Covid-19: China’s Chernobyl:

Parallels:

High technology in the hands of autocratic regime.
Nuclear Energy in Chernobyl 1986
Biotechnology- China 2019
2. High incompetence.
a. Poor preparation for emergency procedures which caused Chernobyl meltdown
b. We haven’t final details in case of Wuhan. We know that Corona virus human transmission was being studied in a Wuhan lab. It seems likely that either the virus was deliberately released or escaped via inept handling. Another possibility is the viral spread to humans in live meat markets in Wuhan.
3. Early suppression of information leading to loss of human life and valuable time.
a. Chernobyl: Early denial of magnitude of disaster.
b. Early denial of magnitude of disaster. Brave whistleblowing doctors were arrested. Some died. The WHO and the public were not informed until late about danger to public safety.
4. Authoritarian regimes respond in the only way they know how. Suppression of freedoms and information leading directly to loss of life.
a. Chernobyl: Fireman and other sent directly into area leading to loss of human life. International aid refused. Escape of valuable information blocked.
b. Wuhan: Government responds by blocking egress of information. In the meantime, Domestic and International travel in celebration of Chinese New Year season was initially allowed. This lead to spread of virus followed by severe restriction of personal freedom and lockdowns as information began to leak.
5. Followed by disinformation campaigns in both cases. In the case of China, the regime is widely circulating the notion that the virus came from the United States and is now actively portraying itself as a model for the action of limiting the spread of disease via authoritarian lockdowns and exercise of imperial power. China portrays itself as benefactor to the rest of the world. WHO is mouthpiece for Chinese regime lauding every step of the authoritarian response to communicable disease.
6. Interestingly if public figures can be relied upon, the deaths from viral release will be greatest outside of China. New York City is one center of death. That city has the highest population of Chinese outside of Asia. Not to say it is their fault. But it appears countries that lately have closest economic relations with modern China will also have the most victims due to size of the inoculum phenomenon.
6. In the case of Chernobyl this major disaster was certainly an element leading to the collapse of the autocratic Soviet regime in 1989. China is far richer and has far more resources than the Soviet Union which was rotting from the inside, before the International disaster. However, we see protests and demands for freedom by Chinese people all over the world. The greatest hope is that this may lead to collapse of authoritarianism and discovery of the truth. The dystopian alternative is more of the same.