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HYPERPARTISAN HYPERVENTILLATING MEDIA-19: A DEADLIER VIRUS

It is a medical fact that anxiety, panic, and stress can weaken your immune system and severely impact your health.

There is little doubt in my mind that the politicians and news media are sensationalizing the current pandemic to gain political power, and in the case of the media, attract a large audience which translates into increased revenue.

So I was surprised to see a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Trump's medical sidekick that suggests that the current situation, while serious -- especially for the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions -- may not be as grave as being hyped 24/7.

The headlines, repeated in the media 24/7 echo chamber scream…

drudge-hdrWhat Dr. Fauci is telling other physicians can be seen in this excerpt from a leading medical professional journal…

nejm

Covid-19 — Navigating the Uncharted (March 26, 2020)

List of authors. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., H. Clifford Lane, M.D., and Robert R. Redfield, M.D.

The latest threat to global health is the ongoing outbreak of the respiratory disease that was recently given the name Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). Covid-19 was recognized in December 2019.1 It was rapidly shown to be caused by a novel coronavirus that is structurally related to the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). As in two preceding instances of emergence of coronavirus disease in the past 18 years — SARS (2002 and 2003) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) (2012 to the present) — the Covid-19 outbreak has posed critical challenges for the public health, research, and medical communities.

In their Journal article, Li and colleagues provide a detailed clinical and epidemiologic description of the first 425 cases reported in the epicenter of the outbreak: the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, China. Although this information is critical in informing the appropriate response to this outbreak, as the authors point out, the study faces the limitation associated with reporting in real time the evolution of an emerging pathogen in its earliest stages. Nonetheless, a degree of clarity is emerging from this report. The median age of the patients was 59 years, with higher morbidity and mortality among the elderly and among those with coexisting conditions (similar to the situation with influenza); 56% of the patients were male.

Of note, there were no cases in children younger than 15 years of age. Either children are less likely to become infected, which would have important epidemiologic implications, or their symptoms were so mild that their infection escaped detection, which has implications for the size of the denominator of total community infections.

On the basis of a case definition requiring a diagnosis of pneumonia, the currently reported case fatality rate is approximately 2%.4 In another article in the Journal, Guan et al. report mortality of 1.4% among 1099 patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19; these patients had a wide spectrum of disease severity. If one assumes that the number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic cases is several times as high as the number of reported cases, the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1%.

This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%) or a pandemic influenza (similar to those in 1957 and 1968) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS, which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10% and 36%, respectively.

The efficiency of transmission for any respiratory virus has important implications for containment and mitigation strategies. The current study indicates an estimated basic reproduction number (R0) of 2.2, which means that, on average, each infected person spreads the infection to an additional two persons. As the authors note, until this number falls below 1.0, it is likely that the outbreak will continue to spread. Recent reports of high titers of virus in the oropharynx early in the course of disease arouse concern about increased infectivity during the period of minimal symptoms.

A robust research effort is currently under way to develop a vaccine against Covid-19.10 We anticipate that the first candidates will enter phase 1 trials by early spring. Therapy currently consists of supportive care while a variety of investigational approaches are being explored. Among these are the antiviral medication lopinavir–ritonavir, interferon-1β, the RNA polymerase inhibitor remdesivir, chloroquine, and a variety of traditional Chinese medicine products.

Once available, intravenous hyperimmune globulin from recovered persons and monoclonal antibodies may be attractive candidates to study in early intervention. Critical to moving the field forward, even in the context of an outbreak, is ensuring that investigational products are evaluated in scientifically and ethically sound studies.

When you can't trust the numbers...

All of the information being trumpeted as fact by the media comes from incomplete data and models whose assumptions introduce large errors into the output projections. Unfortunately, early on, that's all we have and need to use for planning. Continually refining our plans as time goes on, we get better data and fine-tune our assumptions. But to scare individuals needlessly serves no purpose other than to drive media ratings and the type of urgency politicians use to pass their unpalatable agenda items.

As a generalized guideline: as more and more people are tested, the smaller the lethality percentage. But, those reporters who want to emphasize their point often show the large increases in the raw numbers as a measure of increasing doom rather than simply reflecting more testing. Or they hide relative truths by picking and choosing when they will use numbers based on a per capita basis. And, then there is the confirmation bias -- numbers based on people known to have COVID-19 who were tested only after exhibiting serious symptoms -- of course there will be more problems in this cohort.

Scaring the people…

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Bottom line…

Powerful progressive politicians like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and their cadre of radical socialists and communists appear to be following Rahm Emanuel’s dictum: “You never let a serious crisis go to waste. And what I mean by that it's an opportunity to do things you think you could not do before.” Like implementing programs, policies, procedures, and funding that no individual legislator would pass or are fundamentally abhorrent to the American people.

pelosi

Omnipresent mainstream media vie with each other to create the most sensational headlines or write stories to disparage and demonize President Donald Trump and his Administration. Truth be told, many politicians and members of the media are attempting to hold the President responsible for actions of previous administrations or actions that rightly belong to the states and their respective governors. Most of the onerous regulations imposed on "we the people" are the result of state and local orders -- nothing to do with the federal government who has been issuing guidelines rather than dictates.

In the final analysis, this is an attack on the American people, the American way of life, and America itself. A fifth column of traitors attempting to destroy America from within on behalf of our enemies, both foreign and domestic. One need only look at the mainstream news stories promoting communist Chinese propaganda after they unleashed a pandemic on the world and are now attempting to mitigate their embarrassment and responsibility for this worldwide disaster.

Time to hold these progressive socialist democrats and the republicans who give them a pass, responsible for a major collapse of our society – however temporary it might be. It might also be useful to shun the traditional mainstream media and especially the traitorous CNN and MSNBC.

While the people practice "social distancing," it appears that the politicians are practicing "political distancing" -- politicians deflecting the responsibility for the lack of preparation from themselves to the President. It was the governors who are responsible for the lack of hospital beds, ventilators, and other critical supplies.

As I said yesterday, California has been preparing for the "Big One" for decades -- and yet was proven to be woefully impotent in a situation that did NOT involve severe crush injuries, massive property destruction, and the loss of critical water, electricity, gas, and sanitation infrastructure. Well, this was the precursor to the "big one" and we need to ask them what did they accomplish and what happened to the money.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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LOS ANGELES SHERIFF UNDER FIRE

There is a vast gulf between looking and sounding like a leader and acting like a leader…

alex_villaneuva

One would think that the first obligation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff, the highest local elected officials in the state, would be to ensure the safety of his own personnel so they can continue to protect the population during times of emergency.

Yet, we see the Los Angeles County Sheriff silent -- and not demanding that his entire department be tested for the SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ) antibodies regardless of whether or not they are displaying the symptoms of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) disease. Including periodic re-testing of previously negatively tested front-line personnel. Those who test positive, but who are without symptoms, should be grouped together and away from those who test negative. Since most of the department’s patrol and front-facing officers are likely to be younger and in good physical shape, one might expect that they have a better survival rate than senior citizens who are likely to occupy administrative positions.

Truth-be-told, this should be mandatory for all first responders and those involved with designated critical infrastructure.

Unfortunately, this is the Sheriff who is preoccupied with denying ordinary law-abiding citizens access to weapons and ammunition in violation of the Constitution’s Second Amendment while concurrently releasing allegedly non-violent criminals and illegal aliens back into the very communities he is sworn to protect.

"We are going to shut down gun sales and ammunition sales outside of law enforcement and private security organizations," Villanueva said. Villanueva's order applies only to the gun shops in the unincorporated areas of the county where the sheriff's department provides law enforcement. It's up to the individual chiefs of police in other cities to decide if the doors will stay open. Villanueva says he's trying to discourage panic gun-buying; his intent isn't to stop the sales of guns, but rather to address the large crowds recently seen gathering at gun stores.” <Source> [OCS: The sheriff has stated that he took the action of declaring gun shops as non-essential businesses to “minimize the threat posed by first-time gun buyers panic-purchasing weapons at a time when homes are crowded, raising the possibility of suicides and domestic violence.” Sounds like a convenient excuse to me.]

Approximately 1,700 inmates have been released from Los Angeles County jails in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the local sheriff's office announced Tuesday, reducing the inmate population by 10%. So far, no one in the county's jail system has tested positive for COVID-19, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a news conference Tuesday. The inmates who were released were all serving time for non-violent crimes and had under 30 days left on their sentences, a sheriff's spokesperson told CBS News. <Source> [OCS: It appears that Los Angeles County is restricting testing to those who are exhibiting the active symptoms associated with COV-19]

Something is drastically wrong when the Los Angeles County Supervisors are seeking to remove the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Alex Villanueva, as the head of the county’s emergency operations center. Is it a political power play or a lack of leadership on the part of a sheriff who continues to hold his own daily update press conference separate from the daily brief from other county officials?

Is anyone surprised when there was mass confusion about the stay-at-home order when the drafting, dissemination, and explanation of the order was muddled by multiple voices, all of whom claimed to have the authority to speak to the subject?

Bottom line…

Press conferences where all of the politicians and other elected officials push the subject-matter experts to the back of the line while they all take bows and thank everybody for their participation in the ongoing crisis annoy me. Most people simply tune out and essential information is lost in the unnecessary political noise.

What I don’t understand is that almost all of the officials acknowledge that the City and County of Los Angeles were unprepared for the current emergency. This is bullpucky given that a region-wide natural disaster would produce many more urgent injuries coupled with significant damage to property – and especially to critical infrastructure involving services such as communications, sanitation, etc. Yet year-after-year, the combined agencies tell us that they are preparing for “The Big One.”

With the support of the Los Angeles County Operational Area partners, including Federal, State, County, local municipality departments, and non-government agencies, the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office, Office of Emergency Management (LAC OEM) coordinates and conducts disaster preparedness drills, exercises and trainings utilizing a variety of scenarios. These drills, exercises, and trainings serve to test plans, reinforce response and recovery management protocols and procedures in identifying areas of strength and improvement, as well as promote better interagency collaboration. <Source>

Well, the "big one" is here, and there are few excuses for what we are seeing from our elected officials. When we must not fool ourselves into thinking we are prepared, it turns out that we were the easiest to fool – having placed our reliance on public officials while we went about our daily business. It appears that we must, of necessity, watch the watchers and check the checkers. The mainstream media is also at fault, politicizing and sensationalizing everything as they prove once again how quickly their taking heads can turn from being constitutional experts on impeachment into expert epidemiologists and virologists.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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THE COVID-19 PANIC PEDDLERS

Sorry, no new news to report …

It seems the politicized panic peddlers continue to deliberately sensationalize non-news for the purpose of generating an audience.

My favorites include dramatic charts based on misleading metrics such as the increase in the number of “confirmed” cases, which is expected to dramatically rise in proportion to increases in testing. Very rarely do the pundits point out that this says nothing about the penetration of the disease into the community because the majority of people have not been tested, and those who were tested were likely to have been pre-screened and present with severe symptoms. Likewise, there is no real determination of the cause of death in those who are much older and have serious underlying conditions. Some suggest that a good proportion of these individuals would have died by yearend.

Then there are the dramatic pleas for additional ventilators and personal protective gear.

Like the New York “resident” doctor quoted in the Atlantic who claimed…

“Every day, in our hastily assembled COVID-19 unit, I put on my gown, face shield, three sets of gloves, and N95 respirator mask, which stays on for the entirety of my 12-hour shift, save for one or two breaks for cold pizza and coffee. Before the pandemic, I would wear a new mask for every new patient. Not now. There are not enough to go around. The bridge of my nose is raw, chapped, and on the verge of bleeding. But I consider myself one of the lucky ones. My hospital still has a supply of masks—albeit a dwindling one—to protect me and my colleagues.”

“Nevertheless, we need to perform an alarming number of of intubations. Our ventilators are almost all in use, and the ICUs are at capacity. Although our hospital has received extra vents here and there from other hospitals in the region that can spare them, those few additions are merely a stopgap. Will we soon have patients sharing vents? We wouldn’t be the first hospital to attempt that unusual and suboptimal practice, which gained traction after the Las Vegas shooting, when scores of young trauma patients were vented in pairs. But these COVID-19 patients have delicate lungs, which makes vent-sharing far more dangerous. Nevertheless, we’ve already started studying the mechanics of how to make this happen, as a last-ditch effort.: <Source>

Of course, The Atlantic has a known bias against the President and his Administration as do a significant number of media outlets in New York. Truth does not seem to matter as much as being first with a breaking story or attracting or retaining that revenue-generating audience.

Contrast that with the statement of the Governor of New York with presidential aspirations, Andrew Cuomo. Cuomo denies any shortages at the current time and that his requests for additional equipment are based on projections supplied by epidemiological models, which may or may not come true. Moreover, when President Trump pointed out that Cuomo has a stockpile of ventilators,  Cuomo admitted it was true, insisting that no hospital has called for them to be released. With 6,000 ventilators in stock and less than 2,000 people in state intensive care units, the claims seem wildly exaggerated or deliberately misleading.

And, then there are the hysterical unsourced stories filled with anecdotes and pictures of nurses wearing garbage bags over their protective gear.

Would the media deliberately exaggerate the news of an emergency?

As a newsman struggles heroically against the wind, widen the shot to see two guys strolling by.

widen the shot-1

How deep? Keep that shot tight!

widen-the-shot-2

Anderson Cooper – In Danger? Not so much.

widen-the-shot-3

Danger! Virus!

protect

Show me the emergency memo that authorized this practice.

gb

Explain this … "Another nurse described 'issues with supplies for about a year now,' during which it got 'to the point where we had to hide our own supplies and go to other units looking for stuff because even the supply room would have nothing most of the time.'”

If this supply issue pre-dated the emergence of the coronavirus, what does that say for the hospital inspectors like JACHO (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations), a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501 organization that accredits more than 22,000 US health care organizations and programs? Or the Division of Hospitals and Diagnostic and Treatment Centers of the New York State Department of Health? Or the hospital administrator? Or the doctors and nurses? Or the extremely vocal, politically active 1199SEIU (Service Employees International Union), which represents tens of thousands of hospital-based members who work throughout the mega-health systems in New York? Or is this a stunt to dramatize the need for supplies to meet a projected crisis.

What science actually shows…

A view through the microscope…

work1

That’s right! House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is partly to blame.

Where was the Adam Schiff and the House Intelligence Committee when our intelligence agencies were telling us something terrible was happening in China? Working on impeaching the President on nonsensical and nonexistent grounds.

Where was the House Subcommittee on Health whose jurisdiction includes public health and quarantine; hospital construction; mental health; biomedical research and development; health information technology, privacy, and cybersecurity; public health insurance (Medicare, Medicaid) and private health insurance; medical malpractice and medical malpractice insurance; the regulation of food, drugs, devices, cosmetics, and tobacco (the Food and Drug Administration); drug abuse; the Department of Health and Human Services; the National Institutes of Health; the Centers for Disease Control; Indian Health Service; and all aspects of the above-referenced jurisdiction related to the Department of Homeland Security?

Bottom line…

Not even worthwhile watching the mainstream media or most cable news programs that are mostly commentary and fake news.

This, too, shall pass. Hopefully, the Democrats will be held accountable for their misfeasance and malfeasance and some Republicans for their fecklessness and lack of cojones.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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THE SENATE GOP IS DEAD

gop-mcconnell-dead

I was under the impression that the GOP had a majority in the United States Senate and leadership strong enough to control squishy RINO (Republican In Name Only) aisle-hoppers who were eager to assist the opposition, the progressive socialist democrats, in fulfilling their agenda. You know, Senators who cannot be trusted with the core principles of the GOP, like Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Mitt Romney (R-UT), and others.

What are – I should say were – those core principles?

  • Uphold the prime directive in their Oath of Office to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
  • To protect the sovereignty, safety, and security of the United States of America and its citizens.
  • To advance the cause of liberty, freedom, and inalienable rights.
  • To limit the size of the federal government and slow the increasing federalization of powers that belong to the states or “We the People.”
  • To limit profligate spending and prioritize spending on those items which benefit the pursuit of constitutional mandates rather than the interests of special interests or self-serving politicians.
  • To limit taxation so that individuals can control more of their own destiny and grow the U.S. economy rather that allow political pandering and vote purchasing with “pork” projects.
  • To reduce the number of confusing and conflicting rules and regulations which unknowingly criminalize almost every aspect of human life and existence in some way.
  • To promote individualism, self-sufficiency, and resiliency over the collective “nanny” state.

At least that is what I thought were the GOP’s core principles. But I was wrong.

It appears that the purpose of the GOP is to legitimize the ideology of the progressive socialist democrats while securing their portion of the pork-barrel spending. In essence, creating and marketing an illusory brand that keeps the professional political class in power. Gone are the days when politicians would put the nation over their own political ambitions. Gone are the days when politicians, on both sides of the aisle, would stand up and yell ENOUGH! Gone are the days when you can trust most politicians with the power of governance and the integrity to ignore the mainstream media.

With the Senate authoring and passage of the $2 TRILLION coronavirus emergency bill – in reality, $6 TRILLION when you consider the Federal Reserve’s creation of more fiat money – the Senate has proven a poor and irresponsible steward of the public treasury as well as a feckless deliberative body that was in thrall to the slim majority of progressive socialist democrats in the House of Representatives.

The GOP, or at least the GOP I voted for, is DEAD.

It appears that the most ardent advocate of the old GOP is one, Donald John Trump, an accidental president who has risen to the demands of his office in spite of the near continual attack by the progressive socialist democrats and the mainstream media. He appears to be guided more by the motto “Do the Right Thing at the Right Time” than a core political ideology. There is nobody, in the modern history of the United States, who has the stamina and courage to face the worst of the opposition – including some members of this own party – and still do right by the American citizen.

Bottom line…

Collegiality be damned. The idea of one Senator referring to an opposition Senator as "My friend or colleague from the Great State of Misery" should be mothballed. There should be no restriction on a Senator rising and calling out the evil son-of-a-bitch from [insert state here].

When I consider that former President Barack Obama and his cadre of socialist/communists betrayed the nation… When I consider that the Democrats have proposed a corrupt liar like Hillary Clinton – and now a corrupt liar like Joe Biden – for the highest office in the land, without significant push-back from the GOP… And, when I see the GOP Senate vote for a massive bill that they have not read and are too scared to fight passage because it hands out goodies to those voting in 2020….  I am sickened and have every reason to believe the GOP is dead.

It appears that the only Republican with the cojones to stand up for the Constitution was Representative Thomas Massie R-KY) who demanded a quorum, which meant the House needed 216 representatives to vote, even by voice -- and a recorded vote on the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package. His comment "I came here to make sure our republic doesn’t die by unanimous consent in an empty chamber” was spot on. And condemned by virtually every elected Member of Congress for attempting to "delay the vote" even though Nancy Pelosi took her vacation. 

I am disappointed that President Trump called him a "third-rate grandstander" while former Secretary of State John Kerry called him an asshole. Kerry's comment, "Breaking news: Congressman Masse has tested positive for being an asshole,” Kerry tweeted. “He must be quarantined to prevent the spread of his massive stupidity. He’s given new meaning to the term #Masshole." 

Funny, Trump is celebrating this bill as a YUGE success, the biggest spending bill in human history ever passed.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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CORONAVIRUS: WHAT WE ARE LEARNING -- AND IT IS NOT PRETTY

rich-rx

What have we learned so far from the response to the Chinese Coronavirus pandemic? …

One, the government, at the local, state, and federal levels, is not prepared for a large-scale national emergency, be it war, biological threat, or a natural disaster.

Two, the nation's political leadership is unwilling to set aside politics to prioritize expenditures and logistics. One party in particular, the Democrats, have refused to set aside political considerations in the advancement of their normal political agenda.

Three, the mainstream media refuses to set aside their profit and political agenda to report the news without unhelpful commentary. Continuing to sensationalize content to attract an audience as well as present conflicting and contrary content by giving a media platform to celebrities and individuals with credentials that have little or nothing to do with the ongoing event.

Sensationalized headlines from a news service which will appear in hundreds of newspapers scream “Coronavirus could kill 81,000 in U.S., subside in June -Washington University analysis” lack context as to assumptions and methodology and the use weasel-words like “could.” Most individuals see “kill",” “81,000,” and “university.” The study is a “pre-print” and has not been peer-reviewed by the journal to which it was submitted. The data comes from the World Health Organization and other sources that may be suspect. The conclusions are based on graphing existing data and then curve-fitting to develop an equation that is then used as a “model” for predictions. While the researcher is well-credentialed and experienced, I am reminded of the old data processing adage “Garbage In – Garbage Out.” All very “scientific,” but considering the increased testing of the population, the original statistics may be irrelevant when newer data is examined. And, we know the World Health Organization accepted falsified data from China, possibly because of a conflict of interest between the WHO Director-General and China who apparently assisted him is securing his position.

The unintended consequences of over-dramatizing potential actions and outcomes appears to be unnecessary anxiety and stess, and the hoarding of essential daily foods and household supplies. This panicked buying puts unnecessary pressure on the supply chain and causes local outages and disruptions. Anxiety and stress make you more prone to disease as they weaken your immune system -- the body's own defense against bacteria and viruses.

Those media outlets who engage in censorship, including partisan "fact checking" and interference in official communications should be identified and shunned by citizens. During an official crisis, media outlets should clearly and unambiguously identify analysis and commentary.

Partisan negativity is created by so-called “news foundations” and then fed to a complicit mainstream media without context.

Unlike the Obama Administration, which introduced extreme triage for senior citizens as part of an Obamacare cost containment protocol, was late to respond to the H1N1-flu epidemic, failed to restock critical emergency supplies, and received little or no media criticism during the time, we find the Trump Administration being excoriated by ‘hit-piece” articles such as “Internal Emails Show How Chaos at the CDC Slowed the Early Response to Coronavirus: The CDC fumbled its communication with public health officials and underestimated the threat of the coronavirus even as it gained a foothold in the United States, according to hundreds of pages of documents ProPublica obtained.

Four, those who create models, charts, graphs, and other explanatory information continue to produce dramatic illustrations, sometimes using inappropriate or meaningless statistics and inappropriate scaling. The current evidence points to incorrect and unfounded assumptions in preparing presentations for public information. Just knowing the number of infected among those tested says nothing about the community and is a meaningless metric. As is the number of deaths among those who have tested positive for the virus – another meaningless statistic due to the lack of wide-spread testing in the community. Numbers without context are just numbers.

Remember the well-credentialed and widely-quoted epidemiologist, Neil Ferguson, from London's Imperial College whose models suggested that an uncontrolled spread of the virus could cause as many as 510,000 deaths in Britain and up to 2.2 million deaths in  the U.S.

He's back – and the new numbers suggest the number of deaths in Britain is unlikely to exceed 20,000 and could be much lower. Another study suggests that half of those might have died anyway within the year due to existing conditions and underlying pathology.   To provide perspective, approximately 17,000 individuals in England die from complications related to seasonal flu. <Source>

Five, the American people may not follow the directions of their local, state, and federal leadership due to the posturing and political content of pronouncements over straight news. Especially when instructions, directions, and orders are ambiguous and not uniformly implemented in a region. And, are shocked when more authoritarian measures are introduced to enforce legal orders from duly authorized government agencies.

Six, those who are in the highest risk categories are being placed at risk by thoughtless individuals or the unintended consequences of official instructions. An example, rather than surveying and screening children who naturally act as vectors for many communicable diseases, officials ordered children to be returned to homes where the highest risk individuals reside. Unfortunately, the proper response may demand that the riskiest cohort self-isolate within a home with children for at least a time corresponding to a reasonable incubation period.

Seven, we are seeing the dark underside of politics as a number of politicians have been exposed for insider trading and other self-serving behavior as they pander to their special interests rather than assist their constituents. We also see that beneficial products and services have been or are being curtailed by a lobbyist-driven bureaucracy. Services like the use of telemedicine or the empowerment of nurse practitioners. We are also discovering artificial restrictions on the number of doctors trained, the number of facilities that can be opened, the number of beds per facility, and the number of advanced diagnostic machines.

Eight, it is unconscionable for the government, especially the progressive socialist democrats, to attempt to disarm American citizens during a time when they are faced with the possibility of civil unrest – where police stop responding, but even worse, facing a hoard of criminals who are being released from prisons and jails back into the community. There is a sound reason for the Constitution’s Second Amendment – self-defense against those who would harm you or take away your freedoms with their tyrannical political actions.

The two big questions…

Attorney John Hinderaker (Harvard Law School) wrote:

“I have updated this chart a number of times, based on data from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control, and will continue to do so. It shows, for one thing, how far COVID-19 has to go before it equals the average seasonal flu mortality, worldwide. If I had to predict, I would guess that it will eventually reach the average level. Will it get to 2x the average number of flu deaths, worldwide? Looking at current trends, I don’t see how that will happen. But time will tell.”

“Likewise in the U.S. You still can’t see the bar for COVID-19, but it is there: 994 deaths so far, per the CDC, compared with 61,000 caused by the flu virus just two years ago. The Wuhan virus might equal or even exceed that total, but it is hard to forecast that at this point. And anyway, the 2017-18 flu deaths barely merited a news story, let alone a radical, economy-destroying shutdown. What has changed?”

“Even if the U.S. death total eventually amounts to, say, three times the toll of the flu just seasons ago–around 180,000 dead–what is the justification for the extraordinary measures our governments have taken, which are in the process of crushing our economy?”

The answers are obvious to me. A non-traditional President, Donald Trump, and the almost complete infiltration of the Democrat Party by un-American progressive socialist democrats who have managed to gain a slim majority in the House of Representatives -- and anointed a queen, Nancy Pelosi, who governs as if the few people who provided the majority amounts to a mandate. Not to forget a corporatized mainstream media that has become hyper-partisan.

And, for the second question, the only justification I can see is “because they can” and are unopposed by the feckless cowards in the GOP who are afraid of the media during an election cycle.

Bottom line…

You can’t fully trust most politicians. You can’t fully trust the media. And, you may not be able to fully trust the corporations who field legions of lobbyists to buy politicians. So that leaves you and your common sense. Protect yourself and your family above all. Follow commonsense guidelines but don’t necessarily buy-in to the sensationalism of the media or self-serving pronouncements of the politicians.

You have clearly seen House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her cadre of dirty progressive socialist democrats attempt to capitalize on this national emergency to push her radical agenda and reward the special interests who lobby the government. It is time to hold the Democrats accountable and send them packing in the 2020 election. Perhaps we will see a better crop of candidates in 2022 and 2024 – but don’t count on it.

We are fighting an invisible enemy that attacks mindlessly. We are also fighting against those who want to destroy our American way of life. Neither can be allowed to win the battle.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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NANCY PELOSI'S POSTAL CORONAVIRUS SCAM

I was wondering why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her cadre of progressive socialist democrats would attempt a “dumb move” to add billions of dollars in non-essential items to a “must-pass” coronavirus emergency bill…

Of course, the short answer is politics and the need to assuage the public employee unions who fund the progressive socialist democrats. Especially since their candidate for the presidency is likely to be a physically and mentally-impaired individual who cannot speak coherently on any subject and who substitutes anger for knowledge. 

SARA HAINES, ABC 'THE VIEW' CO-HOST: In Hot Topics, we talked about Trump saying the government would reassess the recommended period for keeping businesses shut and keep people at home. At you at all concerned as Trump said that we cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself?

JOE BIDEN: We have to take care of the cure that will make the problem worse no matter what.

Huh?  bird-anvil

House coronavirus spending bill gives USPS $25B, wipes slate on its Treasury debt

House Democrats unveiled a coronavirus stimulus spending package on Monday night that would give the Postal Service $25 billion over the next two years to withstand an expected loss in mail revenue.

The $2.5 trillion Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act is the third and largest emergency funding bill lawmakers have introduced to mitigate the pandemic’s strain on the economy and the health system.

In addition to setting aside $25 billion for USPS until September 2022, the 1,400-page bill would also forgive the Postal Service’s $11 debt to the Treasury Department and allow the agency to borrow another $15 billion. The bill would also eliminate a $3 billion annual borrowing limit for this line of credit from Treasury.

“The Postal Service is in need of urgent help as a direct result of the coronavirus crisis. Based on a number of briefings and warnings this week about a critical fall-off in mail across the country, it has become clear that the Postal Service will not survive the summer without immediate help from Congress and the White House,” House Oversight and Reform Committee Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Government Operations Subcommittee Chair Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said in a statement. <Source>

It appears that the real crisis has nothing to do with the current coronavirus pandemic, but the fact that the politicians got caught with their grubby hands in the cookie jar and cannot figure out a way to replace those funds without taxpayer assistance. And, President Donald Trump had nothing to do with the crisis at the Postal Service.

It all started with a theft of funds and dodgy accounting…

2011- Twisted Government Accounting Behind Postal Service Woes

You might have heard that the United States Postal Service is in trouble: that it's losing billions, that it will have to end Saturday service and close branches — and most inflammatory, that it might need a government bailout. Perhaps you heard that the Postal Service couldn't pay $5.5 billion bill that came due Sept. 30 and that only an emergency postponement saved it from the government's equivalent of default.

In fact, it's the Postal Service that’s currently bailing out the U.S. government. Politicians have been raiding Postal Service revenues for years, using them to make the federal deficit appear smaller than it really is. The fiscal gyrations are so twisted that the Postal Service is right now forced to pre-pay health care benefits for employees the agency hasn't even hired yet — in fact, for many future employees who haven't even been born yet — all to artificially shrink the federal deficit.

It's these crushing accounting tricks, not the cost of delivering mail, that has pushed this 200-year-old institution to the brink.

Welcome to the wacky world of Washington, D.C., accounting.

There's a long and a short story to the tragic tale of Postal Service financial trouble. I'll start with the short one. Right now, the Postal Service is being forced to pre-pay health benefits for the next 75 years during a 10-year stretch. In the past four years, those prepayments have totaled $21 billion. The agency's deficit during that time is about $20 billion. Remove these crazy pre-payments — a requirement that no other government agency endures and no private industry would even consider — and the Postal Service would be in the black.

“It is clear that these prepayments for future retiree health care benefits are — at this point — the primary reason for the U.S. Postal Service's financial crisis,” Ralph Nader wrote in a letter to Congress last week. “In fact, simply looking at the numbers reveals that the Postal Service's ‘financial crisis’ is in fact an entirely manufactured crisis.” <Source>

2019 - U.S. Postal Service's Financial Viability - High Risk Issue

USPS financial viability continues to be high risk because USPS cannot fund its current level of services and financial obligations from its revenues. As stated in GAO’s 2019 High-Risk update, USPS faces financial challenges that include the following:

  • Poor financial situation: USPS’s overall financial condition is deteriorating and unsustainable. USPS has lost $69 billion over the past 11 fiscal years—including $3.9 billion in fiscal year 2018. USPS’s total unfunded liabilities and debt ($143 billion at the end of fiscal year 2018) have grown to double its annual revenue.
  • Insufficient cost savings: The savings from  USPS cost-reduction efforts have dwindled in recent years. Although USPS has stated that it will aggressively reduce costs within its control, its plans will not achieve the kind of savings necessary to significantly reduce current operating costs.
  • Unfavorable trends: USPS’s expenses are now growing faster than its revenues—partly due to rising compensation and benefits costs and continuing declines in the volume of First-Class Mail.

Further, USPS has missed $48.2 billion in required payments for postal retiree health and pension benefits as of September 30, 2018.  This includes $42.6 billion in missed payments for retiree health benefits since fiscal year 2010, and $5.6 billion in missed payments for pension benefits since fiscal year 2014. If USPS does not make any more payments for retiree health benefits, the fund supporting these benefits is projected by the Office of Personnel Management to be depleted in fiscal year 2030. If the fund is depleted, USPS would be required by law to make the payments necessary to cover its share of health benefits premiums for postal retirees. However, current law does not address what would happen if USPS misses those payments. Depletion of the fund, together with USPS’s potential inability to make remaining contributions, could affect postal retirees as well as USPS, customers, and other stakeholders, including the federal government. <Source>

2020 - Selected First Quarter Fiscal 2020 Results of Operations and Controllable Loss

This news release references controllable loss, which is not calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). Controllable loss is defined as net loss adjusted for items outside of management’s control and non-recurring items. These adjustments include workers’ compensation expenses caused by actuarial revaluation and discount rate changes, and the amortization of Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF), Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) unfunded liabilities.

Footnotes…

1  Expense for the accrual for the annual payment due to OPM by September 30 of the respective year, as calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded PSRHBF retirement health benefit obligation. Payments are to be made through 2056 based on OPM invoices.

2  Net amounts include changes in assumptions, valuation of new claims and revaluation of existing claims, less current year claim payments.

3  Expense for the accrual for the annual payment due to OPM by September 30 of the respective year, as calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded CSRS retirement obligation. Payments are to be made through 2043 based on OPM invoices.

4  Expense for the accrual for the annual payment due to OPM by September 30 of the respective year, as calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded FERS retirement obligation. Payments are to be made over a 30-year rolling period based on OPM invoices. <Source>

Bottom line…

It’s a simple game the politicians are playing. “Kick the can further and further down the road until we are out of office.” Then use a manufactured crisis that threatens Americans with the loss of mail service if they don’t pony up enough tax revenue to pay off the debts and satisfy the various government unions. Or, alternatively, use House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s approach, bury the bailout in existing “must-pass” emergency coronavirus legislation that is so large, that the additional money will not make a ripple. At this point, the emergency legislation is thought to be between $2 and $6 TRILLION dollars – what’s a few hundred billion between friends?

Why are they worrying? With 18 months to 12 years to save the planet from global warming, why bother with pension payments anyway since we are unlikely to survive this planetary catastrophe?

Enough is enough! We need to remove the progressive socialist democrats from office on the local, state, and federal levels as they are little more than a fifth column seeking to destroy America from within on behalf of her enemies, both foreign and domestic. One look at the House Seniority List or the Senate Seniority List will convince you that the current leadership of Congress knew what was happening at the time and did absolutely nothing.

Trump may have his faults, but he certainly has risen to the office – in spite of constant sabotage,  hostile media, and never-ending attacks. We need Trump. We do not need progressive socialist democrats.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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MAD MAXINE WATERS AND HER WONDERFUL WALLET

Once again, we find the progressive socialist democrats attempting to use the coronavirus crisis to advance their socialist agenda…

It has been the goal of progressives to track and control money in the hands of individuals and corporations. And what better way to spy on Americans and implement automatic tax collection. So the corrupt, racist Maxine Waters proposes the use of the coronavirus crisis to push for a government-controlled version of bitcoin. This digital dollar would force every American receiving assistance to obtain a digital wallet to contain your digital dollars.

FED-DOLLAR

H.R.6321 - To provide financial protections and assistance for America's consumers, States, businesses, and vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 emergency and to recover from the emergency.

Sponsor:
Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-43] (Introduced 03/23/2020)

Committees:
House - Financial Services; Ways and Means; Education and Labor; Small Business; Judiciary; Agriculture

Latest Action:

House - 03/23/2020 Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Small Business, the Judiciary, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.  (All Actions)

Creation of a Digital Currency under the aegis of the Federal Reserve…

dw-1

Delivery first, by direct deposit (direct link to the recipient's bank account as provided to the IRS when receiving income tax refunds or by a digital wallet; and second, by regular government check…

mw-3

[OCS: It appears that the current discussion draft legislation does not contain any reference to Mad Maxine’s digital currency and wallets. It is doubtful that she even understands the technology behind what she is proposing.]

Consider any legislation that mandates that all member banks regulated by the Federal Reserve create a ‘pass-through digital dollar wallet’ for all customers eligible for any government crisis payments – or even tax returns – could also discontinue traditional checking accounts in favor of digital currency. And, let us not forget that the Federal Reserve is not part of the United States government and operates for the benefit of its member banks.

Bottom line…

Trusting this country and economy to Mad Maxine Waters and her cadre of progressive socialist democrats is akin to handing an arsonist a can of gasoline and a lit match and hoping they will not burn down the country.

It is time to say no to the democrats and remove them from power.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

l

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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DEMOCRATS: BETRAYING AMERICANS

IT IS TIME TO REMOVE DEMOCRATS FROM OFFICE AS THEY HOLD THE CORONAVIRUS LEGISLATION  HOSTAGE TO THEIR RADICAL POLITICAL AGENDA

CORONAVIRUS-RAHM

Which has been reiterated by James Clyburn…

CORONAVIRUS-CLYBURN

Explain how emergency legislation to provide coronavirus relief needs to include:

  • Governance of corporate boards to include race and salary reporting.
  • A bailout of all current debt – including pension funds of the U.S. Postal Service.
  • Required early voting, same-day voter registration, and ballot harvesting.
  • Provisions promoting union collective bargaining.
  • A full offset of airline emissions by 2025 and per flight emission reporting.
  • Retirement plans for community newspaper employees, even those owned by large corporations.
  • Federal $15 minimum wage.
  • Permanent paid leave.
  • Climate change mitigation study.
  • Support for minority and women-owned financial institutions.
  • Violence prevention against women.
  • Funding for Kennedy Performing Arts Center
  • Funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
  • LGBTQ+ financial literacy funding.

and many other provisions that have nothing to do with coronavirus relief.

Bottom line…

In many ways, the current coronavirus has impacted America more than the terrorist attack on 9/11. And, yet the progressive socialist democrats are demanding the acceptance and passage of legislation designed to advance the progressive agenda that they could never pass in stand-alone legislation – and to embarrass and disadvantage President Donald Trump in the mainstream media prior to the election should he veto assistance for individuals and small companies included in the legislation.

Why did the Democrats fail to replenish the masks and other critical supplies after the last pandemics? The number of hospital beds and emergency equipment is the responsibility of the State governments, not the federal government. Yes, the Democrats are pointing the finger at the Trump Administration when they should be pointing at the Obama Administration. Even worse, their leading presidential candidate, Joe Biden is condemning Trump while explaining what he would do -- and which was already done by the President almost from day one of the crisis in the United States.

It is time to realize that the progressive socialist democrats are a clear and present danger to America and Americans. Not Democrats per se, but their toxic leadership who are behaving like our enemies, both foreign and domestic.

We are so screwed.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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ANOTHER PHONY CAMPAIGN SURVEY

I find it ironic that the Trump/Pence campaign team despises the mainstream media, but uses it at every opportunity to advertise their anti-media position. Did someone forget the tell the campaign team that the coronavirus may make you stay at home, or suffer an illness, but it doesn't make you so stupid as to fall for fake surveys?

  bs

Even though they are stated in the form of questions under the guise of soliciting your opinion, the questions are often a reinforcing statement of the Administration’s assertions…

dtp-hdr

Do you believe the mainstream media has tried to delegitimize the crisis at our southern border?

[OCS: You cannot delegitimize a demonstrable and observable fact, you can only ignore or downplay it. There is no doubt that individuals are clamoring to cross into the United States; partly for safety reasons, but more likely for economic ones. Politicians have sowed the seeds of illegal behavior by creating attractive entitlements and an entire industry to serve the needs of illegal aliens. Pretty much why California has a disproportionate number of welfare recipients (60%) when compared to the nation’s total welfare recipients. Rewarding bad behavior only reaps more bad behavior.]

Do you trust the mainstream media to put the interests of Americans first?

[OCS: It has never been the mainstream media’s job to put America’s interests first over their own self-interests. Even in the days of our Founding Fathers, the press was virulently partisan and presented positions inline with their ideology and agenda.]

Do you believe reporters like Jim Acosta angle their questions to promote liberal propaganda?

[OCS: I do not think Jim Acosta gives a rat’s ass about progressive propaganda. He is a self-serving, self-promoting buffoon who cares more about himself and his career than he does about the questions he asks the President during a news conference. And, conversely, I believe the President, in a degree of symbiosis, uses Acosta as a foil to promote his own agenda.]

Do you trust the mainstream media to report fairly on our presidency?

[OCS: No more than I expect the President or the Administration to tell the whole truth to the American people. It is my experience that you need to consume a number of biased sources and then make your own judgements on which information is credible, which is puffery, and which is outright deceptive. For example: anything the comes out of Representative Adam’s Schiff’s mouth is most likely to be a lie, distortion, or half-truth. Knowing this allows you to consider alternate scenarios and opposite positions.]

Do you believe people like Jussie Smollett make up stories about our movement because they know the mainstream media will glorify them for it?

[OCS: There have always been “false flag” operations that are perpetrated by individuals, corporations, and the government to mislead people into believing the opposite is true. This is akin to projection where one side simply points to the opposition and accuses them, loudly, assertively, and publicly, with the very acts and behavior they themselves are guilty of.

The media will always report controversial or sensational items because it attracts the attention of an audience which results in increased revenue. Unfortunately, when the media continues to report false news, they become like the boy who cried wolf – eventually nobody believes their reporting.]

On which issues does the mainstream media do the worst job of representing President Trump? (Select as many that apply.)

  Immigration
  Economics
  Radical Islamic Terrorism
  Pro-life values/social issues
  Religion
  Health care
  Second Amendment rights

[OCS: Notice that there is not a counter-question asking on which issues does the mainstream media do the best job of representing President Trump. Which highlights an obvious question: why should the media report anything other than facts and supply contextual commentary – it is not their job to represent the President?]

Do you believe the media disdains conservatives?

[OCS: Notice no “mainstream” qualifier on the word “media” which immediately invalidates the question because the “conservative media” obviously does not disdain conservatives.]

Which do you think the media cares more about?

America’s success
Their TV ratings

[OCS: This is a tricky question. Under capitalism, the media should concentrate on profitably serving its audience and leave concerns about the greater good to the “invisible hand” of capitalism which serves to promote America’s success.]

Do you believe the media dislikes Americans of faith?

[OCS: Only because it does not attract an audience and there is always someone to complain about another person’s beliefs. Most have religious reporters, editors, and separate sections for religion.]

Do you believe the mainstream media does their due-diligence fact-checking before publishing stories on the Trump Administration?

[OCS: In the race to first capture an audience, most of the initial reporting is woefully deficient, inaccurate or misleading. The truth lags behind. Most media outlets have reduced their fact-checking departments as well as the number of editors who are needed to produce a professional product.]

Do you believe the media fails to report on Democrats’ scandals?

[OCS: No, a story is a story. They may fail to fully identify a democrat with a “D” after their name, but they do not knowingly give-up stories to their competition.]

Do you believe the media sensationalizes and exaggerates stories in order to paint President Trump and conservatives in a bad light?

[OCS: Of course the media sensationalizes and exaggerates stories to attract an audience. It is a given and the reasons reporters are usually not allowed to create their own headlines or titles.]

Do you believe that the media purposely tries to divide Republicans in order to help elect Democrats?

[OCS: No, but they report on the progressive socialist democrat’s efforts to divide Americans into factions of victimhood and then try to convince them that their grievances can only be redressed by giving the Democrats political power.]

Based on your answers above, do you believe that the Republican Party should spend more time and resources holding the mainstream media accountable?

[OCS: It depends what you mean by “accountable.” Both parties, as well as independent entities, have fact-checking operations that are not effective because facts may be facts, but they can be interpreted in a variety of contexts. So, most of the fact-checkers are little more than spinmeisters and are often as dishonest as the facts they purport to check.]

Do you agree with President Trump’s strategy of communicating directly with his supporters through Twitter, email, text messages and Facebook videos?

[OCS: They are all valid means of communicating to everyone, including supporters. There is no moral or legal restrictions on communicating non-classified information or propaganda through any available channel. No medium should have a monopoly on communications.]

Do you believe the media is biased when it covers President Trump’s stances on illegal immigration (ex: the Wall, ending Sanctuary cities)?

[OCS: It would depend on the media outlet and their editorial policy. Non-partisan studies by noted academic and journalistic institutions have proven the left-bias of many mainstream outlets. Again this is a generalization targeted at an already partisan audience.]

Do you believe the media is biased when it covers people of faith and supporters of religious liberties?

Do you believe that the media has been too quick to spread false stories about our movement?

[OCS: What movement would that be? The GOP? The Trumpeters? The conservatives? Without further definition and description, this question is meaningless.]

What percentage do you believe is an accurate representation of President Trump’s positive news coverage by the mainstream media?

0%-10%
10%-25%
25%-50%
50%-75%
75%-100%

Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share with the President when it comes to mainstream media accountability?

[OCS: The likelihood that President Trump or the ranking GOP leadership will see this information is 0% – 0%.

But if there were a message, it would be – Congratulations Mr. President, you have already changed the traditional communication channels of political messaging and have occupied most of the news cycle most of the time – especially with your controversial tweets. The fact that you sound like one of us and not a traditional politician works to your advantage. Unwittingly, you have become the representative of every person in speaking back to a dangerously progressively partisan political fifth column that seeks to destroy America from within on behalf of our enemies, both foreign and domestic,]

Now, this is how you use the media to send a message…  

Note: the video was created with deep-fake technology to portray the message that your opponents support you and your positions. If the video is missing or doesn't play correctly, it can be found here.

Bottom line…

Other than attempting to further engage its base by pandering to partisan positions, the primary purpose of this survey is to capture your name and contact information for further campaign messaging and especially fundraising solicitations. The “For Official Use” block with the fixed survey ID number is your first clue to the bogus nature of the survey.

We are so screwed when politicians and the media cannot tell the truth.

-- steve

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS: LAUGH

Did I ever mention that I am an economic genius? Today I figured out how to pay for the coronavirus damage to the economy. It’s simple and straight forward: make politicians pay a 100% of the commercial value of the space and air-time they receive in the media.

While the coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc on the world’s population and economy, it costs nothing to laugh and laughing may make you feel better – especially as it clears the airways and provides needed exercise for those imprisoned in their homes and awaiting the annual April tax disaster that appears on April 15th and now postponed to Wednesday July 15, 2020.

Of course, for the Democrats, the other shoe will be dropping – or kicking them in the rear – as U.S. Attorney John Durham's report on the origins of the Russia Collusion Scandal is released. Another reason to stock-up on toilet paper.

Now more about the international pundemic…

Best Video – The Toilet Paper Song by Heather Pierson

From the webkins …

Have you noticed that all disaster stories start with the government ignoring an actor playing scientist?

I was so eager for exercise that I took up indoor curling – using my Swiffer to make way for my Roomba.

Bankers are panicking – they can no longer tell the difference between customers and robbers under the masks.

There is no truth to the conspiracy theory that Charmin is behind the hole thing.

The quickest way to get a coronavirus test is to tell the doctor the truth when he asks if you visited a country experiencing a coronavirus outbreak. But be sure to cough when you say the U.S.A.

What’s the difference between COVID-19 and Romeo and Juliet? One’s the coronavirus and the other is a Verona crisis.

Why do they call it the novel coronavirus? It’s a long story….

Why didn’t the sick guy get the joke? It flu over his head.

Why don’t chefs find coronavirus jokes funny? They’re in bad taste.

I’ll tell you a coronavirus joke now, but you’ll have to wait two weeks to see if you got it.

Nail salons, hair salons, waxing center and tanning places are closed. It’s about to get ugly out there.

Finland just closed its borders. You know what that means. No one will be crossing the finish line.

What do you tell yourself when you wake up late for work and realize you have a fever? Self, I so late.

Did you hear the joke about the germ? Never mind, I don’t want to spread it around.

Where do sick boats go to get healthy? The dock!

What did the sick parent make their kids for lunch? Mac and sneeze.

I ran out of toilet paper and had to start using old newspapers. Times are rough.

You know what they’re saying about 2020. It went viral faster than anyone thought it would.

What do you call panic-buying of sausage and cheese in Germany? The wurst kase scenario.

Back in my day you would cough to cover up a fart. Now, with COVID-19, you fart to cover up a cough.

If there’s a baby boom nine months from now, what will happen in 2033? There will be a whole bunch of quaranteens.

What should you do if you don’t understand a coronavirus joke? Be patient.

The grocery stores in France look like tornadoes hit them. All that’s left is de brie.

Still no toilet paper in the stores. They’re wiped out and you’re shit out of luck.

Bottom line…

I do not know why most people are panicking. Have they not listened to the side effects of the drugs being advertised on radio and television?

Be well. Be safe. And, above all, watch the politicians.

-- steve

l

“Nullius in verba”-- take nobody's word for it!
"Acta non verba" -- actions not words

“Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.”-- George Bernard Shaw

“Progressive, liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Democratic Socialist -- they are all COMMUNISTS.”

“The key to fighting the craziness of the progressives is to hold them responsible for their actions, not their intentions.” – OCS

"The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane." -- Marcus Aurelius

“A people that elect corrupt politicians, imposters, thieves, and traitors are not victims... but accomplices” -- George Orwell

“Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt." (The people gladly believe what they wish to.) ~Julius Caesar

“Describing the problem is quite different from knowing the solution. Except in politics." ~ OCS

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