It’s really odd to see this narrative shift toward “preventing the next pandemic” among opponents of the C19 response. I have the sense that Rand Paul is somewhat driving this, I guess to gain political brownie points. But why do erstwhile dissidents go along? If they believe there really was a pandemic, then how can they object to the measures taken to contain it? It makes no sense.

But apart from that, do Rand Paul and RFK think that if US funding for GoF research is stopped that the rest of the world will also stop doing it? Do they think that Germany will stop doing it? Germany did not stop during the prior US moratorium. Christian Drosten himself directed GoF research during this time. I suspect Germany and the EU used that time precisely to catch up.

If they really think that GoF research is so dangerous, then what’s needed is an international treaty, not an American law. Does Rand Paul not know that the rest of the world exists?