by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2024
(Apr. 21, 2024) — A History Ignored: Echoing Dr. Lyons-Weiler’s Warnings
In January 2020, well before much of the world grappled with the full impact of COVID-19, I voiced concerns about the nature of the virus suggesting a possible laboratory origin. Three months ago, I called for a ban. Not a moratorium. A ban.
My warnings pointed squarely to the dangers inherent in Gain of Function (GoF) research — where pathogens are deliberately made more virulent as a way to study potential human impacts. Despite such prescient warnings, here we stand, witnessing history poised to repeat itself.
Instead, THE DAILY MAIL has reported that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in a bewildering move, is bankrolling a chilling $1 million collaboration with the Chinese Army – via the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) — the very institution entangled in the Covid lab-leak controversies. Why? To make bird flu viruses more dangerous. Yes, you read that correctly. More dangerous.
Unacceptable Risk
This is not just a minor experiment tucked away in the annals of scientific research; it’s a substantial project that uses taxpayer dollars to fund the creation of potentially pandemic-inducing viruses. This work involves making highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses more contagious to mammals. On purpose. This collaboration, set against a backdrop of an ongoing global health crisis, is not just irresponsible—it borders on the criminally negligent.
Congressional Alarm Bells Are Ringing — But Is Anyone Listening?
Eighteen members of Congress have already voiced their dismay in a scathing letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, stating that this research “could potentially generate dangerous new lab-created virus strains that threaten our national security and public health.” Yet, it feels as if these warnings fall on deaf ears. How many more red flags do we need? The research is not just a potential hazard; it is a ticking time bomb.
The Science of Madness: Playing God with Global Health
The USDA, in partnership with the CCP-run lab, has been busy infecting ducks and geese with engineered strains of the bird flu to see how easily the viruses could jump to mammals. With the shadow of COVID-19 still darkening our skies, one must ask: have we learned nothing from the past? This Gain of Function (GoF) research—the same type that likely brought the world to its knees—is not just playing with fire; it is downright arson.
Global Outcry and Ethical Anguish
Internationally, there is a palpable sense of betrayal and fear. The CAS, previously sanctioned for its opaque practices and potential breaches of biosafety is hardly a trustworthy partner in such high-stakes research. Furthermore, this collaboration proceeds despite the clear global consensus that GoF research poses unacceptable risks. Are the USDA and the CAS so arrogant to believe they are above the world’s ethical standards?
A Call to Immediate Action: This Must End NOW
This situation demands more than raised eyebrows and worried letters. It requires immediate action to terminate all funding and support for GoF research on respiratory viruses. The risks are too great, and the potential consequences are too dire to ignore.
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This makes me think of two things: 1) Essentially, he is making a moral argument in a world that is losing moral sensibilities, 2) This leads to a change in the scientific culture such that it can recognize dangerous paths and avoid them.
We are in neither of those places. I will throw one more in. It takes years to learn the techniques needed to do gain of function. There will always be a graduate student who will be the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Young, brash, immature and eager to try anything. Any ban becomes an invitation for such a person.
One more. It is a relatively small handful of groups around the world that have these capabilities and resources: America, France, Britain, Sweden, Japan. Minor players include Canada, Australia, Singapore and Germany to name a few. Researchers each have pieces of the puzzle. So, there are limits as to how many can sustain full gain-of-function research. If America decides to shut it down, that will put the kabosh on many other countries programs around the world.