As the entire world grapples with the effects of the COVID-19 virus, now that Americans are beginning to panic, they want someone to blame. Maybe it’s Trump, maybe it’s the Democrats, whoever. But only one entity is responsible for what’s happening right now: the Chinese government.

Philip Sherwell, The Times:

Chinese laboratories identified a mystery virus as a highly infectious new pathogen by late December last year, but they were ordered to stop tests, destroy samples and suppress the news, a Chinese media outlet has revealed.

A regional health official in Wuhan, centre of the outbreak, demanded the destruction of the lab samples that established the cause of unexplained viral pneumonia on January 1. China did not acknowledge there was human-to-human transmission until more than three weeks later…

Censors have been rapidly deleting the report from the Chinese internet.

If China had warned the world back in January, if we’d all known from the beginning how deadly COVID-19 is and how it spreads, things would look very different right now. But they didn’t. Now they’re trying to blame the United States, and a lot of “journalists” and pundits are helping them. Whatever you think of Trump’s response, no matter how much you hate him, he’s responding to something China has done.

It’s not racist to call it the Wuhan virus or the Chinese virus. Telling the truth does not make you responsible for the actions of racists. And lying to spare someone’s feelings will not protect you from this virus.

If telling the truth is the only thing I can control right now, then I’m damn well going to do it. You can’t shame me into silence. I defy you. You can kill me, but you can’t make me lie.

#ChinaLiedPeopleDied. It’s the plain and simple truth. The people who don’t want you to tell it are your enemies. They don’t care if you live or die. How you respond to them is up to you.

(Hat tip: Lachlan Markay)

Update: And you can stop listening to these guys too.

Update: This is exactly what I’m talking about. They’ll say “Wuhan virus” or “Chinese virus” is racist, then turn right around and say: “The virus, which originated in Wuhan, China…” Their delusions aren’t going to protect them in the days to come. Viruses aren’t #woke.