According to a recent study by the World Bank, published today in the journal Nature, lockdowns and the response to Covid-19 have pushed an additional 75 million people into extreme poverty, living on less than US $1.90 a day. In the typical Walter Duranty style that has become a kind of twisted journalistic norm since March 2020, the World Bank and Nature of course blame this on “the pandemic” rather than lockdowns. I remain baffled as to how such seemingly well-meaning people are able to sleep at night repeating such nonsense—are they somehow blind to the role of
Your first error is in imagining any of them to be "well-meaning."
I worked most of my employed life for purportedly liberal or progressive organizations, which all had boards of directors made up of the powerful and well-connected. They were nice up to that awful moment in time when they were slightly inconvenienced by the needs and/or problems of ordinary people.
And then at one point in my strange life's journey I myself founded a small women's center serving the very poorest in an awful city in a poor, intensely-conservative country where the elite live in remarkable luxury that makes a NYC condo, say, seem like basic housing. We approached some international NGOs, one based in the US, for grant money, and as our grantwriter I discovered how clueless these professional do-gooders were about the lives and circumstances under which the poor must try to exist.
You do not understand that the elite truly do not care, because even if they've traveled or been stationed in posts in poor countries, they have never been exposed to the real, daily lives of the poor. They meet "representatives of the community" who themselves are crushing the really powerless under their heels daily, and they get their theses confirmed and go back to their fine offices and write nonsense.
And in any community--small-town America, slums in Mumbai, rough urban neighborhoods--"elite" is often just a comparative term, but they will fight to the death to keep their privileges and ensure their pockets are filled and no change is allowed to live for long.
Until every country can manufacture its essentials and international funding and credentialing bodies lose their power, this will remain a fight to the death and as we've seen, plenty of people are needlessly dying.
The title says it all, though, doesn't it? "How COVID has deepened inequality — in six stark graphics." Nah, ladies, your insane overreaction to Covid did this.
I so hope this is the case! And, unlike Michelle Obama, when they go low, I plan to go lower. I plan to tell everyone I know who was in favor of the lockdowns and dismissed me when I tried, in vain, to tell them how I feared the economic, political, and social consequences of it, "I told you so!"
Speaking of baffled, I'm still baffled that these monsters posing as politicians (or vice versa) would think that doing something never done in history would work better than the protocols we've used previously. You know, like isolating and/or protecting the vulnerable, advising to stay home if you think you're sick and letting the rest of society continue with their lives. This wasn't just an innocent mistake, it was an absolute disaster of criminal proportions and these politicians (and corporate media) are complicit in crimes against humanity to the nth degree. None of them are getting a free pass from me. I will never forget what's been done to our beautiful world by them. And scarier yet, it looks like they're not done with their path of destruction. We must say NO to any further madness moving forward.
Such a great article. Polititans and the media only have themselves to blame but will continue to point their fingers at everything else to avoid assuming any responsibility. THEY HAD A PANDEMIC PLAN IN PLACE PRIOR TO COVID BUT THREW THAT OUT THE WINDOW AND CONCOTED A FAKE TEST - PCR TO INFLATE THE CASES. THEN THEY TOOK MONEY THEY DIDNT HAVE, SHUT DOWN THE GLOBAL ECONOMIES AND TOLD US TO STAY AT HOME IN ORDER TO PROTECT EACH OTHER FROM NOTHING WORSE THAN A RESPIRATORY FLU.
Now I am no rocket scientist but u have to be pretty ignorant/stupid to think that there are going to be no ramifications.
Most of the peculiar behaviors we observe can be explained by stupidity. There's a lot if it in the political classes, especially media. Lockdowns were preciptated by, and tolerated because of, panic. Panic is driven by fear,, and fear is driven by stupidity. A notable characteristics of journalists is they aren't really good at anything else. It's exacerbated by poor training in the failed education system, but competent people overcome that. We really need to deal with our most pernicious epidemic of stupid. Save the schools.
NYT acknowledging higher death rates among young is a limited hangout. They blame the lockdowns to take heat off the vaccines. They are trying to guide the public awareness away from "you bullied us to get injected with deadly and ineffective gene therapies" to "they made a mistake with lockdowns that made us unhealthy." Every day in the news you can see this restless casting about for narratives to use to attribute the deaths to.
Mike, your book is on my birthday wish list. Every substack article you write has me rehashing all the anger I’ve accumulated over the last 2 years. I talk facts until I’m blue in the face, and have lost many friends/family over this shitshow. Although, my liberal partner has seen the light, and is slowly swallowing the red pill. Thank God.
"I remain baffled as to how seemingly well-meaning people are able to sleep at night repeating such nonsense..."
They were paid good money for those "opinions"!! Besides, it is only the darkies in 3rd World Countries and 1st World ghettos who will suffer, victimless crime to the credentialed class.
The pandemic was deliberately sensationalized for this to happen.
Since October of 2019 the media and governments scared the public into adopting such extreme measures like the lockdowns. And now this new epidemic of poverty is another crisis for the media to exploit.
So these public expressions of shock are necessary to maintain trustworthiness. To them another crisis is an opportunity to portray themselves as rational saviors, prestigious voices the public should listen to.
Remember, these are the same people that pushed for mandatory vaccinations while simultaneously obfuscating the risks and exaggerating the benefits.
A correction: the Times is generally considered centre-right, not centre-left, and Rod Liddle is a notorious right-wing provocateur whom the British Left generally despises. The only serious contender for "the UK’s centre-left newspaper of record" would be The Guardian.
That'd right wouldn't it? But it doesn't necessarily mean that any of them rise to the level of 'good', never mind 'excellent'.
I can't think of one right now.
Failure to find journalists leaves me following Youtube individual presenters - everyone from perhaps Dr Malone to Duran and so on.
I think the main problem is the 'journals'.
They are out of date and history and anachronistic now, I think.
What were they traditionally there for?
Had the resources to print and therefore widely disseminate.
Had within them a pool of expertise, experience, knowledge.
Had mechanical abilities re printing, layout, artwork, etc., etc.
Had resources to go looking for news and data.
In return for access to all that a journalist toed the party line and subjected self to more or less discipline.
Where's the need for any of that now?
If there are some good journalists - and I'm sure there must be, I'd hope there are - I'm not aware of who they are so I'd like it if you were - if anyone - would pass on some names/links to me.
Your first error is in imagining any of them to be "well-meaning."
I worked most of my employed life for purportedly liberal or progressive organizations, which all had boards of directors made up of the powerful and well-connected. They were nice up to that awful moment in time when they were slightly inconvenienced by the needs and/or problems of ordinary people.
And then at one point in my strange life's journey I myself founded a small women's center serving the very poorest in an awful city in a poor, intensely-conservative country where the elite live in remarkable luxury that makes a NYC condo, say, seem like basic housing. We approached some international NGOs, one based in the US, for grant money, and as our grantwriter I discovered how clueless these professional do-gooders were about the lives and circumstances under which the poor must try to exist.
You do not understand that the elite truly do not care, because even if they've traveled or been stationed in posts in poor countries, they have never been exposed to the real, daily lives of the poor. They meet "representatives of the community" who themselves are crushing the really powerless under their heels daily, and they get their theses confirmed and go back to their fine offices and write nonsense.
And in any community--small-town America, slums in Mumbai, rough urban neighborhoods--"elite" is often just a comparative term, but they will fight to the death to keep their privileges and ensure their pockets are filled and no change is allowed to live for long.
Until every country can manufacture its essentials and international funding and credentialing bodies lose their power, this will remain a fight to the death and as we've seen, plenty of people are needlessly dying.
The title says it all, though, doesn't it? "How COVID has deepened inequality — in six stark graphics." Nah, ladies, your insane overreaction to Covid did this.
I so hope this is the case! And, unlike Michelle Obama, when they go low, I plan to go lower. I plan to tell everyone I know who was in favor of the lockdowns and dismissed me when I tried, in vain, to tell them how I feared the economic, political, and social consequences of it, "I told you so!"
Speaking of baffled, I'm still baffled that these monsters posing as politicians (or vice versa) would think that doing something never done in history would work better than the protocols we've used previously. You know, like isolating and/or protecting the vulnerable, advising to stay home if you think you're sick and letting the rest of society continue with their lives. This wasn't just an innocent mistake, it was an absolute disaster of criminal proportions and these politicians (and corporate media) are complicit in crimes against humanity to the nth degree. None of them are getting a free pass from me. I will never forget what's been done to our beautiful world by them. And scarier yet, it looks like they're not done with their path of destruction. We must say NO to any further madness moving forward.
Such a great article. Polititans and the media only have themselves to blame but will continue to point their fingers at everything else to avoid assuming any responsibility. THEY HAD A PANDEMIC PLAN IN PLACE PRIOR TO COVID BUT THREW THAT OUT THE WINDOW AND CONCOTED A FAKE TEST - PCR TO INFLATE THE CASES. THEN THEY TOOK MONEY THEY DIDNT HAVE, SHUT DOWN THE GLOBAL ECONOMIES AND TOLD US TO STAY AT HOME IN ORDER TO PROTECT EACH OTHER FROM NOTHING WORSE THAN A RESPIRATORY FLU.
Now I am no rocket scientist but u have to be pretty ignorant/stupid to think that there are going to be no ramifications.
Most of the peculiar behaviors we observe can be explained by stupidity. There's a lot if it in the political classes, especially media. Lockdowns were preciptated by, and tolerated because of, panic. Panic is driven by fear,, and fear is driven by stupidity. A notable characteristics of journalists is they aren't really good at anything else. It's exacerbated by poor training in the failed education system, but competent people overcome that. We really need to deal with our most pernicious epidemic of stupid. Save the schools.
Biggest psychological operation in history. Problem is that many would (subconsciously) prefer to perpetuate this than recognise they were conned.
NYT acknowledging higher death rates among young is a limited hangout. They blame the lockdowns to take heat off the vaccines. They are trying to guide the public awareness away from "you bullied us to get injected with deadly and ineffective gene therapies" to "they made a mistake with lockdowns that made us unhealthy." Every day in the news you can see this restless casting about for narratives to use to attribute the deaths to.
Mike, your book is on my birthday wish list. Every substack article you write has me rehashing all the anger I’ve accumulated over the last 2 years. I talk facts until I’m blue in the face, and have lost many friends/family over this shitshow. Although, my liberal partner has seen the light, and is slowly swallowing the red pill. Thank God.
Great article, as usual.
Well meaning? Separation, misery, despair, loss of community/companionship/
celebrations were designed to keep people isolated, unthinking & afraid. That was the feature, not the bug
"I remain baffled as to how seemingly well-meaning people are able to sleep at night repeating such nonsense..."
They were paid good money for those "opinions"!! Besides, it is only the darkies in 3rd World Countries and 1st World ghettos who will suffer, victimless crime to the credentialed class.
eugyppius recommended I come over... looking forward to reading through your pieces. thank you in advance. J.
The pandemic was deliberately sensationalized for this to happen.
Since October of 2019 the media and governments scared the public into adopting such extreme measures like the lockdowns. And now this new epidemic of poverty is another crisis for the media to exploit.
So these public expressions of shock are necessary to maintain trustworthiness. To them another crisis is an opportunity to portray themselves as rational saviors, prestigious voices the public should listen to.
Remember, these are the same people that pushed for mandatory vaccinations while simultaneously obfuscating the risks and exaggerating the benefits.
Wow, next they'll admit masks don't work.
Anything but talk about the big elephant in the room: the UNsafe and INeffective jab.
A correction: the Times is generally considered centre-right, not centre-left, and Rod Liddle is a notorious right-wing provocateur whom the British Left generally despises. The only serious contender for "the UK’s centre-left newspaper of record" would be The Guardian.
Other than that, great article.
That'd right wouldn't it? But it doesn't necessarily mean that any of them rise to the level of 'good', never mind 'excellent'.
I can't think of one right now.
Failure to find journalists leaves me following Youtube individual presenters - everyone from perhaps Dr Malone to Duran and so on.
I think the main problem is the 'journals'.
They are out of date and history and anachronistic now, I think.
What were they traditionally there for?
Had the resources to print and therefore widely disseminate.
Had within them a pool of expertise, experience, knowledge.
Had mechanical abilities re printing, layout, artwork, etc., etc.
Had resources to go looking for news and data.
In return for access to all that a journalist toed the party line and subjected self to more or less discipline.
Where's the need for any of that now?
If there are some good journalists - and I'm sure there must be, I'd hope there are - I'm not aware of who they are so I'd like it if you were - if anyone - would pass on some names/links to me.
:)