Beyond Stupid

The talented and beautiful dancers I photographed in their Gold Coast dance studio in the above photo, are to provide a contrast to the not so lovely adjectives and nouns I have used to identify with what seems to be a growing number of people. The models themselves are all lovely and intelligent people.

Stupidity, it seems is going viral and spreading just as fast and as dangerously as Covid-19.

What causes a virus and allows it to spread?

Viruses are small infectious agents that are only able to replicate inside the living cells of other organisms. They are able to infect all types of life forms.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which include the common cold and a more recent virus, which first occurred in 2019, which has been called Covid-19. This new virus is highly contagious and is what is known as an air-borne virus. That is, the virus can be spread from person to person through tiny droplets in the air which can transfer from an infected person to another person, or onto a surface which the other person touches. Those who are most at risk of being severely affected, or even dying from Covid-19, are the elderly, particularly those with underlying heart or respiratory conditions

Computer viruses have been given their name because of the similarity with the way their infections can spread very quickly through computer systems, just as regular viruses can in living organisms. Computers most at risk of catching a computer virus are those whose operators carelessly open attachments and/or do not keep their anti-virus software up to date.

The stupidity virus affects human life forms. The virus is virulent and spreads very quickly from one person to another, or even to hundreds at a time from the one source. There are several strategies for protection against this virus. Much of the evidence for these strategies is still anecdotal, but here is a preliminary list:

1. Reasonable levels of literacy, with the sourcing of reading material from reliable sources.

2. Ability to be a rational decision maker, using facts or advice from people well qualified to give that advice.

3. Accumulation of factual and verifiable knowledge in the real world.

Persons who are most at risk of catching the stupidity virus are those not having the above attributes and those who are easily influenced by stories they have heard or read without any regard for the sources of those stories. Signs of positive infection of the stupidity virus are often indicated by the publication of outlandishly idiotic posts on social media sites. Often these are written in a semi-literate fashion. Liking these posts is also indicative of the disease caused by the stupidity virus. Written evidence however is not the only indicator of those who have succumbed to this dangerous condition. Attending public rallies, when supposed to be in lock down, has been a prevalent indicator in recent times. Well known public figures carrying this virus are a common vector for further infection.

Here are some recently noted examples of the disease.

Villain or Hero?

It is not often that I make Facebook posts, but I do like reading what others write. Some posts I may agree with and others disagree with. Sometimes when I strongly disagree with something someone has written I am inclined to write a response, but always I have refrained from doing so. Nothing I say or write is going to fix “stupid”.

There were two responses to a post regarding Covid-19 that I read yesterday that truly astounded me. One writer wrote, “if a vaccine became available for the virus, I would not get that vaccine”.

Someone else asked the obvious question, “why?”.

The answer left me shaking my head with disbelief in how someone could go so far beyond being stupid. This is what she wrote, “any vaccine will contain a micro-chip from Bill Gates so that he will be able to have control over all of us”. My immediate inclination was to write a response saying, “are you not aware that he has already planted his micro-chips in town water supplies world-wide?”. I did not, but if I had, she may have been silly enough to have believed it.

Bill Gates and his foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has been mentioned increasingly frequently in social media posts in recent times. The anti-vaccination brigade are having a great time at his expense. Is he the villain that they claim him to be, or is he a hero?

The World Health Organisation, WHO, is yet another target of these anti-vaxxers.

Through his foundation, Gates is the highest singular contributor to the WHO. With Trump stopping US funding to the organisation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is contributing more than any country.

Vaccination is one issue that the WHO and Bill Gates are in total agreement with. In January, 2020, the WHO wrote:

“Vaccine hesitancy – the reluctance or refusal to vaccinate despite the availability of vaccines – threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases,” the group wrote. “Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease – it currently prevents 2-3 million deaths a year, and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved.”

The WHO has also claimed that the anti-vaxxers are one of the greatest threats to global health.

Evidence promulgated by anti-vaxxers has been debunked. There is absolutely zero evidence of an association of vaccines with autism, for example. Another spurious claim, frequently promoted on social media sites, is that Bill Gates holds a patent for the coronavirus since 2016.

What these crazies do not have the cognitive ability to understand is that the coronavirus is a group of viruses, of which the common cold is one. Covid-19 is a novel coronavirus. That means it is new. It first appeared in 2019. A patent could not possibly have been taken out for it four or so years before it first appeared. The patent these morons are referring to is an avian strain of coronavirus affecting chickens. The patent applied for was for the development of a vaccine to protect chickens.

The Australian federal government took a harsh stance on anti-vaccination back in January 2016 with their, “no jab, no pay” law. The policy states that you can “consciously object” to immunising your child based on philosophical, religious, or “I read on the Internet” reasons, but by doing so means the government can stop family payments worth up to $15,000 every year.

In October of the same year, 2016, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia announced that, “Australian nurses and midwives who promote anti-vaccination to patients and the public will now be subject to prosecution.” They also stated that, “If the nurse or midwife is deemed to have breached their professional obligation to promote scientifically backed health advice, they could face having their ability to practise medicine restricted.

Serious cases will be referred to an industry tribunal, where harsher penalties such as having their registration suspended or cancelled could apply.”

The world is a much safer place to live as a result of vaccines Threats of diseases like polio and measles are now minimal as a result. Concerned scientists throughout the world are working hard to develop a vaccine for Covid-19. Their efforts are being supported by organisations such as the WHO, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Intelligent, concerned people should be doing everything possible and practicable to support these efforts.

Bill Gates is a HERO, not a villain as many are trying to portray him. He is actively using his wealth to assist with world problems. There has never been any individual who has invested close to what Bill Gates has done to help make this world a better place. Those spreading misinformation about him truly disgust me.

There is no conspiracy!

The selfish anti-vaccination advocates out there need to understand that by claiming they have the right not to be vaccinated, they are depriving the rest of us our right to remain safe.

The more people who are immune, the easier it is to protect everyone. Getting vaccinated does not just protect you, it protects those with whom you may come in contact with who are not able to get a vaccine, because of their age, very young or very old, or perhaps an immune compromise issue.

Another Selfish Group of Idiots

Today is Monday 20 April, and I just read the following on a Facebook page.

“Kentucky just announced 273 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the highest single day rise to date. Kentucky’s increase in infected comes after protests took to the streets throughout the week to call for the state to be reopened.”

Disregarding public health directives can not only adversely affect those ignoring the directives, but others also. Contrary to what the US president has claimed, the country is not doing well with its handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Currently it has the dubious record of having the highest number of deaths from the virus of any country in the world. With 4% of the world’s population it has recorded 25% of the world’s deaths.

These morons protesting do not have the right to infect others. I do not want to hear of any more deaths from this virus, but no doubt there will be many more before the virus is eliminated. If there was a choice in who should die between those obeying public health directives and those disregarding them, the choice would be easy to make. Unfortunately the virus is not discriminatory.

State governors desperately trying to “flatten the curve” to allow a return to normal at a later date are being undermined by an egotistical narcissist who does not seem to have any concerns regarding the health of others, by his condoning the behaviour of these protesters in Kentucky and elsewhere.

Earlier in this article I mentioned virus spreading vectors. Covid-19 is highly contagious and that contagion is assisted by gross stupidity. Perhaps the best exemplar of spreading viral gross stupidity is Donald Trump.