This is all my guess. American institutions have completely lost the trust of the lesser-educated demographic, are oblivious to this phenomenon, and sneer at t

This is all my guess. American institutions have completely lost the trust of the lesser-educated demographic, are oblivious to this phenomenon, and sneer at those who distrust them instead of trying to be conscious of it and correct it. Something rotten is making livestock paste look a lot better to these people than taking a chance in a well-reputed doctor's office. What is driving the rural, poorly educated American to buy livestock medicine from the tractor supply store instead of going to the doctor? Let's put it this way, why do you and I go to the doctor? Would we still go there if we found the messengers of consensus, evidence-based medicine were saying and doing things we found untrustworthy or even worthy of moral condemnation? Speaking on anecdotal experience of having grown up in rural America, you don't really ever admit you're afraid of anything, especially going to the doctor. Instead, you cover it up with anger, denial, and magical thinking. I used to think "essential oils" and the like were people genuinely falling victim to naturalistic fallacy but then ivermectin for COVID-19 happened. The name "ivermectin" doesn't really sound natural to me. It still sounds "medicine-y". But it's coming from a place you find more reputable than a doctor. I think these people are shit scared to go to the doctor because they don't trust anything anyone on the TV tells them anymore. And why would that happen? Not necessarily that they're doing anything wrong, but they're tone deaf to this demographic, oblivious on how to communicate effectively to them. Call it an effect of class divide, perhaps. So finally, they turn to people that, astoundingly, seem more trustworthy: far right figures on social media, naturopathic woo, you name it. Maybe they talk differently. Maybe they use themes and culture familiar to them. Or maybe they just don't straight up demean them like segments of the news media are wont to do. If we fix a communication gap that potentially exists, how many more lives could we save instead of laughing and sneering at people confounded enough to choose horse dewormer over a well-tested vaccine?