australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--Coronavirus: why we should be sceptical about the benevolence of billionaires

The coronavirus pandemic has produced a surge in philanthropic giving from some of the world ’ s wealthiest people .
Bill and Melinda Gates , longstanding champions of global health , have committed funds to research the disease and manufacture a vaccine when one becomes available .
Jack Dorsey , co-founder of Twitter , has pledged US $ 1 billion ( £816 million ) for “ global COVID-19 relief ” .
Then there are Jack Ma , Li Ka-Shing , George Soros , Giorgio Armani and Jeff Bezos – other examples of billionaires giving staggering amounts of money to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
It is not surprising that they have enjoyed widespread praise and acclaim .
Indeed , it is well deserved .
But the situation also illustrates a profound imbalance in society .
Consider for a moment whether you would agree to be a slave .
Let ’ s say a kindly benefactor offered you a better standard of living than that which you currently enjoy , or can realistically aspire to , and credibly promises to treat you very well .
The only condition is that they would own you .
Would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is that most people would not .
Slavery is incontrovertibly wrong , though it is important to understand why .
The depictions we see in popular culture often emphasise the cruelty and exploitation .
These are terrible , but they are not at the core of what ’ s wrong with owning another person .
If they were , then we would not have a problem with the idea of a kindly benefactor .
The real problem with slavery lies in its structure as a social relationship , specifically with the distribution of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent the past few decades putting forward a conception of liberty that uses slavery as the archetype of “ unfreedom ” .
Unlike Thomas Hobbes or Isaiah Berlin , he doesn ’ t think of freedom as the absence of interference , but the absence of arbitrary interference .
Pettit argues that the problem with slavery is not that the slave is interfered with in a cruel or exploitative way , but simply that their owner has the capacity to interfere in their choices at will .
Well treated slaves may be in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but they still have no control over an owner ’ s power to interfere .
This is what it means to be dominated .
Even in circumstances where an owner is benevolent , the slave will be aware that their choices are based on the master ’ s tacit permission .
And if we are worried about domination , we must worry about billionaire philanthropy .
This becomes acute in times of crisis , because it leaves matters of life and death in the hands of a few powerful individuals who lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their own conscience .
Freedom is at risk when the imbalance of wealth and power is so stark .
How healthy can it be that so many people in the world are utterly dependent on the generosity of billionaires ?
The provision of healthcare for millions of people rests on their goodwill and nothing else .
They choose what to give , how to give it and who to give it to .
They establish large organisations that have a profound influence on public bodies .
The Gates Foundation , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization after the United States .
The foundation ’ s influence shapes the global health agenda in a way that has been already been described as a “ cartel ” .
Now that Donald Trump appears set to stop American funding for the WHO , the foundation will be even more important .
Indeed , it has already committed an additional US $ 150 million .
This crisis has laid bare the raw power of the state as millions of people have been forced into quarantine and isolation .
Even in such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimise that arbitrary power through checks and balances , the rule of law , and democracy .
Yet few seem concerned about the power of private organisations .
These are organisations that are as powerful as some states , but lack constraints and accountability .
In short , too many people in the world have to rely on the generosity of philanthropists – it ’ s a stark illustration of the gap between the very rich and the very poor , and the lack of freedom the very poor have .
These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who lives and dies .
I do not think that most billionaire philanthropists have bad intentions , quite the opposite in fact , but that ’ s irrelevant .
As I argue in my recent book Global Poverty , Injustice and Resistance , domination is a structural relationship .
It is about the distribution of power between human beings .
If someone has the power to arbitrarily interfere in your choices , then you are not free .
It does not matter if that interference is benevolent or malevolent or indeed if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the capacity to arbitrarily interfere and nothing else .
You might say that the world is a better place for having billionaire philanthropists in it .
That is true , but it is not enough .
No one with such power can be above scrutiny .
In A Theory of Justice , the political philosopher John Rawls claimed that moral progress was made when people stopped killing captives in war and enslaved them instead .
He is correct – it is better to be a slave than a corpse .
But that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with being a slave .
Once the COVID-19 pandemic has passed , we will take time to mourn our dead and celebrate everyone who helped save lives , including people like Bill and Melinda Gates .
But then we should ask why so many lives depended upon the munificence of billionaires rather than transparent , accountable and adequately funded public agencies .
We should ask why we don ’ t have stronger international organisations that are not beholden to wealthy states or persons .
We should ask why billionaires are allowed to endow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather than paying more taxes .
We must ask why health was treated as a privilege , not a right .

By The Conversation
The coronavirus pandemic has produced a surge in philanthropic giving from some of the world’s wealthiest people. Bill and Melinda Gates, longstanding champions of global health, have committed funds to research the disease and manufacture a vaccine when one becomes available.
Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter, has pledged US$1 billion (£816 million) for “global COVID-19 relief”. Then there are Jack Ma, Li Ka-Shing, George Soros, Giorgio Armani and Jeff Bezos – other examples of billionaires giving staggering amounts of money to help alleviate the suffering caused by this global crisis. It is not surprising that they have enjoyed widespread praise and acclaim.
Indeed, it is well deserved. But the situation also illustrates a profound imbalance in society.
Master and servant
Consider for a moment whether you would agree to be a slave. Let’s say a kindly benefactor offered you a better standard of living than that which you currently enjoy, or can realistically aspire to, and credibly promises to treat you very well. The only condition is that they would own you.
Would you accept the offer? My suspicion is that most people would not.
Slavery is incontrovertibly wrong, though it is important to understand why. The depictions we see in popular culture often emphasise the cruelty and exploitation. These are terrible, but they are not at the core of what’s wrong with owning another person.
If they were, then we would not have a problem with the idea of a kindly benefactor. The real problem with slavery lies in its structure as a social relationship, specifically with the distribution of power.
Philosophers like Philip Pettit have spent the past few decades putting forward a conception of liberty that uses slavery as the archetype of “unfreedom”. Unlike Thomas Hobbes or Isaiah Berlin, he doesn’t think of freedom as the absence of interference, but the absence of arbitrary interference.
Pettit argues that the problem with slavery is not that the slave is interfered with in a cruel or exploitative way, but simply that their owner has the capacity to interfere in their choices at will. Well treated slaves may be in an enviable condition compared with abused slaves, but they still have no control over an owner’s power to interfere. This is what it means to be dominated.
Even in circumstances where an owner is benevolent, the slave will be aware that their choices are based on the master’s tacit permission. And if we are worried about domination, we must worry about billionaire philanthropy.
This becomes acute in times of crisis, because it leaves matters of life and death in the hands of a few powerful individuals who lack any constraints on their power other than their own conscience. Freedom is at risk when the imbalance of wealth and power is so stark. How healthy can it be that so many people in the world are utterly dependent on the generosity of billionaires?
The provision of healthcare for millions of people rests on their goodwill and nothing else. They choose what to give, how to give it and who to give it to. They establish large organisations that have a profound influence on public bodies.
The Gates Foundation, for example, is the largest funder of the World Health Organization after the United States. The foundation’s influence shapes the global health agenda in a way that has been already been described as a “cartel”. Now that Donald Trump appears set to stop American funding for the WHO, the foundation will be even more important. Indeed, it has already committed an additional US$150 million.
Power and influence
This crisis has laid bare the raw power of the state as millions of people have been forced into quarantine and isolation. Even in such times of crisis, we try to minimise that arbitrary power through checks and balances, the rule of law, and democracy. Yet few seem concerned about the power of private organisations. These are organisations that are as powerful as some states, but lack constraints and accountability.
In short, too many people in the world have to rely on the generosity of philanthropists – it’s a stark illustration of the gap between the very rich and the very poor, and the lack of freedom the very poor have.
These are not trivial issues. They will decide who lives and dies.
I do not think that most billionaire philanthropists have bad intentions, quite the opposite in fact, but that’s irrelevant. As I argue in my recent book Global Poverty, Injustice and Resistance, domination is a structural relationship. It is about the distribution of power between human beings.
If someone has the power to arbitrarily interfere in your choices, then you are not free. It does not matter if that interference is benevolent or malevolent or indeed if they choose not to interfere. It is about the capacity to arbitrarily interfere and nothing else.
You might say that the world is a better place for having billionaire philanthropists in it. That is true, but it is not enough. No one with such power can be above scrutiny.
In A Theory of Justice, the political philosopher John Rawls claimed that moral progress was made when people stopped killing captives in war and enslaved them instead. He is correct – it is better to be a slave than a corpse. But that does not mean anyone should be content with being a slave.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic has passed, we will take time to mourn our dead and celebrate everyone who helped save lives, including people like Bill and Melinda Gates. But then we should ask why so many lives depended upon the munificence of billionaires rather than transparent, accountable and adequately funded public agencies.
We should ask why we don’t have stronger international organisations that are not beholden to wealthy states or persons. We should ask why billionaires are allowed to endow immensely wealthy, tax-protected philanthropic trusts, rather than paying more taxes. We must ask why health was treated as a privilege, not a right.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--Australia wants WHO to have same powers of weapons inspectors

Australia will lead a push for the World Health Organisation to be given the same powers as weapons inspectors to forcibly enter a country to avoid a repeat of the COVID-19 global pandemic .
The move would overhaul the operation of the world health body , which currently doesn ’ t have the power to go into a country to investigate a disease outbreak unless it has the express consent of that nation ’ s government .
The WHO has come under criticism for not alerting the world sooner to the global pandemic through most of January , and has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the United States that it was too close to China .
The Australian government quietly lost faith in the WHO ’ s global headquarters in late January and early February for uncritically repeating advice from the Chinese government .
The government still values the work of the WHO , particularly the Western Pacific division , and has no plans to follow United States President Donald Trump in defunding the UN body .
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne are instead pushing for a global review into the handling of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s performance .
Mr Morrison discussed the review with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning , while he also spoke with President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday night .
Although only a middle power on the world stage , the Morrison government is looking to use its likely suppression of the virus to champion a global independent review , with an understanding that many bigger countries will still be battling major outbreaks for months .
Mr Morrison and Senator Payne want the review to probe how the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can reform .
The Australian government will advocate for WHO officials to be given similar powers to UN weapons inspectors so they don ’ t have to negotiate with a country to go in and investigate a public health crisis .
This would allow the WHO to alert the world about a global pandemic sooner .
The government does not hold faith in the WHO , or its decision-making body the World Health Assembly , to lead a probe into the pandemic .
One option being floated is for the UN to appoint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sponsor a UN resolution put forward by Mexico calling for international cooperation in the response to COVID-19 , but senior government sources said it did not oppose the motion .
The resolution was co-sponsored by 179 states and was adopted by the UN General Assembly without going to a vote .

By Anthony Galloway
Australia will lead a push for the World Health Organisation to be given the same powers as weapons inspectors to forcibly enter a country to avoid a repeat of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
The move would overhaul the operation of the world health body, which currently doesn’t have the power to go into a country to investigate a disease outbreak unless it has the express consent of that nation’s government.
The WHO has come under criticism for not alerting the world sooner to the global pandemic through most of January, and has faced allegations from senior politicians in Australia and the United States that it was too close to China.
The Australian government quietly lost faith in the WHO’s global headquarters in late January and early February for uncritically repeating advice from the Chinese government.
The government still values the work of the WHO, particularly the Western Pacific division, and has no plans to follow United States President Donald Trump in defunding the UN body.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne are instead pushing for a global review into the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, including the WHO’s performance.
Mr Morrison discussed the review with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning, while he also spoke with President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday night. Although only a middle power on the world stage, the Morrison government is looking to use its likely suppression of the virus to champion a global independent review, with an understanding that many bigger countries will still be battling major outbreaks for months.
Mr Morrison and Senator Payne want the review to probe how the virus started and recommend how the WHO can reform.
The Australian government will advocate for WHO officials to be given similar powers to UN weapons inspectors so they don’t have to negotiate with a country to go in and investigate a public health crisis. This would allow the WHO to alert the world about a global pandemic sooner. The government does not hold faith in the WHO, or its decision-making body the World Health Assembly, to lead a probe into the pandemic. One option being floated is for the UN to appoint an independent investigator. Australia did not sponsor a UN resolution put forward by Mexico calling for international cooperation in the response to COVID-19, but senior government sources said it did not oppose the motion.
The resolution was co-sponsored by 179 states and was adopted by the UN General Assembly without going to a vote.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--Why Bill Gates is the focus of the latest coronavirus conspiracy theories

“ The Bible says there will be an Antichrist , a man that proclaims to be God , who will try to unite the world in a one-world government with a one-world financial system and establish a one-world religion , ” says Pastor Adam Fannin , a controversial Florida preacher who has latched onto the anti-vaccination movement , in a recent YouTube video .
Who is this “ man that proclaims to be God ” ?
Fannin is referring to Microsoft founder and famed philanthropist Bill Gates , who has become the latest target of conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccination fringe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ predicted the U.S. will be unprepared for a devastating pandemic , has been extremely active since the coronavirus emerged .
He has donated $ 250 million toward the crisis , espoused the importance of developing a safe and effective vaccine , and supported the creation of a government-funded manufacturing infrastructure .
But purveyors of disinformation are telling a different story , using several disparate false narratives about Gates .
All of the conspiracy theories seem to sow doubt about an eventual vaccine .
That ’ s not surprising , given how active anti-vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about false coronavirus cures .
In Fannin ’ s video , which has garnered 1.8 million views , he lambastes Gates for supporting vaccination and suggests that he is working on implantable devices with “ digital certificates ” and “ quantum dot tattoos ” that would identify people with COVID-19 and send their information to the United Nations .
He goes on to call Gates the Antichrist .
In Fannin ’ s other videos , he makes false claims about vaccines , including that they are “ filled with filthy chemicals and aborted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wants to use vaccination to “ depopulate ” the world , a myth that has been around for at least 10 years .
As Snopes explains , Gates has said he sees slowing population growth as a key component of helping to lift people out of poverty—one of the goals of his philanthropic efforts .
In addition to supporting new healthcare initiatives and birth control accessibility , Gates also touts mass vaccination as a way of lowering child mortality rates .
He believes that as child mortality rates lower and stabilize , parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they are less worried their children will die .
The “ quantum dot tattoos ” that Fannin references are related to research funded by the Gates Foundation .
In December , researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed the development of an invisible ink that could be stamped on kids ’ skin at the time of vaccination as a record of their inoculation .
The stamp can last five years , but it is just a stamp .
It can not be used to track a person ’ s whereabouts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ digital certificates ” and implantable devices , Gates has no plans to develop any technology that would diagnose and track people with COVID-19 .
This conspiracy theory seems to stem from a Reddit AMA , where Gates noted that at some point we will have digital certificates that will be able to track who has been sick , who has been tested , and who should receive a vaccine .
But Gates ’ s words were twisted to make it look as though he had plans to commercialize an invasive form of @ @ @ @

BY RUTH READER
“The Bible says there will be an Antichrist, a man that proclaims to be God, who will try to unite the world in a one-world government with a one-world financial system and establish a one-world religion,” says Pastor Adam Fannin, a controversial Florida preacher who has latched onto the anti-vaccination movement, in a recent YouTube video.
Who is this “man that proclaims to be God”? Fannin is referring to Microsoft founder and famed philanthropist Bill Gates, who has become the latest target of conspiracy theorists and anti-vaccination fringe groups.
Gates, who has long predicted the U.S. will be unprepared for a devastating pandemic, has been extremely active since the coronavirus emerged. He has donated $250 million toward the crisis, espoused the importance of developing a safe and effective vaccine, and supported the creation of a government-funded manufacturing infrastructure. But purveyors of disinformation are telling a different story, using several disparate false narratives about Gates. All of the conspiracy theories seem to sow doubt about an eventual vaccine. That’s not surprising, given how active anti-vaccine groups have been lately in spreading misinformation about false coronavirus cures.
In Fannin’s video, which has garnered 1.8 million views, he lambastes Gates for supporting vaccination and suggests that he is working on implantable devices with “digital certificates” and “quantum dot tattoos” that would identify people with COVID-19 and send their information to the United Nations. He goes on to call Gates the Antichrist. In Fannin’s other videos, he makes false claims about vaccines, including that they are “filled with filthy chemicals and aborted fetuses.”
Fannin also claims that Gates wants to use vaccination to “depopulate” the world, a myth that has been around for at least 10 years. As Snopes explains, Gates has said he sees slowing population growth as a key component of helping to lift people out of poverty—one of the goals of his philanthropic efforts. In addition to supporting new healthcare initiatives and birth control accessibility, Gates also touts mass vaccination as a way of lowering child mortality rates. He believes that as child mortality rates lower and stabilize, parents will choose to have fewer kids, because they are less worried their children will die.
The “quantum dot tattoos” that Fannin references are related to research funded by the Gates Foundation. In December, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed the development of an invisible ink that could be stamped on kids’ skin at the time of vaccination as a record of their inoculation. The stamp can last five years, but it is just a stamp. It cannot be used to track a person’s whereabouts, as FactCheck.org notes.
As for the “digital certificates” and implantable devices, Gates has no plans to develop any technology that would diagnose and track people with COVID-19. This conspiracy theory seems to stem from a Reddit AMA, where Gates noted that at some point we will have digital certificates that will be able to track who has been sick, who has been tested, and who should receive a vaccine. But Gates’s words were twisted to make it look as though he had plans to commercialize an invasive form of mass population tracking.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--‘No Adult Nappies, Chronic Pain Or Surgery’: A Brave Mum’s Ultimate Gift This Mother’s Day

Some mums want a sleep in , others will be happy with flowers and their favourite hand cream , but one NSW mum is thrilled she doesn ’ t have to deal with nappies this year .
And for 36-year-old Jacqualine Lamshed this doesn ’ t mean her children ’ s nappies .
The mother of three is planning a visit to the beach with her young family on Mother ’ s Day , and this in itself is an achievement given her tumultuous health journey over the past few years .
“ At times I have had to wear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outing when [ my children ] were in nappies when they were little , and it ’ s really not normal or what you think you would have to do in your early 30s , ” Lamshed told 10 daily .
Six months after the birth of her third child , Lamshed started experiencing a number of unusual symptoms including pain , constipation , and extremely “ bad ” hemorrhoids .
A visit to her GP confirmed Lamshed had suffered a rectal prolapse — a condition where the rectum sits outside the anus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bowel surgery in 2016 .
As symptoms and complications continued over the next few years , the young mum went through a series of surgeries for infections , then a bladder repair hysterectomy , followed by chait caecostomy tube and finally colostomy surgery .
She now uses a colostomy bag daily which she says has given her “ enormous relief and freedom ” .
Also known as a stoma bag , or colostomy bag , the small pouch , fits over the stoma and collects urine and faeces in order to divert the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Before children , I was generally healthy and only really struggled with irritable bowel syndrome , so we can ’ t find any reason other than the birth trauma the tears and impact to my body , ” she said .
Lamshed has two daughters , Sofia , 8 and Georgia , 7 , and a son , Harry 5 , who she says have been her light during dark times .
“ My children are really accepting , tolerant and helpful I ’ ve often had to call out to them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the bathroom or get them to get things for me , so they have probably seen a lot of graphic things for their age.
” Lamshed says wants to share her story so other young people who have shared her struggle know there are others who understand and feel their pain .
During the last financial year 2018/2019 , approximately 46,300 people living with a stoma in Australia accessed the Stoma Appliance Scheme ( SAS ) via Medicare , offering sufferers free access to stoma-related products .
“ A stoma may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bowel disease , cancer , congenital abnormality , chronic constipation , faecal or urinary incontinence , and injury , ” Kylie Gilroy from The Australian Council of Stoma Associations Inc told 10 daily .
Lamshed never imagined she would start a social media account to talk publicly about incontinence , pelvic and rectal prolapses and fashion with a stoma bag , but she ’ s recently started sharing her journey on Instagram .
“ Until now I would put on a brave face , but those closest to me knew I wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ periods .
You ’ re always anxious and wondering where the closest toilet is , but most people had no idea how much this invisible illness impacts your life , ” she said .
Recently Lamshed decided to go to her first Stoma Support group meeting .
Around 4.6 million people , or 21 percent of the community population have urinary or faecal incontinence — or both — according to the Australian Incontinence Foundation .
The prevalence of these conditions is known to increase with age , more than half of individuals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a clear link between incontinence and depression , ” Rowan Cockerell , CEO of the Continence Foundation of Australia told 10 daily .
“ It can be very isolating for anyone to experience incontinence , but young people may feel even more ashamed of what they ’ re going through .
Shame and stigma is often attached to bladder and bowel issues and people feel like they can ’ t speak about it with their friends , family or even health professionals.
” During her journey , Lamshed went looking for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ online and came across Ostomingle — an ostomy support group for young ‘ Ostomates ’ in Sydney .
At first , it was just a social media group , but the support network quickly became much more .
“ I asked these people who I had connected with online if they wanted to grab a drink and we met down at Bondi [ where ] there is a big mural on the beach [ with ] a girl wearing a bikini and an ostomate , ” Ostomingle founder Renee Constantin told 10 daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were other people my age that I could talk to and ask questions and b*tch and moan and laugh about our situation and we all bonded instantly , ” the 27-year-old said .
Lamshed said getting used to life with a colostomy bag took many months of trial and error , and being able to share her ups and downs has helped her realise it was the right move for her .
For the young mum , there are no real certainties .
She doesn ’ t know if there are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for now the stoma is here to stay .
“ Right now I just have to focus on the now and it is better , it is so much better that ’ s why I am at a point where I can share this very full-on journey , ” she said .
For information and advice on bladder , bowel and pelvic health , you can phone the free National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 .

Some mums want a sleep in, others will be happy with flowers and their favourite hand cream, but one NSW mum is thrilled she doesn’t have to deal with nappies this year.
And for 36-year-old Jacqualine Lamshed this doesn’t mean her children’s nappies.
The mother of three is planning a visit to the beach with her young family on Mother’s Day, and this in itself is an achievement given her tumultuous health journey over the past few years.
“At times I have had to wear adult nappies to the park or an outing when [my children] were in nappies when they were little, and it’s really not normal or what you think you would have to do in your early 30s,” Lamshed told 10 daily.
Six months after the birth of her third child, Lamshed started experiencing a number of unusual symptoms including pain, constipation, and extremely “bad” hemorrhoids. A visit to her GP confirmed Lamshed had suffered a rectal prolapse — a condition where the rectum sits outside the anus — which ultimately resulted in her first bowel surgery in 2016.
As symptoms and complications continued over the next few years, the young mum went through a series of surgeries for infections, then a bladder repair hysterectomy, followed by chait caecostomy tube and finally colostomy surgery.
She now uses a colostomy bag daily which she says has given her “enormous relief and freedom”. Also known as a stoma bag, or colostomy bag, the small pouch, fits over the stoma and collects urine and faeces in order to divert the flow from the bowel or bladder.
“Before children, I was generally healthy and only really struggled with irritable bowel syndrome, so we can’t find any reason other than the birth trauma the tears and impact to my body,” she said.
Lamshed has two daughters, Sofia, 8 and Georgia, 7, and a son, Harry 5, who she says have been her light during dark times.
“My children are really accepting, tolerant and helpful I’ve often had to call out to them to help me when I would be in the bathroom or get them to get things for me, so they have probably seen a lot of graphic things for their age.”
Lamshed says wants to share her story so other young people who have shared her struggle know there are others who understand and feel their pain.
I think it is really nice to be able to, this Mother’s Day, just to be able to relax, eat what I want, know that I am more stable and I’m a lot more pain free and worry free.
During the last financial year 2018/2019, approximately 46,300 people living with a stoma in Australia accessed the Stoma Appliance Scheme (SAS) via Medicare, offering sufferers free access to stoma-related products.
“A stoma may be formed to treat the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, congenital abnormality, chronic constipation, faecal or urinary incontinence, and injury,” Kylie Gilroy from The Australian Council of Stoma Associations Inc told 10 daily.
Ostomy surgery is definitely life saving surgery.
Lamshed never imagined she would start a social media account to talk publicly about incontinence, pelvic and rectal prolapses and fashion with a stoma bag, but she’s recently started sharing her journey on Instagram.
“Until now I would put on a brave face, but those closest to me knew I wasn’t able to be out for long periods. You’re always anxious and wondering where the closest toilet is, but most people had no idea how much this invisible illness impacts your life,” she said.
Recently Lamshed decided to go to her first Stoma Support group meeting.
There were about 100 people in the room and there were two of us that were under 65, the rest were in their 70s and 80s.
Around 4.6 million people, or 21 percent of the community population have urinary or faecal incontinence — or both — according to the Australian Incontinence Foundation. The prevalence of these conditions is known to increase with age, more than half of individuals are aged 50 years and above.
“There is a clear link between incontinence and depression,” Rowan Cockerell, CEO of the Continence Foundation of Australia told 10 daily.
“It can be very isolating for anyone to experience incontinence, but young people may feel even more ashamed of what they’re going through. Shame and stigma is often attached to bladder and bowel issues and people feel like they can’t speak about it with their friends, family or even health professionals.”
During her journey, Lamshed went looking for information and support for people her age online and came across Ostomingle — an ostomy support group for young ‘Ostomates’ in Sydney. At first, it was just a social media group, but the support network quickly became much more.
“I asked these people who I had connected with online if they wanted to grab a drink and we met down at Bondi [where] there is a big mural on the beach [with] a girl wearing a bikini and an ostomate,” Ostomingle founder Renee Constantin told 10 daily.
“I just needed to know there were other people my age that I could talk to and ask questions and b*tch and moan and laugh about our situation and we all bonded instantly,” the 27-year-old said.
Lamshed said getting used to life with a colostomy bag took many months of trial and error, and being able to share her ups and downs has helped her realise it was the right move for her.
I have had a fair bit of social anxiety in the beginning around smell, noise, size of it but as months progressed I knew what to expect, like I know where every public toilet in Sydney is to know when I need to change the bag.
For the young mum, there are no real certainties. She doesn’t know if there are more health hurdles and surgeries ahead, but for now the stoma is here to stay.
“Right now I just have to focus on the now and it is better, it is so much better that’s why I am at a point where I can share this very full-on journey,” she said.
For information and advice on bladder, bowel and pelvic health, you can phone the free National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66.
Contact the author alattouf@networkten.com.au


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--The Queen Shared Her Pancake Recipe And Forget Everything You Thought You Knew

Behold , the coveted recipe for Queen Elizabeth II ’ s favourite pancakes that was passed down through the royal family .
Most family recipes are stored in dusty old folders or sprawled across unused napkins .
But nuh uh , not the Windsors ’ — their cookbook will be forever immortalised by the National Archives , who have unveiled a private letter written by the Queen herself .
In the letter is Lizzie ’ s personal recipe for scotch pancakes , giving you the chance to craft an iso snack quite literally fit for a queen .
They ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and they ’ re a whole lot thicker and fluffier than the run-of-the-mill pancakes we commoners are used to .
Her Majesty is believed to have made these pancakes herself when former American President Dwight Eisenhower visited Scotland ’ s Balmoral estate in 1959 .
The pancakes were apparently a real winner , so much so that the President and his wife requested the Queen share the recipe with them .
In the resurfaced personal letter to the President , Lizzie not only lists the ingredients , but generously goes into detail about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the resurfaced personal letter to the President , Lizzie not only lists the ingredients , but generously goes into detail about all her tips and tricks .
“ Dear Mr President , ” she began , “ Seeing a picture of you in today ’ s newspaper , standing in front of a barbecue grilling quail , reminded me that I had never sent you the recipe of the drop scones which I promised you at Balmoral .
I hope you will find them successful.
” She then went on to pepper in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finesse the recipe .
“ Though the quantities are for 16 people , when there are fewer , I generally put in less flour and milk , but use the other ingredients as stated , ” she wrote .
“ I think the mixture needs a great deal of beating while making , and shouldn ’ t stand about too long before cooking.
” If you ’ re keen to give them a try but you ’ re struggling to come by tartar at your very unroyal local supermarket , there is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cream of tartar in the recipe , you can instead use one teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar .
They ’ re fluffy , they ’ re filling , and they ’ re positively draped in aristocratic approval .
Give your iso breakfast the royal treatment by trying them out for yourself : According to the resurfaced letter from 1959 , this is everything you need to make her drop scones .
• 1 1/2 cup ( 350 ml ) of whole milk ( and maybe a little more if needed ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ half the milk together .
• Add flour , and mix well together adding the remainder of milk as required .
• Add the bi-carbonate and cream of tartar , then fold in the melted butter .
• Heat a frying or griddle pan with some melted butter in .
• Pour in two or three large spoonfuls of the batter ( make sure they don ’ t touch each other ) .
• When the batter is bubbling on top , flip over each drop scone .
They are ready when each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with whatever you fancy : fresh fruit , maple syrup or jam .

By Abbey Lenton
Behold, the coveted recipe for Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite pancakes that was passed down through the royal family.
Most family recipes are stored in dusty old folders or sprawled across unused napkins. But nuh uh, not the Windsors’ — their cookbook will be forever immortalised by the National Archives, who have unveiled a private letter written by the Queen herself.
In the letter is Lizzie’s personal recipe for scotch pancakes, giving you the chance to craft an iso snack quite literally fit for a queen.
They’re called ‘dropped scones’, and they’re a whole lot thicker and fluffier than the run-of-the-mill pancakes we commoners are used to.
Her Majesty is believed to have made these pancakes herself when former American President Dwight Eisenhower visited Scotland’s Balmoral estate in 1959.
The pancakes were apparently a real winner, so much so that the President and his wife requested the Queen share the recipe with them.
In the resurfaced personal letter to the President, Lizzie not only lists the ingredients, but generously goes into detail about all her tips and tricks.
In the resurfaced personal letter to the President, Lizzie not only lists the ingredients, but generously goes into detail about all her tips and tricks.
“Dear Mr President,” she began, “Seeing a picture of you in today’s newspaper, standing in front of a barbecue grilling quail, reminded me that I had never sent you the recipe of the drop scones which I promised you at Balmoral. I hope you will find them successful.”
She then went on to pepper in her own experiences and discoveries to really finesse the recipe.
“Though the quantities are for 16 people, when there are fewer, I generally put in less flour and milk, but use the other ingredients as stated,” she wrote.
I have also tried using golden syrup or treacle instead of only sugar and that can be very good, too.
“I think the mixture needs a great deal of beating while making, and shouldn’t stand about too long before cooking.”
If you’re keen to give them a try but you’re struggling to come by tartar at your very unroyal local supermarket, there is an easy substitute.
For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, you can instead use one teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
They’re fluffy, they’re filling, and they’re positively draped in aristocratic approval. Give your iso breakfast the royal treatment by trying them out for yourself:
How to make Queen Elizabeth II’s Scotch Pancakes
According to the resurfaced letter from 1959, this is everything you need to make her drop scones.
Ingredients:
3 cups (400 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup of superfine sugar, or a heaping 1/4 cup white, granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup (350 ml) of whole milk (and maybe a little more if needed)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Method:


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--Surprising Supermarket Items We Can’t Get Enough Of

Woolies has crunched the numbers and discovered that self-isolation has made us all experimental in the kitchen .
The supermarket giant has reviewed its sales data from the last nine weeks to understand how the coronarvirus pandemic has impacted the way we shop and eat .
According to Woolies ’ stats , we ’ ve been getting spicy in isy .
Purchases of sauces , spices and soups have seen explosive growth in recent weeks .
Ingredients such as cardamom , saffron and dried sesame seeds have seen their sales double , while ground ginger and turmeric sales are up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 76 percent .
The cold weather has made us turn to soups — soup mix packet sales are up a whopping 200 percent .
And it seems we ’ re opting for ingredients we were previously intimidated by .
Roasted pepper sales are up 65 percent , Asian and hot chilli sauce sales are both up 40 percent , and caper sales are up 35 percent .
There are a number of reasons this tasty new trend may have come about .
Perhaps it ’ s because we ’ ve all had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the kitchen while hunkering down in isolation , or maybe we ’ re all feeling inspired by MasterChef .
The sales data was revealed following Friday morning ’ s announcement that Woolworths will begin rolling back some of the changes made when Australia first went into shutdown .
One of the key changes will be that from Monday , the Woolworths Community Hour for the elderly , disabled and frontline emergency workers will be phased out .
COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on the way we live , shop and eat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions start to ease , it looks like we ’ re in for a long , spicy winter .

By Abbey Lenton
Woolies has crunched the numbers and discovered that self-isolation has made us all experimental in the kitchen.
The supermarket giant has reviewed its sales data from the last nine weeks to understand how the coronarvirus pandemic has impacted the way we shop and eat.
According to Woolies’ stats, we’ve been getting spicy in isy. Purchases of sauces, spices and soups have seen explosive growth in recent weeks.
Ingredients such as cardamom, saffron and dried sesame seeds have seen their sales double, while ground ginger and turmeric sales are up 120 percent and sauerkraut sales are up 76 percent.
The cold weather has made us turn to soups — soup mix packet sales are up a whopping 200 percent.
And it seems we’re opting for ingredients we were previously intimidated by. Roasted pepper sales are up 65 percent, Asian and hot chilli sauce sales are both up 40 percent, and caper sales are up 35 percent.
There are a number of reasons this tasty new trend may have come about. Perhaps it’s because we’ve all had a lot more time to try new things in the kitchen while hunkering down in isolation, or maybe we’re all feeling inspired by MasterChef.
The sales data was revealed following Friday morning’s announcement that Woolworths will begin rolling back some of the changes made when Australia first went into shutdown.
One of the key changes will be that from Monday, the Woolworths Community Hour for the elderly, disabled and frontline emergency workers will be phased out.
COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on the way we live, shop and eat. And even as Australia’s restrictions start to ease, it looks like we’re in for a long, spicy winter.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--Melbourne protests: Violent scenes in Melbourne’s CBD as coronavirus protesters are detained

Protesters have defied orders to stay home this Mother ’ s Day and have been met with a significant police request .
Melbourne ’ s Parliament House has been swarmed with protesters on Sunday picketing against vaccinations and a 5G network .
Photographs taken by AAP at the scene show multiple scuffles breaking out between protesters and police .
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos was asked to address the 300 protesters during her daily coronavirus update on Sunday .
She took particular exception to anti-vaccination protesters .
“ Those individuals who are protesting today are at breach of the stay at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I think it ’ s incredibly disappointing that we ’ ve got people protesting against vaccines , for example .
“ I know that the whole of Australia , the whole world in fact , is waiting with great anticipation ( for ) a potential vaccine being developed for coronavirus.
” Social distancing restrictions still in place , not only in Victoria but across the country , mandate a 1.5-metre distance .
Fines of $ 1,652 apply to anyone contravening the rules .
In Victoria , there is to be no more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
Hundreds of people chanted in advocacy of coronavirus being a conspiracy , Microsoft mogul Bill Gates being arrested and a repeal of lockdown restrictions .
Premier Daniel Andrews has repeatedly said the timeline for easing restrictions would be announced at the conclusion of a testing blitz .

By
Protesters have defied orders to stay home this Mother’s Day and have been met with a significant police request.
Melbourne’s Parliament House has been swarmed with protesters on Sunday picketing against vaccinations and a 5G network.
Photographs taken by AAP at the scene show multiple scuffles breaking out between protesters and police.
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos was asked to address the 300 protesters during her daily coronavirus update on Sunday.
She took particular exception to anti-vaccination protesters.
“Those individuals who are protesting today are at breach of the stay at home directive,” she said.
“I think it’s incredibly disappointing that we’ve got people protesting against vaccines, for example.
“I know that the whole of Australia, the whole world in fact, is waiting with great anticipation (for) a potential vaccine being developed for coronavirus.”
Social distancing restrictions still in place, not only in Victoria but across the country, mandate a 1.5-metre distance.
Fines of $1,652 apply to anyone contravening the rules.
In Victoria, there is to be no more than two people gathering outdoors at any time.
Hundreds of people chanted in advocacy of coronavirus being a conspiracy, Microsoft mogul Bill Gates being arrested and a repeal of lockdown restrictions.
Premier Daniel Andrews has repeatedly said the timeline for easing restrictions would be announced at the conclusion of a testing blitz.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--Large fire at magnesium factory in Madison, Illinois

MADISON , Ill. – A thick plume of dark smoke could be seen pouring from the site of a factory fire in Madison , Illinois Thursday afternoon .
Firefighters from 35 departments all over the area responded to the fire at Magnesium Elektron .
They were afraid the fire would turn into an explosion .
Fortunately , no injuries were reported .
“ That ’ s not a good thing at all , ” said Madison Mayor John Hamm .
“ It will get much worse when you apply water to a magnesium fire.
” It was determined oil and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Magnesium was not involved as a fuel source for the blaze .
The exact cause of the fire has not been determined .
The company makes magnesium alloys used in batteries , cars , electronics , and photoengraving plates .
Magnesium Elektron has been at that address since 2003 .
The Illinois EPA is investigating .
Fox 2 has learned this is not the first fire at this facility to get the state ’ s attention .
“ I ’ ve been on this department 35 years and there ’ s probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From explosions or what have you , ” Madison Fire Chief J.S.Bridick said .
Neighbors who live across the street from the plant said they ’ ve grown accustomed to problems there .
“ You kind of get use to it , ” said resident Lunita Allen .
“ It happens a lot ; you get use to it.
” An October 2010 fire was the subject of a lawsuit filed by state environmental regulators , who claimed the fire threatened the health of nearby residents .
The state and Magnesium Elektron later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50,000 fine .
You can see photos from the 2010 fire below , courtesy of the Illinois EPA .

By Roche Madden and Staff Writer
MADISON, Ill. – A thick plume of dark smoke could be seen pouring from the site of a factory fire in Madison, Illinois Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters from 35 departments all over the area responded to the fire at Magnesium Elektron. They were afraid the fire would turn into an explosion. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Firefighters were concerned magnesium was burning.
“That’s not a good thing at all,” said Madison Mayor John Hamm. “It will get much worse when you apply water to a magnesium fire.”
It was determined oil and trash had caught fire at the facility. Magnesium was not involved as a fuel source for the blaze. The exact cause of the fire has not been determined.
The company makes magnesium alloys used in batteries, cars, electronics, and photoengraving plates. Magnesium Elektron has been at that address since 2003.
The Illinois EPA is investigating. Fox 2 has learned this is not the first fire at this facility to get the state’s attention.
“I’ve been on this department 35 years and there’s probably been several fatalities out here. … From explosions or what have you,” Madison Fire Chief J.S.Bridick said.
Neighbors who live across the street from the plant said they’ve grown accustomed to problems there.
“You kind of get use to it,” said resident Lunita Allen. “It happens a lot; you get use to it.”
An October 2010 fire was the subject of a lawsuit filed by state environmental regulators, who claimed the fire threatened the health of nearby residents. The state and Magnesium Elektron later settled and the company paid a $50,000 fine.
You can see photos from the 2010 fire below, courtesy of the Illinois EPA.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--‘I don’t keep my kids in the shadows’: Anti-vaxxer cosmetic nurse who was arrested at a COVID-19 loc

‘I don’t keep my kids in the shadows’: Anti-vaxxer cosmetic nurse who was arrested at a COVID-19 lockdown rally says her activist four-year-old son was protesting his right to SKATE when cops ripped him from her arms

A cosmetic nurse whose screaming son was pulled from her arms as police arrested her for protesting about the coronavirus lockdown claims ‘ he wanted to be there ’ .
Renee Altakrity had her four-year-old son pulled from her arms by police during the ‘ Exercise My Rights ’ protest outside New South Wales parliament house on Saturday .
Video of the mother-of-three ’ s arrest soon went viral , while as she sat in the back of a police wagon she posted updates for her fellow protestors on social media .
Mrs Altakrity , 36 , was issued a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 rules .
The day after the incident she told Daily Mail Australia that despite criticism over her decision to take her son along with her , he had asked to join because he wants skate parks to reopen .
‘ The point for me exercising our rights is to stick up for ourselves and have freedom of speech , ’ Mrs Altakrity said .
‘ My son wanted to come with me .
He said : “ Mum can I come ?
I ’ d love to put a sign up about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back to the skate parks and not feel scared ” .
‘ I don ’ t keep my kids in the shadows… my children are very aware of what is going on and I think it is very important our children know how to handle themselves and have a freedom of speech , even at four .
‘ My children are very opinionated , they probably get that from me , but he had every right to be there.
’ When asked exactly what she was protesting over , the beautician said she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a ‘ Gestapo ’ approach to running Australia .
Despite admitting she is ‘ not a scientist or doctor ’ , Mrs Altakrity said she believed a more targeted quarantine would have been a better option .
‘ I would ’ ve talked about possibly quarantining the sick , not the healthy , ’ she said .
‘ There is no reason healthy people shouldn ’ t be allowed to go about their lives .
That ’ s all I ’ ve got to say about it .
‘ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ Dozens of people gathered outside parliament house on Macquarie Street in Sydney from midday on Saturday as part of the ‘ Exercise My Rights ’ protest .
In addition to the COVID-19 restrictions , among their other grievances was the need for NRL players and those visiting aged care homes to have had the flu vaccination .
Mrs Altakrity admitted she was against vaccinations , but said that was not the main reason she was protesting .
At Saturday ’ s protest she had a yellow sign hung around her neck that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t know your rights , you don ’ t have any .
Magna Carta.
’ When police officers approached her about 3.50pm she insisted she was not doing anything wrong , despite the government ’ s social distancing regulations .
Australians can leave their homes for exercise or essential reasons but must keep a 1.5 metre distance from others .
While these restrictions are expected to be eased in the coming weeks , they remain in place across most states and territories .
‘ I don ’ t know how you guys are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to infringe me with a notice which I don ’ t consent to because we ’ re doing nothing wrong , ’ Mrs Altakrity told the group of officers .
‘ You guys should be here holding the signs with us , defending us .
I don ’ t consent to what you ’ re doing.
’ She said she was not ‘ acting in aggression ’ and that she did not consent to sharing her name .
She asked if police she was ‘ under arrest ’ and a female officer explained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ as they believed she was committing an offence .
Mrs Altakrity then appeared to walk on .
But additional video footage showed the altercation taking a turn for the worst , with police attempting to arrest the woman as her son screamed and cried nearby .
‘ Mummy is not going… leave mummy alone , ’ he said .
Mrs Altakrity appeared to fight off attempts to put her in the back of a paddy wagon and continued to claim she was not doing anything wrong .
The distressing footage concluded with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mum , with one officer seen holding on to the boy as he kicked and screamed .
Inside the police van , Mrs Altakrity posted a video to Instagram calling for help from her fellow protestors .
‘ I ’ m in the back of a paddy wagon .
They singled me out , ’ she claimed .
‘ If someone can please send legal representation .
I can not believe this is happening .
‘ This system is absolutely bulls**t. They singled me out .
They singled me out… Why ?
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else.
’ The alarming confrontation left viewers divided , with many slamming the mother for bringing her child along with her .
‘ Foolish , selfish attention seeking woman .
A mother should protect their child far far away from aggravating situations like that during a global pandemic , ’ one wrote .
‘ She should not expose a vulnerable child to such unnecessary trauma .
Her poor innocent boy , ’ another wrote .
A NSW Police spokesperson said officers spoke to ‘ unauthorised protesters ’ about 3.50pm on Saturday .
‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were not authorised to protest and were also not complying with social distancing regulations , ’ the spokesperson said .
‘ One woman refused to give officers her details and would not comply with their direction to move on .
‘ She was placed under arrest ; however , resisted and struggled with officers .
‘ The woman was taken to Surry Hills Police Station.
’ NSW Police confirmed late on Saturday night that she had been issued with a public infringement notice ( PIN ) and a subsequent $ 1000 fine @

By Josh Hanrahan and Zoe Zaczek
A cosmetic nurse whose screaming son was pulled from her arms as police arrested her for protesting about the coronavirus lockdown claims ‘he wanted to be there’.
Renee Altakrity had her four-year-old son pulled from her arms by police during the ‘Exercise My Rights’ protest outside New South Wales parliament house on Saturday.
Video of the mother-of-three’s arrest soon went viral, while as she sat in the back of a police wagon she posted updates for her fellow protestors on social media.
Mrs Altakrity, 36, was issued a $1000 fine for breaching the strict COVID-19 rules.
The day after the incident she told Daily Mail Australia that despite criticism over her decision to take her son along with her, he had asked to join because he wants skate parks to reopen.
‘The point for me exercising our rights is to stick up for ourselves and have freedom of speech,’ Mrs Altakrity said.
‘My son wanted to come with me. He said: “Mum can I come? I’d love to put a sign up about the fact that I want to go back to the skate parks and not feel scared”.
‘I don’t keep my kids in the shadows… my children are very aware of what is going on and I think it is very important our children know how to handle themselves and have a freedom of speech, even at four.
‘My children are very opinionated, they probably get that from me, but he had every right to be there.’
When asked exactly what she was protesting over, the beautician said she believed Prime Minister Scott Morrison had taken a ‘Gestapo’ approach to running Australia.
Despite admitting she is ‘not a scientist or doctor’, Mrs Altakrity said she believed a more targeted quarantine would have been a better option.
‘I would’ve talked about possibly quarantining the sick, not the healthy,’ she said.
‘There is no reason healthy people shouldn’t be allowed to go about their lives. That’s all I’ve got to say about it.
‘I don’t think its been handled with common sense.’
Dozens of people gathered outside parliament house on Macquarie Street in Sydney from midday on Saturday as part of the ‘Exercise My Rights’ protest.
In addition to the COVID-19 restrictions, among their other grievances was the need for NRL players and those visiting aged care homes to have had the flu vaccination.
Mrs Altakrity admitted she was against vaccinations, but said that was not the main reason she was protesting.
At Saturday’s protest she had a yellow sign hung around her neck that read: ‘If you don’t know your rights, you don’t have any. Magna Carta.’
When police officers approached her about 3.50pm she insisted she was not doing anything wrong, despite the government’s social distancing regulations.
Australians can leave their homes for exercise or essential reasons but must keep a 1.5 metre distance from others.
While these restrictions are expected to be eased in the coming weeks, they remain in place across most states and territories.
‘I don’t know how you guys are going home in honour tonight and trying to infringe me with a notice which I don’t consent to because we’re doing nothing wrong,’ Mrs Altakrity told the group of officers.
‘You guys should be here holding the signs with us, defending us. I don’t consent to what you’re doing.’
She said she was not ‘acting in aggression’ and that she did not consent to sharing her name.
She asked if police she was ‘under arrest’ and a female officer explained they were ‘asking for her name’ as they believed she was committing an offence.
Mrs Altakrity then appeared to walk on.
The dangers of not being vaccinated Immunisation is an effective way of protecting people from harmful, contagious diseases. Before vaccination campaigns in the 1960s and 70s, diseases like tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough killed thousands of children. Immunisation also protects the whole community, preventing the spread of the disease – known as ‘herd immunity’. Vaccination can cause a disease to die out altogether – as was the case when smallpox was eradicated in 1980 after a vaccination campaign led by the World Health Organisation. Vaccination rates are at over 93 per cent for five-year-olds in Australia.
But additional video footage showed the altercation taking a turn for the worst, with police attempting to arrest the woman as her son screamed and cried nearby.
‘Mummy is not going… leave mummy alone,’ he said.
Mrs Altakrity appeared to fight off attempts to put her in the back of a paddy wagon and continued to claim she was not doing anything wrong.
The distressing footage concluded with police pulling the child away from his mum, with one officer seen holding on to the boy as he kicked and screamed.
Inside the police van, Mrs Altakrity posted a video to Instagram calling for help from her fellow protestors.
‘I’m in the back of a paddy wagon. They singled me out,’ she claimed.
‘If someone can please send legal representation. I cannot believe this is happening.
‘This system is absolutely bulls**t. They singled me out. They singled me out… Why? I was just exercising my rights like everybody else.’
The alarming confrontation left viewers divided, with many slamming the mother for bringing her child along with her.
‘Foolish, selfish attention seeking woman. A mother should protect their child far far away from aggravating situations like that during a global pandemic,’ one wrote.
‘She should not expose a vulnerable child to such unnecessary trauma. Her poor innocent boy,’ another wrote.
A NSW Police spokesperson said officers spoke to ‘unauthorised protesters’ about 3.50pm on Saturday.
‘Officers moved the group on after explaining they were not authorised to protest and were also not complying with social distancing regulations,’ the spokesperson said.
‘One woman refused to give officers her details and would not comply with their direction to move on.
‘She was placed under arrest; however, resisted and struggled with officers.
‘The woman was taken to Surry Hills Police Station.’
NSW Police confirmed late on Saturday night that she had been issued with a public infringement notice (PIN) and a subsequent $1000 fine.


australiannationalreview--2020-05-11--Why It’s Important To Push Back On ‘Plandemic’—And How To Do It

By now you ’ ve probably heard about or even seen the video “ Plandemic ” that ’ s been spreading like wildfire through social media networks .
This article is not the one you should give to your friend or relative or coworker who shared the video .
( If you want that article , you won ’ t find a better one than this one from Beth Skwarecki at Lifehacker : “ If You Found That ‘ Plandemic ’ Video Convincing , Read This Too.
” ) This is an article for those who recognized the video as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ false claims , those who are frustrated and unsettled and disappointed in who they see sharing it , and those who want to know what to say when they see it .
It explains why the video is successful , how to recognize propaganda like this for what it is , and explain why it is so , so , so important to speak up about this particular video .
What IS this video ?
Plandemic interviews a scientist who was appropriately discredited for scientific misconduct and fraud .
She is a known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denial in the film ) , and she presents a long list of unsupported statements that involve COVID-19 , various vaccines , HIV/AIDS , Anthony Fauci , pharmaceutical company collusion and other elements of an elaborate , long-running cover-up .
It ’ s a doozy , checking nearly every box in the long list of conspiracy theories and disinformation circulating about the coronavirus .
Why did my smart , thoughtful , informed friend share this ?
What ’ s most upsetting to many people is who they see sharing it : reasonable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fall for conspiracy theories or pseudoscience .
What is going on ?
Many people who are privately or casually sharing it are saying , “ This is interesting .
What do you think of it ?
” Most genuinely don ’ t know what to make of it .
They aren ’ t trying to spread misinformation .
They ’ re not the types to believe or share conspiracy theories .
They ’ re taken in by the video ’ s slick appearance and by its use of persuasive techniques and really want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you need to approach them respectfully about it .
( We ’ ll get to that . )
Why is this video suddenly everywhere ?
Why are so many drawn to it ?
This video has been extremely successful at promoting misinformation for three reasons : First , it taps into people ’ s uncertainty , anxiety and need for answers—common reasons anyone is attracted to a conspiracy theory .
Second , it is packaged very professionally and uses common conventions people already associate with factual documentaries .
Third , it successfully exploits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is more uncertainty about our world right now than there has been in decades , perhaps a century , and the stakes are higher than ever .
Everyone has so many unanswered questions—including scientists , doctors , national leaders and others we ordinarily look to for answers .
Uncertainty is uncomfortable .
People want answers .
Conspiracy theories can be comforting .
This video appears to provide answers that fit together , that seem to make sense , that sound credible , or at least “ interesting and worth considering.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Next is the line . )
The video looks , sounds and feels like a documentary even though it isn ’ t Plandemic is part of a disturbingly successful trend in which deep-pocketed purveyors of pseudoscience produce slick , professional videos as credible-appearing documentaries .
The lighting , narrative structure , the pacing , use of imagery , camera angles , editing techniques—these are all common documentary filmmaking conventions that we ’ ve come to associate with factual information .
The people producing this video know what they ’ re doing , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On a subconscious level , no matter what words are being said , this video feels factual simply because of how it was produced .
It ’ s intentionally manipulative .
It ’ s a textbook example of effective propaganda .
( That ’ s the line .
Next is the sinker . )
This video successfully employs “ pathos ” and “ ethos ” to persuade people Aristotle introduced a concept over two thousand years ago that remains more relevant than ever : modes of persuasion , or rhetorical appeals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to persuade others are ethos , pathos and logos .
Ethos is an appeal to the credibility and authority of the speaker , how they come across .
The entire first third of Plandemic is dedicated to setting Judy Mikovits up as a trustworthy expert on everything the video will discuss .
She sounds and looks calm , collected and competent .
She uses scientific but understandable language .
She tells a personal story that helps viewers connect with her and with the interviewer , who also comes across as compassionate , thoughtful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t make a scientific argument or mention COVID-19 yet—the only purpose of the first 8-10 minutes is get the audience to trust Mikovits .
The problem is that most people will not have heard of Mikovits before this video .
This is their first impression of her , and first impressions are very powerful .
When people later hear she is anti-vaccine and that she falsified data , it will be harder for them to believe it .
They already know she was accused of those things , but she and the interviewer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innocent and framed .
The filmmakers have so strongly invested in ethos that it will be hard for someone watching Mikovits for the first time to disregard their first impression of her as a wronged woman .
Pathos is an appeal to emotion .
The video appeals to viewers ’ emotions by portraying Mikovits as a victimized underdog and by repeatedly using stock video of harrowing images , such as patients dying from AIDS and malnourished children in Africa .
The video claims people are dying because they can not get the appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ sense of injustice .
The video even uses stock images of a SWAT team arrest to make it look like she was arrested in a major operation—but that ’ s stock footage unrelated to her arrest .
It ’ s true she was arrested Nov. 18 , 2011 and spent four days in jail , but there is no evidence it involved SWAT , and she makes her time in jail sound much longer .
In a separate incident , Mikovits turned herself in .
( Note : The information on her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an earlier version that did not include her Nov. 18 arrest , thanks to reader Zachariah Wiedeman , who pointed out the separate incidents . )
Logos is an appeal to facts and logic .
This is where the film falls flat—but it doesn ’ t matter to many people because it so successfully uses ethos and pathos .
For logos , the film takes intuitive ideas or those with a kernel of truth to them , and it twists them and amplifies them into exaggerated , false claims that sound reasonable because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claim that staying home will weaken our immune systems without enough exposure to microbes is false , but it sounds reasonable because it builds on the hygiene hypothesis , which does have evidence . )
Instead of reasoned arguments with supportive evidence , the film uses a common debating strategy called the gish gallop .
This technique overwhelms the audience with so many assertions and arguments at one time , without regard to how strong or true they are , that it ’ s impossible to keep up with them or refute them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to try because it ’ s the nonstop bombardment of statements coming at you that makes it effective .
( This is partly why debunking this video isn ’ t a productive use of time . )
The video also uses images of sciencey things—labs , cells , scientific experiments , pictures of studies—to substitute for logos .
They look credible and factual whether they actually support the argument or not .
So what do you do when someone shares it ?
First , don ’ t call them or the video crazy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mock them for sharing it .
And don ’ t insist they delete it immediately or tell people not to watch it—that just makes it forbidden fruit , which is all the more attractive .
( The filmmakers are already successfully using that strategy by telling people it will get taken down , and it has .
At least some of the take-downs are for copyright infringement since it uses several video clips without permission , including the video of the Bakersfield doctors .
ETA 5/10/20 9:30pm ET : Since initial publication : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ companies , including YouTube , Facebook and Vimeo , have stated that the video was removed because it gave medically inaccurate advice . )
They probably really want your opinion because they trust you .
Don ’ t violate that trust right off the bat .
Use it .
How you use it depends on what you know about them already and what ’ s worked in the past .
Science communicator and social scientist Liz Neeley has a fantastic piece at The Atlantic on how to talk to people about science—and misinformation—without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seriously .
It will help you .
You might ask what they find so persuasive about it and move on from there , addressing those specifics .
You could also discuss how to know whether Mikovits really is an expert or not .
Instead of just dropping a link , explain that it ’ s impossible for her to be an expert in all the different topics she covers in that video—that ’ s not how scientific expertise works .
Emily Willingham , PhD , a science journalist and developmental biologist ( and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 ) , has an excellent public post on Facebook about how to vet experts for actually having expertise in a particular area .
Having a PhD in biology doesn ’ t make someone an expert in all of biology .
No one human can know all that .
“ Some people with advanced degrees are perfectly willing to elide their expertise or overreach on their claims just to get attention , ” Willingham writes .
And she makes this extremely important point that ’ s relevant to the final moment in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about an inevitable pandemic in the coming years is used to suggest he caused it : “ Science and the process of scientific discovery are never about one giant .
Evidence is incremental , data can be slow to come in .
But people with expertise collectively know what ’ s on the horizon here and have been warning about it for years .
They were informed by history and their own training , their understanding of how novel infectious disease would behave in a globally connected society .
No one—NO SINGLE PERSON—is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make some clever connection no one else has considered or uncover some vast deep conspiracy that has eluded the other 7.7 billion people on Earth.
” If all you do have the energy to do is drop a link in response to the video , this is the one to drop—it ’ s the article version of what my article recommends : “ If You Found That ‘ Plandemic ’ Video Convincing , Read This Too.
” If they like reading long articles debunking it , there are plenty to choose from .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottom .
But a systematic debunking of the video isn ’ t likely to be successful .
Talking about it and why it ’ s persuasive might be .
Why should I bother saying anything at all ?
Can ’ t I just ignore it ?
Conspiracy theories like those in this video are actively , directly harmful and dangerous .
They can influence people ’ s behavior in ways that harm those people and public health—including you personally—in general .
We can ’ t afford to let these ideas run unchecked .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on them , even to those you love or don ’ t want to upset , you ’ re enabling them .
You ’ re allowing people to spew harmful , dangerous nonsense that kills people and demoralizes the millions of health care providers trying to save lives .
Many people try to avoid drama or debates on their social media accounts , and I respect that .
But this video is not a time to “ agree to disagree ” because the stakes are too high .
It ’ s a matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statements in this video can cause deaths .
If they share it on your Facebook wall , address it .
If you see them share it on their walls , address it .
You don ’ t have to debate all night—that ’ s not productive for either of you .
Maybe you just make a couple points and drop it .
But don ’ t let it go unchallenged .
Should you unfriend them ?
That depends .
I know many people just don ’ t have the energy right now to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , burnt out , stressed , and tired—so be strategic about what you can tolerate .
You might need to say , “ I ’ m sorry , I care about you as a person , but I can not allow you to share dangerous , harmful misinformation about a life or death situation , so I will need to unfriend you until the pandemic is over.
” Or , maybe it ’ s vital that they remain connected to you because your posts are some of the only good sources of accurate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bubble .
Maybe you can ’ t afford to sever a relationship during a time with so much isolation already .
It ’ s your call .
Whatever you do , speak up at least once .
The stakes are too high not to—for all of us .
We all have a social responsibility to push back against dangerous , harmful information , now more than ever .
Does speaking up even matter ?
Will it make a difference ?
Yes .
You might not convince them the video is conspiracy theory nonsense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may not be the goal .
But here are three things you accomplish by speaking up even if you know you ’ ll “ lose ” the battle : • Others see you push back .
They ’ ll get accurate information and see you calmly , maturely responding to the false statements .
Ethos !
• Seeing you speak up erodes the bystander effect , typically used to explain why people are less likely to help in an emergency if others are around .
If someone makes a racist comment and no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to be the first .
So be the first—and it inspires and emboldens other people to push back on their walls too .
Speaking against misinformation is contagious in a good way .
If you do it , they realize they can and should too .
And if they didn ’ t know what to say before , they can copy/paste what you said and use that .
• Speaking up normalizes factual information and contributes to the mere exposure effect : the more a person is exposed to an idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ credible , no matter what the idea is .
The more they hear it from you and others , over and over , the more they may gradually , unconsciously start to recognize the logical holes and embrace factual information .
It won ’ t happen overnight or because of one person , and they ’ ll think it was their idea when it happens .
But it can happen .
Where can I get a good debunking of it all ?
Note : Some hyperlinks are not showing up on mobile , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ URL for each link for copying/pasting .
—Beth Skwarecki ’ s Lifehacker article is an excellent , thoughtful debunking : “ If You Found That ‘ Plandemic ’ Video Convincing , Read This Too.
” http : //vitals.lifehacker.com/if-you-found-that-plandemic-video-convincing-read-th-1843339002 —For a truly exhaustive claim-by-claim correction , this Google Doc from fire and emergency management educator Jim Chaffee includes sources to support every correction .
http : //docs.google.com/document/d/1QwU4jcRw-qb77BLCLs99af05S1mL2E2vUz2x2M1396U/edit —Retraction Watch , a scientific misconduct watchdog site , has an excellent brief piece about Judy Mikovits that includes links to their past posts on her : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ http : //retractionwatch.com/2020/05/06/who-is-judy-mikovits/ —Science Magazine , whose reporter Jon Cohen covered the Mikovits story in real time throughout 2011-2012 , has an excellent rundown by Cohen and science reporter Martin Enserink of who Mikovits is , what happened and what ’ s false in the video .
www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/fact-checking-judy-mikovits-controversial-virologist-attacking-anthony-fauci-viral — “ The anti-vaxx agenda of ‘ The Plandemic ’ ” at The Big Think describes seven conspiracy theories “ baked into ” Plandemic .
http : //bigthink.com/coronavirus/the-plandemic ?
rebelltitem=3 # rebelltitem3 — “ Why People Cling To Conspiracy Theories Like ‘ Plandemic ’ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other reasons people are drawn to conspiracy theories .
www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2020/05/07/why-people-cling-to-conspiracy-theories-like-plandemic/ # 26e0c2485049 —For the most comprehensive rundown of Mikovits ’ history you could ever ask for , see “ Plandemic : Judy Mikovits and the mother of all COVID-19 conspiracy theories ” at Science-Based Medicine .
www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/plandemic-judy-mikovits-covid-19/ —Snopes does a thorough job : “ Was a Scientist Jailed After Discovering a Deadly Virus Delivered Through Vaccines ?
” www.snopes.com/fact-check/scientist-vaccine-jailed/ —Want to know the real story on what happened to Mikovits ?
Read this Nature piece and this Science piece .
www.nature.com/news/2011/111005/full/news.2011.574.html and www.sciencemag.org/news/2011/12/updated-rare-move-science-without-authors-consent-retracts-paper-tied-mouse-virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ misdeeds and mistruths is available on this Facebook post from Ross Grayson ; it also includes links to more helpful articles .
www.facebook.com/1151067689/posts/10219392717425910/ ?
d=n —Politifact has a pretty extensive fact-check on the video ’ s claims : “ Fact-checking ‘ Plandemic ’ : A documentary full of false conspiracy theories about the coronavirus.
” www.politifact.com/article/2020/may/08/fact-checking-plandemic-documentary-full-false-con/ —Finally , this blog post by Liz Ditz compiles all the articles she has been able to find that address the video ’ s misinformation .
http : //lizditz.typepad.com/i_speak_of_dreams/2020/05/judy-mikovits-not-a-reliable-source-of-information-on-covid19-vaccines-or-anything-in-science.html

By Tara Haelle |
By now you’ve probably heard about or even seen the video “Plandemic” that’s been spreading like wildfire through social media networks. This article is not the one you should give to your friend or relative or coworker who shared the video. (If you want that article, you won’t find a better one than this one from Beth Skwarecki at Lifehacker: “If You Found That ‘Plandemic’ Video Convincing, Read This Too.”)
This is an article for those who recognized the video as rife with conspiracy theories, misinformation and false claims, those who are frustrated and unsettled and disappointed in who they see sharing it, and those who want to know what to say when they see it. It explains why the video is successful, how to recognize propaganda like this for what it is, and explain why it is so, so, so important to speak up about this particular video.
What IS this video?
Plandemic interviews a scientist who was appropriately discredited for scientific misconduct and fraud. She is a known, established anti-vaccine advocate (despite her denial in the film), and she presents a long list of unsupported statements that involve COVID-19, various vaccines, HIV/AIDS, Anthony Fauci, pharmaceutical company collusion and other elements of an elaborate, long-running cover-up. It’s a doozy, checking nearly every box in the long list of conspiracy theories and disinformation circulating about the coronavirus.
Why did my smart, thoughtful, informed friend share this?
What’s most upsetting to many people is who they see sharing it: reasonable, intelligent people who normally don’t fall for conspiracy theories or pseudoscience. What is going on?
Many people who are privately or casually sharing it are saying, “This is interesting. What do you think of it?” Most genuinely don’t know what to make of it. They aren’t trying to spread misinformation. They’re not the types to believe or share conspiracy theories. They’re taken in by the video’s slick appearance and by its use of persuasive techniques and really want to know what you think, so you need to approach them respectfully about it. (We’ll get to that.)
Why is this video suddenly everywhere? Why are so many drawn to it?
This video has been extremely successful at promoting misinformation for three reasons: First, it taps into people’s uncertainty, anxiety and need for answers—common reasons anyone is attracted to a conspiracy theory. Second, it is packaged very professionally and uses common conventions people already associate with factual documentaries. Third, it successfully exploits ancient but extremely effective methods of persuasion.
There is more uncertainty about our world right now than there has been in decades, perhaps a century, and the stakes are higher than ever. Everyone has so many unanswered questions—including scientists, doctors, national leaders and others we ordinarily look to for answers. Uncertainty is uncomfortable. People want answers. Conspiracy theories can be comforting. This video appears to provide answers that fit together, that seem to make sense, that sound credible, or at least “interesting and worth considering.” (That’s the hook. Next is the line.)
The video looks, sounds and feels like a documentary even though it isn’t
Plandemic is part of a disturbingly successful trend in which deep-pocketed purveyors of pseudoscience produce slick, professional videos as credible-appearing documentaries. The lighting, narrative structure, the pacing, use of imagery, camera angles, editing techniques—these are all common documentary filmmaking conventions that we’ve come to associate with factual information.
The people producing this video know what they’re doing, and they’re very good at it. On a subconscious level, no matter what words are being said, this video feels factual simply because of how it was produced. It’s intentionally manipulative. It’s a textbook example of effective propaganda. (That’s the line. Next is the sinker.)
This video successfully employs “pathos” and “ethos” to persuade people
Aristotle introduced a concept over two thousand years ago that remains more relevant than ever: modes of persuasion, or rhetorical appeals. The three main appeals speakers can use to persuade others are ethos, pathos and logos.
Ethos is an appeal to the credibility and authority of the speaker, how they come across. The entire first third of Plandemic is dedicated to setting Judy Mikovits up as a trustworthy expert on everything the video will discuss. She sounds and looks calm, collected and competent. She uses scientific but understandable language. She tells a personal story that helps viewers connect with her and with the interviewer, who also comes across as compassionate, thoughtful and empathetic.
The video doesn’t make a scientific argument or mention COVID-19 yet—the only purpose of the first 8-10 minutes is get the audience to trust Mikovits. The problem is that most people will not have heard of Mikovits before this video. This is their first impression of her, and first impressions are very powerful. When people later hear she is anti-vaccine and that she falsified data, it will be harder for them to believe it. They already know she was accused of those things, but she and the interviewer convincingly make the case that she was innocent and framed. The filmmakers have so strongly invested in ethos that it will be hard for someone watching Mikovits for the first time to disregard their first impression of her as a wronged woman.
Pathos is an appeal to emotion. The video appeals to viewers’ emotions by portraying Mikovits as a victimized underdog and by repeatedly using stock video of harrowing images, such as patients dying from AIDS and malnourished children in Africa. The video claims people are dying because they cannot get the appropriate treatments they need, appealing to viewers’ sense of injustice. The video even uses stock images of a SWAT team arrest to make it look like she was arrested in a major operation—but that’s stock footage unrelated to her arrest. It’s true she was arrested Nov. 18, 2011 and spent four days in jail, but there is no evidence it involved SWAT, and she makes her time in jail sound much longer. In a separate incident, Mikovits turned herself in. (Note: The information on her interactions with police has been corrected from an earlier version that did not include her Nov. 18 arrest, thanks to reader Zachariah Wiedeman, who pointed out the separate incidents.)
Logos is an appeal to facts and logic. This is where the film falls flat—but it doesn’t matter to many people because it so successfully uses ethos and pathos. For logos, the film takes intuitive ideas or those with a kernel of truth to them, and it twists them and amplifies them into exaggerated, false claims that sound reasonable because they’re familiar. (The claim that staying home will weaken our immune systems without enough exposure to microbes is false, but it sounds reasonable because it builds on the hygiene hypothesis, which does have evidence.)
Instead of reasoned arguments with supportive evidence, the film uses a common debating strategy called the gish gallop. This technique overwhelms the audience with so many assertions and arguments at one time, without regard to how strong or true they are, that it’s impossible to keep up with them or refute them all. It’s usually pointless to try because it’s the nonstop bombardment of statements coming at you that makes it effective. (This is partly why debunking this video isn’t a productive use of time.)
The video also uses images of sciencey things—labs, cells, scientific experiments, pictures of studies—to substitute for logos. They look credible and factual whether they actually support the argument or not.
Hook, line, and sinker.
So what do you do when someone shares it?
First, don’t call them or the video crazy. Don’t chide them or mock them for sharing it. And don’t insist they delete it immediately or tell people not to watch it—that just makes it forbidden fruit, which is all the more attractive. (The filmmakers are already successfully using that strategy by telling people it will get taken down, and it has. At least some of the take-downs are for copyright infringement since it uses several video clips without permission, including the video of the Bakersfield doctors. ETA 5/10/20 9:30pm ET: Since initial publication: I have learned that several social media companies, including YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo, have stated that the video was removed because it gave medically inaccurate advice.)
They probably really want your opinion because they trust you. Don’t violate that trust right off the bat. Use it. How you use it depends on what you know about them already and what’s worked in the past. Science communicator and social scientist Liz Neeley has a fantastic piece at The Atlantic on how to talk to people about science—and misinformation—without alienating them. Go read it. Seriously. It will help you.
You might ask what they find so persuasive about it and move on from there, addressing those specifics.
You could also discuss how to know whether Mikovits really is an expert or not. Instead of just dropping a link, explain that it’s impossible for her to be an expert in all the different topics she covers in that video—that’s not how scientific expertise works.
Emily Willingham, PhD, a science journalist and developmental biologist (and my co-author on a book we published in 2016), has an excellent public post on Facebook about how to vet experts for actually having expertise in a particular area. Having a PhD in biology doesn’t make someone an expert in all of biology. No one human can know all that.
“Some people with advanced degrees are perfectly willing to elide their expertise or overreach on their claims just to get attention,” Willingham writes. And she makes this extremely important point that’s relevant to the final moment in Plandemic when a clip of Fauci warning about an inevitable pandemic in the coming years is used to suggest he caused it: “Science and the process of scientific discovery are never about one giant. Evidence is incremental, data can be slow to come in. But people with expertise collectively know what’s on the horizon here and have been warning about it for years. They were informed by history and their own training, their understanding of how novel infectious disease would behave in a globally connected society. No one—NO SINGLE PERSON—is going to have a sudden insight or make some clever connection no one else has considered or uncover some vast deep conspiracy that has eluded the other 7.7 billion people on Earth.”
If all you do have the energy to do is drop a link in response to the video, this is the one to drop—it’s the article version of what my article recommends: “If You Found That ‘Plandemic’ Video Convincing, Read This Too.”
If they like reading long articles debunking it, there are plenty to choose from. I’ll list some at the bottom. But a systematic debunking of the video isn’t likely to be successful. Talking about it and why it’s persuasive might be.
Why should I bother saying anything at all? Can’t I just ignore it?
Conspiracy theories like those in this video are actively, directly harmful and dangerous. They can influence people’s behavior in ways that harm those people and public health—including you personally—in general. We can’t afford to let these ideas run unchecked.
If you don’t push back on them, even to those you love or don’t want to upset, you’re enabling them. You’re allowing people to spew harmful, dangerous nonsense that kills people and demoralizes the millions of health care providers trying to save lives.
Many people try to avoid drama or debates on their social media accounts, and I respect that. But this video is not a time to “agree to disagree” because the stakes are too high. It’s a matter of life and death. The false statements in this video can cause deaths.
If they share it on your Facebook wall, address it. If you see them share it on their walls, address it. You don’t have to debate all night—that’s not productive for either of you. Maybe you just make a couple points and drop it. But don’t let it go unchallenged.
Should you unfriend them? That depends.
I know many people just don’t have the energy right now to push back—we’re all strung out, burnt out, stressed, and tired—so be strategic about what you can tolerate. You might need to say, “I’m sorry, I care about you as a person, but I cannot allow you to share dangerous, harmful misinformation about a life or death situation, so I will need to unfriend you until the pandemic is over.”
Or, maybe it’s vital that they remain connected to you because your posts are some of the only good sources of accurate information they have which might penetrate their bubble. Maybe you can’t afford to sever a relationship during a time with so much isolation already. It’s your call.
Whatever you do, speak up at least once. The stakes are too high not to—for all of us. We all have a social responsibility to push back against dangerous, harmful information, now more than ever.
Does speaking up even matter? Will it make a difference? Yes.
You might not convince them the video is conspiracy theory nonsense. That’s fine. That may not be the goal. But here are three things you accomplish by speaking up even if you know you’ll “lose” the battle:
Others see you push back. They’ll get accurate information and see you calmly, maturely responding to the false statements. Ethos!
Seeing you speak up erodes the bystander effect, typically used to explain why people are less likely to help in an emergency if others are around. If someone makes a racist comment and no one speaks up, others don’t want to be the first. So be the first—and it inspires and emboldens other people to push back on their walls too. Speaking against misinformation is contagious in a good way. If you do it, they realize they can and should too. And if they didn’t know what to say before, they can copy/paste what you said and use that.
Speaking up normalizes factual information and contributes to the mere exposure effect: the more a person is exposed to an idea, the more it becomes familiar and credible, no matter what the idea is. The more they hear it from you and others, over and over, the more they may gradually, unconsciously start to recognize the logical holes and embrace factual information. It won’t happen overnight or because of one person, and they’ll think it was their idea when it happens. But it can happen.
Where can I get a good debunking of it all?
Note: Some hyperlinks are not showing up on mobile, so I’ve added the complete URL for each link for copying/pasting.
—Beth Skwarecki’s Lifehacker article is an excellent, thoughtful debunking: “If You Found That ‘Plandemic’ Video Convincing, Read This Too.” https://
—For a truly exhaustive claim-by-claim correction, this Google Doc from fire and emergency management educator Jim Chaffee includes sources to support every correction.
—Retraction Watch, a scientific misconduct watchdog site, has an excellent brief piece about Judy Mikovits that includes links to their past posts on her: “Who is Judy Mikovits?” /
—Science Magazine, whose reporter Jon Cohen covered the Mikovits story in real time throughout 2011-2012, has an excellent rundown by Cohen and science reporter Martin Enserink of who Mikovits is, what happened and what’s false in the video.
—“The anti-vaxx agenda of ‘The Plandemic’” at The Big Think describes seven conspiracy theories “baked into” Plandemic.
—“Why People Cling To Conspiracy Theories Like ‘Plandemic’” from meteorologist Marshall Shepherd at Forbes offers other reasons people are drawn to conspiracy theories.
—For the most comprehensive rundown of Mikovits’ history you could ever ask for, see “Plandemic: Judy Mikovits and the mother of all COVID-19 conspiracy theories” at Science-Based Medicine. /
—Snopes does a thorough job: “Was a Scientist Jailed After Discovering a Deadly Virus Delivered Through Vaccines?” /
—Want to know the real story on what happened to Mikovits? Read this Nature piece and this Science piece. and
—An incredibly thorough list of all Mikovits’ misdeeds and mistruths is available on this Facebook post from Ross Grayson; it also includes links to more helpful articles.
—Politifact has a pretty extensive fact-check on the video’s claims: “Fact-checking ‘Plandemic’: A documentary full of false conspiracy theories about the coronavirus.” /
—Finally, this blog post by Liz Ditz compiles all the articles she has been able to find that address the video’s misinformation.