May 1, 2023 - 4:46pm
Back in March, I wrote about a reported link between raccoon dogs and the start of the Covid pandemic. According to some ill-considered headlines, this was the “strongest evidence yet” for a natural origin of the virus — as opposed to the rival lab-leak theory.
At the time, I was unconvinced that this “evidence” was even relevant, let alone strong. I’m therefore not surprised to see a new analysis now casting doubt on the narrative. It’s encouraging to see the New York Times, which had amplified the original story, now striking a more uncertain note. (It would be good if the BBC also updated its own coverage.)
One reason I doubted the raccoon dogs’ guilt was that the DNA linking them to the virus was collected in January 2020. The relevance of this date is that this was weeks after Covid-19 was first detected in the human population. That would be enough time for it to spread from, say, a laboratory, to other locations in Wuhan.
But just how many weeks are we talking about? Writing for Bloomberg, Faye Flam argues that we need to know the “when?” of the Covid origin story as well the “how?”. She cites several separate lines of scientific evidence that suggest that October 2019 is a plausible starting point.
That said, the available evidence is frustratingly indirect. For instance, one set of researchers used observed rates of viral mutation as a kind of “genetic clock”, while another used cremation records. Direct evidence — for instance, blood samples taken from sick patients — would be preferable. However, as Flam points out, “information is scarce, in part because it seems the Chinese government has been withholding crucial data on early cases that could fill in the timeline.”
It’s long been clear that the Chinese authorities have suppressed vital information about the origins of the pandemic; but according to a recent New York Times investigation, “Beijing’s stranglehold on information goes far deeper than even many pandemic researchers are aware of.” The NYT authors state that a “censorship campaign has targeted international journals and scientific databases, shaking the foundations of shared scientific knowledge.” Furthermore, they argue that “groups including the World Health Organization have given credence to muddled data and inaccurate timelines.”
Of course, it’s no surprise that a communist dictatorship should act in this fashion (the Chinese government, that is). The continuing uncertainty is all too convenient for the regime because it can’t be blamed for an indeterminate series of events.
What is surprising, however, is the failure of other governments to put more pressure on Beijing to come clean. The only western leader to have made a major issue of the Covid origins story was Donald Trump — who did it with all the grace and subtlety we’ve come to expect.
As for Joe Biden and his counterparts elsewhere in the West, they’ve have been strangely quiet on the issue. I’m not suggesting that they’re in on the Chinese cover-up, but I do suspect that they’d rather not get to the bottom of this. Without certainty, there are no facts — and without facts, there is no case for action. Again, that’s convenient.
However, our politicians can’t rely on western journalists to keep quiet. The mainstream media does get it wrong sometimes — but not all of the time. As the Bloomberg and NYT stories demonstrate, the awkward questions won’t stop.
Peter Franklin is Associate Editor of UnHerd. He was previously a policy advisor and speechwriter on environmental and social issues.
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SubscribeIf you were to go into any pub in say Barnard Castle, and ask the question “Who caused Covid?” The overwhelming response would be, “It’s the Chinks wot done it!”, (to lapse into the vernacular).
I have never heard of Barnard Castle but assume it is like Caernarfon Castle. If your friends are right, it is at least a positive result – the culprits will have been hung, drawn and quartered and procedures will have been tightened. There shouldn’t be a repeat for a while. Happy times.
But if there is a 0.0001% chance that the Raccoon Dog done it – then who knows what this dog is doing now. Is it a friend of the spaniel next door to me? There could be a repeat any time – the spaniel is rooting in bins as we speak.
So we need to get to the bottom of the way we reacted and be sure that we know what to do in the future. But NOT by signing the proposed treaty to give the WHO control of our reactions in the next pandemic.
Well Barnard Castle is a lovely little town well to the north in County Durham, and certainly worth a visit should you be passing by. It is also the ‘home’ of a splendid little dog, the Patterdale Terrier, 48 ounces of fighting fury!
I completely agree, to give the wretched WHO any validity is utter madness. A more venal corrupt cesspit is hard to imagine. In fact historically I can only think of the Vatican as a rival.
I think the British Empire is up (or rather down) there with the most corrupt cesspits? ..and the current US empire deserves a mention with its illegal attacks of 149 countries and death toll in the many millions.. and there’s Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin and that German guy, or was he Austrian? ..and pound for pound it’s hard to beat the Belgians in the Congo.. As cesspits go I think the Vatican and WHO are by no means top of the list!
I think the British Empire is up (or rather down) there with the most corrupt cesspits? ..and the current US empire deserves a mention with its illegal attacks of 149 countries and death toll in the many millions.. and there’s Pol Pot, Mao, Stalin and that German guy, or was he Austrian? ..and pound for pound it’s hard to beat the Belgians in the Congo.. As cesspits go I think the Vatican and WHO are by no means top of the list!
Not many had heard of it until Dom Cummings of Lockdown/Covid/No.10-fame had his eyes tested there. There is no castle, and the “Chinks wot done it” sounds more Cockney than North East.
“There is no castle there”!
You’ve obviously never been there to make such an asinine remark!
As to ‘wot’, correct but the local dialect might have been unintelligible, if you get my drift?
Resorting to insults? I did google it and I don’t think a medieval ruin counts, even if it still exists. No apologies for ruffling your feathers.
Stop being so feeble, your statement was blatantly wrong! You didn’t do your research properly……admit it!
Whether it is a ruin or not is completely immaterial. What does matter is, is there is anything substantial to see, which in this case there is,
Using your ‘logic’ I suppose you would dismiss all the great Edwardian (ruined) castles of N Wales, for example Flint, Rhuddland, Conway, Caernarvon, Harlech and Beaumaris?
Try using Google Earth to look at BC from Startford, across the Tees.ie looking north.You may even enjoy it.
Stop being so feeble, your statement was blatantly wrong! You didn’t do your research properly……admit it!
Whether it is a ruin or not is completely immaterial. What does matter is, is there is anything substantial to see, which in this case there is,
Using your ‘logic’ I suppose you would dismiss all the great Edwardian (ruined) castles of N Wales, for example Flint, Rhuddland, Conway, Caernarvon, Harlech and Beaumaris?
Try using Google Earth to look at BC from Startford, across the Tees.ie looking north.You may even enjoy it.
Resorting to insults? I did google it and I don’t think a medieval ruin counts, even if it still exists. No apologies for ruffling your feathers.
“There is no castle there”!
You’ve obviously never been there to make such an asinine remark!
As to ‘wot’, correct but the local dialect might have been unintelligible, if you get my drift?
To work out what should have happened to cope with the pandemic refer to the Great Barrington Declaration. Any risk management expert could have told Dom Cummings the same and a lot more besides.. and this one did exactly that, to no avail sadly but he did respond to give him credit.. maybe he did take our advice and thats wot go’ ‘im fired?
Well Barnard Castle is a lovely little town well to the north in County Durham, and certainly worth a visit should you be passing by. It is also the ‘home’ of a splendid little dog, the Patterdale Terrier, 48 ounces of fighting fury!
I completely agree, to give the wretched WHO any validity is utter madness. A more venal corrupt cesspit is hard to imagine. In fact historically I can only think of the Vatican as a rival.
Not many had heard of it until Dom Cummings of Lockdown/Covid/No.10-fame had his eyes tested there. There is no castle, and the “Chinks wot done it” sounds more Cockney than North East.
To work out what should have happened to cope with the pandemic refer to the Great Barrington Declaration. Any risk management expert could have told Dom Cummings the same and a lot more besides.. and this one did exactly that, to no avail sadly but he did respond to give him credit.. maybe he did take our advice and thats wot go’ ‘im fired?
I have never heard of Barnard Castle but assume it is like Caernarfon Castle. If your friends are right, it is at least a positive result – the culprits will have been hung, drawn and quartered and procedures will have been tightened. There shouldn’t be a repeat for a while. Happy times.
But if there is a 0.0001% chance that the Raccoon Dog done it – then who knows what this dog is doing now. Is it a friend of the spaniel next door to me? There could be a repeat any time – the spaniel is rooting in bins as we speak.
So we need to get to the bottom of the way we reacted and be sure that we know what to do in the future. But NOT by signing the proposed treaty to give the WHO control of our reactions in the next pandemic.
If you were to go into any pub in say Barnard Castle, and ask the question “Who caused Covid?” The overwhelming response would be, “It’s the Chinks wot done it!”, (to lapse into the vernacular).
“However, our politicians can’t rely on western journalists to keep quiet.”
Not id recent experience is anything to go by
“However, our politicians can’t rely on western journalists to keep quiet.”
Not id recent experience is anything to go by
There are many unanswered questions about Covid that will continue to be asked.
Every thing the Government said was Wrong! That is the case. Naturally ‘they’ created and managed this Plandemic for evil reasons of their own. Naturally they will not allow evidence which points out their crimes without a serious go at suppressing it.
Spot in, well said Sir!
Spot in, well said Sir!
Every thing the Government said was Wrong! That is the case. Naturally ‘they’ created and managed this Plandemic for evil reasons of their own. Naturally they will not allow evidence which points out their crimes without a serious go at suppressing it.
There are many unanswered questions about Covid that will continue to be asked.
All this talk of which government/nation/international body was responsible is a bit beside the point.
It was scientists. It’s very possible that once again, groups of scientists acted in reckless disregard of the wide-spread damage they might cause.
And it’s already happening again. A.I. may not be the end of the world but it’s going to destroy a big chunk of the intellectual progress of the human race. (Idiot robot, trained to mimic the internet [of all things] becomes the Universal Expert Overlord. Resistance is “just too much effort”; human brain is over-run!).
And cloning, which might be a great way to create pet mammoths, is, I suspect, being developed for more profitable purposes, most likely not charitable.
We’ve managed to control architects and engineers, so that they’re not putting up dangerous buildings (too often), and surgeons (sort of). It’s time we start corralling the scientists.
All this talk of which government/nation/international body was responsible is a bit beside the point.
It was scientists. It’s very possible that once again, groups of scientists acted in reckless disregard of the wide-spread damage they might cause.
And it’s already happening again. A.I. may not be the end of the world but it’s going to destroy a big chunk of the intellectual progress of the human race. (Idiot robot, trained to mimic the internet [of all things] becomes the Universal Expert Overlord. Resistance is “just too much effort”; human brain is over-run!).
And cloning, which might be a great way to create pet mammoths, is, I suspect, being developed for more profitable purposes, most likely not charitable.
We’ve managed to control architects and engineers, so that they’re not putting up dangerous buildings (too often), and surgeons (sort of). It’s time we start corralling the scientists.
Re the author’s comment : “according to a recent New York Times investigation” – my first reaction to this was that the words “New York Times” and “investigation” when coupled together constitute an oxymoron. Nevertheless, as expected, and as Ashley Rindsberg has so cogently demonstrated, even that Gray Old Lady eventually succumbs to evidence and then changes its narratives.
Re the author’s comment : “according to a recent New York Times investigation” – my first reaction to this was that the words “New York Times” and “investigation” when coupled together constitute an oxymoron. Nevertheless, as expected, and as Ashley Rindsberg has so cogently demonstrated, even that Gray Old Lady eventually succumbs to evidence and then changes its narratives.
I’ve suspected from the earliest reports and events that the most likely scenario is US backed gain of function research in the Wuhan leaked (or was deliberately leaked?) and got out of hand. Current reports on Ukrainian labs add weight to this seemingly sci-fi theory. The visceral hatred of the Chinese by the US is another moving part in this appalling machine as is the scary post Covid and Long-Cover stories emerging.
To balance the last issue we must remember ALL medicines have side effects, the most potent having the most potent side effects; and taking medication is always a risk. The balance of risk was likely in favour of the elderly and health compromised being vaccinated but in my opinion vaccinating healthy under 50s was entirely unnecessary. Vaccinating children was a criminal act that should carry a long prison term.
I’ve suspected from the earliest reports and events that the most likely scenario is US backed gain of function research in the Wuhan leaked (or was deliberately leaked?) and got out of hand. Current reports on Ukrainian labs add weight to this seemingly sci-fi theory. The visceral hatred of the Chinese by the US is another moving part in this appalling machine as is the scary post Covid and Long-Cover stories emerging.
To balance the last issue we must remember ALL medicines have side effects, the most potent having the most potent side effects; and taking medication is always a risk. The balance of risk was likely in favour of the elderly and health compromised being vaccinated but in my opinion vaccinating healthy under 50s was entirely unnecessary. Vaccinating children was a criminal act that should carry a long prison term.
Good story on an important issue.
Too bad that the origin of Covid-19 has turned into a political question. It should not be, nor is it a scientific question. We should do an accident investigation, and forget about blame for a while. As Matt Ridley said, we should care about truth, not consequences.
Those who think we know confidently what happened are wrong. No one has any really probative evidence. It’s all surmise and inference. We can guess, but guesses aren’t good enough. We need to know.
It would be nice if the Chinese government came clean, but they won’t and it’s not hard to figure out why. Some enterprising lawyers in the US have brought lawsuits against them, but apparently there’s no jurisdiction for that.
I’m surprised no one has filed suit against Peter Daszak and EcoHealth. To me it seems like they were grossly negligent in overseeing the activities at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Making chimeric viruses and passaging them in humanized mice in a BSL-2 lab is indeed gunslinging like in the “wild West”. Yet Peter Daszak avoids the issue by insisting without proof that the pandemic started in the Huanan Seafood Market.
We deserve better than we are getting from Peter Daszak, Tony Fauci, Michael Worobey, Eddie Holmes, Kristian Andersen and Angela Rasmussen. Instead of investigating they are pushing their “raccoon dog” story well beyond what the evidence supports. Shame on them.
Good story on an important issue.
Too bad that the origin of Covid-19 has turned into a political question. It should not be, nor is it a scientific question. We should do an accident investigation, and forget about blame for a while. As Matt Ridley said, we should care about truth, not consequences.
Those who think we know confidently what happened are wrong. No one has any really probative evidence. It’s all surmise and inference. We can guess, but guesses aren’t good enough. We need to know.
It would be nice if the Chinese government came clean, but they won’t and it’s not hard to figure out why. Some enterprising lawyers in the US have brought lawsuits against them, but apparently there’s no jurisdiction for that.
I’m surprised no one has filed suit against Peter Daszak and EcoHealth. To me it seems like they were grossly negligent in overseeing the activities at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Making chimeric viruses and passaging them in humanized mice in a BSL-2 lab is indeed gunslinging like in the “wild West”. Yet Peter Daszak avoids the issue by insisting without proof that the pandemic started in the Huanan Seafood Market.
We deserve better than we are getting from Peter Daszak, Tony Fauci, Michael Worobey, Eddie Holmes, Kristian Andersen and Angela Rasmussen. Instead of investigating they are pushing their “raccoon dog” story well beyond what the evidence supports. Shame on them.
For me, there is nothing new in the Chinese government’s cover up of covid’s origins, even if recent evidence suggests that cover up goes deeper than previously recognized. The interesting question, for me, raised by this article is why is the msm suddenly more critical of the Chinese stance on covid? I don’t see how that’s in their interests at this time.
Also, Western governments don’t want too much digging into covid origins because it’s likely the evidence will again point back to research at the Wuhan institute at least partially funded by the US and perhaps other Western countries.
People are fed up with covid. They want to get on with their lives. The longer the uncertainty over covid’s origins drags on, the less people will care.
For me, there is nothing new in the Chinese government’s cover up of covid’s origins, even if recent evidence suggests that cover up goes deeper than previously recognized. The interesting question, for me, raised by this article is why is the msm suddenly more critical of the Chinese stance on covid? I don’t see how that’s in their interests at this time.
Also, Western governments don’t want too much digging into covid origins because it’s likely the evidence will again point back to research at the Wuhan institute at least partially funded by the US and perhaps other Western countries.
People are fed up with covid. They want to get on with their lives. The longer the uncertainty over covid’s origins drags on, the less people will care.
They’re not awkward questions. They’re questions virtually everyone is interested in. I think the Author’s suggestion Biden administration would prefer we never knew highly unlikely.
But at least this article stays inquisitive and focused on the real villains here – the CCP and their determination to hide from any real investigation and scrutiny. When we cast around for who is to blame for the greatest rupture in many of our lives let’s remember it’s the CCP.
I disagree. The Biden administration and the US administrative state (and in this instance especially the NIH) do not want to ever admit or acknowledge there was a lab leak because that would implicate them indirectly, given that NIH/NIAID funded gain of function research on bat corona viruses at the Wuhan Institute of Technology. And that isn’t some conspiracy theory given that the grants is question are all documented on the NIH grant web site, if one cares to look.
As it is, Occam’s Razor would state that the most obvious explanation is a lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (especially since they had a collection of literally thousands of bats and bat corona viruses that they were passaging though mice) just as Porton Down would be the first suspect if the epicenter of an outbreak of some new virus were located in the town of Porton. of course, in this day and age, when 2+2 can be equal to 5 if that’s how one identifies this sum, then the obvious will always be vigorously denied by officialdom.
And it was reported early on that safety standards at Wuhan were poor.
There seem to be 4 safety levels in bio research, level 1 being the lowest. At the time the Wuhan Lab was investigating gain of function, protection level 2 was in force as it’s a coronavirus and they were not considered very dangerous so a higher level was not thought necessary (can’t find the reference). I understand that as of late 2021 Covid is now at Level 3 which does rather sound like the stable door being shut (or perhaps history being rewritten).
I read something different… that they were supposed to be a level 4? for type of research being done and it was 2. Something like that. I read this many times….
I read something different… that they were supposed to be a level 4? for type of research being done and it was 2. Something like that. I read this many times….
There seem to be 4 safety levels in bio research, level 1 being the lowest. At the time the Wuhan Lab was investigating gain of function, protection level 2 was in force as it’s a coronavirus and they were not considered very dangerous so a higher level was not thought necessary (can’t find the reference). I understand that as of late 2021 Covid is now at Level 3 which does rather sound like the stable door being shut (or perhaps history being rewritten).
I think many remain rightly inquisitive as to the cause, and I can understand why the lab leak theory is there. It certainly seems plausible.
But to imply that Biden is helping hide it is a big ‘stretch’ IMO. He wasn’t in the White House prior to Jan 20 and the prior 4yrs are a Trump administration. I can’t quite see how Biden ensured the prior funding for research there, such that he’d now be anxious that didn’t come out – albeit I can imagine some conspiratorist will endeavour to make a link.
Remember though the primary reason we aren’t getting to the bottom of this is the CCP and the culture of their state apparatus. I understand why some desperately want to tar others but it’s often not credible even if gets a few nods from those who’ve already decided.
You’re wrong again. The subversion of the federal mandate against gain of function research occurred during the Obama administration and need I remind you that Biden as VP at the time. Moreover, the agencies that could investigate this (i.e. the NIH and CDC) are up to their eye balls since they subverted the federal mandate by exporting gain of function research to China.
Am I wrong in thinking that the everyday term for describing the round, spherical objects we humans view the world through is unacceptable in polite conversation on Unheard? Does it ‘offend’ people with (male anatomical description also ‘policed’)?
Am I wrong in thinking that the everyday term for describing the round, spherical objects we humans view the world through is unacceptable in polite conversation on Unheard? Does it ‘offend’ people with (male anatomical description also ‘policed’)?
I would bet that the US lack of interest in the origins, will continue even if either party were to gain power in all three Washington houses. Just think of the legal liability consequences if the US had even contributory negligence role.
You’re wrong again. The subversion of the federal mandate against gain of function research occurred during the Obama administration and need I remind you that Biden as VP at the time. Moreover, the agencies that could investigate this (i.e. the NIH and CDC) are up to their eye balls since they subverted the federal mandate by exporting gain of function research to China.
I would bet that the US lack of interest in the origins, will continue even if either party were to gain power in all three Washington houses. Just think of the legal liability consequences if the US had even contributory negligence role.
And it was reported early on that safety standards at Wuhan were poor.
I think many remain rightly inquisitive as to the cause, and I can understand why the lab leak theory is there. It certainly seems plausible.
But to imply that Biden is helping hide it is a big ‘stretch’ IMO. He wasn’t in the White House prior to Jan 20 and the prior 4yrs are a Trump administration. I can’t quite see how Biden ensured the prior funding for research there, such that he’d now be anxious that didn’t come out – albeit I can imagine some conspiratorist will endeavour to make a link.
Remember though the primary reason we aren’t getting to the bottom of this is the CCP and the culture of their state apparatus. I understand why some desperately want to tar others but it’s often not credible even if gets a few nods from those who’ve already decided.
Why are you so sure the Chinese Communist Party is to blame for the pandemic? Certainly they are covering up evidence about the origins. But the only plausible theories I know of about the origin of the pandemic blame it on an accident, and the Chinese cannot be faulted for that.
Charles Perrow in his books “Normal Accidents” and “The Next Catastrophe” points out that with complex systems accidents are inevitable. There are things we can do to try to mitigate (though we can’t eliminate) both risk and harm, but to lay blame on China will likely do more harm than good.
The Biden administration used covid for wicked purposes – so No, they would prefer you knew nothing. The Deep State, with what ever other International powers they are aligned with, created covid, and the mRNA genetic treatment, as Bio-weapons, and then used them on the world.
Now we wait to find out what it was they were out to achieve. It will not be good for us.
I think you are forgetting the pandemic started whilst Trump controlled the White House. His administration was in charge for the first 10months and set in train most of the policies.
There things have timelines that extend beyond the tenure of one president.
I believe the US started funding the Wuhan Clan during the Obama reign
I do appreciate how great the contortions some will pull to try and pin this on Biden/Obama.
As regards the details – you do actually need to go and check the details properly. Wuhan lab did not receive $3.7m as Trump alleged, when answering a planted question. And let’s be clear this was the playbook in classic operation.
Under award number NIAID R01AI110964, NIH actually also funded studies from institutions in US, Aus & Singapore. The work involving the Wuhan Institute was an international collaboration with the New York-based EcoHealth Alliance.
Furthermore, while these funds were originally appropriated by the NIH in 2014 during the Obama administration, the most recent payment, in 2019, was authorised by the Trump administration.
Although the initial grant was approved under the Obama administration in 2014, EcoHealth Alliance’s renewal application was approved by the Trump administration in 2019.
These grants were not awarded to fund a laboratory. They were awarded to fund research into how bat coronavirus could emerge and spread to human populations. Such collaborations were prompted by the 2002 SARS outbreak – to understand the process of how coronaviruses become transmissible to humans. That earlier outbreak was also caused by a coronavirus linked to bats. It’s also not unusual for the US to part-fund collaborations with institutes elsewhere. While this claim is often circulated as if the Obama administration did something unusual, or even nefarious, the US routinely provides funding to international research organizations. In fact the NIH has provided approx $2.5m in additional funding to various organizations in China (including Wuhan University) in 2018 and 2019, under the Trump administration. In 2007, while George W. Bush was president, NIH provided more than $2 million to various research centres across China.
International organizations often come together to solve problems that could impact the global population.
Now I’m still open minded about a lab leak being the cause here, but the folks stopping us getting to the bottom of that are the CCP.
I do appreciate how great the contortions some will pull to try and pin this on Biden/Obama.
As regards the details – you do actually need to go and check the details properly. Wuhan lab did not receive $3.7m as Trump alleged, when answering a planted question. And let’s be clear this was the playbook in classic operation.
Under award number NIAID R01AI110964, NIH actually also funded studies from institutions in US, Aus & Singapore. The work involving the Wuhan Institute was an international collaboration with the New York-based EcoHealth Alliance.
Furthermore, while these funds were originally appropriated by the NIH in 2014 during the Obama administration, the most recent payment, in 2019, was authorised by the Trump administration.
Although the initial grant was approved under the Obama administration in 2014, EcoHealth Alliance’s renewal application was approved by the Trump administration in 2019.
These grants were not awarded to fund a laboratory. They were awarded to fund research into how bat coronavirus could emerge and spread to human populations. Such collaborations were prompted by the 2002 SARS outbreak – to understand the process of how coronaviruses become transmissible to humans. That earlier outbreak was also caused by a coronavirus linked to bats. It’s also not unusual for the US to part-fund collaborations with institutes elsewhere. While this claim is often circulated as if the Obama administration did something unusual, or even nefarious, the US routinely provides funding to international research organizations. In fact the NIH has provided approx $2.5m in additional funding to various organizations in China (including Wuhan University) in 2018 and 2019, under the Trump administration. In 2007, while George W. Bush was president, NIH provided more than $2 million to various research centres across China.
International organizations often come together to solve problems that could impact the global population.
Now I’m still open minded about a lab leak being the cause here, but the folks stopping us getting to the bottom of that are the CCP.
There things have timelines that extend beyond the tenure of one president.
I believe the US started funding the Wuhan Clan during the Obama reign
I did give you the benefit of the doubt for your first post, thinking that you were being ironic, but it appears that you are far, far down the rabbit-hole.
I think you are forgetting the pandemic started whilst Trump controlled the White House. His administration was in charge for the first 10months and set in train most of the policies.
I did give you the benefit of the doubt for your first post, thinking that you were being ironic, but it appears that you are far, far down the rabbit-hole.
The Biden administration do not want to get to the bottom of the issue because the next question is who was funding the research and why in Wuhan.
I remember Obama being very clear the BP had to pay in full for the clean up and compensate those that out as a result of the Deep Water Horizon blow out. I assume that between them the US and China will pick up the bill for Covid
Probably about as much chance of that ER as Europeans compensating South America for introducing smallpox.
Or America compensating us for syphilis,
Or America compensating us for syphilis,
Probably about as much chance of that ER as Europeans compensating South America for introducing smallpox.
Sure the CCP is one of the villains but DARPA (part of the US military) funded the corona virus research that led ultimately to the pandemic – it was started in the US but then transferred to Wuhan, China when the Obama administration outlawed Gain of Function research in 2016/2017.
You are v definitive there CA. V sceptical because if this was true why isn’t the CCP making much more of it as would give them someone to blame? Thus I don’t buy it. (Although that said I would not surprised if the MSS had a covert strategy to spread mis-information along such lines)
You are v definitive there CA. V sceptical because if this was true why isn’t the CCP making much more of it as would give them someone to blame? Thus I don’t buy it. (Although that said I would not surprised if the MSS had a covert strategy to spread mis-information along such lines)
I disagree. The Biden administration and the US administrative state (and in this instance especially the NIH) do not want to ever admit or acknowledge there was a lab leak because that would implicate them indirectly, given that NIH/NIAID funded gain of function research on bat corona viruses at the Wuhan Institute of Technology. And that isn’t some conspiracy theory given that the grants is question are all documented on the NIH grant web site, if one cares to look.
As it is, Occam’s Razor would state that the most obvious explanation is a lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (especially since they had a collection of literally thousands of bats and bat corona viruses that they were passaging though mice) just as Porton Down would be the first suspect if the epicenter of an outbreak of some new virus were located in the town of Porton. of course, in this day and age, when 2+2 can be equal to 5 if that’s how one identifies this sum, then the obvious will always be vigorously denied by officialdom.
Why are you so sure the Chinese Communist Party is to blame for the pandemic? Certainly they are covering up evidence about the origins. But the only plausible theories I know of about the origin of the pandemic blame it on an accident, and the Chinese cannot be faulted for that.
Charles Perrow in his books “Normal Accidents” and “The Next Catastrophe” points out that with complex systems accidents are inevitable. There are things we can do to try to mitigate (though we can’t eliminate) both risk and harm, but to lay blame on China will likely do more harm than good.
The Biden administration used covid for wicked purposes – so No, they would prefer you knew nothing. The Deep State, with what ever other International powers they are aligned with, created covid, and the mRNA genetic treatment, as Bio-weapons, and then used them on the world.
Now we wait to find out what it was they were out to achieve. It will not be good for us.
The Biden administration do not want to get to the bottom of the issue because the next question is who was funding the research and why in Wuhan.
I remember Obama being very clear the BP had to pay in full for the clean up and compensate those that out as a result of the Deep Water Horizon blow out. I assume that between them the US and China will pick up the bill for Covid
Sure the CCP is one of the villains but DARPA (part of the US military) funded the corona virus research that led ultimately to the pandemic – it was started in the US but then transferred to Wuhan, China when the Obama administration outlawed Gain of Function research in 2016/2017.
They’re not awkward questions. They’re questions virtually everyone is interested in. I think the Author’s suggestion Biden administration would prefer we never knew highly unlikely.
But at least this article stays inquisitive and focused on the real villains here – the CCP and their determination to hide from any real investigation and scrutiny. When we cast around for who is to blame for the greatest rupture in many of our lives let’s remember it’s the CCP.
“our politicians can’t rely on western journalists to keep quiet” – seriously? Apparently Naomi Wolf CAN rely on them to keep it shut. For the crime of a) talking to Tucker Carlson, and b) raising concerns that the “vaccines” caused catastrophic harms to pregnant women, this decidely non-conservative pundit was basically shut down, canceled, and deplatformed by many of the left-leaning platforms that had previously awarded her VIP status. The Crime of the Century – well, this century, anyway – will essentially go unpunished because western journalists kept quiet.
“our politicians can’t rely on western journalists to keep quiet” – seriously? Apparently Naomi Wolf CAN rely on them to keep it shut. For the crime of a) talking to Tucker Carlson, and b) raising concerns that the “vaccines” caused catastrophic harms to pregnant women, this decidely non-conservative pundit was basically shut down, canceled, and deplatformed by many of the left-leaning platforms that had previously awarded her VIP status. The Crime of the Century – well, this century, anyway – will essentially go unpunished because western journalists kept quiet.
Former Australian PM Scott Morrison may beg to differ. He was out in front of calls for independent investigation into the origins of covid, from April 2020 onwards. Both he and Australia paid a heavy price in the form of ensuing Chinese trade sanctions.
Former Australian PM Scott Morrison may beg to differ. He was out in front of calls for independent investigation into the origins of covid, from April 2020 onwards. Both he and Australia paid a heavy price in the form of ensuing Chinese trade sanctions.
The Biden administration desperately do not want to acknowledge the origins – in part because that would lead to the next obvious and necessary step of demanding reparations from the CCP, and in part because Biden is essentially a CCP asset.
The writer is not suggesting the Biden Admin is in on the cover up – but I am.
The Biden administration desperately do not want to acknowledge the origins – in part because that would lead to the next obvious and necessary step of demanding reparations from the CCP, and in part because Biden is essentially a CCP asset.
The writer is not suggesting the Biden Admin is in on the cover up – but I am.