thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-17--This Red Flag Should Be a Campaign Coffin Nail

There are a plethora of reasons why Michael Bloomberg shouldn ’ t be considered for the Democrat nomination to be president , but two stick out with significance : His wealth and the hint that he would restore the Clinton influence in American politics .
The comedy show that is the field of candidates for the Democrat presidential nomination is Emmy worthy .
They exist as a mismatch of Marxists and Trotskyites , oligarchic millionaires and billionaires , globalists and anarchists on the main stage talking about how the rest of us should live our lives so as to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must sacrifice for the environment as the fly around the country in private jets ( but for Sanders who only flies first class ) .
And they thunder on how the Second Amendment is antiquated , even as they pontificate behind walls of armed bodyguards and spend tens of millions for armed security for their upcoming convention .
The entirety of the Democrat slate expects the sheep among their subjects to jettison the things they have come to know ( read : reality ) so as to embrace their elitist Nuevo-definitions of words @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the cobbling of a narrative that appears to legitimize their tapestries of bovine feces .
Whether you see their line-up as comedic or macabre , it is a dangerous line-up .
One of them will survive the media labyrinth to exist one election away from the ability to make their vision for our country a reality .
Remember , in November of 2008 everyone stood slack-jawed that a nobody from Chicago exploded into the presidency .
The eight years of Barack Obama ’ s Progressive and Marxist policies not only damaged the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it also divided the people in a way not seen since before the Civil Rights Movement .
Bloomberg , 77 , isn ’ t a nobody .
He ’ s a billionaire fifty-times over who controls a significant media apparatus to advance his narrative .
This means he can spin fiction that softens , manipulates , and distorts – to his advantage – his anti-Second Amendment , pro-abortion , open borders , tax-happy agenda in an effort to dupe the people into abdicating their freedoms ; as he seeks to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ States a socialist democracy .
This is exactly how he was able to politically reinvent himself so many times .
A lifelong Democrat before registering as a Republican in 2001 to ingratiate himself to New York City voters on the heels of the wildly successful tenure of Rudy Giuliani ( R ) , Bloomberg dropped his Republican designation while in office , registering as an Independent in 2007 , and again executed a metamorphic change in re-registering as a Democrat in 2018 in preparation for a presidential run .
To say that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grotesque understatement .
If that isn ’ t enough to expunge Bloomberg from consideration for any public office , there is credible buzz that he is seriously considering allowing the poison of Hillary Clinton ’ s politics and influence to resurface on the world stage in a vice-presidential bid on his ticket ( I guess that would put her one suicide away from the presidency ) .
For the record , Bloomberg ’ s spokesperson issued a non-denial denial when asked about a Clinton number-two spot .
Non-denial denials are the things of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by .
Even Bloomberg ’ s supporters have to question both his political metamorphosis and his questionable judgment in contemplating adding such a divisive in Hillary Clinton to his ticket given her disapproval ratings .
His metamorphosis proves his opportunism and his Clinton inclusion proves his willingness to associate with the criminal class to pander to a voter demographic .
These are demonstrations of political infidelity and poor decision-making .
There is an old adage that goes , and I paraphrase : just because you can doesn ’ t mean you should .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ where disingenuous opportunists routinely seek elected office , this happening from local to national .
Bloomberg and his ilk are a byproduct of this reality .
And because of the short-attention-span narrative-mongers of social media and the soundbite Pharisees of the mainstream media , they are getting elected .
Our country and the government our Framers bequeathed to us lays mortally wounded because of it .
And truth be told , we have no one to blame for the demise of our country but ourselves .
Opportunists only take advantage of opportunities .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ those opportunities .

There are a plethora of reasons why Michael Bloomberg shouldn’t be considered for the Democrat nomination to be president, but two stick out with significance: His wealth and the hint that he would restore the Clinton influence in American politics.
The comedy show that is the field of candidates for the Democrat presidential nomination is Emmy worthy. They exist as a mismatch of Marxists and Trotskyites, oligarchic millionaires and billionaires, globalists and anarchists on the main stage talking about how the rest of us should live our lives so as to be benevolent. They preach about how we must sacrifice for the environment as the fly around the country in private jets (but for Sanders who only flies first class). And they thunder on how the Second Amendment is antiquated, even as they pontificate behind walls of armed bodyguards and spend tens of millions for armed security for their upcoming convention.
The entirety of the Democrat slate expects the sheep among their subjects to jettison the things they have come to know (read: reality) so as to embrace their elitist Nuevo-definitions of words, phrases, and events, allowing for the cobbling of a narrative that appears to legitimize their tapestries of bovine feces.
Whether you see their line-up as comedic or macabre, it is a dangerous line-up. One of them will survive the media labyrinth to exist one election away from the ability to make their vision for our country a reality.
Remember, in November of 2008 everyone stood slack-jawed that a nobody from Chicago exploded into the presidency. The eight years of Barack Obama’s Progressive and Marxist policies not only damaged the economy and security of the United States, but it also divided the people in a way not seen since before the Civil Rights Movement.
Bloomberg, 77, isn’t a nobody. He’s a billionaire fifty-times over who controls a significant media apparatus to advance his narrative. This means he can spin fiction that softens, manipulates, and distorts – to his advantage – his anti-Second Amendment, pro-abortion, open borders, tax-happy agenda in an effort to dupe the people into abdicating their freedoms; as he seeks to make the US Constitution irrelevant and the United States a socialist democracy. This is exactly how he was able to politically reinvent himself so many times.
A lifelong Democrat before registering as a Republican in 2001 to ingratiate himself to New York City voters on the heels of the wildly successful tenure of Rudy Giuliani (R), Bloomberg dropped his Republican designation while in office, registering as an Independent in 2007, and again executed a metamorphic change in re-registering as a Democrat in 2018 in preparation for a presidential run. To say that he is a political opportunist would be a grotesque understatement.
If that isn’t enough to expunge Bloomberg from consideration for any public office, there is credible buzz that he is seriously considering allowing the poison of Hillary Clinton’s politics and influence to resurface on the world stage in a vice-presidential bid on his ticket (I guess that would put her one suicide away from the presidency).
For the record, Bloomberg’s spokesperson issued a non-denial denial when asked about a Clinton number-two spot. Non-denial denials are the things of manipulating despots and tyrants, by the by.
Even Bloomberg’s supporters have to question both his political metamorphosis and his questionable judgment in contemplating adding such a divisive in Hillary Clinton to his ticket given her disapproval ratings. His metamorphosis proves his opportunism and his Clinton inclusion proves his willingness to associate with the criminal class to pander to a voter demographic. These are demonstrations of political infidelity and poor decision-making.
There is an old adage that goes, and I paraphrase: just because you can doesn’t mean you should. We have intellectually lumbered into an era where disingenuous opportunists routinely seek elected office, this happening from local to national. Bloomberg and his ilk are a byproduct of this reality. And because of the short-attention-span narrative-mongers of social media and the soundbite Pharisees of the mainstream media, they are getting elected. Our country and the government our Framers bequeathed to us lays mortally wounded because of it.
And truth be told, we have no one to blame for the demise of our country but ourselves. Opportunists only take advantage of opportunities. We the People are guilty of affording those opportunities.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-17--NYC Taxpayers Spending Millions on Cyber Center with Controversial Ties to Israeli Intelligence

Early last week , the city of New York launched — with little media scrutiny — one of two new massive cybersecurity centers that will be run by private Israeli firms with close ties to Israel ’ s government , the so-called “ Mega Group ” tied to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and prominent pro-Israel lobby organizations operating in the United States .
The centers were first announced in 2018 as was the identity of the firms who would run them : Israel-based Jerusalem Venture Partners and SOSA .
As MintPress has reported on several occasions , all three of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spying on the U.S. federal government and/or blackmailing top American politicians , raising concerns regarding why these companies were chosen to run the new centers in the heart of Manhattan .
The news also comes as Israeli cybersecurity companies tied to Israeli military intelligence Unit 8200 were revealed to have access to the U.S. government ’ s most classified systems and simulating the cancellation of the upcoming 2020 presidential election .
The new cybersecurity centers are part of a new New York City public-private partnership called “ CyberNYC ” that is valued at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to “ spur the creation of 10,000 cybersecurity jobs and make New York City a global leader in cyber innovation.
” CyberNYC is an initiative of New York City ’ s Economic Development Corporation .
However , the companies that will be responsible for creating those cybersecurity jobs will benefit foreign companies , namely Israeli and most of the jobs to be created will go to foreigners as well , as media reports on the partnership have quietly noted .
Those reports also stated that , while the stated purpose of the centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israeli firms chosen to run them — Jerusalem Venture Partners ( JVP ) and SOSA — view it as an opportunity to provide Israeli cybersecurity companies with a foothold into the American market and to see Israeli cybersecurity products adopted by both small and medium-sized American businesses , not just large corporations and government agencies .
For example , the founder of JVP and former Knesset member , Erel Margalit , told the Jerusalem Post that “ the center we are setting up [ in New York ] will assist Israeli hi-tech companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the US and around the world.
” More recently , ahead of the opening of the cybersecurity center that Margalit ’ s firm will manage , he told the Times of Israel that “ New York is about something else , it ’ s about the drama of taking investors from Israel and Spain or Paris and other places and taking them to the next business level.
” In other words , the companies set to benefit from these new centers will be foreign and mainly Israeli , as JVP invests the vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Given that Wilson Lin , the head of CyberNYC , explained the reason behind the initiative as the fact that “ there are not enough well-trained people in cyber security to fill the jobs that are required for a safer , more thriving commercial sector , ” the statements of JVP ’ s founder strongly suggests that those “ well-trained people ” will not be Americans in New York , but will be brought in from abroad , namely Israel ’ s cybersecurity sector .
Of the companies chosen by CyberNYC to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have clear and demonstrable ties to Israel ’ s government and military intelligence as well as controversial groups of pro-Israel donors with considerable political clout in the United States .
For instance , Jerusalem Venture Partners was founded by Erel Margalit in 1993 , with funding from the Yozma Program , an Israeli government program to “ incentivize venture capital investment ” in Israel .
Since then , it has been a driving force in the development of Israel ’ s hi-tech sector and regularly collaborates with the Israeli Ministry of Economy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Innovation Support Program ) alumni organization of Unit 8200 .
Today , it is the second largest venture capital fund in Israel .
JVP was also the sole venture capital fund chosen to partner with Israel ’ s government and military to establish the public-private “ cyber hub ” in Beersheba .
This “ hub ” not only houses the IDF ’ s technology campus , but also the Israel National Cyber Directorate , which reports directly to Israel ’ s Prime Minister , as well as a high-tech corporate park that mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s military intelligence apparatus .
The area has been cited in several media reports as a visible indicator of the public-private merger between Israeli technology companies , many of them started by Unit 8200 alumni , and the Israeli government and its intelligence services .
In addition to JVP ’ s close ties to Israel ’ s government and its key role in the merging of Israel ’ s private cybersecurity sector with Israeli military intelligence , JVP also has close ties to the Bronfman family through its Chief Operating Officer and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to working with JVP , Darmon worked for Claridge Israel , the investment arm of the Bronfman family that was founded by Charles Bronfman in 1987 .
Charles Bronfman was a one-time business partner of Mossad agent Robert Maxwell , father of Jeffrey Epstein ’ s alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell , and co-founded the “ Mega Group ” , a group of pro-Israel oligarchs with clear and direct ties to organized crime , alongside Leslie Wexner , the main financier of Jeffrey Epstein ’ s operation that involved the sex trafficking of minors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ SOSA was founded much more recently than JVP , yet also has close ties to Israel ’ s government and military .
Created in 2014 , SOSA has grown rapidly by connecting mostly Israeli start-ups with investors and through its partnerships with the IDF .
This partnership first became clear in 2018 , when SOSA created the Homeland Security ( HLST ) Innovation Hub , which the Times of Israel described as “ a first of its kind program that aims to create a defense and security innovation community that will match homeland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to help industry giants maintain their leading edge.
” Last year , SOSA became one of two companies to manage the Israeli Ministry of Defense ’ s program INNOFENSE , an innovation program for civilian tech start-ups in the country ’ s defense industry .
SOSA ’ s collaboration with the IDF also involves the creation of “ joint business activities between international companies , [ government ] security organizations , investors and startups , ” making SOSA a key player in the blurring of the line between Israeli military intelligence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also directly partnered with two of Israel ’ s top weapons manufacturers , Rafael Advanced Defense Systems , as well as defense electronics companies ELTA Systems and Elron Electronics , the former parent company of another Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems .
It is also partnered with the Unit 8200 alumni-founded tech company CheckPoint Systems and Leumi Tech , the hi-tech subsidiary of one of Israel ’ s largest banks , Leumi .
Leumi Tech exists only in the U.S. and specifically aims to “ provide a comprehensive suite of products and services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US.
” The bank was recently forced to pay $ 400 million to the U.S. government for assisting U.S. citizens , most of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens , in preparing false tax returns and hiding their assets in offshore accounts .
SOSA ’ s General Manager Guy Franklin is of particular interest , due to his close ties to the Israeli American Council ( IAC ) , a pro-Israel lobby group created by convicted felon and ultra-Zionist millionaire Adam Milstein and largely funded by Sheldon and Miriam Adelson .
The Adelsons are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Republican Party in the United States .
Of the $ 100 million in funding for the CyberNYC initiative , $ 30 million comes from New York taxpayers and the remaining funds coming from the program ’ s partners , which includes Goldman Sachs and the Israeli military intelligence Unit 8200 incubator Team8 , a start-up accelerator which has been discussed at length in several past MintPress News reports , including the recent MintPress investigation into the Israeli company Cybereason — a partner of Team8 .
Team8 , particularly its presence in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the push by pro-Israel political donor and American hedge fund manager Paul Singer and Israel ’ s government to make Israel the global cybersecurity leader as a means of preventing countries from boycotting Israel over human rights violations and war crimes .
Team8 ’ s role in CyberNYC will see them not only finance part of the initiative but also training cybersecurity workers who will be hired as part of the partnership .
Singer , who is based in Manhattan , created Start Up Nation Central in 2012 to specifically outsource American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top AIPAC officials and Israel ’ s government .
Meanwhile , in parallel , Israel ’ s government and intelligence apparatus began a policy that same year that involved outsourcing intelligence and military intelligence operations to private companies created for that very purpose , particularly in the field of cybersecurity .
Thus , much as Israel ’ s cybersecurity industry has long been fused to Israel ’ s military and intelligence apparati , the Paul Singer-funded and Israel-backed policy has openly sought to bring American companies and government agencies into the fold in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Though the so-called “ anti-BDS laws ” that have been passed in several U.S. states are one facet of this push , the use of Israeli tech , namely cybersecurity , sector to pursue this same end has received decidedly less coverage .
New York City has long been a major focus on this policy , with the growth of Israel hi-tech start-ups present in New York and run by former members of Unit 8200 exploding since this policy officially began in 2012 .
Indeed , Haaretz noted that , between 2013 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tech start-ups in New York City grew by fivefold and the number of Unit 8200 alumni working in NYC tech start-ups has also spiked in that same time frame .
The number of Unit 8200 alumni working in NYC ’ s tech sector has grown so much that they host an annual gala closed to the press where the goal , per Haaretz , is “ to try to connect startups and early stage entrepreneurs from 8200 EISP ( the Israeli accelerator for Unit 8200 alumni ) with clients and venture capital funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the main players at that gala is Guy Franklin , the CEO of SOSA , which was chosen to run the other NYC cybersecurity sector .
The decision to create expensive , new cybersecurity centers run by JVP and SOSA , two Israeli firms with clear ties to controversial pro-Israel lobby organization and donors as well as Israel ’ s government and intelligence apparatus , reveals that not only is this Singer and Israel-backed policy continuing to develop and expand at a rapid pace , but now the money of New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it to new heights even though that very policy benefits Israel ’ s economy at the U.S. ’ expense .

Early last week, the city of New York launched — with little media scrutiny — one of two new massive cybersecurity centers that will be run by private Israeli firms with close ties to Israel’s government, the so-called “Mega Group” tied to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and prominent pro-Israel lobby organizations operating in the United States. The centers were first announced in 2018 as was the identity of the firms who would run them: Israel-based Jerusalem Venture Partners and SOSA.
As MintPress has reported on several occasions, all three of these entities have a history of aggressively spying on the U.S. federal government and/or blackmailing top American politicians, raising concerns regarding why these companies were chosen to run the new centers in the heart of Manhattan. The news also comes as Israeli cybersecurity companies tied to Israeli military intelligence Unit 8200 were revealed to have access to the U.S. government’s most classified systems and simulating the cancellation of the upcoming 2020 presidential election.
The new cybersecurity centers are part of a new New York City public-private partnership called “CyberNYC” that is valued at over $100 million and officially aims to “spur the creation of 10,000 cybersecurity jobs and make New York City a global leader in cyber innovation.” CyberNYC is an initiative of New York City’s Economic Development Corporation.
However, the companies that will be responsible for creating those cybersecurity jobs will benefit foreign companies, namely Israeli and most of the jobs to be created will go to foreigners as well, as media reports on the partnership have quietly noted. Those reports also stated that, while the stated purpose of the centers is to create new jobs, the Israeli firms chosen to run them — Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) and SOSA — view it as an opportunity to provide Israeli cybersecurity companies with a foothold into the American market and to see Israeli cybersecurity products adopted by both small and medium-sized American businesses, not just large corporations and government agencies.
For example, the founder of JVP and former Knesset member, Erel Margalit, told the Jerusalem Post that “the center we are setting up [in New York] will assist Israeli hi-tech companies in collaborating with customers and companies in the US and around the world.” More recently, ahead of the opening of the cybersecurity center that Margalit’s firm will manage, he told the Times of Israel that “New York is about something else, it’s about the drama of taking investors from Israel and Spain or Paris and other places and taking them to the next business level.” In other words, the companies set to benefit from these new centers will be foreign and mainly Israeli, as JVP invests the vast majority of its funds in Israeli start-ups.
Given that Wilson Lin, the head of CyberNYC, explained the reason behind the initiative as the fact that “there are not enough well-trained people in cyber security to fill the jobs that are required for a safer, more thriving commercial sector,” the statements of JVP’s founder strongly suggests that those “well-trained people” will not be Americans in New York, but will be brought in from abroad, namely Israel’s cybersecurity sector.
Of the companies chosen by CyberNYC to run its new cybersecurity centers, both have clear and demonstrable ties to Israel’s government and military intelligence as well as controversial groups of pro-Israel donors with considerable political clout in the United States.
For instance, Jerusalem Venture Partners was founded by Erel Margalit in 1993, with funding from the Yozma Program, an Israeli government program to “incentivize venture capital investment” in Israel. Since then, it has been a driving force in the development of Israel’s hi-tech sector and regularly collaborates with the Israeli Ministry of Economy and Industry and the EISP (Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support Program) alumni organization of Unit 8200. Today, it is the second largest venture capital fund in Israel.
JVP was also the sole venture capital fund chosen to partner with Israel’s government and military to establish the public-private “cyber hub” in Beersheba. This “hub” not only houses the IDF’s technology campus, but also the Israel National Cyber Directorate, which reports directly to Israel’s Prime Minister, as well as a high-tech corporate park that mostly houses tech companies with ties to Israel’s military intelligence apparatus. The area has been cited in several media reports as a visible indicator of the public-private merger between Israeli technology companies, many of them started by Unit 8200 alumni, and the Israeli government and its intelligence services.
In addition to JVP’s close ties to Israel’s government and its key role in the merging of Israel’s private cybersecurity sector with Israeli military intelligence, JVP also has close ties to the Bronfman family through its Chief Operating Officer and general partner, Fiona Darmon. Prior to working with JVP, Darmon worked for Claridge Israel, the investment arm of the Bronfman family that was founded by Charles Bronfman in 1987.
Charles Bronfman was a one-time business partner of Mossad agent Robert Maxwell, father of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell, and co-founded the “Mega Group”, a group of pro-Israel oligarchs with clear and direct ties to organized crime, alongside Leslie Wexner, the main financier of Jeffrey Epstein’s operation that involved the sex trafficking of minors on behalf of Israeli military intelligence.
SOSA was founded much more recently than JVP, yet also has close ties to Israel’s government and military. Created in 2014, SOSA has grown rapidly by connecting mostly Israeli start-ups with investors and through its partnerships with the IDF. This partnership first became clear in 2018, when SOSA created the Homeland Security (HLST) Innovation Hub, which the Times of Israel described as “a first of its kind program that aims to create a defense and security innovation community that will match homeland security and defense industry firms with startups, to help industry giants maintain their leading edge.”
Last year, SOSA became one of two companies to manage the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s program INNOFENSE, an innovation program for civilian tech start-ups in the country’s defense industry. SOSA’s collaboration with the IDF also involves the creation of “joint business activities between international companies, [government] security organizations, investors and startups,” making SOSA a key player in the blurring of the line between Israeli military intelligence and its private tech sector.
SOSA is also directly partnered with two of Israel’s top weapons manufacturers, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, as well as defense electronics companies ELTA Systems and Elron Electronics, the former parent company of another Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems. It is also partnered with the Unit 8200 alumni-founded tech company CheckPoint Systems and Leumi Tech, the hi-tech subsidiary of one of Israel’s largest banks, Leumi. Leumi Tech exists only in the U.S. and specifically aims to “provide a comprehensive suite of products and services to Israeli high-tech companies operating in the US.” The bank was recently forced to pay $400 million to the U.S. government for assisting U.S. citizens, most of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, in preparing false tax returns and hiding their assets in offshore accounts.
SOSA’s General Manager Guy Franklin is of particular interest, due to his close ties to the Israeli American Council (IAC), a pro-Israel lobby group created by convicted felon and ultra-Zionist millionaire Adam Milstein and largely funded by Sheldon and Miriam Adelson. The Adelsons are also the largest donors to both President Trump and the Republican Party in the United States.
Of the $100 million in funding for the CyberNYC initiative, $30 million comes from New York taxpayers and the remaining funds coming from the program’s partners, which includes Goldman Sachs and the Israeli military intelligence Unit 8200 incubator Team8, a start-up accelerator which has been discussed at length in several past MintPress News reports, including the recent MintPress investigation into the Israeli company Cybereason — a partner of Team8.
Team8, particularly its presence in New York, has long been associated with the push by pro-Israel political donor and American hedge fund manager Paul Singer and Israel’s government to make Israel the global cybersecurity leader as a means of preventing countries from boycotting Israel over human rights violations and war crimes. Team8’s role in CyberNYC will see them not only finance part of the initiative but also training cybersecurity workers who will be hired as part of the partnership.
Singer, who is based in Manhattan, created Start Up Nation Central in 2012 to specifically outsource American tech jobs to Israel in collaboration with top AIPAC officials and Israel’s government. Meanwhile, in parallel, Israel’s government and intelligence apparatus began a policy that same year that involved outsourcing intelligence and military intelligence operations to private companies created for that very purpose, particularly in the field of cybersecurity.
Thus, much as Israel’s cybersecurity industry has long been fused to Israel’s military and intelligence apparati, the Paul Singer-funded and Israel-backed policy has openly sought to bring American companies and government agencies into the fold in order to prevent boycotts of Israel. Though the so-called “anti-BDS laws” that have been passed in several U.S. states are one facet of this push, the use of Israeli tech, namely cybersecurity, sector to pursue this same end has received decidedly less coverage.
New York City has long been a major focus on this policy, with the growth of Israel hi-tech start-ups present in New York and run by former members of Unit 8200 exploding since this policy officially began in 2012. Indeed, Haaretz noted that, between 2013 and 2017 alone, the number of Israeli tech start-ups in New York City grew by fivefold and the number of Unit 8200 alumni working in NYC tech start-ups has also spiked in that same time frame.
The number of Unit 8200 alumni working in NYC’s tech sector has grown so much that they host an annual gala closed to the press where the goal, per Haaretz, is “to try to connect startups and early stage entrepreneurs from 8200 EISP (the Israeli accelerator for Unit 8200 alumni) with clients and venture capital funds in the United States.” One of the main players at that gala is Guy Franklin, the CEO of SOSA, which was chosen to run the other NYC cybersecurity sector.
The decision to create expensive, new cybersecurity centers run by JVP and SOSA, two Israeli firms with clear ties to controversial pro-Israel lobby organization and donors as well as Israel’s government and intelligence apparatus, reveals that not only is this Singer and Israel-backed policy continuing to develop and expand at a rapid pace, but now the money of New York City taxpayers is now being used to propel it to new heights even though that very policy benefits Israel’s economy at the U.S.’ expense.
Feature photo | Graphic by Claudio Cabrera
Article posted with permission from MintPress News


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-17--Locust Armies Are Devouring Entire Farms In Kenya “In As Little As 30 Seconds”

Locust armies numbering in the billions are absolutely ravaging large portions of eastern Africa and vast stretches of the Middle East .
We are being told that these locust armies “ are unprecedented in size and scope ” , which means that we have never seen anything like this before .
And as you will see below , the UN continues to warn that the number of locusts could get “ 500 times bigger ” by June .
But even if this plague ended right now , millions of people would still be facing a devastating famine in the months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 40 miles wide , each one can eat the equivalent of its own body weight every day , and the swarms can travel close to 100 miles in a 24 hour period .
This is a nightmare of epic proportions , and it is just getting started .
National Geographic has never been known to sensationalize news stories , but even they are saying that this plague is “ like something out of the Book of Exodus ” … Some of the largest swarms are actually bigger than any city on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrive in an area they start going to work immediately .
In fact , it is being reported that some farms in Kenya “ are being devoured in as little as 30 seconds ” … Could you imagine working extremely hard on a farm all year long and then seeing it completely consumed by locusts in less than a minute ?
One Kenyan farmer that had his farm destroyed by the locusts openly admitted that he is considering committing suicide… Of course suicide is never the solution to anything .
But it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these farmers are feeling now that everything that they have worked for has been completely wiped out .
If you held a single desert locust in your hand you might think that it is cute .
But the truth is that these are extremely voracious little creatures , and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization ’ s Keith Cressman says that even a “ medium-size swarm ” can eat an astounding amount of food… Ultimately what all of this means is that we are going to see famine .
And I am not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where a few thousand people starve .
Right now , these locusts are affecting countries “ with a combined population of nearly 2 billion ” … I keep writing about “ the perfect storm ” that humanity is facing , but because most people in the western world are still living very cushy lifestyles I think that a lot of them don ’ t really grasp when I am trying to tell them .
Sadly , the truth is that we have entered a time when one major crisis after another is erupting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get worse as time rolls along .
Due to unusually wet weather and a couple of giant cyclones , conditions have been perfect for desert locusts to breed .
According to National Geographic , this is what has caused these colossal swarms of locusts… Unfortunately , officials are telling us that what we have seen so far is just the beginning .
If you can believe it , the UN continues to warn that the number of locusts “ could grow 500 times bigger by June ” … I know that I have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot lately .
And that story is definitely very important , but this locust plague could easily end up killing far more people .
Global events are really starting to accelerate , and things are only going to get crazier in the months ahead .
So buckle up and hold on tight , because the ride ahead is going to be extremely wild .

Locust armies numbering in the billions are absolutely ravaging large portions of eastern Africa and vast stretches of the Middle East. We are being told that these locust armies “are unprecedented in size and scope”, which means that we have never seen anything like this before. And as you will see below, the UN continues to warn that the number of locusts could get “500 times bigger” by June. But even if this plague ended right now, millions of people would still be facing a devastating famine in the months ahead. These locusts travel in swarms up to 40 miles wide, each one can eat the equivalent of its own body weight every day, and the swarms can travel close to 100 miles in a 24 hour period. This is a nightmare of epic proportions, and it is just getting started.
National Geographic has never been known to sensationalize news stories, but even they are saying that this plague is “like something out of the Book of Exodus”…
East Africa is in the midst of a crisis that sounds like something out of the Book of Exodus: A plague of locusts is spreading across the region, threatening the food supply of tens of millions. City-sized swarms of the dreaded pests are wreaking havoc as they descend on crops and pasturelands, devouring everything in a matter of hours. The scale of the locust outbreak, which now affects seven East African countries, is like nothing in recent memory.
Some of the largest swarms are actually bigger than any city on the entire planet, and when they arrive in an area they start going to work immediately.
In fact, it is being reported that some farms in Kenya “are being devoured in as little as 30 seconds”…
The locusts are so bad in some parts of Kenya that entire fields of crops are being devoured in as little as 30 seconds. Moses Omondi, a program officer at Farm Radio, a charity that works with to bring information and news to farmers, says that in Kitui County, in eastern Kenya, there were no locusts this time last week. Now, entire farms have been destroyed.
Could you imagine working extremely hard on a farm all year long and then seeing it completely consumed by locusts in less than a minute?
One Kenyan farmer that had his farm destroyed by the locusts openly admitted that he is considering committing suicide…
He is affected psychologically to the extent of telling me that, ‘If worst comes to worst, I can even commit suicide.’ The reason being, this is the source of his income. He’s been taking his kid to school using farm produce. He’s been paying bills using farm produce. So according to him, he [says], ‘Moses, if this continues — if the government is not coming to act — then I’m thinking of committing suicide.’
Of course suicide is never the solution to anything. But it is easy to understand the utter despair that these farmers are feeling now that everything that they have worked for has been completely wiped out.
If you held a single desert locust in your hand you might think that it is cute. But the truth is that these are extremely voracious little creatures, and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s Keith Cressman says that even a “medium-size swarm” can eat an astounding amount of food…
A medium-size swarm of locusts can eat the same amount of food as the entire population of Kenya, Cressman said, and “that swarm in one day can eat the same amount of food as everybody here in the tri-state area, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. So not taking action in time – you can see the consequences.”
Ultimately what all of this means is that we are going to see famine.
And I am not just talking about the sort of famine where a few thousand people starve. Right now, these locusts are affecting countries “with a combined population of nearly 2 billion”…
The numbers involved, the UN has warned, are “unprecedented”. If they are not contained, their appetites will trigger famine, destroy livelihoods for local farmers and undermine the food security of a group of countries with a combined population of nearly 2 billion.
I keep writing about “the perfect storm” that humanity is facing, but because most people in the western world are still living very cushy lifestyles I think that a lot of them don’t really grasp when I am trying to tell them. Sadly, the truth is that we have entered a time when one major crisis after another is erupting, and things are only going to get worse as time rolls along.
Due to unusually wet weather and a couple of giant cyclones, conditions have been perfect for desert locusts to breed. According to National Geographic, this is what has caused these colossal swarms of locusts…
Desert locusts live for about three months. After a generation matures, the adults lay their eggs which, under the right conditions, can hatch to form a new generation up to 20 times larger than the previous one. In this way, desert locusts can increase their population size exponentially over successive generations, Cressman says. Ultimately, these two 2018 cyclones enabled three generations of wildly successful locust breeding in just nine months, increasing the number of insects buzzing over the Arabian desert roughly 8,000-fold.
Unfortunately, officials are telling us that what we have seen so far is just the beginning.
If you can believe it, the UN continues to warn that the number of locusts “could grow 500 times bigger by June”…
Dozens of countries are on alert following a biblical-scale invasion of locusts the UN has described as “unprecedented” and “devastating”. The swarms of the food-devouring insects could grow 500 times bigger by June according to the astonishing UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) report.
I know that I have been writing about the coronavirus outbreak a lot lately. And that story is definitely very important, but this locust plague could easily end up killing far more people.
Global events are really starting to accelerate, and things are only going to get crazier in the months ahead.
So buckle up and hold on tight, because the ride ahead is going to be extremely wild.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-17--Trump’s Budget: More Warfare, Slightly Less Welfare

Listening to the howls from Democrats and the applause from Republicans , one would think President Trump ’ s proposed fiscal year 2021 budget is a radical assault on the welfare state .
The truth is the budget contains some minor spending cuts , most of which are not even real cuts .
Instead , they are reductions in the “ projected rate of growth.
” This is equivalent of saying you are sticking to your diet because you ate five chocolate chip cookies when you wanted to eat ten .
President Trump ’ s plan reduces the Education Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , leaving the department with “ only ” 66.6 billion dollars .
Cuts to other departments are similarly small , while reductions in entitlement spending consist mostly of reforms that will not affect most of those dependent on these programs .
President Trump deserves credit for proposing an 11.6 billion dollars cut in funding for the Department of State and the US Agency for International Development ( USAID ) .
Foreign aid does little to help impoverished people overseas .
Instead , it benefits foreign government officials willing to do the US government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and USAID are extensively involved in US intervention abroad , including efforts to overthrow governments .
For example , his budget spends around 900 million additional dollars on vocational education .
It also includes additional spending on items including infrastructure and childcare .
Few in DC have expressed concern over the fact that President Trump ’ s 4.8 trillion dollars budget proposal is the largest budget in American history .
There is also little outcry from supposedly antiwar progressive Democrats over Trump ’ s proposal to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many progressives are happy to support increased warfare spending as long as conservatives go along with increased welfare spending .
Similarly , many conservatives are happy to support increased welfare spending as long as it means that progressives will vote for increased warfare spending .
So , Congress is unlikely to approve any of President Trump ’ s spending cuts , but Congress will gleefully agree to all of his spending increases .
Even if Congress agrees to all of President Trump ’ s cuts , federal deficits will still be over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years .
However , President Trump claims the budget will balance in 15 years .
In order to show a balanced budget by 2035 , the administration assumes three percent economic growth for most of the next decade .
This level of growth is unlikely to come to pass .
Instead , the current boom will likely end soon , and the economy will experience another major recession .
Signs that we are on the verge of a downturn include rising homelessness and the Federal Reserve ’ s bailout of the repurchasing market @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on debt , and the debt-based economy is facilitated by the Federal Reserve ’ s easy money policies .
The massive amount of debt held by consumers , businesses , and especially government is the main reason the Fed feels compelled to maintain historically low interest rates .
If rates were to increase to market levels , government interest payments would be unstable .
This would cause the government debt bubble to burst , leading to a major crisis .
However , continuing on the current path of low interest rates will inevitably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collapse of the welfare-warfare Keynesian system .
Continuing to waste billions on wars abroad and failed programs at home while pretending that we can avoid a crisis via phony cuts and Fed-fueled growth will only make the inevitable collapse more painful .
The only way to avoid economic disaster is to cut spending and audit , then end , the Federal Reserve .

Listening to the howls from Democrats and the applause from Republicans, one would think President Trump’s proposed fiscal year 2021 budget is a radical assault on the welfare state. The truth is the budget contains some minor spending cuts, most of which are not even real cuts. Instead, they are reductions in the “projected rate of growth.” This is equivalent of saying you are sticking to your diet because you ate five chocolate chip cookies when you wanted to eat ten.
President Trump’s plan reduces the Education Department’s budget by nearly eight percent, leaving the department with “only” 66.6 billion dollars.
Cuts to other departments are similarly small, while reductions in entitlement spending consist mostly of reforms that will not affect most of those dependent on these programs.
President Trump deserves credit for proposing an 11.6 billion dollars cut in funding for the Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
Foreign aid does little to help impoverished people overseas. Instead, it benefits foreign government officials willing to do the US government’s bidding.
The State Department and USAID are extensively involved in US intervention abroad, including efforts to overthrow governments.
President Trump’s budget proposes a number of increases in spending.
For example, his budget spends around 900 million additional dollars on vocational education.
It also includes additional spending on items including infrastructure and childcare.
Few in DC have expressed concern over the fact that President Trump’s 4.8 trillion dollars budget proposal is the largest budget in American history.
There is also little outcry from supposedly antiwar progressive Democrats over Trump’s proposal to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on militarism.
This is not surprising, as many progressives are happy to support increased warfare spending as long as conservatives go along with increased welfare spending.
Similarly, many conservatives are happy to support increased welfare spending as long as it means that progressives will vote for increased warfare spending.
So, Congress is unlikely to approve any of President Trump’s spending cuts, but Congress will gleefully agree to all of his spending increases.
Even if Congress agrees to all of President Trump’s cuts, federal deficits will still be over one trillion dollars for the next several years.
However, President Trump claims the budget will balance in 15 years. In order to show a balanced budget by 2035, the administration assumes three percent economic growth for most of the next decade.
This level of growth is unlikely to come to pass. Instead, the current boom will likely end soon, and the economy will experience another major recession.
Signs that we are on the verge of a downturn include rising homelessness and the Federal Reserve’s bailout of the repurchasing market.
The current economic boom is built on debt, and the debt-based economy is facilitated by the Federal Reserve’s easy money policies.
The massive amount of debt held by consumers, businesses, and especially government is the main reason the Fed feels compelled to maintain historically low interest rates.
If rates were to increase to market levels, government interest payments would be unstable.
This would cause the government debt bubble to burst, leading to a major crisis.
However, continuing on the current path of low interest rates will inevitably lead to a dollar crisis and a collapse of the welfare-warfare Keynesian system.
Continuing to waste billions on wars abroad and failed programs at home while pretending that we can avoid a crisis via phony cuts and Fed-fueled growth will only make the inevitable collapse more painful.
The only way to avoid economic disaster is to cut spending and audit, then end, the Federal Reserve.


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-17--Michael Bloomberg:  If Elected, I Will Charge American With “Domestic Terrorism” For “Hate Crimes”

Nope , it isn ’ t about the right to keep and bear arms .
It isn ’ t even about the right to purchase a vaping product , cigarettes or a Big Gulp drink .
Nanny State sissy Michael Bloomberg is claiming that he will charge law-abiding citizens with domestic terrorism if they engage in what he refers to as “ hate crimes ” by criticizing the antichrist state of Israel .
That ’ s right , the free speech that is protected under the First Amendment is being targeted not only by my home state of South Carolina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ neo-Nazi fascist Michael Bloomberg .
Here ’ s how 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg would combat what he calls “ anti-semitism ” from “ day one.
” According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency : 1 .
Anti-Semitic hate crimes are currently on the rise across the United States .
In 2018 , there were two deadly shootings at synagogues in Pittsburgh and Poway , violent attacks now regularly plague the Jews of New York City , and Jews continue to be the target of most religion-based hate crimes across the country .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to address the rise in U.S. anti-Semitism .
Anti-Semitic violence is on the rise .
We ’ ve seen it in the New York area – including the recent horrific attacks in Jersey City – and across the country .
As a Jew , as an American and as a human being , I am deeply disturbed every time I hear about these hate crimes .
There is no single answer .
And no single person is entirely to blame .
Anti-Semitism is hardly the exclusive domain of one political party .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the left .
But there is one fact that we can not ignore : Presidential leadership matters .
When the president calls his supporters “ real Americans ” — an echo of the language that nativists , anti-Semites and the KKK used for many decades — he undermines our fundamental national values .
When he is silent — and even supportive , through his words and tweets — as racist groups spread hate , he puts the public safety of our communities at risk .
When he promotes conspiracy theories that are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must remember : Anti-Semitism is the original conspiracy theory .
A world in which a president traffics in conspiracy theories is a world in which Jews are not safe .
The best way to combat the rise in anti-Semitism we ’ ve seen under President Trump is with a president who brings people together instead of tearing them apart .
That ’ s exactly what I will do .
I will speak out against anti-Semitism on the right and on the left .
I will speak out against it whether it shows up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on campus quads .
But I won ’ t stop there .
I ’ ll speak out against hatred of all kinds .
That ’ s something I learned from my parents .
My father never made more than $ 6,000 , but I remember him writing out a check to the NAACP for $ 25 or $ 50 , which was a lot of money for us .
When I asked him why , he said : Discrimination against anyone threatens all of us .
I have always carried that lesson with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I will do everything in my power to put an end to all forms of discrimination .
I will label hate crimes as “ domestic terrorism ” — and charge perpetrators accordingly .
I will launch a national , coordinated effort , led by the FBI director and Department of Justice , to crack down on violent extremists .
I will expand the Department of Education ’ s Stop Bullying Campaign , so we can put an end to harassment in schools — including on college campuses .
And I will never stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — against anyone .
Well , with friends like this , who needs enemas ?
Michael Bloomberg is a sissy man who has never learned vocabulary or the means to deal with people .
He understands one language , money , and that ’ s it .
His entire epistemology is Marxist , which is anti-God , in thinking .
Bloomberg will have no one criticize the state of Israel , no matter what .
Look , this is not all .
Listen to this antichrist speak : Israel is the closest and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ East .
And I believe guaranteeing the survival of a democratic , Jewish state in the Holy Land is a solemn obligation of the United States , as it has been for more than half a century .
[ … ] Let me be clear : I strongly oppose the BDS movement .
And I vehemently disagree with everyone who fails to see why the Jewish people deserve a permanent Jewish state .
Well , look , I ’ m not fan of the BDS movement , which is led by antichrist Islamists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me or my fellow Americans for rightly calling out the immoral and unlawful actions of Israel is not a hate crime .
It ’ s called love to point out these things for correction .
However , as Chris Menahan points out , while Bloomberg has such a love for Israel , “ America , on the other hand , must have open borders !
” The only domestic terrorist in this speech is Michael Bloomberg and he has demonstrated that he should not be allowed anywhere near public office ever again .

Michael Bloomberg: If Elected, I Will Charge Americans With “Domestic Terrorism” For “Hate Crimes”… Of Course, This Is About Israel, Not America
Nope, it isn’t about the right to keep and bear arms. It isn’t even about the right to purchase a vaping product, cigarettes or a Big Gulp drink. Nanny State sissy Michael Bloomberg is claiming that he will charge law-abiding citizens with domestic terrorism if they engage in what he refers to as “hate crimes” by criticizing the antichrist state of Israel. That’s right, the free speech that is protected under the First Amendment is being targeted not only by my home state of South Carolina, but is also the target of neo-Nazi fascist Michael Bloomberg.
Here’s how 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg would combat what he calls “anti-semitism” from “day one.”
According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency:
1. Anti-Semitic hate crimes are currently on the rise across the United States. In 2018, there were two deadly shootings at synagogues in Pittsburgh and Poway, violent attacks now regularly plague the Jews of New York City, and Jews continue to be the target of most religion-based hate crimes across the country. In a few sentences, describe your plan to address the rise in U.S. anti-Semitism.
Anti-Semitic violence is on the rise. We’ve seen it in the New York area – including the recent horrific attacks in Jersey City – and across the country. As a Jew, as an American and as a human being, I am deeply disturbed every time I hear about these hate crimes.
There is no single answer. And no single person is entirely to blame.
Anti-Semitism is hardly the exclusive domain of one political party.
It can be found on both the right and the left.
But there is one fact that we cannot ignore: Presidential leadership matters.
When the president calls his supporters “real Americans” — an echo of the language that nativists, anti-Semites and the KKK used for many decades — he undermines our fundamental national values.
When he is silent — and even supportive, through his words and tweets — as racist groups spread hate, he puts the public safety of our communities at risk.
When he promotes conspiracy theories that are built on lies and prejudice, we must remember: Anti-Semitism is the original conspiracy theory.
A world in which a president traffics in conspiracy theories is a world in which Jews are not safe.
The best way to combat the rise in anti-Semitism we’ve seen under President Trump is with a president who brings people together instead of tearing them apart. That’s exactly what I will do. I will speak out against anti-Semitism on the right and on the left. I will speak out against it whether it shows up on the floor of Congress — or on campus quads.
But I won’t stop there. I’ll speak out against hatred of all kinds.
That’s something I learned from my parents. My father never made more than $6,000, but I remember him writing out a check to the NAACP for $25 or $50, which was a lot of money for us. When I asked him why, he said: Discrimination against anyone threatens all of us.
I have always carried that lesson with me. And, as president, I will do everything in my power to put an end to all forms of discrimination.
I will label hate crimes as “domestic terrorism” — and charge perpetrators accordingly.
I will launch a national, coordinated effort, led by the FBI director and Department of Justice, to crack down on violent extremists.
I will expand the Department of Education’s Stop Bullying Campaign, so we can put an end to harassment in schools — including on college campuses.
And I will never stand by idly in the face of hatred — against anyone.
Well, with friends like this, who needs enemas?
Michael Bloomberg is a sissy man who has never learned vocabulary or the means to deal with people. He understands one language, money, and that’s it.
His entire epistemology is Marxist, which is anti-God, in thinking.
Bloomberg will have no one criticize the state of Israel, no matter what.
Look, this is not all. Listen to this antichrist speak:
Israel is the closest and most reliable U.S. ally in the Middle East. And I believe guaranteeing the survival of a democratic, Jewish state in the Holy Land is a solemn obligation of the United States, as it has been for more than half a century. […]
Let me be clear: I strongly oppose the BDS movement. And I vehemently disagree with everyone who fails to see why the Jewish people deserve a permanent Jewish state.
Well, look, I’m not fan of the BDS movement, which is led by antichrist Islamists, but the fact is that holding me or my fellow Americans for rightly calling out the immoral and unlawful actions of Israel is not a hate crime. It’s called love to point out these things for correction.
However, as Chris Menahan points out, while Bloomberg has such a love for Israel, “America, on the other hand, must have open borders!”
The only domestic terrorist in this speech is Michael Bloomberg and he has demonstrated that he should not be allowed anywhere near public office ever again.


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-17--Would We Still Have Power and Water If We Had a Massive Coronavirus Quarantine in the US?

Would We Still Have Power and Water If We Had a Massive Coronavirus Quarantine in the US ?
How long do you think a pandemic quarantine could go on with power , running water , the internet , and trash pick-up continuing to run as normal ?
If Covid-19 ( also known as the Wuhan coronavirus or nCoV-2019 ) were to spread where you live as it has in China , it ’ s possible that extreme measures could be taken .
Possibly even a China-style lockdown , where people are told to stay in their homes and where businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to something much more extreme than just a handful of us self-isolating .
While I certainly hope such a situation is unlikely , it ’ s something we should all consider a possibility and get prepared for , just in case .
Considering whether or not this would be an off-grid scenario would play an extremely important part in your preparations .
Selco and I had a very interesting chat about this after I ’ d raised the point in a group discussion .
I thought you might be interested in our thoughts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no way to know exactly how this might go down , so it ’ s pure speculation on our part based on the research of similar situations , knowledge of our systems , and personal experiences .
Would we have utilities and services during a quarantine scenario ?
A lot of things are automated , which makes me believe we could potentially have a month or two of relative normalcy with regard to utilities , even if folks aren ’ t going to work .
Garbage pickup would be another matter .
First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gas , water , and the internet could run a long time automatically or with just a bit of input from someone on a computer .
A pandemic isn ’ t going to fry our circuitry like an EMP would , for example .
There ’ s nothing general-infrastructure-wise that would immediately compromise these utilities .
But this assumes that everything besides the pandemic is smooth sailing – that we won ’ t have any tornadoes , any hurricanes , any blizzards , any earthquakes , unfortunate bolts of lightning , or accidents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like riots that damage the infrastructure or even deliberate sabotage .
In a full-on pandemic , there ’ s likely going to be nobody to go out there and repair potential damage .
And it ’ s possible that even if people were willing , they might not have access to the necessary supplies or equipment if these are items that they get on a “ just-in-time ” basis .
As for water , it could run for a long time but it might not be safe to drink .
We ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nobody there testing the tap water and adding chemicals .
I don ’ t love chemicals like fluoride in my water but I do love essential chemicals better than I like amoebic dysentery and shigellosis and cholera .
That being said , even if the water wasn ’ t drinkable right from the tap , it would certainly make life easier if folks not on septic systems could still flush their toilets , and water could be purified in a multitude of different ways .
The government would want utilities to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to WANT people to have utilities in the event of any kind of quarantine .
People who can zone out in front of the television or play video games are going to be a lot tamer and easier to manage than people who are detoxing from their cell phones and Facebook and 24-7 television .
If there ’ s a way to keep the lights on , I feel fairly confident the government would prefer that .
Karl Marx once said religion was the opiate of the masses .
These days , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crown .
It also makes it easier for them to whisper sweet nothings of propaganda into our homes .
“ Don ’ t worrrryyyyy .
It ’ s going to be okaaayyyyy .
We ’ re here to heeelllppp.
” Garbage pick-up is another matter , and a very worrisome one .
If we ’ re all confined to our homes , who is going to pick up the trash ?
Will garbage collectors be issued protective suits ?
It ’ s even possible that the military would be called in to perform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of trash that could spread disease .
I ’ d imagine that out of all things , garbage would be one of the most likely to contain infectious materials – tissues from runny noses , paper plates folks have eaten from , all the stuff possible infected people had touched .
In videos from China , I haven ’ t seen a lot of trash piling up , so there , it appears that particular system is still running .
However , trash pick-up is what I would expect to be the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this ?
This is not a question that anyone could definitively answer .
It ’ s just like the utilities .
What are the concurrent factors ?
What would have to happen for this to blow up and explode across the US as it has in China ?
What would have to happen to stop it from doing that ?
What are the wild card events that could hasten the spread ?
( Mutation , the holidays , another illness spreading that weakens immune systems , a disaster that compromises us to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place ? )
Because of the potential for this , we should focus on being prepared .
( This book is an excellent resource specific to the Wuhan coronavirus . )
Could it happen ?
Yes .
Will it happen ?
Nobody knows .
Would we have utilities and services during a quarantine scenario ?
A good question is what would happen with electric power and all other utilities once the SHTF .
And yes answer is not simple .
It is based on type of event and severity of the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some good guesses about it .
Power , running water , communications ( internet , cell phones… ) and similar utilities up to waste management in all modern societies are brought to an advanced level of functioning .
All that is so “ modernized ” in a way that most of us usually do not notice or actually do not care how it is being delivered to us .
People don ’ t care how these things work .
I also do not know in depth how all that works , but I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are being brought to us in a very automated and interconnected way .
So , as a result , it works good , until it does not .
I think the price for that is the fact that when ONE thing goes out soon another thing will go out too .
Even if something goes out FAR from you , it may still mean it easily may go out at your home .
Do not forget , things ( services ) no matter how modernized need to be maintained , so , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintenance , services will not work .
It depends on how bad the event is , and the control the government has over the event , and the society in which the event happening .
It is a question of are people gon na be there to maintain services .
As an example , if some serious event is happening , are people willing to go maintain services or they are more willing to go home and protect their loved ones ?
They are all just humans , do not forget .
Also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ functioning , the government or some kind of system , does it have enough power to FORCE people to maintain services ?
People will want to go home to their families .
The important fact is : if the event happening here is serious enough to bring problems to utility services , it is probably serious enough to make other services like the police force or medical services no longer working .
So , as a result , the security situation will be deteriorated , so that is another obvious reason why people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families instead of at their job .
A deteriorating situation with utilities will usually go with a deteriorating situation in behavior between people , so it is not like our only problem will be city services and everything else will be fine at home ( and safe ) .
Now , this all may be different in different scenarios , I am talking about a complete or partial collapse of system .
In what kind of system you are living ?
Is that system going to implement very harsh measures in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You can not compare a probable situation in your country with a situation happening in another country if the systems are completely different .
If you are living in a system where you were raised to trust blindly in it , without too many freedoms ( or any ) , with very hard punishments for not obeying , it may result in a very disciplined response in hard situations , both because of mentality of people and also because of fear from punishment .
China has that kind of system .
In the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clue how long utilities would last in your case wherever you are .
I know in my case , the system and utilities would fall apart in a matter of a few weeks , and people would simply go home to their families because through experience , they know our system is fragile .
They know it does not care for people , and it can turn against us very fast .
And also people are kinda ready to survive without the help of the system .
Or at least they are ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out how things would work in your case .
What do you think ?
Join the conversation .
How would you expect things to go where you live if the Covid-19 pandemic spread to the point that mandatory quarantines occurred ?
How long do you think basic utilities would continue to function ?
Are there factors we overlooked in our conversation ?
Are you prepared for the possibilities ?
Let ’ s discuss it in the comments .

Home » US » Would We Still Have Power and Water If We Had a Massive Coronavirus Quarantine in the US?
Would We Still Have Power and Water If We Had a Massive Coronavirus Quarantine in the US?
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First things first, electrical power, natural gas, water, and the internet could run a long time automatically or with just a bit of input from someone on a computer. A pandemic isn’t going to fry our circuitry like an EMP would, for example. There’s nothing general-infrastructure-wise that would immediately compromise these utilities.
But this assumes that everything besides the pandemic is smooth sailing – that we won’t have any tornadoes, any hurricanes, any blizzards, any earthquakes, unfortunate bolts of lightning, or accidents. And it also omits manmade problems like riots that damage the infrastructure or even deliberate sabotage.
In a full-on pandemic, there’s likely going to be nobody to go out there and repair potential damage. And it’s possible that even if people were willing, they might not have access to the necessary supplies or equipment if these are items that they get on a “just-in-time” basis.
As for water, it could run for a long time but it might not be safe to drink. We’d need to be alert that there’s nobody there testing the tap water and adding chemicals. I don’t love chemicals like fluoride in my water but I do love essential chemicals better than I like amoebic dysentery and shigellosis and cholera. That being said, even if the water wasn’t drinkable right from the tap, it would certainly make life easier if folks not on septic systems could still flush their toilets, and water could be purified in a multitude of different ways.
The government would want utilities to remain functional.
Also, the government is going to WANT people to have utilities in the event of any kind of quarantine. People who can zone out in front of the television or play video games are going to be a lot tamer and easier to manage than people who are detoxing from their cell phones and Facebook and 24-7 television. If there’s a way to keep the lights on, I feel fairly confident the government would prefer that.
Karl Marx once said religion was the opiate of the masses. These days, I think television and Netflix wear that crown.
It also makes it easier for them to whisper sweet nothings of propaganda into our homes. “Don’t worrrryyyyy. It’s going to be okaaayyyyy. We’re here to heeelllppp.”
Governments love stuff like that.
Garbage pick-up
Garbage pick-up is another matter, and a very worrisome one. If we’re all confined to our homes, who is going to pick up the trash? Will garbage collectors be issued protective suits? It’s even possible that the military would be called in to perform tasks like this due to the risk of trash that could spread disease.
I’d imagine that out of all things, garbage would be one of the most likely to contain infectious materials – tissues from runny noses, paper plates folks have eaten from, all the stuff possible infected people had touched.
In videos from China, I haven’t seen a lot of trash piling up, so there, it appears that particular system is still running.
However, trash pick-up is what I would expect to be the first thing to go.
Will it come to this?
This is not a question that anyone could definitively answer.
It’s just like the utilities. What are the concurrent factors? What would have to happen for this to blow up and explode across the US as it has in China? What would have to happen to stop it from doing that? What are the wild card events that could hasten the spread? (Mutation, the holidays, another illness spreading that weakens immune systems, a disaster that compromises us to the point we can’t shelter in place?)
Because of the potential for this, we should focus on being prepared. (This book is an excellent resource specific to the Wuhan coronavirus.)
Could it happen? Yes.
Will it happen? Nobody knows.
Would we have utilities and services during a quarantine scenario?
Selco’s Thoughts
A good question is what would happen with electric power and all other utilities once the SHTF.
And yes answer is not simple. It is based on type of event and severity of the event, but I think we can have some good guesses about it.
Utilities
Power, running water, communications (internet, cell phones…) and similar utilities up to waste management in all modern societies are brought to an advanced level of functioning.
All that is so “modernized” in a way that most of us usually do not notice or actually do not care how it is being delivered to us. People don’t care how these things work.
I also do not know in depth how all that works, but I know that most of the utilities today are being brought to us in a very automated and interconnected way.
So, as a result, it works good, until it does not.
I think the price for that is the fact that when ONE thing goes out soon another thing will go out too. Even if something goes out FAR from you, it may still mean it easily may go out at your home.
Maintenance
Do not forget, things (services) no matter how modernized need to be maintained, so, if there are no people around to do maintenance, services will not work.
It depends on how bad the event is, and the control the government has over the event, and the society in which the event happening. It is a question of are people gonna be there to maintain services.
As an example, if some serious event is happening, are people willing to go maintain services or they are more willing to go home and protect their loved ones? They are all just humans, do not forget.
People
Also, if there is still a system functioning, the government or some kind of system, does it have enough power to FORCE people to maintain services? People will want to go home to their families.
The important fact is: if the event happening here is serious enough to bring problems to utility services, it is probably serious enough to make other services like the police force or medical services no longer working. So, as a result, the security situation will be deteriorated, so that is another obvious reason why people would want to be more with their families instead of at their job.
A deteriorating situation with utilities will usually go with a deteriorating situation in behavior between people, so it is not like our only problem will be city services and everything else will be fine at home (and safe).
Now, this all may be different in different scenarios, I am talking about a complete or partial collapse of system.
The system
In what kind of system you are living?
Is that system going to implement very harsh measures in order to maintain “things going on”?
You can not compare a probable situation in your country with a situation happening in another country if the systems are completely different.
If you are living in a system where you were raised to trust blindly in it, without too many freedoms (or any), with very hard punishments for not obeying, it may result in a very disciplined response in hard situations, both because of mentality of people and also because of fear from punishment. China has that kind of system.
In the end, I do not have a clue how long utilities would last in your case wherever you are. I know in my case, the system and utilities would fall apart in a matter of a few weeks, and people would simply go home to their families because through experience, they know our system is fragile. They know it does not care for people, and it can turn against us very fast. And also people are kinda ready to survive without the help of the system. Or at least they are ready to try.
You alone can figure out how things would work in your case.
What do you think?
Join the conversation. How would you expect things to go where you live if the Covid-19 pandemic spread to the point that mandatory quarantines occurred? How long do you think basic utilities would continue to function? Are there factors we overlooked in our conversation? Are you prepared for the possibilities? Let’s discuss it in the comments.
Article posted with permission from Daisy Luther


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-17--Japan’s GDP Is Collapsing – Experts Warn China Is Next

Global economic conditions are really starting to deteriorate quite rapidly .
Economists were projecting that Japan ’ s GDP would shrink by 3.8 percent on an annualized basis in the fourth quarter , but instead , it greatly surpassed expectations by plunging 6.3 percent .
If Japan ’ s GDP falls again during the first quarter of 2020 , and thanks to the coronavirus outbreak that seems very likely , then the world ’ s third-largest economy will officially be in a recession .
But of course , the outlook for China is even worse .
At this point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a standstill , and this has thrown global supply chains into a state of chaos .
It certainly appears that the entire global economy will shrink during the first quarter , and that will be the very first time that has happened in more than a decade .
And if this coronavirus outbreak continues to intensify in the months ahead , the economic consequences are going to be absolutely catastrophic .
Even though the experts were anticipating a slowdown in Japan , nobody had any idea that it would be this bad… The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for this collapse in GDP , and without a doubt , consumer spending in Japan was way down last quarter… Japanese officials were hoping that GDP would bounce back this quarter , but now the coronavirus outbreak has changed everything .
At this point , it is very difficult to be positive about the immediate future of the Japanese economy , and an increasing number of experts are now anticipating a recession .
Here is one example… The Japanese economy greatly benefits from the horde of tourists that usually come over from China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very close trading relationship .
Now that those two factors are being disrupted , the outlook for the second quarter is decidedly grim… Ultimately , it is going to be exceedingly difficult for Japan to avoid a recession .
But if Chinese GDP also plunges into recession territory this year , that will be even bigger news .
According to the New York Times , “ the entire global economy could suffer from a prolonged shock in China ” , and so investors will be watching the development of this crisis very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the official death toll both continue to rise , and the draconian measures that the Chinese have taken to contain the outbreak have slowed the Chinese economy to a crawl .
The following is how Zero Hedge summarized the recent economic data that we have seen come out of China… While not perfect , and certainly not a comprehensive view of what is really taking place “ on the ground ” , the above data is a useful real-time indicator of how the people in China perceive the threat of the coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear : as the pandemic spreads further without containment , and as the charts above flatline , so will China ’ s economy , which means that while Goldman ’ s draconian view of what happens to Q1 GDP is spot on , the expectation for a V-shaped recovery in Q2 and onward will vaporize faster than a vial of ultra-biohazardaous viruses in a Wuhan virology lab .
Of course many in the financial world are still hoping that things won ’ t be too bad .
For example , Dun and Bradstreet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will only “ cause a drag of approximately one percentage point on global GDP ” … That is a wildly optimistic projection , but hopefully , they are right .
Hopefully , the coronavirus will fizzle out with the arrival of warmer weather and the global economy can start to get back to normal .
Unfortunately , a return to “ normal ” is probably not in the cards .
Even before this coronavirus outbreak , the global economy was really starting to slow down .
Economic numbers were absolutely dismal all over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning that we were right on the verge of the next global recession .
Now that this outbreak has erupted , we definitely have much more momentum in a downward direction .
Very challenging times are ahead , although most people in the western world still don ’ t understand what is happening .
As far as the coronavirus is concerned , the key will be what happens to the number of confirmed cases outside of China .
Over the past week , that number has roughly doubled , and if that keeps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a full-blown global pandemic on our hands .
There are now 75 confirmed cases in Singapore , 59 confirmed cases in Japan and 57 confirmed cases in Hong Kong .
It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep this virus contained , and we are rapidly approaching a major tipping point .

Global economic conditions are really starting to deteriorate quite rapidly. Economists were projecting that Japan’s GDP would shrink by 3.8 percent on an annualized basis in the fourth quarter, but instead, it greatly surpassed expectations by plunging 6.3 percent. If Japan’s GDP falls again during the first quarter of 2020, and thanks to the coronavirus outbreak that seems very likely, then the world’s third-largest economy will officially be in a recession. But of course, the outlook for China is even worse. At this point, economic activity in China has come to a standstill, and this has thrown global supply chains into a state of chaos. It certainly appears that the entire global economy will shrink during the first quarter, and that will be the very first time that has happened in more than a decade. And if this coronavirus outbreak continues to intensify in the months ahead, the economic consequences are going to be absolutely catastrophic.
Even though the experts were anticipating a slowdown in Japan, nobody had any idea that it would be this bad…
Japan’s gross domestic product shrank at an annualized pace of 6.3 percent from the previous quarter in the three months through December, according to a preliminary estimate by the Cabinet Office released Monday. Economists surveyed had predicted a fall of 3.8 percent, flagging the adverse impact of a sales tax increase, weak global demand and typhoon disruption.
The sales tax increase is being primarily blamed for this collapse in GDP, and without a doubt, consumer spending in Japan was way down last quarter…
Consumer spending fell 11.1% after the national sales tax was raised in October to 10% from 8%. During the same month, Typhoon Hagibis ravaged a large swathe of the country. Capital spending declined 14.1% and exports slipped 0.4% due to the fallout from the U.S.-China trade war.
Japanese officials were hoping that GDP would bounce back this quarter, but now the coronavirus outbreak has changed everything.
At this point, it is very difficult to be positive about the immediate future of the Japanese economy, and an increasing number of experts are now anticipating a recession. Here is one example…
“I’m getting ready for another contraction in Japan’s first quarter. There just aren’t any positive factors to build a positive growth forecast,” said Mari Iwashita, chief market economist at Daiwa Securities Co., flagging her view that the economy is likely falling into recession.
The Japanese economy greatly benefits from the horde of tourists that usually come over from China, and the two nations have developed a very close trading relationship.
Now that those two factors are being disrupted, the outlook for the second quarter is decidedly grim…
“There is a good chance of Japan’s economy falling into a recession,” Yoshiki Shinke, chief economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute, said before Monday’s data was released. He flagged the risks of supply chains being affected if the outbreak was prolonged. The coronavirus is taking a toll on the number of Chinese tourists to Japan and manufacturing activity due to the economy’s close ties with China, prompting some economists to forecast a contraction lasting two quarters.
Ultimately, it is going to be exceedingly difficult for Japan to avoid a recession.
But if Chinese GDP also plunges into recession territory this year, that will be even bigger news.
According to the New York Times, “the entire global economy could suffer from a prolonged shock in China”, and so investors will be watching the development of this crisis very carefully.
The number of confirmed cases and the official death toll both continue to rise, and the draconian measures that the Chinese have taken to contain the outbreak have slowed the Chinese economy to a crawl. The following is how Zero Hedge summarized the recent economic data that we have seen come out of China…
While not perfect, and certainly not a comprehensive view of what is really taking place “on the ground”, the above data is a useful real-time indicator of how the people in China perceive the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, and one thing is abundantly clear: as the pandemic spreads further without containment, and as the charts above flatline, so will China’s economy, which means that while Goldman’s draconian view of what happens to Q1 GDP is spot on, the expectation for a V-shaped recovery in Q2 and onward will vaporize faster than a vial of ultra-biohazardaous viruses in a Wuhan virology lab.
Of course many in the financial world are still hoping that things won’t be too bad.
For example, Dun and Bradstreet is hoping that the crisis in China will only “cause a drag of approximately one percentage point on global GDP”…
China, the world’s second largest economy after US, contributes about 20 percent to the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). However, according to a report by Dun and Bradstreet, the Chinese economy might cause a drag of approximately one percentage point on global GDP if prevention of Coronavirus gets delayed beyond the summer of 2020.
That is a wildly optimistic projection, but hopefully, they are right.
Hopefully, the coronavirus will fizzle out with the arrival of warmer weather and the global economy can start to get back to normal.
Unfortunately, a return to “normal” is probably not in the cards.
Even before this coronavirus outbreak, the global economy was really starting to slow down. Economic numbers were absolutely dismal all over the world, and many experts were warning that we were right on the verge of the next global recession.
Now that this outbreak has erupted, we definitely have much more momentum in a downward direction. Very challenging times are ahead, although most people in the western world still don’t understand what is happening.
As far as the coronavirus is concerned, the key will be what happens to the number of confirmed cases outside of China. Over the past week, that number has roughly doubled, and if that keeps happening every week we will soon have a full-blown global pandemic on our hands.
There are now 75 confirmed cases in Singapore, 59 confirmed cases in Japan and 57 confirmed cases in Hong Kong. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep this virus contained, and we are rapidly approaching a major tipping point.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder