Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Foolishness is deadly...


…and it’s apparently contagious, too, spreading absurd belief systems around the world. After seeing a story on NBC news about recent cases of measles in the U.S., I ran across this article about what are purported to be record high numbers across Europe. Now according to the CDC, the number of measles cases in the U.S. is about the same as last year and within the expected range of infections—about 124. 

Europeans, however, are concerned with what they are calling record high numbers in 2018 so far, or around 41,000. This is almost double the numbers from 2017. And the most disturbing statistic, though, is that in 2016 there were 5,273 cases.

The World Health Organization is now calling on European countries to take action on this matter. As well they should, obviously, as the high volume of global travel now makes the spread of diseases so much faster. According to the CDC, many of the American cases of measles can be traced to travel to foreign countries.

But the underlying problem in this matter, according to both the CDC and the WHO, is the growing number of people who are refusing vaccinations. And all of this is still tied to one 20-year-old paper by a discredited and de-licensed British physician named Andrew Wakefield. Wakefield claimed to have found a causal connection between autism and the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Although, again, discredited, withdrawn and disowned by Wakefield’s co-authors, the effects of this one paper just don’t want to die. It gave rise to an ever-more aggressive anti-vaccination movement around the world and their elaborate, paranoid conspiracy theories about a dark, sinister collusion between drug companies, scientists, governments, and the media. 

So when a friend of mine recently asked me about why I feel so strongly that conspiracy theorists need to be recast in the popular imagination from principled – if goofy and eccentric – outsider heroes to dangerous cranks and charlatans, I find few better examples for my argument than the vaccination controversy. These numbers out of Europe are a travesty. We are talking about a disease that had been all but eradicated. And now it’s spreading in record numbers around the world! What’s going to be next? The return of small pox? Polio outbreaks? Are we indeed heading back to the Dark Ages in the 21stcentury? Measles is making a comeback and we have regular conventions (around the U.S. at least) dedicated to the belief that the Earth is flat. 

These types of conspiratorial fantasies, this attitude that there is no consensus reality, that each and every person has to right to create their own reality and to reject the notion of empirical facts and truths need to be treated as a dangerous epidemic. Yes, scientists and academic journals need to do their absolute best to present only reliable, well-proven, peer-reviewed data. But the rest of the educational establishment needs to do its part as well in ingraining in students from a very early age that facts matter, that there is a truth with a capital “T,” and not all opinions are equally valid. As the late science fiction author Harlan Ellison once said, “no, you are not entitled to your opinion! You are entitled to your informed opinion.”

I usually start the semesters of my class on conspiracy theories with that quote from Ellison. Hopefully by the end of the class there will be fewer anti-vaxxers, “crisis actor” believers, and 9/11 truthers out there.

So yes, I am after the minds of young people and I’m trying to influence them!!

2 comments:

  1. JOIN THE ILLUMINATI BROTHERHOOD

    Hello everyone,i am one of the Agents sent by the Lord superior (Grand master) to bring as many of those who are interested in becoming a member of the great Illuminati order,I am a business woman, I own a Construction company, and i also own one of the Big Electronic Appliance shop in one of the country, and my family now lives in USA, i was once like you, me & my husband were financially down to 1 square meal a day, what kind of life was that to live, I lived in poverty until i saw an opportunity to be a member of the GREAT TEMPLE OF ILLUMINATI BROTHERHOOD and i took my chances and i have been a member for close to 10 years now. The higher you get the richer you become. Illuminati makes your business grow faster than you can ever imagine,illuminati brings out the talent in you and make you famous, as you become a member of illuminati order you will receive 2,000,000 US DOLLARS instantly on your Bank Account, these and many more other benefits you stand to gain, so if you are interested to be a member contact us now on whatssp +2349073889037 or email us(joinilluminatitemple626@gmail.com) JOIN US TODAY & BECOME RICH,POWERFUL AND FAMOUS ALL YOUR LIFE YOU ARE WELCOME.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I want to share with you my testimony of how I joined this great organization of ILLUMINATI, Really I was so poor and my life was almost close to death, i tried many times to join illuminati but all was in vain where by i was facing fake people who were claiming to be agents of illuminati. They ate my money without helping me out there i loosed hope in illuminati. But because i was very interested and focused on my dream, I continued trying there I meet another person who told me he will help me out still i didnt trust him at all because of the first pain i passed through,he still also asked me to send him money there i get scared but with time he sent me his membership id card,trust in him little and i accepted to send him money, but what amazed me is that immidiately after sending him money for initiation items,  i got intiated within  2hour  onlines and i recieve my  $1,000,000 directly to my account there i trusted him more and he is the only agent i trust because he helped me seriously. So my friend if you want to join illuminati  contact him on WhatsApp +2348180828544, i dont have that authority of joining anyone

    ReplyDelete