IF we found out the origin of COVID was a leak from a Chinese lab, what should be done?

Could we fairly call it the “China Flu” in that case?

China Flu wrote:

Could we fairly call it the “China Flu” in that case?

No because that would be racist.

Find out why a university in North Carolina hired the Wuhan lab to collected and store samples for them to test, and why that university's had a classified contract with the U.S. Army to supply them with some of those samples for military bio-engineers to play around with.

millenial wrote:

China Flu wrote:

Could we fairly call it the “China Flu” in that case?

No because that would be racist.

Trump Flu is the correct name.

There are scenarios beyond what's proposed for discussion. This post attempts to present as balanced discussion -- when obvious intent is to foment anti-China/Chinese sentiment. Some proposed scenarios, and postulated punitive measures, are beyond ridiculous - as if China would intentionally infect their own population - but then undertake measures to limit transmission more effective than seen elsewhere. Or as if any country, US included, would undertake what amounts to a declaration of war with the world's most populated country, second largest economy, largest military, third-largest by area, and possessing hundreds (that we know of) long-range nuclear weapons. If you're pulling What-If's out of thin air, if you substituted "China" for "US" in your post, would one expect an international mob to overrun the US and change its leadership?

3lonMu$k wrote:

3 scenarios for discussion:

A) The leak was unintentional and CCP govt officials actually had no idea & got blindsided

B) The leak was unintentional but is revealed to have been covered up by CCP govt officials to protect China’s image

C) The leak was intentional, planned and covered up by CCP govt officials

What should be done in each? Should countries retaliate, and it what way? Trade embargoes, military action, forceful removal of Xi, removal from UN/alliances, just writing off any outstanding debts to China as completed, etc? How is accountability measured in this type of scenario, and would it be worthwhile to pursue?

Discus

For scenerios 1. 2, and 3:

Nuke China

3lonMu$k wrote:

3 scenarios for discussion:

A) The leak was unintentional and CCP govt officials actually had no idea & got blindsided

Close the lab and conduct a full investigation into what happened.

3lonMu$k wrote:

B) The leak was unintentional but is revealed to have been covered up by CCP govt officials to protect China’s image

Close the lab, full investigation & hold China financially responsible for the global damage done.

3lonMu$k wrote:

C) The leak was intentional, planned and covered up by CCP govt officials

WORLD WAR 3

Here's my take wrote:

3lonMu$k wrote:

3 scenarios for discussion:

A) The leak was unintentional and CCP govt officials actually had no idea & got blindsided

Close the lab and conduct a full investigation into what happened.

3lonMu$k wrote:

B) The leak was unintentional but is revealed to have been covered up by CCP govt officials to protect China’s image

Close the lab, full investigation & hold China financially responsible for the global damage done.

3lonMu$k wrote:

C) The leak was intentional, planned and covered up by CCP govt officials

WORLD WAR 3

Yeah, because WORLD WAR 3 sounds like such a great idea!

In Civ IV I would nuke any country off the map I got mildly annoyed with.

International sanctions and ostracization for 30 years.

Collapse their economy. In the process, drop the Chinese per capita income down to North Korea levels.

End the rule of the CCP. If they get belligerent, bomb the sh#% out of them.

Remember, the US took a hit from this virus but so has all of Europe and now India. Too much carnage for there not to be repercussions.

How about the Western collectively turn their back on China and make some DI in India? Let's get India up and running.

3lonMu$k wrote:

3 scenarios for discussion:

A) The leak was unintentional and CCP govt officials actually had no idea & got blindsided

B) The leak was unintentional but is revealed to have been covered up by CCP govt officials to protect China’s image

C) The leak was intentional, planned and covered up by CCP govt officials

What should be done in each? Should countries retaliate, and it what way? Trade embargoes, military action, forceful removal of Xi, removal from UN/alliances, just writing off any outstanding debts to China as completed, etc? How is accountability measured in this type of scenario, and would it be worthwhile to pursue?

Discus

1 “shoot, that’s a bummer” and move on

2 “shoot, that’s a bummer” and move on

3 “China, you suck wang.” and move on

Convenient that China’s own citizens seem mostly immune to this virus.

The intentional leak/bioweapon theory is nonsense. Otherwise:

Military action? NO.

Trade? Good Luck.

Unilateral debt declarations? I'm no finance expert but the economy is global (like it or not) and actions will have consequences. If we could respond in some way you describe? OK, but cutting off our nose to spite our face is bad policy.

I mean, if we could simply ostracize malcontents, why haven't we done so with Russia? They have the same percent of world GDP as Canada (1.9-ish) with 4 or 5x the population. AND they cause more trouble.

If we can poison a rat, why haven't we already stepped on the cockroach?

The thing is, the USA and the rest of the world are too scared to punish China because China is essentially a top dog and they'd be shooting themselves in the foot. China could cut off trade ties in some form if they got pizzed off at anyone and China wouldn't care. This is already exemplified in the USA doing nothing about Chinese communist party human rights violations. Everyone is scared to hold China accountable and China knows they can get away with anything due to their immense level of power.

US companies should be re-locating production of out China and to Latin America. This would had the double advantage of hurting China's growth while providing solid jobs for Latin Americans, stabilizing those countries and giving them a reason to stay put, instead of trying to feel to America.

Keep buying more crap from china and keep making their dictators more powerful and have more nukes pointed at us?

DeBron Lames wrote:

US companies should be re-locating production of out China and to Latin America. This would had the double advantage of hurting China's growth while providing solid jobs for Latin Americans, stabilizing those countries and giving them a reason to stay put, instead of trying to feel to America.

Great thread. And we have a winner. I'm not actually sure it work but like you thinking outside the box.

I would literally pay an extra $200 if i could buy an iphone not made in china. It blows my mind that all these woke apple employees don't see the hypocrisy. I preferred my old pixel phoen but my family members are all into facetime.

In my mind, the odds are well over 50% that it came from the lab.

STEVE THE ADDICT^^^^^^""""""""--^' wrote:

The thing is, the USA and the rest of the world are too scared to punish China because China is essentially a top dog and they'd be shooting themselves in the foot. China could cut off trade ties in some form if they got pizzed off at anyone and China wouldn't care. This is already exemplified in the USA doing nothing about Chinese communist party human rights violations. Everyone is scared to hold China accountable and China knows they can get away with anything due to their immense level of power.

+1, it’s just weak.

Hell a lot of Americans wouldn’t even wear a mask or get a vaccine as we went to war with China. We’ve become so weak as country. Rolling over and letting China win with stupidity.