pl
RSS- Supreme Court oral arguments to be heard on April 25 about presidential immunity for official acts
- Nasa’s Voyager-1 sends usable data from deep space
- The Wondrous Oak
- Three Seas Summit: Vilnius 2024
- Tit for tat until it all goes boom
- Deadly H5N1 avian influenza strain detected on mainland Antarctica
- “BYD is launching its next-gen Blade EV battery soon with more range and even lower cost”
- Iran launches air attacks on Israel
- ISW on the developing Ukrainian defense industrial base and Russias strikes on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure
- Britain? Kaput! By Walrus.
https://abc7chicago.com/at-least-70-shot-10-fatally-including-4-children-in-violent-weekend/6259526/
Will anybody protest?
https://youtu.be/SWmw3IzdDVQ
From Tucker Carlson.
Putin’s recent article in The National Interest is an outstanding read. Love him or hate him, there is much REASON in his words, perspective and conclusions. I’d give my left nut to see and hear Trump speak with such courage and eloquence. Judging from what I have seen to date, I fear not for said nut.
link: https://nationalinterest.org/feature/vladimir-putin-real-lessons-75th-anniversary-world-war-ii-162982?fbclid=IwAR3kSQmuFz5IfoWQ3KWr-O_9DvDSV1sYQFFfNfewG-PE-wrs9qr9n8KW8IQ
Terence,
It is Black Lives, not black on black violence, that matter to those who wield rhetoric – like the democrats running Chicago.
From an alleged media research and review organization: Trust, but verify.
COVID-19 – what we now know today
Overview
According to the latest immunological and serological studies, the overall lethality of Covid-19 (IFR) is about 0.1% and thus in the range of a strong seasonal influenza (flu).
In countries like the US, the UK, and also Sweden (without a lockdown), overall mortality since the beginning of the year is in the range of a strong influenza season; in countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland, overall mortality is in the range of a mild influenza season.
Even in global “hotspots”, the risk of death for the general population of school and working age is typically in the range of a daily car ride to work.
The risk was initially overestimated because many people with only mild or no symptoms were not taken into account.
Up to 80% of all test-positive persons remain symptom-free. Even among 70-79 year olds, about 60% remain symptom-free. Over 95% of all persons develop at most moderate symptoms.
Up to 60% of all persons may already have a certain cellular background immunity to Covid19 due to contact with previous coronaviruses (i.e. common cold viruses).
The median or average age of the deceased in most countries (including Italy) is over 80 years and only about 4% of the deceased had no serious preconditions. The age and risk profile of deaths thus essentially corresponds to normal mortality.
In many countries, up to two thirds of all extra deaths occurred in nursing homes, which do not benefit from a general lockdown. Moreover, in many cases it is not clear whether these people really died from Covid19 or from weeks of extreme stress and isolation.
Up to 30% of all additional deaths may have been caused not by Covid19, but by the effects of the lockdown, panic and fear. For example, the treatment of heart attacks and strokes decreased by up to 60% because many patients no longer dared to go to hospital.
Even in so-called “Covid19 deaths” it is often not clear whether they died from or with coronavirus (i.e. from underlying diseases) or if they were counted as “presumed cases” and not tested at all. However, official figures usually do not reflect this distinction.
Many media reports of young and healthy people dying from Covid19 turned out to be false: many of these young people either did not die from Covid19, they had already been seriously ill (e.g. from undiagnosed leukaemia), or they were in fact 109 instead of 9 years old. The claimed increase in Kawasaki disease in children also turned out to be false.
Strong increases in regional mortality can occur if there is a collapse in the care of the elderly and sick as a result of infection or panic, or if there are additional risk factors such as severe air pollution. Questionable regulations for dealing with the deceased sometimes led to additional bottlenecks in funeral or cremation services.
In countries such as Italy and Spain, and to some extent the UK and the US, hospital overloads due to strong flu waves are not unusual. Moreover, this year up to 15% of health care workers were put into quarantine, even if they developed no symptoms.
The often shown exponential curves of “corona cases” are misleading, as the number of tests also increased exponentially. In most countries, the ratio of positive tests to tests overall (i.e. the positive rate) remained constant at 5% to 25% or increased only slightly. In many countries, the peak of the spread was already reached well before the lockdown.
Countries without curfews and contact bans, such as Japan, South Korea, Belarus or Sweden, have not experienced a more negative course of events than other countries. Sweden was even praised by the WHO and now benefits from higher immunity compared to lockdown countries.
The fear of a shortage of ventilators was unjustified. According to lung specialists, the invasive ventilation (intubation) of Covid19 patients, which is partly done out of fear of spreading the virus, is in fact often counterproductive and damaging to the lungs.
Contrary to original assumptions, various studies have shown that there is no evidence of the virus spreading through aerosols (i.e. tiny particles floating in the air) or through smear infections (e.g. on door handles or smartphones). The main modes of transmission are direct contact and droplets produced when coughing or sneezing.
There is also no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of face masks in healthy or asymptomatic individuals. On the contrary, experts warn that such masks interfere with normal breathing and may become “germ carriers”. Leading doctors called them a “media hype” and “ridiculous”.
Many clinics in Europe and the US remained strongly underutilized or almost empty during the Covid19 peak and in some cases had to send staff home. Millions of surgeries and therapies were cancelled, including many cancer screenings and organ transplants.
Several media were caught trying to dramatize the situation in hospitals, sometimes even with manipulative images and videos. In general, the unprofessional reporting of many media maximized fear and panic in the population.
The virus test kits used internationally are prone to errors and can produce false positive and false negative results. Moreover, the official virus test was not clinically validated due to time pressure and may sometimes react positive to other coronaviruses.
Numerous internationally renowned experts in the fields of virology, immunology and epidemiology consider the measures taken to be counterproductive and recommend rapid natural immunisation of the general population and protection of risk groups.
At no time was there a medical reason for the closure of schools, as the risk of disease and transmission in children is extremely low. There is also no medical reason for small classes, masks or ‘social distancing’ rules in schools.
The claim that only (severe) Covid-19 but not influenza may cause venous thrombosis and pulmonary (lung) embolism is not true, as it has been known for 50 years that severe influenza greatly increases the risk of thrombosis and embolism, too.
Several medical experts described express coronavirus vaccines as unnecessary or even dangerous. Indeed, the vaccine against the so-called swine flu of 2009, for example, led to sometimes severe neurological damage and lawsuits in the millions. In the testing of new coronavirus vaccines, too, serious complications and failures have already occurred.
A global influenza or corona pandemic can indeed extend over several seasons, but many studies of a “second wave” are based on very unrealistic assumptions, such as a constant risk of illness and death across all age groups.
Several nurses, e.g. in New York City, described an oftentimes fatal medical mismanagement of Covid patients due to questionable financial incentives or inappropriate medical protocols.
The number of people suffering from unemployment, depressions and domestic violence as a result of the measures has reached historic record values. Several experts predict that the measures will claim far more lives than the virus itself. According to the UN 1.6 billion people around the world are at immediate risk of losing their livelihood.
NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden warned that the “corona crisis” will be used for the permanent expansion of global surveillance. Renowned virologist Pablo Goldschmidt spoke of a “global media terror” and “totalitarian measures”. Leading British virologist Professor John Oxford spoke of a “media epidemic”.
More than 600 scientists have warned of an “unprecedented surveillance of society” through problematic apps for “contact tracing”. In some countries, such “contact tracing” is already carried out directly by the secret service. In several parts of the world, the population is already being monitored by drones and facing serious police overreach.
A 2019 WHO study on public health measures against pandemic influenza found that from a medical perspective, “contact tracing” is “not recommended in any circumstances”. Nevertheless, contact tracing apps have already become partially mandatory in several countries.
It would be ironic if an inflammatory statue was found in Chicago, upright and ignored.
Looks like the EU court is really upset with Hungary’s legislation making NGO’s identify themselves as foreign funded if they get more than 20K Euro in funds from outside the country. Shocking, there’s no way money laundering or influence buying via NGOs could be going on. Now if you wonder how this might related to the color revolution – black – in the US, just look into who is handling those donations to BLM….
https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-ngo-law-struck-down-eu-top-court/
Meanwhile in the Northern end of the Swamp, outrage of an AG for SDNY being fired. Rally round the Swamp thing folks. I’m sure it’s got nothing to do with Who was with Jeffrey Epstein and what happened to all that evidence collected. Unlike this guy on zerohedge, who thinks there’s a connection.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/black-new-black-color-revolutions
Washington statue torn down and American flag defaced.
Teddy Roosevelt statue being torn down.
Center of Seattle now an occupation zone for over 2 weeks.
These red guard juvenile mobsters (and their Democrat-media party allies) are well on their way to destroying American history and culture.
Looking for pushback?
Not going to happen.
Look back to the last 3 months when the American people were told “stay home, lose your business, your job, learn to home-school”, etc.
And they meekly complied.
Anyone who questioned this destruction of the economy (and thousands of lives on specious “science”) was shouted down and “shamed” – “you don’t care about people’s lives.”
And then, George Floyd (“Saint Felony”) happened and going out, rampaging and looting was just fine.
Anyone fight back?
Anyone speak up?
I got heat from my own family (mostly millennials, BTW) for questioning the covd insanity and refusing to turn myself into a frightened little pussy.
IS attacks continue in the badiya and the SAA side of the MERV, credible reports of 8 SAA killed and 3 captured
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-launches-new-attack-against-syrian-army-in-deir-ezzor/
Separately, a few Quds brigade/NDF killed by IS ieds planted near Arak field/mayadin over the weekend. Seems they have freedom of movement in a triangle from the iraqi border to Deir Ezzor to Palmyra
Seems like this area contains the strongest operational IS presence in Iraq/Syria, besides maybe the Diyala/Salahuddin theater in Iraq. Russians would be wise to monitor this area more closely and not let it turn into an Anbar province, the IS seem to have strong support from the bedouin and perhaps some townsmen and are congregating here because they are free from US airstrikes(to preempt the conspiracy-minded, this was not always the case, refer to December 2016 second battle of Sukhnah when US air took out multiple armored IS columns in support of Assad) IS pictures released during ramadan show well made underground bunkers in the desert with dozens of fighters congregating. The mountains near Sukhnah are also infested.
Trump is finally going after the temporary work visa program. We don’t need many of these people at any time, and certainly now that unemployment is so high we hardly need any of them at all. I just wish this executive order was for a much longer time than just until the end of this year, which is such a brief time.
“The new restrictions, which Trump is expected to sign Monday afternoon, will prevent foreign workers from filling 525,000 jobs, according to White House estimates.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/trump-immigration-workers-coronavirus/2020/06/22/3b969e88-b489-11ea-9b0f-c797548c1154_story.html
The businesses that typically use these visas will not be happy but who cares? The question to me is will they hire American workers instead or will they limp along spreading the work out among the temporary workers they currently have and wait until next year, when they hope they’ll get their temporary visas back?
I can only hope that this long overdue move provides almost half a million new jobs to American workers as intended. But immigration changes often don’t bring the desired results so I will not count on anything until it really happens.
Sucker
http://www.williamengdahl.com/englishNEO16Jun2020.php
“The impact of the protests would not be possible were it not for a network of local and state political officials inside the Democratic Party lending support to the protesters, even to the point the Democrat Mayor of Seattle ordered police to abandon several blocks in the heart of downtown to occupation by protesters.
In recent years major portions of the Democratic Party across the US have been quietly taken over by what one could call radical left candidates. Often they win with active backing of organizations such as Democratic Socialists of America or Freedom Road Socialist Organizations. In the US House of Representatives the vocal quarter of new representatives around Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rashida Tlaib and Minneapolis Representative Ilhan Omar are all members or close to Democratic Socialists of America. Clearly without sympathetic Democrat local officials in key cities, the street protests of organizations such as Black Lives Matter and Antifa would not have such a dramatic impact.
To get a better grasp how serious the present protest movement is we should look at who has been pouring millions into BLM. The Antifa is more difficult owing to its explicit anonymous organization form. However, their online Handbook openly recommends that local Antifa “cells” join up with BLM chapters.”
Georgia House passes bill to dissolve county police departments, legislature takes up hate crimes bill
https://www.foxnews.com/us/georgia-house-passes-bill-dissolve-county-police-departments
Tucker monologue on the mobs and lack of leadership.
https://youtu.be/cxxHV5vu1Mo
Dillibe Onyeama is a Nigerian writer who entered Eton College in 1969. He wrote a book about the racism he experienced there in a book called “Nigger at Eton.” What’s interesting is his grandfather was a slave trader. He blames the English more than Africans for the slave trade because the English were civilized and educated whereas the Africans were ignorant. His grandfather said it was kill or be killed. You had to be tough to live at that time in Africa. In a way he’s right but what he misses is western culture was still developing intellectually and morally and hopefully still is. Unfortunately a growing number of people want to tear down the whole shabang and return to being primitive, mono-thinkers.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53062502
John from Michigan,
I don’t watch TV. But it seems that Tucker is the only media person speaking out against the mob. Trump is so consumed by personal slights that he’s focused on excusing his walk down the ramp rather than address the threat of the mob & the hypocritical political correctness being shoved down and actually show some leadership. Tucker is spot on the Republicans have completely ceded ground to appease the mob.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-22/wirecard-scandal-a-complete-disaster-says-german-regulator
Blatant fraud takes place. Intrepid investors discover it and are thwarted by regulators. The fraud gets bigger until it can’t be concealed. This epitomizes regulatory capture.
Antifa Planning Flag Burning At Gettysburg On July 4th
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/06/antifa-planning-flag-burning-gettysburg-july-4th/
In dealing with the State, we ought to remember that its institution are not aboriginal, though they existed before we were born: that they are not superior to the citizen: that every one of them was once the act of a single man: every law and usage was a man’s expedient to meet a particular case: that they all are imitable, all alterable; we may make as good; we may make better. Society is an illusion to the young citizen. It lies before him in rigid repose, with certain names, men, and institutions, rooted like oak-trees to the centre, round which all arrange themselves the best they can. But the old statesman knows that society is fluid; there are no such roots and centres; but any particle may suddenly become the centre of the movement, and compel the system to gyrate round it, as every man of strong will, like Pisistratus, or Cromwell, does for a time, and every man of truth, like Plato, or Paul, does forever. But politics rest on necessary foundations, and cannot be treated with levity. Republics abound in young civilians, who believe that the laws make the city, that grave modifications of the policy and modes of living, and employments of the population, that commerce, education, and religion, may be voted in or out; and that any measure, though it were absurd, may be imposed on a people, if only you can get sufficient voices to make it a law. But the wise know that foolish legislation is a rope of sand, which perishes in the twisting; that the State must follow, and not lead the character and progress of the citizen; the strongest usurper is quickly got rid of; and they only who build on Ideas, build for eternity; and that the form of government which prevails, is the expression of what cultivation exists in the population which permits it. The law is only a memorandum. We are superstitious, and esteem the statute somewhat: so much life as it has in the character of living men, is its force. The statute stands there to say, yesterday we agreed so and so, but how feel ye this article today? Our statute is a currency, which we stamp with our own portrait: it soon becomes unrecognizable, and in process of time will return to the mint.
https://emersoncentral.com/texts/essays-second-series/politics/
Comment: Every human has some tendency toward tyranny, just as every human has some tendency toward sin in general. Any human can become a tyrant under the right circumstances. A strong-willed human will be a more effective leader than a weak-willed human. Without some strength of will, there is no survival (physical or moral). With too much strength of will under unhealthy circumstances, a strong-willed human becomes a tyrant and injures other humans unjustly.
Large, complicated organizations become corrupt, and even though the tyrants in large organizations may be weak-willed, they often do as much damage as a strong-willed tyrant.
Judge Rao eviscerates Sullivan, dismantles Gleason, and orders dismissal of charges against Gen. Flynn
https://www.scribd.com/document/466802086/CR-Cir-Opinion-Flynn
Judge Wilkins dissented in the 2-1 appeals court hearing, that orders Sullivan to free Flynn.
Judge Rao mopped the floor and then the steps and then the sidewalk with Wilkins. Wilkins dissent was utterly wrecked by her. It was a wrecking ball on Wilkins’ head.
An opinion worth the half hour it takes to read.
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jerseycityjoan:
H1b Visas which covers SKILLED workers has been abused by US corporations for decades. Congress has allowed them to get away with it. Unfortunately, it’s too little to late.
Tom Donahue is crying the blues. Will the US Chamber of Commerce endorse Biden?
Mike46,
I looked up Tom Donahue and this is what he had to say about these long overdue immigration change:
“We are fighting for more investment and more growth in America because that means more jobs, and today that fight takes on a new level of urgency. We have long advocated for a rational immigration system that meets the needs of our economy and reflects the values of our country. Today’s proclamation serves neither of those interests,” he added.”
Baloney. The Chamber among other things wants cheap labor, foreign and domestic. I would guess they will stick with the Republicans because they don’t like where the Democrats are headed on minimum wage, healthcare, etc. There are still loads of cheap labor Republicans out there eager to get more immigrants in here to please their donors. They will just wait Trump out. They clearly don’t care what Americans want.