Chinese Influence over Academia - Lancet Petition (General)

by dulan drift ⌂, Saturday, May 09, 2020, 09:03 (1420 days ago) @ dan

Yes, the whole overseas university student thing in Australia is a scandal waiting to be uncovered. Universities make (used to anyway) truckloads of money from overseas students - most of which come from China. Money talks.

I'd also like to know but haven't seen figures for how much Chinese money is involved in funding various research projects. A couple of months ago i mentioned my sister sent me a petition doing the rounds in Lancet denouncing questions about the Wuhan lab as 'conspiracy theories' and expressing 'solidarity' with China's handling of the outbreak. At the time i thought it was dumb for scientists to be going out on a limb to support China - it looks even worse now. Here are extracts from that statement:

We have watched as the scientists, public health professionals, and medical professionals of China, in particular, have worked diligently and effectively to rapidly identify the pathogen behind this outbreak, put in place significant measures to reduce its impact, and share their results transparently with the global health community. This effort has been remarkable. (No, it hasn't.)

The rapid, open, and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumours and misinformation around its origins. We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin. (Actually it's the opposite way 'round - rumours spread because of a lack of transparency)

We sign this statement in solidarity with all scientists and health professionals in China who continue to save lives and protect global health during the challenge of the COVID-19 outbreak. ('Global health' wasn't protected.)

Conspiracy theories do nothing but create fear, rumours, and prejudice that jeopardise our global collaboration in the fight against this virus.
We support the call from the Director-General of WHO to promote scientific evidence and unity over misinformation and conjecture. We want you, the science and health professionals of China, to know that we stand with you in your fight against this virus.

Firstly it's not a conspiracy theory to ask a question about the origin - it's just a question. It's revealing that some people get so uptight because someone asks a question. In my experience that always points to insecurity.

Secondly, all Chinese scientists working on the virus have been silenced. It's absurd to be saying they're "sharing their results transparently". That's a straight out lie - coming from scientists who are waffling on about how they care about 'scientific evidence'.

I don't necessarily blame the scientists and health professionals of China and WHO - i don't know the level of complicity in blocking the release of information - i assume it's orders from above. But for a bevy of scientists to be angrily saying that there's 'remarkable transparency' coming out of China - that boils down to two possible explanations - either astonishing naivety/stupidity - or corruption. I can't think of a third explanation. Either way, don't be surprised if people stop listening to you.


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