<
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jan/11/we-walked-into-a-trap-anti-vaxxers-on-life-after-conspiracy-theories>
"Lewis traces the moment his once deeply held Covid-19 conspiracy theories
began to unravel. It was in September last year, when a doctor engaged him and
fellow activists in conversation as they handed out leaflets in a Liverpool
park.
“We were always open to debate and she wasn’t hostile to us either. She just
wanted to prove us wrong. One of the things she did was to point me to an
article in the
Lancet about the number of deaths,” he said, referring to the
peer-reviewed general medical journal.
“From then on I was looking at the data, which I was always open to, and I came
to realise I was wrong to believe what I did,” added Lewis, who has asked for
only his first name to be used.
Nearly three years on from the start of the pandemic in Britain however, there
was a stark reminder of the continuing reach of conspiracy theories on
Wednesday when Tory MP Andrew Bridgen lost the party whip after comparing the
use of Covid vaccines to the Holocaust. Lewis’s journey away from the beliefs
that once enveloped his life meanwhile stands in contrast to others for whom
Covid-19 conspiracy theories have acted as a gateway drug to other, more
extreme views."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
