Tag: opinion

No MASKS!

I believe my best offense is a good defense. My body has a functioning immune system and I think it knows how to use it.

I do not wear a “Mask”. Public or private I have yet to don one. If a business requires me to wear one, I just do not give that business my business, I go elsewhere. I do respect a business’s right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason. I have stated I cannot wear one and many have accepted that without question. The ones who yell to GET OUT!! I simply turn and walk away, never to return.

For my reasons. First, I do not believe this virus is anywhere near the threat it is made out to be, not at all. It has over a 90-some percent survival and I believe, 99%+ survival rate in non-… what is the word they use… susceptible or something… groups, like being aged with other health issues that ANY flu would complicate. From all I can read it has a better survival rate that many “seasonal flu” pandemics. Yeah, I used their word, pandemic, because the seasonal flu is a pandemic. They just have never called it that before. It sounds much scarier.

What give me the most reason for this is using my eyes to observe. Think about this. Our politicians must have known about this from day 3 or 4, at the latest. You can’t convince me that no one in the US Government did not know something was up in China. Did any of the Congress-critters run to their little hidey holes and disappear? No? What would be the first thing you would do if you were “in the know” and found out a deadly, killer virus was just released in China? You knew within a few days or weeks it was going to be rolling across the world. Me? I would be stocked up and holed up in my little safe space not letting anyone or anything near me under threat of death. Yet Nancy Pelosi, whom I would consider as in the know as anyone, went to Chinatown 2 months into it and was interacting with the general public, no safeguards at all, no mask, no distancing, nothing. Look at what all the other “in the know” politicians were doing also. None went into hiding from it, none.

I do not know how it is transmitted but from what I can discern it is the same as any seasonal flu. Being around a lot of folks who have it, gives you a better chance to catch it. Avoid crowds as much as possible. Basic sanitation will help avoid it also. No, not sanitizing everything you touch or after you touch everything. That is ridiculous.

I believe my best offense is a good defense. My body has a functioning immune system and I think it knows how to use it. I eat dirt on a regular basis to help boost it. Yes, I go out in the garden and simply rinse the soil off stuff and eat them raw. I get lots of little bugs and bacteria that way. I also interact with the general public, mostly neighbors. This gives me exposure to small amounts of whatever “bugs” are floating around and give my body a taste of them so it can build antibodies. Do this regularly and it can adapt much better to the new, seasonal varieties as they are all similar to the last one. Covid is no different. Sars-Covid it is called. Remember the Sars death virus that was going to kill us all off? Sanitize everything in your environment, and your body has no chance to build a functioning immune system.

For the mask. No public official has given any warnings about proper use of “The Mask”. That raises the flag for me. It is just “Mandating” everyone wear one. Doesn’t it seem odd that no “instructions” or specifications went with this mandate? We just need to wear a face covering, is all I have heard. If they were all that concerned wouldn’t precautions be sent out also? What kind of “mask” is most effective? How to properly wear one. Proper sanitizing of one. Nothing.

For folks using “The Mask” what about after they touch it? Their hands are now contaminated and everything they touch is also. If they pull it down, then back up, any disease that was on the outside, is now on the inside! Folks use the same mask for days, no one warned them not to. Just NEED to use one. How about how long to have one on? Isn’t wearing one harmful to ones health? Build up of carbon dioxide, lack of oxygen in the system, re-breathing your exhaled breath… There is a long list of cons against wearing a piece of cloth over your nose and mouth all day. What about the eye membranes? They would be just as susceptible to virus entry and breathing them in. No mention of covering your eyes with anything.

After all that I make my way to the “shutdown”. The big elephant in the room. It was simply a blanket “shut it down”. Everything. Doesn’t that strike you as odd? Then, certain “essential” businesses were given exception to open. Remember the lists of “essential businesses”? Remember the lists of things folks were not allowed to buy? Paint. We can’t buy paint but we can buy anything else in that same store? Now about the lists of non-acceptable activities? There is a real winner there. You can’t go out to a park, or go fishing, In a whole state like Washington you cannot go fishing, anywhere!! You can go to the beach, but you can’t go swimming. Some places you can’t even go to the beach, others you can, but can’t have a chair. No rhyme or reason to any of it, none. That tells me they do not have a clue.

And this blanket “shut it all down” was for everyone, small and big. A place like NYC had the same restrictions as small-town flyover country. No tailoring it to anything. No partial, not hotspot shutdown, everywhere. Another no clue situation here.

Overall, no one has given me any reason to suspect I have to do any of the things they are “mandating”” besides the fact they say so under penalty of being thrown in jail. But wait! They can’t throw me in jail because they are letting prisoners OUT of jail.

How about the “mostly peaceful protests”. Just think back to the restrictions put on the general public and how they are different for the BLM “mostly peaceful protestors”. If that doesn’t tell you they do not have a clue about any of this, nothing will.

I will leave this long, too long… part with what about my rights here in what still is the United States of America. It is not the Governments place to be dictating what I can and cannot do as long as it is still legal. As far as I have heard, no one has created any laws that I have to abide by in this Coivd thing, none. A “mandate” is not a law passed by a house in the legislature by our elected officials.

Americans don’t know what they don’t know

TRUE OR FALSE QUIZ

A. “Socialism is good because social means living together.”
B. “Governance is important to restrain and control bad humans who need punishment. Self government is anarchy.”
C. “Only governments should have weapons so that bad people will fear government.”
D. “There’s nothing wrong with a government requiring our obedience and wealth in order for it to survive and grow.”
E. “The rich should support the poor, because the rich got rich by oppressing the poor.”
F. “Whatever is not mandatory, regulated, taxed, or permitted, should be forbidden.”
G. “Only governments should have the power to create new money. Everyone else is not trustworthy.”
H. “Rules and regulations are the only way to insure that people are held accountable for the harm they may do to others, even when there’s no injured party.”
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If American governments are instituted to secure endowed rights to life (natural rights), liberty (natural and personal liberty), absolute ownership of private property, inherent powers, and nothing more without consent of the governed, then all of the above are false.

Americans who have not consented, retain their natural rights to life, and to do all harmless activities in support of that life, as well as defend that life with whatever they deem necessary for the task, including firearms.

American nationals / Free inhabitants domiciled upon private property, have dominion over said property (natural liberty), and the right to travel upon all public roads and waterways (personal liberty). Outside of those liberties, one may need permission lest they commit a trespass upon the private property of another.

NATURAL RIGHTS – … are the rights of life, liberty, privacy, and good reputation.
– – – Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed., p. 1324

NATURAL LIBERTY – The power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, unless by the law of nature. The right which nature gives to all mankind of disposing of their persons and property after the manner in which they judge most consistent with their happiness, on condition of their acting within the limits of the law of nature, and so as not to interfere in the equal exercise of the same rights by other men. 1 Blackstone’s Commentaries, 123,
– – – Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth edition, p. 919.

PERSONAL LIBERTY – The right or power of locomotion; of changing situation, or moving one’s person to whatsoever place one’s own inclination may direct, without imprisonment or restraint, unless by due course of law. 1 Bl. Comm. 125.
– – – Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed., p. 919

TRAVEL – Within the meaning of a constitutional right to travel, means migration with intent to settle and abide.
– – – Black’s Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed., p.1500

” PERSONAL LIBERTY, or the Right to enjoyment of life and liberty, is one of the fundamental or natural Rights, which has been protected by its inclusion as a guarantee in the various constitutions, which is not derived from, or dependent on, the U.S. Constitution, which may not be submitted to a vote and may not depend on the outcome of an election. It is one of the most sacred and valuable Rights, as sacred as the Right to private property…and is regarded as inalienable.”
– – – 16 Corpus Juris Secundum, Constitutional Law, Sect.202, p.987.

PRIVATE PROPERTY – “As protected from being taken for public uses, is such property as belongs absolutely to an individual, and of which he has the exclusive right of disposition. Property of a specific, fixed and tangible nature, capable of being in possession and transmitted to another, such as houses, lands, and chattels.”
– – – Black’s Law dictionary, sixth ed., p.1217

” PERSONAL LIBERTY largely consists of the Right of locomotion to go where and when one pleases only so far restrained as the Rights of others may make it necessary for the welfare of all other citizens. The Right of the Citizen to travel upon the public highways and to transport his property thereon, by horsedrawn carriage, wagon, or AUTOMOBILE, is not a mere privilege which may be permitted or prohibited at will, but the common Right which he has under his Right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Under this Constitutional guarantee one may, therefore, under normal conditions, travel at his inclination along the public highways or in public places, and while conducting himself in an orderly and decent manner, neither interfering with nor disturbing another’s Rights, he will be protected, not only in his person, but in his safe conduct.”
– – – II Am.Jur. (1st) Constitutional Law, Sect.329, p.1135.

Of course, once you consent to be governed, shut up, sit down, pay and obey. . .

(In addition, thanks to the State of emergency declared in 1933, many constitutional prohibitions and requirements were bypassed.)

Prayer for Saturday, July 25, 2020

And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

Josephus says, the word “jobel” or “jubilee” signifies “liberty”: unto all the inhabitants thereof;

The times they are a-changin’

If tourism doesn’t rebound very quickly, all the local economies that became hyperspecialized to serve global tourism (enabled by low-cost airfares and credit cards) will be gutted.

It has been said that what goes around, comes around. In some ways Bob Dylan’s 1964 song seems prophetic.

Come gather ’round people, wherever you roam

And admit that the waters around you have grown

And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you is worth saving

Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone

For the times, they are a-changin’

Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide, the chance won’t come again

And don’t speak too soon, for the wheel’s still in spin

And there’s no tellin’ who that it’s namin’

For the loser now will be later to win

For the times, they are a-changin’

Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call

Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall

For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled

The battle outside ragin’

Will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls

For the times, they are a-changin’

While the mainstream media understandably focuses on the here and now of the pandemic, some commentators are looking at the long-term consequences.

Indirect effect: the profoundly negative impact of a hyperspecialized economy that is suddenly disrupted. In this case, the specialization is tourism, but there are other examples, many driven by hyper-globalization.

Specialization has long been central to capitalism’s relentless drive to increase efficiencies and thus profits, and globalization has pushed specialization to extremes globally dominant corporations can arbitrage currencies, wages, political corruption and lax environmental standards in ways that localized competitors cannot.

The net result is increasing reliance on one globally competitive industry for jobs, tax revenues, etc.–in essence, the modern-day equivalent of a monoculture plantation or single-industry factory town.

When the plantation or factory closes, there’s no economically diverse ecosystem to pick up the slack.

If tourism doesn’t rebound very quickly, all the local economies that became hyperspecialized to serve global tourism (enabled by low-cost airfares and credit cards) will be gutted.

The second order effect of the pandemic will be the wrenching transformation of these local economies into a much broader economic ecosystem that will have to be moated from globalized competition. For example, grapes flown in from locales 3,000 miles away will be banned or heavily taxed so local grapes can compete.

The cost structure of most small enterprises was burdensome even in the best of times: rent, utilities, fees, taxes, regulatory compliance, insurance, labor overhead and so on are now crushingly costly, and once revenues decline by even modest amounts, the small businesses are no longer viable.

Costs such as rent, healthcare insurance, local fees and taxes are notoriously “sticky,” meaning the default setting is to ratchet ever higher. These costs don’t drop unless there is a full-blown crisis such as mass bankruptcies of commercial landlords and cities.

Thus we can anticipate a culling of all the marginal, struggling small businesses in the pandemic recession, and a weak or non-existent emergence of new businesses in the future to replace those lost, as revenues will remain weak while costs will only increase.

This will most likely be accelerated by the draconian measures instituted for “the greater good” such as mandatory masking and social distancing.

The world has changed, and the only things we know with certainty are 1) a return to the pre-“pandemic” status quo is not possible and 2) this is not a positive development.

Tyranny

The recent shut down of our society by state and local government with little or no input from those being governed falls under the classic definition of tyranny.

Tyranny is an autocratic form of rule in which one individual exercised power without any legal restraint. The word tyranny is usually pejorative and connotes the illegitimate possession or use of such power.

The recent shut down of our society by state and local government with little or no input from those being governed falls under the classic definition of tyranny.

The most-significant change in the conception of tyranny from the ancient world to the modern lies in the role of the people under a tyrant.

In ancient times tyrants tended to be popular, because the people saw them as upholding their interests. Tyrants often introduced measures to improve the economic and social status of the poor; it was the aristocracy (who wrote the histories) who tended to oppose tyranny, because, in bypassing the constitution, tyranny threatened their traditional privileges.

But as absolute rule became established in the Roman Empire, the terms of debate shifted, focusing on the question of when monarchic power became tyrannical in nature.

From that springs the idea of tyranny in its modern sense: a situation in which the power of the ruler outweighs that of the ruled. That definition allows even a representative government to be labeled a tyranny.

A Bob Dylan protest song from 1965 has lyrics that could have just as easily been written today.

“A question in your nerves is lit

Yet you know there is no answer fit to satisfy

Insure you not to quit

To keep it in your mind and not forget

That it is not he or she or them or it

That you belong to

Although the masters make the rules

For the wise men and the fools

I got nothing, Ma, to live up to

For them that must obey authority

That they do not respect in any degree

Who despise their jobs, their destinies

Speak jealously of them that are free

Do what they do just to be nothing more than something they invest in.

OBEY!

They control your mind. They control you through fear. They control you by convincing you that the world is a scary dangerous place, but they’re here to protect you, care for you, and keep you safe, just as long as you OBEY.

We as a society conform to the idea that it is always necessary to obey authority.

This is such a normalized function of everyday life, that it has resulted in us losing sight of our own moral convictions.

Not every act of this expected obedience is conscious. We have fell into the habit of obeying first and asking questions later.

Even worse than that, we have developed a more destructive habit of not questioning authority at all. Our moral judgements have became clouded by our understanding of authority as well as the desire and expectation to conform with others opinions and actions.

From a very young ages we are taught not to question authority. It is instilled in our heads as children that authority figures are always right.

We are seeing the most draconian measures enforced at all levels of government that we’ve ever seen in our lifetimes, and yet rather than being alarmed by the things going on, so many of you applaud.

People are being arrested for spending too much time outside, and you applaud. Pastors are being arrested for daring to hold church services, and you applaud. A child’s birthday party is raided by police, and you applaud. A young woman is ticketed for going on a leisurely drive alone because it’s deemed “non-essential travel”, and you applaud.

A parade of school teachers and administrators who wanted to drive through neighborhoods and wave at children is busted up by cops because they were “nonessential,” and you applaud.

A lone paddleboarder in the ocean on a beach without any other people around is arrested because he’s violating quarantine orders, and you applaud.

People are being denied life saving medical treatments because they’re not a priority right now (not “essential” as deemed by the government) as the entirety of our medical system is focused on one thing, and you applaud.

Businesses are beings forcibly closed and padlocked and owners arrested for refusing to shut down, and you applaud. Dairy farmers and other farmers are being incentivized to stop dairy farming and to sell their herds, and you don’t seem to understand the implications.

You’re being told to use hotlines and online forms provided by your local governments to report your neighbors who don’t obey, and you comply.

You scold people day after day for not obeying government edicts, and if any of us dare to question what’s happening, you lecture about how we’re a danger to society and we just don’t care about people dying.

You’ve somehow managed to convince yourselves that the people whose lives are affected by a virus are MUCH more important than the people whose lives are being destroyed (and in many cases, leading to death) by the effects of a worldwide economic shutdown and impending worldwide depression the likes of which no one has ever seen before.

At what point will you start QUESTIONING what’s going on?

How far does the government have to push before you’re jolted awake from your slumber? How far are you willing to go with this?

If they told you to load your families onto train cars so that you could be taken to Virus Protection Facilities for your own safety, would you do it?

YES. Yes, you would.

That much has become painfully obvious to me. And the whole time, you’d be shaking your finger and yelling at those of us who refused, accusing us of being “a danger to society” and “not caring if people die.”

But they don’t have to load you onto train cars and take you to Virus Protection Facilities, or force you to comply, because you do that voluntarily.

They control your mind. They control you through fear. They control you by convincing you that the world is a scary dangerous place, but they’re here to protect you, care for you, and keep you safe, just as long as you OBEY.

They know that as long as you’re locked inside your comfortable home with Netflix, Hulu, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and a cell phone, while dangling a $1200 check in front of you like a carrot on a stick, you’ll comply. No force is necessary for the majority of the herd.
YOU ARE IMPRISONED, willingly, and you’re too blind to see it. “

As a man thinketh…

That we have had so much contradicting dialogue and that there has been so much censorship, we are left either holding onto what we think is true, or losing all faith in all sources of information and acknowledging we CAN’T know what’s true unless and until we dig into the data ourselves. The latter is a huge undertaking virtually no one is capable of doing.

Your thoughts affect your immune system. It can work the opposite way as well —-changes in the immune system create changes in your nervous system which lead to changes in your emotions. Quiet simply put stress and unhealthy eating habits can influence how you think and feel. Simply put – your mental state affects your immunity. Research today is beginning to unravel the complex connection between your psychological state and your immune system.

The immune system is comprised of organs, tissues, cells and cell products that all work together to fight harmful substances like the pathogens that cause infection and disease.

If our lives are greatly influenced by the hormones of stress, then the natural function of the immune system is suppressed, which leaves us more prone to illness or disease.

When stress is prolonged or unrelenting, it becomes known as chronic stress. Chronic or bad stress can be detrimental to mental and physical health.

Constant worrying about things like family or problems are examples of chronic stress. Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is another form of chronic stress.

The immune system is a collection of billions of cells that travel through the bloodstream. They move in and out of tissues and organs, defending the body against foreign bodies (antigens) such as bacteria, viruses and cancerous cells.
The main types of immune cells are white blood cells.

Being positive and having a healthy perspective could be the difference between longevity and disease. Every thought you have produces a chemical which signals the body to feel exactly the way you are thinking. In turn your thoughts will generate feelings, and your feelings will generate thoughts.

This creates a vicious cycle — being mindful of your thoughts in the morning could be the difference in what type of day you have.

The release of stress hormones is the result of a number of complex and interacting factors such as the interaction between the stressors and our perception of the stress.

How we perceive an event plays a very significant role in whether the stressor triggers our stress response or not.

Stop and ask yourself, if the media hadn’t been constantly beating the fear drum since last December about the Corona virus, would you have even noticed it?

Month after month, week after week, day after day, hour after hour panicky headlines predicting doom.
“US surpasses world in active cases of Covid-19” , “Hospitals overwhelmed, refrigerated morgue trucks brought in”… and on and on.

Contradictory “information” from “experts” that confuses us further. “Wear a mask”, “Don’t wear a mask”, “Heat kills the virus, go out in the sun”, “Stay inside and sanitize everything” until even the most sensible persons’ head is spinning and their stress level is through the roof.

Confirmation bias is, I think, a huge player these days. People live in an echo chamber. We listen to news we trust and deem other sources of being biased. We look for confirmation of our beliefs without analyzing the actual data.

That we have had so much contradicting dialogue and that there has been so much censorship, we are left either holding onto what we think is true, or losing all faith in all sources of information and acknowledging we CAN’T know what’s true unless and until we dig into the data ourselves. The latter is a huge undertaking virtually no one is capable of doing.

So when we see news reports like “96% Of All People Tested Are Positive, Most Asymptomatic”, how many of us actually get on the phone to call the facilities that provided this information to the news source? I found an article a couple days ago where Florida was found to be in error with regard to positive C-19 test cases. Rather than 96%, the number was 9.6%. That’s a big difference!! So was the error deliberate or accidental?

Evil or stupid?

That seems to be the recurring question of our times.

In my opinion, it is intentional and evil. The question you need to ask yourself is simply, WHY?

Two sides of the coin

It’s mall about control

I’ve seen signs in stores here to either have exact change or use a credit card.

On one hand the system wants you to cash your change in. This is not a real crises it’s the plan. Because real coin, even clad is a liability for the bankers/government etc.

For when we do go cashless, clad coins will hold value better than whatever digit system they currently have or will have.

I don’t understand, if there is a coin shortage due to less circulation and production, why aren’t Federal Reserve Notes also affected?

This causes people to think about the money hidden in their penny jars, piggy banks and safes. If the country goes cashless what will become of the stowed away cash? Is it now valueless?

No one seem to know where the coins went. So how come no one knows? Banks aren’t giving them out.

As usuall it seems like a plot, a conspiracy or a trick the government is playing on the people.

My bank now has locked doors. You can get in with an appointment only.

It seems like a plot, a conspiracy or a trick the government is playing on the people.

I looked it up. There is $3,818,300,000 in coin out there. There are 320,000,000 people in the US including children.That means there is about $12 in change for every person in the country.

The average family of 3.5 – $42 in change

And people still believe they are having trouble distributing coins?

The best methodology for manipulating a situation is to take a real event and mold it to suit your desired effect. Is there some shortage of coins? Probably. Who knows how bad it really is?

I think those in control are wanting to go to a cashless society so they can track all purchases and tax,tax,tax.

It would not surprise me at some point that the government makes coins and later all bills illegal due to possible spread of Covid 19 and wants them all turned in. If you had any 90% silver coins, they would expect those to be turned in also at face value and not the “silver” value.

If this scenario holds true,paper money is the next to go. With no coin, there is no need for a mint with no paper money, there is no need for a treasury.

I think this coin shortage is a con, they don’t magically disappear,the mint is not releasing
coins, Some entities are hoarding them for their own reasons. Maybe to push cashless on us as suggested, that seems logical. Maybe hoarding because paper is about to be greatly devalued and coins historically keep their face value.

Say you’ve got a $10 bill and $10 in coins, the bill can be devalued to $1 but the coins are still $10 face value. This has happened several times with other nations. It’s kind of silly to think it can never happen here.

It seems to me if coins are disappearing, being purposely removed from circulation – SOMEONE is wanting them and wanting US to Not have them so maybe I’ll just keep mine and see what happens. who knows how they may come in handy some day.

Start to look at the big picture:

Elimination of cash transactions provides the alphabet agencies to review your history of transactions, payments, purchases and other incidentals.

Taxing authorities will now get more money. You capitalists are finally paying your “fair share”.

Government payments can and will be monitored.

Consider the number of people who have multiple social security numbers due to the mothers passing their kids to other mothers to file for more money.

Consider the fraud with welfare money.

Consider the money (in emergency cash payments currently), that low income people can get to go to the market. This can be validated.

This gives the ability to monitor spending habits (think suspected hoarders, or, if you prefer, preppers).

Child support payments.

All transactions outside government control.

Cash tips and gratuities.

Any and all under the table work for cash.

It’s all about control.

A Call To Action

Individual Health Is the Responsibility of the Individual, Not the State

Do I have to wear a mask? Should I just wear a mask to avoid being heckled or harassed? What if wearing a mask makes me feel unwell? These are just a few of the questions that people are grappling with as a growing number of jurisdictions nationwide institute mandatory mask measures.
At present, all but a handful of states call for mandatory mask-wearing, and many cities have their own mask ordinances.[1],[2],[3] However, I believe that wearing a mask should be an individual’s choice. A growing contingent of individuals are concerned that mandatory mask policies jeopardize bodily, civil and constitutional rights.


Mandatory Masks Can Cause Considerable Harm and Are Not Proven Effective
Evidence that face masks reduce the transmission of viral respiratory infections within community settings is equivocal at best.[4],[5],[6] A recent meta-analysis of scientific literature, including 11 randomized, controlled trials and 10 observational studies, found that there was no clear clinical or laboratory-confirmed evidence that masks prevent infection.[7]
To the contrary, the study warned that facemasks “…may even increase transmission if they act as fomites [objects or materials that are likely to carry infection] or prompt other behaviours that transmit the virus such as face touching.”


This echoes World Health Organization (WHO) guidance published on January 29, 2020 titled, “Advice on the use of masks in the community, during home care and in healthcare settings in the context of the novel coronavirus (‎‎‎‎‎2019-nCoV)‎‎‎‎‎ outbreak.”[8] In it, the WHO says, “Wearing medical masks when not indicated may cause unnecessary cost, procurement burden and create a false sense of security that can lead to neglecting other essential measures such as hand hygiene practices.” Furthermore, the January 2020 WHO guidance stated, “Cloth (e.g., cotton or gauze) masks are not recommended under any circumstance.”


Cloth masks have been found to be particularly problematic,[9],[10],[11] and some masks have raised concerns because they’ve been treated with a registered pesticide.[12],[13] A British Medical Journal (BMJ) study published in April 2020 cautions against the use of cloth masks, citing “Moisture retention, reuse of cloth masks and poor filtration may result in increased risk of infection.”[14] The WHO affirms increased infection risk with cloth masks in its latest June 5, 2020 guidance.[15] It based its guidance on an earlier BMJ study that found the penetration of particles to be 97% in the cloth mask group, with significantly higher rates of infection and influenza-like illness.[16]


A study on the CDC website that reviewed 10 different randomized clinical trials worldwide on highly infectious respiratory virus transmission found “no significant reduction” in “transmission with the use of face masks.”[17]


Given the lack of evidence for their use,[18],[19],[20],[21],[22],[23] and flip-flopping advice both against[24][25] and for their use by authoritative health agencies like the WHO, the increasing pressure to wear masks in public — and to be able to access basic services required to maintain one’s health, liberty and livelihood — constitutes an unnecessary power grab and means of controlling the population.


Fear Is Driving Violence and Aggression
Nonstop media and social media coverage of coronavirus has generated unprecedented levels of fear, panic and anxiety.[26],[27],[28] On June 30, Dr. Anthony Fauci warned lawmakers that we could easily see 100,000 new cases of coronavirus each day.[29],[30] Fauci stated that he is unable to accurately predict the incidence and mortality that the US will eventually see, but he declared, “It’s going to be very disturbing, I will guarantee you that.”[31],[32]
Some individuals are now fraught with so much panic and worry[33] that they are becoming violent toward family members[34] and anyone they believe is a threat to their personal safety. Aggression toward those who don’t wear masks is becoming is increasingly common and ranges from verbal threats, to assault and battery, to murder.


In March, an 86-year-old dementia patient was killed in a Brooklyn emergency room after she lost her bearings and grabbed onto another patient’s IV pole to steady herself.[35] The patient, 32-year-old Cassandra Lundy, became irate that the elderly woman, Janie Marshall, had broken social distancing guidelines and then knocked her to the floor.[36]


Ms. Marshall — who initially went to the ER for severe abdominal pains — struck her head on the floor, lost consciousness and died hours later. According to reports, Ms. Lundy, who has been charged with manslaughter, told detectives that she shoved Ms. Marshall because the elderly woman “got into the defendant’s space.”[37]


The Great Mask Divide
Masks have become one of the most controversial issues of our time.[38],[39],[40] Those who are seen in public without a mask are often judged and discriminated against,[41],[42] even if they have a condition that precludes compliance. Harassment and discrimination have become rampant,[43],[44] and fellow citizens are policing each other with very little to no knowledge of why someone may or may not be wearing a mask.[45],[46]


Even in communities that have mask exceptions for certain members of the population, those individuals are no longer allowed to fully participate in society because businesses are barring them or won’t provide services to them without a mask. It’s a breach of an individual’s privacy and autonomy to not be able to go into public without being discriminated against, and banning people from entering or participating in society because they don’t wear a mask violates their constitutional rights.[47]


These types of breaches have sparked lawsuits nationwide from individuals claiming they have been personally or financially harmed from mandatory mask measures.[48],[49],[50] Some also contend that forcing people with medical conditions to wear masks violates Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act,[51] which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability of “enjoyment of services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations by any person who … operates a place of public accommodation.”[52]


Individual Health Is the Responsibility of the Individual, Not the State
With unbridled governmental control throughout much of 2020 — under the guise of emergency orders needed to curb coronavirus — citizens from coast to coast have seen their civil, constitutional and religious rights trampled upon.[53],[54] An onslaught of executive orders have shaped nearly every aspect of our personal lives, from where we can go and what activities we’re allowed to engage in, to how we educate our children, to how we earn a living, to how we worship. [55]


They have also dictated which medical philosophies we embrace and which medical treatments we can receive. In doing so, we’ve been extremely restricted in how we’ve been able to care for ourselves and support our immune systems — and we’ve been asked to follow guidelines that are not evidence-based “for the greater good.”


Although the government plays a role in controlling the spread of infectious illness, adults are responsible for their own health;[56] each person has the right to responsibly make choices about what precautions and perceived risks they take. It’s not incumbent on government officials to direct individual health decisions, and granting them this power is dangerous. Individuals are much more qualified than public servants to weigh the risks and benefits of their own personal actions.


Public officials should not impose mandates to seek compliance. Mandates perpetuate the idea that individuals lack the moral or intellectual capacity to make sound decisions for themselves and their children, so the state needs to do it for them.[57] Individuals are capable of making responsible decisions,[58] and those decisions must take a person’s whole health into account.
The health of the individual cannot be forsaken or sacrificed for the collective. We can only have a healthy society when that society is made up of healthy individuals.[59] Health is a personal right and responsibility. It is not something that we should look to the government to bestow on us or guarantee.


Masks as “Submission Signaling”
There is no compelling scientific evidence to justify the widespread push to mandate universal mask-wearing.[60] The demonstrated risks [61],[62],[63] far outweigh the purported benefits. Whereas those who wear masks believe they are “virtue signaling” their concern for the weakest and most vulnerable among us, those who refuse to submit to authoritarian decrees do so because they believe that health is a personal responsibility — and that it is up to them to decide what precautionary measures they implement to avoid a virus with an estimated case fatality rate of .1% to .26%.[64]


At-risk populations and those who are sick can self-isolate, and society should take the best care of them possible. However, healthy, law-abiding citizens should not be forced to take any precaution that can result in physical[65] and emotional harm[66] and that impinges on their constitutional rights; this includes the right to bodily autonomy, the right to move about freely, the right to participate in society and connect with others, and the right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion.[67]


It’s Time to Stand – Urge Your Lawmakers to Make Face Coverings Voluntary
Never before has it been so important for you to stand up for your rights! Mandatory medicine and mandated interventions such as social distancing and mask-wearing have no place in a free society;[68],[69] citizens have the right to make responsible decisions about what is best for themselves and their children based on their own unique circumstances.
Please stand up against governmental medical tyranny.


References
[1] https://www.littler.com/publication-press/publication/facing-your-face-mask-duties-list-statewide-orders
2] https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-the-17-states-requiring-people-to-wear-masks-public-2020-6
[3] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/07/03/covid-face-masks-states-require-public/5371503002/
4] Med Hypotheses. 2020 May 19;143:109855.doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109855. Online ahead of print.
[5] Ann Intern Med. 2020 Jun 24;M20-3213. doi: 10.7326/M20-3213. Online ahead of print.
[6] medRxiv – April 6, 2020
[7] https://www.qeios.com/read/1SC5L4
[8] https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/330987
[9] https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/4/e006577
[10] Cardiol J. 2020;27(2):218-219. doi: 10.5603/CJ.a2020.0054. Epub 2020 Apr 14.
[11] The Epoch Times
[12] https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/tennessee-governors-free-sock-masks-treated-with-registered-pesticide
[13] https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2020/06/face-masks-that-contain-toxic-pesticide-distributed-in-tennessee-for-coronavirus-then-recalled/
[14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/#__ffn_sectitle
[15] https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/advice-on-the-use-of-masks-in-the-community-during-home-care-and-in-healthcare-settings-in-the-context-of-the-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov)-outbreak
[16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4420971/#__ffn_sectitle
[17] https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article
[18] BMJ April 7, 2020; 369:m1422 doi: 10.1136/bmj.m1422
[19] https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/04/commentary-masks-all-covid-19-not-based-sound-data
[20] https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/cloth-masks-are-useless-against-covid-19
[21] American Thinker
[22] https://www.rcreader.com/commentary/masks-dont-work-covid-a-review-of-science-relevant-to-covide-19-social-policy?fbclid=IwAR3XrEyWaRxO8qWOqsySq_wPutL4JGx00FKV5VwL8O8P9X5Z156n_qoWSC8
[23] https://jennifermargulis.net/healthy-people-wearing-masks-during-covid19/
[24] https://www.novushealth.com/2020/04/face-masks-in-a-covid-19-world-to-wear-or-not-to-wear/
[25] Twitter, U.S. Surgeon General, February 29, 2020
[26] Cureus. 2020 May 2;12(5):e7923. doi: 10.7759/cureus.7923.
[27] J Med Internet Res. 2020 May 19;22(5):e19556. doi: 10.2196/19556.
[28] https://qz.com/1812664/the-psychology-of-coronavirus-fear-and-how-to-overcome-it/
[29] https://www.c-span.org/video/?473393-1/covid-19-response-reopening-schools
[30] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/30/us/politics/fauci-coronavirus.html
[31] https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/30/politics/fauci-redford-testimony-senate-coronavirus/index.html
[32] https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/30/fauci-says-us-coronavirus-outbreak-is-going-to-be-very-disturbing-could-top-100000-cases-a-day.html
[33] Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2020 May 21;20764020925835. doi: 10.1177/0020764020925835.
[34] Psychiatry Res. 2020 Apr 30;289:113046. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113046.
[35] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/nyregion/coronavirus-brooklyn-janie-marshall-cassandra-lundy.html
[36] https://bklyner.com/86-year-old-killed-coronavirus/
[37] https://patch.com/new-york/bed-stuy/social-distancing-death-suspect-held-coronavirus-packed-rikers
[38] BMJ 2020;369:m2005
[39] https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/06/controversy-covid-19-mask-study-spotlights-messiness-science-during
[40] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/202005/why-are-masks-triggering-conflict-and-rage
[41] BMJ 2020;369:m2009
[42] Disability Rights UK June 18, 2020
[43] https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/07/01/many-black-and-asian-americans-say-they-have-experienced-discrimination-amid-the-covid-19-outbreak/
[44] https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1143163319383637&set=gm.4087336354647037&type=3&theater
[45] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/us/social-distancing-rules-coronavirus.html
[46] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/202005/why-are-masks-triggering-conflict-and-rage
[47] Cornell Law
[48] https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243643797.html
[49] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/04/us/social-distancing-rules-coronavirus.html
[50] https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/07/10/889691823/more-than-20-u-s-states-now-require-face-masks-in-public
[51] https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/06/22/lawsuits-against-giant-eagle-mask-policy/
[52] ADA Gov
[53] https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/civil-liberties-never-sleep-the-aclu-in-the-pandemic/
[54] https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/judge-andrew-napolitano-coronavirus-crisis-constitution
[55] Ballotpedia
[56] https://jennifermargulis.net/science-shows-coronavirus-covid19-treatments-without-masks-lockdowns-isolation/
[57] https://standforhealthfreedom.com/blog/why-states-are-getting-it-wrong-with-medical-mandates/
[58] https://www.mercatus.org/bridge/commentary/beware-government-overreach-protect-our-health
[59] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/5-ways-to-build-healthier-societies/
[60] https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2006372
[61] Neurocirugia (Astur).2008 Apr;19(2):121-6.
[62] Ann Occup Hyg. 2012 Jan;56(1):102-12.doi: 10.1093/annhyg/mer069. Epub 2011 Sep13.
[63] Acta Neurologica Scandinavica February 28, 2006.
[64] https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMe2002387?articleTools=true
[65] BMJ 2020;369:m2003
[66] BMC Family Practice, 2013; Published online Dec. 24, 2013. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2296-14-200.
[67] DanPatrick.org – April 22, 2020.
[68] https://ahrp.org/beware-of-medicine-marching-in-lockstep-with-government-personal-reflections/
[69] https://freedomwire.com/masks-safety-or-control/
[70] https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/commentary/constitution-isnt-suspended-covid-19-attorney-general-barr-warns-public
[71] https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/04/23/opinion-wheres-the-line-on-constitutional-rights-in-a-pandemic/

The new silk road

Many members of Congress, on both sides of the political aisle have economic ties to China which would begin to explain the ongoing vigorous opposition from both Democrats and some “Republicans” to the “America First” attitudes of the Trump administration which have, (until the conveniently timed Covid-19 crisis), strengthened the US vs. Chinese economic expansion world-wide.

China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative is the cornerstone of its ambitious foreign policy strategy. The initiative seeks to replicate the historic Silk Road trading routes through financing a series of projects across Asia, Eastern Europe and Africa. Over sixty , accounting for two-thirds of the world’s population, have indicated their interest or have already signed up for projects.

China’s investment model in developing countries is likely to tolerate corruption and a lack of transparency, which has a range of destabilizing impacts. Moreover, the risk of the institutionalization of BRI investments in developing countries has increased fears that it could increase the likelihood of the authoritarian model being adapted, whilst undermining the political and economic independence of developing countries in the long term. Therefore, the increased presence of China throughout the developing world poses an implicit threat.

China is consolidating geopolitical power through predatory practices. Throughout exploitation of its debts, China has convinced the Sri Lankan government to agree to a 99 year lease to operate its strategic Hambantota port. In Greece, Chinese firms bought 51% of the port authority in Piraeus port near Athens in 2016, following the economic crisis.

The likelihood of a Chinese monopoly on untapped resources is a concern. Countries like Azerbaijan are known for their oil and natural gas reserves. China’s singular presence would be problematic for both foreign investors and global powers alike.

Meanwhile, for local economies, foreign loans and accumulating debt increases the risk of an economic ‘drain’, without guarantee of sustainable reinvestment into the local economy.

The BRI initiative will be felt on a global stage over the next decade. The use of loans to finance projects and the accumulation of unsustainable debt in developing countries remains a significant long term risk, as debts could be used to leverage economic, political and military power.

Many members of Congress, on both sides of the political aisle have economic ties to China which would begin to explain the ongoing vigorous opposition from both Democrats and some “Republicans” to the “America First” attitudes of the Trump administration which have, (until the conveniently timed Covid-19 crisis), strengthened the US vs. Chinese economic expansion world-wide.

The American electorate really only has two choices. #1, educate themselves regarding the conflicts of interest on the part on many of their elected representatives. OR #2, learn Mandarin Chinese.