1/
Medical Experts said covid-19 meant we must close businesses, cancel weddings, cancel church, miss funerals and stay home.
Most of us, through tears and broken hearts, listened.
The same experts then gave enthusiastic approval to the massive #BLM protests,
Why?
A Thread🧵
Medical Experts said covid-19 meant we must close businesses, cancel weddings, cancel church, miss funerals and stay home.
Most of us, through tears and broken hearts, listened.
The same experts then gave enthusiastic approval to the massive #BLM protests,
Why?
A Thread🧵
2/
There is an open letter signed by over 1200 medical professionals which says Exactly why churches, weddings, and funerals need to stop, while BLM protests are allowed to go on.
That letter is linked in the tweet below.
Let's go through it shall we?
There is an open letter signed by over 1200 medical professionals which says Exactly why churches, weddings, and funerals need to stop, while BLM protests are allowed to go on.
That letter is linked in the tweet below.
Let's go through it shall we?
3/
The letter opens with a discussion of "mostly white" anti-lockdown protestors who didn't want to listen to medical professionals and stay home. It says the medical community mourned the "widening rift between leaders in science and a subset of the communities that they serve."
The letter opens with a discussion of "mostly white" anti-lockdown protestors who didn't want to listen to medical professionals and stay home. It says the medical community mourned the "widening rift between leaders in science and a subset of the communities that they serve."
4/
The letter then discusses the black lives matter protests and says a public health response to those protests is needed but it "must be wholly different from the response to white protesters resisting stay-home orders."
Why treat them differently? Is it for medical reasons?
The letter then discusses the black lives matter protests and says a public health response to those protests is needed but it "must be wholly different from the response to white protesters resisting stay-home orders."
Why treat them differently? Is it for medical reasons?
5/
As it turns out, No.
They will be "prioritizing an anti-racist message."
Not a public health message
Not a message about Covid
Not a message about social distancing
We're in a pandemic and the medical profession has decided to put wokeness above medical care.
Have a look:
As it turns out, No.
They will be "prioritizing an anti-racist message."
Not a public health message
Not a message about Covid
Not a message about social distancing
We're in a pandemic and the medical profession has decided to put wokeness above medical care.
Have a look:
6/
They continue with politics and claim "racism is a health issue." They say that so they can hijack the resources, credibility, and mission of the medical community in the service of the woke political agenda, leveraging the power of medical establishment for political clout.
They continue with politics and claim "racism is a health issue." They say that so they can hijack the resources, credibility, and mission of the medical community in the service of the woke political agenda, leveraging the power of medical establishment for political clout.
7/
Once "racism is a health issue" the woke can redirect resources to fighting racism and away from medical research because hey, fighting racism IS medicine by that logic.
They're redirecting scarce medical resources toward their political project DURING A PANDEMIC.
Once "racism is a health issue" the woke can redirect resources to fighting racism and away from medical research because hey, fighting racism IS medicine by that logic.
They're redirecting scarce medical resources toward their political project DURING A PANDEMIC.
8/
As you can see they have decided that for entirely political reasons that have ZERO to do with the science of how Covid spreads, they're going to tell the public that the black lives matter protests are not a risky for transmission.
I mean, this is a lie.
As you can see they have decided that for entirely political reasons that have ZERO to do with the science of how Covid spreads, they're going to tell the public that the black lives matter protests are not a risky for transmission.
I mean, this is a lie.
9/ It gets worse. In that exact same paragraph they claim that opposition to stay-home orders is "rooted in white supremacy."
They say opposing stay-home orders because you're losing your home and want leave your house to get a job to pay the mortgage, that's white supremacy.
They say opposing stay-home orders because you're losing your home and want leave your house to get a job to pay the mortgage, that's white supremacy.
10/
1,200 medical professionals signed a letter saying even though #BlackLivesMatter protests aren't transmission risks, crowds are transmission risks. So opposing the stay at home orders that the BLM protestors don't follow is rooted in white supremacy and therefore racist
1,200 medical professionals signed a letter saying even though #BlackLivesMatter protests aren't transmission risks, crowds are transmission risks. So opposing the stay at home orders that the BLM protestors don't follow is rooted in white supremacy and therefore racist
11/
On June 8th Keith Neil, epidemiologist at University of Nottingham, said large gatherings create transmission risk, although this is mitigated by being outdoors. An analysis shared by the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Centre....
ncceh.ca/documents/guid…
On June 8th Keith Neil, epidemiologist at University of Nottingham, said large gatherings create transmission risk, although this is mitigated by being outdoors. An analysis shared by the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Centre....
ncceh.ca/documents/guid…
12/ Please notice: Dr. Neil predicted that an increase in cases following the protests, which occurred just as slow re-openings were beginning, would lead to political fights over who was at fault; with each side blaming the other. This turned out to be prophetic:
13/
This of course leads to a situation where regular people are not sure what to believe anymore, or who they can trust. What makes it worse is journalists, whose job it is find out the truth and report back to regular people, have also divided along partisan political lines:
This of course leads to a situation where regular people are not sure what to believe anymore, or who they can trust. What makes it worse is journalists, whose job it is find out the truth and report back to regular people, have also divided along partisan political lines:
14/
The result is the loss of institutional trust, and the people in the institutions seem to have no idea why. They don't seem to know we can see them substituting facts for their own opinions and leveraging their scientific credibility for ideological reasons.
The result is the loss of institutional trust, and the people in the institutions seem to have no idea why. They don't seem to know we can see them substituting facts for their own opinions and leveraging their scientific credibility for ideological reasons.
15/
In March, Professor of epidemiology @epiellie said avoid crowds. (pic 1)
Once the protests started she said protests are fine because her side has "momentum." (pic 2)
She changes her message based on political calculations then says her message hasn't changed:
In March, Professor of epidemiology @epiellie said avoid crowds. (pic 1)
Once the protests started she said protests are fine because her side has "momentum." (pic 2)
She changes her message based on political calculations then says her message hasn't changed:
16/
Professor of epidemiology @s_j_prins says public health needs to "pick a side." @epiellie agrees and endorses a Covid info-graphic that was changed from telling protestors and police to stay safe, to saying police should stay home. She also says "Defund, disarm, abolish."
Professor of epidemiology @s_j_prins says public health needs to "pick a side." @epiellie agrees and endorses a Covid info-graphic that was changed from telling protestors and police to stay safe, to saying police should stay home. She also says "Defund, disarm, abolish."
17/
Why would any police officer ever take advice from public health again? These people have used their platforms to "pick a side" and say it should be the goal of public health to abolish the police.
Is it any wonder why the trust in our institutions has collapsed entirely?
Why would any police officer ever take advice from public health again? These people have used their platforms to "pick a side" and say it should be the goal of public health to abolish the police.
Is it any wonder why the trust in our institutions has collapsed entirely?
18/
When public health officials say they are "picking sides" politically, and then we can see them change their medical advice based on their political calculations and the "momentum" they see, we aren't going to trust them. It really is that simple.
And they don't get it.
When public health officials say they are "picking sides" politically, and then we can see them change their medical advice based on their political calculations and the "momentum" they see, we aren't going to trust them. It really is that simple.
And they don't get it.
19/
And it's common. @awgaffney instructor at Harvard medical school, ruins Harvard's credibility by saying property damage isn't violence. What do you say to that?
Wokal: "They robbed my house and burned it down."
Harvard Medical Instructor: "Thank God there was no violence."
And it's common. @awgaffney instructor at Harvard medical school, ruins Harvard's credibility by saying property damage isn't violence. What do you say to that?
Wokal: "They robbed my house and burned it down."
Harvard Medical Instructor: "Thank God there was no violence."
20/ So what do we do?
Well, We can begin by acknowledging people who do it right, even if they don't always take our side.
Please meet @DrTomFrieden former head of the Centre for Disease Control. He will be our guide:
Well, We can begin by acknowledging people who do it right, even if they don't always take our side.
Please meet @DrTomFrieden former head of the Centre for Disease Control. He will be our guide:
21/
Here, in early april (APRIL!) before the anti-lockdown protests started @DrTomFrieden was talking about ways to open sooner. Rather than accusing people who want to work again of being white supremacists, he explains what is needed to open and how to get there sooner:
Here, in early april (APRIL!) before the anti-lockdown protests started @DrTomFrieden was talking about ways to open sooner. Rather than accusing people who want to work again of being white supremacists, he explains what is needed to open and how to get there sooner:
22/
In May @DrTomFrieden maintained his credibility by explaining, during anti-lockdown protests, that being outside did in fact have a lower transmission risk then being indoors, even though that lower risk wasn't zero.
In May @DrTomFrieden maintained his credibility by explaining, during anti-lockdown protests, that being outside did in fact have a lower transmission risk then being indoors, even though that lower risk wasn't zero.
23/
@DrTomFrieden continues to provide a masterclass in credibility here by admitting the term "lockdown" was wrong. HE ADMITS A MISTAKE. He doesn't lie, or cover up. He admits the focus should have been on physical distancing, safety, and sensible reopening. This is important...
@DrTomFrieden continues to provide a masterclass in credibility here by admitting the term "lockdown" was wrong. HE ADMITS A MISTAKE. He doesn't lie, or cover up. He admits the focus should have been on physical distancing, safety, and sensible reopening. This is important...
24/ By admitting a mistake, even thought the mistake was not wholly his fault, he demonstrates honesty. That's a key thing for maintaining credibility. Compare that with @epiellie telling us her messaging hadn't changed when we had tweets showing she changed for political reasons
25/
When the BLM protests begin, he had the SAME STANDARD for them as for others: Covid transmission is lower outside, but not zero. Compare that to the letter from the start of this thread where they said (for political reasons) the protests were not risky for transmission.
When the BLM protests begin, he had the SAME STANDARD for them as for others: Covid transmission is lower outside, but not zero. Compare that to the letter from the start of this thread where they said (for political reasons) the protests were not risky for transmission.
26/
Equal standards and equal treatment are huge for building trust.
Even when @DrTomFrieden says police shouldn't use teargas he does so for medical reasons: it causes coughing and spreads Covid. He sticks to his expertise and doesn't attack or say police should be abolished
Equal standards and equal treatment are huge for building trust.
Even when @DrTomFrieden says police shouldn't use teargas he does so for medical reasons: it causes coughing and spreads Covid. He sticks to his expertise and doesn't attack or say police should be abolished
27/
LOL
He calls out the looters, not for looting, but for spreading Covid 🤣
See @DrTomFrieden has a job to do: be the trusted expert for EVERYONE.
So he doesn't attack the looters, nor does he defend the looting. His job is to discuss how Covid spreads, and he sticks to that.
LOL
He calls out the looters, not for looting, but for spreading Covid 🤣
See @DrTomFrieden has a job to do: be the trusted expert for EVERYONE.
So he doesn't attack the looters, nor does he defend the looting. His job is to discuss how Covid spreads, and he sticks to that.
28/
At no point does @DrTomFrieden leverage his credibility for personal or political gain. He's the expert who is concerned with the health of everyone. From #blacklivesmatter to anti-lockdown protestors, police to looters. He is helping everyone stop the spread of Covid.
At no point does @DrTomFrieden leverage his credibility for personal or political gain. He's the expert who is concerned with the health of everyone. From #blacklivesmatter to anti-lockdown protestors, police to looters. He is helping everyone stop the spread of Covid.
29/
THAT is what an expert is supposed to do. THAT is how we maintain the credibility of institutions.
If we had people behaving like that we would be in a much much better place.
So, when looking for experts, look for people like @DrTomFrieden
THAT is what an expert is supposed to do. THAT is how we maintain the credibility of institutions.
If we had people behaving like that we would be in a much much better place.
So, when looking for experts, look for people like @DrTomFrieden
30/
We live at a time where our government, media, journalism, and academic institutions are burning through their credibility by pushing the wokies political agenda all costs.
This is a disaster. We need to stop it. The best thing we can do is reward men like @DrTomFrieden
We live at a time where our government, media, journalism, and academic institutions are burning through their credibility by pushing the wokies political agenda all costs.
This is a disaster. We need to stop it. The best thing we can do is reward men like @DrTomFrieden
31/
fin/
PS/
I spent a long time on the TL of @DrTomFrieden
I know he uses some wokish language. However, after considering his full body of work, I concluded he's just attempting to use what he sees as contemporary language to express liberal ideas.
:)
fin/
PS/
I spent a long time on the TL of @DrTomFrieden
I know he uses some wokish language. However, after considering his full body of work, I concluded he's just attempting to use what he sees as contemporary language to express liberal ideas.
:)
