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

Grounded on the Mothership

Earlier this week as MB and I walked through our mostly quiet town of Brunswick, Maine we saw colorful signs of spring popping out of the ground.  Then on Thursday and Friday we were gifted with a beautiful couple of inches of large snowflakes that graced the trees seen from our apartment windows.  Our quiet town became even more still.  Nature has that wonderful ability to hush the noisy human race.

Lately, during this virus epidemic shutdown, I've come to wonder if our Mother Earth might just be intervening to slap her unruly children up side the head in order to get our attention.  We are so busy with this and that, rushing about destroying this lovely planet, that most hardly even notice what harm we collectively cause.

Growth has become almost a 'sacred word' to the capitalists who have no thought or concern about what our industrial society is doing to the mothership.  They press on, blinded by their love for the dollar bill, unable to feel our spiritual connection to this tiny spinning orb that gives us life.  In fact, many of them are rushing forward with great zeal to move our 'civilization' into the heavens where they believe they can promote limitless growth and at the same time extract massive profits from the unregulated gold rush that awaits them.

This sickness of spirit blinds many.  Yesterday I put Will Griffin's new video for the Global Network (see just below) on the Facebook page of The Mars Society.  Almost immediately more than 30 comments were posted boasting about the profits to be made from mining the sky.  They laughed at our concern about repeatedly launching nuclear devices into space.  Several commentors claimed that 'this time' human civilization would get it right and create an almost perfect world in the space colonies they envision.

I responded, not with anger, to several of the commenters reminding them about past space nuclear accidents by the US and Russia (see here), about space junk that now circles our planet, and that unless our consciousness changes before we rush headlong into space we will be poised to carry the 'bad seed' of greed, war, and environmental degradation with us into the heavens.

This was just too much and after several hours of this back-and-forth on their Fazebook page my entry was removed.  When I checked out the link that gave the reason for removal it said the following:

Group Rules That Were Violated: Be relevant
Please post only articles, photos, videos, graphics, etc. that involve Mars exploration and planning for human missions. Off topic or irrelevant posts will be removed.

Of course my post was not at all 'Off topic' nor was it irrelevant.  My only transgression was that I had challenged them to consider what kind of seed they intend to carry into space.  But in an organization where the president is a Lockheed Martin executive, no such friendly discussion can be allowed.  Space capitalism, mining the sky, rejecting the United Nations Moon and Outer Space Treaties, Trump's 'Space Force', questioning the use of nukes in space - none of this can be allowed to be discussed.

As unemployment accelerates across the US, and our national economy teeters toward full collapse, one must wonder how Washington could imagine spending hundreds of billions of needed dollars on space colonization projects while doctors and nurses go without sufficient resources to deal with the growing virus across the land.

We know that the aerospace industry understands that they must come up with a 'dedicated funding source' to pay for their expensive vision to bring the 'free market' into the heavens - despite the UN's call to make space 'the province of all humankind'.  Thus they've set their sites on those pesky 'entitlement programs' for defunding - which are Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and what little is left of the social safety net.  These are the programs the space colonization industry has sent their lobbyists to Washington to secure on their behalf. (I know this because the plan was outlined in an editorial years ago inside the industry publication called Space News.)

Thus it should not come as any surprise to me that my post on The Mars Society page was removed.  Many years ago while on a speaking tour of Southern California I was reading an article in the Los Angeles Times about the Mars Society and their grand vision.  I will never forget the quote from the president of the club.  It read:  'The Earth is a rotting, stinking, dying planet.  We must terraform [make green with life] Mars and move our civilization there.'

Imagine the cost to turn Mars into a beautiful planet full of life - like our Earth mothership.  If that is even possible.  It is indeed a sickness of spirit.

Bruce

Capitalism wants to 'control and dominate' space

Trump signed an executive order to allow corporations and citizens, aka billionaires, to begin mining the moon.

In addition, they want to use nuclear reactors to fuel spacecraft so they can mine Mars in the future. 

Corporations already dominate Earth, and it isn't enough for them. They want more. So, now they want to dominate Outer Space. 

Another excellent video by GN board member Will Griffin.

You can find the Pentagon's 'Vision for 2020' that spells out the quest for global and intergalactic domination here 

Extraordinary times: Lisa turns in ballot access signatures

US Senate Candidate Savage Delivers Signatures To Qualify for Maine’s November Ballot

Yesterday, Maine independent Green candidate for U.S. Senate Lisa Savage delivered petitions with 5,581 notarized and certified signatures, collected from Maine voters in 45 cities and towns to the Secretary of State’s office in Augusta. The Secretary’s office must now review and verify the petitions as the last step before Savage is placed on the ballot in November as an independent. She needed a minimum of 4,000 signatures from registered Maine voters and could deliver no more than 6,000.

“Thanks everyone for working so hard,” said Savage on the steps of the Burton Cross Building, wearing a mask and with just her husband and press coordinator in attendance. “I’m very gratified that so many people have confidence that I would make a good senator and that we can win this ranked choice voting race. This isn’t the big celebration we had hoped for in turning in our petitions, but the important thing is we’ll be on the ballot.”

While the campaign in fact gathered more than 9,000 signatures, thousands of them are still being processed by city and town clerks throughout the state, many of them overwhelmed with duties related to the COVID-19 outbreak. With the Secretary of State’s office already looking to move to a skeleton staff, and likely to be occupied with tough decisions about moving June’s primary election and other matters, the Savage campaign felt it was prudent to get qualifying signatures in as soon as possible, giving the Secretary’s office plenty of time to process and certify the signatures safely before the June 1 deadline.

Due to this quirk, as well, the 5,581 signatures included zero from Portland. To qualify for the ballot without signatures collected from Maine’s largest city demonstrates the breadth and depth of the campaign’s support.

“We want to thank the Secretary of State’s office and Deputy Secretary Flynn,” said Savage, “for working with us to safely hand over the petitions during the pandemic.” The campaign left the box of petitions outside the fourth floor office of the elections department while Secretary Flynn watched from inside the doors, to maintain chain of custody. Then, keeping six feet apart, Flynn took the petitions inside the office, where they will be quarantined for two days. The Secretary’s office estimates it may take weeks to work through the signatures and officially place Savage on the ballot, with current staff and workload.

Responsible social distancing precluded an event to submit the signatures, but many campaign volunteers expressed their enthusiasm for the momentum Savage will carry as the first official name on the November ballot, considering the parties will have to wait until July to name their nominees.

“Our leadership in the years leading up to this particular pandemic has just been completely inadequate,” said Austin Witham, of Portland. Politicians have “been so busy getting at each other's throats and turning the American people against each other that we have absolutely no current response that's going to save an adequate amount of lives. We need people like Lisa to actually get in there and focus on supporting the American people."

Steven “October” Paul, also of Portland, is excited about the prospect of supporting Savage in a ranked choice environment. “It eliminates any kind of temptation for people to think there’s a spoiler candidate,” he said.

Unity College student Cody Pajic said Savage is his candidate for ensuring that government response to the pandemic doesn’t leave people like him out in the cold. The recent stimulus package is a good example, he said. If a parent claims a college student as a dependent, it could be a double whammy where the student has lost income from working at school, and is financially independent, but isn’t eligible for a stimulus check. “So you’re just not getting any payments from this $2 trillion stimulus payout, that the corporations are going to be benefiting from massively. And that really pisses me off,” he said.

Find information about Lisa Savage, her policy positions, background, and how to support her people-powered campaign at www.LisaforMaine.org.

Wash your hands!

USS Theodore Roosevelt sailors comprise more than half of Navy’s coronavirus cases

Stars & Stripes

 More than half of all U.S. sailors who have tested positive for coronavirus are attached to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, according to Navy data released Wednesday.

Across the Navy, 548 service members have contracted the illness and 286 of those are Roosevelt sailors, the update said. Nearly all the ship’s crew has been tested, with 10% coming back positive. None have been hospitalized.

It’s unclear with which ships, installations or units the remaining cases are associated. The Department of Defense late last month directed all services to refrain from releasing coronavirus numbers specific to commands.

Pilger on neo-liberal destruction of society

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to legendary journalist and film-maker John Pilger about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

He discusses the fact that the Conservative government was warned about shortages leaving the NHS vulnerable in pandemics 4 years ago, the damage privatisation has done to the National Health Service, budget cuts which have seen bed capacities fall to record lows, his criticisms of the Boris Johnson administration’s response to Coronaviurs, the lack of mass-testing in the U.K. which has been seen in other countries such as Germany, South Korea and China, the government blaming China for the Coronavirus crisis, and the threat to Julian Assange’s life as he is denied release from prison as Coronavirus claims its first victim in Belmarsh Prison and more!

Spring time in Crimea

A new video from the Botanical gardens in Yalta, Crimea.

I've been to these gardens twice in the past two years - once in the fall and the other in the spring.

A beautiful place.

Enjoy the tulips!

Wonderful protest in Los Angeles

Rent strike!

Coming soon - more info to follow

Co-sponsored by UK's Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).  More details coming soon.

 Webinar Speakers

Prof. Dave Webb (Chair @Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament)
Dave Webb has been Chair of CND since 2010 and is also Chair of Yorkshire CND. He is the convener of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, a member of Scientists for Global Responsibility and until recently a Professor of Engineering and Director of the Praxis Centre at Leeds Metropolitan University.
https://cnduk.org

Bruce Gagnon (Coordinator @Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space)
Bruce was a co-founder of the Global Network when it was created in 1992. His articles have appeared in publications like: Earth Island Journal, National Catholic Reporter, Asia Times, Le Monde Diplomatique, Albuquerque Journal, Sekai Journal (Japan), CounterPunch, Space News, Z Magazine, and Canadian Dimension. Bruce published his book in 2008 called Come Together Right Now: Organizing Stories from a Fading Empire.
http://space4peace.org/

Lynda Williams (Board Member; Science Educator and Activist @Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space)
Lynda Williams (California): is a physicist and science entertainer who is devoted to nuclear disarmament and the proliferation of peace. She performs science cabarets and promotes scientific literacy as a means to motivate political empowerment, peace and social justice. Lynda lives and teaches in northern California and produced a CD with anti-Star Wars songs to benefit the GN. http://space4peace.org/  

Still riding in Maine

Starr Gilmartin (Trenton, Maine) on her bike and finding a way to promote Lisa Savage's campaign for the US Senate against current Republican Senator Susan Collins.

It will be a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) election for the Senate here in Maine.  So there is no spoiler - people get to rank their favorite choices.

You can learn more about Lisa at her web site here

During this isolation from the virus Lisa is staying quite busy (her public school where she teaches of course has been closed) - in particular she has been calling for the closure of Bath Iron Works in support of the union who is demanding that workers be allowed to stay home and be paid while off work.

Lisa has also been calling for rent and mortgage relief for all people who need it. The rich fat cats are being well taken care of by Washington (including Sen. Collins) but very little is being done for working and poor people who once again are being kicked to the curb.

Rattle your chains now folks - if you don't no one will do it for you.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease - so keep squeaking real loud!  

Bruce

How should we deal with the reality of this epidemic?

By John Andrews (Massachusetts)


• Inaction on the part of of both Democrats and Republicans is responsible for us being unprepared for COVID-19.  The failure did not start in January 2020.

• We need to invest in adequate public health and stop letting our investments be dictated by the need to help profit-driven capitalist companies exploit sick people.

• We need Medicare-for-All so that everyone gets preventive health care and adequate treatment.

• We need to develop vaccine production that is not dependent on capitalist corporations that wait for an attractive return-on-investment opportunity before they get busy.

• We need paid sick days for every worker in America so that no one feels pressured to come to work when they are sick.

• We need to separate health care from employment.

• We need to have a coordinated national plan for addressing pandemics and other health challenges - not an uncoordinated mishmash of independent players who are urged to get involved voluntarily. Note Pagan Kennedy writing in the Boston Globe: “We often talk about the pandemic as a kind of war. If it is, then each Massachusetts hospital is a battleship. Without a clear chain of command, the battleships drift about and may even end up crashing into one another. In order to work as a fleet, the battleships must be united under one admiral and a team of captains.”

• We need housing assurance programs that put tenants first and don’t drive families into debt.

• We need assured employment programs that ensure a living wage job for every person that wants to work.

OMG!

Leaked audio of Acting Navy Secretary, Thomas Modly, calling out outsted aircraft carrier captain surfaces; Fox News' Jennifer Griffin reports.

What is going on in Iraq & Iran?

The Duran’s Alex Christoforou and Editor-in-Chief Alexander Mercouris discuss how U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo continues to push for war in Iraq against Iran militias, while the world is concentrated on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

What happened to Bernie?

 

On one list serve I frequent there is a growing discussion about Bernie Sanders, Biden, and the likelihood that the corporate-dominated Democrat National Committee (DNC) will do a backroom deal and appoint their next presidential candidate - done under 'extraordinary circumstances'.  Here is my response to one man who was defending Bernie and mourning the deflating of his campaign.  

Bernie endorsed and campaigned for Hillary – she opposed his key priorities

In the last debate Bernie said he’d support Biden for prez – who has said, among other ramblings, that he would veto Medicare for All if elected

Bernie complained in the Senate hearings about, and then voted for, the recent 2-4-6 trillion dollar corporate bailout....

Bernie missed his chance to be a real leader for the people – people have grown tired of his continued caving's – he missed the historical moment when he was most needed

People that know, say Bernie is a go-along to get-along kind of guy.

I thank him for talking up Medicare for All and many other needed programs

But when questioned about how he’d pay for these proposals – rarely since 2016 has he laid a strong glove on the Pentagon and empire
 

I don’t mourn for Bernie

We need folks who will push the powerful even harder

Our lives are at stake

Bruce

Washington refuses to stop its war machine

Abby Martin breaks down all the hidden acts of US foreign policy aggression under the cover of the COVID19 pandemic.

Sunday song

Back in jail on Jeju Island

Brother Song

By Sung-Hee Choi and Kaia Curry

On April 3rd, the court for the review of legality of confinement maintained arrest warrant on Song Kang-Ho despite more than 2,500 domestic and overseas citizens' signatures for his release.

He was moved to Jeju Prison.

Song was arrested for going to witness what is left of sacred Gureombi Rock inside the Jeju navy base on the anniversary of its destruction.

Sacred Gureombi Rock before destruction for the Navy base on Jeju Island, South Korea. Prior to being blasted and covered with concrete Gureombi was full of life.

Please think that today is the 72nd remembrance year of April 3rd Uprising and massacre [by US directed forces] (March 1, 1947 to Sept. 21, 1954).

Jeju was defined as the Island of World Peace in 2005 to overcome the pain of April 3rd. How ironic it is that the state put a very citizen who works for the realization of true peace Island on the very day of April 3rd!

Further how sad it is that today is his birthday by lunar calendar! When he was arrested 8 years ago, it was his birthday, too, April 1 by lunar calendar.

We very thank all the international citizens who took signature time for is release.

[Destroyers built at Bath Iron Works in Maine are expected to port in the future at the navy base on Jeju.]

Life in Darmstadt

By Regina Hagen (Darmstadt, Germany)

I guess the situation is similar everywhere. In Germany, the political leadership has never denied that Corona is dangerous, but the responses came too late. Privatization of the health system has increased in the past. The German government was warned in a study a few year ago what a pandemic would look like. The forecast of the study is now occurring, but there is shortage of the most basic medical supplies for health staff and protective supplies for the population.

As elsewhere, it is unclear whether the worst is yet to come. The death rate (is that the correct word?), however, is increasing observably - it seems a number of people are very ill a long time before they die, and many of those who die are not old. Also worrying is the fact that not only can Corona be transferred by people without symptoms, but in a senior citizens home in Germany quite a number of old people who were infected died without ever showing symptoms.

Many aspects of this crisis are worrying. One of them is the prominent role the Germany military, the Bundeswehr plays. They are well equipped with hospitals, supplies, means of transportation, and (medical) staff, and do indeed provide a lot of support and supplies outside the Bundeswehr arena (it seems that 800 Bundeswehr members are reported as suspected cases, 200 as confirmed infected cases). However - why don't the civil protection and emergency services play a larger role? As often before (floods, forest fires, etc.) those services and their supplies are not sufficiently equipped and staffed to cope with large crises. In addition, Bundeswehr does good public relations and tells the story of the help they give.

We should demand that our country spend more on civil services rather than the military - who needs 2% spending for Bundeswehr when the real challenges lie elsewhere: in this pandemic, the climate change, the global militarization, the danger posed by nuclear weapons, the increase in surveillance connected to this crises etc. etc.

Additionally, there is now wider discussion on the work conditions and salaries of those people who are suddenly praised as "system relevant" - not only doctors, nurses, and other clinic staff, but also those working in supermarkets, garbage collection, delivery services, transportation etc. etc. I wonder whether this appreciations will continue once the crises subsides and whether working conditions and payment for these people will increase.

The situation is bad, here and elsewhere. They say 70-80% of the population must have had the virus before the pandemic will eventually come to a stop - that is still a long way and means many more will be ill or die. And we haven't seen the real brunt of the pandemic in countries in the Global South!

I am fine, and my mother - now 96! - does well - although she really misses us, since we can't currently travel and visit her.

~ Regina Hagen is a board member in the Global Network.

Sailors cheer sacked 'Captain Crozier' in Guam

The crew turned out to cheer the dismissed skipper of the virus-stricken Navy nuclear aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt.

"The whole ship came out to say goodbye to Captain Crozier".

The captain showed great courage and sense of responsibility knowing that he was putting his career at risk. This is the kind of dedication to the people (not the institutions) that we should all have. 

Especially now.....

Having been in the US Air Force for 3.5 years during the Vietnam War I can easily put myself in the shoes of many of these sailors.  Far from home, missing and worrying about family, not certain about their own future.  You can see they are not practicing much 'social distancing' in the video.  Tears come to my eyes each time I re-watch these two videos. 

This virus is teaching us alot about America's misplaced priorities. 

Best wishes to all my readers.  Thank you for visiting.  Please send me your current stories from where you live that I could share here.

Bruce

Hearing from Albuquerque

By Bob Anderson (Albuquerque, New Mexico)

We are locked in. Jeanne and I, like you and Mary Beth probably are ground zero for this virus so we are staying in.  We saw it coming and stocked up on food, enough for a while. Got a lot of toilet paper, 100 lbs dry pinto beans, big bags of rice, canned goods, etc.   Went to Harbor Freight and got the last of N95 masks and paper masks they had.  A long line was forming behind me.  Kroger is delivering food as we order.

It is creepy on the streets.  Quiet.  Not many cars at all.  New Mexico is at this time relatively low in everything. Our governor was on it fast and called for social distancing early. The Veterans Administration (VA) cancelled all my appointments and they are taking in people for tests only it seems. 

It is a real challenge with the kids, a big change in their lives as well as us, keeping them occupied and not wanting to go out. I take them out on desert roads and teach them to drive in this time.  Checking in with old friends.   Most are taking this seriously.   We are bored too.   You all stay in and take care to be safe.

President Incredible is a real embarrassment to the country.  I am preparing to write a letter on it about how the VA was gutted and now they are using it to back up the private health care system, which they said was so prepared and better for veterans.

I would add to it the incredible scene here in Albuquerque and New Mexico with the Los Alamos and Sandia nuclear labs and the huge military complex of bases devoted to the mission of killing people when we have the need to put all this brain power to work on finding a solution to this virus that is taking us down.  It is like these lab and military contractors are far out in the wrong field, they are still going to work like normal while the city and state are being taken down by the Coronavirus.  It is a real clear point to many of us that the military complex is worthless for solving real life problems, right here on earth in real time.

It shows a simple point that none of us are safe until everyone has health care and a decent life free of war and threats of war… I could go on and on…. be safe.

~ Bob Anderson is a board member in the Global Network.

Navy virus-laden carrier scuttled in Guam - ship captain sacked

Having come to Guam from a 'flag waving visit' to Vietnam, the virus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt nuclear aircraft carrier, with 5,000 crew members on board, docked in Guam on March 27 after the number of positive cases onboard continued to grow.

(Two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers reported cases of coronavirus onboard in March 2020. A pair of cases were reported aboard the USS Ronald Reagan at a naval base in Japan and dozens were reported aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt by the end of the month.)

At the Pentagon on Wednesday, acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told reporters 114 of the warship’s sailors had tested positive. So far, over 600 of the sailor's nearly 5,000 crew members have tested negative, Modly said.  He couldn’t yet say how long the Roosevelt might stay in Guam, or the evacuation’s effect on the fleet’s readiness. But he stressed that the aircraft carrier was being maintained in 'fighting condition'.

Modly emphasized that the Navy will not remove every sailor from the warship.

"This ship has weapons on it. It has munitions on it. It has expensive aircraft, and it has a nuclear power plant. It requires a certain number of people on that ship to maintain safety and security," he said.

Sailors who have tested positive for COVID-19 will be restricted in isolation facilities on the Navy base, Adm. John Menoni, commander of Joint Region Marianas, told Guam government officials.

The Navy has convinced Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero to allow sailors who test negative for the virus to be quarantined in certain Guam hotels for 14 days. The sailors will be forbidden from leaving the hotels which will be secured by military personnel.

The first of the COVID-19-free sailors are expected to be transported initially to two hotels – the Sheraton Laguna Guam Resort and Dusit Thani Guam Resort.

“Once those sailors are quarantined, isolated and re-tested, when they are COVID-free, the plan will be to rotate them back onto the ship and finish the remainder on the ship,” a navy spokesperson said. “There’s never been an intent to take all the sailors off of that ship. If that ship needed to respond to a crisis today, we would respond.”

Tight quarters on-board an aircraft carrier are not conducive to 'social distancing'.  The aircraft carrier captain was 'relieved of his duty' days after writing a letter to the Pentagon asking for help due to the growing virus on his ship.  His firing sends a clear message to other commanders throughout the US military - keep quiet about the virus at your installation.  The Pentagon understands that they have a public relations 'situation' on their hands and wants full control of the narrative. 

Virus-related travel restrictions have put Guam’s visitor industry on hold, leaving the island’s resort hotels vacant. Some hotels already are being used for local quarantine efforts, however.

The military has said security will be posted on each floor of designated quarantine hotels and in the perimeter of the hotels. Sailors will not be allowed to go to beaches.

The U.S. Navy on Wednesday declined to rule out punishing the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote a scathing letter to Navy leadership asking for stronger measures to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard.  The letter was leaked to the San Francisco Chronicle which ran the story.

“I don’t know who leaked the letter to the media. That would be something that would violate the principles of good order and discipline, if he were responsible for that. But I don’t know that,” acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said when asked multiple times whether the captain faced discipline.

“The fact that he wrote the letter up to his chain of command to express his concerns would absolutely not result in any type of retaliation,” Modly said.

In the letter, the captain called for “decisive action”: removing over 4,000 sailors from the ship and isolating them. He said that unless the Navy acted immediately, it would be failing to properly safeguard “our most trusted asset - our sailors.”  

The Navy dismissed the captain from his post on Thursday, two days after the officer's unusually blunt letter .

Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, the commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, was relieved of command at the direction of acting Navy secretary Thomas Modly. The Navy removed him after becoming increasingly convinced that he was involved in leaking the letter to the media to force the service to address his concerns.

~  Many parts of this article came from several sources - most of which are linked in the story.

Expecting the worst?

Storefronts in downtown Vancouver BC, Canada boarded up like they did before the G20 riots started by government agent provocateurs.

Burglary and looting has been rampant there since businesses were ordered to shut down and now businesses have been told to take everything out of their shops or they'll lose it.

U.S. base expansion in Japan

  

 

By Makiko Sato (Japan)

Citizens in Iwakuni [in Yamagucki Prefecture] who are against US Marines Air Station Iwakuni have been watching and uploading the daily flights in and out of the various Marine aircraft deployed there. Marines Iwakuni Base has become the biggest US military (Marines) base in East Asia.

Since around 2005, the US had planed to consolidate its military bases and facilities in Japan as a part of the US Global Posture Review (GPR). Okinawa, Kanagawa and Iwakuni are main targets on this plan.

Iwakuni is just 800km away from North Korea, while Okinawa is 1500km away. Many Japanese think NK is the target and we think that is why NK is so desperate, launching missiles and rockets repeatedly.  US military base in Iwakuni to become massive military stronghold. Citizens' vigil opposing the military base began in 1996.

The US Aegis Ashore [missile launch] systems to be deployed in Japan with our tax money is to protect the US military assets on Hawaii and on Guam. 

5G technology currently being deployed in Japan will make the US missile system work much faster in its first-strike [role] and then the protective intercepting process.  Only if and when Japan is to change its constitution, which makes it possible for the US to legally bring in its nuclear warheads onto Japanese soil, including on Okinawa.

As depressing as the virus.  Come to think of it, US military bases are a kind of virus, indeed. I'll let people know about your recent interview. 

Thank you always for your dedication, and GN people.   

Who are the most essential workers these days?

Treat and pay them fairly!

On thinking for ourselves....

Words from Washington DC

By Kathy Boylan (Washington DC)

Greetings from the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker community.  Regarding Coronavirus, I encourage everyone to watch  Professor Francis Boyle's interview about the origin of the coronavirus. Using documents as evidence, he shows that the virus was developed at the germ-warfare facility at the University of  North Carolina with funding from the NIH (DR. Fauci) and with money from China and the assistance of a Chinese scientist. Now Dr. Fauci and Big Pharma are "searching" for a vaccine which will make them millions.

Or you might read "Covid-19: Further Evidence That the Virus Originated in the US" by Larry Romanoff. The article explains that the CDC shut down the germ warfare facility at Ft. Detrick, Maryland last summer following news of a number of deaths from a deadly pneumonia. News stories claimed that  the deaths were due to e-cigarettes, but if that were so, why the shut down?

Given my suspicion that this "attack" is an "inside job", a few of us continue the weekly protests at the Pentagon and White House along with our South Corean activist friends. So few people were touring the White House last Friday, that we moved to H Street where our signs would be visible to car and bus passengers. With the help of Pax Christi friends, our Feast for the Streets continues with a modified menu of sandwiches [for the homeless and hungry].

Please also watch the video on the Children's Health Defense site entitled "Dr. Fauci and COVID-19 Priorities: Therapeutics Now or Vaccines Later". All the information on that site is very important.

The virus has shut down the world, will probably lead to the postponement of our elections, and perhaps to martial law.  Oligarchs and their banks and corporations are getting flooded with trillions of our tax dollars. Thousands die unnecessarily.

Yet, I want to be like CUBA, and reach out to help others, and continue to resist the "greatest purveyor of violence in the world" -- our government.