Ban Ki-moon Blames Global Warming for COVID-19 Pandemic
It appears this is going to be the new left wing talking point that COVID was caused by global warming even though there is plenty of circumstantial evidence that it was accidentally released from a Chinese lab:
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may be the “last warning from nature” that is urging humanity to respond immediately to the climate crisis, former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday.
Korea Times
Ban, who currently chairs the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, made the remark during the Korea Forum 2021, co-hosted by The Korea Times and its sister paper, the Hankook Ilbo.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is a phenomenon of the climate crisis,” he said in a keynote address at the forum held at the Cultural Depot Park in Seoul. “Following the virus outbreak, humans have realized the need to fundamentally resolve environmental problems for their sustainable survival.”
You can read more at the link.
And to solve “climate change”, the Dallas ISD is now going to vaccinate students 16yo and up…
https://www.fox4news.com/news/north-texas-school-districts-making-plans-to-vaccinate-students
Ban Ki-Moon is a leftist? I though he was part of the Korean right.
@TOK, I have a long memory. Ban Ki-moon was once upon a time was an advisor and then foreign minister for Roh Moo-hyun. Roh was even more left wing than Moon. He doesn’t get a position like that unless he had sympathy for Roh’s foreign policy views. Ban in recent years when he tried to run for the presidency tried to rebrand himself as a moderate, but pushing issues like COVID is because of global warming just shows his left wing background.
I would argue the reason why he could seem left wing or right wing is because he is a globalist.
American politicians, both “left” and “right” have betrayed America, as well as their liberal and conservative values, to join the Uniparty… composed of globalism and graft.
Nobody became the head of the UN by being a nationalist.
And nationalism is the only thing that has kept Korea going.
If they lose that, Korea will belong to China or Japan.
CH, I’d lean toward China. Japan probably learned their lesson…
Probably got paid by Emperor Xi.
Anyone who doesn’t believe in the Trumpean Right Wing world-wide conspiracy theories and anyone who doesn’t fly the US flag high and mighty, is considered a “China Virus Leftist”.
– COVID was caused by global warming even though there is plenty of circumstantial evidence that it was accidentally released from a Chinese lab: – GIKorea
But I thought it was a hoax to keep people controlled? You guys can’t make up your minds it seems.
It is both created AND a hoax.
It was almost assuredly created in a Wuhan lab.
It was almost assuredly released accidently or the first cases would have been down the street from Ft. Detrick… and it would have been more than a bad flu.
And it has clearly been used as a tool to control the population and achieve all sorts of conflicting agendas, none of which have been well-intentioned.
See? We can have our conspiratorial cake and eat it too.
Because… there are lots of turdcakes to choose from.
@GI Korea
Unlike Chung Eui-young, who put his diplomatic career on hold so that he can enter politics, is a high ranking member of the DPK and Moon confidante, Ban Ki-Moon is a career diplomat, who probably knew what to do in order to look good in front of his bosses, which led him to the top diplomatic post and SG of the UN.
His political views are more closer to the conservatives since he is for a strong KORUS alliance and good relations with Japan. (I believe I read somewhere that he spoke highly of the 2015 agreement regarding the comfort women). But as you mentioned he is not on the extreme side of the right wing spectrum and I would personally judge his political leanings as center right.
Interestingly he criticized the Moon administration during public speaking sessions, by accusing the Moon administration of “having no strategy and blindly pursuing political gains” and saying that its efforts to block groups from sending leaflets to the DPRK as “going against basic human rights”
I can remember back when Ban was working for Roh, he was the guy they would send to make nice with the Americans when the leftists would get out of hand. Like when the leftists try to topple the MacArthur Statue they trotted Ban out to mend things:
https://www.rokdrop.net/2005/09/korean-government-responds-to-us-congressional-letter/
This definitely made if popular in US circles, but regardless he has still made himself a very successful career at being a left wing politician. He likely has little love for Moon though considering how Moon surrogates are likely the ones that spread all the “fake news” about him in order to get him to drop out of the last presidential election:
https://www.rokdrop.net/2017/02/ban-ki-moon-announces-he-will-not-seek-presidency-of-south-korea-because-of-fake-news/
@GIKorea,
Ban Ki-Moon is very good at avoiding the answering of uncomfortable questions and things that will put him into a corner. He hasn’t joined any political parties nor has he clearly stated his political views.
What he is good at however is his ability to read the political winds and go with the flow. Which is why he was able to survive the Roh administration and get Roh to support his bid to become the Secretary General of the UN. Although the idea of Ban becoming SG of the UN probably hit a sweet spot in Roh’s leftist nationalist ideals.
Ban serving the Roh administration and his recent statement may lead to the conclusion that he is a leftist. Although I still think he has more conservative leanings, if were to make a big picture conclusion, I would say that he has made his career by being a wily fox.
As for his recent statement, he probably read the political winds, concluded that global warming will become a bigger issue and decided to add his voice while gaining some publicity. Although IMO, he probably over reached by linking global warming with COVID-19. But on the other hand, he needed to differentiate himself, so what better way than to link it with the current pandemic.
Also some links of articles trying to analyze Ban and his views
https://hollowverse.com/ban-ki-moon/
https://thediplomat.com/2017/01/what-would-a-president-ban-ki-moon-do-in-office/
Here is an article written four years ago, which IMO nails it in regards to Ban Ki Moon.
https://thediplomat.com/2017/01/why-ban-ki-moon-is-not-going-to-be-the-next-south-korean-president/
I don’t know much about the political leanings of the author, but what she says pretty much reflects what the press and people in general said about Ban during that time.
Interestingly, Ban allied and later distanced himself with Park Guenhye, branded himself as a “progressive conservative” and the people helping his abortive presidential bid were conservatives.
TOK, the Diplomat is a slightly left-of-center magazine that has been sliding left as fast as the Atlantic. But even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while.
@setnaffa,
I had a hunch that the author had leftist leanings, since it sounded like she was gunning for him. And some people may say that this article was part of the leftist effort to bring down Ban.
But on the other hand, Ban’s presidential bid was already dead on arrival owing to his inability to get rid of his old habits.
Yes, the left took it out on him for his supposed betrayal of a person who picked him to become FM and later UNSG. But as much as Ban used Roh, Roh probably used Ban to project a more US friendly face to the US and if possible get them off his back.
And when the opportunity presented itself, it was probably natural for Ban to go to a political group that mirrored his ideals.
The old saying is “no honor among thieves.”