thestream--2020-03-31--DON’T PANIC, Part Two: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Online Resources

Earlier we posted “ DON ’ T PANIC : A Homeschooler ’ s Guide to the Quarantine , ” which offered advice to those who suddenly find themselves having to homeschool their kids .
The good news is there are plenty of online resources available to enrich your home education experience .
Many companies are making content available free for “ a time such as this.
” Others have COVID-19 specials .
Edutainment great for kids !
This is the rock star of math curriculum — dedicated to remaining free .
They have added courses in computer coding , science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tutorials have been helping students and parents survive math terrors for years .
It can also be a complete self grading math curriculum .
http : //www.sheppardsoftware.com/ — Free geography games ( and more ) that range from the tutorial level to cartographer .
My kids began playing with this when they were little !
Quizlet.com — Automated flashcards .
Math , spelling , languages , with games .
Make your own set , or find one that matches your curriculum .
Check for accuracy , because kids make a lot of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ https : //www.nitrotype.com/ — Addictive typing game/competition — great for a wake up between subjects .
https : //online.seterra.com/en — A free geography website that our kids began using for the 7th grade Geography Bee .
https : //www.britannica.com/ — Encyclopedia Britannica has free resources and paid subscriptions .
Paid versions are ad free and offer three reading levels for all articles .
Great for “ Wiki-free ” research .
Local public libraries have numerous free digital resources that include ebooks and as well as classes .
Free audiobooks — from public domain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discover favorite readers .
You might volunteer to read a book for librivox yourself !
Podcast — https : //www.wfmt.com/programs/exploring-music .
Bill McGlaughlin ’ s , “ Exploring Music is an adventure — an expedition through the world of classical music.
” Check the archives for a favorite or new genre .
Shakespeare — Free audible versions of seven plays through July , 2020. https : //shakespeare.folger.edu/ Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Free Opera from the New York Met — Dress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You might like it .
https : //www.fastcompany.com/90478031/you-can-stream-the-met-opera-for-free-during-the-coronavirus-crisis-heres-how https : //www.classicalmpr.org/story/2020/03/16/free-online-classical-concerts — lists free concerts with links for the upcoming season .
Crash Course and Crash Course Kids — The Crash Course YouTube channel offers science , history and more .
Slow the speed down for littles with Crash Course Kids .
PragerU – From Dennis Prager and featuring top experts , Prager U offers quality videos on important topics of the day .
Great stuff .
https : //fee.org/shows — Engaging videos on economics and the free market , designed for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Smarter Every Day Youtube Channel is a popular science channel for good reason .
Hillsdale College — always has free courses on many topics , focusing on the “ great ideas of Western Civilization.
” How does “ Congress : How It Works and Why It Doesn ’ t ” sound ?
With the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe just weeks away , perhaps you will want to try the current featured course “ The Second World Wars.
” TwoSetViolins — is a great way to entertain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stringed instruments .
Tips , observations and humor by two young Australian violinists .
“ You should be practicing !
” http : //donnayoung.org/site-index.htm .
Free calendars , organizers , printables , penmanship papers .
Create your own handwriting worksheets .
TONS of resources .
IXL and ALEKS have interactive learning programs for a complete curriculum .
They are self-grading online programs While schools are closed , IXL has free relief packs that are divided by grades .
https : //www.havefunteaching.com/resources/relief-packs/ ?
fbclid=IwAR2PXr4KNiVkERDt_hWyOZ9iaUY0GqAyWz21waW2pzn71S4lBmdIU0UvBUU IEW — or Institute for Excellence in Writing helped all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They have created several free — 3 Week packs — for you to download .
You can look at their site for other freebies as well .
They have a booklist “ For Boys Who Would Rather Be building Forts.
” https : //iew.com/three-weeks-of-language-arts-instruction-from-iew Cathy Duffy has reviews of resources for your family .
Short , interest led courses are available on Outschool , Udemy , or Squilt .
Currently Dave Ramsey has his high school Personal Finance course — Self Study version ( meaning digital and self grading ) for sale for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools will give a half or full credit for this class .
https : //www.daveramsey.com/store/product/foundations-in-personal-finance-high-school-edition-for-self-study https : //curiositystream.com/ .
This “ Geekumentary ” resource is available for $ 12 this year .
It renews automatically .
It now has an option to limit the videos to kid friendly content .
Mikki Marugg Bates is a wife and homeschool mom in Tulsa , Oklahoma .
Her homeschooling adventure began thirteen years ago with her Classical Conversations community .
She has successfully launched two children to college , a violinist and a writer , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Previously , she worked in technical support and sales .
Her family shares a love of music , history , travel , classic British comedy , and Western Swing .
Her husband , Michael Bates , blogs at batesline.com .
Kat Bates is a writer and language-lover currently reading roughly all of the western canon at St. John ’ s College , Annapolis .
Homeschool credits include : teaching her younger brother how to read , learning Latin , diagramming sentences , and falling in love with the history and the classics .
@ @ @ @ @

Earlier we posted “DON’T PANIC: A Homeschooler’s Guide to the Quarantine,” which offered advice to those who suddenly find themselves having to homeschool their kids. The good news is there are plenty of online resources available to enrich your home education experience.
Many companies are making content available free for “a time such as this.” Others have COVID-19 specials. Edutainment great for kids!
Free!
Khan Academy — https://www.khanacademy.org/
This is the rock star of math curriculum — dedicated to remaining free. They have added courses in computer coding, science, history. Its 5 minute Youtube tutorials have been helping students and parents survive math terrors for years. It can also be a complete self grading math curriculum.
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/ — Free geography games (and more) that range from the tutorial level to cartographer. My kids began playing with this when they were little!
Quizlet.com — Automated flashcards. Math, spelling, languages, with games. Make your own set, or find one that matches your curriculum. Check for accuracy, because kids make a lot of the sets. Free and paid options.
https://www.nitrotype.com/ — Addictive typing game/competition — great for a wake up between subjects.
https://online.seterra.com/en — A free geography website that our kids began using for the 7th grade Geography Bee.
https://www.britannica.com/ — Encyclopedia Britannica has free resources and paid subscriptions. Paid versions are ad free and offer three reading levels for all articles. Great for “Wiki-free” research.
Local public libraries have numerous free digital resources that include ebooks and as well as classes.
Audio Sources
Free audiobooks — from public domain sources — librivox.org. You’ll discover favorite readers. You might volunteer to read a book for librivox yourself!
Temporarily free audiobooks — stories.audible.com It’s a special collection of K-12 audiobooks.
Podcast — https://www.wfmt.com/programs/exploring-music. Bill McGlaughlin’s, “Exploring Music is an adventure — an expedition through the world of classical music.” Check the archives for a favorite or new genre.
Shakespeare — Free audible versions of seven plays through July, 2020. https://shakespeare.folger.edu/
Online Field Trips
Virtual Field Trips — with activities:
https://adventuresinfamilyhood.com/20-virtual-field-trips-to-take-with-your-kids.html
https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Free Opera from the New York Met — Dress up, dress down. Try it. You might like it. https://www.fastcompany.com/90478031/you-can-stream-the-met-opera-for-free-during-the-coronavirus-crisis-heres-how
https://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2020/03/16/free-online-classical-concerts — lists free concerts with links for the upcoming season.
YouTube Favorites
Crash Course and Crash Course Kids — The Crash Course YouTube channel offers science, history and more. Slow the speed down for littles with Crash Course Kids.
PragerU – From Dennis Prager and featuring top experts, Prager U offers quality videos on important topics of the day. Great stuff.
https://fee.org/shows — Engaging videos on economics and the free market, designed for students.
Smarter Every Day — The Smarter Every Day Youtube Channel is a popular science channel for good reason.
Hillsdale College — always has free courses on many topics, focusing on the “great ideas of Western Civilization.” How does “Congress: How It Works and Why It Doesn’t” sound? With the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe just weeks away, perhaps you will want to try the current featured course “The Second World Wars.”
TwoSetViolins — is a great way to entertain your performers, especially if they play stringed instruments. Tips, observations and humor by two young Australian violinists. “You should be practicing!”
For Mom or Dad
http://donnayoung.org/site-index.htm. Free calendars, organizers, printables, penmanship papers. Create your own handwriting worksheets. TONS of resources.
Free for Now
IXL and ALEKS have interactive learning programs for a complete curriculum. They are self-grading online programs
While schools are closed, IXL has free relief packs that are divided by grades. https://www.havefunteaching.com/resources/relief-packs/?fbclid=IwAR2PXr4KNiVkERDt_hWyOZ9iaUY0GqAyWz21waW2pzn71S4lBmdIU0UvBUU
ALEKS offers one month free trial.
IEW — or Institute for Excellence in Writing helped all of our children become confident writers. They have created several free — 3 Week packs — for you to download. You can look at their site for other freebies as well. They have a booklist “For Boys Who Would Rather Be building Forts.” https://iew.com/three-weeks-of-language-arts-instruction-from-iew
https://ymca360.org/on-demand#/— Exercises classes online — while centers are closed.
Cathy Duffy has reviews of resources for your family.
https://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/handwriting
Paid Options
Short, interest led courses are available on Outschool, Udemy, or Squilt.
Currently Dave Ramsey has his high school Personal Finance course — Self Study version (meaning digital and self grading) for sale for $19.99 Save $100! Many schools will give a half or full credit for this class. https://www.daveramsey.com/store/product/foundations-in-personal-finance-high-school-edition-for-self-study
https://curiositystream.com/. This “Geekumentary” resource is available for $12 this year. It renews automatically. It now has an option to limit the videos to kid friendly content.
Mikki Marugg Bates is a wife and homeschool mom in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her homeschooling adventure began thirteen years ago with her Classical Conversations community. She has successfully launched two children to college, a violinist and a writer, and is homeschooling a cello-playing Boy Scout. Previously, she worked in technical support and sales. Her family shares a love of music, history, travel, classic British comedy, and Western Swing. Her husband, Michael Bates, blogs at batesline.com.
Kat Bates is a writer and language-lover currently reading roughly all of the western canon at St. John’s College, Annapolis. Homeschool credits include: teaching her younger brother how to read, learning Latin, diagramming sentences, and falling in love with the history and the classics. Platonist, not Aristotelian.


thestream--2020-03-31--Even in This Horrific Assault, God Has a Plan

James Robison is The Stream ’ s founder and publisher .
He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host @ @ @ @ @ ’ s the author of many books , including Indivisible ( with Jay Richards ) @ @ @ @

James Robison is The Stream’ s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today . He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed .
React to This Article What do you think of our coverage in this article? We value your feedback as we continue to grow.


thestream--2020-03-31--The Simple, the Humble and the Ordinary

The Simple, the Humble and the Ordinary

Irrelevant .
It ’ s a word I can ’ t seem to get out of my brain these last few days .
In less than one week , so much that I deemed and esteemed “ relevant , ” has actually rendered itself utterly and completely “ irrelevant.
” Travel plans ?
Irrelevant .
Busyness ?
Irrelevant .
Outside stimuli for pleasure , adventure , reputation , life experience ?
Irrelevant .
Irrelevant .
Irrelevant .
The Simple , the Humble and the Ordinary On the flip side , the overlooked , the simple , the humble , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again .
Paddle boarding at sunset .
Full seats at the dinner table .
Tapping into emotions like loneliness , loss , and anxiety while at the same time , rediscovering courage , hope , and the priority of connection .
I find myself appreciating those around us that don ’ t crave the spotlight , don ’ t get enough credit for what they do , and don ’ t yearn to be a guest on the next prime time talk show .
Yep , those people are my heroes right now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope and peace .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
I hope we never go back .
Back to health and to work and to connecting with one another , yes ; but I hope the cult of personality and the idolatry of celebrity die out with the coronavirus .
I hope my values continue to undergo a seismic shift in how and what to live for .
Moment by moment .
Day by day .
The superficial twigs that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reputations , our aspirations , our programmed places and purposes are snapping .
The old footholds have washed away in the torrent of the unpredictable .
Most of us sit and wait .
Confronted by the uncomfortable need to recognize and characterize ourselves afresh as “ human beings ” not “ human doings.
” And therein lies either the terror or the peace .
Which will you embrace ?
The identity that no matter where you are or what you ’ re doing or not doing , that you are created in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valuable and with eternal purpose ?
Or will you let yourself become eaten up with anxiety , uncertainty , boredom , lack of usefulness — tossed by the circumstantial winds and waves whipping around us ?
As for me , let me be emptied that I might be filled !
!
Let me decrease that He might increase !
!
Waving the white flag of surrender , I write my victory song .
And my prayer for all of us is to embrace whatever situation we find ourselves in .
And this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abased or abounding , hungry or full , confined or free , he knew : I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength .
He does not , can not , will not abandon His own .
Annemarie McLean is a four-girl mom , freelance writer , and co-founder of Brave & Beautiful , a ministry focused on challenging young women to live purpose-driven lives full of courage and character , while developing Christ-centered inner beauty .
In 2012 , she also founded 3D Missions , an international outreach taking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performing arts .
Annemarie holds a journalism degree from Oral Roberts University , with post-graduate work in organizational leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University .

Irrelevant. It’s a word I can’t seem to get out of my brain these last few days. In less than one week, so much that I deemed and esteemed “relevant,” has actually rendered itself utterly and completely “irrelevant.” Travel plans? Irrelevant. Busyness? Irrelevant. Outside stimuli for pleasure, adventure, reputation, life experience? Irrelevant. Irrelevant. Irrelevant.
The Simple, the Humble and the Ordinary
On the flip side, the overlooked, the simple, the humble, and the ordinary are catching my attention once again. Paddle boarding at sunset. Full seats at the dinner table. Tapping into emotions like loneliness, loss, and anxiety while at the same time, rediscovering courage, hope, and the priority of connection. I find myself appreciating those around us that don’t crave the spotlight, don’t get enough credit for what they do, and don’t yearn to be a guest on the next prime time talk show. Yep, those people are my heroes right now. Needed. Important. Giving us hope and peace.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I hope we never go back. Back to health and to work and to connecting with one another, yes; but I hope the cult of personality and the idolatry of celebrity die out with the coronavirus. I hope my values continue to undergo a seismic shift in how and what to live for. Moment by moment. Day by day.
Human Beings, not Human Doings
The superficial twigs that held us to our occupations, our reputations, our aspirations, our programmed places and purposes are snapping. The old footholds have washed away in the torrent of the unpredictable. Most of us sit and wait. Confronted by the uncomfortable need to recognize and characterize ourselves afresh as “human beings” not “human doings.”
And therein lies either the terror or the peace. Which will you embrace? The identity that no matter where you are or what you’re doing or not doing, that you are created in the image of God and therefore are inherently valuable and with eternal purpose? Or will you let yourself become eaten up with anxiety, uncertainty, boredom, lack of usefulness — tossed by the circumstantial winds and waves whipping around us?
My Victory Song
As for me, let me be emptied that I might be filled!! Let me decrease that He might increase!! Waving the white flag of surrender, I write my victory song.
And my prayer for all of us is to embrace whatever situation we find ourselves in. And this is the context in which Paul wrote … abased or abounding, hungry or full, confined or free, he knew: I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. He does not, cannot, will not abandon His own.
Annemarie McLean is a four-girl mom, freelance writer, and co-founder of Brave & Beautiful, a ministry focused on challenging young women to live purpose-driven lives full of courage and character, while developing Christ-centered inner beauty.
In 2012, she also founded 3D Missions, an international outreach taking the Gospel to the nations through the performing arts. Annemarie holds a journalism degree from Oral Roberts University, with post-graduate work in organizational leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University.


thestream--2020-03-31--The Virtue of Plagues: How Epidemics Can Change the Course of History

In the early 1990s , as part of my doctoral program in history at Ohio State , I took a seminar on how epidemics affected history .
Our main text was the seminal Plagues and Peoples by William H. McNeill .
That book taught me a healthy respect for — if not fear of — viruses and microbes .
( Hence my Prepper Lite basement hoarding of freeze-dried food , ammo and , yes , toilet paper , which long preceded COVID-19 . )
As R.S .
Bray wrote in his excellent Armies of Pestilence : The Impact of Disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new infectious agent may engulf us , transmitted quickly and efficiently ” we should ensure that “ the great pandemics of the past and their effects upon man and his organisations were not forgotten.
” Coronavirus is indeed a global pandemic afflicting , as of this writing , nearly 700,000 people .
The overall mortality rate is around 4.6 % .
In this country we have over 125,000 confirmed cases .
Some 2200 , or about 1.8 % , of those have died .
Many comparisons of this disease to the seasonal flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one .
I won ’ t repeat that exercise , Instead , I will try to put coronavirus into historical perspective .
Classical Athens was hit with a horrible epidemic , which Thucydides narrated in The History of the Peloponnesian War .
This was probably typhoid .
( See “ Pandemics That Changed History ” for info as to what specific disease typified each plague discussed . )
This disease has a mortality rate between 12 % and 30 % .
Considering how horrible it was , according to the famous Greek historian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in detail the symptoms , which killed usually within a week of onset .
Medicines that helped some seem to harm others .
“ But the greatest misery of all was the dejection of mind in such as found themselves beginning to be sick.
” Many died alone , with no one to care for them .
Prayers to the Greek gods “ proved all unprofitable.
” In fact , their temples were full of those who had gone there for help — and died .
On the positive side , those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ much compassion both on them that died and on them that lay sick.
” And of course the major result of this plague was that it helped Sparta win the war .
In 541 AD the eastern Roman , or Byzantine , Empire suffered the first major recorded bubonic plague epidemic .
This disease , which can kill up to two-thirds of those who contract it , probably did for some 40 % of Byzantines .
Certainly in the capital , Constantinople .
A Monophysite bishop , John of Ephesus , survived @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Both wrote about it .
The grotesque symptoms are the same as those of the Black Death , some 800 years later .
Michael said “ the mercy of God showed itself everywhere towards the poor , for they died first.
” “ Every man lost hope of living , and was afraid to go out.
” John goes into much more , and depressing , detail .
According to him , 300,000 died in Constantinople alone .
Corpses rotted in the street , unburied .
Highways were deserted .
Entire villages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evening we thought that death would come upon us in the night , and again if morning had broken , our face was turned the whole day toward the tomb.
” The Persian ( Sassanian ) Empire tried to take advantage and attack the Byzantines .
But they too were afflicted .
Animals , both domesticated and wild , died too .
“ Buying and selling ceased and the shops with all their worldly riches…closed.
” The Christian ( albeit heterodox ) John , however , had a different take than Thucydides .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to call it not only a sign of threat and of wrath but also a sign of grace and a call to repentance.
” And his account ends thus : “ We have left these matters for the remembrance of others who will come after us ” so that “ they may repent and ask mercy continually , lest this chastisement be thrown upon them.
” The most devastating historical effect of “ Justinian ’ s Plague ” may well have been that it so weakened the Empire that it was unable to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next century .
These ultimately deprived Constantinople of about half its territory .
And centuries later , they would bring down what was left of the Christian Roman state .
The most famous , and deadliest , plague in history was the Black Death which hit Europe in 1347 and resurfaced , periodically , for centuries .
The following year an English monk , Henry Knighton , recorded an account of its effects there .
Those infected who died did so within two or three days .
As in the earlier Byzantine epidemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fell into ruin .
Sheep died in droves .
Much like with the Persians vis-à-vis the Byzantines , the Scots “ believing that the wrath of God had befallen the English … assembled in Selkirk forest with the intention of invading the kingdom ” only to be plague-stricken themselves .
The Bishop of London initially allowed remission of all sins , except debt .
But eventually things got so bad that “ the Pope [ Clement VI , in exile in Avignon ] granted full remission of all sins to anyone receiving absolution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as much as half the European population died .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
The Plague returned to Europe every few years — although decreasingly lethal — until 1720 .
It killed Shakespeare ’ s son Hamnet , and well as tens of thousands more , during one of its regular outbreaks in the Bard ’ s lifetime .
( Probably why his plays mention “ plague ” 105 times .
Falstaff , in particular , wields the term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed millions in China and India in the 19th century .
It even hit San Francisco — specifically , Chinatown at the turn of the 20th century .
Just three years ago bubonic plague killed almost 200 in Madagascar .
What Can We Learn from the History ?
What can those of us living in the time of coronavirus learn from all this ?
First , and most obviously , pandemics have been a staple of human history .
Second , they were far worse for our ancestors than for us .
Bubonic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ modern antibiotics such as streptomycin .
Ditto for typhoid , although there are worrying signs that that disease is developing antibiotic resistance .
We also have vaccines and anti-viral medications for viruses .
But that doesn ’ t mean diseases can ’ t mutate , or new ones emerge — such as we ’ re experiencing .
Third , epidemics can change the course of history .
Sparta won the war with Athens in no small measure due to the latter ’ s affliction .
This set the stage for a coalition ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take on and weaken Sparta .
And who benefited from that ?
Philip of Macedon , and his son Alexander .
A potent 6th century Byzantine Empire , especially with armies commanded by Belisarius , might well have kept Islam bottled up in Arabia .
Instead of being the world ’ s second-largest religion , the followers of Muhammad could have found themselves a small , regional cult .
Counter-factuals are harder to come by for 14th century Europe .
But we do know the first phase of the Black Death resulted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any possibility of large-scale slavery on that continent .
The Catholic Church also came into question , due to its perceived inability to keep God happy .
This led to skepticism and , indirectly , to the rise of Hus , Tyndale — and , eventually , Luther .
Will coronavirus so weaken the United States economically that China becomes the world ’ s dominant power again ( as it was 500 years ago ) ?
On the other hand , might Communist China be so discredited that it undergoes regime change—allowing its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Could Iran ’ s Shi ` i theocracy , the world ’ s foremost sponsor of terrorism , finally fall ?
And if so , would it be replaced by a more moderate government , or by a harsher Iranian nationalist IRGC-driven leadership ?
Most importantly , will our society be able to lessen and ultimately control the coronavirus , such that the death toll remains relatively modest ?
Or will the disease ravage our population ?
Probably the most important thing that Westerners , particularly Christians , can learn from these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Bishop John of Ephesus .
To “ repent and ask mercy continually , lest this chastisement be thrown upon ” us .
Mocking those of us who pray in times like these is now second-nature to our secular intelligentsia .
But we know that God works in history , and not always kindly .
Job had everything taken from him .
God chastised the Israelites via the Babylonians and the Assyrians .
His own Son was crucified , and all the Apostles save one died a violent death at the hands of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is asked about some Galileans killed by the Romans .
He rejects the idea that they — or others killed in a tower collapse — were “ worse sinners ” who deserved their fate .
Christ concludes “ Unless you repent , you too will all perish.
” We will all die .
Perhaps not by coronavirus , and no longer by the sword .
But certainly by another disease , accident , or the slow decay of time .
Let us hope and pray that our secular leaders and medical personnel do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But in addition each of us should take this epidemic , especially during Lent , as a God-given opportunity to get right with Him .
That could be the major virtue of a plague such as this .
Timothy Furnish holds a Ph.D. in Islamic , World and African history .
He is a former U.S. Army Arabic linguist and , later , civilian consultant to U.S. Special Operations Command .
He ’ s the author of books on the Middle East and Middle-earth ; a history professor ; and sometime media opiner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fox News Channel ’ s War Stories : Fighting ISIS ) .

In the early 1990s, as part of my doctoral program in history at Ohio State, I took a seminar on how epidemics affected history. Our main text was the seminal Plagues and Peoples by William H. McNeill. That book taught me a healthy respect for — if not fear of — viruses and microbes. (Hence my Prepper Lite basement hoarding of freeze-dried food, ammo and, yes, toilet paper, which long preceded COVID-19.)
As R.S. Bray wrote in his excellent Armies of Pestilence: The Impact of Disease on History: since “a brand new infectious agent may engulf us, transmitted quickly and efficiently” we should ensure that “the great pandemics of the past and their effects upon man and his organisations were not forgotten.”
Coronavirus is indeed a global pandemic afflicting, as of this writing, nearly 700,000 people. The overall mortality rate is around 4.6%. In this country we have over 125,000 confirmed cases. Some 2200, or about 1.8%, of those have died. Many comparisons of this disease to the seasonal flu have been done, such as this one. I won’t repeat that exercise, Instead, I will try to put coronavirus into historical perspective.
Athens
Classical Athens was hit with a horrible epidemic, which Thucydides narrated in The History of the Peloponnesian War. This was probably typhoid. (See “Pandemics That Changed History” for info as to what specific disease typified each plague discussed.) This disease has a mortality rate between 12% and 30%. Considering how horrible it was, according to the famous Greek historian, probably the latter.
He describes in detail the symptoms, which killed usually within a week of onset. Medicines that helped some seem to harm others. “But the greatest misery of all was the dejection of mind in such as found themselves beginning to be sick.” Many died alone, with no one to care for them. Prayers to the Greek gods “proved all unprofitable.” In fact, their temples were full of those who had gone there for help — and died.
On the positive side, those who survived it gained not only immunity but “much compassion both on them that died and on them that lay sick.” And of course the major result of this plague was that it helped Sparta win the war.
The Byzantine Plague
In 541 AD the eastern Roman, or Byzantine, Empire suffered the first major recorded bubonic plague epidemic. This disease, which can kill up to two-thirds of those who contract it, probably did for some 40% of Byzantines. Certainly in the capital, Constantinople. A Monophysite bishop, John of Ephesus, survived it, as did Michael the Syrian. Both wrote about it.
“It would be right for us to call it not only a sign of threat and of wrath but also a sign of grace and a call to repentance.” John of Ephesus
The grotesque symptoms are the same as those of the Black Death, some 800 years later. Michael said “the mercy of God showed itself everywhere towards the poor, for they died first.” “Every man lost hope of living, and was afraid to go out.” John goes into much more, and depressing, detail. According to him, 300,000 died in Constantinople alone. Corpses rotted in the street, unburied. Highways were deserted. Entire villages were depopulated. “If it was evening we thought that death would come upon us in the night, and again if morning had broken, our face was turned the whole day toward the tomb.”
The Persian (Sassanian) Empire tried to take advantage and attack the Byzantines. But they too were afflicted. Animals, both domesticated and wild, died too. “Buying and selling ceased and the shops with all their worldly riches…closed.” The Christian (albeit heterodox) John, however, had a different take than Thucydides. “It would be right for us to call it not only a sign of threat and of wrath but also a sign of grace and a call to repentance.” And his account ends thus: “We have left these matters for the remembrance of others who will come after us” so that “they may repent and ask mercy continually, lest this chastisement be thrown upon them.”
The most devastating historical effect of “Justinian’s Plague” may well have been that it so weakened the Empire that it was unable to stave off the Muslim invasions in the next century. These ultimately deprived Constantinople of about half its territory. And centuries later, they would bring down what was left of the Christian Roman state.
The Black Death
The most famous, and deadliest, plague in history was the Black Death which hit Europe in 1347 and resurfaced, periodically, for centuries. The following year an English monk, Henry Knighton, recorded an account of its effects there. Those infected who died did so within two or three days. As in the earlier Byzantine epidemic, entire villages died out. Buildings fell into ruin. Sheep died in droves. Much like with the Persians vis-à-vis the Byzantines, the Scots “believing that the wrath of God had befallen the English … assembled in Selkirk forest with the intention of invading the kingdom” only to be plague-stricken themselves.
The Bishop of London initially allowed remission of all sins, except debt. But eventually things got so bad that “the Pope [Clement VI, in exile in Avignon] granted full remission of all sins to anyone receiving absolution when in danger of death.” Overall as much as half the European population died.
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The Plague returned to Europe every few years — although decreasingly lethal — until 1720. It killed Shakespeare’s son Hamnet, and well as tens of thousands more, during one of its regular outbreaks in the Bard’s lifetime. (Probably why his plays mention “plague” 105 times. Falstaff, in particular, wields the term as an insult.) The disease killed millions in China and India in the 19th century. It even hit San Francisco — specifically, Chinatown at the turn of the 20th century. Just three years ago bubonic plague killed almost 200 in Madagascar.
What Can We Learn from the History?
What can those of us living in the time of coronavirus learn from all this?
First, and most obviously, pandemics have been a staple of human history.
Second, they were far worse for our ancestors than for us. Bubonic plague can almost always be stopped by modern antibiotics such as streptomycin. Ditto for typhoid, although there are worrying signs that that disease is developing antibiotic resistance. We also have vaccines and anti-viral medications for viruses. But that doesn’t mean diseases can’t mutate, or new ones emerge — such as we’re experiencing.
Third, epidemics can change the course of history. Sparta won the war with Athens in no small measure due to the latter’s affliction. This set the stage for a coalition (led by Thebes) to in turn take on and weaken Sparta. And who benefited from that? Philip of Macedon, and his son Alexander. A potent 6th century Byzantine Empire, especially with armies commanded by Belisarius, might well have kept Islam bottled up in Arabia. Instead of being the world’s second-largest religion, the followers of Muhammad could have found themselves a small, regional cult.
Counter-factuals are harder to come by for 14th century Europe. But we do know the first phase of the Black Death resulted in demand for labor, thereby killing off any possibility of large-scale slavery on that continent. The Catholic Church also came into question, due to its perceived inability to keep God happy. This led to skepticism and, indirectly, to the rise of Hus, Tyndale — and, eventually, Luther.
Each of us should take this epidemic, especially during Lent, as a God-given opportunity to get right with Him.
Will coronavirus so weaken the United States economically that China becomes the world’s dominant power again (as it was 500 years ago)? On the other hand, might Communist China be so discredited that it undergoes regime change—allowing its growing Christian population some say in policy? Could Iran’s Shi`i theocracy, the world’s foremost sponsor of terrorism, finally fall? And if so, would it be replaced by a more moderate government, or by a harsher Iranian nationalist IRGC-driven leadership?
Most importantly, will our society be able to lessen and ultimately control the coronavirus, such that the death toll remains relatively modest? Or will the disease ravage our population?
“Repent and Ask Mercy Continually”
Probably the most important thing that Westerners, particularly Christians, can learn from these earlier plagues is found in the writings of Bishop John of Ephesus. To “repent and ask mercy continually, lest this chastisement be thrown upon” us.
Mocking those of us who pray in times like these is now second-nature to our secular intelligentsia. But we know that God works in history, and not always kindly. Job had everything taken from him. God chastised the Israelites via the Babylonians and the Assyrians. His own Son was crucified, and all the Apostles save one died a violent death at the hands of persecutors. In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus is asked about some Galileans killed by the Romans. He rejects the idea that they — or others killed in a tower collapse — were “worse sinners” who deserved their fate. Christ concludes “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
We will all die. Perhaps not by coronavirus, and no longer by the sword. But certainly by another disease, accident, or the slow decay of time. Let us hope and pray that our secular leaders and medical personnel do their best for our collective good. But in addition each of us should take this epidemic, especially during Lent, as a God-given opportunity to get right with Him. That could be the major virtue of a plague such as this.
Timothy Furnish holds a Ph.D. in Islamic, World and African history. He is a former U.S. Army Arabic linguist and, later, civilian consultant to U.S. Special Operations Command. He’s the author of books on the Middle East and Middle-earth; a history professor; and sometime media opiner (as, for example, on Fox News Channel’s War Stories: Fighting ISIS).


thestream--2020-03-31--Mayor de Blasio, You Have Overstepped Your Bounds

As a religious leader born and raised in New York , I ’ m appealing to you to reconsider your threats to the synagogues and churches of your city .
Your words , sir , were reckless and could actually provoke people of faith to defy you .
What on earth prompted you to say what you said ?
What or Who Gives You the Authority to Permanently Close Down Synagogues and Churches ?
I ’ m speaking specifically of your threat to “ permanently ” close synagogues and churches that refuse to comply with the ban on public gatherings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that authority ?
Mr. Mayor , who gives you that authority ?
I Have Urged Pastors and Leaders to Comply With Authorities Please know that I have been using my platforms ( radio , internet , and writing ) to urge pastors and leaders to comply with bans on public gatherings .
I have urged fellow-believers to use wisdom and to love their neighbors , accepting these restrictions as something necessary for the public good .
And I have made clear to concerned pastors that these bans are not an attack on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie theaters and restaurants and strip clubs and bars as much as churches and synagogues and mosques .
You Specifically Threatened to Close Synagogues and Churches Yet when you specifically threaten to permanently close synagogues and churches that do not comply , you immediately raise concerns .
This certainly does look like religious discrimination .
You said , “ I want to say to all those who are preparing for the potential of religious services this weekend : If you go to your synagogue , if you go to your church , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told so often not to , our enforcement agents will have no choice but to shut down those services , ” making clear that you did not “ say this with joy.
” And you added , “ I understand how important people ’ s faiths are to them , and we need our faith in this time of crisis .
But we do not need gatherings that will endanger people.
” Again , sir , I support you in saying this and I ’ m sending this same message out to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each week .
I can even understand this part of the stern warning you gave this week : “ The NYPD , Fire Department , Buildings Department , and everyone has been instructed that if they see worship services going on , they will go to the officials of that congregation , they ’ ll inform them they need to stop the services and disperse.
” But you seriously overstepped your bounds when you also said this : “ If that does not happen , they will take additional action up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building permanently .
You ’ ve been warned , you need to stop services , help people practice their faith in different ways , but not in groups , not in gatherings that could endanger people.
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Faith .
And No Fear .
What ?
You said that an option on the table was “ potentially closing the building permanently ” ?
Shutting down a synagogue or church forever because of a violation of the current guidelines ?
I could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
With all respect , sir , and meaning no insult , this sounded to me like a frustrated parent , upping his threat to his kids when they do not obey .
In this case , not only does the punishment not fit the crime but the punishment , to my knowledge , is both illegal and unconstitutional .
Please correct me if I ’ m wrong .
Again , I ’ m with you on enforcing the ban for public safety .
Right now , better to be safe than sorry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pressure you ’ re now under , facing criticism for your earlier handling of the pandemic and with New York City the hotspot of the entire nation .
Millions of lives are at stake , and under such circumstances , it ’ s possible that you misspoke .
I interacted with an ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Brooklyn today .
He told me that people in his community have already died of the virus .
An old friend of the family told me that she and her husband both have the virus , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that a 57-year-old friend of theirs just died from the virus .
So , do what you have to do , within the bounds of law , to protect your citizens .
You Can Make This Right But do not needlessly provoke religious leaders and believers who , as you noted in your press conference , have done a great job of complying .
( And may I ask why you did not threaten mosques with closure ?
Is this because none of them violated the bans ?
Or was there another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from our perspective , as lovers of God and lovers of life , your harsh threats are all the more hypocritical and glaring when we realize that you have allowed abortion facilities to remain open during the crisis .
The elective slaughtering of babies in the womb is considered an essential service , but Jewish and Christian believers who would dare gather together to pray are threatened with permanent closure of their buildings .
Something is terribly wrong with this picture , sir , and you are the only one who can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Jezebel ’ s War With America : The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

Dear Mayor de Blasio,
As a religious leader born and raised in New York, I’m appealing to you to reconsider your threats to the synagogues and churches of your city. Your words, sir, were reckless and could actually provoke people of faith to defy you. What on earth prompted you to say what you said?
What or Who Gives You the Authority to Permanently Close Down Synagogues and Churches?
I’m speaking specifically of your threat to “permanently” close synagogues and churches that refuse to comply with the ban on public gatherings.
Mr. Mayor, what gives you that authority?
Mr. Mayor, who gives you that authority?
I Have Urged Pastors and Leaders to Comply With Authorities
Please know that I have been using my platforms (radio, internet, and writing) to urge pastors and leaders to comply with bans on public gatherings.
I have urged fellow-believers to use wisdom and to love their neighbors, accepting these restrictions as something necessary for the public good.
And I have made clear to concerned pastors that these bans are not an attack on their religious freedoms, since the bans affect movie theaters and restaurants and strip clubs and bars as much as churches and synagogues and mosques.
You Specifically Threatened to Close Synagogues and Churches
Yet when you specifically threaten to permanently close synagogues and churches that do not comply, you immediately raise concerns. This certainly does look like religious discrimination.
You said, “I want to say to all those who are preparing for the potential of religious services this weekend: If you go to your synagogue, if you go to your church, and attempt to hold services after having been told so often not to, our enforcement agents will have no choice but to shut down those services,” making clear that you did not “say this with joy.”
You seriously overstepped your bounds when you also said this: “If that does not happen, they will take additional action up to the point of fines and potentially closing the building permanently.”
And you added, “I understand how important people’s faiths are to them, and we need our faith in this time of crisis. But we do not need gatherings that will endanger people.”
Again, sir, I support you in saying this and I’m sending this same message out to the millions of people I seek to reach each week.
I can even understand this part of the stern warning you gave this week: “The NYPD, Fire Department, Buildings Department, and everyone has been instructed that if they see worship services going on, they will go to the officials of that congregation, they’ll inform them they need to stop the services and disperse.”
‘Potentially Closing the Buildings Permanently’
But you seriously overstepped your bounds when you also said this: “If that does not happen, they will take additional action up to the point of fines and potentially closing the building permanently. You’ve been warned, you need to stop services, help people practice their faith in different ways, but not in groups, not in gatherings that could endanger people.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
What? You said that an option on the table was “potentially closing the building permanently”? Shutting down a synagogue or church forever because of a violation of the current guidelines? I could see arrests and fines. But this?
With all respect, sir, and meaning no insult, this sounded to me like a frustrated parent, upping his threat to his kids when they do not obey. In this case, not only does the punishment not fit the crime but the punishment, to my knowledge, is both illegal and unconstitutional. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Yes, Protect Your Citizens
Again, I’m with you on enforcing the ban for public safety. Right now, better to be safe than sorry. And I can’t imagine the pressure you’re now under, facing criticism for your earlier handling of the pandemic and with New York City the hotspot of the entire nation. Millions of lives are at stake, and under such circumstances, it’s possible that you misspoke.
I interacted with an ultra-Orthodox rabbi in Brooklyn today. He told me that people in his community have already died of the virus.
Please also understand that from our perspective, as lovers of God and lovers of life, your harsh threats are all the more hypocritical and glaring when we realize that you have allowed abortion facilities to remain open during the crisis.
An old friend of the family told me that she and her husband both have the virus, that their daughter now has the virus, and that a 57-year-old friend of theirs just died from the virus.
So, do what you have to do, within the bounds of law, to protect your citizens.
You Can Make This Right
But do not needlessly provoke religious leaders and believers who, as you noted in your press conference, have done a great job of complying. (And may I ask why you did not threaten mosques with closure? Is this because none of them violated the bans? Or was there another reason?)
Please also understand that from our perspective, as lovers of God and lovers of life, your harsh threats are all the more hypocritical and glaring when we realize that you have allowed abortion facilities to remain open during the crisis. The elective slaughtering of babies in the womb is considered an essential service, but Jewish and Christian believers who would dare gather together to pray are threatened with permanent closure of their buildings.
Something is terribly wrong with this picture, sir, and you are the only one who can make it right. Please do.
(For my video comments, see here.)
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Jezebel’s War With America: The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-03-31--Even on COVID-19, Left and Right Are Divided

If there is one thing on which you ’ d think left and right could agree , it would be the proper response to the present coronavirus .
After all , COVID-19 doesn ’ t distinguish between left and right : Conservatives and liberals are just as likely to contract and even die from it .
Yet , it ’ s amazing how consistently left and right differ on even this issue .
Virtually every opinion piece in The New York Times , The Washington Post and every other mainstream , i.e.
, left-wing , journal share two characteristics : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ die ) and an unshakeable conviction that to prevent mass death , the world ’ s economy must be shut down .
Meanwhile , virtually every opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal and on just about every conservative website contains less foreboding and asks more questions about whether the cure may be worse than the disease .
March 16 : The Hoover Institution published a piece by Richard A. Epstein that ’ s thesis was : “ I believe that the current dire models radically overestimate the ultimate death toll.
” March @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Victor Davis Hanson ’ s piece that ’ s thesis was : “ Our response could prove as harmful as the virus itself.
” March 17 : My column titled “ Why the Remedy May Be Worse Than the Disease ” appeared on many conservative sites .
March 19 : The lead Wall Street Journal editorial was titled “ Rethinking the Coronavirus Shutdown.
” March 19 : A column titled “ Will the Costs of a Great Depression Outweigh the Risks of Coronavirus ?
” appeared on The Federalist ’ s website .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ published a column by two Stanford professors of medicine titled “ Is the Coronavirus as Deadly as They Say ?
” Meanwhile , the liberal and left-wing media published hundreds of articles warning us of millions of deaths if we don ’ t shut down the American economy .
Or take the example of President Donald Trump ’ s announcement at a press conference on March 19 that hydroxychloroquine had “ shown really good promise ” in helping to cure COVID-19 .
Virtually every left-wing news medium mocked him for making that claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus They implicitly or explicitly blamed the president for the death of an Arizona man who ingested a fish tank cleaner because it contained chloroquine phosphate ( because the name sounds similar to hydroxychloroquine ) .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
March 24 : CBS News published a story headlined “ Arizona Man Dies , Wife Ill After Taking Drug Touted as Virus Treatment : ‘ Trump Kept Saying It Was Basically Pretty Much a Cure . '
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply lied about that story in order to blame the president : “ A Man Died After Self-Medicating With a Form of a Drug That Trump Promoted as a Potential Treatment for the Coronavirus.
” March 24 : The left-wing St. Louis Post-Dispatch did the same in its headline : “ Man Dies After Taking Chloroquine Phosphate , Additive in Drug Touted by Trump as COVID-19 Treatment.
” March 24 : The Democratic governor of Nevada , Steve Sisolak , issued an order that , in the words of the Nevada Health Response @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dispensing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for a COVID-19 diagnosis.
” A particularly egregious example of the left-right divide on the coronavirus response appeared in The Washington Post on March 27 .
One of its columnists , Max Boot , wrote : “ Radio host Dennis Prager bemoaned our unwillingness to sacrifice lives as we did during World War II , saying ‘ that attitude leads to appeasement ’ and ‘ cowardice.
’ The United States lost 418,500 people in World War II … but it would be far worse to lose 2.2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. death toll if we let the novel coronavirus spread unimpeded.
” On my radio show and in my weekly PragerU “ Fireside Chat , ” I criticized New York state Gov .
Andrew Cuomo for the way he defended shutting down his state : “ I want to be able to say to the people of New York : I did everything we could do .
… And if everything we do saves just one life , I ’ ll be happy.
” It is hard to imagine a more morally absurd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is not worth depriving millions of people of their incomes , forcing thousands of companies to go out of business , causing recovering addicts to lapse back into addiction and much more economic and social damage to “ save one life.
” As we are fighting a “ war ” against the virus , I used a war analogy to make my point .
I noted that if we had fought World War II with the attitude that we can not lose one life , we would never have fought the Nazis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we do not make any social policy based on saving one life .
For example , every time we raise the speed limit , we know thousands more people will die .
But the left went nuts .
Max Boot in The Washington Post is only one example .
So , then , why this left-right gulf ?
One reason , as I have written previously , is that hysteria is to the left what oxygen is to biological life .
Leftists pride themselves on being rational .
But the further left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason .
A second reason is hatred of Trump .
On the left , damaging Trump is more important than truth and more important than the welfare of the American people .
If Trump believes hydroxychloroquine offers hope , let ’ s debunk its usefulness .
A third reason is leftists are afraid — of life and of death .
Fear of life is why they build “ safe spaces ” on campuses for students who can not handle a visiting speaker with whom they differ .
And they are afraid of death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s famous cry , “ Give me liberty , or give me death !
” incomprehensible , if not downright foolish .
Even COVID-19 has brought no cease-fire in the ongoing American civil war .
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist .
His latest book , published by Regnery in May 2019 , is The Rational Bible , a commentary on the book of Genesis .
His film , “ No Safe Spaces , ” came to theaters fall 2019 .
He is the founder of Prager University @ @ @ @ @ @ @

If there is one thing on which you’d think left and right could agree, it would be the proper response to the present coronavirus. After all, COVID-19 doesn’t distinguish between left and right: Conservatives and liberals are just as likely to contract and even die from it.
Yet, it’s amazing how consistently left and right differ on even this issue.
Virtually every opinion piece in The New York Times, The Washington Post and every other mainstream, i.e., left-wing, journal share two characteristics: a sense of foreboding (millions will die) and an unshakeable conviction that to prevent mass death, the world’s economy must be shut down.
Meanwhile, virtually every opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal and on just about every conservative website contains less foreboding and asks more questions about whether the cure may be worse than the disease.
Some Examples
To cite some examples:
March 11: Ben Shapiro published a piece titled “Our Fears About Coronavirus Are Overblown.”
March 16: The Hoover Institution published a piece by Richard A. Epstein that’s thesis was: “I believe that the current dire models radically overestimate the ultimate death toll.”
March 16: City Journal published conservative thinker Victor Davis Hanson’s piece that’s thesis was: “Our response could prove as harmful as the virus itself.”
March 17: My column titled “Why the Remedy May Be Worse Than the Disease” appeared on many conservative sites.
March 19: The lead Wall Street Journal editorial was titled “Rethinking the Coronavirus Shutdown.”
March 19: A column titled “Will the Costs of a Great Depression Outweigh the Risks of Coronavirus?” appeared on The Federalist’s website.
March 24: The Wall Street Journal published a column by two Stanford professors of medicine titled “Is the Coronavirus as Deadly as They Say?”
Meanwhile, the liberal and left-wing media published hundreds of articles warning us of millions of deaths if we don’t shut down the American economy.
Or take the example of President Donald Trump’s announcement at a press conference on March 19 that hydroxychloroquine had “shown really good promise” in helping to cure COVID-19.
Virtually every left-wing news medium mocked him for making that claim.
The Left’s Take on Coronavirus
March 21: “AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s Breathless Takes on Drugs for Virus.”
They implicitly or explicitly blamed the president for the death of an Arizona man who ingested a fish tank cleaner because it contained chloroquine phosphate (because the name sounds similar to hydroxychloroquine).
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
March 24: CBS News published a story headlined “Arizona Man Dies, Wife Ill After Taking Drug Touted as Virus Treatment: ‘Trump Kept Saying It Was Basically Pretty Much a Cure.'”
March 24: The left-wing site BuzzFeed simply lied about that story in order to blame the president: “A Man Died After Self-Medicating With a Form of a Drug That Trump Promoted as a Potential Treatment for the Coronavirus.”
March 24: The left-wing St. Louis Post-Dispatch did the same in its headline: “Man Dies After Taking Chloroquine Phosphate, Additive in Drug Touted by Trump as COVID-19 Treatment.”
March 24: The Democratic governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak, issued an order that, in the words of the Nevada Health Response, “prohibits (the) prescribing and dispensing chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine for a COVID-19 diagnosis.”
The Left-Right Divide
A particularly egregious example of the left-right divide on the coronavirus response appeared in The Washington Post on March 27. One of its columnists, Max Boot, wrote:
“Radio host Dennis Prager bemoaned our unwillingness to sacrifice lives as we did during World War II, saying ‘that attitude leads to appeasement’ and ‘cowardice.’ The United States lost 418,500 people in World War II … but it would be far worse to lose 2.2 million civilians — the worst-case estimate of the U.S. death toll if we let the novel coronavirus spread unimpeded.”
On my radio show and in my weekly PragerU “Fireside Chat,” I criticized New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the way he defended shutting down his state: “I want to be able to say to the people of New York: I did everything we could do. … And if everything we do saves just one life, I’ll be happy.”
It is hard to imagine a more morally absurd sentiment. Anyone who thinks rationally knows it is not worth depriving millions of people of their incomes, forcing thousands of companies to go out of business, causing recovering addicts to lapse back into addiction and much more economic and social damage to “save one life.”
As we are fighting a “war” against the virus, I used a war analogy to make my point. I noted that if we had fought World War II with the attitude that we cannot lose one life, we would never have fought the Nazis or the Japanese. I further noted that we do not make any social policy based on saving one life. For example, every time we raise the speed limit, we know thousands more people will die.
But the left went nuts. Max Boot in The Washington Post is only one example.
What’s the Deal?
So, then, why this left-right gulf?
One reason, as I have written previously, is that hysteria is to the left what oxygen is to biological life. Leftists pride themselves on being rational. But the further left one goes, the more feelings displace reason.
A second reason is hatred of Trump. On the left, damaging Trump is more important than truth and more important than the welfare of the American people. If Trump believes hydroxychloroquine offers hope, let’s debunk its usefulness.
A third reason is leftists are afraid — of life and of death. Fear of life is why they build “safe spaces” on campuses for students who cannot handle a visiting speaker with whom they differ. And they are afraid of death. They undoubtedly find Patrick Henry’s famous cry, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” incomprehensible, if not downright foolish.
Even COVID-19 has brought no cease-fire in the ongoing American civil war.
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His latest book, published by Regnery in May 2019, is The Rational Bible, a commentary on the book of Genesis. His film, “No Safe Spaces,” came to theaters fall 2019. He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com.
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thestream--2020-03-31--Cuomo’s Stirring COVID-19 Speech Exposes His Own Abortion Guilt

Did you see , or read about , New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ’ s stirring defense of the sanctity of human life ?
If not , you should .
The Democrat ’ s remarks came last Tuesday , March 24 , during a daily COVID-19 press briefing at New York City ’ s Javits Center .
“ My mother is not expendable and your mother is not expendable and our brothers and sisters are not expendable , ” Cuomo declared , cutting off any thought of government policy aimed at letting the elderly die for the sake of money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to accept a premise that human life is disposable and we ’ re not going to put a dollar figure on human life .
The first order of business is save lives , period , whatever it costs.
” Trump and Cuomo Agree : Saving Human Lives is the No .
1 Goal In saying this , he agreed with President Donald Trump .
It was Trump who recently stated that the entire COVID-19 strategy of shutting down the economy was about one thing : “ saving human lives.
” Trump said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maximum number of lives .
Everything else is going to come back .
A life is never going to come back.
” Another way of saying what Cuomo did .
Further , Trump and Cuomo both warned that the economy must soon be restarted , lest a deepened recession or even depression threaten human lives in other ways than germs .
Both men said there is a risk if you miss the timing of restarting economic activity .
Both rejected the false choice of ‘ the elderly or the economy.
’ Cuomo said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Both men affirmed that we can , and must , do both — and at some point soon , we must do them simultaneously .
“ I believe you can have an intelligent , refined public health strategy , ” Cuomo said .
“ You can do both .
but not in a clumsy , ham-handed way .
‘ Well , we ’ ll just sacrifice old people , they ’ re old people anyway and the old get left behind.
’ What is this ?
Some modern Darwinian theory of natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up so the band is going to leave you behind ?
God forbid.
” God forbid , indeed .
Nobody on either side of the political divide is saying human life should be sacrificed for economic expediency .
But wait .
Tragically , Gov .
Andrew Cuomo actually does believe that .
When Sacrificing Human Life for Economic Expediency is Deemed Okay Cuomo ’ s eloquent defense of the sanctity of life is only for some , not all .
He excludes unborn human beings , who are victims of an American abortion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lives .
Most for the sake of economic expediency .
The fact is that Andrew Cuomo was a champion for New York ’ s radical 2019 abortion law .
That law allows the killing of an innocent human life up to birth .
Passing this law had the New York legislature cheering and dancing in the aisles .
It caused the powers-that-be in New York to light up the Millennium Tower in pink to celebrate .
Some rightly stated it should have been blood red .
That law was all about sacrificing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abortion is usually about human comfort and advancement , which usually involves money .
“ Sacrificing human beings for the economy ” could be Planned Parenthood ’ s tagline .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
Governor Cuomo is a smart , aware adult .
He isn ’ t ignorant of these facts .
He should know most abortion is about putting a “ price tag ” on a human life .
He should know it ’ s about sacrificing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for some sort of expedient reason .
He should know that abortion is a billion-dollar industrial machine with a marketing arm to lure women into making the most “ convenient ” decision .
Further , he should know that abortion is the killing of a full , innocent human life .
A fertilized egg has his or her own individual human DNA .
The heartbeat starts before any abortions are done .
Brain waves come within 45 days .
Ultrasounds are slam-dunk evidence of the humanity of the child in the womb .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for abortions up to and during birth .
Trump and Cuomo Could Face Each Other in November Christians should remember that difference between President Trump , who is prolife , and Governor Cuomo , who led the charge for New York ’ s abortion law .
These men could face each other for the presidency in November .
Should the Democrat Party ’ s presumptive nominee Joe Biden continue to exhibit cognitive issues of aging , pressure will build on Democrat power-brokers to replace him .
Cuomo ’ s name is increasingly being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sunday titled , “ ‘ President Cuomo ’ is New Daydream for Those Fretting Over Biden.
” ) Andrew Cuomo is a tragic figure .
He has put his own soul on trial .
His recent defense of the sanctity of life can be used as a measure to judge his participation in abortion .
And this judgment is not just by the American people .
Jesus , before whom Andrew Cuomo and all of us will appear , said , “ By your standard of measure , it will be measured to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cuomo is right to say , “ God forbid ” that we should ever allow innocent humans to die for expediency ’ s sake .
He ’ s wrong — heartbreakingly so — to be willfully blind that “ God forbid ” applies to the very young as well as the very aged .
Their blood cries out to heaven even as New York has celebrated their deaths .
How I wish leaders like Cuomo would allow themselves to see that and turn America back from our awful path .
Christopher Corbett is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an array of non-profit policy organizations and ministries .
He was founding chairman of a prolife crisis pregnancy center in California , and holds a degree in political science from the University of Chicago .

Did you see, or read about, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s stirring defense of the sanctity of human life? If not, you should. The Democrat’s remarks came last Tuesday, March 24, during a daily COVID-19 press briefing at New York City’s Javits Center.
“My mother is not expendable and your mother is not expendable and our brothers and sisters are not expendable,” Cuomo declared, cutting off any thought of government policy aimed at letting the elderly die for the sake of money. “We’re not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable and we’re not going to put a dollar figure on human life. The first order of business is save lives, period, whatever it costs.”
Trump and Cuomo Agree: Saving Human Lives is the No. 1 Goal
In saying this, he agreed with President Donald Trump. It was Trump who recently stated that the entire COVID-19 strategy of shutting down the economy was about one thing: “saving human lives.” Trump said, “We are looking to save the maximum number of lives. Everything else is going to come back. A life is never going to come back.” Another way of saying what Cuomo did.
Further, Trump and Cuomo both warned that the economy must soon be restarted, lest a deepened recession or even depression threaten human lives in other ways than germs. Both men said there is a risk if you miss the timing of restarting economic activity. Both rejected the false choice of ‘the elderly or the economy.’ Cuomo said it can’t be “either/or.’ Both men affirmed that we can, and must, do both — and at some point soon, we must do them simultaneously.
“What is this? Some modern Darwinian theory of natural selection? You can’t keep up so the band is going to leave you behind? God forbid.” — Gov. Andrew Cuomo
“I believe you can have an intelligent, refined public health strategy,” Cuomo said. “You can do both. but not in a clumsy, ham-handed way. ‘Well, we’ll just sacrifice old people, they’re old people anyway and the old get left behind.’ What is this? Some modern Darwinian theory of natural selection? You can’t keep up so the band is going to leave you behind? God forbid.”
God forbid, indeed. Nobody on either side of the political divide is saying human life should be sacrificed for economic expediency.
But wait. Tragically, Gov. Andrew Cuomo actually does believe that.
When Sacrificing Human Life for Economic Expediency is Deemed Okay
Cuomo’s eloquent defense of the sanctity of life is only for some, not all. He excludes unborn human beings, who are victims of an American abortion holocaust that has claimed tens of millions of lives. Most for the sake of economic expediency. The fact is that Andrew Cuomo was a champion for New York’s radical 2019 abortion law. That law allows the killing of an innocent human life up to birth. Passing this law had the New York legislature cheering and dancing in the aisles. It caused the powers-that-be in New York to light up the Millennium Tower in pink to celebrate. Some rightly stated it should have been blood red.
That law was all about sacrificing human lives for expediency and economics. Abortion is usually about human comfort and advancement, which usually involves money. “Sacrificing human beings for the economy” could be Planned Parenthood’s tagline.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Governor Cuomo is a smart, aware adult. He isn’t ignorant of these facts. He should know most abortion is about putting a “price tag” on a human life. He should know it’s about sacrificing a potential mother or brother or sister for some sort of expedient reason. He should know that abortion is a billion-dollar industrial machine with a marketing arm to lure women into making the most “convenient” decision.
Further, he should know that abortion is the killing of a full, innocent human life. A fertilized egg has his or her own individual human DNA. The heartbeat starts before any abortions are done. Brain waves come within 45 days. Ultrasounds are slam-dunk evidence of the humanity of the child in the womb. Knowing this, Gov. Cuomo pushed for abortions up to and during birth.
Trump and Cuomo Could Face Each Other in November
Christians should remember that difference between President Trump, who is prolife, and Governor Cuomo, who led the charge for New York’s abortion law. These men could face each other for the presidency in November. Should the Democrat Party’s presumptive nominee Joe Biden continue to exhibit cognitive issues of aging, pressure will build on Democrat power-brokers to replace him. Cuomo’s name is increasingly being mentioned. (Bloomberg ran an article Sunday titled, “‘President Cuomo’ is New Daydream for Those Fretting Over Biden.”)
Andrew Cuomo is a tragic figure. He has put his own soul on trial. His recent defense of the sanctity of life can be used as a measure to judge his participation in abortion. And this judgment is not just by the American people.
Jesus, before whom Andrew Cuomo and all of us will appear, said, “By your standard of measure, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2).
Cuomo is right to say, “God forbid” that we should ever allow innocent humans to die for expediency’s sake. He’s wrong — heartbreakingly so — to be willfully blind that “God forbid” applies to the very young as well as the very aged. Their blood cries out to heaven even as New York has celebrated their deaths. How I wish leaders like Cuomo would allow themselves to see that and turn America back from our awful path.
Christopher Corbett is a writer and communications strategist working with an array of non-profit policy organizations and ministries. He was founding chairman of a prolife crisis pregnancy center in California, and holds a degree in political science from the University of Chicago.


thestream--2020-03-31--Military Photo of the Day: Aerial Operations With the Royal Netherlands Air Force

A U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit and a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II conduct aerial operations over the @ @ @ @ @ , 2020 .
Thank you to Master Sgt .
Matthew Plew for capturing this image @ @ @ @ @ Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .

A U.S. Air Force B-2A Spirit and a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning II conduct aerial operations over the North Sea on March 18, 2020.
Thank you to Master Sgt. Matthew Plew for capturing this image.
React to This Article What do you think of our coverage in this article? We value your feedback as we continue to grow.


thestream--2020-03-31--1 Million Americans Tested for Coronavirus; Rate Now 100,000 Per Day

A total of 1 million tests for the coronavirus now have been administered , President Donald Trump announced Monday evening during a Rose Garden press conference .
On a table outside the White House , Trump demonstrated two COVID-19 tests that can be completed within five to 15 minutes .
“ Today we reached a historic milestone in our war against the coronavirus .
Over 1 million Americans have now been tested , more than any other country by far .
Not even close , and tested accurately , ” Trump said .
The news comes a day after Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that originally were set to lapse today would be extended until April 30 and that the government expects U.S. deaths from the contagious disease to peak in two weeks before declining .
Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
“ By very vigorously following these guidelines , we could save more than 1 million American lives , ” Trump said Monday .
“ Our future is in our own hands , and the choices and sacrifices we make will determine the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the fate of our victory.
” “ We will have a great victory , ” he added .
“ We have no other choice .
Every one of us has a role to play in winning this war.
” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the U.S. has 140,904 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,405 total deaths .
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar thanked the “ many American companies , entrepreneurs , and scientists ” who made the boost in testing possible .
“ We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , also a level that no other country has reached , ” Azar said .
Trump asked several corporate CEOs to speak , including from Honeywell International Inc. , Procter & Gamble Co. , and MyPillow .
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said his company has deployed 75 % of its employees to produce cotton face masks .
Lindell went on to read remarks that he said he wrote “ off the cuff , ” lauding Trump ’ s leadership and calling for the country to use this time of crisis to return to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of our schools and lives .
A nation had turned its back on God , ” Lindell said .
“ I encourage you , use this time at home to get back in the word .
Read our Bibles and spend time with our families.
” During the press conference , Trump chose to duel with a longtime antagonist , CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta .
“ What do you say to Americans who are upset with you over the way you downplayed this crisis over the last couple of months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a series of Trump quotes from February and early March suggesting that the coronavirus was under control .
Trump said the statements were true and that Acosta was trying to cause panic .
“ It will go away .
I do want them to stay calm .
If you look at those individual statements , they ’ re all true .
Stay calm , ” Trump said .
“ It will go away .
You know it is going away .
It will go away and we are going to have a great @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you and CNN that say things like that , it ’ s why people just don ’ t want to listen to CNN .
You could ask a normal question .
The statements I made are that I want to keep the country calm .
I don ’ t want panic in the country .
I could cause panic , much better than even you .
It would make you look like a minor league player .
But you know what , I don ’ t want to do that .
I want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong and fight and win .
And it will go away .
And it is incredible the job that all of these people … are doing .
I am very proud of the job they ’ re doing .
… It ’ s almost a miracle , and it is , the way it has all come together .
Instead of asking a nasty , snarky question like that , you should ask a real question .
Fred Lucas ( @ FredLucasWH ) is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ History ” podcast .

A total of 1 million tests for the coronavirus now have been administered, President Donald Trump announced Monday evening during a Rose Garden press conference.
On a table outside the White House, Trump demonstrated two COVID-19 tests that can be completed within five to 15 minutes.
“Today we reached a historic milestone in our war against the coronavirus. Over 1 million Americans have now been tested, more than any other country by far. Not even close, and tested accurately,” Trump said.
The news comes a day after Trump announced that social distancing and sanitary guidelines that originally were set to lapse today would be extended until April 30 and that the government expects U.S. deaths from the contagious disease to peak in two weeks before declining.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“By very vigorously following these guidelines, we could save more than 1 million American lives,” Trump said Monday. “Our future is in our own hands, and the choices and sacrifices we make will determine the fate of this virus and, really, the fate of our victory.”
“We will have a great victory,” he added. “We have no other choice. Every one of us has a role to play in winning this war.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has 140,904 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,405 total deaths.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar thanked the “many American companies, entrepreneurs, and scientists” who made the boost in testing possible.
“We are now testing nearly 100,000 samples a day, also a level that no other country has reached,” Azar said.
Trump asked several corporate CEOs to speak, including from Honeywell International Inc., Procter & Gamble Co., and MyPillow.
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell said his company has deployed 75% of its employees to produce cotton face masks.
Lindell went on to read remarks that he said he wrote “off the cuff,” lauding Trump’s leadership and calling for the country to use this time of crisis to return to God.
“God had been taken out of our schools and lives. A nation had turned its back on God,” Lindell said. “I encourage you, use this time at home to get back in the word. Read our Bibles and spend time with our families.”
During the press conference, Trump chose to duel with a longtime antagonist, CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta.
“What do you say to Americans who are upset with you over the way you downplayed this crisis over the last couple of months?” Acosta asked, then read a series of Trump quotes from February and early March suggesting that the coronavirus was under control.
Trump said the statements were true and that Acosta was trying to cause panic.
“It will go away. I do want them to stay calm. If you look at those individual statements, they’re all true. Stay calm,” Trump said. “It will go away. You know it is going away. It will go away and we are going to have a great victory.”
Trump continued:
It’s people like you and CNN that say things like that, it’s why people just don’t want to listen to CNN. You could ask a normal question. The statements I made are that I want to keep the country calm. I don’t want panic in the country. I could cause panic, much better than even you. It would make you look like a minor league player. But you know what, I don’t want to do that. I want to have our country be calm and strong and fight and win. And it will go away. And it is incredible the job that all of these people … are doing. I am very proud of the job they’re doing. … It’s almost a miracle, and it is, the way it has all come together. Instead of asking a nasty, snarky question like that, you should ask a real question.
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--2020-03-31--The Challenge of Getting Truth on Origin of Chinese Virus

One day , we ’ re going to know not just how the Wuhan coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) came to be a pandemic but how it came to “ be ” in the first place .
Right now , though , it ’ s tough to find reliable information .
Politics , not science , informs ( infects ? )
most media commentary , and that applies not just to what ’ s being said but what is not said .
( Aside : This is especially true with the promise of hydroxychloroquine/zithromycin/zinc therapy that we ’ ve been staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s amazing how , with 24/7 coronavirus coverage , so much information can be ignored in favor of the same fake stories over and over .
CNN , MSNBC and other outlets are so loaded with misinformation — which we often debunk here — that one might as well be listening to Nancy Pelosi .
Or the Chinese Communist Party .
We see that when public officials contradict President Trump or say things that otherwise further the anti-Trump narrative , they get love and kisses from the media .
But as soon as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even ( yikes ! )
agree with him , the media turn on them and try to shut them down , sometimes not bothering to air their reports .
“ Dr .
Birx and Dr. Fauci are not political people , ” former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz said Sunday evening on Steve Hilton ’ s show .
“ They worked in the administration when it was the Obama administration .
These are serious scientists who have the lead ; there ’ s a reason why the President , time after time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people not to see these … health care professionals giving advice , telling them what needs to be done , advising the President , does a total disservice to the American public .
But I think the American public , fortunately , figures that out.
” Support The Stream : Serving the Body During This Crisis With Facts .
Faith .
And No Fear .
I would add that just as these researchers aren ’ t politicians , neither is President Trump , really .
It ’ s refreshing to have someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk in focus-grouped politi-speak and is candid with us .
On the rare occasions when something he says doesn ’ t ring true — such as a positive word he might say about Chinese leadership — we know he has solid diplomatic reasons for putting it out there .
Anyway , certain scientists and elected representatives have been trying for months to uncover the real source of the virus and what China did in the early weeks of their epidemic that allowed it to become a raging pandemic that has killed over 2,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been very cloak-and-dagger about it by hiding evidence , refusing to admit American scientists from the CDC , “ disappearing ” doctors and researchers , and expelling American journalists who might sneak the truth out to the rest of the world .
Arkansas Rep. Tom Cotton , appearing on Sunday Morning Futures , referred to a study published in The Lancet that concluded the virus did not originally come from the “ wet market ” in Wuhan .
Cotton was really the first elected official to express serious concern about the emerging virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 , when he called it “ the biggest and most important story in the world ” and asserted that China was lying about it .
He could see it didn ’ t make sense that China was downplaying the virus while “ locking 75 million people into their homes and apartment buildings , ” he told Maria Bartiromo .
And they ’ re still lying .
“ You see it again today , ” Cotton said .
China announced they had no new cases , no more deaths , but they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after having them open for a few days .
Certainly they wouldn ’ t do that unless what they ’ re telling us about the end of the contagion is false .
Cotton also noted that a single mortuary in Wuhan has just ordered more than 5,000 urns .
The Chinese Communist Party lies because it ’ s the Chinese Communist Party , just as a scorpion stings because it ’ s a scorpion .
They ’ re behaving exactly as one would expect the Chi-Coms to behave when trying to cover up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We Still Don ’ t Know Much You can bet that when Trump says something gracious about the president of China , he ’ s well aware of that deception .
There are many elements at play , such as the reality that much of our basic productive capacity for making medicines was outsourced to China long ago .
As Cotton said , “ I think most Americans have been shocked to learn that we depend upon China for things like penicillin , antibiotics , ibuprofen , acetaminophen , to say nothing of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have to change , but it can ’ t happen overnight .
Cotton is sponsoring legislation to use tax incentives and the government ’ s purchasing power to bring this manufacturing back to the U.S. and eventually halt the importation of all Chinese drugs .
A month ago , Cotton was saying we didn ’ t know where the virus originated but that we had to get to the bottom of it .
He pointed out that just a few miles from the wild-animal “ food ” market where they ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s one-and-only biosafety Level 4 superlaboratory that researches human infectious diseases .
“ Now , we don ’ t have evidence that this disease originated there , ” he said at the time , “ [ but ] because of China ’ s duplicity and dishonesty from the beginning , we need to at least ask the question to see what the evidence says , and China right now is not giving any evidence on that question at all.
” We don ’ t know much more than we did a month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is very little .
But we now know the virus did not originate in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market as China claimed .
That ’ s right : It didn ’ t “ jump ” from one of the live delicacies they sell there such as badgers and koala bears ( kid you not ) to a human host , and even the Chi-Coms can ’ t continue to claim that it did .
They had to ‘ fess up in February .
But as early as December , this was known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that of the first 40 cases of coronavirus , 14 of them had no contact with that infamous market .
So , the virus had to have been brought by someone into that market , which became an “ accelerant ” for its spread .
The market is crowded and dirty , with animals crammed into filthy cages to await their fate .
Customers reportedly prefer to watch their future meal being slaughtered .
Isn ’ t multiculturalism great ?
China ’ s Failure to Contain the Outbreak Rep. Cotton said we still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in this lab .
It sure would be interesting to know if even one of those first 14 cases not having any connection to the market did have a connection to the lab .
Is it possible that any of these infections can somehow be traced back there ?
Inquiring minds want to know .
It should be said that the study of this particular virus wasn ’ t necessarily sinister .
It ’ s their failure to contain the outbreak and then lying about it that led to many thousands dying around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This Level 4 biolab has apparently researched coronaviruses before , and there are legitimate reasons for doing so .
I would strongly suggest , however , that in the future they might want to think about doing it at Level 5 .
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events .
A New York Times best-selling author , he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN .

One day, we’re going to know not just how the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) came to be a pandemic but how it came to “be” in the first place. Right now, though, it’s tough to find reliable information. Politics, not science, informs (infects?) most media commentary, and that applies not just to what’s being said but what is not said. (Aside: This is especially true with the promise of hydroxychloroquine/zithromycin/zinc therapy that we’ve been staying on top of.)
The Media’s Rampant Misinformation
It’s amazing how, with 24/7 coronavirus coverage, so much information can be ignored in favor of the same fake stories over and over. CNN, MSNBC and other outlets are so loaded with misinformation — which we often debunk here — that one might as well be listening to Nancy Pelosi. Or the Chinese Communist Party.
We see that when public officials contradict President Trump or say things that otherwise further the anti-Trump narrative, they get love and kisses from the media. But as soon as they find reason to temper their comments or even (yikes!) agree with him, the media turn on them and try to shut them down, sometimes not bothering to air their reports.
“Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci are not political people,” former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz said Sunday evening on Steve Hilton’s show. “They worked in the administration when it was the Obama administration. These are serious scientists who have the lead; there’s a reason why the President, time after time, brings them out … and for the American people not to see these … health care professionals giving advice, telling them what needs to be done, advising the President, does a total disservice to the American public. But I think the American public, fortunately, figures that out.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
I would add that just as these researchers aren’t politicians, neither is President Trump, really. It’s refreshing to have someone in office who doesn’t just talk in focus-grouped politi-speak and is candid with us. On the rare occasions when something he says doesn’t ring true — such as a positive word he might say about Chinese leadership — we know he has solid diplomatic reasons for putting it out there.
China is Still Lying
Anyway, certain scientists and elected representatives have been trying for months to uncover the real source of the virus and what China did in the early weeks of their epidemic that allowed it to become a raging pandemic that has killed over 2,000 Americans. The Chinese Communist regime has been very cloak-and-dagger about it by hiding evidence, refusing to admit American scientists from the CDC, “disappearing” doctors and researchers, and expelling American journalists who might sneak the truth out to the rest of the world.
Arkansas Rep. Tom Cotton, appearing on Sunday Morning Futures, referred to a study published in The Lancet that concluded the virus did not originally come from the “wet market” in Wuhan. Cotton was really the first elected official to express serious concern about the emerging virus. He nailed it back on January 30, when he called it “the biggest and most important story in the world” and asserted that China was lying about it. He could see it didn’t make sense that China was downplaying the virus while “locking 75 million people into their homes and apartment buildings,” he told Maria Bartiromo.
And they’re still lying. “You see it again today,” Cotton said. China announced they had no new cases, no more deaths, but they’ve just re-closed the movie theaters nationwide after having them open for a few days. Certainly they wouldn’t do that unless what they’re telling us about the end of the contagion is false. Cotton also noted that a single mortuary in Wuhan has just ordered more than 5,000 urns. The Chinese Communist Party lies because it’s the Chinese Communist Party, just as a scorpion stings because it’s a scorpion. They’re behaving exactly as one would expect the Chi-Coms to behave when trying to cover up the biggest story in the world.
We Still Don’t Know Much
You can bet that when Trump says something gracious about the president of China, he’s well aware of that deception. There are many elements at play, such as the reality that much of our basic productive capacity for making medicines was outsourced to China long ago. As Cotton said, “I think most Americans have been shocked to learn that we depend upon China for things like penicillin, antibiotics, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, to say nothing of dozens of basic pharmaceutical ingredients.” That will have to change, but it can’t happen overnight. Cotton is sponsoring legislation to use tax incentives and the government’s purchasing power to bring this manufacturing back to the U.S. and eventually halt the importation of all Chinese drugs.
A month ago, Cotton was saying we didn’t know where the virus originated but that we had to get to the bottom of it. He pointed out that just a few miles from the wild-animal “food” market where they’d said the virus broke out is China’s one-and-only biosafety Level 4 superlaboratory that researches human infectious diseases. “Now, we don’t have evidence that this disease originated there,” he said at the time, “[but] because of China’s duplicity and dishonesty from the beginning, we need to at least ask the question to see what the evidence says, and China right now is not giving any evidence on that question at all.”
We don’t know much more than we did a month ago, Cotton said Sunday, and that is very little. But we now know the virus did not originate in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market as China claimed. That’s right: It didn’t “jump” from one of the live delicacies they sell there such as badgers and koala bears (kid you not) to a human host, and even the Chi-Coms can’t continue to claim that it did. They had to ‘fess up in February. But as early as December, this was known; The Lancet published a study showing that of the first 40 cases of coronavirus, 14 of them had no contact with that infamous market.
So, the virus had to have been brought by someone into that market, which became an “accelerant” for its spread. The market is crowded and dirty, with animals crammed into filthy cages to await their fate. Customers reportedly prefer to watch their future meal being slaughtered. Isn’t multiculturalism great?
China’s Failure to Contain the Outbreak
Rep. Cotton said we still don’t know what they do in this lab. It sure would be interesting to know if even one of those first 14 cases not having any connection to the market did have a connection to the lab. Is it possible that any of these infections can somehow be traced back there? Inquiring minds want to know.
It should be said that the study of this particular virus wasn’t necessarily sinister. It’s their failure to contain the outbreak and then lying about it that led to many thousands dying around the world — that’s sinister. This Level 4 biolab has apparently researched coronaviruses before, and there are legitimate reasons for doing so. I would strongly suggest, however, that in the future they might want to think about doing it at Level 5.
Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events. A New York Times best-selling author, he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN.
Originally published at MikeHuckabee.com. Reprinted with permission.