I just watched the documentary "Bad Surgeon," which is available on Netflix. It details the privileged lifestyle and works of a physician, Paolo Macchiarini, who appeared to be pioneering groundbreaking surgeries that could help save the lives of people who otherwise would die. In the end, it is revealed that he skipped critical research, hid his devastating outcomes, used faulty techniques, and did not truly care for his patients, colleagues, family, or friends. In short, he was a sociopath only concerned with his reputation and lifestyle. He used the excuse that the people were going to die, so he thought his "experimental" procedures were an acceptable means of saving lives. His actions were no different than those imposed on us during the height of COVID by most of the governing bodies of the globe. They all tried to justify their ethical misconduct by telling us they were only trying to save us. This post will cover some aspects of medical ethics as they relate to the documentary and the COVID pandemic.
Read MoreI wrote about the increasing number of people dying in 2021 in August. The trend started around 2009. Interestingly, CDC death rates increased from 2020 to 2021, except for persons aged 75 and over. In other words, the increase in death was due to younger people dying, representing the ages least likely to die from Covid-19. As I had mentioned in the August 15 post, life insurance death claims for the five largest companies were up an average of 30% for people ages 18 to 64, corroborating the CDC findings. We were extremely worried about the rising death toll in 2020, but not in 2021, when more people died than in the pandemic year. I was distressed that nobody seemed interested in why this would be. I was on vacation then and said I would look into it to find out what was happening, and I have. I will discuss the CDC’s statistics from 2021 and a few other things I found out.
Read MoreThe scientific literature was clear in 2020, and it still is: Lockdowns don't work. But, unfortunately, nobody was allowed to talk about it until now. So those of us who read the research and history books back then feel we may speak more freely without fear of disdain, ridicule, or censorship. We read the studies from the vaccine companies that clearly never looked at prevention or spread, only symptoms. We knew the previous studies on masks and quarantining showed they are no use. But things are changing.
The media and politicians are now having trouble maintaining their narratives. For instance, just recently in The Studies In Applied Economics Journal, a January 2022 paper entitled A LITERATURE REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF LOCKDOWNS ON COVID-19 MORTALITY by Jonas Herby, Lars Jonung, and Steve H. Hanke stated that "…during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns have had devastating effects. They have contributed to reducing economic activity, rising unemployment, reducing schooling, causing political unrest, contributing to domestic violence, and undermining liberal democracy. These costs to society must be compared to the benefits of lockdowns, which our meta-analysis has shown are marginal at best. Such a standard benefit-cost calculation leads to a strong conclusion: lockdowns should be rejected out of hand as a pandemic policy instrument." Their statement would have been taken off all social media and ignored by the mainstream press last year. This post will cover my previous observations about the pandemic over the last few years showing that the governments around the world did not “follow the science” as they claim.
Read MoreThe holidays always bring more love, laughter, cheer, and peace for me, my family and friends. It has become increasingly more difficult because of all the fear mongering going on. I gave a message of hope last year by posting that things were not nearly as bad as everyone was led to believe. Once again, I bring tidings of comfort and joy that we are not dying in much greater numbers than usual. I will also share insights that Omicron is generally mild and has a much lower hospitalization and death rate than previous Covid variants. I will also discuss the main reason why the death rate is climbing, and what we can do to avoid an early exit. Lastly, enjoy the holidays and have a happy new year.
Read MoreHave you noticed that fear is consuming a large segment of the population lately? Initially, we directed our worries at the virus. However, more and more, we are focusing our fear and anger on the unvaccinated. The same goes for anyone with an opinion that differs from the mainstream; they get labeled as misguided purveyors of vaccine hesitancy. All the while, the media seems bent on stoking fear and hatred. Prevention and treatment are nowhere to be found in their narrative. Dr. Mattias Desmet is a psychologist and professor at the University of Ghent who believes that the conditions of loneliness and isolation, coupled with free-floating anxiety associated with the frustrations and agitation, plus no sense of life's purpose, can have explosive consequences. For example, large numbers of dissatisfied, fearful, confused, and isolated people can suddenly band together in common cause against a sudden event that they identify as the sole cause of their misery. The sudden focusing on a single apparent threat provides immediate and palpable relief from the myriad longstanding pressures of isolation, confusion, and free-floating anxiety and discontent. Dr. Desmet calls this phenomenon mass formation.
Read MoreWe are in the midst of heated times. The implication that unvaccinated people are dangerous is misguided, and I need to speak up. I present facts and ideas that you may not be aware of. I have nothing against vaccines personally and went out of my way to get certified by my state to provide them for anyone wanting one. I deem the matter a personal choice, and the law and medical ethics support this. I believe the risk from receiving the Covid-19 vaccination is probably minimal. The vast majority of us should take it without fear of harm. Like everything in life, individuals must weigh the pros and cons. The views expressed in this post are my opinions only. You should address concerns about the Covid-19 vaccination only with qualified medical professionals.
Read MoreToday I am going to talk about known patterns of viral outbreaks, specifically respiratory-based infections, and how the lockdowns and mask mandates affected them. Since outbreak patterns are somewhat standard, differing mitigation strategies can be compared from region to region. If you are interested in the findings, read on.
Read MoreI want to unpack two recent studies associated with Covid-19. One is a study of new United States Marine recruits who underwent severe quarantine. The results may surprise you. The other is a public mask-wearing study from Denmark. They both refute the common advice to lockdown and wear masks. In this post, I will sift through the fine points and provide tangible takeaways.
Read More