Well, some of you will already be aware of where I took that title from. It was coined back in the year dot, when the august and probably sensible, but a bit pompous newspaper The Times was probably a major news provider and recorder of major events. Such were its august comments and pronouncements, so heavy and accurate that some re-christened it “The Thunderer”. Would that it, in the present day guise of last known repute as `Remain Central”, return to its proper mien.
I believe Viv and Independence Daily make a very decent job of analysing and highlighting great issues of the day which are negligently or deliberately missed by the MSM, so I tend to think of ‘our’ journal and its eloquent editor in chief as “The Thunderer” of today. [Note from the E-i-C: Thanks, but alas, it’s more akin to a roaring mouse.]
Just lately an article by a gentleman by the name of Adam Scarborough was published about a subject called ‘Psyops’. To my shame I knew little about it other than it had its origins in battlefields of the past, where commanders wished to mislead the enemy of their intentions and in effect “induce them by psychological or physical means to look the other way”.
We have to thank the North Koreans and maybe their partners in the Korean war, the Chinese, for an extension of these tactics to the person. Who amongst their prisoners of war can forget the gentle (irony) mental pumping that those prisoners endured under the term “Brainwashing”.
Time moves on to the present day and we find there are government departments devoted to what is now termed Psyops, one of which is SPI-B (Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviour), now commonly and perhaps officially referred to as “Nudge Units” (control apparatus). That ‘Nudge’ is not followed by Wink Wink, not even a blink,but something more like a blank stare. They only understand cancellation – meaning you personally, and your silly representations.
You may ask what does all this mean? For an in depth analysis of the whys and wherefores I cannot do better than refer you to Mr.Scarborough’s article (here), but at last our negligent press have woken up. The Daily Telegraph on Saturday 15th May published a comment article by Gordon Rayner, News Editor, on a book about to be published under the title “A State of Fear”, written by Laura Dodsworth. In the words of Laura Dobson it’s about “how the UK government weaponised fear during the Covid-19 pandemic”. The Telegraph itself though published ‘Government guidance’ over the last year, often leaving many in a state of fear and confusion`
Before examining Rayner`s comments in the Telegraph, I would suggest readers might care to read a review of that book, “State of Fear”, by Jon Dobinson. In particular, the review gives the game away as to why the MSM have fallen under government control, see for example the following quote:
“She refers to the questionable role of Ofcom in enforcing a distorted narrative across the broadcast media, citing the guidance issued to broadcasters on 23 March 2020. This says that any report featuring content around Covid-19 which ‘may be harmful’ will be subject to statutory sanction.
As she points out, these comparatively innocuous words in practice force broadcasters to censure a huge amount of critical content, even where it is accurate, especially where it tends to calm fears or reassure people, since fear has been used to maximise compliance with restrictions.
An online search reveals that this was followed by additional Ofcom guidance on 27 March 2020, which is chillingly explicit. For example, it prohibits the broadcasting of ‘medical or other advice which… discourages the audience from following official rules and guidance.’ There’s no ambiguity here. Ofcom is telling broadcasters that they cannot allow informed, expert opinion, no matter how accurate or important, if it conflicts with the official guidance. This is extraordinary.
It gives added bite to her central point: ‘any regulator charged with upholding freedom of expression – as is the case with Ofcom – should proceed to restrict that freedom only on a closely reasoned basis. That is something Ofcom has manifestly failed to do.” (link)
And now to Gordon Rayner in the Telegraph. This ought to be a significant moment or even a catalyst in that a member of the MSM has broken ranks, apparently in contravention of OFCOM requirements of the “omerta” detailed in the quote above. Some salient points from the paper:
Scientists on a committee that encouraged the use of fear to control people’s behaviour during Corona virus have admitted its work is unethical and totalitarian. – They expressed ‘regret’ about the tactics. – SFI-B warned in March 2020 that Ministers needed to increase ‘the perceived level of personal threat’. – ‘A sufficient number of people do not feel sufficiently personally threatened’. – Gavin Morgan, a psychologist on the team, said ‘clearly using fear as a means of control is not ethical. Using fear smacks of totalitarianism, it is not an ethical stance for any modern government’.
One SPI-B Scientist told Dodsworth “The way we have used fear is dystopian. The use of fear has definitely been ethically questionable. It `s like a weird experiment. Ultimately it backfired because people became too scared.” Another SFI-B member said “You could call psychology ‘mind control’, that’s what we do, clearly we try to go about it in a positive way, but it has been used nefariously in the past”.
This is me: “I say! And still it’s being used very nefariously, so much so it’s downright disgusting and probably illegal”!
Another member of the committee warned ‘that people use the pandemic to grab power and drive through things that shouldn’t happen otherwise’ while another said: “Without a vaccine psychology is your main weapon. Psychology has had a really good epidemic actually”.
The government have been accused of feeding the public a non-stop diet of bad news, such as deaths and hospital admissions, without ever putting the figure in context with news of how many people have recovered or whether daily death tolls were above or below seasonal averages.
Again, another SFI-B member said they were “stunned by the weaponisation of behavioural psychology and that psychologists didn’t seem to notice when it stopped being altruistic and became manipulative”.
Steve Baker, deputy chairman of Parliament’s Recovery Group of MPs said “If the State took the decision to terrify the public to get compliance with rules, that raises extremely serious questions about the type of society we want to become.Do I fear that Government policy today is playing into the roots of totalitarianism? Yes of course!”
He can say that last sentence again, but if that is what he does believe, what is he going to do about putting an immediate stop to it? After all he is the government – if he believes we are on a dangerous or illegal path then to do nothing is heinous.
Perhaps he should start with an urgent question for the PM to come to the House and make a statement admitting the truth of these accusations and laying out the government’s plans to reverse the situation. Oh and an apology wouldn’t come amiss, but how you can apologise for all those additional deaths I don’t know!
I believe the appearance of this book “A State of Fear” and the Telegraph’s public acclamation is a catalyst. The rest of the MSM cannot in any conscience ignore the lead they have been given here.
Please carry on Thundering, Viv – somebody is going to follow it up one day!
Photo by Nick Kenrick.. 
Great article Roger.
UK Column were I think the first to draw attention to the psy-op’ing ; they were on to it a year ago. Just as they were the first to be on to Common Purpose I believe.
I hope it gets widespread exposure now. The people behind it all are truly evil and will stop at mothing. . Vernon Coleman is now actually fearing for his life.
I was surprised to hear that the present nightmare was planned to happen in 20-30 years time, not now. But the globalists got greedy and impatient, plus Trump’s election, Brexit and general uprising by the People on the continent got them rattled? But according to Rainer Fuellmilch, their evil plan is not all going to plan, eg the huge numbers of adverse reactions, so there are chinks in their armour. Lets hope we can rthwart them yet.
mary. Glad you have said that about the plan being brought forward because-. I don’t know how or why I got the same idea but I did. Trump, Brexit and continental EU scepticism may well have rattled them.
I agree it is possible we may thwart them.
Also mary. Vernon Coleman has been warning us about all this for many years, hasn’t he. Sebastian Rushworth M.D. is someone who has ‘taken up the baton’ now. He has recently done a post about vaccinations in general, the pros and cons. He actually says the annual flu jabs are of no use and can cause harm!
One way and another I am more and more convinced that there is a ‘great reset global conspiracy’. Also, I’m sure it is not only big pharma behind it but also Big Tech and that aspect is perhaps more difficult to evade.
Roger you have done so much to get this important message across. You drew my attention to the excellent Jon Dobinson review of the book. I hope that now that this subject will become very much more public and people will begin to ask questions. Somehow, I cant see the PM being willing to answer any questions on this subject though. He is essentially cowardly and will shy away from any suggestion that the buck stops with him!
I have now received my copy of the book and it looks like being a very informative work. Let’s hope that the book will creat a tsunami of protest! I wonder how people will feel when they realise how they have been ’played’!
Well not exactly Roger – Steve Baker is not part of the government. He turned down a government ‘job’ because he was AGAINST any DEAL with the EU. He wanted NO DEAL.
I suspect he knows better than either of us how best to get B.J. to change direction over the Covid Scamdemic.
Ha that’s a good one Harrynotagain
“There’s far too much pseudo science …,,,,,,.and fake news around “
‘“ i’ll Say so Harry, where do you think the majority comes from eh?
Yes your pals in the Nudge Units, which just happens to be one of the subjects of my article, so sorry you missed it “
Agree with you there Roger Turner – about the nudge unit – comment at 5.45pm.
Steve Baker, deputy chairman of Parliament’s Recovery Group of MPs said “….. Do I fear that Government policy today is playing into the roots of totalitarianism? Yes of course!”…. (near the end of this article).
Steve, vaccine passports will give your government total power over people here. Anybody’s access to money or food can be cancelled once your government’s vaccine passports come in. Your government’s policy isn’t playing at totalitarianism, it is totalitarian.
Well said Ralph! I think that is exactly what they have in mind! It wouldn’t stop at vaccines though would it? Vaccines are just the vehicle. They would use the totalitarian machine to force us to do anything that they commanded! We would become little more than slaves of the government. No better off than the serfs under the robber barons!
Frederica, I was assuming that once everybody in the UK had a “vaxpass” vaccine passport controlled from a central database, then anybody’s “vaxpass” could be cancelled to deny them access to cashpoints or shops or transport etc.
But you are seeing farther into our future, towards something like China now, where a system of “social credit” controls people’s status through their mobile phones. That may come to be, I’m sure that the ruling cliques in Brussels & Whitehall greatly admire the Chinese government’s “social credit” methods of surveillance & control, and would love to introduce them over here.
Ralph. I am sure that i exactly what they have in mind. If they can cut off our money supply so we cannot even buy the basic necessities unless we capitulate and comply then we will be no better than slaves. Plus it will enable them to ‘steal’ our savings and our houses on the basis that we are dissidents and not ‘worthy’!!!!
Just in case you return to this today (Sunday) I saw this yesterday in a comment on Lockdown Sceptics.
Just a simple thought
Psyops fear campaigns are bullying on a massive scale
There’s laws against bullying aren’t there?
Yes Frederica, cheeky blighters are`nt they?
and dangerous too!!!!!
………and they`re expecting the general public to fall for it, in fact willingly co-operate, walk willingly into the trap of slavery!
Yes they are, I believe a large portion of the population are under some form of hypnosis.
I was talking this evening with someone on the phone trying to explain the reasons behind my writing this article and the ramifications and probable illegality of Psyop fear actions and read out last Saturday`s Telegraph take on the subject,
the answer was roughly ” well they are doing it for our protection and I have nothing to hide anyway” and “can we terminate this section of the conversation” This person has a good Science degree and quite a responsible job.
I know I was labouring the point and had been warned off the subject previously
What hope is there, that we can make any headway in warning the general public of the dangers of this gallop (I was going to say drift) to totalitarianism?
I wrote to him a couple of years ago re the abomination of the EU Arrest Warrant, which is of course totalitarian. I linked one of Torquil Erikson’s articles, so that can’t claim that the issue was not properly explained. But he did not seem to understand (or want to understand?) and merely said we need to cooperate with the EU over criminal justice. He did not seem to realise the need to cooperate without being subjugated by them.
Mary I think they do understand. I think they are all on-board with this and everything else to do with the EU monster. The BREXIT was just a ‘token gesture’! They are no doubt just waiting for the day when they can pronounce that BREXIT was a mistake and it will be better for Britain to re-join!!!
Roger. Interesting read – thank you. Yes, the Telegraph has, to its credit, expressed independent thought on the Covid issue throughout the last year. As for regional papers they are struggling to survive as we know. Some publishers of regional papers have scores of publications in their ownership and with Covid full and double page daily adverts they must be having a revenue bonanza they don’t want to end. Follow the money trail as they say.
I think you’re being generous to the Telegraph, Jake. Have you forgotten the daily Covid deaths tally on the front page, changed seamlessly to ‘cases’ once death totals became unimpressive? The comments usually have more sense in them than the articles – if one is allowed to comment, that is. The Telegraph doesn’t allow comments on contentious subjects, and often removes the comments wholesale if they don’t approve of the content.
The reason covid “cases” did not become deaths is that we did not follow the route of India. where the hospital were overwhelmed. There is far too much pseudo-science and complacency about. Not to mention fake news and the gullible ready to believe it.
The problem these days is that idiots can so easily get a platform on the internet.
xantilor – fair point. There have though been several articles by Alison Pearson, Fraser Nelson and Sheryl Jacob, the science editor (forget the name) and Lord Sumption that have set out the case for lockdown scepticism.