Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Anti-vaxxers have made me lose faith in the political right

Anti-vaxxers have made me lose faith in the political right

As someone who has generally identified as a conservative, I’m beginning to lose patience with right-wing politics. There are too many people behaving like they are members of a cult in opposing Covid vaccines.
Conspiratorial thinking has led to Covid-19 vaccines being politicised to a dangerous level which not only alienates people – like me – who value science and progression, but is costing lives. As the Omicron variant spreads across the world, it is more important than ever to push back against the hysteria against vaccines.

Very simply, there are too many conservatives lacking any sense of rationality when it comes to vaccines, as anti-vaxx disinformation continues to have too much influence over some commentators.

Marcus Lamb, founder and CEO of the Christian evangelical network Daystar Television, recently died from Covid-19 after advocating against vaccines. Sadly, similar tragedies have taken place over the past few months as other anti-vaxx activists and commentators have passed away after catching the virus, including radio hosts Bob Enyart, Phil Valentine, Marc Bernier, and Dick Farrel, and former CIA officer Robert David Steele.

These deaths came after conspiracy theories regarding the safety and efficacy of the vaccines spread like wildfire. For months, the Covid vaccines have been undermined by sceptics, and this narrative has been embraced by modern-day conservatism.

A good example is in America, where red states, with Republican governors, have witnessed the lowest rates of vaccinations and the highest rates of cases and deaths according to the Washington Post. Furthermore, a report by The Cleveland Clinic from May this year found that more than 99% of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 during the first four months of 2021 were not fully vaccinated.

This highlights how Red America, or Donald Trump’s one-time voting bloc, has been vulnerable to dangerous disinformation about the vaccines.

Despite this, we have rarely seen prominent conservative voices criticising the anti-vaxxers or challenging them, as they are aware that this narrative enjoys strong support within their base. Instead, we see it embraced within sectors of the Republican Party.

The New York Times reported that such a sentiment is so deeply embedded within Republican bureaucracy that some lawmakers have invited anti-vaccination conspiracy theorists to testify in Congress and statehouses. Ultimately, this further fueled fears about the vaccine, as it provides authority bias.

It is not surprising, then, to understand why vaccine hesitancy is a dominant force within red states in the US and the populist right. And it appears this movement is only growing stronger, despite around 780,000 deaths in the US alone due to Covid.

The wave of opposition to vaccines is, of course, not confined to the US. In the UK, the movement has been amplified by powerful voices on both sides of the political divide – with one critic’s hypocrisy being shamelessly exposed.

Piers Corbyn – brother of former Labour leader Jeremy, and certainly not a conservative – was filmed accepting a fake payment of £10,000 from pranksters who posed as AstraZeneca reps. The sting, which is available to watch online, showed Corbyn taking the money on condition that he would stop criticising the AstraZeneca vaccine and instead shift his focus on to other vaccines. Corbyn’s lack of principles were laid bare, but sadly, the evidence was still not enough to change the minds of many anti-vaxxers.

Where once an anti-vaccine stance was an extreme view held be relatively few people, the onset of Covid has seen the idea gain traction, and today it is embraced by many across the world, particularly those on the right. This sends shivers down my spine, and should do the same to anyone who places value on logical thinking.

An entire group of people are collectively refusing to get a vaccine which is statistically proven to drastically reduce the risk of death and hospitalisation – and some are doing so simply to score political points, as anti-vaxx becomes a political identity.

Numerous statistics and pieces of data have shown that the Covid vaccines work and are very low-risk. Despite such overwhelming evidence, many conservatives seem happy to literally let their own base die by either spreading vaccine disinformation – or being too cowardly to challenge it.

Today we have tens of millions of shots administered globally, with the vaccines’ safety and efficacy backed by the world’s leading scientists. Mass vaccinations can play a key role on getting on top of the virus once and for all.

And yet, despite more than five million recorded deaths around the world due to Covid, the anti-vaxxers still seek to undermine public trust in the vaccines. On top of this, there are too many political leaders who show little care for public health and safety, and continue to use cherry-picked data to support their irrational rhetoric.

But that’s hardly the oddest part; it seems that in order to ‘own the libs’ and to ‘win the culture wars’, there are some conservatives content to argue the inarguable, which, as we have seen, has tragic consequences.

As the new variant spreads across the globe, what is now most important is getting as many people vaccinated as possible. A vaccine will not just protect yourself, but it will protect your community from Covid. Conservatives would do well to remember this.

A serious political faction behaves responsibly during a time of crisis, not like hysterical fundamentalists. That is the difference between a successful political movement and a fanatical cult.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
×