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Millions of Canadians, led by working class truckers, have put their foot down on the political class that has kept them hostage for the past two years. The media hacks scream "extremism" but the movement is going worldwide. Also today - Fauci says three jabs for your kids; Malone disagrees - who do you trust? And UK health workers see the end of the vax mandate.
Over the last century, Americans willingly (and unwillingly) traded in the "American Dream" and freedom for a corporatist system of "rule by experts" and obedience. It was a very bad trade for the people, and a very good trade for the so-called "experts." Benjamin Franklin said: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." He was right.
By Ron Paul
The US Senate will soon vote on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s nomination to a second term. One of the senators opposing Powell is Elizabeth Warren. I don’t often agree with Senator Warren, but I do agree with her assessment that Powell is “dangerous.” However, Warren actually doesn’t understand what makes Powell, or any Fed chairman, intrinsically dangerous to liberty and prosperity. Warren thinks Powell is dangerous because she thinks he will not be supportive enough of imposing her desired new regulations on banks and other financial institutions. Senator Warren, like most progressives, clings to a fantastical notion that regulations benefit workers, consumers, and small businesses. The truth is most regulations benefit large corporations by imposing costs that big businesses can easily absorb, but that their smaller competitors cannot. Powell is a threat to the American people. Under his tenure, the Fed has kept interest rates at or near zero. The Fed’s balance sheet has grown to over eight trillion dollars. This has caused prices to climb at a rate America has not seen in several decades. At his nomination hearing before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell reiterated the Fed's intention to fight inflation by reducing its monthly 120 billion dollars purchase of Treasury and mortgage-backed securities. Powell also stated that the Fed is planning to increase interest rates this year. However, even if the Fed follows through on this, interest rates will remain at historically low levels. Powell, like Elizabeth Warren and other progressives, dangerously believes that the Fed should go “woke.” However, Powell is still not “woke” enough for progressives who lobbied President Joe Biden to replace Powell with Fed board member Lael Brainard, the biggest supporter of Elizabeth Warren-style regulations on the Fed board. Brainard is more committed than Powell to using monetary and regulatory policies to advance the “woke” agenda. President Biden did end up nominating Brainard to become vice chairman at the Fed. A Powell-Brainard Fed would likely use “social and climate justice” as a justification for expanding the Fed’s easy money policies. President Biden has recently nominated Sarah Bloom Raskin to the Fed board, who also has advocated for the Fed to use its power to fight climate change. A central bank committed to the social justice and climate change agendas will inevitably increase the Fed’s “inflation tax.” Contrary to the claims of some progressives, lower-income Americans are primary victims of this hidden and regressive tax. Powell prefers to push his rather zealous and extremist philosophies behind the scenes. Thus, not surprisingly, he is a leading opponent of Audit the Fed. Powell claims that bringing transparency to the Fed's conduct of monetary policy would somehow jeopardize the Fed's independence. Powell’s claim is truly fake news. There is nothing in the Audit the Fed bill giving Congress or the executive branch any new power over monetary policy. Any group of individuals given the power to manipulate the money supply, and manipulate the interest rates that are the price of money, poses a threat to our liberty and prosperity. The solution is not to replace Powell with a “better” Fed chairman, or to force the Fed to follow a “rule” that still allows it to erode the dollar’s value. The only way to protect the people from dangerous individuals like Jerome Powell, Lael Brainard, and the rest of the Fed board is to audit and then end the Fed.
Biden's Surgeon General Vivek Murthy went on MSNBC to join the pile-on on the world's most popular podcaster, Joe Rogan. According to the bureaucrat, Rogan must be silenced because he expresses opinions not endorsed by him or his bosses in the Administration. Meanwhile, Sen. Warren is being sued for trying to get a book she doesn't like censored. Also today: Biden's curious Supreme Court criteria and...why is the media ignoring the largest truck convoy in history?
While the US Embassy in Kiev released a statement urging Americans to leave Ukraine due to the threat of a Russian invasion, the Pentagon continues to back down from the scare stories. The government of Ukraine continues to pour cold water on Biden Admin scare stories. Is this whole thing a dangerous propaganda play? Also today: Most expensive US Naval ship can't even defend itself, which countries are most corrupt, and Fairfax County Schools declare war on new Republican governor (and parents) over masks.
 By Chris Rossini It always takes awhile for the truth to fan out through society. That’s not to say that all the truth is out from Covid tyranny; far from it. But enough truth is now evident to turn the tide of general opinion. Governments have predictably turned on a dime, and are now tripping over themselves to relieve restrictions and mandates. According to this CDC chart, the demand for boosters is dropping precipitously:  What happened? Well, for one thing, people have discovered that unprecedented tyranny failed to "stop the spread.” Here’s a chart of daily Covid cases in the U.S.:  Did masks stop the spread? … No! How about lockdowns? … No! Plastic dividers? Anti-Social distancing? No! How about the “vaccines”? … No! That last one is the real stinger for many people. The propaganda was relentless that if you just take the shots … well, you know the rest. Lots of people did take the shots, only to hear Pfizer’s CEO say the following words: “We know that the two doses of the vaccine offer very limited protection, if any.” With Covid cases exploding, especially in the highest “vaccinated” states and countries, people all over the world have apparently reached the point of “enough is enough.” The protests that have peppered the planet are massive. The resistance seems to have never been stronger. It’s actually very encouraging to see that so many people around the world do not want to live under a medical tyranny. Freedom is certainly not an “American thing.” It’s a human thing, and human beings, no matter where they live, have clearly had enough. So, governments are now backpedalling. This is good, of course, but vigilance and persistence is imperative. The rollback is happening at a snail’s pace, and will continue this way unless people insist otherwise. It must be remembered that those with power will doggedly try to maintain that power. We’ve seen tyrants and petty tyrants come out of the woodwork in all aspects of our lives. These individuals have received a rush and a high unlike any other that they’ve experienced in their lives. They’re not going to want to let that go. They will not want to take their authoritarian impulses back into the shadows. So it’s not as if a switch will be flipped, and the tyrants will go away. It’ll be the opposite. They’ll look for any angle to keep the authoritarian adrenaline going. They will look for “footholds.” Here are some analogies on what is meant by that. When the American empire claims that it is “leaving” a place like Afghanistan, they’re not really “leaving.” They always leave a foothold. They always leave a marker behind. Consider the “War on Terror.” You hardly ever hear those words anymore. But you certainly still experience the TSA. All of the surveillance over our lives is certainly still a present reality. Right? Those are “footholds.” That’s how tyranny works. Rollback from the extreme, but always leave your foot in the door. NEVER go back to normal. NEVER leave people alone again. Then use those “footholds” to ratchet up the tyranny again in the future. With regards to maintaining the Covid regime, Pfizer’s CEO is now backpedalling from suggesting frequent boosters, to “once a year.” That’s a foothold. That leaves their foot in the door. That ensures that being left alone is not an option. It should be rejected. All footholds must be rejected. No amount of tyranny should be acceptable. No amount should be allowed to linger on. If individuals want boosters, or annual Covid shots, fine! To each his own. No one has a right to deny them what they want for their own bodies. But to insist that everyone must do such things is a gross violation of bodily sovereignty. If you don’t have the freedom to reject foreign substances being injected into your body, then you have no freedom at all! None! So while the Covid ‘Berlin Wall’ crumbles, it’s key to remain vigilant and remain persistent in defending liberty. This tangle with tyranny is far from over. The authoritarians who are rolling back their tyranny aren’t doing so because they want to. They’re doing so because they have to. They are the tiniest of minorities, shielded by mass propaganda. But when the people get upset, they have to reluctantly roll back. Insist that no tyranny remains behind. Insist on living a life of Liberty. 
After weeks of hysterically hyping the story that Russia is poised to invade Ukraine, Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby walked way back as Ukraine's own government officials called nonsense on the narrative. Was the whole thing just bluster for ratings? Also today: Capitol Hill Cops spying on social media of staff and visitors for no reason?
 By Jeff Deist Enough is enough. It is time to stop wearing masks, or at the very least to eliminate mask mandates in all settings. This is especially urgent for children in schools and universities, who suffer the effects of masks for long hours each day despite being at exceedingly low risk for death or serious illness from covid. We have a responsibility, once and for all, to reject the ludicrous, ever-shifting narratives underpinning masks as effective impediments to the spread of covid infections. Seriously people—STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus The story changed from "masks don't work" to "masks may work," to "masks work and you must wear one." Now the narrative switches yet again: "Cloth masks don't work, so you should wear a surgical or 'well-fitted' mask," or even wear two! Note that even as covid evolves into a less dangerous omicron variant, we are supposed to increase the hysteria level by wearing masks intended for surgeons maintaining a sterile environment over open wounds. We are told this by the same political, medical, and media figures who have been "frequently wrong but never in doubt" about all things covid over the past two long years. And they spoke with just as much bogus certainty then as they do now. Perversely, the Biden administration recently ordered 400 million surgical N95 masks for distribution across the country. Since N95 masks are considered disposable, and meant to be worn at most for perhaps forty hours, it is unclear what happens in a week or two when 330 million Americans run out of their "free" personal protective equipment. The UK has sensibly ended its mask mandates, both in public places (offices and other workplaces, bars, restaurants, sporting events, theaters) and thankfully schools. One young university student broke down in tears at the news, lamenting the inhumanity of her experience over the past two years. As British health secretary Savid Javid stated, "We must learn to live with covid in the same way we live with flu." Amen. The arguments against masks are straightforward. Masks don't work. Or at least cloth masks don't. Even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now admits what Dr. Anthony Fauci told the world in February 2020: cloth masks don't work and there is no reason to wear one: "The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you." CNN's dubious medical expert Dr. Lena Wen, previously an übermasker, now tells us cloth masks are "little more than facial decorations. And heroic skeptic Dr. Jay Bhattacharya cites both a Danish study and a Bangladeshi study which found cloth masks show little efficacy in preventing covid. Are we seriously prepared to wear tight and uncomfortable surgical masks all day to evade omicron? Masks are filthy. Humans lungs and our respiratory system are designed to inhale nitrogen and oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is literally a waste product, removed from the blood via our lungs. Masks may not trap injurious levels of carbon dioxide against our nose and mouth, but they certainly get filthy very quickly unless changed constantly. They also encourage mouth breathing, which can cause "mask mouth" symptoms including acne, bad breath, tender gums, and lip irritation. Why would we ever interfere with natural breathing unless we felt sick, displayed symptoms, and were worried about infecting others? And in that case, why not just stay home? Masks are dehumanizing. Humans communicate verbally and nonverbally, and masks impede both forms. Masks muffle and distort our words. Our facial expressions are important cues to everyone around us; without those cues, communication and understanding suffer. Infants and toddlers may be most affected, as a lack of facial engagement with parents and loved ones impedes the human connections and attachments formed during childhood. Perhaps most disturbing, however, are the symbolic effects when millions of Americans dutifully wear masks based on flimsy evidence provided by deeply unimpressive people. Facelessness—the lack of individual identity, personality, and looks—is inherently dehumanizing and dystopian. Like prison or military uniforms, masks reduce our personal characteristics. Mask are muzzles, symbols of rote acquiescence to an ugly new normal nobody asked for or voted for. Risk is inevitable. Risk is omnipresent, and heavily subjective (e.g., covid risk varies enormously with age and comorbidities). Nobody has a right to force interventions like masks on others, just as nobody has a right to a hypothetical germ-free landscape. Exhalation is not aggression, short of purposefully attempting to sicken others. People wearing masks arguably shed slightly fewer covid virus particles than those not, but this does not justify banning the latter from public life. As always, the overwhelming burden of justification for any intervention—including mask mandates—must rest on those proposing it, not those opposing it. In sum, Americans are not children. Tradeoffs are part of every policy, whether government officials admit this or not. We know how to coexist with flu, just as we live with countless bacteria and viruses in our environment. We will similarly coexist with covid. The goal is not to eliminate germs, and zero covid is an absurdity. A healthy immune system, built up through diet, exercise, and sunlight, will always be the best frontline defense against communicable disease. But diet, exercise, and sunlight cannot be outsourced to health officials or mandated by politicians. Whatever slight benefits masks may provide are a matter for individuals to decide for themselves. People who feel sick with symptoms should stay home. We can all wash our hands frequently and thoroughly. Otherwise it is time for Americans to assert themselves against the dubious claims and nonexistent legality of government covid measures. It is time to get back to normal life, and that starts with visible human faces. Originally published at The Mises Institute. Jeff Deist is president of the Mises Institute. He previously worked as chief of staff to Congressman Ron Paul, and as an attorney for private equity clients. 
The Biden Administration, followed by lapdog UK, appears determined to ratchet up tensions in Ukraine to the point where war is inevitable. From the publicity stunt of evacuating the US Embassy in Kiev to - laughably - accusing Moscow of planning a Ukraine coup, a Biden Administration sinking in public opinion quicksand appears to be grasping for the war option. But...even Ukraine is putting on the brakes!
Government spends trillions that it doesn't have. How? Well, The Fed creates trillions of new dollars out-of-thin air! These trillions drive up prices, creating skyrocketing inflation. Oftentimes, government piles on to the troubles by imposing price controls. Price controls have been tried for thousands of years; always with the same disastrous results -- widespread shortages! Are Americans ready to accept that government interventions and The Federal Reserve only multiply problems?
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