Dakota Beacon

            Stop! No misunderstandings, please! To be clear, a skeptic is NOT someone who imprudently either believes or disbelieves a particular argument. A skeptic IS someone who retains doubts about the adequacy, rationality, reliability, and reporting of evidence justifying a particular assertion.

            As a news source, I find the mainstream media (MSM) irritating and, at times, infuriating. It is neither trustworthy nor reliable. Consequently, questioning their information regarding a topic as significant as COVID-19 comes naturally. Alternative news sources often refute the MSM line pointing out their inaccuracies and biases. Too often, news degenerates into hoopla wanting us to know what isn’t so.

            One evening about a month ago Fox commentator Tucker Carlson featured a guest named Alex Berenson. Berenson is a former New York Times reporter, the author of several thriller novels, a book on the harmful effects of marijuana, and a book on corporate financial filings. Carlson interviewed Berenson about his views as a Covid contrarian and lockdown critic reflected in his booklet “Unreported Truths about Covid-19.”

            During the interview Berenson repeatedly mentioned that Amazon had refused to list his booklet although they had listed all of his several other books. The reason? Berenson’s Covid booklet did not comport with Amazon’s “journalistic standards.” (Take that to mean that Amazon did not like the tact Berenson took in questioning the established Covid narrative.)

            Being the inquisitive person that I am, as well as a skeptic, I logged on to Amazon. Sure enough, Berenson’s booklet was not listed. I really wanted to scan his contrarian thoughts about Covid-19. I turned to Barnes & Noble. Nope. Not there.

            Next step? As a Prime member, I contacted Amazon to request that they carry Berenson’s booklet. After jumping through the requisite hoops, I finally spoke slowly and distinctly with a pleasant lady in customer service. No, she knew nothing about the issue I related to her. Yes, she would bring the matter to the attention of her supervisor.

            Within thirty-six hours I received an e-mail stating that Berenson’s booklet was now carried on Amazon. No apologies. No regrets. Just a statement of fact. I checked on Amazon immediately. No booklet. I waited a few hours. It finally appeared – and I order it. Two days later the booklet arrived in the mail.

            “Unreported Truths” is short, less than twenty-six pages. It is a work in progress and contains only Part 1 with more parts to follow. Eventually Berenson plans to print a complete paperback version.

            In Berenson’s own words, “Whether you have been skeptical of the media’s panicked reporting all along or are just starting to wonder why the predictions of doom from March and April have not come to pass, this guide will provide you with the factual, accurate, and impeccably sourced information you need.” Impeccable indeed. Every answer includes a website address detailing the rationale for his answers.

            Here are some probing, incisive questions guiding Berenson’s research which, by the way, the MSM failed to ask, much less attempt to answer.

            --How lethal is the Covid-19? Is it more dangerous than the flu? Ans.: Percentage wise, not so great, only 0.03%. It is slightly more lethal than annual flu; less so than Spanish Flu.

            --How are Covid-19 deaths coded? What questions does that coding policy raise? Ans.: Sloppily. And, many.

            These questions are answered definitively. Answers to other questions are only partially unlocked and more research is needed. Questions include, what are the main ways Covid-19 spreads? Why did the key predictive models that policymakers used when they agreed to lockdowns prove so inaccurate? What is the evidence for and against lockdowns? Do lockdowns slow the spread of Covid-19? Is requiring people to wear masks in public likely to slow the spread? Definitive answers follow in other booklets.

            My intent is not to replicate the booklet, but rather to offer teasers. The booklet is available from Amazon for about $10.00 including shipping.

            Berenson attempts to thwart the ceaseless message of doom and gloom and the never-ending implication of, “We’re all going to die!” That message is enough to scare the pants off anyone. Given the biased reporting and shoddy journalism of today’s MSM, no one should be driven by their hysteria. As a skeptic, I challenge the reporting the MSM calls “news.” Everyone should do the same.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).