Meanwhile, Guess WHO?

 

File:Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus.jpgThe Daily Mail is reporting that World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,  “recently confided to a senior European politician that the most likely explanation [of COVID’s origin] was a catastrophic accident at a laboratory in Wuhan, where infections first spread during late 2019.”

This report, of a ‘private’ conversation, comes just ten days after the release of a WHO report saying that the lab-leak theory “needs further investigation,” and recommending further research in the Wuhan lab and among its staff. 

China, of course, is objecting vigorously to the WHO report of June 9, and seems to have launched a counteroffensive in the last couple of days asserting again that the virus originated in the United States and that any association of it as the ChiCom/WuFlu/Chinese virus is politically motivated hate speech.

I suppose we shall see, over the next several days:

  1. Whether any/all of these pan out as a news story and are publicly confirmed as fact
  2. What new information has been uncovered as to the virus’s origins, and/or
  3. Whether The Daily Mail, or Ghebreyesus himself, is the first to be thrown off Twitter, or shut down on Facebook, for spreading COVID misinformation.

Whatever happens among the cast of characters, it does appear that we might be inching closer to the truth about the origins of a virus that has played a direct role in the deaths of at least eighteen million people, and whose indirect role in the misery inflicted upon billions by an inartful and often corrupt political and scientific establishment, is incalculable.

PS:  From February 2020:  Scientists ‘strongly condemn’ rumors and conspiracy theories about origin of corona virus outbreak.  LOL.

“‘Shut up,’ they explained.”

 

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  1. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    It was clear day 1

    • #1
  2. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    CCP selling bat guano. The only buyers are US left-wing political grifters with a direct line to their favorite Xi.

    • #2
  3. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    Okay, I think that’s actually one donation to the Alex Jones Was Right Jar and one donation to the Orange Man Was Right Jar. Or, as I call it, Orange Man Good.

    • #3
  4. She Member
    She
    @She

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    It was clear day 1

    I agree that–from day 1–it was the most likely and rational explanation (William of Occam, call your office).  And it was certainly one that was aired out on this site, very early on.

    That’s not to say that there shouldn’t have been a thorough investigation from all sides, and of all possibilities, just in case.  Not a thing wrong with that, and much to be commended.

    But that didn’t happen.

    The notable thing WRT the origins of Covid has been the extraordinary hostility towards such open-mindedness and scientific investigation, as it’s been shown by those who should know better–the “scientists” and the politicians of the western world, almost all of whom seem terrified of digging too deeply for the truth, in case the truth might reach a conclusion some might view as “offensive” or “judgmental,” or in case it exposes their own vulnerability and even corruption.**

    And so we were given our marching orders: 

    Five and twenty ponies,
    Trotting through the dark –
    Brandy for the Parson, ‘Baccy for the Clerk.
    Them that asks no questions isn’t told a lie –
    Watch the wall my darling while the Gentlemen go by–Rudyard Kipling

     

    • #4
  5. Clavius Thatcher
    Clavius
    @Clavius

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    It was clear day 1

    Yes, the only reasonable explanation.

    • #5
  6. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    I think they’re both right. 

    If the DoD wanted to do some bioweapons development and China agreed to turn a ‘blind’ eye if they did it in Wuhan, this is exactly the kind of weird finger-pointing semi-détente you would expect as a result. 

    • #6
  7. Stina Member
    Stina
    @CM

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    It was clear day 1

    Why you so racissssss????

    • #7
  8. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    She (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    It was clear day 1

    I agree that–from day 1–it was the most likely and rational explanation (William of Occam, call your office). And it was certainly one that was aired out on this site, very early on.

    That’s not to say that there shouldn’t have been a thorough investigation from all sides, and of all possibilities, just in case. Not a thing wrong with that, and much to be commended.

    But that didn’t happen.

    The notable thing WRT the origins of Covid has been the extraordinary hostility towards such open-mindedness and scientific investigation, as it’s been shown by those who should know better–the “scientists” and the politicians of the western world, almost all of whom seem terrified of digging too deeply for the truth, in case the truth might reach a conclusion some might view as “offensive” or “judgmental,” or in case it exposes their own vulnerability and even corruption.**

    And so we were given our marching orders:

    Five and twenty ponies,
    Trotting through the dark –
    Brandy for the Parson, ‘Baccy for the Clerk.
    Them that asks no questions isn’t told a lie –
    Watch the wall my darling while the Gentlemen go by–Rudyard Kipling

    The problem is, I had access to people in the industry. They knew before it was a thing in the media. They knew in January 2020.

    This was a weaponized virus that got out. It was designed to do be this way. It was worse at ground zero as artificial bugs are. That is because it was not going to remain stable. A weaponized virus carries a lot of extra stuff, so to speak. That is not great for long term survival, just like our food crops need us to live. It has rapidly become less deadly because those artificial bits have been lost. But the first studies of this thing showed it to have very unusual items. These were inserted.

    You can call it gain of function, I call it weaponized.

    • #8
  9. She Member
    She
    @She

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    This was a weaponized virus that got out. It was designed to do be this way. It was worse at ground zero as artificial bugs are. That is because it was not going to remain stable. A weaponized virus carries a lot of extra stuff, so to speak. That is not great for long term survival, just like our food crops need us to live. It has rapidly become less deadly because those artificial bits have been lost. But the first studies of this thing showed it to have very unusual items. These were inserted.

    You can call it gain of function, I call it weaponized.

    I don’t think I called it gain of function.  I do call the entire situation, start to finish, devious and corrupt, and it’s been clear, since almost the very beginning, to anyone with a functioning central nervous system, that we’ve been lied to.  Had the Fourth Estate, or at least that part of it that functions today as State Media, remotely been doing its job of “investigative journalism,” things may have turned out very differently.  Instead, they appeared, cap-in-hand at Fauci’s briefings, turned themselves into weapons of misconstruction and mouthpieces for the new “science,” suppressed any information that didn’t comport with the party line, and partnered with Big Tech, particularly in the form of Facebook, Twitter, and Google, to thwart any efforts at open debate or attempts to get to the bottom of it and to defame, bully, shame, isolate, and cancel, anyone who opposed them–even other recognized experts in the relevant scientific fields who had important things to say.

    I remember, several months ago, an encomium to the Biden administration’s truthfulness, openness, and transparency.  I can’t remember where it was.  Probably CNN, the WaPo, or the NYT.  The gist of it was: “How lovely it is that Trump is gone and that he has been replaced by an administration that is so honest and straightforward that we can trust every word that comes out of its mouth, and relay it, verbatim, to the American people.  It just makes our job so much easier when there isn’t any tension, and there’s just incredible respect, between the White House and the press….kiss, kiss.”  Bad enough that the slobbering subservience of the press, and its refusal to actually investigate anything was painfully apparent to even the most casual observer before this admission.  Even worse, though, that they made it so openly.

    I hope, one day, to have the full story, the facts, and the evidence, and to have them all available publicly.  It’s clear that, if that day ever comes to pass, it will be in spite of the people who are supposed to be keeping the politicians honest, and not because of them.

    • #9
  10. OmegaPaladin Moderator
    OmegaPaladin
    @OmegaPaladin

    I was wondering about the lab leak hypothesis from April 2020.  Biosafety is hard.  I can totally see the Chinese government cutting corners.  Their industrial safety record is garbage.  I’ve met US based researchers who were not concerned about safety, after all, and there used to a be a lot of crazy stuff tolerated (like mouth pipetting!?!)

    The idea that the lab leak theory is racist is so insane that it boggles the mind.  Same with the fact we are not calling it Wuhan Coronavirus.

    • #10
  11. Doctor Robert Member
    Doctor Robert
    @DoctorRobert

    It wasn’t a leak.

    It  wasn’t a catastrophic accident.

    It was a deliberate seeding of workers traveling to Italy and NYC.

    Otherwise one cannot explain the behavior of the CCP in the weeks after the epidemic began.

    • #11
  12. She Member
    She
    @She

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    It wasn’t a leak.

    It wasn’t a catastrophic accident.

    It was a deliberate seeding of workers traveling to Italy and NYC.

    Once again, I’d welcome actual facts.  That’s not to say that I’d be surprised by what any of them might show, if we’re ever graced with them.  But–once again–a robust Fourth Estate would have uncovered them, or, at least, found other tepid and timid ideas incredibly wanting.  It’s done neither.  

    Otherwise one cannot explain the behavior of the CCP in the weeks after the epidemic began.

    Mr. She was prone to opine on the “inscrutable Oriental.”  He was from the generation before mine, so I sort of ‘get’ that that’s no longer politically correct on its face.

    However, when I look at the behavior of “Red China,” top to bottom, over the past 2 1/2+ years, I can’t but conclude that–yes–there’s an actual difference, starting at the top, with “respect for human life” (or, actually, any sort of sentient life)  which differentiates (most of) ‘us’ from ‘them.’

     

    • #12
  13. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    She (View Comment):

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    It wasn’t a leak.

    It wasn’t a catastrophic accident.

    It was a deliberate seeding of workers traveling to Italy and NYC.

    Once again, I’d welcome actual facts. That’s not to say that I’d be surprised by what any of them might show, if we’re ever graced with them. But–once again–a robust Fourth Estate would have uncovered them, or, at least, found other tepid and timid ideas incredibly wanting. It’s done neither.

    Otherwise one cannot explain the behavior of the CCP in the weeks after the epidemic began.

    Mr. She was prone to opine on the “inscrutable Oriental.” He was from the generation before mine, so I sort of ‘get’ that that’s no longer politically correct on its face.

    However, when I look at the behavior of “Red China,” top to bottom, over the past 2 1/2+ years, I can’t but conclude that–yes–there’s an actual difference, starting at the top, with “respect for human life” (or, actually, any sort of sentient life) which differentiates (most of) ‘us’ from ‘them.’

    Some cultures are less forthcoming with their thoughts and emotions than others. Americans lean towards the let-it-all-hang-out side of things. It works for us. We are also pretty empathetic. And egalitarian. 

    People of other countries have no problem generalizing about ‘those Americans, they’re all alike’, I assure you. 

    • #13
  14. She Member
    She
    @She

    TBA (View Comment):

    She (View Comment):

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    It wasn’t a leak.

    It wasn’t a catastrophic accident.

    It was a deliberate seeding of workers traveling to Italy and NYC.

    Once again, I’d welcome actual facts. That’s not to say that I’d be surprised by what any of them might show, if we’re ever graced with them. But–once again–a robust Fourth Estate would have uncovered them, or, at least, found other tepid and timid ideas incredibly wanting. It’s done neither.

    Otherwise one cannot explain the behavior of the CCP in the weeks after the epidemic began.

    Mr. She was prone to opine on the “inscrutable Oriental.” He was from the generation before mine, so I sort of ‘get’ that that’s no longer politically correct on its face.

    However, when I look at the behavior of “Red China,” top to bottom, over the past 2 1/2+ years, I can’t but conclude that–yes–there’s an actual difference, starting at the top, with “respect for human life” (or, actually, any sort of sentient life) which differentiates (most of) ‘us’ from ‘them.’

    Some cultures are less forthcoming with their thoughts and emotions than others. Americans lean towards the let-it-all-hang-out side of things. It works for us. We are also pretty empathetic. And egalitarian.

    People of other countries have no problem generalizing about ‘those Americans, they’re all alike’, I assure you.

    Having spent the vast majority of my life amongst people of cultures other than my own (which isn’t American), you don’t need to “assure” me of anything, and  I have no difficulty believing in your generalization about what the rest of the world feels about “those Americans.”  In fact, I’ve spent decades of my life trying to convince those from other nations that the vast majority of people in this country (The United States of America) are not of the Ewing family from Southfork variety, but are just ordinary people struggling to find their way, living their lives, and trying to improve the lives of themselves and their families.  Just like everyone else.

    Lose that understanding, I think, and we’ve lost it all.

    • #14
  15. 9thDistrictNeighbor Member
    9thDistrictNeighbor
    @9thDistrictNeighbor

    • #15
  16. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    She (View Comment):

    TBA (View Comment):

    She (View Comment):

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    It wasn’t a leak.

    It wasn’t a catastrophic accident.

    It was a deliberate seeding of workers traveling to Italy and NYC.

    Once again, I’d welcome actual facts. That’s not to say that I’d be surprised by what any of them might show, if we’re ever graced with them. But–once again–a robust Fourth Estate would have uncovered them, or, at least, found other tepid and timid ideas incredibly wanting. It’s done neither.

    Otherwise one cannot explain the behavior of the CCP in the weeks after the epidemic began.

    Mr. She was prone to opine on the “inscrutable Oriental.” He was from the generation before mine, so I sort of ‘get’ that that’s no longer politically correct on its face.

    However, when I look at the behavior of “Red China,” top to bottom, over the past 2 1/2+ years, I can’t but conclude that–yes–there’s an actual difference, starting at the top, with “respect for human life” (or, actually, any sort of sentient life) which differentiates (most of) ‘us’ from ‘them.’

    Some cultures are less forthcoming with their thoughts and emotions than others. Americans lean towards the let-it-all-hang-out side of things. It works for us. We are also pretty empathetic. And egalitarian.

    People of other countries have no problem generalizing about ‘those Americans, they’re all alike’, I assure you.

    Having spent the vast majority of my life amongst people of cultures other than my own (which isn’t American), you don’t need to “assure” me of anything, and I have no difficulty believing in your generalization about what the rest of the world feels about “those Americans.” In fact, I’ve spent decades of my life trying to convince those from other nations that the vast majority of people in this country (The United States of America) are not of the Ewing family from Southfork variety, but are just ordinary people struggling to find their way, living their lives, and trying to improve the lives of themselves and their families. Just like everyone else.

    Lose that understanding, I think, and we’ve lost it all.

    What I was trying to say is, ‘Orientals, are, relatively speaking, not uninscrutable.’ 

    • #16
  17. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    She (View Comment):

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    It wasn’t a leak.

    It wasn’t a catastrophic accident.

    It was a deliberate seeding of workers traveling to Italy and NYC.

    Once again, I’d welcome actual facts. That’s not to say that I’d be surprised by what any of them might show, if we’re ever graced with them. But–once again–a robust Fourth Estate would have uncovered them, or, at least, found other tepid and timid ideas incredibly wanting. It’s done neither.

    Otherwise one cannot explain the behavior of the CCP in the weeks after the epidemic began.

    Mr. She was prone to opine on the “inscrutable Oriental.” He was from the generation before mine, so I sort of ‘get’ that that’s no longer politically correct on its face.

    However, when I look at the behavior of “Red China,” top to bottom, over the past 2 1/2+ years, I can’t but conclude that–yes–there’s an actual difference, starting at the top, with “respect for human life” (or, actually, any sort of sentient life) which differentiates (most of) ‘us’ from ‘them.’

     

    Current US federal leadership excepted, of course.

    • #17
  18. Cassandro Coolidge
    Cassandro
    @Flicker

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    It was clear day 1

    Yeah, at the latest February of 2020.

    • #18
  19. Cassandro Coolidge
    Cassandro
    @Flicker

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):
    I’ve met US based researchers who were not concerned about safety, after all, and there used to a be a lot of crazy stuff tolerated (like mouth pipetting!?!)

    Wan smile.

    • #19
  20. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    It wasn’t a leak.

    It wasn’t a catastrophic accident.

    It was a deliberate seeding of workers traveling to Italy and NYC.

    Otherwise one cannot explain the behavior of the CCP in the weeks after the epidemic began.

    The Russians made some great Sherlock Holmes movies, but that doesn’t mean the process of elimination is a reliable method of arriving at the truth. 

    • #20
  21. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):
    I was wondering about the lab leak hypothesis from April 2020.  Biosafety is hard.  I can totally see the Chinese government cutting corners.  Their industrial safety record is garbage.  I’ve met US based researchers who were not concerned about safety, after all, and there used to a be a lot of crazy stuff tolerated (like mouth pipetting!?!)

    In the 60s?

    I’m probably conveniently disremembering any mouth pipetting in the labs in my advisor’s class on biological wastewater treatment. 

    • #21
  22. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    Are we hearing the truth we get here anywhere else?

    • #22
  23. Justin Other Lawyer Coolidge
    Justin Other Lawyer
    @DouglasMyers

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):

    I was wondering about the lab leak hypothesis from April 2020. Biosafety is hard. I can totally see the Chinese government cutting corners. Their industrial safety record is garbage. I’ve met US based researchers who were not concerned about safety, after all, and there used to a be a lot of crazy stuff tolerated (like mouth pipetting!?!)

    The idea that the lab leak theory is racist is so insane that it boggles the mind. Same with the fact we are not calling it Wuhan Coronavirus.

    Agreed.  Further, I have a very close acquaintance who worked several weeks every few months in China for a number of years and had opportunities to see (unwritten) SOPs in various industries.  Simply put, he was certain that a lab leak was highly likely (how about that alliteration!) because of the careless ways any number of safety protocols were handled.  To him, it was certainly plausible that dead animals could have been mishandled, lab employees would have taken fewer precautions, etc.  

    • #23
  24. Doctor Robert Member
    Doctor Robert
    @DoctorRobert

    She (View Comment):

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):

    It wasn’t a leak.

    It wasn’t a catastrophic accident.

    It was a deliberate seeding of workers traveling to Italy and NYC.

    Once again, I’d welcome actual facts. That’s not to say that I’d be surprised by what any of them might show, if we’re ever graced with them. But–once again–a robust Fourth Estate would have uncovered them, or, at least, found other tepid and timid ideas incredibly wanting. It’s done neither.

    Otherwise one cannot explain the behavior of the CCP in the weeks after the epidemic began.

    Mr. She was prone to opine on the “inscrutable Oriental.” He was from the generation before mine, so I sort of ‘get’ that that’s no longer politically correct on its face.

    However, when I look at the behavior of “Red China,” top to bottom, over the past 2 1/2+ years, I can’t but conclude that–yes–there’s an actual difference, starting at the top, with “respect for human life” (or, actually, any sort of sentient life) which differentiates (most of) ‘us’ from ‘them.’

     

    You ask for proof.  This is unprovable.  However, no other explanation matches the observed facts as well.

    • #24
  25. She Member
    She
    @She

    Doctor Robert (View Comment):
    You ask for proof.  This is unprovable.  However, no other explanation matches the observed facts as well.

    Actually, I asked for truth, and I asked for facts.  If we cut through the noise and got past the lies and the suppositions, I think the “proof” would take care of itself, even just in terms of “circumstantial evidence.”  That’s the job the media should have been doing for the past 2 1/2 years–looking for the truth, and reporting the facts.

    • #25
  26. She Member
    She
    @She

    Justin Other Lawyer (View Comment):

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):

    I was wondering about the lab leak hypothesis from April 2020. Biosafety is hard. I can totally see the Chinese government cutting corners. Their industrial safety record is garbage. I’ve met US based researchers who were not concerned about safety, after all, and there used to a be a lot of crazy stuff tolerated (like mouth pipetting!?!)

    The idea that the lab leak theory is racist is so insane that it boggles the mind. Same with the fact we are not calling it Wuhan Coronavirus.

    Agreed. Further, I have a very close acquaintance who worked several weeks every few months in China for a number of years and had opportunities to see (unwritten) SOPs in various industries. Simply put, he was certain that a lab leak was highly likely (how about that alliteration!) because of the careless ways any number of safety protocols were handled. To him, it was certainly plausible that dead animals could have been mishandled, lab employees would have taken fewer precautions, etc.

    Agree with both of you, on all counts.

    Meanwhile, I gather that the WHO must not yet have had time to address the possible apostasy of its Director-General because it’s been occupied trying to think up a new name for Monkeypox.  Because the name “Monkeypox” might be racist.

    I hadn’t actually realized that monkeys feature so prominently and at such a high level on the intersectionality offense-alert chart, but I guess one learns something new every day.

    • #26
  27. Justin Other Lawyer Coolidge
    Justin Other Lawyer
    @DouglasMyers

    She (View Comment):

    Justin Other Lawyer (View Comment):

    OmegaPaladin (View Comment):

    I was wondering about the lab leak hypothesis from April 2020. Biosafety is hard. I can totally see the Chinese government cutting corners. Their industrial safety record is garbage. I’ve met US based researchers who were not concerned about safety, after all, and there used to a be a lot of crazy stuff tolerated (like mouth pipetting!?!)

    The idea that the lab leak theory is racist is so insane that it boggles the mind. Same with the fact we are not calling it Wuhan Coronavirus.

    Agreed. Further, I have a very close acquaintance who worked several weeks every few months in China for a number of years and had opportunities to see (unwritten) SOPs in various industries. Simply put, he was certain that a lab leak was highly likely (how about that alliteration!) because of the careless ways any number of safety protocols were handled. To him, it was certainly plausible that dead animals could have been mishandled, lab employees would have taken fewer precautions, etc.

    Agree with both of you, on all counts.

    Meanwhile, I gather that the WHO must not yet have had time to address the possible apostasy of its Director-General because it’s been occupied trying to think up a new name for Monkeypox. Because the name “Monkeypox” might be racist.

    I hadn’t actually realized that monkeys feature so prominently and at such a high level on the intersectionality offense-alert chart, but I guess one learns something new every day.

    WHO almost certainly is up on the latest “facial angle” research.  It dovetails nicely with their interest in phrenology.

    • #27
  28. Sisyphus Member
    Sisyphus
    @Sisyphus

    Justin Other Lawyer (View Comment):
    WHO almost certainly is up on the latest “facial angle” research.  It dovetails nicely with their interest in phrenology.

    You know, even the slightest deviation from the Han Chinese ideal is a warning of bad character. Deducting social credit now.

    • #28
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