I believe in the idea of there needs to be a "community of the dialogue"---a set of unspoken rules that both sides agree to, such as the exclusive use of both inductive and deductive logic (ie: reason and evidence). Once people stop accepting this necessity, all that's left is violence---implied or overt. That's the fundamental problem t…
I believe in the idea of there needs to be a "community of the dialogue"---a set of unspoken rules that both sides agree to, such as the exclusive use of both inductive and deductive logic (ie: reason and evidence). Once people stop accepting this necessity, all that's left is violence---implied or overt. That's the fundamental problem that things like the occupation put in the face of democracy. If people are trapped by ideologically-driven superstition (and let's face it, that's what the occupation was all about), all everyone else can do is get out the cattle prods, batons, and, tear gas.
Unfortunately, modern technology has created a engineered technology of demagogic rhetoric (think about how closely Poilievre must be parsing polling data) and taught journalism that clicks and the attention economy are more important that discerning truth from lies. I watched the mainstream media all through the occupation and I was appalled how rarely journalists did streeters where they really tried to pin down people to tell them why exactly they refused to get vaccinated or wear a mask. (I know, then they would either clam up or punch out the reporter's lights.) I can only assume they didn't want to say because ultimately there was no way they could say so without sounding ridiculous---and on some level they knew it.
In my personal life I've come to the conclusion that all I can do with the delusional people in my life is to shun them. If anyone intruded directly in my way, I'd treat them like livestock. They've lost the ability to think like a human being, so there are situations where I simply can no longer afford to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Getting onto the same wavelength is such a difficult proposition. It's great to say "let's stick to the facts" — but many anti-vaxxers are armed with a stack of facts. They just happen to be facts that are misinterpreted, incorrect, or strung together to weave a completely baseless narrative. At a certain point, you've drawn peer-reviewed science in a duel against a magic wand. I don't think people have an obligation to deal with folks beholden to conspiracy theories: Sometimes shunning is just the necessary tactic.
I believe in the idea of there needs to be a "community of the dialogue"---a set of unspoken rules that both sides agree to, such as the exclusive use of both inductive and deductive logic (ie: reason and evidence). Once people stop accepting this necessity, all that's left is violence---implied or overt. That's the fundamental problem that things like the occupation put in the face of democracy. If people are trapped by ideologically-driven superstition (and let's face it, that's what the occupation was all about), all everyone else can do is get out the cattle prods, batons, and, tear gas.
Unfortunately, modern technology has created a engineered technology of demagogic rhetoric (think about how closely Poilievre must be parsing polling data) and taught journalism that clicks and the attention economy are more important that discerning truth from lies. I watched the mainstream media all through the occupation and I was appalled how rarely journalists did streeters where they really tried to pin down people to tell them why exactly they refused to get vaccinated or wear a mask. (I know, then they would either clam up or punch out the reporter's lights.) I can only assume they didn't want to say because ultimately there was no way they could say so without sounding ridiculous---and on some level they knew it.
In my personal life I've come to the conclusion that all I can do with the delusional people in my life is to shun them. If anyone intruded directly in my way, I'd treat them like livestock. They've lost the ability to think like a human being, so there are situations where I simply can no longer afford to give them the benefit of the doubt.
What a sad world we find ourselves in---.
Getting onto the same wavelength is such a difficult proposition. It's great to say "let's stick to the facts" — but many anti-vaxxers are armed with a stack of facts. They just happen to be facts that are misinterpreted, incorrect, or strung together to weave a completely baseless narrative. At a certain point, you've drawn peer-reviewed science in a duel against a magic wand. I don't think people have an obligation to deal with folks beholden to conspiracy theories: Sometimes shunning is just the necessary tactic.