Lancet editor Richard Horton debunked phony claims by the US and West, falsely blaming China for spreading COVID-19 outbreaks.

Friday on China’s CCTV, he stressed that Beijing “isn’t responsible for” what’s happening.

Calls by US and other Western leaders for more Chinese transparency is cover for their lack of preparedness for a public health crisis they knew could happen any time and can again in new form.

No evidence supports Trump’s false claim of high confidence that the coronavirus originated in China.

Horton stressed that it’s “not helpful (or) scientific” to seek the outbreaks patient zero, calling these efforts “highly stigmatizing and discriminatory.”

Key is understanding the West’s lack of preparedness and indifference toward public health and welfare, notably by the US and UK — focusing now and ahead on an effective response in all countries experiencing outbreaks.

What affects one nation can easily move cross-border to others, they, in turn, transmitting outbreaks further.

Labeling COVID-19 a “Wuhan virus” is a gross perversion of reality, congenital liar Trump using this designation to shift attention from his regime’s failed preparedness and response.

The US has one-third of world outbreaks, around 40% of global fatalities.

The world’s richest country failed to protect its people, an act of criminal negligence.

Years in advance, it knew of the threat that’s unfolding in real time, but failed to prepare and act responsibly in the interest of public health and welfare.

Horton explained that coronavirus warnings published well in advance of mass outbreaks by the Lancet were ignored in the US and West.

“Most Western countries and the (US) wasted the whole of February and early March before they acted,” he said.

Weeks earlier, he called the inadequate response by Britain’s Boris Johnson a “national scandal,” suggesting his regime has “blood on its hands.”

The same criticism in stronger form applies to Trump and Congress.

China deserves credit for acting swiftly and effectively to contain outbreaks, largely eliminating them in around two months while large numbers in the West continue, notably in the US.

Thinned-skin Trump tolerates no criticism.

In response to acting HHS inspector general Christi Grimm’s critical report on his mishandling of COVID-19 outbreaks, he fired her.

Based on information gotten from surveying hundreds of US hospitals, she cited nationwide shortages of ventilators and personal protective equipment, as well as failure to institute widespread testing quickly.

One critic noted that the easiest way to be fired by Trump is to do your job responsibly in the public interest.

Sino/US relations are at risk of fracturing because of hostile Trump regime threats and actions.

A US witch-hunt is underway to falsely blame China for spreading COVID-19 outbreaks.

In targeting its adversaries, the US invents evidence when it doesn’t exist.

Russiagate, Irangate, and Venezuelagate Big Lies shifted to similar tactics against China.

Part of what’s going on is Trump regime campaign strategy ahead of November’s presidential election.

The larger issue is Beijing’s growing economic, industrial, technological, and political prominence on the world stage.

China is heading toward one day surpassing the US as the leading nation on the world stage during the 21st century.

Hegemons tolerate no challengers, what’s driving US hostility toward China, Russia, Iran, and other nations it doesn’t control.

It’s the stuff that wars are made of, notably because of Washington’s permanent war agenda for dominance over other nations.

While attacking China or Russia militarily is unlikely, it could happen by accident or design because hardline militarists run things in Washington.

Their craze for global dominance makes the unthinkable possible.

In the thermonuclear age, the scourge of US imperialism represents an unparalleled threat to humanity.

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Featured image: Chaoyang District in Beijing has been classified as a high-risk area for the COVID-19 pandemic as a novel coronavirus cluster occurred there within the last 14 days, Pang Xinghuo, deputy director of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said on Monday at a news conference held by the Beijing municipal government.Photo:Xinhua