Some remote Ethiopian tribes believe in “Mingi” that a baby born with abnormalities such as upper teeth growing first means the child is cursed and must die. These tribes are extremely isolated and have been believing that way for centuries. The government and educated locals are working to change it, but it’s slow, painful progress with enormous consequences.
What is this man’s excuse? He has recovered from Covid but his wife may die. The problem with downplaying, calling a pandemic “fake”, or “political” or “media exaggeration” etc. and then realizing error of your ways ONLY after yours or a loved one’s infection, is that the damage has already been done. Countless others have been infected by you directly and indirectly by you emboldening others to also believe it’s a hoax. They in turn infect themselves and others. Not to mention the callous offensiveness of these repulsive ignorant comments, posts, etc. to the front-line heroes risking their families and lives, and the victims’ surviving relatives.
I’ve noticed that pandemic downplaying or wild conspiracy theories tend to propagate mainly from right and left extremes and often, from otherwise intelligent people. What else comes from right and left extremes? Division and a disregard for facts in the face of an embedded or acquired ideology and an overall lack of open mindedness and self-awareness. They are quick to disregard or call anything that doesn’t line up with their pre-existing views “fake”. Sadly, they have social media, a government leader or three, and extreme media to exploit this division. Today there are way more ideologues in 2020 than there were in 2016 and there were way more in 2016 than in 1997 when cable news first began putting partisanship before journalistic integrity. When someone calls one a “tool” it means they are being used by someone smarter, wealthier, and/or less moral. This man is not a bad man necessarily, he’s just a tool. I sincerely hope his wife recovers.
