lewrockwell--2020-05-19--Another Reason Why This ‘Pandemic’ Is Looking More Like a Social Engineering Experiment

Why This Pandemic Is Looking More Like A Social Engineering Experiment , Part 1 When something is repeated over and over , it often has the capacity to put us to sleep .
But occasionally , it has the opposite effect .
Sometimes in the wake of redundant messaging our senses are aroused to a bitter taste or a stale odor that tells us something is just not right .
I had such an experience in tuning in to Ontario ’ s daily COVID-19 briefing today which I had done , optimistically , to see if there was any advance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my 6-year old .
( no such luck ) .
It came at the beginning of health minister Christine Elliot ’ s segment : Tavistock Institute : S ... Daniel Estulin Best Price : $ 15.34 Buy New $ 10.00 Elliot was literally gushing as she extolled the virtues of our health care workers .
It was almost as though she had convinced herself that her plaudits were sincere .
The surface political motive for many of our leaders to heap praise on health care workers , and encourage the public to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In thanking others , one gets to bask in the reflected glory of their accomplishments .
But upon deeper reflection , one can see that this strategy is so widely employed in the case of this pandemic because it simultaneously touches on all the bases that our authority want conveyed during their public proclamations .
In fact , there are few social programming techniques that I can think of that are more powerful or effective .
Let ’ s touch on a few of the bases ourselves : Amplifying the Severity of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the praise of others , which the listening audience tends to take in readily with their guard down and their discernment filters on pause , the speaker is able to fully convince us of the danger we are facing , by commending health care workers for being willing to confront this danger .
The more heroic we are made to think they are , the more danger that is implied .
While the praise towards our fellow human beings ( who are not part of the authority ) makes us feel good to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being heightened in us is that low-level fear that this virus is lurking , ready to pounce on us at any misstep .
A public that is in this state of fear is much easier to control and manipulate .
Legitimizing Western medicine .
Listen to her terminology .
‘ our partners on the front lines…the brave heroes working on the front lines.
’ Why ‘ Front lines ’ ?
Why is health care a ‘ fight , ’ always some kind of ‘ war ’ ?
Because this has been the pre-eminent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us feel that there has been an enemy invasion ( a virus ) .
To make us feel that our body does not have the necessary defense mechanisms ( Western medicine virtually ignores our immune system ) .
To make us feel that we are under attack , need protection , and the army of doctors and researchers spawned from Western medical school is our only hope ( of course this is why traditional medicine , which works in concert with the immune system , has for so long been labelled quackery and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In praising the health care workers and the system they operate within , our authority is actually reinforcing its own praiseworthiness without saying it directly .
Instead , the government is seen as the benevolent manager of the whole process , ‘ partnering ’ with those laudable heroes in the health care system .
So when the government brags that they ’ ve ‘ made historic investments to dramatically expand hospital capacity , ’ should we be standing up and applauding ?
Or should we be asking , if this whole government-medical system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t we be seeing a reduction in hospital beds instead of a constant increase ?
Shouldn ’ t the citizens as a whole be getting healthier , rather than getting sicker and more in need of drugs and treatments , as all the evidence and statistics tell us ?
The Age of Surveillanc ... Zuboff , Shoshana Best Price : $ 18.59 Buy New $ 19.06 Now before anybody starts saying I ’ m knocking our health care workers , stop .
Actually , if you ’ ve gotten this far in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t have to worry about you .
It is those who just read the headlines and then feel justified in making their outrage known on Facebook about seeing ‘ another ridiculous conspiracy theory.
’ The fact is , a bit of honest reflection will force us to admit that at some level we all know that our authority is trying to pull something on us every time they speak .
Just for the record , I believe health care is a very noble profession , with a majority of those working within the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and well-being of the patients they come into contact with .
However , this pandemic has not turned everybody working in health care into Florence Nightengales , as our leaders and mainstream media would have us believe .
Those who were competent and caring in 2018 and 2019 are competent and caring in 2020 during this pandemic .
Those who were incompetent and apathetic to their patients in the past have for the most part probably remained that way under the circumstances we currently face .
Like in any occupation , there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a patient says ‘ thank-you ’ to a nurse or doctor for their service and care , it is spontaneous and authentic .
It is meaningful .
On the other hand , calling on the entire public to say ‘ thank you ’ to all health care workers , in speeches and promotional ads everywhere , 24/7 , is likely staged and grounded in a very different agenda .
The sooner we see through the motives behind these attempts to tell us what to think and how to feel , the sooner we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and authenticity .

Why This Pandemic Is Looking More Like A Social Engineering Experiment, Part 1
When something is repeated over and over, it often has the capacity to put us to sleep. But occasionally, it has the opposite effect. Sometimes in the wake of redundant messaging our senses are aroused to a bitter taste or a stale odor that tells us something is just not right.
I had such an experience in tuning in to Ontario’s daily COVID-19 briefing today which I had done, optimistically, to see if there was any advance on when schools would be opening for my 6-year old. (no such luck). It came at the beginning of health minister Christine Elliot’s segment:
Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge and celebrate our amazing nurses, on this first day of National Nurses Week. Day and night our heroic nurses work tirelessly to care for the people of Ontario. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Over the past few months, Ontario’s health care system has demonstrated remarkable responsiveness to the COVID-19 outbreak. That is in large part to our partners on the front lines, including our nurses, doctors, homecare, hospital and long-term care staff, personal support workers, and first-responders among many others. As we’ve confronted COVID-19, we’ve made historic investments to dramatically expand hospital capacity, and support the brave heroes working on the front lines of our healthcare system.
Tavistock Institute: S... Daniel Estulin Best Price: $15.34 Buy New $10.00 (as of 07:15 UTC - Details) Elliot was literally gushing as she extolled the virtues of our health care workers. It was almost as though she had convinced herself that her plaudits were sincere.
What’s The Motive?
The surface political motive for many of our leaders to heap praise on health care workers, and encourage the public to do the same, is fairly straightforward. In thanking others, one gets to bask in the reflected glory of their accomplishments.
But upon deeper reflection, one can see that this strategy is so widely employed in the case of this pandemic because it simultaneously touches on all the bases that our authority want conveyed during their public proclamations. In fact, there are few social programming techniques that I can think of that are more powerful or effective. Let’s touch on a few of the bases ourselves:
Amplifying the Severity of the Pandemic. Through the clever sleight-of-hand of the praise of others, which the listening audience tends to take in readily with their guard down and their discernment filters on pause, the speaker is able to fully convince us of the danger we are facing, by commending health care workers for being willing to confront this danger. The more heroic we are made to think they are, the more danger that is implied. While the praise towards our fellow human beings (who are not part of the authority) makes us feel good to a certain extent, what is really being heightened in us is that low-level fear that this virus is lurking, ready to pounce on us at any misstep. A public that is in this state of fear is much easier to control and manipulate.
Legitimizing Western medicine. Listen to her terminology. ‘our partners on the front lines…the brave heroes working on the front lines.’ Why ‘Front lines’? Why is health care a ‘fight,’ always some kind of ‘war’? Because this has been the pre-eminent strategy of Western medicine all along–to make us feel that there has been an enemy invasion (a virus). To make us feel that our body does not have the necessary defense mechanisms (Western medicine virtually ignores our immune system). To make us feel that we are under attack, need protection, and the army of doctors and researchers spawned from Western medical school is our only hope (of course this is why traditional medicine, which works in concert with the immune system, has for so long been labelled quackery and pseudoscience).
Reinforcing government authority. In praising the health care workers and the system they operate within, our authority is actually reinforcing its own praiseworthiness without saying it directly. Instead, the government is seen as the benevolent manager of the whole process, ‘partnering’ with those laudable heroes in the health care system. So when the government brags that they’ve ‘made historic investments to dramatically expand hospital capacity,’ should we be standing up and applauding? Or should we be asking, if this whole government-medical system partnership is working so well, shouldn’t we be seeing a reduction in hospital beds instead of a constant increase? Shouldn’t the citizens as a whole be getting healthier, rather than getting sicker and more in need of drugs and treatments, as all the evidence and statistics tell us?
Nobody’s Knocking Our Health Care Workers
The Age of Surveillanc... Zuboff, Shoshana Best Price: $18.59 Buy New $19.06 (as of 03:11 UTC - Details) Now before anybody starts saying I’m knocking our health care workers, stop. Actually, if you’ve gotten this far in the article, I probably don’t have to worry about you. It is those who just read the headlines and then feel justified in making their outrage known on Facebook about seeing ‘another ridiculous conspiracy theory.’ The fact is, a bit of honest reflection will force us to admit that at some level we all know that our authority is trying to pull something on us every time they speak.
Just for the record, I believe health care is a very noble profession, with a majority of those working within the system being truly dedicated to the health and well-being of the patients they come into contact with.
However, this pandemic has not turned everybody working in health care into Florence Nightengales, as our leaders and mainstream media would have us believe. Those who were competent and caring in 2018 and 2019 are competent and caring in 2020 during this pandemic. Those who were incompetent and apathetic to their patients in the past have for the most part probably remained that way under the circumstances we currently face. Like in any occupation, there are good workers and bad workers. When a patient says ‘thank-you’ to a nurse or doctor for their service and care, it is spontaneous and authentic. It is meaningful. On the other hand, calling on the entire public to say ‘thank you’ to all health care workers, in speeches and promotional ads everywhere, 24/7, is likely staged and grounded in a very different agenda.
The Takeaway
The sooner we see through the motives behind these attempts to tell us what to think and how to feel, the sooner we will have a society founded on truth and authenticity.
Reprinted with permission from Collective Evolution.


lewrockwell--2020-05-19--Freedom’s Final Resting Place

Freedom’s Final Resting Place

The political soap opera has reached Jump The Shark proportions .
The clear reality of the police state and the ballet of the characters supporting and advancing it is too far along for critiquing , much less even attempting to warn a somnolent citizenry .
You know how cranky children get when they don ’ t “ get their nap out ” or , even worse , when they don ’ t get their way .
It ’ s beyond time to switch from Instructively Advising to Outright Condemnation .
At least the latter has a morally cleansing effect .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ disappoint .
The upside , tho , is the wellspring of sustainable observations that support the concept of Anarchy as the final resting place for Freedom .
Self-governance , the absence of laws and burden of man-made external force is as close as anyone will be able to approach Perfection .
All it takes , of course , is the caveat of Individual Responsibility .
Having no one to blame is a giant step most are unwilling or unable to make .
Watercolor Memories : T ... Wilson , Brian Best Price : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a purely political perspective , the Ds and Rs have thoroughly demonstrated the inability of Man to govern Man .
Call it ‘ Human Nature ’ , ‘ Imperfection ’ , ’ Bullshit-On-A-Stick ’ …labels are only required to wrap up the definition with easily-stored names .
Libertarians – as a party – are the side-show to the center ring of the political circus that comes to town every 4 years , with those foreplay-to-quickie “ mid-terms ” in-between .
The Libertarian Party is a summary of libertarian contradiction .
Like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unsustainable “ platform ” even their Party does not support ( except to talk show hosts and Letters To The Editor ) .
I don ’ t know which is more laughable : the LP struggling to get a million votes nationally or a million dollars in campaign donations .
Then there is the insurmountable Political Establishment , the suffocating Bureaucratic Machine and the unanswerable challenge : “ If I vote for you , the Democrat will win.
” And that doesn ’ t even address the conflict of the Non-Aggression Principle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creates the next embarrassing question : How does a Libertarian hold an elected office that relies on the initiation of the Force of Government ?
The only answer is : Can ’ t ( unless he wants to swell the ranks of the Dead Hypocrites Society .
And that leaves Anarchy as the Last Alternative Standing for those looking for a personal governance track to run on .
You are your own President , King , Ruler for Life !
Your welfare is your concern .
Your life is yours to live , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wish .
The only Don ’ t is initiating force against another – unless , of course , you want to up the ante on the “ waste your life ” option listed above since your violation of another ’ s right to live in similar anarchistic freedom will likely cost you yours .
How simple and perfect is that ?
GWOOD Anarchy Pendant ... Buy New $ 13.99 Mutual cooperation if desired…mutual respect as a logical extension of everyone ’ s desire to live peacefully and be left alone , free from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ live the way another decides .
Anarchy is the only hope for the majority of humans .
Or maybe not the “ majority ” .
Maybe the majority will be satisfied being “ cared for ” by those who just can ’ t resist telling others how happy they would be if they just did “ it ” their way .
In return , They will give Them the security of bondage to an imposed standard , like discipline for children ; the security of enforced boundaries beyond which they can not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So the cycle of human nature is complete : The Masters need the Slaves and the Slaves are OK with that .
Freedom only becomes attractive when Slavery gets ugly .
As long as one can trade work , time , life for a Happy Meal , Super Bowl and Big Screen TV , life is Good !
Carry on… The Best of Brian Wilson

The political soap opera has reached Jump The Shark proportions. The clear reality of the police state and the ballet of the characters supporting and advancing it is too far along for critiquing, much less even attempting to warn a somnolent citizenry. You know how cranky children get when they don’t “get their nap out” or, even worse, when they don’t get their way. It’s beyond time to switch from Instructively Advising to Outright Condemnation. At least the latter has a morally cleansing effect. Alas, the human race continues to disappoint.
The upside, tho, is the wellspring of sustainable observations that support the concept of Anarchy as the final resting place for Freedom. Self-governance, the absence of laws and burden of man-made external force is as close as anyone will be able to approach Perfection. All it takes, of course, is the caveat of Individual Responsibility. Having no one to blame is a giant step most are unwilling or unable to make.
Watercolor Memories: T... Wilson, Brian Best Price: $7.63 Buy New $8.49 (as of 05:35 UTC - Details) But from a purely political perspective, the Ds and Rs have thoroughly demonstrated the inability of Man to govern Man. Call it ‘Human Nature’, ‘Imperfection’,’ Bullshit-On-A-Stick’…labels are only required to wrap up the definition with easily-stored names. Libertarians – as a party – are the side-show to the center ring of the political circus that comes to town every 4 years, with those foreplay-to-quickie “mid-terms” in-between. The Libertarian Party is a summary of libertarian contradiction. Like the Ds and Rs, they have constructed an unsustainable “platform” even their Party does not support (except to talk show hosts and Letters To The Editor). I don’t know which is more laughable: the LP struggling to get a million votes nationally or a million dollars in campaign donations. Then there is the insurmountable Political Establishment, the suffocating Bureaucratic Machine and the unanswerable challenge: “If I vote for you, the Democrat will win.” And that doesn’t even address the conflict of the Non-Aggression Principle, the cornerstone of Libertarianism, which creates the next embarrassing question: How does a Libertarian hold an elected office that relies on the initiation of the Force of Government? The only answer is: Can’t (unless he wants to swell the ranks of the Dead Hypocrites Society.
And that leaves Anarchy as the Last Alternative Standing for those looking for a personal governance track to run on. You are your own President, King, Ruler for Life! Your welfare is your concern. Your life is yours to live, love, spend, waste as you wish. The only Don’t is initiating force against another – unless, of course, you want to up the ante on the “waste your life” option listed above since your violation of another’s right to live in similar anarchistic freedom will likely cost you yours. How simple and perfect is that? GWOOD Anarchy Pendant ... Buy New $13.99 (as of 03:11 UTC - Details)
Mutual cooperation if desired…mutual respect as a logical extension of everyone’s desire to live peacefully and be left alone, free from the initiation of force requiring one to live the way another decides. Anarchy is the only hope for the majority of humans. Or maybe not the “majority”. Maybe the majority will be satisfied being “cared for” by those who just can’t resist telling others how happy they would be if they just did “it” their way. In return, They will give Them the security of bondage to an imposed standard, like discipline for children; the security of enforced boundaries beyond which they cannot be trusted to be self-sustaining much less self-disciplining. So the cycle of human nature is complete: The Masters need the Slaves and the Slaves are OK with that. Freedom only becomes attractive when Slavery gets ugly. As long as one can trade work, time, life for a Happy Meal, Super Bowl and Big Screen TV, life is Good! Carry on…
The Best of Brian Wilson


lewrockwell--2020-05-19--Government Licensing Is Just As Illegitimate

Karl Manke , a barber in the fascist state of Michigan , recently opened his barbershop in downtown Owosso in violation of Governor Gretchen Whitmer ’ s executive order for non-essential businesses to remain closed .
He has been following all of the ridiculous government safety guidelines : wearing masks , social distancing , and using an ultraviolet sanitizer on his tools .
Customers came from around Michigan and waited hours to get their hair cut .
“ I ’ m doing walk-ins , appointments , working people in between appointments , ” Manke said .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m so grateful I can make a living again.
” The 77-year-old barber said that he was “ not trying to prove some point , ” but just “ needed to get back to work.
” Governor Whitmer “ is not my mother , ” he added .
“ We ’ re not children , we can manage our own lives.
” Manke received a citation for violating the executive order on the third day he was open .
He also faces two misdemeanor charges for reopening his shop despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violation and the governor ’ s executive order violation .
The Captured Economy : ... Teles , Steven M. Best Price : $ 12.00 Buy New $ 13.02 So , what else did the state of Michigan do ?
It revoked his barber ’ s license .
Elsewhere in the “ land of the free , ” restaurants that are reopening in violation of governors ’ executive orders are being threatened with having their liquor licenses taken away .
In the fascist state of Pennsylvania , politicians in Beaver , Dauphin , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin returning to business as usual on May 15 .
“ It is time to reopen the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and return our state to the people ( as prescribed by our Constitution ) and not run it as a dictatorship , ” Dauphin County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jeff Haste wrote on May 8 .
Pennsylvania ’ s Democratic fascist governor , Tom Wolf , responded with a threat “ to withhold federal stimulus money from counties—and take away liquor licenses from restaurants—that open up in defiance of state law ” ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governor : The enemy is a deadly virus set on destroying us .
Yet , over this past weekend , some have decided to surrender to this enemy .
These are politicians who were elected to serve their fellow citizens .
Others are business owners who have chosen to serve their customers by putting them in harm ’ s way .
These folks are choosing to desert in the face of the enemy .
There will be a price to pay for this “ morally wrong ” behavior .
rConstitution Papers : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 16.05 Buy New $ 15.95 To those politicians who decide to cave in to this coronavirus , they need to understand the consequences of their cowardly act .
A greater enemy than the virus is the Pennsylvania governor .
All of this state-level fascism brings up a point that most people are not thinking about : government licensing is just as illegitimate as government decrees ordering businesses to shut down .
Since , as the Michigan barber said , the governor is not our mother , and neither are government bureaucrats our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nannies , why is it that adults must get permission from the government to open a business , engage in commerce , work in certain occupations , have a particular vocation , or provide a service to willing customers ?
In other words , why do Americans need permission from the government to work ?
The War on Drugs Is a ... Laurence M. Vance Best Price : $ 5.87 Buy New $ 5.95 An occupational license is simply a certificate of permission and approval from a government-sponsored board that a job-seeker is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working in a certain occupation .
These licenses are most commonly issued by state governments .
And it ’ s not just professionals like as doctors , lawyers , dentists , and accountants who must obtain a government license .
Many other occupations are licensed as well : barbers , auctioneers , child-care workers , animal breeders , manicurists , interior designers , emergency medical technicians , skin-care specialists , upholsterers , hair shampooers , bill collectors , fire-alarm installers , midwives , make-up artists , crane operators , fishermen , security guards @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sign-language interpreters , locksmiths , bartenders , taxi drivers , pest-control applicators , funeral attendants , and travel agents .
It all depends on the state one lives in .
Proponents of occupational licensing would have us believe that without such government intervention in the economy , businesses would be full of untrained , incompetent , uneducated , unqualified , unscrupulous workers who would take advantage of consumers , rip them off , provide them with poor quality service , injure them , and possibly kill them .
The Free Society Laurence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Buy New $ 17.54 But the occupations necessitating a license and the requirements to obtain a license vary so widely from state to state that the whole process seems quite arbitrary and illogical .
And besides , since when is it the proper role of government to forbid or permit people to exercise what should be their natural right to make a living ?
Since when is it the proper role of government to forbid or permit people to freely contract with other people to provide them services ?
Although the states opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have imposed on businesses because of the coronavirus insanity is a good and necessary thing , it does not mean that we will be returning to a free society—not when Americans still need permission from the government to work .
Government licensing needs to be done away with along with government lockdowns and restrictions .
The Best of Laurence M. Vance

Karl Manke, a barber in the fascist state of Michigan, recently opened his barbershop in downtown Owosso in violation of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order for non-essential businesses to remain closed. He has been following all of the ridiculous government safety guidelines: wearing masks, social distancing, and using an ultraviolet sanitizer on his tools.
Customers came from around Michigan and waited hours to get their hair cut. “I’m doing walk-ins, appointments, working people in between appointments,” Manke said. “It’s hard, but I love doing it. I’m so grateful I can make a living again.” The 77-year-old barber said that he was “not trying to prove some point,” but just “needed to get back to work.” Governor Whitmer “is not my mother,” he added. “We’re not children, we can manage our own lives.”
Manke received a citation for violating the executive order on the third day he was open. He also faces two misdemeanor charges for reopening his shop despite state shutdown orders: a health department violation and the governor’s executive order violation. The Captured Economy: ... Teles, Steven M. Best Price: $12.00 Buy New $13.02 (as of 03:13 UTC - Details)
So, what else did the state of Michigan do? It revoked his barber’s license.
Elsewhere in the “land of the free,” restaurants that are reopening in violation of governors’ executive orders are being threatened with having their liquor licenses taken away.
In the fascist state of Pennsylvania, politicians in Beaver, Dauphin, and Lebanon counties declared that their counties would begin returning to business as usual on May 15. “It is time to reopen the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and return our state to the people (as prescribed by our Constitution) and not run it as a dictatorship,” Dauphin County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jeff Haste wrote on May 8.
Pennsylvania’s Democratic fascist governor, Tom Wolf, responded with a threat “to withhold federal stimulus money from counties—and take away liquor licenses from restaurants—that open up in defiance of state law”; that is, his decree. Said the governor:
The enemy is a deadly virus set on destroying us. Yet, over this past weekend, some have decided to surrender to this enemy. These are politicians who were elected to serve their fellow citizens. Others are business owners who have chosen to serve their customers by putting them in harm’s way. These folks are choosing to desert in the face of the enemy. There will be a price to pay for this “morally wrong” behavior. rConstitution Papers: ... Anthony, James Best Price: $16.05 Buy New $15.95 (as of 03:13 UTC - Details) To those politicians who decide to cave in to this coronavirus, they need to understand the consequences of their cowardly act.
A greater enemy than the virus is the Pennsylvania governor.
All of this state-level fascism brings up a point that most people are not thinking about: government licensing is just as illegitimate as government decrees ordering businesses to shut down.
Since, as the Michigan barber said, the governor is not our mother, and neither are government bureaucrats our fathers, babysitters, caretakers, or nannies, why is it that adults must get permission from the government to open a business, engage in commerce, work in certain occupations, have a particular vocation, or provide a service to willing customers? In other words, why do Americans need permission from the government to work?
The War on Drugs Is a ... Laurence M. Vance Best Price: $5.87 Buy New $5.95 (as of 09:10 UTC - Details) An occupational license is simply a certificate of permission and approval from a government-sponsored board that a job-seeker is required to obtain before he can begin working in a certain occupation. These licenses are most commonly issued by state governments.
And it’s not just professionals like as doctors, lawyers, dentists, and accountants who must obtain a government license. Many other occupations are licensed as well: barbers, auctioneers, child-care workers, animal breeders, manicurists, interior designers, emergency medical technicians, skin-care specialists, upholsterers, hair shampooers, bill collectors, fire-alarm installers, midwives, make-up artists, crane operators, fishermen, security guards, security-alarm installers, coaches, taxidermists, sign-language interpreters, locksmiths, bartenders, taxi drivers, pest-control applicators, funeral attendants, and travel agents. It all depends on the state one lives in.
Proponents of occupational licensing would have us believe that without such government intervention in the economy, businesses would be full of untrained, incompetent, uneducated, unqualified, unscrupulous workers who would take advantage of consumers, rip them off, provide them with poor quality service, injure them, and possibly kill them. The Free Society Laurence M. Vance Best Price: $13.55 Buy New $17.54 (as of 04:55 UTC - Details)
But the occupations necessitating a license and the requirements to obtain a license vary so widely from state to state that the whole process seems quite arbitrary and illogical. And besides, since when is it the proper role of government to forbid or permit people to exercise what should be their natural right to make a living? Since when is it the proper role of government to forbid or permit people to freely contract with other people to provide them services?
Although the states opening up and removing the ridiculous restrictions they have imposed on businesses because of the coronavirus insanity is a good and necessary thing, it does not mean that we will be returning to a free society—not when Americans still need permission from the government to work. Government licensing needs to be done away with along with government lockdowns and restrictions.
The Best of Laurence M. Vance


lewrockwell--2020-05-19--Trump Goes on Offense Against Obama

Trump Goes on Offense Against Obama

If Donald Trump wants to get re-elected as President of the U.S. he ’ s going to have to take out former President Barack Obama .
At this point Obama is the person who most stands in his path for a second term .
Former Vice President Joe Biden may well wind up being the nominee but that ’ s only because he is Obama ’ s stand in since Obama can ’ t run for a third term thanks to the only part of the U.S. Constitution anyone seems to give a damn about anymore .
But , make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the unmasking of Trump ’ s first ( and short-lived ) National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn is all about Trump finally going on the offensive after more than three years of fighting rear-guard actions just to stay in power .
Unmasking Obama : The F ... Cashill , Jack Buy New $ 27.11 Obama was the ring leader in the operation to spy on Trump and anyone with half a brain knows it .
The unmasking of the unmaskers in the Obama administration is to tarnish his legacy and dishearten any centrist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s mistakes and the worsening economic collapse engineered by the shutdown of the economy during the peak of the COVID-19 hysteria .
This is why it is imperative for Trump to take Obama out of this election cycle as quickly as possible .
With Hillary finally bending the knee to Obama when she publicly endorsed Biden that was the signal that she ’ s acknowledging she ’ s lost the fight for control over the Democratic Party , which she and her husband have ruled with a closed fist for decades .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin campaigning openly on Biden ’ s behalf .
And don ’ t for a second think that the trial balloons of his wife Michelle being Biden ’ s running mate are the fanciful wishes of hopeless Democrats .
Michelle is absolutely one of the top candidates for that job .
Because with Trump surviving everything thrown at him to this point the only chance Biden has this fall is his second coming as the Left ’ s political messiah .
Take nothing away from Obama , he is an excellent campaigner .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Whitaker , Matthew Buy New $ 26.09 With Michelle as his running mate that puts Obama right where he needs to be , hounding Trump on all the issues that are supposed to be weaknesses for him – the economy , COVID-19 deaths , unemployment , etc .
So , the timing of Trump having his acting ODNI Director Richard Grenell pick a public spat with the hapless Head of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff and get the transcripts of the impeachment interviews released to the public isn ’ t coincidence , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s inner circle all lied through their teeth in the media for years about the RussiaGate collusion story .
This comes on the heels of Trump ’ s somewhat cleaned up Dept .
of Justice dropping the case against Flynn which then opens up the opportunity to resurrect the timeline of events which led up to his firing and indictment by the very people now revealed as bald-faced liars and conspirators .
Trump then goes directly to the people and coins the term of the year , “ Obamagate.
” He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target is .
He knows that if he loses this election any chance of reforming any part of the D.C. swamp vanishes as Biden steps aside for health reasons after sweeping everything under the rug and Obama rules the White House from the shadows as First Lady .
And it ’ s clear that this is the real reason behind the Democratic governors defying their people and Trump on opening up their cities and states .
They are purposefully trying to destroy the country to regain control over it .
These people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Best Price : $ 13.57 Buy New $ 17.14 But Trump ’ s biggest obstacle at this point isn ’ t the Democrat-controlled House or the Media , it is the Republicans in the Senate who have proven repeatedly to be spineless when it comes to anything substantive .
You can see the maneuvering and horse trading already .
Lindsey Graham ( R-SC ) is already trying to downplay the magnitude of this scandal , which makes Watergate look like the raid on the dean ’ s office in Animal House .
Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President can be guilty of , utilizing Federal law enforcement and intelligence services to spy on a political opponent during an election .
This is after eight years of ruinous wars , coups both successful and not , drone-striking U.S. citizens and generally carrying on like the vandal he is .
Thankfully Rand Paul ( R-Ky ) has been activated by Trump to go after Graham directly and force him to back peddle .
Paul is already calling for hearings in the Senate , using his Chairmanship of the Government Oversight Committee to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lindsey .
The FBI is now going after people like Richard Burr ( R-NC ) , head of the Senate Intelligence Committee for potential insider trading violations .
This is a pure power play to make sure Burr doesn ’ t let this die in committee .
If this tweet isn ’ t clear enough that Trump wants Obama ’ s head on a platter and he ’ s now willing to go scorched earth on him and anyone trying to protect Obama to get it I don ’ t know what is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in D.C. quickly .
A reader noted to me recently that one of Trump ’ s strengths is that he thrives in chaos , that he ’ s most comfortable stirring the pot and getting everyone around him ‘ on tilt ’ as the poker players say .
Obsession : Inside the ... York , Byron Buy New $ 28.99 That ’ s what he ’ s doing now with # Obamagate .
He ’ s doing what he does best , forcing his opponents to ab react to him and leaving them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s in pure campaign mode now , which we haven ’ t seen in four years .
But this time he ’ s campaigning with a lot more resources at his disposal especially if he has them all nailed .
Trump wouldn ’ t be going after Obama if he didn ’ t have proof of Obama ’ s guilt .
He ’ s a limbic creature but he ’ s not random .
Obama ’ s people will spin this as desperation over the mishandling of COVID-19 , but it won @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dept .
that looks ready to get to work for the first time in decades , Trump just well be ready to finally do something right .
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation .
You Lie !
: The Evasions ... Cashill , Jack Best Price : $ 5.93 Buy New $ 17.79 Revolution : Trump , Was ... McFarland , KT Best Price : $ 26.08 Buy New $ 22.54 The Best of Thomas Luongo

If Donald Trump wants to get re-elected as President of the U.S. he’s going to have to take out former President Barack Obama. At this point Obama is the person who most stands in his path for a second term.
Former Vice President Joe Biden may well wind up being the nominee but that’s only because he is Obama’s stand in since Obama can’t run for a third term thanks to the only part of the U.S. Constitution anyone seems to give a damn about anymore.
But, make no mistake, the current flap about the unmasking of Trump’s first (and short-lived) National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn is all about Trump finally going on the offensive after more than three years of fighting rear-guard actions just to stay in power. Unmasking Obama: The F... Cashill, Jack Buy New $27.11 (as of 04:59 UTC - Details)
Obama was the ring leader in the operation to spy on Trump and anyone with half a brain knows it. The unmasking of the unmaskers in the Obama administration is to tarnish his legacy and dishearten any centrist voters who may be tiring of Trump’s mistakes and the worsening economic collapse engineered by the shutdown of the economy during the peak of the COVID-19 hysteria.
This is why it is imperative for Trump to take Obama out of this election cycle as quickly as possible.
With Hillary finally bending the knee to Obama when she publicly endorsed Biden that was the signal that she’s acknowledging she’s lost the fight for control over the Democratic Party, which she and her husband have ruled with a closed fist for decades.
Now Obama is free and clear to begin campaigning openly on Biden’s behalf. And don’t for a second think that the trial balloons of his wife Michelle being Biden’s running mate are the fanciful wishes of hopeless Democrats. Michelle is absolutely one of the top candidates for that job.
Because with Trump surviving everything thrown at him to this point the only chance Biden has this fall is his second coming as the Left’s political messiah. Take nothing away from Obama, he is an excellent campaigner.
Above the Law: The Ins... Whitaker, Matthew Buy New $26.09 (as of 05:57 UTC - Details) With Michelle as his running mate that puts Obama right where he needs to be, hounding Trump on all the issues that are supposed to be weaknesses for him – the economy, COVID-19 deaths, unemployment, etc.
So, the timing of Trump having his acting ODNI Director Richard Grenell pick a public spat with the hapless Head of the House Intelligence Committee Adam Schiff and get the transcripts of the impeachment interviews released to the public isn’t coincidence, folks. These transcripts confirm that Obama’s inner circle all lied through their teeth in the media for years about the RussiaGate collusion story.
This comes on the heels of Trump’s somewhat cleaned up Dept. of Justice dropping the case against Flynn which then opens up the opportunity to resurrect the timeline of events which led up to his firing and indictment by the very people now revealed as bald-faced liars and conspirators.
Trump then goes directly to the people and coins the term of the year, “Obamagate.”
OBAMAGATE! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020
He’s telling the entire world who his target is. He knows that if he loses this election any chance of reforming any part of the D.C. swamp vanishes as Biden steps aside for health reasons after sweeping everything under the rug and Obama rules the White House from the shadows as First Lady.
And it’s clear that this is the real reason behind the Democratic governors defying their people and Trump on opening up their cities and states. They are purposefully trying to destroy the country to regain control over it.
These people are vandals. Deconstructing Obama Cashill, Jack Best Price: $13.57 Buy New $17.14 (as of 03:04 UTC - Details)
But Trump’s biggest obstacle at this point isn’t the Democrat-controlled House or the Media, it is the Republicans in the Senate who have proven repeatedly to be spineless when it comes to anything substantive.
You can see the maneuvering and horse trading already. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is already trying to downplay the magnitude of this scandal, which makes Watergate look like the raid on the dean’s office in Animal House.
Obama is guilty of the highest crimes a President can be guilty of, utilizing Federal law enforcement and intelligence services to spy on a political opponent during an election. This is after eight years of ruinous wars, coups both successful and not, drone-striking U.S. citizens and generally carrying on like the vandal he is.
Thankfully Rand Paul (R-Ky) has been activated by Trump to go after Graham directly and force him to back peddle. Paul is already calling for hearings in the Senate, using his Chairmanship of the Government Oversight Committee to end run around Light in the Loafers Lindsey.
The FBI is now going after people like Richard Burr (R-NC), head of the Senate Intelligence Committee for potential insider trading violations. This is a pure power play to make sure Burr doesn’t let this die in committee.
If this tweet isn’t clear enough that Trump wants Obama’s head on a platter and he’s now willing to go scorched earth on him and anyone trying to protect Obama to get it I don’t know what is.
If I were a Senator or Congressman, the first person I would call to testify about the biggest political crime and scandal in the history of the USA, by FAR, is former President Obama. He knew EVERYTHING. Do it @LindseyGrahamSC, just do it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. No more talk! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 14, 2020
Things are spiraling out of control in D.C. quickly. A reader noted to me recently that one of Trump’s strengths is that he thrives in chaos, that he’s most comfortable stirring the pot and getting everyone around him ‘on tilt’ as the poker players say. Obsession: Inside the ... York, Byron Buy New $28.99 (as of 03:14 UTC - Details)
That’s what he’s doing now with #Obamagate. He’s doing what he does best, forcing his opponents to ab react to him and leaving them vulnerable to his next attack. He’s in pure campaign mode now, which we haven’t seen in four years.
But this time he’s campaigning with a lot more resources at his disposal especially if he has them all nailed. Trump wouldn’t be going after Obama if he didn’t have proof of Obama’s guilt. He’s a limbic creature but he’s not random.
Obama’s people will spin this as desperation over the mishandling of COVID-19, but it won’t matter. With a Justice Dept. that looks ready to get to work for the first time in decades, Trump just well be ready to finally do something right.
The views of individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the Strategic Culture Foundation.
You Lie!: The Evasions... Cashill, Jack Best Price: $5.93 Buy New $17.79 (as of 11:38 UTC - Details) Revolution: Trump, Was... McFarland, KT Best Price: $26.08 Buy New $22.54 (as of 03:14 UTC - Details)
The Best of Tom Luongo


lewrockwell--2020-05-19--The Worst Is Yet To Come: Contact Tracing, Immunity Cards, and Mass Testing

No one is safe .
No one is immune .
No one gets spared the anguish , fear and heartache of living under the shadow of an authoritarian police state .
That ’ s the message being broadcast 24/7 with every new piece of government propaganda , every new law that criminalizes otherwise lawful activity , every new policeman on the beat , every new surveillance camera casting a watchful eye , every sensationalist news story that titillates and distracts , every new prison or detention center built to house troublemakers and other undesirables , every new court ruling that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strip and steal and rape and ravage the citizenry , every school that opts to indoctrinate rather than educate , and every new justification for why Americans should comply with the government ’ s attempts to trample the Constitution underfoot .
Battlefield America : T ... John W. Whitehead Best Price : $ 10.95 Buy New $ 18.80 Yes , COVID-19 has taken a significant toll on the nation emotionally , physically , and economically , but there are still greater dangers on the horizon .
As long as “ we the people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trample our rights in the so-called name of national security , things will get worse , not better .
Now there ’ s talk of mass testing for COVID-19 antibodies , screening checkpoints , contact tracing , immunity passports to allow those who have recovered from the virus to move around more freely , and snitch tip lines for reporting “ rule breakers ” to the authorities .
If you can ’ t read the writing on the wall , you need to pay better attention .
These may seem like small , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 virus , but they ’ re only necessary to the police state in its efforts to further undermine the Constitution , extend its control over the populace , and feed its insatiable appetite for ever-greater powers .
Nothing is ever as simple as the government claims it is .
Whatever dangerous practices you allow the government to carry out now—whether it ’ s in the name of national security or protecting America ’ s borders or making America healthy again—rest assured , these same practices can and will be used against you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sights on you .
The war on drugs turned out to be a war on the American people , waged with SWAT teams and militarized police .
The war on terror turned out to be a war on the American people , waged with warrantless surveillance and indefinite detention .
The war on immigration turned out to be a war on the American people , waged with roving government agents demanding “ papers , please.
” This war on COVID-19 will be yet another war on the American people , waged with all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s disposal : thermal imaging cameras , drones , contact tracing , biometric databases , etc .
So you see , when you talk about empowering government agents to screen the populace in order to control and prevent spread of this virus , what you ’ re really talking about is creating a society in which ID cards , round ups , checkpoints and detention centers become routine weapons used by the government to control and suppress the populace , no matter the threat .
This is also how you pave the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ epic proportions .
The End of Policing Vitale , Alex S. Best Price : $ 13.44 Buy New $ 11.68 Imagine it : a national classification system that not only categorizes you according to your health status but also allows the government to sort you in a hundred other ways : by gender , orientation , wealth , medical condition , religious beliefs , political viewpoint , legal status , etc .
Are you starting to get the bigger picture yet ?
This is just another wolf in sheep ’ s clothing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme disguised as a means of fighting a virus .
The ramifications of such a “ show me your papers ” society in which government officials are empowered to stop individuals , demand they identify themselves , and subject them to patdowns , warrantless screenings , searches , and interrogations are beyond chilling .
By allowing government agents to establish a litmus test for individuals to be able to exit a state of lockdown and engage in commerce , movement and any other right that corresponds to life in a supposedly free society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society in which you are required to identify yourself at any time to any government worker who demands it for any reason .
Such tactics quickly lead one down a slippery slope that ends with government agents empowered to force anyone and everyone to prove they are in compliance with every statute and regulation on the books .
It used to be that unless police had a reasonable suspicion that a person was guilty of wrongdoing , they had no legal authority to stop the person and require identification .
In other words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the right to come and go as we please without the fear of being questioned by police or forced to identify ourselves .
Unfortunately , in this age of COVID-19 , that unrestricted right to move about freely is being pitted against the government ’ s power to lock down communities at a moment ’ s notice .
And in this tug-of-war between individual freedoms and government power , “ we the people ” have been on the losing end of the deal .
Curiously enough , these COVID-19 restrictions dovetail conveniently with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Real ID Act , which imposes federal standards on identity documents such as state drivers ’ licenses , a prelude to this national identification system .
Talk about a perfect storm for bringing about a national ID card , the ultimate human tracking device .
Granted , in the absence of a national ID card , which would make the police state ’ s task of monitoring , tracking and singling out individual suspects far simpler , “ we the people ” are already tracked in a myriad of ways : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Social Security numbers , bank accounts , purchases and electronic transactions ; by way of our correspondence and communication devices—email , phone calls and mobile phones ; through chips implanted in our vehicles , identification documents , even our clothing .
A Government of Wolves ... John W. Whitehead Best Price : $ 2.06 Buy New $ 10.42 Add to this the fact that businesses , schools and other facilities are relying more and more on fingerprints and facial recognition to identify us .
All the while , data companies such as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information to help airports , retailers , police and other government authorities instantly determine whether someone is the person he or she claims to be .
This informational glut—used to great advantage by both the government and corporate sectors—has converged into a mandate for “ an internal passport , ” a.k.a.
, a national ID card that would store information as basic as a person ’ s name , birth date and place of birth , as well as private information , including a Social Security number , fingerprint , retinal scan and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A federalized , computerized , cross-referenced , databased system of identification policed by government agents would be the final nail in the coffin for privacy ( not to mention a logistical security nightmare that would leave Americans even more vulnerable to every hacker in the cybersphere ) .
Americans have always resisted adopting a national ID card for good reason : it gives the government and its agents the ultimate power to target , track and terrorize the populace according to the government ’ s own nefarious purposes .
National ID card systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oppressive governments , in the name of national security , invariably with horrifying results .
For instance , in Germany , the Nazis required all Jews to carry special stamped ID cards for travel within the country .
A prelude to the yellow Star of David badges , these stamped cards were instrumental in identifying Jews for deportation to death camps in Poland .
Author Raul Hilberg summarizes the impact that such a system had on the Jews : In South Africa during apartheid , pass books were used to regulate the movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Pass Laws Act of 1952 stipulated where , when and for how long a black African could remain in certain areas .
Any government employee could strike out entries , which cancelled the permission to remain in an area .
A pass book that did not have a valid entry resulted in the arrest and imprisonment of the bearer .
Identity cards played a crucial role in the genocide of the Tutsis in the central African country of Rwanda .
The assault , carried out by extremist Hutu militia groups , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close to a million deaths .
While the ID cards were not a precondition to the genocide , they were a facilitating factor .
Once the genocide began , the production of an identity card with the designation “ Tutsi ” spelled a death sentence at any roadblock .
Rise of the Warrior Co ... Radley Balko Best Price : $ 3.56 Buy New $ 10.95 Identity cards have also helped oppressive regimes carry out eliminationist policies such as mass expulsion , forced relocation and group denationalization .
Through the use of identity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ identify people with Eritrean affiliation during the mass expulsion of 1998 .
The Vietnamese government was able to locate ethnic Chinese more easily during their 1978-79 expulsion .
The USSR used identity cards to force the relocation of ethnic Koreans ( 1937 ) , Volga Germans ( 1941 ) , Kamyks and Karachai ( 1943 ) , Crimean Tartars , Meshkhetian Turks , Chechens , Ingush and Balkars ( 1944 ) and ethnic Greeks ( 1949 ) .
And ethnic Vietnamese were identified for group denationalization through identity cards in Cambodia in 1993 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1962 .
And in the United States , post-9/11 , more than 750 Muslim men were rounded up on the basis of their religion and ethnicity and detained for up to eight months .
Their experiences echo those of 120,000 Japanese-Americans who were similarly detained 75 years ago following the attack on Pearl Harbor .
Despite a belated apology and monetary issuance by the U.S. government , the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to declare such a practice illegal .
Moreover , laws such as the National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detain indefinitely anyone they “ suspect ” of being an enemy of the state .
You see , you may be innocent of wrongdoing now , but when the standard for innocence is set by the government , no one is safe .
And anyone can be a criminal when it ’ s the government determining what is a crime .
It ’ s no longer a matter of if , but when .
Remember , the police state does not discriminate .
At some point , it will not matter whether your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or white .
It will not matter whether you ’ re an immigrant or a citizen .
It will not matter whether you ’ re rich or poor .
It won ’ t even matter whether you ’ re driving , flying or walking .
After all , government-issued bullets will kill you just as easily whether you ’ re a law-abiding citizen or a hardened criminal .
Government jails will hold you just as easily whether you ’ ve obeyed every law or broken a dozen .
And whether or not you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agents will treat you like a suspect simply because they have been trained to view and treat everyone like potential criminals .
Eventually , when the police state has turned that final screw and slammed that final door , all that will matter is whether some government agent—poorly trained , utterly ignorant and dismissive of the Constitution , way too hyped up on the power of their badges , and authorized to detain , search , interrogate , threaten and generally harass anyone they see fit—chooses to single you out for special treatment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same debate about the perils of government overreach for the past 50-plus years , and still we don ’ t seem to learn , or if we learn , we learn too late .
All of the excessive , abusive tactics employed by the government today—warrantless surveillance , stop and frisk searches , SWAT team raids , roadside strip searches , asset forfeiture schemes , private prisons , indefinite detention , militarized police , etc.—started out as a seemingly well-meaning plan to address some problem in society that needed a little extra help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : you will get more than you bargained for , especially when the government ’ s involved .
In the case of a national identification system , it might start off as a means of tracking COVID-19 cases in order to “ safely ” re-open the nation , but it will end up as a means of controlling the American people .
For those tempted to justify these draconian measures for whatever reason—for the sake of their health , the economy , or national security—remember , you can ’ t have it both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a constitutional republic if you allow the government to act like a police state .
You can ’ t claim to value freedom if you allow the government to operate like a dictatorship .
You can ’ t expect to have your rights respected if you allow the government to treat whomever it pleases with disrespect and an utter disregard for the rule of law .
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , if you ’ re inclined to advance this double @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nothing wrong and have nothing to hide , beware : there ’ s always a boomerang effect .
The Best of John W. Whitehead

“The things we were worried would happen are happening.”—Angus Johnston, professor at the City University of New York
No one is safe.
No one is immune.
No one gets spared the anguish, fear and heartache of living under the shadow of an authoritarian police state.
That’s the message being broadcast 24/7 with every new piece of government propaganda, every new law that criminalizes otherwise lawful activity, every new policeman on the beat, every new surveillance camera casting a watchful eye, every sensationalist news story that titillates and distracts, every new prison or detention center built to house troublemakers and other undesirables, every new court ruling that gives government agents a green light to strip and steal and rape and ravage the citizenry, every school that opts to indoctrinate rather than educate, and every new justification for why Americans should comply with the government’s attempts to trample the Constitution underfoot. Battlefield America: T... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $10.95 Buy New $18.80 (as of 10:15 UTC - Details)
Yes, COVID-19 has taken a significant toll on the nation emotionally, physically, and economically, but there are still greater dangers on the horizon.
As long as “we the people” continue to allow the government to trample our rights in the so-called name of national security, things will get worse, not better.
It’s already worse.
Now there’s talk of mass testing for COVID-19 antibodies, screening checkpoints, contact tracing, immunity passports to allow those who have recovered from the virus to move around more freely, and snitch tip lines for reporting “rule breakers” to the authorities.
If you can’t read the writing on the wall, you need to pay better attention.
These may seem like small, necessary steps in the war against the COVID-19 virus, but they’re only necessary to the police state in its efforts to further undermine the Constitution, extend its control over the populace, and feed its insatiable appetite for ever-greater powers.
Nothing is ever as simple as the government claims it is.
Whatever dangerous practices you allow the government to carry out now—whether it’s in the name of national security or protecting America’s borders or making America healthy again—rest assured, these same practices can and will be used against you when the government decides to set its sights on you.
The war on drugs turned out to be a war on the American people, waged with SWAT teams and militarized police.
The war on terror turned out to be a war on the American people, waged with warrantless surveillance and indefinite detention.
The war on immigration turned out to be a war on the American people, waged with roving government agents demanding “papers, please.”
This war on COVID-19 will be yet another war on the American people, waged with all of the surveillance weaponry at the government’s disposal: thermal imaging cameras, drones, contact tracing, biometric databases, etc.
So you see, when you talk about empowering government agents to screen the populace in order to control and prevent spread of this virus, what you’re really talking about is creating a society in which ID cards, round ups, checkpoints and detention centers become routine weapons used by the government to control and suppress the populace, no matter the threat.
This is also how you pave the way for a national identification system of epic proportions. The End of Policing Vitale, Alex S. Best Price: $13.44 Buy New $11.68 (as of 03:15 UTC - Details)
Imagine it: a national classification system that not only categorizes you according to your health status but also allows the government to sort you in a hundred other ways: by gender, orientation, wealth, medical condition, religious beliefs, political viewpoint, legal status, etc.
Are you starting to get the bigger picture yet?
This is just another wolf in sheep’s clothing, a “show me your papers” scheme disguised as a means of fighting a virus.
Don’t fall for it.
The ramifications of such a “show me your papers” society in which government officials are empowered to stop individuals, demand they identify themselves, and subject them to patdowns, warrantless screenings, searches, and interrogations are beyond chilling.
By allowing government agents to establish a litmus test for individuals to be able to exit a state of lockdown and engage in commerce, movement and any other right that corresponds to life in a supposedly free society, it lays the groundwork for a society in which you are required to identify yourself at any time to any government worker who demands it for any reason.
Such tactics quickly lead one down a slippery slope that ends with government agents empowered to force anyone and everyone to prove they are in compliance with every statute and regulation on the books.
It used to be that unless police had a reasonable suspicion that a person was guilty of wrongdoing, they had no legal authority to stop the person and require identification. In other words, “we the people” had the right to come and go as we please without the fear of being questioned by police or forced to identify ourselves.
Unfortunately, in this age of COVID-19, that unrestricted right to move about freely is being pitted against the government’s power to lock down communities at a moment’s notice. And in this tug-of-war between individual freedoms and government power, “we the people” have been on the losing end of the deal.
Curiously enough, these COVID-19 restrictions dovetail conveniently with a national timeline for states to comply with the Real ID Act, which imposes federal standards on identity documents such as state drivers’ licenses, a prelude to this national identification system.
Talk about a perfect storm for bringing about a national ID card, the ultimate human tracking device.
Granted, in the absence of a national ID card, which would make the police state’s task of monitoring, tracking and singling out individual suspects far simpler, “we the people” are already tracked in a myriad of ways: through our state driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers, bank accounts, purchases and electronic transactions; by way of our correspondence and communication devices—email, phone calls and mobile phones; through chips implanted in our vehicles, identification documents, even our clothing. A Government of Wolves... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $2.06 Buy New $10.42 (as of 01:25 UTC - Details)
Add to this the fact that businesses, schools and other facilities are relying more and more on fingerprints and facial recognition to identify us. All the while, data companies such as Acxiom are capturing vast caches of personal information to help airports, retailers, police and other government authorities instantly determine whether someone is the person he or she claims to be.
This informational glut—used to great advantage by both the government and corporate sectors—has converged into a mandate for “an internal passport,” a.k.a., a national ID card that would store information as basic as a person’s name, birth date and place of birth, as well as private information, including a Social Security number, fingerprint, retinal scan and personal, criminal and financial records.
A federalized, computerized, cross-referenced, databased system of identification policed by government agents would be the final nail in the coffin for privacy (not to mention a logistical security nightmare that would leave Americans even more vulnerable to every hacker in the cybersphere).
Americans have always resisted adopting a national ID card for good reason: it gives the government and its agents the ultimate power to target, track and terrorize the populace according to the government’s own nefarious purposes.
National ID card systems have been used before, by other oppressive governments, in the name of national security, invariably with horrifying results.
For instance, in Germany, the Nazis required all Jews to carry special stamped ID cards for travel within the country. A prelude to the yellow Star of David badges, these stamped cards were instrumental in identifying Jews for deportation to death camps in Poland.
Author Raul Hilberg summarizes the impact that such a system had on the Jews:
The whole identification system, with its personal documents, specially assigned names, and conspicuous tagging in public, was a powerful weapon in the hands of the police. First, the system was an auxiliary device that facilitated the enforcement of residence and movement restrictions. Second, it was an independent control measure in that it enabled the police to pick up any Jew, anywhere, anytime. Third, and perhaps most important, identification had a paralyzing effect on its victims.
In South Africa during apartheid, pass books were used to regulate the movement of black citizens and segregate the population. The Pass Laws Act of 1952 stipulated where, when and for how long a black African could remain in certain areas. Any government employee could strike out entries, which cancelled the permission to remain in an area. A pass book that did not have a valid entry resulted in the arrest and imprisonment of the bearer.
Identity cards played a crucial role in the genocide of the Tutsis in the central African country of Rwanda. The assault, carried out by extremist Hutu militia groups, lasted around 100 days and resulted in close to a million deaths. While the ID cards were not a precondition to the genocide, they were a facilitating factor. Once the genocide began, the production of an identity card with the designation “Tutsi” spelled a death sentence at any roadblock. Rise of the Warrior Co... Radley Balko Best Price: $3.56 Buy New $10.95 (as of 05:55 UTC - Details)
Identity cards have also helped oppressive regimes carry out eliminationist policies such as mass expulsion, forced relocation and group denationalization. Through the use of identity cards, Ethiopian authorities were able to identify people with Eritrean affiliation during the mass expulsion of 1998. The Vietnamese government was able to locate ethnic Chinese more easily during their 1978-79 expulsion. The USSR used identity cards to force the relocation of ethnic Koreans (1937), Volga Germans (1941), Kamyks and Karachai (1943), Crimean Tartars, Meshkhetian Turks, Chechens, Ingush and Balkars (1944) and ethnic Greeks (1949). And ethnic Vietnamese were identified for group denationalization through identity cards in Cambodia in 1993, as were the Kurds in Syria in 1962.
And in the United States, post-9/11, more than 750 Muslim men were rounded up on the basis of their religion and ethnicity and detained for up to eight months. Their experiences echo those of 120,000 Japanese-Americans who were similarly detained 75 years ago following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Despite a belated apology and monetary issuance by the U.S. government, the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to declare such a practice illegal. Moreover, laws such as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) empower the government to arrest and detain indefinitely anyone they “suspect” of being an enemy of the state.
You see, you may be innocent of wrongdoing now, but when the standard for innocence is set by the government, no one is safe.
Everyone is a suspect.
And anyone can be a criminal when it’s the government determining what is a crime.
It’s no longer a matter of if, but when.
Remember, the police state does not discriminate.
At some point, it will not matter whether your skin is black or yellow or brown or white. It will not matter whether you’re an immigrant or a citizen. It will not matter whether you’re rich or poor. It won’t even matter whether you’re driving, flying or walking.
After all, government-issued bullets will kill you just as easily whether you’re a law-abiding citizen or a hardened criminal. Government jails will hold you just as easily whether you’ve obeyed every law or broken a dozen. And whether or not you’ve done anything wrong, government agents will treat you like a suspect simply because they have been trained to view and treat everyone like potential criminals.
Eventually, when the police state has turned that final screw and slammed that final door, all that will matter is whether some government agent—poorly trained, utterly ignorant and dismissive of the Constitution, way too hyped up on the power of their badges, and authorized to detain, search, interrogate, threaten and generally harass anyone they see fit—chooses to single you out for special treatment.
We’ve been having this same debate about the perils of government overreach for the past 50-plus years, and still we don’t seem to learn, or if we learn, we learn too late.
All of the excessive, abusive tactics employed by the government today—warrantless surveillance, stop and frisk searches, SWAT team raids, roadside strip searches, asset forfeiture schemes, private prisons, indefinite detention, militarized police, etc.—started out as a seemingly well-meaning plan to address some problem in society that needed a little extra help.
Be careful what you wish for: you will get more than you bargained for, especially when the government’s involved.
In the case of a national identification system, it might start off as a means of tracking COVID-19 cases in order to “safely” re-open the nation, but it will end up as a means of controlling the American people.
For those tempted to justify these draconian measures for whatever reason—for the sake of their health, the economy, or national security—remember, you can’t have it both ways.
You can’t live in a constitutional republic if you allow the government to act like a police state.
You can’t claim to value freedom if you allow the government to operate like a dictatorship.
You can’t expect to have your rights respected if you allow the government to treat whomever it pleases with disrespect and an utter disregard for the rule of law.
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, if you’re inclined to advance this double standard because you believe you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, beware: there’s always a boomerang effect.
The Best of John W. Whitehead


Dance Macabre

Western Civ ’ s most infamous encounter with pandemic disease , so far , was the big first wave of the Black Death that had a marathon run from 1346 to 1353 .
That bug was the real deal .
It killed folks left and right , every age group , every social station , and it killed them ugly .
Few who caught it survived .
Up to half the population of Europe perished , along with a lot of their social and economic ways .
The cause of the Black Death was subject to every possible explanation except @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bacterium associated with rats and their insect parasites , fleas and lice , who also enjoyed an association with humans living in the generally squalid conditions of the day — the ancient Roman habit of bathing long forgotten .
At the top of their list of causes was an angry God , and his wicked erstwhile subordinate , Satan .
The “ experts ” of that time tended to cluster in the church hierarchy , with its drear obsessions and compulsions .
The squishy boundary between the supernatural and reality loosed all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in for much vilification , leading to massacres in Strasbourg , Mainz , and Cologne .
On the whole , the episode represented a terrific humbling of humanity .
The allegory of the Dance Macabre summed it up in mankind ’ s universal antic journey to the Palookaville of death .
CODE RED : Computerized ... Simon , Jonathan David Buy New $ 24.95 On the plus side , as modern interpolators might say , the bubonic plague winnowed down Europe ’ s population to a scale more congenial with its resource base @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the disease , land was cheaper and human labor better rewarded .
Eventually , more food got around .
Incidentally , the plague provoked nostalgia for the classical antiquity of Greece and Rome , especially among the scholars of Florence , launching the extravaganzas of the Renaissance , the Enlightenment , and eventually our own pageant of techno-supremacist Modernity .
Covid-19 seems rather a punk-ass illness compared to the Black Death .
Its victims by far are people already on a fast track to the last roundup .
We know exactly what causes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ origin , and yet the response among our experts has been far more ambiguous than those long-ago bishops of Christendom to the Great Plague .
The various scientists , physicians , public health officers , and politicians seem , to the casual observer , about equally divided between those who consider the corona virus a grave threat and those who insist it ’ s hardly worse than any annual flu .
What is one to believe ?
Or do ?
The Stakes : The 2020 E ... Anton , Michael Buy New $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Great Opening-up .
The current nostalgia for pre-Covid-19 business-as-usual is understandably intense .
Gone especially from daily life are all the ceremonies of human togetherness , from gatherings of friends to the casual shoulder-rubbings of urban life to the crowded venues of the lively arts to the great moiling orgies of pro sports .
The life of the perpetual jigsaw puzzle , YouTube , and Netflix has proved inadequate to human aspiration .
Gone , too , are livelihoods , revenue streams , and rewarding roles in everyday existence .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get out and make , get out and be , is overwhelming .
Behind those plain yearnings , though , looms the specter of a system that appeared to be already foundering before Covid-19 entered the scene .
There is , at least , considerable agreement that the disease catalyzed the disorders of finance and economy and accelerated the damage — just not among the people most responsible for engineering the fragilities that actually crashed things Jerome Powell , Pope of the Church of the Federal Reserve , went on the 60-Minutes show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things will eventually get back to normal .
“ I think you ’ ll see the economy recover steadily through the second half of this year.
” Unfreedom of the Press Levin , Mark R. Best Price : $ 2.41 Buy New $ 10.34 Yessir , if you say so .
Were his fingers crossed ?
You couldn ’ t tell because the camera had him framed in a head-shot .
Personally , I think the Fed Chairman was blowing smoke up the nation ’ s wazoo .
Spooky as it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a great cover-story for the natural collapse of a severally unbalanced , ecologically unsound , and dishonestly represented set of arrangements that are now unspooling at horrifying speed .
The car industry is dying .
The airline industry is laying out its fleet of big birds in desert graveyards .
The college racketeering operation went off a cliff , along with medical profiteering .
Agribusiness no longer has a business model .
Hundreds of kinds of services no longer have customers who can afford their offerings from acupuncture to zymurgy .
None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of miracle money borrowed from ourselves in quantities that would turn every US citizen into a millionaire — if it wasn ’ t just pounded down the rat-holes of the stock and bond markets .
The big question about the Great Opening-up is when the recognition of all that turns to raw emotion .
Covid-19 may still be with us then , but it will be the least of our problems .
The masks will come off .
The dance will commence .
DARK AGENDA : The War t ... Horowitz , David @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 18.39 United States of Socia ... D'Souza , Dinesh Buy New $ 25.93 Trumpocalypse : The End ... Anderson , Troy Best Price : $ 13.90 Buy New $ 15.99 The Best of James Howard Kunstler

Western Civ’s most infamous encounter with pandemic disease, so far, was the big first wave of the Black Death that had a marathon run from 1346 to 1353. That bug was the real deal. It killed folks left and right, every age group, every social station, and it killed them ugly. Few who caught it survived. Up to half the population of Europe perished, along with a lot of their social and economic ways.
The cause of the Black Death was subject to every possible explanation except the actual one, Yersina pestis, a bacterium associated with rats and their insect parasites, fleas and lice, who also enjoyed an association with humans living in the generally squalid conditions of the day — the ancient Roman habit of bathing long forgotten. At the top of their list of causes was an angry God, and his wicked erstwhile subordinate, Satan. The “experts” of that time tended to cluster in the church hierarchy, with its drear obsessions and compulsions. The squishy boundary between the supernatural and reality loosed all manner of derangement. The Jews came in for much vilification, leading to massacres in Strasbourg, Mainz, and Cologne. On the whole, the episode represented a terrific humbling of humanity. The allegory of the Dance Macabre summed it up in mankind’s universal antic journey to the Palookaville of death. CODE RED: Computerized... Simon, Jonathan David Buy New $24.95 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details)
On the plus side, as modern interpolators might say, the bubonic plague winnowed down Europe’s population to a scale more congenial with its resource base. After that big first wave of the disease, land was cheaper and human labor better rewarded. Eventually, more food got around. Incidentally, the plague provoked nostalgia for the classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, especially among the scholars of Florence, launching the extravaganzas of the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and eventually our own pageant of techno-supremacist Modernity.
Covid-19 seems rather a punk-ass illness compared to the Black Death. Its victims by far are people already on a fast track to the last roundup. We know exactly what causes it, if not so exactly its origin, and yet the response among our experts has been far more ambiguous than those long-ago bishops of Christendom to the Great Plague. The various scientists, physicians, public health officers, and politicians seem, to the casual observer, about equally divided between those who consider the corona virus a grave threat and those who insist it’s hardly worse than any annual flu. What is one to believe? Or do? The Stakes: The 2020 E... Anton, Michael Buy New $28.99 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details)
Which brings us to the verge of the Great Opening-up. The current nostalgia for pre-Covid-19 business-as-usual is understandably intense. Gone especially from daily life are all the ceremonies of human togetherness, from gatherings of friends to the casual shoulder-rubbings of urban life to the crowded venues of the lively arts to the great moiling orgies of pro sports. The life of the perpetual jigsaw puzzle, YouTube, and Netflix has proved inadequate to human aspiration. Gone, too, are livelihoods, revenue streams, and rewarding roles in everyday existence. The itch to get out and do, get out and make, get out and be, is overwhelming.
Behind those plain yearnings, though, looms the specter of a system that appeared to be already foundering before Covid-19 entered the scene. There is, at least, considerable agreement that the disease catalyzed the disorders of finance and economy and accelerated the damage — just not among the people most responsible for engineering the fragilities that actually crashed things
Jerome Powell, Pope of the Church of the Federal Reserve, went on the 60-Minutes show last night to reassure the nation that things will eventually get back to normal. “I think you’ll see the economy recover steadily through the second half of this year.” Unfreedom of the Press Levin, Mark R. Best Price: $2.41 Buy New $10.34 (as of 09:00 UTC - Details)
Yessir, if you say so. Were his fingers crossed? You couldn’t tell because the camera had him framed in a head-shot. Personally, I think the Fed Chairman was blowing smoke up the nation’s wazoo. Spooky as it’s been, the Covid-19 virus has also been a great cover-story for the natural collapse of a severally unbalanced, ecologically unsound, and dishonestly represented set of arrangements that are now unspooling at horrifying speed. The car industry is dying. The airline industry is laying out its fleet of big birds in desert graveyards. The college racketeering operation went off a cliff, along with medical profiteering. Agribusiness no longer has a business model. Hundreds of kinds of services no longer have customers who can afford their offerings from acupuncture to zymurgy. None of that will be fixed by injections of miracle money borrowed from ourselves in quantities that would turn every US citizen into a millionaire — if it wasn’t just pounded down the rat-holes of the stock and bond markets.
The big question about the Great Opening-up is when the recognition of all that turns to raw emotion. Covid-19 may still be with us then, but it will be the least of our problems. The masks will come off. The dance will commence.
Reprinted with permission from Kunstler.com.
DARK AGENDA: The War t... Horowitz, David Best Price: $16.84 Buy New $18.39 (as of 03:16 UTC - Details) United States of Socia... D'Souza, Dinesh Buy New $25.93 (as of 11:38 UTC - Details) Trumpocalypse: The End... Anderson, Troy Best Price: $13.90 Buy New $15.99 (as of 04:55 UTC - Details)
The Best of James Howard Kunstler