thestream--2020-04-23--Reading Dostoyevsky and Contemplating Freedom During the Coronavirus Shutdown

The old man looks at the prisoner , studying his face .
“ ‘ Is it you ?
You ?
’ Receiving no answer , however , he quickly adds : ‘ No , do not reply , keep silent .
… Why have you come to get in our way ?
For you have come to get in our way and you yourself know it.
’ ” The silent prisoner is Christ who has come back to earth in sixteenth century Spain looking just as he did in the first century .
The people recognize him , as does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The old man is Fyodor Dostoyevsky ’ s Grand Inquisitor .
His tale is a story within the story of The Brothers Karamazov .
The Kind of Freedom That the People are Unable to Comprehend The Grand Inquisitor conflates the Church with the state .
Embodying these two authorities , he insists that “ we ” have finally worked things out for the good of mankind .
“ We ” have corrected Christ ’ s mistake of offering people the freedom of the Gospel .
“ For fifteen centuries , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that freedom , but now it ’ s over , over for good.
” “ We ” instituted a totalitarian regime .
And yet , “ I think you ought to be aware that now , and particularly in the days we are currently living through , those people are even more certain than ever that they are completely free , and indeed they themselves have brought us their freedom and have laid it humbly at our feet.
” The freedom Christ offered was too great , the Inquisitor argues .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are going there with empty hands , with a kind of promise of freedom which they in their simplicity and inborn turpitude are unable even to comprehend , which they go in fear and awe of — for nothing has ever been more unendurable to man and human society than freedom !
” Rather than rejecting Satan ’ s three “ temptations ” in the wilderness ( Matthew 4:1-11 ; Luke 4:1-13 ) , Jesus should have embraced these as wise proposals from a friend .
A friend whom the Inquisitor calls “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Spirit of self-annihilation and non-existence … that great Spirit.
” “ Enslave Us if You Will , but Feed Us ” Jesus preached the Kingdom and freedom .
But the Inquisitor and his cohort , following the three wise promptings of “ that great Spirit , ” will rebuild the Tower of Babel .
That tower symbolizes human technology and know-how in opposition to and in competition with God ( Genesis 11:1-9 ) .
The Inquisitor explains it to Jesus : And then we shall complete their Tower , for it is he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it is only we that shall feed them , in your name , and lie that we will do it in your name .
Oh , never , never will they feed themselves without us !
No science will give them bread while yet they are free , but the end of it will be that they will bring us their freedom and place it at our feet and say to us : “ Enslave us if you will , but feed us.
” Trading freedom for the safety of receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other necessities from the government is easier and more certain than freedom .
Besides not turning stones in to bread , Jesus rejected becoming a mysterious , miraculous spectacle .
He would not jump off the pinnacle of the Temple and would not come down from the Cross .
“ But , ” his captor insists , “ you did not know that no sooner did man reject the miracle than he would at once reject God also , for man does not seek God so much as miracles .
And since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by without the miracle , he creates new miracles for himself , his own now , and bows down before the miracle of the quack and the witchcraft of the old peasant woman.
” We could add the modern scientist with his complex computer models and projections .
It ’ s all far too complicated for you .
Don ’ t ask questions .
Just marvel … and obey .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Jesus foolishly rejected the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you accepted that third counsel of the mighty Spirit , you would have supplied everything man seeks in the world , that is : someone to bow down before , someone to entrust one ’ s conscience to , and a way of at last uniting everyone into an undisputed , general and consensual ant-heap , for the need of universal union is the third and final torment of human beings.
” The Grand Inquisitor combines his low view of humans with a professed desire to help .
“ In our hands , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will neither mutiny nor destroy one another any more , as they do in your freedom , wherever one turns .
Oh , we shall persuade them that they will only become free when they renounce their freedom for us and submit to us.
” They can even sin , he adds , as long as they submit .
At the end of the Inquisitor ’ s soliloquy , Jesus , who has remained silent , kisses the old man .
“ The old man shudders .
Something stirred at the corners of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door , opens it and says to Him , ‘ Go and do not come back … do not come back at all … ever … ever !
’ And he releases him into ‘ the town ’ s dark streets and squares.
’ The Captive departs.
” Anyway , along with reading about free money , government loans , unemployment benefits , and other ways of changing stones into bread ; about mysterious ever-changing projections and computer models ; and about a people docilely laying down their constitutional rights , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tonkowich , a senior contributor to The Stream , is a freelance writer , speaker and commentator on spirituality , religion and public life .
He is the author of The Liberty Threat : The Attack on Religious Freedom in America Today and Pears , Grapes , and Dates : A Good Life After Mid-Life .
Jim serves as Director of Distance Learning at Wyoming Catholic College and is host of the college ’ s weekly podcast , “ The After Dinner Scholar .
”

The old man looks at the prisoner, studying his face. “‘Is it you? You?’ Receiving no answer, however, he quickly adds: ‘No, do not reply, keep silent. … Why have you come to get in our way? For you have come to get in our way and you yourself know it.’”
The silent prisoner is Christ who has come back to earth in sixteenth century Spain looking just as he did in the first century. The people recognize him, as does an old man who immediately arrests him. The old man is Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Grand Inquisitor. His tale is a story within the story of The Brothers Karamazov.
The Kind of Freedom That the People are Unable to Comprehend
The Grand Inquisitor conflates the Church with the state. Embodying these two authorities, he insists that “we” have finally worked things out for the good of mankind. “We” have corrected Christ’s mistake of offering people the freedom of the Gospel.
“For fifteen centuries,” he says, “we have struggled with that freedom, but now it’s over, over for good.” “We” instituted a totalitarian regime. And yet, “I think you ought to be aware that now, and particularly in the days we are currently living through, those people are even more certain than ever that they are completely free, and indeed they themselves have brought us their freedom and have laid it humbly at our feet.”
Trading freedom for the safety of receiving daily bread, wages, loans, and other necessities from the government is easier and more certain than freedom.
The freedom Christ offered was too great, the Inquisitor argues. “You want to go into the world and are going there with empty hands, with a kind of promise of freedom which they in their simplicity and inborn turpitude are unable even to comprehend, which they go in fear and awe of — for nothing has ever been more unendurable to man and human society than freedom!”
Rather than rejecting Satan’s three “temptations” in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13), Jesus should have embraced these as wise proposals from a friend. A friend whom the Inquisitor calls “the terrible and clever Spirit, the Spirit of self-annihilation and non-existence … that great Spirit.”
“Enslave Us if You Will, but Feed Us”
Jesus preached the Kingdom and freedom. But the Inquisitor and his cohort, following the three wise promptings of “that great Spirit,” will rebuild the Tower of Babel. That tower symbolizes human technology and know-how in opposition to and in competition with God (Genesis 11:1-9). The Inquisitor explains it to Jesus:
And then we shall complete their Tower, for it is he that feeds them who will complete it, and it is only we that shall feed them, in your name, and lie that we will do it in your name. Oh, never, never will they feed themselves without us! No science will give them bread while yet they are free, but the end of it will be that they will bring us their freedom and place it at our feet and say to us: “Enslave us if you will, but feed us.”
Trading freedom for the safety of receiving daily bread, wages, loans, and other necessities from the government is easier and more certain than freedom.
Just Marvel and Obey
Besides not turning stones in to bread, Jesus rejected becoming a mysterious, miraculous spectacle. He would not jump off the pinnacle of the Temple and would not come down from the Cross. “But,” his captor insists, “you did not know that no sooner did man reject the miracle than he would at once reject God also, for man does not seek God so much as miracles. And since man is not strong enough to get by without the miracle, he creates new miracles for himself, his own now, and bows down before the miracle of the quack and the witchcraft of the old peasant woman.”
We could add the modern scientist with his complex computer models and projections. It’s all far too complicated for you. Don’t ask questions. Just marvel … and obey.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Jesus foolishly rejected the authority Satan offered him. “Had you accepted that third counsel of the mighty Spirit, you would have supplied everything man seeks in the world, that is: someone to bow down before, someone to entrust one’s conscience to, and a way of at last uniting everyone into an undisputed, general and consensual ant-heap, for the need of universal union is the third and final torment of human beings.”
The Grand Inquisitor’s Freedom vs. Jesus’ Freedom
The Grand Inquisitor combines his low view of humans with a professed desire to help. “In our hands, though, everyone will be happy and will neither mutiny nor destroy one another any more, as they do in your freedom, wherever one turns. Oh, we shall persuade them that they will only become free when they renounce their freedom for us and submit to us.” They can even sin, he adds, as long as they submit.
We could add the modern scientist with his complex computer models and projections. It’s all far too complicated for you. Don’t ask questions. Just marvel … and obey.
At the end of the Inquisitor’s soliloquy, Jesus, who has remained silent, kisses the old man. “The old man shudders. Something stirred at the corners of his mouth; he goes to the door, opens it and says to Him, ‘Go and do not come back … do not come back at all … ever … ever!’ And he releases him into ‘the town’s dark streets and squares.’ The Captive departs.”
Anyway, along with reading about free money, government loans, unemployment benefits, and other ways of changing stones into bread; about mysterious ever-changing projections and computer models; and about a people docilely laying down their constitutional rights, I’ve been reading Dostoyevsky.
Dr. James Tonkowich, a senior contributor to The Stream, is a freelance writer, speaker and commentator on spirituality, religion and public life. He is the author of The Liberty Threat: The Attack on Religious Freedom in America Today and Pears, Grapes, and Dates: A Good Life After Mid-Life. Jim serves as Director of Distance Learning at Wyoming Catholic College and is host of the college’s weekly podcast, “The After Dinner Scholar.”


thestream--2020-04-23--Roughly 14% of New Yorkers Have Had Coronavirus, Gov Cuomo Says

New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said in a release to reporters Thursday that more than 13 % of New Yorkers likely had coronavirus over the past several weeks .
New York discovered the data after randomly testing 3,000 people at grocery stores and other local establishments across 19 counties , Cuomo said .
Citizens could have been infected as long as a month and a half ago , according to Cuomo , who called the study a “ significant data set.
” “ What does that mean ?
It means these were people who were infected and who developed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Cuomo said .
“ They were infected three weeks ago , four weeks ago , five weeks ago , six weeks ago , but they had the virus , they developed the antibodies and they are now recovered.
” New York health officials , meanwhile , said many more citizens were likely exposed .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
“ [ C ] lose to a million New Yorkers ” had been exposed to coronavirus , or COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a press briefing Thursday with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio by her side .
There have been at least 138,000 confirmed cases in a city of 8.3 million , Barbot said .
COVID-19 ’ s spread could be far wider than previously thought , according to another antibody test performed April 17 by Stanford University researchers .
The teams tested 3,300 Santa Clara County , California , volunteers and found that 2.5 % to 4.2 % of those tested were positive for antibodies , meaning the infection rate is likely much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a release to reporters Thursday that more than 13% of New Yorkers likely had coronavirus over the past several weeks.
New York discovered the data after randomly testing 3,000 people at grocery stores and other local establishments across 19 counties, Cuomo said. Citizens could have been infected as long as a month and a half ago, according to Cuomo, who called the study a “significant data set.”
“What does that mean? It means these were people who were infected and who developed the antibodies to fight the infection,” Cuomo said. “They were infected three weeks ago, four weeks ago, five weeks ago, six weeks ago, but they had the virus, they developed the antibodies and they are now recovered.”
New York health officials, meanwhile, said many more citizens were likely exposed.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“[C]lose to a million New Yorkers” had been exposed to coronavirus, or COVID-19, Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said during a press briefing Thursday with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio by her side.
There have been at least 138,000 confirmed cases in a city of 8.3 million, Barbot said.
COVID-19’s spread could be far wider than previously thought, according to another antibody test performed April 17 by Stanford University researchers. The teams tested 3,300 Santa Clara County, California, volunteers and found that 2.5% to 4.2% of those tested were positive for antibodies, meaning the infection rate is likely much higher than the official account.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-04-23--Migrant Workers Are Expected to Begin Sending Less Money Home

Remittances , the money that migrant workers send back to their families in their home countries , are expected to fall globally by well over $ 100 billion amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic .
Remittances to low- and middle-income countries are expected to drop by nearly 20 % in 2020 because of the worldwide coronavirus crisis , according to an analysis by the World Bank .
The decline in these money transfers — due largely because of the fall in employment and wages of migrant employees — is anticipated to be one of the biggest drops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ significant source of external income for the developing world , the plummet of remittances is expected to hit the most vulnerable populations across the globe .
“ Remittances are a vital source of income for developing countries .
The ongoing economic recession caused by COVID-19 is taking a severe toll on the ability to send money home and makes it all the more vital that we shorten the time to recovery for advanced economies , ” World Bank Group president David Malpass said in a statement released Wednesday .
“ Remittances help families @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basic needs .
As the World Bank Group implements fast , broad action to support countries , we are working to keep remittance channels open and safeguard the poorest communities ’ access to these most basic needs , ” Malpass continued .
Global remittances are expected to fall to $ 572 billion in 2020 , down from $ 714 billion in 2019 .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
There are roughly 270 million individuals who work outside of their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told Reuters , revealing the immense prevalence of international employment .
Many of these workers will face reduced wages or job loss altogether as coronavirus spurs a global recession .
Leaders of developing countries are already bracing for the fallout .
The president of Mexico earlier in April , for example , implored his countrymen working in the United States to continue sending checks home despite the setbacks .
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador encouraged workers employed up North to “ not stop helping their relatives in Mexico , although they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but do not stop thinking as they have done : always about their loved ones.
” Mexican analysts predict remittances from the United States to fall by 17 % in 2020 , and won ’ t reach 2019 levels again until possibly as late as 2028 — a reflection of how long it could take for the world to recover from the economic downturn .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Remittances, the money that migrant workers send back to their families in their home countries, are expected to fall globally by well over $100 billion amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Remittances to low- and middle-income countries are expected to drop by nearly 20% in 2020 because of the worldwide coronavirus crisis, according to an analysis by the World Bank. The decline in these money transfers — due largely because of the fall in employment and wages of migrant employees — is anticipated to be one of the biggest drops in recent history.
A reliable and significant source of external income for the developing world, the plummet of remittances is expected to hit the most vulnerable populations across the globe.
“Remittances are a vital source of income for developing countries. The ongoing economic recession caused by COVID-19 is taking a severe toll on the ability to send money home and makes it all the more vital that we shorten the time to recovery for advanced economies,” World Bank Group president David Malpass said in a statement released Wednesday.
“Remittances help families afford food, health care, and basic needs. As the World Bank Group implements fast, broad action to support countries, we are working to keep remittance channels open and safeguard the poorest communities’ access to these most basic needs,” Malpass continued.
Global remittances are expected to fall to $572 billion in 2020, down from $714 billion in 2019.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
There are roughly 270 million individuals who work outside of their home countries, a World Bank spokesman told Reuters, revealing the immense prevalence of international employment. Many of these workers will face reduced wages or job loss altogether as coronavirus spurs a global recession.
Leaders of developing countries are already bracing for the fallout. The president of Mexico earlier in April, for example, implored his countrymen working in the United States to continue sending checks home despite the setbacks.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador encouraged workers employed up North to “not stop helping their relatives in Mexico, although they are also going through a difficult situation, but do not stop thinking as they have done: always about their loved ones.”
Mexican analysts predict remittances from the United States to fall by 17% in 2020, and won’t reach 2019 levels again until possibly as late as 2028 — a reflection of how long it could take for the world to recover from the economic downturn.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-04-23--The Virus: Nature’s Revenge, or God’s Punishment for Hubris?

Pope Francis used Earth Day to make reference to the coronavirus crisis .
As Catholic World Report notes , Francis called for a renewed sense “ of sacred respect for the earth , for it is not just our home but also God ’ s home , ” adding that “ this should make us all the more aware that we stand on holy ground.
” “ In this Easter season of renewal , let us pledge to love and esteem the beautiful gift of the earth , our common home , and to care for all members of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Like the brothers and sisters that we are , let us together implore our heavenly Father : ‘ Send forth your Spirit , O Lord , and renew the face of the earth.
’ ” Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Pope Francis delivered his weekly catechesis via livestream from the Vatican ’ s apostolic library , saying selfishness had led people to fail in their responsibility “ to be guardians and stewards of the earth.
” “ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our neighbours , and ultimately against the Creator , the benevolent Father who provides for everyone , and desires us to live in communion and flourish together , ” he stated .
If We Call Everything Sacred , Nothing Is Okay , there is a problem in that statement .
If all ground is “ holy ” then none is — since “ holy ” means “ set apart.
” If you make all the earth your sanctuary , then everything is equally sacred or profane .
That ’ s also the key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in nature ( as Francis ’ key science advisor does ) .
As G.K. Chesterton wrote in Orthodoxy : “ Unfortunately , if you regard Nature as a mother , you discover that she is a stepmother.
” Actual nature worship , to which many feel tempted , teaches us to emulate her cruelties instead of her kindness .
Chesterton also observed : “ Wherever there is Animal Worship there is Human Sacrifice.
” Still , might Francis not have a point here ?
In a past column I considered his earlier description @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s revenge.
” Back then , it seemed likely that the coronvirus was the result of the cruel , unsanitary “ wet markets ” in China .
I compared them to America ’ s factory farms , and agreed that the virus might indeed prove the natural blowback from our unnatural practices .
But the facts have shifted since , and point to a different origin for the virus .
And hence some different lesson we must draw from it .
The U.S. and China Both Made Deadly Superviruses Steven Mosher reports at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wuhan virus was deliberately engineered in the laboratory by joining parts of different viruses together using what is called recombinant technology .
China now boasts that it has “ taken the lead ” in global virus research .
It claims to have discovered over 2,000 new viruses since the SARS Coronavirus epidemic of 2003 .
To give you a sense of the scale of China ’ s effort , the total number of viruses discovered over the last two hundred years is , at 2,284 , only slightly more .
China ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ total number of known viruses , and includes hundreds of new and possibly dangerous coronaviruses .
That ’ s a lot of potentially harmful pathogens to keep track of .
But it is also a huge cache of coronaviruses to harvest parts and pieces from if you are looking to make an already deadly coronavirus even deadlier .
And that seems to be exactly what a group of researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology , led by a woman named Shi Zhengli , may have been intent upon doing right up until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s not just point fingers at China on this point .
The U.S. was involved in that very same research .
As Mosher notes : a sane person might think that the idea of creating dangerous new pathogens in the lab for which humanity had no acquired immunity , no vaccines , and no drug therapies might not be a good idea .
The U.S. National Institutes of Health , under the direction of Dr. Anthony Fauci , however , initially funded Prof. Baric ’ s research .
But then Dr. Fauci had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sent a letter to the University of North Carolina , notifying the university that Prof. Baric ’ s research project may violate a new moratorium on risky virology studies involving influenza , MERS and SARS viruses .
The original scientific rationale for “ enhancing ” the ability of certain coronaviruses to infect and kill human beings was to get one step ahead of the net pandemic .
“ We will create superbugs in the lab , ” the scientists said to themselves , “ and we will learn how to defeat them by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when the next superbug emerges from nature , we will be ready.
” But what happens if you create a new superbug in the lab and , before you have devised a defense against it , it escapes from the lab .
What then ?
And that appears to be exactly what happened .
As I noted last week , China covered up the virus ’ outbreak , lied about its nature , and locked down the province of Wuhan to travel inside China .
But let potentially infected people fly out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That sounds a lot like biological warfare .
I hope the U.S. government ( and other governments ) hold China accountable .
But let ’ s look past that for now .
Or rather , behind it .
Why was China ( and until recently , the U.S. ) engaged in such dangerous research ?
Mosher is no friend of the Chinese Communist government .
Mosher , as a grad student , exposed its brutal One Child Policy to the world .
But even he admits that China didn ’ t intend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bioweapon .
Not originally , anyway .
I don ’ t think the U.S. did either .
At one point the nations were cooperating with the research , which blows that theory out of the water .
So what on earth was going on ?
I think what drove the scientists of both nations to such mad extremes was simple hubris .
That is , the delusional desire for power and control beyond proper human limits .
These biomedical researchers really convinced themselves that the mere possibility that superviruses just might someday evolve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DNA .
And creating hundreds of new , deadly superviruses .
Just to be on the safe side .
Destroy the World in Order to Save It Has the world ever seen an example of hubris so reckless and destructive ?
Sadly it has .
We and the Soviet Union raced each other for decades to create enough nuclear weapons to eliminate life on this planet .
At least our part in that reflected proper fear and hatred of Communism — itself a grandiose Utopian nightmare effort to solve all human problems based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ philosopher .
But I ’ m not thinking of weapons , which are destructive by their very nature .
A better , and grimmer precedent for the Chinese virus exists in its recent history .
Namely , the One Child Policy .
In the early 1980s , Chinese Communist leaders became convinced of the apocalyptic scenarios cooked up by population control experts .
Not Chinese , but Western pessimists such as Margaret Sanger and Paul Ehrlich .
And the organizations they ’ d founded , like Planned Parenthood .
Swayed by Western warnings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ power over its citizens to brutally control the most intimate area of life .
Women underwent dangerous monthly X-rays to see if they ’ d gotten pregnant .
Couples who violated the policy lost their jobs and were left to starve .
Millions of baby girls ended up abandoned , by couples desperate to have a single son .
The best estimates of the casualties for the One Child Policy ?
Some 400 million unborn babies , destroyed against their parents ’ will .
All in service of “ saving ” humanity , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the virus researchers were trying to do , when they crafted deadly superviruses , like the one that plagues us today .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .

Pope Francis used Earth Day to make reference to the coronavirus crisis. As Catholic World Report notes, Francis
called for a renewed sense “of sacred respect for the earth, for it is not just our home but also God’s home,” adding that “this should make us all the more aware that we stand on holy ground.” “In this Easter season of renewal, let us pledge to love and esteem the beautiful gift of the earth, our common home, and to care for all members of our human family,” Francis urged. “Like the brothers and sisters that we are, let us together implore our heavenly Father: ‘Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.’” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day. Pope Francis delivered his weekly catechesis via livestream from the Vatican’s apostolic library, saying selfishness had led people to fail in their responsibility “to be guardians and stewards of the earth.” “We have sinned against the earth, against our neighbours, and ultimately against the Creator, the benevolent Father who provides for everyone, and desires us to live in communion and flourish together,” he stated.
If We Call Everything Sacred, Nothing Is
Okay, there is a problem in that statement. If all ground is “holy” then none is — since “holy” means “set apart.”
If you make all the earth your sanctuary, then everything is equally sacred or profane. That’s also the key flaw in pantheism, which dissipates God in nature (as Francis’ key science advisor does). As G.K. Chesterton wrote in Orthodoxy: “Unfortunately, if you regard Nature as a mother, you discover that she is a stepmother.” Actual nature worship, to which many feel tempted, teaches us to emulate her cruelties instead of her kindness. Chesterton also observed: “Wherever there is Animal Worship there is Human Sacrifice.”
Science Gone Insane
Still, might Francis not have a point here? In a past column I considered his earlier description of the virus as “nature’s revenge.” Back then, it seemed likely that the coronvirus was the result of the cruel, unsanitary “wet markets” in China. I compared them to America’s factory farms, and agreed that the virus might indeed prove the natural blowback from our unnatural practices.
But the facts have shifted since, and point to a different origin for the virus. And hence some different lesson we must draw from it.
The U.S. and China Both Made Deadly Superviruses
Steven Mosher reports at Lifesitenews that Chinese scientists concluded that the Wuhan virus
was deliberately engineered in the laboratory by joining parts of different viruses together using what is called recombinant technology. … China now boasts that it has “taken the lead” in global virus research. It claims to have discovered over 2,000 new viruses since the SARS Coronavirus epidemic of 2003. To give you a sense of the scale of China’s effort, the total number of viruses discovered over the last two hundred years is, at 2,284, only slightly more. China’s frenzied collection efforts have nearly doubled the total number of known viruses, and includes hundreds of new and possibly dangerous coronaviruses. That’s a lot of potentially harmful pathogens to keep track of. But it is also a huge cache of coronaviruses to harvest parts and pieces from if you are looking to make an already deadly coronavirus even deadlier. And that seems to be exactly what a group of researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by a woman named Shi Zhengli, may have been intent upon doing right up until the end of 2019.
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s Role
Let’s not just point fingers at China on this point. The U.S. was involved in that very same research. As Mosher notes:
a sane person might think that the idea of creating dangerous new pathogens in the lab for which humanity had no acquired immunity, no vaccines, and no drug therapies might not be a good idea. The U.S. National Institutes of Health, under the direction of Dr. Anthony Fauci, however, initially funded Prof. Baric’s research. But then Dr. Fauci had second thoughts. In late 2014 he sent a letter to the University of North Carolina, notifying the university that Prof. Baric’s research project may violate a new moratorium on risky virology studies involving influenza, MERS and SARS viruses. The original scientific rationale for “enhancing” the ability of certain coronaviruses to infect and kill human beings was to get one step ahead of the net pandemic. “We will create superbugs in the lab,” the scientists said to themselves, “and we will learn how to defeat them by developing drug therapies and vaccines. Then when the next superbug emerges from nature, we will be ready.” But what happens if you create a new superbug in the lab and, before you have devised a defense against it, it escapes from the lab. What then?
A Different Kind of Hubris
And that appears to be exactly what happened. As I noted last week, China covered up the virus’ outbreak, lied about its nature, and locked down the province of Wuhan to travel inside China. But let potentially infected people fly out of Wuhan to points all around the world. That sounds a lot like biological warfare.
I hope the U.S. government (and other governments) hold China accountable. But let’s look past that for now. Or rather, behind it. Why was China (and until recently, the U.S.) engaged in such dangerous research?
Mosher is no friend of the Chinese Communist government. Mosher, as a grad student, exposed its brutal One Child Policy to the world. But even he admits that China didn’t intend the deadly supervirus it produced as a bioweapon. Not originally, anyway. I don’t think the U.S. did either. At one point the nations were cooperating with the research, which blows that theory out of the water.
A sane person might think that the idea of creating dangerous new pathogens in the lab for which humanity had no acquired immunity, no vaccines, and no drug therapies might not be a good idea.
So what on earth was going on? I think what drove the scientists of both nations to such mad extremes was simple hubris. That is, the delusional desire for power and control beyond proper human limits. These biomedical researchers really convinced themselves that the mere possibility that superviruses just might someday evolve justified the risk … of tinkering with DNA. And creating hundreds of new, deadly superviruses. Just to be on the safe side.
Destroy the World in Order to Save It
Has the world ever seen an example of hubris so reckless and destructive?
Sadly it has. We and the Soviet Union raced each other for decades to create enough nuclear weapons to eliminate life on this planet. At least our part in that reflected proper fear and hatred of Communism — itself a grandiose Utopian nightmare effort to solve all human problems based on the speculations of single bigoted German philosopher.
But I’m not thinking of weapons, which are destructive by their very nature. A better, and grimmer precedent for the Chinese virus exists in its recent history. Namely, the One Child Policy. In the early 1980s, Chinese Communist leaders became convinced of the apocalyptic scenarios cooked up by population control experts. Not Chinese, but Western pessimists such as Margaret Sanger and Paul Ehrlich. And the organizations they’d founded, like Planned Parenthood.
Swayed by Western warnings, the Communist regime used its absolute power over its citizens to brutally control the most intimate area of life. Women underwent dangerous monthly X-rays to see if they’d gotten pregnant. Couples who violated the policy lost their jobs and were left to starve. Millions of baby girls ended up abandoned, by couples desperate to have a single son. The best estimates of the casualties for the One Child Policy? Some 400 million unborn babies, destroyed against their parents’ will.
All in service of “saving” humanity, as the population controllers promised. Just as the virus researchers were trying to do, when they crafted deadly superviruses, like the one that plagues us today.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.


thestream--2020-04-23--How Bad is the Oil Crash? Not As Bad As It Looks

The price of oil has dropped to historic lows .
Thanks to the coronavirus , world demand dropped far more than anyone could ever have predicted .
No demand , no buyers .
No buyers means sellers have to pay people to take the oil off their hands .
The world ’ s stock markets tumbled at the news .
Some predicted world depression .
Were they right ?
Probably not .
On Monday , a key oil futures contract that was expiring went negative .
In futures trading , investors contract to buy a commodity in advance at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they hope to sell it on to someone and make a profit .
Refineries will often use futures to ensure profitability on their production .
But with few people traveling by car or plane , the refineries already have far more oil in storage than they need .
Customers aren ’ t buying any more .
Exacerbating the problem has been a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia .
Both have produced more oil than usual lately to drive down the price .
Never before has the price gone below zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ price reached minus $ 37.63 a barrel — meaning that instead of making money , traders have to pay someone that much to take the oil .
It happened to the oil company West Texas Intermediate , whose benchmark is considered the key gauge of U.S. crude prices .
It ’ s a high-quality oil that ’ s easily refined .
Why is this a problem ?
The U.S. oil industry directly or indirectly employs 10 million people .
Companies can ’ t keep employing everyone if no one ’ s buying their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are expected to file bankruptcy in the coming months .
Some companies are already laying off workers .
Latshaw Drilling has laid off 300 of its 500 employees in the last few weeks .
But it ’ s not as bad as it seems .
The price of West Texas Intermediate for May delivery recovered a little the next day , to $ 10 a barrel .
That ’ s a rise of almost $ 50 .
Futures contracts for June and July are trading at even better prices .
European oil markets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The downturn is only temporary .
President Trump ’ s top economic advisor , Larry Kudlow , said the price of oil will rebound as the economy starts to reopen .
“ We ’ ll come out of this soon , the economy will reopen .
It will , I hope , take care of itself .
Markets will take care of themselves over time.
” Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Some companies have taken advantage of Small Business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , received one to pay its workers for two months .
The demand and the need for workers should likely have recovered by then .
Things are expected to turn around in the near future .
In fact , John Kilduff of Again Capital told MSNBC , “ The higher priced , longer-dated futures contracts are indicative of the market expecting some level of clearing in the cash market over the course of the next several months.
” This is due to OPEC cutting back production and a decline in U.S. oil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Kilduff , partner with Again Capital , told CNBC .
The improvement so far “ shows that market forces are much more effective than oil policy that is directed from on high.
” However , things are going to be tough for oil exporting countries , which are heavily dependent on the revenues to keep their economies going .
In the U.S. , the oil industry needs to get at least $ 48 per barrel in order to survive .
Right now , it ’ s at less than $ 14 a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ oil imports in order to prop up the U.S. oil industry .
Sen. Ted Cruz ( R-Texas ) tweeted that the Saudis need to turn their tankers around instead of delivering the oil here .
Trump is considering a stimulus , but Democrats oppose any stimulus funds for the oil industry .
Trump brokered a deal where OPEC and Russia will cut 9.7 million barrels a day as of May 1 .
While the U.S. did not join in the agreement , it is already beginning to cut oil production .
Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He may also fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve .
However , critics say this would make very little difference .
It ’ s too negligible a fix .
While it ’ s true that some of the developments taking place in the oil industry sound pretty awful , it won ’ t permanently destroy the industry .
It probably won ’ t drastically change it .
Yes , some oil companies will go out of business and employees will lose their jobs .
But oil prices are going to return to normal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up and demand returns to normal levels .
Gas prices will return to normal levels as well .
New companies will open .
New workers will get jobs .
Just in time for us to return to work and start filling our gas tanks again .
Rachel Alexander is a senior editor of The Stream .
Follow her on Twitter at Rach_IC .
Follow The Stream at streamdotorg .
Send tips to rachel.alexander @ stream.org .

The price of oil has dropped to historic lows. Thanks to the coronavirus, world demand dropped far more than anyone could ever have predicted. No demand, no buyers. No buyers means sellers have to pay people to take the oil off their hands.
The world’s stock markets tumbled at the news. Some predicted world depression. Were they right? Probably not.
It Went Negative
On Monday, a key oil futures contract that was expiring went negative. In futures trading, investors contract to buy a commodity in advance at a set price. When it comes due, they hope to sell it on to someone and make a profit. Refineries will often use futures to ensure profitability on their production. But with few people traveling by car or plane, the refineries already have far more oil in storage than they need. Customers aren’t buying any more.
Exacerbating the problem has been a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Both have produced more oil than usual lately to drive down the price.
Never before has the price gone below zero. At one point this week the price reached minus $37.63 a barrel — meaning that instead of making money, traders have to pay someone that much to take the oil. It happened to the oil company West Texas Intermediate, whose benchmark is considered the key gauge of U.S. crude prices. It’s a high-quality oil that’s easily refined.
Why is this a problem? The U.S. oil industry directly or indirectly employs 10 million people. Companies can’t keep employing everyone if no one’s buying their product. And some smaller oil companies are expected to file bankruptcy in the coming months. Some companies are already laying off workers. Latshaw Drilling has laid off 300 of its 500 employees in the last few weeks.
But it’s not as bad as it seems.
The Free Market Will Adjust
The price of West Texas Intermediate for May delivery recovered a little the next day, to $10 a barrel. That’s a rise of almost $50. Futures contracts for June and July are trading at even better prices. European oil markets have already started to bounce back.
The downturn is only temporary. President Trump’s top economic advisor, Larry Kudlow, said the price of oil will rebound as the economy starts to reopen. “We’ll come out of this soon, the economy will reopen. It will, I hope, take care of itself. Markets will take care of themselves over time.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Some companies have taken advantage of Small Business Administration loans. Texland Petroleum, for example, received one to pay its workers for two months. The demand and the need for workers should likely have recovered by then.
Things are expected to turn around in the near future. In fact, John Kilduff of Again Capital told MSNBC, “The higher priced, longer-dated futures contracts are indicative of the market expecting some level of clearing in the cash market over the course of the next several months.” This is due to OPEC cutting back production and a decline in U.S. oil rigs.
Things will get better, John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital, told CNBC. The improvement so far “shows that market forces are much more effective than oil policy that is directed from on high.”
Affecting Other Countries
However, things are going to be tough for oil exporting countries, which are heavily dependent on the revenues to keep their economies going. In the U.S., the oil industry needs to get at least $48 per barrel in order to survive. Right now, it’s at less than $14 a barrel.
Trump is considering blocking foreign oil imports in order to prop up the U.S. oil industry. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted that the Saudis need to turn their tankers around instead of delivering the oil here.
We will never let the great U.S. Oil & Gas Industry down. I have instructed the Secretary of Energy and Secretary of the Treasury to formulate a plan which will make funds available so that these very important companies and jobs will be secured long into the future! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2020
Trump is considering a stimulus, but Democrats oppose any stimulus funds for the oil industry.
More Solutions
Trump brokered a deal where OPEC and Russia will cut 9.7 million barrels a day as of May 1. While the U.S. did not join in the agreement, it is already beginning to cut oil production.
Trump is also considering imposing tariffs on foreign oil. He may also fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. However, critics say this would make very little difference. It’s too negligible a fix.
While it’s true that some of the developments taking place in the oil industry sound pretty awful, it won’t permanently destroy the industry. It probably won’t drastically change it. Yes, some oil companies will go out of business and employees will lose their jobs.
But oil prices are going to return to normal levels soon, as the economy opens up and demand returns to normal levels. Gas prices will return to normal levels as well. New companies will open. New workers will get jobs. Just in time for us to return to work and start filling our gas tanks again.
Rachel Alexander is a senior editor of The Stream. Follow her on Twitter at Rach_IC. Follow The Stream at streamdotorg. Send tips to [email protected].
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send a first wave of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts. Click here to donate.


thestream--2020-04-23--New York State Rescinds Blanket Do Not Resuscitate Order for Cardiac Patients During Coronavirus Out

New York State Rescinds Blanket Do Not Resuscitate Order for Cardiac Patients During Coronavirus Outbreak

Yesterday the state of New York rescinded a do-not-resuscitate ( DNR ) order for cardiac patients without a pulse , Fox News reported Wednesday .
According to a report , first responders were ordered last week not to revive those patients during the coronavirus outbreak , citing increased call volumes and lack of resources .
First responders were previously allowed to try to resuscitate cardiac patients for up to 20 minutes , according to the New York Post .
Within hours after that article was published , the state health department rescinded the DNR order .
The state department ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that while the guidance was issued at the recommendation of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services , it doesn ’ t “ reflect New York ’ s standards.
” For that reason , the Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker ordered them to be rescinded .
No Second Chance to Live The state Department of Health sent out a memo last week stating that the order is “ necessary during the COVID-19 response to protect the health and safety of EMS providers by limiting their exposure , conserve resources , and ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ greatest number of lives.
” Last month the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of New York gave a similar directive to paramedics .
The Regional Emergency Medical Services Council oversees New York City ’ s ambulance services .
The directive told paramedics not to bring cardiac patients without a pulse to the hospital , because the hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients .
Until the most recent order , paramedics could still work on cardiac patients for 20 minutes at the scene .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fear .
“ They ’ re not giving people a second chance to live anymore , ” said Oren Barzilay .
Barzilay is the president of Local 2507 , Uniformed EMTs , Paramedics & Fire Inspectors Union .
He told The Post that “ our job is to bring patients back to life .
This guideline takes that away from us.
” The Washington Post reported last month that health care professionals were considering issuing a blanket do-not-resuscitate order for COVID-19 patients .
Although some doctors have issued DNR orders for some COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was on a case by case basis .
The ethics professionals in the medical community felt that a blanket DNR was “ too draconian.
” COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life .
The Stream ’ s parent organization , LIFE Outreach International , is helping send a first wave of help .
LIFE ’ s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks , gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders , hospitals and nursing homes .
In addition , other partners have focused on distributing as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who need food .
You can help with these efforts .
Click here to donate .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

Yesterday the state of New York rescinded a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order for cardiac patients without a pulse, Fox News reported Wednesday. According to a report, first responders were ordered last week not to revive those patients during the coronavirus outbreak, citing increased call volumes and lack of resources.
First responders were previously allowed to try to resuscitate cardiac patients for up to 20 minutes, according to the New York Post. Within hours after that article was published, the state health department rescinded the DNR order. The state department’s spokesperson, Jill Montag, said that while the guidance was issued at the recommendation of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, it doesn’t “reflect New York’s standards.” For that reason, the Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker ordered them to be rescinded.
No Second Chance to Live
The state Department of Health sent out a memo last week stating that the order is “necessary during the COVID-19 response to protect the health and safety of EMS providers by limiting their exposure, conserve resources, and ensure optimal use of equipment to save the greatest number of lives.”
Last month the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of New York gave a similar directive to paramedics. The Regional Emergency Medical Services Council oversees New York City’s ambulance services. The directive told paramedics not to bring cardiac patients without a pulse to the hospital, because the hospitals were overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. Until the most recent order, paramedics could still work on cardiac patients for 20 minutes at the scene.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“They’re not giving people a second chance to live anymore,” said Oren Barzilay. Barzilay is the president of Local 2507, Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics & Fire Inspectors Union. He told The Post that “our job is to bring patients back to life. This guideline takes that away from us.”
The Washington Post reported last month that health care professionals were considering issuing a blanket do-not-resuscitate order for COVID-19 patients. Although some doctors have issued DNR orders for some COVID-19 patients without the family’s approval, it was on a case by case basis. The ethics professionals in the medical community felt that a blanket DNR was “too draconian.”
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send a first wave of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts. Click here to donate.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-04-23--Joy Break: Couple That Survived 9/11 Survives Coronavirus

When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down .
Where are all the good stories ?
They ’ re still there .
Here ’ s one that we hope will bless you .
A couple who lived close to World Trade Center ’ s south tower on 9/11 survived the traumatic terror attack .
Now they ’ ve survived the coronavirus after receiving prayers from all over the world .
Christina and her husband , Brian , stood on their balcony as the second hijacked airplane smashed into the south @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blew them back into their apartment .
They wondered if they were going to die as the big plume of smoke enveloped the city .
The experience drew them closer to God .
“ Our whole lives are changed because of 9/11 , ” said Christina .
“ It certainly deepened our relationship with Christ.
” “ Prayer is everything , ” said Christina Stanton .
She and her husband recently faced another crisis .
They both tested positive for the coronavirus .
They spent the last month fighting the illness .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Christine .
“ And you were very cognizant that you were in a battle for your life.
” Christina was hospitalized twice .
Her doctor told her she had a 50-50 chance of survival .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Rather than fight the illness alone , Christina sent 100 emails requesting prayer from friends around the world .
“ I felt that through the entire process.
” She added that she was so sick that she had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knew there were people praying for me when I couldn ’ t pray for myself .
… And I invoked the name of Jesus Christ quite a bit during this past month .
There is power in that name and there is power in prayer.
” Christina and her husband are home recovering .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down. Where are all the good stories? They’re still there. Here’s one that we hope will bless you.
A couple who lived close to World Trade Center’s south tower on 9/11 survived the traumatic terror attack. Now they’ve survived the coronavirus after receiving prayers from all over the world.
Christina and her husband, Brian, stood on their balcony as the second hijacked airplane smashed into the south tower. The blast from the crash blew them back into their apartment. They wondered if they were going to die as the big plume of smoke enveloped the city. The experience drew them closer to God. “Our whole lives are changed because of 9/11,” said Christina. “It certainly deepened our relationship with Christ.”
‘There’s Power in Prayer’
“Prayer is everything,” said Christina Stanton. She and her husband recently faced another crisis. They both tested positive for the coronavirus. They spent the last month fighting the illness. “It was definitely a battle,” said Christine. “And you were very cognizant that you were in a battle for your life.” Christina was hospitalized twice. Her doctor told her she had a 50-50 chance of survival.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Rather than fight the illness alone, Christina sent 100 emails requesting prayer from friends around the world. “I felt that through the entire process.” She added that she was so sick that she had a hard time praying. “I knew there were people praying for me when I couldn’t pray for myself. … And I invoked the name of Jesus Christ quite a bit during this past month. There is power in that name and there is power in prayer.”
Christina and her husband are home recovering.
Watch:
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-04-24--On COVID-19 Recovery Panel, Former Va. Gov. George Allen Navigates Another Worst-Case Scenario

Hurricane Felix appeared headed toward Virginia Beach , with some computer models showing it could whack the area with wind gusts exceeding 100 miles per hour and up to 10 inches of rain .
“ All the emergency management people were saying we need a mandatory evacuation , ” Allen , now a former governor and senator , recalls of the 1995 storm during a phone interview with The Daily Signal .
“ They were looking at the worst-case scenario .
But I didn ’ t want to make those people do that and leave their homes.
” Allen understands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the practicality of maintaining stability — be it before a natural disaster or after a terrorist attack .
When It ’ s Your Call to Make He has navigated major emergencies .
He regularly responded to major storms and flooding as Virginia governor from 1994 to 1998 and represented the commonwealth in the U.S. Senate during the 9/11 attacks and subsequent national security debates .
“ As a leader , you have to get all the information and then balance it , ” says Allen , 68 , now a member of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commission .
“ You have to pre-position assets , coordinate all the different assets , and activate the [ National ] Guard.
” The 17-member commission — made up of leaders with experience in government , medicine , business , and religion — has proposed a five-phase plan and this week offered 47 recommendations regarding that balance for the first two phases , with more to come .
A guiding principle for the commission , with the mission of helping reopen the country gradually in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic policy .
After Recommendations to Call for an Emergency Evacuation , Felix Didn ’ t Hit Florida Finding balance is what Allen says he had to do during the 1995 hurricane .
As governor of Virginia , he was reluctant to uproot residents forcefully based on a worst-case scenario but sought to protect as many lives as possible .
Matters got more complicated when some fellow Virginians vowed not only to stay put but to throw “ hurricane parties , ” Allen says , recollecting his chagrin .
Ultimately , the governor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state of emergency and issuing an advisory asking those in the hurricane ’ s path to move children , the elderly , or others who couldn ’ t fend for themselves out of harm ’ s way .
By the time Hurricane Felix hovered over Virginia Beach , it was — as one news story called it — “ barely ” still a hurricane .
It never made landfall .
Felix ’ s winds and rain did , however , bring severe damage to the coasts of New Jersey , Rhode Island , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Puerto Rico .
As a Senator , Allen Again Balanced Risk and Cost After 9/11 Prohibited from a second consecutive term as governor by the Virginia Constitution , Allen sought and won a U.S. Senate seat in 2000 .
He took the oath of office in January 2001 , less than nine months before the worst terrorist attack in American history .
After terrorists flew airliners into the two towers of the World Trade Center , the Pentagon , and a field in Pennsylvania , all of the nation ’ s airports closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
However , on the advice of the Secret Service , the George W. Bush administration closed down Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , essentially until further notice .
The move was based on the fear that the airport in Arlington , Virginia , just miles from the White House and U.S. Capitol , could be used as a launching pad for another attack on America .
After the shock of the 9/11 attacks , anything seemed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back against the worst-case-scenario .
“ The Secret Service is paid to be paranoid , ” Allen says jokingly .
“ Reagan National Airport has a degree of difference from other airports that kept it closed .
I understand that .
None of the planes in 9/11 took off from Reagan National , but it was considered an easier spot to divert a flight and attack vulnerable areas.
” Allen , a Republican , teamed with Rep. Jim Moran , D-Va. , in a bipartisan push to reopen the airport .
He recalls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reagan National reopened to commercial air traffic but initially allowed only eight destinations before gradually easing restrictions .
The airport didn ’ t reopen to general aviation — private and charter flights — until 2005 .
“ We couldn ’ t make sure 100 % no plane would ever be diverted , but we had to balance the risk and mitigate , ” Allen says .
Tackling one of those mitigating factors , Allen , a member of the Senate Commerce Committee , worked with Sen. Barbara Boxer , a liberal Democrat from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be armed and the cockpit door sealed .
“ You can ’ t have paranoia paralyze a country , then or now , ” Allen says , referring to the COVID-19 crisis .
That ’ s why “ balance and proportionality ” are necessary , he says , to keep Americans safe from the virus but “ not kill off their livelihoods ” in doing so : How and when reopening occurs should be determined at a community-by-community level , Allen stresses , as some jurisdictions have seen almost no impact from COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York City is different from Sioux City , which is different from Gates City , ” Allen said .
Gates City is a small Virginia town of about 2,000 that is the Scott County seat .
Governors , Not the President , Need to Make the Calls Allen says he was relieved when President Donald Trump announced a three-phase plan based largely on suggestions to governors for reopening their states , but not mandates .
He admits to being a little perplexed by Trump ’ s comment about being uniquely empowered ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) to reopen the nation ’ s economy .
“ I don ’ t know what was going through the president ’ s mind when he said that , ” Allen says with a bit of a laugh , adding that the president made the assertion in response to a reporter ’ s question .
“ Even if it could be construed as constitutional , which is questionable , that the federal government can run the recovery , it would be impractical , ” Allen says .
“ Each governor can look at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Fred Lucas ( @ FredLucasWH ) is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .

Hurricane Felix appeared headed toward Virginia Beach, with some computer models showing it could whack the area with wind gusts exceeding 100 miles per hour and up to 10 inches of rain.
Gov. George Allen had a choice to make.
“All the emergency management people were saying we need a mandatory evacuation,” Allen, now a former governor and senator, recalls of the 1995 storm during a phone interview with The Daily Signal. “They were looking at the worst-case scenario. But I didn’t want to make those people do that and leave their homes.”
Allen understands the pull of taking absolutist precautions versus the practicality of maintaining stability — be it before a natural disaster or after a terrorist attack.
When It’s Your Call to Make
He has navigated major emergencies. He regularly responded to major storms and flooding as Virginia governor from 1994 to 1998 and represented the commonwealth in the U.S. Senate during the 9/11 attacks and subsequent national security debates.
“As a leader, you have to get all the information and then balance it,” says Allen, 68, now a member of The Heritage Foundation’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission. “You have to pre-position assets, coordinate all the different assets, and activate the [National] Guard.”
“As a leader, you have to get all the information and then balance it.”
The 17-member commission — made up of leaders with experience in government, medicine, business, and religion — has proposed a five-phase plan and this week offered 47 recommendations regarding that balance for the first two phases, with more to come.
A guiding principle for the commission, with the mission of helping reopen the country gradually in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, is that good public health policy is good economic policy.
After Recommendations to Call for an Emergency Evacuation, Felix Didn’t Hit Florida
Finding balance is what Allen says he had to do during the 1995 hurricane. As governor of Virginia, he was reluctant to uproot residents forcefully based on a worst-case scenario but sought to protect as many lives as possible.
Matters got more complicated when some fellow Virginians vowed not only to stay put but to throw “hurricane parties,” Allen says, recollecting his chagrin.
Ultimately, the governor took a middle course, declaring a state of emergency and issuing an advisory asking those in the hurricane’s path to move children, the elderly, or others who couldn’t fend for themselves out of harm’s way.
By the time Hurricane Felix hovered over Virginia Beach, it was — as one news story called it — “barely” still a hurricane. It never made landfall. Felix’s winds and rain did, however, bring severe damage to the coasts of New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, North Carolina, and Puerto Rico.
As a Senator, Allen Again Balanced Risk and Cost After 9/11
Prohibited from a second consecutive term as governor by the Virginia Constitution, Allen sought and won a U.S. Senate seat in 2000. He took the oath of office in January 2001, less than nine months before the worst terrorist attack in American history.
After terrorists flew airliners into the two towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania, all of the nation’s airports closed for a few days.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
However, on the advice of the Secret Service, the George W. Bush administration closed down Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, essentially until further notice. The move was based on the fear that the airport in Arlington, Virginia, just miles from the White House and U.S. Capitol, could be used as a launching pad for another attack on America.
After the shock of the 9/11 attacks, anything seemed possible. Here again, Allen pushed back against the worst-case-scenario.
Reopening Reagan National Airport
“The Secret Service is paid to be paranoid,” Allen says jokingly. “Reagan National Airport has a degree of difference from other airports that kept it closed. I understand that. None of the planes in 9/11 took off from Reagan National, but it was considered an easier spot to divert a flight and attack vulnerable areas.”
Allen, a Republican, teamed with Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., in a bipartisan push to reopen the airport. He recalls:
If it were up to the Secret Service, Reagan National would have never been opened. Because of a government action, all of those vendors in the airport were closed. I did more fighting with the Bush administration and conservative Republicans in the Senate than anyone else. They were telling me, ‘Don’t you understand, George? This is a national security issue.’
After 23 days of closure, Reagan National reopened to commercial air traffic but initially allowed only eight destinations before gradually easing restrictions. The airport didn’t reopen to general aviation — private and charter flights — until 2005.
“We couldn’t make sure 100% no plane would ever be diverted, but we had to balance the risk and mitigate,” Allen says.
Tackling one of those mitigating factors, Allen, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, worked with Sen. Barbara Boxer, a liberal Democrat from California, to ensure that pilots would be armed and the cockpit door sealed.
Balance and Proportionality
“You can’t have paranoia paralyze a country, then or now,” Allen says, referring to the COVID-19 crisis.
That’s why “balance and proportionality” are necessary, he says, to keep Americans safe from the virus but “not kill off their livelihoods” in doing so:
We can reopen the economy with the proper sanitary precautions and social distancing — no shaking hands, maybe waving, bowing, or saluting. For the government to designate what is essential and nonessential is very arrogant. Those businesses are very essential to the people working there.
How and when reopening occurs should be determined at a community-by-community level, Allen stresses, as some jurisdictions have seen almost no impact from COVID-19 while others have been devastated.
“You can’t have paranoia paralyze a country.”
“New York City is different from Sioux City, which is different from Gates City,” Allen said.
Gates City is a small Virginia town of about 2,000 that is the Scott County seat.
Governors, Not the President, Need to Make the Calls
Allen says he was relieved when President Donald Trump announced a three-phase plan based largely on suggestions to governors for reopening their states, but not mandates.
He admits to being a little perplexed by Trump’s comment about being uniquely empowered (“I have the ultimate authority”) to reopen the nation’s economy.
“I don’t know what was going through the president’s mind when he said that,” Allen says with a bit of a laugh, adding that the president made the assertion in response to a reporter’s question.
“Even if it could be construed as constitutional, which is questionable, that the federal government can run the recovery, it would be impractical,” Allen says. “Each governor can look at different parts of their state and decide.”
Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-04-24--Coronavirus Shouldn’t Diminish 9/11 or America’s Wars

The coronavirus crisis has been a terrible time for our country .
As of this writing , more than 48,000 Americans have succumbed to COVID-19 , with the death toll tragically rising by the hour .
When history books are written , 2020 will undoubtedly be remembered as a dark period for America and the world .
I have called the fight against COVID-19 a “ war ” since service members , first responders , medical professionals and so many other brave Americans are courageously risking their lives to kill the virus .
At the same time , I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comparing the coronavirus death toll to 9/11 and other wars of the past and present .
While there ’ s nothing wrong with comparing the heroism of those on the coronavirus front lines to the heroes of 9/11 , some are clearly drawing contrasts between the COVID-19 death toll and the terror attacks for political purposes .
To state the obvious , COVID-19 is a deadly virus .
9/11 was a terrorist attack involving four hijacked planes that crashed into three landmark buildings and a Pennsylvania field in a 90-minute span .
Nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ series of events that unfolded on live television .
It was an intentional assault on American institutions and innocent civilians by radical Islamic terrorists who hated our country and western society .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Another important aspect of 9/11 was what came next .
Each of the four books I ’ ve co-authored , along with hundreds of columns and blog posts , have been about selfless young Americans inspired to serve largely because of 9/11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this very moment , the brave men and women of our military have been at war in Afghanistan , Iraq and around the world .
I asked a Gold Star brother how he felt about comparisons such as these .
He did not hold back in his response .
“ I think when one hears media using your lost loved ones as mere statistics for the sake of political gain , watch out , ” he said .
“ There is no boundary that some journalists won ’ t cross .
It angers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for all Gold Star family members , the fact that even one grieving brother is experiencing further pain because of the irresponsible words of some pundits should give pause to anyone amplifying hyper-partisanship during a time of crisis .
Imagine how a Nazi concentration camp survivor or family member might feel if someone referred to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic as “ ten Holocausts.
” The visceral emotional response might be similar to what I heard from the Gold Star brother .
The memory of those who died as a result of genocide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used to further any political agenda – liberal , conservative or otherwise .
Like all wars , each coronavirus victim has a story .
Instead of using their tragic deaths to divide us , we who write should be busy helping tell the stories of warriors like U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Charles Thacker and New Jersey National Guard Capt .
Douglas Hickok , who succumbed to COVID-19 while serving in uniform .
Hundreds of first responders , police officers , doctors and nurses have also lost their lives while working to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Redd and Idris Bey .
Both were FDNY EMTs who died of COVID-19 complications during the past week .
The fallen first responders also helped with rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero after the Twin Towers collapsed .
Neither of these 9/11 and coronavirus crisis heroes were numbers on a chart .
They were selfless Americans who will always be remembered by their families , friends , co-workers , city and country .
America is stronger than the partisans trying to tear it apart .
Instead of looking to agenda-driven journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the darkness , let us instead rely on our freedom , family , faith and the enduring memories of those who sacrificed everything in defense of these sacred ideals .
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream .
He is co-author of 8 Seconds of Courage , Brothers Forever , Fire in My Eyes and the forthcoming Three Wise Men .
Follow Tom on Twitter @ TSileo and The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

The coronavirus crisis has been a terrible time for our country. As of this writing, more than 48,000 Americans have succumbed to COVID-19, with the death toll tragically rising by the hour. When history books are written, 2020 will undoubtedly be remembered as a dark period for America and the world.
I have called the fight against COVID-19 a “war” since service members, first responders, medical professionals and so many other brave Americans are courageously risking their lives to kill the virus. At the same time, I’m puzzled as to why some are comparing the coronavirus death toll to 9/11 and other wars of the past and present.
A look at Thursday's paper:
–'They all have names': The coronavirus fatalities over a 7-day stretch top Pearl Harbor and 9/11 combined.
–President Trump's decision to cut off funding to the WHO comes at the wrong time, health experts warn. pic.twitter.com/BhtXgrNSLS — USA TODAY (@USATODAY) April 16, 2020
JUST IN: More New Yorkers have died from coronavirus this week than on 9/11 https://t.co/NE1pKslDWS pic.twitter.com/WFqn5IsixA — The Hill (@thehill) April 10, 2020
While there’s nothing wrong with comparing the heroism of those on the coronavirus front lines to the heroes of 9/11, some are clearly drawing contrasts between the COVID-19 death toll and the terror attacks for political purposes.
https://twitter.com/RGVzoomin/status/1250744179740872704?s=20
About 3,000 people died on 9/11. Now over 45,000 people have died in the US due to #coronavirus. That's fifteen 9/11's. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says some things are more important than living. I wonder if he would have made a similarly flippant comment about 9/11. — Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) April 21, 2020
During Monday's #TrumpPressConf, 93 coronavirus deaths were reported. In the span of eight days — from last Tuesday to this Tuesday — the coronavirus killed five times as many Americans as terrorists did on 9/11. This should make you blood-boiling mad.https://t.co/hvNupXbrGe — Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) April 15, 2020
To state the obvious, COVID-19 is a deadly virus. 9/11 was a terrorist attack involving four hijacked planes that crashed into three landmark buildings and a Pennsylvania field in a 90-minute span. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in a shocking series of events that unfolded on live television. It was an intentional assault on American institutions and innocent civilians by radical Islamic terrorists who hated our country and western society.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Another important aspect of 9/11 was what came next. Each of the four books I’ve co-authored, along with hundreds of columns and blog posts, have been about selfless young Americans inspired to serve largely because of 9/11. From that fall 2001 day to this very moment, the brave men and women of our military have been at war in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world.
More Americans died from Covid-19 today (4,591) than died in the entire Iraq War. 1. Covid-19: 4,591
2. Iraq War U.S. military: 4,431
3. September 11 attacks: 2,996
4. Hurricane Maria: 2,975
5. Hurricane Katrina 1,833https://t.co/ZW4fk5OIk7 — Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 17, 2020
More Americans died yesterday of the Coronavirus than died in our 19 year war in Afghanistan. https://t.co/0RC66JdYoe — Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) April 17, 2020
The U.S. was fatally ill-prepared for a pandemic that has killed more Americans in a month than died in Iraq in 17 years. But the only person in the government who has been disciplined is a Navy officer who acted to save his crew from an outbreak.https://t.co/oVOxZxEOOT — Max Boot (@MaxBoot) April 3, 2020
I asked a Gold Star brother how he felt about comparisons such as these. He did not hold back in his response.
“I think when one hears media using your lost loved ones as mere statistics for the sake of political gain, watch out,” he said. “There is no boundary that some journalists won’t cross. It angers me.”
While not trying to speak for all Gold Star family members, the fact that even one grieving brother is experiencing further pain because of the irresponsible words of some pundits should give pause to anyone amplifying hyper-partisanship during a time of crisis.
Imagine how a Nazi concentration camp survivor or family member might feel if someone referred to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic as “ten Holocausts.” The visceral emotional response might be similar to what I heard from the Gold Star brother. The memory of those who died as a result of genocide, terrorism or war shouldn’t be used to further any political agenda – liberal, conservative or otherwise.
Like all wars, each coronavirus victim has a story. Instead of using their tragic deaths to divide us, we who write should be busy helping tell the stories of warriors like U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Charles Thacker and New Jersey National Guard Capt. Douglas Hickok, who succumbed to COVID-19 while serving in uniform. Hundreds of first responders, police officers, doctors and nurses have also lost their lives while working to save others.
Idris Bey, 60, an FDNY EMT who taught emergency medical care to fellow first responders, has died of the coronavirus. The 9/11 responder had 4 kids. So far, 8 active FDNY members have died from COVID-19.https://t.co/PJCIOYBrk3 — New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) April 22, 2020
Two such heroes are John Redd and Idris Bey. Both were FDNY EMTs who died of COVID-19 complications during the past week. The fallen first responders also helped with rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero after the Twin Towers collapsed.
Neither of these 9/11 and coronavirus crisis heroes were numbers on a chart. They were selfless Americans who will always be remembered by their families, friends, co-workers, city and country.
America is stronger than the partisans trying to tear it apart. Instead of looking to agenda-driven journalists and politicians to lead us out of the darkness, let us instead rely on our freedom, family, faith and the enduring memories of those who sacrificed everything in defense of these sacred ideals.
CALL TO ACTION: COVID-19 is causing massive disruptions in life. The Stream’s parent organization, LIFE Outreach International, is helping send a first wave of help. LIFE’s local mission partners are already distributing thousands of surgical masks, gloves and other sanitary supplies to first responders, hospitals and nursing homes. In addition, other partners have focused on distributing as many meals as possible to help those who need food. You can help with these efforts. Click here to donate.
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of 8 Seconds of Courage, Brothers Forever, Fire in My Eyes and the forthcoming Three Wise Men. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo and The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-04-24--Military Photo of the Day: Sailors With the Alaska Naval Militia Strike a Pose

Sailors with the Alaska Naval Militia pose for a group photo in the National Guard Armory at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson @ @ @ @ @ .
The Stream is eternally grateful for the sacrifices being made by our nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ in uniform and their families .
Thank you and stay safe !
Support The Stream @ @ @ @ @ This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .

Sailors with the Alaska Naval Militia pose for a group photo in the National Guard Armory at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on April 14, 2020.
The Stream is eternally grateful for the sacrifices being made by our nation’s brave men and women in uniform and their families. Thank you and stay safe!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-04-24--Why We’ve Lost Trust in (Arrogant, Insufferable, Politicized) ‘Experts’

PBS ran an essay recently from Tom Nichols on why America has quit listening to experts .
The question certainly fits in this coronavirus period of our history .
My first thought when I read his answer , though , was , “ He missed it by a mile !
The reason we don ’ t pay ‘ experts ’ attention these days is because they ’ re arrogant , politicized , insufferable , and obviously foolish moralizers !
” Consider the latest from Harvard , the very throne of expertise , saying the state can ’ t trust parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Consider the psychiatrists and psychologists telling us — with no science backing them — that same-sex marriage is fine for kids , and that gender transitioning is good for kids who want it .
Think of biologists telling us evolution “ reveals a universe without design , ” as Richard Dawkins once put it , and therefore there is no God .
We know better than to trust the experts .
That was my immediate reaction .
Immediate reactions are dangerous , though , and it ’ s even worse to spin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a lot more to say about the subject .
He ’ s the author of the 2018 book The Death of Expertise : The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters .
I bought it and read it , and it ’ s a good one .
America really does have a problem here .
Mostly , says Nichols , the problem is with the people .
I almost agree with him there .
People Problem 1 : We Think We Know More Than We Know America doesn ’ t listen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we think we ’ re too smart for them .
Who needs an academic scholar when we can all be Google scholars ?
Who needs experts ’ research when we can do our own with just a couple of clicks ?
Our generation has confused facts with knowledge , and knowledge with understanding .
Musical expertise doesn ’ t come by watching The Voice , obviously .
It should be just as obvious that watching talking heads on one ’ s favorite news network doesn ’ t qualify one to weigh in on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ real engagement over a long period of time .
If we think otherwise , we can put part of the blame on higher education .
Students are clients more than scholars , says Nichols .
They ’ ve wrangled control over grading standards , so hardly anyone gets a C anymore .
Schools can ’ t afford to flunk them out .
Students can afford to stay , however , or so they think , since Uncle Sam guarantees them easy college money .
Lots of it .
So they ’ ve come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courts , rock walls , and apartment-style dorms .
As for the best education , who can complain when profs assign so much less homework than they used to ?
Over-schooled and under-educated , with Google at our fingertips , we ’ ve fallen for the foolishness of thinking we know more than we do .
People Problem 2 : We Don ’ t Know How Little We Know Then there ’ s the infamous Dunning-Kruger effect .
Nichols camps on it for quite some time , and well he should ; I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ introduced it in his book .
Dunning and Kruger ’ s studies ( Wikipedia covers it well enough this time ) demonstrated a dangerous paradox : The less a person knows about a subject , the less able he is to judge how little he knows .
The result : Those who know the least often think they know the most .
I ’ ve got a pretty good musical ear as a trombonist , but my vocal production isn ’ t up to the same level : I sing out of tune @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
People with tin ears don ’ t know , and often think they ’ re singing just fine .
“ Even worse , ” writes Nichols , “ is that there is no way to educate or inform people who , when in doubt , will make stuff up.
” I ’ ve run into this repeatedly with people who think they know how to construct a rational argument .
They ’ ll insist over and over again ( it ’ s going on right now ) , “ That was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” when in fact it ’ s perfectly fallacious .
And there ’ s no way to persuade them otherwise .
Then there ’ s skepticism , too , over the very possibility of expert knowledge : Who even needs experts when there ’ s no right answer , no truth of the matter ?
The Problem With the Experts Nichols lays most of the problem at the feet of the people , but not without recognizing experts fail , too .
They get things honestly wrong , for starters .
Sometimes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Other times they succumb to the temptation to go beyond the science , making predictions And sometimes they speak outside their disciplines .
Nichols is especially exercised over actors and actresses , experts in their field of performance , acting as medical authorities .
He ’ s right of course — except he seriously underestimates the extent of the problem .
Richard Dawkins , the zoologist , is doing philosophy , not biology , when he says evolution proves there ’ s no God , and he ’ s doing it very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in The God Delusion .
Much , much worse . )
Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow are doing philosophy very poorly when they tell us in The Grand Design that philosophy is dead .
Lawrence Krauss , the cosmologist , is doing a horrible job at philosophy when he says the universe could come “ from nothing ” because the laws of physics ( which are not nothing ) say particles can pop into existence out of the quantum vacuum ( which is not nothing ) .
These are all experts in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell us there ’ s no God .
It gets even worse ( if that ’ s possible ) when professors turn whole universities into moralizing institutions , as if they knew more about right and wrong than the rest of us .
They ’ ve completely discarded one of the greatest foundations of relational morality — sexual faithfulness within marriage .
They ’ ve absolutely lost track of the home and family as the center of civil society .
In place of that they ’ ve set up an impossibly false and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state , enforced by patently immoral restrictions of local and family freedoms .
That ’ s how Harvard came to tell us the state can ’ t trust parents with their children .
It ’ s the very kind of moral idiocy that makes many of us doubt they know anything at all .
They ’ ve undermined their own expertise , more than Nichols seems to recognize , by being arrogant , insufferable , politicized , moralists .
Not all of them , obviously .
I ’ m pretty sure I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nichols himself .
Who couldn ’ t like a man who quotes C. S. Lewis as much as he does ?
There are liberal experts who know how to keep it human .
And there are conservative policy experts , Christian ethical experts , even athletic experts and all manner of others besides , who haven ’ t been taken in by the foolishness found on the left .
But enough “ experts ” do fall for it — and arrogantly — they ’ ve tarred much of academia with their reputation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ he so clearly reminds us , we need expertise .
In a world of massive complexity — in technology , in the economy , in politics , and of course now in public health — Google scholarship isn ’ t good enough .
We need people who know what they ’ re talking about , and we need to be able to trust them .
If Nichols wants to build that trust , he could make a better start by helping his fellow academic elites realize they ’ ve got a Dunning-Kruger problem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their ignorance of decent philosophy and true morality .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream , and the author of A Christian Mind : Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations : A Christian Parent ’ s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens , and the lead editor of True Reason : Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism .

PBS ran an essay recently from Tom Nichols on why America has quit listening to experts. The question certainly fits in this coronavirus period of our history. My first thought when I read his answer, though, was, “He missed it by a mile! The reason we don’t pay ‘experts’ attention these days is because they’re arrogant, politicized, insufferable, and obviously foolish moralizers!”
Consider the latest from Harvard, the very throne of expertise, saying the state can’t trust parents to school their own children at home. Consider the psychiatrists and psychologists telling us — with no science backing them — that same-sex marriage is fine for kids, and that gender transitioning is good for kids who want it. Think of biologists telling us evolution “reveals a universe without design,” as Richard Dawkins once put it, and therefore there is no God.
We know better than to trust the experts. That was my immediate reaction. Immediate reactions are dangerous, though, and it’s even worse to spin a column off of them. Nichols has a lot more to say about the subject. He’s the author of the 2018 book The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters. I bought it and read it, and it’s a good one. America really does have a problem here.
Mostly, says Nichols, the problem is with the people. I almost agree with him there.
People Problem 1: We Think We Know More Than We Know
America doesn’t listen to experts, he says, because we think we’re too smart for them. Who needs an academic scholar when we can all be Google scholars? Who needs experts’ research when we can do our own with just a couple of clicks?
Our generation has confused facts with knowledge, and knowledge with understanding. Musical expertise doesn’t come by watching The Voice, obviously. It should be just as obvious that watching talking heads on one’s favorite news network doesn’t qualify one to weigh in on finance or immigration policy. It takes real engagement over a long period of time.
If we think otherwise, we can put part of the blame on higher education. Students are clients more than scholars, says Nichols. They’ve wrangled control over grading standards, so hardly anyone gets a C anymore. Schools can’t afford to flunk them out. Students can afford to stay, however, or so they think, since Uncle Sam guarantees them easy college money. Lots of it. So they’ve come to expect only the best: food courts, rock walls, and apartment-style dorms. As for the best education, who can complain when profs assign so much less homework than they used to?
Over-schooled and under-educated, with Google at our fingertips, we’ve fallen for the foolishness of thinking we know more than we do.
People Problem 2: We Don’t Know How Little We Know
Then there’s the infamous Dunning-Kruger effect. Nichols camps on it for quite some time, and well he should; I was looking for it pages before he introduced it in his book. Dunning and Kruger’s studies (Wikipedia covers it well enough this time) demonstrated a dangerous paradox: The less a person knows about a subject, the less able he is to judge how little he knows. The result: Those who know the least often think they know the most.
I’ve got a pretty good musical ear as a trombonist, but my vocal production isn’t up to the same level: I sing out of tune sometimes, and I wince inwardly every time. People with tin ears don’t know, and often think they’re singing just fine.
“Even worse,” writes Nichols, “is that there is no way to educate or inform people who, when in doubt, will make stuff up.” I’ve run into this repeatedly with people who think they know how to construct a rational argument. They’ll insist over and over again (it’s going on right now), “That was a perfectly valid and sound argument,” when in fact it’s perfectly fallacious. And there’s no way to persuade them otherwise.
People Problem 3: What’s True, Anyway?
Then there’s skepticism, too, over the very possibility of expert knowledge:
Instead of arguing, experts today are supposed to accept such disagreements as, at worst, an honest difference of opinion. We are supposed to “agree to disagree,” a phrase now used indiscriminately as little more than a conversational fire extinguisher. And if we insist that not everything is a matter of opinion, that some things are right and others are wrong … well, then we’re just being jerks, apparently.
Who even needs experts when there’s no right answer, no truth of the matter?
The Problem With the Experts
Nichols lays most of the problem at the feet of the people, but not without recognizing experts fail, too. They get things honestly wrong, for starters. Sometimes, though, they commit fraud and fakery. Other times they succumb to the temptation to go beyond the science, making predictions And sometimes they speak outside their disciplines. Nichols is especially exercised over actors and actresses, experts in their field of performance, acting as medical authorities.
The “Expert” Problem Nichols Misses
He’s right of course — except he seriously underestimates the extent of the problem. Richard Dawkins, the zoologist, is doing philosophy, not biology, when he says evolution proves there’s no God, and he’s doing it very badly. (He does even worse in The God Delusion. Much, much worse.) Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow are doing philosophy very poorly when they tell us in The Grand Design that philosophy is dead.
Lawrence Krauss, the cosmologist, is doing a horrible job at philosophy when he says the universe could come “from nothing” because the laws of physics (which are not nothing) say particles can pop into existence out of the quantum vacuum (which is not nothing). These are all experts in one field dabbling badly in another field to tell us there’s no God.
It gets even worse (if that’s possible) when professors turn whole universities into moralizing institutions, as if they knew more about right and wrong than the rest of us. They’ve completely discarded one of the greatest foundations of relational morality — sexual faithfulness within marriage. They’ve absolutely lost track of the home and family as the center of civil society.
In place of that they’ve set up an impossibly false and wrongheaded vision of social equality centered in the state, enforced by patently immoral restrictions of local and family freedoms. That’s how Harvard came to tell us the state can’t trust parents with their children. It’s the very kind of moral idiocy that makes many of us doubt they know anything at all.
Arrogant, Insufferable, Politicized Moralists
They’ve undermined their own expertise, more than Nichols seems to recognize, by being arrogant, insufferable, politicized, moralists. Not all of them, obviously. I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy getting to know Tom Nichols himself. Who couldn’t like a man who quotes C. S. Lewis as much as he does? There are liberal experts who know how to keep it human. And there are conservative policy experts, Christian ethical experts, even athletic experts and all manner of others besides, who haven’t been taken in by the foolishness found on the left. But enough “experts” do fall for it — and arrogantly — they’ve tarred much of academia with their reputation.
It’s unfortunate because, as he so clearly reminds us, we need expertise. In a world of massive complexity — in technology, in the economy, in politics, and of course now in public health — Google scholarship isn’t good enough. We need people who know what they’re talking about, and we need to be able to trust them. If Nichols wants to build that trust, he could make a better start by helping his fellow academic elites realize they’ve got a Dunning-Kruger problem of their own. It’s in their ignorance of decent philosophy and true morality.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream, and the author of A Christian Mind: Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens, and the lead editor of True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism.