I learned long ago to apply the smell test to information or opinions presented to me. Particularly if the source is government, media, or any other entity that could have an ulterior motive to, shall we say color or skew the data presented. That habit has served me well over the years.
If you are one of those that feel your government wouldn’t lie to you or mislead you consider this. A few years ago when the unemployment rate was undesirable, the government quietly changed how unemployment is counted. They stopped counting those no longer collecting unemployment and those no longer looking for work, and those that are habitually on one or more welfare plans. So, the unemployment rate looked like 8% +/- instead of the real number that was closer to 16%. The media was complicit.
I have for some time now felt that the data regarding the coronavirus cases and deaths wasn’t passing the smell test.
Just for starters, the coronavirus has been around for years. So why is it so much more deadly this time around? “It is a new strain this time” just wasn’t cutting it. The CDC was and is playing with a marked deck, if you will, for reasons not readily apparent.
Example: A year ago we were told that masks were not necessary, and could even be detrimental. Now we are told that double or triple-layer masks are a must.
Example: We are told that everyone must get a vaccine, but even if we do we still must do and not do the same things as before being vaccinated. Medical entities are paid an $18,000 premium for classifying a death as virus-related. Hmmm?
It seems that early last year the CDC quietly, and without government oversight or approval changed the criteria for how deaths are classified if there are multiple health issues. This new set of criteria was skewed to classify a death as corona caused even when other health factors were at play, and quite likely the real cause of death.
As of August 2020, the CDC reported 161,392 deaths from coronavirus using the new classification criteria. However, using the old, approved, classification criteria the number of coronavirus deaths was 9,684. In short, the number of virus deaths was 94% due to the new criteria.
Now, there have been 360,000 virus-caused deaths reported for 2020. If we apply the same 94% caused by the new reporting criteria the real number of virus-caused deaths are more in the range of 21,600. Far fewer than many other causes of death including heart-related, cancer, and abortion.
So, does all this fear-mongering by the CDC, the media, the government pass your “smell test”?
Fear seems to be the main goal fo those who are only interested in power. I loved your article Ken and pray that through the smell test, as you state that people will begin to wake up and we can return to some kind of normalcy.
I join you in that.
It is amazing what lingering fear will do to peoples reasoning ability. Thanks, Danny.
Well written my friend Ken. If you “control” the message you can control the people. Stoke the “fears” and people will surrender their liberty for security. If the fourth estate would do their jobs without partisanship, true facts would become self evident without dangerous ideology.