Like many Americans, I’m very happy that we are emerging from the COVID-19 national misery. That said, like many other people, I want to see some accountability from China, as they were the source of this deadly virus. Let’s be clear about something. The Wuhan Institute of Virology is part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It’s a research institute administered by a Chinese agency that reports directly to the State Council of the People’s Republic of China; read: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In other words, the Wuhan laboratory from which the COVID-19 virus escaped is subordinate to the Chinese government. Period.
Moreover, the CCP and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are not simply symbiotic, they are embryonic. They are one in the same. So to be clear, the Wuhan facility is tied directly to the Chinese military as they are to the CCP.
I don’t have proof, per se, that COVID-19 was released intentionally by China. I only have a lifetime looking at China, their efforts to overthrow free governments like Taiwan, their hegemony toward Hong Kong, their repression of dissidents in Tiananmen Square, and their genocide of the Uyghur people and repression of other ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians. The CCP is completely tyrannical.
My personal theory is that the PLA was using Wuhan to conduct biowarfare research and the virus accidently escaped. The CCP was not about to admit that error because doing so would undermine the PLA and it’s never good in a totalitarian society to provoke military regime enforcers to anger.
So what should we do to hold the Chinese criminal cartel—that’s what it is—responsible for what has happened to us in America as a result of COVID-19? It’s time for some creative thinking, and that means pressing them for full damage payments.
Consider the mechanic’s lien. These are used by contractors when payment due to them isn’t forthcoming. That said, liens are exclusively the result of legislation. Each state has its own laws regarding the creation and enforcement of liens, but, overall, there are some similar elements among different types of liens. Also, many states distinguish between the types of real property upon which a lien can be filed. The point is this. Legislatures have great flexibility to craft liens. In short, lien laws can be created by government to right wrongs. And China has committed a great wrong against us and the world.
Congress should propose what I would call a “Sovereign Responsibility Lien Act.” Such a law would be available for the U.S. to put a lien on another sovereign nation or foreign government for all debts or monetary obligations it has with that sovereign nation until that state acknowledges its responsibility and pays restitution for (1) an unlawful armed conflict, (2) supporting or enabling terrorism or cyber intrusion, (3) harboring criminal actors who have damaged U.S. property, interests, or industry, (4) stealing intellectual property from the U.S Government, its jurisdictions, states, or the private industry of a U.S. citizen or business, and (5) any neglectful or malicious conduct that had threatened the lives and livelihood of American citizens as determined by the Congress. Such a “Sovereign Responsibility Lien” would take all funds owed to another nation under this act and put them in an escrow account until the subject nation acknowledges its responsibility and has paid the U.S. government or its citizens full restitution for the harm it did to us.
Secondly, in conjunction with the “Sovereign Responsibility Lien Act” concept, I would suggest that the Congress also pass the “Sovereign Responsibility Tariff Act” that would permit the U.S. Congress to impose up to a 100 percent duty on the goods and services on any sovereign nation until that state acknowledges its responsibility and has paid restitution for the enumerated areas above. Such a “Sovereign Responsibility Tariff” would remain in place until the subject nation acknowledges its responsibility and pays full restitution for any harm it has done to the U.S. government or its citizens. In the meantime, the collected tariffs would be used to provide interim restitution to U.S interests or citizens that are connected to the damage done to them by another nation.
The power to levy such duties is constitutional and both of these concepts, liens and tariffs, fit within the responsibility of Congress to “provide for the common defense.”
“Article I, Section 8. The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States…”
Certainly, there will be those who say, “this won’t work.” Really? Well it surely won’t until we get off our keister and demand accountability. China is responsible for what happened with COVID-19. It’s time to lean on them with a lien.
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