lewrockwell--2020-08-04--Are You Loving Your Servitude?

Are You Loving Your Servitude?

In Part One of this article I laid out the argument Huxley ’ s dystopian vision of the future had played out over many decades , but now I observe Orwell ’ s darker vision in motion since the start of this century .
All the “ solutions ” being imposed by those in power don ’ t solve anything , because they aren ’ t designed to solve anything .
These are nothing but short-term emergency sustaining maneuvers to keep the dying patient alive , while the criminals ransack his house , extracting whatever wealth he has saved .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a week bribes to what they consider the Main Street riff raff , while funneling trillions into the pockets of Too Big To Trust Wall Street banks , billionaire oligarchs , connected mega-corporations , and pliable corrupt politicians , is just what the doctor ordered for the ruling class .
Their weak-kneed toadies at the Federal Reserve have dutifully fulfilled their mandate of no banker or hedge fund left behind .
While Main Street is beset with potholes , boarded up small business storefronts ( if they haven ’ t been looted and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the unemployed lining up at local food banks , Wall Street is being paved in gold , with its inhabitants eating caviar , drinking champagne , and celebrating their brilliance in owning a central bank , guaranteed to enrich them .
The Fourth Turning : An ... Howe , Neil Best Price : $ 7.92 Buy New $ 12.04 The paths being chosen by those in power offer no exit or happy endings .
Driving the annual deficit over $ 4 trillion , pushing the national debt to $ 26.5 trillion ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trillion of unfunded welfare liabilities ) , because you chose to shut the country down for a bad flu , has virtually guaranteed a multi-year economic contraction and eventual financial collapse .
The Fed has propped up a zombie economy and horribly managed zombie corporations with zero interest rates and purchasing of their bad debt .
Free markets have been extinguished , price discovery has vanished , success is determined by who you know , and interest rates can never rise again , or the debt Ponzi collapses instantaneously .
The $ 600 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery mirage , as money that has no possibility of being repaid , was spent by millions on grocery deliveries , crap from Amazon , and buying bankrupt stocks on Robinhood by unemployed day traders .
The politicians who doled out this $ 600 per week to millions of people they purposely forced into unemployment are now trapped .
Any politician who votes to not extend the payments will be scorned by the corporate media talking heads as heartless and uncaring .
With elections just over three months away , it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the newest debt financed debacle will be ( somewhere between $ 1 and $ 3 trillion ) .
Trump will sign whatever comes his way , because not doing so would guarantee a loss in November .
Financially , none of this can work .
The Federal government , with their co-conspirators at the Fed , can get away with running massive deficits for as long as the USD is accepted around the world as a safe investment .
The record price of gold and the 9 % decline in the USD since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looms .
The real disaster is materializing in states , counties , and cities , as unemployed people don ’ t generate income taxes while collecting from the unemployment fund , bankrupt small businesses don ’ t pay income taxes or property taxes , lockdowns have massively reduced sales taxes , and remote workers don ’ t pay tolls or gasoline taxes .
Coincidentally , many of the worst fiscally run states , including Illinois , California , New Jersey , Michigan and New York , already had a disastrous unfunded pension liability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by locking down their states .
Brave New World Aldous Huxley Best Price : $ 1.00 Buy New $ 6.99 Nancy and Chuck have over $ 1 trillion embedded in their porkulus HEROES package slated to bailout the pension liabilities of Democrat run states .
All Americans would get to pay for the gold-plated pension and healthcare benefits of union teachers who refuse to go back to work and teach their children .
The fiscal mismanagement at all levels of government and bubble blowing actions taken by the Fed on behalf of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fit into a more diabolical scheme .
As a representative of conspiracy theorists who question everything I ’ m told by my government , the corporate media , and self-proclaimed experts , it appears we are being led towards an outcome predetermined by the Deep State/Invisible Government .
When conspiracy theories have been confirmed and exceeded by reality , government agencies at the behest of an outgoing president conduct a coup against a sitting president , a flu pandemic on par with the 1957 and 2009 flu pandemics is hyped into an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign to start a race war mysteriously erupts , and behemoth monopolistic social media corporations censor the scientific opinions of physicians and any opinion contrary to the state sanctioned narrative , your tin foil antenna should be picking up worrisome signals .
So , what is their end game ?
Where are we headed ?
Is there a method to the madness swirling around us ?
I certainly don ’ t have a high level of confidence in my ability to predict what is going to happen over the next year or two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dumbing down and socially indoctrinating multiple generations through the government run education system .
They convinced them to voluntarily relinquish their privacy rights to left wing social media corporations who act in concert with the government surveillance state .
Snowden laid it out for all to see , but the sheep remained passive and willfully ignorant , as long as they were entertained by cute cat videos and tweets from their Hollywood idols .
This concocted pandemic crisis has allowed those in control to test how far they could use propaganda , fear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the masses do as they are told .
It has been a resounding success , as the humanity of citizens has been purged by muzzles , social distancing , quarantining in place , banning gatherings ( except BLM/ANTIFA protests/riots ) , and convincing wage earners being forced into joblessness by government mandate is being patriotic .
They have used the pandemic to test universal basic income , paying people not to work .
It ’ s been so popular , most people don ’ t want to go back to their former jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week don ’ t care where it comes from .
They just know they are making more than they were working .
They are satisfied sheltering in place , buying iPhones and ordering from Amazon , while tweeting about social justice and doing their best Karen on Facebook about non face diapering criminals .
1984 ( Signet Classics ) George Orwell Best Price : $ 1.49 Buy New $ 3.58 That ’ s why these Silicon Valley behemoth corporations have made billions during this pandemic , while hundreds of thousands of small businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as if the powers that be want to concentrate more economic power and control in the hands of a few government sanctioned corporations .
It ’ s much easier to control the narrative when 6 corporations dominate the mainstream media and 4 corporations control most of the social media platforms .
Herding large swaths of the population in a particular direction , invoking mass insanity , is not a new occurrence , as it has happened numerous times throughout history .
MacKay and Nietzsche have documented previous incidents , but the modern day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the herd through technology in a direction beneficial to their agenda has changed the dynamic .
The goal of the oligarchs is to not allow individuals to recover their senses , one by one .
Individuals who question or do not conform to the approved narrative are canceled , attacked or financially ruined by the establishment attack dogs .
When assessing why insane falsehoods are peddled to the masses , it ’ s always a good bet to follow the money .
Who benefits financially from a particular narrative ?
This entire BLM @ @ @ @ @ @ @ utter bullshit .
The cities in which the protests and riots have occurred have been run by left wing Democrats for decades .
Blacks cast 90 % of their votes for Democrats .
The slaughtering of young black men is being done by other young black men .
The blatantly obvious problem for black people is the 70 % of households without a father , exacerbated by the welfare state implemented by liberals .
White people keeping blacks down is a lie .
But this big lie is being used to pit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false narrative allows the billionaire class to further loot and pillage the nation through rigged markets and Federal Reserve generosity , while their media corporations promote race wars and conflict based on a false premise .
The social media tyrants are worse than the mainstream media .
Not only do they promote false narratives on behalf of their benefactors , they easily silence dissenters presenting facts to counter the false narrative .
They are disappeared with the click of a mouse .
Orwellian censorship is nothing compared to what is being done today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , William Best Price : $ 2.03 Buy New $ 13.78 Another recent narrative which is entirely false is the national cash/coin shortage , forcing people to pay electronically .
Where exactly did the cash and coins go , creating the shortage ?
Economic activity is dramatically down over the last few months .
That should have created a glut of cash and coins .
This is an engineered fake shortage , again gauging the reaction of the public to forcing them into a cashless society , where the banking cabal syphons off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pop stores prefer cash because they can ’ t afford the banking fees for debit and credit transactions .
A cashless society would put more small business owners out of business .
Electronic transactions can be tracked and taxed .
Individuals who don ’ t conform and obey could be electronically canceled .
More control and wealth directed into the hands of the powerful .
I know I ’ m experiencing increasing feelings of anger and disillusionment the longer this contrived crisis is prolonged by the authoritarians dictating from upon high to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depression , as I see no way to reverse the course of this country towards a Marxist future and civil insurrection when they push their agenda too far .
There is a simmering fury building in those being called racist , denied the ability to work , imprisoned in their homes and commanded to face muzzle by tyrant governors .
While the biggest banks , retailers , and social media corporations , along with their executives , have enriched themselves during this pandemic , the average American is seeing their lives destroyed and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The saber rattling towards China and Russia is another narrative which will be pushed harder as the pandemic panic wears off .
They must keep fear alive , to further their aims .
War is hugely profitable for the Deep State and Military Industrial Complex .
This Fourth Turning still has five to ten years left before it burns itself out .
One thing is for sure .
It will not de-intensify before a climax is reached , with clear winners and losers .
Much bloodshed is likely to befall the globe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 is likely to be chaotic and wrought with the potential for civil conflict .
The mail in ballot clash has the potential to sever the Constitutional binds holding this nation together .
With the losing side refusing to acknowledge the winner of the presidential election , if it can even be declared on November 3 , the civil unrest in the streets seen thus far will look like a walk in the park .
But this will just be a prelude to much larger clashes in the next three years .
Just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turnings on an eighty year look back : 1941 – 1943 ( Battle of Stalingrad , Battle of Midway ) ; 1861 – 1863 ( Battle of Antietam , Battle of Gettysburg , Battle of Vicksburg ) ; 1781 – 1783 ( Battle of Yorktown , Treaty of Paris ) .
The turning points of the prior three Fourth Turnings occurred during these eighty year increments .
What awaits us in 2021 – 2023 ?
Whatever the challenges that lie ahead , it will require courage , guile , cooperation , and a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the globalist scum enslaving the world with their warped , sadistic greed .
Millennials Rising : Th ... Neil Howe , William Str ... Best Price : $ 0.25 Buy New $ 8.99 Huxley ’ s vision of the future dominated the western world for decades , as mankind has proven they could be trained to love their servitude by satisfying their infinite appetite for distractions .
Trivialities , satisfying your ego , passively accepting what you are spoon fed , and seeking pleasure have kept the masses under control until this century @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the future Orwell always feared .
The Surveillance State was born , with the Patriot Act providing cover for the Deep State to watch everything we do and say , with the social media conglomerates providing the access to our personal information .
Anyone who doesn ’ t see the connection between this pandemic lockdown and the central theme of Orwell ’ s 1984 , where the government controls the individual by suppressing individual happiness and freedom through a combination of propaganda , manipulation and fear , is choosing to be willfully ignorant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media platforms and censoring the free speech of dissenters , effectively suppressing truth .
Everything is cyclical and we are most certainly entering the darkest period of this cycle .
The Fed has created another fake boom in the stock market , but this fictitious prosperity will end in depression , as all credit driven booms do .
The American Empire , as we know it , is coming to an end .
The only question is whether it goes out with a whimper or a bang .
If you think the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t understand why people aren ’ t acting rationally , don ’ t worry .
You are the one who is sane .
It ’ s the rest of the world that is crazy .
Don ’ t lose faith .
There are others out there who refuse to embrace their servitude .
Don ’ t follow the crowd .
Think for yourself .
Question everything .
Prepare for the worst , because it ’ s coming .
Use your time wisely .
Keep your loved ones close .
And befriend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our country hangs in the balance .
Reprinted with permission from The Burning Platform .
The Best of Jim Quinn

In Part One of this article I laid out the argument Huxley’s dystopian vision of the future had played out over many decades, but now I observe Orwell’s darker vision in motion since the start of this century.
All the “solutions” being imposed by those in power don’t solve anything, because they aren’t designed to solve anything. These are nothing but short-term emergency sustaining maneuvers to keep the dying patient alive, while the criminals ransack his house, extracting whatever wealth he has saved. Throwing $1,200 bones and $600 a week bribes to what they consider the Main Street riff raff, while funneling trillions into the pockets of Too Big To Trust Wall Street banks, billionaire oligarchs, connected mega-corporations, and pliable corrupt politicians, is just what the doctor ordered for the ruling class.
Their weak-kneed toadies at the Federal Reserve have dutifully fulfilled their mandate of no banker or hedge fund left behind. While Main Street is beset with potholes, boarded up small business storefronts (if they haven’t been looted and burned), homeless drug addicts, and the unemployed lining up at local food banks, Wall Street is being paved in gold, with its inhabitants eating caviar, drinking champagne, and celebrating their brilliance in owning a central bank, guaranteed to enrich them. The Fourth Turning: An... Howe, Neil Best Price: $7.92 Buy New $12.04 (as of 08:30 UTC - Details)
The paths being chosen by those in power offer no exit or happy endings. Driving the annual deficit over $4 trillion, pushing the national debt to $26.5 trillion (don’t forget the $200 trillion of unfunded welfare liabilities), because you chose to shut the country down for a bad flu, has virtually guaranteed a multi-year economic contraction and eventual financial collapse. The Fed has propped up a zombie economy and horribly managed zombie corporations with zero interest rates and purchasing of their bad debt.
Free markets have been extinguished, price discovery has vanished, success is determined by who you know, and interest rates can never rise again, or the debt Ponzi collapses instantaneously. The $600 a week in unemployment produced an economic recovery mirage, as money that has no possibility of being repaid, was spent by millions on grocery deliveries, crap from Amazon, and buying bankrupt stocks on Robinhood by unemployed day traders.
The politicians who doled out this $600 per week to millions of people they purposely forced into unemployment are now trapped. Any politician who votes to not extend the payments will be scorned by the corporate media talking heads as heartless and uncaring. With elections just over three months away, it’s now just a matter of how big the newest debt financed debacle will be (somewhere between $1 and $3 trillion).
Trump will sign whatever comes his way, because not doing so would guarantee a loss in November. Financially, none of this can work. The Federal government, with their co-conspirators at the Fed, can get away with running massive deficits for as long as the USD is accepted around the world as a safe investment. The record price of gold and the 9% decline in the USD since April are early warnings another financial crisis looms.
The real disaster is materializing in states, counties, and cities, as unemployed people don’t generate income taxes while collecting from the unemployment fund, bankrupt small businesses don’t pay income taxes or property taxes, lockdowns have massively reduced sales taxes, and remote workers don’t pay tolls or gasoline taxes. Coincidentally, many of the worst fiscally run states, including Illinois, California, New Jersey, Michigan and New York, already had a disastrous unfunded pension liability crisis before they exacerbated their fiscal disaster by locking down their states. Brave New World Aldous Huxley Best Price: $1.00 Buy New $6.99 (as of 05:15 UTC - Details)
Nancy and Chuck have over $1 trillion embedded in their porkulus HEROES package slated to bailout the pension liabilities of Democrat run states. All Americans would get to pay for the gold-plated pension and healthcare benefits of union teachers who refuse to go back to work and teach their children. The fiscal mismanagement at all levels of government and bubble blowing actions taken by the Fed on behalf of their real constituents (not you) seem to fit into a more diabolical scheme.
As a representative of conspiracy theorists who question everything I’m told by my government, the corporate media, and self-proclaimed experts, it appears we are being led towards an outcome predetermined by the Deep State/Invisible Government. When conspiracy theories have been confirmed and exceeded by reality, government agencies at the behest of an outgoing president conduct a coup against a sitting president, a flu pandemic on par with the 1957 and 2009 flu pandemics is hyped into an unnecessary national lockdown, a highly coordinated campaign to start a race war mysteriously erupts, and behemoth monopolistic social media corporations censor the scientific opinions of physicians and any opinion contrary to the state sanctioned narrative, your tin foil antenna should be picking up worrisome signals.
So, what is their end game? Where are we headed? Is there a method to the madness swirling around us? I certainly don’t have a high level of confidence in my ability to predict what is going to happen over the next year or two. We know they have succeeded in dumbing down and socially indoctrinating multiple generations through the government run education system. They convinced them to voluntarily relinquish their privacy rights to left wing social media corporations who act in concert with the government surveillance state.
Snowden laid it out for all to see, but the sheep remained passive and willfully ignorant, as long as they were entertained by cute cat videos and tweets from their Hollywood idols. This concocted pandemic crisis has allowed those in control to test how far they could use propaganda, fear, dictatorial edicts and threats to make the masses do as they are told. It has been a resounding success, as the humanity of citizens has been purged by muzzles, social distancing, quarantining in place, banning gatherings (except BLM/ANTIFA protests/riots), and convincing wage earners being forced into joblessness by government mandate is being patriotic.
They have used the pandemic to test universal basic income, paying people not to work. It’s been so popular, most people don’t want to go back to their former jobs. Those receiving the $600 per week don’t care where it comes from. They just know they are making more than they were working. They are satisfied sheltering in place, buying iPhones and ordering from Amazon, while tweeting about social justice and doing their best Karen on Facebook about non face diapering criminals. 1984 (Signet Classics) George Orwell Best Price: $1.49 Buy New $3.58 (as of 10:53 UTC - Details)
That’s why these Silicon Valley behemoth corporations have made billions during this pandemic, while hundreds of thousands of small businesses go dark. It’s almost as if the powers that be want to concentrate more economic power and control in the hands of a few government sanctioned corporations. It’s much easier to control the narrative when 6 corporations dominate the mainstream media and 4 corporations control most of the social media platforms.
Herding large swaths of the population in a particular direction, invoking mass insanity, is not a new occurrence, as it has happened numerous times throughout history. MacKay and Nietzsche have documented previous incidents, but the modern day ability of evil men to socially engineer the herd through technology in a direction beneficial to their agenda has changed the dynamic.
“In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.” – Friedrich Nietzsche “Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, one by one.” – Charles MacKay, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
The goal of the oligarchs is to not allow individuals to recover their senses, one by one. Individuals who question or do not conform to the approved narrative are canceled, attacked or financially ruined by the establishment attack dogs. When assessing why insane falsehoods are peddled to the masses, it’s always a good bet to follow the money. Who benefits financially from a particular narrative?
This entire BLM narrative of systematic racism is complete and utter bullshit. The cities in which the protests and riots have occurred have been run by left wing Democrats for decades. Blacks cast 90% of their votes for Democrats. The slaughtering of young black men is being done by other young black men. The blatantly obvious problem for black people is the 70% of households without a father, exacerbated by the welfare state implemented by liberals.
White people keeping blacks down is a lie. But this big lie is being used to pit the white working class against blacks. This false narrative allows the billionaire class to further loot and pillage the nation through rigged markets and Federal Reserve generosity, while their media corporations promote race wars and conflict based on a false premise. The social media tyrants are worse than the mainstream media. Not only do they promote false narratives on behalf of their benefactors, they easily silence dissenters presenting facts to counter the false narrative. They are disappeared with the click of a mouse. Orwellian censorship is nothing compared to what is being done today. Generations: The Histo... Strauss, William Best Price: $2.03 Buy New $13.78 (as of 03:50 UTC - Details)
Another recent narrative which is entirely false is the national cash/coin shortage, forcing people to pay electronically. Where exactly did the cash and coins go, creating the shortage? Economic activity is dramatically down over the last few months. That should have created a glut of cash and coins. This is an engineered fake shortage, again gauging the reaction of the public to forcing them into a cashless society, where the banking cabal syphons off a percentage of each transaction.
Mom and pop stores prefer cash because they can’t afford the banking fees for debit and credit transactions. A cashless society would put more small business owners out of business. Electronic transactions can be tracked and taxed. Individuals who don’t conform and obey could be electronically canceled. More control and wealth directed into the hands of the powerful.
I know I’m experiencing increasing feelings of anger and disillusionment the longer this contrived crisis is prolonged by the authoritarians dictating from upon high to the normal/deplorables. The anger borders upon depression, as I see no way to reverse the course of this country towards a Marxist future and civil insurrection when they push their agenda too far.
There is a simmering fury building in those being called racist, denied the ability to work, imprisoned in their homes and commanded to face muzzle by tyrant governors. While the biggest banks, retailers, and social media corporations, along with their executives, have enriched themselves during this pandemic, the average American is seeing their lives destroyed and their future getting bleaker by the day. The saber rattling towards China and Russia is another narrative which will be pushed harder as the pandemic panic wears off. They must keep fear alive, to further their aims. War is hugely profitable for the Deep State and Military Industrial Complex.
This Fourth Turning still has five to ten years left before it burns itself out. One thing is for sure. It will not de-intensify before a climax is reached, with clear winners and losers. Much bloodshed is likely to befall the globe before its finale. The rest of 2020 is likely to be chaotic and wrought with the potential for civil conflict. The mail in ballot clash has the potential to sever the Constitutional binds holding this nation together. With the losing side refusing to acknowledge the winner of the presidential election, if it can even be declared on November 3, the civil unrest in the streets seen thus far will look like a walk in the park.
But this will just be a prelude to much larger clashes in the next three years. Just examine events from the prior three Fourth Turnings on an eighty year look back: 1941 – 1943 (Battle of Stalingrad, Battle of Midway); 1861 – 1863 (Battle of Antietam, Battle of Gettysburg, Battle of Vicksburg); 1781 – 1783 (Battle of Yorktown, Treaty of Paris). The turning points of the prior three Fourth Turnings occurred during these eighty year increments. What awaits us in 2021 – 2023? Whatever the challenges that lie ahead, it will require courage, guile, cooperation, and a patriotic love of our country to defeat the globalist scum enslaving the world with their warped, sadistic greed. Millennials Rising: Th... Neil Howe, William Str... Best Price: $0.25 Buy New $8.99 (as of 09:05 UTC - Details)
Huxley’s vision of the future dominated the western world for decades, as mankind has proven they could be trained to love their servitude by satisfying their infinite appetite for distractions. Trivialities, satisfying your ego, passively accepting what you are spoon fed, and seeking pleasure have kept the masses under control until this century. But, 9/11 began ushering in the future Orwell always feared. The Surveillance State was born, with the Patriot Act providing cover for the Deep State to watch everything we do and say, with the social media conglomerates providing the access to our personal information.
Anyone who doesn’t see the connection between this pandemic lockdown and the central theme of Orwell’s 1984, where the government controls the individual by suppressing individual happiness and freedom through a combination of propaganda, manipulation and fear, is choosing to be willfully ignorant. The Thought Police are patrolling social media platforms and censoring the free speech of dissenters, effectively suppressing truth.
Everything is cyclical and we are most certainly entering the darkest period of this cycle. The Fed has created another fake boom in the stock market, but this fictitious prosperity will end in depression, as all credit driven booms do. The American Empire, as we know it, is coming to an end. The only question is whether it goes out with a whimper or a bang.
If you think the world doesn’t make sense and you don’t understand why people aren’t acting rationally, don’t worry. You are the one who is sane. It’s the rest of the world that is crazy. Don’t lose faith. There are others out there who refuse to embrace their servitude. Don’t follow the crowd. Think for yourself. Question everything. Prepare for the worst, because it’s coming. Use your time wisely. Keep your loved ones close. And befriend like minded people. The future of our country hangs in the balance.
“When the whole world is running towards a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.” – C. S. Lewis
Reprinted with permission from The Burning Platform.
The Best of Jim Quinn


lewrockwell--2020-08-04--Funding Is Being Reduced for.Nearly Half of All Major City Police Departments

In recent weeks there has been a tremendous amount of debate about whether police departments around the country should be “ defunded ” or not , but what most Americans don ’ t realize is that it is already happening on a massive scale .
At a time when crime rates are absolutely soaring and civil unrest is raging in major cities across the nation , police budgets are being deeply cut and in some cities there is talk of eliminating police departments altogether .
I knew that a few cities had already made moves in this direction , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening on such a widespread basis .
According to a report prepared by the Police Executive Research Forum , nearly half of the law enforcement agencies that they surveyed “ are reporting that funding has already been slashed or is expected to be reduced ” … Nearly half of 258 agencies surveyed this month are reporting that funding has already been slashed or is expected to be reduced , according to a report slated for release this week by the Police Executive Research Forum , a non-partisan research organization .
Much of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hiring and training accounts , even as a number of cities also are tracking abrupt spikes in violent crime , the report concluded .
The War on Cops : How t ... Mac Donald , Heather Best Price : $ 16.73 Buy New $ 16.61 And in most cases we are not talking about small cuts .
Police funding in Los Angeles has been reduced by 15o million dollars , and police funding in New York has been slashed by a total of one billion dollars .
In Seattle , there had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 percent , but apparently that wasn ’ t good enough for some people and so now a measure has been introduced that would completely “ abolish the entire Seattle Police Department ” … If you live in the Seattle area and you are concerned that in the future you may not have anyone to call if someone breaks into your home , you can rest assured that someone will still be on the other end of the line when you call 911 .
But instead of a police officer with a gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a “ community safety official ” armed with “ science ” and “ reason ” come pedaling out to your place on his or her bike to perform a “ mental health evaluation ” on the individual that you are having a “ disagreement ” with .
Minneapolis is another major city that is considering doing away with the police entirely , but for now the MPD is still operating .
However , right now they are being completely overwhelmed by a massive crime wave that has erupted in the city , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precinct residents they told citizens to be “ prepared to give up your cell phone and purse/wallet ” … I don ’ t know about you , but I would not have been comforted if I had received that email .
Surrender , White Peopl ... Moe , Doug Best Price : $ 19.51 Buy New $ 18.92 Chicago is dealing with an enormous crime wave as well .
At this point , so many people are being gunned down in the city that it is making headlines all over the globe… In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is making headlines , and the latest numbers show that auto thefts in the city hit an all-time record high last quarter… But it really isn ’ t fair to point out just a couple of cities because the crime wave that we are facing is actually national in scope .
Never before have we seen such a dramatic spike in crime in such a short period of time .
The following comes from Fox News… A host of other cities — Houston , Atlanta , Los Angeles , New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also saw spikes in shootings and murders , according to public data .
“ I think it ’ s just a perfect storm of distress in America , ” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in July .
In her city , the police department reported a 240 percent increase in murders ( from 5 to 17 ) when comparing a four-week period ending in July 2019 to the same timeframe this year .
New York City , meanwhile , saw a 277 percent increase in shootings ( from 13 to 49 ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week in July .
In such an environment , does it really make sense to “ defund the police ” ?
Unfortunately , you and I are not the ones making the decisions , and right now police budgets are being dramatically slashed from coast to coast .
The Courageous Police ... Chaix , JC Best Price : $ 35.81 Buy New $ 18.99 Meanwhile , civil unrest continues to simmer in many of our largest cities .
For example , protesters in Portland just made headlines by burning an American flag and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experienced so far is just the beginning .
The upcoming election certainly has the potential to trigger more protests and more riots , and the severe economic downturn that we are currently experiencing will add fuel to the fire as well .
Everywhere you look , people are angry and frustrated , and our society seems to be coming apart at the seams all around us .
It is at such a moment that politicians all over America have decided to radically cut police funding , and needless to say this is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man , woman and child in the entire country .
Reprinted with permission from The Economic Collapse .
The Best of Michael Snyder

In recent weeks there has been a tremendous amount of debate about whether police departments around the country should be “defunded” or not, but what most Americans don’t realize is that it is already happening on a massive scale. At a time when crime rates are absolutely soaring and civil unrest is raging in major cities across the nation, police budgets are being deeply cut and in some cities there is talk of eliminating police departments altogether. I knew that a few cities had already made moves in this direction, but I had no idea that it was happening on such a widespread basis. According to a report prepared by the Police Executive Research Forum, nearly half of the law enforcement agencies that they surveyed “are reporting that funding has already been slashed or is expected to be reduced”…
Nearly half of 258 agencies surveyed this month are reporting that funding has already been slashed or is expected to be reduced, according to a report slated for release this week by the Police Executive Research Forum, a non-partisan research organization. Much of the funding is being pulled from equipment, hiring and training accounts, even as a number of cities also are tracking abrupt spikes in violent crime, the report concluded.
The War on Cops: How t... Mac Donald, Heather Best Price: $16.73 Buy New $16.61 (as of 05:30 UTC - Details) And in most cases we are not talking about small cuts. Police funding in Los Angeles has been reduced by 15o million dollars, and police funding in New York has been slashed by a total of one billion dollars.
Those are staggering numbers.
In Seattle, there had been a proposal to cut police funding by 50 percent, but apparently that wasn’t good enough for some people and so now a measure has been introduced that would completely “abolish the entire Seattle Police Department”…
BREAKING: Seattle City Council moves to abolish the entire Seattle Police Department and replace it with a “civilian led Department of Community Safety & Violence Prevention.” They want to replace the police force with nonprofit programs and “community-led activities.”
If you live in the Seattle area and you are concerned that in the future you may not have anyone to call if someone breaks into your home, you can rest assured that someone will still be on the other end of the line when you call 911.
But instead of a police officer with a gun responding to your call, you may have a “community safety official” armed with “science” and “reason” come pedaling out to your place on his or her bike to perform a “mental health evaluation” on the individual that you are having a “disagreement” with.
Minneapolis is another major city that is considering doing away with the police entirely, but for now the MPD is still operating. However, right now they are being completely overwhelmed by a massive crime wave that has erupted in the city, and in a recent email to 3rd precinct residents they told citizens to be “prepared to give up your cell phone and purse/wallet”…
“Be prepared to give up your cell phone and purse/wallet,” the police said in their email, a copy of which was obtained by Alpha News. The email said citizens should listen to criminals and “do as they say.” The message warned that “some victims have been maced, dragged, assaulted, and some threatened with a gun.”
I don’t know about you, but I would not have been comforted if I had received that email.
Surrender, White Peopl... Moe, Doug Best Price: $19.51 Buy New $18.92 (as of 02:46 UTC - Details) Chicago is dealing with an enormous crime wave as well. At this point, so many people are being gunned down in the city that it is making headlines all over the globe…
Data released on Saturday showed that Chicago saw 440 homicides between January 2020 through the end of June, a 52 percent increase from the same time period last year (which saw 290 homicides). Shooting victims similarly increased by 51 percent (1,480 to 2,240) and shooting incidents themselves rose 47 percent (from 1,210 to 1,783).
In Los Angeles, it is property crime that is making headlines, and the latest numbers show that auto thefts in the city hit an all-time record high last quarter…
A COVID-19-induced recession, with exceptionally high unemployment in Los Angeles, has resulted in record-high auto thefts in 2Q20. A new report via Crosstown LA, who examined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) data, reveals that 5,744 vehicle thefts occurred between April and June, up 57.7% from the same period last year.
But it really isn’t fair to point out just a couple of cities because the crime wave that we are facing is actually national in scope.
Never before have we seen such a dramatic spike in crime in such a short period of time. The following comes from Fox News…
A host of other cities — Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland and Seattle — also saw spikes in shootings and murders, according to public data. “I think it’s just a perfect storm of distress in America,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in July. In her city, the police department reported a 240 percent increase in murders (from 5 to 17) when comparing a four-week period ending in July 2019 to the same timeframe this year. New York City, meanwhile, saw a 277 percent increase in shootings (from 13 to 49) when observing the year-over-year change for one week in July.
In such an environment, does it really make sense to “defund the police”?
Unfortunately, you and I are not the ones making the decisions, and right now police budgets are being dramatically slashed from coast to coast. The Courageous Police ... Chaix, JC Best Price: $35.81 Buy New $18.99 (as of 04:27 UTC - Details)
Meanwhile, civil unrest continues to simmer in many of our largest cities. For example, protesters in Portland just made headlines by burning an American flag and a Bible…
Protesters burned an American flag and a Bible in Portland, Oregon, sparking outrage just as weeks of violent demonstrations seemed to be coming to a close. For more than 60 days, Black Lives Matters demonstrators, including a “Wall of Moms” and a “Wall of Vets,” have clashed with federal agents in the city, drawing national attention as authorities blasted marchers with tear gas and the civilians at times responded with weapons of their own — such as feces, bleach, bricks or batteries.
Sadly, what we have experienced so far is just the beginning. The upcoming election certainly has the potential to trigger more protests and more riots, and the severe economic downturn that we are currently experiencing will add fuel to the fire as well.
Everywhere you look, people are angry and frustrated, and our society seems to be coming apart at the seams all around us.
It is at such a moment that politicians all over America have decided to radically cut police funding, and needless to say this is going to have very serious implications for every man, woman and child in the entire country.
Reprinted with permission from The Economic Collapse.
The Best of Michael Snyder


In Your Face

Jefferson wrote that it is evil and tyrannical to force a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he despises .
Something far more evil and tyrannical is afoot .
Or rather , being forced onto people ’ s faces .
The thing itself is itself is merely sad .
Its wearer – by choice – identifies himself as a person easily scared or very neurotic .
A person who believes that death – as opposed to the cases !
the cases !
– is in the air rather than being transmitted over the air .
The Case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New $ 12.99 If this person were thinking rather than feeling , he would not wear a dirty bandana over his face nor be calmed by the sight of others so attired .
He would wear at least an N100 mask/respirator – something that is actually effective at “ stopping the spread ” .
.
.
but which also costs a great deal more than a dirty bandana or a throw-away face condom .
Apparently , his life – and granny ’ s – isn ’ t worth the $ 25 or so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better device .
Plus the goggles .
Mustn ’ t forget them .
.
.
assuming this isn ’ t about feelings .
But of course , it is about spreading submission – to an idea – by participating in a ritual .
By making everyone look the same the impression is conveyed that they think the same .
Which serves to legitimize this sameness .
The Invisible Enemy Garrett , Mr. Gregory L ... Buy New $ 26.94 It also serves another , more despicable purpose .
That being to make the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When he knows better .
Precisely because he does know better .
He must be made to submit in order to make it clear that they can make him .
To break him , in other words .
The Imposed Diaper is the visible symbol of the coerced submission of the thinking individual to an idea he finds foolish and absurd ; it is no different than making an adult suck his thumb – or put his thumb in another place – as the price of being permitted to go out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business .
The Best of Eric Peters

Jefferson wrote that it is evil and tyrannical to force a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he despises.
Something far more evil and tyrannical is afoot. Or rather, being forced onto people’s faces.
The Diaper.
The thing itself is itself is merely sad. Its wearer – by choice – identifies himself as a person easily scared or very neurotic. A person who believes that death – as opposed to the cases! the cases! – is in the air rather than being transmitted over the air. The Case Against Masks... Heckenlively, Kent Buy New $12.99 (as of 04:52 UTC - Details)
And that feelings prevent sickness.
If this person were thinking rather than feeling, he would not wear a dirty bandana over his face nor be calmed by the sight of others so attired. He would wear at least an N100 mask/respirator – something that is actually effective at “stopping the spread” . . . but which also costs a great deal more than a dirty bandana or a throw-away face condom.
Apparently, his life – and granny’s – isn’t worth the $25 or so it takes to buy an N100 or better device. Plus the goggles. Mustn’t forget them . . . assuming this isn’t about feelings.
But of course, it is about spreading submission – to an idea – by participating in a ritual.
By making everyone look the same the impression is conveyed that they think the same. Which serves to legitimize this sameness. The Invisible Enemy Garrett, Mr. Gregory L... Buy New $26.94 (as of 05:21 UTC - Details)
It also serves another, more despicable purpose. That being to make the thinking feel – by looking – foolish. When he knows better.
Precisely because he does know better. He must be made to submit in order to make it clear that they can make him.
To break him, in other words.
The Imposed Diaper is the visible symbol of the coerced submission of the thinking individual to an idea he finds foolish and absurd; it is no different than making an adult suck his thumb – or put his thumb in another place – as the price of being permitted to go out in public or go into a place of business.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Eric Peters


lewrockwell--2020-08-04--A Glimpse Towards November

A Glimpse Towards November

These dog days of summer , an anxious stillness descends across the USA as the pandemic pulses through the land in fearsome new waves , and incomes vanish , and businesses roll over , and unpaid payments-due tip lives into the bardo of default , and the idle hours of no work , no money , no company , and perhaps no future weigh cruelly on the 99 percent of citizens not girded with portfolios of FAANG stocks .
A collapse of just about everything is on all at once — economic , political , cultural , social — and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 .
The New York Times and its media co-seditionists insist that massive mail-in voting will do just fine despite plenty of evidence that it ’ s already a demonstrable fiasco — for instance in the recent New York primary where two congressional district contests remain undecided months later due to ballot irregularities .
The boards of election “ had operational issues , ” as Governor Cuomo put it , “ and we have to learn from them ” — another teachable moment in the Democratic Party ’ s valiant struggle to morally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yesterday ’ s Man : ... Marcetic , Branko Best Price : $ 12.00 Buy New $ 13.46 Over in Nevada , the state legislature passed a mail-in vote scheme that will send ballots out to everybody and his-or-her uncle , with no ID required , and a feature that permits ballots to be filled-out by someone other than the addressed voter .
Nice !
A “ ballot-harvesting ” model for other states .
In California , where anybody with a driver ’ s license is automatically registered to vote via the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” ballots will go out to 600,000 un-documented non-citizens who were granted licenses under a separate act ( AB-60 ) the same year .
Do you suppose all of them will conscientiously toss their ballots in the trash while California ’ s mighty Democratic Party machine importunes them to vote early-and-often ?
There ’ s your set-up for a 2020 election that can ’ t possibly be resolved , and a recipe for a Hieronymus Bosch style orgy of Lawfare litigation that would deliberately seek to confound the Federal Election Commission ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as Lawfare is doing in the mess of a case against General Flynn — and effectively end 232 years of continuous , orderly four-year election cycles .
Is that what you want ?
The other index of the Democratic Party ’ s desperation is the ongoing emperor ’ s-new-clothes charade posing the effigy of Joe Biden as a serious candidate for a rather important position in government .
Everybody knows that they know — and we know that they know that we all know — that Mr. Biden is sailing into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each day !
His every staged performance is an obvious embarrassment of fumbled phrases and things forgotten .
They are going to have to find a replacement .
It really comes down to two figures : Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton .
What a predicament !
Fallout : Nuclear Bribe ... Bruner , Seamus Buy New $ 25.20 Mr. Sanders , though not demented , is just too old and his heart attack earlier in the year can ’ t be reassuring — not to mention the fact that as a declared “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the old blue-collar swing states to render him a loser .
Plus , the DNC hierarchy hates him , has plotted against him at every turn in the past two presidential primary seasons , and quite possibly rigged this year ’ s Super Tuesday vote to successfully dump him in favor of the phantom they now pretend is leading the party .
Hillary still owns the DNC — literally .
Nobody knows how much of the Clinton Foundation ’ s ill-gotten moolah still underwrites the party ’ s national operations .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allegations about Bill Clinton ’ s capers on Epstein ’ s Pedo Island , is a strange twist with mystifying implications — especially the timing and the motives of those in the DOJ ’ s Southern District who stage-managed it .
With the Clintons , intrigues always abound .
But if ever there was a Lady Macbeth moment for wickedness to prevail , this is it .
For now , the old warhorse is laying low on her yoga mat somewhere in the Chappaqua woods .
Power Grab : The Libera ... Chaffetz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buy New $ 18.06 Who else is there ?
Andrew Cuomo , a longshot with that rap hanging over him about sending thousands of geezers to certain Covid-19 death in infected nursing homes , and Michelle Obama , a fairytale possibility that would have all the optics of an outright coup d ’ état .
In the meantime , the Dems have ginned up a soap opera over Mr. Biden ’ s supposed running-mate , starring several requisite POCs of the female persuasion , all unappetizing personalities , each in a distinctive way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the main job when Mr. Biden is issued his 25th Amendment pink slip .
The party has been half-heartedly hoisting their trial balloons in a predictable rotation following the dismally obvious affirmative-action script , just another hustle in the season of Black Lives Matter , the hallucination du jour in a year of neo-medieval mass psychosis .
The Best of James Howard Kunstler

These dog days of summer, an anxious stillness descends across the USA as the pandemic pulses through the land in fearsome new waves, and incomes vanish, and businesses roll over, and unpaid payments-due tip lives into the bardo of default, and the idle hours of no work, no money, no company, and perhaps no future weigh cruelly on the 99 percent of citizens not girded with portfolios of FAANG stocks. A collapse of just about everything is on all at once — economic, political, cultural, social — and the election looms yet more ominously than Covid-19.
The New York Times and its media co-seditionists insist that massive mail-in voting will do just fine despite plenty of evidence that it’s already a demonstrable fiasco — for instance in the recent New York primary where two congressional district contests remain undecided months later due to ballot irregularities. The boards of election “had operational issues,” as Governor Cuomo put it, “and we have to learn from them” — another teachable moment in the Democratic Party’s valiant struggle to morally improve America strictly on its own terms.
Yesterday’s Man:... Marcetic, Branko Best Price: $12.00 Buy New $13.46 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details) Over in Nevada, the state legislature passed a mail-in vote scheme that will send ballots out to everybody and his-or-her uncle, with no ID required, and a feature that permits ballots to be filled-out by someone other than the addressed voter. Nice! A “ballot-harvesting” model for other states. In California, where anybody with a driver’s license is automatically registered to vote via the 2015 “New Motor Voter Act,” ballots will go out to 600,000 un-documented non-citizens who were granted licenses under a separate act (AB-60) the same year. Do you suppose all of them will conscientiously toss their ballots in the trash while California’s mighty Democratic Party machine importunes them to vote early-and-often?
There’s your set-up for a 2020 election that can’t possibly be resolved, and a recipe for a Hieronymus Bosch style orgy of Lawfare litigation that would deliberately seek to confound the Federal Election Commission’s best efforts to untangle the mess — just as Lawfare is doing in the mess of a case against General Flynn — and effectively end 232 years of continuous, orderly four-year election cycles. Is that what you want?
The other index of the Democratic Party’s desperation is the ongoing emperor’s-new-clothes charade posing the effigy of Joe Biden as a serious candidate for a rather important position in government. Everybody knows that they know — and we know that they know that we all know — that Mr. Biden is sailing into a fog-bank of senility, and more measurably each day! His every staged performance is an obvious embarrassment of fumbled phrases and things forgotten. They are going to have to find a replacement. It really comes down to two figures: Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. What a predicament! Fallout: Nuclear Bribe... Bruner, Seamus Buy New $25.20 (as of 04:53 UTC - Details)
Mr. Sanders, though not demented, is just too old and his heart attack earlier in the year can’t be reassuring — not to mention the fact that as a declared “socialist” he automatically alienates enough voters in the old blue-collar swing states to render him a loser. Plus, the DNC hierarchy hates him, has plotted against him at every turn in the past two presidential primary seasons, and quite possibly rigged this year’s Super Tuesday vote to successfully dump him in favor of the phantom they now pretend is leading the party.
Hillary still owns the DNC — literally. Nobody knows how much of the Clinton Foundation’s ill-gotten moolah still underwrites the party’s national operations. The arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell, with new allegations about Bill Clinton’s capers on Epstein’s Pedo Island, is a strange twist with mystifying implications — especially the timing and the motives of those in the DOJ’s Southern District who stage-managed it. With the Clintons, intrigues always abound. But if ever there was a Lady Macbeth moment for wickedness to prevail, this is it. For now, the old warhorse is laying low on her yoga mat somewhere in the Chappaqua woods.
Power Grab: The Libera... Chaffetz, Jason Best Price: $9.54 Buy New $18.06 (as of 04:27 UTC - Details) Who else is there? Andrew Cuomo, a longshot with that rap hanging over him about sending thousands of geezers to certain Covid-19 death in infected nursing homes, and Michelle Obama, a fairytale possibility that would have all the optics of an outright coup d’état.
In the meantime, the Dems have ginned up a soap opera over Mr. Biden’s supposed running-mate, starring several requisite POCs of the female persuasion, all unappetizing personalities, each in a distinctive way, none of them qualified to step into the main job when Mr. Biden is issued his 25th Amendment pink slip. The party has been half-heartedly hoisting their trial balloons in a predictable rotation following the dismally obvious affirmative-action script, just another hustle in the season of Black Lives Matter, the hallucination du jour in a year of neo-medieval mass psychosis.
Reprinted with permission from Kunstler.com.
The Best of James Howard Kunstler


lewrockwell--2020-08-04--US Government & Yale Hold Clinical Trials On How Best To ‘Persuade’ Americans To Take COVID-19 Vacci

US Government & Yale Hold Clinical Trials On How Best To ‘Persuade’ Americans To Take COVID-19 Vaccine

What Happened : The US Federal government in collaboration with Yale University held clinical trials to determine what the best messaging would be to persuade Americans to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it is ready .
The news of this study does show an interest in finding the best way to persuade people into an ideal decision for the Federal government , and likely vaccine makers , and it also shows that a mandatory vaccine campaign may still be the plan B down the road , as opposed to plan A .
The official title of the trial is , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : a Randomized Controlled Trial , Part 1.
” Propaganda Edward Bernays Best Price : $ 6.42 Buy New $ 9.66 According to the brief summary for trial : This study tests different messages about vaccinating against COVID-19 once the vaccine becomes available .
Participants are randomized to 1 of 12 arms , with one control arm and one baseline arm .
We will compare the reported willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine at 3 and 6 months of it becoming available between the 10 intervention arms to the 2 control arms .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which matches census based sampling in online recruitment .
The study essentially looks at the best possible messaging that can be used on Americans , ranging from expressing vaccine benefits , to using messaging about economic impact , making someone feel guilty or embarrassed for not taking the vaccine , and so on .
The study looked at around 4000 participants aged 18 years and up , all of whom had to be US residents of course .
The various ‘ arms ’ used in the study when it came to messaging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study also looked at various social elements involved in vaccination , see below : The Politics of Obedie ... Etienne de la Boetie Best Price : $ 7.00 Buy New $ 7.00 Why This Matters : As more credible information about vaccinations and their associated dangers circles the internet and informs people , their choice to not vaccinate in certain situations is increasing .
As noted by The World Health Organization , even doctors are starting to question and have a lack of trust in vaccines .
Because of all of this , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work harder to convince people to get vaccines so their profits can stay where they are at .
We are seeing the power of free and open media .
You can likely guess you would not see a story like this nor honest coverage about vaccines in mainstream media .
Battle for the Mind : A ... William Sargant Best Price : $ 5.02 Buy New $ 15.89 The Takeaway : Humanity is waking up to truths that have long been held hidden behind the lack of honest media and government .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going on behind the scenes , we are beginning to ask even deeper questions .
Why have we not be told the full story ?
Why do we give up our power to those who do not have our best interests at heart ?
What role are they playing in the awakening of humanity ?
Who are we ?
Why are we truly here and why are we not thriving as a global society ?
What is truly holding us back ?
These questions lead us inwards to explore the true nature of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lack the solutions in our world to allow humanity to thrive ?
Or is it that human consciousness is suppressed and stuck in a story of separation ?
Raising human consciousness is the solution we ’ re looking for .

What Happened: The US Federal government in collaboration with Yale University held clinical trials to determine what the best messaging would be to persuade Americans to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it is ready. The news of this study does show an interest in finding the best way to persuade people into an ideal decision for the Federal government, and likely vaccine makers, and it also shows that a mandatory vaccine campaign may still be the plan B down the road, as opposed to plan A.
The official title of the trial is, “Persuasive Messages for COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake: a Randomized Controlled Trial, Part 1.”
Propaganda Edward Bernays Best Price: $6.42 Buy New $9.66 (as of 07:40 UTC - Details) According to the brief summary for trial:
This study tests different messages about vaccinating against COVID-19 once the vaccine becomes available. Participants are randomized to 1 of 12 arms, with one control arm and one baseline arm. We will compare the reported willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine at 3 and 6 months of it becoming available between the 10 intervention arms to the 2 control arms. Study participants are recruited online by Lucid, which matches census based sampling in online recruitment.
The study essentially looks at the best possible messaging that can be used on Americans, ranging from expressing vaccine benefits, to using messaging about economic impact, making someone feel guilty or embarrassed for not taking the vaccine, and so on.
The study looked at around 4000 participants aged 18 years and up, all of whom had to be US residents of course.
The various ‘arms’ used in the study when it came to messaging were as follows:
Other: Control message
Other: Baseline message
Other: Personal freedom message
Other: Economic freedom message
Other: Self-interest message
Other: Community interest message
Other: Economic benefit message
Other: Guilt message
Other: Embarrassment message
Other: Anger message
Other: Trust in science message
Other: Not bravery message
Interestingly, the study also looked at various social elements involved in vaccination, see below: The Politics of Obedie... Etienne de la Boetie Best Price: $7.00 Buy New $7.00 (as of 05:45 UTC - Details)
Primary Outcome Measures : Intention to get COVID-19 vaccine [ Time Frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided ]This is a self reported measure, immediately after the intervention message, of the likelihood of getting a COVID-19 vaccination within 3 months and then 6 months of it becoming available. During analysis, responses among those assigned to different intervention messages will be compared to those in the control group.
Secondary Outcome Measures : Vaccine confidence scale [ Time Frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided ]This is a validated scale. This scale will be used to assess the impact of the messages on vaccine confidence. (Outcome assessed only for the half of the sample that answers these items post-treatment) Persuade others item [ Time Frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided ]This is a measure of a willingness to persuade others to take the COVID-19 vaccine . Fear of those who have not been vaccinated [ Time Frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided ]This is a measure of a comfort with an unvaccinated individual visiting an elderly friend after a vaccine becomes available Social judgment of those who do not vaccinate [ Time Frame: Immediately after intervention, in the same survey in which the intervention message is provided ]This is a scale composed of 4 items measuring the trustworthiness, selfishness, likeableness, and competence of those who choose not to get vaccinated after a vaccine becomes available.
Why This Matters: As more credible information about vaccinations and their associated dangers circles the internet and informs people, their choice to not vaccinate in certain situations is increasing. As noted by The World Health Organization, even doctors are starting to question and have a lack of trust in vaccines. Because of all of this, I believe pharmaceutical companies now have to work harder to convince people to get vaccines so their profits can stay where they are at. We are seeing the power of free and open media. You can likely guess you would not see a story like this nor honest coverage about vaccines in mainstream media. Battle for the Mind: A... William Sargant Best Price: $5.02 Buy New $15.89 (as of 04:04 UTC - Details)
The Takeaway: Humanity is waking up to truths that have long been held hidden behind the lack of honest media and government. As we begin to understand what is truly going on behind the scenes, we are beginning to ask even deeper questions. Why have we not be told the full story? Why do we give up our power to those who do not have our best interests at heart? What role are they playing in the awakening of humanity? Who are we? Why are we truly here and why are we not thriving as a global society? What is truly holding us back?
These questions lead us inwards to explore the true nature of who we are. Do we really lack the solutions in our world to allow humanity to thrive? Or is it that human consciousness is suppressed and stuck in a story of separation? Raising human consciousness is the solution we’re looking for.
Reprinted with permission from Collective Evolution.


lewrockwell--2020-08-05--The Voluntary End of America Due to a Coronavirus Hoax

Unemployment has surged to levels never before seen in this country , but not one politician has lost his job due to any lockdown .
There were over 40 million job losses by the end of May due to government mandates , and this deliberately structured second phase plot will see that number continue to increase dramatically .
Not only will many more lose their jobs , but also millions of those jobs will be lost permanently .
How is it that those that created and implemented this fake pandemic , from the banking and corporate heads , the tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations and pharmaceutical companies , and the politicians that serve their interests , have been unaffected by this insanity ?
Why is it that the top tier of so-called elites and all the politicians are still employed and gaining great wealth while the rest of Americans are suffering and dying ?
What on earth is essential about a politician , and why are they living in the lap of luxury while this country is driven to hell ?
“ You [ the peasant ] yield your bodies unto hard labor in order that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] may indulge in his delights and wallow in his filthy pleasures ; you weaken yourselves in order to make him the stronger and the mightier to hold you in check.
” The Politics of Obedie ... de La Boetie , Etienne Best Price : $ 9.06 Buy New $ 8.00 The masses are certainly being held in check , and in fact , the state is getting more aggressive in its efforts to enforce all the draconian restrictions necessary so that it can continue to gain power .
While multiple global agendas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one main goal ; and that is to achieve total and complete control over humanity .
That is the ultimate agenda sought , and it gets closer to fruition every single day .
What is imperative to understand , is that there is no real evidence to support that any deaths have occurred from any coronavirus supposedly linked or specific to what is being labeled as SARS-CoV-2 .
Because this supposed virus has never been properly isolated or reproduced , has never satisfied Koch ’ s Postulates , and no antibodies specific to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , how can any of this brutal and murderous response by governments be justified ?
It can not be justified , so those attempts to do so are based on nefarious lies and propaganda needed by the state in order to advance its plan for the takeover of the human masses .
We are in the midst of the most sinister period in our history , as the set-up for what has been labeled ‘ Phase 2 ’ of this plot , if allowed to go forward , will guarantee that huge numbers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flu season .
Those deaths will not be due to anything called Covid-19 , but will be used by the perpetrators of this fraud to ramp up totalitarian rule in what has already been devastating for most all in this country .
This is planned first-degree murder by the state , as every mandate that has been levied on the public causes harmful stress , ill health effects , and dramatically reduced immune system function .
This will lead to record-breaking sickness and death , and all of it will be blamed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to exist .
Wearing oxygen-stealing masks that cause multiple problems , isolating from family and friends , distancing , job loss , loss of identity , poverty , and mass fear mongering by the government and mainstream media will weaken this population to the point of being nearly defenseless against any and every possible sickness .
The elderly will once again be the hardest hit initially , but as winter progresses , every age will succumb to more sickness than normal due to the state prepared conditions necessary to breed a health disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Etienne de La Best Price : $ 9.05 Buy New $ 7.99 Measures to keep people in line will continue to become more stringent , and more aggressive enforcement will occur .
This escalation has already begun , and will only get worse as time goes by .
As this flu season gets closer , stronger force will be used by the state in order to gain mass obedience .
Those that resist will be targeted more and more , so that they can be marginalized and shamed into compliance .
Once acquiescence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ offset the few that will never accept this madness , the next phase of this takeover , the vaccination phase , will be ready to launch .
Once the killer vaccination is said to be ready , there will be an initial voluntary mass acceptance , but the voluntary aspect of delivering this toxic concoction will change rapidly .
At first , there will be adverse consequences for those not accepting a vaccination and getting an immunity certificate .
Restrictions on movement , all travel , necessary daily duties such as shopping for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ venue will be forthcoming , and eventually , access to banking accounts and investment assets could be limited by the state for any dissenters .
With a weak society purposely created by state lockdowns and isolation , vaccination by Gates and his cohorts will prove to exacerbate the already tenuous situation facing the general population .
Vaccinating already weak individuals with inadequate immune response systems , especially with multiple virus strains and many unknown adjuvants and other hidden ingredients , will lead to much higher deaths , all of course attributed to Covid-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine , and injecting it into hundreds of millions of Americans are completely exempt from monetary liability and prosecution due to any adverse effects evident .
In other words , the pharmaceutical companies , the vaccine manufacturers , the ‘ health ’ organizations , and the government are all held harmless regardless of how many they murder .
The instability and chaos is just beginning , and it will continue to worsen .
Rioting , looting , and property destruction will get worse , and it will spread .
Food production and delivery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecution of those not willing to comply will increase , bankruptcies will become common , and increased suicide will become normalized .
The Vintage Mencken : T ... Mencken , H.L .
Best Price : $ 2.11 Buy New $ 8.23 In the midst of all this lunacy , a worthless presidential election will be held , and the risk of extreme violence and hatred will take center stage during the most destructive period of our existence .
The results of this election are irrelevant concerning the problems we now face , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understand this truth .
Regardless of the winner of this political circus , the rest of us will suffer for many years to come , and the state ’ s agenda of control will not cease .
This tyranny will not end unless the people of this country in great mass say no more , and in doing so have the courage to face any obstacle in the way of regaining freedom .
“ The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed ( and hence clamorous to be led @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an endless series of hobgoblins , all of them imaginary.
” The Best of Gary D. Barnett

Unemployment has surged to levels never before seen in this country, but not one politician has lost his job due to any lockdown. There were over 40 million job losses by the end of May due to government mandates, and this deliberately structured second phase plot will see that number continue to increase dramatically. Not only will many more lose their jobs, but also millions of those jobs will be lost permanently. How is it that those that created and implemented this fake pandemic, from the banking and corporate heads, the tax exempt foundations, the ‘health’ organizations and pharmaceutical companies, and the politicians that serve their interests, have been unaffected by this insanity? Why is it that the top tier of so-called elites and all the politicians are still employed and gaining great wealth while the rest of Americans are suffering and dying? What on earth is essential about a politician, and why are they living in the lap of luxury while this country is driven to hell?
“You [the peasant] yield your bodies unto hard labor in order that he [the tyrant or the state] may indulge in his delights and wallow in his filthy pleasures; you weaken yourselves in order to make him the stronger and the mightier to hold you in check.” The Politics of Obedie... de La Boetie, Etienne Best Price: $9.06 Buy New $8.00 (as of 02:20 UTC - Details)
Étienne de La Boétie—“The Politics of Obedience: Discourse of Voluntary Servitude
The masses are certainly being held in check, and in fact, the state is getting more aggressive in its efforts to enforce all the draconian restrictions necessary so that it can continue to gain power. While multiple global agendas are being advanced, there is but one main goal; and that is to achieve total and complete control over humanity. That is the ultimate agenda sought, and it gets closer to fruition every single day.
What is imperative to understand, is that there is no real evidence to support that any deaths have occurred from any coronavirus supposedly linked or specific to what is being labeled as SARS-CoV-2. Because this supposed virus has never been properly isolated or reproduced, has never satisfied Koch’s Postulates, and no antibodies specific to this ‘virus’ have been identified, how can any of this brutal and murderous response by governments be justified? It cannot be justified, so those attempts to do so are based on nefarious lies and propaganda needed by the state in order to advance its plan for the takeover of the human masses.
We are in the midst of the most sinister period in our history, as the set-up for what has been labeled ‘Phase 2’ of this plot, if allowed to go forward, will guarantee that huge numbers of deaths will occur during this coming flu season. Those deaths will not be due to anything called Covid-19, but will be used by the perpetrators of this fraud to ramp up totalitarian rule in what has already been devastating for most all in this country. This is planned first-degree murder by the state, as every mandate that has been levied on the public causes harmful stress, ill health effects, and dramatically reduced immune system function. This will lead to record-breaking sickness and death, and all of it will be blamed on this coronavirus that has never been proven to exist. Wearing oxygen-stealing masks that cause multiple problems, isolating from family and friends, distancing, job loss, loss of identity, poverty, and mass fear mongering by the government and mainstream media will weaken this population to the point of being nearly defenseless against any and every possible sickness. The elderly will once again be the hardest hit initially, but as winter progresses, every age will succumb to more sickness than normal due to the state prepared conditions necessary to breed a health disaster. Discourse on Voluntary... Boetie, Etienne de La Best Price: $9.05 Buy New $7.99 (as of 05:16 UTC - Details)
Measures to keep people in line will continue to become more stringent, and more aggressive enforcement will occur. This escalation has already begun, and will only get worse as time goes by. As this flu season gets closer, stronger force will be used by the state in order to gain mass obedience. Those that resist will be targeted more and more, so that they can be marginalized and shamed into compliance. Once acquiescence by the herd is strong enough to offset the few that will never accept this madness, the next phase of this takeover, the vaccination phase, will be ready to launch.
Once the killer vaccination is said to be ready, there will be an initial voluntary mass acceptance, but the voluntary aspect of delivering this toxic concoction will change rapidly. At first, there will be adverse consequences for those not accepting a vaccination and getting an immunity certificate. Restrictions on movement, all travel, necessary daily duties such as shopping for food, and being in any public venue will be forthcoming, and eventually, access to banking accounts and investment assets could be limited by the state for any dissenters.
With a weak society purposely created by state lockdowns and isolation, vaccination by Gates and his cohorts will prove to exacerbate the already tenuous situation facing the general population. Vaccinating already weak individuals with inadequate immune response systems, especially with multiple virus strains and many unknown adjuvants and other hidden ingredients, will lead to much higher deaths, all of course attributed to Covid-19. Those responsible for creating this untested vaccine, and injecting it into hundreds of millions of Americans are completely exempt from monetary liability and prosecution due to any adverse effects evident. In other words, the pharmaceutical companies, the vaccine manufacturers, the ‘health’ organizations, and the government are all held harmless regardless of how many they murder.
The instability and chaos is just beginning, and it will continue to worsen. Rioting, looting, and property destruction will get worse, and it will spread. Food production and delivery will lessen, prices will rise, prosecution of those not willing to comply will increase, bankruptcies will become common, and increased suicide will become normalized. The Vintage Mencken: T... Mencken, H.L. Best Price: $2.11 Buy New $8.23 (as of 02:45 UTC - Details)
In the midst of all this lunacy, a worthless presidential election will be held, and the risk of extreme violence and hatred will take center stage during the most destructive period of our existence. The results of this election are irrelevant concerning the problems we now face, but the red and blue sheep do not understand this truth. Regardless of the winner of this political circus, the rest of us will suffer for many years to come, and the state’s agenda of control will not cease. This tyranny will not end unless the people of this country in great mass say no more, and in doing so have the courage to face any obstacle in the way of regaining freedom.
“The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.”
~ H.L. Mencken (2012). “Mencken Chrestomathy”, p.29, Vintage
The Best of Gary D. Barnett


lewrockwell--2020-08-05--The Canonization of John Lewis

The Canonization of John Lewis

The extravagant tributes conferred by the conservative establishment on the onetime civil rights leader and longtime Atlanta Democratic congressman John Lewis are as ineffectual as they are utterly tasteless .
Lewis ’ s moments of fame came when he accompanied Martin Luther King , Jr. , on his March on Washington in 1963 , demonstrating for what became the Voting Rights Act .
They then fatefully crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma , Alabama on March 7 , 1965 , leading to a clash with police in which Lewis sustained serious injuries to his head .
Whether or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , no one should question that the black protesters were treated brutally and that what happened to Lewis was inexcusable .
His Truth Is Marching ... Meacham , Jon Buy New $ 32.00 Lewis later made a career out of this inexcusable treatment on Bloody Sunday , holding a congressional seat in Georgia ’ s overwhelmingly black 5th District from 1987 until his death .
The media , including—or especially—Fox News , presented Lewis as an exemplary “ man of principle.
” I heard this phrase so often from authorized conservatives that after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it as a form of doxology .
One editorialist at the neoconservative Boston Herald balked at the idea of renaming the Pettus Bridge in Selma , which still bears the name of a “ racist ” Confederate commander , for the deceased Lewis .
Although this gesture , it has been suggested , might help morale what with the town ’ s sagging economy , the editorialist complains that renaming the bridge might not be enough .
More grandiose ways must be devised to honor the civil rights leader .
This genuflecting from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is impossible think of anything Lewis did in Congress that would please a non-leftist .
He played the race card against Republicans and attacked Trump with extraordinary ferocity as a “ racist , ” particularly in a widely noted speech on July 17 , 2019 .
Lewis also refused to go to Trump ’ s inauguration and worked tirelessly to get him impeached .
Although Trump never hesitated to fire back , it was clear that he was going after someone who loathed him profoundly and who thought he was a dangerous white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New $ 22.95 Lewis also railed against the Confederate Battle Flag almost as obsessively as National Review Editor Rich Lowry and Sen. Lindsey Graham ( R-N.C. ) —as a hate symbol that should never be publicly displayed .
Curiously , Lewis and King had once considered that battle flag as a symbol for the black civil rights movement .
Lewis also became an enthusiastic backer of the LGBT cause , although his venerated mentor Martin Luther King had expressed views on homosexuality that would nowadays cause him to be canceled , even by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even for the impeccably principled , but not so for Lewis ’ s righteous indignation , which continued to erupt .
The Best of Paul Gottfried

The extravagant tributes conferred by the conservative establishment on the onetime civil rights leader and longtime Atlanta Democratic congressman John Lewis are as ineffectual as they are utterly tasteless.
Lewis’s moments of fame came when he accompanied Martin Luther King, Jr., on his March on Washington in 1963, demonstrating for what became the Voting Rights Act. They then fatefully crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965, leading to a clash with police in which Lewis sustained serious injuries to his head. Whether or not one approves of the Voting Rights Act, no one should question that the black protesters were treated brutally and that what happened to Lewis was inexcusable.
His Truth Is Marching ... Meacham, Jon Buy New $32.00 (as of 05:16 UTC - Details) Lewis later made a career out of this inexcusable treatment on Bloody Sunday, holding a congressional seat in Georgia’s overwhelmingly black 5th District from 1987 until his death. The media, including—or especially—Fox News, presented Lewis as an exemplary “man of principle.” I heard this phrase so often from authorized conservatives that after a while I came to think of it as a form of doxology. One editorialist at the neoconservative Boston Herald balked at the idea of renaming the Pettus Bridge in Selma, which still bears the name of a “racist” Confederate commander, for the deceased Lewis. Although this gesture, it has been suggested, might help morale what with the town’s sagging economy, the editorialist complains that renaming the bridge might not be enough. More grandiose ways must be devised to honor the civil rights leader.
This genuflecting from the right comes despite the fact that is impossible think of anything Lewis did in Congress that would please a non-leftist. He played the race card against Republicans and attacked Trump with extraordinary ferocity as a “racist,” particularly in a widely noted speech on July 17, 2019. Lewis also refused to go to Trump’s inauguration and worked tirelessly to get him impeached. Although Trump never hesitated to fire back, it was clear that he was going after someone who loathed him profoundly and who thought he was a dangerous white racist. The Vanishing Traditio... Buy New $22.95 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details)
Lewis also railed against the Confederate Battle Flag almost as obsessively as National Review Editor Rich Lowry and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-N.C.)—as a hate symbol that should never be publicly displayed. Curiously, Lewis and King had once considered that battle flag as a symbol for the black civil rights movement. Lewis also became an enthusiastic backer of the LGBT cause, although his venerated mentor Martin Luther King had expressed views on homosexuality that would nowadays cause him to be canceled, even by Conservatism Inc. Apparently, principles change even for the impeccably principled, but not so for Lewis’s righteous indignation, which continued to erupt.
Read the Whole Article
The Best of Paul Gottfried


lewrockwell--2020-08-05--The Leftist Effort To Rewrite American History

There is very little new under the sun .
The monument and statue destruction that we are witnessing has been witnessed in other times and other places .
A tyrant ’ s first battlefield is to rewrite history .
Most notable were the political purges of Joseph Stalin .
The Soviet government erased figures from Soviet history by renaming cities — such as the Imperial capital of St. Petersburg to Petrograd and Leningrad and Stalingrad — and eradicating memories of czarist rule .
Stalin ’ s historical revisions also included changing photographs and history books , thereby distorting children ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of ISIS and the Taliban have called the recent U.S. trend of angry mobs destroying statues “ inspiring but a bit amateur , ” and agreed to send advisers to Antifa and other far-left groups on how to erase historical artifacts .
“ Destroying all art , culture and history from previous eras is obviously constructive , ” said ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi .
“ But they ’ ve got to do it in a more dramatic way .
We beheaded statues with a sword .
The Taliban blew up ancient Buddhas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a truck and dragging it down just doesn ’ t have the same dramatic effect.
” Fools , Frauds and Fire ... Scruton , Roger Best Price : $ 15.32 Buy New $ 17.40 Most of the effort to rewrite American history has its roots among the intellectual elite on our college campuses whose message has been sold to predominantly white college students who have little understanding of how they are being used .
Much of their current focus is on tearing down statues and changing names that they deem offensive .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Abraham Lincoln .
Without much understanding of history , they have demanded that Princeton University remove the name of Woodrow Wilson , who was a progressive , from its public policy school and residential college .
Some are urging Yale University to change its name because its benefactor Elihu Yale was a slave trader .
To purge our society of names associated with evil is going to be quite a task .
I suggest that we set up a formal commission to deal with this formidable challenge .
Maybe we can name @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are some challenging issues .
What should be done about our nation ’ s capital , Washington and District of Columbia ?
After all , George Washington owned slaves , and Columbia is the feminine form of Columbus .
Speaking of Washington , its football team , the Washington Redskins , has finally agreed to temporarily call themselves Washington Football Team until they can find a snazzier name .
Renaming things is a big job .
Our military has several fighting aircraft named with what today ’ s tyrants might consider @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iroquois , Kiowa , Lakota and Mescalero .
Perhaps offensive to PETA , we also have military hardware named after animals , such as the Eagle , Falcon , Raptor , Cobra and Dolphin .
Into the Lion ’ s ... Maltz , Mr Steve Best Price : $ 14.37 Buy New $ 14.00 Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune wrote , “ Now that Washington ’ s NFL team has announced its ‘ retirement ’ of the racial slur that has been its brand name since 1933 , I am tempted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Page ’ s article , there is an email making the internet rounds that raises naming issues .
What about the Kansas City Chiefs , the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians ?
The New York Yankees might offend Southerners because there is no team named for the Confederacy , Some people , particularly Catholics , might be offended by or deem it sacrilegious to have sports teams named the New Orleans Saints , the Los Angeles Angels or the San Diego Padres .
Then what about team names that glorify savage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such as Oakland Raiders , Minnesota Vikings , Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Pirates ?
The New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants might be promoting obesity and the Milwaukee Brewers promoting alcoholism .
There is another naming issue that needs resolution .
I have been working 40 years at George Mason University .
Despite his monumental contributions , such as our Bill of Rights , George Mason was a slave owner .
Therefore , in keeping with the times , George Mason University is due for a name change .
How @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University or Black Lives Matter University ?
Does objection to these names make one a racist ?
The Best of Walter E. Williams

There is very little new under the sun. The monument and statue destruction that we are witnessing has been witnessed in other times and other places. A tyrant’s first battlefield is to rewrite history. Most notable were the political purges of Joseph Stalin. The Soviet government erased figures from Soviet history by renaming cities — such as the Imperial capital of St. Petersburg to Petrograd and Leningrad and Stalingrad — and eradicating memories of czarist rule. Stalin’s historical revisions also included changing photographs and history books, thereby distorting children’s learning within educational establishments.
Leaders of ISIS and the Taliban have called the recent U.S. trend of angry mobs destroying statues “inspiring but a bit amateur,” and agreed to send advisers to Antifa and other far-left groups on how to erase historical artifacts. “Destroying all art, culture and history from previous eras is obviously constructive,” said ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi. “But they’ve got to do it in a more dramatic way. We beheaded statues with a sword. The Taliban blew up ancient Buddhas with dynamite. Tying a statue to a truck and dragging it down just doesn’t have the same dramatic effect.” Fools, Frauds and Fire... Scruton, Roger Best Price: $15.32 Buy New $17.40 (as of 03:56 UTC - Details)
Most of the effort to rewrite American history has its roots among the intellectual elite on our college campuses whose message has been sold to predominantly white college students who have little understanding of how they are being used. Much of their current focus is on tearing down statues and changing names that they deem offensive. They have denounced George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Without much understanding of history, they have demanded that Princeton University remove the name of Woodrow Wilson, who was a progressive, from its public policy school and residential college. Some are urging Yale University to change its name because its benefactor Elihu Yale was a slave trader.
To purge our society of names associated with evil is going to be quite a task. I suggest that we set up a formal commission to deal with this formidable challenge. Maybe we can name it the Commission to Eliminate Bad Memories. There are some challenging issues. What should be done about our nation’s capital, Washington and District of Columbia? After all, George Washington owned slaves, and Columbia is the feminine form of Columbus. Speaking of Washington, its football team, the Washington Redskins, has finally agreed to temporarily call themselves Washington Football Team until they can find a snazzier name.
Renaming things is a big job. Our military has several fighting aircraft named with what today’s tyrants might consider racial slights, such as the Apache, Iroquois, Kiowa, Lakota and Mescalero. Perhaps offensive to PETA, we also have military hardware named after animals, such as the Eagle, Falcon, Raptor, Cobra and Dolphin. Into the Lion’s ... Maltz, Mr Steve Best Price: $14.37 Buy New $14.00 (as of 03:45 UTC - Details)
Clarence Page of the Chicago Tribune wrote, “Now that Washington’s NFL team has announced its ‘retirement’ of the racial slur that has been its brand name since 1933, I am tempted to gloat a little.” In response to Page’s article, there is an email making the internet rounds that raises naming issues. What about the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Indians?
The New York Yankees might offend Southerners because there is no team named for the Confederacy, Some people, particularly Catholics, might be offended by or deem it sacrilegious to have sports teams named the New Orleans Saints, the Los Angeles Angels or the San Diego Padres. Then what about team names that glorify savage barbarians and criminals who raped and pillaged such as Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Pirates? The New York Giants and the San Francisco Giants might be promoting obesity and the Milwaukee Brewers promoting alcoholism.
There is another naming issue that needs resolution. I have been working 40 years at George Mason University. Despite his monumental contributions, such as our Bill of Rights, George Mason was a slave owner. Therefore, in keeping with the times, George Mason University is due for a name change. How about Al Sharpton University, Jesse Jackson University or Black Lives Matter University? Does objection to these names make one a racist?
The Best of Walter E. Williams