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[–][deleted] 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Part of the problem is that the title is addressing a symptom, rather than the cause. Indeed, $6m (and $15m, as noted) is chump change. More importantly: why did 72,000 people pay for this snake oil? It's very good muck-raking journalism because it offers so much information on the networks, money, prescriptions, the anti-vax campaigners, the Pro-Trump doctors, the Twitter disinformation campaigns, and other aspects of these outcomes of political disinformation about a simple vaccine, all for the sake of political gain (not the health benefits) from right-wing voters who want to believe in lies so much that they now have difficulty identifying lies from these very sophisticated, expensive anti-vax campaigns. They're not meant to make money, as the costs of the campaigns must run in the 100s of millions. They're meant to persuade potential voters to mistrust all aspects of government, so that the loudest authoritarian (regardless of his lies) can get votes. Long gone are the Eisenhower Conservatives (with whom I occasionally agreed), now replaced by Big Corp and its lackies, pushing pump and dump schemes (inc. crypto, insider trading, money laundering, small goverenment, deregulation, chaos, COVID/lockdowns, online commerce, reduction of small businesses, lower wages, healthcare reduction, &c). Perhaps there's a shorter way to say all of this, but essentially: the title and article refer to research on one aspect of the outcomes and the impacts of anti-vax disinformation propaganda. It merely scratches the surface of the overall problem.

[–][deleted] 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

they now have difficulty identifying lies

So does everyone. You have as much of an idea if ivermectin actually works as I do, you believe it doesn't work because that's what your team says while I am unsure because the politics murk up the discussion.

I like what Bill Maher said:

one of the problems is, as you have written so eloquently about, is that we have politicized medications now. I mean ivermectin, ivermectin. It’s a drug. It’s not a politician. It should not have any reputation, except does it work or not.”

This article on it is a good read if you're interested.

It is hard to imagine where the big ivermectin money is since you can just order it online or get it at tractor supply store without a prescription.

And why not celebrate your political rivals embracing a treatment option you feel doesn't work. Do you really want more Republicans?

because it offers so much information on the networks, money, prescriptions, the anti-vax campaigners, the Pro-Trump doctors, the Twitter disinformation campaigns, and other aspects of these outcomes of political disinformation

Looks like bullshit to me honestly. It's a niche group they're smearing for different political views.

Love to see a general audit for the covid response in general though, everything regardless of political affiliation. Then a nice special prosecution team to go after the profiteers. This I don't think would qualify.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

We actually agree on much of this and the need for greater skepticism and scrutiny. Indeed, I don't know enough about ivermectin to comment on it. But I've also not seen the same kinds of trials for it as I've seen for some of the COVID vaccines. (I wouldn't for example trust the China COVID vaccine, because of problems in other countries with it, and there were problems in India with one of the vaccines. Pfizer makes viagra, so they must be legit, right? /s) In any event, I agree that none of this should be politicized. It's nuts. I base my opinion on the successes of the COVID vaccines (and other vaccines before them), though I do worry about the politicizaiton of drugs, and that the medical evidence should be shown with all of the arguments for or against vaccines.