Censorship when it comes to healthcare related policy is never good. It induces people to question legitimate science and research while also empowering cranks and those with agendas to silence veritable dissent. But such is the call from a once vaunted publication, “The Lancet”.
“The UN and the World Economic Forum have identified misinformation and disinformation as top global risks — ranking them as higher short-term threats than extreme weather, state-based armed conflict, and cyber insecurity.”
Yeah, this was prompted by the Corona-chan madness from 2020, when everyone became reflexively stupid. But that ought not justify censorship or official “correction”, regardless of which side you take or who is in charge. Yet, that is just the insanity “The Lancet” proposes:
“‘It is time to systematically address misinformation and disinformation in a health context. A new Lancet Commission on rethinking misinformation, health, and human security will convene experts from risk science, security, the social and political sciences, mathematics and computer science, and health to rethink a systems approach to misinformation and disinformation threats to human health and security.
“‘This Commission will analyse the ways in which misinformation and disinformation affect health. It will investigate the mechanisms and pathways through which misinformation interacts with factors such as trust and distrust, and how they disrupt research, undermine trust in science and health, and impact on health outcomes. We envision a more dynamic, responsive, and systemic response to protect health and health systems from the consequences of these new influences on health and human security, while leveraging the positive opportunities of new technologies.’”
Every era has its madness, and this is (at least one of) ours.
