this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2024
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The original anti-vax movement was always weird to me, the issue screams "muh freedums" so I always found it strange that it came from the left. I guess it goes into the same box as all the hippy dippy wellness stuff, which does have some things like meditation that turn out to have real benefits, but there are just some people who take to all that really strongly without evidence.
Anti-intellectualism I always considered a right leaning thing, like, you always hear republicans saying universities are tools of left-wing indoctrination and not the other way around? But I suppose hippies had that "don't trust the man" thing going on.
Are hippies how people's idea of the far left formed? My understanding is the whole hippy movement, while memorable, was quite short lived?
How did it come from the left? The "vaccines cause autism" wasn't connected to any political side as far as I'm aware. Just because you're a hippie doesn't mean you're left-wing, or politically conscious at all even.
I might be wrong but I always associated hippies with left-leaning, liberal politics. And I'm not sure where the association between the left and the anti-vax movement came from but I know it was a thing that was frequently made fun of. I even remember catching a Simpson's episode where they went somewhere and commented on how progressive/liberal it was (forget the specific word), then Marge asked a random woman if she vaccinated her kids and she responded "of course" then Marge said "and not TOO liberal".
Now that I think about it, maybe the political association of the original anti-vax movement was manufactured?
I think both extremes may have different reasons but the same outcome.
For the anti intellectualism on the left, it stems from real issues like the Henrietta Lacks and relation with race, and generally more that is talked about with critical race theory. Fwiw it is all important to address, but there is a strong contingent that generalizes it too far and will distrust all of medicine, science, education, and academic research.
I also know a lot of far left people who would refuse to vote for Bernie because he was white male
Do you actually know a lot of people in real life who think like this? Or is it just particularly loud groups of them on social media?
I am a member of socialist organization and am acquainted with a lot of people on the far left(anarchists, communists, socialists, etc.), and I've never heard this sentiment. I've heard other complaints about him not being leftist enough, but nothing about his race.
I do know some, maybe it's because I live in a university town. I think you were interested in today's far left, and those are the ones I've been frustrated with.
To a lesser amount, I also know one or two people who identify as communist. The best quote from them was, maybe if trump were to be president, then we would finally collapse the global economy so then every one would start over.
It does stem from a feeling that the current system is too broken to fix. They are valid feelings and I can only presume our lack of progress is because the Republicans have always had so much power paired with general concept that change is a slow process. But these people are tired of waiting and hoping for drastic change.
you could look up the rainbow family. hippies are still around.
Oh wow! and they're still having annual meetings https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Family