Tag Archive for coronavirus

Absurdities of the Coronavirus Lockdown

April 11, 2020 Big Banks, Big Brother, Big Government, China, Congress, Constitution, Department of Defense, Disaster Preparedness, economic collapse, Economy, Federal Reserve, Globalists, Gun Confiscation, Health, Jobs, Leftist Communists, Liberty and Freedom, Medical Information, News and Intelligence, Pandemic, Police State, Politics, Prepper Organization, Prepping, Resistance to Tyranny, Second Amendment / Gun Control, Social Unrest, Socialists, Socialized Healthcare, Surveillance State, Trump Comments Off on Absurdities of the Coronavirus Lockdown

Today is simply venting about the absurdities I have witnessed over the course of the last few months.  Feel free to comment and add to what amounts to a lengthy and admittedly far from comprehensive list.  I could care less if you agree or disagree.  This is simply an exercise in mental health. 

To start my list, I am tired of the idiotic retort of “the coronavirus is not really bad because (fill in the blank) kills (fill in the blank) people each year.”  This comparison logic is void of any understanding of the logarithmic spread of a contagious disease.  A fair analogy of this logic would be an officer on the first day of World War I and telling his soldiers that it’s absurd to worry about this new device called a machine gun because only a few people have been killed by them.  How about this instead?  In a matter of just a few months, the COVID-19 has wiped out more Americans than all of America’s senseless wars in the last forty years?  These are thousands of people that would be upright and walking and talking had a very nasty virus not hopped from China to the United States.  All deadly diseases start by killing a single person.  The point isn’t that only a single person has died; it’s how many people could die if it isn’t prevented. 

I am tired of talking about “peak” infections.  Does it really matter if 977 people die instead of 983?  Can we agree that its horrible either way?  As long as we have the virus in our communities it will rapidly spread.  Remember we started with zero infections and within weeks, absent social distancing, we had thousands of infections.  As such, I am curious how it is okay to start with, say 1,300 infections, and think that the result will be any different.

I am tired of people who can’t “deal” with reality.  Get over it snowflakes and toughen up.  Newsflash, you don’t have a right to the world being perfect.  You wanted to socialize everything else, so why not risk and hardship?  After all, that is the result of socialist policies so take good notes.  No matter how much you deny reality, you are not immune from the consequences of your denial.  In fact, it’s healthy your normalcy bias was shattered.  Look at it as being cured of a state of chronic mental illness for free.  Oh, and yes, it is possible you are faced with nothing but bad options.  A statement comes to mind that many grunts can appreciate, “welcome to the suck.” 

I am tired of the Left race baiting and trying to politicize the suffering during this pandemic.  The disease is not racist contrary to the absurd proclamations from these divisive subversives openly operating in the United States.  The disease kills irrespective of race, gender, or class much to the chagrin of these radicals.  Further, whether they like it or not, it kills unhealthy people at much higher rates.  I hope this wasn’t a big surprise.  In particular, if you are obese, chances are you have a pre-existing condition that will be exasperated by this disease whether you are a fat white person that smokes in Appalachia or a fat black person that smokes in the inner-city.  If you don’t like it, I would recommend accepting some responsibility and living a healthier lifestyle. 

I am tired of over-zealous police acting as if they are Gestapo agents demanding “your papers.”  “Voluntary” recommendations should be the operative term.  Going about your life…as in traveling, recreating, eating, working, visiting, etc. is not a crime.  Only in the worst of authoritarian regimes would a human be stripped of what amounts to one of the most basic human rights…the right to pursue the means of subsistence.  How exactly is jailing a person for walking down the street helping to prevent disease spread?   Our bureaucrats do not understand the most basic relationships between cause and effect.  These newly imprisoned people not only present a serious risk of bringing the disease into to the isolated prison population, but also acquiring it and then being released soon thereafter and spreading it back to the public.  Ironically, the unnecessary contact exposes our police and judicial officials to a far greater risk of infection, which may be a form of poetic justice.  The mounting number of government abuses from fines to outright imprisonment of citizens is intolerable. 

I am tired of neighbors ratting out each other as if they are informants for the East German Stasi.  I am all for outing these loyalists to the Crown.  What kind of self-respecting American calls the police on their neighbor for cooking out or playing catch in their own backyard?  Further, how stupid are these people?  Do they not know even the most basic facts about viral spread?  This is chilling.  Please do everything you can to shame these “Karens” into a bit more old fashion anti-establishment American rebellion for the good of everyone.

I am tired of releasing prison populations into unprepared communities.  Don’t get me wrong, I believe many thousands of people are unjustly imprisoned every year and many never should have been jailed.  I am not debating that point.  What is of concern is that thousands of convicted criminals are suddenly being released from jail with no money, no job, no place to stay and no hope of finding any of the aforementioned necessities under the current circumstances.  A thinking person would recognize this is rather destabilizing and could quickly lead to a spike in crime for any community victimized by a sudden dumping of inmates in their backyard. 

I am tired of people that have spent their entire lives supporting anti-gun measures suddenly racing out to buy a gun.  If you don’t own a gun yet, you should be prevented from purchasing a firearm until this crisis has passed.  The only background check should be to see if you have previously purchased a gun and are in good standing with the Second Amendment.  For once, the anti-gun advocates should have to suffer the consequences for blindly stating their entire lives that there is no reason for a person to own a gun.  Further, these people truly don’t know what in the hell they are doing with a firearm and epitomize everything they feared about reckless gun owners.  Now that these hypocrites are forced to admit that security could quickly deteriorate and the government cannot protect them, we shouldn’t let them off the hook before their lesson is learned. 

I am tired of the term “worker” as if we are some type of Bolshevik slaves.  Terms like citizens, employees, managers, business owners, or even a generic statement like people recently unemployed would be fitting, but President Trump unthinkingly taking his talking points from Bernie Sanders is a bridge too far.  Workers of the world unite!

I am tired of how people reflexively turn to the government for an immediate “fix” even though the government’s failures are to blame for the spread of the virus within the United States.  Why would anyone expect the organization most responsible for this colossal failure to have the solution?  Do people not realize hundreds of billions of dollars and entire organizations within  the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security (FEMA) as well as our intelligence agencies and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are specifically tasked with preparedness, early warning, defense, resilience, and recovery in the event of a biological threat?  Further, where are all the open borders activists and globalists demanding we produce everything cheaply overseas?  At what point will these organizations and their leadership be held to account?  At minimum, considering the time and money spent over the decades, the government should have stockpiled personal protective equipment for healthcare providers and the population.  It is simply inexcusable that our nation was caught unprepared and by surprise considering the massive amount of money dedicated to intelligence.  This failure is on par with Pearl Harbor.

I am tired of global corporations and financial institutions that made reckless risk decisions getting trillion dollar bailouts.  These corporate executives are making millions running unprofitable failing companies, but the taxpayers get what?  A bill?  Hell, we don’t even get stock options in these lousy companies.  Let them fail.  Instead of stock buybacks, perhaps they should have built some savings.  How is it that Joe the Plumber is responsible for bailing out a company like Boeing, which was failing long before any pandemic?  Boeing has horrible management made up of former career bureaucrats, quality control levels so poor they are producing aircraft with debris in fuel tanks, and have been producing aircraft more unsafe than jets designed decades ago while charging astronomical prices.  The company should fail or have to radically clean up its act.  Nonetheless, somehow their gross mismanagement is the problem of the taxpayer through a system of cronyism and socialist government policies.  This cannot end well. 

I am tired of hearing how we have the “best economy in history” even though that statement is based on incredibly manipulated numbers and what amounts to complete revisionist history.  We have known for years that we have been living in one of the biggest bubbles ever created.  The financial markets have soared to record highs as a result of manipulation by the Federal Reserve, but are underpinned by nothing.  Anyone with sense knew this bubble would burst sooner or later.  The only question was what would pop the bubble.  Admittedly, this is the subject of an entire dissertation so I will leave it at this.  If it truly was the best economy in history, why did it collapse in a week and if it didn’t, why did it need (as of this week) six trillion in tax dollars to bail it out?    

I am tired of how our government conspires with the Federal Reserve to conjure trillions of dollars out of thin air and then pretends that there are no negative consequences.  Are Americans really so naïve as to believe the middle class isn’t going to get stuck with the bill?  The poor can’t pay and the rich don’t pay.  Put another way, I will be happy to give a two thousand dollar check to any sucker willing to give me ten thousand dollars in “taxes” to pay for me giving them the two thousand dollars.  This is literally what the government is doing to “help” and it appears Americans are truly dumb enough to think this is beneficial. 

Finally, I am tired of people’s apathy and immediate acquiescence to even the most draconian government dictates.  Do we honestly think Google has our best interests in mind volunteering to help track us for the government? This sounds an awful lot like what China does to control its population. For once, many of the “workers” don’t have to be at work.  There is no excuse why we all shouldn’t be marching on our state capitals demanding our Rights instead of sheepishly ignoring the draconian precedents being set daily.  It’s true; no good crisis should go to waste.  However, rather than allowing us to be manipulated by fear into giving up more Rights, let’s use this chance to take back the ones we have lost. 

By Guiles Hendrik

April 11, 2020

The 2019-nCoV Wuhan Novel Coronavirus: Where we stand, what is to come, and what should you do

February 24, 2020 Bugging Out, China, Department of State, Disaster Preparedness, economic collapse, News and Intelligence, Off Grid Living, Organization, Support, and Advice, Pandemic, Prepping, Self-Sufficiency, Social Unrest Comments Off on The 2019-nCoV Wuhan Novel Coronavirus: Where we stand, what is to come, and what should you do

By now, unless you are already off-grid, you know that a viral outbreak, which began in China, has now gone global. There should be no doubt this is going to cause massive disruptions across the globe, yet due to what many politely refer to as “normalcy bias,” Americans appear oblivious. Even those that are paying attention seem to be under an illusion that the government has a secret plan that will spare the United States from the chaos now spreading across China. Now, as the numbers of infected explode exponentially higher globally, the questions people should be asking are what should I do and when. This is no longer any question of “if” this virus is going to become a pandemic. This pandemic will be a game changer that cannot be averted. So now what?

What should we do is the question I hear most often? As we sit on the eve of a truly global catastrophe, I can’t help thinking that this has eerie similarities to how Americans ignored the warnings as Hurricane Katrina barreled toward the Gulf Coast. In spite of what were very clear warnings and indications Hurricane Katrina was going to cause massive damage, people chose to ignore the ugly reality. Instead of taking action, they found comfort in creating a false reality where nothing changed and everything was going to be okay. Those people died as the levies burst and Katrina’s storm surge poured into the low-lying neighborhoods of New Orleans. The normalcy bias is lethal and you must break free of it mentally. For what it’s worth, Wikipedia defines normalcy bias as “a tendency for people to believe that things will always function the way they have normally functioned and therefore underestimate both the likelihood of a disaster and its possible effects.” The site goes on to claim up to 70% of people display a normalcy bias during a disaster. Americans more than any other people seem to be taught from birth that they have a “right” to happiness and will willfully ignore reality. In fact, many Americans will simply refuse to listen to bad news if it doesn’t fit their created “reality.” Unfortunately for them, denial of reality has never made a person immune from the consequences of reality. As such, the first thing you need to do is realize the gravity of the situation.

How bad will it get is the natural follow-up question. The truth is no one totally knows, but we do have some good insights based on what is occurring in the rest of the world. No one should be under any illusion that people are going to be forced to stay home in mass quarantines of entire cities and regions. All public gatherings will be cancelled. All non-essential travel will be cancelled. Most if not all public transit will be shut down. Businesses and schools will be forced to close. Hospitals will be overrun. Supply shortages will become acute. The global economy will lose trillions. Social unrest is bound to break out and at least limited martial law may be imposed in some of our major cities. The cumulative effect will be big enough to shake up the global order of things. Further, remember disease is an equal opportunity killer and doesn’t discriminate based on your level of wealth. Without doubt, many older people will die. Some of these people will be elites. If you take the government’s numbers at face value, this virus kills approximately 2.2% of those infected. However, of those infected, it kills a much higher number of the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Take a look at our ruling elites around the world. How many fit that category. By time this is all over, many of them could be dead if a vaccine isn’t quickly developed.

At this point, you are already better off than 70% of the population if Wikipedia is to be believed because you now have internalized as fact, things are not going to be the same. You have overcome the normalcy bias. This is key because now you can properly appreciate the growing body of information to know what post outbreak life will be like. That hurdle is literally the most difficult mental jump for most Americans so congratulations. Now, with your eyes opened, you are ready to make a plan and take action. Let’s look more specifically at key areas and discuss what can be done.

The economic impact is going to be massive. There is just no avoiding this one. The stock market is going to crater so consider liquidating equities that aren’t long hold or gold related. After the markets dropped today, it may be too late to sell your stocks and you have to ride out the storm. For those savvy enough to trade options or short stocks you already know there is money to be made as the market goes down. At minimum, the best advice for most people is to simply start pulling out cash. Keep only what you need in your accounts. As the virus spreads, banks could quickly become insolvent. This will almost undoubtedly lead to banking holidays, freezes, and collapses.

Supply chain disruptions will also become common. Businesses will be forced to shut down operations. China to some degree can attempt to force workers to go back to work (doesn’t appear even in China this has been successful), but for liability reasons alone, forcing employees to come to work in the West is a non-starter. This will quickly lead to widespread supply shortages. Anything you think you will need to hunker down and wait out the storm, you should stock up on now. Based on China, one should prepare to go months, not weeks, without essential supplies if you want to avoid sick people. Further, do not rely on delivery services. As soon as the first stock worker at a fulfillment center falls ill, Amazon and others will be forced to reduce or suspend operations. At the top of your list should be essential medications and non-perishable food stuffs. You can tolerate a lot on a full belly, but once you become hungry, things get ugly fast. In particular, Americans simply do not know what it’s like to go without or starve. Expect people to be very angry if they can’t get their soymilk and beer.

Censorship and false information always go hand-and-hand with major disasters. Let’s start with the internet, news, and tech companies.  China has deleted all but a very few stories that were smuggled out.  Even the doctor that initially called attention to the virus was suppressed and ultimately died in China.  It’s not just China though.  In the West, a popular site called Zero Hedge was banned on Twitter for simply suggesting there could be a link between the virus and scientists in China that had worked on similar pathogens https://www.zerohedge.com/.  Most would not have even cared or noticed, but it was enough to send the censors into a frenzy.  Why not allow the readers to make up their own minds?  You see, during a crisis, the governments must control the narrative.  Truth has to be what they create or it will be censored.  We have words for this…propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation.  This isn’t good for you or society and certainly hasn’t helped us prepare for the pandemic.  We have already seen China manipulating data and outright lying about the severity of the outbreak. Further, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) have been anything but candid. The WHO in particular seems to be parroting communist party lines and kowtowing China’s demands at the expense of sensitizing the rest of the world to the severity of the crisis. Back home, the CDC hasn’t done Americans any favors either and appears far more interested in suppressing the actual number of infected than preparing Americans. Remember, it is always in the government’s interest to attempt to maintain order to maintain their power. Their interest is status quo. If people get upset and unrest breaks-out, they are not there to help you.  They are there to control you. They are there to ensure they stay in power. In almost every case, this means you are the one that will have to suffer for the “greater good.”

Don’t plan on the government helping you. The government doesn’t have a magic bullet. They simply can’t help everyone. Further, they aren’t good at it as demonstrated by the Department of State’s botched medical evacuations of Americans from China and the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan. Instead of helping, expect the government to act in a broad heavy-handed fashion such as locking down entire cities irrespective of the interests of the citizens. Depending on where you happen to be, this may prevent you from escaping the pandemic. In fact, like the people quarantined to the cruise ship, the government’s actions put them at far greater risk. Partial and then full quarantines are almost a certainty and Americans are not going to like it. Also, the “government” isn’t some far off group of superhumans that are immune to this disease. We will be lucky if the garbage men show up to work in most areas. As soon as a soldier shows up on base or at the Pentagon with this virus, the whole place will be closed down. Congress is certainly not going to hold session in D.C. with a major pandemic spreading. Even the White House will be forced to shut its doors and move to an offsite location. Contractors and staffers definitely are not going to be there to support operations. The point is there will be very few people left at work to steer this ship and you are not going to be their priority.

Families are going to be forced to make tough decisions. I can’t make these decisions for you, but you should consider them now. Do you stay together because you or your spouse has an essential job or do you bug out separately? Do you avoid your parents because they are more susceptible to the virus? What about your kids? Who is going to stay home to take care of them? The first child that shows up sick in school will also cause an instant exodus. I doubt many school systems in the U.S. will be able to complete this year without a major disruption. How about pets? Do you have enough feed on-hand to sustain them through a long quarantine?

Where to from here? Is it time to bug out? You ultimately have to make the call. The virus can take weeks to show so by the time “everyone” is sick, it will be too late to bug out. If you are going to go, this week is probably getting close to check-out time if you live in any major city in the U.S. If you are solo or want to risk it, you may get another week, but quarantines can be enacted very rapidly. Now is the time to get things in order, check your gear, restock essentials, and make your plan. Very soon, it will be time to cash out, pack out, and get out.

 

By Guiles Hendrik
February 24, 2020