• nkat2112@sh.itjust.works
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    5 months ago

    This part is notable:

    Briefed on the Pentagon’s secret anti-vax campaign by Reuters, some American public health experts also condemned the program, saying it put civilians in jeopardy for potential geopolitical gain. An operation meant to win hearts and minds endangered lives, they said.

    “I don’t think it’s defensible,” said Daniel Lucey, an infectious disease specialist at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. “I’m extremely dismayed, disappointed and disillusioned to hear that the U.S. government would do that,” said Lucey, a former military physician who assisted in the response to the 2001 anthrax attacks.

    The effort to stoke fear about Chinese inoculations risked undermining overall public trust in government health initiatives, including U.S.-made vaccines that became available later, Lucey and others said. Although the Chinese vaccines were found to be less effective than the American-led shots by Pfizer and Moderna, all were approved by the World Health Organization. Sinovac did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

    It’s truly indefensible to see this kind of behavior that can kill people for geopolitical gain. And now, when we complain about foreign meddling, we can rightfully be reminded of what our side did to others…

    The cruelty aside, I am also amazed by the shortsightedness of such tactics. This was an obviously failed strategy from the start. (And imaging the ignorance of assuming it would not be leaked…)

      • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        The hilarious part is people believe the historic global human rights abusers of the US intelligence community are different today, despite zero evidence of any reforms since they were overthrowing democratically elected governments to benefit multinational corporations, murdering activists who stood up for non-whites and the working class, operating “black” torture sites, caught backdooring the worlds hardware and software information systems no different to the KGB or Gestapo, conducting biological and chemical weapons tests on its own citizens, etc etc etc.

        Yep, I’m sure the historic sociopaths have learned their lesson… From all those times they suffered zero retribution, and benefited to the tune of trillions of dollars!!

      • yeahiknow3@lemmings.world
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        5 months ago

        Since when is it bad to meddle with your enemies? Authoritarian regimes around the world are my mortal enemies. Why the fuck wouldn’t we undermine them at every opportunity?

        Need I remind you that only 8% of countries are considered functional democracies (and that number is dropping). I’m open to any idea to stop the spread of authoritarianism.

    • Aqarius@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      And now, when we complain about foreign meddling, we can rightfully be reminded of what our side did to others…

      Oh, you haven’t heard? Bringing up any comparison with anything is now whataboutism, and means you’re actually Russian.

    • yeahiknow3@lemmings.world
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      5 months ago
      1. Anyone dumb enough to believe antivax propaganda deserves the consequences.
      2. Covid killed mostly old conservatives and was singularly responsible for Trump losing the election. I was sad they developed a vaccine.