If you have not yet read the book 1984 by George Orwell, you absolutely must.
I loathed that novel when I read it as a teen, because I hated the entire idea of an authoritarian government controlling its people so deftly. The …
The Covid Backpedalling Race
The last few weeks have seen a series of interviews, revelations, and disconcerting findings from studies looking at the global catastrophe called lockdowns and the actions of some of the main characters.
For example, we have learned that, after a …
Truth-speaking and the Technocratic Cabal
Truth-speaking (or truth-telling) is not the same as truth. At least not in the familiar sense of a correspondence between what is stated and the state of affairs to which it corresponds – the so-called correspondence theory of truth. Or, …
The Social Meaning of Hortatory Yard Signs
They’re difficult to miss, especially if you live near a well-to-do neighborhood in or near a US city. I’m talking, of course, about those lawn signs that, using various symbols and slogans, announce to all and sundry that the residents …
Why Did People Comply?
On Monday 16th of March 2020, when Boris Johnson first proclaimed, “You must stay home,” I very meekly said “OK!” And the chances are that you did too.
Polling from the time shows that self-reported compliance with the stay-at-home orders …
October Open Thread (2023)
It’s the first weekend of October so I’m opening up the October Open Thread for members to discuss the latest news and happenings from around the world, or just to share personal anecdotes or talk about life, music, the world …
The White House’s ‘Misinformation’ Pressure Campaign Was Unconstitutional
I am one of five private plaintiffs in the landmark free speech case Missouri v. Biden. Earlier this month, the Fifth Circuit Court found that the government “engaged in a years-long pressure campaign designed to ensure that the censorship [on social media] aligned …
Scott Gottlieb’s Role in Creating a New Intelligence Office
Dr. Scott Gottlieb was appointed FDA commissioner by President Trump at age 44, and served in that role from 2017 to 2019, after which he resigned to spend more time with his family. He is a contributor to the cable financial …
A Pandemic of Lockdown Denialism
There is an old expression: “Success has a thousand fathers but failure is always an orphan.”
It’s a spin on Tacitus: “This is an unfair thing about war: victory is claimed by all, failure to one alone.”
We can judge …
Dictator Dan is Gone
Victorian Premier Dan Andrews, who imposed the world’s longest Covid lockdowns on his state, officially steps down from his position today. Andrews earned the nickname ‘Dictator Dan’ for his strongman style of leadership during the pandemic years. He leaves a …
Can AI Plan the Economy?
Many tasks that were once considered difficult for computers to do are now routine. Whether transcribing a credit card number or brewing an espresso, we are served by artificial intelligence every day. While a driverless car giving us a ride …
Medicine in the Wilderness
I once was proud of my profession. I spent over 40 years as a clinician, educator, and researcher and for most of that time thought I was engaged in a noble calling. But all that has changed in the last …
Fauci and the CIA: A New Explanation Emerges
Jeremy Farrar’s book from August 2021 is relatively more candid than most accounts of the initial decision to lock down in the US and UK. “It’s hard to come off nocturnal calls about the possibility of a lab leak and …
The First Amendment Should Restrain CISA Too
In court filings, it appears that the US Security State may be held responsible for its deliberate usurpation of the First Amendment as the judiciary has an opportunity to remedy past failures.
The Fifth Circuit agreed to rehearing in Missouri …
Why the Secrecy Over Vaccine Contracts?
Major international governments have signed multibillion-dollar legal contracts with drug companies in order to secure access to covid-19 vaccines.
But the drug companies and governments have refused to divulge details, saying the information is “commercial in confidence.”
In 2021, we got our …