It has become apparent, during this pandemic, that Covid-19 is not the only thing we're fighting against. Despite an overwhelming scientific consensus that this is the single most alarming issue to affect our world since the end of the Cold War (I am being generous there), there are still some who don't see this is a problem and that it's all been exaggerated.
This has led to a number of internet posts saying similar things. "We are fighting two pandemics here: Covid-19 and Stupidity" being one I've come across most, and indeed added to by suggesting Hypocrisy as a third. But while many may see this as stupidity in action, and there is an argument to be made there, seeing this as stupidity can be unhelpful.
Bear in mind that this is an opinion article, but allow me to explain.
There is a difference between stupidity on an individual level and being brainwashed by false information. Which, I would argue, is what's happening here. The difference being that, from a young age, you may not have a choice but being brainwashed by the people, and indeed the environment, around you. Without passing judgement, many religious communities in the United States and other parts of the world, do exhibit traits similar to this. There will be many people, or parents, who will make sure that only a certain kind of information comes into the household, largely information that they can maintain control of so as to dismiss any information that comes into direct confliction with their own belief system.
This does not apply to all branches of all faiths.
Though there will always be some groups within organised religion that exhibit these traits. I won't list them for two reasons. Firstly, I have friends who might read this that I do not wish to offend and, secondly, it'd take way too long to list them. Besides, I also feel that I don't need to as many people understand American culture enough to make an educated guess as to who I'm referring to.
If you do happen to belong to one of those groups, largely referred to as the 'Religious Right', I'm not writing this to disparage your belief system. You're entitled to believe what you like. I'm just putting my opinion forward and, well, if I go to hell for it so be it.
Faith in America is a very bizarre beast, but it's not overly surprising that some groups have evolved the way they have. Let's not forget that one of the main groups that made the Westward Expansion happen were the Puritans, who followed a doctrine of 'taming' and 'cultivating' indigenous populations to the word of Christ and God.
For anyone who has seen Blackadder II, you will have a vague awareness of who the Puritans were, at least a comedic characterization of them. For those who haven't, the best way I can explain that episode is that it's basically the wonderful Miriam Margolyes getting annoyed at the mention of sex and breasts until she gets drunk, at which point she wears a pair of fake breasts on her head. All while wearing a cream, conservative costume covered in crucifixes.
This is a gross over-exaggeration, of course. Though the ideals that Miriam speaks of during the episode, the fact that thinking about sex being sinful and anything that distracts you from God is sinful, is very much based in reality. And Britain kept that tradition for a long time. As did the Americans. (Witch trials, anyone?)
It is worth pointing out that, by and large, puritanism has been in decline for a long time now. With many more liberal branches of religion coming to the fore. BUT there are still aspects of American society that still behave puritanically. And, unfortunately for anyone remotely sane, those people still get a large voice in media coverage.
It doesn't really matter what happens in society, there will always be some people interviewed on Fox News who believe it's the Devil's work and it's a sin. But let's make a couple of distinctions here. Having sex before marriage is still counted as a sin by many religious groups, especially Evangelists. But, many, accept it happens and they would choose not to partake. (Fair enough, means more for the rest of us). Homosexuality, or the existence of anyone who is even remotely attracted to the same sex or gender, is still considered an aberration by many. But, again, there are many faiths now who have become more accepting of this, they just choose not to think about it. (Unless they go on the private browser setting...)
Heavy metal being the Devil's work, however, is a unique sin. Playing Dungeons and Dragons is not something widely considered a sin by organised religion. Enjoying witch themed markets is not a sin widely accepted by modern theology. Yet there are still those who believe all these are the case. (The latter happened in the town I currently live. I live with a practicing Pagan. That was an interesting moment in time).
But this isn't the result of stupidity, nor is it the result of poor intelligence. It's the result of poor education and a purposeful ideological difference centuries in the making. Which isn't stupid, necessarily. It's just tedious and inconvenient.
Let's be clear, fear is a powerful motivator. It always has been, and will be until the last human dies. Throughout the Middle Ages, many people were bullied into believing in the idea of Heaven and Hell so as to keep them in line when ploughing the fields for the Lords and Barons. This system remained for many years until Martin Luther really started speaking out about it and, in an act of ultimate irony, nailing the protests to wood. (How very Christian).
"But Josh", I hear you cry, "we're not in the Feudal System anymore!" Well observed. We're not. But fear is still rife. And that fear needs to be dealt with properly.
Change is scary at the best of times. But if you're in a position of influence, and you want that change removed or reversed, what do you do? You get people on side. How do you do that? Well, think of Helen Lovejoy from The Simpsons.
"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN".
The use of fear can be targeted at the most basic human instinct. Survival. And the survival of your progeny. Don't like something? Want it changed? Tell them it's coming after their children. Then you'll get many onside.
Add, with that, copious amounts of direct (and often indirect) influence from home (domino effect) and you get a counter-argument originating solely from fear parading as fact.
For all of his idiocy and bullshittery, Trump is exceptionally good at exploiting this.
I've always been of the belief that Church and State should be very much separate from one another. But, when it comes to America, it's usually a given that Church and State are very much intertwined so you have to work within that framework when you want to comment on it. But there is a distinct overlap between the people that exist on the 'Religious Right' and that are also Trump supporters. And, to be fair, those people who are both Conservative in their faith and in their politics are a good audience to aim for at election times. Because they'll be the most vocal. And, due to something called the First Amendment, they're perfectly free to do so. Except, there's something they forget.
The First Amendment gives you the right to free speech. It doesn't given you the freedom from criticism.
On a Facebook post regarding the nurse's counter-protest in Denver, Colorado by standing in front of the cars of protestors arguing for the country to re-open, I made a joke about the first amendment, to which someone wished me to contract Covid-19 and die. Although that may be harsh, she's perfectly within her rights to wish that of me. Even if it was a little cold and callous. I'm perfectly within my rights to call her a sadistic c*** but I choose not to out of respect.
Unfortunately, this all comes down to fear. Fear of change, fear of conflicting systems and the fear of being left behind. Exploit that fear, tell those in fear you'll save them and they'll give you anything you ask.
That said, there's one part of this I haven't talked about yet.
We're in a world of fear right now. Fear of the virus, fear of the future, etc. And what's always comforting in times of trouble?
God.
Faith.
So while these groups are scared (consciously or unconsciously) about anything that challenges their faith in God, this is also a potential harvest for these groups. People are scared, let's give them God!
Except it's not nearly as altruistic as that.
But what about the title of this article? Where does science come into it? I'm so glad you asked.
The quote in the title comes from an American woman named Diane Ventura is protesting in Pennsylvania against the lockdown measures. She is an American Human, she is perfectly within her right to do so. Except, she isn't just protesting about the economy. She's protesting the science behind the lockdown.
‘What do I say to the science? I say I don’t believe your science as I believe my god’, is the quote attributed to her by ITV News. The video of which can be found here: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-04-20/the-anti-lockdown-movement-a-very-american-protest-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/.
To give Diane some credit, she's a business owner. Her livelihood is at risk, as are many of the protestors that are out on the streets defying the science. Americans are spoon-fed that idea of success being a good job and a strong economy from a young age, as is most of Western society. But there are numerous factors here that are fanning the flames of fear.
1. Change: Americans' ways of life have changed of late due to the virus. Many find this uncomfortable. Many find it tyrannical. Many deem it unnecessary. These groups, who have almost certainly always been skeptical of many forms of science, might see this as a win for the other side, which cannot be allowed to stand. The difference is, many of these people are not afraid to die for their cause, as many have made clear.
2. Trump: Frankly, Trump doesn't care about this situation one iota. He's positioned himself against the official advice from the start, appearing to only take these measures under duress. The trusted man of these people hasn't given the order off his own back, therefore it's not official advice for them. If Trump really did do it off his own back, maybe the reaction would've been different. Maybe they'd have followed the advice instead of demonizing Democrats and Scientists instead. (Anyone else find it a little odd that Trump himself hasn't contracted this yet?)
3. Exceptionalism: This way of thinking sometimes brings with it a sense of exceptionalism. Being one of God's chosen, you'll be protected from whatever comes. Which, if you have faith, is great. But it does conflict with science. Many religious figures in the US have now died from Covid-19 which does put this into confliction. Or, at least, it should. So why hasn't it? To be fair, this is a societal flaw. "It hasn't happened to me, therefore it won't happen to me". God clearly meant for them to join Him early. Something which science doesn't seem to understand.
As time has gone on, there's always something that threatens these groups. But, again, these people are dealing with their own fears being exploited without their understanding of that being the case. So, what do you do when you're scared? You lash out. And why not lash out at the very thing that's scaring you. For years, these groups have been projecting fear onto everyone else because they are scared themselves.
This is why I take some issue with the argument that these protests are the result of 'Stupidity'. To me, it isn't. It's actually a symptom of a much larger problem.
The exploitation of fear.
It's worked for years in religion, in politics, in education, everything. It's a very easy thing to exploit. And, to be honest, one group in fear often does something that increases the fear of another, giving each other ammunition until it ends badly. They're not attacking science because it's right, but because they believe it's wrong. Because it goes against the power of God himself.
Personally, I believe that if God created every life on Earth, as is often told to us, he created scientists. But, hey, what do I know.
So while it may look stupid, while it may sound stupid, it isn't. It's the result of a lifetime of brainwashing, installation of fear and deliberate deception. Which isn't stupid. It's actually very clever when you think about it.
But, ready? Here's the paradox...
The people that do the brainwashing know exactly what they're doing, but they grew up in those environments too. So they believe they're doing right, ergo, they don't know what they're doing.
Crazy, right?
I don't know how to break that. I'm not an oracle with all the answers, I'm just the guy writing an opinion on what I think's going on. Should they listen to the science? Yeah, I think they should. Should they protest? Yeah, why not.
At the end of the day, they're choosing to do this. If it really is God's will to let them die from this, let it happen. Except, that's their argument. They haven't considered the people that could get infected because of them, who don't necessarily believe what they do. But, it's fine. They're going to a better place anyway.
But what they're doing isn't stupid. It's a reaction to fear. It may seem stupid, but it really isn't.
But that's how discourse has evolved, isn't it. We're too quick to chastise people who disagree with us that we don't look deeper. We don't look deeper into what's causing that behaviour. We just see it and call it out. Like with everything in our society, we forget everything has a cause.
So, Diane Ventura, you believe your God. I congratulate you on your faith. I don't hold any judgement on you for doing so. I only hope it serves you going forward and I hope it's a comfort to you if you unfortunately contract Covid-19 and develop complications. I hope you survive this. I expect you might think of me as a Godless heathen or something. That's fine, I've been called worse.
Everyone, regardless of your religious or political leanings, please just stay safe. No matter who dies it's a tragedy. Every death is still important to someone and it's still someone's family.
I can only hope that things change in the aftermath.
Goodnight.
DISCLAIMER:
Before someone tells me off, I am very aware that some people with Swastikas are present at these protests. Please understand, this post is about those with the God angle only. Nazis are always looking to start something. This post deals with the Religious angle only. But, even then, the same logic of the post applies.
‘What do I say to the science? I say I don’t believe your science as I believe my god’, is the quote attributed to her by ITV News. The video of which can be found here: https://www.itv.com/news/2020-04-20/the-anti-lockdown-movement-a-very-american-protest-amid-coronavirus-pandemic/.
To give Diane some credit, she's a business owner. Her livelihood is at risk, as are many of the protestors that are out on the streets defying the science. Americans are spoon-fed that idea of success being a good job and a strong economy from a young age, as is most of Western society. But there are numerous factors here that are fanning the flames of fear.
1. Change: Americans' ways of life have changed of late due to the virus. Many find this uncomfortable. Many find it tyrannical. Many deem it unnecessary. These groups, who have almost certainly always been skeptical of many forms of science, might see this as a win for the other side, which cannot be allowed to stand. The difference is, many of these people are not afraid to die for their cause, as many have made clear.
2. Trump: Frankly, Trump doesn't care about this situation one iota. He's positioned himself against the official advice from the start, appearing to only take these measures under duress. The trusted man of these people hasn't given the order off his own back, therefore it's not official advice for them. If Trump really did do it off his own back, maybe the reaction would've been different. Maybe they'd have followed the advice instead of demonizing Democrats and Scientists instead. (Anyone else find it a little odd that Trump himself hasn't contracted this yet?)
3. Exceptionalism: This way of thinking sometimes brings with it a sense of exceptionalism. Being one of God's chosen, you'll be protected from whatever comes. Which, if you have faith, is great. But it does conflict with science. Many religious figures in the US have now died from Covid-19 which does put this into confliction. Or, at least, it should. So why hasn't it? To be fair, this is a societal flaw. "It hasn't happened to me, therefore it won't happen to me". God clearly meant for them to join Him early. Something which science doesn't seem to understand.
As time has gone on, there's always something that threatens these groups. But, again, these people are dealing with their own fears being exploited without their understanding of that being the case. So, what do you do when you're scared? You lash out. And why not lash out at the very thing that's scaring you. For years, these groups have been projecting fear onto everyone else because they are scared themselves.
This is why I take some issue with the argument that these protests are the result of 'Stupidity'. To me, it isn't. It's actually a symptom of a much larger problem.
The exploitation of fear.
It's worked for years in religion, in politics, in education, everything. It's a very easy thing to exploit. And, to be honest, one group in fear often does something that increases the fear of another, giving each other ammunition until it ends badly. They're not attacking science because it's right, but because they believe it's wrong. Because it goes against the power of God himself.
Personally, I believe that if God created every life on Earth, as is often told to us, he created scientists. But, hey, what do I know.
So while it may look stupid, while it may sound stupid, it isn't. It's the result of a lifetime of brainwashing, installation of fear and deliberate deception. Which isn't stupid. It's actually very clever when you think about it.
But, ready? Here's the paradox...
The people that do the brainwashing know exactly what they're doing, but they grew up in those environments too. So they believe they're doing right, ergo, they don't know what they're doing.
Crazy, right?
I don't know how to break that. I'm not an oracle with all the answers, I'm just the guy writing an opinion on what I think's going on. Should they listen to the science? Yeah, I think they should. Should they protest? Yeah, why not.
At the end of the day, they're choosing to do this. If it really is God's will to let them die from this, let it happen. Except, that's their argument. They haven't considered the people that could get infected because of them, who don't necessarily believe what they do. But, it's fine. They're going to a better place anyway.
But what they're doing isn't stupid. It's a reaction to fear. It may seem stupid, but it really isn't.
But that's how discourse has evolved, isn't it. We're too quick to chastise people who disagree with us that we don't look deeper. We don't look deeper into what's causing that behaviour. We just see it and call it out. Like with everything in our society, we forget everything has a cause.
So, Diane Ventura, you believe your God. I congratulate you on your faith. I don't hold any judgement on you for doing so. I only hope it serves you going forward and I hope it's a comfort to you if you unfortunately contract Covid-19 and develop complications. I hope you survive this. I expect you might think of me as a Godless heathen or something. That's fine, I've been called worse.
Everyone, regardless of your religious or political leanings, please just stay safe. No matter who dies it's a tragedy. Every death is still important to someone and it's still someone's family.
I can only hope that things change in the aftermath.
Goodnight.
DISCLAIMER:
Before someone tells me off, I am very aware that some people with Swastikas are present at these protests. Please understand, this post is about those with the God angle only. Nazis are always looking to start something. This post deals with the Religious angle only. But, even then, the same logic of the post applies.
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