https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/m7q5v...oronavirus
EXCERPT: . . . For most people, the news that a vaccine had been developed against the disease would come as a relief, but for anti-vaxxers it ties together two things. The first is, naturally, an overwhelming fear and distrust of vaccines; the second is a terrified certainty that some day the government will find a convenient excuse to enforce Orwellian degrees of control.
This is a common theme in the anti-vax world, and conspiracy theorist communities more broadly: that every disease outbreak is a pretext to enforce a secret, frequently sinister agenda. [...] In this case, they have a real-world data point to draw on: the way the Chinese government is furiously cracking down on dissenting voices who criticize its response to the outbreak.
[...] In January, false claims circulated that Bill Gates owns the patent on the coronavirus or on a vaccine curing it. ... Undaunted, the rumors, at least in anti-vax communities on social media, began to shift. The consensus now seems to be that while there’s no coronavirus vaccine yet, it’ll soon be impressed on an unwilling population, along with other vaccines.
“Of course, they will enforce another vaccination,” wrote Mark Elkin [...] who has 16,000 followers. “It’s a double sided agenda. Cull the nations and form more control. However, the ‘order out of chaos’ card will be in full effect due to this virus. The infrastructure of the world is in serious trouble and with that comes medical martial law.”
Elkin’s message speedily made its way through Facebook’s still ultra-effective anti-vax grapevine [...] Elkin's post was shared by a woman named Mary Elizabeth, who heads an anti-vaccine (and anti-ultrasound) page ... Elizabeth’s post, in turn, was shared by Larry Cook, the founder of the massive anti-vaccine Facebook page ... “Make no mistake, the purpose of the Coronavirus is to help usher in vaccine mandates,” Cook wrote in yet another post. “Be Woke. Know the Plan. Prepare. Resist.”
[...] All of this fearmongering, of course, is also great for promoting “natural” cures for the disease. Claims that massive doses of vitamin C, sesame oil, garlic, or bleach can cure coronavirus are all still spreading through anti-vax and conspiracy groups ... The claims that “Miracle Mineral Solution” can kill coronavirus have gotten so loud that the FDA has had to warn people, repeatedly, that it is still just bleach.
If that’s not all bad enough, a chaotic news environment might be making things worse. Conspiracy theorists ... were handed a big boost this week from CNN’s Philippines affiliate, which reported that coconut oil was being “eyed” as a possible “treatment” for coronavirus ... The state of rising global panic is good for social media engagement, and good for peddling bogus cures. But vaccine opponents in the U.S. are also clearly hoping it’ll do something else: enlist future warriors in their fight against vaccines at the legislative level.
“Right now there are laws trying to be passed in New Jersey that are going to take away your right to opt out of a future coronavirus vaccine,” Bigtree proclaimed ... apparently referring to a recent bill that would have ended religious exemptions for vaccines, but which died in January. “Laws are being dropped in states all across this country. That’s what you have to get involved with. That’s what you have to worry about.” (MORE - details)
EXCERPT: . . . For most people, the news that a vaccine had been developed against the disease would come as a relief, but for anti-vaxxers it ties together two things. The first is, naturally, an overwhelming fear and distrust of vaccines; the second is a terrified certainty that some day the government will find a convenient excuse to enforce Orwellian degrees of control.
This is a common theme in the anti-vax world, and conspiracy theorist communities more broadly: that every disease outbreak is a pretext to enforce a secret, frequently sinister agenda. [...] In this case, they have a real-world data point to draw on: the way the Chinese government is furiously cracking down on dissenting voices who criticize its response to the outbreak.
[...] In January, false claims circulated that Bill Gates owns the patent on the coronavirus or on a vaccine curing it. ... Undaunted, the rumors, at least in anti-vax communities on social media, began to shift. The consensus now seems to be that while there’s no coronavirus vaccine yet, it’ll soon be impressed on an unwilling population, along with other vaccines.
“Of course, they will enforce another vaccination,” wrote Mark Elkin [...] who has 16,000 followers. “It’s a double sided agenda. Cull the nations and form more control. However, the ‘order out of chaos’ card will be in full effect due to this virus. The infrastructure of the world is in serious trouble and with that comes medical martial law.”
Elkin’s message speedily made its way through Facebook’s still ultra-effective anti-vax grapevine [...] Elkin's post was shared by a woman named Mary Elizabeth, who heads an anti-vaccine (and anti-ultrasound) page ... Elizabeth’s post, in turn, was shared by Larry Cook, the founder of the massive anti-vaccine Facebook page ... “Make no mistake, the purpose of the Coronavirus is to help usher in vaccine mandates,” Cook wrote in yet another post. “Be Woke. Know the Plan. Prepare. Resist.”
[...] All of this fearmongering, of course, is also great for promoting “natural” cures for the disease. Claims that massive doses of vitamin C, sesame oil, garlic, or bleach can cure coronavirus are all still spreading through anti-vax and conspiracy groups ... The claims that “Miracle Mineral Solution” can kill coronavirus have gotten so loud that the FDA has had to warn people, repeatedly, that it is still just bleach.
If that’s not all bad enough, a chaotic news environment might be making things worse. Conspiracy theorists ... were handed a big boost this week from CNN’s Philippines affiliate, which reported that coconut oil was being “eyed” as a possible “treatment” for coronavirus ... The state of rising global panic is good for social media engagement, and good for peddling bogus cures. But vaccine opponents in the U.S. are also clearly hoping it’ll do something else: enlist future warriors in their fight against vaccines at the legislative level.
“Right now there are laws trying to be passed in New Jersey that are going to take away your right to opt out of a future coronavirus vaccine,” Bigtree proclaimed ... apparently referring to a recent bill that would have ended religious exemptions for vaccines, but which died in January. “Laws are being dropped in states all across this country. That’s what you have to get involved with. That’s what you have to worry about.” (MORE - details)