"It is demonstrably more lethal than naturally-occurring Omicron."
Perhaps a pedantic question, but are you sure that Omicron occurred naturally? I seem to recall a great deal of speculation that it escaped from a lab as well.
While there has been considerable speculation, the evidence supporting a lab origin for Omicron is thin at best. It is not anywhere near the amount of evidence for a lab origin that we have for the original Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2.
Of course, there is no firm evidence that Omicron is categorically NOT laboratory-created--hence the speculation.
For the purposes of assessing the BU Gain-Of-Function research, I am presuming that Omicron is naturally occurring. It keeps the discussion simple and focused.
In a sane world, the people of Boston would be smashing down the doors of Boston U and tearing these people limb from limb. But we live in a world where nothing matters and nobody cares.
In a sane world people would refrain from riotous violence and focus on defunding BU research programs and ostracizing BU researchers, so that they were forever banned from the scientific community.
People DO care, which is why the Faucists feel compelled to defend their BU brethren. The challenge is effective countermeasures to put a stop to the reckless faux "research". Mob violence will only empower the Faucists, which is the exact opposite of the outcome we want.
Unfortunately, Peter, your sane world doesn't exist. I don't advocate violence as a normal way of doing things, but history shows that peaceful measures don't always work. Non-violent actions that kicked the Brits out of India would not have worked against Hitler.
The rule of law always works. It's when those who thirst for violence and vigilantism set the rule of law aside that things get ugly quickly.
The rule of law is what makes the life you enjoy possible. It is what makes the life I enjoy possible. I prefer not to cast that life away frivolously.
Had the rule of law prevailed in the Weimar Republic, Hitler would never have been anything more than a minor historical footnote in German history.
I totally agree, Peter. I live in a country, Switzerland, where the rule of law is strong and I thank God for it every day. However, the rule of law only exists if ALL parties in society agree to uphold and respect it. What we have in the Western world today is a globalist elite who despise that rule of law and refuse to abide by it. The contract that binds society together in peace is broken. What to do? How do you stop the Hitlers who refuse to play the game? How do you stop the Bill Gateses, the Soroses, etc. who want us all dead? If you want to impose the rule of law on them, you are not going to do it peacefully.
Had the rule of law had prevailed in the USA, stating with the most basic law, the US Constitution, the Federal Government would be at most one-tenth its current size.
Had the rule of law had prevailed in the USA, the NFA of 1934, the GCA of 1968, and a myriad of other gun control laws would never have been considered, or immediately struck down.
Had the rule of law prevailed in the USA in 2008-2009, a large number of banksters would have been indicted.
Had the rule of law had prevailed in the USA in 2016, Hillary Clinton would have been indicted.
I could come up with a very long list of examples illustrating that there is no rule of law in the USA, and in fact, it has never been taken seriously. Oh sure, if you and I break some law, there's a good chance we'll be prosecuted, but the same does not apply to those in power.
As Frederick Douglass so pithily observed, legal rights are preserved by three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.
If one is going to argue that the rule of law does not work, that argument is tantamount to arguing that the first two boxes have failed and it is time to open up the cartridge box.
If one is not prepared to argue that now is the time for civil war to replace the existing governing institutions in the US with (hopefully) more effective, more virtuous, and more trustworthy institutions, one is left with the institutions we have.
Is this a time for civil war? Is this the time to open up the cartridge box? Good question, and I don't pretend to have the answer. However, abandoning the legal institutions completely and resorting to vigilantism is not seeking to preserve either human rights or civil liberties, but giving way to anarchy and chaos.
If folks are not willing to open the cartridge box, we had best find a way to make the ballot box and the jury box work. If folks are willing to open the cartridge box, we had better be damn certain of the objective and that it is an improvement over the current system, or anarchy and chaos will be the result--in that scenario everyone loses.
If the cartridge box is opened up for anything other than the defense of the rule of law as the means to ensure the rights and liberties we hold dear, no good outcome will be had.
this sentence seems to be missing verb... after "they then"
"After creating the chimeric virus, they then a series of cell cultures with the original Wuhan strain, Omicron, and their chimeric “Omi-S” manufactured strain."
Hi Peter,
I think you best summed it it “Unnecessary Risks, Useless Research”.
Spot on assessment.
Thanks
"It is demonstrably more lethal than naturally-occurring Omicron."
Perhaps a pedantic question, but are you sure that Omicron occurred naturally? I seem to recall a great deal of speculation that it escaped from a lab as well.
While there has been considerable speculation, the evidence supporting a lab origin for Omicron is thin at best. It is not anywhere near the amount of evidence for a lab origin that we have for the original Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2.
Of course, there is no firm evidence that Omicron is categorically NOT laboratory-created--hence the speculation.
For the purposes of assessing the BU Gain-Of-Function research, I am presuming that Omicron is naturally occurring. It keeps the discussion simple and focused.
In a sane world, the people of Boston would be smashing down the doors of Boston U and tearing these people limb from limb. But we live in a world where nothing matters and nobody cares.
In a sane world people would refrain from riotous violence and focus on defunding BU research programs and ostracizing BU researchers, so that they were forever banned from the scientific community.
People DO care, which is why the Faucists feel compelled to defend their BU brethren. The challenge is effective countermeasures to put a stop to the reckless faux "research". Mob violence will only empower the Faucists, which is the exact opposite of the outcome we want.
Unfortunately, Peter, your sane world doesn't exist. I don't advocate violence as a normal way of doing things, but history shows that peaceful measures don't always work. Non-violent actions that kicked the Brits out of India would not have worked against Hitler.
The rule of law always works. It's when those who thirst for violence and vigilantism set the rule of law aside that things get ugly quickly.
The rule of law is what makes the life you enjoy possible. It is what makes the life I enjoy possible. I prefer not to cast that life away frivolously.
Had the rule of law prevailed in the Weimar Republic, Hitler would never have been anything more than a minor historical footnote in German history.
I totally agree, Peter. I live in a country, Switzerland, where the rule of law is strong and I thank God for it every day. However, the rule of law only exists if ALL parties in society agree to uphold and respect it. What we have in the Western world today is a globalist elite who despise that rule of law and refuse to abide by it. The contract that binds society together in peace is broken. What to do? How do you stop the Hitlers who refuse to play the game? How do you stop the Bill Gateses, the Soroses, etc. who want us all dead? If you want to impose the rule of law on them, you are not going to do it peacefully.
Had the rule of law had prevailed in the USA, stating with the most basic law, the US Constitution, the Federal Government would be at most one-tenth its current size.
Had the rule of law had prevailed in the USA, the NFA of 1934, the GCA of 1968, and a myriad of other gun control laws would never have been considered, or immediately struck down.
Had the rule of law prevailed in the USA in 2008-2009, a large number of banksters would have been indicted.
Had the rule of law had prevailed in the USA in 2016, Hillary Clinton would have been indicted.
I could come up with a very long list of examples illustrating that there is no rule of law in the USA, and in fact, it has never been taken seriously. Oh sure, if you and I break some law, there's a good chance we'll be prosecuted, but the same does not apply to those in power.
As Frederick Douglass so pithily observed, legal rights are preserved by three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.
If one is going to argue that the rule of law does not work, that argument is tantamount to arguing that the first two boxes have failed and it is time to open up the cartridge box.
If one is not prepared to argue that now is the time for civil war to replace the existing governing institutions in the US with (hopefully) more effective, more virtuous, and more trustworthy institutions, one is left with the institutions we have.
Is this a time for civil war? Is this the time to open up the cartridge box? Good question, and I don't pretend to have the answer. However, abandoning the legal institutions completely and resorting to vigilantism is not seeking to preserve either human rights or civil liberties, but giving way to anarchy and chaos.
If folks are not willing to open the cartridge box, we had best find a way to make the ballot box and the jury box work. If folks are willing to open the cartridge box, we had better be damn certain of the objective and that it is an improvement over the current system, or anarchy and chaos will be the result--in that scenario everyone loses.
If the cartridge box is opened up for anything other than the defense of the rule of law as the means to ensure the rights and liberties we hold dear, no good outcome will be had.
this sentence seems to be missing verb... after "they then"
"After creating the chimeric virus, they then a series of cell cultures with the original Wuhan strain, Omicron, and their chimeric “Omi-S” manufactured strain."
The challenges of being your own proofreader!
and subscribers can help.