In my recent post, I gave reasons why I am very wary of talking to the media. I thank those who sent messages of support. While I do not give two Hancocks for what the establishment thinks, I do care about what our supporters think and am deeply grateful for the responses.
So I have more for you. We, the co-authors of the Cochrane review on “physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses” (such as masks and PPE), known for short as A122, have received several requests described in my previous post: “Can I please check the main facts and, by the way, tell me what your review says because I cannot be bothered to do my job” type of messages.
However, we recently got another query which underlines the points made in the previous posts. This request comes from a very powerful press syndicate:
I’m reaching out because I’ve been seeing some posts [links redacted by TJ] spreading widely on social media that seem to be misrepresenting the conclusions of your recently published study on physical interventions and respiratory viruses.
Do you think it is a misrepresentation to claim (as the tweets I link to above do) that your study definitively proves that masks don’t work in preventing the spread of viruses such as COVID-19 and the flu? If so, I’d be interested in debunking these claims to set the record straight and would love to speak with you more about the study.
The disturbing aspect of this request is as follows: the stringer is making contact with one of us. After exchanging pleasantries, he or she will ask a few superfluous questions.
We have an abstract, a plain language summary, Trust the Evidence posts and a podcast and Carl and I have written a Spectator piece covering the review. If you are a real masochist, you can read all the 300-plus pages of the review. I even gave the interview I mentioned previously, but I am not planning any more outings. So there is nothing to explain or fact-check. But the stringer is not really interested in checking facts. What they want to do is to write truthfully that they have spoken to one of us and then put the spin required in the release to ensure the ‘misinterpretation’ of twitterati is set straight. ‘Debunking’ is the term used, and it will be actioned if the stringer thinks the twitterati have ‘misinterpreted’ our findings.
I am not on Twitter, never have been and never will be. I have no idea what these folk have written (I redacted the links without opening them). What disturbs me, though, is the idea of ‘debunking’ or ‘normalisation’ of the information flow.
We have done the tough work over two decades, reporting results separately from our interpretation, as in all Cochrane reviews. The studies’ results are the results reported by the authors of the single studies included in the reviews. Our interpretation is one you can – and should if you want – challenge.
However, successfully challenging our interpretation requires hard work, elbow grease, graft, focus and application. So picking up the phone and speaking to someone, then deciding how to ‘debunk’ or normalise the message, is so much easier.
The reach of this particular press syndicate is global and powerful. I wonder why the stringer wanted to “debunk” the interpretation of the twitterati mentioned in the text. To ensure ‘truth’ triumphed? Or to ensure no more waves in the official narratives were made by a bunch of academics or Twitter dwellers?
We have met this kind of issue before: after we showed the published record of clinical trials for the anti-influenza drug Tamiflu was ghost-written, highly selected and spun, and no one outside the manufacturer had seen the raw data. Furthermore, the claims made by the manufacturer and its supporters were not based on solid evidence, and the drug’s performance was “modest”, according to the FDA. When the facts were made clear to the public and even the Council of Europe, the manufacturers hired the clean-up squad (anyone watched the movie John Wick?). Using observational data and two layers of go-between funders to provide a veneer of independence, they were able to reassure governments and the public that Tamiflu stockpiles really were a good idea, ready to roll against the next imminent influenza pandemic.
Governments don’t want ‘confusion’ over the decisions and policies they enact, especially over funds that have been already spent and when they are still spending a lot of your money. ‘Normalisation’ is needed to sort out the ‘confusion’ and to prevent the truth from getting out.
Governments really have your interest at heart, working day and night to protect you. It reminds me of Benito Mussolini, who left the lights on in his study in Palazzo Venezia so that passers by at two in the morning were reassured that the Duke worked all hours for the sake of Italy.
Be seeing you, Benito.
Dr. Tom Jefferson is an epidemiologist based in Rome and lead author of the latest update to the Cochrane review of physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. This article was first published on Trust The Evidence, which you can subscribe to here.
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Yes, the legacy media can win it for Kamala. They’ve been doing it all along.
They won’t stop with their hoaxes, misinformation, biased reporting, etc. until they feel the damage to their reputation is too great, caused at some unpredictable point when Kamala is “certified as the winner” and to continue the charade is too risky. Or, their employers are losing money by continuing the charade. Their efforts won’t subside until early 2025, if ever.
And a new hoax today. Days before the election, it’s the same old playbook.
Trump faces ‘twisted’ Epstein sexual assault allegation from ex-model
Haha, yes it’s like comedy at this moment in time, really pathetic. Here’s Gad Saad’s counter ‘Me Too’ confession;
https://x.com/GadSaad/status/1849490091854516446
Sexual allegations have been weaponised by politicians and other power-seekers over at least the last century, although the nature of the allegations has drifted according to match whatever behaviour the current generation considers, or can be persuaded to deem, scandalous. I am reminded of the DSK-IMF “scandal”: the real objective is not justice for the (invented) “victim” but smearing of the “perpetrator”. On a much lower plane, but far more numerous, were the “outings” of gay men in the early 1960s. Such exposures featured prominently of The News Of The World, especially if it included teachers or politicians. Supposedly these cases were suddenly exposed, but I suggest that the behaviour was long known and exposed only when, for whatever real reason, a competitor needed to be clinically disposed of. Half a century later the tactic still works, but the details of the “offensive” behaviour are different.
On reflection, I think there is a deeper agenda with these political shenanigans: politicians “read the room” by trying to be seen to be sympathetic to the “victim”, and go on to hint that anyone who does not publicly share that sympathy is siding with the “perpetrator”. Usually the tactic works, as it is the psychology of cult membership, explored in Asch Conformity Experiments. Sometimes the tactic results in a politician’s being hoist by their own petard, as in the case of Kaba/Abbott gaffe.
I think the Trump win will be big enough to outweigh the lawfare. He then has many things to do but most urgently ensure fair efficient voting for federal elections at least and sacking and disciplining the political lawyers hired by the Dems.
Breaking News…
https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/tommy-robinson-charged-with-terror-offences-after-handing-himself-in-at-police-s/
I bloody knew they would charge him under the Terrorism Act – the firkin evil Next Tuesdays.
Yeah I saw that, plus I saw it coming. I think we all did, including him. All for ignoring the corrupt courts and sharing the truth. On remand and court 10am Monday. God knows how that will go…
I do hope he’s got good lawyers who can wangle it his way once more though. The tw*ts have been baying for his blood for ages. And that arsewipe, Nick Lowles, who definitely incited hate and violence for posting pure BS about a woman having acid chucked on her was left well alone by the police, that so many on here respect and sympathize with. System is rigged and corrupt to the core. Go figure..
It’s very sad Mogs. Very, very sad. Corruption in this country is now the norm. I do feel sorry for Tommy Robinson. Heart of a Lion.
Good luck Tommy.
Agreed. The outpouring of support and love on Twitter is unreal. How much you betting there’ll be agent provocateurs hiding out in the crowds tomorrow to try and incite patriots to violence off the back of this arrest? Using his absence to their advantage. Hopefully his supporters are wise to these underhand, predictable tactics by now and won’t take the bait. It must remain peaceful above all else or you’re just playing into the bent police and establishment’s hands.
There’s a link to a new interview with Tommy in this tweet, which I’ve not got round to watching yet, where he talks about the whole controversy and his expected arrest;
https://x.com/vpopulimedia/status/1849730160737616357
Thanks Mogs.
Why is civilization going backwards? Modern humans have never been so well off, the environment never been so clean. Why is censorship increasing, why are we de-industrializing, why are life expectancies decreasing?
‘Big State’ totalitarian socialism across Europe.
Structural reform and institutional change, ‘systemic reform’, is required not just in Britain but across Europe.
https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/3132657.pdf
Blair’s and Boris’s Britain:
‘The UK workforce currently totals around 33.2 million, of which around 17.9% (5.9 million) work in the public sector.’
‘The number employed by the civil service is now 34% higher than its minimum in 2016, and only 4% less than its most recent peak in 2005.’
https://www.civilservant.org.uk/information-numbers.html
U.S. government expenditure 36% of gdp
Britain 44%
France 58%
Italy 57%
Germany 50%
De-industrialisation continues apace due to the high price of electricity, a direct consequence of ‘nut zero’ policies.
2024 electricity rates in the United States are generally lower than those in the UK, with an average cost of around 13.9p per kilowatt-hour (kWh), whereas in the UK, it is around 22.36p per kWh.
That’s why we need to “Build Back Better”.
IQ of 75. Spot on. A brain dead plant for the CIA Deep State.
Fake News is still faking its polls. It is still trying to deep fake the sheeple. Drumpf is probably winning 2:1 but they have to keep ‘it close’ to justify and cover the vote fraud.
Michigan < 8 mn adults 18+. No more than 6 mn will register to vote. Yes you need to register to vote. 8.4 mn adults in Michigan are currently registered to vote. 2.4 million potential vote fraud in one state.
So the Fake News can win it for the blo n go hoe, by covering up the massive vote fraud – just as they did in 2020 with the Corona Scamdemic coup. A 30 million vote fraud.
If she loses I guarantee that they won’t hand over power. Does show the imbecility and SSRI fueled irrational exuberance when they decided to focus on a campaign based upon nebulous ‘joy’. It lasted about three days but that it occured at all is remarkable. All of those tablets and all of those financial incentives to doctors to give them out at patient request and all those advertisments on the television. A few decades of that and you’re away with the fairies.
Thanks James for your optimism and succinct summary of the EC rules. A great article.
On the subject of swing States, it is interesting to consider Michigan.
Trump won that state in 2016 (but Biden in 2020). Before that, the last Republican win in that state was as long ago as 1988 (George Bush senior).
So is Michigan really a swing state? It seems that Michigan was turned into a swing state by Trump, who promised to rejuvenate American manufacturing. I can remember in the last days of the presidential campaign in 2016, Trump campaigning in the state and the Democrats only belatedly realising it was in play, and scrambling to up their game there.
Enjoy the wine!