The kids are two years behind in education. Inflation still rages. White-collar jobs are disappearing thanks to the reversal of Fed policy. Household finances are a wreck. The medical industry is in upheaval. Trust in Government has never been lower.
Major media too are discredited. Young people are dying at levels never seen. Populations are still on the move from lockdown states to where it is less likely. Surveillance is everywhere, and so is political persecution. Public health is in a disastrous state, with substance abuse and obesity all at new records.
Each one of these, and many more besides, are continued fallout from the pandemic response that began in March 2020. And yet here we are 38 months later and we still don’t have honesty or truth about the experience. Officials have resigned, politicians have tumbled out of office, and lifetime civil servants have departed their posts, but they don’t cite the great disaster as the excuse. There is always some other reason.
This is the period of the great silence. We’ve all noticed it. The stories in the press recounting all the above are conventionally scrupulous about naming the pandemic response, much less naming the individuals responsible. Maybe there is a Freudian explanation: things so obviously terrible and in such recent memory are too painful to mentally process, so we just pretend it didn’t happen. Plenty in power like this solution.
Everyone in a position of influence knows the rules. Don’t talk about the lockdowns. Don’t talk about the mask mandates. Don’t talk about the vaccine mandates that proved useless and damaging and led to millions of professional upheavals. Don’t talk about the economics of it. Don’t talk about collateral damage. When the topic comes up, just say “We did the best we could with the knowledge we had,” even if that is an obvious lie. Above all, don’t seek justice.
There is this document intended to be the ‘Warren Commission’ of Covid slapped together by the old gangsters who advocated for lockdowns. It is called Lessons from the Covid War: An Assessment. The authors are people like Michael Callahan (Massachusetts General Hospital), Gary Edson (former Deputy National Security Advisor), Richard Hatchett, (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, CEPI), Marc Lipsitch (Harvard University), Carter Mecher (Veterans Affairs) and Rajeev Venkayya (former Gates Foundation and now Aerium Therapeutics).
If you have been following this disaster, you know at least some of the names. Years before 2020, they were pushing lockdowns as the solution for infectious disease. Some claim credit for having invented pandemic planning. The years 2020-2022 were their experiment. As it was ongoing, they became media stars, pushing compliance, condemning as disinformation and misinformation anyone who disagreed with them. They were at the heart of the coup d’état, as engineers or champions of it, that replaced representative democracy with quasi-martial law run by the administrative state.
The first sentence of the report is a complaint:
We were supposed to lay the groundwork for a National Covid Commission. The Covid Crisis Group formed at the beginning of 2021, one year into the pandemic. We thought the U.S. Government would soon create or facilitate a commission to study the biggest global crisis so far in the twenty-first century. It has not.
That is true. There is no National Covid Commission. You know why? Because they could never get away with it, not with legions of experts and passionate citizens who wouldn’t tolerate a cover-up.
The public anger is too intense. Lawmakers would be flooded with emails, phone calls and daily expressions of disgust. It would be a disaster. An honest commission would demand answers that the ruling class is not prepared to give. An ‘official commission’ perpetuating a bunch of baloney would be dead on arrival.
This by itself is a huge victory and a tribute to indefatigable critics.
Instead, the ‘Covid Crisis Group’ met with funding from the Rockefeller and Charles Koch Foundations and slapped together this report. Despite being celebrated as definitive by the New York Times and Washington Post, it has mostly had no impact at all. It is far from obtaining the status of being some kind of canonical assessment. It reads like they were on deadline, fed up, typed lots of words, and called it a day.
Of course it is whitewash.
It begins with a bang to denounce the U.S. policy response: “Our institutions did not meet the moment. They did not have adequate practical strategies or capabilities to prevent, to warn, to defend their communities, or fight back in a coordinated way, in the United States and globally.”
Mistakes were made, as they say.
Of course the upshot of this kvetching is not to criticise what Justice Neil Gorsuch calls “the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country”. They hardly mention those at all.
Instead they conclude that the U.S. should have surveilled more, locked down sooner (“We believe that on January 28th the U.S. Government should have started mobilising for a possible Covid war”), directed more funds to this agency rather than that, and centralised the response so that rogue states like South Dakota and Florida could not evade centralised authoritarian diktats next time.
The authors propose a series of lessons that are anodyne, bloodless and carefully crafted to be more-or-less true but ultimately structured to minimise the sheer radicalism and destructiveness of what they favoured and did. The lessons are clichés such as we need “not just goals but roadmaps”, and next time we need more “situation awareness”.
There is no new information in the book that I could find, unless something is hidden herein that escaped my notice. It’s more interesting for what it does not say. Some words that never appear in the text: Sweden, Ivermectin, Ventilators, Remdesivir and Myocarditis.
Perhaps this gives you a sense of the book and its mission. And on matters of the lockdowns, readers are forced to endure claims such as “all of New England — Massachusetts, the city of Boston, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine — seem to us to have done relatively well, including their ad hoc crisis management setups”.
Oh really! Boston destroyed thousands of small businesses and imposed vaccine passports, closed churches, persecuted people for holding house parties and imposed travel restrictions. There is a reason why the authors don’t elaborate on such preposterous claims. They are simply unsustainable.
One amusing feature seems to me to be a foreshadowing of what is coming. They throw Anthony Fauci under the bus with sniffy dismissals: “Fauci was vulnerable to some attacks because he tried to cover the waterfront in briefing the press and public, stretching beyond his core expertise — and sometimes it showed.”
Oooo, burn!
This is very likely the future. At some point, Fauci will be scapegoated for the whole disaster. He will be assigned to take the fall for what is really the failure of the national security arm of the administrative bureaucracy, which in fact took charge of all rule-making from March 13th 2020 onward, along with their intellectual cheerleaders. The public health people were just there to provide cover.
Curious about the political bias of the book? It is summed up in this passing statement: “Trump was a comorbidity.”
Oh how highbrow! How clever!
Maybe this book by the Covid Crisis Group hopes to be the last word. This will never happen. We are only at the beginning of this. As the economic, social, cultural and political problems mount, it will become impossible to ignore the incredibly obvious. The masters of lockdowns are influential and well-connected but not even they can invent their own reality.
Jeffrey A. Tucker is Founder and President of the Brownstone Institute, where this article first appeared.
Stop Press: Watch Richard Hatchett’s appearance on Channel 4 News on March 6th 2020, where he said: “This is the most frightening disease I’ve ever encountered” – more so than Ebola – compared it directly to Spanish flu and called for “aggressive” “social distancing interventions” as part of a “war” on the virus comparable to World War II.
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Yes pricing is an issue, but also Machete wielding lunatics trying to chop everyone’s heads off probably play a role too.
” tourist numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels”
What pandemic was this? I remember lockdowns and other restrictions on normal life, imposed by our and other governments and I remember being told there was a “pandemic” but I never saw or read any compelling evidence pointing to it being real – just stuff about “cases” and “deaths” based on a “test”, none of which were meaningful or properly defined. Just after “lockdowns” were declared, an unusual number of mainly old people died in a short space of time, but the reasons for this could be various and not necessarily “covid”.
“Just after “lockdowns” were declared, an unusual number of mainly old people died in a short space of time, but the reasons for this could be various and not necessarily “covid”.”
Come on tof, stop being cutesy – Midazolam Mat.
Certainly the most likely explanation along with general denial of care/drop in care standards.
Exactly that!
Cheers Ron.
Never Forget, Never Forgive.
Given Kneel’s wholehearted commitment to utterly destroy our country I am sure he and Robber Reeves will be delighted with this news. Sadly, the collapse in our hospitality standards and inexorably rising prices has done nothing to deter the Calais Yatch Club arrivals. Whoops…but they only come to TAKE not give. Silly me.
Realistically though why would anyone want to visit this country? Everywhere we go, every town and city is full of non Brits wandering about jabbering away in anything but English and wearing pyjamas while their women have their faces covered for some obscure reason not linked to the C1984.
Anyway, more WEF browny points for Starmer Feuhrer.
They are probably just using the main cities as an airport Hub. I used Birmingham Airport and got straight out of there once I got to my car!
The internet means that a Country’s problems are now fully on display for any would be tourists to see. So what do they learn about the UK?
There is permitted violence in the form of the Palestine protests in London, which have resulted in the defacement of some of the national treasures that tourists would choose to see.
The Museums have now fallen under the spell of re-educstion such that great works of art are either no longer available to be seen, or the visitor is told that they need to be aware that they might be “triggered” by what they see. In addition there is always the possibility that a JSO, Extinction rebellion member will throw dye over them, or glue themselves to the picture.
Then there is the knife crime, the machete incidents, the muggings which are a risk, one example the little Australian girl a tourist with her mother stabbed in Leicester square, how do you think that went down in Australia?
The terrorist offences.
Then there is the general standard of filth in our Cities London stinks of weed, in Tottenham court road human excrement littered the pavement, and tents in various side streets with visibly drunk people inside.
Then the cost of things, the cost of a round of drinks in London and in the Cotswolds for 4 people is circa thirty pounds, the cost of a very average meal won’t see you out with less than 50 quid per head, that’s in a pub, and the service is very rarely service, the guest is made to feel more of a distraction from the mobile phone of the server.
Hotel room costs are a joke, its cheaper to stay in a luxury hotel in Asia than it is in a bog standard hotel in London.
Transport unless its the Elizabeth line is filthy and dispiriting, trains elsewhere are likewise cripplingly expensive, overcrowded and again less than clean.
Yes we have some castles, museums, and places like the Palace of Westminster etc, but as with much else in the UK the citizens have been conditioned to feel shame at these places, as representative of our terrible history, that patriotism and pride in your culture is to be abhored, and so these places look neglected, the staff reflect the state of decay and neglect.
In summary the country to the outsider is dirty, crime ridden, unsafe, expensive and in a state of collapse. Why would you choose to risk a holiday here.
Depressingly well put. I have avoided any cities for years now, but I will not go anywhere near London exactly because of the reasons in your comments. I would have loved to take my grandchildren to visit all the places I took my children, to show them the treasures of our country but it has all been debased and I will not put their safety at risk to even travel on public transport.
I must say not everywhere is tainted by the Globalists (yet at least). Was walking around Hereford the other day, with it being a nice day there was a generally good atmosphere. Events outside of the amusements of kids etc, I used to live there so it was normal for there. But while walking through the back of my mind was full of the dark news events. End of Rome maybe.
You are very wise to protect them. An acquaintance said that he took his wife and kids to London for the first time last summer, to visit their own capital city, and to show them the world-famous historical sights which his own parents had shown him as a child.
He and his wife were utterly shocked to see so many Third World Immigrants swarming everywhere, with few English people to be seen, along with the general atmosphere of dingy, filthy, menacing decay. He hardly knew how to answer his young son when he asked, “Why are all the men wearing pajamas?”
He said he couldn’t believe this had happened in only a couple of decades, and he would never go back there again, or let his children go even on a school trip there.
Here’s an example of public transport in Sweden:
RadioGenoa on X: “”Get up you old Swedish woman, I must sit down now!” How much longer do we have to endure this? https://t.co/SvD9q53THh” / X
Your description of London sounds like it should be twinned with San Francisco!
Off-T
Another excellent article from Colin Todhunter on how the big corporations are working to take over world food production.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/agrarianism-transhumanism-long-march-dystopia/5865602
Todhunter supplies this quote:
Silvia Guerini says [3]:
“The past becomes something to be erased in order to break the thread that binds us to a history, to a tradition, to a belonging, for the transition towards a new uprooted humanity, without past, without memory… a new humanity dehumanised in its essence, totally in the hands of the manipulators of reality and truth”.
Is this not so obviously what has been happening to this country for at least fifty years and which Kneel and Co are now pushing in to overdrive?
They haven’t won yet, we may be at a metaphorical crossroads.
Just go to the main visitor attractions. Arrival at the aitrports and the journey through Britain are depressing. Service at hotels and restaurants is surly and expensive. Service everywhgere is poor because it is based on minimum wage immigrant labour, in the main.
The National Trust displays its wokery at every opportunity as do museums, theatre and other attractions.
Safety concerns have been circulated around the world and the attitude of the elites and the police is hardly encouraging. Removal of VAT refunds for high spending visitors makes a 20 per cent difference to the disadvantage of London.
Good points. And here is the kind of “London Theatre Experience” on offer, entitled “Death of England”, featuring an Ethnic African complaining about racism, and boasting about impregnating the English sister of his English “best friend”.
Then there’s his angst-ridden English “best friend” deciding to wait until his own English father’s funeral to publicly denounce his dad’s “racism”. Perhaps he will also kneel before the theatre audience.
Then there are the two mothers-in-law: one Ethnic African, one English, and we can guess which one is portrayed as the “victim”, and which one the “villain”.
Tickets for Death of England: The Plays | London Theatre Direct
It really feels like the country is returning to the 1970s sometimes
“It really feels like the country is returning to the 1970s sometimes.”
Or perhaps soon to be the 1470’s.
But the 1970’s where? Bangladesh? Syria? Pakistan? Iraq? Afghanistan? –or maybe all of those?
Which is why I referred to 1470. Feudalism incoming. Or maybe even worse for the survivors.
But the 1970 were also better in many ways.
I don’t remember any of this in the 1970s. “The Winter of Discontent”, all the trade union strikes and IRA Catholic Terrorist atrocities can’t compare with this total Alien Invasion.
I agree with Nigel Farage, when he said that in London in the 1980s, “Life was fun!”
I was thinking that the ‘entertainment’ referred to sounds like the political theatre of an earlier era. The air of general decay and cultural malaise, too. Granted there were grounds for optimism then, which I don’t see today, as you say.
Oh, yes, I see what you mean. I meant that at least the towns, cities, villages and workplaces of the UK were still recognisably English/Welsh/Scots/Northern Irish back then, before Andrew Neather bravely revealed the plan to “rub our noses in diversity”.
“…with accommodation costs up by 35.8%, restaurant prices by 28.7%.”
Wot? Despite all that essential, cheap, enriching, immigrant labour?
Interesting article thanks. Especially the bit on pricing, “The CEBR report says that overall prices in the U.K. for 2024 are expected to be 23.5% higher than in 2019, with accommodation costs up by 35.8%, restaurant prices by 28.7%, and airfares by 47.6%.”
The Fake News tells me that inflation is low…..in the past 10 years some products have gone up 50%… for people from ‘weak currency’ countries, the UK is increasingly unaffordable to visit. Rona, Net-tard zero, massive immigration, etc etc to blame. But I am sure the BBC will find a way to blame ‘Brexit’….
The airport experience both arriving and leaving is uniformly horrendous.
And once you’re here, prices are high quality is let’s say variable.
Destinations such as museums display an unpleasant level of cynical self hate, so why would anybody spend gazillions taking their kids there.
The weather and the traffic are hideous, and our cities, where most tourists would go are run by metropolitan councils whose main concern seems to be to make a misery for all. Parking impossible, boarded up shops, and a lack of care and maintenance.
Pubs closing, idiotic petty rules everywhere…I’m amazed anybody still wants to visit.
Here’s a rare cheerful snippet from Germany, showing Ethnic Europeans at their best:
Klaus Arminius on X: “A Scotsman lost his iPhone and these Germans found it, they took a selfie and hand it over to the police. Normally phones that are lost are found in Morocco, Algeria or some African country. https://t.co/viwJijNIwH” / X
Let’s see if I lived in Alabama would I want to visit London? I realise that crime exists everywhere, but when was Alabama last in the news for Palestinian Marches, Pitched Machete battles in broad daylight, gangs marauding with knives and guns, a multicultural clutter of disparate groups not integrating, sex crimes and women not feeling safe etc etc etc? ——-Oh but maybe they will feel safe that people are being arrested for being offensive on their laptop
Nothing to do with our shocking summer weather then ?
Britain has certainly lost its attractiveness: overcrowded, expensive and most of the big cities seem to have picked up a certain shabby, slightly menacing atmosphere. I can’t put my finger on what it is, it’s just something that makes you feel uncomfortable.
I have to say though that I had the same feelings in Paris as well the last time I was there.
“most of the big cities seem to have picked up a certain shabby, slightly menacing atmosphere.”
I agree. And the towns in the North West are similarly afflicted.
Britain is also becoming an economically and socially failing state. The unfettered immigration is changing our country into nowhere land. No one wants to go to nowhere.
Except for thrill-seeking tourists from North Africa who pay thousands for the excitement of a trip across the Channel from France by giant inflatable ferries.
Sadly, they can only afford a one-way ticket but not a problem as the inflatables only go one-way.
But what the hell. A holiday is a holiday and it is a holiday of a lifetime or indeed some hope for a lifetime [and not just Christmas, although it seems most don’t celebrate Christian festivals].
Oops – am I going to get banged up in chokey for a couple of years for those remarks?
“Visit Britain ….. the roads are appalling; the trains are expensive and frequently on strike; town centres look like a wasteland; eating-out costs a fortune; the weather’s unpredictable, but usually bad and to top it up, in London and other cities there’s a very good chance you’ll be robbed or stabbed.”
I wouldn’t want to visit London, or a great many other places. It’s OK down here in the west country, which is mostly still recognisably England, but I wouldn’t go anywhere near Bournemouth which is rapidly sliding down into the multi-culti hellhole which has already ruined so many other cities, or Bristol.
It seems not even London’s Mayor likes London.
He feels unsafe here.
And that is despite travelling around in a bomb-proof armoured car with armed close protection.
And it is his job to make sure we all feel safe.
I wonder how he will spin that achievement on his CV?
He claims he does not feel safe as muslim in London.
I am not sure why with all the rate-payer’s money spent on his security.
And that is necessary not because of his religion [which I understand he does not observe nor practice] but because he is so unpopular as a politician with downright crooked ULEZ money-making scheme and other policies so unfair to poor working class white and other peoples.
However, judging by the machete and knife-wielding muslim rioters who have free rein in Birmingham he should resign and stand as Mayor of that great British city safe in the knowledge that his muslim brethren are there to keep him safe from the Far White rioters.
NB ‘Far White’ is not a typographical error. It is not an error at all.
Starmer must really clamp down on the Far White. There are far too many of them, making up about 80% of the population.
They should go back to where they came from.
Erm, what do you mean – they come from here? Are you sure?
I was born in London and worked in the CoL until we moved away over 40 years ago – from what is happening nowadays it was a good move!