MAGA and the Threat to Our Kids
Thoughts on the devastating outbreak of measles in Alberta
A lot of the focus of this Substack has been about the MAGA threat to our nation, democracy and the rule of law. But perhaps the most frightening threat is to the health of our children from the promotion of medical disinformation.
And the devastating truth is that there are now more measles cases in Alberta than in the entire United States.
The situation is so bad that medical doctors pleaded with parents of babies and unvaccinated children not to go to the Calgary Stampede because of the danger of spreading the epidemic even further.
The massive spike in cases comes as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith continues to focus on stirring disinformation rather than providing good government. Under her watch, Alberta has become a toxic petri dish of anti-vaxx extremism.
Attempting to downplay the obvious, American-owned Calgary Herald couldn’t help itself. They had to portray the horrific news as some kind of Alberta-bashing:
“Alberta’s measles outbreak is a big story, especially for people who don’t like Alberta.”
But Alberta was once a story of medical success.
The province has been home to some of the best medical and public health expertise in the country. In 2011, they boasted a 95% vaccination rate. They have dropped nearly 24% since then.
That is the effect of disinformation.
But not to be outdone, Smith’s grifter ally, Premier Doug Ford, has overseen a 20% drop in vaccination rates.
These appalling numbers are the result of the confluence of so-called wellness influencers and the far right. Call it the “conspirituality” movement. They play a huge role in MAGA politics.
I previously discussed their impacts in this earlier Substack:
MAGA, Measles and the Wellness Hustle
“The key to understanding why so many Germans supported Hitler lies in the Nazi rejection of a rational, factual world.” — Benjamin Carter Hett
So powerful is this movement politically that Donald Trump appointed Robert Kennedy Jr. the most notorious vaccine disinformation denier around to oversee public health. Kennedy has gutted the Centers for Disease Control advisory panel on vaccines. This move will have frightening implications for the spread of further vaccine disinformation.
Going Wild: What Would Camus Say About Measles and Misinformation?
Books predicting the next big pandemic have always been a popular subject for writers. I have read a bunch of them — from imagining airborne Ebola to the implications of a new influenza outbreak or what happens if zoonotic threats like swine or bird flu jump species.
Strong public health vaccination programs wiped out measles in Canada in the 1990s. That was a huge victory for medical science and Canadian society. MAGA and the wellness extremists have invited measles back into our children's lives because of their self-centred demand to place "personal choice" over science.
The right has exploited and whipped up fear about vaccinations to a staggering level. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre introduced legislation in the House of Commons to prohibit the government from imposing vaccine mandates for work and travel.
Poilievre’s caucus has regularly railed about vaccine conspiracies.
But now with the measles disaster unfolding in Alberta, MAGA Conservatives are attempting to cover their tracks. They have sent out a champion gas lighter, Calgary MP Michelle Garner Rempel, to blame Justin Trudeau for the crisis.
Yes, you read that right. Justin Trudeau. Rempel claims:
"Trudeau dined out on using dehumanizing and politically loaded terms... including anti-vaxxer."
Total cynical BS as kids are getting sick.
The measles epidemic should be a wake-up call for all politicians to stop fanning the flames of disinformation. We need to try to put the toxic genie back in the bottle. Our kids' lives are on the line.
I invite you to watch the video I recorded about the rise of measles in the heartland of Canada’s MAGA movement — if it speaks to you, consider subscribing and following on Youtube for more.
Thank you.
The same morons who are banning books in an effort to "protect" children's "moral" health from "inappropriate" depictions of sexuality seem quite content to let their physical health suffer. Ignorance and evangelical christianity are at the core of the problem. I hesitate to use the word "stupidity", but if it whines like an Albertan who voted UCP... Banning books on medical science will be next on the list of "things to do to keep our supporters dumb".
Oh, and an Arizona resident just recently died of the bubonic plague. 2025 may well be the new 1347.
ignorance is not Bliss. ignorance is when you don't get vaccinated and then you get covid, measles, flu, and many other diseases. That is when you become an ignorant society. That's what's happening in the United States and that looks like what is happening in Alberta.