Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
November 08, 2020

Open Thread 2020-88

Please use the MoA Election Week In Review thread for election related issues.

Other stuff:

Nagorno Karabakh:

Russia:

Covid-19:

> They found the proCoV2 virus and its initial descendants arose in China, based on the earliest mutations of proCoV2 and their locations. Furthermore, they also demonstrated that a population of strains with as many as six mutational differences from proCoV2 existed at the time of the first detection of COVID-19 cases in China. With estimates of SARS-CoV-2 mutating 25 times per year, this meant that the virus must already have been infecting people several weeks before the December 2019 cases. <

Use as open thread ...

Posted by b on November 8, 2020 at 13:05 UTC | Permalink

Comments

Ukraine:

Donbass elections possible after Kiev gets control over Russia border, envoy says

"At first, we suggest a synchronized demilitarization of this territory, the withdrawal of all illegal armed formations and weapons. At the same time Ukraine takes under its personal control the border and territory, without taking any steps today that could be carried out in six months or a year," he said, adding that this concerned steps on endorsing a law on specific conditions of Donbass local self-government.

"Later local power is formed after the elections. And this power starts acting together with Ukraine and the state takes responsibility for creating conditions for a normal but specific life of people on this territory given how they see this life and how they wish,"

Translation: surrender your arms. Then we'll systematically exterminate all of you. Then we'll recolonize your land with our guys. Then your land ("territory") will have autonomy and local elections, as "they wish".

Sure, buddy. Everybody in the room was born yesterday. Whatever that makes you sleep better at night - just don't forget to take your pills.

--//--

To squash the alt-right myth China is a nationalist paradise:

CIIE shows China not island unto itself

--//--

Europe is finally succumbing to COVID-19:

Where Europe’s Second Wave Is Filling Up Hospitals

When I thought social-democracy couldn't be further humiliated, this happens. Live and learn (me, not the people dying in Europe).

The fall of Western Europe confirms my hypothesis was correct (the one I wrote here in March or April): the socialist countries will succeed in defeating this pandemic, while the capitalist nations will ultimately fail.

The poster boy capitalist Asian nations (Japan, South Korea, plus the rebel province of Taiwan) fared better than the Western capitalist nations - but they are the exception that confirms the rule: South Korea and Japan already had a ready made architecture against a flu-like pandemic because of the original SARS and MERS (South Korea); Taiwan received early and privileged know-how, cooperation and advise from the Mainland. The three fared worse than Vietnam and, on a per capita basis, than China Mainland itself.

Also, Hong Kong also fared well worse than the Mainland, which further corroborates my socialist vs capitalist thesis.

The Western European nations held the pandemic off a little better because they are richer on a per capita basis than the rest of the world. But capitalism is unstoppable: eventually, if the pandemic lasts long enough, the laws of capitalism would overcome this obstacle. That's what we're observing in Germany, France, Spain and the UK, where a wave of petit-bourgeois revolts are shaking their central governments. Those petit-bourgeois are so cruel, so nasty and so genocidal that they're even spooking laissez-faire lover British PM Boris Johnson - who's in favor of a lockdown because without it a lot of people will die.

--//--

Late Capitalism?

Global economy may NEVER return to pre-pandemic growth level – World Bank

It's one thing for this kind of prediction to come out from a Marxist economist. It's a sign of the times to see this kind of prediction coming out from a bourgeois institution like the World Bank.

Humans are social creatures: who speaks is as important - if not more important - than what's spoken.

Posted by: vk | Nov 8 2020 14:20 utc | 1

COVID-19 Patient Zero: Data Analysis Identifies the “Mother” of All SARS-CoV-2 Genomes - SciTechDaily

I don't believe it!

Someone has a vested interest in cooking the books. Isn't Temple University one of those that was connected with the gain of function group? (I could be wrong about that). Either way, the described methodology seems to me to be logically faulty. As I see it, the results they get are biased by an overwhelming majority of later and thereby less relevant data, from which they are extrapolating backwards. It's like analysing the genome of modern man in all continents, and then concluding that the earliest human being was a blue-eyed blonde (and probably spoke a language similar to American English).

Posted by: BM | Nov 8 2020 14:49 utc | 2

BM @Nov8 14:49 #2

I agree.

And I'd add that your commentary throughout this pandemic has been excellent.

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Nov 8 2020 14:57 utc | 3

Concerning "The Mother of All SARS MkIII", we still have millennia-long evolutionary gap between the nearest natural relative (RaTG13) and and what was collected from the first victims in Wuhan. The mutations they are discussing are just the minor ones that "detuned" the high specificity of the virus for East Asian ACE2 receptors to be a more generalized spike for ACE2 receptors in differing populations. Of course this mutation occurred later.

What is most interesting is that the few mutations that they are discussing don't in the slightest fill in that millennia-long evolutionary gap between the Fort Detrick Flu and its nearest natural relative. I guess finding the intermediary host is just not that important and nobody is bothering with it, right? Why would any scientist waste their time on something so irrelevant as that? I mean, who cares that this hypothetical intermediary host is still out there breeding potentially deadly new strains? If the Chinese were not such dummies they would have gone out looking for this intermediary host. How tough can it be? Just ask the first few dozen victims what animals they have been in contact with over the last couple weeks. Weird to realize that the stupid Chinese never thought to do that.

Posted by: William Gruff | Nov 8 2020 16:28 utc | 4

@vk #1 - Ukraine
Donbass elections possible after Kiev gets control over Russia border, envoy says
The Minsk Agreement is very clear in calling for removal of heavy weapons but not any "synchronized demilitarization" prior to elections. -- Minsk II: ". . .Reinstatement of full control of the state border by the government of Ukraine throughout the conflict area, starting on day 1 after the local elections. . ."

Posted by: Don Bacon | Nov 8 2020 16:56 utc | 5

As predicted by virtually everyone except Trump and his covidiots...

Covid in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count


At least 1,013 new coronavirus deaths and 126,156 new cases were reported in the United States on Nov. 7. Over the past week, there has been an average of 106,972 cases per day, an increase of 57 percent from the average two weeks earlier.

As of Sunday morning, more than 9,957,000 people in the United States have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 237,500 have died, according to a New York Times database.

Case numbers in the United States have been spiking for weeks. Weekly infection reports reached record levels in more than half the country in early November, and there were almost no hopeful signs in the data.

As conditions worsened and winter approached, some governors in the Northeast issued stay-at-home advisories. In Iowa, exhausted hospital leaders pleaded with residents to wear masks and avoid crowds. And in both rural counties and major cities, infections continued rising to fearsome new levels with no end in sight.

Deaths, though still well below their peak spring levels, averaged more than 800 per day in early November, far more than were reported in early July.

A Very Dark Pandemic Winter Is Nigh
A deluge of Covid-19 hospitalizations is a warning that a surge in deaths is coming


Frustrations are boiling over on Twitter just as the reality of what’s ahead — another surge in deaths amid an out-of-control pandemic—comes into focus.

“It is very difficult to watch our case counts soar, with few meaningful efforts to turn things around,” says Caitlin Rivers, PhD, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University. “Rising hospitalizations keeps me up at night. The pandemic will accelerate until we slow it down.”

“Honestly, I don’t even know what to say anymore,” tweeted epidemiologist Saskia Popescu, PhD, an assistant professor at George Mason University, upon sharing the latest chart above.

Hospitalizations in the United States have soared above 50,000, deaths are on the rise again, and a record 116,255 new cases on November 5 promises more misery to come...

“Do you all understand what 116,000 cases of Covid-19 exponentially growing means as we head into the holiday season?” asks Krutika Kuppalli, MD, an assistant professor of infectious diseases at Medical University of South Carolina. She answers herself: “Hospitals are at capacity. We have over 1,000 people dying a day (that’s two airplanes for perspective). ICUs are full. Health care workers are tired. This is bad.”

What’s Going on in Sweden
The country’s Covid-19 cases are rising dramatically


There’s been a lot of debate over whether the U.S. should or should not embrace a Swedish approach. Setting aside the fact that the countries are different in many ways (namely, universal health care), the fact is that the U.S.’s approach to the pandemic is very similar to Sweden’s and has been for a long time. Most parts of U.S. society are open and have been for months. Sweden is currently imposing some measures to reduce spread, including limits on the number of people in restaurants and cafes. The U.S. has not applied new restrictions to tamp down transmission like Sweden, or sweeping lockdowns like Germany and France.

COVID-19 is surging across the US and Europe. Here are the 9 most common mistakes people make when trying to protect themselves from the virus.


One sobering example: a new study from Stanford economists suggests President Trump’s rallies during the pandemic have “likely led to more than 700 deaths.”...

In South Korea, infectious disease expert and Professor Yae Jean Kim credits “participation, cooperation, and compliance of the public” in successfully batting back COVID-19 infections. (That’s in addition to the country’s robust testing and tracing system.)

“We encouraged wearing of masks from the early phase of the pandemic, and avoided mass gathering later on,” Kim told reporters during a WHO press conference on Monday. “However, we did not lock down the country or close the border, but only performed variable degrees of social distancing, according to the epidemiological situation. Although we had a second wave in some metropolitan areas mid-August and September, the outbreak was controlled with the various collective efforts.”

"...participation, cooperation, and compliance of the public" - good luck getting that in the US with the morons we have here.

Here's the one piece of good news - plain old aspirin helps...

Aspirin May Treat Severe Covid-19 Disease, and That Tells Us Something Important


For a study published on October 21 in the journal Anesthesia and Analgesia, Chow and Mazzeffi — along with a multi-university team of researchers — examined the effects of aspirin among people hospitalized with Covid-19. After adjusting their data to account for age, BMI, race, preexisting conditions, and other variables that could muddy their conclusions, they determined that the risk of death or ICU admission was almost halved among people who got aspirin compared to those who did not.

“This is now the second study linking blood thinners of some kind with improved outcomes,” Mazzeffi says. “I think it’s driving home the point that an important part of the disease’s process is clotting in the organs and that intervening in those pathways is something we should focus on.”

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Nov 8 2020 17:04 utc | 6

i like how b is trying to compartmentalize the conversations...

maybe this 'open thread' ought to be called the 'covid' thread.... i have noticed the 2 most topical and popular conversations seem to revolve around covid and the usa election... both of them are full of hostilities and animosity too.. oh well... i would be well advised to lurk but not post at this point...

Posted by: james | Nov 8 2020 17:28 utc | 7

The WHO et al should avoid blue and red on all maps. Dumbass Murkins see those colors and ask why there are so many Republicans (or vice versa) in Vietnam and so many Democrats in Italy...

Posted by: Jason | Nov 8 2020 17:55 utc | 8

Don't expect a Western soul to learn a thing from its collapse under Covid. Not only is China's success vs Covid because of IP theft of Western knowledge, Western disasters are also China's fault, cuz they started Civid, natch.

Both China's success and the West's failure are both caused by how great the West is. BIDEN 2024!

Posted by: Jason | Nov 8 2020 18:02 utc | 9

For a perspective from the UK, Craig Murray is worth a read; that is, only if you appreciate mention of gasping immoral old men deal-making, and/or nuclear weapons and genitalia.

https://twitter.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1325380072254136320

Posted by: Quasi Retired anonym | Nov 8 2020 18:45 utc | 10

These days, Western MSM simply suppress and/or ignore the whole information about the development & trials undergoing in China:

- June 23rd, Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine already went into Phase III trial in China after its success Phase I & II trial. There are 50,000 people, including CEO of Sinopharm, in China, Brazil, Argentine, UAE, Bahriain etc. are vaccinated with it.

Currently, there are 4 Chinese Covid-19 vaccines are undergoing Phase III trial.


- July 22nd, China issued the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of 3 Covid-19 vaccines (Sinopharm's among one of them) for high risk groups, aka front line doctors, nurses, Covid-19 prevention workers, custom inspection employees, people sent to work overseas, etc.

<--- This piece of information was revealed on national TV (CCTV) on August 22nd.

There are discussion that the government could expand the Covid-19 vaccine coverage to the "essentials workers", who work in supermarkets, public transportation and service business during the winter.


- Sept. 4, Sinopharm exhibited two of its Covid-19 vaccines on China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing.

Mid-Sept, Sinopharm put out its QR Code for people to make appointments to get Covid-19 vaccine. The linked webpage was soon crashed due to huge demand.


- Oct. 12, Chinese student who plan to study abroad can make appointments for Covid-19 vaccine. Some have already get their Covid-19 vaccine shots, some are still looking for an appointment.

I read on overseas Chinese websites people said they know some overseas Chinese students have already got covid-19 vaccine shots in China before go back to UK/US.


It is said there are already hundreds of thousands of Chinese now have had Covid-19 vaccine.

Posted by: lulu | Nov 8 2020 19:07 utc | 11

The Ukraine envoy is acknowledging - without acknowledging - that the post-coup national Ukraine government, no matter the elected President, is politically incapable of abiding by the Minsk Agreement.

Posted by: jayc | Nov 8 2020 19:26 utc | 12

@12 john.. thanks.... i haven't heard that before.. i love a lot of what branfords piano player does - joey calderazzo... here's a nice recording from him - solo piano
Joey Calderazzo - amanecer album
i was listening to this -joe martin - the stoic, off the 'not by chance album'/A> at the moment.. this album is a really great album...

Posted by: james | Nov 8 2020 19:41 utc | 13

The important thing about covid19 is that people could die. So deaths are important, but measuring deaths is tricky. Statistics of deaths 'by covid19' are specific but subject to manipulation (under or over), whereas total deaths cannot be manipulated but include all causes so they are not specific.

When looking at total mortality, we see in European country after country that mortality rose sharply in April to a peak of double normal, then dropped sharply in May to normal levels. It looks very much like there was an epidemic in April and May and it was largely over by June. That's what an objective observer would conclude when first looking at the data, before looking any deeper.

An interesting conclusion is that all predictions since June of large scale death have been wrong. There may be reasons, but that is a fact.
People have continued to die at normal rates since late June. (USA shows a different pattern to European countries - in contrast US flattened the curve somewhat so that the elevanted death rate was not as high but lasted longer, so June relates to FR, DE, GB, ES, IT, etc. In US it was September)

Do epidemics end at some point? If not this time, why not? What do these charts tell you?

http://null4.net/de-mortality
http://null4.net/enw-mortality
http://null4.net/fr-mortality
http://null4.net/it-mortality
http://null4.net/sco-mortality
http://null4.net/usa-mortality

Original data source: https://www.mortality.org/

Posted by: Deltaeus | Nov 8 2020 20:38 utc | 14

It was apparent during the Trump impeachment hearings that personnel within the US embassy in Kiev believed themselves fully on the "frontline" of an as-yet non-kinetic military conflict with Russia. This effort will likely intensify somewhat during Biden regime.

This posture of an already ongoing military conflict also applies to China, as described by the U.S. Pacific Air Force commander to personnel based in Japan:

Current operations in the Pacific aim to “push out the timeline” of Beijing’s aggressive behavior, PACAF Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe said during the call.

“We’ve got to do everything we can to present different decisions to our adversaries in the Pacific that causes them to delay their ultimate goals,” he told the airmen, “and that’s what you guys are doing out there every single day.”

“If you don’t think that you’re participating in conflict, you know, kind of below that kinetic level right now — you are,” Wolfe added. “You absolutely are.”
https://outline.com/Jm4k4U

Posted by: jayc | Nov 8 2020 20:42 utc | 15

The is so funny that NYT & Co avoid to mention China, the birth place of Confucianism, when they give high praise that Confucian societies are doing well to get Covid 19 under control.

Just show you how "objective" and "truth-seeking" these MSM journalists are!

Posted by: lulu | Nov 8 2020 20:48 utc | 16

Forgot to put the link to the numbers of the EU economy:

The European Commission has its Eurozone 2021 GDP forecast to +4.2% from +6.1%

The European Commission's forecast didn't last three months. Reason for that is that they didn't foresee the second wave of the pandemic. I mean, it's not that every epidemiologist knows every pandemic comes in three waves or more...

Posted by: vk | Nov 8 2020 20:52 utc | 17

Actually in Germany there have been a couple of blips only. The epidemic in 2018 was much worse than anything that happened in 2020.
In France the epidemic this year was twice as bad as the epidemic of 2003.
I don't know anything about those epidemics so I'll do some research...

Posted by: Deltaeus | Nov 8 2020 21:01 utc | 18

Yesterday was signed in La Paz, Bolivia, during inauguration of President Arce, the Declaration of La Paz, which could be a starting point of a new Progressive International in defense of democracy and to fight far-right coupism:

https://twitter.com/PabloIglesias/status/1325492583259398144

Jean Luc Mélenchon, one of the singnataries, announces his candidature to the next 2022 presidential elections in France:

https://twitter.com/IvanRedondo__/status/1325539185508442112

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 8 2020 21:56 utc | 20

"COVID-19 Patient Zero: Data Analysis Identifies the “Mother” of All SARS-CoV-2 Genomes - SciTechDaily

I don't believe it!"

-Posted by: BM | Nov 8 2020 14:49 utc | 2

I don’t either.

Move over Fake News; make way for Fake Science. They work in concert to serve our dark deep state overlords' secret agendas in this brave new world.

And being as we're on the subject of Fake Science and covid-19, I was trying to find scientific studies that have been published on just *how long* a person remains PCR(+) after recovering clinically from a bout of covid-19. Given the facts that ~51M covid cases have struck worldwide so far, and countless billions of dollars have been spent on PCR testing/and made in profit by the medical/pharma industry, I would have expected this simple question to have been answered conclusively by now. But apparently it has not. The first 5 pages of results from a google search ("how long is person pcr-positive after recovering from covid-19") There are a sprinkling of well documented covid-recovered patients who continue to return (+)PCRs 2-3 months following full remission of clinical symptoms. These cases have been largely explained away w/o providing supporting evidence, as being "asymptomatic re-infections...blah-blah".

Governmental public health agencies and infectious disease institutes’ ‘best practice’ guidelines generally boil down to this: a positive-PCR result can be used to diagnose/confirm a “suspected new” case of covid, but “recovery” from covid in that same patient is determined based on remission/resolution of clinical covid symptoms (respiratory/ O2 levels/clotting problems/blood work/radiology findings), with or *w/o* a negative-PCR follow-up test result.

No data popped out from that quick search on what percentage of clinically recovered Covid cases are released while they still test PCR (+), or even PCR (-).

If I was a conspiracy theorist I might speculate that someone may be tweeking the AI driven search algorithms to return/prioritize results that don’t cast shade on the “PCR tests are Great (keep buying them)” narrative.

I was hoping I could find something definitive on Covid, like this 2018 prospective study that looked at the persistence of Zika (like Corona, another positive sense RNA virus) RNA in various body fluids (urine, semen) of Zika patients from onset of symptoms, and for months following recovery/remission. They tested patients’ fluids at intervals, both by rt-PCR (detects presence of viral RNA pieces, large or small ) *AND* cell culture testing (for intact viable/infectious virus particles).

Results. In short they found that although they could detect remnant Zika RNA fragments by PCR(+) bodily fluids in for months ( up to 6 months later, in the case of semen) after Zika patients had clinically recovered, cell culture testing of the same fluids found that viable infectious Zika particles were limited to the first few weeks after illness onset. In other words, infectious virons disappeared from fluids in less than a month, even though patients’ fluids (semen) continued to test PCR (+) for up to 6 months after onset of Zika disease symptoms.

If such a study could be done for Zika virus, why not one now for PCR in Covid??

And while I I’m on the subjects of fake science propaganda driven by the deep state’s agenda, let me remind you that Zika-fever is a mild frequently asymptomatic flu-like illness that only caused microcephalic babies [to be thrown from their incub—errp—wrong regime change propaganda narrative] to be born (but only in Brazil, not Colombia, nor any of the rest of S. or C. America where Zika is endemic) during Brazil’s Prez Wilma Rousseff’s tenure, probably to scare off tourism/hurt economy during the 2016 Olympics period) (Wilma was on page 2 of the Obama deep state’s regime change sh*tlist at the time, and the Zika microcephalic threat-scare-panic disappeared without a trace-POOF…never to return, soon after Rousseff was removed from office by a coup-election.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zika_virus

Might there be a lesson to learn about the current scary covid threat-panic the deep state democrats have been pushing hard thru 2020 election run-up?

Posted by: gm | Nov 8 2020 23:59 utc | 21

Posted by: gm | Nov 8 2020 23:59 utc | 21

RE: Zika etc.

Well, we know the drug war was started for political reasons, and because it was a useful excuse for ignoring various amendments in the Bill of Rights. But that has not been working so well lately, the voters keep legalizing the good drugs, so something else was needed. Well it happens that public health is another and much older and more legitimate reason to abrogate the freedoms people normally enjoy. And we can all observe the rising authoritarian tendencies in the health care bidness, quite aside from the prevalent greed. And it goes way back, particularly in mental health industry. Locking people up for their own good can be done for a variety of reasons.

It's hard to tell if these "novel" diseases are fortuitous occurences or the result of globalization, because globalization and the use of remote places as up-scale travel destinations is a perfect recipe for finding new diseases and spreading them around. And history shows various cases of disease being used as a military weapon far before the modern era. So I believe it as a generality, but in a particular case you have to have evidence.

I agree that some of the things happening "of late" seem suspicious. It would be nice to investigate these things better.

Posted by: Bemildred | Nov 9 2020 0:22 utc | 22

@james , pretty nice watching you to post in SST , the numerous crazy trumpers in the comment section on SST kept blathering about nonexistent fraud , still cant accept reality their orange god lost. Meanwhile the old senile Col Lang now withdrawn within himself , most likely ranting (seeking attention) on how he will close SST..

funny how these lot seem to care more about trump than about america itself

Posted by: milomilo | Nov 9 2020 6:15 utc | 23

I find that characterisation of Russia as an Imperial power with a victim complex quite interesting. It is linked in one of the articles. (No wonder Putin gets along so well with Israel!)


Is it really confirmed that Pakistani special forces take part in the Azerbaijan-Armenia war?

Posted by: m | Nov 9 2020 6:58 utc | 24

When I heard the first time that Covid-19 infects minks I had to think about the mink at the nearby zoo, I really kind fellow who grew to my heart. The prospect of Denmark killing 17 million(!) minks is very touching. ;(

There is, however, another mammel that gets infecte by SARS-CoV-2 whish might have even more serious long term consequences in regards to the containment of the disease: house cats!

Posted by: m | Nov 9 2020 7:19 utc | 25

m @25

Yes, you will really know the propaganda is working when the plebs start slaughtering their pet cats.

Posted by: ADKC | Nov 9 2020 10:22 utc | 26

The purpose of allowing a private media to control the discourse space of the public is ..."to circumvent the intelligence of the voter..".. but there is more its purpose is to trick, fool, subvert and divert and so forth .. the sensory inputs that allow the voter to use his or her intelligence..

maybe this is a way to stop the abuse of human mentality.. think about it..

The first Amendment to the Constitution of the USA. "CONGRESS SHALL MAKE NO LAW .. ABRIDGING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OR OF THE PRESS; OR THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE PEACEABLY TO ASSEMBLE.. was made BY THE FOUNDERS because to get the constitution ratified, it was necessary for the FOUNDERS to include by amendment the BoRs which are the 1st Ten Amendments <=these Founders did not want to include the 10 amendments, the (Bill of Rights) were forced on them.. Which means the 1st Ten (BoRs) are conditions precedent to the establishment and operation of government under the Constitution. Without strict adherence to the BoRs, there is no legitimacy to government.

But nothing in the 1st amendment prevents the operation of TORT LAW.. I contend that a public media is just like a public place of business (when media uses advertising its is a public establishment) and it is held toa higher standard, one such standard is that its utterances, its messages, its communications must be completely true or just like a spill on the floor it must be isolated, and adequately, completely and properly identified so that an invitee is not mislead by any communication in public media.

Tort law took down the medical profession incompetents, it remove Tobacco from the marketplace, and it made nearly all public space safe for customers. Whenever media accepts advertising it makes itself public, and subjects itself to Tort recovery for its failures.

A simple definition of Tort might be => a failure to meet a standard or to perform a duty, it can be the result of an intentional act or a negligent act or can arise from a event or happening which was foreseeable because of the circumstances of the environment in which the event or happening occurred.

I do not think getting courts to agree that truth in public media is not a violation in any way of the 1st amendment, that media which accepts advertising is public, and that the behaviors of the public media are to protect the public such media serve, from allowing any communication to be misunderstood. That is communications delivered or made by, over, through or on account of a public media; the public media has a duty to present all of the relevant facts in the most understandable way, and it also has a duty not to allow any communication it offers to the pubic, to misled the understanding of the invitee government.

Courts can impose, at least historically, this duty if they wish, without real need of legislation from the Congress.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

Posted by: snake | Nov 9 2020 12:22 utc | 27

How a Wise Decoupling May Be a Good Thing for Both China and the West

That's not how it works. It won't work.

Capitalism has very specific and restricted laws that cannot be overcome within the system. They must be followed to the letter, whatever the human costs. Decoupling rapes those laws in so many forms that it would be too long to demonstrate here.

--//--

Gorbachev hopes Biden aims to recover trust between US and Russia

For fuck's sake, comrade, just shut up and die!

--//--

Is Xi Jinping Too Strong for China’s Good? Unlike any Chinese leader since 1949, he has no identifiable rivals and no likely successors.

Translation: "Is Xi Jinping too strong for the USA's good? Unlike any Chinese leader since 1949, he's now governing a China that can really compete with us".

--//--

How to Protect America From the Next Donald Trump: The Constitution is supposed to protect us from demagogues. Can we make it work again?

Err... it wasn't? Never heard of any historian or specialist in American Constitution to say the document was supposed to protect the nation against demagogues.

That's a literal lie right there.

--//--

Will The Turkish Economy Kill Erdogan’s New Ottoman Empire?

Yes, it will. As it did with all the past societal formations in human history.

The economy is always the decisive factor. Only the most hallucinated liberals think of History as the saga of individuals.

And no, China won't come to the rescue. Turkey is too big of a black hole if it defaults.

--//--

Biden, Democrats prepare right-wing administration

But at least "American democracy" was saved, right? Right?

Those Trotskyists from the WSWS are insane. They are a religious cult, which preaches for the destruction of all socialist experiments around the world so the USA can dominate the entire globe, only to then they - the chosen people from WSWS - to start a communist revolution from the belly of the world empire. You know, because socialism isn't enough - it has to the correct kind of socialism.

--//--

Imperial Overstretch Arrives: Americans Do Not Need the American Empire

Philip Giraldi - the Virginian bourgeois who never did honest work in his life - is at least two decades later with this (more or less correct) diagnosis.

--//--

Joke of the week:

Hold the schadenfreude for America

Instead, the world has seen wall-to-wall footage of people in precincts across the United States proceeding with the most fundamental of democratic exercises, and tallying votes. Turnout was higher than it has been in more than a century — no small feat in a country where in 2016 more people didn’t vote than backed either Trump or his opponent, Hillary Clinton. When the president made outrageous claims on television, he was cut off, and viewers were told the statements were false. “I woke up and went to Twitter to find out who won. It’s still not clear,” Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny tweeted on Nov. 4. “That’s a real election.”

Posted by: vk | Nov 9 2020 12:34 utc | 28

Posted by: snake | Nov 9 2020 12:22 utc | 29

That is how they do it when they decide to do it, just restore liability, and funding for enforcement. It is really our friends in Congress that made all this we have now possible, in fact they have fought for it many years now.

Right now there are several large classes of people (Plutocrats, established politicians, cops & lawyers, to name some), who are to some extent unaccountable, and use it. And the "defense" bidness. They are used to running roughshod on the rest of us when we get in their way. That is a class system. That is what our Feudal Lords really want, a class system with them in the top class, and the pretense that everybody else approves.

Posted by: Bemildred | Nov 9 2020 12:46 utc | 29

RE: gm | Nov 8 2020 23:59 utc | 21

Corrections:

It was Dilma (not Wilma) Rousseff during the Zika microcephalic baby scare, and she was indicted by Michel Temer (then holding the powerful 'Nancy Pelosi' postion in Brazil's lower house of the legislature) and impeached/convicted by the Brazilian Senate, not voted out by the public, on 31 August 2016. Temer himself took over as president and within 2 years was in turn impeached and brought up on criminal charges

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilma_Rousseff#Impeachment

Posted by: gm | Nov 9 2020 13:38 utc | 30

James

Music. Big and interesting tranche of new uploads. Go to themotiondevotion.com. Raw and messy site, click anything, you will be redirected to their YouTube playlists, which are larger and better presented. Pick the Chicago Jazz list. You want drummers, there is lots of Wilbur Campbell and Robert Shy. And just lots. Most unusual listened to so far would be near end of list Jodie Christian plays the blues with James Cammack, Robert Shy, which is how the clip is titled. Recorded in a blues club and the only recording I’ve ever come across that is how it was. The band plays quiet enough the patrons can keep talking. Shy plays a lot with brushes. Screamin’ guitars was always pretty much a white boy thing. Blues clubs were places for people to relax and socialize, not be clubbed with amplifiers. Jazz players, or the black players, always showed up in blues bands. Because there were lots of gigs. Because it is all the same music.

I probably heard Jodie Christian play a dozen times at pure straight ahead gigs, even white supper club work, before I learned he was one of founding four at AACM. Only ever saw him play his real music five or six nights. People gotta work. Often the basic journeyman work is brilliant. Just a different flavor.

Posted by: oldhippie | Nov 9 2020 14:06 utc | 31

And being as we're on the subject of Fake Science and covid-19, I was trying to find scientific studies that have been published on just *how long* a person remains PCR(+) after recovering clinically from a bout of covid-19. Given the facts that ~51M covid cases have struck worldwide so far, and countless billions of dollars have been spent on PCR testing/and made in profit by the medical/pharma industry, I would have expected this simple question to have been answered conclusively by now. But apparently it has not.
Posted by: gm | Nov 8 2020 23:59 utc | 21

The detailed discussion of relevant issues here (in German):
Covid-19: Antigen-Test schlechter als PCR – wirklich?

and here (in English):
Pekosz et al.

including a direct answer to your question, using techniques similar to the Zika study you mentioned.

That research is also validated by these two studies:
Jaafar et al, CID, 2020
and
Cerutti, J Clin Virol, 2020

In essence the article in German - by a professor of infectology at the hospital in St Gallen, Switzerland, Prof. Dr. med. Pietro Vernazza - is in support of his decision to use an antigen test in preference to the PCR when the objective is specifically to identify people who have to be isolated because they are infectious, although he points out that the PCR test should be used when certain different questions need to be answered, such as when a patient comes into hospital with a lung inflammation, and the hospital needs to know whether it is caused by covid-19 in order to give the most appropriate treatment. In the course of that discussion he shows data on the length of time the virus is infectious vs. how long the residual viral fragments can be detected by PCR even if they are no longer infectious.

I've seen a number of other research papers referenced that discuss how long PCR gives positive results long after a patient recovers (but not necessarily as the main focus), so such papers do exist. Of course, such research is inconvenient to the required narrative, therefore is not trumpeted.

But hey, official WHO policy recommendation (see the WHO website) is that if someone has ever tested positive for Covid-19, any subsequent death is to be recorded as a Covid-19 death. That is, if they die in a car crash 10 years later, then the cause of death is to be recorded as Covid-19.

So officially, Covid-19 is like AIDS - there is no recovery, it is a death sentence*, once you get it you are condemned to a "Covid-19" death for the reast of your life. All good stuff for the FEAR narrative, don't you know?

*
If you get test positive for Covid-19, by definition any subsequent death will be caused by Covid-19;
All human beings must die eventually;
ergo All victims who test positive for Covid-19 will die of Covid-19.

The UK government also early in the Covid operation ordered that all deaths of a person who has ever tested positive for Covid-19 must be recorded as a Covid-19 death, irrespective of the length of time that has elapsed since the test. That order was rescinded however some months later. Several other countries seem to have similar policies.

Posted by: BM | Nov 9 2020 14:32 utc | 32

There is, however, another mammel that gets infecte by SARS-CoV-2 whish might have even more serious long term consequences in regards to the containment of the disease: house cats!
Posted by: m | Nov 9 2020 7:19 utc | 26

Adult cats get infected but usually have little or no symptoms. Kittens, however, get very sick, have extremely retarded growth, and very often die.

As some vets point out, cats do have another type of coronavirus (not SARS-CoV-2) that is endemic in the cat population, but which is not transmitted to humans. But they also can get SARS-CoV-2 (usually but not always asymptomatically).

Way back in about April the Chinese tested many pets in Wuhan and found that many cats had been infected with SARS-CoV-2; also a few dogs, but much less than the cats.

Cats frequently clean themselves by licking their fur. So if you touch them you must always wash your hands, otherwise you will get Covid-19 from them.

Posted by: BM | Nov 9 2020 14:48 utc | 33

BM, I don’t believe it either. Imho they probably did a fair job with all the comparisons etc. but like so often with COV19 (and much other med research) the interpretation / conclusion are unwarranted, or, worse, the need to demonstrate something drives the whole methodology, etc.

vk 1, I remember you writing that. I wouldn’t be as categorical, there are too many factors in play. However it is absolutely the case that a medical-health system that has at its base, or core, a profit-making motive, won’t be very competent (or even vaguely capable?) at dealing with infectious epidemics (not much money to be made, except via vaccines), and will stumble when faced with novelty: profit - rent extraction - ‘deals’ are embedded in complex circuits in the system which then become ossified, rigid, it can’t be supple, adapt, change, react quickly.

Also what we have seen in the “West” is a shunting aside of the first principle, that is, to take care of the sick as best as possible (I’m not blaming individual nurses or docs), in favor of all kinds of ‘scientism’ - for ex, modelling, “flatten the curve”, “test and trace”, an obsession with junk stats, silly discussions about ‘following the science’ etc. Very poor showing. The most damning, for me, is the lack of interest in prophylactics (vitamin D for ex.) in favor of non-medical strictures, like masks, social distancing, etc.

Posted by: Noirette | Nov 9 2020 15:09 utc | 34

Not sure why Guardian chose to highlight/re-animate this sccaary mink covid story at this juncture--Maybe to scare obstreperous Europeans into falling in line, and submitting quietly to renewed lockdown orders by their govmts?

The mink covid outbreaks at fur farms have been going on for a long time--I first heard about it from a Chris Martenson YT in spring 2020. It was a big outbreak at two Dutch (not Danish) farms back then.

And This from the Guardian on June 6.

Actually the truly scary thing about all these mink farm covid outbreaks that have been popping up everywhere is that minks are *very* closely related to *Ferrets*, and ferrets are one of the most widely virology/immunology animal research models.

Because of their physiological/immunological similarities to humans, and fast reproduction/low costs/ease of animal husbandry, are near ideal lab models to use in both ethical virology research and shady "gain of function" bioweapons R&D.

Serial "passaging" of novel viruses through ferrets is used as tool to 'acclimatize' the virus to grow in a new host closer to Man, and to alter a virus's tissue specifity (ie preference to grow on neural tissue vs respiratory or Gi tract linings) and tweek a virus's virulence either down or upward.

The very fact that Covid spreads so rampantly on mink fur farms and nCov2 is so well suited to thriving in mustelid (weasel) host, far removed evolutionarily and in terms habitat/ecological niche from either bats or pangolins, but very closely related to the ferret virology research tool, is yet more strong circumstantial evidence that SARS-Cov2 originated from a lab somewhere, not directly from the wild.

Posted by: gm | Nov 9 2020 15:23 utc | 35

@Posted by: BM | Nov 9 2020 14:32 utc | 34

Thank you BM for those wonderful links.

Those papers are just what I had been looking for, and just what physicians treating covid pts should be reading and paying attention to--- instead of the dubious stuff that pops up in a google search.

Posted by: gm | Nov 9 2020 15:45 utc | 36

BM thanks for informing I am doomed. Only kidding.

Posted by: Old and Grumpy | Nov 9 2020 16:16 utc | 37

John @ 36

Reminds me of the first Fathers and Sons concert at Chicago’s Auditorium theatre. White audience of course. Mike Bloomfield did a scorching solo that lasted minutes and included more than one ovation. When he finally shut up Muddy played three notes at lower limit of audibility. Bloomfield unplugged and slunk off stage. Cut to the bone.

Every electric guitarist likes to turn it up. Just did not happen in Chicago blues clubs. Except clubs that had mixed audiences. The neighborhood clubs were a different world.

Posted by: oldhippie | Nov 9 2020 16:24 utc | 38

A Russian helicopter downed in Armenia from the Nakhichevan side. An important Artsakh city, Shusha, fell to the Azerbaijanis.

Posted by: Paco | Nov 9 2020 16:48 utc | 39

Re: Paco,

Yes, the question is how will Putin respond to this latest attack on Russia, even Putin supporters feel that Putin needs to respond more forcibly (not necessarily declaring an all out war, but reprisal strikes) to these open attacks.

Posted by: Kadath | Nov 9 2020 17:13 utc | 40

The Nagorno-Karabahk war is looking more ominous by the day.

I am getting some serious ugly vibes re: Turkey's brinkmanship with Russia.

Now it is too late for Russia to organize a peaceful surrender for Armenia in the contested area.

I am also reminded of the Turks shooting down the MiG over northern Syria. But I am afraid Ru is about to throw down the gauntlet.

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Nov 9 2020 17:21 utc | 41

Russian Mi-24 Helicopter Crashes Near Armenian Village After Being Shot by SAM

The incident took place amid ongoing hostilities in the nearby disputed Karabakh region between Azerbaijani forces and the forces of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

A Russian Mi-24 (NATO reporting name: Hind) military helicopter has crashed on the territory of Armenia near the village of Yeraskh after it was shot from the ground by unknown forces using a man-portable air-defence system (SAM), Russia’s Defence Ministry has stated. The crash was caused by a loss of control after a missile hit the aircraft, the ministry added.

At the time of the time of the attack, the helicopter was escorting a convoy of Russia’s 102nd military base, which is located in Armenia, as it was moving past Yeraskh, near the border with Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. The incident resulted in the death of two of the helicopter’s crew members and another being hospitalised with moderate injuries.

The Defence Ministry noted that the command of the 102nd military base is currently investigating who shot at the Russian helicopter, noting that the incident took place outside the zone of active hostilities that have been taking place in the Nagorno-Karabakh region since September 2020. Armenia’s Defence Ministry, in turn, promised to help Russia in probing the attack on its Mi-24 helicopter.

https://sputniknews.com/russia/202011091081105563-russian-mi-24-transport-helicopter-crashes-near-armenian-village-after-being-shot-by-sam/

Posted by: Mao | Nov 9 2020 17:33 utc | 42

An unconfirmed report reported on the 7 PM RT news has Azerbaijan sending apologies for the downing of the Russian helicopter - more to be reported in later news.

Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Nov 9 2020 17:57 utc | 43

@ 16
Not to disparage a senior enlisted man, but seriously -- some E-9's pronouncements on military strategy are worth just about what you paid for them...

Posted by: Not a Zoomie | Nov 9 2020 19:31 utc | 44

China: Good Riddance Pompeo!! Beginning by citing the Washington Post calling Pompeo the 'worst Secretary of State in history' last August, the author lists China's many grievances:

"For example, he has completely ignored the basic etiquette and professional ethics of a diplomat, frantically discrediting Chinese tech giant Huawei. Under such circumstances, other countries are also uncertain whether the US will use coercive methods when dealing with them. This has dragged the international diplomacy into a state of instability."

Actually, the writer is far too polite perhaps because:

"There are more than 70 days to go until the inauguration of the new US president on January 20. During this period, Pompeo and some other US politicians may show their final madness in policies toward China and the world. They are not willing to give in. This being the case, Pompeo may take even more drastic moves on the Iranian nuclear issue and US' China policy, further worsening bilateral relations with relevant countries, sabotaging world diplomacy and creating more obstacles for president-elect Joe Biden. They will create tensions to attract outside attention and claim to have made so-called diplomatic achievements. China needs to be vigilant against such risks."

Lots of hope is being expressed by China regarding Biden reverting Outlaw US Empire policy to a more normal attitude. This Global Times Editorial IMO gets the challenges Biden faces in their proper order by declaring "COVID-19, not China, is the biggest rival of the US." The Missus and I discussed this topic last night over dinner. My previous commentary expresses little positivity in that regard thanks to the almost yearlong Trump FUBAR. But if the Ds want to have any hope of holding the Executive in 2024, they will have to do their utmost to solve the socio-economic crisis caused by previous Bad Governance exacerbated greatly by the pandemic. It seems China's government thinks Trump lost primarily because of the pandemic, a cause that many barflies will dispute, but the rest of China's reasoning seems solid:

"Trump was eventually defeated by COVID-19. From the perspective of US interests, imposing certain pressures on trade and engaging in some geopolitical competition with China might be reasonable. But clearly, the Trump administration has gone too far and thus fallen into a hysteria of confronting China.

"After the COVID-19 epidemic hit the entire US, Washington's trick to use China as a scapegoat helped ease American people's discontent against their government. But the Trump administration repeatedly blamed China and the World Health Organization and made them an excuse for its ineptitude, while becoming further reluctant to take effective measures, which constantly worsened the epidemic in the US.

All these together have taught the US a grievous lesson: A big country like the US faces challenges mainly from within, and the dynamic for it to advance also comes from the proper handling of its own internal problems. Describing external factors as the largest threat to a country and thus changing the country's development logic with governance focused on such over-exaggerated external challenges might work for some time, but would eventually end up in vain." [My Emphasis]

It won't take too long to see if that lesson was indeed learned particularly since those pulling the strings didn't suffer one iota. What will be revealed is how much the Real Economy is relied upon by the Rentier Class Parasites which is grossly bloated by the $$Trillions$$ fed them over the past 18 months.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 9 2020 19:35 utc | 45

This is from nakedcapitalism's links:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-08/
india-looks-to-poor-farmers-to-rescue-its-virus-ravaged-economy

It is what I've previously noted in examples from the demise of the Soviet Union and Putin's rise to popularity (also China). He took care of farming issues first, and instituted non-gmo practises.

I was thinking about Vandana Shiva just last evening, wondering how her policies were faring.

Posted by: juliania | Nov 9 2020 19:35 utc | 46

Lavrov interviewed about his working relationship with Defense Minister Shoigu. We learn quite a lot about both men, the human side as well as the professional. They'd both make excellent dinner guests and good neighbors, IMO. The read isn't too long and makes for a good respite from the usual, so I'll not excerpt anything.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 9 2020 19:59 utc | 47

Transcript of Putin/Assad video conference covers the refugee issue and the conference in Damascus to take place over Nov 11-12. The biggest problem aside from the remaining terrorists are the illegal sanctions placed on Syria that's retarding its ability to resettle its nationals. More of substance was discussed but isn't on the current transcript.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 9 2020 20:08 utc | 48

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 9 2020 19:59 utc | 50

Both of them must be in contact now concerning the helicopter affair. Not an easy situation, CSTO prestige on the line, Caucasus situation gets more complicated by the hour.

I would excerpt this: We love songs by Vladimir Vysotsky and Bulat Okudzhava.

Vysotsky is one of those artists that overflow any metric, a monster beloved by almost everybody in Russia, Okudzhava, I know a lot less his music, even though I’ve listened to some of his songs. By the way, the Don’t go Back to Georgia guys, good music, I could hear some elements of influence on later generations of latino musicians like Ruben Blades, good tune.

Posted by: Paco | Nov 9 2020 20:22 utc | 49

Paco @52--

Thanks for your reply! I thought about looking into the music but have no extra time today with my task list, so thanks for providing that small insight. IMO, Russia must step in strongly with its CSTO link and force an acceptable compromise such that the issue is no longer of any value to NATO. The Big Picture is too important for those two small states to break its frame any more than what's been done already.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 9 2020 21:37 utc | 50

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 9 2020 21:37 utc | 53

Russian peace keepers to be deployed, cease fire declared, Armenia to do painful territorial concessions but saved by the bell. The cease fire is in effect after 0 hours Moscow time Nov 10th.
There is a signed declaration. I’ll take a look at it.

Posted by: Paco | Nov 9 2020 22:16 utc | 51

karlof1@ 50 - A welcome change for sure -- thanks very much!

The taiga....

Posted by: juliania | Nov 9 2020 22:17 utc | 52

Armenia retires whatever forces left she may have in the following three districts:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalbajar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachin_District

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agdam_District

They were not part of Karabakh proper but are buffer zones gained during the early 90`s war and now lost, plus the commitment to negotiate the future of Karabakh proper. This round was lost by Armenia.

Posted by: Paco | Nov 9 2020 22:26 utc | 53

@Posted by: Paco | Nov 9 2020 20:22 utc | 52

Really, the thing started when the interviewer asked Lavrov whether Shoigu uses to sing, then Lavrov told that they usually sing together when over there in the tundra, asked what kind of songs they sing, he answered, -Soviet ones, of course, following the excerpt you highlighted...

I did not know Lavrov and Shoigu were so close friends...neither that he would appreciate Soviet music, you read Helmer´s blog and others, and you would think he is a liberal..

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 9 2020 22:51 utc | 54

Fitting perfectly with current times...

Vladimir Vysotsky - Truth and Lie | "Правда и Ложь"

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 9 2020 23:01 utc | 55

Another one which says quite some truth...

Vladimir Vysotsky - Song About a Friend

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 9 2020 23:07 utc | 56

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 9 2020 22:51 utc | 57

The Soviet system allowed for someone like Shoigu, from Tyva or Tuva, the geographical center of Asia, to become defense minister of Russia, and some rumours place him as the heir of Putin. I can see no reason for him to be antisoviet, and I would not take at face value whatever label a western journalist puts on Russian leaders, even if that journalist has lived in Russia for a considerable time like Helmer. Left, right, liberal, conservative, there are many shades in between and the eye of the beholder could be short sighted.

Posted by: Paco | Nov 9 2020 23:15 utc | 57

@Posted by: Paco | Nov 9 2020 23:15 utc | 60

On that of liberal, I was meaning I have read references on Lavrov.

Of Shoigu they do not talk too much.

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 9 2020 23:37 utc | 58

@Paco,

Are you a former Soviet citizen or a "niño de la guerra"?

I ask because I have noticed you speak Spanish and Russian...

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 9 2020 23:39 utc | 59

Read that 17 opposition parties in Armenia want Pashynian to resign to form a National Unity Government...

Why that could be?


Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 9 2020 23:43 utc | 60

Paco @54 & 56--

Just back from my tasks and opened Sputnik to find this about the Joint Statement and ongoing updates. Russki Peacekeepers and Aliyev saying he's glad it's now over and awaiting a new era of peace. They really must solve their multiple issues to keep NATO from continuing to try sticking its nose in where nobody wants it. We shall see.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 10 2020 0:51 utc | 61

The war in Nagorno-Karabakh is over:

WATCH Russian peacekeepers begin deploying to Nagorno-Karabakh under Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal

--//--

Who said the liberals don't know how to do ideological persecution/genocide? They actually crave for it:

US Police Chief Resigns Over Apparent Calls for Violence Against ‘Marxist Democrats’

Another post by the account declared, “Death to all Marxist Democrats.”

Funny how Marx lives rent free in the American collective psyche. It's almost like he hit a nerve...

Posted by: vk | Nov 10 2020 1:12 utc | 62

This is getting similar vibes to Syria, a Russian plane/helicopter/asset gets shot down and Putin starts to treat the war seriously.

Let's see if this peace holds.

Posted by: Smith | Nov 10 2020 1:24 utc | 63

The UK government have announced that a Covid-19 vaccine is ready and people will receive doses before Christmas (this seems technically untrue as regulatory approval is not in place).

The vaccine is called BNT162 and was developed by Pfizer and BioNTech. This vaccine is of particular interest as it an mRNA vaccine.

On this article (Breaking: trials suggest new vaccine 90% effective, WHO calls for caution) from Skwawkbox a commentator M (claiming to a geneticist) was asked a question about mRNA vaccines (includes minor edits):

SteveH: "M – I would be interested to hear your explanation in layman's terms of how this vaccine genetically alters the recipients DNA."

M: "Well I have no idea if it will alter the DNA, nor does Pfizer. But thats not really the point so I’ll try explain simply anyway: DNA is transcribed in the cell to produce RNA. There are different kinds of RNA but for our purposes you can just think of mRNA which is a reverse copy of a piece of your DNA that is necessary to produce proteins.

Almost very part of your entire body – except water and minerals – is made of proteins and all is made from RNA. This vaccine very cleverly uses the cells equipment (ribosomes, enzymes organelles – all also made of proteins) to translate this RNA into new proteins as if it was the cells own RNA.

The problem is that there are an almost infinite number of different and complex proteins and RNAs in the body – each with a very specific task (or not). Any slight alterations or error in translation of DNA>RNA>protein can create a protein thats either harmless, deleterious or lethal. We are skipping the DNA part but the problem is that RNA and proteins can and do alter and effect DNA>RNA>protein pathways naturally.

The human body is extremely complex, there are 20,000 protein making genes and about the same number that don’t make protein but still have function in translation of those other proteins. And each gene has many variants and functions. BUT (don’t fall asleep yet) it gets even more complex when it comes to immunity – there is a lot more genetic variation with immune related genes between people than any other genes. For good reason – good immune requires maximum variation. Interfering with the immune response by injecting attenuated viruses really just mimics what our body would do naturally if it came across a virus – the immune response as you described is induced by AP Cells. But many viruses are wise to this in evolutionary terms – and is why there is no vaccine for the common cold or HIV – they have their own immunity.

Back to Pfizer: Their vaccine (as I understand it) is using your own cells to produce the proteins found on the surface of the virus. This could have unknowns effects because its hard to know exactly how the protein>RNA interactions will interfere with other ones naturally occurring in the cell. Its the endless quest of geneticisis to understand these complex and often subtle and often undetectable interactions for all genes in the body.

Now it could be that nothing harmful happens, but the only way to know that is to test it, and test it and test it again. My opinion is that this should require WAY more testing than using the traditional attenuated virus type vaccine for all the reasons I just explained. In the same way that brain surgery is more risky than fixing a broken leg one requires much more caution.

If you are still with me now we can now also get back to the politics: It would be a major breakthrough if it works (and I hope it does) but that’s also the reason to be sceptical for me. My original comment was that it won’t see the light of day for some time. I think this is more liklely than them pushing through a poorly tested vaccine. As with most coronavirus and flu vaccines the efficacy is likely to be much poorer than they claim. so the results of the trial would have to be spectacular and long term to justify any serious risk of distributing it nationwide by the end of the year with such short trials (but who knows, this is Pfizer and the Tory government we are talking about here).

Finally I will leave you with a question: – how do you test a vaccine for long term effects if its only been in your possession for 6 months? You don’t need a virologist or any scientist to answer that."

Posted by: ADKC | Nov 10 2020 1:25 utc | 64

@67 ADKC

And is the UK government still proposing to use the army to distribute the vaccine, one wonders? I have people in the UK and I wish the country very well indeed - but it's been a shit show so far, and I have no optimism for the near future.

Vaccines, I suspect will get pushed into the arms of the populations of capitalist nations for large amounts of money, and may well cause the type of damage that every other bio product of capitalism causes. But, we are not at that struggle yet.

It's more than a crying shame that the two vaccines that are much further along in the trials process - the Russian and the Chinese (4 different ones in China) - may well be forbidden entry into the US and the UK. That's my guess at least - I haven't seen anything at all that speaks concretely to this so far.

Posted by: Grieved | Nov 10 2020 3:21 utc | 65

@63 H.Schmatz - Why that could be? [Pashinyan pressured to resign]

The Saker has a very useful little update on this situation. I recommend it:

Update on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

Armenia was, just like Belarus, flirting with the west and becoming careless of its relationship with Russia. This, I gather, has been largely Pashinyan's doing. That power has now changed:

The arrogant and openly hostile attitude of the Armenians since 2018 has hurt them tremendously and they might be coming back to their senses. If Pashinian is removed, he did lose this war, after all, that would help a lot.

Saker makes the point that Russia is the ultimate and only peacekeeper of the Caucasus, and he hopes, as do we all, that Armenia has been brought to its senses enough to remember that Russia is its only real friend.

Posted by: Grieved | Nov 10 2020 3:32 utc | 66

I welcome the ceasefire but I'm worried because if I was some US troublemaker the deal would have me salivating; from a CIA point of view it could look perfect. I do wonder if the Russians understand why, if it's on purpose, or if they've made a big mistake.

Did they really just pour millions of gallons of oil on the fire?

So my initial reaction from reading a translation of the ceasefire and peacekeeping agreement can be summed up as "who fooled who?". I hope the Russians are extremely aware and careful and realize that they have increased the stakes (which is worth it if lasting peace can be achieved but also works against it in the long term).

In the context of the Hind, "liberation" (from life?) of Shusha, the non-involvement of the Armenian president combined with the prime minister Pashinyan looking like a Quisling (and now being hunted like one too), and talk out of Azerbaijan of Turkish peacekeepers, it all looks like a trap. If the Russians don't see it they're inviting trouble, I hope they do and have prepared extremely well, otherwise they're repeating their own mistakes of the (USSR) past.

But maybe it will work, maybe they know what they've done and are trying to do, one can only wait and see. Do I believe it will work as put on paper? Absolutely not, sadly.

. . .

Relatedly I do wonder what Iran though they were doing with their approach which also seemed likewise, well, …harebrained.

It's either that or setting a trap to tempt the US or others.

It makes me wonder what is going on or went on behind closed doors.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Nov 10 2020 6:18 utc | 67

By the way: Georgia.

Heads up everyone.

Posted by: Sunny Runny Burger | Nov 10 2020 6:21 utc | 68

http://stateofthenation.co/?p=34699 <= Peloski owns the software

Posted by: snake | Nov 10 2020 11:03 utc | 69

the Venezuelian Institute for Scientific Research has modified an apple peal extract that annihilates 100% of the coronavirus.. the molecule is called TR-10 is a ursolic acid derivative, submitted to WHO, has been shown 100% effective at blocking virus replication.

Phytochemistry has blocked the replication that makes viral infections pathogenic..chew some gum with the modified ursolic acid derivative <=might save your life.. ? ask Maduro.. ?

Posted by: snake | Nov 10 2020 11:15 utc | 70

Re: BM | Nov 9 2020 14:32 utc | 32, gm | Nov 9 2020 15:45 utc | 36

Here is a short (14 min) YT by a Columbia University Med school professor of virology, who goes his own experience of getting a positive rtPCR test result. He gives helpful and informative explanations of how his test sample was collected, the scientific basis of the method, and what is being measured with the rtPCR technique.

Also, he covers what is meaning/significance of the term C t the (Cycle threshold).

Finally, he does a good job of explaining a complicated/busy but important data graph in one of links BM/32 shared.

“I Tested Positive for SARS-CoV2” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk64Zwcj3W8

Posted by: gm | Nov 10 2020 14:22 utc | 71

China knows what the real deal is:

Opening Up New Frontiers for Marxist Political Economy in Contemporary China

Posted by: vk | Nov 10 2020 15:33 utc | 72

Global Times Chart, "US double standards on counter-secessionism ," is instructive although incomplete in its victims. It would make an excellent poster/placard.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 10 2020 17:36 utc | 73

Meanwhile, the SCO held its meeting of the Council of Heads of State via video, with some results published here:

"Thanks to the unilateralism and protectionism pushed by the Trump administration in the past four years, the development of the SCO cooperation has experienced a golden era, as under the joint guidance of China and Russia, the organization is getting increasingly united; and in the post-Trump era, the SCO will be even more united, said Chinese experts."

Although Russia holds the rotating Presidency, it was Xi who made the keynote speech, its six main points put together in a chart at the link:

"It is important that we forestall terrorist, separatist and extremist attempts to exploit the pandemic for disruption, curb the proliferation of drugs, crack down on internet-based propagation of extremist ideology, and deepen SCO members' law-enforcement cooperation, Xi noted."

"Yang Jin, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences", made several observations, the following IMO being the most important:

"Yang said that due to the pandemic, many countries' economic development and people's livelihoods in the region have been seriously impacted and this has provided chances for local terrorist groups to recruit more people, which is a new problem for the SCO.

"'To fight these forces, military and intelligence cooperation is not enough. Economic cooperation to boost development can effectively wipe out the soil where terrorism and extremism are able to grow.'" [My Emphasis]

Putin opened the meeting with an overview of events occurring during its Presidency. A few of his points:

"The SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group has been created; it has drafted and adopted a roadmap of the organisation’s further steps with regard to Afghanistan. All this is aimed at helping Afghanistan to become a stable and safe state free of terrorism and drug-related crimes and living at peace with its neighbours.

"During the past few years, Russia, working with support from the SCO, has organised a series of meetings, which were attended by representatives of all the Afghan political forces without exception. We intend to continue doing our utmost to promote national reconciliation in Afghanistan, including at the platform of the Moscow consultations where Afghanistan’s neighbours are represented, including SCO countries, of course, as well as the United States....

"One more open challenge to our common security is the increased number of attempts of direct foreign interference in the internal affairs of states that are involved in SCO activities. I am referring to the blatant infringement on sovereignty, attempts to split societies, change the countries’ path of development and sever the existing political, economic and humanitarian ties that took centuries to develop."

Also noted by Putin are the numerous statements that were made via consensus including:

"Adopted documents also include a statement on the 75th anniversary of Victory in World War II and statements on countering the spread of the terrorist, separatist and extremist ideology, including online, on cooperation in ensuring international information security, on countering the drug threat, on joint efforts against the novel coronavirus infection and on cooperation in the digital economy."

TASS provided this short note about the video conference including:

"The Russian leader also supported Xi Jinping’s statement concerning the safety of digital data. 'In this regard, we will support China’s initiative, as well as the idea to hold a digital economy forum in China,' Putin said, expressing hope that other SCO member states would be willing to participate in the event.

"'Undoubtedly, there are no good and bad civilizations. That said, it is important for us to pool our efforts in the humanitarian field so that integration and interpenetration will create conditions for everyone to enjoy the blessings of every civilization for the sake of common harmonious development,' Putin emphasized."

Many wondered what would become of the SCO when India and Pakistan were admitted. The generally expressed outcome is that the SCO provided another opportunity for dialog between those two and also between India and China that kept their border incidents from escalating. It would be good to know what Modi and Khan had to say in their addresses. It seems Iran must wait another year to become a full member.

Posted by: karlof1 | Nov 10 2020 18:37 utc | 74

MSM just gave a glorifying media blitz to Pfizer/BioTech vaccine: BBC: Covid vaccine: First 'milestone' vaccine offers 90% protection.

Then immediately start to trash the credibility of SinoPharm's vaccine by misleading headlines and quoting politically motivated Brazilian president Bolsonaro.BREAKING: The trial of Chinese Covid-19 vaccine Coronavac has been halted by Brazil, citing a serious adverse event. China has already given the vaccine to people.


In fact,The death of one of the Brazilian volunteer was due to suicide, and has nothing to do with SinoPharm's vaccine.

Just shows how much MSM and big money Pharms are in lockstep! What a bunch of "independent" "truth" tellers!

Posted by: lulu | Nov 10 2020 21:41 utc | 76

In reality, Bolsonaro suspended the tests just hours after the São Paulo governor has announced good news on the vaccine: the arrival of thousands of doses of the vaccines on the 20th.


Btw, Sinopharm has already prepared for the production of 300 million doses.


Posted by: lulu | Nov 10 2020 21:48 utc | 77

Just LOVE to see how "creative" aka cheating & manipulative these MSM presstitutes are!

Bloomberg Headline: China Vaccine Trial Halted in Brazil After Serious Adverse Event ..........Brazil trial volunteer died, unrelated to vaccine

After lots of bullock, the fact buried here one volunteer has died, but the death is not related to the vaccine.

Just wondering how these journalists could tell us with straight face that they are defenders of "truth" and corner-stones of democracy?!

Posted by: lulu | Nov 10 2020 22:04 utc | 78

"With Esper gone and replaced with a new acting defense secretary in the waning months of Trump’s presidency, the stage could be set for a US-Iran war in light of the related news from the US State Department that it plans a “flood” of new Iran sanctions in the coming days.

The outgoing Trump administration could thus be in the process of implementing a one-two punch, whereby the onslaught of new sanctions and other related pressures on Iran would be followed by “triggering events” such as anti-US acts of terror attributed to Iran and its proxies in Iraq and elsewhere, culminating in an all-out war.

In this vein, some foresee a delayed “October surprise” in light of the disputed US presidential elections, with the incumbent president desperately exploring legal avenues to overturn Biden’s victory and secure a backdoor second term in office.

The problem, however, is that there is scant evidence of voter fraud and most US pundits agree there is little or no chance of US courts intervening to change the election result in Trump’s favor absent any significant evidence of a “stolen election”, as falsely claimed by Trump.

But Trump’s hand might be strengthened if the US suddenly finds itself in a state of war in the coming weeks, creating an emergency situation that Trump would leverage to his advantage as a “wartime president” and then somehow use that stature to avoid being evicted from the White House.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, has warned among others that Trump’s ominous decision to suddenly sack Esper and replace him – not with Esper’s deputy, as is the norm – but rather with a loyal hawk from another department has the potential to rupture a “transition of power” to Biden now widely being taken for granted by the Democrats.

In this war scenario, Israel, which dreads the departure of Trump and the prospect of an Obama-like detente with Iran under a new Biden administration, can play its part by staging a “false flag” operation targeting US forces in Iran’s vicinity, yielding the desired result in the form of a massive US military retaliation including a possible high-stakes attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Some Israeli officials have already gone on record in media reports warning that Biden’s victory would mean a war with Iran. Saudi Arabia’s rulers, who are likewise petrified by the possibility of a new, conciliatory US approach towards Iran under Biden could also potentially lend assistance to such a shadow plot.

For Iran’s part, President Hassan Rouhani has reacted to Biden’s victory by sending a conciliatory message that emphasizes Iran’s determination to have a constructive rapport with the international community, while simultaneously calling on the US to honor its international obligations by returning to the Iran nuclear agreement, which Trump confrontationally abandoned."


https://asiatimes.com/2020/11/why-trump-may-still-wage-war-with-iran/

Posted by: daffyDuct | Nov 11 2020 2:34 utc | 79

Given the way things are going...for an example,

https://www.rt.com/uk/506280-biden-democrat-britain-ireland-trade/

... it may be informative to check the Russia in Ireland twitter account every now and then.

https://twitter.com/Rus_Emb_Ireland

In Dublin, the Festival of Russian Culture is running.

"The festival will run from Monday the 9th to Sunday the 15th of November. The festival organiser, the Russian Community Council in Ireland, are proud to present an extensive online programme including lectures, film screening, concerts and cartoons for the younger audience.

The majority of films are with the English subtitles, which makes them accessible to the Irish audience with an interest in the Russian culture.

Welcome speeches of the Russian Ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov and Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu can be viewed on the festival website www.russianfestival.ie"

Posted by: Quasi Retired anonym | Nov 11 2020 13:04 utc | 80

Extracts from World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on "Non-pharmaceutical public health measures for mitigating the risk and impact of epidemic and pandemic influenza" with regard to "Social Distancing Measures":

6.1 Contract Tracing

"Active contact tracing is not recommended in general because there is no obvious rationale for it in most Member States. This intervention could be considered in some locations and circumstances to collect information on the characteristics of the disease and to identify cases, or to delay widespread transmission in the very early stages of a pandemic in isolated communities....Not Recommended...There is no obvious rationale in most Member States."

6.3 Quarantine of exposed individuals

"Home quarantine of exposed individuals to reduce transmission is not recommended because there is no obvious rationale for this measure, and there would be considerable difficulties in implementing it...Not Recommended...due to feasibility concerns with very low quality of evidence."

Source: Non-pharmaceutical public health measures for mitigating the risk and impact of epidemic and pandemic influenza (WHO publication dated 2019)

...and...

Beyond Crucial Update on Viral Issue - and Lockdown "Science"! (Ivor Cummins)

Posted by: ADKC | Nov 11 2020 14:55 utc | 81

Fauci is no expert and my own expression confirms much of the content of this
article also the discovery that Neuropilin, found in the nerves lining the nasal cavity is a
catalytist that accelerates Coronavirus infections.

More even and better yet <=the VISR TR-10 molecule (made from apple peal extracts) <=100% effective at annihilating Corona-virus because it stops <=viral replication cold-in-its track. BTW it takes host cells to support corona virus replication. Why is this stuff not mainstream narrative?

The people of the world need throw the bums in the medical and pharmaceutical industry out. Discount everything they say, as they are lying to the people of the world.. and my experience <=few of these so called professionals with long strings of credentials know what they are doing. I will take a scientist any day over an MD.

have a look at this..more the medical profession stinks

Posted by: snake | Nov 11 2020 14:55 utc | 82

"Max Blumenthal
@MaxBlumenthal
·
15h
Dana Stroul of the neocon WINEP, is listed on Biden's State Dept team.

Stroul helped oversee a congressional panel on Syria that urged US military occupation, crushing sanctions, and preventing rebuilding.

She said the US military "owned" 1/3 of Syria"

And I have heard that somewhere else as well. The journalist said that the US has a defacto no fly zone in Syria over this third of the country that they are occupying.

This land contains the oil and the agricultural land.
The US has in no way given up on toppling Assad.

Posted by: arby | Nov 11 2020 16:30 utc | 83

add-on to #80 --

I suspect that the masters of the USA, indirectly, through the mechanism of "free trade" have given the USA back to Her Majesty The Queen. Of course, that would imply that "free trade" is not entirely about supply chains and the smooth flow of goods and services, but about national sovereignty. Well, that is, only if you believe in nations, nation-states, and not just transnational bodies. Her Majesty may still be finalizing a few details with the Continent (of Europe); Barbados is becoming a republic.

(Please tell me that it`s now is an acceptable time for Schadenfreude.)

Posted by: Quasi Retired anonym | Nov 11 2020 17:10 utc | 84

@Posted by: snake | Nov 11 2020 14:55 utc | 82

More even and better yet <=the VISR TR-10 molecule (made from apple peal extracts) <=100% effective at annihilating Corona-virus because it stops <=viral replication cold-in-its track. BTW it takes host cells to support corona virus replication. Why is this stuff not mainstream narrative?

Because it was developed in *Venezuela*, for goodness sakes!

https://www.rt.com/news/504545-maduro-drug-coronavirus-who/

Posted by: gm | Nov 11 2020 17:46 utc | 85

@Posted by: daffyDuct | Nov 11 2020 2:34 utc | 79

Another scenario where they could try to start a war or produce a false flag operation:
What could go wrong? Could be this why there have been such stampede at DoD?

Look where Pompeo will go after leaving Georgia.

https://twitter.com/descifraguerra/status/1326451918458253313

This is an all out provocation, as wah that of the Russian helycopter...

The United States sends a contingent of Marines to Taiwan to begin a training program for Taiwanese troops that will last four weeks, the first official confirmation in more than 40 years.

The Taiwan Navy Command describes the measure as "a routine training of exchange and military cooperation to improve the capabilities of Taiwanese troops." The training will take place at the Tsoying naval base, in the south of the island.

https://twitter.com/descifraguerra/status/1326448887075401731

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 11 2020 18:33 utc | 86

Passing of Tikhanosvskaya by the hands of the same hair-stylist than Julia Skripal, coincides with expulsion of two Belarusian diplomats from UK...and new delivering of ultimatums..

https://twitter.com/descifraguerra/status/1326301824522055680

https://twitter.com/descifraguerra/status/1326589070898831362

Posted by: H.Schmatz | Nov 11 2020 18:41 utc | 87

where is walter/wally, sorely missed. Only poster who made sense

Posted by: cadaver | Nov 11 2020 21:56 utc | 88

Nothing to see here!

The Hezbollah-backed government resigned after the Beirut blast. Now Lebanon is ready to make deals with Israel (with USA mediating, LOL):

Lebanon, Israel hold second round of maritime demarcation talks"

Lebanon and Israel, still technically at war and with no diplomatic ties, launched a second round of maritime border talks under United Nations and United States auspices to allow for offshore energy exploration.

After years of quiet US shuttle diplomacy, Lebanon and Israel this month said they had agreed to begin the negotiations in what Washington hailed as a “historic” agreement.

Lebanon, mired in its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war, is looking to settle the maritime border dispute so it can press on with its offshore quest for oil and gas.

... Claudine Aoun, daughter of Lebanese President Michel Aoun, told Al Jadeed TV that peace with Israel would be conceivable if outstanding issues were resolved.

The armed movement Hezbollah, a major force in Lebanese politics, has criticised the maritime talks.


=
Meanwhile investigation of the blast is blocked/stalled:
Lebanon: Flawed Domestic Blast Investigation

!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Nov 12 2020 2:20 utc | 89

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