Victor Davis Hanson // Private Papers
Part Two
There were a few more lies we lived with in our Kingdom of Untruth.
The Satanic Andrew Cuomo Deification
Over last summer and early fall 2020, Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo reached mythic media proportions. His ingratitude was enshrined as New York, “get-used-to-it, buddy” chutzpah. Yes, he momentarily feigned gratitude that Trump had listened to his hysterical daily rantings about the streets littered with corpses unless, right now, immediately, Trump sent a hospital ship, a tent-city hospital, thousands of ventilators, and protective equipment.
And Cuomo got them all. Yet mysteriously he did not seem to use them much. As the 2020-election campaign geared up and his name was dropped as a key cabinet secretary or even VP, Cuomo dropped his daily attacks on the hapless Mayor De Blasio and turned on his former benefactor Trump. Or as NPR put it, “The regular briefings helped buoy his approval ratings in New York and make him perhaps the country’s most recognizable Democratic leader in the struggle against COVID-19.”
Cuomo seemed to ride a perfect summer of better luck. No one yet really knew about his Dr. Death rerouting of infectious Covid-19 patients into the Petri-dish confines of long-term health care facilities, where thousands of weak and elderly were simply wiped out by his executive order.
And the first coronavirus spike was seemingly over. Summer was passing with fewer cases, and Cuomo was yakking it up with his professional journalist brother Chris on CNN as they misled the country about their respective lack of ethics.
Hollywood was enthralled with the Dr. Robert DeNiro-like tough-guy “acerbic” governor who did not suffer fools gladly. So they crowned him with an Emmy for his “masterful” press, ego-driven, narcissistic briefings and news conferences. Or in the words of the Emmy Awards CEO:
“People around the world tuned in to find out what was going on, and New York tough became a symbol of the determination to fight back.”
The canonized multitalented Cuomo was not only a politician who out-Trumped Trump, spat out De Blasio, and mesmerized Hollywood with live-play performances. He was also an author, a memoirist, a diarist, an analyst of leadership no less.
So in the midst of the death and destruction of lives, Cuomo landed a $5-million book contract for an adding-insult-to-injury memoir American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic—a book lacking the advice, “Don’t send the infected into the uninfected rooms of elderly rest home patients,” or “How to coax an aide into playing strip poker with you.”
So how does a governor find time to rewrite a memoir in the middle of a plague? (Reader, you interject here to warn me: “Come on man, Cuomo writing a memoir on the job means less people died had he had more time to exercise leadership.”)
The better quandary is how does a mediocre governor find time to continue years of media-exempt sexual harassments, as a dozen women all seem to appear out of nowhere with “he touched me,” “he propositioned me,” “he embarrassed me” like revelations. At the time of his summer strutting, the media bragged on Cuomo’s appeal to women, boasting that there were now online hashtags, like #cuomosexual and #cuomocrush.
For the deplorables, Cuomo was a callous blowhard, without talent other than mimicking a tough-guy New York patois, delivered to Pajama Boy and Life of Julia know-nothing journalists.
The Great Dr. Fauci Icon Hoax
Do we now even recall that octogenarian Anthony Fauci early on in the pandemic swore to us, from his long-held perch at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that the Wuhan virus posed no real threat. Only the naïve would wear masks that, in truth, were mostly worthless. The World Health Organization was to be listened to, as it assured us that humans were unlikely to pass the virus on from its “bat” origins. Likewise, Fauci himself insisted that the Chinese were doing their very best at being transparent, while rallying global efforts to squelch the wet-market, break-out virus?
A Wuhan level-4 virology origin? Nuts, Fauci all but said.
Masks? Ugh, why not wear two, given their sudden life-saving efficacy?
Herd immunity? Noble lies of 60, 70—or was it 90?—percent herd immunity was needed to stop the virus? The previously infected with COVID-19? There was no evidence of sustained immunity: so line up you previously sick, and get vaxxed asap, even though existing antibodies seemed to react badly with vaccinations.
Racism? Yep, Fauci attested that racial bias explained the nation’s uneven and poor reaction to the virus (as White House advisor, did he oversee, then, such racism, did he correct it?).
Operation warp speed? Don’t believe Trump: we won’t likely see a vaccination until mid-2021.
Cheap, make-shift protocols that have efficacy in early stages of the virus—whether hydroxychloroquine or Ivermectin? All Trump hogwash. Trust instead the pharmaceutical companies to deliver soon a multi-thousand-dollar brand antiviral injection.
How about those rumors of gain-of-function research ties to Fauci’s approval of an EcoHealth Alliance grant to pay Chinese scientists to do what is banned in the US? Lies, lies, and more damnable lies.
Dr. Scott Atlas? Just a public health expert, but not a beltway immunologist.
So how could Atlas be right that focusing on the aged and vulnerable, wearing masks mostly only in crowded indoors as the schools and the economy opened, would in the long run save us from terrible economic damage, thousands of lives lost from delayed procedures, screenings and surgeries, spousal and familial abuse, substance abuse, and the general mayhem and insanity from a year of quarantine, recession, and panic that we now witness?
How could Atlas be right that a Texas or Florida would eventually have no more deaths per million than a New York or California or New Jersey, but a far more vibrant economic recovery and kids in schools far less damaged?
Fauci-mania was a 14-month, media- and leftwing-generated fantasyland, predicated on his yarn as the scientific truth-teller to the faith-healer Trump.
The final irony?
On most of the key issues of the pandemic, Trump’s shoot-from-the-hip, gut instinct was right and Fauci linguistic gymnastics were wrong: the virus likely did come from a leaked gain-of-function experiment in the Wuhan lab.
Vaccinations would appear in 2020.
There is probably some value in early use of inexpensive and mostly safe hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin.
Incentivizing three or four different private companies would be a superior vaccination route than relying on a state-sponsored EU, Chinese, or Russian approach.
And following an Atlas on graduated openings proved smarter than the Fauci endless quarantining and mask-wearing.
A modest predication. When this entire tragedy is fully researched, documented, and published, we are going to learn astounding, radically jarring and depressing things. And neither will Dr. Fauci be again Dr. Fauci, the wizard of the White House, nor will the Chinese be our “partners” in sleuthing out the COVID-19 origins.
As always, your description of the flood of poisonous lies we have been fed is comprehensive and depressingly accurate. And as always, I wish I could share your confidence that this colossal tragedy will ever be fully researched, documented, and published. The Ministry of Truth seems to grow stronger every day, now reinforced by a federal Department of “Justice” and the Attorneys General in the blue states where most of the media are physically located conspiring to silence, prosecute, and perhaps imprison anyone who dares question the official narrative. All dissent is dismissed as conspiracy theory, excoriated as racist, and will be prosecuted under God-only-knows-what obscure theory of criminality. We, no more than the people of Hong Kong or the population of Orwell’s 1984 can be assured that anyone will ever even hear the truth, let alone be allowed to act on what they hear.
The next year and a half will well and truly decide life and death. Either, somehow, through all the deafening noise and jamming of conservative messaging, enough of the American public realize what is being done to them and rise up to put a stop to it, and enough craven Republicans stop cowering under their beds, stand up, and make sure that the 2022 and 2024 elections cannot be stolen, or there will be no research into or documentation of the horrors perpetrated by the Left in 2020. Ask the brave protesters of Tienanmen Square, or last year’s democracy activists in Hong Kong.
Thank you Victor for all you do.
You are a calming voice in the madness today.
My wife and I appreciate your in depth, factual opinion and commentary’s.
Why would anyone categorize Andrew Cuomo as a “mediocre” governor. That’s like saying Fidel Castro was benevolent leader. The man is a pompous, egomaniacal buffoon. That Andrew Cuomo is still governor of New York speaks volumes about the people of New York state and those “volumes” would never win a Pulitzer prize. Other than that, I agree 100% with Dr. Hanson on this column.
This article is so laced with editorializing it’s hard to believe that it was actually written by an academician. The rant against Dr. Fauci starts with a sarcastic comment about his being an “octogenarian”, as if the age of a person determines the truth of a statement.
It also amazes me that someone, such as our previous President, who had no experience whatsoever in public service or constitutional government should be considered competent in taking on one of the most challenging responsibilities in the world. When you add the fact that he initially displayed clear nepotism in engaging his son-in-law and daughter in positions of power; later he didn’t “display” the nepotism, tried to use the Presidential pardon for personal gain and a host of other acts that could well be considered anti-constitutional if not criminal, it becomes somewhat laughable to use criticism of our current occupant of the Oval Office to defend former president Trump.
By all means put Biden and his administration and policies under the light of scrutiny, but please try to reign in the rhetoric and try to be even-handed.
Very well said about Cuomo.
I am very surprised that you haven’t written anything ( that I have seen to this time on this date, June 6th ) remembering the Normandy Invasion anniversary to honor those who gave us our freedom who are trying to keep today.
Martin Schaffel
mms3103@bellsouth.net
Very well said about Cuomo. CORRECTED
I am very surprised that you haven’t written anything ( that I have seen to this time on this date, June 6th ) remembering the Normandy Invasion anniversary to honor those who gave us our freedom we are trying to keep today.
Martin Schaffel
mms3103@bellsouth.n
Trump is out, even though he was one of our most successful presidents relative to his policies for the people. Why? Because half of our population is ignorant [Many are because they are unintelligent.] and vote for free stuff.
Mr Hanson,
I never comment on your articles. However this essay impelled me to reply.
I would like to see a Nuremberg type trial for all of the people in government who used COVID to simply enact their political agenda.
I’m disgusted, how mostly the Democrats, used this to attempt to gain power and remove Trump from office.
I was never a real believer in Trumps stolen election theory, however, as more canards are surfaced regarding COVID, it may not be so far fetched.
David Eidlitz
Love your posting on Rip Mcintire.
Hereis one that I just sent him FYI. You can use it if helpful….
Dr Stan Alex
To: Los Angeles Times , michael.hiltzic@latimes.com, Letters
Cc: Stan Alexander
Your piece in LATimes, “Wuhan Lab Leak. Still no evidence” – Sun June 6th, 2021 has erros of omission and comission.
Up front I will outline my creds, then you can better determine my qravitas and if/how I qualify for the forgoing commentary
BA in Zoology – UCLA
MS in Pathology – U Minn
MD Degree – USC/Keck
Specialty training Rheumatology – Mayo Clinic (same specialty as Tony Fauci)
Clinical Professor Medicine/Rheumatology [Ret]
You say there is no evidence of lab leak? That’s correct and there never will be if the escape occurred under the nose of the Chinaese Communist Party (CCP), from its revered lab, and under its authoritarian chokehold. Don’t you remember that one lab worker was sent to prison then died of COVID-19 and another just mysteriously disappeared; and all social media platforms were shut down? Suspucious? you bet. And the lab workers who died all lived on a pathway corridor between the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and Wuham’s International Airport, not the ‘wet market.’ And that China shut down flights from Wuhan to other internal Provinces, including Hong Kong. Not suspicious? But then they let international flights go ahead…Poor iIaly. Poor US. They knew at the time but made the WHO state that this new virus was not communicable from person to person. OMG. Remember that?
But the biggest suslpcion is that in over a year there is no evidence of a zoonotic jump
Early on many of us were led to believe that the breeding ground for SARS-2 could well have been the ‘wet market’ in Wuhan. But with no supporting evidence in over a year, for such a zoonotic jump, from the bat caves 1500 klicks away in Hunan Province, to the Wuhan wet market, that now seems not too likely – such as occurred with SARS-1 via the civet, where 4 mutations were found in the bat to make it amenable to civit invasion; then 16 more mutations in the civit to make possible to infest humans; then 4 more mutations to make it more virulent for such humans All these were well documented and recorded as were the mutations that enabled coronavirus to go fron a bat to a camel then to humans with MERS. The Chinese have been looking furiously for such a trail to get accusors off their back, but to no avail.
Rather it seemed more likely it came from a worker in the WIV labs. But now we find that there was other evidence covered up: both the by CCP and WHO and the Bat Lady, Dr Shi, plus Tony Fauci (whose specialty is the same as mine) and therefore the NIH, reinforced by an editorial in the prestigous medical journal, Lancet, swaddled in a (denied) ‘conflict of interest’!
Given info Fauci had about the US (NIAID) financed coronavirus gain-of function (GoF) project, with its goal being the generation of a human-friendly ‘furin connection site’ – retro engineered into the SARS-2 coronavirus variant [which did indeed occur], that should have elicited a high probability and an outcry that a leak from the WIV was the proximate source of the ensuing pandemic. Any denial or concession at that point by any parties involved could be considered potential criminal cover-up. And for Fauci, it’s likely medical malpractice. Sorry Tony, but why so late to share all this. And now we know that the some of the authors of those denials of a lab-leak had financial interest. And North Carolina, which you mentioned in your commentary, was where the ‘Bat Lady’got her training on how to retro-engineeer the coronavirus into its deadly form.
And why did none of the virologists “shout out” a warning that these studies were being done at a Level-2 of biosafety (equevalent to an American dental office) in order to produce a Level-4 of virulency as an outcome, that has now killed over 3 million worldwide.
The “proof” is now on China to dig itself out of a GoF hole. It’s initiall resposne, you may recall, was to say that the SARS-2 Coronavirus was planted by the US Military. These ego-defense mechanisms of denial and projection should be pretty good evidence of guilt just on its own.
Michael, Do you need any more imput on this? There are much more specifics available herein, just let me know
Stan Alexander, M.D., MS, FACP, FACR.
Clinical Professor Medicine/Rheumatology
FROM DR STAN CONTACT ME AT 626/355-1457 HOME FAX IS 626/ 293-3807 ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS TO BE CONSIDERED AS CONFIDENTIAL, UNLESS OTHERWISE SO STATED. S.J.A.
I find it telling that Cuomo could cause the death of thousands of people but not until he was accused of sexual misbehavior did the mainstream media care.
Thank you for you’re excellent spotlight of truth in this (hopefully short) dark age.
Victor; Sir, you are an absolute marvel in your life’s work! I have enjoyed several of your books and am currently
engaged with The Second World Wars; I love books – and the depth and breadth of your research in creating this
work is awesome. My son-in-law is a civilian professional with the U S Army Arsenal at Rock Island Illinois and
his commitment there (like his father’s, before him) is apparently permanent. The Army sent him to out to gain a
Master’s Degree; they have made extraordinary investment in developing his skills – they need. I bring this up,
because I am now going to “do my best” (and as his father-in-law, I do have some “influence” ) to read your
works , starting with The Second World Wars! As it happens, you, your work, everything resonates with me;
I am a Vet; served with the USA Air Force Security Service; they sent me to Cornell @ Ithaca for a year of Czech
Language “back then”, and before all that – I was a Minnesota farmer’s son; so you are Genuine in everything!
As time passes, I am going to try to get through all your works; loved your new podcasts – especially – today!
Yeah, I know thus is pretty wordy, but I thought you would like to know you are VERY important to us, now!