Bizarre, Media, Politics

A Vast Virus Conspiracy?Clinton Accuses Trump Of “Racist” References To The “Chinese Virus” To “Distract” The Public

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has joined other critics of President Donald Trump in denouncing what she sees as racist language being used to “distract” the public. She is referring to Trump’s reference to the “Chinese virus.” The reference to the origin of the virus is fairly common and it is hard to see how such a reference “distracts” anyone from any aspect of the pandemic. China does appear to have failed to immediately notify the world of the virus or share accurate information in the early critical period. The response of China this week was to throw out reporters from leading media organizations for reporting on the origin and spread of the virus in China. Two Chinese experts referred to this as the “Wuhan virus” until they were pressured to take down their column. Now, it appears that others want all reference to the origins barred as an act of racism.

Clinton tweeted that “The president is turning to racist rhetoric to distract from his failures to take the coronavirus seriously early on, make tests widely available, and adequately prepare the country for a period of crisis. Don’t fall for it. Don’t let your friends and family fall for it.”

Fall for what, precisely? How would referring to the origin of the virus excuse any early failures?

Trump has defended the reference and made specific mention of the claim by a high-ranking official that the virus may have been a bio-weapon designed and released by the U.S. military — a preposterous allegation. Again, as China expels reporters and spreads this conspiracy theory, the origin of the virus is a matter of discussion. I personally do not use the term “Chinese virus” because that seems inaccurate and not based on the recognized scientific terminology. I also agree that it seems gratuitous and may increase the ridiculous and horrible attacks on Asians by unhinged individuals. However, the term was used by many scientists and experts in the early days. If “Chinese virus” or “Wuhan virus” racist, how about the continued use of the “Spanish flu” which was always based on a misconception of the origin?

What I cannot see is how this controversy is part of, to paraphrase an earlier Clinton expression, a “vast right-wing conspiracy” to distract people from early failures. The respected Dr. Anthony Fauci has repeatedly said that Trump was not responsible for the lack of testing kits or the delay. The Administration is holding daily pressers with the President with instructions, and increasingly tough measures, for preparation. That does not seem to fit with Clinton’s warning for people not to be lulled by Trump in failing to prepare.

What I do see is a raw politicalization of the crisis to suggest a racist conspiracy without acknowledging the extensive measures already enacted to combat the virus. There is no question that Trump offered reckless and inaccurate statements in the early days of the crisis, as noted even by some conservative sites. However, I am not sure what still can be done further or if enough was done fast enough. Fauci did not believe that there was a failure at the policy level, but the jury will be out until after this crisis and a full review is possible. However, this narrative seems more driven by politics.

310 thoughts on “A Vast Virus Conspiracy?Clinton Accuses Trump Of “Racist” References To The “Chinese Virus” To “Distract” The Public”

  1. Don Estif — There are Social Democrats and also Democratic Socialists but HRC is neither. She is a Wall Street Democrat.

    I question your statistics, for which you give no reference.

    — David B Benson

    1. Actually, she’s an exemplar of megalomania and cupidity.

  2. I thought HRC and all the Socialist Democrats wanted health-care-for-all modeled after Sweden and other Scandinavian countries. US is at 28 cases of Wuhan COVID-19 per 1 million of population and that bastian of medical marvel Sweden has 129/1M; Norway 293/1M; Denmark 182/1M; Finland 65/1M. Is this the mismanagement that Nancy and Choomer spew about?

    Why did HRC wait two months to make this ‘claim’ if she is so prescient? Maybe she’s doing what she does: making up her own version of history

  3. Ray Cramer, see my doggerel further down. The Hillary, unlike the Flying Dutchman, will never go away, but haunt and stalk forever …

  4. I thought Hillary left the building a long time ago. What is she running for now? She may really run after she gives that deposition under oath and perjures herself.

  5. …
    And so it was in the reign of
    King Donald the Blowhard.

    Semper Falsum.

    — David B Benson

  6. Of course it’s a distraction, Professor. I’d be shocked that a discussion of anything other would even be in the realm of possibility.

  8. If the MSM wants to be the directors of what this administration calls this virus, then name it after them: MSM Virus. Then treat them accordingly.

    2. Olly, why should the president needlessly upset Asian Americans? Is this one of those quirky Trump things we just have to bear? For weeks this pandemic was known as ‘Coronavirus’. What changed that makes it necessary to irritate every Asian in America?

      1. Why are Asians needlessly upset by calling a virus after the country of origin? Why weren’t they needlessly upset after the naming of every other deadly disease?

        1. Olly, you’re visibly ducking the real question. This pandemic was widely known as “Coronavirus” in world media for several weeks. What changed that made it necessary to open a scab by calling it “The China Virus”?

          One gets the feeling Trumpers see this as a Culture War issue. Trump has made it that. He’s mad because China promotes urban myths that the U.S. military dumped the virus on China.

          So Trump wants to flip the blame. And liberals cry foul! But why waste our energy now on Trump’s grievances. It illustrates why Wall Street can’t find bottom yet. Investors fear Donald Trump is more concerned with Culture Wars than reality.

            1. Olly, you can’t deal with it. You’re still in Trumper mode. Trumpers can never address Donald Trump. The conversation has to always be about someone or something else. Hence the What About which comes in varying forms. But What Abouts are always characterized by an insistence that the discussion must first address anything but Trump.

              The World is currently facing its biggest challenge since WWII. But Trump cant take it seriously. He’s a reality star. They like to stir tensions. That drives reality shows. Trump is good at that. The problem is this pandemic needs a statesman of a president. A man like George H.W. Bush, for instance.

              George H.W. Bush and his trusted friend James Baker navigated the break-up of the Soviet Union. They then assembled an impressive coalition to evict Saddam from Kuwait. We could use Bush and Baker now. We need those types of statesmen.

              But the the world is stuck with Trump, instead, a narcissistic bore incapable of getting facts straight. No wonder Wall Street panics. We’re passengers on a bus whose driver suffers from road rage.

              1. The problem is this pandemic needs a statesman of a president.

                A statesman, huh? I was on a destroyer that had refueled in Kuwait on Aug 1 1990. 20 miles and 12 hours later we were at GQ. We had no air cover and the radar screens looked like an angry hornets nest. Thanks statesman.

                Just think bigger. Why do we have a global pandemic? What policies have our statesmen-like presidents had that prepared this country for a pandemic? What policies have made it worse? Think Neville Chamberlain and you’ll understand my disdain for all the statesmen that came before President Trump.

                1. Olly, alienating allies bears little fruit in global emergencies.

                  So you were scared on your Destroyer? No one told you there’d be risks to sailing on warships? Sounds like the Navy misrepresented itself to you.

                  1. alienating allies bears little fruit in global emergencies.

                    Which ally is being alienated?

                    So you were scared on your Destroyer? No one told you there’d be risks to sailing on warships? Sounds like the Navy misrepresented itself to you.

                    You really don’t do reading comprehension very well. And clearly you don’t understand the military mind. Boot camp weeds out the civilians that are untrainable. And training is what prepares every service member to respond appropriately. The situation I mentioned is a perfect example.

                    Leading up to our deployment, we trained and trained for combat. One of the qualifications for the ship to be deployable is when GQ was announced, we had to be on station, with everything set in 8 minutes. Our training for this was always conducted during daytime hours and with everyone prepared for the drill. Same thing for when inspectors tested our capability. We always passed with times typically nearing the 8 minute mark.

                    The announcement for us to go to GQ for real came somewhere around 2:30am on the morning of August 2nd. Even though the majority of the crew were in their racks asleep, we had GQ set in less than 4 minutes. Training works, especially in a crisis with adrenaline flowing.

                    What else your civilian ass going to whine about today?

                    1. Asians, including Americans are being alienated.

                      WTF is wrong with you people? Nothing is gained by this except Trump stirring up yahoos like you.

                    2. Asians, including Americans are being alienated.

                      WTF is wrong with you. Everyone is being alienated from their natural right of liberty, thanks to the Chinese governments response to a virus that originated in their country, CHINA. And you and your ilk have gone on a nonstop Chinese propaganda campaign to direct blame away from source government and onto the United States government. If you’re going to blame anyone in the United States government for this pandemic, blame the administrations and Congress for policies that set up this scenario in the first place. So GFY. Call it the BUSHAMA virus.

                    3. Olly, it sounds like you had a good time in the navy. So what’s your problem with George H. W. Bush?? You said you dont like statesmen. Like amateur presidents are better? Like the Culture Wars should be Job # 1..?

                      You dont know what you’re saying. No cohesive thought.

                    4. Using your terminology Chips, I have absolute disdain for the professional political class that sold out this country to foreign powers such as China and Saudi Arabia. It’s the professionals (progressives) that have turned our public education into indoctrination centers and our federal government into the massive bureaucracy to direct the lives of those newly indoctrinated. There is no culture war other than what you’ve conjured up in the right half of your brain. If you could ever connect with the left half, you’d reason calling a virus from where Patient 0 was found has been standard protocol for over 100 years. So yes, I’ll take an amateur politician/professional businessman who puts our nation’s interests first, over the professional politicians that put our country on this disastrous path, every effing time.

      2. What about London Flu? Spanish Flu?

        Chinese Flu was propagated from China.

        It’s Chinese Flu.

      3. By the way, my neighbor and many of my other friends are Asian and none has had a complaint. I suspect they would be miffed to learn you were arrogant enough to claim to know what they think and to speak for them.

        Take note that not all Asians are the same and some are not particularly fond of Chinese.

      4. How about because they threaten to withhold any antibiotics previously available to us. We would have our own if Obama’s administration had not forced business to outsource to other countries.

  9. Asian Americans Made Nervous By Trump’s Use Of ‘China Virus’

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Robert Redfield agreed last week with a member of Congress that it was “absolutely wrong and inappropriate” to call the illness the “Chinese coronavirus.”

    Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, told The Fix last week that the president needs to do away with language that stigmatizes Asian Americans.

    “He needs to make sure that everyone in this country is safe and secure and that we follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization and cannot create greater stigma and use the official term or covid-19. He seems to not be very concerned that there are these acts of xenophobia and scapegoating against Asian Americans.

    Focusing on where the virus originated has led some Americans to treat Asian Americans poorly, stop patronizing their businesses and even physically attack them. This response does more harm than good and creates a culture of fear among Asian Americans, Chu said.

    After initial reports about how mislabeling the virus was harming Asian Americans, members of the caucus sent a letter to members of Congress explaining why it was important not to use that name:

    “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have seen a surge of discriminatory rhetoric and violent attacks against Asian Americans across the country. Often the attackers have been inspired by debunked conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus and how it spreads … Asian-owned businesses have also been negatively impacted due to fraudulent fliers purporting to come from the World Health Organization urging residents to avoid Asian American restaurants and businesses due to COVID-19.”

    To minimize the fears of Asian Americans worried about being harassed or attacked in public, Chu said Trump has to take the lead and use language that makes all Americans feel safe in this moment, as opposed to stoking the fears of his supporters as well as his critics.

    Edited From: “The Official White House Defense Of Labeling It ‘Chinese’ Coronavirus”

    Today’s Washington Post 

    1. Regarding Above:

      There are scattered news reports of Asian Americans being harassed by strangers regarding the virus. A google search turns up a few documented incidents. Though it’s hard to tell how common these encounters have been.

    2. The usual liberal big lie process: seize on a group, call them marginalized, fabricate a grievance they don’t share across the board, find a stooge to mouth the talking point, run it through the propaganda machine at NYT or WaPo. Rinse and repeat.

      Show me a valid poll; not some leftist flunkie on the make politically.

      1. Mespo, it’s an Aisian member of Congress putting out this letter expressing concern. Is Congresswomen Chu just a troublemaker? Should Asian Americans just embrace the term “China Virus”? And why can’t we just call it the “Corona Virus” as we were?

        1. I think her identity is Democrat. Being Asian is incidental. She does not speak for all Asians, but she probably speaks for most Democrats. They always need a bone to chew.

          1. Young we have no idea who your Asian neighbors are. They could be Filipinos or possibly Vietnamese. Those groups may not care so much if Trump calls it The China Virus.

        2. Mespo, it’s an Aisian member of Congress

          Who has been a purveyor of identity politics for decades. She’s been around for 30-odd years in suburban politics around Los Angeles.

          1. Absurd, should Congresswoman Chu be dismissed as ‘just a crank’ for being an Asian from California? Do women like that upset the sensibilities of ‘real Americans’ in upstate New York?

            1. No, she should be dismissed for being a long-time purveyor of identity politics. Reading comprehension. It’s great stuff.

    3. They’re a lot more nervous about the COVID 19 making them sick then they are Trump calling it the China virus!

      But keep on spinning a new set of bogus crud from Wapoo. pathetic.

      I tell you what. We are supposed to be stopping patronizing all close-contact businesses. Everyone will feel the pain very soon. There will be plenty of pain to go around very soon.

      2. Kurtz, you just called it Covid 19. Was that a hardship for you? Why cant Trump just call it that? Would we not know what he’s referring to?

        1. you presume to correct the president. I dont

          i am focused on serious things, you are not

          1. No you’re not Kurtz, you’re focused on BS Trump threw out which is completely counterproductive and with no upside. He’s a divisive jerk and purposely so. Are you blind?

  10. To be perfectly honest, I don’t particularly like the President calling it Chinese Coronavirus either.

    Surely there are better ways to call out the CCP that don’t also bludgeon people – in our case, fellow Americans – who had nothing whatsoever to do with this outbreak.

    Call the virus exactly what it is, and point out exactly what it is that the CCP’s doing that is wrong.

  12. I so wish she would just go away. This is so unhelpful. She’s really nothing but annoying background noise anymore, waving her arms to draw attention to her and be relevant. It’s not working. She’s still just annoying.

  14. She never went away,
    She never went away,
    Not unto this day, this day …

    She’ll never go away,
    She’ll never go away,
    Not until the sun goes out, out out!

    She’ll aways haunt and stock you,
    You’ll never have an end,
    Hillary before your eyes …

    A reprise:
    [repeat the last two stances.]

    1. Also, be sure to get your Vitamin D, either by sunlight, spinach, D-3 supplements. Vitamin D and immunity are linked.

        1. Michael Savage has real wall hangings on this topic. I was listening night before last. He’s a Vit C nut among other stuff.

          $1.95 E Book of his he recos on the topic of Vits, ( Definitely safeer then a fresh cooked up Vax without much testing:

          https://www.ebooks.com/en-us/2481462/diseases-without-borders/michael-savage/

          To bad Trump won’t have anyone in his administration speak out in favor of building up our own immunity systems & answering the issues of using Antivirals/Vitimins to fight off viruses & other health issues. I guess Big Pharma boys have a gag order in place because I know Trump still speaks with Savage from time to time.

  16. Why the Hell hasn’t Trump Locked that Traitor up, Hillary Clinton, already???

    AG Barr & Durham I seen reported, saying they will end their investigation to Govt Corruption sometime between July or September, of some unnamed year in some decade in the future.

    Instead those Traitors now already have You in Lock Up in your home, in the corner in a fetal position pissing your pants, begging the govt for an unsafe experimental vaccine against a US/China Binary Bio*Weapon & free govt cheese!

    It was a Republic until You Lost It! lol;) Phin Fools & Slaves, no Liberty For You.

  17. Chuck Aspinwall — All laid-off due to the coronavirus.

    — David B Benson

  18. Damn. Doesn’t anybody have to work? These folks have waaaayyy too much time on their hands. Way too much.

  19. Will she never go away!

    Is there anyone dumber than “Woke” Millennials ?

  20. Squeeky Fromm, if they aimed better there would be no need for a hospital bed.

    — David B Benson

      1. It’s the BT Virus! If they survive, they’ll get stronger and stronger! OMG, soon the BTs will have all our toilet paper! 🤣

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