80% of this cryptocurrency is owned by insiders, likely Trump himself and possibly his family. At the time of this writing, with $TRUMP at $28.47, the total valuation of this cryptocurrency is 27,182,959,932.

This makes the value of Trump’s insider shares $27,182,959,932*0.8 = $21,746,367,945. (21 billion dollars)

For outsiders, this meme cryptocurrency has no use whatsoever and is only good for owning and bragging to other like-minded people.

For Trump, it represents a cool nominal increase in his net worth of 21 billion dollars.

According to the terms of this meme coin, insiders can only start selling this cryptocurrency 90 days after its creation, well into the upcoming Trump presidency. 

Will Trump be able to sell much of his 80% of the entire supply of the memecoin?

Not unless major buyers emerge. Will they?

Crypto Bribes?

As with any other cryptocurrency, $TRUMP could be owned or purchased anonymously. This means that a large politically or financially interested party can commit billions of dollars without revealing its name or interest and clandestinely buy the supply of $TRUMP shares.

That would allow Donald Trump to unload his shares and indirectly receive large amounts of money from essentially unknown parties. Who would that party be? We can only guess. Perhaps Bill Gates, who is “excited” about a day-ago meeting with Trump, in which he seems to have magically convinced him not to hurt Bill Gates’ interests?

Would it rather be a billionaire associated with Vladimir Putin?

Who knows!

The cryptocoin also provides plausible deniability: the bribe giver, if questioned under oath, could say that he was “just speculating,” whereas the bribe recipient could always point out that no direct transaction occurred and the insider coins were sold to other market participants (despite the value of the coin supported by large cash infusions from the interested party.)

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Will bribes be paid via anonymous purchases of $TRUMP cryptocurrency? Time will tell - and I hope you can share your thoughts in the comments!

All I know is that such “anonymous giving,” benefiting the sitting President or his close relatives, has been tried before: Hunter Biden was selling his worthless paintings for large amounts of money to anonymous buyers, some of whom were identified to be Democratic party benefactors:

Igor’s Newsletter

Finally, a good way to sell your amateur paintings for top money

Many people love drawing, painting, or otherwise creating art pieces. We sometimes wonder, wouldn’t it be great to make some money selling it for top prices…

Read more

3 years ago · 366 likes · 263 comments · Igor Chudov

So, it is time to ask: Is creating a new crypto-memecoin that benefits a soon-to-be president of the leading superpower appropriate?

You can vote in the poll below and explain your thinking in the comments. In this discussion, I cannot really expect people to be super-polite, but I ask you to do your best to remain civil. Okay?

Let us know what you think!

(the above image was AI generated)

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Hunter's ways of receiving money were occasionally comical. His amateur paintings fetched millions. The buyers included large Democratic party donors seeking favors from the president.

Igor’s Newsletter

Finally, a good way to sell your amateur paintings for top money

Many people love drawing, painting, or otherwise creating art pieces. We sometimes wonder, wouldn’t it be great to make some money selling it for top prices…

Read more

3 years ago · 362 likes · 259 comments · Igor Chudov

This is not a political blog; such things would not merit my comment if not for today’s news. Politico reports that Joe Biden is considering pardoning no one other than Dr Anthony Fauci (paywall-free link):

Also mentioned by Biden’s aides for a pardon is Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases who became a lightning rod for criticism from the right during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The effort to pardon Fauci and other functionaries is led by none other than White House’s Jeff Zients. Remember him? Here, in 2021, Mr Zients talks about “the winter of illness and death for the unvaccinated”:

Curiously, the proposal does not detail the specific crimes that would be forgiven; instead, the pardon would protect the person from any and all prosecutions. The blanket pardons are unprecedented. Legality or even logical validity of such a blanket pardon is questionable:

Can a president relieve an individual from responsibility for any and all crimes? Joe Biden and his handlers do not seem to care about such arcane questions, protecting themselves from future prosecutions for crimes they know happened that they would not publicly admit to.

Remember “pandemic amnesty” and “forgiveness”? Apparently, such a self-granted amnesty is underway, with the forgiveness part skipped for convenience.

Will Dr. Fauci escape legal responsibility for the crimes that are the reason for his pardon?

Let us know what you think!

Of note is Trump bragging about his “historic operation Warp Speed," which, according to him, saved hundreds of millions of lives. Trump’s outlandish boast is unsupported by any evidence whatsoever: Even Bill Gates-sponsored GAVI and Imperial College suggest, using self-serving models, that only 20 million lives were saved by the Covid vaccines.

Who is Dr. Nesheiwat? She is a multifaceted personality. Dr. Nesheiwat is the medical director for CityMD in New York. She also sells her line of vitamin supplements:

Of interest to the readers of this blog is her history concerning Covid vaccines. Dr. Nesheiwat was very enthusiastic about Covid vaccines:

Here’s Dr Nesheiwat showing excitement about Covid vaccines for children:

In fairness, Dr. Nesheiwat later spoke out against Covid vaccine mandates:

So, Dr. Nesheiwat is not on any extreme side of vaccine debates. She was very enthusiastic about Covid vaccines but later declined support for vaccine mandates. She is perfectly on board with all other vaccines.

Dr. Peter Hotez supports her:

Some people hope, while others fear, that the upcoming Trump administration will be anti-vaccine in general. While time will tell, this appointment shows these expectations may not play out. To further disappoint vaccine detractors and relieve the fears of vaccine supporters, Trump might also ditch Kennedy. It could naturally happen if the Senate does not confirm Kennedy, providing a good excuse for Trump to select someone else to head the Department of Health and Human Services.

Why I have not posted in a while

I am becoming increasingly conflicted about paid subscriptions, which affect what I say. This effect is called audience capture. This results in an incentive to publish despite not having quality ideas and also forces me to self-censor myself to maintain revenues.

This would be palatable had I been in desperate need of money. But I am not. My family is not poor. We are perfectly content with our lifestyle. We could retire today and live nicely on what we have saved and invested without working another day. So, it is unwise for me to be pressured to say things just for the sake of paid subscriptions while not desperately needing money.

I would rather make no money than post anything I believe to be false to the eventual detriment of my 62,499 readers. So, I paused writing to grapple with these questions. I have not yet found the answer. Should I pause paid subscriptions but keep writing? That seems like a huge step, but it may be the only logical choice.

Thanks for listening. Let me know what you think.

However, if you are considering applying, be aware that the campaign requires all its workers to be COVID-vaccinated and “up-to-date” on all the COVID shots.

This is not the first time I reported on unusual COVID vaccination requirements. Another one was in 2023:

Igor’s Newsletter

Satanic Convention Requires Proof of COVID Vaccination

A Satanic convention is scheduled for Apr 28 and will be held in Boston…

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3 years ago · 698 likes · 475 comments · Igor Chudov

Just as in the case of that Satanic convention, I tend to be perfectly fine with the requirement for the Harris campaign. However, this is likely a sign of what the future Kamala Harris administration plans to implement in the country.

What do you think?

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As you type your query, Google displays search suggestions. And guess what? The world’s biggest search engine makes all sorts of suggestions other than the most commonly sought out term.

Do people search for “president donald duck” so much? Or is Google playing games with us?

Consider that in 2022, Google was doing the same thing to hide COVID vaccine deaths:

Igor’s Newsletter

Association Between Vaccines and EXCESS MORTALITY Getting Stronger -- and is Discussed in UK Parliament

While we will be discussing the most unwelcome news of increased death rates, I am happy to report that a leading British Member of Parliament, Andrew Bridgen brought up, in the UK parliament no less, the relationship between vaccination and excess deaths…

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3 years ago · 758 likes · 773 comments · Igor Chudov

Google also does not want us to remember the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Courtesy of Twitter user @lastresortdjs:

So, sadly, Google is not just there to help us “organize the world’s information.” It wants to shape our opinions and keep us from seeing things we searched for. It seems that there is an election candidate that Google wants us to simply forget about.

Did you expect anything different?

EDIT: According to Google, “Google election interference” does not exist, so please, stop worrying:

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Jan Reiners was an exemplary servicemember who served Germany for 12 years.

His problems started in 2021 when Bundeswehr’s careerist generals rushed to mandate Covid vaccine for the troops:

In November 2021, the then Minister of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had the Corona vaccination requirement/toleration requirement introduced. The FAZ newspaper reported that "vaccination refusal in the troops is now endangering service operations" and that the "Bundeswehr is the first institution in Germany to introduce a general vaccination requirement."

This is the picture of the above-mentioned Defense minister:

The soldiers were not given any time to think about this requirement:

Reiners remembers it well: "That was loudly announced to us at the assembly point. They said: Corona vaccination is now mandatory. To all soldiers who have not yet been vaccinated against Corona: If you are not vaccinated by 1 p.m., we will accuse you of disobeying orders. That means three years in prison. Get out of here!"

How can anyone develop “informed consent” when rushed under such orders? Please tell me.

The order was illegal and contravened German law:

“The order for Covid vaccination is inadmissible” - Reiner's lawyer Edgar Siemund, an expert in military law and retired reserve lieutenant, says, "the order for Covid vaccination is inadmissible." Three areas of responsibility overlap here. Specifically, it concerns the relationship of responsibility between superiors and soldiers, between doctors and soldiers/patients, and between doctors and employers. Let us first consider the responsibility between superiors and soldiers. Paragraph 17a (2) of the Soldiers Act states: "The soldier must only tolerate medical measures against his will if they 1. serve to prevent or combat communicable diseases or 2. serve to determine his fitness for service or employment." The vaccination did not protect against transmission of the virus at any time. But that's not all. The relevant regulation here is not the law mentioned, but the Bundeswehr's central service regulation A-840/8, explains Siemund. It is precisely this that regulates the authority of superiors when it comes to vaccinations and prophylactic measures. "There is nothing in this service regulation that says that an order to vaccinate can be given."

Despite all that, the brave soldier Jan Reiners refused the illegal order and was made a scapegoat for it. He lost his Army position and his income:

Today, the former Lance Corporal lives on citizen's income . "They took everything away from me," he says. "German army driver's license, military service ID, I was no longer allowed to go to the barracks just like that, I was treated like a serious criminal."

Jan Reiners, a German Hero

Jan Reiners, a soldier with a long service history, is a hero: he refused an illegal order. All he wanted was to reject the poison, remain a healthy, battle-ready soldier, and stay ready to defend his country. Instead, he was discharged and, after exhausting his appeals, is now going to prison for 40 days. After that, his incarceration will continue as he gets six more months for refusing to pay an illegal fine:

But there are more prison sentences pending. Sergeant Alexander Bittner reported by phone: "I was given six months probation and a €2,500 fine." Because he did not pay the money for over a year, his probation has now been revoked. That means he has to go to prison again - for six months. He knows at least ten soldiers who experienced the same thing but paid the fine instead of going to prison, says Bittner.

Jan Reiners lost his career and will lose many months of his life languishing in jail. But Pvt. Reiners kept his health and principles and proved his bravery. Ironically, he will stay imprisoned even as the Corona vaccination orders have been lifted.

As ridiculous as his incarceration in 2024 is, it reminds us that brave people who put principles ahead of their careers exist everywhere.

P.S. If anyone in Germany knows how to send Pvt. Reiners money, please let me know. I cannot think of a better way to spend my paid subscriber’s fees than to help that brave man.

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Like other stocks, many people buy and sell shares of DJT for various reasons. However, an interesting financial bet stands out. A little-known private financial firm reported initiating an unusually large short position by buying put options for the nominal amount of 12,000,000 shares.

So, on July 12th, a day before the assassination attempt, Austin Private Wealth reported a short position nominally equivalent to 12 million shares. It is huge: it represents approximately one-seventh of Trump’s ownership in the same company, or 16% of all available stock float not held by major insiders.

Is that a big deal? For my nonfinancial readers, here is a little introduction to puts. Austin Private Wealth's position is in put options. Puts are financial instruments whose holder receives a payment if the underlying stock falls below the agreed price (the strike price) by a certain date. In such a case, the put option holder receives the difference. The more the stock falls, the more the put holder gains.

The standard American contract size is 100 shares, so Austin Private Wealth held approximately 120,000 put options, exposing it to potential gain linked to 12,000,000 shares of $DJT.

A sudden demise of Truth Social’s central figure, Donald Trump, would make the stock worthless, making Austin Private Wealth a beneficiary of a gigantic payoff. Depending on the strike price, it could be a couple hundred million dollars.

What do we know about this odd financial bet? One thing to note is that it was made sometime before it was reported on the 13F filing: form 13F must be filed after the end of the quarter, and in this case, refers to the position as of the end of the second quarter, or 6/30/2024.

Austin Private Wealth is a money management firm catering to well-off individuals. Therefore, it is possible that the idea of initiating an unusually large put position belonged to one of its clients or just one money manager. Here’s the picture of their top managers, so you can play a guessing game of which of them possibly came up with this idea:

It is also plausible that this extremely unusual position is a coincidence. There are many reasons why TruthSocial does not have a bright long-term future. However, the timing of this unusually large put option purchase raises some questions. Had the assassination succeeded, Austin Private Wealth would have reaped a windfall! The only reason Trump is alive is that he turned his head away in the last split second.

I am not new to options trading and made some money from Moderna puts that I purchased in 2021. People buy and sell options for all kinds of reasons. However, Austin Private Wealth held a position far beyond the size of typical speculative put positions.

What do you think? Is a giant put position, which would benefit from a sudden drop in DJT stock, initiated so close to the assassination attempt, just another unrelated coincidence?

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While it would be counterintuitive to suspect publicly traded corporations of sponsoring acts of terror, the link should not go unnoticed. Trump has been an object of hate for eight years. Still, there never was an attempt on his life - until he finally questioned Big Pharma, made allusions to autism and other alleged consequences of vaccinations, and touched some powerful interests he previously left alone.

This is not an attempt to whitewash Trump’s role in the development, approval, and his past cheering of Covid vaccines, of course. Trump has many enemies, and his recent mention of “Big Pharma” may be an innocent, coincidental circumstance.

“Assassination Conspiracy Theory”

The past suggestions that Trump might be targeted for assassination were insistently dismissed as a conspiracy theory.

It is amusing to watch “conspiracy theories” come true, as often happens.

Trump Must be Stopped, They Said

Notable are the calls to “stop Trump by any means” that came from the highest level of our political decision-making":

A bill (H.R. 8081) was introduced by leading Democrats to strip Trump of Secret Service protection:

Even Joe Biden suggested to “put Trump into the bullseye”:

Was the Secret Service Protecting Donald Trump?

Had Trump not turned his head at the last millisecond, the bullet would have gone right through his head.

Many questions surround the performance of the Secret Service, as multiple people warned them about a shooter on the roof:

They left the most likely avenues of attack unprotected.

The Biden administration tasked the FBI with investigating this story; this means we will know the truth soon. (sarcasm warning)

Is the assassination attempt a result of a single deranged gunman? Is it an accident that the alleged shooter previously appeared in a BlackRock commercial? Let us know what you think!

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Many people’s core beliefs can be summarized as follows:

If you hold or have seen someone espousing such views, be aware that people on the “opposite side” believe almost the same thing, with the difference being the details of who, where, and why. For example, the beliefs of “Trump supporters” and “Trump haters” are roughly similar, differing only in details of what is “tyranny,” which “shadowy organizations” and “foreign governments” are in on the plot, and what the lies are.

Many people feel so strongly about such matters that they adorn their vehicles with bumper stickers. Look at these cars: one is in Arizona, and the other is in Texas:

Are these two drivers completely different? One says, “VACCINES KILL,” whereas another proudly proclaims to be “VACCINATED AF.” One screams, “TRUMP LOST,” and another has “ABSOLUTE PROOF OF ELECTION FRAUD.”

Do these drivers also share some similarities? Let’s see:

• They have strong beliefs

• They want others to know about their beliefs

• They want to convince everyone they are right

• Both believe that they are on the side of freedom. (one says LEGALIZE FREEDOM, and another has a sticker of the Statue of Liberty)

• Both fight evil and support good.

These two persons differ in their beliefs, but their personalities have much in common.

Right-Wing and Left-Wing Authoritarianism

As Wikipedia explains, an authoritarian personality is characterized by a disposition to treat authority figures with unquestioning obedience and respect. Examples of such authority figures could be the Church or Science.

The Wikipedia article, written by left-wing contributors, heavily leans on examples of “right-wing authoritarianism.” Much debate in scientific circles goes on around whether “left-wing authoritarianism” is even a thing. While, predictably, left-wing scientists claim that it does not exist, much evidence can be found of its existence. Here’s an interesting discussion of left-wing authoritarianism in relation to the Covid pandemic:

Some psychologists have dismissed LWA as a “myth” (Stone, 1980), comparable to the Loch Ness Monster (Altemeyer, 1996). Conway III et al. (2017) postulated that LWA resembles RWA in being characterized by high levels of dogmatism, punitive attitudes toward dissenters, and desire for strong authority figures.

What distinguishes LWA from RWA is the content of the dogmatically defended values. For individuals high in LWA, these values include pro-environment and anti-racist and anti-sexist beliefs, and rejection of traditional Christian moral restrictions. This model was supported with data showing associations of a new LWA instrument with measures of dogmatism, prejudice, and attitude strength. … LWA's nomological network shared numerous features with RWA's nomological network, including high levels of dogmatism, affective polarization, and moral disengagement. Results from a modified Tangram Help/Hurt task showed that LWA, over and above political ideology, predicted behavioral aggression toward political opponents (Costello, Bowes, et al., 2020).

The study, conducted early during the pandemic, found that authoritarians of all kinds loved to report violators to the police and shared many psychological characteristics.

Authoritarianism and Family Discord

Authoritarians, by definition, want their beliefs to be universal and shared by everyone, especially their loved ones. They are very upset when their beliefs are not shared, or worse, challenged:

• They feel compelled to change the minds of their loved ones

• They are often convinced that screaming can change minds

• They accuse disagreeing relatives of being bad people for supporting evils such as bigotry, homosexual agenda, vaccines, antivaxxers, illegal immigration, xenophobia, etc. (opposing terms are alternately italicized and bolded)

• They want to punish disobedient, ignorant, bigoted, etc., relatives in a variety of ways.

• When punishment fails to change minds, the relatives are blamed and accused of being ungrateful, closed-minded, and unworthy.

The outcome is frequently family estrangement.

Consider this mother, who estranged herself from her son because her son is a Trump supporter:

More examples:

Trump supporters also disown their children:

Most of these people are deeply upset about their family discord and share their heartbreak, loneliness, and frustration with like-minded online friends. Entire subreddits and Facebook groups exist for “estranged adult kids” and “estranged parents,” who often blame politics for the separation (usually, it is more than politics, but I digress).

How Important Is it to Change Our Relatives’ Beliefs?

I get it. Politics is important. Vaccines are hugely important, as I spent several years opposing one of them, the evil COVID-19 vaccine. Similarly, I do not question the importance of other issues, frequently revolving around reproductive concerns that make us all deeply emotional or around various identity issues.

However, we must ask: is it imperative to ensure that our loved ones share our beliefs? What if, hypothetically, the Dad hates the “homosexual agenda” while the daughter is all-in on LGBTQIA+ rights and tolerance? Are they necessarily bound, by fate, to hate each other and wallow in the misery of estrangement, complaining on Facebook and Reddit?

For example, I am doubting whether climate change is even a thing. My older son, a brilliant and educated young man, is certain that climate change is real and needs to be stopped. So, we do not quite agree on this very important issue.

Now what? Should I scream at him? Should he threaten to disown me?

Consider this: even if one of us magically changed our mind on climate change, it would have little consequence for the world. The total CO2 output would not change, and neither would anything else. But for both of us, the distress caused by trying to force one man's opinion on another is a big deal.

Another example. Alan loves Donald Trump, while his mom, Beth, hates the “orange man.” Alan lives in California, while Beth lives in Texas. Alan and Beth spend a lot of mental energy on daily political arguments. For what exact reason are they doing it? Even if one of them changed their mind, the outcome of the elections in their respective states would not change. The only outcome of these arguments is bitterness and anxiety.

Yet, relatives often spend a lot of time initiating frequently unwanted political conversations, usually without accomplishing anything.

Instead of spending mental energy on useless arguments, often all we need to do is wait.

Do Beliefs Ever Change?

Are our beliefs fixed? Are our loved ones, enthralled by evil ideologies, condemned for their lifetimes?

People’s political opinions routinely change as they go through their lives. A 20-year-old could be understandably drawn to “hope and change.” After having a family, bringing up children, and reaching middle age, the same person may start complaining about how they are pushing change down our throats. Our opinions about reproductive issues also change as we accumulate life experience, have children, want grandchildren, save money, etc.

This study confirms this:

Even the intention to have children is associated with more right-wing views, and that intention often strengthens past the age of thirty.

So, instead of butting heads at the dinner table, we can relax, set a good example, and patiently wait for our loved ones to change.

Or… gasp… perhaps our beliefs will change instead? It is possible - since it is happening to me.

I am Questioning Some of My Beliefs

I have lately been experiencing cognitive dissonance and personal discomfort because I realized that some accounts and people I followed are not my friends. I muted dozens of Twitter accounts because I realized they were monetizing rage and division and intentionally upsetting their readers to make money and enlarge their audience. I no longer want any part of that.

I also realized many other people with whom I agreed on important matters are whack jobs, and some are fraudsters who intentionally make things up to increase follower counts. How can I be certain that, with allies like this, I am not going in the wrong direction? These questions make me highly uncomfortable, but at the same time, it may be a very healthy process.

None of this applies to my opinions on Covid and the Covid vaccine. I do, however, have doubts about many other tangentially related beliefs as I no longer like some people associated with them.

I am not sure about many hot-button issues. Still, I know we’d all be happier if we kept political spats separate from our familial relations and waited for change instead of forcing it.

What do you think?

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Many of us were wondering what would the outcome of this investigation be. Will excess deaths be finally correctly attributed? Will the cozy relationships between Pfizer and the media it sponsored be disclosed? What answers can we finally get, when a government is led by an honest man wanting to get to the bottom of the “pandemic response”?

Today, we have the answer.

Robert Fico was shot and is now “fighting for his life” after multiple bullet wounds. Here’s a short video of the shooting:

The assassin, Juraj Cintula, is an operative of “Progressive Slovakia.” He is also the founder of the “Rainbow Literary Club”.

Juraj Cintula is a 71-year-old civilian. Was he capable of planning an assassination by himself? Was it possible for him to penetrate the state leader’s security and get to the right place at the right time, without help? In my opinion, that would be quite unlikely. He was probably not acting alone.

Did he get any help or money? If so, from whom? What are the interests whom Mr. Cintula served? I cannot speak with certainty. My guess would be as good as yours.

All we know is that the state-level investigation into COVID, possibly the only honest country-level inquiry, will likely be “postponed.”

Are you surprised?

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Igor’s Newsletter

Sars-Cov-2 was Lab Made Under Project DEFUSE

This long article will explain how Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was created as a result of intentional laboratory work. It will also show that the blueprint for Sars-Cov-2 was described in the “Project DEFUSE” proposal by Peter Daszak, which was preceded by years of relevant lab work and virus manipulation…

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4 years ago · 452 likes · 252 comments · Igor Chudov

Who is Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, who submitted the proposal? Some new material surfaced about his early criminal life that may shed light on what kind of person Peter is.

While young, Peter Daszak apparently stole stuff he needed instead of paying for it, such as the above-mentioned TV set and a hi-fi radio. For entertainment, he broke off and stole the “head of a Madonna statue” and even painted its lips with lipstick. (Daily Post: The Paper for Wales, Thu, Jun 26, 1986 ·Page 3)

Why, of all things, did Peter decide to paint her lips? Was it for some perverse sexual gratification he wanted from Madonna’s head?

The drunkenness mentioned above, offered as an excuse for his behavior, may be fabricated to reduce his punishment. Generally, petty criminal behavior is typical for a growing sociopath. (other signs include harming animals, which is easy for a biology student to do)

Peter’s career led him to found EcoHealth Alliance, a venture to manage the health of the entire planet—not just the health of humans. The approach he champions is called “One Health.”

At EcoHealth Alliance we’re governed by a clear and direct philosophy; we call it One Health: that the health of humans, animals, and their environment are all connected. It’s that principle which guides our work from our headquarters in New York all the way to southeast Asia and everywhere in between. Those connections are apparent in everything we do.

“One Health” is an umbrella term for messing with the lives of humans and animals, an approach endorsed by Bill Gates, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations:

I personally never signed up to be governed by criminal psychopaths wanting to control the health of people and animals, who started their lives by breaking Madonna statue heads and painting Madonna’s lips with lipstick.

Should we be thankful to Bill Gates, the World Economic Forum, and Peter Daszak for caring so much about our health?

Is it anti-science to mention prior sociopathic, criminal acts by leading proponents of “planetary health”?

What about you? Do you want convicted psychopaths to be heading efforts to govern planetary health?

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The author, Apoorva Mandavilli, was correctly described by Vinay Prasad as the worst science reporter. She states her surprise about “thousands” who believe that Covid vaccines harmed them. While we know that number to be an understatement, it is interesting how the New York Times recognizes them after years of stonewalling.

But in a recent interview, Dr. Janet Woodcock, a longtime leader of the Food and Drug Administration, who retired in February, said she believed that some recipients had experienced uncommon but “serious” and “life-changing” reactions beyond those described by federal agencies.

“I feel bad for those people,” said Dr. Woodcock, who became the F.D.A.’s acting commissioner in January 2021 as the vaccines were rolling out. “I believe their suffering should be acknowledged, that they have real problems, and they should be taken seriously.”

FDA’s Dr. Woodcock is disappointed in herself:

“I’m disappointed in myself,” she added. “I did a lot of things I feel very good about, but this is one of the few things I feel I just didn’t bring it home.”

The article discusses thousands of people gaslit by vaccine promoters and their doctors, who were intimidated not to report vaccine injuries:

Similar sentiments were echoed in interviews, conducted over more than a year, with 30 people who said they had been harmed by Covid shots. They described a variety of symptoms following vaccination, some neurological, some autoimmune, some cardiovascular.

All said they had been turned away by physicians, told their symptoms were psychosomatic, or labeled anti-vaccine by family and friends — despite the fact that they supported vaccines.

Even some key vaccine promoters report vaccine injuries, which they could not report anywhere:

Dr. Gregory Poland, 68, editor in chief of the journal Vaccine, said that a loud whooshing sound in his ears had accompanied every moment since his first shot, but that his entreaties to colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to explore the phenomenon, tinnitus, had led nowhere.

He received polite responses to his many emails, but “I just don’t get any sense of movement,” he said.

The federal officials in charge of setting the policy still refuse to believe these reports:

Federal health officials say they do not believe that the Covid vaccines caused the illnesses described by patients like Mr. Barcavage, Dr. Zimmerman and Ms. France. The vaccines may cause transient reactions, such as swelling, fatigue and fever, according to the C.D.C., but the agency has documented only four serious but rare side effects.

The excuse that these officials give for ignoring vaccine harms is that they were fighting misinformation:

The rise of the anti-vaccine movement has made it difficult for scientists, in and out of government, to candidly address potential side effects, some experts said. Much of the narrative on the purported dangers of Covid vaccines is patently false, or at least exaggerated, cooked up by savvy anti-vaccine campaigns.

Questions about Covid vaccine safety are core to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign. Citing debunked theories about altered DNA, Florida’s surgeon general has called for a halt to Covid vaccination in the state.

“The sheer nature of misinformation, the scale of misinformation, is staggering, and anything will be twisted to make it seem like it’s not just a devastating side effect but proof of a massive cover-up,” said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a vice dean at Johns Hopkins University.

So, get this please, the massive coverup was necessary to debunk '“misinformation” about the existence of a massive coverup. I hope it makes sense to you, my dear reader!

They finally note miscarriages caused by COVID vaccines:

Among the hundreds of millions of Americans who were immunized for Covid, some number would have had heart attacks or strokes anyway. Some women would have miscarried. How to distinguish those caused by the vaccine from those that are coincidences? The only way to resolve the question is intense research.

Another way to get the alarm signal of miscarriages is to ask, why does the Moderna vaccine cause 42% more miscarriages, compared to the Pfizer vaccine:

Igor’s Newsletter

CDC Data: Moderna Causes 42% MORE Miscarriages Compared to Pfizer

[I am in a hospital ER right now with a broken foot. Please forgive me if this post is more incoherent than usual. The wait is taking a while, so I decided to try to finish my post about this] Summary This article will show that CDC’s own statistics prove beyond statistical doubt that the higher dose Moderna vaccine causes 42% MORE miscarriages, compared …

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4 years ago · 424 likes · 318 comments · Igor Chudov

Why Now?

Are we observing a paradoxical awakening of honesty among federal officials and vaccine researchers? Have Apoorva Mandavilli and her employer finally decided to come clean about Covid vaccines?

Did these dishonest people suddenly straighten their ways, after being paid millions in research grants, CDC vaccine promotion fees paid to the media, etc? As much as I hope people can improve, I doubt that explanation.

The most likely explanation is that:

• Most vaccine-injured people are Democrats

• Facing a tough election in 2024, the Democratic party is afraid that the victims of vaccines that their party promoted and that disproportionally affected their core voters, might divert their votes and vote for an anti-vax Democrat, Robert Kennedy.

Igor’s Newsletter

Rasmussen Survey on Covid Vaccine Deaths Proves Antivaxxers Right!

Dear paid subscribers: I want to THANK YOU for your paid subscriptions. Thanks to your generous payments, I am not only reporting on the public part of the Rasmussen vaccine report that was just published, but I also could report on the PAID-ONLY Platinum part…

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3 years ago · 680 likes · 621 comments · Igor Chudov

That might explain a puzzling turnaround in reporting vaccine injury in major newspapers such as the New York Times.

Do you have any other explanation? Please share your opinion in the comments.

Why I Have Not Posted Much Recently

I apologize to my readers for a lower post volume last month. There are several reasons, and I must explain them.

I am experiencing discomfort and cognitive dissonance about where I am finding myself.

The Covid pandemic is experiencing a lull. Vaccinations are no longer mandatory. The people who continue to harm themselves with Covid vaccines, for the most part, are not the people I deeply care about. Let them take as many shots as they want!

The lab origin of Sars-Cov-2 has become common knowledge, to the point that discussing it is almost redundant. The general public is aware that the people who made the virus and the vaccine are mostly the same people.

The World Economic Forum, always a source of amazing conspiracies it was promulgating, has wisened up and publishes mostly utterly boring, trivial articles on its public website, which I still peruse daily in hopes of finding something newsworthy, with less success than before.

So, naturally, I and many other commentators have fewer topics coming up that are worth discussing.

As a result, the anti-COVID-19 vaccine community, fighting for the declining attention of still-interested readers, has deteriorated. I am deeply embarrassed by some people (I will not name them) posting outright garbage just to stay relevant.

Even though I always try to make posts based on solidly confirmed public information or good research studies, I occasionally ask myself if I am one of them. What topics should I discuss on my blog? What would be good subjects about which I know enough, that are compatible with my values and would be interesting to my readers?

This is further exacerbated by some doubts about my foundational beliefs. I followed a variety of “conservative commentators” and Twitter accounts, many pseudonymous. I slowly recognized that their posts consistently upset me more than they enlightened me.

For example, while I have serious phobias regarding some sexual minorities, I realized that one thing I dislike even more than certain sexual behaviors is people posting about those minorities and their behaviors incessantly. Are the various gross and disgusting videos purposely selected to anger readers published for my benefit? Or are they simply monetizing emotions? Who pays them, and are their sponsors wishing their readers well? Who benefits from whipping up anger and division?

I have to ask, do people who engage in private sexual behaviors that make me deeply insecure, deserve equality and respect despite my discomfort? (yes they do)

I love money and my Substack revenue, but I do not love it so much that I start telling falsehoods to “gain market share.” I have a nice net worth and sources of income outside of Substack that make it unnecessary.

I want to continue posting, and I have many ideas. I have to work out my concerns, possibly by removing the paid option entirely so that the money does not unduly influence me. Worrying about revenue stands in the way of free thinking. I am very thankful to my paid readers, whom I love, and yet, I want to be sure that I am free of unavoidable, perverse financial incentives.

I hope you understand, and again, I am sorry about my two-week silence.

What do you think?

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What is interesting is that despite comprising only 37% of Californians, White people account for 60% of all COVID deaths during the recent period.

The article compares Feb-Aug 2020 (highlighted in blue) vs. Sep 2023 through Feb 2024 (highlighted in red).

The results for 2020 confirm a modest advantage that we would expect from the “white privilege”: Whites comprised only 30% of deaths despite being 37% of the population.

Whites were able to mitigate the effects of the pandemic due to a more privileged position: belonging to the ”laptop class,” not working in as many customer-facing jobs, having better medical insurance, living in less dense housing, and so on. So, it is not a surprise that in 2020, White people were slightly less likely to die from Covid (30% of deaths despite being 37% of the population).

The real surprise is what is happening in 2024. While the overall number of COVID deaths thankfully declined, deaths among White people (59.48%) account for much more than their share of the population (37%)!

The Whites’ share of COVID deaths doubled from 30% in 2020 to 60% in 2024.

Why would that be?

COVID Vaccines

Is it a coincidence that White people are also more vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19?

The more vaccinated and boosted race in California is accounting for GREATER share of Covid deaths compared to their share of the population. Meanwhile, Black and Hispanic Californians, who are less vaccinated, account for fewer deaths than their share of the population would suggest.

A coincidence? If so, it continues a long line of other subpopulations where higher vaccination rates are associated with greater mortality:

Igor’s Newsletter

Excess Mortality Still Correlated With COVID Vaccination Rate - Dec 2023 data

December 2023 was unusually but not unexpectedly severe: a new COVID variant, JN.1, swept Europe and the rest of the world. Other pathogens circulated as well, in addition to the usual killers such as cancer, heart disease, blood clots, dementia, and so on. As a result, Europe experienced a month of…

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2 years ago · 426 likes · 297 comments · Igor Chudov

Remember the economic advantages I mentioned that made White people have fewer deaths in 2020? Those have not changed in 2024: the laptop class, better medical care, less dense housing, etc, are still disproportionally available to White people.

And yet, despite those advantages, in 2024, Whites are more likely to die of Covid than their less privileged, and also less vaccinated, Hispanic and Black counterparts! The “white privilege” mysteriously stopped working after the whites were disproportionately vaccinated.

We were told that Covid vaccines save lives. If so, can we ask why they make the groups that received more of them more likely to suffer COVID deaths?

Any thoughts?

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Religion is an ephemeral connection between humans and God, a private and direct bond that is, paradoxically, mediated by ancient traditions and group practices in houses of worship. People believed in supernatural beings for about as long as they were human:

We can ask a question: can the invisible link between the faithful and God be severed by a third party armed with the tools provided by the latest scientific advances?

Disturbingly, the answer may be yes. Scientists led by Dr. Colin Holbrook at UCLA undertook a multi-year endeavor to discover ways to stop “religious beliefs and right-wing prejudice.” They attempted to apply direct electromagnetic stimulation to the brain to alter human beliefs, specifically turning off belief in God.

Dr. Holbrook has led extensive research on this topic for many years. He described how electromagnetic stimulation of the frontal cortex (frontal part of the brain) “experimentally decreased avowed belief in God”:

After using a purposely made device, scientists describe a significant reduction in expressed belief in positive religious ideas:

Religious belief: We next tested the effects of TMS on endorsement of religious beliefs following a reminder of death. In a marginal trend, overall avowed religious belief (including both positive and negative beliefs) was reduced in the TMS condition relative to the sham condition 2.95 vs 4.26. As predicted, this shift was driven by a significant reduction in expressed belief in positive religious ideas. Participants in the TMS condition reported an average of 32.8% less conviction in positive religious beliefs.

A Very Unethical Study: Authors Lied to Subjects

That study was extremely unethical! When recruiting study subjects, Dr. Holbrook lied about the purpose of the study (using electromagnetic waves to reduce belief in God) and offered participants $25 while promising “ostensibly unrelated” activities:

Undergraduates were recruited for a study, ostensibly consisting of a series of unrelated measures, in exchange for $25.

Now, as we know, to religious people, abandoning belief in God is blasphemy and puts them at risk of going to Hell, shunning, and so on.

If I were a study participant whose deeply held faith was endangered by reckless scientists’ electromagnetic experiments, I would be quite outraged.

Work Continues - Sponsored by the U.S. Air Force!

For years after that, Dr. Holbrook continued to work on “religious neuromodulation” and electromagnetic waves to reduce undesirable (to him and his sponsors) beliefs, such as religious faith and “prejudice.”

His 2018 work “Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses” further develops methods to downregulate group bias and religious belief.

This is the description of how electromagnetic waves were applied:

This is how the device looks (also note the possessed look of the researcher and the sad face of the subject, as if he has a premonition):

The outcome was, indeed, a dramatic reduction of religious beliefs:

Also consistent with predictions, participants who received cTBS reported an average of 32.8% less positive religious conviction (M = 3.05, SD = 1.92) relative to the sham participants

Guess who sponsored this work?

Highly Partisan Researchers

The researchers leading the work to “neuromodulate religious beliefs” are extreme political partisans. Consider Dr. Holbrook’s 2020 article, since deleted (wonder why?) but fortunately preserved by the Internet archive:

Some pearls from this left-wing ideologue researcher:

If, as the large and growing body of evidence outlined above suggests, conservatives truly are more threat-reactive and more credulous of alleged threats, then a polarized media environment in which conservatives are inundated with disinformation about outgroup threats may set the stage for far-right extremism to flourish. Indeed, levels of conservatism track the intensity of belief in conspiracy theories.⁴

The author is not prone to subtleties. An idea to check if there is such a thing as left-wing conspiracy theories, threats that do exist, practices of the hysterical left-wing press credulously seeing “threats to democracy” behind every tree, and so on, do not enter his mind.

However, these ideologically obsessed experimenters work hard to develop technology to disable religious beliefs and undesirable right-wing ideologies. In doing so, they are sponsored by the United States government (Air Force).

Use of government funds to electromagnetically weaken the free exercise of religious beliefs of unsuspecting experimental subjects directly contradicts the prohibitions of the First Amendment:

Such a violation does not seem to concern anyone involved.

Final Thoughts

I am not a religious person. I am an agnostic. I tried to read holy books to see if I should adopt a particular religion. The books left a lasting impression on me and fostered my respect for religion and its role in history, but I am not ready to adopt a particular denomination. I realize that God’s existence or nonexistence is unprovable by the very definition of God.

And yet, I fully respect and support the right of every human to forge a connection with God. This link should be free of crazed science ideologues trying to meddle with it by sneaky use of electromagnetic devices and $25 bribes given under false pretenses.

The material I am discussing is nothing short of insane. If a person whom I just met told me that scientists use electromagnetic waves to turn off faith in God, I might have dismissed such a suggestion as crazy talk. It instantly evokes tinfoil hats (which would not work due to the low 50 Hz frequency of the signal) and other artifacts of mental illness.

And yet, here we are: ideologically obsessed researchers like Dr. Holbrook conduct scientific experimental studies that successfully turn off religious faith and other foundational beliefs in half the subjects. The US Government sponsors such studies. Nobody is asking questions.

Some will try to label this post a “conspiracy theory.” Far from it: it is based on existing scientific research and background information on the researchers conducting unethical experiments on religious people - experiments that likely pave the way for future large-scale human modification projects.

Igor’s Newsletter

I Do Not Spread Conspiracy Theories - I Report on Actual News

I published a few recent posts that could, at first sight, seem like I am inventing or spreading far-fetched conspiracy theories. If you think so, I am extremely offended because I do nothing of the sort! Consider this absurd and baseless right-wing conspiracy theory about…

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4 years ago · 618 likes · 368 comments · Igor Chudov

What About You?

The only good news I could find is that half the people did not reduce their religious beliefs after their prefrontal cortex was irradiated with 50 Hz electromagnetic waves. Their faith remained strong.

So, I want to ask my religious readers:

• do you think that Dr. Holbrook’s experiments could sever YOUR ties to God?

• Will those unfortunate experimental subjects whose religious ideation was successfully minimized be subject to God’s wrath, or will they be forgiven?

• (question to all) Are other electronic devices, such as Facebook’s virtual reality headsets, unknowingly affecting the posterior medial frontal cortex?

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In a rush to do something, an untested vaccine, Jynneos, was given to thousands of people. At the time it was given, it was not validated by any randomized clinical trial, and its effectiveness was not known, as I pointed out almost two years ago:

Igor’s Newsletter

Are "Monkeypox Vaccines" Safe and Effective?

Much noise is currently being made about monkeypox. Monkeypox is a little brother of smallpox, a terrifying illness of the past, that covered patients with lesions, left scars, left many people blind, and killed 15-30% of infected people. Smallpox has been declared eradicated in the world in 1979…

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4 years ago · 370 likes · 308 comments · Igor Chudov

Unfortunately, my obvious concerns about Jynneos's unproven performance have been proven valid. A recent study found that the vaccine-elicited antibodies among most of those who had no smallpox vaccine in childhood (so anyone under 50) wane to undetectable levels after just one year.

Among individuals without pre-existing immunity, 14/21 (67%) had undetectable levels of VACV IgG and a 10.7-fold decrease in VACV IgG GMT (geometric mean, a standard measurement for antibody levels) was observed compared to the last time point after vaccination in 2022 (4 weeks after the second dose) (Figure 1 full abstract).

The outcomes are better among older people who received a smallpox vaccine during childhood. (If you, like me, are smallpox-vaccinated, you would have a characteristic scar on your arm.) However, almost no one under 50 received a smallpox vaccine; two-thirds of those younger people lost all immunity to mpox after just one year past vaccination.

The authors suggest looking into “mpox boosters:”

They add: “Regarding the potential necessity for a booster, it is premature to draw such conclusions. It is unclear how waning antibody levels relate to protection. Immunity also involves other elements, such as T-cell responses. Comprehensive clinical monitoring over time, which connects infection rates with antibody levels, is required to make informed decisions about booster vaccination protocols.”

Immunity waning seems to translate into a real-life rise of mpox among the vulnerable groups:

The “health experts,” of course, blame the unvaccinated, citing low vaccination coverage:

“This has the potential to become a fairly prevalent infectious disease, but the advantage with mpox is, we have a vaccine that’s effective. We don’t have that for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia or HIV,” said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. “We’ve had fairly good participation in the vaccination push, but we’re not anywhere close to getting most of the at-risk population vaccinated. Until that happens, we’re going to see outbreaks and upticks in cases in various places.”

Worse Mpox Variant Coming?

Mpox has two basic variants: Clade I and Clade II. Clade II is responsible for the 2022 mpox outbreak in the West. The Jynneos vaccine targeted Clade II, which is not lethal despite being highly unpleasant.

However, another subtype of mpox, called Clade I, is seeing increased growth. Unlike the vaccine-targeted Clade II, Clade I has 5-10% mortality and is more transmissible.

So, we may see more surprises as the mpox pandemic morphs into a more virulent subtype, infecting populations with waned Jynneos vaccine immunity who were immunized against the less virulent clade. If that happens, the groups vulnerable to infection might see much worse mortality than they experienced in 2022!

Sounds familiar?

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That is not all; a grave new threat emerged: excessive free speech.

Globe and Mail is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, so we better take it seriously. Its public affairs columnist, Washington-based Lawrence Martin, looks like a slimmed-down Donald Trump, whom Lawrence dislikes intensely despite close visual resemblance. (I wonder if Mr Martin’s mom cavorted with Fred Trump in the Fall of 1946)

Mr. Martin is very upset that the Internet empowered the masses against establishment forces:

The business model of the newspaper industry Mr Martin represents is threatened by the Internet, which he laments:

Lawrence Martin forgets that the media itself contributes to polarization:

Looking in the mirror, which is never the strong suit of most people, is something that Lawrence Martin should practice occasionally.

In any case, Globe and Mail has a prescription on how to save democracy: rigid regulation of speech. Such a get-tough-on-speech approach will certainly protect democracy and safeguard our most basic freedoms:

The dangerous anti-democratic free-speech lobby, Globe and Mail implies, is just as bad as the baby-killing gun lobby.

I hope, my friends, we all see that our democracy is under threat: it is being simultaneously attacked by white voters, free speech, elections, and the U.S. Constitution.

Do you know any other threats to democracy? Let us know what you think!

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However, times have changed! Deep State, you see, exists and is now good for you.

Be assured that the New York Times still thinks that the “conspiracy theorists” alleging the existence of the “deep state” are still bad for us, despite the deep state existing just as they were alleging.

It is also not the first time this has happened. This is why I do not spread unfounded conspiracy theories and only report the actual news!

Igor’s Newsletter

I Do Not Spread Conspiracy Theories - I Report on Actual News

I published a few recent posts that could, at first sight, seem like I am inventing or spreading far-fetched conspiracy theories. If you think so, I am extremely offended because I do nothing of the sort! Consider this absurd and baseless right-wing conspiracy theory about…

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4 years ago · 593 likes · 358 comments · Igor Chudov

What do you think?

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What happened in December 2023 allows us to ask: Could vaccination rates affect excess mortality rates a long time after vaccinations? December 2023 was 2.5 years after people received their first doses, so looking at the data for that month could help us answer that question.

Sadly, data from last December shows a strong positive correlation between excess mortality and Covid vaccination rates, despite most first doses given out long ago, 2.5 years before that month.

We were told that COVID-19 vaccines protect us from severe illness and death. Therefore, we are supposed to expect countries that gave their citizens more COVID-19 vaccines to fare better.

Those who still believe such assertions may be surprised: in December 2023, like during many recent periods, more Covid vaccines meant greater excess deaths.

I downloaded excess mortality data from Eurostat and Covid vaccination rates (percentage of citizens who received initial doses of Covid vaccine) from Statista.

Here’s the data:

We can analyze this dataset with a “linear regression calculator” to see if the data shows a trend:

Surprisingly, the analysis shows that COVID vaccination rates explain 24% of excess mortality, despite vaccinations happening in the distant past! Not only is there a trend, but it is also highly statistically significant, with a p-value as low as 0.0057.

The December results are similar to the pattern for the entire past year, which suggests that they are not spurious but reflect a real phenomenon.

Igor’s Newsletter

2023 Excess Mortality Positively Associated With COVID Vaccination Rates

SUMMARY: The baffling pattern of positive association of excess mortality with COVID vaccination rates continued in 2023, contradicting the thesis that “COVID vaccines save lives.” It is statistically significant and is unlikely to have occurred by chance…

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2 years ago · 564 likes · 342 comments · Igor Chudov

Relationship for the whole year of 2023, from the above post, is here:

My desire is for mortality to return to normal and for all people, regardless of vaccination status, to enjoy a low rate of death and serious illness. Sadly, what we have instead is elevated rates of death and Covid vaccines still affecting the unwitting recipients’ changes of negative outcomes.

This excess mortality is not investigated. The people asking why citizens of their countries are dying at elevated rates are demonized and dismissed as conspiracy theorists.

The real culprit, we are told, is climate change:

Why would COVID vaccination rates explain excess mortality if climate change were the culprit? Please help me answer this question!

Should we stop asking for explanations? Is speaking the truth dangerous to our democracy? Should we all shut up?

Let us know what you think!

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The above 41,000-year-old figurine Venus of Hohle Fels, made from mammoth ivory, is the oldest undisputed depiction of a human being. The woman portrayed by that prehistoric artifact lived in a cave near Schelklingen, Germany. Some experts argue that she was considered a fertility goddess, and the amulet above is the first known pornographic object. If these experts are right, the figurine illustrates the crude tastes of prehistoric men!

She could not purchase potato chips, low-carb nutritional bars, ice cream, cake, butter, or other modern foods. She likely consumed what other tribe members could harvest or hunt in the forests near her cave: nuts, roots, berries, grass-fed meat, and other purely natural paleolithic products. She never received any vaccines and never saw TV advertisements promoting junk food. Despite all that, Venus gained much weight from her prehistoric paleo diet.

Could some of her direct descendants still live in Schelklingen? Are any of them possibly working at the Schelklingen Community School?

Medieval Times

Many records show that the nobility, clergy, and other well-off sedentary people gained weight during medieval times.

Those monks did not shop at Costco. They had no access to potato chips, Twinkies, or any other “ultra processed foods.” Yet, supported by their communities, these monks ate very well while spending plenty of time praying or performing other sedentary activities.

Bone evidence and historical records confirm:

The new evidence backs records from Westminster Abbey, showing that six eggs a day was normal for monks. In the middle ages, monkish obesity was Europe-wide. The Portuguese Cistercians had a test: monks unable to squeeze through a certain doorway at Alcobaca monastery's dining room had to fast while slimmer colleagues tucked into "pastry in vast abundance."

Their diet is described as follows. I underlined animal products in red, fruits and vegetables in green, and grains in blue.

Everything these monks ate was “natural.” There were no ultra-processed foods then, and much of what they ate was wild-grown or wild-caught, full of medieval natural goodness. GMOs, chemical fertilizers, MSG, and other modern inputs were centuries away from those people’s tables.

Of course, most contemporary people could not afford most of the above, so they ate much less, lacked variety, worked harder, and were mostly slim.

“Nobody Likes a Skinny Girl”

During the early 20th century, women had body image problems and anxiety due to being too thin. A cottage industry of weight gain products existed for such women:

Other ads recommended supplements touted to work QUICKER THAN BEER:

(an aside: those weight gain products possibly benefited from iron mentioned in both ads. Excess iron is known to impair glucose tolerance, resulting in a tendency to gain weight. Almost all weight gain ads from that time mention iron. If you do not believe me, view the ads and check for yourself.)

One ad boasts 28 weight gain in JUST ONE MONTH:

The days of weight gain ads are gone: since 1980, we have rapidly put on weight:

40% of People Are Now Obese

Things greatly changed around 1970, when rates of obesity tripled for men and women.

There is no shortage of explanations: various experts blame carbs, sweet drinks, red meat, GMOs, ultra-processed foods, saturated fats, and so on.

Large sums of industry money supporting diet research favoriting their products. All sorts of countries defy diet stereotypes:

• Hong Kong has the highest life expectancy and the highest meat consumption per person, suggesting that meat is good.
  
  Of course, this meat-eating trend is new to Hong Kong. Older Hong Kongers never gorged on meat, and we have no idea what the lifespan of young Hong Kongers will eventually be.

• Japan has one of the highest shares of carbohydrates in the diet and very low rates of obesity, suggesting that carbs are good - but see below

• The prevalence of obesity in Germany (19%) is much higher than in Japan (4.5%) (source). Does that make the Japanese healthier? Japan’s rate of diabetes (6.6%) is comparable to Germany's (6.9%) (source)

• Russia bans all GMO products and yet has a 30% obesity rate, putting it on par with other obese countries despite “no GMO” laws

As a result, we are getting fatter and developing diabetes at much greater rates than in the past for reasons that are understood very poorly.

This post does not intend to provide any new findings. I hope the historical facts and stories I presented will help us appreciate that fat people existed for thousands of years. It seems that rates of obesity for people having the means to eat any foods they fancy have possibly not even changed much.

I have dieted for the last twenty years, and there was not one day when I allowed myself to eat anything I wanted in the amount I wanted. When I got married in 1999, I weighed 204 lbs. I had several ups and downs after that. Today, I weigh 194 lbs—and would probably be above 300 had I not watched what I eat. The struggles were very real.

I want to ask you, my dear reader, to share your experiences with dieting.

There are two discussion rules

1. You can state any opinion politely

2. I will mercilessly remove any nasty or abusive personal comments (something I usually do not do, but this discussion thread will be an exception).

Why are we getting fat now? What worked for you or your loved ones?

Let us know!

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In the TruthSocial post above, Trump mentioned his nine-month approval time for Covid vaccines.

I am frankly shocked by the stupidity of both statements.

The vaccines did not “save us from the pandemic” - they made the pandemic worse. And being proud that such vaccines were pushed through in just nine months is perhaps a bit misguided.

What do you think?

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