LRC Blog
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/bidens-israel-policy-becomes-albatross-around-democrat-party-necks/
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/koch-machine-endorses-nikki-haley/
In response, Haley wrote, “This is a choice between freedom and socialism, individual liberty and big government, fiscal responsibility and spiraling debt. We have a country to save, and I’m grateful to have AFP Action by our side.”
Sure, Nikki. You’ll drain that swamp that Trump promised to drain but never did. (Trump, in office, surrounded himself with the swamp: Bolton, McMaster, Kelly, Wray, and on and on, including Haley! And he’d do it again, at least to some extent with Jared and Ivanka running the show as they almost certainly would be in a second Trump administration.) But Nikki will buck that and this Koch endorsement is solid proof. And I also have a few bridges on I-65 I’d like to sell someone.
1:27 pm on November 28, 2023
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/let-them-eat-cake-un-wants-americans-to-reduce-eating-meat/
Fire up your grill! The UN is set to call on Americans to eat less meat. In the real world, every individual is unique and free to choose whether or not to eat meat. That’s obvious to a vast majority of people. But in typical cookie-cutter fashion, the UN presumes to know what everyone’s dietary habits should be. Even though the UN has no authority to implement their bad ideas, it does give everyone a glimpse of the authoritarian globalist mindset.
12:51 pm on November 28, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/babylon-bee-and-ai-take-on-virology-fraud-enjoy-some-laughs/
On August 23rd, 2023, the Babylon Bee pointed out the coincidental timing of the new “variant” popping up along with the upcoming election. It explains just how this “threat” could favor mail-in voting and election fraud:
ATLANTA, GA — The Center for Disease Control warned Americans this week to resume all contact precautions due to a new and rapidly-spreading “Electionyearicron” Covid variant.
CDC director Bob Cohen spoke with reporters Wednesday to announce the new variant. “‘Electionyearicron’ is thought to be the most disruptive variant yet, and will be here all through 2024 until approximately November sixth,” said Mr. Cohen. “So everyone, stay home and get ready to vote by mail!”
The White House hosted an immediate press conference to address the dangerous new variant. “We’re thrilled – I mean, um, alarmed – to hear of this deadly new ‘Electionyearicron’ variant,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “The President says we’ll probably just go ahead and cancel the general elections next year as a precaution. It’s the only way to really flatten the curve. You don’t want to kill grandma, do you?”
The CDC has released guidelines once again encouraging social distancing and the wearing of masks. “It’s the best way to love your neighbor,” said Mr. Cohen. “The government will let you know just as soon as it’s safe to end quarantine, which we project to be immediately after the next election is over. Just to give Americans an extra sense of assurance, we are calling Dr. Fauci back out of retirement so everyone knows they can trust our word. Stay home, stay safe!”
As of press time, millions of middle-class liberal women had already sewn their N95 masks directly onto their faces as a precaution.
This next one was NOT written by The Babylon Bee.
In fact, it wasn’t even written by a human.
This gem of satire was entirely written by AI, or ChatBot GPT, to be precise.
In a groundbreaking study that’s turning the medical world upside down, scientists have issued a new warning: literally every life experience, aside from receiving the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. This startling revelation came after extensive research, which, coincidentally, was conducted while the researchers were all safely vaccinated.
From eating a balanced breakfast to watching a sunset, the list of hazardous activities is endless, experts say. “Even thinking about not being vaccinated seems to be a risk factor,” one scientist noted while adjusting his triple-layered mask.
Surprisingly, the study found that getting any of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is the only known activity that does not contribute to these health risks. “It’s miraculous, really,” a researcher commented, scrolling through his stock portfolio of pharmaceutical companies.
Critics of the study have been quick to point out potential flaws, but they have been reassured that any contradictory thoughts they have may increase their risk of cardiovascular events. “Just to be safe, we recommend not questioning the science,” advised a spokesperson from the health ministry.
Meanwhile, gyms across the nation are now offering vaccination booths next to treadmills. “It’s the safest way to exercise,” said a gym owner, who just updated the liability waiver to include ‘thinking about unvaccinated life.’
As the news spreads, citizens are taking no chances. One individual was seen throwing away his meditation mat, stating, “I can’t risk it. I’m going to get my fourth booster instead.”
The study has garnered immense support from various health authorities, with plans to incorporate these findings into new public health guidelines. “We’re considering recommending a vaccine shot for every life decision,” disclosed an anonymous source from the health department.
In related news, kale sales have plummeted, and meditation apps are being rebranded as vaccine reminder tools. As the world adjusts to these new guidelines, one thing is clear: the only safe activity is getting vaccinated—again, and again, and again.
After this Mike Stone of ViroLIEgy.com asked ChatBot GPT to create several more:
In a groundbreaking moment of self-awareness, virologists worldwide have come to a shocking realization – they might have overlooked a tiny detail in their pursuit of unraveling the mysteries of viruses. Turns out, the scientific method, that quaint little protocol for rigorous inquiry, was nowhere to be found in their job description.
Lead virologist Dr. Curious McLabcoat expressed bewilderment during a press conference, exclaiming, “We were going through our daily routine of peering into microscopes and enthusiastically exclaiming ‘Eureka!’ when we suddenly wondered, ‘Wait a minute, what’s this scientific method everyone’s talking about?'”
Sources from inside virology labs reveal a chaotic scene where researchers often threw caution (and the scientific method) to the wind. Instead of meticulous experimentation, some labs reportedly relied on the classic method of ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe’ to decide which variable to test next.
Critics are shaking their heads, pointing out that virologists may have misplaced their checklists for controlled experiments. Unconfirmed reports suggest that some experiments involved comparing virus samples to a magic eight ball for results.
One virologist, who wished to remain anonymous, confessed, “We were too busy perfecting our ‘spinning-in-office-chairs’ technique to bother with those tedious peer-reviewed journals. Who has time for that when you’re trying to discover the secrets of the microscopic universe?”
With this revelation, the field of virology stands on the precipice of a new era. Dr. McLabcoat assured the public, “Fear not, fellow Earthlings! We may have been a tad lax on the scientific method, but we’ll dust it off, give it a spit shine, and see where this ‘systematic inquiry’ thing takes us.”
In the meantime, the scientific community is advised to brace itself for a surge in lab-coat-clad professionals revisiting their old textbooks and trying to locate the missing chapters on proper experimental design. After all, science is all about the journey, even if you forgot your map along the way.
Enjoy several more of these wonderfully satiric – and educational – creations HERE.
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/free-speech-the-great-enemy-of-the-empire-of-lies/
Throughout history, authoritarians have been playing a futile game of whack-a-mole against the truth. Since authoritarians gain and maintain their power by propaganda and lies, it follows that free speech and the truth are their great enemy. No matter what “systems” the authoritarians try to erect to stop people from speaking freely, the truth always prevails. It ends up being spoken from the most unplanned, unexpected, and unpredictable places. Nevertheless, we must forever remain vigilant and defend our ability to speak freely.
12:38 pm on November 27, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/stunning-trump-now-has-a-3c2a2-lead-on-biden-at-predictit-11-25-23/
UPDATE (11/28/23): now down to 1¢ again. Stay tuned.
They were tied at 40¢ each on November 12, then Biden quickly took the usual lead again. Then on November 20 Trump took his first lead, 39¢ to 38¢, but it was no very-temporary fluke. Now Trump leads Biden 40¢ to 37¢. They’ve switched their usual places. No wonder Morning Schmuck on MSNBC started predicting this week that Trump is going to form a literal firing squad for enemies if he’s re-elected. It would actually be shocking if he didn’t pick Nikki Haley as his VP candidate (under recommendation from Jared and Ivanka, of course).
4:23 pm on November 25, 2023
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/textbook-demo-bolshevikism/
Demo-Bolshevik New York City Mayor Eric Adams has committed a grave sin against the Demo-Bolshevik party. He has harshly criticized his party’s policy of 100% open borders to import millions of Third World peasants (aka undocumented Demo-Bolshevik voters).
To punish Eric for his sin the Brandonites sent the FBI to raid the home of his top political fundraiser. They claim that she was suspected of doing what Brandon himself is most famous for: Accepting money from “foreign sources.” There were no charges (so far), but she — and everyone else — got the message. Eric apparently wasn’t sufficiently censored by this, however, so guess what? Out of the blue comes an anonymous accusation that he raped an unnamed and anonymous woman thirty years ago. Textbook Demo-Bolshevikism. (It is also part of the text of the book Rules for Radicals by Saul Alinsky, said to be Hillary Clinton’s political “Bible”).
6:46 am on November 24, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/javier-milei-applauds-several-libertarians/
Among those positively mentioned are Mises, Rothbard, Hayek, Nozick, Adam Smith, Ayn Rand, Milton Friedman, Walter Block and Hans Hoppe.
I am honored to be included in that august company.
3:41 am on November 23, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/the-ron-paul-liberty-report-thanksgiving-special/
Why is being thankful so important? Why is it important to remain optimistic despite the dark clouds of tyranny? Why is it counterproductive to think that “everything is going according to plan” for the authoritarians, when it obviously isn’t? We hope you enjoy this special Thanksgiving Edition of The Ron Paul Liberty Report!
12:39 pm on November 22, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/we-asked-ai-chat-bot-what-is-the-scientific-method/
MM Comment #1:
Here’s what it gave us:
“The Scientific Method is a systematic approach to conducting empirical research and acquiring knowledge about the natural world.
It is a structured process that scientists and researchers use to investigate questions, solve problems, and test hypotheses. While there are variations in how it’s articulated, the scientific method generally includes the following key steps:
1. Observation: The process begins with making observations or noting a phenomenon in the natural world. Observations can lead to questions or hypotheses.
2. Question: Based on observations, a specific question is formulated that addresses the phenomenon or issue of interest.
3. Hypothesis: A testable and falsifiable hypothesis is developed. This is a proposed explanation for the observed phenomenon. It should be clear and specific, and it should predict a result that can be tested through experiment.
4. Prediction: From the hypothesis, specific predictions are made about what should happen in a controlled experiment or under specific conditions. These predictions help design the experiment.
5. Experiment: A controlled experiment is designed and conducted to test the predictions and the hypothesis. In an experiment, variables are manipulated, and outcomes are measured and recorded. Careful controls are put in place to isolate the effect of the variate of interest.
[Please take note: THE FIRST STEP of having a valid INDEPENDENT VARIABLE is crucial. Also, careful controls are essential in order to “ISOLATE THE EFFECT OF THE VARIATE OF INTEREST” as stated above.
This is thoroughly presented in the post, “AI ChatBot Admits Virologists Don’t Conduct Valid Scientific Experiments” which you’re encouraged to read and can be found HERE.]
6. Data Collection: Data is collected from the experiment or observations, and it is recorded and analyzed. The data should be objective, reliable, and relevant to the hypothesis.
7. Analysis: The data is analyzed to determine whether the results support or refute the hypothesis. Statistical methods may be used to assess the significance of the findings.
8. Conclusion: Based on the analysis of the data, a conclusion is drawn regarding whether the hypothesis is supported or refuted. The findings may lead to a revision of the hypothesis or the formulation of new questions.
9. Communication: The results of the research are typically communicated to the scientific community and the public through scientific papers, presentations, or other forms of dissemination.
10. Peer Review: Scientific findings are often subject to peer review, where experts in the field evaluate the research for its quality, validity, and reliability.
11. Replication: In order to validate results, other researchers may attempt to replicate the experiment or study to confirm the findings.
The scientific method is an iterative process, and new observations and questions can lead to additional research and refinement of scientific knowledge.
It emphasizes empirical testing, objectivity, and the importance of independent verification to ensure the validity of scientific findings.”
MM Comment #2:
When answering the question we posed, the AI Chat Bot did a better job of defining The Scientific Method than any virologist can.
If you’re a Medical Researcher please read, A Farewell To Virology (Experts Edition) which you can find HERE.
If you’re new to this to topic of the pseudoscience and fraud of virology, please start with this Beginners Study Guide, HERE.
Thanks to Mike Stone of ViroLiegy.com for the inspiration of this post.
4:25 pm on November 21, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/why-is-it-empire-first-instead-of-america-first/
America wasn’t meant to be an empire, but a land of individual liberty. Empires destroy liberty. Why must our money be taken from us for weapons and endless war? Our money shouldn’t be taken from us at all, let alone for that! Why not use our money to fix our deteriorating country? Why do our politicians constantly complain about our deteriorating country, yet constantly vote for weapons and war? Why do politicians speak “America First,” but vote “Empire First”? Why do they complain about our poor, but vote to make more of us poor? Since Empires always go bankrupt, why are our politicians pushing us to that extreme? Are they that terrified of us being free?
12:33 pm on November 21, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/violations-of-nuremberg-code-in-covid-19-control-program/
Violations of Nuremberg Code in Covid-19 Control Program
By Nicholas Bednarski, M.D. with Phil Duffy
Introduction by Patrick Barron:
In keeping with the medical theme of the following essay by Dr. Nicholas Bednarski and Phil Duffy, their conclusion about damage done by the response by government, the media, and the drug companies to the Covid 19 “pandemic” may be a bitter pill indeed for most Americans to swallow.
Since the end of WWII and the revelations of the horrendous Nazi “crimes against humanity”, Americans have assumed that their leaders would never commit such acts.
This essay shows that America’s leaders did perpetrate such horrendous crimes, crimes that may even eclipse those of the Nazi leaders due to the worldwide damage they inflicted. This essay is written for serious readers, not for the squeamish.
Perpetrators included members of both political parties plus the mainstream and social media. The drug companies colluded with these powerful political people not only to hide dangerous side effects of their drugs but also to lie about the very nature of the drugs. In other words, the rot in America’s elite was deep and pervasive.
Executive Summary:
As death camp after death camp was liberated by the Allied forces in the first half of 1945, world opinion was shocked and appalled by what had happened in Germany during the Nazi era. There were calls for justice, the first of which led to the Nuremberg Tribunal of the top Nazi leadership. Twelve additional tribunals were conducted by the United States. One did gain international attention-the trial of the Nazi physicians.
The Doctor Trial, as it was popularly called, included crimes conducted against German nationals considered “undesirables as well as nationals of conquered nations. Sixteen of the defendants were found guilty and seven were executed. The decision in the case includes ten points that have been called the Nuremberg Code, addressing acceptable medical experimentation on human subjects. All ten were violated by what might be called the Covid 19 Control Program.
Item 1 deals with the doctrine of informed consent to any experimental treatment. Voluntary informed consent was denied under the Covid 19 Control Program. None were informed of the nature or duration of the experiment, or what hazards might be expected.
Despite its experimental nature, the Covid 19 Control Program also violated Item 2 of the Code. It was not set up in any way to study the effects, adverse events, or outcomes of the vaccination program or societal restrictions, but rather applied in a random and arbitrary way, even after many of the measures were found to be unnecessary.
Since no full animal studies were done prior to the application of the artificial mRNA vaccine and societal restrictions, and there was no knowledge of the natural history of Covid 19 and artificially produced virus, Item 3 of the Code was violated as well.
No efforts were made by the mandating governmental and private public health authorities to avoid unnecessary physical and mental suffering and injury, breaking Nuremberg Code Item 4.
Since the mandating authorities had done no longer term animal or human studies of the artificial mRNA vaccine, neither they nor medical practitioners nor the public could know if there were risks of disabling injury or death; thus, violating Nuremberg Code Item 5.
The overall risk from Covid 19 was not known, but massively overblown estimates of risk were endorsed by the authorities and media in a kind of public health hysteria to convince all of the humanitarian importance of complying with all the unstudied and unproven measures they dictated. This breaks the 6th item of the Code.
Under Item 7, we show that virtually no preparations or facilities were or are available to protect the public against even the remotest possibility of injury, disability, or death.
In noncompliance with Item 8, NO scientifically qualified persons were involved in conducting any stage of this vast international experiment on a national or international level.
Item 9 details the right of any human experimental subject to stop participation at any time for any reason. Yet governmental and societal coercion worked hand-in-glove to prevent such.
Item 10 finishes the Code, noting that there must be a supervising scientist in charge, ready to terminate the experiment at any time if probable cause exists that harm may come to the experimental human subjects. As we note, there was no scientist in charge, rather political and media advocates untrained in the science and technology, violating prior international standards of pandemic policy.
Short-term and long-term adverse outcomes continued to evolve from this unwarranted, unplanned, unstudied experiment on the world’s populations. Given that all ten of the Nuremberg Code’s standards were broken, some accountability for what could be described as a crime against humanity should be sought. But no venue for judgment of these allegations exists currently. Our response to this betrayal must for now be individual and personal, and possible methods are prescribed. Responses to future such totalitarian movements are recommended.
Nicholas E. Bednarski, M.D. is a physician with forty years clinical experience in Internal Medicine, Nephrology, and Critical Care Medicine. Residency and fellowship was at LAC-USC Medical Center and UCLA, with Chief Residency in Medicine at Wadsworth VA Medical Center. During his career he has achieved four Board certifications as well as teaching interns and resident physicians. He has practiced in several cities in mainly civilian hospitals but also USAF Scott Medical Center. In retirement he maintains his medical license and actively follows the scientific literature on controversial subjects in medicine and public affairs. His writing can be found on Substack as “A Jaundiced Eye”.
Phil Duffy, an instructor of the Constitution, is a weekly contributor to WFYL’s We the People – The Constitution Matters. His book, A Tale of Four Cities (soon to be published), contains a chapter on the Nazi era.
7:09 pm on November 20, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/jan-6-tapes-released-sorry-no-insurrection/
It’s not called the “Empire of Lies” for nothing. Deception is the oxygen of empire. 44,000+ hours of January 6th footage has been released, and it’s quite obvious as to why they weren’t released in the first place.
Also today, Javier Milei was elected in Argentina. Is change coming to the South American nation?
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/javier-milei-elected-president-of-argentina/
Amazing result, but don’t expect much. As The Wall Street Journal avers, he’ll face lots of headwinds from the usual suspects:
…labor unions, social movements, and the powerful left-leaning political forces in congress, the biggest bloc in that body, and in provincial and municipal governments. It means that Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist who became known to millions through TikTok and YouTube but had no entrenched movement of his own, will have to rely on a coalition with centrist and conservative political factions who would likely moderate his more radical proposals.
It left out the U.S. national security state, which helped drag its Marxist-Leninist pal Lula over the finish line in Brazil. And then this, which is hardly a surprise:
Milei won despite heavy state spending on promoting Massa, whose face was plastered onto fliers and posters on buildings and roadsides around the country, while Milei mostly campaigned on social media.
In some ways it’s worse with a “victory” like this because if he completely fails in his fight against the hydra with a thousand heads (very likely), then the state/state-media/progressive spin is, “Well, there you go. This proves that libertarian ideas don’t work. Milei only won because we had a bad economy because we didn’t spend and inflate and micro-manage enough.” That’s why liberty revolutions should always be peaceful secessions from the grassroots up. You kill a bad tree from the roots, not by climbing to the top and sawing from there on down. Did you hear that, MAGA?
1:49 am on November 20, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/ai-chatbot-admits-virologists-dont-conduct-valid-scientific-experiments/
What happens when Mike Stone of ViroLIEgy.com corners AI ChatBot GPT to admit it is wrong?
In this fascinating Master Class of Understanding the Basics of the Scientific Method & Logic Mike helps the AI Bot understand that virologists have NEVER had a Valid Independent Variable (an actual virus with which to begin their investigations) and why this is THE required starting point for a proper scientific controlled study.
In Mike’s own words on why a properly controlled experiment MUST have ONE Independent Variable.:
“I chose to focus on the independent variable (IV) as it is fundamental to scientific work.
It is the presumed cause of the effect that was observed in order to establish the hypothesis that is in need of testing through experimentation.
Without the IV, there is no hypothesis and nothing to test.
The IV must actually exist and be able to be varied and manipulated throughout experimentation in order to see what effects it may have, if any, on the dependent variable (DV), i.e. the effect.
It cannot be the end-result or a creation of the experiment.”
Mike then goes further to show how 3 Scientific Variables all work together to demonstrate an experiment as valid – or not.
At the end:
“We started off with a situation where ChatBot believed that the unpurified fluids of a sick host were considered the independent variable in a cell culture experiment.
“This line of thought accurately reflects what virologists are led to believe.
“[…] we ended up in agreement that the proper controls would consist of using the fluids of a healthy host treated exactly as those from the sick host, something which is never done in virology experiments.
“We agreed that the cytopathogenic effect [where cells die] was not specific to any “virus” and that it can be caused by numerous other factors, thus making it an invalid assumption that a “virus” was the cause if the IV is not identified prior to experimentation.
This is a fascinating exchange where Mike provides a deep education to AI every reader will find very valuable.
Thank you Mike Stone!
A Must Read. Highly Recommended.
Please find it HERE.
10:56 am on November 18, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/national-asset-companies-nacs-sec-decision-delayed-to-january-2-2024/
I mentioned NACs in a recent LRC article as if it was a done deal – it isn’t quite, decision date extended, but not the comment period. American Stewards of Liberty have more on this here!
8:02 pm on November 17, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/covid-pandemic-in-italy-2020-what-really-happened/
We remember the panic stories, the chaos – and the pictures – of the Super Swift Spread of the Covid-19 “virus” on January 31st, 2020 when two Chinese tourists in Rome supposedly “tested positive”.
Within no time flat 60,000,000 Italians were put under lockdown.
By March 11th nearly all businesses were ordered closed, except for supermarkets and pharmacies and on March 21st the Italian government banned the movement of EVERYONE inside the country.
But what really happened? What do the real death statistics show? Were the Books Cooked?
On October 31, 2023 the Health Freedom Defense Fund published an article “Italy 2020 – The Preposterous Pandemic” that examined the detailed regional breakdown of the COVID-19 deaths – or more specifically the deaths officially attributed to COVID-19.
Even if you want to believe in viruses and that the Italian government acted wisely, this article exposes the claim there was a true nationwide pandemic is nothing less than preposterous.
Drs Sam & Mark Bailey present the details so you can easily understand one more layer of the Covid-19 fraud. What’s terrific about this short video is it’ll help you understand what questions you can ask if – excuse me when – they try something like this again.
Please watch HERE and please review the reference links. (17min)
3:49 pm on November 17, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/unpayable-debts-unwinnable-wars-is-america-heading-for-a-crack-up-boom/
History is filled with examples of failed attempts to ‘conquer the world.’ Americans seceded from the greatest military power that the world had ever seen, in the British Empire. America would be different. It would be the ‘land of the free.’ And for a while, it was different. Never have so many individuals had so much freedom, and never was so much prosperity created by a single nation.
But alas, the ideas of ‘conquering the world,’ took over and the downward slide began. As the dustbin of failed empires waits for its newest member, the American people must re-learn and re-implement the ideas of Liberty.
12:42 pm on November 17, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/100-years-ago-today-the-end-of-german-hyperinflation/
100 Years Ago Today: The End of German Hyperinflation
By Thorsten Polleit, via Mises Daily
On 15 November 1923 decisive steps were taken to end the nightmare of hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic: The Reichsbank, the German central bank, stopped monetizing government debt, and a new means of exchange, the Rentenmark, was issued next to the Papermark (in German: Papiermark).
These measures succeeded in halting hyperinflation, but the purchasing power of the Papermark was completely ruined.
To understand how and why this could happen, one has to take a look at the time shortly before the outbreak of World War I.
Since 1871, the mark had been the official money in the Deutsches Reich. With the outbreak of World War I, the gold redeemability of the Reichsmark was suspended on 4 August 1914.
The gold-backed Reichsmark (or “Goldmark,” as it was referred to from 1914) became the unbacked Papermark.
Initially, the Reich financed its war outlays in large part through issuing debt. Total public debt rose from 5.2bn Papermark in 1914 to 105.3bn in 1918.1 In 1914, the quantity of Papermark was 5.9 billion, in 1918 it stood at 32.9 billion.
From August 1914 to November 1918, wholesale prices in the Reich had risen 115 percent, and the purchasing power of the Papermark had fallen by more than half.
In the same period, the exchange rate of the Papermark depreciated 84 percent against the US dollar.
The new Weimar Republic faced tremendous economic and political challenges. In 1920, industrial production was 61 percent of the level seen in 1913, and in 1923 it had fallen further to 54 percent. The land losses following the Versailles Treaty had weakened the Reich’s productive capacity substantially: the Reich lost around 13 percent of its former land mass, and around 10 percent of the German population was now living outside its borders. In addition, Germany had to make reparation payments.
Most important, however, the new and fledgling democratic governments wanted to cater as best as possible to the wishes of their voters. As tax revenues were insufficient to finance these outlays, the Reichsbank started running the printing press.
From April 1920 to March 1921, the ratio of tax revenues to spending amounted to just 37 percent. Thereafter, the situation improved somewhat and in June 1922, taxes relative to total spending even reached 75 percent.
Then things turned ugly.
Toward the end of 1922, Germany was accused of having failed to deliver its reparation payments on time. To back their claim, French and Belgian troops invaded and occupied the Ruhrgebiet, the Reich’s industrial heartland, at the beginning of January 1923. The German government under chancellor Wilhelm Kuno called upon Ruhrgebiet workers to resist any orders from the invaders, promising the Reich would keep paying their wages.
The Reichsbank began printing up new money by monetizing debt to keep the government liquid for making up tax-shortfalls and paying wages, social transfers, and subsidies.
From May 1923 on, the quantity of Papermark started spinning out of control.
(MM Comment: Just like here. Just like NOW.)
PLEASE READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE HERE
7:14 am on November 17, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/bidens-poor-diplomacy-with-china/
President Biden exhibited poor diplomacy (again); this time by calling Chinese President Xi a “dictator,” while Xi was still here in the U.S.! Whether Xi is or isn’t a “dictator” really has nothing to do with Americans. That’s an issue for the Chinese citizens to work out for themselves. It’s their government, not ours.
America’s foreign policy should be based on the policy of the Founders of our nation: “Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none.” We aren’t even remotely close to such a policy; and it’s costing us dearly. As our nation fails at being “the world’s policeman,” our livelihoods and standards of living are declining rapidly.
12:33 pm on November 16, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/christian-veterans-who-now-see-the-light/
After my recent Veterans Day article, I received many notes from veterans expressing agreement. Only one or two used the F-word against me. A Christian veteran remembered my list from 2009 of Christian veterans opposed to Christians joining the military. He requested that his name be added, which I have done. Here is the updated list.
7:50 pm on November 14, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/money-means-power-governments-cash-grab-how-to-opt-out-with-thorsten-polleit/
A MUST Watch:
Thorsten Polleit, the author of The Global Currency Plot, is one of the world’s finest minds on all matters concerning Monetary Strategies, Currencies – and Gold.
You’ll definitely want to listen to his important insights and timely predictions during this lively conversation with Sean Ring the Editor of the daily newsletter Rude Awakening .
I’m privileged to consider both of these men as friends. I’ve learned enormously from both of them – and so will you.
Highly Recommended.
Watch, HERE (27min)
4:29 pm on November 14, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/russia-declares-war-on-the-straussians/
Thierry Meyssan discusses the cult of “Straussianism” that has long plagued America and much of the rest of the world.
10:38 am on November 12, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/conservative-organizations-love-veterans/
On Veterans Day and every other day. In my email today are two examples.
The Institute for Faith, Work & Economics (IFWE) “would like to honor all those who have sacrificially served our nation to secure and defend our freedom.” “Military service is an honorable calling.” “May we honor our military, not only on Veterans Day but throughout the year, and give thanks for the freedom and flourishing we enjoy in this nation.”
And then there is the Heritage Foundation, a think tank that thinks every military budget needs to be larger:
Courage, duty, and patriotism. Those are the words that come to mind when I think about our nation’s veterans – I’m so grateful for their service.
Veterans Day is a solemn time to reflect upon the service and sacrifice of brave men and women defending our Constitution, protecting our freedom, and securing the American way of life. Without their selfless sacrifice for our country, Heritage’s work to promote liberty and our founding principles at home would be impossible.
What is the problem with all of this? Simple. It is all lies. Military service is not honorable. The military does not protect or defend our freedom. The military does not defend our Constitution. The military does not secure the American way of life. Lies, lies, lies. We should not celebrate veterans on Veterans Day or any other day, as I recently argued here.
5:24 pm on November 11, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/fiat-dollar-milestone-u-s-government-interest-payments-hit-1-trillion/
Debt literally takes down empires. The U.S. government was never meant to be a militarized empire, since freedom and empire are mutually exclusive. But alas, the decisions to become an empire were made before any of us were born. In typical fashion, the U.S. government has overextended itself militarily around the world, engaging in endless wars. Those wars come at a severe cost, as our standard of living at home deteriorates. Debts cannot be endless. Ultimately, the interest payments will overwhelm. The U.S. government is now paying $1 Trillion in interest payments alone.
12:40 pm on November 10, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/latest-virus-resurrected-from-the-fear-basement-yellow-fever/
Recently I saw an article, “Long-Forgotten Virus Could Return, US Is Not Prepared: Researchers” (The Epoch Times, 24 Oct 2023)
I reached out to Drs Sam & Mark Bailey, shared the article and said, “They’re really digging deep in the basement for new ways to scare people now with Yellow Fever, of all things.”
Mark got back to me and said they’d already been working on a video on this – and here it is.
What’s particularly interesting about the “Dreaded Yellow Fever” is it’s said to be caused by the FIRST ever human “virus” claimed to be isolated in 1927.
But was it actually isolated?
Drs Sam & Mark Bailey take you step by step through the history and scientific evidence – providing 12 excellent references along the way – showing Yellow Fever is yet another false virus story from those selling FEAR when there’s really nothing behind the curtain.
All you need do is Open The Curtain – and look, HERE:
Highly Recommended. (20min)
7:38 am on November 9, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/parallax-views-interview-on-gaza-intelligence-distortion-and-blowback/
I was honored to be able to talk with J.G. Michael, who runs the Parallax Views podcast, a few days ago. Here’s the link, and if anyone of my generation has lost faith in the quality of thinking of younger Americans — his questions were thoughtful, well-informed, and impressive! Enjoy!
9:21 am on November 8, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/beware-theyre-tying-climate-change-virus-hysterics-together/
Here’s the latest Fear Porn:
There are news stories tying together a maybe-sometime-in-the-future “virus” and climate change; TWO fictions for the price of one!
Case in point, “experts” are warning Dengue Fever will become a worldwide threat over the next decade due to Earth’s rising temperatures driving mosquitoes to new territories – and we need to prepare, which is fear-porn-speak for “line up for the next vaccine.”
Here’s the kicker:
They warn you to be on the lookout if you are feeling NO symptoms of disease, as most Dengue cases are asymptomatic and go unnoticed.
If you do have “symptoms” that look AMAZINGLY like the common flu seen every year, notice they may be reported as “Dengue Fever” in the future.
Sneaky, eh?
There are many resources available to help yourself, family and friends from falling for this fraudulent – and tragic – Fear Porn.
Here’s a great place to start:
5 Spectacular Fails From Germ Theory (22min)
And please be sure to review the 12 References provided for a deep education.
Thank you to Mike Stone of viroLIEgy.com for tipping me off to this news story.
4:25 pm on November 7, 2023https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/biden-mideast-policy-in-shambles-after-blinkens-disaster-trip/
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/the-big-fail-anti-lockdown-goes-mainstream/
Jeffrey Tucker provides a great book review and commentary.
This is an important shift worth noting.
Writes Jeffrey:
New York Magazine is featuring an article called “COVID Lockdowns Were a Giant Experiment. It Was a Failure.” The authors are two excellent journalists, Joe Nocera and Bethany McLean, who have also written a new book called The Big Fail, which I have not read but intend to.
The ascent of the book and thesis is hugely important, if only to further blunt the impact of Michael Lewis’s The Premonition, which came out in 2021 with the purpose of valorizing the absolute worst of the lockdowners.
The worry at the time was that Lewis’s book, like The Big Short, would become a major movie that would codify lockdowns as the right way to deal with infectious disease. That does not seem to be happening, and the cleverly titled book by Nocera and McLean seems to assure that this will never happen. Thank goodness. This is progress. Be grateful when we see it. It is also a tremendous credit to all those who have been pushing the Nocera/McLean thesis since the spring of 2020.
Lockdowns were always an impossible means of pandemic management. We knew that from a century ago. It was not even controversial. The orthodoxy in public health survived even up to a few weeks before the lockdowns began.
Out of nowhere, settled wisdom was completely upended. Suddenly, as if straight from Orwell, lockdowns became “common sense mitigation measures.”
Meanwhile this country and most other countries around the world were being utterly tortured by a crazed bureaucracy determined to master the microbial kingdom by bullying people and wrecking their businesses, schools, churches, and lives.
If nothing else, this era proves for this generation the astonishing capacity of the human mind to undertake utterly insane policy experiments on a grand scale without the slightest evidence that they could ever succeed, even while they trample on all established norms of rights and liberties.
This is a revelation, at least to me. We’ve never seen anything like it in our lives.
Speaking personally, this reality utterly shattered a worldview that I didn’t know I held: namely, I genuinely believed humanity was on a path, even an inevitable one, toward greater knowledge, learning, and the embrace of freedom. After March 2020, I and everyone discovered otherwise. That was both intellectually and psychologically traumatic for me and for millions of others.
READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE
7:40 pm on November 6, 2023