Disinformation and difference of opinion

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy gave a press conference the afternoon of July 15 to discuss the role disinformation is playing in the spread of Covid-19 in the United States due to the reluctance and resistance of many to get vaccinated. He differentiated between "bad actors" who actively spread disinformation and the misinformed who inadvertently share and act on disinformation. He had great advice to individuals - please check and reflect on what you are reading and if not sure of the accuracy, do not share it. "Caring by not sharing" was his excellent term on inadvertent spreading of disinformation.

There was a lot in that press conference that needed to be said and is well worth repeating. It was then followed by comments by President Biden and others and this story is the headline of many papers in the US over the weekend. They talk about bad actors who malevolently spread active disinformation and cause literally deaths. Then about social media and traditional but extreme media like Fox News and wacko right-wing channels and sites that foment, amplify and exaggerate this. Part of me says how stupid must you be to believe this nonsense? Well over 80 million Americans sanely voted for Biden, but 74 million voted for Trump. So, quite a lot. On vaccination, while most of the world is desperately waiting for vaccines and while Trump and all the Fox News hosts have been vaccinated, the former is silent on telling his Jonestown- like supporters to get vaccinated and hosts like Tucker Carlson actively spread lies about it. When Carlson was asked if he was vaccinated, he refused to answer saying it was too personal a question! The cynicism and hypocrisy are unfathomable, but even more unfathomable to me is the gullibility of those who listen to them. Well, if you listen to televangelists in their mega-churches who, thanks to contributions, fly private jets and reside in mansions, then perhaps I should not be surprised.