The lab leak hypothesis has made the leap into the mainstream – not
because new evidence has come to light, but because the consensus has
subtly shifted. In political terms, what counts as a conspiracy theory
depends on who is doing the theorising.
Thursday, October 14, 2021
The Covid-19 lab leak hypothesis proves it matters what – and who – defines a conspiracy theory
Conspiracy theory or reasonable skepticism? Why we should demand an investigation into US labs for origins of COVID-19
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202108/1231519.shtml
While more than 25 million Chinese netizens have signed to appeal for an
investigation to the Fort Detrick biological laboratory in the US, some
American media outlets have stood up to make charges that doubts to
Fort Detrick on the origins of the COVID-19 are "conspiracy theories."
However,
the Global Times reporters have found a series of well-documented clues
and facts from a large number of academic papers and public reports in
the US media, which raise doubts about Fort Detrick.
The Wuhan Lab Leak Hypothesis Is A Conspiracy Theory, Not Science
Practically every time there’s a revolutionary new phenomenon or happenstance that significantly alters the course of human society, there are a number of ideas that arise to challenge the mainstream narrative. While these can be scientifically motivated by a subset of the evidence, more often these challenges take the form of a conspiracy theory: where a number of people involved allegedly know the real, full truth behind an issue, but are covering it up, presenting an alternative narrative instead. When you mix conspiracies with science, certain people are inevitably drawn to those ideas, which include:
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Missing years (Jewish calendar)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_years_(Jewish_calendar)
Shimon Schwab points to the words "seal the words and close the book" in the book of Daniel as a positive commandment to obscure the calculations for the Messiah mentioned within, so that the true date of the Messiah's arrival would not be known.[28] However, Schwab later withdrew this suggestion for numerous reasons.[23]: 281-285 [24]: 66–67 [25]: 67–68, 93
The Kings of Persia and the Missing Years
https://etzion.org.il/en/tanakh/ketuvim/sefer-ezra/kings-persia-and-missing-years
Approach 5 – A number of traditional scholars have proposed that the rabbis knew and accepted the conventional chronology but obscured it for some reason.
This position was perhaps most famously adopted by Rabbi Shimon Schwab, leader of the German Jewish community in Washington Heights, New York, until his death in 1995. He maintained that the rabbis had intentionally obscured “the missing years” in order to dissuade anyone from calculating the time of the coming of Messiah. This followed the charge laid out in the book of Daniel (12:4): “But you, Daniel, keep the words secret, and seal until the time of the end. Many will range far and wide and knowledge will increase.” Toward the end of his life, however, it seems that Rabbi Schwab recanted his position, expressing concern that the masking would have had too great a negative impact on halakhic matters such as the molad, and therefore the notion that the rabbis would have obscured the actual dates is implausible.[11]
While we have offered only a bare-bones outline of the controversy, it is evident that the dispute concerning the chronology of the Persian kings carries significant theological, historical and exegetical implications. Throughout our treatment of Shivat Tzion we will be operating within the framework of the scholarly consensus. This view most easily accounts for the evidence and is endorsed by traditional thinkers such as Ba’al Ha-maor. Still, when a particular interpretive question hinges on the dispute, we will make note of how a devotee of the rabbinic view might tackle the question at hand.
Arab Israeli nurses pose for pic with Hamas prisoner, say sorry, won’t be fired
Two Arab Israeli nurses who posed hugging a hunger-striking Hamas prisoner at the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot won’t be fired after they expressed regret for their actions, the hospital said Monday.
The two were filmed on Sunday posing with Miqdad Qawasmeh, a Hamas member who has served sentences in Israeli prison in the past and is currently being held in administrative detention, without being charged.
In the video, the two can be seen clasping Qawasmeh’s hands and hugging him, before posing,
Ultra-Orthodox leaders slam Bennett over ‘reducing haredi political influence’ comments
Leaders of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism and Shas parties
have denounced Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for comments on Tuesday
at The Jerusalem Post Annual Conference that ultra-Orthodox political power should be limited.
“Israel
without the religious aspect would not be an Israel I want because we
are the Jewish state, I am happy there are haredim [ultra-Orthodox], but
we need to limit their political sway,” said Bennett as part of his
explanation of the dynamics of Israel’s politics at the moment.
Downstate Republican misses the mark with shot in the dark about GOP vaccination rate
Bryant said “75% of Republicans have been vaccinated” against COVID-19 in Illinois.
The state senator did not respond to our inquiries asking for evidence to back up her claim, and we could find no surveys or studies that show she is correct. None of the state polling experts we contacted told us they had seen data showing how many Illinois Republicans have been vaccinated either.
State and national trends suggest the claim is not accurate. The figure Bryant cited is higher than Illinois’ overall vaccination rate and is out of line with multiple national surveys conducted over the past two months that find Republicans are one of the demographic groups least likely to have taken the vaccine. Illinois counties that voted for Trump in 2020 also have a lower average vaccination rate than counties that Biden won, state data show.
We rate Bryant’s claim False.
10 facts about Americans and coronavirus vaccines
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/20/10-facts-about-americans-and-coronavirus-vaccines/
Among Democrats and independents who lean to the Democratic Party, 86% said they were at least partially vaccinated as of August, compared with six-in-ten Republicans and GOP leaners. Factoring in ideology as well as party affiliation, nine-in-ten self-described liberal Democrats said they had received at least one dose, compared with 83% of conservative or moderate Democrats, 63% of moderate or liberal Republicans and 58% of conservative Republicans.
Senator booed for asking Republicans to consider Covid vaccine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/05/lindsey-graham-booed-covid-vaccine-republicans
A Republican senator was booed and catcalled when he told a party audience in South Carolina to think about getting a vaccine against Covid-19.
Lindsey Graham was speaking at the Summerville Country Club in Dorchester county. Video of his remarks was first published by the Daily Beast.
“If you haven’t had the vaccine,” the 66-year-old said, “you ought to think about getting it because if you’re my age …
“No!” yelled audience members.
“I didn’t tell you to get it,” Graham said. “You ought to think about it.”
“No!” people in the crowd yelled again
Disgust growing over vaccine protesters' Holocaust comparisons
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/vaccine-protesters-holocaust-comparisons-1.6175321
Demonstrators seen wearing yellow stars, holding pictures of Anne Frank
Why gain-of-function research matters
https://source.colostate.edu/why-gain-of-function-research-matters/
In the current debate around SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, gain of function has a much narrower meaning related to a virus becoming easier to move between humans, or becoming more lethal in humans. It is important to remember, though, that the term “gain of function” by itself covers much more than this type of research.
Gain-of-function research that focuses on potential pandemic pathogens has been supported on the premise that it will help researchers better understand the evolving pathogenic landscape, be better prepared for a pandemic response and develop treatments and countermeasures.
But critics argue that this research to anticipate potential pandemic pathogens does not lead to substantial benefit and is not worth the potential risks. And they say getting out ahead of such threats can be achieved through other means – biological research and otherwise. For instance, the current pandemic has provided numerous lessons on the social and behavioral dynamics of disease prevention measures, which could lead to robust new research programs on the cultural aspects of pandemic preparedness. Understanding when the risks of gain-of-function research outweigh the potential benefits and alternatives, therefore, continues to be subject to debate.
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