Never Forget the COVID Fascists

Recent weeks have made it clear that Democrats don’t know fascism, even when it is staring back at them. On fascism, the Father of Fascism, Benito Mussolini, wrote, “The foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty, and its aim. Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State.”

If ever the American government viewed its authority as “absolute,” if ever individual Americans were under the notion that they were “only to be conceived of in their relation to the State,” it was shortly after COVID-19 entered the U.S. I submit to you that the COVID policies—shutdowns and lockdowns; “stay home, stay safe;” mandatory masking, social distancing, testing, and vaccines; and so on—perpetuated by the American left and those like-minded were the greatest demonstration of fascism the United States has ever known. In the nearly 250-year history of the U.S., never before has the American government exercised such power over its citizenry as it did in the name of “slowing the spread,” “following the science,” and the like. And never before in the history of the U.S. has the exercise of government power been so misinformed and misguided, with such disastrous results.

Of course, with elections looming, in an attempt to escape responsibility for their COVID tyranny, Democrats and their lackeys in the media want to blame “the pandemic,” and whenever possible, Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda. For example, last week, the American drive-by media widely reported on the “dismal learning loss” suffered by U.S. students “due to the pandemic.” The idea that “the pandemic erased two decades of progress in math and reading” was frequently parroted by said media.

Tens of millions of American students suffered far more than “learning loss” from the late winter of 2020 until now, but almost none of this was “due to the pandemic.” Rather, it was all due to a widespread foolish—and often downright evil—reaction to the pandemic.

When confronted with the national test results that revealed the scope of the “learning loss” suffered by U.S. students, “turning reality on its head,” the Biden administration pointed the finger at Trump and the GOP and said that re-opening schools “was the work of Democrats in spite of Republicans.” As Guy Benson at Townhall.com noted, this is a “brazen lie.”

Indeed, one of the political reasons that schools remained closed in Democratic areas and states for as long as they did is because President Trump called for them to be open. And because designated villains like Gov. Ron DeSantis were following the data and permitting in-person learning to resume. In an era of negative partisanship, kids were actively and needlessly hurt—with lasting deleterious impact—because politically-addicted adults didn't want [to] admit the 'wrong' sort of people were right about something. Just look at the metrics on states that opened schools first versus last. If [White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre’s] pathetic spin were accurate, the red states would be the holdouts.

We all know that’s not true. It’s the opposite of the truth. Conservative governors were assailed for ‘killing’ children as they made the right call, as Democrat-funding teachers unions blasted school re-openings as white supremacy, and other such insulting nonsense. They cannot run away from their policies, and they cannot run away from their words. 

While the school—and the many school-related activity—shutdowns across the U.S. were tragic, the effects of foolish and unnecessary COVID policies on small American businesses were even worse. “Learning loss” can be recovered. Tens of thousands of small businesses destroyed due to the COVID lockdowns and shutdowns will never return. Barely six months into our COVID hysteria—as I noted in November of 2020—it was clear that fascist government policies were devastating small businesses throughout the U.S. As I noted at the time,

In spite of the science and the months of real-time data that proved it unnecessary, the left has persisted with shutting down businesses and churches. As a result of these state-enforced lockdowns, hundreds of thousands of small businesses in the U.S. have shut down—many of them permanently so.

Data from late September show that between March 1 and August 31, a total of 163,735 businesses on Yelp—which is especially representative of small businesses—closed. According to Yelp, about 60 percent of these businesses (nearly 98,000) will never reopen. The Yelp data reveals that small restaurants and retail stores have been hit particularly hard. It has made zero sense that Walmart, Target, Home Depot—none of whom were requiring masks as late as middle July—and the like have been allowed to remain open, while your local diner, gun store, or gym was forced to close.

By June of 2021, COVID shutdowns and lockdowns had destroyed nearly 40% of U.S. small businesses. As Pajamas Media reported at the time,

While bureaucrats gave Walmart, Costco, Lowe’s, and other big-box stores “essential” status, allowing them to stay open during the COVID pandemic, 38.9% of America’s small businesses, the providers of most of the country’s jobs, were forced to close based on fear, hackneyed social-distancing rules, early ignorance about transmission, and an insatiable desire by governors to micromanage the affairs of men.

Nothing says “micromanaging the affairs of men” like forcing men (and women, and children) to take medicine they don’t want or don’t need. Shortly after COVID-19 began to spread, the rush and the race for a vaccine was on. When the so-called “vaccines” were announced, government throughout the U.S. could hardly contain their desire to enact “vaccine” mandates. We were constantly told that the COVID “vaccines” would actually do what vaccines do: prevent one from getting what one is vaccinated against.

In early 2021, Dr. Anthony Fauci said that the COVID “vaccines” provide “a 94 to 95 percent efficacy in preventing clinically recognizable disease.” In a July, 2021 townhall, Joe Biden himself said, “You’re not going to get COVID if you have these vaccinations.” Natural immunity was all but ignored, and these deceptions were repeated, or implied, ad-nauseum. Those bent towards totalitarianism were eager to create “vaccine” mandates.

These mandates had deadly results. Hospital staff shortages were created, all-cause mortality exploded among many groups, and once new COVID variants arose, the world’s most “vaccinated” countries showed shockingly high COVID infection rates. We were told that unless populations were sufficiently “vaccinated,” a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” would result. Instead, a “pandemic of the vaccinated” developed.

The cost of the American left’s COVID fascism was not only measured in trillions of dollars lost, but countless sickness and death as well. Never forget the COVID fascists who for far too long plagued America. Most certainly remember them when it comes time to vote. If we don’t hold them accountable—and most importantly, remove them from power—I can almost guarantee you that they will do this again when the next “crisis” arrives.

(See this column at American Thinker and The Blue State Conservative.)

Copyright 2022, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith and Reason.
www.TrevorGrantThomas.com 
Trevor is the author of The Miracle and Magnificence of America
trevorgrantthomas@gmail.com

 

Hey Fauci, What Changed?!

As I and others on the side of truth in our battle against COVID-19--and even more importantly, our battle against the numerous foolish reactions to COVID-19--have long noted, those perpetuating and enabling the rampant COVID tyranny that continues to plague parts of the U.S. and the world are still ignoring one of the most fundamental truths of virus science: natural immunity. As the video clip below (AGAIN!) reveals, this has not always been the case:

“The most potent vaccination is getting infected yourself” - Dr. Fauci (pre C19) pic.twitter.com/a6qiDa0Ubt

— ELIJAH (@ElijahSchaffer) March 31, 2022

This begs the question: What changed Dr. Fauci?!!! Of course, nothing in the science changed. Almost certainly, what changed here was the political and financial incentives of those pushing their evil COVID tyranny. 

Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith and Reason.
www.TrevorGrantThomas.com 
Trevor is the author of The Miracle and Magnificence of America
trevorgrantthomas@gmail.com

Anthony Fauci: Prophet of Scientism

We were warned decades ago. In 1958, in Willing Slaves of the Welfare State, C.S. Lewis wrote,

[T]he new oligarchy must more and more base its claim to plan us on its claim to knowledge. If we are to be mothered, mother must know best. This means they must increasingly rely on the advice of scientists, till in the end the politicians proper become merely the scientists’ puppets. Technocracy is the form to which a planned society must tend. Now I dread specialists in power because they are specialists speaking outside their special subjects. Let scientists tell us about sciences. But government involves questions about the good for man, and justice, and what things are worth having at what price; and on these a scientific training gives a man’s opinion no added value. Let the doctor tell me I shall die unless I do so-and-so; but whether life is worth having on those terms is no more a question for him than for any other man…I dread government in the name of science. That is how tyrannies come in.

In the past 18 months, has there been a more dreaded “specialist in power” than Dr. Anthony Fauci? Seemingly reveling in his ability to inflict technocratic tyranny, Fauci has spent much of the past 18 months speaking outside his special subject. And during the Wuhan virus “casedemic” (it was more this than a pandemic) even when he stuck to his “special subject” (immunology and infectious diseases), Fauci has frequently been proven wrong.

On everything from masks (again and again!) to social distancing, testing, the lockdowns, the vaccinated, the asymptomatic, herd immunity, and the origins of the Wuhan virus, Fauci (along with his like-minded ilk) has regularly failed to get it right. Nevertheless, Fauci tells us that those now calling him out—with some (rightly) demanding his resignation or firing—for his repeated failures and deceit are guilty of attacking “science and the truth.”

In other words, in order to protect himself, Fauci is hiding behind “the science.” This is nothing more than another technocrat using scientism to further himself and his perverse agenda, all the while hoping to keep his hands on the levers of Big Government as long as possible. Like all of those steeped in scientism, Fauci is guilty of abusing the scientific method and scientific authority.

Fauci’s scientism has wrought near-immeasurable damage to the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of American businesses were shut down during the foolish lockdowns, with many never to reopen. As a result, millions of Americans lost their jobs. In an attempt to fix this self-inflicted problem, the U.S. government has incurred several trillion dollars more in debt on top of the numerous trillions in debt with which we were already burdened.

In addition, churches were shuttered, playgrounds were closed, sports—even outdoor sports!—were cancelled, concerts were called off, and so on. America entered an unprecedented—and tragically unnecessary—era of inactivity. Because we were repeatedly and wrongly told that a “wave” of virus cases was imminent, hospitals virtually emptied out, postponed treatments and surgeries, and told most everyone to stay away. In other words, thanks largely to Fauci’s scientism, the health care demands of the Wuhan virus were grossly overestimated and many who needed medical care could not get it.

As I noted back in August of 2020, these demands were so “grossly overestimated” that billions of taxpayer dollars were unnecessarily spent—in other words, wasted—on “field hospitals” that were supposedly meant to help “handle” the virus patients as states fought to “flatten the curve.” Numerous hospitals that cost tens of millions of dollars each never treated a single patient. Others treated only a few dozen. Additionally, the hospital patient shortage was so massive that numerous U.S. hospitals suffered unprecedented, albeit self-inflicted, financial devastation.

In spite of being in less danger from the Wuhan virus than they are from the seasonal flu, millions of U.S. students have not seen the inside of their schools for almost a year-and-a-half. Most of those that were allowed to return to school have been foolishly and ignorantly required to wear a face mask. Since U.S. schools were shut down in March of 2020, week after week has provided clear data that shows that the young and healthy are in virtually no danger from the Wuhan virus. Yet the shutdowns and the masking persisted. Why?! The only answer is: scientism.

Fauci has proven himself to be the high priest of this perverse ideology. Make no mistake: much of what has been imposed in the name of the Wuhan virus—including widespread changes in election methods—was done to keep Donald Trump from winning re-election and to further empower power-hungry democrats. However, scientism was the means by which almost all of this was accomplished.

What else could explain many Americans still wearing masks outdoors and alone in their cars? What else could explain an insistence (and then quick reversal) that the vaccinated continue to wear masks and practice “social distancing?” What else could explain the eager rush to shun the idea that the Wuhan virus was manufactured and escaped from a Wuhan lab? What else could explain the rejection of proven remedies to fight diseases like the Wuhan virus?

It was never the business of men (or women) like Dr. Fauci to lead the way in deciding how any government—but especially the government of the United States of America—should govern during a health crisis. Living life on his “terms” during the Wuhan virus debacle has proved a tragic mistake. Hopefully enough Americans have learned the right lessons.

(See this column at American Thinker.) 

Copyright 2021, Trevor Grant Thomas
At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.
www.trevorgrantthomas.com
Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America
tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com

"Masking the Science": "We Wished Masks Worked, But They Don't"

One of the best takedowns of the "masks slow (or even stop) the spread of the coronavirus" narrative--sometimes known as "wear your (expletive) mask" narrative--was recently published by two Oregon physicians, Dr. Tim Powell and Dr. John Powell. Their excellent essay entitled "Masking the Science" was published on the blog of Evergreen Family Medicine where Dr. Tim Powell is the CEO and Medical Director. I came across the piece a couple of weeks ago, and linked to it from my site. 

Yesterday (2/8/21) I was dismayed to discover that my link was to a page that no longer existed. It seems their truth-filled essay has been scrubbed from their blog. I can find it nowhere on their site. Also, I can find no explanation on the internet as to why this piece was taken down. However, I can speculate. I imagine that the cancel-culture mask Nazis targeted (and threatened) these good doctors and thier business. Much pressure was then applied--perhaps even by those like-minded as the doctors on masks, but neverthless frightened by the cancel crowd--for the docors to remove their mask-narrative destroying post. What a shame! However, as many have often rightly said, "the internet is forever." 

Using the internet archive "Wayback Machine," one can still find "Masking the Science." In the name of the truth, and to help end the wicked, widespread masking of Americans, and to help end the evil lockdown of America, here is the complete essay (including many the many informative graphics used):

1/25/2021 Masking the Science

We have purposely avoided directly confronting the issue of masks because it is such an emotional and political issue. Like waving a red flag in front of a bull, the topic elicits strong emotions which overwhelms reason. We wear a mask in the hospital and don a N95 mask, gown and gloves when we see a patient known to have COVID-19. Masks are used for source control when patients are admitted with various types of infectious respiratory diseases. After the visit, we dispense of the gown, gloves and change into our regular surgical mask to continue patient rounds. In public, we wear a cloth mask to comply with executive orders and as a courtesy to others who feel afraid and uncomfortable. Like most of you, we rarely wash the mask, we stick it in our pockets, pick it out of the glove compartment or off the floorboard when we need it.

In truth, we wish masks worked. If they did, it would be a cheap, and easy way to control the spread of Covid. The idea that they protect not only their wearer, but also those people around them seems noble. We wished masks worked because citizens are spending billions of dollars on them.

We wish masks worked because most Americans wear them now. Telling them it was unnecessary will not make them happy. We wish masks worked because they have become a symbol for virtue and social responsibility. Anyone who doubts their utility is personally attacked; as though they don’t believe the viral pandemic is real, or don’t care about those who die from it.

We wish masks worked, because they distract from other important Covid related issues such as: school closings, lack of access for non COVID related illness, increased mental illness, elderly dying alone, missed youth experiences, substance abuse, suicides, increased poverty and homelessness, suppression of free speech, censorship of science, disruption of supply chains, government agencies used to oppress small businesses, restriction of religious gatherings, travel disruptions, isolation protocols, modeling over actual data, quarantines, lockdowns, contact tracing, and global harm of the economy that most impacts the working class, vulnerable and poor.

We wish masks worked.

But they don’t.

At least, not the cloth and surgical masks you see in the public arena. They litter the landscape and waterways. They are difficult for people with disabilities and small children. It promotes natural germaphobe tendencies and indoctrinates the young to see their fellow humankind as a sack of germs.

There have been many randomized controlled trials (RCT) and meta-analysis of previous studies that suggest that masks do not work to prevent influenza- like illnesses, or respiratory illness transmitted by droplets and aerosol particles – like Covid. This knowledge was the basis for the WHO and CDC recommending against the public wearing masks in the spring of 2020. It was repeated by authorities and experts at every level.

Dr. Jerome Adams, the Surgeon General tweeted, “Seriously people – STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing the general public from catching Coronavirus”

Dr. Anthony Fauci told 60 minutes, “There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask”.

In April, the New England Journal of Medicine wrote: “we know that wearing a mask outside of health care facilities offers little, if any protection from infection”.

What changed? Well, it wasn’t the science.

All studies are not equal. The gold standard of medical evidence comes from randomly controlled studies. Recent observational studies that were used to support mask mandates were poorly designed for confounding factors, carried out in medical environments, and then, impressions were extrapolated to the general public. Studies that evaluated the viral exposure of mice in a cage covered with mask material vs. caged mice without a mask cover does not seem to translate well to a world of humans who use their hands. In contrast, a recent Danish mask study of the general public that was performed in a prospective, randomized fashion did not endorse the current majority narrative and was vigorously criticized and suppressed by some.

A new drug, medical product or procedure would never be approved based on this type of evidence.

Logic argues against mask effectiveness. The size differential between viral particle or droplet size expelled from the human respiratory tract compared to the filter size of surgical or cloth masks is substantial. If you read the fine print on most consumer masks, one will likely read a statement such as this; “not intended for medical purposes and has not been tested to reduce the transmission of disease”.

The best studies are outcome based and measure “patient oriented evidence that matters.” A pharmaceutical company may show their statin drug greatly reduces cholesterol and science can show a correlation between cholesterol and heart disease. So, the obvious premise is that lowering cholesterol reduces risk of heart attacks.

Except it doesn’t. At least not for primary prevention in patients without preexisting vascular disease. It is why you must do the study. Does the intervention work in real world conditions?

In August, Pew Research reported that 85% of Americans said they wore masks in public all or most of the time. If this is so, and if masks are effective, why has the incidence of SARS-Cov-2 increased so rapidly? Why is there not a favorable correlation between mask usage and disease transmission in countries and states with different mask policies?

If masks and lockdowns work, why don’t they work?

The graph below shows the daily number of deaths per million in the UK, France, Spain, Italy and Sweden from March to December. The number to the right reflects the percentage of the population that report wearing a mask in public spaces. Sweden has the lowest number of deaths per million in this comparison despite only 7.7% of the surveyed population reported wearing a mask. For those who argue that Norway, Denmark and Finland have lower mortality rates than Sweden. They would be correct, but these countries also have much lower rates of mask use compared to other European countries (less than 50%). Masks have been oversold as a solution.

Dr. Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s state epidemiologist said, “face masks are an easy solution, and I’m deeply distrustful of easy solutions to complex problems”. He was right. Sweden now (1/23/2021) has fewer deaths per million people (1086) than the United States (1284). In fact, they have a lower death rate than 30 of our states. History is replete with examples when politics or religion meddles with science and adversely impacts solutions. Dr. Martin Kulldorff has argued against widespread public mask mandates from the beginning. He is a professor at Harvard Medical School and a leader in disease surveillance methods and infectious disease outbreaks. He describes the current pandemic policy of COVID lockdowns and mask use this way; “after 300 years, the Age of Enlightenment has ended.”

At this point, many do not need an expert opinion to trust their own intuition and lying eyes that masks are not working. Everyone wants to mitigate the transmission of the virus, but let’s focus on what works.

But, wearing a mask is so easy to do. Can’t you just shut up and wear the damn mask?

Why are we poking this tiger, this mask issue now?

Because there is mass hysteria, and many are blind to it.

Because it’s an irrational and divisive policy when unity is required more than ever.

Because evidence should matter.

Because in 2019, if we saw a father struggling to muzzle a terrified, crying 2-year old child on a plane with a cloth, we would report them to authorities for possible child abuse. In 2021, we kick the whole family off the plane unless the father is successful in his efforts.

Because of a young man with autism who is unable to tolerate a mask on his face is publicly shamed.

Because the masks offer a false sense of security and may adversely impact more important public health mitigation measures.

Because our local high school cross-country teams should not be running the trails wearing masks.

Because the Oregon Board of Medicine suspended the license of a physician who objected to this policy.

Because one of the greatest losses in this pandemic has been the loss of credibility of organizations for whom we held in high regard. Organizations such as the CDC, WHO and Public Health Organizations that need to maintain the trust of the citizens.

Because it is increasingly apparent that the basis for the mask mandate is not medical, but political.

Because fear and panic should not prevail over actual evidence, even when many powerful institutions have expended so much political capital promoting the wrong policy.

We wish masks worked.

We wished we didn’t have to fight about them.

But they don’t.

And we do.

Tim Powell MD

John Powell MD

If you want to see more graphs, we have included them below as well as a video demonstration.

In September 2020, the CDC acknowledged that SARS-Cov-2 could be spread in an aerosolized manner. Masks are ineffective against this mode of transmission. Early in this pandemic, some physicians showed video evidence of how masks might work as a source control for droplet transmission of COVID-19. Unfortunately, this is not the case for aerosolized transmission of viruses as demonstrated in the video below.