4 ms·

> That doesn't eliminate the possibility that it was a natural virus which had been collected and subsequently escaped due to bad lab technique but the former i

> That doesn't eliminate the possibility that it was a natural virus which had been collected and subsequently escaped due to bad lab technique but the former is too attractive a conspiracy theory to let go.. For some reason most discussions claiming that the lab leak hypothesis is a conspiracy theory focus 90% of their effort arguing against being a bioengineered weapon and little time arguing against the actual strongest lab leak hypothesis: a zoonotic virus was collected and brought to a virology lab, where it was passed through humanized mice, a worker contracted it, and accidentally spread it in the city the virology lab was based. The fact that people can pick out whackadoodles in Congress who argue for stupid theories doesn't make the strong theory weaker.

chasil 4y ago
What I will tell you is a thing that I have read, and I hold close: Forgive one another, and you will be forgiven. In order to forgive, we must have the truth. Without it, we are in a fog of blind judgement and accusation. Clarity of the source of this misfortune allows us to forgive. I cannot say that I hold the full pantheon of the origin of these words to be true, but the four books that imparted this teaching to me have left an indelible imprint, and I cannot escape their mercy, justice, and hope. I have read many other books, of course, and I believe in compassion. Though great calamity has befallen us, we might find any who have acted wrongly to be worthy of forgiveness. When we grow beyond apprehension of recrimination, blind to fear of punishment for a cataclysm caused by ourselves and others, and only seek to salve our unwilling harm, perhaps then we will be able to say "move!" to a mountain, and it will move. Yes, I have loved these books. Sometimes, they are my only solace.
- scarmig 4y ago
  For what it's worth, I neither think the lab leak hypothesis is definitely proven nor that the scientists involved are worthy of some kind of punishment. It's a matter of increasing security at scientific research facilities and banning certain lines of research altogether as too risky.
  - chasil 4y ago
    I agree, forgive before corrective action.
- lupire 4y ago
  What books are you cryptically referring about? The USA just launched a major assault on the human rights of 55% of its population (women and homosexuals), after a yearlong assault on the foundation of our democratic government, all under the guise of four books of "mercy, justice, and hope". Forgiveness is not on the political table.
  - chasil 4y ago
    Perhaps you will find them someday.
  - inquirerGeneral 4y ago
notriddle 4y ago
A zoonotic jump that happened to occur inside of a wildlife research facility due to bad lab technique is not that scary. If it's proven true, it's pretty likely that the lab operators will fix it. Could you imagine being the guy who caused the COVID-19 pandemic by forgetting to sanitize some tool? I bet whoever did it would be the single most careful and clean research scientist in the entire world after that kind of episode. The bioweapon theory, however, is politically useful. If you want to start a war, or at least trade sanctions, a villain is a good place to start. Someone violating international law and gene splicing themselves a pandemic in a bottle is exactly the right kind of comic book supervillainy, without being technically impossible.
- Maursault 4y ago
  > The bioweapon theory, however, is politically useful. If you want to start a war, or at least trade sanctions, a villain is a good place to start. This is precisely Nature's gambit. She carefully engineered SARS-CoV-2 in a matter of weeks (to conceal the evidence, which was eaten), all naturally of course, but carefully, subtly made it appear like it might have been designed by mere mortals... and for this very purpose. Armageddon. When there's an imbalance, Nature corrects. And no one would deny there is an imbalance in the Earth regarding our species alone totally messing it up for all living things.
- dTal 4y ago
  >I bet whoever did it would be the single most careful and clean research scientist in the entire world after that kind of episode. "Fire you? I just spent a million lives training you up!" (For those who don't get the reference, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_j_watson_209882 https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_j_watson_209882 )
- lazyeye 4y ago
  "not that scary..." What an utterly extraordinary thing to say!

chasil 4y ago

What I will tell you is a thing that I have read, and I hold close: Forgive one another, and you will be forgiven. In order to forgive, we must have the truth. Without it, we are in a fog of blind judgement and accusation. Clarity of the source of this misfortune allows us to forgive. I cannot say that I hold the full pantheon of the origin of these words to be true, but the four books that imparted this teaching to me have left an indelible imprint, and I cannot escape their mercy, justice, and hope. I have read many other books, of course, and I believe in compassion. Though great calamity has befallen us, we might find any who have acted wrongly to be worthy of forgiveness. When we grow beyond apprehension of recrimination, blind to fear of punishment for a cataclysm caused by ourselves and others, and only seek to salve our unwilling harm, perhaps then we will be able to say "move!" to a mountain, and it will move. Yes, I have loved these books. Sometimes, they are my only solace.

scarmig 4y ago
For what it's worth, I neither think the lab leak hypothesis is definitely proven nor that the scientists involved are worthy of some kind of punishment. It's a matter of increasing security at scientific research facilities and banning certain lines of research altogether as too risky.
- chasil 4y ago
  I agree, forgive before corrective action.
lupire 4y ago
What books are you cryptically referring about? The USA just launched a major assault on the human rights of 55% of its population (women and homosexuals), after a yearlong assault on the foundation of our democratic government, all under the guise of four books of "mercy, justice, and hope". Forgiveness is not on the political table.
- chasil 4y ago
  Perhaps you will find them someday.
- inquirerGeneral 4y ago

notriddle 4y ago

A zoonotic jump that happened to occur inside of a wildlife research facility due to bad lab technique is not that scary. If it's proven true, it's pretty likely that the lab operators will fix it. Could you imagine being the guy who caused the COVID-19 pandemic by forgetting to sanitize some tool? I bet whoever did it would be the single most careful and clean research scientist in the entire world after that kind of episode. The bioweapon theory, however, is politically useful. If you want to start a war, or at least trade sanctions, a villain is a good place to start. Someone violating international law and gene splicing themselves a pandemic in a bottle is exactly the right kind of comic book supervillainy, without being technically impossible.

Maursault 4y ago
> The bioweapon theory, however, is politically useful. If you want to start a war, or at least trade sanctions, a villain is a good place to start. This is precisely Nature's gambit. She carefully engineered SARS-CoV-2 in a matter of weeks (to conceal the evidence, which was eaten), all naturally of course, but carefully, subtly made it appear like it might have been designed by mere mortals... and for this very purpose. Armageddon. When there's an imbalance, Nature corrects. And no one would deny there is an imbalance in the Earth regarding our species alone totally messing it up for all living things.
dTal 4y ago
>I bet whoever did it would be the single most careful and clean research scientist in the entire world after that kind of episode. "Fire you? I just spent a million lives training you up!" (For those who don't get the reference, https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_j_watson_209882 https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_j_watson_209882 )
lazyeye 4y ago
"not that scary..." What an utterly extraordinary thing to say!