3/27/2020
“People cheer” …. They ain’t cheering now, what with lacking the breath an all.
Leftist Journo Takes Pleasure In US Becoming Worst Hit Coronavirus Nation: ‘Who’s The S***hole Country Now?’
“If you needed anymore evidence these people hate America.”
By Steve Watson
A leftist columnist seemingly took pleasure in the fact that the US has become the country with the most confirmed cases of coronavirus by mocking President Trump and proclaiming “Who’s the shithole country now?”
Julia Ioffe, who writes for GQ, tweeted out the inane comment along with a link to a New York Times story on the development.
Of course, Ioffe provided no salient facts or useful information, such as President Trump’s assertion that the spike in confirmed cases is down to more robust testing being rolled out.
Nor did Ioffe indicate that in comparison with other hard hit countries, the mortality rate in the US stands at 1.5%, which equates to much fewer deaths per confirmed cases than Italy (10%), Spain (8%), Iran (7.6%) and France (6%).
No, Ioffe simply wanted to vent her pent up Trump derangement syndrome.
Americans are not amused:
Army Asks Retired Soldiers in Health Care Fields to Come Back for COVID-19 Fight
By Hodge Seck
The Army has a message for its retirees: Uncle Sam wants you to help fight the novel coronavirus.
A message sent by Defense Finance and Accounting Services, which processes and dispenses retiree pay, asked troops who had previously served in specific health care specialties to consider “re-joining the team” to address the current pandemic crisis. It’s signed by Lt. Gen. Thomas Seamands, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Army Personnel, G-1.
“We need to hear from you STAT!” reads the message, obtained by Military.com.
The Army, it states, is gauging the interest of retired officers, noncommissioned officers and more junior enlisted soldiers in assisting service efforts to treat the sometimes-deadly disease. The message does not specify whether retired troops would be returned to active status or serve in some other capacity.
“These extraordinary challenges require equally extraordinary solutions and that’s why we’re turning to you — trusted professionals capable of operating under constantly changing conditions,” the message states. “When the Nation called — you answered, and now, that call may come again.”
The call was addressed to retirees from the following health care-specific military occupational specialties:
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60F: Critical Care Officer
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60N: Anesthesiologist
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66F: Nurse Anesthetist
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66S: Critical Care Nurse
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66P: Nurse Practitioner
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66T: ER Nurse
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68V: Respiratory Specialist
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68W: Medic
The message came with a caveat: retired personnel now working in a civilian capacity in a hospital or other medical facility should make that known. Army officials said they did not want to pull personnel from service they were “providing to the Nation” in that role. They added that former soldiers from a different specialty who were interested in supporting Army efforts should also reach out to communicate that interest.
The call-out directed interested retirees to contact Human Resources Command, Reserve Personnel Management Directorate at Fort Knox, Kentucky, providing contact info and MOS.
As of Wednesday, the Pentagon reported 227 cases of Coronavirus among U.S. troops and 435 total among Defense Department-connected personnel. U.S. cases on Wednesday passed 64,000.
This week, the Pentagon announced that military medical and dental treatment facilities would postpone the majority of elective surgeries, dental procedures and invasive procedures for 60 days as it shifts most resources to fighting the pandemic. A massive relief package moving quickly through Congress Wednesday would triple the number of hospital beds available at these facilities and give the DoD $1.5 billion to open expeditionary military hospitals.
The call to retirees also comes on the heels of a recommendation from the National Commission on Military, National and Public Service for the creation of a “critical skills Individual Ready Reserve” that would serve essentially as a roster of qualified individuals in high-demand fields, likely including health care, on standby to support the Defense Department in times of national emergency. It’s one of 164 recommendations that will be considered by Congress in coming months.
The U.S. Selective Service System also owns a yet-to-be activated standby plan known as the Health Care Personnel Delivery System, colloquially known as the “doctor draft,” that would “provide a fair and equitable draft of doctors, nurses, medical technicians and those with certain other health care skills if, in some future emergency, the military’s existing medical capability proved insufficient and there is a shortage of volunteers.”
That proposed mechanism, however, is designed for use only in wartime and in connection with a broader national mobilization effort, with the approval of Congress and the president.
In a briefing at the Pentagon Wednesday, Air Force Brig. Gen. Paul Friedrichs, Joint Staff surgeon, said he felt generally comfortable that the U.S. military had the resources it needed to continue to fight the virus.
“I’m very comfortable that we’ve analyzed the communities where we have military bases. We’ve looked at what we think their medical requirements would be when an outbreak occurs or if an outbreak occurs in that community,” he said. “Do we have enough health care resources there? Is it the right mix of health care resources? That’s then allowed us to identify what medical capabilities from the military we can offer to help support the whole of government, or to support combatant commands in other parts of the world.”
Interested retirees can contact Human Resources Command, Reserve Personnel Management Directorate, at usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.g3-retiree-recall@mail.mil or call 502-613-4911.
CORONAVIRUS – Thursday 26th March
By Dr. John Campbell – 3/26/2020
‘Data is anonymized’: UK govt accused of ‘fiddling’ Covid-19 death figures amid ‘family consent’ claims
The UK government is facing allegations they are manipulating coronavirus death numbers, after revealing they are changing the way the figures are released, claiming family consent is now required.
On Wednesday night, the Department for Health and Social Care published the latest Covid-19 figures showing an increase of 43 deaths – less than half the fatalities from the previous day (87).
A positive sign that the number had decreased? At first glance, yes, until it’s revealed those figures“do not cover a full 24 hour period” as usual.
The UK government is facing allegations they are manipulating coronavirus death numbers, after revealing they are changing the way the figures are released, claiming family consent is now required.
On Wednesday night, the Department for Health and Social Care published the latest Covid-19 figures showing an increase of 43 deaths – less than half the fatalities from the previous day (87).
A positive sign that the number had decreased? At first glance, yes, until it’s revealed those figures “do not cover a full 24 hour period” as usual.
So why? BBC Newsnight’s Nick Watt explained that the government was changing the way it releases Covid-19 death figures, which “may not actually be the deaths that have taken place over the last 24 hrs,” as family consent is now required.
The government’s sudden shift in the criteria of reporting coronavirus numbers has provoked accusations that they are manipulating data without a valid reason. Luke Cooper, an associate researcher at LSE Conflict and Civil society research claimed that it “sounds an awful lot like government is fiddling the figures,” insisting that it is “not true” that consent is required “if data is anonymized.”
Echoing that sentiment, Dr. Nisreen Alwan – an associate professor in public health at Southampton University – says that as is the case for information from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), “consent is not needed” for anonymized mortality data.
Sam Fowles, a barrister that advised Another Europe – a pro-EU campaign group – on its GDPR compliance concurred, adding that “even if it were personal data, the government could arguably publish on the basis of overwhelming public interest. But in any case, it isn’t.”
PM Johnson ordered a temporary national lockdown on Monday and advised British people to “stay at home” outside of emergencies, buying essential supplies or getting exercise, otherwise they face the possibility of fines and even arrest.
The number of confirmed UK cases of Covid-19 currently stands at 9,529 – a rise of 1,452 in 24 hours.
Former UK PM Gordon Brown: Time for ‘Global Government’ to Tackle Coronavirus
By Simon Kent – 26 Mar 2020
Now is the time for global leaders to create one world government to tackle the twin medical and economic crises caused by the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged on Thursday.
The left-wing former Labour leader said there was a need for a taskforce involving world leaders, health experts and the heads of international organisations that would have supreme and unfettered executive powers to coordinate the response.
He gave no indication of who would appoint the “leaders,” how long they would serve for or just what their powers would involve, the Guardian reports.
Brown simply wants a new layer of global supra-government to force a solution to a crisis that began in Wuhan, China.
“This is not something that can be dealt with in one country,” he said. “There has to be a coordinated global response.”
Brown said the current crisis was different to the one he was involved in 2008 during the global financial crash. “That was an economic problem that had economic causes and had an economic solution.
“This is first and foremost a medical emergency and there has to be joint action to deal with that. But the more you intervene to deal with the medical emergency, the more you put economies at risk.”
Brown said his proposed global taskforce would fight the crisis on two fronts. There would need to be a coordinated effort to find a vaccine, and to organise production, purchasing and prevent profiteering.
“We need some sort of working executive,” Brown said. “If I were doing it again, I would make the G20 a broader organisation because in the current circumstances you need to listen to the countries that are most affected, the countries that are making a difference and countries where there is the potential for a massive number of people to be affected – such as those in Africa.”
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund needed an increase in their financial firepower to cope with the impact of the crisis on low- and middle-income countries, he said.
ENVIRONMENTALIST GROUP: “CORONA IS THE CURE – HUMANS ARE THE DISEASE”
The mask slips.
By Paul Joseph Watson- March 25, 2020
A climate change group that aligns itself with Extinction Rebellion posted stickers claiming that coronavirus is a “cure” for the “disease” that is humanity.
“Earth is healing. The air and water is clearing,” tweeted Extinction Rebellion East Midlands. “Corona is the cure. Humans are the disease!”
The post shows stickers with the same message and the Extinction Rebellion logo plastered on lamp posts.
When another branch of Extinction Rebellion challenged that this “does not follows XR’s principles,” the East Midlands chapter doubled down.
“We are pointing out that from the perspective of the Earth, humans behave like a disease. The idea is not to be,” they responded.
While Extinction Rebellion East Midlands may represent little more than the ravings of one idiot, the notion that humanity somehow deserved coronavirus and that it’s good for the planet has been widely shared by environmentalists and celebrities.
After actor Idris Elba tested positive for coronavirus, he claimed that COVID-19 was the planet “reacting to the human race” as revenge for climate change.
Despite numerous claims that nature is ‘flourishing’ and animals are thriving thanks to coronavirus, it turns out that most of those stories are fake news.
CORONAVIRUS – Wednesday 25th March
By Dr. John Campbell
EU left Italy ‘practically alone’ to fight coronavirus, so Rome looked for help elsewhere, incl Russia
The EU’s initial response to the massive outbreak of coronavirus in Italy was largely “inadequate,” and a lack of European solidarity opened the doors for Russia and China, former Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told RT.
The new epicenter of the dreaded pandemic, Italy, has been struggling to stop the spread of Covid-19 for weeks now. The disease has already killed more than six thousand people in the country, with over 60 thousand people infected.
EU tried to pin the blame on Italy
The EU clearly underestimated the virus, blaming the outbreak in Italy on its national healthcare system flaws, according to the two-time foreign minister and OSCE representative. As a result, Brussels, which preaches pan-European solidarity, failed to act when this solidarity was needed in the face of a crisis that eventually affected the entire bloc.
Frankly speaking, Brussels is not doing enough. At the very first moment, Italy was practically alone against the virus. Many said it was all because of the Italian habits, because Italians do not respect the rules. Suddenly, they realized all the other countries were equally affected.
The situation in other major EU states like Germany and France deteriorated rapidly, forcing them to deal with thousands of infected on their own soil.
“Everyone just focused on the situation at home before even thinking about helping others,” Andrea Giannotti, the executive director of the Italian Institute of Eurasian Studies, told RT.
The lack of solidarity was recently noted from outside of the bloc – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic decried European solidarity as a myth, while praising Beijing for its assistance. His remarks came after Serbia received five million masks from China, which it could not get in Europe.
The EU is now trying “to do more” and somehow “make up” for its initial poor execution of a coordinated response, former Italian MP Dario Rivolta said.
Brussels has indeed ramped up its efforts, suspending the bloc’s strict Stability and Growth Pact regulating budgetary policy among others. Frattini particularly hailed this decision, which allows Rome to act freely in terms of budgetary spending, as “very important.” But this came only after Europe “realized its [measures] were inadequate to give a united response.”
Still, it is not enough, Rivolta told RT, adding that “for the moment,” there are no major changes. And while financial relief is necessary, there are other things to be considered, such as medical assistance.
“As for the medical aspects, the only thing that the EU did up to now was to put barriers between Italy and other countries.”
Huge support in terms of expertise
At one point, requests for help were sent out all over the world, according to Giannotti.
“Some Italian embassies were tasked with negotiating with local governments in order to find any opportunities to receive assistance from abroad, including help with equipment, which Italy lacks.” Russia and China were among those who responded.
In total, Moscow prepared nine cargo planes with emergency aid, delivering vital medical equipment and supplies, as well as bringing experienced specialists in infectious diseases and military doctors to Italy. Now they will be deployed to the most affected regions in the country’s north.
Frattini said the help was of the utmost importance: “What Russia has done is not comparable to what other countries have done, including China because China also sent something but not comparable with the support provided by Russia.”
The specialists have provided “very huge support in terms of expertise… in terms of virology.”
The assistance serves as a gesture of solidarity in times of European sanctions on Moscow and the counter-measures, Giannotti said. Sending help “despite [the fact] the situation in Russia itself may also worsen” means it is a clear message that Moscow is ready to talk and settle issues with Europe when there is a greater need for cooperation.
Speaking to RT, the Italian ambassador to Russia, Pasquale Terracciano, agreed that a joint approach is the best way to put an end to the pandemic.
Thanking Moscow for the contribution, he said: “It will be crucial to recover from this tragic situation, hopefully soon.”
Homeland Security warns terrorists may exploit COVID-19 pandemic
By Alexander Mallin and Josh Margolin – 3/25/2020
A Department of Homeland Security memo sent to law enforcement officials around the country warns that violent extremists could seek to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic by carrying out attacks against the U.S.
“Violent extremists probably are seeking to exploit public fears associated with the spread of COVID-19 to incite violence, intimidate targets and promote their ideologies, and we assess these efforts will intensify in the coming months,” according to the intelligence bulletin, compiled by the agency’s Counterterrorism Mission Center and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.
At this time, DHS said it has “no information indicating any active plotting is underway,” but that it has observed certain extremist groups, both foreign and domestic, looking to spread misinformation about the coronavirus.
The memo, which was circulated on Monday, comes after assurances from FBI Director Chris Wray in a video message that agents would be even more vigilant in monitoring threats to the U.S. as the virus spreads.
“With all the worry and uncertainty out there, we want the public to know that there are still things they can count on: We’re here, and we’re going to stay here, to protect them, no matter what,” Wray said. “Because our criminal and national security adversaries sure aren’t going to take a day off — whether that’s for the coronavirus or, for that matter, anything else.”
Among the activities by extremist organizations cited in the DHS bulletin is a clipping from a weekly ISIS newsletter, which called for supporters to carry out attacks against overburdened health care systems in various Western countries.
Another portion of the bulletin singles out activity by white supremacists online who the DHS says have “advocated for violence against a range of targets, including critical infrastructure and faith-based and minority communities — including Asian Americans in response to the COVID outbreak.”
ABC News reported on Monday on an alert from the FBI’s New York field office that showed intelligence gathered on racist extremist groups, including neo-Nazis, that were encouraging followers who contract COVID-19 to spread the disease to Jewish people and police officers.
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