this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2024
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At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a secret campaign to counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, a nation hit especially hard by the deadly virus.

The clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, a Reuters investigation found. Through phony internet accounts meant to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts morphed into an anti-vax campaign. Social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines – China’s Sinovac inoculation.

Reuters identified at least 300 accounts on X, formerly Twitter, that matched descriptions shared by former U.S. military officials familiar with the Philippines operation. Almost all were created in the summer of 2020 and centered on the slogan #Chinaangvirus – Tagalog for China is the virus.

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[–] [email protected] 53 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Yeah and trump ran a very public anti-vax campaign in the USA.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Trumps supporters were anti vaccine, but surprisingly he was pro vaccine

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (1 children)

He was also pro injecting yourself with bleach.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's a funny meme, but Trump didn't say that.

However, the words he did say don't make that much more sense.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (2 children)

"And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside "

He's either talking about injecting disinfectant, or injecting light. Either way it's the ramblings of someone who's not all there.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

He definitely doesn't know what he's talking about. He seems to be trying to say that scientists should experiment, but we can't be certain.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I recall reading that he had just had a briefing about some actual research about something that was vaguely along those lines and was trying to be clever by "suggesting they do that" before any public information came out about it so he could claim credit. But because he didn't really understand it, he instead said things that his followers interpreted as "drink bleach if you want protection from covid".

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Sounds very plausible.

He took over those briefings even though he had no expertise.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Didn't he point at his own butt when he mentioned the light thing? I guess he wanted someone to shine a laser pointer through his butt.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (1 children)

He took both sides of every issue

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

Yes. For instance, now Trump is anti covid vaccine mandates.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago

COVID was a real instant-karma moment for American foreign policy