lewrockwell--2020-09-09--Hundreds of Campers Trapped by Deadly Wildfire Saved in Outrageously Daring Helicopter Rescue

It ’ s Labor Day weekend .
You ’ re heading out with the family to celebrate summer ’ s last hurrah .
You decide to go camping at remote campground by a peaceful reservoir which is only reachable by a narrow , curving road .
Then suddenly , that place that looked like paradise turns into the location that may end up being your grave .
Your peaceful weekend becomes a fight for survival .
This is exactly what happened to more than a thousand people who went camping at Mammoth Pools Resoirvar this weekend in California .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and spread rapidly .
The fire devoured 45,500 acres within the first 24 hours and jumped the San Joaquin River , trapping people all over the forest .
Shelter in place , even if you have to get in the water .
On Saturday , despite the mandatory evacuation , many campers were left with no way to evacuate the area , since there was only one road in and out .
Salewa Men ’ s Wil ... Buy New $ 110.82 “ There is an immediate threat to life , ” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The area is being closed to public access .
Take action immediately.
” As roads closed and the fire spread , Tune said , more than 1,000 were trapped near Mammoth Pool Reservoir , roughly 23 miles southeast of Oakhurst .
Those trapped were told to shelter in place — even if it meant getting into the water , Tune said .
A few hours later , the Sheriff ’ s Office confirmed at least 10 people were injured and several others remained in danger among those stranded near Mammoth Pool… …The Creek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tune said , including whole communities , structures and power lines .
” Mainly our focus is the safety of all the folks all over the forest , ” Tune said , “ just making sure folks are safe and get them evacuated.
” ( source ) But this evacuation was not going to be simple .
In what must have been a terrifying scenario , numerous injuries occurred to people fleeing the fire as they made life-and-death decisions .
Many people rescued from the Creek Fire at Mammoth Pool suffered burns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fire “ at all costs , ” according to a Fresno County official .
Fresno County EMS Director Dan Lynch said many of the rescued people had amazing stories to tell that included “ heroics of family members helping family members.
” Helicopter crews began rescuing people trapped by the wildfire at Mammoth Pool , Cascadel Woods , and Minarets about 8:30 p.m. Saturday .
Crews first rescued about 60 people , who were treated for injuries at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in Fresno .
By the end of the night , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lynch said .
About 20 victims were transported to area hospitals with injuries , including severe burns , broken bones , and other cuts and scrapes .
“ Listening to the stories people were sharing , we have to assume these people were trying to escape with their lives intact .
They had to make decisions that put their body in peril and caused them these injuries , ” Lynch said .
“ They talked about there being fire on both sides of them while going down the road .
There was one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle of flames.
” ( source ) Somewhere around 800 people managed to evacuate the fire , but more people remained stranded .
Extreme Wildfire : Smok ... Thiessen , Mark Best Price : $ 1.79 Buy New $ 9.22 There was no way out .
Dennis Drake was camping with his brother ’ s family when they noticed smoke in the distance – about fifty miles away .
But in a matter of hours… “ We were almost completely surrounded by fire .
Almost 360 degrees , ” Drake says .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Sunday night .
Drake and his brother ’ s family tried to drive out of harm ’ s way– but didn ’ t get far .
“ There ’ s fires on both sides of us , we have no protection , ” he says .
Everyone in the area scrambled .
The reservoir , became their haven .
“ The reservoir at that point was about 40 feet down below full capacity .
We know we have gravel , rocky area that ’ s not gon na burn , ” Drake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , get under the water , get under the water , get under the water .
We all did… “ We ’ re dunking every 10-15 seconds , just trying to survive.
” ( source ) Rescue…and survival…seemed impossible due to the intense heat and thick smoke .
Emergency Zone 2 Perso ... Buy New $ 159.99 Two hundred people were still cut off from rescuers .
On the other side of the lake , at least 200 people remained cut off from rescue and the possibility of evacuation .
CalFire was unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s when the California National Guard came in with a rescue that should go down in history .
From the Facebook page , ASMDSS ( Aweseom Sh*t My Drill Sergeant Said ) : Don ’ t know if you guys have seen this going around , but California National Guard aviators let their big brass ones hang out on this one .
Two aircrews , a Blackhawk and a Chinook Flew at night with NODs through high winds with burning embers , heavy smoke and difficult terrain to rescue over 200 people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with it closing in on them last night .
They made multiple trips to get everyone out .
CalFire waived them off and warned them do not go because the conditions were too dangerous .
They said fuck that and went anyway .
Second pic is view from the chinook cockpit on the ground while loading first group of people .
Our hats are off to the pilots and crew .
I hope they are able to get you guys wheelbarrows big enough for your cajones .
( source ) Here ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the post .
And this page wasn ’ t the only place with praise for the bold maneuver .
General Daniel Hokanson , GEN Daniel Hokanson , Chief of the National Guard Bureau .
tweeted : Colonel Dave Hall , Commander of the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade , says that military technology made the mission possible , particularly the night vision equipment that allowed them to see through the smoke to where the survivors were .
There are still people trapped by the fire .
Sellstrom Safety Goggl ... Buy New $ 18.64 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approximately 20 people and 15 dogs left and the rescue has been difficult .
The Aviation Brigade was unable to get to them when the smoke intensified further .
According to the Fresno Bee , ” The California National Guard was planning a second rescue attempt Sunday night , coordinating a ground rescue that would potentially require a bulldozer to move abandoned vehicles.
” The last report I was able to find on this was from late last night .
If anyone has further information ( with links ) please share it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article .
The inferno shows no signs of slowing down .
As of Monday morning , CalFire reports that the Creek Fire has reached 78,790 acres with zero percent containment .
This fire started on August 4 .
As of Tuesday morning , the Visalia Times reports that the fire has burned 135,523 acres and there is still zero percent containment .
Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper .
The Best of Daisy Luther

It’s Labor Day weekend. You’re heading out with the family to celebrate summer’s last hurrah. You decide to go camping at remote campground by a peaceful reservoir which is only reachable by a narrow, curving road.
Then suddenly, that place that looked like paradise turns into the location that may end up being your grave. Your peaceful weekend becomes a fight for survival.
This is exactly what happened to more than a thousand people who went camping at Mammoth Pools Resoirvar this weekend in California. A fast-moving wildfire called the Creek Fire erupted and spread rapidly. The fire devoured 45,500 acres within the first 24 hours and jumped the San Joaquin River, trapping people all over the forest.
Shelter in place, even if you have to get in the water.
On Saturday, despite the mandatory evacuation, many campers were left with no way to evacuate the area, since there was only one road in and out. Salewa Men’s Wil... Buy New $110.82 (as of 02:29 UTC - Details)
“There is an immediate threat to life,” the Sheriff’s Office warned. “The area is being closed to public access. Take action immediately.” As roads closed and the fire spread, Tune said, more than 1,000 were trapped near Mammoth Pool Reservoir, roughly 23 miles southeast of Oakhurst. Those trapped were told to shelter in place — even if it meant getting into the water, Tune said. A few hours later, the Sheriff’s Office confirmed at least 10 people were injured and several others remained in danger among those stranded near Mammoth Pool… …The Creek Fire threatened a range of mountain resources, Tune said, including whole communities, structures and power lines. ”Mainly our focus is the safety of all the folks all over the forest,” Tune said, “just making sure folks are safe and get them evacuated.” (source)
But this evacuation was not going to be simple.
Numerous injuries occurred
In what must have been a terrifying scenario, numerous injuries occurred to people fleeing the fire as they made life-and-death decisions.
Many people rescued from the Creek Fire at Mammoth Pool suffered burns and broken bones, trying to escape the fire “at all costs,” according to a Fresno County official. Fresno County EMS Director Dan Lynch said many of the rescued people had amazing stories to tell that included “heroics of family members helping family members.” Helicopter crews began rescuing people trapped by the wildfire at Mammoth Pool, Cascadel Woods, and Minarets about 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Crews first rescued about 60 people, who were treated for injuries at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in Fresno. By the end of the night, 218 people were rescued by helicopter, Lynch said. About 20 victims were transported to area hospitals with injuries, including severe burns, broken bones, and other cuts and scrapes. “Listening to the stories people were sharing, we have to assume these people were trying to escape with their lives intact. They had to make decisions that put their body in peril and caused them these injuries,” Lynch said. “They talked about there being fire on both sides of them while going down the road. There was one vehicle crash. People were stuck in the middle of flames.” (source)
Somewhere around 800 people managed to evacuate the fire, but more people remained stranded. Extreme Wildfire: Smok... Thiessen, Mark Best Price: $1.79 Buy New $9.22 (as of 02:29 UTC - Details)
There was no way out.
Dennis Drake was camping with his brother’s family when they noticed smoke in the distance – about fifty miles away.
But in a matter of hours… “We were almost completely surrounded by fire. Almost 360 degrees,” Drake says. The Creek Fire covered 2,000 acres Saturday morning. It ballooned to more than 73-thousand acres by Sunday night. Drake and his brother’s family tried to drive out of harm’s way– but didn’t get far. “There’s fires on both sides of us, we have no protection,” he says. Everyone in the area scrambled. The reservoir, became their haven. “The reservoir at that point was about 40 feet down below full capacity. We know we have gravel, rocky area that’s not gonna burn,” Drake said. “Everybody’s saying, get under the water, get under the water, get under the water. We all did… “We’re dunking every 10-15 seconds, just trying to survive.” (source)
Rescue…and survival…seemed impossible due to the intense heat and thick smoke. Emergency Zone 2 Perso... Buy New $159.99 (as of 02:29 UTC - Details)
Two hundred people were still cut off from rescuers.
On the other side of the lake, at least 200 people remained cut off from rescue and the possibility of evacuation. CalFire was unable to reach the campers, and that’s when the California National Guard came in with a rescue that should go down in history. From the Facebook page, ASMDSS (Aweseom Sh*t My Drill Sergeant Said):
Don’t know if you guys have seen this going around, but California National Guard aviators let their big brass ones hang out on this one. Two aircrews, a Blackhawk and a Chinook Flew at night with NODs through high winds with burning embers, heavy smoke and difficult terrain to rescue over 200 people completely cut off and trapped by fire with it closing in on them last night. They made multiple trips to get everyone out. CalFire waived them off and warned them do not go because the conditions were too dangerous. They said fuck that and went anyway. Second pic is view from the chinook cockpit on the ground while loading first group of people. Our hats are off to the pilots and crew. I hope they are able to get you guys wheelbarrows big enough for your cajones. (source)
Here’s the view from the cockpit mentioned in the post.
And this page wasn’t the only place with praise for the bold maneuver. General Daniel Hokanson, GEN Daniel Hokanson, Chief of the National Guard Bureau. tweeted:
Simply extraordinary, lifesaving work by the @CalGuard airlifting more than 200 people to safety overnight from the imminent danger of the #CreekFire The National Guard stands Always Ready, Always There to support our communities and nation in times of need. pic.twitter.com/MybDKESipJ — General Daniel Hokanson (@ChiefNGB) September 6, 2020
Colonel Dave Hall, Commander of the 40th Combat Aviation Brigade, says that military technology made the mission possible, particularly the night vision equipment that allowed them to see through the smoke to where the survivors were.
Hall says a Chinook Helicopter and a Black Hawk Helicopter made three trips each– sometimes carrying up to 60 people, to capacity. “It was pretty cramped tight in there. We do not like to operate that way, but because of the circumstances of this being an urgent situation threatening life, the pilots in command made the smart decision by loading them to get on the helicopter and loading as many as they could on that lift,” Hall said. (source)
There are still people trapped by the fire.
Sellstrom Safety Goggl... Buy New $18.64 (as of 02:29 UTC - Details) After this extraordinary effort, there were approximately 20 people and 15 dogs left and the rescue has been difficult. The Aviation Brigade was unable to get to them when the smoke intensified further. According to the Fresno Bee,”The California National Guard was planning a second rescue attempt Sunday night, coordinating a ground rescue that would potentially require a bulldozer to move abandoned vehicles.”
The last report I was able to find on this was from late last night. If anyone has further information (with links) please share it in the comments so I can update this article.
The inferno shows no signs of slowing down.
As of Monday morning, CalFire reports that the Creek Fire has reached 78,790 acres with zero percent containment. This fire started on August 4. As of Tuesday morning, the Visalia Times reports that the fire has burned 135,523 acres and there is still zero percent containment.
Reprinted with permission from The Organic Prepper.
The Best of Daisy Luther


lewrockwell--2020-09-09--Herd Immunity ‘Ahead of Schedule’

Herd Immunity ‘Ahead of Schedule’

If a novel virus is introduced to a population , eventually enough people acquire natural immunity so that the number of susceptible people declines .
When the number susceptible is low enough to prevent epidemic growth , herd immunity is said to have been reached .
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic , some experts estimated that 70 % of the population or more may need to gain immunity before COVID-19 would be under control .
Now , experts are suggesting the percentage may be far lower , and some areas may already have reached what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HIT ) .
According to The New York Times , more than a dozen scientists said in interviews that the HIT for COVID-19 is likely 50 % or lower .
“ If that ’ s true , then it may be possible to turn back the coronavirus more quickly than once thought , ” the Times reported,1 and perhaps without the need for a vaccine .
Campus Battlefield : Ho ... Kirk , Charlie Best Price : $ 14.07 Buy New $ 19.37 Herd immunity is calculated using reproductive number , or R-naught @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimated number of new infections that may occur from one infected person.2 R0 of below 1 ( with R1 meaning that one person who ’ s infected is expected to infect one other person ) indicates that cases are declining while R0 above 1 suggests cases are on the rise .
It ’ s far from an exact science , however , as a person ’ s susceptibility to infection varies depending on many factors , including their health , age and contacts within a community .
The initial R0 calculations for COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that everyone has the same susceptibility and would be mixing randomly with others in the community .
“ That doesn ’ t happen in real life , ” Dr. Saad Omer , director of the Yale Institute for Global Health , told The Times .
“ Herd immunity could vary from group to group , and subpopulation to subpopulation , ” or even zip code.3 When real-world scenarios are factored into the equation , the HIT drops significantly , with some experts saying it could be as low as 10 % to 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Times suggested , it ’ s possible that herd immunity for the pandemic is “ ahead of schedule.
” 4 Herd Immunity Threshold for COVID-19 Could Be Under 10 % Researchers from Oxford , Virginia Tech and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine5 are among those that found when individual variations in susceptibility and exposure are taken into account , the HIT declines to less than 10 % .6 Independent news source Off-Guardian7 also cited data from Stockholm County , Sweden , that showed an HIT of 17 % ,8 as well as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Bostom , who explained:9 Why I Stand : From Free ... Owens , Burgess Best Price : $ 9.81 Buy New $ 10.79 And , in an article he wrote for Conservative Review , Bostom said:10 The findings have implications for vaccination as well .
Tom Britton , a mathematician at Stockholm University , told the Times that because viral infections naturally target the most susceptible during the first wave , “ immunity following a wave of infection is distributed more efficiently than with a vaccination campaign that seeks to protect everyone.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Dr. Michael Mina , an immunologist at Harvard University , that , if herd immunity is obtained during “ superspreader ” events , vaccinating groups that are most likely to be exposed during such events may be sufficient to induce herd immunity , without the need for universal vaccination.12 Herd Immunity Likely in Some Regions It ’ s likely that certain areas of the world have achieved herd immunity already , and all eyes are on the fall and winter to see whether or not COVID-19 reappears .
“ I ’ m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pockets in New York City and London which have substantial immunity , ” Bill Hanage , an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H .
Chan School of Public Health , told the Times .
“ What happens this winter will reflect that.
” 13 Some data also suggest that up to 80 % of people tested at clinics had COVID-19 antibodies , and while rates may be lower among the general population , it ’ s possible that herd immunity may already exist among certain populations .
In a survey of random households in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents in poor areas had antibodies , compared to up to 17 % in the rest of the city.14 What ’ s more , one study even found that 81 % of people not exposed to SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 , were still able to mount an immune response against it , which “ suggests at least some built-in immune protection from SARS-CoV-2 … ” 15 Sweden , a country that handled the pandemic differently than most of the globe , may also be close to reaching herd immunity .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ gatherings of more than 50 people were banned , elementary and middle schools , shops and restaurants have remained open during the pandemic,16 in contrast to many other countries , which instituted strict lockdowns .
Ship of Fools : How a S ... Carlson , Tucker Check Amazon for Pricing .
Dr. Gilbert Berdine , an associate professor of medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center , used data on daily mortality rates for COVID-19 to track the course of the pandemic in Sweden , New York , Illinois and Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sweden , which serves as the control group since it did not implement required lockdowns , hit a peak of 11.38 deaths per day per million population on April 8 , 2020 , and again on April 15 , but deaths have declined since .
“ Daily mortality has been less than one death per day per million population for the previous eighteen days .
Cases are very low .
For all practical purposes , the covid-19 epidemic is over in Sweden .
Almost certainly herd immunity has been achieved in Sweden irrespective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Berdine wrote for the nonprofit think-tank Mises Institute.17 Lockdowns the ‘ Greatest Policy Error of This Generation ’ In New York City , the mortality rate from COVID-19 reached beyond 50 deaths per day per million in April 2020 , despite a full lockdown being implemented in March .
The state ordered nursing homes to accept COVID-19 positive patients from hospitals until May 10 , when the order was reversed , but by then the virus was already ravaging nursing homes ’ elderly residents — the most vulnerable .
“ By facilitating the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nursing homes , the rate of spread within the elderly population was maximized , and any possible benefit from lockdown of the young and healthy population was rendered moot , ” Berdine explained.18 In Illinois , meanwhile , a strict lockdown was also implemented and daily mortality rates increased more slowly , reaching a peak of more than 15 deaths per day per million on May 17 , 2020 .
However , mortality rates have also been slower to decline and death rates have remained higher than in other areas .
While the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the curve and slowing transmission among healthy populations , they also may have lengthened the time that young people could transmit the virus to the elderly .
False Black Power ?
( Ne ... Jason L. Riley Best Price : $ 8.95 Buy New $ 8.95 “ The lockdown appears to have made more deaths from covid-19 in Illinois than would have occurred without it , ” according to Berdine.19 “ Almost certainly herd immunity has not been achieved and will not be achieved until the schools and economy are reopened.
” Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a looser lockdown than Illinois and New York , although nonessential businesses were closed March 31 and schools were also closed .
Daily mortality hit a peak of more than 10 deaths per day per million population on July 31 , 2020 — approaching Sweden ’ s mortality peak while their economy has yet to be reopened .
Berdine wrote : It ’ s another example that Sweden appears to have gotten it right in their pandemic response , while other regions ’ lockdowns may have backfired .
At best , Berdine says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a short time and , at worst , may have caused more deaths than would have occurred if people were left to choose how to manage their own risk .
“ After taking the unprecedented economic depression into account , history will likely judge these lockdowns to be the greatest policy error of this generation , ” 21 she said .
When Will the Pandemic Be Over ?
With herd immunity potentially progressing ahead of schedule , and some areas possibly already immune , when will the pandemic end ?
The World @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but the dropping fatality rate is no longer a cause for hysteria .
Sh*t My President Says ... Wheeler , Shannon Best Price : $ 2.24 Buy New $ 7.90 Data show that the COVID-19 fatality rate for those under the age of 45 is “ almost zero , ” and between the ages of 45 and 70 , it ’ s somewhere between 0.05 % and 0.3 % .23 Data from the CDC also shows a stark drop in COVID-19 deaths based on provisional death counts , which are based on death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Center for Health Statistics.24 The fact remains , however , that COVID-19 may never fully disappear .
“ Covid-19 is not going to be defeated ; we will have to learn how to coexist with it , ” Berdine said.25 “ The only way we can learn how best to cope with covid-19 is to let individuals manage their own risk , observe the outcomes , and learn from mistakes.
” Toward that end , take action now to bolster your immune system against infectious diseases of all kinds .
The Best @ @ @

If a novel virus is introduced to a population, eventually enough people acquire natural immunity so that the number of susceptible people declines. When the number susceptible is low enough to prevent epidemic growth, herd immunity is said to have been reached.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, some experts estimated that 70% of the population or more may need to gain immunity before COVID-19 would be under control. Now, experts are suggesting the percentage may be far lower, and some areas may already have reached what’s known as the herd immunity threshold (HIT).
Scientists: COVID Herd Immunity Threshold Lower Than Thought
According to The New York Times, more than a dozen scientists said in interviews that the HIT for COVID-19 is likely 50% or lower. “If that’s true, then it may be possible to turn back the coronavirus more quickly than once thought,” the Times reported,1 and perhaps without the need for a vaccine. Campus Battlefield: Ho... Kirk, Charlie Best Price: $14.07 Buy New $19.37 (as of 02:30 UTC - Details)
Herd immunity is calculated using reproductive number, or R-naught (R0), which is the estimated number of new infections that may occur from one infected person.2 R0 of below 1 (with R1 meaning that one person who’s infected is expected to infect one other person) indicates that cases are declining while R0 above 1 suggests cases are on the rise.
It’s far from an exact science, however, as a person’s susceptibility to infection varies depending on many factors, including their health, age and contacts within a community. The initial R0 calculations for COVID-19’s HIT were based on assumptions that everyone has the same susceptibility and would be mixing randomly with others in the community.
“That doesn’t happen in real life,” Dr. Saad Omer, director of the Yale Institute for Global Health, told The Times. “Herd immunity could vary from group to group, and subpopulation to subpopulation,” or even zip code.3
When real-world scenarios are factored into the equation, the HIT drops significantly, with some experts saying it could be as low as 10% to 20%. In fact, as the Times suggested, it’s possible that herd immunity for the pandemic is “ahead of schedule.”4
Herd Immunity Threshold for COVID-19 Could Be Under 10%
Researchers from Oxford, Virginia Tech and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine5 are among those that found when individual variations in susceptibility and exposure are taken into account, the HIT declines to less than 10%.6
Independent news source Off-Guardian7 also cited data from Stockholm County, Sweden, that showed an HIT of 17%,8 as well as an essay by Brown University professor Dr. Andrew Bostom, who explained:9
“… [A] respected team of infectious disease epidemiologists from the U.K. and U.S. have concluded: ‘Naturally acquired immunity to SARS-CoV-2 may place populations over the herd immunity threshold once as few as 10-20% of its individuals are immune.’”
Why I Stand: From Free... Owens, Burgess Best Price: $9.81 Buy New $10.79 (as of 03:48 UTC - Details) And, in an article he wrote for Conservative Review, Bostom said:10
“… Naturally acquired herd immunity to COVID-19 combined with earnest protection of the vulnerable elderly — especially nursing home and assisted living facility residents — is an eminently reasonable and practical alternative to the dubious panacea of mass compulsory vaccination against the virus.
This strategy was successfully implemented in Malmo, Sweden, which had few COVID-19 deaths by assiduously protecting its elder care homes, while ‘schools remained open, residents carried on drinking in bars and cafes, and the doors of hairdressers and gyms were open throughout.’”
The findings have implications for vaccination as well. Tom Britton, a mathematician at Stockholm University, told the Times that because viral infections naturally target the most susceptible during the first wave, “immunity following a wave of infection is distributed more efficiently than with a vaccination campaign that seeks to protect everyone.”11
It’s also suggested by Dr. Michael Mina, an immunologist at Harvard University, that, if herd immunity is obtained during “superspreader” events, vaccinating groups that are most likely to be exposed during such events may be sufficient to induce herd immunity, without the need for universal vaccination.12
Herd Immunity Likely in Some Regions
It’s likely that certain areas of the world have achieved herd immunity already, and all eyes are on the fall and winter to see whether or not COVID-19 reappears. “I’m quite prepared to believe that there are pockets in New York City and London which have substantial immunity,” Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told the Times. “What happens this winter will reflect that.”13
Some data also suggest that up to 80% of people tested at clinics had COVID-19 antibodies, and while rates may be lower among the general population, it’s possible that herd immunity may already exist among certain populations. In a survey of random households in Mumbai, up to 58% of residents in poor areas had antibodies, compared to up to 17% in the rest of the city.14
What’s more, one study even found that 81% of people not exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, were still able to mount an immune response against it, which “suggests at least some built-in immune protection from SARS-CoV-2 …”15
Sweden, a country that handled the pandemic differently than most of the globe, may also be close to reaching herd immunity. While high schools and universities closed and gatherings of more than 50 people were banned, elementary and middle schools, shops and restaurants have remained open during the pandemic,16 in contrast to many other countries, which instituted strict lockdowns. Ship of Fools: How a S... Carlson, Tucker Check Amazon for Pricing.
Dr. Gilbert Berdine, an associate professor of medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, used data on daily mortality rates for COVID-19 to track the course of the pandemic in Sweden, New York, Illinois and Texas, which each used different pandemic responses.
Sweden, which serves as the control group since it did not implement required lockdowns, hit a peak of 11.38 deaths per day per million population on April 8, 2020, and again on April 15, but deaths have declined since.
“Daily mortality has been less than one death per day per million population for the previous eighteen days. Cases are very low. For all practical purposes, the covid-19 epidemic is over in Sweden. Almost certainly herd immunity has been achieved in Sweden irrespective of any antibody test results,” Berdine wrote for the nonprofit think-tank Mises Institute.17
Lockdowns the ‘Greatest Policy Error of This Generation’
In New York City, the mortality rate from COVID-19 reached beyond 50 deaths per day per million in April 2020, despite a full lockdown being implemented in March. The state ordered nursing homes to accept COVID-19 positive patients from hospitals until May 10, when the order was reversed, but by then the virus was already ravaging nursing homes’ elderly residents — the most vulnerable.
“By facilitating the transmission of the virus from hospitals to nursing homes, the rate of spread within the elderly population was maximized, and any possible benefit from lockdown of the young and healthy population was rendered moot,” Berdine explained.18
In Illinois, meanwhile, a strict lockdown was also implemented and daily mortality rates increased more slowly, reaching a peak of more than 15 deaths per day per million on May 17, 2020.
However, mortality rates have also been slower to decline and death rates have remained higher than in other areas. While the lockdowns appear to have succeeded in flattening the curve and slowing transmission among healthy populations, they also may have lengthened the time that young people could transmit the virus to the elderly. False Black Power? (Ne... Jason L. Riley Best Price: $8.95 Buy New $8.95 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details)
“The lockdown appears to have made more deaths from covid-19 in Illinois than would have occurred without it,” according to Berdine.19 “Almost certainly herd immunity has not been achieved and will not be achieved until the schools and economy are reopened.”
Texas fell somewhere in the middle, with a looser lockdown than Illinois and New York, although nonessential businesses were closed March 31 and schools were also closed. Daily mortality hit a peak of more than 10 deaths per day per million population on July 31, 2020 — approaching Sweden’s mortality peak while their economy has yet to be reopened. Berdine wrote:
“Although the overall covid-19 mortality is lower in Texas (293 deaths per million population) than in Sweden (570), the current daily mortality in Texas is much higher than in Sweden, so covid-19 mortality in Texas may catch up to Sweden over the next 30–60 days. Furthermore, the situation in Texas will likely get worse when the schools and economy are reopened, as they eventually must be.”20
It’s another example that Sweden appears to have gotten it right in their pandemic response, while other regions’ lockdowns may have backfired. At best, Berdine says, lockdowns may have only deferred death for a short time and, at worst, may have caused more deaths than would have occurred if people were left to choose how to manage their own risk.
“After taking the unprecedented economic depression into account, history will likely judge these lockdowns to be the greatest policy error of this generation,”21 she said.
When Will the Pandemic Be Over?
With herd immunity potentially progressing ahead of schedule, and some areas possibly already immune, when will the pandemic end? The World Health Organization has predicted within two years,22 but the dropping fatality rate is no longer a cause for hysteria.
Sh*t My President Says... Wheeler, Shannon Best Price: $2.24 Buy New $7.90 (as of 02:30 UTC - Details) Data show that the COVID-19 fatality rate for those under the age of 45 is “almost zero,” and between the ages of 45 and 70, it’s somewhere between 0.05% and 0.3%.23 Data from the CDC also shows a stark drop in COVID-19 deaths based on provisional death counts, which are based on death certificate data received and coded by the National Center for Health Statistics.24
The fact remains, however, that COVID-19 may never fully disappear. “Covid-19 is not going to be defeated; we will have to learn how to coexist with it,” Berdine said.25 “The only way we can learn how best to cope with covid-19 is to let individuals manage their own risk, observe the outcomes, and learn from mistakes.” Toward that end, take action now to bolster your immune system against infectious diseases of all kinds.
Sources and References
The Best of Dr. Joseph Mercola


lewrockwell--2020-09-10--Who Propaganda Promotes Globalists’ Digital Cashless Society And Will Destroy American Life As We Kn

Who Propaganda Promotes Globalists’ Digital Cashless Society And Will Destroy American Life As We Know It

The World Health Organization ( WHO ) , a globalist quasi-biological terrorist and population control org that now exercises more authority over the world human populations than elected officials or even the most ruthless military commanders , initially spread misinformation that paper money potentially spreads COVID-19 coronavirus .
Not to worry about anthrax , which is a bacterium , or any other respiratory virus like tuberculosis , it ’ s just COVID-19 coronavirus that the world should fear and that adheres to paper money , even though more die of TB than COVID-19 every year .
So , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Back in March of 2020 the WHO encouraged use of digital payments over paper money to slow or prevent the spread or infection from COVID-19 coronavirus .
Oddly , throughout history , the spread of infectious disease has not been linked with handling paper money or even hand shaking .
Saying , “ don ’ t take chances if you don ’ t have to , ” the WHO warning in news reports buries its qualifying statement : Typhoid Mary Bourdain , Anthony Best Price : $ 17.08 Buy New $ 12.22 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that money specifically is linked to coronavirus.
” “ But this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads , ” the CDC says .
It is transmitted by airborne route from infected to uninfected lung .
On March 6th , 2020 the backtracking WHO said : “ We did NOT say that cash was transmitting coronavirus.
” But that is how the fear is started .
Wearing face masks started as a voluntary practice and morphed into a law-breaking offense if not worn in some communities .
MITs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ No , coronavirus is not a good argument for quitting cash.
” The MIT report said : “ For virus particles on a dollar bill to infect a human , they must follow the ‘ primary route of infection ’ it appears that people become infected by inhaling particles someone else has coughed or sneezed into the air… ” .
NO LAW , BUT BUSINESSES DON ’ T ACCEPT CASH NOW But many businesses now don ’ t accept cash .
No edict or law has to be passed — just get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for them .
Refuse legal tender , then businesses don ’ t need armored trucks delivering cash and coin , nor even handing out pennies in change , or face robberies or internal theft .
And there goes American freedom .
Globalist digital money is just what the Romans used to build their empire in conquered territories and ushered in its own Denarii as a way to rule .
A military mint travelled with Caesar .
Caesar ’ s denarii were real money , real gold coins .
Digital fiat money can only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single hack of the whole system .
That ’ s already happened to Bitcoin .
1984 ( Signet Classics ) George Orwell Best Price : $ 1.49 Buy New $ 3.58 THE HIDDEN AGENDA But only in passing did the MIT article refer to viruses being transmitted by paper money which included mention of going to a cashless society .
And therein lies the hidden agenda .
You need a global pandemic to usher in a global currency .
The European-based World Economic Forum ( WEC ) has announced a RESET of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January of 2021 and the key part is selling the idea of a cashless society .
The US Federal Reserve is reported to be tinkering with such an idea – digital dollars .
Don ’ t think the FED isn ’ t ready to put digital currency into emergency use over some contrived biological threat .
All the FED has to do is start limiting the amount of money in circulation to cause the public to demand an alternative currency .
Anticipate banks to close branches ( already underway ) , limit or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ create a shortage of cash money over some contrived report that COVID-19 coronavirus is spread via money like Typhoid Mary spread disease .
In fact , the Typhoid Mary analogy is being used to scare people into submission .
Mary Mellon was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever in 1907 .
Typhus is a bacterium , not a virus , that is spread via contaminated water or food .
For the record , typhoid fever was virtually eliminated by chlorination of tap water , which began in 1908 .
Prevention and public hygiene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , water chlorination abolished cholera , Legionnaire ’ s disease and dysentery as well .
DIGITAL CURRENCY TO BE USED ON MULTIPLE FRONTS It ’ s not germ protection , or even faster payments that digital money would facilitate , it is mention of digital dollars being used on “ multiple fronts , ” says a report at Nasdaq.com .
The Clash of Economic ... White , Lawrence H. Best Price : $ 44.34 Buy New $ 44.36 Digital money can become a way to invoke behavior modification .
There would be penalties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vehicles , even buying sugary foods .
This is the social credit score that China has already launched .
Jaywalk and get caught on a camera and you automatically lose points on your social credit score .
Maybe you have to pay fines and they are automatically deducted from your digital account .
So much for a hearing and due process .
HOLD ON TO YOUR “ DUMB DOLLARS ” Nasdaq.com article says : “ The coming digital dollar , call it the ‘ smart dollar , ’ will be far more versatile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Smarter , or more sneaky ?
Nasdaq.com admits the so-called smart dollar “ would further tighten any government ’ s grip on its citizens.
” As if listening in to every phone call , intercepting email messages , snooping into where you go online or even geographically isn ’ t enough .
Welcome to the scary world of Orwell ’ s 1984 .
Nasdaq.com says : “ a central-bank-issued digital currency will range from nuisance to nightmare .
Programmable digital currency would also be a kind of monetary panopticon , spying on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ data.
” But for all their drawbacks , digital currencies are thought to be inevitable .
To fulfill its greatest promise , just one currency will do for the globalists , who seek to control the world by control of currency .
Use their digital dollars and you will , in effect , be voting for the globalists .
There will be no more sovereignty , just the globalists running the world by coercion , not election .
Brian Brooks , the acting comptroller of currency at the U.S. Office of Comptroller of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must adopt digital currency payment rails if the country hopes to compete with global payment rails in the future .
IS THE PUBLIC REALLY DEMANDING DIGITAL MONEY ?
Economics in One Lesso ... Hazlitt , Henry Best Price : $ 2.43 Buy New $ 7.43 Brooks says part of “ the reason why payments activity has moved outside the banking system is because consumers now want to receive their services in a different way.
” No , it is banksters and governments that want digital fiat money to be the preferred payment platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes and banks will cut their costs tremendously – – – online banks would prevail and 472,000 bank tellers would lose their jobs and actual physical bank buildings would be a thing of the past .
NOT TO WORRY ; WE CAN TRUST THEM ( SURE ) But to calm our fears , the Bank of International Settlements , the central bankers bank in Europe says : “ None of the digital currency projects surveyed seek to replace cash ; all aim to offer a digital complement.
” Sure , sure .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Recall gold was confiscated in free-market America .
That is why a shortage of coins has also been declared .
They want all forms of money outside of digital to be gone .
The public is none the wiser .
Let ’ s not forget what comrade Vladimir Lenin said : “ ” There are decades where nothing happens ; and there are weeks where decades happen.
” Let ’ s not forget , in the span of a few days , church-going became a risk while liquor stores remained open .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle the stress and anxiety with booze rather than votes against all this destruction of individual liberty .
ONCE GONE , WILL WE EVER GO BACK TO PAPER MONEY ?
Just how does a society return to “ normal ” when fears are so quickly instilled in the human soul ?
Will church parishioners or baseball fans return to their pews and seats ?
Maybe never in this generation .
Will we ever go back to paper money after it too is feared ?
Economist Lawrence H. White says a digital currency “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for the public.
” According to White who is quoted in a Wall Street Journal report : “ The Fed ( central bank ) would provide households and nonbank businesses with transaction accounts on its own books , giving government the ability to track all payments and eliminating the anonymity provided by physical cash today.
” It ’ s like having the Federal government placing a camera pointed inside your wallet , peering in at every source of income , taking Social Security and Medicare ( FICA ) funds out automatically , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credit score ( you only can go down ) .
The Federal government will manage your pocketbook from afar .
And how do you give your kids spending money ?
Pay your baby sitter ?
Teach your kids how to use money ?
Kids in families on welfare will believe money comes from the card and government , not hard work .
And even if your baby sitter has a digital money card , she is now going to pay taxes , or at least make FICA payments .
Your kids won ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the ding-dong truck because they don ’ t have a digital money card .
Forget the curbside lemonade stand .
There will be no money for the beggar at the end of the freeway offramp either because he doesn ’ t have a digital money card .
And sugary ice cream may cause dental decay , so that transaction could be blocked .
And there goes American life , not just our freedoms .

The World Health Organization (WHO), a globalist quasi-biological terrorist and population control org that now exercises more authority over the world human populations than elected officials or even the most ruthless military commanders, initially spread misinformation that paper money potentially spreads COVID-19 coronavirus.
Not to worry about anthrax, which is a bacterium, or any other respiratory virus like tuberculosis, it’s just COVID-19 coronavirus that the world should fear and that adheres to paper money, even though more die of TB than COVID-19 every year. So, you know there must be some hidden agenda here.
DON’T TAKE CHANCES
Back in March of 2020 the WHO encouraged use of digital payments over paper money to slow or prevent the spread or infection from COVID-19 coronavirus. Oddly, throughout history, the spread of infectious disease has not been linked with handling paper money or even hand shaking. Saying, “don’t take chances if you don’t have to,” the WHO warning in news reports buries its qualifying statement: Typhoid Mary Bourdain, Anthony Best Price: $17.08 Buy New $12.22 (as of 02:40 UTC - Details)
BACKTRACKING
“The WHO didn’t explicitly say that money specifically is linked to coronavirus.”
“But this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads,” the CDC says. It is transmitted by airborne route from infected to uninfected lung.
On March 6th, 2020 the backtracking WHO said: “We did NOT say that cash was transmitting coronavirus.” But that is how the fear is started. Wearing face masks started as a voluntary practice and morphed into a law-breaking offense if not worn in some communities.
MITs Technology Review headlined a report entitled: “No, coronavirus is not a good argument for quitting cash.” The MIT report said: “For virus particles on a dollar bill to infect a human, they must follow the ‘primary route of infection’ it appears that people become infected by inhaling particles someone else has coughed or sneezed into the air…”.
NO LAW, BUT BUSINESSES DON’T ACCEPT CASH NOW
But many businesses now don’t accept cash. No edict or law has to be passed — just get private businesses to do what is expedient for them. Refuse legal tender, then businesses don’t need armored trucks delivering cash and coin, nor even handing out pennies in change, or face robberies or internal theft. And there goes American freedom.
Globalist digital money is just what the Romans used to build their empire in conquered territories and ushered in its own Denarii as a way to rule. A military mint travelled with Caesar. Caesar’s denarii were real money, real gold coins. Digital fiat money can only represent money and can vanish with a single hack of the whole system. That’s already happened to Bitcoin. 1984 (Signet Classics) George Orwell Best Price: $1.49 Buy New $3.58 (as of 10:53 UTC - Details)
THE HIDDEN AGENDA
But only in passing did the MIT article refer to viruses being transmitted by paper money which included mention of going to a cashless society. And therein lies the hidden agenda. You need a global pandemic to usher in a global currency.
The European-based World Economic Forum (WEC) has announced a RESET of the world economy is scheduled to launch in January of 2021 and the key part is selling the idea of a cashless society.
The US Federal Reserve is reported to be tinkering with such an idea – digital dollars. Don’t think the FED isn’t ready to put digital currency into emergency use over some contrived biological threat. All the FED has to do is start limiting the amount of money in circulation to cause the public to demand an alternative currency.
Anticipate banks to close branches (already underway), limit or remove ATMs, and for government to create a shortage of cash money over some contrived report that COVID-19 coronavirus is spread via money like Typhoid Mary spread disease. In fact, the Typhoid Mary analogy is being used to scare people into submission.
Mary Mellon was an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever in 1907. Typhus is a bacterium, not a virus, that is spread via contaminated water or food. For the record, typhoid fever was virtually eliminated by chlorination of tap water, which began in 1908. Prevention and public hygiene are superior to vaccination. In fact, water chlorination abolished cholera, Legionnaire’s disease and dysentery as well.
DIGITAL CURRENCY TO BE USED ON MULTIPLE FRONTS
It’s not germ protection, or even faster payments that digital money would facilitate, it is mention of digital dollars being used on “multiple fronts,” says a report at Nasdaq.com. The Clash of Economic ... White, Lawrence H. Best Price: $44.34 Buy New $44.36 (as of 02:40 UTC - Details)
Digital money can become a way to invoke behavior modification. There would be penalties for failure to vaccinate, buying petrol-fueled vehicles, even buying sugary foods. This is the social credit score that China has already launched. Jaywalk and get caught on a camera and you automatically lose points on your social credit score. Maybe you have to pay fines and they are automatically deducted from your digital account. So much for a hearing and due process.
HOLD ON TO YOUR “DUMB DOLLARS”
Nasdaq.com article says: “The coming digital dollar, call it the ‘smart dollar,’ will be far more versatile and powerful than the old dumb dollar.” Smarter, or more sneaky?
Nasdaq.com admits the so-called smart dollar “would further tighten any government’s grip on its citizens.” As if listening in to every phone call, intercepting email messages, snooping into where you go online or even geographically isn’t enough. Welcome to the scary world of Orwell’s 1984.
Nasdaq.com says: “a central-bank-issued digital currency will range from nuisance to nightmare. Programmable digital currency would also be a kind of monetary panopticon, spying on everything you do by way of transaction data.”
DIGITAL INEVITABILITY
But for all their drawbacks, digital currencies are thought to be inevitable. To fulfill its greatest promise, just one currency will do for the globalists, who seek to control the world by control of currency. Use their digital dollars and you will, in effect, be voting for the globalists. There will be no more sovereignty, just the globalists running the world by coercion, not election.
Brian Brooks, the acting comptroller of currency at the U.S. Office of Comptroller of Currency (OCC), says America must adopt digital currency payment rails if the country hopes to compete with global payment rails in the future.
IS THE PUBLIC REALLY DEMANDING DIGITAL MONEY?
Economics in One Lesso... Hazlitt, Henry Best Price: $2.43 Buy New $7.43 (as of 12:35 UTC - Details) Brooks says part of “the reason why payments activity has moved outside the banking system is because consumers now want to receive their services in a different way.” No, it is banksters and governments that want digital fiat money to be the preferred payment platform. Government will collect billions more in taxes and banks will cut their costs tremendously – – – online banks would prevail and 472,000 bank tellers would lose their jobs and actual physical bank buildings would be a thing of the past.
NOT TO WORRY; WE CAN TRUST THEM (SURE)
But to calm our fears, the Bank of International Settlements, the central bankers bank in Europe says: “None of the digital currency projects surveyed seek to replace cash; all aim to offer a digital complement.”
Sure, sure. But these assurances are nothing but false promises. Recall gold was confiscated in free-market America. That is why a shortage of coins has also been declared. They want all forms of money outside of digital to be gone. The public is none the wiser.
PAPER MONEY EVAPORATES BY PRACTICE, NOT LAW
Let’s not forget what comrade Vladimir Lenin said: “”There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”
Let’s not forget, in the span of a few days, church-going became a risk while liquor stores remained open. Numb the society. Let’s handle the stress and anxiety with booze rather than votes against all this destruction of individual liberty.
ONCE GONE, WILL WE EVER GO BACK TO PAPER MONEY?
Just how does a society return to “normal” when fears are so quickly instilled in the human soul? Will church parishioners or baseball fans return to their pews and seats? Maybe never in this generation. Will we ever go back to paper money after it too is feared?
Economist Lawrence H. White says a digital currency “won’t be a “win” for the public.” According to White who is quoted in a Wall Street Journal report:
“The Fed (central bank) would provide households and nonbank businesses with transaction accounts on its own books, giving government the ability to track all payments and eliminating the anonymity provided by physical cash today.”
It’s like having the Federal government placing a camera pointed inside your wallet, peering in at every source of income, taking Social Security and Medicare (FICA) funds out automatically, invoking unappealable penalties, lowering your social credit score (you only can go down). The Federal government will manage your pocketbook from afar.
And how do you give your kids spending money? Pay your baby sitter? Teach your kids how to use money? Kids in families on welfare will believe money comes from the card and government, not hard work. And even if your baby sitter has a digital money card, she is now going to pay taxes, or at least make FICA payments. Your kids won’t be able to buy ice cream off the ding-dong truck because they don’t have a digital money card. Forget the curbside lemonade stand. There will be no money for the beggar at the end of the freeway offramp either because he doesn’t have a digital money card. And sugary ice cream may cause dental decay, so that transaction could be blocked. And there goes American life, not just our freedoms.


lewrockwell--2020-09-10--The Freedom To Pursue Happiness

The Freedom To Pursue Happiness

The governors of all 50 states , and the mayors of many large cities , have assumed unto themselves the powers to restrict private personal choices and lawful public behavior in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 .
They have done so not by enforcing previously existing legislation but by crafting their own executive orders , styling those orders as if they were laws , using state and local police to enforce those so-called laws and — presumably when life returns to normal and the courts reopen — prosecuting the alleged offenders in court .
It is hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would permit a criminal trial of any person for violating a standard of behavior that has not been enacted into law by a legislature .
We know this because under our system of representative government , separated powers and guaranteed liberties , only the legislative branch can craft laws and assign punishments for noncompliance .
This is Constitutional Law 101 .
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has written that the executive branch can not enforce a law that it has written .
If it does , we will have approached tyranny .
Suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew P. Best Price : $ 0.25 Buy New $ 2.84 Have we approached tyranny already ?
During the past eight weeks , governors and mayors have closed most businesses , public venues and houses of worship , prohibited public assembly and restricted travel — all of which they have unilaterally decreed to be nonessential .
In his terrifying novel “ 1984 ” — which posits a future of total control of all persons by the government and total control of the government by one political party — George Orwell argued that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the laws as well .
That Orwellian truism has been manifested like never before here in America , where executive branch officeholders have used state and local police to restrain people from engaging in private and public behavior which they concede was lawful two months ago because today it is not deemed “ essential.
” Frankly , I am surprised at the ferocity of police enforcement and the lameness of police compliance .
The police have taken the same oaths to uphold the same Bill of Rights — it ’ s not the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bill of Rights — as have all other officeholders .
The police also know that it is unlawful for them to obey an unlawful order , particularly when they use force .
The lockdown orders are all unlawful because none of them — none — has been enacted by a legislature , and all of them — all — interfere with fundamental liberties , each of which is guaranteed — guaranteed — by the Constitution .
Lies the Government To ... Andrew P. Napolitano Best Price : $ 0.25 Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I recognize the scientific value of personal efforts to control contagion .
But under the Constitution , these social-distancing , wear-your-mask , shut-your-business , stay-at-home edicts constitute mere recommendations that should induce rational voluntary compliance , because the government in America is without lawful power to compel compliance .
The governors complain about resistance .
They need to know that Americans will resist efforts to interfere in behavior that remains as moral , natural , lawful and constitutional as it was 60 days ago .
Last week , President Donald Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , declared that religious worship is essential — meaning , in his opinion , all houses of worship should be opened — and he offered that he was prepared to “ override ” any governors who disagreed with him .
When he realized that he lacked any authority to override even unlawful gubernatorial decrees , he dispatched the Department of Justice to begin filing challenges to governors in federal courts and to argue that constitutional freedoms are being impaired by the states .
I applaud this , but it is too little , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Catholic priests were threatened with arrest for saying Mass or distributing palms and when Jewish rabbis were put in COVID-19-infested jails for holding funerals ?
At all these religious events , folks freely chose to exercise their freedom to worship ; and to take their chances .
These DOJ interventions provoked the question : Who should decide what goods , services or venues are essential — the states or the federal government ?
The question is Orwellian , as the answer is : neither of them .
The government in America — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no right to determine what goods , services and venues are essential .
Those determinations have been for individuals to make since 1776 , and those individual choices have been constitutionally protected from the feds since the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 and from the states since the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868 .
It Is Dangerous to Be ... Andrew P. Napolitano Best Price : $ 1.10 Buy New $ 5.51 What is essential to the laborer or student or housewife may not be essential to the former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of New Jersey , and who decreed last week , “ It shall be the duty of every person or entity in this State… to cooperate fully ” with his orders , or essential to the ideologue who is mayor of the Big Apple and who , for all his professed liberality , threatened to close permanently — permanently — businesses and houses of worship that flaunt his guidelines .
A duty is undertaken voluntarily or by nature , not by executive command , Governor Murphy .
And the government can not take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a legitimate public use and only for just compensation , Mayor de Blasio .
Governors and mayors can make all the dictatorial pronouncements and threats that they wish .
But they can not use public assets to enforce them .
And when they seek to use force , those from whom they seek it should decline the offer .
In America , we decide for ourselves what produces happiness .
We have never delegated to the government — ever — the power to make personal choices for us .
And some of us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do “ nonessential ” things .
The essence of the freedoms for which we have fought since 1776 is the liberty to be ourselves .
The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano

Shop all books by Judge Napolitano
The governors of all 50 states, and the mayors of many large cities, have assumed unto themselves the powers to restrict private personal choices and lawful public behavior in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
They have done so not by enforcing previously existing legislation but by crafting their own executive orders, styling those orders as if they were laws, using state and local police to enforce those so-called laws and — presumably when life returns to normal and the courts reopen — prosecuting the alleged offenders in court.
It is hard to believe that any judge in America would permit a criminal trial of any person for violating a standard of behavior that has not been enacted into law by a legislature. We know this because under our system of representative government, separated powers and guaranteed liberties, only the legislative branch can craft laws and assign punishments for noncompliance. This is Constitutional Law 101. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has written that the executive branch cannot enforce a law that it has written. If it does, we will have approached tyranny. Suicide Pact: The Radi... Napolitano, Andrew P. Best Price: $0.25 Buy New $2.84 (as of 04:15 UTC - Details)
Have we approached tyranny already?
During the past eight weeks, governors and mayors have closed most businesses, public venues and houses of worship, prohibited public assembly and restricted travel — all of which they have unilaterally decreed to be nonessential.
In his terrifying novel “1984” — which posits a future of total control of all persons by the government and total control of the government by one political party — George Orwell argued that he who controls the meaning of words controls the laws as well.
That Orwellian truism has been manifested like never before here in America, where executive branch officeholders have used state and local police to restrain people from engaging in private and public behavior which they concede was lawful two months ago because today it is not deemed “essential.”
Frankly, I am surprised at the ferocity of police enforcement and the lameness of police compliance. The police have taken the same oaths to uphold the same Bill of Rights — it’s not the Bill of Safety; it’s the Bill of Rights — as have all other officeholders. The police also know that it is unlawful for them to obey an unlawful order, particularly when they use force.
The lockdown orders are all unlawful because none of them — none — has been enacted by a legislature, and all of them — all — interfere with fundamental liberties, each of which is guaranteed — guaranteed — by the Constitution.
Lies the Government To... Andrew P. Napolitano Best Price: $0.25 Buy New $4.46 (as of 12:15 UTC - Details) Please don’t misunderstand me. I recognize the scientific value of personal efforts to control contagion. But under the Constitution, these social-distancing, wear-your-mask, shut-your-business, stay-at-home edicts constitute mere recommendations that should induce rational voluntary compliance, because the government in America is without lawful power to compel compliance.
The governors complain about resistance. They need to know that Americans will resist efforts to interfere in behavior that remains as moral, natural, lawful and constitutional as it was 60 days ago.
Last week, President Donald Trump, sounding fed up with gubernatorial lockdown orders, declared that religious worship is essential — meaning, in his opinion, all houses of worship should be opened — and he offered that he was prepared to “override” any governors who disagreed with him.
When he realized that he lacked any authority to override even unlawful gubernatorial decrees, he dispatched the Department of Justice to begin filing challenges to governors in federal courts and to argue that constitutional freedoms are being impaired by the states.
I applaud this, but it is too little, too late. Where was the DOJ when Catholic priests were threatened with arrest for saying Mass or distributing palms and when Jewish rabbis were put in COVID-19-infested jails for holding funerals? At all these religious events, folks freely chose to exercise their freedom to worship; and to take their chances.
These DOJ interventions provoked the question: Who should decide what goods, services or venues are essential — the states or the federal government? The question is Orwellian, as the answer is: neither of them. The government in America — state or federal — has no power and no right to determine what goods, services and venues are essential.
Those determinations have been for individuals to make since 1776, and those individual choices have been constitutionally protected from the feds since the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791 and from the states since the 14th Amendment was ratified in 1868. It Is Dangerous to Be ... Andrew P. Napolitano Best Price: $1.10 Buy New $5.51 (as of 11:50 UTC - Details)
What is essential to the laborer or student or housewife may not be essential to the former Goldman Sachs partner who was elected governor of New Jersey, and who decreed last week, “It shall be the duty of every person or entity in this State… to cooperate fully” with his orders, or essential to the ideologue who is mayor of the Big Apple and who, for all his professed liberality, threatened to close permanently — permanently — businesses and houses of worship that flaunt his guidelines.
A duty is undertaken voluntarily or by nature, not by executive command, Governor Murphy. And the government cannot take property away from its owners except for a legitimate public use and only for just compensation, Mayor de Blasio.
Governors and mayors can make all the dictatorial pronouncements and threats that they wish. But they cannot use public assets to enforce them. And when they seek to use force, those from whom they seek it should decline the offer.
In America, we decide for ourselves what produces happiness. We have never delegated to the government — ever — the power to make personal choices for us.
And some of us are willing to take chances and even do “nonessential” things. The essence of the freedoms for which we have fought since 1776 is the liberty to be ourselves.
Reprinted with the author’s permission.
The Best of Andrew P. Napolitano


Today and Yesterday

In matters of race and other social phenomena , there is a tendency to believe that what is seen today has always been .
For black people , the socioeconomic progress achieved during my lifetime , which started in 1936 , exceeded anyone ’ s wildest dreams .
In 1936 , most black people lived in gross material poverty and racial discrimination .
Such poverty and discrimination is all but nonexistent today .
Government data , assembled by Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation , shows that “ the average American family … identified as poor by the Census Bureau @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heated house or apartment … They have a car or truck .
( Indeed , 43 % of poor families own two or more cars . )
” The household “ has at least one widescreen TV connected to cable , satellite , or a streaming service , a computer or tablet with internet connection , and a smartphone .
( Some 82 % of poor families have one or more smartphones.
” On top of this , blacks today have the same constitutional guarantees as everyone else , which is not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been eliminated .
Please Stop Helping Us ... Riley , Jason L. Best Price : $ 17.99 Buy New $ 9.50 The poverty we have today is spiritual poverty .
Spiritual poverty is an absence of what traditionally has been known as various human virtues .
Much of that spiritual poverty is a result of public and private policy that rewards inferiority and irresponsibility .
Chief among the policies that reward inferiority and irresponsibility is the welfare state .
When some people know they can have children out of wedlock , drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffer little consequence and social sanction , one should not be surprised to see the growth of such behavior .
Today ’ s out-of-wedlock births among blacks is over 70 % , but in the 1930s , it was 11 % .
During the same period , out-of-wedlock births among whites was 3 % ; today , it is over 30 % .
It is fashionable and politically correct to blame today ’ s 21 % black poverty on racial discrimination .
That is nonsense .
Why ?
The poverty rate among black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digits for more than two decades .
Can anyone produce evidence that racists discriminate against black female-headed families but not black husband-and-wife families ?
False Black Power ?
( Ne ... Jason L. Riley Best Price : $ 8.95 Buy New $ 8.95 For most people , education is one of the steppingstones out of poverty , and it has been a steppingstone for many black people .
Today , decent education is just about impossible at many big-city public schools where violence , disorder , disrespect and assaults on teachers are routine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behavior observed in many predominantly black schools is entirely new .
Some have suggested that such disorder is part of black culture , but that is an insulting lie .
Black people can be thankful that double standards , and public and private policies rewarding inferiority and irresponsibility , were not broadly accepted during the 1920s , ’ 30s , ’ 40s and ’ 50s .
There would not have been the kind of intellectual excellence and spiritual courage that created the world ’ s most successful civil rights movement .
Many whites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our history of slavery , Jim Crow and gross racial discrimination .
They see that justice and compensation for that ugly history is to hold their fellow black Americans accountable to the kind of standards and conduct they would never accept from whites .
That behavior and conduct is relatively new .
Meet with black people in their 70s or older , even liberal politicians such as Charles Rangel ( age 90 ) , and Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson ( 85 ) , Alcee Hastings ( 83 ) and Maxine Waters ( 82 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have tolerated their assaulting and cursing of teachers or any other adult .
I bet you the rent money their parents and other parents of that era would not have accepted the grossly disrespectful behavior seen today among many black youngsters who use foul language and racial epithets at one another .
These older blacks will tell you that , had they behaved that way , they would have felt serious pain in their hind parts .
If blacks of yesteryear would not accept such self-destructive behavior , why should today ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have made tremendous gains over the years that came as a result of hard work , sacrifice and a no-nonsense approach to life .
Recovering those virtues can provide solutions to many of today ’ s problems .
The Best of Walter E. Williams

In matters of race and other social phenomena, there is a tendency to believe that what is seen today has always been. For black people, the socioeconomic progress achieved during my lifetime, which started in 1936, exceeded anyone’s wildest dreams. In 1936, most black people lived in gross material poverty and racial discrimination. Such poverty and discrimination is all but nonexistent today. Government data, assembled by Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation, shows that “the average American family … identified as poor by the Census Bureau, lives in an air-conditioned, centrally heated house or apartment … They have a car or truck. (Indeed, 43% of poor families own two or more cars.)” The household “has at least one widescreen TV connected to cable, satellite, or a streaming service, a computer or tablet with internet connection, and a smartphone. (Some 82% of poor families have one or more smartphones.” On top of this, blacks today have the same constitutional guarantees as everyone else, which is not to say that every vestige of racial discrimination has been eliminated.
Please Stop Helping Us... Riley, Jason L. Best Price: $17.99 Buy New $9.50 (as of 04:34 UTC - Details) The poverty we have today is spiritual poverty. Spiritual poverty is an absence of what traditionally has been known as various human virtues. Much of that spiritual poverty is a result of public and private policy that rewards inferiority and irresponsibility. Chief among the policies that reward inferiority and irresponsibility is the welfare state. When some people know they can have children out of wedlock, drop out of school and refuse employment and suffer little consequence and social sanction, one should not be surprised to see the growth of such behavior. Today’s out-of-wedlock births among blacks is over 70%, but in the 1930s, it was 11%. During the same period, out-of-wedlock births among whites was 3%; today, it is over 30%. It is fashionable and politically correct to blame today’s 21% black poverty on racial discrimination. That is nonsense. Why? The poverty rate among black husband-and-wife families has been in the single digits for more than two decades. Can anyone produce evidence that racists discriminate against black female-headed families but not black husband-and-wife families?
False Black Power? (Ne... Jason L. Riley Best Price: $8.95 Buy New $8.95 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details) For most people, education is one of the steppingstones out of poverty, and it has been a steppingstone for many black people. Today, decent education is just about impossible at many big-city public schools where violence, disorder, disrespect and assaults on teachers are routine. The kind of disrespectful and violent behavior observed in many predominantly black schools is entirely new. Some have suggested that such disorder is part of black culture, but that is an insulting lie. Black people can be thankful that double standards, and public and private policies rewarding inferiority and irresponsibility, were not broadly accepted during the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. There would not have been the kind of intellectual excellence and spiritual courage that created the world’s most successful civil rights movement.
Many whites are ashamed, saddened and guilt-ridden by our history of slavery, Jim Crow and gross racial discrimination. They see that justice and compensation for that ugly history is to hold their fellow black Americans accountable to the kind of standards and conduct they would never accept from whites. That behavior and conduct is relatively new. Meet with black people in their 70s or older, even liberal politicians such as Charles Rangel (age 90), and Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (85), Alcee Hastings (83) and Maxine Waters (82). Ask them whether their parents would have tolerated their assaulting and cursing of teachers or any other adult. I bet you the rent money their parents and other parents of that era would not have accepted the grossly disrespectful behavior seen today among many black youngsters who use foul language and racial epithets at one another. These older blacks will tell you that, had they behaved that way, they would have felt serious pain in their hind parts. If blacks of yesteryear would not accept such self-destructive behavior, why should today’s blacks accept it?
Black people have made tremendous gains over the years that came as a result of hard work, sacrifice and a no-nonsense approach to life. Recovering those virtues can provide solutions to many of today’s problems.
The Best of Walter E. Williams