lewrockwell--2020-08-27--New Research Confirms Statins Are Colossal Waste of Money

The lecturer in the featured video , Maryanne Demasi , Ph.D. , produced the 2014 Australian Catalyst documentary , “ Heart of the Matter : Dietary Villains , ” which exposed the cholesterol/saturated fat myths behind the statin fad and the financial links which lurk underneath .
The documentary was so thorough that vested interests actually convinced ABC TV to rescind the two-part series.1 The Australian Heart Foundation , the three largest statin makers ( Pfizer , AstraZeneca and Merck Sharp & Dohme ) and Medicines Australia , Australia ’ s drug lobby group , complained2 and got the documentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saturated fat have been the villains of heart disease for the past four decades , despite the many studies showing neither has an adverse effect on heart health .
The entire food industry shifted away from saturated fat and cholesterol , ostensibly to improve public health , and the medical industry has massively promoted the use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs for the same reason .
Despite all of that , the rate of heart disease deaths continues to be high.3 That really should tell us something .
The Big Fat Surprise : ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5.01 Buy New $ 8.83 Since the release of Demasi ’ s documentary , the evidence against the cholesterol theory and statins has only grown .
As noted in an August 4 , 2020 , op-ed by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick , a general practitioner with the British National Health Service:4 According to a scientific review5 published online August 4 , 2020 , in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine , lowering LDL is not going to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke .
“ Decades of research has failed to show any consistent benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ note .
Since the commercialization of statin drugs in the late ’ 80s ( lovastatin being the first one , gaining approval in 19876 ) , total sales have reached nearly $ 1 trillion.7,8 Lipitor — which is just one of several brand name statin drugs — was named the most profitable drug in the history of medicine.9,10 Yet these drugs have done nothing to derail the rising trend of heart disease .
According to a press release announcing the BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine review , the analysis found that:11 In their paper,12 the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ randomized controlled trials looking at LDL-cholesterol reduction “ have failed to demonstrate a consistent benefit , we should question the validity of this theory.
” They also cite the Minnesota Coronary Experiment,13 a double-blind randomized controlled trial involving 9,423 subjects that sought to determine whether replacing saturated fat with omega-6 rich vegetable oil ( corn oil and margarine ) would reduce the death rate from heart disease by lowering cholesterol .
It didn ’ t .
Mortality and cardiovascular events increased even though total cholesterol was lowered by 13.8 % .
For each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death risk rose by 22 % .
In conclusion , the Evidence-Based Medicine study authors note that:14 If lowering cholesterol doesn ’ t reduce mortality or cardiovascular events , there ’ s little reason to use them , considering they come with a long list of adverse side effects .
Sure , there are studies claiming to show benefit , but many involve misleading plays on statistics .
One common statistic used to promote statins is that they lower your risk of heart attack by about 36 % .15 This statistic is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Heart Journal .
One of the authors on this study is Rory Collins , who heads up the CTT Collaboration ( Cholesterol Treatment Trialists ’ Collaboration ) , a group of doctors and scientists who analyze study data17 and report their findings to regulators and policymakers .
Table 4 in this study shows the rate of heart attack in the placebo group was 3.1 % while the statin group ’ s rate was 2 % — a 36 % reduction in relative risk .
However , the absolute risk reduction — the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ i.e.
, 3.1 % minus 2 % — is only 1.1 % , which really isn ’ t very impressive .
In other words , in the real world , if you take a statin , your chance of a heart attack is only 1.1 % lower than if you ’ re not taking it .
At the end of the day , what really matters is what your risk of death is the absolute risk .
The study , however , only stresses the relative risk ( 36 % ) , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As noted in the review18 “ How Statistical Deception Created the Appearance That Statins Are Safe and Effective in Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease , ” it ’ s very easy to confuse and mislead people with relative risks .
You can learn more about absolute and relative risk in my 2015 interview with David Diamond , Ph.D. , who co-wrote that paper .
Research questioning the veracity of oft-cited statin trials is also reviewed in “ Statins ’ Flawed Studies and Flawed Advertising.
” A stunning review of statin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary prevention trials , the median postponement of death in those taking statins was a mere 3.2 days .
While potentially extending life span by 3.2 days , those taking statins are also at increased risk for : • Diabetes ( if taken for more than two years , your risk for diabetes triples ) • Dementia , neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric problems such as depression , anxiety and aggression Oftentimes statins do not have any immediate side effects , and they are quite effective , capable of lowering cholesterol levels by 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viewed as evidence that your health is improving .
Side effects that develop over time are frequently misinterpreted as brand-new , separate health problems .
The harm perpetuated by the promotion of the low-fat , low-cholesterol myth is so significant , it could easily be described as a crime against humanity .
Ancel Keys ’ 1963 “ Seven Countries Study ” was instrumental in creating the saturated fat myth.19,20 He claimed to have found a correlation between total cholesterol concentration and heart disease , but in reality this was the result of cherry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ excluded countries are added back in , the association between saturated fat consumption and mortality vanishes .
Lies My Doctor Told Me ... Berry , Dr. Ken Best Price : $ 13.19 Buy New $ 18.47 In fact , the full data set suggests that those who eat the most saturated animal fat tend to have a lower incidence of heart disease , which is precisely what other , more recent studies have concluded .
Procter & Gamble Co.21 ( the maker of Crisco22 ) , the American Heart Association and the Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CSPI ) all promoted the fallacy for decades , despite mounting evidence that Keys had gotten it all wrong .
The AHA was issuing stern warnings against butter , steak and coconut oil as recently as 2017.23 That same year , Procter & Gamble partnered with University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute to promote heart health by lowering cholesterol.24 CSPI was also instrumental in driving heart disease skyward with its wildly successful pro-trans fat campaign .
It was largely the result of CSPI ’ s campaign that fast-food restaurants replace beef tallow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partially hydrogenated vegetable oils , which are high in synthetic trans fats linked to heart disease and other chronic diseases .
As late as 1988 , CSPI praised trans fats , saying “ there is little good evidence that trans fats cause any more harm than other fats ” and that “ much of the anxiety over trans fats stems from their reputation as ‘ unnatural . '
” 25 CSPI and AHA Omit Their Role in Heart Disease Epidemic Today , you ’ ll have to dig deep to unearth CSPI ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an act of deception , they erased it from their history to make people believe they ’ ve been doing the right thing all along .
Their historical timeline26 of trans fat starts at 1993 — the year CSPI decided to change course and start supporting the elimination of the same trans fat they ’ d spent years promoting .
Similarly , the AHA conveniently omits saturated fat and cholesterol from its history of “ lifesaving ” breakthroughs and achievements.27 It makes sense , though , considering the AHA ’ s and CSPI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for vegetable oils and synthetic trans fat never resulted in anything but an epidemic of heart disease .
The idea that the harms of trans fats were unknown until the 1990s is simply a lie .
The late Dr. Fred Kummerow started publishing evidence showing trans fat , not saturated fat , was the cause of heart disease in 1957 .
He also linked trans fat to Type 2 diabetes .
You can click on this link to watch my interview with him .
I traveled to his home in Urbana , Illinois @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In addition to the more recent studies mentioned earlier , many others have also debunked the idea that cholesterol and/or saturated fat impacts your risk of heart disease .
For example : •In a 1992 editorial published in the Archives of Internal Medicine,28 Dr. William Castelli , a former director of the Framingham Heart study , stated : •A 2010 meta-analysis,29 which pooled data from 21 studies and included 347,747 adults , found no difference in the risks of heart disease and stroke between people with the lowest and highest intakes of saturated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a reduction in saturated fat intake must be evaluated in the context of replacement by other macronutrients , such as carbohydrates .
When you replace saturated fat with a higher carbohydrate intake , particularly refined carbohydrate , you exacerbate insulin resistance and obesity , increase triglycerides and small LDL particles , and reduce beneficial HDL cholesterol .
According to the authors , dietary efforts to improve your cardiovascular disease risk should primarily emphasize the limitation of refined carbohydrate intake , and weight reduction .
•A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Cambridge University found no basis for guidelines that advise low saturated fat consumption to lower your cardiac risk , calling into question all of the standard nutritional guidelines related to heart health .
According to the authors : Will Saturated Fat Myth Soon Be Upended ?
To learn more , be sure to listen to Dr. Paul Saladino ’ s interview with Nina Teicholz , previously featured in “ Why Chicken Is Killing You and Saturated Fat Is Your Friend.
” Teicholz , a science journalist , adjunct professor at NYU ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the executive director of The Nutrition Coalition , is also the author of “ The Big Fat Surprise : Why Butter , Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet , ” which reviews the many myths surrounding saturated fat and cholesterol .
In the interview , Saladino and Teicholz review the history of the demonization of saturated fat and cholesterol , starting with Keys , and how the introduction of the first Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 1980 ( which recommended limiting saturated fat and cholesterol ) coincided with a rapid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as heart disease .
Teicholz also reviews a paper32 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology , published online June 17 , 2020 , which actually admits the long-standing nutritional guideline to limit saturated fat has been incorrect .
This is a rather stunning admission , and a huge step forward .
As noted in the abstract : The Best of Joseph Mercola

The lecturer in the featured video, Maryanne Demasi, Ph.D., produced the 2014 Australian Catalyst documentary, “Heart of the Matter: Dietary Villains,” which exposed the cholesterol/saturated fat myths behind the statin fad and the financial links which lurk underneath.
The documentary was so thorough that vested interests actually convinced ABC TV to rescind the two-part series.1 The Australian Heart Foundation, the three largest statin makers (Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Merck Sharp & Dohme) and Medicines Australia, Australia’s drug lobby group, complained2 and got the documentary expunged from ABC TV.
Cholesterol and saturated fat have been the villains of heart disease for the past four decades, despite the many studies showing neither has an adverse effect on heart health.
The entire food industry shifted away from saturated fat and cholesterol, ostensibly to improve public health, and the medical industry has massively promoted the use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs for the same reason. Despite all of that, the rate of heart disease deaths continues to be high.3 That really should tell us something. The Big Fat Surprise: ... Teicholz, Nina Best Price: $5.01 Buy New $8.83 (as of 06:50 UTC - Details)
Statins Are a Colossal Waste of Money
Since the release of Demasi’s documentary, the evidence against the cholesterol theory and statins has only grown. As noted in an August 4, 2020, op-ed by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a general practitioner with the British National Health Service:4
“New research shows that the most widely prescribed type of drug in the history of medicine is a waste of money. One major study found that the more ‘bad’ cholesterol was lowered, the greater the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, almost every other medical condition has been shoved onto the sidelines. However, in the UK last year, heart attacks and strokes (CVD) killed well over 100,000 people — which is at least twice as many as have died from COVID-19.
CVD will kill just as many this year, which makes it significantly more important than COVID-19, even if no one is paying much attention to it right now.”
According to a scientific review5 published online August 4, 2020, in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, lowering LDL is not going to lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. “Decades of research has failed to show any consistent benefit for this approach,” the authors note.
Since the commercialization of statin drugs in the late ’80s (lovastatin being the first one, gaining approval in 19876), total sales have reached nearly $1 trillion.7,8 Lipitor — which is just one of several brand name statin drugs — was named the most profitable drug in the history of medicine.9,10 Yet these drugs have done nothing to derail the rising trend of heart disease.
Lowering Cholesterol Does Not Show a Beneficial Impact
According to a press release announcing the BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine review, the analysis found that:11
“… over three quarters of all the trials reported no positive impact on the risk of death and nearly half reported no positive impact on risk of future cardiovascular disease.
And the amount of LDL cholesterol reduction achieved didn’t correspond to the size of the resulting benefits, with even very small changes in LDL cholesterol sometimes associated with larger reductions in risk of death or cardiovascular ‘events,’ and vice versa. Thirteen of the clinical trials met the LDL cholesterol reduction target, but only one reported a positive impact on risk of death …”
In their paper,12 the study authors argue that since dozens of randomized controlled trials looking at LDL-cholesterol reduction “have failed to demonstrate a consistent benefit, we should question the validity of this theory.”
In most fields of science the existence of contradictory evidence usually leads to a paradigm shift or modification of the theory in question, but in this case the contradictory evidence has been largely ignored, simply because it doesn’t fit the prevailing paradigm.
They also cite the Minnesota Coronary Experiment,13 a double-blind randomized controlled trial involving 9,423 subjects that sought to determine whether replacing saturated fat with omega-6 rich vegetable oil (corn oil and margarine) would reduce the death rate from heart disease by lowering cholesterol.
It didn’t. Mortality and cardiovascular events increased even though total cholesterol was lowered by 13.8%. For each 30 mg/dL reduction in serum cholesterol, the death risk rose by 22%. In conclusion, the Evidence-Based Medicine study authors note that:14
“In most fields of science the existence of contradictory evidence usually leads to a paradigm shift or modification of the theory in question, but in this case the contradictory evidence has been largely ignored, simply because it doesn’t fit the prevailing paradigm.”
Deception Through Statistics
If lowering cholesterol doesn’t reduce mortality or cardiovascular events, there’s little reason to use them, considering they come with a long list of adverse side effects. Sure, there are studies claiming to show benefit, but many involve misleading plays on statistics.
One common statistic used to promote statins is that they lower your risk of heart attack by about 36%.15 This statistic is derived from a 2008 study16 in the European Heart Journal. One of the authors on this study is Rory Collins, who heads up the CTT Collaboration (Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration), a group of doctors and scientists who analyze study data17 and report their findings to regulators and policymakers.
Table 4 in this study shows the rate of heart attack in the placebo group was 3.1% while the statin group’s rate was 2% — a 36% reduction in relative risk. However, the absolute risk reduction — the actual difference between the two groups, i.e., 3.1% minus 2% — is only 1.1%, which really isn’t very impressive.
In other words, in the real world, if you take a statin, your chance of a heart attack is only 1.1% lower than if you’re not taking it. At the end of the day, what really matters is what your risk of death is the absolute risk. The study, however, only stresses the relative risk (36%), not the absolute risk (1.1%).
As noted in the review18 “How Statistical Deception Created the Appearance That Statins Are Safe and Effective in Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease,” it’s very easy to confuse and mislead people with relative risks.
You can learn more about absolute and relative risk in my 2015 interview with David Diamond, Ph.D., who co-wrote that paper. Research questioning the veracity of oft-cited statin trials is also reviewed in “Statins’ Flawed Studies and Flawed Advertising.”
Statins Sabotage Your Health
A stunning review of statin trials published in 2015 found that in primary prevention trials, the median postponement of death in those taking statins was a mere 3.2 days. While potentially extending life span by 3.2 days, those taking statins are also at increased risk for:
Diabetes (if taken for more than two years, your risk for diabetes triples)
Musculoskeletal disorders
Cataracts
Liver damage
Dementia, neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety and aggression
Osteoporosis
Heart disease
Immune system suppression
Oftentimes statins do not have any immediate side effects, and they are quite effective, capable of lowering cholesterol levels by 50 points or more. This is often viewed as evidence that your health is improving. Side effects that develop over time are frequently misinterpreted as brand-new, separate health problems.
Crimes Against Humanity
The harm perpetuated by the promotion of the low-fat, low-cholesterol myth is so significant, it could easily be described as a crime against humanity. Ancel Keys’ 1963 “Seven Countries Study” was instrumental in creating the saturated fat myth.19,20
He claimed to have found a correlation between total cholesterol concentration and heart disease, but in reality this was the result of cherry picking data. When data from 16 excluded countries are added back in, the association between saturated fat consumption and mortality vanishes. Lies My Doctor Told Me... Berry, Dr. Ken Best Price: $13.19 Buy New $18.47 (as of 05:05 UTC - Details)
In fact, the full data set suggests that those who eat the most saturated animal fat tend to have a lower incidence of heart disease, which is precisely what other, more recent studies have concluded.
Procter & Gamble Co.21 (the maker of Crisco22), the American Heart Association and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) all promoted the fallacy for decades, despite mounting evidence that Keys had gotten it all wrong.
The AHA was issuing stern warnings against butter, steak and coconut oil as recently as 2017.23 That same year, Procter & Gamble partnered with University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute to promote heart health by lowering cholesterol.24
CSPI was also instrumental in driving heart disease skyward with its wildly successful pro-trans fat campaign. It was largely the result of CSPI’s campaign that fast-food restaurants replace beef tallow, palm oil and coconut oil with partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are high in synthetic trans fats linked to heart disease and other chronic diseases.
As late as 1988, CSPI praised trans fats, saying “there is little good evidence that trans fats cause any more harm than other fats” and that “much of the anxiety over trans fats stems from their reputation as ‘unnatural.'”25
CSPI and AHA Omit Their Role in Heart Disease Epidemic
Today, you’ll have to dig deep to unearth CSPI’s devastating public health campaign. In an act of deception, they erased it from their history to make people believe they’ve been doing the right thing all along. Their historical timeline26 of trans fat starts at 1993 — the year CSPI decided to change course and start supporting the elimination of the same trans fat they’d spent years promoting.
Similarly, the AHA conveniently omits saturated fat and cholesterol from its history of “lifesaving” breakthroughs and achievements.27 It makes sense, though, considering the AHA’s and CSPI’s recommendations to swap saturated fat for vegetable oils and synthetic trans fat never resulted in anything but an epidemic of heart disease.
The idea that the harms of trans fats were unknown until the 1990s is simply a lie. The late Dr. Fred Kummerow started publishing evidence showing trans fat, not saturated fat, was the cause of heart disease in 1957. He also linked trans fat to Type 2 diabetes. You can click on this link to watch my interview with him. I traveled to his home in Urbana, Illinois, shortly before he passed away.
The Truth About Saturated Fat
In addition to the more recent studies mentioned earlier, many others have also debunked the idea that cholesterol and/or saturated fat impacts your risk of heart disease. For example:
•In a 1992 editorial published in the Archives of Internal Medicine,28 Dr. William Castelli, a former director of the Framingham Heart study, stated:
“In Framingham, Mass., the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol. The opposite of what … Keys et al [said] …”
•A 2010 meta-analysis,29 which pooled data from 21 studies and included 347,747 adults, found no difference in the risks of heart disease and stroke between people with the lowest and highest intakes of saturated fat.
•Another 2010 study30 published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a reduction in saturated fat intake must be evaluated in the context of replacement by other macronutrients, such as carbohydrates.
When you replace saturated fat with a higher carbohydrate intake, particularly refined carbohydrate, you exacerbate insulin resistance and obesity, increase triglycerides and small LDL particles, and reduce beneficial HDL cholesterol. According to the authors, dietary efforts to improve your cardiovascular disease risk should primarily emphasize the limitation of refined carbohydrate intake, and weight reduction.
•A 2014 meta-analysis31 of 76 studies by researchers at Cambridge University found no basis for guidelines that advise low saturated fat consumption to lower your cardiac risk, calling into question all of the standard nutritional guidelines related to heart health. According to the authors:
“Current evidence does not clearly support cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats.”
Will Saturated Fat Myth Soon Be Upended?
To learn more, be sure to listen to Dr. Paul Saladino’s interview with Nina Teicholz, previously featured in “Why Chicken Is Killing You and Saturated Fat Is Your Friend.”
Teicholz, a science journalist, adjunct professor at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and the executive director of The Nutrition Coalition, is also the author of “The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet,” which reviews the many myths surrounding saturated fat and cholesterol.
In the interview, Saladino and Teicholz review the history of the demonization of saturated fat and cholesterol, starting with Keys, and how the introduction of the first Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 1980 (which recommended limiting saturated fat and cholesterol) coincided with a rapid rise in obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease.
Teicholz also reviews a paper32 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, published online June 17, 2020, which actually admits the long-standing nutritional guideline to limit saturated fat has been incorrect. This is a rather stunning admission, and a huge step forward. As noted in the abstract:
“The recommendation to limit dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake has persisted despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Most recent meta-analyses of randomized trials and observational studies found no beneficial effects of reducing SFA intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality, and instead found protective effects against stroke.
Although SFAs increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, in most individuals, this is not due to increasing levels of small, dense LDL particles, but rather larger LDL which are much less strongly related to CVD risk.
It is also apparent that the health effects of foods cannot be predicted by their content in any nutrient group, without considering the overall macronutrient distribution.
Whole-fat dairy, unprocessed meat, eggs and dark chocolate are SFA-rich foods with a complex matrix that are not associated with increased risk of CVD. The totality of available evidence does not support further limiting the intake of such foods.”
Sources and References
The Best of Dr. Joseph Mercola


After Kenosha

It would always come to this .
At some point there would be a reckoning for BLM and Antifa .
The shootings in Kenosha , WI are a dividing line for America .
This is the moment where normal people finally said , “ Enough .
There will be consequences .
“ This is a war between radicalized lunatics bathed in unquenchable envy and self-pity and those who refuse to act like victims .
But they are victims .
All of us are .
On both sides of the divide .
Evil Geniuses : The Unm ... Andersen , Kurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 27.00 We are victims of a vicious program to divide and conquer the U.S. through a culture war designed to dehumanize each other .
We fight among ourselves over scraps while the people who manipulated events to this point walk away laughing at the destruction .
They want the violence .
They love it .
They relish it .
It brings them power and prestige .
To maintain their power , as the systems they ’ ve built fail , they have set us against each other : paid looters and rioters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against common decency , culture , communities and family .
All for control over the levers of political power .
In 2016 we tried to tell them , peacefully , enough was enough .
We elected Donald Trump , of all people , to be our standard bearer .
We did it the way we were taught was the right way , through the ballot box .
It was supposed to be the hallmark of our enlightenment , the peaceful transfer of power .
It ’ s been anything but .
For four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parade of political venality unmatched in modern history .
The quest for regaining the power of the White House brooked no holds being barred .
And if Trump wouldn ’ t go willingly and we didn ’ t learn our lesson , then they would activate every cell to flood the streets with disaffected and nihilistic youths to loot and rob ; using their outrageous sense of entitlement as fuel for their rage against a machine they are , unwittingly , the main cogs of .
But having watched one young man clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from roving thugs in Kenosha be forced ( under clear conditions of self-defense ) to kill two people is a dividing line we ’ re not coming back from .
WARNING TO THE WEST Solzhenitsyn , Aleksandr Best Price : $ 11.00 Buy New $ 16.00 Wars are only profitable for those that promote them .
Those that fight the wars are the real victims .
This kid , a hero by my personal reckoning , is also a victim and there ’ s no coming back from what he ’ s had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still killing .
It scars you , no matter if you wear a blue uniform , fatigues or a green t-shirt .
The animals I see on the streets under the auspice of what the media calls ‘ peaceful protests ’ beating people to within inches of their lives for the crime of being white and defending their property have no humanity .
My livestock have more decency than these people .
And yet , in order for us to survive this dark period of history , we will still have to reach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and assistance back from the insanity that grips them now .
That will be the hardest thing for us to do , while also maintaining the resolve to do what we feel is necessary to preserve something of what we ’ ve built .
That is the dividing line for many of us .
Only you know where that limit is .
There are a lot of people out there right now confronting that limit for the first time .
As my dad used to say , as NYPD , “ I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carried by six.
” We are up against people who brook no limit on their behavior .
Everything is justified in the pursuit of their righteous cause .
You can see in it all the video footage .
Why We ’ re Polarized Klein , Ezra Best Price : $ 15.88 Buy New $ 16.89 And they know it .
They know that we ’ d rather not fight back .
That , unfortunately , to people empowered by the mob and turned into bullies , is misinterpreted as weakness .
Having humanity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And nothing bursts the bubble of false bravado on display by Anfita/BLM at this point than strength of character , which defines limits , creates boundaries and establishes consequences .
The sad truth is that this is only the beginning of what ’ s to come .
The line is crossed and from town to town , that line will be more difficult to assess than ever before .
The myth of policing is failing .
There aren ’ t enough cops to quell these riots .
The State has been revealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been used against property owners told they shouldn ’ t defend themselves or their businesses .
They ’ ve been afraid of being the ones who cross the line while the looters overwhelm the streets .
That impulse will continue to wither .
This anarcho-tyranny will not stand for much longer .
That ’ s what we saw it on the streets of Kenosha .
We ’ ll see more of it , until a new form of order asserts itself .
The Best of Thomas Luongo

It would always come to this. At some point there would be a reckoning for BLM and Antifa.
The shootings in Kenosha, WI are a dividing line for America.
This is the moment where normal people finally said, “Enough. There will be consequences. “
This is a war between radicalized lunatics bathed in unquenchable envy and self-pity and those who refuse to act like victims.
But they are victims.
All of us are. On both sides of the divide. Evil Geniuses: The Unm... Andersen, Kurt Best Price: $33.14 Buy New $27.00 (as of 04:14 UTC - Details)
We are victims of a vicious program to divide and conquer the U.S. through a culture war designed to dehumanize each other.
We fight among ourselves over scraps while the people who manipulated events to this point walk away laughing at the destruction.
They want the violence. They love it. They relish it. It brings them power and prestige.
To maintain their power, as the systems they’ve built fail, they have set us against each other: paid looters and rioters to become cannon fodder in their war against common decency, culture, communities and family.
All for control over the levers of political power.
In 2016 we tried to tell them, peacefully, enough was enough. We elected Donald Trump, of all people, to be our standard bearer. We did it the way we were taught was the right way, through the ballot box.
It was supposed to be the hallmark of our enlightenment, the peaceful transfer of power. It’s been anything but.
For four years we’ve endured a non-stop parade of political venality unmatched in modern history. The quest for regaining the power of the White House brooked no holds being barred.
And if Trump wouldn’t go willingly and we didn’t learn our lesson, then they would activate every cell to flood the streets with disaffected and nihilistic youths to loot and rob; using their outrageous sense of entitlement as fuel for their rage against a machine they are, unwittingly, the main cogs of.
But having watched one young man clear in his purpose to defend his town from roving thugs in Kenosha be forced (under clear conditions of self-defense) to kill two people is a dividing line we’re not coming back from. WARNING TO THE WEST Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr Best Price: $11.00 Buy New $16.00 (as of 02:40 UTC - Details)
Wars are only profitable for those that promote them. Those that fight the wars are the real victims. This kid, a hero by my personal reckoning, is also a victim and there’s no coming back from what he’s had to do.
Killing while justified is still killing. It scars you, no matter if you wear a blue uniform, fatigues or a green t-shirt.
The animals I see on the streets under the auspice of what the media calls ‘peaceful protests’ beating people to within inches of their lives for the crime of being white and defending their property have no humanity.
My livestock have more decency than these people.
And yet, in order for us to survive this dark period of history, we will still have to reach out to them and offer them peace and assistance back from the insanity that grips them now.
That will be the hardest thing for us to do, while also maintaining the resolve to do what we feel is necessary to preserve something of what we’ve built.
That is the dividing line for many of us.
Only you know where that limit is. There are a lot of people out there right now confronting that limit for the first time.
As my dad used to say, as NYPD, “I’d rather be judged by twelve than carried by six.”
We are up against people who brook no limit on their behavior. Everything is justified in the pursuit of their righteous cause. You can see in it all the video footage. Why We’re Polarized Klein, Ezra Best Price: $15.88 Buy New $16.89 (as of 04:14 UTC - Details)
And they know it. They know that we’d rather not fight back. That, unfortunately, to people empowered by the mob and turned into bullies, is misinterpreted as weakness.
Having humanity is not weakness. It is strength.
And nothing bursts the bubble of false bravado on display by Anfita/BLM at this point than strength of character, which defines limits, creates boundaries and establishes consequences.
The sad truth is that this is only the beginning of what’s to come. The line is crossed and from town to town, that line will be more difficult to assess than ever before.
The myth of policing is failing. There aren’t enough cops to quell these riots. The State has been revealed as their enablers.
The law has been used against property owners told they shouldn’t defend themselves or their businesses.
They’ve been afraid of being the ones who cross the line while the looters overwhelm the streets. That impulse will continue to wither. This anarcho-tyranny will not stand for much longer.
That’s what we saw it on the streets of Kenosha.
We’ll see more of it, until a new form of order asserts itself.
Reprinted with permission from Gold Goats ‘n Guns.
The Best of Tom Luongo


lewrockwell--2020-08-28--Playing Pretend With the Founding Fathers

In a remarkably disjointed , bombastic defense of “ the liberal order , ” C. Bradley Thompson writes in American Mind about the dangers posed by “ Pajama-Boy Nietzscheans ” and the supposedly surging “ neo-reactionary movement on the Right.
” According to Thompson , “ radical Left and Right have now merged ” in a virulent form of anti-Americanism—the essence of which consists of not agreeing with Thompson ’ s idealized regime .
The true America that Thompson claims to be upholding “ was forged when the ideas of Thomas Jefferson passed through the Cumberland Gap and were put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and women like Annie Oakley.
” It seems that our pioneers in the early 19th century read Thompson ’ s mind centuries in advance while trekking out West .
According to Thompson , anti-Americanism is raging across this land , and its scariest representatives are on the far right : Much more interesting than the ho-hum anti-Americanism of the progressive Left , though , is the rise in recent years of a rump faction of former Paleo or Tradcons , who have come out of their ideological closet and transitioned from pro- to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radical Right in America is distinguished from all previous forms of conservatism and libertarianism by its explicit rejection of the founders ’ liberalism .
The Vanishing Traditio ... Buy New $ 22.95 The names on Thompson ’ s list of bogeymen , from which my name was astonishingly kept out , includes such nasty hombres as : “ Joseph de Maistre , Louis de Bonald , Georg Friedrich Hegel , Friedrich Nietzsche , Carl Schmitt , Martin Heidegger , Julius Evola , Giovanni Gentile , Leo Strauss , and the Japanese novelist Yukio @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heroes include Charlemagne , the Stuart monarchs , General Franco , and Viktor Orbán.
” The folks poring over these poisonous thinkers are exemplified by the Catholic writer Patrick Deneen and the populist Michael Anton .
Some anti-American rightists are also apparently getting high on Curtis Yarvin ’ s reactionary website , which disparages the American Revolution and its ideals .
Deneen has apparently behaved in a particularly reprehensible way by challenging the classical liberal principles behind the American experiment , as interpreted by Thompson .
Thompson is equally upset that some of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have interpreted the master and his defense of democratic equality in an improper manner .
These supposed deviationists from Claremont orthodoxy , according to Thompson , have strayed into “ anti-Americanism , ” which , by the accuser ’ s circular reasoning , amounts to not agreeing with his dogmatic theology .
It may never have dawned on Thompson that perhaps not all his targets are on the same wavelength .
Anton , for example , may think quite differently from Yarvin , Nietzsche , Heidegger , etc.
, and may also have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that these people are not thinking the same as what Thompson imagines the early American pioneers were thinking as they “ passed through the Cumberland Gap ” does not mean they are dangerous or worthless .
These scorned social critics may have interesting and even valid things to say .
Multiculturalism and t ... Paul Edward Gottfried Best Price : $ 14.51 Buy New $ 25.00 The conclusion of Thompson ’ s article , in which all the baddies are indiscriminately thrown together , makes careless use of historical comparison .
“ So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 , ” Thompson writes .
“ Like antebellum Southern slaveholders and postbellum Progressives , today ’ s radical Left and Right share a common disgust for the principles of the American Founding.
” And , lest we miss the aforesaid questionable comparison , there is this : “ Reminiscent of the early Weimar Republic , the radical Left and Right are intentionally driving the United States to the point of crisis.
” Perhaps I missed something .
As far as I can tell , neither the Catholic distributist Deneen , nor Yarvin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , are inciting crowds to occupy the streets of Portland and Seattle .
Nor are they causing young rioters to beat up senior citizens on street corners or to shoot policemen , black and white .
And who are the antebellum Southern slaveowners against whom we are supposed to be on guard ?
Have they occupied the American media yet ?
Despite Thompson ’ s dubious accusations , there is much that one might rightly criticize about the American right , of which Thompson is a now widely honored member .
The Best @ @ @

In a remarkably disjointed, bombastic defense of “the liberal order,” C. Bradley Thompson writes in American Mind about the dangers posed by “Pajama-Boy Nietzscheans” and the supposedly surging “neo-reactionary movement on the Right.” According to Thompson, “radical Left and Right have now merged” in a virulent form of anti-Americanism—the essence of which consists of not agreeing with Thompson’s idealized regime.
The true America that Thompson claims to be upholding “was forged when the ideas of Thomas Jefferson passed through the Cumberland Gap and were put into practice by men like Daniel Boone and women like Annie Oakley.” It seems that our pioneers in the early 19th century read Thompson’s mind centuries in advance while trekking out West.
According to Thompson, anti-Americanism is raging across this land, and its scariest representatives are on the far right:
Much more interesting than the ho-hum anti-Americanism of the progressive Left, though, is the rise in recent years of a rump faction of former Paleo or Tradcons, who have come out of their ideological closet and transitioned from pro- to anti-Americanism. The recent rise of the radical Right in America is distinguished from all previous forms of conservatism and libertarianism by its explicit rejection of the founders’ liberalism.
The Vanishing Traditio... Buy New $22.95 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details) The names on Thompson’s list of bogeymen, from which my name was astonishingly kept out, includes such nasty hombres as: “Joseph de Maistre, Louis de Bonald, Georg Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Nietzsche, Carl Schmitt, Martin Heidegger, Julius Evola, Giovanni Gentile, Leo Strauss, and the Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima.” Moreover, neo-reactionary “political heroes include Charlemagne, the Stuart monarchs, General Franco, and Viktor Orbán.”
The folks poring over these poisonous thinkers are exemplified by the Catholic writer Patrick Deneen and the populist Michael Anton. Some anti-American rightists are also apparently getting high on Curtis Yarvin’s reactionary website, which disparages the American Revolution and its ideals. Deneen has apparently behaved in a particularly reprehensible way by challenging the classical liberal principles behind the American experiment, as interpreted by Thompson. Thompson is equally upset that some of his fellow Jaffaites at the Claremont Institute have interpreted the master and his defense of democratic equality in an improper manner. These supposed deviationists from Claremont orthodoxy, according to Thompson, have strayed into “anti-Americanism,” which, by the accuser’s circular reasoning, amounts to not agreeing with his dogmatic theology.
It may never have dawned on Thompson that perhaps not all his targets are on the same wavelength. Anton, for example, may think quite differently from Yarvin, Nietzsche, Heidegger, etc., and may also have significant differences with Deneen. The fact that these people are not thinking the same as what Thompson imagines the early American pioneers were thinking as they “passed through the Cumberland Gap” does not mean they are dangerous or worthless. These scorned social critics may have interesting and even valid things to say.
Multiculturalism and t... Paul Edward Gottfried Best Price: $14.51 Buy New $25.00 (as of 06:40 UTC - Details) The conclusion of Thompson’s article, in which all the baddies are indiscriminately thrown together, makes careless use of historical comparison. “So, this is where we are in 2020,” Thompson writes. “Like antebellum Southern slaveholders and postbellum Progressives, today’s radical Left and Right share a common disgust for the principles of the American Founding.” And, lest we miss the aforesaid questionable comparison, there is this: “Reminiscent of the early Weimar Republic, the radical Left and Right are intentionally driving the United States to the point of crisis.”
Perhaps I missed something. As far as I can tell, neither the Catholic distributist Deneen, nor Yarvin, writing as the pseudonymous Mencius Moldbug, are inciting crowds to occupy the streets of Portland and Seattle. Nor are they causing young rioters to beat up senior citizens on street corners or to shoot policemen, black and white. And who are the antebellum Southern slaveowners against whom we are supposed to be on guard? Have they occupied the American media yet?
Despite Thompson’s dubious accusations, there is much that one might rightly criticize about the American right, of which Thompson is a now widely honored member.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Paul Gottfried


lewrockwell--2020-08-28--Is Biden Ceding the Law-and-Order Issue?

Is Joe Biden forfeiting the law-and-order issue to Donald Trump ?
So it would seem .
“ Republicans Use Law and Order As Rallying Cry ” was the top headline on The New York Times ’ front-page story on Vice President Mike Pence ’ s acceptance speech at Fort McHenry Wednesday night .
The Wall Street Journal Page One headline echoed the Times : “ Pence Accepts Nomination as GOP Puts Focus on Police.
” In his address , Pence charged Biden with sinning by silence in failing to denounce the rioters , looters and arsonists who have for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Minneapolis , Kenosha and other cities .
Said Pence : “ Last week , Joe Biden did not say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country .
A Republic Under Assau ... Fitton , Tom Buy New $ 30.00 “ Joe Biden says that America is systemically racist , and that law enforcement in America has… ‘ implicit bias against minorities.
’ When asked whether he ’ d support cutting funding to law enforcement , Joe Biden replied , ‘ Yes , absolutely.
’ “ Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that are leading to unsafe streets and violence in American cities .
… You will not be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America.
” Now , it is inexact to say Biden would “ defund ” the police .
When the big agenda item of Black Lives Matter was first raised , Biden rushed to say he would reform the police and increase spending .
And , late Wednesday afternoon , probably after seeing an advance of Pence ’ s speech , Biden tweeted from Delaware about the chaos that has engulfed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooting of Jacob Blake : “ Needless violence won ’ t heal us .
We need to end the violence.
” Biden ’ s belated and tepid condemnations of the riots and pillaging of America ’ s cities by “ peaceful protesters ” gone rogue night after night testifies to the dilemma in which he finds himself .
It is three months since George Floyd ceased to breathe under the knee of that Minneapolis cop .
But it is also three months to the election .
And the political tide is turning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and anarchists conducting the nightly rampages against cops across America .
The weariness of the public with the riots is palpable .
The claim that these are but the understandable excesses of “ peaceful protests ” is getting stale .
And the reaction against the riots and ruin in the Black communities , for whom they are allegedly being conducted , is growing .
Black leaders in urban areas are saying we want good cops , but we also want more cops to protect our people from gun-toting gangbangers who are running up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video surfaced of a mob of radicals surrounding , berating , cursing and threatening a woman at a D.C. diner .
Her crime ?
She had refused to submit to demands she raise her fist in a Black Power salute and proclaim , “ Black Lives Matter !
” It looked like a training exercise for aspiring Nazi Brown Shirts .
We are beginning to see how this all unfolds .
And from here , it looks like the Democratic left is going to be the loser on all counts .
Their Lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 18.91 Buy New $ 18.97 First , the big mandate — “ Defund the police !
” — has backfired .
The Biden media daily testify to its unpopularity by insisting Biden never endorsed it .
Where police department budgets have been cut , shooting and homicide rates have soared .
And Biden ’ s refusal to endorse the mandate tells you what Democrats ’ polls are telling them .
The police bill passed by Nancy Pelosi ’ s House featuring restrictions on chokeholds has been ignored by the Senate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for having ignored it .
The smashing of statues , which has escalated from Columbus to Catholic missionaries and saints , to Confederate generals and statesmen like Lee , Jackson and Jefferson Davis , to the four presidents on Mount Rushmore — Washington , Jefferson , Lincoln , TR — is now seen even by liberal elites as excessive .
Eventually , the country is going to go with law and order , for , no matter how the liberals ’ recoil from the phrase and its associations with Barry Goldwater and Richard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no justice and there is no peace .
What Nixon said in ’ 68 remains true : “ The first civil right of every American is to be free from domestic violence.
” The mega-demand of BLM and its collaborators — reparations for slavery and segregation — is not wildly popular .
Yet , reparations , which ultimately involves trillions in wealth transfers , is an issue on which Biden will have to choose between the Bernie-BLM-AOC wing of his party and the Scranton Democrats among whom he was raised .
Are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through with systemic racism and overpopulated by white cops who relish using violence on Black folks ?
Or are our police the first of the first responders , the thin blue line standing between America and anarchy ?
The Republicans have chosen .
They stand with the cops .
And if and when Biden comes out of the basement again , he is going to have to take a stand .
Declaring evenhanded neutrality won ’ t cut it .
The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan

Shop all books by Pat Buchanan
Is Joe Biden forfeiting the law-and-order issue to Donald Trump?
So it would seem.
“Republicans Use Law and Order As Rallying Cry” was the top headline on The New York Times’ front-page story on Vice President Mike Pence’s acceptance speech at Fort McHenry Wednesday night.
The Wall Street Journal Page One headline echoed the Times: “Pence Accepts Nomination as GOP Puts Focus on Police.”
In his address, Pence charged Biden with sinning by silence in failing to denounce the rioters, looters and arsonists who have for months attacked police and pillaged Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Kenosha and other cities.
Said Pence: “Last week, Joe Biden did not say one word about the violence and chaos engulfing cities across this country. A Republic Under Assau... Fitton, Tom Buy New $30.00 (as of 03:00 UTC - Details)
“Joe Biden says that America is systemically racist, and that law enforcement in America has… ‘implicit bias against minorities.’ When asked whether he’d support cutting funding to law enforcement, Joe Biden replied, ‘Yes, absolutely.’
“Joe Biden would double down on the very policies that are leading to unsafe streets and violence in American cities. … You will not be safe in Joe Biden’s America.”
Now, it is inexact to say Biden would “defund” the police. When the big agenda item of Black Lives Matter was first raised, Biden rushed to say he would reform the police and increase spending.
And, late Wednesday afternoon, probably after seeing an advance of Pence’s speech, Biden tweeted from Delaware about the chaos that has engulfed Kenosha since Sunday night’s police shooting of Jacob Blake:
“Needless violence won’t heal us. We need to end the violence.”
Biden’s belated and tepid condemnations of the riots and pillaging of America’s cities by “peaceful protesters” gone rogue night after night testifies to the dilemma in which he finds himself.
It is three months since George Floyd ceased to breathe under the knee of that Minneapolis cop. But it is also three months to the election. And the political tide is turning, visibly and hard, against the arsonists and anarchists conducting the nightly rampages against cops across America.
The weariness of the public with the riots is palpable. The claim that these are but the understandable excesses of “peaceful protests” is getting stale. And the reaction against the riots and ruin in the Black communities, for whom they are allegedly being conducted, is growing.
Black leaders in urban areas are saying we want good cops, but we also want more cops to protect our people from gun-toting gangbangers who are running up rising weekly kill rates.
Tuesday, video surfaced of a mob of radicals surrounding, berating, cursing and threatening a woman at a D.C. diner. Her crime? She had refused to submit to demands she raise her fist in a Black Power salute and proclaim, “Black Lives Matter!”
“White silence is violence!” screamed the mob.
It looked like a training exercise for aspiring Nazi Brown Shirts.
We are beginning to see how this all unfolds. And from here, it looks like the Democratic left is going to be the loser on all counts. Their Lives Matter Too Paul Kersey Best Price: $18.91 Buy New $18.97 (as of 10:46 UTC - Details)
First, the big mandate — “Defund the police!” — has backfired.
The Biden media daily testify to its unpopularity by insisting Biden never endorsed it. Where police department budgets have been cut, shooting and homicide rates have soared. And Biden’s refusal to endorse the mandate tells you what Democrats’ polls are telling them.
The police bill passed by Nancy Pelosi’s House featuring restrictions on chokeholds has been ignored by the Senate, and Republicans do not appear to be suffering for having ignored it.
The smashing of statues, which has escalated from Columbus to Catholic missionaries and saints, to Confederate generals and statesmen like Lee, Jackson and Jefferson Davis, to the four presidents on Mount Rushmore — Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, TR — is now seen even by liberal elites as excessive.
Eventually, the country is going to go with law and order, for, no matter how the liberals’ recoil from the phrase and its associations with Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon, without law and order there is no justice and there is no peace. What Nixon said in ’68 remains true: “The first civil right of every American is to be free from domestic violence.”
The mega-demand of BLM and its collaborators — reparations for slavery and segregation — is not wildly popular. Yet, reparations, which ultimately involves trillions in wealth transfers, is an issue on which Biden will have to choose between the Bernie-BLM-AOC wing of his party and the Scranton Democrats among whom he was raised.
The decisive question:
Are the nation’s police forces shot through with systemic racism and overpopulated by white cops who relish using violence on Black folks? Or are our police the first of the first responders, the thin blue line standing between America and anarchy?
The Republicans have chosen. They stand with the cops.
And if and when Biden comes out of the basement again, he is going to have to take a stand. Declaring evenhanded neutrality won’t cut it.
The Best of Patrick J. Buchanan


lewrockwell--2020-08-28--Teen, 17, Absurdly Charged With Murder in Kenosha For Defending Himself From BLM Thugs and Rioters

Democrats are walking , talking double-standard hypocrites who only enforce laws when it suits them — as is the case in Kenosha , Wis. , where a 17-year-old teen has been charged with murder over a clear act of self-defense .
On Tuesday , for the third straight night , Black Lives Matter and Antifa agitators and anarchists took to the streets of the once-sleepy city of about 100,000 people on the banks of Lake Michigan to loot , burn , destroy and terrorize citizens .
You know the story well , by now : A white police officer shoots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and without knowing any details or waiting for an explanation , BLM and Antifa supporters use it to justify destroying major portions of large cities .
The Courageous Police ... Chaix , JC Best Price : $ 35.81 Buy New $ 18.99 They don ’ t want facts .
They don ’ t want answers .
They don ’ t really want much to change , either — because that would deprive them of the opportunity to continue the ‘ revolution.
’ All they want to do is tear down , never build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how many innocent people have to lose their businesses , their livelihoods , or their safety in the process .
In recent weeks these ongoing protests have often been met by counter-demonstrations of armed patriots who are sick and tired of seeing their police officers abused and their communities burned down .
But in such volatile environments , armed clashes are inevitable , and that ’ s what happened Tuesday night in Kenosha .
Two rioters were killed and another badly wounded after they tried chasing down a teenager who was armed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ style semi-automatic rifle .
Video clips of the incidents were plastered all over social media , and we will warn you , they are graphic : The War on Cops : How t ... Mac Donald , Heather Buy New $ 15.99 Collapse : How Societie ... Diamond , Jared Best Price : $ 2.02 Buy New $ 8.52 Upheaval : Turning Poin ... Diamond , Jared Best Price : $ 16.36 Buy New $ 17.79

Democrats are walking, talking double-standard hypocrites who only enforce laws when it suits them — as is the case in Kenosha, Wis., where a 17-year-old teen has been charged with murder over a clear act of self-defense.
On Tuesday, for the third straight night, Black Lives Matter and Antifa agitators and anarchists took to the streets of the once-sleepy city of about 100,000 people on the banks of Lake Michigan to loot, burn, destroy and terrorize citizens.
You know the story well, by now: A white police officer shoots an ‘unarmed’ black man, and without knowing any details or waiting for an explanation, BLM and Antifa supporters use it to justify destroying major portions of large cities.
The Courageous Police ... Chaix, JC Best Price: $35.81 Buy New $18.99 (as of 04:27 UTC - Details) They don’t want facts. They don’t want answers. They don’t really want much to change, either — because that would deprive them of the opportunity to continue the ‘revolution.’
All they want to do is tear down, never build, and it doesn’t matter how many innocent people have to lose their businesses, their livelihoods, or their safety in the process.
In recent weeks these ongoing protests have often been met by counter-demonstrations of armed patriots who are sick and tired of seeing their police officers abused and their communities burned down. But in such volatile environments, armed clashes are inevitable, and that’s what happened Tuesday night in Kenosha.
Two rioters were killed and another badly wounded after they tried chasing down a teenager who was armed with what appears to have been an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle.
Video clips of the incidents were plastered all over social media, and we will warn you, they are graphic:
EXTREMELY GRAPHIC: @Julio_Rosas11 recorded up-close footage of one of the men who tried to attack a man who was on the ground but armed with a semi-auto rifle. Half of his upper arm was blown off. #KenoshaRiots pic.twitter.com/81bFbBl7Dw — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 26, 2020
Read the Whole Article
The War on Cops: How t... Mac Donald, Heather Buy New $15.99 (as of 04:18 UTC - Details) Collapse: How Societie... Diamond, Jared Best Price: $2.02 Buy New $8.52 (as of 04:05 UTC - Details) Upheaval: Turning Poin... Diamond, Jared Best Price: $16.36 Buy New $17.79 (as of 05:10 UTC - Details)


lewrockwell--2020-08-28--Armed Conflict in America Is a Turning Point. Are You Prepared?

I was finishing up the next two articles in the Survival Strategies series , when the world , particularly the US , started going even more nuts than it has been .
Yet another shooting and more misinformation and the ensuing riots that seem to accompany everything these days .
I wrote a little bit about this on my Facebook page , but I want to expand on it .
We are at a crossroads right now that many have never seen in our country .
If you have missed the current goings-on from the last few days , here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kenosha , WI , there was an OIS involving a young black man .
Initial reports painting him as innocent , unarmed , and executed turned out to be wrong .
As we have seen , that is all it takes in the current US climate to create a firestorm .
“ Protests ” started , this time obviously as a pretense , as the violence soon took over .
An entire car lot torched , several churches , and many businesses .
An important part , which will become material later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Surviving the Apocalyp ... MacDougald , N. E. Best Price : $ 14.68 Buy New $ 9.47 The violence went on for two days/nights .
Last night , the third night , was a turning point .
Citizens showed up with rifles .
The first reports are three shot , two dead .
Why I say this is a turning point , you might ask ?
Simple , this is now an escalation that can lead to outright , open , armed conflict between groups .
It doesn ’ t matter whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the other or think the defenders were white supremacists .
This is and always has been an indicator of crossing the Rubicon .
Once we pass this point , it is a different game .
Now is the time to tighten everything up that you have been working on with your preps .
• Do you have your food , water , meds , etc.
?
• Where are you a little light ?
Can you fix that fast , or do you need alternate planning and supply ?
• Do you have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defense , and , once again , supply ?
• Do you have barter goods ?
• Do you have medical supplies , weapons , a plan for different events that might happen ?
• Have you gamed out what might occur ?
Related : The Prepper ’ s Home Defense : Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary The reason I am asking these questions is twofold .
First , to encourage you to patch any holes you might have , and second , we have entered the next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supplies will become short supply/high demand if this continues , and even worse if this escalates more .
On the personal front , people will start getting clannish and not accept ‘ outsiders ’ as readily as they might have before , which puts you in a tighter spot if you haven ’ t made those alliances .
We are not quite at the door of civil war .
We are definitely in a time of extreme civil unrest , and strongly in the throes of a 4th generation warfare event .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushed very hard , and now , push back is occurring .
This may help quiet events for a little while , hopefully giving calmer heads a better chance of prevailing , but hope is not a plan .
Related : Selco-This is a Time of Massive Change and the Direction We ’ re Going is Not Good This could also be what launches us straight into whatever version of the Troubles or Balkanization will come out of the American culture .
No matter which way it goes , this is what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for , and , as there is never a dress rehearsal , we need to have it right .
The beautiful thing is , we had a mini rehearsal with the initial response to Covid-19 , and hopefully saw our weaknesses and worked to address them .
The Iron Triangle : Ins ... Ellison , Vince Everett Best Price : $ 27.00 Buy New $ 22.87 All of this unrest , violence , propaganda , and conflict is now leaving our major cities and moving into areas previously thought safer .
Would anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tinder box that lit a broader conflict ?
Two months ago , would anyone have thought rioters would move into neighborhoods at midnight with bullhorns to disturb and frighten the residents ?
If you have studied the history of low-level conflict , terrorism , etc.
, you will notice this is following some very well established patterns .
Look up the recent history in Belgium and the La Terreur , and its tactics .
It was an affluent , European country , and these events happened there .
Germany in the 70s was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I just wanted to send a warning and encouragement .
The warning signs are there .
History is at least rhyming at the moment .
We need to be proactive in taking care of ourselves and our loved ones .
We can no longer deny what is happening and what it might bring about .
Stay safe , keep your head about you , fix the gaps you have in your plan and supplies .
Remain flexible .
Don ’ t buy any hype or propaganda .
Make sure you know whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act on it .
You are fighting for you and yours , don ’ t become a pawn for another .
Keep your eyes open , act when needed , be reserved when you can .
Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper .

I was finishing up the next two articles in the Survival Strategies series, when the world, particularly the US, started going even more nuts than it has been.
Yet another shooting and more misinformation and the ensuing riots that seem to accompany everything these days. I wrote a little bit about this on my Facebook page, but I want to expand on it.
We are at a crossroads right now that many have never seen in our country.
If you have missed the current goings-on from the last few days, here it is in a nutshell.
In Kenosha, WI, there was an OIS involving a young black man. Initial reports painting him as innocent, unarmed, and executed turned out to be wrong. As we have seen, that is all it takes in the current US climate to create a firestorm. “Protests” started, this time obviously as a pretense, as the violence soon took over. An entire car lot torched, several churches, and many businesses. An important part, which will become material later, is that many minority-owned businesses were destroyed. Surviving the Apocalyp... MacDougald, N. E. Best Price: $14.68 Buy New $9.47 (as of 04:19 UTC - Details)
The violence went on for two days/nights. Last night, the third night, was a turning point. Citizens showed up with rifles. The first reports are three shot, two dead.
Why I say this is a turning point, you might ask?
Simple, this is now an escalation that can lead to outright, open, armed conflict between groups. It doesn’t matter whether or not you believe one side or the other or think the defenders were white supremacists. This is and always has been an indicator of crossing the Rubicon. Once we pass this point, it is a different game.
Now is the time to tighten everything up that you have been working on with your preps.
Do you have your food, water, meds, etc.?
Where are you a little light? Can you fix that fast, or do you need alternate planning and supply?
Do you have a network established for mutual support, defense, and, once again, supply?
Do you have barter goods?
Do you have medical supplies, weapons, a plan for different events that might happen?
Have you gamed out what might occur?
Related: The Prepper’s Home Defense: Security Strategies to Protect Your Family by Any Means Necessary
The reason I am asking these questions is twofold.
First, to encourage you to patch any holes you might have, and second, we have entered the next phase of the game.
Shipping and supplies will become short supply/high demand if this continues, and even worse if this escalates more.
On the personal front, people will start getting clannish and not accept ‘outsiders’ as readily as they might have before, which puts you in a tighter spot if you haven’t made those alliances.
We are not quite at the door of civil war.
We are definitely in a time of extreme civil unrest, and strongly in the throes of a 4th generation warfare event. The agitators, rioters, and insurgents have pushed very hard, and now, push back is occurring. This may help quiet events for a little while, hopefully giving calmer heads a better chance of prevailing, but hope is not a plan.
Related: Selco-This is a Time of Massive Change and the Direction We’re Going is Not Good
This could also be what launches us straight into whatever version of the Troubles or Balkanization will come out of the American culture. No matter which way it goes, this is what we have been supposed to have been prepping for, and, as there is never a dress rehearsal, we need to have it right. The beautiful thing is, we had a mini rehearsal with the initial response to Covid-19, and hopefully saw our weaknesses and worked to address them. The Iron Triangle: Ins... Ellison, Vince Everett Best Price: $27.00 Buy New $22.87 (as of 04:19 UTC - Details)
All of this unrest, violence, propaganda, and conflict is now leaving our major cities and moving into areas previously thought safer. Would anyone have ever predicted Kenosha WI as a tinder box that lit a broader conflict? Two months ago, would anyone have thought rioters would move into neighborhoods at midnight with bullhorns to disturb and frighten the residents? If you have studied the history of low-level conflict, terrorism, etc., you will notice this is following some very well established patterns.
Look up the recent history in Belgium and the La Terreur, and its tactics. It was an affluent, European country, and these events happened there. Germany in the 70s was a hotbed of this kind of activity.
I just wanted to send a warning and encouragement. The warning signs are there. History is at least rhyming at the moment. We need to be proactive in taking care of ourselves and our loved ones. We can no longer deny what is happening and what it might bring about.
Stay safe, keep your head about you, fix the gaps you have in your plan and supplies. Remain flexible. Don’t buy any hype or propaganda. Make sure you know whether something is true or false before you act on it. You are fighting for you and yours, don’t become a pawn for another.
Keep your eyes open, act when needed, be reserved when you can.
Thanks, Terry
Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper.


lewrockwell--2020-08-28--US Armored Vehicles Tried To Block Russian Patrol’s Pre-Arranged Path in Syria

The US National Security Council earlier accused Russian servicemen of being behind a collision with an American military vehicle in Syria , despite numerous videos from the scene indicating that the Russian troops made several attempts to part ways with their US counterparts in a safe manner .
The Russian soldiers undertook all possible efforts to avoid a collision with the American forces deployed in Syria , the Russian Defence Ministry has stated .
The ministry also noted that the info on the Russian patrol ’ s path , strength , and the fact that it would be accompanied by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American military in accordance with agreements that are designed to avoid confrontations between the two countries ’ forces in the Arab Republic .
The Defence Ministry has shared its own account of the incident that took place on 26 August , saying that before the collision , the Russian patrol had been chased by two American Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles after entering a zone controlled by the international anti-ISIS coalition .
Later , the Russian servicemen saw that their agreed patrol path had been blocked by two more coalition vehicles , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ MW Polar Peppered Smok ... Buy New $ 41.00 ( $ 0.48 / Ounce ) US Claims Russian Troops Were Behind Collision Prior to the ministry ’ s statement , Russian Chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov accused the American forces of violating the agreements struck by the two countries to avoid incidents in Syria by having their vehicles block the Russian patrol ’ s pre-arranged path .
He added that the Russian patrol “ took every step necessary to prevent the incident and proceed with its mission ” .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Security Council accused the Russian patrol of “ unsafe and unprofessional actions ” for allegedly hitting an American MRAP .
The council claims that the incident resulted in four servicemen receiving concussion-like symptoms .
These claims stand in contrast with footage of the incident shot from a Russian military police vehicle that shows several American MRAPs manoeuvring in front of the Russian patrol , apparently trying to prevent it from progressing further , as they look for a way to drive through without hitting the US troop carriers .
An American MRAP then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being sandwiched between it and another patrol vehicle .

The US National Security Council earlier accused Russian servicemen of being behind a collision with an American military vehicle in Syria, despite numerous videos from the scene indicating that the Russian troops made several attempts to part ways with their US counterparts in a safe manner.
The Russian soldiers undertook all possible efforts to avoid a collision with the American forces deployed in Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry has stated. The ministry also noted that the info on the Russian patrol’s path, strength, and the fact that it would be accompanied by an attack helicopter was all sent to the American military in accordance with agreements that are designed to avoid confrontations between the two countries’ forces in the Arab Republic.
A longer video of the confrontation. US forces appear to be blocking a road and then attempt to block the path of the Russian patrol when they drive through the field. An American MaxxPro MRAP appears to collide with a Russian Typhoon-K MRAP. 319/https://t.co/iCliZSYVY9 pic.twitter.com/xZTtN6l0Ib — Rob Lee (@RALee85) August 26, 2020
The Defence Ministry has shared its own account of the incident that took place on 26 August, saying that before the collision, the Russian patrol had been chased by two American Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles after entering a zone controlled by the international anti-ISIS coalition. Later, the Russian servicemen saw that their agreed patrol path had been blocked by two more coalition vehicles, which they tried to avoid colliding with. MW Polar Peppered Smok... Buy New $41.00 ($0.48 / Ounce) (as of 04:07 UTC - Details)
US Claims Russian Troops Were Behind Collision
Prior to the ministry’s statement, Russian Chief of the General Staff General Valery Gerasimov accused the American forces of violating the agreements struck by the two countries to avoid incidents in Syria by having their vehicles block the Russian patrol’s pre-arranged path. He added that the Russian patrol “took every step necessary to prevent the incident and proceed with its mission”.
At the same time, the US National Security Council accused the Russian patrol of “unsafe and unprofessional actions” for allegedly hitting an American MRAP. The council claims that the incident resulted in four servicemen receiving concussion-like symptoms.
These claims stand in contrast with footage of the incident shot from a Russian military police vehicle that shows several American MRAPs manoeuvring in front of the Russian patrol, apparently trying to prevent it from progressing further, as they look for a way to drive through without hitting the US troop carriers. An American MRAP then hits one of the Russian carriers after being sandwiched between it and another patrol vehicle.
Reprinted from Sputnik News.