Category Archives: Politics and sociology

Essential workers

Posted on 30/12/2022 by Jon Garvey

It’s taken me a while to figure out what it is that consistently annoys me about such a worthwhile provision as the BBC local TV news. In fact, it took my reaction to King Charles’s first Christmas broadcast to achieve the realisation that I’m not simply a jaded cynic. I am a jaded cynic, but not simply one.

Posted in Politics and sociology, Theology | Leave a comment

The COVID Club (membership restricted)

Posted on 26/12/2022 by Jon Garvey

Listening to a revealing little interview with Jeffery Sachs it occurs to me that we’re now in a position to review and explain, in a broad way, the madness that was (and still is) the COVID spamdemic. At least we can now surmise how the connections work between quite a restricted band of players, albeit it including some of the most powerful entities in the world. Whilst too much remains unknown to call it a conspiracy, we have sufficient evidence to say confidently that it contained at least one conspiracy. As for the rest, perhaps it depends how you define “conspiracy”: if unelected intelligence agencies break the law and go … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and sociology, Science | 4 Comments

Passive absorption of propaganda

Posted on 17/12/2022 by Jon Garvey

As is well known, a society’s worldview (and hence ours as individuals in it) is formed unconsciously. We absorb it, as blotting paper absorbs ink (or as a Kleenex absorbs snot, sometimes), rather than weighing the pros and cons of propositions and forming a judgement. That is why it is so hard, yet so important, to examine one’s most basic assumptions – that is, if you want to live by truth rather than societal convention.

Posted in Politics and sociology | 7 Comments

The causes of our excess deaths

Posted on 15/12/2022 by Jon Garvey

…More on mRNA snake oil As a follow up to yesterday’s post, there’s an excellent presentation here by statistical mathematician Martin Neill, which actually follows up one by Norman Fenton.

Posted in Medicine, Politics and sociology, Science | Leave a comment

Fool me again, PLEASE

Posted on 14/12/2022 by Jon Garvey

This graphic ought to sound the immediate death knell for mRNA vaccines, as the Hindenberg disaster killed commercial airships:

Posted in Medicine, Politics and sociology, Science | 4 Comments

Our microcephalic science

Posted on 06/12/2022 by Jon Garvey

Everybody remembers about Zika, a far-away 2016 phenomenon but with worldwide implications. We all remember the photos of babies with abnormally small heads (microcephaly), and the risk of the epidemic spreading around the world. They were producing a vaccine against it, if you remember, as the only hope. But our memory is vague, because somehow the whole thing has disappeared down the memory hole – except for an abiding recollection in a corner of our brain along the lines of “Zika – gross microcephaly – pandemic – vaccinations.”

Posted in History, Medicine, Politics and sociology, Science | 4 Comments

First, do no medicine

Posted on 03/12/2022 by Jon Garvey

Occasional Hump author Eddie Robinson has drawn my attention to a medical matter of concern, and suggests I’m in a better position to comment, as a physician, than he is. He has sometimes lived in Canada, as do a number of our readers, several of my cousins and a good number of friends. I’ve always viewed the country as a kind of rugged British outpost peopled by lumberjacks and policemen with Baden-Powell hats, apart from Quebec which consists of French speakers in blackface, with interesting accents and a cluster of great musicians. Yes, I know that stereotyping is incompatible with the fact that one of my friends is a Professor … Continue reading →

Posted in Medicine, Politics and sociology | 4 Comments

Innocent as doves… but wise as serpents

Posted on 02/12/2022 by Jon Garvey

I don’t know if the story about the black charity boss and the lady of the bedchamber at Buckingham Palace has gone round the world to you (if you’re outside the UK). You’ll easily find it if not, and I can’t be bothered to describe it in detail.

Posted in Politics and sociology, Theology | 2 Comments

Cancellation as a screening test for truth

Posted on 29/11/2022 by Jon Garvey

The last three years have generated some interesting folk-sayings, such as the difference between a conspiracy theory and news being about six months, and “misinformation” being truth that those in power want to suppress. From the latter insight I think it’s possible to develop a screening test to assist those who are confused about what Latest Thing they should suspect of being a deception.

Posted in Philosophy, Politics and sociology, Science | 9 Comments

Worshipping the god Parsimony

Posted on 24/11/2022 by Jon Garvey

Following on from yesterday’s post, and from the parallel article on “Degrowth” as a national (or international) government policy to which I linked, I’ve been thinking about the ideological logic behind such policies. In essence, they are a hangover from eighteenth century Malthusian beliefs.

Posted in Philosophy, Politics and sociology, Theology | 2 Comments