Empirical research shows Google affected the outcome of the 2016 and 2020 elections in favor of Democrats, and the tech giant “has its digital thumb on the scale” of the current midterms, says Robert Epstein, a Democratic Party voter who was famed behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner’s last PhD student at Harvard.
In a WND video interview (embedded below), Epstein contended, however, that his ever-growing, unique “Nielsen rating-type” system of monitoring Google’s manipulation of search results provides the solid evidence needed to stop the Big Tech behemoth in its tracks. In the meantime, he said, the novel “Brave New World” has come to life.
“This is power that’s never existed before in human history. This is power that the worst dictators in history could have only dreamt of,” Epstein told WND. “But this is real. This is occurring now.”
Epstein recalled a lesser-known theme in President Dwight Eisenhower’s famous “military-industrial complex” farewell address in 1961, warning of a “technological elite” that could control public policy without the public’s knowledge.
The technological elite is now in power, he said, but there are ways to counter its tactics through technology itself. By the end of 2023, he plans to have a “massive monitoring system” – a “digital shield” – in place with at least 20,000 field agents across 50 states.
“We will be monitoring in real time, and we will be exposing every single anomaly that we find,” he said, adding that “sunlight is the best disinfect.”
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Epstein, a research psychologist for four decades, has served in various editorial positions at Psychology Today magazine and Scientific American MIND. He’s the author of 15 books and more than 300 scientific and mainstream articles on artificial intelligence and other topics. He currently is a research psychologist at the non-profit American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology in Vista, California. His work can be seen at MyGoogleResearch.com.
‘To do what we want them to do’
A 2016 Hillary Clinton supporter, Epstein in 2012 discovered what he calls the Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME), which describes a change in consumer and voting preferences through search engines, as WND reported in an interview story in 2018. His first scientific paper on SEME was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2015. SEME, he noted, also has been replicated by a research team at one of the Max Planck Institutes in Germany.
He observes SEME by “looking over the shoulder” of the volunteer field agents, who allow their searches to be monitored, similar to how Nielsen monitors TV viewing habits. Their “ephemeral experiences” online – including search results – are captured before they disappear.
In 2016, his team recorded 13,000 searches on Google, Bing and Yahoo, and found that Google – and not the others – was generating results in Hillary Clinton’s favor through its search algorithm. He estimated the impact was 2.6 million to as many 10.4 million votes shifted to the Democratic candidate, without anyone knowing. In 2020, his team – expanding the scope to YouTube, Facebook and others – preserved 1.5 million searches, estimating some 6 million votes were shifted in favor of Joe Biden, for whom he voted.
Epstein emphasizes that not only does such a system of social engineering exist, there’s evidence Google is intentionally deploying it.
In July 2019, for example, a senior software engineer at Google admitted the company is not politically neutral and that it manipulates search algorithms “to do what we want them to do.” Epstein also noted that Google internal emails leaked to the Wall Street Journal showed the company deliberately created “ephemeral experiences” to change people’s views about Trump’s ban on travel from terrorist nations.
Epstein doubts that lawmakers will make a serious attempt to take on Big Tech, with Democrats “lavishly” supplied with Google cash – 95% of Big Tech donations go to Democrats – and Republicans having a distaste for regulation. In any case, regulation moves at a snail’s pace, he said, arguing tech needs to be fought with tech, and his scientific evidence can be used in lawsuits.
“I’m in touch with some state AGs and some other officials who are champing at the bit,” he said. “They’re just waiting to use the kind of data that we are collecting to go after these people.”
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The RNC, he noted, recently sued Google, alleging the company suppressed tens of millions of emails.
“I doubt that the RNC has strong evidence,” he said. “But we do. And we can, over time, be monitoring that 24-7.”
‘Fact checking’
Epstein recalled to WND that on Oct. 30, 2020, just before the Nov. 3 election, a New York Post reporter wrote a story about “election rigging” featuring his work. But a Post editor did some “fact checking” – which, said Epstein, likely meant he contacted a Google official – and killed the story. Significantly, only two weeks before that, the Post confronted Twitter after it suppressed the paper’s blockbuster Biden-family influence peddling stories.
“So, they weren’t afraid of Twitter. But Twitter was only sending them 3% of their traffic,” said Epstein. “But at that time Google was sending them about 45% of their traffic.”
However, two days after the election, on Nov. 5, 2020, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and two other senators sent a “very intimidating” letter to Google summarizing Epstein’s preliminary findings.
“Instantly, Google turned off all of the manipulations, all of them, in the Georgia Senate races,” he said. “How do I know? Because we had more than 1,000 field agents who were monitoring content.”
If the bias is there, Epstein said, “we see it.” And if it disappears, “we see that, too.”
In Georgia, while Google stood down, Epstein found that on Election Day, Facebook and Instagram shifted thousands of votes to each of the Democratic candidates through targeting vote reminders to Democratic voters.
Epstein said he has information indicating that Google might turn off its manipulation software as Election Day on Tuesday approaches, adding that he is not at liberty to disclose details.
‘You have their attention’
The personal cost of his work – which he sees as an effort to preserve free and fair elections and ultimately the republic itself – has included the loss of friendships and some family members who “think I’m crazy.” But he’s also been warned that his safety is at risk.
After presenting his Google findings to the Senate in 2019 and drawing the attention of Hillary Clinton, Epstein gave a private briefing to state attorneys general. After the briefing, one of the state AGs took Epstein aside and shared his concern that Epstein might “die in an accident in the next few months.”
Shortly after that, Epstein’s wife was killed in a car accident under what he described as suspicious circumstances. A couple of months ago, there was a knife attack on a key staff member and her husband. And recently, a reporter told him of a conversation with a woman in Google’s PR department who “screamed” at the reporter regarding Epstein.
The reporter told Epstein there were two things he learned from that interaction. One is that “you have their attention.” And the second is, “I would take precautions.”
“We live in fear, all of us do,” Epstein told WND. “We’re tremendously excited about the science that we do, about the discoveries that we’ve made. But we’re also scared. I am.”
Epstein was asked why he’s willing to pay such a high price to continue his work.
“I’ve always felt that I was put here on this earth for a reason,” he said. “I’m fulfilling my mission. I’m doing important work that needs to be done, especially because no one else will do it.”
See the WND interview with Dr. Robert Epstein:
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Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
