Vaccine Hesitancy, What a Joke

Republicans don’t get the vaccine, because their “in-group” authorities tell them not to.

The facts are not the problem in politics. You wouldn’t know that talking to any Democrat about vaccines. But here’s a jagged pill — the facts don’t matter to Democrats either.

Talk to any Democrat, and you’ll likely hear pretty quickly that vaccinated people can spread the virus (mostly a Republican talking point that Democrats mindlessly repeat…). The CDC is actually pretty clear. Most of their website is clear, not that any partisan blind follower will ever look at any of their material, or make any kind of effort — especially Republicans. Republican leaders have decided the CDC is the “out-group” and their followers happily follow. Sheep indeed. Here’s what the CDC says:

• Fully vaccinated people with Delta variant breakthrough infections can spread the virus to others.

That’s pretty clear — “breakthrough infections” are required. This simple statement is not convenient for either party tribe’s in-group narrative though, so it just gets ignored.

Out of an abundance of caution, it makes sense for the vaccinated to wear a mask — you don’t know if you are one of the ~15% or so of vaccinated people who will get a “breakthrough infection” — so yes, please wear a mask, because reason — not because some political party’s in-group authority tells you to, or not to. Also, get vaccinated, because reason. If only 15% of the population can get and spread the infection, this thing will be over. But Republican authorities aren’t telling their followers any of this, and Democrats are exaggerating it, repeating Republican talking points, and generally overplaying their hand, with no kind of strategy at all (ever). None of this is helpful.

Literally, the facts don’t matter in politics. Politics is tribal, and moral. The problem is that people think they are in a tribe along party lines, with their own authorities and morals that are distinct from that “other” (evil) tribe, and increasingly they hate each other. The tribes are Republicans and Democrats (in America). Think about how strange that is. You really identify — with THEM.

BTW, Republicans have been manipulating that kind of group identity science for decades, far more effectively than…