• Removing A US President Without An Election
  Removing A US President Without An Election
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 23:45

  Authored by Paul Ryder via Counterpunch.org,

  Five times in the last ninety years, elements of the U.S. power structure have tried to oust a sitting president without an election.

  The efforts were aimed at Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Two attempts succeeded and three failed… so far.

  Franklin Roosevelt

  President Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933 as the Great Depression was battering much of the world. Workers were striking, organizing unions, and escalating their demands. Fascists had taken power in Italy and Germany and were threatening to do so elsewhere.

  Prominent Wall Street bankers and industrialists said the only way to keep communism at bay was to adopt fascism and align with Italy and Germany. Roosevelt rejected that view, and the plotting began.

  The plan was to have 500,000 World War I veterans march on Washington, D.C. They would overwhelm the city, reduce Roosevelt to a figurehead, and transfer power to the Wall Street plotters.

  They decided Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler, then the most decorated Marine in U.S. history, should lead the coup. This was a mistake. When their emissary told Butler what they had in mind, and said they could raise $300 million for it, he said, “If you get 500,000 soldiers advocating anything smelling of Fascism, I am going to get 500,000 more and lick the hell out of you and we will have a real war right at home.”

  After Butler chewed them out, he reported everything to the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee, including the plotters’ names he knew, officials with J.P. Morgan & Company, Guaranty Trust Company, Dupont Chemical, Singer Sewing Machine Company, and the Remington Arms Company. They all denied it, but Butler had convinced the Committee it was true.

  Roosevelt did not want a public confrontation, so the House Committee quietly wrapped up its work. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover dispatched agents to tell each plotter they would be under surveillance for treasonous activities. The plot was shelved.

  The lesson of this fiasco was money isn’t everything. The Wall Street titans had no experience with overthrowing a U.S. president. They had no operational arm. They did not know where to start.

  John Kennedy

  By the time President Kennedy took office in 1961, the military budget had grown twenty times larger in real dollars than in 1933. The money was paying for a military-industrial complex, including the Pentagon, weapons manufacturers, State Department, CIA, FBI, NSA, Atomic Energy Commission, NASA, Members of Congress, think tanks, universities, and a battalion of friendly reporters. The sprawling power system had become strong enough to perpetuate itself and to remove a president if necessary.

  What the Pentagon and CIA wanted first from President Kennedy was the overthrow of the new socialist Cuban leader, Fidel Castro. They organized an assault by Cuban exiles, assuring Kennedy it would spark a successful anti-Castro uprising in Cuba. When it did not, they demanded Kennedy send in U.S. combat forces. He refused, and the Cuban army captured 1,110 Cuban exiles and killed another 114. The Bay of Pigs invasion became known as the “Bay of Pigs fiasco.” Kennedy realized the Pentagon and CIA had known all along the exiles could not succeed on their own. They had tried to trick him into a direct U.S. invasion.

  Kennedy fired both CIA Director Allen Dulles and his chief Bay of Pigs planner, Richard Bissell, and threatened to “shatter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it to the winds.”

  CIA leaders and the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Defense Department were livid and continued to press him to authorize a U.S. invasion of Cuba. With the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, they saw a perfect opportunity for it. Again, Kennedy refused.

  The next year, 1963, a fusillade of bullets removed Kennedy from office. His successor, Lyndon Johnson, promptly appointed the blue-ribbon Warren Commission to figure out who did it. The Commission’s day-to-day work was led by Allen Dulles, the former CIA Director JFK had fired. In the end, the Commission report declared the assassination to be the work of a deranged loner, Lee Harvey Oswald.

  Most Americans were not convinced. In every one of nine Gallup polls taken since 1963, a majority of respondents have said they thought others had been involved in a conspiracy. Of the four people who knew the most about what happened — Lyndon Johnson, Robert Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Fidel Castro – none agreed with the Warren Commission report.

  If it was not just one loner, who was in on the conspiracy? We may never know all the details of this very cold case, such as the name of the person who fired the fatal bullet. We have learned some things, however. The easiest of these is that the CIA was involved in the Kennedy assassination at every juncture, from preparation to execution to the cover-up.

  Not only was the CIA everywhere, they had ample motive, namely Kennedy’s refusal to invade Cuba. And, unlike the Wall Street plotters of the 1930s, they had experience with covert operations, overthrowing governments, and assassinating leaders. That is what the CIA was created to do.

  It is not necessary to prove the triggerman was employed by the CIA, or CIA leaders made a formal decision to kill the president, or everyone in the CIA even knew what was happening, or no one else was involved, to realize the CIA was heavily involved.

  Richard Nixon

  The Watergate story is familiar. President Richard Nixon ordered his staff to commit crimes and cover them up. Two budding Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, exposed him. Nixon resigned and left town in disgrace before Congress could impeach and remove him.

  The story came from Woodward and Bernstein’s articles and their book, All the President’s Men (1974). Actor Robert Redford then turned it into a popular movie with the same name (1976).

  In the following decades, however, this satisfying morality play has been undermined by 2,000 pages of investigative books by Jim Hougan (Secret Agenda, 1984), Len Colodny and Robert Gettlin (Silent Coup, 1991), James Rosen (The Strong Man, 2008), Russ Baker (Family of Secrets, 2009), Phil Stanford (White House Call Girl, 2013), Tim Weiner (One Man Against the World, 2015) and Ray Locker (Nixon’s Gamble, 2016; Haig’s Coup, 2019).

  Each examined Watergate from a different angle and found new clues to what happened. Adding all these clues creates a quite different story, showing how thoroughly the military industrial complex dominates Washington.

  If you made a chart of the newly discovered CIA and Pentagon links to Watergate, it would fill a large wall. To put it another way, if you remove the CIA and the Pentagon from the story, Nixon would have completed his second term and retired with dignity.

  Watergate really started in 1969, on Nixon’s first day in office. The President and his National Security Adviser, Henry Kissinger, cut the Department of Defense, State Department, and the CIA out of foreign policy decision-making. The two men brought all policymaking into the National Security Council in the White House. They would often not inform the three main foreign policy agencies about policy changes until the last minute, fearing leaks or sabotage.

  Predictably, this created chronic bureaucratic warfare between the three agencies and the White House. When there were disagreements about policy, there was no way to resolve them. Spying and leaking inevitably followed. In turn, Nixon and Kissinger told the agencies even less.

  Left out in the cold, the Pentagon and the CIA moved against Nixon.

  To see how this wasn’t apparent from the Woodward and Bernstein story, consider the man who was the reporters’ pipeline to the truth, a secret source called Deep Throat. Finally, in 2005, Woodward said it was former FBI Associate Director Mark Felt. Nixon had rejected Felt for the top FBI spot when long time Director J. Edgar Hoover died, so he had a plausible motive.

  The mystery seemed solved, except the revisionist histories had already shown Felt was only one of many sources giving the two reporters damaging information on Nixon. Deep Throat was actually a composite character, and the bombshell stories mostly originated in two places, the Department of Defense and the CIA. These were the very agencies with which Nixon and Kissinger had been at war.

  By 1974, with his trusted advisors gone, Nixon found himself relying on two Pentagon officials to help him avoid removal from office. They were Chief of Staff General Alexander Haig, most recently Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, and J. Fred Buzhardt, who was both Special White House Counsel for Watergate Matters and General Counsel for the Department of Defense.

  Not surprisingly, these two military men spent months maneuvering Nixon into deeper trouble. After the House Judiciary Committee sent impeachment articles to the House floor, Nixon knew the House would impeach him and the Senate would convict and remove him. Nixon resigned.

  Bill Clinton

  In 1998, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives impeached President Bill Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice concerning his sexual exploitation of a 22-year-old White House intern. The case then went to the U.S. Senate, where the Constitution required a two-thirds vote of the Senators present to convict and remove Clinton. The two impeachment articles failed, and Clinton completed his second term.

  Why did the Republicans fail? In the Senate, the Republican advantage was only 55-45, well short of the 67-vote supermajority needed to convict and remove Clinton.

  Since Bill Clinton was not at odds with the military-industrial complex, Wall Street, or any other power center, the GOP couldn’t count on help persuading Democratic Senators to vote for removal. In fact, the core of Clinton’s agenda matched the 1992 Republican platform, favoring NAFTA, tough criminal sentencing, ending welfare, NATO expansion, a hard line on Cuba, and so on. The GOP knew the prospects in the Senate were hopeless.

  The impeachment of Clinton, then, was not a genuine attempt to remove him. It was merely a partisan exercise in muddying up the Democrats as the 2000 election approached.

  Donald Trump

  The attempt to remove Donald Trump, called Russiagate, began as a 2016 campaign attack by Hillary Clinton. The charges against him continued in the press after Election Day, and ever since. In 2019, Democrats took a variation on Russiagate, called Ukrainegate, and used it to impeach Trump in the House of Representatives. The GOP-controlled Senate inevitably did not convict him. It ended up as a replay of the Clinton impeachment. Trump stayed in the Oval Office.

  What exactly was the Democrats’ plan? A successful Senate vote was never possible, so why would the Democrats devote three and a half years just to get an impeachment without removal?

  From their actions, it appears the Democrats were fixed on Watergate as the model for ousting a president without an election.

  That would be understandable. All but one of the top Democratic politicians in 2016 had been young adults during Watergate. In 1974, Bill Clinton was 28, Hillary Clinton was 27, Nancy Pelosi was 34, Harry Reid was 35, Chuck Schumer was 24, Joe Biden was 31, John Podesta was 25, and David Axelrod was 19. They were absorbing the Watergate story every day. The exception, Barack Obama, was only 13 at the time. Watergate would be their frame of reference.

  Accordingly, the Democrats staged a Watergate-style morality play, with Donald Trump playing the role of Richard Nixon. It was complete with a flow of shocking revelations, dramatic Congressional hearings, a Special Counsel, indictment of underlings who could be squeezed for evidence against higher-ups, watching the president’s poll ratings skid, disapproving newspaper editorials, and peeling off votes of Republican Senators. All this was supposed to result in the president’s resignation or impeachment and removal.

  It did not work.

  One problem was the series of bombshell news stories coming from unnamed intelligence sources. These included the DNC hack, local election board tampering, the Christopher Steele Dossier, St. Petersburg click-bait factory, sabotaging the Vermont utility grid, and so on. One after another the stories collapsed, usually for lack of evidence.

  In addition, the president’s favorability ratings did not plummet as they had during Watergate. Richard Nixon’s approval rating fell from 67% in January 1973 to 24% by the time he resigned. By contrast, Donald Trump’s approval rating, 45% in January 2017, had only fallen to 44% by the time of his impeachment.

  The underlying problem was the Democrats did not understand Watergate. They thought Nixon was foiled by tenacious crusading reporters and their savvy editor. In fact, Nixon ran afoul of the military industrial complex, which guided the press to the outcome it wanted.

  In the case of Trump, the Pentagon, CIA, and the rest understood how to manage the new president. They would tolerate his rally outbursts, NATO tantrums, and raving midnight tweets because they knew they could get what they wanted from him when it mattered.

  While the Democrats labored to portray Trump as soft on Russia, his actual policies have been in line with the bi-partisan foreign policy consensus to give the Pentagon and weapons manufacturers what they want. This includes sharp increases in overall military spending, a trillion dollars in new nuclear weapons, new types of nuclear weapons, destroying a series of U.S.-Russian arms control treaties, advancing NATO to the Russian border, tough economic sanctions on Russia, providing weapons to Ukraine and Poland to use against Russia, killing Russians in Syria, ejecting Russian diplomats from the United States, conducting war exercises on Russia’s border, and trying to stop Russian energy exports to Europe.

  If the Democrats had understood Watergate, they would have noticed a key condition was missing: aggravated conflict between the president and the military-industrial complex. That is why the Democrats failed.

  Of course, as 2020 election day approaches, President Trump has managed to create a triple crisis — his bungled COVID-19 response, the resulting economic paralysis, and his inciting a coast-to-coast police rampage — which may doom him with no effort by the Democrats. No one knows at this point.

  It is fair to say, however, that if Trump can’t regain his composure and resolve his current clash with the Pentagon, he will be taught a cold lesson about power.

  

• ​​​​​​​China Shows Off 'World's First' Passenger Drone Service At Luxury Hotel 
  ​​​​​​​China Shows Off ‘World’s First’ Passenger Drone Service At Luxury Hotel 
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 23:25

  An autonomous aerial vehicle technology company called Ehang has launched the world’s first commercial Urban Air Mobility (UAM) service in China. 

  The EHang 216 drone can carry fly two human passengers, has been exhibited in China and Europe over the last several years. We noted in April 2019, the drone flew in Vienna. Now it will be flying people from the LN Garden Hotel in Nansha, a coastal district in Guangzhou.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The partnership between EHang and LN Holdings will begin with a pilot program in the near term — marks the world’s first hotel offering passenger drone service to patrons. The drone will first provide aerial sightseeing tours, traveler transportation, air logistics, and aerial media light shows. 

  EHang and the hotel will eventually expand the air travel network to the regional community, offering drone-taxi service to patrons.

  CEO of EHang, Hu Huazh, said the partnership with LN Holdings would help transform “Guangzhou into a global air mobility pilot city.” 

  “Guests of LN Garden Hotel will experience our one-stop intelligent AAV services, including the unique aerial sightseeing, convenient and autonomous air deliveries, and high-tech aerial light shows,” said Huazh. 

  General manager of LN Group and chairman of LN Holdings, Liang Lingfeng, said: “We own a large chain of resources in the tourism industry, covering travel, brand hotels, conventions, exhibitions, and scenic attractions. By leveraging our controlling shareholder LN Group’s ability to integrate its resources in the consumer sector, cooperating with EHang could generate incremental products and services..” 

  “We can fulfill customers’ travel demands in the air and on the ground by combining intelligent technology with the tourist experience. Eventually, we will provide new products and services across different sectors, business categories, and regions in the country,” said Lingfeng. 

  The new service lays a foundation for regulators around the world to establish international guidelines that will benefit the long-term development of UAM services. The flying car market is expected to be a billion-dollar industry by the end of the decade. 

  Video: EHang 216 embarks on world’s first UAM hotel service

  At the moment, the most significant barrier to flying cars is regulation, especially in the US, where Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has set the rules on air travel — usually seen as an international standard. 

  

• A Brief History Of Antifa: Part I
  A Brief History Of Antifa: Part I
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 23:05

  Authored by Soeren Kern via The Gatestone Institute,

  U.S. Attorney General William Barr has blamed Antifa — a militant “anti-fascist” movement — for the violence that has erupted at George Floyd protests across the United States. “The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly,” he said.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Barr also said that the federal government has evidence that Antifa “hijacked” legitimate protests around the country to “engage in lawlessness, violent rioting, arson, looting of businesses, and public property assaults on law enforcement officers and innocent people, and even the murder of a federal agent.” Earlier, U.S. President Donald J. Trump had instructed the U.S. Justice Department to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.

  Academics and media outlets sympathetic to Antifa have argued that the group cannot be classified as a terrorist organization because, they claim, it is a vaguely-defined protest movement that lacks a centralized structure. Mark Bray, a vocal apologist for Antifa in America and author of the book “Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook,” asserts that Antifa “is not an overarching organization with a chain of command.”

  Empirical and anecdotal evidence shows that Antifa is, in fact, highly networked, well-funded and has a global presence. It has a flat organizational structure with dozens and possibly hundreds of local groups. Not surprisingly, the U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating individuals linked to Antifa as a step to unmasking the broader organization.

  In the United States, Antifa’s ideology, tactics and goals, far from being novel, are borrowed almost entirely from Antifa groups in Europe, where so-called anti-fascist groups, in one form or another, have been active, almost without interruption, for a century.

  What is Antifa?

  Antifa can be described as a transnational insurgency movement that endeavors, often with extreme violence, to subvert liberal democracy, with the aim of replacing global capitalism with communism. Antifa’s stated long-term objective, both in America and abroad, is to establish a communist world order. In the United States, Antifa’s immediate aim is to bring about the demise of the Trump administration.

  Antifa’s nemeses include law enforcement, which is viewed as enforcing the established order. A common tactic used by Antifa in the United States and Europe is to employ extreme violence and destruction of public and private property to goad the police into a reaction, which then “proves” Antifa’s claim that the government is “fascist.”

  Antifa claims to oppose “fascism,” a term it often uses as a broad-brush pejorative to discredit those who hold opposing political beliefs. The traditional meaning of “fascism” as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is “a totalitarian governmental system led by a dictator and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism, militarism, and often racism.”

  Antifa holds the Marxist-Leninist definition of fascism which equates it with capitalism. “The fight against fascism is only won when the capitalist system has been shattered and a classless society has been achieved,” according to the German Antifa group, Antifaschistischer Aufbau München.

  Germany’s BfV domestic intelligence agency, in a special report on left-wing extremism, noted:

  “Antifa’s fight against right-wing extremists is a smokescreen. The real goal remains the ‘bourgeois-democratic state,’ which, in the reading of left-wing extremists, accepts and promotes ‘fascism’ as a possible form of rule and therefore does not fight it sufficiently. Ultimately, it is argued, ‘fascism’ is rooted in the social and political structures of ‘capitalism.’ Accordingly, left-wing extremists, in their ‘antifascist’ activities, focus above all on the elimination of the ‘capitalist system.'”

  Matthew Knouff, author of An Outsider’s Guide to Antifa: Volume II, explained Antifa’s ideology this way:

  “The basic philosophy of Antifa focuses on the battle between three basic forces: fascism, racism and capitalism — all three of which are interrelated according to Antifa…. with fascism being considered the final expression or stage of capitalism, capitalism being a means to oppress, and racism being an oppressive mechanism related to fascism.”

  In an essay, “What Antifa and the Original Fascists Have In Common,” Antony Mueller, a German professor of economics who currently teaches in Brazil, described how Antifa’s militant anti-capitalism masquerading as anti-fascism reveals its own fascism:

  “After the left has pocketed the concept of liberalism and turned the word into the opposite of its original meaning, the Antifa-movement uses a false terminology to hide its true agenda. While calling themselves ‘antifascist’ and declaring fascism the enemy, the Antifa itself is a foremost fascist movement.

  “The members of Antifa are not opponents to fascism but themselves its genuine representatives. Communism, Socialism and Fascism are united by the common band of anti-capitalism and anti-liberalism.

  “The Antifa movement is a fascist movement. The enemy of this movement is not fascism but liberty, peace and prosperity.”

  Antifa’s Ideological Origins

  The ideological origins of Antifa can be traced back to the Soviet Union roughly a century ago. In 1921 and 1922, the Communist International (Comintern) developed the so-called united front tactic to “unify the working masses through agitation and organization” … “at the international level and in each individual country” against “capitalism” and “fascism” — two terms that often were used interchangeably.

  The world’s first anti-fascist group, Arditi del Popolo (People’s Courageous Militia), was founded in Italy in June 1921 to resist the rise of Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party, which itself was established to prevent the possibility of a Bolshevik revolution on the Italian Peninsula. Many of the group’s 20,000 members, consisting of communists and anarchists, later joined the International Brigades during the Spanish Civil War (1936–39).

  In Germany, the Communist Party of Germany established the paramilitary group Roter Frontkämpferbund (Red Front Fighters League) in July 1924. The group was banned due to its extreme violence. Many of its 130,000 members continued their activities underground or in local successor organizations such as the Kampfbund gegen den Faschismus (Fighting-Alliance Against Fascism).

  In Slovenia, the militant anti-fascist movement TIGR was established in 1927 to oppose the Italianization of Slovene ethnic areas after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The group, which was disbanded in 1941, specialized in assassinating Italian police and military personnel.

  In Spain, the Communist Party established the Milicias Antifascistas Obreras y Campesinas (Antifascist Worker and Peasant Militias), which were active in the 1930s.

  The modern Antifa movement derives its name from a group called Antifaschistische Aktion, founded in May 1932 by Stalinist leaders of the Communist Party of Germany. The group was established to fight fascists, a term the party used to describe all of the other pro-capitalist political parties in Germany. The primary objective of Antifaschistische Aktion was to abolish capitalism, according to a detailed history of the group. The group, which had more than 1,500 founding members, went underground after Nazis seized power in 1933.

  A German-language pamphlet — “80 Years of Anti-Fascist Actions” (80 Jahre Antifaschistische Aktion)” — describes in minute detail the continuous historical thread of the Antifa movement from its ideological origins in the 1920s to the present day. The document states:

  “Antifascism has always fundamentally been an anti-capitalist strategy. This is why the symbol of the Antifaschistische Aktion has never lost its inspirational power…. Anti-fascism is more of a strategy than an ideology.”

  During the post-war period, Germany’s Antifa movement reappeared in various manifestations, including the radical student protest movement of the 1960s, and the leftist insurgency groups that were active throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

  The Red Army Faction (RAF), also known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang, was a Marxist urban guerrilla group that carried out assassinations, bombings and kidnappings aimed at bringing revolution to West Germany, which the group characterized as a fascist holdover of the Nazi era. Over the course of three decades, the RAF murdered more than 30 people and injured over 200.

  After the collapse of the communist government in East Germany in 1989-90, it was discovered that the RAF had been given training, shelter, and supplies by the Stasi, the secret police of the former communist regime.

  John Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History at Baylor University, described the group’s tactics, which are similar to those used by Antifa today:

  “The goal of their terrorist campaign was to trigger an aggressive response from the government, which group members believed would spark a broader revolutionary movement.”

  RAF founder Ulrike Meinhof explained the relationship between violent left-wing extremism and the police: “The guy in uniform is a pig, not a human being. That means we don’t have to talk to him and it is wrong to talk to these people at all. And of course, you can shoot.”

  Bettina Röhl, a German journalist and daughter of Meinhof, argues that the modern Antifa movement is a continuation of the Red Army Faction. The main difference is that, unlike the RAF, Antifa’s members are afraid to reveal their identities. In a June 2020 essay published by the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Röhl also drew attention to the fact that Antifa is not only officially tolerated, but is being paid by the German government to fight the far right:

  “The RAF idolized the communist dictatorships in China, North Korea, North Vietnam, in Cuba, which were transfigured by the New Left as better countries on the right path to the best communism….

  “The flourishing left-wing radicalism in the West, which brutally strikes at the opening of the European Central Bank headquarters in Frankfurt, at every G-20 summit or every year on May 1 in Berlin, has achieved the highest level of establishment in the state, not least thanks to the support by quite a few MPs from political parties, journalists and relevant experts.

  “Compared to the RAF, the militant Antifa only lacks prominent faces. Out of cowardice, its members cover their faces and keep their names secret. Antifa constantly threatens violence and attacks against politicians and police officers. It promotes senseless damage to property amounting to vast sums. Nevertheless, MP Renate Künast (Greens) recently complained in the Bundestag that Antifa groups had not been adequately funded by the state in recent decades. She was concerned that ‘NGOs and Antifa groups do not always have to struggle to raise money and can only conclude short-term employment contracts from year to year.’ There was applause for this from Alliance 90 / The Greens, from the left and from SPD deputies.

  “One may ask the question of whether Antifa is something like an official RAF, a terrorist group with money from the state under the guise of ‘fighting against the right.'”

  Germany’s BfV domestic intelligence agency explains Antifa’s glorification of violence:

  “For left-wing extremists, ‘Capitalism’ is interpreted as triggering wars, racism, ecological disasters, social inequality and gentrification. ‘Capitalism’ is therefore more than just a mere economic order. In left-wing extremist discourse, it determines the social and political form as well as the vision of a radical social and political reorganization. Whether anarchist or communist: Parliamentary democracy as a so-called bourgeois form of rule should be ‘overcome’ in any case.

  “For this reason, left-wing extremists usually ignore or legitimize human rights violations in socialist or communist dictatorships or in states that they allegedly see threatened by the ‘West.’ To this day, both orthodox communists and autonomous activists justify, praise and celebrate the left-wing terrorist Red Army Faction or foreign left-wing terrorists as alleged ‘liberation movements’ or even ‘resistance fighters.'”

  Meanwhile, in Britain, Anti-Fascist Action (AFA), a militant anti-fascist group founded in 1985, gave birth to the Antifa movement in the United States. In Germany, the Antifaschistische Aktion-Bundesweite Organisation (AABO) was founded in 1992 to combine the efforts of smaller Antifa groups scattered around the country.

  In Sweden, Antifascistisk Aktion (AFA), a militant Antifa group founded in 1993, established a three-decade track record for using extreme violence against its opponents. In France, the Antifa group L’Action antifasciste, is known for its fierce opposition to the State of Israel.

  After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of communism in 1990, the Antifa movement opened a new front against neoliberal globalization.

  Attac, established in France in 1989 to promote a global tax on financial transactions, now leads the so-called alter-globalization movement, which, like the Global Justice Movement, is opposed to capitalism. In 1999, Attac was present in Seattle during violent demonstrations that led to the failure of WTO negotiations. Attac also participated in anti-capitalist demonstrations against the G7, the G20, the WTO, and the war in Iraq. Today, the association is active in 40 countries, with more than a thousand local groups and hundreds of organizations supporting the network. Attac’s decentralized and non-hierarchical organizational structure appears to be the model being used by Antifa.

  In February 2016, the International Committee of the Fourth International advanced the political foundations of the global anti-war movement, which, like Antifa, blames capitalism and neoliberal globalism for the existence of military conflict:

  “The new anti-war movement must be anti-capitalist and socialist, since there can be no serious struggle against war except in the fight to end the dictatorship of finance capital and the economic system that is the fundamental cause of militarism and war.”

  In July 2017, more than 100,000 anti-globalization and Antifa protesters converged on the German city of Hamburg to protest the G20 summit. Leftist mobs laid waste to the city center. An Antifa group called “G20 Welcome to Hell” bragged about how it was able to mobilize Antifa groups from across the world:

  “The summit mobilizations have been precious moments of meeting and co-operation of left-wing and anti-capitalist groups and networks from all over Europe and world-wide. We have been sharing experiences and fighting together, attending international meetings, being attacked by cops supported by the military, re-organizing our forces and fighting back. Anti-globalization movement has changed, but our networks endure. We are active locally in our regions, cities, villages and forests. But we are also fighting trans-nationally.”

  Germany’s domestic security service, in an annual report, added:

  “Left-wing extremist structures tried to shift the public debate about the violent G20 summit protests in their favor. With the distribution of photos and reports of allegedly disproportionate police measures during the summit protests, they promoted an image of a state that denounced legitimate protests and put them down with police violence. Against such a state, they said, ‘militant resistance’ is not only legitimate, but also necessary.”

  Part II of this series will examine the activities of Antifa in Germany and the United States.

  

• "Never Again": Frustrated North Korea Says Trump-Kim Bromance Is Over
  “Never Again”: Frustrated North Korea Says Trump-Kim Bromance Is Over
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 22:45

  The Trump-Kim bromance which held the potential for a historic breakthrough toward lasting peace and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula may have run its course. A top Pyongyang official now says there’s “little reason” to maintain ties. 

  “North Korea sees little use maintaining a personal relationship between leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump if Washington sticks to hostile policies, state media reported on Friday – the two-year anniversary of the leaders’ first summit,” Reuters reports of the surprisingly frank remarks.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon said in statements reported by state news agency KCNA that Pyongyang is growing tired of what it sees as mere political point scoring from the US administration, with nothing actually changing for North Korea. 

  “Never again will we provide the U.S. chief executive with another package to be used for achievements without receiving any returns,” Ri said. “Nothing is more hypocritical than an empty promise.”

  He charged that the US continued to talk regime change and preemptive strike even as it touted its dialogue and ‘openings’ with Kim Jong-Un.

  “The U.S. professes to be an advocate for improved relations with the DPRK, but in fact, it is hell-bent on only exacerbating the situation,” Ri continued.

  The administration has yet to respond to these latest comments Friday, but it comes as the prospect for resumption of nuclear talks, which remain stalled since the end of last year, appear as bleak as ever.

  On Thursday a State Dept. spokesperson only said it is open to a “flexible approach to reach a balanced agreement” with regard to North Korea.

  But all this is alarming for the short term, also a moment the Pentagon is seeking to place missiles near China among US allies – though so far it’s not getting many takers. No doubt it means that after a series of short and medium range NK missile tests this year alone, North Korea is almost certain to restart its long range missile program, and likely nuclear testing as well.

  

• 6 Steps Toward Building Trust Between Black Americans And The Police
  6 Steps Toward Building Trust Between Black Americans And The Police
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 22:25

  Authored by Corey Brooks via TheAmericanConservative.com,

  The brutal treatment of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, by former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, has sparked protests across the country, as well as calls for abolishing police departments in major cities. Floyd’s tragic death demands that we examine the underlying issues and systemic abuse within some police forces. But defunding the police will only invite more, and bigger, problems.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Instead, we should aim to restore the trust between the black community and the police, and implement commonsense reforms that will make our streets safer and the bonds between the police and our neighborhoods stronger.

  Based on my experiences as a pastor and community leader on the south side of Chicago, I propose the following meaningful reforms:

  1. Police officers should strive to become part of the community. My ministry work in one of America’s toughest neighborhoods would produce zero results if we were not fully committed to establishing roots in the community. New Beginnings Church and our urban ministry, Project H.O.O.D. have seen tremendous results—especially with former gang members—because we are seen as a trusted friend and member of the community. The police can draw lessons from our experience. Cops can form better relationships in the black community by actively seeking opportunities to join us in our neighborhoods. Don’t show up just for drug raids. Take part in our community events. Be involved in the schools. Be present and visible for the good moments (and there are plenty such moments in our neighborhoods). Why is it that the only time many on the south side of Chicago see a police officer is when arrests are being made?

  2. Don’t treat the black community as the “enemy.” The ACLU has documented the increase of militarized language in police recruiting materials. We are not at war with the police, despite what the police rhetoric suggests. We are taxpayers and parents. Retool the recruitment language for police so it is not always a stark “us versus them” dichotomy.

  3. Provide more police training in de-escalation. In urban neighborhoods, the last thing we need is a cop intent on ratcheting up the violence or escalating bad situations. Police should shift some of their training to de-escalation. This reform alone would do wonders to establish more trust with the black community.

  4. Require the use of body cameras for police. Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina is taking the lead on the GOP side in crafting police reforms. His entire proposal merits attention, but one idea in particular, the required use of body cameras by police, should have no difficulty garnering broad support. Body cameras worn by the cops have numerous positive effects. Senator Scott’s proposal calls for reducing the grants for law-enforcement agencies in states that fail to punish non-use of body cameras.

  5. Make the police disciplinary records public. One of the positive reforms currently being discussed is releasing the disciplinary records of cops. This reform idea deserves our attention. We have countless public digital databases at our fingertips, with everything from property transactions to licenses of professionals. Why is it so difficult to find out if there are complaints lodged against a police officer? It is worth noting, of course, that Derek Chauvin, the cop who mercilessly kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes, had 18 prior complaints lodged against him. What was the nature of those complaints? And why wasn’t he fired along the way? In a society that values transparency, why is it impossible to obtain this information?

  6. Stop rehiring bad cops after they get fired. A sad cycle of abuse has repeated itself across the country. The police unions have, for decades, protected the bad apples in the police force. Even when a cop is fired for misconduct, the system is designed to allow bad cops back into the force. This practice erodes trust and confidence with the black community, and, even more than that, it endangers the good cops—the ones we need and want on our streets.

  The black communities in our inner cities are hurting. Decades of neglect, abuse, and systemic racism have turned many of these neighborhoods into urban wastelands. The police departments, in many cases, have offered a case study in what not to do with the black community. From alienating entire communities to creating unnecessary friction and frustrations, the police have created a deep rift with this community.

  The good news? The reforms I propose are easy to implement and will have an almost immediate positive effect. When it comes to healing those wounds, the police can study the successful methods of black ministry projects in these communities.

  Jesus commands us in Mark 12:31 to love our neighbors as ourselves. The first step is to see others as our neighbors. This simple worldview is the essence of our ministries on the south side of Chicago. And it could be the key to reforming urban police departments.

  

• Reddit Circulates 'China Bootlickers' List After Zoom Licks China's Boots
  Reddit Circulates ‘China Bootlickers’ List After Zoom Licks China’s Boots
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 22:05

  A Reddit user has circulated a ‘China Bootlickers’ list after video chat company Zoom deactivated accounts of prominent pro-democracy Chinese activists based in the U.S.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The list, republished below, includes companies which have kowtowed to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by taking actions to censor or restrict pro-democracy content, or otherwise promote CCP talking points. As Bloomberg notes, “Several tech companies were included on the list, including Activision Blizzard, which temporarily banned a gamer who voiced support for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy demonstrators, and Apple, which removed a mapping app in Hong Kong amid protests and pulled the Taiwan flag emoji from some iPhones.”

  On Thursday, three US lawmakers asked Zoom to clarify its data-collection practices, as well as its relationship with the Chinese government, according to Reuters.

  Representatives Greg Walden, the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the ranking member of a consumer subcommittee, sent a letter to Zoom CEO Eric Yuan on Thursday asking him to clarify the company’s data practices, whether any was shared with Beijing and whether it encrypted users’ communications.

  Republican Senator Josh Hawley also wrote to Yuan asking him to “pick a side” between the United States and China.

  …

  The California-based firm has come under heavy scrutiny after three U.S. and Hong Kong-based activists said their accounts had been suspended and meetings disrupted after they tried to hold events related to the anniversary of China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown.

  Zoom said on Friday it was notified of the events and asked to take action by the Chinese government in May and early June. It said it suspended one account in Hong and two in the United States but has now reinstated these accounts and will not allow further requests from China to affect users outside the country. –Reuters

  Hayman Capital Management CIO Kyle Bass said in a Friday tweet that he expects a “significant U.S. Congressional response to #zoom’s shenanigans. They have no defense.”

  I suspect a significant US congressional response to #zoom ‘s shenanigans. They have no defense. #china

  — 🇺🇸Kyle Bass🇺🇸 (@Jkylebass) June 12, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The “China Bootlickers” list has been posted several times over the last year, which can be seen below:

  Hall of Bootlickers (via /u/lebbe)

  • Activision / Blizzard: banned player for supporting HK democracy protest. Confiscated all his winnings. Fired his interviewers. Apologized to China: condemned incident, swore to defend China’s national dignity

  • Activision / Blizzard: censor words related to HK protest in WoW

  • Activision / Blizzard: cut livestream when American U team held up pro-HK sign

  • Activision / Blizzard: censor “Free Hong Kong” in twitch chat of PlayHearthstone

  • Activision / Blizzard: ban users in its Hearthstone Twitch chat for pro-Hong Kong statements

  • American Express: changed “Taiwan” to “Taiwan, China” on its website

  • EA DICE: censor “Tiananmen” in Battlefield V chat

  • ESL: warn staff not to discuss HK protests

  • TikTok: censor videos that mention Tiananmen Square, Tibetan independence, Falun Gong

  • TikTok refuses to testify to US Congress about its business in China

  • ZLONGAME: removed guilds with any reference to HK in Second Galaxy M

  • Apple: censor Taiwan flag emoji in iOS in HK

  • Apple: banned HK protest map in App Store. Approved app after backlash. Banned app once again after China hissy fit

  • Apple: banned in Chinese App Store news app that covered HK protest

  • Apple: minimized the seriousness of iOS exploits that enabled China to track Uyghurs, when 1M+ of them are rounded up by China in concentration camps

  • Apple: handed over iCloud data & encryption keys to China

  • Apple: told Apple TV+ creators to avoid portraying China “in a poor light”

  • Apple: Safari browser sends some user IP addresses to Tencent by default

  • Apple refuses to testify to US Congress about its business in China

  • Vans: censor pro-HK democracy design in its shoe design competition

  • NBA (partial entry): rebuked Rockets manager for his pro-HK tweet, saying NBA was “extremely disappointed with Morey’s inappropriate comment.” Backpedalled after backlash, now saying they support Morey’s freedom of speech.

  • Brooklyn Nets: owner decried Rockets GM’s pro-HK freedom tweet

  • Houston Rockets: censored journalist who asked question about freedom of speech after China debacle

  • James Harden: apologized to China on behalf of his GM’s pro-freedom tweet

  • Lebron James: attacked Morey for supporting HK democracy. Wanted Morey punished for it.

  • Philly Sixers: ejected fans for supporting HK

  • Washington Wizards: confiscated “Free Hong Kong” sign

  • Christian Dior: apologize for using “incorrect” China map

  • Disney / ESPN: forbid mention of Chinese politics when discussing Rockets manager’s HK tweet

  • Disney / ESPN: showed map of China on SportsCenter that acknowledged CCP’s claims to nearly entire South China Sea

  • Disney / Marvel: censored Tibetan monk from “Doctor Strange” & turned him into white woman. Movie screenwriter: “if you acknowledge that Tibet is a place & that he’s Tibetan, you risk alienating one billion people who think that that’s bullshit“.

  • Disney: removed non-white characters from Chinese poster of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

  • Disney / ESPN: told reporter to stand down on covering the NBA-China story the way he wanted

  • Comcast / DreamWorks: movie “Abominable” shows 9 dash line in China map

  • Viacom / Paramount: censor Taiwan flag from the jacket worn by Tom Cruise in new “Top Gun” movie

  • ASICS, Calvin Klein, Coach, Fresh, Givenchy, Pocari Sweat, Valentino, Versace, Swarovski: details here

  • Marriott: apologized & changed “Taiwan” to “Taiwan, China” after China threw a hissy fit

  • Marriott: fired employee who liked tweet from Tibetan group

  • Nike: removed Houston Rockets products from China webstore

  • Cathay Pacific: fired employees for FB posts supporting HK protests.

  • Google: censored pro-HK game “The Revolution of Our Times” from Google Play because it was about a “sensitive event“.

  • Gap: apologized for selling T-shirts IN CANADA that didn’t include Taiwan as part of China

  • Tiffany: removed tweet showing model covering 1 eye after China accused it of supporting HK

  • Mercedes: apologized for quoting Dalai Lama on Instagram

  • American, Delta, United: deleted mention of Taiwan as a country from websites

  • Audi: apologized for using “incorrect” map of China that left off Taiwan

  • Muji: destroyed store catalogs that contain “incorrect” map of China

  • Zara: apologized for listing Taiwan as country

  • Medtronic: apologized for publishing “illegal content” that listed “Republic of China (Taiwan)” as country

  • Ray-Ban: changed “Taiwan” & “Hongkong” to “China Taiwan” & “China Hongkong”

  • Qantas, Air France, Air Canada, British Airways, Malaysia Airlines, Japan Airlines, ANA: changed “Taiwan” to “Taiwan China”

  • Sheraton: banned Taiwan National Day event due to China pressure

  • Shutterstock: censors search for any topics China doesn’t approve: “Taiwan flag,” “dictator,” “yellow umbrella”

  • US universities: don’t talk about 3 Ts: Tibet, Tiananmen, Taiwan

  • US universities: welcome China infiltrations with open arms

  • Leica: released ad on Tiananmen protest. Apologized & distanced itself from ad

  • Reddit: took $150M from Tencent. Removed thread like this

  • Rockhampton, Queensland: censored Taiwan flag in student project

  • Cisco: helped build Great Firewall including module to persecute Falun Gong

  • MGM: changed Red Dawn’s villain from China to N Korea to placate China

  • Global Blue: fired staff for calling Taiwan a country

  • L’Oréal / Lancôme: canceled HK artist concert for her pro-democracy activism

  • US universities: self-censor in fear of offending China

  • Disney: block Winnie the Pooh website in HK

  

• Aussie Cops Protect Captain Cook Statue While London Hides Winston Churchill
  Aussie Cops Protect Captain Cook Statue While London Hides Winston Churchill
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 21:45

  Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Summit News,

  Police in Sydney, Australia were deployed to form a ring of protection around a statue of Captain Cook, putting to shame Boris Johnson’s UK government, which capitulated by hiding Winston Churchill inside a box.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  “Heavy police presence protecting the Captain Cook statue in Sydney’s Hyde Park after a last minute change of location to tonight’s Black Lives Matter protest,” tweeted journalist Emily Ritchie. “About 400 peaceful protestors marched, surrounded by a significant number of police.”

  The video clip shows officers forming a protection line around the statue, which is a life-size representation of British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy James Cook.

  Heavy police presence protecting the Captain Cook statue in Sydney’s Hyde Park after a last minute change of location to tonight’s Black Lives Matter protest. About 400 peaceful protestors marched, surrounded by a significant number of police #blacklivesmatteraustralia pic.twitter.com/BpfxCiIw9X

  — Emily Ritchie (@emritchiejourno) June 12, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The response was very different to how Boris Johnson’s Conservative government reacted to the desecration of Winston Churchill’s statue in Parliament Square, London.

  After the statue was defaced last weekend, a group of Brits attempted to congregate around the statue to protect it, but were quickly moved on by police.

  The monument was then scrawled with the words “(Churchill) was a racist.” Another man caught on camera removing ‘Black Lives Matter’ signs from the monument was also harassed by police on the orders of a BLM mob.

  CHURCHILL HAS GONE: this is so wrong wrong wrong on every level. Please ⁦@BorisJohnson⁩ ⁦@SadiqKhan⁩ bring the greatest Briton back to the home of democracy NOW pic.twitter.com/ReL4UYUwhb

  — Richard Tice (@TiceRichard) June 12, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Now the Churchill statue, as well as the Cenotaph war memorial, have been hidden inside makeshift boxes to “protect” them from the mob.

  In reality, by hiding the statues from public view, the government has capitulated to the mob.

  Churchill’s statue doesn’t look very “permanent” at the moment, Prime Minister. In fact I fail to see the difference between imprisoning him within a grey box and just carting him off to storage – he’s erased from public view either way. https://t.co/MiciLyohbQ pic.twitter.com/rKYGBQtoQn

  — Jack Montgomery (@JackBMontgomery) June 12, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  *  *  *

  My voice is being silenced by free speech-hating Silicon Valley behemoths who want me disappeared forever. It is CRUCIAL that you support me.

  Please sign up for the free newsletter here. Donate to me on SubscribeStar here.

  Support my sponsor – Turbo Force – a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown.

  

• Strait Tensions Soar: Taiwan Test Fires Missiles, Beijing Sends Warplane
  Strait Tensions Soar: Taiwan Test Fires Missiles, Beijing Sends Warplane
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 21:25

  Eight months after we penned a piece titled “Taiwan Warns Of Possible Invasion If China’s Economy Continues To Deteriorate” — a virus pandemic has crippled the global economy and Taiwan on Thursday (June 11) conducted missile tests off several of its coasts as tensions between China and the US are rising in the Taiwan Strait. 

  The South China Morning Post (SCMP) is reporting that Taiwan has test-fired missiles off its eastern and southern coasts as the self-ruled island increases its defense capabilities against mainland China. 

  The tests were held near Taiwan’s eastern county of Taitung and the Jiupeng military base in the southern part of the island on Thursday night. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Local media said the surface-to-air missiles were part of an interceptor system that would shield the island from a guided-missile attack by China. 

  In response to the missile tests, China People’s Liberation Army (PLA) flew a warplane on Friday across the median line in the strait. 

  Taiwan’s defense ministry immediately responded by scrambling fighter jets: 

  “We detected the Chinese Communist Yun-8 aircraft flying southwest into Taiwan this morning and immediately dispatched our fighter jets to shadow it and disperse through radio warning,” the ministry said.

  More confrontation is ahead in the strait, as Taiwan plans to hold annual war drills in July and September.

  The Han Kuang drills “will test the country’s asymmetric capabilities to ward off hostile forces at sea and along its beaches,” the Ministry of National Defense recently said. 

  Beijing considers Taiwan a Chinese province — Taipei has grown even closer to Washington, which has infuriated Chinese officials. 

  From trade war to origins of COVID-19, relations between Washington and Beijing have nosedived, suggesting a new “cold war” and decoupling is underway. As for hotspots in disputed waters this year, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea appear to be likely areas. 

   

   

  

• We Don't Need No Stinking Vaccine For COVID-19
  We Don’t Need No Stinking Vaccine For COVID-19
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 21:05

  Authored by Jeff Harris via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity,

  A Glaring Omission

  With the 24/7 media circus coverage of Covid-19 I find it particularly interesting that there is an obvious glaring omission of some extremely important facts relative to dealing with a virus, especially one that is allegedly so virulent like this one. Yes, I read all about the critical need to shelter in place, stay inside away from other people, wash your hands constantly, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, wear your face mask and by all means observe social distancing if you MUST venture outside for food!

  Then it’s repeated ad infinitum that the ONLY hope we have of ever returning to a semblance of normalcy is to have a vaccine to protect us! Then to add some drama to this narrative the media highlights their death-o-meter scoreboard with the implied threat that you’ll be next IF you don’t obey the rules as dictated by the “experts”.

  But what is assiduously avoided at all cost is any reference to our most potent defense against any virus; our body’s natural immune system. Try as I might I couldn’t find anything about this first line of defense on the World Health Organizations (WHO) website or Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website. It’s as if it doesn’t exist and is completely irrelevant.

  If these organizations were genuinely concerned about the health of citizens they would obviously discuss the vital role a healthy immune system plays in protecting us from illnesses. But since they don’t its obvious some other motive is at work, at least to me, and I strongly suspect to other critical thinkers as well.

  We now know from the science and data that over 90% of the people exposed to Covid-19 have no symptoms at all or at worst a mild cold. The flu vaccines we have are only effective 30% to 60% of the time and the bugs change regularly so a vaccine that worked OK last year may barely work at all this year. Let’s learn some more about our body’s immune system.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Virus protection without a vaccine

  There is an enlightening article on Web MD titled: “How to use Your Immune System to Stay Healthy”. That’s a pretty straight forward title now isn’t it? Early on Bruce Polsky, MD, interim chairman department of medicine and chief division of infectious disease at St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City says:

  “We are endowed with a great immune system that has been designed evolutionarily to keep us healthy.”

  The article goes on. . .

  “The immune system is your body’s natural defense system. It’s an intricate network of cells, tissues and organs that band together to defend your body against invaders. Those invaders can include bacteria, viruses, parasites, even fungus, all with the potential to make us sick. They are everywhere-in our homes, offices and backyards. . . “

  The truth is no amount of social distancing, hand washing or face mask wearing is going to eliminate our exposure to these various bugs. That’s why we were created with this amazing first line of natural defense.

  Here’s more from Web MD . . .

  “The immune system can recognize millions of different antigens. And it can produce what it needs to eradicate nearly all of them. When it’s working properly, this elaborate defense system can keep health problems ranging from cancer to the common cold at bay. . . “

  Wow! That’s pretty amazing stuff isn’t it! According to Web MD a properly functioning immune system can “keep health problems ranging from cancer to the common cold at bay.” So why isn’t this “science” being included in all the other health recommendations we’re being bombarded with daily? It seems to me that any “expert” worth their salt would be talking about the importance of a healthy immune system to stay healthy.

  But there’s more . . .

  The Web MD article noted that failure to eat a healthy diet, sitting around not exercising, not getting enough sleep and chronic stress can all lead to a compromised immune system. To quote Dr. Polsky again:

  “. . . Lifestyle aspects are very, very important.”

  So if our lifestyle is very, very important to staying healthy as the good doctor says ask yourself this question? Based on the Web M.D. article virtually all the results of the lockdown serve to weaken our immune systems. The stress of unemployment, constant harping about infections and rising death rates, lack of exercise and now a crack in our food distribution system all are known to weaken the human immune system.

  I also find it quite interesting that large groups of people can shop at Walmart, Home Depot or other big box stores but they can’t attend their local church even if it’s a “drive through” service?

  Web M.D. says:

  “Research shows that people with close friendships and strong support systems tend to be healthier than those who lack such supports.”

  During times of crisis people need encouragement and their faith built up more than ever before. Mandating people huddle in fear in their homes with constant media reports of infections and death bombarding them continually is there any wonder peoples immune systems are under severe stress?

  Boosting Your Immune System

  If you would like to boost your immune system consider checking out Dr. Mercola’s website at www.mercola.com . He’s an osteopathic MD with a focus on natural health. There are a variety of simple, low cost resources you can utilize to support good immune system health so you can hopefully fight off the bugs that are a part of everyday life.

  And above all, avoid the main stream media like the plague! Their fear mongering is doing more to harm the nation’s health than any virus ever could! Boost your immune system and laugh at Covid-19 and all the cowering sheeple you see furtively scurrying about with their masks on. Humans were created with a natural immune system that has served them well for thousands of years to combat flu bugs. By following some common sense steps you can ensure your immune system is functioning well and provides the first-line-of-defense that protects 90% of the population.

  

• NYC Proposal Would Defund $1 Billion From NYPD Budget
  NYC Proposal Would Defund $1 Billion From NYPD Budget
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 20:45

  A proposal introduced by New York City Council speaker Corey Johnson and seven other City Council leaders would knock $1 billion off the NYPD’s $6 billion budget.

  “We believe that we can and should work to get to $1 billion in cuts to New York City’s police spending in the Fiscal 2021 budget, an unprecedented reduction that would not only limit the scope of the NYPD, but also show our commitment towards moving away from the failed policing policies of the past,” said Johnson (D) late Friday, according to the Daily News.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The giant cut would largely affect police functions such as school safety and homeless outreach, along with reducing the size of the force by nearly 10% from 36,000 to 33,000 via a hiring freeze and not replacing officers who retire. Overtime pay would also be limited.

  In a Friday joint statement with the chairs of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus and other lawmakers, Johnson’s office said: “We believe that we can and should work to get to $1 billion in cuts to New York City’s police spending in the Fiscal 2021 budget, an unprecedented reduction that would not only limit the scope of the NYPD, but also show our commitment towards moving away from the failed policing policies of the past.”

  BREAKING: NYC Council Speaker Johnson & others in council leadership announce suport for unprecedented proposal to cut $1 billion from NYPD’s $6 billion budget.

  Identified areas include reducing 36,000 officer headcount through attrition, cutting OT, shifting responsibilities. pic.twitter.com/Mm6UDqWi5v

  — Pervaiz Shallwani (@Pervaizistan) June 13, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  On Thursday and Friday, the Council’s Budget Negotiating Team presented the $1 billion cut to members, who are grappling with a massive shortfall in tax revenue due to COVID-19. Mayor de Blasio, who is opposed to the $1 billion cut, revised his $89.3 billion executive budget in April – making cuts to the Department of Education as well as a popular summer youth employment program.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  “Before the briefing, members didn’t know if we could cut a billion. The speaker has shown there’s a billion dollars to cut. Now the question is whether Council members have the courage of their convictions,” an anonymous source told the Daily News.

  A second anonymous Coincil source said the legislature is still pondering what to do with the $1 billion which would be freed up by the NYPD cuts – while a third anonymous source said the proposal isn’t a ‘done deal,’ but “the first step in thinking about” transforming the NYPD.

  

• China Makes "Technological Breakthrough" In Hypersonic Scramjet Ground-Test
  China Makes “Technological Breakthrough” In Hypersonic Scramjet Ground-Test
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 20:45

  As tensions rise between China and the US, and the race for hypersonic weapons heats up, the Chinese Communist Party’s daily tabloid newspaper Global Times is reporting “record-breaking progress” has been made in scramjet technology to power its hypersonic weapons. 

  Researchers at the Institute of Mechanics under the Chinese Academy of Science developed and tested new scramjet technology that resulted in a ground test that lasted 600 seconds (considered a “technological breakthrough”). Now, this far outpaced the world record of 210 seconds set by Boeing’s X-51 Waverider using experimental scramjet technology to achieve hypersonic flight.

  A scramjet (supersonic-combustion ramjet) is a ramjet engine in which the airflow through the engine remains supersonic. Global Times notes that developing such an engine that can operate for an extended period remains challenging because advanced heat resistant materials and cooling of the engine are needed for March 5 (>3,800 mph). 

  Beijing officially debuted its DF-17 hypersonic missile at the National Day military parade in October 2019. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Following half-dozen development tests between 2014-2016, the hypersonic weapon was recently tested at Jiuquan Space Launcher Center in Inner Mongolia in 2017. Testing has shown the DF-17 can fly at hypersonic speeds and evade existing missile defense systems, such as America’s anti-ballistic missile defense system called: Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) — it becomes entirely evident the weapon was produced as a deterrent against the US. 

  This weapon is China’s first medium-range ballistic missile with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) as its payload.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The US intelligence community has warned about the regional instabilities that could develop as it appears the weapon is now operational. 

  The Pentagon recently sounded the alarm on the proliferation of hypersonic technological advances that are being made around the world [mainly in China and Russia].

  “Although hypersonic glide vehicles and missiles flying non-ballistic trajectories were first proposed as far back as World War II, technological advances are only now making these systems practicable,” Vice Admiral James Syring, director of the US Missile Defense Agency, said in June 2019, during testimony before the US House Armed Services Committee.

  China’s drive for hypersonic weapons comes as an internal report presented to Chinese President Xi Jinping last month suggest that global anti-China sentiment could be the precursor for a worst-case scenario of armed conflict with the US. 

  Tensions between both superpowers started to deteriorate after the Trump administration blamed China for the virus pandemic that has left more than 100,000 Americans dead, and its economy crashed with tens of millions of people unemployed, now transforming into widespread social unrest across every major US metro. 

  It has become a fact that hypersonic weapons will be a critical technology for the next global conflict, and at the moment it appears China and or Russia have the upper hand in hypersonic development. 

  

• Stockman Calls "Bulls**t" On The Latest COVID-19 Fear-Mongering About Spikes In Texas, Arizona
  Stockman Calls “Bulls**t” On The Latest COVID-19 Fear-Mongering About Spikes In Texas, Arizona
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 20:25

  Authored by David Stockman via Contra Corner blog,

  Dr. Fauci and the Scarf Lady are not the only Virus Patrol miscreants spreading the Covid Hysteria and thereby empowering the authorities to keep suffocating everyday economic life and personal liberty in America.

  In fact, there is a whole camarilla of current and former health officials, purported disease experts, all-purpose talking heads and other Washington apparatchiks who continue to appear on mainstream media, peddling the hoary tale that coronavirus is some kind of horror flick monster: It purportedly just keeps springing from its Lockdown grave – whack-a-mole fashion – the instant officialdom relaxes its quarantine edicts.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Call these people the “groomers” of Big Pharma, and their job is to keep public fears on the boil so that the demand for high-priced treatments, cures and preventative vaccines becomes overwhelming. And given that the Covid is now rapidly succumbing to the exhaustion of its infection cycle and the summertime sun, their exact current mission is one of bridging the gap.

  That is, finding and publicizing local outbreaks and “hot spots” during the months just ahead so that the Virus Patrol will remain in full control of policy and the narrative until the Covid makes its forecasted second wave rebound during next fall’s flu season.

  After all, they desperately need these hot spots to keep the aggregate narrative alive because it is visibly collapsing by the day.

  Back in early May, for instance, the NYT breathlessly carried a leaked study from the Trump Administration that projected a massive surge of new infections and a near doubling of daily death rates by early June relative to levels than extant:

  As President Trump presses for states to reopen their economies, his administration is privately projecting a steady rise in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths over the next several weeks. The daily death toll will reach about 3,000 on June 1, according to an internal document obtained by The New York Times, a 70 percent increase from the current number of about 1,750.

  The projections, based on government modeling pulled together by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, forecast about 200,000 new cases each day by the end of the month, up from about 25,000 cases a day currently.

  The numbers underscore a sobering reality: The United States has been hunkered down for the past seven weeks to try slowing the spread of the virus, but reopening the economy will make matters worse.

  Needless to say, that one went down the memory hole ages ago (i.e. around Memorial Day). As of June 10, in fact, actual daily averages for the month to date were:

  • 827 deaths per day, representing a 53% decline, not a 70% increase;

  • 20,694 new cases per day, representing a 17% decline, not an 8X increase;

  In other words, these Washington modelers (this one was prepared by FEMA) couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with the antiaircraft guns Chairman Kim uses to dispatch his adversaries. So to keep the Covid-Hysteria alive, they send out the hot spot “groomers”.

  On of the most mendacious of these groomers is Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who was the Donald’s first FDA commissioner and is an alleged pedigreed “conservative” with a berth at the American Enterprise Institute to burnish his numerous sinecures with Big Pharma.

  Gottlieb is also a CNBC regular, and yesterday, sitting astride a screen crawler which read “Texas reports second day of record hospitalizations”, he was busy promulgating the “hot spot” news about two red states, whose merely semi-craven GOP governors have belatedly attempted to get their economies back in business:

  When you look at hotspot regions like Arizona and Texas, they have to be concerned, particularly areas around Houston right now. They could lose control of this very quickly,” says @ScottGottliebMD on balancing re-opening with public health.

  We call bullshit!

  Gottlieb was peddling a pimple on the elephant’s ass because, apparently, cable TV audiences generally and bubble vision’s especially, were born yesterday. That is, they are infantile victims of recency and confirmation biases and will apparently believe anything served up in a context-free modality.

  The truth is, there is nothing worrisome whatsoever going on in Arizona and Texas beyond the fact that the coronavirus started its inexorable spread in these interior states later than on the East and Left coasts, and is therefore cresting slightly later, as well.

  But as of June 8, the count of infected cases and WITH Covid deaths in Arizona stood at 27,678 and 1,047, respectively. Those figures a hot spot do not make, nor do they offer any reason for not getting the state’s boot-heel off the economy ASAP.

  Relative to the USA as a whole and the New York epicenter, Arizona’s figures per 100,000 population compare as follows as of June 8:

  • Infected cases Arizona: 375;

  • Infected cases USA: 596;

  • Infected cases New York: 1,963

  • WITH Covid deaths Arizona: 14.2;

  • WITH-Covid deaths USA: 32.3;

  • WITH-Covid deaths New York: 126.0;

  In other words, Arizona’s mortality rate is less than half of the US average and only 11% of that for New York. So why is it a worrisome “hot spot” by the lights of Virus Patrol shills like Gottlieb?

  Indeed, the WITH-Covid mortality rate in Arizona stands at nearly rock bottom, clocking in at at just one-fifth to one-half of the mortality rates in much as European Christendom. To wit, current rates per 100,000 include:

  • Belgium: 83.1;

  • United Kingdom: 60.2;

  • Spain: 58.0;

  • Italy: 56.3;

  • Sweden: 47.5;

  • France: 44.9;

  • Netherlands: 35.3;

  • Arizona: 14.2;

  But when context doesn’t matter, of course, any pimple can be depicted as a large boulder. Thus, the number of new cases in Arizona is allegedly soaring, suggesting that the state has jumped the gun letting its citizens out of house arrest too soon.

  In fact, during the first 8 days of June, Arizona reported 7,742 new cases – a figure which is sharply higher than the 2,189 new cases reported for the last eight days of April, for example.

  But that gain is entirely a function of the testing rate and then some. Thus, during the June 1 to June 8 span, the state reported 62,825 new tests, implying an infection rate of 12.3%.

  By contrast, during April 22 to April 30 the state reported only 15,185 new tests (one-fourth of the June figure), implying an infection rate of 14.4%.

  So the state is testing a lot more, as it has been instructed to do by Washington, and such accelerated testing is generating a falling infection rate!

  And that’s not the half of it. By now there are more than enough antibody tests of different US populations to be reasonably certain that in a state like Arizona with a population of 7.38 million that there have been far more infected cases than the 27,678 cases reported through June 8.

  Generally, antibody tests show infection rates of 5-20% in the general population, which would imply total cases – most of which remained asymptomatic or resulted in mild illnesses – of between 370,000 and 1.5 million for Arizona.

  So, actually, higher reported cases daily may mean nothing at all as to the current status of the virus among the population. More likely, it actually means that what is already there is being slowly discovered after the fact; it’s stale, irrelevant old news, not an alarming new development, to say nothing of evidence of a hot spot.

  Indeed, the latter is a meaningless but loaded term, honed for TV talking points, but is incapable of conveying any meaningful information about context at all. That is, the real test is how does what’s happening with the coronavirus now compare with year-in-and-year-out illness, hospitalization, disease and mortality trends?

  Self-evidently, you do not empower the state to put its citizens under house arrest and destroy the livelihoods of millions of workers and tens of thousands of small businesses on account of a bad run of seasonal illnesses that leaves more people than usual home in bed or even heading to the hospital for treatment.

  To the contrary, this whole Lockdown Nation thing is about the modern equivalent of the Black Death – the presence of a virulent killer that can takedown the young, the old, the healthy, the sick and all categories between with equal alacrity.

  But, again, there is nothing to support that Grim Reaper notion in the data, and most especially not the “hot spot” flavor of the week in Texas and Arizona.

  The mortality rate from all causes for Arizona for the four months from January through the end of April (latest available) is shown below.

  Naturally, the total mortality rate surmounts the cause of death attribution and coding issues; and it means that unless these total death rates are significantly elevated from the norm, then nothing unusual – or at least worthy of drastic quarantine policies–is actually going on.

  On a per 100,000 basis, the Arizona’s total mortality rates for the first four months of the year have been as follows:

  • 2016: 293;

  • 2017: 277:

  • 2018: 297;

  • 2019: 285:

  • 2020: 301;

  The above does not indicate the Black Plague at loose. The tiny elevation in 2020 relative to the previous four years is just statistical noise!

  Moreover, there is no new signal coming out of this “noise” owing to the higher testing and infection rates being reported in recent days. Again, the evidence for that is in the state’s own published data on hospitalization rates, among others.

  Between March 23 and June 1, Arizona consistently reported new WITH-Covid hospitalization cases of between 40 and 60 per day on a statewide basis.

  During June 3 through June 8, however, the number of new hospitalizations daily has dwindled to 34, 19, 17, 10, 4 and 5, respectively.

  The last few days, in fact, have had the lowest new hospitalizations since before the Donald’s malpracting doctors triggered the Covid Hysteria on March 13.

  So, hot spot my eye!

  In this connection, they also keep trotting out the hoary old claim that the hospitals are in danger of being overrun with new cases – per the crawler on the screen yesterday during Gottleib’s appearance on bubble vision.

  Alas, it never happened previously in Arizona and is not remotely in danger of happening now. Even during the peak of new hospitalizations between April 20 and May 8, the utilization rate of hospital intensive care beds rose from 72% to 78% and has remained at that level ever since.

  Finally, it is worth noting that Arizona’s WITH-Covid mortality data show the same dramatic skew toward the elderly, as is true with the rest of the country. Fully 77% of the Covid deaths in Arizona have been among the 65 and older population, which comprises just 17% of the state’s overall population.

  That fact alone, of course, militates strongly against the across-the-board stay-at-home and general quarantine orders in the first place.

  The Arizona WITH-Covid mortality rate through June 9 breaks out as follows by age cohorts. That is to say, anyone under 55 years old driving to the Scottsdale Fashion Mall would have had a greater chance of being killed in an auto accident than being felled by the Covid:

  Deaths Per 100,000 population:

  • <20 years: 0.1;

  • 20-44 years: 2.1;

  • 45-54 years: 7.5;

  • 55-64 years: 14.9;

  • 65+ years: 66.3;

  With respect to Texas, it’s the same story. There is no “hot spot”, period.

  Its reported cases and deaths through June 8 are actually far lower than those for Arizona and in the sub-basement relative to the overall USA figures, to say nothing of the nursing-home based disaster-data reported for New York and New Jersey.

  That is, the number of infected cases in Texas amounts to 256 per 100,000 or 68% of the Arizona rate, 42% of the overall USA rate and just 13% of the rate of infected cases among the New York state population.

  Likewise, the WITH-Covid mortality rate through June 8 in Texas was 6.2 per 100,000. That’s just 43% of the Arizona rate, 19% of the USA average and only 5% of the New York state rate.

  So Texas isn’t remotely a “hot spot” or some kind of warning about reopening too soon, and is actually a thundering rebuke of the entire Lockdown Nation narrative.

  That is, Texas was late and tepid about the lockdown, and among the first to begin “reopening” in early May.

  Yet its reported infected case rate of 256 per 100,000 is just 10% of the real “hot spot” rate of 2,477 per 100,000 in the five boroughs of New York City; and its mortality rate of 6.2 per 100,000 population is just 3% of New York City’s 196 per 100,000 rate.

  So for crying out loud, with that kind of yawning gap and rock bottom absolute level, what is this clown, Scott Gottlieb, doing on bubble vision warning about Covid dangers in Texas?

  Answer: He’s grooming the sheeples in order to keep the Killer Covid narrative alive and the money and legal immunities flowing to the drug companies chasing cures and vaccines.

  It goes without saying, course, that the alleged surge in new cases reported in Texas during recent days is just as bogus as the claims about Arizona.

  Yes, new cases reported during June 1 to June 8 averaged 1,416 per day or about 61% higher than the rate of 877 per day reported for April 22 to April 30. Except, the number of new tests also rose by about 60% from 113,500 to 168,500, leaving the infected rate virtually unchanged at a very low 6.7%.

  Again, if you want to talk “hot spots”, try New York City. The the infected rate per test has run north of 20% in the Bronx, for example.

  So the question recurs. Why are people like Scott Gottlieb out pimping the Killer Covid story in the face overwhelming evidence that it it nothing of the kind.

  Perhaps, it might be noted that Gottlieb went straight from medical school to various jobs at the FDA before becoming commissioner in 2017, and then heading out the revolving door to Pfizer’s Board of Directors in May 2019.

  And, yes, here’s the list of the top five firms being supported by billions from Washington in the race for a Covid vaccine, which may or may not happen, but whether safe or not will be of no never-mind to Big Pharma.

  After all, Washington has already indemnified them against lawsuits; pretty much guaranteed that they can name their charge per dose; and will be doing all it can to make getting a tap on the arm from one or more of the Big Pharma competitors a mandatory duty of citizenship.

  Call it what you will, but don’t call it honest capitalism. And chalk it up as still another blow to the idea of limited government and personal liberty.

  The five companies are Moderna, a Massachusetts-based biotechnology firm, which Dr. Fauci said he expected would enter into the final phase of clinical trials next month; the combination of Oxford University and AstraZeneca, on a similar schedule; and three large pharmaceutical companies: Johnson & Johnson, Merck and Pfizer. Each is taking a somewhat different approach.

  Read more of Stockman’s analysis here.

  

• US Has Yet To Cut WHO Funding Despite Trump Move To "Terminate" Relationship
  US Has Yet To Cut WHO Funding Despite Trump Move To “Terminate” Relationship
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 20:05

  The Hill reports that as of the close of this week the United States still hasn’t cut funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) despite President Trump controversially vowing to pull the plug on all US funding, which provides the bulk of the UN organization’s budget. 

  Trump made the “final” statement on May 29 amid widespread international criticism against the global health body for essentially being asleep at the wheel while the coronavirus outbreak rippled across the world. US officials have also repeatedly charged the WHO is in Beijing’s pocket, which they say is the reason WHO leaders dithered while the disease raged in Wuhan, soon spreading far outside China’s borders, before it was belatedly labeled a pandemic.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  The US president had stated: “Because they have failed to make the requested and greatly needed reforms, we will be today terminating our relationship with the World Health Organization and redirecting those funds to other worldwide and deserving, urgent global public health needs.”

  WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had immediately urged the administration not the take the drastic action in the middle of a pandemic: “We regret the decision of the President of the United States to order a halt in funding to the World Health Organization,” he said.

  And now, as The Hill reports, “Two weeks later, no steps toward a formal withdrawal have been taken. A WHO spokesman told The Hill that the agency had received no formal notification that the United States would withdraw.”

  “Senior WHO officials said they continue their relationships with American agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH),” the report underscores. 

  It’s possible that Trump is under pressure from within his own administration as well as Republican allies not to ultimately sever funding. Perhaps the president was just content to score political points with his base in the shock announcement of two weeks ago. Or it’s possibly the slowness of red tape when it comes to pulling the funding.

  By far the largest single WHO funder, America’s contribution is at about 15%, which approaches a billion dollars for the current two-year budge period.

  Executive director of the WHO’s health emergencies program, Mike Ryan, said there’s been no change so far: “We rely heavily on our colleagues and institutions in the U.S. like CDC, like NIH and like the hundreds of collaborating centers that this organization has across the United States,” Ryan said Monday. “We will continue to do that until we are otherwise instructed or informed.”

  

• Colorado Bill Requires "Re-Education" For Parents Who Refuse The COVID-19 Vaccine
  Colorado Bill Requires “Re-Education” For Parents Who Refuse The COVID-19 Vaccine
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 19:45

  Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,

  Are you ready for re-education camps in the United States? Colorado has introduced a bill that would “re-educate” parents who refuse to vaccinate their child with the coronavirus vaccine.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The bill forces all doctors and medical staff to give vaccinations with no exemptions, even if they are in a situation where they believe it would not be in that child’s best interest. The bill’s current version, however, does not list any sanctions or punishments for medical staff that refuse, according to Life News. 

  The bill just passed through a committee in Colorado (20-14) to reduce available exemptions on vaccinations for school-age children (making vaccines mandatory). This bill offers “online education modules” for parents who want a different vaccination schedule than what the state demands. Submitting a “certificate of completion” from the re-education classes is one way to receive the state-sanctioned vaccine exemption.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  This plandemic was never about health, it was about forcing everyone to get a vaccine: an injection of whatever the hell the ruling class decided to put in the vaccine.

  These vaccines are not being required for the health of anyone unless it’s for the health of Big Pharma and the ruling class.

  What happens if the “re-education” fails to convince a person to get the vaccines? It’s hard to say, but these types of concentration camps (and be honest with yourself, you know that’s what they are) should be condemned by anyone who wishes to be free. This is utterly insane.  The limits the governments are now going to in order to force people to get vaccinated is unbelievable.

  But, we knew this was coming. We knew that the coronavirus was a scam to force everyone to take the COVID (certification of vaccine ID) under Agenda 2020. Beware, this could very well be what more religious people are calling “the mark of the Beast”, and people commenting on this Colorado bill have already made it clear that “people won’t be able to go to work or school” unless they get the vaccine.

  This is the new normal they are conditioning us to accept. This is why they need martial law. Your chains are about to get much shorter unless you wake up and start to extract yourself from their system.  There isn’t much time left.  The government is not going to help you out, after all, they are the ones writing the laws while they have the police and military enforce them at gunpoint. Wake up, or be enslaved.

  

• Cornell Law Prof Says There's A "Coordinated Effort" To Have Him Fired After He Criticized Black Lives Matter
  Cornell Law Prof Says There’s A “Coordinated Effort” To Have Him Fired After He Criticized Black Lives Matter
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 19:25

  Recall, it was just days ago that we pointed out Cornell professor and friend of Zero Hedge Dave Collum was publicly shamed by Cornell for daring to express the “wrong” opinion about current events on social media. Now, there’s a second Cornell professor coming under fire for his critique of the Black Lives Matter movement. 

  Cornell Law School professor William A. Jacobson has challenged any student or faculty member to a public debate about the Black Lives Matter movement after he says liberals on campus have launched a “coordinated effort” to have him fired from his job. At least 15 emails from alumni have been sent to the dean, demanding that action be taken, according to Fox News. 

  “There is an effort underway to get me fired at Cornell Law School, where I’ve worked since November 2007, or if not fired, at least denounced publicly by the school,” Jacobson wrote on Thursday. “I condemn in the strongest terms any insinuation that I am racist.”

  Jacobson founded the website Legal Insurrection and says he’s had an “awkward relationship” with the university for years as a result. The recent outrage comes as a result of two posts he recently made on his site:

  • Reminder: “Hands up, don’t shoot” is a fabricated narrative from the Michael Brown case (June 4, 2020)
  • The Bloodletting and Wilding Is Part of An Agenda To Tear Down The Country (June 3, 2020)

  “Those posts accurately detail the history of how the Black Lives Matters Movement started, and the agenda of the founders which is playing out in the cultural purge and rioting taking place now,” Jacobson said. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  He recently wrote on his blog: “Living as a conservative on a liberal campus is like being the mouse waiting for the cat to pounce. For over 12 years, the Cornell cat did not pounce. Though there were frequent and aggressive attempts by outsiders to get me fired, including threats and harassment, it always came from off campus.”

  “Not until now, to the best of my knowledge, has there been an effort from inside the Cornell community to get me fired,” he says.

  “The effort appears coordinated, as some of the emails were in a template form. All of the emails as of Monday were from graduates within the past 10 years,” he continued. Jacobson’s “clinical faculty colleagues, apparently in consultation with the Black Law Students Association” drafted and published a letter denouncing ‘commentators, some of them attached to Ivy League Institutions, who are leading a smear campaign against Black Lives Matter.’”

  Cornell responded, backhandedly defending the Professor’s right to his own opinion:

  “…the Law School’s commitment to academic freedom does not constitute endorsement or approval of individual faculty speech. But to take disciplinary action against him for the views he has expressed would fatally pit our values against one another in ways that would corrode our ability to operate as an academic institution.”

  “This is not just about me. It’s about the intellectual freedom and vibrancy of Cornell and other higher education institutions, and the society at large. Open inquiry and debate are core features of a vibrant intellectual community,” he stated.

  “I challenge a representative of those student groups and a faculty member of their choosing to a public debate at the law school regarding the Black Lives Matter Movement, so that I can present my argument and confront the false allegations in real-time rather than having to respond to baseless community email blasts.”

  “I condemn in the strongest terms any insinuation that I am racist, and I greatly resent any attempt to leverage meritless accusations in hopes of causing me reputational harm. While such efforts might succeed in scaring others in a similar position, I will not be intimidated,” Jacobson concluded.

  

• Virginia Senator Told Police To Stand Down Before Statue Collapse That Left Man In A Coma
  Virginia Senator Told Police To Stand Down Before Statue Collapse That Left Man In A Coma
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 19:05

  Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Summit News,

  Virginia Senator Louise Lucas told Portsmouth City police officers to stand down and urged Black Lives Matter protesters to “wreck” a statue that was later toppled and struck a man in the head, leaving him in a coma.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Shocking video footage of the incident shows one of the four bronze soldiers on the Confederate monument being torn down by an angry mob, only to immediately strike a man in the head, leaving his skull split open.

  The victim was later named as BLM protester Chris Greene, who remains critically ill in a coma.

  HD video of the whole incident. pic.twitter.com/OmJYFcjJBP

  — Kneepitwyatt (@animegirlpits) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  It has now emerged that Senator Louise Lucas was responsible for inciting the mob to target the statue.

  A video clip shows Senator Lucas wearing a full face covering as she tells the crowd that the police cannot intervene because the monument is on city property.

  “This is city property! I’m Louise Lucas! They cannot arrest them because the city owns this property, they been paying for that!” she says.

  “Come July 1 they can take it down anyway. These police officers cannot arrest them for standing on city property, so I’m gonna stand right here and see what’s gonna happen.”

  Lucas then reveals her face to police before continuing.

  Democrat Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas orders Portsmouth City police officers to stand down as Black Lives Matter demonstrators attempt to destroy a Confederate monument standing in the city. Video courtesy of Black Lives Matter 757 Facebook page. pic.twitter.com/LIrbxHGiUp

  — Frankie👌🏻Stockes (@stockes76) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  “This is city property and [Mayor] John Rowe knows it, [City Manager] Dr. Patton knows it. And if they’d have listened to the Vice Mayor and Shannon Glover when they introduced [removing] this [statue] thing to the City Council in the first place they could’ve put a tarp over this thing and all of this would’ve been resolved it wouldn’t even have been necessary. So if the city had done what they were supposed to do these citizens wouldn’t have to do it. So there you go!”

  She then openly incites the mob to take down the statue, telling them, “Go ahead wreck it!”

  Despite Portsmouth Vice Mayor Lisa Lucas-Burke telling the mob that the city council would be meeting to determine the statue’s fate, almost certainly resulting in its removal, Lucas escalated the situation, asserting, “But this is city property and anybody who pays taxes in this city got a right to be on their property. To hell with city council!”

  “That’s alright, the city has had 3 years to cover it, y’all cover it!” she added.

  The crowd then shouted “you heard her!” before the statue was targeted later that evening and Greene was left fighting for his life.

  The council would have almost certainly decided to remove the statue anyway, but because the mob couldn’t wait a few weeks and wanted to carry out their ritualistic destruction of America’s heritage, a man is now on the verge of death.

  *  *  *

  My voice is being silenced by free speech-hating Silicon Valley behemoths who want me disappeared forever. It is CRUCIAL that you support me. Please sign up for the free newsletter here. Donate to me on SubscribeStar here. Support my sponsor – Turbo Force – a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown.

  

• Daily Briefing – June 12, 2020
  Daily Briefing – June 12, 2020

  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 18:55

  Real Vision CEO Raoul Pal and Real Vision managing editor Ed Harrison discuss today’s undulating recovery as global equities tried to regain ground lost in yesterday’s market rout. Raoul and Ed explore why today’s snapback wasn’t as strong as expected and Raoul places this discussion within the context of his “unfolding” thesis. In the intro Jack Farley discusses the VIX and a daring attempt by Hertz bondholders to take advantage of the moment.

  

• COVID-19 Lockdowns Spark 41% Collapse In Black-Owned Businesses In America
  COVID-19 Lockdowns Spark 41% Collapse In Black-Owned Businesses In America
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 18:45

  Widespread lockdowns across the country shuttered many small businesses for months. Stores, factories, and many other companies closed due to government-enforced public health orders or because of a rapid shift in demand. A new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) provides the first analysis of lockdown impacts on small businesses, makes a shocking discovery that African-American owned businesses plunged by 41%. 

  NBER commissioned the new report titled “The Impact of Covid-19 on Small Business Owners: Evidence of Early-Stage Losses from the April 2020 Current Population Survey” — shows active business owners in the US declined by 3.3 million or 22% from February to April because of “unprecedented” economic impacts of lockdowns. The decline in small business owners was the “largest on record,” and losses felt across all industries. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The report said African-American businesses were hit the hardest, recorded a 41% decline of black owners from February to April. Next were Latino owners, fell 32%, and Asian business owners dropped by 26%. 

  Immigrant business owners plummeted 36%, and female-owned businesses fell by 25%. These findings of early-stage losses to small businesses, so far, outlines how minority businesses were crushed during the lockdowns. 

  “The negative early-stage impacts on minority- and immigrant-owned businesses, if prolonged, may be problematic for broader racial inequality because of the importance of minority businesses for local job creation,” said the report’s author, Robert Fairlie of the University of California at Santa Cruz Department of Economics.

  In a separate report, we noted how the virus-induced economic downturn could result in at least 52% of small businesses closing up shop in the next six months. 

  For readers, it’s essential to understand that nearly half of all US jobs originate from small businesses. This all suggests the quick economic recovery narrative pitched by the Trump administration and Wall Street is bullshit. ​​​​​​

  

• Former Steve Jobs Advisor Says Facebook Is "Destroying The Very Fabric Of Human Relationships"
  Former Steve Jobs Advisor Says Facebook Is “Destroying The Very Fabric Of Human Relationships”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 18:25

  Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via Summit News,

  A former advisor to Steve Jobs warns that Facebook is “destroying the very fabric of human relationships” by making its users become addicted to anger.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  During a question and answer session at the 2020 CogX conference, Joanna Hoffman was asked about the cult of leadership within Silicon Valley.

  “As I look at Facebook, for example, I keep thinking are they really that ignorant or is this motivated by something … darker than what appears?” she said.

  Hoffman went on to accuse Facebook of “destroying the very fabric of democracy, destroying the very fabric of human relationships and peddling in an addictive drug called anger.”

  “You know it’s just like tobacco, it’s no different than the opioids,” she added.

  “We know anger is addictive, we know we can attract people to our platform and get engagement if we get them pissed off enough. So therefore what, we should capitalize on that each and every time?”

  While Hoffman was talking about Facebook, much of the same charges could be made against Twitter.

  Twitter has become a monstrous echo chamber of hysterical nonsense controlled by outrage mobs who abuse the platform to threaten criminal acts as well as intimidating, doxxing and attempting to ruin people’s lives for the sin of holding an alternate opinion.

  Much criticism of social media is framed in the context of its “threat to democracy,” despite the fact that both Twitter and Facebook are more censorious than ever, with the overwhelming target being conservatives and anyone who offends woke jihadists.

  In reality, the real damage being done by these platforms is to people’s mental health, to the cohesion of a functioning society, and to the concept of free speech itself.

  *  *  *

  My voice is being silenced by free speech-hating Silicon Valley behemoths who want me disappeared forever. It is CRUCIAL that you support me. Please sign up for the free newsletter here. Donate to me on SubscribeStar here. Support my sponsor – Turbo Force – a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown.

  

Digest powered by RSS Digest

• "We Need To Act Now" – UN Warns World Faces Worst Food Crisis In 50 Years
  “We Need To Act Now” – UN Warns World Faces Worst Food Crisis In 50 Years
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 02:45

  The world has entered a critical period, as depression unfolds, a virus pandemic rages, socio-economic chaos will flourish to unmanageable levels for governments and central banks.

  UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, warned Tuesday that the world is on the brink of the worst food crisis ever witnessed in the post-World War II era. 

  Guterres said the virus pandemic could push more than 50 million into instant poverty, further saying countries must act now to shore up food security or risk imminent crisis: 

  “Unless immediate action is taken, it is increasingly clear that there is an impending global food emergency that could have long term impacts on hundreds of millions of children and adults,” he said in a video message on Tuesday. “We need to act now to avoid the worst impacts of our efforts to control the pandemic.”

  Guterres pointed out that millions were already suffering from hunger and malnutrition before the pandemic. Now a public health crisis, coupled with a worldwide depression, has triggered a perfect storm of extreme poverty and hunger that could generate a sustained period of social unrest. 

  Read: “A Quarter Of Americans Skipped Meals Or Relied On Food Banks During Virus Lockdowns” 

  He said countries with abundant food supplies could be at risk for disruption. Already, the US has seen some meat and food processing plants shutter operations due to virus-related reasons, resulting in shortages of certain food products and rising food inflation. 

  “Our food systems are failing, and the COVID-19 pandemic is making things worse,” he said.

   

  Maximo Torero, the chief economist of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, said the world’s global food system is under unprecedented threat, never before seen in recent memory, as lockdowns limited people’s ability to harvest and buy and sell food. 

  “We need to be careful,” Torero said. “This is a very different food crisis than the ones we have seen.”

  Also released on Tuesday was the UN report titled “The Impact of COVID-19 on Food Security and Nutrition” — was an expanded warning of Guterres’ video message. 

  WHO notes the highest risk areas for a food crisis breakout 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  “The Covid-19 crisis is attacking us at every angle,” said Agnes Kalibata, the UN secretary general’s special envoy for the 2021 food systems summit. “It has exposed dangerous deficiencies in our food systems and actively threatens the lives and livelihoods of people around the world, especially the more than 1 billion people who have employment in the various industries in food systems.”

  WHO states a “triple menace” is playing out in East Africa: COVID-19, Locusts, and heavy rains. 

  Read: “A ‘Biblical’ Locust Plague Has Put Millions On Brink Of Famine” 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  To make matters worse for Africa, in the western part of the country, another “triple threat” is playing out of COVID-19, Ebola, and Measles, along with months of armed conflict. 

  If the global food crisis worsens, there’s going to be a lot of hangry people out there that governments and central bankers just can’t simply print food like they can print money. 

  

• Trump's Touted Troop Pullout From Germany Is More Rift Than Gift
  Trump’s Touted Troop Pullout From Germany Is More Rift Than Gift
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 02:00

  Authored by Finian Cunningham via The Strategic Culture Foundation,

  President Donald Trump’s reported order to withdraw nearly 10,000 US troops from bases in Germany has engendered frissons of angst about the future of NATO, the transatlantic relationship, and European security. The most preposterous reaction came from American and European security officials who called the move a “gift to Putin”.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  All the media excitement is sound and fury signifying little. Trump’s troop drawdown is not a gift to Russia. Rather, it is more an expression of rift and a temper tantrum by Trump, with little intended strategic consequence.

  For a start, the news of withdrawing American forces from Germany – about a third of the current total of 35,000 – was not officially announced by the White House nor the Pentagon. It was first reported on June 5 by the Wall Street Journal attributed to administration sources. In other words, it has the hallmark of a leak with a political or personal agenda. That suggests the “news” came from President Trump and his clique, including the mischievous former US ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell.

  Incredibly, neither the Pentagon nor the German government were officially informed about what would be a momentous troop movement, given that US troops have been stationed in Germany since the end of World War Two. The country houses the largest US bases in Europe. It is therefore a cornerstone to the NATO alliance.

  The lack of formal communication indicates that Trump’s purported order was more motivated by pique and caprice than signifying a strategic shift in US forces away from Europe, or, as the president has himself several times threatened to do before, to walk away from NATO. The latter notion touted by Trump in his obsession over squeezing European military budgets is nothing but bombast and bluff, given the structural importance of NATO to American power projection. Transactional money-obsessed Trump probably doesn’t even understand the strategic picture of how NATO and Germany are a vital European bridge for US imperialism.

  Secondly, Trump’s record shows that he is all talk and no action when it comes to removing troops. He made a big fanfare about US soldiers coming home from Syria and Afghanistan, yet nearly a year on from those promises there have been no discernible drawdowns.

  Even if there was a credible plan to take US troops out of Germany, that doesn’t mean American forces are reducing their footprint across Europe. Under Trump there has been a continued build-up of US forces in the Baltic states with greater emphasis on rotational presence of brigades. His envoys in Europe have also dangled the idea of relocating US forces from Germany to Poland. Given the Russophobic politics of Poland and the Baltic states, the ostensible troop drawdown from Germany would hardly be a “gift” to Russia.

  So, what is going on?

  Trump seems to be delivering a snub to German Chancellor Angela Merkel as well as to his own Pentagon chiefs.

  Several reports indicate that Trump was enraged by Merkel’s decision to skip on a G7 summit to be hosted in Washington by the American president later this month. Her decision reported last week was said to be made in light of coronavirus concerns and also due to Merkel’s misgivings over Trump’s earlier order to pull US funding from the World Health Organization. A few days after Merkel’s reported reluctance to attend the G7 summit the WSJ then reported the news of Trump’s troop pullout plan from Germany. Adding to the sense of retaliation was the astounding fact that Berlin was not consulted or informed in advance. That suggests the aim was to belittle Berlin as much as possible.

  The second front of Trump’s malice involves the Pentagon. As Associated Press reported this week the president’s relations with his military chiefs is near “breaking point”. The acrimony is due to the pushback by current and former Pentagon officials over Trump’s threats to deploy the military to curb mass protests against police violence and the killing of African-American man George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

  Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley have both balked at the president’s call for combat troops to be sent on to the streets of the capital and other cities to quell the protests. Trump has reportedly engaged in “shouting matches” with his senior military officials over their refusal to commit troops in large numbers. The reluctance by the Pentagon is no doubt motivated by apprehensions that such a move could inflame an already volatile situation and provoke mass insurrection.

  Knowing Trump’s notoriously thin skin and insatiable ego, the perceived rejection by Merkel over the proposed G7 summit, followed by the Pentagon brass giving a cold shoulder to his domestic executive power display, that had the combined effect of Trump’s hasty leak about taking US troops out of Germany. The move is therefore all about Trump trying to pull rank on America’s German vassal and poking the US generals in the eye.

  It is doubtful that the knee-jerk move has any intended strategic significance. Certainly it is not a “gift” to Russia, as some Trump opponents have hyperventilated about.

  Just look at the intensifying sanctions belligerence under Trump on Russia over the Nord Stream 2 natural gas project, and the ongoing US-led NATO build-up against Moscow. The latest kerfuffle about Trump purportedly taking troops out of Germany is merely reactionary wheels-within-wheels of a bigger and systematic hostile US posture towards Russia.

  

• Engineering A Race War: Will This Be The American Police State's Reichstag Fire?
  Engineering A Race War: Will This Be The American Police State’s Reichstag Fire?
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Fri, 06/12/2020 – 00:05

  Authored by John Whitehead via The Rutherford Institute,

  “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

  – George Santayana

  Watch and see: this debate over police brutality and accountability is about to get politicized into an election-year referendum on who should occupy the White House.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Don’t fall for it.

  The Deep State, the powers-that-be, want us to turn this into a race war, but this is about so much more than systemic racism. This is the oldest con game in the books, the magician’s sleight of hand that keeps you focused on the shell game in front of you while your wallet is being picked clean by ruffians in your midst.

  It’s the Reichstag Fire all over again.

  It was February 1933, a month before national elections in Germany, and the Nazis weren’t expected to win. So they engineered a way to win: they began  by infiltrating the police and granting police powers to their allies; then Hitler brought in stormtroopers to act as auxiliary police; by the time an arsonist (who claimed to be working for the Communists in the hopes of starting an armed revolt) set fire to the Reichstag, the German parliamentary building, the people were eager for a return to law and order.

  That was all it took: Hitler used the attempted “coup” as an excuse to declare martial law and seize absolute power in Germany, establishing himself as a dictator with the support of the German people.

  Fast forward to the present day, and what do we have? The nation in turmoil after months of pandemic fear-mongering and regional lockdowns, a national election looming, a president with falling poll numbers, and a police state that wants to stay in power at all costs.

  Note the similarities?

  It’s entirely possible that Americans have finally reached a tipping point over police brutality after decades of abuse. After all, until recently, the legislatures and the courts have marched in lockstep with the police state, repeatedly rebuffing efforts to hold police accountable for official misconduct.

  Then again, it’s also equally possible that the architects of the police state have every intention of manipulating this outrage for their own purposes.

  It works the same in every age.

  As author Jim Keith explains, “Create violence through economic pressures, the media, mind control, agent provocateurs: thesis. Counter it with totalitarian measures, more mind control, police crackdowns, surveillance, drugging of the population: antithesis. What ensues is Orwell’s vision of 1984, a society of total control: synthesis.”

  Here’s what is going to happen: the police state is going to stand down and allow these protests, riots and looting to devolve into a situation where enough of the voting populace is so desperate for a return to law and order that they will gladly relinquish some of their freedoms to achieve it. And that’s how the police state will win, no matter which candidate gets elected to the White House.

  You know who will lose? Every last one of us.

  Listen, people should be outraged over what happened to George Floyd, but let’s get one thing straight: Floyd didn’t die merely because he was black and the cop who killed him is white. Floyd died because America is being overrun with warrior cops—vigilantes with a badge—who are part of a government-run standing army that is waging war on the American people in the so-called name of law and order.

  Not all cops are warrior cops, trained to act as judge, jury and executioner in their interactions with the populace. Unfortunately, the good cops—the ones who take seriously their oath of office to serve and protect their fellow citizens, uphold the Constitution, and maintain the peace—are increasingly being outnumbered by those who believe the lives—and rights—of police should be valued more than citizens.

  These warrior cops may get paid by the citizenry, but they don’t work for us and they certainly aren’t operating within the limits of the U.S. Constitution.

  This isn’t about racism in America.

  This is about profit-driven militarism packaged in the guise of law and order, waged by greedy profiteers who have transformed the American homeland into a battlefield with militarized police, military weapons and tactics better suited to a war zone. This is systemic corruption predicated on the police state’s insatiable appetite for money, power and control.

  This is a military coup waiting to happen.

  Why do we have more than a million cops on the taxpayer-funded payroll in this country whose jobs do not entail protecting our safety, maintaining the peace in our communities, and upholding our liberties?

  I’ll tell you why.

  These warrior cops—fitted out in the trappings of war, drilled in the deadly art of combat, and trained to look upon “every individual they interact with as an armed threat and every situation as a deadly force encounter in the making—are the police state’s standing army.

  This is the new face of war, and America has become the new battlefield.

  Militarized police officers, the end product of the government—federal, local and state—and law enforcement agencies having merged, have become a “standing” or permanent army, composed of full-time professional soldiers who do not disband.

  Yet these permanent armies are exactly what those who drafted the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights feared as tools used by despotic governments to wage war against its citizens.

  American police forces were never supposed to be a branch of the military, nor were they meant to be private security forces for the reigning political faction. Instead, they were intended to be an aggregation of countless local police units, composed of citizens like you and me that exist for a sole purpose: to serve and protect the citizens of each and every American community.

  As a result of the increasing militarization of the police in recent years, however, the police now not only look like the military—with their foreboding uniforms and phalanx of lethal weapons—but they function like them, as well.

  Thus, no more do we have a civilian force of peace officers entrusted with serving and protecting the American people.  Instead, today’s militarized law enforcement officials have shifted their allegiance from the citizenry to the state, acting preemptively to ward off any possible challenges to the government’s power, unrestrained by the boundaries of the Fourth Amendment.

  They don’t work for us. As retired Philadelphia Police Captain Ray Lewis warned, “Corporate America is using police forces as their mercenaries.”

  We were sold a bill of goods.

  For years now, we’ve been told that cops need military weapons to wage the government’s wars on drugs, crime and terror. We’ve been told that cops need to be able to crash through doors, search vehicles, carry out roadside strip searches, shoot anyone they perceive to be a threat, and generally disregard the law whenever it suits them because they’re doing it to protect their fellow Americans from danger. We’ve been told that cops need extra legal protections because of the risks they take.

  None of that is true.

  In fact, a study by a political scientist at Princeton University concludes that militarizing police and SWAT teams “provide no detectable benefits in terms of officer safety or violent crime reduction.” According to researcher Jonathan Mummolo, if police in America are feeling less safe, it’s because the process of transforming them into extensions of the military makes them less safe, less popular and less trust-worthy.

  The study, the first systematic analysis on the use and consequences of militarized force, reveals that “police militarization neither reduces rates of violent crime nor changes the number of officers assaulted or killed.”

  In other words, warrior cops aren’t making us or themselves any safer.

  Militarized police armed with weapons of war who are allowed to operate above the law and break the laws with impunity are definitely not making America any safer or freer.

  The problem, as one reporter rightly concluded, is “not that life has gotten that much more dangerous, it’s that authorities have chosen to respond to even innocent situations as if they were in a warzone.” Consequently, Americans are now eight times more likely to die in a police confrontation than they are to be killed by a terrorist.

  Militarism within the nation’s police forces is proving to be deadlier than any pandemic.

  This battlefield mindset has gone hand in hand with the rise of militarized SWAT (“special weapons and tactics”) teams.

  Frequently justified as vital tools necessary to combat terrorism and deal with rare but extremely dangerous criminal situations, such as those involving hostages, SWAT teams have become intrinsic parts of local law enforcement operations, thanks in large part to substantial federal assistance and the Pentagon’s military surplus recycling program, which allows the transfer of military equipment, weapons and training to local police for free or at sharp discounts while increasing the profits of its corporate allies.

  Where this becomes a problem of life and death for Americans is when these SWAT teams— outfitted, armed and trained in military tactics—are assigned to carry out relatively routine police tasks, such as serving a search warrant. Nationwide, SWAT teams have been employed to address an astonishingly trivial array of criminal activity or mere community nuisances: angry dogs, domestic disputes, improper paperwork filed by an orchid farmer, and misdemeanor marijuana possession, to give a brief sampling.

  Remember, SWAT teams originated as specialized units dedicated to defusing extremely sensitive, dangerous situations. They were never meant to be used for routine police work such as serving a warrant. Unfortunately, the mere presence of SWAT units has actually injected a level of danger and violence into police-citizen interactions that was not present as long as these interactions were handled by traditional civilian officers. 

  There are few communities without a SWAT team today, and there are more than 80,000 SWAT team raids per year.

  Yet the tension inherent in most civilian-police encounter these days can’t be blamed exclusively on law enforcement’s growing reliance on SWAT teams and donated military equipment.

  It goes far deeper, to a transformation in the way police view themselves and their line of duty.

  Specifically, what we’re dealing with today is a skewed shoot-to-kill mindset in which police, trained to view themselves as warriors or soldiers in a war, whether against drugs, or terror, or crime, must “get” the bad guys—i.e., anyone who is a potential target—before the bad guys get them. The result is a spike in the number of incidents in which police shoot first, and ask questions later.

  Making matters worse, when these officers, who have long since ceased to be peace officers, violate their oaths by bullying, beating, tasering, shooting and killing their employers—the taxpayers to whom they owe their allegiance—they are rarely given more than a slap on the hands before resuming their patrols.

  This lawlessness on the part of law enforcement, an unmistakable characteristic of a police state, is made possible in large part by police unions which routinely oppose civilian review boards and resist the placement of names and badge numbers on officer uniforms; police agencies that abide by the Blue Code of Silence, the quiet understanding among police that they should not implicate their colleagues for their crimes and misconduct; prosecutors who treat police offenses with greater leniency than civilian offenses; courts that sanction police wrongdoing in the name of security; and legislatures that enhance the power, reach and arsenal of the police, and a citizenry that fails to hold its government accountable to the rule of law.

  Indeed, not only are cops protected from most charges of wrongdoing—whether it’s shooting unarmed citizens (including children and old people), raping and abusing young women, falsifying police reports, trafficking drugs, or soliciting sex with minors—but even on the rare occasions when they are fired for misconduct, it’s only a matter of time before they get re-hired again.

  Much of the “credit” for shielding these rogue cops goes to influential police unions and laws providing for qualified immunity, police contracts that “provide a shield of protection to officers accused of misdeeds and erect barriers to residents complaining of abuse,” state and federal laws that allow police to walk away without paying a dime for their wrongdoing, and rampant cronyism among government bureaucrats.

  It’s happening all across the country.

  This is how perverse justice in America has become.

  Incredibly, while our own Bill of Rights are torn to shreds, leaving us with few protections against government abuses, a growing number of states are adopting Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights (LEOBoR), which provide cops accused of a crime with special due process rights and privileges not afforded to the average citizen.

  This, right here, epitomizes everything that is wrong with America today.

  Even when the system appears to work on the side of justice, it’s the American taxpayer who ends up paying the price.

  Literally.

  Because police officers are more likely to be struck by lightning than be held financially accountable for their actions. As Human Rights Watch explains, taxpayers actually pay three times for officers who repeatedly commit abuses: “once to cover their salaries while they commit abuses; next to pay settlements or civil jury awards against officers; and a third time through payments into police ‘defense’ funds provided by the cities.”

  Deep-seated corruption of this kind doesn’t just go away because politicians and corporations suddenly become conscience-stricken in the face of mass protests and start making promises they don’t intend to keep.

  As I explain in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, we need civic engagement and citizen activism, especially at the local level. However, if it ends at the ballot box without achieving any real reform that holds government officials at all levels accountable to playing by the rules of the Constitution, then shame on us.

  

• "Not On My Island": More Allies Reject Hosting US Missiles In Pacific Aimed At China
  “Not On My Island”: More Allies Reject Hosting US Missiles In Pacific Aimed At China
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 23:45

  Washington pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) and is promptly attempting to station missiles in the Pacific, urging regional as well as old WWII allies to allow placement there, but so far it appears they aren’t having it.

  “The governor of a Japanese territory where the Pentagon is thinking about basing missiles capable of threatening China has a message for the United States: Not on my island,” LA Times writes. 

  Denny Tamaki, the governor of Okinawa, spelled out to the Times, “I firmly oppose the idea” — and we suspect pretty much the entirety of the local Japanese population on the island does too, considering American missiles would automatically make them a target.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Since Trump pulled the US out of the 33-year old arms treaty last year, the Pentagon has touted plans to place hundreds of non-nuclear warheads in Asia. 

  Despite Trump saying he really just wants to negotiate ‘a better deal’ — given the late Cold War era INF agreement only dealt with US and the successor states of the Soviet Union, also failing to account for new technologies possessed by other powerful rivals like China, Moscow has charged that the US really just wants to proliferate its missile ‘defenses’ unconstrained.

  Some critics are saying that ditching the INF had nothing to do with alleged Russian ‘violations’ as was official the rationale cited by the administration, but instead, as Russia-based American geopolitical analyst Mark Sleboda explains, “the US didn’t unilaterally pull out of the INF because of any alleged ‘Russian violations’ – it did so to encircle China with a cordon of land-based ballistic missiles to close a “missile gap” for a naval conflict off China’s coast.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  And now, it appears this is playing out precisely: “The missile plan is the centerpiece of a planned buildup of U.S. military power in Asia projected to consume tens of billions of dollars in the defense budget over the next decade, a major shift in Pentagon spending priorities away from the Middle East,” LA Times continues. 

  Meanwhile, US allies like Australia and the Philippines have already issued a stern “no” concerning the prospect of placing US missiles on their territory, while South Korea is also considered too provocative a location concerning tensions with Pyongyang. 

  

• Flynn Case: 85 Lies, Contradictions, Oddities, & Unusual Occurrences
  Flynn Case: 85 Lies, Contradictions, Oddities, & Unusual Occurrences
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 23:25

  Authored by Petr Svab via The Epoch Times,

  The case of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn is inevitably heading toward its conclusion. While the presiding district judge, Emmet Sullivan, is trying to keep it going, there’s only so much he can do, chiefly because there’s nobody left to prosecute the case after the Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped it last month.

  In the latest developments, the District of Columbia appeals court set a hearing in the case for tomorrow (June 12), while the DOJ’s solicitor general himself, as well as five of his deputies, urged the court to order the lower-court judge to accept the case dismissal.

  “I cannot overstate how big of a deal this is,” commented appellate attorney John Reeves, former assistant Missouri attorney general, in a series of tweets on June 1.

  Personal involvement of the solicitor general “is highly unusual and rare,” he said.

  “Unusual” seems a fitting euphemism for the Flynn case, which has been filled with contradictions, falsehoods, apparent blunders, extraordinary moves, and strange coincidences.

  The Epoch Times has so far counted 85 such instances.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Flynn, former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Obama administration and former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2017, to one count of lying to FBI agents during a Jan. 24, 2017, interview.

  The FBI officially opened an investigation on Flynn on Aug. 16, 2016, based on a suspicion that he “may wittingly or unwittingly be involved in activity on behalf of the Russian Federation which may constitute a federal crime or threat to the national security.”

  What activity? The case was opened under a broader investigation into whether the Trump 2016 presidential campaign conspired with Russia to steal emails from the Democratic National Committee and release them through Wikileaks.

  Flynn was an adviser to the campaign at the time.

  By its own admission, the FBI had little reason to suspect the campaign.

  The bureau learned from the Australian government that its then-ambassador to the UK, Alexander Downer, spoke with Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos, who “suggested” that the campaign received “some kind of suggestion” that Russia could help it by anonymously releasing some information damaging to Trump’s opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

  The FBI didn’t know what Papadopoulos actually said or what he was talking about.

  Officially, this information was used by the FBI to comb through its databases for information on people associated with the Trump campaign and open investigations on four individuals supposedly linked to Russia.

  Because Flynn’s paid speaking engagements in years past included some for Russian companies—one for Kaspersky Lab and one for RT television in Moscow—the FBI decided to open a counterintelligence investigation on the retired three-star general.

  But the FBI seemed to have trouble getting its story straight.

  1. Comey Contradiction

  The FBI officially opened the four individual cases in mid-August 2016.

  But former FBI Director James Comey testified to Congress that he was briefed already “at the end of July that the FBI had opened counterintelligence investigations of four individuals to see if there was a connection between any of those four and the Russian effort.”

  2. Unlikely Target

  Suspecting a man with patriotic bona fides of Flynn’s caliber of having colluded with Russia based on two speaking engagements seemed particularly unusual.

  Flynn’s command of military intelligence to aid American troops in combat has earned him great praise.

  “Mike Flynn’s impact on the nation’s War on Terror probably trumps any other single person,” wrote then-Brig. Gen. John Mulholland in Flynn’s 2007 performance review.

  Mulholland went as far as calling Flynn “easily the best intelligence professional of any service serving today.”

  Flynn was driven out of his post in 2014 after he repeatedly embarrassed President Barack Obama by insisting, contrary to the administration’s official stance, that a resurgence of Islamic terrorism in the Middle East was imminent.

  Two months after his resignation, the rise of ISIS proved him right.

  3. A Name for the Spotlight

  The Russia probe was titled “Crossfire Hurricane” (CH), and Flynn was given the code name “Crossfire Razor.”

  This was unusual, according to Marc Ruskin, a 27-year veteran of the FBI and an Epoch Times contributor.

  Rank-and-file agents would never pick a name like this, he told The Epoch Times in a previous interview.

  “They would mock it as being overly dramatic,” he said.

  4. Snooping During Briefing

  The day after opening the Flynn case, the FBI participated in a strategic intelligence briefing given to Donald Trump and two of his advisers by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

  Because Flynn was to be present, the FBI took the extraordinary step of sending in supervisory special agent Joe Pientka to collect intel on Flynn for the investigation. Pientka was to assess Flynn’s “overall mannerisms” and listen for “any kind of admission” that could be used by the bureau, the DOJ’s inspector general (IG) said in a Dec. 9 report on the CH investigation (pdf).

  The IG raised the question of whether snooping on officials the FBI is supposed to brief could have a “chilling effect” on any such intelligence briefings in the future.

  5. Dossier Coincidence

  The FBI directly targeted four Trump campaign aides, opening cases on three of them—Papadopoulos, Carter Page, and Paul Manafort—on Aug. 10, 2016. The IG never received an explanation for why the Flynn case was opened later. Incidentally, Page and Manafort had already been mentioned in the infamous Steele dossier since July 28, 2016. Flynn’s name, however, was only mentioned in the dossier report dated Aug. 10, 2016.

  The dossier, which drummed up unsubstantiated allegations of a Trump–Russia conspiracy, was being spread to the media, the FBI, the State Department, the DOJ, and Congress by operatives funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

  The CH investigation team members at the FBI told the IG they only received the dossier in September 2016, but there are indications they may have been aware of it earlier.

  6. Halper Coincidence

  One of the CH case agents, Stephen Somma, happened to have a longstanding relationship with Stephan Halper, a Cambridge professor who was also a longtime political operative and FBI informant.

  Somma and another agent met with Halper on Aug. 11, 2016, and learned that, in a stunning coincidence, Halper was already in contact with Page, had known Manafort for years, and “had been previously acquainted with Michael Flynn,” the IG report said

  The CH team “couldn’t believe [their] luck,” Somma told the IG.

  7. Halper’s Story

  Halper was accused of spreading rumors, starting in late 2016, that Flynn had an affair with a Russian woman while visiting the UK in 2014 for a dinner hosted by the Cambridge Intelligence Seminar co-convened at the time by Halper.

  An “established” FBI informant told the CH team that the woman jumped in a cab with Flynn after the dinner and joined him for a train ride to London (pdf).

  The woman in question was Svetlana Lokhova, a Cambridge historian of Russian descent. She has denied the rumor, saying that she was picked up after the dinner by her husband.

  She said Halper was the one spreading the rumor to the media and the FBI, even though he didn’t actually attend the event. She unsuccessfully sued Halper for defamation in May 2019.

  Somehow, Steele also became privy to the rumor and shared it with Adam Kramer, an aide to the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Kramer testified to Congress that he was in regular contact with Steele between Nov. 28, 2016, and early March 2017.

  8. Unmasking

  The names of Americans are normally masked—that is, replaced with generic names—in foreign intelligence reports. Many senior government officials have the authority to ask for names to be unmasked for various reasons, such as to understand the intelligence. There were dozens of unmasking requests for reports related to Flynn, between Nov. 8, 2016, and Jan. 31, 2017 (pdf). The number of unmasking requests has been described as alarming by some commentators, while others described it as routine.

  9. Non-masking

  There are also indications that Flynn’s name was never masked in summaries or transcripts of his calls with then-Russian Ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak on Dec. 29, 2016, and in the following days. FBI leaders were distributing the documents to top Obama officials. Even President Barack Obama himself was briefed on them on or before Jan. 5, 2017.

  10. Who Briefed Obama?

  Comey testified to Congress that it was then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper who briefed Obama on the Flynn–Kislyak calls (pdf). Clapper, however, denied this to Congress.

  11. ‘Unusual’

  Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, memorialized a Jan. 5, 2017, meeting with Obama, Comey, and then-Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. Rice wrote in an email to herself that Obama asked Comey whether he should withhold any Russia-related information from the incoming administration and from Flynn in particular.

  “Potentially,” Comey replied, adding that “the level of communication” between Flynn and Kislyak was “unusual,” she wrote. There’s no indication Flynn was talking to Kislyak unusually often. He was at the time responsible for laying the groundwork for Trump’s foreign relations as president and was frequently on the phone with foreign dignitaries.

  12. Late Memo

  Rice’s memo itself is unusual. She emailed it to herself more than two weeks after the meeting took place, on the day of Trump’s inauguration.

  13. Strzok Intervention

  On Jan. 4, the FBI was already in the process of closing Flynn’s case. But the bureau’s counterintelligence operations head at the time, Peter Strzok, scrambled to keep it open, noting that the “7th floor,” meaning the FBI’s top leadership, was involved.

  14. McCabe–Comey Contradiction

  Comey testified that he authorized the Flynn case “to be closed at the … end of December, beginning of January.”

  But his then-deputy, Andrew McCabe, told Congress that they weren’t in “the closing planning phase” at the time.

  “I don’t think a closure would have been soon,” he said.

  15. Shaky Theory

  FBI documents and Comey’s testimony indicate that the bureau kept the Flynn case open solely based on a legal theory that he may have violated the Logan Act, even though the DOJ made clear that such charges wouldn’t pass muster in court—nobody has ever been successfully prosecuted for a Logan Act violation and the government last tried in 1852.

  The law prohibits private citizens from engaging in diplomacy on their own with countries the United States is in dispute with. Not only have questions been raised as to whether the law would pass today’s constitutional scrutiny, which places greater emphasis on First Amendment protections, but also there’s no indication the law was conceived to apply to a president-elect’s incoming top adviser.

  16. Call Leaks

  In early January, information about Flynn’s calls with Kislyak was leaked to then-Washington Post reporter Adam Entous. He said there was a discussion at the paper about what to do with the information, as it would have been expected of Flynn, given his position, to talk to Kislyak (pdf). In the end, the paper ran a column on Jan. 12 by David Ignatius speculating that Flynn may have violated the Logan Act if he discussed fresh sanctions imposed on Russia during the calls.

  Obama imposed the sanctions on Russian entities, including its intelligence services, on Dec. 29, 2016. At the same time, he also expelled 35 Russian intelligence officers.

  17. Denial

  The calls “had nothing whatsoever to do with the sanctions,” incoming Vice President Mike Pence told CBS News on Jan. 15, 2017, in an interview the network almost wholly dedicated to questions about Russia.

  This wasn’t completely true.

  Kislyak did bring up the issue of sanctions during the call, though Flynn didn’t engage him in a conversation on the topic.

  Flynn raised the issue of the expulsions, which is technically a separate issue from sanctions, though both were announced at the same time. He asked for “cool heads to prevail” and for Russia to only respond reciprocally, as further escalation into a “tit for tat” could lead to the countries shutting down each other’s embassies, complicating future diplomacy.

  18. ‘Blackmailable’

  Yates said she wanted to inform Trump’s White House about the Kislyak calls as Russia would know that what Pence said wasn’t true and could thus blackmail Flynn with the information, according to an Aug. 15, 2017, FBI report from her interview with the Mueller team.

  According to Ruskin, this was hardly a blackmail situation, which ordinarily involves serious compromising information, such as evidence of bribery or sexual misconduct.

  Comey acknowledged to Congress in March 2017 that the idea that Flynn was compromised struck him “as a bit of a reach.”

  19. Comey Blocked Information

  Despite issues with Yates’s argument, informing the White House may have indeed cleared up the situation. However, Comey blocked it, saying it could have interfered with the investigation of Flynn—despite that it appears there was nothing for the bureau to investigate. At that point, the DOJ already had disapproved of the Logan Act idea. In any case, the probe was supposed to be about Russian collusion. The bureau could have closed it and opened a new one on the Logan Act, if it indeed had had sufficient predication. But it never opened such an investigation, the DOJ noted in its motion to dismiss Flynn’s case.

  20. Another Comey–McCabe Contradiction

  In the days before Jan. 24, 2017, top FBI officials were discussing plans to interview Flynn. Comey said the point of the interview was to find out why Flynn didn’t tell Pence that sanctions were discussed during the call (even though Flynn wasn’t actually the one talking about sanctions).

  “My judgment was we could not close the investigation of Mr. Flynn without asking him what is the deal here. That was the purpose,” Comey testified.

  McCabe, however, told a different story when then-Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) asked him, “Was [Flynn] interviewed because the Vice President relied upon information from him in a national interview?”

  “No. I don’t remember that being a motivating factor behind the interview,” McCabe said.

  21. No Mention of Pence

  During the interview, the agents didn’t ask Flynn about what he did or didn’t tell Pence—an unusual approach if the point, as Comey said, was to find out why Flynn hadn’t “been candid” with Pence. The FBI, in fact, had no idea what Flynn did or didn’t tell Pence.

  22. Slipped-In Warning

  Agents regularly warn interviewees that lying to federal officers is a crime. Before the Flynn interview, however, McCabe’s special counsel Lisa Page emailed another FBI lawyer asking how the warning should be given and whether there was a way “to just casually slip that in.”

  23. No Warning

  In the end, the agents never gave Flynn any such warning.

  24. ‘Get Him to Lie … Get Him Fired?’

  The FBI officials agreed that the agents wouldn’t show Flynn the transcripts of the calls. If he said something that diverged from them, they would ask again, slipping in some words from the transcript. If that didn’t jog his memory, they were not to confront him about it.

  On the day of the interview, then-FBI head of counterintelligence Bill Priestap wrote a note saying he told other officials to “rethink” the approach.

  “What’s our goal? Truth/Admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?” he wrote, noting, “We regularly show subjects evidence.”

  Apparently, his concerns were ignored.

  25. Discouraging Having a Lawyer Present

  On the day of the interview, McCabe spoke with Flynn on the phone to ask him for the interview. McCabe said he told Flynn he wanted the interview done “as quickly, quietly, and discreetly as possible.” If Flynn wanted anybody to sit in, such as one of the White House lawyers, the DOJ would have to be involved, McCabe told him.

  According to Ruskin, that was “egregious” behavior akin to discouraging a subject of an investigation from having a lawyer present for an interview.

  26. No White House Notice

  An FBI interview of a president’s national security adviser is a big deal. Normally, it would warrant a back-and-forth between the White House and the bureau on the scope, content, purpose, and other parameters. Most likely, multiple White House lawyers would sit in.

  Comey, however, said in a public forum that he just sent the agents in, taking advantage of the fact that it was “early enough”—only four days after the inauguration.

  27. No Notice Given to DOJ

  According to Yates, Comey didn’t consult the DOJ about his intention to interview Flynn, even though the department would usually be involved in such decisions.

  28. Not Quite a Denial From Flynn

  After the interview, in which Strzok and supervisory special agent Pientka extensively questioned Flynn about his conversations with Kislyak, Comey said that Flynn denied talking to the ambassador about the sanctions. But the agents’ notes indicate that though Flynn denied it at first, he seemed unsure when the agents asked again.

  “Not really. I don’t remember. It wasn’t, ‘Don’t do anything,’” he said, according to the notes.

  Flynn said in a Jan. 29 declaration to the court that he still doesn’t remember talking to Kislyak about sanctions.

  “I told the agents that ‘tit-for-tat’ is a phrase I use, which suggests that the topic of sanctions could have been raised,” he said.

  29. UN Vote Denial

  Based on the agent’s notes, Flynn did deny asking for Russia to delay a U.N. vote in Israeli settlements. One of the call transcripts indicates he in fact made such a request.

  Flynn told the agents he was calling multiple countries regarding the vote, but it was more an exercise of how quickly he could get foreign officials on the phone since there was no way the transition team could convince enough countries to actually change the outcome. Indeed, the vote passed with only the United States abstaining.

  30. No Indication of Deception

  The agents came back with the impression “that Flynn was not lying or did not think he was lying,” according to Strzok.

  Comey seemed on the fence.

  “I don’t know. I think there is an argument to be made that he lied. It is a close one,” he testified.

  31. Flynn Knew They Knew

  According to McCabe, Flynn expressed awareness before the interview that the FBI knew exactly what he said during the Kislyak calls.

  “You listen to everything they [Russian representatives] say,” Flynn told him, according to McCabe’s notes from that day.

  32. Belated Report

  The FBI interview summary, form FD-302, is required to be completed within five days of the interview. Flynn’s, however, took more than two weeks.

  33. Rewritten 302

  Strzok texted Page on Feb. 10, 2017, he was “trying to not completely rewrite” the 302 “so as to save [redacted] voice.” The redacted name was most likely Pientka’s.

  34. Missing Original

  Flynn was ultimately provided two draft versions of the 302—one from Feb. 10, 2016, and one from the day after. But based on Strzok’s texts, there should have been at least two draft versions produced on Feb. 10, 2016, or before.

  In fact, Judge Sullivan said in a Dec. 17, 2018, minute order that the 302 “was drafted immediately after Mr. Flynn’s FBI interview.” It’s not clear what the judge was basing this assertion on or what happened to the early draft.

  Flynn’s current attorney, former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell, later said she’d found a witness who saw an earlier draft and that it said “that Flynn was honest with the agents and did not lie.”

  35. No Reinterview

  It is common that when the FBI has questions after an interview about the candor of the subject, it would question the person again. But in this case, the FBI showed no interest in doing so.

  36. Still Investigating What?

  After the interview, Comey promptly agreed to Yates informing the White House about the call transcripts. Flynn was fired two weeks later. But, somehow, the investigation was still not over.

  Comey said in his March 2, 2017, testimony that the bureau wasn’t investigating any possible Logan Act violation by Flynn and wouldn’t do so unless the DOJ directed it.

  But he said the investigation was “obviously” still ongoing and “criminal in nature.”

  McCabe said that “even following the interview on the 24th, we had a lot of work left to do in that investigation.”

  By mid-February, the status of the probe wouldn’t have “changed materially” in his belief, he said.

  “Like we were pursuing phone records and toll records at that time,” he said. “There were all kinds of really very basic foundational investigative activity that had to take place and we were committed to getting that done.”

  It’s unclear what the point of the investigation was.

  37. FARA Papers

  Around Christmas 2016, Flynn found in the office of his defunct consultancy, Flynn Intel Group (FIG), a letter from the DOJ telling him he may need to file foreign lobbying disclosures under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

  The DOJ’s National Security Division (NSD) wanted to know about a job FIG did earlier that year for Turkish businessman Kamil Ekim Alptekin.

  It should have been a routine procedure. Washington lobbyists commonly flunk FARA rules and the NSD usually just asks them to register retrospectively because FARA cases are difficult to prosecute. Flynn hired a team from Covington and Burling led by Robert Kelner, a “never-Trumper” and an expert on FARA, to prepare the paperwork.

  This time, the NSD was unusually eager. Heather Hunt, then-FARA unit chief herself, was repeatedly prompting the lawyers to expeditiously file the papers.

  “We’ve never seen her this engaged in any matter (ever),” Kelner noted in an email to his colleagues.

  Even the DOJ’s then-counterintelligence chief, David Laufman, got involved and personally questioned Covington on the FARA filings.

  38. Comey Memo

  Comey wrote in a personal memo that Trump told him in private in February 2017 that he hoped Comey could “let Flynn go.” Trump denied saying that. Trump’s lawyers have argued that the president didn’t know at the time that Flynn was still under investigation.

  Comey’s leaking the content of this and other memos to the media served as a catalyst for then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointing former FBI head Robert Mueller as a special counsel to take over the CH probe.

  39. Rosenstein’s Scope Memo Still Alludes to Logan Act

  Even though Comey said in March 2017 that the FBI wasn’t investigating Flynn for a Logan Act violation, Mueller received in August 2017 a mandate from Rosenstein (pdf) to probe whether Flynn “committed a crime or crimes by engaging in conversations with Russian government officials during the period of the Trump transition.” That appears to be an allusion to the Logan Act.

  Rosenstein testified to Congress that he simply put in the scope of Mueller’s mandate whatever the CH team was investigating at the time.

  The scope memo also tasked Mueller with probing whether Flynn lied to the FBI during the interview, whether he failed to report foreign contacts or income on his national security disclosure forms, and whether the Turkey job by his firm meant that he “committed a crime or crimes by acting as an unregistered agent for the government of Turkey.”

  40. Lawyers Delay Informing Flynn?

  By mid-August 2017, Covington learned that prosecutors were looking at Flynn’s FARA filings. But the lawyers didn’t inform Flynn until weeks later, according to his current lawyer, Powell.

  41. Conflict of Interest

  Convington faced a conflict of interest in Flynn’s case, because it was in their interest to say any problems with the FARA papers were Flynn’s fault, while it was in Flynn’s interest to say the lawyers were responsible.

  Covington and the Mueller team agreed the firm can continue to represent Flynn if they tell him about the conflict and he consents to it. Powell said the conflict was so serious bar rules required the lawyers to withdraw.

  42. Lawyers Don’t Take Responsibility

  In Flynn’s situation, it would have been the ethical thing to do for the lawyers to take responsibility for any problems with the FARA papers, according to Powell. But they didn’t do that.

  43. Lawyers Express Apprehension About Being Targeted Themselves

  The Covington lawyers on several occasions expressed concern that Mueller may target them with a crime-fraud order, a measure that allows prosecutors to break through the attorney-client privilege if they get a judge to agree that the client was conferring with lawyers to further a crime or some misconduct. The lawyers were aware Mueller’s team had already used the order against Manafort.

  Facing a crime-fraud order would cause bad publicity for Covington, Powell noted. Leading Flynn into the plea allowed the firm to avoid it.

  44. Perilous Interviews

  In early November 2016, Mueller prosecutors, led by Brandon Van Grack, told Covington that Flynn was facing charges for lying to the FBI and lying on the FARA papers. They asked for Flynn’s cooperation with the broader Russia probe, particularly regarding any communications he or other Trump people had with foreign officials.

  Van Grack wanted Flynn to sit down for a series of interviews. He offered Flynn limited immunity, but acknowledged that Flynn could still be charged for lying during the interviews.

  The lawyers noted that this could have been dangerous for Flynn, even if he was completely honest.

  “To ask someone about meetings and calls during an incredibly busy period of his life as an evaluation of candor is not a particularly attractive option,” Kelner told the prosecutors during a conference call (pdf).

  Yet ultimately the Covington lawyers agreed to make Flynn available for the questioning.

  45. Belated Consent

  Covington only asked Flynn for consent with their conflict of interest in writing on Nov. 19, 2017, after Flynn had already been through two days of interviews with the prosecutors.

  46. Wrong Standard

  The consent request, sent via email, cited the wrong bar rule for handling of conflicts. The correct rule “creates a much lower threshold at which a lawyer must bow out,” Powell said in a court filing.

  47. Innocent but Guilty

  The Covington lawyers repeatedly told the prosecutors that they didn’t think Flynn was guilty of a felony. They were also told that Strzok and Pientka “saw no indication of deception” on Flynn’s part and had the impression after the interview that he wasn’t lying or didn’t think he was lying. But the lawyers still convinced Flynn that he should plead guilty to the felony charge.

  48. Threat to Son

  According to Flynn’s declaration, the Covington lawyers told him that if he didn’t plead, the prosecutors would charge his son (who had a four-month-old baby at the time) with a FARA violation, because the son worked for Flynn’s firm and was involved in the Turkey project. If he did plead, however, his son “would be left in peace,” Flynn said.

  The pressure campaign, it seems, was also reflected in media leaks.

  “If the elder Flynn is willing to cooperate with investigators in order to help his son … it could also change his own fate, potentially limiting any legal consequences,” NBC News reported on Nov. 5, 2017, referring to “sources familiar with the investigation.”

  “To twist the father’s arm with regard to his child is a pretty low thing to do,” Ruskin commented.

  49. 302 Not Shared

  The prosecutors refused to share with Flynn the 302 from his January interview until shortly before he agreed to plead. Also, they only shared the final version of the report, which was significantly different from its previous drafts, Flynn later learned.

  50. Strzok Texts Understatement

  Shortly before Flynn signed his plea, the prosecutors disclosed to his lawyers that one of the agents who interviewed Flynn (Strzok) was being investigated by the IG for potential misconduct. They also disclosed that the agent expressed in electronic communications “a preference for one of the candidates for President.”

  This was far from covering the bombshell the Strzok texts actually were, Powell noted.

  Strzok not only voiced preference for Clinton, but cursed at and repeatedly derided Trump. In one 2016 text, he argued that the FBI needed to take action akin to an “insurance policy” in case Trump won. Strzok later said he was referring to proceeding in the CH probe more aggressively out of a worry that Trump may interfere with it if elected.

  51. Lawyers Never Told Flynn?

  Flynn said the Convington lawyers never told him that the FBI agents didn’t think he lied. Even after he specifically asked about the agents’ impression, the lawyers didn’t disclose the information and instead told him that “the agents stood by their statement.”

  “I then understood them to be telling me that the FBI agents believed that I had lied,” Flynn said, explaining that had he known, he wouldn’t have signed the plea.

  52. Statement of Offense Inaccurate

  As part of his statement of offense, Flynn affirmed that FIG’s FARA papers contained three false statements and one omission. Yet, on all four points the statement of offense was inaccurate, Powell demonstrated (pdf).

  “The prosecutors concocted the alleged ‘false statements’ by their own misrepresentations, deceit, and omissions,” she said in a court filing (pdf).

  The FARA papers were “substantially correct” and any deficiencies were the fault of Covington, she said.

  53. Lawyers Knew

  In an internal email three days before Flynn signed his plea, one of the Covington lawyers pointed out that some of the “false statements” attributed to Flynn in the statement of offense regarding the FARA filings were “contradicted by the caveats or qualifications in the filing.”

  It seems the lawyers failed to correct the issue, since the statement of offense remained inaccurate. They also never informed Flynn of the issue, according to Powell.

  54. Judge Recusal

  Flynn entered his plea on Dec. 1, 2017. Shortly after, the judge who accepted the plea, Rudolph Contreras, recused himself from the case. The apparent but undisclosed reason was likely his personal relationship with Strzok.

  55. Strzok Texts Media Coincidence

  While the IG had found Strzok’s texts already in June 2017, their first disclosure in the media came from The Washington Post the day after Flynn entered his guilty plea. Powell noted how convenient the timing was for the prosecutors.

  56. Side Deal

  The prosecutors conveyed to Covington an “unofficial understanding” that they were “unlikely” to charge Flynn’s son in light of Flynn’s agreement to continue to cooperate with the Mueller probe, one of the lawyers said in an internal email.

  Such an under-the-table deal is “unethical,” Ruskin said.

  57. Avoiding Giglio Disclosure

  Another internal Covington email suggests the prosecutors intentionally kept the deal regarding Flynn’s son unofficial to make future prosecutions easier.

  “The government took pains not to give a promise to MTF [Michael T. Flynn] regarding Michael [Flynn] Jr., so as to limit how much of a ‘benefit’ it would have to disclose as part of its Giglio disclosures to any defendant against whom MTF may one day testify,” the email reads.

  “Giglio” refers to a 1972 Supreme Court opinion that requires prosecutors to disclose to the defense that a witness used by the prosecutors has been promised an escape from prosecution in exchange for cooperation.

  58. Questionable Disclosures

  After the case was assigned to Judge Sullivan, he entered an order for the DOJ to give Flynn all exculpatory information it had, as the judge does in all cases.

  The prosecutors, however, weren’t prompt in revealing the information. The Strzok texts, for instance, were only provided to Flynn after they were released publicly.

  59. Business Partner Coincidence

  One day before Flynn’s sentencing hearing, his former business partner, Bijan Rafiekian, was charged with a failure to register as a foreign agent in relation to FIG’s Turkey job.

  Powell called it a “shot across the bow” which the Mueller team wanted to “leverage” against Flynn.

  “Mr. Van Grack used the possibility of indicting Flynn in the Rafiekian case at the sentencing hearing to raise the specter of all the threats he had made to secure the plea a year earlier—including the indictment of Mr. Flynn’s son,” she said in a court filing (pdf).

  60. Judge Makes False Accusations, Backtracks

  During a Dec. 18, 2018, sentencing hearing, Sullivan questioned the prosecutors about whether they considered charging Flynn with treason.

  “Arguably, you sold your country out,” he told Flynn, saying that he acted as an agent of Turkey while in the White House.

  That was wrong on multiple levels. Not only does treason not apply to unregistered lobbying, but the Turkey job had virtually no impact on American interests. It prepared a plan to lobby for the extradition of an Islamic cleric, Fethullah Gülen, who lives in exile in the United States, and whom Ankara blamed for instigating a coup attempt in 2016. Almost none of the plan materialized. Most importantly, Flynn shuttered his firm shortly after the election to comply with Trump’s promise of no lobbyists in his administration.

  Sullivan corrected himself later in the hearing, but many media outlets still put his original remarks in headlines.

  61. MSNBC Coincidence

  While Sullivan’s question about treason and his gaffe about the Turkey job seemed to come out of left field, they mirrored MSNBC talking points from days prior.

  The day before Flynn’s sentencing hearing, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow claimed Flynn and Rafiekian “disguised” the origins of payments for the Turkey job so they could “secretly work in the interest of a foreign country without anybody knowing it while they were also working high-level jobs in intelligence inside the U.S. government.”

  “Flynn really thought he could be a national security adviser, the national security adviser in the White House, and a secret foreign agent at the same time,” Maddow said.

  Three days before Flynn’s sentencing hearing, Malcolm Nance, a counterterrorism commentator, said on MSNBC that Flynn “may have been one step away from treason” and “pulled back by cooperating” with Mueller.

  62. Judge Fails to Satisfy Plea Rules

  Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure state in Rule 11 that “before entering judgment on a guilty plea, the court must determine that there is a factual basis for the plea.”

  As such, Sullivan was required to check that Flynn’s alleged lies to the FBI were “material,” meaning relevant enough to potentially affect an FBI investigation.

  But the judge acknowledged during the sentencing hearing that he hadn’t done so.

  “It probably won’t surprise you that I had many, many, many more questions. … such as, you know, how the government’s investigation was impeded? What was the material impact of the criminality? Things like that,” he said at the conclusion of the hearing.

  There’s no indication Sullivan has asked those questions since.

  63. Unacceptable Plea

  Not only could Sullivan not have accepted Flynn’s plea before determining materiality, there’s evidence he was in fact required to refuse it.

  Rule 11 requires the court to “determine that the plea is voluntary and did not result from force, threats, or promises (other than promises in a plea agreement).”

  In Flynn’s case, there actually was a threat and a promise left out of the deal—the “unofficial understanding” that his son was “unlikely” to be charged if Flynn cooperated.

  64. Lawyers Insisted Flynn ‘Stay on the Path’

  Before the sentencing hearing, the Covington lawyers told Flynn to “stay on the path” and to refuse if Sullivan offered him to take his plea back, Flynn said in his court declaration.

  “If the judge offers you a chance to withdraw your plea, he is giving you the rope to hang yourself. Don’t do it,” the lawyers said, according to Powell.

  65. Unprepared

  Flynn said the lawyers only prepared him for a “simple hearing” and not for the extended questioning Sullivan engaged in.

  “I was not prepared for this court’s plea colloquy, much less to decide, on the spot, whether I should withdraw my plea, consult with independent counsel, or continue to follow my existing lawyers’ advice,” he said.

  In the end, he affirmed his plea during the hearing.

  66. Prosecutors Asked for False Testimony?

  Flynn was expected to testify against Rafiekian in 2019, but when the moment was to come, prosecutors asked him to say that he signed FIG’s FARA papers knowing there were lies in them. Flynn, who had already fired Convington and hired Powell by that point, refused. He said he only acknowledged in hindsight that the FARA papers were inaccurate, but didn’t know it at the time.

  67. Prosecutors Knew?

  Powell has argued that the prosecutors knew they were asking for a false testimony. She filed with the court a draft of Flynn’s statement of offense, which shows that the words “FLYNN then and there knew” (pertaining to the FARA registration) were cut from the final version.

  Moreover, Powell submitted emails that indicate the words were cut by the prosecutors themselves after the Covington lawyers raised some objections to the draft.

  68. Retaliation?

  Flynn’s refusal to say what prosecutors wanted angered Van Grack, contemporaneous notes show (pdf). Shortly after, prosecutors tried to label Flynn as a co-conspirator in the Rafiekian case and put Flynn’s son on the list of witnesses for the prosecution. According to Powell, this was retaliation for Flynn’s refusal to lie.

  69. Rafiekian Case Collapses

  Prosecutors in the Rafiekian case tried to argue that anybody who does something political at the request of a foreign official and fails to disclose it to the DOJ is an “agent of a foreign government” and can be put in prison for up to 10 years.

  The presiding judge, Anthony Trenga, rejected the theory, ruling that an “agent”—as used in that context—needs to have a tighter relationship with the foreign government, a relationship that includes “the power of the principal to give directions and the duty of the agent to obey those directions.”

  Trenga ultimately tossed the case for a lack of evidence.

  70. No Exculpatory Evidence?

  Starting in August, Powell started to bombard the prosecutors with demands for exculpatory evidence she was convinced the DOJ possessed. But the prosecutors repeatedly claimed the government already provided all it had and had no more.

  The main issue was, Powell noted, that the DOJ had a very narrow view of what is exculpatory.

  “If something appears on its face to be favorable to the defense … the government will claim it was said ‘with a wink and a nod,’ and therefore it showed the defendant’s guilt after all,” she complained in an Aug. 30, 2019, filing (pdf).

  As it later turned out, the FBI was sitting on a number of documents favorable to the defense.

  71. Contradicting Notes

  When Flynn finally obtained the hand-written notes Strzok and Pientka took during the interview, it turned out they didn’t quite match the final 302.

  The 302, for instance, says that Flynn remembered making four to five phone calls to Kislyak on Dec. 29, 2016. Both sets of notes indicate that Flynn didn’t remember that.

  Also, the 302 says that Flynn denied that Kislyak got back to him with the Russian response a few days later. There’s no mention of a Russian response in the notes.

  72. Notes Mixup

  It took the prosecutors until November 2019 to find out and tell Flynn that the notes they said belonged to Strzok were actually Pientka’s and vice versa.

  73. No Date, Name

  The notes mixup wasn’t that easy to spot because neither set of notes was signed or dated, even though they should have been, according to Powell.

  74. Harsher Sentence

  Since his sentencing hearing, Flynn was expected to receive a light sentence, possibly probation. In January 2020, however, the prosecutors indicated that Flynn should be treated more harshly because he reneged on his promise to cooperate on the Rafiekian case.

  This was part of the retaliation for Flynn’s refusal to lie for the prosecutors, according to Powell.

  Shortly after that, Flynn asked the court to let him withdraw his plea.

  75. Hint at Perjury

  In February 2020, prosecutors asked for Sullivan to give them access to Flynn’s communications with Covington.

  Any limitation the court puts on how the attorney-client information can be used shouldn’t “preclude the government from prosecuting the defendant for perjury if any information that he provided to counsel were proof of perjury in this proceeding,” they said.

  It’s not clear what specifically they were referring to.

  76. Thousands More Documents

  In April, Covington told Flynn they found thousands more documents related to his case that they failed to give to Powell due to “an unintentional miscommunication involving the firm’s information technology personnel.”

  77. Van Grack Out

  On May 7, 2020, Van Grack withdrew from Flynn’s case as well as others. The reason is not clear.

  The same day, the DOJ moved to withdraw the Flynn case.

  78. Judge Delays

  A government motion to withdraw a case usually marks the end of the case. The court still needs to accept the motion, but there’s not much it can do, since there’s nobody left to prosecute the case.

  Sullivan, however, didn’t accept it.

  79. Appointing Amicus

  On May 13, 2020, Sullivan appointed former federal Judge John Gleeson as an amicus curiae (friend of court) “to present arguments in opposition to the government’s Motion to Dismiss” as well as to “address” whether the court should make the defense explain why “Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury.”

  This was an unusual move. Amici are normally only appointed in civil or higher court cases. Powell has said Sullivan doesn’t have authority to do so.

  80. Another Washington Post Coincidence

  Just two days earlier, Gleeson co-authored an op-ed in The Washington Post where he accused the DOJ of “impropriety,” “corruption,” and “improper political influence” for dropping the Flynn case.

  81. More Delays

  On May 19, 2020, Sullivan issued a scheduling order that set an oral argument for July 16, when third parties invited by the judge would get a chance to voice their opinions. As such, the judge set to prolong the case for about two more months and possibly beyond.

  Meanwhile, Flynn sent a petition to the District of Columbia appeals court, asking it to order Sullivan to accept the case dismissal.

  82. Order for Response

  In a rare move, the appeals court ordered Sullivan to respond to Flynn’s petition within 10 days. Usually, the court would appoint an amicus curiae to argue the case on behalf of the judge. Sometimes, the court would invite the judge to respond. Ordering a response is “very rare,” Reeves commented.

  83. Sullivan Lawyers Up

  In another unusual turn of events, Sullivan hired highly-connected D.C. attorney Beth Wilkinson to respond to the appeals court on his behalf.

  Wilkinson has in the past represented major corporations such as Pfizer, Microsoft, and Phillip Morris, as well as Hillary Clinton aides during the FBI’s investigation of Clinton’s use of a private email server. She also assisted then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in preparing his 2018 defense against a sexual assault allegation.

  Wilkinson is married to CNN analyst David Gregory, the former host of the NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

  84. DOJ Brings Big Guns

  In another unusual move, the DOJ’s Solicitor General and five of his deputies responded to the appeals court in support of Flynn’s petition. The Solicitor General usually argues cases on behalf of the DOJ before the Supreme Court. His personal involvement in an appeals court petition “is highly unusual and rare,” Reeves said.

  85. Short Notice

  On June 2, 2020, the appeals court set a hearing in the case on June 12, giving unusually short notice, Reeves noted.

  “For non-lawyers, a ten day notice for oral argument may seem like a long time, but it isn’t. It’s an increidibly [sic] short amount of time,” he said, noting that a call for a hearing “shows that the DC Circuit is gravely concerned about this matter.”

  

• Singapore Deploys Robots At Migrant Workers Dormitory To Enforce Social Distancing
  Singapore Deploys Robots At Migrant Workers Dormitory To Enforce Social Distancing
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 23:05

  Singapore has been dealing with one of the highest infection totals in all of Asia, mainly because of foreign worker dormitories in the country that have led to a surge in cases since April. This prompted the government to deploy autonomous robots to at least one dormitory, a move that would hopefully enforce strict social distancing rules.

  The tiny, Asian country continues to reopen its severely damaged economy after several months of lockdowns — confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country breached 38,000 cases on Monday, with a total of 25 deaths. 

  The government’s virus task force told Reuters on Monday that at least half of the country’s newly discovered virus cases are asymptomatic. About 6,294 infections in the last two weeks have derived from migrant workers.

  In response to the outbreak, AsiaOne reported the Singapore Police Force deployed autonomous robots to at least one foreign worker dormitory in the eastern part of the country to enforce social distancing. 

  Two Multi-purpose All-Terrain Autonomous Robots (Matar) were deployed at the start of May at one foreign worker dormitory. Each robot has cameras and speakers and can be controlled remotely via an operator.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Singapore Police Inspector Teo Wan-Ling, who leads 15 officers at the dormitory, said the robots aid in their ability to better enforce social distancing among residents.

  Ling said: “There is a sizeable amount of people (at the dormitory). Sometimes when they queue up for their food, they don’t adhere to the safe distancing measures. So, in this case, you can just give them a verbal reminder over the Matar.” 

  “The Matar also plays a deterrent role,” she said, noting that the workers generally tend to follow the safe distancing measures once they see the robot patrolling.

  Assistant Superintendent of Police Daniel Toh, operations officer in the police’s future operations and planning division, said the robots play broadcast messages in several different languages. 

  “The robot actually helps us to automate some routine as well as mundane tasks, so officers don’t have to travel and do the footwork. Instead, these robots can help to reduce human fatigue and perform the jobs available,” Toh said.

  The robots navigate autonomously through the facility with a 360-degree camera, which covers any blind spots during patrols. Other Matar robots are being trialed in the country. One robot, in particular, can deploy a tethered drone that can fly up to 120 feet high. 

  The spread of Orwellian surveillance devices like Matar robots are becoming more common in a post-corona world. 

  

• Russia, Russia, Russia – Obama Apparatchiks Blame Moscow For America's Riots
  Russia, Russia, Russia – Obama Apparatchiks Blame Moscow For America’s Riots
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 22:45

  Authored by Phillip Giraldi via The Strategic Culture Foundation,

  If one ventures into the vast wasteland of American television it is possible to miss the truly ridiculous content that is promoted as news by the major networks. One particular feature of media-speak in the United States is the tendency of the professional reporting punditry to go seeking for someone to blame every time some development rattles the National Security plus Wall Street bubble that we all unfortunately live in. The talking heads have to such an extent sold the conclusion that China deliberately released a lethal virus to destroy western democracies that no one objects when Beijing is elevated from being a commercial competitor and political adversary to an enemy of the United States. One sometimes even sees that it is all a communist plot. Likewise, the riots taking place all across the U.S. are being milked for what it’s worth by the predominantly liberal media, both to influence this year’s election and to demonstrate how much the news oligarchs really love black people.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  As is often the case, there are a number of inconsistencies in the narrative. If one looks at the numerous photos of the protests in many parts of the country, it is clear that most of the demonstrators are white, not black, which might suggest that even if there are significant pockets of racism in the United States there is also a strong condemnation of that fact by many white people. And this in a country that elected a black man president not once, but twice, and that black president had a cabinet that included a large number of African-Americans.

  Also, to further obfuscate any understanding of what might be taking place, the media and chattering class is obsessed with finding white supremacists as instigators of at least some of the actual violence. It would be a convenient explanation for the Social Justice Warriors that proliferate in the media, though it is supported currently by little actual evidence that anyone is exploiting right-wing groups.

  Simultaneously, some on the right, to include the president, are blaming legitimately dubbed domestic terrorist group Antifa, which is perhaps more plausible, though again evidence of organized instigation appears to be on the thin side. Still another source of the mayhem apparently consists of some folks getting all excited by the turmoil and breaking windows and tossing Molotov cocktails, as did two upper middle class attorneys in Brooklyn last week.

  Nevertheless, the search goes on for a guilty party. Explaining the demonstrations and riots as the result of the horrible killing of a black man by police which has revulsed both black and white Americans would be too simple to satisfy the convoluted yearnings of the likes of Wolf Blitzer and Rachel Maddow.

  Which brings us to Russia. How convenient is it to fall back on Russia which, together with the Chinese, is reputedly already reported to be working hard to subvert the November U.S. election. And what better way to do just that than to call on one of the empty-heads of the Barack Obama administration, whose foreign policy achievements included the destruction of a prosperous Libya and the killing of four American diplomats in Benghazi, the initiation of kinetic hostilities with Syria, the failure to achieve a reset with Russia and the assassinations of American citizens overseas without any due process. But Obama sure did talk nice and seem pleasant unlike the current occupant of the White House.

  The predictable Wolf Blitzer had a recent interview with perhaps the emptiest head of all the empowered women who virtually ran the Obama White House. Susan Rice was U.N. Ambassador and later National Security Advisor under Barack Obama. Before that she was a Clinton appointee who served as Undersecretary of State for African Affairs. She is reportedly currently being considered as a possible running mate for Joe Biden as she has all the necessary qualifications being a woman and black.

  While Ambassador and National Security Advisor, Rice had the reputation of being extremely abrasive. She ran into trouble when she failed to be convincing in support of the Obama administration exculpatory narrative regarding what went wrong in Benghazi when the four Americans, to include the U.S. Ambassador, were killed.

  In her interview with Blitzer, Rice said: 

  “We have peaceful protesters focused on the very real pain and disparities that we’re all wrestling with that have to be addressed, and then we have extremists who’ve come to try to hijack those protests and turn them into something very different. And they’re probably also, I would bet based on my experience, I’m not reading the intelligence these days, but based on my experience this is right out of the Russian playbook as well. I would not be surprised to learn that they have fomented some of these extremists on both sides using social media. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that they are funding it in some way, shape, or form.”

  It should be noted that Rice, a devout Democrat apparatchik, produced no evidence whatsoever that the Russians were or have been involved in “fomenting” the reactions to the George Floyd demonstrations and riots beyond the fact that Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden all believe that Moscow is responsible for everything. Clinton in particular hopes that some day someone will actually believe her when she claims that she lost to Trump in 2016 due to Russia. Even Robert Mueller, he of the Russiagate Inquiry, could not come up with any real evidence suggesting that the relatively low intensity meddling in the election by the Kremlin had any real impact. Nor was there any suggestion that Moscow was actually colluding with the Trump campaign, nor with its appointees, to include National Security Advisor designate Michael Flynn.

  Fortunately, no one took much notice of Rice based on her “experience,” or her judgement insofar as she possesses that quality. Glenn Greenwald responded:

  “This is fuxxing lunacy — conspiratorial madness of the worst kind — but it’s delivered by a Serious Obama Official and a Respected Mainstream Newscaster so it’s all fine… This is Infowars-level junk. Should Twitter put a ‘False’ label on this? Or maybe a hammer and sickle emoji?”

  Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova accurately described the Rice performance as a “perfect example of barefaced propaganda.” She wrote on her Facebook page “Are you trying to play the Russia card again? You’ve been playing too long – come back to reality” instead of using “dirty methods of information manipulation” despite “having absolutely no facts to prove [the] allegations… go out and face your people, look them in the eye and try telling them that they are being controlled by the Russians through YouTube and Facebook. And I will sit back and watch ‘American exceptionalism’ in action.”

  It should be assumed that the Republicans will be coming up with their own candidate for “fomenting” the riots and demonstrations. It already includes Antifa, of course, but is likely to somehow also involve the Chinese, who will undoubtedly be seen as destroying American democracy through the double whammy of a plague and race riots. Speaking at the White House, National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien warned about foreign incitement, including not only the Chinese, but also Iran and even Zimbabwe. And, oh yes, Russia.

  One thing is for sure, no matter who is ultimately held accountable, no one in the Congress or White House will be taking the blame for anything.

  

• Days After Getting 'Woke' On Trump, Snapchat Refuses To Release Diversity Report Amid Racism Complaints
  Days After Getting ‘Woke’ On Trump, Snapchat Refuses To Release Diversity Report Amid Racism Complaints
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 22:25

  Last week, Snap announced they would no longer promote President Trump’s account, claiming the company “will not amplify voices who incite racial violence and injustice.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Today, Business Insider reports that CEO Evan Spiegel told employees at an all-hands meeting on Tuesday that the company would not release its diversity report – which Spiegel argued would only reinforce the notion that minorities are underrepresented in Silicon Valley.

  The implication, of course, is that Snapchat is simply another ‘woke’ Silicon Valley company run by virtue signaling hypocrites.

  Spiegel told employees that the company’s diversity numbers are in line with those at other tech companies, which have long skewed white and male. –Business Insider

  Spiegel’s comments come days after former employees said they experienced and witnessed racism at Snapchat.

  LMFAO at @applegatetv retweeting this. Liz, my ex manager, asked me to remove snaps of black people from a Snapchat Story & replace them w/snaps of white people bc the story was too “black-heavy” & “they all look the same.” This is who leads entertainment stories at @Snapchat https://t.co/4OFtj7aTu5

  — ✨diana baik 🐰 (@dinobakes) June 5, 2020

  Founded in 2011, Snapchat parent Snap hired its first head of diversity and inclusion in 2019, and has never made its diversity report public – while most major Silicon Valley companies began making such reports public in 2014.

  In 2019, Google reported women made up only 32% of its employees, and that only 9.6% were Black or Latinx. The situation is similar at Facebook, where only 9% of its workforce is Black or Latinx. Twitter’s Latinx and Black employees are just nearly 11% of Twitter’s workforce, while Apple is one of the most diverse tech companies with more than 22% of workers identifying as Black or Latinx.

  Spiegel also took time during the Q&A session to refute the allegations of racism and “shrinking diversity” that were made on Twitter and earlier reported by Mashable, the employees said. Former employees who identify as people of color told Mashable they experienced a racist culture, including from leadership, while working for Snapchat between 2015 and 2018. Managers censored or minimized coverage of predominantly Black content, like that from the 2016 Black Lives Matter movement and the hip-hop music festival Rolling Loud, according to the report. –Business Insider

  How much of Evan Spiegel’s estimated $4 billion net worth should he donate to minority causes in order to atone for his company’s lack of diversity? After all, it would be the progressive thing to do, wouldn’t it?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  

• US Intel Officially Declared Steele Dossier "Highly Politically Sensitive" & Mostly Uncorroborated
  US Intel Officially Declared Steele Dossier “Highly Politically Sensitive” & Mostly Uncorroborated
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 22:05

  Authored by John Solomon via JustTheNews.com,

  Two months after the FBI used Christopher Steele’s dossier to support a warrant targeting the Trump campaign, U.S. intelligence officially declared his evidence was “highly politically sensitive,” minimally corroborated and not worthy of including in its analysis of Russian election interference, a newly declassified document shows.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The so-called Annex A of the official Russian election interference Intelligence Community Assessment was declassified this week by Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, providing the most definitive proof to date that the U.S. intelligence in December 2016 as President Obama was leaving office was wary of a dossier that was essential to the FBI probe into now-disproven Trump-Russia collusion.

  “An FBI source, using both identified and unidentified sub sources, volunteered highly politically sensitive information from the summer to the fall of 2016 on Russian influence efforts aimed at the US presidential election. We have only limited corroboration of the source reporting in this case and did not use it to reach the analytic conclusions of the CIA/FBI/NSA assessment,” the appendix stated.

  The intelligence community assessment also warned that Steele appeared to have leaked his information to the media just before Trump was elected Nov. 8, 2016.

  “The source’s reporting appears to have been acquired by multiple western press organizations starting in October,” the annex stated.

  The annex confirms Republicans’ long-held suspicions that the intelligence community saw the Steele dossier as suspect even as the FBI portrayed its allegations as verified to a FISA court starting in October 2016.

  You can read the newly declassified document here…

  

• Mike O'Rourke: "The Market Is More Broken Today Than It Was On March 23rd, And It's Entirely Due To The Fed"
  Mike O’Rourke: “The Market Is More Broken Today Than It Was On March 23rd, And It’s Entirely Due To The Fed”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 21:45

  Authored by Mike O’Rourke, Chief Market Strategist at JonesTrading

  Ignorance is Bliss

  The investment community witnessed financial history on Wednesday. For fifty minutes, Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell highlighted the risks to the economy. Specifically, he indicated that there is so much uncertainty to the economic outlook that the Fed’s forecasts in the Summary of Economic Projections are essentially useless. He warned that there are 22-24 million people out of work, and that millions will remain out of work when the economy recovers. He skillfully dodged a couple of questions about asset prices. Finally, with the last question of the day, Bloomberg’s Mike McKee nailed it when he asked the questions on all investors’ minds. Essentially, he queried whether the Fed’s response has created a bubble and financial stability risk, and second, whether the Fed has played a role in driving wealth disparity in this country, and last, whether there is a policy tweak that could adjust that trend? The Chairman did not specifically address the second question, but throughout the press conference and his recent speaking engagements, he has stressed that the Fed’s interventions are intended to help the most vulnerable of society. At this point, we are all well aware (and history has proven) that the Fed’s policies to help the vulnerable help the wealthy far more and continue to fuel wealth disparity.

  The Chairman of the Federal Reserve’s response to the asset bubble question was stunning and a sign of how far off track the central bank is and what a dangerous environment it is creating. Powell started by noting that once the investment community realized the pandemic was going global, the investor reaction was to sell. He stated “…investors everywhere in the world, for a period of weeks wanted to sell everything that wasn’t cash, or a short term treasury instrument. They did not want to have anything that had any risk at all. And so, what happened, markets stopped working, they stopped working. Companies couldn’t borrow, they couldn’t roll over their debt, people couldn’t borrow. That’s the kind of situation that can be financial turbulence and malfunction, a financial system that’s not working can greatly amplify the negative effects of what was clearly going to be a major economic shock. So what our tools were put to work to do was to restore the markets to function.” Investors selling because of a major negative economic event is the definition of a market functioning properly. He can choose to argue about liquidity in the ten year treasury drying up, but the asset was at record highs. If it had been allowed to correct, liquidity would have returned. Instead, we suspect the Fed Chairman was likely duped by levered long fund managers betting on negative interest rates. When it was apparent negative rates would not materialize, they were trapped until the Fed decided to pay all time highs for hundreds of billions of dollars of Treasuries.

  The Chairman then continued, “I think some of that has really happened as I mentioned in my opening remarks, and that’s a good thing. So we are not looking to achieve a particular level of any asset price. What we want is investors to be pricing in risk, like markets are supposed to do. Borrowers are borrowing, lenders are lending, markets to be working.” It appears as though he is saying that because asset prices have rebounded, now markets are functioning. Although the “problem” is resolved, the Fed will continue to keep easing on a daily basis. He elaborated on why the Fed will continue to ease. “If we were to hold back, we would never do this, the idea or just the concept that we would hold back just because we think asset prices are too high, others may not think so but we think that is the case. What would happen to those people what would happen to the people we are actually legally supposed to be serving. We are supposed to be pursuing maximum employment and stable prices, and that’s what we are pursuing.” The reality is that the $8.5 Trillion in stock market wealth created in the last 11 weeks is not creating jobs for any of the 22-24 million unemployed for whom he expressed concern.

  Once again, Powell is reinforcing the view that markets that moving higher are functioning and markets that are moving lower are malfunctioning (as he concluded). He stated, “We’re not focused on moving asset prices in a particular direction, or at all. We want markets to be working, and I think partly as a result of what we’ve done they are working and we hope that continues.” The Chairman spent the entire press conference talking about the uncertainty of the recovery, 22-24 million people unemployed, and the millions of people who will remain unemployed. Is that consistent with a market on the cusp of making new all time highs?

  The market is more broken today than it was on March 23rd, and it is entirely due to the Central Bank. The most remarkable aspect about Federal Reserve policy over the past 12 years is that very little of it has been related to economics. It has almost entirely been tied to financial markets, and leadership of the Fed over that time has repeatedly exhibited ignorance as to the functioning of financial markets.

  

• The COVID Crisis Canceled Many Graduation Speeches. Thank Goodness…
  The COVID Crisis Canceled Many Graduation Speeches. Thank Goodness…
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 21:25

  Authored by Ryan McMaken via The Mises Institute,

  Thanks to the COVID-19 panic this year, graduates at America’s institutions of higher education missed the “opportunity” to be lectured by some celebrity or politician about the importance of wanting a better world, or how racism is bad, or about how one should celebrate life.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Indeed, those who have no friends and nothing else to do could tune in to watch commencement speeches on these topics from academic and intellectual giants like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Lady Gaga.

  The speeches made by politicians — who use the speeches to push their own political agendas — are slightly more substantive, although no less opportunistic. Last year, for example — when graduation ceremonies were still conducted live — Angela Merkel and Christine Lagarde used their commencement speeches at American universities to burnish their own careers, albeit their talks were punctuated with discussions of topics like the transatlantic partnership .

  The speeches tend to be expensive affairs, as well. As the Chicago Tribune reported in 2016:

  the University of Houston paid $35,000 to book retired astronaut Scott Kelly as the commencement speaker. Rutgers University paid $35,000 for journalist Bill Moyers, who spoke at one division’s ceremony after the schoolwide keynote speech from the unpaid President Barack Obama. Kean University in New Jersey paid $40,000 to each of its two speakers….

  As many colleges struggle with tight budgets, some have drawn sharp criticism for paying hefty speaking fees. The University of Houston, which increased tuition this year, paid $166,000 to bring Matthew McConaughey to speak last spring, including $9,500 for his airfare. The University of Oklahoma paid $110,000 to book journalist Katie Couric in 2006. Both speakers donated their fees to charity, but their costs sparked a debate about whether colleges pay too much for pageantry.

  The students, of course, are never consulted as to whether or not this is money well spent.

  From the administration’s standpoint, the fact these speeches serve no educational purpose whatsoever is immaterial. As I wrote back in 2014:

  [T]he commencement speech is one of the more absurd traditions still maintained by higher education institutions today, and it has very little to do with providing an educational experience. Graduation ceremonies overall mostly exist to stroke the egos of the faculty members and give the institution itself a pat on the back while simultaneously attempting to convert the new alumni into donors. The speeches, we are told, are some sort of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear wisdom form the lips of politicians and perennial government employees like Condoleeza Rice and Christine Lagarde, who are in turn paid handsomely to lecture new graduates about “giving back” to the community, or being yourself, or following your dreams.

  As with most everything that occurs as a university, the purpose of the commencement speech is not to provide a service to the students, but to make the institution’s faculty and staff feel important. If an institution can land a celebrity speaker (no matter how blood-soaked or morally bankrupt) to deliver the commencement speech, it will be great for the next fundraising campaign, and if the speaker says something really entertaining, insightful, or controversial, then it might even get the institution on the evening news. The commencement speech serves a public relations function, not an educational one.

  This year’s commencement season brought with it the usual controversy, and several commencement speakers withdrew after some students protested. Among those who withdrew were Condoleeza Rice and Christine Lagarde. It turned out that some students failed to see how these politicians would dispense timeless life-lessons to the students, given their rather questionable careers spent in a variety of morally questionable pursuits.

  Nonetheless, many students, pundits and gullible parents still seem to be under the impression that graduate ceremonies are an important social institution. This is why we are told to be outraged every time there is some sort of “walkout” or other sign of disrespect directed at these well-paid and very-powerful commencement speakers on occasion:

  “Why these spoiled brats aren’t showing the proper respect to the rituals of our colleges and universities! These commencement speakers are all so very important and must be heeded!”

  And so on.

  It should be noted that most students who attend commencement ceremonies couldn’t care less who the celebrity speaker is. Most of them are there because they like the ritualistic aspects of it, and virtually no one remembers what is said at commencement speeches in any case. The fact that there is a vocal minority that manages to veto some speakers is immaterial to the experience of nearly all students who will attend. Most students are really just waiting to get their prop diplomas (the real ones are mailed later) and go to brunch with their families.

  The fact that most students (i.e., paying customers) just want to “feel graduated” by going to these ceremonies should be a tip to the faculty that speakers should be non-controversial. But, because these administrators want attention and influence, they often insist on bringing in controversial political figures and causing even more grief for their customers, as if four years of over-priced classes and social conditioning wasn’t enough.

  The fact colleges and universities couldn’t care less about the people who pay the bills was reinforced all the more this year when most universities shut down as a result of the COVID-19 panic. Most higher education institutions insisted on charging students full price even though “college” was reduced to series of Zoom meetings and online assignments. Obviously, that’s not what most students paid for. College administrators, of course, were adamant that the students keep paying through the nose for services not rendered.

  Needless to say, students should not expect a discount for the fact there were no commencement ceremonies this year. But the fact we survived a year without them should be an opportunity to remind us we should get rid of the “tradition” of commencement speakers altogether. As Casey Cep explained in Politico in 2014, these speeches are “a tired ritual”  and are usually on the intellectual level of something we might call “Chicken Soup for the Graduating Soul.” That’s a generous assessment. More often, these speeches exist to push the ruling class’s party line. There no intellectual enrichment going on.

  Fortunately, some of the more intelligent university trustees have already done away with it altogether. Cep notes:

  As Jason Song of The Los Angeles Times noticed, current Washington and Lee President Kenneth Ruscio explained in 2009: “The wise and fiscally prudent Board determined that in future years our graduates and families should rest easy knowing that if they had to endure a worthless Commencement address, it would at least be inexpensive,” meaning the president gives the only speech.

  That is indeed wisdom in this era of bloated higher-ed budgets, when millions are spent every year for grand, pompous ceremonies despite the discontent of students and the fiscal crisis of higher education.

  

• China New Car Sales Fall 10% Year-Over-Year And 20% Sequentially For The First Week Of June
  China New Car Sales Fall 10% Year-Over-Year And 20% Sequentially For The First Week Of June
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 21:05

  It’s going to be tough to peddle the narrative that things are back on an upswing with the auto industry in China after retail car sales fell 10% year over year – but more importantly 20% from the same period in May – in the first week of June.

  This comes after what looked like the beginning of a rebound for the industry in May, to the extent that we can trust the numbers coming out of Beijing. According to Bloomberg, China’s PCA now expects that retail sales will decline in June in part to what is being called “seasonal factors”.

  This news comes despite better than expected results in May, where sales showed a 12% increase year over year. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  According to The Detroit Bureau, premium and luxury passenger car retail sales led the charge in May, rising 28% last month compared with year-ago results. Those vehicles accounted for 1.61 million of the month’s 2.14 million vehicles sold.

  Tesla helped along with China’s May luxury sales number, selling 11,065 Model 3’s during the month compared to just the 3,635 vehicles it sold in April. However, that hasn’t stopped the company’s VP of Business Development in China, Robin Ren, from leaving the company, according to Bloomberg. 

  The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, or CAAM, had predicted an 11.7% jump for May, including commercial vehicle sales in its results. Predictions for June look ominous: the CPCA has said that June sales will decline in part because June 2019 was such a strong month for the industry.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Meanwhile, the Chinese government is on the cusp of attempting to spur demand with new policies aimed at enticing buyers, according to Bloomberg, citing an unnamed automotive industry group in China. 

  Recall, we have recently noted that U.S. auto manufacturers are teeing up sizeable incentives to get buyers back into showrooms. Europe is following suit, with Volkswagen starting a sales initiative to revive demand, including improved leasing and financing terms. 

  Outlook for the year in China remains less-than-optimistic. The CAAM predicts that sales will drop 15% to 25% for the year, depending on whether or not the country is able to further slow the spread of the virus.

  

• Why So Few Bears Own Park Avenue Apartments
  Why So Few Bears Own Park Avenue Apartments
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 20:45

  Via Global Macro Monitor,

  Summary

  • Bears can’t win the long-game, the probabilities are stacked against them as stocks (DJIA) have generated positive returns for almost 70 percent of the last 100 years
  • Bears also face a relatively new (since the 1990s) headwind,  that is rent-seeking behavior of the investment markets, where the rules of the game are changed when the market moves in the bears’ favor
  • Stocks remain divorced from economic reality and are not optimal initial conditions for a sustained and stable new bull market

  Good question, easy answer.

  Probabilities Are Against Bears

  First, the bears begin in a big hole with the probabilities stacked against them.  We wrote an extensive analysis on this subject in our March 2019,  Permabulls For Long Run.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The above data show the stock market in terms of the Dow Jones Industrials has generated positive returns for almost 70 percent of the past 100 years.  Those are difficult probabilities to bet against and remain solvent.

  Growth

  The stock market is invariably linked to the economy over the long run, and the natural state of the economic trajectory is for growth, which, in most cases,  generates profits that fuel stock rallies.  Betting against that scenario for a prolonged period is the fastest way to the poor house.

  Rent-seeking Shareholder Class

  Second, we have been working on a piece for weeks, which has turned into a tome,  Rent-Seeking Nation.   It should be out soon but our idea was sparked by an excellent piece written by our good friend,  Joe Calhoun, CEO of Alhambra Investments, titled  Here Come The Crony Capitalists.   If you haven’t read it, run don’t walk to consume it. 

  Joe understands what is current at stake for the global economy, the consequences of bad policy, and understands risk, and how to manage it.  We mentioned in an earlier post that we live in times where it is important to have an experienced portfolio manager, who understands how to manage left-tail risk.   Joe is one of the best.

  Rent-Seeking

  Rent-seeking

  the fact or practice of manipulating public policy or economic conditions as a strategy for increasing profits. “cronyism and rent-seeking have become an integral part of the way our biggest companies do business – Lexico

  Bears face another difficulty in that the investor class, led by Wall Street and the financial media have tremendous influence over public policy,  monetary policy, in particular.

  It seems evident, at least to us, that when market forces assert themselves to pressure stocks to move back to more realistic and reasonable valuations, monetary policymakers intervene and change the rules of the game against the bears.  We are not arguing this the primary objective of monetary policy but it is, in fact, the end result.

  The Stock Market and Economy 

  The chart below illustrates how divorced the current stock market is from economic reality.  It is just another form of our favorite valuation metric, stock market capitalization-to-GDP.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The above data show that the annual trend growth of the S&P500 and nominal GDP tracked quite well up until the dot.com bubble, which began in the mid-1990s.  The major bear markets of 2000–02 and 2007-09 caused the stock market to revert back close to trend GDP but stocks were soon reflated again by easy monetary policy.

  There are many plausible reasons that caused this structural shift, which we won’t go into now.  Contact us if you’re interested.

  Economic Stability

  The optimal and most stable dual path, in our opinion,  is where both series track each other as was the case pre-1995.

  At current levels, the stock market is way out of line with trend GDP.    Yet, we heard, even today, on the financial television that we may be at the start of a new bull market.  Seriously?

  Stare at the chart for a few minutes and ask yourself,  is that a realistic, high probability scenario?   It is possible the laws of gravity with respect to stock valuations have been permanently suspended but we don’t think it is likely.

  What is also notable from the chart is that the bubbles keep getting larger and larger.  In fact, stocks may now be so far out of line with the economy that it is impossible to “land the plane” without destroying the world.  How did we allow ourselves to get here?

  Laws Of Economics Suspended

  There is now a rapidly growing group of people who think the laws of economics have been suspended.  That is there are no constraints on financial resources and don’t seem to have a problem with trillion-dollar deficits, most of which are now monetized, weak bond auctions (today’s 10-year), and a weakening currency

  As macro observers, we are not fond of that cocktail, though, given the COVID crisis we don’t seem to have much choice on the massive deficit and debt monetization.

  The macro boys at GMM remain uncomfortable, however,  and that is why our position remains in cash and gold.  Let them have their bull market.

  Note this is not the case with our stock picker, Carol, who is fighting some health issues and probably would have weighed in here.

  Initial Conditions For A New Bull Market

  By the way, the average initial valuation of new bull markets from 1974 to 2009,  was a stock market capitalization-to-GDP of 53.1 percent.  The new bull market, which they tell us began on March 23rd was almost double that at 105.3 percent and now approaching 170 percent, more the 25 points above the peak level of the dot.com bubble.  Sure the economy has bottomed and should get a record bounce in Q3, but stunning, nonetheless.

  Upshot

  The market — well, not really a market anymore after the Fed has effectively nationalized the bond markets — looks like a screaming short given the above chart.  Just remember bears,  you’re betting against the long-run probabilities skewed against you, and also understand that the referees will change the rules of the game if you start winning big.  Rent-seeking is ubiqutious and now trumps market forces, which is a major factor why even the United States is morphing into a zombie economy.

  

• Zoom Disables Accounts Of Exiled Chinese Dissidents During Tiananmen Square Memorial
  Zoom Disables Accounts Of Exiled Chinese Dissidents During Tiananmen Square Memorial
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 20:25

  Zoom shares easily shook off the controversy about the app’s vulnerability to intrusion by the Chinese, since most normal Americans don’t really care – if some MSS spooks want to eavesdrop on our conversations with grandma, they can go right ahead. They might even learn a thing or two.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  But on Thursday, concerns about Zoom’s ties to Beijing resurfaced following reports that the company disabled the accounts belonging to the surviving members of the Tiananmen Square student movement during a video chat event they held to commemorate the anniversary of the incident last week (in China, the massacre is referred to as “the June 4th Incident”). The call was shut down by the company at the behest of the Chinese government because it included dissidents dialing in from China, the FT reports.

  As the FT reminds us, nearly one-third of Zoom’s workforce resides in China, although the company trades on the Nasdaq. Much of its R&D takes place in China, and its servers are based there (making them vulnerable to infiltration). Famous student leader and exiled dissident Wang Dan reportedly participated in the call.

  Zoom disabled the accounts of a group of Chinese dissidents in the US after they used its video conference service to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre. Zoom’s role in shutting down the meeting, which was hosted and organised by activists in the US but included participants dialling in from China, will increase fears about the platform’s security and how it will respond to government censorship requests. Zoom’s video chat service has exploded in popularity since lockdowns were introduced across the globe to slow the spread of Covid-19. The company, which is listed on Nasdaq, has a large operation in China: nearly a third of its workers are based in the country and much of its R&D takes place there. It also has servers in China.

  Zoom claimed it disabled the accounts, including one paid account, because the call ‘violated local – ie Chinese – law’.

  Mr Wang’s team shared screenshots with the Financial Times of his Zoom call being cancelled twice and two of his team’s paid Zoom accounts being disabled. The cancellations started just as the meetings were due to begin on the morning of June 4 in the US, where Mr Wang is based. Zoom later suggested that the Tiananmen commemoration had violated local laws, saying that “We strive to limit actions taken to those necessary to comply with local law . . . We regret that a few recent meetings with participants both inside and outside of China were negatively impacted and important conversations were disrupted.”

  The Tiananmen dissidents alleged that Zoom shut down the call on direct orders from the CCP.

  “31 years ago, we were on the streets fighting the Chinese Communist party police; today, these kinds of confrontations have shifted to the realm of cyber space,” wrote Mr Wang on Facebook. “Through destroying freedom of speech online, the CCP seriously threatens freedom of speech and democracy globally.”

  Mr Wang’s team attributed the cancellations to hacking attempts or orders from the Chinese Communist party. Beijing has always sought to quell discussion of the Tiananmen Square massacre, although previously focused on its own territory. Last month, the government stopped Zoom from allowing individual users to sign up in China, according to the Nikkei Asian Review. “The memorial events for the June 4 massacre . . . impair the CCP regime’s legitimacy. Hacking such an online memorial meeting would do nothing beneficial to any other people or organisations except the CCP, especially its top leaders,” said a member of Mr Wang’s team when asked as to the motives behind the attacks.

  The NYT’s longtime Beijing bureau chief offered a more in-depth look at Zoom’s decision in a twitter thread, and an explanation that before it soared to global popularity, Zoom was once “a hole in the Great Firewall” that Beijing is now moving to seal.

  So Zoom suspended the account of @ZhouFengSuo after he hosted a virtual vigil to commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Some context on Zoom in China: it has been on Chinese censor’s radar for a while, but seems to have fallen thru the cracks. https://t.co/DFVtvFdPsK

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  In Sept. 2019 Zoom was briefly blocked in China. In response a Zoom reseller posted instructions for real-name registration and said there had been a call from the Ministry of Public Security to follow the cybersecurity law. That got it out of the doghouse for the time being.

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Yet as Zoom soared to prominence this year, Chinese could still get on anonymously and connect with the world. It was a bridge over the Great Firewall. For May 1, Zoom blocked unregistered Chinese accounts from being able to host meetings. They could only join as participants.

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Still, unregistered accounts could join calls like Zhou’s Tiananmen Vigil, which would likely be blocked on any other platform in China. It was a classic hole in the wall that came with new tech. And people used it. It’s classic cat-and-mouse tactics to get around censorship.

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The question is, what happens next? Zoom could block Chinese unregistered users, which hurts its business. It could block connections between China and the world, which would harm its service. Or it could censor accounts like Zhou’s, which angers many and alienates US politicians

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Zoom says it will protect users from censorship, but adds “for situations where local authorities block communications for participants within their borders, Zoom is developing additional capabilities that protect these conversations for participants outside of those borders.”

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The strange language makes me wonder whether they’re going to create a separate feedback system that could cut users inside China off calls, while keeping the calls open for people outside China. Something like that might appease Beijing. The alternative is being fully blocked.

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  It shows the political minefield an American company must navigate to survive China’s strict censorship rules. Unclear how Zoom will fare. The fact that Zoom hosts live video communications will make China’s internet regulators particularly nervous. It’s tough to stay ahead of.

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Whether to censor on China’s behalf is a separate matter. What’s interesting is Zhou used LinkedIn, which censors in China and so isn’t blocked, to advertise the Zoom vigil. Still Zhou opposes such practices “an American company put Chinese-style restrictions on users in the US.”

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  He had this to add: “The Great Firewall enslaves the Chinese people. It is the fatal flaw for an open and free internet….The best option is to tear down the Great Firewall.”

  — Paul Mozur 孟建国 (@paulmozur) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The decision to censor the conversation is just one more example of why users should avoid the popular app, which has refused to implement end-to-end encryption and shown an alarming indifference to implementing security standards that might protect users from Beijing.

  

• Is Unarmed National Guard Emboldening Seattle Mob?
  Is Unarmed National Guard Emboldening Seattle Mob?
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 20:05

  Submitted by Susan Crabtree, of Real Clear Politics

  The riots and protests that have roiled cites across the country over the last two weeks are dying down in the East Coast, but  still raging on in Seattle, a bastion of far-left activism.

  The ongoing chaos in Seattle is fueling new questions about whether decisions to disarm the state’s National Guard and have the Seattle police stand down are fanning the flames of protest and emboldening activists hell-bent on anarchy.

  On June 1, after several nights of chaotic riots and looting in Seattle that included protesters setting several police cars ablaze, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee called in the National Guard to help stabilize the unrest that erupted following George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

  “The guard are unarmed peacekeepers. They are here to help support the local communities,” Inslee, a Democrat who briefly ran for president before dropping out last summer, said at a press conference. “Their service is no different than what was provided during fire season or what they’re doing for our COVID-19 response.”

  Eight days later, tensions were still running high after a weekend filled with clashes between Seattle police and protesters and an incident involving a man driving into a crowd of protesters and shooting one. On Monday night, a team of National Guard soldiers, armed only with batons and plastic shields and surrounded by protesters, pushed their way through the crowd and into a Seattle police precinct to remove weapons, ammunition and other supplies and allow all employees to leave, according to an eyewitness who spoke to RealClearPolitics.

  Police Chief Carmen Best had ordered police to abandon the building, and the Guard soldiers appeared to play a key role in carrying it out.

  Afterward, the police precinct, along with apartments and businesses on the block, were sprayed with foam fire suppressant to help protect them from a “credible threat” to burn the structure down. It was a prudent precaution after a Minneapolis police precinct was torched and suffered damage in the first few days of the protests over Memorial Day weekend.

  Firefighters are standing by to protect the building and nearby businesses. Protesters, touting their victory against police, immediately declared the area a “cop-free zone” and sprayed barricades bordering the area with the words “now leaving the USA” and entering the “Capitol Hill autonomous zone” or “Free Capitol Hill.”

  Still, protesters still weren’t satisfied. With police standing down Tuesday night, thousands of them broke into Seattle’s City Hall to demand that Mayor Jenny Durkan, a Democrat, resign over her failure to immediately embrace the push to defund the police. (Several members of the City Council had joined the frontlines of protests and earlier that day agreed to consider a proposal to cut police funding by 50%.)

  The chaotic events that have unfolded in Seattle over the past several days offer the latest evidence of sharp political clashes over public officials’ responses to the violence and destruction accompanying more peaceful protests against racial injustice across the country.

  The Black Lives Matter movement in recent days has renewed its push to demilitarize police forces around the country. Meanwhile, some on the right, including President Trump, Sen. Tom Cotton and others, have gone to the other extreme, calling on state and local officials to dominate the streets with military crackdowns on protests to stop the violence, looting and destruction.

  Some 700 law-enforcement officers have been injured during the nationwide unrest over Floyd’s death, according to Justice Department data, and their lives matter too, Cotton argues, as do the livelihoods of all the business owners who saw their establishments looted and/or destroyed.

  But activists on the left say the police have gone too far in trying to restore law and order in Seattle and elsewhere. The ACLU filed a lawsuit on Tuesday alleging that Best and Durkan had violated the constitutional rights of protesters by allowing officers, working with the guard, to disperse crowds with tear gas and flash-bang devices.

  Even though Washington National Guardsmen were unarmed, aerial drone photos of police clashing with protesters over the weekend show a line of soldiers standing immediately behind the Seattle Police, who were facing off against a sea of protesters. Eyewitnesses told RCP that the protests were much more violent than previously reported – that there were pipe bombs thrown at police and guardsmen, that people were throwing bottles, rocks, fireworks and other “incendiary devices” and shining green lasers into the eyes of police and Guard soldiers.

  The Seattle police Twitter feed said several police officers were injured Sunday with two taken to the hospital for treatment. At least one guardsman was struck in the head by a glass bottle, according to a police department tweet. Karina Shagren, spokeswoman for the Washington Military Department, which works with the National Guard, said the soldier was not injured and was back at work the next day.

  Shagren also said that the role the Guard performed in Seattle wasn’t at odds with Inslee’s earlier assertion that they would offer peaceful support of police.

  “They serve to ensure that the important message of those peacefully protesting in our communities isn’t overshadowed by criminals who are using the events to mask their dangerous and illegal activities,” she said, without referring to the constraints placed upon the police and Guard in performing that task.

  “To suggest anything different is inaccurate and an unfair characterization. While the civil disturbance missions are different than COVID-related or wildfire missions – at the end of the day, our men and women leave their families and jobs to help our local communities preserve life and property,” Shagren added.

  But Trump, Cotton and other critics says the hands-off approach is only spurring more needless deaths, injuries and costly destruction, which will take years for some inner cities to recover from, and does a disservice to Floyd’s death.

  “One thing above all else will restore order to our streets: an overwhelming show of force to disperse, detain and ultimately deter lawbreakers,” Cotton said in a controversial New York Times op-ed titled “Send In the Troops,” calling on Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act. The Cotton opinion piece lead to an employee protest at the Times, which issued a subsequent apology for running it.

  An opinion editor under fire for green-lighting the op-ed later resigned, part of developments that have fueled an intense national debate over “woke” censorship of dissenting views.

  The 213-year-old Insurrection Act gives the president the power to deploy active-duty military troops on U.S. soil to “restore public order and enforce the laws” when “domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order.”

  Over the last 60 years, presidents have used the law a number of times, including to uphold federal civil rights laws in the Deep South in the late 1950s, as Cotton pointed out in his op-ed. More recently, it was used to quell violence during the 1992 Los Angeles riots in the wake of the Rodney King beating and police officers’ acquittal for it.

  In early June, after days of violence and looting in Washington, D.C., President Trump declared himself the “law and order” president and threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty military troops if the destruction in U.S. cities continued.

  “As we speak, I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel, and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults, and the wanton destruction of property,” Trump said.

  The “heavily armed” part of that statement was largely untrue. As in Seattle, the vast majority of the National Guard troops deployed to D.C. were equipped with riot gear but didn’t carry firearms.

  “At the request of the Secretary of the Army, National Guard forces will not deploy with weapons,” D.C. National Guard spokeswoman Darla Torres told RCP. “In limited circumstances, some guardsmen may be armed as necessary, to accomplish the mission of preserving life and property. However, the vast majority of the service members will be equipped with personal protective equipment such as shields, shin guards, helmets and batons.”

  If Trump, along with liberal activists and other members of public, are confused about the National Guard’s ability to use lethal force against rioters, there’s a good reason for it. Governors ultimately have the final say over how to arm these soldiers operating in their states.

  “Under state law, it’s the governor who decides how to equip and deploy the National Guard,” said John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who served as a legal counsel at the Justice Department during the George W. Bush administration. “If the anyone is unhappy about the way the National Guard are equipped for deployment, in most cases, it’s because that’s the way the governor and his aides wanted it.”

  Yoo last week wrote his own op-ed disagreeing with Cotton, arguing that the Insurrection Act isn’t needed at this time because “states still have the resources to respond to civil disorder.” (Yoo is no shrinking violet when it comes to the use of force. He is credited with co-writing the infamous Torture Memo in 2002, which provided a legal rationale for the torture of detainees during the Global War on Terror.)

  Over the last two weeks, some 31 states have used the manpower at their disposal, mobilizing their Guard units. A confusing patchwork of state policies has emerged as a result: Some news photos show guardsmen toting M4 rifles while others show these troops carrying only batons and plastic shields.

  In California, for instance, Gov. Gavin Newsom allowed National Guard soldiers to carry M4s, along with live ammunition, during a week-long mobilization that ended over the weekend. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti reluctantly mobilized the Guard in early June in the wake of massive looting and the torching of police cars – unrest that subsided in a matter of days after the armed troops were called in to support police.

  In contrast to the protesters storming Seattle City Hall Tuesday night, the armed Guardsmen in L.A. helped monitor City Hall there as the downtown was cleaned up.

  Newsom didn’t respond to a request for comment about the rationale for allowing the soldiers to carry rifles.

  “California National Guardsmen deploy with their assigned individual weapon they are qualified on and a reduced ammunition load for self-defense,” said a spokesman for the California Military Department.

  When Inslee was asked at a press conference last week why he decided not to arm guardsmen working with police, he turned to Maj. Gen. Bret Daugherty, the commander of the Washington National Guard, to respond.

  “We always arm ourselves to the level that’s appropriate for the threat that we face, and right now that threat appears to be looters who are breaking windows and stealing merchandise – clearly criminal activity worthy of being arrested and sent to jail but not deadly force,” Daugherty said, noting that he would discuss any changes to the threat level and those recommendations with Inslee.

  He referred to an incident in which two Kentucky National Guard members shot and killed a protester in Louisville, although Louisville police fired too. A Kentucky official Tuesday night said evidence shows the gunshot that killed the man came from the Guard member, not a police officer.

  Other state National Guards surveyed by RCP said states were using their soldiers in less public-facing roles, arming some and not arming others.

  A spokesman for the Arizona National Guard said some soldiers are carrying M4s while others are armed with 9mm pistols, depending on their mission.

  “There are some missions where they are not required at all,” he said. “The majority of our missions are behind the scenes, and we are rarely interacting with the community. Other states have their guard members on the front lines with riot gear. We do not. We are serving in capacities that enable more law enforcement [officers] to interact with the community.”

  

• "The Most Absurd Moment In The History Of Capital Markets": Hertz Plans To Sell Up To $1 Billion In New Bankrupt Stock
  “The Most Absurd Moment In The History Of Capital Markets”: Hertz Plans To Sell Up To $1 Billion In New Bankrupt Stock
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 19:52

  On Monday, when the market hit its absolute blow off top phase and Robinhooders sent the stock of bankrupt Hertz as high as $6.25, resulting in a market cap of just under $900 million – a testament to the absolute idiocy of capital markets – we decided to double down on this idiocy and said that “we hope the company sells a few hundred million worth of stock – after all there is apparently endless demand for its shares – just so we can test the so-called “price discovery” of Powell’s latest and greatest FOMO bubble.”

  Well, it turns out that some banker at Jefferies read us, however ignoring the clear sarcasm of this proposal decided to turn it into what may soon be the most insane and/or stunning, maybe even legendary capital markets product ever proposed: an Initial Bankruptcy Offering. You see, after the close on Thursday, Jefferies filed a motion in the Hertz bankruptcy case, seeking to sell $500 million in bankrupt Hertz stock (or 246,775,008 HTZ shares) in a “unique opportunity” to “raise capital on terms that are far superior to any debtor-in-possession financing.“

  Why is Jefferies proposing this deal? Because “the recent market prices of and the trading volumes in Hertz’s common stock potentially present a unique opportunity for the Debtors to raise capital on terms that are far superior to any debtor-in-possession financing.”

  In other words, the feverish retail participation in the most ridiculous asset bubble ever created by the Fed is just the opportunity Jefferies – and Hertz – needed to turn the bankruptcy process on its head.

  It gets better: according to the filing, “if successful, Hertz could potentially offer up to and including an aggregate of $1.0 billion of common stock, the net proceeds of which would be available for general working capital purposes. Unlike typical debtor-in-possession financing, the common stock issuance would not impose restrictive covenants on the Debtors and would not impair any of the creditors of the Debtors. Moreover, the stock issuance would carry no repayment obligations, and the Debtors would not pay any interest or fees to those who provide the funding by buying shares at the market.”

  While something like this has never been done before for the simple reason that in a bankruptcy, the common stock is…   worthless – after all Jefferies is effectively asking for permission to steal from Robinhooders knowing full well the equity will be worthless as the various claimant classes are satisfied and there is nothing left for the preptition equity, Jefferies takes the humor up a notch when it claims with a straight face before the bankruptcy judge that “This Court Should Authorize the Sale of Hertz’s Unissued Shares under Sections 105(a) and 363(b) of the Bankruptcy Code.” Last we checked, there is nothing in the bankruptcy court authorizing a debtor to effectively take advantage of a massive asset bubble to fund a bankrupt entity.

  And just in case someone accuses Jefferies of trying to get away with borderline fraud – you know, in case the SEC wakes up and realizes that what the mid-market investment bank is proposing is to basically steal from clueless Robinhooders, slapping it with a massive penalty – the filing has the following disclaimer:

  Hertz would include disclosure in any prospectus used to offer common stock highlighting that an investment in Hertz’s common stock entails significant risks, including the risk that the common stock could ultimately be worthless.

  Well, the common stock is worthless right “now”, not “ultimately”, although as a result of the idiocy on Robinhood where some 151,793 users decided to go long the insolvent company, and sent it soaring in recent days, Jefferies is basically claiming that these clueless momentum chasers who recently had to google what “bankruptcy” means have ascribed a value of $500 million for the worthless equity tranche, and so there is value there.

  Why is this the most insane thing anyone has ever seen? Simple.

  In bankruptcy, companies raise capital to go through the Chapter 11 or 7 process by issuing a debtor in possession (DIP) loan, which has superpriority and has a seniority to all other existing indebtedness, for the simple reason that all other existing indebtedness is impaired to large or small degree. After all, the company filed for bankruptcy for a reason: it couldn’t meet its interest payments. This also means that unless all the existing debt is repaid in full, or there is some unprecedented agreement between the equity tranche and the debtors, the pre-petition equity is worthless. Eventually, the company converts some or all of its impaired debt into post-petition equity, while the prepetition debt is either satisfied or rolled into the new entity. Eventually, the new, post-petition equity may end up being traded on public markets and have value as the newly reorganized company has far less debt and can pay the interest on this debt.

  However, what is going on in this case is that Jefferies has basically turned the bankruptcy process on its head, and instead of raising capital for a bankrupt entity by selling the most secured form of debt it can, it is instead going to the other end of the capital structure, and hopes to sell equity!

  Essentially, Jefferies is claiming that just because a bunch of momentum chasers sent the bankrupt equity to a value of almost $1 billion, then by implication all the debt above the equity tranche is not impaired, and thus there is equity value, arguably the most circular argument ever observed in capital markets.

  The only problem is that if the debt was indeed not impaired it would be trading at par. Instead Hertz’ bonds due October 2022 are trading at 35 cents on the dollar. And while this is a simplification, if this one issue of $500MM in bonds alone is pricing in impairment of roughly $325 million, it means that the equity value is, at best, negative.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  However, just because Robinhooders can only trade the worthless “hot potato” HTZ stock and not any of its other obligations, and just because they have been buying it up from each other in hopes that greater fools will buy it from them later, Jefferies – which obviously knows better – has decided to take a historic gamble with what may soon be the most iconic testament to the bubble spawned by the Federal Reserve.

  What happens next? Well, any legitimate bankruptcy judge will laugh this off – after all no institutional investor would touch this offering with a ten foot pole. But Jefferies intended audience in this case is not an institutional audience – the bank hopes to sell the stock directly to those Robinhooders who pushed it up to $6.25 as recently as Monday. It was that idiotic move that prompted our original modest proposal for Hertz to sell stock “just so we can test the so-called “price discovery” of Powell’s latest and greatest FOMO bubble.”

  Of course, there is a possibility a bankruptcy judge will allow this transaction to take place. There is also the possibility that the SEC will ignore what is going on, well aware that anyone who “invests” in this bankrupt stock will end up with nothing once the bankruptcy process concluded. In which case we look forward to what will be a truly unprecedented event: an Initial Bankruptcy Offering.

  In any case, if the deal fails, as it should, it will confirm that “price discovery” under Powell’s bubble is absolutely meaningless, and would explain why Tesla still hasn’t issued several billion in new stock. On the other hand, if Jefferies and Hertz do pull this off and effectively transfer $1 billion from rabid Robinhood daytraders to impaired creditors – which is what this deal basically is – then all bets are truly off.

  We could say much more about this absolute idiocy but instead we will leave it to other commentators, such as former Jefferies banker Dan Polner who had this to say: “I spent a career on Wall St and 9 years at Jefferies. I’ve never seen new equity holders provide DIP financing for the benefit of the creditors. Absolutely insane!”

  Jared Ellias, a law professor, said he has studied hundreds of bankruptcies and never seen a company try to fund a case with an equity offering at the start of chapter 11. “Hertz looks at the market and sees there is a group of irrational traders who are buying the stock, and the  response to that is to seek to sell stock to these people in hopes of raiding some amounts of money to fund their restructuring.”

  And the absolute kicker: the stock is actually trading higher on this report!

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Here are some other kneejerk opinions:

  I have to say that I have never seen a Debtor petition the court for permission to sell equity to idiots, er, investors….WHILE IN BANKRUPTCY! $HTZ

  — Diogenes (@WallStCynic) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  I have never read anything more insane in finance world.

  Hertz asking if they can sell equity to raise cash to pay debtors because equity market is so dumb that they’ll buy it anyway. Thanks Robinhood. https://t.co/FD3612qMsq

  — Zach Weinberg (@zachweinberg) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  “Your honor, we ask permission to authorize an At The Monkeys Offering”

  — Bachman (@ElonBachman) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  “Your honor, we’d simply like the Court’s permission to milk this Robinhood cow until the udders are dry, cracked, and bleeding. “

  — Henry Williams (@HenryWilliams74) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  I am so tempted to say this has to be the most absurd moment in the history of public markets…

  But even if I’m right, I’ll be wrong by next week. https://t.co/bLbZPnrVHY

  — Unlimited Grain Printer (@GrainSurgeon) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  This just codified the insanity of this market.

  BTFD! https://t.co/O7z4nvUNaV

  — Tito el Bandito (@TitoElBandito) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Can we all pour one out for our devoted public servant Jay Powell?

  He’a officially broken capitalism.$HTZ pic.twitter.com/4uzM1MtAn7

  — Donut Shorts (@DonutShorts) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The stock is trading higher on plans to sell more stock to feed their trough.

  If $htz trades higher tomorrow, I’m going full white collar fraud. I’m committing. Absolutely nothing matters.

  — luis carruthers (@orthereaboot) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Can someone pls protect the braindead Robinhood account holders ?

  Isn’t it against the law to exploit those who are mentally challenged ?$htz $chk $tsla $tslaq $nkla https://t.co/joHsJTnWen

  — NikolaCharts (KingKublai5) (@KKublai5) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The express purpose of this $htz offering is to channel money from baggies to debtors.

  Plenty of worthless paper has been sold before, but never with such honest intent.

  This offering, if pulled off, is absolutely legendary.

  Godspeed.

  — luis carruthers (@orthereaboot) June 11, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The full filing can be found here.

   

  

• Mayor Apologizes As Chicago Cops Caught Lounging In Congressman's Office Instead Of Arresting Looters
  Mayor Apologizes As Chicago Cops Caught Lounging In Congressman’s Office Instead Of Arresting Looters
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 19:45

  Thanks to her history as a local prosecutor, many of Chicago Mayor Lori LIghtfoot’s critics during her ultimately successful campaign to succeed Rahm Emmanuel warned that she was “The Fraternal Order of Police’s first choice”, a reference to the powerful police union. Now, after accusing an alderman of being “100% full of sh*t” when he claimed that Chicago PD cops were ignoring looters in poorer neighborhoods in the city, Lightfoot is apologizing after 8 cops were caught lounging in a Democratic Congressman’s office, making coffee and snacking on popcorn, while nearby neighborhoods were looted.

  The district office of US Democratic Congressman Bobby Rush – best known outside Illinois as the Congressman who survived a primary challenge from Barack Obama, who would go on to be president of the US – was looted 2 weeks ago during the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer.

  When Rush reviewed the film from the evening, he saw 8 Chicago officers, including 3 supervisors, who responded to reports of the looting used his office as a temporary lounge, hanging out for hours drinking coffee and snacking on popcorn that had – according to Rush – been purchased for his office, according to the Chicago Tribune.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Meanwhile, the area surrounding Rush’s office at 54th Street and South Wentworth Avenue was looted, but the cops did nothing to stop that.

  Instead of taking the footage public on his own, Rush alerted Mayor Lightfoot, and the two held a joint press conference to bilaterally denounce the Chicago PD and promise that all the officers involved and their commanders would be punished – though Lightfoot stopped short of promising that the officers would be fired.

  Rush accused the officers of treating his office with a galling level of disrespect, while Lightfoot assured the assembled reporters that she and her staff were “enraged” by the news.

  “One was asleep on my couch in my campaign office,” Rush said.

  “They even had the unmitigated gall to go and make coffee for themselves and make coffee for themselves and to pop popcorn, my popcorn, in my microwave while looters were tearing apart businesses within their sight and within their reach,” Rush said.

  Rush brought the matter to Lightfoot’s attention on Wednesday, and the information “enraged” her and her team, Lightfoot said.

  Lightfoot apologized to Rush during the news conference on behalf of the city for his office being treated “with such profound disrespect.”

  “That’s a personal embarrassment to me,” Lightfoot said. “I’m sorry that you and your staff even had to deal with this incredible indignity.”

  Lightfoot publicly apologized to Rush for the incident, saying ultimate blame for the incident “lies with me”.

  Lightfoot apologized to Rush during the news conference on behalf of the city for his office being treated “with such profound disrespect.”

  “That’s a personal embarrassment to me,” Lightfoot said. “I’m sorry that you and your staff even had to deal with this incredible indignity.”

  It’s particularly disrespectful when you consider that Rush was a member of the Black Panther Party of Illinois, a fact that lends the incident an unflattering racial tinge.

  As Lightfoot’s popularity sags in Chicago due to her longstanding ties to the police, another black female former prosecutor is topping the polls to be Biden’s VP.

  

• Walter Williams Exposes The True Plight Of Black Americans
  Walter Williams Exposes The True Plight Of Black Americans
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 19:25

  Authored by Walter Williams, op-ed via Townhall.com,

  While it might not be popular to say in the wake of the recent social disorder, the true plight of black people has little or nothing to do with the police or what has been called “systemic racism.” Instead, we need to look at the responsibilities of those running our big cities.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Some of the most dangerous big cities are: St. Louis, Detroit, Baltimore, Oakland, Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta, Birmingham, Newark, Buffalo and Philadelphia. The most common characteristic of these cities is that for decades, all of them have been run by liberal Democrats. Some cities — such as Detroit, Buffalo, Newark and Philadelphia — haven’t elected a Republican mayor for more than a half-century. On top of this, in many of these cities, blacks are mayors, often they dominate city councils, and they are chiefs of police and superintendents of schools.

  In 1965, there were no blacks in the U.S. Senate, nor were there any black governors. And only six members of the House of Representatives were black. As of 2019, there is far greater representation in some areas — 52 House members are black. Nine black Americans have served in the Senate, including Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts, Carol Moseley Braun and Barack Obama of Illinois, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Kamala Harris of California. In recent times, there have been three black state governors.

  The bottom line is that today’s black Americans have significant political power at all levels of government. Yet, what has that meant for a large segment of the black population?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Democratic-controlled cities have the poorest-quality public education despite their large, and growing, school budgets. Consider Baltimore, Maryland. In 2016, in 13 of Baltimore’s 39 high schools, not a single student scored proficient on the state’s math exam. In six other high schools, only 1% tested proficient in math. Only 15% of Baltimore students passed the state’s English test. That same year in Philadelphia only 19% of eighth-graders scored proficient in math, and 16% were proficient in reading. In Detroit, only 4% of its eighth-graders scored proficient in math, and 7% were proficient in reading. It’s the same story of academic disaster in other cities run by Democrats.

  Violent crime and poor education is not the only problem for Democratic-controlled cities. Because of high crime, poor schools and a less pleasant environment, cities are losing their economic base and their most productive people in droves. When World War II ended, the population of Washington, D.C., was about 800,000; today, it’s about 700,000. In 1950, Baltimore’s population was almost 950,000; today, it’s around 590,000. Detroit’s 1950 population was close to 1.85 million; today, it’s down to 673,000. The population of Camden, New Jersey, in 1950 was nearly 125,000; today it has fallen to 74,000. St. Louis’ 1950 population was more than 856,000; today, it’s less than 294,000. A similar story of population decline can be found in most of our formerly large and prosperous cities. In some cities, the population decline since 1950 is well over 50%, and that includes Detroit, St. Louis, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

  Academic liberals, civil rights advocates and others blamed the exodus on racism — “white flight” to the suburbs to avoid blacks. But blacks have been fleeing some cities at higher rates than whites. The five cities whose suburbs have the fastest-growing black populations are Miami, Dallas, Washington, Houston and Atlanta. It turns out that blacks, like whites, want better and safer schools for their kids and don’t like to be mugged or have their property vandalized. And like white people, if they have the means, black people cannot wait to leave troubled cities.

  White liberals and black politicians focus most of their attention on what the police do, but how relevant is that to the overall tragedy? According to Statista, this year, 172 whites and 88 blacks have died at the hands of police. To put police shootings in a bit of perspective, in Chicago alone in 2020 there have been 1,260 shootings and 256 homicides with blacks being the primary victims. That comes to one shooting victim every three hours and one homicide victim every 15 hours. Three people in Chicago have been killed by police. If one is truly concerned about black deaths, shootings by police should figure way down on one’s list — which is not to excuse bad behavior by some police officers.

  

• Houston "On The Precipice Of Disaster" As Officials Weigh Reimposing Stay At Home Order Amid Spike In Cases: Live Updates
  Houston “On The Precipice Of Disaster” As Officials Weigh Reimposing Stay At Home Order Amid Spike In Cases: Live Updates
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 19:06

  Summary:

  • Houston weighs reimposing stay at home order
  • Oregon reports new record jump in cases
  • NJ reports latest daily figures
  • WHO issues another warning on Africa as cases top 200k
  • Phoenix Mayor says city is not recovering from the coronavirus
  • Larry Kudlow plays down second wave
  • NY to allow some regions to reopen indoor dining Friday
  • Italy reports latest batch of encouraging numbers
  • NY reports just 36 deaths, down from 53
  • Florida reports another jump in new cases as Miami bans chokeholds
  • Moderna releases latest vaccine update
  • Regeneron starts human testing of antiviral cocktail
  • Scott Gottlieb explains the problem with Texas’ response
  • Epidemiologists warn about threat of ‘second wave’
  • Mumbai hospitals overwhelmed
  • Russia cases top 500k
  • Latin America death toll tops 80k
  • US projects nearly 200k COVID deaths by October
  • LA County still seeing ~1,300 new cases a day as reopening continues

  * * *

  Update (1645ET): As Houston vies for LA and Phoenix to succeed NYC as America’s biggest COVID-19 hot spot, the Houston Chronicle reports that health officials may reopen a COVID-19 hospital at a football stadium while officials weigh whether to reimpose a stay at home order. Such a move would undoubtedly rattle stocks, even after Thursday’s massive dive. One local official described the situation as placing the city “on the precipice of disaster.”

  The move to reopen a designated COVID-19 hospital comes as hospitalizations due to the virus have reached their highest levels since the outbreak began.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Meanwhile, the number of newly reported infections has also climbed to new highs.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Meanwhile, Oregon just reported a new one day record jump in new cases – 178 to be exact – with 43 of them in Multnomah County, where Portland is located. Both the state- and county-wide figures appear to be one-day records. The figures were released right before Ore. Gov Kate Brown was expected to announce that Multnomah County and Portland could enter the first phase of reopening, joining the rest of the state. Oregon is one of the nearly 2 dozens states where cases have been rising.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Source: BBG

  * * *

  Update (1315ET): New Jersey just released another batch of largely encouraging daily numbers as Gov Phil Murphy claimed his state had the slowest transmission rate in the country.

  NEW: We’ve received 539 new positive #COVID19 test results, bringing our statewide total to 165,816.

  The spot positivity rate for tests from June 7th was 3.8%. pic.twitter.com/TuzvkJaMEO

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 11, 2020

  We continue to work hard to push down the curve of newly identified #COVID19 cases at our long-term care facilities, and to stem the loss of residents to COVID-19 related causes. pic.twitter.com/4zGXpr1vDO

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 11, 2020

  LOOK: Our hospitals currently have 1,512 patients being treated for #COVID19.

  Our Field Medical Stations reported 9 patients. pic.twitter.com/UuQR9FhR0S

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 11, 2020

  NJ also declared 70 new deaths.

  Sadly, we’ve lost another 70 members of our New Jersey family to #COVID19.

  We’ve now lost 12,433 New Jerseyans in the 100 days since our first positive test result. For them, and for everyone we have lost, our flags remain at half-staff. pic.twitter.com/Rasdq7KiM0

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 11, 2020

  With NY, NJ has been one of the worst-hit states in the country.

  * * *

  Update (1255ET): The Mayor of Phoenix just acknowledged during a roundtable discussion with other mayors hosted by a Washington think tank that her city “opened much too early” and is now facing a serious crisis, per CNN.

  During a panel discussion with other mayors across the country hosted by the Center for American Progress, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said that the city and state of Arizona is not recovering from Covid-19.

  “We have had so many of the records you don’t want to be hitting for Covid-19 from my perspective. We opened too much too early and so our hospitals are really struggling,” Gallego said.

  She also said that the increase of positive cases is primarily due to the lifting of the stay-at-home order as well as challenges in long-term care facilities. Arizona lifted the stay-at-home order on May 15.

  The city’s hospitals in particular are “really struggling,” per CNN.

  Meanwhile, during his latest interview with Fox on Thursday, Larry Kudlow said Thursday had been a “rough day” for markets, but that talk of a second wave of the virus had been seriously overblown.

  “Go talk to Deborah Birx about that, she doesn’t seem to think so,” Kudlow said of a second wave, before acknowledging that he “isn’t a medical expert.” Steve Mnuchin said earlier that a second shutdown wouldn’t be necessary even if new cases surge.

  New York Gov Cuomo announced on Thursday that five regions in central and western NY would resume indoor dining Friday as ‘Phase 3’ of the state’s reopening begins.

  The WHO also issued another warning about the spread of the coronavirus in Africa, with total cases reaching 200,000 less than three weeks after reaching 100,000, though the continent still accounts for less than 5% of global cases.

  * * *

  Update (1200ET): Italy reported another encouraging set of numbers with just 379 new cases and 53 new deaths, bringing the total to 236,142 and total deaths to 34,167. The number of patients in intensive care across Italy has also fallen below 250, according to the latest numbers reported by the Italian press and Civil Protection Service.

  * * *

  Update (1140ET): As new cases and deaths creep higher in most other regions of the US, New York State just confirmed 36 deaths were reported over the last day (down from 53 the day prior), the lowest number of deaths reported in nearly 3 months. Gov Cuomo claimed that New York isn’t among the 21 states where new cases are increasing because “New Yorkers have been smart.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Watch the rest of Cuomo’s briefing below:

  Giving my daily press briefing now. Watch Live: https://t.co/tJ284O6rPg

  — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 11, 2020

  * * *

  Update (1100ET): Police in Miami have become the latest to bar the use of the controversial chokehold (a move that led to the death of Eric Garner) while the number of new COVID-19 cases reported in the state has continued to climb on Thursday. New cases climbed by 2.5% day over day (compared with a 7-day average of 2%) bringing Florida’s total to just shy of 70k.

  🌴☀️Florida:
  *Cases up 2.5% from Wed, higher than the 2% average increase in the previous 7 days.
  *Deaths reached 2,848, an increase of 1.7%.
  *Hospitalizations jumped by 226, the biggest single-day increase since May 21.https://t.co/ftb2aMnIbG

  — Beth Williams Liou (@BWilliLiou) June 11, 2020

  Here’s more from local TV news station WINK:

  As of Thursday at 11 a.m., there have been 69,069 positive cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Florida. The case count includes 67,456 Florida residents and 1,613 non-Florida residents. There are 2,848 deaths reported and 11,571 hospitalizations, according to the Florida Department of Health.

  There have been 1,307,728 tests administered in Florida. A total of 69,069 tests have come back positive, and 1,237,679 tests have come back negative. The remainder are still pending, according to the FDOH website.

  Numbers are released by the DOH daily at approximately 11 a.m.

  STATEWIDE NUMBERS

  Total number of cases: 69,069 (up from 67,371) Deaths: 2,848 (up from 2,801)

  1,698 total new cases reported Thursday

  47 total new deaths reported Thursday

  SOUTHWEST FLORIDA NUMBERS

  Total in SWFL: 6,307 (up from 6,140) Deaths: 289 (up from 283)

  167 total new cases reported Thursday

  6 total new deaths reported Thursday

  Lee County: 2,500 (up from 2,422) – 128 deaths (2 new deaths)

  Collier County: 2,291 (up from 2,230) – 59 deaths (2 new deaths)

  Charlotte County: 515 (up from 505) – 72 deaths

  DeSoto County: 304 (up from 299) – 10 deaths (2 new deaths)

  Glades County: 107 (up from 104) – 1 death

  Hendry County: 590 (up from 580) – 19 deaths

  Meanwhile, as Trump imposes sanctions on the ICC, joining China in expressing disdain for its rulings, which can’t really be enforced, the editor of the Global Times is weighing in on the situation in the US.

  With Covid-19 cases in US exceeding 2 million, all I want to say is that I really did not realize that American capitalism is so ruthless. The US that my generation worshiped in Tiananmen Square when we were young is already dead.

  — Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) June 11, 2020

  * * *

  Update (1035ET): The Army has picked the finalist among a group of more than two dozen vaccine candidates for a research partnership with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the Army’s top laboratory. Two back ups were also selected according to CNN. The names of the finalists haven’t been released, but we reported on a purported list of 5 finalists earlier this month.

  * * *

  Update (0840ET): With Dow futures pointing to a 1,000-point drop at the open as the Fed’s dismal economic projections and Powell’s comment that the Fed “isn’t even thinking about raising interest rates” weigh on risk appetite and the cyclical stocks that have driven the latest leg of the rally, Moderna has released its latest ‘update’ on its vaccine trials, which are being run in partnership with the NIH.

  According to the announcement, Moderna has “finalized its Stage 3 protocols”, according to a brief press release.

  CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Moderna, Inc., (Nasdaq: MRNA) a clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients, today announced progress on late-stage development of mRNA-1273, the Company’s mRNA vaccine candidate against COVID-19. Moderna has finalized the Phase 3 study protocol based on feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The randomized, 1:1 placebo-controlled trial is expected to include approximately 30,000 participants enrolled in the U.S. and is expected to be conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The trial’s primary endpoint will be the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19 disease; key secondary endpoints include prevention of severe COVID-19 disease (as defined by the need for hospitalization) and prevention of infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The primary efficacy analysis will be an event-driven analysis based on the number of participants with symptomatic COVID-19 disease. Based on the results of the Phase 1 study, the 100 μg dose level was chosen as the optimal dose level to maximize the immune response while minimizing adverse reactions. Moderna has completed manufacture of vaccine required to start the Phase 3 study. The Company expects dosing in the Phase 3 study to begin in July.

  Regeneron, in other news, is beginning human trials of a new antiviral cocktail.

  Meanwhile, one twitter user pointed at a pattern that we have noticed as well.

  Hasn’t anyone else noticed over the past few months that whenever there’s a pre-market or expected pullback in the market, there’s COVID-19 vaccine/therapeutic research information released, even though mostly premature and unsubstantiated? Twice this morning with Dow down 700pts

  — alannajoy (@alannajoy) June 11, 2020

  We wonder what ‘Jimmy Chill’ thinks about that?

  * * *

  Update (0720ET): Former FDA Commissioner and perennial “Squawk Box” guest Scott Gottlieb offered some commentary about the situation in Texas, explaining that characterizing this as a ‘second wave’ might be misleading since ‘they never really got over the first’.

  Globally, more than 7.3 million cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed, including at least 416,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The US, meanwhile, passed the 2 million-case mark last night, as we reported.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Source: FT

  The fact that Texas hasn’t traced the rising case numbers, which are overwhelmingly centered in the greater Houston area, to a specific source – like a meatpacking plant or something – worries Gottlieb, because that means the contact tracers in the state have failed at their basic mission: to find the source of any ‘super-spreader’ incidents quickly before they become ‘super-duper spreaders’.

  “It’s not a second wave, they never really got rid of the first wave,” says @ScottGottliebMD on #COVID19 outbreaks in Arizona, Texas, South Carolina and North Carolina. “The more concerning part is they haven’t been able to isolate what the source of the infection is.” pic.twitter.com/u7ycJFCJ9F

  — Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) June 11, 2020

  Thanks for the comforting words, doc.

  * * *

  With futures pointing to a sharp drop at the open for the Dow, it appears investors are finally confronting signs of a second wave that have emerged both in the US, and around the world.

  As one scientist who appeared on CNBC’s Worldwide Exchange program Thursday morning claimed, signs of a genuine second wave have emerged around the world, including in Sweden and Iran. Fortunately, we haven’t seen a sharp move higher in mortality alongside the surge in cases – but that could follow.

  Across the northeast and Atlantic Coast, more states are lifting bans on outside graduation ceremonies, with Maryland Gov Larry Hogan announcing late Wednesday evening that he would allow outdoor graduation ceremonies in the state to move forward starting Friday.

  Bad news for all you ‘influencers’ out there: Both Coachella and Stagecoach, two of the largest music festivals held each year in Southern California, have been canceled. Organizers moved both events to October, but have now decided to forgo them until next year (but don’t despair influencers, there will be many more protests to use as a backdrop for your selfies between now and the end of the year).

  Last night, we reported that Mumbai, India’s wealthiest city and financial capital, had surpassed the total number of infections reported in Wuhan, the original epicenter of the virus. Mumbai is also India’s entertainment capital, home to ‘Bollywood’, the Indian film industry.

  The city has reported more than 50k cases, nearly a fifth of India’s total, and more than the Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero for the pandemic. The broader Maharashtra state has now confirmed more cases than the whole of China. India has recorded more than 286,000 coronavirus cases, including at least 8,100 deaths, according to the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Although Mumbai is India’s wealthiest city, and its most international, public hospitals have been totally overwhelmed by the virus, with doctors collapsing from exhaustion and dehydration.

  “We expected that if infection took root, the health system would be overwhelmed,” said Rajeev Sadanandan, Kerala’s former health secretary and the chief executive of non-profit Health Systems Transformation Platform. “With the kind of population Mumbai has, there is no way that the infrastructure would have been enough.”

  Russia crossed a grim milestone on Thursday when it reported another 8,779 confirmed cases of the virus on Thursday, bringing the total for the Russian Federation to 502,436, making Russia the third country to pass 500k cases after the US and Brazil. Another 174 deaths were recorded, bringing Russia’s deaths to 6,532. However, some observers fear the true total in the country – for deaths and cases – is much higher, since not every patient who tests positive for COVID-19 and then dies is counted as a ‘COVID-19 death’.

  Earlier this week, Moscow’s mayor lifted self-isolation restrictions and the city is expected to reopen by the end of the month.

  After the US topped 2 million confirmed cases last night, a set of COVID-19 projections maintained by the University of Washington has just been updated, and is now projecting 170k COVID-19 linked deaths in the US by Oct. 1, that would be a rise of nearly 80% by October.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Source: CDC

  IHME, the institute that maintains the model, said it’s based on data through June 6. “Large gatherings in some states due to lifting of social distancing restrictions, gatherings on national holidays, and public protests are reflected in the general trend toward increased mobility.”

  In the US, more than 20 states are seeing a rise in the daily number of new cases, per the NYT.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The flareup in Latin America and the Caribbean also reached a new milestone as deaths in the region surpassed 70k: Brazil, the worst-hit country in the region, has identified more than 772,000 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.

  Peru and Mexico, which just reported a record daily surge in new cases, are also seeing uncontrolled spread. Mexican paramedics are responding to 911 calls at an alarming rate, as the coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage Mexico City.

  Quarantine measures have been extended in Chile, the health ministry said in a statement released Wednesday.

  Meanwhile, in LA, more businesses, including gyms and museums, are reopening, even as the county continues to report about 1,300 new cases per day. There are 67,064 confirmed coronavirus cases and 2,768 deaths in Los Angeles County as of Thursday morning.

  

Digest powered by RSS Digest

• UK Forecast To Suffer Worst COVID-Driven GDP Hit Of All Nations Worldwide
  UK Forecast To Suffer Worst COVID-Driven GDP Hit Of All Nations Worldwide
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 02:45

  The OECD released its latest Economic Outlook earlier this week, revealing the projected impact the COVID-19 pandemic will have on global GDP in 2020. When assuming there will be no second wave of infections in 2020, gross domestic product is currently expected to be down by 6 percent on last year; but, as Statista’s Martin Armstrong notes, should we encounter a ‘double-hit’ scenario however, this is forecast to increase to a 7.6 percent drop.

  Adding further context, the OECD writes:

  “The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis without precedent in living memory. It has triggered the most severe economic recession in nearly a century and is causing enormous damage to people’s health, jobs and well-being.”

  As this infographic below shows, when looking at the ‘single-hit’ scenario, no country is projected to be hit harder than the United Kingdom. There, a fall of 11.5 percent is being predicted.

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  The initial epicenter, China, is expected to go far more unscathed with a decrease of just 2.6 percent.

  The United States is somewhat in the middle of the pack with a 7.3 percent reduction.

  

• London Police Warn Of "Perfect Storm" As Right Wing Groups Vow To Defend Statues From BLM
  London Police Warn Of “Perfect Storm” As Right Wing Groups Vow To Defend Statues From BLM
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 02:00

  Authored by Steve Watson via Summit News,

  London Metropolitan police are preparing for clashes between black lives matter activists and right wing groups this weekend in London, following a call by Tommy Robinson for counter-protests to defend memorials and statues.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, warned “We have got the perfect storm ahead of us this weekend, we have got planned protests and now Tommy Robinson and his agitators.”

  Robinson released a short video in which he accused police of being “soft-handed” and allowing BLM protesters to deface memorials and statues, saying that police didn’t want the bad publicity of clashing with non-white protesters.

  Robinson endorsed planned counter-demonstrations by multiple football ‘firms’ saying that “If you give a shit at all about our country, our history, our culture, our identity. I expect you are going to be in London next Saturday.”

  Robinson noted that police removed the small group of “lads” who were guarding the Winston Churchill statue in London last weekend, only for BLM to then deface it.

  Reports indicate that other groups also intend to join the fray, such as ‘Veterans Against Terrorism’, and even biker groups like the ‘Hells Angels’.

  Video has already emerged of some members of one of the afore-mentioned ‘firms’ chasing down and delivering beatings to rioters in London this week:

  The Democratic Football Lads Alliance will organize trips from across the UK to London next Saturday to protect WW2 monuments from BLM vandals. #TommyRobinson will there too

  The first clashes have already taken place. On Sunday,some #WestHam hooligans attacked a BLM group
  ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/w4yCxvFSaO

  — BasedPoland (@BasedPoland) June 9, 2020

  While defacement of statues grabbed more headlines, many were incensed more by the desecration of war memorials.

  If the media won’t spread these videos, we will.

  Anti-British thugs spitting on the memory of veterans that sacrificed themselves for our country. A day after D-Day. This has nothing to do with racism or police brutality, how long will our weak Government tolerate it? pic.twitter.com/GaikWJkKho

  — Neil Hamilton MS/AS (@NeilUKIP) June 7, 2020

  The @metpoliceuk have this person’s picture. Desecrating a war memorial and setting fire to the British flag isn’t protest, its hatred. pic.twitter.com/q0b4eDAihM

  — Emma Webb (@Emma_A_Webb) June 7, 2020

  BLM in the UK has identified at least 60 ‘racist’ statues they say need to be removed for ‘celebrating slavery’.

  Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the formation of a commission Tuesday to review all London landmarks and street names, and vowed to remove any that offend, and replace them with monuments to ‘diversity’.

  Almost immediately, a statue of merchant, slave-factor and ship owner Robert Milligan was removed:

  The mob claims another trophy. Churchill next? https://t.co/M1vwPN7yCp

  — Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) June 9, 2020

  Leftists have been eager to provide suggestions for which statues to target next after a statue of Edward Colston was torn down by in Bristol.

  While some are obvious targets for removal, the concern among many is that whatever and whoever is deemed ‘racist’ (at a time where almost anything and everything is called racist) will eventually also be purged.

  For example, leftists expressed a desire to topple a statue of Charles, 2nd Earl Grey, a former British Prime Minister, despite the fact that he oversaw the abolition of slavery in the British empire.

  

• Burundi President Dies Of Sudden Heart Attack At 55; COVID-19 Suspected
  Burundi President Dies Of Sudden Heart Attack At 55; COVID-19 Suspected
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Thu, 06/11/2020 – 01:00

  The President of Burundi has died of a sudden heart attack after falling ill on Saturday night before being taken to a hospital.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Outgoing president Pierre Nkurunziza, 55, is said to have improved on Sunday, but “surprisingly, on morning of Monday June 8, 2020, his health suddenly deteriorated and he had a heart attack,” according to a government statement, which described the former footballer’s death as “unexpected.”

  Seven days of mourning has been announced following the death, which is suspected to have been caused by COVID-19 – a rumor fueled by reports that his wife was flown to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi 10 days ago after contracting the disease, according to the Standard.

  Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that Nkurunziza refused to impose pandemic restrictions on the impoverished African country, allowing political rallies and sporting events to proceed. Authorities have been accused of deliberately downplaying COVID-19, which has killed over 5,000 people on the African continent and infected nearly 200,000.

  The nation of 11 million people has reported 83 cases of Covid-19 and officials have cited divine protection for Burundi’s ostensibly low infection rate and urged citizens to go about their daily lives without fear.

  Nkurunziza’s spokesperson said that although the country may be hit by the pandemic, “Burundi … has signed a special covenant with God, whether you believe it or not”.

  Burundi refused to follow most other African nations in imposing a lockdown and expelled the World Health Organization’s expert team working on coronavirus. –The Guardian

  COVID-19 heart attacks

  In February, the Taiwan Times reported that doctors in Hubei, China had smuggled out a report that coronavirus patients who had become reinfected were dying from sudden heart failure – providing a possible explanation for photographs and videos of people lying dead in the streets of Wuhan.

  While rare, at least two similar videos have appeared in the United States:

  https://t.co/uSim1duvmf

  man drops dead from coronavirus new york city ?????? pic.twitter.com/3J9dcAJJ6X

  — Coronavirus Outbreak Map . Com (@Coronaoutbreak) March 3, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  And according to Johns Hopkins, COVID-19 targets the heart’s ACE-2 enzymes.

  “There are multiple mechanisms for heart damage in COVID-19, and not everyone is the same,” according to cardiologist Erin Michos, M.D.

  More:

  

• The Four Horsemen of America's Apocalypse
  The Four Horsemen of America’s Apocalypse
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 23:45

  Authored by Dennis Prager via RealClearPolitics.com,

  It takes a lot to build a civilization, and though it is much easier to destroy a civilization, it takes a lot to do that, too.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  But now we have four roots of evil that are guaranteed to do so.

  No. 1: Victimhood.

  The first is victimhood. The more people who regard themselves as victims — as individuals or as a group — the more likely they are to commit evil. People who think of themselves as victims feel that, having been victimized, they are no longer bound by normal moral conventions — especially the moral conventions of their alleged or real oppressors.

  Everyone knows this is true. But few confront this truth. Every parent, for example, knows that the child who thinks of him or herself as a perpetual victim is the child most likely to cause and get into trouble. And criminologists report that nearly every murderer in prison thinks of himself as a victim.

  On a societal scale, the same holds true — and being on such a larger scale, the chances of real evil ensuing are exponentially increased. One of the most obvious examples is Germany after World War I. Most Germans regarded themselves as victims — of the Treaty of Versailles; of a “stab in the back” German government; of the British, Americans and French; and, of course, of the Jews. This sense of victimhood was one of the most important factors in the popularity of the Nazis, who promised to restore German dignity.

  That millions of black Americans regard themselves as victims — probably more so today than at any time in the past 50 years — can only lead to disaster for America generally and for blacks specifically. While victims generally feel free to lash out at others, they also go through life angry and unhappy.

  No. 2: Demonization.

  The second of the four ingredients of this civilization-destroying witches’ brew is demonization — demonizing a group as inherently evil.

  That is being done now with regard to the white people of America. All — again, all — whites are declared racist. The only difference among them is that some admit it and some deny it. The notion that whites are inherently evil has long been associated with Louis Farrakhan. But it has apparently migrated out from his relatively small following to many blacks, even those who might consider Farrakhan a kook. Former President Barack Obama, hardly a Farrakhan follower, described America as having racism in its DNA. That is as close to inherently and irredeemably evil as it gets; you cannot change your DNA.

  In that sense, not only are whites demonized, but America is, too. Unlike traditional liberals, the left regards America as a moral cesspool — not only racist but, according to The New York Times, founded to be so. The New York Times has created a history of America that declares its founding not in 1776 but in 1619, when the first black slaves arrived. The American Revolution was fought, according to this malign narrative, not merely for American independence but in order to preserve slavery, a practice the British would have interfered with. This “history” will now be taught in thousands of American schools.

  The combination of victimhood and demonization alone is dangerous enough. But there are still two more horsemen galloping toward the looming apocalypse.

  No. 3: A Cause To Believe In.

  Most Americans throughout American history found great meaning in being American and in being religious — usually Christian. Since World War II, we have lived in a post-Christian, post-nationalist age. Until very recently, Americans would have found the expression “for God and country” deeply meaningful; that term today, on the left, is risible and execrable.

  But people need something to believe in. The need for meaning is the greatest human need after the need for food. Leftism, with all its offshoots — feminism, environmentalism, Black Lives Matter, antifa — has filled that vacuum. In Europe, communism, fascism and Nazism filled the hole left by the demise of nationalism and Christianity. Here it is leftism and its offshoots.

  No. 4: Lies.

  The fourth and most important ingredient necessary for evil is lies. Lies are the root of evil. Ironically, slavery itself was made possible only because of the lie that the black was inferior to the white. Nazism was made possible thanks to the lie that Jews were not fully human. And communism was built on lies. Lenin, the father of Soviet Communism, named the Soviet communist newspaper “Truth” (“Pravda”) because truth was what the Communist Party said it was.

  The New York Times, CNN and the rest of the mainstream “news” media are becoming our version of Pravda.
  Objective truth doesn’t exist on the left. The universities have already declared “objective truth” as essentially an expression of “white privilege.” See what happens to a student who says in class, for example, that “men cannot give birth.”

  The public self-debasement demanded of anyone who differs with the left — like New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees just did when he said not standing for the national anthem desecrated the flag and those who have died for it — happens almost daily. The only difference between this and what dissidents underwent during Mao’s Cultural Revolution is that the self-debasement here is voluntary — thus far.

  Last week, when this Jew saw a store in Santa Monica with a sign reading “black-owned business” so as to avoid being destroyed, it evoked chilling memories.

  That’s how bad it is in America today.

  

• US B-52 Bomber 'Loses' Experimental Hypersonic Missile Over California
  US B-52 Bomber ‘Loses’ Experimental Hypersonic Missile Over California
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 23:25

  Amid growing media speculation over details of the Pentagon’s hypersonic weapons program pursued in conjunction with Lockheed Martin and DARPA, a shocking headline appeared Tuesday in the respected aviation journal Aviation Week, namely that a US B-52 bomber lost an experimental hypersonic missile in mid-air over California. 

  The report, also picked up in The New York Post and others described that, “A scramjet-powered missile developed under the joint DARPA/U.S. Air Force Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program was destroyed in a recent test accident, Aviation Week has learned.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  The aviation monitoring site reports further details: “The missile is believed to have inadvertently separated from a B-52 carrier aircraft during a captive-carry flight test, according to sources familiar with the evaluation,” and added, “The cause of the mishap, which is thought to have involved an aircraft from the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, California, is under investigation.”

  The weapon reportedly separated from the Boeing B-52 carrier aircraft and was soon after destroyed, meaning it either detonated in the air or when it struck the ground below.

  The Air Force refused to comment for the report while DARPA didn’t deny the accident, only saying “Details of those flight demonstrations are classified,” in an apparent tacit admission that experimental tests are indeed taking place. 

  The NY Post explains: “Scramjets allow missiles to reach hypersonic speeds that greatly exceed the speed of sound, often reaching Mach 5 and above.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  And Forbes also summarizes of the experimental Air Force technology: 

  HAWC is one of several super-fast missiles that the Air Force is developing in order to help its ancient B-52 bombers and other planes poke holes in Chinese and Russian defenses.

  HAWC is a scramjet, meaning it has an engine and breathes air like an airplane does. Other hypersonic weapons, such as the Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon, boost to hypersonic speed atop a rocket then glides at five times the speed of sound.

  The Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program is said to be part of a broader multi-billion dollar program under the Department of Defense, and recently approved by Congress. 

  Washington political and defense leaders have over the past two years signaled a rapidly growing hypersonics program especially after Russian President Vladimir Putin began boasting of the great strides the Kremlin has made, even recently said to be testing hypersonics, which last year in August also resulted in a major accident on a test launch pad which released dangerous levels of nuclear radiation in the surrounding area. 

  Putin, for example, has lately boasted that Russia’s futuristic hypersonic arsenal will be incapable of being defended against. Beijing is also said to be pursuing its own program as well, as American generals also purse ways to counter and defend against such a scenario. 

  

• FBI Knew Steele's Russia Research Connected To Clinton, Dems From Earliest Interactions
  FBI Knew Steele’s Russia Research Connected To Clinton, Dems From Earliest Interactions
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 23:05

  Authored by John Solomon via Just the News

  Notes and emails that have been kept so far from Senate investigators show the FBI knew from its earliest interactions with Christopher Steele in July 2016 that his Russia research project on Donald Trump was connected to Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party.

  The information, so far mentioned only glancingly and in footnotes of a Justice Department report, could provide the Senate Judiciary Committee with the most powerful evidence yet to confront witnesses about why the bureau concealed the political origins of Steele’s work from the FISA court.

  “So far the bureau is slow-walking this stuff,” a source familiar with senators’ frustrations told Just the News. “We need to see these sort of documents before we question key witnesses.”

  Chairman Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) is seeking a vote later this week to authorize subpoenas that would compel the Christopher Wray-led FBI to produce witnesses and outstanding documents for the committee’s investigation of the Russia investigators.

  The effort to acquire the original source materials began last December after DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz released his explosive report blaming the FBI for 17 mistakes, omissions and acts of misconduct in seeking a FISA warrant against Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

  While the headlines since that report have mostly focused on FISA abuses, Senate investigators have also zeroed in on a handful of little-noticed passages in Horowitz’s narrative that reference original FBI source documents showing what agents and supervisors knew about Steele, the former MI6 agent, and the firm that hired him, Fusion GPS.

  It wasn’t until late October 2017 that the public and Congress first learned that the law firm Perkins Coie, on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign, hired Glenn Simpson’s Fusion GPS research firm to have Steele delve into Trump’s Russia connections.

  And FBI officials have been vague in their explanations about when they knew Steele’s research was tied to Clinton and the DNC and why they did not explicitly inform the FISA court that the Steele dossier used to secure the warrant was funded by Trump’s election opponent.

  But one passage and two footnotes in Horowitz’s report that have largely escaped public attention suggest the FBI agent who first interviewed Steele about his anti-Trump research in London on July 5, 2016 was aware immediately of a connection to Clinton and that a separate office of the FBI passed along information from an informant by Aug. 2, 2016 that Simpson’s Fusion GPS was connected to the DNC.

  For instance, the agent in London contacted an Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) in the New York field office (NYFO) shortly after interviewing Steele and obtaining one of the anti-Trump memos that made up his dossier, according to information in Horowitz’s report.

  The agent sought advice July 13, 2016 on how to handle the sensitive election-year allegations from the supervisor in New York, where the FBI had already opened a probe of Page that would eventually be assumed by Washington headquarters.

  “ASAC 1’s notes from his July 13 call with Handling Agent 1 closely track the contents of Report 80, identify Simpson as a client of a law firm, and include the following: ‘law firm works for the Republican party or Hillary and will use [the information described in Report 80] at some point,’” the Horowitz report stated. “ASAC 1 told us that he would not have made this notation if Handling Agent 1 had not stated it to him.”

  Footnote 223 in the report reveals a second line of evidence that came to the FBI from a confidential human source (CHS) suggesting the Steele-Simpson-Fusion project was tied to Democrats. That warning was immediately sent to Agent Peter Strzok, the case agent for the Crossfire Hurricane probe investigating whether Trump and Russia colluded to hijack the 2016 election.

  “At approximately the same time that Handling Agent 1 was reporting information about Simpson to ASAC 1, an FBI agent from another FBI field office sent an email to his supervisor stating that he had been contacted by a former CHS who ‘was contacted recently by a colleague who runs an investigative firm. The firm had been hired by two entities (the Democratic National Committee as well as another individual…not name[d]) to explore Donald J. Trump’s longstanding ties to Russian entities.’”

  “On or about August 2, 2016, this information was shared by a CD supervisor with the Section Chief of CD’s Counterintelligence Analysis Section I (Intel Section Chief), who provided it that day to members of the Crossfire Hurricane team (then Section Chief Peter Strzok, SSA 1, and the Supervisory Intel Analyst,)” the footnote adds.

  Senate investigators want to see the original emails and notes from these conversations as they plan to interrogate dozens of key witnesses in the Russia investigation about whether there was an intentional effort by he FBI to hide from the courts and Congress the flaws in their case, exculpatory evidence involving the Trump targets, and derogatory information about Steele’s credibility.

  In the end, Special Counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence that any Americans, including anyone associated with the Trump campaign, colluded with Russia to influence the election.

  And evidence that has since emerged shows the FBI determined early on that Steele’s dossier included debunked, uncorroborated information and possible Russian disinformation aimed at smearing Trump, but agents proceeded anyway with their investigation.

  The FBI notes and emails from summer 2016 are consistent with recent testimony that Steele gave in a civil case in London, where he testified he told the bureau his research and the Fusion GPS project was connected to Clinton.

  “I presumed it was the Clinton campaign, and Glenn Simpson had indicated that. But I was not aware of the technicality of it being the DNC that was actually the client of Perkins Coie,” Steele testified in March under questioning from lawyers for Russian bankers suing over his research.

  Steele confirmed during that testimony that his notes of a 2016 FBI meeting showed he told agents about the Clinton connection.

  Congressional investigators have now pieced together at least five instances early in the Russia case where the FBI was warned of the political origins and motives of Steele’s work but failed to fully inform the courts.

  Instead, the FBI’s FISA warrant application told the judge Steele was working for a person interested in possibly defeating Trump but without disclosing it was the opposition research firm specifically hired by Clinton and the DNC through their law firm to find dirt on Trump in Russia.

  Senate investigators are trying to determine whether that omission was part of a larger, intentional campaign to mislead the FISA court and Congress in order to keep the Russia investigation going despite a lack of evidence supporting the collusion theory.

  “Look, we’ve got to get to the bottom of this, to find out how they ended up with this dossier, how it was believed to be accurate, when did they know it was not accurate?” explained Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) one of the key members of the Judiciary Committee.

  

• Iran Plans To Sink A Huge 'US Carrier Replica' In Gulf Live-Fire Drills
  Iran Plans To Sink A Huge ‘US Carrier Replica’ In Gulf Live-Fire Drills
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 22:45

  After last month it was reported that the US Marine Corps was conducing ‘live-fire drills’ in the Persian Gulf amid continued soaring tensions with Iran, centered of late on Tehran’s growing assistance to another ‘rogue state’ – Maduro’s Venezuela – it appears Iran’s military has upped the ante with similar drills of their own.

  “Iran appears to have built a fake aircraft carrier off its southern coast for potential live-fire drills amid ongoing tensions with the U.S., satellite images showed Tuesday,” a FOX-AP report says.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Analysts say the mock-up actually appears close to America’s fleet of Nimitz-class carriers, commonly stationed in the region and routinely traversing the contested Strait of Hormuz. It even includes fake fighter jets parked on the deck.

  “The replica carries 16 mock-ups of fighter jets on its deck, according to satellite photos taken by Maxar Technologies. The vessel appears to be some 650 feet long and 160 feet wide,” the report continues.

  Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) thus appears to be prepping what would be the second simulated carrier sinking within five years – the last time being a 2015 live-fire drill centered on attacking a carrier replica. 

  Currently, the US Navy has orders from the Pentagon to shoot at any Iranian military boat which harasses US ships. 

  In 2015 Iran filmed large-scale live-fire drills aimed at sinking a mock carrier:

  In 2015 did same thing to show their force, but instead showed they had trouble sinking the mock up carrier.https://t.co/1Y7m7Dnbcm

  — Shaun (@ShaunHann1) June 9, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  A May 19 US Navy alert which Reuters described at the time as “aimed squarely at Iran” declared that “armed vessels approaching within 100 meters of a U.S. naval vessel may be interpreted as a threat.” 

  This came after prior filmed incidents involving IRGC ‘fast boats’ circling American warships in a threatening way – sometimes for up to hours. 

  It’s unclear exactly when Iran hopes to hold its ‘sinking’ of the mock carrier drills, but they’ll likely film it for propaganda purposes once they do.

  

• The Worst Literal Hitler Ever
  The Worst Literal Hitler Ever
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 22:25

  Authored (satirically) by CJ Hopkins via ConsentFactory.org,

  So, the GloboCap-Resistance Minneapolis Putsch appears to have not gone exactly to plan. Once again, Trump failed to go full-Hitler, despite their best efforts to goad him into doing so. They gave it quite a good shot, however. It was more or less a textbook regime-change op, or “color revolution,” or whatever you call it. All the essential pieces were in place. All they needed Trump to do was declare himself dictator and impose martial law, so the generals could step in and remove him from office.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Unfortunately for the Resistance, Trump didn’t do that. Instead, he did what he usually does, which is make a total ass of himself on international television. Which … OK, was cringeworthy, but didn’t quite provide the GloboCap gang with the pretext they needed to perp-walk him out of the Oval Office. Which, needless to say, was incredibly frustrating. After four long years of propaganda foreplay, there we were, finally at the moment of truth, and Adolf goes and loses his erection.

  This guy is the worst literal Hitler ever.

  Still, as far as regime-change ops go, and given that this one was a domestic operation, so trickier than the usual foreign version, I’d give the Resistance a B+ for effort.

  Now, before my “conspiracy theorist” readers get too excited about where I’m going with this column … no, this was not a “fake” uprising. There was an authentic uprising at the center of it. There’s always an authentic uprising at the center of every regime-change op, or at least the type that GloboCap has been carrying out and attempting recently. Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, the Ukraine, Bolivia, Venezuela; these things go pretty much by the numbers.

  Here’s a quick breakdown of how that works.

  • First, you need your civil unrest, large-scale protests, rioting, looting, indiscriminate violence, and so on. Any number of “trigger events” will be sufficient to get this going. Once it is, you can grow it and focus it. A lot of this unrest needs to be authentic, so it’s best to conduct an overwhelming multi-year propaganda campaign to delegitimize and demonize your target as some sort of treasonous Hitlerian monster who’s responsible for every major problem in the country. That way, no matter which trigger event gets things going, it will be his fault.

  • You will want your local government officials to allow this civil unrest to go on until it reaches the point where rioters and looters are rampaging through the hearts of cities, raiding both high-end corporate chain stores and local mom-and-pop-type businesses, and brutally assaulting their defenseless proprietors. This does not mean that these local officials have to restrain or stand down their cops. On the contrary, you want them to unleash their cops, on the protesters, rioters, and TV reporters (during their “live” reports, if possible), and just generally beat the living crap out of everyone. The goal is to generate as much hatred as possible against the regime you are trying to change, and to pressure your designated Hitler-target into losing his patience and overreacting, so you want things to get extremely ugly.

  • Then, you unleash the power of the media to whip folks up into a mindless frenzy of rage against your designated Hitler. You have your “respectable” pundits publish articles calling for his removal from office. You get the military (and former military) to start making noise about how your Hitler is out of control and on the brink of fascism. Then you wait for your Hitler to overreact and attempt to call in the military and impose some form of martial law, at which point you can safely depose him, and pretend that democracy has won the day.

  The media is essential here, because you need to convince the majority of the public (i.e., not just the people protesting and rioting) that things have gotten so out of control, and your imaginary Hitler has gotten so dangerous, that a military coup is the best solution.

  What you’re looking for are headlines like these:

  “We are teetering on a dictatorship” — CNN

  “‘Words of a dictator’: Trump’s threat to deploy military raises spectre of fascism” — The Guardian

  “Donald Trump is Trying to Start a Race War” — Rolling Stone

  “Remove Trump Now” — Slate

  “The Trump Presidency is Over.” — The Guardian

  “Trump Must Be Removed” — The Washington Post

  Also, while the media are doing their thing, you want to get any former members of the intelligence community (or the secret police) to issue public statements like this:

  “There should be no place in American society, much less in our government, for the depravity being demonstrated daily by Donald Trump. Members of his Cabinet who enable such behavior are betraying their oath of office by supporting an increasingly desperate despot.” — John Brennan, former CIA director

  Then you bring the politicians and the military in. This kind of language will usually do it:

  “The fascist speech Donald Trump just delivered verged on a declaration of war against American citizens. I fear for our country tonight and will not stop defending America against Trump’s assault.” — Senator Ron Wyden

  “These are not the words of a president. They are the words of a dictator.” — Senator Kamala Harris

  “‘There is a thin line between the military’s tolerance for questionable partisan moves over the past three years and the point where these become intolerable,” a retired general said.” — The New York Times

  “We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution … We can unite without [Trump], drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.” — General James “Mad Dog” Mattis, former Secretary of Defense

  Once the generals have started in growling, you get the media to hype that, hard. Headlines like these will get people’s attention:

  “Revolt of the Generals” — The Washington Post

  “The Officers’ Revolt” — Slate

  “President Donald Trump is facing an unprecedented revolt from the elite corps of ex-military leaders and presidents …” — CNN

  “The US president’s desire to act the strongman poses urgent questions that America’s generals, voters and allies must all answer” — The Guardian Editorial Board

  If you can, it is always a really nice touch if you can drum up … oh, let’s say 280 former national security officials who are really concerned about the state of democracy and “the misuse of the military for political purposes,” and get them to spontaneously call each other up and decide to write a letter together accusing your Hitler of “dividing Americans,” which the media can then disseminate, widely.

  And, of course, what you need for the “educated classes” is an official propagandist like Franklin Foer (who broke the big story about the non-existent “Trump-Russia server” back in 2016 and was rewarded for his service to GloboCap with a lucrative staff writer position at The Atlantic) to come right out and explain that what’s happening is a textbook regime-change operation (because you don’t have to dupe the “educated classes,” most of whom will already be on your side). Something more or less like this:

  “Twitter’s decision to label Trump’s posts as misleading was a hinge moment … once Twitter applied its rules to Trump — and received accolades for its decision — it inadvertently set a precedent … a cycle of noncooperation was set in motion. Local governments were the next layer of the elite to buck Trump’s commands. After the president insisted that governors ‘dominate’ the streets on his behalf, they roundly refused to escalate their response. Indeed, New York and Virginia rebuffed a federal request to send National Guard troops to Washington, D.C. Even the suburb of Arlington, Virginia, pulled its police that had been loaned to control the crowd in Lafayette Square. As each group of elites refused Trump, it became harder for the next to comply in good conscience. In Sharp’s taxonomy, the autocrat’s grasp on power depends entirely on the allegiance of the armed forces. When the armed forces withhold cooperation, the dictator is finished.”

  As I said, it went pretty much right by the book.

  After four long years of official propaganda designed to convince the Western masses that Donald Trump is literally Hitler, GloboCap, the liberal Resistance, and the corporate media all did their best to harness the authentic protests and rioting that routinely follow the murder of an unarmed Black person by the cops, and use it to remove him from office. It would have been a spectacular catharsis, a fitting climax to the War on Populism, but Trump refused to play his part … so, OK, maybe he’s not as dumb as I thought, or at least not totally suicidal.

  No matter, it’s still a big win for GloboCap. Forcibly removing Trump from office is, and has always been, gravy. The main goal of the War on Populism is to delegitimize and demonize him, and everyone who voted for him (and Jeremy Corbyn, and even Bernie Sanders, and everyone who voted for them). Trump is just a symbol, after all. It’s the dissatisfaction with global capitalism (and its smiley, happy, valueless values, and its post-ideological ideology) that GloboCap is determined to crush, so they can get back to the unfinished business of restructuring the entire Middle East, and anywhere else that’s not playing ball, and dissolving what is left of national sovereignty, and transforming the world into one big marketplace, where there will be no fascists, no evil Russians, no religious extremists, no racist statues, no offensive movies, or books, or artworks, no more unauthorized ass-clown presidents, and everyone will be “contact-traced” with their digital health-certificate implants, and the children will stand inside their little “social-distancing” boxes and circles and sing the Coca-Cola theme song through their anti-virus masks at school …

  Sorry … I got a little off-track there. I forgot that this was strictly about racism, and police brutality, and nothing else. I’ll try to stick to the script from now on, but it might be difficult, given my “privilege.” Maybe, if I wrapped myself in kente cloth and got down on my knees in public, that might help me get my mind right. Or, I don’t know. What do you think?

  

• US Shale Faces Bankruptcy Wave Amid "Long And Arduous" Global Downturn
  US Shale Faces Bankruptcy Wave Amid “Long And Arduous” Global Downturn
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 22:05

  The US shale industry could be on the verge of destruction due to the drastic decline in demand and falling energy prices brought on by coronavirus pandemic, a new report says. 

  The Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) published its 14th edition of the Global Peace Index on Wednesday — outlining how the virus-induced downturn of the energy market and a price war between Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia — could result in a “collapse” of US shale.

  “The sharp fall in oil prices will affect political regimes in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, which may result in the collapse of the shale oil industry in the US, unless oil prices return to their prior levels,” IEP warns.

  The report goes on to say “this global recession will be long and arduous,” outlining how weakness in commercial, travel and industrial activity will persist for an extended period, indicating oil prices will remain subdued: 

  “These markets were already effected by an over-supply, emanating from Russia and Saudi Arabia who could not agree on production curbs. On April 20 the price of crude oil turned negative for the first time in history, as seen in Figure 1.9. Demand had collapsed so rapidly that overstocked producers were willing to pay buyers to take away excess inventory. The negative price was a short-lived technicality, due to the way futures contracts are written; with oil prices soon returning to positive territory. Nevertheless, the unprecedented episode highlighted the severity of demand collapsing worldwide.” 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Crude prices stabilized in April after OPEC+ agreed to production cuts. Last weekend, an extension of the 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) cuts were seen through July. The cuts equal about 10% of global supply, which has led to a 172% rise in Brent crude futures over the last 33 trading sessions. Despite the extension in cuts, Brent crude prices have stalled in the 43-40 level, now at risk of reversing. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Goldman Sachs warned in a Tuesday note that a tactical “pull-back in prices in the coming weeks with our short-term forecast of $35/bbl vs. Brent spot prices of $43/bbl.”

  The oil market only moved into deficit late May and still faces the daunting challenge of normalizing a billion barrels of excess inventories. Yet, the oil relief rally remains unfazed, with prices doubling and exceeding our year-end price target just six weeks after the likely cycles lows.

  This rebound has been fueled by a macro risk-on backdrop and a policy-induced Chinese crude import binge yet fundamentals are turning bearish: demand expectations are running ahead of a more gradual and still highly uncertain recovery, shale and Libyan shut-in production are coming back online, and prices are at levels where OPEC supply cuts should ease and Chinese purchases slow.

  With OPEC’s latest cut already more than priced in, we now forecast a pull-back in prices in the coming weeks with our short-term Brent forecast of $35/bbl vs. spot prices of $43/bbl. Just as strengthening physical oil prices led us to turn constructive on the oil market on May 1, very poor refining margins and the recent sharp decline in US crude bases now comfort us in our sequentially bearish outlook. – Goldman’s energy analyst Damien Courvalin wrote in the note. 

  Courvalin outlined four reasons why fundamentals could drag crude prices lower in the near term:

  The oil rally remains unfazed, however, with Brent prices doubling and exceeding our year-end price target just six weeks after the likely cycles lows. We see three reasons behind this rebound: (1) a macro risk-on backdrop with oil rallying with equities and dollar depreciation, (2) a policy-induced Chinese crude import binge, and (3) frictions in releasing crude from storage as the deficit starts.

  While positioning leaves room for this rally to continue, we see four reasons why fundamentals are likely to set the stage for a pull-back in coming weeks:

  (1) demand expectations are running ahead of a more gradual and still uncertain rebound,

  (2) both shale and Libyan shut-in production are currently restarting,

  (3) prices are nearing levels where OPEC supply cuts should ease and Chinese purchases slow, and

  (4) the inventory overhang remains daunting with our latest deep dive still pointing to 1 bn in excess stocks.

  The scale of the rally and the size of the inventory overhang are two challenges for OPEC+, threatening the higher prices, volumes and market-share targeted through 2021. While large cuts are needed to normalize excess inventories, too long a cut instead benefits competing high-cost producers, with US E&P HY debt issuance restarting. As we have argued, this should point to OPEC soon targeting higher output before shale activity inflects. If successfully carried-out, such a strategy should weigh on long-dated prices, helping achieve the backwardation that benefits low-cost producers.

   As Goldman gets bearish on energy, hedge fund positioning in crude futures last week suggest the rally is running out of steam.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Perhaps the bearishness building in crude extends from lackluster global demand and continued oversupply conditions, due mostly because there will be no V-shaped recovery in the global economy this year or next, which was highlighted in our piece titled “OECD Warns Of Deepest Global Downturn In Century, Second Virus Wave.” 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The latest Energy Information Administration (EIA) report noted Wednesday that US crude stockpiles reached a record high.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  With another possible decline in crude prices ahead, it remains to be seen if President Trump can save heavily indebted US shale companies. When prices crashed several months ago, the president struggled to get aid to the collapsing industry. 

  Lower for longer crude prices, in a global downturn, which could continue through at least 2021 — could be what finally leads to a  bankruptcy wave in shale.  

  

• The Environmentalist's Dream Came True
  The Environmentalist’s Dream Came True
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 21:45

  Authored by Joakim Book via The American Institute for Economic Research,

  Have you recently heard anything about the major existential threat to our lives? I don’t mean the exaggerated virality of the virus currently wreaking havoc with our globalized societies, but the endlessly dangerous impact of climate change? Of rising sea levels and volatile weather leading to crop failures and mass starvation and collapse of precious ecosystems? 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  You know, the imminent Sixth Mass Extinction? The “ecocide” that the French President Emmanuel Macron called the Amazon fires last year and that the British newspaper The Guardian routinely describes all kinds of things impacting nature?

  I didn’t think so.

  Nor should you have: as humans, we clearly had more urgent things to worry about than dying polar bears or cleared rainforests or other kinds of climate damages – real or imagined – accumulating centuries down the line. In the economist’s dry language, our time preferences spiked: we suddenly cared a lot more about the present compared to the future than we did until recently.

  At the same time, strangely, the environmentalists had a field day during the corona pandemic. The anti-human policies they have called for, protested for, disrupted societies and other people’s lives for, were suddenly implemented en masse, albeit on a temporary basis. Think of it as a trial for green policies. 

  To most naive environmentalists, this was a hugely successful experiment. We could and did shut down the modern industrialized society they frantically detest. Factories across many provinces of China, the workshop of the world, shut down for months; Italy paused its market society while their dead piled up, and most other countries followed suit: malls closed, downtowns were eerily empty, supermarkets rationed both goods and customers. Airports and planes, those busy places usually at any given time housing over a million people – a Dallas-sized city in the skies – all but closed. 

  And the environment did improve a little. Air quality in many Chinese cities improved, almost overnight. CO2 emissions for the first quarter of 2020 fell by a full 5% as opposed to growing steadily at 2-3% a year – “one of the biggest reductions in CO2 emissions on record,” as the World Economic Forum described the news. The reduction of emissions were even seen from space, almost instantaneously. 

  Intellectually consistent greens should be celebrating in the streets. 

  Yet, they’re fairly quiet. And most scientists are not so happy. Even though we stopped air travel, mostly stopped eating out and reduced our consumption, some 80% of emissions went unaffected – think heating, electricity, food consumption, and the many disposables we now – reasonably – started using. The coronavirus shutdown shows that we can do a lot to change our societies and it still wouldn’t make more than a dent in the global emissions. Extrapolating the 5%-first quarter reduction in emissions for the rest of the year puts us back roughly to emission levels of 2012, not exactly a year celebrated for its climate achievements.  

  Was it Worth It?

  Asking this annoying economist’s question is the attempt to be balanced in a world gone mad. Answer it requires us to hold more than one value in our minds at the same time, trading off one for the other – an attribute that our political friends on the left and right don’t like doing. The world is not, contrary to most everyone’s illusions, one-dimensional; there is no one thing that overwhelmingly matters. Instead, careful trade-offs between health, financial and economic well-being, and climate impact do.

  Most people do want to preserve nature and minimize our climate impact – but not “at the expense of their children going cold or hungry.”

  With 13% unemployment in the U.S. and reports of all kinds of ills increasing – ranging from poverty, to domestic violence and suicides – whether some percentage points off global emissions were worth it is highly doubtful. Even setting aside the pandemic for a moment, one has to place a very large value on polar bears and trees, and a very small value on human flourishing to rationalize that trade-off. You can, in principle, have whichever valuations of those things that you want, but very few people would share them – and I wager that most environmentalists themselves won’t. 

  Andy Kessler at the Wall Street Journal nailed it when he, in April, wrote: 

  “Today we have 17 million freshly unemployed, but . . . carbon emissions have plummeted, dolphins returned to Venice, wolves walk the streets of San Francisco and pot use is at an all-time high. Unicorns and equality everywhere? Not quite. Pollution and crime are down because we’re all basically in prison. It’s awful. Set us free.”

  For some people, somewhere, spending unanticipated time with loved ones has been a blessing. For others, this family love has been mediated through phones or hospital windows. Don’t visit your elders. Don’t see your friends. If you do, stay far away from them. Carnal desires or intimacy outside of cohabitation is clearly not essential. In every conceivable way, life has been worse. Travels for leisure, pleasure, or business have ceased. Incomes for insanely large chunks of American society has dwindled, if not stopped entirely. That’s not great. 

  Of the dystopia the green left idealizes, the Spring of 2020 was but a taste. A taste that we endured, survived, hankered along because of extreme measures by businesses and governments designed to hibernate commercial and civic life – and save our vulnerable elderly population. Fiscal deficits and money-printing of astronomical magnitudes. It could only last so long, which is why many countries are eager to open their societies before the still-meagre tourist season of 2020.  

  The green new deal of anti-human, anti-capitalist harmony would run this route all the way, with no end in sight, no wealth or saving to draw from, no fantastically productive supply chains left over from a prosperous and globalized economy temporarily put on hold. 

  Massive reduction in living standards – or a massive reduction in people. That was always the green offer on the table. We have to abandon this mistaken belief that human activity is parasitical to the planet. The always-great Matt Ridley writes: 

  “We must not despair or return permanently to autarky and localism. With the right precautions, an open, free-trading, free-moving, innovating world is possible without pandemics and is essential for raising living standard.” 

  If the damages done by mandated shutdowns and fearful populace – financially, socially, economically – looks devastating to you, that’s but a preview of what a Brave New Green World looks like. 

  Let’s not have it.

  

• Researchers Find At Least 7 Different Strains Of Coronavirus Circulated In California
  Researchers Find At Least 7 Different Strains Of Coronavirus Circulated In California
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 21:25

  The latest research published last night by the journal Science repudiated prior claims that early incidences of the virus in the US petered out, and instead found that at least seven different strains of the virus that have been circulating in California since the early days of the outbreak, suggesting that the outbreak in the US didn’t have one source, but evolved from a large number of travelers spreading the virus to the US. As we noted earlier, new satellite data suggests the virus emerged in Wuhan much earlier than Beijing has acknowledged.

  The analysis found that the cases of the disease, including travelers coming from Europe and Asia, spread in Washington and California, before the virus spread from those states across the rest of the country, though it’s probably fair to assume that a similarly diverse number of strains traveled to New York.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  “While the sample size is small, this study suggests that there may have been multiple introductions of the virus into the United States,” Brandon Brown, an associate professor of social medicine population and public health at the University of California-Riverside, told UPI.“The findings may actually leave us with more questions than answers regarding the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 in the U.S.,” he added. Brown was involved with the study.

  The study published in Science was conducted by a team of California public health officials and international researchers analyzing viral samples from 36 patients spanning nine counties and the Grand Princess cruise ship, which docked in San Francisco Bay in March after an outbreak occurred on board.

  A detailed genetic analysis revealed that at least seven different SARS-CoV-2 strains spread in California, and these strains showed some overlap with Washington State.

  The press positioned the research as supportive of contact tracing. But many remain skeptical of the usefulness of the technique this late in the game…

  There was no “predominant lineage” and limited transmission between communities within the state, they added.

  In general, the findings “support contact tracing, social distancing and travel restrictions to contain SARS-CoV-2 spread in California and other states,” the authors said.

  “Initially, we were focused on preventing the introduction of the virus via travel, but we soon began to understand the prevalence of the virus in the community among those who had not traveled,” Brown said.

  “This study does illustrate the potential multiple introductions of the virus into Northern California, which makes it more difficult to control the spread.”

  …particularly since the WHO has acknowledged that asymptomatic cases don’t play as big a role in spreading the virus as we previously suspected.

  

• Lazare: Christopher Steele's Very Stupid Dossier
  Lazare: Christopher Steele’s Very Stupid Dossier
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 21:05

  Authored by Daniel Lazare via The Strategic Culture Foundation,

  “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad.”

  So declared Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

  But he was wrong. The gods don’t make them mad – they make them stupid.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Christopher Steele’s famous dossier, back in the news now that the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has begun hearings on Russiagate, is a case in point. The FBI took the dossier oh-so-seriously back in 2016, sending out agents to double-check the ex-MI-6 agent’s informants and using it to obtain secret search warrants against alleged Russia go-between Carter Page. Nicholas Kristof pronounce the dossier “plausible” in a January 2017 New York Times column entitled, “Donald Trump: Kremlin Employee of the Month,” while Adam Schiff regaled a House Intelligence Committee hearing with its contents. Former FBI Director James Comey continued to insist that the dossier’s most notorious finding – the celebrated “golden showers” episode in the Moscow Ritz Carlton – was “possible” well into 2018.

  But as we now know, it was all nonsense. Steele’s Russian sources began backing away from the dossier as soon as it came out, confessing in follow-up interviews that the Ritz Carlton incident was nothing more than “rumor and speculation” and that other stories that Steele passed along with a straight face were the sort of gossip that friends bat back and forth over beers. As for Steele himself, former intelligence colleagues told the bureau that, while enthusiastic, he suffers from “lack of self-awareness” and “didn’t always exercise great judgment.”

  The stories were baseless while Steele himself was unreliable – which is no doubt why the FBI kept such interviews under wraps. After all, why let the facts get in the way of a good investigation that’s generating scads of headlines by the minute, especially since the target is an all-purpose whipping boy like Vladimir Putin? Indeed, under wraps is where they would have stayed if Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz hadn’t ferreted them out and published them in a stunning report last December.

  But the question is not so much why such findings were covered up, but why things got so far to begin with. The problem with the Steele dossier is not merely that it’s uncorroborated and under-researched. The problem is that it’s ridiculous on its face, a tale told by an idiot that only another idiot could believe. Any normal person would give it a quick read and toss it in the wastebasket.

  Why? Let’s begin with the opening line: “Russian regime has been cultivating, supporting and assisting TRUMP for at least 5 years.”

  Since Steele began compiling the dossier in June 2016, that means that the Kremlin had been working with Trump since at least 2011. But this is absurd since 2011 was Trump’s annus horribilis, the year he fell flat on his face after putting out feelers about entering the upcoming presidential race. Pundits dismissed him as a reality TV star looking for cheap publicity, Barack Obama skewered him mercilessly at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, while Republican strategist Karl Rove dismissed his candidacy as “a joke.” Writer Erik Hedegaard described Trump as “a Barnum-type showman” with hair a “patriotic shade of amber waves of grain” in a hilarious Rolling Stone profile that’s still a must-read.

  Trump was a walking, talking, bouffant-wearing punch line, in other words, which is why Russian intelligence would have had to have been positively clairvoyant to pick him out as someone who would one day be in a position to “sow discord and disunity both within the U.S. itself, but more especially within the Transatlantic alliance,” as the dossier puts it.

  A few pages later, however, Steele reports that the Kremlin has been cultivating Trump not for five years, but for eight, i.e. starting back in 2008, which is even more absurd since Trump, struggling to keep himself afloat amid the greatest financial crisis in eighty years, was threatening to default on a $40-million loan from Deutsche Bank. Smart as Putin may be, he’d have to be a super-Einstein to see a foundering businessman like his as presidential material.

  Thus, Steele’s core thesis – that Trump and Putin had a working relationship going back years – doesn’t pass the most elementary smell test. From there, things only get worse.

  “So far,” he continues, “TRUMP has declined various sweetener real estate business deals offered him in Russia in order to further the Kremlin’s cultivation of him.”

  The implication is that Trump was playing hard to get. Yet Steele goes on to say:

  “Finally, regarding TRUMP’s claimed minimal investment profile in Russia, a separate source with direct knowledge said this had not been for want of trying. TRUMP’s previous efforts had included exploring the real estate sector in St Petersburg as well as Moscow but in the end TRUMP had had to settle for the use of extensive sexual services there from local prostitutes rather than business success.”

  TRUMP – intelligence agents are fond of capital letters – was turning down business while struggling unsuccessfully to drum it up.

  As for those St. Petersburg prostitutes, Steele confesses that the details are elusive because “all direct witnesses to this recently had been ‘silenced,’ i.e. bribed or coerced to disappear.” This sounds dark, mysterious, and very Russian. But no such difficulties exist with regard to the “golden showers” episode at the Moscow Ritz Carlton because the hotel “was known to be under FSB [i.e. Russian Federal Security Service] control with microphones and concealed cameras in all the main rooms to record anything they wanted to.” Video and audio tapes would certainly make for impressive evidence except that the dossier gives no indication of actually listening to or viewing such material. The result is an evidence-free assertion that’s both unproven and incontrovertible — which is to say, trash.

  Then there’s the curious matter of the Jews. In describing a vast Russian intelligence operation aimed at sabotaging Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, Steele accuses the Kremlin of making “heavy use” of “coercion and blackmail” to enlist “U.S. citizens of Russian (Jewish) origin.” The dossier continues:

  “On the mechanism for rewarding relevant assets based in the U.S., and effecting a two-way flow of intelligence and other useful information, Source E claimed that Russian diplomatic staff in key cities such as New York, Washington DC and Miami were using the ‘emigre’ ‘pension’ distribution system as cover. The operation therefore depended on key people in the U.S. Russian emigre community for its success. Tens of thousands of dollars were involved.”

  Not only had the Kremlin entered into a working relationship with Trump, evidently, but it had also entered into a working relationship with America’s large Russian-Jewish émigré community. Two kinds of paranoia, anti-Russian and anti-Jewish, thus merged to form a single great Russo-Judaic conspiracy stretching from Moscow to Miami Beach. Since the dossier provides nothing by way of back-up, this was another reason to throw it in the garbage. But the FBI, which collectively seems to have the cranial capacity of a brontosaurus, thought the theory was worth pursuing regardless.

  An exchange between Lisa and Peter Strzok gives us an idea of the depths to which the bureau had sunk. Page was the FBI in-house attorney who texted in August 2016, “[Trump’s] not ever going to become president, right? Right?!” To which Strzok, the agent in charge of the Russia investigation, replied: “No. No he won’t. We’ll stop it.” Eyebrows went up all over Washington when that little exchange got out.

  But a conversation a few weeks earlier is no less revealing. After Page mentioned a news item about Trump’s alleged Kremlin ties, Strzok texted that he’s “partial to any women sending articles about how nasty the Russians are.” To which Page replied that Russians “are probably the worst. Very little I finding redeeming about this. Even in history. Couple of good writers and artists I guess.” Strzok agreed: “f***ing conniving cheating savages. At statecraft, athletics, you name it. I’m glad I’m on Team USA.”

  The exchange was racist, bigoted, and most of all stupid – painfully so. Couple of good writers and artists I guess? Does that mean Page has never read Tolstoy or Turgenev, Babel or Bulgakov? That she’s never heard of Tchaikovsky or Prokofiev? Never seen a movie by Eisenstein or an opera by Borodin?

  The mind reels. But the conversation speaks volumes about how intellectual levels had fallen. Basically, intelligence agents would believe anything about Russia, no matter how ridiculous, as long as it put it in a negative light.

  Undoubtedly, narrowness of this sort had something to do with twenty-five years of unipolarity, that belief that, with the fall of the Soviets, the United States was now “the indispensable nation,” as Madeleine Albright put it in 1998, able to “stand tall and … see further than other countries into the future.” Since America could do no wrong, it no longer had to think about whether it was following the right course or not. It no longer had to think, period, and the fact that pundits hailed Albright as inestimably wise and profound meant that it would only sink deeper and deeper into thoughtlessness.

  The world’s sole remaining superpower thus plunged ever deeper into arrogance and idiocy, as the entire Russiagate disaster shows. Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi was fond of pointing out that no country can be both rich and stupid for more than a generation. He meant it as a reproach to the Italians, but he could have been addressing America as well.

  Now that it’s crashing and burning from terminal stupidity, it’s proving him right yet again.

  

• American Cities Becoming 'A Big Toilet' For Lack Of Public Restrooms Amid COVID-19
  American Cities Becoming ‘A Big Toilet’ For Lack Of Public Restrooms Amid COVID-19
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 20:45

  Over the past months of COVID-19 lockdowns across nearly all states, and as many counties and cities observed and enforced strict social distancing policies, America has seen a rise in public urination. 

  The reality is that whether walking in downtown urban spaces, or on long distance travel, people are facing a dilemma of either encountering no available public restrooms given businesses and restaurants were closed – or alternately not feeling comfortable enough going into places like gas station given pandemic fears.

  The New York Post this week describes this rising phenomenon in the city aptly with the title: With no public bathrooms, the Big Apple is now ‘the Big Toilet’.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Yes, the city is starting to come back to life, but with some draw backs as not everything has caught up, as the report begins:

  But this re-emergence has come with a stream of issues — mainly a steady flow of revelers freely peeing in public since most bathrooms remain closed. And now, with thousands of protesters taking to the streets each day, more people than ever are contributing to NYC’s No. 1 problem by whizzing in the wild.

  “Last night, my co-worker saw some guy just coming down the street and pulling down his pants [to urinate],” Spano tells The Post. “She was like, ‘Nah, not here, man.’

  It’s a bit of a Catch-22: on the one hand public urination remains a minor offense punishable with a small fine (after a few years ago the city moved the decriminalize such low level offenses), and on the other people remain skittish about using potentially germ-infested public toilets.

  This also as many shops now opening still have a “no bathroom” edict, especially given they are subject to occupancy limitations and are trying to prevent unnecessary potential exposure amid the coronavirus crisis. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  So often the only “safe” option is to pee on the street or in an alley: “There’s definitely been an uptick on this street, from what I’ve seen. But most people at least go in a corner or have friends cover them up,” one New Yorker told The Post.

  Apparently it’s now a big topic of conversation for anyone going out as venues open back up: 

  “My friends and I talk about [public urination] all of the time now,” Sophia, a 23-year-old who lives in Park Slope and asked that her last name not be used, tells The Post.

  “It’s a big topic. Since the pandemic, I have done it myself in Prospect Park, behind a dumpster in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. All of the public restrooms like McDonald’s and Starbucks are closed. If you are far away from your home, what are you supposed to do?”

  No doubt this is an increasing conversation nationally, and might also explain why there’s been a mass increase in RV and motor home buying nationwide, or aptly dubbed “Covid campers”.

  After all, a motor home means you can relieve yourself at any time while traveling, without having to enter a public space. 

  Meanwhile in New York and other major cities, there’s growing concern over foul and rank smelling streets as more and more people – not just the homeless – do their business outside. 

  

• The Political Left Used George Floyd's Dead Body As A Social Justice Marionette
  The Political Left Used George Floyd’s Dead Body As A Social Justice Marionette
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 20:25

  Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.com,

  There is an important question in the George Floyd case that almost no one seems to be asking, and I think it needs to be addressed:  Is there any evidence that George Floyd died because he is black?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  I bring it up because the prevailing narrative from the mainstream media and Black Lives Matter is that this is a verified fact, yet, I’ve seen no proof to back the claim. I’ve seen no evidence so far that any of the police involved have a background of racial prejudice. I do know two of them including Derek Chauvin had a history of abuse complaints from people of various races, but this is a separate issue. How is it that a discussion that should have been about police brutality and abuse of power was allowed to be hijacked and turned into an issue of “white supremacy” that all white Americans are supposed to apologize for?

  These days, simply asking these questions will trigger automatic accusations of “bigotry”. If you aren’t an “ally” of Black Lives Matter then you are surely a racist; or so we are told. But I don’t model my thinking according to a hive mind of emotionally stunted reactionaries, and neither do a lot of Americans. Many of us have to THINK about these situations logically and rationally and come to our own conclusions based on the facts at hand.

  I watched the full video, and like most people I was disturbed by the cold robotic manner in which Derek Chauvin applied the full weight of his body to a single point of his knee on the back of George Floyd’s neck for a period of 9 minutes that seemed like an eternity. Anyone with a background in medicine or mixed martial arts knows that you do not do this unless you intend to permanently injure or kill a person. Damage to the vagus nerve and cervical spinal nerves can cause serious dysfunction to the rest of the body, including possible pulmonary distress.  Police procedure specifically teaches officers to avoid such tactics.  Chauvin had 19 years of experience and training, unlike the two rookie officers helping him hold Floyd down; he knew better and he did it anyway.

  I have no interest in defending Chauvin. There is no excuse for his actions as is evident by the video. I think a lot of conservatives agree with this. If leftists had simply stuck to the reality of the situation and hammered home the danger of abuse of power regardless of a person’s color, then there wouldn’t be a problem. It’s one of the few issues that leftists and conservatives find common ground.

  Unfortunately, George Floyd’s body has now been devoured as a sacrifice to the social justice cult. They are ravenous now, frothing at the mouth and dancing with glee, because the hard left exploits tragedy as a vehicle to mold society according to their ideals.  They NEED tragedy and division to keep their movement relevant.

  Floyd has been turned into a morbid puppet for their benefit and entertainment. They have made his death about race politics and victim group status. They have made his death a monument to their fantasy world in which “systemic racism” and “white privilege” is the cause of all their struggles and failures.  So now, we are at an impasse.

  In last week’s article, I tried to speak to conservatives directly on the dangers of overreacting to the protests and riots.  Specifically, I warned about the building discussion of “martial law” and handing the government unconstitutional powers in the name of security.  I believe this is ultimately what the establishment wants – To manipulate one side of the political spectrum or the other into supporting totalitarianism.

  They tried appealing to the political left in the name of protecting people from the pandemic, and they have tried appealing to the political right in the name of protecting people from the riots.  I want to make it clear, though, that the social justice movement is a key driver in the chaos the US is facing this year and into the foreseeable future.  Conservatives need to avoid being lured by the temptations of government power, but the extreme left is still a considerable problem.

  No justice no peace? If protest groups truly want peaceful resolution they would have realized by now that the officers involved in the event have been arrested and charged and the city of Minneapolis is even proclaiming an end to the municipal police altogether. Justice is being served, perhaps overtly just to appease the movement. But this is not enough for BLM and the hard left, and nothing ever will be.

  One of the defining traits of the social justice horde is that they are never satisfied; give them what they want and they smell blood in the water. Fulfill their demands and they will draft more demands. Apologize, even when you have done nothing wrong, and they will attack you with more aggression to make sure you know they own you. Once you placate these people to gain their approval, you will never be free.

  There is nothing that white Americans in general need to apologize for.  The current conflict is NOT rooted in white supremacy, the conflict is rooted in the leftist mob and its collectivist zealotry.  They are the divisive factor.

  I have heard it said for many years that the great weakness of conservative movements compared to progressive movements is that we often lack uniformity when it comes to action. We all tend to agree on the causes of problems (big government, centralization, central banking, globalist influences within government, a lack of respect for the constitutional foundation of our country, etc.), but we vehemently disagree on specific solutions. That said, I prefer the weakness of too much individuality over the mob mentality of leftist movements.

  Following gatekeepers blindly in terms of action even when those action are utterly wrong and devoid of reason is a swift path to collectivist tyranny.  It is the reason leftist movements are so concerning; they are easily led by terrible people.

  They assume they are on the right side of history, and they feel they have no need for reason or facts.  The race card is one of their favorite shock-and-awe weapons as it is a highly charged and emotional brush-fire that tends to choke out rationality in people’s minds.

  The left will cite certain stats until they are blue in the face to support their claims that everything is about race, while ignoring other stats that are contrary to their narrative. Anything that is contrary to the narrative is ignored. The narrative is god, and those who control the narrative control the political left.

  For example, in terms of the George Floyd issue they will bring up the argument that 24% of police shooting deaths in the US are black people, even though black people make up only 13% of the US population. This number is usually derived from annual FBI crime stats and would be rather damning except it’s only half the story. What they don’t mention is those same stats show that blacks also make up the majority of violent crimes in the US including murder and robbery.

  According to the FBI’s 2016 – 2018 crime statistics, blacks are responsible for 52% to 53% of murders in the US, again while only representing 13% of the population. Blacks also represent 27% of ALL criminal activity in the US despite their much lower population. Isn’t it possible that the over-representation of violence in the black community might lead to a higher number of black deaths during police encounters?

  This does not mean that all police killings of blacks are justified including the killing of George Floyd, but I find it interesting that social justice warriors consistently ignore the data on black participation in violent crime. If BLM wants to play the statistics game they need to be corrected when they cherry-pick data to support a baseless ideological premise.  The BLM seems utterly disinterested in nationwide protests to stop black-on-black crime even though it is a much bigger problem than blacks being killed by cops.  Hell, they won’t even acknowledge the death of an elderly black man, David Dorn, at the hands of looters during one of their protests in St.Louis.  It simply doesn’t fit the image of the white supremacy bogeyman they want to project.

  Remember BLM, facts are more important than your feelings or agenda.  All lives matter, not just those you prefer to use to further your political goals.

  Beyond that, the claims of systemic racism among law enforcement simply don’t hold up when one examines the number of white people that also die at the hands of police each year.  There are psychopathic police (white and black) that kill unarmed people regardless of color, and there are just as many issues with black psychopaths as there are with white psychopaths.

  Systemic abuse of power? It’s definitely an issue, that requires a change in how individual cases of bad policing are handled.  The thin-blue-line garbage needs to go out the window and bad cops need to be punished, not protected in the name of “saving the institution”.  But systemic racism? There’s no evidence of it except the contrived data that groups like BLM prop up to support their fairy tales.

  So then, why is it that white people are being throttled in the mainstream media and on social media like some kind of evil monolith with demands that we sublimate ourselves and beg the social justice cult for their forgiveness? This trend of white shame rituals is bizarre, but it is not unprecedented. It is a socio-political power strategy used in the past by communist movements, most prominently in China during the cultural revolution, called “Struggle Sessions”.

  At bottom, all communist movements are the same. The Cultural Revolution in China was exploited by Mao as a means to destroy his political rivals and to cement his power. Even after Mao had killed millions through food production policies that led to mass starvation, he convinced a large portion of the Chinese communist devout that they were actually “victims of imperialists”, and that they needed to rise up and weed out the hidden threat. They were convinced that they were rebelling when they were actually serving the interests of Mao’s establishment the entire time.

  The goal of the Cultural Revolution was two-fold:

  First, it was rooted in the concepts of Futurism, a movement started over a century ago that is cited as an inspiration for the Bolshevik revolution.  It argues that all old ideals, principles and ways of living must be destroyed to make way for “new ideas” which are “naturally superior”. The movement attempted to erase Chinese history and replace it with a zero point of communism. They removed museums and ancient relics, tore down statues and buildings, and even changed the names on street signs that were considered “problematic”.  The past did not exist; the new history started with the communist revolution.

  Second, the revolution was engineered to terrorize anyone that held views contrary to the collectivist religion. Anyone with conservative, individualistic or free market inklings was rounded up and exposed publicly. They were forced into city squares to be psychologically tortured and shamed; some were physically tortured and executed to the delight of the mob. In their cult-like fervor, the frothing masses felt waves of ecstasy as the evil imperialist sympathizers were forced to repent in front of the crowd for their sins.

  Sound familiar?  It’s happening right now in the US as BLM and social justice receive mainstream recognition, and there are a staggering number of similarities to the Chinese cultural revolution.  It’s almost as if someone is using the exact same playbook, right down to the unnerving religious fervor of the movement.

  You better have a black square on your social media accounts for the next “Blackout Tuesday”, otherwise you are not an ally and are likely a racist. As a company or corporation you must show open support for the political left and signal your virtue, otherwise you are a racist or fascist business. Say anything on Twitter that is outside of the approved social justice language? You will be hounded by acolytes until you beg for forgiveness. Say you are sorry, tell them you will “do better” and “check your privilege” and maybe you will be allowed to remain as a useful servant to the collectivist blob.

  Hundreds, perhaps thousands of law enforcement officers around the country and the world are bending the knee to social justice, most likely ordered to do so by city officials as sign of fealty to the movement. This is leading to some very dangerous circumstances.

  This kind of escalation is why liberty minded people have such mixed feelings on social justice warriors. Their behavior is equally hilarious and horrifying.

  These people crossed my radar several years ago and I have observed them ever since.  Certain character traits and attitudes have become apparent:  They can be childish and emotional to the point of schizophrenia. They throw wild tantrums when they don’t immediately get what they want,  responsibility and merit are disdainful ideas to them. They are narcissistic and selfish, yet they see themselves as philanthropists and martyrs.  They are often vindictive, spiteful and viciously underhanded, seeking the total annihilation of anyone that disagrees with them.  They do not know how to produce to succeed, they only know how to destroy and bring others down.  They raise themselves up by standing on the ashes of others.  They represent the dregs of humanity; the only people I can think of that are worse are global elitists, but if SJW’s were given as much money and influence, they would be comparably monstrous.

  If they remain contained they can be entertaining. When they are allowed to feed on power, when they spread and fester into a society like cancer injecting their ideological venom into everything, they become a threat.

  As I have noted this week, the establishment benefits greatly by escalating incidents like George Floyd’s death into a race war or political war. The hard left while insane is not the core danger, but they are useful to powerful people. True conservatives and those that love freedom must be careful. We must act, but with calm professionalism, not rage. We must let the leftists know we have no intention of bending the knee, but we are also not stupid enough to support a totalitarian response and abandon our constitutional principles.

  The solution is actually a simple one, and it’s one I have advocated for many years. The extreme left wants to eradicate municipal police? Fine. They should be replaced with constitutional Sheriffs that are voted in and voted out by the public. I have no love for police brutality either, so why not make them all accountable through the voting system. If a sheriff’s deputy attacks or kills an unarmed or innocent person, then there is incentive for the Sheriff to arrest and punish that deputy, otherwise the community might not elect him again.

  What if this is not enough to satisfy them (they are never satisfied) and the extreme left wants to blame an imaginary white patriarchy to justify riots and looting?  The Floyd protests will probably fizzle out soon, but they are always looking for new excuses to inflate racial tensions.

  Citizen militias can be formed to protect neighborhoods and property. It’s already being done today. Wherever civilians form security groups to protect towns and businesses, BLM and Antifa run away, never show up, or remain very well behaved.  The media pretends these security groups are pointless or don’t exist, so don’t expect positive coverage of the accomplishment, just know that they work.  No need to get violent, no need for martial law or oppressive government power; just regular citizens providing a show of force to send a message:

  Keep your protests peaceful and all is well. Try to harm us or our neighborhoods, try to impose your ideology on us, and you will be put down.

  *  *  *

  If you would like to support the work that Alt-Market does while also receiving content on advanced tactics for defeating the globalist agenda, subscribe to our exclusive newsletter The Wild Bunch Dispatch.  Learn more about it HERE.

  

• Watch: US F-22 Raptors Intercept No Less Than 8 Russian Warplanes Off Alaska
  Watch: US F-22 Raptors Intercept No Less Than 8 Russian Warplanes Off Alaska
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 20:10

  The US North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced that US F-22 Raptor fighter jets intercepted a large group of Russian military planes a mere 30 miles off Alaska’s coast early Wednesday morning.

  Though such intercepts over the Bering Sea and near Alaska have occurred on a near monthly basis recently, what makes this particular incident notable is that it included no less than eight Russian warplanes coming near Alaska.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  A half dozen Su-35 fighters and a Beriev A-50 surveillance aircraft were reportedly escorting two long range Tu-95 bombers, according to multiple reports. The intercept incidents appeared to have been in two waves. 

  The incident was further confirmed via Russian Defense Ministry video.

  The US Raptor intercept is shown starting at the :45 mark…

  #Footage Four #Tu95MS strategic missile carriers of the #RussianASF performed an 11-hour scheduled flight over the neutral waters of the Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Northern Pacific https://t.co/lJh8dIcEFc #RussianAirForce #LongRangeAviation #USAirForce pic.twitter.com/AjCSEFeXDh

  — Минобороны России (@mod_russia) June 10, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  NORAD also tweeted that “North American Aerospace Defense Command F-22 Raptors, supported by KC-135 Stratotankers and E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, completed two intercepts of Russian Bomber formations entering the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone early this morning.”

  Typically such intercepts include a couple planes on either side, but in this instance a lot of aircraft in the air and near each other at once, also surprisingly close to the Alaskan shoreline. 

  NORAD Commander Air Force Gen. Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy noted US force readiness at a moment Russia appears to be increasingly brazen in testing NORAD’s potential vulnerabilities. 

  NORAD intercepts Russian bombers in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone on June 10th, 2020. pic.twitter.com/XABO23aGpA

  — North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) June 10, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  “Intercepting multiple Russian aircraft demonstrates NORAD forces’ readiness and capability to defend the homelands 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year,” the commander said.

  “Flying air patrols protects the approaches to our nations and sends a clear message we continue executing our homeland defense missions with the same capability and capacity we always bring to the fight,” he added.

  

• Civil War 2.0 Weather Report: The Tsunami Begins, But You Knew That…
  Civil War 2.0 Weather Report: The Tsunami Begins, But You Knew That…
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 19:55

  Authored by John Wilder via WilderWealthyWise.com,

  “If we can stop him, we shall prevent the collapse of Western Civilization.  No pressure.”

  – Sherlock Holmes:  A Game of Shadows

  In the first issue of the Civil War Weather Report, I put together ten steps to a new civil war.  I did not expect that on the one year anniversary of that first report we’d move from step 6 nearly to step 9.  Step 9. is, of course, two minutes to midnight.

  1. Things are going well.

  2. People begin to create groups.

  3. People begin to look for preferential treatment.

  4. Opposing ideology to the prevailing civic ideology is introduced and spread.

  5. Those who have an opposing ideology are considered evil.

  6. People actively avoid being near those of opposing ideology.  Might move from communities or states just because of ideology.

  7. Common violence. Organized violence is occurring monthly.

  8. Opposing sides develop governing/war structures.  Just in case.

  9. Common violence that is generally deemed by governmental authorities as justified based on ideology.

  10. Open War.

  We are very, very close.  I debated internally more than a bit whether we were at an 8. or a 9. this month.  I finally decided to stay at an 8., despite multiple jurisdictions doing everything but arming the rioting faction of the protest movement with automatic firearms and bullhorns that make them all sound like Gilbert Gottfried.  It is clear we are at least an 8., and you will see in the graphs section that our Wilder Violence Index has reached new highs.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Welcome to Issue 12 of the Civil War II Weather Report.  These posts are different than the other posts at Wilder Wealthy and Wise and consist of smaller segments covering multiple topics around the single focus of Civil War 2.0, on the first or second Monday of every month.  I’ve created a page (Link) for links to all of the past issues.

  You Knew Where This Was Going

  The most popular posts on this site have been about the political state of the country.  The Civil War Weather Reports aren’t my usual form of post, but have proven to be very popular.  I’m sure it’s not just for graphs featuring bikinis.  Well, at least not only because of the bikinis.

  I think the reason these posts are popular is simple:  many people could sense the fragile peak that it seems all of Western Civilization is perched on.  Whether it is a conscious review of the surrounding culture or just a feeling in the pit of the stomach when confronted with an outrageous news article, something’s just not right.  Society has been changing by increments over the years, but those changes are coming faster and faster and faster.

  Claire Wolfe, the groundbreaking and iconic Freedom blogger said it very well at her place last week (LINK):

  Each day I think I’ve processed the latest craziness enough to blog something coherent. Useful even. But then new waves of craziness wash over the world. I don’t know what to say. I can’t write good sense against the onslaught of the crazy. I don’t know how civilization is holding together under tsunamis of crazy.

  But then, of course civilization isn’t holding together — and I’m not just talking about the one-two punch of totalitarian don’tleaveyourhouseism followed without pause by riotandlootallyouwantism.

  Chains of rapid-fire events and chaos like this are not generally the friend of those that love freedom.  The Russian Revolution promised:

  • Peace, through ending World War I,

  • Food, because Communists are well known to produce excess food,

  • Land, whereby peasants would get parts of land owned by the wealthy,

  • Minimum wages,

  • Maximum working hours,

  • Running factories by elected worker representatives and

  • Lots of other promises.

  In the end, up to 12,000,000 people (mainly civilians) died in the civil war that followed, and the promises that were made were largely ignored.  The Bolsheviks said and promised anything to get a force of disaffected behind them.  Not sure if this sounds familiar to AOC fans?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Hey girl, are you the French Revolution?  Because I keep imagining you sans-culottes.

  I get a sense that the Left today is up to the same trick.  They’ve “created” media events and have managed them to get power – political power and power in the street.  Some of the Leftists may even be stupid enough to believe that there are magic economic levers that they can move to keep the promises they’re making.  In reality, they really don’t care:  it’s all about the power.

  Lenin’s reintroduction into Russia and subsequent funding from foreign sources bring George Soros to mind.  Soros continually funds groups in the United States that are directly opposed to actual freedom.  The protesters and their associated rioters have a structure that has been funded and provisioned with everything from water and medical supplies to pre-staged bricks and gasoline.  Not saying that George is funding those directly, but . . .

  More on that, below.

  Violence and Censorship Update

  No politician has ever captured the attention of the Left like Donald Trump.  They hated Reagan, and George W. Bush was famous for “stealing” an election.  But something about Trump drives them nearly crazy enough to try to get a job.  The media’s portrayal of Trump as the anti-ChristObama, perhaps?

  The violence, of course, is plain for anyone reading any news to see.  It’s not in just the United States:  these protests have been coordinated across nearly every Western nation.  If the protests had been confined to Minnesota, I could buy the idea that they were organic.  And to the extent that they are peaceful gatherings to seek political redress?  I celebrate them.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  It’s not looting, it’s just an involuntary clearance sale.

  But to flash across the world with violence and destruction?  That takes amplification and organization and is clearly the seed of revolution against the West.

  The amplification of the signal comes from both mainstream and social media.  Whereas the original death that started the protests was (rightly) exposed, the subsequent deaths of protesters, rioters, and innocent civilians hasn’t been mentioned much at all.  How many dead?

  I’m not sure.  This should be a fairly easy number to get to, but I’ve seen numbers between 12 and 18.  Absent media tracking, I’m not sure how you’ll count them up.  If we wait long enough, I’m sure they’ll all be counted and attributed to COVID-19.  To add to the butcher’s bill, thousands have been injured.

  Regardless, I have seen, at minimum tens of millions of dollars in damage.  I would expect the number to increase to hundreds of millions, at least.  A fire is, as I write this, blazing in downtown Phoenix.  Odds that it’s related to the rest of the violence?  Nearly 100%.

  Censorship is on the rise, as well.  I already spouted off on that last week (Free Speech: Endangered Species – WRSA is Down) in response to Western Rifle Shooters Association being shut down (You Can Find Him Here).  I expect to see that it will be on the increase during the next six months – the election is too important to the Left to leave it in Biden’s hands – chances are good he might wander off to try to buy a rotary phone at Montgomery Wards™.

  Updated Civil War II Index

  The Civil War II graphs are an attempt to measure four factors that might make Civil War II more likely, in real time.  They are broken up into Violence, Political Instability, Economic Outlook, and Illegal Alien Crossings.  As each of these is difficult to measure, I’ve created for three of the four metrics some leading indicators that lead to the index.  On illegal aliens, I’m just using government figures.

  May was again a difficult month.  I had to re-scale the graph on violence as this month nearly pegged every meter.  I will assure my faithful readers that I spent extra time this month finding just the right bikini-clad girl, since I want to at least reach the journalistic integrity standards of the Washington Post®.

  Violence:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Up is more violent.  Violence had been down because everyone was stuck in the basement.  I predicted that May would be mellow, and then we’d see the uptick in June.  I was almost right.

  Political Instability:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Up is more unstable.  Instability is up only slightly, which might seem weird, but the system is still stable overall.  I may look into another graph next month to measure political change, because it sure feels like we crossed over into a regime where big political changes are more likely – and this graph was meant more about the overthrow of a sitting president, hence the peak in December.

  Economic:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Down indicates worse economic conditions, and it’s down yet again.  I did change the basis somewhat for this month.  Previously it had been a spot measurement, but this shows more a relative measurement from a baseline.  But did you come for that, or for the bikini?

  Illegal Aliens:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Down is good, in theory.  This is a statistic showing border apprehensions by the Border Patrol.  Down, probably related to WuFlu.  Until Mexico’s economy collapses. Then what?  Regardless, this is at a nearly five-year low.

  Balkans or Caesar Might Be The Best Case Scenario

  I’ve written both about the idea of the United States breaking up into regional governments that run either as autonomous countries, or close enough to autonomous that it doesn’t matter.  This irritates Right-thinking folks “behind the lines” in Leftist states.  They clearly don’t like the idea of being left behind in a People’s Republic of California or the New York Soviet Oblast.  I can understand that, especially since the divide is so much more rural/urban than on a state by state basis and the Right just wants to be left alone.

  Being Balkanized remains a possibility, and probably guarantees border wars for decades unless we put up a big, beautiful wall around California.

  I have, over time, began to think it’s much more likely that the nonsense will continue until a strongman arrives and proclaims that he’s “President for the Duration of the Continuing National Emergency.”  I certainly don’t think Trump is this person.  Biden is even less this person.  But some Cuomo or other acting as Wall Street’s puppet?  I could see that being more likely.  If we had a military hero of some stature, that would also make sense.

  Maybe Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  I guess Jeff divorced his wife because she was past her Prime™?

  Is having a Caesar that bad?  Absolutely.  But a strongman will try to have to have some sort of legitimacy and will at least (in theory) have some desire to keep a relatively strong country together to turn over to his children.  The old forms of government will be nodded to.  The Senate may not have power, but there will be Senators pretending to have power.

  Not good, especially since that pesky Constitution will be entirely ignored, rather than mostly ignored like it is today.  But Caesar’s United States probably more peaceful than a Balkanized America.

  But there is one possibility that scares me more than either of those:  Soviet America. 

  The riots that started nine days ago (yes, it’s only been that long) appear to be the Left making the first push into creating violence to go along with our economic issues and the lingering Coronavirus. 

  I brought up the Russian Revolution earlier, because that more than anything is what this latest round of violence feels like:  violence, in part funded and provoked by a foreign enemy with the aim of destabilizing America and making people welcome those who promise what they never can really provide.

  

• Rockets Slam Into US Embassy Compound In Baghdad Late Night Attack
  Rockets Slam Into US Embassy Compound In Baghdad Late Night Attack
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 19:40

  Late into Wednesday night local time, multiple rockets were fired at the high secured Green Zone in Baghdad, with at least one rocket appearing to score a direct hit on the front of the US Embassy, according to initial reports.

  Video confirmation of the incident is now circulating on social media and shows a building or possibly multiple buildings on fire at the American embassy compound.

  BREAKING : Katyusha Rocket attack Targets US Embassy area in Baghdad #Iraq .

  Landed near joint ops center: pic.twitter.com/7Gvc44Qylg

  — Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) June 10, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Sirens are reportedly billowing across the Green Zone with an emergency response in progress, though there have yet to be any official reports of casualties. The attack occurred near midnight local time.

  Such Katyusha rocket attacks have been semi-frequent on the US compound over the past half-year, most often failing to strike the compound directly, but in this case it appears at least one rocket hit its mark.

  Kurdistan 24 journalist Barzan Sadiq uploaded footage of the attack aftermath, which shows fires raging, and described it as the result of Katyusha rocket impact. 

  More footage shows the aftermath of Katyusha attack on #GreenZone, #Baghdad. pic.twitter.com/CvjtOcSDwn

  — Barzan Sadiq (@BarzanSadiq) June 10, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Sadiq described that “multiple rockets” fell “near” the US Embassy. Another regional correspondent described further that at rocket slammed into a “joint ops center” at the compound.

  Past attacks have been promptly blamed by US defense officials on Iran-backed Shia militias operating in Iraq, such as Kata’ib Hezbollah, and thus ultimately on Tehran.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Tensions have been soaring ever since the Jan. 3rd assassination by US drone strike of Iranian IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, as well as Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

  

• Google Searches For "Day Trading" And "Call Options" Explode To Record Highs
  Google Searches For “Day Trading” And “Call Options” Explode To Record Highs
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 19:35

  We have extensively discussed the topic of retail daytreaders flooding the market in recent months, but the following chart summarizes everything we have said clearly and succinctly: it shows that google trends for “day trading” and “call options” have exploded in recent weeks, surging to never before seen levels.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  We hope this satisfies all those journalists who are searching for an explanation for what we described three weeks ago in “how retail traders taking over the stock market.”

  That said, this is nothing new: as John Hussman pointed out, we have seen this before every time the surging market makes geniuses out of everyone: “Bucket shops and boiler rooms are alive and well. The only things that change are the faces.”

  Guy buys penny stock.
  Convinces others to buy.
  Penny stock price soars as own followers chase it.
  Guy unloads stock to followers.
  Followers call broker to sell.
  Broker asks “To whom?”

  Bucket shops and boiler rooms are alive and well.

  The only things that change are the faces.

  — John P. Hussman (@hussmanjp) June 10, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  

• "This Thing Is Actually Real" – US Army Accidentally Reveals New Hypersonic Missile
  “This Thing Is Actually Real” – US Army Accidentally Reveals New Hypersonic Missile
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 19:25

  A new hypersonic weapon could be in development after plans, or at least the outline of the program, “emerged inadvertently” on social media last week managed by Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy that describes a Mach 5-plus missile with capabilities to penetrate the world’s most advanced missile defense shields, reported Aviation Week. 

  The photo is from the Association of the United States Army conference last fall, and was uploaded to McCarthy’s Flickr page last week — shows the military official holding a weapons briefing slide that reads: “Vintage Racer — Loitering Weapon System (LWS) Overview.” 

  The slide is laying down on a table and nearly impossible to understand. Still, six bullet points state: “Hypersonic ingress,” “Survivable,” “Time Over Target,” “Multi-role,” “Modular Payload,” and “Cost Imposition Strategy.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Near McCarthy’s right hand, the bottom line reads, “Long Range, Rapid Ingress.”

  Aviation Week said there was a reference to the Vintage Racer program in Defense Department budget justification documents but went unnoticed by many: 

  “Under a line item owned by the Office of Secretary of Defense for a “quick reaction fund,” Vintage Racer is described as a “recent success story.”

  “The project successfully validated aerodynamic design with wind tunnel testing and integrated a guidance subsystem for targeted kinetic effects before culminating in a fiscal 2019 flight test. Documentation and prototype technologies transitioned to the U.S. Army for additional development and follow-on acquisition activities,” according to budget documents. 

  Dmitry Stefanovitch, an expert at the Moscow-based Russian International Affairs Council, said the new weapon could be designed to target ICBM launchers deep behind enemy lines. 

  “The fear is that [this] hypersonic ‘something’ might reach the patrol area of road-mobile ICBM launchers [after] penetrating any possible air and missile defense, and then dispense loitering submunitions that will find launchers in the forests,” said Stefanovitch.

  Aviation Week’s Steve Trumble tweeted: “OMG, Vintage Racer has been flight-tested successfully and transitioned to the Army for follow-on development. This thing is actually real, not just a briefing slide!” 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Here are the latest US hypersonic developments: 

  • Watch: US “Successfully” Test-Launches Hypersonic Glide Body
  • Pentagon Reviewing Hypersonic Program As Investments In Mach 5 Missiles Expected To Soar
  • Pentagon To Pursue “Very Aggressive” Expansion Of Hypersonic Weapons Testing

  As we’ve noted on several occasions, the superpower that dominates hypersonic weapons and fifth-generation fighter jet technology – combine the both — will be victorious in the next global military conflict. 

  

Digest powered by RSS Digest

• What No "V"? World Bank Forecasts "Subdued" Recovery In Global Economy In 2021
  What No “V”? World Bank Forecasts “Subdued” Recovery In Global Economy In 2021
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 02:45

  The World Bank has just released its new “Global Economic Prospects” report, describing how the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed a “devastating blow” on the global economy — shredding all hopes that a V-shaped recovery will be seen this year.

  The report goes on to say the global economy will contract for the first time since World War II and emerging market economies will shrink for the first time in six decades — the result of the global economic downturn is between 70 to 100 million people will be thrown into instant poverty. 

  The report investigates the depth and breadth of the economic impacts triggered by worldwide virus lockdowns in the first half of 2020, along with the socio-economic consequences thereafter. We make sense of this in the piece titled “Global Instability, Soaring Deficits And Civil Disobedience: Are We Back In The 1960s, And What Happens Next?.” 

  It said the 2020 baseline forecast for Global GDP would be a contraction of 5.2% — the deepest global recession in eight decades despite unprecedented monetary and fiscal policy by central banks and governments. Emerging markets will shrink by at least 2.5%, the report said, adding that it will be the worst performance for the data since the early 1960s. 

  The virus-induced recession is the first since 1870 to be triggered solely by a pandemic. The speed and depth at which it hit developed and emerging economies suggest a sluggish recovery will be seen in 2020, with low probabilities of a V-shaped recovery this year. Additional rounds of stimulus to restart the global economy will need to be seen. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  “While a global recovery is envisioned in 2021, it is likely to be subdued,” the World Bank said. 

  The World Bank expects developed economies will contract by 7%, led by a 9.1% decline in growth for Europe this year. Breaking down the numbers, the US is expected to contract by 6.1% — while China could post a 1% expansion. 

  The global lender proposed two alternative scenarios. The first is a COVID-19 second wave that triggers another round of travel restrictions that would result in the worldwide economy plunging by 8% this year. If the virus can be controlled and reopenings are continued through the back half of the year, the contraction would be around 4% — still, this figure is twice the depth at which it was during the recession a decade ago. 

  “The global recession would be deeper if bringing the pandemic under control took longer than expected, or if financial stress triggered cascading defaults,” the World Bank said.

  As for the socio-economic impacts, the decline may push 70-100 million people into extreme poverty – the economic scarring of today’s downturn will be long-lasting with a new era of high unemployment, low growth, and breakdowns in world trade and supply linkages.

  Read: “Hopes Of ‘V-Shaped’ Recovery Sink As World Trade Refuses To Rebound”

  The World Bank’s latest report paints a “grave near-term outlook” — and does not support a V-shaped recovery for this year. 

  But-but-but — equity futures believe in the V-shaped recovery! 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

• Escobar: A Pipelineistan Fable For Our Times
  Escobar: A Pipelineistan Fable For Our Times
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 02:00

  Authored by Pepe Escobar via The Asia Times,

  Ukraine was supposed to prevent Russia from deepening energy ties with Germany; it didn’t work out that way…

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Once upon a time in Pipelineistan, tales of woe were the norm. Shattered dreams littered the chessboard – from IPI vs. TAPI in the AfPak realm to the neck-twisting Nabucco opera in Europe.

  In sharp contrast, whenever China entered the picture, successful completion prevailed. Beijing financed a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Xinjiang, finished in 2009, and will profit from two spectacular Power of Siberia deals with Russia.

  And then there’s Ukraine. Maidan was a project of the Barack Obama administration, featuring a sterling cast led by POTUS, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John McCain and last but not least, prime Kiev cookie distributor Victoria “F**k the EU” Nuland.

  Ukraine was also supposed to prevent Russia from deepening energy ties with Germany, as well as other European destinations.

  Well, it did not exactly play like that. Nord Stream was already operational. South Stream was Gazprom’s project to southeast Europe. Relentless pressure by the Obama administration derailed it. Yet that only worked to enable a resurrection: the already completed TurkStream, with gas starting to flow in January 2020.

  The battlefield then changed to Nord Stream 2. This time relentless Donald Trump administration pressure did not derail it. On the contrary: it will be completed by the end of 2020.

  Richard Grennel, the US ambassador to Germany, branded a “superstar” by President Trump, was furious. True to script, he threatened Nordstream 2 partners – ENGIE, OMV, Royal Dutch Shell, Uniper, and Wintershall – with “new sanctions.”

  Worse: he stressed that Germany “must stop feeding the beast at a time when it does not pay enough to NATO.”

  “Feeding the beast” is not exactly subtle code for energy trade with Russia.

  Peter Altmaier, German minister of economic affairs and energy, was not impressed. Berlin does not recognize any legality in extra-territorial sanctions. 

  Grennel, on top of it, is not exactly popular in Berlin. Diplomats popped the champagne when they knew he was going back home to become the head of US national intelligence.

  Trump administration sanctions delayed Nordstream 2 for around one year, at best. What really matters is that in this interval Kiev had to sign a gas transit deal with Gazprom. What no one is talking about is that by 2025 no Russian gas will be transiting across Ukraine towards Europe.

  So the whole Maidan project was in fact useless.

  It’s a running joke in Brussels that the EU never had and will never have a unified energy policy towards Russia. The EU came up with a gas directive to force the ownership of Nord Stream 2 to be separated from the gas flowing through the pipeline. German courts applied their own “nein.”

  Nord Stream 2 is a serious matter of national energy security for Germany. And that is enough to trump whatever Brussels may concoct.

  And don’t forget Siberia 

  The moral of this fable is that now two key Pipelineistan nodes – Turk Stream and Nord Stream 2 – are established as umbilical steel cords linking Russia with two NATO allies.

  And true to proverbial win-win scripts, now it’s also time for China to look into solidifying its European relations.

  Last week, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese premier Li Keqiang had a video conference to discuss Covid-19 and China-EU economic policy.

  That was a day after Merkel and President Xi had spoken, when they agreed that the China-EU summit in Leipzig on September 14 would have to be postponed.

  This summit should be the climax of the German presidency of the EU, which starts on July 1. That’s when Germany would be able to present a unified policy towards China, uniting in theory the 27 EU members and not only the 17+1 from Central Europe and the Balkans – including 11 EU members – that already have a privileged relationship with Beijing and are on board for the Belt and Road Initiative.

  In contrast with the Trump administration, Merkel does privilege a clear, comprehensive trade partnership with China – way beyond a mere photo op summit. Berlin is way more geoeconomically sophisticated than the vague “engagement and exigence” Paris  approach.

  Merkel as well as Xi are fully aware of the imminent fragmentation of the world economy post-Lockdown. Yet as much as Beijing is ready to abandon the global circulation strategy from which it has handsomely profited for the past two decades, the emphasis is also on refining very close trade relations with Europe.

  Ray McGovern has concisely detailed the current state of US-Russia relations. The heart of the whole matter, from Moscow’s point of view, was summarized by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, an extremely able diplomat:

  “We don’t believe the US in its current shape is a counterpart that is reliable, so we have no confidence, no trust whatsoever. So our own calculations and conclusions are less related to what America is doing… We cherish our close and friendly relations with China. We do regard this as a comprehensive strategic partnership in different areas, and we intend to develop it further.”

  It’s all here. Russia-China “comprehensive strategic partnership” steadily advancing. Including “Power of Siberia” Pipelineistan. Plus Pipelineistan linking two key NATO allies. Sanctions? What sanctions?

  

• Paul Craig Roberts Asks "Can We Survive Our Collective Stupidity?"
  Paul Craig Roberts Asks “Can We Survive Our Collective Stupidity?”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Wed, 06/10/2020 – 00:05

  Authored by Paul Craig Roberts,

  I have come to the conclusion that collectively Americans are mentally and emotionally stupid.  On any given day there is endless evidence that this is the case.

  Just a few selections from news of the last couple of days should suffice to establish the point.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Instead of reforming police training as a rational response to George Floyd’s death from an aggressive restraint technique, the Minneapolis city council voted to disband the Minneapolis police. Council woman Lisa Bender responded to a citizen’s question what she is supposed to do if she faces a threat in her home and there are no police to call: 

   “Yes, I hear that loud and clear from a lot of my neighbors. And I know — and myself, too, and I know that that comes from a place of privilege.”

  In other words, the Minneapolis citizen’s concern is not legitimate and merely reflects her privileged assumption that she is entitled to protection by police. The valid concern is to protect blacks from the police by disbanding the police.

  Kristina Roth of Amnesty International wrote to me in a fundraiser that “Police must stop killing black people.”  What about white people, Kristina?  White lives matter, too. The police shoot to death far more white people every year than black people.  Shouldn’t Kristina be demanding that “police must stop killing people?”  Why does Kristina blame racism instead of police training? Kristina needs to read and reflect upon this.  

  The top editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer had to resign because of the headline on a reporter’s article. The article was very sympathic to the black rioters but didn’t quite see the point of blacks destroying historic buildings in Philadelphia because of what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis.  The editor was done in by the article’s headline: “Buildings Matter, Too.”  This incensed the woke morons, and despite his groveling apology the editor was removed . So much for “white privilege.”  White newspaper editors cannot even exercise freedom of speech in the choice of headlines.

  Not even editors at the New York Times, which grovels at the feet of blacks and self-righteous woke, can survive their exercise of freedom of the press. The opinion editor and his deputy had to resign for publishing Senator Tom Cotton’s call to deploy the military to protect people and property from the rioters and looters. I am confident that the NY Times published Sen. Cotton’s article with the intention of damning Cotton for not being more sympathetic to black looters. But the woke creatures and the NY Times publisher A.G.Sulzberger removed the editors because of “the pain they inflicted.” 

  Pain inflicted on who?  The pain inflicted on owners of businesses, buildings, and cars destroyed by rioters using violence to express their disapproval of violence? No. As Lisa Bender put it, these concerns don’t matter as they come “from a place of privilege.” Only  the pain of those privileged to riot and loot counts.

  As kids we used to say, “sticks and stones might break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  Today for the woke weaklings the wrong word is like a nuclear weapon. They collapse in tears and recriminations. NY Times Staffers claimed that by publishing Sen. Cotton’s article, the opinion editor had put their lives in danger by not validating looting and rioting as a valid exercise of free speech.  Somehow it did not occur to Sulzberger that the protesters must not be so innocent if NY Times staffers are in fear of their lives because of a few words from a US Senator.

  JK Rowling is in trouble again from the transgender freaks who reject the word “woman” as transphobic. Rowling took exception to the term “people who menstruate.” and caused “unimaginable pain” by remarking that there used to be a word for “people who menstruate.”

  A professor of criminology at the University of North Carolina has been denounced by the university administration for “vile and inexcusable comments,” such as “Don’t shut down the universities; shut down non-essential majors like women’s studies.” The UNC administration says “we are very carefully and assertively reviewing our options in terms of how to proceed.”  The hypocritical administration went on to say “Hateful, hurtful language aimed at degrading others is contrary to our university values and our commitment to an environment of respect and dignity. Its appearance on any platform, including the personal platforms of anyone affiliated with UNCW, is absolutely reprehensible.” What nonsense!  Everyday on the UNC campus black studies professors teach students that white people are racists and slavers, and women’s studies professors demonize men as misogynists and rapists.  The hypocrites that comprise university administrations never do anything about this “reprehensible, hateful, and hurtful language” aimed at white people and at men.

  A retired US Navy captain had to resign from the US Naval Academy Alumni Association board after a private conversation with his wife was accidentally streamed on Facebook. The captain used the n-word and said that white men “can’t say anything.” His wife complained of Chinese who “steal all of our intellectual property.”  The couple are mortified and deeply sorry to have spoken in derogatory terms “about our fellow man,” a regret that black rioters and intellectual property thiefs do not reciprocate.  The alunmi association said that these private comments are “not consistent with our leadership mission.”  The couple have committed themselves to “using this experience as an opportunity to grow, listen, learn, and reflect . . . and being better people.”

  The groveling of Sulzberger at the NY Times, the groveling at the Philadelphia Inquirer, the groveling by the Minneapolis city council and by submissive police officers will only encourage the black violence that decades of being taught to hate white people has unleashed. As I have said so many times, a diverse, multicultural society cannot be built on hatred.  If blacks today had a real leader like Martin Luther King, Jr., that leader would be protesting police violence against people irrespective of race.  Such a protest would be a unifying act instead of a divisive one.  People such as myself could again see hope for American society. 

  Perhaps women could also find a leader, and men and women could get back together in loving, mutually supportive relationships. When I read that feminists have created men who prefer plastic “sex dolls” to a flesh and blood woman with emotions and a brain, I put “#Me/Too” in the category of bioweapon. The body builder who is marrying a sex doll might be on a public relations trip to boost his following, but his “marriage” to a piece of plastic is credible only because relations between men and women have been so badly damaged by feminists that it is believable that he prefers a sex doll to a real woman. According to bestiality advocates, some women prefer their dog to a man.

  Western civilization is collapsing because allegations from the least credible sources carry more weight than facts.  Emotions have displaced facts as the basis for understanding.  Emotion routinely shouts down facts.  It has become commonplace in universities for distinguished authorities to be shut down because the facts are unacceptable to the ignorant woke students, backed up by a roster of administrative thought police. 

  Universities have abandoned their mission of searching for truth. They have become propaganda ministries that spew the acids that eat away foundations of civilization.

  In Western Civilization today, the best way to destroy yourself is to stand up for truth. I am getting tired of it as support for the defense of truth is declining away.

  There is a lesson for the warmonger neoconservatives in the extraordinary weakness that is now the core of Western Civilization, a civilization that is a discredited concept in every American university and is being damned again by the NY Times’ 1619 Project. It is hilarious that neoconservatives proclaimed a people as divided as the US, with the majority white population on the defensive, to be an exceptional and indispensable people. 

  The US armed forces are a hodgepod of men, women, lesbians, homosexuals, a racial medley, and every element in it has been instructed by Identity Politics to hate and distrust the other.  Armies devoid of the homogeneity that gives unity are useless.  Only a fool would put an American or any European army against Russia and China. What will be our fate if the aggressive bombast that the neoconservatives and fellow travelers such as Liz Cheney keep pumping out of Washington results in concerted Russian/Chinese action against the threat that the West is determined to portray itself to be? 

  The hope for humanity is that the Russians and Chinese remain patient as the West continues its collapse under the weight of its own self-hate.

  

• Visualizing Layoffs At Prominent Startups Triggered By COVID-19
  Visualizing Layoffs At Prominent Startups Triggered By COVID-19
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 23:45

  As the pandemic reverberates through almost every industry imaginable, tech startups are also feeling the pain.

  Since mid-March, Visual Capitalist’s Dorothy Neufeld notes that countless startups and unicorns have undergone layoffs.

  Today’s infographic pulls data from Layoffs.fyi, and navigates the cascading layoffs across 30 of the most recognizable startups in America. Each of the companies have slashed over 250 employees between March 11 and May 26, 2020—capturing a snapshot of the continuing fallout of COVID-19.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Silicon Valley Takes a Hit

  Unsurprisingly, many of the hardest hit startups are related to the travel and mobility industry.

  Closing 45 offices, Uber has laid off 6,700 employees since mid-March. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who was granted a $45M earnings package in 2018, announced he will also waive his $1M base salary for the remainder of the year.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Meanwhile, as room bookings dropped by over 40% across several countries, Airbnb laid off a quarter of its workforce. The tech darling is anticipating a $2.4B revenue shortfall in 2020.

  Like many other big names—including Lyft, Uber, and WeWork—Airbnb is struggling to achieve profitability. In the first nine months of 2019, it lost $322M at the height of the market cycle.

  Until 2021, gig-economy revenues are projected to drop by at least 30%.

  International Startups Struggling

  Startups in the U.S. aren’t the only ones scrambling to conserve cash and cut costs.

  Brazil-based unicorn Stone has let go of 20% of its workforce. The rapidly growing digital payments company includes Warren Buffett as a major stakeholder, holding an 8% share as of March 2020.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  At the same time, India-based ride-hailing Ola has witnessed revenue declines of 95% since mid-March. It laid off 1,400 employees as bookings drastically declined.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Similarly, Uber India has rivaled Ola in dominance across India’s $10B ride-hailing market since launching three years after Ola, in 2013. Now, almost 25% of the Uber India workforce have been laid off.

  Of course, these reports do not fully take into account the growing impact of COVID-19, but help paint a picture as the cracks emerge.

  Pandemic-Proof?

  While the job market remains murky, what startups are looking to hire?

  Coursera, an online education startup, listed 60 openings in May. By the end of the year, the company plans to hire 250 additional staff. Within the peak of widespread global lockdowns, the platform attracted 10M new users.

  Meanwhile, Canva, an Australia-based graphic design unicorn, is seeking to fill 100 positions worldwide. In partnership with Google for Education, Canva offers project-based learning tools designed for classrooms, in addition to free graphic design resources.

  At the same time, tech heavyweights Facebook and Amazon reported openings. Booming startups such as Plaid, Zoom, and Pinterest are also listing new positions as shifting consumer demand continues to shape unpredictable and historic hiring markets.

   

  

• Yes, You Can Be Against 'Police Brutality' & 'Looting And Rioting' At The Same Time
  Yes, You Can Be Against ‘Police Brutality’ & ‘Looting And Rioting’ At The Same Time
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 23:25

  Authored by Mac Slavo via SHTFplan.com,

  It is possible to condemn all violence.  Just because someone says they don’t support the looting and rioting, does not mean they support police brutality. Just because someone says that the police shouldn’t kill people with qualified immunity, doesn’t mean they support looting and rioting.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The mainstream media and those who still are stuck in the left/right paradigm want you to choose a side. Police brutality, or looting. It is possible to side with neither at the same time because they are both wrong.  What a surprise! They need you to choose to stay divided instead of standing up together against all violence and all shows of violence.

  “The state and its aggression, and the people the loot innocent businesses are not justified in their actions. It doesn’t even mean their both equal, it just means they’re both wrong and it’s easy to speak about both. It is a false choice, a false dichotomy to suggest otherwise,” says Eric July.

   “Anybody that doesn’t have a brain the size of a coronavirus can actually hold two positions at the same time.”

  “People only see what the hell they wanna see,” said July in his recent video.

  “If you can’t properly identify what the issue is, right, you look at the symptom…and you have this view of what the symptom is, you diagnose it completely incorrectly. And because you diagnose it completely incorrectly, you can’t actually come to a solution.”

  “What’s happening here…is you haven’t been paying attention,” July adds. Police brutality in all forms is wrong.  Violence committed against non-violent people is wrong no matter what kind of uniform you have on. It’s morally reprehensible and should not be tolerated. The same can go for the looters and rioters.  It’s wrong to destroy businesses and harm innocent people who have done nothing wrong.  It’s the same position.

  But it gets more sticky for those who have chosen sides – either side.  There’s a solution to the looting and rioting, and we’ve seen it first hand. It wasn’t the police who protected a town in Idaho from violent thugs:

  People are willing to stand up and protect each other against those who are committing violence and crimes against other small private businesses. But we aren’t standing together against the militarized police who brutalize people daily, not just when there are looting and rioting. Why do they get a pass? The cognitive dissonance by so many is hardly an excuse anymore. We all know committing acts of violence against non-violent people is wrong. It’s wrong when police do it. It’s wrong when the militaries of the globe do it, and it’s wrong when looters do it.

  Just hold a moral position. That’s it. If you start to allow some a pass on violence because of badges, don’t be surprised when it’s you or your guns they come for next, because that’s the next step in all of this. Martial law to bring in a New World Order and your total enslavement.

  *  *  *

  Additionally, Brandon Smith, Founder of Alt-Market.com, noted that many conservatives and even police supported the initial protests after the death of George Floyd.  The problems started to occur when those protests were hijacked by communistic social justice groups like Antifa and Black Lives Matter, and they turned the narrative into one of “systemic racism” and “white supremacy” instead of abuse of power against all people.  My next article will examine this issue in detail, but it is important to understand that as long as the protests are being controlled by establishment gatekeepers using it for their own ends, conservatives are unlikely to support them.  The best option is for liberty minded people to defend their own communities against ALL trespasses, whether it be violent leftist looters, or even a totalitarian government.  A simple and quiet display of force can go a long way in keeping the peace…

  

• Most Voters Think The US Is Spiraling Out Of Control
  Most Voters Think The US Is Spiraling Out Of Control
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 23:05

  It has been a turbulent year for the United States…

  As Statista’s Niall McCarthy notes, 2020 kicked off with an Iranian ballistic missile attack on U.S. forces in Iraq in response to the killing of Qasem Soleimani.

  That was swiftly followed by the coronavirus pandemic which has resulted in the deaths of more than 100,000 Americans while the number infected is approaching two million.

  Over the past few days, people across the country took to the streets en masse to protest the killing of George Lloyd by police officers in Minneapolis while President Trump threatened to deploy the military to quell the unrest.

  Given the events of the past few weeks, it hardly comes as a surprise to hear that most Americans are pessimistic about the state of their country.

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has now found that 80 percent of U.S. voters think the situation in the country is “out of control” with just 15 percent saying it remains “under control” and three percent feeling “it is some of both”.

  

• Kerik: If Black Lives Really Mattered, BLM, Antifa Would Be Marching All Over Chicago
  Kerik: If Black Lives Really Mattered, BLM, Antifa Would Be Marching All Over Chicago
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 22:45

  Authored by Jennie Taer via SaraACarter.com,

  Former New York Police Department Commissioner Bernard Kerik told “The Sara Carter Show” Monday that if the Black Lives Matter organization and left-wing anarchist group Antifa really believed that black lives matter, ‘they would be marching all over Chicago.’

  Moreover, Kerik denied a ‘systematic’ police brutality problem, saying, however, that there is a ‘systematic’ problem in Chicago, where there’s ceaseless violence on the streets.

  “But that [police brutality] is not systematic what is systematic is last week last weekend in Chicago you at 23 people killed in 48 hours,” Kerik told Carter.

  “And this week in Chicago over the weekend in twelve hours in 24 hours. Yes, 19 dead. That is systematic because it happens every single weekend. And if black lives really mattered to the Black Lives Matter group in Antifa they’d be marching all over Chicago. Right.”

  Chicago saw its deadliest day in decades during the last weekend of May, with 18 murders, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. And the violence hasn’t stopped.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Concluding with a message to President Donald Trump, Kerik explained that there must “be a significant messaging program to get people to understand every one of these cities we’re talking about every single one. Run by Democrats. They’ve been run by Democrats for decades and they get up there and they took all this garbage and all this junk about racism and systematic and all this stuff.”

  He added, “The reality is they’ve been in charge of what’s happened in those communities. The highest violence the highest the murder the highest poverty the lowest economic income the lowest real estate values they’ve been in charge. Eventually, I think communities like this the people have to realize if you want change, if you want real change then you’ve got to get different leadership in those positions. That’s going to create safety and security in those communities and let people grow let them flourish.”

  “Nobody’s going to put a flagship Apple store in the South Side of Chicago. It’s not happening. You’re not going to have great schools in the South Side of Chicago. It’s Not happening. Teachers are afraid to go to work there.”

  The political talk, Kerik says, needs to end. “I think the president if he does anything he’s going to get the message to the American people especially this president because he’s one guy that whatever he says he’s going to do it does it sometimes overly transparent ever he says he’s going to do.”

  “I’ve known him for a long time. I’ve known him since 1996 and I could tell you before he was president since he’s president nobody can say that he doesn’t do what he says he’s going to do. And he can help this country if the Democrats would get out of the way stop impeding what he’s trying to do and try to help themselves.”

  

• Whataver China's Doing Isn't Working: CPI, PPI Miss, Tumble To Multi-Year Lows
  Whataver China’s Doing Isn’t Working: CPI, PPI Miss, Tumble To Multi-Year Lows
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 22:33

  Whatever China is doing to stimulate its economy, it isn’t working.

  For the second month in a row China’s CPI and PPI missed badly, with CPI sliding from 3.3% Y/Y yo just 2.4%, below the expected 2.7%, and the lowest since March of 2019. PPI meanwhile slumped from -3.3% to -3.7%, the lowest gate inflation since early 2016, and a testament to just how much pricing power Chinese companies are losing.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  While Chinese 10Y TSY yields initially dipped in kneejerk response, they have since rebounded to up on the day, rising to 2.824%, and close the highest level since February. In recent weeks Chinese yields have been on a tear as it became clear that the PBOC will not pursue a wholesale rate cut despite vowing to do just that during last month’s People’s Congress.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Bizarrely, Chinese stocks are actually lower on the news – if only for the time being – a shocking and logical response in a world where everything has long since gone upside down.

  

• Galbraith: 'Disillusion' Is America's One Big Growth Sector Right Now
  Galbraith: ‘Disillusion’ Is America’s One Big Growth Sector Right Now
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 22:05

  Authored by James Galbraith via Project Syndicate,

  The Illusion of a Rapid US Recovery

  The United States has built an economy based on global demand for advanced goods, consumer demand for frills, and ever-growing household and business debts. This economy was in many ways prosperous, and it provided jobs and incomes to many millions. Yet it was a house of cards, and COVID-19 has blown it down.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  As protests roil the United States, the country’s center-left economists gaze brightly into their crystal balls. Harvard’s Jason Furman, formerly chair of US President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, has warned Democrats – eager to defeat President Donald Trump in the November election – that “the best economic data … in the history of this country” will emerge just before voters head to the polls. Paul Krugman is likewise predicting a “fast recovery.” The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office agrees. The stock market seems equally optimistic.

  The arithmetic behind this thinking is simple. The CBO expects real GDP to shrink by 12% in the second quarter, and by 40% in annual terms. But it forecasts a third-quarter rebound of 5.4% – resulting in spectacular annual growth of 23.5%.

  That is certainly possible: already in May, unemployment figures took a favorable turn, and it is looking like the second-quarter slump may not be as bad as projected. But, even if the CBO is right on both counts, GDP at election time would be seven percentage points below its first-quarter level, and unemployment would be above – possibly far above – 10%.

  Let’s assume that the optimists are right about the third quarter.

  What happens next? Will the economy continue merrily along, with incomes and jobs bouncing back? Or will it stay in depression, requiring a new revolution – or, more precisely, a new New Deal – to save it?

  To assess this question, Furman, Krugman, and the CBO share a mental model. They regard the pandemic as an economic shock, like an earthquake or the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is a disruption to a solid structure, a deviation from normal growth. To get America moving again, what is mainly needed is confidence, perhaps aided by stimulus. If consumers channel their pent-up demand into new spending, this “shock-stimulus” model dictates, then businesses will revive investment, and soon enough, all will be well once again.

  This is how mainstream center-left economists and policymakers have thought about recessions and recoveries since at least the 1960s, when President John F. Kennedy and his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson, pushed through tax cuts. But it ignores three major changes in the US economy since then: globalization, the rise of services in consumption and employment, and the impact of personal and corporate debts.

  In the 1960s, the US had a balanced economy that produced goods for both businesses and households, at all levels of technology, with a fairly small (and tightly regulated) financial sector. It produced largely for itself, importing mainly commodities.

  Today, the US produces for the world, mainly advanced investment goods and services, in sectors such as aerospace, information technology, arms, oilfield services, and finance. And it imports far more consumer goods, such as clothing, electronics, cars, and car parts, than it did a half-century ago.

  And whereas cars, televisions, and household appliances drove US consumer demand in the 1960s, a much larger share of domestic spending today goes (or went) to restaurants, bars, hotels, resorts, gyms, salons, coffee shops, and tattoo parlors, as well as college tuition and doctor’s visits. Tens of millions of Americans work in these sectors.

  Finally, American household spending in the 1960s was powered by rising wages and growing home equity. But wages have been largely stagnant since at least 2000, and spending increases since 2010 were powered by rising personal and corporate debts. House values are now stagnant at best, and will likely fall in the months ahead.

  Mainstream economics pays little attention to such structural questions. Instead, it assumes that business investment responds mostly to the consumer, whose spending is dictated equally by income and desire. The distinction between “essential” and “superfluous” does not exist. Debt burdens are largely ignored.

  But demand for many US-made capital goods now depends on global conditions. Orders for new aircraft will not recover while half of all existing planes are grounded. At current prices, the global oil industry is not drilling new wells. Even at home, though existing construction projects may be completed, plans for new office towers or retail outlets won’t be launched soon. And as people commute less, cars will last longer, so demand for them (and gasoline) will suffer.

  Faced with radical uncertainty, US consumers will save more and spend less. Even if the government replaces their lost incomes for a time, people know that stimulus is short term. What they do not know is when the next job offer – or layoff – will come along.

  Moreover, people do distinguish between needs and wants. Americans need to eat, but they mostly don’t need to eat out. They don’t need to travel. Restaurant owners and airlines therefore have two problems: they can’t cover costs while their capacity is limited for public-health reasons, and demand would be down even if the coronavirus disappeared. This explains why many businesses are not reopening even though they legally can. Others are reopening, but fear they cannot hold out for long. And the many millions of workers in America’s vast services sector are realizing that their jobs are simply not essential.

  Meanwhile, US household debts – rent, mortgage, and utility arrears, as well as interest on education and car loans – have continued to mount. True, stimulus checks have helped: defaults have so far been modest, and many landlords have been accommodating. But as people face long periods with lower incomes, they will continue to hoard funds to ensure that they can repay their fixed debts. As if all this were not enough, falling sales- and income-tax revenues are prompting US state and local governments to cut spending, compounding the loss of jobs and incomes.

  America’s economic plight is structural. It is not simply the consequence of Trump’s incompetence or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s poor political strategy. It reflects systemic changes over 50 years that have created an economy based on global demand for advanced goods, consumer demand for frills, and ever-growing household and business debts. This economy was in many ways prosperous, and it provided jobs and incomes to many millions. Yet it was a house of cards, and COVID-19 has blown it down.

  “Reopen America” is therefore an economic and political fantasy. Incumbent politicians crave a cheery growth rebound, and the depth of the collapse makes possible some attractive short-term numbers. But taking them seriously will merely set the stage for a new round of disillusion. As nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality show, disillusion is America’s one big growth sector right now.

  

• JonesTrading "At What Point Will Powell Realize He Has Broken The Market’s Pricing Mechanism?"
  JonesTrading “At What Point Will Powell Realize He Has Broken The Market’s Pricing Mechanism?”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 21:45

  After a decade of constant lamentation by stock market pundits that the world’s most artificial “bull market”, which after March 23 and “Unlimited QE” everyone finally admits was entirely the work of the Federal Reserve, did not have retail participation and so wasn’t a real bull market, well – we give you Robin Hood.

  In the span of just a few weeks, the free retail platform has mutated from a trading venue nobody had heard of to the platform which hosts some of the world’s “best” traders. By which of course we mean millions of bored Millennials dumping their stimulus check into the stock market and hoping for a 100-bagger (and in many cases getting just that). But that’s not meant to slight the retail daytraders: after all, where else can hundreds of thousands of retail investors swarm bankrupt companies such as Hertz, Chesapeake and Whiting Petroleum, and send their absolutely worthless in any rational financial context stock price soaring, as they did in the past week.

  As we summarized it this morning, “you know the euphoria gripping stock markets is off the charts when retail investors have now taken over the market, as we first posted three weeks ago in, “How Retail Investors Took Over The Stock Market” and as Bloomberg repeated today with “Everywhere You Look Under Surging Stocks Is Fervid Retail Buying.” And while there is nothing wrong with a little healthy speculation in a market in which the Fed has eliminated most – if not all – risk, when the frenzied daytrading mob sends the stock of bankrupt Hertz 10x higher on massive volume, pushing its market cap to just shy of $1 billion, it‘s becoming a problem for marketplace integrity. After all, everyone remembers the retail infatuation with cryptos in late 2017/early 2018 which pushed bitcoin to $20K only to see the crypto plunging, resulting in massive losses for retail investors.”

  We then asked if Powell really wants to risk turning off another generation of retail investors from stocks when the latest melting-up asset bubble – which is far greater than either the dot com or the housing bubble – bursts with catastrophic consequences for middle class net worth?

  We weren’t the only ones: SMBC Nikko analyst Masao Muraki wrote in a note overnight that “soaring risk asset prices (ie imbalances) have reached a point where the Fed may be forced into some kind of action.”

  While not many, there are also others who likewise were wondering if it is truly the Fed’s intention to reflate a massive bubble which bursts and leaves millions of retail momentum chasers holding the bag, resulting in another generation of Americans who will never come close to the stock market again.

  In a Bloomberg article recapping the insane Robin Hood action, namely the flood of retail investors into bankrupt companies…

  According to website Robintrack, which uses Robinhood’s data to show trends in positioning but isn’t affiliated with it, individual investors on the app have been flocking to bankruptcy-protected companies in droves. (The site says it downloads popularity data each hour for every stock directly from Robinhood via a public application programming interface, or API. A Robinhood spokesperson declined to comment for this story.)

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  … something we have covered extensively here in the past week, one thing that stood out was the bevy of incredulous quotes by market veterans including this one from Peter Boockvar:

  “It’s great that Vegas is open again, but who needs it when you have the stock market instead. After an incredible run since March, we now have clear froth in parts of the market. We know this level of speculation has coincided with a sharp increase in the activity of retail investors.”

  Boockvar added the activity has been encouraged by a “zero rate” and “unlimited QE” environment. And to think of all the abuse we took for the past decade saying the Fed was all that mattered, and that Austrian economics trumps that Keynesian bullshit anyday.

  But speaking of the Fed, the best quotes came from JonesTrading strategist Mike O’Rourke, who said called the action “Gluttonous Greed. The madness continues. The biggest surprise in today’s trading was that Tailored Brands’ shares actually sold off when it was reported the company was considering bankruptcy.”

  But the punchline was the same one both Muraki and we asked earlier in the day: when will the Fed finally step in and gradually let the air out of this insane bubble it has created, or else push on until the inevitable outcome is the biggest market crash in history:

  “In this tape, bankruptcies have become the flavor of the day. At what point will Jay Powell and his colleagues at the Federal Reserve realize they have broken the market’s pricing mechanism? The bankruptcies are only a small part of the story.”

  We are due for an answer tomorrow when the FOMC announces its latest decision (which may or may not be the launch of Yield-Curve Control), although we doubt that the coward in charge of the Fed will do anything to derail the biggest and final bubble the he himself created and now is fully responsible for.

  Which is why until the Fed has no choice and stocks do crash, we are going to get much more idiocy such as this: Robin Hood investors who heard about something called FANG stocks and instead of buying the 4 tech megacaps… ended up buying worthless Chinese real estate company FANGDD (ticker DUO), sending its stock price from $10 to $130 in four hours, and pushing its market cap just shy of $4 billion!

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  And then there is this: with stocks back at all time highs, CNBC actually had to explain to the new generation of trading gurus what a bankruptcy actually means.

  We are near all time highs and CNBC is talking about this… pic.twitter.com/z04Cl70IQl

  — Thomas Thornton (@TommyThornton) June 9, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  

• Texas Hospitalizations Surge To Record High As Dr. Fauci Warns Pandemic "Far From Over": Live Updates
  Texas Hospitalizations Surge To Record High As Dr. Fauci Warns Pandemic “Far From Over”: Live Updates
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 21:45

  Summary:

  • Texas hospitalization hit 2,056 – a record high

  • Dr. Fauci: US outbreak is “far from over”

  • Ohio drivers tests to resume Friday

  • Cali reports daily dip

  • NJ abruptly lifts lockdown

  • Global COVID-19 cases top 7 million

  • Hospital visits spiked in Wuhan last fall, suggesting outbreak hit earlier than we realized

  • Nearly half of US states are seeing a sustained rise in new COVID cases

  • UK says students won’t return to school until the fall

  * * *

  Update (1745ET): Texas reported another record-breaking number of COVID-19 hospitalizations Tuesday (2,056) as the governor plans to reopen more businesses and double capacity.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  That extends yesterday’s rise above the previous record of 1,888 on May 5.

  The department’s new figures were released as Gov. Greg Abbott moves forward with a plan to open bars, restaurants, amusement parks and other businesses to 50% capacity.

  *  *  *

  Update (1635ET): We give the NYT a lot of credit: Even though none of its readers seem to care about the coronavirus anymore, it still went ahead and published this story about remarks made by Dr. Anthony Fauci (remember him?) during a (virtual) speech before the Biotechnology Innovation Organization during an event on Tuesday.

  After insisting last week that a second wave of the virus isn’t a sure thing, Dr. Fauci warned that the coronavirus was the virus of his worst nightmares, and that he remains surprised by its capacity to spread around the world and dominate human society in the span of just four months (though recent research suggests the outbreak may have started earlier than previously believed).

  “In a period of four months, it has devastated the whole world,” Dr. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Tuesday during a conference held by BIO, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. “And it isn’t over yet.”

  His discussion with a moderator was conducted remotely and recorded for presentation to conference participants. Although he had known that an outbreak like this could occur, one aspect has surprised him, he said, and that is “how rapidly it just took over the planet.”

  Once again, the good doctor insisted that there’s still so much we don’t know about SARS-CoV-2, which he described as “complex” compared with HIV, a virus Dr. Fauci studied for decades.

  But much is still unknown about the disease and how it attacks the body – research that Dr. Fauci described as “a work in progress.”

  He said that he had spent much of his career studying H.I.V., and that the disease it causes is “really simple compared to what’s going on with Covid-19.”

  The differences, he said, include Covid’s broad range of severity, from no symptoms at all to critical illness and death, with lung damage, intense immune responses and clotting disorders that have caused strokes even in young people, as well as a separate inflammatory syndrome causing severe illness in some children.

  But don’t worry, because Dr. Fauci believes at least one of the hundreds of vaccines currently being researched will pan out.

  Vaccines are widely regarded as the best hope of stopping or at least slowing the pandemic, and Dr. Fauci said he was “almost certain” that more than one would be successful. Several are already being tested in people, and at least one is expected to move into large, Phase 3 trials in July.

  Marshaling more resources to stop the virus, especially in poor and/or predominantly minority communities, is essential, Dr. Fauci added.

  Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like too many Americans still care.

  * * *

  Update (1410ET): As the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles prepares to resume driving tests on Friday, Gov. Mike DeWine is updating the public on the state’s response to the coronavirus in his latest daily briefing.

  Driving tests will begin Friday and next Tuesday, though not at all DMV locations, but people need to make appointments online before going in for a test.

  Meanwhile, California reported a drop in new cases statewide on Tuesday, though recent days have seen spikes in LA County and the Bay Area.

  • CALIFORNIA COVID-19 CASES RISE 1.7% VS 7-DAY AVERAGE 2.2%

  * * *

  Update (1310ET): As more Western and Southern state see coronavirus cases rise, numbers in the New York metropolitan area, once the biggest hotspot in the country, have continued to wane. The same people who were hysterically screaming at their neighbors to put on their masks are now out marching in crowds for racial equality, and in the midst of it all, New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy has abruptly lifted the state’s stay at home order.

  Now, after allowing outdoor graduations to move forward and easing other restrictions, New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy has decided to lift his state’s stay-at-home order.

  BREAKING: Today I’m signing an Executive Order LIFTING OUR STAY-AT-HOME ORDER.

  Please continue to be responsible and safe. Wear face coverings and keep a social distance from others when out in public.

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  PUBLIC HEALTH CREATES ECONOMIC HEALTH.

  We cannot move through Stage 2 and into Stage 3, and beyond, unless we continue to see our numbers trending downward.

  We cannot become complacent or irresponsible. pic.twitter.com/wxumaHOOGq

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  Today’s EO also authorizes the opening of:
  🤿Pools on June 22nd
  ☀️All outdoor recreational and entertainment businesses that were previously closed – with the exceptions of amusement parks, water parks, and arcades

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  I anticipate being able to raise the limit on non-protest & non-religious activities to:
  👥250 people on June 22nd
  👥500 people on July 3rd

  School districts planning graduations should prepare for a 500-person limit to be in place by the time graduations can resume on July 6th.

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  BREAKING: I’m signing an EO RAISING THE LIMIT ON INDOOR AND OUTDOOR GATHERINGS.

  Effective immediately:
  👥Indoor gatherings will be permitted at whichever number is lower – 25% of a building’s capacity or 50 people total
  👥Limit on outdoor gatherings will be raised to 100 people pic.twitter.com/07uRYvmR2K

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  I anticipate being able to raise the limit on non-protest & non-religious activities to:
  👥250 people on June 22nd
  👥500 people on July 3rd

  School districts planning graduations should prepare for a 500-person limit to be in place by the time graduations can resume on July 6th.

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  We’ve seen these trends sustained over time, and across each region of our state. pic.twitter.com/nZ4PLtyqyd

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  LOOK: We’re still not out of the woods. We’re still near the top of some lists we don’t want to be atop of.

  This is why we need you to continue practicing distancing. pic.twitter.com/iO63NaP2qZ

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  Sadly, we’ve lost another 91 members of our New Jersey family to #COVID19, bringing our statewide total to 12,303.

  We can never forget those we’ve lost, and who will not be joining us on our road back. May they never be just a number. pic.twitter.com/IJWKoBVg5d

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  Watch the briefing live below:

  Holding a COVID-19 briefing. WATCH: https://t.co/pARETlscCN

  — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) June 9, 2020

  * * *

  Last night, we shared the findings from a bombshell report which found that hospital foot traffic and COVID-19-related search terms surged in Wuhan and the surrounding area as early as October or November, suggesting that the virus might have already been spreading in Wuhan for months before China informed the WHO on New Year’s Eve about the “newly discovered” virus.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Beijing infamously withheld evidence of human-to-human transmission until later in January, when it finally alerted the international community, kicking off the global coronavirus crisis in earnest as the initial round of projections warned that millions could perish, setting off the global panic.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  By that time, as we’ve reported in the past, China probably had enough of a head start to gobble up all of the PPE and other critical medical supplies in the world, which would help explain the baffling shortages that confronted American consumers during the first weeks of the outbreak, with some claiming that shortages of popular goods like cleaning supplies and toilet paper persist in some places, or regularly reoccur.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Adding even more confusion to the global conversation (not that anybody cares about the coronavirus anymore, now that the progressives who were hysterically decrying the risks of reopening are crowding together in the streets), a WHO scientist last night discussed new research suggesting asymptomatic carriers of the virus – previously believed to be a primary driver of the virus’s spread – actually aren’t all that dangerous. If these findings are confirmed, it would suggest that contact tracing has little value in the late stages of an outbreak, though it could be a game-changer during the early weeks, when successful containment remains possible.

  With futures markets pointing toward a lower open in the US, the Washington Post warns that 14 states and Puerto Rico have seen their 7-day average for the number of new cases being reported climb to their highest levels since the outbreak began. Yesterday, we noted the WSJ story highlighting the finding that rural areas with large numbers of people living in the same houses saw outbreaks that were in many cases more severe than more densely populated areas, suggesting transmission between members of the same household remains the primary means of spread, which, if anything, suggests that markets and the general public is underestimating the potential of these outbreaks in more rural states.

  Since the start of June, 14 states and Puerto Rico have recorded their highest-ever seven-day average of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, according to data tracked by The Washington Post: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

  If the pandemic’s first wave burned through dense metro hubs such as New York City, Chicago and Detroit, the highest percentages of new cases are coming from places with much smaller populations: Lincoln County, Ore., an area of less than 50,000, has averaged 20 new daily cases; the Bear River Health District in northern Utah has averaged 78 new cases a day in the past week, most of them tied to an outbreak at a meat processing plant in the small town of Hyrum.

  The increase of coronavirus cases in counties with fewer than 60,000 people is part of the trend of new infections surging across the rural United States. Health experts worry those areas, already short of resources before the pandemic, will struggle to track new cases with the infrastructure that remains.

  The NYT’s coronavirus tracker tool offers a convenient illustration:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  What’s more alarming: epidemiologists say any surge in cases tied to the protests likely has yet to emerge.

  Yesterday, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surged past 7 million, after the death toll topped 400k over the weekend. Russia, Latin America and now India appear to be the newest hot spots, as cases have started to accelerate as Brazil and Mexico face a difficult reckoning.

  Even the FT cheered on Tuesday as the UK reported its smallest excess-death total (a figure the paper has been using as a measure of the ‘total’ COVID-19 deaths) since the final week in March. Meanwhile, HMG has reportedly scrapped plans to return pupils to their classrooms before the beginning of the summer break.

  The government is set to drop plans to fully reopen primary schools in England before the summer holiday, in a move welcomed by teachers’ unions that argued the return of all pupils would be unsafe. Education secretary Gavin Williamson is expected on Tuesday to announce that headteachers can choose whether or not to reopen to more year groups than currently outlined. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said during yesterday’s daily briefing that secondary schools in England likely wouldn’t reopen until September “at the earliest.”

  

• Iran To Execute Alleged Spy Who Led CIA & Mossad To Soleimani
  Iran To Execute Alleged Spy Who Led CIA & Mossad To Soleimani
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 21:45

  Iran announced Tuesday that a man it says spied on the slain Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleiman on behalf of American and Israeli intelligence has been sentenced to death. 

  Iranian officials emphasized, however, that the alleged asset’s ‘passing information’ on Soleimani’s whereabouts in the past was not directly connected to the IRGC commander’s Jan. 3rd death by US drone strike in Baghdad. Yet it does strongly suggest US and Israeli intelligence were able to infiltrate circles close to Soleimani, likely a factor in his death.

  “Mahmoud Mousavi-Majd, one of the spies for the CIA and the Mossad, has been sentenced to death… He had shared information about the whereabouts of martyr Soleimani with our enemies,” judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said on state TV.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  “He passed on security information to the Israeli and American intelligence agencies about Iran’s armed forces, particularly the Guards,” the official added, according to Reuters. The convicted and sentenced man’s execution is “expected soon” Esmaili said.

  “All the legal proceedings in the case of this spy … had been carried out long before the martyrdom of Soleimani,” the statement underscored, describing his arrest in October 2018 after contact with foreign intelligence agencies was supposedly uncovered.

  Over the past year Tehran has made multiple announcements of busting up spy networks being run by the Mossad and CIA, including claims last summer of detaining “17 spies working for the CIA” — some of which were sentenced to death, though few details are known. 

  Previously Iran said Western intelligence was trying to penetrate facilities related to its nuclear program. This week’s announced death sentence is perhaps the first time someone stood specifically charged with passing information related to the late Quds force leader Soleimani.

  It reveals something interesting: that the Iranians are no doubt actively looking for spy networks which had involvement in tracking Gen. Soleimani, or may have helped US-Israeli intelligence with the assassination. 

  Recall that beginning two years ago Israeli defense and intelligence officials became increasingly vocal about putting a target on Soleimani’s back, essentially giving the ‘green light’ to taking him out if the opportunity presented itself. 

  However, Soleimani traveled as a diplomat or foreign dignitary, thus it didn’t appear he was overly cautious or expected the Americans to act so brazenly. Hence his entourage had passed through Baghdad International Airport essentially out in the open, which provided the opportunity for the Trump-ordered drone strike on a road leading out of the airport.

  

• Chinese Propaganda Outlet Paid Millions To Washington Post, Wall Street Journal
  Chinese Propaganda Outlet Paid Millions To Washington Post, Wall Street Journal
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 21:25

  Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,

  A Chinese propaganda outlet paid millions of dollars to The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal to run advertisements made to look like news reports.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  New documents filed with the U.S. Department of Justice show China Daily paid over $4.6 million to the Post and nearly $6 million to the Journal since November 2016.

  China Daily, an English-language newspaper, is overseen by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Publicity Department, the governmental agency in charge of disseminating propaganda.

  Over the past few years, it has spent millions running supplements – called “China Watch” – containing propaganda disguised as news, in major U.S. newspapers including the Journal, The New York Times, and the Post.

  Scholars researching Chinese influence activities in the United States said in a 2018 report (pdf) that “it’s hard to tell that China Watch’s material is an ad.”

  China Daily has in the past submitted financial information under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) but the new filing (pdf) is the first to include a breakdown of how much the propaganda outlet is paying American media outlets.

  Inquiries sent to the Post and the Journal weren’t returned.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  A paid insert of China Daily inside the Jan. 17, 2017 edition of the Wall Street Journal. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

  According to the FARA filing, China Daily paid to insert propaganda into The New York Times, Foreign Policy, The Des Moines Register, and CQ Roll Call.

  China Daily spent just over $11 million in total on advertising in newspapers in the United States.

  The newspaper registered as a foreign agent under FARA in 1983. That law requires registered foreign agents to provide the DOJ with copies of all propaganda “circulated among two or more persons.” It also requires registrants to submit to the department, twice a year, an itemized report of spending inside the United States.

  China Daily is part of the Chinese regime’s global propaganda efforts, a campaign that the CCP has committed $6.6 billion to since 2009, according to a letter sent by dozens of U.S. lawmakers to the Department of Justice earlier this year. The regime has, according to FARA filings, spent $35 million on China Daily alone since 2017, not including the new filing.

  The articles that run in American publications “serve as a cover for China’s atrocities, including its crimes against humanity in the Xinjiang region and its support for the crackdown in Hong Kong,” the lawmakers wrote.

  Earlier this year, the state department designated China Daily, along with four other Chinese state-run media operating in the United States, as foreign missions over their role as propaganda organs of the CCP. It also slashed the number of Chinese staff allowed to work at the outlets’ U.S. offices.

  

• Virus Contact-Tracing For All – Singaporeans To Be Tracked By Gov't In Post-COVID World
  Virus Contact-Tracing For All – Singaporeans To Be Tracked By Gov’t In Post-COVID World
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 21:05

  Singapore is on the cusp of rolling out a mandatory COVID-19 tracing program that will identify people who had come in contact with virus carriers. The program will distribute tiny microchips to all 5.7 million residents, in what will be the most extensive tracing program globally, reported Reuters. 

  The city-state, located in Southeast Asia, has already developed a tracing app for smartphones, called TraceToegether, to identify people who have interacted with virus carriers. The app was downloaded by more than 1.5 million residents but did not work well on iPhones since Bluetooth activity goes dormant when app runs in the background. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Singapore officials overseeing the tracing app had several discussions with Apple, but no resolutions were found. 

  Minister-in-charge of the Smart Nation Initiative Vivian Balakrishnan spoke with Parliament on Friday, gave members of the government update on the tracing program: 

  “Because TraceTogether does not work equally well across all smartphones, we have decided therefore, at this point, not to mandate the compulsory use of TraceTogether.

  “We are developing and will soon roll out a portable wearable device that will … not depend on the possession of a smartphone. 

  “If this portable device works. We may then distribute it to everyone in Singapore … This will be more inclusive, and it will ensure that all of us will be protected,” Balakrishnan told Parliament. 

  Balakrishna said the pivot to wearables would mean residents will have to wear a tiny microchip at the end of lanyard or can be carried in pocket or bag. He expects it to be rolled out in the near term.

  The technology behind the wearable was not discussed, and at what range the government can track people. 

  There are many privacy concerns about tracing devices. Especially when the government wants widespread use, it will have to make it mandatory. Other concerns are about who gets the tracking data, and it was said that the Singapore government would only collect data via the first app if a person becomes infected with COVID-19. There are many privacy concerns about contact tracing devices and how the government will use the data. 

  For instance, this week, the US government and law enforcement agencies are using contact tracing and big tech to identify rioters. 

  The war on COVID around the world has ushered in a massive surveillance state with weaponry that governments can deploy at any time: thermal imaging cameras, drones, contact tracing, biometric databases, etc.

  No one is safe from government in a post-corona world. 

  

• Ivanka Trump Falls Victim To "Cancel Culture"
  Ivanka Trump Falls Victim To “Cancel Culture”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 20:45

  Authored by Lacey Kestecher via Campus Reform,

  On the same day that Wichita State University Tech announced that Ivanka Trump would be a guest speaker at its virtual commencement address, the university also canceled her speech. There was backlash from the university regarding the Trump administration and George Floyd’s death. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  In a letter by WSU president Jay Goulden and WSU Tech president Sheree Utash, the two administrators announced their commencement speeches would be “refocused more centrally on students.” The virtual commencement, however, would not feature the president’s daughter and one of his top White House advisers.

  In another letter, Utash addressed the reasoning for revoking Ivanka Trump’s commencement speech offer. Utash writes that “in light of the social justice issues brought forth by George Floyd’s death…the timing of the announcement was insensitive.” 

  She claims that “the college stands with those who fight injustice and advocate for social equity.”

  Jennifer Ray, associate professor of photo media, had previously written a letter demanding that the university revoke Trump’s speaking invitation. It garnered the support of both students and staff but has since been deleted. 

  According to the Wichita Eagle, Ray claims that the university “sends the message that WSU Tech does not take diversity seriously” by inviting Ivanka Trump to be a guest speaker.

  Ray wrote that the Trump “administration has come to signify the worst of our country, particularly in its recent actions toward those peacefully protesting against racist police brutality. This is not about politics and policy; some of the sharpest critics of President Trump’s actions come from prominent members of his own party.” 

  In response to her speech being canceled, Ivanka Trump took to Twitter to post her pre-recorded speech. In the tweet, she criticized “cancel culture” and said that universities “should be bastions of free speech.”

  “Cancel culture and viewpoint discrimination are antithetical to academia. Listening to one another is important now more than ever!”

  Our nation’s campuses should be bastions of free speech. Cancel culture and viewpoint discrimination are antithetical to academia.

  Listening to one another is important now more than ever!https://t.co/VW6W8TIL9c

  — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 5, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Here is the pre-recorded message: 

  

• FBI Combing Through Social Media After People Openly Brag About Looting On Facebook 
  FBI Combing Through Social Media After People Openly Brag About Looting On Facebook 
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 20:25

  Anyone logging into social media lately has likely noticed a seeming deluge of virtue signaling related to the ongoing Black Lives Matter and George Floyd protests. Often the same people who a mere days before were lecturing others to “stay home, save lives” amid the pandemic, have made a seamless switch to urging others to take to the streets in protest.

  But a CBS Chicago affiliate has uncovered something truly new: people are now openly bragging about what they’ve looted from ravaged stores on Facebook over the past two weeks of BLM protests and riots. Apparently they’re even trying to sell the stolen goods.

  “Selling looted goods on Facebook – CBS 2 found it’s happening right now, with several videos and photos sent our way,“ the CBS 2 report begins. “We sent the evidence to Chicago Police, and on Monday night, CBS 2’s Tara Molina looked into what will happen next – with the CPD and the FBI investigating.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Apparently the FBI is now involved, seeking to identify individuals involved in the mass looting.

  And judging by the fact that many are outright boasting about it under their names on social media accounts, federal agents and local police may have an easy time of rounding them up and making arrests.

  The report goes on to describe that in some cases, individuals in Chicago have had their ‘looting posts’ go viral: 

  One woman posted a Facebook Live video publicly on Sunday, May 31, and it got about 6,600 views and 41 shares. It showed looting at a strip mall and a van filled to the brim.

  In a second public Facebook Live video, posted days later, a woman stands behind the videos and photos posted on her page – admitting out loud that she had looted.

  She called out the people tagging police in the video, and defended her selling of the looted clothing and liquor – referring to it as stolen and saying it wasn’t the first time.

  “I don’t give no (expletive) about this s**t. I upload stolen (expletive) 365 a year,” she is heard saying. “This ain’t (expletive) first time I did this.”

  Likely the above person has already had a knock on the door, and may regret going viral with their post in the first place.

  CBS 2 actually aired some of the incriminating Facebook Livestream images this week, seeking public help in the investigation.

  The FBI has set up an anonymous “tips” form seeking information on individuals involved in rioting, violence, and mass theft nationwide:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The FBI and local law enforcement are now actively requesting photos and information from the public as they comb through posts and evidence of theft. 

  Shocking footage of brazen acts of mass theft flooded social media:

  😰😰 pic.twitter.com/UUBasF5ZvR

  Good god, Chicago rioters looting off a MOVING train??? How the hell does this help George Floyd?

  — Vienna Rose (@ViennaRosee) June 2, 2020

  CBS 2 Chicago also noted that during its research into social media posts, people began blocking its staff over inquiries into crimes being committed. 

  With the FBI also now combing through thousands of posts, also seeking perpetrators of violence and rioting, there’s likely a lot of worried criminals now deleting posts as well.

  But how long before the FBI is accused of “racism” for seeking to punish such glaring examples of crime in action? 

  

• Our New Form Of Government: Rule By Twitter Mob
  Our New Form Of Government: Rule By Twitter Mob
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 20:05

  Authored by Simon Black via SovereignMan.com,

  In one of the starkest examples of how mob rule has taken over the Land of the Free, #defundthepolice is now rapidly moving from being just a hash tag, to becoming a reality.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  9 out of the 12 members of the Minneapolis City Council (which is a veto-proof majority that can easily override the city’s boy mayor) pledged yesterday to completely dismantle its police department.

  Their reasoning?

  According to the city council president, being able to call the police “comes from a place of privilege,” and therefore must be abolished.

  Actually, genius, being able to call the police comes from tax revenue… as in the money that voters pay in exchange for public services.

  It’s not just Minneapolis. Across the country, cries to defund the police are growing… even though there’s no consensus about what the term even means.

  For some, it means demilitarization of the police. For others, it means reducing police responsibilities, and reducing their funding accordingly. For others, it means abolishing the police altogether.

  But even without a clear idea of what the concept means, the Twitter mob has already pressured politicians into taking action.

  In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti bowed to the pressure and pledged to slash $150 million from the police budget.

  The New York City’s politburo, Comrade de Blasio, also promised to make substantial cuts to the NYPD budget.

  Other local governments across the country, from San Francisco to Philadelphia to Baltimore, are considering similar moves.

  And Congress has a stack of bills that it’s furiously moving forward.

  This is all truly remarkable. There’s suppose to be system in place– I read about it somewhere, I think it’s called ‘democracy’ or something like that– where people vote for leaders who are supposed to represent their interests when making public policy decisions.

  But this is mob rule, plain and simple. The Twitter mob decides public policy now. Not politicians. And certainly not voters.

  And if you don’t grovel and capitulate to the mob, even when there’s no consensus on what the mob actually wants, then you get vilified by their rage.

  It’s like #metoo all over again.

  In late 2017, the actor Matt Damon, who committed an egregious crime of being born with a penis, told an interviewer that there’s a “spectrum” of sexual harassment:

  “There’s a difference between, you know, patting someone on the butt, and rape… or child molestation.  Both of those behaviors need to be confronted and eradicated without question, but they shouldn’t be conflated.”

  Seems reasonable. Damon had an opinion… and his opinion was that molesting a child was worse than inappropriately patting a woman on the butt.

  But reason didn’t matter to the Twitter mob, who immediately blasted Damon as a hetero-normative patriarchal misogynist. He later apologized, apparently for being logical, and groveled to the mob for forgiveness.

  Today’s mob is far more hostile.

  When Minneapolis’ boy mayor Jacob Frey rejected calls to abolish the police over the weekend, he was forced into a literal walk of shame when the marauding crowd screamed “GET THE F^#K OUT OF HERE” and waived their middle fingers in unison.

  Frey left the stage and sullenly retreated through the crowd while the masses chanted, “Shame! Shame! Shame!”

  Then there’s Drew Brees, one of the NFL’s all-time great quarterbacks whose entire career has been one of professionalism, integrity, and humble service.

  Brees has given millions of dollars to his local community, including a $5 million pledge this year alone to help put food on the table for struggling families.

  But Brees stated in an interview recently that he didn’t agree with anyone disrespecting the American flag– in reference to other NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality.

  The anthem kneeling is a contentious issue for some. And it would have been reasonable for the other side to explain to Brees that their intent is to protest injustice, not disrespect the flag.

  But instead the Twitter mob unleashed holy hell, calling Brees a “white supremacist” and even making death threats against his family.

  And that’s what you get with a mob.

  Civil discourse is an impossibility. You cannot have a respectful exchange of ideas or a discussion of values.

  You can’t even say, “I completely agree that terrible injustice needs to change immediately. Let’s have a rational conversation about sensible, effective solutions.”

  If you don’t grovel to the Twitter mob, even when there’s no consensus what the mob wants, you’re a white supremacist who deserves to be dead.

  To be clear, I’m in strong support of the fundamental ideas behind these movements.

  The culture of rape and sexual abuse that persisted for so long before #metoo needed to end. And the injustices that are front and center right now need to end. I imagine good people everywhere are in favor of human rights.

  But I’m not writing about the movements, or social justice, or peaceful protests. This is about the mob mentality that has quickly taken over the US, and much of the world.

  History shows that well-organized, peaceful protests can be very powerful… but also that nothing good ever comes from an angry, emotional mob.

  Real progress can only take place when people are able to have calm, rational discussions about ideas and solutions.

  The reality is that #defundthepolice is going to happen regardless. After Covid, most cities are completely bankrupt and will be forced to slash their budgets due to lack of tax revenue.

  But #defundthepolice may be just the beginning of our new form of government– rule by Twitter mob.

  *  *  *

  And to continue learning how to ensure you thrive no matter what happens next in the world, I encourage you to download our free Perfect Plan B Guide.

  

• "The Search Is Over" – Treasure Chest Of Gold Found In Rocky Mountains 
  “The Search Is Over” – Treasure Chest Of Gold Found In Rocky Mountains 
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 19:45

  A treasure chest full of gold worth over $1 million was recently found in the Rocky Mountains, according to the man that hid it there over a decade ago. 

  Forrest Fenn,89, confirmed that “the search is over” on his website Sunday. Fenn hid the treasure in 2010 and wrote a poem with several clues revealing that it was “somewhere in the mountains north of Santa Fe.” 

  “The Search Is Over! Forrest Has Confirmed That The Treasure Has Been Found (6/6/20),” Fenn’s website read.

  Fenn said he did not know the person who found the treasure, but a list of clues in the poem led the person to the booty. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  “It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains, and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than ten years ago,” Fenn said. “I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries.”

  Fenn told the Santa Fe New Mexican: 

  “The guy who found it does not want his name mentioned. He’s from back East,” he said, adding that it was confirmed from a photograph the man sent him.

  Santa Fe New Mexican estimates 350,000 people have hunted for Fenn’s treasure, with at least four deaths contributed to the searching efforts. 

  When questioned how he felt that the decade long search for his treasure is finally over, he said, “I don’t know, I feel halfway kind of glad, halfway kind of sad because the chase is over.” 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  Some believe the treasure never existed — treasure hunter Seth Wallack said, “I think his announcement is at least a few years, and a few lives, too late. But he has to live with that. I believe this was over much earlier than today.” 

  “I think 2019 is the year he said was his last to do any interviews about the treasure, which I interpret as he lost interest because the hunt was no longer,” Wallack added. “In 2020, he said the treasure was found but didn’t reveal any details so his narrative can’t be questioned.”

  Fenn spoke with Good Morning America in 2015 about the “chest filled with gold and jewels.” 

  At least four people died searching for a chest filled with gold and jewels hidden a decade ago by Forrest Fenn

  The treasure, worth over $1 million, has been found. #SundayMorning spoke to Fenn in 2015 https://t.co/rbVfNcAG7f pic.twitter.com/WLAW2IaOUg

  — CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) June 8, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  

• What Comes After The "Deepest Economic Crisis Since The Great Depression"
  What Comes After The “Deepest Economic Crisis Since The Great Depression”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 19:25

  Authored by Huge Erken, head of International Economics at Rabobank

  Coronavirus causes deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression

  Summary

  • COVID-19 is expected to result in contraction of the global economy by 4.1% in 2020

  • This means that the corona crisis will be the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression in the 1930s

  • We expect a relatively limited recovery in 2021, as many countries will continue to be bound to a ‘six-foot economy’ for a long time

  • Businesses in these countries will not be able to offer as many goods and services as they did previously, and demand will remain low for a long time Political tensions between the US and China have flared up again, and we expect the truce in the trade war to come to an end

  • Downside risks such as a second wave of infections or a financial crisis continue to dominate

  The global economy will contract by 4.1% The rapid succession of developments relating to the coronavirus (see Figure 1a and 1b) is leaving deep scars in the global economy. We have therefore had to downgrade our estimates several times (here and here and here).

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  We are currently forecasting that the global economy will contract by 4.1% in 2020, and then grow by 4.3% in 2021 (Table 1). This means that the corona crisis will be the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression in the 1930s (Figure 2). The sharp contraction in mainly Western Europe and Latin America will be offset by more moderate GDP declines in Asia, where stronger underlying growth in China in 2020 and in India in 2021 will go some way to limiting the damage.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The deepest economic crisis since the 1930s For France, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom we are even forecasting a contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) of more than 10% in, mainly due to the long and stringent lockdowns in these countries. Another factor is that the sectors that are the worst hit by the corona crisis, such as tourism, recreation and hospitality, are relatively strongly represented in these countries compared to other eurozone countries.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  In the United States, we expect a more limited contraction of 5.7%, again followed by a relatively modest recovery in 2021. In the US, this relates to the flexible labor market, which lead to a rapid rise in unemployment which started to come down again recently (Figure 3). April saw the highest post-war unemployment figure of 14.7%, although figures for May show that it is coming down again. Corrected for classification errors, unemployment was as much as 19.5%. With a fifth of the American working population temporarily out of work, private consumption will be slow to pick up after the hard lockdown period, and these effects will continue to be felt into 2021. This expected weakness in the demand side of the economy will be intensified by the fact that the US economy was already in pretty poor shape before the advent of the corona crisis, something we have been warning about since the beginning of 2019.

  Reopening the economy is proving difficult

  The US is not the only country where we expect lower growth in 2021 than we previously forecast. We currently expect the recovery to be more moderate in virtually all countries. Despite the easing of the lockdown in many countries, economic activity is increasing only marginally. On the one hand this is due to lack of demand, as people continue to avoid restaurants, cafés and stores, and also due to economic uncertainty and loss of income. On the other hand, there are limitations in the supply side of the economy as businesses and entrepreneurs are forced to adapt to the six-foot economy. A recent academic study argues that social distancing will be needed until 2022 to prevent a resurgence of the virus.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  A lengthy period of social distancing and lower potential growth

  Countries will be stuck with the six-foot economy for many months yet. For the Netherlands, we have calculated that there could be adaptation problems for 16% of jobs in this economy, while in the US this figure is 23% (see this report). In this situation a V-shaped economic recovery will be hard to achieve and a U-shaped recovery may be more likely (see this study for a detailed discussion on the possible shapes the recovery might take). We have calculated that the corona crisis could also damage the long-term growth potential of countries, so that the effects could continue to be felt even after 2022. For the Dutch economy, we forecast that annual potential economic growth in 2022-2030 will fall from 1.4% to 1.2%, and in the US we foresee a decline from 1.6% to 1.4%.

  Political tensions between the US and China are flaring up again

  Following the long-awaited truce between the US and China in the form of the ‘Phase 1 deal’ on January 13 and the subsequent outbreak of the corona virus, a period of quiet broke out in the trade war between the two superpowers. However, diplomatic relations between the US and China have now taken a rapid and serious turn for the worse. This started in March, with accusations from both sides regarding the approach to the virus.

  US measures

  The US is working on legislation to use grants and tax breaks to persuade foreign businesses in China to transfer their operations to the US and on measures to reduce dependence on China in areas such as medical and defense-related products. President Trump has also instructed his administration to remove Hong Kong’s special status in response to a Chinese security law that the Americans believe threatens Hong Kong’s autonomy. Withdrawing this status would mean that Hong Kong, which is a major trading hub in Asia, would face higher trade tariffs and that access to US dollars by businesses and banks in Hong Kong could be restricted. Finally, Trump has signed a presidential executive order, under which US businesses are no longer permitted to use products from the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.

  Anti-China rhetoric as a lightning conductor

  All these measures are part of President Trump’s ‘America First’ doctrine, and address what he sees as unfair trading practices on the part of China. This view is starting to gain traction with the US public (see Figure 8). Trump seems to be using anti-China rhetoric as a diversion from his domestic problems. Trump has lost much needed popularity in the polls due to his handling of the corona crisis, the rapidly worsening economy and his threat to deploy the military to subdue recent demonstrations and social unrest.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  With the presidential elections upcoming in November, Trump is trying to make electoral gains with his tried and tested anti-China tactic. Trump is indeed not alone in this stance, as his Democratic opponent Joe Biden is also planning to act against China, albeit in cooperation with Europe.

  Chinese measures

  China has not been sitting on its hands either. It expelled several American journalists in March, and state-run food companies (Cofco and Sinograin) have been instructed to buy fewer products from the US. This fits the view that China is apparently not ready to observe the trade agreements in the Phase 1 deal, as available import data for the first three months of 2020 are showing a negative rather than a positive trend (see Figure 9). This also confirms that China’s import commitment was always highly unrealistic right from the start. In combination with the recent political tensions between the two countries, we believe the deal is likely to break down before the year is out.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Downside risks

  Despite our heavily downgraded economic forecasts and rising geopolitical tensions, there are several risks that could make the outlook even worse. Four of these risks are discussed below. A second wave of infections Countries around the world are currently easing their lockdowns. There is a possibility that this easing will open the door to a new wave of infections, forcing countries to impose a new period of lockdowns to restrict the spread of the virus. Previously we published estimates of the additional economic damage if lockdowns were to be extended by a further three months. A return of the virus in emerging markets is potentially a much greater risk than in developed countries. It remains to be seen whether it is realistic that people in densely populated countries such as Indonesia, India and Brazil will be able to maintain adequate social distancing. There is also the question of whether these countries have sufficient testing capabilities to identify a resurgence of the virus at an early stage.

  A financial crisis

  The current economic crisis could turn into a financial crisis, in which financial institutions get into difficulties. For instance, if there is a second or third wave of infections that leads to a sharp increase in bankruptcies, a rapid deterioration in bank balance sheets and liquidity issues for banks themselves. The consequence could be that lending to businesses comes to a halt, putting more businesses in trouble and creating a vicious circle.

  At this time we do not expect any friction in the financial system, partly because the banks have generally improved their buffers since the Great Financial Crisis and partly because central banks around the world are providing sufficient liquidity to the banks. The volatility in the financial markets that marked the start of the corona crisis has therefore also waned.

  Zombie companies

  Another risk in the longer term is that the proportion of what are known as ‘zombie companies’ will increase in some countries. Zombie companies are businesses that are barely profitable now and their outlook for future profitability is bleak. These companies thrive in an environment of low interest rates and a financial system that rolls over loans to loss-making companies. Even more loose monetary policy by central banks encourages this ‘zombification’ process. We saw the number of zombie companies increase rapidly in the wake of the Great Financial Crisis. In the US, the proportion of zombie companies among listed companies rose to 15% in 2019 (figure 10). In Japan as well, the proportion of zombie companies among SMEs is now 21% according to some estimates. Zombie companies represent a problem for the post-crisis recovery as they are less productive and innovative than healthy businesses. According to the BIS, a one percentage point increase in the proportion of zombie companies in a country leads to a decline of 0.3% in annual GDP growth.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

Digest powered by RSS Digest

• Russia Demands US "Leave Syria & Deal With Your Own Problems" Amid Protests
  Russia Demands US “Leave Syria & Deal With Your Own Problems” Amid Protests
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 02:45

  Recall that last month, shortly before George Floyd protests plunged a number of American cities into unrest and chaos which witnessed often violent confrontations between demonstrators and police, a top US envoy for Syria policy boasted “my job is to make Syria a quagmire for the Russians.”

  But in the wake of the raging protests, which last week created a bit of a crisis for the White House as it mulled “action” against the worsening security situation on the Capitol, Russia has gone on the offensive, demanding that US forces get out of Syria in order to handle America’s own mess at home.  

  Instead of “protecting” oil fields in Eastern Syria, should the US Army be protecting the streets of America? pic.twitter.com/CCx8Gt8hH4

  — Bassem (@BBassem7) June 1, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Specifically this was in response to a statement days ago from Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker, who called on Russia to ‘go out of the Middle East’. 

  “For 45 years, this has been the cornerstone of American politics – to keep Russia away from the Middle East,” he further claimed.

  The Russian Embassy in the US immediately reminded Washington that the “Russian military is stationed in Syria at the invitation of its government.”

  Epic photo: a #Russia/n and #American military officers discussing on-the-ground de-confliction (allegedly taken earlier this year somewhere in N.#Syria) pic.twitter.com/lsCNYXo15E

  — Maxim A. Suchkov (@m_suchkov) May 27, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The embassy added according to TASS: “The real question here: what are the grounds for the USA to occupy several swaths of this sovereign country? As far as we know none of them are legal. Neither the legitimate authorities nor the UN Security Council sanctioned American troops deployment.”

  Additionally, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the remarks “crazy” and “stupid” – and added:

  “The US should leave Syria and deal with its internal crisis.”

  Both China, Russia, as well as other American rivals and officially dubbed “rogue regimes” by Washington have called out the US for its rank hypocrisy, lecturing others as it faces chaos at home, which has involved not only the police killing of George Floyd, but at least 15 deaths amid the ‘protest’ and riot mayhem which followed. 

  15 People Died In The Protests And Riots Following George Floyd’s Death. Here’s Who They Are https://t.co/995np2KlSy via @dailycaller

  — Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  * * * 

  Meanwhile…

  So far WW3 between Russia and the US has been fought with a series of traffic incidents on Syrian roads. Not what was envisaged. 😐 pic.twitter.com/PL1IuMsBAt

  — Syrian Girl 🇸🇾 (@Partisangirl) June 8, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  

• Should NATO Have A Permanent Presence In The Arctic?
  Should NATO Have A Permanent Presence In The Arctic?
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 02:00

  Authored by Lee Harding via The Epoch Times,

  As Russia and China continue growing their footprint in the Arctic, some observers believe NATO should have a perpetual presence in the region to achieve a deterrence effect and safeguard maritime security.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Lieutenant Colin Barnard, an American who serves at NATO Maritime Command in the U.K., says the developing Arctic presence by Russia and China deserves attention. He made the case in a recent article for the Center for International Maritime Security titled “Why NATO needs a standing maritime group in the Arctic.”

  Russia has increased its commercial and naval presence in the Arctic, upgrading old bases and building new ones while strengthening its military capabilities in the region.

  China, meanwhile, has drilled for gas in the Kara Sea off of Russia’s northern coast, built icebreakers, asserted rights to fish in the Arctic, and is expanding tourism to the region. For at least five years, China has sailed cargo ships near Russia’s shores in what the Chinese Communist Party calls “the Polar Silk Road.”

  Russia is paying attention, whether the West is or not. Since 2019, Russia has required that any foreign naval vessel that sails the Northern Sea Route must notify Moscow at least 45 days in advance, provide details about the ship, the purpose of the voyage, the route it will take, and the name of the ship’s captain.

  If these rules are not followed, Russia can apply measures such as the apprehension and even destruction of the ship.

  The United States, Canada, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark (via Greenland) constitute the Arctic Five as NATO countries that already have Arctic maritime borders. Barnard believes these nations could conduct freedom-of-navigation operations in the Arctic to “consistently challenge excessive maritime claims,” just as the United States does regarding China in the South China Sea.

  The idea has its fans, including retired Colonel Ted Campbell. In a recent blog post, Campbell dreamed of Canada having three Arctic ocean bases, with a fleet of eight to fifteen nuclear-powered submarines plus a beefed-up Coast Guard and even a policing fleet for the RCMP.

  James Fergusson, deputy director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies at the University of Manitoba, is more circumspect. He told The Epoch Times that a recession destroyed Canada’s Cold War ambitions for nuclear submarines, and that the pandemic will present similar challenges.

  “If they can hold the line to keep the future combat vessels on track as best as possible and actually continue to produce the offshore patrol vessels, the navy will be doing extremely well. But I wouldn’t put even money on that, because when these cuts come in—and they’re coming—hard choices are going to have to be made,” he said.

  NATO currently has four standing maritime groups: two with destroyers and frigates and two that do mine countermeasures. In Barnard’s view, these groups are already overtasked and aren’t tailored for Arctic operations. Would an Arctic standing group be possible?

  Fergusson says as it is, Canada can only commit one frigate to the NATO standing force in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. He believes that neither the Canadian navy nor our American allies would have much interest in Canada showing muscle in the Arctic.

  “Where are you going to base them and what are they going to do? And are they not going to be provocative for the Russians? It doesn’t strike me as a smart thing that Canada should be engaged in. I don’t know if it’s a smart thing that NATO should be engaged in,” he says.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika returns to Saint Petersburg on Dec. 14, 2019. (Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images)

  Fergusson doesn’t think the Russian Arctic bases are cause for alarm and says a NATO standing group might create barriers to cooperation with the Russians on arctic search-and-rescue, research and development, and China’s activities.

  “Our potential concerns about Chinese behaviour and what they might do or not do in the Arctic are mirrored by and are actually common to Russian interests about what the Chinese might be doing up there. And that’s one of the bases for cooperation—not only between Canada and Russia but between the United States and Russia,” he says.

  Robert Huebert, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, points out that a standing force in the Arctic would help NATO allies learn to work together in that environment.

  “The Russians have been developing some fairly sophisticated submarine capabilities, and if there is in fact some flare-up you need to be able to counter that,” he says.

  However, Huebert believes an Arctic standing group would get “pushback from the Canadians” who fear a permanent NATO presence would undermine Canadian sovereignty instead of strengthening it. He says it’s better to expand operations of the NATO standing force further north.

  “If you already have the existing ability and you are clearly focused on meeting the increasing Russian militarization of the region, I think that that would probably be a much more politically and therefore militarily better move,” he says.

  The Chinese commercial presence in the Arctic will inevitably be followed by a military one, he adds.

  “I firmly expect that you’re going to start seeing some Chinese capabilities in the Arctic,” he says.

  “[China] has now emerged as the second strongest navy in the world. It is developing weapon systems that clearly are meant to challenge the Americans in the long term. They’re not focusing on a coastal or even a regional capability, but they are basically going for a global reach.”

  China spent less on defence than Canada did in the early 1990s. Today, Canada spends $25 billion annually, Russia spends $65 billion, China nearly $300 billion, and the United States more than $700 billion.

  “You combine what the Chinese are learning how to do from a cyber and a hybrid warfare perspective … and you combine that with its military build-up, and you start seeing that in a future regional conflict this starts giving China a very powerful ability to start to try to impose its will,” Huebert said.

  

• UK Rates 'Worst' National COVID-19 Response, Vietnam Best
  UK Rates ‘Worst’ National COVID-19 Response, Vietnam Best
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 01:00

  The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected countries varies vastly, connected in part to the respective government’s handling of the situation. As Statista’s Martin Armstrong shows below, these national responses can be worlds apart – both in terms of efficacy and as survey data from YouGov shows, the subsequent level of public approval, too.

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  In the UK, where the government’s response has been heavily criticised, the net approval rating (calculated by subtracting ‘handling badly’ from ‘handling well’ responses) is the joint-lowest of all countries surveyed.

  Also with a rating of -15 is Mexico, where President López Obrador originally downplayed the severity of the pandemic and is now struggling to find the right balance between prioritizing public health and protecting the economy.

  At the other end of the scale, Vietnam has so far recorded just over 300 cases and zero deaths.

  In contrast to Mexico, Vietnam’s ‘overreaction’ to the crisis is thought to be the reason for the astonishing results achieved so far.

  To compare to the countries at the bottom of the ranking, Our World in Data figures have the number of deaths per million people for the UK and Mexico at 596.07 and 104.79, respectively.

  Countries included in the survey were: Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, UK, USA, Vietnam.

  

• Weimar 2020
  Weimar 2020
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Tue, 06/09/2020 – 00:05

  Authored by Gilad Atzmon,

  Have you noticed the peculiar fact that despite the lockdown, the economic crisis, tens of millions unemployed and multiple corporations filing for bankruptcy, Wall Street is having a ball?

  CNBC‘s Jim Cramer examined this anomaly earlier a few days ago, his verdict:

   “we’re looking at a V-shaped recovery in the stock market, and that has almost nothing to do with a V-shaped recovery in the economy. What is going on is one of the greatest wealth transfers in history.”

  How can the market rebound when the economy has not?  Cramer’s answer is so simple.

  “Because the market doesn’t represent the economy; it represents the future of big business.”

  Cramer points out that while small businesses are dropping like flies, big business—along, of course, with bigger wealth, is coming through the crisis virtually unscathed.

  Cramer projects that the transfer will have a “horrible effect” on the USA. We are already seeing a tsunami of bankruptcies. The economic fallout is inevitable. Federal data shows that the nation faces a 13.3 percent unemployment rate. The fortunes of U.S. billionaires increased by $565 billion between March 18 and June 4 while the same 11-week period also saw 42.6 million Americans filing jobless claims. The results are devastating, if hardly a news item: while the American people are getting poorer, the rich are getting richer.

  One would have thought that the American Left and progressive political institutions would be the first to be alarmed by these developments. We tend to believe that tempering the rich and their greed, caring for working people and fighting for equal opportunities and justice in general are the Left’s prime concerns.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The American reality,  however, suggests the opposite. Instead of uniting us in a fierce battle against Wall Street and its broad daylight robbery of what is left of American wealth, the American Left is investing its last drops of  political energy in a ‘race war.’ Instead of committing to the Left’s key ideological values, namely: class struggle that unites us into one angry fist of resistance against this theft and discrimination, and without regard to our race, gender, or sexual orientation, the American Left makes us fight each other.

  The  silence of the Left on the current Wall Street “wealth transfers” is hardly an accident.  American Left and Progressive institutions are supported financially and by Wall Street and global financiers. This funding means that, in practice, the American Left  operates as a controlled opposition. It maintains its relevance by sustaining social and racial tensions that draw attention away from Wall Street and its crimes. The so called ‘Left’ is also reluctant to point at  Wall Street and its current theft,  as such criticism, however legitimate,  would immediately be censured as ‘antisemitic’ by the Jewish institutions that have appointed themselves to police Western public discourse.

  There is plenty of  history of such divisive politics from the Left and the way it often ends up betraying the Working Class. The collapse of the German Left in the early 1930s is probably the most interesting case-study of this. 

  Prior to the 1929 economic collapse, Germany’s fascist movement was a relatively marginal phenomenon consisting of various competing factions. In the 1928 elections the Nazi Party received 2.8 percent (810,000 votes) of the general vote. But then the 1929 crash led to a rapid and sharp rise in unemployment;  from 1.2 million in June 1929 to 6 million in January 1932. Amidst the crisis, production dropped 41.4 percent from 1929 to the end of 1931, resulting in skyrocketing poverty.  Like millions of Americans at the moment, in the early 1930s millions of Germans spent many days and nights in food queues.

  One would assume that the collapse of capitalism would have been politically celebrated by the German Communists and Marxists as the Germans lost hope in ‘bourgeois democracy’ and capitalism alike.  The German Communist Party (KPD), like the Nazi party,  increased its power exponentially following the economic meltdown. Yet the German Left missed its golden opportunity. Despite the poverty and the austerity measures, it was Hitler who eventually won the hearts and the souls of the German working class. By the September 1930 election Hitler had won 18.3 percent  and then in July 1932 37.4 percent. In just four years the Nazis increased their support by 13 million votes.

  A lot has been written about the failure of the German Left, both Marxists and Communists, to tackle Hitler and Fascism. Some Marxists are honest enough to admit that it was actually the KPD, its authoritarian and divisive politics that paved the way for Hitler and Nazism.

  Like Stalin, the German KPD was quick to employ the term  ‘fascist’ to describe any and all political opponents. In an act of gradual self-marginalisation, the German Left reduced itself into irrational political noise that finally lost touch with reality. The KPD were so removed from understating the political transition in Germany that on January 30, 1933, the day Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, the KPD foolishly declared: “After Hitler, we will take over!”

  Like the American radical  Left today, the KPD fought in street battles against the Nazis from 1929 to 1933.  These battles cost the lives of  hundreds of Nazis and KPD members. But in 1933 no political group paid as high a price in blood as the KPD. Nearly  a third of KPD members ended up in prison.  

  It is notable that one of the most concerning aspects of Left politics is the peculiar fact that agitators who claim to be inspired by ‘dialectics’ appear blind to their own ideological past. Consequently, they are detached from the present and totally removed from a concept of ‘future.’

  I have been saying for some time that Trump often makes the right decisions if always for the wrong reasons. For instance, he declared ‘a war’ on social media authoritarianism in the name of the 1st Amendment. Though this is clearly the right result, Trump is not motivated by any genuine concern for ‘freedom of speech’ or ‘human rights’ he is simply upset that his tweets are subject to ‘fact checks.’ The Left, peculiarly enough, tends to make the wrong decisions if usually for good reasons. Fighting racism is, no doubt, an important goal; Combating America’s police brutality or racial discrimination is a major crucial battle, however, fuelling a race conflict is the worst possible path toward eliminating both racism and discrimination. Such a tactic will only deepen the divide that already splits the American working class. I wonder whether this divide is exactly what the American Left is trying to achieve: is this possibly what it is paid to do?

  Today as American progressives and leftists  gear up for a long relentless battle, I have a little advice to offer. History teaches us that Fascism always wins when the conditions for a Marxist revolution are perfect. When you push for a race conflict and further fragmentation of the American society, bear in mind that you may end up facing a real Trump character (as opposed to Donald) that may be able to unite America and make it great for real, but you won’t find your place in it.   

  

• Zoloft Shortage Strikes As Census Bureau Finds One Third Of Americans Now Show Signs Of Clinical Depression
  Zoloft Shortage Strikes As Census Bureau Finds One Third Of Americans Now Show Signs Of Clinical Depression
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 23:45

  In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crash, which triggered depression-like unemployment with 40 million initial claims filed in ten weeks, a third of Americans are now showing signs of clinical anxiety and depression, according to new data collected by the Census Bureau. This, by far, is the most comprehensive and troubling sign yet of the psychological toll inflicted on Americans due to months of lockdowns. 

  The Census Bureau contacted one million households between May 7 and 12, and about 42,000 responded, said The Washington Post. The survey was about 20 minutes long and buried deep within, several questions asked respondents about depression and anxiety. Those who answered provided a laggard but clearest snapshot into people’s mental state at the tail end of the lockdown, where many folks were subjected to isolationism, virus fears, and widespread unemployment. 

  When asked about mental health, 24% of respondents exhibited severe signs of depression, and 30% showed symptoms of anxiety. It was suggested that the mental health of Americans quickly deteriorated during lockdowns.

  It found New York, which was the epicenter of the virus outbreak of the world, ranked 12th nationwide in the number of respondents who felt depressed. More than half of the respondents from Mississippi felt depressed. By contrast, in Iowa, only 25% felt depressed. 

  The latest findings are a significant increase from a pre-corona world. The question of depression, concerning the percentage, has doubled since the 2014 survey. 

  Millennials, women, and poor people had the highest rates of depression and anxiety. “It’s been a problem many have been studying with no clear answers – whether it’s social media or the way this generation [millennials] was reared or just a greater willingness to talk about their problems,” Maria Oquendo, a professor psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Post. 

  “What’s worrying is the effect this situation is clearly having on young adults,” Oquendo said.

  The psychological toll of lockdowns hit low-income folks much harder than the rich, exacerbating the already weakening mental health of the bottom 90% who were already experiencing extreme wealth inequalities. 

  The Food and Drug Administration recently reported that Zoloft, one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants, has fallen into short supply in the last several months. Demand has surged during lockdowns, due mostly because, as shown by the Census Bureau, Americans are experiencing an unprecedented mental health crisis. 

  Bloomberg noted Zoloft prescriptions jumped 12% YoY to 4.9 million in March, the most ever in the US. Prescriptions dropped to 4.5 million in April but still elevated. 

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  We recently noted an Express Scripts report showed antidepressant prescriptions soared between mid-February and March.  

  “Americans are turning to medications for relief, demonstrates the serious impact COVID-19 may be having on our nation’s mental health,” Express Scripts said in its “America’s State of Mind Report.”

  And last month we said:

  “The intense anxiety and fear that many people are feeling today could lead to social instabilities as the virus crisis and economic collapse continues to worsen.

  “Some of those instabilities could be a “suicide wave,” protests, violent crime, and a rise in drug overdoses.”

  At the start of lockdowns (in mid/late March), President Trump warned the psychological toll will have “tremendous repercussions. There will be tremendous death…probably more death from that than anything that we’re talking about with respect to the virus.”

  

• Dr. Fauci: Hero, Liar, Or Sociopath?
  Dr. Fauci: Hero, Liar, Or Sociopath?
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 23:25

  Via Monty Pelerin’s World blog,

  The media made Dr. Fauci a hero. Was it because of his superior medical knowledge or because his “wisdom” would harm Donald Trump and his re-election chances?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Dr. Fauci clearly has impressive credentials but so do many other medical experts. Those who disagreed with Fauci’s draconian recommendations used data to justify their doubts. Fauci used data also, but data that was fallacious, based on models designed to scare everyone. Even when these models were corrected (at least twice) and down to levels that were no longer out of line with previous virus outbreaks, Dr. Fauci did not change his recommendations.

  Science is based on hypotheses. A hypothesis can never be proven true, but it can be proven untrue. When that happens, that hypothesis is rejected and replaced with a new one which then becomes the target to measure data against. There was little evidence of Dr. Fauci changing recommendations even when the original hypotheses were dis-proven.

  I have no medical training. I do understand the methods of science which proceeds by positing hypotheses and then rejecting them if they are shown to be false.

  I believe I understand politics. When politics and science intersect, science is always compromised. My opinion, expressed earlier in Impeachment 2.0, suggested that politics had taken over science with regard to the coronavirus effort.

  My views of Dr. Fauci are certainly less than favorable. However, they are quite restrained when compared with others. John Nolte is particularly upset with Dr. Fauci:

  Is Fauci a fraud or liar?

  Was all his talk about concern for public health, his duty to tell it like it is no matter the personal or political fallout, just a big lie? Is he a fraud who still believes these mass gatherings are a nightmare scenario, but is unwilling to use his massive public platform to say so out loud because shaming protesters who hold the “approved” views among America’s hideous elite would risk Fauci feeling the disapproval of those elites?

  Or is he a liar, does he in fact know the coronavirus is nowhere near as deadly as he played it up to be? Is he a liar who misled us into agreeing to destroy our amazing economy in order to undermine the Bad Orange Man’s re-election?

  Either way, Fauci’s a sociopath. Either he’s a sociopath who furthered his political ambitions and abused his authority and public trust to talk hundreds of millions of Americans into shattering their own lives and mental wellbeing when there was no real danger, or he’s a sociopath who chooses the good opinion of elites over raising the alarm to save the lives of thousands and thousands of protesters, and the countless millions those thousands will infect.

  What kind of man raises the alarm about the fact the black population is disproportionately killed by this virus and then remains silent as the black population gathers en masse, and remains silent as his fellow healthcare workers openly encourage the mass gathering of black America?

  I’m almost as disgusted with myself for trusting Fauci as I am with him.

  Pretty strong words from Mr. Nolte who claims Dr. Fauci is a sociopath regardless of the truth. Perhaps that not be so. Perhaps he is merely a politician.

  Politics always corrupts. And those attracted to it are the easiest to corrupt.

  

• 11 Cognitive Biases That Influence Political Outcomes
  11 Cognitive Biases That Influence Political Outcomes
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 23:05

  With the 2020 U.S. presidential election fast approaching, many people will be glued to the 24-hour news cycle to stay up to date on political developments. Yet, as Visual Capitalist’s Marcus Lu details below, when searching for facts, our own cognitive biases often get in the way.

  If this isn’t problematic enough, third parties can also take advantage of these biases to influence our thinking. The media, for example, can exploit our tendency to assign stereotypes to others by only providing catchy, surface-level information. Once established in our minds, these generalizations can be tough to shake off.

  Such tactics can have a powerful influence on public opinion if applied consistently to a broad audience. To help us avoid these mental pitfalls, today’s infographic from PredictIt lists common cognitive biases that influence the realm of politics, beginning with the “Big Cs”.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The First C: Confirmation Bias

  People exhibit confirmation bias when they seek information that only affirms their pre-existing beliefs. This can cause them to become overly rigid in their political opinions, even when presented with conflicting ideas or evidence.

  When too many people fall victim to this bias, progress towards solving complex sociopolitical issues is thwarted. That’s because solving these issues in a bipartisan system requires cooperation from both sides of the spectrum.

  A reluctance towards establishing a common ground is already widespread in America. According to a 2019 survey, 70% of Democrats believed their party’s leaders should “stand up” to President Trump, even if less gets done in Washington. Conversely, 51% of Republicans believed that Trump should “stand up” to Democrats.

  In light of these developments, researchers have conducted studies to determine if the issue of confirmation bias is as prevalent as it seems. In one experiment, participants chose to either support or oppose a given sociopolitical issue. They were then presented with evidence that was conflicting, affirming, or a combination of both.

  In all scenarios, participants were most likely to stick with their initial decisions. Of those presented with conflicting evidence, just one in five changed their stance. Furthermore, participants who maintained their initial positions became even more confident in the superiority of their decision—a testament to how influential confirmation bias can be.

  The Second C: Coverage Bias

  Coverage bias, in the context of politics, is a form of media bias where certain politicians or topics are disproportionately covered. In some cases, media outlets can even twist stories to fit a certain narrative.

  For example, research from the University of South Florida analyzed media coverage on President Trump’s 2017 travel ban. It was discovered that primetime media hosts covered the ban through completely different perspectives.

  Each host varied drastically in tone, phrasing, and facts of emphasis, […] presenting each issue in a manner that aligns with a specific partisan agenda.

  – Josepher, Bryce (2017)

  Charting the ideological placement of each source’s audience can help us gain a better understanding of the coverage bias at work. In other words, where do people on the left, middle, and right get their news?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The horizontal axis in this graphic corresponds to the Ideological Consistency Scale, which is composed of 10 questions. For each question, respondents are assigned a “-1” for a liberal response, “+1” for a conservative response, or a “0” for other responses. A summation of these scores places a respondent into one of five categories:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Overcoming coverage bias—which dovetails into other biases like confirmation bias—may require us to follow a wider variety of sources, even those we may not initially agree with.

  The Third C: Concision Bias

  Concision bias is a type of bias where politicians or the media selectively focus on aspects of information that are easy to get across. In the process, more nuanced and delicate views get omitted from popular discourse.

  A common application of concision bias is the use of sound bites, which are short clips that can be taken out of a politician’s speech. When played in isolation, these clips may leave out important context for the audience.

  Without the proper context, multi-faceted issues can become extremely polarizing, and may be a reason for the growing partisan divide in America. In fact, there is less overlap in the political values of Republicans and Democrats than ever previously measured.

  In 1994, just 64% of Republicans were more conservative than the median Democrat. By 2017, that margin had grown considerably, to 95% of Republicans. The same trend can be found on the other end of the spectrum. Whereas 70% of Democrats were more liberal than the median Republican in 1994, this proportion increased to 97% by 2017.

  Overcoming Our Biases

  Achieving full self-awareness can be difficult, especially when new biases emerge in our constantly evolving world. So where do we begin?

  Simply remembering these mental pitfalls exist can be a great start—after all, we can’t fix what we don’t know. Individuals concerned about the upcoming presidential election may find it useful to focus their attention on the Big Cs, as these biases can play a significant role in shaping political beliefs. Maintaining an open mindset and diversifying the media sources we follow are two tactics that may act as a hedge.

  

• Mike Krieger: "Resist The Crazy"
  Mike Krieger: “Resist The Crazy”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 22:45

  Authored by Michael Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog,

  Where’s evil? It’s that large part of every man that wants to hate without limit, that wants to hate with God on its side. It’s that part of every man that finds all kinds of ugliness so attractive – it’s that part of an imbecile that punishes and vilifies and makes war gladly.

  – Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night

  As things felt like they were spiraling out of control last week, as Americans and people around the world were inundated with endless videos of street violence in addition to reactionary calls to deploy the U.S. military to cities across the country, the temptation to lose control of one’s mental faculties and basic humanity was heightened.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  I saw evidence of this all around me. There was a dark and vicious energy in the air, and it felt contagious.

  I’m sensing a very dark and vicious energy out there which seems to be affecting all sorts of people who normally wouldn’t be sucked into it.

  I need to make a conscious effort to not have it influence me or my thoughts. If you’re feeling the same, try to retain sanity.

  — Michael Krieger (@LibertyBlitz) June 4, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The responses to the tweet above were encouraging and demonstrated many others sensed the same thing and were likewise troubled by it. The overall madness of last week reminded me of the months following Donald Trump’s election. In both cases, the worldview of large numbers of people was shaken to its core. I think the root cause of the breakdown in both instances was that many people’s model of what is “normal” was suddenly shattered.

  For example, the idea of Donald Trump being elected president was so incomprehensible and concerning to so many people, they completely lost it when he won. Likewise, images of American cities burning amidst widespread looting caused another group to crack. Neither group had fully come to grips with how broken and corrupt the U.S. economy and society had become, and that these sorts of things happen when states begin to fail.

  The reaction to Trump being elected from many of those traumatized by it was to try to remove him at all costs, even if this meant spreading an outlandish Russiagate theory for three years straight. Likewise, the knee-jerk reaction from many to the riots was to send in the military to crush them. In both cases, those who had their comfort zones shattered responded by trying to make the uncomfortable situation go away as soon as possible. Nobody wanted to ask why.

  Why was Trump elected? People are angry. Why did cities erupt into civil disobedience? People are angry. Lots of people are angry, but why? We should probably try to honestly answer that question sooner rather than later. There are a lot of very good reasons to be angry.

  That being said, unless your life is in immediate danger, the best response to an event that shocks you to your core is to step back and take a deep breath.  You don’t have to like what’s happening, but you should consider what a productive or creative response to the situation might look like, as opposed to immediately resorting to an instant-gratification, emotionally charged, reptilian response. The response to a crisis is often worse than the crisis itself.

  Someone mentioned to me that he tells all his friends: “you must stand guard at the door of your mind.” Great advice in general, but particularly necessary during times like these. This is also partly what it means to be more conscious, a topic I’ve written about extensively in recent years (see my series on Spiral Dynamics)

  It’s never been more important for those who are somewhat conscious to remain that way, because just as consciousness can evolve, it can also devolve. Characteristic of an evolved consciousness is being able to acknowledge one’s own flaws and vulnerabilities. It means being aware of your more base instincts as a human, which means admitting that just as you have the capacity for love, compassion and generosity, you also have the capacity for hate, apathy and selfishness.

  Being honest about this and attempting to confront it is key to evolving one’s consciousness, but ego tends to get in the way. The ego has an image it needs to maintain and protect, which ends up acting as a severe roadblock on the path to sustainable self-improvement. It affects and stifles everyone to varying degrees.

  An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

  “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

  The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

  The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

  It’s important to understand that virtually everyone considers themselves a good person. That person on the complete opposite side of the political spectrum whom you detest, thinks of themselves as a righteous warrior fighting for all that’s good and just. Everyone sees themselves in this sort of way to a greater or lesser degree, but not everyone can be right. So we divide ourselves into tribes that reinforce our views of how right and great we are, and how bad everyone else is. This prevents us from seeing where other people are coming from, and it prevents us from uniting on the really big issues that affect us all.

  Moreover, there are people who understand this about human nature and intentionally use it against us. A perfect summary of how this plays out every day via social media can be found in the following excerpt from a post recently published at The Prepared.

  You should also remember that the split-screen effect means media types can tell whatever story they want to tell. As in the Venezuela clip above, there are some outlets who focus on the peaceful and joyful parts of the present protests, and others who focus purely on the violence and chaos.

  All of this stuff—the beautiful and the ugly—is really happening and really matters, but you have to be extremely careful in using news reports to develop a sense of how much of what is happening where.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  You need to be the guardian of your mind, and you need to recognize that people are constantly trying to push your consciousness into a fight or flight state where you’re malleable and easier to manipulate. There are times in life when fight or flight is appropriate to survive, but it’s not a healthy state of mind to resonate in over the course of an average day.

  You can contribute to the crazy, or you can contribute in some other way.  A new world is on the horizon, but we need to be careful about how we go about building it. What the world desperately needs right now is more conscious people. From that well, a brighter future can be born.

  *  *  *

  Liberty Blitzkrieg is an ad-free website. If you enjoyed this post and my work in general, visit the Support Page where you can donate and contribute to my efforts.

  

• China Warns US: "Abandon Plans" For Nuke Testing Or Risk "Undermining Global Stability"
  China Warns US: “Abandon Plans” For Nuke Testing Or Risk “Undermining Global Stability”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 22:25

  Just over two weeks ago The Washington Post revealed that “the Trump administration has discussed whether to conduct the first US nuclear test explosion since 1992.”

  It was said to have been under serious discussion during a May 15 “deputies meeting” of senior national security officials at the White House – and though doesn’t appear to currently be something seriously pursued – the possibility remains “very much an ongoing conversation,” according to a senior admin official. 

  While all eyes were initially on Russia’s reaction, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has belatedly issued a response, warning Washington in a press briefing on Monday that it must abide by its international obligations and abandon any possible plans to carry out nuclear tests.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  “We insist that the United States should strictly abide by its obligations to end nuclear testing… and we hope that it will listen to the international community,” ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. “The US should abandon plans that could undermine global stability and strategic order,” she added.

  Emphasizing Beijing has repeatedly urged the US to honor its commitments, the top diplomat continued: “The US needs to contribute to international cooperation to ensure disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”

  However, the administration is sure to shrug off these words and hit back, given it’s lately repeatedly accused China and Russia of ‘illegally’ conducting low-yield nuclear tests, which both countries have denied. In Beijing’s case it’s believed China’s military is able to conceal such provocative tests at an elaborate underground testing facility. 

  There hasn’t been an American nuclear test (that’s officially known about at least) since 1992, upon the end of the Cold War and collapse of the USSR in the year prior. But there are signs we could all soon witness a new provocative test given landmark weapons treaties with Moscow are fast being shed, also as Trump might entertain using nuke tests as powerful “leverage” for desired negotiations “for a better deal” – as he’s said in the past.

  Trump envisions a three-way nuclear pact. China has other ideas https://t.co/ajRkKKIAWG

  — The Japan Times (@japantimes) June 2, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  All of this leaves the potential for a new global arms race centered on nukes, given at this point Beijing, Moscow, and Washington are already trading warnings to step back from the brink of nuclear testing.

  Meanwhile Beijing has shown itself resistant to Trump’s floating the idea of a new nuclear weapons pact involving China. He dumped the INF in part because it failed to take into a account developing Chinese missile technology and capabilities, according to admin officials.

  

• What Is "Systemic Racism," Really?
  What Is “Systemic Racism,” Really?
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 22:05

  Authored by Robert Merry via TheAmericanConservative.com,

  Sometimes big political developments arrive in the country like Sandburg’s fog, on little cat feet, silent and unnoticed until they envelop the nation. The emergence of Donald Trump four years ago is an example. Though a loud and clamorous candidate, he seemed to many like a kind of political clown destined for defeat. Establishment politicians believed almost to a person that the “blue wall” of Democratic electoral dominance would hold against this guy. The Midwest would stay solid, and Hillary Clinton would win the presidency. 

  But a silent fog was moving in. It was a growing sense among middle-class voters in heartland America that something was seriously wrong with the country, that the nation’s leaders were transforming America in bad ways and unraveling their future in the process. But there was no street protest or fiery rhetoric, no coalescence of civic activism or public demands. Certainly the mainstream media, so aligned with the country’s elites, didn’t detect anything of consequence bubbling up from within the polity. Why would they? Everything seemed fine to them. 

  Meanwhile, the disaffected merely bided their time, silently waiting for their opportunity to express themselves in the quiet sanctity of the voting booth.

  After they did, Donald Trump was the next president. Hardly anyone saw it coming. 

  Something similar is likely to happen in the wake of the widespread street demonstrations–with attendant riots, looting, destruction, and violence–that followed the awful death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a brutal police officer who pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. That a black man could have his life snuffed out by a white cop in such a manner is just cause for a national outpouring of grief and soul-searching. Not surprisingly, public-opinion surveys showed widespread popular support for the peaceful demonstrations that were organized to honor the life and condemn the senseless death of George Floyd.

  But the polls also demonstrated widespread indignation toward the rioting and looting. Thus, the civic drama that followed Floyd’s death, including the sprees of destruction and increasingly aggressive rhetoric from the left, intensified some ongoing political tensions that lie at the heart of the country’s current distemper. It accentuated the extent to which America is becoming two nations with two narratives about the times we live in and the problems we face. 

  One narrative, call it the liberal one, has been projected with increasing force in recent years and particularly since George Floyd’s death. It is that America is an inherently racist country, infected with something called “systemic racism.” You can’t always see it; often it is hidden behind a facade of phony white benignity. But it lurks in the hearts of whites nonetheless and is activated in subtle ways to keep down minorities, particularly blacks, and make them feel inferior.

  This systemic civic virus, according to the narrative, is particularly problematic in police departments throughout the land, in which rampant racism poses serious dangers to blacks, particularly young black males. Much of the rhetoric that emanates from this narrative would have us believe that innocent blacks are killed in accumulating numbers across the country in a surge of uncontrolled law enforcement bigotry and brutality. 

  There’s a corollary to this narrative of systemic racism and ongoing violence against black Americans. It is that whites, based on the sins of their forebears and today’s lingering bigotry, need to be put in their place. In this regard, a certain abasement and humiliation is prescribed. This part of the narrative has become increasingly brazen in recent years.

  The other narrative, the conservative one, is largely defensive. In this view, there is no doubt that racism lingers in the body politic and must be addressed when it can be seen. Racial profiling by police also must be dealt with whenever and wherever it appears. But the country has made tremendous progress since the Civil Rights era of the 1960s in addressing overt racism, eliminating barriers to equal opportunity, and recognizing the racial sensibilities of minorities. The problem with the allegation of systemic racism is that it is too vague to be discerned clearly and hence can’t really be  effectively addressed even if it exists, which many dispute. 

  As for police racism leading to the killing of blacks in telling numbers, the statistics simply don’t bear that out. Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute notes that, based on a Washington Post database, police fatally shot nine unarmed blacks in 2019 (and 19 unarmed whites). Based on the numbers of black homicide victims generally (7,407 in 2018), Mac Donald calculates that the fatal shooting of unarmed blacks represents about 0.1 percent of all African-Americans killed in 2019. She bolsters her position by citing studies by the National Academy of Sciences, a Justice Department survey of Philadelphia police practices, and research by a Harvard economist. The Academy of Sciences study found “no significant evidence of antiblack disparity in the likelihood of being fatally shot by police.” 

  In the wake of the Floyd killing, the liberal narrative soon dominated the country’s political discourse. It is seen everywhere–in most of the mainstream media, in stark expressions from agitated civic groups, in the ravings of the celebrity culture, in mass street demonstrations, and, yes, even in the rioting and looting that destroyed businesses, livelihoods, and neighborhoods. 

  The rhetoric of the liberal narrative these days is delivered vociferously, with defiance and a forcefulness that brooks no dissent or even passivity. Consider the experience of Drew Brees, the heralded quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, who responded to a question about whether the George Floyd fallout would include a revival of NFL players protesting racial injustice by taking a knee during the playing of the National Anthem before games. He would not participate in such a protest, said Brees, because “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.” He followed that with a plainly heartfelt and eloquent expression of  patriotism, harking back to the memory of his war-veteran grandfathers and the courage of Civil Rights activists who struggled to improve the nation. 

  The result: an explosion of opprobrium, vicious attacks, and mean-spirited vitriol. An telling example was a Washington Post piece by a black sports columnist for the paper named Jerry Brewer. First he praised Brees as “among the most exceptional human beings in sports,” a man who “epitomizes the character, benevolence and grace that people seek in a sports role model.” But just because he’s a good guy and exemplary human being, snarled Brewer, that doesn’t mean he should get away with distancing himself from the Colin Kaepernick brand of protest. 

  Brees, wrote Brewer, showed himself to be a “misguided, insensitive dolt….a sometimes ignorant, lazy thinker in desperate need of a broadened perspective.”  It was journalistic thought control in action, and it worked. Brees abjectly apologized–twice–for his transgression against humanity. 

  Jerry Brewer was serving as enforcer for the proposition that the liberal narrative is sacrosanct, and you can’t say or do anything that calls it into question in any way. You see the same motivation behind the recent fate of the University of Washington women’s basketball coach, Jody Wynn. In response to George Floyd’s death, she issued a sincere statement of concern that read in part that “we must stand with our Black Amerians & seek justice! Black, brown, yellow…ALL lives matter.”

  Oops. You can’t say that! Systemic racism in action. We’re talking about black lives here, and to confuse that with expressions of concern about other racial groups is absolutely unacceptable. Her Twitter account was deactivated, according to the Seattle Times, and Wynn quickly issued a replacement statement saying she was talking only about black lives. “I would like to sincerely apologize,” she wrote in a gesture of self-abasement, adding that she understood that her words were “hurtful to people of color….I’ve learned a hard and important lesson in this moment and am committed to educating myself…on how we can best create change.” She vowed to be part of change that is aimed at ending racism. 

  But it isn’t enough for those of the liberal narrative to bully and humiliate genuine heroic figures like Drew Brees into recanting their expressions of genuine patriotism. They also refuse to condemn the riots and looting that unfolded on the nation’s television screens, as local police officials hovered out of the way. Why? Because, it seems clear, they want to preserve the narrative that animates the left and gives it propulsion in the fiery discourse of American politics.  

  The underlying essence of the narrative is an increasingly brutal and incendiary polemical assault on a demographic segment of the nation–white people. They are guilty, it is said with increasing aggressiveness, for the sins of their forebears, for the racism of the past. And they must confess their guilt and seek absolution through self-abasement. 

  This was captured in stark reality in a video segment aired on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News program the other day. A young white woman on the street during the New York protests is approached by a man who identifies himself as working for Black Lives Matter. “Since I work for that company,” says the man (who is white), “my CEO has told me to come out today and bring you on your knees because you have white privilege. So if they see that a white person is getting on their knees, that shows solidarity for the situation.”

  She slowly, without saying anything, gets down on her knees on the sidewalk. 

  “And could you just please apologize,” says the guy, “for, you know, your white privilege?”

  She doesn’t seem to know what to say.

  “Just apologize?” he persists, ever so politely. 

  “I am,” she says. “I’m trying to think of the words to thank you.”

  No doubt many within the nation’s elites would view that scene as touching, perhaps even inspiring–a young white woman getting to her knees and apologizing for….what exactly? Certainly not anything she did, as far as we know. No, she was placed into humiliation because of her race, and she accepted it, apparently, as a normal consequence of her heritage.

  But a lot of Americans aren’t going to view it that way. They will see it as a racial assault and a huge power grab. The cry of “systemic racism” constitutes a threat to white people. We all know that racism is the country’s most potent social taboo. Even innocent slips of the tongue or benign observations can bring severe opprobrium, societal and professional sanctions, ostracism. Thus does the allegation constitute a serious threat to millions of Americans. And it constitutes also great political leverage for those tossing around the allegation. 

  But, if America is infected with systemic racism, who are the systemic racists? Certainly not, in the view of those pushing the liberal narrative, themselves. Not the cable news liberals who toss out the allegation with abandon. Not the mandarins of Hollywood who spout out about it constantly. Not the think tank mavens with their phony studies and charts. Not the Democratic establishment persistently leveraging identity politics. Not the professional celebs whose household recognition qualify them, in their view, as authority figures. Not those in the top level of the meritocratic elite living their pristine lives in gated communities. And certainly not the nation’s minorities, spoon-fed the liberal narrative day by day. 

  Who’s left? Middle-class and working-class whites, already beleaguered economically by the hollowing out of the nation’s industrial base and struggling to survive in the new service and high-tech environment. And now they have to worry about becoming the next Exhibit A in the elites’ persistent search for evidence of systemic racism. Deplorables again.  

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  This is scary stuff to people who just want to live their lives without feeling vulnerable to being singled out as specimens of systemic racism and called to account for slipping into some hazardous lapse such as thinking that all lives matter or any other innocuous racial observation that never would have raised eyebrows among whites or blacks just a few years ago. 

  When the political reaction comes, as it inevitably will, it will come on little cat feet. And the nation’s elites, secure in the thought that the systemic racism charge has worked brilliantly in intimidating any lingering dissenters into submission, won’t see it coming. 

  It’s an open question whether this can help Donald Trump in November. His is a failed presidency, and the collective electorate seldom rewards failed presidencies with retention in office.

  But down the road, as the issue intensifies and as white Americans feel increasingly beleaguered by the left’s identity politics and disdain for Middle America, as more demonstrations and riots ensue with more destructive force, a counter-movement will emerge.

  It likely will approach the body politic as quietly as Sandberg’s fog. But, once it arrives, it won’t stay quiet for long.   

  

• Black Gun Ownership Soars As Nation's Inner Cities Burn 
  Black Gun Ownership Soars As Nation’s Inner Cities Burn 
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 21:45

  As radical leftists attempt to create a utopian “police-free future” society and defund law enforcement across the country, terrified African Americans interested in buying guns have soared in the age of social unrest. 

  The conversation about gun ownership among black folks emerged in early May when five armed men escorted African American State Representative Sarah Anthony from the Michigan State Capitol building following armed pro-Trump protesters gathered in the area for anti-quarantine demonstrations. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  In fact, in the age of President Trump, firearm retailers across the nation have reported a rise in the number of African Americans interested in purchasing guns. As of recent, especially with social unrest across many inner cities, and now, radical leftists are attempting to defund and disband police forces, gun ownership among blacks is quickly gaining popularity, which could prove disastrous for anti-gun Democrats come election season. 

  The National African American Gun Association (NAAGA) has also reported an “explosion in the number of black gun owners nationwide,” said The Daily Beast. 

  NAAGA started with one chapter in Atlanta in 2015 and now has over 100 chapters nationwide and 40,000 gun-toting members. The group said more than 10,000 of the members joined this year alone. 

  Philip Smith, the president and founder of NAAGA, has been shocked by all the new growth in members. 

  “Today, we’re getting so many different types of folks,” Smith told The Daily Beast. “Doctors, engineers, unemployed state workers, federal workers, policemen, military. We even have white, Latino, and Asian members. You can be gay, straight, loud, quiet, dorky, rich, or poor.” 

  In early March, Asian-Americans were panic hoarding weapons and ammo in California as many feared the pandemic would trigger social unrest. 

  Rik Stevenson, founder of the NAAGA chapter in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and now a Gainesville, Florida resident and teacher at the University of Florida, said, “black people are seeing that they are targets,” which is one of the main reasons the group has gained so much popularity, as of recent.  

  Stevenson said he never expected to be a gun owner, but now he’s packing a “Glock 23.”

  Mel Atkins, a firearms instructor and deputy for the Kent County Sheriff’s Department in Michigan, said expanding the gun culture to his community has been transformative. Atkins owns 30 guns and considers himself the lone black guy with guns in Michigan. 

  “Black people still aren’t very social about their firearms,” Atkins told The Daily Beast. “Our state (Michigan) allows me to walk around with a firearm on my hip or strung across my shoulder as long as it’s visible to everybody. Black people never do that. Only damn fools and maybe some Republicans ever do that. And black gun owners are very quiet about it, because historically a black gun owner could get in trouble for it. There’s that stigma attached to it, that I’m going to get hassled by law enforcement for the mere possession of a firearm.” 

  Black folks interested in purchasing guns before this year’s chaos was a well-defined trend. But now, more than ever, these folks are arming themselves as they see their communities, already devastated from decades of wealth inequality, on the brink of even more disaster as social unrest, the disintegration of law and order, and high unemployed could result in a turbulent period where a firearm is a necessity for survival. 

  Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told people Sunday to avoid using weapons in self-defense and call the police…  

  Chicago Mayor tells citizens to not use guns to defend themselves during riots…urges them to call police instead

  ha… pic.twitter.com/yaIJ3f0cyx

  — Lola Netty (@TXTrumpette89) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Folks in inner cities see the writing on the wall. Their politicians, mainly anti-law liberals, are pushing hard to collapse America’s police forces, which would transform communities into lawless warzones where gang warfare would dominate the streets (already happening in Baltimore City and Chicago). The push for guns by black residents is the result of America’s inner cities imploding. It’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better. 

  

• CEOs Bank Big Bonuses As Oil Companies Go Bankrupt
  CEOs Bank Big Bonuses As Oil Companies Go Bankrupt
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 21:25

  Authored by Alex Kimani via OilPrice.com,

  When public oil and gas companies are doing relatively well, many are happy to adopt a pay-for-performance model to reward CEOs and executives.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  However, the tables are quickly turned when things go to the dogs. When these companies go bankrupt, the misery is shared by employees who lose their jobs; retirees see their benefits and pensions go up in smoke, while shareholders and bondholders get wiped out. In sharp contrast, it’s very common for blue-chip executives who have run their companies to the ground to receive multi-million dollar golden sendoffs. Indeed, top executives of oil and gas companies going through Chapter 11 frequently receive very fat payouts in the form of cash bonuses, stock grants, and other benefits that often exceed payments during the good times.

  It’s not any different this time around. 

  At a time when hundreds of thousands of employees in the U.S. shale industry have lost their jobs, Bloomberg has reported that some 35 executives at Whiting Petroleum Inc.(NYSE:WLL), Chesapeake Energy Corp.(NYSE:CHK) and Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc.(OTCMKTS: DOFSQ) are set to receive nearly $50 million after their companies declared bankruptcy or are on the verge of doing so.

  Rewarding Failure

  It’s the manner in which these head honchos continue to award themselves fat bonuses despite federal legislation to crack down on the practice that really grates.

  The board at Whiting, an oil and gas producer that filed for Chapter 11 in April, approved a $6.4M bonus for CEO Brad Holly just days before the company went under, exceeding his previous annual compensation package by nearly a million dollars.

  In May, California Resources Corp. (NYSE:CRC) warned investors about “…a substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern…” but still went ahead and guaranteed company executives their 2020 bonuses.

  So, what’s the justification for this egregious, bizarre, and perverse practice? 

  According to Kelly Mitchell, an analyst at corporate watchdog group Documented, companies do it so as to incentivize these executives to stick around because they understand the company better and, ostensibly, have better odds of pulling them through. Never mind the fact that their decisions are very often to blame for the company’s sad situation in the first place. They also do it in a bid to cut costs and maximize value for creditors using tools such as tax credits or untapped resources.

  No Accountability

  You could argue that this practice is not unique to the energy industry and is, in fact, common in corporate America–and you would be right. 

  Last year, former Equifax CEO Richard Smith, walked away with a very generous ~$19.6 million in stock bonuses, $24-million pension and $50,000 in tax and financial planning services after the credit agency suffered one of the worst data breaches in the history of the U.S. Interestingly, none of Smith’s compensation was docked under the company’s clawback provision meant to hold top executives accountable for their actions or inactions, which was negligence in this case. 

  In 2014, American retailing giant, Target Corp., paid ex-CEO Steinhafel more than $30 million after he handed in his resignation following another massive hacking attack that saw millions of customers’ personal records stolen.

  You can also rationalize that energy executives are not individually responsible for the oil price collapse that has adversely impacted their companies (though they share collective responsibility for the overproduction that triggered the collapse).

  But whichever way you slice it, it’s clear that oil and gas companies go too far with their bonus payments to executives. Over the past decade, the leaders of 15 large E&P companies collected more than US$2 billion in aggregate compensation despite their companies posting total returns of -15% compared to a 150% gain by the S&P 500 Index over the timeframe.

  It’s hard to justify the hefty rewards being awarded to executives of fallen energy companies. In the case of Equifax and Target, their respective stocks did suffer big selloffs after the hacks but quickly recovered and have actually outperformed their peers by quite a wide margin since the events. In contrast, WLL shares are down 89% in the year-to-date; CRC has lost 83.5%, CHK has returned -91.5% while DOFSQ is down 95% YTD, much worse compared to the sector benchmark, XLE, which is down a more modest 30.5% YTD. Bloomberg has reported that energy companies use their peers, not the broad market, as the benchmark, and executives of companies that perform less badly than others tend to be rewarded–bankruptcy is the ultimate underperformance, meaning these guys should not be getting such huge bonuses.

  Energy companies need to have some level of accountability for their executives when things go awry. They have a willing accomplice, though. According to Patrick Hughes, judges tend to sign off on these fat payouts more often than not despite laws introduced in 2005 to limit their size.

  

• Satellite Data, Internet Searches Suggest COVID-19 Hit China 'Long Before' Previously Known: Harvard
  Satellite Data, Internet Searches Suggest COVID-19 Hit China ‘Long Before’ Previously Known: Harvard
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 21:05

  Significant spikes in hospital traffic and Baidu internet searches for terms related to COVID-19 suggest that the virus hit Wuhan, China “beginning in late Summer and early Fall 2019,” according to a new study by Harvard Medical School. 

  Commercial satellite imagery reveal “a dramatic increase in hospital traffic outside five major Wuhan hospitals beginning late summer and early fall 2019,” according to Harvard’s Dr. John Brownstein who led the research, adding that the increase in traffic “coincided with” increased queries on Chinese search engine Baidu for “certain symptoms that would later be determined as closely associated with the novel coronavirus.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  According to ABC News, Brownstein says that the study provides an important new data point regarding the origins of COVID-19.

  Brownstein and his team, which included researchers from Boston University and Boston Children’s Hospital, have spent more than a month trying to pin down the signs for when the population of Hubei province in China first started to be stricken.

  The logic of Brownstein’s research project was straightforward: respiratory diseases lead to very specific types of behavior in communities where they’re spreading. So, pictures that show those patterns of behavior could help explain what was happening even if the people who were sickened did not realize the broader problem at the time. –ABC News

  “Something was happening in October,” said Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and the director of the medical center’s Computational Epidemiology Lab. “Clearly, there was some level of social disruption taking place well before what was previously identified as the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  “What we’re trying to do is look at the activity, how busy a hospital is,” Brownstein added. “And the way we do that is by counting the cars that are at that hospital. Parking lots will get full as a hospital gets busy. So more cars in a hospital, the hospital’s busier, likely because something’s happening in the community, an infection is growing and people have to see a doctor. So you see the increases in the hospital business through the cars… We saw this across multiple institutions.”

  Other hospitals showed up to a 90% increase when comparing traffic between fall of 2018 and 2019, according to the study. At Wuhan Tongji Medical University, the spike in car traffic was found to have occurred in mid-September 2019.

  To ensure they were not reaching faulty conclusions, researchers said they took into account everything that could explain away traffic surges — from large public gatherings to the possibility of new construction at the hospitals. Still, they said they found statistically significant increases in the numbers of cars present. –ABC News

  “If you look at all of the images, observations we’ve ever had of all of these locations since 2018, almost all of the highest car counts are all in the September through December 2019 time frame,” said RS Metrics CEO Tom Diamond, who worked with Brownstein’s team.

  Of note, Chinese officials in Wuhan only confirmed cases of pneumonia of ‘unknown cause’ on December 31, however US intelligence officials knew about it as early as late November and notified the Pentagon, according to the report, citing four sources briefed on the confidential information.

  Since emerging from Wuhan, COVID-19 has officially infected over 7 million people worldwide and killed over 400,000 according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.

  Brownstein says that the traffic figures – while not conclusive, are telling.

  “This is all about a growing body of information pointing to something taking place in Wuhan at the time,” he said. “Many studies are still needed to fully uncover what took place and for people to really learn about how these disease outbreaks unfold and emerge in populations. So this is just another point of evidence.”

  Internet searches in the Wuhan region, meanwhile, surged for terms such as “cough” and “diarrhea.”

  “While queries of the respiratory symptom ‘cough’ show seasonal fluctuations coinciding with yearly influenza seasons, ‘diarrhea’ is a more COVID-19-specific symptom and only shows an association with the current epidemic,” according to the study. “The increase of both signals precede the documented start of the COVID-19 pandemic in December.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The ABC News report then quotes Peter Daszak – president of EcoHealth Alliance in Mahnattan – which notably had its funding pulled by the NIH when it was revealed that they were providing US funds for bat coronavirus research in Wuhan.

  Daszak called the Harvard study “absolutely fascinating,” adding “You need to look at every possible bit of evidence, where it came from and when it emerged.”

  “When we do analysis after outbreaks, we find that the diseases had been in circulation days, weeks, months, years before. I really believe that’s what we’re going to find with COVID-19.”

  Spoken like a guy with a vested interest in the ‘natural origin’ theory that coronavirus emerged from an animal intermediary – and not the lab his organization was funding.

  “We’ve done previous studies where we could show that what people search for online is an indicator of disease in the population,” Brownstein said. “And we actually saw people searching for symptoms that might be related to COVID: diarrheal disease, cough. That was even starting as early as late summer.

  “Now, we can’t confirm 100% what the virus was that was causing this illness and what was causing this business in hospitals,” Brownstein said. “But something was going on that looked very different than any other time that we had looked at.”

  Read the rest of the report here.

  

• The Week America Lost Its Way
  The Week America Lost Its Way
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 20:45

  Authored by Frank Miele via RealClearPolitics.com,

  “What are we? Humans? Or animals? Or savages?”

  The line is from William Golding’s classic novel “Lord of the Flies,” but it might as well be emblazoned on the forehead of every American after last week — just as it universally must be asked of every person who is tasked with choosing between order and chaos.

  The policeman who put his knee on George Floyd’s throat failed the test for humanity. His haughty disregard for Floyd’s precious life was more akin to the instinctive calm of an apex predator than to a civilized human being. It is no wonder that he provoked an angry response from not only the black community in Minneapolis but from the entire country, yet when protest morphed into riot it behooved everyone to ask of themselves — not of someone else — “What are we?”

  Instead, many were asking a different question: “Who can we blame?”

  Behind their convenient COVID-19 masks, people were able to disguise their shame and unloose their inner demons.

  The parallels to “Lord of the Flies” were obvious as I watched America’s cities reenact the paranoia and tribalism that infected the novel’s disparate group of British school boys who found themselves stranded without parental supervision on an island following a plane crash. Their initial attempts to establish order eventually gave way to score-settling and a realization that power is not necessarily a function of righteousness.

  “The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.”

  That’s what happened in America last week when mob violence replaced police as the standard of authority.

  When you saw white people taking a knee to prostrate themselves before looters and to renounce their “white privilege,” you also saw parallels to Mao’s Cultural Revolution and Hitler’s Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass.

  The Cultural Revolution began with an attack on the old order, the old “privilege” represented by shop owners and college professors. To avoid the mob’s rage, the victims were forced to humiliate themselves publicly and to utter self-denunciations, to confess their “crimes” against the mob’s ideology. But there was no escaping the demented wrath of the self-anointed protectors of virtue. Eventually millions of those intellectuals and entrepreneurs were put to death — sometimes buried up to their necks so that they could continue to abase themselves until their final breath.

  Kristallnacht is the name given to a pogrom carried out against Jewish shops, homes, cemeteries and synagogues in November 1938 by Nazi paramilitaries known as Brownshirts. They were an exact parallel of the black-garbed stormtroopers that ravaged neighborhoods in dozens of U.S. cities the last 10 days or so. Don’t let the name Antifa fool you. These “anti-fascists” have adopted the tactics of the fascists as their own (and even the uniform of the Italian Blackshirts).

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Just as Kristallnacht was intended to send a message to Jews, so too were the riots last week intended to send a signal to law-abiding whites. The words that journalist Hugh Greene wrote about Kristallnacht in 1938 could just as easily have been written today about the riots that followed the murder of George Floyd:

  “Mob law ruled … throughout this afternoon and evening, and hordes of hooligans indulged in an orgy of destruction. … Racial hatred and hysteria seemed to have taken complete hold of otherwise decent people.”

  You could make the case that the riots last week represented only a fraction of Americans, whether black or white, and that we should not ascribe too much importance to them. But that was true also in Nazi Germany and Mao’s China. The actual revolutionaries and radicals carrying out the acts of domestic terrorism are always few, but if they are not condemned forcefully and convincingly, then they are emboldened to strike again and again.

  So-called “good” Germans celebrated the lawless attacks on Jewish citizens in 1938, giving tacit permission for the death camps that would kill millions. Many in the power structure of the United States are likewise giving a green light to current and future violence by sanctioning riots as “protests” and by excusing looting and murder as a reasonable response to Floyd’s death.

  Tucker Carlson, who has become a modern-day Cassandra, warned us that “[w]hat we are watching is not a political protest; it is the opposite of a political protest. It is an attack on the idea of politics. The rioters you have seen are trying to topple our political system. That system is how we resolve our differences without using violence. But these people want a new system, one that is governed by force: Do what we say or we will hurt you!”

  The rioting wasn’t about race or justice; it was about power. You saw people beat a woman in Rochester, N.Y., with a two-by-four; smash in the head of a man seeking to defend his store in Dallas; kill a retired 77-year-old policeman in St. Louis who was protecting a friend’s pawnshop; burn and destroy thousands of stores; and loot everything from Rolex watches to automobiles as if they were the Visigoths sacking Rome.

  When such wanton destruction is occurring, normal people have no choice against overwhelming force. If there is no army or police force to protect them, they will either die or surrender and hope that obsequious fawning will buy them — or at least their families — safety. Perhaps that survival instinct is what has led our governing class to kowtow to the looters. The Democratic Party of Fairfax, Virginia, tweeted, “Riots are an integral part of this country’s march toward progress.” Hillary Clinton’s former spokesperson Brian Fallon sent a message to “Defund the police” – as if a nation without police could be anything but a barbaric lawless mess.

  If you want more dead George Floyds, take away the police and the justice system and you will have thousands of them, ultimately millions. The point that the rioters and their enablers miss is that when police become criminals, there is a way to hold them accountable, but when criminals become police, they are a law unto themselves, with no court of appeal and no hope for justice.

  Who knows what will happen to people in American cities going forward if they don’t denounce their so-called white privilege and bend a knee to those who have power and are willing to use it? A few boys on the island of “Lord of the Flies” resisted the tyranny of the mob and tried to maintain order by an appeal to reason. One boy, Ralph, had been elected as the group’s leader because he seemed to symbolize decency, kindness and honor. But slowly he was displaced by boys who valued action over honor, power over principle:

  “The rules!” shouted Ralph, “you’re breaking the rules!”

  “Who cares?” came the response from the children.

  If that is the same response we accept from our mayors, our governors, our generals, and our media elites, then we have not only lost our honor; we have lost our country.

  

• Prince Andrew Claims He's Offered To Cooperate Three Times; DOJ Says He's "Unequivocally" Refused
  Prince Andrew Claims He’s Offered To Cooperate Three Times; DOJ Says He’s “Unequivocally” Refused
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 20:27

  Lawyers for Prince Andrew refuted claims that he has been uncooperative with US prosecutors investigating Jeffrey Epstein accomplices, claiming in a Monday statement that the prince has offered to help the US Department of Justice three times this year, according to Reuters.

  “Unfortunately, the DOJ has reacted to the first two offers by breaching their own confidentiality rules and claiming that the Duke has offered zero cooperation,” said Andrews’s lawyers, Blackfords. “In doing so, they are perhaps seeking publicity rather than accepting the assistance proffered.” The lawyers claim the DOJ only requested Andrew’s help on January 2nd, and that he has never been a target of their investigation (just like Comey told Trump?).

  Federal prosecutors hit back later Monday, with US Attorney Geoffrey Berman saying that Andrew has “unequivocally” refused to be interviewed as part of their investigation into Epstein’s sex crimes.

  *  *  *

  The Justice Department has made a formal request that the British government hand over Prince Andrew for questioning over his relationship with deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to The Sun and confirmed by ABC News.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The request, made on behalf of prosecutors for the Southern District of New York would force the 60-year-old Andrew to help prosecutors investigate Epstein’s accomplices – despite his previous empty offer to cooperate. The DOJ filed for “mutual legal assistance” (MLA) directly with Britain’s Home Office, bypassing Buckingham Palace.

  As The Sun notes, MLA requests are only used in criminal cases under a legal treaty with the UK, which if granted would formally request Andrew’s attendance at the London City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court for oral or written evidence under oath while DOJ lawyers question him. If he refuses, the Duke could be forced to attend by summons. That said, the evidence session could be held privately “in camera” without the public or press present.

  And unlike the Queen Andrew does not enjoy sovereign immunity from prosecution. He could, however, “plead the Fifth” to avoid self-incrimination according to the report.

  Last month former federal prosecutor Evan T Barr told Law.com “While the Prince would retain the right to decline to testify under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the impact on his already diminished reputation would be considerable and an adverse inference could be drawn against him in the related civil litigations, leading to a possible default judgment.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Until now, it was thought that Andrew would at most have to answer to Epstein’s victims in US civil courts – not the US government.

  Accuser attorney Lisa Bloom said Andrew had been an “enabler” of Epstein’s crimes. He has been accused of having sex with Virginia Roberts Giuffre in 2001, when she was 17 – however the Prince has claimed in an interview that he was at a Pizza restaurant in Woking during one of the alleged encounters.

  Alleged victim Virgina Roberts Giuffre says she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Andrew in London in 2001.

  She described Andrew as “sweating profusely” at Tramp nightclub before having sex at Ghislaine’s Mayfair flat.

  Andrew later told Newsnight a “peculiar medical condition” meant he did not sweat.

  And he insisted he did not go clubbing, claiming he remembered because he had been at Woking Pizza Express earlier that day. –The Sun

  Was this the night he Andrew claims he was indulging in Pizza?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  According to The Sun, the request – which has yet to be addressed by British officials – is likely to cause a diplomatic row with the US.

  “It’s a huge statement of intent from the US and it moves Andrew into the realms of a criminal investigation,” said one source, adding “It’s also frankly a diplomatic nightmare.“

  Andrew admitted to being friends with Epstein since 1999 following an introduction through socialite and Epstein’s so-called ‘madam’ Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein and Andrew got together on at least ten occasions – with the Duke staying at the pedophile’s New York mansion, his Palm Beach home and his private ‘pedo’ island in the US Virgin Islands.

  

• 'Work-From-Home'-Epidemic Set To Bankrupt Suit-Sellers, "I Guarantee It"
  ‘Work-From-Home’-Epidemic Set To Bankrupt Suit-Sellers, “I Guarantee It”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 20:25

  It appears the days of “liking the way you look” are over as the forced work-from-home lockdowns mean the average working man in America is now only visible from the shoulder up on his Zoom calls.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  This new normal of (in)formal meetings seems to have been the last nail in the coffin of America’s most iconic menswear retailers as Men’s Wearhouse and Brooks Brothers are reportedly preparing for bankruptcy.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  NJ.com reports that the 202 year-old clothing retailer Brooks Brothers is in talks with banks about raising financing for a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report by CNBC.

  Brooks Brothers Chief Executive Claudio Del Vecchio, told The New York Times this week that while he was not “eager” to consider a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, he would not rule it out. 

  The bankruptcy filing could come as soon as July, the report said.

  Brooks Brothers has more than 250 stores in North America and 500 worldwide.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  And Bloomberg has just reported, Tailored Brands Inc., the owner of Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank, is considering a potential bankruptcy after the coronavirus lockdown kept America’s office workers at home, putting a damper on demand for new suits.

  The retailer and its advisers have started reaching out to interested parties about reworking its debts of more than $1 billion, Bloomberg reports according to people with knowledge of the matter.

  The filings, should they occur, follow other retailers who sell men’s workwear (JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, and J.Crew) who have all filed for bankruptcy during the pandemic.

  Of course, given the utter farce we have seen in the stock of bankrupt HTZ and CHK, it’s probably time to buy TLRD stock with both hands and feet…

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  No, that is not a suggestion, because if it files, it’s a ZERO, “I guarantee it!”

  

• WHO Says Asymptomatic COVID-19 Carriers Not Very Infectious As Global Total Tops 7 Million: Live Updates
  WHO Says Asymptomatic COVID-19 Carriers Not Very Infectious As Global Total Tops 7 Million: Live Updates
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 20:05

  Summary:

  • WHO says asymptomatic carriers actually not that infectious
  • Cali reports statewide decline in cases while LA County cases near 64k
  • NY State reports 0.2% jump in new cases as NYC reopens
  • Cuomo says central NY region ready to enter ‘Phase 2’
  • India reports another record jump in new cases with ~10k
  • Pakistan hospitals running out of beds as cases pass 100k
  • Cuomo holds briefing at 1130amET
  • Florida reports slowdown following last week’s spike in new cases
  • NYC enters ‘Phase 1’ reopening
  • New Zealand declared ‘coronavirus free’ by PM
  • Global coronavirus infections passes 7mil; US outbreak nears 2 mil

  * * *

  Update (1436ET): Following a report in today’s WSJ noting new data showing SARS-CoV-2 spreads more quickly in sparsely populated areas where homes are more crowded (perhaps because more extended family members live together) than densely populated but affluent areas like Manhattan and North Brooklyn, the World Health Organization has just announced another epic flip flop.

  In an announcement that highlights once again how little scientists understand about the new coronavirus (as the NYT’s Nick Kristoff once noted, viruses are “full of puzzles”), the WHO announced that asymptomatic carriers of the virus apparently don’t infect nearly as many others as we once thought.

  Early evidence indicated that the virus could spread via person-to-person contact, even if the carrier didn’t have symptoms. But WHO officials now say that while asymptomatic spread is certainly possible, it’s not the main route of transmission.

  “From the data we have, it still seems to be rare that an asymptomatic person actually transmits onward to a secondary individual,” Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of WHO’s emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, said during a Monday briefing from the WHO’s Geneva headquarters. “It’s very rare.”

  Of course, if scientists continue to see data showing asymptomatic spread isn’t a main factor in transmission, it could have dramatic implications for containment policy, including diminishing the need for social distancing, and allowing students and workers to return to the workplace in much larger numbers.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove

  The data cited by the WHO was apparently gleaned from early contact tracing work. If it’s true that asymptomatic spread isn’t a major factor, than the importance of contact tracing has been vastly overstated. To be sure, more research and data are needed to “truly answer” the question, Van Kerkhove added.

  “We have a number of reports from countries who are doing very detailed contact tracing,” she said. “They’re following asymptomatic cases. They’re following contacts. And they’re not finding secondary transmission onward. It’s very rare.”

  Kayleigh McEnany, meanwhile, insisted that the US is heading in a “positive direction” when it comes to the coronavirus. Shortly afterward, California reported a statewide decline in new infections on Monday, though the number of new cases in LA County neared 64k, as the economic reopening has caused new cases to spike – a spike that experts who spoke to the LATimes say likely predated the anti-police brutality demonstrations.

  Meanwhile, the number of global cases passed 7 million on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins, which counted 7,085,894 as of Monday evening in New York.

  * * *

  Update (1145ET): Cuomo has released the daily coronavirus data for Monday, claiming that the number of deaths reported in the state was fewer than 100 once again, and that much of central NY state is will soon enter ‘Phase 2’ of the reopening plan. Cases climbed just 0.2%, compared with a 7-day average of 0.3%.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Source: NYT

  With central NY ready to enter Phase 2, Cuomo also shared 15 sites around the state for protesters to get tested, while claiming that “we don’t know” whether the demonstrations will cause a resurgence of new cases.

  Cuomo laid out the data in a series of slides shared during his daily briefing:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Regarding his earlier ride on the 7 train (which we mentioned below), Cuomo says he wouldn’t ask New Yorkers to ride the trains if he didn’t feel comfortable riding them.

  Finally, Cuomo warned NYers to “stay smart” after the reopening “because if you don’t, you can see a spike…and that is the last thing we want to see”.

  “Stay smart…stay smart…look at facts around us – other states, the spike is going up, California, the numbers are going up, Florida, the numebrs are going up, Texas the numbers are going up…look at the reopening date and look at what happened after they reopened…that is the cautionary tale my friends,” Cuomo said.

  Ask if he expected a spike in the coming weeks, Cuomo replied “are you a cynic, my friend?” before adding that subways have been opened this entire time, and that a rebound isn’t guaranteed “if we stay as smart and disciplined as we have for the past 100 days”.

  * * *

  Update (1120ET): After crossing the 200k-case threshold over the weekend, India has reported yet another record jump in new cases on Monday as it continues to ease its restrictive lockdown conditions in preparation for it to finally expire later this monht.

  Monday marked the biggest unwind of lockdown restrictions so far, as malls, restaurants, hotels and places of worship were allowed to reopen, most for the first time since March 25, when India’s lockdown began.

  However, the easing has been marred by a surge in infections, leading India to overtake Italy and Spain to become the fifth worst-hit nation in the pandemic, as we noted a few days back. But on Monday, nearly 10k new cases were reported, about even with the number of new cases being reported in Russia, where the outbreak continues to spread uncontrolled.

  India has a total of 256,611 confirmed cases following the latest daily spike of 9,983. The country has recorded 7,135 deaths, according to India’s Health Ministry, although some suspect the true number could be much higher. Domestic flights and trains were allowed to restart in May, along with manufacturing activity, which re-started soon after.

  Some restrictions will remain in New Delhi and Mumbai, among India’s worst-hit cities. In Delhi, local authorities have allowed private offices, restaurants and shopping complexes to reopen (though social distancing guidelines must be followed). But hotels and metro lines remain shuttered.

  In Florida, Monday’s reported coronavirus cases and deaths declined slightly after a week where the most positive cases yet were reported.

  The update from the state Department of Health showed 966 new positive cases of the virus, bringing Fla’s total to 64,904 cases to date, along with 12 new deaths, bringing the statewide total to 2,712.

  In NY, Gov Cuomo will begin his daily press briefing at 1130amET, as per usual.

  During the opening minutes of the briefing, Cuomo declared “we’re back, baby” while reporters mocked an earlier “socially distant” subway ride for a governor whose loathing for the subway is well known.

  Guess the image of riding the subway finally “aligns with the governor’s can-do persona.”https://t.co/QBHX223zwU https://t.co/6cmypI12NT

  — Jessica Pressler (@jpressler) June 8, 2020

  Circling back to India’s outbreak, the country isn’t alone in West Asia: Across its heavily militarized border (where sectarian violence has flared again in recent days), Pakistan warns that hospitals are running out of beds to treat coronavirus patients as the number of confirmed cases passes 100,000, with ~2k deaths.

  * * *

  Following nearly 2 weeks of peaceful protests pockmarked by violence and looting – killings and shootings skyrocketed across NYC last week as the summer ‘killing season’ begins – America’s biggest “hot zone” kicked off “Phase 1” of its plan to reopen its economy on Monday, exactly 100 days after the first case of the virus was confirmed.

  Since the outbreak began, more than 205,000 New Yorkers who have tested positive for the virus, while another 22,000 succumbed to the virus.

  Exactly 100 days since its first case of coronavirus was confirmed, New York City, which weathered extensive hardship as an epicenter of the worldwide outbreak, is set to take the first tentative steps toward reopening its doors on Monday.

  According to the NYT, as many as 400,000 workers will return to construction jobs, manufacturing sites and retail stores in the city’s first phase of reopening as the number of COVID-19 deaths recorded across the US continues to fall, with fewer than 1,000 deaths reported each day (remember when the NYT claimed that deaths would be north of 3,000/day by June 1?).

  It’s a far cry from the ‘peak’ of the outbreak, when 800 NYC residents were dying from the virus every day.

  The city ran more than 60k tests a day over the weekend, Gov Cuomo claimed.

  Tomorrow is a new day. NYC reopens. #NewYorkTough pic.twitter.com/xxz0GKv5Ol

  — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 8, 2020

  NYC enters Phase 1 of reopening tomorrow.

  New Yorkers bent the curve by being smart.

  Let’s keep being smart. #NYTough

  — Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 7, 2020

  That is low enough for New York City’s corps of contract tracers, who began work last week, to try to track every close interaction and, officials hope, stop a resurgence of the virus.

  “You want to talk about a turnaround — this one, my friends, is going to go in the history books,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Saturday.

  Of course, it could be months before office workers return en masse, as the world waits to see how the city’s public transit will handle social distancing concerns. And for many retailers in the city, the conditions in ‘Phase 1’ are still too restrictive. Simply reopening doesn’t mean customers will return, and curbside pickup doesn’t make a lot of sense for many retailers either, according to the NYT. Business groups in the city say many retailers are waiting for the next phase to venture out, when outdoor dining is allowed, office workers are permitted to return and shoppers are allowed to take their time and browse. The earliest these shops might be able to reopen would be later this month.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Some employers have developed new technological solutions to this problem. When more than 100 workers return to Newlab, a “technology hub” in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, they will be offered a device that buzzes whenever they get too close to another worker. The essential workers that have remained in the office this entire time have already been wearing the devices.

  The city’s army of thousands of contact tracers officially started their work last week, and will continue aiding in efforts to quash a rebound in infections. Meanwhile, city officials will be closely monitoring a suite of metrics, from emergency room admission data to new case numbers, for signs of a potentially crippling resurgence.

  On the other side of the world, New Zealand lifted all social and economic restrictions except for its border controls on Monday after declaring that the small island nation is “coronavirus free”, making it one of the first nations to return to normalcy after the outbreak. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she “danced for joy”. Restaurants, retailers, transit and virtually everywhere else reopened without mandatory social distancing. It has been 17 days since the country recorded a new case of the virus.

  “While the job is not done, there is no denying this is a milestone … Thank you, New Zealand,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told a news conference, saying she had danced for joy at the news.

  “We are confident we have eliminated transmission of the virus in New Zealand for now, but elimination is not a point in time, it is a sustained effort.”

  Globally, the total case count topped 7 million late last night, while the number of deaths passed 400k over the weekend, as Brazil, Mexico, Russia and possibly India struggle to bring the outbreak to heel. In the US, the number of confirmed cases have surpassed 1.9 million, and the 2 million mark draws ever-nearer, with ~1.94 million as of Monday morning. At the current rate of ~20k cases a day, the US is on track to pass its next grim pandemic milestone by Thursday.

  

• "The Narrative Has Failed" – Ron Paul On The Incredible Disappearing Coronavirus
  “The Narrative Has Failed” – Ron Paul On The Incredible Disappearing Coronavirus
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 20:05

  Via The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity,

  Suddenly there is no talk about coronavirus.

  Reputable doctors in Italy, the UK, and elsewhere are claiming the virus hardly exists any longer.

  Just over a week ago much of America faced jail if they dared break the “social distancing” rules put in place by tyrannical governors and other public officials. Now tens of thousands gather to protest a police killing with impunity. And the spikes they warned about in areas where restrictions were eased are not happening. So what is happening?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Also, what to make of the Trump/Mattis/Esper spat over US troops deployed against rioters in the US?

  Watch today’s Liberty Report:

  

• As BLM Protests Raged, Chicago Saw Highest Black-On-Black Murder Rate In 60 Years
  As BLM Protests Raged, Chicago Saw Highest Black-On-Black Murder Rate In 60 Years
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 19:45

  “We’ve never seen anything like it, at all,” Max Kapustin, the senior research director at the University of Chicago Crime Lab told the Chicago Sun-Times in a new shocking report published Monday. “I don’t even know how to put it into context. It’s beyond anything that we’ve ever seen before.”

  The group of University of Chicago researchers have confirmed numbers from Sunday, May 31, which the Crime Lab now says is the single most violent day on historical record: 18 dead and 85 wounded by gunfire. The record was previously at 13 people murdered on a single day on Aug. 4, 1991.

  “From 7 p.m. Friday, May 29, through 11 p.m. Sunday, May 31, 25 people were killed in the city, with another 85 wounded by gunfire, according to data maintained by the Chicago Sun-Times.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  The Chicago Sun-Times report begins tragically: 

  A hardworking father killed just before 1 a.m.

  A West Side high school student murdered two hours later.

  A man killed amid South Side looting at a cellphone store at 12:30 p.m.

  A college freshman who hoped to become a correctional officer, gunned down at 4:25 p.m. after getting into an argument in Englewood.

  While Chicago was roiled by another day of protests and looting in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, 18 people were killed Sunday, May 31, making it the single most violent day in Chicago in six decades, according to the University of Chicago Crime Lab. The lab’s data doesn’t go back further than 1961.

  A pastor of a local church and community anti-gun violence activist described that it was “open season” last weekend in his neighborhood, giving an eyewitness account of the situation on the South and West sides.  

  “On Saturday and particularly Sunday, I heard people saying all over, ‘Hey, there’s no police anywhere, police ain’t doing nothing,” Rev. Michael Pfleger, who pastors St. Sabina Church in Auburn Gresham said. “I sat and watched a store looted for over an hour,” he added.

  “No police came. I got in my car and drove around to some other places getting looted [and] didn’t see police anywhere,” Pfleger said.

  Eighteen people were killed on Sunday, May 31 — the most of any day in the city in at least six decades. https://t.co/D7HLjXKAJr

  — Matthew Hendrickson (@MHendricksonCST) June 8, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  The detailed and lengthy Chicago Sun-Times report went on to point out something that’s deeply unpopular to acknowledge in the realm of popular discourse:

  Most homicide victims in Chicago are young, black men, and the suspects are, too. But murders have fallen significantly in recent years, along with police-involved shootings.

  “There were 764 murders and 12 fatal police-involved shootings in 2016, compared with 492 murders and three fatal police-involved shootings last year,” the report adds.

  The Chicago Sun-Times told the stories of young men and women who teachers remembered as “positive influences,” such as Mustafa Abdullah, gunned down on May 31 during a drive-by while riding in a targeted vehicle. 

  Or there’s also eighteen-year old Teyonna Lofton, shot on the day that her family held a ‘socially distanced’ graduation party. Thankfully, she survived, but faces months if not years of rehabilitative therapy: 

  For Teyonna Lofton, of Gresham, last Sunday started on a high note. The 18-year-old recently finished her senior year at Perspectives Leadership Academy, and her family was holding a socially distanced graduation parade to honor the occasion.

  While the day “started off perfect,” a trip to a gas station at the corner of 81^st and Racine — a half-mile south of St. Sabina — later that day quickly turned into the most harrowing experience of her young life.

  As she waited in line outside the store, an SUV pulled up and someone inside opened fire into the crowd, striking Lofton and two others. Struck near her elbow, Lofton tried repeatedly to call 911 for help.

  (1 of 7) This was Teyonna Lofton Sunday morning celebrating her HS graduation with her family at home.
  She graduated with a 3.4 GPA and is planning to go to college in Louisiana.
  Sunday afternoon, while trying to buy some water with her friends, she was shot in the arm. pic.twitter.com/ojzHBwJU9x

  — Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  It appears that as police responded en masse to major riots and looting ensuing soon after the horrific footage of the George Floyd killing by Minnesota police went viral, this resulted in other areas of the city spiraling into lawlessness, as well as apparently victims being disregard by city emergency response units. 

  Despite the gunshot wound which threatened her life, Teyonna Lofton said police and EMT assistance were nowhere in sight: 

  “When I needed help, to call the police and stuff, nobody responded. Nobody answered,” Lofton said. “My mom had to come from home, and we had to get to the hospital.”

  On the way to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Lofton peered out her mother’s car window and saw the “madness” that was unfolding outside.

  “It was just people jumping out their cars into stores and stealing and looting … Police was letting them do whatever they wanted,” she said.

  “They did not care,” Lofton added. “Nobody cared.”

  At a moment “Black Lives Matter” chants can be heard overtaking most every major American city, the now weekly reality of dozens tragically dying in black-on-black crime in Chicago and some other large cities (a trend that tends to increase into the hot summer months) remains a huge ‘blind spot’ in terms of the current ideologically charged media debate and public discourse. 

  Though CNN is now devoting much air time to an hour-long repeat segment called “Unconscious Bias: Facing the Realities of Racism” — it’s highly doubtful that much coverage will be given to the pressing crisis now unfolding in Chicago of black-on-black crime, which defies many of the simplistic sacred dogmas now being advocated. 

  

Digest powered by RSS Digest

• "It's Still Very Cool" – Dutch Club Unveils Post-COVID 'Social Dis-Dancing'
  “It’s Still Very Cool” – Dutch Club Unveils Post-COVID ‘Social Dis-Dancing’
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 02:45

  The summer holiday season is underway across Europe, and countries are reopening their broken economies after months of coronavirus lockdowns. The European Union has advised member states to relax border restrictions in a bid to restart the travel and tourism industry. Already, the nightclubbing scene is popping off in the Netherlands but is unrecognizable in a post-corona world. 

  Clubbing and partying in Nijmegen, a city in the Netherlands’ province of Gelderland, near the German border, began this weekend with the opening of Doornroosje, an electronic dance music club. 

  Clubbers had to book in advance before stepping inside the facility and enjoyed a rave while sitting down. There were 30 seats on the dance floor, spaced about five feet apart. In pre-corona times, the floor would hold hundreds of fist-pumping millennials, but now, the club supports a few dozen ravers. 

  “I think it’s your perfect daily dose of music, like, 20 minutes is enough, yeah, sure, “Nuray Boga, 19, told Reuters. “It made me happy.”

  Club promoter Jonatan Brand said local health authorities advised a sit-down only configuration on the dance floor with seats 5 feet apart. If confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decline in the region, clubbers could one-day rave standing up. 

  “It’s still very cool,” Brand said. “People are still dancing, although they are on the chair, they’re fist-pumping, they’re moving their bodies, so — it’s great.”

  The show on Saturday didn’t sell out — it appears ravers still don’t trust tightly packed clubs in a post-corona world, though the event was streamed online. 

  DJ Davy Brandts, a music performer, who headlined the show, said it was great to be back and see familiar faces.

  If you’re wondering what a rave looks like in a post-corona world — check out the video below of Doornroosje:

  As for the Belgian electronic dance music festival, Tomorrowland, well, the 2020 show is canceled but 2021 is going ahead as planned. About 400,000 ravers usually show up to the festival, though that number next year will likely be reduced for social distancing. 

  Could sit-down raves be the new normal for clubbing and the partying scene in the post corona world? 

  

• EU Economy Traveling Along Same Worn Dead-End Road
  EU Economy Traveling Along Same Worn Dead-End Road
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Mon, 06/08/2020 – 02:00

  Authored by Bruce Wilds via Advancing Time blog,

  With so many countries across the world facing difficulties, many people have yet to notice the Euro-Zone has become a place where hope goes to die. The last round of elections in the Euro-Zone should bring little comfort to those supporting a stronger Europe. Huge gains were made by forces seeking more power for the populist agenda. In short, it is a boost for the rights of individual nations to have more say in how they are governed.  Two of the most pressing issues are that insolvent Italy struggles with a stagnate economy and Spain is coming apart politically with Catalan separatists defying Spain’s Prime Minister.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  To avoid the union coming apart at the seams and a miserable future, the European Commission recently unveiled an unprecedented  €750BN CoVid-19 recovery plan. It consists of €500 billion in grants to member states, and €250 billion would be available in loans. This means they are asking for the power to borrow. This is geared to tackle the worst recession in European history and shore up Italy. It would mean transforming the EU’s central finances to allow for it to raise unprecedented sums on the capital markets and hand out the bulk of the proceeds as grants to hard-pressed member states.

  The Euro-Zone was already in deep trouble before CoVid-19 hit, the weakness that started in 2017 never ended. In the fourth quarter even Germany narrowly escaped recession. This could be blamed on the Brexit or Trade War but it goes beyond that, they abandoned all structural reforms in 2014 when the ECB started its quantitative easing program (QE) and expanded the balance sheet to record-levels. In 2019, almost 22% of the Euro Zone GDP gross added value came from Travel & Leisure, a sector that will unlikely come back anytime soon. Add this to weak exports and a banking sector that is totally decimated and everything points downward.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The Dollar Remains The Only “Real Option”

  Roughly 80% of the Euro-Zone’s real economy is financed by the banking sector that carries more than 600 billion euro in non-performing loans. Considering that the Euro-Zone was already in contraction in the middle of the massive Juncker plan that pushed forward green policies, it is safe to assume a Green New Deal will not boost growth or reduce debt. Large investment plans that are politically directed generally do not do as well as planned. The Euro-Zone is in a state of “stagnation.” Figures show that as of 2017 not a single European company ranked among the top fifteen technology companies in the world. Still, more troubling is that of the top 50 global technology companies, only four are European.

  Being uncompetitive sucks, unemployment is high, almost 30% of the Euro Zone labor force is expected to be under some form of unemployment scheme for years. France, Spain, and Italy, with important rules and tax burdens on job creation, may suffer large unemployment levels for longer. Another challenge is the region lacks technological and intellectual property making them less competitive than China and the U.S. They are simply out of tools to address the unprecedented bashing put upon the economy due to CoVid-19. It would also be a bad time to add massive monetary imbalances when demand for euros globally is shrinking according to the Bank of International Settlements.

  To fund this €750BN package, the EU would borrow on financial markets and put in place a suite of proposed new EU taxes and levies to pay back the debt over the coming decades. These would hit everything from tech giants to single-use plastics. Bloomberg, reports Italy stands to receive 82 billion euros in emergency grants and up to 91 billion euros in low-interest loans. Spain also hit hard by the pandemic is in line for 77 billion euros of grants and up to 63 billion euros in loans. Greece could get 32 billion euros in grants and loans and France could get 39 billion euros in grants. Such a program gaining the backing of member states would be a “watershed moment” for the bloc. Financial burden-sharing has long been one of the thorniest issues holding back deeper integration within the union. It could go a long way to silent concerns about the lack of solidarity empowering populists and threatens the EU’s very survival.

  If months ago you didn’t agree that political and economic problems in Italy and Spain posed the greatest threat to the EU it would be a good time to reevaluate your opinion now that both countries have been monkey hammered by CoVid-19. Last year a post on this site argued they had the potential to topple a struggling Euro-Zone. This argument is based on Italy’s debt dwarfing that of Greece. If Italy, one of the “Big Three” economies underpinning the Euro-Zone, defaulted on its debt the scale of such a crisis would be difficult to contain. Flipping attention towards Spain, the article pointed out how immigrants continuing to flow in from Northern Africa coupled with the Catalan Separatists movement has left Spain’s national government in disarray.

  Italy remains the weakest link in the Euro-Zone and continues to weaken. Last year, in what could be considered a bold move the Italian Prime Minister signed a historic memorandum of understanding with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Rome. The agreement made Italy the first founding EU  member, and the first G-7 nation, to officially sign on to Beijing’s “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) economic development initiative. The ramifications flowing from Italy’s deal with China may, in the end, prove to be a deal with the devil that opens the floodgates and signals the end of the EU breaking apart the euro.  China and Italy inked development deals covering everything from port management, science and technology, e-commerce, and even soccer.

  This deal occurred before the covid-19 pandemic and since Italy’s debt situation has only grown worse. Integration into OBOR appeared to be an “any port in a storm” situation. Italy has found the EU less than supportive and lacking answers as to how they might kick-start growth. Much of the blame for this problematic alliance falls on Brussels and the EU for its failures to deal with worsening conditions within Italy. Now, adding to the problem is growing unease and fear within the EU when they look out at an expanding China that cranks out products at a cost far below those at which they can compete. Trade and deficits loom large in the minds of those watching this unfold. We can expect that China will exploit Italy and use it as a backdoor into the broader Euro-Zone market. Two omens this will go poorly for Italy are the IMF warnings of the potential of many of China’s OBOR funded projects going bust and China’s history of flexing its predatory business model.

  While the ECB has sidestepped a major devaluation of the euro over recent years many of us skeptics believe it will ultimately collapse resulting  in devastating side-effects for those holding the currency. Much of the problem is rooted in the fact the euro itself was constructed on a weak and flawed foundation. Any currency joining and binding states or countries together must allow for an adjustment to send back funds to its weakest part or eventually it will become so unbalanced it will fail. The United States does this by collecting taxes on a federal level and sending back money and aid to areas that are economically weak and need help. In the same way, the EU has still refused to deal with Greece’s mounting debt it, mainly Germany, cannot seem to accept that protecting the small depositors of European banks is the price to be paid for preserving social order and even the euro itself.

  The truth is that in all reality Italy went bankrupt in summer 2011. At that time the ECB and political authorities in Europe agreed to create around the country’s finances an artificial market to give the impression of stability. More capital began fleeing to the north when Draghi started QE in 2015. The Italian central bank is dependent on the ECB and has to buy Italian government bonds. German investors have to exchange these bonds for euros in Italy and transfer the money via Target 2 to their German bank. The growing differences in the Target 2 balance sheet are the result of the Germans, who own the Italian bonds dissolving them in Italy and transferring the money to Germany. Italians have also added to the capital flight as they liquidate their bonds which increases the debt claim on the German side.

  To be clear, Germany has no interest in “debt mutualization” where it would be forced to bail-out Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. These claims are not covered by any securities. If Italy or Spain withdraws from the Euro-Zone, the Germans will be left holding worthless paper. Concern in Germany remains tepid only because Germans have great confidence in the Bundesbank. Draghi claimed that Target 2 has nothing to do with the movement of capital from country to country and the clearing balances cannot be overdrawn as long as no one leaves the Euro-zone. This translates into, Italy must not leave the Euro-Zone! Italy’s debt amounts to 2.3 trillion euros and its liabilities in Target 2 rose in June 2018 to 481 billion euros from 164.5 billion euros in 2015. This means that Banca d’Italia owes the Bundesbank almost half a trillion euros! Target 2 is a check that cannot be cashed.

  This all swings back to the delicate manipulated balance of currencies which seem to be locked in a narrow trading range with the Fed assuming the role of the great enabler. Holding up all the really bad currencies in the world is not the job of the FED but the indication is that Central Bank manipulation has gone nuclear. The dollar’s strength is largely a result of  many countries having adopted even worse policies than those America’s leaders have chosen to pursue but a strengthening dollar sends a signal that the global economy is unstable which is something central banks want to avoid at all costs. This accounts for why central banks are marching in lockstep using currency swaps and injecting more liquidity into the system to keep several currencies from failing.

  Draghi is credited with saving the euro but may have only delayed its demise. Now the euro’s fate rests on the ECB’s new President Christine Lagarde. If she departs from his script, she will face fierce criticism but if she does not, the Euro-zone’s never-ending crisis will eventually spin out of control. Draghi’s stand the euro is indispensable and that even discussing its abolition is harmful seems to remain intact. Draghi’s attempt to save the Euro-zone by printing trillions of euros allowed Italy, Spain, and other stressed states to roll over their debts but has failed. Low-interest rates and easy money have not cured Europe’s problems, expect anti-EU sentiment to continue its growth.

  

• Coincidence Theorists See All Donut And No Holes In The Coronation Of The Cult
  Coincidence Theorists See All Donut And No Holes In The Coronation Of The Cult
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 23:50

  Authored by Doug “Uncola” Lynn via TheBurningPlatform.com,

  Over the past several decades Americans have viewed regularly televised dramatic episodes of political theater. The use of the word “episode” is especially appropriate because the dramatic scenes are sequential and continuously broadcasted onto electronic screens. The drama is designed to elicit emotion, foment anger, and unite or divide the nation in order to, ultimately, affect change.

  The societal cataclysms we’re experiencing now could be naturally occurring – as the result of certain trends like demographics, technology, modernization, education, centralization, economic inequality, political platforms, or even systemic corruption and civilizational decay. On the other hand, it could be the upheavals are directed in consonance with scripts written by an inner circle of powerful people; and in accordance to the Hegelian Dialectic.  How citizens view the changes realized by the United States over the last few decades, in particular, will depend upon their interpretations of probabilities and outcomes; or, rather, to the extent they believe in coincidence or conspiracy.

  Many believe grand conspiracies are implausible because ambitious schemes so often fail and it’s inconceivable that scrupulous whistleblowers would refuse to expose the plans of powerful conspirators.  And these objections have a ring of truth… unless, of course, the powerful few have only advanced those who’ve demonstrated allegiance while shunning, banishing, imprisoning, or “expiring” those who won’t fall in line.  Perhaps this would explain why the likes of Brennen, Clapper, Comey, and McCabe continue about their book tours as Assange, Manafort, and Stone remain under lock and key.

  In intelligence circles, we know control is administered via “need to know” compartmentalization and secured by constant surveillance. So perhaps blackmail and threats to individuals and loved ones are secret tactics used to compel loyalty.   Even so, there have been U.S. presidents who have acted as whistleblowers at one time or another, including Lincoln, Wilson, Eisenhower, and Kennedy; each drawing attention to a nebulous Cult of Power acting as political puppet masters and pullers of purse strings.  Or, as automotive magnate Henry Ford (1863-1947) once stated:

  It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.

  It’s also a fact that modern mass media today is owned by a handful of corporations and, thus, under the control of a few billionaires.  Could it be possible The Cult would collude to advance media narratives that further their interests while promoting agendas for their sole benefit?  Of course it’s possible.  Why wouldn’t they?

  In America during the new millennium, Bush the Younger delivered The Patriot Act and the War on Terror.  The Obama Administration witnessed the rise of the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street.  And from the time Donald Trump descended the escalator in 2015, the timeline has been a continuum of fascinating and unfortunate events.

  In the spring of 2016, Broomhilda and her army of superdelegates swept the still smoking ashes of Bernieclaus right back up the nation’s chimney. In June of that year, the first FISA warrant on Trump was denied and that was followed by the infamous Snakes on a Plane meeting between Bill Clinton and then Attorney General Loretta Lynch.  Seth Rich, a data analyst for the Democratic National Committee, was murdered in Washington D.C. the very next month.

  However, in light of current events, now consider what also took place in the spring of 2016 and, seemingly, behind the curtain of the nation’s political stage: The inaugural ID2020 summit…

  In May 2016, at the United Nations Headquarters in NY, the inaugural ID2020 Summit brought together over 400 people to discuss how to provide a unique digital identity to everyone on the planet, including the 1.5 billion people living without any form of recognized identification.

   Indeed, 2020 vision has brought past occurrences into better focus.

  Since the election of Trump, we’ve watched one political episode after another:  election hacking, impeachment, a pandemic… and just like regular commercial breaks came the seemingly strategic school, church, synagogue, country music and garlic festival shootings; along with the occasional U.S Mail or Syria bombing . All of these episodes made for riveting and dramatic televised history.

  Perhaps, therefore, the apparent onscreen murder of George Floyd now serves as the new facilitator as COVID-19 fizzles in the summer sun – at least until the Vitamin D depletions this fall and winter deliver sufficient reinfection rates to justify real societal lockdowns next time.

  And, yes, be assured of this:  COVID-19 will be back next season.  In force and, once again, dominating the airwaves.   In fact, we’re already seeing the previews as the country reopens.  Pursuant to “data compiled by the New York Times” comes the following headline:  “Texas, North Carolina, Arizona see rising cases as they reopen”:

  The seven-day average in new cases in all three states has also been rising, according to data compiled by The New York Times.

  …Texas and Arizona are both led by Republican governors, while North Carolina has a Democratic governor.

  One reason for the increasing number of cases in all three states is that they are all seeing a significant rise in testing, which means more people carrying COVID-19 are being identified.

  Yes. Operation Dark Winter® continues as headlines are broadcasted into computing devices around the globe:  NEW HOT SPOTS ARE EMERGING!! NEW HOT SPOTS ARE EMERGING!!

  It’s easy to assume COVID-19 cases will go down after lockdown orders lift across the country, but, unfortunately, the data suggests otherwise. New hot spots of COVID-19 are emerging across the U.S.

  …It’s very important to be informed about your local data, Ryan Panchadsaram, former U.S. deputy chief technology officer at the White House during the Obama administration and co-founder of COVID Exit Strategy, tells Yahoo Life. He and other public health and crisis experts with experience stemming from their work at the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services and on the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, joined forces to create COVID Exit Strategy with the goal of tracking “each state’s progress toward stopping the spread of COVID-19,”…

  Are these episodes naturally occurring as the result of a sick and dying nation? Or, could they be the magical media manifestations of the “Big Lie”?

  Regardless, people all across the political spectrum have been fooled by their feelings while viewing what appears to be political ploys.

  United States health “officials” are now warning that “a new surge in coronavirus cases”  could occur following the protests over the death of George Floyd, a black man who was filmed while being murdered by police in Minneapolis.   Paradoxically, the police report of the incident claimed Floyd “had coronavirus and died after cardiac arrest”.

  Seriously?  Is it just me or do you also hear the laughter cackling from behind the curtain?  Either way, the question remains:  Are we being psychologically manipulated by powerful people in order to affect political change?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Because it seems only those under hypnosis would deny that current events in the U.S. have been politicized.  The Wall Street Journal, for example, has reported on the politicization of Coronavirus as it increasingly exacerbates “the Red-Blue divide”:

  Two-thirds of confirmed coronavirus cases are in states with Democratic governors. When states are measured by the sheer number of coronavirus cases, six of the top seven have Democratic governors. Together, those six blue states have about half of the nation’s cases, though only about a third of its population.

  Coronavirus deaths tell a similar story. Eight of the nine states with the most deaths due to the virus are states with Democratic governors. When measured by deaths per capita, eight of the top nine states also have Democratic governors.

  ….And it’s in the Senate where the imbalance between coronavirus impact and political clout is most acute. Those six hardest-hit blue states have more than half the country’s coronavirus cases, and a third of its population—yet only 12% of the votes in the Senate. It is almost a perfect formula for political tensions.

  President Trump is straddling this red and blue divide. In sheer political terms, two of the hardest-hit states, Michigan and Pennsylvania, are critical to him because they happen to be swing states he carried in the 2016 election.

  And now it’s being reported that President Trump’s reelection odds have taken a turn for the worse.

  So why has COVID-19® selectively attacked blue states more than red ones?  It could be a matter of blue states having a higher density population.  Or, it could be just more political chicanery and for the same reason pallets of bricks have mysteriously materialized in cities prior to “protests” in the aftermath of the George Floyd snuff film.

  Indeed. Every revolution starts with a spark; and the modern lockdowns, and uprisings, are televised.

  As written in my last article, COVID-19® accomplished many political objectives:

  The Coronavirus® pinprick collapsed the Economic Everything Bubble and deflected blame away from the bankers who blew it up. At the same time, it turned martial law into self-quarantine and abolished the First Amendment rights of American citizens including the free exercise religion, the freedom of speech, and the right peaceably assemble… all under the arbitrary mandates of Social Distancing®.  Additionally, cash has been transitioned into a viral threat – thus paving the way to a new digital world order; and the end of privacy. 

  The televised outbreak also inflamed the fear and survival instincts of people in order to turn on each other while it massaged Wall Street and murdered Main Street.   To be sure, supply lines have been centralized via Walmart and Amazon as Mom & Pop businesses were suffocated like George Floyd then set on fire.

  For those with eyes wide open, it’s become obvious how chaos reigns while Operation Dirty Money®   transitions the nations into a “cashless future” and a New World Order®:

  The Almighty Dollar has lost some of its might in the time of COVID-19. While most struggling businesses will take payment in any form to make ends meet during the economic downtown, a minority reject cash, fearing that it could be a transmission vehicle for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Some experts predict that the pandemic will accelerate a steady flight by American consumers away from dollars and cents…

  …But a survey by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation found that roughly 6% of the U.S. population, about 14.1 million adults, doesn’t have a checking or savings account, and thus can’t access funds online. That gap will have to be closed if America is ever to come closer to a cashless future.

  But are these changes the result of coincidence or conspiracy?

  Seriously… how could these long-desired objectives of The Establishment NOT be the result of conspiracy?  Because, just like clockwork, as Coronavirus was shown to be bullshit… the channel was changed once again – this time, to cities on fire.  So, whether by deception or never letting a crisis go to waste, the George Floyd drama has now assumed center stage; at least until the COVID-19 Show® returns next season.

  The urban riots could be used to further degrade American institutions, infrastructure, economy, and societal unity – or be exploited as the means to lock down entire regions of the country, or worse, as an excuse to declare martial law nationally.  It’s also possible a Fort Sumter moment could occur in the suburbs thus escalating the civil warfare to new levels.  It’s not hard to imagine armed Caucasians defending their lives and property by mowing down ANTIFA and Black Lives Matter activists in the front yards of formerly quiet neighborhoods around the country. This would, in turn, trigger new proposed gun control measures by city, state, and federal authoritarians. Just in time and right on schedule.

  This sort of Hegelian change meets the end of goals of The Cult because their ultimate desire is to rule over a diminished global population.  This is not conspiracy, however, because the Malthusian dreams of the Cult are well-documented and even etched upon the Georgia Guidestones as # 1:  “Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.”

  Certainly, The Cult desires a culling of the herd, so to speak, yet with the permission of those willing to be ruled. The aristocracy prefers servants and subjects, after all; and this would be the fate of the lower-caste slaves who survive.

  So how might the Cult of Power get a majority of plebes to willingly surrender? By first activating their fear and survival instincts and then showing them how effective China’s authoritarian lockdowns have been – particularly in slowing the spread of coronaviruses and dampening burgeoning revolutions.

  In viewing the maps of Asia on the John Hopkin’s dashboard , it does appear China’s authoritarian measures have stamped out coronaviruses like Raid® on bugs. At the same time, COVID-19 forced the Hong Kong protestors to shelter in place.  However, in America, the U.S. Constitution has turned America red with the blood of innocents. Some might ask: Why did Trump, and so many careless governors, pander to those desiring their own selfish liberties over the very lives of others? Why did they reopen their states so soon?  And why won’t weak-willed blue state mayors and governors protect the citizenry from lawless rioters?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Certainly, the red tide could ebb and flow until all boats are sunk. Unless enough people are awakened. Then, the haut monde would be forced to reassess their schemes.

  In any case, even if American society continues to sink past the point of no return, I would also not be surprised if any future vaccinations would be voluntary instead of mandatory.  Because if the deluded Luciferians (see “Luciferianism: A Secular Look At A Destructive Globalist Belief System”) are actually playing a cosmic chess match in their heads, then they want people to choose – and those who refuse to fall with them would, as a result, suffer societal ostracization, economic isolation, starvation, and death.  The Vaccine-Deniers® would then occupy the lowest caste of the New World Order®.  They would be the new Untouchables.

  Certainly, therefore, the George Floyd riots are just another means of now sowing seeds of chaos to reap an orderly harvest later. The Cult must tear down what it wishes to rebuild in its own image.

  The following video takes 12-minutes to view and its poetic presentation explores the “mechanics” of ritual, initiation, transformation, and change; and, especially, as applied to The Cult, language, and electronic programming.

  For those who don’t wish to take the time to view the video, just know it addresses change as being facilitated via the three stages of an initiation ritual – and to the actual audio soundtrack of the COVID-19® outbreak:

  1.) Isolation for Purification (suspension of the normal ways / surrender / sacrifice / masking / trauma)

  2.) The Transition (the old self dies, descending into a state of liminality / fever dream / void in the middle / blank canvas)

  3.) Integration into the New Reality (or Resurrection to the New Normal)

  Recently, a blogger named Charles Eisenstein wrote an article named “The Coronation” and later responded to a critique of that article by writing another piece entitled “The Conspiracy Myth”. The latter article was, in turn, retweeted by the Chief Executive Officer of Twitter, Jack Dorsey.

  In reading both articles, it appeared the author defined the allegorical donut without its hole in the center.  After all, what is a “conspiracy” if not two or more people making secret plans?  And what is a donut without a hole? All that remains is sugar, flour, water, leavening, oil and artificial flavors. But that’s what we see, feel, taste, and smell.  Is that all there is?  Or is there more?

  Correspondingly, Eisenstein’s title of “The Coronation” is especially interesting given that “Corona” means “crown” and the word “coronation” is a portmanteau of “Corona Nation”.

  Definition of coronation

  ­­­­­­­: the act or occasion of crowning also: accession to the highest office

  Has America recently been subsumed by those who would be our rulers?  Or was the nation taken over long ago and now The Cult is simply making their reign official?

  In truth, the answers to both of those questions are right on the money.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  There is no denying the fix is in – or that the media and the tech titans are colluding with The Cult.  One example of this is how the media has presented former software mogul and current World Health Guru, Bill Gates, as a “bogeyman of virus conspiracy theorists”:

  False claims targeting billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates are gaining traction online since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, with experts warning they could hamper efforts to curb the virus.

  Doctored photos and fabricated news articles crafted by conspiracy theorists — shared thousands of times on social media platforms and messaging apps, in various languages — have gone as far as accusing the Microsoft founder of creating the outbreak.

  …”Bill Gates has always been a target of specific conspiracy communities,” said Rory Smith, research manager at First Draft, a non-profit that provides research and training for journalists.

  Gates — whose eponymous foundation has spent billions of dollars improving healthcare in developing countries over the past 20 years — has become “a kind of abstract boogeyman”, said Whitney Phillips, an assistant professor at New York’s Syracuse University, where she teaches digital ethics.

  “These conspiracies are powerful enough to drive down institutional trust around health organisations, and as a result, possibly drive down vaccination rates, which is worrying,” Smith said.

  Yet, in that article, there was no mention of Gates’ involvement with vaccine production or the October 2019 “Event 201” exercise held in New York City –  a live simulation of the actual coronavirus outbreak that occurred just weeks before the first cases were made public.   Why, then, are these facts not deemed newsworthy by the mainstream media?

  Would any coincidence theorists care to answer that question?

  Because that’s how The Cult works.  They selectively conceal pertinent information while censoring any media sources that report the truth.

  Remember item # 7 from the Event 201 website’s recommendations page (the main text below with some of the fluff removed):

  Governments and the private sector should assign a greater priority to developing methods to combat mis- and disinformation …

  Governments will need to partner with traditional and social media companies to research and develop nimble approaches to countering misinformation. ..

  National public health agencies should work in close collaboration with WHO to create the capability to rapidly develop and release consistent health messages. For their part, media companies should commit to ensuring that authoritative messages are prioritized and that false messages are suppressed including through the use of technology.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The video at this link below is from the “Plandemic” movie and features the cellular and molecular biologist, Judy Mikovits, Ph.D.

  It is an absolutely stunning 26 minutes:

  Link to 26-minute video of “Plandemic”

  In the 16:15 – 18:45 segment of the video, Mikovits discusses Hydroxychloroquine as well as other COVID-19 treatments and, of course, her assessments digress from the Orwellian propaganda we’ve seen in the mainstream daily headlines.  So when Yahoo.com recently illuminated smart devices around the globe on how Hydroxychloroquine shows no virus benefit and raises death risks, you can pretty much take it to the bank that Hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment for COVID-19 and with minimal death risks.  Especially, when a Yale epidemiologist says Hydroxychloroquine should be made “widely available and promoted immediately” and a Los Angeles physician has claimed the following:

   Every patient I’ve prescribed it [Hydroxychloroquine] to has been very, very ill and within 8 to 12 hours, they were basically symptom-free.

  But you WON’T find this type of information anywhere in the mainstream media because it stands in the way of the Event 201 recommendations, the vaccine agenda, big pharma profits, and the end goals of The Cult of Power.

  Correspondingly, Trump’s heroic impeachment defender, professor Alan Dershowitz, has now claimed The State has the right to ‘plunge a needle into your arm’:

  Harvard Law School emeritus professor Alan Dershowitz claimed in an interview that the government has a constitutional right under the 10th Amendment to forcibly vaccinate a citizen to curb the spread of a contagious disease.

  “Let me put it very clearly, you have no constitutional right to endanger the public and spread the disease, even if you disagree. You have no right not to be vaccinated, you have no right not to wear a mask, you have no right to open up your business…”.

   It’s just too perfect not to have been planned.  Even if you don’t agree, at the very least, ask yourself this:  What were the odds?

  But you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

  The following video is 22-minutes in length.  It is a production by a lady who acquired her Contract Tracing Certificate® and reveals the “stealth fascism of [Contact Tracing®] enforcement”.

  In the above video, at around the 1:00 minute mark, you’ll see U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi espouse the three “T’s” that are to be combined with COVID-19 Social Distancing®:  Testing, Tracing, Treatment.

  Positive tests for coronaviruses are to be turned over to a Contact Tracer® to make sure any infected people are isolated – even from their own pets!  The “infected” must also prove to the Contact Tracer® they have the space to be isolated and if any children live in the household, the tracer is supposed to involve social services.

  Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must not leave their home – even those who are symptom free. Moreover, for those who initially test positive, remain healthy, and are later released from quarantine, if they eat at a restaurant where another person is later determined to have been infected, then they all must submit to quarantine – including those who were released previously.   Currently, in the state of California, employers of quarantined employees are held responsible for any workman’s comp through July 2020; and this will most likely be extended.

  Furthermore, the tracers will consult with “infected” people to reference their social media accounts to gather information on everywhere they were recently and with whom they were in contact. Then, all of those people, even strangers in a restaurant, will be contacted.

  Sick people are to be quarantined for 10 days and those without symptoms for 14 days – including the families of the “infected” for at least 14 days from their last contact with the “infected”.

  The politicians and governors have publically claimed that Contact Tracing® is voluntary.  But, for those who don’t immediately quarantine, a “detention order” may be issued and “enforced by the police” to “assure compliance”. Other options for non-compliance may include a court order.  And those who are held in contempt of the court order may be “incarcerated, imprisoned at a quarantine site via electronic monitoring, and/or fined up to $2,000 a day”.

  At the 8:30 – 9:30 segment of the video, a clip of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee is shown spinning “non-compliance enforcement” by referencing “family support personnel” who will tend to those in quarantine like state-conscripted nannies.

  Next, the mole describes how tracers are to view privacy as being subordinate to the “greater good” and tells how positive tests will be entered into an electronic database – which, in an ensuing news clip, is revealed as “law-enforcement specific information” entered for purposes of “computer-aided dispatch”.  In the same clip, Jaqueline Kirby of the El Paso County Colorado Sherriff’s Office admits that home addresses are flagged to identify those who have tested positive for COVID-19®.

  Smart-phone apps are then discussed in the video as a means for businesses to track customers for their “safety”; at least until a centralized database with GPS tracking becomes available like currently used in China and North Korea.  In countries like India and New Zealand, the apps are said to be voluntary but you can’t go anywhere, or buy anything, without the app.  The video then reveals four U.S. states with Contact Tracing® software in place and how Google and Apple iOS updates allow Bluetooth beacons to assist tracing even without an app downloaded.

  Towards the end of the video, the proposed HR 6666 legislation is discussed as potentially funding the Contact Tracing® initiative to the tune of $100 billion.

  And, finally, if you only have time to watch one segment of the above video… view the clip of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine from the 20:04 – 22:34 mark.  Here, a reporter reveals the “larger social agenda” behind COVID-19 that includes a “vision to rectify” the “structural violence of capitalism” that is seen as the root cause of “racism, gender inequality, xenophobia, and homophobia”.  Next, the reporter asks Governor DeWine why he would choose to partner with those who demonize capitalism and whose goals seem to be “rooted in Liberation Theology based on Marxist ideals”.   The Governor’s answer is quite illuminating, to say the least.

  So it does appear COVID-19 is another blitz by the political left and the George Floyd riots are surely another prong of the same attack – even, at the very least, as a diversion for what is taking place with the Contact Tracing® initiative.

  Without a doubt, Contact Tracing® must be killed in the cradle. If it’s allowed to grow and expand it will become a Marxist Social Justice® weapon of unparalleled power.

  We’re in a war for survival and 75% of Americans have no clue as to what is actually happening. Normalcy bias is a bitch. Because history is rhyming and not in good ways. This purge has high-tech teeth.

  And for those who believe Trump is real and about to drain the swamp: ask yourselves why he’s not dead as Kennedy or irredeemably publicly disgraced like Harvey Weinstein. Why has “Crossfire Hurricane” investigator U.S. Attorney John Durham not suffered the fate of Seth Rich or Julian Assange?  The Cult could have also have pulled the plug on the economy without providing the president the cover of Coronavirus as an economic scapegoat.  But that didn’t happen.  Now Trump is running against the second-worst presidential candidate of all time; and after already having beaten the worst.

  Again, what were the odds?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  But, no matter the odds, they always favor the house. And this will remain true in November – regardless of who wins in the 2020 Elections.  Those placing their hope in political solutions to the nation’s ills, will, as usual, be quite disappointed.  How many House or Senate Democrats have we seen stray from the herd? Not one. Ever. Kavanaugh, Russiagate, Ukrainegrate, et al.  Never.

  And what about the Never Trump Republicans and RINOs (Republicans in Name Only)?  Will they save the republic?  No. The Uniparty lives to serve The Cult.  Loyalty can be forced through fear, seduced by flattery, or may simply derive from a lust for conformity, money, sex, or power.  But, no matter the reason, The Cult is being crowned as Trump tweets.

  So question every headline at all times and act with the best knowledge you have.

  Come out of the system.

  Know that people will wake up when they wake up and, in the meantime, words can be cold drops of conceptual water splashed upon the faces of those still sleeping.  Even so, be careful with whom you cast your pearls.  Seek the like-minded and realize the Orwellian episodes on our screens were written by The Cult; and, consequently, the plotlines are intended to deliver these denouements: Control over those who consent and the depopulation of those deemed to be human ballast and the belligerent.

  To The Cult, it’s not personal. It’s just time.

  

• Mapping Civil Unrest In The United States (2000–2020)
  Mapping Civil Unrest In The United States (2000–2020)
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 23:25

  Protests are a regular feature of democratic society, but, as Visual Capitalist’s Nick Routley explores below, they can occasionally cross over from non-violent demonstrations into civil unrest. Even protests that are largely peaceful can still result in arrests, violence, police aggression, and property damage.

  Visual Capitalist’s animated map below looks at the last two decades of civil unrest in the United States using lists compiled on Wikipedia.

  Instances of civil unrest eventually leave the news cycle, and we rarely have the chance to examine the bigger picture or see where they fit within a nation-wide pattern.

  

  From this map we can see that certain cities, such as St. Louis and Oakland, have been disproportionately impacted by civil unrest. As well, universities have also been hotspots for rioting, though often for much different reasons.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Looking back over two decades, we see that instances of civil unrest in the United States have fallen into roughly four categories:

  1. Economic and social injustice

  2. Sports and event related riots

  3. Politically motivated civil unrest

  4. Reaction to police actions

  Let’s take a look at a prominent example in each of these categories, to get further context.

  Examples of Civil Unrest, by Category

  1. Economic and Social Justice

  One of the most prominent examples in this category is the Occupy Wall Street movement. The protests began in September 2011 in Downtown Manhattan, and soon spread through cities throughout the world.

  In 2016, the Dakota Access Pipeline protests grabbed headlines around the world as protesters faced off against armed soldiers and police with riot gear and military equipment. By the time camps were broken up the next year, hundreds of people had been arrested.

  2. Sports and Event Related Riots

  Between 2000 and 2010, the majority of incidents plotted on the map are related to sports and events. This includes major sporting events like the L.A. Lakers championship win in 2000, but also the University of Maryland riot of 2004, where rowdy post-game celebrations crossed over into arson and property damage.

  A more recent example is the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-ever Super Bowl victory in 2018, where celebrations eventually got out of hand.

  3. Politically Motivated Civil Unrest

  The political divide has been growing in America for years now, but those differences more frequently resulted in confrontations and civil unrest in 2016. After the election of Donald Trump, for example, protests erupted in many cities, with riots breaking out in Portland, Oregon, and Oakland, California.

  Of course, the “Bundy standoff” – an armed confrontation between supporters of cattle rancher Cliven Bundy and law enforcement over withheld grazing fees – showed that not all civil unrest takes place in America’s cities.

  4. Reaction to Police Actions

  Some of the biggest flashpoints seen in recent years have been in response to people who were killed by police.

  In fact, more than half of the points on our map were a direct response to incidents in which a person – typically a black male – died at the hands of law enforcement officials. In previous years, the unrest that followed was typically confined to the cities where the death took place, but protests are now increasingly erupting in cities around the country.

  The Situation Now

  The death of George Floyd – the latest black male to be killed during an encounter with law enforcement – has had a ripple effect, spawning protests in cities around the United States and internationally.

  As our map showing the history of civil unrest makes clear, excessive force from police against black citizens is nothing new. The data shows that black men have by far the highest risk of being killed in an encounter with law enforcement.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Until these systemic issues are addressed, history may not repeat exactly, but the rhyme will sound very, very familiar.

  

• China Suspends Debt Repayments For 77 Developing Countries And Regions
  China Suspends Debt Repayments For 77 Developing Countries And Regions
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 23:00

  Even as whispers of a grand debt jubilee grow in the developed world, China on Sunday announced the suspension of debt repayment for 77 developing countries and regions as “the nation is working with other G20 members to carry out the G20 debt relief initiative for low-income countries,” the Global Times reported, citing Chinese officials at a press briefing at the State Council Information Office. The debt moratorium comes after China announced in May it would provide $2 billion over two years to help other countries respond to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Ma Zhaoxu, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, said that the fund will be not only include medical supplies, but also support other countries restart their economies and development. Ma made the comment at the press briefing to release the white paper titled “Fighting COVID-19 China in Action.”

  China’s virtue signaling generosity did not end there: Ma added that China is negotiating bilateral aid with recipient countries in need in an equal manner to identify assisting projects to help developing nations improve public health standards, improve their livelihoods and resume their economies. In short, China is preparing for one massive debt-for-equity swap where China will simply end up holding the equity.

  And speaking of taking over, China is doing everything in its power to get all global NGOs on its side, having made made multilateral donations to the World Health Organization of $50 million, and providing assistance to global organizations including the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization. China also actively assisted in the fundraising event organized by the Solidarity Response Fund of the WHO in China; we can only imagine that’s the reason why the WHO transformed into China’s PR agency since the coronavirus outbreak.

   

  

• Media's 'Racial Injustice' Blind Spot: Over 30 Shot In Another Deadly Chicago Weekend
  Media’s ‘Racial Injustice’ Blind Spot: Over 30 Shot In Another Deadly Chicago Weekend
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 22:35

  Though largely overlooked and ignored in the now 24/7 mainstream network coverage of racial injustice in America, Chicago witnessed another deadly weekend of inner-city black on black gang-related violence, with over 30 people shot. 

  “Three people are dead and at least 28 others have been injured in shootings across the city this weekend,” a Chicago NBC affiliate reports.

  This after on the same Memorial Day weekend that George Floyd was heinously killed by police in Minnesota, Chicago had witnessed a whopping nearly 50 people shot in one of the city’s deadliest ever holiday weekends (where ten died from their wounds, including young people).

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  At a moment “Black Lives Matter” chants can be heard overtaking most every major American city, the now weekly reality of dozens tragically dying in black-on-black crime in Chicago and some other large cities (a trend that tends to increase into the hot summer months) remains a huge ‘blind spot’ in terms of the current ideologically charged media debate and public discourse. 

  The mayor has some advice, however:

  Chicago Mayor tells citizens to not use guns to defend themselves during riots…urges them to call police instead

  ha… pic.twitter.com/yaIJ3f0cyx

  — Lola Netty (@TXTrumpette89) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  It also provides an uncomfortable example and opening for questioning the pervasive narrative of ‘systemic’ and ‘structural’ racism, and other core dogmas centered on the idea of rampant minority oppression and ‘white privilege’. 

  These are BLM’s sacred dogmas which tend to shut out any dissenting black voice like the below:

  I’m a 33 year old black male and I have NEVER been oppressed. I eat, sleep and shit just fine like the next person. I can buy a car, I can buy a home, I can obtain a passport, I can WORK. I love this great country and proud to be an American. DAMN IT I’m not oppressed 🗣

  — James (@James78141017) June 6, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  But concerning these sacred dogmas — belief in which inevitably results in advocates necessarily perceiving black oppression everywhere — this is a moment where we should dare to ask the following question: do the core claims of the demonstrators in the streets stand up to empirical analysis and scrutiny? 

  One man did explore this below in an epic viral tweet thread. Here’s what he said:

  “I will lose many friends over what I’m about to say. I will possibly be called a racist or even a white supremacist (even though I’m a brown man, who’s been beaten to a pulp by neo-Nazis wearing steel toed boots)…”

  * * *

  THREAD
  I will lose many friends over what I’m about to say.

  I will possibly be called a racist or even a white supremacist (even though I’m a brown man, who’s been beaten to a pulp by neo-Nazis wearing steel toed boots).

  But maybe, just maybe, the fact that I am getting 100% of

  — (((Amir Pars))) (@AmirPars_) June 5, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  …But maybe, just maybe, the fact that I am getting 100% of my information from the black scholars in the picture – The Great Thomas Sowell, Glenn Loury, Shelby Steele, John McWorther, Coleman Hughes, Kmele Foster and Thomas Chatterton Williams, allows me some room for thought?

  I’ve been watching the narrative play universally over the heinous killing of George Floyd, and the complete and utter lack of facts about African Americans in The US has been infuriating.

  Unfortunately, anyone who doesn’t submit to the dominant narrative will be called a heretic, a racist, a white supremacist etc.

  Still, I can’t stop myself.

  1. Black Lives Matter don’t care about black people. Want evidence? Name me a single time – just once – when they’ve protested against black people being killed by other black people? Whether in America or elsewhere?
  Why is this relevant?

  Because the biggest cause of death for black men aged 15-45 in USA is… other black men. Compare to white people, where it’s traffic accidents for the younger portion and heart attacks for those over 35.
  Or how about the black lives in Sudan, East Timor, Libya?

  Why do we only ever hear from BLM when it’s a white person killing a black person?

  Total Chaos: Chicago Sees Deadliest Memorial Day Weekend In Years Despite Stay-At-Home Orders https://t.co/E29xGgDWIR

  — FreeZerohedge (@freezerohedge) May 27, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  2. Speaking of which – imagine if white people started doing the reverse. Imagine every time a white person was killed by a black person, there’d be protests, riots, looting and social media campaigns. First thing to notice is that it would be more frequent, because African Americans kill more white people in the US than white people kill African Americans. Now what?

  Should we really start applying the race card every time there’s a murder involving more than one pigmentation? Where will it end?

  3. Police killings. The video of the murder of George Floyd is so visceral, by showing the casual evil with which officer Derek Chauvin kills George Floyd. People are rightly outraged, and no one can honestly defend the officer, who rightly has been arrested and hopefully will spend his remaining years behind bars (although the prosecutor has been idiotic in moving the case from 2nd degree to first degree murder – a burden of proof they will most likely fail to provide).

  But… The only reason people are up in arms about these is that the social media and MSM attention focuses disproportionately on these incidents when the victim is black and the officer isn’t. Don’t believe me? Let me prove it:

  You’ve all heard of Tamir Rice – a 12 year old black boy who was murdered when brandishing a toy gun. It was all over the news, there were riots and marches, hashtags and universal condemnation all over the media. But how many of you have heard of Daniel Shaver?

  A man–he happened to be white–followed precisely the white police officer’s instructions as he crawled toward the cop. The cop still shot the man dead. Jury acquitted cop. No one protested, media took no notice, no one even knows about this. https://t.co/3xch6lQPQI

  — George Szamuely (@GeorgeSzamuely) June 2, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  A white man who was showing his friends a scoped air rife used to exterminate birds who entered his store, and was killed for this?

  You may remember the case of Sam DuBose, a black man who was shot dead for driving his car away from from the police. The exact same thing happened to before that to Andrew Thomas, a white man driving away from the police. None of you have heard of him.

  Alton Sterling was a black man shot dead by the police when reaching into his pocket for his wallet – a travesty.

  The same thing happened to a white guy named Dylan Noble. Sterling made national headlines, none of us heard a word about Noble. Loren Simpson was a white teenager who was shot dead by the police in eerily similar circumstances as George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin.

  You’ve not heard of the former, but demanded justice for the latter. You’ve not heard of James Boyd, Alfred Redwine, Brandon Stanley or Mary Hawkes. But you’ve heard of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

  Because the only times police killings make the news is when the victim is black and the officer isn’t. Here are the FBI, NCJRS and BJS statistics:

  For every 10,000 black people arrested for violent crime, 3 are killed by the police.

  For every 10, 000 white people arrested for violent crime, 4 are killed by the police.

  In 2019, 49 unarmed people were killed by the police. 9 were black. 19 were white. The likelihood for a black person being shot by the police is as high as being struck by lightning.

  Yet, we are seeing riots, every single post on Instagram and Twitter is in support of Black Lives Matter and denunciation of police in America…

  4. “Systemic Racism” / “Institutionalized racism”.

  Sound good, don’t they? Such powerful words… and completely inaccurate. First, let’s see what the claims being made are:

  Both insinuate built-in racism within various official institutions (police, law, governments etc).

  Yet, when they are challenged, by asking the proponents to provide *evidence* for these, nothing is provided. Name one single law that is targeting exclusively black people. Just one. There isn’t one.

  If the police is “systematically” anti-black, explain how it is possible that 20% of the Police Force in America is black (African Americans in America constitute roughly 14% of the population, meaning that blacks are *overrepresented* within the police force!)?

  Now, imagine how incredibly racist it is to say that the 100,000 plus black police officers are too stupid to know that they are working inside and within a racist institution? That really is racism. And none of them have come out and said anything???

  None of them have gone on 60 Minutes and said “We are being trained to be racists”? Seriously?

  How about governments? Well, let’s leave aside the fact that America just had a two-term black president (whose second name was Hussein, by the way).

  Some of America’s worst run cities have black mayors, black governors and majority black councils. Look at two of the worst cities in America to be black in: Baltimore and Chicago. Why is it that a place where the people in power are black can be *worse* for the African American Community, than cities that aren’t run by black politicians? This is a knock-down argument.

  5. Disparity.

  People often look at the economic disparities between blacks and whites, and claim it to be evidence for institutionalized racism. It says something about the power of a narrative, when it has been debunked decades ago – by BLACK ECONOMISTS (like The Great Thomas Sowell) – yet the myth persists.

  First of all, at no point in human history has any two groups of people had the same level of wealth or income as each other. It would be an absolute miracle to expect that people with different backgrounds, cultures, histories, values and ethics to have the same level of wealth.

  This is even true within so called races – compare for example Black Americans (generational) vs Black Immigrants… particularly the ones from West Indies (Jamaica, Barbados etc.).

  You couldn’t tell these people apart, just by looking at them, and whatever racism is in place for one group must by definition be applied for the second group.

  But what they have is completely different values and work ethics (the Jamaicans arriving in the US does so commonly to achieve greater heights than what he or she can in their home country). Whatever level of systemic racism exists, they are subjected to it as much as the African American.

  Yet, already in the 1970’s (!!!), when racism was far more prevalent than it is today, Black Americans from the West Indies were earning 58% more than the Black American whose generations go back centuries in the United States. How could that be, if there’s supposed to be such a thing as “systemic racism”?

  Disparities are only proof of disparities. Just because Group X doesn’t have the same as Group Y, doesn’t mean that it’s explained by racism.

  And why does this so called “White Supremacy” only run against one group of Black Americans? Why doesn’t it run against Asian Americans, who out earn White Americans by over 60%? Why doesn’t it apply to Jewish Americans? Or Indian Americans, all of whom earn more than… White Americans?? Maybe there’s something else going on…?

  In 1965, Daniel Patrick Moynihan published his report “The Negro Family: The Case For National Action”, where he saw that African American households were 25% single mothers – a frightening statistic that would have devastating consequences. Since then, Jim Crow laws and Red Lining have all been removed from the books, Martin Luther King Jr. and The Civil Rights Movement made tremendous strides and we’ve now even had a black two-term president.

  But, today, black households with no paternal figure, and only a single mother constitute SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT of all black households in America!!! SEVENTY FIVE!!!!

  Now you tell me, which is the better explanation for young black children ending up in a life of crime – the lack of a father figure, or the mythical, non-explainable entity known only as “institutional racism”, which for some reasons doesn’t apply to Nigerian immigrants, to black immigrants from West Indies, to Indian people, to Jewish people, to Asian Americans…?

  Read the rest of the Twitter thread, with source links, here. 

  

• Study Finds Extreme Protests Turn The Public Away From The Cause
  Study Finds Extreme Protests Turn The Public Away From The Cause
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 22:10

  Submitted by Simon Black of Sovereign Man

  New research shows that public support for a protest movement wanes as the protesters get more extreme.

  The study, published this year in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, says even protesters who are part of the movement become disenfranchised by things like “inflammatory rhetoric, blocking traffic, and vandalism.”

  One of the authors of the study said there is a strong backlash to extreme protesting.

  For example, they “found extreme anti-Trump protest actions actually led people to not only dislike the movement and support the cause less, but to be willing to support Trump more.”

  And the same held true across protest actions for both conservative and liberal causes.

  What this means:

  The evidence supports another study which found that since 1945, “nonviolent campaigns were more successful at bringing about large-scale political transformation than violent campaigns.”

  Since America is likely at the very beginning of a stage of unrest, this is important information to keep in mind for protest leaders and activists.

  But it also shows that those opposed to protests have something to gain by inciting violence.

  With this knowledge, whoever wants to discredit a movement–whether local police or political opposition–need only to push the protesters to extremes.

  * * *

  Executive order threatens to strip tech companies of key legal protection

  What happened:

  Twitter placed warning labels on a couple of Trump’s tweets, warning users of false information.

  Trump responded with an executive order that reinterprets a key section of the Communications Decency Act.

  Section 230 of the law gives immunity to platforms which host content created by third-party users.

  As long as a platform, like Twitter, makes an effort to remove illegal content, like child exploitation, they cannot be held legally liable for what users post.

  But the executive order reinterprets that immunity.

  It says that when these companies start removing or editing legal content, they are engaging in editing.

  And that, Trump argues, makes all content the website’s own published material, for which they are legally liable.

  What this means:

  Essentially the executive order threatens to strip Twitter and Facebook of legal protection if they selectively silence certain voices.

  That will open them up to being sued for damages, or being held otherwise legally liable, for what users post on the platforms.

  Conservatives may think this is great in the short term, protecting them from being “deplatformed” by left-leaning tech companies. But in the long run, weakening Section 230 immunity could be a deathblow to a free and open internet.

  A recent lawsuit by conservative platform PragerU against Google/YouTube argued that YouTube was censoring PragerU’s videos, rendering YouTube a “publisher” rather than a “platform” and therefore no longer immune under Section 230.

  The suit also argued that YouTube should now be treated as a public utility and thus prohibited from engaging in viewpoint discrimination. The US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit rejected that argument in February.

  * * *

  Lawmakers want to stop the transfer of military surplus to police

  What happened:

  In the 1990s, a program began to transfer excess military equipment to police stations across the country.

  Since then, $6 billion worth of weapons, armored vehicles, tents, and other surplus military equipment has flowed from the Pentagon, to local and state police agencies.

  Now it is common at protests, even peaceful ones, to see things like armored “Bearcat” vehicles, humvees, and rocket launchers (repurposed for tear gas) used against protesters.

  Some members of Congress are attempting to stop the practice with an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act.

  What this means:

  The NDAA is the regularly re-authorized bill that allows police to, for instance, detain Americans accused of terrorism indefinitely without trial, even on American soil.

  One of the co-sponsors of the amendment said, “The streets aren’t war zones. Our police officers aren’t military, and our citizens aren’t combatants.”

  But that is exactly how the Pentagon has viewed the citizens ever since September 11, 2001.

  The time is long past due to push back on the militarization of police.

  

• FBI Investigate Possible Link Between Recent Killings Of Law Enforcement In NorCal
  FBI Investigate Possible Link Between Recent Killings Of Law Enforcement In NorCal
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 21:45

  Federal agents in the Bay Area are scrambling to figure out whether the seemingly random slaying of a sheriff’s deputy in an unincorporated part of Santa Cruz might be linked to the fatal shooting of a pair of federal agents in Oakland late last month, as well as a handful of other crimes, the LA Times reports.

  On Saturday,  Santa Cruz sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, 38, was shot and killed in Ben Lomond, an unincorporated area near Santa Cruz. While pursuing a suspect, Gutzwiller and other officers, several of whom were also wounded, were ambushed by gunfire and explosives.

  At the scene, authorities arrested and booked Steven Carrillo, a Sergeant on active duty at the nearby Travis Air Force Base.

  Carrillo, 32, was a member of the 60th Security Forces Squadron, according to a Travis Air Force Base spokesman. And it also appears he might be the killer of several law enforcement officers during what appears to have been a multi-day spree.

  Carrillo was repeatedly shot while being taken into custody and is reportedly in serious condition. It’s unclear whether the explosives found in his car were intended to be used during a broader attack. The FBI says it is looking into Carrillo’s possible involvement in several other crimes last month, including an attack on two Federal Protective Service agents in Oakland last month that left one dead, and one critically injured.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Damon Gutzwiller

  It’s unclear whether Carrillo was acting alone, or if he might have been part of some kind of radical sleeper cell intent on sowing chaos during the protests. Carrillo arrived in the area in June 2018 when he transferred to Travis Air Force Base. One month earlier, his wife died from what police determined to be a suicide. Monika Leigh Scott Carrillo, who was also in the Air Force, was found dead in May 2018 while stationed in South Carolina.

  The two had been married for nine years, and had two children together. Carrillo will be charged with murder, assault with a deadly weapon and several other charges.

  Dozens gathered outside the sheriff’s office Saturday afternoon to pay tribute to Gutzwiller. His wife and child stood next to a photo of him and bouquets of flowers.

  Gutzwiller’s colleagues described him as unusually patient, always smiling and cracking jokes, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. Hart said he reviewed Gutzwiller’s personnel file last night, and there hadn’t been a single complaint from the public against him in his 14 years in the department.

  A Santa Cruz native, Gutzwiller’s colleagues say he was compassionate and a major asset to law enforcement in the area, thanks to his close links to the community and a reputation as a good cop. He was a loving husband and father.

  And yet, these killings, like other killings of law enforcement and innocent bystanders over the past 2 weeks, have gone almost completely ignored by the mainstream media.

  If there was a domestic terrorist roaming around NorCal shooting cops, don’t you think, dear reader, that the public might want to hear about it?

  

• Does Increased Violence Reflect An Energy Problem?
  Does Increased Violence Reflect An Energy Problem?
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 21:20

  Authored by Gail Tverberg via Our Finite World blog,

  Why are we seeing so much violence recently? One explanation is that people are sympathizing with those in the Minneapolis area who are upset at the death of George Floyd. They believe that a white cop used excessive force in subduing Floyd, leading to his death.

  I believe that there is a much deeper story involved. As I wrote in my recent post, Understanding Our Pandemic – Economy Predicament, the problem we are facing is too many people relative to resources, particularly energy resources. This leads to a condition sometimes referred to as “overshoot and collapse.” The economy grows for a while, may stabilize for a time, and then heads in a downward direction, essentially because energy consumption per capita falls too low.

  Strangely enough, this energy crisis looks like a crisis of affordability. The young and the poor, especially, cannot afford to buy goods and services that they need, such as a home in which to raise their children and a vehicle to drive. Trying to do so leaves them with excessive debt. If the affordability problem changes for the worse, the young and the poor are likely to protest. In fact, these protests may become violent. 

  The pandemic tends to make the affordability problem worse for minorities and young people because they are disproportionately affected by job losses associated with lockdowns. In many cases, the poor catch COVID-19 more frequently because they live and/or work in crowded conditions where the disease spreads easily. In the US, blacks seem to be especially hard hit, both by COVID-19 and through the loss of jobs. These issues, plus the availability of guns, makes the situation particularly explosive in the US.

  Let me explain these issues further.

  [1] Energy is required for all aspects of the economy.

  Energy is required by governments. Energy is required to operate police cars. Energy is required to build schools and to operate their heating and lighting. Energy is needed to build and maintain roads. Tax revenue represents available funds to buy energy products and goods and services made with energy products.

  Energy is needed for any type of business. Operating a computer requires electricity, which is a form of energy. Heating or cooling a building requires energy. Growing food requires solar energy from the sun; liquid fuel is used to operate farm machinery and trucks that transport food to the locations where it is sold. Human energy is used for some of these processes. For example, human energy is used to operate computers and farm machinery. Human energy is sometimes used to pick the crops, as well.

  Wages paid by governments and businesses indirectly go to buy energy products of many kinds. Food is, of course, an energy product. The heat to cook or bake the food is also an energy product. Metals of all kinds are made using energy products, and lumber is cut and transported using energy products. With sufficient wages, it is possible to buy or rent a home, and to purchase or lease an automobile.

  Interest rates indirectly reflect the portion of goods and services produced by energy products that can be transferred to parts of the system that depend on interest earnings. For example, banks, insurance companies and those on pensions depend on interest earnings. If interest rates are high, benefits to pensioners can easily be paid and insurance companies can charge low rates for their products, because their interest earnings will help offset claim costs.

  Interest rates are now about as low as they can go, indicating a likely shortage of energy for funding these interest rates. The last time interest rates were close to current levels was during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Figure 1. Ten-year and three-month US Treasury interest rates, in chart made by FRED.

  [2] When there is not enough energy to go around, the result can be low commodity prices, low wages and layoffs.

  This is not an intuitive result. Most people assume (low energy = high prices), but this is the opposite of what actually happens. The problem is that the amount workers can afford to pay for finished goods and services needs to be high enough to make to make production of the commodities used in making the finished products profitable. When affordability falls too low, the system tends to collapse.

  We are really dealing with a two-sided problem. The prices of commodities such as oil, wholesale electricity, steel, copper and food tend to fluctuate widely. Consumers need these prices to be low, in order for the price of finished goods made with these commodities to be affordable; producers need the prices of these commodities to rise ever-higher, to cover the cost of deeper wells and more batteries, to try to partially offset the intermittency of solar and wind electricity.

  Most people assume that the situation will be resolved in the direction of commodity prices rising ever higher. In fact, commodity prices did rise higher, until mid 2008. Then, something snapped; commodity prices have been falling ever-lower since mid 2008. In fact, ever-lower commodity prices have been a world-wide problem, causing huge problems for countries trying to support their economies with export revenues based on commodity production.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Figure 2. CRB Commodity Price Index from 1995 to June 2, 2020. Chart prepared by Trading Economics. Composition is 39% energy, 41% agriculture, 7% precious metals and 13% industrial metals.

  Even before the lockdowns, low commodity prices were leading to low wages of those working in commodity industries around the world. These low prices also led to low tax revenue, and this low tax revenue led to an inability of governments to afford the services that citizens expect, such as bus service and subsidized prices for certain essential goods/services. For example, South Africa (an exporter of coal and minerals) was experiencing public protests in September 2019, for reasons such as these. Chile is a major exporter of copper and lithium. Low prices of those commodities led to violent protests in 2019 for similar reasons.

  Now, in 2020, lockdowns have led to even lower commodity prices. At times, farmers have been plowing their crops under. Oil companies are laying off workers. The trend toward lower commodity prices had been occurring for a long time; the recent drop in prices was “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” If prices stay this low, there is a danger of falling production of commodities that we depend on, including food, metals, electricity, and oil. Businesses producing these items will fail, and governments with falling tax revenue will be unable to support them.

  [3] Historical energy consumption data shows that violence often accompanies periods when energy production is not growing fast enough to meet the needs of the growing population.

  Figure 3 shows average annual growth in world energy consumption, for 10-year periods:

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Figure 3. Average growth in energy consumption for 10 year periods, based on Vaclav Smil estimates from Energy Transitions: History, Requirements and Prospects (Appendix) together with BP Statistical Data for 1965 and subsequent.

  Economic growth encompasses both population growth and rising standards of living. Figure 4 below takes the same information used in Figure 3 and divides it into (a) the portion underlying population growth, and (b) the portion of the energy supply growth available for improved standards of living. During most periods, increased population absorbs over half of increased energy consumption.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Figure 4. Figure similar to Figure 3, except that energy devoted to population growth and growth in living standards are separated. A circle is also added showing the recent growth in energy is primarily the result of China’s temporary growth in coal supplies.

  There are three dips in the Living Standards portion of Figure 4.

  The first one, came in the 10 years ended 1860, just before the US Civil War. Most of us would say that was a period of violence.

  The second one occurred in the 10 years ended 1930. This is the period when the Great Depression began. It came between World War I and World War II. This was another violent period of our history.

  The third dip came in the 10-year period ended 2000. This was not a particularly violent period; instead, it reflects the collapse of the central government of the Soviet Union, leaving the member republics to continue on their own. There was a huge loss of demand (really, affordability) on the part of countries that were part of the Soviet Union or depended on the Soviet Union.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Figure 5. Chart showing the fall in Eastern Europe’s materials production, after the collapse of the central government of the Soviet Union in 1991.

  [4] The world is facing a situation in which total energy consumption seems likely to drop by 5% per year, or perhaps more.

  If we look back at Figure 3, we see that even in very “bad” times economically, energy consumption was rising. In fact, in one 10-year period, the average increase was more than 5% per year.

  If the world economy is reaching a point in which we consumers, in the aggregate, cannot afford the goods and services made with commodities, unless commodity prices are very low, we will likely experience a huge drop in energy consumption. I don’t know exactly how much the annual change will be, but energy consumption growth and GDP growth tend to move together. We might guess that GDP growth is shifting to 5% GDP annual shrinkage, and energy consumption will be shrinking by a similar percentage.

  Clearly, shrinkage of 5% per year would be far worse than the world economy has experienced in the last 200 years. In fact, for the 10-year periods shown in Figure 3, there has never been a reduction in energy consumption. Even if I am wrong and the shrinkage in energy consumption is “only” 2% per year, this would be far worse than the experience over any 10-year period. In fact, during the Great Recession, world energy consumption only shrank in one year (2009) and then by 1.4%.

  History doesn’t give us much guidance regarding what impact a dramatic reduction in energy consumption would have on the economy, except that population reduction would likely be part of the change that takes place. If half or more of energy consumption growth goes toward rising population (Figure 4), then a shrinkage of energy consumption seems likely to reduce world population.

  [5] What the world is really facing is a competition regarding which parts of the economy can stay, and which will need to be eliminated, if there is not enough energy to go around. It should not be surprising if this competition often leads to violence.

  As I indicated in Section [1], all parts of the economy depend on energy. If there is not enough, some parts must shrink back. The big question is, “Which parts?”

  (a) Do governments, and organizations that bind governments together, collapse? If countries are doing poorly, they will not want to contribute to the World Trade Organization, the United Nations or the European Union. Governments, such as the government of Saudi Arabia, could be overthrown, or may simply stop operating. In fact, any government, when it faces insurmountable problems, could simply stop operating and leave its functions to lower levels of government, such as states, provinces, or cities.

  (b) Do pension plans stop operating? Are pensioners left “out in the cold?” How about Social Security recipients?

  (c) Can international trade be kept operating? It is a big consumer of energy. Also, competition with low-wage countries tends to keep wages in developed nations low. Without international trade, many imported goods (including imported medicines) become unavailable.

  (d) Which companies will collapse, leaving bonds holders and stockholders with $0? People who formerly had jobs with these companies will also find themselves without jobs.

  (e) If the world economy cannot support as many people as before, which ones will be left out? Is it people in rich countries who find themselves without jobs? Is it people who find themselves without imported medicines? Is it the ones who catch COVID-19? Or is it mostly citizens of very poor countries, whose income will fall so low that starvation becomes a concern?

  [6] The violent demonstrations represent an effort to try to push the problems related to the shortfall in energy, and the goods and services that energy can provide, away from the protest groups, toward other segments of the economy.

  In an ideal world:

  (a) Jobs that pay well would be available to all.

  (b) Governments would be able to afford to provide a wide range of services to all, including free health care for all and reimbursement for time off from work for being sick. They would also be able to provide adequate pensions for the elderly and low cost public transit.

  (c) Police would treat all citizens well. No group would be so poor that a life of crime would seem to be a solution.

  As indicated in Section [2], back in 2019, before COVID-19 hit, protests were already starting because of low commodity prices and the indirect impacts of low commodity prices. One reason why governments were so eager to adopt shutdowns is the fact that when people were required to stay inside because of COVID-19, the problem of protests could be stopped.

  It should be no surprise, then, that the protests are back, once that the lockdowns have ended. There are now more people out of work and more people who are concerned about not having full healthcare costs reimbursed. Social distancing requirements are making it more difficult for businesses to operate profitably, indirectly leading to fewer available jobs.

  [7] Violent protests seem to push problems fueled by an inadequate supply of affordable energy toward (a) governments and (b) insurance companies.

  In some cases, insurance companies will pay for damages caused by protesters. Eventually, costs could become too great for insurance companies. Most policies have exclusions for “acts of war.” If protests escalate, this exclusion might become applicable.

  Governments of all kinds are already being stressed by shutdowns because when citizens are not working, there is less tax revenue. If, in addition, governments have been paying COVID-19 related costs, this creates an even bigger budget mismatch. Governments find themselves less and less able to pay their everyday expenses, such as hiring teachers, policemen, and firemen. All of these issues tend to push city governments toward bankruptcy and more layoffs.

  [8] Dark skinned people living in America tend to be Vitamin D deficient, making them more prone to getting severe cases of COVID-19. Vitamin supplements may be an inexpensive way of reducing the severity of the COVID-19 epidemic and thus lessening its diversion of energy resources.

  There are a number of reports out that suggest that having adequate Vitamin D from sunlight strengthens the immune system and helps reduce the mortality of COVID-19. Adequate Vitamin C is also helpful for the immune system for people in general, not just those with dark skin.

  Dark skinned people are adapted to living near the equator. If they live in the United States or Europe, their bodies make less Vitamin D from the slanted rays available in those parts of the world than they would living near the equator. As a result, studies show that Vitamin D deficiency is more common in African Americans than other Americans.

  Recent data shows that the COVID-19 mortality rate for Black Americans is 2.4 times that of White Americans. COVID-19 hospitalization rates are no doubt higher as well. Encouraging Americans with dark skin to take Vitamin D supplements would seem to be at least a partial solution to the problem of greater disease severity for Blacks. Vitamin C supplements, or more fresh fruit, might be helpful for all people, not just those with low Vitamin D levels.

  If the COVID-19 impact can be lessened in a very inexpensive way, this would seem to be helpful for the economy in general. High-cost solutions simply divert available resources toward fighting COVID-19, making the overall resource shortfall for the rest of the economy, worse.

  [9] Much more equal wages would seem to be a solution for wage disparity, but this doesn’t bring the wages of low earning workers up enough, in practice. 

  There are a huge number of low-earning workers in many countries around the world. In order to increase commodity prices enough to make them profitable for producers, we really need wages in all countries to be much higher. For example, wages in Africa and in India need to be much higher, so that people in these parts of the world can afford goods such as cars, air conditioning and vacation travel. There is no way this can be done. Furthermore, such a change would add pollution and climate change issues.

  There is a fundamental “not enough to go around” problem that we do not have an answer for. Historically, when there hasn’t been enough to go around, the attempted solution was fighting wars over what was available. In a way, the violence seen in cities around the globe is a new version of this violence. Governments of various kinds may ultimately be casualties of these uprisings. Remaining lower-level governments will be left with the problem of starting over again, issuing new currency and trying to make new alliances. In total, the new economy will be very different; it will probably bear little resemblance to today’s world economy.

  

• Police Chief Forced To Resign After Supporting Citizens Who Armed Up Amid Riots
  Police Chief Forced To Resign After Supporting Citizens Who Armed Up Amid Riots
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 20:55

  Lowell, Michigan Police Chief Steven Bukala was forced to resign on Thursday after 25 years with the force, after writing on Facebook in support of four young men who armed themselves against potential violent protesters.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Responding to phone calls that 2nd Amendment demonstrators were open carrying down Main Street, Bukala wrote on the Lowell Police Deparment’s Facebook page on Tuesday: “We are aware and no need to call us,” adding “We at the Lowell Police Department support the legally armed citizen and the Second Amendment,” according to WZZM13.

  After a flood of complaints as part of what WZZM says was a “pattern of inappropriate behavior,” the city manager told Bukala to resign by 5 p.m. on Friday or be fired at 5:01 p.m.

  A disciplinary action report from city manager Michael Burns said Bukala was directed to make the post so residents were aware of the demonstrators. But when Burns read the last line, it appeared to be a political position, “possibly escalating rhetoric.” 

  Burns asked him to remove that line, and Bukala responded with “This is a true statement.”

  The post gained some traction within the community, and Burns described the social media activity around it as “hostile.” The official Lowell Police Department Facebook page also added to the statement and defended it in the comments. 

  “People!” started one comment, which said Lowell has had open carry demonstrators in town before. “Yes people are hypersensitive due to the riots and anarchists that have come to Michigan. They are exercising their right to open carry. No one has to agree or disagree.” The comment was signed “Chief.” –WZZM

  Three days after a riot in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bukala wrote on his personal Facebook page: “So these fine young men called me today. They wanted to exercise their Second Amendment rights and walk down Main Street. They saw what happened in Grand Rapids. They said it’s not going to happen here. We have your backs. I thanked them for letting me know they were in town and to call if they see something.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  On Thursday, the Lowell PD apologized on its Facebook page, writing “We have made mistakes on social media this week, starting with an ill-considered message posted on the Lowell Police Department Facebook page. We then defended this message, arguing with residents or dismissing their concerns.”

  The PD apologized, adding “we must take this opportunity to listen and learn so we can work together to defeat racism and build a more just and equitable society. We can and must do better.”

  According to the city manager, Bukala was cited for violating city policy, including “conduct unbecoming of a police officer,” adding “Personnel shall not allow personal feelings to influence their professional conduct.”

  

• The Shallow Deep-State Goes Deeper As It Moves Toward Martial Law
  The Shallow Deep-State Goes Deeper As It Moves Toward Martial Law
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 20:30

  Authored by Edward Curtin via Off-Guardian.org,

  I am not trying to be cute and play with words. That title is meant to convey what it says, so let me explain.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The people who own the United States and their allies around the world have a plan. It is so simple that it is extremely devious.

  Their plan has been in operation for many years.

  It has most people bamboozled because it is Janus-faced by design, overt one day, covert the next, but both faces operate under one controlling head. Some call this head the Deep-State. Even the Deep-State calls itself the Deep-State in a double fake. It is meant to make people schizoid, which it has.

  The so-called Deep-State has been given many names over the years. I will not bore you with them, except to say that it was once called the power elite. They are the upper classes, the super wealthy who control the financial institutions, Wall Street, the intelligence agencies, the corporate media, the internet, the military, and the politicians. They are multinational.

  They are the wealthy nihilists who care not one jot for the rest of the world. They operate in secret, yet also run above-ground organizations such as the World Bank (WB), the World Health Organization (WHO), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), etc. Their bloodstream runs on war, the preparations for war, and economic exploitation of the world.

  All wealthy people are not party to their machinations, but they are almost always complicit in profiting from their crimes, unless they are very stupid. Or play stupid. Since I am talking about a great confidence game, that is quite common.

  Other people, all other classes, the poor, middle-classes, even a portion of the upper middle classes mean nothing to the power elite unless they can serve their interests. They are always waging class warfare to maintain their domination and control. Their recent version of this class war is underway in the United States and in many other countries.

  As of today, they are using race fears to create chaos and outrage to disguise their class warfare that is leading to the imposition of martial law. Soon they will shift back to the coronavirus fraud. Back and forth, in and out, now you see it, now you don’t.

  By shutting down the world’s economy, they have destroyed the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people and are creating poverty on a vast scale. Much famine and death will follow. In the United States alone, 40-45 million people have applied for unemployment insurance and job loss is the greatest since the Great Depression. The reason: a massive propaganda campaign created around Covid-19 fear porn.

  This class war is not new, but it is conducted today at warp speed since these people control the technology that has allowed them vastly increased power.

  In the USA, it is conducted as usual under the guise of Republicans versus Democrats, the two representative political factions that are the faces of the controlled “opposition,” who are actually allies in the larger confidence game. Keeping “hope” alive is central to their strategy. Mind control is what they do. Speed is their greatest ally. Race is central to their game plan. They always say they are protecting us.

  It is all a lie. A show. Nothing but a spectacle for the gullible. A shadow play.

  The current president, Donald Trump, is the choice of one faction of these psychopaths. This year, Joseph Biden, is the shaky presumptive choice of the other. Both are deranged puppets. Regular people fight over who is better or worse because they are living inside what Jim Garrison, the former District Attorney of New Orleans and the only person to ever bring a trial in the assassination of President Kennedy, long ago called “the doll’s house.”

  It is a place where illusions and delusions replace reality. It is 24/7 propaganda. It keeps people engaged. It gives them something to argue about, one team to root for. It’s a sport. It is similar to Plato’s Cave. Fire has been replaced with electronic lighting and screens, but little has changed.

  The sick system of exploitation is oiled and greased with the tantalizing bait of hope dangled for the masses. Shit slogans like “We are all in this together.”

  But there is no hope for this system.

  But when the propaganda is so slick that it creates a double-bind, people grasp at any neurotic “solution” out of frustration. As I write, huge angry crowds are out in the streets protesting the sick murder of a black man, George Floyd, by a white cop. Police infiltrators have started violent looting. Chaos reigns, as planned.

  Such killings are routine, but someone turned a switch for this one when just yesterday operation corona lockdown with its fear and fake statistics had everyone cowering behind masks at home as the economic lives of vast numbers were destroyed in a flash.

  For today, the masquerade is in the streets. Many good people are caught up in it. In a few days the scene will shift and we can expect another “bombshell.”

  These surprises will keep happening one after another for the foreseeable future. Shock and Awe for the home crowd. The war come home. The controllers know you can’t wage war against the rest of the world unless you do so at home as well.

  When one group within the deep-state won the internecine battle in 2016 and “shocked” the country with the election of the comical Trump, the other deep-state group called the Democrats, immediately set in motion a plan to try to oust him or to make it seem as if they were trying to do so.

  The naïve thought this may happen, and their deluded yearning has been stretched until the 2020 presidential election, although some probably think Trump might go before then. He won’t.

  So many people have destroyed their minds and relationships because they can’t see through the fraud.

  Early in 2017, as the outgoing front man for the CIA/warfare/Wall St. state, Barack Obama, left his time bombs for the future. The pink pussy hats were sent out marching to open the show. Russia-gate was launched; eventually impeachment was tried. The Democrats. with their media allies, went on a non-stop attack.

  It was all so obvious, so shallow in its intent, as it was meant to be. But millions who were in the doll house were outraged, obsessed, frantic with rage. They bought the con-game. Both those who hate Trump and those that love him have spent almost four years foaming at the mouth, breathless.

  Trump was cast as the personification of evil. A relentless attack on Trump began and has continued all this time. It is pure theater. Trump remains at the helm, as planned, holding the Bible aloft in a style reminiscent of a Bible thumping Klansman from The Birth of a Nation. Only the ignorant thought it might have been different.

  He knows how to perform his role. He is a fine actor. He outrages, spews idiocies, as he is supposed to do. That Mussolini style stance, that absurd hair, the pout. Just perfect for an arch-villain. It’s so obvious that it isn’t. Herein lies the trick.

  And who profits from his policies? The super-rich, of course, the power-elite.

  Who just stole 6-10 trillion dollars of public money under the hilariously named Cares Act? The super-rich, of course, the deep-state.

  It was a bi-partisan bank robbery from the public treasury carried out under the shadow of Covid-19, whose phony hyped up numbers were used to frighten the populace into lockdown mode as the Republican and Democratic bank robbers smiled in unison and announced forcefully, “We care!” We are here to protect you.

  Remember how Barack Obama “saved” us by bailing out Wall St. and the big banks to the tune of trillions in early 2009. Then waged unending wars. Left black Americans bereft. He cared, too, didn’t he. Our leaders always care.

  Obama was the black guy in the white hat. Trump is the white guy in the black hat. Hollywood on the Potomac, as Gary Wills called it when Ronald Reagan was the acting-president.

  Now Obama’s war-loving side-kick, the pale-faced, twisted talking Biden is seriously offered as an alternative to the Elvis impersonator in the White House. This is the false left/right dichotomy that has the residents of the doll’s house in its grip.

  If you can’t see what’s coming, you might want to break out of the house, take off your mask, go for a walk, and take some deep breaths. The walls are closing in.

  Knees will be on everyone’s necks in the months ahead.

  

• IceCap Asset Management: The Effectiveness Of Keynesian Economic Theory Has Reached Its End
  IceCap Asset Management: The Effectiveness Of Keynesian Economic Theory Has Reached Its End
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 20:25

  Submitted by Keith Dicker of IceCap Asset Management, as excerpted from his latest monthly note, “The Law Of Holes”

  Since the COVID Crisis accelerated in March, we estimate aggregate global losses and capital formation destruction to be $30 Trillion. We also estimate aggregate global stimulus to be up to $8 Trillion.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  For $8 Trillion to offset $30 Trillion, we need to see a rapid recovery dominated by an increase in the economic multiplier. A quick and rapid recovery will allow many losses to recover. A slow and sluggish recovery will cause many losses to become permanent. This leads us to ask what is reasonable to expect for a recovery period and the economic multiplier?

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The answer lies with the chart (next page) which details exactly how fast economic activity has been swishing around. M2 Velocity of Money chart produces 2 quite important messages.

  Everything has limits

  For starters, the maximum speed achieved was during the period 1995 to 2000, when it recorded the top speed ever  recorded of 2.20. In other words, the current $8 Trillion in stimulus would swish around to the equivalent of $17.6 Trillion of stimulus for the global economy.

  Considering we have $30 Trillion in estimated losses; it may take a bit more stimulus to truly recover. And even more importantly, to prevent many of these temporary losses from becoming permanent capital impairments.

  Of course, the estimate of the multiplier is never perfect, and the estimate of stimulus and losses are indeed estimates. In other words, there are a number of moving parts which means IceCap’s perspective might be off.

  However, consider what happened to the Velocity of Money from its peak in 2000 to current reading. It has collapsed from an all-time high of 2.2 to an all-time low of 1.4.

  What we find interesting and what helps us determine our market perspective is appreciating the response by the World’s major central banks to the 2000 Technology Bubble.

  The coordinated monetary response was achieved by reducing interest rates to the lowest levels ever recorded.

  In effect, it was the first time in modern day monetary history, that central banks effectively reached the limits of  Keynesian Economic Policy.

  When this fact is overlaid with the fact that the Velocity of Money subsequently began a 20-year period of deterioration, it catches our attention.

  Put another way, once the major central banks collectively cut interest rates to the lower bound, the effectiveness of Keynesian Economic Theory had also reached its end.

  Fast forward to current day, this makes us wonder how the $8 Trillion in stimulus will be enough to prevent permanent capital losses from the COVID Crisis. Our conclusion: it won’t.

  And because the $8 Trillion will be ineffective, and because the World’s policy makers continue to embrace Keynesian Economic Theory, we should expect to see even more deficit spending and bailouts, and even lower negative rates, and even more money printing to support credit markets.

  The effectiveness of Keynesian Economic Theory has reached its end. Yet, the continuance of policy makers ignoring The Law of Holes, creates visibility and opportunity for the investment world.

  * * *

  And this is where The Law of Holes should be applied.

  At every single event in this diagram, central banks and governments responded with increasingly more aggressive stimulus in the form of interest rate cuts combined with deficit spending.

  And since each crisis was larger than the previous crisis, it meant each policy response was even larger than the previous policy response.

  Continue reading in the full slideshow below.

  

• Note To Rioting Americans: Posting On Social Media After Curfew Is An Insta-Crime
  Note To Rioting Americans: Posting On Social Media After Curfew Is An Insta-Crime
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 20:05

  In a continuation piece of Public Service Announcements for America’s rioting class (parts one, two, and three here), this evening we are focusing on how protesters should avoid posting on social media past curfew hours because police in some cities are monitoring feeds and will issue curfew citations. 

  Milwaukee CBS 58 provided at least one example of this, after protester Demetrius Griffin received a rather odd citation in the mail last week. 

  Griffin said he was shocked when he opened up his mailbox and found a $691 citation from the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) detailing how he violated curfew. He spent the last five days marching and attending demonstrations and posted a series of images and videos on social media about what was happening on the ground, some of the postings suggested he violated Milwaukee’s 9 pm curfew. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  According to the citation, MPD’s “Virtual Investigation Unit” was secretly monitoring Griffin and issued him an instant-citation with him not evening knowing until he opened up his mailbox days later. 

  “Something’s not right about it, so that’s what I feel,” Griffin said, referring to the citation, and how it was issued. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  He went on to say the citation is a “scare tactic, they’re [MPD] trying to intimidate me.” 

  Milwaukee attorney Nicole Muller said she’s never seen a citation like this before but said others at the same rally received similar ones. 

  “We’ve received several inquiries from people who have not only received municipal ordinance violation tickets but also referrals and some criminal charges,” Muller said. 

  The citation does have Griffin’s driver’s license information and a signature by an officer, lending credibility that the citation is real, and suggests how ‘Big Brother’ is watching protesters’ every move. He said his First Amendment right was violated and trust in government is declining. 

  “They’re using stuff like this to make us shut up about our First Amendments because we are just out peacefully protesting,” said Griffin.

  Muller said any protester who received virtual curfew citations “should not pay the fine, but it is important people don’t ignore the citation, and instead take it to court.”

  “If you’re raising constitutional issues in litigating these citations, they need to be raised before your proceedings really start,” added Muller.

  Muller has another piece of advice for America’s rioting class: “Before you go out and protest, get a name and number of an attorney and write it on your arm.” 

  

• Futures Jump Above 3,200; Brent Surges As Dollar Selling Accelerates
  Futures Jump Above 3,200; Brent Surges As Dollar Selling Accelerates
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 19:45

  The risk-on euphoria in the aftermath of Friday’s blowout payrolls report, errors and all, has continued on Sunday night – as hedge funds (net exposure at 2 year highs), joining the retail army – and S&P futures have jumped back above 3,200 and are on pace to not only take out Friday’s intraday high of 3,210.5, but to go green for the year.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Supporting the bullish sentiment was overnight news that China’s trade surplus surged to a record in May as exports fell less than expected, while imports tumbled driven by declining commodity prices sales. A Bloomberg report that  AstraZeneca has approached Gilead about what would be the biggest health care deal in history, will likely spark a rally among other Merger Monday candidates.

  Oil is also surging after six straight weeks of gains, as Brent rises above $43 following Saturday’s OPEC+ decision to extend oil output cuts for another month, coupled with Saudi Aramco’s decision to hike oil export prices by the most on record.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The dollar has continued its furious decline, with the DXY index just shy of where it started the year!

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The EURUSD has continued its historic ascent, rising back over 1.13.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  As Nordea writes earlier today, we have had nine days of higher highs in EUR/USD driven by a combination of reflationary vibes and increasing momentum for the “Next Generation EU” debt deal. If we get another high in the Monday session – and absent some dramatic reversal that appears inevitable –  it would be the first streak of ten consecutive higher/highs since October-2010. 

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Investor now turn their attention to the Fed’s meeting on Wednesday, where Powell is expected to re-commit to using their “full range of tools” to support the U.S. economy during the pandemic, with some speculating that the Fed may also unveil Yield Curve Control to keep long-rates in check. At the same time, global governments are gradually easing their coronavirus lockdowns to revive growth while controlling the spread of Covid-19, even as millions of US protesters breached social distancing norms, potentially sparking a new round of infections, although good luck to anyone who tries to enforce another round of closures.

  In other news, the Minneapolis police department will soon cease to exist as the local city counsel decided to disband it, in an ominous harbinger of the chaos that may soon come to every major American city.

  

• Barbarians At The Mall
  Barbarians At The Mall
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 19:40

  Authored by Robert Weissberg via The Unz Review,

  What can be done about the current wave of urban riots? The obvious answer is, sad to say, not much. Public officials with only a handful of exceptions are paralyzed to respond with the necessary force lest they be accused of brutality and provoke yet more rioting and violence. There is some good news, however. Evolution matters—homo sapiens have adapted and survived worse. Protecting society from chaos is far from hopeless though not immediately. Solutions are possible and need not cost a fortune or require draconian social engineering to domesticate a violent under-class.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Let’s start with architectural adjustments, bricks and mortar fixes to use a currently popular term, are guaranteed to perform as advertised for the simple reasons that rich people for millennia have successfully protected their property from violent rabble. We already possess formulae. Medieval castles with their moats and drawbridges, stone walls and narrow windows may not have been totally secure, but hard to imagine today’s screeching social justice warriors looting it. Urban planners of yesteryear knew how to safeguard a city—think Washington, DC and Paris–where a few well-placed troops could block unruly mobs marching on the capital. County seats in American Midwest towns typically have solid stone fortress-like, easily defended courthouses, built on hills, obviously designed to prevent debtors from seizing and then burning their mortgages (think Shays’ Rebellion).

  This anti-looter architectural style has long been visible in “diverse” neighborhoods populated by a criminally inclined clientele. The distinctive and highly functional style features bars on the windows, cashiers secure inside bullet-proof plexiglass cages, and security cameras everywhere. Signs warn patrons that they are on camera and when these businesses close for the day, they are protected by steel shutters. Potential troublemakers know full well that the counter clerk is often armed, most cash is kept in an inaccessible safe and a large German Shepard frequently keeps the clerk company. Occasional news accounts tell of clerks shooting a would-be robber, so stick-ups are relatively rare.

  If the threat of mass looting becomes commonplace, this “ghetto” defense style is easily extended to more mainstream establishments albeit with better optics. In a word, commerce would be “hardened.” Target, pharmacies and even liquor stores can build fortress-like stores with slits smash- proof glass windows and a single impenetrable steel blast front door that can be closed by remote control from company headquarters, if necessary. As with Medieval castles, employees can flee via hidden passageways and safely re-emerge blocks away. Totally secure “safe rooms” might be available if the staff and lingering customers are caught by surprise.

  The modern mall—including downtown versions–will be totally re-designed to be entirely surrounded by windowless brick or concrete walls with a small number of quickly sealable entrances. Mall stores that have past histories of attracting looters—those selling sneakers, electronics, cell phones, for example, would be segregated to one section and if a riot occurred, a steel gate would be deployed to isolate them (high-priced Michael Jordans can be displayed only one shoe at a time with the second shoe kept at a secret off-premises location). Parking lots in the suburbs would have fewer points of entry and could quickly be closed to prevent the feeding fests that occur once it became known that a looting party was in progress. Access from public transportation, often the source of troublemakers, could be re-configured so as to better control entry.

  The recent shift to e-commerce also provides major opportunities for risk management. Stores like Best Buy no longer need to have piles of self-service merchandise so alluring to the grab-and-run crowd. Stores need only display a single (securely chained) model of a TV or iPhone, and if ordered, it would be delivered same day at no charge via Amazon or FedEx. Want it now? Visit the customer fulfillment center, a bunker-like building behind a ten-foot wall a half mile distant. Going cashless could also be extended and thus reduce looter incentives to damage registers and safes while providing quicker access to customer payments.

  Upscale, super-pricey stores that wish to keep their present ambiance can adopt a scorched earth approach, a military strategy that undermines the enemy by preemptively destroying anything of value—food, vehicles, industrial resources—before the enemy arrives. So, if the looters are milling outside a Gucci boutique, and the situation looks threatening, the staff will immediately spray paint or otherwise mutilate everything. This is not as draconian as it may seems since ultra-luxury stores stock minimal inventory (this conveys “exclusivity”) and extraordinary high store mark-ups limit actual monetary loss. Less obvious, these firms—Dior, Chanel, Fendi, Burberry etc.—anyway dread their brand being “ghettoized” so destroying them prior to theft is a wise business choice. Would-be looters are not that stupid—who would steal a shredded Prada or a Louis Vuitton purse?

  This conversion is not as costly as it may initially appear. Savvy builders favoring this anti-looting style would enjoy an advantage in today’s struggling commercial real estate market. Brick and mortar stores relying on e-commerce for partial fulfillment would be smaller with and thus would pay less rent. A powerful incentive would be reduced insurance premiums and, as an added bonus, the insurance firms would research looter behavior to advise real estate developers. City ordinances can also legally require anti-riot measures (“public safety”) just as they currently demand fire doors and automatic sprinklers. Laws might be passed to limit the number of unaccompanied minors allowed into stores at any one time to prevent a critical mass of unruly teenagers.

  Meanwhile, private security would be transformed. Gone would be the ubiquitous inoffensive, elderly “mall cop” terrified of racial profiling accusations and thus unable to deter young black troublemakers. Now fight fire-with-fire: hire security whose appearances terrify young would-be hoodlums. A few well-tattooed Mexican gangbangers might make white middle class shoppers slightly uneasy, but the message would unambiguous to blacks—don’t mess! Beefy Russians with gold teeth and thick accents would also do the trick.

  Looters sense cowardice. During the 1960s a pet store in New York City’s “Spanish Harlem” (actually an Italian enclave) went absolutely untouched despite days of nearby looting and burning. Not a single parakeet was inconvenienced. Everybody knew that the store was mob-owned, and the Mafia was not easily intimidated by local punks.

  The catalogue of adaptive responses to the breakdown of civil society is far more extensive than depicted here. Elon Musk and others can surely improve upon Tasers, pepper spray and tear gas. What about jamming or frying cellphones? During the 1960s I recall research on generating extra low levels sound waves that would induce an involuntary bowel movement. Concentrated cat urine might work better than tear gas. These would slow down any mob. The Covid-19 pandemic illustrates how people can quickly re-locate to secure persona safety, and telecommuting may take root not to escape disease but also to avoid young men outraged over America’s historic structural racism and economic inequality.

  Evolution saves lives. Not even feckless politicians and race-mongers can stop adaptions to avoid mayhem. Civilized people for millennia have successfully deterred the barbarians, so we are just reawakening dormant responses. Keep in mind that the modern style professional police force is only a little more than 200 years old, so it is hardly a core requirement of civilization.

  

• California Dismisses National Guard After Week-Long "Occupation"; De Blasio Plans To Shift Funds From NYPD To "Youth & Social Services"
  California Dismisses National Guard After Week-Long “Occupation”; De Blasio Plans To Shift Funds From NYPD To “Youth & Social Services”
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 19:22

  Update (1900ET): National Guard troops will be pulled out of California cities after a week-long deployment, according to the Associated Press.

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  As the mayors of Chicago, Atlanta, NYC & other major cities cancel curfews, incidences of rioting have been reported in Brussels, as the protests have gone global for a third day.

  “After nearly a week assisting civil authorities on the streets of California, soldiers with the California National Guard will begin transitioning back to their home armories,” the Cal Guard said in a statement, though a timeline for the pullout wasn’t provided.

  Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said some troops would begin departing Sunday evening.

  “A small number of units will be stationed nearby until June 10 to provide emergency support if needed,” he said.

  Riots spread around the world, with some incidences of violence reported in London and Brussels.

  In Iran, a street in Tehran was dedicated in George Floyd’s memory.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Meanwhile, a bit of levity in the UK:

  A BIT OF LEVITY
  pic.twitter.com/TsDrnhuiId

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  * * *

  Update (1400ET): After years of clashing with the NYPD and the powerful police unions who hold sway over America’s largest police force, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio has just announced a new policy that we imagine he has been secretly wanting to do for a long time: The mayor is planning to shift some funding way from police and toward youth and social services.

  Critics immediately criticized the mayor for taking another step to return NYC to the bad old days.

  This morning we committed to move resources from the NYPD to youth and social services as part of our City’s budget.

  Our young people need to be reached, not policed.

  We can do this AND keep our city safe.

  — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  De Blasio won his original dark horse campaign by promising to reform the NYPD. Instead, he has mostly stoked acrimony with the cops, while failing to convince progressives that he is doing enough to implement the reforms they demanded. The latest crisis is giving de Blasio a chance to rectify that, but despite this, the mood inside city hall is said to be “one of despondence” as the city scrambles to prepare for Monday’s reopening as many departments see their relationships with the mayor’s office coming under unprecedented strain, per WSJ.

  Meanwhile, Gov Cuomo expressed “concern” that the protests on Saturday, some of the largest yet, while few arrests were made and gatherings continued long into the night, might worsen the spread of the coronavirus as the city prepares to start its process of reopening on Monday, per BBG.

  Responding to the left’s demands to defund police, a homeland security official told BBG that it’s “absurd” to talk about defunding police departments as a remedy for racial injustice.

  Meanwhile, in the UK…

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The man who defeated the Nazis…is now a Nazi?

  * * *

  Update (1225ET): As the battle against systemic racism goes global, demonstrators in Bristol have toppled a statute of Edward Colston, a British philanthropist who derived most of his wealth from the slave trade.

  STATUE OF EDWARD COLSTON TOPPLED AND THROWN IN WATER AT BRISTOLpic.twitter.com/Kc5Gt0KxUL

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  People in England just tore down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston and threw it in the river. The world has simply had it with racism.

  pic.twitter.com/CC17ZdkXkF

  — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  And just like that…racism has been destroyed.

  * * *

  Following another night of demonstrations across the US, and increasingly around the world, the NYT reported that “tens of thousands gathered in big cities like New York and Seattle and small towns like Vidor, Texas, and Marion, Ohio — in swelling crowds that have been multiethnic, spanning generations and overwhelmingly peaceful.”

  Though we’re not 100% certain about that last bit, it’s definitely notable that the protest movement has spread from Europe, Australia and New Zealand on to Asia, Africa and elsewhere, as thousands around the world support American protesters with shows of “solidarity”.

  Meanwhile, the coronavirus death toll in the US quietly surpassed 110,000 last night.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  Though the outbreak has slowed to a crawl in many former hot spots like New York, elsewhere, signs of incipient outbreaks have begun to emerge.

  Across New York City, peaceful demonstrators defied an 8 pm curfew as the NYPD mostly stepped aside, following a week of optically-terrible videos showing cops beating on kneeling protesters, badly injuring elderly protesters, and shooting journalists with “non-lethal” rounds. The police allowed the marches to continue long into the night, and in the morning, Mayor de Blasio tweeted that he would be lifting the curfew after seeing “the very best of our city”.

  New York City: We are lifting the curfew, effective immediately. Yesterday and last night we saw the very best of our city.

  Tomorrow we take the first big step to restart. Keep staying safe. Keep looking out for each other.

  — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Meanwhile, readers of the Wall Street Journal were greeting Sunday morning with a push alert heralding the results of the latest public opinion poll showing that Americans – by a 2-1 margin – are more troubled by the actions of the police in the killing of George Floyd and the ensuing protests,

  Among Democrats, an overwhelming majority (more than 80%) support police reform, while, possibly for the first time, a majority of Republicans (52%) said they are also more troubled by the actions of the police. Though the partisan divide remains stark, it shows that the demonstrators have been largely successful in their goal of swaying public opinion.

  What’s more: 80% of respondents said that – between the virus and the protests – their country is spinning out of control.

  Americans by a 2-to-1 margin are more troubled by the actions of police in the killing of George Floyd than by violence at some protests, and an overwhelming majority, 80%, feel that the country is spiraling out of control, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

  The poll also reveals striking partisan divides in how Americans view a pair of unfolding national crises, including the unrest sparked by the killing of Mr. Floyd, the black Minneapolis man who was in police custody, and the coronavirus pandemic, responsible for more than 109,000 fatalities in the U.S.

  Already, crowds have gathered in central Rome on Sunday morning for another day of demonstrations in London and other cities, as crowds chanted “Black lives matter” and “No justice, no peace,” thousands of people swelled Rome’s Piazza del Popolo, and in London, thousands gathered in several places. On Sunday morning, London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the protesters, and denounced a “tiny minority” who resorted to violence.

  The vast majority of protestors in London were peaceful. But this vital cause was badly let down by a tiny minority who turned violent. This is simply not acceptable, will not be tolerated and will not win the lasting and necessary change we desperately need to see. 2/3

  — Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  As more members of the far-left abandon the push for police reform in favor of police abolition, President Trump has latched on to these claims and seized the opportunity to tarnish Biden using his increasing deference to the Democratic party’s progressive wing.

  Not only will Sleepy Joe Biden DEFUND THE POLICE, but he will DEFUND OUR MILITARY! He has no choice, the Dems are controlled by the Radical Left.

  — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Trump also ordered the national guard to begin withdrawing from Washington DC, defying protesters who probably had hoped the president would urge an even more aggressive crackdown.

  I have just given an order for our National Guard to start the process of withdrawing from Washington, D.C., now that everything is under perfect control. They will be going home, but can quickly return, if needed. Far fewer protesters showed up last night than anticipated!

  — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Meanwhile, one California man – a purported “deescalation expert” – sustained a potentially life-changing injury after police appeared to shoot him in the groin with a rubber bullet, necessitating emergency surgery.

  A California man who has worked to help improve relations between the San Jose Police Department and people of color learned that he may not be able to have children after an officer shot him with a rubber bullet during a protest.

  While attending a protest in San Jose on May 29, the man, Derrick Sanderlin, worked to prevent rising tensions and calm demonstrators and the police alike, he said in an interview this weekend.

  While the mainstream press mostly brushed them aside, this weekend’s demonstrations were unfortunately pockmarked by violence perpetrated by deranged anarchists, who attacked a children’s hospital in Houston.

  RIOTERS DESTROYING CHILDRENS HOSPITAL IN HOUSTONpic.twitter.com/ZyfOr8msAK

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 6, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Sometimes, peaceful protesters were on the receiving end: In one horrifying scene, a car drove into a crowd of protesters in Brooklyn.

  CAR DRIVES INTO PROTESTERS IN BROOKLYN pic.twitter.com/aeJ3HayOx1

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Threats to burn down areas have been an unfortunate feature of many live-tv news interviews over the past 2 weeks, and Saturday night was no exception.

  PROTESTER THREATENS TO BURN THE DIAMOND DISTRICT IN NYC WITH GASOLINE ON LIVE TVpic.twitter.com/qDxwzTksFs

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 6, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  In one astonishing scene, protesters heckled Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey after he refused to commit to abolishing the Minneapolis Police Department.

  ASTONISHING SCENE OF MOB ASKING MAYOR JACOB FREY IF HE’LL COMMITT TO GETTING RID OF POLICE
  pic.twitter.com/UbyMZSTauX

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Calls to ‘defund the police’ are spreading.

  DEFUND THE POLICE, DC pic.twitter.com/eRIgBd1pTJ

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  It wouldn’t be a nationwide protest without the antifas in Portland stirring up chaos, as usual.

  LAST NIGHT, PORTLAND
  pic.twitter.com/5nWwRc5Fze

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  While Philly saw another day of massive rallies, vigilantes came out to battle with demonstrators once again.

  FISHTOWN PHILLY AT IT AGAIN. PROTESTERS NOT ALLOWED THEREpic.twitter.com/ANF6LtCy2Z

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Then there was this dude, who showed up to a rally in Toronto in blackface.

  MAN SHOWS US TO BLM PROTEST IN TORONTO WITH BLACKFACE (later arrested)pic.twitter.com/oO26pxVGGJ

  — The_Real_Fly (@The_Real_Fly) June 6, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  He was reportedly later arrested.

  

• A Bounce Is Not A Recovery
  A Bounce Is Not A Recovery
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 19:15

  Authored by Daniel Lacalle,

  The recent improvement in global PMIs and especially in employment in the United States have created a strong optimism in markets about the recovery.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  However, it is important to be cautious about a V-shaped recovery when the leading indicators remain weak.

  Eurozone PMIs (Purchasing Managers’ Index) came slightly above expectations in May, but remained in deep contractions both at the composite, manufacturing and services level.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  We must remember that a bounce like the one we have seen only means that the rate of deterioration is slowing down, not that there is a recovery. All sectors remained deep in contraction in May, but almost with slower rates of decline.

  At the global level, output indices rose from record April lows but still indicate a significant reduction in activity, led by Travel & Leisure and followed by transportation as well as Healthcare services, all showing record drops, according to Markit PMIs.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The United States’ job data for May was a strong positive surprise. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics admitted it accidentally miscounted 4.9 million laid-off people as employed, bringing unemployment to 16.1%, which is still much better than the 19% figure estimated by consensus, but not as strong an improvement as the headlines suggested.

  The main reason why we should remain cautious is because we now have evidence that Chinese activity has recovered at a slow pace, particularly in those sectors that are not supported by government spending plans. We must also take the bounce figures with prudence, as it is quite likely that most leading indicators will rise from the all-time lows of April, but high levels of unemployment in developed economies and an unprecedented increase in the output gap of most economies may damp the improvement in consumption and investment that so many analysts expect.

  Unemployment will be key to regain optimism about the recovery. When we see developed economies recover the levels of job creation and employment rates seen prior to the Covid-19 crisis, we may have confidence in a stronger improvement in consumption. However, it is now clear that even in dynamic and strong economies like the United States, it will likely take between 8 to 10 months to recover the full level of employment seen in February. In The eurozone, this delay will likely be longer, up to 24 months.

  Wages and savings are also key to believe in a rapid recovery. With the recent collapse of economic capacity utilization and the rise in inventories, it is hard to believe in a capital expenditure-led boost of the economy. Most companies will likely preserve cash and devote the next year to restoring the balance sheet, making it less likely to invest and hire at the same pace of 2019. Wages are unlikely to rise in this challenging corporate environment, but real wages -deducting the impact of inflation, even if it is low- may actually weaken in the forthcoming months. One thing that may support consumption in the following months is that the savings rate of households has risen, which might help support some spending in the months of July to September.

  In the next months we will have to monitor employment as the key driver of any recovery. The only way to support a service and consumption-driven growth will be with a strong rise in hiring intentions and at least stable wage growth. It is extremely difficult to be optimistic in the current situation even considering the May data. Until September we will not be certain if the recovery is real. Most of the positive data until then may just be rises due to the base effect of a very poor April.

  

• "A Police-Free Future" – Minneapolis City Council Votes To Abolish Police Department
  “A Police-Free Future” – Minneapolis City Council Votes To Abolish Police Department
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 18:45

  Update (2100ET): Here is the somewhat unbelievable statement from the Minneapolis City Council describing their “veto-proof majority” plans to create a utopian “police-free future”..

  1. Decades of police reform efforts have proved that the Minneapolis Police Department cannot be reformed, and will never be accountable for its actions.

  2. We are here today to begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department and creating new transformative model for cultivating safety in Minneapolis.

  3. We recognize that we don’t have all the answers about what a police-free future looks like, but our community does. We’re committing to engaging with every willing community member in the City of Minneapolis over the next year to identify what safety looks like for you.

  4. We’ll be taking intermediate steps towards ending the MPD through the budget process and other policy and budget decisions over the coming weeks and months.

  We cannot help but wonder if this is anything like what the constituents actually wanted as an outcome of the current racial-bias protestations.

  As former AR Governor Mike Huckabee noted:

  “I wish I had the U-Haul franchise in Minneapolis b/c all the same people will be bugging out to a place not run by loons and I could make a fortune renting one way trucks!”

  And Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw summed things up perfectly:

  “This is dangerous, counterproductive, and deeply irrational. “Defund the police” is not a call from the fringes of the far left anymore. It has gone from a radical slogan to actual policy in a major American city, within days.”

  *  *  *

  In a stunning harbinger of things to come across the country, on Sunday afternoon, amid calls for defunding police departments countrywide, the Minneapolis City Council members went one further, and announced their intent to disband the city’s embattled police department, which has endured relentless criticism in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd.

  BREAKING: Nine of the 12 members on the Minneapolis City Council have vowed they will work to end policing as the city currently knows it. Council Member Jeremiah Ellison promised the council would “dismantle” the department. https://t.co/OM0btcZbgG

  — The Associated Press (@AP) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  BREAKING: Minneapolis City Council members have announced their intent to disband the Minneapolis Police Department and invest in community-led public safety.

  — ACLU of Minnesota (@ACLUMN) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  “Community-led public safety” – is that like private militia for the wealthy and ____ for everyone else?

  “We are here today because George Floyd was killed by the Minneapolis Police Department. We are also here because, here in Minneapolis and in cities across the United States, it is clear that our existing system of policing and public safety isn’t working for so many of our neighbors,” Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said in a written statement Sunday. “Our efforts at incremental reform have failed.”

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  The City Council’s decision follows those of several other high-profile partners, including Minneapolis Public Schools, and the University of Minnesota, and Minneapolis Parks and Recreationto sever longstanding ties with the MPD.

  The announcement today also arrives after several members of the Council have expressed a complete loss of confidence in the Minneapolis Police Department.

  “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department,” tweeted Council Member Jeremiah Ellison on June 4, pledging to “dramatically rethink” the city’s approach to emergency response.

  We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department.

  And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together.

  We are going to dramatically rethink how we approach public safety and emergency response.

  It’s really past due. https://t.co/7WIxUL6W79

  — Jeremiah Ellison (@jeremiah4north) June 4, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

   In a TIME op-ed published the next day, Council Member Steve Fletcher cited the MPD’s lengthy track record of misconduct and “decades-long history of violence and discrimination”—all of which are subjects of an ongoing Minnesota Department of Human Rights investigation—as compelling justifications for the department’s disbandment. “We can resolve confusion over a $20 grocery transaction without drawing a weapon or pulling out handcuffs,” Fletcher wrote. 

  The last person to disband the police was Sting.

  — God (@TheTweetOfGod) June 7, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  As we reported earlier, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said last night that he opposed disbanding the police department at a protest organized and led by Black Visions Collective against police violence in the city. That answer earned him a thundering chorus of boos and chants of “Shame!” and “Go home, Jacob, go home!” The New York Times  – which has become the unofficial media arm of the BLS movement, and which will certainly delighted by today’s outcome in Minneapolis – called the scene a “humiliation on a scale almost unimaginable outside of cinema or nightmare.”

  Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is asked whether he will defund the Minneapolis police department, and is subjected to the most intense walk of shame I’ve ever seen. pic.twitter.com/3ZsbrIjIA2

  — Eamon Whalen (@EamonWhalen) June 6, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  “The last Democratic mayor, Betsy Hodges, handled the murder of Jamar [Clark] poorly. We told her she was going to lose her job. And she did,” Miski Noor, a Black Visions Collective organizer, said on Frey’s refusal to disband the Minneapolis Police Department.

  According to The Appeal, for years, “activists have argued that MPD has failed to actually keep the city safe, and City Councilmembers echoed that sentiment today during their announcement.”

  MPD’s record for solving serious crimes in the city is consistently low. For example, in 2019, Minneapolis police only cleared 56 percent of cases in which a person was killed. For rapes, the police department’s solve rate is abysmally low. In 2018, their clearance rate for rape was just 22 percent. In other words, four out of every five rapes go unsolved in Minneapolis. Further casting doubt on the department’s commitment to solving sexual assaults, MPD announced last year the discovery of 1,700 untested rape kits spanning 30 years, which officials said had been misplaced.

  While Minneapolis may be the first city to take this drastic action, it is hardly the last: the Council’s move is consistent with rapidly-shifting public opinion regarding the urgency of overhauling the American model of law enforcement. Since Floyd’s killing and the protests that ensued, officials in Los Angeles and New York City have called for making deep cuts to swollen police budgets and reallocating those funds for education, affordable housing, and other social services.

  Law enforcement officers are not equipped to be experts in responding to mental health crises, often leading to tragic results—nationally, about half of police killings involve someone living with mental illness or disability. As a result, public health experts have long advocated for dispatching medical professionals and/or social workers, not armed police, to respond to calls related to substance use and mental health. Polling from Data for Progress indicates that more than two-thirds of voters—68 percent—support the creation of such programs, versions of which are already in place in other cities such as, Eugene, Oregon; Austin, Texas; and Denver, Colorado. 

  Well, all those residents of deeply liberal cities are about to get precisely what they want:

  “Our commitment is to do what is necessary to keep every single member of our community safe and to tell the truth that the Minneapolis Police are not doing that,” Bender said Sunday. “Our commitment is to end our city’s toxic relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department, to end policing as we know it, and to recreate systems of public safety that actually keep us safe.”

  We look forward to finding out just what these “systems” are, and while we know that wealthy residents will have little trouble in obtaining their own private security squads and militia – in fact, we are certain that Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari will be among the first to take advantage of security alternatives even as the Fed’s actions continue to tea apart the nation leading to even greater wealth and income inequality that has culminated in the current social collapse, we wonder just who will protect the less affluent segments of society. For the answer we will keep a close eye on downtown Minneapolis, now police free, for a glimpse into the future of America’s inner cities.

  Meanwhile watch as gun sales in Minneapolis – both legal and illegal – and in every other city across the country, explode.

  

• Major Bicycle Brand Suspends Sales To Police Claiming Bikes 'Weaponized' Against Protesters
  Major Bicycle Brand Suspends Sales To Police Claiming Bikes ‘Weaponized’ Against Protesters
  
  Tyler Durden
  
  Sun, 06/07/2020 – 18:25

  The past couple weeks of George Floyd protests and unrest has produced the somewhat new phenomenon of some local restaurants and cafes in big cities like Atlanta or New York City refusing to serve police. This as a driving “anti-cop” ideology has been central in many instances where initially ‘peaceful’ demonstrations have broken out into violence and rioting.

  But one 120-year old company has now suspended all sales of police bicycles to law enforcement departments nationwide amid activist claims that officers are using them as “weapons” against protesters.

  <!–[if IE 9]><![endif]–>

  

  The North American distributor of Fuji Bicycles BikeCo, said in a weekend statement: “to hear that there are instances where bicycles have been used as a weapon against those who are vulnerable, those speaking out against the unjust treatment of people of color, and those standing alongside them advocating change, has deeply upset our community, our company and the heart of the Fuji brand.” 

  “In the last week, we have seen our bicycles used in violent tactics that we did not intend or design them to be used for,” the company said, and vowed: “In an effort to work towards real change, Bike Co. the North American distributor of Fuji Bikes is suspending the sale of police bikes.”

  However, some observers noted the Philadelphia-based company didn’t provide a single specific example of police using a Fuji bike as a weapon in the lengthy company statement.

  A biker gang brutally beat these protesters in Philly today. pic.twitter.com/r1TzXrOpNW

  — Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) June 5, 2020

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  One police and law enforcement industry journal commented cynically in response: 

  Well, two can play this silly game. Law enforcement certainly has the right to “suspend” all purchases of Fuji Bikes forever.

  There have been examples circulating on social media of police lines holding back large groups of protesters using bikes.

  But it’s unclear whether these particular instances involve Fuji bikes, or other popular brands like Trek.