Business owners who operated within the 16-block area of Seattle that was taken over and destroyed by violent left-wing rioters during the ‘CHOP’ occupation in June are now suing the city for actively encouraging the mayhem.

Looks like they have a solid case.

The Spectator has a round-up of the top ten, which include vastly overstating the potential death toll, exaggerating the pandemic’s effect on hospitals, spreading fear over lifting lockdowns/exaggerating the benefits of locking down the economy, among others.

The worst lie of all, though, has been the lie that lockdowns are relatively painless, rather than a colossal human rights crime.

Pseudo-pandemic martial law. This might have appeared more reasonable if COVID-19 had a 4% mortality rate, and if it had been killing the young and healthy this entire time. But it hasn’t. Only the morbidly obese, severely unhealthy, feeble, and already-sick are in any danger from it. Children are not. The mortality rate for 70 and under is 0.05%. This does not justify a police state. It doesn’t justify anything, really. A proper government response would be to plainly tell the public that they need to eat better, get exercise, and assume personal responsibility. But the public wants a magic bullet, instant gratification, not the truth.