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The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a "political wedge issue" not because of the "conspiracy nut in every village", but because the scientific literacy of the general p

The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a "political wedge issue" not because of the "conspiracy nut in every village", but because the scientific literacy of the general public is astonishingly low, and the second and third order consequences of public health policy are tremendously complex. We must encourage discussions that move beyond overly-simplistic dualistic framing such as "vax versus anti-vax", "individual choice versus public health", etc. Looking back through human history we can find numerous examples where scientific consensus was wrong, or where we created powerful new tools that backfired in unexpected ways. Diversity in opinion and choice is natures way of arriving at optimal decisions. Although it feels like friction and divisive arguments to us now, these are critical discussions that help expand everyone's knowledge and awareness. At one level it appears to be chaos, but at a higher level it appears as harmony. We are now living in the age of the super-organism. The age where we all must become acutely aware that the separation between you and I - the separation between self and other - must be dissolved and reformulated, for the survival of our species and our planet.

naasking 5y ago
> The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a "political wedge issue" not because of the "conspiracy nut in every village", but because the scientific literacy of the general public is astonishingly low, and the second and third order consequences of public health policy are tremendously complex. This seems disingenuous. We eradicated smallpox and scientific literacy just as low then. Why is it different this time? Because public trust in institutions has been destroyed. It's also a main reason why Trump was elected. The people in charge of these institutions destroyed this trust over decades, and they have continued to do so throughout the pandemic.
paulddraper 5y ago
> The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a "political wedge issue" They are a political wedge issue because some want them to be policy. Anything that is policy -- taxes, marriage, controlled substances, international trade -- is political. And always someone says "why is policy X political?" without realizing what "politics" is. Usually, they mean to say "why doesn't everyone agree with me?"
wiremine 5y ago
> "The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a "political wedge issue" not because of the "conspiracy nut in every village", but because the scientific literacy of the general public is astonishingly low, and the second and third order consequences of public health policy are tremendously complex." This. Feels like the future depends on identifying the root cause of these issues and working to overcome them.
dpweb 5y ago
Also, the question of should a government force its citizens to have a medical procedure. Or de-facto forcing by requiring proof for common daily activities. This issue was then weaponized for political purposes, and people got militant about it. But governments have consistently lied/been wrong about this virus, so there is no trust either in their messaging about this crisis.
- nintendo1889 5y ago
  This is Nazi Germany, and anyone who thinks you should be forced to take an experimental procedure is, how should I say, not on the side of good. Also look at the way Pfizer is forcing countries to not use any other vaccine in the future with their agreements. Brazil is refusing to sign such agreements.
- quickthrowman 5y ago
  > Also, the question of should a government force its citizens to have a medical procedure. There’s a Supreme Court decision[0] about whether states can mandate a vaccine (they can). [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobson_v._Massachusetts https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobson_v._Massachusetts
  - paulddraper 5y ago
    > can > should

naasking 5y ago

> The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a "political wedge issue" not because of the "conspiracy nut in every village", but because the scientific literacy of the general public is astonishingly low, and the second and third order consequences of public health policy are tremendously complex. This seems disingenuous. We eradicated smallpox and scientific literacy just as low then. Why is it different this time? Because public trust in institutions has been destroyed. It's also a main reason why Trump was elected. The people in charge of these institutions destroyed this trust over decades, and they have continued to do so throughout the pandemic.

paulddraper 5y ago

> The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a "political wedge issue" They are a political wedge issue because some want them to be policy. Anything that is policy -- taxes, marriage, controlled substances, international trade -- is political. And always someone says "why is policy X political?" without realizing what "politics" is. Usually, they mean to say "why doesn't everyone agree with me?"

wiremine 5y ago

> "The SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are a "political wedge issue" not because of the "conspiracy nut in every village", but because the scientific literacy of the general public is astonishingly low, and the second and third order consequences of public health policy are tremendously complex." This. Feels like the future depends on identifying the root cause of these issues and working to overcome them.

dpweb 5y ago

Also, the question of should a government force its citizens to have a medical procedure. Or de-facto forcing by requiring proof for common daily activities. This issue was then weaponized for political purposes, and people got militant about it. But governments have consistently lied/been wrong about this virus, so there is no trust either in their messaging about this crisis.

nintendo1889 5y ago
This is Nazi Germany, and anyone who thinks you should be forced to take an experimental procedure is, how should I say, not on the side of good. Also look at the way Pfizer is forcing countries to not use any other vaccine in the future with their agreements. Brazil is refusing to sign such agreements.
quickthrowman 5y ago
> Also, the question of should a government force its citizens to have a medical procedure. There’s a Supreme Court decision[0] about whether states can mandate a vaccine (they can). [0] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobson_v._Massachusetts https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacobson_v._Massachusetts
- paulddraper 5y ago
  > can > should