+++More Oversight Needed?
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For this old pew sitter, there have been a number of notable articles appearing on the World Wide Web over the last twelve month or so, addressing the question of where/how/why the COVID-19 virus entered the human species domain.
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Three articles have been of particular interest, given the serious research effort that seems to have gone into their production.
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• The (china syndrome, (four part series) by Philippe Lemoine in Quillette

• The Lab Leak Hypothesis by Nicolson Baker in New York Magazine.

• Origin of Covid – following the clues by Nicolas Wade in Medium
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The outtake of these three pieces is that the probability of a natural source origin for this virus now looks fairly remote. The likelihood of it being man made now stares in the face of humanity with increasing power.
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This of course was the assertion that the much hated and reviled 45th President of the United States kept proclaiming and then blaming it on China, the place where the virus was first detected in their population. Much as the civilised world hates to admit it, he may have been correct in its how?
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The where of its creation and why of its release though is a very different and explosive issue if this hypothesis gains growing acceptance and an increased effort to find out, proceeds with vigour.
Using logical reasoning there are a number of hypothesis that can be formulated for the where and why.
The Australian Federal Government’s call for an investigation into those matters (causing great damage to the country’s relations with other countries in its region in particular due to its political overtones) seems far in front of others. One wonders if those in government responsible for this leadership position have actually carefully considered the possible outcome of that investigation, especially if it turns out that malicious intent was involved and by whom.
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As Job discovered in his wrestling with the Angel, awakening to the truth can be a very painful experience.
One also hopes that born again Christianity does not in effect mean going back to a childhood level world view.

+++Covid 19 – The Hero of Fear
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I asked a group of friends recently, if they would consider writing a few thoughts down for inclusion in this collection that I stumble along with.
Below is the first response that I have received from a woman in that group – Sophia C.
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Someone asked me recently, if asked what would I like to write as a piece for the website blog?
And I replied,
Well, there are so many pressing problems in the world, that vast, just too many to contemplate in a short burst on that web page and so I thought more in the minuscule of my own life story. Then as if a revelation, something came into my mind space about religion in this twenty-first century Westernised world.
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I thought, what are the many Westernised types of religious beliefs, understandings or notion of a God or super hero in peoples own life stories?
Perhaps a super star as in the Western Movie legend of old or present Sci-Fi version or comic legend. But then I began to question what is the most prolific religious base at present and it began me thinking of this present pandemic COVID 19, the hero of fear.
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Then, I began to think of how this plays out over a century or two to come if that is all it takes to put us into a locked down mode of fear and isolation.
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Fear and isolation.
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How do we overcome something as small as a global pandemic of a virus that has claimed many lives, but of which on the whole we have simply no idea the extent in comparison to a normal so-called pandemic of say, Ebola?
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Or is it that we have forgotten that the major fear should revolve more around nuclear war and the fall out of what is occurring in the “undiplomatic” Western dialogue with those considered of lesser than a supposed democratic stance?
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So what do I consider worth a blog page burst? Well, it would have to be necessary to include the religious base of everyone’s Westernised view of life and that of the sacredness of a life, their own and family too. Perhaps that may also extend to a few very special friends or other family members such as dogs perhaps. But in the main I would have to say that the most famous impact of this present time would have to be fear of isolation and the thought of death.

+++What If
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I recently watched a video of an interview given by an ex Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, to an American media commentator from CNN Reliable Sources, detailing the columnity that Turnbull claimed Rupert Murdock and his son Lauchlan had visited upon democracy.
I found it quite shocking that a political figure of Turnbull’s standing would risk saying it in the public forum. – I need a coffee to think about this and so off I went to get one and;
I was drinking said coffee in a pleasant lounge and got into conversation with a very good looking woman about the role and quality of the Media in relation to truth in a time of hybrid war.
It took less than a minute or two for me to realise that this lady had started to play me like a tin whistle, in a form of reverse Socratic dialogue and I knew that here was someone I was out of my depth with.
Well, how many diverse sources of news and comment do you have she asked?
Well I said, here in South Australia, basically only one.
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AHHHH! – Then a different tack.
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Can I ask you, are you a philosophical materialist?
Oh this is different I thought somewhat startled. No I replied, I am what you might call a philosophical personal idealist.
Which means she said that you probably are a religious person? – I didn’t reply. She went on, can I ask which one of the great wisdom traditions do you follow; being a Caucasian, probably Christianity?
Tentatively; broadly I replied, although I would express it as a pilgrim trying to follow the Jesus way and trying to gain some useful insights along the way.
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Alright she said: What If
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What if what I asked? – What if you could only have one of the four stories about Jesus, which one would you choose?
Well at this turbulent time in world history, and the Eurocentric culture that we live in, I find the first story – Mark’s story, the most challenging for how I am trying to be as an adult human being.
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She then followed with; – Can I ask why Mark’s story as I find most say John?
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Because I find that Mark’s Jesus emerges to be a radical non-conformist in his time of tyrannical Roman World Empire, and so helpful as a basis for contemplating how to be during this present time of tyrannical American Empire. But the insights from all four stories are needed.
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Then she changes tack again.
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Lets come back to the media and the tremendous concentration of corporate ownership of it. What is it in Australia; one overwhelmingly dominant one with another more fragmented and restricted mainly to the eastern states?
Pretty much I said.
Back she comes; is that enough to get a sufficient picture to allow you to be a fully informed, responsible citizen, or does it effectively end up almost ideological propaganda?
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With that she abruptly stood up and announced that she had to leave. I asked if we could perhaps meet again for a cup of coffee but she declined. It hadn’t taken her too long to work out that she had little to learn from me and so needed to move on. I have to say that it didn’t leaving me feeling too bright and that night I reread Mark’s gospel. A deeply crucifixion story I find.
There are just too many examples of people who have gone against the Empire and its comprador followers, very much reminiscent of Proverbs 8:13 and ended up renditioned to either death, exile or locked up, not to be aware of the courage required.
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She reminded me that he who stands still is in great danger of losing his freedom and so;
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN – searching for Truth in this almost post Covid world.