PART I: From the source
It has been now over 6 weeks that worlds are apart, the earth is mechanically turning while most of its people are enclosed and physically apart from each other. To better cope with it, we are being educated that we are all in it together. Is it your employer’s website, surfing on the internet popping at the sides, the national celebrations add, the delivery service commercial….Bold letters and eloquently spoken out: “we are all in this together”.
Since the beginning, something was not bouncing good when I was coming in touch with this phrase. And it became clearer when the phrase accompanied the “social distancing” idea. It is of so much interest to me, how language is used, altered and redefined without ever realising this jump.
But, first things first.
Our ecosystem is evidently put in a new situation. But does this new virus and the disease it brings along, come as a surprise?
Contrary to what the man seems to bases his beliefs on in order to act, nature has the overview, always the last word. Nature sets the framework, to protect its species. Viruses thus, do not jump species unless they are in danger to lose the host home. Human activity has been causing years now large deforestations, shrinking the urban landscape while the cities take over. This urges any virus of any endangered species to seek survival. And there you go. Watch now the efforts of a tiny virus trying to tame the human host in order to co-exist together.
Nature is to be seen with awe when it seeks equilibrium with pollution, overproduction, overconsumption, overpopulation. It will find its flow, without emotions, without logic.
And that would be the one version, in the case that nature was not caught by surprise.
To begin with, it is interesting how the question as such of the origin of the virus is to be categorised as fake news already. Regardless of the man made claim being truth or wrong, the ability to alter cells, clone, add a piece of DNA to RNA ,etc is of common knowledge to the person skilled in the art and other Nobel prize wining or other published works in the recognizable scientific journals can prove it.
Moreover, as far as the ability to create is concerned we could also take a look at the memoratum called in 2012. A pause on avian flu transmission studies took place, after the creation of mutant strains of the H5N1 avian influenza virus. Fear among the scientific community itself started spreading. The option and the risk of an accidental release or any replication of the experiments with harmful intentions, posed a biosecurity threat and could not be overlooked by some. Based on biosecurity weaknesses the memoratum took place heating up the discussions in the community of whether the advantages of such researches prevail over the risks or not. In 2014 again, US suspends risky disease research. In 2015 comes a point where an engineered bat virus stirs debate over risky research, as published in Nature. Obviously, there has been quite some activity for the creation of viruses in several research labs. Any connectivity with today’s situation or not will come to light later. Or not.
Taking all these into account, I would say that where there is the ability, there is also the possibility. History, something that tends to be altered next to language in our era, can guide the path of the future. A prevailing language that isolates every portrayal of a different thinking path, a different voice. So, let’s resume and not seem so shocked please, when did the world overflew with ethics and morals?
Let’s zoom out of the ability and zoom in into the possibilities now. In 2001 the new era of bio attacks started, with anthrax being launched. The term bioterrorism started being used by presidents and multiple programs and agencies started shaping. Duties for surveillance were shared by the USDA, CDC and the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB). In 2014 security losses in US government high-biosecurity laboratories, lead to US control measures intervening, sweeping inventory and conducting security checks on the safety of those who carry out research on lethal pathogens. Accidentally occurring or not, the possibilities exist and they have a tracking history.
Research tactics, seem to shape not only the abilities but also the possibilities. They are indeed turbulent and nevertheless seem to be dependant on the funding, making them to stop and resume accordingly. Therefore the group of people behind the funding seems to be able to navigate the research, its results and its use. For example, the mentioned memoratum was not directed to any lab research groups, but was left open for others, raising thus question marks and making these tactics seeming like a business model than a security one. Not to mention that WHO announced that in the memoratum discussions besides the participating scientists, also other groups will be represented that have legal interest and future prospect in the matter…
So, is nature simply being nature, evolving and being active? Or can it be simply adapting to a man’s polluting bulky production units who co-operates with that other man’s need to consume more while these first men collect and these other men live in poverty while reproducing vastly? Or is the virus strolling around due to someone’s recklessness or decision?
Thoughts. And questions. To be continued…while the “We” seems to narrow down a bit with some other personal pronouns arising in the process.
