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Comment by startupsfail | Hacker News Reader

Can the lab be sued out of existence for damages?

It is quite clear that they did amplification research as they’ve planned. And had inserted the furin site into the coronavirus . And they’ve mismanaged the research and they’ve let the virus to spread. This had caused a lot of damage, in particular the deaths, economical damage, long-covid damages, mental illnesses and diminished IQ (covid brain fog). There’ve been some positive sides: diminished air travel, diminished carbon emissions, transition to work from home, more pedestrian zones in the cities, mRNA vaccine technology. But the negative side from the pandemic is still overwhelming.

Arguably this lab should be sued out of existence for damages.

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> And had inserted the furin site into the coronavirus

A claim was made about that, but it’s far from settled. One could argue it has been debunked. See “SARS-CoV-2 furin cleavage site was not engineered”: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2211107119

> And they’ve mismanaged the research and they’ve let the virus to spread.

That’s speculation. Irresponsible speculation, in fact, which has been pushed by people who should have known better. But they pushed it for jingoistic reasons.

> Arguably this lab should be sued out of existence for damages.

That’s an emotional reaction which you’re not examining rationally. If you remove the confirmation bias you’re applying to the evidence, there’s simply no substantial basis for the conclusions you’re reaching.

It’s speculation because nobody’s been allowed to investigate the lab thoroughly.

Engineered is a very careful word choice. None of the properties they call out are things you would not expect from research involving gain of function by evolutionary means.

There is a lab that had planned and did the research. This is well documented. The virus spread had started nearby. There is nothing else that you need to know.

There is evidence that the Chinese authorities were suppressing information about the leak (information about that virus had leaked accidentally, by an ophthalmologist that saw cases spreading in his hospital).

Yes, it is not clear exactly, how the furin site got there. Was it a long series of mutations and a recombination with another virus in a lab animal? Was it spliced? We’ll never know, unless the scientists responsible would decide to tell how it had happened.

But I’m not particularly emotional about that virus. If you read the above, you’ll see that I see positive and negative after effects. Viruses and mistakes happen.

But it’d be a good idea to make a point and get rid of that lab. Failures like that should not be rewarded with continual existence.

> Can the lab be sued out of existence for damages?

It's in China, not America. Come on now.

The CCP might remove the lab from existence, but they're not gonna do it with a lawsuit.

There is certain amount of justice present in China. They can do it internally. It’s not like they haven’t suffered internally from it.

The citizens of China have suffered, but that doesn't really matter to the CCP. Covid has been great for strengthening their central government and all of the technology tools of suppression.

I think you’ve been watching too much western propaganda. Nothing is as black and white and China is a complex country.

Sure, but what are your thoughts on the Covid drones of Shanghai:

"The drone's female voice also tells listeners, "Control your soul's thirst for freedom. Do not open your windows and sing.""

That requires corporation of a foreign government that isn't friendly.

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