Switzerland’s New Portable Suicide ‘Pod’ Set to Claim its First Life ‘Soon’
(LifeSiteNews) — In what feels like a dystopian movie, Switzerland’s new portable death “pod” to allow people to kill themselves is on track to claim its first victim this year.
In a July 16 press conference, Florian Willet, chief executive of pro-euthanasia organization The Last Resort, announced that Switzerland will “soon” use its portable suicide pod to end a life for the first time.
“Since we have people indeed queueing up, asking to use the Sarco, it’s very likely that it will take place pretty soon,” Willet said, eerily describing it as a “beautiful way” to die.
The pod is called Sarco, short for sarcophagus, the name of the coffins in which ancient Egyptian pharaohs were buried. The futuristic-looking 3D-printed capsule was first unveiled in 2019 for assisted suicide in Switzerland but was met with controversy.
It’s founder, Philip Nitschke, who has been nicknamed “Dr. Death” for his attempt to “glamorize” suicides, explained how the pod works in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post.
Once a person is inside the pod, they are asked who they are, where they are and if they know what happens when they press the button.
The death in the pod can also be activated by a button, gesture, voice control, or blink of the eye for those who cannot vocally or physically communicate due to severe illness or mobility issues.
After they answer, a voice says, “If you want to die press this button.” Once the button is pressed, the pod is flooded with nitrogen causing the oxygen to plummet from 21 per cent to 0.05 per cent in the air in less than 30 seconds.
“They will then stay in that state of unconsciousness for … around about five minutes before death will take place,” Nitschke explained.
However, he warned that, “Once you press that button, there’s no way of going back.”
The death inside the pod is filmed, and the footage is handed to a coroner.
The push to debut the pod this year comes after the pod was banned earlier this month after prosecutors questioned the legality and ethics of the pod, pointing out that it is unclear who is responsible for the death and who operates the pod.
Switzerland has allowed assisted suicide since 1942, with its only requirements being that the person freely chooses death, is of sound mind, and that their decision is not motivated by selfish reasons.
The county’s broad euthanasia policy has made it a tourist attraction from those around the world who wish to end their lives.
In addition to the legal question of who is responsible for the death, pro-life organizations have condemned the pods for trivializing death and undermining the dignity of life.
“Philip Nitschke’s device has been condemned by a broad range of commentators,” James Mildred, director of engagement for pro-life organization Christian Action Research and Education (CARE), said.
“Many people feel that it trivialises, and even glamourises, suicide,” he explained.
“We believe that suicide is a tragedy that good societies seek to prevent in every circumstance,” Mildred continued. “There are ethical ways to help human beings that don’t involve the destruction of life.”
It’s true: The Sacro Pod or, Suicide Pod
— Zero State Reflex (@ZeroStateReflex) October 31, 2023
The Sarco pod (also known as Pegasos and has been referred to as a “suicide pod”) is a euthanasia device or machine consisting of a 3D-printed detachable capsule mounted on a stand that contains a canister of liquid nitrogen to die by… https://t.co/hqlo02onPa pic.twitter.com/G2R5FIDAGL
‘Transgender’ YouTube Celebrity Leaves ‘MrBeast’ Channel Over Pedophilia Allegations
(LifeSiteNews) — As I noted in The European Conservative earlier this year, YouTube’s most famous influencer became a platform for transgenderism when Chris Tyson – a YouTube celebrity famous for appearing in the YouTube videos of Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson – announced in April 2023 on X that the distinctive changes in his physical appearance noted by fans of the MrBeast channel were due to hormone replacement, used by men who identify as “transgender” to feminize their features. In July, he sat down with YouTuber Anthony Padilla, sporting makeup, long hair, and heels, to announce, “I am a woman!” Tyson told Padilla that he was now using “she/her” pronouns and would go by “Kris.”
Tyson told the online audience of millions that he was uncertain of his “gender” and so began growing out his hair and changing his appearance. That explained why he’d announced earlier in the year that he and his wife Katie, purportedly a devout Christian, were divorcing. Previous photos show Tyson as a young man married to a beaming wife with an adorable little boy named Tucker; Katie’s Instagram page now features heartbreaking photographs of her toting their toddler alone.
Tyson has now resigned from the MrBeast channel in the wake of an ugly sex scandal that may get worse as more revelations surface. Tyson, now 28, has been accused of “grooming” a minor by sending inappropriate messages to a minor when he was 20 and the alleged victim was 13. The messages were first exposed on YouTube and X, with mainstream media outlets now covering the story but referring to Tyson as a female and calling him “Ava,” another female name Tyson has adopted. Tyson alleges that his behavior was no more than “bad edgy jokes.”
An example of the messages that Tyson refers to as “edgy jokes” is a message to the child saying: “I posted some fire noods for you. Pls no share.” The term “noods” refers to nude photographs.
But Tyson’s claim that his communications to the 13-year-old were merely “edgy jokes” – and that he and Donaldson mutually decided to part ways – are belied by the reaction of MrBeast, who has long been one of Tyson’s staunchest defenders, who posted the following statement to X on July 24:
Over the last few days, I’ve become aware of the serious allegations of Ava Tyson’s behavior online and I am disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts. During that time, I have been focused on hiring an independent third party to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure I have all the facts. That said, I’ve seen enough online and taken immediate action to remove Ava from the company, my channel, and any association with MrBeast. I do not condone or support any of the inappropriate actions. I will allow the independent investigators the necessary time to conduct a comprehensive investigation and will take any further actions based on their findings.
Additionally, Breitbart has reported evidence that Tyson has made vile and sexual comments about minors in the past: “The controversy has led to the resurfacing of several controversial posts made by Tyson in the past. These posts include interactions with an artist known as ‘Shadman,’ who is notorious for creating sexualized drawings of young characters. In one instance, Tyson allegedly requested the artist to ‘draw a 10-year-old anime girl.’ Other posts attributed to Tyson show the sexualization of cartoon children, including comments about characters from popular media.”
MrBeast’s reaction and the reporting of online sleuths indicate that there may be more to come.
British Farmers Reportedly Being Paid Not to Grow Food
British farmers are reportedly being paid not to grow food under a scheme cooked up by Downing Street, according to the Daily Expose.
The independent outlet posted a video of Keith Andrews, a farmer from Cornwall, elaborating on this particular scheme. According to him, farmers have been offered £2,500 ($3,222) for the next three years if they don’t grow crops for food during that period.
“I’m going to plow a field, I’m going to put spring barley in. I’m going to get £440 ($567.07) off the government per acre. Then when it comes to crop size, leave it to rot in the ground. So, I don’t get [any] straw for the cattle, you don’t get [anything] for your bread, for everything we make,” said Andrews.
Andrews disclosed that his accountant is encouraging him to sign up to the program so he could avoid buying fertilizer. From a mere £250 ($322.13) a ton, the price of fertilizer has risen to £1,000 ($1,288.50) a ton since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out.
“In order to fertilize your food, I’ve got to buy fertilizer at £1,000 ($1,288.50) a ton. So I’ve now got a crop that I don’t have to spray. I don’t have to send [anybody] out there with a tractor. I don’t have to fertilize it, [and] I can just leave it in the ground to rot.”
The Expose was unable to establish details as to when Andrews gave his speech. However, the program he pertained to has been in place for a couple of years. It has been expanded and the incentives increased over time.
This program called the Sustainable Farming Initiative (SFI) was launched by the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2022. It incentivizes farmers to plant hedgerows instead of crops, and is open to all farmers and occupiers with management control.
SFI only promotes FOOD INSECURITY
“There’s no minimum or maximum land area or hedgerow length, so farmers can choose how much land to cover with their SFI agreement,” said Minister of State for Food, Farming and Fisheries Mark Spencer.
(Related: British government offering farmers “lump sum” payments to stop growing food, sell their land.)
In September 2023, DEFRA posted a blog that ostensibly defended the SFI. “Through SFI, our aim is to support farming and farmers. We want to protect and improve the environment, food production and food security,” the blog post said.
In reality, the SFI is only promoting food insecurity under the guise of fighting “climate change” and achieving “net zero” goals. Instead of planting much-needed food crops to solve the food supply issue, farmers are incentivized to indefinitely leave their fallow lands untouched.
“Farmers, and the public at large, don’t need to be told that the primary purpose of farming is food production,” the Expose added. A rational government, it continued, “would have implemented policies to support farmers to grow more food, not less.”
It was only in May 2024 that Downing Street realized its mistake. The scheme proved so popular to struggling farmers that the British government was forced to issue a crackdown, warning that growers could only take 25 percent of their land out of direct food production for environmental projects.
Even Spencer was forced to backpedal over the SFI, noting that it “was always intended to be implemented on smaller areas on land.” He continued: “Food production is the primary purpose of farming and we are taking action to clarify this principle.”
Andrews isn’t the only one who was warned against the SFI. Former “Top Gear” host Jeremy Clarkson issued a similar warning in an op-ed on the Sunday Times.
“I have signed up to the government’s eco-friendly grant scheme, and will be planting things that aren’t food in three fields. They’re good for the soil and they’re good for my bank balance. But it means I’m not growing stuff people can eat,” he wrote.
“I know one chap who has taken 60 percent of his farm out of food production, and he’s not alone. But what if you want some bread? You’ll have to get a loaf made from wheat that was grown abroad. And how’s that good for global warming?”
Visit FoodCollapse.com for similar stories.
‘Truly Humiliating Moment’: Three Drag Queens Help Carry Olympic Torch to Paris
(LifeSiteNews) — In what one observer described as a “truly humiliating moment for the Olympics,” three drag queens have been among the 10,000 torch bearers carrying the Olympic flame through France as it made its way to the 2024 Paris Games.
The men who dress and portray themselves as women — Nicky Doll, Miss Martini, and Minima Gesté — were invited by authorities to participate in the marathon relay that originated months ago in Olympia, Greece.
Checking in on the Olympics …
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 24, 2024
A drag queen receives the Olympic flame in Paris.
Everything woke turns to sh*t. pic.twitter.com/EgBoZDkjZc
When it was announced in May that drag queen Gesté, 33, had been selected, far-right politician Marion Marechal said Gesté was responsible for “particularly vulgar” and “hyper-sexualized performances,” according to an AFP report.
“I don’t think that this is a good way of representing France to the world,” Marechal told the TF1 channel on Thursday, according to AFP.
“It’s a truly humiliating moment for the Olympics, for the organizing committee that let this happen and for the entire 2024 Paris Games,” Outkick’s Ian Miller noted.
“What possible justification can there be for giving a drag queen the honor of carrying the Olympic Torch?” Miller asked. “Just as the Los Angeles Dodgers humiliated their storied franchise history by honoring an extremist group of anti-Catholic drag nuns, this is a humiliation for the Olympics as an event.”
“It’s offensive, and frankly inexcusable,” Miller said. “Which is probably exactly why those involved encouraged it. To show that they’re in charge, and you have to live under their rules. No matter how embarrassing those rules are.”
In a Wednesday post on X, Libs of TikTok simply pointed out that “Everything woke turns to sh*t.”
Socialist Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo seized the opportunity to portray Gesté as a victim, saying he was the target of “homophobic and transphobic insults.”
Climate Change is Creating so Much Global Greening that Even Fanatics are Noticing as they Panic About Shrinking Deserts
Almost everywhere around the world right now deserts are shrinking as greening accelerates, prompting climate fanatics to change course by demanding that something now be done to “Save the deserts!”
Climate fanatics have long complained about desertification caused by climate change and the excess release of “greenhouse gases” like carbon dioxide (CO2). These deranged people are so scared of CO2 that they have tried every which way to essentially ban the natural gas so the planet can be “cooled.”
The Guardian (United Kingdom) ran a headline about how “Desertification is turning the Earth barren,” the narrative being that expanding drylands are leaving entire countries “facing famine.” It turns out the opposite is true: greenhouse gases are greening the planet as vegetation is growing faster and faster.
Yale Environment 360 ran a piece about the world’s shriveling deserts, which will only shrivel further in the coming years.
Now that we know CO2 is causing plants to grow and spread, the narrative has changed to one of climate change causing the deserts to recede. As such, climate fanatics are launching a new movement to “save” the world’s deserts from becoming green, lush and fertile.
You may recall from elementary science class that CO2 functions as “plant food.” The more of it that gets released, the greener everything becomes as plants thrive on CO2. There is absolutely nothing to worry about with CO2, of course, but the greenies are petrified by it.
(Related: Did you know that according to science, human-caused carbon emissions have had no discernible effect whatsoever on the climate?)
How will climate fanatics try to spin the benefits of greening?
According to Yale University researchers, increasing CO2 levels are “fast-tracking” photosynthesis in plants. What CO2-rich air does is allow plants to more efficiently use scarce water, functioning as a fertilizer in even the driest of deserts.
Scientists have been aware of this CO2 greening effect for some time, which they should be, seeing as how children used to learn this basic scientific fact in elementary science class. Somehow, elementary science facts have become new revelations in today’s “woke” scientific establishment.
Carbon Brief is another media source that has long complained about how climate change is supposedly expanding the world’s deserts. Now that we know the opposite is true, will the outlet adjust its narrative or double down?
Carbon Brief, by the way, is funded by green activist billionaires like Sir Christopher Hohn, a past provider for recently jailed Roger Hallam, and so-called “Extinction Rebellion.”
Even Yale, which admits the world’s deserts are shrinking, is still clinging to climate fearmongering by claiming that all the greening will “obliterate arid-land ecosystems.” In other words, they are now pushing an “arid ecosystems matter” type of campaign to defend their crumbling climate narrative.
Chinese scientists recently discovered that over the past 20 years, about 55 percent of the world’s land masses showed an “accelerated rate” of vegetation growth. Four different datasets reveal that nearly 60 percent of the globe has been greening since around 2000.
“Global greening is an indisputable fact,” these scientists declared.
Daily Sceptic environment editor Chris Morrison reports that plants in general thrive at about three times the current atmospheric levels of CO2. This means that a whole lot more greening is still to come, assuming current trends continue.
“This recovery of CO2 levels in the atmosphere holds out hope for higher food resources in many parts of the world that suffer from periodic famines,” Morrison writes about the benefits of greening.
How do you feel about the accelerated greening of the planet? Learn more at Climate.news.
GovTrack and Media Deletion of Harris’ Record Sparks Transparency Debates, Allegations of Censorship
GovTrack, a group famed for its thorough documentation of US congressional voting habits has purged a 2019 report that recognized Vice President Kamala Harris as the “most liberal” senator of that year.
However, this comes as a surprise as the site, which categorizes itself as a beacon of governmental “transparency,” did in fact give Harris the label in 2019. It put her above even Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren during that period, a talking point favored by Republicans and one that President Donald Trump has recently used as a form of pejorative against Harris.
The website now displays a “Page Not Found” message whenever the link is accessed. Moreover, the Internet Archive illustrates that the webpage was yanked down sometime this month, the same month that Harris gained enough delegates to become the Democratic Party’s Presidential nominee after President Joe Biden’s announcement on July 21 of pulling the plug on his campaign and endorsing Harris.
Joshua Tauberer, the founder of GovTrack, explained the webpage removal to Fox News, as a consequence of the group’s policy shift enacted “several years ago.”
Despite this, Tauberer never disclosed an accurate date for the webpage removal. Interestingly, when probed about why the pages were not scraped off when the organization ended its annual report cards years ago, Tauberer’s rationale was that other influential parts of the work demanded his attention.
This move has sparked discussions and concerns among Harris’ detractors about censorship and the selective erasure of historical data that could serve as a form of manipulation when it’s used to undermine and gaslight criticism.
The deletion of this data has been a topic of discussion at the same time that there has been a rise of “fact-checks” from media outlets that Vice President Harris has never been what her critics and others refer to as a “border czar.”
Recent discussions in the media have focused on distancing Harris from the ongoing illegal immigration crisis, despite her being publicly named by President Joe Biden as a point person for aspects of the US southern border issue.
Media outlets (and particularly “fact checkers” which have considerable sway in how information is presented or censored on social media) have been vocal in their stance that Harris was not the “border czar.”
Fact checks from various publications, including CNN, Time Magazine, and USA Today, have emphasized that Harris’s responsibilities were targeted at addressing the root causes of migration from Latin American countries, rather than overseeing the border directly, using that as a reason to determine that it is false to call Harris a “border czar.”
CNN’s Dana Bash said that Harris’s appointment was to tackle the origins of migration issues, not to act as the border czar. Meanwhile, Time Magazine and USA Today reiterated that Harris’s focus was on international conditions prompting migration, rather than border control itself.
Like most “fact-checks,” this all comes down to semantics, with many claiming that it is “false” to suggest Harris held substantial responsibility for tackling the border crisis. Yet, also like most “fact-checks,” the power of this “false” rating can extend to how much a statement is allowed to be shared on social media, dampening down criticism.
President Biden made it clear in March 2021 that he had tasked Harris with leading efforts to manage migration flows.
He endorsed her qualifications for this role, stating, “I’ve asked her, the VP, today — because she’s the most qualified person to do it — to lead our efforts with Mexico and the Northern Triangle and the countries that help — are going to need help in stemming the movement of so many folks, stemming the migration to our southern border.” Harris, speaking at the same event, committed to enforcing immigration laws while recognizing the need for comprehensive border management.
The debate over Harris’s role gained further complexity when Axios revised a three-year-old article that had previously referred to Harris as the “border czar.”
As Harris steps into the role of the Democratic Party’s Presidential nominee, her past positions and the narratives around them are likely to be scrutinized and debated more intensely. As many seek to shape Harris’ image, there will likely be greater calls suggesting that it is essential that both the media and political institutions strive for transparency and accuracy in their reporting to ensure the public remains well-informed.