Let’s not kid ourselves: it’s real, and it’s here to stay.
On a recent cross-country relocation trip, I had the opportunity to speak with dozens of strangers, friends, and family from all walks of life and hear their views of the current crisis. The vast majority of these people couldn’t name anyone they knew who had died from the illness. Most of them didn’t even know anyone who was hospitalized.
But all of them knew of someone who has lost a job.
Will there be classes in the fall? Sports? Parties? No idea. Life is on pause. Aimlessness replaces activity.
Canceled sports seasons, weddings, and trips. Lost jobs, wages, and opportunities. Lonely deaths and Zoom funerals. Americans across the country are suffering from the draconian and interminable response to Coronavirus. And yet for millions, the virus exists only as a graph on the nightly news.
For them, the pandemic is an abstraction. The response is not.
So far, 135,000 Americans have died from COVID-19—allegedly. That is a minuscule portion of the total population: roughly .04 percent. What percentage of these actually had respiratory symptoms or died from other causes is unclear. What is clear is that America saw a short-lived and moderate spike in excess deaths in April. The normal average of 58,000 deaths per week in April jumped to 78,000 before rapidly restabilizing in mid-May.
It isn’t clear that the lockdowns or mask mandates actually saved any lives. Sweden, which never locked down, followed a similar trajectory of excess deaths as the rest of the West. Perhaps nature is merely mocking our efforts. It would not be the first time.
Regardless, in a country where 3 million people die every year, 130,000 deaths is not an apocalypse. Would the average American have noticed a 4 percent change in overall mortality without media fanfare? Probably not.
At present, the country is in limbo. When does all this end? When we have a vaccine? When there are zero deaths? If so, this “pandemic” could last for years.
Everyday people suffer regardless. Our “new normal” is an abomination. It is fundamentally anti-social, inhuman, and imposed without our consent. It warehouses the elderly and enervates the young. It wrecks romance, instills fear, and alienates communities. This kind of life isn’t new and it isn’t normal. We had a name for it in the past: tyranny. It cannot be allowed to last. Our liberty and livelihoods depend on it.
Well, it SHOULD not be allowed to last, right enough. Then again, though, it never should have been allowed at all—not least because, once you’ve allowed tyranny to gain a foothold, there’s only just the one way of getting rid of it. And the procedure is neither pretty nor pleasant.
The fact that so many Americans laid down and took it without demur doesn’t say anything good about how much liberty really matters to them, either. My God, even now they’re willing to don the Mask Of Submission simply because their Masters decree it—while the death rate, never having approached anything like the planet-killing Überplague levels predicted in order to initiate the Great Stampede, continues its long, steady decline. As if all that wasn’t bad enough:
Hundreds of labs in Florida reported to the state that 100 percent of people they tested for Covid-19 had the virus, according to a new investigation by FOX 35 News. Other testing centers reported positivity rates upwards of 80 and 90 percent. In actuality, the positivity rates for most testing centers were often under 10 percent and usually under 20 percent.
When FOX 35 contacted the labs with high positivity rates, several labs confirmed that the numbers were wildly inaccurate. Orlando Health, for example, had reported a 98 percent positivity rate, but confirmed to reporters that their positivity rate is actually 9.4 percent.
Prediction: the plastic shields in front of every cashier in every store you go into; the “safe social distancing” stickers on the floors of all those stores; the facemasks at chain restaurants printed or stitched with the logo of said restaurants; periodic house arrest, along with shutdowns of all “non-essential” businesses, but never a single government department, each and every one of which is absolutely vital to the continued smooth and above all else SAFE function of a Nation In Mortal Peril—these, and so many other symbols of our New Normal will be with us forever. The current state of affairs, intolerable and batshit-insane as it is, is only Phase One.
What’s most astonishing about the Covid-19 operation is the manner in which the elected government was circumvented by public health experts (connected to a power-mad billionaire activist.) That was a stroke of genius. Most people regard the US as a fairly stable democracy and yet, the first sign of infection triggered the rapid transfer of power from the president to unelected “professionals” whose conflicts of interest are too vast to list. Equally fascinating is the fact that the lockdowns were not the brainchild of Donald Trump but the mainly Democrat governors who shrugged-off any Constitutional limits to their power and arbitrarily ordered people to stay in their homes, wear masks and avoid close physical contact with other humans. All of this was done in the name of “science” and condoned under “emergency powers” despite the fact that mass quarantines of healthy people have no historical precedent or scientific basis. No matter, this was never about science or logic anyway, and it certainly wasn’t about saving lives. It was always about power, pure, unalloyed political power. The power to push the economy into freefall destroying millions of jobs and businesses. The power to bail out Wall Street while diverting attention to a fairly-mild infection that kills roughly 1 in every 500 people. The power to create a permanent underclass willing to work for table scraps or less. And the power to fundamentally restructure human relations so that normal intimacies like handshakes, hugs or social gatherings are entirely banned. This, of course, was the most ambitious part of the project, the basic changes to human interaction that date back thousands of years, and which are now seen as an obstacle to a new order in which the individual must be isolated, desensitized and kept in a constant state of fear to be more easily controlled and manipulated.
On top of that, all of this is taking place in plain sight where anyone with even minimal critical thinking skills should be able to see what is happening, but very few do. Why is that?
Fear. Fear has gripped the population and is preventing typically intelligent, perceptive people from seeing something that’s right beneath their noses.
We’re not saying that Covid doesn’t kill people, and we’re not suggesting that Covid is a bioweapon released on the public for nefarious purposes. (although that’s certainly a possibility.) What we’re saying is that scheming elites and their allies in the media and politics see every crisis as an opportunity to advance their own authoritarian agenda. In fact, the restructuring of basic democratic institutions can only take place within the confines of a major crisis. That’s why the CIA, the giant corporations, the WHO and the Gates Posse gathered for meetings that anticipated an event just like the Covid outbreak. They needed a crisis of that magnitude to achieve their ultimate objective; total control. That’s what they mean when they say there will be “no return to normal”, they mean they’re replacing representative government with a new totalitarian model in which the levers of state power will be controlled by them. So while the virus outbreak might be coincidental, the management of the crisis certainly is not.
I don’t think so. Our species has withstood myriad epidemics in the past without ever resorting to the extremist measures we have taken during this latest outbreak. Take the state of Oregon, for example, whose Democratic governor Kate Brown just signed another executive order extending a state of emergency through Sept. 4. The move comes months after the peak in deaths was reached in mid-April. As of Tuesday, Oregon’s death toll is a meager 240 nearly 90% of who are over 65 with underlying health conditions. That means that Brown shut down a $226 billion per year economy, put tens of thousands of people out of work, destroyed countless small and medium-sized businesses and plunged the state deep into debt, to save roughly 24 or 25 people under 65 with no underlying health conditions. That’s not the reaction of an intelligent, responsible political leader acting in the best interests of the people. That is the reaction of someone who is either criminally insane or doing someone else’s bidding. So which is it?
Like many of the other mainly Democrat governors, Brown also issued a “mask” mandate, punishable by a fine. The new executive order was neither approved by the House or by any other democratic body. It’s just Brown testing the limits of her new emergency powers. Interestingly, the mask mandate comes a full three months after the state reached its peak in fatalities which means that it has less to do with controlling the infection than it does with using the virus to usurp tyrannical powers. Does that mean Brown or the other Democrat governors are closet tyrants?
Tyrants they inarguably are, by definition; their own actions confirm it, placing the issue well beyond further debate. But they’re not remotely “closet” tyrants. After long years of skulking, of attempting however halfheartedly to hide their true nature, they’re now out in the open, for all to see who can stomach a look: proud, defiant, and without trace of shame or remorse.
- Entries
As Iron Bear points out in another thread, there are some good things that are coming out of the “black marxists matter” and pantifa movements. Here I see one good thing about the chinavirus – it ripped the scab off the idea that we have a large majority of citizens willing to fight back against oppressive government. I think we all know now that America as it stands today cannot survive. It will be broken into some set of parts. When, and precisely how I cannot predict.
But I can only imagine bloodshed will be involved. There always is when you are dealing with fanatics such as those that wish to force you to wear a chain link fence to fight off mosquito’s.
Yeah, I’m not always sure that I’m happy about being right about some things.
Billy Beck circa 1996 looks more and more prescient the longer I live: “All politics in this country now are but dress rehearsal for an all out civil war.”
A nation can survive nuclear attack, military defeats, and all manner of famine, plague, and economic disaster. It cannot survive when the unenlightened or amoral are allowed to grasp the levers of power and turn ignorance into a virtue.
The unfortunate part of being a sheep is the failure to realize that despots always tell you what they are going to do, but the victims never listen.
“A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.” — Alexander Tyler, 1787
The updated version:
“A democracy will fall when the Karens realize that they can get the police to do their nagging for them.”
Of course, the United States of America was structured as a republic, not a democracy, for exactly that reason. “A republic, if you can keep it.” We couldn’t.
It could always be worse, he says ominously: Colombia: Marxist Rebel Groups Kill Coronavirus Lockdown Violators
I think here it would go both ways at least. The marxist group would get slaughtered pretty quickly.
Possibly. Probably, even – our Marxists aren’t quite as hardcore.
Down in Latin America, you don’t take the Marxist guerilla movements lightly. Our Marxists don’t hang dead black dogs from your gates or machete entire villages the way the Sendero Luminoso did.
Yet.
I agree the groups down there are different than the ones here. but the poor folks down there really have no means of defending their selves or we would see a different outcome IMO. They need weapons and ammo.
Which is my foreign policy. Drop weapons and ammo in every hot spot. It’s the only foreign aid I’m willing to give.
That was my suggestion for Afghanistan, back when they were a freedom-loving people under the cruel thrall of the Taliban. Drop millions of “care packages” consisting of liberator pistols and ammo (or even STEN guns and ammo), some food, the occasional radio for VoA broadcasts, some luxury consumer goods like a pair of blue jeans. Cost, even including delivery, for five packages per Afghan would have been a fraction of what the US spent just in the first year, and we wouldn’t have still been there eighteen years later. Risk of American lives would have been negligible.
But of course that wouldn’t have allowed for large purchases from defense contractors nor provided all the many routes for graft and payola.
“But of course that wouldn’t have…”
Of course. DC operates on one thing, what makes the DC fuckers money. No lives matter.
Excellent material Mike.
My schools have cancelled all after school activities and have given a choice: 2 days schools, one day cleaning, 2 days remote
OR
5 days remote.
I told my son I want him to go to the school two days. To my mind if they operate a school they should open five days. THis is BS. Of course they’re not going to rebate my taxes for the 40%-50% of school they are not giving them.
Seriously, I could pay for High School online from professionals otherwise. One that really teaches them, without the dogma.
But they’ll never allow that and they’ll never lower my taxes and they’ll give me a substandard product.
My son doesn’t want to be one of those kids going 2 on 2 off. He needs to understand that there is a line that needs to be drawn, and a group from his generation that needs to stand up for themselves. I am tired of him being in his room on a computer all day. Get your ass out there to school.
Oooooh school has bullies and nerds and jocks and jerks and SJWs! he moans.
Welcome to the Party Pal, So does the grown up world.
I really feel for everyone with school age children. They are just pawns in the power trip of the left.
Yep. I talk regularly with a friend who has a daughter just old enough to be starting school. He isn’t sure what to do — maybe just hold her back a year and hope some sanity returns?
And what do the “experts” think kids are doing if they are not in school? Around here, there are 25+ kids running and playing around the local pool for hours every day. I guess swimsuits are magic shields against COVID.
“Re-opening the schooos is unsafe!” screech the panic-ninnies, while the kids run and play with their friends. Just COVIDIOCY everywhere.
And now the idiots are talking about having big daycare operations provided by the state to warehouse the kids. Lunacy cubed. Can’t have them all together in school but if you call it daycare the virus stays away. Magic. Rainbow unicorn magic.
How damn stupid do you have to be to buy this shit?
Exactly. So school without teaching and you can damn well know they’ll still be giving them the indoctrination.
I said this elsewhere. Any shortcuts needed in teaching isn’t going to cut down the indoctrination, it will be cuts to teaching actual useful information.
Once again, if the Leftists are ALL for something it MUST be fucking up America.
If you know for certain that they’ll still be giving them the indoctrination – and you’re not wrong on that – then why are you insisting he go to school for the two days a week?
Why are you handing over your kid to your deadly enemies to indoctrinate?
Because Ironbear, in face to face learning he will at least learn something else and also he will BE with other kids.
When two teen boys get together and are hot with the BS they usually tend to look at each other, roll their eyes and laugh at the teacher. Isolation all day is no good.
Timely:
The prologue: Episode-2688- The Coming Home School Tsunami and its Economic Impact
The analysis: The Coming Economic Crash – Part 2 – Primary and Secondary Education
Part I: The Coming Economic Crash – Part 1 – Real Estate
Whether we have the accompanying crash or not, changes are coming, and they won’t be changing back quickly if ever.
You know, I was having a good day, finishing the front door side lights (removed the aluminum covering, patched holes, paint), tending the garden…
Glad I could help! 🙂
🙂
PS Ironbear.
As Barry notes NC is still rather conservative. In the quiet confines of the classroom, without videotape rolling, his teachers often give the ‘wink and nod’ or outright denigrate the BS they force them to add.
Especially since my eldest takes a lot of engineering/drafting/3D Printing classes as electives plus higher level math. Once the teacher knows he has no Karens he handles thugs differently.
Also, 3D Printing and other classes can’t be done remotely. He was supposed to do a class trip to an engineering center in which they reverse engineer a product for testing purposes. For real working together one on one with a real engineer in a real work setting.
All class trips were cancelled. They were suppose to try again in this Fall. If he is there two days a week then they can probably do the class trip and he will get something valuable.
My HS here is ranked best in the State. His learning experience was awesome. Plus indoc runs right off his back. My wife and I taught him well early.
My younger son REALLY needs social interaction with his classmates too. That’s a different story. But he’s young yet.
I agree with kenny up to a point. NC still has some decent education even in the deepest blue prog neighborhoods. I sent 4 of them through so I think that qualifies me as “expert” 🙂
It does require a counter to the bullshit they will get. And it is highly dependent upon the school and teachers your kids get. That is something you have to stay on top of. You have to know the school and know the teachers. My wife always volunteered at the schools. You really get to know what is taking place that way. My mother did the same thing. You have to talk with your kids, and listen, to pick up on what is taking place in the classroom.
I’m no fan of NC State (understatement alert) but they have excellent stem programs. UNC has a requirement that 82% of the incoming freshman class must be NC residents, guaranteeing a student population much more “conservative” that the teaching staff. UNC maintains ROTC, Flag day, US Armed Forces Day (both celebrated at home football games) among other American traditions.
We’ve plenty of progs, but they haven’t completed the takeover just yet.
Note my son takes all electives in ‘hard STEM’ courses. They actually tear apart and reverse engineer old gadgets in one engineering class.
Plus his Spanish teacher is in a Ramones cover band. When he wants to signal the guys and have the it fly over the Karen’s heads he’ll use a Ramones lyric or a movie quote from classics like Mel Brooks or The Big Lebowski or Office Space.
To my mind the best things I learned in HS were face to face connections with the teachers at school, plus social interaction with all kinds at the school. Plus after school activities and sports. No in person school, no clubs or sports or anything of that sort.
Long term i also have concerns. Pre-school Children remote playing on their ABC programs rather than going to the playgound. Remote learning k-12, followed by remote College, then get a job from home remote commuting.
Sounds to me like a world that would have many mentally unstable people in it. Plus, My gawd, how do you meet a GIRL that way?
The Social Geek and Nerd World of the Future sounds like a Dystopia to me.
Plus The Karens can still complain online.
PS My son will take STEM so NC State and Duke are on his radar. Without any site visits allowed i am not sure how to pick a ‘safe’ school as both programs are difficult to get in. He needs to nail his SAT this September. He has an excellent shot to go 1500 PLUS IF he takes it seriously.
Which btw is another concern for remote learning. This past Spring one needed to only do a minimum of work to get the PASS. That’s why I told him to opt for Grades. Still, tests online are a shadow of what they are in a classroom. That is a real problem.
I worry that it was just all too EASY for him and he’s in an ALl Honors courses track.
NC State, dook, phooey.
Send him to a real school. Check your email in a few minutes 🙂