Since ancient times, pandemics have spurred sharp turns in political beliefs, spawning extremist movements, waves of mistrust and wholesale rejection of authorities.
Nearly a year into the coronavirus crisis, Americans are falling prey to the same phenomenon, historians, theologians and other experts say, exemplified by a recent NPR-Ipsos poll in which nearly 1 in 5 said they believe Satan-worshipping, child-enslaving elites seek to control the world.
As shutdowns paralyzed the economy in the first months of the pandemic, Americans sharply increased searches for extremist and white supremacist materials online, according to Moonshot CVE, a research firm that studies extremism.
The United States was not the only country affected: A British study found that the pandemic boosted radicalization globally, as people found more time to delve into extremist arguments.
New insecurities and fears loosed by the pandemic fed into an existing erosion of trust in leaders and institutions, according to those who have studied how people react to rampant, uncontrolled disease.
Some of these insecurities predated the pandemic: Many of those arrested in the Capitol riot owned businesses or worked white-collar jobs, and a Washington Post analysis of public records found that nearly 60 percent of people facing charges had prior money troubles, including bankruptcies and unpaid taxes.
But many got involved in politics only after virus-related shutdowns clobbered their personal finances.
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“Extremists offer a black-and-white view,” he said: “There’s a culprit responsible for some evil plan to destroy the nation, and they have a plan for restoration that will bring back greatness.”
“All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.” ― J.M. Barrie , Peter Pan
~
Circa 541 to mid-eighth century – The plague of Justinian
“People may have experienced traumatic shock”
The Justinianic plague began in 541 and returned periodically until the middle of the eighth century. It is estimated to have wiped out as many as tens of millions of people, although due to the limited evidence it is difficult to know the true scale.
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.
Mid-14th century – The Black Death
“Foreign merchants were violently attacked”
The Black Death spread across Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa in the mid-14th century, wiping out somewhere between a third to half of the population. The pandemic was caused by the same lethal bacterium that caused the Justinianic plague.
✁
.
Early 19th century – The second cholera pandemic
“People wanted the certainty of expert knowledge”
There were six cholera pandemics in the 19th century. Originating in India, the disease first reached Europe in 1831 during the second pandemic, via military and trade routes. In Britain, the disease was first recorded in Sunderland, from where it spread across the country, killing 32,000 during 1831-32.
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.
1918 – 1919 – Spanish flu
Between 20 million and 50 million people were recorded to have died during the Spanish flu, the most devastating influenza pandemic of the past century. For Gainty, one of the most striking comparisons is the public health response: ✁
“Evil comes from a failure to think. It defies thought for as soon as thought tries to engage itself with evil and examine the premises and principles from which it originates, it is frustrated because it finds nothing there. That is the banality of evil.” ― Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil
cdcoventry about 3 years ago
you assume the people who have found they can control us with “pandemics” will actually allow that to happen.
bdpoltergeist Premium Member about 3 years ago
the “all clear” horn will not sound
Sanspareil about 3 years ago
The word is berserker, or since that is a word for a Viking on crack, maybe berserkerer!
admiree2 about 3 years ago
Will that be a good berserk or a bad berserk?*
(adj) out of control with anger or excitement; wild or frenzied.Ignatz Premium Member about 3 years ago
After the end of WWI and the Spanish Flu, we had the Roaring Twenties.
Huntingdon about 3 years ago
It’s a great big stupid world
And we’re feeling kinda queasy as it turns around
Great big stupid world
And we’re never really sure if we’re up or down
We’re on a dirt clod out in space
Where it stops nobody knows
If Jesus came back today
They’d try to book him on the Bill Maher Real Time show
‘Cuz it’s a great big stupid world
Great big stupid world
Randy Stonehill
Silly Season about 3 years ago
Since ancient times, pandemics have spurred sharp turns in political beliefs, spawning extremist movements, waves of mistrust and wholesale rejection of authorities.
Nearly a year into the coronavirus crisis, Americans are falling prey to the same phenomenon, historians, theologians and other experts say, exemplified by a recent NPR-Ipsos poll in which nearly 1 in 5 said they believe Satan-worshipping, child-enslaving elites seek to control the world.
As shutdowns paralyzed the economy in the first months of the pandemic, Americans sharply increased searches for extremist and white supremacist materials online, according to Moonshot CVE, a research firm that studies extremism.
The United States was not the only country affected: A British study found that the pandemic boosted radicalization globally, as people found more time to delve into extremist arguments.
New insecurities and fears loosed by the pandemic fed into an existing erosion of trust in leaders and institutions, according to those who have studied how people react to rampant, uncontrolled disease.
Some of these insecurities predated the pandemic: Many of those arrested in the Capitol riot owned businesses or worked white-collar jobs, and a Washington Post analysis of public records found that nearly 60 percent of people facing charges had prior money troubles, including bankruptcies and unpaid taxes.
But many got involved in politics only after virus-related shutdowns clobbered their personal finances.
✁
“Extremists offer a black-and-white view,” he said: “There’s a culprit responsible for some evil plan to destroy the nation, and they have a plan for restoration that will bring back greatness.”
~
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/pandemics-spawn-extremism/2021/02/14/d4f7195c-6b1f-11eb-ba56-d7e2c8defa31_story.html
Silly Season about 3 years ago
“All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.” ― J.M. Barrie , Peter Pan
~
Circa 541 to mid-eighth century – The plague of Justinian
“People may have experienced traumatic shock”
The Justinianic plague began in 541 and returned periodically until the middle of the eighth century. It is estimated to have wiped out as many as tens of millions of people, although due to the limited evidence it is difficult to know the true scale.
✁
.
Mid-14th century – The Black Death
“Foreign merchants were violently attacked”
The Black Death spread across Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa in the mid-14th century, wiping out somewhere between a third to half of the population. The pandemic was caused by the same lethal bacterium that caused the Justinianic plague.
✁
.
Early 19th century – The second cholera pandemic
“People wanted the certainty of expert knowledge”
There were six cholera pandemics in the 19th century. Originating in India, the disease first reached Europe in 1831 during the second pandemic, via military and trade routes. In Britain, the disease was first recorded in Sunderland, from where it spread across the country, killing 32,000 during 1831-32.
✁
.
1918 – 1919 – Spanish flu
Between 20 million and 50 million people were recorded to have died during the Spanish flu, the most devastating influenza pandemic of the past century. For Gainty, one of the most striking comparisons is the public health response: ✁
~
https://www.theguardian.com/society/ng-interactive/2020/apr/29/how-humans-have-reacted-to-pandemics-through-history-a-visual-guide
timbob2313 Premium Member about 3 years ago
Wasn’t the Black Death also found in China?
Bookworm about 3 years ago
I’d simply like going to a restaurant for a meal or to a movie or just to a friend’s house for a visit to be less than a Russian Roulette event.
Radish the wordsmith about 3 years ago
The Dem machine is repairing the country, all the berserk is on the republican side.
Radish the wordsmith about 3 years ago
“Evil comes from a failure to think. It defies thought for as soon as thought tries to engage itself with evil and examine the premises and principles from which it originates, it is frustrated because it finds nothing there. That is the banality of evil.” ― Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil
RonnieAThompson Premium Member about 3 years ago
Have a great weekend my friends.
ferddo about 3 years ago
At least they will be partying instead of rioting… although for some there’s not much difference…