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No, You’re Not Smarter Than The Smart People
One of the most dangerous trends in American society has been a rejection of intellectualism. There are too many people who discredit smart, qualified politicians and experts as “elitist” or as part of some vast conspiracy. It’s weird and troubling.
Americans have had issues with smart people for years, but the coronavirus pandemic has exposed this strand of anti-thinking in a brutal, harmful way. Our country’s response to the disease has been among the worst in the democratic world, and part of the blame has to fall on people who have refused to wear masks, directly against the orders of medical professionals.
I’m not going to waste time laying out the evidence for why masks work. It’s common sense, and their effectiveness has been proven time and time again by the world’s foremost health experts. This should not be difficult to accept. If you want real, hard evidence, there’s plenty of it.
And yet: There are people who reject logic and the opinions of every credible scientist and doctor. Perhaps I’m overrating how many people out there fall into this anti-mask category, but go on Facebook or read tweets from the president’s prominent supporters and you’ll see plenty of adherents. It took Donald Trump months to even appear in public wearing one.