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Culture War Roundup for the week of June 19, 2023

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The deadline set by the Covid Origin Act of 2023 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/619/text) to release names, symptoms, hospital visits, and roles of WIV researchers who had Covid-like symptoms in fall 2019 has come and gone. A Google News search for "Covid Origin Act" results in a single article released over the weekend:

https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/covid-was-not-developed-as-a-bioweapon-dni-finds/

This source is not mainstream. It suggests that the legally mandated report has been released, but puts a spin on the results of the report (Covid not likely an intentional bioweapon) without revealing the full text. Most importantly, it doesn't name any of the names that the Act required. So I went to the website of the Office of the Director for National Intelligence. Crickets. Twitter? There has been a post, but it is about Juneteenth.

Edit: I suppose it is possible that the DNI has made their mandated report to Congress, and that no congresspeople have leaked it yet. In which case one would expect articles in a few hours to days?

As an aside, when I mentioned I was excited about this disclosure to a deeply Blue family member, they suggested I've shifted right. I wonder how the disclosure of Covid origins information became right-coded.

As an aside, when I mentioned I was excited about this disclosure to a deeply Blue family member, they suggested I've shifted right.

This is revolting to me. I could see myself telling a family member "Hey, it's cool you're interested in that, but note that people may perceive that as a Party X aligned topic." I couldn't see myself going "hey, being interested in that makes you party X aligned." To a family member? Do I trust them that little?

The world is full of contradictions and ambiguities. Sometimes one catches your interest and you go off to investigate it. It makes me sick that this good, healthy, praiseworthy act is apparently inseparable from political affiliation.

I wouldn’t take it so seriously. Not unless rationaleist is getting uninvited to family dinners.

There’s a whole realm of “lol, you sound just like your father” and other passive ways to comment on political valence.