The cancel culture survives because it is safer to go along with it then against it. Propose to include “political beliefs, statements or affiliations” as protected category alongside religion in anti-discrimination laws. Make it as legally hard to discriminate against political beliefs you don’t like as it is to discriminate against religious beliefs you don’t like. The left’s most feared weapon is its ability to use supposedly apolitical institutions to terrorize its opponents. It won’t be a panacea, but it will be hard for the left to fight and they will look bad in doing so.

Richard: From what I understand, the respiratory numbers include deaths from flu and pneumonia, both of which are infectious diseases, not chronic.

Note that when adjusted for population the 1969 Hong Kong still killed more people than COVID-19. And in 1969 we did nothing to change our behavior.

Richard: No need to shout. Go to the “about” link and look at the bottom of the text.

The reason no panic is because those respiratory deaths were not caused by a pandemic which is beyond a person’s control. In other words, the infected people who died in 2017 of respiratory failure was due to some other non-mass contagious factor, so, that’s a big difference and the reason why no mass global panic and shutdown in 2017.

But I like your information very much, don’t get me wrong, thanks for doing! The fact is, the destruction of freedom and the economy is FAR WORSE than letting this pandemic be done and over with as quickly as possible by removing all lockdowns, going back to normal before the pandemic, and let nature takes it course through the herd immunity process. Or is it more important to destroy the freedom of billions, to save a million? That is insanity.

LASTLY, I GUESS YOU DO NOT ALLOW PEOPLE TO CONTACT YOU DIRECTLY VIA EMAIL OR OTHER? I CAN’T FIND ANY “CONTACT” ICON, SO I GUESS NOT?? TOO BAD, I HAVE FACT BASED INFO. YOU WANT TO SEE.

Jordon Petersen lays out exactly what the result is of dabbling with Marxism and says it in a much more concise and boiled down manner than I ever could, and all in less than 3 minutes.

https://youtu.be/8p2QfjaSIUo 2:50

Black Lives Matter? ANTIFA? A segment of the Democrat party leadership?

These organizations and associations are just making their Marxist and anti American radical hay while they can and those who choose to align and associate with them are guilty of at least naïve ignorance. And if they are not naïve or ignorant of what they really represent? Then you tell me what they are and represent in America.

This is our system and this is our process.

Didn’t everyone vote for Trump so that he would stop this kind of madness?

“I feel Trump is correctly playing the long game here,”

You will have to explain the long game, because I do not see one. Also, why is this a “feeling” on your part and not a belief? Making decisions based upon feelings is what progressives do, which explains why we are in the mess that we are in, right now.

“this isn’t a law enforcement issue. Instead, it’s a political issue that ultimately must be won at the ballot box.”

Well, we lost this issue in 2008, and we can see that Trump is not the solution.

James Street wrote: “This is not a Republican / Democrat thing. It’s us versus the swamp.”

Republicans were elected to clean up the swamp, because We the People do not have the authority to do it. They are falling down on the job.

“What you see as weakness I see as strategy.”

What strategy do you see? The only strategy that I see is one that results in even more tyranny than we are stuck with now, which suggests weakness. Even VISA is refusing to serve anyone that they disagree with. It looks to me that the Obama strategy reigns supreme and has spread into the private, commercial zone.

Lawrence Duffield wrote: “If we don’t act, decisively, to reject this destruction of our economy, society and violence against the citizenry, it is on US, not the President.”

This is why we gave the Republicans the House, Senate, and Presidency in 2016. What did they do with them? Nothing.

The most that We the People can do is what we are doing, running around outside without masks on. We can’t go into the shutdown businesses unless we are rioting, and that is not our goal. Before they can add to — and rebuild — the economy, shopkeepers who open up against the government’s wishes only get shut down by the police-supported government, which resulted in failure on that front.

Here, governors and mayors carry out the SAME forced lock-down scheme that DEMS are imposing in the USA to “combat” COVID-19: Governors, mayors and the Supreme Court openly defying the constitution without any reaction from President, apart from some President´s statements in the press about “closing businesses and job losses”.

We have several recorded cases of deaths of people who died from other diseases and were counted as Covid-19, here. At the same time we have several cases, with photos and videos, of EMPTY hospitals, with no beds occupied.

We don’t know what is actually happening. We don’t even know if the pandemic is real or not.

We only know that a huge coup is underway.

I can not write about this much more becoz our congress voted an identification law on the internet that puts an end to freedom of speech here. All at the expense of the pandemic. In fact, several draconian and anti-constitutional measures are being adopted in view of the pandemic. And nobody can complain: The supreme court supports all tyranny.

The entire Latin American is going fast into communism abyss.

Here, we are already absolutely sure that this is no longer a pandemic, but only a world political coup.

P.S.: I don’t know if Trump will endure this coup, especially if the American Supreme Court turns against him.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/coronavirus-mexico-border-refugee-camp-immigration

“IF” it goes off will it blow a hole the captains suite? Will it take out the captains first mates suite who just happens to be his biggest enemy? Will it go off and send its load of bad will and chaos off the port side with little damage? Or has the powder become wet and it will not go off, its a dud?

UNKNOWN and UNKNOWABLE at this point in time.

*And lets also consider this: Trump, a political novice, a committed what turns out to be a Conservative Constitutionalist, destroys Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 election, and Hillary is the anointed one and next in line in the Globalist drive to de fang America and its inconvenient and hampering to their “It Takes A Village” world wide Globalist agenda.

*Those within the government law enforcement agencies, the FBI, CIA and others formulate and execute a scheme to discredit the new president and entrap those that surround him and if they can have him removed from office. (Sedition and treason on any other planet).

*The FBI sets up general Flynn. Result? Flynn case dismissed because of the FBI’s misconduct and refusal to supply the evidence that proved the general was set up and charged ultimately for political reasons. And this is right now being criminally investigated and I am fairly confident that there will be charges related to these many abuses of power within these government law enforcement agencies. So this is not rumor or spin.

*There are “Investigations” in the form of the Robert Mueller special prosecutor investigation that take two years, $40 or so million dollars, 40 FBI special agents and scores of witnesses, included investigations in13 country’s, and the conclusion? No Russian collusion. And the FBI knew from the start that it was all a fraud.

*Then there is undertaken an impeachment to remove the president by the Democrat controlled Congress, again, nothing, failure. Really just another desperate disgrace for the Democrats.

*And all throughout this time there is chaos and confusion and the president moves forward and the media reveals just how biased and anti American and Leftist / Socialist they have become. The term “Fake News” that the president coined becomes clear to many in America as being 100 percent true and a threat to America.

*As things become more and more chaotic in America and the world there emerges a peculiar virus from the presidents #1 international enemy, China, curious and timely. (China can not survive and realize their world domination goals if Trump remains the president of the United States) It is reasonable to assume that the virus emerged from within a biological research laboratory within China, and the Chinese Communist government limits travel within their country. But interestingly the very practical Chinese Communists continue to allow international travel as the virus spreads throughout the entire world and sickens many, and kills the ill and infirm.

*And all through this time the “Progressive” Socialist and Leftist lead Democrats in America have gained in strength and have coopted the leadership of the Democrat party which are now eternally aligned with radical Marxist lead organizations such as Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA. Both organizations are working to raze the Constitution and replace it, with what no one knows. This would serve the Globalist agenda well.

*The Democrat “Progressives” that are now in control of the major cities in America are in the process of through legislation defunding or ending the police forces in their cities. As a prime example the now plainly Communist “Progressive” mayor of New York City and the now radical City Council have just voted to defund the NYC police department by $1 Billion dollars. How does that make you feel ladies of New York City?

*This comes after a violent abuse of power where a black man was brutalized and killed in Minnesota by a police officer. And he, George Floyd, the abused has apparently been long forgotten. This is one of those “Never let a crisis go to waste”, ala Rahm Emanuel, the failed Democrat Mayor of Chicago who was forced from office and is a close ally of B. Hussein Obama.

*What does this all have to do with? This is all in full and chaotic motion today because of one man and for one reason. Trump is a real threat one way or another to this Globalist / “New World order” / “One World Government” plainly Democrat leadership model that threatens the American Constitution which is the only thing that in fact stands in its way.

So is this all happening by coincidence? What do you think?

At this level of political play does anyone really think that most of this is by coincidence?

Now imagine Trump losing to someone like Joe Biden and where our country would beheading if that were to be allowed to play out. You just noodle with that for a while America and see where you find yourself.

mpthompson: I really do hope you are right. I also recognize the political logic of this strategy by Trump. I fear however that the new voters Trump was attracting beforehand will disappear, as they do not see things with this kind of nuance. What they see is Trump failing to act in their interests, in contrast to how he acts when his interests are threatened.

If he loses those voters, he might not have enough to win. That is my fear.

Our representatives are not representing us and our interests but represent themselves and their own interests. We the People are once again suffering from taxation without representation. We elect people, but we do not get the representation promised by the Constitution.

Robert wrote, parenthetically: “(Though the 2017 number appears to include both viral sickness as well as chronic illness, in 2020 almost all respiratory deaths have been assigned to COVID-19 in order to inflate its numbers. I therefore think it valid to compare the two numbers.)”

This point does not deserve to be parenthetical. It may even deserve its own essay. This point touches on another problem that we have here in America. The press.

We have freedom of the press in this country, but in this case the large ones, those most read, watched, or heard, generally are not news organizations but propaganda activists of the Democratic Party. In fact, it is possible that the main stream press makes the calls and that the Democratic Party follows their lead. After all, who was it that declared that George Floyd’s life mattered enough to start riots, looting, arson, and murder, and who decides that the people of Chicago, each weekend, do not matter enough?

Why are the Republicans so fearful of opposing the Democrats? Because they fear that the press, as supporters of the Democrats, will attack them. They cower from such possibility. Once again, as Robert noted, the Republicans are more concerned about not looking bad so that they can get reelected, than they are concerned about We the People and the suffering that has been imposed upon so very many of us, 40 million workers, the last I heard, and hundreds of millions of other victims of this political shutdown, lockdown, smackdown Great Oppression.

The supposed science being used to rationalize the unconstitutional orders dictated to us — and enforced by police forces that have abandoned their oaths to enforce the Constitution, choosing the side of the tyrannical politicians over We the People — is bogus. It is reminiscent of Lysenkoism. We Americans are now under direct attack, but we are not permitted to defend ourselves and those we depend upon for defense are neglecting their jobs.

This virtual Lysenkoism is not new with this crisis, but has been used for global warming (or climate change, climate disruption, nom du jour). Those who disagree with the government’s chosen position are ostracized, including demands that such people, especially scientists, be executed, similar to the Soviets’s Lysenkoism. The press worked hard to generate fear in order to get us to cower in our houses. For global warming this was figurative, but for Wuhan flu it is literal.

Disregarding Trumps actions with regards to the Wuhan Flu, his actions with regards to Antifa and the Marxist BLM movement , or lack of actions, are much more defensible. The crisis is almost completely contained either within very blue states or in very blue urban regions within red states. Even as President, Trump’s powers are very limited, particularly when the elected leadership in these regions do not want the type of help Trump can offer from the federal level. It does suck that there are innocent people suffering from poor leadership in these areas, but the electorate is getting exactly what they voted for.

Consider this. If there was a mayor or governor asking for help from the Federal government with regards to national guard troops and law enforcement assistance to contain the lawlessness, is there any doubt Trump wouldn’t instantly provide such assistance? The problem is the elected leadership in these areas simply DOESN’T WANT HELP and would prefer the problem to fester and grow. In such a situation, Trump’s hands are tied. Yes, the optics are bad for Trump, but the alternatives are worse.

If Trump were to ignore state and local leadership and go in with “guns blazing”, so to speak, he would be playing right into the leftist hands. The media and Democrats are hoping that Trump falls for such a trap and triggers a Kent State or Waco type incident that they can hang around his neck until election day. Imagine the crocodile tears from the governors and mayors as cry “Why, why didn’t Trump listen to us? Now he has the blood of peaceful protestors on his hands. We warned him, but he wouldn’t listen. Here is the proof that Trump is the fascist we’ve been warning about for four years.”

Instead, the Governors and Mayors, by letting the lawlessness continue, are deeply scaring the great majority of normal voters who are asking themselves if the Democrats have truly gone insane.

I feel Trump is correctly playing the long game here, even though he’s taking a hit with his own supporters who would want to see much more proactive action against the rioters. However, because the Democrats are running cover for BLM and Antifa, this isn’t a law enforcement issue. Instead, it’s a political issue that ultimately must be won at the ballot box.

No, they are not insane, they are called “Progressives” and Democrats and they are in the process of redistributing the wealth in the country by utilizing such rules and laws. They know that the private sector business owners all have vaults in their basements filled with all of that money that they have taken from those who are not similarly “Privileged”. And they are out of money and their tax base / cash flow has been destroyed.

This is a picture of mine, its in my basement, I can barely close the door:

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fbncore%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F08%2Fvault-237-vault-straight.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fbuffalonews.com%2F2019%2F08%2F13%2Fvault-237-restaurant-coming-to-ex-marine-midland-building-downtown%2F&tbnid=FeC5HJRRTPV1WM&vet=12ahUKEwjR0rm9warqAhVRFt8KHYKcCV4QMygCegUIARDUAQ..i&docid=Mm_yjutltqScIM&w=1800&h=1200&q=vault&ved=2ahUKEwjR0rm9warqAhVRFt8KHYKcCV4QMygCegUIARDUAQ

Here in Albuquerque two council members are trying to force two absolutely absurd financial burdens on business, already struggling due to the China virus:
1. Mandatory “hazard pay” for just about everyone working in the private sector
2. 80 hours of forced sick leave paid time off
Both of these insane proposals are to be paid for by the business owners ! Are they insane?

Both party’s are weak, and no politician seems to care about anything other than winning re-election.

A slight change in position.
Progress!

I think the increased testing, combined with the reduced number of actual cases since the peak, has allowed the testing regime to switch to a significant degree from just confirming suspected cases to actually tracking the progress and locating cases that would previously not have been detected.
This change would increase the lag time between diagnosis and death. Early in the case of the US that lag was about 10 days, but in countries in which the positive test rate was far lower the lag was 2 weeks. Despite the much higher case rates now, the number actual new infections in the US now are probably similar to that of the first peak, but treatment since then has improved and so has the isolation of the most vulnerable.

Well, take a look at this CDC data for the leading causes of death in Arizona from 2017:
Yep, but if you’re (sort of) conceding that lockdowns reduce the rate of spread, you’re also conceding that no lockdowns would have meant more spread, and rationally higher infection rates means higher death rates. So the “no different to the flu” line and other similar arguments becomes silly since past flu seasons weren’t subject to the same measures to reduce transmission rates.

This is too much of an unknown quantity and unknowable calculation, the virus is doing crazy things popping up here and there without paying too much attention to what some think that it should be doing. And I can see the everyday peoples reaction to the increased media activity in reporting the reemerging clusters. The publics attitude began to dial down two or so weeks ago and more people seemed relaxed and thought that the virus was dissipating and working its way through. And just in the last couple of days I see many more people once again on guard, a bit up tight and wearing masks with more discipline. I have myself become a bit more aware because of it.

No, this is too much of an unknown for an empowered politician in an approaching election year especially.

You fight with your human political opponents, with the narrative and memes that your political enemies are attempting to tag you with, but there is no “fighting” with the virus. This can easily bit one in the arse if you tend to become a bit too confident. Desanits being a good example. He will survive but he is now tap dancing.

Trump and the Republicans can tag their political opponents with the Democrats “Progressive” / Leftist / CHAZ / “Defund the police etc. agenda, and that is what everyone in the country is in the process of watching and soaking in. And the Democrats are looking to tag the Republicans in the form of the president with “mismanaging” the virus event.

The virus on the other hand has become a political chimera and does not calculate confidently into the political strategies of either party, a total loose cannon and unknown quantity. And therefore there will be extreme caution exercised by all.

(Except for Trump of course, he just hunkers down and plows ahead when possible. He has moved past it all for the most part, But even he is being more cautious than usual because of the nature of the enemy)

Cotour: The “numbers” in Florida are not on the rise. The number of cases are. The number of deaths are not. See this page:

Ron Santis is bowing to political pressure like all the other Republicans. They are acting weak, when they should be doing what you often suggest, use some strategy to really fight. They need to fight to win votes. Not fighting will have them lose the election.

There is great danger perceived in being seen as talking up getting everything back to “normal”, and then the virus reemerges and more people begin to be hospitalized and die. And it is you then that can be pointed at as a politician who misread the situation and cost people their lives.

I will cite governor of Florida. Just two or three weeks ago he was crowing that “all of the experts were wrong”, and now the numbers are on the rise in his state ad he is forced to close down what was open. And that is what the other governors and mayors are watching.

This is going to remine a minefield to navigate through for a while more. (At least until after the election :)