DoE Concludes Lab-Leak Hypothesis Most Likely

This has always been the most likely hypothesis given the publicly-available information.

DoE draws its conclusion with "low confidence."

[Other agencies have drawn contrary conclusions.]

   Of course the zoonotic hypothesis could still turn out to be right. The facts are the facts, and the facts can surprise you. I have no ideological commitment here. Because that would be crazy.

   But the real scandal, the undeniable scandal, is--as is so often the case these days--the left's ideological irrationality and Lysenkoism about this question. As per usual, the progressive left picked a side on the basis of ideology, declared it "The Science," and declared any questioning thereof to be misinformation, conspiracy theory, and, of course, as goes without saying: racist. 

   They leapt immediately into the fray, early in 2020, with the PC terminological stupidity for which they are justly infamous, declaring "China virus" to be--well, you know: raaaacist!!!11 Also, uh, STIGMA!

   Needless to say, Trump was racist for using the racist, racist terminology.

   In part, the vanguard of the progressive left seems to actually believe this sort of thing. In part, they just like telling people what they can say and do. In part they want to assert, as often as possible, that they control our vocabulary and set the rules of public discussion--which is in itself, a good reason to defy them. I prefer 'Wuhan virus'. And 'Deadly Batflu'... Of course 'Wuhan virus' is in accordance with well-established naming conventions--see e.g. 'Spanish flu,' 'Ebola,' 'Lyme disease,' etc. etc.

   When we should have been honestly evaluating the evidence of its origin, the PC left was screeching about which words to use--and covertly arguing that the lab-leak hypothesis basically couldn't be true...because that would be racist... 

   And that's the real scandal, as Turley notes.

   Or, rather, the real scandal is the general politicization of epistemic--including scientific--questions. The progressive left is Lysenkoist. They declared the lab-leak hypothesis a conspiracy theory / "tin-foil hat territory," racist, etc...basically on the basis of a vague hunch that it was kinda politically incorrect.

   And the lab-leak theory is small potatoes compared to political correctness with respect to alleged racism in policing, gender ideology, climate change and the rest. In each case they've picked an answer epistemically at random, on the basis of political preference, and declared that it cannot be questioned. 

This madness has to stop.