A coffee break from Corona and BLM

Like I said recently, I haven't really been reading Jihad Watch lately; pretty much stopped since March because the coronamania began to be more (cough, cough) interesting.

Took a look at Jihad Watch today and couldn't help bump my shin against a familiar piece of furniture.  We have Robert Spencer's headline:

ISIS jihadi returned to Austria several times for medical treatment, then went back to jihad, retains citizenship

It was Spencer's brief editorial remarks where we glimpse the problem (of the problem of the problem):

Why was this jihad terrorist allowed to come and go for medical treatment? Why was he collecting aid? He retained his Austrian citizenship because he doesn’t have any other, but in going to fight for the Islamic State, he committed himself to citizenship in the ISIS caliphate, an entity that was and is at war with Austria. 

The problem is not overtly evident from the quote; one has to be able to tease it out from between the lines, by rephrasing the crucial core of Spencer's words in a way which he and most of the Counter-Jihad are too cowardly or politically correct to do:

In being a Muslim (defined as supporting rather than opposing mainstream Islam -- defined as no better, though certainly stealthier and more ostensibly "diverse", than ISIS) -- any given Muslim commits himself or herself to "citizenship" in the trans-national Umma of mainstream Islam, a trans-national entity that has always been and continues to be at war with the entire non-Muslim world.

Mask Psychosis

Medical professionals and staff having sane fun back in November of 2019 for a good cause, raising funds for cancer research at the Montreal Institute of Cancer through their event, the Soirée Masquée ("Masked Evening Party").



Medical professionals and staff in the office (not in proximity to any COVID patients) at Silver Cross Hospital in Illinois post-coronamania -- feeling obliged, with that strange mixture of virtue-signalling pride and anxiety, to wear masks anyway.

On Alex Berenson's Twitter page, there was one thread that had interesting & cogent replies by various tweeters.  Alex started it off by responding to this tweet:

"My Relatives had to hide in haylofts so they wouldn’t be murdered by Cossacks, I can wear a mask when I go to Starbucks."

Alex's response was aptly snarky:

This is profound. But to go to Starbucks, wouldn’t you have to leave your safe room?

A few of the comments were in the coronamaniac camp (what Alex calls "Team Apocalypse"), but most were not (what Alex calls "Team Reality"), and a couple of times the latter cogently engaged the former.

Here are some of the more notable tweets from that thread:

My great-grandfather came to America so I’d never ever have to be told by the government to wear a mask.

But this isn't Russia, Nazi Germany, Communist China, modern Iran, etc. We haven't been conquered by Tamerlane. We're not subservient to the Romans.We should not have to hide or wear a mask or do anything of the sort because of fear of the government. She doesn't get that.

Imagine thinking that going to Starbucks is necessary if you're that afraid.

Weird inversion. You'd think the conclusion would be, "Cossacks...I think I can buy a cup of coffee without wearing a surgical mask." Somehow, it's, I come from tough stock, ergo I can do passively anything imposed on me by authority figures.

My relatives fought in wars against creeps like domineering Cossacks so people would be free from rule by domineering creeps that mandate mask wearing.

Then there was this exchange between a coronamaniac and a normal person:

coronamaniac:  Getting out, working, spending, while wearing a mask will ensure the public stays healthy and society doesn't collapse. Wearing a mask is easy & limits the spread. People need to stop being whiny friggin babies and just wear the masks!

normal person:  nope. If you're healthy and don't view others as virus-coated contagion, no need to wear a mask.

coronamaniac:  Sigh...YOU may be healthy, but YOU may also be asymptomatic. That means YOU don't know that you are carrying the virus. If YOU are asymptomatic YOU may pass the virus on to others. The point is to reduce the spread.

normal person:  there's zero evidence of asymptomatic people (who are merely breathing) spreading it. There's no precedent for obsessing over such things, no reason to start now.

coronamaniac:  ok - share the current studies that show your statement to be true. The CDC says otherwise.

normal person:  the onus is on you. There are no scientific studies that show that masking is worthwhile. There are not even scientific standards for the masks (unlike bike helmets). And the masks were deemed entirely optional during the riots and protests. I'll opt out of the charade,thanks    

And here was another exchange between a different coronamaniac and a different normal person, scintillatingly lucid and succinct:

coronamaniac:  How does a mask inhibit your freedom, exactly?

normal person:  It depends on whether it's mandated or not, doesn't it?

* * * * * 

Only one problem with all the otherwise refreshingly real comments from the coronaskeptics: They all seem focused on the aspect of coronamania mask-wearing as an imposition from above on the people; but this imposition in our relatively free societies would have little or no traction without the millions of ordinary people who have so quickly become True Believers in the Mainstream Narrative about it.

This I maintain is one of the two most critical problems of this devolving global train wreck of a catastrophe; the other being our inability to really know virtually any damn thing -- especially on the macro level -- about the effects of this virus, given the misinformation, disinformation, and corruption of the data necessary for us to come to an informed assessment of the whole mess.

Corona Conspiracy...? (Part 1)

This whole coronamania in all its dizzyingly diverse madness has given me pause about my perennial disinclination to "reach for" the conspiracy theory.

There have been many sociopolitical outbursts and conditions of pneumopathology (Eric Voegelin's term for "spiritual disease") over the years, decades (even centuries -- but let's stick to the relative present) that are so remarkably phenomena of mass neurosis they become conducive to the conspiracy theory explanation. Three I can think of off the top of my head:

1) the systemic whitewashing of the pernicious human rights violations and dangers of Islam;

2) the systemic misinformation-cum-disinformation about climate change from the establishment;

3) the systemic Trump-bashing that has veritably reached derangement.

All along during these overlapping processes of mass irrationality, I resisted "going there" to the conspiracy theory, and even many times on my former blog The Hesperado I would have recourse to my meme "the Explanatory Vacuum" (for example, this one) -- which essentially refers to the reflexive tendency many have in the Counter-Jihad to explain the general myopia & deference to Islam by some sort of conspiracy, because they lack an explanation otherwise (hence, the "vacuum" that has to be filled).

Well, a 4th major sociopolitical phenomenon of mass neurosis has reared its ugly head in the last few months -- the corona panic-mongering.  It's become so bad, in so many complex ways, that early on I realized this is no longer a mass neurosis, it's a mass psychosis.

Now, mass psychoses don't just happen for no reason, do they?  The question is, what are the reasons for this complex, massively throbbing tissue of diseased sociopolitics otherwise known as coronamania?  I don't have an easy answer, if any; I can say the conspiracy theory is looking better and better as time goes along -- but at the same time, some of its features seem to militate against "reaching for" the conspiracy theory.

(A part 2 will hopefully be forthcoming in the near future...)

Well, Alex Berenson's Twitter page, which was one of the most popular and (not without significant flaws) finest corona-skeptic site for some three months, seems to have finally morphed into something else, now that the cyanophobic cop-hating pandemic has overtaken coronamania.  Most of Alex's tweets now concern the protests-cum-riots-cum-lootings in various parts of the US, and his "pinned tweet" (which he used to change daily) has now been for several days a plug for his 2019 book on the dangers of marijuana, which is what he was semi-famous for before the corona madness.

It's unlikely though that this means the Left-dominated Mainstream will relax its mass psychosis about corona.  As one Alex fan put it wryly:

Then there’s Portland (who still haven’t “opened” to their phase 1). Can’t have church or graduation with more than 25 people. But protest? 10,000s are A-Okay! 

The Counter-Corona

One fallout of the coronamania pandemic was that I finally after years broke my daily habit of drinking my first cup of coffee with Jihad Watch, and switched (round about March of this year) to the caramel macchiato of Alex Berenson's Twitter page of daily reports and analyses of the madly morphing corona madness.

As I intimated in my last two postings (see directly below), however, I've found Alex to have quite significant signs & symptoms of that far worse virus than corona -- namely Leftism.

His Leftism found an interestingly (albeit unintentionally) vivid expression in two recent threads where his fan base, by disagreeing with him nearly unanimously, starkly backlit it.

The first I mentioned in one of the two previous postings (see below), where he gushed a virtue-signal in praise of AOC, and his fan base said, in effect, "nope, Alex, you're wrong about her".

The second came more recently, where he lit into Trump's call (no doubt twisted by the MSM) for a robust response to the devolving hatred and violence around the country, basically a sequel to Rodney King:

Oh FFS. This is not a good idea. And I’m old enough to remember this morning, when the Insurrection Act was off the table.

I here quote a representative sample of his fan base dressing him down (some more gently than others, bolded ones the juiciest):

anoroc
@anoroc68338337
Normally I would agree.

But under the current circumstances, when our own mayor and governors seem to care more about hurting the feelings of lawless criminals, I'm not gonna blame Trump.

And if any of the criminals get hurt? Not ideal, but still better than residents.
VM
 
@huck68finn

I get you, but I really think he needs to do it. The Dems will sacrifice their own people and their states to somehow counter Trump (just look what they did RE: HCQ). Also, it sends a dangerous message when we convey this kind of weakness toward anarchy.

Luis Bobby
@LuisBobby3
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Stick to the COVID hoax. This isn’t your expertise.

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Disagree.  Time to take the gloves off.

Lisa Fleming
@BULLYNOT2U
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
It’s not bad when our country is burning down and allowed by democrat Govs who wouldn’t allow people to open their businesses but allowed peaceful protests that turned deadly.

Melissa the Homeschooling Mater

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
I disagree. I think this is exactly what the president needs to do. If he doesn't take control, these blue state mayors and governors will allow the situation to continue to deteriorate. Part of their plan, none of this is surprising.

@eastwood88_20

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Been with you for a long time. You are incorrect about this one. Violence needs to stop. Great decision.

Jerod
@Jerod37657830

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Clearly many governors reactions while having all available tools has been complacency. While MN has as many as 10,000 available. Walz decided to wait days until the city was a mess. Why trust these state leaders? We want our country back!

Obamagator
@HStowit

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Good idea or not, people definitely want something forceful or a plan that doesn't involve fire and looting while police stand down.

Kamran Pasha
@kamranpasha

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
There goes Posse Comitatus.

John Schreiber
@JohnSchreiber8

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Disagree. He had no choice.

Gus Polinski
@WisconsinHFC

Jun 1
I agree with that. Allowing this to continue isn’t an option. For the record, I cannot stand Donald Trump. But I’m not blinkered enough to just be diametrically opposed to everything he does. I’d imagine I’m not the only person in the Country who’s thinking this way.
1 more reply
Si vis pacem, para bellum

@GeorgeRSimpson

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Low-information source.  Maybe vet the story.

Mike
@Mike23656644

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Allowing the riots to continue is the bad idea.

We Want to Live
@WeWanttoLive5
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Reuter’s is usually somewhat reliable on this type of thing - They just say he will use troops if the governors don’t stop the violence - Story was just undated and nothing about him actually invoking the act Trump vows to end protests; tear gas fired on protesters near White House
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to end violent protests in major cities across the nation "now," saying that he would deploy the 4 More Years
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Flag of United States
@USAANON2
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Just let em burn it down and steal
Because Dems want Pres to look bad
This is politics - watch

SimulationCommander
@SimulationComm3

Jun 1
Which is super crazy to me. George Floyd happened in blue Minneapolis. The riots are happening mainly in blue states and being allowed by blue politicians. Yet we're supposed to blame Donald Trump? WTF?
3 more replies
BrainsVsExperts
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@trustbible
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Oh, you want our country burned to the ground. Our citizens brutalized,  and our law enforcement officers killed. Got it.
BMD
@BMD02635719
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Order first, Alex.  No progress can be made under threat of violence or chaos.
Charlie Boardman
@charlieboardman
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
I don’t think this is even true. I can’t find it anywhere besides this tweet
The Hyperbolic Literalist
@shoelessjoe255
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
 and
@reypoullard
Nope. This is EXACTLY what is needed. Sitting around letting our country burn to the ground is what the left want.

TheOracle
@jlm9999912

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
I think you’re doing a great job on Covid, but more nights of looting and destruction are really not a good idea.Brian
@eagles512
·
7h
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Why isn’t this a good idea? The cities obviously can’t handle this themselves?
Some Dude
@TwatterMcGee
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Tear gas will do the trick. I agree, no need for Insurrection Act. They want him to do it so they can claim he’s a military dictator. It’s like in Die Hard when Hans feigned being a terrorist so the FBI would get involved & predictably cut the power so they could access the vault
SimulationCommander
@SimulationComm3
·
23h
It's crazy to me that no matter what, he just will not be the dictator that they claim he is. Blue governors, on the other hand.......
SwimNMom
@SwimNMom1
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
States like Ohio need help. Our Governor is no where to be found and the protests are now spreading to suburbs. It must be stopped.
mrriau
@mrriau1
·
Jun 1
I think the problem are also the media, they are spreading chaos. Some media who couple of years ago were quite good, they gave good info on computers and tech, are into politics  now.  Ex. CNET with "Black Lives Matter...

EyesWideOpen
@karaokemomo1
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Remember, it doesn’t mean he’ll use it. He doesn’t want to but we all saw how local elected had no problem killing livelihoods for a 99% survival rate virus.
Jack Jones
@abeligbod
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
I lived in LA in 1992. It was a good idea then, that much I can tell you.
Chris B
@almix77
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Think you got dooped on this one Alex. Don’t think that has been dropped yet.
larry_sellers
@_larry_sellers
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Wait and see what he does with it. My guess is it’s just leverage to get some of these mayors/governors to start doing their jobs. I think if he uses it at all it’ll be sparingly.
FHOIdealist
@HaskTweet
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
I listened and didn’t hear him say that. He urged governors & mayors to use the Nat’l Guard. He said if law & order wasn’t restored soon he would deploy the military.
Sweet Fancy Moses
@DrStevenP
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
He gave these worthless mayors and governors a few days to get it done.  They won't.  Someone has to put a stop to the lawlessness.
Bob Sayeth: The comet approacheth
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@SoSayethBob
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
It's inevitable. Chaos will not be permitted indefinitely.
PastaMonkey
@monkey_pasta
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Are we sure he did this?  Can’t find confirmation.
Prof. Snarf
@ProfessorSnarf
·
Jun 1
He threatened to do it. He didn’t actually do it.
1 more reply
Matthewp
@Matthew76056943
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Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
As far as I'm concerned, every member of Antifa is waging war against the United States and is thus guilty of Treason.
northcliqueboy
@chadwhitfield5
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Why not, Bush did it.
mrriau
@mrriau1
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
You are wrong.
Mark Miller
@markmillerdakar
·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
It's a good idea if he responds in force, knocks out the rioters and looters, BrainsVsExperts
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@trustbible
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Jun 1
No man that's what the Democrat Governors have been doing  while their cities burn.

Angie

@angie_laughing

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Why not?? What am I missing
Flag of United States

Angie
@AngieNC3

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
You fell for a report with an "anonymous senior official" as the source.
That's not Trump's fault. That's a you problem.

@deemw1·
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
I bet POTUS  will probably just use it in 1 or 2 cities if at all.

He's forcing the mayors & governors to own the situation. The ones that can't look weak or corrupt like Deblasio.  I wouldnt be surprised if he took over NYC.

Daisy Smart
Flag of United States
@Smart67Daisy

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
And there’s the old Alex back, lol. Hard to shake off that NYT mentality.

conservative pilgrim
@conserv_pilgrim

Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
That isn’t the full quote. “If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.”
Donald Trump Speech Transcript June 1: Trump May Deploy US Military to Cities - Rev
Donald Trump gave a June 1 speech in the Rose Garden amid George Floyd protests. He said he wants will "deploy the United States military" if mayors and governors don't solve the problem.
rev.com

Martok1
@Martok111
Jun 1
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
It was done for the LA riots.
It’s needed

death2freedom
@death2freedom
23h
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Maybe we don’t need standing armies. They seem to exist to enforce the overseas empire rather than any sort of homeland defense. Also we probably don’t need a CDC. Look what those creeps have done to us over the last 3 months. Maybe we don’t need a state at all.
Tim
@tntDVM

11h
Replying to
@AlexBerenson
Disagree on this.People have had enough. Needs to be stopped now

Brahms

@Johanusbrahms

Jun 1

Replying to

@AlexBerenson

He said he “will” bring in the military - he called on governors to deploy more national guard. Just listen to the 10 minute speech instead reading the tweets of anti-white media propagandists.

* * * * * 

And so forth. Many more good responses.