a direct causality from coronavirus, the other 88 per cent of deaths had least one comorbidity – and many had two or three. Each year in Italy there are 17,000 deaths from inﬂuenza.
In Germany, on the other hand, any underlying health conditions – often heart disease – are usually noted as the cause of death, rather than the coronavirus.
Germany has also tested a broader spectrum of the population – including children and those who showed the mildest of symptoms at the earliest stages, including contacts of known infections – rather than the Italian and British methods of mainly testing the very sick who have been hospitalised.
Germany says they have found 63,000 infections, of which there have been 545 deaths, a death rate of 7 per 1 million population.
In Italy their 11,000 deaths equates to around 178 deaths per 1 million population.
Australia’s rate per 1 million population is 0.7 and the UK’s is 18. Spain is 157.
The age proﬁle of infections also illustrates how Germany has tested a wider age range of the population than others – its median age of those infected is 46.
Eight in ten Germans with the disease are under 60 and are able to withstand the virus much more robustly. In Italy the median age is 63, in the UK it is 64. But again, in Italy and the UK the ﬁgures reﬂect the median age of the very ill coronavirus patients and isn’t indicative of the infections throughout the whole country.
German hospitals haven’t been overwhelmed with cases; and like the UK and Australia, the Germans are trying to shield their older populations from contracting the disease.
Interestingly, German researchers also believe the virus was imported into the country from ﬁt and healthy skiers who had been in the Italian alps and so could shrug it off more easily.
Meanwhile the French Minister of Research, Frédérique Vidal, said clinical test results on four possible coronavirus treatments will be known at the end of the week.
The clinical trials of four possible treatments began a week ago and involve more than 3,000 volunteers across Europe. The trials will determine the best treatments among the Ebola drug 1] Remdesivir, 2] the anti-HIV treatment Lopinavir-Ritonavir, 3] the long-standing anti-malaria drug Hydroxychloroquine, and 4] interferon-beta.
The Best of Gary G. Kohls, MD


lewrockwell--2020-04-01--Americans Are in for a Rude Awakening

Americans Are in for a Rude Awakening

All eyes have been on the stock market in recent weeks as it has reflected the fears about the coronavirus-induced economic shutdown and the hopes of massive stimulus .
It ’ s been quite a rollercoaster ride .
But in his podcast on March 27 , Peter Schiff said there ’ s an even bigger problem looming on the horizon that people aren ’ t paying any attention to – the potential destruction of the dollar .
He said Americans are in for a rude awakening .
The Dow Jones finished its best week since the Great Depression with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that big plunge , the Dow was up about 13 % on the week , all on the strength of the spectacular rally on Tuesday , Wednesday and Thursday .
In fact , the Dow had a bull market condensed into three days .
But Peter said it was not really a bull market .
He called it a “ vicious correction in a horrific bear market.
” And he said that bear market is “ a long way from over.
” But while most eyes are on the stock market , Peter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant looming bear market — the bear market we ’ re going to have in the US dollar .
LETSCOM Bluetooth Head ... Best Price : $ 17.55 Buy New $ 19.98 Peter has already explained how the actions of the Federal Reserve and the US government has set the stage to devalue the dollar , saying the dollar is cooked .
He said that with the central bank and government response to the coronavirus , hyperinflation has gone from being the worst-case scenario to the most likely scenario .
A bear market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other problems in the economy .
Consider in the 1970s , the dollar fell by nearly 70 % .
That means that while nominal stock market losses in the decade weren ’ t terrible , the real losses were significantly larger .
It was a destruction of the value of US stocks and Peter said it ’ s going to happen again .
A plunge in the dollar means losses on all dollar-denominated assets — stocks , bonds , real estate .
It also means price inflation and rising interest rates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even lower .
Peter said he thinks the dollar is going to be a lot weaker in this decade than it was in the 1970s .
The main reason the dollar fell in the 1970s was because the US went off the gold standard .
But the dollar remained the reserve currency , even though it was backed by nothing .
During the 80s , the US enjoyed the privilege of being able to issue the world ’ s currency without having to back it by gold .
Introducing Echo Buds ... Buy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he thinks the world is going to kick out the dollar as the reserve currency .
If that happens , the dollar will just be another currency .
Peter said this may well crush the retirement dreams of many Americans .
With the erosion of the dollar ’ s purchasing power , retiring simply won ’ t be an option for many people .
Peter also talked about the passage of the massive stimulus bill .
He said it ’ s possible the most socialist bill ever passed .
Basically , America is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leviathan : ... Robert Higgs Best Price : $ 7.96 Buy New $ 7.42

All eyes have been on the stock market in recent weeks as it has reflected the fears about the coronavirus-induced economic shutdown and the hopes of massive stimulus. It’s been quite a rollercoaster ride. But in his podcast on March 27, Peter Schiff said there’s an even bigger problem looming on the horizon that people aren’t paying any attention to – the potential destruction of the dollar. He said Americans are in for a rude awakening.
The Dow Jones finished its best week since the Great Depression with a 915.39 point drop. But even with that big plunge, the Dow was up about 13% on the week, all on the strength of the spectacular rally on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In fact, the Dow had a bull market condensed into three days. But Peter said it was not really a bull market. He called it a “vicious correction in a horrific bear market.” And he said that bear market is “a long way from over.”
But while most eyes are on the stock market, Peter said we’re missing a more significant looming bear market — the bear market we’re going to have in the US dollar. LETSCOM Bluetooth Head... Best Price: $17.55 Buy New $19.98 (as of 06:26 UTC - Details)
Peter has already explained how the actions of the Federal Reserve and the US government has set the stage to devalue the dollar, saying the dollar is cooked. He said that with the central bank and government response to the coronavirus, hyperinflation has gone from being the worst-case scenario to the most likely scenario.
A bear market in the dollar can mask some of the other problems in the economy. Consider in the 1970s, the dollar fell by nearly 70%. That means that while nominal stock market losses in the decade weren’t terrible, the real losses were significantly larger. It was a destruction of the value of US stocks and Peter said it’s going to happen again.
A plunge in the dollar means losses on all dollar-denominated assets — stocks, bonds, real estate. It also means price inflation and rising interest rates, which pushes down the value of bonds even lower. Peter said he thinks the dollar is going to be a lot weaker in this decade than it was in the 1970s.
I think the US is certainly starting off the decade in a much worse financial position.”

The main reason the dollar fell in the 1970s was because the US went off the gold standard. But the dollar remained the reserve currency, even though it was backed by nothing.
It got marked down, but it didn’t get knocked out.”
During the 80s, the US enjoyed the privilege of being able to issue the world’s currency without having to back it by gold. Introducing Echo Buds ... Buy New $129.99 (as of 06:26 UTC - Details)
That basically gave us a license to print and we’ve been abusing that ever since.”
Peter said this time he thinks the world is going to kick out the dollar as the reserve currency. If that happens, the dollar will just be another currency.
And that means Americans are going to have to have to abide by the same economic rules that govern everybody else. That means if we want to consume, we’ve got to produce. If we want to borrow, we’ve got to save. And Americans are going to be in for a rude awakening.”
Peter said this may well crush the retirement dreams of many Americans. With the erosion of the dollar’s purchasing power, retiring simply won’t be an option for many people.
Most Americans who are already retired, well, they’re going to have to go back to work. And the people who were planning on stopping working, well, they’re just going to have to keep working until they’re dead, basically. Unless you can do something now to protect yourself.”
Peter also talked about the passage of the massive stimulus bill. He said it’s possible the most socialist bill ever passed. Basically, America is already a socialist nation.
Reprinted from SchiffGold.com.
Crisis and Leviathan: ... Robert Higgs Best Price: $7.96 Buy New $7.42 (as of 05:25 UTC - Details)


Managing a Disaster

I ’ m not sure whether COVID-19 , first identified in Wuhan , China , in the U.S. qualifies as a true disaster .
Putting the disease in perspective , we might look at current influenza illnesses .
According to Centers for Disease Control estimates , between Oct. 1 , 2019 , and March 14 , 2020 , there have been 390,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations as a result of the flu , 38,000,000 to 54,000,000 flu illnesses and 23,000 to 59,000 flu deaths .
That ’ s compared with , as of March 27 , a total of 85,356 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1,246 people .
But let ’ s agree that COVID-19 is a disaster and ask what the appropriate steps that are to deal with it .
One of the first observations about any disaster is that the quantity demanded of many goods greatly exceeds the supply .
There is a shortage .
The natural market response when there is a shortage is for prices to rise .
Rising prices produce several beneficial effects .
They reduce the incentive for people to hoard while suppliers , motivated by the prospect of higher profits , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good in short supply .
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have anti-price gouging laws that prohibit “ excessive and unjustified ” increases in prices of essential consumer goods and services during a federal , state or local declared emergency .
Price gouging is legally defined as charging 10 to 25 % more for something than you charged for it during the month before an emergency .
Sellers convicted of price gouging face stiff fines and perhaps prison terms .
The Ethics of Liberty Rothbard , Murray N. Best Price : $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about hoarding ?
Often , hoarding creates the shortage .
In uncertain times , people may purchase three dozen eggs instead of one dozen .
They may want to maintain stockpiles of canned goods and buy up large quantities of cleaners , paper towels and toilet paper .
This kind of behavior has left some with overflowing freezers , shelves of sanitizers and garages full of toilet paper while their neighbors are left either wanting for the same items or paying what some call “ excessive and unjustified ” prices .
While it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the fact is that consumers are not forced to buy products for the higher ( gouged ) price .
If they pay , it is likely because they see themselves as being better off acquiring the good than the alternative – keeping their money in their pocket .
Higher prices charged have a couple of unappreciated benefits .
First , they get people to economize on the use of the good whose price has risen .
That is higher prices reduce demand and encourage conservation .
That helps with the disaster .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they can make more money by bringing additional quantities of the goods to the market .
This increases the supply of goods , which helps to drive prices back down .
Anti-price gouging laws disrupt these two very important functions of the marketplace and enhance and prolong a disaster .
In other words , in a disaster , we want people to economize their use of goods and services and we want suppliers of these goods and services to produce more .
Rising prices encourage these actions .
Anti-price gouging laws stymy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a disaster does not exist .
Some people might reluctantly agree that allowing prices to rise during a disaster helps allocate resources .
But they ’ ll complain that ’ s not the intention of greedy sellers who are out to profit .
I say , so what ?
It ’ s not sellers ’ intentions that count but what their actions accomplish that ’ s important — namely , getting people to conserve more and suppliers to produce more .
Many of the problems associated with a disaster would be eliminated if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same as it was before the disaster .
To get people to behave nicely and consider their neighbors is the ultimate challenge .
I think rising prices are the best and most dependable way to get people to be considerate of their fellow man .
Now Supplements , L-Opt ... Best Price : null Buy New $ 6.32 ( $ 0.06 / Count ) The Best of Walter E. Williams

I’m not sure whether COVID-19, first identified in Wuhan, China, in the U.S. qualifies as a true disaster. Putting the disease in perspective, we might look at current influenza illnesses. According to Centers for Disease Control estimates, between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 14, 2020, there have been 390,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations as a result of the flu, 38,000,000 to 54,000,000 flu illnesses and 23,000 to 59,000 flu deaths. That’s compared with, as of March 27, a total of 85,356 cases of COVID-19 resulting in the deaths of 1,246 people.
But let’s agree that COVID-19 is a disaster and ask what the appropriate steps that are to deal with it. One of the first observations about any disaster is that the quantity demanded of many goods greatly exceeds the supply. There is a shortage. The natural market response when there is a shortage is for prices to rise. Rising prices produce several beneficial effects. They reduce the incentive for people to hoard while suppliers, motivated by the prospect of higher profits, are incentivized to produce more of the good in short supply.
Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have anti-price gouging laws that prohibit “excessive and unjustified” increases in prices of essential consumer goods and services during a federal, state or local declared emergency. Price gouging is legally defined as charging 10 to 25% more for something than you charged for it during the month before an emergency. Sellers convicted of price gouging face stiff fines and perhaps prison terms. The Ethics of Liberty Rothbard, Murray N. Best Price: $9.63 Buy New $19.00 (as of 02:25 UTC - Details)
But what about hoarding? Often, hoarding creates the shortage. In uncertain times, people may purchase three dozen eggs instead of one dozen. They may want to maintain stockpiles of canned goods and buy up large quantities of cleaners, paper towels and toilet paper. This kind of behavior has left some with overflowing freezers, shelves of sanitizers and garages full of toilet paper while their neighbors are left either wanting for the same items or paying what some call “excessive and unjustified” prices.
While it’s difficult to get beyond emotions, the fact is that consumers are not forced to buy products for the higher (gouged) price. If they pay, it is likely because they see themselves as being better off acquiring the good than the alternative – keeping their money in their pocket. Higher prices charged have a couple of unappreciated benefits. First, they get people to economize on the use of the good whose price has risen. That is higher prices reduce demand and encourage conservation. That helps with the disaster.
With higher prices, profit-seeking suppliers know that they can make more money by bringing additional quantities of the goods to the market. This increases the supply of goods, which helps to drive prices back down. Anti-price gouging laws disrupt these two very important functions of the marketplace and enhance and prolong a disaster. In other words, in a disaster, we want people to economize their use of goods and services and we want suppliers of these goods and services to produce more. Rising prices encourage these actions. Anti-price gouging laws stymy those incentives and create the pretense that a disaster does not exist.
Some people might reluctantly agree that allowing prices to rise during a disaster helps allocate resources. But they’ll complain that’s not the intention of greedy sellers who are out to profit. I say, so what? It’s not sellers’ intentions that count but what their actions accomplish that’s important — namely, getting people to conserve more and suppliers to produce more.
Many of the problems associated with a disaster would be eliminated if people’s buying behavior were the same as it was before the disaster. To get people to behave nicely and consider their neighbors is the ultimate challenge. I think rising prices are the best and most dependable way to get people to be considerate of their fellow man.
Now Supplements, L-Opt... Buy New $6.32 ($0.06 / Count) (as of 07:55 UTC - Details)
The Best of Walter E. Williams


lewrockwell--2020-04-01--It Takes True Cowardice To Close Church Doors, Especially During a Corona Pandemic

Now I ’ m not talking to the pastor here who can ’ t do a thing about whether or not church meets .
That ’ s a decision made by a committee in many congregations .
I ’ m talking to the soul of that pastor here who I hope I can have access to for a minute , because that soulful guy in there is who matters .
And I would be crestfallen if a little piece of your soul were abandoned in this coronavirus hullabaloo .
But the pastor and the soul are also not entirely separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your calling as a minister , because it was the best paying steady job you could find .
You courageously did it for other reasons .
Who knows , some of those reasons that originally attracted you to the cloth , may even be forgotten by you all these years later .
As you know , churches all over America have closed their doors over the last two weeks and the closing of churches are on the rise .
Fire TV Stick streamin ... Best Price : null Buy New $ 39.99 The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of priorities to be made with the question : “ At what cost ?
” All human action requires that question : “ At what cost ?
” Not asking that question is the downfall of many in our era who are encouraged to be disconnected from reality .
In order to do one thing , you must choose to not do another .
So the closing of anything necessitates that question .
But this is not the closing of just anything .
This is the closing of one of the most important @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more that the question “ At what cost ?
” be asked .
It demands a far higher standard be followed to protect how special the church ’ s role in society is .
This isn ’ t the Elks Lodge .
This isn ’ t a restaurant with tight seating .
This isn ’ t the YMCA .
This isn ’ t a bowling alley .
This isn ’ t the local country club .
Some pastors have hobbies that are not the pinnacle of health .
You may be one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , enjoy a beer now and then .
If I suggested you forego a casual twice weekly beer for the next 30 years because it will statistically extend your lifespan by 48 weeks would that be enough for you to stop having a beer ?
Probably not .
A pastor in that relatively low-value situation is more likely to preference the unhealthy choice .
But in his high-value , daily existence – being the spiritual leader of a congregation – he does the exact opposite and claims it in the name of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pretend that the pastors of the world are consistently placing health and longevity above their calling .
You may be one such pastor who finds himself closing his church doors in the name of health and hygiene .
Is there even any literature that says being in church for 45 minutes is going to increase your risk of coming down with Covid-19 ?
Probably not .
There is clearly literature that says a three-week full lockdown is such a minimally beneficial intervention that it accomplishes next to nothing and other literature that says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interventions stop the spread of coronaviruses .
These heavy-handed mass quarantines and shuttering of businesses are largely untested waters , with available evidence indicating that some of the very extreme measures being taken – such as closing churches – probably have no impact in the spread of corona .
If locking down all social interaction for weeks produces no reduction in the spread of corona , then how could one possibly prove that closing church doors for the fraction of a week when people go to church could possibly have any benefit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ very unlikely that you will find credible scientific literature that says closing the church doors helps keep anyone safe from corona .
And when judging the entire person , there will be no study that can prove closing church doors is a net benefit for a person at any time in life .
But you surely see everyone else doing it , closing down business and enforcing social distancing , so it ’ s natural for you to want to do the same .
It ’ s natural for your church council to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s where a leader from the clergy is needed , to say that there ’ s something different about closing a church .
There ’ s something different between the church and other non-profits .
There ’ s something different between the church and other gathering places .
There ’ s something different between the church and other places where money is handled .
If the pastor , the most theologically trained person in the room , the person called on to be able to distinguish the religious ideals from the secular whims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand up in a congregation and point to that key difference when he is most needed , then that congregation is lost , cut adrift by a spiritual leader who has abrogated his duties .
Sure , the Las Vegas Strip is closed .
Sure Disneyland is closed .
Disneyland is an amusement park run by a massive , soulless corporation .
Is that how the church is to see itself , as simply another form of entertainment and amusement ?
Is that where the church is to find its inspiration ?
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to for leadership ?
No , the church is constructed in little independent cells , so that a little community gathers together , independent of the rest of the world , and has a pastor , who , among other things is to help those in the congregation draw a firm line between the secular and religious .
You might have dozens , hundreds , even thousands in your congregation .
In the midst of this outbreak , you ’ re going to have the five or ten or fifteen people who need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most people won ’ t want to show up .
Can you point to medical or ethical literature that says why you are really doing more for them by not being there on a Sunday than by being there ?
Fireproof Document Bag ... Best Price : $ 14.99 Buy New $ 19.99 I can point to some of the finest literature in the world that tells me how my Sundays are best spent .
And that literature was written in times with more infectious disease .
Wisdom makes its way down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Talking heads on TV screaming back-and-forth about data is not wisdom .
If you are rooted in wisdom , it ’ s easier to pause and take a deep breath at a moment like this .
If you do not know wisdom , it ’ s easy to get caught up in headlines .
Or it might even be easy to get caught up in data that will easily take ten years to properly understand .
The world needs its pastors – those trained in wisdom – to take a deep breath and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back .
And the first step of doing that it is to open the church doors .
No one is forcing anyone to appear at church if you keep your doors open .
But by closing the doors , you are denying those in your congregation the ability to appear and to perform the valuable rituals that are hundreds , in some cases , thousands of years old , and in the place where we know that rituals carry a lot more weight for us as humans and as Christians .
“ Visit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t carry the same weight .
Plenty of perfectly healthy people who were doing well with life two weeks ago are suddenly not doing very well with life anymore .
And that ’ s not because they have a serious cold to contend with .
The news , the fear , the disruption of work , the disruption of life is affecting a lot of people .
Six days of their week are disrupted .
You have the chance , to allow a seventh day of the week to not be disrupted .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ church the solid foundation that it was meant to be , even when the rest of the world is tumultuous .
No .
Especially when the rest of the world is tumultuous .
And I don ’ t even need you to act .
Maybe you can ’ t .
Maybe there ’ s lots of church politics at play .
I don ’ t know .
What I need you to know is that you can be the leader in your flock , your hands aren ’ t entirely tied , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t a deterministic moment .
You have a choice .
You have options .
And some in your congregation would probably be well-benefited if you stood up firmly and cited those options and to insist that the church doors stay open , even if it is the pastor by himself there on a Sunday , so the members of the flock know , just like the pastor , just like their spiritual leader , they too can work up the courage to walk into that church if they so desire , brave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ special place in which Christians around the globe place so much value .
People are hurting .
A handful of the population needs a medical doctor .
Likely even more of the population could use a spiritual doctor .
Even the medical doctors are suggesting you visit them online , which has left many feeling abandoned and clueless on how to proceed .
And to my great sadness , the spiritual doctors have done the same .
We aren ’ t talking about a 30 % chance of death this year from Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death this year .
Experts are debating if it ’ s between 0.05 % chance of death and a 1 % chance of death over the course of this outbreak .
These aren ’ t bubonic plague levels .
And that ’ s not even what the chance of death is for being with your spiritual doctor for an hour a week .
The risk from attending a church service is immeasurably low .
There are lots of people who might claim to be spiritual doctors .
There might be some yogis , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go into the local gym during the corona crisis .
So they conveniently point out that their pseudo-religious practice that they normally recommend their customers follow daily is suddenly a lot less important without a payment method and a gym .
You could visit them online .
There might be some new age spiritualists who have cancelled their conferences and moved online .
The claimed necessity of their regular paid interaction with their disciples , for the well-being of the disciple , is suddenly being shown as mere marketing talk as they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truly believe their practice is vital for their disciple .
But they obviously do not stand firm .
“ Visit us online , ” has suddenly become the mantra .
In this moment of greatest need America ’ s churches are saying they aren ’ t available either .
And “ visit us online.
” Why aren ’ t they available ?
Because of the tiny risk of catching a pretty serious cold while the pastor speaks stories about lepers and Samaritans .
How to Win America for ... Stevo , Allan J @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 17.95 People from your flock might be asking – Why aren ’ t they available , while the pastors speak about the corporeal pain of 40 day fasts in the desert under the most vile temptation ?
Do they really mean the things they say ?
People from your flock might be asking – Why are they so concerned about what the rest of society is doing ?
Why aren ’ t they available , though they preach about a man who cared so little about society ’ s feelings that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business spaces of the honorable members of the community , who had done business there for years , likely generations , generations of upstanding community members , that he felt were defiling the place – What did he do to their possessions , to their places of business ?
He took their fake money and their money-changing tables and he flipped them onto the ground in a big violent tirade .
That ’ s the man we name our religion for .
People from your flock might be asking – Why aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man who cared so little about his society ’ s feelings that he laughed at the old rules ?
He let his disciples pick grain when they were hungry and eat it , even on the sabbath .
He had the temerity to not chastise them for it .
Then he had the audacity to defend them from criticism .
Imagine that today – a pastor defending anyone in their flock from the rest of society .
A pastor is more likely to be the one who encourages the flock to obediently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in his era of such awful infectious diseases , took his disrespect of the rigid society , their artificial legalism , and controlling , fear-based dictates a step further .
Yes .
He even let his disciples eat without washing their hands .
In this moment of crisis , as society needs true leadership , Christian pastors across the country , through their actions , are saying “ Don ’ t look at us for leadership.
” That ’ s a weak and cowardly response from a religion that purports to follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the logical , yet loving Jesus .
In the closing of the churches , I see no strength , no mercy , no logic , and no love .
Am I asking you to get violent ?
Am I asking you to touch a leper ?
Am I asking you to overturn some dude ’ s table ?
No , I ’ m asking you to be bold enough to stand up in these tough times for the values you preach in easy times , to open up your church doors and to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the door .
Because the ones who need you least , will forgive you for opening the doors , but the ones who needed you most , may never forgive you for the hypocrisy of turning away when they needed you most .
And most of all , some part of you , if you are the person of conscience that you are certain to be , will never forgive yourself for failing to rise to the occasion .
Please do me the favor of sharing this with every clergy-member you know .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ men and women of courage , a tiny remnant , exist in the church that bears the name of Christ , and a tiny boost from you will help them .
Thank you for your time .
The Best of Allan Stevo

Now I’m not talking to the pastor here who can’t do a thing about whether or not church meets. That’s a decision made by a committee in many congregations.
I’m talking to the soul of that pastor here who I hope I can have access to for a minute, because that soulful guy in there is who matters. And I would be crestfallen if a little piece of your soul were abandoned in this coronavirus hullabaloo.
But the pastor and the soul are also not entirely separate. You probably didn’t take your calling as a minister, because it was the best paying steady job you could find. You courageously did it for other reasons. Who knows, some of those reasons that originally attracted you to the cloth, may even be forgotten by you all these years later.
As you know, churches all over America have closed their doors over the last two weeks and the closing of churches are on the rise. Fire TV Stick streamin... Buy New $39.99 (as of 11:14 UTC - Details)
The suggested closing of anything requires an ordering of priorities to be made with the question: “At what cost?” All human action requires that question: “At what cost?”
Not asking that question is the downfall of many in our era who are encouraged to be disconnected from reality. In order to do one thing, you must choose to not do another. So the closing of anything necessitates that question.
But this is not the closing of just anything. This is the closing of one of the most important institutions in any community. It demands even more that the question “At what cost?” be asked. It demands a far higher standard be followed to protect how special the church’s role in society is.
This isn’t the Elks Lodge. This isn’t a restaurant with tight seating. This isn’t the YMCA. This isn’t a bowling alley. This isn’t the local country club.
Some pastors have hobbies that are not the pinnacle of health. You may be one of them. Some pastors, for example, enjoy a beer now and then. If I suggested you forego a casual twice weekly beer for the next 30 years because it will statistically extend your lifespan by 48 weeks would that be enough for you to stop having a beer? Probably not.
A pastor in that relatively low-value situation is more likely to preference the unhealthy choice. But in his high-value, daily existence – being the spiritual leader of a congregation – he does the exact opposite and claims it in the name of good health. We shouldn’t pretend that the pastors of the world are consistently placing health and longevity above their calling.
You may be one such pastor who finds himself closing his church doors in the name of health and hygiene.
Is there even any literature that says being in church for 45 minutes is going to increase your risk of coming down with Covid-19? Probably not.
There is clearly literature that says a three-week full lockdown is such a minimally beneficial intervention that it accomplishes next to nothing and other literature that says we actually do not know if physical interventions stop the spread of coronaviruses.
These heavy-handed mass quarantines and shuttering of businesses are largely untested waters, with available evidence indicating that some of the very extreme measures being taken – such as closing churches – probably have no impact in the spread of corona. If locking down all social interaction for weeks produces no reduction in the spread of corona, then how could one possibly prove that closing church doors for the fraction of a week when people go to church could possibly have any benefit.
In light of that, it seems very unlikely that you will find credible scientific literature that says closing the church doors helps keep anyone safe from corona. And when judging the entire person, there will be no study that can prove closing church doors is a net benefit for a person at any time in life.
But you surely see everyone else doing it, closing down business and enforcing social distancing, so it’s natural for you to want to do the same. It’s natural for your church council to push for that. And that’s where a leader from the clergy is needed, to say that there’s something different about closing a church.
There’s something different between the church and other non-profits. There’s something different between the church and other gathering places. There’s something different between the church and other places where money is handled. If the pastor, the most theologically trained person in the room, the person called on to be able to distinguish the religious ideals from the secular whims, if that pastor can’t stand up in a congregation and point to that key difference when he is most needed, then that congregation is lost, cut adrift by a spiritual leader who has abrogated his duties.
Sure, the Las Vegas Strip is closed. Sure Disneyland is closed. Disneyland is an amusement park run by a massive, soulless corporation. Is that how the church is to see itself, as simply another form of entertainment and amusement? Is that where the church is to find its inspiration? Is that where the church is to turn to for leadership?
No, the church is constructed in little independent cells, so that a little community gathers together, independent of the rest of the world, and has a pastor, who, among other things is to help those in the congregation draw a firm line between the secular and religious.
You might have dozens, hundreds, even thousands in your congregation. In the midst of this outbreak, you’re going to have the five or ten or fifteen people who need you most on a Sunday show up. Most people won’t want to show up. Can you point to medical or ethical literature that says why you are really doing more for them by not being there on a Sunday than by being there? Fireproof Document Bag... Best Price: $14.99 Buy New $19.99 (as of 08:53 UTC - Details)
I can point to some of the finest literature in the world that tells me how my Sundays are best spent. And that literature was written in times with more infectious disease.
Wisdom makes its way down through the ages in many forms. Talking heads on TV screaming back-and-forth about data is not wisdom. If you are rooted in wisdom, it’s easier to pause and take a deep breath at a moment like this. If you do not know wisdom, it’s easy to get caught up in headlines. Or it might even be easy to get caught up in data that will easily take ten years to properly understand. The world needs its pastors – those trained in wisdom – to take a deep breath and to help us calmly take a step back. And the first step of doing that it is to open the church doors.
No one is forcing anyone to appear at church if you keep your doors open. But by closing the doors, you are denying those in your congregation the ability to appear and to perform the valuable rituals that are hundreds, in some cases, thousands of years old, and in the place where we know that rituals carry a lot more weight for us as humans and as Christians.
“Visit us online,” just doesn’t carry the same weight.
Plenty of perfectly healthy people who were doing well with life two weeks ago are suddenly not doing very well with life anymore. And that’s not because they have a serious cold to contend with. The news, the fear, the disruption of work, the disruption of life is affecting a lot of people.
Six days of their week are disrupted. You have the chance, to allow a seventh day of the week to not be disrupted. You have the chance to make the church the solid foundation that it was meant to be, even when the rest of the world is tumultuous. No. Especially when the rest of the world is tumultuous.
And I don’t even need you to act. Maybe you can’t. Maybe there’s lots of church politics at play. I don’t know. What I need you to know is that you can be the leader in your flock, your hands aren’t entirely tied, this isn’t fate, this isn’t a deterministic moment. You have a choice. You have options. And some in your congregation would probably be well-benefited if you stood up firmly and cited those options and to insist that the church doors stay open, even if it is the pastor by himself there on a Sunday, so the members of the flock know, just like the pastor, just like their spiritual leader, they too can work up the courage to walk into that church if they so desire, brave the virus, and be in that special place in which Christians around the globe place so much value.
People are hurting. A handful of the population needs a medical doctor. Likely even more of the population could use a spiritual doctor.
Even the medical doctors are suggesting you visit them online, which has left many feeling abandoned and clueless on how to proceed. And to my great sadness, the spiritual doctors have done the same.
We aren’t talking about a 30% chance of death this year from Covid-19 or even a 10% chance of death this year. Experts are debating if it’s between 0.05% chance of death and a 1% chance of death over the course of this outbreak. These aren’t bubonic plague levels.
And that’s not even what the chance of death is for being with your spiritual doctor for an hour a week. The risk from attending a church service is immeasurably low.
There are lots of people who might claim to be spiritual doctors. There might be some yogis, for example, who won’t go into the local gym during the corona crisis. So they conveniently point out that their pseudo-religious practice that they normally recommend their customers follow daily is suddenly a lot less important without a payment method and a gym. You could visit them online. There might be some new age spiritualists who have cancelled their conferences and moved online.
The claimed necessity of their regular paid interaction with their disciples, for the well-being of the disciple, is suddenly being shown as mere marketing talk as they are being required to stand firm if they truly believe their practice is vital for their disciple. But they obviously do not stand firm. “Visit us online,” has suddenly become the mantra.
In this moment of greatest need America’s churches are saying they aren’t available either. And “visit us online.” Why aren’t they available? Because of the tiny risk of catching a pretty serious cold while the pastor speaks stories about lepers and Samaritans. How to Win America for... Stevo, Allan J Best Price: $14.36 Buy New $17.95 (as of 08:44 UTC - Details)
People from your flock might be asking – Why aren’t they available, while the pastors speak about the corporeal pain of 40 day fasts in the desert under the most vile temptation?
Do they really mean the things they say?
People from your flock might be asking – Why are they so concerned about what the rest of society is doing? Why aren’t they available, though they preach about a man who cared so little about society’s feelings that he walked into The Temple and took the business spaces of the honorable members of the community, who had done business there for years, likely generations, generations of upstanding community members, that he felt were defiling the place – What did he do to their possessions, to their places of business? He took their fake money and their money-changing tables and he flipped them onto the ground in a big violent tirade.
That’s the man we name our religion for.
People from your flock might be asking – Why aren’t they available as they speak about the man who cared so little about his society’s feelings that he laughed at the old rules? He let his disciples pick grain when they were hungry and eat it, even on the sabbath. He had the temerity to not chastise them for it. Then he had the audacity to defend them from criticism.
Imagine that today – a pastor defending anyone in their flock from the rest of society. A pastor is more likely to be the one who encourages the flock to obediently follow society. And the daring Jesus, in his era of such awful infectious diseases, took his disrespect of the rigid society, their artificial legalism, and controlling, fear-based dictates a step further.
Yes. He even let his disciples eat without washing their hands.
In this moment of crisis, as society needs true leadership, Christian pastors across the country, through their actions, are saying “Don’t look at us for leadership.” That’s a weak and cowardly response from a religion that purports to follow the strong, yet merciful Christ, the logical, yet loving Jesus.
In the closing of the churches, I see no strength, no mercy, no logic, and no love.
Am I asking you to get violent?
Am I asking you to touch a leper?
Am I asking you to overturn some dude’s table?
No, I’m asking you to be bold enough to stand up in these tough times for the values you preach in easy times, to open up your church doors and to let the members of your flock in the door.
Because the ones who need you least, will forgive you for opening the doors, but the ones who needed you most, may never forgive you for the hypocrisy of turning away when they needed you most.
And most of all, some part of you, if you are the person of conscience that you are certain to be, will never forgive yourself for failing to rise to the occasion.
Please do me the favor of sharing this with every clergy-member you know. Hopefully somewhere out there, a few men and women of courage, a tiny remnant, exist in the church that bears the name of Christ, and a tiny boost from you will help them.
Thank you for your time.
The Best of Allan Stevo