The political spin of conviction: a critical discourse analysis of the origin of Covid-19
Covid-19 has flared a match of accusation between U.S. and China. Both of the nations have alleged each other for the origin of the virus and the incompetence to contain it within the respective national boundary. The allegations have emerged at a critical period when the virus has infected the e...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2021
|
| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/16427/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/16427/1/40766-149891-1-PB.pdf |
| Summary: | Covid-19 has flared a match of accusation between U.S. and China. Both of the nations have
alleged each other for the origin of the virus and the incompetence to contain it within the
respective national boundary. The allegations have emerged at a critical period when the virus
has infected the entire global population. The study identifies a political discourse, that is, ‘Lab
origin theory’ out of these allegations and investigate the form, structure, and pattern of
language in use following the methodology of Critical Discourse Analysis. The article contends
that these allegations are based not on facts but on conviction, opinions, and beliefs which are
expressed in the ‘spin’ or turn of retaliatory responses. Forming a series of exchanges these
allegations promote certain truth-claims which are, in fact, subjective interpretations and
hypothetical assumptions of the origin of Covid-19. The claims of ‘Lab origin’ are established
with certain linguistic strategies and symbolic models, and their nature can be only understood
with the phenomenon of Post-truth. The concept of Post-truth has been developed against the
backdrop of controversial as well as political events of Brexit vote and the U.S. presidential
election in 2016. Like these events, Covid-19 is an occasion of Post-truth and its Lab origin
theory is a compromise between fact and belief. |
|---|