Dr. Hotez is a professor of pediatrics and molecular virology and microbiology at the Baylor College of Medicine. He is also co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development. And, Dr. Hotez gets a lot of death threats:
“…you print one more paper or blog suggesting the round up of free citizens to get an unproven untested shot that is no more a vaccine than an m and m is, I will suggest to all my Patriots friends that you be hunted and… Justice is on the way for you scumbag! ” (p. 1)
While Dr. Hotez is a leader in his field, his appearances on MSNBC and other media outlets about the dangers of Covid-19 put him in the cross-hairs of the vaccine-deniers. And, it wasn’t just Dr. Hotez being threatened, Dr. Fauci got emails like this one: “I will slaughter your entire family. You will pay with your children’s blood for your crimes.” (p. 95)
The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science documents the war on Science by the Right. Dr. Hotez provides documentation about the effects of the anti-vaccination campaign on FOX NEWS: over 200,000 lives could have been saved. But “The Ingraham Angle aired negative claims in 98% of its vaccine segments. Hannity was second with 91%, and Tucker Carlson Tonight and Fox News Primetime followed with 90% and 89%, respectively.” (p. 81). False claims against the effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccines cost people their lives.
Science and rational thinking is being attacked by local groups, state politicians, and members of Congress. While the Trump administration has a lot to answer for, the continuous attacks on the CDC and NIH haven’t stopped. Bogus “experts” on Social Media spread false claims and provide fake information to confuse medical issues.
Dr. Holez provides some strategies to fight this growing problem and encourages Americans to take action. When it comes to attacks on Science, Holez quotes Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman: “…it cannot be appeased or comprised with. It can only be defeated.” (p. 146) GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Preface — xi
Chapter 1. An Army of Patriots Turns against the Scientists — 1
Chapter 2. Health Freedom Propaganda in America — 24
Chapter 3. Red COVID — 41
Chapter 4. An Anti-science Political Ecosystem — 64
Chapter 5. A Tough Time to Be a Scientist — 87
Chapter 6. The Authoritarian Playbook — 105
Chapter 7. The Hardest Science Communication Ever — 122
Chapter 8. Southern Poverty Law Center for Scientists — 143
Literature Cited — 163
Index — 209
Didn’t Trumps appoint Fauci his COVID czar, or whatever the title was? You can’t have it both ways!
Bob, Trump specializes in having things both ways!
Trump”s support for Fauci and NIH was always lukewarm at best. But I suspect Trump’s feat of disease (as in his contracting one) led him to the closest approximation of responsibility in his term in office.
We have those guys in Europe too but only on the really extreme right. However for many activities you need a vaccination passport`that helps.
Once in Covid times I read a crazy and angry comment on our family doc from someone who wasn’t allowed into the doc’s office because he didn’t wear a mask, didn’t want to be vaccinated and so on …
So what did he want the doc to do?
Sometimes I’m thinking this is nature’s way to select who are (not …) going to multiply …
Give them the Darwin Award!
Wolf, security services are a booming industry in the U.S. with politicians and doctors getting Death Threats daily.
Anti-intellectualism, anti-science, and disdain for education are earmarks of a fascist system. God help us!
Deb, I’m getting a Bad Feeling about the upcoming Presidential Election. The Momentum is on the Right.
I don’t see it, George. Trump is doing Nothing to expand his appeal, and he still hasn’t actually won an election. While Biden could indeed make a much better case for his administration, but I think Trump’s probable near-future meltdown will take at least some of his sycophants with him.
Todd, I’m looking at Third Parties that will draw votes from Biden and Dark Money that will support Trump and the MAGA crowd.
Third parties have not, despite Democratic Party whining, played a significant role in the US pres elections since Perot. The State of Florida (and its crazy hole-punch 2-sided ballots), Sandra Day O’Connor’s irresponsibility, and Al Gore’s disinterest in actually being president rather than cashing in, not Ralph Nader, “lost” the 2000 election that that Gore won. Hillary Clinton’s irresponsible and inept campaign, not Jill Stein any more than Gary Johnson nor Gloria La Riva, “lost” for her the 2016 race she won. But we can’t blame the incompetence of our Fearless Leaders, so we abet their whining about Greens, who draw others’ votes (such as mine) that were not going to the neoliberals anyway. (Particularly as I lived in Dem states, with our ridiculous Electoral College, which the Democratic Party clings to, despite being the Only party that has been denied wins by it.)
Robert Kennedy is as likely to draw his few votes from Trump as from Biden, and Stein will likely get few votes (almost none of which are ever going to go to Biden, even given he has been the closest thing to a leftist president we’ve had since LBJ, not least because he won’t be more public and forceful with Netanyahu about the latter’s Look How Tough I Am, Surely I Can’t Be Tried for Malfeasance bloodbath). That Clinton lost by Stein vote-totals in a few states only reinforces how inept her campaigning was, considering whom she was running against.
Todd, I’m more concerned over the “Ralph Nader” Effect that bolloxed up Florida in 2000 and allowed the Supreme Court to decide the Presidential Election.
There was no Ralph Nader effect in Florida–there was a Florida Ballot Bollixing/Supreme Court Partisanship Effect. Even Pat Buchanan, who was on the ballot in Florida as the pres candidate of the Reform Party, noted that the two-sided punch ballot Florida made intentionally confusing to use and easy to miscount showed Buchanan winning large amounts of votes in mostly Jewish districts where PB was pretty certain the voters were trying to plump for Gore. Nader had nothing to do with it. But Democrats will still choose to whine about it. Uselessly.
1. Ge rid of the Electoral College.
2. Quit letting neoliberals run the Democratic Party
3. Encourage people to look at their available candidates, educate themselves about them, and vote responsibly.
4. Be sure to lift a glass as soon as Mein Drumpf is in jail.
Todd, the GOP will NEVER let go of the Electoral College. That’s the key factor in their wins for President. They lose the Popular Vote.
Usually, but sadly not always. Thing is, the Democrats have wanted to retain it, as I’ve noted, for “Safe States” nonsense reasons, mostly to do with money.
Todd, I’m sure you remember Mark Hanna’s famous answer to the question: “What are the three most important things in Politics?” Hanna answered, “Money…and I forget the other two.”
I hope Krugman was misquoted: “…comprised with…?”
That aside, I’ll just say that if I were a drinking man, this would be sobering.
Dan, I’m not a drinking man either, but the situation looks dire.
I keep telling my wife, it’s only a matter of time till they start burning witches again. If the next big pandemic doesn’t wipe us out first.
Fred, the U.S. is regressing. Anti-science, anti-education, anti-reason. What a mess!
There was a time where the clear majority of USians was Pro any of these things?
At least in the last half-century, not so very much.
Terrifying.
Patti, terrifying is right! I grew up in an America where doctors were respected. Now, doctors are targets.
Jackie is a fan of Dr. Hotez.
1. I can guarantee that Ingraham, Seannie and Carlson are ALL vaccinated.
2. Deb: “Once you drink the Kool-Aid, there’s no going back.”
3. Jackie: “If they’re all Republicans [the 200,000 dead], who cares?”
Jeff, Jackie’s insights are priceless! Those Trump rallies show how many Kool-Aid drinkers are out there worshiping Trump.
Zealots filling up an auditorium doesn’t frighten me too much…millions do tend to vote for Mein Drumpf, but fewer millions than Don’t do so.
Todd, don’t forget the Electoral College math. Trump is ahead of Biden right now in seven swing states.
Also, 200K unvaccinated Free Souls clog hospitals and breed new variants, of course, as well as being a drag on society (and their families) in other ways.
But they sure do escape those vaccine chips, like heroes.
Todd, the politics of vaccines continues as well as aversion to masking despite the current spikes in Covid-19, flu, and RSV.
Well, George, one of my other tenets is that polls are usually so much bullshit. But Biden alienating no little of his base by publicly standing 150% behind Netanyahu is a fixable error, but it grows less fixable as he keeps at it.
Todd, Biden (and our forces) are getting sucked into a Middle East conflict. That won’t help Biden’s chances.
It’s time for Auntie Science to divorce Uncle Bullshit. She should get the kids — Lord knows the ones in Florida schools need it.
Jerry, the schools in the U.S.–at all levels from Kindergarten to Graduate Schools–trend towards mediocrity. Banning books, having politicians write curriculum, and insisting a sugar-coated History be taught just leads to dumbing-down education that will cost us Big Time in the Future.
As Deb keeps saying, the Idiocracy is hete!
And the Texas schoolbook censors controlling that industry since the ’70s at latest was indicative of the gilded ages of yore?
Todd, book banning expanded from Texas to almost all 50 states. More and more MAGA types are running for School Boards.
Cheer up George. We are still 9 months out and most people aren’t paying much attention. The time to start worrying will be after labor day. Don’t forget 500 Repblican MAGAS are dying of Covid every day, Biden could decide to step aside or hopefully, Trump could drop dead!
Jackie
Jackie, I hope you’re right. Of course, I’m the guy that warned my friends that Trump might win in 2016…and they scoffed!