<p>It seems that the common thread between the opening article, the current ebola crisis in Africa and the central premise of @Madaboutx is that ignorance, conspiracy theories and misplaced blame can lead to public health breakdowns. Families of ebola victims don’t trust the government or healthcare workers so they refuse treatment, handle infected bodies and spread the disease. As Americans many don’t trust the government so we forgo adequate food inspections and put our faith in big business instead. People would rather believe in a government conspiracy to spread autism and ebola than protect their own health and that of their loved ones.</p>
<p>It seems crazy to me that as a society we over use antibiotics both on ourselves and in livestock to the point of creating super bugs and yet resist basic vaccinations. I am not saying that any government, our included, is without fault or the answer to everything but my gosh . . . I like safe food, clean water, vaccinations and hand-washing.</p>
<p>I may have missed it, but do not recall anyone saying anything about a government conspiracy for Ebola or even autism. And even if one poster said it, to extend that to others is nonsense. </p>
<p>However, not trusting people in government saying there is no danger of spreading is not equivalent to saying there is a government conspiracy for anything. Not everyone falls over and believes something just because some bureaucrat in government says it, but to extrapolate that distrust into believing in conspiracy theories is crazy in itself.</p>
<p>Is it just me, or has anyone else thought about how Ebola would spread in native tribes of Papua New Guinea…
I mean, they get prion viruses from eating dead people, for God’s sake!
That might have grossed out a few people, but above, people were talking about geographical implications.
Sorry if I just spoiled your appetite.</p>
<p>I think my central premise is not that ignorance and distrust lead to public health breakdowns but rather that trust and ignorance leads to naïveté and fear of shadows and wind blowing while real problems get ignored and go misunderstood.</p>
<p>I knew people buying investment real estate with shady loans in 2007 saying real estate “always” goes up. In 1997-98, I knew people putting their life savings in penny stocks in tech telling me that profit doesn’t matter anymore, "it’s all about capitalization. People don’t know the difference between the national debt and deficit. People think the economy is growing when it’s more like dragging a rock along the bottom of a lake. People think the 2 major parties are actually opposed to each other when both seem to be getting everything they want at the same time.</p>
<p>The bigger the scam, the less we see it. That’s why Bernie Madoff was so successful.</p>
<p>2 people that went to Africa and got sick shouldn’t even be on anybody’s radar of consciousness.</p>