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Covid-deniers

Covid-deniers
6.desember.2020

Commented to Elisa re covid-deniers:

"I remember watching that clip [march for guns] from Helena. I'm in Missoula so "we love our guns" is an issue throughout the state.

Denial... not the only reason. Some people really believe they are 'sanctified' from anything bad (and churches instill this). Others are born skeptics, questioning everything. Some have the screaming me-mes and little empathy. For the racists it became apparent that Black folks were dying (Native Americans too) and they weren't Black. For the agists it was the elderly (Die Boomer!); as long as it wasn't affecting them as 20 year olds (the idea that they could make others ill either didn't register or did, meaning that they had no empathy). It's more than just a lack of education. For those at low risk, the 'not being able to do what they wanted when they wanted' was intolerable.

And then there is ODD. Quite a rampant American issue not found everywhere to this extent. I'm sure all Taiwanese don't have PhDs (they strip turkey off the bone to make turkey-rice in Chiayi; they run small stores, work in IT, man the cashiers at the 7-11s found on every corner) but they wear masks. For most East Asians it seems to be a cultural thing. Whether it's "I must because I was told to" or "I don't want to be impolite" or "I really think it's a good idea"... I don't know. But denial? After SARS ran rampant in their country there was little denial. In the USA it's been 100 years... we forgot.

Leadership. In Taiwan the response was lead by an epidemiologist who had full backing from the government. Yes, the Blue and Green parties love to argue over many things including relations with China... but not this. It wasn't politicized.

And US leadership politicized this pandemic from Day 1. That and the head honcho was/is a narcissistic lunatic interested in his own 'brand' and not the welfare of the citizens (all the citizens) he was elected to serve (not reign over).

So many factors.

As for getting people to sit at a table and talk to each other or think? That's asking a lot when they don't accept that other humans are human, and when thinking is against their upbringing.

"You can drag an American into a bar, but you can't make him think."

I will be interested in what you come up with."

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