These Are The Global Airlines With The Most Plane Crashes
Before flight was even invented, humans have been fascinated by the vast skies above them, and for obvious reasons. There is inherent marvel in defying something as fundamental as gravity; in quite literally, reaching for the stars.
And from the early days of military use, the aviation industry is now critical to the movement of goods and people around the world.
Nevertheless, there are accidents, and while few and far between, their scale and tragedy tend to leave a big impact on collective psyches. But which airline companies have seen the most number of incidents?
Air France and American Airlines tie for most plane crashes, with 11 each.
Notably two of American’s incidents happened on September 11th, 2001, as did two from United Airlines’ seven crashes.
Note: American Eagle is the brand name of a regional branch of American Airlines. Continental Airlines merged with United in 2012.
China Airlines and Korean Air also tie with nine crashes each, followed by Pakistan International Airlines with eight accidents.
While many plane crashes do not result in fatalities, here are some examples that were particularly deadly:
Air France: In June 2009, Flight 477 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 onboard.
Air China: In May 2002, Flight 611 disintegrated mid-air due to repair faults, killing all 225 onboard.
United Airlines: In Sept 1965, Flight 389 crashed while landing in Salt Lake City, killing 43 of 91 passengers.
Thai Airlines: In Aug 1987, Flight 365 crashed near Phuket, killing all 83 onboard.
The much-covered disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 in 2014 prompted an overhaul of airline regulations and safety measures including better satellite tracking and improved training for crews during emergency situations.
And aside from pilot error, aircraft models themselves can often be the cause of accidents. Two Boeing 737 Max planes crashed in 2018–19, stemming from issues with the model’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System system, a flight control software designed to prevent stalls.
Finally, hostile airspace has also caused aircraft accidents. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 were shot down by Russian separatist forces and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2014 and 2020 respectively.
How Safe is Air Travel?
It is useful to remember however that airlines have suffered a very small number of accidents throughout history. Considering there are tens of millions of flights per year, major crashes are actually extremely rare.
“If you take one flight a day, you would, on average, need to fly every day for 55,000 years before being involved in a fatal crash.”
= ARNOLD BARNETT, PROFESSOR OF STATISTICS AT MIT, VIA ABC NEWS.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. has gone nearly 15 years without a major commercial airline crash, despite the more than 100 million flights and 10 billion passengers since then.
England’s National Health Service (NHS) has banned the use of puberty blockers to treat children with gender dysphoria at the nation’s gender identity clinics, Sky News reported.
Taking a position at odds with the Biden administration, Health Minister Maria Caulfield said:
“We have always been clear that children’s safety and wellbeing is paramount, so we welcome this landmark decision by the NHS. Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion and is in the best interests of the child.”
Puberty blockers block testosterone and estrogen to stop the normal physical changes of puberty such as breast development, facial hair, periods, and voice-deepening. The decision affects anyone under the age of 18 being treated by state-funded NHS. The drugs will now only be available to children as part of clinical research trials.
NHS conducted an independent review of services for children under 18 following the explosion of referrals to England’s Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in the past ten years.
In 2011/2012, there were under 250 referrals to GIDS compared to more than 5,000 in 2021/2022.
GIDS will be forced to close at the end of March and will be replaced by two new NHS services that will open in London and Liverpool in early April.
NHS said children attending these clinics will be seen by experts in neurodiversity, pediatrics and mental health, “resulting in a holistic approach to care.”
Around 5,000 children and young people are currently on the waiting list for referral into the new clinics, with 250 patients expected to be transferred to them when they are open.
Currently there are fewer than 100 children on puberty blockers, who will continue their treatment at Leeds and University College London Hospital.
Puberty blockers can be used to delay the development of physical characteristics which can make someone look male or female, allowing transgender young people to explore their gender identity and weigh up medically transitioning.
Taking them early in puberty may mean less treatment or surgery in the future. However, critics have raised concerns over issues including consent, mental health risks and bone density development.
Massive news!
Children in England will no longer be given puberty blockers!
England’s decision to ban puberty blockers in minors was announced on the 4th annual “Detrans Awareness Day,”which aims to raise awareness about the “unique health care needs” of detransitioners on the “unpopular trip” back from transition. It also highlights how young children like detransitioner Prisha Mosley become lifetime victims of transgender ideology and pseudoscience.
“Experimental drugs with huge harms should never have been given to children in the first place. Finally common sense, scientific fact and medical ethics have triumphed,” TalkTV’s Julia Hartley Brewer said.
Rachel Levine, the transgender U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, has repeatedly insisted that there’s a consensus among medical professionals that “gender-affirming care is medically necessary, safe, and effective.”
By “gender-affirming care,” Levine means cross-sex hormones, puberty blockers, and radical gender reassignment surgeries. Levine said: “There is no argument among medical professionals” that minors’ access to “gender-affirming care” is important and valuable.
The fact that hormonal treatments and puberty blockers have been linked to lower bone density, and infertility in patients, Levine has continued to promote them as “gender-affirming” and “life-saving.”
“Every major medical association agrees: gender-affirming care is life-saving, medically necessary, age-appropriate and a critical tool for health care providers,” Levine declared last year.
Levine argued that attempts to restrict these life-altering drugs among “trans youth” was “costing the lives of young people.”
Biden’s HHS assistant trans secretary Rachel Levine calls child mutilation “necessary.” “Gender-affirming care is medically necessary, safe, and effective for transgender and nonbinary youth.” We have reached the end of civilization. pic.twitter.com/v5XZvttoiL
Ukraine Paramilitary Groups Launch Another Cross-Border Raid Into Russia
On Tuesday Russia said it has “thwarted” another significant attempt at a ground invasion of the Russian border region of Belgorod consisting of Ukraine-backed “sabotage and reconnaissance groups.”
Ukraine-based groups identifying themselves as the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Siberian Battalion posted a message on Telegram acknowledged they launched a raid with an aim to “take our land away from the [Putin] regime, centimeter by centimeter” and additionally urged all Russians to boycott the national presidential election. Another group calling itelf the Russian Volunteer Corps also claimed responsibility.
They claimed to have gained control of a Russian border village. “The settlement of Tyotkino in the Kursk region is entirely under the control of Russian liberation forces,” a statement said.
The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) has responded by saying the ‘terror’ attack was beaten back. “Around 3:00 a.m. Moscow time, after intense shelling of civilian structures, Ukrainian terrorist groups, using tanks and armored vehicles, attempted to invade the territory of the Russian Federation,” the MoD wrote. “All the attacks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces were repelled by the selfless actions of the Russian military. The enemy was hit by aircraft, rocket troops and artillery,” the statement added.
According to CNN’s description of the groups involved in the assault:
The group, comprising a few hundred battle-hardened, anti-Kremlin Russian volunteers fighting as part of Ukraine’s armed forces, also said it had destroyed an armored personnel carrier inside Russia.
A separate pro-Ukrainian group of Russian fighters, the Siberian Battalion, wrote Tuesday on Telegram: “Well, we’re home at last. As promised, we are bringing freedom and justice to our Russian land.”
So in essence this was an attempted incursion by units of Ukraine’s national military, and not for the first time. Last year there were several such cross-border raids by some of the same groups, with the biggest happening on May 22, 2023.
At that time it was the largest such cross-border ground incursion, and even involved anti-Kremlin fighters utilizing American equipment including Humvees. Washington at the time distanced itself from the attack which briefly resulted in the pro-Ukraine groups holding territory and causing Russian civilians to flee.
As for this fresh Tuesday attack, Russia’s military further described that five tanks were “eliminated” in Nekhoteevka and Spodariushino, along with a personnel carrier. The MoD also said Russian forces killed 60 Ukrainian soldiers near Odnorobovka who were attempting to cross into Russia.
Russian state media released footage of what it described as a failed attempt to attack Russian territory…
❗️The Russian Ministry of Defense published footage of destroyed equipment of Ukrainian sabotage groups near Nekhoteyevka (Russia’s Belgorod region). pic.twitter.com/OM0odqbAIN
Like with prior cross-border ground incursions, this seems a desperate act meant to generate headlines, likely with an aim of Kiev showing the West it is still “in the fight” and not yet defeated.
President Zelensky has been desperately trying to attract more weaponry and funding from a reluctant West. He’s been up against an avalanche of inconvenient mainstream media reporting and acknowledgement that Ukraine forces are being steadily beaten back.
Meanwhile, Russia on Tuesday is touting that it has taken out a US-produced HIMARS multiple rocket launcher. While a precise location for the alleged strike wasn’t given, Russian media released video…
The White House has been trying to signal it won’t back down from backing Kiev, and has newly announced it is sending Ukraine $300 million more in immediate aid for ‘pressing’ needs.
At a moment the House has continued to block the much larger billions Biden has sought, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced Tuesday, “Today, on behalf of President Biden, I’m announcing an emergency package of security assistance and $300 billion worth of weapons and equipment to address some of Ukraine’s pressing needs.”
On Monday evening, the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) decided whether to refer the European Commission to the Court of Justice of the European Union for unblocking previously frozen funds for Hungary.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen smiles before the start of the EPP Congress in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, March 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
The result of the committee’s vote was a recommendation that the case be referred to the EU’s top court. However, the decision to do so must be ratified by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
Should Metsola not agree with the proposal, it will go to the Conference of Presidents, i.e., the leaders of the parliament’s political groups.
However, this means that a delicate situation would arise within the European People’s Party (EPP), which has become increasingly entrenched in the liberal mainstream over the past few years. During the campaign period, it was up to the EPP president to decide whether the institution led by the EPP’s top candidate, Ursula von der Leyen, should be brought before the courts.
Fidesz MEP Ernő Schaller-Baross told Magyar Nemzet the situation was becoming farcical.
“What the European Parliament is doing is nonsense from a legal point of view, since it is nothing more than a case of going to the European Court of Justice to legally impose its own political demands, without regard for legal limits.
“It expects the Court of Justice to annul the Commission’s decision on the EU funds due to Hungary because it did not take sufficient account of the parliament’s political arguments,” he said.
Putting the developments into context, the MEP added that the dangers of the disempowerment of democracy and politics, as well as the political bias in the functioning of the EU that filters into legal procedures, are dangerous.
“It is telling that the European Parliament’s Legal Service is unable or does not dare to give an opinion on the legal action, as there is no legal basis for such a lawsuit, which clearly shows that it is a political dispute,” he added.
Schaller-Baross said that the upcoming EU elections will be an opportunity for the electorate to voice its demand for a better democracy: “With less than a hundred days to go until the European elections, European voters will have their say on the functioning of the EU institutions in the spirit of their demand for a better democracy. Change is needed in Brussels. We hope that political forces that want to build a Europe of nations and respect our EU treaties will win a majority in the EP elections in June.”
Initial Aid Ship Departs Cyprus To Gaza, But There’s No Clear Unloading Plan
At a moment the White House is openly clashing with Israel over Gaza policy, there have been rapid developments regarding the risky venture of shipping humanitarian aid by sea to the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and its over 2 million residents.
On Tuesday the Spanish NGO ‘Open Arms’ has sent the first chartered ship loaded with 200 tons of humanitarian aid toward the Strip. It set sail from Larnaca, Cyprus on a voyage of some 370km. The group said on X, “the maritime humanitarian corridor to the Strip is opened, in a highly complex mission that we trust will be the first of many.”
The mission is happening under the aegis of an EU humanitarian corridor at a moment Palestinians are facing famine conditions in the Gaza Strip. Open Arms is also partnering with the World Central Kitchen.
Open Arms spokeswoman Laura Lanuza said the aid ship contains “mainly water and food: rice, pasta, flour, canned food, tins of tuna … Basic necessities.” She described that “When we first arrived in Cyprus, we thought it would be mission impossible.”
The government of Cyprus has been key in setting up the EU maritime aid corridor. “Our goal is to establish a maritime highway of boats and barges stocked with millions of meals continuously headed towards Gaza,” a statement by the World Central Kitchen said. The initiative is funded in part by the UAE.
At this early stage the needed infrastructure for offloading the aid supplies is still very much in question…
.@WCKitchen “Operation Safeena”, (boat,vessel) on its way! First trip to the shores of Gaza, learning. At the same time as @openarms_fund is moving, construction of the Jetty is well underway….we may fail, but the biggest failure will be not trying! Thank you to all that made it… pic.twitter.com/vKavoczEJN
Israel has approved the idea of the maritime corridor so long as vessels undergo the proper security checks, which Tel Aviv is coordinating with Cypriot authorities on implementing.
But even as the Open Arms vessel which is towing a barge loaded flour, rice and protein makes its way toward Gaza for the expected at least two-day trip, international reports say there’s as yet“no clear unloading plan”.
“Once the barge nears Gaza, two smaller vessels will tow it to the jetty being built by WCK, which operates 65 kitchens across the territory,” writes Canadian broadcaster CBC. “The organization plans to distribute the food in northern Gaza.”
A separate but parallel effort is underway by the Pentagon upon Biden administration orders. A US support and logistics ship, the General Frank S Besson, departed a naval base in Virginia on Saturday.
It is carrying equipment for US soldiers to construct a large temporary pier off Gaza’s coast to transport food from ships, with the plan being for Israel to provide security.
US officials have predicted that the project could take up to 60 days before the pier is up and running. Some 1,000 US troops working from aboard naval vessels in the Mediterranean will construct the pier.
Russia’s defense industry is turning out nearly three times more artillery shells than its American and European counterparts, according to a NATO intelligence report obtained by CNN. Western powers have scrambled to ramp up production as Ukrainian troops face dire ammunition shortages.
While the US and Europe have the capacity to produce a combined 1.2 million shells annually, Russia’s output has now reached 3 million, the NATO estimate said. Though Washington aims to boost production to 100,000 155mm shells each month by 2025 – up from just 28,000 last September – that target can only be met with a resumption of American aid to Kiev, and would still put US output at less than half of Moscow’s.
According to US officials, Russia is burning through around 10,000 shells per day, vastly outgunning Ukraine’s daily average of just 2,000. The Estonian Defense Ministry has estimated that Kiev would need 200,000 rounds every month to match Russia’s firepower.
The European Union has also raced to step up shell production to help close the gap, pledging last year to provide 1 million shells by March. However, the bloc later acknowledged it would fall short of that goal by half, estimating it would supply a little over 500,000 by the deadline.
Though Europe’s production capacity has lagged to meet Ukraine’s needs, a group of Western states has reportedly agreed to purchase 800,000 artillery shells that could be “delivered within weeks,” according to Bloomberg. The Czech Republic would act as a middleman in the deal, while Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and the Netherlands are expected to foot the bill.
Persistent ammo shortages likely help to explain recent battlefield setbacks for Ukrainian forces, including a withdrawal from the key Donbass city of Avdeevka, as well as a lackluster summer counteroffensive which failed to make significant gains.
Though the United States has supplied Kiev with more than 2 million 155mm rounds and a vast array of other munitions since 2022, American military assistance has largely dried up thanks to congressional gridlock over the latest aid bill. Part of a larger spending package that would supply arms to Israel and other US partners, $60 billion for Ukraine remains blocked by House Republicans, who have demanded reforms to US border policy before approving additional aid.
The Pentagon announced that it had run out of money for Ukraine last December, while a senior defense official recently told Politico that Washington is already $10 billion in the hole, unable to backfill US stocks unless the new aid bill is passed.
With the Russo-Ukrainian war now in its third year, Kiev’s prospects appear increasingly bleak as its troops beat fighting retreats across a vast front line, incurring heavy losses in the process. Almost entirely reliant on foreign largesse, the country’s fate is likely to be decided in Western capitals, where public support for continued aid has declined significantly since the start of the conflict.
Trump vs. Biden Rematch Virtually Assured After Former President Becomes Presumptive GOP Nominee
To no one’s surprise, former President Donald Trump became the presumptive GOP nominee after making a clean sweet of three more Republican presidential primaries – Georgia, Mississippi and Washington.
While it’s not technically a done deal just yet – between the three states there are 142 delegates, of which Trump needed 137 to secure a majority within his party, and an overall count of 1,215, and positioning him to become the Republican party’s presidential nominee once a vote is held at the convention in Milwaukee.
President Biden, meanwhile, cleared his party’s 1,968-delegate threshold earlier in the evening after AP projected him to win Georgia.
Nikki Haley, the longest-lasting Trump challenger for the GOP nomination, secured 94 delegates, while Ron DeSantis scored 9 and Vivek Ramaswamy had 3.
As the Epoch Times notes, things may get exciting in a few months.
On the streets of Chicago, Illinois, which will host the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19–22, stickers labeling President Biden a “terrorist” are a foreshadowing of protests that could rock that event, barring a ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration or similar policy moves.
Yet, the forces arrayed against President Biden do not amount to a serious challenge within his own party, at least not when it comes to racking up delegates.
In Mississippi’s Democratic primary, 35 delegates were at stake, while contests in Georgia and Washington had 108 and 92 up for grabs, respectively.
Going into March 12, President Biden had a total of 1,872 delegates, 96 short of the 1,968 required to have a majority of delegates to the DNC.
That meant he needed less than half the 235 delegates in play in the Democratic races taking place across the country on March 12.
On both the left and right, speculation has persisted that President Biden will be replaced by another candidate.
“Gavin Newsom is doing everything he can to position himself as the Democratic Party’s presidential heir-apparent should Biden, in the face of daunting poll numbers, step aside later in the election season—or, alternatively, come the 2028 electoral cycle,” wrote The Nation, a left-leaning periodical, in a March 9 post on X.
On March 7, Roger Stone posted his prediction on X: “Joe Biden will be replaced as the Democratic nominee. In fact, he will withdraw shortly before the convention.”
“Never has our future been more unpredictable, never have we depended so much on political forces that cannot be trusted to follow the rules of common sense and self-interest—forces that look like sheer insanity, if judged by the standards of other centuries.”
This is the state of our nation that no is talking about—not the politicians, not the courts, and not Congress: the government’s power grabs are growing bolder, while the rights of the citizenry continue to be trampled underfoot.
Hitler is hiding in the shadows, while the citizenry—the only ones powerful enough to stem the authoritarian tide that threatens to lay siege to our constitutional republic—remain easily distracted and conveniently diverted by political theatrics and news cycles that change every few days.
This sorry truth has persisted no matter which party has controlled Congress or the White House.
These are dangerous times.
Yet while the presidential candidates talk at length about the dangers posed by the opposition party, the U.S. government still poses the gravest threat to our freedoms and way of life.
Police shootings of unarmed individuals, invasive surveillance, roadside blood draws, roadside strip searches, SWAT team raids gone awry, the military industrial complex’s costly wars, pork barrel spending, pre-crime laws, civil asset forfeiture, fusion centers, militarization, armed drones, smart policing carried out by AI robots, courts that march in lockstep with the police state, schools that function as indoctrination centers, bureaucrats that keep the Deep State in power: these are just a few of the ways in which the police state continues to flex its muscles in a show of force intended to intimidate anyone still clinging to the antiquated notion that the government answers to “we the people.”
Consider for yourself the state of our nation:
Americans have little protection against police abuse. The police and other government agents have been generally empowered to probe, poke, pinch, taser, search, seize, strip and generally manhandle anyone they see fit in almost any circumstance, all with the general blessing of the courts. It is no longer unusual to hear about incidents in which police shoot unarmed individuals first and ask questions later. What is increasingly common, however, is the news that the officers involved in these incidents get off with little more than a slap on the hands.
Americans are little more than pocketbooks to fund the police state. If there is any absolute maxim by which the federal government seems to operate, it is that the American taxpayer always gets ripped off. This is true, whether you’re talking about taxpayers being forced to fund high-priced weaponry that will be used against us, endless wars that do little for our safety or our freedoms, or bloated government agencies with their secret budgets, covert agendas and clandestine activities.
Americans are no longer innocent until proven guilty. We once operated under the assumption that you were innocent until proven guilty. Due in large part to rapid advances in technology and a heightened surveillance culture, the burden of proof has been shifted so that the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty has been usurped by a new norm in which all citizens are suspects. Indeed, the government—in cahoots with the corporate state—has erected the ultimate suspect society. In such an environment, we are all potentially guilty of some wrongdoing or other.
Americans no longer have a right to self-defense. While the courts continue to disagree over the exact nature of the rights protected by the Second Amendment, the government itself has made its position extremely clear. When it comes to gun rights in particular, and the rights of the citizenry overall, the U.S. government has adopted a “do what I say, not what I do” mindset. Nowhere is this double standard more evident than in the government’s attempts to arm itself to the teeth, all the while viewing as suspect anyone who dares to legally own a gun, let alone use one in self-defense. Indeed, while it still technically remains legal to own a firearm in America, possessing one can now get you pulled over, searched, arrested, subjected to all manner of surveillance, treated as a suspect without ever having committed a crime, shot at, and killed.
Americans no longer have a right to private property. If government agents can invade your home, break down your doors, kill your dog, damage your furnishings and terrorize your family, your property is no longer private and secure—it belongs to the government. Likewise, if government officials can fine and arrest you for growing vegetables in your front yard, praying with friends in your living room, installing solar panels on your roof, and raising chickens in your backyard, you’re no longer the owner of your property.
Americans no longer have a say about what their children are exposed to in school. Incredibly, the government continues to insist that parents essentially forfeit their rights when they send their children to a public school. This growing tension over whether young people, especially those in the public schools, are essentially wards of the state, to do with as government officials deem appropriate, in defiance of the children’s constitutional rights and those of their parents, is at the heart of almost every debate over educational programming, school discipline, and the extent to which parents have any say over their children’s wellbeing in and out of school.
Americans are powerless in the face of militarized police forces. With local police agencies acquiring military-grade weaponry, training and equipment better suited for the battlefield, Americans are finding their once-peaceful communities transformed into military outposts patrolled by a standing military army.
Americans no longer have a right to bodily integrity. The debate over bodily integrity covers broad territory, ranging from abortion and euthanasia to forced blood draws, biometric surveillance and basic healthcare. Forced vaccinations, forced cavity searches, forced colonoscopies, forced blood draws, forced breath-alcohol tests, forced DNA extractions, forced eye scans, forced inclusion in biometric databases: these are just a few ways in which Americans continue to be reminded that we have no control over what happens to our bodies during an encounter with government officials.
Americans no longer have a right to the expectation of privacy. Despite the staggering number of revelations about government spying on Americans’ phone calls, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets, Google searches, emails, bookstore and grocery purchases, bank statements, commuter toll records, etc., Congress, the president and the courts have done little to nothing to counteract these abuses. Instead, they seem determined to accustom us to life in this electronic concentration camp.
Americans no longer have a representative government. We have moved beyond the era of representative government and entered the age of authoritarianism, where all citizens are suspects, security trumps freedom, and so-called elected officials represent the interests of the corporate power elite. This topsy-turvy travesty of law and government has become America’s new normal.
Americans can no longer rely on the courts to mete out justice. The U.S. Supreme Court was intended to be an institution established to intervene and protect the people against the government and its agents when they overstep their bounds. Yet through their deference to police power, preference for security over freedom, and evisceration of our most basic rights for the sake of order and expediency, the justices of the Supreme Court have become the architects of the American police state in which we now live, while the lower courts have appointed themselves courts of order, concerned primarily with advancing the government’s agenda, no matter how unjust or illegal.
I haven’t even touched on the corporate state, the military industrial complex, SWAT team raids, invasive surveillance technology, zero tolerance policies in the schools, overcriminalization, or privatized prisons, to name just a few, but what I have touched on should be enough to show that the landscape of our freedoms has already changed dramatically from what it once was and will no doubt continue to deteriorate unless Americans can find a way to wrest back control of their government and reclaim their freedoms.
This steady slide towards tyranny, meted out by militarized local and federal police and legalistic bureaucrats, has been carried forward by each successive president over the past seventy-plus years regardless of their political affiliation.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
We are walking a dangerous path right now.
Having allowed the government to expand and exceed our reach, we find ourselves on the losing end of a tug-of-war over control of our country and our lives. And for as long as we let them, government officials will continue to trample on our rights, always justifying their actions as being for the good of the people.
Yet the government can only go as far as “we the people” allow. Therein lies the problem.
The pickle we find ourselves in speaks volumes about the nature of the government beast we have been saddled with and how it views the rights and sovereignty of “we the people.”
Now you don’t hear a lot about sovereignty anymore. Sovereignty is a dusty, antiquated term that harkens back to an age when kings and emperors ruled with absolute power over a populace that had no rights. Americans turned the idea of sovereignty on its head when they declared their independence from Great Britain and rejected the absolute authority of King George III. In doing so, Americans claimed for themselves the right to self-government and established themselves as the ultimate authority and power.
In other words, in America, “we the people”— sovereign citizens—call the shots.
So when the government acts, it is supposed to do so at our bidding and on our behalf, because we are the rulers.
That’s not exactly how it turned out, though, is it?
In the 200-plus years since we boldly embarked on this experiment in self-government, we have been steadily losing ground to the government’s brazen power grabs, foisted upon us in the so-called name of national security.
We have relinquished control over the most intimate aspects of our lives to government officials who, while they may occupy seats of authority, are neither wiser, smarter, more in tune with our needs, more knowledgeable about our problems, nor more aware of what is really in our best interests.
The government has knocked us off our rightful throne. It has usurped our rightful authority. It has staged the ultimate coup. Its agents no longer even pretend that they answer to “we the people.”
Worst of all, “we the people” have become desensitized to this constant undermining of our freedoms.
How do we reconcile the Founders’ vision of the government as an entity whose only purpose is to serve the people with the police state’s insistence that the government is the supreme authority, that its power trumps that of the people themselves, and that it may exercise that power in any way it sees fit (that includes government agents crashing through doors, mass arrests, ethnic cleansing, racial profiling, indefinite detentions without due process, and internment camps)?
They cannot be reconciled. They are polar opposites.
We are fast approaching a moment of reckoning where we will be forced to choose between the vision of what America was intended to be (a model for self-governance where power is vested in the people) and the reality of what it has become (a police state where power is vested in the government).
We are repeating the mistakes of history—namely, allowing a totalitarian state to reign over us.
Former concentration camp inmate Hannah Arendt warned against this when she wrote:
“No matter what the specifically national tradition or the particular spiritual source of its ideology, totalitarian government always transformed classes into masses, supplanted the party system, not by one-party dictatorships, but by mass movement, shifted the center of power from the army to the police, and established a foreign policy openly directed toward world domination.”
So where does that leave us?
Aldous Huxley predicted that eventually the government would find a way of “making people love their servitude, and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies, so that people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them, but will rather enjoy it, because they will be distracted from any desire to rebel by propaganda or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems to be the final revolution.”
It’s that time of year when spring breakers invade Miami Beach, marking the first high-impact weekend of this month. Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies are increasing their security presence across South Florida as the parties are expected to continue for several weeks.
X user “Joel Franco” posted a video of the traffic coming into South Breach on Friday evening. He said license plate readers were placed along the highway, and traffic lanes were condensed into one.
License Plate Readers on EB MacArthur Causeway scanning each car coming into South Beach. Only one lane getting by so expect major delays #SpringBreakpic.twitter.com/EWjQjZwXje
Last week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he was increasing the number of troopers throughout the Sunshine State ahead of Spring Break.
“Florida is a very welcoming state. We welcome people to come and have a good time. What we don’t welcome is criminal activity. What we don’t welcome is mayhem and people that want to wreak havoc on our communities,” DeSantis told reporters Tuesday.
He said, “Make no mistake about it: If you’re coming here in order to enjoy Florida and have a good time, fine. If you’re coming for these other reasons, if you’re committing crimes, causing havoc, you are going to pay the price and we will hold you accountable.”
BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis is deploying law enforcement officers, drones, license readers and more across the state and in Miami to guard against spring break chaos
“That is not gonna fly in the Sunshine State […] We stand by ready to support even more.” pic.twitter.com/cP9qWYAZkz
With a history as rich as its mineral content, shilajit offers a glimpse into nature’s pharmacy, offering benefits from enhanced fertility to increased energy. As science begins to unravel the mysteries of this ancient elixir, questions arise about its efficacy and potential as a natural health solution.
High in the Himalayas, shilajit seeps from the rocks, a tar-like byproduct of centuries-old decomposed plant matter. With a composition rich in minerals, fulvic acid, and humic acids, it occupies a revered spot in Ayurvedic medicine as a “Rasayana,” aimed at promoting longevity and revitalizing the body and mind.
Ayurvedic doctor Sruthi Bhat praised shilajit for its broad spectrum of health benefits, telling The Epoch Times, “The unique composition of shilajit provides a plethora of health benefits.” According to Ms. Bhat, shilajit supports cardiovascular health, aids digestion, and balances hormones, among other benefits. “Shilajit serves as a versatile tonic for overall health and well-being, targeting multiple systems of the body to promote vitality and resilience,” she shared.
Scientific scrutiny supports these claims, revealing shilajit’s composition to be incredibly diverse, with over 85 minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients. Fulvic acid, a key component of shilajit, is noted for its ability to improve nutrient absorption, elevate energy levels, and facilitate the body’s detoxification. Fulvic acid is critical in transporting nutrients into the cells and expelling toxins, significantly enhancing energy and overall health.
Shilajit, also called salajit, shilajatu, mumie, mineral pitch, and mummiyo, is sourced from diverse locations such as India, Nepal, Russia, and Chile. Research suggests that its health benefits differ based on the geographical origin of the substance.
Dubbed the “destroyer of weakness,” shilajit is prominent in many cultures. According to an ancient Ayurvedic text, the Cha raka Samhita, “There is no curable disease in the universe that is not effectively curable by shilajit, when administered at the appropriate time, adopting the prescribed method.”
Ayurveda’s Golden Elixir for Modern Wellness
In Ayurvedic tradition, shilajit is classified into four types: svarna (gold), rajat (silver), tamra (copper), and loh (iron), each valued for specific therapeutic benefits. Gold shilajit, known for its rejuvenating effects, is especially esteemed. “This form of shilajit is believed to promote vitality, longevity, and overall well-being by balancing the doshas and stimulating cellular regeneration,” Ms. Bhat notes.
According to Ayurvedic principles, the various forms of shilajit target distinct health issues. Silver shilajit is used for its cooling effects, while copper shilajit is favored for its warming properties that boost vitality and metabolism. Iron shilajit is credited with grounding and is often recommended for fighting fatigue and improving endurance.
Ancient Ayurvedic methodologies emphasize the critical role of purifying shilajit. It undergoes extensive purification to remove contaminants, such as heavy metals, and to enhance its therapeutic effects. Dr. Bhat points out, “Purification of shilajit stands as a pivotal step before its medicinal use.” A common purification process for shilajit includes heating it in an herbal decoction called triphala or in cow’s urine, then filtering and drying the mixture.
“Shilajit can be administered with various anupanas (carriers) to enhance its therapeutic effects,” explains Ms. Bhat. These carriers may include milk, ghee, and or honey.
Six Potential Benefits of Shilajit
Although shilajit has been a staple in traditional medicine for centuries, modern science is just beginning to explore its reported health advantages. Beyond its potential to address cancer, cardiovascular disease, and insomnia, shilajit is also making strides in these six key areas:
1. Enhances Energy and Athletic Performance
Shilajit is making waves for its ability to bolster physical and mental energy. The secret lies in its capacity to enhance mitochondrial efficiency, essentially turbocharging the body’s cellular engines.
Shilajit’s active components optimize mitochondrial function, enabling a more effective conversion of nutrients into energy. When combined with CoQ10, an antioxidant found naturally in the body, shilajit may significantly enhance stamina and endurance.
Sidney Stohs, who holds a doctorate in biochemistry, highlights in his research, “Animal and human data support its use as a ‘revitalizer,’ enhancing physical performance and relieving fatigue with enhanced production of ATP.”
Athletes and individuals enduring fatigue have noticed as evidence mounts in favor of shilajit’s role in enhancing physical performance and tackling conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome.
A study with 63 participants demonstrated that consuming 500 mg of shilajit daily for eight weeks can significantly help maintain muscle strength after exertion and minimize tissue damage, highlighting its importance as a supplement for energy enhancement and recovery.
2. Improves Brain Health
Research suggests shilajit could play a role in supporting brain health. Studies indicate that fulvic acid in shilajit may help prevent the buildup of tau protein, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s that leads to brain cell degeneration.
Additional research supports the broader cognitive advantages of shilajit, particularly when used alongside other nutritional supplements or dietary measures. Notably, a study showed that when paired with a vitamin B complex, shilajit might benefit individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Reduces Bone Loss
Shilajit is being explored for its potential benefits in bone health, particularly among postmenopausal women. Recent scientific research suggests that shilajit extract could play a significant role in maintaining bone mineral density, offering hope for those at risk of osteoporosis.
In a detailed study involving sixty women aged 45 to 65, findings indicated that daily doses of 250 milligrams (mg) and 500 mg of shilajit extract significantly preserved bone mineral density over 48 weeks. The study’s authors attribute this effect to shilajit’s rich antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and collagen-enhancing properties, which may help offset increased bone turnover and oxidative stress associated with estrogen deficiency.
4. Boosts Fertility
Shilajit has the potential to influence hormonal balance and enhance fertility. In a comprehensive study, men aged 45 to 55 who took 250 mg of purified shilajit twice daily for three months saw a remarkable increase in both total and free testosterone, along with dehydroepiandrosterone levels, outperforming those on a placebo.
Further research has underscored shilajit’s effectiveness in improving sperm quality, particularly for those with low sperm counts. Taking 100 mg of shilajit twice a day led to significant enhancements in sperm movement and a 61.4 percent rise in overall sperm count, with a notable 18.9 percent increase in healthy sperm. Moreover, this treatment reduced oxidative stress in semen and boosted blood testosterone levels by about 25 percent.
Shilajit’s fertility-enhancing properties are not limited to men. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman has noted shilajit’s ability to increase follicle-stimulating hormone, which is essential for egg development, suggesting its broad applicability in fertility treatments. Shilajit is “pro-fertile,” Mr. Huberman stated in a YouTube video titled “Ashwagandha & Shilajit Benefits, Huberman Lab Podcast.”
Beyond aiding in egg growth, shilajit also boosts libido and supports reproductive health, making it a promising natural supplement for those looking to increase their chances of conception.
5. Irons Out Anemia
Thanks to its rich mineral content, shilajit may combat anemia. Animal studies have revealed its capability to raise hemoglobin levels and augment red blood cell counts—essential indicators of blood health. These outcomes are notably relevant given widespread iron deficiency anemia and the quest for natural remedies.
The fulvic acid in shilajit has been found in a study on rats to enhance the body’s ability to absorb and utilize iron, addressing the root cause of anemia by ensuring that iron intake translates into tangible improvements in blood health. Shilajit shows promise as an effective supplement in managing anemia by increasing iron levels and its uptake. Yet, further research is necessary to fully establish its benefits for human anemia treatment.
6. High-Altitude Ally
Known in Sanskrit as the “conqueror of mountains,” Shilajit lives up to its name by aiding those navigating the challenges of high altitudes. This natural substance is celebrated for its ability to address a range of health issues common to mountain explorers.
Research points to shilajit’s effectiveness in fighting altitude sickness, with symptoms such as hypoxia, fatigue, and insomnia being alleviated by its rich fulvic acid and mineral content. These components enhance the transport of nutrients and energy production while bolstering the immune system. Its adaptogenic qualities enable faster acclimatization to high altitudes.
Integrating Shilajit Into Your Health Regimen
In the crowded wellness market, finding authentic shilajit is like searching for a gem among stones. Its promise of natural health benefits makes it a sought-after remedy, yet the risk of counterfeit products means buyers must navigate with caution.
“Authenticity and quality are vital factors to consider,” asserts Ms. Bhat, underscoring the importance of selecting genuine shilajit. Unlike its liquid or pill counterparts, true shilajit is a resin, representing the most potent form of its health-enhancing properties. This natural resin transforms in warmth, becoming pliable and sticky, and dissolves into a golden or reddish hue in warm liquids.
Yet, acquiring shilajit is just the beginning. Integrating it into a daily health regimen requires knowledge and care, especially since it lacks U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval and established dosing guidelines. “Start with small dosages and gradually increase intake,” Ms. Bhat recommends, to allow the body to adjust without adverse reactions. Clinical trials often suggest a daily intake of 200 to 500 mg, divided into two doses, though individual preferences may vary due to its distinctive taste.
Mindfulness in its use is key, particularly for those with pre-existing conditions or those taking other medications. “Consulting a health care professional before commencing any new supplement regimen is paramount,” Ms. Bhat advises, highlighting the need for personalized guidance—especially for pregnant women or individuals with specific health concerns.
As research into shilajit’s efficacy and safety progresses, its potential for improving well-being gains recognition. However, fully integrating this age-old remedy into modern health practices remains a work in progress, calling for further investigation.
