I think The States are still this world's best defense against Putin and Xi but everyone's basically an Oligarchy now. Our submission to money cripples any moral argument made against them so that leaves our democracy (which is crumbling) and Defense (for ourselves and Europe). Jr created Homeland Security in a cynical attempt to give Cons control of data and divert border issues from WH but I didn't agree with their creation and still don't. You know that I think it's over for humans anyway so none of this is more than brain masturbation.

IDK and am not sniffing for anything. Things play out as they will regardless of who has authority.

They have been demonstrated to have been correct in every way. Dems lost.

@rainmanjr Actually for a mid-term, they won, and those Republican ass-clowns in the House are digging a deep hole that will probably cost them the House in 24. Depending on the ignorant and the stupid to keep you in power is not a great long term plan.

@Sticks48 And I hope they keep digging but that doesn't excuse egoism. They win the COVID arguments and I lost a long term friendship by getting annoyed at what they were saying. That means I just lost for no good reason and I hate that.

@rainmanjr Everyone has known it came from China very early on. No one gives a shit where it came from anymore. People around here have accepted that this is something we will have to deal with all of the time, like we do the flu. The more life changes, the more it stays the same.

@Sticks48 The Right cares. They think it was biologic warfare and States aren't addressing that so we're weak against China. That's why the lab origin is important. 45 spoke up to China, they think, so you are wrong about that. Life stays the same because people don't like change so politicians try hard to keep basic structures of life the same. The people do not seek how to change gracefully and for better so the politicians use it. I see the whole durned human comedy as the people's fault. Politicians merely play to those that vote.

@rainmanjr l am not wrong at all. It doesn't matter what the left does, the right will just make shit up, and the ignorant rednecks will buy it. Explain why the lab origin is important. It leads to nothing. The world, especially the U.S. is so entwined with China economicly, and vice-versa, neither country can c seriously punish the other. It is always about the money when America is involved., always.

@Sticks48 I did. Lawsuits and condemnations.

Origin is now significant because an entity, China, can be sued and condemned by U.N. (for whatever good that does). I think that's likely to just make China bond deeper with Putin. Possibly up their desire to acquire Taiwan and poke us in the eyes so it does have significance. Dems were adamant about it's origin to be organic so that's the significant aspect for me. We should note that we are occasionally wrong and hope the admission gains us more respect.

You are right. Nothing will happen to China. Just take care of the problem at hand.

@rainmanjr Thing is China really does not need an excuse to try and invade Taiwan. Just like Putin, if they want to do it they'll just fucking invade and be done with it, using COVID origins is just bullshit.
The U.S. actually does have a role in this, under trump all American scientists were called back to the U.S. and I think (not sure) some of the funding was cut. Any heads up we might have had were cut off by trumps actions.

@silverotter11 45's first official action was to disband Obama's Pandemic Response Unit. It should have been Dems wary of his vaccine from the start but we trusted the science on that. No, China needs no excuse but they've got one. Pretty good one, too. We know it's coming and that's why Nancy had to go get some very secret discs of chip information. We were calling in our chips, LOL.