03-01-2022, 10:12 PM
Jim Jordan promises to "investigate" Dr. Fauci if GOP retakes the House this year, Salon.
For conspiracy theorists, the "Lab Leak Theory" is just like the door-to-door salesman's foot in the door: it's not the objective - it's only a means to an end. In this case, the end is to blame those who are battling Covid with creating it and handing it to the Chinese as a bio-weapon.
Yes, the fact the Chinese blocked an international investigation into the outbreak adds fuel to the conspiracy. But let's face it, the reflex of the Chinese is to deny & control the story. I'd imagine stray comments about who farted in the lift would see the loose lips sent off for "re-education", let alone more substantial criticisms (e.g. Peng Shuai).
For conspiracy theorists, the "Lab Leak Theory" is just like the door-to-door salesman's foot in the door: it's not the objective - it's only a means to an end. In this case, the end is to blame those who are battling Covid with creating it and handing it to the Chinese as a bio-weapon.
Quote:At the center of this theory is the allegation that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at one point provided a grant to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for "gain-of-function" research, a process in which a virus is genetically altered in order to anticipate ways it may mutate in the future. Supporters of the lab leak theory contend, by that logic, that the coronavirus which causes COVID-19 is a man-made "supervirus," generated in a lab, whose origins have been covered up by leading health officials, including Fauci.
According to the Washington Post, there is no clear evidence that the NIH funded any such research. Furthermore, most scientists have concluded that the lab leak theory is unlikely, although it cannot entirely be ruled out. The dearth of evidence for the claim hasn't stopped conservatives from repeatedly accusing Fauci of masterminding the pandemic.
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On Sunday, the New York Times cited two extensive new studies backing the idea that COVID-19 originated from a live animal market in Wuhan, China. This was largely the consensus earlier into the pandemic.
Jordan appeared unconvinced, writing of the report this week: "These aren't new facts or new studies. This 'new' info is from the same crew that told Fauci it came from a lab but suspiciously changed their tune and were rewarded with a 9 million dollar grant."
According to the Times, the two novel studies have been verified by multiple independent experts, which renders the lab leak increasingly unlikely.
"When you look at all of the evidence together, it's an extraordinarily clear picture that the pandemic started at the Huanan market," said Michael Worobey, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Arizona.
Yes, the fact the Chinese blocked an international investigation into the outbreak adds fuel to the conspiracy. But let's face it, the reflex of the Chinese is to deny & control the story. I'd imagine stray comments about who farted in the lift would see the loose lips sent off for "re-education", let alone more substantial criticisms (e.g. Peng Shuai).