clusterly

I think you make a really interesting point. The way this story is becoming mainstream feels very orderly to me, as if the public is being prepared for a dramatic turnaround. I know that sounds nutso conspiratorial, but actually I think it's exactly the right thing to do if the story is true or, at minimum, if the authorities genuinely have reason to believe that it's the most likely explanation. You can't just spring the opposite on people overnight, especially when the question, which ought to be a purely factual one, became so entangled in domestic politics.

I also agree with you that if this is the outcome we're headed for, then we haven't gotten near any of the big icebergs yet. How's it going to play out and what will the real-world consequences be? I hope that the Biden people will be smart enough to approach this multilaterally and not make it the US vs. China spectacle that you-know-who would have. The fact that they're quietly confirming the facts that have been coming out, but otherwise not yet making a big deal out of it, gives me some hope that they're not idiots.

This is all silly-level speculative and it's possible that nothing will come of it, but I'd place a (small) bet otherwise. The way in which, one by one, the dominos are flipping is truly fascinating. Fauci has flipped, Daszak has flipped. Every few days there's another small but notable change.