4:14:22

As we focus exclusively on virtue signaling about Ukraine, the humanitarian crisis and mass human rights violation that is happening in China rages on without coverage or alarm from the corporate press. A harbinger of what can happen if totalitarianism goes unchallenged. It will happen to us if we let it.

The video of all the screaming Shanghai residents locked in their high rises is gut wrenching. Some people are even jumping out of their buildings because they have no food and are starving.

They want us to focus on Ukraine, as if we're rooting for our favorite sports team. They don't want us to know about China. Or care. Or worry. They believe COVID excuses any measure of punishment and force.

Here is Mark Crispin Miller on "China Under COVID is hell on earth"


And Coffee & COVID, April 11, 2022:

"For some reason, we have endless reports on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, but simply silence on Shanghai. Why? Where are all the “I stand with Shanghai” memes? Where are the virtue signalers now? What is the difference?...The only difference between us and the Chinese is a Constitution plus one extra Supreme Court justice. I am feeling extremely grateful for the Founding Fathers."

Read the rest of C&C's post below:

"Last week, Shanghai, China went into hard lockdown, what lockdown-lovers call a 'real' lockdown. Home to 25 million souls, Shanghai is China’s premier city, its version of New York City, the communist nation’s showcase of Chinese technology, architecture, and most importantly, government. Last week, after watching cases escalate since March 1, the government imposed a set of strict lockdown rules that by the end of the week involved the city’s residents being locked — in some cases literally — in their apartments, unable to leave even for food or water.

Water is a particularly pressing problem, since the tap water in Shanghai is not fit to drink even after boiling due to the presence of heavy metals. Food can only be obtained through a phone app. The system of private suppliers broke down after only a few days, not least because of limiting rules and per-delivery testing requirements for delivery staff, and so the government took over midstream with an entirely new smartphone-powered food-delivery system. All residents must pay for their food, which when it is delivered is almost never what was ordered, but appears to be only what is available.

The lockdown rules are being enforced by soldiers from the ironically-named People’s Liberation Army, gangs of red-shirted “volunteers” who act more like roving brigands, and dystopian technology like drones with facial recognition that dock residents’ social credit scores and debit their bank accounts when residents are caught out on their balconies.

Widespread reports from Shanghai strongly suggest that large numbers of people are unable to reliably obtain food and water. In addition to being locked into their homes — in some cases physically locked in their buildings — residents are forced to exit whenever ordered for mandatory Covid testing. Those who test positive, including babies as young as one or two months old, are sent to prison-like quarantine facilities. Parents aren’t allowed to go with their quarantined children, no matter how young the child or infant might be.

Later in the week the government began seizing household pets, cats and dogs, summarily euthanizing animals whose owners are found Covid positive.

One horrifying video shows a poorly-trained government agent administering a Covid test to an infant, apparently penetrating the nasal cavity with the test stick too far, and the infant immediately dies. Other videos show government agents beating small dogs to death with their owners crying out for them to stop from behind locked apartment building doors. Another viral video showed sacks of house cats thrown into a garbage pile on the sidewalk, with many of the cats obviously still alive, struggling to move as best they could and mewing plaintively.

Shanghai residents are literally begging for food online. In this harrowing video, they can be heard screaming out of their
windows

Residents in #Shanghai screaming from high rise apartments after 7 straight days of the city lockdown. The narrator worries that there will be major problems. (in Shanghainese dialect—he predicts people can’t hold out much longer—he implies tragedy).

Not just residents. US Marines. Yesterday, Reuters ran a story headlined, 'U.S. Consulate Staff in China Help Marines Running Low on Rations.” According to Reuters, a U.S. consulate employee — acting in their individual capacity — posted this message to WeChat, the Chinese version of Facebook: “Marines have depleted their food and can no longer get delivery. I know we are all running short on supplies. If you can spare a meal’s worth or two for 7 extra mouths, they’d be very appreciative.'

(Staff responded with supplies, a person said in a later post, adding, 'The marines are beyond thankful.')

If US military personnel can’t get food, imagine what it must be like for an ordinary Shanghai resident.

But our revolting corporate media has — for some reason — completely blacked out the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Shanghai. All the news about what is really going on there comes from residents, including Americans and other foreigners. What little reporting our 'gold standard' media has done only mentions the lockdowns generally, and unquestioningly repeats what looks very much like Chinese government propaganda.

For just one example, here is a picture in this morning’s Wall Street Journal, from an article bragging that Shanghai hasn’t reported any Covid deaths.

For Facebook users, who can’t see the picture, it shows a large semi-sized delivery truck in a street about 40 feet away from the back of a building. Between the truck and the building extend two lines of men in white hygiene suits, standing about a foot from each other, about 30 men in all. The men appear to be passing boxes of supplies down the line from the back of the truck into the building.

This is almost certainly a propaganda photo. You’ll get it instantly when I point it out to you.

Look again at what these dummies are up to. There’s PLENTY of room to back that truck up, right to the building’s rear entrance. THE ROAD GOES RIGHT UP TO THE DOOR. Hey morons, you don’t need 30 men. You only need TWO guys. But if the truck were backed up that far, then the government photographer wouldn’t have been able to get the money shot of all these resources being deployed to help the poor lockdown victims.

Shame on the Wall Street Journal. Shame on you. You’re complicit in helping a murderous communist regime cover up a massive human-rights violation and maybe a mass starvation event. You guys need to do a lot of personal reflection about where your lives and morals have gone off the rails.

Reuters, at least, in its article about the starving marines, mentions in passing that 'many Shanghai residents have been waking at dawn to work the phones in the hope of securing food supplies from over-subscribed delivery apps.' But U.S. corporate media paints totally fake but rosier picture of a happy lockdown with a fast-paced successful Chinese government response. Total garbage.

Instead, we have to rely on anecdotal reports, like this resident’s courageous silent protest.

(Facebook users: someone pushed their barren fridge out onto their balcony and opened the doors creating a powerful symbol.)

For some reason, we have endless reports on the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, but simply silence on Shanghai. Why? Where are all the “I stand with Shanghai” memes? Where are the virtue signalers now? What is the difference?

China is obviously pulling out all the stops to prevent the truth on the ground in Shanghai from getting out. They’ve ordered their U.S. media agents not to talk about it, and are punishing residents who post about the problems on social media. But … what happens AFTER the lockdowns end? Won’t the surviving Shanghai residents talk then? Isn’t the truth going to come out eventually? Why hide it?

The only difference between us and the Chinese is a Constitution plus one extra Supreme Court justice. I am feeling extremely grateful for the Founding Fathers."


Coffee & Covid, April 12, 2022:


A great point.

"Jen Psaki explained to skeptical reporters yesterday that Kamala Harris wasn’t wearing a mask indoors during the Ketanji Jackson event because 'it was an emotional day, it was a historic day.' Well, that’s okay then if it was her EMOTIONS! That’s obviously a GREAT reason to take off that dirty face rag. I actually kind of agree with that, at least to the extent that just about ANY reason is a good enough reason to get those bacteria wipes away from your mucous membranes. But Psaki’s comment perfectly illustrates pro-masker thinking. Emotions are the reason they put the masks ON, too."