1\ In the 1980s, the world was confronted by a scary new epidemic: HIV and AIDS
Like COVID-19, it quickly became politicized. Except that in the 1980s, it was the Right arguing for lockdowns, and the Left defending civil liberties.
Let's take a spin through history...
2\ Like NYC mayor Bill DeBacle today, mayor Koch created a false dichotomy between civil liberties and "saving lives":
3\ NYC even latched onto the phrase "If you save one life!"
In 1985, this vapid catch-phrase was used by the overtly religious
Today, the *exact same* phrase is used as a mantra by secular elites, who cannot admit that they have fallen for an ascientific religion
4\ In 1984, the ACLU saw through the demagogic appeal to "safety". They stood up for liberties.
Today, the ACLU has mostly been silent on COVID-19 lockdowns
Instead, they're off in a corner getting woke about climate justice and nonexistent gender wage gaps
5\ Then as now, reporters favored the prurient and scandalizing, rather than the relevant
"Dimly lit sex dungeons" were the "Redneck super spreader pool parties" of today
6\6 If you think closing gay bars in the 1980s was barbaric, realize that COVID-19 lockdowns are *exactly* the same
Remember:
"It's a novel virus!"
7\6 I almost forgot the funniest part!
In 1985, Dr. Fauci was just beginning his process of bureaucratic fossilization
He said that AIDS didn't discriminate, inviting people to become hysterical and bigoted
And he said a vaccine was just around the corner
Sound familiar?
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Eeben Barlow recruited an informant by having her fortune teller foresee that she'd be in a fender bender, that her lucky number was 777, & that a stranger would solve her money problems
Barlow's team then rear ended her car & arranged for her to meet Barlow in a hotel room #777
@EebenB is on Twitter. Maybe you consider his services for your next geopolitical transaction.
Barlow claims that members of the South African government had a private interest in keeping Angola's diamond fields in the hands of the communists. Anything to this?
Durant, in 1931, with something close to the Pendell/Rushton theory of cold winters
"Change within to meet the change outside"
Durant noticed incipient gynocracy in the 30s
Keyserling saw African Americans as supplying a factitious culture for ethnically fragmented whites. Durant thought the observation malicious but true.
One of the many reasons I chuckle at the JQers is that one of my neighbors is Soros without the hedge fund; old Jewish guy who *founded* an entire Warren Court era field of criminal justice reform, runs institute that pushes for the "anarcho tyranny" that JQers rightly abhor...
In some cosmic accounting, this guy is probably responsible for tens of thousands of criminals being released to the streets. But there is no conspiracy. Just a smart guy on a misguided mission, the way other professors might agitate for wind power or higher min wage
I know this guy intimately, am in his home frequently. He knows less about Judaism than I do, does not scheme about 3rd and 4th dimensional policy chess, is just a lovely old guy with high verbal IQ and dumb politics.