If the pandemic has taught me anything, it's that the strangest thing about a zombie outbreak will be the zombie supporters.
Most people would rather be in the majority, than be right.
At least 20% of the population has strong authoritarian tendencies, which will emerge under the right conditions.
Fear of death is only rivalled by the fear of social disapproval. The latter could be stronger.
Propaganda is just as effective in the modern day as it was 100 years ago. Access to limitless information has not made the average person any wiser.
Source: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1412012561164390403.html
That makes an unfortunate amount of sense.
For me, it is very obvious which side this person is on (both the twitterer and HN poster) based on keyword like "authoritarian" and "propaganda" and "fear of death", not to mention "people have science as religion".
- Authoritarianism - The left is authoritarian because they are for mandates and lockdowns.
- Propaganda - The mainstream media and the CDC have continually overexaggerated the threat of COVID.
- Fear of death - People on the left only cares about virtual signaling and not the threat to their personal safety that comes with giving up freedom.
Perspective from the left:
- Authoritarianism - The Trump admin lied to us about the threat of COVID, tried to cover up their mismanagement of the pandemic, restricted people's individual freedom to prioritize their health by forcing people back to work. Also there is the whole trying to invalidate fair elections thing.
- Propaganda - Fox News and Republicans have continually downplayed the threat of COVID and the effectiveness of the vaccine.
- Fear of death - The people on the right would rather follow the leaders of their party than protect their own safety.
The one about science being religion is one of the few that reveals Zuby's bias.
If these vaccines work so well, why are all the blue states requiring fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks? You can even get a booster and still be required to wear a mask. If they are so effective, why does any vaccinated individual give a single crap about the vaccination status of anybody else? Who are these masks trying to protect?
If anything the only people downplaying the effectiveness of the vaccine are the “experts” and all these worthless politicians.
Note: I’m fully vaccinated and believe these vaccines are perhaps some of the best humans have created. There is zero reason to continue dragging this crap on beyond last January. Vaccines were the promised end of all these restrictions. That people seem perfectly okay shifting the goalposts well beyond that is scary as hell.
As an aside, I know that this is a hot-button topic. It would be appreciated if you follow the site guidelines, and be more charitable in conversation.
Same with masks… deep in most peoples hearts, they know masks don’t do a darn thing. But they’ll never admit it… don’t wanna be thought of as “the others”…
And vaccomated people don’t need masks. It isn’t a science thing. It’s just plain stupid to keep wearing them. Life has plenty of other things for people to worry about besides just this myopic fixation on covid.
The 2020 election was as fair and secure as the covid vaccines are safe and effective.
I mean look at all the talk of "authoritarianism" and "people enjoy being subjugated". I can only assume he's talking about things like mask and vaccine mandates. Which is so fucking bizarre to me because we've had things like seatbelt and helmet laws for decades, vaccine mandates ever since I was born, and one of his complaints is that "the government and media can politicize anything"?? None of this shit used to be politicized to anywhere near the degree it is today - now even things that have the most mild downsides, yet with clear benefits to others, are "the government is out to own you". All with the same bullshit tone of "ahh, look at those ignorant sheeple"...
Libertarians and other freedom lovers have been fighting, arguing against and civilly disobeying those laws, vehemently, for as long as they have been in existence. Perhaps it didn't get as much play in the media.
So you'd be OK with denying life-saving measures to overeaters with diabetes, swingers with AIDS, and smokers with lung cancer? After all, their lifestyle choices are to blame, so according to what you have shared, they don't deserve help.
It takes a lot of work to go from seatbelt and helmet laws to requiring proof of medical status to enter a clothing store. Especially since most of the people pushing this crap also require everybody to wear masks as well. Like, do these people think vaccines don’t work? Because they sure don’t seem to act like vaccines do anything at all.
People I thought were rational just turned complete morons.
My disappointment is high, I'm getting lonelier and lonelier.
Same. Some of the smartest, most rational people I know completely lost their damn minds. Tribalism is more important than just about anything, it seems.
https://www.slideshare.net/gvwilson/bits-of-evidence-2338367
This will be taught in every US highschool one day.