White House Pushes U.S. Officials to Criticize China For Coronavirus 'Cover-Up'

[RandySF]

As the number of coronavirus cases continues to grow at a rapid pace in the U.S., the White House is launching a communications plan across multiple federal agencies that focuses on accusing Beijing of orchestrating a “cover-up” and creating a global pandemic, according to two U.S. officials and a government cable obtained by The Daily Beast.

The cable, sent to State Department officials Friday, lays out in detail the circumstances on the ground in China, including data on coronavirus cases and deaths, the local business environment and transportation restrictions. But it also issues guidelines for how U.S. officials should answer questions on, or speak about, the coronavirus and the White House’s response in relation to China.

The talking points appear to have originated in the National Security Council. One section of the cable reads “NSC Top Lines: [People’s Republic of China] Propaganda and Disinformation on the Wuhan Virus Pandemic.”

“Chinese Communist Party officials in Wuhan and Beijing had a special responsibility to inform the Chinese people and the world of the threat, since they were the first to learn of it,” the cable reads. “Instead, the... government hid news of the virus from its own people for weeks, while suppressing information and punishing doctors and journalists who raised the alarm. The Party cared more about its reputation than its own people’s suffering.”



https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-pushes-us-officials-to-criticize-china-for-coronavirus-cover-up/main-info?via=twitter_page

[brewens]

1. The "masterminds" behind a YUGE coverup here wanting to pin one on China. They

may have done that. I don't see how that does anyone any good now. We may want to investigate later. I guess Trump thinks stirring that up helps him somehow. They need a boogieman.

[Igel]

8. There's an argument

We've really seen only one side presented here.

"China! Bad, bad China!"

The flip side dates back into January, when a prominent doctor suggested that maybe the virus really wasn't from Wuhan, who knows where it originated. Maybe not from China."

Picked up by a Chinese official suggesting that the US Army brought it to China.

Then another official saying that since it was widespread here, maybe we should be honest about things.

And Ft. Detrick, MD, has been suggested as the origin for the virus.

Every week or so this is suggested in the Chinese media.

You see "Chinese virus" showing up in Trump speech the way it does *after* it gets picked up in the Chinese media that this isn't might not be a virus that originated in China. (Which, given Chinese nationalism, is a strong suggestion that China's not responsible. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge.) Some here have also tried to sever any tie the virus has with Wuhan. I mean, who can *really* be sure, there's just a 99% overlap between the virus in pangolins in Wuhan and the virus, so it could be from anywhere.

[Dave Starsky]

10. Does it matter where it's from?

This administration knew about it, knew it was coming, and did sweet fuck-all about it. Actually, they did worse than that. They dismantled the departments that guard against and handle this stuff.

This "name the virus" thing is an intentional distraction. The only thing that should be named is our government's response to it, and that name is 100% Donald J. Trump.

[LastDemocratInSC]

2. These epidemics have occurred frequently for a LONG time.

Perhaps we should be honest and give it the true name: the Airplane Virus.

[Igel]

9. That would make some previous ones

the "ship viruses," and before that the "trader viruses."

I mean, look at the plague in Europe in the 1300s. Kipchak and his army brought the plague from where it had been to Europe.

[cyclonefence]

3. It seems it's more important for Trump

to assign "blame" than it is to get needed medical supplies manufactured and distributed. Who the fuck cares how the virus started? I think fear of being blamed is somehow behind his refusal to put the federal government in charge of logistics. If it's all left up to individual states, whatever bad happens will be the fault of governors, not of him.

He takes no responsibility for anything, remember.

After all this is over, we should try to figure out how it started, but right now people are sick and dying.

[Whiskeytide]

4. "Instead, the... government hid news ...

... of the virus from its own people for weeks, while suppressing information and punishing doctors and journalists who raised the alarm. The Party cared more about its reputation than its own people’s suffering.”

Who are they taking about again?

[struggle4progress]

5. "We can do something, or we can make meaningless noise. So we're making noise!"

[GusBob]

6. War is next

Release the hounds

[thesquanderer]

7. Trump projection: "gov't hid news of the virus from its own people for weeks"

True or not... Trump always accuses others of what he has done.

[Volaris]

11. 'The Party cared more about its reputation, than about it's own people's suffering.'

Omfg.
There isnt an IMAX big enough this time, I think.