Timcast IRL · March 31, 2020 · 2h 0m
TimcastIRL #36 - Iran, Russia, China Media Push COVID Bioweapon Theory, Is Disinfo An Act Of War?
Episode Recap
TimcastIRL episode 36 aired on March 31, 2020, with Tim Pool and co-hosts discussing the escalating tensions surrounding COVID-19 disinformation campaigns. The main topic focused on a Defense One report revealing that Iranian, Russian, and Chinese state media were actively pushing bioweapon conspiracy theories about the coronavirus, blaming the United States military for its origins. Tim and his co-hosts debated whether this coordinated disinformation effort constitutes an act of war, as it potentially led to slower global responses and civilian deaths. The discussion highlighted the hypocrisy of Twitter deleting Trump's tweets while allowing verified Chinese officials to claim the U.S. military created the virus. The UK government's concerns about China's actual death toll being 15 to 40 times worse than reported were also addressed. Beyond the main topic, the hosts discussed food riots emerging in Sicily due to economic shutdowns from the pandemic, with residents organizing raids on grocery stores. Tim revealed he had been severely ill and exhausted, missing the previous Friday's stream. The episode included light moments where viewers sent the hosts supplies including toilet paper, Inglhofer mustard, and various food items.
TL;DR
- →Tim and co-hosts analyzed a Defense One report about Iran, Russia, and China pushing COVID bioweapon conspiracy theories through state media
- →The hosts debated whether foreign disinformation campaigns that result in slower pandemic responses and civilian deaths should be considered acts of war
- →Twitter's selective censorship was criticized, noting Chinese officials' tweets blaming the U.S. military went unremoved while Trump's tweets were deleted
- →Food riots in Sicily were discussed as a consequence of economic shutdowns, with ferry companies going out of business and residents organizing raids on grocery stores
- →The UK's position that China's COVID death toll may be 15-40 times worse than reported was examined as evidence of systematic disinformation
- →Tim revealed he missed Friday's stream due to severe exhaustion and feeling on the verge of death, later suspecting food poisoning
Key Moments
- 0:00Opening and Health UpdateTim explains missing Friday's stream due to illness, discusses Division 2 gaming, and introduces the day's topics
- 5:16Lead Story: Defense One ReportMain discussion begins on Iranian, Russian, and Chinese media pushing bioweapon conspiracy theories
- 20:00Disinformation as Act of WarThe hosts debate whether coordinated foreign disinformation that kills civilians crosses into act of war territory
- 35:00Twitter Censorship HypocrisyDiscussion of Twitter deleting Trump's tweets while allowing Chinese officials to claim U.S. military created the virus
- 50:00Sicily Food RiotsAnalysis of food riots in Sicily due to economic shutdowns and supply chain breakdowns
- 75:00UK Government ResponseCoverage of UK officials claiming China's COVID numbers are 15-40 times worse than reported
Notable Quotes
“We're going to get into this but the lead story is the UK is pissed off because China's been engaged in this disinformation campaign since the start of this. They've been lying to us. It's been getting worse. And I had to wonder, like, at what point do we consider that an act of war?”
— Tim Pool · lead story introduction
“BuzzFeed reported that Chinese trolls are going online and they're sowing disinformation, which results in a slower response. And it actually results in people dying. Civilians. This is not like a military thing. So at what point do we say they're actually killing our people and we do something about it?”
— Tim Pool · main discussion on disinformation casualties
“I see this story and I started wondering about what the limit would be to where we actually say, hey, man, you're getting people killed.”
— Ian Crossland · interview perspective on disinformation
“They're blaming the United States for it. We've seen this from the U.S. Twitter doesn't care that China is saying the U.S. military did this, and it's insane, yet they'll delete a tweet from Trump or something.”
— Tim Pool · twitter censorship criticism
“They're obviously not giving us the truth with their numbers, but then they're like, oh, well, but they say it's the U.S. now. So let's jump on that and run with that story.”
— Ian Crossland · media narrative criticism