Pandemic Deniers: Then and Now

Interesting to see that the public reaction to the 1918 pandemic wasn’t qualitatively different than it is today.  Apparently, there were people who needed to be told, “Do not disregard the advice of a specialist just because you don’t understand,” and “Do not think you are entitled to special privileges.”

There are, however, some important differences.

Quantitatively, one suspects that the percentage of anti-vaxxers/anti-maskers must have been much lower back then.  It’s doubtful that there were entire cults built around the theory that the government was conspiring with the medical health community to control the mind of the public.

The percentage of anti-vaxxers in the U.S. today?  22%.  Certainly there were people back then who suffered from some blend of selfishness, misinformation, and brute insanity, but it couldn’t have been anywhere close to 22%.

Also, the world of 1918 didn’t even have radio. Now we have social media to share misinformation with our fellow crazies, and we have an very popular television “news” channel dedicated entirely to spreading malicious lies.

There were people back then who, when they were told things like, “Do not disregard the advice of a specialist just because you don’t understand,” and “Do not think you are entitled to special privileges,” actually changed their minds and began to act with sanity and decency.  Today, we’re speaking to deaf ears; these people are completely dug into their positions, and regard any attempt to pull them out to be the work of government conspirators, and/or Satan himself.