Why do people believe things that are demonstrably false? You think I am now going to write about climate change, or voter fraud, but no. I’m thinking about liberals who believe that vaccines cause autism.
Most of us know very little. I don’t understand exactly how carbon dioxide affects the atmosphere, or how smoking causes cancer. I am pretty sure of those things, but I personally could not explain the exact cause and effect.
Individually we are rather ignorant, but we take “facts” on trust if we “trust” the people who are advancing the facts.
So, when the Republican Congress members think they can actually craft a health care plan that will be cheaper than the Affordable Care Act but will cover people’s health care needs adequately, they are depending on people like Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and Donald Trump.
I, on the other hand, depend on the New York Times, former President Obama, and the AARP, who say that Ryan, McConnell, and Trump are goofy.
The bottom line is that neither those Republican congress members nor I are really experts or even particularly knowledgeable on health care. It is all about which “experts” we trust.
I don’t want to leave you thinking this is all subjective, however. Some “experts” really are experts, and you can educate yourself on topics in which you are really interested.
So, vaccines do not lead to autism. Global warming is real. GMO foods really are safe to eat, though developing seeds that are “Round-Up Ready” is a misuse of science. And finally, Donald Trump is only an expert in creating fear among voters, nothing else. Remember that.
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