Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Saying we could find the person who mixed this stuff together, accidentally dropped it out a window, whatever… What jurisdiction do you suppose "we" have to prosecute someone we catch in China? Is what they did even illegal in China?

Because China seems fairly happy continuing as if there were no crime. If you want to take it further than that, you're going to unravel decades of every country on the planet shipping their manufacturing off to China, because while they make everything we need, sanctions just hurt us. There's rarely a second hub we can use to provide those goods.

If you want this to be illegal in China in the future, you might have more luck. Getting the people who provide money for this sort of work (which is much more international) to adhere to ethics rules wouldn't be a bad thing.

But while we're still in this, talking about hunting down exactly where this leaked from so we can make an example of somebody, seems both unrealistic and ineffective. Wear a mask, get your jabs. Focus on what's important in your life.



this is a bizarrely fatalistic and defeatist perspective

you may think you're being a realist, but really it just sounds like you're giving up because it's easier


Thanks for dismissing what I said without engaging with any of it.

I've told you what's actually possible in any measurable way to make the future safer, and that largely involves limiting how people spend their money on research. Long term diversification of manufacturing wouldn't be a silly idea either, for many reasons.

But if you can see a way to actually achieve what you want, please share it. Your little quips only amount to pathetic sabre rattling, wasting everybody's time and most importantly, distracting people from what we all need to do to get through this.


i;m sorry you took that personally, it wasn't meant to be. but it's really up to you to separate your own ego from your arguments, i can't be held accountable for hurt feelings

also i don't think i was being dismissive, i correctly characterized your argument.

if you believe that accountability is neither possible nor effective (in this case? in all cases?) then there's really nothing to argue. I can't change the mind of someone that doesnt want to have their mind changed.

i do think think your comment about improved reporting and scrutiny over funding is interesting. because we are still funding the wuhan lab. and we did have reports of gain of function from EcoHealth Alliance back in 2018 that the NIH is denying.

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/10/nih-admits-funding-r...

who watches the watchers? at the end of the day, accountability is an unavoidable solution if we want to have any hope of a fair and just system.

or, we can be fatalist-deafetists that think such a system is impossible and we just have to accept whatever disasters happen to us.


Using an ad hominem to not apologise for an ad hominem is interesting but regardless, you'll be elated to know my feelings haven't deigned to notice.

Who watches the watchers? Thanks for joining me on the same page.

I'm not fatalist —I think things can be improved, and have said how— I just don't think there's anything to gain from demanding the revenge you seem to think you're owed.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: