Posted originally on CTH on August 11, 2026 | Sundance

What is surfacing now, five years later, is a stronger understanding of just how the establishment medical complex determined the safety and efficacy protocols of the COVID-19 vaccination.  They had theories, they had speculation, they had scientific discussion; but ultimately, they did not know to what extent the vaccine was safe – and statistically it wasn’t safe.

Looking back on recent history, the COVID experience stands out. The lessons from observing the government’s response, and how people reacted to it, have influenced our perspective on many topics related to liberty and freedom.

I turn to faith, read the gospel and recognize in more than a few ways the COVID experience was a generational test.

It is generally accepted that somewhere around 60 to 70% of Americans accepted the COVID vaccine, although a great many of those who took the vaccine did so under tremendous pressure, essentially under duress and without fully informed consent.

There really was no way to apply “informed consent” to the process because the ‘information’ that should have supported the consent was skewed, shaped and in many instances intentionally manipulated.  Again, the pressure for compliance to the process was extreme; beyond extreme.  I said at the time we had never seen such a pressure campaign on any topic or issue as aggressively oppressive as we endured during two-years of COVID vaccination compliance pressure.

I do not fault anyone who took the vaccine.  In fact, I hold great empathy toward those who now live with the hindsight question of their life potentially being shortened.  Everyone has been impacted by this medical experiment and the subsequent sociological implications in the aftermath.

A few days ago, a person wanted to discuss Dr Anthony Fauci’s testimony with me. I never bring up the subject of the COVID vaccine; not ever in personal discussion.  However, if it is brought up to me, I will engage carefully, honestly and with empathy.  I was asked about Fauci taking the fifth amendment and his previous grant of immunity by Joe Biden.

My response was short, purposeful and direct.  Why would Anthony Fauci need criminal immunity?  A lengthy reframing of the question resulted from my friend, who essentially then repeated it.  Again, I responded, “why would any agent of the United States govt even begin a thought process that immunity for criminal activity would be needed?”

Silently, inside my mind I wonder if perhaps I’ve spent too much time learning about the way Russian people think. They are like American mid-westerners of old; the questions are much shorter and more direct; there is no pretense.

Why did Fauci need immunity?  Why indeed.  Someone knew something, eh?

That sense, the one we all carry that alerts us when something just doesn’t add up, doesn’t sit right, doesn’t reconcile unless we pretend something else exists in the sentence to explain the stuff that doesn’t reconcile.  The stuff inside the sentence we create in order to explain or justify is the nonexistent stuff, the pretending stuff.  Take the pretending out of the thought, and suddenly you know the answer.  [Again, now you are thinking like a Russian.]

We are in an abusive relationship with government.  The COVID-19 experience created a shortcut to show us just how extensive and abusive that relationship is.  How many Americans have physically been harmed in this example, and how many millions more are suffering the downstream consequences of continued codependent denial.

COVID-19 was the embodiment of the truism: “when push comes to shove.”

How far are you willing to go -what pain are you willing to suffer through- to retain your definition of liberty, freedom and sovereign control.  Is there a price? The COVID-19 experience gave us all the uncomfortable answers….. and now the discussion necessarily gets quiet in mixed company.

Many people are angry.  Many people have every emotional right to be angry.  The scale of vaccine compliance suffering runs the gambit from collapsed friendships to lost jobs, broken marriages, to painful isolation and yes, to death itself.

There is no way to measure cold anger at a scale not entirely visible.

Several years ago, CTH said to gently avoid touching the sensitive nerve of those vaccinated, there is no way for them to retreat from the decision.  Done is done.

Genuine human empathy must be applied generously, while simultaneously a pragmatic perspective must be maintained.

Each person can define and judge but choosing to express that judgement is a different matter entirely.  Remember, for the vaccinated all discussion is zero-sum.

As the revelations about the vaccine administrators, their thoughts, their severely compromised and corrupt activity continues to surface, it is worthwhile reminding ourselves that some people need to retain cognitive denial in order to avoid seeing the vaccinated person in the mirror.

The credibility of all U.S. government institutions has collapsed; all of them.

Let me repeat.  When you stop pretending you accept the credibility of all U.S. government institutions has collapsed in our lifetime.  The only people left covering for this collapse are those who need to retain the illusion of institutional credibility.

The Food and Drug Administration permits toxic chemicals in food and is controlled by Big Rx.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is controlled by Big Ag.

The corporate media are controlled by their corporate advertisers.

Manage your personal affairs accordingly.

We may not live there, but we are all Russians now.