Reader’s Links for November 30, 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

63 Replies to “Reader’s Links for November 30, 2021”

  1. Mass-line psychosis isn’t limited to C-19 injection issues. Yes, the radio man has been drilling infection stats every half-hour as the top five stories for two years, but we know climate-change hypnosis is a long-foregone problem. Yesterday I heard Dear Leader blaming climate change quite matter-of-factly for British Columbia’s rain. (Frankly I think he should be more concerned with his own diaper change.) And I heard a new expression–“atmospheric river,” from the radio man as another way to say raindrops keep falling on your head. You know the second you offer someone competing info or observation and it bounces back, without consideration, that their goose is cooked.

    Pretty soon they will tell us there is acid in the rain to try to scare us. Oh, right, I forgot they tried that already. The bottom line is that msm and government credibility has be vaporized like a commie on the end of a Martian’s ray gun.

    https://notrickszone.com/2021/11/28/slow-disaster-playing-out-as-germany-moves-to-shut-down-8-5-gw-of-baseload-nuclear-capacity/

    • Germany’s Scholz supports mandatory vaccines by end Feb – sources

      Olaf Scholz, who is set to take over as German chancellor next week, supports making vaccination against COVID-19 compulsory and backs barring the unvaccinated from non-essential stores, sources said on Tuesday.

      Scholz and outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel were meeting regional leaders on Tuesday to discuss how to respond to soaring infections in a fourth wave of the pandemic.

      According to sources with information about the discussion, Scholz told the meeting he was in favour of a cross-party initiative to make vaccines mandatory, with the hope that it could be put into practice by the end of February.

      Neighbouring Austria, which like Germany has a relatively low rate of vaccination compared with the rest of western Europe, earlier this month announced plans to make vaccines compulsory as of February.

      Scholz is also in favour of making non-essential stores require customers to show proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19, the sources said.

      Germany’s Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases reported that 452.2 people per 100,000 were infected in the last week, down slightly from 452.4 on Monday. It was the first decline since early November.

      Despite this, the number of new daily cases rose slightly on Tuesday compared to last week to 45,753, and another 388 deaths were recorded – the highest daily figure since early March. That bought the overall death toll to 101,344.

      https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/germanys-scholz-supports-mandatory-vaccines-141226618.html
      ======================
      Germany’s next chancellor Scholz ‘backs compulsory Covid jabs’

      Germany’s incoming chancellor Olaf Scholz on Tuesday signalled his backing for mandatory coronavirus jabs, a party source said, as the country struggles to contain a fierce fourth wave of the pandemic.

      Scholz, who is holding emergency talks with outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and regional leaders, said he was “aware that there were cross-party debates” among lawmakers about making the vaccine compulsory, a source at the meeting said.

      “Scholz signalled his sympathy for such a regulation,” added the source, who is from Scholz’s centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).

      The introduction of mandatory jabs would have to be approved by parliament.

      The introduction of a general vaccine mandate has been a hot topic in Germany after Austria announced the move. It has previously been ruled out in Germany but fears are growing over the dramatic fourth Covid wave and the newly detected Omicron variant.

      According to sources of German news magazine Spiegel, Scholz said that compulsory vaccinations should be in place “when everyone has had a realistic chance to be double-vaccinated.”

      “We should be able to do that by the beginning of February,” he reportedly said, adding that the Bundestag could start deliberations and make decisions on this very quickly.

      Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc, which will not be part of Scholz’s incoming ruling coalition, has also come out in favour of requiring citizens to be inoculated against Covid-19.

      What else is happening in the talks?

      Scholz, Merkel and the heads of Germany’s 16 states are discussing tougher curbs to confront record-high infection rates and rapidly filling intensive care beds.

      Among the measures being discussed are the closures of bars and clubs, and limiting large events.

      Several hard-hit German regions have already cancelled Christmas markets and barred the unvaccinated from public spaces like gyms and leisure facilities.

      But critics say the patchwork of rules is confusing, and Tuesday’s crisis talks are aimed at coming up with more uniform rules for the whole country.

      Scholz reportedly spoke to Merkel and the state premiers about a “national task” in which solidarity had to be shown with the German states experiencing extreme infection figures.

      According to Spiegel, Scholz said he wanted to see 30 million Covid jabs administered to people in Germany by Christmas – and that this would help to break the wave.

      He said for this to happen, more vaccination offers are needed – involving pharmacists, dentists and vets in giving out shots.

      According to German media, Scholz has also told participants at the talks that he is in favour of barring the unvaccinated from more parts of public life, including non-essential retail.

      It comes after Germany’s highest court ruled that extreme Covid measures like curfews and contact bans – dubbed the emergency brake – were lawful, possibly paving the way for authorities to bring in tougher restrictions again if the situation calls for it.

      The scheduled meeting between the federal government and state leaders will still take place as planned on December 9th.

      https://www.thelocal.com/20211130/incoming-german-chancellor-scholz-backs-compulsory-covid-jabs/

    • Austria considers €7,200 fine for unvaccinated

      Austrian residents who refuse to get their COVID-19 jab from February when they will be mandatory will face fines of up to €7,200, a draft of Austria’s COVID-19 vaccination law reveals.

      The mandatory vaccination will apply to all those who have permanent residency in Austria. According to the draft regulation seen by Austrian newspaper die Presse, only those who can’t be vaccinated due to health reasons are exempt.

      In the draft, it remains open whether booster vaccinations will also be mandatory or whether the recovered will be treated equally with vaccinated people, which ministerial decrees will further define.

      Everybody who refuses to comply will be summoned to the district administration authorities. If they ignore the summons twice, they will be fined €3,600. If their violation of the COVID-vaccination law puts other persons at “serious risk,” or if they continue ignoring the order, they will be fined up to €7,200.

      The bill will be presented on 6 December, however, die Presse received the preliminary draft proposal beforehand.

      The proposal will be further discussed tomorrow, where health minister Wolfgang Mückstein and minister for the constitution, Karoline Edtstadler, will meet with experts and the opposition to discuss the way ahead.

      However, some elements remain unclear, especially if somebody continues to refuse to get vaccinated even after receiving the fines. According to die Presse, one of the solutions discussed is thatthose who cannot prove they are vaccinated will receive a fine every six months.

      Due to the rapid rise in infections, Austria took drastic steps to tackle the fourth COVID wave. The government introduced a fully-fledged lockdown on 22 November, alongside the announcement that vaccinations would become mandatory to prevent the health crisis from spiralling out of control.

      The situation in Austria has become increasingly severe in recent weeks, with intensive care units close to full capacity.

      According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 65.2% of Austria’s total population has been vaccinated.

      Some states have even prepared for triage, with Salzburg nominating a triage team that will decide who will receive treatment in intensive care units if maximum capacity is reached.

      The announcement to make vaccinations mandatory has intensified divides in Austrian society, with President Alexander van der Bellen warning that “there is a great danger that the rifts are getting deeper.“

      The populist FPÖ, which had previously lost favour with voters due to a series of corruption scandals, has become increasingly popular among anti-vaxxers. When the government announced its plans, FPÖ party leader Herbert Kickl said that “Austria is a dictatorship from this day on” and called for mass protests to fight the introduction of compulsory vaccination.

      https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/short_news/austria-considers-e7200-fine-for-unvaccinated/
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      Austria, recidivist anti-vaxxers risk up to 7,200 euros fine

      According to the government’s draft on compulsory vaccination

      – Austria will enforce compulsory vaccination on February 1, and recidivist anti-vaxxers could risk a fine of 3,600 euros, which could be double in the event of non-compliance.

      A draft of the government envisaged. The government is examining today the draft law for the introduction of compulsory vaccination.

      According to Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein, there is no “alternative,” given the low rate (about 70%) of vaccinated. Moreover, the obligation should rule out primary school children. The Minister for EU Affairs Karolina Edstadler said that the government has not decided how much to fine the transgressors. (ANSA).

      https://www.ansa.it/nuova_europa/en/news/sections/news/2021/11/30/austria-recidivist-anti-vaxxers-risk-up-to-7200-euros-fine_165e666d-9f36-4e5e-a371-620639810ea2.html
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      Austria’s draft vaccine mandate law to be presented next week

      Here’s what we know about Austria’s plans for making Covid-19 vaccination compulsory, after the government held a press conference on Tuesday morning following a summit on the subject.
      The government confirmed that the law making Covid-19 vaccination mandatory is set to come into effect from February 1st, with a first draft to be presented on December 6th to undergo a four-week review process.

      Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein urged people in Austria not to wait until the law comes into force, but to get their vaccine as soon as possible.

      “Yes, [the mandate] is in intrusion into fundamental rights and freedoms,” he acknowledged, saying that this was the reason the government is involving a wide range of people in their discussions on the law. He stressed that the law was “the only alternative”, given the efficacy of the vaccines in preventing serious illness and the currently low vaccination rate.

      The details were shared at a press conference from Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler and Mückstein, following talks between the government, opposition parties SPÖ and NEOS, and experts, which the health minister called a “fruitful exchange”.

      Edtstadler confirmed that such a mandate was not a violation of constitutional rights, if it can achieve the goal of protecting national health.

      She apologised to members of the public who did not feel they had been “adequately informed” about the vaccine, and said there had been “failures” in this area.

      More than 70 percent of Austria’s population has now had at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, but Mückstein said “from an epidemiological point of view, that is not enough” to avoid future lockdowns and pressure on Austrian healthcare.

      Beyond confirmation of the timeline, there were few new details on Tuesday about how the law will work in practice, with both ministers stressing that more talks would be carried out with the opposition parties and relevant organisations and experts.

      The ministers were asked from what age the mandate would begin, and Edtstadler said this would need to be discussed further before it was decided.

      She said that in any case, children in the Volkschule (primary school, usually aged between six and ten) would most likely not be affected by the mandate, and suggested that an age limit of 14 would be possible.

      Edtstadler also refused to comment on the potential monetary amount of administrative fines for violations of the mandate, after reports in Austrian media that the amount was likely to be set at €3,600, which could be issued twice to make a total of €7,200.

      A reporter also asked whether there was a possibility that if the vaccination rate improved, the law would not be introduced, to which Edtstadler replied: “We see the necessity of a vaccine mandate.”

      The far-right Freedom Party was not involved in Tuesday’s discussions, and its leader Herbert Kickl on Tuesday described the government as “stupid and sadistic” in his first speech after being in quarantine for a Covid-19 infection.

      The plans for a vaccine mandate have sparked protests across the country over the last two weekends, including some rallies organised by the Freedom Party.

      https://www.thelocal.at/20211130/austrian-government-reveals-first-details-of-mandatory-vaccine-plans/

      • Does anyone remember seeing the documentary films of the Austrian people when Hitler arrived and they cheered and tossed bouquets of flowers?

    • Austria: Government reveals plan to pass vaccine mandate bill, law enforcement

      Austrian Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler and Health Minister Wolfgang Muckstein revealed steps to pass the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination bill and its subsequent enforcement, in Vienna on Tuesday.

      Edtstadler said that in view of the past 20 months since the beginning of the pandemic, the situation in hospitals and intensive care units had dramatised to such an extent that compulsory vaccination was necessary, even if “we did not want this.”

      Muckstein added that after eight billion doses administered worldwide, the COVID vaccination has turned out to be the “best-studied vaccine ever.”

      Edtstadler said that although the draft law was an encroachment on the right to private and family life, which was stated in Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the draft could be implemented due to the current pandemic situation.

      SOT, Karoline Edtstadler, Austrian People’s Party (OVP) Minister for Constitutional Affairs (German): “Now that we have already dealt with the issue of mandatory vaccination, we should discuss what the requirements are for mandatory vaccination to be implemented in law and constitutionally and, of course, to last. Let me say once again in all clarity: we did not want this, we did not want mandatory vaccination. I would like to make it quite clear that we are in a situation that is only dramatic 20 months after the beginning of the pandemic, if we also look at the intensive care units and the hospitals.”

      SOT, Karoline Edtstadler, Austrian People’s Party (OVP) Minister for Constitutional Affairs (German): “Mandatory vaccination can be justified if the goal, namely general health protection, can be achieved by a measure that is effective, and that is vaccination. Now we need science to tell us: does this vaccination work? That is what we have asked today. What preconditions do we need, also from a partial legal point of view, for it to be effective? Because I would also like to point out that the European Court of Human Rights has ruled that compulsory vaccination is an encroachment on human rights, specifically on respect for private and family life according to Article 8 of the Convention on Human Rights. But this fundamental right is subject to influence, so that a legal obligation to vaccinate can be imposed.”

      SOT, Wolfgang Muckstein, Austrian Health Minister and Greens member (German): “We are learning that the vaccination in any case protects against severe courses, we are learning that the vaccination is safe, we know that in the meantime. We have already vaccinated over 11 million doses in Austria, almost eight billion worldwide, which means that the coronavirus vaccine is the best-studied vaccine ever. It is a safe vaccine and it reliably protects against severe courses and against deaths.”

      SOT, Wolfgang Muckstein, Austrian Health Minister and Greens member (German): “From December 6, there will be a draft law, there will be an ordinary review period of at least four weeks and it will come into force from the first of February.”

    • sky news uk – Moderna boss says all vaccines will be less effective against Omicron

      The heads of vaccine manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer say they should know in two to six weeks whether the current vaccines will work against Omicron.

      There are fears that the number of mutations on the spike protein will render the vaccines ineffective – or less effective – against the new variant.

      Stephane Bancel of Moderna, said there were early indications his company’s vaccine would be less effective.

    • BBC News – Global markets fall after Moderna Omicron warning –

      European stock markets have fallen after the boss of Moderna cast doubts on the effectiveness of vaccines against the new Omicron Covid variant.

      The Covid variant was first detected in South Africa, and the symptoms have been mild so far.

      But travel restrictions have been imposed as a precaution by places including the UK, the EU and the US.

      More than half of European destinations saw tourist arrivals decline. The European travel commission warned almost 9,000 travel industry jobs across the EU are at risk if restrictions return.

    • DEUTSCH PRAVDA – Omicron: How best to stop the spread of the new COVID variant

      […]To slow the variant, the world is going back to familiar measures like curfews, travel restrictions – testing and tracing.

      But one important tool has not been fully utilized: Vaccination.

      • How to stop “the virus” – – Lock up all the global “build back better boys and girls, politicians and media and Poof back to old normal. Have some quick trials and hang them all, let history repeat itself.

        Say goodbye to all the global liars. I may sound harsh, but YOU need to pick a side.

    • reuters – Moderna CEO’s vaccine warning rattles global stock markets

      Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel caused worry in global markets with comments that the drugmaker’s vaccine may not be as effective against the new Omicron variant.

    • SOUTH AFRICA – Discussion | Task team to investigate mandatory vaccine

      A government task team is exploring the possibility of making vaccination against Covid-19 mandatory.

      That’s with less than 40-percent of adult South Africans fully vaccinated,

      But a new variant in town and the fourth wave almost upon us. eNCA speaks to labour lawyer Jonathan Goldberg.

    • RT FRANCE – «Tant qu’on n’aura pas vacciné la planète entière, on ne pourra pas y mettre fin»

      Michel Scarbonchi, consultant international, ancien député européen, fait le point sur la situation.

      + comments on the YT page

    • AUSTRALIA – Melbourne scientists create the first Australian-made mRNA vaccine

      The new variant of concern is now out in the community, with exposure sites declared in NSW.

      While Victoria has no Omicron cases as yet, the focus is now on a vaccine booster trial that could help fight the new strain.

    • AUSTRALIA – Queensland schools bracing for teacher shortage as vaccine mandate extends

      Queensland schools are bracing for a shortage of teachers who are tonight being ordered to get the COVID jab.

    • PBS – Are You Planning Virtual Or In-Person Holiday Celebrations?

      Dr. Monique Williams explains how she will celebrate the holidays this winter as the pandemic continues.

    • Mexico: “No elements to worry about” – AMLO on Omicron

      Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ruled out for the moment that the country will take special measures in the face of the appearance of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Lopez Obrador spoke during a press conference held in Santa Lucia del Camino, Oaxaca.

      “There is still no solid information if this variant is more dangerous than the other variants, there is no such thing, it was only detected in South Africa, but we do not know more: if it is going to expand, if it is going to reach all countries, but above all the degree of danger it represents, that is, in terms of contagions and deaths, there is still no information”, the President of Mexico said.

      Lopez Obrador added: “I would like to tell all Mexicans that we are following up, that there are no elements to worry about, there are no risk reasons, according to the reports that specialists have given me.”

      The WHO declared the Omicron strain as a ‘variant of concern.’ Omicron has already been detected in several countries, while the European Union and the United Kingdom have banned flights from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

      SOT, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico (Spanish): “No, we don’t have that prognosis, we think that we have made a lot of progress in vaccination and we continue to vaccinate, and we are going to intensify the whole vaccination program. That is what I am going to talk about the day after tomorrow in my report”.

      SOT, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico (Spanish): “Tell all Mexicans that we are following up, that there are no elements to worry about, there are no reasons for risk, according to the reports that specialists have given me.”

      SOT, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico (Spanish): “That there is a lot of information in the media, that we should not panic, because there is a lot of uncertainty, unconfirmed information, that is what I can say, there is still no solid information if this variant is more dangerous than the other variants, there is no such thing, nothing more than that it was detected in South Africa, but we do not know more: if it is going to spread, if it is going to reach all countries, but above all the degree of danger it represents, that is to say, in terms of contagion and deaths, there is no information yet”.

      SOT, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, President of Mexico (Spanish): “There is no information either, this must be very clear, that vaccines are not effective to face this variant, that is to say, there is no information, it cannot be said: vaccines are not useful; on the contrary, what has been demonstrated, proven, is that the best thing is the vaccine to prevent, that is why we have to continue vaccinating those who have been left behind, we all have to get vaccinated”.

    • Omicron variant could decrease efficacy of ALL vaccines, says Moderna boss

      The head of drugmaker Moderna said he believes the Omicron variant is “highly infectious” and it is “highly possible” the effectiveness of vaccines is decreasing – adding that boosters may need a “double” dose to provide the best protection.

      Chief executive of the COVID vaccine creator Stephane Bancel said the new strain is overtaking Delta in South Africa at a faster rate than previously seen.

      “It took around four months for Delta to take over Beta, and it seems it’s taking just a couple weeks for this new variant to take over Delta,” he told CNBC.

      Pfizer has already begun making a new vaccine against the strain, which chief executive Albert Bourla said will take “95 days”.

    • city news – Alberta – Premier addresses concerns over the Omicron variant

      … health officials expect it to arrive in Alberta soon.

    • ‘Omicron has very concerning mutation type’ – WHO representative to RT

      The origin of the new Covid strain, Omicron, is now under question as Dutch health officials say IT WAS DETECTED IN THE NETHERLANDS BEFORE IT WAS REPORTED IN SOUTH AFRICA .

      RT speaks to the WHO representative in Russia, Dr. Melita Vujnovic, about how dangerous this new strain can be

    • the gateway pundit – Sweden: Get Your Covid Vaccine Passport in a Chip in Your Hand (VIDEO)

      Over the last few years some Swedish workers have volunteered to have microchips implanted in their hands so they no longer have to carry cash, ID, keys, gym passes etc.

      Microchips are gaining popularity in Sweden and now Swedes are getting Covid vaccine passports implanted in their hands or elsewhere under their skin.

      “Get your Covid certificate in a chip in your hand or elsewhere under the skin. It is increasingly popular to insert a chip into the body with different types of information and now you can also insert your Covid certificate in the chip.” – Aftonbladet, Sweden’s daily newspaper reported.

      The Swedish Public Health Agency recently announced it is introducing vaccine passports for events over 100 people.

      Beginning December 1, Swedes will need a vaccine passport to go to theaters, concerts and other larger indoor events.

      Microchipping is voluntary… for now, but give it some time and the Covid tyrants will make it mandatory in order for people to participate in society.

      ======================================
      twitter @SikhForTruth

      Sweden: Get your vaccine passports in a chip in your hand or elsewhere under the skin.

      It is increasingly popular to insert an #IoB chip into the body with different types of data and now you can insert your covid certificates in the chip.

      + video

      https://twitter.com/SikhForTruth/status/1465327182826332163

      ========================================
      https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/11/sweden-get-covid-vaccine-passport-chip-hand-video/

    • Over-60s, Vulnerable “Should Be Advised To Postpone Travel”: WHO

      “Persons who are unwell or at risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease and dying, including people 60 years of age or older or those with co-morbidities (e.g. heart disease, cancer and diabetes),” the WHO said in a travel advice statement on Omicron.

      Geneva, Switzerland: The WHO said in travel advice Tuesday on the Omicron coronavirus variant that people vulnerable to developing severe Covid-19 disease, including the over-60s, should be advised to postpone travel.

      “Persons who are unwell or at risk of developing severe Covid-19 disease and dying, including people 60 years of age or older or those with co-morbidities (e.g. heart disease, cancer and diabetes), should be advised to postpone travel,” the WHO said in a travel advice statement on Omicron.

      https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/over-60s-vulnerable-should-be-advised-to-postpone-travel-who-2631315

      ===================================
      europravada – Greece to fine over-60s for refusing jab

      Residents in Greece over the age of 60 will be fined €100 a month if they fail to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, under the first general COVID-19 mandate announced by the country’s government.

      The measure was announced in response to a surge in cases and the emergence of the Omicron variant. It will come into effect on January 16 with the fines to be added to their tax bills, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in a televised announcement on Tuesday.

      Greece’s death toll exceeded 18,000 this week with confirmed infections at record levels, as roughly a quarter of the country’s adult population remains unvaccinated.

      Vaccination mandates were introduced over the summer for health care workers and fire service rescuers, with those failing to comply being suspended from their jobs indefinitely without pay.

      The government has ruled out imposing new lockdowns but says it is targeting the elderly with tougher restrictions to protect the public health service as ICU occupancy is near capacity nationwide.

      “The new Omicron variant is a concern for us and means we must be vigilant,” Mitsotakis said.

      “Unfortunately, of the 580,000 unvaccinated of our fellow citizens over the age of 60, only 60,000 set up appointments to get vaccinated in November,” he said. “But it is mainly people over 60 who require hospital treatment and sadly lose their life. These deaths are unnecessary.”

      https://www.euronews.com/2021/11/30/greece-will-fine-over-60s-100-a-month-for-refusing-covid-19-vaccine
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      europravda – Greece to fine over-60s for refusing jab, UK to open more vaccination sites

      Roughly a quarter of Greece’s adult population remains unvaccinated.

    • UK – Sajid Javid tells ALL adults ‘get booster or risk Christmas’

      “Get Booster jab, or risk Christmas,” as government rolls out Omicron battle plan.

      Boris Johnson (….) said ‘pop-up vaccination centres’ will help arm people against the new variant, while the PM also enrolled the help of the army.

      It comes as more cases of Omicron were today detected in the UK – now totalling 22.

    • Fox News – NIH Director warns against ‘premature’ conclusion that omicron will be mild

      Collins explains why it will take two weeks to know how serious the omicron variant will be.

      + comments on the YT page

    • Here We Go Again’: Steve Forbes Rips Kathy Hochul’s Omicron Respons

      Steve Forbes discusses the danger in politicians taking precipitous actions against Omicron, the new COVID-19 variant, without waiting for the real facts.

    • PM Trudeau and federal ministers comment on Canada’s response to Omicron variant –

      They face questions about Canada’s response to the Omicron COVID-19 variant after the first identified cases have emerged in the country.

      • People are still allowed to walk across at Roxham Road at the invitation of this stupid, drama queen.

        Such bullshit. Now let the little drama Queen and this health minister/ economists go into a room, take off their masks and have a good laugh about all the collaborators- – trained seals.

    • BBC – Omicron variant in Europe earlier than thought –

      The new Covid variant Omicron was present in the Netherlands earlier than previously thought, officials have said.

      It was identified in two test samples taken in the country between 19 and 23 November, which is before the variant was first reported by South Africa.

      It is not clear whether those who took the tests had visited southern Africa.

      Oxford University has said there is no evidence vaccines would not prevent severe disease, but earlier Moderna jolted markets when it said Covid jabs were unlikely to be as effective against Omicron.

    • Walensky Believes Covid Vaccinations ‘Will Be Beneficial Against Omicron’

      “We don’t know everything we need to know yet,” she admitted but assured vaccines are a “safe and effective way to protect yourself.”

    • reuters -France sends more police, extends curfew in restive Caribbean territory

      PARIS, Nov 29 (Reuters) – The French government will send police reinforcements, including an elite SWAT team, and extend a curfew in the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe after two weeks of unrest, the overseas territories minister said on Monday.

      Police have been shot at and stores looted in protests against plans to make vaccination for health workers compulsory, which have fanned long-running grievances over living standards and the relationship with Paris.

      Overseas Territories Minister Sebastian Lecornu, who Paris dispatched to defuse the crisis at the weekend, said 70 police reinforcements would be sent on Tuesday along with 10 extra SWAT team members to help shore up security.

      Earlier on Monday, the local prefecture said that a curfew from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. would be extended until Dec. 2.

      In Guadeloupe, there is a historic mistrust of the government’s handling of health crises after many people were systematically exposed to toxic pesticides used in banana plantations in the 1970s.

      Protesters have insisted they should be allowed to make their own choices about health treatment.

      https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-sends-more-police-extends-curfew-restive-caribbean-territory-2021-11-29/

      ===================
      al jazeera – Hundreds rally against compulsory vaccinations in France’s Guadeloupe

      France’s minister for overseas territories is visiting the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe – where he has insisted that compulsory vaccinations for health workers will happen eventually.

      Hundreds of them rallied against the government’s plans on Sunday.
      But protests have morphed into a larger movement against high poverty levels.
      To placate them, Paris now says it is open to discussing more autonomy for Guadeloupe.

    • NOV 29 2021 – Pascal Obispo hospitalized urgently after a DISEASE on stage

      the singer felt unwell and collapsed on stage, reveals BFMTV.

      https://new.in-24.com/News/348957.html

      ========================
      Pascal Obispo and Catherine Ringer victims of discomfort: the theory that overwhelms the vaccination of the two artists. After Catherine Ringer who collapsed on stage in Liège on Thursday November 25, Pascal Obispo, also a victim of discomfort, was forced to cancel his private concert on Monday evening near Toulouse. 5 hours ago

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

      Pascal Obispo rushed to hospital after an ILLNESS on stage

      https://remonews.com/belgiumeng/pascal-obispo-rushed-to-hospital-after-an-illness-on-stage/

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

      The 56-year-old singer chose to speak on his Instagram page, to thank all those who sent him messages, to apologize to his fans but also to tell them that he was forced to cancel several shows.

      Doctors have put the singer on” forced rest “and that is why he is forced to cancel his performances in Bordeaux, Marseille or even Reims.

      https://www.shkmgmcnuh.org/my-condition-does-not-allow-me-pascal-obispo-speaks-after-his-discomfort/824252021/

    • NYT – A federal judge blocks Biden’s vaccine mandate for U.S. health workers.

      A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday to halt the start of President Biden’s national vaccine mandate for health care workers, which had been set to begin next week.

      The injunction effectively expanded a separate order issued on Monday by a federal court in Missouri. The earlier one had applied only to 10 states that joined in a lawsuit against the president’s decision to require all health workers in hospitals and nursing homes to receive at least their first shot by Dec. 6 and to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4.

      Several cities and states had already imposed their own vaccine mandates for health care workers, in an effort to contain outbreaks that were often passed from communities into medical settings like nursing homes. The momentum for vaccine mandates gained steam during the summer as the Delta variant swept through nursing homes, causing spikes in staff and resident infections, as well as overwhelming hospitals in many states with another Covid surge.

      The injunction was issued by Judge Terry A. Doughty in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

      https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/world/vaccine-mandate-health-workers-blocked.html

      reuters – Judge blocks COVID-19 vaccine rule for healthcare workers across U.S.

      A U.S. judge on Tuesday blocked a Biden administration COVID-19 vaccination rule for healthcare workers and applied the ruling nationwide where the mandate was still in effect, according to a court ruling.

      https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judge-blocks-covid-19-vaccine-rule-healthcare-workers-across-us-2021-11-30/

    • Germany: Police enforce COVID regulations at rally in Saxony town of Bautzen

      Police press officer Kai Siebenauger commented Tuesday on a large-scale police operation in Bautzen after significantly more than the permitted 10 participants arrived at a registered rally the day earlier.

      Footage of the rally against COVID measures on Kornplatz showed several hundred participants listening to speeches. Police units also gathered in the square and made loudspeaker announcements that the meeting had to be dispersed. Police cars blocked roads surrounding the area. An arrest was seen on the sidelines, with one participant being pushed to the ground.

      Police press officer Siebenauger pointed out that the authorities had given the police the order to disperse the assembly, as they had been informed that the number of participants allowed under the COVID emergency ordinance exceeded 10. According to Siebenauger,around 350 people were present, of whom about 80 were issued administrative offences for violating the ordinances.

      SOT, Kai Siebenauger, Police spokesperson (German): “In this context, a 44-year-old suspect pushed a police officer. The police then arrested the man and in connection with this, the German bit a police officer on the calf. The policeman was then taken to hospital for treatment.”

      SOT, Kai Siebenauger, Police spokesperson (German): “The aim of the police last night was to enforce the measures imposed by the assembly authorities, who are responsible for announcing assemblies, and the police succeeded in doing so. These conditions were, on the one hand, that a maximum of 10 participants can take part in an assembly and, on the other hand, that no procession may take place.”

      SOT, Kai Siebenauger, Police spokesperson (German): “Before eighteen o’clock there was an enormous influx of up to 350 people. In consultation with the assembly authorities, we then contacted the leader of the assembly and urged him to comply with his assembly regulations. The leader of the meeting started to give speeches and that was the reason why the meeting authorities decided not to allow the meeting.”

      SOT, Kai Siebenauger, Police spokesperson (German): “However, a group of about 100 people stayed in the street and remained there. As a result, the personal details of these people were taken and misdemeanour charges were filed for violating the Corona Emergency Ordinances. The bottom line is that the police officers issued eighty notices for violations of the Corona Emergency Ordinances.”

      SOT, Kai Siebenauger, Police spokesperson (German): “The police’s bottom line is positive, the police met its target. The goal was to allow the assembly with ten participants. That this did not work was due to the fact that the assembly leader could not implement that the mass of people left the Kornmarkt.”

      SOT, Kai Siebenauger, Police spokesperson (German):“In principle, freedom of assembly applies. You cannot see a participant’s beliefs on their face, the police treat everyone the same.”

    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RWzttjvbw8

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHczbJNe6f4

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slMHawwWbPU

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5diJxnB3kOI

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

      QUERDENKER UND UNGEIMPFTE: Tausende Teilnehmer – Unerlaubte Corona-Demos in Sachsen und Thüringen

      Mehrere Tausend Menschen haben an unangemeldeten Protesten gegen die Corona-Maßnahmen in Thüringen teilgenommen. Insgesamt 2700 Menschen hätten am Montagabend an 20 verschiedenen Orten demonstriert, sagte ein Polizeisprecher. Bei der größten Versammlung in Erfurt gingen demnach 650 Menschen auf die Straße, in Arnstadt im Ilmkreis und in Bad Salzungen im Wartburgkreis versammelten sich 400 und 280 Menschen. Bei allen anderen Demonstrationen hätten sich die Teilnehmerzahlen im zweistelligen Bereich bewegt. Wegen der Corona-Pandemie sind in Thüringen derzeit nur ortsfeste Versammlungen von bis zu 35 Menschen erlaubt.

      Einige Hundert Menschen haben am Montagabend laut Polizei in mehreren sächsischen Städten gegen die staatlichen Corona-Maßnahmen protestiert. Die sächsische Corona-Notfallverordnung gestattet derzeit nur ortsfeste Kundgebungen mit maximal 10 Teilnehmern.

      Die Zusammenkünfte müssen unterbunden werden, forderte der Ostbeauftragte der bisherigen Bundesregierung, Marco Wanderwitz auf Twitter. «Dass in Sachsen in dieser Corona-Lage Gestörte und Rechtsradikale offenbar “erfolgreich” Tag für Tag den Rechtsstaat mit öffentlichen Zusammenkünften vorführen, macht schweren Schaden.»

      Rund 700 Menschen nahmen nach Angaben einer Polizeisprecherin in Freiberg an einem ungenehmigten «Corona-Spaziergang» teil. Der Versuch, sie frühzeitig anzusprechen und die Versammlung aufzulösen, habe «wenig gefruchtet». Die nicht angemeldeten «Spaziergänge» und Aktionen seien aber soweit wie möglich aus der Innenstadt heraus gelenkt worden und ruhig verlaufen.

      Gegen eine Gruppe von 24 Personen, die am Anfang des Aufzugs lief, wurde wegen Verstößen gegen das Versammlungsgesetz und die sächsische Corona-Notverordnung Anzeigen erstattet. Dazu kamen zwei Strafanzeigen wegen Beleidigung eines Polizisten sowie Widerstands gegen Vollstreckungsbeamte und sechs Ordnungswidrigkeitenanzeigen.

      Auch in Chemnitz und Zwickau liefen mehrere hundert Menschen im Protest gegen die Corona-Politik von Land und Bund durch die Stadt. Bis zu 300 Menschen seien zwischenzeitig auf den Straßen unterwegs gewesen, sagten die jeweiligen Polizeisprecher. Bei dem Einsatz in Chemnitz wurden rund 25 Anzeigen aufgenommen. In Zwickau dauerten Spaziergänge und Einsätze der Polizei am späten Abend noch an. An den drei Schwerpunkteinsätzen der Polizeidirektion Chemnitz in Freiberg, Chemnitz und Zwönitz waren nach ihren Angaben rund 330 Beamte beteiligt.

      Proteste gab es laut Polizei auch in Dresden, Neustadt in Sachsen, Pirna, Sebnitz, Riesa und Großenhain. In der Landeshauptstadt begleitete die Polizei ihren Angaben zufolge einen Autokorso der Initiative «Querdenken 351» mit 95 Fahrzeugen. Zudem stellten Polizeibeamte eine Gruppe von bis zu 80 Menschen vor dem Rathaus fest. In Bautzen löste die Versammlungsbehörde am Abend eine angemeldete Zusammenkunft von etwa 350 Menschen auf dem Kornmarkt auf, weil sie bei weitem die zugelassene Teilnehmerzahl überstieg. In der Bilanz gab es rund 80 Anzeigen wegen Verstoßes gegen die Corona-Notfallverordnung.

      Am Wochenende hatten vor allem im Süden Sachsens Hunderte Menschen in verschiedenen Orten gegen die Corona-Maßnahmen protestiert. Auch für Montagabend war in sozialen Netzwerken zu zahlreichen «Spaziergängen» aufgerufen worden.

    • NOV 21 2021 – GERMANY – Zittau – Die Gedanken sind frei

      Die Gedanken sind frei, wer kann sie erraten,
      sie fliegen vorbei wie nächtliche Schatten.
      Kein Mensch kann sie wissen, kein Jäger sie schießen
      mit Pulver und Blei: Die Gedanken sind frei!

      Ich denke was ich will und was mich beglücket,
      doch alles in der Still’, und wie es sich schicket.
      Mein Wunsch und Begehren kann niemand verwehren,
      es bleibet dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei!

      Und sperrt man mich ein im finsteren Kerker,
      das alles sind rein vergebliche Werke.
      Denn meine Gedanken zerreißen die Schranken
      und Mauern entzwei: Die Gedanken sind frei!

      Drum will ich auf immer den Sorgen entsagen
      und will mich auch nimmer mit Grillen mehr plagen.
      Man kann ja im Herzen stets lachen und scherzen
      und denken dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei!

      Ich liebe den Wein, mein Mädchen vor allen,
      sie tut mir allein am besten gefallen.
      Ich sitz nicht alleine bei meinem Glas Weine,
      mein Mädchen dabei: Die Gedanken sind frei!
      ————————————————
      Thoughts are free, who can guess them?
      They fly by like nocturnal shadows.
      No person can know them, no hunter can shoot them
      with powder and lead: Thoughts are free!

      I think what I want, and what delights me,
      still always reticent, and as it is suitable.
      My wish and desire, no one can deny me
      and so it will always be: Thoughts are free!

      And if I am thrown into the darkest dungeon,
      all these are futile works,
      because my thoughts tear all gates
      and walls apart: Thoughts are free!

      So I will renounce my sorrows forever,
      and never again will torture myself with whimsies.
      In one’s heart, one can always laugh and joke
      and think at the same time: Thoughts are free!

      I love wine, and my girl even more,
      Only her I like best of all.
      I’m not alone with my glass of wine,
      my girl is with me: Thoughts are free!

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Gedanken_sind_frei

      ——————————————————

  2. Defender

    Texas
    Amy Bolin said in order to be approved for a double-lung transplant, her 49 year old husband had to be fully vaccinated for Covid even though he had the virus and recovered. After his second Moderna shot, he developed a pulmonary embolism and a heart condition and died before he could get his new lungs.

  3. https://www.kelownacapnews.com/news/dogs-trained-to-comfort-nervous-people-help-kids-get-covid-19-vaccines/

    In Montreal on Friday, therapy dogs were on hand to comfort some of the first kids under 12 to get shots after the approval of vaccines for the younger age group.

    Animal therapists in Quebec are now considering taking their dogs into schools as the pediatric immunization drive ramps up.

    In Saskatoon, therapy dogs are also being recruited to help take the sting out of kids’ COVID-19 jabs.

    Children and adults with a fear of needles, or who worry about getting a protective jab against COVID-19, have turned to therapy dogs to reduce anxiety for months at some vaccination centres in Saskatchewan, Quebec and British Columbia.

    • city news – Quebec 5 to 11-year-olds get COVID-19 vaccine

      “I feel good now because it’s sad getting COVID, but then it’s good getting the vaccine,” said 11-year-old Karan Kececi after getting his first COVID-19 shot in Montreal on Wednesday.

    • city news – Some B.C. parents frustrated on Day 1 of kids’ COVID vaccine rollout

      Some frustration, some scrambling and some smooth sailing. Parents’ experiences running the gamut on the first day of COVID-19 shots for kids five to 11 in BC.

    • The parents should know the latest numbers from the CDC – Vaccine Adverse reactions 913,268

      deaths 19,249

      Serious injuries 143,395. 11,209 blood clotting disorders, 3,209 myocarditis, 760 Guillain-Barre Syndrome………..

      5-11 year olds. Adverse Reactions 2,093

      12-17 year olds.Adverse Reactions 23,484

      16 year old girl from Missouri VARES # 1823671 died after 2nd Pfizer shot.

  4. NYT – Éric Zemmour, Far-Right Pundit, Makes French Presidential Run Official

    After months of speculation, Mr. Zemmour, an anti-immigration writer and right-wing television star, said he was running in the presidential elections next year to “save” France.

    ARIS — Éric Zemmour, a polarizing far-right writer and television star, announced on Tuesday that he was running for French president in elections next year, ending months of speculation over a bid that upended the race before he had even made it official.

    Mr. Zemmour, 63, is a longtime conservative journalist who rose to prominence over the past decade, using prime-time television and best-selling books to expound on his view that France was in steep decline because of Islam, immigration and leftist identity politics, themes he returned to in his announcement.

    “It is no longer time to reform France but to save it,” Mr. Zemmour said in a video with dramatic overtones that was published on social media, conjuring images of an idealized France and then warning about outside forces that threatened to destroy it.

    He has fashioned himself as a Donald J. Trump-style provocateur lobbing politically incorrect bombs at the French elite establishment — saying, for instance, that the law should require parents to give their children “traditional” French names — and rewriting some of the worst episodes from France’s past. He has been charged with inciting racial or religious hatred several times over his comments, and twice convicted and fined.

    Mr. Zemmour spoke over 1950s footage full of men in hats and vintage Citroën cars, contrasted with recent clips of crowded subways, crumbling churches, burning cars and violent clashes with the police.

    “You feel like a foreigner in your own country,” Mr. Zemmour said, reading from notes at a desk in front of old bookshelves in a way that seemed intent on replicating Charles de Gaulle’s posture when he issued a call to arms against Nazi Germany from London in June 1940.

    Mr. Zemmour said he was running “to prevent our children and our grandchildren from experiencing barbarity, to prevent our daughters from being veiled and our sons from being subdued.”

    He accused elites — journalists, politicians, judges, European technocrats — of failing France, which he said was represented by a long list of illustrious men and women, including Joan of Arc, Louis XIV and Napoleon.

    “We will not be replaced,” added Mr. Zemmour, who has espoused the theory of a “great replacement” of white people in France by Muslim immigrants — a conspiracy theory that has been cited by extremists in several mass shootings.

    The announcement, after months of barely veiled hints that Mr. Zemmour intended to run, surprised no one. It also came after the yet-to-be-declared candidate had endured a dip in the polls and a series of setbacks in recent days — including a disastrous visit to Marseille, in southern France, that ended with him making a crude gesture at a protester. The vulgar gesture gave ammunition to critics who say Mr. Zemmour is not fit to be president.

    “One may have doubts as to his ability to represent our country and serve in its highest office,” Gabriel Attal, a French government spokesman, told Europe 1 radio on Tuesday.

    Mr. Zemmour has already reshuffled the political calculus for several candidates in the presidential elections, which will be held in April next year.

    French presidential elections use a two-round system, with the top two candidates in the first round advancing to a runoff. Recent polls have put Mr. Zemmour in third place, with roughly 14 to 15 percent support, behind President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally party, who met in the runoff of the last presidential election in 2017.

    Even so, Mr. Zemmour has drawn in some of Ms. Le Pen’s supporters with his hard-line stance on immigration and identity. He has also pushed Les Républicains, France’s traditional conservative party, further to the right. The party is expected to pick its own candidate this week.

    Mr. Zemmour’s latest book, “France Has Not Said Its Last Word Yet,” which he released in September to mark his unofficial entry into the presidential race, has sold more than 250,000 copies.

    Some of his books have contained incendiary statements about women and minorities. They have also contained historical inaccuracies as Mr. Zemmour attempted to clear France of wrongdoing in some of the worst episodes of its past, including in World War II and Algeria’s war for independence from France.

    Mr. Zemmour is the son of parents from Algeria, and styles himself as a defender of France’s Christian civilization against the influence of Muslim immigrants. But he himself is Jewish, and his repeated attempts to rehabilitate France’s collaborationist government and its leader, Marshal Philippe Pétain, have been condemned in vigorous terms by leaders of the French Jewish community, even as some Jews have identified with his anti-Islam message.

    Olivier Faure, the head of France’s Socialist Party, quipped on Twitter that Mr. Zemmour had used “De Gaulle’s microphone but Pétain’s speech” for his announcement.

    “Beethoven’s music but the wrong notes of a fantasized past for a caricatured present,” he added, referring to the soundtrack Mr. Zemmour used in Tuesday’s video.

    Mr. Zemmour has excelled as a right-wing television pundit deploying virulent nationalist, anti-immigrant rhetoric. In 2019, he joined CNews, a Fox-style news network, which provided a platform for him to express his ideas to hundreds of thousands of viewers.

    Mr. Zemmour experienced a rapid rise in the polls over the past few months, fueled by feverish media coverage of his latest book tour, but he has stumbled in recent weeks.

    Several supporters, including a key French financier who had lent him money, have distanced themselves, describing his campaign as disorganized and amateurish.

    Mr. Zemmour is not backed by a powerfully established political force, as Mr. Trump was with the Republican Party, and it remains unclear whether he can gather the official support of 500 elected representatives — a requirement to run for president in France.

    Some recent moves have also cast doubt on Mr. Zemmour’s ability to handle the challenges and pressures of the campaign trail.

    He was widely criticized for making political statements to journalists in front of the Bataclan concert hall in Paris on the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attacks there, and in Marseille, he was heckled by protesters and was photographed making the crude gesture toward a woman who had done the same thing toward him.

    “He has a lot of qualities as a polemicist, a lot less as a presidential candidate,” Ms. Le Pen, the far-right leader, told Sud Radio on Tuesday, accusing Mr. Zemmour of being “disconnected” from the French working class and of dividing voters. “If you want to be president, you have to unite.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/30/world/europe/eric-zemmour-france-president.html

    ============================
    Éric Zemmour : « Je suis candidat à l’élection présidentielle »

  5. Deutsche Pravda – France: Far-right TV star Eric Zemmour shakes up presidential race

    Radical writer and TV celebrity Eric Zemmour has declared he will run for president in next year’s French election. He’s already disrupted electoral calculations and spooked the country’s political right.

    Until a few months ago, France’s next presidential election was largely expected to be a predictable duel between President Emmanuel Macron and the leader of the far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National), Marine Le Pen.

    That was until Eric Zemmour, a far-right French commentator and TV celebrity, burst onto the political scene and sparked a media frenzy with inflammatory views on Islam, immigration and feminism, which he blames for the supposed decline of France.

    The 63-year-old declared his candidacy in a YouTube video this week. A number of surveys showed his popularity rising — he briefly was the best-placed candidate to topple President Macron, though his momentum seems to have fizzled in recent weeks. But experts say he has certainly upended political calculations ahead of the election in April.

    “Zemmour is creating a rupture in the French presidential race,” Philippe Corcuff, a political scientist at the Institute of Political Studies in Lyon, told DW. “He appears more respectable and less on the right than Marine Le Pen whereas objectively he’s actually much more right of her with his racist and xenophobic discourse.”

    ‘Setting the agenda’

    The paradox is explained by the fact that for years, Zemmour has been a well-known figure in France’s media and in intellectual circles, making him look like a respectable figure from the traditional right.

    A long-time journalist for France’s conservative newspaper, Le Figaro, Zemmour is also a best-selling author and was until recently a prime-time commentator on a Fox-style news network. He’s been attracting huge crowds at campaign-like events across France as he promotes his latest book.

    But, he remains notorious for his polarizing views. He has called for a ban on “foreign” first names such as Mohammed, he has denounced LGBT “propaganda,” he’s railed against the immigration of Muslim Africans, and he has said Islam doesn’t share France’s core values.

    Zemmour, who is of Jewish and Algerian descent, is also accused of trying to rehabilitate France’s wartime Vichy regime, which collaborated with the Nazis. He has twice been sanctioned for inciting racial hatred.

    “There’s relentless coverage of Zemmour in the media. He is on television every day. And even if he isn’t, he’s being debated,” Jean-Yves Camus, director of the Observatory of Radical Politics at the Jean-Jaures foundation in Paris told DW. “He sets the agenda and the others on the right are just left responding to issues that he has raised.”

    Stealing Marine Le Pen’s thunder

    Though surveys show that Zemmour’s appeal cuts across the political right, he poses a particular challenge to Le Pen, who is plummeting in the polls.

    In recent years, Le Pen has tried to rebrand and soften her party’s image to broaden its appeal and has abandoned some of the far-right’s more extreme positions popular under her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen. It has left her vulnerable to Zemmour, who is now outflanking her on the right with his hard-line views on Islam’s place in France, immigration and national identity.

    “The rank and file of the National Rally may be more radical on those issues. For them, Marine le Pen is too soft, too mainstream, not radical enough and, most importantly, she’s standing for the third time,” said Camus, an expert on the far-right.

    “There’s a certain fatigue. Some have been waiting for years for their party to come to power and they know from the opinion polls that Marine le Pen will not be elected.”

    A race to the right

    Zemmour has also rattled France’s traditional center-right party, Les Republicains (The Republicans), which was last in power, albeit under a different name, in 2012 under President Nicolas Sarkozy. The party is yet to elect a candidate for the presidential race in April.

    According to Philippe Corcuff, The Republicans tacked to the right under the tough-talking, law-and-order president Sarkozy, marginalizing moderate conservatives within the party. Ever since, the boundaries with the far-right on classical right-wing themes have blurred.

    “The traditional right has very little resistance to the discourse of Zemmour. Politicians are competing with each other to be more right-wing and they think immigration, security and sovereignty are the most bankable issues,” Corcuff said. “With that, they give more legitimacy to what Zemmour says.”

    No taboos’
    The fact that Zemmour is seen as an outsider and is not a member of any political party also works to his advantage.

    “French voters are completely fed up of politicians, they don’t trust them,” Antoine Diers, spokesman for the Association of the Friends of Eric Zemmour, a group raising funds for the potential presidential campaign, told DW.

    “Zemmour is fearless. He has no taboos. He talks about how immigration is bad for France. He’s the only one to say we have a problem with Islam. He asks good questions about security and a lack of justice.”

    Diers, who is a member of The Republicans himself, said he was hopeful that Zemmour could create a wide support base to defeat Macron.

    “Zemmour resonates with people like me and other Republicans, also voters of the far-right and even people who have stopped voting,” Diers said. “He is able to unite all these people more than any other politician on the right.”

    Coarsening public discourse
    Whether Zemmour’s presidential bid is successful or not, his ideas have already become mainstream on the French campaign trail.

    “The spread of far-right ideas doesn’t necessarily lead to the victory of a far-right candidate, but it does attract politicians from all sides, the center and even the left,” Philippe Corcuff said.

    During a recent televised debate for the first Republican primary in France, journalists repeatedly asked candidates about the loaded term, the “great replacement” theory, first coined by French writer Renaud Camus and propagated by Eric Zemmour.

    A conspiracy theory popular among Identitarian movements in Europe, it purports that an elitist group is colluding against white French and European people to eventually replace them with non-Europeans from Africa and the Middle East, the majority of whom are Muslim.

    In recent weeks, Arnaud Montebourg, an independent candidate from the left, proposed banning money transfers by Western Union to countries that refuse to take back their own nationals deported from France to fight illegal immigration. Right after, Zemmour claimed the measure initially stemmed from him.

    https://www.dw.com/en/france-far-right-tv-star-eric-zemmour-shakes-up-presidential-race/a-59790036

    Turkish Radio & Television – Far-right pundit Zemmour in running for French president

    Eric Zemmour is known primarily as a TV pundit with some extreme right-wing views, and has just declared his candidacy.

  6. Putin on Ukraine’s ‘red lines’ & Russia unveiling hypersonic weapons

    President Putin has been speaking about potential NATO expansion in Ukraine, saying it was a red line he hoped would not be crossed. He also expressed concerns over military drills being held near Russia’s borders.

    Speaking to experts at a Moscow investment forum, the president also revealed the development of a new hypersonic missile that would soon be available, saying that successful tests had already been completed, and that the sea-based missile was expected to be in service by early 2022.

  7. reuters – NATO warns of ‘high price’ if Russia attacks Ukraine

    The U.S. and its NATO allies are warning of ‘serious consequences’ if Russia intervenes in the war in Ukraine

  8. zero hedge – Leaked Video Shows Moment F-35 Jet Rolled Off UK Carrier In Mediterranean

    New video has emerged, possibly the result of a military leak, of a British fighter jet crash that occurred less than two weeks ago off the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean.

    […]The crashed jet was part of a contingent of nearly a dozen F-35s aboard. The F-35 that went down was an estimated 135 million dollars, and had cutting-edge stealth technology and radar. Depending on what the investigation returns, the mishap could prove hugely embarrassing, especially if it wasn’t pilot error but something wrong with the plane’s advanced systems.
    =================================
    video :

    https://twitter.com/sebh1981/status/1465351592018956295

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

    https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/leaked-video-shows-moment-f-35-jet-rolled-uk-carrier-mediterranean

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