Making the circumcision controversy controversial: Going meta and taking aim at the messenger(s): Reply to Wamai et al.,
de Camargo Jr et al., 2015, Global Public Health
"For those of us who study the use of rhetoric in science, their commentary offers a fascinating example of many of the well-documented observations made by authors working in Science and Technology Studies."
A thought about #doomerism vs #positivism...
In society's #collapse, billions of people will die, and billions of people will survive.
The only chance we have of minimizing the death and suffering is to convince people they're likely to be among the dead. People won't take the drastic measures that are needed unless they're scared for themselves or their loved ones.
Doomerism tries to convince people they're at risk. Positivism tells them not to worry.
Which is better harm reduction praxis?
Many of us have been identifying strongly with Cassandra over the last few years. We watch the media downplay and dismiss one threat after another. We endure endless opinion pieces about everything from climate alarmism to coronaphobia. Influencers accuse us of hurting everyone’s mental health. Strangers call us doomers and fearmongers. Our friends and family treat us like we’re paranoid. When we share dozens or even hundreds of studies, they refuse to look at them. They say, “I don’t want to read anything that’ll bring me down.”
“I’m trying to stay positive.”
....
Here’s the thing:
You’re not a fearmonger.
You have sentinel intelligence.
Sentinel intelligence refers to a special cognitive ability that allows someone to detect threats before anyone else. Richard A. Clarke and R.P. Eddy talk about this trait in their book.... They review a number of natural and economic disasters throughout history. ”Not only were Cassandra's ignored, but “the people with the power to respond often put more effort into discounting the Cassandra than saving lives and resources.”