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Discussion: UK anti-vaxx 'freedom' morons, protests and QAnon idiots

I don't know about any of the other shit but the message on her sign seems rather uncontroversial. In fact I'm pretty sure it's national government policy. Seems a bit of waste of time to be protesting in support of standard policy. Furlough has a lot to answer for.
Whom do they approve of approving medicine for children? Despite the fact medicine has always been given to children.
 
The 'vaccines will kill you' timeline has already changed from straight away, to 2 months to now 2 years so they are already clutching at straws.
Whom do they approve of approving medicine for children? Despite the fact medicine has always been given to children.
It's so ridiculous. Think of all the shit we put in our bodies from the local supermaket.
 
This so-called "double mutate Indian variant", which has already surfaced in the UK, seems to be causing concern, it's still designated as a “variant under investigation”, but looks like it could be upgraded to a "variant of concern" pretty soon. :(

It is designated a “variant under investigation” but is worrying researchers as it contains two mutations that it is thought may help the virus to evade the body’s immune responses. There are also concerns the variant might be more infectious than early forms of Covid-19.

Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said that while there was yet to be proof to support such worries, there was anecdotal evidence from India.

“I think it’s fair to say that this is a candidate for becoming a variant of concern pretty soon,” he said.

 
Has anyone tried debating with a friend, neighbour, colleague, who has expressed these anti-vaxxer / Covid-is-no-worse-than-flu / the SARS-2-CoV virus-has-never-been-identified views? And if so, did you manage to change their opinion at all? I must admit I don't bother, I've 'unfriended' one person and ignore another, as it seems to me that because all logic has gone out the window for people who believe this stuff, there's no point in trying to discuss it rationally.
 
Has anyone tried debating with a friend, neighbour, colleague, who has expressed these anti-vaxxer / Covid-is-no-worse-than-flu / the SARS-2-CoV virus-has-never-been-identified views? And if so, did you manage to change their opinion at all? I must admit I don't bother, I've 'unfriended' one person and ignore another, as it seems to me that because all logic has gone out the window for people who believe this stuff, there's no point in trying to discuss it rationally.

I've definitely managed to get them to alter their behaviour and maybe stopped them recruiting other people into it. Was a lot of effort though and I feel like I gave up in the end (although maybe I haven't, maybe I've just shifted my priorities). Had to be clever about it and at some point resort to tactics I only reserve for dire situations like utilising office politics to 'contain' the issue, which worked but left me feeling really sad and lonely.

Head on arguing seemed to do very little but pre-emting the conversation and railroading down a a slightly different route by saying things like "people feel powerless when confronted with something like a virus, and powerless when confronted with our government who don't care about protecting us, so they take it out on an easier target like people sat in parks or someone who accidentally dropped their mask on the pavement" seemed to work really well.

That was in real life though, are you debating face to face or online? I wouldn't bother online at all.
 
Has anyone tried debating with a friend, neighbour, colleague, who has expressed these anti-vaxxer / Covid-is-no-worse-than-flu / the SARS-2-CoV virus-has-never-been-identified views? And if so, did you manage to change their opinion at all? I must admit I don't bother, I've 'unfriended' one person and ignore another, as it seems to me that because all logic has gone out the window for people who believe this stuff, there's no point in trying to discuss it rationally.

No, but I've got a plan next time I come across it - in real life, I wouldn't bother online. My plan is similar to the one muscovyduck mentioned, which is pretty much ignore the stuff they're actually saying about covid at first and try and get at what the root of their fear/cynicism/anger is (and for most people I think there is something there going on like that) and then work from there towards some position where we share some common ground, and then try to show that something else makes more sense to explain that than their bonkers conspiracy shit. That's the idea, I might also lose the plot and scream at them.

E2A: I don't think has any chance of working for the fully bought in conspiracy person, maybe more the person who's dipped into it a bit.
 
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Has anyone tried debating with a friend, neighbour, colleague, who has expressed these anti-vaxxer / Covid-is-no-worse-than-flu / the SARS-2-CoV virus-has-never-been-identified views? And if so, did you manage to change their opinion at all? I must admit I don't bother, I've 'unfriended' one person and ignore another, as it seems to me that because all logic has gone out the window for people who believe this stuff, there's no point in trying to discuss it rationally.
One of my housemates sometimes comes out with talking points along those lines, I sometimes attempt to gently challenge it but mostly just try to avoid it, since the effort to outcome ratio doesn't really seem worth it.
If anyone does want to get into arguing about this stuff, one thing that I've seen people point out is that there is actual evidence of the Gates Foundation doing shady shit with regard to vaccines, in terms of pressuring Oxford to go from an open-licence model to an exclusive licence with AstraZeneca, but that shady shit is actually completely different to what the conspiracists claim they're doing.
 
That's one of the trickier things with this stuff, some of it has small elements of stuff that's believable or true (either currently or historically) or it just chimes with people's mistrust and fear of authority and 'the establishment'. It's a bit like the rise of the anti-woke and alt-right shit, there are bits of stuff in there that I can see and very partially agree with (issues with the more bonkers bits of 'left wing wokeness' and some critiques of identity politics for example), they then get used as a jumping off point into much more horrendous stuff.

E2A; I must expand my vocabulary on from just using 'stuff' so much. :facepalm:
 
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Fucks sake, fuming.

At work today and overheard 2 dental nurses (share an area with them) talking about how covid is all a fake etc etc. Knew it wasn't a good idea but couldn't help myself so interrupted with a jokey, 'Oh talking conspiracy theories?' Got a 'It's not conspiracy, I'm thinking for myself' as a retort from one of them.

Followed up with a heated exchange where they both went on about it being just flu/fake/vaccines killing people/and similar incoherent nonsense. Summary after answering their every point with a correction was 'Well I have my opinions and I'm a free thinker' and I a bit told them it was depressing they worked in healthcare and couldn't tell fact from made-up bollocks. This is fucking depressing, I share a workspace in a medical service with them, and they're giving advice to patients daily.

This main person I rowed with last week came over today and offered me an icing covered doughnut at work today. Some kind of peace offering or maybe a change of heart? (Unless they'd spat on it first of course!)

I gave a tactful (and slightly fingers crossed) apology as well, said I was sorry if I was dick last week, I'm a bit sensitive as know a couple of people that have died of it. They said it was OK and looked slightly sheepish. Ha!
 
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