lewrockwell--2020-09-23--Vaccination: What’s Trust Got To Do With It?

As the National Vaccine Information Center ( NVIC ) prepares to host the three-day , three-night Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination that will be broadcast online October 16 through 18 , 2020 , the theme we have chosen is “ Protecting Health and Autonomy in the 21st Century , ” because at no time in modern history has it been more important for all of us to take a stand and do just that .
This year , the orchestrated actions by governments around the world to restrict or eliminate civil liberties in response to the emergence of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has had profound effects on the global economy and on the physical , mental and emotional health of billions of people.1 By mid-September 2020 , there were about 29 million cases of the new Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ( SARS-CoV-2 ) reported worldwide with about 925,000 associated deaths .
Unvaccinated : Why grow ... Maready , Forrest Best Price : $ 7.00 Buy New $ 6.99 The United States , the third most populated country in the world at 330 million people , had recorded over 7 million cases and 198,000 deaths , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , which is a higher death rate per million people than Sweden,2 where health officials have refused to order masking or lock down the country and allowed the population to acquire natural herd immunity to the virus.3,4 Overall COVID-19 Mortality Is Less Than 1 % According to the World Health Organization , the overall infection mortality rate for the new SARS coronavirus causing COVID-19 is about 0.6 % ,5 although some scientists say it is lower,6 while others estimate it can be as high as 1 to 2 % in some parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 50 % mortality rate8 or smallpox that killed 30 % ,9 or tuberculosis that still is a deadly disease killing 20 % to 70 % ,10 or diphtheria at 5 % to 10 % ,11 or the 1918 influenza pandemic with a 2.5 % mortality rate,12 COVID-19 is near the bottom of the infectious diseases mortality scale with a less than 1 % mortality rate in most countries .
Those at highest risk for complications and death include the elderly and those with one or more poor health conditions.13 The CDC recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths were solely due to coronavirus infection and 94 % of the people who died also had influenza or pneumonia ; heart , lung or kidney disease ; high blood pressure ; diabetes , or another underlying poor health condition.14 Most studies suggest it is rare for children to suffer complications and die from COVID-19.15 But seven months after the World Health Organization ( WHO ) 16 declared a coronavirus pandemic,17 and public health officials persuaded lawmakers to turn the world upside down , a lot of people are asking questions and so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the facts .
Questions like : Peter Duesberg and the ... Ortleb , Charles Buy New $ 10.99 Where did the new respiratory virus come from ?
The most popular narratives about the mutated coronavirus is that it either jumped out of a bat or another animal in a Chinese wet food market18,19 or escaped out of a biohazard lab in 2019,20,21 but scientists continue to argue about which scenario is more likely.22 And this question : If I wear a cloth facemask , does it really prevent me from getting infected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ongoing debate in the medical community about whether it is a good idea for all healthy children and adults to wear cloth masks when they leave their home.23 In March 2020 , the U.S .
Surgeon General ordered the American public to stop buying and wearing masks because “ they are not effective in preventing general public from catching coronavirus ” 24 and “ actually can increase the spread of coronavirus , ” which was the position of the World Health Organization.25 But in April , the CDC walked back its “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all healthy Americans to voluntarily wear homemade cloth face coverings when entering public spaces.26 In June , the WHO was continuing to say that , “ At the present time , the widespread use of masks everywhere is not supported by high-quality scientific evidence , and there are potential benefits and harms to consider … Masks on their own will not protect you from COVID-19.
” 27 Fauci versus Duesberg : ... Ortleb , Charles Buy New $ 7.99 But by June , a number of state Governors and local governments had mandated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shaming had begun,28,29 which led to public protests against masking mandates.30 In August , the CDC doubled down and expanded face masking directives to include all children over the age of 2,31 while the WHO warned that children under the age of 6 should not wear masks but children over age 12 should.32 So , confusion reigns .
While some scientists are saying that if all healthy people are forced to wear face masks it will not stop the coronavirus pandemic and gives a dangerous and false illusion of safety,33 other scientists are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refusing to mask up are “ sociopathic ” and have lower levels of empathy.34 About 30 U.S. states require masking for young children and adults who enter public spaces,35 and some states are leveling steep fines of up to $ 1,000 or threatening jail time for anyone who fails to comply.36 Washington state has made not wearing a mask in public a misdemeanor crime37 and central Texas officials say they wish they could put people in prison for refusing to wear a mask.38 More than 50 countries in the world now require people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home and some do fine and imprison people who go outside without wearing a mask.39 So , what about getting tested for COVID-19 ?
The CDC says that people should get tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the infection .
There is also an antibody test to identify whether or not you have been infected in the past.40 But lab tests are not always reliable and people are asking this logical question : If I get a lab test , will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infected or have been infected with COVID-19 in the past ?
Unfortunately , it ’ s not clear how accurate any of the tests are , especially the antibody test for past infection because the presence of antibodies may not be the only way to measure immunity.41 The best guess is that the range of reported false negative results for the nasal swab test is between 2 % and 50 % , and the reported false negative results for the antibody blood test is up to 30 % , depending upon when during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Unreported Truths abou ... Berenson , Alex Buy New $ 5.99 In July , a state lab in Connecticut admitted that 90 out of 144 people tested during a 30-day period — most of them nursing home residents — were inaccurately informed they were infected because of faulty , false positive lab tests.43 In August , 77 football players in the National Football League were given false positive test results when , after retesting , all the tests came back negative.44 People are also wondering what happens after they get COVID-19 , asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 will I only get temporary immunity or will I have long-term immunity against reinfection ?
The CDC says it is unknown how long immunity lasts or whether you can get the new coronavirus infection twice.45 However , last spring researchers found that out of 68 uninfected persons , the blood from one third of them contained helper T-cells that recognized the mutated SARS coronavirus .
They concluded the presence of these defensive helper T cells gives evidence for some residual immunity that may have been produced after common cold infections caused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scientists said , “ bodes well for the development of long-term protective immunity.
” 46 Another important study was published in the medical literature in August providing evidence for robust memory T cell immune responses in people who had recovered from even mild or asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 , but had no detectable virus-specific antibodies.47 If people can have strong immune responses without symptoms and traditional antibody tests for proof of immunity don ’ t apply to COVID-19 , public health officials may be underestimating the extent of population-level herd immunity that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there have been more cases reported than anywhere else .
While doctors debate the science , it is becoming clearer that the response to the new coronavirus infection by government health officials has been a public relations disaster .
The anxiety , fear and chaos created by regulations instituted by most governments after the declaration of a COVID-19 pandemic this year has torn the fabric of societies and affected public opinion about public health laws and vaccination.48 Unreported Truths abou ... Berenson , Alex Buy New $ 5.71 Now the people are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only one — simple solution to resolving the crisis and getting back to normal : that is , the only way we can take off our masks and touch , hug , kiss or come close to each other again49,50,51,52,53,54 is for every person living in every country to get injected with one of the liability-free COVID-19 vaccines being fast tracked to market.55,56,57,58,59 In April , WHO officials at the United Nations launched a global initiative “ to end the COVID-19 pandemic , ” proclaiming that “ no one is safe until everyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were warning that if every person in the world doesn ’ t get injected with a COVID-19 vaccination , the virus “ may never go away.
” 61 The WHO,62 U.S. government63,64,65,66 and lawmakers in the European Union,67 along with wealthy and politically powerful nongovernmental organizations ( NGOs ) like the Gates Foundation,68,69,70 GAVI , the Vaccine Alliance,71 and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations ( CEPI ) 72 have given the pharmaceutical industry tens of billions of dollars to develop and fast-track experimental coronavirus vaccines to market and promote their universal use.73,74 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given pharmaceutical companies a liability shield from lawsuits when COVID-19 vaccines injure or kill people.75,76 The hard sell is on , but a lot of people are NOT buying it .
Every poll taken this year has revealed that between 40 % and 70 % of people living in the U.S. and Europe do not plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is licensed.77,78,79,80,81,82 Populations in developed countries are resisting the siren call for “ solidarity , ” as doubt about COVID-19 vaccines is becoming more common in developing counties , too.83 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken government officials by surprise .
Apparently , they were banking that the economic and social deprivation , fear and chaos surrounding lockdowns would produce a bull market for experimental mRNA and DNA COVID-19 vaccines using technology that never has been licensed for humans.84 It is widely acknowledged now that a solid two-thirds of Americans or more will “ just say no ” to getting injected with a vaccine containing lab altered parts of a new coronavirus that scientists admit they still don ’ t know much about,85 vaccines that preliminary clinical trials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just a few minor reactions.86 Contagion Myth : Why Vi ... Fallon Morell , Sally Buy New $ 22.49 A frustrated top U.S. health official has name-called Americans who refuse to go along with public health policies and laws , calling them “ anti-science ” and “ anti-authority.
” 87,88 The truth is , people in this country and many others just don ’ t have confidence in the quality and quantity of the science or government health officials they are being told to trust.89 Angry that a growing number of people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vaccine that is being rushed to market at “ warp speed , ” public health officials,90 billionaire Silicon Valley technocrats,91,92,93 doctors , attorneys and bioethics professors94,95,96,97,98 and politicians99 are beating the drum for swift enactment of “ no exceptions ” mandatory vaccination laws as soon as COVID-19 vaccines are licensed.100 Already , some cheerleaders at leading universities are banging that drum for approving and using experimental COVID-19 vaccines even before testing is done,101 and are calling for young , healthy people to be the first to get the vaccine because it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone else.102 They warn that “ herd immunity may not be achieved if people refuse to take the coronavirus vaccine , ” 103,104 and say that , in order to keep society “ safe , ” laws must be passed to threaten and coerce you and your minor children to get vaccinated or face crippling social sanctions that will effectively take away your liberty and destroy your life.105 People in US and Other Nations Rise to Defend Freedom This summer , huge public demonstrations defending freedom in Berlin,106 London,107 Paris108 and Copenhagen saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protest masking109 and other oppressive coronavirus lockdown policies , which have severely restricted normal physical contact between people , caused widespread unemployment,110 and harmed their physical , mental and emotional health.111 Like in Europe , people living in Canada,112 Australia113,114 and New Zealand115 also are resisting months of social distancing policies that have eliminated fundamental human rights , such as freedom of speech and assembly .
The U.S. has seen similar but smaller public demonstrations opposing forced masking , social distancing and lockdown laws and defending freedom in Virginia,116 Pennsylvania,117 Wisconsin,118 Michigan,119 California120 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Americans struggle with unemployment,121,122 the destruction of small middle class businesses,123 mortgage defaults124 and bankruptcy filings ; 125 steep increases in anxiety and depression,126,127 drug and alcohol addiction,128 child and spousal abuse,129 and divorce.130 Social Sanctions for Failure to Get Vaccinated May Align With Lockdown Sanctions The punishing social sanctions being talked about if you refuse a COVID-19 vaccination are likely to be enforced using government-operated electronic tracking systems linked to digital “ immunity passports ” that require you to “ prove ” you are immune to the new SARS coronavirus before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office building or enter other public spaces.131,132,133,134 These social sanctions for failure to vaccinate may closely resemble the types of social interaction restrictions enforced in the U.S. and other countries over the past year .
In the U.S. , most public health laws , including vaccine laws , are enacted by the states,135 while the federal government makes vaccine use recommendations and can mandate vaccines for people crossing national or state borders .
Local city and county governments also can impose their own public health regulations.136 That is why some states and cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lockdown regulations138 and others have been more open.139 So , whether or not you will be punished for refusing to get a COVID-19 shot next year primarily will be determined by your state ’ s governor and the representatives who have been elected to make laws in your state capitol.140 Depending upon where you live and the political philosophy of the majority of representatives in your state legislature , after the COVID-19 vaccine is licensed by the federal Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) and recommended by the CDC for use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to get a COVID-19 shot , you could be blocked from:142 And you could be prohibited from checking into a hospital for surgery , or visiting a family member in a nursing home , or blocked from obtaining private health insurance and Medicaid or Medicare .
In other words , if you refuse to get a coronavirus vaccination , you could be subjected to the kinds of punitive social sanctions I have been predicting and publicly warned about since 1997,143,144,145,146 sanctions that are already being applied to Americans who decline to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of CDC “ recommended ” liability-free vaccines147 and already are being denied an education , medical care and employment.148,149 Doctors and public health officials wondering why people don ’ t trust what they say about infectious diseases and vaccination , including coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines , only have to look in the mirror to answer the question .
Since 1982 , parents of vaccine injured children have been begging doctors to do the kind of science that will explain why so many highly-vaccinated children , who don ’ t get measles or chicken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and suffering with brain and autoimmune disorders that never go away.150 For four decades , we have been asking doctors and government health officials to stop sweeping casualties of inhumane one-size-fits all vaccine policies , under the rug.151 What we get from medical professors in universities receiving lots of money from the government and pharmaceutical companies , and from doctors developing vaccines , and from public health officials pushing “ no exceptions ” vaccination policies are threats , name-calling , bullying and punishment if we try to exercise informed consent to vaccination.152,153,154 There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abuse .
They order us to obey them but refuse to take responsibility for what happens when we obey the orders they give .
They expect us to trust them and refuse to care about the victims of vaccination when the benefits do not outweigh the risks .
Instead , they act to protect the power and profit-making of their business partners : the pharmaceutical industry , medical trade associations , multinational media corporations and Silicon Valley billionaires , and leave vaccine victims to take care of themselves .
What ’ s trust @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust has everything to do with why the majority of people in the U.S. and Europe do not want to roll the dice and find out whether the odds of surviving a COVID-19 vaccination are in their favor .
It is during this extraordinary time of great challenge and opportunity that NVIC is sponsoring the Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination .
Our conference will create an expanded base of knowledge about vaccine science , policy , law and ethics brought to you by more than 40 distinguished speakers , who will empower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an effective vaccine freedom advocate .
Go to NVIC.org and register today for this historic conference celebrating freedom of thought , speech and conscience and gain permanent online access to this valuable video library of information .
It ’ s your health , your family , your choice .
And our mission continues : No forced vaccination , not in America .
The Tenth Annual Vaccine Awareness Week from September 20-26 , 2020 will feature important information about vaccine science , policy and law that you can share with your family and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , medical trade groups and government to restrict or eliminate all personal belief vaccine exemptions and severely restrict medical exemptions in the U.S. , it is critical for you to act now to protect your legal right to make informed , voluntary vaccine choices .
Thankfully , the non-profit National Vaccine Information Center ( NVIC ) provides the public with independent , well-referenced information on vaccines and advocates for vaccine safety and informed consent protections in the public health system .
This educational charity ’ s mission since 1982 has been to prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to secure and defend your legal right to exercise voluntary , informed consent to vaccination .
This year , NVIC is sponsoring the Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination : Protecting Health & Autonomy in the 21st Century online Oct. 16-18 , 2020 .
You won ’ t want to miss it – register here today .
Resources Where You Can Learn More • NVIC Advocacy Portal — Become a registered user of this unique free online communications network that electronically connects you directly with your own legislators and emails you action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an effective vaccine choice advocate in your state.You can use it to inform your legislators about why it is necessary to protect vaccine exemptions and your legal right to make voluntary vaccine decisions for yourself and your children .
• Ask 8 Vaccine Information Kiosk — Download brochures and reports on vaccination and how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms , as well as posters and web badges that you can share with your family and friends .
Access the illustrated and fully referenced Guide to Reforming Vaccine Policy & Law to educate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ informed consent rights .
• State Law & Vaccine Requirements — You can easily obtain your state ’ s current vaccine policies and laws here .
• Vaccine Reaction and Harassment Reporting — Search for and read descriptions of vaccine reaction reports made to the federal vaccine adverse events reporting system ( VAERS ) .
On NVIC ’ s website , read about or publicly report a vaccine reaction or describe an experience of being bullied and sanctioned for attempting to exercise informed consent to vaccination for yourself or your child .
• @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This Mini Guide to influenza & Flu Vaccines is a brief summary of facts about influenza and influenza vaccines .
October 16-18 , 2020 , NVIC is sponsoring the Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination : Protecting Health & Autonomy in the 21st Century online .
More than 40 distinguished speakers – including Dr. Joe Mercola – will be presenting critical information and perspective about vaccination , health and autonomy that you can use to protect your health freedom rights in 2021 .
This will be an historic conference that you can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NVIC ’ s pioneering work to protect the right to know and freedom to make voluntary vaccination decisions .
Become a conference Starfish Sponsor for $ 250 or more and help NVIC keep the $ 80 general ticket price low so many more people , especially families struggling with financial challenges this year , can attend and have permanent access to the online conference information .
Give NVIC your vote of confidence to continue their four-decade life-saving mission to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and preserve health freedom .
Register @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 16-18 , 2020 online Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination : “ Protecting Health & Autonomy in the 21st Century.
” The Best of Joseph Mercola

As the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) prepares to host the three-day, three-night Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination that will be broadcast online October 16 through 18, 2020, the theme we have chosen is “Protecting Health and Autonomy in the 21st Century,” because at no time in modern history has it been more important for all of us to take a stand and do just that.
This year, the orchestrated actions by governments around the world to restrict or eliminate civil liberties in response to the emergence of a new coronavirus has been unprecedented, and has had profound effects on the global economy and on the physical, mental and emotional health of billions of people.1
By mid-September 2020, there were about 29 million cases of the new Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) reported worldwide with about 925,000 associated deaths. Unvaccinated: Why grow... Maready, Forrest Best Price: $7.00 Buy New $6.99 (as of 05:43 UTC - Details)
The United States, the third most populated country in the world at 330 million people, had recorded over 7 million cases and 198,000 deaths, with an estimated 598 deaths per million people, which is a higher death rate per million people than Sweden,2 where health officials have refused to order masking or lock down the country and allowed the population to acquire natural herd immunity to the virus.3,4
Overall COVID-19 Mortality Is Less Than 1%
According to the World Health Organization, the overall infection mortality rate for the new SARS coronavirus causing COVID-19 is about 0.6%,5 although some scientists say it is lower,6 while others estimate it can be as high as 1 to 2% in some parts of the world.7
Compared to Ebola with a 50% mortality rate8 or smallpox that killed 30%,9 or tuberculosis that still is a deadly disease killing 20% to 70%,10 or diphtheria at 5% to 10%,11 or the 1918 influenza pandemic with a 2.5% mortality rate,12 COVID-19 is near the bottom of the infectious diseases mortality scale with a less than 1% mortality rate in most countries.
Those at highest risk for complications and death include the elderly and those with one or more poor health conditions.13
The CDC recently reported that only 6% of COVID-19-related deaths were solely due to coronavirus infection and 94% of the people who died also had influenza or pneumonia; heart, lung or kidney disease; high blood pressure; diabetes, or another underlying poor health condition.14 Most studies suggest it is rare for children to suffer complications and die from COVID-19.15
But seven months after the World Health Organization (WHO)16 declared a coronavirus pandemic,17 and public health officials persuaded lawmakers to turn the world upside down, a lot of people are asking questions and so are doctors who disagree with each other about the facts. Questions like: Peter Duesberg and the... Ortleb, Charles Buy New $10.99 (as of 05:03 UTC - Details)
Where did the new respiratory virus come from?
The most popular narratives about the mutated coronavirus is that it either jumped out of a bat or another animal in a Chinese wet food market18,19 or escaped out of a biohazard lab in 2019,20,21 but scientists continue to argue about which scenario is more likely.22 And this question:
If I wear a cloth facemask, does it really prevent me from getting infected with or transmitting COVID-19?
There is an ongoing debate in the medical community about whether it is a good idea for all healthy children and adults to wear cloth masks when they leave their home.23 In March 2020, the U.S. Surgeon General ordered the American public to stop buying and wearing masks because “they are not effective in preventing general public from catching coronavirus”24 and “actually can increase the spread of coronavirus,” which was the position of the World Health Organization.25
But in April, the CDC walked back its “do not mask” order and urged all healthy Americans to voluntarily wear homemade cloth face coverings when entering public spaces.26
In June, the WHO was continuing to say that, “At the present time, the widespread use of masks everywhere is not supported by high-quality scientific evidence, and there are potential benefits and harms to consider … Masks on their own will not protect you from COVID-19.”27
Fauci versus Duesberg:... Ortleb, Charles Buy New $7.99 (as of 05:03 UTC - Details) But by June, a number of state Governors and local governments had mandated facemask wearing and an epidemic of mask shaming had begun,28,29 which led to public protests against masking mandates.30 In August, the CDC doubled down and expanded face masking directives to include all children over the age of 2,31 while the WHO warned that children under the age of 6 should not wear masks but children over age 12 should.32
So, confusion reigns. While some scientists are saying that if all healthy people are forced to wear face masks it will not stop the coronavirus pandemic and gives a dangerous and false illusion of safety,33 other scientists are demonizing the refusers, alleging that people refusing to mask up are “sociopathic” and have lower levels of empathy.34
About 30 U.S. states require masking for young children and adults who enter public spaces,35 and some states are leveling steep fines of up to $1,000 or threatening jail time for anyone who fails to comply.36
Washington state has made not wearing a mask in public a misdemeanor crime37 and central Texas officials say they wish they could put people in prison for refusing to wear a mask.38 More than 50 countries in the world now require people to cover their faces when they leave home and some do fine and imprison people who go outside without wearing a mask.39
So, what about getting tested for COVID-19? The CDC says that people should get tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms or have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the infection. There is also an antibody test to identify whether or not you have been infected in the past.40 But lab tests are not always reliable and people are asking this logical question:
If I get a lab test, will it accurately identify if I am currently infected or have been infected with COVID-19 in the past?
Unfortunately, it’s not clear how accurate any of the tests are, especially the antibody test for past infection because the presence of antibodies may not be the only way to measure immunity.41 The best guess is that the range of reported false negative results for the nasal swab test is between 2% and 50%, and the reported false negative results for the antibody blood test is up to 30%, depending upon when during or after the infection testing is performed.42
Unreported Truths abou... Berenson, Alex Buy New $5.99 (as of 03:17 UTC - Details) In July, a state lab in Connecticut admitted that 90 out of 144 people tested during a 30-day period — most of them nursing home residents — were inaccurately informed they were infected because of faulty, false positive lab tests.43 In August, 77 football players in the National Football League were given false positive test results when, after retesting, all the tests came back negative.44 People are also wondering what happens after they get COVID-19, asking this question:
If I recover from COVID-19 will I only get temporary immunity or will I have long-term immunity against reinfection?
The CDC says it is unknown how long immunity lasts or whether you can get the new coronavirus infection twice.45 However, last spring researchers found that out of 68 uninfected persons, the blood from one third of them contained helper T-cells that recognized the mutated SARS coronavirus.
They concluded the presence of these defensive helper T cells gives evidence for some residual immunity that may have been produced after common cold infections caused by other types of coronaviruses. This, the scientists said, “bodes well for the development of long-term protective immunity.”46
Another important study was published in the medical literature in August providing evidence for robust memory T cell immune responses in people who had recovered from even mild or asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, but had no detectable virus-specific antibodies.47
If people can have strong immune responses without symptoms and traditional antibody tests for proof of immunity don’t apply to COVID-19, public health officials may be underestimating the extent of population-level herd immunity that already exists in the U.S., where there have been more cases reported than anywhere else.
COVID-19 Public Health Laws a Public Relations Disaster
While doctors debate the science, it is becoming clearer that the response to the new coronavirus infection by government health officials has been a public relations disaster. The anxiety, fear and chaos created by regulations instituted by most governments after the declaration of a COVID-19 pandemic this year has torn the fabric of societies and affected public opinion about public health laws and vaccination.48
Unreported Truths abou... Berenson, Alex Buy New $5.71 (as of 07:13 UTC - Details) Now the people are being told that there is one — and only one — simple solution to resolving the crisis and getting back to normal: that is, the only way we can take off our masks and touch, hug, kiss or come close to each other again49,50,51,52,53,54 is for every person living in every country to get injected with one of the liability-free COVID-19 vaccines being fast tracked to market.55,56,57,58,59
Governments have given pharmaceutical companies a liability shield from lawsuits when COVID-19 vaccines injure or kill people. The hard sell is on, but a lot of people are NOT buying it. Every poll taken this year has revealed that between 40% and 70% of people living in the U.S. and Europe do not plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is licensed.
In April, WHO officials at the United Nations launched a global initiative “to end the COVID-19 pandemic,” proclaiming that “no one is safe until everyone is safe.”60 By May, they were warning that if every person in the world doesn’t get injected with a COVID-19 vaccination, the virus “may never go away.”61
The WHO,62 U.S. government63,64,65,66 and lawmakers in the European Union,67 along with wealthy and politically powerful nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) like the Gates Foundation,68,69,70 GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance,71 and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI)72 have given the pharmaceutical industry tens of billions of dollars to develop and fast-track experimental coronavirus vaccines to market and promote their universal use.73,74
At the same time, governments have given pharmaceutical companies a liability shield from lawsuits when COVID-19 vaccines injure or kill people.75,76 The hard sell is on, but a lot of people are NOT buying it.
People Are Rejecting the COVID-19 Vaccine Sales Pitch
Every poll taken this year has revealed that between 40% and 70% of people living in the U.S. and Europe do not plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it is licensed.77,78,79,80,81,82 Populations in developed countries are resisting the siren call for “solidarity,” as doubt about COVID-19 vaccines is becoming more common in developing counties, too.83
The pushback by a wary public has taken government officials by surprise. Apparently, they were banking that the economic and social deprivation, fear and chaos surrounding lockdowns would produce a bull market for experimental mRNA and DNA COVID-19 vaccines using technology that never has been licensed for humans.84
It is widely acknowledged now that a solid two-thirds of Americans or more will “just say no” to getting injected with a vaccine containing lab altered parts of a new coronavirus that scientists admit they still don’t know much about,85 vaccines that preliminary clinical trials have revealed may well cause more than just a few minor reactions.86
Contagion Myth: Why Vi... Fallon Morell, Sally Buy New $22.49 (as of 04:23 UTC - Details) A frustrated top U.S. health official has name-called Americans who refuse to go along with public health policies and laws, calling them “anti-science” and “anti-authority.”87,88 The truth is, people in this country and many others just don’t have confidence in the quality and quantity of the science or government health officials they are being told to trust.89
Angry that a growing number of people are reluctant to roll up their sleeves for a vaccine that is being rushed to market at “warp speed,” public health officials,90 billionaire Silicon Valley technocrats,91,92,93 doctors, attorneys and bioethics professors94,95,96,97,98 and politicians99 are beating the drum for swift enactment of “no exceptions” mandatory vaccination laws as soon as COVID-19 vaccines are licensed.100
Already, some cheerleaders at leading universities are banging that drum for approving and using experimental COVID-19 vaccines even before testing is done,101 and are calling for young, healthy people to be the first to get the vaccine because it is their “civic duty” to protect everyone else.102
They warn that “herd immunity may not be achieved if people refuse to take the coronavirus vaccine,”103,104 and say that, in order to keep society “safe,” laws must be passed to threaten and coerce you and your minor children to get vaccinated or face crippling social sanctions that will effectively take away your liberty and destroy your life.105
People in US and Other Nations Rise to Defend Freedom
This summer, huge public demonstrations defending freedom in Berlin,106 London,107 Paris108 and Copenhagen saw tens of thousands of citizens gather to protest masking109 and other oppressive coronavirus lockdown policies, which have severely restricted normal physical contact between people, caused widespread unemployment,110 and harmed their physical, mental and emotional health.111
Like in Europe, people living in Canada,112 Australia113,114 and New Zealand115 also are resisting months of social distancing policies that have eliminated fundamental human rights, such as freedom of speech and assembly.
The U.S. has seen similar but smaller public demonstrations opposing forced masking, social distancing and lockdown laws and defending freedom in Virginia,116 Pennsylvania,117 Wisconsin,118 Michigan,119 California120 and other states, as record numbers of Americans struggle with unemployment,121,122 the destruction of small middle class businesses,123 mortgage defaults124 and bankruptcy filings;125 steep increases in anxiety and depression,126,127 drug and alcohol addiction,128 child and spousal abuse,129 and divorce.130
Social Sanctions for Failure to Get Vaccinated May Align With Lockdown Sanctions
The punishing social sanctions being talked about if you refuse a COVID-19 vaccination are likely to be enforced using government-operated electronic tracking systems linked to digital “immunity passports” that require you to “prove” you are immune to the new SARS coronavirus before you are allowed to work in an office building or enter other public spaces.131,132,133,134
These social sanctions for failure to vaccinate may closely resemble the types of social interaction restrictions enforced in the U.S. and other countries over the past year.
In the U.S., most public health laws, including vaccine laws, are enacted by the states,135 while the federal government makes vaccine use recommendations and can mandate vaccines for people crossing national or state borders. Local city and county governments also can impose their own public health regulations.136 That is why some states and cities have seen very restrictive COVID-19 pandemic masking137 and lockdown regulations138 and others have been more open.139
So, whether or not you will be punished for refusing to get a COVID-19 shot next year primarily will be determined by your state’s governor and the representatives who have been elected to make laws in your state capitol.140
Depending upon where you live and the political philosophy of the majority of representatives in your state legislature, after the COVID-19 vaccine is licensed by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the CDC for use by all children and adults,141 if you refuse to get a COVID-19 shot, you could be blocked from:142
And you could be prohibited from checking into a hospital for surgery, or visiting a family member in a nursing home, or blocked from obtaining private health insurance and Medicaid or Medicare.
In other words, if you refuse to get a coronavirus vaccination, you could be subjected to the kinds of punitive social sanctions I have been predicting and publicly warned about since 1997,143,144,145,146 sanctions that are already being applied to Americans who decline to get or give their children dozens of doses of CDC “recommended” liability-free vaccines147 and already are being denied an education, medical care and employment.148,149
Broken Promises Leads to Broken Trust
Doctors and public health officials wondering why people don’t trust what they say about infectious diseases and vaccination, including coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines, only have to look in the mirror to answer the question.
Since 1982, parents of vaccine injured children have been begging doctors to do the kind of science that will explain why so many highly-vaccinated children, who don’t get measles or chicken pox anymore, are stuck on sick and suffering with brain and autoimmune disorders that never go away.150 For four decades, we have been asking doctors and government health officials to stop sweeping casualties of inhumane one-size-fits all vaccine policies, under the rug.151
What we get from medical professors in universities receiving lots of money from the government and pharmaceutical companies, and from doctors developing vaccines, and from public health officials pushing “no exceptions” vaccination policies are threats, name-calling, bullying and punishment if we try to exercise informed consent to vaccination.152,153,154 There is no other word for it but abuse.
They order us to obey them but refuse to take responsibility for what happens when we obey the orders they give. They expect us to trust them and refuse to care about the victims of vaccination when the benefits do not outweigh the risks.
Instead, they act to protect the power and profit-making of their business partners: the pharmaceutical industry, medical trade associations, multinational media corporations and Silicon Valley billionaires, and leave vaccine victims to take care of themselves. What’s trust got to do with it?
Broken trust has everything to do with why the majority of people in the U.S. and Europe do not want to roll the dice and find out whether the odds of surviving a COVID-19 vaccination are in their favor.
It is during this extraordinary time of great challenge and opportunity that NVIC is sponsoring the Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination. Our conference will create an expanded base of knowledge about vaccine science, policy, law and ethics brought to you by more than 40 distinguished speakers, who will empower you with information you need to become an effective vaccine freedom advocate.
Go to NVIC.org and register today for this historic conference celebrating freedom of thought, speech and conscience and gain permanent online access to this valuable video library of information. It’s your health, your family, your choice. And our mission continues: No forced vaccination, not in America.
Help Support Vaccine Awareness Week
The Tenth Annual Vaccine Awareness Week from September 20-26, 2020 will feature important information about vaccine science, policy and law that you can share with your family and friends.
With aggressive efforts by pharmaceutical companies, medical trade groups and government to restrict or eliminate all personal belief vaccine exemptions and severely restrict medical exemptions in the U.S., it is critical for you to act now to protect your legal right to make informed, voluntary vaccine choices.
Thankfully, the non-profit National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) provides the public with independent, well-referenced information on vaccines and advocates for vaccine safety and informed consent protections in the public health system. This educational charity’s mission since 1982 has been to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and to secure and defend your legal right to exercise voluntary, informed consent to vaccination.
This year, NVIC is sponsoring the Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination: Protecting Health & Autonomy in the 21st Century online Oct. 16-18, 2020. You won’t want to miss it – register here today.
Resources Where You Can Learn More
NVIC Advocacy Portal — Become a registered user of this unique free online communications network that electronically connects you directly with your own legislators and emails you action alerts with talking points so you can be an effective vaccine choice advocate in your state.You can use it to inform your legislators about why it is necessary to protect vaccine exemptions and your legal right to make voluntary vaccine decisions for yourself and your children.
Ask 8 Vaccine Information Kiosk — Download brochures and reports on vaccination and how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms, as well as posters and web badges that you can share with your family and friends. Access the illustrated and fully referenced Guide to Reforming Vaccine Policy & Law to educate your legislator when you advocate for vaccine informed consent rights.
State Law & Vaccine Requirements — You can easily obtain your state’s current vaccine policies and laws here.
Vaccine Reaction and Harassment Reporting — Search for and read descriptions of vaccine reaction reports made to the federal vaccine adverse events reporting system (VAERS). On NVIC’s website, read about or publicly report a vaccine reaction or describe an experience of being bullied and sanctioned for attempting to exercise informed consent to vaccination for yourself or your child.
Guide to Flu & Flu Vaccines — This Mini Guide to influenza & Flu Vaccines is a brief summary of facts about influenza and influenza vaccines.
Let’s Help Make NVIC’s October 2020 Online Vaccine Conference A Big Success
October 16-18, 2020, NVIC is sponsoring the Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination: Protecting Health & Autonomy in the 21st Century online. More than 40 distinguished speakers – including Dr. Joe Mercola – will be presenting critical information and perspective about vaccination, health and autonomy that you can use to protect your health freedom rights in 2021. This will be an historic conference that you can’t afford to miss!
Sponsor NVIC’s Pioneering Work
Please support NVIC’s pioneering work to protect the right to know and freedom to make voluntary vaccination decisions. Become a conference Starfish Sponsor for $250 or more and help NVIC keep the $80 general ticket price low so many more people, especially families struggling with financial challenges this year, can attend and have permanent access to the online conference information.
Give NVIC your vote of confidence to continue their four-decade life-saving mission to prevent vaccine injuries and deaths through public education and preserve health freedom. Register here to attend NVIC’s October 16-18, 2020 online Fifth International Public Conference on Vaccination: “Protecting Health & Autonomy in the 21st Century.”
Sources and References
The Best of Dr. Joseph Mercola


lewrockwell--2020-09-24--Reminder: CDC Says Facemasks Don’t Stop Covid

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) has an estimated 15,000 in its workforce ; some 88 of them work on Emerging Infectious Diseases ( EID ) , a highly regarded , peer-reviewed journal of epidemiology , published by the CDC .
April 3 , 2020 — CDC Face Mask Order On April 3 , 2020 , the CDC announced that everyone should wear face masks , wash their hands , and clean surfaces in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 .
CDC 4/3/20 : Wear Masks To Fight Covid On April 3 , 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public , for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities.
” Private and governmental policies across the US and internationally were crafted according to this statement .
Amazon Essentials Men & ... Buy New $ 18.50 CDC 4/3/20 : Wash Hands To Fight Covid On April 3 , 2020 , the CDC advised “ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or sneezing.
” CDC 4/3/20 : Clean Surfaces To Fight Covid On April 3 , 2020 , the CDC advised “ Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily .
This includes tables , doorknobs , light switches , countertops , handles , desks , phones , keyboards , toilets , faucets , and sinks.
” May 2020 — Researchers Prove the Opposite May 2020 , Dr. Jingyi Xiao , an epidemiologist from the University of Hong Kong , and her colleagues , ran a paper entitled “ Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” at Emerging Infectious Diseases , in which they sought to separate myth from reality and to demonstrate what data-driven measures can be helpful in preventing the spread of Covid-19 .
Xiao ’ s research showed the opposite of the April 3 , 2020 , statements from the CDC to be true .
Xiao ’ s efforts began with more diligent and rigorous methodology than recent reviewers who came before : “ We searched 4 databases ( Medline , PubMed , EMBASE , and CENTRAL ) for literature in all languages .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RCTs ) of each measure for laboratory-confirmed influenza outcomes for each of the measures because RCTs provide the highest quality of evidence.
” Throughout 2020 , it has been easy for low-quality Covid research to get published and then circulated through the media , entirely out of context .
This has been detrimental in a time when high quality and dependable information would be most useful in the protection of life and livelihood in 2020 .
Consequently , Xiao does not treat every study the same .
Randomized controlled trials with laboratory confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the literature sought .
Rather than cherry-picking the studies with fashionable results , they sought truth and quality over political correctness and assessed the gold standard studies .
Not surprisingly , in doing so , Xiao produced the exact opposite results of what you would find from Fox News , the New York Times , Google , or their many clones .
Xiao unsurprisingly reports what researchers of randomized controlled trials with laboratory-confirmed outcomes have long known : Carhartt Men ’ s R ...
Check Amazon for Pricing .
“ Although mechanistic studies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or face masks , evidence from 14 randomized controlled trials of these measures did not support a substantial effect on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza .
We similarly found limited evidence on the effectiveness of improved hygiene and environmental cleaning .
We identified several major knowledge gaps requiring further research , most fundamentally an improved characterization of the modes of person-to-person transmission.
” You read that right : 1 . )
It doesn ’ t matter if you sanitize surfaces ; 2 . )
It doesn ’ t matter if you wash your hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t work .
Sanitizing surfaces is effective for the prevention of gastrointestinal illnesses , but it doesn ’ t protect from Covid : “ Although we found no evidence that surface and object cleaning could reduce influenza transmission , this measure does have an established impact on prevention of other infectious diseases.
” Similarly , hand washing is useful for the prevention of gastrointestinal illness , but the laboratory-confirmed , randomized controlled trials show that it is not useful in the prevention of Covid : “ Hand hygiene is a widely used intervention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transmission of gastrointestinal infections and respiratory infections .
However , in our systematic review , updating the findings of Wong et al.
, we did not find evidence of a major effect of hand hygiene on laboratory-confirmed influenza virus transmission .
Nevertheless , hand hygiene might be included in influenza pandemic plans as part of general hygiene and infection prevention.
” Face masks might help prevent the spread of some infections , but there ’ s no proof that they work with Covid-19 or influenza : “ We did not find evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reducing laboratory-confirmed influenza transmission , either when worn by infected persons ( source control ) or by persons in the general community to reduce their susceptibility .
However , as with hand hygiene , face masks might be able to reduce the transmission of other infections and therefore have value in an influenza pandemic when healthcare resources are stretched.
” Legendary Whitetails M ... Buy New $ 32.99 CDC Journal 5/1/20 : Face Masks Don ’ t Work When Worn By The Sick Either Some say face masks should be worn by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing so , they can prevent infected people from transmitting the virus to the healthy .
Xiao found no such evidence of this .
Rather than relying on datasets based on questionnaires such as “ Did you suffer from the sniffles last week ?
” Xiao , in examining this issue , only looked at laboratory-confirmed cases and found no proof that people sick with Covid or influenza should wear masks either : “ There is limited evidence for their effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uninfected persons to reduce exposure .
Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.
” CDC Journal 5/1/20 : Don ’ t Wear A Dirty Mask , It Can INCREASE The Risk Of Covid Transmission Xiao takes if a step further , saying not only are face mask be unhelpful in stopping the spread of Covid-19 , they can actually increase the risk of transmission : “ Proper use of face masks is essential because improper use might increase the risk for transmission .
Thus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of used face masks , including hand hygiene , is also needed.
” Xiao cites a World Health Organization ( WHO ) notice from 2009 entitled “ Advice on the use of masks in the community setting in Influenza A ( H1N1 ) outbreaks ” that offers some well-established advice for proper mask use .
Again Xiao has demonstrated that proper mask has does not stop Covid-19 but to cite the WHO the great risk of the mask is that transmission is increased : “ Using a mask incorrectly however , may actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than reduce it.
” The following from WHO is listed as behavior that can increase transmission : • Not washing hands every time after touching a dirty mask • Wearing a mask that is not new and clean • Continuing to wear a mask after it has become damp , instead of immediately replacing it • Not discarding a single-use mask immediately upon removal , as opposed to leaving it in the immediate environment Have you seen even one person follow that protocol in 2020 ?
Proper mask protocol doesn ’ t stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public that such behaviors may actually help spread Covid , the most vocal instead demand that everyone be masked , regardless of the potential negative impact it may have in increasing the transmission of Covid-19 .
CDC Journal 5/1/20 : Covering Your Mouth Doesn ’ t Even Seem To Work Etiquette in many places says you cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough .
Xiao went so far as to investigate this also , finding such respiratory etiquette unhelpful in preventing the transmission of Covid , and encouraging others to take up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ etiquette is often listed as a preventive measure for respiratory infections .
However , there is a lack of scientific evidence to support this measure .
Whether respiratory etiquette is an effective nonpharmaceutical intervention in preventing influenza virus transmission remains questionable , and worthy of further research.
” Caveat : Xiao Did Not Look At N95 And P2 Respirators Focusing on the most pressing matters that relate to the greatest number of people , Xiao looked at face masks and not respirators .
Respirators come with their own warning .
They , too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protocol in order or be effective , protocol seldom followed .
Xiao writes : “ We did not consider the use of respirators in the community .
Respirators are tight-fitting masks that can protect the wearer from fine particles and should provide better protection against influenza virus exposures when properly worn because of higher filtration efficiency .
However , respirators , such as N95 and P2 masks , work best when they are fit-tested , and these masks will be in limited supply during the next pandemic.
” Who Is More Credible — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It would look , on the surface , like the CDC is contradicting itself .
One organ of the CDC said one thing in April and another organ said something else in May , which would not be the first confusing message from the CDC .
One may feel torn between who to believe .
That need not be the case at all .
You have the top brass at the CDC , composed of political hacks saying to wear something , anything , as long as it vaguely resembles a mask .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ expedient to them .
Then , in contrast , you have the peer-reviewed scientists pointing to the well-established , long-established fact that masks don ’ t work for reducing coronavirus transmission .
I don ’ t know what the political hacks are trying to pull or why , and I don ’ t particularly need to know in order to understand why not to trust political hacks .
What I know is that what they are saying is predictably inaccurate .
This is the case for much of what political hacks say .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not make it wrong , but hacks have a bad track record when it comes to science .
They just don ’ t have a primary penchant for truth .
If they did , they would not be political hacks .
Face masks don ’ t work in preventing the spread of Covid .
The science on that is well-established .
2020 Has Been A Year Of Superstition , Not Science Many of the weird , OCD , germophobe , anti-social , hypochondriac maneuvers that have become commonplace in 2020 are rooted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While these interventions may be the advice of those reading Fox News marquees or New York Times headlines , they are not data-driven interventions backed by peer-reviewed , laboratory-confirmed , randomized controlled trials .
Those trials say something clearly different .
Face mask orders are the territory of the science-denier , the anti-logician , the mob with torches ready to punish Copernicus for applying the scientific method and thinking according to his findings .
It ’ s not me saying that , that ’ s just the 14 gold standard studies used by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What Will You Do ?
Now I have tremendous regard for those who will take this knowledge and evangelize .
I also have tremendous praise for those who will take that knowledge and crash the gates .
My method has been to encourage people with exemptions to say the words “ I am unable to wear a face mask safely.
” Thousands have successfully used this technique .
Millions can successfully use it .
One free person at a time , these lockdowns come to an end , not when any blue ribbon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need help navigating the logistics of your local face mask orders , I ’ ve got you covered here , here , here , here , here , here , here , here , here , here , here , here , and here .
Conclusion : The Experts Know A Lot Less Than They Have Led Us To Believe Xiao provides a useful slice of humble pie to the people who suddenly became Covid experts and tinpot dictators this spring .
The aggressive mask-police don ’ t know as much as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” that the aggressive mask police are getting their info from don ’ t either .
Unfortunately , this sober appraisal doesn ’ t sell advertising , fund studies , or make careers , so instead of being the most cited study of 2020 , Xiao has practically been ignored .
Perhaps in your own circle of friends , you can change this by sharing this article .
And while you ’ re at it , please also send me your tales from the face mask compliance checkpoint , and help me put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best of Allan Stevo

The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an estimated 15,000 in its workforce; some 88 of them work on Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID), a highly regarded, peer-reviewed journal of epidemiology, published by the CDC.
April 3, 2020 — CDC Face Mask Order
On April 3, 2020, the CDC announced that everyone should wear face masks, wash their hands, and clean surfaces in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
CDC 4/3/20: Wear Masks To Fight Covid
On April 3, 2020, the CDC advised “Everyone should wear a cloth face cover when they have to go out in public, for example to the grocery store or to pick up other necessities.” Private and governmental policies across the US and internationally were crafted according to this statement. Amazon Essentials Men&... Buy New $18.50 (as of 05:15 UTC - Details)
CDC 4/3/20: Wash Hands To Fight Covid
On April 3, 2020, the CDC advised “Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.”
CDC 4/3/20: Clean Surfaces To Fight Covid
On April 3, 2020, the CDC advised “Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.”
May 2020 — Researchers Prove the Opposite
May 2020, Dr. Jingyi Xiao, an epidemiologist from the University of Hong Kong, and her colleagues, ran a paper entitled “Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare Settings—Personal Protective and Environmental Measures” at Emerging Infectious Diseases, in which they sought to separate myth from reality and to demonstrate what data-driven measures can be helpful in preventing the spread of Covid-19. Xiao’s research showed the opposite of the April 3, 2020, statements from the CDC to be true.
Superior Methodology
Xiao’s efforts began with more diligent and rigorous methodology than recent reviewers who came before: “We searched 4 databases (Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL) for literature in all languages. We aimed to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of each measure for laboratory-confirmed influenza outcomes for each of the measures because RCTs provide the highest quality of evidence.”
Throughout 2020, it has been easy for low-quality Covid research to get published and then circulated through the media, entirely out of context. This has been detrimental in a time when high quality and dependable information would be most useful in the protection of life and livelihood in 2020. Consequently, Xiao does not treat every study the same. Randomized controlled trials with laboratory confirmed outcomes were the standard their review of the literature sought. Rather than cherry-picking the studies with fashionable results, they sought truth and quality over political correctness and assessed the gold standard studies. Not surprisingly, in doing so, Xiao produced the exact opposite results of what you would find from Fox News, the New York Times, Google, or their many clones.
Xiao unsurprisingly reports what researchers of randomized controlled trials with laboratory-confirmed outcomes have long known: Carhartt Men’s R... Check Amazon for Pricing.
“Although mechanistic studies support the potential effect of hand hygiene or face masks, evidence from 14 randomized controlled trials of these measures did not support a substantial effect on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza. We similarly found limited evidence on the effectiveness of improved hygiene and environmental cleaning. We identified several major knowledge gaps requiring further research, most fundamentally an improved characterization of the modes of person-to-person transmission.”
You read that right:
1.) It doesn’t matter if you sanitize surfaces;
2.) It doesn’t matter if you wash your hands;
3.) Masks don’t work.
CDC Journal 5/1/20: Sanitizing Surfaces Doesn’t Protect Against Covid-19
Sanitizing surfaces is effective for the prevention of gastrointestinal illnesses, but it doesn’t protect from Covid: “Although we found no evidence that surface and object cleaning could reduce influenza transmission, this measure does have an established impact on prevention of other infectious diseases.”
CDC Journal 5/1/20: Washing Your Hands Doesn’t Protect Against Covid
Similarly, hand washing is useful for the prevention of gastrointestinal illness, but the laboratory-confirmed, randomized controlled trials show that it is not useful in the prevention of Covid: “Hand hygiene is a widely used intervention and has been shown to effectively reduce the transmission of gastrointestinal infections and respiratory infections. However, in our systematic review, updating the findings of Wong et al., we did not find evidence of a major effect of hand hygiene on laboratory-confirmed influenza virus transmission. Nevertheless, hand hygiene might be included in influenza pandemic plans as part of general hygiene and infection prevention.”
CDC Journal 5/1/20: Masks Don’t Work
Face masks might help prevent the spread of some infections, but there’s no proof that they work with Covid-19 or influenza: “We did not find evidence that surgical-type face masks are effective in reducing laboratory-confirmed influenza transmission, either when worn by infected persons (source control) or by persons in the general community to reduce their susceptibility. However, as with hand hygiene, face masks might be able to reduce the transmission of other infections and therefore have value in an influenza pandemic when healthcare resources are stretched.” Legendary Whitetails M... Buy New $32.99 (as of 05:15 UTC - Details)
CDC Journal 5/1/20: Face Masks Don’t Work When Worn By The Sick Either
Some say face masks should be worn by the infected, not the healthy. In doing so, they can prevent infected people from transmitting the virus to the healthy. Xiao found no such evidence of this. Rather than relying on datasets based on questionnaires such as “Did you suffer from the sniffles last week?” Xiao, in examining this issue, only looked at laboratory-confirmed cases and found no proof that people sick with Covid or influenza should wear masks either:
“There is limited evidence for their effectiveness in preventing influenza virus transmission either when worn by the infected person for source control or when worn by uninfected persons to reduce exposure. Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.”
CDC Journal 5/1/20: Don’t Wear A Dirty Mask, It Can INCREASE The Risk Of Covid Transmission
Xiao takes if a step further, saying not only are face mask be unhelpful in stopping the spread of Covid-19, they can actually increase the risk of transmission: “Proper use of face masks is essential because improper use might increase the risk for transmission. Thus, education on the proper use and disposal of used face masks, including hand hygiene, is also needed.”
What Is “Proper Use?”
Xiao cites a World Health Organization (WHO) notice from 2009 entitled “Advice on the use of masks in the community setting in Influenza A (H1N1) outbreaks” that offers some well-established advice for proper mask use. Again Xiao has demonstrated that proper mask has does not stop Covid-19 but to cite the WHO the great risk of the mask is that transmission is increased: “Using a mask incorrectly however, may actually increase the risk of transmission, rather than reduce it.”
The following from WHO is listed as behavior that can increase transmission:
Touching mouth and nose
Touching a mask in use
Touching a clean mask with unwashed hands
Not washing hands every time after touching a dirty mask
Wearing a mask that is not new and clean
Continuing to wear a mask after it has become damp, instead of immediately replacing it Wrangler Men’s R... Buy New $59.56 (as of 05:15 UTC - Details )
Re-using a single-use mask
Not discarding a single-use mask immediately upon removal, as opposed to leaving it in the immediate environment
Have you seen even one person follow that protocol in 2020? Proper mask protocol doesn’t stop there either. Rather than informing the public that such behaviors may actually help spread Covid, the most vocal instead demand that everyone be masked, regardless of the potential negative impact it may have in increasing the transmission of Covid-19.
CDC Journal 5/1/20: Covering Your Mouth Doesn’t Even Seem To Work
Etiquette in many places says you cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Xiao went so far as to investigate this also, finding such respiratory etiquette unhelpful in preventing the transmission of Covid, and encouraging others to take up that area of research: “Respiratory etiquette is often listed as a preventive measure for respiratory infections. However, there is a lack of scientific evidence to support this measure. Whether respiratory etiquette is an effective nonpharmaceutical intervention in preventing influenza virus transmission remains questionable, and worthy of further research.”
Caveat: Xiao Did Not Look At N95 And P2 Respirators
Focusing on the most pressing matters that relate to the greatest number of people, Xiao looked at face masks and not respirators. Respirators come with their own warning. They, too, require their own hygiene and fit protocol in order or be effective, protocol seldom followed.
Xiao writes: “We did not consider the use of respirators in the community. Respirators are tight-fitting masks that can protect the wearer from fine particles and should provide better protection against influenza virus exposures when properly worn because of higher filtration efficiency. However, respirators, such as N95 and P2 masks, work best when they are fit-tested, and these masks will be in limited supply during the next pandemic.”
Who Is More Credible — Political Hacks or Gold Standard Scientists?
It would look, on the surface, like the CDC is contradicting itself. One organ of the CDC said one thing in April and another organ said something else in May, which would not be the first confusing message from the CDC. One may feel torn between who to believe. That need not be the case at all.
You have the top brass at the CDC, composed of political hacks saying to wear something, anything, as long as it vaguely resembles a mask. Their statements shift whenever it’s expedient to them. Then, in contrast, you have the peer-reviewed scientists pointing to the well-established, long-established fact that masks don’t work for reducing coronavirus transmission.
I don’t know what the political hacks are trying to pull or why, and I don’t particularly need to know in order to understand why not to trust political hacks. What I know is that what they are saying is predictably inaccurate. This is the case for much of what political hacks say. Just because it comes from the hacks does not make it wrong, but hacks have a bad track record when it comes to science. They just don’t have a primary penchant for truth. If they did, they would not be political hacks.
Face masks don’t work in preventing the spread of Covid. The science on that is well-established.
2020 Has Been A Year Of Superstition, Not Science
Many of the weird, OCD, germophobe, anti-social, hypochondriac maneuvers that have become commonplace in 2020 are rooted in superstition, but not science. While these interventions may be the advice of those reading Fox News marquees or New York Times headlines, they are not data-driven interventions backed by peer-reviewed, laboratory-confirmed, randomized controlled trials. Those trials say something clearly different.
Face mask orders are the territory of the science-denier, the anti-logician, the mob with torches ready to punish Copernicus for applying the scientific method and thinking according to his findings. It’s not me saying that, that’s just the 14 gold standard studies used by Xiao et al.
Knowing This, What Will You Do?
Now I have tremendous regard for those who will take this knowledge and evangelize. I also have tremendous praise for those who will take that knowledge and crash the gates. My method has been to encourage people with exemptions to say the words “I am unable to wear a face mask safely.” Thousands have successfully used this technique. Millions can successfully use it. One free person at a time, these lockdowns come to an end, not when any blue ribbon committee says they end.
If you need help navigating the logistics of your local face mask orders, I’ve got you covered here , here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: The Experts Know A Lot Less Than They Have Led Us To Believe
Xiao provides a useful slice of humble pie to the people who suddenly became Covid experts and tinpot dictators this spring. The aggressive mask-police don’t know as much as they think they do. The “experts” that the aggressive mask police are getting their info from don’t either.
Unfortunately, this sober appraisal doesn’t sell advertising, fund studies, or make careers, so instead of being the most cited study of 2020, Xiao has practically been ignored.
Perhaps in your own circle of friends, you can change this by sharing this article.
And while you’re at it, please also send me your tales from the face mask compliance checkpoint, and help me put an end to this tyranny.
The Best of Allan Stevo


The Culture War

“ Culture ” is composed of the customs , traditions , and beliefs of a group of people .
It ’ s a way of seeing the world and interpreting reality .
It determines what ’ s right and wrong and good and evil .
Culture is what ties people together or divides them .
It ’ s a composite of religion , politics , economics , philosophy , and language—but the composite is more important than any one component .
Culture is what ties groups and countries together .
When a cultural split develops—such as the one we now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and , more importantly , should not stay together .
It ’ s poisonous to keep different cultures together in the same political unit .
Politics is all about deciding who decides who gets what , how , and at whose expense .
It can be fairly cordial if everybody shares the same culture .
If they don ’ t , it ’ s a formula for disaster .
PoPBelle 2020 All Aboa ... Buy New $ 17.00 In the US , politics has become a contest of who gets to impose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
When that ’ s the case , a country is best off dividing .
It shouldn ’ t be held together artificially or by force , but voluntarily .
Freedom of association is necessary for a civil society .
People generally prefer to associate with those with whom they share a culture .
Birds of a feather do , in fact , flock together .
The alternative is chaos or even civil war .
I suspect what we ’ ve seen in the last few months is only an overture to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no longer a country that is united by language , ideas , ethnicity , or anything else .
It has become a multicultural domestic empire .
The essence of an empire is coercion .
The divide between the components of the US is growing and solidifying .
Politicians talk about “ bringing us together.
” But that ’ s nonsense .
Politics only brings people together by force—the way a pressure cooker brings things together .
It may look like it ’ s succeeding for a while , but when the pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explosion .
Cultures develop organically ; political coercion can ’ t make disparate people like each other .
Apart from that , I ’ d argue the US has become too large , too complex , and too diverse to be governable .
It ’ s very different from what it was at its founding—or even fifty years ago .
For one thing , its central government is already totally bankrupt .
Productive parts of the country will increasingly resent a corrupt Washington that supports itself , its cronies , and hordes of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US should break up peacefully before the situation gets completely out of control .
The Red Trojan Horse : ... Elder , Alasdair Best Price : $ 14.85 Buy New $ 14.50 But how ?
The last time the US tried to divide , the result was the ( incorrectly named ) Civil War .
The unpleasantness of 1861–1865 was not , in fact , a civil war , but a war of secession .
The South simply wanted to go its own way , much as the colonies did in 1776 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , is one in which two or more parties try to take over the same government .
That ’ s very different from wanting to part company .
The South should have been allowed to break off , in much the same way that Slovakia and the Czech Republic separated or the way that Yugoslavia divided into six republics—or , for that matter , the way that the Soviet Union broke up into 15 republics .
Abraham Lincoln created the poisonous meme that the states should be held together by force .
Most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ type of crime to even intimate that the US could—or should—break up .
Interestingly , there are groups in California , Oregon , and Washington that are talking about it , not to mention millions of Hispanics that see the Southwest as the object of a Reconquista .
The coming election is certainly going to be the most important one since that of 1860 , which installed Lincoln and after which Lincoln precipitated the War Between the States .
Americans in blue counties and red counties have come to dislike one another on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , families can ’ t even get together for a Thanksgiving or Christmas without acrimony .
The situation is quite serious , and the hysteria over COVID-19 combined with a collapsing economy has made it much worse .
As outrageous as it sounds , the US should divide into at least two smaller units .
Americans can then peacefully choose which version of America suits them .
Fools , Frauds and Fire ... Scruton , Roger Best Price : $ 15.32 Buy New $ 17.40 As it stands , the election will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply because the country has become totally polarized .
No matter who wins , the other side is going to be terminally unhappy with the result .
Last week , I spelled out the six reasons Biden ( or at least the Democrats ) are likely to win .
No matter who wins , however , about half the country is going to be very unhappy .
There ’ s likely to be some serious violence as the winning side tries to impose its values on the losing side .
We know the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it doesn ’ t make much difference who the Democratic candidate is at this point .
The fact that Biden is borderline senile is irrelevant .
They could probably run a chimpanzee in Biden ’ s place and expect the same result because this election is about cultural values in general , and hating Trump in particular .
It has little to do with what Trump does or doesn ’ t believe ; he has no philosophical center , no real core beliefs .
But he ’ s a traditionalist , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outspoken .
That ’ s why he serves as an excellent lightning rod for the building storm .
Unfortunately , he ’ s also an authoritarian and a jingoist at heart .
His supporters equate that with strength .
Unfortunately , Americans from both parties will want an authoritarian to keep some semblance of order as things get wild and woolly .
I still think the Dems will win for the reasons I spelled out last week , despite their probably having overplayed their hand with their support of Black Lives Matter and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance in Trump ’ s favor .
When it comes to a choice between order and ideology , the average guy prefers order .
Into the Lion ’ s ... Maltz , Mr Steve Best Price : $ 14.37 Buy New $ 14.00 The election is still close to an even odds bet for that reason , even though the polls ( and my own reasoning , for what it ’ s worth ) say the Democrats will win .
But after the election , we ’ re going to see some major @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ll discuss what things will be like under both the Harris Regency and the Trump Regime .
Either way , what ’ s going on signals a new era .
It ’ s a catalyst , dividing “ before ” and “ after , ” much the way the Kennedy assassination drew a line between the conservative 50s and the radical 60s .
The Best of Doug Casey

“Culture” is composed of the customs, traditions, and beliefs of a group of people. It’s a way of seeing the world and interpreting reality. It determines what’s right and wrong and good and evil. Culture is what ties people together or divides them. It’s a composite of religion, politics, economics, philosophy, and language—but the composite is more important than any one component.
Culture is what ties groups and countries together. When a cultural split develops—such as the one we now have in the US—a country cannot, and, more importantly, should not stay together.
It’s poisonous to keep different cultures together in the same political unit. Politics is all about deciding who decides who gets what, how, and at whose expense. It can be fairly cordial if everybody shares the same culture. If they don’t, it’s a formula for disaster.
PoPBelle 2020 All Aboa... Buy New $17.00 (as of 05:16 UTC - Details) In the US, politics has become a contest of who gets to impose their will on the rest of the country. When that’s the case, a country is best off dividing. It shouldn’t be held together artificially or by force, but voluntarily. Freedom of association is necessary for a civil society. People generally prefer to associate with those with whom they share a culture. Birds of a feather do, in fact, flock together.
The alternative is chaos or even civil war. I suspect what we’ve seen in the last few months is only an overture to what’s coming. The US is no longer a country that is united by language, ideas, ethnicity, or anything else. It has become a multicultural domestic empire. The essence of an empire is coercion. The divide between the components of the US is growing and solidifying.
Politicians talk about “bringing us together.” But that’s nonsense. Politics only brings people together by force—the way a pressure cooker brings things together. It may look like it’s succeeding for a while, but when the pressure builds enough, there’s an explosion. Cultures develop organically; political coercion can’t make disparate people like each other.
Apart from that, I’d argue the US has become too large, too complex, and too diverse to be governable. It’s very different from what it was at its founding—or even fifty years ago. For one thing, its central government is already totally bankrupt. Productive parts of the country will increasingly resent a corrupt Washington that supports itself, its cronies, and hordes of welfare recipients at their expense.
Perhaps the US should break up peacefully before the situation gets completely out of control. The Red Trojan Horse: ... Elder, Alasdair Best Price: $14.85 Buy New $14.50 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details)
But how? The last time the US tried to divide, the result was the (incorrectly named) Civil War. The unpleasantness of 1861–1865 was not, in fact, a civil war, but a war of secession. The South simply wanted to go its own way, much as the colonies did in 1776. A civil war, by contrast, is one in which two or more parties try to take over the same government. That’s very different from wanting to part company.
The South should have been allowed to break off, in much the same way that Slovakia and the Czech Republic separated or the way that Yugoslavia divided into six republics—or, for that matter, the way that the Soviet Union broke up into 15 republics.
Abraham Lincoln created the poisonous meme that the states should be held together by force. Most people now think it’s some type of crime to even intimate that the US could—or should—break up. Interestingly, there are groups in California, Oregon, and Washington that are talking about it, not to mention millions of Hispanics that see the Southwest as the object of a Reconquista.
The coming election is certainly going to be the most important one since that of 1860, which installed Lincoln and after which Lincoln precipitated the War Between the States. Americans in blue counties and red counties have come to dislike one another on a visceral level. At this point, families can’t even get together for a Thanksgiving or Christmas without acrimony. The situation is quite serious, and the hysteria over COVID-19 combined with a collapsing economy has made it much worse. As outrageous as it sounds, the US should divide into at least two smaller units. Americans can then peacefully choose which version of America suits them. Fools, Frauds and Fire... Scruton, Roger Best Price: $15.32 Buy New $17.40 (as of 03:56 UTC - Details)
As it stands, the election will be contested no matter which side wins, simply because the country has become totally polarized. No matter who wins, the other side is going to be terminally unhappy with the result. Last week, I spelled out the six reasons Biden (or at least the Democrats) are likely to win. No matter who wins, however, about half the country is going to be very unhappy. There’s likely to be some serious violence as the winning side tries to impose its values on the losing side.
We know the Republican candidate will be Mr. Trump. But it doesn’t make much difference who the Democratic candidate is at this point. The fact that Biden is borderline senile is irrelevant. They could probably run a chimpanzee in Biden’s place and expect the same result because this election is about cultural values in general, and hating Trump in particular. It has little to do with what Trump does or doesn’t believe; he has no philosophical center, no real core beliefs. But he’s a traditionalist, a cultural conservative. And he is very outspoken. That’s why he serves as an excellent lightning rod for the building storm.
Unfortunately, he’s also an authoritarian and a jingoist at heart. His supporters equate that with strength. Unfortunately, Americans from both parties will want an authoritarian to keep some semblance of order as things get wild and woolly. I still think the Dems will win for the reasons I spelled out last week, despite their probably having overplayed their hand with their support of Black Lives Matter and even Antifa—things which could still tip the balance in Trump’s favor. When it comes to a choice between order and ideology, the average guy prefers order. Into the Lion’s ... Maltz, Mr Steve Best Price: $14.37 Buy New $14.00 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details)
The election is still close to an even odds bet for that reason, even though the polls (and my own reasoning, for what it’s worth) say the Democrats will win. But after the election, we’re going to see some major fireworks.
Next week, I’ll discuss what things will be like under both the Harris Regency and the Trump Regime. Either way, what’s going on signals a new era. It’s a catalyst, dividing “before” and “after,” much the way the Kennedy assassination drew a line between the conservative 50s and the radical 60s.
Reprinted with permission from International Man.
The Best of Doug Casey


lewrockwell--2020-09-24--Do We Still Have a Constitution?

Do We Still Have a Constitution?

I have been taking some heat from friends and colleagues for my steadfast defense of personal liberties and my arguments that the Constitution — when interpreted in accordance with the plain meaning of its words , and informed by history — does not permit the government to infringe upon personal freedoms , no matter the emergency or pandemic .
For those who agree with me , worry not .
We will persevere .
For those who trust the government , worry a lot .
You are not in good hands .
The purpose of the Constitution is to establish the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the limitations are written in the Constitution itself .
Most of the limitations that pertain to personal freedoms are found in the Bill of Rights — the first 10 amendments .
These amendments were ratified to restrain the federal government from infringing upon personal liberties .
Since the enactment of the 14th Amendment in 1868 , and subsequent litigation , these amendments , for the most part , restrain the states as well .
The courts have characterized these protected liberties as fundamental .
Natural Law Spooner , Lysander Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , speech , press , assembly , worship , self-defense , privacy , travel , property ownership , interstate commercial activities and fair treatment from government are plainly articulated or rationally inferred in the first eight amendments .
The Ninth is a catchall , which declares that the enumeration of rights in the first eight shall not mean that there are no other rights that are fundamental , and the government shall not disparage those other rights .
The Tenth reflects that the states have reserved powers to themselves .
The Ninth was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madison , because of his view that natural rights — known today as fundamental rights — are integral to each person , and they are too numerous to list .
In the next century , the anti-slavery crusader Lysander Spooner would explain it thusly : “ A man ’ s natural rights are his own , against the whole world ; and any infringement of them is equally a crime , whether committed by one man , or by millions ; whether committed by one man , calling himself a robber , … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government.
” Natural rights collectively constitute the moral ability and sovereign authority of every human being to make personal choices — free from government interference or government permission .
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that government derives all its powers from the consent of the governed .
And Madison understood the Ninth Amendment to declare that our personal choices are insulated from government interference so long as their exercise does not impair another ’ s rights .
From this , it follows that if governments interfere with our personal choices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their power to interfere — the interference is invalid , unlawful and , because our personal choices are essentially protected from governmental interference by the Bill of Rights , unconstitutional .
Now , back to the present-day restraints during this pandemic .
The current interferences with the exercise of rights protected by the Bill of Rights devolve around travel , assembly , interstate commercial activities and the exercise of religious beliefs .
These infringements have all come from state governors who claim the power to do so , and they raise three profound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Do governors have inherent power in an emergency to craft regulations that carry the force of law ?
The answer is no .
The Guarantee Clause of the Constitution mandates a republican ( lowercase “ r ” ) form of government in the states .
That means the separation of powers into three branches , each with a distinct function that can not constitutionally be performed by either of the other two .
Since only a representative legislature can write laws that carry criminal penalties and incur the use of force , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ write laws .
The second constitutional issue is : Can state legislatures delegate away to governors their law-making powers ?
Again , the answer is no because the separation of powers prevents one branch of government from ceding to another branch its core powers .
The separation was crafted not to preserve the integrity of each branch but to assure the preservation of personal liberty by preventing the accumulation of too much power in any one branch .
We are not talking about a state legislature delegating to a board of medical examiners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ license physicians .
We are talking about delegating away a core power — the authority to create crimes and craft punishments .
Such a delegation would be an egregious violation of the Guarantee Clause .
Suicide Pact : The Radi ... Napolitano , Andrew P. Best Price : $ 0.25 Buy New $ 2.84 The third constitutional issue is : Can a state legislature enact laws that interfere with personal liberties protected by the Bill of Rights , prescribe punishments for violations of those laws and authorize governors to use force to compel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no because all government in America is subordinate to the natural rights articulated in the Bill of Rights and embraced in the Ninth Amendment .
We should rejoice that there is resistance to gubernatorial ignorance and arrogance that disregards the Bill of Rights .
We need resistance to tyranny in order to stay free .
Power unresisted continues to grow and to corrupt .
History teaches that most people prefer the illusion of safety to the cacophony of liberty .
The only reason we have civil liberties today is because generations of determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1770s — have fought for them .
Today , we are governed by dangerous men and women .
For they have taken away our ability to make personal choices , and they have used force to compel compliance .
In doing that , they have not only violated their oaths to uphold the Bill of Rights , they also have committed the criminal acts of nullifying our rights .
By using the powers of state governments to do this , they have made themselves candidates for federal criminal prosecutions when saner days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Napolitano

Shop all books by Judge Napolitano
I have been taking some heat from friends and colleagues for my steadfast defense of personal liberties and my arguments that the Constitution — when interpreted in accordance with the plain meaning of its words, and informed by history — does not permit the government to infringe upon personal freedoms, no matter the emergency or pandemic. For those who agree with me, worry not. We will persevere. For those who trust the government, worry a lot. You are not in good hands.
The purpose of the Constitution is to establish the government and to limit it. Some of the limitations are written in the Constitution itself. Most of the limitations that pertain to personal freedoms are found in the Bill of Rights — the first 10 amendments.
These amendments were ratified to restrain the federal government from infringing upon personal liberties. Since the enactment of the 14th Amendment in 1868, and subsequent litigation, these amendments, for the most part, restrain the states as well. The courts have characterized these protected liberties as fundamental. Natural Law Spooner, Lysander Buy New $4.99 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details)
So, the rights to thought, speech, press, assembly, worship, self-defense, privacy, travel, property ownership, interstate commercial activities and fair treatment from government are plainly articulated or rationally inferred in the first eight amendments. The Ninth is a catchall, which declares that the enumeration of rights in the first eight shall not mean that there are no other rights that are fundamental, and the government shall not disparage those other rights. The Tenth reflects that the states have reserved powers to themselves.
The Ninth was especially important to its author, James Madison, because of his view that natural rights — known today as fundamental rights — are integral to each person, and they are too numerous to list. In the next century, the anti-slavery crusader Lysander Spooner would explain it thusly: “A man’s natural rights are his own, against the whole world; and any infringement of them is equally a crime, whether committed by one man, or by millions; whether committed by one man, calling himself a robber, … or by millions, calling themselves a government.”
Natural rights collectively constitute the moral ability and sovereign authority of every human being to make personal choices — free from government interference or government permission.
Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that government derives all its powers from the consent of the governed. And Madison understood the Ninth Amendment to declare that our personal choices are insulated from government interference so long as their exercise does not impair another’s rights.
From this, it follows that if governments interfere with our personal choices — and we have not consented to their power to interfere — the interference is invalid, unlawful and, because our personal choices are essentially protected from governmental interference by the Bill of Rights, unconstitutional.
Now, back to the present-day restraints during this pandemic.
The current interferences with the exercise of rights protected by the Bill of Rights devolve around travel, assembly, interstate commercial activities and the exercise of religious beliefs. These infringements have all come from state governors who claim the power to do so, and they raise three profound constitutional issues.
The first is: Do governors have inherent power in an emergency to craft regulations that carry the force of law? The answer is no. The Guarantee Clause of the Constitution mandates a republican (lowercase “r”) form of government in the states. That means the separation of powers into three branches, each with a distinct function that cannot constitutionally be performed by either of the other two. Since only a representative legislature can write laws that carry criminal penalties and incur the use of force, the governor of a state cannot constitutionally write laws.
The second constitutional issue is: Can state legislatures delegate away to governors their law-making powers? Again, the answer is no because the separation of powers prevents one branch of government from ceding to another branch its core powers. The separation was crafted not to preserve the integrity of each branch but to assure the preservation of personal liberty by preventing the accumulation of too much power in any one branch.
We are not talking about a state legislature delegating to a board of medical examiners in the executive branch the power to license physicians. We are talking about delegating away a core power — the authority to create crimes and craft punishments. Such a delegation would be an egregious violation of the Guarantee Clause. Suicide Pact: The Radi... Napolitano, Andrew P. Best Price: $0.25 Buy New $2.84 (as of 04:15 UTC - Details)
The third constitutional issue is: Can a state legislature enact laws that interfere with personal liberties protected by the Bill of Rights, prescribe punishments for violations of those laws and authorize governors to use force to compel compliance? Again, the answer is no because all government in America is subordinate to the natural rights articulated in the Bill of Rights and embraced in the Ninth Amendment.
We should rejoice that there is resistance to gubernatorial ignorance and arrogance that disregards the Bill of Rights. We need resistance to tyranny in order to stay free. Power unresisted continues to grow and to corrupt. History teaches that most people prefer the illusion of safety to the cacophony of liberty. The only reason we have civil liberties today is because generations of determined minorities — starting with the revolutionaries in the 1770s — have fought for them.
Today, we are governed by dangerous men and women. For they have taken away our ability to make personal choices, and they have used force to compel compliance. In doing that, they have not only violated their oaths to uphold the Bill of Rights, they also have committed the criminal acts of nullifying our rights. By using the powers of state governments to do this, they have made themselves candidates for federal criminal prosecutions when saner days return.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano