There's no doubt that China is responsible for the coronavirus pandemic. Even if the reports that suggest the virus escaped from a Chinese lab are flawed, it's still true that the virus originated in Wuhan, China, where wet markets are ubiquitous. It's also still true that China failed to warn the world about the deadly virus for days, allowing it to spread like wildfire.
New York's Adirondack Daily News Enterprise seems to think that China's behavior is no better or worse than that of the U.S. government. And Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) was rightly offended by the insinuation.
The fact that this question was posed to @EliseStefanik by a "mainstream" local news outlet is INSANE @AdkEnterprise
— Maddie Anderson (@MaddieWAnderson) April 27, 2020
CHINA LIED, PEOPLE DIED pic.twitter.com/9enuaNzUJ7
Stefanik is among the group of lawmakers determined to hold China accountable. She's asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Attorney General William Barr to bring China to the International Court of Justice for the CCP's selfish, callous and deadly behavior. And in March, she joined Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) to introduce legislation to compel China to pay back all the nations that were impacted by the virus.
“The Communist government of China knowingly withheld critical information needed to combat the spread of the Chinese-born COVID-19 and to this day continues to spread lies and disinformation on the origin of the deadly virus,” Stefanik said. “There is no doubt that China’s unconscionable decision to orchestrate an elaborate coverup of the wide-ranging and deadly implications of coronavirus led to the death of thousands of people, including hundreds of Americans and climbing. This Resolution calls for China to provide compensation for the harm, loss, and destruction their arrogance brought upon the rest of the world. Simply put – China must, and will, be held accountable.”
Yet the Adirondack Daily News Enterprise was still determined to pin some of the blame on some U.S. government officials.
"Stefanik did not talk about members of the American government who have downplayed, lied and covered up the seriousness of the virus, too," the paper noted.
They use Larry Kudlow and President Trump as examples, quoting them as saying they'd had the virus "contained" or "totally under control" back in January and February.
Okay, well if we're playing that game then I'd like to observe a few omissions too. The outlet didn't note that Democrats like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi encouraged San Franciscans to go out to Chinatown in February, or that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told folks to go see a movie in the beginning of March.
But it doesn't matter. What we're talking about here is how China lied and people died.
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