Curtis Yarvin and the Alleged Conspiracy
An interview featuring Curtis Yarvin, published in *Grand continent*, has sparked debate regarding its handling of conspiratorial theories surrounding the covid-19 pandemic. The discussion centers on whether the interview format inadvertently amplified, rather then deconstructed, these theories. The core concern is that Yarvin’s perspective, which reportedly influences figures like the former Vice-President of the United States, warrants careful examination.
A key point of contention arises from Yarvin’s statement: “The covid has arrived because virologists regret virology.” This implies that virologists may have intentionally or accidentally caused the pandemic through gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses, a claim he seemingly supports with the phrase “someone has dropped a test tube.” Similar accusations have been leveled against virologists in the past. For example, Jeffery Taubenberger faced scrutiny in 2005 for reconstructing the H1N1 virus that caused the 1918 influenza pandemic. Likewise,Ron Fouchier and Yoshi kawaoka where criticized in 2011 for their work on a H5N1 virus recombined with the H1N1 virus,which was linked to the 2009 flu pandemic.
However, a distinction exists between these earlier cases and the post-2020 accusations. Previously, the concern was that virologists might disseminate details that could be exploited by “rogue states” or terrorist groups. In contrast, after 2020, figures like Peter Dazak faced accusations of outsourcing gain-of-function research on coronaviruses to the Wuhan laboratory, allegedly due to lower costs and research restrictions in the United States, while the country was declared a “systemic rival”.
These controversies highlight a tension between different forms of power within “global health.” virologists, through their research on viruses shared between animals and humans, wield a certain influence.
“The covid has arrived as virologists regret virology”
