Category Archives: 21st Century Modern

Note: COVID-19, Biological Warfare, and the Odds and Ambiguities

19 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by in 21st Century Modern, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology, COVID-19

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Start here —

Lee, Bruce Y. “No, COVID-19 Coronavirus Was Not Bioengineered. Here’s The Research That Debunks That Idea.” Forbes, March 17, 2020.

Then go here —

Vorndick, Wilson. “Weaponizing Biotech: How China’s Military is Preparing for a ‘New Domain of Warfare’.” Defense One, August 14, 2019.

Before settling here —

Toosi, Nahal, Daniel Lippman, and Dan Diamond. “Before Trump’s inauguration, a warning: ‘The worst influenza pandemic since 1918’.” Politico, March 16, 2020.

BackChannels acknowledges its most basic function: Collect; Select; Opine.

The first of the series suggests the Coronavirus COVID-19 could not and would not have come out of a laboratory. However, contemporary Big Defense Worldwide addresses novel unknown threats within the dimension referred to as “CBRN”, i.e., “Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear” (Warfare). As indicated by the second piece, the same scans “over the horizon” into both the possible and the unthinkable.

Nahal Toose et al. writing for Politico reports on a Presidential “what-if” congruent with the latest news.

That, of course, seems a little spooky.

Go a little bit backward and sideways: this gem surfaced during the Obama Administration —

Meyer, Josh. “The secret backstory of how Obama let Hezbollah off the hook.” Politico, December 22, 2017.

Count the Hezbollian transnational crimes; reflect on the truncated FBI investigation (“Project Cassandra”); know that the secret lives of states as well as Transnational Crime Organizations generally become opaque (syn. “black”) the closer one gets to the “business of the business” (i.e. how things work “behind the curtains”).

So: black labs? An untraceable attack (from China)? A “false flag operation” (by the USA)?

The “Open Source” seldom to never knows or tells.

BackChannels has expressed concern (an understatement) in relation to Maryland’s “standing down” its bar and restaurant businesses plus entertainment / events that involve complex business communities on which thousands people depend, and, in many ways, the state’s economy and well-being depend as related revenues vanish right along with associated tax revenues and — should we go more than six weeks (just a guess) with the doctor’s program — jobs and tax base.

Will the now dragging Trump Administration allow the emergency to extend into November with inevitable political unrest and violence as his economy melts down over the bug?

Might the President and states now participating in similar suppression of the transmission of COVID-19 take the opportunity to apply additional “Draconian Measures” for the same reasons?

Could this be America’s Reichstad Fire?

BackChannels notes that the worst of COVID-19 cases require biologically secure environments and ventilators (until better answers come along). The nation has the capacity to produce both post-haste —

Fox 2 Detroit. “America’s next producers of ventilators could be Ford and General Motors.” March 18, 2020.

BackChannels has published on the need for and period of application of emergency measures —

https://conflict-backchannels.com/2020/03/18/ftac-a-note-on-covid-19-and-americas-complex-basic-services-economy/ – March 18, 2020.

https://conflict-backchannels.com/2020/03/17/ftac-covid-19-one-question-please/ – March 17, 2020.

Stand down and buy a month’s worth of time or a little more?

Okay.

Institutionalize emergency measures into an ongoing American reality that will become a quagmire of suffering and violence (outcomes possibly worse than the illness itself)?

No.

Localities and states may need to embrace the idea of ponying up for temporary facilities and ventilators PDQ to keep their economies afloat and even vigorous while Washington, the President, and the Federal Government on the Emergency Management and Politicking side of things dick around with other “bugs” up their butts.

Disclosure: the editor of this blog has cause to believe he experienced his worst of the latest between February 15 and February 25 with spiking into a full Bronchial Symphony of Wheezing (you have no idea how many the sounds!) and days and nights without sleep between the 21st and 24th (right on time). Impression: whatever it was dominated the immune system. Three weeks out: all passageways (and voice) stunningly clear and normal! Thank God.

Related Online

This reference section includes citations updated through March 23, 2020.

AP. “Trump Disbanded NSC Pandemic Unit That Experts Had Praised.” The New York Times, March 14, 2020.

Arms Control Association. “Biological Weapons Convention Signatories and States-Parties.” September 2018.

Bender, Bryan and Megan Cassella. “Will Trump be able to get emergency medical supplies fast enough?” Politico, March 18, 2020.

BESA. “China and Viruses: The Case of Dr. Xiangguo Qiu.” January 29, 2020.

Bocchi, Alessandra. “China’s Coronavirus Diplomacy: Rome praises Beijing’s ‘solidarity’ in sending ventilators, face masks, doctors and nurses.” WSJ Opinion, March 20, 2020.

Geraghty, Jim. “The Comprehensive Timeline of China’s COVID-19 Lies.” National Review, March 23, 2020.

Lanese, Nicoletta. “Only one lab in China can safely handle the new coronavirus.” Live Science, January 22, 2020.

Pauls, Karen. “Canadian government scientist under investigation trained staff at Level 4 lab in China.” CBC, October 3, 2019.

Qiu, Jane. “How China’s “Bat Woman” Hunted Down Viruses from SARS to the New Coronavirus.” Scientific American, March 11, 2020.

The Conversation. “Why Singapore’s coronavirus response worked – and what we can all learn.” March 18, 2020.

Tsan-Yuk Lam, Tommy and Marcus Ho-Hin Shum, Hua-Chen Zhu, et al. “Identification of 2019-nCoV related coronavirus in Malayan pangolins in southern China.” bioRxiv, February 13, 2020. This technical paper points to the Pangolin as a potential intermediate conveyor of COVID-19 between bats and humans.

Wikipedia. “Pangolin“.

Wikipedia. “Wuhan Institute of Virology”.

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FTAC: COVID-19: One Question, Please

17 Tuesday Mar 2020

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, American Domestic Affairs, COVID-19, Epistemology, FTAC - From The Awesome Conversation

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From CDC —

The complete clinical picture with regard to COVID-19 is not fully known. Reported illnesses have ranged from very mild (including some with no reported symptoms) to severe, including illness resulting in death. While information so far suggests that most COVID-19 illness is mild, a report out of China suggests serious illness occurs in 16% of cases. Older people and people of all ages with severe chronic medical conditions — like heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, for example — seem to be at higher risk of developing serious COVID-19 illness.

Situation Summary, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 15, 2020

So how much higher are COVID-19 rates of infection and morbidity compared to the full suite of respiratory illnesses involving the same set of variables, especially x patient / target’s age, preexisting conditions, and vulnerability (physical condition)?

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Afghanistan’s Violence-Stalling Peace-Encouraging Doha Agreement

29 Saturday Feb 2020

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, Afghanistan, International Development, Islamic Small Wars

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Left: Diplomat Zalmay Khalilzad, Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, U.S. Department of State; right: Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Chief of Taliban’s Diplomatic Office, Doha, Qatar. Screen capture, February 29, 2020.

Where it may have begun —

Schindler, John. “Exploring Al Qaeda’s Murky Connection to Russian Intelligence.” Business Insider, June 10, 2014.

How it may have been sustained —

Gibbons-Neff, Thomas. “Russia is sending weapons to Taliban, top U.S. general confirms.” The Washington Post, April 24, 2017.

Where it may have ended this day —

George, Susannah and Dan Lamothe. “U.S. signs peace deal with Taliban, a turning point in the 18-year war in Afghanistan. The Washington Post, February 29, 2020.

Civilizational Narcissism

Bellis, Charlotte. “US-Taliban talks: Who is Mullah Baradar? Taliban Cofounder turned political chief, Abdul Ghani Baradar has worked in the shadows his entire life.” Al Jazeera, May 2, 2019.

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FTAC: Jews Beware Conservative Agitprop

27 Thursday Feb 2020

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, American Domestic Affairs, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology

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The Facebook post directed to a publication that screamed, “Report: Chief Dem Staffer Says Office Doesn’t Care About Anti-Semitism.”

So there!

The poster had claimed that not one of the Democratic Party candidates for President had condemned anti-Semitism within the party.

That might be so — and here the modern propaganda challenge weighs in: how much TIME has one to check the assertion?

And how cogent is the issue, really?

And can anything be done about it?

Always check the dateline, sez I!

January 19, 2018 – and fairly balanced by journalist Aaron Bandler, who at least sought to verify the alleged quote by an “unidentified staffer” (to Sen Patty Murray, D-WA) that began this way: “We don’t care about anti-Semitism in this office. We care about transgenders, we care about blacks. We care about Hispanics, we care about lesbians . . . .” Bandler checked, and Murray’s office disputed the accusation, suggesting, at the least, that a responsible Democratic senator would not endorse such a claims if it had been made!

Before coffee, right?

“Not one Democratic Party candidate condemns anti-Semitism within the Party!”

And there’s the proof of an article right there — expect it dates back more than year, so it had to be dredge from that past, and then it doesn’t really pan out, but, hey, the damage, presumably, would have been done.

Who else (but yours truly) would take a second look?

Instead, heads will nod!

This answered the “What is to be done” part of the puzzle earlier this morning.

Editor here — and Indie Influencer, perhaps — chose to tweet Seema Nanda, CEO of the Democratic Party with this:

Another “Seema Nanda” is a mathematician, and I tweeted in a hurry.

😦

A mistake was made, and I will apologize here for my confusion — and what might have been a stunning opener but may be still no less true for being a little less custom than supposed. So let it fly — the American Democratic Party will have to grapple with devious Republican agitprop — near disinformation and innuendo — as the opining season heats up many fold for the November contest.

Related on BackChannels

Active Measures

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FTAC: Middle East Conflict (MEC): The Peace at Hand

26 Wednesday Feb 2020

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, Conflict - Culture - Language - Psychology, FTAC - From The Awesome Conversation, Gaza, Israel, Middle East, Palestinia, Palestinian Territories

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Think Peace.

It’s already at hand.

The energies and numbers of Israelis and Palestinians engaged in cross-cultural activities (like this one with Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi), in trade, even in commiseration, have been stable and strong for years.

Do the extremists the west calls “terrorists” authentically represent Islam?

Do yesterday’s rockets from Gaza represent today’s Palestinians?

The PLO/PA and Hamas have ways of making the news look bad.

TOI Staff. “As PA seethes at Trump plan, top officials say all of Israel is Palestine.” The Times of Israel, February 25, 2020.

i24 News. “Liveblog: Barrage of rockets launched into Israel from Gaza as violence in south escalates.” February 24, 2020.

Other Palestinians, however, have ways of getting things done despite the efforts of the Phantoms of the Soviet to repeat their declarations — year after year for 72 years — while handily lifting some money from Palestinian pockets and skimming more from UNCHR revenues intended for Palestinian development. While the war that exists in the minds of Palestinian “Leaders” — and ticks off the IDF most of all — goes on and on and on and on, Palestinians have long been working.

Here are a few references that BackChannels regards as positive indicators for the region. The URL titles provide the story headers:

https://institute.global/insight/middle-east/israeli-palestinian-trade-depth-analysis – 10/17/2018.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/quietly-israeli-high-tech-companies-contract-gaza-engineers/ – 9/20/2017.

https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Gaza-nurses-train-in-Israel-We-speak-of-health-not-politics-612887 – 1/3/2020.

https://www.jns.org/report-palestinian-economy-flourishing-despite-pa-financial-crisis/ – 8/25/2019.

https://www.thenation.com/article/palestinians-israelis-mourning-our-dead-together/ – 5/22/2019.

https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Gaza-nurses-train-in-Israel-We-speak-of-health-not-politics-612887 – 1/3/2019.

Rawabi, Palestinian Territories

https://www.businessinsider.com/west-bank-palestine-rawabi-city-israel-news-2018-10 – 10/20/2018.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-tech/palestinian-contractors-poised-for-riches-from-israeli-tech-firms-takeover-idUSKCN1TI0QX – 6/17/2019.

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FTAC: A Note Regarding Support for Trump by the Nation’s Defenders

18 Tuesday Feb 2020

Posted by in 21st Century Modern, American Domestic Affairs, FTAC - From The Awesome Conversation

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Inspiration: the posting of the URL to a story about Idlib, Syria and the deflection of the same back to HIM (whose presence looms so large it no longer needs HIS name).

From the Awesome Conversation

Defenders of the Nation might be especially interested in its abuses or darker spaces. Even with 300 million souls, it’s hard to account for 490,000 missing between the ages of 12 and 21 (FBI statistics, 2017). Perhaps I’m missing the meaning of those numbers and need a briefing on their potential meaning, but even so, it’s a hefty number.

The number of homeless, about 554,000 American (or other) souls, at one point included about 60,000 American Veterans. That niche has been getting attention (along with post-service suicides at this time), which is fine, but how did these numbers develop? Behind each data entry, there is someone’s personal story.

I know you’re a good egg, but our national character, once the world’s hope for democracy as a defender and leader in relation to the human treatment of human beings — has appeared a bit challenged of late. WE don’t bomb hospitals into rubble; WE don’t even think of destroying World Heritage Sites; WE do not believe we are here to fully despoil Earth; WE don’t groom nor keep slaves; WE consistently endorse responsible and responsive governance; etc.

Related Online

Choi, David. “Former top Navy SEAL who oversaw the Osama bin Laden raid says the US is ‘under attack from the president’.” Business Insider, October 17, 2019.

Harbaugh, Ken. “The U.S. Military Is Not Ready for a Constitutional Crisis.” The Atlantic, February 11, 2020.

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FTAC: The American President Who Could Care Less About America’s Foundational Ideals

13 Thursday Feb 2020

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, American Domestic Affairs, FTAC - From The Awesome Conversation, North America, United States of America

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Who in support of our Democracy can afford to be neutral about a President who appears to be operating on an authoritarian basis using rules of his own? It has been one thing to “let the horse run”, see how he works, and watch what he does. It’s another to turn our back on a hard-won — fought for, died for, paid for — nation devoted to fair play and integrity right beside the principles and spirit that produced our foundational documents.

Admiral McRaven knew his business and his country and what he represented every day as a four-star admiral. That’s not an Obama thing or, particularly a Democratic or Republican thing. It’s an American thing unless the Nation has forgotten why it exists as a unique and now long-lived democracy.

This President shrugs off resignations by the most competitive and experienced professionals in their fields: diplomats, investigators, intelligence executives, military executives, prosecutors. He believes everything we do happens by way of political chicanery and force — or “clevers” — and not much has to do with anything worth believing in, much less dying for.

These pieces by Harbough and McRaven tell of a different America, one more admirable, more noble, more deserving of extraordinary leadership and sacrifice.

BackChannels. “United States of America — Basic Training”. February 2, 2017.

Choi, David. “Former top Navy SEAL who oversaw the Osama bin Laden raid says the US is ‘under attack from the president’.” Business Insider, October 17, 2019.

Harbaugh, Ken. “There Should Be a Veteran Running for President.” Time, March 18, 2015.

Harbaugh, Ken. “The U.S. Military Is Not Ready for a Constitutional Crisis.” The Atlantic, February 11, 2020.

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ALW & FTAC: On Pharaohnic Power, the Jews, Israel, God, and Supersessionary Conflict

06 Thursday Feb 2020

Posted by in 21st Century Feudal, 21st Century Modern, A Little Wisdom

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Inspiration lay in opportunity for a wrap up.

When I have figured out how to address unutterable greed and jealousy, I’ll be certain to produce the Nobel-winning results of that cogitation here.

A Little Wisdom From the Awesome Conversation

There are differences between empirically explored histories (and their debates) and what people believe in relation to their own cultural, religious, or spiritual histories. With that much noted, I have long believed that the Jews chose to stand against Pharaoh, a tyrant, and in this day a figure representing the “Malignant Narcissist”, a term of art for the general affliction in psychology associated with those who represent Absolute Power Systems. The Jews — or God through the Jews — were to separate the power of God (“Master of the Universe”) from Pharaoh, a source of torment to the Jews and others — note: the Exodus involved not only the Jews but a “mixed multitude”, i.e., all who would join the Jews in flight from Pharaoh.

Then comes the “Promised Land”.

For the Jews, Israel is the authentic Land of the Hebrews. There is in history no other Jerusalem nor Israel. Christian and Muslim recognition of Israel and “The Holy Land” has been legend and as widespread — and accepted (by Muhammad, no less) — as the supersessionary competition by the same for proof of the direct imprimatur of God.

The position — that of demanding to be shown God’s exclusive favor — has been always absurd, God (or the idea of God) being always the greater entity in the relationship.

For those willing to give a little in the interest of greater love and greater peace, Earth at this moment supports the following human inventory: fewer than 7,000 living languages; about 4,300 religions. I should look into the number of ungodly dictatorships (and mafia states) in relation to the number of modern democracies struggling to sustain common public political consensus while delivering rule-of-law and the greater development, justice, peace, and prosperity that is known to follow from both.

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