Fundamentalism, Patriarchy, Misogyny - not nice, but what's that got to do with vaccination or Coronavirus Denialism? The swarming tactics of the far-right agenda in USA

I am a mother, nurse, doula and herbalist. I've given birth at home 4 times, and all my children are healthily un-vaccinated. We use nutrition, herbs and supplements to keep fit and well, so I guess you could say my "crunchy" credentials are valid.

 

Until early this year, I was part of a huge Facebook group called Stop Mandatory Vaccinations. This had previously been a useful source of thousands of scientific papers and publications examining the risks and benefits of vaccinations. The general consensus was, vaccinations, like any health intervention, have their place, but can have significant (even deadly) side effects for some people, so therefore should not be forced or mandatory. There was a big difference between "stop vaccinations" and "stop MANDATORY vaccination".

Now for any one reading this who might think I have a screw loose for even considering not vaccinating my precious children, consider - if I hadn't been part of that group, out of interest in rigorous scientific examination of this complex issue, I  wouldn't have been witness to what happened next.

Late in 2019 and during early 2020 I noticed more posts popping up in the group that had less to do with health and quite a lot more to do with partisan politics. Trump-ists are like annoying mosquitos all over social media, and (as a non-American), you tend to just swat them away and press on regardless.

But as news of a novel coronavirus and eventual global pandemic began to filter through, in February and March, there were more posts not just about politics, but about conspiracy theories. Measured discussion on vaccinations became lost to breathless posts reporting the latest Q "breadcrumb" as we were told "it's happening!" and "wait for the Storm!" We learned that Oprah's house had been cordoned off any that she was finally under arrest for the tunnels under her house funnelling poor brown children from South America (presumably under the ocean?) We saw photos of crime scene tape around her house, which was "proof". We then learned that Tom Hanks stint in a Gold Coast hospital was actually a cover for his arrest for paedophilia. (As an Australian that was a bit irritating, because it implied that our country's news reporters are either a bunch of liars or a bunch of gullible twats.) We were told that Trump was "on our side" and only pretending to go along with vaccinations until such time as he could "bring down Big Pharma".

It takes all sorts, I thought, and continued to scroll past any posts that seemed a little cray-cray. But increasingly, such posts were swamping the group and drowning out the previous sensible and measured discussions we had enjoyed previously. And the posters did not take kindly to any voices of dissent or caution. You either 'Loved Trump' and 'Believed Q' or you were, pretty much, Satan.

And for anyone, anywhere, who's ever been part of a cult, or part of fundamentalism, be it Christian, Islamic, Judaic, Communist, Fascists, or otherwise .. red flags began waving.

But the disinformation kept coming. Whenever humans are under stress, dealing with an "unprecedented" situation and with "novel" virus that NO ONE has definitive answers about yet, disinformation spreads rapidly. Balanced, tested, and peer-reviewed info isn't as salacious and doesn't spread as fast as every alarmist post about 5G or the virus lab in Wuhan or Bill Gates or the take-down of "the Cabal"

As a qualified herbalist, I started seeing posts in the group warning that Elderberry Syrup could cause cytokine storm in COVID19. I'm hesitant to wade in on things I don't know much about, but this is my lane. I make Elderberry Syrup. I've read scores of monographs. I understand the inflammatory cascade. So I began posting what I hoped would be helpful and moderating commentary from reputable herbalists such as Dr Kerry Bone and Aviva Romm. What I then experienced is that the people gobbling up the Q breadcrumbs and re-sharing questionable memes appeared not to be so keen on reading 17 pages of careful scholarship. It just doesn't provide quite the same buzz.

But then, the Coronavirus disinformation started. Post after post claiming that it wasn't real, it was deliberately manufactured and released, it was fake, it was a Plandemic, there were no deaths, the hospitals were empty, the government (what - all governments?) were lying. And every action that any government took anywhere were all just a ploy to wreck American capitalism and usher in "Communism".

People started leaving. They posted, "This used to be a great group for actually learning about vaccination risks, but never mind MAGA caps - you guys are all going for the tin-foil hats!" And the response would be "Buh-bye!" amid a flurry of memes.

In one post, I mildly suggested that if USA had universal health care such as we enjoy in other developed countries, maybe people wouldn't have to pay $3000 for a Coronavirus test. Response? "Go grow vegetables in Venezuela then, you Commie!"

At this point, I realised that the tone of the group had changed from valid health concerns to an extremist political agenda.

When people started posting that wearing masks is really just a ploy to end free speech and a symbol of being "trauma bonded to authoritarian governments" like a bunch of bonneted handmaids, and how ignoring physical distancing policies were a matter of patriotic duty - at the same time that doctors and nurses were beginning to experience first hand just how deadly and insidious the virus could be, I left. In early March, I warned that their stance of believing conspiracy theories, and ignoring health policies, sowing division and spreading disinformation, would take a horrible toll in USA.

In pure frustration, I posted: "Your individualism, exceptionalism, denialism and entitlement is going to get thousands of you killed. You deserve yourselves."

And I hoped that I would be proved WRONG.

Life was comparatively peaceful after leaving that group, and concentrating on measures at home to keep the family safe and thriving through physical distancing measures in our own country. I already worked from home anyway and we like having the kids at home, so we weren't impacted too negatively.

But then, in the same way as I saw right-wing extremism take over that one Facebook group, I began to see the same "swarming" effect of making dis--information go viral happening across social media platforms.

To my horror, I started to see quite mainstream, thoughtful and intelligent people falling prey to the disinformation social media "bombing" campaign on social media.

Then I realised we were watching the infiltration of the alternative left by the conservative American far-right.

And I have seen all this before. It's all too familiar. Anyone who has ever come out of a cult or any shade of religious or political fundamentalism recognizes these dynamics.

So I thought I should start researching to find out more about what on earth was going on.

I will try to put together all the pieces of the puzzle so you can understand WHY I am so concerned, and WHY I am bothering to speak out, instead of just calmly going on my way and letting people believe whatever they want to believe. Because they're not. They're not believing what they want to believe. They're being indoctrinated. And it's been going on for decades. This is a divide and conquer strategy not only by the alt/far right and their particular agenda, but possibly, even the work of Russian operatives who know how to exploit the deep divisions in American society for their own de-stabilization aims.

The lowest common denominator, and ultimate agenda, as far as I can tell, is patriarchy.

Before you dismiss ME as being the tin-foil-hatted conspiracy theorist, please read carefully these disinformation briefings from the ISD - the Institute for Strategic Dialogue - "Powering solutions to extremism and polarization".

For anyone sincerely trying to reconcile valid concerns about corporate monopoly and capitalist excess, while trying to sift through various alternative narratives and apparent conspiracy theories, I encourage you to at least scan and take into consideration the careful scholarship and commentary of the ISD.

COVID19 Disinformation Briefing 1

COVID19 Disinformation Briefing 2

COVID19 Disinformation Briefing 3

COVID19 Disinformation Briefing 4

OK. You have done very well to read this far. This is already heaps long. So now, I will divide the rest into chapters.

1. The Conservative Culture War - the agenda of the religious right in America and the influence of fundamentalism - how it went beyond warping Christianity (similar to what happened within Islam) to shaping culture and steering politics

2. Russian Trolls - how Russian operatives have exploited ignorance, bigotry, prejudice and divisions within American society for their own de-stabilization aims

3. Conspiracy Theories - fundamentalism has a long history with conspiracy theories but the game has stepped up exponentially with the uncertainty around coronavirus. Just as Islamist fundamentalists exploited insecurity and fear during the Ebola pandemic.

4. Qanon. Not about saving children from evil pedophiles. Who knew?

5. The "Liberate" grassroots (not) movement and the "Boogaloo" - inciting a civil war to create an excuse for the penis-extension-wagglers to kill lots of black & brown people

6. 5G - the agenda behind this classic deflection & disinformation tactic

7.  Going after the 'New Age', alternative health community - the targeting of the alternative left by the alt/far right = Alt/Light: when delusion comes full circle.

8. Out of Shadows 

and

Plandemic 


9. The Trump Administration and the Far Right - how did such a dissolute pervert become the poster child for right-wing morality? They created him in their own image.

10.  Is it actually about catching evil paedophiles? - the latest ploy to tug the heartstrings of any reasonable person of conscience, for a political grist, while projecting away from actual crimes within Christian patriarchy.

Hashtag saveourchildren or hashtag saveourpussygrabberpresident? 

Prominent Conservative Christian Leaders charged with sexual assault. #notjustcatholicpriests #churchtoo

11. One World Order- getting you so worried about global authoritarianism that you won't notice the authoritarianism of right-wing patriarchy. These guys won't save you from patriarchy.

12.  Unmasking the case for MASKS - yet another issue hi-jacked for political grist

13. The White Coat Summit at Capital Hill. Lots of white coats. Lots of agenda. Guess who!!?

14. Coronavirus facts - so far. Plain commonsense truth. Not 'Truther'-truth.

Watch this space. This won't be the last crazy between now the the November elections. They plan to swamp you until you're so confused and punch-drunk, you don't know which way is up.

Finally, to summarize: 

I'm genuinely concerned about the origins of the current Coronavirus denialism trends in popular opinion that we are seeing across social media.  

Particularly in the US, people's minds have been trained in accepting delusion for many decades, in advertising, politics and religion. 

As Christian, I have an insider's view of the fundamentalism that seeped throughout conservative Christianity. 

If you can persuade your followers to accept that women must be subordinated, that contraception is of the devil, that make up or short hair means you're a Jezebel, that you need to hit your children to "train" them or that back masking in rock music is real, it's not that great a leap to:'the earth is flat'; 'Qanon is military intelligence'; 'Trump is a man-of-God';, 'Gates is the Anti-Christ'; and 'Covid is a "plandemic".

I hope more people who value critical thinking will realise that the current conspiracy theorism and Covid denialism we're confronted with now has its roots firmly in the American "Christian" fundamentalist patriarchy movement. (With a little alt-right Second Amendment white supremacy and misogyny in the mix).

They then deliberately targeted the alternative Left and are currently gloating over their successful infiltration of the 'new age', alternative lifestyle community.

The common ground between those two strange bedfellows is the issue of vaccine choice. As a mother of 4 healthy un-vaccinated children, a decision I researched carefully (BEFORE THE INTERNET!), I sympathize.

Moderate people have worthy and valid concerns about government or corporate corruption or monopoly. And these must continue to be addressed.

Civil unrest however, is not the answer. The extremists who are currently deliberately curating dissension are not the path to truth, liberty or freedom, any more than ISIS was. They are far more brutal, blood-thirsty, sexist, power hungry, corrupt and authoritarian than the authorities they're seeking to bring down.

I will continue to resist forced mandatory consumption of monopoly product, neo-liberalist corporate undermining of democracy and environmental rape and destruction. I will keep speaking up for equality and social justice.

However I will not let these important causes become corrupted and co-opted by a pack of violent, blood-lusting bullies, hell-bent on an Animal Farm dissolution of current authority and government structures, so they can impose their personal Caliphate.

In particular, I warn women: these guys will promise the world, but deliver Gilead (reference to The Handmaid's Tale).

There will be those, with valid and important causes, who will think that they will be able to harness the momentum of the far right to further their worthy political goals. I fear this will fail. Instead, the extremists will subvert and hi-jack your causes to push their agenda. I really don't want to see that happen again.  


Like, don't look to the Nazi party to get decent roads built.

It is becoming a tale of Spies, Lies and Videotape - well, YouTube videos, at least ...

The epidemiology of misinformation -

The disturbing story of how the web is weaving weird connections between hippies, Nazis, Russian agents and the rest of us to spread lies about Covid-19


Misinformation is a Threat to Democracy in the Developing World

 

Online misinformation is a problem for democracies worldwide, but we should worry about how misinformation will change democracies in the developing world.

Keep Birth Wild Podcast Episode: Covid denialism, conspirational thinking, politics, vaccine hesitancy and collective care with Indi Williams on Spotify.

DE-RADICALIZATION RESOURCES

How to help loved ones avoid disinformation tactics and come back to reality.

Freedom of Mind - Steven Hassan

Tools That Fight Disinformation Online

Global Network on Extremism & Technology

Institute of Strategic Dialogue

Rabbit Hole Podcast

Qanon Anonymous Podcast

The Conspirituality Podcast 

The Brainwashing of My Dad 

The Social Dilemma 

Australian Strategic Policy Institute