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

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

40 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?

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[–] tallwookie 2 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I guess that it comes down to trust - many people really dont trust the goverment/establishment/authority in general. if those organizations say something, those people will then go out of their way to latch onto any information that adheres to their own specific worldview.

who gains from folks not trusting authorities? anti-authoritarians.

is it effective in sowing dissent? very much so.

you dont have to believe in something to spread information/disinformation. just look at the main stream media - they're literally paid to tell people things, regardless of how accurate, true, false, etc the information is.

all of the above relates to just about any position, not just pro-vax/anti-vax, but basically anything.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

I see. So anyone who has an interest in weakening the government, and anyone who expects to benefit from sowing dissent will have an extra incentive to push this.