Reader’s Links for July 5, 2021

Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.

This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.

So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.

This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

45 Replies to “Reader’s Links for July 5, 2021”

  1. https://richardsonpost.com/howellwoltz/22443/mike-lindell-wins-big-against-dominion/?fbclid=IwAR3RWxFIYI3lj8xMTb0s-398fVp3dXUl3ijOeuDOJFri8DWIAzyTyQ5bQeQ

    CCP celebrates the 100th anniversary of its reign of terror over the Lao Baixing this week—but they won’t like the present they got in Minneapolis federal court with Mike Lindell and his company (My Pillow)!
    As first disclosed here, the Chinese Communist Party—CCP—purchased controlling interest in Dominion Voting Systems from Staples Street Capital in Canada, via UBS Bank on October 8th, 2020, less than a month before the biggest vote fraud in American history.

    We showed you the SEC filings last year, so that’s not a rumour, it’s a fact that this business deal occurred. The CCP owns controlling interest in (and over) Dominion Voting Systems and its many subsidiaries.

    So Nurse Ratched doesn’t wring her hands or clutch her pearls over the CCP’s voting machine company suing us too, I’ll show you why I say that, using updated numbers from the U.S. government, while pointing no fingers:

    The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there were 153.07 million registered voters in 2020 (including dead, ghost voters, non-residents, etc—and even dogs in PA)—that’s the number registered to vote last year.

    On Dec. 5th, 2020, totals were announced:
    Biden- 81.2 million
    Trump- 74.2 million
    Independents- 2.9 million
    Total 158.2 million
    Got it? But there were 158.2 million votes for president on Nov. 3rd, 2020

    Do you see a problem here? That’s 5 million more votes than voters even including the massive fake and illegal registrations now being removed from voter rolls by the hundreds of thousands.
    BUT WAIT! THAT’S NOT WHAT THE MEDIA SAID!
    The facts are quite different, aren’t they? And it gets much worse, as not all registered voters vote, now do they?

    All of these incredibly stupid media hacks parroted the same line fed them by the marxists—“No evidence of fraud” they said without doing the math—or they lied
    In fact, only 66.7% of all ‘eligible’ voters actually showed up according to statista.com —which is a record in American history if true—but let’s use that number.

    At a 66.7% turnout of an estimated 200 million eligible voters, that means only 133.4 million voters—including all the illegal and dead ones—cast 158.2 million ballots for president of the United States.

    Friends and neighbours, that’s 25 million more votes than voters, which is why when the overpaid liars on CNN, ABC, MSNBC and NPR say “no evidence of fraud in the 2020 election”—I say, “no evidence of brains or integrity on cable and network TV”. None.

    BUT THE COURAGEOUS MIKE LINDELL TOOK IT A STEP FURTHER—PROVING WHO DID IT
    The once apolitical Mike Lindell—recovered crack addict, who built a recovery ministry based on Christian principles and one of the most successful “Made in America” companies—My Pillow—refused to stand for such criminal interference from within or without the United States.

    He spent millions hiring the top forensic experts, U.S. government ‘white hat’ hackers and proved beyond any doubt who was responsible.

    He then went public with it in three films and just announced his crown jewel—a symposium inviting governments, the press, hackers and any certified pro in the field to show up August 10-12 and challenge his numbers.

    Putting his name, fortune, and company at risk, Mike Lindell has done this for his country and God bless him for it.

  2. M Open minded on this as I would not be surprised to see Biden “assassinated” by a FBI/DoJ/CIA false flag operation with a supposed white far right extremist set up as the patsy.

    https://www.lewrockwell.com/2021/07/gary-d-barnett/the-worst-is-yet-to-come-as-death-and-false-flag-threats-are-planned-by-the-state/

    The Worst Is Yet To Come as Death and False Flag Threats Are Planned by the State
    By Gary D. Barnett

    July 2, 2021

    “Liberty is not for these slaves; I do not advocate inflicting it against their conscience. On the contrary, I am strongly in favor of letting them crawl and grovel all they please before whatever fraud or combination of frauds they choose to venerate…Our whole practical government is grounded in mob psychology and the Boobus Americanus will follow any command that promises to make him safer.”

    ~ H. L. Mencken

    How is one to gain and keep his freedom in a country made up of apathetic and obedient fools steeped in ignorance? This is a question for the ages, but in this twenty first century, it is a life and death struggle on the edge of darkness, where light exists only in the distance, and only in the minds of the very few. The reality of this dilemma is a story about survival, so should those that understand the dire situation we face, those that have the courage to fight for their own liberty; abandon the rest of society in favor of pursuing truth and freedom without being surrounded by the chains of weakness and submission that consume most of the masses? We are currently living in an irresponsible insanity, so should the societal cord be cut? Is that the only way to escape the collective mob mentality?

    The polarization of America that has been growing in strength for years, continues to escalate at an even faster pace, and of course, this has all been accomplished by design through indoctrination, fear mongering, and brainwashing. Many believed that during the last criminal political administration, it could not get any worse, but alas, each time one evil and corrupt group replaces another in this absurd political process, division and hatred continues to grow, and things always worsen.

    Since we are in the midst of what is referred to as a “Great Reset” of society, and the push for global governance, transhumanism, and a new technocratic ‘elite’ controlling system are being sought, it is brutally obvious that more lies, deceit, false flag events, threats, and liberty destruction will be forthcoming. But this time, the final push toward a totalitarian state is upon us, and an all-out assault on society seems imminent. With most of the population still going along with these scams, still obeying every order, and still unable to muster any courage to protect their own lives and families, what then are those of us that are informed and willing to defy ‘authority’ to do?

    What is actually coming in my opinion will be a combination of extreme propaganda, fear-mongering, false flag attacks, fake ‘virus’ attacks, a deadly flu season due to ‘vaccination,’ more ‘vaccine’ mandates, and power and water grid shutdowns, creating an environment to allow for full or partial martial law. This will set the stage to reinstate lockdowns, quarantines, and isolation, to advance bogus ‘climate change’ agendas, and to create a regulatory climate so restrictive as to mirror that of a total dictatorial state.

    First and foremost, the ‘variant’ threat will be easily advanced because many more will likely die this fall and winter than last due to widespread immune system failures because of the stress of the lockdowns and isolation, and the millions of poisonous injections that have already been administered. Excess deaths, actually most all deaths, will still be blamed on a ‘virus’ or ‘variant’ that does not exist, and this tactic will allow the purposeful spreading of extreme fear.

    This government and all its propaganda arms will then go after the children by planned injection of the toxic ‘Covid vaccine throughout the government run indoctrination centers called ‘public’ schools. This will begin with children 12 and older, and throughout this year and next will be targeting every child down to babies and infants with this deadly concoction.

    With more death and sickness, new and more severe lockdowns will be attempted, and very restrictive measures will be forthcoming. This plot will be enhanced due to planned cyber attacks that are ‘expected’ to shut down power and water grids across the nation. These so-called attacks will certainly be false flag terror against the masses, and could easily cause civil unrest, violence, and extreme aggression by the state in response to any dissent. These cyber attacks have been acted out for years, but simulations have been greatly intensified this year, and will culminate with the World Economic Forum’s Cyber Polygon simulation on July 9th, just one week from today.

    As the year progresses, more division will occur in an us versus them situation, pitting those ‘vaccinated’ against those unvaccinated. This will probably become a very contentious situation, and could easily lead to even more hostile confrontation among this population, causing an extremely tense atmosphere. At some point, the governing criminals will come after all those not willing to be injected, and will make living very difficult for all of us attempting to protect our own body, minds, and freedom. This could become a very dangerous country in a short amount of time for people demanding freedom.

    Don’t forget about the fictitious manmade ‘climate change’ agenda, as it looks like the drive toward radical policy decisions based on climate are already in the works. This is very troubling, as it adds another dangerous level of tyranny to a society already consumed by dictatorial madness. It could easily be used to force more quarantines, travel bans, and allocation of utility services, that are all virtually controlled by this government and its partners. What comes with this agenda is mass restriction of life-giving water and power, the decimation of food production and distribution, supply line shutdowns, and unstoppable runaway inflation, especially concerning the most vital needs of this citizenry. When food becomes so scarce that many are starving, total chaos will ensue.

    Economically speaking, any or all of these things happening will disrupt all economic activity for the masses, but will be used by the claimed ‘elite’ ruling class to continue to steal the wealth from all of you, just as has happened over the past year and a half. This has been the biggest wealth transfer in history, and it is not over yet. The powerful that are destroying the lives of billions, are continuing to live like kings while claiming ownership of all money and property. The goal of course, is for you to own nothing and be happy about it.

    All these things spoken about here are just the tip of the iceberg. There will be much more pressure to mandate immunity passports, and surveillance of everyone will dramatically increase. Much of the general population will become enforcers for the state, and will monitor and report their neighbors in order to gain favor. It seems logical as well, that social scoring will become a distinct possibility, in order to add another layer of control to this society. Markets will eventually collapse, and what little savings are left will be depleted. As all this happens, the dollar will likely be replaced over time with digital currency so that each and every transaction can be monitored and scrutinized. This is the “Great Reset,” after all, and all the warning signs have been evident for many years, but blind indifference and voluntary obedience have led to the possible end of humanity as it has ever been perceived.

    All the common people are enemies of this state, but those of us refusing to go along are going to face extreme hatred by our fellow men. We will be targeted, abused, and accused of causing any manner of public ills, and also of allowing the perpetuation of this state terror. We will be said to have caused mass death because we refuse to take the poison being administered by the real criminals. We will be hated by the government and the people at large as well, and may in the future even be hunted, jailed, or worse. None can force sanity on others, or make them protect themselves, so I am speaking to those that stand up and question authority, not to those that continue to acquiesce to their masters.

    In my estimation, there will soon be violence in the streets; which could lead to medical and martial law. The more that refuse to accept this totalitarian domination, the better, as time has run out, but if a very large number of excess deaths occur this fall and winter as I expect, the wheels of tyranny will turn faster and faster in an attempt to finish this long-planned coup to capture and control the bodies and minds of humanity. At that point, we will have already lost, especially those living in the highest population areas such as cities.

    I realize all this sounds far-fetched to most, but then most have no idea of what is coming. We are not in Kansas anymore.

  3. M. I am not a Christian but this is appalling.

    https://www.westernjournal.com/american-church-fallen-shocking-poll-shows-fake-christianity-supplanted-biblical-worldview/

    American Christianity has fallen. Thanks to cultural corrosion and a lack of biblical literacy, a new “fake Christianity” has raked the dry ground of the American church.

    This counterfeit religion is moralistic therapeutic deism, a worldview that has quickly gained prominence and given many Americans a theology that looks nothing like historical Christianity, despite what they may claim.
    George Barna, director of research at Arizona Christian University, said MTD — or “watered-down, feel-good, fake Christianity” — is “the most popular worldview in the United States today,” according to Christianity Daily. A recent poll conducted by ACU found that 38 percent of adults hold this view.

    What’s more, three out of four people who hold to MTD still consider themselves Christians.
    The poll was conducted in February among 2,000 adults with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.
    “The fact that a greater percentage of people who call themselves Christian draw from [MTD] than from the Bible says a lot about the state of the Christian church in America, in all of its manifestations,” Barna said.
    “Simply and objectively stated, Christianity in this nation is rotting from the inside out.”

    What Is MTD?
    Barna explained to The Western Journal what MTD is and how it affects the way Christians engage in culture.
    “MTD is essentially what I would call fake Christianity. Because it has some Christian elements in it, but it’s not really biblical, it’s not really Christian,” Barna said.

    He then went on to explain each element of this worldview.
    “The moralistic perspective is we’re here to be good people and to try to do good,” Barna said. “That’s really what life is about. I’ll be good to you, you be good to me, it’ll all work out.
    “The therapeutic aspect is everything is supposed to be geared to making me feel good about myself, ultimately to make me happy.”
    Deism is the idea that God created the world but has no direct involvement in it. Basically, according to MTD, there is a distant God who just wants everyone to be nice, and the purpose of life is to be happy.

    American “Christians” who have adopted this philosophy have borrowed heavily from the modern secular world, which elevates personal definitions of right and wrong above any objective standard of truth — like the Bible.
    According to a study conducted by Lifeway Research, a little more than half of Americans would describe the Bible as a “good source of morals.” Only 38 percent said it was an historical account and 37 percent said it was helpful today.

    MTD is a cake-and-ice cream theology for those who want to feel good about themselves without sacrificing cultural relevance.
    Why Is MTD a Problem?
    MTD distorts the God of the Bible in an attempt to make him bless all the dissipations and vanities of the modern world.
    “It’s one of those models that says — and there are a number of worldviews that say this — you gotta live in the moment. This is all you’ve got, and you’ve gotta make the most of it,” Barna said.
    It makes sense that “Christians” who embrace MTD are hesitant to criticize the culture. How can anyone pass judgment if everyone’s just trying to be happy? The only sin is getting in the way of someone’s personal “truth.”

    Without a firm foundation in the Truth, increasing numbers of Christians are ill-prepared to fight the moral battles being waged in our country. That’s why so many are siding with groups like Black Lives Matter and the LGBT movement. They’ll listen to the loudest voice on either side.
    Enter the screaming woke mob.
    Some “Christians” have tried to argue for secular trends using biblical language. And while it is true that the Bible condemns racism and hatred, progressive agendas certainly do not reflect Christian values. They promote sin under the guise of “loving everyone.”

    Followers of Christ have forgotten that Jesus didn’t come to tell people to be nice. His message has always been a stumbling block, and it’s especially hard for 21st-century Americans to accept.
    There is no such thing as “your truth”; there is only the Truth and deception.

  4. M No apologies for the length of this one : )
    https://www.solzhenitsyncenter.org/live-not-by-lies

    LIVE NOT BY LIES
    On the day Solzhenitsyn was arrested, February, 12, 1974, he released the text of “Live Not by Lies.” The next day, he was exiled to the West, where he received a hero’s welcome. This moment marks the peak of his fame. Solzhenitsyn equates “lies” with ideology, the illusion that human nature and society can be reshaped to predetermined specifications. And his last word before leaving his homeland urges Soviet citizens as individuals to refrain from cooperating with the regime’s lies. Even the most timid can take this least demanding step toward spiritual independence. If many march together on this path of passive resistance, the whole inhuman system will totter and collapse.

    — by Edward E. Ericson, Jr. and Daniel J. Mahoney, The Solzhenitsyn Reader

    There was a time when we dared not rustle a whisper. But now we write and read samizdat and, congregating in the smoking rooms of research institutes, heartily complain to each other of all they are muddling up, of all they are dragging us into! There’s that unnecessary bravado around our ventures into space, against the backdrop of ruin and poverty at home; and the buttressing of distant savage regimes; and the kindling of civil wars; and the ill-thought-out cultivation of Mao Zedong (at our expense to boot)—in the end we’ll be the ones sent out against him, and we’ll have to go, what other option will there be? And they put whomever they want on trial, and brand the healthy as mentally ill—and it is always “they,” while we are—helpless.

    We are approaching the brink; already a universal spiritual demise is upon us; a physical one is about to flare up and engulf us and our children, while we continue to smile sheepishly and babble:

    “But what can we do to stop it? We haven’t the strength.”

    We have so hopelessly ceded our humanity that for the modest handouts of today we are ready to surrender up all principles, our soul, all the labors of our ancestors, all the prospects of our descendants—anything to avoid disrupting our meager existence. We have lost our strength, our pride, our passion. We do not even fear a common nuclear death, do not fear a third world war (perhaps we’ll hide away in some crevice), but fear only to take a civic stance! We hope only not to stray from the herd, not to set out on our own, and risk suddenly having to make do without the white bread, the hot water heater, a Moscow residency permit.

    We have internalized well the lessons drummed into us by the state; we are forever content and comfortable with its premise: we cannot escape the environment, the social conditions; they shape us, “being determines consciousness.” What have we to do with this? We can do nothing.

    But we can do—everything!—even if we comfort and lie to ourselves that this is not so. It is not “they” who are guilty of everything, but we ourselves, only we!

    Some will counter: But really, there is nothing to be done! Our mouths are gagged, no one listens to us, no one asks us. How can we make them listen to us?

    To make them reconsider—is impossible.

    The natural thing would be simply not to reelect them, but there are no re-elections in our country.

    In the West they have strikes, protest marches, but we are too cowed, too scared: How does one just give up one’s job, just go out onto the street?

    All the other fateful means resorted to over the last century of Russia’s bitter history are even less fitting for us today—true, let’s not fall back on them! Today, when all the axes have hewn what they hacked, when all that was sown has borne fruit, we can see how lost, how drugged were those conceited youths who sought, through terror, bloody uprising, and civil war, to make the country just and content. No thank you, fathers of enlightenment! We now know that the vileness of the means begets the vileness of the result. Let our hands be clean!

    So has the circle closed? So is there indeed no way out? So the only thing left to do is wait inertly: What if something just happens by itself?

    But it will never come unstuck by itself, if we all, every day, continue to acknowledge, glorify, and strengthen it, if we do not, at the least, recoil from its most vulnerable point.

    From lies.

    When violence bursts onto the peaceful human condition, its face is flush with self-assurance, it displays on its banner and proclaims: “I am Violence! Make way, step aside, I will crush you!” But violence ages swiftly, a few years pass—and it is no longer sure of itself. To prop itself up, to appear decent, it will without fail call forth its ally—Lies. For violence has nothing to cover itself with but lies, and lies can only persist through violence. And it is not every day and not on every shoulder that violence brings down its heavy hand: It demands of us only a submission to lies, a daily participation in deceit—and this suffices as our fealty.

    And therein we find, neglected by us, the simplest, the most accessible key to our liberation: a personal nonparticipation in lies! Even if all is covered by lies, even if all is under their rule, let us resist in the smallest way: Let their rule hold not through me!

    And this is the way to break out of the imaginary encirclement of our inertness, the easiest way for us and the most devastating for the lies. For when people renounce lies, lies simply cease to exist. Like parasites, they can only survive when attached to a person.

    We are not called upon to step out onto the square and shout out the truth, to say out loud what we think—this is scary, we are not ready. But let us at least refuse to say what we do not think!

    This is the way, then, the easiest and most accessible for us given our deep-seated organic cowardice, much easier than (it’s scary even to utter the words) civil disobedience à la Gandhi.

    Our way must be: Never knowingly support lies! Having understood where the lies begin (and many see this line differently)—step back from that gangrenous edge! Let us not glue back the flaking scales of the Ideology, not gather back its crumbling bones, nor patch together its decomposing garb, and we will be amazed how swiftly and helplessly the lies will fall away, and that which is destined to be naked will be exposed as such to the world.

    And thus, overcoming our temerity, let each man choose: Will he remain a witting servant of the lies (needless to say, not due to natural predisposition, but in order to provide a living for the family, to rear the children in the spirit of lies!), or has the time come for him to stand straight as an honest man, worthy of the respect of his children and contemporaries? And from that day onward he:

    · Will not write, sign, nor publish in any way, a single line distorting, so far as he can see, the truth;

    · Will not utter such a line in private or in public conversation, nor read it from a crib sheet, nor speak it in the role of educator, canvasser, teacher, actor;

    · Will not in painting, sculpture, photograph, technology, or music depict, support, or broadcast a single false thought, a single distortion of the truth as he discerns it;

    · Will not cite in writing or in speech a single “guiding” quote for gratification, insurance, for his success at work, unless he fully shares the cited thought and believes that it fits the context precisely;

    · Will not be forced to a demonstration or a rally if it runs counter to his desire and his will; will not take up and raise a banner or slogan in which he does not fully believe;

    · Will not raise a hand in vote for a proposal which he does not sincerely support; will not vote openly or in secret ballot for a candidate whom he deems dubious or unworthy;

    · Will not be impelled to a meeting where a forced and distorted discussion is expected to take place;

    · Will at once walk out from a session, meeting, lecture, play, or film as soon as he hears the speaker utter a lie, ideological drivel, or shameless propaganda;

    · Will not subscribe to, nor buy in retail, a newspaper or journal that distorts or hides the underlying facts.

    This is by no means an exhaustive list of the possible and necessary ways of evading lies. But he who begins to cleanse himself will, with a cleansed eye, easily discern yet other opportunities.

    Yes, at first it will not be fair. Someone will have to temporarily lose his job. For the young who seek to live by truth, this will at first severely complicate life, for their tests and quizzes, too, are stuffed with lies, and so choices will have to be made. But there is no loophole left for anyone who seeks to be honest: Not even for a day, not even in the safest technical occupations can he avoid even a single one of the listed choices—to be made in favor of either truth or lies, in favor of spiritual independence or spiritual servility. And as for him who lacks the courage to defend even his own soul: Let him not brag of his progressive views, boast of his status as an academician or a recognized artist, a distinguished citizen or general. Let him say to himself plainly: I am cattle, I am a coward, I seek only warmth and to eat my fill.

    For us, who have grown staid over time, even this most moderate path of resistance will be not be easy to set out upon. But how much easier it is than self-immolation or even a hunger strike: Flames will not engulf your body, your eyes will not pop out from the heat, and your family will always have at least a piece of black bread to wash down with a glass of clear water.

    Betrayed and deceived by us, did not a great European people—the Czechoslovaks—show us how one can stand down the tanks with bared chest alone, as long as inside it beats a worthy heart?

    It will not be an easy path, perhaps, but it is the easiest among those that lie before us. Not an easy choice for the body, but the only one for the soul. No, not an easy path, but then we already have among us people, dozens even, who have for years abided by all these rules, who live by the truth.

    And so: We need not be the first to set out on this path, Ours is but to join! The more of us set out together, the thicker our ranks, the easier and shorter will this path be for us all! If we become thousands—they will not cope, they will be unable to touch us. If we will grow to tens of thousands—we will not recognize our country!

    But if we shrink away, then let us cease complaining that someone does not let us draw breath—we do it to ourselves! Let us then cower and hunker down, while our comrades the biologists bring closer the day when our thoughts can be read and our genes altered.

    And if from this also we shrink away, then we are worthless, hopeless, and it is of us that Pushkin asks with scorn:

    Why offer herds their liberation?
    …………………
    Their heritage each generation
    The yoke with jingles, and the whip.

    February 12, 1974

  5. CBC – Vaccine passports ignite debate over privacy vs. public health

    As more Canadians are immunized, what happens to those who aren’t?

    As a steadily rising number of fully vaccinated Canadians emerge from hiding to test the gradual return to pre-pandemic normalcy, a conundrum looms: what to do about those who, for whatever reason, haven’t had a shot?

    Striking the proper balance between public health and personal freedom, and figuring out whether one must be relinquished to protect the other, will become increasingly key as the country reopens.

    For a growing number of jurisdictions and institutions, the solution is a vaccine passport, a document the bearer can show as proof of immunization against the coronavirus in order to be granted certain freedoms. On the flip side, those who can’t produce such evidence because they couldn’t or wouldn’t get vaccinated could be denied access to businesses, flights and university dorms, to name just a few potential inconveniences.

    Last month, Manitoba announced it would provide immunization cards to residents who have been fully vaccinated, allowing them to travel domestically without being required to self-isolate when they return. In May, Western University in London announced it would require students living in residence to show proof of immunization.

    Also in May, Health Minister Patty Hajdu told CBC News that her government was talking with its G7 allies about implementing a vaccine passport that would allow immunized Canadians to resume international travel while Quebec began issuing downloadable QR codes as digital proof of vaccination, though it wasn’t immediately clear how they’d be used.

    Ethicists, privacy advocates and civil liberties groups have warned that such requirements threaten to create a new two-tier society, benefiting those who have been vaccinated and ostracizing those who haven’t.

    As of June 25, the latest update available from the federal government, three-quarters of Canadians 12 and over had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 22 per cent were fully vaccinated.

    CBC News spoke with experts in three fields to further explore the potential pitfalls of vaccine passports.

    A question of fairness

    For Arthur Schafer, founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg,vaccine passports or “immunity certificates” are inevitable, but, he says, the federal government “badly dropped the ball” by failing to provide clear guidance to provinces and public health officials about how to manage them.

    “It should have created an online app and plastic card, it should have created a model or guide for the provinces to follow, and it should have explained and justified why it was doing this, because society is not going to wait another six months,” said Schafer, who was an expert adviser to a federal panel on the subject.

    “If we’re urging people to be vaccinated and we’re promising them that the vaccines are safe and effective, it just makes no sense then to say, ‘You’ll have to obey the same regulations as those who haven’t been vaccinated.'”

    Instead, Schafer points out, it will happen in some jurisdictions, but not in others. In the latter, private entities such as cinemas and hotels could be left to devise their own policies.

    “We’re becoming a hodge-podge society,” he said. “We’d be much better off if we thought this through and created a policy that protected fundamental values — privacy, confidentiality, liberty and public health — and balanced those in a way that was open, transparent and rationally defensible, and we haven’t done that.”

    Schafer says a fair system will ensure reasonable accommodation for those who haven’t been immunized, and he points out those people aren’t all Facebook-fuelled anti-vaxxers. Some are unsure because they’re taking immunosuppressant drugs, for example, while others have legitimate concerns about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines or justifiable fears borne from previous negative interactions with the health-care system.

    “We should try to accommodate people who have objections, conscientious or scientific or even religious, where we can do so without compromising public safety and without incurring a disproportionate cost to society,” he said.

    If such accommodation isn’t made, Schafer predicts, there could be a backlash.

    “If an alternative route is available, if it’s effective and if the employer or the service provider doesn’t make it available, then I think a challenge under human rights legislation would succeed,” he said.

    A question of privacy
    In May, Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial privacy commissioners issued a joint statement warning that while vaccine passports “may offer substantial public benefit, it is an encroachment on civil liberties that should be taken only after careful consideration.”

    According to Ontario’s former privacy commissioner, Ann Cavoukian, now executive director of the Global Privacy and Security by Design Centre, Canadians shouldn’t be expected to surrender their personal privacy for the sake of public health.

    “You don’t throw out privacy because there’s a health-related concern now,” Cavoukian said. “It can never be one versus the other.”

    Cavoukian is concerned about what could happen to people’s private health data under a vaccine passport system, and she worries that once it’s surrendered, it will already be too late.

    “This data will be retained in association with your geolocation all around the world,” she said. “If you’re travelling, going to a football game or whatever, this information will be tracked, and the potential for surveillance is enormous.”

    In many countries, immunization cards have long been commonplace for access to certain health services, but they’re only now being required to travel between countries or enter restaurants, for example.

    Like Schafer, Cavoukian is also concerned such a system will alienate a minority of Canadians, many of whom have sound reasons not to get immunized — reasons they shouldn’t be required to divulge.

    “What are you going to do, are you going to cast those people aside for the public good? Please,” she said. “I’m not saying this is easy, but you can’t just say, ‘Well, it’s for the public good, so forget about privacy.'”

    At least one province agrees: On Wednesday, Saskatchewan announced it would not require proof of vaccination from residents looking to return to work or attend events, with one official pointing out that doing so would be a clear violation of the province’s Health Information Protection Act.

    Cavoukian says people will relax once the majority of eligible Canadians is fully vaccinated. When that happens, singling out those who aren’t won’t seem nearly as important.

    “There’s so much fear right now, and fear pushes people in the direction of, well, I guess we’ve gotta do this, and not examining it carefully.”

    A question of freedom
    Cara Zwibel, director of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association’s fundamental freedoms program, says it all comes down to choice.

    “The choice to be vaccinated should be … a true individual choice, and there comes a point where if we premise access to certain rights or access to full participation in society on people being vaccinated, that becomes a form of coercion where you’re not really being vaccinated because you choose to. You’re being vaccinated because you feel you have no choice,” Zwibel said.

    “The idea that you should have to show your proof of vaccination everywhere you go, I think that it fundamentally changes the kind of society that we are.”

    But what about the person sitting next to you at work, school or on the bus? Don’t they have a right to exist in a safe environment?

    “I think we need to get away from this idea that we need a space where there’s no COVID,” Zwibel said. “It really should be about mitigating that risk as much as we can and avoiding a situation where our hospitals are overwhelmed, but unfortunately, I think COVID is just another risk now that we have to incorporate into our daily lives.”

    Like Cavoukian, Zwibel has serious concerns about sharing private health information, and she points out that while we might willingly hand our immunization records over to certain institutions, they’re statutorily limited in what they can do with that information.

    “If we start to think about disclosing your vaccination status to the maître d’ at the restaurant and the person who takes your tickets at the cinema and the person who is checking at the door at the grocery store, that’s a whole other level of really surveillance of the population, and it’s significant,” she said. “I think before we go down that road, we have to think about what it is we’re trying to accomplish by doing this.”

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/vaccine-passports-privacy-1.5972943

    • sky news australia – Many businesses, retailers and restaurants would be ‘very keen’ for entire country to be vaccinated

    • sky news australia – Australia’s herd immunity may require 85 per cent of the population to be vaccinated

      “With the current plan, 85 per cent of the population, that’s the whole of the population of Australia, will need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity,” Professor Emma McBryde told Sky News Australia.

      “For millions of Australians today we know the only option on the table is lockdown, and that is because Mr Morrison has not secured enough vaccine supply and has not built enough fit-for-purpose national quarantine facilities.”

      Uncertainty remains for when Australia will return to normal due to the country’s high vaccine hesitancy and dependency on vaccines produced overseas.

    • Germany: Govt not planning to fine COVID-19 vaccine no-shows

      The German government isn’t planning to fine people who don’t turn up to their COVID-19 vaccine appointments, a spokesperson said in Berlin on Monday.

      “The government doesn’t plan to introduce fines for not cancelled appointments,” said Steffen Seibert, while stressing that people should get fully vaccinated and not allow themselves to be in “a false sense of security after the first” dose.

      Health Ministry spokesperson Parissa Hajebi underlined Seibert’s message, saying, “we are not introducing any penalties, we want to motivate citizens to get vaccinated, and we do not want to scare them off and threaten them with fines.”

      Seibert also commented on allegations made by Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Bundestag candidate, and former domestic intelligence agency boss, Hans-Georg Maassen, who recently accused public broadcasters of having a left-wing bias and suggested the possibility of a parliamentary inquiry into Norddeutscher Rundfunk.

      “I see no reason to respond to statements made by individual candidates of the election campaign,” said Seibert, before noting that that government has a “definitive and clear position for free and independent journalism.”

      SOT, Steffen Seibert, German government spokesperson, (German): “First of all, we appeal to people to get vaccinated, and especially, what I have just forgotten to mention, to get the second shot, not to be in a false sense of security after the first one. It is the second shots of all the vaccines we have on the market in Germany, except for the Johnson & Johnson, it is the second shot that really gives good protection against the virus. So please take this second vaccination seriously. The second appeal, please cancel the appointment that you do not need, that you cannot attend. And thirdly, as I said, the government doesn’t plan to introduce fines for not cancelled appointments. But I hope the appeal will reach everyone.”

      SOT, Steffen Seibert, German government spokesperson, (German): “I see no reason to respond to statements made by individual candidates of the election campaign. You know our basic position and that is a very definitive and clear position for free and independent journalism, which is a pillar of democracy in our country and which makes the most of its protection by the constitution.”

      SOT, Steffen Seibert, German government spokesperson, (German): “We have taken note of Reporters Without Borders adding Hungary to this list. I am not commenting on such lists in principle, I can in general say that all EU member states are bound by the Charter of Fundamental Rights, so it is also stated in the Treaty on European Union and Article 8, let me quote, ‘the freedom of the media and their plurality are respected.'”

      SOT, Parissa Hajebi, Health Ministry spokesperson (German): “We have no such data (about number of missed appointments), and as Mr Seibert has already said, we are not introducing any penalties, we want to motivate citizens to get vaccinated, and we do not want to scare them off and threaten them with fines, and that’s the way it will stay.”

      SOT, David Helmbold, German Defence Ministry spokesperson (German): “In the course of the withdrawal, of course, the conditions in Afghanistan have changed, to which we have reacted accordingly. And there was a simplified procedure, and within this simplified procedure the Bundeswehr also provided support. We are basically not responsible for immigration visa matters, but in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry we have issued a lot if them. Until recently, until the Bundeswehr has withdrawn, travel documents were issued for 446 local workers and their families, i.e. a total of 2,250 people, and at the time it was a relatively small number of cases that are still open.”

    • Israel: 12-15-year-olds attend special COVID-19 vaccine event in Tel Aviv

      Children aged 12-15 queued to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and a free ice-cream in Tel Aviv, on Sunday, at a special pop-up vaccine event in the city.

      As school children make up the large part of COVID-19 cases, as well as the increasing number of Delta variant cases, Israel has accelerated its vaccination of young people in the country.

      14-year-old Roei explained, “It’s a important decision as also kids can pass the disease, it might not affect them but it’s can affect their relatives, so it can be dangerous for others.”

      The school children between the age of 12-15 became eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Israel in June.

      “We think that the youth should get vaccinated, youth from 12 to 16-years-old. We decided not to do it with stick but with a carrot, we come to where the youth are, we offer ice-cream and a coupon for activities during the summer so they can enjoy,” stated the Mayor of Tel Aviv Ron Huldai, who also attended the special event.

      ===============
      SOT, Liel, 13 year-old Tel Aviv local (Hebrew): “It felt good, I thought it would hurt but It didn’t hurt at all. I recommend everyone to get vaccinated.”

      SOT, Orly, Liel’s mother (Hebrew): “I was very happy, at the moment we heard about this we immediately said we will go to get vaccinated and we won’t give up this opportunity.”

      SOT, Adam, 14 year-old local (Hebrew): “Now i will be able to do different things, to meet many friends I didn’t meet or to visit my grandparents.”

      SOT, Ram, father of Adam: “I feel more calm after my kid receives a vaccine, it’s the first one and he will need another one, but I’m glad.”

      SOT, Roei, 14 year-old local (Hebrew): “I think it’s important to get vaccinated against coronavirus, now we also have new orders that we need masks again in closed spaces, so it’s very important right now.”

      SOT, Roei, 14 year-old local (Hebrew): “It’s a important decision as also kids can pass the disease, it might not affect them but it’s can affect their relatives, so it can be dangerous for others.”

      SOT, Or, 12 year-old local (Hebrew): “I came to set an example for people aboard, to show them they can also get vaccinated, and to say it’s a dangerous disease”

      SOT, Eyal, Father of Or (Hebrew): “In the beginning we had some doubts because of the rumours, about problems with the myocardium, but after it was checked and we heard it’s not true, I decided to bring my kids.”

      SOT, Lian, 15 year-old local (Hebrew): “I got vaccinated so I can fly aboard, I was not afraid, and I think it’s important to do it.”

      SOT, Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv (Hebrew): “We think that the youth should get vaccinated, youth from 12 to 16 years old. We decided not to do it with stick but with a carrot, we come to where the youth are, we offer ice cream and a coupon for activities during the summer so they can enjoy.”

      SOT, Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv (Hebrew): “In this way we attract the youth to come and get vaccinated, as it is very important they get vaccinated, that they will not lose connection.”

    • CNBC – Australia’s slow vaccine rollout is due to ‘mix messaging’ around AstraZeneca, says expert

      Archie Clements, pro vice-chancellor at Curtin University, says the federal government “should have backed AstraZeneca very strongly from the very beginning,” and everyone in the country should be encouraged to get vaccinated.

    • Re-vaccination campaign launched in Russia as Delta strain continues to spread

      Moscow has introduced a mandatory COVID status pass to access certain public places. RT speaks to health experts about the benefits of vaccination.

    • MSNBC – Dr. Fauci: Vaccine Hesitancy Could Create ‘Two Types Of America’

      During a Sunday interview, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned about regional vaccine disparities and how vaccine hesitancy in some areas could create ‘two types of America’. The Morning Joe panel discusses.

    • twitter @disclosetv

      German Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) says at least 85% of those aged 12-59 years and 90% of those aged 60+ years must be vaccinated “to control” COVID19 and to avoid a “fourth wave” in a new report.

      https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1412051234878595073
      ============================================

      Welche Impfquote ist notwendig, um COVID-19 zu kontrollieren?

      https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Infekt/EpidBull/Archiv/2021/Ausgaben/27_21.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

    • USA – Prepare for mandatory COVID vaccines in September, Army tells commands

      The Army has directed commands to prepare to administer mandatory COVID-19 vaccines as early as Sept. 1, pending full Food and Drug Administration licensure, Army Times has learned.

      The directive came from an execute order sent to the force by Department of the Army Headquarters.

      Army Times obtained a portion of a recent update to HQDA EXORD 225-21, COVID-19 Steady State Operations.

      “Commanders will continue COVID-19 vaccination operations and prepare for a directive to mandate COVID-19 vaccination for service members [on or around] 01 September 2021, pending full FDA licensure,” the order said. “Commands will be prepared to provide a backbrief on servicemember vaccination status and way ahead for completion once the vaccine is mandated.”

      EXORDS are utilized when the president directs the defense secretary to execute a military operation.

      “As a matter of policy we do not comment on leaked documents. The vaccine continues to be voluntary,” said Maj. Jackie Wren, an Army spokesperson. “If we are directed by DoD to change our posture, we are prepared to do so.”

      The Pentagon has not put out any guidance to the services to prepare for a mandatory vaccine roll-out in September, a defense official separately told Army Times.

      https://www.armytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2021/07/01/prepare-for-mandatory-covid-vaccines-in-september-army-tells-commands/

    • Deutsche Pravda -Delta variant and “vaccine apartheid” to blame for COVID-19 surge?

      A quarter of the global population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

      Low income countries are far behind.

      Just one in a hundred have at least one jab there.

      24% worldwide and only 1% low income countries are vaccinated.

      The distribution is slowest on the African continent.

      There just aren’t enough doses.

      The World Health Organisation criticised that sharply, and claimed: “The world is in vaccine apartheid”.

      The lack of doses has serious knock-on effects for poorer countries.

      Not enough vaccines means more people catching the virus, more hospitalisations, more deaths.
      Just take Kenya, where case levels are pushing hospitals to the brink.

      Especially as they run short of vital supplies.

      Health officials warn the highly contagious Delta variant is responsible for the rise in infections.

      DW’s Mariel Müller visited a hospital in Kisumu where they’re running dangerously short of medical oxygen.

    • WHO urges nations to speed up vaccine sharing as Delta variant spreads

      The World Health Organization is urging wealthier nations to accelerate sharing their excess stock of COVID-19 vaccines with poorer countries as the Delta variant sweeps across the world.

      TRT World Health Correspondent Nicola Hill explains why many scientists believe vaccinating all adults globally should be prioritised over offering the jabs to children.

    • twitter @disclosetv

      Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel “seriously ill” and hospitalized with COVID19.

      He received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine on May 6.

      https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1412114886738518022

      =======================================

      Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel ‘seriously ill’ with COVID-19

      Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who has suffered from COVID-19 for more than a week, is in “serious but stable” condition, the government said on Monday, adding that he will remain in hospital during the next few days.

      Bettel, who is 48, was hospitalized on Sunday for what the government described as tests and medical observation, but he has since been diagnosed with an insufficient oxygen saturation. Specific details were not released.

      “The medical condition of the Prime Minister is serious but stable,” the government said in a statement. “Thus, the medical staff surrounding the Prime Minister has decided that a hospitalization remains necessary to pursue the observation, this for an estimated duration of 2 to 4 days.”

      Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna will assume some of the prime minister’s duties to ensure the government’s continued operation, but Bettel will continue to be in charge of coordinating its work, the statement said.

      Bettel tested positive for COVID-19 on June 27 after he returned from a European Union summit in Belgium. He suffered from fever and headache at the time and continued his work from home, which included a digital meeting with Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday.

      Bettel, who is one of the first openly gay leaders in the world, has served as Luxembourg’s prime minister since December 2013. He received his first dose of AstraZeneca’s vaccine on May 6 and was still waiting for his second shot when he tested positive.

      https://bnonews.com/index.php/2021/07/luxembourg-pm-bettel-seriously-ill-with-covid-19/

    • Peace Forum discussion on tackling COVID-19 outbreak with IMF Managing Director and WTO Director-General

      + comments on the YT page

    • Surgeon who operated on young Italian vaccine victim: ‘You have never seen anything like this’

      The surgeon who operated on an Italian girl, Camilla Canepa, who died at the age of 18 from the effects of the vaccine, said he has never seen anything like this. “It’s not normal,” he added.

      Camilla Canepa was operated on by Gianluigi Zona, director of the neurosurgical and neuro-traumatological clinic of the San Martino hospital: “I had never seen a brain that was affected by such an extensive and severe thrombosis.”

      The neurosurgeon on duty in San Martino that night was Alessandro d’Andrea, who also called the chief physician to his side at the operating table. “We decided to have a decompression craniotomy, in which the skull is opened to relieve internal pressure.”

      Zona recounted the experience: “All venous sinuses were blocked with thrombi, a scenario I have never seen in my many years in this profession. Think of the venous sinus as the river in the middle of a valley where several streams converge. If a dam is built in the middle of the watercourse, the river swells and the tributaries can no longer drain at this point, so that the pressure rises upstream.

      “I’m neither a virologist, nor an epidemiologist, nor a coroner, but given the image I saw in the girl’s head, it is clear that we are dealing with something that is not normal.”

      The parents of the 18-year-old who died, told the media: “She had no disease.” Last week, the prosecutor of Genoa, which coordinates the ongoing investigations, will instruct the Pavia coroner to perform the autopsy on the body of Camilla Canepa, the eighteen year old who died after the vaccine. The girl allegedly suffered from chronic platelet deficiency, a “familial autoimmune thrombocytopenia”. This is what investigators have learned from the first reports of the doctors.

      But the girl’s family, assisted by the lawyer Angelo Paone, is firm on this point. “Camilla had no disease,” explained their lawyer. Supporting their claim, are two different CT scans. She had undergone the two scans, and was discharged after the first one that had not shown the situation of the thrombosis in progress, but immediately transferred to the hospital after the second showing that her health had been compromised.

      The girl arrived in the emergency room in the Lavagna hospital on June 3, just a week after the AstraZeneca shot. She had complained of severe headaches.

      Canepa, who was from the town of Sestri Levante in Liguria, was given the jab during a vaccination “open day” for youths over 18. The AstraZeneca jab has been approved for all over-18s, but in Italy it is only recommended for over-60s due to links to several cases of blood clots in younger people.

      Camilla’s case has raised concerns among young people previously keen to get vaccinated to obtain the Green Pass or vaccine passport enabling them to travel and attend mass events.

      https://sheikyermami.com/2021/07/covid-updates/#more-221999

      ==============================================
      Il chirurgo che ha operato Camilla, morta a 18 dopo il vaccino: “Una cosa mai vista, non è normale”

      https://ilpiccolo.gelocal.it/trieste/cronaca/2021/06/14/news/il-chirurgo-che-ha-operato-camilla-morta-a-18-dopo-il-vaccino-una-cosa-mai-vista-non-e-normale-1.40389792

      Camilla Canepa, il racconto del chirurgo

  6. sky news australia – The free world is run by a person who ‘probably couldn’t find his way home after dark’

    It is clear there is “no way” US President Joe Biden would pass a test to determine his cognitive ability or memory impairment, says Sky News host Alan Jones.

    Mr Jones discussed President Biden’s recent gaffes and the calls for him to be subject to a cognitive test.

    “The disturbing thing here is the free world depends on the United States as the unfree world gains momentum,” Mr Jones said

    “And the free world is run by a bloke who most probably couldn’t find his way home after dark”.

  7. sky news australia -President Biden is going ‘to decline’ every month and every day

  8. Deutsche Pravda – Julian Assange and WikiLeaks — story of a whistleblower

    ( 47 min )

    The decision not to extradite Julian Assange to the US is unlikely to be the end of his struggle. For the past 10 years, a team of reporters has followed Assange and the WikiLeaks network.

    In their first film in 2011, they portrayed Julian Assange and his team as transparency activists, fighting for a new, open relationship between citizens and information. Since then, Wikileaks has come under constant pressure from the US government. But the site nevertheless continued to publish secret and explosive information that has both illuminated and shaped our world.

    In 2013, the team met Julian Assange again, interviewing him in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. At the time, Assange had no idea that he was going to spend the next seven years in these rooms, observed by surveillance cameras.

    In 2016, Wikileaks played a crucial role in the election of US President Donald Trump. In 2017, it tried to similarly influence the French election. Throughout the years, the reporters have kept filming, talking to Julian Assange’s father, who regularly visits him in London’s Belmarsh prison, as well as to his lawyers.

    Today, Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are at a turning point in their history. To his detractors, Assange is a spy and a traitor, and deserves his fate. His supporters say the US extradition request is a serious and unprecedented attack on the freedom of information, protected by the US constitution. And who’s to say that the news outlets that have collaborated with WikiLeaks won’t be prosecuted, as well?

  9. Scares the living daylights out of me. No doubt these Federal ‘surge response’ teams are only going to Red states.

    REPORTS: White House to deploy federal ‘surge response’ teams, Missouri requests help amid rising COVID-19 cases

    Health officials say there are seeing double the hospitalization rate in Colorado due to the Delta variant as compared to previous COVID-19 strains.(KKTV)
    By KY3 Staff
    Published: Jul. 4, 2021 at 5:54 PM CDT|Updated: 45 minutes ago
    MISSOURI (KY3) – The Biden administration plans to deploy “surge response” teams to some states, including Missouri, in response to rising COVID-19 cases across various parts of the country.
    According to the Kansas City Star and multiple media reports, Missouri has requested aid from the White House, which announced the newly-formed federal “surge response” teams on Thursday.
    Teams will be deployed to several states where the COVID-19 Delta variant presents risks to unvaccinated Americans. In a recent report, the CDC says the highest proportion of Delta variant was detected in southwest Missouri, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of all Delta variants identified in the state.
    The teams are designed to “surge additional testing into communities to expand detection of the virus and allow public health authorities to do contact tracing to help contain outbreaks,” according to an announcement from the White House.

    State data shows that 44.6% of residents have received at least one shot, far short of the 54.7% rate nationally. In more than 60 Missouri counties, less than 30% of the population had received their first shot, according to state data.
    To report a correction or typo, please email di*********@ky*.com
    https://www.ky3.com/2021/07/04/reports-white-house-deploy-federal-surge-response-teams-missouri-requests-help-amid-rising-covid-19-cases/

  10. USA – BLM-affiliated activists march in DC against white supremacy amid Independence Day celebrations

  11. Man is stabbed to death at German refugee centre ‘by Afghan man’

    A man has been stabbed to death at a German refugee centre by an Afghan man who shouted ‘Allahu Akbar,’ according to local media.

    The knifeman, 25, allegedly murdered a 35-year-old fellow resident and wounded a German man in the attack at the accommodation in Greven, in North Rhine-Westphalia, on Sunday night.

    The attacker then fled into a nearby field and a helicopter was dispatched to track him down. He was eventually discovered and arrested by police without putting up a fight.

    The public prosecutor today offered no motive for the crime but witnesses said the Afghan refugee had been shouting‘Allahu Akbar’ before launching the assault.

    According to Bild, the prosecutor said: ‘The alleged perpetrator entered Germany in 2015 and has lived in this facility since January 2018.

    ‘Possibly he was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the crime.’

    The 35-year-old, an Azerbaijani, died at the scene, while the German national was rushed to hospital.

    Germany, which welcomed thousands of refugees from Islamic countries in 2015 during the European migrant crisis, has seen similar attacks in recent years.

    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/man-is-stabbed-to-death-at-german-refugee-centre-by-afghan-man/ar-AALN7o2

  12. November 20 2020 The ISIS-Al-Qaeda conspiracy theories on COVID-19
    https://www.oneindia.com/india/the-isis-al-qaeda-conspiracy-theories-on-covid-19-3179012.html?ref_source=OI-EN&ref_medium=Desktop&ref_campaign=Left_Include_Sticky
    Groups associated with al-Qaeda and ISIS are exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to spread conspiracy theories that the virus is “punishing the unbelievers”, is “God’s wrath upon the West” and incites terrorists to use it as a form of biological weapon, according to a UN report. The report titled ”Stop the virus of disinformation: the malicious use of social media by terrorist, violent extremist and criminal groups during the COVID-19 pandemic” was released by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) on Wednesday.
    It said that criminals and violent extremists are exploiting the pandemic to build their support networks, undermine trust in government and even weaponise the virus. The report added that terrorist, violent extremist and organised criminal groups have maliciously used social media to disseminate conspiracy theories about the origin of COVID-19.
    “Groups associated with ISIL and Al-Qaeda have also spread conspiracy theories that assert that the virus is a ”soldier of Allah” that is punishing the unbelievers and the enemies that have damaged Muslims over the last years. For example, ISIL and Al-Qaeda claimed that the virus is God’s wrath upon the West,” the report said. Similarly, Al-Shabaab declared that the coronavirus disease is spread by the “crusader forces who have invaded the country and the disbelieving countries that support them”, the report said. The Global Fatwa Index has identified COVID-19 related messages from groups associated with ISIS and al-Qaeda, including non-official fatwas that called on ISIS members who have contracted COVID-19 to act as “biological bombs” by “deliberately spreading the disease among the organisation’s enemies,” it said. UNICRI Director Antonia Marie De Meo wrote in the introduction to the report that it is “alarming that some terrorist and violent extremist groups have attempted to misuse social media to incite potential terrorists to intentionally spread COVID-19 and to use it as an improvised form of a biological weapon.”
    “There are cases in which right-wing extremist groups… explicitly asked their followers to spread the virus by coughing on their local minority or by attending to specific places where religious or racial minorities gather. Other groups…advocate to spread the coronavirus disease in countries with large populations or high levels of pollution,” the report said. It also notes the case of “inspired terrorism” was that of Timothy Wilson, who plotted to detonate a bomb in a hospital caring for coronavirus patients in Kansas City. He died during a firefight with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in March. According to the report, the researchers examined three groups of non-State actors: right-wing extremists; groups associated with the ISIS or Da’esh terror group and al-Qaeda; and organised crime groups. The researchers said that the main conclusions that they have drawn from their study were that violent non-state actors, including terrorist, violent extremist and organised criminal groups, have been maliciously using social media during COVID-19. Right-wing extremist groups and the groups associated with ISIS and al-Qaeda have tried to use the pandemic to reinforce their narratives (either racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and anti-immigrant or against democracy and modernisation). Organised criminal groups have been trying to take advantage of the pandemic mainly to portray a positive image of their organisations to expand their activities and penetrate the legal economy, the report said.
    The conspiracy theories usually attribute the origin of the virus to governments, religious or ethnic groups, secret networks, companies or businessmen who, according to these interpretations, are trying to push through secret agendas such as globalist depopulation, the control of the world or the generation of financial incomes through the sale of already produced vaccines and drug treatments, it said. Right-wing extremist groups have also circulated conspiracy theories that blame immigrants and foreigners as the ones responsible for spreading the virus. The New Jersey European Heritage Association (NJEHA) shared a campaign where they placed stickers with slogans such as “Stop coronavirus – deport all illegal aliens”, “migrants accepted no – we are infected”, “open borders is the virus”, “multicultural is the virus”, “open borders spread disease” around the city, the report said. Conspiracy theories such as Accelerationism, QAnon, and Boogaloo have also been used to misrepresent the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.
    The UNICRI researchers identified several instruments to debunk disinformation and misinformation, including data science tools, fact-checking apps and artificial intelligence but warned that technology countermeasures alone cannot stop abuse of social media.

  13. 5 July 2021 US left Afghan airfield at night, didn’t tell new commander
    The U.S. left Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by slipping away in the night without notifying the base’s new Afghan commander, who discovered the
    Americans’ departure more than two hours after they left
    https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/us-left-afghan-airfield-night-commander-78676163
    The U.S. left Afghanistan’s Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base’s new Afghan
    commander, who discovered the Americans’ departure more than two hours after they left, Afghan military officials said.
    Afghanistan’s army showed off the sprawling air base Monday, providing a rare first glimpse of what had been the epicenter of America’s war to unseat the Taliban and
    hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on America.
    The U.S. announced Friday it had completely vacated its biggest airfield in the country in advance of a final withdrawal the Pentagon says will be completed by the end of August.
    [..]
    Afghan soldiers who wandered Monday throughout the base that had once seen as many as 100,000 U.S. troops were deeply critical of how the U.S. left Bagram, leaving in

    the night without telling the Afghan soldiers tasked with patrolling the perimeter.
    “In one night they lost all the good will of 20 years by leaving the way they did, in the night, without telling the Afghan soldiers who were outside patrolling the area,” said Afghan soldier Naematullah, who asked that only his one name be used.
    Within 20 minutes of the U.S.’s silent departure on Friday, the electricity was shut down and the base was plunged into darkness, said Raouf, the soldier of 10 years who has also served in Taliban strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
    The sudden darkness was like a signal to the small army of looters, he said. They entered from the north smashing through the first barrier, ransacking buildings, loading anything that was not nailed down into trucks.
    [..]

  14. CORI BUSH Blasts 4th Of July Celebrations: “Black People Still Aren’t Free”
    Siah’s Domain – July 5, 2021