4 ms·

There are some odd people who get upset by this; that there could be some novel type of weaponry they don’t understand. More strange than the technology itself

There are some odd people who get upset by this; that there could be some novel type of weaponry they don’t understand. More strange than the technology itself is the personality that gets upset by it and feels the need to debunk it. I’ve seen it numerous times now so it’s an actual phenomenon and one I think is worthy of study— let’s call it Havana Syndrome Denialism. What causes this I wonder? So curious!

mechanical_bear 5y ago
Right?? The common nonsense I have seen is “crickets”…right, that many healthy, normal, adjusted people are having mass hysteria about cricket noises, independent from one another?
simonblack 5y ago
I don't deny there is a 'syndrome'. But I am increasingly confident that it is a workplace injury. Perhaps it should be called 'Spook Syndrome'. There is something that those embassy people are doing or have had done to them that is the cause of it. Previous Syndromes: Agent Orange Syndrome caused by exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and causing cancers and child malformities. It took decades before the government would accept that it was a real 'workplace injury' and they were liable for Vets' (and their families') injuries. Gulf Syndrome. Once again it was poo-hooed by the government for about 20 years before it was worked out that it also was a 'workplace injury' and caused by the physostigmine injections given to the troops to guard against nerve-agent gas attacks. The government this time is also preferring to blame some shadowy adversary for 'Havana Syndrome', rather than admit that it's a 'workplace injury' and leaving themselves open to millions or even billions of dollars in Workers' Compensation claims. Even the 'Havana Syndrome' name is a misdirection, like the 'Wuhan Virus' garbage name that was bandied about last year. There have been syndrome occurrences all over the world, even in Washington DC. Note that it isn't called 'Washington Syndrome'.
- mechanical_bear 5y ago
  Havana because of where it first occurred. Wuhan as well.
unclebucknasty 5y ago
I've seen what I would describe as clear propaganda that denies it. Much of it is consistent and claims "hypochondria", "mass hysteria", or "workplace injuries", with no basis for those dismissals. And, I've also seen outright hostility towards our CIA and State Dept personnel, deriding them as immoral "spooks" and deserving of whatt happening to them. In all, it reads distinctly like propaganda from an adversarial nation-state. And some of this is happening right here on HN. [0] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28689620 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28689620

mechanical_bear 5y ago

Right?? The common nonsense I have seen is “crickets”…right, that many healthy, normal, adjusted people are having mass hysteria about cricket noises, independent from one another?

simonblack 5y ago

I don't deny there is a 'syndrome'. But I am increasingly confident that it is a workplace injury. Perhaps it should be called 'Spook Syndrome'. There is something that those embassy people are doing or have had done to them that is the cause of it. Previous Syndromes: Agent Orange Syndrome caused by exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War and causing cancers and child malformities. It took decades before the government would accept that it was a real 'workplace injury' and they were liable for Vets' (and their families') injuries. Gulf Syndrome. Once again it was poo-hooed by the government for about 20 years before it was worked out that it also was a 'workplace injury' and caused by the physostigmine injections given to the troops to guard against nerve-agent gas attacks. The government this time is also preferring to blame some shadowy adversary for 'Havana Syndrome', rather than admit that it's a 'workplace injury' and leaving themselves open to millions or even billions of dollars in Workers' Compensation claims. Even the 'Havana Syndrome' name is a misdirection, like the 'Wuhan Virus' garbage name that was bandied about last year. There have been syndrome occurrences all over the world, even in Washington DC. Note that it isn't called 'Washington Syndrome'.

mechanical_bear 5y ago
Havana because of where it first occurred. Wuhan as well.

unclebucknasty 5y ago

I've seen what I would describe as clear propaganda that denies it. Much of it is consistent and claims "hypochondria", "mass hysteria", or "workplace injuries", with no basis for those dismissals. And, I've also seen outright hostility towards our CIA and State Dept personnel, deriding them as immoral "spooks" and deserving of whatt happening to them. In all, it reads distinctly like propaganda from an adversarial nation-state. And some of this is happening right here on HN. [0] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28689620 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28689620