Not all of the early lab-leak voices were racist. Some people went for that conclusion because of the proximity of the outbreak to the Wuhan lab which was researching that sort of virus. They may have been a little quick to do so but they guessed right. It wasn't that big of a leap, and it wasn't anti-Chinese to think that, just sort of obvious. I know that because I felt that way at the time. And then there were the Tucker Carlsons who called it the "Chinese coronavirus" and all that, and you're probably right about them.
> Not all of the early lab-leak voices were racist.
That sort of statement is always true, but that doesn't negate the real dangers of the Right using it for political advantage. Their general approach is to drive a wedge between different groups in the US (and abroad), pit them against each other, and have them take out their rage on each other as a means to distract them from the real issues going on. It was clear at the time that the Trump administration wasn't after "the truth" but more after a way to keep people occupied - and if that puts a lot of people in danger, they don't really care.
And before anyone tries to defend the Right, take a look at these basekless attacks on drag queens. Meanwhile we have school shootings happening all the time and they don't do anything about it. It's a big shame because the a large portion of the USA isn't about trying to make things better - they just want to rage and cause damage towards others.
It's not about what you believe, it's WHY do you believe it.
It's better to start with logic, reason, and scientific evidence - not with guesses, fear, or conspiracy theories.
Sometimes the conspiracy theories are true!! The US government DID test mind control and psychadelic drugs on people. They DID forcibly sterilize thousands of african americans. But was 9/11 an inside job? Doesn't seem like it.
Don't forget, most of the same people screaming Lab Leak were later screaming Horse Worm Medicine.
>Don't forget, most of the same people screaming Lab Leak were later screaming Horse Worm Medicine.
So what? You just said we should only look at "logic, reason, and scientific evidence". What some of the same people are screaming shouldn't be a factor at all, by your own reasoning.
At the beginning they were screaming Lab Leak, and the rest of us looked at the evidence and said "Well, yes, that's certainly suspicious and should be investigated. But we don't have evidence for it yet, so the reasonable thing to do would be to wait and see." And the Lab Leakers screamed "NO, it was CHINA, don't you see? We need to put tariffs on them!". And we said "uh huh. OK. Yes, your certainty that it's China doesn't make it more logical."
And then later, when new evidence came in we said "Huh. OK. Well that's interesting. That's definitely more likely now. OK"
Anytime anyone starts talking about left or right in a scientific discussion I instantly discount the rest of their view, because we aren't talking about science anymore. Nothing is gained from making this discussion part of that asinine tribal tug of war.
You ignore the tribal tug of war at your own peril.
You become a useful idiot to those that would manipulate science for their own needs.
In a broader sense, when one side wants to make change, and one doesn't, the "centrist" position benefits the side that doesn't want to make progress.
The scientific reality is that at this point in the pandemic cycle, the best evidence now suggests credibility to the lab leak theory. In 2020 it did not.
