I’m back, wish it was from a fun vacation, but it was anything but. Much of today is just my views summarizing in some instances the happenings that stood out over the past couple weeks as I digest for trends and current events.
Great Coronavirus Panic of 2020 -
Check numerous FR threads for more specific corona virus threads.
Most recent data dump from DoughtyOne 7/13/20
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3864396/posts
New cases continue to rise, indicators that death rates could potentially be going up as well now. Numerous states regressing to lock down/shut down levels of economy activity.
CW2 -
Persistent trend is the continued blocking of traffic and surrounding/threatening vehicles and occupants. This is causing more and more incidents where the drivers accelerate out of the situation in fear for their lives. Judging from MSM attitudes, this tactic is taking support away from protesters. OTOH, this is no longer about ‘protests’ but fully onto the initial stages of an attempted Marxist overthrow of government, and such blockage/attacks serve to promote terror through out the community. Making people fear is key to their control of the region/city.
Portland, a citadel of antifa, has had ongoing riots for more than 40 days. In spite of this, Portland prosecutors just dropped the charges against Black Lives Matter and antifa rioters who have turned downtown Portland into a hell-scape. Rioters are arrested are ticketed and released. Through the riots a new umbrella organization has emerged called the Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front (PNYL), a group comprised of anti-capitalist and anti-fascist teens. It is reported that this organization, which incorporates antifa et al into a singular unit, is responsible for the violence seen the past couple months. Its leadership is still reportedly anonymous and operations still being studied. All is not well though, as the Seattle Times reported that, at times, the group’s motivation appears to be at odds with the Black community in the city. The paper described a scene were Black leaders in June denounced arson caused by PYNL at one of the locations.
Recent attacks in Portland have focused on the Federal court house and while the local police have been hampered because of the city’s catch and release policy, the federal marshals have not had their hands tied. Over the weekend, seven antifa leaders were arrested on Federal charges related to the attacks on the courthouse.
Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor both asking for federal $$$$ to rebuild, so far FEMA has said no. Expect more requests from democrat officials.
The attacks against statues and memorials continues, though not at the pace seen a week ago, due mostly to preemptive removals. Christian churches are not becoming more of a target with vandalism and disruptive protests of services becoming the trend. Catholic churches and statues of the virgin Mary being the focus of the last week.
Crime is continuing to skyrocket in metropolitan areas as police forces are strained to deal with riots/protests and the blue tsunami of retirement/quitting of police force members. In NYC, officials there are trying to limit how many can retire per week, to slow the flow. More than 150 Minneapolis officers are filing PTSD claims and readying to leave the force.
Seattle’s mayor is facing a recall election over her mismanagement of the rioting and destruction.
In a very disturbing development, Army training presentation stated “Make America Great Again” was a form of white supremacy. Somewhere in the bowels of the pentagon leftists are slipping this kind of slime into the training of our active duty and civilians. My only hope is that they find out who did it and get rid of them.
Economy -
With states reinstating varying levels of shut down, the economic recovery is in serious danger. Potential impacts include spike in unemployment and bankruptcies and permanent closures of food industry companies.
IAEA reports that oil demands are returning to normal levels following the corona virus global shut down. This is causing production and prices to rise. OPEC and other producers are beginning to loosen production curbs imposed several months ago to meet the growing demand.
The administration is considering a 1.5 Trillion stimulus package to keep what recovery has occurred going forward.
Israel/West Bank -
While I was out, no annexation - yet. Israel is likely reconsidering the potential costs both in military action and potential economic sanctions. France is pushing Israel to stop, saying it would end the “two state solution” the EU desires to impose on Israel.
Iran -
Iran has experienced six mysterious explosions, fires and expensive equipment failures since June 25th at facilities related to Iranian nuclear and missile research and development. On July 2nd there was a particularly violent explosion at a facility related to the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Officially, Iran considers these explosions accidents, unofficially it is believed the Israelis, perhaps with the American assistance. The most recent one yesterday. Some believe that cyber attacks have caused the incidents, while other indicate that in some instances explosives were planted. One assessment was that as much as 50% of Irans advanced centrifuges have been destroyed, potentially setting their nuclear program back 2 years. Thursday’s “accident” at an Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz allegedly caused the lost 80% of the uranium hexafluoride gas it needs in order to enrich uranium.
These setbacks come at a particular difficult time where money is very, very tight and associated sanctions will further complicated the reconstruction of the facilities. Net results are that the attacks have undermined Iranian credibility throughout the region as well as inside Iran.
In an effort to bypass sanctions and get a cash infusion, Iran announced a trade and military partnership agreement with China. China would receive significant deliveries of oil over the next 25 years (at a discounted price), while spending billions on investments in energy and other sectors.
Hong Kong -
The US is evaluating various economic sanctions against China/Hong Kong in response to recent laws imposed on the former British colony. U.S. government alerted American citizens on Saturday to “exercise increased caution” of potential detainment/arrests in China.
China/India -
Calm, not much in my news feeds except after action reviews indicate the initial Chinese operation caught India off guard.
Saudi Arabia -
After a considerable interval, Houthis launched an attack on a Saudi Arabian oil facility. Saudi officials said it intercepted ballistic missiles fired from Yemen overnight between Sunday and Monday. The four missiles and seven drones were launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Corona virus and decreased support from Iran due to its economic chaos are likely the reason for the long interval between attacks.
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PNYL? Is that pronounced as 'penile'?
Great Coronavirus Panic of 2020 -
Many of the various categories I’m following have now integrated effects from this pandemic, but I’m keeping them separate for clarity. Check numerous FR threads for more specific corona virus threads.
Most recent data dump from DoughtyOne 7/14/20
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3864709/posts
It looks from DoughtyOne that the long term trend of deaths is still trending down, in spite of the growth in infections over the past several weeks. If the proclaimed spike in infections is real, the death rate should start to rocket up but it isn’t showing signs. The 7 day and daily death charts do show some flattening in the trend, but still holding low in contrast to the reported infection increase.
“We’re moving back into a modification mode of our original ‘stay-at-home’ order,” California Governor Gavin Newsom. Small business owners are reporting that this second shut down will kill their businesses. There was no date given / forecast for lifting of restrictions.
NYT is attempting to lay the blame for the increase in infections on the churches. According to the NYT, 650 cases are linked to churches. I’m no epidemiologist, but I don’t need to be, because simple math shows that 650 out of 3,000,000 cases across our nation means 0.0216 percent of them trace back to churches. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent should not — and cannot — be called a major source of this infection.
Dr. Fauci has come under considerable criticism from the Trump administration who’ve released numerous instances where the outspoken doctor has been grossly wrong on the pandemic. Recently Fauci stated the increase in infections was because the country didn’t shut down enough. Openly, Fauci was repudiated for his comments in that he doesn’t have the whole national interest in mind.
CW2 -
Tactics used by the leftists continue to morph. Current rage is road paintings of BLM and counter protests defacing them.
Economy -
News reports springing up concerning a coin shortage. Kroger foods is the latest example to stop giving change. Any ‘change’ would be put onto a gift card of sorts. They based their decision on the Federal Reserve’s announcement that there is a coin shortage in the US due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even my local Carl Jr’s fast food has signs warning of no change. It is reported that contributing to the lack of coin circulation is the fact that the US Mint has had to significantly reduce its production of coins while putting coronavirus protection procedures into place for employees.
Researchers from the University of Sydney have estimated that the effort to ‘control’ the corona virus has cost the global economy $3.8 trillion. I think that number is way too low.
Evidence that the economic foundations of California are starting to split apart come from the failure of the state to issue unemployment checks to those without work. Newsom has ordered the state’s EDD to delay unemployment checks for as many months as it takes to preserve the state’s rapidly-dwindling funds. The Mercury News reports that nearly 2 million Californians have yet to receive unemployment checks covering the first three months of the coronavirus lockdowns, which began in mid-March. It has been stated by the governor that California’s budget faces a shortfall of $54.3 billion. In California budget terms, the short fall is probably substantially larger.
Strategic Deployments -
Continued presence of two US carrier strike groups in the South China Sea area. Britain announced today that one of its carriers will be operating in the same area.
China -
The US has officially reject all Chinese claims to the south china sea. China not pleased.
Flooding of epic proportions continues across the country with multiple millions displaced. Eyes continue to be on the Three Gorges Dam which is thought to be structurally compromised and could fail catastrophically.
China said on Tuesday it would place sanctions on Lockheed Martin for its involvement in arms sales to Taiwan. This is another step in the escalating economic battle front developing with China over its Hong Kong take over spin off now being directed towards Taiwan.
Iran -
More internal discontent as factions are calling for a re-institution of the lockdowns to stem corona virus infections. Many government officials feel another round of quarantine would lead to widespread protests because most Iranians are still trying to recover economically from the last round of quarantine related economic lockdowns.
Lebanon/Hezbollah -
At least 28 missile sites connected to Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist organization have been located in civilian areas across Beirut, The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday, citing a report from the Alma Research and Education Center. Placement of these rocket and munition sites in the middle of civilian areas are a well established practice of Hezbollah and Hamas. Global news and anti-Israeli governments make hay out of civilian deaths in the past when Israel has hit these targets. Detection of such facilities has improved as well as the precision munitions Israel now has to minimize collateral damage, making such launch and storage sites move even more closely to civilian targets.
Hong Kong -
China warns that due to recent ‘unauthorized’ elections in Hong Kong, 600,000 may have violated the new law and face arrest and deportation to the mainland.
China/India -
OSINT imagery of the LAC shows PLA units may have fallen back into support camps and that the main area of contention appears to have been cleared. Deescalation appears to be slowly working in that China may perceive India has more backbone than they first anticipated.
Syria -
Turkey appears to be attempting to take a new security zone from the areas of Tirba Spi to Tal Kochar in Rojava, essentially extending it east to the Iraqi border. This triangular piece of Syria is in the extreme northeastern corner of the country. Such an expansion would permit Turkey to access the Rabia border crossing in Iraq