International Law (Pre-2020). Broadly known as the "Burqa Ban's. But applied to all facial coverings, including masks. Unobstructed faces deemed especially important in public settings, like public transportation:
2014
"Judges at the European court of human rights (ECHR) have upheld France's burqa ban, accepting Paris's argument that it encouraged citizens to "live together".
The law, introduced in 2010, makes it illegal for anyone to cover their face in a public place...the law was not aimed at the burqa or veil but any covering of the face in a public place...
...The European judges decided...that the preservation of a certain idea of "living together" was the "legitimate aim" of the French authorities.
Isabelle Niedlispacher, representing the Belgian government, which introduced a similar ban in 2011 and which was party to the French defence, declared both the burqa and niqab "incompatible" with the rule of law.
Aside from questions of security and equality, she added: "It's about social communication, the right to interact with someone by looking them in the face and about not disappearing under a piece of clothing."
The French and Belgian laws were aimed at "helping everyone to integrate", Niedlispacher added."
2019 - Ruling just months before masks became mandatory.:
"On August 1, 2019, the “Act Partially Prohibiting Face-Covering Clothing,”also known as the “Burqa Ban,” entered into force in the Netherlands. The Act prohibits the wearing of clothing that completely or partially conceals the face in spaces where people are expected to communicate with each other. Thus, face-covering clothing is banned on public transportation and in educational, governmental, and nursing care institutions, but is still allowed in such public spaces as on train platforms. The ban applies to burqas, niqabs, full-face helmets, balaclavas, and masks, but not to headscarves."
I was delighted yesterday to go in a local ER (I'm a paramedic) and found out they dropped their mask requirement for patients and staff. A crack in the dam! Every other hospital thinks it's still 2020. This is in Houston.
About half the staff was still wearing surgical masks, many in below nose fashion. A security guard was wearing his in full below the mouth chin diaper style. I inquired about this to him, given the new rule. He said "Im just trying to be safe." ?!?!
Already knew this. The real world has shown that masks do not, will never work to reduce the spread of any airborne virus which COVID-19 is and always was. Fauci and the establishment knew this from day 1 and yet lied to us the American people. You have to vote everyone out of power people. Putting them back into office gives the the opportunity to do it again but on a vastly greater scale.
Follow The Science (TM). Specifically, the science of the pandemic has been Behavioral Science/Behavioral Economics/Behaviorism. Not medical science. The science of the effect of language, symbols, other psychological manipulation tools to effect a behavioral change desired by authorities. The Science (TM) is Dr. Sigmund Freud, not Dr. Jonas Salk. The Science (TM), the "best" science we've been told we must follow has been like being told we must allow a psychologist to perform medical surgery on us
The specific tool/weapon of science chosen by authorities of pandemic NPI has been fear. Fear amplification. This study explains why masked faces evoke fear in people (pre-pandemic used by bank robbers and plane hijackers.) Banned for that reason. Pre-pandemic. Here's the scientific background on the importance of faces, visible expressions, for a healthy society and healthy social interactions. A 2009 research study titled, "Of snakes and faces: An evolutionary perspective on the psychology of fear." This study supports the very same rationale the international courts upheld the burqa bans for (see other comment in thread). A healthy society requires faces be seen. Not just eyes. Full facial expressions are an essential form of human communication and stabilizes society. And perhaps most importantly, human aggression is moderated by full faces.
"In 1972, Ekman published cross-cultural data that shifted the at the time accepted view that facial expression, like other social gestures, reflected mere cultural convention, into the Darwinian (Darwin, 1872/1998) tenet that expressions of emotion in the human face represent biologically evolved adaptations. Anger, for example, is a threat signal potentially related to harmful intent, whereas a smile is the opposite, a reassuring signal of friendly affiliation. Against this background, Öhman and Dimberg (1978) invoked the preparedness theory to predict that an angry face should be more easily conditioned to an aversive US than should a happy face."
"The survival premium of astute detection of subtle cues given off by predators shaped a highly sensitive visual system that later proved useful in the social arena with the expanding social life of anthropoid primates. For example, the sensitivity for danger cues promoted vigilance for early detection of stimuli that announced potential aggressive encounters in social conflicts. It is a fascinating fact that the forebrain structures that have expanded most in size during primate evolution not only include – as we all know – the prefrontal cortex, but also the amygdala. Furthermore, it appears that the enlargement of these two structures was linked, both of them driven by group size (Barton & Aggleton, 2000). The prefrontal link is important because it allows inhibitory modulation of the amygdala, thus promoting strategic cognitive control of the expression of fear..."
"The prefrontal influence on facial as well as other channels of emotional expression helps to maintain conflicts at a symbolic level, where the relative strength of the combatants can be evaluated from more or less convincing displays of power and submissiveness, which prevents escalating the conflict into an actual fight that might result in injuries to the participants.
A substantial part of the signaling action in conflicts between individuals centers on the faces of the parties measuring their relative strength. As recognized by Darwin (1872/1998), the design of the face suggests that it has evolved as a means of communication. The facial muscles are unique in their function by primarily moving dermal tissue rather than body limbs, producing coordinated changes in the visual appearance of the face. The basic human facial displays are similar to those of other primates, but the human face has a more complex musculature than that of other primates, with a more versatile neural innervation, suggesting that the human ability to communicate by the face is better developed than that of our primate relatives..."
(Note: In the study they refer to masked faces. Not in terms of an actual facial covering, but in terms of unnatural neutral faces that intentionally don't communicate any emotion in situations when facial expressions are customary and expected. Point is, yes, they've terrorized us no differently than if they've made us look at snakes all around us all day, every day. It takes constant higher reasoning reminders to self to push through the fear and anxiety masked faces creates just as surely as if surrounded by snakes all the time, even at an subconscious level.)
Authorities knew that masks don't work. This Health Affairs piece from May, 2020 admits as such. They said they were needed anyways. With a set of caveats. That were never adhered to. "Just wear the damn mask." The Science (TM) of fear was necessary NPI. Using linguistics to convince people fear-amplifying masks eased fear. Newspeak. Ignorance is Strength. War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery.
What's this Health Affairs publication, and why is it important? It's a behavioral health publication, Behavioral Science, aka The Science (TM). That is used by public policymakers. Executive, legislative and judicial. From their "About" section they note that Justice John Roberts cited Health Affairs in his ACA (Obamacare) ruling. Suffice it to say it's a very influential publication.
Thanks for sharing the accumulated information! I remain shocked, but then again, not so shocked, at the stickiness of masking. Once something becomes an article of faith, disproving it--via evidence--is unlikely to have any positive effect. I say "positive" because contrary evidence can often make people hold to their erroneous beliefs more closely. Anyway, while this piece is probably not as well-written or thorough as the stuff you already cited, I will throw it out there, since it took me a long time--as I described therein--to finally put a bullet in the head of "masking up to save lives" in my own mind. LInk: https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/masks-and-me-how-did-we-get-here/
I figured this out in 2020 when I visited my mom in a nursing home, wearing full PPE, and came out with the rona.
In the same vein, I gave my husband a KF94 mask to spray paint this summer. It was quite tight to his face. When he took the mask off his nostrils were a lovely shade of aqua. So that worked.
If the mask traps the virus particles, shouldn’t there be sterile disposal bins everywhere to keep everyone safe?
International Law (Pre-2020). Broadly known as the "Burqa Ban's. But applied to all facial coverings, including masks. Unobstructed faces deemed especially important in public settings, like public transportation:
2014
"Judges at the European court of human rights (ECHR) have upheld France's burqa ban, accepting Paris's argument that it encouraged citizens to "live together".
The law, introduced in 2010, makes it illegal for anyone to cover their face in a public place...the law was not aimed at the burqa or veil but any covering of the face in a public place...
...The European judges decided...that the preservation of a certain idea of "living together" was the "legitimate aim" of the French authorities.
Isabelle Niedlispacher, representing the Belgian government, which introduced a similar ban in 2011 and which was party to the French defence, declared both the burqa and niqab "incompatible" with the rule of law.
Aside from questions of security and equality, she added: "It's about social communication, the right to interact with someone by looking them in the face and about not disappearing under a piece of clothing."
The French and Belgian laws were aimed at "helping everyone to integrate", Niedlispacher added."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/01/france-burqa-ban-upheld-human-rights-court
2019 - Ruling just months before masks became mandatory.:
"On August 1, 2019, the “Act Partially Prohibiting Face-Covering Clothing,”also known as the “Burqa Ban,” entered into force in the Netherlands. The Act prohibits the wearing of clothing that completely or partially conceals the face in spaces where people are expected to communicate with each other. Thus, face-covering clothing is banned on public transportation and in educational, governmental, and nursing care institutions, but is still allowed in such public spaces as on train platforms. The ban applies to burqas, niqabs, full-face helmets, balaclavas, and masks, but not to headscarves."
https://www.loc.gov/item/global-legal-monitor/2019-08-27/netherlands-burqa-ban-enters-into-force/
The Courts were right pre-pandemic. The Science (TM) of the pandemic is wrong.
I was delighted yesterday to go in a local ER (I'm a paramedic) and found out they dropped their mask requirement for patients and staff. A crack in the dam! Every other hospital thinks it's still 2020. This is in Houston.
About half the staff was still wearing surgical masks, many in below nose fashion. A security guard was wearing his in full below the mouth chin diaper style. I inquired about this to him, given the new rule. He said "Im just trying to be safe." ?!?!
Already knew this. The real world has shown that masks do not, will never work to reduce the spread of any airborne virus which COVID-19 is and always was. Fauci and the establishment knew this from day 1 and yet lied to us the American people. You have to vote everyone out of power people. Putting them back into office gives the the opportunity to do it again but on a vastly greater scale.
Follow The Science (TM). Specifically, the science of the pandemic has been Behavioral Science/Behavioral Economics/Behaviorism. Not medical science. The science of the effect of language, symbols, other psychological manipulation tools to effect a behavioral change desired by authorities. The Science (TM) is Dr. Sigmund Freud, not Dr. Jonas Salk. The Science (TM), the "best" science we've been told we must follow has been like being told we must allow a psychologist to perform medical surgery on us
The specific tool/weapon of science chosen by authorities of pandemic NPI has been fear. Fear amplification. This study explains why masked faces evoke fear in people (pre-pandemic used by bank robbers and plane hijackers.) Banned for that reason. Pre-pandemic. Here's the scientific background on the importance of faces, visible expressions, for a healthy society and healthy social interactions. A 2009 research study titled, "Of snakes and faces: An evolutionary perspective on the psychology of fear." This study supports the very same rationale the international courts upheld the burqa bans for (see other comment in thread). A healthy society requires faces be seen. Not just eyes. Full facial expressions are an essential form of human communication and stabilizes society. And perhaps most importantly, human aggression is moderated by full faces.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2009.00784.x
"In 1972, Ekman published cross-cultural data that shifted the at the time accepted view that facial expression, like other social gestures, reflected mere cultural convention, into the Darwinian (Darwin, 1872/1998) tenet that expressions of emotion in the human face represent biologically evolved adaptations. Anger, for example, is a threat signal potentially related to harmful intent, whereas a smile is the opposite, a reassuring signal of friendly affiliation. Against this background, Öhman and Dimberg (1978) invoked the preparedness theory to predict that an angry face should be more easily conditioned to an aversive US than should a happy face."
"The survival premium of astute detection of subtle cues given off by predators shaped a highly sensitive visual system that later proved useful in the social arena with the expanding social life of anthropoid primates. For example, the sensitivity for danger cues promoted vigilance for early detection of stimuli that announced potential aggressive encounters in social conflicts. It is a fascinating fact that the forebrain structures that have expanded most in size during primate evolution not only include – as we all know – the prefrontal cortex, but also the amygdala. Furthermore, it appears that the enlargement of these two structures was linked, both of them driven by group size (Barton & Aggleton, 2000). The prefrontal link is important because it allows inhibitory modulation of the amygdala, thus promoting strategic cognitive control of the expression of fear..."
"The prefrontal influence on facial as well as other channels of emotional expression helps to maintain conflicts at a symbolic level, where the relative strength of the combatants can be evaluated from more or less convincing displays of power and submissiveness, which prevents escalating the conflict into an actual fight that might result in injuries to the participants.
A substantial part of the signaling action in conflicts between individuals centers on the faces of the parties measuring their relative strength. As recognized by Darwin (1872/1998), the design of the face suggests that it has evolved as a means of communication. The facial muscles are unique in their function by primarily moving dermal tissue rather than body limbs, producing coordinated changes in the visual appearance of the face. The basic human facial displays are similar to those of other primates, but the human face has a more complex musculature than that of other primates, with a more versatile neural innervation, suggesting that the human ability to communicate by the face is better developed than that of our primate relatives..."
(Note: In the study they refer to masked faces. Not in terms of an actual facial covering, but in terms of unnatural neutral faces that intentionally don't communicate any emotion in situations when facial expressions are customary and expected. Point is, yes, they've terrorized us no differently than if they've made us look at snakes all around us all day, every day. It takes constant higher reasoning reminders to self to push through the fear and anxiety masked faces creates just as surely as if surrounded by snakes all the time, even at an subconscious level.)
Not only do they not work, but they are the perfect propaganda tool:
https://newzealanddoc.substack.com/p/the-most-perfect-piece-of-propaganda
And even if they did work the emotional and psychological toll and the incursions on our liberties should make them anathema.
Authorities knew that masks don't work. This Health Affairs piece from May, 2020 admits as such. They said they were needed anyways. With a set of caveats. That were never adhered to. "Just wear the damn mask." The Science (TM) of fear was necessary NPI. Using linguistics to convince people fear-amplifying masks eased fear. Newspeak. Ignorance is Strength. War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/forefront.20200508.769108/full/
What's this Health Affairs publication, and why is it important? It's a behavioral health publication, Behavioral Science, aka The Science (TM). That is used by public policymakers. Executive, legislative and judicial. From their "About" section they note that Justice John Roberts cited Health Affairs in his ACA (Obamacare) ruling. Suffice it to say it's a very influential publication.
https://www.healthaffairs.org/about
Thanks for sharing the accumulated information! I remain shocked, but then again, not so shocked, at the stickiness of masking. Once something becomes an article of faith, disproving it--via evidence--is unlikely to have any positive effect. I say "positive" because contrary evidence can often make people hold to their erroneous beliefs more closely. Anyway, while this piece is probably not as well-written or thorough as the stuff you already cited, I will throw it out there, since it took me a long time--as I described therein--to finally put a bullet in the head of "masking up to save lives" in my own mind. LInk: https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/masks-and-me-how-did-we-get-here/
When you worship your god, Covid, you don’t care about facts or logic.
I figured this out in 2020 when I visited my mom in a nursing home, wearing full PPE, and came out with the rona.
In the same vein, I gave my husband a KF94 mask to spray paint this summer. It was quite tight to his face. When he took the mask off his nostrils were a lovely shade of aqua. So that worked.
Here's a real laundry list of "masks don't work" plus "masks can be harmful" studies
https://brownstone.org/articles/more-than-150-comparative-studies-and-articles-on-mask-ineffectiveness-and-harms/
I do despair sometimes of the human races capacity for gross stupidity.
N95 masks perform better at making money for who ever is benefiting from the scam.
https://alphaandomegacloud.wordpress.com/m-is-for-masks/
where was this mask study done
Thank you for this recap. No more mask mandates.
Thanks for providing us the evidence we need to counteract the mask zealots.