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Close To Zero: How Donald Trump fulfilled his apocalyptic vision and paid his debt to Putin with a devastating biological warfare attack on America
At the start of 2020, COVID-19 was a loaded gun aimed directly at the United States.
Then Donald Trump pulled the trigger.
This book tells that story, of what he did and the terrible human tragedy that he caused.
The COVID-19 pandemic is already being memory-holed. It's as if they want you to forget, and just get on with "normal" life. But as journalist Jonathan Vankin argues in Close to Zero, if we let this trauma that killed more than 600,000 Americans just fade away, only one thing is certain. It will happen again.One book is keeping the memory alive. Close To Zero is not only intent on making sure the pandemic doesn't just slip into the mists of history, but the book aims to change the way we talk about this momentous, and horrific calamity -- not as some kind of unfortunate accident or unavoidable twist of fate, but as an unspeakable crime committed by one man. Close To Zero, for the first time, tells the full story of Donald Trump's personal, biological warfare attack against the very country, the very people, he was sworn to protect -- the COVID-19 pandemic. What did Trump know and when did he know it? And more importantly -- why did he do it? Why did the purported leader of the free world have the worst pandemic response?Vankin takes a deep dive into those questions, and emerges with some shocking answers. From a mysterious golf course phone call from Vladimir Putin two days before the existence of a deadly new virus was revealed to the world, through his repeated declarations that the pandemic would "disappear" when he knew exactly what the extreme dangers of the novel coronavirus were, to his final attempt to use the COVID-19 crisis to stage a coup and install himself in power indefinitely, Close To Zero builds the case against Trump, ultimately indicting him for deliberately causing a disaster that took more than a half-million American lives.
- GenresNonfiction
335 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2021
105 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 20, 2021
Partially True
This author continues to use the term, scientific fact, in regard to issues such as face masks and the idea of social distancing .Even though the aerosolized viral particles were 0.1 microns in diameter and pores on the most effective mask, N95 are 3 microns in diameter and therefore 30 of the viruses could go through each pore. Remember, I am not referring to spit or mucus in this detail. Most of either paper masks or cotton masks had much larger pores and we’re not properly fitted, Gator masks were so porous, you could see light coming through them. The few studies on mask wearing also could never be double blinded as both the patient and the researchers could never offer ano mask option.
The 6 foot rule was a joke because even the WHO talked of the aerosolized spread of the virus as far as 3-4 times further.
The most disturbing issue I found in this so called science is that the idea of viral particles is totally nonsensical because Quantum Theory as expressed in 1926 states that there is no such thing as mass because everything is nothing but energy waves or vibrations. This theory is the most confirmed scientific theory we have today and is basis for MRIs and computers etc.
I believe that in general the author is correct in his blame of Trump and company in terms of their poor response but please lets not commit the mistake of ridiculing certain behaviors when these behaviors have really no basis in scientific fact.
I write this note as a retired medical doctor after graduating from McGill University and practicing for over 35 years in Canada and the USA.
This author continues to use the term, scientific fact, in regard to issues such as face masks and the idea of social distancing .Even though the aerosolized viral particles were 0.1 microns in diameter and pores on the most effective mask, N95 are 3 microns in diameter and therefore 30 of the viruses could go through each pore. Remember, I am not referring to spit or mucus in this detail. Most of either paper masks or cotton masks had much larger pores and we’re not properly fitted, Gator masks were so porous, you could see light coming through them. The few studies on mask wearing also could never be double blinded as both the patient and the researchers could never offer ano mask option.
The 6 foot rule was a joke because even the WHO talked of the aerosolized spread of the virus as far as 3-4 times further.
The most disturbing issue I found in this so called science is that the idea of viral particles is totally nonsensical because Quantum Theory as expressed in 1926 states that there is no such thing as mass because everything is nothing but energy waves or vibrations. This theory is the most confirmed scientific theory we have today and is basis for MRIs and computers etc.
I believe that in general the author is correct in his blame of Trump and company in terms of their poor response but please lets not commit the mistake of ridiculing certain behaviors when these behaviors have really no basis in scientific fact.
I write this note as a retired medical doctor after graduating from McGill University and practicing for over 35 years in Canada and the USA.
June 25, 2021
Jonathan Vankin argues that trump's handling of the Covid-19 virus was actually part of a biological attack on the United States. His blame of democratic governors while choosing to sent equipment to Russia, of all places, instead of the several states, was part of that. He asserts that trump actually WANTED people in the United States to get it and die.
Even the way he went about the campaign for 2020, in Jonathan's analysis equaled out to a furtherance of the attack on the American people. The book refers to a general that took dead bodies and catapulted them into an enemy city to sickened the inhabitants to what trump did.
He agrees that it sounds far-fetched, but believes that the evidence supports the assertion. It is a very detailed analysis, and certainly, he has many of the facts down.
Even the way he went about the campaign for 2020, in Jonathan's analysis equaled out to a furtherance of the attack on the American people. The book refers to a general that took dead bodies and catapulted them into an enemy city to sickened the inhabitants to what trump did.
He agrees that it sounds far-fetched, but believes that the evidence supports the assertion. It is a very detailed analysis, and certainly, he has many of the facts down.
August 3, 2021
Only a few paragraphs worth reading
Not much here that hasn't been reported, although the author repeats that Trump deliberately led hundreds of thousands to their deaths. Maybe, even likely, perhaps, but how can you explain the same mask adverse hysteria in Europe and other countries? He never really explains why Trump wanted so many to die, other than keeping the economy alive? I wasted time, but if you aren't very well-informed, you may get more out of the book. The one interesting chapter noted how Putin and Trump's phone calls were followed by similar tactics.
Not much here that hasn't been reported, although the author repeats that Trump deliberately led hundreds of thousands to their deaths. Maybe, even likely, perhaps, but how can you explain the same mask adverse hysteria in Europe and other countries? He never really explains why Trump wanted so many to die, other than keeping the economy alive? I wasted time, but if you aren't very well-informed, you may get more out of the book. The one interesting chapter noted how Putin and Trump's phone calls were followed by similar tactics.
September 13, 2021
Even Scarier Than I Believed
All Americans should read this book, especially since ALL references are cited. In other words, this isn't fake news reflecting simply the author's opinion, but revealing his sources. I already knew trump meets all the diagnostic criteria for at least two personality disorders as found in the DSM- V. Now I am aware of more illegal activities for which he needs to be indicted and tried in a court of law. We cannot allow these things to happen again if we hold our freedom dear. As a Navy veteran , I do.
All Americans should read this book, especially since ALL references are cited. In other words, this isn't fake news reflecting simply the author's opinion, but revealing his sources. I already knew trump meets all the diagnostic criteria for at least two personality disorders as found in the DSM- V. Now I am aware of more illegal activities for which he needs to be indicted and tried in a court of law. We cannot allow these things to happen again if we hold our freedom dear. As a Navy veteran , I do.
August 2, 2021
While I knew all of what was described in the book about the former occupant of the White House, in shocking disbelief of how someone in this office of leadership could act this way, the book helped to connect all of the inaction regarding the pandemic. Everything stated in the book is documented by news reports and actual quotes from the man of inaction.
May 29, 2023
Extensive use of reference materials, this is an extremely well researched and referenced book. It goes in depth as to how trump lied and used gaslighting to con the public to vote for him twice. Scary stuff.
Read
August 23, 2021No, I have not finished this book. I opened my Kindle up and it was already open to the last chapter. My guess is my wife ordered it. We haven't discussed it yet.
August 27, 2021
Frightening time in history
Excellent book and it totally makes sense as to what was going on during the
Trump four year nightmare. Yikes!
Excellent book and it totally makes sense as to what was going on during the
Trump four year nightmare. Yikes!
September 16, 2021
C lose to Zero: How Donald Trump fulfilled,…….
Good book, every USA citizen need to read in orden to understand how we almost loose democracy. It will happen again?
Good book, every USA citizen need to read in orden to understand how we almost loose democracy. It will happen again?
October 8, 2021
Fails to prove its thesis. Author proves that Trump did a terrible job with covid and expects the reader to infer that what he says is true from it. Also very repetitive.
September 30, 2021
Did Donald Trump use the pandemic to attack the US?
This is more than a conspiracy theory. Author Jonathan Vankin proposes that Trump, following advice from Putin, allowed the COVID-19 pandemic to wash over the US. The author says that Trump knew early on how deadly the virus was, and rather than taking steps to control the spread of the virus and make testing widely available, he chose to spread disinformation and propaganda, believing that his followers would get out and vote and that he could discredit the votes of those who chose to stay home and vote by mail. Half of this book is documentation in the form of endnotes and annotated bibliography. I am impressed by the documentation and have some fact checking to do, but this is worth considering and certainly investigating.
This is more than a conspiracy theory. Author Jonathan Vankin proposes that Trump, following advice from Putin, allowed the COVID-19 pandemic to wash over the US. The author says that Trump knew early on how deadly the virus was, and rather than taking steps to control the spread of the virus and make testing widely available, he chose to spread disinformation and propaganda, believing that his followers would get out and vote and that he could discredit the votes of those who chose to stay home and vote by mail. Half of this book is documentation in the form of endnotes and annotated bibliography. I am impressed by the documentation and have some fact checking to do, but this is worth considering and certainly investigating.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews