22 Comments
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Heather's avatar

This is… eye opening. To have the Alberta government release this officially… just mind blown. I don’t think I understood that it isn’t just the crackpots and fascists who… wait a sec…

I really thought governments were largely just doing their best and screwing up and there are a lot of chaos loving people online who rage-engage people and the algorithm loves it because money so they are more visible than they should be and greed gives us a shitnado of disinformation which feeds itself and ugh.

But this is an official government report released years after the event. It has nothing to do with random conspiracy theorists feeding off fear and algorithms making billionaires billions more and difficulty policing it because global. This is a fully controlled deliberate report designed to… don’t know actually- can’t even guess. Have always struggled to understand why killing lots of people seems like a good idea to some.

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Bill MacGougan's avatar

But I think it may have to do with conspiracy theorists feeding off fear.

"Take Back Alberta" is just that group of "theorists" and, they appear to have significant control over the UCP. They take credit for turfing Kenney (because he didn't buy their conspiracies) (and Andrew Scheer... in case we thought thier reach was limited to Alberta).

TBA rails against numerous "proven conspirilacies" such as; the NDP, and their supporters, being "anti-human" and that thier policies are designed to depopulate the earth in favour of the environment.

They also happen to be a Christian nationalist (i.e.separatist) group.

Members of this group hold key positions in the UCP.

Smith, it seems, effectively answers to this group. Or at least has to stay aligned them to stay in power. That seems to track with her seemingly left-field policies, actions, and comments and this commissioned paper.

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Dougald Lamont's avatar

Funny thing, I once had a pleasant ten minute conversation with Smith. She said something which i think explained it, which was that if you get offside, rural Alberta starts its own political party. If that happens, both the UCP and the CPC could lose. So they are trying to keep people who are extremists happy.

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Joyfully's avatar

The words you're looking for are eugenics and genocide

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Catherine Reed's avatar

I used to work in biotech, and I can confirm that once an RNA sample is thawed, you're working against a very short window of time to do what you need to do with it before it degrades. Much of the 2+ decades of R&D that went into these mRNA vaccines was figuring out how to package the mRNA so that it would last long enough once injected to reach it's destination on the endoplasmic reticulum within the cells.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of David Speicher's working in research in all fields, i.e.: researchers who work to a preordained conclusion rather than to a novel discovery. I take comfort in the fact that most researchers work to the best of their ability and means to get the right answer, and are able to change their minds when presented with convincing new evidence.

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Dougald Lamont's avatar

Yes. I remember now that was part of the whole logistical challenge

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Tom Blair's avatar

"Credulity is always greatest in times of calamity.”

Credulity = a tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true.

That line was soooo well put!

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Dougald Lamont's avatar

Extraordinary Popular Delusions is incredible. It’s never been out of print. Incredible influence on me.

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Joseph Polito's avatar

The last half of the statistics video was brilliant. He illustrates how even experts can be wrong. But more importantly it shows how unlikely the practitioners of the dunning-kruger effect could be right about such matters. And yet! Danielle Smith thinks she knows better than career scientists.

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Dougald Lamont's avatar

It was very powerful. And it's extremely common.

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Lee Neville's avatar

This so-called report by the Smith UCP government is the last step in an ongoing misinformation/disinformation campaign that started with the UCP / Take back Alberta wing revolt during Jason Kenny years as the UCP premier.

I am looking forward to the end of the Smith UCP government. This report and other blatant lies and UCP government misinformation/ disinformation/propaganda can be exhibited in a special collection for future Albertans, social researchers and historians can look at this shameful point In Alberta’s history and study them as the anomaly that they are.

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Kathleen's avatar

There seems to be a growing pandemic of crazy in politics across the globe. It's likely not to end well - regardless the issue.

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Joseph Polito's avatar

Thanks for exposing this assault on science.

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Ying's avatar

I was a vaccine harmed after mRNA; my friend died after shot; so don’t preach

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Dougald Lamont's avatar

What has that got to do with you not reading the piece before commenting on it?

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Alexis's avatar

Yang is a true believer in JFKj and an antivaxxer. Just block. Can’t fix moron.

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Van's avatar

Did you read the article? Arrogant stupidity doesn't give YOU the right to preach.

Shit for brains.

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Dougald Lamont's avatar

I’ve spent 30 years in public policy research. I worked at the International Centre for Infectious Diseases during the H1N1 pandemic. I’ve been a university lecturer. I was an elected official during the pandemic. You’re not making an argument.

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Van's avatar

My comment, admittedly without nuance or even grace, was meant to be directed at commenter Ying Jan 27

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Dougald Lamont's avatar

I wrote it, genius.

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Ying's avatar

Wow ; you need to open your eyes

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Dougald Lamont's avatar

There’s no way you read the entire article before commenting. So you’ve helped prove my point.

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