01/05 -- 659 days to slow the spread; Twenty-Year War on Terror Was an Amazing Success, If You Were Terrorism
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Thomas L. Knapp
Jan 5, 2022, 7:08:27 AM1/5/22
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 01/05/22
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Today's Freedom News:
1) 659 days to slow the spread
2) North Korea: Regime test launches ballistic missile
3) Record number of Americans quit jobs in November 2022
4) China: Regime orders second city into Covid lockdown
5) Disgraced former president cancels planned January 6 speech, throws temper tantrum
6) Kazakhstan: Tokayev says regime "will not fall" amid protests
7) Judge grants motion to dismiss Nirvana "Nevermind" baby's frivolous lawsuit
8) Sudan: Coup forces attack protesters with chemical weapons
9) FL: Ladapo urges people without symptoms to stop wasting COVID-19 tests
10) NY: Disgraced former governor, in addition to skating on mass nursing home murder coverup, won't be charged with forcible touching
11) Germany: Crowds increasingly stop coddling police violence at pandemic protests
12) MA: First Cambodian-American mayor in US sworn in
13) US Senate: Schumer raises vote on filibuster change
14) Palestine: Abductees launch boycott of Israeli occupiers' military courts
15) House Economic-Know-Nothing Caucus Hails Biden Moves to Shift Blame for Inflation to "Price Gouging"
16) Lawyer: Cuomo won't be charged over cover-up of his nursing home killings
17) Former Redskins to unveil new name in February
18) Hong Kong: Beijing quisling court sentences political prisoner to 15 months for noticing Tiananmen massacre
19) Europe: Tattoo artists fear for their future after EU ink ban
20) Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Convicted of Fraud, Conspiracy
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Twenty-Year War on Terror Was an Amazing Success, If You Were Terrorism
22) If It's Really a "Pandemic of the Unvaccinated," Mr. President, Why Is My Vaccinated 6-Year-Old Wearing a Mask?
23) Escalation and Obedience
24) Madness, Mayhem and Tyranny
25) Tom Jefferson -- another enemy of the state
26) Media & Biden regime covered up these three scandals in "scandal-free" year
27) Will Artificial Intelligence Create a Socialist Paradise?
28) One Hall Brother Gave the Soviets the A-Bomb, the Other Got a Medal
29) In Search of Humility
30) We'll Either Rise As A Collective Or Perish As Individuals
31) The hell of "Zero Covid"
32) Americans Still Don't Want War, Despite the Military-Industrial Complex's Best Efforts
33) New year, new thinking
34) The Behavioral Experiment That Helps Explain the Fall of Elizabeth Holmes -- and the Horrors of Socialism
35) Last Stand Of The Court Packers
36) Defending Armed Self-Defense
37) Learning From Poker: What Gambling Can Teach Us About Investing
38) Don't Look Up: The Hipster/Liberal Book of Revelation
39) Boris and his Bureaucrats are Bungling Brexit
40) Why The Republican Party Isn't Concerned With Popularity
41) America's Steel Spine
42) GOP war drummers demanding action against Russia
43) Major Media's Major Corruption
44) On the Internet, Everything Seems Like Shouting "Fire" in a Crowded Theater
45) Union Bosses Against Union Jobs
46) The poison of nationalism
47) Life in Zero-Covid Antarctica
48) The Free-ish World
49) What If We Made Democracy ... More Democratic [sic]?
50) Covid 2022: A New Year, New Fears
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Free Talk Live, 01/04/22
52) Fintech Beat, 01/04/22
53) Part Of The Problem, 01/04/22
54) Conflicts of Interest, episode 210
55) The Bryan Hyde Show, 01/04/22
56) Rising, 01/04/22
57) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 01/04/22
58) Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 01/04/22
59) The Tom Woods Show, episode 2035
60) Grant F. Smith on The Scott Horton Show
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Source: NBC News
"The United States hit 1 million new Covid-19 cases on Monday, according to data compiled by NBC News, underscoring the threat of the omicron variant as the third year of the pandemic gets underway. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the omicron variant now accounts for up to 95 percent of U.S. test samples reviewed last week, according to modeled projections. But that projection could differ from later estimates. ... However, even as U.S. case counts rose in recent weeks, reported deaths did not appear to be surging -- suggesting that omicron leads to a more mild form of Covid, especially among people who have been vaccinated." (01/04/22)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-reaches-1-million-daily-covid-cases-spread-omicron-variant-rcna10866
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2) North Korea: Regime test launches ballistic missile
Source: CBS News
"Japan and South Korea said on Wednesday that North Korea had launched a suspected ballistic missile that landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said in a brief statement that it was 'aware of the ballistic missile launch' and was consulting closely with allies and partners in the region. ... North Korea's ruler Kim recently marked the 10th year of his regime, and he has promised to double down on military development, citing increasing instability on the Korean peninsula. Already his government is spending about a quarter of North Korea's gross domestic product on arms, proportionally more than any other country on Earth. Kim has shifted North Korea's weapons testing into overdrive since 2019, including missile launches from a train and a submarine. Last autumn the isolated totalitarian state announced tests of a new long-range cruise missile, capable of hitting much of Japan." (01/05/22)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korea-test-launches-ballistic-missile-in-1st-provocation-of-2022/
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3) Record number of Americans quit jobs in November 2022
Source: Crain's Chicago Business
"A record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November while openings remained elevated, highlighting persistent churn in the labor market. The increase in departures was broad across industries and pushed the quits rate up to 3%, matching the most in data back to 2000. Meanwhile, the number of available positions fell to 10.6 million from an upwardly revised 11.1 million in October, the Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed Tuesday. ... The unprecedented level of quits -- including a record 1 million in leisure and hospitality alone--suggests a lingering struggle for employers to retain talent. Meanwhile, the month's increase in hiring showed companies were able to make at least some headway filling vacancies." (01/04/22)
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/employment/record-number-americans-quit-jobs-november
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4) China: Regime orders second city into Covid lockdown
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"China has put a second city into total lockdown after just three asymptomatic Covid cases were discovered. Yuzhou (which has a population of 1.1 million) saw its transport system shut down and all but essential food stores closed overnight. It follows a similar lockdown in Xi'an, where 13 million have been confined to their homes since 23 December. The strict measures come ahead of the Lunar New Year and the Winter Olympics due to be held in Beijing. With exactly a month to go until the Games start, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin assured reporters China had 'formulated an efficient and highly effective defence system.' As part of this system, thousands of staff and volunteers started entering a bubble on Tuesday, which will see them have no physical contact with the outside world in order to limit the spread." (01/04/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59871325
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5) Disgraced former president cancels planned January 6 speech, throws temper tantrum
Source: Raw Story
"Former President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his planned speech on the anniversary of the Capitol riots on January 6th. In a statement released on Tuesday, Trump said he was cancelling the speech 'in light of the total bias and dishonesty of the January 6th Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media.' He then went on to lob insults at members of the committee, as well as assorted political foes, including 'Adam Schifty Schiff' and 'Crazy Nancy Pelosi.' Trump tried to blame Pelosi for supposedly not doing enough to stop his supporters from rioting at the Capitol, and also demanded that the House Select Committee investigating said riot look into his baseless [sic] claims of voter fraud." (01/04/22)
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-speech-on-january-6-2656222027/
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6) Kazakhstan: Tokayev says regime "will not fall" amid protests
Source: Reuters
"Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Tuesday his government would not fall, as protests in some major cities turned violent and a crowd tried to storm the mayor's office in the Central Asian nation's biggest city. ... As he spoke, police in the main city of Almaty used tear gas and stun grenades to stop hundreds of protesters from storming the mayor's office, a Reuters correspondent reported from the scene. The oil-rich country's government announced late on Tuesday it was restoring some price caps on liquefied petroleum gas, after the rare protests reached Almaty following a sharp rise in the price of the fuel at the start of the year." (01/04/22)
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/protests-erupt-kazakhstan-after-fuel-price-rise-2022-01-04/
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7) Judge grants motion to dismiss Nirvana "Nevermind" baby's frivolous lawsuit
Source: USA Today
"A California judge granted on Monday a motion to dismiss a recent child pornography lawsuit brought forward by the man who appeared as a baby on the cover of Nirvana's famous 'Nevermind' album. The lawsuit – filed in August against members of the former band, its music executives and the photographer from the shoot -- was brought forward by 30-year-old Spencer Elden, who claimed he will 'suffer lifelong damages' thanks to the album cover, which depicts him as a baby with his genitals showing on the cover of their 1991 hit album. After the defendants motioned for the lawsuit's dismissal Dec. 22, Elden and his legal team had until Dec. 30 to file an opposition, but did not do so, according to legal documents filed Monday and obtained by USA TODAY." (01/04/22)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/01/04/nirvana-baby-lawsuit-spencer-elden-nevermind-case/9087360002/
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8) Sudan: Coup forces attack protesters with chemical weapons
Source: Yahoo! News
"Security forces in Sudan have fired tear gas at pro-democracy demonstrators in the latest mass protests against military rule following October's coup. Thousands of people in several cities took to the streets chanting anti-coup slogans and calling for the downfall of Sudan's ruling council. Tear gas was used to disperse crowds in the capital Khartoum and in Port Sudan. Tuesday's protests come two days after the resignation of the civilian Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok. Mr Hamdok quit after a recent deal he made with the military to share power sparked outrage. Rallies calling for a return to full civilian rule have taken place across the country since the army seized power on 25 October. The military has often responded with force. At least 56 people have been killed during protests so far, according to the pro-democracy Sudan Central Doctors' Committee, which says most were shot by security forces." (01/04/22)
https://news.yahoo.com/sudan-coup-sudan-forces-fire-170756893.html
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9) FL: Ladapo urges people without symptoms to stop wasting COVID-19 tests
Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"With the omicron variant spreading, testing sites jammed and health care workers weary, Florida's surgeon general said he will release testing guidelines by Wednesday that will urge people without symptoms to refrain from getting swabbed. Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida's surgeon general, said during a news briefing Monday that he wants to unwind the testing psychology that federal leaders have created: His new guidelines will discourage testing for those at low-risk, such as children, and prioritize those at higher risk, such as the elderly. 'This doesn't restrict access to testing, but reduces the use of low-value testing and prioritizes high-value testing,' he said." (01/04/22)
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-who-gets-tested-20220103-emgnivrgrzbfbnsh46lf3zgzfy-story.html
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10) NY: Disgraced former governor, in addition to skating on mass nursing home murder coverup, won't be charged with forcible touching
Source: CNN
"The Albany district attorney will not prosecute former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on a misdemeanor sex crime charge of forcible touching after reviewing the evidence in the case despite finding the complainant 'cooperative' and 'credible.' 'While many have an opinion regarding the allegations against the former Governor, the Albany County DA's Office is the only one who has a burden to prove the elements of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt,' Albany County District Attorney David Soares said in a statement Tuesday. 'While we found the complainant in this case cooperative and credible, after review of all the available evidence we have concluded that we cannot meet our burden at trial,' he said. The district attorney's office noted that the decision to discontinue criminal prosecution is unrelated 'to any possible civil liability.'" (01/04/22)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/04/politics/andrew-cuomo-albany-da/index.html
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11) Germany: Crowds increasingly stop coddling police violence at pandemic protests
Source: ABC News
"Police in Germany have reported sporadic violence at demonstrations against the country's pandemic restrictions, with one protester in the eastern town of Lichtenstein biting an officer and another attempting to steal a service weapon. Tens of thousands of people in total took to the streets in scores of German towns and cities for weekly marches that have organizers have [sic] labeled 'strolls' in an attempt to bypass restrictions on public gatherings. ... Police in the eastern state of Saxony said the incident late Monday in Lichtenstein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Chemnitz, occurred when officers tried to pull about 60 rowdy people out of a march to check their identities. Several of the protesters attacked police and sprayed them with chemical irritants." (01/04/22)
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/violence-flares-pandemic-protests-germany-82065521
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12) MA: First Cambodian-American mayor in US sworn in
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
"He came to the U.S. as a young refugee, having survived Khmer Rouge's brutal rule. Now, Sokhary Chau is the nation's first Cambodian American mayor. The 49-year-old city councilor in Lowell, Massachusetts, was unanimously picked by his colleagues to assume the body's top post Monday, in the process also becoming the city's first Asian American mayor. 'God bless America, right? I was a refugee, now I'm mayor of a major city in Massachusetts,' Chau said hours after he was officially sworn in. 'I don't know if that could happen anywhere else in the world. I'm still trying to absorb it.' Chau, in his inaugural remarks, reflected on his family's perilous escape from Cambodia and the deep immigrant roots in Lowell, about about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Boston near the New Hampshire line." (01/04/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/1st-Cambodian-American-mayor-in-US-takes-office-16747476.php
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13) US Senate: Schumer raises vote on filibuster change
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
"Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told colleagues Monday that the chamber would vote no later than the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on changing Senate rules if Republicans continue to block voting rights legislation. The announcement of the planned action by Jan. 17 represented Schumer's strongest endorsement yet of trying to muscle through legislation that has been stymied because of Senate rules requiring a 60-vote threshold. ... For the strategy to succeed, however, Schumer will need buy-in from two fellow Democrats -- Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who have voiced skepticism or opposition to changing Senate procedures in a way that would be needed to push voting-rights priorities across the finish line." (01/04/22)
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/jan/04/schumer-raises-vote-on-filibuster-change/
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14) Palestine: Abductees launch boycott of Israeli occupiers' military courts
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatar state media]
"Palestinian prisoners held without trial or charge have launched a boycott of Israel's military courts in the occupied West Bank, as prisoner groups warn that one detainee on hunger strike faces 'imminent danger of death.' In an escalatory step agreed by Palestinian political parties, the 500 so-called administrative detainees began new year by refusing to show up for their court sessions. The boycott includes the initial hearings to uphold the administrative detention order, as well as appeal hearings and later sessions at the Supreme Court. ... Administrative detention is an Israeli policy that allows the indefinite detention of prisoners without trial or charge based on 'secret evidence' that neither the detainee nor his lawyer is allowed to see. At least four Palestinian children are detained under such orders." (01/04/22)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/4/palestinian-prisoners-launch-boycott-of-israeli-military-courts
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15) House Economic-Know-Nothing Caucus Hails Biden Moves to Shift Blame for Inflation to "Price Gouging"
Source: Common Dreams
"The Congressional Progressive Caucus on Tuesday joined family farm advocates in applauding President Joe Biden's new executive action plan targeting 'price gouging' and other monopolistic [sic] conduct by the U.S. meat industry, which has pushed high costs onto consumers while raking in huge profits during the pandemic. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the CPC, said in a statement that throughout the public health crisis, U.S. corporations 'have raked in record profits while continuing to raise prices and squeeze families, consolidating to prevent competition and increasing the burden on small businesses and consumers.'" [editor's note: Of course, none of this was done by lowering taxation on every step in meat processing from hoof to table – SAT] (01/04/22)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/01/04/house-progressives-hail-biden-moves-combat-meat-industry-price-gouging
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16) Lawyer: Cuomo won't be charged over cover-up of his nursing home killings
Source: Business Insider
"Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will not be charged in the investigation into whether [sic] he hid the COVID-19 death toll in the state's nursing homes [exacerbated by his policies], his administration's lawyer said. Elkan Abramowitz, who served as outside counsel to the Cuomo administration, said in a Monday statement to Politico and The Wall Street Journal that he was contacted by the head of the DA's Elder Abuse Unit and told the investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office was over. He said he was told Cuomo would not face any charges." (01/04/22)
https://www.businessinsider.com/cuomo-no-charges-nursing-home-covid-deaths-investigation-lawyer-says-2022-1
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17) Former Redskins to unveil new name in February
Source: Fox News
"The Washington Football Team will have a new identity come February. Team president Jason Wright announced Tuesday that Washington will unveil its new name on Feb. 2, more than a year after retiring their previous one over mounting pressure that the team name (established in the 1930s) was racist toward Native Americans. ... Washington announced in August that the team had narrowed their search down to a few potential names, including the Washington Presidents, Brigade, Redhogs, Football Team, Commanders, Armada, Defenders and Redwolves. But Wright said Tuesday that the final option, or a variation of it, was ruled out because of trademark troubles." [editor's note: Still should just call them the Lizards, after the main denizens of the "city" – SAT] (01/04/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/washington-unveil-new-name-february-fan-favorite
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18) Hong Kong: Beijing quisling court sentences political prisoner to 15 months for noticing Tiananmen massacre
Source: The Hill
"A Hong Kong court on Tuesday sentenced an activist to 15 months in prison for reportedly organizing an unauthorized vigil to commemorate those who lost their lives during a pro-democracy protest in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Chow Hang-tung, 36, who was a member of the now-closed Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, was arrested last year just one day before the anniversary of the protest, according to Reuters. Hong Kong typically holds annual vigils, but for the past two years police have banned the gatherings due to coronavirus restrictions, the news outlet noted. Though law enforcement officials in China have denied it, activists have attributed the bans to attempts to silence displays of defiance, Reuters reported." (01/04/22)
https://thehill.com/policy/international/china/588110-hong-kong-court-sentences-tiananmen-vigil-organizer-to-15-months
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19) Europe: Tattoo artists fear for their future after EU ink ban
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"Tattoo artists say that a new pan-EU ban on thousands of chemicals used in colouring inks could hurt their industry. The restrictions, which came into force on Tuesday, apply to substances that may cause cancer or other health issues and mainly affect coloured ink. The EU says the rules will reduce the number of adverse reactions. But tattooists complain replacement inks are not easily available, and might lack the vibrancy customers want. After two years of difficulty caused by the pandemic, many businesses argue they haven't had enough time to adjust. 'Coronavirus, with the months of closures, has shaken us badly. Then this comes on top,' said Hamburg tattoo artist Sebastian Makowski. He told the German press agency the changes were tantamount to a partial ban on his business." (01/04/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59871779
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20) Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Convicted of Fraud, Conspiracy
Source: Time
"In a case that exposed Silicon Valley's culture of hubris and hype, Elizabeth Holmes was convicted Monday of duping investors into believing her startup Theranos had developed a revolutionary medical device that could detect a multitude of diseases and conditions from a few drops of blood. A jury convicted Holmes, who was CEO throughout the company's turbulent 15-year history, on two counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud after seven days of deliberation. The 37-year-old was acquitted on four other counts of fraud and conspiracy that alleged she deceived patients who paid for Theranos blood tests, too." (01/04/22)
https://time.com/6132636/elizabeth-holmes-guilty/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Twenty-Year War on Terror Was an Amazing Success, If You Were Terrorism
Source: Common Dreams
by Nick Turse
"It began more than two decades ago. On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush declared a 'war on terror' and told a joint session of Congress (and the American people) that 'the course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain.' If he meant a 20-year slide to defeat in Afghanistan, a proliferation of militant groups across the Greater Middle East and Africa, and a never-ending, world-spanning war that, at a minimum, has killed about 300 times the number of people murdered in America on 9/11, then give him credit. He was absolutely right. ... it was already evident, as Bush said in his address, that al-Qaeda was responsible for the attacks. But it was equally clear that he had no intention of conducting a limited campaign." (01/04/22)
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/01/04/20-year-war-terror-was-amazing-success-if-you-were-terrorism
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22) If It's Really a "Pandemic of the Unvaccinated," Mr. President, Why Is My Vaccinated 6-Year-Old Wearing a Mask?
Source: Reason
by Matt Welch
"President Joe Biden on Tuesday afternoon made some more public remarks about the still-spiking omicron variant of COVID-19. It wasn't pretty .... Of particular interest was the president's insistence on continuing to call it a 'pandemic of the unvaccinated,' a slogan that was unwise in July, untrue by December, and unbelievable at a time when the positive case rate in a 62 percent fully vaccinated country just reached an all-time high. ... If the pandemic indeed no longer applies to me, my family, and the vast majority of people I know ... Why on earth is my vaccinated 6-year-old, all the vaccinated kids in her class and after-school, and all her vaccinated teachers and supervisory staff, being forced by state law (influenced directly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to wear masks all day long?" (01/04/22)
https://reason.com/2022/01/04/if-its-really-a-pandemic-of-the-unvaccinated-mr-president-why-is-my-vaccinated-6-year-old-wearing-a-mask/
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23) Escalation and Obedience
Source: EconLog
by Bryan Caplan
"Airports and airlines, governed by federal law, never relaxed their mask mandate, even for the fully vaccinated. Yet if you actually fly nowadays, you'll notice plenty of scofflaws on the ground and in the sky. Which raises a big question: What exactly is the punishment for failing to wear a mask? Until you board the plane, the punishment is simply: An authority orders you to put on your mask. Once they're out of sight, you can safely remove your mask until another authority orders you to put on your mask. ... Escalation. If you really pay attention, that's the standard mechanism of government coercion. You can break most of the laws most of the time. But once you're on the government's radar, they keep ramping up the punishment until you back down." (01/04/22)
https://www.econlib.org/escalation-and-obedience/
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24) Madness, Mayhem and Tyranny
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by John Whitehead
"Disgruntled mobs. Martial law. A populace under house arrest. A techno-corporate state wielding its power to immobilize huge swaths of the country. A Constitution in tatters. Between the riots, lockdowns, political theater, and COVID-19 mandates, 2021 was one for the history books. In our ongoing pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, here were some of the stumbling blocks that kept us fettered ..." (01/04/222)
https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2022/01/04/madness-mayhem-and-tyranny/
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25) Tom Jefferson -- another enemy of the state
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
"The New York City Council removed the statue of Founding Father and President Thomas Jefferson from their chambers on Monday 22 November 2021. It was relegated to the New York Historical Society. Why? Because Jefferson was a slaveholder -- or so they say. Frankly, I think that there are a lot more reasons that the scum who rule -- tyrannize -- what many consider the most important city in all of these Fifty States -- and the Americas -- don't want the image of Tom Jefferson looking over their evil plotting and actions." (01/04/22)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2022/01/04/tom-jefferson-another-enemy-of-the-state/
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26) Media & Biden regime covered up these three scandals in "scandal-free" year
Source: Fox News Forum
by Jonathan Turley
"With the conclusion of the first year of the Biden administration, White House chief of staff Ron Klain sought to end on a high, or at least higher, note by retweeting a column saying that 2021 was not 'all bad.' It was like bragging that a bad first date told you that the evening could have been worse. However, what really stood out in the column by Albert Hunt was the key rationale: the first year was 'scandal free.' Calling 2021 'scandal free' is not merely an example of blinkered commentary, it is an exercise of willful blindness. This is why magicians often make audience members part of the illusion. Houdini did not actually make his 10,000-pound elephant Jennie disappear. It was there the whole time, but the audience did not want to see it. That's the trick." (01/04/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/media-biden-administration-journalism-scandal-hunter-biden-jonathan-turley
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27) Will Artificial Intelligence Create a Socialist Paradise?
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Doug French
"Relating a quip by Soviet economist Nikolai Fedorenko, Yuri Maltsev illustrated the problem with socialism in his foreword to Ludwig von Mises's Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth. Fedorenko said, at the time, in Maltsev's words, '[A] fully balanced, checked, and detailed economic plan for the next year would be ready, with the help of computers, in 30,000 years.' Victor Shvets believes computing power has caught up and 'technology could soon create an environment where state planning might be able to deliver acceptable economic results while simultaneously suppressing societal and individual freedoms.' ... The new world, according to Shvets, will be fair, equitable, and beneficial to society, rather than freedom and individualism. His soothsaying is based on a quarter of millennials believing democracy is bad for society and less than a third believing it essential." (01/04/22)
https://mises.org/wire/will-artificial-intelligence-create-socialist-paradise
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28) One Hall Brother Gave the Soviets the A-Bomb, the Other Got a Medal
Source: The Nation
by Dave Lindorff
"Hired at 18 as a Harvard junior by the Manhattan Project, [Theodore Alvin] Hall arrived at Los Alamos on January 28, 1944, and learned he'd be helping to create an atomic bomb. Although the project was a response to fears that Germany might develop nuclear weapons, by that summer, with the German army in retreat, Hall grew concerned that the bomb's real target would be the USSR, America's wartime ally. While still at Harvard and unaware what he was being recruited for, Hall and his friend and roommate Saville Sax (the only person he told about his new job) shared their concerns that the Soviet Union was being left out of what was clearly the development of some new weapon." (01/04/22)
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/ted-hall-espionage-fbi/
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29) In Search of Humility
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Todd Myers
"Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992) and Eric Voegelin (1901-1985) were influential but controversial figures in American conservative political thought. The United States welcomed them as articulate, thoughtful, and uncompromising critics of its political rivals' ideologies. Time magazine placed Voegelin front and center in an issue that examined how ideologies grounded in the Christian heresy of Gnosticism threatened the existential interests of the United States from outside as well as in. Reader's Digest published a popular edition of Hayek's The Road to Serfdom, wherein he warned how the warm embrace of central planning in the West threatened to eclipse its cherished liberty. From the 1950s until today, conservatives have found solace in their works." (01/04/22)
https://www.aier.org/article/in-search-of-humility/
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30) We'll Either Rise As A Collective Or Perish As Individuals
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
"Everyone who's freaking out about wokeness and identity politics can relax. Liberals are 100 percent certain to get bored with that schtick and forget all about it without having helped a single member of any minority or marginalized group. Ask the immigrants and the kids in cages. ... Anyone to the left of Ted Cruz is a communist. Anyone who opposes US imperialism loves and supports the governments it targets. Anyone who defends Palestinians hates Jews. Move the Overton window far enough toward your side of the debate and you can spin even the slightest hint of disagreement with you as dangerous extremism. ... People who spend their time freaking out about communism are hilarious." (01/02/22)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/01/02/well-either-rise-as-a-collective-or-perish-as-individuals-notes-from-the-edge-of-the-narrative-matrix/
-----
31) The hell of "Zero Covid"
Source: spiked
by Brendan O'Neill
"Imagine a nation in such a state of distress that its citizens were reduced to bartering for food. A nation where women were so desperate for something to cook and eat that they started swapping sanitary towels for vegetables. A nation where families were so hungry that they would trade their cigarettes for a cabbage. This country actually exists. And it isn't one of the poor, sometimes famished nations of the global South. It's China. More accurately, it's China under the policy of 'Zero Covid.' ... here in the supposedly free West, too, numerous experts and observers openly lobbied for Zero Covid policies .... 'Zero Covid,' over the past year, has become a little like the campaign slogan 'Defund the police,' in that the people who pushed this policy now deny that it is actually what they wanted." (01/04/22)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/01/04/the-hell-of-zero-covid/
-----
32) Americans Still Don't Want War, Despite the Military-Industrial Complex's Best Efforts
Source: Jacobin
by Branko Marcetic
"A recent survey from YouGov and the Charles Koch Institute found that a strong plurality of Americans oppose going to war with Russia over Ukraine, with 48 percent of respondents somewhat or strongly opposed (with the latter stance taking the bigger share), and only 27 percent in favor, a mere 9 percent 'strongly' so. This is a fairly stunning result, given not just the pro-war slant among politicians and the media when it comes to this particular crisis but years of attempts to stoke conflict between the two countries since 2016. Russia and Ukraine isn't the only area we see this in. A similar bipartisan push to demonize China and commit to a going to war if Taiwan's sovereignty is threatened has succeeded in getting more Americans to view China as a threat, but it hasn't made them particularly enthusiastic about the idea of war with the country." (01/04/22)
https://jacobinmag.com/2022/01/us-survey-american-attitudes-war-military-intervention-china-russia/
-----
33) New year, new thinking
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
"As 2021 gives way to 2022, it's not always easy to put into words the aspirations that well up. But sometimes poets express what we can't. In 1850, Britain's new poet laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote 'Ring Out, Wild Bells.' His poem imagines that the church bells marking the new year will 'Ring out the old, ring in the new / ... Ring out the false, ring in the true.' In words that resonate today he hears the bells pealing with hope: 'Ring out false pride in place and blood / The civic slander and the spite; / Ring in the love of truth and right, / Ring in the common love of good ...'" (01/03/22)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2022/0103/New-year-new-thinking
-----
34) The Behavioral Experiment That Helps Explain the Fall of Elizabeth Holmes -- and the Horrors of Socialism
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
"One of the reasons Holmes was able to successfully dupe so many was her self-confidence and physical presence. Her piercing blue eyes, bright red lipstick, and mane of blonde hair made her striking in her own right, but the Jobsian black turtlenecks, baritone voice (an act), and cool demeanor seemed to give her a svengali-like quality over many people. For some, the comparisons to Jobs and Edison fell short; she was the next Beethoven. Some simply could not believe Holmes was a liar. The late Secretary of State George Shultz believed Holmes over his own grandson, the very Theranos employee who became Carreyrou's source. Holmes may have had an additional benefit, however, in how she was able to fool so many people around her. She may not have been aware she was lying." (01/04/22)
https://fee.org/articles/the-behavioral-experiment-that-helps-explain-the-fall-of-elizabeth-holmes-and-the-horrors-of-socialism/
-----
35) Last Stand Of The Court Packers
Source: The American Conservative
by George Liebmann
"The Supreme Court, the late Philip Kurland observed, 'essentially is a moon, rather than a sun. It reflects, if at times it distorts, changes already imminent in the society. Its function is more to justify than to initiate, to choose among preferred contending social values rather than to initiate them.' For 70 years, there has been disillusionment throughout the Western world with the consequences of the centralizing ideologies fostered by the Depression and the necessary mobilization for war. ... The critics of the Supreme Court now view with alarm state legislation to protect the secret ballot, court decisions that limit federal criminal jurisdiction, erosion of the educationist monopoly that excludes 90 percent of college graduates from the teaching force and imposes political indoctrination on students, return of control of contested moral issues to the States, and an end to the proclamation of situation ethics as a rule of constitutional law." (01/04/22)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/last-stand-of-the-court-packers/
-----
36) Defending Armed Self-Defense
Source: Reason
by Katherine Mangu-Ward
"Gun control laws are wrong because they violate the right to self-defense. Gun control laws are wrong because they were historically crafted with discriminatory intent and create racially disparate outcomes today. These are two distinct arguments against laws that limit private gun ownership. Libertarians, typically among the staunchest of fans of self-defense and self-determination, have tended to focus on the first. But the second is also important, both on its own merits and because it helps people otherwise concerned about discrimination understand why it is inconsistent to support such laws." (for publication 02/22)
https://reason.com/2022/01/04/defending-armed-self-defense/
-----
37) Learning From Poker: What Gambling Can Teach Us About Investing
Source: American Consequences
by Kim Iskyan
"'The stock market is a casino ...' Those words have been uttered by lots of people who understand neither the stock market nor casinos... And (as I'll get to below) they also don't get risk management, or how to keep their emotions in check, or the value of, you know, work. On the surface, though, there are a lot of similarities between the stock market and casinos. Stocks and gambling involve risking -- and losing -- money. With both, it often feels like 'they' (in stocks, speed-of-light algorithms, market makers, and insiders -- in casinos, 'the house' and pit bosses) have rigged the system against us normal folk. ... it's easy to tar markets with the dark brush of casinos, as Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren did last January on CNBC when she called for greater regulation of the stock market." (01/04/22)
https://americanconsequences.com/kim-iskyan-learning-from-poker-part-one/
-----
38) Don't Look Up: The Hipster/Liberal Book of Revelation
Source: CounterPunch
by William Kaufman
"Don't Look Up, the vaunted apocalyptic satire from Netflix, is not as bad as the preponderance of pans would have you believe -- it's diverting enough for you to have a look -- but neither is it anything more than just another trudge through the conventional, maudlin sensibilities of contemporary Hollywood, with some modishly liberal/left acerbity thrown in to flatter the hipsters and Occupy Democrats/DNC booster types in the audience. ... Teeming with overripe targets and cardboard heroes, this is political satire dumbed down to the masscult expectations of an MSNBC demographic; if anyone is expecting the unhinged, Swiftian divine madness of Dr. Strangelove, forget it -- you get two and a half hours of left liberal snark, sporadically diverting enough, with a few laughs." (01/04/22)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/01/04/dont-look-up-the-hipster-liberal-book-of-revelation/
-----
39) Boris and his Bureaucrats are Bungling Brexit
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Ambler
"The referendum promised that the UK would regain sovereignty but continue to trade with the EU much as before -- no duties and frictionless trade across borders. The consequential Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was received with much rejoicing. Unfortunately, 'cooperation' has not extended to minimising regulation and controls at the EU/UK borders nor to maintaining the EU practice of each country retaining the VAT it collects rather than leaving collection to the country of the ultimate buyer. The former system is much simpler and the swings pretty much offset the roundabouts." (01/04/22)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/boris-and-his-bureaucrats-are-bungling-brexit
-----
40) Why The Republican Party Isn't Concerned With Popularity
Source: FiveThirtyEight
by Daniel Cox
"After Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election, the Republican National Committee published what became known as the 'GOP autopsy report,' an effort to identify and address the party's ongoing political weaknesses. But eight years later, after losing another close race, the GOP appears wholly uninterested in reviewing or reforming its agenda. ... despite the fact that the GOP is quite unpopular and that much of its current agenda -- such as overturning the Affordable Care Act or advancing restrictive immigration policies -- does not appeal to a majority of voters, the party is in an enviable position heading into the 2022 midterm elections and beyond. What is to make of this glaring disconnect?" (01/04/22)
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-the-republican-party-isnt-concerned-with-popularity/
-----
41) America's Steel Spine
Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner
"It matters whether the United States makes steel. The industry, far smaller than at its peak, still provides several hundred thousand jobs directly and indirectly, and supports local economies. Steel is also home to one of America's most important and progressive unions, the United Steelworkers. It is unthinkable to imagine an American industrial renaissance without steel. American-made steel also demonstrates how heavy manufacturing can be far less carbon-intensive than in years past. Domestic steel production is nearly three times cleaner than steel made in China. For decades, the USW has been a leading force in bringing together climate activists and trade unionists, via the BlueGreen Alliance and dozens of ad hoc collaborations. As in so many areas of U.S. industry, Chinese subsidy and overproduction have ravaged domestic steel. China makes about half of all the world's steel." (01/04/22)
https://prospect.org/economy/americas-steel-spine/
-----
42) GOP war drummers demanding action against Russia
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Doug Bandow
"The drums of war are sounding in Washington, D.C., and Republicans are among the most enthusiastic backers of military action. Some enthusiastically, almost gleefully, suggest risking nuclear war. This is no longer the party of Ronald Reagan, who sought to prevent conflict and especially nuclear conflict. Nor of earlier Republicans. During his vice-presidential run in 1976 Kansas Sen. Robert Dole denounced 'Democrat wars of the 20th century.' Democratic presidents took America into World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In retrospect, only the Second World War looks necessary, and even then the Democratic administration's pre-war conduct, whatever its justification, was deceitful and reckless." (01/04/22)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/01/04/gop-war-drummers-demanding-action-against-russia/
-----
43) Major Media's Major Corruption
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"The revolving door between regulated big business and regulatory agencies is a known problem. 'Regulatory capture' is one of the concepts economists have used to explain it. We got used to this sort of corruption in finance: under the Bush and Obama administrations, with Goldman Sachs serving as the Executive Branch's talent pool. The Pentagon and its major contractors have long had a cushy, cross-pollinating relationship. And we are just beginning to learn about Fauci's close ties to Big Pharma. But the most dangerous employment overlap? Between the Deep State and major media news services." (01/04/22)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2022/01/04/major-medias-major-corruption/
-----
44) On the Internet, Everything Seems Like Shouting "Fire" in a Crowded Theater
Source: The Atlantic
by Jeff Kosseff
"Shouting 'Fire' in a crowded theater, a metaphor that dates to a 1919 Supreme Court ruling by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., is widely -- and wrongly -- held to be a far-reaching exception to the First Amendment, which offers broad protection to free expression in the United States. Courts have rigorously scrutinized government acts that might plausibly conflict with the amendment. But in common usage, shouting 'Fire' in a crowded theater has become an all-purpose justification for regulating speech while evading judicial scrutiny. ... The phrase originated in a case that did not involve yelling or fires or crowds or theaters. Charles T. Schenck, the general secretary of the U.S. Socialist Party, was convicted in a Philadelphia federal court for violating the Espionage Act by printing leaflets that criticized the military draft as unconstitutional." (01/04/22)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/shouting-fire-crowded-theater-speech-regulation/621151/
-----
45) Union Bosses Against Union Jobs
Source: Town Hall
by Stephen Moore
"Why don't the union bosses in America represent their union members anymore? Could it be because the union leadership has become more beholden to the Democratic politicians in Washington than the rank-and-file workers who pay the dues? We saw an example of this betrayal of the workers not long ago when the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters brass endorsed Joe Biden for president -- even though Biden openly opposed all fossil fuels and wanted to end the building of pipelines. ... More recently, we witnessed one of the dumbest union leadership campaigns in American history: The United Mine Workers Association endorsed the Build Back Better bill, which is stuffed with $550 billion of subsidies for green energy projects and energy mandates explicitly designed to kill America's coal production." (01/04/22)
https://townhall.com/columnists/stephenmoore/2022/01/04/union-bosses-against-union-jobs-n2601350
-----
46) The poison of nationalism
Source: EconLog
by Scott Sumner
"Authoritarian nationalists often try to rewrite history in order to justify their hold on power, or to justify the invasion of a neighboring country. The newest issue of The Economist has one such example: 'Russian history rich in shameful dates, many of them marking show trials and mass executions -- or liquidations, as they were then called. December 28th, 2021, should be added to the calendar. On that day Russia's supreme court 'liquidated' Memorial, the country's most vital post-Soviet civic institution, dedicated to the memory of Stalinist repression and the defence of human rights.' The same is occurring in China. Just ten years ago, a Chinese citizen could criticize the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). Now that subject is taboo in China. With the dramatic rise in nationalism during the 21st century, we can expect to see an increase in xenophobia, especially among residents of the great powers." (01/03/22)
https://www.econlib.org/the-poison-of-nationalism/
-----
47) Life in Zero-Covid Antarctica
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Willy Forsyth
"Despite McMurdo's remoteness and lack of the usual American amenities, there is normally a rich community life on this strange island. The community organizes yoga classes, cafes, art galleries, music festivals, craft fairs, holiday parties, and more. I was enamored by this social-scape during my first visit in 2017, but in 2021 community life at McMurdo has been unrecognizable due to the NSF's Covid policies for the Antarctic. While USAP research stations are some of the only populations in the world with zero Covid, residents of these stations live under stricter Covid precautions than many Western cities during peak waves of infection." (01/03/22)
https://brownstone.org/articles/life-in-zero-covid-antarctica/
-----
48) The Free-ish World
Source: Quillette
by Brian Stewart
"The Munich Security Conference can be a rather surly affair -- a mini-Davos for crotchety statesmen and paranoiacs in bespoke suits. But in recent years the heads of state, CEOs, and activists who gathered at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof have had especially good reason to be glum. The liberal order that arose from the ashes of World War Two is fraying at an alarming rate. This order has been an unprecedented boon to civilization. Since its creation, the spread of democracy, free trade, and liberalized markets has enriched vast swathes of the planet. Hot wars between great powers, meanwhile, all but vanished during what has come to be known as the 'long peace.' Much of this remarkable progress will be at risk should a multipolar world replace the era of American dominance." (01/03/22)
https://quillette.com/2022/01/03/the-free-ish-world/
-----
49) What If We Made Democracy ... More Democratic [sic]?
Source: In These Times
by staff
"sor*ti*tion (noun) 1. the appointment of political positions by lottery, rather than election ... Aren't elections kind of what 'make' democracy? Not according to the ancient Athenians. In fact, these early democrats worried elections would inevitably favor the wealthy and powerful sound familiar? The city-state functioned instead by having citizens randomly selected annually to serve in public office, with duties ranging from monitoring public finances to deciding foreign policy and participating as one (of 6000) jurors on the People's Court. Women and enslaved people, among others, were excluded, so Athens might not be the best example of a full-fledged democracy; still, they had a point about elections." [editor's note: As a means of shifting the focus from "career politician" (which should be an epithet) to "citizen states(wo)man, this could be a giant step – SAT] (01/04/22)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/direct-democracy-sortition-populism-voting-citizens-assembly
-----
50) Covid 2022: A New Year, New Fears
Source: Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
by Marilyn M Singleton, MD, JD
"By now, Dr. Fauci's Covid 'fearspeak' has become background noise. Yes, the new 'Omicron' variant is making its way around the world. Fortunately, reports from South Africa as well as other studies indicate that Omicron's illness is milder than Delta. Even Fauci-friendly public health physicians have cautioned that there is 'absolutely no reason to panic.' In 2022, we should panic because opioid overdoses took the lives of 100,000 fellow Americans from April 2020 to April 2021 -- an increase of 28 percent from the same period the year before. ... We should panic because one in ten Americans has diabetes and one in three Americans has prediabetes. ... We should fear the blatant abuse of power by our public servants in the name of public health." (01/03/22)
https://aapsonline.org/covid-2022-a-new-year-new-fears/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Free Talk Live, 01/04/22
Source: Free Talk Live
"Anom phones & police violations of rights :: Police overreach :: Food backed currency :: Governments want to keep people stupid :: The goldfish who learned to drive :: David's insane plan :: Reasons Tether sucks :: The Federal Reserve Bank sucks :: Governments freezing funds :: Show: 2022-01-04 Aria, Ian." [Flash audio or MP3] (01/04/22)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/free-talk-live-2022-01-04
-----
52) Fintech Beat, 01/04/22
Source: Fintech Beat
"Why does crypto love Twitter?" [Flash audio or MP3] (01/04/22)
https://fintechbeat.com/encore-why-does-crypto-love-twitter/
-----
53) Part Of The Problem, 01/04/22
Source: GaS Digital Network
"Fauci Finds Reality." [various formats] (01/04/22)
https://art19.com/shows/d0ab5d6f-1972-4441-b3f8-6b61d09f7f15/embed?playlist_type=playlist&playlist_size=10#
-----
54) Conflicts of Interest, episode 210
Source: Libertarian Institute
"Scott Horton on Biden's First Year as President." [various formats] (01/04/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/kyle/coi-210-scott-horton-on-bidens-first-year-as-president/
-----
55) The Bryan Hyde Show, 01/04/22
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
"Here's a headline that should get your attention: Indiana life insurance CEO says deaths are up 40% among people ages 18-64. Dr. Robert Malone is one of the few people asking what if the largest medical experiment in human history was a failure?" [various formats] (01/04/22)
https://thebryanhydeshow.podbean.com/e/2022-january-4-the-bryan-hyde-show-hour-one/
-----
56) Rising, 01/04/22
Source: The Hill
"Ryan Grim and Robby Soave discuss the massive overnight traffic stop on 1-95, as well as Covid case data collection." [Flash video] (01/04/22)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/588102-rising-january-4-2022
-----
57) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 01/04/22
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
"Dr. McCullough Bombshell: Covid Outpatient Treatments Being Suppressed!" [Flash video] (01/04/22)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/dr-mccullough-bombshell-covid-outpatient-treatments-being-suppressed
-----
58) Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 01/04/22
Source: Libertarian Institute
"Covid Tyranny and Weaponized Individualism w/Nick Ashley." [Flash audio or MP3] (01/04/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/year-zero/covid-tyranny-and-weaponized-individualism-w-nick-ashley/
-----
59) The Tom Woods Show, episode 2035
Source: The Tom Woods Show
"Malice and Woods on Possible Scenarios for 2022." [various formats] (01/03/22)
https://tomwoods.com/ep-2035-malice-and-woods-on-possible-scenarios-for-2022/
-----
60) Grant F. Smith on The Scott Horton Show
Source: Libertarian Institute
"Scott is joined by Grant F. Smith to talk about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) new strategy for reaching U.S. politicians." [various formats] (01/03/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/scotthortonshow/12-30-21-grant-f-smith-on-israels-evolving-strategy-to-sway-american-politics/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) 659 days to slow the spread
2) North Korea: Regime test launches ballistic missile
3) Record number of Americans quit jobs in November 2022
4) China: Regime orders second city into Covid lockdown
5) Disgraced former president cancels planned January 6 speech, throws temper tantrum
6) Kazakhstan: Tokayev says regime "will not fall" amid protests
7) Judge grants motion to dismiss Nirvana "Nevermind" baby's frivolous lawsuit
8) Sudan: Coup forces attack protesters with chemical weapons
9) FL: Ladapo urges people without symptoms to stop wasting COVID-19 tests
10) NY: Disgraced former governor, in addition to skating on mass nursing home murder coverup, won't be charged with forcible touching
11) Germany: Crowds increasingly stop coddling police violence at pandemic protests
12) MA: First Cambodian-American mayor in US sworn in
13) US Senate: Schumer raises vote on filibuster change
14) Palestine: Abductees launch boycott of Israeli occupiers' military courts
15) House Economic-Know-Nothing Caucus Hails Biden Moves to Shift Blame for Inflation to "Price Gouging"
16) Lawyer: Cuomo won't be charged over cover-up of his nursing home killings
17) Former Redskins to unveil new name in February
18) Hong Kong: Beijing quisling court sentences political prisoner to 15 months for noticing Tiananmen massacre
19) Europe: Tattoo artists fear for their future after EU ink ban
20) Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Convicted of Fraud, Conspiracy
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Twenty-Year War on Terror Was an Amazing Success, If You Were Terrorism
22) If It's Really a "Pandemic of the Unvaccinated," Mr. President, Why Is My Vaccinated 6-Year-Old Wearing a Mask?
23) Escalation and Obedience
24) Madness, Mayhem and Tyranny
25) Tom Jefferson -- another enemy of the state
26) Media & Biden regime covered up these three scandals in "scandal-free" year
27) Will Artificial Intelligence Create a Socialist Paradise?
28) One Hall Brother Gave the Soviets the A-Bomb, the Other Got a Medal
29) In Search of Humility
30) We'll Either Rise As A Collective Or Perish As Individuals
31) The hell of "Zero Covid"
32) Americans Still Don't Want War, Despite the Military-Industrial Complex's Best Efforts
33) New year, new thinking
34) The Behavioral Experiment That Helps Explain the Fall of Elizabeth Holmes -- and the Horrors of Socialism
35) Last Stand Of The Court Packers
36) Defending Armed Self-Defense
37) Learning From Poker: What Gambling Can Teach Us About Investing
38) Don't Look Up: The Hipster/Liberal Book of Revelation
39) Boris and his Bureaucrats are Bungling Brexit
40) Why The Republican Party Isn't Concerned With Popularity
41) America's Steel Spine
42) GOP war drummers demanding action against Russia
43) Major Media's Major Corruption
44) On the Internet, Everything Seems Like Shouting "Fire" in a Crowded Theater
45) Union Bosses Against Union Jobs
46) The poison of nationalism
47) Life in Zero-Covid Antarctica
48) The Free-ish World
49) What If We Made Democracy ... More Democratic [sic]?
50) Covid 2022: A New Year, New Fears
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Free Talk Live, 01/04/22
52) Fintech Beat, 01/04/22
53) Part Of The Problem, 01/04/22
54) Conflicts of Interest, episode 210
55) The Bryan Hyde Show, 01/04/22
56) Rising, 01/04/22
57) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 01/04/22
58) Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 01/04/22
59) The Tom Woods Show, episode 2035
60) Grant F. Smith on The Scott Horton Show
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Source: NBC News
"The United States hit 1 million new Covid-19 cases on Monday, according to data compiled by NBC News, underscoring the threat of the omicron variant as the third year of the pandemic gets underway. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the omicron variant now accounts for up to 95 percent of U.S. test samples reviewed last week, according to modeled projections. But that projection could differ from later estimates. ... However, even as U.S. case counts rose in recent weeks, reported deaths did not appear to be surging -- suggesting that omicron leads to a more mild form of Covid, especially among people who have been vaccinated." (01/04/22)
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-reaches-1-million-daily-covid-cases-spread-omicron-variant-rcna10866
-----
2) North Korea: Regime test launches ballistic missile
Source: CBS News
"Japan and South Korea said on Wednesday that North Korea had launched a suspected ballistic missile that landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The U.S. military's Indo-Pacific Command said in a brief statement that it was 'aware of the ballistic missile launch' and was consulting closely with allies and partners in the region. ... North Korea's ruler Kim recently marked the 10th year of his regime, and he has promised to double down on military development, citing increasing instability on the Korean peninsula. Already his government is spending about a quarter of North Korea's gross domestic product on arms, proportionally more than any other country on Earth. Kim has shifted North Korea's weapons testing into overdrive since 2019, including missile launches from a train and a submarine. Last autumn the isolated totalitarian state announced tests of a new long-range cruise missile, capable of hitting much of Japan." (01/05/22)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-korea-test-launches-ballistic-missile-in-1st-provocation-of-2022/
-----
3) Record number of Americans quit jobs in November 2022
Source: Crain's Chicago Business
"A record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November while openings remained elevated, highlighting persistent churn in the labor market. The increase in departures was broad across industries and pushed the quits rate up to 3%, matching the most in data back to 2000. Meanwhile, the number of available positions fell to 10.6 million from an upwardly revised 11.1 million in October, the Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed Tuesday. ... The unprecedented level of quits -- including a record 1 million in leisure and hospitality alone--suggests a lingering struggle for employers to retain talent. Meanwhile, the month's increase in hiring showed companies were able to make at least some headway filling vacancies." (01/04/22)
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/employment/record-number-americans-quit-jobs-november
-----
4) China: Regime orders second city into Covid lockdown
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"China has put a second city into total lockdown after just three asymptomatic Covid cases were discovered. Yuzhou (which has a population of 1.1 million) saw its transport system shut down and all but essential food stores closed overnight. It follows a similar lockdown in Xi'an, where 13 million have been confined to their homes since 23 December. The strict measures come ahead of the Lunar New Year and the Winter Olympics due to be held in Beijing. With exactly a month to go until the Games start, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin assured reporters China had 'formulated an efficient and highly effective defence system.' As part of this system, thousands of staff and volunteers started entering a bubble on Tuesday, which will see them have no physical contact with the outside world in order to limit the spread." (01/04/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59871325
-----
5) Disgraced former president cancels planned January 6 speech, throws temper tantrum
Source: Raw Story
"Former President Donald Trump abruptly canceled his planned speech on the anniversary of the Capitol riots on January 6th. In a statement released on Tuesday, Trump said he was cancelling the speech 'in light of the total bias and dishonesty of the January 6th Unselect Committee of Democrats, two failed Republicans, and the Fake News Media.' He then went on to lob insults at members of the committee, as well as assorted political foes, including 'Adam Schifty Schiff' and 'Crazy Nancy Pelosi.' Trump tried to blame Pelosi for supposedly not doing enough to stop his supporters from rioting at the Capitol, and also demanded that the House Select Committee investigating said riot look into his baseless [sic] claims of voter fraud." (01/04/22)
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-speech-on-january-6-2656222027/
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6) Kazakhstan: Tokayev says regime "will not fall" amid protests
Source: Reuters
"Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Tuesday his government would not fall, as protests in some major cities turned violent and a crowd tried to storm the mayor's office in the Central Asian nation's biggest city. ... As he spoke, police in the main city of Almaty used tear gas and stun grenades to stop hundreds of protesters from storming the mayor's office, a Reuters correspondent reported from the scene. The oil-rich country's government announced late on Tuesday it was restoring some price caps on liquefied petroleum gas, after the rare protests reached Almaty following a sharp rise in the price of the fuel at the start of the year." (01/04/22)
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/protests-erupt-kazakhstan-after-fuel-price-rise-2022-01-04/
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7) Judge grants motion to dismiss Nirvana "Nevermind" baby's frivolous lawsuit
Source: USA Today
"A California judge granted on Monday a motion to dismiss a recent child pornography lawsuit brought forward by the man who appeared as a baby on the cover of Nirvana's famous 'Nevermind' album. The lawsuit – filed in August against members of the former band, its music executives and the photographer from the shoot -- was brought forward by 30-year-old Spencer Elden, who claimed he will 'suffer lifelong damages' thanks to the album cover, which depicts him as a baby with his genitals showing on the cover of their 1991 hit album. After the defendants motioned for the lawsuit's dismissal Dec. 22, Elden and his legal team had until Dec. 30 to file an opposition, but did not do so, according to legal documents filed Monday and obtained by USA TODAY." (01/04/22)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/01/04/nirvana-baby-lawsuit-spencer-elden-nevermind-case/9087360002/
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8) Sudan: Coup forces attack protesters with chemical weapons
Source: Yahoo! News
"Security forces in Sudan have fired tear gas at pro-democracy demonstrators in the latest mass protests against military rule following October's coup. Thousands of people in several cities took to the streets chanting anti-coup slogans and calling for the downfall of Sudan's ruling council. Tear gas was used to disperse crowds in the capital Khartoum and in Port Sudan. Tuesday's protests come two days after the resignation of the civilian Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok. Mr Hamdok quit after a recent deal he made with the military to share power sparked outrage. Rallies calling for a return to full civilian rule have taken place across the country since the army seized power on 25 October. The military has often responded with force. At least 56 people have been killed during protests so far, according to the pro-democracy Sudan Central Doctors' Committee, which says most were shot by security forces." (01/04/22)
https://news.yahoo.com/sudan-coup-sudan-forces-fire-170756893.html
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9) FL: Ladapo urges people without symptoms to stop wasting COVID-19 tests
Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"With the omicron variant spreading, testing sites jammed and health care workers weary, Florida's surgeon general said he will release testing guidelines by Wednesday that will urge people without symptoms to refrain from getting swabbed. Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida's surgeon general, said during a news briefing Monday that he wants to unwind the testing psychology that federal leaders have created: His new guidelines will discourage testing for those at low-risk, such as children, and prioritize those at higher risk, such as the elderly. 'This doesn't restrict access to testing, but reduces the use of low-value testing and prioritizes high-value testing,' he said." (01/04/22)
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/coronavirus/fl-ne-who-gets-tested-20220103-emgnivrgrzbfbnsh46lf3zgzfy-story.html
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10) NY: Disgraced former governor, in addition to skating on mass nursing home murder coverup, won't be charged with forcible touching
Source: CNN
"The Albany district attorney will not prosecute former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on a misdemeanor sex crime charge of forcible touching after reviewing the evidence in the case despite finding the complainant 'cooperative' and 'credible.' 'While many have an opinion regarding the allegations against the former Governor, the Albany County DA's Office is the only one who has a burden to prove the elements of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt,' Albany County District Attorney David Soares said in a statement Tuesday. 'While we found the complainant in this case cooperative and credible, after review of all the available evidence we have concluded that we cannot meet our burden at trial,' he said. The district attorney's office noted that the decision to discontinue criminal prosecution is unrelated 'to any possible civil liability.'" (01/04/22)
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/04/politics/andrew-cuomo-albany-da/index.html
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11) Germany: Crowds increasingly stop coddling police violence at pandemic protests
Source: ABC News
"Police in Germany have reported sporadic violence at demonstrations against the country's pandemic restrictions, with one protester in the eastern town of Lichtenstein biting an officer and another attempting to steal a service weapon. Tens of thousands of people in total took to the streets in scores of German towns and cities for weekly marches that have organizers have [sic] labeled 'strolls' in an attempt to bypass restrictions on public gatherings. ... Police in the eastern state of Saxony said the incident late Monday in Lichtenstein, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Chemnitz, occurred when officers tried to pull about 60 rowdy people out of a march to check their identities. Several of the protesters attacked police and sprayed them with chemical irritants." (01/04/22)
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/violence-flares-pandemic-protests-germany-82065521
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12) MA: First Cambodian-American mayor in US sworn in
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
"He came to the U.S. as a young refugee, having survived Khmer Rouge's brutal rule. Now, Sokhary Chau is the nation's first Cambodian American mayor. The 49-year-old city councilor in Lowell, Massachusetts, was unanimously picked by his colleagues to assume the body's top post Monday, in the process also becoming the city's first Asian American mayor. 'God bless America, right? I was a refugee, now I'm mayor of a major city in Massachusetts,' Chau said hours after he was officially sworn in. 'I don't know if that could happen anywhere else in the world. I'm still trying to absorb it.' Chau, in his inaugural remarks, reflected on his family's perilous escape from Cambodia and the deep immigrant roots in Lowell, about about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Boston near the New Hampshire line." (01/04/22)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/1st-Cambodian-American-mayor-in-US-takes-office-16747476.php
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13) US Senate: Schumer raises vote on filibuster change
Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
"Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., told colleagues Monday that the chamber would vote no later than the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on changing Senate rules if Republicans continue to block voting rights legislation. The announcement of the planned action by Jan. 17 represented Schumer's strongest endorsement yet of trying to muscle through legislation that has been stymied because of Senate rules requiring a 60-vote threshold. ... For the strategy to succeed, however, Schumer will need buy-in from two fellow Democrats -- Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who have voiced skepticism or opposition to changing Senate procedures in a way that would be needed to push voting-rights priorities across the finish line." (01/04/22)
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/jan/04/schumer-raises-vote-on-filibuster-change/
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14) Palestine: Abductees launch boycott of Israeli occupiers' military courts
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatar state media]
"Palestinian prisoners held without trial or charge have launched a boycott of Israel's military courts in the occupied West Bank, as prisoner groups warn that one detainee on hunger strike faces 'imminent danger of death.' In an escalatory step agreed by Palestinian political parties, the 500 so-called administrative detainees began new year by refusing to show up for their court sessions. The boycott includes the initial hearings to uphold the administrative detention order, as well as appeal hearings and later sessions at the Supreme Court. ... Administrative detention is an Israeli policy that allows the indefinite detention of prisoners without trial or charge based on 'secret evidence' that neither the detainee nor his lawyer is allowed to see. At least four Palestinian children are detained under such orders." (01/04/22)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/4/palestinian-prisoners-launch-boycott-of-israeli-military-courts
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15) House Economic-Know-Nothing Caucus Hails Biden Moves to Shift Blame for Inflation to "Price Gouging"
Source: Common Dreams
"The Congressional Progressive Caucus on Tuesday joined family farm advocates in applauding President Joe Biden's new executive action plan targeting 'price gouging' and other monopolistic [sic] conduct by the U.S. meat industry, which has pushed high costs onto consumers while raking in huge profits during the pandemic. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the CPC, said in a statement that throughout the public health crisis, U.S. corporations 'have raked in record profits while continuing to raise prices and squeeze families, consolidating to prevent competition and increasing the burden on small businesses and consumers.'" [editor's note: Of course, none of this was done by lowering taxation on every step in meat processing from hoof to table – SAT] (01/04/22)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/01/04/house-progressives-hail-biden-moves-combat-meat-industry-price-gouging
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16) Lawyer: Cuomo won't be charged over cover-up of his nursing home killings
Source: Business Insider
"Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will not be charged in the investigation into whether [sic] he hid the COVID-19 death toll in the state's nursing homes [exacerbated by his policies], his administration's lawyer said. Elkan Abramowitz, who served as outside counsel to the Cuomo administration, said in a Monday statement to Politico and The Wall Street Journal that he was contacted by the head of the DA's Elder Abuse Unit and told the investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office was over. He said he was told Cuomo would not face any charges." (01/04/22)
https://www.businessinsider.com/cuomo-no-charges-nursing-home-covid-deaths-investigation-lawyer-says-2022-1
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17) Former Redskins to unveil new name in February
Source: Fox News
"The Washington Football Team will have a new identity come February. Team president Jason Wright announced Tuesday that Washington will unveil its new name on Feb. 2, more than a year after retiring their previous one over mounting pressure that the team name (established in the 1930s) was racist toward Native Americans. ... Washington announced in August that the team had narrowed their search down to a few potential names, including the Washington Presidents, Brigade, Redhogs, Football Team, Commanders, Armada, Defenders and Redwolves. But Wright said Tuesday that the final option, or a variation of it, was ruled out because of trademark troubles." [editor's note: Still should just call them the Lizards, after the main denizens of the "city" – SAT] (01/04/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/washington-unveil-new-name-february-fan-favorite
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18) Hong Kong: Beijing quisling court sentences political prisoner to 15 months for noticing Tiananmen massacre
Source: The Hill
"A Hong Kong court on Tuesday sentenced an activist to 15 months in prison for reportedly organizing an unauthorized vigil to commemorate those who lost their lives during a pro-democracy protest in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Chow Hang-tung, 36, who was a member of the now-closed Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, was arrested last year just one day before the anniversary of the protest, according to Reuters. Hong Kong typically holds annual vigils, but for the past two years police have banned the gatherings due to coronavirus restrictions, the news outlet noted. Though law enforcement officials in China have denied it, activists have attributed the bans to attempts to silence displays of defiance, Reuters reported." (01/04/22)
https://thehill.com/policy/international/china/588110-hong-kong-court-sentences-tiananmen-vigil-organizer-to-15-months
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19) Europe: Tattoo artists fear for their future after EU ink ban
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
"Tattoo artists say that a new pan-EU ban on thousands of chemicals used in colouring inks could hurt their industry. The restrictions, which came into force on Tuesday, apply to substances that may cause cancer or other health issues and mainly affect coloured ink. The EU says the rules will reduce the number of adverse reactions. But tattooists complain replacement inks are not easily available, and might lack the vibrancy customers want. After two years of difficulty caused by the pandemic, many businesses argue they haven't had enough time to adjust. 'Coronavirus, with the months of closures, has shaken us badly. Then this comes on top,' said Hamburg tattoo artist Sebastian Makowski. He told the German press agency the changes were tantamount to a partial ban on his business." (01/04/22)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59871779
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20) Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Convicted of Fraud, Conspiracy
Source: Time
"In a case that exposed Silicon Valley's culture of hubris and hype, Elizabeth Holmes was convicted Monday of duping investors into believing her startup Theranos had developed a revolutionary medical device that could detect a multitude of diseases and conditions from a few drops of blood. A jury convicted Holmes, who was CEO throughout the company's turbulent 15-year history, on two counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud after seven days of deliberation. The 37-year-old was acquitted on four other counts of fraud and conspiracy that alleged she deceived patients who paid for Theranos blood tests, too." (01/04/22)
https://time.com/6132636/elizabeth-holmes-guilty/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Twenty-Year War on Terror Was an Amazing Success, If You Were Terrorism
Source: Common Dreams
by Nick Turse
"It began more than two decades ago. On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush declared a 'war on terror' and told a joint session of Congress (and the American people) that 'the course of this conflict is not known, yet its outcome is certain.' If he meant a 20-year slide to defeat in Afghanistan, a proliferation of militant groups across the Greater Middle East and Africa, and a never-ending, world-spanning war that, at a minimum, has killed about 300 times the number of people murdered in America on 9/11, then give him credit. He was absolutely right. ... it was already evident, as Bush said in his address, that al-Qaeda was responsible for the attacks. But it was equally clear that he had no intention of conducting a limited campaign." (01/04/22)
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2022/01/04/20-year-war-terror-was-amazing-success-if-you-were-terrorism
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22) If It's Really a "Pandemic of the Unvaccinated," Mr. President, Why Is My Vaccinated 6-Year-Old Wearing a Mask?
Source: Reason
by Matt Welch
"President Joe Biden on Tuesday afternoon made some more public remarks about the still-spiking omicron variant of COVID-19. It wasn't pretty .... Of particular interest was the president's insistence on continuing to call it a 'pandemic of the unvaccinated,' a slogan that was unwise in July, untrue by December, and unbelievable at a time when the positive case rate in a 62 percent fully vaccinated country just reached an all-time high. ... If the pandemic indeed no longer applies to me, my family, and the vast majority of people I know ... Why on earth is my vaccinated 6-year-old, all the vaccinated kids in her class and after-school, and all her vaccinated teachers and supervisory staff, being forced by state law (influenced directly by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) to wear masks all day long?" (01/04/22)
https://reason.com/2022/01/04/if-its-really-a-pandemic-of-the-unvaccinated-mr-president-why-is-my-vaccinated-6-year-old-wearing-a-mask/
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23) Escalation and Obedience
Source: EconLog
by Bryan Caplan
"Airports and airlines, governed by federal law, never relaxed their mask mandate, even for the fully vaccinated. Yet if you actually fly nowadays, you'll notice plenty of scofflaws on the ground and in the sky. Which raises a big question: What exactly is the punishment for failing to wear a mask? Until you board the plane, the punishment is simply: An authority orders you to put on your mask. Once they're out of sight, you can safely remove your mask until another authority orders you to put on your mask. ... Escalation. If you really pay attention, that's the standard mechanism of government coercion. You can break most of the laws most of the time. But once you're on the government's radar, they keep ramping up the punishment until you back down." (01/04/22)
https://www.econlib.org/escalation-and-obedience/
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24) Madness, Mayhem and Tyranny
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by John Whitehead
"Disgruntled mobs. Martial law. A populace under house arrest. A techno-corporate state wielding its power to immobilize huge swaths of the country. A Constitution in tatters. Between the riots, lockdowns, political theater, and COVID-19 mandates, 2021 was one for the history books. In our ongoing pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, here were some of the stumbling blocks that kept us fettered ..." (01/04/222)
https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2022/01/04/madness-mayhem-and-tyranny/
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25) Tom Jefferson -- another enemy of the state
Source: The Price of Liberty
by Nathan Barton
"The New York City Council removed the statue of Founding Father and President Thomas Jefferson from their chambers on Monday 22 November 2021. It was relegated to the New York Historical Society. Why? Because Jefferson was a slaveholder -- or so they say. Frankly, I think that there are a lot more reasons that the scum who rule -- tyrannize -- what many consider the most important city in all of these Fifty States -- and the Americas -- don't want the image of Tom Jefferson looking over their evil plotting and actions." (01/04/22)
https://thepriceofliberty.org/2022/01/04/tom-jefferson-another-enemy-of-the-state/
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26) Media & Biden regime covered up these three scandals in "scandal-free" year
Source: Fox News Forum
by Jonathan Turley
"With the conclusion of the first year of the Biden administration, White House chief of staff Ron Klain sought to end on a high, or at least higher, note by retweeting a column saying that 2021 was not 'all bad.' It was like bragging that a bad first date told you that the evening could have been worse. However, what really stood out in the column by Albert Hunt was the key rationale: the first year was 'scandal free.' Calling 2021 'scandal free' is not merely an example of blinkered commentary, it is an exercise of willful blindness. This is why magicians often make audience members part of the illusion. Houdini did not actually make his 10,000-pound elephant Jennie disappear. It was there the whole time, but the audience did not want to see it. That's the trick." (01/04/22)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/media-biden-administration-journalism-scandal-hunter-biden-jonathan-turley
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27) Will Artificial Intelligence Create a Socialist Paradise?
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Doug French
"Relating a quip by Soviet economist Nikolai Fedorenko, Yuri Maltsev illustrated the problem with socialism in his foreword to Ludwig von Mises's Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth. Fedorenko said, at the time, in Maltsev's words, '[A] fully balanced, checked, and detailed economic plan for the next year would be ready, with the help of computers, in 30,000 years.' Victor Shvets believes computing power has caught up and 'technology could soon create an environment where state planning might be able to deliver acceptable economic results while simultaneously suppressing societal and individual freedoms.' ... The new world, according to Shvets, will be fair, equitable, and beneficial to society, rather than freedom and individualism. His soothsaying is based on a quarter of millennials believing democracy is bad for society and less than a third believing it essential." (01/04/22)
https://mises.org/wire/will-artificial-intelligence-create-socialist-paradise
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28) One Hall Brother Gave the Soviets the A-Bomb, the Other Got a Medal
Source: The Nation
by Dave Lindorff
"Hired at 18 as a Harvard junior by the Manhattan Project, [Theodore Alvin] Hall arrived at Los Alamos on January 28, 1944, and learned he'd be helping to create an atomic bomb. Although the project was a response to fears that Germany might develop nuclear weapons, by that summer, with the German army in retreat, Hall grew concerned that the bomb's real target would be the USSR, America's wartime ally. While still at Harvard and unaware what he was being recruited for, Hall and his friend and roommate Saville Sax (the only person he told about his new job) shared their concerns that the Soviet Union was being left out of what was clearly the development of some new weapon." (01/04/22)
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/ted-hall-espionage-fbi/
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29) In Search of Humility
Source: American Institute for Economic Research
by Todd Myers
"Friedrich Hayek (1899-1992) and Eric Voegelin (1901-1985) were influential but controversial figures in American conservative political thought. The United States welcomed them as articulate, thoughtful, and uncompromising critics of its political rivals' ideologies. Time magazine placed Voegelin front and center in an issue that examined how ideologies grounded in the Christian heresy of Gnosticism threatened the existential interests of the United States from outside as well as in. Reader's Digest published a popular edition of Hayek's The Road to Serfdom, wherein he warned how the warm embrace of central planning in the West threatened to eclipse its cherished liberty. From the 1950s until today, conservatives have found solace in their works." (01/04/22)
https://www.aier.org/article/in-search-of-humility/
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30) We'll Either Rise As A Collective Or Perish As Individuals
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
"Everyone who's freaking out about wokeness and identity politics can relax. Liberals are 100 percent certain to get bored with that schtick and forget all about it without having helped a single member of any minority or marginalized group. Ask the immigrants and the kids in cages. ... Anyone to the left of Ted Cruz is a communist. Anyone who opposes US imperialism loves and supports the governments it targets. Anyone who defends Palestinians hates Jews. Move the Overton window far enough toward your side of the debate and you can spin even the slightest hint of disagreement with you as dangerous extremism. ... People who spend their time freaking out about communism are hilarious." (01/02/22)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2022/01/02/well-either-rise-as-a-collective-or-perish-as-individuals-notes-from-the-edge-of-the-narrative-matrix/
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31) The hell of "Zero Covid"
Source: spiked
by Brendan O'Neill
"Imagine a nation in such a state of distress that its citizens were reduced to bartering for food. A nation where women were so desperate for something to cook and eat that they started swapping sanitary towels for vegetables. A nation where families were so hungry that they would trade their cigarettes for a cabbage. This country actually exists. And it isn't one of the poor, sometimes famished nations of the global South. It's China. More accurately, it's China under the policy of 'Zero Covid.' ... here in the supposedly free West, too, numerous experts and observers openly lobbied for Zero Covid policies .... 'Zero Covid,' over the past year, has become a little like the campaign slogan 'Defund the police,' in that the people who pushed this policy now deny that it is actually what they wanted." (01/04/22)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/01/04/the-hell-of-zero-covid/
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32) Americans Still Don't Want War, Despite the Military-Industrial Complex's Best Efforts
Source: Jacobin
by Branko Marcetic
"A recent survey from YouGov and the Charles Koch Institute found that a strong plurality of Americans oppose going to war with Russia over Ukraine, with 48 percent of respondents somewhat or strongly opposed (with the latter stance taking the bigger share), and only 27 percent in favor, a mere 9 percent 'strongly' so. This is a fairly stunning result, given not just the pro-war slant among politicians and the media when it comes to this particular crisis but years of attempts to stoke conflict between the two countries since 2016. Russia and Ukraine isn't the only area we see this in. A similar bipartisan push to demonize China and commit to a going to war if Taiwan's sovereignty is threatened has succeeded in getting more Americans to view China as a threat, but it hasn't made them particularly enthusiastic about the idea of war with the country." (01/04/22)
https://jacobinmag.com/2022/01/us-survey-american-attitudes-war-military-intervention-china-russia/
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33) New year, new thinking
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
"As 2021 gives way to 2022, it's not always easy to put into words the aspirations that well up. But sometimes poets express what we can't. In 1850, Britain's new poet laureate, Alfred, Lord Tennyson, wrote 'Ring Out, Wild Bells.' His poem imagines that the church bells marking the new year will 'Ring out the old, ring in the new / ... Ring out the false, ring in the true.' In words that resonate today he hears the bells pealing with hope: 'Ring out false pride in place and blood / The civic slander and the spite; / Ring in the love of truth and right, / Ring in the common love of good ...'" (01/03/22)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2022/0103/New-year-new-thinking
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34) The Behavioral Experiment That Helps Explain the Fall of Elizabeth Holmes -- and the Horrors of Socialism
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Jon Miltimore
"One of the reasons Holmes was able to successfully dupe so many was her self-confidence and physical presence. Her piercing blue eyes, bright red lipstick, and mane of blonde hair made her striking in her own right, but the Jobsian black turtlenecks, baritone voice (an act), and cool demeanor seemed to give her a svengali-like quality over many people. For some, the comparisons to Jobs and Edison fell short; she was the next Beethoven. Some simply could not believe Holmes was a liar. The late Secretary of State George Shultz believed Holmes over his own grandson, the very Theranos employee who became Carreyrou's source. Holmes may have had an additional benefit, however, in how she was able to fool so many people around her. She may not have been aware she was lying." (01/04/22)
https://fee.org/articles/the-behavioral-experiment-that-helps-explain-the-fall-of-elizabeth-holmes-and-the-horrors-of-socialism/
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35) Last Stand Of The Court Packers
Source: The American Conservative
by George Liebmann
"The Supreme Court, the late Philip Kurland observed, 'essentially is a moon, rather than a sun. It reflects, if at times it distorts, changes already imminent in the society. Its function is more to justify than to initiate, to choose among preferred contending social values rather than to initiate them.' For 70 years, there has been disillusionment throughout the Western world with the consequences of the centralizing ideologies fostered by the Depression and the necessary mobilization for war. ... The critics of the Supreme Court now view with alarm state legislation to protect the secret ballot, court decisions that limit federal criminal jurisdiction, erosion of the educationist monopoly that excludes 90 percent of college graduates from the teaching force and imposes political indoctrination on students, return of control of contested moral issues to the States, and an end to the proclamation of situation ethics as a rule of constitutional law." (01/04/22)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/last-stand-of-the-court-packers/
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36) Defending Armed Self-Defense
Source: Reason
by Katherine Mangu-Ward
"Gun control laws are wrong because they violate the right to self-defense. Gun control laws are wrong because they were historically crafted with discriminatory intent and create racially disparate outcomes today. These are two distinct arguments against laws that limit private gun ownership. Libertarians, typically among the staunchest of fans of self-defense and self-determination, have tended to focus on the first. But the second is also important, both on its own merits and because it helps people otherwise concerned about discrimination understand why it is inconsistent to support such laws." (for publication 02/22)
https://reason.com/2022/01/04/defending-armed-self-defense/
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37) Learning From Poker: What Gambling Can Teach Us About Investing
Source: American Consequences
by Kim Iskyan
"'The stock market is a casino ...' Those words have been uttered by lots of people who understand neither the stock market nor casinos... And (as I'll get to below) they also don't get risk management, or how to keep their emotions in check, or the value of, you know, work. On the surface, though, there are a lot of similarities between the stock market and casinos. Stocks and gambling involve risking -- and losing -- money. With both, it often feels like 'they' (in stocks, speed-of-light algorithms, market makers, and insiders -- in casinos, 'the house' and pit bosses) have rigged the system against us normal folk. ... it's easy to tar markets with the dark brush of casinos, as Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren did last January on CNBC when she called for greater regulation of the stock market." (01/04/22)
https://americanconsequences.com/kim-iskyan-learning-from-poker-part-one/
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38) Don't Look Up: The Hipster/Liberal Book of Revelation
Source: CounterPunch
by William Kaufman
"Don't Look Up, the vaunted apocalyptic satire from Netflix, is not as bad as the preponderance of pans would have you believe -- it's diverting enough for you to have a look -- but neither is it anything more than just another trudge through the conventional, maudlin sensibilities of contemporary Hollywood, with some modishly liberal/left acerbity thrown in to flatter the hipsters and Occupy Democrats/DNC booster types in the audience. ... Teeming with overripe targets and cardboard heroes, this is political satire dumbed down to the masscult expectations of an MSNBC demographic; if anyone is expecting the unhinged, Swiftian divine madness of Dr. Strangelove, forget it -- you get two and a half hours of left liberal snark, sporadically diverting enough, with a few laughs." (01/04/22)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/01/04/dont-look-up-the-hipster-liberal-book-of-revelation/
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39) Boris and his Bureaucrats are Bungling Brexit
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Tim Ambler
"The referendum promised that the UK would regain sovereignty but continue to trade with the EU much as before -- no duties and frictionless trade across borders. The consequential Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) was received with much rejoicing. Unfortunately, 'cooperation' has not extended to minimising regulation and controls at the EU/UK borders nor to maintaining the EU practice of each country retaining the VAT it collects rather than leaving collection to the country of the ultimate buyer. The former system is much simpler and the swings pretty much offset the roundabouts." (01/04/22)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/boris-and-his-bureaucrats-are-bungling-brexit
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40) Why The Republican Party Isn't Concerned With Popularity
Source: FiveThirtyEight
by Daniel Cox
"After Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election, the Republican National Committee published what became known as the 'GOP autopsy report,' an effort to identify and address the party's ongoing political weaknesses. But eight years later, after losing another close race, the GOP appears wholly uninterested in reviewing or reforming its agenda. ... despite the fact that the GOP is quite unpopular and that much of its current agenda -- such as overturning the Affordable Care Act or advancing restrictive immigration policies -- does not appeal to a majority of voters, the party is in an enviable position heading into the 2022 midterm elections and beyond. What is to make of this glaring disconnect?" (01/04/22)
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-the-republican-party-isnt-concerned-with-popularity/
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41) America's Steel Spine
Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner
"It matters whether the United States makes steel. The industry, far smaller than at its peak, still provides several hundred thousand jobs directly and indirectly, and supports local economies. Steel is also home to one of America's most important and progressive unions, the United Steelworkers. It is unthinkable to imagine an American industrial renaissance without steel. American-made steel also demonstrates how heavy manufacturing can be far less carbon-intensive than in years past. Domestic steel production is nearly three times cleaner than steel made in China. For decades, the USW has been a leading force in bringing together climate activists and trade unionists, via the BlueGreen Alliance and dozens of ad hoc collaborations. As in so many areas of U.S. industry, Chinese subsidy and overproduction have ravaged domestic steel. China makes about half of all the world's steel." (01/04/22)
https://prospect.org/economy/americas-steel-spine/
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42) GOP war drummers demanding action against Russia
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Doug Bandow
"The drums of war are sounding in Washington, D.C., and Republicans are among the most enthusiastic backers of military action. Some enthusiastically, almost gleefully, suggest risking nuclear war. This is no longer the party of Ronald Reagan, who sought to prevent conflict and especially nuclear conflict. Nor of earlier Republicans. During his vice-presidential run in 1976 Kansas Sen. Robert Dole denounced 'Democrat wars of the 20th century.' Democratic presidents took America into World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In retrospect, only the Second World War looks necessary, and even then the Democratic administration's pre-war conduct, whatever its justification, was deceitful and reckless." (01/04/22)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/01/04/gop-war-drummers-demanding-action-against-russia/
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43) Major Media's Major Corruption
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
"The revolving door between regulated big business and regulatory agencies is a known problem. 'Regulatory capture' is one of the concepts economists have used to explain it. We got used to this sort of corruption in finance: under the Bush and Obama administrations, with Goldman Sachs serving as the Executive Branch's talent pool. The Pentagon and its major contractors have long had a cushy, cross-pollinating relationship. And we are just beginning to learn about Fauci's close ties to Big Pharma. But the most dangerous employment overlap? Between the Deep State and major media news services." (01/04/22)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2022/01/04/major-medias-major-corruption/
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44) On the Internet, Everything Seems Like Shouting "Fire" in a Crowded Theater
Source: The Atlantic
by Jeff Kosseff
"Shouting 'Fire' in a crowded theater, a metaphor that dates to a 1919 Supreme Court ruling by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., is widely -- and wrongly -- held to be a far-reaching exception to the First Amendment, which offers broad protection to free expression in the United States. Courts have rigorously scrutinized government acts that might plausibly conflict with the amendment. But in common usage, shouting 'Fire' in a crowded theater has become an all-purpose justification for regulating speech while evading judicial scrutiny. ... The phrase originated in a case that did not involve yelling or fires or crowds or theaters. Charles T. Schenck, the general secretary of the U.S. Socialist Party, was convicted in a Philadelphia federal court for violating the Espionage Act by printing leaflets that criticized the military draft as unconstitutional." (01/04/22)
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/shouting-fire-crowded-theater-speech-regulation/621151/
-----
45) Union Bosses Against Union Jobs
Source: Town Hall
by Stephen Moore
"Why don't the union bosses in America represent their union members anymore? Could it be because the union leadership has become more beholden to the Democratic politicians in Washington than the rank-and-file workers who pay the dues? We saw an example of this betrayal of the workers not long ago when the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters brass endorsed Joe Biden for president -- even though Biden openly opposed all fossil fuels and wanted to end the building of pipelines. ... More recently, we witnessed one of the dumbest union leadership campaigns in American history: The United Mine Workers Association endorsed the Build Back Better bill, which is stuffed with $550 billion of subsidies for green energy projects and energy mandates explicitly designed to kill America's coal production." (01/04/22)
https://townhall.com/columnists/stephenmoore/2022/01/04/union-bosses-against-union-jobs-n2601350
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46) The poison of nationalism
Source: EconLog
by Scott Sumner
"Authoritarian nationalists often try to rewrite history in order to justify their hold on power, or to justify the invasion of a neighboring country. The newest issue of The Economist has one such example: 'Russian history rich in shameful dates, many of them marking show trials and mass executions -- or liquidations, as they were then called. December 28th, 2021, should be added to the calendar. On that day Russia's supreme court 'liquidated' Memorial, the country's most vital post-Soviet civic institution, dedicated to the memory of Stalinist repression and the defence of human rights.' The same is occurring in China. Just ten years ago, a Chinese citizen could criticize the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). Now that subject is taboo in China. With the dramatic rise in nationalism during the 21st century, we can expect to see an increase in xenophobia, especially among residents of the great powers." (01/03/22)
https://www.econlib.org/the-poison-of-nationalism/
-----
47) Life in Zero-Covid Antarctica
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Willy Forsyth
"Despite McMurdo's remoteness and lack of the usual American amenities, there is normally a rich community life on this strange island. The community organizes yoga classes, cafes, art galleries, music festivals, craft fairs, holiday parties, and more. I was enamored by this social-scape during my first visit in 2017, but in 2021 community life at McMurdo has been unrecognizable due to the NSF's Covid policies for the Antarctic. While USAP research stations are some of the only populations in the world with zero Covid, residents of these stations live under stricter Covid precautions than many Western cities during peak waves of infection." (01/03/22)
https://brownstone.org/articles/life-in-zero-covid-antarctica/
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48) The Free-ish World
Source: Quillette
by Brian Stewart
"The Munich Security Conference can be a rather surly affair -- a mini-Davos for crotchety statesmen and paranoiacs in bespoke suits. But in recent years the heads of state, CEOs, and activists who gathered at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof have had especially good reason to be glum. The liberal order that arose from the ashes of World War Two is fraying at an alarming rate. This order has been an unprecedented boon to civilization. Since its creation, the spread of democracy, free trade, and liberalized markets has enriched vast swathes of the planet. Hot wars between great powers, meanwhile, all but vanished during what has come to be known as the 'long peace.' Much of this remarkable progress will be at risk should a multipolar world replace the era of American dominance." (01/03/22)
https://quillette.com/2022/01/03/the-free-ish-world/
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49) What If We Made Democracy ... More Democratic [sic]?
Source: In These Times
by staff
"sor*ti*tion (noun) 1. the appointment of political positions by lottery, rather than election ... Aren't elections kind of what 'make' democracy? Not according to the ancient Athenians. In fact, these early democrats worried elections would inevitably favor the wealthy and powerful sound familiar? The city-state functioned instead by having citizens randomly selected annually to serve in public office, with duties ranging from monitoring public finances to deciding foreign policy and participating as one (of 6000) jurors on the People's Court. Women and enslaved people, among others, were excluded, so Athens might not be the best example of a full-fledged democracy; still, they had a point about elections." [editor's note: As a means of shifting the focus from "career politician" (which should be an epithet) to "citizen states(wo)man, this could be a giant step – SAT] (01/04/22)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/direct-democracy-sortition-populism-voting-citizens-assembly
-----
50) Covid 2022: A New Year, New Fears
Source: Association of American Physicians and Surgeons
by Marilyn M Singleton, MD, JD
"By now, Dr. Fauci's Covid 'fearspeak' has become background noise. Yes, the new 'Omicron' variant is making its way around the world. Fortunately, reports from South Africa as well as other studies indicate that Omicron's illness is milder than Delta. Even Fauci-friendly public health physicians have cautioned that there is 'absolutely no reason to panic.' In 2022, we should panic because opioid overdoses took the lives of 100,000 fellow Americans from April 2020 to April 2021 -- an increase of 28 percent from the same period the year before. ... We should panic because one in ten Americans has diabetes and one in three Americans has prediabetes. ... We should fear the blatant abuse of power by our public servants in the name of public health." (01/03/22)
https://aapsonline.org/covid-2022-a-new-year-new-fears/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Free Talk Live, 01/04/22
Source: Free Talk Live
"Anom phones & police violations of rights :: Police overreach :: Food backed currency :: Governments want to keep people stupid :: The goldfish who learned to drive :: David's insane plan :: Reasons Tether sucks :: The Federal Reserve Bank sucks :: Governments freezing funds :: Show: 2022-01-04 Aria, Ian." [Flash audio or MP3] (01/04/22)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/free-talk-live-2022-01-04
-----
52) Fintech Beat, 01/04/22
Source: Fintech Beat
"Why does crypto love Twitter?" [Flash audio or MP3] (01/04/22)
https://fintechbeat.com/encore-why-does-crypto-love-twitter/
-----
53) Part Of The Problem, 01/04/22
Source: GaS Digital Network
"Fauci Finds Reality." [various formats] (01/04/22)
https://art19.com/shows/d0ab5d6f-1972-4441-b3f8-6b61d09f7f15/embed?playlist_type=playlist&playlist_size=10#
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54) Conflicts of Interest, episode 210
Source: Libertarian Institute
"Scott Horton on Biden's First Year as President." [various formats] (01/04/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/kyle/coi-210-scott-horton-on-bidens-first-year-as-president/
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55) The Bryan Hyde Show, 01/04/22
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
"Here's a headline that should get your attention: Indiana life insurance CEO says deaths are up 40% among people ages 18-64. Dr. Robert Malone is one of the few people asking what if the largest medical experiment in human history was a failure?" [various formats] (01/04/22)
https://thebryanhydeshow.podbean.com/e/2022-january-4-the-bryan-hyde-show-hour-one/
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56) Rising, 01/04/22
Source: The Hill
"Ryan Grim and Robby Soave discuss the massive overnight traffic stop on 1-95, as well as Covid case data collection." [Flash video] (01/04/22)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/588102-rising-january-4-2022
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57) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 01/04/22
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
"Dr. McCullough Bombshell: Covid Outpatient Treatments Being Suppressed!" [Flash video] (01/04/22)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/dr-mccullough-bombshell-covid-outpatient-treatments-being-suppressed
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58) Year Zero with Tommy Salmons, 01/04/22
Source: Libertarian Institute
"Covid Tyranny and Weaponized Individualism w/Nick Ashley." [Flash audio or MP3] (01/04/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/year-zero/covid-tyranny-and-weaponized-individualism-w-nick-ashley/
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59) The Tom Woods Show, episode 2035
Source: The Tom Woods Show
"Malice and Woods on Possible Scenarios for 2022." [various formats] (01/03/22)
https://tomwoods.com/ep-2035-malice-and-woods-on-possible-scenarios-for-2022/
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60) Grant F. Smith on The Scott Horton Show
Source: Libertarian Institute
"Scott is joined by Grant F. Smith to talk about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) new strategy for reaching U.S. politicians." [various formats] (01/03/22)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/scotthortonshow/12-30-21-grant-f-smith-on-israels-evolving-strategy-to-sway-american-politics/
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