I introduce the "Scary Virus Paradox":
"After clearing a threshold, the less deadly a virus is, the more it will kill."
(Deadliness here defined as R0 * IFR)
(log-log graph)
This is obviously caused by society's reaction: the deadlier a virus, the scarier, and the more society acts in unison against it, like for Ebola or SARS.
Nobody cares (cared?) about the flu, so it kills ~350k ppl a year.
Measles antivaxxers, covidiots, antimaskers and the like are therefore a predictable reaction to a virus' deadliness.
1. Disrespectful and polarizing
He calls us "lockdowners" as if he was trying to demean us. That does not sound like a productive way to have a fact-driven conversation (which he claims to support).
2. His understanding of what he criticizes is shallow.
I'm not a "lockdowner". I hate lockdowns. They have a very specific use in some cases, but Western countries have used them nilly-willy. Their failure was to not use the right tools (fences, test-trace-isolate..)
What countries turned around their strategy?
Several. My favorite is Singapore:
It failed with its Fences and its test-trace-isolate programs in dormitories, but updated them and was able to control the virus
The best lens to understand QAnon is as a cult: The 1st massive one to be born fully through social media. It is designed for Persuasion, and uses the best tools from cults.
1. Consistency
If you know a bit about Persuasion, you’ll recognize Consistency at play: Once ppl are down a path, they want to keep walking it. That’s why ppl stay in relationships or jobs they hate, for example.