Covid-19 hysteria has some in America calling for similar surveillance methods.
By Donald Jeffries
In late March, the mainstream media reported the disturbing news that the U.S. government was tracking cell phones in order to “get a better understanding of how the virus is spreading.” This information is being processed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local governments. Some five hundred cities could eventually be monitored in such a fashion.
Using geographic locations, officials could determine where large crowds are still gathering, in violation of “social distancing” rules. According to a report in the UK “Daily Mail,” “The data would also potentially show how much the general public is complying with stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders.” When The Wall Street Journal questioned both the CDC and the White House regarding the matter, both refused to comment. Considering how willingly most Americans have complied with a slew of unconstitutional and baffling restrictions on their liberty, it was surprising to learn that a Pew poll found that some 60% of them doubt that tracking locations through cell phones would help in fighting the coronavirus.
The authoritarian lockdown of our society brings to mind just how close America is to implementing China’s horrid “social credit” system. China basically shuns anyone who doesn’t conform and obey willingly as a “model” citizen in the totalitarian state. The coronavirus crisis has rekindled long-held rumors that we are transitioning to a digital currency. This would fit in perfectly with some kind of “social credit” system, whereby wages could be taken away for various violations.
In a 2019 press release, China attempted to justify its draconian system. “China’s social credit system is an ambitious initiative to build a database that monitors individual, corporate, and government behavior across the country in real time,” the release stated. “According to the Chinese government, the system will use big data to build a high-trust society where individuals and organizations follow the law. It will do so by assigning social credit scores to each entity based on their behavior, which are translated into a variety of rewards and punishments.” There are actually three systems in China; one for individuals, one for businesses, and one for government officials. This is for the frighteningly Orwellian purpose of monitoring and assessing “each group’s trustworthiness, particularly as it relates to following laws and other rules.”
The social credit system parallels in many ways the system everyone is judged by in this country. A bad credit score can cause any loan to be rejected, or force someone into paying a higher, punitive interest rate. It can even impact your employment prospects.
While dealing with a low credit score is bad enough, being judged for what is determined to be “bad driving,” smoking where it isn’t permitted, buying “too many” video games, and posting “fake news” online, all of which are severe offenses under China’s social credit system, ought to outrage everyone who has the least concept of human liberty. Punishments under China’s system include restrictions on travel and purchasing “luxury” items. Like our own businesses can enact late fees and higher interest rates on those behind in their bills, China could opt to respond to tardy payments by limiting internet speeds. Seventeen people who refused Chinese military service were barred from continuing their studies in high school or college. Others have been banned from some of the better hotels and vacation spots. One Chinese university student was denied enrollment because of his father’s low social credit score. And transgressions could even prevent any chance at upward mobility. “Trust-breaking” individuals would be barred from advancing to management positions. Walking a dog without a leash can result in points being deducted under the social credit system. The most serious offenders are “named and shamed” on a blacklist that all companies are encouraged to consult before hiring or granting contracts. There is even an embarrassing phone ringtone for those on the lowest rungs, to single them out for scorn.
Like our own credit score system, which rewards those with good scores with special financing terms and other perks, the Chinese social credit system bestows similar favors on those with high scores. Being on a “good list” can get you more matches on dating sites. Being a “good citizen” means not criticizing government officials or policies, refraining from controversial social media posts, and not flouting any of the countless rules in China’s dystopian society.
In this country, a pandemic that has killed mostly people over 70 years old and in very bad health, has resulted in some pretty frightening rules. Mandatory masks in public are required in some areas. Bill Gates and other elitists have called for a national tracking system, which could result in a “scarlet letter” type of sign for those who’ve tested positive for coronavirus. America is already authoritarian enough without a Chinese-style social credit system.
Americans Suing China
The World Health Organization is also in the sights of irate citizens.
By Donald Jeffries
The coronavirus situation, which has locked down virtually the entire world, may eventually make its way to our courts. A group of New Yorkers, where the virus has hit particularly hard, recently filed a lawsuit against the World Health Organization (WHO). Three residents of Westchester County accused the WHO of gross negligence in covering up and responding to Covid-19, specifically “failing to declare a pandemic in a timely fashion, monitor China’s response to the original outbreak, provide treatment guidelines, advise members on how to respond including through travel restrictions, and coordinate a global response.” They also allege that the WHO conspired with the Chinese government to conceal the severity of Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Missouri is suing China directly over its mishandling of the virus, causing it to spread all over the world. The unprecedented lawsuit claims that China’s actions and inactions led to deaths and economic losses in the state. Mississippi is rumored to be on the verge of launching a similar suit. It is uncommon, to say the least, for individual states to sue foreign countries. Eric Schmitt, the Republican attorney general of Missouri, actually filed the suit.
“During the critical weeks of the initial outbreak, Chinese authorities deceived the public, suppressed crucial information, arrested whistleblowers, denied human-to-human transmission in the face of mounting evidence, destroyed critical medical research, permitted millions of people to be exposed to the virus, and even hoarded personal protective equipment—thus causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable,” according to the lawsuit. “Defendants are responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians, and they should be held accountable.”
The litigation faces an uphill struggle, given the liability limits of foreign governments to American judicial oversight, which is specified under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. Not to mention, of course, the unlikelihood of China capitulating to any decision by American courts. The Chinese Foreign Ministry initially reacted by calling the lawsuit “frivolous” and declared that “it only invites ridicule.”
While much of the mainstream media has predictably tried to blame the virus on Donald Trump, Fox News and Trump supporters have been more likely to point the finger at China. The National Republican Senatorial Committee recently sent campaigns a 57-page memo that advises GOP candidates to aggressively attack China about the coronavirus. It suggests three primary themes: that China caused the virus “by covering it up,” that Democrats are “soft on China,” and that, on the contrary, Republicans will “push for sanctions on China for its role in spreading this pandemic.” According to the April 17 memo: “Coronavirus was a Chinese hit-and-run followed by a cover-up that cost thousands of lives. . . . Don’t defend Trump, other than the China Travel Ban—attack China.” Trump’s re-election campaign has already released a video that portrays presumptive Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden as being far too cozy with the totalitarian regime.
U.S. intelligence agencies have alleged that China concealed the extent of the coronavirus outbreak. Unnamed intelligence officials sent a classified report to the White House in which they stated the Chinese had under-reported both total cases and deaths from the disease. “The claim that the United States has more coronavirus deaths than China is false,” declared Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), characterizing the typical GOP perspective. “Without commenting on any classified information, this much is painfully obvious: The Chinese Communist Party has lied, is lying, and will continue to lie about coronavirus to protect the regime.” China’s foreign ministry spokesman in turn accused the U.S. military of bringing the virus to China last October. Other theories hold that the virus was created in a lab and was diabolically released as a bioweapon.
Many credible researchers believe that the impact of Covid-19 has been wildly exaggerated. They point to evidence such as the WHO directive instructing hospitals to list the cause of death as Covid-19 even when patients were never tested for the virus, or the regular press releases from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which each contain the disclaimer that “presumptive” (i.e., untested) cases are included in the Covid-19 numbers. Several family members have taken to social media, vehemently denying that their loved ones died from Covid-19 as publicly reported. Singer-songwriter John Prine, who was reported to have passed away recently from Covid-19, was never tested for the virus and had a multitude of other longtime ailments. CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, while purporting to be quarantined in his basement from even his family, was caught outside with a group recently by someone on a bicycle, whom he berated publicly.
While speculation runs rampant and more lawsuits figure to be filed, America and most of the world remain in lock-down mode. As Texas Rep. Ron Paul has noted, once government is given increased power, it is never given back without a fight.
Donald Jeffries is a highly respected author and researcher whose work on the JFK, RFK and MLK assassinations and other high crimes of the Deep State has been read by millions of people across the world. Jeffries is also the author of three books currently being sold by the AFP Online Store.
