It’s now clear that the Covid doomsayers got Sweden completely wrong. The country hasn’t merely not done badly in terms of mortality; it’s done exceptionally well. Between January 3rd 2020 and June 18th 2021, the country had negative excess mortality – it actually saw fewer deaths than usual.
Of course, for those who believe that lockdown is all that stood between the NHS and an unstoppable tidal wave of Covid patients, this result does not compute. ‘But its neighbours did even better!’ they shout.
Yes, the other Nordic countries had excess mortality that was even more negative. But this response doesn’t even come close to salvaging the case against Sweden.
First, it was mainly through border controls, not lockdowns, that the other Nordics avoided a major epidemic. And this strategy probably wasn’t open to Sweden anyway, due to its larger size and greater connectedness.
Second, it’s one thing to argue lockdowns are needed to prevent a very large rise in mortality; it’s quite another to argue they’re needed to ensure that mortality falls by a large amount.
The ‘neighbours argument’ basically amounts to the claim that Sweden should have undertaken the greatest infringement of civil liberties in modern history to ensure that mortality was 8% lower than usual, rather than 2% lower than usual. Needless to say, this isn’t going to cut it.
Sweden proved its critics wrong on mortality. But what about the economy? Did the epidemic that Sweden stubbornly refused to suppress end up wreaking havoc on the business sector? Were Swedish consumers too afraid to leave their houses for fear of the unchecked viral transmission outside?
Not a bit of it. The Economist ranked 23 rich countries for overall economic performance during the pandemic, and Sweden finished third, behind Slovenia and Denmark. Their ranking took into account changes in GDP, household income, share prices, investment and public debt.
Sweden did particularly well on public debt, limiting its rise as a share of GDP to only 6.2 percentage points – compared to 19 in the U.S. and 22 in Britain. “This is a reflection, perhaps,” the Economist writes, “of the fact that the country largely avoided strict lockdowns.” (Not sure if there was any need for the “perhaps”.)
Sweden therefore confounds two core tenets of lockdown dogma: that lockdowns are necessary to prevent large numbers of deaths; and that there’s no trade-off between health and the economy. Note: it would be more accurate to say ‘between lockdown and the economy’, since it’s not even clear that lockdowns are a net positive for public health.
Hats off to Sweden’s courageous state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell. He stood firm, while other Western officials panicked under pressure to ‘do something’.
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Can the Democrats really be that damn stupid? By making Trump a convicted criminal in the eyes of a hot and horny Democrat court, whilst the Biden laptop scandal was knowingly buried, they make the guy a living martyr. It can only serve to bolster the Republican vote by adding a small handful of Democrats still remotely capable of thought (good luck finding any). I can’t help thinking that those involved have just excitedly experienced their first beer goggle-fuelled one night stand and must have woken up, slipped on their rainbow pyjamas, and ruefully began wiping up the mess with their Ukrainian flag whilst trying to dismiss the feeling of having done something horribly wrong.
There are reports that the Democrats, and co, had a plan that might have worked, if Hillary had won in in 2016, but someone pipped her to the post.
And it appears the ‘greatest political minds’ (on the Left) created a Plan that could not be ammended, leading to the result that we are witnessing.
But it is only a report.
An unwillingness to admit that “the system” or some individual within it has done something horribly wrong is a major cause of the crisis the UK, and I suspect the US, is currently facing. I keep finding cases where junior employees of some public body are fully aware that there has been the most almighty cock-up, which is publicly denied, though privately accepted, by senior employees. The UK system requires that everybody participate in a cover-up. At junior level this is might be collusion with an erring work colleague to falsify or lose documentation; at senior level whole ministries, NGOs and judges can be brought into play to cover each other’s backside and maintain the illusion of government competence, beneficence and integrity. The US seem to have a similar problem, but with more lawyers and money involved.
I’m not so sure.
Trump needs “moderates” to win.
I am.not so sure how moderates are going to feel about voting for someone who will now be repeatedly referred to as a convicted felon.
It’s a level of cognitive dissonance that will be hard for many ti deal with.
Up to now it has been possible for people to support Trump on the basis that Biden is a bad choice, that Trump has good ideas, basically they can convince themselves that Trump for all his flaws might still be a better choice.
Now, to continue supporting him means accepting that the legal system. Is a sham and that their beloved America is no better than a banana republic.. That is a big step for many.
No doubt his hard core supporters are unfazed, they already think their country has gone to the dogs. But so called moderates that he needs aren’t quite there. And whether they will mentally cross over remains to me a big question.
A question to which I do not know the answer is whether Americans have more faith in their government and judicial system than the British have in theirs. I float the idea that citizens of both have great confidence in their own “system” until one day they come into conflict with that system and suffer the numerous tricks it can play to ensure its continuance in power regardless of its drift into insanity and towards collapse.
The Establishment will do what they have to do to prevent Trump from winning the Presidency.
I think trying to win back or secure the votes of moderates is Plan A for the Democrats. If they can keep it close, they can engage in vote-rigging as necessary to secure the Election.
But, if that doesn’t transpire and Trump is well ahead in the polls over the next couple of months (which I think is likely), then Plan B comes into play. Alex Jones on Twitter believes the Democrats are planning a false-flag terrorist event which would be pinned on Trump’s supporters. This could be used as the premise to declare a state of emergency, allowing the Election to be suspended.
It’s an interesting point. Personally, I think any possible loss of votes from those weak-minded people will be more than countered by an increase in votes from minority groups who will feel the system is against them and now see Trump as one of them – someone at odds with the system. I guess we’ll see.
Is this really the state of beautiful Dublin nowadays? And where are all these people meant to be housed because they can’t camp on the pavements long-term? Any inside intel, Dings?
”Dublin, traditionally a city of vibrant nightlife and rich cultural heritage, is now confronting a challenging reality as makeshift encampments of African migrants appear along the grand Liffey River.
Originating from the U.K., these newcomers are estimated to be around 2,000 by the Irish Refugee Council, with media reports indicating a weekly influx of approximately 250 new arrivals. The presence of these encampments is drawing parallels with the infamous migrant camps in Calais, France, sparking fears among local business owners that the central city area might deter tourists.
The influx of migrants to Dublin is linked to a deal between the U.K and Rwanda, which proposes deporting boat arrivals from France to Rwanda, where they would await asylum processing. In reaction to this news, many migrants have moved to Ireland, anticipating that they will not be sent to Rwanda from there.
The Irish government, caught between a humanitarian approach and public discontent, is pressuring London to take back the unwanted migrants, who represent over 90 percent of the 7,000 illegal migrants who have arrived in Ireland this year after having previously applied for asylum in England or Scotland.”
https://rmx.news/commentary/paranoia-flourishes-tension-grows-in-ireland-as-tent-encampments-spread-throughout-dublin/
Within that re-mix article we find
Originating? I don’t think so.
That article – despite it stating “LAST UPDATED: MAY 29, 2024″ – is out of date:
On 1st May, this happened:
‘Irish police have begun clearing the “shanty town” of asylum seekers living in tents outside the International Protection Office in Dublin.
The operation to dismantle the so-called “tent city” housing about 200 migrants on lower Mount Street in the city centre began at 6.30 am on Wednesday.
Taoiseach Simon Harris told the Irish Parliament on Tuesday that the tents would be cleared and not be allowed to return.
“We need to make sure that the laws of the land are applied and it is not allowed to happen again because we do not live in a country where makeshift shanty towns are allowed to just develop,” he said.
The asylum seekers will be moved to safer, more sanitary accommodation, he said.
…“It’s also really important that we don’t see scenes like we’re seeing now at Mount Street again, that it cannot re-emerge, that we have hundreds of tents – not just outside the international protection office – but outside people’s homes, outside people’s businesses,” said Helen McEntee, the justice minister, on Tuesday night.’
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/05/01/irish-authorities-clear-asylum-seekers-tents-dublin/
Some migrant tents returned, only to be cleared again:
’30 May 2024
Around 100 tents being used by asylum seekers have been removed from Dublin’s Grand Canal.
The operation, which is the third of its kind in the area so far this month, began on Thursday morning.
Contractors began erecting metal barriers around the site from 05:00 BST, while the operation to remove tents began at around 06:30 BST.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that 109 individuals were offered accommodation.
There has been a multi-agency effort to remove tents from around Dublin City in recent months.
Tents at the encampment close to the Baggot Street Bridge along the Grand Canal were dismantled and loaded onto a lorry.
The asylum seekers were given letters explaining that it is an offence if they continue to stay along the canal, RTÉ reported.’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1wwgwgjjl1o
My reply is “Awaiting approval”. Here it is without the two links causing it to be “Awaiting approval”:
That article you posted, Mogwai – despite it stating “LAST UPDATED: MAY 29, 2024″ – is out of date.
On 1st May, this happened:
The Telegraph:
‘Irish police have begun clearing the “shanty town” of asylum seekers living in tents outside the International Protection Office in Dublin.
The operation to dismantle the so-called “tent city” housing about 200 migrants on lower Mount Street in the city centre began at 6.30 am on Wednesday.
Taoiseach Simon Harris told the Irish Parliament on Tuesday that the tents would be cleared and not be allowed to return.
“We need to make sure that the laws of the land are applied and it is not allowed to happen again because we do not live in a country where makeshift shanty towns are allowed to just develop,” he said.
The asylum seekers will be moved to safer, more sanitary accommodation, he said.’
Some migrant tents returned, only to be soon cleared again:
BBC News:
30 May 2024
‘Around 100 tents being used by asylum seekers have been removed from Dublin’s Grand Canal.
The operation, which is the third of its kind in the area so far this month, began on Thursday morning.
Contractors began erecting metal barriers around the site from 05:00 BST, while the operation to remove tents began at around 06:30 BST.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that 109 individuals were offered accommodation.
There has been a multi-agency effort to remove tents from around Dublin City in recent months.
Tents at the encampment close to the Baggot Street Bridge along the Grand Canal were dismantled and loaded onto a lorry.
The asylum seekers were given letters explaining that it is an offence if they continue to stay along the canal, RTÉ reported.’
Well Putin and every dictatorship will be proud of the US for criminally convicting the main opposition leader.
An interesting article with some humorous examples, but I strongly disagree with the following line:
Yes, that’s a minor glitch because nobody except a retarded 3 year old would follow that advice. Maybe they’re helping to clean the gene pool.
Will Donald Trump get a refund on Stormy Daniels’ hush money.
The Trump case reminds me of that of Dominique Gaston André Strauss-Kahn, former managing director of the International Monetary Fund. He was controversial and found himself in court on confected allegations. If you are leader of a white-collar gang you risk attack from a rival gang during a turf war, or from your own gang if you dissent from the party line during a policy schism. Either way you can expect to wind up in court on a contrived case or die suddenly, possibly in woodland or under a window. What happens subsequently depends on how successfully and for how long the regime in power can keep the truth hidden.
Strauss-Kahn is a really good example. And gang warfare is the perfect way to see this.
They’ll go to war and “kill” figuratively or physically if they can get away with it whoever they need to to hold on to theor turf.
The rules and laws aren’t for them, they are to keep the plebs under control.
The Trump conviction, while I knew it was coming, fills me with dread.
It’s one more blow to the liberal democracy I thought I would always live in. It is yet more evidence that established power will destroy everything around it if that is what it takes to hang in.
For me the perfect example and precedent was Hitler continuing to fight and see Germany destroyed and thousands more killed long after it was clear the war was lost. He preferred to see everything razed to the ground until they were metres from his bunker than step down.
That in effect is what I’m observing with respect to “western civilisation”. The people in power will destroy it before giving up their power.
The BBC has an article: Heat kills at least 15 in India as temperatures near 50C
The article is clearly slanted to suggest that unusually high temperature in India has killed people. However, it is well known that deaths rise higher in colder periods and fall in warmer periods.
The chart shows the difference in weekly death rate from the long term trend for an average year in England and Wales. For example, typically in week 2 of each year 0.12% more of the population aged 85plus die than the long term average. At current population levels that represents about 1,800 more grandads and grannies dying in one week. As can be seen from the shape of the chart older people are worse affected by winter/summer variability.
Updated to add: Warmer is better
“Delhi’s “record-high” 52.9C currently doing the AGW-rag rounds was posted by a faulty temperature probe… It’s snowing in Northern India.”
Electroverse – Documenting Earth Changes During The Next Grand Solar Minimum
“Tucker Carlson warns Trump will win election if he’s not killed first”
Oh the irony! Let’s change the wording, shall we, Tucker?
“Tucker Carlson warns Navalny will win election if he’s not killed first”.
There, fixed it for ya.
“The Right must unite”
Yes, Douglas Murray, The Right must unite AGAINST the Leftist LibLabConGreen Traitors.
The Reform Party does not need the Tories or any other Fake Conservatives.