So far, we’ve had a pleasant summer here at the Sunshine Coast. Warm days, in the low twenties and a bit of rain every week and no extreme temps. No water shortage. I like it like that.  When I read about the Rhein and the Danube drying up and all river travel curtailed, I feel lucky to live here on the Westcoast. Camp and I both toasted our good fortune, once again. 

“Camp, what do you think about the fact that measles outbreaks in the US and Canada are at an all-time high and antivaxx movements are growing.”

“In the US you can start the blame at the top with Kennedy who heads the federal agency responsible for national health care, public safety, and welfare. He has cancelled funding for vaccine hesitance research and downplayed the risks of measles and spearheaded a hunt for evidence that vaccines are unsafe. His wonky beliefs about autism and vaccinations are dictating policy at the highest level. It’s quackery and charlatanism of the worst sort, setting health policies and science aimed at curing disease back decades. Our officials here in Canada are at least more science based rather than religious.”

“As far as I’m concerned, these antivaxxers can all get sick and croak. The problem is they will infect others along the way and want to be treated by the system when they get sick but the real crime is withholding vaccines and treatments from their children who have no choice and some of whom will even die.”

“Exactly, I’m with you. If a Jehovah witness doesn’t want a blood transfusion for him or herself, I couldn’t care less but if they withhold life-saving treatments from their kids they are potentially killing them and should be charged accordingly. Mind you, the real criminals are the policy setters who encourage people to opt out of vaccination programs in the guise of personal health-freedom and choice.”

“Many of those new-age antivaxxers wouldn’t be alive or would suffer from polio or TB if they hadn’t gotten those vaccines when they were infants.” I said.

“It’s infuriating how gullible and naïve these anti-vaxxers are and yet they believe it’s us who are in the wrong. I’m as much a sceptic of the medical system as anybody but I believe in science and the ethics of our scientists.”

“We are living in a world where pro-maxxers, meaning protein freaks, manosphere influencers and fundamentalists combine with antivaxxers against liberals, social democrats, science and women to promote a world of freaks.”

“Who or what is this manosphere?” Camp asked, shaking his head.

“They are a far-right community, mostly on-line, led by influencers that recruit and monetize susceptible young men with toxic masculinity and misogyny. It targets young men who see themselves as romantically rejected, economic failures, alienated and lonely. They also share a dim vision of the future and are drawn to these on-line forums through fitness and weightlifting communities. They have a very low view of women in general.”

“And I bet they are antivaxxers and science deniers. Goes hand in hand with misogyny, ignorance and a lousy education.” 

“And testosterone gone rouge. I read this movement – if you want to call it that – has even found tracking in China where they are missing tens of millions of young women thanks to their one-child-policy and sex-selective abortions that only ended 10 years ago.”

“What a disaster. Another failed social engineering experiment with tragic consequences.”

When Vicky came around with new suds Camp asked her if she takes her vaccinations. 

“If the doc recommends them and they are free I’m in even if I don’t know what’s in them. On the other hand, I don’t know what’s in my yogurt that I eat daily. I trust the dairy company as much as I trust my doctor and the science.”

We both nodded in agreement, surprised once again by our servers common sense.