[initplus]

On the other hand, existence of this conspiracy has been used to shut down perfectly reasonable discussion around a less outlandish lab leak for months.

Even in this post opponents of the lab leak theory are still bringing up this bioweapons conspiracy - but I can't see a single lab leak proponent suggesting it's an engineered bioweapon.

The issue is the existence of this outlandish fringe theory was used to censor all reasonable discussion on the lab leak.

[fortuna86]

> but I can't see a single lab leak proponent suggesting it's an engineered bioweapon.

Interesting perspective. On the other hand, just like the comment below, I never saw a single person raise the lab leak theory as an alternative explanation to a naturally occurring disaster. It was always in the context of "COVID is a weapon to control and kill us".

[generj]

Unfortunately amongst the general public the outlandish fringe theory is more common than reasonable theories.

Source: my extended family

[fortuna86]

Thank you, apparently raising this simple distinction is enough to get downvoted out of circulation. The problem wasn't that people questioned the status quo, it's that people went too far in ascribing cartoonish-like evil to actors that simply were trying to cover up something embarrassing.