thewashingtonstandard--2020-05-05--Technofascism: Digital Book Burning in a Totalitarian Age

We are fast becoming a nation—nay , a world—of book burners .
While on paper , we are technically free to speak—at least according to the U.S. Constitution—in reality , however , we are only as free to speak as the government and its corporate partners such as Facebook , Google or YouTube may allow .
That ’ s not a whole lot of freedom .
Especially if you ’ re inclined to voice opinions that may be construed as conspiratorial or dangerous .
Take David Icke , for example .
Icke , a popular commentator and author often labeled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently had his Facebook page and YouTube channel ( owned by Google ) deleted for violating site policies by “ spreading coronavirus disinformation.
” The Centre for Countering Digital Hate , which has been vocal about calling for Icke ’ s de-platforming , is also pushing for the removal of all other sites and individuals who promote Icke ’ s content in an effort to supposedly “ save lives.
” Translation : the CCDH evidently believes the public is too dumb to think for itself and must be protected from dangerous ideas .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect us from ourselves .
In the long run , this “ safety ” control ( the censorship and shadowbanning of anyone who challenges a mainstream narrative ) will be far worse than merely allowing people to think for themselves .
Journalist Matt Taibbi gets it : “ The people who want to add a censorship regime to a health crisis are more dangerous and more stupid by leaps and bounds than a president who tells people to inject disinfectant.
” These internet censors are not acting in our best interests to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about COVID-19 , a virus whose source and behavior continue to elude medical officials .
They ’ re laying the groundwork now , with Icke as an easy target , to preempt any “ dangerous ” ideas that might challenge the power elite ’ s stranglehold over our lives .
This is how freedom dies .
It doesn ’ t matter what disinformation Icke may or may not have been spreading about COVID-19 .
That ’ s not the issue .
As commentator Caitlin Johnstone recognizes , the censorship of David Icke by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do with Icke : “ What matters is that we ’ re seeing a consistent and accelerating pattern of powerful plutocratic institutions collaborating with the US-centralized empire to control what ideas people around the world are permitted to share with each other , and it ’ s a very unsafe trajectory.
” Welcome to the age of technofascism .
Technofascism , clothed in tyrannical self-righteousness , is powered by technological behemoths ( both corporate and governmental ) working in tandem .
As journalist Chet Bowers explains , “ Technofascism ’ s level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to repressive systems that will not tolerate dissent.
” The internet , hailed as a super-information highway , is increasingly becoming the police state ’ s secret weapon .
This “ policing of the mind : is exactly the danger author Jim Keith warned about when he predicted that “ information and communication sources are gradually being linked together into a single computerized network , providing an opportunity for unheralded control of hat will be broadcast , what will be said , and ultimately what will be thought.
” Eventually , as George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become a revolutionary act .
We ’ re almost at that point now .
What you are witnessing is the modern-day equivalent of book burning which involves doing away with dangerous ideas—legitimate or not—and the people who espouse them .
Today , the forces of political correctness , working in conjunction with corporate and government agencies , have managed to replace actual book burning with intellectual book burning .
“ Free speech for me but not for thee ” is how my good friend and free speech purist Nat Hentoff used to sum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about much more than free speech , however .
This is about repression and control .
With every passing day , we ’ re being moved further down the road towards a totalitarian society characterized by government censorship , violence , corruption , hypocrisy and intolerance , all packaged for our supposed benefit in the Orwellian doublespeak of national security , tolerance and so-called “ government speech.
” The reasons for such censorship vary widely from political correctness , safety concerns and bullying to national security and hate crimes but the end result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of what Benjamin Franklin referred to as the “ principal pillar of a free government.
” The upshot of all of this editing , parsing , banning and silencing is the emergence of a new language , what George Orwell referred to as Newspeak , which places the power to control language in the hands of the totalitarian state .
Under such a system , language becomes a weapon to change the way people think by changing the words they use .
In totalitarian regimes—a.k.a .
police states—where conformity and compliance are enforced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the government dictates what words can and can not be used .
In countries where the police state hides behind a benevolent mask and disguises itself as tolerance , the citizens censor themselves , policing their words and thoughts to conform to the dictates of the mass mind lest they find themselves ostracized or placed under surveillance .
Even when the motives behind this rigidly calibrated reorientation of societal language appear well-intentioned—discouraging racism , condemning violence , denouncing discrimination and hatred—inevitably , the end result is the same : intolerance , indoctrination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ correctness disguised as tolerance , civility and love , but what it really amounts to is the chilling of free speech and the demonizing of viewpoints that run counter to the cultural elite .
The police state could not ask for a better citizenry than one that carries out its own censorship , spying and policing : this is how you turn a nation of free people into extensions of the omniscient , omnipotent , omnipresent police state , and in the process turn a citizenry against each other .
Tread cautiously : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ominous rise of ubiquitous technology , fascism and totalitarianism , has become an operation manual for the omnipresent , modern-day surveillance state .
1984 portrays a global society of total control in which people are not allowed to have thoughts that in any way disagree with the corporate state .
There is no personal freedom , and advanced technology has become the driving force behind a surveillance-driven society .
Snitches and cameras are everywhere .
People are subject to the Thought Police , who deal with anyone guilty of thought crimes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” is headed by Big Brother who appears on posters everywhere with the words : “ Big Brother is watching you.
” We have arrived , way ahead of schedule , into the dystopian future dreamed up by not only Orwell but also such fiction writers as Aldous Huxley , Margaret Atwood and Philip K. Dick .
Much like Orwell ’ s Big Brother in 1984 , the government and its corporate spies now watch our every move .
Much like Huxley ’ s A Brave New World , we are churning out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their liberties taken away from them , but … rather enjoy it , because they [ are ] distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing.
” Much like Atwood ’ s The Handmaid ’ s Tale , the populace is now taught to “ know their place and their duties , to understand that they have no real rights but will be protected up to a point if they conform , and to think so poorly of themselves that they will accept their assigned fate and not rebel or run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ K. Dick ’ s darkly prophetic vision of a dystopian police state—which became the basis for Steven Spielberg ’ s futuristic thriller Minority Report—we are now trapped in a world in which the government is all-seeing , all-knowing and all-powerful , and if you dare to step out of line , dark-clad police SWAT teams and pre-crime units will crack a few skulls to bring the populace under control .
What once seemed futuristic no longer occupies the realm of science fiction .
Incredibly , as the various nascent technologies employed and shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , iris scanners , massive databases , behavior prediction software , and so on—are incorporated into a complex , interwoven cyber network aimed at tracking our movements , predicting our thoughts and controlling our behavior , the dystopian visions of past writers is fast becoming our reality .
In fact , our world is characterized by widespread surveillance , behavior prediction technologies , data mining , fusion centers , driverless cars , voice-controlled homes , facial recognition systems , cybugs and drones , and predictive policing ( pre-crime ) aimed at capturing would-be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Surveillance cameras are everywhere .
Government agents listen in on our telephone calls and read our emails .
And privacy and bodily integrity have been utterly eviscerated .
We are increasingly ruled by multi-corporations wedded to the police state .
What many fail to realize is that the government is not operating alone .
It can not .
Thus , the increasingly complex security needs of the massive federal government , especially in the areas of defense , surveillance and data management , have been met within the corporate sector , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ally that both depends on and feeds the growth of governmental overreach .
In fact , Big Tech wedded to Big Government has become Big Brother , and we are now ruled by the Corporate Elite whose tentacles have spread worldwide .
The government now has at its disposal technological arsenals so sophisticated and invasive as to render any constitutional protections null and void .
Spearheaded by the NSA , which has shown itself to care little to nothing for constitutional limits or privacy , the “ security/industrial complex ” —a marriage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at keeping Americans under constant surveillance—has come to dominate the government and our lives .
There is no shortage of motives fueling the convergence of mega-corporations and government .
But who is paying the price ?
“ We the people , ” of course .
Not just we Americans , but people the world over .
We have entered into a global state of tyranny .
Where we stand now is at the juncture of OldSpeak ( where words have meanings , and ideas can be dangerous ) and Newspeak ( where only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ accepted ” by the majority is permitted ) .
The power elite has made their intentions clear : they will pursue and prosecute any and all words , thoughts and expressions that challenge their authority .
This is the final link in the police state chain .
Americans have been conditioned to accept routine incursions on their privacy rights .
In fact , the addiction to screen devices—especially cell phones—has created a hive effect where the populace not only watched but is controlled by AI bots .
However , at one time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state tracking one ’ s every move would have been abhorrent to most Americans .
That all changed with the 9/11 attacks .
As professor Jeffrey Rosen observes , “ Before Sept. 11 , the idea that Americans would voluntarily agree to live their lives under the gaze of a network of biometric surveillance cameras , peering at them in government buildings , shopping malls , subways and stadiums , would have seemed unthinkable , a dystopian fantasy of a society that had surrendered privacy and anonymity.
” Having been reduced to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials who refuse to represent us , helpless in the face of police brutality , powerless in the face of militarized tactics and technology that treat us like enemy combatants on a battlefield , and naked in the face of government surveillance that sees and hears all—we have nowhere left to go .
We have , so to speak , gone from being a nation where privacy is king to one where nothing is safe from the prying eyes of government .
In search of so-called terrorists and extremists hiding amongst us—the proverbial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as one official termed it—the Corporate State has taken to monitoring all aspects of our lives , from cell phone calls and emails to Internet activity and credit card transactions .
This data is being fed through fusion centers across the country , which work with the Department of Homeland Security to make threat assessments on every citizen , including school children .
Wherever you go and whatever you do , you are now being watched , especially if you leave behind an electronic footprint .
When you use your cell phone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call was placed , who you called , how long it lasted and even where you were at the time .
When you use your ATM card , you leave a record of where and when you used the card .
There is even a video camera at most locations equipped with facial recognition software .
When you use a cell phone or drive a car enabled with GPS , you can be tracked by satellite .
Such information is shared with government agents , including local police .
And all of this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your whereabouts and your activities is now being fed to the U.S. government .
The government has nearly inexhaustible resources when it comes to tracking our movements , from electronic wiretapping devices , traffic cameras and biometrics to radio-frequency identification cards , satellites and Internet surveillance .
Speech recognition technology now makes it possible for the government to carry out massive eavesdropping by way of sophisticated computer systems .
Phone calls can be monitored , the audio converted to text files and stored in computer databases indefinitely .
And if any “ threatening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or silly—the record can be flagged and assigned to a government agent for further investigation .
Federal and state governments , again working with private corporations , monitor your Internet content .
Users are profiled and tracked in order to identify , target and even prosecute them .
In such a climate , everyone is a suspect .
And you ’ re guilty until you can prove yourself innocent .
Here ’ s what a lot of people fail to understand , however : it ’ s not just what you say or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how you think that is being tracked and targeted .
We ’ ve already seen this play out on the state and federal level with hate crime legislation that cracks down on so-called “ hateful ” thoughts and expression , encourages self-censoring and reduces free debate on various subject matter .
Say hello to the new Thought Police .
Total Internet surveillance by the Corporate State , as omnipresent as God , is used by the government to predict and , more importantly , control the populace , and it ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For example , the NSA has designed an artificial intelligence system that can anticipate your every move .
In a nutshell , the NSA feeds vast amounts of the information it collects to a computer system known as Aquaint ( the acronym stands for Advanced QUestion Answering for INTelligence ) , which the computer then uses to detect patterns and predict behavior .
No information is sacred or spared .
Everything from cell phone recordings and logs , to emails , to text messages , to personal information posted on social networking sites @ @ @ @ @ @ @ library circulation records , to credit card histories , etc.
, is collected by the NSA and shared freely with its agents .
Thus , what we are witnessing , in the so-called name of security and efficiency , is the creation of a new class system comprised of the watched ( average Americans such as you and me ) and the watchers ( government bureaucrats , technicians and private corporations ) .
Clearly , the age of privacy is at an end .
So where does that leave us ?
We now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being monitored , managed and controlled by our technology , which answers not to us but to our government and corporate rulers .
This is the fact-is-stranger-than-fiction lesson that is being pounded into us on a daily basis .
It won ’ t be long before we find ourselves looking back on the past with longing , back to an age where we could speak to whom we wanted , buy what we wanted , think what we wanted without those thoughts , words and activities being tracked , processed and stored by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to government agencies such as the NSA and CIA , and used against us by militarized police with their army of futuristic technologies .
To be an individual today , to not conform , to have even a shred of privacy , and to live beyond the reach of the government ’ s roaming eyes and technological spies , one must not only be a rebel but rebel .
Even when you rebel and take your stand , there is rarely a happy ending awaiting you .
You are rendered an outlaw .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ surveillance state ?
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America : The War on the American People , we ’ re running out of options .
We ’ ll soon have to choose between self-indulgence ( the bread-and-circus distractions offered up by the news media , politicians , sports conglomerates , entertainment industry , etc . )
and self-preservation in the form of renewed vigilance about threats to our freedoms and active engagement in self-governance .
Yet as Aldous Huxley acknowledged in Brave New World Revisited : “ Only the vigilant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who are constantly and intelligently on the spot can hope to govern themselves effectively by democratic procedures .
A society , most of whose members spend a great part of their time , not on the spot , not here and now and in their calculable future , but somewhere else , in the irrelevant other worlds of sport and soap opera , of mythology and metaphysical fantasy , will find it hard to resist the encroachments of those would manipulate and control it.
” Which brings me back to this technofascist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and all those like him who dare to voice ideas that diverge from what the government and its corporate controllers deem to be acceptable .
The problem as I see it is that we ’ ve allowed ourselves to be persuaded that we need someone else to think and speak for us .
And we ’ ve allowed ourselves to become so timid in the face of offensive words and ideas that we ’ ve bought into the idea that we need the government to shield us from that which is ugly or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a society in which we ’ ve stopped debating among ourselves , stopped thinking for ourselves , and stopped believing that we can fix our own problems and resolve our own differences .
In short , we have reduced ourselves to a largely silent , passive , polarized populace incapable of working through our own problems and reliant on the government to protect us from our fears .
In this way , we have become our worst enemy .
You want to reclaim some of the ground we ’ re fast losing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yourself .
If that means reading the “ dangerous ” ideas being floated out there by the David Ickes of the world—or the John Whiteheads for that matter—and then deciding for yourself what is true , so be it .
As Orwell concluded , “ Freedom is the right to say two plus two make four .
”

“Those who created this country chose freedom. With all of its dangers. And do you know the riskiest part of that choice they made? They actually believed that we could be trusted to make up our own minds in the whirl of differing ideas. That we could be trusted to remain free, even when there were very, very seductive voices—taking advantage of our freedom of speech—who were trying to turn this country into the kind of place where the government could tell you what you can and cannot do.”—Nat Hentoff
We are fast becoming a nation—nay, a world—of book burners.
While on paper, we are technically free to speak—at least according to the U.S. Constitution—in reality, however, we are only as free to speak as the government and its corporate partners such as Facebook, Google or YouTube may allow.
That’s not a whole lot of freedom. Especially if you’re inclined to voice opinions that may be construed as conspiratorial or dangerous.
Take David Icke, for example.
Icke, a popular commentator and author often labeled a conspiracy theorist by his detractors, recently had his Facebook page and YouTube channel (owned by Google) deleted for violating site policies by “spreading coronavirus disinformation.”
The Centre for Countering Digital Hate, which has been vocal about calling for Icke’s de-platforming, is also pushing for the removal of all other sites and individuals who promote Icke’s content in an effort to supposedly “save lives.”
Translation: the CCDH evidently believes the public is too dumb to think for itself and must be protected from dangerous ideas.
This is the goosestepping Nanny State trying to protect us from ourselves.
In the long run, this “safety” control (the censorship and shadowbanning of anyone who challenges a mainstream narrative) will be far worse than merely allowing people to think for themselves.
Journalist Matt Taibbi gets it: “The people who want to add a censorship regime to a health crisis are more dangerous and more stupid by leaps and bounds than a president who tells people to inject disinfectant.”
Don’t fall for the propaganda.
These internet censors are not acting in our best interests to protect us from dangerous, disinformation campaigns about COVID-19, a virus whose source and behavior continue to elude medical officials. They’re laying the groundwork now, with Icke as an easy target, to preempt any “dangerous” ideas that might challenge the power elite’s stranglehold over our lives.
This is how freedom dies.
It doesn’t matter what disinformation Icke may or may not have been spreading about COVID-19. That’s not the issue.
As commentator Caitlin Johnstone recognizes, the censorship of David Icke by these internet media giants has nothing to do with Icke: “What matters is that we’re seeing a consistent and accelerating pattern of powerful plutocratic institutions collaborating with the US-centralized empire to control what ideas people around the world are permitted to share with each other, and it’s a very unsafe trajectory.”
Welcome to the age of technofascism.
Technofascism, clothed in tyrannical self-righteousness, is powered by technological behemoths (both corporate and governmental) working in tandem. As journalist Chet Bowers explains, “Technofascism’s level of efficiency and totalitarian potential can easily lead to repressive systems that will not tolerate dissent.”
The internet, hailed as a super-information highway, is increasingly becoming the police state’s secret weapon. This “policing of the mind: is exactly the danger author Jim Keith warned about when he predicted that “information and communication sources are gradually being linked together into a single computerized network, providing an opportunity for unheralded control of hat will be broadcast, what will be said, and ultimately what will be thought.”
It’s a slippery slope from censoring so-called illegitimate ideas to silencing truth.
Eventually, as George Orwell predicted, telling the truth will become a revolutionary act.
We’re almost at that point now.
What you are witnessing is the modern-day equivalent of book burning which involves doing away with dangerous ideas—legitimate or not—and the people who espouse them.
Today, the forces of political correctness, working in conjunction with corporate and government agencies, have managed to replace actual book burning with intellectual book burning.
“Free speech for me but not for thee” is how my good friend and free speech purist Nat Hentoff used to sum up this double standard.
This is about much more than free speech, however. This is about repression and control.
With every passing day, we’re being moved further down the road towards a totalitarian society characterized by government censorship, violence, corruption, hypocrisy and intolerance, all packaged for our supposed benefit in the Orwellian doublespeak of national security, tolerance and so-called “government speech.”
The reasons for such censorship vary widely from political correctness, safety concerns and bullying to national security and hate crimes but the end result remains the same: the complete eradication of what Benjamin Franklin referred to as the “principal pillar of a free government.”
The upshot of all of this editing, parsing, banning and silencing is the emergence of a new language, what George Orwell referred to as Newspeak, which places the power to control language in the hands of the totalitarian state.
Under such a system, language becomes a weapon to change the way people think by changing the words they use.
The end result is control.
In totalitarian regimes—a.k.a. police states—where conformity and compliance are enforced at the end of a loaded gun, the government dictates what words can and cannot be used.
In countries where the police state hides behind a benevolent mask and disguises itself as tolerance, the citizens censor themselves, policing their words and thoughts to conform to the dictates of the mass mind lest they find themselves ostracized or placed under surveillance.
Even when the motives behind this rigidly calibrated reorientation of societal language appear well-intentioned—discouraging racism, condemning violence, denouncing discrimination and hatred—inevitably, the end result is the same: intolerance, indoctrination and infantilism.
It’s political correctness disguised as tolerance, civility and love, but what it really amounts to is the chilling of free speech and the demonizing of viewpoints that run counter to the cultural elite.
The police state could not ask for a better citizenry than one that carries out its own censorship, spying and policing: this is how you turn a nation of free people into extensions of the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent police state, and in the process turn a citizenry against each other.
Tread cautiously: Orwell’s 1984, which depicts the ominous rise of ubiquitous technology, fascism and totalitarianism, has become an operation manual for the omnipresent, modern-day surveillance state.
1984 portrays a global society of total control in which people are not allowed to have thoughts that in any way disagree with the corporate state. There is no personal freedom, and advanced technology has become the driving force behind a surveillance-driven society. Snitches and cameras are everywhere. People are subject to the Thought Police, who deal with anyone guilty of thought crimes. The government, or “Party,” is headed by Big Brother who appears on posters everywhere with the words: “Big Brother is watching you.”
We have arrived, way ahead of schedule, into the dystopian future dreamed up by not only Orwell but also such fiction writers as Aldous Huxley, Margaret Atwood and Philip K. Dick.
Much like Orwell’s Big Brother in 1984, the government and its corporate spies now watch our every move. Much like Huxley’s A Brave New World, we are churning out a society of watchers who “have their liberties taken away from them, but … rather enjoy it, because they [are] distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing.” Much like Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, the populace is now taught to “know their place and their duties, to understand that they have no real rights but will be protected up to a point if they conform, and to think so poorly of themselves that they will accept their assigned fate and not rebel or run away.”
And in keeping with Philip K. Dick’s darkly prophetic vision of a dystopian police state—which became the basis for Steven Spielberg’s futuristic thriller Minority Report—we are now trapped in a world in which the government is all-seeing, all-knowing and all-powerful, and if you dare to step out of line, dark-clad police SWAT teams and pre-crime units will crack a few skulls to bring the populace under control.
What once seemed futuristic no longer occupies the realm of science fiction.
Incredibly, as the various nascent technologies employed and shared by the government and corporations alike—facial recognition, iris scanners, massive databases, behavior prediction software, and so on—are incorporated into a complex, interwoven cyber network aimed at tracking our movements, predicting our thoughts and controlling our behavior, the dystopian visions of past writers is fast becoming our reality.
In fact, our world is characterized by widespread surveillance, behavior prediction technologies, data mining, fusion centers, driverless cars, voice-controlled homes, facial recognition systems, cybugs and drones, and predictive policing (pre-crime) aimed at capturing would-be criminals before they can do any damage. Surveillance cameras are everywhere. Government agents listen in on our telephone calls and read our emails. And privacy and bodily integrity have been utterly eviscerated.
We are increasingly ruled by multi-corporations wedded to the police state.
What many fail to realize is that the government is not operating alone. It cannot.
The government requires an accomplice.
Thus, the increasingly complex security needs of the massive federal government, especially in the areas of defense, surveillance and data management, have been met within the corporate sector, which has shown itself to be a powerful ally that both depends on and feeds the growth of governmental overreach.
In fact, Big Tech wedded to Big Government has become Big Brother, and we are now ruled by the Corporate Elite whose tentacles have spread worldwide.
The government now has at its disposal technological arsenals so sophisticated and invasive as to render any constitutional protections null and void. Spearheaded by the NSA, which has shown itself to care little to nothing for constitutional limits or privacy, the “security/industrial complex”—a marriage of government, military and corporate interests aimed at keeping Americans under constant surveillance—has come to dominate the government and our lives.
Money, power, control.
There is no shortage of motives fueling the convergence of mega-corporations and government. But who is paying the price?
“We the people,” of course. Not just we Americans, but people the world over.
We have entered into a global state of tyranny.
Where we stand now is at the juncture of OldSpeak (where words have meanings, and ideas can be dangerous) and Newspeak (where only that which is “safe” and “accepted” by the majority is permitted). The power elite has made their intentions clear: they will pursue and prosecute any and all words, thoughts and expressions that challenge their authority.
This is the final link in the police state chain.
Americans have been conditioned to accept routine incursions on their privacy rights. In fact, the addiction to screen devices—especially cell phones—has created a hive effect where the populace not only watched but is controlled by AI bots. However, at one time, the idea of a total surveillance state tracking one’s every move would have been abhorrent to most Americans. That all changed with the 9/11 attacks. As professor Jeffrey Rosen observes, “Before Sept. 11, the idea that Americans would voluntarily agree to live their lives under the gaze of a network of biometric surveillance cameras, peering at them in government buildings, shopping malls, subways and stadiums, would have seemed unthinkable, a dystopian fantasy of a society that had surrendered privacy and anonymity.”
Having been reduced to a cowering citizenry—mute in the face of elected officials who refuse to represent us, helpless in the face of police brutality, powerless in the face of militarized tactics and technology that treat us like enemy combatants on a battlefield, and naked in the face of government surveillance that sees and hears all—we have nowhere left to go.
We have, so to speak, gone from being a nation where privacy is king to one where nothing is safe from the prying eyes of government.
In search of so-called terrorists and extremists hiding amongst us—the proverbial “needle in a haystack,” as one official termed it—the Corporate State has taken to monitoring all aspects of our lives, from cell phone calls and emails to Internet activity and credit card transactions. This data is being fed through fusion centers across the country, which work with the Department of Homeland Security to make threat assessments on every citizen, including school children.
Wherever you go and whatever you do, you are now being watched, especially if you leave behind an electronic footprint.
When you use your cell phone, you leave a record of when the call was placed, who you called, how long it lasted and even where you were at the time. When you use your ATM card, you leave a record of where and when you used the card. There is even a video camera at most locations equipped with facial recognition software. When you use a cell phone or drive a car enabled with GPS, you can be tracked by satellite. Such information is shared with government agents, including local police. And all of this once-private information about your consumer habits, your whereabouts and your activities is now being fed to the U.S. government.
The government has nearly inexhaustible resources when it comes to tracking our movements, from electronic wiretapping devices, traffic cameras and biometrics to radio-frequency identification cards, satellites and Internet surveillance.
Speech recognition technology now makes it possible for the government to carry out massive eavesdropping by way of sophisticated computer systems. Phone calls can be monitored, the audio converted to text files and stored in computer databases indefinitely. And if any “threatening” words are detected—no matter how inane or silly—the record can be flagged and assigned to a government agent for further investigation. Federal and state governments, again working with private corporations, monitor your Internet content. Users are profiled and tracked in order to identify, target and even prosecute them.
In such a climate, everyone is a suspect. And you’re guilty until you can prove yourself innocent.
Here’s what a lot of people fail to understand, however: it’s not just what you say or do that is being monitored, but how you think that is being tracked and targeted.
We’ve already seen this play out on the state and federal level with hate crime legislation that cracks down on so-called “hateful” thoughts and expression, encourages self-censoring and reduces free debate on various subject matter.
Say hello to the new Thought Police.
Total Internet surveillance by the Corporate State, as omnipresent as God, is used by the government to predict and, more importantly, control the populace, and it’s not as far-fetched as you might think. For example, the NSA has designed an artificial intelligence system that can anticipate your every move. In a nutshell, the NSA feeds vast amounts of the information it collects to a computer system known as Aquaint (the acronym stands for Advanced QUestion Answering for INTelligence), which the computer then uses to detect patterns and predict behavior.
No information is sacred or spared.
Everything from cell phone recordings and logs, to emails, to text messages, to personal information posted on social networking sites, to credit card statements, to library circulation records, to credit card histories, etc., is collected by the NSA and shared freely with its agents.
Thus, what we are witnessing, in the so-called name of security and efficiency, is the creation of a new class system comprised of the watched (average Americans such as you and me) and the watchers (government bureaucrats, technicians and private corporations).
Clearly, the age of privacy is at an end.
So where does that leave us?
We now find ourselves in the unenviable position of being monitored, managed and controlled by our technology, which answers not to us but to our government and corporate rulers. This is the fact-is-stranger-than-fiction lesson that is being pounded into us on a daily basis.
It won’t be long before we find ourselves looking back on the past with longing, back to an age where we could speak to whom we wanted, buy what we wanted, think what we wanted without those thoughts, words and activities being tracked, processed and stored by corporate giants such as Google, sold to government agencies such as the NSA and CIA, and used against us by militarized police with their army of futuristic technologies.
To be an individual today, to not conform, to have even a shred of privacy, and to live beyond the reach of the government’s roaming eyes and technological spies, one must not only be a rebel but rebel.
Even when you rebel and take your stand, there is rarely a happy ending awaiting you. You are rendered an outlaw.
So how do you survive this global surveillance state?
As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People , we’re running out of options.
We’ll soon have to choose between self-indulgence (the bread-and-circus distractions offered up by the news media, politicians, sports conglomerates, entertainment industry, etc.) and self-preservation in the form of renewed vigilance about threats to our freedoms and active engagement in self-governance.
Yet as Aldous Huxley acknowledged in Brave New World Revisited: “Only the vigilant can maintain their liberties, and only those who are constantly and intelligently on the spot can hope to govern themselves effectively by democratic procedures. A society, most of whose members spend a great part of their time, not on the spot, not here and now and in their calculable future, but somewhere else, in the irrelevant other worlds of sport and soap opera, of mythology and metaphysical fantasy, will find it hard to resist the encroachments of those would manipulate and control it.”
Which brings me back to this technofascist tyranny being meted out on David Icke and all those like him who dare to voice ideas that diverge from what the government and its corporate controllers deem to be acceptable.
The problem as I see it is that we’ve allowed ourselves to be persuaded that we need someone else to think and speak for us. And we’ve allowed ourselves to become so timid in the face of offensive words and ideas that we’ve bought into the idea that we need the government to shield us from that which is ugly or upsetting or mean.
The result is a society in which we’ve stopped debating among ourselves, stopped thinking for ourselves, and stopped believing that we can fix our own problems and resolve our own differences.
In short, we have reduced ourselves to a largely silent, passive, polarized populace incapable of working through our own problems and reliant on the government to protect us from our fears.
In this way, we have become our worst enemy.
You want to reclaim some of the ground we’re fast losing to the techno-tyrants?
Start by thinking for yourself. If that means reading the “dangerous” ideas being floated out there by the David Ickes of the world—or the John Whiteheads for that matter—and then deciding for yourself what is true, so be it.
As Orwell concluded, “Freedom is the right to say two plus two make four.”
Article posted with permission from John Whitehead


thewashingtonstandard--2020-05-05--DOJ Sides With Church Suing Virginia Governor After Pastor Who Held 16-Person Service Faced Fine & J

DOJ Sides With Church Suing Virginia Governor After Pastor Who Held 16-Person Service Faced Fine & Jail

This is an outrage .
Our freedoms have been seized without process based on wildly inaccurate models and predictions .
We must fight back with everything .
• The US Justice Department is siding with the Lighthouse Fellowship Church on Chincoteague Island , Virginia , in a suit filed against Governor Ralph Northam • The church sued after its pastor Kevin Wilson was criminally cited for holding a Palm Sunday service in violation of the state ’ s coronavirus lockdown orders • Wilson faced a $ 2,500 fine and possible jail time after he was found by police holding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could hold about 300 • Despite congregants at the service being widely separated , police still issued the summons to Wilson , who responded with the lawsuit • The pastor is suing for discrimination against the church and violation of the first amendment .
• Attorney General Bill Barr said last month that the DOJ , in some cases , would side with citizens and businesses suing states over coronavirus lockdown orders DOJ sides with church suing Virginia Gov .
Northam after pastor who held 16-person service faced fine , jail The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church suing Gov .
Ralph Northam after police threatened a pastor with jail time or a $ 2,500 fine for violating the state ’ s coronavirus lockdown restrictions by holding a 16-person church service on Palm Sunday .
The DOJ decision came after police in protective garb served a summons to Kevin Wilson , the pastor of Lighthouse Fellowship Church on Chincoteague Island , for holding the service on April 5 with 16 people spaced far apart from one another in a church that could fit 293 people .
State officials said Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by breaking state-imposed social distancing restrictions intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus .
“ The Commonwealth of Virginia has offered no good reason for refusing to trust congregants who promise to use care in worship in the same way it trusts accountants , lawyers , and other workers to do the same , ” the DOJ said in a statement of interest obtained by Fox News on Sunday .
Mat Staver , the chairman and founder of Liberty Counsel , representing the pastor , accused Northam , a Democrat , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Amendment .
“ As important as it is that we stay safe during these challenging times , it is also important for states to remember that we do not abandon all of our freedoms in times of emergency , ” Matthew Schneider , the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan , said in a statement .
“ Unlawful discrimination against people who exercise their right to religion violates the First Amendment , whether we are in a pandemic or not.
” Across the country , law enforcement has been cracking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summons and fines for deliberately breaking state rules .
Churches have been urged to switch to virtual services in lieu of in-person sermons , but Wilson ’ s church claimed the Lighthouse Fellowship did not have the capacity to do that and many parishioners didn ’ t have access to the Internet .
Many Americans have started to grow restless with state lockdown restrictions , which have urged people not to go out unless of an emergency , or to obtain necessities such as groceries or medication .
In addition , many businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ close .
Andy McCarthy analyzes AG Barr ’ s edict to watch for pandemic restrictions that violate the constitution .
Attorney General Bill Barr said in an interview last month that the DOJ , in some cases , would side with citizens and businesses suing states over coronavirus lockdown orders .
“ People bring those lawsuits , we ’ ll take a look at it at that time , and if we think it ’ s , you know , justified , we would take a position .
That ’ s what we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , we ’ re looking carefully at a number of these rules that are being put into place , ” Barr told Hugh Hewitt on April 21 .

This is an outrage. Our freedoms have been seized without process based on wildly inaccurate models and predictions. We must fight back with everything.
The US Justice Department is siding with the Lighthouse Fellowship Church on Chincoteague Island, Virginia, in a suit filed against Governor Ralph Northam
The church sued after its pastor Kevin Wilson was criminally cited for holding a Palm Sunday service in violation of the state’s coronavirus lockdown orders
Wilson faced a $2,500 fine and possible jail time after he was found by police holding the service for 16 people inside a sanctuary that could hold about 300
Despite congregants at the service being widely separated, police still issued the summons to Wilson, who responded with the lawsuit
The pastor is suing for discrimination against the church and violation of the first amendment.
Attorney General Bill Barr said last month that the DOJ, in some cases, would side with citizens and businesses suing states over coronavirus lockdown orders
DOJ sides with church suing Virginia Gov. Northam after pastor who held 16-person service faced fine, jail
The Justice Department is siding with a Virginia church suing Gov. Ralph Northam after police threatened a pastor with jail time or a $2,500 fine for violating the state’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions by holding a 16-person church service on Palm Sunday.
By Vandana Rambaran, David Spunt | Fox News May 4, 2020:
The DOJ decision came after police in protective garb served a summons to Kevin Wilson, the pastor of Lighthouse Fellowship Church on Chincoteague Island, for holding the service on April 5 with 16 people spaced far apart from one another in a church that could fit 293 people. State officials said Wilson and the church violated the Virginia Constitution by breaking state-imposed social distancing restrictions intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
“The Commonwealth of Virginia has offered no good reason for refusing to trust congregants who promise to use care in worship in the same way it trusts accountants, lawyers, and other workers to do the same,” the DOJ said in a statement of interest obtained by Fox News on Sunday.
Mat Staver, the chairman and founder of Liberty Counsel, representing the pastor, accused Northam, a Democrat, of discriminating against the church and violating the First Amendment.
“As important as it is that we stay safe during these challenging times, it is also important for states to remember that we do not abandon all of our freedoms in times of emergency,” Matthew Schneider, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, said in a statement. “Unlawful discrimination against people who exercise their right to religion violates the First Amendment, whether we are in a pandemic or not.”
Across the country, law enforcement has been cracking down on religious congregations, threatening heavy summons and fines for deliberately breaking state rules. Churches have been urged to switch to virtual services in lieu of in-person sermons, but Wilson’s church claimed the Lighthouse Fellowship did not have the capacity to do that and many parishioners didn’t have access to the Internet.
Many Americans have started to grow restless with state lockdown restrictions, which have urged people not to go out unless of an emergency, or to obtain necessities such as groceries or medication. In addition, many businesses have suffered since they were forced to close.
Andy McCarthy analyzes AG Barr’s edict to watch for pandemic restrictions that violate the constitution.
Attorney General Bill Barr said in an interview last month that the DOJ, in some cases, would side with citizens and businesses suing states over coronavirus lockdown orders.
“People bring those lawsuits, we’ll take a look at it at that time, and if we think it’s, you know, justified, we would take a position. That’s what we’re doing now. We, you know, we’re looking carefully at a number of these rules that are being put into place,” Barr told Hugh Hewitt on April 21.
Article posted with permission from Pamela Geller


thewashingtonstandard--2020-05-06--Texas: Attorney General Tells Judge To Free Dallas Woman Who Defied COVID-19 Orders To Open Her Busi

Texas : Attorney General Tells Judge To Free Dallas Woman Who Defied COVID-19 Orders To Open Her Business : “ His Order Is Shameful Abuse Of Judicial Discretion ” Texas Governor Greg Abbott has backed Attorney General Ken Paxton ’ s letter to a Dallas judge to release a Dallas salon owner that defied the county ’ s unlawful shutdown of her business and said she would not apologize for it and was sentenced to 7 days in jail and fined $ 7,000 .
We highlighted the story of Shelly Luther over the past couple of days .
• Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Her Salon , Business Owner Dares Cops To Arrest Her For Opening ( Video ) • Texas : Dallas Salon Owner Who Defied Tyrannical Lockdown & Reopened Her Business Gets 7 Days Jail , Fined $ 7,000 Paxton sent a letter to the judge that sentenced Luther writing , “ I find it outrageous and out of touch that during this national pandemic , a judge , in a county that actually released hardened criminals for fear of contracting COVID-19 , would jail a mother for operating her hair salon in an attempt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s table .
The trial judge did not need to lock up Shelley Luther .
His order is shameful abuse of judicial discretion , which seems like another political stunt in Dallas .
He should release Ms. Luther immediately.
” Abbott said he agreed with his attorney general on the matter .
Later Wednesday , Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick vowed to pay her fines — $ 500 for each day the salon was open — and volunteered to go under house arrest on the condition she be freed .
“ I join the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action by the Dallas Judge , putting Shelley Luther in jail for seven days , ” Abbott said .
“ As I have made clear through prior pronouncements , jailing Texans for non-compliance with executive orders should always be the last available option .
Compliance with executive orders during this pandemic is important to ensure public safety ; however , surely there are less restrictive means to achieving that goal than jailing a Texas mother.
” Clearly , this is not an issue of law and so the governor should step in and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the judge ’ s impeachment , not simply make statements , as should Paxton .
“ As a mother , Ms. Luther wanted to feed her children , ” Paxton said in his letter .
“ As a small business owner , she wanted to help her employees feed their children .
Needless to say , these are laudable goals that warrant the exercise of enforcement discretion.
” Though the judge offered her a way out if she merely took the mark of the beast and bowed to the color of law in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court in favor of doing what is right .
“ I have to disagree with you , sir , when you say that I ’ m selfish because feeding my kids is not selfish , ” she told the judge .
“ I have hairstylists that are going hungry because they would rather feed their kids .
So sir , if you think the law is more important than kids getting fed , then please go ahead with your decision .
But I am not going to shut the salon.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Patrick , also spoke out against the injustice .
He tweeted , “ 7 days in jail , no bail and a $ 7K fine is outrageous .
No surprise Texans are responding .
I ’ m covering the $ 7K fine she had to pay and I volunteer to be placed under House Arrest so she can go to work and feed her kids.
” Well , yeah , guys , but your words are not getting her out of jail nor eliminating the fine , nor expunging her record , nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work on bringing justice for this woman instead of offering mere words !
“ In light of the foregoing , your actions abused your discretion in holding Ms. Luther in contempt and ordering her to jail in a civil court proceeding , ” Paxton said .
“ For these reasons , the Court should immediately reconsider its order and release Ms. Luther from confinement.
” Ok , but those are words , Mr. Paxton .
This is what I ’ m talking about people .
Often the Republicans are simply impotent to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They talk , but they do not act while the other party has their mask off so you know exactly what they are .
Stop being cowards down there in Texas and go beyond your words .
Start acting and bringing real justice , and you can start by freeing this woman and eliminating this judge from his position of public service .
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched on Luther ’ s behalf , with some $ 290,000 already donated .
That site says she “ decided to resist tyranny by opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order .
Her business , SALON A LA MODE offers services for hair and nails , microblading , permanent makeup , professional event makeup , braiding and more !
”

Texas: Attorney General Tells Judge To Free Dallas Woman Who Defied COVID-19 Orders To Open Her Business: “His Order Is Shameful Abuse Of Judicial Discretion”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has backed Attorney General Ken Paxton’s letter to a Dallas judge to release a Dallas salon owner that defied the county’s unlawful shutdown of her business and said she would not apologize for it and was sentenced to 7 days in jail and fined $7,000.
We highlighted the story of Shelly Luther over the past couple of days.
Paxton sent a letter to the judge that sentenced Luther writing, “I find it outrageous and out of touch that during this national pandemic, a judge, in a county that actually released hardened criminals for fear of contracting COVID-19, would jail a mother for operating her hair salon in an attempt to put food on her family’s table. The trial judge did not need to lock up Shelley Luther. His order is shameful abuse of judicial discretion, which seems like another political stunt in Dallas. He should release Ms. Luther immediately.”
Shelley Luther should immediately be released from jail. Locking her up is a misguided abuse of power, especially considering Dallas County released real criminals to “protect them from COVID-19.” Release her now so she can return to her family. pic.twitter.com/67KrhQBEyf — Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 6, 2020
Fox News has reported:
Abbott said he agreed with his attorney general on the matter. Later Wednesday, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick vowed to pay her fines — $500 for each day the salon was open — and volunteered to go under house arrest on the condition she be freed.
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
“I join the Attorney General in disagreeing with the excessive action by the Dallas Judge, putting Shelley Luther in jail for seven days,” Abbott said. “As I have made clear through prior pronouncements, jailing Texans for non-compliance with executive orders should always be the last available option. Compliance with executive orders during this pandemic is important to ensure public safety; however, surely there are less restrictive means to achieving that goal than jailing a Texas mother.”
Clearly, this is not an issue of law and so the governor should step in and simply issue a pardon and called for the judge’s impeachment, not simply make statements, as should Paxton.
“As a mother, Ms. Luther wanted to feed her children,” Paxton said in his letter. “As a small business owner, she wanted to help her employees feed their children. Needless to say, these are laudable goals that warrant the exercise of enforcement discretion.”
Though the judge offered her a way out if she merely took the mark of the beast and bowed to the color of law in his demands, she chose to defy the court in favor of doing what is right.
“I have to disagree with you, sir, when you say that I’m selfish because feeding my kids is not selfish,” she told the judge. “I have hairstylists that are going hungry because they would rather feed their kids. So sir, if you think the law is more important than kids getting fed, then please go ahead with your decision. But I am not going to shut the salon.”
The Lt. Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, also spoke out against the injustice.
He tweeted, “7 days in jail, no bail and a $7K fine is outrageous. No surprise Texans are responding. I’m covering the $7K fine she had to pay and I volunteer to be placed under House Arrest so she can go to work and feed her kids.”
7 days in jail, no bail and a $7K fine is outrageous. No surprise Texans are responding. I’m covering the $7K fine she had to pay and I volunteer to be placed under House Arrest so she can go to work and feed her kids. #txlege #TexansHelpingTexans https://t.co/gdtMLAHFV5 — Dan Patrick (@DanPatrick) May 6, 2020
Well, yeah, guys, but your words are not getting her out of jail nor eliminating the fine, nor expunging her record, nor dealing with this lawless judge! Get to work on bringing justice for this woman instead of offering mere words!
“In light of the foregoing, your actions abused your discretion in holding Ms. Luther in contempt and ordering her to jail in a civil court proceeding,” Paxton said. “For these reasons, the Court should immediately reconsider its order and release Ms. Luther from confinement.”
Ok, but those are words, Mr. Paxton.
This is what I’m talking about people. Often the Republicans are simply impotent to do the right thing in office. They talk, but they do not act while the other party has their mask off so you know exactly what they are.
Stop being cowards down there in Texas and go beyond your words. Start acting and bringing real justice, and you can start by freeing this woman and eliminating this judge from his position of public service.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched on Luther’s behalf, with some $290,000 already donated.
That site says she “decided to resist tyranny by opening her business against an unlawful state executive order. Her business, SALON A LA MODE offers services for hair and nails, microblading, permanent makeup, professional event makeup, braiding and more!”


thewashingtonstandard--2020-05-06--Lockdown “Snitches” Now Fearing Retaliation For Reporting Neighbors After Their Names Are Released O

Lockdown “Snitches” Now Fearing Retaliation For Reporting Neighbors After Their Names Are Released Online

In George Orwell ’ s 1949 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four , the Thought Police ( Thinkpol ) used informants to gather intelligence on potential subversives and eliminate them .
The superstate ’ s power was largely derived and maintained from their ability to turn everyone , including children , into informants , or ‘ snitches ’ , for Big Brother .
Though his predictions have materialized into non-fiction , Orwell wasn ’ t a psychic .
The culture of snitching has long been the foothold of tyrannies throughout this planet ’ s history .
Through fear , entire societies are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group of people is “ the enemy ” and they will not be “ safe ” unless they inform the government about the behavior of “ the enemy.
” Throughout history , extensive propaganda campaigns have been waged on citizens by governments — defining their enemy .
In the Ottoman empire , Christian minorities , including Armenians , Assyrians and Greeks were labelled as the enemy and citizens turned in their neighbors as more than a million people were marched to their deaths .
During the Holocaust , the Germans were told that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know how that unfolded .
The same goes for the Slavics in Russia , the Chinese in Japan , the Haitians in the Dominican Republic , Tibetans in China , and so on .
All that governments throughout history have had to do to wage mass murder and genocide against an innocent group of people is declare them the enemy and ask their citizens to report them .
As police can not be everywhere all the time , citizen snitches are the real ‘ Big Brother.
’ In fictional dystopias and in non-fictional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state relies on its subservient and obedient informant citizens to police their own .
This distrust among neighbors promotes group think and makes those who may have rebellious tendencies stand out .
Since 9/11 , the US government has ramped up its propaganda on encouraging citizens to snitch on each other .
In every airport , bus station , and populated area , in general , there are signs constantly telling Americas if they “ see something , say something.
” Fast forward to 2020 , during a COVID-19 pandemic and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bidding of the state .
Across the country tip lines have been established for citizens to rat out their neighbors and , across the country , those tip lines are flooded by government informants telling on their neighbors for not staying six feet apart .
Some 9-1-1 call centers have even been inundated with calls by citizens reporting their neighbors for coughing .
Seriously .
It is important to point out that when we are saying “ snitch ” in these terms , we are not talking about people who call tip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and thieves .
If you report an actual crime , with an actual victim , this doesn ’ t necessarily make you a snitch , it makes you not want to see criminals get away with hurting people .
However , if you report someone for coughing — you are the worst kind of snitch and you would do well to start reading more books — starting with 1984 .
The thing about snitches is that most of the people who would turn someone in for a victimless crime would not go up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use the state to implement their will and hide behind the cops that have to respond to someone ’ s house for coughing .
In Missouri , however , where officials set up a tip line for people to report their neighbors for not social distancing , they were told their information would be public if it were ever requested .
Still , over 900 people in St. Louis snitched on their neighbors for not social distancing or for keeping their non-essential business open .
Now , the snitches are fearing retaliation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a man named Jared Totsch , who received the list after it was requested under the state ’ s Sunshine Act .
“ We ’ re in a society where doing what ’ s right doesn ’ t always get rewarded , ” said one of the “ tipsters ” named Patricia , who reported a man for trying to feed his family during the pandemic by keeping his business open .
Now , Patricia is scared that she may face retaliation for what she says was “ doing what ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in people for attempting to feed their families during the pandemic , we also disagree with retaliating against these people for snitching .
Two wrongs do not make a right .
Only through a lesser ignorance will Patricia ever learn that using government force to implement her fearful will , is wrong .
Also , she should have read the disclaimer .
“ If they are worried about retaliation , they should have read the fine print which stated their tips would be open public record subject to a Sunshine request , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manner to begin with , ” wrote Totsch .
“ I released the info in an attempt to discourage such behavior in the future.
” A disclaimer form submitters had to acknowledge before sending says , “ I have been advised that this form and any other communication may be considered an open record pursuant to the Sunshine Law , Chapter 610 RSMo .
St. Louis County may be required to release this form as well as other communications as a matter of law upon request by any member of the public , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Totsch ’ s post on Facebook was done out of revenge , he says he released the list to discourage people from this behavior in the future — not to retaliate .
Some of the folks on that list even ratted out their own employers for remaining open and providing them with a job while tens of millions of others go on unemployment .
When asked by KSDK how he felt about the possibility that someone who reported a business might lose their job , Totsch wrote , “ I ’ d call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a dose of their own medicine .
What goes around , comes around .
They are now experiencing the same pain that they themselves helped to inflict on those they filed complaints against.
” While we certainly do not wish ill will on anyone , even ignorant people who would call the cops on someone for coughing , perhaps allowing the accused to face their accuser or at least know who they are , may turn out to be a good thing .
Free societies are not built around distrust and government informants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reliance .
In a true free society , we would never need government to force us into our homes during a pandemic .
We would protect the vulnerable and allow others their discretion when making choices .
Politics and informant lines have only created a larger divide and have led to nothing positive during this pandemic .
Instead of fighting with one another over which politician ’ s view of the COVID-19 outbreak we support , how about we look to logic and reason and make informed and voluntary choices for ourselves ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ over what you feel should happen or ratting out a person trying to feed their family will never lead to progress .
We must address the underlying issue , do you need to be threatened with government force to make decisions that keep you and your family safe , or not ?
I am going to go with the latter .

In George Orwell’s 1949 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the Thought Police (Thinkpol) used informants to gather intelligence on potential subversives and eliminate them. The superstate’s power was largely derived and maintained from their ability to turn everyone, including children, into informants, or ‘snitches’, for Big Brother.
Though his predictions have materialized into non-fiction, Orwell wasn’t a psychic. The culture of snitching has long been the foothold of tyrannies throughout this planet’s history. Through fear, entire societies are convinced by their rulers that a certain group of people is “the enemy” and they will not be “safe” unless they inform the government about the behavior of “the enemy.”
Throughout history, extensive propaganda campaigns have been waged on citizens by governments — defining their enemy. In the Ottoman empire, Christian minorities, including Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks were labelled as the enemy and citizens turned in their neighbors as more than a million people were marched to their deaths. During the Holocaust, the Germans were told that the Jews were their enemy and we know how that unfolded. The same goes for the Slavics in Russia, the Chinese in Japan, the Haitians in the Dominican Republic, Tibetans in China, and so on.
All that governments throughout history have had to do to wage mass murder and genocide against an innocent group of people is declare them the enemy and ask their citizens to report them. As police cannot be everywhere all the time, citizen snitches are the real ‘Big Brother.’
In fictional dystopias and in non-fictional dystopias like the ones mentioned above, the state relies on its subservient and obedient informant citizens to police their own. This distrust among neighbors promotes group think and makes those who may have rebellious tendencies stand out.
Since 9/11, the US government has ramped up its propaganda on encouraging citizens to snitch on each other. In every airport, bus station, and populated area, in general, there are signs constantly telling Americas if they “see something, say something.”
Fast forward to 2020, during a COVID-19 pandemic and the fear-ridden populace has been primed to do the bidding of the state. Across the country tip lines have been established for citizens to rat out their neighbors and, across the country, those tip lines are flooded by government informants telling on their neighbors for not staying six feet apart. Some 9-1-1 call centers have even been inundated with calls by citizens reporting their neighbors for coughing. Seriously.
It is important to point out that when we are saying “snitch” in these terms, we are not talking about people who call tip lines to report murderers, rapists, and thieves. If you report an actual crime, with an actual victim, this doesn’t necessarily make you a snitch, it makes you not want to see criminals get away with hurting people.
However, if you report someone for coughing — you are the worst kind of snitch and you would do well to start reading more books — starting with 1984.
The thing about snitches is that most of the people who would turn someone in for a victimless crime would not go up to that person themselves. They want to use the state to implement their will and hide behind the cops that have to respond to someone’s house for coughing.
In Missouri, however, where officials set up a tip line for people to report their neighbors for not social distancing, they were told their information would be public if it were ever requested. Still, over 900 people in St. Louis snitched on their neighbors for not social distancing or for keeping their non-essential business open.
Now, the snitches are fearing retaliation after all their names were published online by a man named Jared Totsch, who received the list after it was requested under the state’s Sunshine Act.
“We’re in a society where doing what’s right doesn’t always get rewarded,” said one of the “tipsters” named Patricia, who reported a man for trying to feed his family during the pandemic by keeping his business open.
Now, Patricia is scared that she may face retaliation for what she says was “doing what’s right.”
While we disagree with turning in people for attempting to feed their families during the pandemic, we also disagree with retaliating against these people for snitching. Two wrongs do not make a right. Only through a lesser ignorance will Patricia ever learn that using government force to implement her fearful will, is wrong.
Also, she should have read the disclaimer.
“If they are worried about retaliation, they should have read the fine print which stated their tips would be open public record subject to a Sunshine request, and should not have submitted tips in that manner to begin with,” wrote Totsch. “I released the info in an attempt to discourage such behavior in the future.”
A disclaimer form submitters had to acknowledge before sending says, “I have been advised that this form and any other communication may be considered an open record pursuant to the Sunshine Law, Chapter 610 RSMo. St. Louis County may be required to release this form as well as other communications as a matter of law upon request by any member of the public, including the media.”
Though Patricia thinks Totsch’s post on Facebook was done out of revenge, he says he released the list to discourage people from this behavior in the future — not to retaliate.
Some of the folks on that list even ratted out their own employers for remaining open and providing them with a job while tens of millions of others go on unemployment. When asked by KSDK how he felt about the possibility that someone who reported a business might lose their job, Totsch wrote, “I’d call it poetic justice, instant Karma, a dose of their own medicine. What goes around, comes around. They are now experiencing the same pain that they themselves helped to inflict on those they filed complaints against.”
While we certainly do not wish ill will on anyone, even ignorant people who would call the cops on someone for coughing, perhaps allowing the accused to face their accuser or at least know who they are, may turn out to be a good thing.
Free societies are not built around distrust and government informants. They are built through relationships and reliance. In a true free society, we would never need government to force us into our homes during a pandemic. We would protect the vulnerable and allow others their discretion when making choices.
Politics and informant lines have only created a larger divide and have led to nothing positive during this pandemic. Instead of fighting with one another over which politician’s view of the COVID-19 outbreak we support, how about we look to logic and reason and make informed and voluntary choices for ourselves? Calling each other names or getting angry over what you feel should happen or ratting out a person trying to feed their family will never lead to progress.
We must address the underlying issue, do you need to be threatened with government force to make decisions that keep you and your family safe, or not? I am going to go with the latter.
Article posted with permission from Matt Agorist


thewashingtonstandard--2020-05-06--Coronavirus Researcher Shot To Death In Home:  On Verge Of “Very Significant Findings”

Things just don ’ t happen like this in these situations , but the official narrative is pushing something that seems very hard to believe under these circumstances .
Now a researcher who made some “ very significant findings ” regarding coronavirus was shot and killed in his home and his associate was found shot close by with what we are told is a self-inflicted gunshot wound .
Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge has the story : A University of Pittsburgh researcher working on a coronavirus project was fatally shot on Saturday at his home in Ross Township , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found dead in a car approximately 100 yards away of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot .
The researcher , 37-year-oild Bing Liu , was found shot multiple times in the head , neck and torso around Noon on Saturday .
Nothing was stolen from the townhouse and there was no forced entry , according to the Post Gazette .
He worked in the college ’ s department of computational and systems biology at the Pitt School of Medicine .
“ Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection and the cellular basis of the following complications , ” the department announced in a written statement , adding “ We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence.
” Liu ’ s expertise was developing computational models , simulation and analysis techniques to study the dynamics of biological systems – in some cases using machine learning techniques to understand cellular processes , according to his bio .
He was described as an outstanding teacher and mentor .
“ He was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and hard-working , ” said the head of his department , Ivet Bahar .
“ He has been contributing to several scientific projects , publishing in high-profile journals .
He was someone whom we all liked very much , a very gentle , very helpful , kind person , very generous.
” “ We are all shocked to learn what happened to him .
This was very unexpected , ” she added .
..Mr. Liu has co-authored 30-plus publications , including four in 2020 .
Ms. Behar said he had just begun research @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was just starting to obtain interesting results , ” she said .
“ He was sharing with us , trying to understand the mechanism of infection , so we will hopefully continue what he was doing.
” ’ –Post Gazette “ His loss will be felt throughout the entire scientific community , ” said the university in a statement .
The Post-Gazette reports , Ross police believe that Mr. Liu was shot by another man — identified later by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner ’ s Office as Hao Gu , 46 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his car parked about 100 yards away on Charlemagne Circle and killed himself .
The motive in the shooting is unknown and the investigation is ongoing .
A formal ruling from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner ’ s Office regarding the cause and manner of Gu ’ s death is pending , according to the report .
If you just believe this is a coincidence without questioning the official story , I really don ’ t think you understand all that is going on around you .
Article posted with permission from Sons @ @ @

Things just don’t happen like this in these situations, but the official narrative is pushing something that seems very hard to believe under these circumstances. Now a researcher who made some “very significant findings” regarding coronavirus was shot and killed in his home and his associate was found shot close by with what we are told is a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge has the story:
A University of Pittsburgh researcher working on a coronavirus project was fatally shot on Saturday at his home in Ross Township, while associate Hao Gu, 46, was found dead in a car approximately 100 yards away of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot.
The researcher, 37-year-oild Bing Liu, was found shot multiple times in the head, neck and torso around Noon on Saturday. Nothing was stolen from the townhouse and there was no forced entry, according to the Post Gazette. He worked in the college’s department of computational and systems biology at the Pitt School of Medicine.
“Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings toward understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie SARS-CoV-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications,” the department announced in a written statement, adding “We will make an effort to complete what he started in an effort to pay homage to his scientific excellence.”
Liu’s expertise was developing computational models, simulation and analysis techniques to study the dynamics of biological systems – in some cases using machine learning techniques to understand cellular processes, according to his bio.
He was described as an outstanding teacher and mentor.
“He was a very talented individual, extremely intelligent and hard-working,” said the head of his department, Ivet Bahar. “He has been contributing to several scientific projects, publishing in high-profile journals. He was someone whom we all liked very much, a very gentle, very helpful, kind person, very generous.”
“We are all shocked to learn what happened to him. This was very unexpected,” she added.
..Mr. Liu has co-authored 30-plus publications, including four in 2020. Ms. Behar said he had just begun research on the novel coronavirus. “He was just starting to obtain interesting results,” she said. “He was sharing with us, trying to understand the mechanism of infection, so we will hopefully continue what he was doing.”’ –Post Gazette
“His loss will be felt throughout the entire scientific community,” said the university in a statement.
The Post-Gazette reports, Ross police believe that Mr. Liu was shot by another man — identified later by the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office as Hao Gu, 46, of Pittsburgh — who then got into his car parked about 100 yards away on Charlemagne Circle and killed himself.
The motive in the shooting is unknown and the investigation is ongoing. A formal ruling from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office regarding the cause and manner of Gu’s death is pending, according to the report.
If you just believe this is a coincidence without questioning the official story, I really don’t think you understand all that is going on around you.
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-05-06--Does America Still Have A Prayer?

Does America Still Have A Prayer?

As of this writing , the number of reported deaths in America from the coronavirus is almost 70,000 , and 30 million have abruptly lost work .
Scan the headlines these days , and the bad news because of the coronavirus seems to get worse and worse : • April ’ s unemployment is described by the Wall Street Journal as “ the largest one-month blow to the U.S. labor market on record ” ( May 3 ) .
The worst job loss ever .
• “ Universities across the country are being hit with lawsuits by students who aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re being provided after being told to leave campus ” ( Campusreform.com , April 27 ) .
• As one of six workers are suddenly out of a job , hunger is a growing problem .
The AP reports , “ Before the pandemic , food policy experts say , roughly one out of every eight or nine Americans struggled to stay fed .
Now as many as one out of every four are projected to join the ranks of the hungry ” ( May 4 ) .
Amidst all the bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Does America still have a prayer ?
Yes .
Thursday , May 7 , 2020 , is the National Day of Prayer .
And , boy , do we need it .
America , it could be said , was born in prayer .
We can even see an example in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol , where there are eight large paintings dedicated to aspects of our history .
One of them shows the Pilgrims having a prayer meeting with a large open Geneva Bible .
The Pilgrims experienced one setback @ @ @ @ @ @ @ answers to prayer .
For example , when they were finally settled in the New World in 1621 , after a disastrous winter where half their number died , they planted their crops .
But then they experienced a great drought .
The parched conditions threatened their first crop of corn , and it looked like the year ’ s harvest of corn was all but dead .
But the Pilgrims called for a day of fasting and prayer .
By the end of the day , it was raining .
The rain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to life .
The harvesting of that corn was part of what they celebrated in the first Thanksgiving .
A couple of paintings in the Capitol rotunda have George Washington as the central character .
Although modern scholars like to discount the notion of Washington as a man of prayer , there were many contemporary witnesses who said otherwise .
In our book , “ George Washington ’ s Sacred Fire , ” Dr. Peter Lillback and I document that Washington was a dedicated Christian who read the Bible regularly and spent much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that as a nation we should be grateful for God ’ s repeated help .
He once said , in reference to God ’ s help during the War for Independence , “ The hand of Providence has been conspicuous in all this , that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith , and more than wicked that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.
” ( Letter to Thomas Nelson , Aug. 20 , 1778 ) Susie Federer has written two books on miracles in American history , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” based on the research of her husband , Bill .
He is a bestselling author and speaker .
Bill Federer describes a time – not unlike today – when there was a plague of sorts ravaging the land in the mid-19th century .
President Zachary Taylor declared a National Day of Fasting and Prayer , July 3 , 1849 , during a cholera epidemic : “ A fearful pestilence which is spreading itself throughout the land … it is fitting that a people whose reliance has ever been in His protection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ acknowledging past transgressions , ask a continuance of the Divine mercy .
It is earnestly recommended that the first Friday in August be observed throughout the United States as a Day of Fasting , Humiliation and Prayer.
” The Federers note that soon after that day of prayer , the cholera epidemic in America tapered off .
Many of our presidents throughout our history have called on God and have called on Americans to set aside a time ( usually a day ) of prayer .
For example , FDR , in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called for Jan. 2 , 1942 , to be , “ a Day of Prayer , of asking forgiveness for our shortcomings of the past , of consecration to the tasks of the present , of asking God ’ s help in days to come.
” President Truman even systematized the day of prayer as an annual event .
Thus , the first Thursday of each May is the National Day of Prayer .
Truman declared in his proclamation ( June 17 , 1952 ) : “ From the earliest days of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn to Almighty God for help and guidance.
” If ever America needed God ’ s help and guidance , this would seem to be that time – as the coronavirus crisis devastates the land .
We need to pray and repent and seek His face .
May He provide a vaccine soon , and may He heal our land .

As of this writing, the number of reported deaths in America from the coronavirus is almost 70,000, and 30 million have abruptly lost work.
Scan the headlines these days, and the bad news because of the coronavirus seems to get worse and worse:
April’s unemployment is described by the Wall Street Journal as “the largest one-month blow to the U.S. labor market on record” (May 3). The worst job loss ever.
“Universities across the country are being hit with lawsuits by students who aren’t satisfied with the refunds they’re being provided after being told to leave campus” (Campusreform.com, April 27).
As one of six workers are suddenly out of a job, hunger is a growing problem. The AP reports, “Before the pandemic, food policy experts say, roughly one out of every eight or nine Americans struggled to stay fed. Now as many as one out of every four are projected to join the ranks of the hungry” (May 4).
Amidst all the bad news, is there any hope? Does America still have a prayer?
Yes. Thursday, May 7, 2020, is the National Day of Prayer. And, boy, do we need it.
America, it could be said, was born in prayer. We can even see an example in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol, where there are eight large paintings dedicated to aspects of our history.
One of them shows the Pilgrims having a prayer meeting with a large open Geneva Bible. The Pilgrims experienced one setback after another. But they also experienced answers to prayer.
For example, when they were finally settled in the New World in 1621, after a disastrous winter where half their number died, they planted their crops. But then they experienced a great drought.
The parched conditions threatened their first crop of corn, and it looked like the year’s harvest of corn was all but dead. But the Pilgrims called for a day of fasting and prayer. By the end of the day, it was raining.
The rain saved the corn, which miraculously sprang to life. The harvesting of that corn was part of what they celebrated in the first Thanksgiving.
A couple of paintings in the Capitol rotunda have George Washington as the central character. Although modern scholars like to discount the notion of Washington as a man of prayer, there were many contemporary witnesses who said otherwise. In our book, “George Washington’s Sacred Fire,” Dr. Peter Lillback and I document that Washington was a dedicated Christian who read the Bible regularly and spent much time in prayer.
Washington often said that as a nation we should be grateful for God’s repeated help. He once said, in reference to God’s help during the War for Independence, “The hand of Providence has been conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations.” (Letter to Thomas Nelson, Aug. 20, 1778)
Susie Federer has written two books on miracles in American history, “Miracles” and “Miracles II,” based on the research of her husband, Bill. He is a bestselling author and speaker.
Bill Federer describes a time – not unlike today – when there was a plague of sorts ravaging the land in the mid-19th century. President Zachary Taylor declared a National Day of Fasting and Prayer, July 3, 1849, during a cholera epidemic: “A fearful pestilence which is spreading itself throughout the land … it is fitting that a people whose reliance has ever been in His protection should humble themselves before His throne … acknowledging past transgressions, ask a continuance of the Divine mercy. It is earnestly recommended that the first Friday in August be observed throughout the United States as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer.”
The Federers note that soon after that day of prayer, the cholera epidemic in America tapered off.
Many of our presidents throughout our history have called on God and have called on Americans to set aside a time (usually a day) of prayer. For example, FDR, in the wake of the Pearl Harbor attack, called for Jan. 2, 1942, to be, “a Day of Prayer, of asking forgiveness for our shortcomings of the past, of consecration to the tasks of the present, of asking God’s help in days to come.”
President Truman even systematized the day of prayer as an annual event. Thus, the first Thursday of each May is the National Day of Prayer. Truman declared in his proclamation (June 17, 1952): “From the earliest days of our history our people have been accustomed to turn to Almighty God for help and guidance.”
If ever America needed God’s help and guidance, this would seem to be that time – as the coronavirus crisis devastates the land. We need to pray and repent and seek His face. May He provide a vaccine soon, and may He heal our land.
Article posted with permission from Jerry Newcombe


thewashingtonstandard--2020-05-06--They Want To Make “Social Distancing” A Permanent Part Of Our Lives

Humans are inherently social creatures , and that is never going to change .
Within each one of us , there is a fundamental need for connection with others , but now these coronavirus lockdowns have separated us from one another like never before .
Thankfully , many states are now starting to end their lockdowns , but unfortunately , this is definitely not the end for “ social distancing ” .
Just as 9/11 greatly altered our society on a permanent basis , many of our social engineers now intend to make “ social distancing ” a permanent part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their way , there will be written or unwritten rules about how close you can get to other people virtually everywhere that you go .
Can you imagine a world where you have to constantly be concerned about walking , standing or sitting too close to someone else ?
Already , there is talk of putting physical markings on sidewalks in order to constantly remind all of us not to walk too closely to one another… And Wal-Mart and other major retailers are already starting to put arrows on the floor to remind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can maintain proper “ social distancing ” .
We are being told that restaurants may have to start putting empty tables between customers , sports stadiums may have to keep at least half their seats empty , and churches may have to start holding services in shifts .
Just like in the days after 9/11 , we will be told that the changes are just “ temporary measures ” , but once we accept “ temporary measures ” long enough they have a way of becoming permanent .
When I was much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And at first , I was encouraged to hear that some states were going to start allowing live concerts once again , but then I learned about the new “ fan pods ” … Are you kidding me ?
I understand that they are trying to prevent the spread of the virus , but it isn ’ t going to work .
Look , unless you plan on locking yourself in your own home for the next couple of years , you are almost certainly going to be exposed to the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And once you are exposed to the virus , what is really going to matter is the strength of your immune system , and so that should be your focus instead of trying to maintain “ proper social distancing ” at all times .
To me , some of the “ social distancing ” measures that we are now seeing are completely and utterly ridiculous .
For example , at one supermarket in Philadelphia cashiers are actually working in “ tent-like ” plastic enclosures… Those enclosures may protect those workers for a short @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inevitable that they will eventually be exposed to the virus .
This pandemic is never going to burn itself out until herd immunity is achieved , and herd immunity is never going to be achieved until about 70 percent of the population catches the virus .
Of course , it would be wonderful if someone could actually find a way to keep 70 percent of the population from becoming infected , but because this virus spreads like wildfire that simply is not going to be possible .
In the end , “ social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus , but roughly the same proportion of the population will eventually catch it whether we have “ social distancing ” or not .
Thankfully , some industries are already starting to push back against “ social distancing ” .
There has been an effort to require airlines to keep middle seats vacant on all flights from now on , and the airlines are fighting this really hard… If you get on an airplane , you pretty much have to assume that you are going to be exposed to all sorts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been true , and there will never be a time when it isn ’ t true .
If you don ’ t want to be exposed to all sorts of nasty bugs , just don ’ t fly .
As far as COVID-19 is concerned , there are literally thousands of ways that you could potentially catch this virus , and anyone that believes that “ proper social distancing ” will keep people 100 percent safe is just being delusional .
Sadly , “ social distancing ” has been pounded into our heads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big chunk of the population has become big believers in it .
In fact , one recent survey discovered that almost 60 percent of everyone living in Seattle intends to continue practicing social distancing “ for a year or longer ” … And once you adopt a pattern for a whole year , there is a really good chance that it becomes permanent .
We can ’ t let them do this to us .
They fundamentally changed our society after 9/11 , and now the social engineers want to do it again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because the alternative is absolutely unthinkable .

Humans are inherently social creatures, and that is never going to change. Within each one of us, there is a fundamental need for connection with others, but now these coronavirus lockdowns have separated us from one another like never before. Thankfully, many states are now starting to end their lockdowns, but unfortunately, this is definitely not the end for “social distancing”. Just as 9/11 greatly altered our society on a permanent basis, many of our social engineers now intend to make “social distancing” a permanent part of our lives. If they have their way, there will be written or unwritten rules about how close you can get to other people virtually everywhere that you go.
Can you imagine a world where you have to constantly be concerned about walking, standing or sitting too close to someone else?
Already, there is talk of putting physical markings on sidewalks in order to constantly remind all of us not to walk too closely to one another…
Arrows on the ground, and other physical markers to encourage and enforce distance. Imagine sidewalks with scoring every 6 feet so those walking could make sure they’re the human equivalent of a few car lengths behind. Or large sculptures deployed to separate people.
And Wal-Mart and other major retailers are already starting to put arrows on the floor to remind us which direction to shop so that we can maintain proper “social distancing”.
We are being told that restaurants may have to start putting empty tables between customers, sports stadiums may have to keep at least half their seats empty, and churches may have to start holding services in shifts.
Just like in the days after 9/11, we will be told that the changes are just “temporary measures”, but once we accept “temporary measures” long enough they have a way of becoming permanent.
When I was much younger, I loved to attend concerts. And at first, I was encouraged to hear that some states were going to start allowing live concerts once again, but then I learned about the new “fan pods”…
Travis McCready, the singer of the country-rock band Bishop Gunn, will be performing what’s billed as an “intimate acoustic set” in Fort Smith at the city’s TempleLive venue — but with social distancing measures in place. The show will take place on May 15, three days before the scheduled reopening. According to Billboard, assigned seats for the show will be at least six feet apart per grouping in what Ticketmaster is calling “fan pods.” As fans enter the venue, they’ll be required to wear face masks (including the venue’s employees), have their temperatures taken at the door and capacity for the 1,100 person venue will be capped at 229.
Are you kidding me?
I understand that they are trying to prevent the spread of the virus, but it isn’t going to work.
Look, unless you plan on locking yourself in your own home for the next couple of years, you are almost certainly going to be exposed to the virus no matter how careful you are.
And once you are exposed to the virus, what is really going to matter is the strength of your immune system, and so that should be your focus instead of trying to maintain “proper social distancing” at all times.
To me, some of the “social distancing” measures that we are now seeing are completely and utterly ridiculous. For example, at one supermarket in Philadelphia cashiers are actually working in “tent-like” plastic enclosures…
At a Philadelphia supermarket, the cashier’s side of each checkout line has been outfitted with a tent-like plastic enclosure, keeping essential workers safe while on the job. Alexander Tavares, 19, captured now-viral footage of the new working conditions, constructed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, at a store on March 25.
Those enclosures may protect those workers for a short period of time, but it is inevitable that they will eventually be exposed to the virus.
This pandemic is never going to burn itself out until herd immunity is achieved, and herd immunity is never going to be achieved until about 70 percent of the population catches the virus.
Of course, it would be wonderful if someone could actually find a way to keep 70 percent of the population from becoming infected, but because this virus spreads like wildfire that simply is not going to be possible.
In the end, “social distancing” can temporarily slow the transmission of the virus, but roughly the same proportion of the population will eventually catch it whether we have “social distancing” or not.
Thankfully, some industries are already starting to push back against “social distancing”. There has been an effort to require airlines to keep middle seats vacant on all flights from now on, and the airlines are fighting this really hard…
Airlines are pushing back on proposals to require social distancing onboard aircraft. During a press briefing today, airline industry group IATA argued that leaving the middle seat vacant would hurt airlines’ ability to recover from the coronavirus crisis and potentially cause a spike of up to 54% in airfares.
If you get on an airplane, you pretty much have to assume that you are going to be exposed to all sorts of nasty bugs. That has always been true, and there will never be a time when it isn’t true.
If you don’t want to be exposed to all sorts of nasty bugs, just don’t fly.
As far as COVID-19 is concerned, there are literally thousands of ways that you could potentially catch this virus, and anyone that believes that “proper social distancing” will keep people 100 percent safe is just being delusional.
Sadly, “social distancing” has been pounded into our heads so relentlessly in recent weeks that a big chunk of the population has become big believers in it.
In fact, one recent survey discovered that almost 60 percent of everyone living in Seattle intends to continue practicing social distancing “for a year or longer”…
Nearly 60 percent of people in Seattle say they plan on doing social distancing for a year or longer. That’s according to a new survey recently released by a company in New York City called Elucd. This company said they provide data to the City of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department on the public’s opinions on various topics.
And once you adopt a pattern for a whole year, there is a really good chance that it becomes permanent.
We can’t let them do this to us.
They fundamentally changed our society after 9/11, and now the social engineers want to do it again.
We must stop them this time because the alternative is absolutely unthinkable.
Article posted with permission from Michael Snyder