While a number of countries across the globe have finally "flattened the curve" of the Wuhan coronavirus, the economic devastation from the disease continues.
Just this week in the United States, 4.4 million more Americans lost their jobs, bringing the total of new unemployment claims over the past five weeks closer to 30 million. The domino effect of massive and abrupt unemployment is about to hit as people fail to pay their rent, ultimately leading to property owners being unable to pay their mortgages and more. The nightmare scenarios of an economic depression and long-term consequences from stay-at-home orders will come to fruition if people can't get back to work. Every day, businesses are closing their doors for good, which means they won't be around to welcome former employees back to their jobs.
As we move farther away from the known date when the disease landed in America, China's behavior — while they hid the virus —is becoming increasingly clear.
Knowing the disease was transferred human-to-human in December, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) hoarded personal protective equipment from all corners of the world. They did this knowing the virus would make its way around the globe, especially since they allowed travel out of Wuhan's international airport to continue. This was a deliberate, calculated decision.
"Here's what I think should be very disturbing to every American. During that period of time, that six week interval when they were hiding this virus from the world, China went from a net exporter of personal protective equipment, they are the largest producer of that in the world, to a large net importer," White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro said during a recent interview with Fox News.
"They basically went around and vacuumed up virtually all of the PPE around the world, including a lot from this country, which was for humanitarian reasons sharing our PPE with them. What that did was leave people in New York, Milan and everywhere in-between, defenseless," he continued. "China is sitting on that hoard of PPE where it cornered the market and is profiteering. I have cases that are coming across my desk where $.50 masks made in China are being sold to hospitals here in America for as much as $8."
As U.S. intelligence diligently works to pin down which Chinese lab the virus escaped from, the Chinese Communist Party continues to be shamelessly unapologetic for unleashing this hell on the rest of the world.
After falsely claiming the virus came from the infamously disgusting Wuhan wet market, the CCP's top spokespeople from around the world started pinning the origin of the disease on the U.S. military. This was an obviously fake conspiracy theory, and yet, they pushed forward with it anyway. In March, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Cui Tiankai was summoned to the State Department and berated for the bizarre behavior.
Now we're learning the communist regime is engaged in a full-blown, well-rounded propaganda campaign which includes spreading misinformation about the disease through text messages to Americans. Threats and rumors of a national lockdown, which President Trump never announced or stated as a serious option, were pushed by the CCP. On social media, Chinese troll farms have been amplifying domestic political riffs and repeating criticisms of President Trump from American "reporters" and anchors. Conveniently for the CCP, its message lines up perfectly with its dishonest messaging.
China isn't sorry. The CCP is basking in the suffering of millions, both in health and economically, especially in the U.S. They're also profiting from it.
At this point, U.S. military officials say the virus escaping a lab was likely accidental, but China's reaction to the crisis has been completely deliberate. Officials in the U.S. government and elected leaders should take detailed notes and respond accordingly.
