“My office manager had COVID three months ago and has thus far refrained from taking the COVID vaccine. I continue to encourage it though I do believe she is still protected by natural immunity. The question is for how long? I was born just before the measles shot became available, and I, like most children my age, suffered through a bout of measles. Luckily, I didn’t develop pneumonia or brain swelling, I did just fine. And science has determined that my immunity from measles now is lifelong, hence I don’t need a measles shot. I also had chicken pox, which means I don’t need a varicella vaccine, though I am at greater risk for getting a severe case of shingles (recurrence of the virus that causes chicken pox which is harbored in my nerves) than if I had received the vaccine.” (06/11/21)
“With abortion and guns already on the agenda, the conservative [sic] -dominated Supreme Court is considering adding a third blockbuster issue: whether to ban consideration of race in college admissions. The justices could say as soon as Monday whether they will hear an appeal claiming that Harvard discriminates against Asian American applicants, in a case that could have nationwide repercussions. The case would not be argued until the fall or winter. ‘It would be a big deal because of the nature of college admissions across the country and because of the stakes of having this issue before the Supreme Court,’ said Gregory Garre, who twice defended the University of Texas’ admissions program before the justices.” (06/13/21)
“There is no shortage of job openings for local election officials in Michigan. It’s the same in Pennsylvania. Wisconsin, too. After facing threats and intimidation during the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath, and now the potential of new punishments in certain states, county officials who run elections are quitting or retiring early. The once quiet job of election administration has become a political minefield thanks to the baseless claims of widespread fraud that continue to be pushed by many in the Republican Party. The exits raise a pressing question: Who will take these jobs? Barb Byrum, clerk of Ingham County, Michigan, has an idea. ‘These conspiracy theorists are in it for the long haul. They’re in it to completely crumble our republic, and they’re looking at these election administrator positions,’ said Byrum, a Democrat.” (06/13/21)
“The finance ministers of the world’s seven richest economies reached a groundbreaking agreement last week, promising a new era in which harmful tax competition is replaced by tax cooperation that benefits all the countries involved. It would impose a uniform minimum tax of 15 percent on all multinationals, over 90 percent of which are from G7 countries. If these countries impose a uniform tax of 15 percent on their multinationals, no competitive disadvantage can ensue, because all the competitors will be subject to the same rate. The Biden administration should receive full credit for brokering this deal. It was responsible for breaking through the impasse resulting from the Trump administration’s refusal to engage in any cooperative endeavor on tax policy. Moreover, the deal eliminates the dispute about taxation of the large U.S. tech companies, which will now be subject to the same 15 percent tax as everybody else.” (06/11/21)
“New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave voice Sunday to the growing frustration among progressives due to Democratic Senators who have become the clear obstructionists in enacting the bold agenda they promised U.S. voters in last year’s election. Following a morning appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Ocasio-Cortez said Democrats ‘have an obligation to do the most we can for working people, civil right, and the planet with the power people have entrusted us,’ and stressed during her television appearance that her side of the aisle should bend no further to the demands of a minority Republican Party that has a demonstrated history of acting in bad faith while making clear that defeating progress on key issues like infrastructure, healthcare, climate action, and pro-democracy reforms is its top priority.” (06/13/21)
“After stopping in England he’ll summit with European leaders in Brussels and then move on to his mano-a-mano meet-up with Vladimir Putin in Geneva. I pray to God he does a great job, but I worry Putin will eat Joe alive. Historically, left-wing dictatorships like Russia, China and North Korea have done that to our leaders when they go visiting overseas. When they make deals with us, left-wing countries like to play the geopolitical version of Rodney King’s famous plea ‘Can we just all get along?’ But as we’ve proven time and time again, the answer is always no. We can’t get along with leftists overseas — or at home.” [editor’s note: In what universe is the Putin regime “leftist?” – TLK] (06/12/21)
“Switzerland’s policy on fighting climate change has been thrown into doubt after voters rejected key measures in a popular vote. A referendum saw voters narrowly reject the government’s plans for a car fuel levy and a tax on air tickets. The measures were designed to help Switzerland meet targets under the Paris Agreement on climate change. Many voters appear to have worried about the impact on the economy as the country tries to recover from Covid-19. Opponents also pointed out that Switzerland is responsible for only 0.1% of global emissions, and expressed doubts that such policies would help the environment. The vote, under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy, went 51% against, 49% in favour.” (06/13/21)
“A moderate Islamist party claimed victory Sunday in Algeria’s legislative election even though results were not expected for several more days. Less than 24 hours after polls closed in the North African country, the head of the Movement for a Peaceful Society said the party ‘leads results in the majority of wilayas (regions) and overseas.’ Party chief Abderrazak Makri also denounced alleged fraud attempts ‘to change the results.’ The party did not provide the basis for its victory claim. The turnout for Saturday’s parliamentary election was dismal, with less than a third of the 24 million eligible voters casting ballots, according to the chief of Algeria’s electoral authority said late Saturday. The low participation reflected disinterest, longstanding opposition in the Berber region and a boycott by the pro-democracy movement that forced the country’s longtime president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, to resign in 2019.” (06/13/21)
“Humanity’s urgent trillion-dollar question is what will stop war and violent conflict? Aside from vast human suffering and death, with ever-higher risks in war, people and the planet just can’t afford more. Now, the cost of preparing for more war at $2-trillion annually is dwarfed by the damage caused, with the Global Peace Index reporting the economic impact of violence at $14.5-trillion annually. That’s a yearly burden of nearly $2000 on everyone, everywhere. No, neither cost is sustainable; those resources are urgently needed for our climate, health, and social emergencies. The future — if there is to be one — will depend on far deeper cooperation occurring within the next few years. Yet it seems unlikely that war will end simply from opposition, protest or just more calls for cuts.” (06/12/21)
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Learn enough about what’s happening in the world and you realize that most people in your society have worldviews that are completely and utterly wrong. This can seem bold, perhaps even arrogant, but if most people weren’t deluded about the world, the world wouldn’t be so fucked. And it’s not that people are dumb; intelligence has little to do with it. Some of the most intelligent people on earth promote the same deluded worldviews as everyone else. The problem isn’t intellect, it’s manipulation, and anyone can be manipulated no matter how smart they are. This mass-scale manipulation is the result of wealthy people buying up narrative influence in the form of media, political influence, think tanks, lobbying, NGOs, etc, in conjunction with the mass-scale manipulations of the powerful government agencies which are allied with them.” (06/10/21)
