OFFICER DOWN
Small towns shocked by surge in ambush cop killings By Steven Kovac
DECEMBER 10–16, 2021 | $6.95
Editor’s Note
‘Officer Down’ THIS YEAR , THERE have been 95 ambush-style
attacks on police—up 126 percent compared to last year. As of Nov. 30, 28 officers were killed in these attacks. In this edition of INSIGHT, reporter Steven Kovac travels to Louisiana, Georgia, and Virginia, documenting the devastating impact of these shootings on the officers' families and communities. One such person is 17-year-old Danielle Collins, whose father, Officer William "Billy" Collins, was shot and killed when responding to a domestic dispute in Doyline, Louisiana—a town of just over 800 people. The last time she saw her father was as she was leaving home to pick up dinner for the family. When she got back, she asked her mother, "Where’s Dad?", only to soon receive a text from one of her friends saying, "Officer Down." In Georgia, Katherine Bedwell's husband, Capt. Justin Bedwell, was shot and killed when a gunman fired on his car, hitting him in the chest. “I want to honor my husband’s name, not only as a law enforcement officer, but also as a husband, as a son, as a best buddy. He was a huge example of a hero. Justin was a phenomenal human being,” Katherine Bedwell said. Read in this week’s edition of INSIGHT about the sacrifices of the officers and their families.
Jasper Fakkert Editor-in-chief
2 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
STEPHEN GREGORY PUBLISHER JASPER FAKKERT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHANNALY PHILIPP LIFE & TRADITION, TRAVEL EDITOR CHRISY TRUDEAU MIND & BODY EDITOR
ON THE COVER Danielle Collins holds a portrait of her father, Officer William “Billy” Collins, in Doyline, La., on Nov. 17, 2021. Collins was one of 28 police officers killed in ambush attacks this year amid a nationwide surge. BOBBY SANCHEZ FOR THE EPOCH TIMES
CRYSTAL SHI HOME, FOOD EDITOR SHARON KILARSKI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR BILL LINDSEY LUXURY EDITOR FEI MENG, BIBA KAJEVICH & JUNHAO SU ILLUSTRATORS SHANSHAN HU PRODUCTION CONTACT US THE EPOCH TIMES ASSOCIATION INC. 229 W. 28TH ST., FL. 7 NEW YORK, NY 10001 ADVERTISING ADVERTISENOW@EPOCHTIMES.COM SUBSCRIPTIONS, GENERAL INQUIRIES, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR HELP.THEEPOCHTIMES.COM (USPS21-800)IS PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY THE EPOCH MEDIA GROUP, 9550 FLAIR DR. SUITE 411, EL MONTE CA 91731-2922. PERIODICAL POSTAGE PAID AT EL MONTE, CA, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO THE EPOCH TIMES, 229 W. 28TH STREET, FLOOR 5, NEW YORK, NY 10001.
issue 09 | dec. 10–16, 2021
28 | Florida
50 | Inspiring Lives
Prison Blues Lack of leadership leaves system facing inmate release "tsunami."
Look to the past for some role models worth emulating.
51 | In the Wild
Joe Robinet’s YouTube channel helps people learn to be at home in the wild.
38 | EMP Threat
The United States is vulnerable to an electromagnetic attack from China.
52 | Socialism
David Jeremiah explains the anti-God nature of socialism.
44 | US Economy
Abysmal Black Friday numbers could be a sign of things to come.
45 | CCP Influence
Beijing's growing influence on an island leads to riots.
46 | US Real Estate
Remote work will have far-reaching effects on real estate.
56 | Country Charm Wineries and equestrian farms surround this exclusive property.
Features
12 | Dying for the Community More American police officers are being gunned down in ambushes, leaving their small towns reeling, and grieving.
58 | Andorra
This thoroughly modern, tiny nation is steeped in rich history.
47 | China Influence
30 | CCP Virus Origins The director of a top U.S. research facility urged the Wuhan lab to investigate the origins of the CCP virus, at the onset of the pandemic.
48 | Global Economy
President Joe Biden holds a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss tensions on the Ukraine-Russia border, on Dec. 7.
The loss of free speech is the biggest cost of doing business in China.
Money versus currency: How governments are stealing the recovery.
49 | US–China
Relations Caving to CCP pressure like JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon is all too common today.
60 | The Old
Fashioned The cocktail is a classic for a reason.
61 | Etiquette
MIKHAIL METZEL/SPUTNIK/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
Good manners are best learned at an early age.
64 | Vacation Home
Break the hotel habit by renting a home for your next vacation.
67 | Feel the Breeze A fleet of luxury sailboats ideal for experiencing life afloat.
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 3
4 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
T H G IL T O P S CHRISTMAS TREE PEOPLE GATHER BY A GIANT Christmas Tree on the Piazza del Duomo in Milan on Dec. 6. PHOTO BY MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 5
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NAT ION • WOR L D • W H AT H A P P E N E D T H I S W E E K
The Week
Issue. 09
Dr. Anthony Fauci gives an update on the Omicron coronavirus variant at the White House on Dec. 1. PHOTO BY ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES
Fauci: Definition of Fully Vaccinated Will Be Changed Effectiveness of all 3 of the vaccines authorized for use in the US drops over time
✒
THE DEFINITION OF FULLY vaccinated in the United States will be changed, Dr. Anthony Fauci said Dec. 8. “It’s going to be a matter of when, not if,” Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during an appearance on CNN. The term fully vaccinated presently refers to a person who receives two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines or the single-shot Johnson & Johnson jab.
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 7
The Week in Short US
“There is no distinction
between a so-called private enterprise and the state.” Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on the Chinese business environment, warning American business leaders to be cautious because investments in China can allow the communist regime to gain access to private companies.
People Who Get J&J Vaccine at Elevated Risk of GuillainBarré Syndrome: Study PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE the Johnson
$1.29 BILLION TOYOTA announced that it will
buildv a new $1.29 billion automotive battery manufacturing plant for electric vehicles in North Carolina. 8 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
MILLION
T H E J U S T I C E D E PA R T M E N T has an-
nounced the sale of around 1.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil seized by the U.S. Navy from four foreign-flagged tankers that were en route to Venezuela. The crude was the property of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
11.1 MILLION
The Labor Department said that number of job openings rose on the last day of October by 431,000 to 11 million, the second-highest number on record.
Senate Confirms Biden’s Nominee for CBP Chief Amid Border Crisist PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S nominee to head Customs and Border
Protection has been narrowly approved by the Senate as his administration struggles to curb record-high illegal immigration. The 50–47 vote was along party lines save for Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who joined Democrats in confirming Chris Magnus. Magnus, 61, will now become commissioner of the agency, which includes the Border Patrol. Magnus is leaving his position as police chief in Tucson, Arizona.
Biden Withdraws Bank Regulator Pick
After Congressional Pushback PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S pick for a top banking regula-
tion position has been withdrawn after strong pushback from Senate Republicans and several Democrats. Saule Omarova, a professor at Cornell Law School, drew criticism for her proposals to dramatically centralize banking, as well as her thesis on Karl Marx, widely seen as the founder of communism. Biden said in a statement that Omarova asked him to withdraw her nomination to be comptroller of the currency, and that he agreed to do so.
FROM TOP LEFT: JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK, DADO RUVIC/REUTERS, JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES, ROD LAMKEY-POOL/GETTY IMAGES, JUSTIN SULLIVAN/GETTY IMAGES, ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES
& Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are at elevated risk of getting a severe autoimmune disorder that can cause paralysis, according to a study. Researchers used data from the Vaccine Safety Datalink, whitch is run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They found 21 potential cases, 11 of which were confirmed, of Guillain-Barré syndrome in people who got the shot. Most happened within 13 days of vaccination. The incidence rate of confirmed cases per 100,000 person-years was 34.6 during the 1 to 21-day period after administration, much higher than the historical background rate of 2 per 100,000 person-years.
1.1
The Week in Short US BUDGET
House Passes Compromised Version of Mammoth Annual Defense Bill THE HOUSE VOTED to pass an ad-
The Food and Drug Administration headquarters in White Oak, Md., on July 20, 2020. VACCINES
FDA Says It Now Needs 75 Years to Fully Release Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Data THE FOOD AND DRUG Administration is asking a judge to give it 75 years to produce
data concerning the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, up 20 years from a previous request. The agency told the court it can work faster than its previously proposed 500-pagesper-month rate, but it also said there are over 59,000 more pages than mentioned in an earlier filing. It said that this discovery, and a desire to make sure it can work on other Freedom of Information Act requests at the same time, prompted the fresh request to the judge to allow production of roughly 12,000 pages by Jan. 31, 2022, and 500 pages per month thereafter. That timeline would take it until at least 2096, Aaron Siri, a lawyer working on the case, said in a blog post.
FROM TOP LEFT: SARAH SILBIGER/GETTY IMAGES, ANDY MANIS/GETTY IMAGES, DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Investigation Finds Illegal Votes, But No Widespread Election Fraud
justed version of the mammoth annual defense policy bill on Dec. 8, authorizing some $770 billion in Pentagon spending. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022 was introduced by Senate Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), ranking Republican committee member, in September, and contains 27 Republican-led amendments. Each year, the bill sets policy for the billions of dollars in defense spending for military activities and programs such as research, development, testing, and weapon procurement as well as the salaries of service members. This year’s NDAA authorizes a topline funding of $768 billion in discretionary spending for national defense and national security, with $740 billion designated for the Department of Defense.
THE NUMBER OF VOTES cast
illegally in Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential election almost certainly exceeded Joe Biden’s nearly 21,000-vote margin of victory, a newly released investigation concludes, but the report found no evidence of widespread fraud or an unexpected or illegal late-night ballot dump that thrust Biden Workers look over ballots during the presidential recount to victory. vote for Dane County in Madison, Wis., on Nov. 20, 2020. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative public-interest law firm in Milwaukee, released the results of a 10-month investigation that included a review of 20,000 ballots, an examination of 29,000 absentee ballots, the filing of 460 open-records requests, and scrutiny of more than 65,000 documents. The report identified many problem areas with the election but stressed that it found no fraud or reason to believe improper ballots were cast with malice or ill intent.
A U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicle drives during a joint military exercise in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, Syria, on Dec. 7. I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 9
The Week in Short World MALAYSIA
Malaysia Court Rejects Former Prime Minister’s Appeal, Upholds Guilty Verdict MALAYSIA’S COURT OF Appeal has unani-
The logo of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing on April 9. CHINA
Beijing Warns US Will ‘Pay a Price’ for Diplomatic Boycott of 2022 Winter Olympics THE COMMUNIST REGIME in China has renewed its threat to retaliate against a planned U.S. diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, saying it would take “resolute countermeasures.” “The United States will pay a price for its practices,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a daily briefing, when asked about specific countermeasures. “You may stay tuned for follow-ups.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki announced this week that the United States wouldn't be sending an official delegation to the 2022 Games, in protest against the regime’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Malaysia's former prime minister Najib Razak in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on May 24, 2018. CYBERSECURITY
Microsoft Seizes 42 Websites Usead by China-Based Hacking Group to Attack US Org
META, THE PARENT company of Facebook, has announced it has expand-
MICROSOFT HAS SEIZED a number of web-
ed its earlier ban on posts linked to the military of Burma, also known as Myanmar, to include all pages, groups, and accounts representing military-controlled businesses. Rafael Frankel, Asia–Pacific director of policy for Meta, said in a blog post that the company was taking action “based on extensive documentation by the international community of these businesses’ direct role in funding the Tatmadaw’s ongoing violence and human rights abuses in Myanmar.” The term “Tatmadaw” refers to the Burmese military. Frankel added that the company is relying on the findings of a 2019 U.N. fact-finding mission to calibrate its expanded ban. The U.N. Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar has urged the international community to sever ties with Burma’s military and the extensive network of companies it controls and benefits from.
sites that were being used by a China-based hacking firm to carry out cyberattacks against organizations in the United States and 28 other countries around the world, the company announced. In a news release, the technology corporation said that a federal court in Virginia had granted Microsoft’s request to allow its Digital Crimes Unit to seize the U.S.-based websites, which were being run by a hacker group known as Nickel, APT15, or Vixen Panda, and stop them from carrying out such attacks.
10 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: LINTAO ZHANG/GETTY IMAGES, REUTERS/LAI SENG SI, DADO RUVIC/REUTERS
Facebook’s Parent Company Bans Burma Military-Linked Businesses From Platform
mously dismissed former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s appeal to overturn his conviction in the SRC International corruption case, and upheld the High Court’s verdict against him. Najib was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined 210 million ringgit ($50 million) in 2020 after being found guilty of transferring 42 million ringgit ($9.9 million) from SRC International, a former unit of 1Malaysia Development Bhd, into his bank accounts. He faced seven charges encompassing criminal breach of trust, abuse of power, and money laundering, but pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied any wrongdoing.
World in Photos
FROM TOP: JUNI KRISWANTO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, JACK TAYLOR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
(From top) Villagers salvage their belongings at Sumber Wuluh village in Lumajang, Indonesia, on Dec. 5, after the Semeru volcano erupted and killed at least 13 people. The Soyuz MS-20 spacecraft, carrying the crew of Russian cosmonaut Alexander Misurkin, Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, and his production assistant Yozo Hirano, blasts off to the International Space Station from the Moscowleased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Dec. 8. Thailand’s Queen Suthida (center L) and Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana attend a ceremony for a monument to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, at a memorial park in Bangkok on Dec. 5. A seagull feeds at a beach north of Kuwait City on Dec. 5.
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 11
OFFICER Danielle Collins, daughter of slain police officer William “Billy” Collins, poses with a portrait of her father, in Doyline, La., on Nov. 17. PHOTO BY BOBBY SANCHEZ FOR THE EPOCH TIMES
12 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
R DOWN THIN BLUE LINE
Communities mourn officers slain amid surge in ambush attacks
✒ Text By Steven Kovac
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 13
The Lead Criminal Justice
“C y b n ia l s er w
SR EC I F O
n i h s u b ma h avfo sa ehb . v oN
than curly fries.” And with that, Officer Billy Collins got the last word in on a long-running household controversy. The joke was the last thing 17-year-old Danielle Collins heard from her father as she left the house to pick up the family’s dinner. A far different domestic dispute was unfolding at a nearby residence at that very moment. “At 5:45 p.m., we got the call that a suicidal guy with a gun was arguing with his wife and had fired a shot in the air,” Sgt. Coby Barton of the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office said. “Billy got there three minutes before I did. The location was just 250 yards from his house.” The scene was in the 400 block of Green Tree Road, in the little rural village of Doyline, Louisiana, a community of 800 residents policed by a two-person department. That night, on July 9, 2021, Officer William “Billy” Earl Collins Jr. of the Doyline Police Department became one of the 28 cops killed by ambush in the United States in 2021, as of Nov. 30. When Barton and Lt. Chuck Clark arrived on the scene, Collins was talking to a woman at the rear
14 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
of his patrol car. Then shots rang out. “It all happened in three or four seconds,” Barton said. “Billy was trying to protect the woman when a shot struck him in the right side of his head, and he went down. The second shot tore through my car. The third blast blew out the front passenger window of Chuck’s patrol car.” The rounds came from a 12-gauge shotgun fired by the husband of the woman. “He fired only three shots from just inside the front door of the trailer house. They were 3 1/2inch magnum shells loaded with double-aught buck,” Barton said. One large caliber pellet missed Barton’s head by an inch. Another went by six inches from his upper arm and shoulder. The holes remain in the interior of his car. To Barton, those three or four seconds transpired in slow motion. He grabbed his rifle and a trauma kit and radioed, “Officer down!” Barton took cover behind his patrol car as the woman screamed to him to come over to help Collins. Clark positioned his car near Barton’s to form a better shield for Collins and the woman. He then grabbed his rifle and got down on the ground. The only thing going through his mind
ALL PHOTOS BY BOBBY SANCHEZ FOR THE EPOCH TIMES
28
RINKLE-CUT FRIES ARE BETTER
The scene of the shooting in which Officer William “Billy” Earl Collins Jr. was killed, in Doyline, La., on Nov. 17.
was making sure everybody was safe. After that, Barton said, things went eerily quiet. The shooting stopped. The hysterical woman “went catatonic.” Only four shots had been fired, all by the deranged husband. When asked why he and Clark hadn’t returned fire, Barton cited concern for the safety of those in the area. “Once you send a round, you can’t take it back,” he said. “We couldn’t safely shoot back without the risk of hurting someone else. There are houses behind the trailer house. People were coming out of the woods back there to see what was going on.”
‘Our Covering Angels’ Clark, a big, rawboned, athletic-looking man, tried in vain to get Collins into Barton’s patrol car. For him and Barton, help couldn’t arrive fast enough. Deputy Tommy Maddox was the first to arrive on the scene once the shooting stopped. “Tommy’s got a fake leg, yet he ran up the 60-yard driveway into who knows what like Carl Lewis. He peeled off his vest and shirt and pressed them against Billy’s head as a bandage,” Barton said.
The Lead Criminal Justice
Soon other support officers appeared on the scene. “I call them our covering angels. They positioned themselves to provide cover for us if needed,” Barton said. Minutes later, Webster Parish’s Sheriff Jason Parker arrived and took command. He directed an arriving ambulance to the driveway where Collins was located. The downed officer was placed on a backboard and loaded in. By this time, around 6 p.m., Danielle Collins had returned from the restaurant. “I asked my Mom, ‘Where’s Dad?’ She answered, ‘He was dispatched on a call. Just a domestic dispute,’” Danielle said. “Right about then, one of my friends from school texted me the short message, ‘Officer Down.’ “Mom talked to a friend of hers on the phone, who has a police radio, and asked her, ‘What’s going on?’ ‘I don’t know. Just get to the baseball field!’ “The baseball field seemed to us the place where the Life-Flight helicopter could land. Though not confirmed, Mom and I now suspected it was my Dad. “EMS was already there. We were met by the mayor [Stephen Bridwell] who said to us, ‘It’s him. Get to the hospital’ [Ochsner-LSU Hospital in Shreveport]. People offered to drive us, but Mom said she wanted to drive. She turned a 40-minute trip into 25.”
‘My Dad Was Shot in the Head’ On the way to the hospital, Danielle Collins reached out to family and friends to let them know what was happening. “At the hospital, people were gathering in the Family Room,” she said. “Grandma [Billy’s mother] drove herself from Minden. My step-sister was on her way from Oklahoma. Because of
Webster Parish Sheriff Sgt. Coby Barton, one of the first on the scene on the day Officer William “Billy” Collins was killed, in Doyline, La., on Nov. 17.
“Billy was trying to protect the woman when a shot struck him in the right side of his head, and he went down.” Lt. Chuck Clark, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, La.
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 15
The Lead Criminal Justice
Devastating for the Community About 2 1/2 hours after her father was shot, Danielle Collins learned from her mother that he had died. A few days later, Danielle would deliver a eulogy before more than 3,000 attendees at her father’s funeral service. Chief Hayden said: “It was a sad time. It broke my heart. It’s still broke. 16 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
Con praetiam tatum untrumeris. Egeri patum mo iam, crissimperei sedo, que it, ne aut pripse inius comnern iacciam, te
“I think of Billy every day. I knew him for 11 years. He worked for me for four. He was somebody I depended on. He was always there when I needed him.” Collins’s death led the police chief to consider quitting law enforcement. “The day he died, I went home and took off the uniform and threw it across the room. I said, ‘I’m done,’” Hayden said. “I was done, until my wife said to me, ‘Would Billy have quit if you had died?’” He wanted people to know that police officers are “human, too.” “This has been very devastating to this God-loving community,” Hayden said. “This village is so
Doyline Police Chief Robert Hayden under a portrait of Officer William “Billy” Collins, in Doyline, La., on Nov. 17.
FROM LEFT: BOBBY SANCHEZ FOR THE EPOCH TIMES, AMANDA GREENE FOR THE EPOCH TIMES
COVID, they wouldn’t let everybody in. My best friend, my great aunt, and great uncle and the youth leader from my church weren’t allowed in, so I went outside to be with them. “It was a waiting game. Someone was watching live footage of the standoff on Facebook. Someone else was live streaming updates. That’s how I found out my Dad was shot in the head. Then a nurse came out looking for me, saying my Mom wanted to see me.” The National Fraternal Order of Police (NFOP) defines an ambush as an attack in which an officer is shot without any warning or opportunity to defend himself. A total of 119 law enforcement officers have been shot in 95 ambush-style attacks as of Nov. 30. The number of ambushes is up by 126 percent over the same period in 2020. While the family was at the hospital, the standoff at the trailer home continued. A total of 200 officers surrounded the home. Despite all that firepower, the first and only shot fired by law enforcement during the five-hour standoff was taken by Clark, when a police spotter pointed out what was thought to be the red dot of a laser coming through one of the trailer home’s windows. It wasn’t. According to long-time Doyline Police Chief Robert Hayden, there was no response from the barricaded gunman. No reply to the officers’ repeated verbal appeals to surrender. Just silence. Hayden said the Louisiana State Police SWAT team used flash-bang grenades to create a diversion in order to slip a small drone into the house. “We tried to talk to him through the drone,” he said. “The main goal was to see to it that nobody else got hurt, even the suspect. I’ve known the man for 30 years. I knew him to possess an array of weapons.” Through the drone’s camera, the subject was seen lying unresponsive on a bed. The decision was then made to go into the house. He was still alive. First responders attempted to save him. “He’d shot himself in the chest with a 22-caliber pistol after taking two or three bottles of blood pressure medication,” Hayden said. “The only harm done to him was what he had done to himself. Every effort was made to do him no harm. “He was airlifted to LSU Hospital, where he expired a week later.”
The Lead Criminal Justice
quiet, especially in the evening. “The typical incident we have to deal with around here is a complaint that somebody’s dog keeps pooping in the neighbor’s yard.” Those living in the community were shocked by the killing. “Stuff like this doesn’t happen around here,” said Eddie Hozam, the owner of a combination gas station and convenience store in Doyline. “Billy was a regular customer. He was a cheerful man. Everybody loved him. And the fellow who shot him was also one of my customers. He was always nice to deal with.” Lifelong resident Jody Carter said Collins was a positive influence in Doyline. “He was always so calm and collected,” Carter said. “He would much rather help someone than get them in trouble.” Speaking for the Collins family, Danielle thanked her father’s fellow officers for the support they provided the family after his death. “We would not have made it through this without the love and support of Chief Hayden, Sheriff Parker, Lieutenant Clark, and Sergeant Barton,” she said. “I know if I ever need anything, I can call on those four men. They are more than friends. They are family.” She also had a message for the sons and daughters of police officers across America.
“I want them to realize that you have to share your Dad, or Mom, with the community,” she said. “The sacrifice of serving in law enforcement is not just paid by the officer, but by his, or her, loved ones as well. “Not knowing if a Dad, or Mom, will come home again is as big a sacrifice as that made by the one who goes off to duty every day. “And to the children of officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, I say, keep your head held high. Make them proud. Show them by your life that their sacrifice was worth it.” According to the NFOP, of the 314 officers shot in the line of duty in the first 11 months of 2021, 58 died. Responding to domestic disputes, making traffic stops, and navigating vehicle chases are some of the most dangerous duties law enforcement officers face. The number of shootings—and the death toll—rises every week.
Sherriff Wiley Griffin in his office in Decatur County, Ga., on Nov. 10. Griffin said Capt. Justin Bedwell’s funeral service had to be conducted at the high school football field because so many people wanted to attend.
Car Chase In Georgia, flashing blue lights were all it took to make Capt. Justin Bedwell’s patrol car a gunman’s target. The deadly scenario began when two brothers from Tallahassee, Florida, both in their early 40s, stole their mother’s pickup truck and went to Georgia. I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 17
I told Jesse, ‘There’s a man walking around the backside of the house with a gun in his hand!’ Their first encounter with the police started when a Seminole County law enforcement officer attempted to pull the pickup over. When the vehicle didn’t stop, a chase ensued, and the brothers opened fire at the pursuing patrol car. Decatur County Sheriff Wiley Griffin described what happened next. “Attempting to evade arrest, the brothers tore through residential yards and business parking 18 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
Sherrif Wiley Griffin and Katherine Bedwell in front of a photo of Capt. Justin Bedwell at the Decatur County sheriff's station in Bainbridge, Ga., on Nov. 10. Katherine spoke fondly of the love and support she and her daughter received after her husband's death.
ALL PHOTOS BY AMANDA GREENE FOR THE EPOCH TIMES
Melissa Whitley, resident, Bainbridge, Ga.
lots, firing more shots as they fled,” Griffin said. The hail of bullets disabled the pursuing police car, and the pickup sped away. By this time, patrol cars from nearby departments had joined the chase. “Despite continued gunfire, pursuing units stayed in pursuit, but had to drop back to maintain a safe distance,” he said. “This caused them, at times, to lose visual contact with the pickup. “Out there in the country, the nights are very dark. There are a lot of woods, and the houses are few and far between.” When the brothers came to a T-junction in the road, they turned right and on to Brinson Colquitt Road, near the small city of Bainbridge, in Decatur County. “By this time ... Bedwell, of our department, was on his way to aid in the chase,” Griffin said. The brothers had decided to get off the road and hole up at the first house they came to—the brick, ranch-style home of Jesse and Melissa Whitley. “It was a completely random choice. It could have been your house, or my house,” Griffin said, adding, “Those boys picked the wrong house.
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The security camera gave the Whitleys warning. Then it caught the whole thing on video. Great evidence! “Their door was solid and had a deadbolt lock. And Jesse was not just a gun owner—he was the type of guy to shoot back.”
Bullets Flying Through the House The Whitleys were watching television over coffee in their den when Melissa glanced at the monitor of their security camera system. A white pickup truck had pulled up to the house. “I told Jesse, ‘There’s a man walking around the backside of the house with a gun in his hand!’” “Next thing you know, somebody is yelling, ‘Open the door! Let us in!’ And then, gunshots,” Jesse Whitley said. “I said to myself, ‘This ain’t happening!’ I was stunned.” Melissa grabbed their little dog, and Jesse grabbed the two of them and put them in another room, where he thought they’d be safe. “Bullets are flying through our house, through the drywall and ripping up the furniture. I hollered, ‘Get out of here!’” Jesse said. “’We’re friendly! Open the door!’ That’s what they said. Weird.” The brothers then ran around to the front porch. “They were trying to shoot a circle around the deadbolt on our front door. It didn’t work. My Daddy made that door of solid wood,” Jesse said. “The only loaded gun I could get to that wasn’t locked away was my 9-millimeter pistol. “I grabbed it and shot two or three times through the door, through the wall beside the door, and through the window next to the door. “I believe my last shot hit and disabled their shotgun. It didn’t fire again. We found out later it was put out of commission by a 9-millimeter round. “Right about then, the one with the rifle opened up on a police car as it was driving by the house.” A shot from that volley of bullets took Capt. Bedwell’s life. “It was from the Whitleys’ yard that the fatal shot was fired,” Griffin said. “A bullet pierced the driver’s side door, striking Justin in the side of the chest, mortally wounding him. “Our bulletproof vests go on like two halves of a clamshell. The front and back come together at the sides, leaving a narrow gap in the armor. The round came through the gap. What are the odds?”
A Real Professional Communication problems also played a role in the incident, according to the sheriff. “Bedwell drove past the Whitley property unaware of the latest status of the chase and un-
aware of the shootout at the house until he was fired upon. The closest unit did not know Bedwell got shot. This cost precious minutes,” Griffin said. The first to get to Bedwell was Chief Deputy Wendell Cofer of the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, a 38year law enforcement veteran. It took 13 minutes for Cofer to reach the scene. He was at a restaurant in Bainbridge having dinner with friends when news of the shooting reached him. He and a state trooper friend sped to the scene in Cofer’s personal car. “Though mortally wounded, Justin pulled his patrol car out of the line of fire and radioed to us his exact location. He was a real professional,” Cofer said. According to Griffin, after firing a volley of shots at Bedwell’s patrol car, the brothers jumped back into the truck and took off into a wooded field behind the Whitley home. “The land was being cleared of trees,” he said. “I’m surprised the truck got as far as it did. They hit a stump that tore a wheel off it, so they split up and took off on foot.” With officers from surrounding departments arriving on the scene, a perimeter was established, and tracking dogs and a helicopter equipped with infra-red technology were used to pursue the brothers. Around midnight, the infra-red sensors on the chopper pinpointed one of the brothers hiding facedown in the field, less than 50 feet from the police line. “Had he been armed, he could have shot an officer in the picket line and stolen his car,” Griffin said. “Fortunately, he didn’t have his gun. The weapon was found a short distance away in
Chief Deputy Wendell Cofer points at a bullet hole in the vehicle in which Capt. Justin Bedwell was shot, in Bainbridge, Ga., on Nov. 10.
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AS OF NOV. 30,
Texas led the nation with 42 police officers shot in the line of duty, followed by Illinois with 25 and California with 21.
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Melissa and Jesse Whitley on their porch in Bainbridge, Ga., on Nov. 10.
trial at the county courthouse in Bainbridge in February 2022. Bedwell’s wife, Katherine Bedwell, and 10-yearold step-daughter, Maddie Lue, were at home at the time of the shooting. Maddie Lue was already asleep when a family friend, a former sheriff’s deputy, came to their door. The friend informed Katherine that her husband had been shot and that he was being airlifted to a hospital in Tallahassee. Now widowed for eight months, a somber Katherine, dressed in black, shared the awful story. “It helps me to talk about it,” she said. “I remember my first thought was, ‘This is not real.’ Then shock set in. “Within minutes, people started showing up at the house. Our neighbor agreed to sit with our daughter. Friends helped me pack a bag for the hospital. A friend drove me there. “When we finally arrived, Justin was already in surgery. Soon, word came that he survived the procedure. I stayed with him for 24 hours—until they told me I had to go home.” Hours later, when Katherine returned to the hospital, she was denied access to the Intensive Care Unit. “I learned Justin had coded [gone into cardiopulmonary arrest],” she said. “It was like a movie. They wanted me to go into a room and talk to doctors. I couldn’t bring myself to go in there. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want it to be true.” He had died just minutes before Katherine pulled up to the hospital.
Important to Get Counseling
the field by a tracking dog. “His brother was caught in some nearby woods the next day.” Both shooters have been charged with felony murder and a dozen lesser charges. They are being held without bail in two separate jails outside of Decatur County while they await
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FROM LEFT: AMANDA GREENE FOR THE EPOCH TIMES, AMANDA GREENE FOR THE EPOCH TIMES, GRAEME JENNINGS FOR THE EPOCH TIMES
Widow Katherine Bedwell at her husband’s grave in Bainbridge, Ga., on Nov. 10.
Katherine Bedwell said she broke the news to Maddie Lue. “Justin and Maddie Lue were inseparable. ‘Best buddies’ is what they called themselves. You would never know she was not his own daughter,” she said. “This is the kind of man Justin was. Out of respect for Maddie Lue’s father, Justin and Maddie Lue created what they called ‘Best Buddy Day,’ something the two of them could celebrate in place of Father’s Day. “I want to honor my husband’s name, not only as a law enforcement officer, but also as a husband, as a son, as a best buddy. He was a huge example of a hero. Justin was a phenomenal human being.” She said, “I’m trying to put on a brave face. I fight the tears. But every day I’m living a nightmare. Some days are easier. Some days are terrible.” She believes that when death comes to a household, any family members shouldn’t hesitate to seek mental health counseling. “It’s important. It can help,” she said.
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Chief Deputy Peter J. Montelone speaks about Stanley Police Officer Dominic “Nick” J. Winum, at the Page County Sheriff's Office in Luray, Va., on Dec. 1.
“I felt naked walking through those yards and fields. A round could go through the ratty old bullet-proof vests we had on like a hot knife through butter.” Chief Deputy Pete Monteleone, Page County Sheriff’s Office, Va.
“Grief is different for everyone. Own your grief. Try not to compare your grief with the grief of others.” Katherine has lived in Bainbridge for nine years. For the past five years, she has taught at a public elementary school in the community. “Through our jobs, we got to know a lot of people. Justin interacted with so many young people through many community activities, especially football,” she said. “So many of the students whose lives he touched have reached out to me. Even people he arrested years ago have reached out to me in sympathy. That says a lot about the kind of man he was.” Katherine spoke fondly of the spontaneous demonstration of love and support she and Maddie Lue received when her husband’s body was brought back to his hometown from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. Bainbridge native Brice Flowers was working on a garbage truck that day. “They say the procession was seven miles long,” he said. Katherine recalled: “As we entered Decatur County, thousands came out to line the streets as the procession went by. It was a satisfaction to see how this community thought so highly of my husband.
“So many people turned out, not only to comfort me and Maddie Lue, but, I believe, to comfort each other. “This kind of tragedy is not supposed to happen here.” Griffin said Bedwell’s funeral service had to be conducted at the high school football field because so many people wanted to attend. Lt. John Presilla, Bedwell’s coworker, said: “Justin always urged us to be well-prepared. Ready for anything. “Well, the most prepared guy among us got shot in a terrible way. It was a great loss. Justin was such a nice guy. Everybody loved him. “I want to tell my brothers and sisters in law enforcement across America, love every day that you have, because you never know when it may be your last.”
Reducing the Toll More and better training, both in-service at the department level and at police academies, is regarded as one of the keys to reducing the number of officers shot and killed in the line of duty. “To prepare young people for the increasingly hazardous environment new recruits will be working in, we are setting robust standards I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 21
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and demanding academic rigor,” said Joe Kempa, section manager for career development at the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. The agency sets uniform academic standards for police training academies across the state. “We analyze the frequency and criticality of a task, emphasizing the right way to handle firearms and how to properly use radio communication. Situational awareness is stressed, like parking the car, walking up to a home, and choosing the best location for a traffic stop,” Kampa said. “We are teaching improved tactics—like the effective use of cover and concealment, even down to such things as how to operate safely in low-light situations. For example, we teach how to use your flashlight without making yourself a perfect silhouette.” Kempa said that recruitment is down, but he believes this is more due to the economy than anything else. Joe Ferrandino, director of the Criminal Justice Department at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, said enrollment in the criminal justice program is down, but he said the increased violence against police officers is not the sole cause of the decline. As of Nov. 30, Texas led the nation with 42 police officers shot in the line of duty, followed by Illinois with 25 and California with 21. Michigan had four. In the southeastern United States, 17 were shot in Florida, 17 in Georgia, 15 in Alabama, and 12 in North Carolina. These four states accounted for nearly one-fifth of the national total.
Missing Death by Inches
22 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
A total of 119 law enforcement officers have been shot since January in 95 ambush-style attacks this year.
Stanley resident Dwight Foster on his property on the outskirts of Luray, Va., on Dec. 1. Foster encountered the gunman who shot and killed Stanley Police Officer Dominic “Nick” J. Winum when he was driving up to his home.
ALL PHOTOS BY GRAEME JENNINGS FOR THE EPOCH TIMES
Mountain man Dwight Foster was driving his truck up the lane from his firewood pile when he saw the police cars lined up in front of his house in Stanley, Virginia. “I looked to my left and saw a young fella with a rifle standing there in the barnyard just feet from me. I figured it was him they were lookin’ for. I rolled down the window and said, ‘Boy, what are you doing with that gun?’ “‘Shoot me,’ he says. I told him, ‘God loves you. Put that gun down.’” Meanwhile, Chief Deputy Pete Monteleone of the Page County Sheriff’s Office advanced on foot from the road, moving slowly along the wall of a building, as other officers were closing in from all directions. He yelled at Foster, “Get out of there! Get out of there!” Foster persisted, “Boy, no matter what you’ve done, God will forgive you. Let’s talk.” “He didn’t get mad,” Foster recalled. “He never pointed his gun at me. He was polite. He said, ‘I’d
rather be dead than go to prison.’ “I told him, ‘Going to prison, and then going to Heaven, is a whole lot better than dying here and going to Hell. Now put down your gun and let’s talk, or else you’ll have to get off my property.’” When he got no further response, Foster eased his pickup down the little slope toward the back of the house where he was met by his frantic son, who handed him a gun. The 29-year-old gunman, ignoring police commands to drop his weapon, walked about 30 feet and allegedly began to raise his Smith and Wesson M&P-15 rifle to a shooting position. The one-hour manhunt ended the way it began, with gunfire and death. “One of our deputies took him out,” Monteleone said tersely. The whole thing started with a traffic stop on the quiet residential streets of a subdivision in Stanley, a little town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Shenandoah Valley. Officer Dominic “Nick” Winum of the Stanley Police Department spotted a 2002 Honda Civic that matched the description of a car driven by a man brandishing a gun and behaving erratically. “Nick got two letters of the license plate number out on the radio. His body cam, especially the audio, told the story. He didn’t have a chance,” said Stanley’s Police Chief Ryan Dean. According to Dean, the body-cam footage showed the driver jumping out of the car and opening fire. “He didn’t even take time to put it in park.” More than 20 rounds tore through Winum’s vehicle. He was hit multiple times and died at the scene. The shooter’s car rolled down Judy Lane and came to rest in a roadside bush. A handgun was later found in the vehicle. The first officer on the scene was only a few
hundred yards away when he heard the call. “He got there while gun smoke still hung in the air. He took fire to his vehicle. Two or three rounds lodged in the front passenger-side headrest. He missed death by inches,” Dean said. The shooter took off on foot, darting between homes and through yards, heading for the woods out back. Monteleone said the subdivision’s residents became the eyes and ears of the police, peering out from behind draped windows and calling in reports.
Urged to Surrender In danger of becoming targets themselves, officers pulled Winum’s body from his bullet-ridden car and laid him on the ground in the yard of a nearby house. By now, 30 officers were on the scene. A perimeter was established around the neighborhood. The Stanley Fire Department helped block the roads. “A gunman on the loose in a densely populated neighborhood is a real threat to the citizens. And this guy already demonstrated he was willing to kill,” Monteleone said. “At a time like that, it’s a struggle to keep your
composure. We encouraged one another. We followed our training. We got separation, regrouped, and re-engaged.” Monteleone had a plan to apprehend Winum’s killer. “Six or seven of us got together and decided to press after him hard. To keep him moving. To drive him like a deer into one of our lines. We knew he had a scope on his rifle. We did not want him to catch his breath and be able to hunker down and start taking good shots at us or others,” he said. “I felt naked walking through those yards and fields. A round could go through the ratty old bullet-proof vests we had on like a hot knife through butter. We didn’t have the kind with the insertable armor plates in the front. We’ve got them now, after the fact.” As the gauntlet tightened, pursuing police caught an occasional glimpse of the gunman and repeatedly urged him to surrender. Dean said: “Our first response was around 3 p.m. The shooter was down a little after 4 p.m.” He still gets emotional when he speaks of Winum’s slaying. “Understand, including me, we are a five-mem-
Stanley Police Chief Ryan Dean holds an illustration of Stanley Police Officer Dominic “Nick” J. Winum, in Luray, Va., on Dec. 1.
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“We are heartbroken. We never thought this kind of thing could happen in this community.”
Brian Puffinburger, school resource officer, Stanley, Va.
Kara Winum, the widow of Stanley Police Officer Dominic “Nick” J. Winum, in Luray, Va., on Dec. 1. Kara was very kindhearted and “saw to it that the church sent food to the shooter’s family," Puffinburger said. The shooter lived in a single-parent home.
ber department in a little town of 1,900 that doesn’t even have a stoplight. Not only do we work together, we see each other outside of work four or five times a week. “We’ve seen nothing like this in my 27 years. It was overwhelming. The first 10 or 12 days after Nick’s death were a blur. “Until recently, about the worst thing we dealt with was fist-fighting with some drunken 40-year-old adolescent who decided to tear up a bar on Friday night. “I’d break up the fight, subdue him, and arrest him. And later, he would come by the office to apologize. That’s the way it was. Not anymore. “In the past, people used to run from us. Now, they run at us.” How does the veteran chief account for the changing environment? Shaking his head, Dean answered, “I don’t know.” Stanley’s mayor, Michael Knight, dropped by the tiny police station and said of Winum: “Nick loved working with people in the community. He was a real person. I was devastated.” Then Knight shared the news that two officers were shot in Rex, Georgia, the previous night. One of them died the next day. “Stanley is a small town,” Knight said. “I know the shooter’s family. It’s a single-parent home. As a child, he was in trouble for stuff like throwing rocks at cars. “The boy needed help. He needed mental health assistance. Though drugs may have played a part, this shooting was more mental health- than drug-related.” Sheriff Chadwick Cubbage of Page County, population 24,000, believes the impact of the loss of a police officer is disproportionate in small communities and small departments where people
ALL PHOTOS BY GRAEME JENNINGS FOR THE EPOCH TIMES
24 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
are so well-known to one another. “You don’t have to be a big department to be an elite and very professional department,” Cubbage said. “Nick Winum was a true professional. It was a real tragedy.” Dean said that Winum had been with the Stanley PD since 2016. “In all that time, I never heard a single complaint about him. He was a nice guy,” he said. “On his lunch hour, he’d make it a point to eat with people and talk with them and pray with them. He was truly a difference-maker.” Knight remembered the crowds that lined the streets of neighboring communities as they brought Winum’s body back to Stanley from the coroner’s office. “Nick’s funeral service was so big it had to be held at the school football field. He was then driven to his home state of New York,” Dean said. “At the New York state line, our procession was greeted by a motorcycle escort. First responder vehicles were on every overpass. The procession grew and grew as we neared his final resting place.” As the news of the tragedy spread, Stanley
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More and better training, both in-service at the department level and at police academies, is regarded as one of the keys to reducing the number of officers shot and killed in the line of duty.
The 600 block of Judy Lane, where Stanley Police Officer Dominic “Nick” J. Winum was shot and killed following a traffic stop, in Stanley, Va.
residents and people from all over Page County began sending flowers and letters. They brought pictures, plaques, and food to the police station. “Folks who I know can’t pay their water bill, and even people who Nick arrested in the past, donated money to help with funeral expenses,” said Dean.
Concerned About Others Stanley PD’s school resource officer, Brian Puffinburger, said: “We are heartbroken. We never thought this kind of thing could happen in this community. Since Nick’s passing, when we go to work, we are being extra careful.” Puffinburger talked of the extraordinary grace of Winum’s widow, Kara, who “saw to it that the church sent food to the shooter’s family.” Stanley Police Captain Aaron Cubbage spoke of the close “brother-sister” relationship between Kara and the guys at the department, and of the selfless character of the Winums, who he described as the “all-American family—the kind of people that do good and don’t want anybody to know about it.”
The Winums have four grown children, two daughters and one son in the Marine Corps and one son serving in the Air Force. The duty of breaking the news of Nick’s death to Kara fell to Chief Dean. “When I told her, her first concern was about others,” he said. Sitting in the conference room of the school where she teaches, Kara reflected on that awful day, now nine months ago. “My focus was on our loss, not on how it happened. Anger never entered into it,” Kara said. “Stanley, Page County, the state of Virginia, and America, lost a fine police officer. But I lost my husband. We were married for 27 years.” Kara said that serving in law enforcement didn’t define Nick. “If you were to ask him to describe himself, he would have said, ‘Number one, I’m a Christian, a husband, a father, a son, a brother, and a friend.’ “Nick had a strong sense of the line between right and wrong. He loved interacting with people. As a local law enforcement officer, he felt he would have more opportunity to have meaningful, more personal, interactions with people. That’s why he left the State Police.” Referring to the shooter’s mother, Kara said: “There’s a woman across town with a very different grief. She must cope with the loss of her son without all the love and support of the community. My heart and prayers go out to her.” I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 25
SPOTLIGHT
FIRING COMPETITION JAPAN GROUND SELF-DEFENSE Force Northern Army Type-90 tanks participate in a live firing competition at the Hokkaido Great Maneuvering Ground in Eniwa, Japan, on Dec. 7, 2021. PHOTO BY HARUMI OZAWA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
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I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 27
C OR R E CTIONS
FLORIDA’S PRISON SYSTEM
IN CRISIS
Staffing levels are so low that there is one corrections officer for 250 inmates By Jannis Falkenstern
F
lorida is facing a “tsunami of inmates” who may be released from local and county jails due to a critical staff shortage, according to state Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican. As a result of inaction by state leadership, Brandes said, the state may have to release some prisoners because facilities are overcrowded and there aren’t enough corrections officers. He said Florida’s prisons could house 60,000 inmates appropriately and manage them adequately, but there are more than 80,000 incarcerated. The total doesn’t include defendants behind bars while their cases are heard. “I say overcrowded, but it is not because we do not have enough bed space—it is because of the lack of staff,” he said, adding that the system currently has one guard for every 250 inmates. The state senator blamed the state’s legislators on both sides of the aisle for the problem. “The state legislature failed to put any plan in place,” he said. “They don’t understand the depth of the problem.” In 2016, the Florida Legislature commissioned a study on the prison system and asked for recommendations. The Crime and Justice Institute
28 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
conducted the study and released a report in 2018. “The analysis found that Florida is sending fewer people to prison than in years past, but those who do end up there are serving longer sentences, including those convicted of low-level, nonviolent offenses,” the report stated. The report found that Florida’s prison population stagnated at 100,000 inmates, making it the third-largest in the United States. In late August, staff shortages caused three Florida facilities to close–Cross City, Baker, and New River correctional institutions, all in north Florida. The affected inmates were sent to other facilities, where Brandes said many were sleeping on floors. Brandes said the incarceration rate is 21 percent higher than the national average. Florida’s elderly prison population is rapidly growing and is expected to reach more than 27,700 inmates by 2023. Most elderly inmates have significant medical needs. In 2015, the FDC spent more than $366 million on health care for inmates. Along with staffing issues, programs for the inmates have been cut because of lack of teachers, Brandes said. “We are just warehousing and not correcting anything,” he said. “There may be one teacher to every
The Broward County Judicial Complex in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on June 5, 2019. Florida may have to release some prisoners because facilities are overcrowded and corrections officers in short supply.
21%
IS HOW MUCH higher Florida’s incarceration rate is compared to the national average.
Incarceration Staff Shortage
Florida’s prison population stagnated at 100,000 inmates, making it the thirdlargest in the United States.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: SAUL MARTINEZ/GETTY IMAGES, MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES, PUBLIC DOMAIN, JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES, SHUTTERSTOCK
The booking and release center at the Orange County Jail in Orlando, Fla., in this file photo. Inmates from facilities that were forced to close were sent to other facilities, where many were sleeping on floors.
State Sen. Jeff Brandes
“I say overcrowded, but it is not because we do not have enough bed space—it is because of the lack of staff.”
1,500 inmates. We just don’t have the teachers; you can only cut the grass a few times with a person.”
Solutions According to Brandes, a pay increase for correction officers is a priority—which Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed at a press conference on Nov. 29. The governor proposed $400 million in new funding to increase the salaries of all of Florida’s law enforcement officers, including correctional officers. Brandes agreed this was a start, but said more needed to be done. The senator proposed several things for the upcoming January legislative session, but he said the top priority should be reducing sentences for
nonviolent offenders. Other issues such as the aging population of the inmates needs attention, as well as the possibility of releasing inmates who are terminally ill, he said. “These [terminally ill] inmates, instead of spending their last few weeks, or months, in confinement, they could be at home surrounded by family in their final hours.” Brandes also proposed a “second look” at an inmate’s court case. “This will allow a judge to take a second look at their case and the judge will determine early release based on their prison record,” he said. “If the inmate has had good behavior, and participated in programs while incarcerated, the judge can reduce their sentence.” Brandes didn’t expect much from this legislative session, as similar bills have been introduced in the past. He said he feared the department of corrections was in crisis mode and would stay there for a long time to come if something isn’t done now. “I think the legislature will continue to punt on this issue because it’s an election year,” he said. “Everyone likes law and order, but revamping the prison system to where it works is part of that.” I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 29
Inmates do a deep cleaning in a cell pod to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the San Diego County Jail in San Diego on April 24, 2020. PHOTO BY SANDY HUFFAKER/GETTY IMAGES
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PANDEMIC ORIGINS
US SOUGHT ANSWERS FROM WUHAN LAB
EARLY IN PANDEMIC ✒ Text by Jeff Carlson & Hans Mahncke
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 31
The P4 laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on April 17, 2020.
Emails reveal top US scientist questioned Wuhan lab vice director at onset of international outbreak
I
News Analysis
32 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
was conceived and funded in 2003 by Fauci’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in response to biothreats that emerged in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Early in the COVID-19 outbreak, on Feb. 9, 2020, Le Duc sent an email to the vice director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Yuan Zhiming. The email contained a document titled “Investigation into the possibility that the nCoV was the result of a release from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (main campus or new BSL3/BSL4 facilities).” LE DUC’S REFERENCE to the Wuhan Institute’s
main campus also suggests that he may have been aware that coronavirus experiments were being carried out in unsafe biosafety level (BSL) 2 facilities, a fact that was later admitted by the facility’s director, Shi Zhengli.
13,000
ST A B D L I W er w a n i h C n i . y d u ts a n i de n i ma x e st ab e h t f o e n N -DIVOC dh e ir ac y l tc e r i d y n a r o n I .s u r i v d e t a l r , t sa r n o c yd uts e ma h t f o y na m t h d n u of e l p mas e h t e h t d ir ac s t b f o .s u r i v S R A l a i n g r o
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, USRTK.ORG, SHUTTERSTOCK
n early February 2020, as Dr. Anthony Fauci and a small circle of collaborating scientists were in the process of establishing the natural origin narrative about COVID-19 that would pervade the media, the man who had personally trained staff at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology—and was the director of one of our nation’s most sophisticated biocontainment research facilities—was privately expressing concern that the pandemic might have originated from the Wuhan lab. New emails, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by the public interest group U.S. Right to Know, reveal that James Le Duc, director of the Galveston National Laboratory in Texas, had strong suspicions about the role of the Wuhan Institute in sparking the COVID-19 pandemic. The Galveston National Laboratory
In Focus Pandemic Origins
New emails, obtained by the public interest group U.S. Right to Know under the Freedom of Information Act, reveal that the director of the Galveston National Laboratory had strong suspicions about the role of the Wuhan Institute in sparking the COVID-19 pandemic.
Le Duc urged Yuan to “conduct a thorough review of the laboratory activities associated with research on coronaviruses so that you are fully prepared to answer questions dealing with the origin of the virus.” Le Duc suggested a number of areas Yuan should investigate and urged him to “consider preparing a manuscript that addresses these topics in an effort to be transparent and proactive,” adding that he would be “pleased to work with [Yuan] on such a paper.” Le Duc told Yuan that the possibility of a lab leak was first discussed on social media and he was now being approached by “senior officials and major reputable newspapers” about the role of the Wuhan Institute in the pandemic. He stated that while he had “the utmost respect and admiration for Dr. Shi,” the Wuhan facility needed to “aggressively address these rumors.” Le Duc noted that these “presumably false accusations” needed to be addressed quickly with “definitive, honest information.” He then told Yuan that “if there are weaknesses in your program, now is the time to admit them and get them corrected.” He closed his email by telling Yuan, “I trust that you will take my suggestions in the spirit of one friend trying to help another during a very difficult time.” Despite the detailed nature of Le Duc’s email proposal and his years-long affiliation with both Yuan and the Wuhan Institute, it appears that he never received a response from Yuan. Le Duc would later relay concerns regarding Yuan’s lack of a response in a message to EcoHealth adviser David Franz. EcoHealth is the organization headed by Peter Daszak, through which Fauci was funding gain-offunction experiments at the Wuhan Institute.
Despite the concerns that Le Duc conveyed to Yuan regarding the possibility of a lab leak in February 2020, just two months later, Le Duc struck a very different tone during an email conversation with retired and now-deceased Maj. Gen. Philip Russell. RUSSELL , THE FORMER commander of the
U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, reached out to Le Duc on April 9, 2020, in an email that contained a video, asking Le Duc: “This is gaining credibility. What do you think?” Although it isn’t known which video Russell shared, it appears to be a video that documents the Wuhan lab leak theory.
Le Duc, a biodefense expert, has a long history of cooperation with the Wuhan Institute, dating back to at least 1986. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, the video being discussed coincides with the release of the first full-length documentary on the virus’s origins, “Tracking Down the Origin of the Wuhan Coronavirus,” which was produced by Insight and premiered on April 7, 2020—two days before Le Duc’s conversation with Russell. Le Duc responded to Russell saying that he had already received the unidentified video that morning and told Russell that he didn’t “believe that the virus originated from the lab in Wuhan.” Le Duc also sent Russell a paper, likely the proximal origin paper in which Fauci-funded scientists claimed that the virus had a natural origin. Notably, at the same time the article was being drafted, those same scientists were privately telling Fauci that the virus was likely engineered. Le Duc told Russell that he thought “the attached paper makes a strong argument that I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 33
In Focus Pandemic Origins
“[The lab leak theory] is not going away— and it probably shouldn’t.” James Le Duc, director, Galveston National Laboratory
The same scientists who drafted the “Proximal Origin” paper were, at the same time, privately telling Dr. Anthony Fauci that the virus was likely engineered.
maintained that “bat coronaviruses hold the ability to infect humans through the hACE2 receptor.” Put another way, Le Duc was suggesting that the virus could have jumped directly from bat to human. But this theory conflicts with previous bat virus outbreaks–all of which required an intermediate host animal. Additionally, a recent study that conducted a thorough examination of more than 13,000 wild bats in China found that none of the bats carried COVID-19 nor any directly related virus. By contrast, that same study did find that many of the 13,000 bats carried the original SARS virus. LE DUC ALSO NOTED that the meetings with
NOTABLY, LE DUC DIDN’T SHARE his lab leak
concerns with Russell. Instead, he informed Russell that his group at the NIAID-affiliated Galveston National Laboratory had been working with Shi Zhengli, the director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and that Shi was also in agreement with the natural origin theory. Le Duc told Russell that Shi had consistently 34 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli inside the Wuhan Institute on Feb. 23, 2017. Shi admitted that coronavirus experiments were carried out in unsafe BSL (biosafety level) 2 facilities.
FROM TOP LEFT: J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/POOL/GETTY IMAGES, JOHANNES EISELE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
[COVID] came from nature” and stated that he agreed with the paper’s conclusion. Later that same day, Le Duc expressed an entirely different belief regarding the virus’s origins when he told Franz that the lab leak issue was “not going away—and it probably shouldn’t.”
Shi had included U.S. virologists Ralph Baric and Linda Saif. Le Duc failed to inform Russell that Baric and Shi had co-authored an article in November 2015 that showcased Baric’s gain-offunction techniques—techniques that Shi later adopted. Russell didn’t agree with Le Duc or with the paper that Le Duc shared, as he was frank in his response, telling Le Duc that this “does not rule out the possibility that one of the many bat coronaviruses isolated in the Wuhan lab infected a technician who walked out the door.” As Russell noted, there was no need “for engineering the virus” in order to precipitate the outbreak. Russell was equally direct in his criticism of the natural origin narrative that was being pushed by Fauci’s group of scientists and promoted by the media at that time, telling Le Duc that the “flimsiness of the epidemiology pointing to the wet market, the absence of bats in the market, the failure to identify an intermediate animal host” all pointed to a lab leak as the likely explanation for the pandemic. Russell highlighted actions taken by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), citing the “extraordinary measures” taken by Beijing during the advent of the outbreak, “including persecution and probable killing of two brave physicians to
In Focus Pandemic Origins
cover up the outbreak.” Russell also told Le Duc that the many “steps taken to silence the laboratory personnel,” along with changes in leadership of the lab, were indications that “all point to the lab as the source of the outbreak.” RUSSELL NOTED SIMILARITIES between
the COVID pandemic and the Soviet Anthrax outbreak in 1979, telling Le Duc: “This reminds me of the efforts by Matt Messelson and many colleagues to cover up the Sverdeslosk anthrax outbreak. They succeeded for many years aided and [were] abetted by many in academia until Ken Alibek defected and the truth came out.” Russell concluded by saying that he had “bought the wet market story for months,” but was now very skeptical of any information that was “coming from the Chinese government.” In a subsequent email, Le Duc admitted to Russell that “it is certainly possible that a lab accident was the source of the epidemic” and agreed that “we can’t trust the Chinese government.” Le Duc also finally divulged to Russell that he had sent Yuan “a rather detailed plan to investigate the possibility that the lab might have been the source of the outbreak,” but acknowledged that
he never heard back from Yuan. Reciting a line often put forth by natural origin advocates, Le Duc told Russell that “we need to strike a balance such that we are not in an adversarial situation” with China. Russell’s reply was blunt and to the point. “I admire your desire to avoid an adversarial situation but [that seems] to be impossible with the Chinese communists.” Later that afternoon, Le Duc emailed the entirety of his Russell email conversation to Franz, who also is the former commander of the U.S. bioweapons lab USAMRIID at Fort Detrick in Maryland. IN ADDITION TO SENDING FRANZ his conver-
sation with Russell, Le Duc raised some material concerns regarding the development of COVID vaccines. Le Duc’s concerns seem particularly relevant in light of ongoing questions that are currently being raised regarding vaccine effectiveness. Le Duc told Franz that “there is a lot we do not know about immunity to this virus and we need to be very careful as we design and test vaccines.” Le Duc also noted that “we need to address the
Peter Daszak (R), president of the EcoHealth Alliance, had drafted a 2018 blueprint for inserting furin cleavage sites into bat coronaviruses.
70–80 PERCENT
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I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 35
In Focus Pandemic Origin
AS SINCE DISCOVERED THROUGH a Septem-
ber whistleblower document release, Daszak had drafted a 2018 blueprint for inserting furin cleavage sites into bat coronaviruses. It should be noted that Le Duc, a biodefense expert who previously worked at the Centers for 36 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, has a long history of cooperation with the Wuhan Institute, dating back to at least 1986 when LeDuc spent a year working on and off in Wuhan. In 2014, Le Duc was instrumental in introducing NIAID’s China representative, Chen Ping, to the Wuhan Institute. Surprisingly, Chen, who looked after Fauci’s affairs in China, seemingly was unable to get an introduction through Fauci’s office. Eventually she reached out to Le Duc as she knew he had collaborated with the Institute. Le Duc immediately replied to Chen and introduced her to staff at the Wuhan lab. Le Duc also mentioned that he personally knew the director of the Institute, Yuan—the same person with whom he shared his concerns about a lab leak in February 2020. Le Duc also told Chen that staff from the Wuhan
A medical worker inside an isolation ward at Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on March 10, 2020. A medical worker inside an isolation ward at Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on March 10, 2020.
FROM LEFT: STR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, TAFADZWA UFUMELI/GETTY IMAGES, GRANT HINDSLEY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
question of re-infection/re-occurrence of illness,” asking Franz if this is “an artifact of PCR testing or represent[s] a real issue.” Finally, Le Duc told Franz, “There is also emerging information on genetic variability of the virus” and rhetorically asked Franz “what the impact might be on transmission and disease.” Le Duc’s comments may have been in reference to the unique furin cleavage site in COVID-19, a feature that has never been observed in any natural SARS coronavirus.
In Focus Pandemic Origin
People wait to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in Harare, Zimbabwe, on March 29.
Le Duc finally divulged to Russell that he had sent Yuan ‘a rather detailed plan to investigate the possibility that the lab might have been the source of the outbreak,’ but acknowledged that he never heard back from Yuan.
A man receives a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Seattle on Jan. 24.
lab were undergoing training at Le Duc’s lab in Galveston in 2014 and they had “invested considerably in our partnership with the CAS [Chinese Academy of Sciences, parent body of the Wuhan Institute of Virology] in Wuhan and we are anxious to ensure its long-term success.” Le Duc’s work with the Wuhan lab was again confirmed in 2017, when NIAID’s director of global research, James Meegan, disclosed in an internal email that both he and Le Duc had trained Wuhan lab staff in China and that some staff members were later also trained in the United States. Meegan stated that he thought their training efforts “helped [the Wuhan lab] on its way to becoming a center for virology.” NOTABLY, LE DUC WAS TR AINING Wuhan lab
staff on the maintenance and operations of a BSL4 facility in advance of the opening of the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s new BSL-4 lab. Originally that training was to have been provided by French scientists who helped construct the Wuhan Institute’s new BSL-4 lab, but after France expressed security concerns over the use of China’s new lab for noncivilian activities, that cooperation was ended and U.S. scientists took over certain aspects of staff training. This latest FOIA email release provides addi-
tional proof that yet another virologist closely affiliated with Fauci was publicly dismissing the lab leak theory while privately expressing very real concerns that a lab leak might have occurred. Previous FOIA releases revealed that Fauci-funded scientists Kristian Andersen and Daszak put out natural origin papers at the same time that there was a private consensus among Fauci’s group that the virus was likely engineered. We know through previous FOIA releases that the first draft of proximal origin was completed on the same day Fauci was informed by the paper’s drafting authors that a lab leak was 70 to 80 percent likely. Le Duc and his Galveston National Laboratory are both directly funded by Fauci’s NIAID. Other than Daszak, through whom Fauci funded the Wuhan lab, Le Duc is perhaps the most knowledgeable person in the United States about the Wuhan Institute, its operations and staff, and its various labs. It’s particularly notable that Le Duc’s first reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak was to contact his longtime friend and vice director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology with his private concerns that the pandemic had originated at the Wuhan Institute. Equally notable was the complete lack of response from his old friend. I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 37
China Threat
MILITA RY
CHINA’S ‘NEW BLITZK STRATEGY
An EMP attack centered over Ne entirety of the northeastern Uni power grid and sparking mass ch
38 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
KRIEG’
China Threat
GAO-16-243
Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers assemble during military training in the Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, Xinjiang Region, China, on Jan. 4. PHOTO BY STR/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
ew York City could cover the ited States, paralyzing the chaos, experts warn An example of the estimated impact area of a highaltitude electromagnetic pulse, by altitude of the burst.
T
By Andrew Thornebrooke HE UNITED STATE S IS
vulnerable to attack from an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), according to experts. Such an attack could devastate the nation’s power grid and wipe out vast swaths of the population. “The risk of an EMP attack on U.S. infrastructure is very high, particularly in this international environment,” said Sam Kessler, a geopolitical adviser at North Star Support Group, a multinational risk-management firm. The news comes amid growing concerns about the Chinese regime’s expanding military capabilities and its alleged development of first-strike nuclear capabilities.
What Is an EMP Attack? An EMP is a burst of electromagnetic energy that disrupts communications and damages electronic equipment. An EMP can be created by nuclear missiles, radiofrequency weapons, and natural phenomena such as geomagnetic storms. While any nuclear weapon can create an EMP, specialized EMP weapons such as so-called super-EMP bombs generate particularly strong gamma radiation that multiplies the effect of the pulse, extending the destruction over a greater range. Such an attack, if centered over New York City, for example, would cover the entirety of the I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 39
China Threat
“China is on the verge of deploying or has already deployed hypersonic weapons that could potentially be armed with nuclear or non-nuclear EMP warheads.” Peter Pry, EMP expert and executive director, Task Force on National and Homeland Security
40 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
In a report compiled by Pry in June of 2020, he said that China assuredly already has super EMPs in its possession, and that hypersonic systems could be used to deliver them. “Taiwan military intelligence in open sources credits China with having a Super-EMP nuclear weapon—based on design information stolen from the U.S. nuclear weapon labs,” the report states. “China is on the verge of deploying or has already deployed hypersonic weapons that could potentially be armed with nuclear or non-nuclear EMP warheads, greatly increasing the threat of surprise attack against U.S. forces in the Pacific and against the United States.”
Little Ado About Something
ALTITUDE MATTERS THE HIGHER the altitude at which an EMP is deployed, the wider the impact area.
While EMPs have for decades been recognized as a serious threat to the United States, little meaningful action has been taken to prevent or mitigate their destructive capacity. Indeed, Gen. Charles Brown, the Air Force chief of staff, said earlier this year that the U.S. military had “been asleep at the wheel” since Desert Storm in the early 1990s on the issue of electromagnetic warfare. Two congressional commissions, known as the EMP Commissions, were established to research the destructive potential of EMPs, starting in 2001. The first report from those commissions came in 2004 and found that “China and Russia have considered limited nuclear attack options that, unlike their Cold War plans, employ EMP as
FROM LEFT: GREG BAKER/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES, YUKINORI HASUMI/GETTY IMAGES
northeastern United States, according to a statement to Congress by Peter Pry, an EMP expert and the executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, an advisory body. In a slide deck from 2018, Pry said that a high-altitude EMP blast could knock out 74.4 percent of U.S. power generation capacity. Such an attack could cause months-long losses of electrical power and create cascading effects for food, water, and heat supplies, and resulting in a mass loss of life. “EMP weapons offer Russia, China, and the ICBM-armed rogue states a fast, cheap and effective means to make most Americans feel immediately the horrors of war, making them attractive to enemies who seek to create pressure on the U.S. leadership to capitulate or negotiate,” said Rick Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center.
China’s DF-41 nuclearcapable intercontinental ballistic missiles in a military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2019. A hypersonic weapon tested by the Chinese regime in July reportedly launched a second missile while in flight. It's possible such a system could be used to mount an EMP attack.
China Threat
the primary or sole means of attack.” At a 2015 hearing before two subcommittees of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, George Baker, professor emeritus of applied science at James Madison University, said that “there is no one in charge” at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), which collectively oversee and ensure the bulk transmission of power in the United States. “When I ask NERC officials about EMP protection, they informed me, ‘We don’t do EMP, that’s DOD’s responsibility,’” Baker said. “The Department of Defense tells me EMP protection for civilian infrastructure is DHS’s [Department of Homeland Security] responsibility. And then when I talk to DHS, I get answers that the protection should be done by the Department of Energy, since they are the infrastructure’s sector-specific agency.” Pry spoke at the same hearing. He called the FERC and NERC “extremely dysfunctional,” and questioned the ability and will of both organizations to protect U.S. citizens. He ultimately advised that Congress abolish both organizations and replace them with a new regulatory commission. His advice wasn’t taken. For the next few years, reports by federal agencies continued to regard EMPs as a “low probability/high consequence” threat. That changed in 2019, however, when satellite imaging appeared to uncover secret EMP-testing facilities in China. Then-President Donald Trump then signed an executive order to bolster both civilian and military defenses against EMP attacks, although the response to the order has been slow. “Those who have organized, led, and staffed the train of EMP Commissions deserve our deepest thanks,” Fisher said. “Our relative unpreparedness for this threat is not their fault, but that of successive administrations who have not given this threat a useful priority.” DHS released a report in 2020 highlighting some progress in carrying out the order. The report said that DHS was engaged with the private and public sectors in carrying out demonstrations of pilot programs to test EMP resiliency. It named one such example, the San Antonio Electromagnetic Defense Initiative, a public-private effort dedicated to developing a resilient grid. A spokesperson from FERC said that the organization remained committed to the executive order. “FERC is in touch with other federal agencies, such as DOE and DHS, regarding Executive Order 13865 to assist with its implementation,” the spokesperson said.
Insight also reached out to NERC, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy for comment, but didn’t hear back by press time.
President Donald Trump in 2019 signed an executive order to bolster both civilian and military defenses against EMP attacks, though the response to the order has been slow going.
A high altitude EMP blast could potentially shut down the U.S. grid for an indefinite period, which could wipe out 90 percent of the country's population.
The New Blitzkrieg Though the persistent threat of EMP attack has gone largely without response, the seriousness of such an attack is difficult to comprehend, surpassing as it does the effects of most any conventional warfare. A 2017 statement by the EMP Commission cited ambassador Henry Cooper, former director of the U.S. Strategic Defense Initiative, who wrote that a high-altitude EMP blast could result in the shutdown of the U.S. electric grid for an indefinite period, leading to “the death within a year of up to 90 percent of all Americans.” “Few Americans have any idea what it is like I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 41
China Threat
“[An EMP attack] would create societal chaos and unpreparedness in a society that would be transitioned back to a 19th-century way of life. ” Sam Kessler, geopolitical adviser, North Star Support Group
42 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
Moreover, Pry warned in 2015 that EMPs wouldn’t be used alone, but in conjunction with sabotage and information and cyberwarfare initiatives, designed to wholly overwhelm and stun the U.S. defense effort. He referred to this strategy as a “new Blitzkrieg,” a reference to the Nazi strategy of lightning warfare during World War II, in which German tanks, planes, and artillery would quickly swarm and incapacitate Allied defenses. Pry also warned that, because the nuclear blast that causes an EMP is detonated at a high altitude and doesn’t cause direct casualties, adversaries may not consider it a nuclear first strike. That might encourage adversaries to use the technology, as they wouldn’t fear nuclear retaliation. That warning is in line with a recent report by the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission, an influential U.S. congressional advisory body, which considered an EMP to be part of China’s nuclear counterforce capabilities. It suggested that the Chinese regime could use a limited demonstration of nuclear weapons to create an EMP. “Chinese leaders could employ this strategy during a crisis to shock U.S. political leaders and demonstrate their resolve to escalate to higher levels of nuclear violence should the United States fail to ‘back down’ over the issue at hand,” the report states.
Power distribution through California’s electrical grids in the control center of the California Independent System Operator, in this file photo. A highaltitude EMP blast could result in the shutdown of the U.S. electric grid for an indefinite period.
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A HIGH-ALTITUDE
EMP blast over the United States could knock out 74.4 percent of U.S. power generation capacity.
DAVID MCNEW/GETTY IMAGES
to live without electricity, constant digital communication, or immediate access to medical or transportation services, which can be taken away by EMP weapons,” Fisher said. “The damage of an EMP attack destroys anything with an electrical circuit, and that means electrical systems and infrastructures that we rely on as a society would no longer be intact,” Kessler said. “It would create societal chaos and unpreparedness in a society that would be transitioned back to a 19th-century way of life.” A key concern now is the potential role that new hypersonic weapons such as those tested by the Chinese regime in July might play in either delivering or concealing EMP weapons. The hypersonic weapon tested by the Chinese regime also reportedly launched a second missile while in hypersonic flight, for example, and it’s possible such a system could be used in an EMP attack. Fisher said that such a system could be used to conceal a surprise EMP strike, but was unlikely to be used to directly launch an EMP strike, as the hypersonic vehicle travels at a lower altitude than is required by an EMP detonation. If the second missile that originated from the hypersonic vehicle went to a higher altitude, however, it could theoretically field an EMP bomb. Kessler described such a scenario as “very realistic,” and added that there were reports that such a technology is being developed in both China and the United States.
P OL I T IC S • E C ONOM Y • OPI N ION T H AT M AT T E R S
Perspectives
Issue. 09
Cubans hold Cuban convertible peso and U.S. dollar bills on a street in Havana on Dec. 10, 2019. PHOTO BY YAMIL LAGE/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
How the Government Is Impoverishing Its People If the private sector didn't accept the currency that states create, the means of payment would be 48 useless paper.
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ABYSMAL BLACK FRIDAY NUMBERS 44
CCP RIOT ON SOLOMON ISLANDS 45
SMALL-TOWN AMERICA US COMPANIES ARE REBORN? 46 ‘HOSTAGES’ TO CHINA 47 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 43
ANDREW MORAN has been writing about business, economics, and finance for more than a decade. He is the author of “The War on Cash.”
Andrew Moran
Abysmal Black Friday Numbers Are consumers feeling the pinch of inflation and dissipating finances? re the days of black Friday producing black eyes coming to an end? New data from Sensormatic Solutions reveal that traffic at retail stores on Black Friday 2021 tumbled by 28.3 percent compared to the same time in 2019. But foot traffic at brick-and-mortar establishments was up by 47.5 percent from 2020, when many shoppers stayed home because of the pandemic. However, consumers didn’t substitute standing in line at the nearby Best Buy or Target for browsing online. According to a holiday shopping report by Adobe Analytics, online sales on Black Friday dropped by 1.1 percent for the first time ever to $8.9 billion. Did shoppers wait until Cyber Monday to purchase the latest gadgets and apparel? Not exactly. Cyber Monday shopping levels also declined from 2020 figures. Adobe reported that internet receipts decreased by 1.4 percent year-over-year to $10.7 billion. This was also the first time that one of the biggest shopping days of the year recorded a decline in sales. Industry observers contended that the numbers were disappointing, but noted that consumers are spreading out their shopping this holiday season, going back as far as October to add presents under the Christmas tree. “With early deals in October, consumers were not waiting around for discounts on big shopping days like Cyber Monday and Black Friday,” said Taylor Schreiner, director at Adobe Digital Insights. Other market analysts noted that fewer deep discounts and scarcity potentially dissuaded customers from splurging on gifts. Could 44 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
those be the reasons, or are consumers feeling the pinch of inflation and dissipating finances? America’s inflationary environment is no secret, and many wage workers are feeling it in their wallets. Despite average hourly earnings climbing by 0.4 percent in October, the consumer price index advanced by 0.9 percent during the same period. As a result, inflation has wiped out these wage gains.
Fewer deep discounts and scarcity potentially dissuaded customers from splurging on gifts. What’s more, consumers are spending more than they are taking in. Personal income rose by 0.5 percent, while personal spending jumped by 1.3 percent in October. The U.S. household savings rate has been steadily falling since the massive stimulus injection in March. Clearly, Americans’ appetites for debt have been renewed, with total consumer debt balance growing by $800 billion, or 6 percent, from 2019. These trends may be beneficial in the short term for the retail sector and the broader economy. But trillions of dollars in private debt is an unsustainable development, particularly when the Federal Reserve inevitably raises interest rates to combat inflation. This is comparable to the state of the economy: using money the country doesn’t have to support anemic growth. Consumer spending, especially conducted by tapping, inserting, and swiping, fails to provide long-
term economic value. Unfortunately, the Keynesian view that consumption—not saving—is what drives the economy has been the de facto policy for decades. Saving, they say, is inimical to economic growth. Indeed, there’s nothing inherently wrong with demand, no matter how much or of what. But demand is limited by previous production, which sparks compensation with a medium of exchange (money). The individual turns this into savings that will be employed at a later date. Boosting consumption with artificial means, such as deficit-financed stimulus checks and cheap credit fueled by historically low interest rates, distorts the economy and offers a jolt with only temporary positive effects. Suffice it to say, consumers are tapped out, and depending on a Visa or Mastercard to consume establishes long-term consequences for the health of retail trade and the U.S. economy. When borrowing is no longer affordable and the printing presses can no longer operate 24/7, how can the public consume? A recent Deloitte survey found that many high- and low-income individuals are spending more this Christmas because of rampant price inflation. The present-day conditions have led to 11.5 percent of folks embracing their inner Scrooge and abandoning the spirit of gift-giving. When 54 percent of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck amid an intensifying cost of living and roughly the same percentage are unable to cover a $1,000 emergency, millions of Americans are justified in shouting “Bah humbug!” this holiday season.
ANDERS CORR is a principal at Corr Analytics Inc., publisher of the Journal of Political Risk. He is an expert in political science and government.
Anders Corr
CCP Riot on Solomon Islands China’s bribery of its parliamentary puppets is the cause
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hinatown and a police station in the Solomon Islands’ capital city of Honiara were partially burned down during protests that started on Nov. 24. Many locals are unhappy with Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s 2019 turn away from Taiwan and toward Beijing (known locally as “The Switch”), not to mention the country’s poverty, preferences given to Chinese residents, and jobs going to foreigners hired by Chinese companies rather than to locals. Beijing is said to have offered parliamentarians as much as $615,000 each to vote for the switch, and documents show that $200,000 embassy payouts were made to 39 pro-Beijing members of parliament—the number required to amend the constitution, which Sogavare wants to do. The result of Beijing’s overbearing influence in the Solomon Islands and its economic exploitation of islands distant from the capital is near ethnic civil war, with the archipelagic state’s most populous island, Malaita, supported by the United States and Taiwan. All of this is set against the country’s Beijing-supported prime minister and, according to some reports, the capital island’s ethnic population and local ethnic Chinese, including first- and second-generation immigrants. This political mess is the fault of the United States, Australia, and their allies, who neglected the Solomon Islands to the point that Beijing could grow its influence there and so thoroughly exploit the islands economically and politically as to cause multivector ethnic violence that most recently likely resulted in three deaths in a Chinatown fire. In 2017, the Solomon Islands signed a security treaty with Australia that it activated in response to the current crisis. Now that Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea are intervening—with hundreds of police, troops, and a navy ship—some analysts say that
the intervention isn’t only too little too late, but on the wrong side, given that it supports a pro-Beijing government. According to Chatham House fellow Cleo Paskal, the government’s corruption by Beijing, its instigation of the riots by firing at the peaceful protests that preceded them, and its vows to prosecute those supposedly behind the unrest can easily be extended to a more generalized attack on the pro-democracy elements of the island.
When a state supports totalitarianism, it's arguably a failed state and ceases to be legitimate even if democratically elected. Alex Gray, former chief of staff at the National Security Council, said: “Canberra does not appear to be viewing the current unrest through the lens of China competition. The Sogavare government has proven itself an instrument of Chinese ambitions in the Pacific, and the Australian intervention will strengthen Sogavare’s hold on power in Honiara. While condemning the violence of recent weeks, Washington should recognize that this outcome is directly contrary to its interests.” However, James To, author of a book on overseas Chinese, argued that the intervention was necessary. “Canberra had no choice—it was bound by the treaty, and it needed to walk the walk, not just talk the talk when it came to demonstrating responsibility to the Pacific,” he said. “Anything otherwise would have undermined everything Australia has been trying to project as a regional power. “The alternative for Canberra would have been unpalatable—if China were to grow its presence, influence, and activity across Canberra’s ‘patch.’”
Like Gray, Paskal is critical of Australia’s intervention, which she argued is against pro-democracy residents who seek to protect their rights to freedom of religion. She compared the unrest to Hong Kong. “[The] CCP [Chinese Communist Party] gaining control of a country, even ‘if only’ by proxy, destroys economic growth for all but the elite and leads to greater and greater (and increasingly brutal) authoritarianism that thrives on cracking open domestic fault lines,” Paskal said. “Locals are left to either submit to an exploitative police state or risk their lives in trying to fight back.” She called for stronger support for democracy globally. “If the free world doesn’t come together now to support those fighting on the front line, the front line expands, the CCP gets more strategic access and resources, and we just end up fighting a better positioned and stronger CCP later,” Paskal said. Paskal, Gray, and To are all right. Australia and allies should intervene to strengthen democracy and stop violence against local Chinese communities in the Solomon Islands. But in so doing, they should also remove any politicians complicit in Beijing’s growing influence. Sogavare, who supports Beijing, should be removed as complicit in terrorism. Diplomatic relations with Beijing should be cut, and a new election should take place. When a state supports totalitarianism, it’s arguably a failed state and ceases to be legitimate (even if democratically elected), especially when the head of state is severed from popular support by authoritarian bribes. When states fail, their populations and other legitimate states (which by a Lockean definition must be democratic) should restore democracy. Therefore, it’s the responsibility of Australia and its allies to intervene and gracefully ease Sogavare out of office so that true democracy can again flourish in the Solomon Islands. I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 45
Milton Ezrati
MILTON EZRATI is chief economist for Vested, a contributing editor at The National Interest, and author of "Thirty Tomorrows" and "Bite-Sized Investing.”
Small-Town America Reborn? Remote work may reverse 100 years of decline
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ith the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly in remission, people have begun to consider its lingering effects. Chief among these is the impact of remote work. There can be little doubt that as workers are recalled, work from home will become less common than presently. But it will remain more prevalent than it was before the pandemic. Of particular interest is what the greater prevalence of remote work will do to people’s choices about where to live, and accordingly, to relative real estate values. So far, the trend has helped the suburbs at the expense of the cities, and there’s reason to believe that adjustments will continue and, in time, reverse what is a more than a 100-year decline in small-town living. There certainly are signs that remote work will remain much more common than in the pre-pandemic world. The Labor Department estimates that at least one-third of the working population, more than 50 million, can do their jobs remotely. Some private research puts that number higher. According to a brace of surveys, approximately 73 percent of those doing remote work during the pandemic are happy with the arrangement. As many as 66 percent say they’re more productive. Perhaps more significantly, some 33 percent of employers have said that their firms will continue with remote work at least to some extent. Some 36 percent of managers have plans to reduce the number and size of their offices, and as many as 10 percent of managers plan to give up entirely on central-
46 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
ized work arrangements. So far, the major effect of work from home has been a flight out of cities and into the suburbs. The national data is spotty, but private sources in New York City are indicative. A sampling of reports from major developers indicates that the average price of residential space fell more than 5 percent immediately after March 2020. And though buyer traffic has increased more than expected this year, prices have continued to fall, and are now more than
The association also reports that the median suburban home price has risen a sharp 32 percent since the pandemic began. 15 percent below pre-pandemic levels. Traffic from those planning to buy or lease commercial space is up about 10 percent so far this year, but levels remain some 36 percent below 2019. Outright sales of commercial property by some estimates are off 90 percent from 2019 levels. The suburbs have seen the opposite trend. There, traffic and prices have risen dramatically. Here, too, data is spotty, but anecdotal reports of bidding wars in counties around the big cities are plentiful. The intensity of buying has abated since 2020 but has hardly disappeared. Sales rates are so high that the relative demand levels of available inventory, according to the National Association of Realtors, remain 60 percent below 2019 levels. The association also reports that the median suburban
home price has risen 32 percent since the pandemic began. Trends, however, don’t continue of their own accord, even when well established. Especially as the pandemic wanes, there’s every reason to expect that these pricing differentials will feed back into people’s decisions. As indicated, lower urban prices have already increased traffic in both residential and commercial spaces faster than expected. Evidently, there’s a powerful allure to city life. By contrast, the suburbs, appealing as they presently are, may see an end to their present special attraction. The rising cost of living in suburbia will cause many to rethink their initial decision to move and prompt others to cash in on the gains their property has enjoyed. At the same time, the availability of remote work will for some steal the need for proximity to urban centers that has long bolstered the appeal of suburbia. A portion of these people, perhaps a large proportion, may, given the freedom offered by remote work, decide that they can get more for their money in small towns. Presently, little data exists on exurban as opposed to suburban real estate trends, but it stands to reason that people will begin to make this consideration. The appeal of exurban living will only grow as the initial pioneers in this trend lure more upscale shops, dining, and other entertainments to Main Streets that until recently have had little such appeal. Fear of urban crime and the desire for control—of schools, for instance, and other municipal decisions—could reinforce the trend and bring a new vitality to places that for a century or more have been seen as declining backwaters. 46
EMEL AKAN is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times in Washington, D.C. Previously she worked in the financial sector as an investment banker at JPMorgan.
Emel Akan
US Companies are ‘Hostages’ to China It’s time for Congress to close the loophole in China influence
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oreign firms doing business in China should be aware of the costs of transacting with a totalitarian regime that controls everything in society and can easily bend any company to its will. Heads of U.S. corporations don’t dare to criticize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) even in private settings. They know Big Brother is always watching them. JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon’s quick apology over a joke he made recently about the country’s communist regime provides a good example of how business leaders fear retribution from Beijing. Clyde Prestowitz, author and strategist on Asia and globalization, explains the true cost of doing business in China in his latest book “The World Turned Upside Down: America, China, and the Struggle for Global Leadership.” The U.S. companies that are highly coupled with China face all kinds of risks, from intellectual property theft to commercial cyber espionage. But the biggest, most fundamental risk is “the loss of free speech,” Prestowitz says in his book. Dimon is not alone as there are many examples of free-world CEOs and presidents making apologies or backtracking when they anger the Chinese regime. During Hong Kong protests in 2019, for example, Apple pulled from its app store a map application widely used by pro-democracy protestors that showed the location of police patrols and tear gas deployments, citing security reasons. Google also sparked controversy when it removed a Hong Kong protest role-playing game from its app store. These are by no means the only apparently self-censorship incidents by U.S tech companies. Apple, for example, removed nearly 55,000 active apps from its app store in China since 2017, according to a New York Times report.
Current U.S. laws fall short in addressing political influence operations conducted through corporations, trade associations, and think tanks. They include apps made by minorities oppressed by the regime, including Uyghurs and Tibetans. Such actions by U.S. firms, though, have drawn criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, who accuse companies of sacrificing American values for the allure of profits in the world’s second-largest economy. For the CEO of Apple Tim Cook and other U.S. corporate executives navigating the Chinese market, they effectively become “hostages” to the whims of the Chinese regime. “They may be perceived as the heads of American companies, but they fear Beijing far more than they fear Washington,” Prestowitz writes in his book. Since there’s no rule of law in China, they become “captive,” he adds. In Washington, they have lawyers and lobbyists that give them the power to influence or sue the U.S. government. In Beijing, however, they can’t sue the
Chinese regime because they know they would lose—the courts in China are controlled by the Communist Party—and would face retaliation from the regime for even trying. Beijing is aware of this leverage and hence can freely use companies as a tool. As I wrote in a previous column, the Chinese Embassy in Washington is pressuring U.S. companies and trade groups that have business interests in China to lobby against a comprehensive China bill that aims to enhance U.S. competitiveness. None of this should come as a surprise. As Insight readers will know, China exerts significant influence in the United States. It spent more than $67 million on lobbyists last year, a sixfold increase since 2016, according to OpenSecrets. And this is only the tip of the iceberg, as it only covers the overt influence operations that need to be disclosed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The FARA, passed in 1938, requires a person who represents a foreign interest to register as a foreign agent. The law, however, falls short in addressing less overt political influence operations conducted through proxies, including corporations, trade associations, and think tanks. Many China hawks in Washington are urging Congress to close this loophole in foreign influence. “It’s really something that must be addressed,” Prestowitz tells me. If heads of corporations have substantial business operations in China, “they should not be allowed to make political donations in the United States,” he said. “When they testify before Congress, they should be compelled to declare that they are testifying as the leaders of Chinese businesses. They should be made to tell the public and the Congress that they in fact, are subject to pressure and influence by the Chinese Communist Party.” I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 47
DANIEL LACALLE is chief economist at hedge fund Tressis and author of “Freedom or Equality,” “Escape from the Central Bank Trap,” and “Life in the Financial Markets.”
Daniel Lacalle
Governments Steal the Recovery Expansionary policies around the world are disproportionately hurting the poor
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ost emerging and developed market currencies have devalued significantly relative to the U.S. dollar in 2021, despite the Federal Reserve’s aggressive monetary policy. Emerging economies that have benefitted from rising commodities prices have also seen their currencies weaken despite strong exports. As such, inflation in developing economies is much higher than the already elevated figures posted in the United States and the eurozone. The main reason behind this is a global currency debasement problem that’s making people poorer. Most central banks globally are implementing the same expansionary policies of the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve, but the results are disproportionately hurting the poor as inflation rises, particularly in essential goods and services. Many emerging economies have implemented a dangerous policy of boosting twin deficits—fiscal and trade—under the misguided idea that it would accelerate growth. Now, growth and recovery estimates are coming down, but monetary imbalances remain. Therefore, most currencies are falling relative to the U.S. dollar. The policies implemented by global central banks are as aggressive or even more so than those of the Federal Reserve, but without the global demand that the U.S. dollar enjoys. If nations with sovereign currencies continue to play this dangerous game, local and international demand for their currency will evaporate and dependence on the U.S. dollar will rise. More importantly, if the Federal Reserve continues to put its global reserve status to the test, all fiat currencies may suffer a loss of confidence and a move to other alternatives. States issue currency, which is a promise of payment. If the private sector
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In Cuba, inflation is now estimated at 6,900 percent due to a lack of demand for a worthless currency with no real reserves to back it. doesn’t accept this currency as a unit of measure, a generalized means of payment, and a store of value—backed by reserves and demand from the mentioned private sector—the currency is worthless and isn’t money. Ultimately, it would be useless paper. Examples of state currencies that are neither a store of value nor a generally accepted means of payment are many. From the sucre in Ecuador, which has disappeared, to the Argentine peso or the Venezuelan bolivar, the examples in history are innumerable. In Cuba, inflation is now estimated at 6,900 percent due to the lack of demand for a worthless currency with no reserves to back it. The state doesn’t “create money,” it creates a means of payment that may or may not be accepted. More importantly, the value of the currency and its use isn’t decided by the government. It’s decided by the last private sector agent who accepts the promise of payment because they assume that it’ll
maintain its value and its acceptance as a medium of payment. As such, when a government creates significantly more promissory notes— currency—than the real local and international demand, the effect is the same as a massive default. The government is simply impoverishing the citizens who are forced to use the currency and destroying the credibility of the value of the government’s promissory notes. When a state creates a currency without real reserve backing or demand, it destroys money. When the government issues currency—promises of payment—that aren’t a store of value, a generally accepted means of payment, or a unit of measure, it not only doesn’t create money, it also destroys money by sinking the purchasing power of the poor captive citizens who are forced to accept its notes and little pieces of paper (government officials, pensioners, and so forth). When the government destroys the purchasing power of its currency, it’s stealing from captive citizens by paying them in a currency that’s worth less and less every day. It’s a massive salary cut to the unprotected. This is what we’re seeing in many nations throughout the world: a massive salary and savings slash created by government intervention on the monetary balance to its own benefit. Governments benefit from inflation because they pay their debt in a currency of diminishing value, and they impose a cut on the price they pay for wages and services. Even in developed nations with relatively stable currencies, inflation is a big benefit for governments and a big negative for savers and real wages. Those who say that the state “creates money and spends it” and only has to create the money it needs to finance the public sector because it will be accepted by the rest of the economic agents should be obliged to receive their salary in Argentine pesos and enjoy the experience.
Fan Yu
FAN YU is an expert in finance and economics and has contributed analyses on China's economy since 2015.
Jamie Dimon’s CCP Walk Back JPMorgan boss verbalized what many CEOs believe but can’t say
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pmorga n ch ase ceo Jamie Dimon said out loud what many business leaders know but are afraid to say. At a late November industry conference in Boston, Dimon said, “I’ll make a bet that we last longer [than the CCP.]” He continued by joking that “I can’t say that in China. They are probably listening anyway.” While Dimon later characterized that brief moment of truth as a “joke,” he likely wasn’t joking. And to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), discussing the longevity of the Party is no joke. So much so that Dimon was forced to walk back his comments and apologize to the Party the next day. “I regret and should not have made that comment,” he said. In total, Dimon apologized twice. “I regret my recent comment because it’s never right to joke about or denigrate any group of people,” he said later. Dimon had no choice but to apologize. While Chinese people—even CCP members—also joke about and denigrate the Party, Dimon made the mistake of doing so publicly. And as CEO of a company with significant presence in China, he probably regretted his “joke” once it was apparent what the ramifications were. Let’s be honest, Dimon verbalized what many business leaders believe, but can’t say publicly. He probably thought the Boston event was closed to the media and that he was among friends and associates, much like a news anchor who uttered what he or she really thought about a topic without realizing the microphone and camera were still live. In the media, we often forget
Businesses and governments can’t afford to be honest with their thoughts on the CCP. that what people tell the press isn’t necessarily the truth, but what they must say for publicity or self-preservation. A friend of mine, a senior partner at a global consulting firm, knew that every time he went to China, his phone was being hacked, and his hotel room was searched while he was away. Prior to a business trip to China, he would swap out his iPhone for a “dumb” phone and leave anything near and dear to him at home. He knew that the CCP is an illegitimate regime that has been committing crimes against humanity. But publicly while meeting with Chinese business and political contacts? He was all smiles and handshakes. This isn’t to defend him or Dimon, but to illustrate an unfortunate reality that many businesses and governments face when dealing with the CCP. They can’t afford to be honest with their thoughts on the CCP.
From the comfort of one’s living room, it may be easy to demand that Dimon stand up to the CCP. From Dimon’s perspective, the global financial empire he built over the past two decades was on the line. His position at the bank, and his family’s wealth, were possibly on the line. To borrow a phrase written by the Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, Dimon against the CCP would be “like an egg hitting a rock.” Even a business leader with his reputation is weak when confronted with the CCP. That’s the unfortunate reality. While we hope leaders have the courage to sacrifice their positions and fortunes for their beliefs, it isn’t a reasonable expectation from all. Dimon, after all, is far from a role model. He’s just a man trying to protect his job and his family’s wealth. But can this reality be changed? To change this dynamic, Western governments would need to step in and coordinate a global decoupling economically and financially from China. The entire trade and commercial framework needs to change. It was easier 50 years ago to push back against the Soviet Union and communism because our economies were less intertwined, and as a result, vested interests weren’t challenged. Businesses have vested interests with China, but Western governments don’t—or at least, shouldn’t. To decouple, the government sector should limit influence from the business community. Even if successful, it would take a long time to implement such a decoupling. It would slightly decrease the market capitalization of companies as their addressable market size would shrink, offset by higher investments in their home markets. That’s the price tag for economic freedom. I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 49
JEFF MINICK lives and writes in Front Royal, Va. He is the author of two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust on Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning as I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.”
Larger Than Life
Jeff Minick
Studying the lives of historical figures can boost our vision and ambition
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n “the bridges at toko-ri,” a movie based on James Michener’s novel about the Korean War, Adm. George Tarrant watches his pilots fly off from the aircraft carrier’s pitching deck to attack the enemy and asks, “Where do we get such men?” Good question. Where did they come from, the men and women who founded this country, fought and died in its wars, suffered privation, often struggled through crisis after crisis, and created a land of opportunity never before seen in human history? Take Colonial Virginia as an example. How could a backwater colony of the British Empire produce an array of men like George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Mason? Throw in luminaries from the other colonies—Franklin, Adams, and Hamilton, among others—and we find ourselves gobsmacked by the talent and genius of that generation. Few of these Founders had won formal university degrees, yet they gave us our liberty, our Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution. They had studied writers such as John Locke, they knew the Bible, and they had delved into the histories of Ancient Greece and Rome. And amazingly, they gave us a dynamic republic. Just as importantly, these Founding Fathers also swallowed and digested the biographies of those who had preceded them, especially the Ancient Romans, and sought to emulate them. They adopted men like Cicero and Cato the Younger as their Republican models, and gleaned details about other famous Romans they admired from books like “Plutarch’s Lives” and Livy’s “History of Rome.” The writers of “The Federalist Papers,” for instance, used the pen name Publius, thereby honoring a Roman who had helped to overthrow an oppressive monarchy. George Washington brought
50 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
Few of these Founders had won formal university degrees, yet they gave us our liberty. Joseph Addison’s play, “Cato,” to the pitiable winter camp of Valley Forge to inspire his troops. American statesmen of that time made frequent references to the parallels between the Roman Republic and the one they wished to establish in America. In short, they believed that they might not only learn from the triumphs and virtues of these great personages from the past, but that they could copy their nobility and ideals, and by so doing face up to crises with their same stoic courage and wisdom. Like the Founders, if we study the lives of our ancestors, we too may find ourselves uplifted in vision and ambition. We can find prototypes from the past that will help us live the best of lives. Moreover, we can select to emulate what qualities we wish from our predecessors, as if picking from a buffet of examples. We can admire the joie de vivre and boundless energy of Theodore Roosevelt without agreeing with all his political policies. We can copy the
disinterested attitudes of John Adams or George C. Marshall, meaning they attempted to see things as they really are and with as little prejudice as possible, without necessarily adopting all the other attributes of these men. Contemporary models of the good and the virtuous also exist, people often found in unexpected places. Some film stars, for instance, have humbly committed themselves to noble causes. In his autobiography, “Grateful American: A Journey From Self to Service,” Gary Sinise, who won the hearts of Americans as Lieutenant Dan in “Forrest Gump,” recounts his trek from a life of self-indulgence to helping American veterans. In “Audrey Hepburn, Elegant Spirit,” the actress’s son Sean celebrates his mother’s life and her commitment to various children’s causes. In “The Truly Great,” Stephen Spender ends his poem with these lines: “The names of those who in their lives fought for life, Who wore at their hearts the fire’s center. Born of the sun, they travelled a short while towards the sun And left the vivid air signed with their honor.” Taking the best from the men and women of the past can help us to do the same.
Environmental Warriors At Home Outdoors
Joe Robinet Makes the Wilderness Approachable
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ILLUSTRATION BY THE EPOCH TIMES
By Nathan Worcester ith 1.5 million subscribers, Joe Robinet’s YouTube channel has become a go-to source for people who want to learn about wilderness camping, backpacking, and solo bushcraft. Yet unlike many other outdoorsmen, Robinet doesn’t call himself a survivalist. “I’m not trying to face nature oneon-one and battle it and get by eating bugs,” he told Insight. “I prefer to be comfortable out in the bush.” Robinet’s adventures may be approachable—at least by the standards of bush camping—but “nature, red in tooth and claw” can still make its presence known. Once, while cooking meat along a shoreline in the remote Canadian wilderness, he heard some huffing and puffing from the woods nearby. He thought it was a black bear, so he started yelling at it to drive it off. But whatever it was, the sound kept getting closer and angrier. “Normally when you yell at a bear, it runs away,” Robinet said. He threw a rock into the bush where he thought the bear might be. It bluff charged, though he still couldn’t see it directly. “You can see the trees shaking from where it comes,” Robinet said. Robinet noted that he regrets what he did next: eating the meat he’d cooked on camera, near where he assumed the bear to be. After a few more minutes, it still hadn’t left, so he departed. When he got home, he analyzed his footage of the encounter. Sure enough, it sounded like an angry black bear. “I would’ve been his lunch if he’d wanted me,” he said. “I should’ve gotten out of there quicker.” Robinet’s story began far from the heart of black bear country. He grew up in Windsor, Ontario,
Canada, across the river from Detroit. “I didn’t have any kind of country upbringing,” he said. “When I finally got a chance, I moved up north for college, and I started really going outdoors and things like that.” Before Robinet’s channel really took off, he had a brush with small-screen fame. In 2015, he was a contestant on the first season of “Alone,” the wilderness survival reality TV program. Robinet tapped out when he lost his firesteel. He thinks that he wouldn’t have misplaced it if he had kept it on a lanyard as he normally does. “We were given very specific instructions that we were only allowed to have 30 yards of paracord or something like that,” Robinet said. He was careful to follow everything by the book. “I shouldn’t have worried about it. People did everything that they wanted.” Losing wasn’t easy for him.
“Try to be a good steward of the land while still using it—because it is there for us to use and for us to care for. ” Joe Robinet, bushcraft expert
“It was a crushing blow,” Robinet said. “I was depressed over that. I felt like that was my
life, that was my chance, that was my dream.” Yet in retrospect, he thinks that the $500,000 prize money might have made him a little too relaxed about his future. Losing motivated him to build the channel he has today. “I wouldn’t have been so hungry to make YouTube my career at that point,” Robinet said. He had a few key pieces of advice for aspiring bush campers. “Start off where you can bail out if you’re not feeling it—and don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t hack it the first night,” Robinet said. “If you’re hearing some noises in the night, maybe it’s a better idea to be somewhere where you can be close enough to your car. It’s good to build up to being actually in the wilderness.” He also advised people to leave a note with someone letting them know where they’ll be. Robinet thinks that nature should be treated with respect. He taught his kids never to litter in the wilderness, even going so far as to pick up beer cans, tin cans, or other garbage deep in the bush and take them back with them. It’s no surprise that his “environmental war cry” is all about responsibility. “Try to be a good steward of the land while still using it—because it is there for us to use and for us to care for,” Robinet said.
Joe Robinet and his dog.
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 51
Nation Profile
THOUGHT LEADERS
Cancel Culture, Socialism, and America’s Clear and Present Danger Many Americans don’t understand the nature of socialism nor its dangers, according to David Jeremiah deadly virus is quietly spreading through our nation,” says David Jeremiah, “and it’s far more lethal than COVID-19.” On a recent episode of American Thought Leaders, Jan Jekielek discussed our current political moment with David Jeremiah, host of “Turning Point for God,” senior pastor of the Shadow Mountain Community Church, and author of “Where Do We Go From Here?”
to work on this project, but I actually studied socialism for a whole year. I read everything I could find, went through the history of it, how it got started, and did an awful lot of work on Karl Marx. This is a very frightening thing that’s happening in our country today, and, as I wrote, most people don’t even know it. MR . JEKIELEK: What
do you think is the most important thing that people need to know that they don’t understand?
JAN JEKIELEK: In your
MR . JEREMIAH: Many
recent book, “Where Do We Go From Here?” you wrote, “A deadly virus is quietly spreading throughout our nation. It is far more lethal than COVID-19, and most Americans are totally unaware of the threat that it poses to our freedom and way of life.”
people are surprised to discover that socialism is anti-God. Socialists don’t believe that there is no God. They’re not atheists: They’re anti-God. In fact, Karl Marx was not only anti-God, he was a cheerleader for the devil, and even the people that were close to him felt he was demon-possessed. He came from a very dark place. He said in one place that he was born to God, and now
DAVID JEREMIAH: I was
talking about socialism, and it’s true. I had some knowledge when I started
52 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
David Jeremiah, founder of Turning Point for God, in Lakeside, Calif., on Oct. 29, 2021.
Nation Profile
“It’s amazing to realize that just in our lifetime Venezuela was the richest country in that part of the world. ... Today the average Venezuelan makes $1 a day. ” he knows he was chosen for hell. He considered himself totally beyond any hope of redemption, and so lived his life with a careless evil that isn’t producible in most other people that I’ve read. There’s no room for God in socialism.
pions of socialism really understand the poisonous foundation upon which it was founded.
MR . JEKIELEK: We can
of the key ingredients of socialism is totalitarianism. Socialists can’t stand the light of contrary discussion. They black out everything other than their own view. And we’re seeing that in our country today. One night when I was working on this project, I watched something on television about a school—I think it was in Virginia— where the administrators wanted to disavow all of the holidays and just call them student vacations. They had a parents’ meeting, and when a parent got up to disagree, the moderator slammed his fist on the table and said, “This is not a debate.” And the meeting was done. If there’s no room for discussion or disagreement, if there’s no room for going back and forth and trying
agree that Marx was anti-God, but of course socialism has evolved since then. You’re saying that socialism is anti-God as we speak?
JACK WANG/THE EPOCH TIMES
MR . JEREMIAH: Yeah,
one of his key phrases was to “wipe God out of heaven and capitalists off the earth.” That was his twofold program. And it’s really scary to me because I speak in colleges, and there’s a lot of university students who were captivated by this. Young people between 18 and 25, 60-some percent of them think socialism is cool, more than anything else because of all the free stuff they get promised in the process. But when they understand the roots of socialism, it makes them stop and think. I wonder if the people who are cham-
MR . JEKIELEK: In your
book, you talk quite a bit about cancel culture. MR . JEREMIAH: One
to understand each other, you’ve lost society altogether. What you have is a dictatorship, and totalitarianism is a building block of socialism that’s very much a part of the culture cancer. Cancer is a good word for it, the culture of canceling everything that you don’t agree with.
saw it, and they got together and decided they didn’t want him in their group anymore, and so they fired him.” I know numerous people who have stood up for what they believe, not necessarily for religious reasons, and because they don’t follow the party line, they’re gone.
MR . JEKIELEK: So, what
MR . JEKIELEK: This is
do you think of a school board member basically saying, “Sorry, there’s no debate, parents?”
what I was going to say. It’s not just Christians, not by a long shot.
MR . JEREMIAH: Aleksan-
live in that world, so those are the examples that I know of. But I also know it’s happening to a lot of people, and it’s certainly not a part of American culture and history.
dr Solzhenitsyn once gave a speech titled “Live Not By Lies.” The first point in his speech was, “You cannot allow yourself to live by lies. You may not be able to champion the truth, but you can refuse to live by lies.” That’s what I think has to happen among the American people. They have to stand up for the truth. It isn’t just his idea, the chairman is being programmed by the ideology of socialism. If there’s no way to push back on that, you’ve lost the game already. Cancel culture is a wicked thing. Interestingly enough, I gave a speech about that at a university back east. There were 13,000 kids in this event, and this girl came down to me who was in tears, and she said, “My dad got canceled last week.” I said, “What do you mean?” She said, “He’s a wellknown surgeon here in this area, and my mom is a very strong evangelical who posted some positive things about Jesus on her website. My dad’s partners
MR . JEREMIAH: No, sir. I
MR . JEKIELEK: In your
book, you cite a number of people I’ve interviewed on American Thought Leaders. For example, Iván Simonovis is one of my favorite interviews. You start the book with him. MR . JEREMIAH: He got
chased all over Venezuela until he got onto a boat in the Caribbean and finally got here to America. I told that story primarily because of the interest factor, but also because Venezuela is a perfect picture of where we’re headed if we don’t stop what’s happening right now. It’s amazing to realize that just in our lifetime, Venezuela was the richest country in that part of the world. People had the same standard of living we do, and then Hugo Chávez became the head and began to socialize it. He died, and Maduro came along.
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 53
Nation Profile
Protesters attempt to pull down the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square near the White House on June 22, 2020.
“There’s no room for God in socialism.” Today the average Venezuelan makes $1 a day. They don’t have enough to eat. Their country has unraveled totally. Socialism takes people down. It doesn’t lift them up. MR . JEKIELEK: You noted
MR . JEREMIAH: It was
chilling because I was
MR . JEKIELEK: One of the
silver linings of COVID is that parents saw over Zoom what was being taught in the schools. MR . JEREMIAH: Exactly.
They actually got to see what their kids were learning—what they were being taught. I’ll give you a little statistic that’s an interesting thing. We’ve built Christian Unified School District, and we have three elementary schools, a junior high, and a high school. When COVID started, we had a total of 1,000 students in grades K through 12. We added 500 students
54 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
during COVID. The student body now is 1,530. We didn’t recruit. We didn’t do anything. Parents are sick of this and withdraw [their children] because they don’t see any way to change what’s happening in their schools.
tell us what we’re going to teach your children.” But a lot of parents are saying, “No, you’re not doing that at my school.”
MR . JEKIELEK: Where do
MR . JEREMIAH: As we
the listeners to your radio show see things going at this point?
began this discussion, we talked about how so many people are unaware of the danger. That’s why I wrote the book. I wanted to help people to understand how this whole thing works. Get rid of the things people hold dear, destroy the things at the core of who they are: their family, their church, their marriage. And if people understand that, it makes them aware of what’s happening.
MR . JEREMIAH: First of
all, I think we’re now in a period of rebellion against “wokeism.” I believe there are more straight-thinking people in America than the other side realizes. They think they’ve won, but they haven’t. Socialists want control of the family. Their goal is to get rid of it, get control of the schools, and tell the parents, “You don’t have the right to
MR . JEKIELEK: What is
your greatest fear in all of this?
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
TASOS KATOPODIS /GETTY IMAGES
another one of my favorite guests, Xi Van Fleet, who stood up in Loudoun County, Virginia, and said what she’s seeing in our society reminds her of the Cultural Revolution in China.
reading about socialism, and here’s this woman who’s saying, “I see happening here what I remember happened in China, and it’s frightening to me.” It should be frightening to us all.
T R AV E L • F O O D • L U X U R Y L I V I N G
Unwind
Issue. 9
A luxury sailboat is perhaps the ultimate “waterfront home.” PHOTO COURTESY OF NAUTOR’S SWAN
Sail Away in Style Combining wind power with luxurious appointments, these sailboats are floating villas. 67
THE SECRET to a perfect vacation is finding the perfect place to stay. Rather than a cramped hotel room, consider a short-term rental in a home. 64 SIMPLE AND ELEGANT, the old fashioned has timeless appeal. From the sugar cube to the citrus twist, here's your essential guide to the classic cocktail. 60 WITH ITS OWN OLIVE GROVE, vineyard, and impressive wine cellar, this luxurious estate in Santa Barbara County has maximum Mediterranean appeal. 56 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 55
Beneath the entry foyer, a wine gallery leads to the entrance to what is best described as a “wine cave,” given the immensity of the estate’s cellar. Again, the generous use of stone and warm wood exude a sense of welcoming.
Finding Tranquility
IN THE SANTA YNEZ VALLEY Mediterranean style and country charm beckon at this exclusive property By Phil Butler
A
SPRAWLING 60-ACRE santa ynez valley estate
56 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
estate is an old water tower adjacent to the main house, which has been converted into an observation platform for taking in glorious sunrises and sunsets over the valley. Surrounded by wineries and equestrian farms in one of California’s most tranquil regions, the estate is blessed with a 10-acre olive grove, a 40-acre vineyard with 48,000 vines, and its own private lake. There's also a three-car garage, an in-ground pool, tennis and bocce courts, a fantastic viewing pavilion, a barn, an English rose garden, and a guesthouse. The grounds are punctuated by idyllic fountains, fruit trees, and manicured lawns. Even though the estate offers seclusion in one of the region’s best-known agricultural areas, the shops, art galleries, antique shops, classy restaurants, and other conveniences are less than 10 minutes away in historic Santa Ynez. The town is famous for its 1880s-era building facades, wine tasting, and its country-style feasting venues. Complementing the fantastic winery experiences nearby, the new owners will also find a five-star dining experience at S.Y. Kitchen, the Chumash Casino Resort, and the Pacific Conservatory Theatre close by.
SANTA YNEZ VALLEY ESTATE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA $34,500,000 KEY FEATURES: • 4 BEDROOMS/ APARTMENTS • 14,205 SQUARE FEET • 59.9 ACRES • A WINE CAVERN AGENT JADE MILLS ESTATES STEPHANIE ZEBIK, MANAGING DIRECTOR 310-285-7508
Phil Butler is a publisher, editor, author, and analyst who is a widely cited expert on subjects ranging from digital and social media to travel technology.
ALL PHOTOS BY MATTHEW WALLA/JADE MILLS
in the heart of Southern California’s Santa Barbara County is the ideal domain for someone who has a laid-back, but dignified lifestyle. Situated in the fertile Santa Ynez Valley at the foot of the San Rafael Mountains, 4801 Baseline offers classic Mediterranean aesthetics and country charm galore. Listed for $34,500,000, this exclusive property, which has been transformed by renowned designer Mark Weaver, is a showplace for his time-tested classic style. Sitting behind sculpted gates and down a winding private drive, lies the result of his efforts: an estate blessed with abundant nature, punctuated by a majestic residence. The main house has four elegant bedrooms, or possibly apartments, each with its own private bath. There are also two kitchens, dining areas, an immense 3,000 squarefoot wine cellar, and a maze of quaint corridors, porticos, and enticing entryways. The wine cellar, which is one of the dominant features of the property, is nothing short of spectacular. The entrance to the cellar is visible beneath a unique transparent floor at the home’s main entry. The cavernous space has its own kitchen, dining areas, and tasting enclaves, as well as seemingly endless wine storage space. Another unique feature of the
The redesign of the home shows off a traditional Mediterranean style with chic modern accents. For the visitor, the tastefully done hallways entice with a generous use of fine stone, and rare wood throughout the residence.
The living spaces are beautifully appointed, inviting and warm, and they reflect a Mediterranean style well suited for this region of California.
Befitting the estate’s location in a key wine region, the cavernous wine cellar has its own kitchen, dining areas, wine tasting lounge, and plenty of space for wines from the 18 varietals grown on the estate.
An aerial view of the estate shows the lush surroundings, horse farms, vineyards, and the San Rafael Mountains beyond.
The large swimming pool and spa. I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 57
Travel Andorra
The Church of Sant Esteve, in Andorra la Vella, has Romanesque elements from the 12th century; it was restored in 1940.
The Long Road to Andorra Best-known for its duty-free shopping, the tiny co-principality has a rich history
W By Tim Johnson
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FROM TOP LEFT: LEONID ANDRONOV/SHUTTERSTOCK, PUBLIC DOMAIN, THE EPOCH TIMES, AVIV PERETS/PEXELS, MARCIN JUCHA/SHUTTERSTOCK
hen i landed in barcelona, Spain, the whole plan was just a vague idea—a notion, something fluttering in the back of my mind without an actual framework. Soon, I was behind the wheel of a small Volkswagen SUV and headed for the Pyrenees mountains. While I’ve been to almost every country in Europe, Andorra had always eluded me. This microstate (Europe’s sixth smallest country, with less than 200 square miles of territory) has a population of about 80,000 people and is tucked into the mountains between Spain and France. They’ve enjoyed independence since A.D. 1287, its population settled into a narrow, Y-shaped valley backed on all sides by sharp cliffs and soaring summits. It’s all relatively difficult to get to—the train doesn’t run there, and this tiny country isn’t an easy stop on the way to anywhere else. You might visit Monaco during a trip across the Cote d’Azur
and San Marino on a trip down the Italian coast. To get to Andorra? You have to really want to go there. And I did. Having visited all of the other European microstates, I had talked about visiting Andorra for a long time, including just a couple of weeks prior with a friend from Barcelona. “You should do it!” she said. “It’s not too long to drive—about three hours. We used to go there for the weekend all the time.” I slowly freed myself from heavy traffic in Barcelona. As I climbed higher and higher, my GPS took me off the expressway on a scattered route, rolling through tiny villages and, at one point, down a one-lane road almost completely overgrown on both sides by heavy vegetation. As I made one disheartening turn after another across an arid, nondescript landscape, it started to feel as though I would never get there. But soon, the scenery started to change. The mountains rose up ahead. While often overshadowed by the Alps and their glamorous ski resorts, the Pyrenees have a beauty all their own, running more than 300 miles and reaching altitudes of
Travel Andorra
more than 11,000 feet. Proceeding, at one point they formed a wall in front of me, the road just curving into a cleft with the highway proceeding through tunnel after tunnel, many of them stretching for miles. It felt as though the Volkswagen was transporting me into another world—a hidden kingdom. Approaching the border, traffic slowed as the highway narrowed to a single lane. A simple sign with blocky black letters on a white background announced my arrival with a single word: ANDORRA. No splashy signs, just a plain demarcation of an invisible line. I had made it. Border agents looked at each car as it passed, but didn’t stop anyone. Soon, I was making wrong turns in Andorra la Vella (literally: “Andorra the town”), Europe’s highest capital, sitting at 3,356 feet, as well as one of its smallest, with a population of just 22,000 people. The streets were narrow, and the whole town was sandwiched between the mountains. At one point, I drove down a back lane and reached a dead end, having to carefully K-turn myself out of a tight situation. After parking, I walked along a series of elevated walkways thrust up above the gridwork of streets below and found Casa de la Vall. A handsome stone structure built as a manor house in the 1500s, it served as the home of Andorra’s Parliament from 1702 until it moved into a modern, glassy building next door in 2011.
It felt like the Volkswagen was transporting me into a hidden kingdom. FRANCE
SPAIN
ANDORRA
Located between France and Spain, Andorra is Europe’s sixth-smallest country.
dent of France. It’s also the only state where If You Go Catalonian is the only official language. When to Go: Summers are “Our leaders have pleasant and been smart, to mainwarm in Andorra, tain our independence with high-altitude for all these centuries,” temperatures hovering in the 70s. one guide said, noting Winter draws skiers that neither Napoleon to from all across the north nor Francisco Europe. Franco to the south was Getting There and able to take that indeAround: While pendence away. the country has a small airport, most Relenting, the other travelers will reach guide offered a whirlAndorra by road, wind tour, taking me either in a rental upstairs and showing car or by bus, with me the handsome wood regular departures from Barcelona. At a chamber that had hostmoderate speed, the ed parliamentary delibdrive takes a little erations for centuries, under three hours, or as well as the Cabinet of longer by bus. Seven Keys, which held Shop: Andorra important government has long been a magnet for duty-free documents and could shoppers seeking only be opened when luxury goods. all seven regions of the country were present. The final stop on the tour was an old stone kitchen. Before the road came through—a relatively recent development— parliamentarians would actually live together here when meetings were in session, cooking, eating, and sleeping right on site. It was just an afternoon visit, and I had plans back in Barcelona. Reluctantly, I rolled the Volkswagen back down the highway, as the skies darkened quickly. My last microstate and it was a bit of a micro-visit. But I would be back. To ski and spa and maybe work a little on my Catalonian here, high in the Pyrenees. Tim Johnson is based in Toronto. He has visited 140 countries across all seven continents.
Andorra is known as a skiing destination with something for every level, from beginner to expert. Over 186 miles of trails await. Inside, two guides at the front counter explained to me that they had finished their last English tour of the day. But they were happy to chat about their tiny country, which has become a popular spa and ski destination. They explained that Andorra is the world’s only co-principality, with leadership shared between a Catalonian bishop and the presi-
Andorra’s parliament was created in 1419, making it one of the oldest in Europe.
Picturesque stone houses dot a hill in Andorra. I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 59
Food Drinks
ANATOMY OF A CLASSIC COCKTAIL: THE OLD FASHIONED One of the oldest and most enduring cocktails, the old fashioned is a study in the staying power of simplicity. Master the basic formula—a must in every bartender’s repertoire. By Kevin Revolinski
S
60 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
The old fashioned, simple and elegant.
Sugar cubes are easy and satisfying to use.
Don’t forget the orange twist.
Wisconsinites do it their own way.
THE OLD FASHIONED MAKES ONE • 1 sugar cube • 2 dashes Angostura bitters • 2 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey Saturate a sugar cube with bitters and a dash of water in an old fashioned glass. Muddle until dissolved. Fill glass with ice, add whiskey, and stir. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.
Tradition and Variation While St. Louis celebrates the old fashioned as its official cocktail, Wisconsinites claim an old fashioned made with brandy (Korbel, typically) as their honored bar drink. Purists will politely (or impolitely) disagree. On the matter of garnishes, an orange slice and a cherry—perhaps the exquisite Luxardo variety—are typical. And here’s where my home state’s common practice may legitimately offend the purists: The orange slice and cherries are muddled in the bottom of the glass with the sugar cube.
“Fruit salad!” cry critics. As Dave Arnold puts it in “Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail,” “While I’m all for doing what makes you happy, don’t put smashed fruit in the bottom of your drink and call it an old fashioned. Smash your fruit and name the drink something else!” We did. Brandy old fashioned. But start with the original and see how it suits you. Kevin Revolinski is an avid traveler, craft beer enthusiast, and home-cooking fan. He’s based in Madison, Wis.
FROM TOP LEFT: YETI STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK, HIHITETLIN/SHUTTERSTOCK, JAKE PAGE/SHUTTERSTOCK, BRENT HOFACKER/SHUTTERSTOCK
o simple and elegant. Made with just four ingredients—whiskey, sugar, bitters, and a twist of orange—the old fashioned has survived for centuries while other mixes have come and gone. We love our legends: The Pendennis Club, a gentlemen’s club founded in 1881 in Louisville, Kentucky, claims to be the birthplace of the old fashioned, invented by a bartender in honor of bourbon-maker Colonel James E. Pepper, who, in turn, shared the recipe with the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel bar in New York City. But author Robert Simonson calls the drink “primordial,” pointing out that most hard liquor cocktails had long used this formula. In the late 1800s, a growing popularity of liqueurs inspired more exploration, but at some point, drinkers complained they preferred the old-fashioned way. And so it was. It’s a “built” drink, meaning the ingredients are poured right over ice—not shaken, only stirred— and that’s done typically directly in the serving glass. Bourbon is made from a mash with 51 percent corn and tends to be a bit sweeter and rounder than a rye, which carries a bit more spiciness and edge. You could blend the two if you want to feel fancy and adventurous. There’s no requirement to use a sugar cube rather than a spoonful, but cubes are easy—no spills, no measuring—and there’s just something oddly satisfying about watching the bitters soak in before you get to muddling. Syrups also work, but may vary in concentration. Sugar itself differs—think demerara: less-processed, light brown crystals with a bit of caramel flavor.
Introducing Children to Etiquette
Behave Yourself!
To paraphrase Graham Nash, teach your children well by providing them with a code to live by To ensure a generation of well-mannered adults, it’s required to teach common courtesies to children. Instructing them in the art of practical etiquette—knowing how and why to behave—provides lifelong benefits that they’ll pass along to their own children. By Bill Lindsey
4 Be Helpful and On Time
1 Turn the Phone Off
Teamwork isn’t just for sports. Teach your kids to help around the house with chores, such as taking out the trash, helping to load the dishwasher, helping in the garden, and feeding and bathing their pets. Teach them the importance of showing respect for others by being on time for school, as well as for playdates with friends, family meals, and other events. By being respectful, they’ll also earn respect.
Patricia Rossi, author of “Everyday Etiquette,” suggested banning phones and all other electronics from the dinner table. This means no calls, texts, games, or reading. This rule encourages dinnertime conversation, which is another aspect of proper manners. While at home or in the car, children need to respect others by not talking loudly or becoming a distraction. To encourage good manners and provide a good example, parents need to adhere to this rule as well.
2
Practice Basic Table Manners
CSA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
Rossi recommended teaching children to put a napkin in their lap when they sit down and to have them use it as needed. Teach them to use a knife to cut food, not a fork. Don’t slurp soup from the spoon. If the food is hot, allow it cool instead of blowing on it. Never talk with a mouth full of food, and pass food around the table instead of across it.
3 Be a Good Sport Nobody likes a know-it-all, so teach your children to respect their friends and classmates by being happy when the other child makes the goal, gets the top grades, or simply wants to tell their story. This has the side benefit of teaching them to pay attention to others. People of all ages appreciate someone who actively listens and participates in a conversation. Teach them that it’s good to give the other kids a turn as well.
5 Be Polite Without discounting the importance of teaching your children to be wary of strangers, they do need to learn to be polite to others. Examples include neighbors you might not know by name but see often, the mailman, delivery people, grocery store cashiers, and more. Acknowledging others with a smile and a hearty “hello,” “please,” or “thank you” is often rewarded with a returned smile and could well be the high point of that person’s day.
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 61
Epoch Booklist
RECOMMENDED READING FICTION
‘Captain Putnam for the Republic of Texas’
HARPER COLLINS, 2021, 267 PAGES
Recreating the Texas Revolution
HISTORY
In this fourth installment of the historical fiction Putnam Series, readers sail along the Texas coast, engage in naval battles, follow the Texians during the Texas Revolution, and learn how to captain a ship (sort of). A fun, exciting, and historically accurate read. G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS, MARCH 2021, 368 PAGES
‘The Stranger in the Lifeboat’
By Mitch Albom
An Unexpected Visit A private yacht has sunk. Ten people find themselves adrift off the coast of West Africa. They are short on fresh water, food, and faith. Then they see a man floating in the waves and pull him aboard. He claims to be the Lord.
This week’s picks include a thrilling historical fiction read, a look at the samurai’s code, and an insightful exploration of 500 years of Western civilization.
Really? Each of the survivors has a story, chronicled by one of the passengers. His notebook is discovered a year later by inspector Jarty LeFleur who attempts to piece together what happened. The chapters jump from mystery to mystery as readers learn what happened out at sea.
By James L. Haley
‘From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life’
By Jacques Barzun
The Capstone Work of a Genius Published when Barzun was 93 years old, this rumination on the past 500 years of Western civilization will be read for generations. Here are thousands of profound insights from a great 20th-century historian. He reminds us of the dangers of judging the past by present standards and offers us mini-portraits of scores of Western thinkers. Despite the gloomy title, Barzun offers hope for the future. If you want to know how our culture evolved, start with this. HARPER PERENNIAL, 2001, 912 PAGES
62 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
Are there books you’d recommend? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know at features@epochtimes.com
‘The Collaboration: Hollywood's Pact With Hitler’
By Ben Urwand
cism influenced Western ideas about what it means to be a man, in Japan, Confucian elements shaped the ideal of a warrior. Were this guide rewritten as a modern book, it would be an excellent guide on what it means to be an upright man. TUTTLE PUBLISHING, 2014, 256 PAGES
Bargain With the Devil Urwand explores a dark chapter in American history, when Hollywood studios in the 1930s, instead of making films that might have exposed the persecution of Jews in Germany, decided to prioritize profit and retain access to the German market. Not only that, these studios sought to make movies that would please Hitler. One can’t help but reflect on the costs of collaborating with totalitarian regimes today. BELKNAP PRESS, 2013, 336 PAGES
CLASSICS
‘Samurai Wisdom: Lessons from Japan's Warrior Culture’
By Thomas Cleary
Inside the Samurai Mind A collection of five classic books on “bushido,” or Japanese warrior culture. Whereas stoi-
FOR KIDS
‘The Velveteen Rabbit’
By Margery Williams
Love Makes Us Real
‘Beowulf’
Translation by Seamus Heaney
A Brutal Age of Courage and Virtue When the man-eating Grendel attacks Hrothgar and his Danes, Beowulf and his warriors come to their aid. Beowulf kills Grendel, and after the monster’s mother returns seeking revenge, he kills her as well. In his later years, he and another comrade slay a dragon, though Beowulf dies in the struggle. This epic poem reminds readers of how distant we are from this primitive past, but also demonstrates the emotions we share in common with those ancestors. The many translations of “Beowulf” reveal the power it holds over scholars and poets. W.W. NORTON, 2001, 256 PAGES
Here we meet a boy, his beloved toy rabbit, and the wise Skin Horse, who tells the rabbit love will leave him shabby and loose in the joints, but will make him “real.” Read this story to the little ones, but keep some tissues handy. APPLESAUCE PRESS, 2013, 48 PAGES
‘The Little Engine That Could’
By Watty Piper
Kindness and Perseverance “I think I can—I think I can—I think I can.” The Little Blue Engine hauls toys and food to children on the far side of a mountain, all the while chanting that mantra. A 1930 classic that belongs on every child’s read-aloud list. GROSSET & DUNLAP, JULY 2001 48 PAGES
Ian Kane is a U.S. Army veteran, filmmaker, and author. He enjoys the great outdoors and volunteering.
MOVIE REVIEWS
Epoch Watchlist
This week, we look at a couple of films focused on family, an inspirational drama about an older adventurer, and a lighthearted Christmas pick.
NEW RELEASE
FAMILY PICK
A Brilliant Young Mind (2015)
The Humans (2021 )
DR AMA
Set in a dilapidated Manhattan apartment complex, this slow-paced drama is about three generations of the Blake family getting together for Thanksgiving. At the heart of the film is a story about the challenges and complexities that all families face that also highlights various human imperfections. Patient viewers who enjoy interesting dialogue, oddball characters (with their various hopes, fears, and idiosyncrasies), and shrewd humor will be rewarded with a thought-provoking narrative.
Release Date: Nov. 24, 2021 Director: Stephen Karam Starring: Richard Jenkins, Jayne Houdyshell, Amy Schumer Runtime: 1 hour, 48 minutes MPAA Rating: R Where to Watch: Theaters
approach makes its message of embracing both faith and family perfect for holiday viewing. COMEDY
As Christmas approaches, the pressure mounts on Episcopal Bishop Henry Brougham (David Niven) to construct a
ritzy new cathedral, thanks to a group of wealthy snobs. As he begins to neglect his family, God sends Dudley (Cary Grant) to rectify things. This film’s whimsical, light-hearted
Release Date: 1948 Director: Harry Koster Starring: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven Running Time: 1 hour, 49 minutes Rating: Not Rated Where to Watch: Roku, Tubi, Vudu
as he once thought. Its message of helping others through persistent patience is golden. DR AMA
Release Date: Sep. 11, 2015 Director: Morgan Matthews Starring: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins Runtime: 1 hour, 51 minutes Rating: PG-13 Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Roku, Hoopla
INSPIRATIONAL
Edie
HOLIDAY PICK
The Bishop’s Wife (1948)
Nathan (Edward Baker-Close as a child and later Asa Butterfield) is a brilliant math prodigy whose social skills are stunted by autism. His widowed mom, Julie (Sally Hawkins), struggles to break through to him, but he soon forms a bond with an eccentric math teacher, Martin Humphreys (Rafe Spall). This is a wonderful film that follows Nathan’s journey from withdrawn youth to a young man who eventually learns that the world isn’t as scary
(2019)
When her overbearing husband passes away and her uncaring daughter dumps her off at a nursing home, strong-willed, 83-year-old woman Edie (Sheila Hancock) decides that she’s not going quietly into the night. Instead, she set her sights on fulfilling her lifelong dream of scaling a famous mountain. This lovingly crafted character study of an elderly person with an indomitable spirit wows with its beautiful cinematography and delights
with its immersive dialogue and fascinating characters. ADVENTURE
Release Date: 2019 Director: Simon Hunter Starring: Sheila Hancock, Kevin Guthrie, Paul Brannigan Running Time: 1 hour, 42 minutes MPAA Rating: Not Rated Where to Watch: Kanopy, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu
I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 63
HOW TO RENT THE PERFECT VACATION HOME
PHOTO BY KARSTEN WINEGEART/UNSPLASH
By Bill Lindsey
Lifestyle Travel Planning
Renting an entire house allows several families to vacation together.
Why rent a hotel room when you can rent an entire house? Homes are available for vacation rentals all over, in every size imaginable, as well as a few boats, too
ERIC NOPANEN/UNSPLASH
“W
HERE WILL I STAY?”
can be the most often overlooked aspect of travel. Your destination and what you’ll do once you arrive there garner the most attention of course, with making arrangements for lodging sometimes being the last task on the list. But just as your home serves as the center of all of your activities, your choice of where to lay your head while away from home affects everything you do. Business trips tend to be brief, one- or two-day solo affairs filled with meetings and business dinners. In these cases, the only time you’ll need lodging is for sleeping, making a hotel room the best choice. However, the dynamics of travel change when you’re traveling as a couple
or with your family. Hotels are certainly an option, but a home in the form of a traditional home, a guesthouse, or a condominium unit would provide the most relaxing environment. So, how do you find the perfect home for your stay? There are many options, from finding an owner seeking a housesitter to searching for homes rented by individual owners or local vacation home rental agencies. The most efficient method may be to use a service that manages homes for owners, such as Airbnb or Vrbo, allowing you to search a wide array of homes on one website. And remember, some of the available properties might not even be on dry ground: Boats with overnight accommodations are also listed.
To search for possible vacation homes using a site such as Vrbo or Airbnb, the first step is to pick a destination. Metropolitan areas will have more available homes than other locations. Look at a map of the area to see where you’d prefer to stay, based on its proximity to beaches, museums, fairgrounds, sports arenas, theme parks, or whatever else draws you to the area. Prices often vary based on location, allowing you to match a property to your budget. Next, you’ll need to enter your desired check-in and check-out dates. This will limit the search results to properties available on those dates, saving you time by not showing every property. The next information you’ll be asked to provide will be on the number of adults and children who are in your party. Some owners may prefer only adult guests. Similarly, you’ll need to advise whether you plan to bring pets, and if so, what type and size. As you provide more information, the search will become more fine-tuned. Be realistic when considering properties. A family of five and a large dog simply won’t be happy in a 500-squareI N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021 65
Lifestyle Travel Planning
LIFESTYLE
HOUSE RULES Forget a hotel room, rent the whole house
Make yourself at home; it’s “your house” for the entire vacation.
1 Go Anywhere
In addition to vacations, many homes are available for parties, weddings, or other events.
66 I N S I G H T December 10 – 16, 2021
2 Pick a Size A fast review of websites run by local rental agencies and companies such as Airbnb and Vrbo reveals a wide range of homes and condo units with as many bedrooms and baths as you need.
3 Read the Rules!
Unique homes are available for truly adventurous vacations.
The adage “don’t assume” is especially true here. You are a renter, not the owner, so read the rules before you show up with kids and dogs or host a party for 125 of your closest friends.
THIS PAGE FROM TOP: MY OCEAN PRODUCTION/SHUTTERSTOCK, ALEXA WEST/UNSPLASH
foot backyard guest cottage. If your party includes high-energy children who love to run in and out, a high-rise condominium unit might not be a great choice. Consider parking access if you will have multiple vehicles, as can be the case in cities such as Orlando, Florida, where several families rent a home while they explore local attractions and parks. In addition to vacation lodging, many homes are available for parties, weddings, class reunions, or other events. One of these may serve as a great venue if you need to host a large gathering, but your home is too small. Be sure to read the fine print, as some properties may not be available for party use and a number of management services have enacted minimum age requirements for short-term rentals. When you find what seems to be a great vacation home, make time to read the reviews. Those who have rented the home will be a great source of information on how well it matches the listing in terms of its condition, its proximity to noisy airports or highways, or even whether there are nosy neighbors nearby—not everyone is happy living next to a shortterm vacation rental. With a great number of properties
owned by individuals, some may be subject to rules that are more strict than others. Examples could include pets and children, but could also extend to smoking, parking instructions, or limits on noise levels after a certain time to avoid disturbing the neighbors. Look for complaints of damage deposits being held back for what may have been minor infractions. Reading the fine print will allow you to know what is—and is not—included. You may not have access to condominium common areas such as pools or grills, the use of kayaks or golf carts, or to the boat that may be docked behind the home. Don’t assume the home will be furnished with basic essentials such as linens and towels. The bottom line is this: Someone else’s home may be your ideal vacation home— if you’ve done your homework.
Short-term vacation homes are available around the globe everywhere there are houses and condominiums, literally providing all the comforts of home wherever your travels may take you.
Luxury Living Sailboats
THE BEST VACATION HOME MAY BE ONE THAT FLOATS A sailboat is a wonderful vacation home, equipped with all of the comforts of home and an ever-changing “front yard” as you explore beyond the horizon. While these yachts all have engines, use the sails for the ultimate connection with nature. By Bill Lindsey
BRING THE WHOLE CR EW
2 HULLS AR E BETTER THAN ONE
Fountaine Pajot Alegria 67 Catamaran
Hylas H60 FROM $2,490,000
FROM $2,333,642
COURTESY OF JEANNEAU, HYLAS, FOUNTAINE PAJOT, NAUTOR’S SWAN, AND BENETEAU
This 60-foot vessel can be handled by just two people, yet has up to four cabins, making it perfect for couples who sail with a lot of company. The main suite is set aft for privacy. An integral “garage” for a small inflatable boat is a notable feature.
The twin hulls of this jacuzzi-equipped floating pleasure palace ensure comfortable cruising. The flybridge and salon make full use of the wide beam. Layouts with up to six staterooms are available.
SAIL -POW ER ED S U P E R YAC H T
Jeanneau 60 FROM $1,279,800
FA S T C O M PA N Y
Nautor’s Swan 48 FROM $1,100,000
This updated classic design conceals luxurious accommodations for seven people or more, plus an aft swim platform and a storage area for a small inflatable boat. Nautor’s racing DNA is evident in the twin helm and wedge deck design.
Perfect for entertaining large groups, this yacht features a spacious cockpit equipped with a large overhead that can be opened to let in the sunshine or closed to provide shade. It’s available with up to five staterooms and three bathrooms down below and served by a well-appointed kitchen and dining area accented with leather and oak or teak surfaces.
AN OCEAN ADDR ESS
BENETEAU OCEANIS 46.1 FROM $386,400
With an airy, open layout ideal for entertaining, the cockpit has a fold-down swim platform, twin helms, and seating for eight people. Below, the master stateroom and twin guest cabins enjoy a spacious salon and kitchen. I N S I G H T Nov. 26 – Dec. 2, 2021 67
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