Today I walked in to my local grocery store to pick up 3 things, literally. I looked in the usual place for a basket, because a cart for 3 items would be unnecessary. The baskets were not in the usual spot, so I looked around at the foot of the registers. Nothing. I gave up, picked up the things I needed and headed to the cash. I hear a guy over at the cashier adjacent to me say "because of this covid, you've eliminated baskets?!". I then queried the kid at the register and, exasperated she says "yeah, I don't know why the management did that". She clearly heard it all day.
As I was leaving, a sheet of paper stuck to the door read "NO MORE BASKETS, USE THE CARTS. THANK YOU (sorry for the inconvenience. It's for your safety). The illogical ridiculousness behind this flu is mind numbing. And it's the inane stuff. How on earth is holding a basket and holding the cart rail any different?!
It's all a matter about control! As inane and illogical this act is, the store manager has taken my right away of knowing what is best for me.

North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Russia, soon China are showing what it means to be independent of the US. And this is the reason why the US can't let up. I believe the term is 'sore loser'.
The US is going to be in serious trouble when China drops (further) using the USD. the whole order will collapse. The Sauds will be what they were always meant to be: nothing. That forever victim sucking off the wilfully ignorant American teet will be dust. This will be a welcome to these nations and those who are still allowing the whip to be cracked on them (ahem... EU). And this is what the US is terrified over.
Again: Sore. Loser.

It is truly shameful that Trudeau has become part of this. He's a wimp, who says absolutely nothing nor does anything of value. What a troll. It's becoming harder to be proud of being a Canadian.

"Putin is undoubtedly a ruthless autocrat" - I don't understand some folks. The writer was doing fine until this point. Essentially Putin (or, in future replace Putin with the next perceived bad guy) is not a "killer" but is still bad. What is that. Like saying "sorry I hurt your feelings, but you deserved it". Stay the course. Deviating, or diluting the message is counter productive

I love reading Pepe Escobar. He's getting more scathing as the US gets more ridiculous. Bravo!

The US is doing what it has been doing for over 200 years. The only difference is there are nations no longer going to take it. They quietly made their way, took a path divergent from this bully, bettered themselves and are now giving the US the bird. And it's done tactfully, with integrity and grace. Traits this "exceptional" "extremist" nation has none. When Obama, the honorary white man, used this term "exceptional", it was the beginning of the end of the US.
Good bye. Good riddance. Take that little sh!t entity with you... You know, the one not only occupying Palestine but the world political parties.

Throw off the muzzles. They are a device used in days of slaves to keep the slave fearful of and knowing who the master was. Read your history books.
Understand the words that are used to enforce guilt. Hug your friends, family, strangers because they won't give you a virus (that has a 99.98% survival rate in the healthy) that will cause you or your elderly loved ones to die. Viruses don't kill, poor hygiene and poor health do. Go out and get fresh air, exercise and eat real food!
Don't fall for phrases like "keep safe" or "stay safe" - they meant to control you. Stay safe from what? From whom? These phrases amongst many floating around are meant to cause suspicion of your fellow human being.
Tell those who don't want to get sick to stay indoors all they want. Who don't want to die, to wrap themselves in cling film. Become hermits, human condoms. That's their right and business. What isn't is them to tell everyone to follow suit.
I'm not "in this together" with anyone who will "stay apart to save lives", is OK with the suicides, rise of cancer rates, child abuse, and other acts that are not "keeping safe" the most vulnerable. I'm not "in this together" with those who don't see the skyrocketing homelessness, hunger, evictions, shop closures, mental illnesses, alcohol and drug abuses, all because of the flu!
LONG LIVE RESISTANCE

"It was also very stupid." - no, typical.

As a fellow Canadian, the whole system from Trudeau's appointment of Christia (sp?) Freedland was a sign of things to come. He's a soothsayer, a wolf in sheep's clothing, anything but a humanitarian, his government talks out of both sides of its mouth, and people lap it up. His 'government' is such a disappointment, especially after Harper.
I spent a lot of time in South East Asia before coming back here. The way things are going, I can't wait to leave again.

I loved the hidden smirk on his face. Betcha not a lot of Americans know their own history like a foreign leader, this foreign Russian leader does. Maybe not even the establishment.