Monday, August 01, 2022

Science and Covid

"Nearly half of Americans oppose masking and a similar share is against vaccine mandates for schoolchildren, polls show. But what is obscured in those numbers is the intensity with which some parents have embraced these views. While they once described themselves as Republicans or Democrats, they now identify as independents who plan to vote based solely on vaccine policies. Their transformation injects an unpredictable element into November’s midterm elections."
What this article points out is the failure of our educational system to each basic science. In the Middle Ages when bubonic plague struck people prayed to God for relief, some even began offering prayers to the old gods (Jupiter, etc) when their prayers were not being responded to by the current choice of worship (Jupiter also ignored their )pleas. Covid is a viral disease in the world today and is also not responding to the influence of prayers. It takes a specialized knowledge of science, in this case virology and epidemiology, to know how to fight this disease both as to prevention and cure. The popular masses without this specialized training don't know what to think about these mandates and vaccination rules and if they had a proper scientific education they would realize that the most trustworthy source of information is coming form the very scientific community they are rejecting. It appears that this ignorant mass may determine the outcome of the November midterms with the result that Congress will be full of ignoramuses who will not only prolong the the current epidemic but will also vote into law many other reactionary and frankly stupid laws re the environment, economy, foreign policy (already too ignorant) and voting rights. A major issue for any Left party should be major educational reform in this country -- re teacher qualifications e.g.,no more certified creationist science teachers, MA or Ms degrees instead of MEds (created to get salary increases not knowledge increases) national standards re equal financing for student needs and salaries for educational personnel and union membership for all educational workers. Such demands should be in the forefront of any Left party or progressive organization along with the other demands that progressives think are the most urgent. As long as we turn out an ignorant electorate the ruling class will be entrenched forever-- they have the educational system they want right now -- we should see that they don't get to keep it.

No comments: