Is there a "post-truth" majority in the US?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, you lost that pro science argument when the left went berserk during covid.

Covid killed more than a million Americans including members of my family. You think the status quo was called for during an extreme health crisis like that? Do you disrespect health care workers that much? Wow.

The decisions made during COVID by the left were indefensible from both scientific and moral standards. From shutting down the lab leak theory to the unscientific six foot distancing rule, to the closing of outdoor playgrounds and masking of two year olds, the destructive and useless extended school closures, unwillingness to acknowledge that cloth masks were not protective, to the forced admission of COVID positive patients into nursing homes, the mistakes and disregard of science go on and on.

The lab leak theory had no evidence to support it at the time. And just because it did later turn out to be true is nothing more than the broken-clock-is-right-twice-a-day. Not exactly a victory, nothing to crow about in terms of scientific or moral theories. What was far worse, far more detrimental and far more indefensible were people like YOU, PP

- the ones like the PP who ran around claiming COVID was a hoax, or that it was somehow being grossly exaggerated. That dishonest propaganda of yours led to disregard to public health guidance and actually contributed to higher transmission rates, it caused deeper divisions in society and deeper distrust in institutions, and hampered efforts to promote vaccinations and necessary public health measures. And don't deny it, PP - your post is dripping with it.

- the ones on your side who ran around touting bogus unscientific nonsense about miracle cures, like hodryxychloroquine, ivermectin, colloidal silver and other things, which distracted from effective treatment and prevention strategies, led to dangerous self-medication and misuse of drugs, and promoted a culture of skepticism toward scientific advice and evidence-based medicine

- the ones on your side who ran around claiming getting infected and having natural immunity would be superior to vaccination - a claim unsupported by science, and what resulted is that people did not protect themselves and even worse, in some cases intentionally exposed themselves, leading to what should otherwise been preventable illnesses and deaths. It undermined vaccination campaigns, and spread disinformation about the nature of immunity and vaccine effectiveness.

- the ones who falsely claimed the vaccines alter DNA, or contain microchips - completely unscientific, immoral garbage, which fueled vaccine hesitancy and slowed vaccination efforts, and prolonged the pandemic due to insufficient herd immunity, while also eroding trust in medical institutions and scientific research

- the ones who spread totally unscientific crap saying "it's being caused by 5G" - completely indefensible, and detrimental because it misdirected public concern away from actual transmission methods, led to vandalism of 5G towers and attacks on telecom workers, and fostered fear and confustion in the public.

The PP does not have a leg to stand on here. The stuff the PP's side did was far worse than anything the PP wants to whine about. That's an absolute fact.

People like the PP damaged the science of Medicine: The spread of misinformation undermined trust in healthcare professionals and public health directives. It also diverted resources to counter false claims and treat preventable cases.

People like the PP damaged science: Disinformation eroded public trust in scientific research and expertise. It contributed to a broader culture of skepticism towards scientific consensus and evidence-based practice.

People like the PP damaged society: The proliferation of conspiracy theories and disinformation led to social polarization, increased xenophobia, and a general erosion of trust in institutions and authorities. It also complicated efforts to manage the pandemic through collective action.

People like the PP damaged the economy: Persistent disinformation impacted economic recovery by prolonging the pandemic and necessitating longer periods of restrictive measures, which in turn hurt businesses and employment.

Completely inexcusable.

I’m not the PP but agree with her assessment of the anti-scientific lies and policies put forth by the Democrats with respect to Covid.

Why on earth do you think that observing the truth of those lies means she (or anyone else who agrees) is on the side of the Republicans? Your tribalism is a serious issue here. You claim that PP has a side just because PP pointed out anti-scientific policies by Democrats. There is nothing whatsoever in what PP wrote to indicate her political affiliation: she just accurately pointed out anti-scientific positions taken by Democrats in Covid. And in response, instead of a science-based answer, you went on a bizarre attack. There was nothing that PP wrote to justify your unhinged and assumption-filled tirade.

Frankly, you and your anti-scientific tribalists are the problem here. I absolutely agree that the Republicans adopted extremely anti-scientific policies in the pandemic. That’s not my side. But so did the Democrats, and theirs also did enormous harm. You are taking the position that the lies and anti-science coming from your side are excusable just because it’s your side. That’s absolutely ridiculous.

No wonder trust in our institutions is so low. It’s people like you who put tribal loyalty before truth and science. You are the problem here. Your partisanship blinds you to any truths. You’d rather scream about 5G and microchips than engage in looking at hard truths about what your own side did and does.

Wow are you seriously trying to gaslight us now by trying to claim that the anti-vaxx wasn't primarily and overwhelmingly MAGA? Or are you just that far out of touch? No, it wasn't "my side" doing that, and that's not "tribalism" - it's you being totally and completely full of shit. Show me mainstream Democrat politicians who were spreading anti-vax nonsense. The right was rife with them. The left, not so much. So don't try gaslighting or bothsidesing this because it's utter and complete BS.

And what about the hard truths of your own side's deliberate and willful spreading of anti-vax and "covid hoax" that your side spread? The hard truth is that there were probably hundreds of thousands of serious illnesses and deaths that probably could have been avoided. DEATHS. How many people died because toddlers couldn't play on playgrounds? NONE. Yet you have the gall to try and claim the left was somehow worse? Seriously? We may have gotten some things wrong, but at least people didn't die because of it. How many people died because some mod took down your bullshit COVID conspiracy post? None. But people DID die because of YOUR "covid is a hoax" and "the vaccines are more dangerous than covid" lies. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS died. So check yourself. The audacity of you trying to fingerpoint and bothsides this. Absolutely outrageous. SHAME ON YOU.

Well, thanks for neatly demonstrating the point that the Democrats can be as anti-science, insane, and blindly tribalist as the Republicans, I guess. The wild-eyed use of YOUR is particularly apt, as I am no Republican, and a strong vax supporter.

I do appreciate you proving my point better than I could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, you lost that pro science argument when the left went berserk during covid.

Covid killed more than a million Americans including members of my family. You think the status quo was called for during an extreme health crisis like that? Do you disrespect health care workers that much? Wow.

The decisions made during COVID by the left were indefensible from both scientific and moral standards. From shutting down the lab leak theory to the unscientific six foot distancing rule, to the closing of outdoor playgrounds and masking of two year olds, the destructive and useless extended school closures, unwillingness to acknowledge that cloth masks were not protective, to the forced admission of COVID positive patients into nursing homes, the mistakes and disregard of science go on and on.

The lab leak theory had no evidence to support it at the time. And just because it did later turn out to be true is nothing more than the broken-clock-is-right-twice-a-day. Not exactly a victory, nothing to crow about in terms of scientific or moral theories. What was far worse, far more detrimental and far more indefensible were people like YOU, PP

- the ones like the PP who ran around claiming COVID was a hoax, or that it was somehow being grossly exaggerated. That dishonest propaganda of yours led to disregard to public health guidance and actually contributed to higher transmission rates, it caused deeper divisions in society and deeper distrust in institutions, and hampered efforts to promote vaccinations and necessary public health measures. And don't deny it, PP - your post is dripping with it.

- the ones on your side who ran around touting bogus unscientific nonsense about miracle cures, like hodryxychloroquine, ivermectin, colloidal silver and other things, which distracted from effective treatment and prevention strategies, led to dangerous self-medication and misuse of drugs, and promoted a culture of skepticism toward scientific advice and evidence-based medicine

- the ones on your side who ran around claiming getting infected and having natural immunity would be superior to vaccination - a claim unsupported by science, and what resulted is that people did not protect themselves and even worse, in some cases intentionally exposed themselves, leading to what should otherwise been preventable illnesses and deaths. It undermined vaccination campaigns, and spread disinformation about the nature of immunity and vaccine effectiveness.

- the ones who falsely claimed the vaccines alter DNA, or contain microchips - completely unscientific, immoral garbage, which fueled vaccine hesitancy and slowed vaccination efforts, and prolonged the pandemic due to insufficient herd immunity, while also eroding trust in medical institutions and scientific research

- the ones who spread totally unscientific crap saying "it's being caused by 5G" - completely indefensible, and detrimental because it misdirected public concern away from actual transmission methods, led to vandalism of 5G towers and attacks on telecom workers, and fostered fear and confustion in the public.

The PP does not have a leg to stand on here. The stuff the PP's side did was far worse than anything the PP wants to whine about. That's an absolute fact.

People like the PP damaged the science of Medicine: The spread of misinformation undermined trust in healthcare professionals and public health directives. It also diverted resources to counter false claims and treat preventable cases.

People like the PP damaged science: Disinformation eroded public trust in scientific research and expertise. It contributed to a broader culture of skepticism towards scientific consensus and evidence-based practice.

People like the PP damaged society: The proliferation of conspiracy theories and disinformation led to social polarization, increased xenophobia, and a general erosion of trust in institutions and authorities. It also complicated efforts to manage the pandemic through collective action.

People like the PP damaged the economy: Persistent disinformation impacted economic recovery by prolonging the pandemic and necessitating longer periods of restrictive measures, which in turn hurt businesses and employment.

Completely inexcusable.

Discussing the lab leak theory was forbidden. It was actively censored. That's not "science."

WTF. There are tons of articles about it. Just because you keep saying the lie over and over doesn't make it true. I know that's part of the GOP playbook, but we aren't falling for it.

Wait. Are you pretending that 4 years ago, saying the virus started in a lab wasn't verboten in liberal circles?

1. 4 years ago there was no evidence that it was a lab leak. None, nada, zero. At that point, you were just making shit up, telling lies and spreading conspiracy theories that had zero evidence to support them. Just like how you made up all the other shit about COVID. Turned out that this one thing out of the hundred things you fabricated about COVID turned out to be true. Still doesn't change the fact that you made it up and were lying about it at the time.

2. What's up with using the word "verboten?" You do know there are ENGLISH words for this? But instead you are trying to insinuate some kind of Nazi-esque thing here using "verboten." What a sick bastard you are. Stop with the idiotic hyperbole.

3. No, it wasn't even "verboten." As other posters have pointed out, nobody was ever arrested or prosecuted or faced any kind of serious consequences whatsover, LET ALONE Nazi-esque treatment for spreading dumb, unfounded and stupid conspiracy theories. Some mods may have taken your comments out to the trash (where they belonged) but that's about it.

In summary: Knock it the hell off, you just come across like a dumb jerk by constantly posting crap like this. And if you don't like my strong and frank response, tough. Many of us are way beyond sick and tired of constantly having to be polite and entertain your idiocy when you absolutely do not treat us in kind by constantly assailing us with your lies and garbage. You said you like frank and brutal truths - enjoy, because this is it.

You don’t sound rational enough for a reasoned discussion but there have in fact been Congressional hearings and investigations about whether discussion of the lab leak theory was suppressed at the NIH.

https://oversight.house.gov/release/wenstrup-releases-alarming-new-report-on-proximal-origin-authors-nih-suppression-of-the-covid-19-lab-leak-hypothesis/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't gaslight people into misremembering what happened, which was coordinated efforts by government (leaning hard on social media companies) to shut down discussion. People are not going to forget.

The FACT is that House Republicans tried to have hearings on that but UTTERLY FAILED to prove there was some massive coordinated leaning hard on social media to shut down discussion. You can check the actual CSPAN hearing video for yourself on how it was a failure. If whatever media you follow didn't convey that to you then you are looking in the wrong place for where discussion was shut down.

I don't need a congressional hearing to prove something I experienced personally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a lot of stupid people in the US.

Some of them don’t know alot is one word

You are mistaken. Perhaps you are thinking of the word allot, which has a different meaning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, you lost that pro science argument when the left went berserk during covid.

Covid killed more than a million Americans including members of my family. You think the status quo was called for during an extreme health crisis like that? Do you disrespect health care workers that much? Wow.

The decisions made during COVID by the left were indefensible from both scientific and moral standards. From shutting down the lab leak theory to the unscientific six foot distancing rule, to the closing of outdoor playgrounds and masking of two year olds, the destructive and useless extended school closures, unwillingness to acknowledge that cloth masks were not protective, to the forced admission of COVID positive patients into nursing homes, the mistakes and disregard of science go on and on.

The lab leak theory had no evidence to support it at the time. And just because it did later turn out to be true is nothing more than the broken-clock-is-right-twice-a-day. Not exactly a victory, nothing to crow about in terms of scientific or moral theories. What was far worse, far more detrimental and far more indefensible were people like YOU, PP

- the ones like the PP who ran around claiming COVID was a hoax, or that it was somehow being grossly exaggerated. That dishonest propaganda of yours led to disregard to public health guidance and actually contributed to higher transmission rates, it caused deeper divisions in society and deeper distrust in institutions, and hampered efforts to promote vaccinations and necessary public health measures. And don't deny it, PP - your post is dripping with it.

- the ones on your side who ran around touting bogus unscientific nonsense about miracle cures, like hodryxychloroquine, ivermectin, colloidal silver and other things, which distracted from effective treatment and prevention strategies, led to dangerous self-medication and misuse of drugs, and promoted a culture of skepticism toward scientific advice and evidence-based medicine

- the ones on your side who ran around claiming getting infected and having natural immunity would be superior to vaccination - a claim unsupported by science, and what resulted is that people did not protect themselves and even worse, in some cases intentionally exposed themselves, leading to what should otherwise been preventable illnesses and deaths. It undermined vaccination campaigns, and spread disinformation about the nature of immunity and vaccine effectiveness.

- the ones who falsely claimed the vaccines alter DNA, or contain microchips - completely unscientific, immoral garbage, which fueled vaccine hesitancy and slowed vaccination efforts, and prolonged the pandemic due to insufficient herd immunity, while also eroding trust in medical institutions and scientific research

- the ones who spread totally unscientific crap saying "it's being caused by 5G" - completely indefensible, and detrimental because it misdirected public concern away from actual transmission methods, led to vandalism of 5G towers and attacks on telecom workers, and fostered fear and confustion in the public.

The PP does not have a leg to stand on here. The stuff the PP's side did was far worse than anything the PP wants to whine about. That's an absolute fact.

People like the PP damaged the science of Medicine: The spread of misinformation undermined trust in healthcare professionals and public health directives. It also diverted resources to counter false claims and treat preventable cases.

People like the PP damaged science: Disinformation eroded public trust in scientific research and expertise. It contributed to a broader culture of skepticism towards scientific consensus and evidence-based practice.

People like the PP damaged society: The proliferation of conspiracy theories and disinformation led to social polarization, increased xenophobia, and a general erosion of trust in institutions and authorities. It also complicated efforts to manage the pandemic through collective action.

People like the PP damaged the economy: Persistent disinformation impacted economic recovery by prolonging the pandemic and necessitating longer periods of restrictive measures, which in turn hurt businesses and employment.

Completely inexcusable.

I’m not the PP but agree with her assessment of the anti-scientific lies and policies put forth by the Democrats with respect to Covid.

Why on earth do you think that observing the truth of those lies means she (or anyone else who agrees) is on the side of the Republicans? Your tribalism is a serious issue here. You claim that PP has a side just because PP pointed out anti-scientific policies by Democrats. There is nothing whatsoever in what PP wrote to indicate her political affiliation: she just accurately pointed out anti-scientific positions taken by Democrats in Covid. And in response, instead of a science-based answer, you went on a bizarre attack. There was nothing that PP wrote to justify your unhinged and assumption-filled tirade.

Frankly, you and your anti-scientific tribalists are the problem here. I absolutely agree that the Republicans adopted extremely anti-scientific policies in the pandemic. That’s not my side. But so did the Democrats, and theirs also did enormous harm. You are taking the position that the lies and anti-science coming from your side are excusable just because it’s your side. That’s absolutely ridiculous.

No wonder trust in our institutions is so low. It’s people like you who put tribal loyalty before truth and science. You are the problem here. Your partisanship blinds you to any truths. You’d rather scream about 5G and microchips than engage in looking at hard truths about what your own side did and does.

Wow are you seriously trying to gaslight us now by trying to claim that the anti-vaxx wasn't primarily and overwhelmingly MAGA? Or are you just that far out of touch? No, it wasn't "my side" doing that, and that's not "tribalism" - it's you being totally and completely full of shit. Show me mainstream Democrat politicians who were spreading anti-vax nonsense. The right was rife with them. The left, not so much. So don't try gaslighting or bothsidesing this because it's utter and complete BS.

And what about the hard truths of your own side's deliberate and willful spreading of anti-vax and "covid hoax" that your side spread? The hard truth is that there were probably hundreds of thousands of serious illnesses and deaths that probably could have been avoided. DEATHS. How many people died because toddlers couldn't play on playgrounds? NONE. Yet you have the gall to try and claim the left was somehow worse? Seriously? We may have gotten some things wrong, but at least people didn't die because of it. How many people died because some mod took down your bullshit COVID conspiracy post? None. But people DID die because of YOUR "covid is a hoax" and "the vaccines are more dangerous than covid" lies. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS died. So check yourself. The audacity of you trying to fingerpoint and bothsides this. Absolutely outrageous. SHAME ON YOU.

Well, thanks for neatly demonstrating the point that the Democrats can be as anti-science, insane, and blindly tribalist as the Republicans, I guess. The wild-eyed use of YOUR is particularly apt, as I am no Republican, and a strong vax supporter.

I do appreciate you proving my point better than I could.

No, it does not at all make your point, in fact you completely missed the point. It's people like you and your gaslighting and false bothsidesing that are the problem, regardless of whether you (dubiouslly) claim to be a pro science Democrat or not. If you think there are two sides that are equally bad, or worse yet, if you seriously believe the Democrats are somehow worse, then you have clearly lost all touch on objective reality and it is you who is blind and incapable of rational thought.

[Anonymous]

People say the government didn't force people to get the vaccine, but they imposed policies on businesses to compel vaccination of employees. Those with 100+ through OSHA.

https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20211104

Not to mention the intense media campaign and government pressure on social media to squash "misinformation"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't gaslight people into misremembering what happened, which was coordinated efforts by government (leaning hard on social media companies) to shut down discussion. People are not going to forget.

The FACT is that House Republicans tried to have hearings on that but UTTERLY FAILED to prove there was some massive coordinated leaning hard on social media to shut down discussion. You can check the actual CSPAN hearing video for yourself on how it was a failure. If whatever media you follow didn't convey that to you then you are looking in the wrong place for where discussion was shut down.

I don't need a congressional hearing to prove something I experienced personally.

That you posted some sketchy covid conspiracy crap and some mod deleted it (which nobody here denies) is hardly evidence of a grand government coverup. Again, the House Republicans tried proving that and failed. And if they failed in their fervent witch hunt, yours is also by extension a fail. Accept the L and move on. It was some random mod, not a government conspiracy. You do not know more than, or better than the people who had far more resources and access to investigate than you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People say the government didn't force people to get the vaccine, but they imposed policies on businesses to compel vaccination of employees. Those with 100+ through OSHA.

https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20211104

Not to mention the intense media campaign and government pressure on social media to squash "misinformation"

So? Kids have to get vaccinated to go to school. George Washington had people vaccinated against smallpox. That's always been the status quo. Your sudden resistance to getting vaccines and government promoting vaccines is the bizarre new change. And it's fueled by complete lies, like the false claim that the vaccine is worse than covid itself. You bought into lies, you still cling to lies, and you continue to spread them and falsely demonize anyone who tries in vain to set you straight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People say the government didn't force people to get the vaccine, but they imposed policies on businesses to compel vaccination of employees. Those with 100+ through OSHA.

https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osha/osha20211104

Not to mention the intense media campaign and government pressure on social media to squash "misinformation"

The misinformation was harmful, it extended the pandemic, made it worse, and caused huge numbers of preventable illnesses and deaths. The misinformation was malicious and harmful and is indefensible.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't be surprised if, some day in the future, we find out that most of the anti-vax disinfo was in fact being spread by Russia or China or some other enemy of the US in order to intentionally weaken us. Sad that so many Americans fell for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't gaslight people into misremembering what happened, which was coordinated efforts by government (leaning hard on social media companies) to shut down discussion. People are not going to forget.

The FACT is that House Republicans tried to have hearings on that but UTTERLY FAILED to prove there was some massive coordinated leaning hard on social media to shut down discussion. You can check the actual CSPAN hearing video for yourself on how it was a failure. If whatever media you follow didn't convey that to you then you are looking in the wrong place for where discussion was shut down.

I don't need a congressional hearing to prove something I experienced personally.

That you posted some sketchy covid conspiracy crap and some mod deleted it (which nobody here denies) is hardly evidence of a grand government coverup. Again, the House Republicans tried proving that and failed. And if they failed in their fervent witch hunt, yours is also by extension a fail. Accept the L and move on. It was some random mod, not a government conspiracy. You do not know more than, or better than the people who had far more resources and access to investigate than you do.

That was a different poster.

People lived through a time when their lives were completely upended and day to day actions and personal health care decisions were dictated by government policies.

The decision to get a vaccine was foisted on people whose employers suddenly had to administer a vaccine mandate from the federal government. Quiting your job suddenly and losing income and stability for your family is not an option for many people. My employer never intruded on my healthcare decisions until Trump and Biden's administrations put in sweeping government covid policies.

People were understandably uncomfortable with a vaccine that was rushed through production and approved on an emergency use basis. Vaccines usually take decades to confirm safety and efficacy. I participated in vaccine trials in college that I learned literally 10 years later hadn't been approved. Then there was the ever changing promises that the vaccine would prevent transmission that were watered down to say, oh no, it'll prevent serious illness and or death. Most demographics were never going to die from covid anyway. It primarily affected the elderly.

Schools were closed, for quite a while, depending on the state. Young families were left to figure out how to work fulltime remotely while simultaneously homeschooling their kids while people screeched about how "school isn't childcare". It is, actually. Our entire economy relies on parents knowing their children are being supervised so the parents can work.

Small businesses were deemed nonessential and had to close while big businesses had the resources to lobby for different treatment.

You STILL have people who are trying to shut down discussion on the government pandemic response, years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, you lost that pro science argument when the left went berserk during covid.

Covid killed more than a million Americans including members of my family. You think the status quo was called for during an extreme health crisis like that? Do you disrespect health care workers that much? Wow.

The decisions made during COVID by the left were indefensible from both scientific and moral standards. From shutting down the lab leak theory to the unscientific six foot distancing rule, to the closing of outdoor playgrounds and masking of two year olds, the destructive and useless extended school closures, unwillingness to acknowledge that cloth masks were not protective, to the forced admission of COVID positive patients into nursing homes, the mistakes and disregard of science go on and on.

The lab leak theory had no evidence to support it at the time. And just because it did later turn out to be true is nothing more than the broken-clock-is-right-twice-a-day. Not exactly a victory, nothing to crow about in terms of scientific or moral theories. What was far worse, far more detrimental and far more indefensible were people like YOU, PP

- the ones like the PP who ran around claiming COVID was a hoax, or that it was somehow being grossly exaggerated. That dishonest propaganda of yours led to disregard to public health guidance and actually contributed to higher transmission rates, it caused deeper divisions in society and deeper distrust in institutions, and hampered efforts to promote vaccinations and necessary public health measures. And don't deny it, PP - your post is dripping with it.

- the ones on your side who ran around touting bogus unscientific nonsense about miracle cures, like hodryxychloroquine, ivermectin, colloidal silver and other things, which distracted from effective treatment and prevention strategies, led to dangerous self-medication and misuse of drugs, and promoted a culture of skepticism toward scientific advice and evidence-based medicine

- the ones on your side who ran around claiming getting infected and having natural immunity would be superior to vaccination - a claim unsupported by science, and what resulted is that people did not protect themselves and even worse, in some cases intentionally exposed themselves, leading to what should otherwise been preventable illnesses and deaths. It undermined vaccination campaigns, and spread disinformation about the nature of immunity and vaccine effectiveness.

- the ones who falsely claimed the vaccines alter DNA, or contain microchips - completely unscientific, immoral garbage, which fueled vaccine hesitancy and slowed vaccination efforts, and prolonged the pandemic due to insufficient herd immunity, while also eroding trust in medical institutions and scientific research

- the ones who spread totally unscientific crap saying "it's being caused by 5G" - completely indefensible, and detrimental because it misdirected public concern away from actual transmission methods, led to vandalism of 5G towers and attacks on telecom workers, and fostered fear and confustion in the public.

The PP does not have a leg to stand on here. The stuff the PP's side did was far worse than anything the PP wants to whine about. That's an absolute fact.

People like the PP damaged the science of Medicine: The spread of misinformation undermined trust in healthcare professionals and public health directives. It also diverted resources to counter false claims and treat preventable cases.

People like the PP damaged science: Disinformation eroded public trust in scientific research and expertise. It contributed to a broader culture of skepticism towards scientific consensus and evidence-based practice.

People like the PP damaged society: The proliferation of conspiracy theories and disinformation led to social polarization, increased xenophobia, and a general erosion of trust in institutions and authorities. It also complicated efforts to manage the pandemic through collective action.

People like the PP damaged the economy: Persistent disinformation impacted economic recovery by prolonging the pandemic and necessitating longer periods of restrictive measures, which in turn hurt businesses and employment.

Completely inexcusable.

The fact that you jump to attack me personally for my completely factual post because you can’t defend anything I wrote - says everything. You know nothing about me or my politics, but the facts I presented here upset you so much that you jump to accusing me of damaging society. You have a lot of self reflection to do here. Your attacks are not going to persuade anyone that the above facts didn’t occur during the pandemic.

Next time, try to make a cogent argument.

[Anonymous]

All PPs are interpreting "post-truth" as "lies". But post-truth means confusion, not lies. Certainly there are people whose lies thrive in the confusion.

Second point, not all untruths are lies. Some are just mistakes. That was the case during covid. Those "lies" PPs are calling out were best guesses that turned out to be wrong. Some of them, like cloth masks and school closures, went on longer than they should have due to the confusion.

We on the left need to remember that sometimes we are actually wrong about things and need to be ready to pivot when better info becomes available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All PPs are interpreting "post-truth" as "lies". But post-truth means confusion, not lies. Certainly there are people whose lies thrive in the confusion.

Second point, not all untruths are lies. Some are just mistakes. That was the case during covid. Those "lies" PPs are calling out were best guesses that turned out to be wrong. Some of them, like cloth masks and school closures, went on longer than they should have due to the confusion.

We on the left need to remember that sometimes we are actually wrong about things and need to be ready to pivot when better info becomes available.

The school closures went on far longer than they should have because of the power the teachers unions held over Democratic politicians. It had nothing to do with science or truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can't gaslight people into misremembering what happened, which was coordinated efforts by government (leaning hard on social media companies) to shut down discussion. People are not going to forget.

The FACT is that House Republicans tried to have hearings on that but UTTERLY FAILED to prove there was some massive coordinated leaning hard on social media to shut down discussion. You can check the actual CSPAN hearing video for yourself on how it was a failure. If whatever media you follow didn't convey that to you then you are looking in the wrong place for where discussion was shut down.

I don't need a congressional hearing to prove something I experienced personally.

That you posted some sketchy covid conspiracy crap and some mod deleted it (which nobody here denies) is hardly evidence of a grand government coverup. Again, the House Republicans tried proving that and failed. And if they failed in their fervent witch hunt, yours is also by extension a fail. Accept the L and move on. It was some random mod, not a government conspiracy. You do not know more than, or better than the people who had far more resources and access to investigate than you do.

That was a different poster.

People lived through a time when their lives were completely upended and day to day actions and personal health care decisions were dictated by government policies.

The decision to get a vaccine was foisted on people whose employers suddenly had to administer a vaccine mandate from the federal government. Quiting your job suddenly and losing income and stability for your family is not an option for many people. My employer never intruded on my healthcare decisions until Trump and Biden's administrations put in sweeping government covid policies.

People were understandably uncomfortable with a vaccine that was rushed through production and approved on an emergency use basis. Vaccines usually take decades to confirm safety and efficacy. I participated in vaccine trials in college that I learned literally 10 years later hadn't been approved. Then there was the ever changing promises that the vaccine would prevent transmission that were watered down to say, oh no, it'll prevent serious illness and or death. Most demographics were never going to die from covid anyway. It primarily affected the elderly.

Schools were closed, for quite a while, depending on the state. Young families were left to figure out how to work fulltime remotely while simultaneously homeschooling their kids while people screeched about how "school isn't childcare". It is, actually. Our entire economy relies on parents knowing their children are being supervised so the parents can work.

Small businesses were deemed nonessential and had to close while big businesses had the resources to lobby for different treatment.

You STILL have people who are trying to shut down discussion on the government pandemic response, years later.

+1

The person you are responding to is an unhinged Democrat nutcase who is peddling lies and revisionist history.

My teen son was rushed to one of the best children’s cardiologists in the area with suspected myocarditis after getting the vaccine the second time. It was a terrifying medical emergency. We were advised by multiple doctors that he should not get another vaccine.

Yet even with that history and documentation and multiple letters of medical support, many campus health centers were not giving out any medical waivers. It changed his college choices (probably for the best, truth be told now, looking at the entitled student behavior on the campuses now, but we didn’t know that at the time).

I have every single vaccine, as does every other member of my family. But because I oppose mandates now, after my own DCs experience, the blind Democrat partisans classify me as “anti-vax,” which of course means that attempted insult is meaningless. If opposing a further vaccine in a child who had suspected myocarditis makes me anti-vax, so be it.