Virus news - 'Odds & Ends'

Since we can't find masks here in Maine a friend in Massachusetts made some and mailed them to us.  I'm not sure how they are supposed to fit.  I finally got it on but can't see anything!  What do I do now?

• Nurses Strike: Ten nurses working at Providence Saint John’s health center in Santa Monica, California were suspended for refusing to work without N95 masks. They say the hospital didn’t provide essential protective gear.  They are among hundreds of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers across the country who say they’ve been asked to work without adequate protection. Some have taken part in protests or lodged formal complaints. Others are buying or even making their own supplies.

Angela Gatdula, a Saint John’s nurse who fell ill with coronavirus, said she asked hospital managers why doctors were wearing N95 masks but nurses weren’t. She says they told her the CDC said surgical masks were enough to keep her safe.  Then she was hit with a dry cough, severe body aches and joint pain. “When I got the phone call that I was positive, I got really scared,” she said. She is recovering and plans to return to work next week. “The next nurse that gets this might not be lucky. They might require hospitalization. They might die,” she said.

Wrestling Essential: In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has decreed that professional wrestling is an 'essential service'.  He will allow matches to resume but without fans in the seats.  The matches will be televised giving the public 'the diversion' they need from the virus pandemic the governor maintained.  The decision marked some positive news for WWE CEO Vince McMahon, whose startup professional football league, the XFL, filed for bankruptcy on Monday after firing all of its employees and ceasing operations Friday. McMahon is a long-time friend of Donald Trump.  They famously had a live wrestling match some years ago.  I've always believed that Trump's political base came from this 'wrestling' exposure.

• French Navy hit with virus: Nearly 1,000 sailors assigned to the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle have tested positive for the coronavirus. The French armed forces ministry said nearly all 2,000 sailors from the carrier had been tested so far. Results have yet to come in for all of those tested. The carrier had most recently been taking part in exercises with northern European NATO navies in the Baltic Sea. (Ask your self - aimed at whom?) Charles de Gaulle's warplane and helicopter pilots are also in quarantine. The armed forces ministry said the navy chief has ordered an investigation into the outbreak.

• U.S. wants to run from its Chinese debt:  The repeated accusations of White House against Beijing concerning a coronavirus epidemic have ended in demands not to pay US  debts owed to China. Since China remains the largest holder of US government bonds, it is essentially a selective default. “In order to punish Beijing for hiding information about the outbreak in Wuhan, which started a planetary-scale health crisis, we need to write off some of the American debt in the reserves of the Chinese Central Bank,” said Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn. 

The Americans are demanding $1.2 trillion in compensation. By “random” coincidence, this exactly corresponds to the amount of US bonds on the balance sheet of the People’s Bank of China. If Washington goes forward with this plan it could completely destroy the US public debt market – investors will stop buying new bond issues because of the excess supply. Consequently, the Treasury will have nothing to finance a record budget deficit, as well as multi-trillion-dollar anti-crisis support programs for the national economy. If the Federal Reserve dares to cover these costs only at the expense of the printing press, the position of the dollar as the world reserve currency will be permanently undermined.

• Washington DC clamp down: Newsweek reports that District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser has ordered a one-month extension of the state of emergency, as cases in the region grow at a rapid pace. Federal officials in the nation's capital expect a New York-like epidemic in the District, Maryland and Virginia, one that could potentially cripple the government. "No one wants to talk evacuation, especially when there's nowhere to go," says a senior military officer working on continuity of government planning; he requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the record.

But a little-known military task force charged with evacuating Washington has already been activated, a task force charged with the most sensitive government mission of "securing" Washington in the face of attackers, foreign and domestic—and if necessary, moving White House and other key government offices to alternate locations.

• Light on Gates: The virus epidemic has shifted much light onto the Robert Gates foundation's work and particularly on his global vaccine campaign.  His efforts in India and Africa have been controversial for many years.  The Gates foundation essentially tests vaccines on children.  He hires doctors and nurses at pay far above usual hiring scales.  Thus the normal medical systems in those countries are negatively impacted as they lose medical staffs and quality of health care declines.  In India, where 5 vaccines were the normal standard, Gates imposed the need for 50 vaccines per child. Many children got ill from the vaccines.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is an American environmental attorney, author, and critic of the Gates vaccination program. Kennedy is a son of Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former president John F. Kennedy. He is the president of the Waterkeeper Alliance, a non-profit environmental group.

Kennedy writes: 

#Vaccines, for #BillGates, are a strategic philanthropy that feed his many vaccine-related businesses (including #Microsoft’s ambition to control a global vac ID enterprise) and give him dictatorial control over global health policy—the spear tip of corporate neo-imperialism.

Gates’ obsession with vaccines seems fueled by a messianic conviction that he is ordained to save the world with technology and a god-like willingness to experiment with the lives of lesser humans.

• Aggressive navy?: With too much time on their hands, those working inside the massive Pentagon in Washington are doing their bit to help stoke the growing China demonization campaign.  During the past week we heard unrestrained outrage from Washington as China dared to sail some of its warships into the East China Sea.  (Please note the irony in the name of the waterway.)  The US quickly dispatched its own warships to challenge the Chinese, declaring that they were protecting the right of passage in international waters.  

In this graphic below you can see just how 'aggressive' the Chinese navy is.  Ask yourself which navy (China or the US) is far from home?  The continued attacks on China (and Russia) indicate the US corporate oligarchy are in a state of panic as they attempt to reimpose their global economic and military empire.  It is a dangerous game that Washington is playing.

Bruce

A ride through the north....

For the past decade, New Zealanders Joanne and Gareth Morgan have been living the semiretired lifestyle of their dreams, traveling around the world on motorcycles alongside a few of their closest friends.  

Take a ride with them into North Korea.

Space Force commander on "American way of war"

Mitchell Institute conducts an interview with new Space Force commander General Jay Raymond.

The intention is to give US full control of access to space for military purposes and also to be able to determine who can mine the sky for resources in the coming years.

So the 'Space Force' has a dual role.

The taxpayers will cover the bills - essentially becoming like the slaves in Egypt land when the Pharaohs lorded over the masses.  In today's world they are building pyramids to the heavens.  There won't be much money left for anything else. 

It's a return to feudalism and we are living in the moment of decision.

Bruce

Space Force comedy coming soon on Netflix

 Even as a global pandemic threatens our way of life, there still exist occasional moments that are not shrouded entirely in the impending doom of our species.

Netflix has confirmed that Steve Carell’s newest workplace comedy, “Space Force,” would be available to stream starting May 29.

The release of the 10-episode season, an obvious nod to President Donald Trump’s launch of the U.S. military’s newest branch, coincides with Netflix’s impending loss of Carell’s iconic sitcom, “The Office,” which is expected to move over to NBC’s soon-to-launch streaming platform, “Peacock.”

“Space Force” — co-created by Carell and Greg Daniels, the man who brought us the American version of “The Office” — centers on the exploits of four-star Gen. Mark R. Naird (Carell), a decorated pilot who once had lofty dreams of leading the Air Force.

Much to his chagrin, Naird is instead appointed as the head of the military’s sixth branch — a service whose mission is “to defend satellites from attack” and “perform other space-related tasks ... or something,” the show’s teaser trailer says.

“Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado where he and a colorful team of scientists and ‘Spacemen’ are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total dominance,” a Netflix release said.

Inside the forbidden zone.....

Benjamin Rich, better known by his YouTube channel name Bald and Bankrupt, is an English travel blogger and author. He began his YouTube channel in June 2018, documenting the Indian subcontinent and the post-Soviet states before expanding to the rest of the world.

Not far from the Chernobyl reactor in Ukraine is the town of Pripyat which housed the plant's workers and was abandoned due to high levels of radiation not long after the disaster.

He went there on a winters day to see what traces of the past remained... 

You can watch this new Chernobyl documentary below for free from April 16-26 

Dangers of 5G tech

A very well done video that explains dangers of 5G in a direct and simple way.

Jimmy Dore is real talk

Jimmy critiques the painful 'embrace' of Bernie and Biden.

Bernie is going full-bore on the deception campaign on behalf of the corporate-controlled Democrat party.  I guess he meant something else when he kept talking about 'revolution'.

The basic compromise between them was Biden agrees to set up 'Task forces' to study the problems we face.  Jimmy wonders out loud if either of them have any serious solutions?

The house is on fire - climate crisis and collapsing economy are going to drown us.  The Democrats 'big idea' is to study the problem.

Yesterday on the local NPR radio station they did an hour-long discussion with three 'experts' explaining why Bernie supporters must vote for Biden because Trump is bad.

After all Trump is a lair, a cheat, a wicked human being.  Trump raped women.  Trump works for the rich and those who control Wall Street.  Trump is a war monger. Trump is the villain.

I am reminded of the 2004 election between President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry (D-MA).  They both were Skull & Bones club members while at Yale University.

During one of their debates Kerry said, "If elected I will spend $100 billion more on the military than George Bush will."  Then peace candidate for president Rep. Dennis Kucinich ended up withdrawing from the race and asked his supporters to vote for Kerry.  I declined.

I've seen this shit show now for virtually all my life.  My Italian grandfather in Connecticut was a business man and politically active as a Republican.  Unlike most immigrants he quickly climbed the ladder into the middle class while his maid lived at the bottom of the hill in a multi-story old wooden tenement house.  Growing up in a military family we only got to visit relatives in between moves every couple of years.  So when I first saw this 'unequal class relationship' with my own eyes one could say that my consciousness expanded.  I loved the maid, Angelina, as much if not more than my own grandparents.  She was more real.

In 1976 I supported Jimmy Carter for president because one of his key campaign themes was "The nuclear arms race is a disgrace to the human race."  An easy tongue-twister to remember.  But the problem was that once elected Carter built the new Trident nuclear submarine base in St. Marys, Georgia (his home state) in what once was a quaint fishing village.

Due to unrestrained sentimentality I voted for Walter Mondale when that 'liberal' Democrat lost in his race against Ronald Reagan in 1984.  I convinced myself that 'I knew him' and could trust him.

That was my last dance with the Democrats.  After that I went to Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney and Jill Stein.  Never regretted any of those votes.  They were my voice and spoke to my heart. 

I just can't do the work I do and then turn around and vote for someone who is up to their elbows in complicity with Wall Street and the war machine.  Just can't stomach it.

Others can do what they wish - voting is a sacred trust.  I'll give my opinion, argue with you, but in the end everyone should think for themselves.

The real issue is what we do between elections to push for the obvious changes we need in order to protect the future generations.

Bruce   

Everyone deserves good health care

Lisa Savage, Maine Independent candidate for the US Senate seat of Susan Collins under ranked choice voting, talks about the urgent need for expanded Medicare for All health insurance during the COVID-19 public health crisis.

See more at Lisa For Maine

Washington spies on everyone

Chris Hedges talks to William Binney, 30-year intelligence analyst and NSA whistleblower, about the Washington Post revelations over the CIA and West German intelligence (BND) setting up a Swiss company, Crypto AG, to sell encrypted machines to more than 120 governments worldwide. 

From 1970 to 2018, the CIA intercepted foreign government communications. Among the countries buying the machines were France, Iran, the Vatican, and Venezuela.

Who will pay the rent?

Weekly show: Connecting Moon mining & 'Space Force'

Listen to "Saying NO to the militarization of space" on Spreaker.


John Kiriakou hosts the latest edition of Loud & Clear.

Prof. Karl Grossman, a full professor of journalism at the State University of New York, College at Old Westbury and Bruce Gagnon from the Global Network are interviewed.

They talk about Trump's recent 'executive order' which maintains space is NOT a global commons.   Thus Washington flings open the door for the coming 'gold rush' in space.  The military will be working hand-in-hand.

We are indeed #1!

20,000: U.S. death toll overtakes Italy’s as Midwest braces for potential surge

The U.S. now has the highest death toll in the world. 

Yes,

we are indeed

the greatest,

#1

the best,

the first

in all things,

(well many things)

and in this case

#1 for sure.

We have the #1 

most expensive

medical scam
game

on the planet,

and right near the top

in worst medical

outcomes,

bragging rights for 

sure!

America is #1

in profit$,

just ask the

'health' insurance

corporations,

Big Pharma,

and the rest

of the favored

Wall Street

gamblers,

dice throwers,

that so expertly run

this 'system'.

Hart Island off the Bronx is being used for mass grave yard in New York.  Prison labor doing the work. Most of the victims are unknown, likely immigrants.

Yes America

 is the greatest

and we are showing

the whole world

just how expert we are

during this epidemic

of fear, despair,

and capital re-accumulation.

But fear not.

The fat stranglers

of the poor

and unemployed

have your backs,

literally,

as they pick your pockets.

Just remember your check

is in the mail.

Good luck after that.

Bruce  

Sunday song