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Tuesday, December 03, 2024

United States House of Representatives supports the lab leak conspiracy theory

On January 9, 2023 the US House of Representatives created the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. It was chaired by Republican representative Brad Wenstrup of Ohio. There were nine Republicans on the subcommittee and seven Democrats.

The mandate of the subcommittee was to investigate the origins of COVID-19, gain-of-function research, coronavirus-related government spending, and mask and vaccine mandates. Its report was released on Dec. 2, 2024: AFTER ACTION REVIEW OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: The Lessons Learned and a Path Forward.

The most significant finding concerns the origin of SARS-CoV-2.

FINDING: SARS-CoV-2, the Virus that Causes COVID-19, Likely Emerged Because of a Laboratory or Research Related Accident.

Four years after the onset of the worst pandemic in 100 years, the weight of the evidence increasingly supports the lab leak hypothesis. Since the Select Subcommittee commenced its work in February 2023, more and more senior intelligence officials, politicians, science editors, and scientists increasingly have endorsed the hypothesis that COVID-191 emerged as the result of a laboratory or research related accident.

... As Mr. Ratcliffe testified, the ledger on the side of lab leak is full of convincing evidence while the spillover side is nearly empty. Since January 2020, the body of evidence has only grown stronger in support of a lab leak theory.

This conclusion conflicts with the scientific consensus, which concludes that the virus originiated in the Wuhan market from infected animals. The most remarkable thing about the subcommittee's report is that it completely distorts (i.e. lies about) the science behind the investigation into the origin of SARS-CoV-2. The committee members have the right to form their own incorrect opinion but they do not have the right to lie about the science.

The Democrats on the subcommittee have released their own minority report: Partisan Probes Over Pandemic Prevention and Preparedness. Here's their conclusion on the origin of SARS-CoV-2.

That's better but it's still too wishy-washy. I don't know what's wrong with politicians in the United States but I hope Americans fix the problem as soon as possible. I think this is related to the view of many Americans (mostly Republicans) that the "elitest" views of college-educated experts living on the coasts must be wrong.

1 comment :

gert korthof said...

"... and mask and vaccine mandates."
Larry, assuming a mandate is an official order or commission to do something,
I can imagine that 'mask mandates' exists, but is there any country in the world that had 'vaccine mandates' ? In our country vaccination is and has always been voluntary.