Saturday, August 15, 2020

COVID conspiracies .


Yeah the whole conspiracy thing is  bonkers. BUT honestly , so is this this COVID thing , had America been taken to the CLEANERS? Compared with other Americans, adults who “often” use social media to get news about COVID-19 report higher levels of exposure to the conspiracy theory that the pandemic was intentionally planned. A lot of the media is pushing the same level of fear mongering. I don't even read the "paper" any more and just stick to communications from local officials to understand what is happening and what I should be doing. I was never an anti-MSM type of guy but after this I'm very disappointed in how the news media is treating this crisis.  United States’ president Donald Trump thinks that COVID19 is a `Chinese virus’. Conspiracy theories are making rounds that the virus was compounded in a  (1)>>Wuhan laboratory. Several American politicians, such as Senator Tom Cotton, suggested that the coronavirus is a bioweapon leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. But the social factors increase it, people feel like they belong to something, and having more time at home and online has only increased this massively. The other point is that the human brain thrives on pattern recognition and does not do well with chaos. So when a chaotic event takes place, we want it to fit a pattern, hence the rise in conspiracy beliefs. Bad news for you people, life is chaos! Bill Gates/5G/David Icke lizard people has all to do with it..That will be what we try to explain to future generations, when they ask, "   (2)>>Why did the US do so poorly? Why couldn't you just not get each other sick? Why are there all these videos of people going out and coughing on people or making fun of them for wearing masks? What was wrong with everyone?" Luckily for us, if this pandemic has been any indicator to how America will handle future catastrophes, we can simply say, "Don't worry yourself about that, we need to keep walking north to see if we can find arable land and potable water, Nestle has finished draining the aquifers here and Mexico and Canada aren't accepting anymore climate refugees." This shouldn’t be lost in the signal to noise ratio where the noise is created by conspiracy theorist or politicians trying to deflect blame from their own shortcomings. I recall twitter banning accounts they considered to be too fringe in Jan for asking if the virus escaped the Wuhan lab , now this seems a mainstream acceptable question .
Covid Conspiracy #1. The Lockdowns & Economy .
The Lockdowns , while they are by assumption areFlattening the spread of COVID-19 using lockdowns allows health systems to cope with the disease, which then permits a resumption of economic activity. In this sense, there is no trade-off between saving lives and saving livelihoods. There has emerged a sinister plot twist to the whole thing . Again it seems that the way the virus is spreading ( if your a true Covid believer , read the daily statistical jatgon of deaths and infections) it seems that the lockdowns are NEVER GOING TO END . But the idea is, is they get all doomer, then they think it'll lessen the blow when they get bad news keeps coming . It never does, they still get hit hard emotionally if something bad happens, and if something bad doesn't happen it's "We were lucky THIS TIME!" or they blow something up that isn't "bad" to make it seem like they were half right or something. It's super frustrating.Again, the original intent of lockdowns has been completely and totally lost in the noise. Let's get back to the original problem they were trying to solve (hospital shortage) and ask if those problems have materialized outside of a few very narrow areas.It’s absolutely insane how people are desperate to restart the economy as if it’ll do anything but delay the crash AND cause a ton more deaths. We really should focus on keeping everyone well fed, with water and electricity, and safe in their homes — press pause on the economy — it’ll be better for everyone, even the businesses because they aren’t ground down struggling to keep themselves artificially alive. The private sector is absolutely misplaced and misguided in their demands.
Covid Conspiracy #2.Government disinformation .  .
 (3)>>Does any of this sound familiar? A similar event, though felt mainly in the US, happened on the 11th of September 2001. After the WTC collapsed and American (and to a degree international) society was injected with an appropriate amount of fear through the media, the following wars and the dissolution of freedom and privacy brought about with such legislation as the Patriot Act, were left unquestioned by the majority of the populace. It was needed to “fight and win” the “war on terror”. A war that has only created more of that which it was supposedly fighting against. BUT COVID 19 is just like "terrorism" , yes it is out there and it can make you sick . The reality its like Twisted Psychology .  I'm afraid to say so, but although some of the hysteria might be organic (by the news media, in order to get attention, clicks...), a lot of it is quite likely by design, as a scared population will easily succumb to a variety of measures if one offers to alleviate their fears with "measures of security" (even if these measures are completely superficial in their nature). That's why I liken this event with 9/11 in the article - the fear after that event was enough to create several wars and horrendously  (4)>>Orwellian legislation. Who knows what the populace will agree to in this case when so much fear is pumped into their minds.Alleviating the fears, for all of us and for those close to us, can be a great antidote for this hysteria and can mitigate unconscious decisions that could be made or legislation that could be passed as a result of this "COVID-19 panic".We will never know the truth about this virus or whatever it is. The socialist government and the totally incompetent medical mafia and news media will use this confusion and propaganda to send wave after wave of panic alerts that will never allow our economy to recover. Millions will slip into the abyss of permanent lost income, lost opportunity, and hopelessness and eventually death sans the virus.This was never about a killer virus and always about the destruction of capitalism worldwide through the use of fear and panic and its replacement with a Communist-like worldwide government that features complete control, an utterly stupid green-based world economy, and murder if you refuse its dictates. We have not even seen 1/10th of the coming destruction and misery. But many seem to be happy to join the Gates-hates-the-world club without so much as a whimper.
Covid Conspiracy #3 Bill Gates and the "vaccine" .
The 1918 Flue Pandemic , one of the biggest problems regarding that was the vaccine development it took 40 years for a vaccine ! to treat the actual flu  virus . While we hear about Fauci it might take a year or so to make a batch of a working vaccine , or you have the likes of Bill Gates spouting a vaccine , they are lying to the American people . It might take decades . The best chance to get rid of COVID-19 is by drugs to eliminate the symptoms of the virus , rather than risking a possible dangerous vaccine.  BUT Billionaire Bill Gates has become a top target of conspiracy theories related to the coronavirus pandemic, which the Microsoft co-founder called “bizarre.” But how so ? Conspiracies can be real , here is more. Bill Gates was recently caught offering a $10 million dollar bribe for forced vaccination in Nigeria. Based on an intercepted human intelligence report, a controversy erupted in Nigeria whereby it was revealed that Bill Gates offered $10 million bribe for a forced vaccination program for Coronavirus to the Nigerian House of Representatives. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said it is backing the world’s largest vaccine maker, Serum Institute of India, to churn out 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine for poorer countries and price them at less than $3.The move comes as governments around the world, including the U.S. and U.K., strike vaccine production deals with the manufacturers of a handful of promising, late-stage vaccine development projects. In 2015, Gates said at the ted conference that “if anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus.” Three years later, he stands by that assessment. “It would take a heck of a meteor or volcano or earthquake to get you to 10 million,” he tells me. “Even a nuclear weapon going off in New York City wouldn’t be 10 million.” By contrast, in 1918, when an H1N1 flu virus swept the world, it killed between 50 and 100 million people, and slashed U.S. life expectancy by 12 years. Now here is even a more BIZZARE CONNECTION ! Others are on the same page: (5)>>Tony Fauci, the director of the National Institutes for Allergies and Infectious Diseases, recently👉 [ PLEASE READ  unveiled a strategic plan ] for creating a universal vaccine. The new Gates/Page grand challenge is designed to shake things up even further. It’s specifically looking to fund completely new and unconventional approaches that differ from those already in development, projects that draw in people who don’t normally work on flu, and ideas that will bridge the “valley of death” that stops pharmaceutical companies from investing in otherwise promising technologies. So let's go to the Next Conspiracy : A malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, is being used to treat COVID-19 worldwide with phenomenal success. Yet in America, it has been banned by governors and its effectiveness denied by Dr. Anthony Fauci and Big Pharma.
Covid Conspiracy #4 A malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine.
Deep State director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci stated, “There are no proven safe and effective therapies for the coronavirus.” Ignoring the highly successful controlled study in France by Dr. Raoult, Fauci claimed, “We’re getting stories from people who have tried them, but they’ve tried them in trials that are not controlled.”What’s even more telling about (6)>>Fauci’s political agenda is his discouraging people from going to their doctors and requesting chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine – a less toxic form of chloroquine. Fake news cannot stop the international excitement, however. Hydroxychloroquine is now being used worldwide as shown on a map from Dr. Raoult. A global survey of more than 6,000 doctors conducted reported that hydroxychloroquine is the most highly rated treatment against the deadly coronavirus.Meanwhile under the watchful eye of Fauci, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is experimenting with a vaccine for the virus. Annual vaccinations of a hysterical American population, who are being told by Fauci to expect a recurrence of the virus in the fall, are far more lucrative than a low cost, quick cure.
 Covid Conspiracy #5 The Education Shutdown.
While COVID is blammed for closing schools , the looming fear of Teacher's and Children being "carriers" of the virus .  (6.2)>>Most of the school closings are looking more about politics , rather than going with the current  (6.3)>>CDC recomendations for opening up schools . The National Teacher's union pushed for keeping schools closed for safety .Education leaders across the country are trying to determine whether and when they can safely reopen K-12 schools. Either way Education leaders though moving with caution on reopening , they are creating problems flip flopping,  while at the same time State and Federal "guidelines" continue to do back tracking .   Right Now the Far Right , pro education reformers are jummping up and down with joy on what is going on right now with the school shutdowns. Schools being closed are ripe for huge budget shortfalls , depending on which state you live . The next domino effect will stress out parents to pick alternatives to schooling. Many private schools and homeschool advocates see an oppertunity to cash in. Globally, according to a research review published recently in The Lancet, a leading medical journal, the number of Covid-19 deaths prevented by school closings has been vanishingly small. The same can’t be said about the closings’ educational effects, which have been devastating. Regular public schools were not prepared to switch to distance learning. Teachers were not trained; equipment was not in place, and as UNESCO put it in a report on school closings’ adverse effects, parents were “unprepared for distance and home schooling.” This was “especially true for parents with limited education and resources.” All this seems for me is wide range [ hidden plan ] to dismantle the public edcuation system so the private sector fills in the gap?  with special attention to Betzy DeVoss . California is leading a multi-state lawsuit challenging U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ ruling that orders states to share federal coronavirus relief with private schools. In all case Trump's threats about witholding money to schools is worrisome.  But by shifting the role of educator and weekday caregiver to families, these shutdowns will risk leaving a large section of the U.S. labor force with less time and energy to work, as well as less money to spend in the economy.
 Covid Conspiracy # 6  Face Masks and Social Distancing . (7)>>Putting on Mask , it's more about protection . But in reality it's making us less human .There is no explanation at this point. They’ve had their chance to explain and continue to refute science and evidence saying the masks help. I don’t like wearing it either but damn, get over it. In the US, the mandate to wear masks has been met with some backlash from black men who fear that wearing masks could expose them to harassment from the police. The basis of racism goes beyond a mere hatred of a different skin color and culture. It can be a result of toxic upbringings, lack of education, and economic/class struggles. We know why people won't wear a mask. They don't feel like it. They're so selfish and entitled they think they shouldn't have to make any self-sacrifice if it's uncomfortable, no matter how important it is for society, so they decide it's all fake and invent stupid stories to justify their narcissism. It's not about "personal freedom," because they accept all kinds of other public health laws. It's not about the economy, because we all know full well that the economy cannot recover when people are dropping dead all over the country and will only do so exponentially more if we just open everything up.You could make the argument that tribalism is involved, that people are using an anti-mask stance to flag their membership in a particular worldview, but that doesn't make it any less stupid or narcissistic. The stories to justify it are still just asinine 'spin' made in bad faith, so they are irrelevant and should not be given a platform.Singapore is apparently the testing ground for the New World Order. The alleged "COVID-19 virus" and the response of various governments to the staged crisis should give a strong indication on which regions are fully sycophantic and committed to the psychopaths engaging in a coup of the planet.Singapore is on the extreme end of this spectrum, as everyone 12 and up will be electronically monitored and fined and/or imprisoned for refusing to comply.This is beyond nightmare material folks, and is everything the conspiracy theorists have warned about for decades. The plan being implemented from August 11, is said to be using devices for tracking behavioural activity. These devices will be provided to incoming travellers, including citizens and residents, from a select group of countries who will be allowed to isolate at home rather than at a state-appointed facility. If it CONTINUES TO GET WORSE , its not going to suprise me if more draconian measures will be in place right here in the United States . If you aren't concerned by this, there is no hope left for you.
Covid Conspiracy # 7 the 2020 AD November Election IS " COOKED"!
Complete hypothetical here, but let's say that the Coronavirus cannot be contained (seems likely) and the mortality rate ends up being around 3%. If the spread continues into the fall, I could see Trump attempting to delay the election, citing public health concerns.I don't think he would succeed because it's A) unprecedented B) blatantly unconstitutional and C) not under his purview as the elections are run by the states. However, I wouldn't put it past him to try.According to this Washington Post article, a Poll showed that half of Republicans would be open to the idea of  (8)>>suspending the 2020 US elections based on Trump's currently unsupported belief that there was massive voter fraud during the last election and that millions of illegal immigrants were what gave Clinton the popular vote.If Trump were to attempt to suspend elections, what would the ramifications of that be? By the time people are voting for president, there is a good chance the country will in at least a recession. The number of layoffs have been crazy! I dont like either candidates. I was watching the news and I couldn't believe the nonsense Trumps press secretary and Joe Biden were saying. The press secretary clearly sold out for the prestige of working at the White House. And the "ain't black" comment coming from a candidate for president like Biden is ridiculous! I thought Trump was almost certainly was going to lose in 2016 due to his previous comments. I feel he is likely to lose this due to his terrible response to Covid 19 and the economic downturn. In Ohio, during the 2004 Presidential election, 153,237 ballots were simply thrown away — more than the Bush “victory” margin. In New Mexico the uncounted vote was five times the Bush alleged victory margin of 5,988. In Iowa, Bush’s triumph of 13,498 was overwhelmed by 36,811 votes rejected. The official number is bad enough — 1,855,827 ballots cast not counted, according to the federal government’s Elections Assistance Commission. But the feds are missing data from several cities and entire states too embarrassed to report the votes they failed to count.Correcting for that under-reporting, the number of ballots cast but never counted goes to 3,600,380. Why doesn’t your government tell you this?This isn't particularly new or unique either. US political history has a slew of corrupt officials from both Parties doing this kind of stuff. Go back to the Gilded Age, or for more recent examples look at the behind the scenes in the Presidential elections of 1960 (Texas and Illinois) and 2000 (Florida). Donald Trump‘s crusade against mail-in voting continued on Thursday when he floated the idea of delaying the 2020 US election until in-person voting was feasible.The charge would raise sceptical eyebrows under normal conditions. But in the coronavirus-embattled world we now inhabit, in which billion dollar sports leagues cancel seasons and states postpone – or even cancel – their primaries, is it really that (8.1)>>absurd to think Mr Trump could delay the 2020 election?There's an even more subtle and insidious possibility: they could manipulate some votes to shift Blue, then reveal evidence later that this was actually done. They would then claim the Democrats cheated and that it would invalidate the whole election. This would be a page directly out of the Putin playbook and would cause massive chaos. Can you imagine Fox or OANN running with this narrative, along with Trump's own daily incendiary tweets, for two straight months after election day? They'd whip up his supporters into a roiling frenzy of seething hate by Inauguration Day.
Covid Conspiracy # 8 Flawed Data , Contact tracing . Spotty Data, Flawed Testing,
Undercounted Deaths Create Misleading Picture Of Outbreak In States. One major problem is that even though U.S. laboratories are now conducting 4.5 million Covid-19 tests a week, many patients are waiting seven days or longer to get test results.  (9)>>This makes the tests almost useless.A steep decline in California’s coronavirus infection rate announced this week by Gov. Gavin Newson may not be accurate, according to the state’s top public health official who said Tuesday that the state’s data system used to process COVID-19 test results is marred with technical issues.The snafus have caused delays in analyzing test results and cast doubt on Newsom’s announcement Monday of a 21.2% decline in the seven-day average rate for positive infections compared to the average from the week before.  California’s public health director, Dr. Sonia Angell, quit without explanation following a technical glitch that caused a delay in reporting virus test results — information used to make decisions about reopening businesses and schools. Last week, New York City’s health commissioner was replaced after months of friction with the Police Department and City Hall.A review by the Kaiser Health News service and the Associated Press finds at least 49 state and local public health leaders have resigned, retired or been fired since April across 23 states. The list has grown by more than 20 people since the AP and KHN started keeping track in June. The departures are making a bad situation worse, at a time when the U.S. needs good public health leadership the most.  All these Ongoing glitches with the state’s coronavirus tracking database, CalREDIE, have resulted in tests — and cases — going unreported, health officials said this week. Worse yet, officials weren’t sure of the scope of the problems with the data, which is used to track California’s battle with the pandemic and inform decisions about when — and whether — individual counties can resume reopenings. Some of the coronavirus testing kits sent to state laboratories around the country have flaws and do not work properly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said  way back in February !!!
Covid Conspiracy # 9 Sick Covid " Children".
As the NEWS has been reporting all of a sudden out of the blue as many states plan to reopen schools. Children are being hit with a "mysterious COVID related illness ". WE all heard of  (10)>>Kawasaki disease, which is different than COVID .Kawasaki disease is relatively more common in Asian countries.  Some how again , like pulling a rabit out of a hat is being linked with out evidence to the Corona-virus . But the Media has put examples on TV of Children who look like they are on ventilators in still photos , but during interviews look perfectly healthy , fully recovered .There is no clinical evidence linking COVID-19 and Kawasaki disease, a rare illness that mostly affects children below age 5 by causing inflammation in their blood vessels and may damage the heart in serious cases, but the media is taking this talking point further , as well as the misinformed CDC advice . Do we have enough information from children in Texas, New York, New Jersey, and Florida to be able to draw the same conclusions as those listed in the paper? Or will we only know in a few months? All these crazy questions pop up , I'm surprised there isn't more information, on a lot of states daycares were allowed to remain open, and essential workers often took their kids there. Why is it that we don't know more about how much kids catch it and pass it? School closure was one of the few meaningful differences between Sweden's and Finland's coronavirus response; Sweden allowed schools to operate normally, but Finland closed them for almost two months. (Finland reopened them in mid-May just two weeks before the school year ended, despite teachers' objections. This was the first major countrywide restriction to be lifted.)The new report concluded that Finland's school closure had virtually no effect on case numbers at all, as compared to Sweden. Although Sweden didn't test very actively at the time, it still barely had any severe COVID-19 cases among children, nor any elevated risk to teachers was detected. Finland tested better, but schools closing and reopening seems to have had no detectable effect at any curves at all. The transmission evidence in that paper consists of 5 case studies, three within households and two in schools, and the infected N for each is small. The article itself concludes only by saying, "On the basis of these data, SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools may be less important in community transmission than initially feared." I don't see how that meagre evidence and mild conclusion can justify the very strongly worded title, which will be taken by millions as authoritative evidence that children mostly don't spread Covid.
Covid Conspiracy #  10 THE SUPER FLU 
While People are so brainwashed to worry about COVID -19 , thankfully to the media's roll in spreading propaganda of fear . One element was left out , it's going to be a supper whammy .  (11)>>THE FLU .  I am more affraid of the Flu Virus for a number of reasons . I think my Readers should take precautions . I agree that we should put on a medical grade mask not for Covid , but FOR THE FLU !!! ON similar lines , It usually gets into your system when you touch your mouth, nose or eyes with your hands. And avoiding the horrid virus can be as simple as regularly washing your hands.Like COVID -19 😆 IN 2018 CNN's  Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent predicted a Pandemic flu sooner or later was going to hit . The Years 2018 -2019 prior to the Coronia- Virus was the worst year of the Influenza virus that had two spikes and 4 million Americans had it , 80 , 000 died of it , by the way we had not a peep from the CDC to give a public warning to put on a mask. When most people hear "flu," they typically think of seasonal flu. No doubt, seasonal flu can be deadly, especially for the very young and old, as well as those with compromised immune systems.[ sounds a bit like COVID-19 ] The influenza virus would mutate whether or not there were vaccines for it. The way our bodies work is, when we are introduced to a new virus, it developed other cells called T-bodies I believe. These cells will only ever attack the cells of a virus it is was made to protect the body against. After the original threat is eliminated there is a small number of these specialized cells saved on reserve, but the others are destroyed. Only when an identical virus cell will activate and deploy the same T- Body cell.When you get a flu shot, the newest form of the virus is introduced to your body, mostly dead, but some alive and weakened. This allows your body to fortify itself for any future contact with these cells. This is also why you can get small symptoms of the flu when you get the vaccine.The flu is constantly morphing itself for it's own survival, therefore we are not the cause of it's mutations. What COULD THIS MEAN ? I suspect that as far as the COVID shutdowns , the Flu and Covid are going to morph , the government is SO LAME that , we are going to get a dose of conflicting information that could lead to a meltdown of a long haul of extended shutdowns that could last into next year.

LAST WORD .
Befeore we GET out of this mess . It's going to get worse . I suspect only here in the United States, with the flawed data of daily infections going UP is going to give rise to mass hysteia , rather than giving accurate data  for scientists to (11.2)>>contain the real virus . . I think as far as looking at some data , the rest of the world is going to flatten the curve as they were hoping for in America.... but with the fact that COVID now is being used in a political manner just before the November election we should cautiously think  (12)>>The WORD Conspiracy !


NOTES AND COMMENTS:
(1)>>Wuhan laboratory.United States’ president Donald Trump thinks that COVID19 is a `Chinese virus’. Conspiracy theories are making rounds that the virus was compounded in a Wuhan laboratory. Several American politicians, such as Senator Tom Cotton, suggested that the coronavirus is a bioweapon leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Bioweapons are a fact they exist. Im not saying its a man made but it could very well be. People have being using biological warfare since ancient times. Any way if they did make it, it got out by accident and not on purpose china didnt warn the world becuase it didnt want to be left behind. If im going down im taking down with me doctrine. Bombs that can vaporize cities are not crazy talk but biowepons are. Saying that biowepons are crazy talk is like saying nukes dont exist. There are genuine reasons to: Figure out what happened Change our relationship with China.(2)>>Why did the US do so poorly. With about 2.5 million coronavirus cases, the US has the highest number of confirmed infections in the world - about a quarter of the global total.The situation got really bad in late March but by May, cases were declining and most states had begun to ease restrictions put into place to halt the spread of the virus.The number of new cases rarely fell below 20,000 though, because as some states were bringing their outbreaks under control, others were only just beginning to see flare-ups. At least three factors enable meaningful comparisons of these nations with the United States. First, we scaled up their population sizes and Covid-19 deaths to match those of the U.S. Second, in each of these countries, roughly 80% or more of the population lives in urbanized, transmission-prone areas, similar to the U.S. Third, the pandemic took root earlier in these other countries than here, as measured by the date of the 15th confirmed case in each, meaning that foreign leaders had to act with less information to guide their decisions than did U.S. leaders. (3)>>Does any of this sound familiar? The cast of characters is different, of course: Trump, desperately seeking "wartime president" status; Dr. Anthony Fauci; epidemiologist Neil Ferguson; state governors such as Cuomo, Whitmer, and Newsom; and a host of media acolytes just itching to force a new normal down our throats. Like the Iraq War architects, they use COVID-19 as justification to advance a preexisting agenda, namely, greater state control over our lives and our economy. Yet because too many Americans remain stubbornly attached to the old normal, a propaganda campaign is required. In the period leading up to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Bush administration and its media accomplices waged a relentless propaganda campaign to win political support for what turned out to be one of the most disastrous foreign policy mistakes in American history. How much damage will the lockdown cause? Economics aside, the sheer toll of this self-inflicted wound will be a matter for historians to document. That toll includes all the things Americans would have done without the shutdown in their personal and professional lives, representing a diminution of life itself. Can that be measured, or distilled into numerical terms? Probably not, but this group of researchers and academics argues that we have already suffered more than one million "lost years of life" due to the ravages of unemployment, missed healthcare, and general malaise.(4)>>Orwellian legislation.  A disturbing trend noticed throughout the outbreak has been the aggressive and heavy-handed way our officials have acted. We’ve been sternly directed to shelter in place with the thinly veiled threat of serious repercussions if we don’t comply. There have been numerous reports of people getting arrested or fined for being outside or walking alone on a beach. A clip went viral of a Philadelphia man being dragged off of a bus for not wearing a mask. Was the violent police response appropriate?  Whether you agree or disagree with the closing of businesses and orders to stay home, you'd have to acknowledge that it's right out of George Orwell’s classic1984. Petty state bureaucrats  telling us to report people who may possibly be breaching social-distancing measures wreaks of an authoritative “Big Brother” controlling our every move. Once rights are stripped away, it's hard to get them back. When was the last time you saw a toll booth removed on a highway? We’re still required to take off our shoes before boarding a plane. Human Rights Watch (an international non-governmental organisation) has issued an eight-point declaration to balance individual rights and the need for governments to protect public health:
1. Surveillance measures adopted to address the pandemic must be lawful, necessary and proportionate;
2. New monitoring and surveillance powers must be time-bound, and continue only for as long as necessary;
3. Data must only be used for the purposes of responding to the pandemic;
4. Governments must protect people’s data, including ensuring sufficient security;
5. Governments must address the risk that the tools will facilitate discrimination and other rights abuses against racial minorities, people living in poverty, and other marginalized populations;
6. If Governments partner with private sector entities, the agreements must comply with the law, and sufficient information to allow public oversight must be publicly disclosed. Such agreements should be in writing, with sunset clauses;
7. Increased surveillance should not fall under the domain of security or intelligence agencies and must be subject to effective oversight by appropriate independent bodies;
8. Data should be shared with relevant stakeholders, in particular experts in the public health sector and marginalized population groups.
The declaration has been signed by many international organizations to urge governments to show leadership in tackling the pandemic in a way that is strictly in line with human rights. These are extraordinary times, but human rights law still applies. Governments cannot simply disregard rights such as privacy and freedom of expression in the name of tackling a public health crisis. (5)>>Tony Fauci, the director of the National Institutes for Allergies and Infectious Diseases. Fauci is leading the nation into a huge disaster in the making . I forwarned you all reading this. Past late January in a memo of a possibly deadly pandemic, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was telling the news media not to worry. Fauci was still telling the public the China virus was low risk.When we were building new mask capacity in record time, Fauci was flip-flopping on the use of masks. REMEMBER this GUY is on TV EVERY DAY giving advice! And when Fauci was telling the White House Coronavirus Task Force that there was only anecdotal evidence in support of hydroxychloroquine to fight the virus. Dr. Fauci’s advice, my answer is: only with skepticism and caution.(6)>>Fauci’s political agenda. Dr. Fauci back in 2018 predicted that  ....."said there is “no doubt” Donald J. Trump will be confronted with a surprise infectious disease outbreak during his presidency." This statement is so bizzare it make you wonder if what is going on right now with this pandemic has anything to do with Fauci. Finally, an April 22 Asia Times article raises more questions about WIV. After noting that NIH funding to WIV amounted to $3.7 million, they state that the US passed a federal moratorium on gain-of-function (“altering natural pathogens to make them more deadly and infectious”) research in 2014 “as a result of rising fears about a possible pandemic caused by an accidental or deliberate release of these genetically engineered monster germs.” They say the now-famous Dr. Anthony Fauci of NIAID “outsourced” this research in 2015 to the Wuhan lab and licensed the lab to continue receiving US government funding.“Also, if there was a government ban in 2014 on federal funding being used for GOF research, what are the federal compliance and ethical issues surrounding the fact that the NIH still gave federal funding instead of private funding to the Wuhan lab to continue the experiments? Moreover, could some strains of the coronavirus have originated in US labs, given the fact the US government lifted the ban in December 2017 on GOF research without resolving lab-safety issues?” Fauci’s studies alarmed scientists around the globe who complained, according to a December 2017 NY Times article, that “these researchers risk creating a monster germ that could escape the lab and seed a pandemic.” Dr. Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard School of Public Health’s Communicable Disease Center told the Times that Dr. Fauci’s NIAID experiments “have given us some modest scientific knowledge and done almost nothing to improve our preparedness for pandemic, and yet risked creating an accidental pandemic.”In October 2014, following a series of federal laboratory mishaps that narrowly missed releasing these deadly engineered viruses, President Obama ordered the halt to all federal funding for Fauci’s dangerous experiments. NIAID-funded gain of function research continued after the moratorium in a Wuhan-based laboratory. Congress needs to launch an investigation of NIAID’s mischief in China.  For more on what Dr. Fauci said on COVID-19  read this :  shorturl.at/ftDY0 ] (6.2)>>Most of the school closings are looking more about politics.  President Donald Trump has pushed back at states considering keeping schools closed in the fall, describing such a move as "political" and saying it goes against the will of parents and students. During White House discussions  on how to safely reopen America's schools, Trump insisted that everyone was in favor of plans to send children back to school in September, despite the alarming rise in the number of new coronavirus cases across the US.   (6.3)>>CDC recomendations for opening up schools .  According to the CDC "    Extended school closure is harmful to children.  It can lead to severe learning loss, and the need for in-person instruction is particularly important for students with heightened behavioral needs.Following the wave of school closures in March 2020 due to COVID-19, academic learning slowed for most children and stopped for some.  A survey of 477 school districts by the University of Washington’s Center on Reinventing Public Education found that, “far too many schools are leaving learning to chance.”  Just one in three school districts expected teachers to provide instruction, track student engagement, or monitor academic progress for all students, and wealthy school districts were twice as likely to have such expectations compared to low-income districts. "  FOR THE REST READ HERE     [shorturl.at/kpzLO ]  (7)>>Putting on Mask , it's more about protection . But in reality it's making us less human . This dystopian look, it is reflective of the times we are living in.The dispute over masks embodies the political dynamics of the campaign. It also reflects a classic American struggle between those who defend public safety and those who believe just as deeply in personal liberty. This is what drives Democrats crazy. They believe that masks can help prevent the spread of infection and that if people covered their faces in public then the country could get back to normal faster.While masks are becoming more common in the United States, there is still a significant cultural divide over what they represent. In parts of East Asia, the use of face masks is seen as a general courtesy to others. In the U.S., there have been reports of verbal and physical attacks directed at people wearing them, particularly East Asian people. Earlier this month, a woman wearing a mask was allegedly assaulted and called "diseased" in a New York City subway station in what appeared to be a coronavirus-fueled hate attack.Mask restrictions placed on daily life forced many Americans to alter their habits and everyday routines, and those changes can be jarring. Many stores have started limiting their capacity leading to lines outside the entrance. Inside, shoppers in face masks try to stay at least six feet apart as they scramble for meat, toilet paper and hand sanitizer.Human beings are inherently social, so they’re used to making connections and feeling comfortable in the presence of others. That has changed thanks to the pandemic’s uncertainty, because it’s impossible to tell if another person is carrying the virus.    (8)>>suspending the 2020 US elections.   The constitution permits congress to dictate the dates in which electors are chosen and presented, but since the states have authority on the electoral voting process I'd expect they could still hold popular votes then translate the results to electoral votes at whatever time is chosen.Congress could delay the whole process, but at least the public would be aware of what the results would be. And unless the legislative filibuster is nuked this would need support from 60 senators. Either way, Trump himself wouldn't have any influence, and none of this would be able to postpone his term's end.(8.1)>>absurd to think Mr Trump could delay. Every example you gave is an example of a party working within the system to make the results they want more likely (which is kind of the point of a political party). Beyond that, they are examples of a party that completely accepts the system. If the GOP wanted to overthrow the system, why would they do any of the things you listed? If overthrowing the system were the plan, the Koch brothers wouldn't be lobbying, they'd be investing in weapons caches and MREs in strategic locations throughout the country. The American aristocracy will stop at nothing to undo the progress made in the las two hundred years. They're dismantling it step by step to go back to a time when wealthy white landowners were the only people with any power. To ignore their manipulation of the system is foolish. They're changing it as quickly as they possibly can without incurring violence. That's the game they are playing.By screwing with the system, I meant blowing it up or something on par with just not holding elections. (9)>>This makes the tests almost useless.  Testing will only increase the number of positives , which basically undermines the original purpose of the test.  The C.D.C. recommended testing for people who have symptoms like fever, cough or shortness of breath, and who, within the past 14 days, have traveled to China or have been in close contact with someone who is infected with the coronavirus. Doctors with patients in that category are supposed to consult their state health department about whether the individuals should be tested for the virus.(10)>>Kawasaki disease.  is an illness that causes inflammation (swelling and redness) in blood vessels throughout the body. It happens in three phases, and a lasting fever usually is the first sign. The condition most often affects kids younger than 5 years old.It's most common in infants and young children.Early stages include a rash and fever. Symptoms include high fever and peeling skin. In late stages, there may be inflammation of medium size blood vessels (vasculitis). It also affects lymph nodes, skin, and mucous membranes, such as inside the mouth.Kawasaki disease is usually treatable. Initial treatments include aspirin and intravenous immunoglobulin therapy given in a medical facility.(11)>>THE FLU . While the world is freaking out over the coronavirus, the common flu is far more deadly. "While the coronavirus is getting a lot of attention because it’s new, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 19 million Americans have fallen ill with the flu so far this season, including 180,000 who ended up in the hospital. About 10,000 Americans have died, including more than 60 children," says infectious disease specialist and deputy medical director at WestMed Medical Group Sandra Kesh. The CDC estimates that last year's flu season was responsible for 36,400 to 61,200 flu-related deaths.The CDC estimates that millions of people get it every year — it's still something you should take seriously. It can land you in the hospital and even kill you. (11.2)>>contain the real virus . . One recurring theme of the COVID coverage is the fear (or the firm prediction) of second or third waves of the disease. We must “prepare for the second wave of COVID.” The UK Prime Minister,  speaking outside Downing Street  urged the UK people to continue adhering to the “tough measures” to avoid a “second spike” of COVID-19.The second or third waves are often portrayed as very likely, inevitable or probable by modelling studiesWaves, as in the sea, are usually preceded by a trough, but this visual analogy is hardly ever mentioned; nor the appropriateness of forecasting waves in a coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile Making absolute statements of certainty about ‘ second waves’ is unwise, given the current substantial uncertainties and novelty of the evidence.  (12)>>The WORD Conspiracy !Conspiracy theorists are positing that the coronavirus was manufactured by humans, whether it be as a bioweapon or to make money by selling vaccines. AS noted above I listed a few of the "10" , there should be ONE MORE which would make it Covid Conspiracy #11 . That is total CENSORSHIP of opposing opinions regarding the Virus . Many have been either kicked out of Social Media for posting "different Information" likewise if you post something contrary to what the Main line Media spills nightly , your attacked by the censors,  following what they call COMMUNITY GUIDELINES of what the so called moderators assume will not offend the somewhat idiots who believe the Koolaide we getting Daily . FREEDOM of SPEECH is under attack , mostly by the Left [ sadly to say] by the angry white neo-cons control things .


Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Kamala Harris

This is a quick post . Joe Biden's choice for VP is winning some "praise" , but her record as a  While , chief among them was her decision to brand herself a “progressive prosecutor.” She was not, at least not by today’s standards.    her mischaracterization of who she was and what she did from 2004-2015, when she was San Francisco’s district attorney and then California’s attorney general.  (1)>>In truth, Harris’s record reveals that she is a centrist on criminal justice. Had she run on that record or reckoned with it—including acknowledging the harm her status-quo policies inflicted—    there are a number of reasons her candidacy was not successful. Biden's choice mirror's what Sen John McCain did when picking Sarah Palin .The choice of Harris says a lot about representation for women of color — but it also lays down a marker for the Democratic Party about avoiding 2016’s blunder with Black voters.Hillary Clinton’s narrow loss to Trump wouldn’t have happened without her underperformance with Black voters in swing state cities like Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Detroit. It's SADLY a POLITICAL GIMMICK to win women voters , (2)>>BUT ALWAYS IT'S THE WRONG WOMAN as a VP. While most Harris-supporting liberals wouldn’t go this far, there is deep suspicion among some Democrats that opposition to Harris is motivated by similarly less-than-noble motives — namely, that it’s part of a project of poisoning the well for any potential challengers of a Bernie Sanders or Sanders-like candidacy in 2020. At the same time, with Biden planning to serve as a “transition candidate” [ one term President]  for a new wave of younger and more racially diverse Democratic politicians, she’s also likely to face a degree of attention and scrutiny that few vice presidents ever have. The task for Biden come January would be to maintain a healthy partnership with his vice president—without worrying that she’ll outshine him. In truth, there is much about Harris’s long record as a public prosecutor in California — the vast bulk of her career — that is up for legitimate criticism by any prospective 2020 Democratic voters. So REMEMBER WHEN Sen. Kamala Harris had 'no remorse' for attacking Joe Biden in the first Democratic debate over his position on busing, she revealed when being interviewed to serve as his vice president.  'She laughed and said, "that politics." She had no remorse,' said former Sen. Chris Dodd, a member of Biden's vice presidential search committee.   The senator from California set herself apart from her Democratic rivals during the first debates by confronting Biden directly about his comments on working with segregationist senators early in his political career, as well as his opposition to federally mandated busing to integrate schools. The only conservatives voting for Biden are fringe Never Trumpers and they will vote for Biden no matter who he selects as VP.  (3)>>Justin Amash in that sense is his biggest competition. Independents despite claiming to be independent tend to fall into the range of the moderate voting bloc. For them it really just depends on how much they know and how anti-establishment or libertarian they lean. Sometimes Sen. Harris seems unsure of herself, awkward when she is interacting with the public or in public settings. She doesn't really instill confidence, or come across as a charismatic candidate. Biden has been careful on the question of whether he’ll seek a second term as president. But if he does forgo reelection, his vice president could establish another VP milestone by launching a presidential campaign in the middle of the first term, while still performing whatever duties Biden deputizes to her—something modern vice presidents have never done.  Given Biden's age, maybe someone else?
NOTES AND COMMENTS:

 (1)>>In truth, Harris’s record reveals that she is a centrist on criminal justice. In 2015, when called upon by the Legislative Black Caucus to support bills that would have mandated that all police officers wear body worn cameras and that the Attorney General’s office investigate lethal officer-involved shootings, she declined.  She championed a law that went after the parents of chronically truant children, laughed when asked if marijuana should be legal, and supported a system that locks up people who are too poor to post exorbitant money bail. These policies were part and parcel of a system of mass incarceration that has deeply harmed poor people and communities of color.  Harris was dogged throughout her campaign by questions about her troubling acts and, perhaps more importantly, failures to act—declining to take bold stances that would have angered law enforcement officials. Rather than admit the obvious, she doubled down, insisting that she had always been a reformer of a broken system. The truth is that Harris embraced progressive criminal justice policies only when it was safe to do so, including from her seat in the U.S. Senate, after they had become popular. Harris is famous for repeating the advice, “Don’t let people tell them who you are. You tell them who you are.” Harris, a 52-year-old former prosecutor and San Francisco district attorney who went on to become California’s attorney general, was a star of the Senate intelligence committee hearing into President Trump’s ties to Russia, grilling US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Harris has also opposed 18 of Trump’s 22 administration nominees.Plus, in 2013, former President Obama had to apologize after telling a group that, in addition to being “brilliant,” “dedicated” and “tough,” Harris “also happens to be, by far, the best-looking attorney general in the country.” (2)>>BUT ALWAYS IT'S THE WRONG WOMAN as a VP. People who want Sen. Kamala Harris or another Black woman to be former Vice President Joe Biden’s running mate often claim that a Black woman will substantially boost enthusiasm among Black voters. Supporters of Sen. Elizabeth Warren for vice presidential nominee say that she will help Biden solidify support with younger voters and people who supported Sen. Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primaries. Others say Harris or Warren or other candidates will doom Biden with voting bloc X or fail to help him with group Z(3)>>Justin Amash in that sense is his biggest competition. Amash, a 39-year-old libertarian elected in 2010, faced two primary challenges and Trump's lash on Twitter after saying the president committed impeachable offenses May 18. He also said Attorney General William Barr had “deliberately misrepresented” special counsel Robert Mueller’s report into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and allegations the president sought to obstruct the investigation.Trump has called Amash "a total lightweight" and "a loser who sadly plays right into our opponents hands!” on social media.

Saturday, August 1, 2020

The China and Iran deal What it means ?

When (1)>>America threw out diplomacy way back around the  (1.2)>>Obama era. Donald Trump missed so Many oppertunities of really making deals with nations like Russia , China and even Iran. Just think what a world would be if we can draft a "peace" bewteen nations . The United States is failing , has been sinking into a hostile corner since Obama left office. So Now. Iran and China have quietly drafted a sweeping economic and security partnership that would clear the way for billions of dollars of Chinese investments in energy and other sectors, undercutting the Trump administration’s efforts to isolate the Iranian government because of its nuclear and military ambitions. This month, it was reported that China and Iran had all but completed a long-rumored security and economic pact, again showing the consequences of our steadfast refusal to recognize the futility of the "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran which relies on sanctions and the threat of military attack. To avoid even worse failure in the future, we must change course immediately. The deal between Beijing and Tehran extends into the "sectors of trade, economy, politics, culture and security" and is reportedly worth $400 billion over 25 years. China is especially interested in securing land routes from Iran to supply some of its crude oil needs. The existence of US sanctions on Iran creates the possibility that Chinese firms which do business with Iran will likewise be hit. The more significant issue here is the implicit promise of China to import Iranian crude and open trade with the country. That is enough to break the sanctions because if the US can't really do anything to China without paying a big price. These sanctions aren't even widely supported by its NATO or Asian allies- essentially only Washington is wildly in favour of it. And if China gets away with it, Washington is going to come under pressure to allow its allies Japan/SK etc to import Iranian crude. And don't forget India. What 'big price' would the US pay by enforcing sanction violations? The US is currently in a trade war with China, which shows no signs of abating, and may well use these violations as an impetus to escalate should no progress be made in the upcoming meetings. Well how is the US going to enforce said sanction?  (2)>>That's the 'big price' that will be inevitable. Will the US station a task force and make China-bound tankers to heave to? On what grounds? The sanctions aren't even UN sanctions - which by the way has no way of passing because China has a veto...and several members including France are opposed.The big stick of using sanctions is partly the threat of denial to market access and since the US is already doing that to China, then why would China give a toss what the US thinks about Iran?p.s There are other ways of enforcing said sanctions and that is usually called bribes. By relenting on some deal or other, the target country will comply with the sanctions because profit! But in this case, the price will be huge..Similarly, by launching a unilateral trade war against China and then demonizing China to cover for his monumental failure to control the coronavirus, Trump should not be surprised if China responds by acting aggressively to undermine other important U.S. foreign policy goals. The art of diplomacy is to use all instruments of power — and the United States has many — to achieve ends commensurate with means. The Trump administration seems instead to have a knack for making far-reaching promises and demands and then lashing out and simply calling for “more pressure” when, unsurprisingly, its goals are not achieved.
China's growing power and the "virus".
While North America and Europe were hard hit, China has resisted the international crisis of 2008  by using a rescue plan which combined huge public spending, a low interest rate and consumption subsidies. China’s growth rate reached 9% in 2009 and 10.4% in 2010, dragging in its wake Asia and Latin America out of the crisis. It has also managed to maintain unemployment to a sustainable level. China even overtook Japan, in 2010, as the second-largest economy in the world in terms of GDP and it is closing the gap with the US. On the whole, China’s rise seems unaffected by the subprime crisis.  For TRUMP, Nearly four years later, none of these goals have been realized, and it is hard to think of a single aspect of Sino-American relations that has evolved favorably for the United States. The bilateral trade deficit rose during Trump’s first two years and is now around the same size as when Trump took office.   In the most recent geopolitical offensive, China ordered the closure of a US consulate in the city of Chengdu, just days after US ordered the closure of a Chinese consulate in Houston.  On Monday, the dollar fell to a multi-year low and analysts expect it to weaken further against major currencies. The political leadership in the United States has, for one, accused the Chinese government of bringing about the global pandemic, with its questionable handling of the public health crisis in China. Beijing’s dogged determination to take advantage of the crisis, to bolster its claim to global leadership and Trump’s insistence on calling it the “Chinese Virus” for weeks opened new faultlines in a great power dynamic that was already confrontational. (3)>>The Chinese government initially signaled its displeasure at U.S. apathy over the initial stages of the virus – criticizing Washington for evacuating its citizens without offering any help (although the U.S. CDC reportedly offered to send a team to help as early as January 6). On social media, Chinese diplomats strongly signaled their anger and some even went as far as to back the conspiracy theory that the coronavirus was a bioweapon manufactured in American laboratories. And while its geopolitical implications should be considered secondary to matters of health and safety, those implications may, in the long term, prove just as consequential—especially when it comes to the United States’ global position. Global orders have a tendency to change gradually at first and then all at once. Trump administration has launched a series of all-round attacks, sanctions, and containment policies toward China, making many commentators very pessimistic about the future trend of China-U.S. relations. It seems that the “cold war” between China and the United States will really materialize under such circumstances.  Let alone to demonize China and treat it like an enemy, which could easily become a self-fulfilling prophesy.  China surpassed the United States in purchasing power parity in 2014 and is on track to have the world’s largest GDP in absolute terms by 2030. In comparison, our Cold War adversary, the Soviet Union, was hobbled by unsustainable economic contradictions that ultimately crumbled under pressure. Instead the United States should develop a comprehensive strategy to defend its interests and compete with China based on domestic and economic renewal, leveraging global alliances, bolstering regional deterrence, and clear-eyed dialogue with Beijing.


NOTES AND COMMENTS:


(1)>>America threw out diplomacy. The neglect and distortion of American diplomacy is not a purely Trumpian invention. It has been an episodic feature of the United States’ approach to the world since the end of the Cold War. The Trump administration, however, has made the problem infinitely worse. There is never a good time for diplomatic malpractice, but the administration’s unilateral diplomatic disarmament is spectacularly mistimed, unfolding precisely at a moment when American diplomacy matters more than ever to American interests. The United States is no longer the only big kid on the geopolitical block, and no longer able get everything it wants on its own, or by force alone. The erosion of the bipartisan foreign-policy consensus in itself is not a tragedy, given its innumerable flaws, blind spots, and uneven track record. But the intense divisiveness and scorched-earth tactics that have poisoned our domestic politics over the past decade are crippling American diplomacy as well. The U.S. is stuck in the mud of its own polarized dysfunction, its already-bruised reputation for getting big things done suffering badly. Others around the world have always had grievances with America’s policies and its geopolitical weight, but they usually had a grudging respect for our competence, and for the power of our example. Today, the U.S. government can’t pass a budget, let alone bring the world together to stop the spread of a ruinous pandemic. (1.2)>>Obama era.  Obama entered office as a critic of American foreign policy, but he soon disappointed the expectations of those who hoped for fundamental change .what disappoints me about Obama is that, when he came into office, he gave the impression he was going to reduce America’s global commitments, in the sense that he was going to wind down the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and greatly reduce our footprint in the Middle East. Obama’s mistakes are not limited to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has contributed substantially to destabilizing the entire Middle East, and interventionism is once more to blame.”Just to focus on the Middle East, . . .Obama is principally responsible for getting the United States involved in Syria—although we didn’t use military force there, we have played a key role in the effort to overthrow Bashar al-Assad, which has failed and has created a disastrous situation. We also played a key role in bringing down Muammar Qaddafi in Libya and helped turn that country into the Wild West.Obama’s anti-Russian foreign policy.  Obama’s much-ballyhooed “Reset” with Russia, launched in 2009, was  in keeping with optimistic attempts by every post-Cold War American administration to improve relations with Moscow was thrown out of the gate,which has led the downward spiral of relations with Moscow , the root cause of Trump winning the 2016 election  based on failed promise "reset getting along with Russia".(2)>>That's the 'big price' that will be inevitable. With the failure of these repressive policies toward China, the pandemic outbreak in 2020 also struck the United States with heavy economic losses: once a long-term bull market, American stock markets saw the successive triggering of their circuit-breaker mechanisms in 10 consecutive days in March. The Dow Jones, S&P 500, and the Nasdaq indexes dropped to the levels they were at before Trump’s term began. Despite the recent improvement in the stock market, the extremely high unemployment rate will remain for a long period, which could be a fatal blow to the economic performance of Trump’s three years in office. On top of this, more than 100,000 Americans have died as a result of COVID-19. Under the huge domestic economic impact of the pandemic, it is difficult for the United States to launch a new round of large-scale suppressive policies against China in the short term. (3)>>The Chinese government initially signaled its displeasure at U.S. apathy over the initial stages of the virus –.  Notwithstanding Trump’s aggressive courtship of President and Communist Party Chairman Xi Jinping — as recently as late February 2020 Trump was praising Xi’s “hard work” and “transparency” and claiming the relationship was “very good” — bilateral diplomatic relations are in tatters. Trump and Xi have not spoken since March 27.