Is the Coronavirus Mostly a Pandemic of Fear?

Is the Coronavirus Mostly a Pandemic of Fear?

By Harold Pease, Ph. D

By the time this column is published, we will be ending our second week of isolation denied the privilege of attending church, social and athletic events as the Wuhan China Virus spreads across the country.  Restaurants are closed as are entertainment areas and the only populated areas appear to be grocery stores.  Schools and universities closed sending their children and students home.  Airports and airplanes are virtually empty.  It is eerie.  President Donald Trump asked groups assembling not to exceed 10 persons to inhibit the spread of this unseen “killer.”

What is most concerning is that last year 34,000 people died in the United States from the flu and the media outlets never said a word.  Nor did they the year before, 2017-2018 season, when 61,000 died of the flu, likely a less number than will die of the coronavirus in the U.S. this flu season.  Indeed It is estimated that 12,000-61,000 deaths occurred annually from the flu in the U.S. since 2010 (“This Is How Many People Die From the Flu Each Year, According to the CDC.” By Claire Gillespie , Health, February 11, 2020 ).

Why is this a pandemic and those every year preceding it not also pandemics resulting in closing down the economy, air travel and schools?  Why did the media not respond as hysterically to the H1N1 Swine Flu epidemic in 2009 under Barack Obama when it killed approximately 17,000 Americans—far more than the coronavirus is likely to kill? (“Swine flu has killed up to 17,000 in U.S.: report” Maggie Fox, February 12, 2010).

Is the establishment media responsible for this pandemic of fear?  Not the disease, of course, new strains are expected, but the unprecedented 24/7 hype driving everyone into isolation potentially bringing about a recession just before a presidential election that can only hurt President Trump?

The Center for Disease Control, CDC, reported as of February 11, 2020, 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US. and no deaths.  By March 25, 2020, that number was 60,881 total U.S, cases and 838 deaths so the spread in America is significant and serious, but compared to previous years, not abnormal.

So what is the death rate?  The UK places it between 0.5% and 1% and Germany “less than half a per cent,” also not comparatively abnormal (BBC News “Coronavirus death rate: What are the chances of dying?” By Robert Cuffe Head of Statistics, March 24, 2020).

The Atlantic in a March 22, article, “Red and blue America aren’t experiencing the same pandemic,” wrote of the “disconnect” between the two parties regarding the virus noting that “States with Republican governors have been slower, or less likely, than those run by Democrats to impose restrictions on their residents.”  They observed that the same is so concerning rural versus urban communities.

But the real reason for the divide, not mentioned by the Atlantic, but noticed by virtually everyone on the right side of the political spectrum, centers on the establishment’s intention to remove President Donald Trump from office at any cost, thus far short of assassination.  This might include the politicization of a flu virus, heretofore taking thousands of Americans annually but hardly mentioned by the press—any press!

Republicans simply do not trust the establishment media.  It has been behind nearly four years of constant coup attempts and was responsible for hyping this virus to panic levels before a single American had the virus, certainly before an American death from it.

Let’s review these attempts.  Three happened simultaneously before Trumps took office.  Spygate and the Trump Tower wiretapping, Demonstrations in cities all over the United States flared up, presumably funded by George Sores, to refuse the results of the 2016 election with signs “Not My President” and finally, the Republican “Never Trumper” movement erupted.  Once inaugurated the effort to get someone in his administration to declare him unfit so as to use the 25th Amendment to remove him followed.  Then the Russia Hoax and the resultant 2 1/2 year Robert Mueller Investigation.  This followed by disclosure of the FBI/CIA Coup attempt to unseat him, next the Ukrainian Hoax, followed by the failed Impeachment attempt.  Nine easily documented attempts.

Trump endured four Congressional investigations, the Mueller and Horowitz Reports, each exonerated him, and the US Senate Impeachment trial acquitting him.  Trump endured more unjustified opposition/persecution than all U.S. presidents combined.

All major news outlets: MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the affiliates of the above, supported all the attempts to destroy this president, thus totally destroying their credibility with the right side of the political spectrum.  All pipe the same hate Trump rhetoric.  All are globalist establishment media outlets.  All favored Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Presidential Election.  All have become the media arm of the Democratic Party.  All panicked over the Wahun China Virus piping only hysteria sending Americans into hoarding and hiding and potentially causing unemployment in the millions, perhaps to destroy the economy before the election.

So why shouldn’t Republicans and Independents consider media overreaction, even weaponization, of the Wahun China Virus, yet another coup attempt to unseat their president?  Establishment Deep State coverage of him is hostile no matter what he does.

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