10 pm MDT
Trump’s Hail Mary vs Biden? Hail Durham; Hail Barr! Or will Biden Hail Dunn-Bauer?
*William Barr by Nancy Ohanian* The one thing, which could plausibly sink Biden’s ticket and (less easily) re-elect Trump’s ticket, would be bombshells from the Attorney General William Barr-delegated investigation, by U.S. Attorney John Durham, of the Russiagate investigation (which includes, without being limited to, criminal conduct). That’s my view, and apparently the view of the two VSPs who have recently published, in the VSP forum, the following two shots across Durham’s bow. [July 25th 2020-- 1st Shot: Danger to US Intelligence Analysis:] *•* one wonders whether the long-r... more »
"Armageddon with Pompeo"
*"Armageddon with Pompeo"* by Fred Reed "Today, God save the Queen, the country is in the hands of pathologically aggressive Cold War leftovers, in particular Mr. Genghis Pompeo. In light of his desire to get America into a war with Iran, plus the acrid whiff of desperation wafting from the White House, plus increased provocations against Iran, one may wonder about such a war being used to distract from Mr. Trump’s woes. At risk of repeating myself, some thoughts on said war. A point worth considering is that wars (very) often do not go as the aggressors plan. We might consider thi... more »
Why America's Enemies Can't Stop Stealth Fighters or Bombers
*Kris Osborn* *Security, * [image: Reuters] Air Force developers often refer to stealth configuration itself as merely one “arrow” in the quiver of approaches needed to defeat modern air defenses. *Here's What You Need To Remember: *Stealth technology works by engineering an aircraft with external contours and heat signatures designed to elude detection from enemy radar systems. The absence of defined edges, noticeable heat emissions, weapons hanging on pylons or other easily detectable aircraft features, means that radar "pings" can have trouble receiving a return electromagnet... more »
ISIS Captured Planes From Assad, But Couldn't Fly Them
*David Axe* *Security, Middle East* Only the regime managed actually to fly the planes, underscoring the inability of irregular forces to operate complex systems such as fighters. *Here's What You Need To Remember: *The restored L-39s “rolled on the runway,” Cooper wrote. “However, they were never flown: the SILF lacked necessary pilots and ground personnel.” Between 2013 and 2017 a small number of L-39 light attack jets at a Syrian air force base east of Aleppo changed hands several times. Syrian rebels captured them from the Syrian air force. Then Islamic State militants seize... more »
Does Russia Have a Radar That Can Help Kill Stealth F-35s?
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Europe* It's no silver bullet. *Here's What You Need To Remember: *While the Struna-1 bistatic radar is not a be-all end-all detection solution for stealth aircraft, it could pose a significant threat to stealth NATO aircraft in a future conflict. Strike aircraft with stealth features are particularly vulnerable, the strike role tends to favor flight profiles that might cause aircraft to fly into the Struna-1’s detection range. Ever since the development of stealth technology for aircraft, many different systems have been advertised as “stealth killing.”... more »
Like In America, Russia's Military Retirees Are Having Trouble Adjusting To Civilian Life
*Michael Peck* *Security, * How well Russian officers reintegrate into civilian life depends on three factors: the health of Russia’s economy, how willing is civilian society to accept veterans, and the degree of support from the Russian government. *Here's What You Need To Remember: *Kalinichev can’t resist favorably contrasting the agonies that America’s Vietnam veterans faced when returning home in the 1970s: the Russian government has made some efforts, including assigning psychologists at regional centers to counsel veterans. But successful transforming soldiers into civilia... more »
America Contemplated to Nuke both China and North Korea in 1950
In 1950, Chinese volunteer forces dispatched by the People’s Republic of China were firmly behind North Korea against US aggression. by Prof Michel Chossudovsky China’s act of solidarity with The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) was carried out barely a few months after the founding of the PRC on October 1, 1949. Truman had contemplated … Continue reading America Contemplated to Nuke both China and North Korea in 1950 →
President Trump Holds News Conference From Bedminister New Jersey – Video
Earlier today President Trump held a press conference (with supporters in attendance) from Bedminister New Jersey. [Video Below – Transcript Will Follow]
Belarusians Go To The Polls This Sunday
*BBC:* *Belarus election: President Lukashenko faces toughest test in years* President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus is seeking a sixth term in office in an election he is both tipped to win but which is also likely to be his toughest challenge yet. He won previous elections by a landslide but the votes were condemned by election observers. This time though he has a prominent rival in a 37-year-old who is running in place of her jailed husband. Belarus has also seen large opposition protests and a row with Russia. *Read more* .... *More News On Belarusians Going To The Poll... more »
Protesters Clash With Police And The Army In Beirut
*Daily Mail:* *'We are at war with our government': Protesters clash with police and the army in Beirut as an officer is killed and at least 60 demonstrators are wounded amid calls to overthrow Lebanon’s government after devastating explosion* * Violent clashes between protestors and security forces have led to several fires in buildings and on streets * Five thousands people marched on central Beirut as they vented their fury at Lebanon's political class * Demonstrators threw stones and build mock gallows as they blamed the government for Tuesday's blast * Nearby, veterans storme... more »
"Covid-19 Pandemic Updates PM 8/8/20"
*"Covid-19 Pandemic **Updates PM 8/8/20" * *- Frequently **Updated* Please visit these sites often for the very latest information. ○ *Updated Aug 8, 2020, 8:05 PM E.T.* *Coronavirus Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak* More than 19,521,300 people around the world have been infected with Covid-19; 5,003,600 of them are Americans. Here is the latest map/case count. The number of daily tests conducted in the U.S. is only 43 percent of the level considered necessary to mitigate the spread of the virus. See how your state’s testing compares to others. ○ - https://www.zerohedge.com/ *AUG 8, ... more »
Inadequate, Unworkable, and Unlawful: The Trump Unemployment Aid Program
President Trump’s effort to relieve the pressure he and Senate Republicans have been feeling over the expiration of enhanced unemployment benefits is a failure on every level. It provides too little in aid. It will miss many families in need. It will expire very soon. It likely cannot be implemented in some states. And it is transparently unlawful. *Unemployment Assistance in the Recession* The CARES Act that Congress enacted in March did many things, including provide the Administration hundreds of billions of dollars to direct to businesses it favored. From the... more »
Fear Forcings and Covid-19
Bruce Lipton explains it in the video below. It isn’t the flu that is the problem but the fear of getting infected by it and then occasionally dying due to a compromised immune system. The pandemic seems also to prefer … Continue reading →
Musical Interlude: Cat Stevens, “Bitterblue”
Cat Stevens, “Bitterblue”
"A Look to the Heavens"
"Over 400,000 light years across NGC 6872 is an enormous spiral galaxy, at least 4 times the size of our own very large Milky Way. About 200 million light-years distant, toward the southern constellation Pavo, the Peacock, the remarkable galaxy's stretched out shape is due to its ongoing gravitational interaction, likely leading to an eventual merger, with the nearby smaller galaxy IC 4970. IC 4970 is seen just below and right of the giant galaxy's core in this cosmic color portrait from the 8 meter Gemini South telescope in Chile. *Click image for larger size.* The idea to image th... more »
"What Is Life?"
"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset." - Crowfoot, Blackfoot Warrior and Orator
Chet Raymo, “Try To Remember…”
*“Try To Remember…”* by Chet Raymo “In a sleepless hour of the night, I was trying to remember the last name of a person I have known well for more than forty years. When my spouse stirred in her sleep, I asked her. She couldn't remember either. One again I started mentally through the alphabet. "I think it starts with B," I said. Ten minutes later she rolled over and said, "The next letter is R." Bingo! The name popped into my head. Or I should say, "popped out of my head." Because it was in there somewhere, recorded in a tangle of neurons as materially as if it were written on a ... more »
President Trump Signs Four Executive Orders Providing Middle Class Economic Relief Due to COVID-19…
Today President Trump announced four executive orders targeted to help the majority of Americans as democrats in congress refuse to help. Democrats in DC are holding middle-class economic relief hostage so they can force massive taxpayer bailouts on Blue states. … Continue reading →
It's No Accident That Global Supply Chains Have Suddenly Become Dependent on China
*Jim Banks* *Global Economy, Asia* [image: Reuters] The U.S. government should develop better, near-real-time insight into supply chains. *Here's What You Need To Know: *The Chinese government’s “Made in China 2025” strategy to consolidate manufacturing supply chains and impose itself as the world’s preeminent source of high-value manufactured goods has been well-known for years. While we have neglected to safeguard our industrial base, Beijing was aggressively subsidizing its country’s manufacturing plants and creating supply chains that maximized its economic and geopolitical ... more »
QLEDs for All: Samsung Maintains Lead in Advanced TVs in Second Quarter
*Stephen Silver* *Technology, World* [image: https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?id=tag%3Areuters.com%2C2016%3Anewsml_S1AEUJHYFRAA&share=true] Samsung is a high-tech powerhouse. Digital Supply Chain Consultants this week released their latest Quarterly Advanced TV Shipment and Forecast Report, which revealed that the sector’s revenues declined year-over-year, as volume increases were more than offset by price declines. Meanwhile, Samsung maintained its lead worldwide among brands. DSCC also said in the report that “advanced TV revenues are forecast to grow by a 5% growth rate f... more »
China's Military Has An Achilles' Heel: Its Lack Of Air Force Tankers
*Kris Osborn* *Security, Asia* Aircraft carriers, stealth fighters, anti-satellite weapons, drones, cyber attack technology and a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles are all among a series of Chinese weapons said to present serious concerns for Pentagon leaders. Aircraft carriers, stealth fighters, anti-satellite weapons, drones, cyber attack technology and a growing arsenal of ballistic missiles are all among a series of Chinese weapons said to present serious concerns for Pentagon leaders and weapons developers, according to DoD’s annual China report. The Pentagon 2018 repor... more »
Are You a Candidate for Donald Trump's Coronavirus Vaccine?
*Amitai Etzioni* *Security, Americas* [image: Reuters] Many people will compete in the marketplace for access to one of the vaccines currently under development, at prices to be set by the pharmaceutical companies, known for seeking very hefty profit margins, allegedly to cover research costs but also very high promotion costs. There are reports that coronavirus vaccines might be available in a few months. Thus, there must be deliberations over who will first have access to the vaccines. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is consulting with the Advisory Committee on I... more »
China’s Art of Strategic Incrementalism in the South China Sea
*Patrick Mendis, Joey Wang* *Security, Asia* [image: Reuters] Beijing’s aggressive reclamation and militarization of the Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands in 2014 should have immediately made clear that Chinese objectives were not just about fish, gas, and oil. The neighboring South East Asian countries of the highly volatile and busiest waterways of the South China Sea (SCS) have overlapping claims of sovereignty. The largest and most powerful of these claimants is China, which asserts that the region within a vaguely defined Nine-dash Line, covering nearly 80 percent of the S... more »
Why Trump's Troop Withdrawal from Germany Is Only the Beginning
*Max Bergmann, James Lamond* *Security, Europe* [image: Reuters] There has been a clear and consistent pattern of hostility from Donald Trump toward NATO and America’s closest democratic allies in Europe. NATO is in trouble. Last week Secretary of Defense Mark Esper followed through on President Trump’s threats to withdraw forces from Germany. Esper announced twelve thousand troops would depart Germany, some remaining in Europe, mostly Belgium and Italy, and others returning to the US where they will then join rotational deployments in Eastern Europe and around the world. The an... more »
Korean Justice Minister Choo Accused of Exploiting Arrest of Shincheonji Leader Lee Man-hee
*Mitchell Blatt* *Security, Asia* [image: Reuters] The embattled justice minister is trying to leverage the arrest of the unpopular religious figure to defend herself from criticism over her alleged interference in the public prosecutors’ office. The arrest of Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee on July 31 did not create sensation nor celebration in South Korea but more of a collective shrug. Nonetheless, embattled Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae is trying to leverage the arrest of the unpopular figure to defend herself from criticism over her alleged interference in the public prosecutor... more »
The Daily "Near You?"
Salinas, California, USA. Thanks for stopping by!
"It Is Our Fate..."
"Well, it is our fate to live in a time of crisis. To live in a time when all forms and values are being challenged. In other and more easy times, it was not, perhaps, necessary for the individual to confront himself with a clear question: What is it that you really believe? What is it that you really cherish? What is it for which you might, actually, in a showdown, be willing to die?...I say, with all the reticence which such large, pathetic words evoke, that one cannot exist today as a person – one cannot exist in full consciousness – without having to have a showdown with one’s s... more »
Burns like a red coat carpet
"Down Goes Clay: Cori Bush Knocks Off Half-Century Dynasty: *Cori Bush's defeat over 19-year incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay in St. Louis, Missouri, is Justice Democrats's latest upset.*" As I said a couple years ago, I don't expect these young challengers to win their first time out, but when they try again, it's not surprising to see them win. Meanwhile, Twitter was full of gleeful Hillarystans cheering for Rashida Tlaib to lose her seat, but she's pretty popular in her district. "Marquita Bradshaw scores upset win in Tennessee Democratic Senate primary: NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Memphis env... more »
Germans Awaken – Half-A-Million March Against Covid-19 Lockdown, Masks, Distancing
Meanwhile, Americans are complying like sheep being led to slaughter. _______________ A large-scale rally against restrictive measures in connection with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic took place in Berlin on August 1st. The procession started at noon on the boulevard Unter den Linden and moved along the central streets of the city. The marchers shouted energetic ... Read more Germans Awaken – Half-A-Million March Against Covid-19 Lockdown, Masks, Distancing The post Germans Awaken – Half-A-Million March Against Covid-19 Lockdown, Masks, Distancing appeared first on Ice Age Now.
Dexamethasone appears to help COVID-19 survival rates
Found to cut deaths by up to one-third. __________ A team of researchers in England has discovered that dexamethasone, an affordable, widely available steroid shows promise in improving survival outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Dexamethasone, a common steroid used to treat inflammation, was found to cut deaths by up to one-third in a study of more ... Read more Dexamethasone appears to help COVID-19 survival rates The post Dexamethasone appears to help COVID-19 survival rates appeared first on Ice Age Now.
Bubonic Plague Deaths in China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mongolia
Bubonic Plague Deaths in China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mongolia Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker Modern Tokyo Times The bubonic plague conjures images in the head of vast deaths from distant centuries. However, while no longer the potent killer disease of the past, people are still becoming infected and dying each year. […]
Robin Williams’ ‘Rambling’ Joe Biden Clip Resurfaces 11 Years Later
Robin Williams on Joe Biden lol pic.twitter.com/a1gscuru0y — ᗰᵉˡ 🌷 (@mel_faith1) August 4, 2020 *FOX News:* *Robin Williams' stand-up bit about 'rambling' Joe Biden resurfaces, goes viral on Twitter: 'That's perfect'* One fan said the late comedian would have 'even more ammunition' today A 2009 clip of Robin Williams ripping into Joe Biden during a stand-up routine has resurfaced online, and fans are loving it. Just days before Biden came under fire for his remarks about African American and Latino diversity, an old video from Williams' HBO special "Weapons of Self Destruction" ... more »
USA Today Calls For Mandatory Vaccinations
Bill Gates wants to alter everybody’s genetics What you need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine | Bill Gates As the US closes in on herd immunity, USA Today says people must be punished for not taking Bill Gates’ vaccine. … Continue reading →
Clinton/Obama Advisor : Conspiring To Produce An Unaware And Compliant Citizenry
“we’ve all been quite content to demean government, drop civics and in general conspire to produce an unaware and compliant citizenry“ WikiLeaks – The Podesta Emails Ivey was appointed chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, by then-President Bill … Continue reading →
This Chinese Nationalization Of A US Car Maker Should Be A Wake Call For Those Who Are Interested In Doing Business In China
Saleen Automotive Inc. *FOX News: **China wields coronavirus to nationalize American-owned carmaker* *Police and private security forces raided the headquarters on June 29* China enticed an American entrepreneur with the opportunity of helping build a cutting-edge automobile company in the world’s largest car market, then used the uncertainty cast by COVID-19 to steal his intellectual property, the businessman says. Steve Saleen, founder of specialty high-performance sports car manufacturer Saleen Automotive, and his partner Charles Wang, a Chinese immigrant and former attorney a... more »
Do You Think ANYONE Took Trump Seriously When He Said Biden Wants To Hurt God?
Actually, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Congress' most knowledgeable Constitutional scholar is taking it very seriously. He e-mailed his followers and warned them, telling them that "Trump said that Joe Biden as President would 'hurt God and the Bible.' This comical bit of pandering to the religious Right came from the guy who has more than a dozen outstanding sexual assault and harassment claims against him and waved an upside-down Bible over his head after unleashing a tear gas and pepper spray riot by his secret police force against 2,000 civil rights protesters. For anyone who h... more »
Coronavirus Is Being Tackled By Nicaragua’s Community-Based Health System
Nicaragua’s Sandinista government is – like every other government – engaged in a struggle to limit the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on its people. But Nicaragua suffers two additional handicaps. One is that it is subject to US and European sanctions, which severely limit the aid it gets from abroad or from multilateral bodies. The other is its internal opposition, which aims to use the pandemic in its latest attempt to destabilize the government and turn opinion against it. To do so it employs a wide range of propaganda methods, at home and abroad. These were very evident in ... more »
SOBR Is Russia's Answer To SWAT Teams
*Charlie Gao* *Security, Europe* [image: Special task force police officer Irina Samit, who is also an instructor, aims with a Kalashnikov AK-47 rifle as she takes part in a training session in the suburbs of Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, March 6, 2014. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin] Training for SOBR units is mostly what you’d expect from an elite police unit. *Key Point:* Russia's police created special forces units to deal with organized crime, but soon ended up battling terrorists. If asked to name a counterterrorism unit in Russia, most people would probably think of the ... more »
The Forgotten Reason Hitler Conquered France So Easily During World War II
*Daniel L. Davis* *History, Europe* [image: By Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-646-5184-26,_Russland,_Flugzeug_Junkers_Ju_87.jpg: Niermannderivative work: The High Fin Sperm Whale - Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-646-5184-26,_Russland,_Flugzeug_Junkers_Ju_87.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/ind] France would win the war, but it would fall and have to be liberated. *Key Point: *Berlin's generals were better leaders than France's during the fight. However, Hitler's poor decisions would doom the Reich in the end. In May 1940, the German Wehrmacht launched a lightning attack int... more »
synthetic coronaviruses
Coronavirus genomes are positive-sense single-stranded RNA molecules with an untranslated region (UTR) at the 5' end which is called the 5' UTR. The 5' UTR is responsible for important biological functions, such as viral replication, transcription[1] and packaging[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronavirus_5%27_UTR ………………………………………………. .summer 2020 At the same time Dr. Peková allegedly found signs of gene manipulation in the 5 'UTR regulatory region of the new coronavirus. "No other virus in nature whose sequences are in databases has such a sequence," she explains, alerti... more »
It’s Just A Precursor For What Is Actually Coming! Max Igan
Success Archive August 3, 2020 ~We’ve been warned… Are YOU prepared? HEA
Sabra & Shatila Massacre: Lebanon,Christian Phalange/Kataeb, Ariel Sharon & the IDF
*Be aware that history has a way of repeating. Particularly when so many actually too many are unaware of history. So much of it having disappeared down the 'memory hole'* disappearing the past *A memory hole is any mechanism for the deliberate alteration or disappearance of inconvenient or embarrassing documents, photographs, transcripts or other records, such as from a website or other archive, particularly as part of an attempt to give the impression that something never happened.[1][2] The concept was first popularized by George Orwell's 1949 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four... more »
Highlights: Laura Towler Vs Rikki Doolan Debate on British Identity & Immigration
Red Ice News - 5 hours ago
[image: Highlights: Laura Towler Vs Rikki Doolan Debate on British Identity & Immigration] Laura Towler did an excellent job breaking down the flag-waving (for the sake of flag-waving) "patriot" Rikki Doolan, who couldn't even admit that White British (or if you prefer: Native British) people exists as a distinct group. This is a highlight reel. Here is the link to the full debate: https://youtu.be/qCYW6N1g4GY (starts at 1:13:18)
On temporary measures
It should never be a surprise to see the Libs talking about big progressive plans - particularly in the context of a mooted election - while making no effort to follow through on them. But it's worth noting how it's the Libs who have chosen to avoid making any plans lasting more than a couple of months - with the result of creating uncertainty for the people who need it most. Faced with an income support system which was woefully inadequate (both in covering far too few people and in being too clunky to process a rush of applications), the Libs eventually got around to implementing ... more »
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II - The Former Backbone of the U.S. Air Force
*Sebastien Roblin* *Security, * [image: Reuters] When the F-4 came out it in 1958 it was a revolutionary design — one that went on to set several aviation records. *Here's What You Need To Remember: *The Phantom has proven both versatile and adaptable over time. Few of those present for its first flight in 1958 could have imagined that it would remain in frontline service nearly 60 years later. *But are souped-up F-4s really equal to fourth-generation fighters? None of these 21st century Phantoms have flown in air-to-air combat — but F-4s Phantoms have engaged in non-lethal dogf... more »
Drone Vs. Drone: What If Iran Tried To Swarm American Ships With Unmanned Suicide Speedboats?
*Kris Osborn* *Security, Middle East* [image: U.S. Navy Marines lift an RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aerial system (UAS) onto a launcher before flight operations aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) in the Gulf, in this undated handout picture released by U.S. Navy on Ju] Here's how the Navy would crush the attackers. *Here's What You Need To Remember:* The Navy's best answer to speedboats may be attack drones. Should swarms of armed small boats seek to surround, overwhelm and confuse large Navy ships in a coordinated barrage of attacks, surface shi... more »
How Will the U.S. Military Stop Hypersonic Attacks? Space-Based Missile-Killer Systems
*Kris Osborn* *Security, Americas* [image: A view of a test missile launch as the Defense Department conducts a flight test of a conventionally configured ground-launched cruise missile at San Nicolas Island, California, U.S., August 18, 2019. Picture taken August 18, 2019. Scott Howe/Department o] Faster, more precise enemy attacks, especially those traveling through space, will need a new-generation of space-integrated sensors and faster, more precise interceptors. The prospect of long-range hypersonic attacks, new precision-guidance ballistic missiles and even next-generatio... more »
Randomness
A Scenario Burglar, held at bay at gunpoint: Aren’t you going to call the cops? Armed homeowner: Why? No one else knows you’re here but me… The West has heavier investments in hydroelectric Power. Arkansas didn’t even score! Prevalence in the world of marriages between cousins. Hotchkiss 37mm M1916 The […] The post Randomness appeared first on Virtual Mirage.
Jeffrey Knapp on John Lennon and the Big 4: give public interest a chance
[image: KPMG] KPMG and the other Big Four audit firms are at a crossroads, writes Jeff Knapp. Their work with multinational clients to skirt ethical accounting rules and regulations has been on show time and time again. They need to decide what they really are; a salesforce, or - what they profess to be - an accounting profession.
Early treatment studies show high effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine
“Global HCQ studies. PrEP, PEP, and early treatment studies show high effectiveness, while late treatment shows mixed results.” click here
Short story: The Frankenstein Society
Ethical Technology - 5 hours ago
You had thought them a laboratory legend, but now one of their agents was in yours, pointing a gun at you while another connected a laptop to the network holding the AI that was going to be your Turing Prize and IPO fortune.
Middle Finger Symphony Theater
*~ *NO TUXEDOS REQUIRED* ~* Brought to You By *BLUESJUNKY*: Chair of Music - Middle Finger Symphony Music Director
Mask Mandates Drive Discord and Division, Prompt Anger and Violence Around the Nation
[image: mask-mandates-drive-discord-and-division-prompt-anger-and-violence-around-the-nation] So far, 34 states have imposed mask mandates on their citizens. Or, put more properly, 34 state governors have usurped lawmaking power from their respective state legislators and have ruled as dictators how their citizens shall live.