It’s tricky. Part of the problem, I think, is if you do have corruption and carelessness in something like the FDA, there’s no amount of careful reporting that can fix it - it becomes propaganda.
It’s necessary to address the problems, though I still agree with being careful about what information is broadcast and how - but it’s necessary to keep information open and challenge things otherwise you end up worse down the line. A measles epidemic is bad. But imagine if you suppressed thalidomide results and other failures, allowing things to get worse and worse in the name of not damaging people’s trust, then eventually (after years of covered-up harm) it all comes out and people abandon scientific medicine altogether!
You don’t have to imagine… I’m sure a large component of both vaccine skepticism and Trump’s presidency have come because of suppressed and partially-suppressed wrongdoing by all the people we think the country should trust. Eventually people break and look for something else.
So, I agree with you, but in my opinion we do need to work more, not less, at transparency and truth even when it’s problematic.
brucethemoose@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Both can be true.
It can be true that the FDA was corrupted/broken to some extent and needs more ‘skeptial’ and less-industry-friendly leadership, while at the same time, skepticism in science is not the answer.
This is my dillema with MAGA. Many of the issues they tackle are spot on, even if people don’t like to hear that. They’re often right, even if the proposed solutions are problematic or even damaging.
SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
This is such an important thing to note. The MAGA set aren’t completely oblivious. It’s the same issue with how they don’t trust “mainstream media,” the problem doesn’t lie in accepting that media must be viewed with skepticism and critical thinking, the problem lies with the critical thinking ending at "I can’t trust the mainstream media.
What the MAGAs are actually practicing is cynicism not skepticism. They have thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Because they have realized some sources aren’t always entirely trustworthy, they stop trusting them entirely and instead listen to random jackholes on the internet. It’s actually an abdication of critical thinking. Just flat out rejection instead of reading with a critical eye and skeptical mind.
taladar@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
They also don’t apply the same attitude to those random sources they use instead. That is really the biggest problem with their approach. Literally going “you can’t trust anyone any more” would be better than what they do.
thesohoriots@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Yeah that’s absolutely how they lure people in. Sensible issues to be concerned about, starts out normal, then about two links of thought in, the tinfoil hats come out and the solution is fucking nuts.
Jarix@lemmy.world 1 day ago
What are the issues they are “right” about?
limer@lemmy.dbzer0.com 19 hours ago
That election companies cannot be trusted, but the deniers were careful to not approach this scientifically or convincingly. Offering instead pseudo science and illogical schemes done by madmen. Because of this they set back the paper vote movements by decades in some states.
Another thing that draws them followers is that tens of thousands of small towns have died economically, in the last three decades, but no programs to help them, and no sympathy in the large cities
Jarix@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
How are they right about election fraud? Specifically voting.
Gerrymandering is a disgusting in the US, but that’s not election companies, that’s politicians not the bound companies.
Dominion has been cleared of the fraudulent claims so that doesn’t hold up as evidence
Jarix@lemmy.world 18 hours ago
Tens of thousands?