Here’s why we should all be angry at China. We need to politely complain. It is not racist. It is about fact, cause and effect. We have a right to discuss the 14th century attitudes of China which have brought the world to its knees. It is Armageddon out there. I feels like the end of the world in the shopping malls. All you see is closed shops and the odd homeless person huddled under cardboard boxes against this damnable cold weather. Funny that: we have forgotten about global warming also caused by crazy human behaviour.
TCM – a dangerous concept
The title is a reference to what is euphemistically called “TCM” – traditional Chinese medicine. It is an ancient medicine. TCM is a multi-billion dollar industry which the ruling party of China cannot control. It is politically too difficult for the CCP to change and upgrade it.
I am told that the consumption of pangolin scales is rooted in the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644). TCM promotes the idea that pangolin scales encourages blood circulation, removes clotting and swelling and for women they stimulate lactation after birth.
But pangolin scales are made of keratin. Our nails and the claws of cats are made of keratin. Keratin is found in hair, hooves, horns and calluses. Keratin does not have medicinal benefits. It’s 14th century mumbo jumbo.
It is a belief originating in an era when trial by ordeal was in use. This is when you proved your innocence by holding a red-hot iron. That’s the measure of human thinking and beliefs at that time. It looks crazy now. And in 500 years what is happening now will also look completely mad.
The connection between eating pangolin scales and Covid-19
It is currently believed that pangolins – an endangered species – sold and butchered at Wuhan’s live animal market are the cause of the coronavirus pandemic because they harbour the Covid-19 virus. So, because there is a crazy belief originating in the 14th century that eating keratin makes women lactate we have a global pandemic. Completely mad? Yes.
I would also like to mention China’s Wildlife Protection Law. This is a farce of a law which has little to do with wildlife protection. It supposedly regulates the abuse of nature. And in any case it is not enforced and so is worse than useless.
Need to rethink relationship with China
The British government through Michael Gove said there was a need to rethink their relationship with China. I wholeheartedly agree. Trump wants to disconnect from China. I have been campaigning for governments to put pressure on China to upgrade their relationship with animals. This means properly enforced animal welfare laws. What’s so hard about that in the 21st century? I suppose it is hard if attitudes are rooted in the 14th century and they’ve been allowed to become cemented.
Conclusion
Currently, we have to conclude that crazy human behaviour born out of the 14th century or earlier is the root cause of the destruction caused by the coronavirus pandemic. And it all comes from China. We should not be racist. We should be factual. But we should be angry. China should compensate the world financially. They have a moral obligation to do so.
