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What's Going on at the FBI?

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Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#41

Post by trhway »

DiogenesKynikos wrote: post #35
trhway wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114270/documents/... "Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the NIH, told Congress in May that the NIH "has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology."" which we know is a blatant lie - see NIH EcoHealth Alliance Wuhan grants (which even had the "Human Subje…

Fauci's statement was correct: the NIH does not fund gain-of-function research, according to the definition that has been drawn up to regulate such research. You seem to think that any manipulation of a virus is "gain-of-function." The technical term that regulators use of "gain of function of concern." There's a specific definition of that term that was drawn up in the 2010s, and that's what NIH applies.

yes, that old "i didn't have s-x with that woman". Nobody cares for that specific definition. CRISP-ering human receptor binding protein onto a non-human coronavirus in such a way that the resulting virus starts to infect and kill human cells is a "gain of function", plain and simple. And thus Fauci lied. It was his professional duty to add to his answer that the gain of function they funded in Wuhan that the Congress was asking him about isn't fitting whatever narrow technical definition NIH uses. So, even if to take your position, it would mean that Fauci lied by omission.

And btw https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK285579/

" “gain of function research of concern,” includes the generation of viruses with properties that do not exist in nature."

So, even NIH defintion does cover Wuhan. So, Fauci lied. Blatantly. Even by NIH defintion.

And this

https://www.phe.gov/s3/dualuse/documents/gain-of-function.pd...

"Gain-of-function studies, or research that improves the ability of a pathogen to cause disease,"

The last link is exactly that 2014 document based on which the gain of function research was moved from US to in particular Wuhan. And Fauci was instrumental in that move.

Edit: to the commenters below who cares so much about the definition that Fauci uses - please do tell what is that magical definition which doesn't match even the NIH documents (see the links above).

Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#42

Post by whatever1 »

phinnaeus wrote: post #36
whatever1 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Half of the voting population were so fed up with the economy that they went with the nuclear option. It’s just that most of them have not read history and none of them have lived through war or fascism to understand what they are signing up for. They will all learn their lesson.

I have strong doubts they will learn anything, if they were capable of that you could expect them to have learned it already.

We have been told that if you fall head down from high altitude you will hit your self badly and probably die, but what if it is different this time around?

Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#43

Post by notepad0x90 »

I think a lot of people just want to give the current administration a chance. Half the country wanted him, and if it wasn't this, it would be an actual civil war eventually.

However, isn't it a bit naive to presume the current administration would relinquish power and allow for a peaceful transfer of government in the end?

I hope I'm wrong but all the evidence and data is pointing to a decline of America and the American-led world order. What's more concerning is, as the economy and social climate continues to decline, people will be far less tolerant and accepting of each other. I'm concerned a lot of the horrible historical trends of the past will repeat.

A lot of things are happening that you just can't recover from, like at all. And some things, like relations with Canada and the EU may not recover for like a generation.

I suspect, history will look at the past few months as the time when the cold war was really won. I mean, even on HN, the majority were against the tiktok ban, if that isn't defeat, what is? Imagine not banning propaganda radio from Russia and china during the cold war. The most crucial victory America's enemies achieved is convincing American voters they're no longer their enemies. American voters mostly think it's a fight between governments or politicians, they don't get that the hostility includes the day to day people of the nations involved.

The question really (to me at least) is, is the war already lost and we just need time to process the loss? or can it still be fought? I don't know how, it will be decades of trying to avoid an actual civil war, can America really withstand being torn apart, when even something like banning tiktok is impossible?

I can understand how looking at the greatness of this nation and its might it can be difficult to imagine it's fall and decimation. can congress and the supreme court put aside their own short-term gains to save their country? Will states continue to want to be part of the union, despite disaster aids being withheld and American citizens being deported (yes, this is happening)?

And who would come after trump, now that trump has paved the way? it will take him his entire term fully gutting the government and lining up the military. I suspect his replacement won't need votes.

Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#44

Post by rob74 »

jimkleiber wrote: post #18
vizzier wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The worst part is, how do you even counter the injected rot? If they demand loyalty tests and infest your institutions how is it countered? do the other side also have to do the same (assuming they have the opportunity)? All feels incredibly illiberal. I hope for the best that the oaths of office specific to these institutions hold.

One way is for the people in the other branches of government—Congress (legislative) and Courts (judicial)—to stand up for their branches and fight against the executive. The challenge is that people are more loyal to their political parties than their political branches, and the Constitution is built to check and balance branches, not parties.

Well, the supreme representatives of the judicial branch have just last year given the executive (=Trump) a blank check to largely do anything it pleases (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_v._United_States_(2024)). So yes, the US is in big trouble...

Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#46

Post by subharmonicon »

trhway wrote: post #29
DiogenesKynikos wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He didn't lie to Congress, and he got a preemptive pardon because Trump is vindictive and would 100% have ordered the DOJ to go after Fauci in any way possible.

https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114270/documents/... "Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the NIH, told Congress in May that the NIH "has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology."" which we know is a blatant lie - see NIH EcoHealth Alliance Wuhan grants (which even had the "Human Subje…

Why did the select subcommittee not report that Fauci lied if in fact he did?

Why did Fauci raise the possibility of a lab leak on Feb 1, 2020, if he was trying to cover that possibility up?

Time and time again we see conspiratorial claims with nothing to back them up.

Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#47

Post by DiogenesKynikos »

trhway wrote: post #41
DiogenesKynikos wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fauci's statement was correct: the NIH does not fund gain-of-function research, according to the definition that has been drawn up to regulate such research. You seem to think that any manipulation of a virus is "gain-of-function." The technical term that regulators use of "gain of function of concern." There's a specific definition of that term that was drawn up in the 2010s, and that's what NIH applies.

yes, that old "i didn't have s-x with that woman". Nobody cares for that specific definition. CRISP-ering human receptor binding protein onto a non-human coronavirus in such a way that the resulting virus starts to infect and kill human cells is a "gain of function", plain and simple. And thus Fauci lied. It was his professional duty to add to his answer that the gain of function they funded in Wuhan that the Congres…

That definition exists because nearly all virology involves modification of viruses. You have to have a definition of what type of research is concerning, or else it's just up to whatever some showboating congressman and his ignorant followers think. There was an entire, highly public, year-long process in the 2010s to define what "gain of function" should mean for the purpose of US-government-funded research. That's the definition Fauci uses.

> It was his professional duty to add to his answer that the gain of function they funded in Wuhan that the Congress was asking him about isn't fitting whatever narrow technical definition NIH uses.

No, it isn't. You would think a Senator in charge of regulating the NIH would ask one of his aides to explain to him before the session what "gain of function" means.

Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#48

Post by trhway »

subharmonicon wrote: post #46
trhway wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://www.congress.gov/117/meeting/house/114270/documents/... "Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is part of the NIH, told Congress in May that the NIH "has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology."" which we know is a blatant lie - see NIH EcoHealth Alliance Wuhan grants (which even had the "Human Subje…

Why did the select subcommittee not report that Fauci lied if in fact he did? Why did Fauci raise the possibility of a lab leak on Feb 1, 2020, if he was trying to cover that possibility up? Time and time again we see conspiratorial claims with nothing to back them up.

>Why did the select subcommittee not report that Fauci lied if in fact he did?

it is actually in the report of the subcommittee:

"Members questioned Dr. Fauci about his facilitation and promotion of a singular COVID-19 narrative, his clearly misleading statements before Congress and the public, ..."

and Biden pre-empively pardoned Fauci. So, what else do you need?

>Why did Fauci raise the possibility of a lab leak on Feb 1, 2020

He didn't. He was told in that meeting that it may be a lab leak, and he suppressed it then and after.

>Time and time again we see conspiratorial claims with nothing to back them up.

Interesting, the people arguing against me, like you for example, haven't provided any links/documents so far, where is i provided references and links to the government docs, reports, grants backing up my statements.

Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#49

Post by [deleted] »

rapsey wrote: post #28
DiogenesKynikos wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes it a coup is that Trump is acting completely illegally. He was elected president, not dictator. He does not have the legal authority to create a new government department, DOGE, to appoint Musk as its head without Senate advice and consent, and to give it full power over all other agencies.

[flagged]

[deleted]

Re: What's Going on at the FBI?

#50

Post by lwansbrough »

derektank wrote: post #15

Hypothetically, had FBI agents complied with completing the questionnaire and they had worked on the Jan 6th investigations, would it be legal for the administration to fire them based on that alone? Or would the agents be able to sue? My understanding is that they have limited collective bargaining rights compared to other federal employees, so presumably they'd only have whatever protections Congress provides all f…

I think the question "is it legal" is only relevant in a state which respects laws. Which is, increasingly, not the United States.
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