Viral, a new book about the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley, investigates whether it was a naturally occurring virus that jumped from animals to humans… or a lab leak. The Daily Mail has published an extract in today’s paper in which the authors describe the role of citizen journalists in discovering the truth that the mainstream media wasn’t interested in.
In the city of Bhubaneswar, India, a man known as ‘The Seeker’ was rifling through a Chinese website.
It was May 18th, 2020, and he was responding to a tweet by an American scientist speculating about the origin of the virus ripping its way across the planet.
And, using login details he’d found online, he was searching through a digital anthology of academic work.
Then, suddenly, he stumbled on a medical thesis which reported how, in 2012, six men fell ill after clearing out piles of bat guano from an old copper mine in Yunnan, in south-western China. Three of the men had died.
The doctors suspected the men had caught a virus that originated in bats, and the case had been investigated by virologists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), more than 1,000 miles away.
The Seeker, a slim 30-year-old with shoulder-length hair, has been accused variously of working for the CIA or Indian intelligence services. But the truth is rather less dramatic.
“I learned how to make search engines work for me,” he told us. “It was more madness than method.”
Motivated by an interest in finding out how the pandemic began and skilled at trawling the internet for clues, he began communicating on Twitter with a group of other internet ‘sleuths’ from around the world – all pursuing the same question: where did the virus that causes COVID-19 originate?
Soon, some of the sleuths had coalesced into a loose confederation known as DRASTIC (Decentralised Radical Autonomous Search Team Investigating COVID-19). And more key findings were quick to follow.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: A U.S. intelligence report claims that the lab leak theory is probably correct, given the dangerous nature of the experiments being done at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the lax biosecurity protocols. The FT has more.
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Thought Crime Is Now Real – latest leaflet to print at home and deliver to neighbours or forward to politicians, your new MP, your local vicar, online media and friends online. Start a local campaign. We have over 200 leaflet ideas on the link on the leaflet.
“The paper mills helping China commit scientific fraud”
At medical school one of my tutors mocked the faith healer Harry Edwards for writing in a book, “Cancer of the prostrate [sic] is very rare in women.” Lo and behold, it’s now mainstream science.
https://neweasterneurope.eu/2018/12/10/holodomor-2018-public-scholars/
Yesterday was Holodomor commemoration day.
‘The reports that Muggeridge and Jones sent to the UK on their return from the Soviet Union about the Holodomor (this name was not used until the 1990s, and the atrocity was usually referred to as an “artificial” or “man-made” famine) were met with disbelief and attacked in the left-wing press.
Significantly, Orwell emphasized that the famine Jones had uncovered was centred on Ukraine, and even gave an estimate of the number of victims. He wrote: “The years Mr. Lyons spent in Russia were years of appalling privation, culminating in the Ukrainian famine of 1933, [during] which it is estimated that no less than three million people died of starvation.
Orwell was impressed by what he learnt from Lyons’ book about what Jones’ had done. He is certain to have used this information, and everything he later learnt from Muggeridge about the famine and the USSR, when writing his classic Animal Farm.
When Orwell heard on the radio that all the male inhabitants of the Czech village of Ladice had been shot as punishment for harbouring the assassins of Gestapo chief Rienhard Heydrich, he drew up his own list of the worst atrocities after 1918 atrocities. He included the “Ukraine famine” among them.
In his 1945 essay “The Prevention of Literature”, Orwell wrote: “The fog of lies and misinformation which surrounds such subjects as the famine in the Ukraine, the Spanish Civil War, Russian policy in Poland, etc., is not entirely due to deliberate dishonesty”,” but is tantamount to active collusion with the Kremlin.
Today we can extend this to Russia’s disinformation and fake news about its genocidal war against Ukraine and its 1984-like regime that tolerates no dissent and worships “Big Brother” Putin.
And also, to those who seek a cynical deal with despotic Russia at Ukraine’s expense and forget the lessons of the Holodomor, Guernica, World War II, 1984, MH17, Bucha, Mariupol and the existence of the hostile anti-democratic alliance of Russia, China, North Korea and Iran.’
Hardly any wonder that Ukraine fights on……
‘In the Kursk region, missile and UAV threats persisted for several hours. Witnesses reported nearly continuous air defense activity and the sound of explosions. The Governor of the Kursk region, Alexey Smirnov, reported an alleged interception of 27 UAVs and two missiles in the skies over the region.’
Other sources suggest the enemy may be employing ATACMS missiles
https://x.com/wartranslated/status/1860470535060124154?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Do you really believe that anyone cares about Ukraine in the West? USA? UK? EU? Do they care one iota about the country and its people, or do they only care about serving USA’s determination to retain global hegemony, while USA additionally wants to weaken Russia for future exploitation.
The Ukrainian ex-President has literally sold out his country: BlackRock is the new owner of Europe’s ‘bread basket’, whereby Zelensky and his fellow dictators are rolling in cash. Poroshenko’s income has increased 25-fold since the beginning of the war. Zelensky himself is now the owner of numerous luxury residences around the world.
Anyone who seriously supports the people of Ukraine would stop the hostilities immediately. The price will be denazification of the current government and military as well as an agreement never to join NATO. Is that so bad? Eastern Ukraine will remain in Russian hands but your Banderites always wanted rid of the ethnic Russians there anyway. It would be wise to surrender now before Odessa is lost, thereby removing access to the Black Sea. Each day of conflict is costing thousands of Ukrainian lives and those lives can never be won back.
U.S. strategy, Ukraine
“We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine.”
That meant Russia should “not have the capability to very quickly reproduce” the forces and equipment that had been lost in Ukraine.’
Russia strategy, Ukraine
Nothing scares a Russian autocrat more than a democratic Ukraine, because if Ukrainians can build a democracy, then the supposedly fraternal Russian people might too. Thus, combined, identity, security, and the interaction between the two drive Russia’s policies towards Ukraine since the 19th century. And demography.
Of the two, only the first one is succeeding. That is because of corruption and incompetence.
Even the latest ‘super weapon’ (a bit like the V2) is useless.
‘Russian bloggers note the alleged absence of damage to the Yuzhmash plant in Dnipro, which was attacked by the mega-missile “Oreshnik,” something the so-called president of Russia has been boasting about for days:
“November 24, 2024
Dnipro, Ukraine
Satellite images of Yuzhmash, which was struck by the “Oreshnik” missile, have surfaced.
The workshops are intact; nothing has been “reduced to dust.” However, it seems the private residential area above took some damage.”
Not many Western leaders take Putin seriously any longer. Maybe they should, but they don’t and, to get their attention, he will have to destroy Russia…..and they know that he will not do that…..although the inhabitants of Kursk are less sanguine.
https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-History/Events/2024/Intent-to-Destroy-Russia's-Two-Hundred-Year-Quest-to-Dominate-Ukraine-Cold-War-Studies-Project-Seminar
‘What drives Russia’s violence in and against Ukraine from the 19th century to 2024?
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is the single most important event in Europe since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It is also arguably the major global geopolitical development since 9/11. Prof Finkel’s main argument is that violence and repression are deeply rooted in the history of Russo-Ukrainian relations. Since the mid-19th century, dominating Ukraine and denying Ukrainians an independent identity, let alone a state, has been the cornerstone of Imperial, Soviet and eventually, post-Soviet Russian policies.
More specifically, Prof Finkel will show that Russian and Soviet policies were driven by two factors: identity and security. The idea of the shared origin and fraternity of Russians and Ukrainians is a staple of Russian self-perception and historiography. The second key factor is security. Western powers often passed through Ukraine to attack Russia; Ukraine’s fertile soil was crucial to feeding and funding the Russian and Soviet Empires. Even more than geopolitics, it was regime stability that drove Moscow and St. Petersburg’s obsessive focus on Ukraine.
Nothing scares a Russian autocrat more than a democratic Ukraine, because if Ukrainians can build a democracy, then the supposedly fraternal Russian people might too. Thus, combined, identity, security, and the interaction between the two drive Russia’s policies towards Ukraine since the 19th century.’
And, to that, I would add demography.
In 1991, Solzhenitsyn said that Ukraine’s independence meant that Russia ‘lost twelve million Russians and 23 million more Russian speakers’.
In 2000, Putin said this:
‘And, if you believe the forecasts and the estimates are based on actual work, the real work of people who understand this, who have devoted their whole lives to this, in 15 years, there may be 22 million fewer Russians. I ask you to think about this figure: a seventh of the country’s population. If the current trend continues, the nation’s survival will be in jeopardy’
Russia has had a ‘Ukraine problem’ since the mid 19th Century.
NATO was only founded in 1945.
More complete nonsense. Firstly, Ukraine was part of the USSR. Secondly, Russia and Ukraine were working side by side all the years since the USSR until USA stepped in and set up the Maidan Coup. Instead of your daily tirades against Russia, you should be attacking USA for the death and destruction they have brought to Ukraine. Istanbul was Ukraine’s finest chance of peace with minimal losses but, no, Zelensky believed in sacrificing his country for what, a chance to join the outdated NATO, the dictatorial EU?
But, fortunately, Putin is not expecting Western leaders to take him seriously.
‘Why make these same claims time and again when the Kremlin has no intention of following through on them?
The escalatory rhetoric plays extremely well with the vocal nationalist crowd on digital platforms like Telegram, a popular source for consumption of news in Russia. On state-run Telegram channels, reports of the Kremlin’s braggadocio often cause excitable pile-ons in comment threads.’
Ian Garner
So just a dotty load of vodka soaked old duffers then…….
Blimey, the numbers on that petition are moving fast! Of course they are not going to call another GE, but it does send a message, and they will have to respond to it.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700143
Just shy of 450k at 10:12 am.
Now 516k (11:05 am)
I reckon it will be at a million by the end of the day.
It looks as though you may be right: now 720k (1:20 pm)
It passed one million at 4.00 pm.
A lot of “buyer’s remorse” here, I would guess.
Much as I would like there to be a new election, it seems obvious o me that the e-petitions site has been got-at by ‘bots’. When I first looked at it it was on 278 thousand ‘signatures’, In the length of time my tea took to brew it reached 280 thousand. It’s now (08:52 UK time) on over 327 thousand. Unfortunately this gives Sir Keir’s mob excellent justification to ignore the petition.
If they are this easy to be got at by bots how do we know if any petitions are valid?
What’s the point of them?
We don’t.
09:52 350,259 ‘signatures’
There were 28,809,340 votes cast out of an electorate of 48,253,193 in the 2024 GE. So apparently the petition is signed by 1.2% of the turnout at the GE or 0.72% of the whole electorate. I don’t think that many people have heard of the e-petition site.
Dammit. That was supposed to be 09:12 350,259 ‘signatures’. In other words 20 mins after my 08:52 comment.
But they are experiencing labour’s gov!
Maybe they are looking for some way to be heard?
This might just be the vent of their spleens they’ve been looking for?
The British are just realising how much they have been shat upon in such a short period of time!
Over a million signatories now (16:40 UK time). @Valerie_London (below) pointed out that the map of where the signatories claim to be from is consistent with Labour heartlands not voting for it. I hope it’s real! Over 3.7% of the votes cast at the last GE.
I’m certainly not offended by your (later) comment above. I hope nobody else is either!
Is it not necessary to confirm ones vote after first doing so.
Yes it is. I’ve just done so. That makes bot voting more difficult. Besides, why doubt the depth and severity of hatred for the Labour branch of the elites.
Indeed, there is plenty of it out there it seems.
Yes, they’re hated but far too many think they’re better than the alternative(s).
Why doubt the e-petition votes? To be well prepared when the inevitable ‘we considered debating it but decided against’ response comes down from Parliament.
(My emphasis)
You do have to verify your email address before voting. If it helps, here is their map of signature locators. https://petitionmap.unboxedconsulting.com/?petition=700143
Interesting view.- I see the north is very well represented…
My permanently Labour London borough has very low numbers…
Interesting. If it was ‘bots’ I would have expected a more even distribution. We can hope it’s real. At 12:13 it was at 619,295, 2.1% of the number of votes cast at the 2024 GE.
I note Aunty Beeb hasn’t covered it – I wonder why?
Soundofreason,
Maybe Real people are this pissed off at labour’s lies?
Maybe you’ll get your wish and it is real people after all?
850000 and counting, at time of comment!
This could go viral!
I agree it might not change anything, but it’s a hell of a kick in the bollocks to Starmer!
Sorry about the profanity, I unreservedly apologise. Touch of the vapours!
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/11/23/climate-change-weekly-526-some-suggestions-on-climate-and-environmental-policy-for-the-new-sheriff-in-town/
Notes on U.S. Climate/Energy policies that may be useful for an incoming centre right government in Britain to emulate:
‘1. Paris Climate Treaty and Endangerment Finding. Repeal the Obama/Biden EPA determination that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are threats to the public health and welfare (the “endangerment finding”).
2. EV mandate and California waiver. Request legislation clarifying that the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA)
3. Green New Scam and Grid Security. Ask Congress to repeal all the energy subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act through budget reconciliation. For national and economic security purposes, bar electricity grid reliance on variable sources of electricity generation such as wind and solar.
4. Oil and Gas. Lift moratoria on offshore drilling in areas put off limits by prior presidents. Reverse the Biden moratorium on federal leasing for coal mining. Streamline the permitting process for energy production. End the Biden moratorium on LNG export terminals.
5. Presidential Appointments. Appoint officials at federal agencies like EPA, Interior, DoE, FERC, and other key agencies that will aggressively permit new oil and gas pipelines, LNG terminals, and other infrastructure required for producing oil, gas, and coal. Streamline the permitting process. Terminate all existing federal science advisory boards and reconstitute only those that are legally required. Appoint qualified and pro-energy individuals to the boards.
6. Offshore Wind. Offshore wind developers, which happen to be foreign companies in most instances, threaten consumers, endangered species, and iconic maritime communities whose prosperity depends on the fishing. The industrialization of fisheries by offshore wind development should be terminated by delisting unleased wind energy areas.
7. Coal. Repeal all the anti-coal regulatory actions of the Biden administration and promote coal as a preferred means of producing electricity. Commence a review of related air quality regulations issued by EPA.
8. Litigation. Re-staff the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division attorneys who will zealously defend administration priorities.
9. Regulatory Reform. Request legislation to require that federal courts no longer defer to regulatory agencies on scientific matters.
10. Regulatory Burden. Require congressional authorization of regulations with a significant economic impact, including but not limited to those with an economic impact of $100 million or more.’
Simply delete ‘Congress’ and insert ‘Parliament’.
I checked Miri AF last night and found this excellent piece…
https://miriaf.co.uk/invasion-of-the-flat-snatchers-2/
Huddersfield Council have “sequestered” shall we say some student accommodation just outside Huddersfield centre and it will be used to accommodate 400 immigrants. Doubtless as Miri suggests these immies will be single, male and in the age range 18-40 i.e 400 soldiers.
I have just been informed that Oldham Council have been given a seven storey ex DWP building in the centre of town complete with tram stop. No information on its likely use but I suspect something similar to Huddersfield.
Another clampdown looks likely but this time ‘policed’ by mercenaries. So me banging on about an invading army for over three years is beginning to look bang on.
The petition for a general election has now got nearly an astonishing 500,000 signatures. If you haven’t already done so, do consider signing: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700143.
Duly signed and shared widely.
I do suspect we are shouting at the moon however. 2TK knows he and his “government” are detested but doesn’t care, hence the importing of hundreds of thousands of voters.
Nothing less than the subversion of democracy, as we are seeing in Europe.
According to Lloyd Austin about N Korean soldiers “Based on what they have been trained to do, and how they have been integrated into Russian formations, I am absolutely certain that these soldiers will soon be taking part in combat operations,”
Oh, so they are not there yet. What a surprise.