U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, went on television Sunday and suggested the coronavirus is a biological weapon manufactured by the Chinese government.
It wasn’t long before Cotton was attacked by Jake Tapper of CNN and others. Cotton essentially was described as way off base.
Is Cotton right or wrong? I don’t know.
Cotton can’t be any more off base on this than Tapper, CNN and others were on Russian collusion and other Trump-related issues.
Let’s look at a few facts.
China has some of the worst air on the planet.
That nation also has some of the most contaminated soil on the planet. China has many tracts of land that are so contaminated by heavy metals, especially cadmium, that crops won’t grow on them.
Several decades ago America’s livestock suffered severe health problems that traced back to mineral purchased from China. The mineral contained a number of toxins, with cadmium being one of the worst.
China is willing to steal the technology of the U.S. or any other nation.
SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) started in China in 2003 and spread to other countries, killing hundreds.
The infamous Bubonic Plague killed millions during the Middle Ages, as it spread across Asia and Europe, carried primarily by rats that travelled on ships. This disease originated in China. Eighty-five percent of plants producing the materials that go into U.S. drugs are located overseas, with many of these plants being in China. Some of these plants have horrific records when it comes to contaminants in these pharmaceutical materials. A former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspector pointed out these problems in an interview with NBC News, but nothing seems to have been done about it.
Dealing with China can be dangerous. Whether it’s being a victim of a disease coming from China, or the consumer of one of many contaminated products, the risk is there.
There is also risk in dealing with a nation that is so willing to steal our technology.
From the Bubonic Plague to the coronavirus, China has a rich history of spreading disease. Why would any drug company be willing to rely on the Chinese for pharmaceuticals developed to protect the health of their customers? Why would our government not protect us from the drug companies and the Chinese?
If the Chinese government cares so little for the air its people breathe and the soil that grows the crops to feed its people, how much do they care for others?
The coronavirus poses a serious health risk to the world, but it does have one upside. It has made everyone take a closer look at China.
