- cross-posted to:
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- cross-posted to:
- [email protected]
Covid.gov, the government website where you could previously find information about covid, now redirects to a page that pushes the conspiracy theory that the virus originated from a lab. Navigating to the website reveals a prominent banner with the words “Lab Leak” and a photo of Donald Trump, as spotted earlier by Wired’s Andrew Couts.
Covidtests.gov, where you could order free covid tests, also redirects to the new webpage.
The website purports to reveal the “true origins” of covid, blaming a Chinese lab’s “inadequate biosafety levels” for allegedly “leaking” the virus. It goes on to push other blatant conspiracy theories, such as the claim that the Biden administration misled the public about covid’s origins and “demonized alternative treatments.” The page also claims that the WHO “caved to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party” in its response to the pandemic.
It’s not clear exactly when the covid.gov page changed. As shown on an archived version of the webpage, covid.gov included resources about the virus up until at least April 10th. The page now includes a link to the House Oversight Committee report, which similarly promotes the lab leak conspiracy theory.
Since February, the Trump administration has been working to rip down webpages from federal websites that don’t align with its beliefs – particularly information related to climate change, racial equity, and gender identity. Though a court order brought some of these pages back online, the Trump administration ordered federal agencies to include disclaimers around “gender ideology.”
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Is it the Ft. Dietrich leak theory? US mystery raspatory illness blamed on vaping in summer 2019, never to be heard from again. Wargames in China with US participation before Wuhan infection. Ft. Dietrich lab later closed for undisclosed safety violations.
The thing I never managed to understand is, if COVID actually was leaked from a Chinese lab - and especially if it were being intentionally developed as a bioweapon - why would that make right wing dipshits less likely to treat it as a legitimate threat? Did their general distrust of all things “science” and anyone with a university education lead them to believe a lab grown virus would be far less potent than one that evolved in the wild?
They’re just addicted to being The One Who Tells You Things and never The One Who Is Being Told Things. That’s what they’re fighting for. It doesn’t even have to make sense, they can Tell You that covid is fake one day and Tell You it was a lab leak the next. The important thing, is you need to shut the fuck up and let them tell you things. That’s the project they are working on with all this stuff.