May 20thHERE’S THE PLAN….
The unelected and unaccountable WHO has decided that: '...curbing viral transmission is to be the aim of pandemic response' in future: https://dailysceptic.org/2022/05/18/who-to-make-lockdowns-part-of-official-pandemic-guidance/ and now regards lockdowns and other non-pharmaceutical interventions as 'official guidance'. The privately run Gates Foundation voluntarily contributes about the same amount of money to the WHO as the US government: https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2020-05-29/gates-foundation-donations-to-who-nearly-match-those-from-us-government. This means, in practice, that even outrageously unbalanced ideas – like ‘stopping the spread’ of a virus regardless of other consequences and ‘vaccinating the world’ regardless of the power of the human immune system – can potentially be imposed on all of us without any democratic input.
We have debated these matters on ODT but our views, however well formulated and grounded they might be, are invisible and even if they were visible would most likely be ignored, misunderstood or denigrated: https://ourdecisiontoo.com/Issue/pandemic-lockdowns-and-the-who-obsession-with-disease/360; https://ourdecisiontoo.com/Issue/a-global-response-to-pandemics-sensible-idea-or-blatant-power-grab/358.
Certain facts stand out:
1. We are powerless as individuals to influence policy and planning: local, national, international – we have no say.
2. Because of their financial clout and their positions of authority (however ill-founded and transient) the WHO and its supporters are currently able to impose their beliefs and values on the rest of us, even when the evidence, ethics and science show that they don’t have a clue about the reality of complex situations.
3. Planning to deal with complex situations is necessary and sensible if humanity is to deal successfully with our challenges.
4. It is likely if not inevitable that there will be further pandemics, whether accidental or deliberate.
5. The WHO’s current position would be a disaster if implemented, particularly so if it were left to the WHO to manage a future pandemic.
See attached for a little more background.
THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE
There are precedents and established alternative ways of making decisions.
1. Using citizens’ assemblies: https://citizensassemblies.org/ - this link is brief, clear and an excellent exposition of the benefits of this form of collective deliberative democracy. And here is a working example about a future influenza pandemic: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/php/26/26_2_pepppi_report_2005.pdf
2. There are several detailed plans in existence, which were ignored in the Covid 19 ‘pandemic’, including this from the UK ‘Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Team’: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213717/dh_131040.pdf
3. While it makes no sense to ‘reinvent the wheel’ there is a case for organising a ‘Pandemic Planning Citizens’ Assembly’ to deliberate carefully, openly and with input from a wide range of expertise.
4. This is a thought-provoking example of a Citizens' Chamber, which might be a model for this project: https://citizensassemblies.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Citizens-Chamber-EN.pdf
5. This would need to be extensively organised, but done well could potentially unite many of the disparate, well-reasoned but presently ineffective voices of protest against the self-proclaimed elite who seem to think that only they have the right to make decisions that can affect everyone.
6. ODT could take a lead in this by contacting anyone and any organisation likely to want to be involved.
7. This would take considerable effort but has the potential to ‘grow exponentially’, to coin a phrase.
8. In the first place we’d need:
• a small team to help organise and promote
• a good publicist
• declarations of support from key potential partners and sponsorship
• some funding
• a bespoke website
9. The methodology for the Assembly would need to be defined and agreed. One possible starting point would be to consider the existing plans and see if they could be adopted as they are, amended, or replaced.
10. The outcome is unpredictable. What matters most is the democratic process.
If you would like to be involved and/or know others who might want to be part of the initiative, please let us know.
David Seedhouse