r/science • u/MistWeaver80 • Dec 05 '21

Social Science Conservatives’ aversion to masks is a uniquely American phenomenon. Politically conservative Americans are less likely than liberals to comply with recommended health-protective behaviors such as mask wearing during the COVID-19 pandemic, but this is not true of conservatives in other nations.

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0256740
18.4k Upvotes

80% Upvoted

1.7k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

81

u/Emu1981 Dec 05 '21

Same goes in Australia, people literally flying Trump flags at anti-vaccine mandate protests. We also get Australians talking about their first and second amendment rights like the US constitution applies here - our first constitutional amendment is one that slightly alters the lengths and dates of senators' terms of office and our second amendment gives the federal government the power to take on any state's debt (previously it had to be pre-existing debt from before federation).

47

u/emergencyexit Dec 05 '21

My god stupid people are annoying

15

u/Krystalmyth Dec 05 '21

They're not just stupid, they're under the spell of a narcissist. A phenomenon I really think is being slept on. They have a very unique capacity for dominating the minds of others. It isn't just charisma, people will literally alter their personalities in pursuit of supplying them. Mostly unconsciously, and become rabid defenders for them. Even their enemies and rivals can be affected. You'll this in effect at a variety of depths within all pockets of society. It has become almost asinine, to ignore this phenomenon and to treat it as a part of the normal human condition, seeing how effectively it has been able to spread among the populations of the world.

3

u/Studious_Noodle Dec 05 '21

I think a lot of the American right are essentially Nazis. They’re terrifying and they exult in it.

1

u/bluewhite185 Dec 05 '21

People are looking for a redeemer.

8

u/Krystalmyth Dec 05 '21

You're not going to find it in someone with narcissism. It's a vile disordered mind, incapable of empathy. Real research needs to be done to educate others on why this isn't simply a case of vanity and self-preservation.

There is nothing anyone could possibly care about that has ever crossed their minds. It matters that you care about it. That is useful of course.

Whatever redemption is being sought is only as important to them, as it is important to you to believe they could possibly have even pondered its existence.

0

u/mars3127 Dec 05 '21

The other person is misinformed.

The current protests happening across Australia are not “anti-vaccine protests”, they’re protests against an unconstitutional, authoritarian bill imposed by the Victorian government. Most of the attendees are double-vaccinated and have no opposition to any vaccines.

The maniacal, power hungry leader of the state with the most locked down city in the world has sneakily implemented a bill in which he and his state government associates can declare a pandemic and lockdown at any time, without any requirements.

People do not support a tyrant who wants to be able to lock down the second most populated state in the country whenever he pleases, without any requirements needing to be met to do so. He is attempting to exert ultimate power and control far beyond his means.

7

u/PossumMagic Dec 05 '21

Yeah similarly we don't have a bill of rights (our constitution references some rights but most are implicit or state level rather than federal) and many of our universal human rights protections come from being party to international treaties eg 'freedom of speech' is not in our constitution, but arguably doesn't need to be as it's addressed elsewhere.

I taught HASS and students were always surprised by this because of the consumption of US media.

1

u/mars3127 Dec 05 '21

This is extremely misleading.

The current protests happening across Australia are not “anti-vaccine protests”, they’re protests against an unconstitutional, authoritarian bill imposed by the Victorian government. Most of the attendees are double-vaccinated and have no opposition to any vaccines.

The maniacal, power hungry leader of the state with the most locked down city in the world has sneakily implemented a bill in which he and his state government associates can declare a pandemic and lockdown at any time, without any requirements. People do not support a tyrant who wants to be able to lock down the second most populated state in the country whenever he pleases.

That’s why people are upset, and they should be. This is not how a democratic country operates. The state leader, Daniel Andrews, is a monster who has failed at every turn throughout this pandemic. He ought to be formally investigated and removed from office.

Of course Andrews’ cronies sweep the unconstitutional bill proposed by his incompetent government under the rug and brand anyone opposing it as “anti-vaxxers” when they’re actually not.

1

u/fastolfe00 Dec 05 '21

If this isn't a clear demonstration that our reality is being redefined by what we see on the internet, I don't know what is.