COVID-19 - New Developments Indicate It's Rolling On

1.  In three cases of infection in the U.S. (2 in N. CA, 1 in NW Oregon), the source of the virus has been designated "community", which means unknown.

2.  The first genome study of covid-19 strongly suggests the virus was undetected in the U.S. for six weeks.  That alone (if true) means it's far more widespread here than reported.

3.  The death toll here from this virus went from two to six overnight.

4.  The virus now is known to be in sixteen States.  A couple days ago, it was known to be in seven States.

5.  In Texas, a person who tested positive for the virus mistakenly was released from quarantine... and then went shopping at a mall.

6.  It's now in 65 countries.  A couple days ago, it was in 50 countries.

7.  The number of new cases of infection in China has slowed, but that number still is increasing the total number of cases.

8.  Italy and Iran have been hit hard with new cases.

9.  Worldwide, the number of known infected people is well over 90,000.

10.  Worldwide, the number of deaths from covid-19 is well over 3,000.
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Bottom Line---
COVID-19 is not anywhere close to being contained.
A vaccine is months away from being available, perhaps even a year or more.
Trump can brag about his Admin's containment efforts all he wants to, but the fact is:  covid-19 is nowhere near being "contained" in this Land, it hops around extremely rapidly, and (despite what some people think) an infection can be extremely severe in probably at least half or more of all people.

Speaking of that, I've read some online comments here and there by people who think the disease is no big deal.  Why?  According to them (paraphrased), it's only bad in kids and old people.  [I guess they don't value any kids or old folks.]  Whoa!  Let's think about that.  Currently in the U.S., people 65 or older make up 15% of our population.  Children - 22%.  Then we have to include a category the poo-pooers left out:  people with an underlying medical condition.  I have no idea what percentage of our population they constitute, but I'm guessing it's safe to say that number (not counting kids & seniors) is at least 15%...probably higher.  So, do the math.

While many infected with covid-19 may experience only mild to moderate symptoms, over half the population are at risk for severe effects, even death.  As it becomes more and more obvious in the coming months that the virus is spreading here and is far from being contained, I expect some Powers-That-Be to start spouting the line:  "Hey, for the overwhelming majority of people, the symptoms are no worse than a really bad cold.  Relax.".  If that happens, don't believe it for even a minute.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Disturbing Responses to COVID-19

1.  Trump has put Pence in charge of the battle against the virus in the U.S.  Other than Trump, himself, Pence probably is the most anti-science person in the entire current Administration.  There are so many competing for the anti-science King title, though, that naming Pence as the winner is a tough call.  :)

2.  All statements about covid-19 now have to be approved by Pence before being released to the public.  That includes all informational statements from the CDC, medical researchers, and all medical professionals in the Gov't.  Does anyone besides me see a problem here?  This approval requirement basically is a modified Gag Order, and approval for release will be doled out by a guy who essentially knows jack-squat about Science.

I'm guessing the probability is high that sooner or later crucial info may be kept from us because its release would have a damaging effect on the economy.  The false perception of a "great" economy is crucial to Trump's re-election.

3.  The pundit, Rush Limbaugh, has stated that covid-19 is nothing but a "common cold".  This is often what happens when people with little to no science background delve into a scientific topic.  I imagine he read somewhere that one type of common cold is caused by a corona virus (which is true).  I further imagine he concluded that means covid-19 is a common cold.  Apparently, it never entered his mind that several different types of corona viruses exist, with different degrees of virulence.  SARS is caused by a corona virus, too, but it's far from being a common cold.  Arguably, covid-19 is worse than SARS, especially in regard to how fast it spreads.

Hey, Mr. Limbaugh (& all his fans), covid-19 causes illness MAGNITUDES worse than a common cold.  In your dogmatic pontifications, perhaps you should stick with what you know.  I'm not sure what that is, but am fairly certain it involves nothing scientific.

Finally, the 1918 Spanish flu infected about 500 million people and killed an estimated 50 million...including 675,000 in the USA.  Pandemics never should be taken lightly.
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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

Our Bubble Economy is About to Meet the COVID-19 Black Swan

Preface
I'm not a virologist or toxicologist; however, I do have a Biology and Environmental Science background, both academically and in the field.
Key terms in the title above---
COVID-19:  corona virus disease, 2019;
Black Swan:  "A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, their severe impact, and the practice of explaining widespread failure to predict them as simple folly in hindsight."  ~ Investopedia
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Following are a few facts regarding covid-19, and some speculation on my part.

Facts---
1.  The virus is:  highly contagious, spreading rapidly, and too often deadly (especially in children and old people).
2.  The CDC has stated that there still are a lot of unknowns regarding exactly how this virus behaves.
3.  Except for Antarctica, the virus is now on every continent in the world.
4.  It's now in 50 countries.
5.  Confirmed cases in humans now number 82,550; confirmed deaths from the virus now number 2,810.
6.  Larry Kudlow of the Trump Administration stated that the corona virus epidemic was "fake news", and that the U.S. has the virus "tightly contained".  Trump has stated that China has the virus under control, and the risk to U.S. citizens is "very low". 
7.  The CEO of Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, recently stated that the corona virus (covid-19) is a Black Swan event for the world economy.
8.  The U.S. Stock Market is now down 13%.

Speculation---
1.  The Establishment (including Trump and the CDC) is scared to death to use the word "pandemic"...because of the effect it would have on the economy.
2.  A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease; therefore, covid-19 is a pandemic.  The Establishment would argue the numbers are not yet high enough to warrant that designation.  Okay, that's arguable, so at the very least, it's a pandemic in-the-making.  And the rapidity with which it spreads guarantees the making soon will be completed.
3.  Kudlow, Trump, et. al. are either flat-out lying or demonstrating a degree of ignorance beyond the pale.
4.  The private and public Powers-That-Be will do anything to keep the Bubble Economy rolling along on irrational exuberance.  They rarely will give us the truth regarding covid-19.
5.  This tiny virus very well could bring on our overdue economic & financial Crash.

Not only my opinion.  Be Prepared

The Racial Term "White" is Propaganda

Preface---
Below is a somewhat edited email I sent to a few family members and friends during the recent Senate trial of the impeached Trump.  The overwhelming bulk of the essay is not about the trial.  Rather, it's about immigration, Race, so-called "white" culture, propaganda, ethnicity, and our Fed Government.
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The Repubs have pulled out all the stops in terms of distraction from Trump's criminality.  It's obvious to the point of being comical, but their immigrant-hating, minority "base" supporters will buy it.  I don't think the majority of them are really "racist".  What they fear is that some other culture will become dominant here in the USA.  The same is true for some "white" people in other Western World countries.

According to Pew Research, "non-whites" were the majority in 293 Counties in the USA in 2018, mostly in the Southwest & Northeast, but not totally.  Given the birth rates of different ethnic groups (not "racial" groups, which is a different category), it's a given that so-called "white" culture will not be dominant in the future, and that's only counting the influence of immigrants who are here legally.  So, folks worked up about "illegals" need to get over it.  Besides, a culture doesn't have to be dominant in order to survive.  Look at the early immigrant Germans, Italians, Irish, Jews, Chinese, other Asians, etc.---all different cultures, all hated by some people at different times, & all still here... both the ethnic groups and their different cultures.

In addition, White Supremacists should wake up to the fact that Mexican-Americans belong to the same "Race" as they do.  In a 1950 Supreme Court Case (Hernandez v. Texas), the decision affirmed that although such Hispanics biologically are members of the "white" race they also are an ethnic "class" apart, & as such, should be represented on juries. [There were no Chicanos (Mexican-Americans) on the jury in the trial of Hernandez.]

I've maintained for years that the so-called "white" race isn't white at all.  The proper term is Caucasian.  Caucasians are from Europe (including Spain), the Middle East, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Asia, & Central Asia.  [Russia and Turkey are in both Europe and Asia.]  By any reasonable measure, our skin color (& skin color basically means nothing significant) is not "white".  Slap a piece of computer paper on your arm, hand, or face.  It's plain that we are not "white".  That racial term came about because "white" is associated with purity, goodness, and the opposite of "evil" darkness.  [Muhammad Ali pointed that out in one of his college speeches, and he was correct.]  To me, the use of it is subtle racism.  Our Gov't & the Establishment in general once used the correct term, Caucasian; they all now use the term "white".  Shabby, false propaganda.

Sorry, but as a painter who uses many different colors every day, it bothers me that "white" is used--- especially by the Government--- to refer to a particular biological Race.  It also bothers me that too many people appear to be ignorant of the difference between "Race" and "Ethnicity".  Different ethnic groups (with very different cultures) often belong to the same Race.  There is no single "white" culture.  That's a myth, and egregious propaganda.

Wake up, "white" America.  

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

ADDENDUM to "The Coup is Almost Complete"

My friend replied to essentially the post immediately previous to this one (which was an email to him).  In his reply, he pointed out that decades ago the major Parties had an inversion.  They flipped certain beliefs & principles.  The Repubs (in general) went from being anti-slavery to often being basically racist & against the poor today.  The Dems (in general) went from essentially supporting slavery & the Uncle Tom era (some Dems were high up in the KKK) to being anti-racist and supportive of poor people.  He ended by saying he knew what I was talking about in my first reply, but he was referring to the GOP now--- basically a mob-like crime family [at the highest levels], and that America was rotten to its core [again, at the highest levels]...due to unregulated capitalism.  "Sad."
My reply is below.
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Agreed, but the Dems did more than just get rid of racism in their ranks.  The Establishment Dems eventually became Neoliberals, with very little difference between them & NeoCons when it comes to war, the economy, fiscal policy, monetary policy, foreign policy, the Financial Sector, Crony Capitalism, the broken Fed Justice System, the favoring of aristocrats, the War on Drugs, etc.  In other words, the Establishment Dems became Corporatists.  The Corporate Media refer to them as "Moderate Democrats".  They aren't.

 

In reality, there are no Dems, Repubs, Liberals, or Conservatives anymore.  They've been replaced by Neoliberals & NeoCons.  The old terms are used as propaganda by the Corporate Media & the Parties to keep people stuck in the past and to keep them believing that the old values & groups of 60 yrs ago still are in the game.  They aren't, they're gone.  They've been replaced by the Neo- groups...all Corporatists.

Only Libertarians and Progressives have remained in place & true to their original characteristics...and each has little to no power in national electoral politics.

Calling the Powers-That-Be either Republicans, Democrats, Liberals, or Conservatives is a huge mistake in my opinion.  Referring to a dog's tail as its fifth leg doesn't make it so.  The only people with any significant power in Office today are either NeoCons or Neoliberals.  They aren't anything like Repubs, Dems, Conservatives, or Liberals.  Saying they are misleads Main Street, and makes Main Street easier to manipulate.  Cognitive dissonance (& similar techniques), by way of Edward Bernays style propaganda--- that's how the Neo-groups have come to power/staged a Coup...by convincing people that they are the true-blue Parties of 60 or so years ago.  

Main Street believes it because literally everyone keeps calling them Repubs, Dems, etc.  They aren't.  [Or, they are in name only.]  It's all Orwellian, political Doublespeak ...& it worked like a charm.  It's not about Repubs & Dems (or Conservatives & Liberals) anymore; they don't exist nowadays.  [Even Chris Hedges has written & lectured about the "Death of the Liberal Class"; and the author of "The Conservative Mind", Russell Kirk, must be turning in his grave...given the people who are called "Conservatives" today.  The same with Robert A. Taft.]  Today, it's all about the Oligarchy & the rest of us.  Until every adult (or at least a vast majority) on Main Street realizes that, we are all shafted.  Sad, indeed.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

The Coup is Almost Complete

A friend wrote me an email in which he decried the show trial in DC...the sham, cover-up (so far) performance in the Senate.  My response is below.
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Yessir, it's flat-out Orwellian.

I would disagree, though, that these Fascists are "Republicans".  Republicans (before they dried up & blew away) believed in a Constitutional Republic.  These folks are Trumpistas/Corporatists/Fascists...a horse of a different color.  Republicans didn't believe in Interventionism overseas, or shooting people in the back, or doubling/TRIPLING the Debt, or a National Surveillance State, or ignoring the Geneva conventions on war, or a host of other nightmares.  

The Repub Party was hijacked a long time ago, even before Reagan.  [The Reagan years almost tripled our National Debt, & essentially launched Neoliberalism in economic policy.  Both Reagan & Thatcher joined in what was known as the "Washington Consensus", pure Neoliberal policy.]

"Pinochet's neoliberal policies came to be codified as 'structural adjustment', and Thatcher became one of structural adjustment's most enthusiastic promoters, not only for Britain but the world, popularising her approach with the slogan 'There is no alternative'. With Thatcher and the US president Ronald Reagan as its main boosters, and the World Bank and IMF as its executors, structural adjustment or the Washington consensus was generalised throughout the developing world."

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2013/apr/16/legacy-margaret-thatcher-neoliberalism  

The story is similar with The Democrat Party.

Carter, David Rockefeller, Brzezenski, & the Trilateral Commission created much of the philosophical underpinnings for Neoliberalism.  The Trilateral Commission's 1st Annual Paper ("The Crisis of Democracy", book-length) proposed:  the crisis of democracy was that there was too much democracy in the world.  According to the scholarly authors (all supposedly "Liberals"), that had to be remedied if the Establishment were to survive.  "The Crisis of Democracy" was published in 1975.

Today, the terms "Republican" and "Democrat" are nothing other than Edward Bernays style PROPAGANDA.  The NEOconservatives & NEOliberals both started up in the 1970's (the difference between them is almost nil); they now rule much/most of the Western World.  In practical terms, "Conservatives" & "Liberals" no longer exist; they've both either converted or given up & faded away.

With Trump & Crew, the Neoliberal/NeoCon Coup is now almost complete... and it's not a "conspiracy"; it's in plain sight.  Meanwhile, the main worry of too many Americans is:  when is the new I-Phone making its debut.  Hey, maybe this next one will be able to fry pancakes.  

And so it goes.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well

NeoCon & NeoLib Warmongers & Regime Changers Continue On

It never ends.  Now our Gov't has assassinated the Iranian General Soleimani, who essentially was the equivalent of our Secretary of Defense, and a folk hero in Iran.  Supposedly, he was an "imminent threat" to Americans overseas.  He probably was a threat to anyone associated with our Corporate-Government Complex, but the question is why?  The simple answer is twofold:  1) our Gov't keeps sticking its nose into Arab and Persian affairs; and 2) our Fed Executive Branch has been attacking and strangling the Iranian Gov't for decades.  Why?  According to the Feds, it's because they're "terrorists".  It would behoove anyone who believes that to study a little history.

I suggest to anyone who launches such a historical search:  start with the British discovery of petroleum in Iran in 1908 and the formation of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (now BP).  Then look into the Pahlavi Dynasty--- 1925-1979.  Don't overlook the Anglophile CIA-MI6 conspiracy that overthrew Mosaddeq in the 1953 Coup, after the Iranian Parliament voted in favor of nationalizing oil facilities in Iran.  Don't forget the Iran-Iraq War, 1980-1988.  Saddam invaded Iran, and was more or less backed by the USA.  More recently, don't forget to consider our economic & financial sanctions on Iran, which are punishing the entire population.  Then there's Trump's withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Agreement, at a time when (according to independent sources) Iran was meeting all of the requirements.  Finally, don't ignore the Sunni-Shia Conflict, which has been going on for hundreds of years.  Dubya Bush didn't know anything about it; he thought all believers in Islam were of the same cloth.

This whole mess isn't about "terrorism".  It's all about economics and finance.  It's about natural resources.  It's about the Dollar as the world's reserve currency.  It's about Neoliberal plans to privatize the world.  It's about the fact that the USA's position as the preeminent Leader of the World is on a downhill slide.  Many countries have had quite enough of our Corporate-Gov't Complex trying to run everyone else's affairs.  Those countries are forming their own economic and financial alliances in order to bypass the control of the USA's Gov't-Sachs Cabal.  It's also about the NeoCon obsession with Regime Change, and "defending Christianity".  NeoCon nutcakes never would admit it, but I suspect many of them really do believe they are on a "Crusade".  If you recall, Dubya Bush used that word after 9-11, and was roundly criticized for it.

The Ivory Tower Powers-That-Be appear to be trying everything they can to start a war with Iran.  Don't let them do it.  Speak up every way you can.  When they harp on Iranians being "terrorists", keep in mind that Shia Iran is fighting against Sunni ISIS.  Also keep in mind that Iran has much more reason to be interested in Iraq than we do.  Iraq is their neighbor, and they were invaded by Iraq.

In his almost constant gaslighting, Trump goes back & forth between withdrawing militarily from the Middle East to escalating the trouble there.  It's all designed to distract us from his utter incompetence and violations of the Constitution.  Don't fall for it.

Lastly, consider the following.  The Orwellian politicians (both major Parties) in DC have been quietly changing the definitions of words for at least a couple of decades now.  Example:  "imminent", as in "imminent threat", no longer means "immediate"; rather, it now officially means something akin to "perhaps sometime in the future".  Another example:  "war" (the way it's used in our Constitution) no longer means war; instead, it officially means something akin to "counter-terrorism".  As such, Rules, Laws, the Supreme Law of the Land, and even morals & ethics no longer apply.  At least, that's according to the Powers-That-Be.  In reality, it's Orwellian nonsense ...and criminal.

SIDE NOTE---  In reference to his massive escalation of drone attacks, Obama once stated,  "Well, it's not really a war.".  Here's a clue, Mr. Obama:  when you cross a border and kill hundreds of people (1400 in Pakistan alone), that's a war.  The war clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution applies.  Nothing in Article II can contravene that provision...unless the USA is hit with a surprise invasion.  You know that; after all, you're a Constitutional scholar.

Not only my opinion.  Be Well