Ugly Duckling Doppelganger

Conspiracy Theorists vs Public Health

Unlike Naomi Klein, her glamorous Doppelganger, Sarah Gorman, the ugly duckling doppelganger didn’t dive into conspiracy theories before writing The Anatomy of Deception: Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, and Public Health in America. She dug up a few tubers of conspiracies, from an endless field of taters. Stuck in her thumb and pulled out a few dozen health, political and wealth conspiracies (collusion of a cabal to gain criminal control).

There’s a “strong link between preventive health behaviors and belief in Conspiracy Theories.” Conspiracy Theories contradict official, medical science pronouncements, particularly Whiplash Science. It’s negative correlation, adoption of her “preventive” list is lower among those with stronger belief on her scale. We make fewer annual visits to dentists, but not because we avoid fluoridation. Lower rates of using sunscreen, not for vitamin D.

Levels of trust in Public Health authorities, namely Dr. Fauci, reliably predicts “vaccine intention” [willingness to get jabbed and boosted], and “conformity to hygienic and social distancing” guidelines trotted out from horror movies. Trust in Science was positively correlated with social distancing, masking, isolating and injection uptake.

Gorman measured “media mistrust” as slightly lower than the 37% who still believed Trump colluded with Russia to defeat Hilary Clinton in 2023. They aren’t included as CT’ers, even though the FBI had declared insufficient evidence for a conspiracy fact.

People who were unsure of media accuracy were more likely to believe in her Top 40 list of conspiracy theories in general. However, this uncertainty made them more persuadable, so this confused clutch is an “important population to combat misinformation and conspiracy theories.”

Which is why my Tactics and Strategy series prioritized not losing them by spinning theories too deep, too fast. This muddled middle must be coaxed out of their caves, like slowly pulling crabs to the surface with a chicken neck on fishing line. Can’t startle them until they’re snagged. Then swing ‘em onto land, grab ‘em by the butt and pop ‘em in the bucket. Not literally.

MAHA people have their own preventive practices, but that movement rose to the surface while her book was in preproduction, so isn’t covered. Could have caused cognitive dissonance with her Masters in Public Health, acknowledging chronic illness is the existential threat in America, not infectious disease. Bravely, she brought up the chronic illness epidemic and horrible health of most Americans, but Gorman twists herself into a knot around causes.

An “intertwining phenomena of access, trust and conspiracy beliefs that define our medical and health care system, even our everyday lives have cascading effects.” Blames this on “poor healthcare access, increased crime rate, working conditions and workforce decline”, resulting in “less health, happiness, ability to support themselves, with time to enjoy their interests.” Basically the American Way of Life.

Doesn’t use the V word, or mention toxic waste foodstuffs funnelled down addicted consumers rope a dopamine neural networks. Slippery slope to the hard stuff, (SSRI’s need a Neuralink chip to detox, installed in Bobby’s Wellness camps).

Gorman recruited interviewees in 2022 and 23, “asking people to contact me if they distrusted medicine and health care.” She says she “listened to them without judgment”, but obviously no discernment (just like Naomi Klein). She also “talked to people whose family and friends had become conspiracy theorists.” Gormann interviewed dozens of people with conspiracy beliefs about the medical system or close relatives. She didn’t investigate any conspiracy facts.

As a dedicated progressive, Gormann wants to treat minority CTer’swith “equity values”, by considering their history of being subjects of medical experimentation. Stops short of scolding, because she wants to get to “a place of understanding ideology that creates vicious in-groups and proposes violence as a solution to societal problems” by examining “where some of the fuel for this fire is coming from.”

She admits the “pandemic was a serious blow to trust in health care and public institutions”, damaging the relationships between general pubic and clinicians.” A “marked increase of suspicion about government recommendations.” Gormann proposes “reform of some of our social systems” to meet the “twin challenges of loss of trust in institution and doctors.” She’s not an RFK jr fan, though.

In 2020, polling showed most American’s trust in the CDC decreased among Trump voters and non voters most of all, but increased overall in FEMA and USPS then, (didn’t hold up by election time). Gormann mistakenly believes that “poor access to health care primarily drives mistrust.” People turned away at the gatekeeper turn to “alternative treatments and viewpoints.” National polling shows incompetent access and dissatisfaction with the result is far more important.

She credits COVID-19 for “highlighting poor health, exorbitant costs, inequities and disparities in access and care” in the medical system, (not my Save Trillions with Universal Health Care). In 2021, thirty million adults were without medical insurance, 30% of Hispanic adults and 14% of Black adults. She doesn’t mention how many were undocumented, with estimates of fifteen million. None were interviewed, which skews her scale.

Gormann believes “inequities in access to vaccines drive skepticism about the motives of vaccine makers. Financial burdens made it easier to go online and buy MMS- miracle mineral solution- basically bleach.”, (that was hydroxychloroquine, not MMS). Vaccines were given away, donuts included. Inoculation Technicians hustled to jab all who lined up in empty storefronts. Mistrust increased because it was pushed so rapidly and relentlessly.

She excused black communities for their higher rates of vaxx refusal or hesitance, and higher death rates on “less than optimal health behaviors’ bad health outcomes.” It was a messaging mistake, blaming “misguided strategies that overlooked decades of disinvestment, fewer providers and less service,” while Trump’s “earlier policies alienated many.”

Yet, degree of trust in Trump, (still proselytizing his Wonderful mRNA Warp Speed Vaccines), was a “much greater predictor” of lower herd immunity in red counties. Just a correlation, not causation. AWOL is non-partisan. American’s slothful sedentary, ultraprocessed food/drinkstuff, financial stressed, adrenallyexhausted “lifestyle”, and toxin damaged immune systems are the norm.

Wellness Work Camps are on Order for Doppelgangers.