Earlier this week, CNN came out with an “exclusive” scoop revealing that the Chinese government was less than forthright about its super-impressive COVID19 response:
CNN exclusive: Vast trove of leaked documents shows China underreported Covid-19 numbers, took weeks to diagnose new cases and didn’t disclose a December flu spike in Hubei. https://t.co/mtXf3JM7NN pic.twitter.com/azzFFJ5yRO
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) November 30, 2020
We were almost as shocked as CNN.
insane that people in media and elected office were slamming the US for having a "worse response" to COVID than China when it's been obvious China has lied and lied and lied every single step of the way https://t.co/tWreyxmKWz
— Logan Dobson (@LoganDobson) December 1, 2020
Funny you should mention that. As it happens, Drew Holden, aka the King of Receipts, recently had a blistering thread about that very thing!
?Thread?
Today’s news about China’s poor and deceptive handling of the coronavirus outbreak should serve as a wake up call for those in the media who praised and defended it.
Because it’s a long, long list of those who served as an apologist for China’s response. ? https://t.co/sFUWXwuhmy
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Grab a snack, get comfortable, and enjoy:
Given @CNN broke the bad news today on China, it seems like a good place to start the list of those who vouched for them.
They carried water for China’s propaganda for months, and criticized @VP for rightly blaming their response for the global death toll. pic.twitter.com/e3GfZOQk3N
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Of all of @CNN’s people on the anti-Trump beat, it seems @jgriffiths was dedicated to covering for China in their response, and obfuscating the truth in criticism from Trump and others. pic.twitter.com/1nUEqHv8tJ
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
And @CNN served as a conduit for attacks from Democratic politicians – including @JoeBiden and @NYCMayor (and Madeline Albright?) – to act as defenders of Chinese propaganda because Orange Man Bad. pic.twitter.com/TLSeYmQQ5Y
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
But @CNN was far from alone.
Here’s @NPR, serving as a conduit for Chinese propaganda, too. pic.twitter.com/4VYouIvoFJ
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
I’m not sure that there’s any excuse for this one from @alexnazaryan and @Yahoo.
Perhaps one of the “lessons to be learned” is the ways that the American media can help a foreign power spread disinformation? pic.twitter.com/UEevjtLull
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
@ABC is more or less indistinguishable from state-run media in China on this one. pic.twitter.com/1Ltred6IbR
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
The science outlets got in on this one, too. Not exactly covering themselves in glory over at @ScienceMagazine. pic.twitter.com/0ubxdSQH3w
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
This from @qz is just demented. pic.twitter.com/Nd5iO27Oms
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
@NewYorker had Chinese propaganda covered from both angles – first applauding their response (glossing over the arrests and killing/disappearing of dissidents) and then going in on how Trump was wrong to blame them. pic.twitter.com/50JVYym8mZ
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Perhaps my favorite comes from @NYMag who had an article titled “Why Trump Deserves More Blame for the U.S. Coronavirus Crisis Than the WHO or China” which looks…less than compelling, in retrospect. pic.twitter.com/bTysQ50yYf
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Time, space and patience are at a premium, so grouping together. Here’s @businessinsider (the doctors who had been disappeared couldn’t be reached for comment on “China look[ing] good”) @washingtonpost and @ForeignPolicy. pic.twitter.com/erzkqHNnI1
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
But wait! There’s more:
We had a few Democratic elected officials get in on the act. Here’s @ChrisMurphyCT and @RepSpeier. pic.twitter.com/70asHYIoOk
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Also worth remembering:
In fairness, @realDonaldTrump didn’t do himself any favors on all this. If you remember, he was originally effusive in his praise of China and their handling of the pandemic. pic.twitter.com/60fxwbKZBK
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
A lot of people should be made to answer for going easy on — or outright praising — China’s handling of COVID19.
Don’t ever forget the role that @WHO has played in carrying water for the CCP.
Here’s just a small sample of all the praise they heaped on China. pic.twitter.com/JpGVV33STX
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
And it wouldn’t be a thread without the blue checks.
These takes by @funder aged…imperfectly. pic.twitter.com/PJTfLcZJZm
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
My public penance for once liking @EvanMcMullin continues. pic.twitter.com/qE3WtMbUxV
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Don’t worry, Drew. Quite a few people are still atoning for that one.
Here’s almost-VP @AmbassadorRice, giving China a pass to score political points. pic.twitter.com/9GTVo1MAJd
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Has there been a single moment in the last four years where a left-leaning group collectively believed and said things that simply weren’t true that didn’t involve @davidfrum? pic.twitter.com/avH43rNwrr
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
@Amy_Siskind is quickly becoming a feature around here. pic.twitter.com/c64Us0Hlqv
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Orange Man Bad myopia as only @MaxBoot can deliver. pic.twitter.com/IleLsuyKUI
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Last but not least, the think tanks got in on the act, unfortunately. This one from @BrookingsInst strikes me as the most egregious (see highlighted) pic.twitter.com/ErHuVUf8iG
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Not even last, as it turns out:
It wasn’t the only bad take, though. @amprog can always be counted on for such things. pic.twitter.com/WB3xVhf0Md
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Naturally.
As I’ve said throughout, we’ll need accountability all the way round on the coronavirus response.
But pretending like that accountability does not begin with China, who’s fault it is that the virus snuck up on the rest of the planet, is intellectually and morally untenable.
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
Intellectually and morally untenable sounds about right for our alleged moral betters.
There’s been a lot of talk about political disinformation and the need to limit it. And for good reason.
It would therefore be helpful if the media would stop pushing this particular variety of it in service of the Chinese Communist Party.
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
The media at large, anyway. There were, fortunately, a few exceptions to the rule on this:
Also, worth noting that some outlets pointed out that China’s timeline was a fraud early on. @WSJ and @axios (linked below) stood out to me. https://t.co/exWT86Mw4s
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
But they were exceptions.
I know it’s been repeated countless times, but the maxim really is true: China lied, people died.
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) December 1, 2020
And the Guardians of Truth and political class let them get away with it.
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