zlacker

>>ruarai+(OP)
Science, like journalism, is supposed to be about facts and about getting to the truth.

No source of covid-19 has been found.

Similar lab leaks happen frequently.

BUT.. you're not allowed to discuss it with the undertones that you're a bad person. If you say china virus you could be accused of being a racist. But if you say South African or British variant it's okay. The mental acrobats are insane. If you suggest people aren't thinking critically about it you will be accused of flamebaiting or trolling. If you call out people who are trying to silence your comments you'll be accused of "making boring reading".

I think it should be discussed, debated and seriously considered. There is a suggestion in here to assume both the animal farm and the lab were the cause and to respond appropriately. With lack of further evidence I think this is the best idea.

>>Graffu+x42
I would think that the reason that people calling COVID the "China virus" are accused of racism is that there is really no reason to use that term for the virus outside of trying to offend others.

>>ckarda+c82
Can we call it the chinese variant then? Because we do that with the new mutations: the brazilian variant, british variant, south african variant

>>snicks+Y82
No, because there are a lot of people of Chinese descent in the US and they have historically been targeted and oppressed by the government and the public. If South Africans in the US started getting attacked (I've met two or three over the years) then we would all want to stop using that phrase as well.

Maybe if the US didn't have a very large number of people who are willing to harass people of visibly different races we wouldn't have to have these discussions and worry so much about our language. But we do, and we have a track record of specific races being attacked when nations that have a majority of that race become embroiled in international issues.