Society's ChildS


Bad Guys

We must fight this chilling plot by the WHO to seize power over nation states in future pandemics

world health organisation
The World Health Organisation is gearing up to persuade the world's governments to sign a new pandemic treaty in May.

Though called an 'accord' so as not to frighten democrats who still like that old-fashioned thing called accountability, it is a significant power grab by an unelected body that seems determined now to set down rules for how countries should react to future pandemics. Never waste a good crisis, as the saying goes.

Yet the WHO has a terrible track record in managing epidemics, not least in its response to Covid-19, where it made a series of bad mistakes and did China's bidding. The Pandemic Accord would be a reward for failure.

Comment: While the author makes the salient point that control should not be handed over to the World Health Organization, he misses the mark when he infers that our primary concern should be with China. The gain-of-function research undertaken at Wuhan Institute of Virology was funded by the USA. See also: What might the US owe the world for Covid-19?
The evidence of a possible laboratory creation revolves around a multi-year US-led research program that involved US and Chinese scientists. The research was designed by US scientists, funded mainly by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Defense, and administered by a US organization, the EcoHealth Alliance (EHA), with much of the work taking place at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).



Newspaper

Senior US journalist attacks leading scientists for 'misleading' him over Covid lab-leak theory

The office of the New York Times in New York City, 2019.
© Alexandra Schuler / Picture Alliance / Getty Images
A former New York Times journalist has attacked a group of leading scientists for "clearly" misleading him over the Covid lab-leak theory in the early days of the pandemic.

Donald McNeil Jr said he became sceptical of the hypothesis the virus was engineered in a Wuhan lab after several top epidemiological virologists insisted it wasn't possible.

Mr McNeil Jr said their efforts to throw him "off track" influenced the newspaper's coverage of the theory and likely contributed to the topic being "dropped" for a year.

However, the experts initially thought the lab leak theory was plausible but didn't want to disclose so for political reasons, according to a raft of messages between them accidentally released by a US congressional committee last year.

In his book The Wisdom of Plagues, which looks back at 25 years covering pandemics, Mr McNeil Jr said the scientists "clearly misled me early on" and he was a "victim of deception".

He said he was "disappointed, both in them and in myself, that I was so easily taken in".

Comment: It was branded conspiracy theory at the time to suggest that the lab leak was a possibility. Now that this possibility has proven to be more than merely theoretically plausible, perhaps this former New York Times journalist should look into more conspiracy theories to see just what else is being officially denied but remains within the realm of the possible.


Black Magic

Another Israeli soldier admits to implementing the 'Hannibal Directive' on October 7

Bar Zonshein appearing in a Channel 13 expose.
© Screengrab/Social MediaBar Zonshein appearing in a Channel 13 expose.
Captain Bar Zonshein recounts firing tank shells on vehicles carrying Israeli civilians on October 7. "I decide that this is the right decision, that it's better to stop the abduction and that they not be taken," he told Israeli media outlets

In Israeli military terminology, the so-called "Hannibal Directive" is the policy of firing upon one's own soldiers to avert a prospective captive situation.

There is a growing amount of evidence and testimony that suggests that on October 7, the Hannibal Directive was implemented, at least to a certain extent, on Israelis. What's more, growing testimonies indicate that this policy was extended to Israeli civilians in the form of indiscriminate fire from helicopters and tanks. The recent outstanding Al Jazeera investigation, "October 7," addresses this question at considerable length.

Santa

"Western economy has rotted away to a tipping point by a generation of neoliberal economic theory"

don't drink the kool-aid
Lemonade or Kool-Aid?

"How Lemony Snickets!" So one might think looking at financial press headlines over the past few days. Yet there is one other common theme, which I will address at the end of this list.
  • The collapsed Francis Scott Key Baltimore bridge, besides the loss of life, underlines how damaging the absence of key infrastructure is: US and global trade will get snarled for some time as 52m tons of cargo annually, 1.3m tons of farm and construction equipment, 2.5m tons of coal, large quantities of lumber, gypsum, nearly a million cars --and everyone who lives in the Baltimore area-- face disruption. This incident looks like a power failure on the Maersk-chartered, Singapore-owned, Indian-crewed ship, on top of generational under-investment in infrastructure and the dull institutions that allow economies to work vs. the firms/consultancies which milk the profits from it. However, national security experts had already warned in future wars the US is involved in, and/or terrorist attacks, the risk is of similar sabotage episodes, especially given the prevalence of foreign crews and ships entering the US daily. The US is completely unprepared for this threat, apart from recent action on removing Chinese cranes in US ports. And Europe is arguably just as vulnerable.
  • The US and Japan just signed the biggest change to their security treaty for 60 years in the face of a threat from China and North Korea: the US may move operational control of forces in Japan from the current base in Hawaii. Such treaty changes are not undertaken lightly, or for no reason. As I've said recently, strategists need to look at logistics for signals, not economists.
  • The Congressional Budget Office says the US risks a Lizz Truss-style bond collapse if it doesn't change its "unprecedented" fiscal trajectory. Yet this misses one key thing: the Bank of England, in some eyes, deliberately precipitated the Gilts market EM-style sell-off, either because of a sudden passing phase of economic orthodoxy or, possibly, because the government was talking about reforming the Bank of England. It's unlikely the Fed is going to walk away from the US Treasury: the direction of travel, particularly after the next change of FOMC Chair, could well be the opposite, and in fact may have to - though that has its own market implications.
  • Newsweek says 'Gen Z Is Toxic for Companies, Employers Believe', and notes 68% of US small business owners said Gen Zers were their "least reliable" employees; 71% said they were most likely to have mental health issues; one employer spoke of "absolute delusion, complete lack of common sense, and zero critical reasoning or basic analytical skills."; less than 4% said Gen Z most aligns with their workplace culture; 62% said they were most likely to create division and toxicity in the workplace; and another noted the tendency for "expecting promotions for simply showing up every day." This is the generation that is taking over positions in all Western corporations and institutions - if they aren't marching in the streets instead.
  • 'Secret RCMP report warns Canadians may revolt once they realize how broke they are'. A heavily redacted version warns Canada "may descend into civil unrest once citizens realize the hopelessness of their economic situation", and that the next recession "will accelerate the decline in living standards the younger generations have already witnessed," as most Canadians under 35 "are unlikely ever to be able to buy a place to live." Now try the rest of the West and see what it looks like. That said, elsewhere the report also warns of Canada facing "increasing pressure to cede Arctic territory." Presumably not to Gen Z from other countries: so to whom?
  • 'Chinese ex-trade negotiator slams US for 'dismantling the system' of global trade.' The Boao Forum heard Chinese firms are relocating the Mexico to sell to US consumers, but if the US shuts that option off too --as both Biden and Trump are proposing on EVs-- it would mean higher inflation in the US. More importantly, we heard, "It is the globalised economic and trade systems that are at stake...now the US is dismantling the system."
  • There are more political rumbles coming from the Balkans that suggest Europe might have even more on its overloaded geopolitical plate to deal with soon. The Serbian Prime Minister just made cryptic warnings about threats to national security via social media, while Kosovo warns of a Serbian invasion.

Folder

Chicago Board Of Elections 'mistakenly' left out over 9,000 mail-in ballots in primary election

voter, voting location, Humboldt Park, Chicago Public Library, Chicago
© Nathan Worcester/The Epoch TimesA voter at a voting location at the Humboldt Park Branch of the Chicago Public Library in Chicago, Illinois, on March 19, 2024.
Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times

A Chicago Board of Elections official said Sunday that he had "mistakenly" left out over 9,000 mail-in ballots from one of the races in last week's Illinois state primary election, sparking renewed scrutiny around voting by mail in the run-up to the November presidential election.

"In adding up the total number of Vote By Mail ballots the Board had received back so far, I mistakenly left out additional ballots" that came in by mail on the evening of March 18, a day prior to Election Day, according to a March 23 statement by Max Bever, Director of Public Information at the Chicago Board of Elections.

The race in which the apparent tabulation error took place is between two Democrat candidates for state's attorney in Chicago's Cook County, Eileen O'Neill Burke and Clayton Harris III.

Cult

Inmates take over NBC's asylum: Former RNC chief McDaniel fired after the 'talent' mutiny

Ronna McDaniel
© Getty ImagesRepublican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has announced plans to step down next month.
Just four days after she was hired -- and before she even started -- former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel was fired by NBC News on Tuesday as the network bent to the wishes of its on-air "talent" who protested her hiring during their programs.

McDaniel was poised to become a talking head providing insights on politics heading into November's general election. News of McDaniel's hiring broke on Friday, immediately igniting a firestorm among leftists inside and outside of NBC's walls.

In the few days that followed, a parade of hosts -- including Chuck Todd, Joe Scarborough and Joy Reid, dedicated portions of their shows to raking their bosses over the coals for hiring McDaniel. Rachel Maddow was among the most melodramatically warped, saying that having McDaniel on the payroll was "inexplicable" because she "hasn't just attacked us as journalists, but...is part of an ongoing project to get rid of our system of government."

Comment: X held forth on the whole fiasco:








Brick Wall

German health officials warned Covid lockdowns cause more harm than good: docs

anti-covid spraying
© Pixabay
Germany's public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), released documents after a prolonged legal battle, stating that lockdowns could potentially cause more harm than good, the Telegraph reported.

Insights from RKI documents highlight lockdowns cause more harm than good, including rise in child mortality

In December 2020, the RKI expressed worries that shutting down society might result in increased child mortality, citing examples from Africa. Additionally, the institute disagreed with the mandatory use of FFP2 masks due to insufficient evidence, as revealed in the meeting minutes.

Comment: See also:


Sheriff

Famed music producer Sean Combs' homes raided as part of sex trafficking investigation

Sean
© SHAREIF ZIYADAT/GETTY IMAGESSean "Diddy" Combs
Officials raided two of Sean Combs' homes on Monday, a law-enforcement source confirmed to Rolling Stone, as part of a federal sex-trafficking investigation. Led by Homeland Security, the raid was carried out just four months after the rap mogul's ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie, accused Combs of sex trafficking.

Helicopters and agents were seen swarming Combs' Los Angeles mansion on Monday afternoon. Footage of the scene appeared to show some men — later identified as Combs' sons Justin and King — detained and waiting outside of the Holmby Hills house. Officials were also present at Combs' Miami residence. Combs was in Florida at the time of the raid, according to NBC News, and officials reportedly seized his phones before the Bad Boy Records executive was scheduled to leave for a trip to the Caribbean.

A source tells Rolling Stone four Jane Does and one John Doe already sat for interviews with Southern District of New York investigators for a probe related to alleged sex trafficking, domestic violence, and racketeering. More interviews are scheduled, the source says.

Bad Guys

What might the US owe the world for Covid-19?

wuhan virology
Wuhan Institute of Virology is a research institute by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Jiangxia District, south of the Wuhan city, Hubei province, China.
The US government (USG) funded and supported a program of dangerous laboratory research that may have resulted in the creation and accidental laboratory release of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the outbreak, the USG lied in order to cover up its possible role. The US Government should correct the lies, find the facts, and make amends with the rest of the world.

A group of intrepid truth-seekers — journalists, scientists, whistleblowers — have uncovered a vast amount of information pointing to the likely laboratory origin of SARS-CoV-2. Most important has been the intrepid work of the The Intercept and US Right to Know (USRTK), especially investigative reporter Emily Kopp at USRTK.

Based on this investigative work, the Republican-led House Committee on Oversight and Accountability is now carrying out an important investigation in a Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. In the Senate, the leading voice for transparency, honesty, and reason in investigating the origin of SARS-Cov-2 has been Republican Senator Rand Paul.

Star of David

Most Americans now disapprove of Israel's military action in Gaza new poll reveals as tensions rise between allies

Jewish protesters
© Ronald Segers Jr / SplashNews.comProtesters across the country have demanded an end to the war.
A majority of Americans now disapprove of Israel's military operations against the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip.

A Gallup survey released Wednesday found that 55% of US adults disapprove of the Jewish state's actions in Gaza while just 36% approve — a dramatic turnaround from November, when 50% approved of Israeli action in Gaza while 45% disapproved in the immediate aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 terror attack.

The poll was published as relations between the Biden administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hit a new low over the conduct of the nearly six-month-old war — including plans for the Israel Defense Forces to conduct operations in the densely populated southern Gazan city of Rafah.

Wednesday's poll found that just 18% of self-identified Democrats approved of Israeli action in Gaza, down from 36% in November, while 75% disapproved.

Pro-Israel feeling has also waned among self-identified Republicans, with 64% approving of the military response (down from 71% in November) and 30% disapproving.

Comment: The longer the genocide drags on, the more people who wake up to the reality of Israeli atrocities.