Arguments against the COVID Vaccine or why people are vaccine hesitant and Restrictions

  

Its that time of year again! When all the morons and idiots…er in-laws and friends come to our homes…often against vaccine regulations, to celebrate our most coveted of seasons….frost bite season….er Christmas! Along with them they bring presents, food, infections, phycological issues, alcoholism and a need to be listened to and respectfully acknowledged for the amount of study they have don’t his year at the internet university they attend while at work (usually while reading from the great book of twitter on coffee breaks ext).

Now it used to be that when that annoying uncle/brother/cousin came over you only had to hear about their plan for starting a “weed business” or how the government was out to personally destroy all of us, maybe some flat earth “science” would be dropped on you or perhaps you had the rare breed of “Sovereign citizen” family member who tried their best to inform you of your rights and freedoms and how you should fight the powers that be and be free…but this year we are having a continuation of last years uninvited guest, with a twist…the COVID Deniers are now, not always but often, mutating themselves into that stoic and humble creature….the Anti vaxer!

Now its important to note that not every Anti vaxxer is (with an extra X) a nut job that is mentally changed by social media and possesses a scary psychological disorder that causes them to be very extreme in their thinking. Some are just scared, like the rest of us…but it is also more important to realize that they are not victims…some play victims on the internet…and Im sure a few on TV, but the serious point is that most of them are just in denial and others are just idiots….yet a few of the rare actual vaccine nervous are caught between the garbage news and propaganda of the anti vax crowd and the sharp barbs that they say they feel from the other side.  Its super important to point out that being hesitant is different than being Anti, but we also have to realize that only through education will the gap between nervous hesitant vaccine rejectors and logic is important to overcome.

I have looked at some of the most common reasons or arguments we have had these almost two years since lock down to come up with some satire and logic, some answers and some laughs to counter the silly and serious arguments presented to me in reference to this bug and those that don’t want to be vaccinated or even acknowledge it is serious.

 

 

The Vaccine was created way to fast, is it safe? Almost every company that makes drugs jumped on this the minute that they saw it could be a pandemic! The speed in which the available technology was put into play does not mean that they bypassed safety protocols or did not perform proper testing. We can actually go back and read about this if you avoid web sites with bias and wanting to convince you its dangerous by omitting this fact. The FDA in the states also continuously reviews results from ongoing testing and evaluations of this and even newer drugs that may be used for the battle against the pandemic. mRNA is also an old technology that Pfizer and others have had kicking around for years.

 

Why would I put it in my body…I don’t know what’s in it! No one is suggesting you SHOULD know about it, I mean its pretty high tech and most people who don’t want to take the shot either A) can not pass a greade 9 science test or B) don’t take the time to read about the tech at all. It’s a mystery because you are ignorant…or willfully ignorant. So what is it. Well in as easy to understand terms ( and yes I read up on it…its freaking cool tech) the mRNA is a the information that is provided to your Cells at to how to fight off the Sars-CoV2 virus.  Every cell in your body has DNA in it, which tells the cells how to act, mRNA is a message sent to the cells to recognize the virus as an invader and to attack it. mRNA is a message that is readable by the cells, its sort of like sending a program to a computer to allow it to do something. I know, that’s all how does it work, but what is it…also, mRNA is a basic part of human biology, these messages are running around your body naturally. Actually, these mRNA based vaccines are somewhat safer than traditional vaccines.

 

I know what is common medication because it has an insert that tells me what is in it…..Hmmm, so I went and grabbed a Motrin bottle (unopened) and opened it up, they don’t have those anymore for the most part…so I grabbed a no name brand we also buy and opened it, yup wee slip that has some things in it…it told me the Cardiovascular risks, Gastrointestinal risk, gave the Clinical Pharmacology and Indications/Contraindications and some scary side effects. So, I went to the Motrin web site and it told me all this too….what didn’t it tell me…whats in the drug! It did however tell me that Motrin is a trade name and they basically did not share what I was putting in my body…oh, and who made it….Pfizer…you know the same one you say is not safe if they make a vaccine but its fine to put the drug for head aches in your body…got it.

 

What about the horrible side effects? Because this is a major roll out of a very important vaccine to fight off a pandemic the government and the companies (as part of the standard contract protecting them from litigation) have been super open about the side effects. Most of the common affects are Redness, soreness, swelling, mild to moderate fatigue and headache. Less common side effects would be mild chills, Mild fever, muscle aches.  All of these are manageable and expected. After my two shots…NOTHING at all. In fact the only ones I tracked in my family were all at the site of the injection and they were only sore arms.  So, what about common pain meds like Ibuprofen….Constipation, Diarrhea, Gas, Dizziness, tinnitus….Tylenol also has some fun ones….Nausea, Somtach pain, Loss of Appeite (that could come in handy to counter the nausea), Itching, rash, headache,….wait what….Jaunidice and swelling of the throat, face and tongue…wait…trouble breathing.  Fine we can live with small side effects, mind you these two common drugs do paint a less than pretty picture. But what about more uncommon side effects. 

                The vaccine can cause Anaphylaxis in those allergic to vaccines, its about 5 in 1 million people.  Thrombosis or thrombocytopenia….well its super rare…..0000033728 per 1 million doses…so you know…could happen. What about that COVID HEART we hear about…or Myocarditis and Pericarditis….well it happens as well. 0.0001128994 out of 1 million. So it can happen as well…but you now someone who had it. Probably not. The rate of misdiagnosis of those reported is 1/3. Its real, but not THAT real. But what about the common drugs.  Well lets JUST look at Ibuprofen.  Less common side effects, difficulty breathing, fever, blisters, rash, hives…wait it gets better….extreme nausea (cuz regular nausea is not bad enough), jaundice, tachi cardia (Fast heart beat), confusion, aggressiveness, hemorrhage, vomiting (yum), anemia, Decreased Hemoglobin (I aint no doctor but that sounds bad) and hypertension….and you thought that the vaccine sounded bad?  Oh, and to let you know…the extreme nausea…is sed to be 1 in 15….NEVER have I ever thrown up after…wait…no I did, but I thought it was because I was sick, never mind.

 

Scientists are being silenced about the side effects of the drug and safety! No they are not. In fact you can go to a simple social media page and find YARDS of info about those that are speaking out about it on both sides of the fence, granted those speaking out about it on the “Pro vaccine” sites are mainly saying we are not going far enough, or we need to mandate it even more strictly.  Saying that scientists are being silenced is false, baseless and with out proof. WHO is being silenced?  I have read about one or two people who were “silenced” yah, I read about it from THEM…so if I said my wife wont let me post any more…in a post…how valid is that. This dog aint got legs people.

 

The vaccine has a zero-indemnity clause attached to the distribution…I wont risk it! Did you know that this is common practice? All vaccines are contracted now with a protection from Liability. All countries, generally speaking are faced with the issue of identification of companies who create new medications, especially in cases of Novel technologies. This predates the pandemic, if we did not have this then the inoculation process would be slowed down for ALL medications/vaccines.

 

So, even if I get the shot I can still contract COVID…then what is the point? Well two points here and they are both SUPER important, one is self serving the other is in the service of others. So, if you are the type that does not like others, does not care about them at all…but still hates being REALLY sick or even in the hospital…you get the vaccine as you can still contract the virus, but chances of a hospital visit are limited and chances of a really bad infection (getting real sick) are limited.  And the more people who are vaccinated, the level of infection one gets goes down (the sciency part…the body fights off the virus faster and the period you can infect others then goes down). If we all get the vaccine then we may still have test positive rates but the time in which we can get someone sick goes down, thus lessening the number of people we can spread it to…and the suffering those can have from getting sick. Sort of a hard concept to follow but its is one of the only ways we can drop this pandemic to a seasonal annoyance.

 

What if I am allergic to Vaccines? Most people who are allergic have a reaction to Polysorbate. Polysorbate is an emulsifier used in not just the vaccine but other drugs…and foods. They are also used in cosmetics. If you are allergic to this product its best you take a different vaccine other than J&J vaccine as its one of the only ones that uses this product. Most people can get the vaccine very safely and most reactions that people are having are mild and happen immediately or with in the first four hours. Now there are few people out their with medical concerns who are choosing not to take the vaccine, however most people I know who do have medical issues have taken it and had little to no adverse reactions.

 

So, getting two shots was enough, now we need a booster? when will it end? When the pandemic is over?  I mean we are learning more and our knowledge is evolving, we knew pretty much right off the hope that we MAY need to get a booster, depending on how long the body held its effects. Because of the SAFE nature of the vaccine, we are using (a message mRNA over a dead virus…both are valid by the way). And with people extending the COVID pandemic by going to super spreaders, not getting vaccinated ext. So, the longer this thing drags on the more times people will need boosters.  Actually, they MAY find a better vaccine that does not require boosters in the future, but for now…we need boosters.

 

Why do I need to get a vaccine, I have no chronic medical conditions? I have been told by so many people “Dude if I get sick I will just ride it out, Im young and healthy”….well that’s wishful thinking! I have to friends now who have received positive COVID tests, one is actually my brother-in-law…who is young-ish and in good shape. He quarantined and felt sick for a bit but from all accounts nothing terrible.  If everyone had the same issues as him we would not have the current hysteria….however, friend number two…a Gym teacher who is the SAME ages as my brother in law, prior to the vaccines got this infections bitch of a sickness and ended up in hospital and then a bloody ventilator! Both guys are fine (brother-in-law on the mend) but the outcomes of the infections are VERY much different. From the numbers, which support my anecdotal examples, if you get the vaccine you could get sick from COVID but the disease does not hit you as hard. Now people will say “Well vaccinated people still go to the hospital….”Yes, they do skippy but the numbers, the hard statistical, no opinion, basic plain as day numbers say if you are vaccinated your chances of needing to be hospitalized are much less than those who avoid the poke.

 

Its against my religious point of view?  Which one is that, can you point out the ACTUAL religious tenant that it is breaking to protect yourself from a virus. Do you think Jesus (if you are Christian) would say your choice to take a mRNA vaccine is going to send you to hell….wait…they did not have mRNA technology when he was around…or even technology from the old way of….screw it…they did not know about bacteria or viruses back then bub! Point out in the bible (again…Christians) the line that says “AND THOU SHAL NOT GET THE POKE” and I will back off, till then its an excuse and a weak ass one at that!

 

Its being forced on me, I have rights you know! You are starting to sound silly and paranoid! Seriously, I have had people say they are feeling pushed into getting vaccinated….but these people are the ones who used to do basically the same thing in their jobs!  We are trying to make people protect themselves but in the end its 110% up to you, we will fight the BS anti-vax miss information but at the end of the day…its all you! The whole rights thing is weak tea mind you. I asked someone who kept saying “its against my rights” about the charter and they THOUGHT that they knew it, but the last time they read it was in high school (so 20 ish years ago) and they did not know the “not withstanding” clause at all…and they did not really know the charter at all.  Seriously, if you quote a statute that you think protects you….um….learn it.

 

This is all a political agenda and the government is planning to control us.  So, you think that the government created COVID and they are using it to control us. Well, I have some questions of my own…Which government?  And to what end…really?  First off “which government” do you think the government of China is going to roll out a fake pandemic to affect Canadians? (Or what ever country you are in) and your government is going to go along with it?  Well, that’s stupid! Sorry, but you either did not think this through or you are just a dummy! To what end…I mean that, what are you going to think they can attain by doing this?  I will wait for you to adjust your tin foil hat and gather your thoughts. (the snarky comment is aimed at only a few people who actually want to argue this…not everyone)

 

COVID is not that bad so lets just ride it out and treat it like the “Flu” that it is! Yah, if you have the vaccine it will PROBABLY be flu like, if you don’t the outcome CAN be MUCH worse.  Yah, I know its not a guarantee you will have no issues if you get the poke or if you do not its not certain that you will be horribly sick. But the statistics so far show that those that do not get the vaccine have a much stronger reaction to the virus than those that have not…or in laymen’s terms…if you don’t get poked you feel way worse when you get infected than if you get the poke on average.

 

I read on the internet…….STOP! the pandemic has proven something I knew from before the pandemic happened….the internet is the WORST place to get info on medical stuff in general. First GOOGLE is DANGEROUS and can lead to an increase in stupidity and a tendency to find web sites made up by people with an agenda that caters to our personal bias. What this means is if you are a anti-vaxer or Covid Denier you will land on web sites that tell you how right you are…even if the science is basically “Flat earth”Style info (meaning complete bull pucky).  If you want to find info you think is correct already then you can gain your MD from Google U….but if you want the truth, talk to doctors, listed to those working on the vaccines and the virus…not someone giving an opinion on the data that they skimmed and jumped to conclusions they had BEFORE They did their research. Also, most people MOST PEOPLE …again…MOST PEOPLE do NOT understand how to read a research paper or data and could be fooled into just about anything from someone who can “Talk” the talk. If someone says they read it on the internet….hang up on them.

 

From my research……Ummm, sort of same as the above note but even more annoying…..You are not a researcher, I am not a researcher, we are not paid to research…so we BROWS, we SKIM and we then form opinions based on a lack of education, lack of time and a lack of actual understanding. Stop telling people you researched something…you did not. I have done research papers on things for school and YOU did no research! You took your bias and went hunting on the web for sites that reinforced it. So stop it!!!!

 

This whole thing was created by the MSM/Government/a Kabbalah of the rich! And so, it begins. My argument about the MSM-Mainstream media and the lack of actual understanding about news vs opinion is one I can make at a later date. HOWEVER, the Government did not create the COVID virus (I mean not ours but you could argue it may have been made in a lab some place), Main stream media is not creating this viral outbreak and there is NO KABBALAH of the rich! If you think about it logically it does not stand up to just a bit of thinking! But that is obviously the problem with people who lean into this as a reason not to get the shot, they are not thinking logically. But this is the problem with social media…as I say….it makes all of us think our opinions are important and correct…..when they are best served being kept to ourselves.

 

I am a free person; I’m not listening to the governments “Gestapo” tactics. If I hear that silly weak and very offensive term used one more time, or the use of the term Nazi one more time I may just slap the person using it! Comparing what the Nazi’s did to the Jews, Pol’s, Slavs, Romani and Russians as well as…well anyone not German…and even some of them…to what our government is doing to curb COVID is sickening. As someone who studied the atrocities that the Nazis unleashed on the world its vulgar to me to hear this stupid comment. Also, who gave you the impression you were free to do what ever you want. Life is made up of rules, laws and consequence or to put it as “Grade three” as I can every single choice you make has a consequence. Not getting vaccinated is a choice, no Nazi is going to show up to force you to get the poke, but you do have to live by societies rules and if you chose not to get poked then you will lose some privileges.

 

Im going to wait for the Herd immunity to kick in! I used to hear this early on and people did not realize what it actually meant….I mean logistically. So, we have this virus that kills older people in smaller numbers but also affect them horribly, some younger also get a “kick in the shin” sort of reaction (meaning it sucks) and what Herd immunity means is you are going to risk horrible infection rates, people dying and getting very ill and suffing, hopefully dodging this virus so that you can wait it out and see if enough people get sick that the virus has no one new to infect.  Several horrible flaws exist in this thinking mind you.  First….YOU COULD GET SICK AN DIE WAITING FOR THIS.  Lets face it even somewhat healthy people are getting sick and some are passing away waiting for herd immunity to happen. And now we are finding out we may need a booster and maybe even a totally new vaccine in the future because of mutations that are caused by us “waiting around” and allowing the virus time to mutate. Ergo…no herd immunity. Never mind the fact that you are basically sacrificing people to reach this fictitious level where there is herd immunity…who is the Nazi now?  If you are not getting the shot because you are waiting for herd immunity, I can only hope its because you are dumb and not because you care so little about human life that are are willing to gamble with it.

 

The Virus has a 99% survival rate, I am willing to risk it!  I have read this a handful of times and its not accurate.  The current numbers are 2.4-4.1% mortality rate. REGARDLESS of the numbers “Some number” of people will die from this virus and they will go down alone, separated and quarantined from family, suffering with a ventilator installed to keep them breathing and then pass away in a medical coma.  Yah, it may not be you…but it could by a loved one, a daughter or sister, a brother or father, a neighbor or beloved teacher. I have seen to many people I know go down to this bloody virus for you to preach your 99% bull shit and just sort of glide by the fact that others have died. And…just for shits and giggles…what if you are part of the 1% you say will ONLY die from the virus….probably not….but maybe!

 

I don’t want to be made to feel like I’m a strain to the medical system and I’m not getting the shot.  So, if you are not getting the shot…and you get sick…..YOU WILL BE A BURDEN AND STRAIN ON THE MEDICAL SYSTEM.  Period!  I’m thinking if you choose not to get vaccinated and you get sick…enough to need hospitalization…then we should install a “Nope, you stupid” tax for your medical stay. You Knowingly took the risk and gabled with your life and your need for medical intervention, you should pay the price. Its all of our taxes that go to support your ass in the hospital, if its not your fault for being their fine, but you don’t take every precaution then you should pay.  But I feel the same way about smokers and others who do things that harm themselves and who don’t take logical steps to protect themselves and end up in hospital…so yah, you are as bad as a smoker…worse actually because you are only addicted to misinformation and illogical actions.

 

The hospitals are not that bad. Okay, here is what I have to say about that….do you work in one…probably not. I have a friend whose wife works in one and its ape shit crazy right now and everyone is scared but working hard.  I hear idiots say “They are not that busy” or “the lazy staff are just bitching for a pay raise” Shut your mouth! These are the same people saving lives while getting yelled at by morons on the street, having to wade through bloody protesters for Christ’s sake. To those that say its not that hard or they are over reacting…go do their job for a day…hell half a shift. You would not last a minute. These people are bloody heros and you have the NERVE to denigrate them or suggest the are not battling a life time of PTSD from this stuff…just proved how stupid you are…congratulations!

 

You don’t support freedom of choice if you want me to get the shot! Nope, I support freedom of choice but I also support two other things…the freedom of choice after being properly informed of all sides of the issue, not just force fed info that meets your current personal bias and I also support your freedom to make up your own mind and not get sucked into the new bias media or polarized group think positions. If after you have ACTUALLY read REAL info and spoken to a REAL doctor about the vaccine, talked to family and made up your mind, if you choose to not get the vaccine I totally support that. As do most, we don’t understand it, but we don’t have to right.

 

The government is using it to track us! Putz, you have a cell phone and they CAN track that! Why do they need a tracker in a vaccine? This one and the next one really made the rounds and proved that some were dumber than others. We all need to keep in mind that most of the people who believe this stuff are fragile people who are the essential snow flake, treat them with kid gloves. Im not going to try and help them as they are beyond my ability to help explain things to.

 

It will make you magnetic! I cant even…..Really, what kind of three year old super moron are you! I have seen the videos and laughed at them too. I guessing if that’s your reason for not getting one you will never be able to be convinced, and the earth is flat to you and the lizard people are ruling the world…have a nice day.

 

What about the vaccine vs the new COVID variants? From what I have read the “new variants” are controlled by the vaccine as well, the latest however seems to be avoiding getting snagged by the vaccine. The research into the Omicron bad boy however is really new and we don’t know if its going to hold up. Right now most of the vaccine efficacy is based on year old data and it looks good, but we will have to wait and find out if the newest mutations cause the effectiveness to lower.

 

Why does the info change all the time? Because as well all know by now, or should…science evolves! We learn new things over time. If we did not evolve our understanding and just sort of lived life and walked along with out learning…well we would be in the dark ages still….Lighting struck a key and then it was understood how electricity worked (well it’s A) a fake story and B) very simplistic but it’s a cute story) we would not have lights, computers ext. The science is evolving because we strive to move ahead and learn, this my friends IS A GOOD THING!!!!

 

These lock down rules make no sensei to me! Actually, you got me on this one. Most of the rules that are rolled out make little sense, are toothless and probably won’t be as affective as the government hopes.  Every time they do this I think you could lock down tight for 2 weeks and see a huge impact, or you could do this spineless restrictions and see no really change but for more time…nice! In my opinion they are not going far enough and they are doing it for to long!

 

At the end of the day there are a few things we should all be able to agree upon. First, you should be able to make up your own mind…but the choices you make come with built in consequences…both pro and anti! We also should not cause others to feel hurt for making choices that they make…but we do need to remind them that they cant have it all….we are all in this together as well, Vaccinated and unvaccinated! We can also all agree that online, on TV and most info we are getting from most sources is BIASS and we have to learn to realize this…but we also have to realize that some sources are telling the truth while others are not…MSM or Main Stream media is not to blame…opinion media is. And at the end of the day the one thing we all want, we all want to come to being is the end to the pandemic.

My only suggestions I will make is to first agree to disagree and realize you do not HAVE To tell everyone your opinion…yours is not that important and neither is mine and lastly…we can get through this together if we remember, that aside from a little ribbing, most of us deserve a bit of respect…but you have to give it to get it! 

The truth is out their....just not on the internet!

 

Okay, this week has really driven home to me that the reliance on Social media is worse for some people than a substance addiction (And yes I count myself amongst those). But the whole social media thing may be dangerous, but if you take it the right way it can be good. Honestly I have seen it swallow up good people and create horror shows! They go in thinking one way and come out cookie cutter idiots who believe the drivel they are fed! 

This year a good friend of mine shocked me by “Taking a break” from social media and she stuck to it! Her actions really got me thinking and I started looking at my own interactions with this toxic environment and I came up with a few things I have noted over the course of the Pandemic that stand out to me.

 

1.       Insights and personal info should be curtailed. We all bitch about our privacy and how we want to keep our own information private…then we go on Tik Tok, Facebook and Twitter and spew all our personal information and ideas on line forgetting that its out their for everyone to see now. IDIOTS!  You don’t want to have to share your “Vaccine passport” but you go on Twitter and tell the world you are not vaccinated…a three second search on social media would tell anyone interested (Judges, Police, Bar owners) that you are an anti-vax-idiot….yah, that’s private. Also, those “pictures” you put up…we all see them…and they are now permanently imbedded in someone’s computer…nice. Hope you don’t want to run for office or….well GOD I hope you don’t want to run for office.

2.       People seem to forget what you put on the web today…stays forever! Sharing your thoughts and opinions is fine….I guess…unless its on social media or the web. Remember your quips about something that you think everyone agrees with may not age as well as you think.  Also, people will take anything you say and make more or less out of it depending on their needs.  Im thinking back to a post a lady put on Facebook about how violent panhandlers are an issue and the police should toss them in jail. Something I think all of us can agree on. Until EIGHT years later your spouse is running for mayor of your city and the “other” guys now call it racist and insensitive! Now that quip you put on line is held up and used against you…and now you suck because your spouse losses the election he could have won. OR those pictures of your “under-boob” (Looking at you Rick) are now a meme and you cant get rid of them. Or you post how trashed you got at the concert and the Weed was so strong and the girls….who cares if you did not know how old they were…and you stole that cop car…man what a week end! ….and your run for pastor of a church is sort of ended by your admissions. Keep this in mind! (the first one was a true story…not commenting on the second)

3.       If you cant pass a grade 12 science exam…you cant do your “own research”. This past year I can not tell you how many people I personally know who never took Science past grade 10 or who failed grade 12 science and yet still graduated because they had enough autobody classes to graduate, suddenly telling me how Hydroxycholoroquine is better than the vaccine or that I just misspelled it or how the current vaccine was created so fast it cant be safe.  So, you cant figure out basic biology enough to point out the parts of a cell or what kind of cell….or where your pancreases is...but suddenly you have read PhD level research papers and understand them? I really have a hard time buying that one.  I am going to go with….no you don’t.

4.       Even if you have passed a grade 12 science exam…you cant do your “Own research” online anymore. I know a few “smarter” people out their who mistakenly have fallen down the rabbit hole of internet “research” only to come to some very WRONG conclusions. What we tend to forget is that researching online is just reading what an algorithm has force fed you. I once debated with someone who kept throwing these “Links” at me. I read the links and then started noticing that the Algorithm gods started posting similar things on my google searches.  My YouTube channel did the same…so I forced its hand by searching for opposite info and you know what…the bias confirming Algorithm gods fed me what I wanted then too.  Point is that people DON’T go looking for scientific papers on line, they read articles written by specific interest groups with very obvious bias showing…and then take it as gospel and we end up with a conspiracy affirming idea with “proof”…only issue is that the “proof” is worthless and skewed badly. People think that they can do their own research online…you cant.  You can read what others are force feeding you for the most part….thats all.

5.       People have lost the ability to debate. Ever watch a “Debate” or conversation unfold on say…Facebook. Its not a debate….someone says “this is my idea” and with in seconds some troglodyte spews hatred and venom at the original poster, then others attack the troll and become ad homonym factories themselves. Its horrible and shows our lesser qualities to their fullest. If you can not respectfully debate, walk away.  I personally LOVE debate and use it as a tool for personal growth, but not online and I really pick the people I debate now a days as most people never learned that you can hold an opposing position and not be an opponent.

6.       People have lost the ability to think and act logically or reason when confronted with information…of any kind….we are ….lemmings! like real life Zombies most of us read information (or watch) and take it all in as if its holy truth! The fact is that most people can not tell the difference between a fact and an opinion when asked. This is part of the issue with the Anti-(add anything) here movements. They don’t think, they don’t talk to people with opposing thoughts and they THINK they do when someone says “I once talked to an gun law advocate and he did not have the answers to my questions” the person listening then tells others that “THEY” once spoke with a guy pro gun control and he was a complete idiot with no reasons as to why.  Problem is…they didn’t. we regurgitate information and we don’t think when we are doing it.

7.       Us and them is a construct created by those that want to control you.  “Them/us” was created to control people. If we can create an opponent to our thoughts then we can control those like minded people and make the fight for control of them easier by personalizing the fight. The Them/us construct just makes it easier to create a false narrative and engage people to a side so you create loyalty to a political stance. Right wing, left wing, anarchist…its all the same.

8.       We take “I hate to be wrong” and “I hate being told Im wrong” to a new pathological level.  I hate being wrong! Hell I LOATH it…but Im married so Im always wrong…just on principle Im wrong and she is right…even when she is not…well she is right even then…if you are married You get it…if not you wont ever understand it. Now the internet creates this monster by delivering everyone confirmation bias developing information.  Gives us our own PhD’s in what ever the hell it is we are “researching” and then throws us in the most disrespectful thunder dome of debate ever and says “Go at it”! You see it all the time…..Internet warriors clashing and the second someone says “you are wrong” the other side blows up and all false claims of diplomacy are thrown out the window and in their place is the not so subtle jabs and personal attacks (Ad homonym) that are sprinkled liberally through most conversations on the net.  We hate being wrong…but dear sweet Jebuz do we hate being TOLD we are wrong…..much like being married…even when we ARE wrong.

9.       You never took a law class but you know your rights…no you don’t! This is my favorite one. First off Im Canadian so the debate here is do you know your CANADIAN charter of rights….not your American civil rights, I only know what I have seen on TV about American rights, but I happen to have taken Civics and Intro to Law in High school and university and know my rights…but I bet you don’t. The Charter of rights in Canada is A GREAT DEAL DIFFERENT than the American civil rights laws…first off…did you know that…chances are you did not. The Canadian Charter of rights has basically Severn rights and freedoms it outlines for Canadian Citices in categories ranging from Language rights to Democratic rights, from Mobility rights to Equality rights. However, it does NOT protect you the way you THINK it does and it has a big “unless” clause called the “Not with standing” act.  So you got your rights…unless the government has to temporarily take them away for things like….war or …..COVID outbreak! (pandemics…just wanted to be clear not just COVID).  So those saying they can travel because of the Mobility rights act…well….Section six basically says that Canadian citizens have the right to remain in or leave Canada, to take up residence in any province TO PURSUE GAINING LIVELIHOOD….not to get a friggin tan in Florida and then come back up or visit your Cousin in Vancouver! Recently a traveler yelled at a airport “cop” about their right to travel and the border services officer asked them if they were moving to Montreal for a job….the answer was NO for vacation and the person was sent packing…home. If you are not a lawyer or have actually read and studied the law…you don’t know the law….or your rights really.

10.    Your information is not private anymore…get over it.  I have a God Given Right to my privacy….ERRRRR!  Nope!  First off God is taken out of most legal briefs now out of an abundance of understanding that religious ideals should not mix with…well fact and law. Second you have a REASONABLE right to assume privacy, you have a right to life, liberty and security OF THE PERSON and you have a freedom from unreasonable search and seizure…but that does not mean you can argue it with the Cop when he is doing the search…you can get it thrown out of court later…a time and a place for everything by friend. Second Two of the charter is your Fundamental freedoms, which include Freedom of Conscience, freedom of Religion, freedom of thought and freedom of expression/the press and to peaceful assembly….no place in our charter of rights do you have a right to privacy or to keep all your information private.  We have specific privacy Laws that are in effect, but that does not make them a right….the point is narrow I admit but I am sort of sick of people saying that they have a right to this and that and not really understand the difference between a right and a Law.

11.   You cant even spell civics but you think you know everything about the government. Did you know that the Liberal government is corrupt and the PC government is pure as the driven show. Did you know that the NDP is all about being communist and that the PC government is protecting your human rights. Or that the Liberal government is the JT Government and always has been and the NDP is pushing a more blah blah blah blah.  Did you realize that voting does not matter and you have no say in the government….blah blah blah blah. Everyday I read about politics from people who never took a civics class, did not realize we have a senet and don’t understand the MLA/MP differences. I mean really people what the hell does Joe the plumbers assistant with a grade six education rally know about the inner workings of parliament or even the school board.  I watched as a well planned out reformation of the school system in Manitoba was shot down because people who never read the proposal were against it…because someone told them to be against it.  They did not pick up the key points of the bill or the whole proposal and read it…someone said “Bill bad…hurt you” and they attacked it. Was it a perfect bill, hell no…but no bill proposed is perfect. I watched as people voted again in this past election and we got the same results….why…people don’t think they just do what they are told! Most people don’t realize how an prime minister is elected….I voted liberal because the local “incumbent (NDP)” is a weak candidate and has really don’t nothing for us…and someone kicked my yard sign down saying I was voting for JT. He is not in my riding so NO I am not voting for Justin…I voted for a liberal candidate I thought would do a better job. If she had won (Not a snow balls chance in Miami by the way) It’s a Liberal vote and yes the hair piece would have won…but that’s life. If you have never taken a civics class….and stayed awake through it then shut up you don’t know how politics and the government works (or how buggered they actually are…its worse than you think).

12.   We are…all idiots! Yes I include myself in this. We end up, regardless of good intentions and preparation for these events, falling into a very planned out trap set by internet trolls who are smarter than us. We give away to much info, we get sucked into debates, we absorb BS we are being fed by a special interest group and we do so while posting private information, yet crying about our privacy. We accept people as “friends” whom we have never met and probably never will meet and we “unfriend” people we have a history with because they no longer follow the same “mental path” we do (hint they never did….we just never asked because you don’t ask politically heavy questions while playing little league with them). We are much more sensitive while being highly insensitive to others, we lack the ability to logically think while quoting facts that are “questionable” at best and we take for granted because its printed on the interweb it has to be truth…just like the “bat boy” stories in the “news paper” I got at the check out stand while buying my daughters milk the other day. We are incapable of original thought and we are mad that this generation lacks the Picasso’s and Shakespeare’s of their times. Why….well we are all idiots. Like Veil Cows, we are keeping ourselves in our own Tiny little cages and just gorging on BS that the web provides to us.

13.  Everyone has an opinion on everything….even if they don’t.  Im very guilty of this one and trying my darndest to get away from it. Post just about anything on Facebook or Twitter and watch as people from all sides come to join and leave “Comments”. The Comments section for me is called the “Toxic septic tank of random, inappropriate and silly responses/reactions”.  First off, and being completely clear here…Im starting to like looking at what someone had for lunch much more than what their thoughts on what the latest Government policy is. Chime in however…every one else is.

14.  We attack first and then figure out why we are right to do so! Me Too, BLM and several other movements have been creating even more of a chasm and hurting friendships for some time now. They are necessary but they are also being handled poorly….And I KNOW I have to clarify this one!  So, as a white male I have to state FOR THE RECORD…I have never molested, raped, a female or beaten, oppressed or forced segregation on anyone! I never took someone’s land, forced them to work my land for free, took them from their homes or stopped them from participating in their cultural activities…but because I am a white male…or course I did. I have actually lost friends over this one. People have to remember that individuals can do horrible things, but just because you belong to the same demographic you can not be tossed in with them! Or rather you should not.  This and lets face it…you can not blame one demographic for something and lump everyone in.  Everyone says “White men are responsible for slavery” EEEEEN. Wrong answer. Did you know that aboriginals in Canada have a slave culture that goes back before the white man landed on these shores, and that the head of the Mohowk nation had slaves (African American’s) working his land prior to the British empire making it illegal!  Did you know that Middle eastern culture and Asian culture has Slave Trade deeply rooted in their cultures as well…..You do realize that Europeans did not create a genocide against the Native Americans….and that Native Americans were KNOWN for killing off entire tribes of people in warfare and that Central American tribes not only killed whole villages of people off, but had rituals doing so. Yes, white men came and “suckered” the locals out of their lands but how they did it and the horrible things that happened are not really as clear and concise as others would make them out to be. The indigenous people of Canada, in the first treaty, insisted that their children be put in schools to learn the white mans ways….Boy did they get more than they bargained for! The point is that we are all so quick to attack people and specific demographics and we only have a small part of the puzzle! We rip down statues of people because they did horrible things…but we don’t respect the good they did too. Or we support someone whole heartedly and we forgive their “warts” with out really taking a close look at them. THINK people.

15.  We think we know, but we don’t. Conspiracy theories are FAKE information that is used to control you and your ideas. I have watched as logical people who I thought were mentally stronger than they were…were subjected to a conspiracy theory designed to control them…and they went at it hook line and sinker. Conspiracy theories used to be something funny to play with and we looked at the “true believers” as being dupes or weirdo’s that were off their rockers for believing such drivel….okay so not much has changed other than everyone now taking up their own personal conspiracy theories. A conspiracy theory is a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event. Normally these are harmless like “UFO’S are real and the US government knows about it and is covering it up” or “the CIA had JKF DOA’d”.  Most of them are “harmless” if not heartless, but some are getting dangerous like “the Holocaust is fake” or “Mass shootings are fake”. Or more recent just about anything about COVID and the vaccines. The fact is first off most groups like the government are not organized enough to actually pull one of these off and even if they were…they could not keep it quiet with opposing groups in the legislature along with them. Again, back to the whole “you did not take civics” think so you don’t know how a government actually works.

16.  We lack empathy and the ability to put ourselves in others shoes. What brought this one to mind the most was the total flip flop of our approach to the front line workers and the first responders during the Pandemic…or even before. First off the nurses and doctors out there are NOT part of some conspiracy to make the damn pandemic seem worse than it is…Shake your bloody heads people. They are suffering terrible emotional attacks as they are trying to save those in ICU’s from dying of COVID related symptoms. They don’t need to be attacked! Secondly, to what end?  Nothing changes for a nurse or doctor helping us if they are in some kind of pandemic or not. The damn beds they serve are full, they are watching people die and idiots out here are debating if they are or are not.  They want us to get the vaccine as it helps THEM help US if we do get COVID…but screw that lts just attack them because…well….we are idiots.

17.  This guy I know or this doctor I read about…are now viable sources for our own ideas! So this Doctor you read about or a guy told you about something his doctor said, or a well known doctor is filmed saying something and you take it as gospel. Lets dissect that for a second shall we….first off recently a Dawsom Creek town hall meeting turned into a HUGE illustration of “Beware of whom you actually believe” and has become a bigger illustrator what I have always said in debates, before you quote someone look at them!  A lady stood up during a open mic at the town hall and began spewing anti vax/mask/COVID conspiracies and presented herself as not just an expert but a molecular biologist no less. She did a presentation about COVID and spewed for a bit.  She was super convincing, and her talk was videotaped and then flew all over the interweb as Gospel according to a Molecular biologist.  Problem is….she is not a molecular biologist and owns a an "alternative clinic" that uses "energy healing" and "psychic readings," along with herbal teas and essential oils, to help clients.  Yes, its that easy to fool people and become a driving force in BS Conspiracy theories. Also, kind of sick of people doing the Donald J Trump run around of “This guy said” or “A friend told me” or even “so my doctor says” when you know full well its all Cow patties! If you can not quote a viable source that can be vetted shut the hell up! If you simply said I read this some place it at least lets us know we gotta go dig around to find it, or you can pass on the source too.  Point is if it cant be vetted don’t quote it. IF you think its opinion over facts then don’t use it. And for Gods sake if its God you are quoting…remember some of us don’t to Cosplay!

18.  The internet should be used for what its original intent was….Porn and ….well Porn.  Well that and to watch Youtube! Seriously, the internet is a good place to grab random facts but its not a place to do a deep dive. The Algorithm gods screw with the data you get and you end up just identifying things that help you support your own bias.  DON’T TAKE THE INTERNET SERIOUSLY! I know I have gotten bad info from the web and then read real papers and figured out stuff. It can be used for some things but remember….most of us can not identify a fact in a bunch of opinions and don’t even know the difference. Its like watching Fox news if you are a conservative, they are conservatives and will only reenforce your views…go watch CNN to challenge your views or MSNBC…and vice versa if you hold left leaning views.  Point is…the internet is not a place to go and grow…it’s a place to go bitch and watch porn…nuff said.

 

None of this is true! But it is printed in social media/online

 

The Sky is falling, the sky is falling…wait…no its not. But when you read it, you see that its true right? Often we read things and take them at face value, this had lead to polarization of our countries nearing a civil war level status. People not questioning what they read is a story old as time! Most of the time when we read something that opposes our thinking we don’t use it as a means of growth, we ignore it, seek to discredit it or we stop reading!

What we choose to read and how we choose to interpret what we read shows confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is rampant in our attempts to grow and the direction our thinking goes in. I have seen a massive chasm growing in the last decade or so in regards to this. It may be my age and my current level of development mentally but the confirmation bias has pushed us further right and left, not many of us centralists exist anymore.

The confirmation bias has grown and moved from only paying attention to what you agree on or even ignoring that which you don’t agree to and moved to almost violent opposition to what we don’t believe in.  it used to be that we would simply skim over that which we don’t agree with and we moved to attacking online blogs that we don’t agree with or attacking those on line we don’t agree with directly.

When forming our own thoughts on a subject we have moved from reading proof and using critical thinking to assess if we agree, build our own thought process up to not believing facts even when they are printed for you to read. Sometimes the proof is common sense stuff too and we can not believe it even when its printed and obvious. Sometimes proof is not enough proof at all! You can have years and years of printed and accepted proof and yet people still don’t accept the proof of fact as enough.  This is not more obvious than when you talk to flat earthers or when you talk to those that don’t believe that the earth to moon trips actually happened! We have video, they say its fake…..we have radio and TV proof, they say that is fake….we have bloody moon rocks with elements not found to easy here on earth and they say they are fake.  We have accounts of people who actually walked on the moon and they say its people faking it. No level of facts will prove this happened. Conversely someone suggested the earth is flat, gave no facts but some weak ass arguments easily shot down…but because it matches their personal bias…well that was enough they believe it.

For the most part we have failed to realize we have stopped thinking for ourselves. The fact that something is on social media or in print is proof enough for us. We see this as proof and this proof is enough for us. In the past people read two kinds of news, and by in the past I mean the 40’s to the 70’s. the news was designed to be bland, unimaginative and basically the news was what people saw with their eyes, things that were physical and tangible, however some color commentary did exist. We held some very specific group ideals that pushed the news to be bland and with out opinion, just a focused report of what was going on.  If someone slipped an ideal into the news it was outed as hog wash right away…..however today we expect opinion as proof and we migrate to the news networks and sources that support our own ideals as truth.

For the most part we fail to realize that networks like Fox news is feeding us back our own bias and reporting things that are centered around those ideas for the most part and CNN will side with the opposite set of ideals as a default. They see news events through specific ideological lenses. We fail to realize that we had stopped thinking for ourselves and, much like the matrix, we have been force fed our own bias in news and opinion and then forced further in the directions we are already aiming in. If you are a liberal who has left leanings and watch CNN you will be getting pushed further left, if you are a liberal with left leanings and watch Fox you probably will be upset and then moving further right. If you are a right wing person with far leanings to the right and watch Fox….you will start to look at a deep dive, and the same goes for the left. We have given up our rights to think for ourself so we can adhere to the tribes ideals.

The problem is that the personal bias that the Social media and media sites help spread are more than a little speckled with Bull shit and made up lies or at the least, twisted and warped ideas and facts that are pushing you the polarized side you first identified with and we slowly gave up our right to think or have opposing ideas to the tribe. Again, we fail to realize that we have stopped thinking for ourselves.

It’s a chicken and the Egg set up too, what came first “Tribalism” or the polarization in media?  The question is important because it answers the humanity question about cause and effect!  Which was the cause and which was the effect.?  If its Tribalism that caused the media changes then we need to use the same tools to reverse the tribalism or at the least bring the media back to just reporting the news, and if it’s the news that caused Tribalism….we need to eliminate the issues and start over.

One of the biggest and most annoying traits of the media however is “Pivots, Pivots and what abouts” the media uses the tools of pivoting and using “what abouts”.  This type of attitude or approach to reporting events is seen as being annoying when the “other side” uses it and acceptable when the reporting side uses it.  The “Pivot” approach is used when you want to distract from a question or issue that is asked that makes you uncomfortable or to get to the agenda points one has. For instance when Kellyanne Conway is interviewed she has a specific agenda that she wants to talk about to make her boss look good….if the media person puts her on the spot by asking a question that does not make her boss look good….she pivots to answer a question never asked…or bring up a situation or subject she wants to talk about! This is also when “What about” arguments come out…..”your boss said this”……” well what about the argument that this is bad”. Often the “What abouts” are used to pivot but they are not as artistic as the other pivots. The use of these is also something that the media does to itself as well…and because its printed or on video…its true.

The point is that we need to stop getting our “Truth” from any media sources, view them with scepticism and realise its their job and their goal to convince you. They are “Fact” salespeople! They want you to move to one side or the other in an argument and have distain for the other side of the argument. For the most part we have all given up our rights and expectations of thinking for ourselves. When you give into whole hearted tribalism you become a Sheeple.

How real mind control works!

 

So, you are looking up something on the internet and you want to find out why a specific item is happening or what is going on in the world related to something specific. Back in the day if we wanted to have an unbiased view on a subject, we grabbed our encyclopedias and dictionaries, maybe went to the library and took out a few books by different authors and slogged through information and formed our own viewpoints. Maybe we grabbed a book on pro-marijuana and then one against it, or we went and found a book glorifying a political leader and a few that pulled them down! We found tell all books about a person and we found a book that extolled their virtues. Maybe we went digging in the archives of newspapers or magazines and the articles were a bit bias but the focus of the time was actual facts…okay not all the time but you got a more vanilla point of view and you had choices.  The pro/good was next to the opposing/bad and you had your options, much like an information buffet laid out for you to read and make up your mind.

As it happened you could read the same books and articles, watch the same news as the next person and still get opposite ideas at the end of the day. Happened all the time, but the source material was normally similar if not the same. The number of sources were limited to print and the we did not have whole TV networks that were dedicated to a specific point of view. I like to think that people good old Walter Cronkite were not horribly bias and had to go on facts….to which you selected to listen to or not.  The internet was new and may not even have been around for some of us. I remember doing a report on then president Reagan (Super right winger) and I got to read a few books about him and some articles that outlined his policies and history (most of which was over my head) but it was the same bland fact-based stuff that most of us got to see.

 

Fast forwards to today, and a wee bit before today!  The internet is where I would say 98% of our news from the web and most of our ideas are formed off of what different search engines feed us.  So, if you are a bit right leaning and your searches are right leaning then the algorithms that they use to sort information will sort the info you get from sources to the right of the political spectrum. This is why you have a hard time debating people on just about any subject, because when they search things like “gun control” or about the current COVID info, you are getting information sources that match up with your bias because your bias is what the search engine is looking at when it filters through in formation for you.

It’s the same thing if you go on video sharing sites like YouTube.  After some research and watching your videos you start to get fed different videos that will be based on the things you are watching currently. If you are watching CNN stuff, as it is a left leaning web site that supports left leaning politics….you will be fed MSNBC sites and other left leaning news sites. If you watch Fox news articles or Vlogs that are right leaning guess what you get on your feeds. That’s right….right leaning political videos.

 

I had a debate with someone the other day about COVID protection and the “science” behind testing and such. The reason I like to debate with them is they are very Left leaning and their search engines and the algorithms that they are exposed to are very different than mine. I also reached out to a right winger that I know and for the same reasons! The end result is that I ended up with a balanced view of the situation. However, the sources that I used were polar opposite and its often hard to figure out what’s center of the road…and the problem with being center of the road is that we don’t get a lot of specific info tailored towards us.

 

So, speaking of mind control, the outcome of the use of an algorithm to sift through the vast amount of information is that we only get back our personal bias’s and the information is naturally cherry picked for us, ergo feeding our already slanted view….and some times slanting it even further to the side we were naturally leaning. What this means is that if you are left leaning then all your search results….left leaning! If you have a set bias then your bias will continue to be fed by the information that you see is going to reinforce your bias!

This was no more obvious to me than when I was looking into the new strains of COVID and a friend started sending me info from the web on the “Legal/moral efficacy of the lock down”.  Their beliefs are tied closely to the belief that some how, some way we have undeniable rights that some unique entity has extolled upon us and that the government can not take away ever! They had “proof” from web sites.  The web sites all, no socker here, reinforced her beliefs.  I did my own search, with my ideals being that our beliefs are finite and can be taken away by those we vote into power…no God in heaven set out our bill of human rights, people did and therefore we can have them taken away at the will of government! Weird how the web sites I found on a google search backed that up!

 

The warping of the ideas of society is/was on full display in the lead up to the 2020 election by the right or on the right….and this led to the issue with Trump supporters invading the house! The issue of brainwashing the masses started in 2016 and before with the search engines channeling potential right wing trump supporters to believe that he was the great white hope for them. And yes, I meant to write it that way. They sucked up the conspiracy theories and the right-wing propaganda and this once Democrat, failed business man, once playboy who had “strange tastes” for his sex drive, who has been accused of rape by a myriad of people became a staunch Republican, billionaire who was dedicated to his family and super religious! Every cycle and every search brought them closer to this new reality. The facts of what he had said and done in the past were paved over, new “reality” replaced the facts of what he said. The funniest part was when people actually said “Well he did not mean that” or “that’s not what he said…” when it was EXACTLY what he said! The right paved over truth and created a new reality, the internet helped them and were the best wingmen in this endeavour!

The left had its own version of this with the raise of ANTIFA. The left started out as “rights advocates” and moved from wanting greener tech, vegans who wanted the government to be about their point of view! Then a few people began moving in a different direction. Some Marxists started a movement, one that on the surface has not only great merit but is honorable! At the same time the group has also turned to using violence to get their point of view across.  Modern ANTIFA grew out of the same mind bending that built up the far right! People who had good intentions and left of center policies grew and developed further right-wing ideas, this took the most non-violent ideas and righteous ideas of anti-fascist, anti-racist political ideas and created a violent group that would basically do what ever they wanted to so that they could force their ideas on others.

It started with them putting up fliers, looking for support in shutting down or disrupting speeches by those that they did not agree with. In 2002 they tried to shut down a speech by MF Hale, a white supremacist church leader. 25 people were arrested on the ANTIFA side and the speech went on. The group was fairly small and not very well organized. Then they spread to the internet and with the algorithm doing its work, the group built up and became more militant, more violent and less controllable.

The groups grew and once the Black Lives Matter marches began to occur and the anti Trump groups grew as well, the marches and events were perfect places for ANTIFA to set in. The far-left radical group began growing and the dark web saw a spike in activity by this group, new members were recruited once they were set up to be radicalized by the algorithms. Soon you had a internet search engine building up the radical groups.

To some extent this type of radicalization and polarization that the web search engines created has been minor and just pushed those on the left to maintain their stance and the right-wing society members also maintained their right-wing stances. But in some cases, it also pushed right of center or left of center people to the far end of the spectrum polarizing society and worse yet…. making those that are on the right feel that those on the left are enemies and not just those that hold opposing ideas.

 

Mind control or brain washing is a bit of a harsh way to put it, but it is as close to the truth as I can put it.  When you use google and allow the google search engine to find the information you use, giving your ability to be critical or to think for yourself and you won’t grow.  Worse than this, if you allow only the filtered information to reach you then you may not be getting the facts. I read through information that is sent to me and the first two things I do is look for opposing information and then I look at the source. 

9 times out of 10 the source is a known conspiracy theorist and the information checks out as “Questionable” at best, at worst it can show as total false propaganda. This happens on both sides of the political spectrum by the way.  There is no way that someone on the far left/right can see information off a search engine that could open their mind to an alternative thought. It’s the insidious nature of the internet search engines that can contribute to the polarization of our society. If we are not exposed to dynamically different ideas that are clear of motive (so you know…facts) and allowed to maintain opposing thoughts in our head then the continued polarization of society will lead to a lot more separation in our society.

 

So, what is the answer to the issue of the algorithm?  Well knowing about it is the first thing, not trusting the damn thing is the second thing. So, yah….don’t trust your first instinct! And remember that the truth lies between the right and the left, not in the extremes.