Twitter Bots and Russian Trolls Amplify the Vaccine Debate by targeting anti-vaxxers.

[Amused]

https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304567

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...f7faa680710_story.html?utm_term=.65845fc23367

This is simple. Anti-vaxxers are easily duped by other conspiracy theories and into clicking links that fit their Dunning-Kruger fueled paranoia. In short, they're easy targets for scams and clickbait. This shouldn't come as any surprise. Much like the Nigerian email scammers intentionally using poor grammar and formatting to weed out intelligent, skeptical people, scammers and bots are doing the same with anti-vaxxers. Targeting anti-vaxxers is simply targeting low hanging fruit.

So dear Trump supporters: If you want to know how low you are of the fruit tree, it's this low.

 

[Josephus312]

https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304567

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...f7faa680710_story.html?utm_term=.65845fc23367

This is simple. Anti-vaxxers are easily duped by other conspiracy theories and into clicking links that fit their Dunning-Kruger fueled paranoia. In short, they're easy targets for scams and clickbait. This shouldn't come as any surprise. Much like the Nigerian email scammers intentionally using poor grammar and formatting to weed out intelligent, skeptical people, scammers and bots are doing the same with anti-vaxxers. Targeting anti-vaxxers is simply targeting low hanging fruit.

So dear Trump supporters: If you want to know how low you are of the fruit tree, it's this low.

Seems to me it's mainly the vegan crew that belongs to the anti vaxxers and they are far, far, far, far, far left. So far left that if you look at their placement on a globe they keep spinning around it to the left.

Of course, the readers of Natural News, an affiliate of InfoWars are into the same shit. One clown here was even drinking distilled water which is a typical anti-vaxxer thing from NatrualNews.

The anti-vax exists on both sides but it seems to have permeated almost all of anything left of Hillary.

 

[cfenton]

You're giving anti-vaxxers way to much credit by calling it a debate. The effectiveness of vaccines is no more in doubt than the roundness (or oviodness) of the Earth.

 

[Amused]

Seems to me it's mainly the vegan crew that belongs to the anti vaxxers and they are far, far, far, far, far left. So far left that if you look at their placement on a globe they keep spinning around it to the left.

Of course, the readers of Natural News, an affiliate of InfoWars are into the same shit. One clown here was even drinking distilled water which is a typical anti-vaxxer thing from NatrualNews.

The anti-vax exists on both sides but it seems to have permeated almost all of anything left of Hillary.

Alex Jones, and the vast majority of the conspiracy driven right-wing are anti-vaxx.

And as the right-wing mainstreams batshit to suit it's own twisted ends, the number of right-wing anti-vaxxers grows.

It's a mistake to think the majority of anti-vaxxers are left wing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ch-of-hippie-liberals/?utm_term=.a92af119b97e

In recent years, the anti-vaxx crowd has been skewing increasing right-wing.

I have yet to find a single right-wing "Illuminati" conspiracy believer that is not anti-vaxx.

 

[Amused]

I'm surprised this isn't getting more attention.

This is a concerted effort to prey upon the most gullible and susceptible to misinformation. It's about as devious a propaganda campaign as I have ever seen.

And how the anti-vaxxer movement is slipping right into the right-wing batshit arena. The right-wing seems content to control the entire batshit population and use it's voting power.

And that % seems to be a good 35-40% of the population.

 

[dyna]

I'm surprised this isn't getting more attention.

This is a concerted effort to prey upon the most gullible and susceptible to misinformation. It's about as devious a propaganda campaign as I have ever seen.

And how the anti-vaxxer movement is slipping right into the right-wing batshit arena. The right-wing seems content to control the entire batshit population and use it's voting power.

And that % seems to be a good 35-40% of the population.

This is interesting, I would have thought the Anti-vaxxers leaned left as the left is more defined by the "freedom of choice" movement.

 

[Paladin3]

I have a profound disgust for anti-vaxxers. I met way too many when I was a newspaper journalist who sought to enlist my help in spreading their misinformation. Some were granola hippies, some stupid hicks, some liberal, some conservative. The only commonality was their ignorance and distrust of science. And their willingness to disregard facts and science so they could believe they were special, the only ones awake enough to understand and warn the public about the devious plots against us.

And Jenny McCarthy can go to hell. After I quit the newspapers and went to work for a public school district, we saw a reemergence of whooping cough in students, which had been practically wiped out by vaccine, due in part to the anti-vaxxers refusing to vaccinate their kids. Idiocy FTMFL.

 

[Homerboy]

Seems to me it's mainly the vegan crew that belongs to the anti vaxxers and they are far, far, far, far, far left. So far left that if you look at their placement on a globe they keep spinning around it to the left.

Of course, the readers of Natural News, an affiliate of InfoWars are into the same shit. One clown here was even drinking distilled water which is a typical anti-vaxxer thing from NatrualNews.

The anti-vax exists on both sides but it seems to have permeated almost all of anything left of Hillary.

How many times can you contradict yourself in one post?

 

[realibrad]

I'm surprised this isn't getting more attention.

This is a concerted effort to prey upon the most gullible and susceptible to misinformation. It's about as devious a propaganda campaign as I have ever seen.

And how the anti-vaxxer movement is slipping right into the right-wing batshit arena. The right-wing seems content to control the entire batshit population and use it's voting power.

And that % seems to be a good 35-40% of the population.

http://theconversation.com/anti-vac...follow-the-usual-political-polarization-81001

As to whether liberals or conservatives are now more likely to be opposed to vaccination, some researchers have suggested that, while anti-vaccination beliefs have spread to libertarians on the right, the anti-vaccination movement originates and finds its strongest support in the political left. A later article by the same researchers similarly argues that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) evidence shows that states that voted for Obama in 2012 have higher rates of nonmedical vaccination exemptions.

It looks more like an East Coast vs West Coast thing really.

 

[Amused]

http://theconversation.com/anti-vac...follow-the-usual-political-polarization-81001

It looks more like an East Coast vs West Coast thing really.

Old article. Old data. Biased opinions. Things change quickly when you're dealing with the irrational. The anti-vax movement, which was split down the middle previously, has taken a hard and fast shift to the right.

 

[Amused]

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0191728

Our findings demonstrate that ideology has a direct effect on vaccine attitudes. In particular, conservative respondents are less likely to express pro-vaccination beliefs than other individuals. Furthermore, ideology also has an indirect effect on immunization propensity. The ideology variable predicts an indicator capturing trust in government medical experts, which in turn helps to explain individual-level variation with regards to attitudes about vaccine choice.

 

[realibrad]

Old article. Old data. Biased opinions. Things change quickly when you're dealing with the irrational. The anti-vax movement, which was split down the middle previously, has taken a hard and fast shift to the right.

No, originally it had its roots in the Left. That is likely why people associate it with the Left today. For sure that has shifted, but, that is where the association comes from.

 

[Amused]

No, originally it had its roots in the Left. That is likely why people associate it with the Left today. For sure that has shifted, but, that is where the association comes from.

Actually that's a misconception fed by the effect of Hollywood stars. Alex Jones and the right-wing conspiratards have always been anti-vax. Same as the flouride conspiracists.

 

[realibrad]

Actually that's a misconception fed by the effect of Hollywood stars. Alex Jones and the right-wing conspiratards have always been anti-vax. Same as the flouride conspiracists.

No, that is not a misconception. Historically it is true that the Left is where the majority of this started. That is likely why people have the misconception that it holds true today. You are not understanding that people have likely built their ideas around this from history and not current trends. As the link said before, "the anti-vaccination movement originates and finds its strongest support in the political left."

I'm not saying you are wrong that its very much split now, but, it was not always. Kudos to the Left for trying to correct this, but, it mainly started on their side.

 

[woolfe9998]

No, originally it had its roots in the Left. That is likely why people associate it with the Left today. For sure that has shifted, but, that is where the association comes from.

No, that is not an accurate statement. Anti-vax goes all the way back to the first vaccinations in the late 18th century. There have been suspicions and conspiracy theories about vaccination since there have been vaccinations. Your article is discussing what it calls the "modern anti-vaccination movement" which started with the Wakefield paper in the late 1990's which said that vaccines cause autism. That may originally have had more traction on the left than the right, but the survey data shows that this has shifted to where it was at parity as of about 5 yeas ago and is now stronger on the right than the left.

The best you can say here is that for a period of about 15 years, out of it's 200+ year history, the anti-vax movement was more prominent on the left.

 

[Amused]

No, that is not a misconception. Historically it is true that the Left is where the majority of this started. That is likely why people have the misconception that it holds true today. You are not understanding that people have likely built their ideas around this from history and not current trends. As the link said before, "the anti-vaccination movement originates and finds its strongest support in the political left."

I'm not saying you are wrong that its very much split now, but, it was not always. Kudos to the Left for trying to correct this, but, it mainly started on their side.

Actually, no.

Since the mid 1800s the main force behind anti-vax has been conservative fundamentalist Christians anti government types and paranoid conspiracy theorists. Only in the last 20 years did antivaccination become associated with the "left" after Wakefield courted Hollywood stars and the anti-GMO movement.

Historically, it was more closely associated with hard core Christian fundamentalism.

And it is yet again. The "origin" you speak of was a momentary blip of a fad among the left which has already waned considerably.

 

[esquared]

Here's a nurse that is an anti-vaxxer.
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/29/6429...tly-posting-about-patient-in-anti-vaxxer-grou

Seemed she got fired for putting the patient's med info on FB.

Texas Children's Hospital tells NPR via email that a nurse "posted protected health information regarding a patient on social media." The hospital did not name the nurse.

 

[thraashman]

Seems to me it's mainly the vegan crew that belongs to the anti vaxxers and they are far, far, far, far, far left. So far left that if you look at their placement on a globe they keep spinning around it to the left.

Of course, the readers of Natural News, an affiliate of InfoWars are into the same shit. One clown here was even drinking distilled water which is a typical anti-vaxxer thing from NatrualNews.

The anti-vax exists on both sides but it seems to have permeated almost all of anything left of Hillary.

From what I've observed, anti-vax used to be more left wing but with the rise of conspiracy sites like Infowars picking it up it's no longer contained to one ideological side. Also that guy you mention who drinks the distilled water I'm pretty sure is Speedy, one of the most right wing individuals here. I don't know if he's anti vax though.

 

[cytg111]

Seems to me it's mainly the vegan crew that belongs to the anti vaxxers and they are far, far, far, far, far left. So far left that if you look at their placement on a globe they keep spinning around it to the left.

Of course, the readers of Natural News, an affiliate of InfoWars are into the same shit. One clown here was even drinking distilled water which is a typical anti-vaxxer thing from NatrualNews.

The anti-vax exists on both sides but it seems to have permeated almost all of anything left of Hillary.

Excellent troll game... it will piss the lefties off it will piss the righties off, now just stand back and enjoy the fight. I give it a 6/10, you need to diversify a bit, followup and pick your right audience(this aint it)... But other than that bravo. Bravo.

 

[realibrad]

No, that is not an accurate statement. Anti-vax goes all the way back to the first vaccinations in the late 18th century. There have been suspicions and conspiracy theories about vaccination since there have been vaccinations. Your article is discussing what it calls the "modern anti-vaccination movement" which started with the Wakefield paper in the late 1990's which said that vaccines cause autism. That may originally have had more traction on the left than the right, but the survey data shows that this has shifted to where it was at parity as of about 5 yeas ago and is now stronger on the right than the left.

The best you can say here is that for a period of about 15 years, out of it's 200+ year history, the anti-vax movement was more prominent on the left.

In terms of it being a movement and beyond a few very small clusters my statement is correct. There have been small pockets around the US that have been anti vax, but, the big growth was from the left. To say that the issue started split and is now taking a shift to the Right is wrong. The modern antivax movement comes from the left, and is arguably equal down political lines now.

 

[realibrad]

Actually, no.

Since the mid 1800s the main force behind anti-vax has been conservative fundamentalist Christians anti government types and paranoid conspiracy theorists. Only in the last 20 years did antivaccination become associated with the "left" after Wakefield courted Hollywood stars and the anti-GMO movement.

Historically, it was more closely associated with hard core Christian fundamentalism.

And it is yet again. The "origin" you speak of was a momentary blip of a fad among the left which has already waned considerably.

If you want to play games and go that far back, the terms liberal and conservative become meaningless.

The modern movement, which is what you explicitly were talking about, has its roots on the left. The part of the discussion you brought up about the Right taking this and running with it is perfectly valid and worthy of a discussion.

 

[realibrad]

Here's a nurse that is an anti-vaxxer.
https://www.npr.org/2018/08/29/6429...tly-posting-about-patient-in-anti-vaxxer-grou

Seemed she got fired for putting the patient's med info on FB.

Texas Children's Hospital tells NPR via email that a nurse "posted protected health information regarding a patient on social media." The hospital did not name the nurse.

Can you find what she actually did beyond talk about the patient having measles? All the articles I have found say she released patient information, but, none say what it was. The implication seems to be that she talking about a patient but nothing specific. I can't tell if that is the news articles protecting the child's information, or, if what got her fired was just talking about a patient being sick.

 

[woolfe9998]

In terms of it being a movement and beyond a few very small clusters my statement is correct. There have been small pockets around the US that have been anti vax, but, the big growth was from the left. To say that the issue started split and is now taking a shift to the Right is wrong. The modern antivax movement comes from the left, and is arguably equal down political lines now.

You need to read up on the history of anti-vax in the US.

Snippet:

After an 1879 visit to New York by prominent British anti-vaccinationist William Tebb, The Anti-Vaccination Society of America was founded.[30][31] The New England Anti-Compulsory Vaccination League formed in 1882, and the Anti-Vaccination League of New York City in 1885.[31] Tactics in the US largely followed those used in England.[32] Vaccination in the US was regulated by individual states, in which there followed a progression of compulsion, opposition, and repeal similar to that in England.[33] Although generally organized on a state-by-state basis, the vaccination controversy reached the US Supreme Court in 1905. There, in the case of Jacobson v. Massachusetts, the court ruled that states have the authority to require vaccination against smallpox during a smallpox epidemic.[34]

John Pitcairn, the wealthy founder of the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (now PPG Industries), emerged as a major financier and leader of the American anti-vaccination movement. On March 5, 1907, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he delivered an address to the Committee on Public Health and Sanitation of the Pennsylvania General Assembly criticizing vaccination.[35] He later sponsored the National Anti-Vaccination Conference, which, held in Philadelphia in October 1908, led to the creation of The Anti-Vaccination League of America. When the league organized later that month, members chose Pitcairn as their first president.[36]

On December 1, 1911, Pitcairn was appointed by Pennsylvania Governor John K. Tener to the Pennsylvania State Vaccination Commission, and subsequently authored a detailed report strongly opposing the commission's conclusions.[36] He remained a staunch opponent of vaccination until his death in 1916.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine_controversies#United_States
https://mail.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/history-anti-vaccination-movements

There has always been substantial opposition to vaccinations, here and in the UK. Substantial enough to get compulsory vaccination laws repealed. It seems that every so often there are new "controversies" over vaccines which add fuel to the movement. Small pox in the early 20th century, DTP in the 70's, MMR in the 90's. The current incarnation of that movement, which is based on the fictional link with autism, started in the late 1990's. That particular belief initially had more traction on the left.

 

[WHAMPOM]

You must all realize that an increase in disease can have many explanations, such as improved diagnosis and plain old hysteria.

 

[realibrad]

You need to read up on the history of anti-vax in the US.

Snippet:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccine_controversies#United_States
https://mail.historyofvaccines.org/content/articles/history-anti-vaccination-movements

There has always been substantial opposition to vaccinations, here and in the UK. Substantial enough to get compulsory vaccination laws repealed. It seems that every so often there are new "controversies" over vaccines which add fuel to the movement. Small pox in the early 20th century, DTP in the 70's, MMR in the 90's. The current incarnation of that movement, which is based on the fictional link with autism, started in the late 1990's. That particular belief initially had more traction on the left.

But, we have been talking about the modern movement. You are going way back to a different anti vax movement.