Covid Narratives ‘By the Numbers’
These numbers are estimates, but I think they make my point.
As far as I am concerned, here are the Covid numbers that matter most.
N = 40,000 - Estimated number of mainstream “journalists” in America.
N = 0 - Estimated number of these journalists who have published a major story questioning any of the authorized Covid narratives.*
Note: For the purposes of this article, I’m not counting journalists who work for, say, Fox News or The Epoch Times as “mainstream journalists.” If I did, the above number would not be 0 … but it would still be minuscule.
*At the end of this article, I list 29 elements of the “authorized Covid narrative.”
N = 100,000 - Estimated number of credentialed “scientists” in America. (Note: About 2,000 per state).
N = 95,000 - Estimated number of credentialed scientists in America who support all the Covid narratives.
N = 5,000 - Estimated number of contrarian scientists who do not support all the Covid narratives.
N = 0 - Number of scientists who support the Covid narrative who have been banned by social media.
N = 2,500 - Estimated number of contrarian scientists who do not support the narrative who have been banned by different social media platforms (50 percent).
N = 1.074 million - Estimated number of active physicians in the U.S.
N = 5,000 - Estimated number of active physicians who have publicly disagreed with key parts of the authorized Covid narrative. (About 100 physicians in each state).
N = 99.995 percent - Approximate percentage of active U.S. physicians who have been unwilling to speak out against any of the authorized Covid narratives. (Approximately 0.046 percent have been willing to speak out publicly against the authorized narrative).
N = 600 - Approximate number of U.S. Senators and Congressmen who have served in Congress since the official pandemic began.
N = 5 - Approximate number of members of Congress who have publicly and consistently challenged key aspects of the authorized Covid narrative. (0.083 percent of Congress - less than 1 percent).
N = 0 - Number of Covid tribunals or Commissions authorized by U.S. government to date.
N = 60 percent - Approximate number of federal politicians who would have to support such tribunals to create them.
N = 500 - Approximate number of Substack authors who routinely challenge elements of the authorized Covid narrative.
N = 5 million - Approximate number of regular readers of “Covid contrarian” Substack sites.
N = 300 - Approximate number of “mainstream” press organizations in America (about 250 large newspapers and about 50 national sites).
N = 250 million - Approximate number of Americans who get Covid stories from “mainstream” news sources.
N = 2,040 - Estimated number of coroner or medical examiner officials/offices in the U.S. in 2018.
N = 0 - Estimated number of coroners or public medical examiners who have spoke out publicly about vaccine injuries or deaths.
N = 500 - Number of Fortune 500 companies.
N = 0 - Number of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies who publicly challenged elements of the authorized Covid narrative.
Expressed differently …
About 0-in-40,000 mainstream journalists and editors (not counting a few at Fox News or The Epoch Times) are willing to speak out against the official Covid narrative.
About 0-in-2,040 medical examiners/coroners are willing to speak out about possible vaccine deaths and injuries.
About 0-in-500 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies criticized elements of the official Covid narratives.
About 1-in-200 physicians have been willing to challenge the authorized Covid narratives.
About 1-in-120 elected members of Congress have been willing to challenge at least some elements of the authorized Covid narrative.
As a percentage …
Zero percent of “mainstream” journalists have challenged parts of the official Covid narrative.
Zero percent of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies challenged parts of the official Covid narrative.
Zero percent of coroners and medical examiners have raised any questions about an increase in all-cause deaths.
Fewer than 1 percent of the members of Congress have spoken out in a conspicuous and consistent manner.
Zero percent of Democratic politicians at the state or national level have spoken out against parts of the Covid narrative.
On the other hand …
Maybe 75 percent of “alternative media” or Substack journalists who write about Covid have challenged aspects of the authorized Covid narrative.
The Question …
Given the above estimates, what’s the probability something substantial or meaningful will be done to expose elements of the Covid narrative as false or even as “crimes against humanity?”
I would say the probability of this happening is very close to zero percent.
I would also argue that maybe 80 percent of Americans don’t care or want any of the possible Covid lies or frauds exposed as such.
However, I would argue that maybe 20 percent of Americans do care passionately about seeing “the truth” exposed, and would like to see the officials who are most guilty/responsible punished and exposed.
What all of the above tells me is …
What this thought exercise (or “by-the-numbers” presentation) shows is that Congress, elected officials, the mainstream press, corporate leaders and almost all physicians and scientists do not care at all about the views of approximately one-fifth of the country.
This also tells me that the only thing that really matters is the views of the mainstream press and the politicians. Really, the only organizations that could hold substantive hearings or tribunals that would “have teeth” and make a difference (change narratives) are official elected office holders.
I’ve always assumed politicians DO or will respond to pressure from voters or the public … but the only pressure or media they pay attention to is the “mainstream” media reports … so the mainstream media does matter.
So far at least, the reporting and commentary of “the alternative” media - which is actually sane and still capable of critical thinking and is still willing to be skeptical of pronouncements of officials and experts … and which is growing in size - doesn’t matter.
Basically, a significant population cohort (20 percent, per my estimate) is being ignored by officials and the mainstream press, but is still fighting as hard as they can to bring attention to issues that the people and organizations “that matter” still don’t want to discuss or investigate.
In short, the dichotomy of views on “what’s important” - and what should change or be exposed regarding Covid topics - is nothing short of stunning.
“Our” side is definitely in the minority, but 20 percent of people is still a significant percentage of the population.
In a nutshell, the mainstream press, politicians, bureaucrats, corporate leaders, physicians, scientists, coroners, etc. hold views that are 180-degrees opposite the views of 20 percent of the country.
Re-stated: All the important people and organizations think nothing like myself and probably 99 percent of my readers … or the millions of readers who now visit Substack or “alternative media” sites every day.
All I can say is that all of this is… bizarre.
***
Defining the ‘Authorized Covid Narrative’ …
Above, I make many references to organizations or groups that supported all or most elements of the “authorized Covid narrative.” So what are the parts of the “authorized Covid narratives?”
Here’s a quick effort to define these elements. Most of these statements are still considered to be “settled science.” For what it’s worth, I would argue that every one of these ‘authorized” narratives is/was dead wrong.
N = 29 - Elements of the “authorized Covid narrative” (Partial list).
N = 0 - Groups or individuals cited above who challenged or disputed any of the following statements.
The Covid vaccines are “safe” - i.e.they don’t produce adverse reactions and/or have never led to any deaths. Anyone who died after a vaccine didn’t die from the vaccine.
The Covid vaccines are “effective” - they prevent infection and transmission.
Vaccines are superior to natural immunity at preventing infection and spread.
Alternative treatments like ivermectin or HCQ do not work and should not be allowed or prescribed by doctors. (C19 is not a “treatable” illness via existing medications).
Asymptomatic spread is a major cause of transmission. (People who don’t have symptoms are a major or important avenue of virus spread).
The virus can be spread from physical surfaces.
The virus can be easily spread outdoors.
Masks prevent the spread of the virus and prevent people from getting infected … and should thus be mandated.
C19 poses a serious mortality risk to everyone, including children and healthy people under the age of 60.
Testing of non-symptomatic people is an excellent way to prevent infections and spread and should either be mandatory or strongly encouraged by employers and officials.
Remdesivir saves lives and should be given to many people.
More than one million Americans have died “from” Covid.
There has NOT been an increase in “excess” mortality in America in the last two years. And if there has been, the cause of these deaths must be Covid - even after widespread administration of Covid vaccines, which are 95 percent effective at preventing severe cases and deaths.
There has been no increase in deaths of people 18 to 64.
There has been no increase in deaths from young people playing sports.
Lockdowns prevented cases and thus serious infections and deaths. Absent lockdowns, millions more people in the world would have died from Covid.
Closing schools saved countless lives. Ceasing routine medical procedures and diagnostic surgeries saved many lives. Cancelling church services saved many lives. Not allowing family members to visit their loved ones in the hospital or nursing home saved countless lives.
Closing non-essential businesses saved the economy by preventing countless Covid cases and deaths.
Lockdowns and business closings did not increase suicides, suicide attempts, drug overdoses, depression, alcohol abuse or domestic abuse …. or, if they did, dying from suicide or drug overdose is better than dying from Covid.
Trillions of dollars in Covid expenditures did not accelerate or cause inflation.
Censorship of “disinformation” has saved countless lives.
Cancelling sporting events, concerts, plays, family reunions and keeping people from traveling to see family saved countless lives.
The novel coronavirus did not begin to spread around the world until “latter January” 2020. There were zero cases of Covid in communities in America before January 2020.
Everyone who had Covid symptoms before mid-January 2020 had the flu or some other virus, but not Covid, because Covid was not spreading until February 2020.
Wide-spread use of ventilators were very important to saving lives. Officials saved countless lives by getting more ventilators in hospitals and doctors saved countless lives by making sure they put patients on ventilators.
Boosters save lives.
People who have been vaccinated or boosted get Covid far less often than people who do not.
If you have been vaccinated or boosted, your case of Covid will be less severe than people who have never received a shot.
Another question that might be interesting to readers just occurred to me: Who has had the greatest influence in persuading more people to change their views on the "authorized narrative?"
I'd have to vote for Tucker Carlson just because he does reach a pretty good-sized "mainstream audience," which probably includes a fair number of people who once went along with all the official narratives.
Steve Kirsch, who is relentless and whose site has grown exponentially, has to be up there as well.
I would also put RFK, Jr. on the list just because his book "The Real Anthony Fauci" has sold so many copies and got such amazing "word of mouth" advertising. I don't know how anyone who was half-way open-minded could read that book and not be influenced by the arguments and data.
Thinking about this question might give us some ideas on how to change more people from "blue pill" to "red pill."
I still think we would have a sea change in thinking about "the narrative" if, by some miracle, the NY Times did real investigative reporting (or maybe "Sixty Minutes) but, alas, we know this won't happen - which is a tell in itself.
In this article, I opine that "20 percent" of Americans basically "get it" or think like I do. But that was a complete guess, just based on observation or instinct. I wonder if readers think I'm in the ballpark with that estimate. Poll question: What percentage do my readers think "get it" or think kind of like us?