How China lost its argument on the Origin of Novel Coronavirus
Posted on 07 May 2020; 11:50 PM IST. Last Updated 07 May 2020; 11:50 PM IST.Summary: This article attempts to provide insights into the issues surrounding the origin of the Novel Coronavirus (covid-19), based on logical analysis. Not surprisingly, the results prove that China lost its argument, on the origin of the Novel Coronavirus.
The Novel Coronavirus (covid-19) has infected the entire world, and crippled the health and economies of many countries. It is therefore very natural for people to raise the simple question, "where did the novel Coronavirus come from?". Surprisingly, there is no answer for this simple question. Even more surprisingly, the answer kept changing with time.
Let us perform a logical analysis of the facts on our hand.
1) Initially, bats were blamed for Novel Coronavirus, but scientists who analyzed the genetic materials, concluded that there is only 96% similarity between bats virus and human virus. The 4% difference in genetic material, requires two decades of evolution. So, bats are out of the picture.
2) The next species to receive blame is the pangolin. Again, scientists concluded that there is only 90% similarity.
3) The blame game changed to multiple species, bat --> pangolin --> human;
This explanation has quickly established itself as the "Intermediate Host" theory.
Again, the scientific community was not happy, with the proposal. This is because the Novel Coronavirus humans acquired, does not resemble either bat coronavirus or pangolin coronavirus, but appears to be some recombination, which was not "evolutionary".
The above led to the assertion, that "There is no animal, bird, reptile, or germ, which can be considered as the origin of the Novel Coronavirus", and a conclusion that "The Novel Coronavirus could have been genetically engineered".
4) China liked the "Intermediate Host" theory, and said it could take decades to establish the intermediate host. As per the worst case scenario of this theory, nothing may be established as intermediate host, but we could hallucinate, such a mythical entity.
5) The "World Health Organization (WHO)" which is entrusted with the job of protecting the health of the entire world, claims that the virus was not made in a lab. Further, they asked the US President to provide evidence, that the virus was made in a lab.
Let us drill down into the argumentation structure, by performing a logical analysis.
a) WHO cannot establish the origin of CoronaVirus, but claims the virus is not engineered in a Lab.
b) WHO asks US President to provide evidence of engineering of CoronaVirus.
If both (a) and (b) cited above are both empty, i.e neither WHO nor the US President have any hard evidence, then how can "WHO" be accurate?
WHO should accept its failure to establish the origin of the CoronaVirus, and realize that its claim "not engineered in a Lab", is strongly tied to its success or failure, in establishing the origin of CoronaVirus.
Drilling further down, it can be immediately recognized that the failure of the WHO in establishing the origin of the CoronaVirus, can itself serve as a primary reason for the assertion that the CoronaVirus, could have been engineered in a lab.
Lack of hard evidence that the CoronaVirus was made in a lab, does not immediately satisfy the claim "not engineered in a Lab".
It could still "may have been made in a lab", but there may simply be lack of evidence, to nail it down.
6) The US President requested China to allow US investigators, to establish the cause and origin of Novel Coronavirus.
Very surprisingly, China refused to comply, with the request.
7) Recently, China asked the US Secretary of State to prove that the virus originated in Wuhan Lab.
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/china-dares-pompeo-to-prove-covid-originated-in-wuhan-lab-81282
China asked the US Secretary of State to handover, the enormous evidence he has, on the origin of Novel Coronavirus. China claimed that "the US Secretary of State could not present any evidence, because he does not have any evidence", and thought it won the argument.
The enormous evidence the US Secretary of State has could be "soft evidence" in the form of intelligence (which cannot be revealed), and the real "hard evidence" that China is requesting, could very much exist in China.
China should realize that -
a) China refused to allow US investigators.
b) It is now asking US to prove that the Novel Coronavirus originated in Wuhan Lab.
(a) and (b) cited above, constitute the classical logical contradiction, and China should realize that it lost its argument.