World War Three #156
By Hank Silverberg
We are at war. There's been no political assassinations, no Pearl Harbor, no 9-11. But over the last year more than 423 thousand Americans have been killed by a ruthless enemy. That's more than the number of U.S. military deaths in the four years of World War Two (405K).
Worldwide, the war against this enemy has taken the lives of more than 2.1 million people.
Coronavirus Death Toll and Trends - Worldometer (worldometers.info)
The enemy is not a nationalist state with a murderous ideology, or a brutal group of religious fanatics.
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| (The Enemy) |
It is a microscopic virus that has impacted everything from the global economy to the way we associate with our friends and relatives.
And now, a year after the devastation began, America has a leader who has done what the last one never could--launch a concentrated effort to eradicate this global menace.
We are now at war with Covid-19, and it's about time.
In his first week in office, President Biden has declared war on the virus, setting up a concentrated effort to combat it. That includes activating the War Production Act, which provides incentives for private industry to step up both vaccine production facilities to help prevent more cases, and to make more medical equipment to help those already infected.
In addition, he has signed an Executive Order that includes a federal mask mandate requiring people to wear face coverings while on federal property and to encourage it everywhere else.
FEMA and the military will now be more directly involved in vaccine distribution with the federal government providing some firm guidelines for the states distributing the vaccine. That includes the use of local pharmacies and doctors.
Biden's COVID-19 plan: Masks, testing, more vaccine supplies (yahoo.com)
It's not a magic bullet, of course. But unlike the last president, Mr. Biden has recognized both the long and short-term impact of the pandemic and will not play political games with people's lives.
Like World War Two, this new war will require a concentrated effort from all of us, and some sacrifice. No one is talking about ration cards, victory gardens or wage freezes like World War Two, but Covid -19 may be the nastiest enemy the United States has ever faced.
Americans have defeated big threats before. The only way we will fail to win this time is if the public ignores the truth from our leaders (which we haven't gotten for the last four years), or returns to factional politics instead of dealing with reality.
With that in mind, the White House has begun a public relations campaign to promote vaccinations and to get more people to respond to basic precautions like wearing a mask. You have probably seen them on your Facebook or Twitter feeds already. Individual Americans need to join the war on Covid-19 with the same enthusiasm as previous generations had in defeating a human enemy. They should start by believing the science.
Vaccination Chase:
Getting the vaccine though, is not going to be easy. The states have finally geared up to distribute the lifesaving shots, setting up data bases and schedules for people to make appointments. But now we have learned about the last parting shot from the Trump administration. There is no backup supply of vaccine just waiting to be distributed. Many states have had to suspend vaccinations in the middle of this past week because they ran out of doses. For example, the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington had to cancel 10,000 appointments because their supply of vaccine simply ran out. It is like that all over the country.
You should now consider it your patriotic duty to be a foot soldier in the war against Covid-19. Wear a mask, social distance, and get the vaccine as soon as you can. Until the majority of Americans deal with reality, we will never return to ANY kind of normal life.
Terrorism From The Right:
Much of the country was shocked by the events of January 6th. Many were surprised that the hoard forced their way into the Capitol Building, vandalized statues, rummaged through offices and threatened the very lives of our elected representatives. The American public should not have been surprised.
Right-wing terrorism has been growing steadily in this country for years, and as I have written here before, the far right rabble-rousers got a lot of encouragement from the last man in the White House starting from the day he announced his campaign in 2015 and climaxing just hours before the incident began
There is more and more evidence that the January 6th event was organized, planned and carried out by groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and Q-Anon followers who convinced other people to follow them blindly. And we may soon find out that several members in Congress helped the insurrectionists, or at least actively encouraged them.
But here's the thing. This was not the first time these right-wing terrorists have planned such an event. A new report out this week on the deadly "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, says that event was centrally organized as part of a military campaign. The report also says the propaganda leading up to it was extensive and designed to publicize the event, recruit participants, and terrorize the public. It also says there was a cyber attack on the city of Charlottesville timed to hinder law enforcement response and confuse first responders.
You can read the full report here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1057610X.2020.1862850
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| ("Militia" in Charlottesville) |
"The militia were heavily armed and armored and conducted themselves with the discipline of a combat brigade, so much so that then Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe complained that police and National Guard present appeared outgunned by the militia."
After 2017, this information was passed on to law enforcement and intelligence personnel nationwide. It was simply not acted on. So, one must wonder why the U.S. Capitol Police were not better prepared for the January 6th event. They had warnings way in advance.
The Balloon Threat:
Did you ever think about what happens to all those
Those who release a helium balloon on purpose would face a $25 fine for EACH balloon. The Bill exempts weather balloons put up by meteorologists and recreational hot-air balloons with passengers that come back to the ground.
(The other states with restrictions are California, Connecticut, Florida and Tennessee.)
Corporate People:
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The Court ruled that such limits would violate those entities' freedom of speech under the First Amendment, even though that right traditionally applies to individuals, not groups.
This week, the Democrats, once again in control of both the House and Senate, have introduced a Constitutional Amendment which would nullify that ruling if it's approved. It would let states and Congress set rules on spending and money in all elections.
The Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org, says spending in the 2020 election cycle by super PACs, political parties, and "dark money" groups, among others, was a record $2.9 billion. That's more than double the amount spent in 2016, and up from $143.8 million in 2008, the last presidential election year before Citizens United.
But of course Constitutional amendments are not easy to pass--by design. It would take two-thirds of the House and Senate to get it through, and then three-fourths of the states (38) would have to ratify it. So, don't hold your breath. It's probably not going to happen in today's political climate.
This Bill has been introduced four times before, and has gone nowhere.
Most Ridiculous Quote of the Week:
I am adding a new feature to my blog. Each week I will post the most ridiculous quote from the past week. It could be from a politician, celebrity or media pundit. You can make your nominations by sending them in the comment section of the blog.
The first one, which I picked, comes from Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz in his response to President Biden's Executive Order returning the United States to the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
From his Twitter feed:
It is clear that Cruz does not know that pollution can cross over international borders or that the Climate Change Agreement has been signed by 197 nations, including the two most populated countries on the planet, China and India. (Yes, France has signed too.)
So, have some fun with the ridiculous quotes. Forward your nominations.
(Your comments and suggestions are always welcome)
Links where you can buy copies of my book "The Campaign" are below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at: HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with a signature)
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