Why was the world not prepared for Covid-19?

 (My answer on Quora)

here are a number of reasons for this.

1. The virus is unusual in that it hits a ‘sweet spot’. Its fatality rate sits somewhere around 0.5–0.7% (significantly higher than the seasonal flu but nowhere near as deadly as the earlier SARS outbreak for the infected) but it is very transmittable. It lingers and spreads.
2. A significant proportion of those infected present little or no symptoms (asymptomatic) and therefore are unlikely to report for testing.
3. There were some initial problems with several PCR antigen tests supplying false positives/negatives. This improved over time.
4. The CCP downplayed the extent of the outbreak in Wuhan and also deliberately went after whistleblowers who ordinarily would have provided early warning notice of the extent and profile of the virus. There also seems to be emerging evidence of local cover-up at Wuhan regarding crisis management.
5. To this day we are unaware of the origin of the virus. Theories abound. If the virus is indeed the product of gain-of-function research then this could explain why it has been so lethal in terms of absolute death numbers compared to other coronaviruses of recent vintage. The jury is still out on this one.
6. Travel from China to other countries continued for too long a period. This seeded the virus in Northern Italy. Travel from European hotspots to North America (which seeded New York) was shutdown late. All too often calls for shutdowns turned into an excuse for bitter political name calling.
7. Most of the world was heavily reliant on advice from the WHO that from the get go seemed to be riddled with political interference that diminished its credibility.
8. The demographic fatality of the virus is unusual in that its impact on young children who are usually a vulnerable group is minimal. This required a radical rethink from previous methodologies of maintenance.
9. There was an over reliance on mathematical models, guided by inputs that carry a high degree of error, for the Pandemic management. A great deal of these were found wanting.
10. Health officials often presented mixed messages that changed frequently. In several cases, those in the know were less than honest with the public. Initially we (in the West) were told that masking is ineffective. Then we were told that it is necessary. When questioned on this change of philosophy the answer often given by health officials is that they did not wish to exhaust supplies for front line workers. If that was indeed the case then why wasn’t this made very clear from the beginning? Why overlay this with the ineffective line? All it does is create more public skepticism.
11. Following on with 10…..Masking has long been used for disease management in Asia. Why did it seem that there was so little so little research done on the efficacy of masking in reducing the transmission of airborne viruses carried by droplets? Were we in a wait and see mode until the pandemic hit? If so then this represents a colossal failure by our collective health organizations.
12. Media Generated Panic. It didn’t help that 2020 was an election year in the United States and in these years concerns for the ballot box take precedent over everything else. Panic is a powerful tool to influence public opinion all too often at the expense of a more logical approach to risk mitigation. This had the net effect of further polarizing people for no useful health benefit.
13. Poor leadership. There are numerous examples of this across the globe but for me one of the worst was the decision by several US governors to send the infected elderly back to the care facilities. An action that resulted in thousands of additional deaths that could have been avoided.
14. Pandemics are like wars and just like wars the generals/doctors often use the methodologies of old to fight the new. We saw this in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic with the ventilator obsession. In many cases this approach did more harm than good with high rates of mortality associated with such treatment.
15. Cultural and regional concerns. These play a key role in the grassroots management of a pandemic. Outcomes vary. What works for one culture may not work for another.

If they were so inefficient, why did the USSR in the 1930s and Yugoslavia in the 1960s grow at abnormal rates?

 (my answer on Quora)

Growth rates are meaningless unless you know the size of the base that you are growing from. Many economies have high growth rates if they are emerging from a period of prolonged recession or depression. This tends to plateau later (coming down to Earth effect). However if the base they are starting from is poor as was the case for both of these countries then the absolute standing may not be that spectacular.

Soviet growth in the 1930s was carried out by a series of five year plans whose human cost was unbelievably high. The policy of collectivization (liquidation of the Kulaks) and forced famines caused millions of deaths. I would urge you to read up on the genocide of the Holodomor. I hate viewing humans as economic commodities but any talk about efficiency is negated by the 3.5 million death number here alone. See

Holodomor | Facts, Definition, & Death Toll

Holodomor, man-made famine that claimed millions of lives in the Soviet republic of Ukraine in 1932–33. Because the famine was so damaging, and because it was covered up by Soviet authorities, it has played a large role in Ukrainian public memory, particularly since Ukraine gained independence in 1991.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Holodomor

Yugoslavia was no model of efficiency either. Far from it. Their economic policies were not sustainable. Debt increased at a rate of 17% per year from 1961 to 1980. Inflation was rampant and by the 1970s. Tito was forced to implement unpopular reforms to sustain an economy that at one point virtually required infinite growth to survive.

The Economy of Tito's Yugoslavia: Delaying the Inevitable Collapse

There seems to be a resurgence of nostalgia for the “good old days” among the citizens of countries that were once known under the common name of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.  This article is dedicated to all of us former Yugoslavs, especially those who think that the Yugoslav economy during Tito’s rule was built […]

https://web.archive.org/web/20171024012054/https://www.mises.ca/the-economy-of-titos-yugoslavia-delaying-the-inevitable-collapse/

Did the Japanese attack the US West Coast during WWII?

(My answer on Quora)

As others have mentioned the Japanese did indeed attack the West Coast of the United States. The most newsworthy of these was the naval bombardment of Ellwood in Santa Barbara, California that damaged a local oil refinery. This occurred on the 23rd of February 1942.

The military base of Fort Stevens in Oregon was also shelled by the Japanese Submarine I-25 on June 21st 1942 with very minimal damage. In addition the Japanese occupied two of the Aleutian Islands (Kiska and Attu) prior to the Battle of Midway with the intention of protecting their Northern Flank. The Attu landing marked the first time a part of the continental United States had been occupied since the War of 1812.

So why then did the Japanese not go any further? Well the defeat of Kidō Butai (1st Fleet) at Midway put an end to further aspirations on the West Coast by securing naval supremacy in the Pacific in American favour.

However lets place devil’s advocate for a moment and assume that the Imperial Navy had emerged victorious on the 7th of June 1942 with Admirals Yamamoto and Kondō defeating Nimitz, Spruance and Fletcher.

A victory here would have greatly turned the tide in the Pacific in Japan’s favour. It would only have been a matter of time before Pearl Harbor fell and with it Hawaii. With its new position the Japanese could have launched further sporadic attacks against the American West Coast and probably would have to limit an American Naval rebuild. It is very unlikely that the US would have sued for peace even in this alternative scenario (not with the home front intact).

As for a full scale frontal attack on the West Coast proportions this is improbable. The planning and logistic commitments here would have dwarfed D-Day. The expanse of ocean that would have to be traversed was far too wide and the Japanese for all their maritime success did not have the Armed force strength of the Wehrmacht. Their continuing struggles in China and their defeat at the hands of the Soviets/Mongolians at Khalkin Gol had made that clear already. All of this likely played a significant part in the decision of Japan to not open a Second front in the Soviet Union much to the annoyance and ongoing frustration of Adolf Hitler. Invading the US mainland was even worse of an option. This is not the same as an assault against American positions in the Philippines. Far from it.

Besides which Japan was already heavily committed elsewhere having greatly expanded her domain in the Malaya Peninsula (including Singapore), Hong Kong, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, French Indochina, Burma and numerous Pacific Islands. Her intentions for the time being would likely have involved the consolidation of gains (against active resistance) with an eye to containing future American rebuilds via a naval check. Anything beyond this would have spelled disaster.

What is behind the current rioting and looting in South Africa (summer 2021)?

 (My answer in Quora)

A break down in the rule of law caused by factional violence, stemming from the sentencing of former President Jacob Zuma to 15 months in prison. Zuma was found guilty of contempt of court for refusing to address the myriad of corruption charges that he faces in a state backed inquiry.

Jacob Zuma source: BBC

But lets back track a bit and take a look at the tragic soap opera that is South African politics.

The African National Congress (ANC) has been in power in the country since its victory in the nationwide election of 1994. While they were initially hailed by the majority of South Africans as a necessary and forward thinking bringer of change following the end of white minority rule, the party’s time in power has been characterized by high levels of unemployment, mounting violence, a faltering economy, blatant corruption, cronyism and downright incompetence.

This has worsened over time and in the absence of a unifying figure such as Nelson Mandela looked to have reached a tipping under the controversial Presidency of Jacob Zuma (2009–2018).

Zuma, a long time ANC activist,who is also known as JZ Msholozi (his clan name) was the one time deputy President of South Africa (1999–2005). He was dismissed by then President Thabo Mebeki after one of his advisors (a conman Schabir Shaik) was found guilty of soliciting bribes. Zuma would later stand against Mbeki defeating the latter at the ANC conference in December 2007 forcing Mbeki’s resignation the following year. He would eventually take over as President in 2009*.

In the 2009 national election the ANC re-confirmed its paramountcy in South Africa and Zuma himself was re-elected as party head again in 2012. However controversy continued to follow him. In 2005 he had been charged with rape but was acquitted. The sting of the charges sat over him like a bad vapor as did the Shaik affair with more scandals emerging with rapidity. The transfer of power from Mbeki had not been a smooth one by any measure with allegations of corruption and National Prosecuting Authority interference tarnishing the transition.

It was clear that the ANC had fractured along a political axis into pro and anti-Zuma camps. To make matters worse the Far-Left Economic Freedom Fighter founded by former ANC Youth leader Julius Malema, who had broken from the ANC, was siphoning off support with its Anti-Capitalist Pan-African ideology version of Identity politics.

EFF President and Anti-Capitalist firebrand Julius Malema (he is not averse to using anti-White racism to rally his supporters) source: The Times of Africa

Zuma though had a strong base of support. He was a member of the Zulu nation (the largest black grouping in South Africa) and his presence was vital in ensuring Zulu support in its Kwazulu Natal (KZN) stronghold for the ANC. As a people many Zulus harbored skepticism of the broader politics of the ANC, whose leadership had traditionally been dominated by a Xhosa elite that included Mandela himself.

Zuma also had a great deal of support from those on the Left Wing of the Party including the South African Communist Party.

Allegations of corruption continued to mount and he did very little to allay fears of a country in rapid decline. All sorts of motions were filed with decisions moving from the High Court to the Supreme Court of Appeals. Charges were dropped and then reinstated. With each passing day the situation appeared to worsen and it was clearly impacting the rest of the country.The roller-coaster of uncertainty was taking a toll. It didn’t help that Zuma made no secret of his close ties with the wealthy and unpopular Gupta Family who appeared to be profiting from their business and political ties with Zuma himself.

His use of state funds to extend and refurbish his personal residence at the Nkandla Homestead was particularly galling for many. The scandal has been referred to as Nkandlagate.

The Nkandla Homestead source: Financial Times

In February of 2018 Zuma was forced out of office and replaced by Cyril Ramaphosa, a former Trade Union leader, anti-Apartheid activist and wealthy businessman. He was also Deputy President of South Africa from 2014–2018. The economy which had been in the doldrums appeared to temporarily improve. This after a long period of uncertainty that saw the country change finance ministers, struggle with mounting debt and suffer the indignity of having its credit rating plummet to a new nadir.

Cyril Ramaphosa Source; The Conversation

On the 16th of March 2018, Zuma was charged with 18 counts of corruption and a further 700 (yes you read that correctly) counts of money laundering. The Zondo commission**, which was actually established by Zuma himself , would investigate the former President. They were building a very strong case but it wouldn’t be easy. Zuma had his supporters and the case against him was mirroring the power struggle in the ANC between the more centrist Ramaphosa and Zuma’s factional backers (largely the left wing of the party).

The Zondo Commission ordered Zuma to testify with respect to the charges. He skipped his first court ordered testimony on the 28th of January 2021, arguing that the entire process was a witch hunt. On the 29th of June he was sentenced to 15 months in prison on contempt of court. On the 4th of July he refused to surrender as armed supporters gathered near his home. Finally on the 7th of July he turned himself in and was taken into custody.

An appeal challenging the detention on the grounds of ill health was rejected as Kwazulu Natal was enveloped with violence between his supporters rallying under the banner "Free Jacob Zuma and shut down KZN" and local authorities. This has now spread to other parts of the country and as of the time of writing has claimed well over 100 deaths.

None of this is helped by the fact that Covid-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the country both on the health and the economic front. Unemployment in Q1 2021 was 32.6% officially and the vaccination program seems to be stuttering. The Covid death number sits at 66 K with the overall case #s pegged at around 2.25 million out of a population of 58.66 million.

Where will this all it end? It is difficult to say. Zuma will likely be jailed but could be freed at a later stage pending health risks. As for the government it is likely that they will make more concessions to appease the Zuma bloc which I suspect will lay the foundation for more problems in the future.

One cannot be optimistic about any of this as the country is so engulfed by a culture of corruption and power politics that only a clean break from the ANC would likely make any difference. Since South African voters largely split along racial lines this is very unlikely to happen.

It is truly another round in the saga of “Cry the Beloved Country.

South African Election Results 2019: The ANC are corrupt but the opposition is not in a strong position to dislodge them. Source: BBC

Who will suffer? Most South Africans regardless of ethnicity. You can only milk the system for so long.

*Kgalema Motlanthe actually bridged the gap between the Mbeki and Zuma presidency but served in office for less than a year. He would however serve as Zuma’s deputy from 2009–2014.

** On the 22nd of January 2020 a court in KZN ruled that Zuma could be tried for illegal arms dealing with a French company.

Sources

South Africa COVID: 2,206,781 Cases and 64,509 Deaths

World / Countries / South Africa Last updated: July 13, 2021, 00:04 GMT Coronavirus Cases: 2,206,781

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-africa/

UPDATE 1-South Africa's unemployment rate reaches new record high in first quarter

South Africa's unemployment rate rose to a new record high of 32.6% in the first quarter of 2021 from 32.5% in the final quarter of 2020, the statistics agency said on Tuesday.

https://www.reuters.com/article/safrica-economy-unemployment-idUSL2N2NJ0NV

Why does are there so many people on Social media that are sympathetic to China and hostile to the West?

 Several reasons:

• The CCP has a large army of paid bots/”info peddlers” who whitewash its activities on social media, deliberately conflate opposition to the CCP with anti-Chinese Racism and spread its propaganda;
• Reflexive Anti-Americanism - all too common these days;
• Historical Ignorance…Most people are barely aware of the horrors of the Great Leap Forward or the Cultural Revolution but have been inundated with all the negatives in American/Western history and therefore have no perspective;
• Self Flagellation and the culture of guilt.

The CRT Cult

I first became acquainted with Critical Race Theory  (CRT) in the 2000s when attending Education school. It was the prime focus of one of the course that we were required to complete as part of the High School teacher training program. Teaching for me was a second career (the first was in the Engineering profession) so I was a bit older than the most of the program’s student body and carried with me enough life experience to immediately recognize CRT for what it was - a radical ideology that has almost all of the characteristics of a religious extremism or indeed a cult. Like these other pathologies Critical Race Theory (CRT) comes dressed in the trappings of betterment but is far more sinister for it it seems to be gaining accelerated buy in from the Neo-liberal and Progressive Establishment and by extension the Democratic Party in the United States.

To understand the harshness of this assessment we need to look at CRT's origin which has its genesis in legal studies and goes back to the 1970s. Its initial intent was to provide a counter view to liberal approaches to race and racism. Proponents of CRT believe that differing racial outcomes are largely a function of a flawed system that has been specifically designed and continues to support the interests of a privileged White grouping. It borrows heavily from the various schools of critical theory that emerged after World War Two. These all attack the foundations of society through the lens of a power dynamic and borrow heavily from Marxist critiques of Liberalism. In CRT class has been replaced with race following similar revisions associated with the Frankfurt School. 

Its ultimate focus is a deconstruction of the network of the power hierarchy and a reset in its own image based on a specific interpretation of justice. Since then it has spread significantly and now impacts virtually all areas of the humanities and social science and indeed is making its presence felt in the hard sciences as well. It has infiltrated both the corporate world and the military as well. To call it a cancer (or a mind virus) would not be an overstatement for its ultimate impact on societal cohesion is deleterious. In reality it pits groups of people against each other to facilitate a transformation of power. It is also no longer just an intellectual theory but is now a Movement with a dangerous forward momentum. 

So how then is  CRT  similar to the cult like nature of religious extremism that are present in not only various segments of  the Abrahamic faiths but exist  in several of the Eastern and New Age Belief systems as well?  Well to begin with CRT has an ideal which in its case is a variations of a definite 'ought' that is  crafted in the image of its intellectual priesthood. Like other extremes of religious belief its God is indeed a jealous one tolerating very little dissent towards the idealism of its social justice inspired Earthly heaven.

However God is not the focus here, what is germane though is the methodology of belief, its epistemological underpinnings and its modus operandi of application.  So lets look at this as the uncanny similarities between CRT and Religious Extremism/Cultism for they are eerily disturbing.

 Here goes:

• Each posits an overriding ill associated with Western civilization – Decadence and Alienation  in the case of most  Religious Extremists, Systemic Racism for CRT advocates. Complex multifaceted issues are reduced to single problem factors ;
• The ideological constructs favour group dynamics over that of the Individual. CRT faces an added challenge in that it has not resolved the Essential versus Anti-Essentialist debate centering on the most appropriate unit of analysis. This further complicates when one adds in Intersectional factors;
• Both ignore conclusions based on Empirical evidence that invalidate their belief although they will cherry pick data when it suits them or ignoring that which doesn’t (black-on-black violence for example). The cart sits in front of the horse for both with all attempts at falsification summarily dismissed by a shifting of the goal posts;
• Each is openly hostile towards Western Liberalism but not averse to using the mechanisms of political democracy that exist in the system to consolidate its power outreach;
• Both are focused on winning the hearts and minds of the youth whatever way necessary (including and especially the undermining of the Educational system);
• The two all too often play the victimhood card when subject to blowback or resistance – all too often standing up for their own rights that they would appear to deny to others should they actually have the office of power;
• Both take a dim view of the gains of the Enlightenment and are inherently non-Scientific. Complex Language and the redefining of words is often used to couch the beliefs in a type pseudo-scientific rationalism that can only truly be interpreted by those in the ‘know’; 
• Each twists common understandings of right and wrong.  The phrase “All Lives Matter” which is a key to  liberalism and in my opinion a shared decency becomes somewhat of a hate statement when marinated in CRT ideology; 
• Appeals to emotion often frame the arguments of both – with subjective reality (standpoint epistemology or 'naming one's own reality') and various moments of personal revelation taking precedence over objective realities derived through scientific rationalism and empiricism; 
• Each use historically flawed  mythology to frame their arguments in the popular realm – Think of the 1619 Project or various metaphysical creationist narrative; 
• Both are extremely hostile to the outsider and non-believer, with foot soldier adherents often targeting opponents for cancellation, gaslighting, heretic  isolation, doxxing and Ad Hominem abuse; 
• Both tend to have a priestly elite that had maintain a status safeguarded by walls of overstated credentialism;
• The priestly elite of both are extremely adept at personally enriching themselves both financially and socially; 
• Each is not afraid to pressure governments and corporations to do their bidding and offer up Danegeld; 
• Both rarely if ever entertain the notion that they can be wrong (Heaven forbid!!). Each is particularly intolerant of humour or satire directed at them; 
• When attacked on dogma of belief both tend to resort to the No True Scotsman Fallacy or accuse others of misinterpreting their beliefs which can be conveniently covered for by language games and sliding definitions;
• At their core each has no qualms about discriminating against those outside its belief system using asymmetrical application of free speech protocols (good for me but not for you), it is also not uncommon for both to project their own personal bigotry onto the other; 
• Each relies on the good will of people (often the naive well meaning naive) to further a sanitized version of their message, although woe betide such an individual who deviates too much from the script; 
• Both use guilt to sell their message. CRT makes tremendous headway from White guilt. Religious extremism uses the guilt of sin. For CRT in the American context, Slavery is the Original Sin; 
• Both have a tendency to support, condone or turn a blind eye to violence that furthers their aims;
• Semantic overload is key to further the outreach of related. As shown with this line of reasoning......No good person can disagree with the statement Black Lives Matter therefore taking issue with the BLM organization whose name is depicted with those words implies opposition to the statement and indicative of a bad person. Islamists do the same when they routinely equate their ideology as encompassing the core of authentic Islam so that by definition opposition to them must be Islamophobic;
• There are logical flaws in the arguments of both that one notices from the onset . For religious extremists this presents itself for example with the problem of why misfortune impacts the most pious. CRT proponents are at a loss to explain why Asians or indeed even Nigerian immigrants (in Houston for example) perform better than whites in a system that has been specifically designed to benefit whites. There are numerous others; 
• Both are well versed in the art of projection accusing others of the same bigotry that they espouse. Religious extremists often denigrate opposing religions while at the same time accusing the other of disrespect. CRT advocates push a doctrine that is divisive along racial lines while often charging its opponents of racism if their dogma is questioned;
•  Each sets no limit on how far it is prepared to go and how it tends to manage the radical extremes of its own extreme ideology.

One can go further and I may still do so in the future but what is clear is that the pattern of overlap is  extensive. Each is affront to the rationalism and empiricism of the enlightenment that has ensured the success of Western civilization. It is also not a solution to a racial prejudice which at this point in Western History operates largely individual not the systemic level.

However what is most frightening is that Totalitarian thought process that underpins each and disguises its intent with well crafted Newspeak. The zealotry of its advocate is an affront to all free thinkers as is the buy in from many of the elites who have either been lulled into complacency, have lost all sense of reality or are grifting to save their own political skin.

Western History 178: How extensive were France’s colonial/protectorate holdings?

France’s so-called colonial Empire (although it wasn't a true Empire like that of the British) was only second in terms of size to that of Britain by the Nineteenth century. Its origins date back to the 16^th century and evolved like the British and Spanish Empires during the Age of Exploration. The colonial holdings peaked in 1920 when it covered 11,500,000 km² and included a population of 110 million people. Port Royal in Acadia was the first successful French colony following on the heels of failed colonies in Brazil and Florida. Like later French colonies it was mercantile in nature (driven initially by the endeavours of the West and East Indies Trading Companies).

The Old and the New French Empires. Source: AnnieAndre.com

French colonies existed in the Caribbean, South America, North and West Africa, Madagascar, India and South East Asia. The Empire served to spread Catholicism and French culture and likel other European Empires had an element of duty to it that manifested itself in the necessity for cultural and civilization expansion (the so-called civilizing mission). Today many of the former French colonial territories are linked to the mother country via La francophonie.

So what were these territories under French control? In North America this included Quebec, the Canadian maritime province and much of what would later become the Louisiana Purchase. Collectively this formed part of New France. The former would be lost to Britain following the War of The Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War, The latter would be acquired by the United States via financial means during the turbulent Period of the Napoleonic wars.

French holdings in the Caribbean were significant and they included at various times Saint-Domingue (Haiti) , Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica, St. Lucia, St Kitts, Grenada and Tobago. France also had control of South American territory in French Guiana  which to this day is considered an overseas Department of France like Reunion in the Indian Ocean. Colonies established here were largely dependent on sugar production that relied heavily on the Trans Atlantic Slave trade. The dynamics of such an economy would eventually result in the displacement and expulsion of the indigenous Carib population (the same was true in the English Caribbean colonies).

French activities in Africa would see the establishment of a trading post in what is today Senegal (West Africa). Further expansions in the 19^th century would result in  France acquiring territoryon the Indian sub-continent  in Chandannagar, Pondicherry, Yanam, Mahe and Karikal.  These would later succumb to British dominance and be incorporated in the Raj. Reunion, Mauritius (Isle de France) and the Seychelles were key French holdings in the Indian Ocean.

France’s colonial 'empire' was essentially built in two stages (as shown in the map above). A resurgence began after 1830. France increased her Pacific possessions after the French-Taihitian War (1844-1847) with later initiatives being orchestrated by Emperor Napoleon III in New Caledonia and Cochinchina (part of Vietnam). Further expansion occurred in Senegal, Cambodia, Laos, Syria, Lebanon, Algeria with the modern day nations of Mauritania, Mali, Ivory Coast, Benin, Guinea, Niger, Madagascar,Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Tunisia, Morocco, Gabon and Cameroon and Djibouti.

The French and British would coordinate their colonial/protectorate efforts to some degree to minimize conflict following the signing of the 1860 Cobden-Chevalier Treaty. Although conflict still arose as was evident by the 1898 Fashoda Incident.

Further territorial gains in the 20^th followed the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920).

French Colonial holdings just after WWI. Shown in Dark Blue. Source: International Encyclopedia of the First World War

Source for Size of Empire: Robert Aldrich, Greater France: A History of French Overseas Expansion (1996).

Who was West Germany's greatest leader?

 (My quick answer on Quora)

I would give Konrad Adenauer an edge over Helmut Kohl for the #1 position. The former steered West German through the rebuilding that followed WWII. The latter played a key role in unification and the latter stages of the Cold War. Another important figure to note is Ludwig Erhard who is widely regarded as the Father of the German Economic Miracle or Wirtschaftswunder

Is Joe Biden a calming influence in US politics?

 My answer on  Quora.

Calming….hardly. If anything he has added to the angst and division that currently defines the political climate.

• Joe Biden barely seems capable of stringing three sentences together without looking at his notes. He largely answers soft ball questions and all too often loses his cool with reporters. The main stream media for the most part seems to have given him a pass with their obvious bias all too evident in the mind of the public.

US ranks last among 46 countries in trust in media, Reuters Institute report finds - Poynter

Just 29% of people surveyed in the U.S. said they trust the news, compared to 45% in Canada and 54% in Brazil.

https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2021/us-ranks-last-among-46-countries-in-trust-in-media-reuters-institute-report-finds/

• He seems to be exhibiting the deterioration in Intellectual ability associated with the onset of dementia. We saw this particularly at the G7 summit where Biden reintroduced a political figure who had already been introduced. Other examples abound. On top of this he refuses to take a Cognitive Test, a stance he has defaulted to for some time now.

Joe Biden: 'Why the hell would I take a cognitive test?'

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee asks a journalist interviewing him if he is a junkie.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-53671679

• The situation at the border has deteriorated during his tenure. Kamala Harris as a border czar has achieved nothing productive. Her trip to El Paso was largely a photo op than anything else. This particular issue rightfully concerns Americans. His Administration’s handling has been abysmal

Most Americans think surge of illegal border crossings is a crisis

Most voters (68 percent) think that Biden’s immigration executive orders encourage illegal immigration.

https://thehill.com/opinion/immigration/561482-most-americans-think-surge-of-illegal-border-crossings-is-a-crisis

• With increased government spending inflation is on the rise.

Inflation Spiked 4.2% In April—Hitting 13-Year High As Price Concerns Rock The Market

Economists were expecting annualized inflation of 3.6%.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2021/05/12/inflation-cpi-april/?sh=7207513728fb

• His Administration continues to push the very divisive Critical Race Theory across various platforms. This harms not heals the racist divide. Most Americans view CRT negatively.

Majority of Americans hold negative view of critical race theory amid controversy in schools

58 percent of American adults think critical race theory is at least somewhat unfavorable, according to a June poll.

https://www.newsweek.com/majority-americans-hold-negative-view-critical-race-theory-amid-controversy-1601337

• The close relationship between the Democratic elite and big tech concerns many people. Biden has done little to allay this legitimate concern.

ACLU Voices Concern About ‘Unchecked Power’ By Big Tech After Twitter Permanently Bans Trump

You know their positions are too far to the left when even the very liberal ACLU thinks you went too far. That is exactly what is going down after the Masters of the Universe have censored many top Republicans, including the president. You can expect much more of this liberal tripe over the next two...

https://davidharrisjr.com/steven/aclu-voices-concern-about-unchecked-power-by-big-tech-after-twitter-permanently-bans-trump/

• He has done nothing to heal the divide across the aisle. Comments like this don’t help.

Biden Reminds Gun Owners the Government Has Nuclear Weapons

Speaking from the East Room of the White House Wednesday afternoon, President Joe Biden re-introduced his extreme gun control agenda, advocating for a ban on modern sporting rifles and reminding

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2021/06/23/in-gun-control-speech-biden-reminds-gun-owners-the-government-has-nuclear-weapons-n2591481

• His Administration is using the excuse of ‘White Supremacy’ to purge the military. Military purges have a history of going foo far.

Space Force Commander Relieved From Duty Over Comments Criticizing Marxism, Critical Race Theory In US Military

A U.S. Space Force commanding officer was fired from his post Friday after expressing concern on a podcast that Marxist ideologies are becoming prevalent in the U.S. military.

https://dailycaller.com/2021/05/16/space-force-commander-relieved-from-duty-marxism-critical-race-theory/

Is The US Military Being Purged Of Rightists? | The American Conservative

Army reservist zapped by the Pentagon for a very minor social media joke believes he's victim of a political purge

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/is-us-military-being-purged-of-rightists-conservatives-wokeness/

• His proposed tax increases look to hamper an economy which is in the process of recovering.

98% Of CEOs Say Biden’s Corporate Tax Rate Hike Will Hurt Their Companies, According To Survey

Biden has said he is “willing to negotiate” a smaller increase.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahhansen/2021/04/12/98-of-ceos-say-bidens-corporate-tax-rate-hike-will-hurt-their-companies-according-to-survey/?sh=38af79b5413e

• He is all over the place on policy.

Washington Post Fact-Checker Gives Up on Recording Biden’s Lies

© Erin Scott/Reuters President Biden delivers remarks in Philadelphia, Penn., April 30, 2021. Welcome back to “Forgotten Fact-Checks,” a weekly column produced by National Review’s News Desk. This week we have President Biden’s mistruths during his first address to a joint session of Congress, Democrats’ racist attacks on Senator Tim Scott, and USA Today ’s stealth edits on Stacey Abrams’s behalf. As we noted in our first edition , the Washington Post and other outlets incessantly fact-checked Donald Trump’s presidency. Now, the Post says it will give up on cataloguing Biden’s lies after his first 100 days in office. Here's the Biden database — which we do not plan to extend beyond 100 days. I have learned my lesson. https://t.co/qK42PRlnrS — Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) April 27, 2021 As NR’s staff pointed out , Biden’s first congressional speech on Wednesday — which received the lowest TV viewership in 28 years — included more than a few falsehoods. The president called out Senate Republicans for stalling progress on gun control, saying lax gun laws have led to “daily bloodshed.” He argued that the expiration of the assault-weapons bans “in the early 2000s” caused an increase in violence. However, gun violence continued to decline even after the ban expired in 2004. Even while the ban was in effect, the country was not free of shootings, as NR’s Jim Geraghty noted, the Columbine High School massacre, the Long Island Rail Road shooting, and the Atlanta day-trading shooting all occurred while the ban was in effect. In his speech, the president also touted his infrastructure and families plans, which he said he plans to fund by taxing corporate America and the wealthiest 1 percent. He claimed that he “will not impose any tax increase on anyone making less than $400k.” But, as it turns out, “anyone” is a deceptive claim — as White House press secretary Jen Psaki has explained , the $400,000 threshold refers to households, not individuals. Biden also claimed that Medicare could save “hundreds of billions of dollars” by negotiating drug prices, though the Congressional Budget Office has said that “providing broad negotiating authority by itself would likely have a negligible effect on federal spending.” Biden just claimed that Medicare could save “hundreds of billions of dollars” by negotiating drug prices. CBO has concluded “providing broad negotiating authority by itself would likely have a negligible effect on federal spending.” https://t.co/4SBSAIMhAS — Philip Klein (@philipaklein) April 29, 2021 The president said, “We kept our commitment — Democrats and Republicans — of sending $1,400 rescue checks to 85 percent of American households.” However, the American Rescue Plan, which delivered the checks, was hardly a bipartisan effort, with Democrats using budget reconciliation to pass the measure without any Republican support. Biden also made some dubious claims about the economy, saying he had inherited the “worst economic crisis since the Grea

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/washington-post-fact-checker-gives-up-on-recording-biden-s-lies/ar-BB1gjze8

Analysis | Biden’s nonsensical claim about Alzheimer’s and hospital beds

The president claimed that within 15 years, every hospital bed would be occupied by Alzheimer’s patients. There’s no evidence for that.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/06/03/bidens-nonsensical-claim-about-alzheimers-hospital-beds/

• A great deal of doubt exists as whether he will stand up to China. Events like this are not promising.

China Berates U.S. in Alaska Showdown

Yang Jiechi’s statements, though pointed, are better viewed through a domestic lens.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/03/19/china-united-states-alaska-talks/

• Far Left groups such as ANTIFA continue to act with greater impunity in various US cities.

Author Andy Ngo who exposed Antifa says he was beaten by ‘masked mob’

An author who recently published a book exposing Antifa said he was beaten and chased by the left-wing militant group while covering ongoing protests in Portland, Oregon.

https://nypost.com/2021/06/03/author-andy-ngo-says-he-was-beaten-by-mob-in-portland/

Antifa's deadly year shows the extremism on the far left | Opinion

The threats from the far right are real and undeniable, but there is far-left violence, too. Americans don't seem to recognize that.

https://www.newsweek.com/antifa-far-left-violence-extremism-deadly-year-opnion-1477065

• He is threatening to resurrect this travesty.

The Iran deal was a bad deal in 2015. It's an even worse one now | Opinion

Simply jumping back into the Iran nuclear deal isn't an option.

https://www.newsweek.com/iran-deal-was-bad-deal-2015-its-even-worse-one-now-opinion-1582527