{"id":288926,"date":"2024-06-06T06:24:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-06T06:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=288926"},"modified":"2024-06-08T05:48:51","modified_gmt":"2024-06-08T05:48:51","slug":"this-week-in-the-new-normal-91","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=288926","title":{"rendered":"This Week in the New Normal #91"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Off-Guardian \u2013 June 3, 2024<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>Our successor to <em>This Week in the Guardian<\/em>, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/off-guardian.org\/category\/this-week-in-the-new-normal\/\">This Week in the New Normal<\/a><\/em> is our weekly chart of the progress of autocracy, authoritarianism and economic restructuring around the world.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>1. Climate Gaslighting Continues<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Last month, we were told, was the warmest April on record. When there was a groundswell of people saying \u201cNo it wasn\u2019t\u201d, the Telegraph went full gaslight with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2024\/04\/26\/cold-weather-april-all-in-your-head-met-office\/#:~:text=April%20may%20have%20felt%20unusually,warmer%20than%20the%20UK%20average.\">this headline<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Cold April may be all in your head<\/p>\n<p>Today we\u2019re in the exact same position again, with Sky News reporting it was the warmest May on record:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BREAKING: The UK had the warmest May and spring on record since 1884, according to the Met Office.<\/p>\n<p>How warm did you feel this May? \u2600\ufe0f \ud83c\udf27\ufe0f<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/PAiZ4D1jU3\">https:\/\/t.co\/PAiZ4D1jU3<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcfa Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/KCXVegjYn5\">pic.twitter.com\/KCXVegjYn5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SkyNews\/status\/1797621849469133004?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u2026despite it fairly evidently not being. It has been unseasonably cold and damp, but I suppose we all just imagined that.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>2. NYT Endorses \u201cLab Leak\u201d Theory<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The New York Times published<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2024\/06\/03\/opinion\/covid-lab-leak.html?unlocked_article_code=1.w00.8JGK.XlP0qBRKHdWB\"> a long article<\/a> by Dr Alina Chan earlier today, headlined:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Why the Pandemic Probably Started in a Lab, in 5 Key Points\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s just one more step in lab leak\u2019s journey from fringe narrative to mainstream alternative, and it\u2019s yet another piece of evidence that it\u2019s nothing but a fallback position.<\/p>\n<p>We told you this would happen.<\/p>\n<p>Here are our final words on the matter, from 2022:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">There was NO NEW DISEASE!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">There were the old flu symptoms, there was a new name, and there was a crappy test.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">And that is all.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">This is the one admission the establishment will never make, because it totally breaks their narrative.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Kills it stone dead.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Every other \u201cadmission\u201d, debate or idea \u2013 \u201clab leak\u201d, early treatment, government panic, \u201cwe underestimated natural immunity\u201d, \u201cthe vaccine trials were misleading\u201d \u2013 can eventually be brought back around to justifying lockdowns and other authoritarian \u201cpublic health measures\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">If not for Covid, then for the next \u201cpandemic\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"HqCRaWo7TR\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/off-guardian.org\/2023\/02\/28\/no-covid-still-doesnt-come-from-a-lab\/\">No, \u201cCovid\u201d STILL doesn\u2019t come from a lab<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" title=\"\u201cNo, \u201cCovid\u201d STILL doesn\u2019t come from a lab\u201d \u2014 OffGuardian\" src=\"https:\/\/off-guardian.org\/2023\/02\/28\/no-covid-still-doesnt-come-from-a-lab\/embed\/#?secret=HqCRaWo7TR\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" data-secret=\"HqCRaWo7TR\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/p>\n<p>\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&#038;&#038;d.addEventListener&#038;&#038;\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&#038;&#038;(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&#038;&#038;!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&#038;&#038;(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&#038;&#038;(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&#038;&#038;(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&#038;&#038;n.host===r.host&#038;&#038;l.activeElement===s&#038;&#038;(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document); \/* ]]> *\/<\/p>\n<p><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><strong>3. The \u201cliberal\u201d defense of CBDCs<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>This is actually a story from two weeks ago but it\u2019s important enough to merit its place. Leftist Economics professor and politician Yanis Varoufakis has written a defense of Central Bank Digital Currency for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.project-syndicate.org\/commentary\/central-bank-digital-currency-would-upend-financial-industry-by-yanis-varoufakis-2023-05?\">Project Syndicate<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\">Who\u2019s Afraid of Central Bank Digital Currencies?<\/p>\n<p>In it he argues that CBDCs will actually be better for ordinary people by breaking the power of major banks like JPMorgan by enabling citizens to deal directly with the central bank.<\/p>\n<p>I won\u2019t go into a point-by-point refutation here, except to point out his arguments elide important facts \u2013 such as the fact that central banks are usually private institutions just as much as retail or commercial banks, and that CBDCs are potentially a lot more than just digital money<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a sign of an argument made in ignorance or bad faith that he doesn\u2019t once use the word \u201cprogrammability\u201d one single time.<\/p>\n<p>This will be the sales pitch for CBDC from certain sectors, that they are \u201canti-Capitalist\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>BONUS: Re-run of the week<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Donald Trump has promised to release the JFK, 9\/11 and Jeffry Epstein files once he\u2019s elected\u2026<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Trump says he would declassify 9\/11, JFK, and Epstein files.<\/p>\n<p>Follow: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AFpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@AFpost<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/t8wrabPMXT\">pic.twitter.com\/t8wrabPMXT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 AF Post (@AFpost) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AFpost\/status\/1797387200243638662?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u2026if that sounds familiar it\u2019s because he did the same thing last time too. I\u2019m sure he means it now.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">*<\/p>\n<p>All told a pretty hectic week for the new normal crowd, and we didn\u2019t even mention the Netherlands\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dick_Schoof\">new Prime Minister being an unelected intelligence officer<\/a> or Mexico\u2019s newest President,<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Claudia_Sheinbaum\"> a climate scientist who used to work for the UN<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a lot of change in the air, a lot of agendas in the works, if you see a headline, article, post or interview you think is a sign of the times, post it in the comments, <a href=\"https:\/\/off-guardian.org\/submissions\/\">email us<\/a> or share it on social media and we will add it to the next edition.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">&#8212;<\/p>\n<p>Support Off-Guardian:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/offguardian\">Ko-fi<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.subscribestar.com\/offguardian\">Subscribestar<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/donate\/?hosted_button_id=CKFB3MH8CGB9U\">Paypal<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/off-guardian.org\/2024\/06\/03\/this-week-in-the-new-normal-91\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Off-Guardian\u2019s weekly look at the progress of autocracy, authoritarianism and economic restructuring around the world <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39262,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[61,58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-288926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-Commentary","category-Current_Affairs"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/39262"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=288926"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":289045,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/288926\/revisions\/289045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=288926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=288926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=288926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}