What are the strategic considerations behind the active spread of anti-vax theories? (mander.xyz)

submitted 1 year ago by notsofunnycomment@mander.xyz to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

33 comments fedilink hide all child comments

When it comes to spreading disinformation about climate change or the risks of smoking, I can clearly see how it protects economic interests (e.g. the value of the assets of the fossil fuel industry or the tobacco industry). I therefore understand that these lies are (have been) regularly pushed by people who do not necessarily believe in them.

But what are the strategic considerations behind the active spread of anti-vax theories? Who gains from this? Is it just an effective topic to rile up a political base? Because it hits people right in the feels? Is it just a way to bring people together on one topic, in order to use that political base for other purposes?

Or is anti-vax disinformation really only pushed by people who believe it?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] Trebuchet@lemm.ee 19 points 1 year ago

It sows distrust in authority, so that those people will listen to fringe voices. These fringe voices tend to be grifters, scamming the rubes.

Politically it’s a binary issue, no room for compromise. If you’re anti-vax, you’re voting for the Republican candidate, despite what the other guy might be offering. So, this locks in votes and also plays into the long term strategy of having an uneducated underclass incapable of critical thinking. This provides cannon fodder for the politicians, and low paid drones for the fat cats.

[-] notsofunnycomment@mander.xyz 8 points 1 year ago

Yes, I see. So by now, one way for the Republican party to gain votes is to spread anti-vax disinformation.

[-] sp00nix@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

And their followers gobble it up!

this post was submitted on 30 Jun 2023

26 points (90.6% liked)

Asklemmy

43781 readers

1262 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

Open-ended question
Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

Lemmyverse: community search
sub.rehab: maps old subreddits to fediverse options, marks official as such
!lemmy411@lemmy.ca: a community for finding communities

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago

MODERATORS