The CIA has announced that a foreign nation is likely not to blame for most cases of “Havana syndrome”— a confusing move that came to the delight of countless internet pundits.
First, some backstory. In late 2016, reports emerged about a mysterious condition experienced by American (and some Canadian) diplomats and intelligence agents in Havana, Cuba.
Official explanations have often suggested that these officials were the victims of some sort of sonic attack from a foreign power, with Russia being the primary suspect.
In the intervening years, other State Department-affiliated Americans started experiencing similar symptoms in a number of other countries where the US government conducts operations, including China, Germany, and Colombia.
While many pundits have argued that Havana syndrome is psychosomatic, the Biden Administration and Congress have taken the reports very seriously — so much so that President Joe Biden signed a bill compensating Havana syndrome victims last fall.
But the findings from the CIA’s interim study into Havana syndrome have now cast significant doubt on the government’s prior stance on the strange disorder — and raises many more questions than answers.
Fortunately, it also led to some excellent memes for us to enjoy.
Here’s the crème de la crème.
Galaxy Brain
Havana syndrome was fake until the CIA said so, this line of reasoning goes — so therefore, it must actually be real, right?
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
The Friends We Made Along the Way
With lots of people suggesting that Havana syndrome is little more than hysterical psychosis, some are arguing that the CIA’s about-face makes the suspected root of the campaign — to conduct more wars — seem that much more obvious.
Havana Fat Doink
“The District Sentinel,” a left-leaning podcast, really hit a home run today with its tweet — perhaps a reference to a recent study that found weed may make it harder for you to get infected with COVID-19.
And What’s the Deal
Flawless extrapolation. Ten out of ten.
The Sober Truth
While this one isn’t funny per se, it is a stark reminder that the US government is more likely to act when a couple thousand employees complain of a mysterious set of symptoms than when hundreds of thousands of Americans die of COVID. Checkmate, America.
READ MORE: Most ‘Havana Syndrome’ Cases Unlikely Caused by Foreign Power, C.I.A. Says [The New York Times]
More on Havana syndrome: The Department of Homeland Security is Investigating Microwave Weapon Attacks