I can’t help but wonder if the sudden incessant push for mandating vaccination in healthcare settings has to do with one last chance to claim vaccines saved the world. if you can force the final 25+% of healthcare workers to be vaccinated then (1) you lose both the control group for which we could compare real world efficacy and long term safety data (2) you can claim vaccines are the reason we no longer need to mask up and (3) you can claim natural immunity will never be enough so we must also mandate boosters for HCWs. this is a bad scenario. as long as there is a control group of unvaccinated HCWs who evade symptomatic infection by SARSCoV2 (because they already possess cellular immunity), then there remains a threat to the “vaccine is the only way of escape” narrative. as long as naturally immune people live life unmasked and have rates of infection no different than vaccinated, then they threaten the “my mask protect you” narrative. as long as there is a control group of unvaccinated individuals, there remains a threat to the possibility of noticing long term safety signals of vaccination. the naturally immune unvaccinated are the biggest threat to the Covidian narrative. as an unvaccinated naturally immune healthcare worker providing anesthesia to COVID+ patients during surgery, this is the hill on which I will die fighting.
It strikes me that what you say is definitely one layer to the issue. I saw a tweet this week that suggests another:
"The real targets of the ubiquitous, unending vaccine propaganda are not the unvaccinated, but the vaccinated.
"The goal is not to convince the unvaxxed to submit, it is to train the vaxxed to hate whoever they are told to hate." (Daniel Kotzen)
This guy gets that once they divide us into two big groups, it's easier to pick off smaller groups for people to turn against. The playbook isn't a new one.
To say this is spot-on is to horribly understate the situation! The best control mechanism is those who *think* they are "helping," but who are simply acting as pawns for those who actually crave the power, and benefit from the outcome.
I think you're right. Secular collectivists are desperate to have this end in a victory for the spirit of unity, which they can then carry into the fight against climate change, inequality, etc. A control group of unvax'd is a threat to such a narrative, although when you control the media and lying is an option, this shouldn't stand in their way.
Won’t stand in the way of the collectivists narrative. They will just lie to us and the stenographers will repeat the messaging word for word. Unfortunately I do not share Gato’s optimism
As a rule of thumb, a persecuted minority must always be < 2% of the total population for the tyrants to succeed. Let's call it the "herd minority threshold". At this threshold, the minority can't escape their fate, because there are not enough members within the majority herd who are acquainted with any member of the minority. This is why Nazi Germany was so successful against the jews. For us to have any chance of survival, let alone winning, we have to push our numbers above 2%. My gut feeling is we are nowhere near. And if anybody asks me to peer review the 2%, I'm going to scream.
You've hit the nail on the head. It's obviously about preserving the narrative. Explains why they're pushing vaccinations for the recovered , as well (I can't think of anything more lunatic). If they lose the narrative , the collapse in the global psyche could be horrendous, when people realise they've thrown their lives away for a mirage. Naturally, we want the narrative to collapse to restore reason and sanity, but are we sure the resulting meltdown in the global psyche won't be worse than the hysterical lockdown?
Thanks for the information and link. I was being a bit cheeky and mostly referring to Merck’s efforts to pile on to the IvM naysayers. Have never seen anything like the takedown of this off patent drug. I believe it was the CDC or another government entity that made a point of adding that IvM is a drug that is “regularly used in animals” while conveniently leaving out that it has been used by humans for 35 years! Mot part of the narrative so censor and demonize, wash, rinse and repeat
Merck's great dilemma: promote their old drug Ivermectin for which they will receive 0 dollars, or their new untried anti-viral for which they'll receive > US$1bn?
“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”
Always love the pedants joining the commentary. The fact that you can correct it proves that no disambiguation is required, the only thing that's important. But carry on, it's quite charming to see people being so quaint. You forgot to mention that El Gato has not capitalised at the start of each sentence. I've left some deliberate typos in this reply to keep you amused.
I have no idea what warranted all this hostility. Even El Gato himself liked my advice- which is all it was: REPECTFUL ("you may want to.."), freely-offered advice.
I would not assume for any amount of money that "everyone" would have necessarily known that one word meant an entirely different word, or what the word "gestalt" is.
I highly value Gato's writing, as do a lot of people here, and he's often quoted and reposted elsewhere- why not help ensure he's represented accurately? His choice to leave letters lowercase is clearly artistic license and not an unintentional error- but people have diminished otherwise good points for less.
I don't get this friendly fire- it's weirdly aggressive. Show me on this anatomically correct doll where the English teacher hurt you.
The bad kitty meme of thumb on scale CDC PCR Ct <= 28 is not forgotten. A warm saucer of milk if you do the honourable thing and issue a retraction. Even though I must admit that that bad meme seems to have quietened down, so you don't reaaly need to do anything about it.
I'd love to know where I'd have gotten that. Really- ANY evidence in the text would be welcomed.
Could it in fact be that you're backpedaling on a mean-spirited attack that proved less popular than you originally anticipated, as you didn't offer this reply until AFTER El Gato had thanked me for the assistance?
Since we seem to be on the same side on virtually every variable of the real topic at hand, why don't we just give each other the benefit of the doubt, and kiss and make up with no masks on?
Peace, my friend, we're on the same side. My apologies for not signalling my satirical intent more overtly. From your side, maybe a little less sensitivity? To sum up, we all love the little kitty, even when he's behaving badly.
I'm afraid I know too many "barking mad" people. I'm not sure some of them are capable of admitting they were wrong...about everything. And too many love to virtue signal and feel superior.
We are protected in the United States by our constitutional republic and distributed authority and by the 1st and 2nd Amendments, which is probably why the left has failed in their attempt at control. But, they will regroup, and they will be back. We must be alert and prepared.
The Delta variant will move across the country and hit different regions at different times. Fortunately, this variant isn't as dangerous and there is significant community immunity. The cold & flu season will return in the fall. They're try to use it to stoke fear and break people. Some communities will push for lockdowns and masks and school closures.
Fear the normal winter surge of influenza like illnesses, of which Covid is but one. If they can bridge the summer gap with Delta, Lambda... scariants, then we are probably doomed for more lockdown hysteria come the fall.
We were just all talking about this last night over sushi- how young people don't want to hurt anyone's feelings regarding issues they really should be questioning. Our topic was women supporting men in women's sports. Boggles my mind. On another note, I scream "the tests are bad" to at least one person daily (even friends I have known for years and who I thought had better heads on their shoulders) sigh.
As a teacher your point resonates with me. young people need to learn to disagree civilly — older folks and younger parents perhaps have forgotten how, to some extent given the coarsening of culture and the divisions foisted upon the populace — but the unwillingness to state a truth in order to protect someone else’s feelings is endemic now, and partly enabled us to arrive at a place where serious people accepted the covid-era inversion of responsibility and risk: “your mask protects me” and thus “I’m not comfortable if you’re not masked/vaxed.” In Boston they’ve announced masks in school this fall. I will need to ramp up my protest game because I don’t know if I can take another year of this delusion and denial of reality bowing at the altar of authorities whose power to shut things down (education, kids emotional growth, etc) MUST be clawed back. Masks are inhuman.
This article is a good try with lots of clickable links. The writer is trying hard to be a journalist. It's very long so I want to sum it up buy copying what I thought was the best part:
"While the virus itself could certainly pass through cloth, the droplets that spread it can't. Cloth masks block most large droplets, and multi-layer cloth masks block a lot more, with reductions as high as 50-70%. Masks are much more effective at preventing an infected person from spreading COVID than they are at keeping you safe from catching it, but it's still much better than not using a mask at all, especially if you're in an area with closely-packed infected people."
What I got from this is that somewhere she got the idea (no evidence presented) that large droplets were a major way of getting Covid. I can imagine it very bad someone who is infectious was coughing or sneezing in your face from a couple feet away, but I don't recall that happening to me since this began.
So I give her credit for even writing an article titled: "What's the science behind masks? Do masks prevent or reduce COVID infection?"
I thought the idea that cloth masks work was settled in the minds of almost everybody, as true.
Notice I used the word 'true.' This writer seems to think, like most people who have kicked the religious habit, that science = truth. I would have been impressed if the title had been,"What's the truth behind masks? Do masks prevent or reduce COVID infection?"
The virus is now known to have very little spread through droplets. The main vector is a fine invisible aerosol suespended in the air for weeks, similar to the way TB is spread. The virus particle is, on average, 1000 times smaller than the smallest hole in your chinese nappy, so good luck with your rain dancing mask wearing. But droplets have been burned into your brain by perpetual propaganda, so there's no way back for you.
I think as far as masks go, they illustrate the irrational "surely every little bit helps" or "even a little bit is better than nothing" thinking that prevails these days, largely do to marketing brainwashing. People think that there is some minimum number of virons that need to be inhaled before you get sick (is there? what if it's just one?) and so if you can block some of them, you'll be good. That infamous "Swiss-cheese" theory of useless protective actions.
Marketing has sold people on the idea that tiny things, tiny changes are BIG DEALS and now it's ingrained in our thinking. Selling cookies in 100 calorie packages in order to "help you lose weight." Touting an energy drink that "burns 5% more calories." A savings account that pays you the "highest rates in the country" of 0.05%. A new car that offers "highest gas mileage in the country" of 1 mpg higher than it's competition. A pill that lowers your cholesterol so that you can live four days longer. "Plant a tree" every time you fly to "lower your carbon footprint." Etc. Etc.
People are no longer able to separate the hype from the reality, and seem unable to understand that something can be both true and irrelevant at the same time. "Higher" doesn't mean high. "Prettier" doesn't mean pretty. "More effective" does not mean "effective." Buying a lottery ticket truly does increase your chances of wining the lottery, but you are still going to lose. "Mask work to block boogers" does not mean "masks work to stop a pandemic."
Umm, most people, including and likely especially, the liberal arts educated gender studies types, are pretty dull. Add a sprinkle of wokeness and not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings unless they are white and conservative and I hope you will excuse me when I say the future leaders of our teetering western democracies do not inspire confidence. But then again neither do our current leaders. End of story, case closed.
"the teacher’s unions that have used this pandemic to such brutal effect to advance themselves are alienated and nearing full blown pariah status. they are one more dumb statement away from setting off a cascade of voucher programs."
We should be so lucky. Maybe give them the mic for just a little bit longer?
Beautiful music to my ears brother in Christ. Put on your armour . We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. Hallelujah we win. LM
Superb, El Gato, as per usual. The lizard limbic brain cutting off rational thinking has a medical term: "amygdala hijack". Google it. I 'm not in complete agreement about the evil people attempting to enslave us, I think even they have been in thrall to unbelievable fear and dread, though, of course, they are seeing their chance to increase their power, in what they believe is a righteous cause. Mike Yeadon calls this "convergent opportunity". Hail to Saint Anthony and Uncle Bill.
I can’t help but wonder if the sudden incessant push for mandating vaccination in healthcare settings has to do with one last chance to claim vaccines saved the world. if you can force the final 25+% of healthcare workers to be vaccinated then (1) you lose both the control group for which we could compare real world efficacy and long term safety data (2) you can claim vaccines are the reason we no longer need to mask up and (3) you can claim natural immunity will never be enough so we must also mandate boosters for HCWs. this is a bad scenario. as long as there is a control group of unvaccinated HCWs who evade symptomatic infection by SARSCoV2 (because they already possess cellular immunity), then there remains a threat to the “vaccine is the only way of escape” narrative. as long as naturally immune people live life unmasked and have rates of infection no different than vaccinated, then they threaten the “my mask protect you” narrative. as long as there is a control group of unvaccinated individuals, there remains a threat to the possibility of noticing long term safety signals of vaccination. the naturally immune unvaccinated are the biggest threat to the Covidian narrative. as an unvaccinated naturally immune healthcare worker providing anesthesia to COVID+ patients during surgery, this is the hill on which I will die fighting.
It strikes me that what you say is definitely one layer to the issue. I saw a tweet this week that suggests another:
"The real targets of the ubiquitous, unending vaccine propaganda are not the unvaccinated, but the vaccinated.
"The goal is not to convince the unvaxxed to submit, it is to train the vaxxed to hate whoever they are told to hate." (Daniel Kotzen)
This guy gets that once they divide us into two big groups, it's easier to pick off smaller groups for people to turn against. The playbook isn't a new one.
To say this is spot-on is to horribly understate the situation! The best control mechanism is those who *think* they are "helping," but who are simply acting as pawns for those who actually crave the power, and benefit from the outcome.
I think you're right. Secular collectivists are desperate to have this end in a victory for the spirit of unity, which they can then carry into the fight against climate change, inequality, etc. A control group of unvax'd is a threat to such a narrative, although when you control the media and lying is an option, this shouldn't stand in their way.
Won’t stand in the way of the collectivists narrative. They will just lie to us and the stenographers will repeat the messaging word for word. Unfortunately I do not share Gato’s optimism
As a rule of thumb, a persecuted minority must always be < 2% of the total population for the tyrants to succeed. Let's call it the "herd minority threshold". At this threshold, the minority can't escape their fate, because there are not enough members within the majority herd who are acquainted with any member of the minority. This is why Nazi Germany was so successful against the jews. For us to have any chance of survival, let alone winning, we have to push our numbers above 2%. My gut feeling is we are nowhere near. And if anybody asks me to peer review the 2%, I'm going to scream.
You've hit the nail on the head. It's obviously about preserving the narrative. Explains why they're pushing vaccinations for the recovered , as well (I can't think of anything more lunatic). If they lose the narrative , the collapse in the global psyche could be horrendous, when people realise they've thrown their lives away for a mirage. Naturally, we want the narrative to collapse to restore reason and sanity, but are we sure the resulting meltdown in the global psyche won't be worse than the hysterical lockdown?
ihme projections include wildly positive effect of "100% masking" despite the fact such is nirvana!
merck has an anti viral with + ph 3 trial in india
the push is likely bc merck is large enough to do what hcq/ivermectin did not.....
should get eua in autumn, if pfizer, J&J don't lobby
Yes and wanna bet Merck’s anti-viral is a pretty close formulation to Ivermectin?
Actually molnupiravir has nothing structural in common w IvM
and was purchased from another pharma which wasn't able to find a use for it
after buying it from Emory Univ research lab
it's reputed Mechanism of Action (MoA) v SCoV2 is only one
while IvM has a handful
diagrams here
https://mobile.twitter.com/debe/status/1404788091248852997
Thanks for the information and link. I was being a bit cheeky and mostly referring to Merck’s efforts to pile on to the IvM naysayers. Have never seen anything like the takedown of this off patent drug. I believe it was the CDC or another government entity that made a point of adding that IvM is a drug that is “regularly used in animals” while conveniently leaving out that it has been used by humans for 35 years! Mot part of the narrative so censor and demonize, wash, rinse and repeat
Doubt it.
Merck's great dilemma: promote their old drug Ivermectin for which they will receive 0 dollars, or their new untried anti-viral for which they'll receive > US$1bn?
“THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”
Mr. Gato,
You may want to fix some typos:
>>> of message is the gestaly. theirs is anti-socisl.
Should (presumably) read,
"OUR message is the GESTALT, theirs is anti-SOCIAL."
Always love the pedants joining the commentary. The fact that you can correct it proves that no disambiguation is required, the only thing that's important. But carry on, it's quite charming to see people being so quaint. You forgot to mention that El Gato has not capitalised at the start of each sentence. I've left some deliberate typos in this reply to keep you amused.
It's quaint to spell words properly?
I have no idea what warranted all this hostility. Even El Gato himself liked my advice- which is all it was: REPECTFUL ("you may want to.."), freely-offered advice.
I would not assume for any amount of money that "everyone" would have necessarily known that one word meant an entirely different word, or what the word "gestalt" is.
I highly value Gato's writing, as do a lot of people here, and he's often quoted and reposted elsewhere- why not help ensure he's represented accurately? His choice to leave letters lowercase is clearly artistic license and not an unintentional error- but people have diminished otherwise good points for less.
I don't get this friendly fire- it's weirdly aggressive. Show me on this anatomically correct doll where the English teacher hurt you.
fwiw, it's not as easy to type with paws as it looks.
and i do appreciate the editorial help. proofreading for spelling is clearly not my forte...
The bad kitty meme of thumb on scale CDC PCR Ct <= 28 is not forgotten. A warm saucer of milk if you do the honourable thing and issue a retraction. Even though I must admit that that bad meme seems to have quietened down, so you don't reaaly need to do anything about it.
I know better than to judge cats about absolutely anything at all. That way lies doom.
Unsolicited assistance and appeals to vanity usually work a treat.
Wonderful defence. I was being tongue-in-cheek.
I'd love to know where I'd have gotten that. Really- ANY evidence in the text would be welcomed.
Could it in fact be that you're backpedaling on a mean-spirited attack that proved less popular than you originally anticipated, as you didn't offer this reply until AFTER El Gato had thanked me for the assistance?
Since we seem to be on the same side on virtually every variable of the real topic at hand, why don't we just give each other the benefit of the doubt, and kiss and make up with no masks on?
Peace, my friend, we're on the same side. My apologies for not signalling my satirical intent more overtly. From your side, maybe a little less sensitivity? To sum up, we all love the little kitty, even when he's behaving badly.
I'm afraid I know too many "barking mad" people. I'm not sure some of them are capable of admitting they were wrong...about everything. And too many love to virtue signal and feel superior.
We are protected in the United States by our constitutional republic and distributed authority and by the 1st and 2nd Amendments, which is probably why the left has failed in their attempt at control. But, they will regroup, and they will be back. We must be alert and prepared.
The Delta variant will move across the country and hit different regions at different times. Fortunately, this variant isn't as dangerous and there is significant community immunity. The cold & flu season will return in the fall. They're try to use it to stoke fear and break people. Some communities will push for lockdowns and masks and school closures.
The battle is won. The war continues.
Fear the normal winter surge of influenza like illnesses, of which Covid is but one. If they can bridge the summer gap with Delta, Lambda... scariants, then we are probably doomed for more lockdown hysteria come the fall.
We were just all talking about this last night over sushi- how young people don't want to hurt anyone's feelings regarding issues they really should be questioning. Our topic was women supporting men in women's sports. Boggles my mind. On another note, I scream "the tests are bad" to at least one person daily (even friends I have known for years and who I thought had better heads on their shoulders) sigh.
As a teacher your point resonates with me. young people need to learn to disagree civilly — older folks and younger parents perhaps have forgotten how, to some extent given the coarsening of culture and the divisions foisted upon the populace — but the unwillingness to state a truth in order to protect someone else’s feelings is endemic now, and partly enabled us to arrive at a place where serious people accepted the covid-era inversion of responsibility and risk: “your mask protects me” and thus “I’m not comfortable if you’re not masked/vaxed.” In Boston they’ve announced masks in school this fall. I will need to ramp up my protest game because I don’t know if I can take another year of this delusion and denial of reality bowing at the altar of authorities whose power to shut things down (education, kids emotional growth, etc) MUST be clawed back. Masks are inhuman.
The woke lunacy: I will cancel your existence and destroy your means of livelihood because you called me fat, which hurt my feelings.
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/coronavirus/2021/07/23/masks-covid-19-science-behind-how-face-coverings-work/8062401002/?utm_source=palmbeachpost-Daily%20Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_briefing&utm_term=list_article_thumb&utm_content=FLORIDA-PALMBEACHPOST-NLETTER65
This article is a good try with lots of clickable links. The writer is trying hard to be a journalist. It's very long so I want to sum it up buy copying what I thought was the best part:
"While the virus itself could certainly pass through cloth, the droplets that spread it can't. Cloth masks block most large droplets, and multi-layer cloth masks block a lot more, with reductions as high as 50-70%. Masks are much more effective at preventing an infected person from spreading COVID than they are at keeping you safe from catching it, but it's still much better than not using a mask at all, especially if you're in an area with closely-packed infected people."
What I got from this is that somewhere she got the idea (no evidence presented) that large droplets were a major way of getting Covid. I can imagine it very bad someone who is infectious was coughing or sneezing in your face from a couple feet away, but I don't recall that happening to me since this began.
So I give her credit for even writing an article titled: "What's the science behind masks? Do masks prevent or reduce COVID infection?"
I thought the idea that cloth masks work was settled in the minds of almost everybody, as true.
Notice I used the word 'true.' This writer seems to think, like most people who have kicked the religious habit, that science = truth. I would have been impressed if the title had been,"What's the truth behind masks? Do masks prevent or reduce COVID infection?"
The virus is now known to have very little spread through droplets. The main vector is a fine invisible aerosol suespended in the air for weeks, similar to the way TB is spread. The virus particle is, on average, 1000 times smaller than the smallest hole in your chinese nappy, so good luck with your rain dancing mask wearing. But droplets have been burned into your brain by perpetual propaganda, so there's no way back for you.
I think as far as masks go, they illustrate the irrational "surely every little bit helps" or "even a little bit is better than nothing" thinking that prevails these days, largely do to marketing brainwashing. People think that there is some minimum number of virons that need to be inhaled before you get sick (is there? what if it's just one?) and so if you can block some of them, you'll be good. That infamous "Swiss-cheese" theory of useless protective actions.
Marketing has sold people on the idea that tiny things, tiny changes are BIG DEALS and now it's ingrained in our thinking. Selling cookies in 100 calorie packages in order to "help you lose weight." Touting an energy drink that "burns 5% more calories." A savings account that pays you the "highest rates in the country" of 0.05%. A new car that offers "highest gas mileage in the country" of 1 mpg higher than it's competition. A pill that lowers your cholesterol so that you can live four days longer. "Plant a tree" every time you fly to "lower your carbon footprint." Etc. Etc.
People are no longer able to separate the hype from the reality, and seem unable to understand that something can be both true and irrelevant at the same time. "Higher" doesn't mean high. "Prettier" doesn't mean pretty. "More effective" does not mean "effective." Buying a lottery ticket truly does increase your chances of wining the lottery, but you are still going to lose. "Mask work to block boogers" does not mean "masks work to stop a pandemic."
Umm, most people, including and likely especially, the liberal arts educated gender studies types, are pretty dull. Add a sprinkle of wokeness and not wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings unless they are white and conservative and I hope you will excuse me when I say the future leaders of our teetering western democracies do not inspire confidence. But then again neither do our current leaders. End of story, case closed.
Not your brain, apologies, I see you're still agnostic.
Recommended: https://rationalground.com/masks-are-not-source-control/
by the impressive
https://mobile.twitter.com/mamasaurusMeg
"the teacher’s unions that have used this pandemic to such brutal effect to advance themselves are alienated and nearing full blown pariah status. they are one more dumb statement away from setting off a cascade of voucher programs."
We should be so lucky. Maybe give them the mic for just a little bit longer?
I am embarrassed for my once-respected profession
Beautiful music to my ears brother in Christ. Put on your armour . We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. Hallelujah we win. LM
Brilliant,as usual.even in third world countries there is a lot of pressure to conform
Superb, El Gato, as per usual. The lizard limbic brain cutting off rational thinking has a medical term: "amygdala hijack". Google it. I 'm not in complete agreement about the evil people attempting to enslave us, I think even they have been in thrall to unbelievable fear and dread, though, of course, they are seeing their chance to increase their power, in what they believe is a righteous cause. Mike Yeadon calls this "convergent opportunity". Hail to Saint Anthony and Uncle Bill.
Thank you for speaking the truth so needfully and so eloquently.
they confused blake with covid he was probably one of those vapers whose lungs implode....... had a =pcr anyway!
why have they not shuttered society bc vapers?
or even effected distro....?
Wasn't the vaping a crisis a pseudo epidemic?