"Why do people believe what they believe? And, so stridently?". You provided the answer earlier in your article "And the masks remained out of sight as the music came on.". The 1/3 situation seems appropriate - 1/3 are for something, 1/3 against and the middle goes along with one side or the other. The 1/3 outliers are never quite convinced of the other 1/3 who disagree.
People were influenced by the dire presentations from the beginning, many confused that the case counts implied death was next. Few ever understood that the risk of death was strongly affected by age by a factor of 1000! The IFR for those under 50 was somewhat like the flu and was still fairly low. Instead we were fed stories about a "healthy" 26 yo in the hospital who died, most likely by medical interventions as we now understand. OTOH, we never understood why some seemed quite vulnerable nor why others, from the start, were immune (https://www.wired.com/story/the-mystery-of-why-some-people-dont-get-covid/).
It has taken a very long time to discover the vaccines are not "safe and effective". Evidence has arrived that suggests OAS has arrived and that the vaccines have a negative effectiveness against Omicron. Given the total inability of politicians to ever admit error and what now seems correct, our health officials are politicians wearing lab coats, we must wait for full public rejection of their missives. Parents are not flocking to get their children vaccinated (unless forced by unwise school officials) nor has there been much uptake of the new bivalent vaccine which has received nearly no testing.
Meanwhile the pandemic error of a foolish shutdown has created a huge economic impact that government in it's efforts to be kind has made worse. Can't really blame Biden for amplifying a green ESG message that started years ago to defund the petro products, but since energy underlies the economy, poor policy creates an even worse mess. Debt service as interest rates rise is likely to constrain Congress regardless of who is in charge.
But, of course, you have already addressed these issues in earlier articles, thanks.
On the vaccine point, if you're the sort who is on to their fourth or fifth shot, had your kids take it etc, it will be incredibly hard to impartially look at data that suggests this was not a great idea. No-one likes to admit being fooled, the challenge to your ego and sense of self is too great.
Similarly if you haven't taken them and fall very I'll. But there are far more of the former than the latter.
"Why do people believe what they believe? And, so stridently?". You provided the answer earlier in your article "And the masks remained out of sight as the music came on.". The 1/3 situation seems appropriate - 1/3 are for something, 1/3 against and the middle goes along with one side or the other. The 1/3 outliers are never quite convinced of the other 1/3 who disagree.
People were influenced by the dire presentations from the beginning, many confused that the case counts implied death was next. Few ever understood that the risk of death was strongly affected by age by a factor of 1000! The IFR for those under 50 was somewhat like the flu and was still fairly low. Instead we were fed stories about a "healthy" 26 yo in the hospital who died, most likely by medical interventions as we now understand. OTOH, we never understood why some seemed quite vulnerable nor why others, from the start, were immune (https://www.wired.com/story/the-mystery-of-why-some-people-dont-get-covid/).
It has taken a very long time to discover the vaccines are not "safe and effective". Evidence has arrived that suggests OAS has arrived and that the vaccines have a negative effectiveness against Omicron. Given the total inability of politicians to ever admit error and what now seems correct, our health officials are politicians wearing lab coats, we must wait for full public rejection of their missives. Parents are not flocking to get their children vaccinated (unless forced by unwise school officials) nor has there been much uptake of the new bivalent vaccine which has received nearly no testing.
We will see the inevitable reversals of many in the press and media as time progresses. But someday we will see another "The Swine Flu Affair12660-vaccine-1978-H1N1-1976" (https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12660/the-swine-flu-affair-decision-making-on-a-slippery-disease). Not sure if 60 minutes will cover the change as once did https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydx_ok6gyiY.
Meanwhile the pandemic error of a foolish shutdown has created a huge economic impact that government in it's efforts to be kind has made worse. Can't really blame Biden for amplifying a green ESG message that started years ago to defund the petro products, but since energy underlies the economy, poor policy creates an even worse mess. Debt service as interest rates rise is likely to constrain Congress regardless of who is in charge.
But, of course, you have already addressed these issues in earlier articles, thanks.
On the vaccine point, if you're the sort who is on to their fourth or fifth shot, had your kids take it etc, it will be incredibly hard to impartially look at data that suggests this was not a great idea. No-one likes to admit being fooled, the challenge to your ego and sense of self is too great.
Similarly if you haven't taken them and fall very I'll. But there are far more of the former than the latter.