Why the Masked and the Unmasked Have Disdain for Each Other
Your Mask Is As Useless As Biden
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Source: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
Among the many unbridgeable divides between Americans is a completely antithetical view of mask wearing. On one side are those who wear masks almost everywhere outside their homes and who demand that others do so, including young children in class and on outdoor playgrounds, and 2-year-olds on airplanes.
On the other side are those who only wear a mask where they are punished for not doing so (most obviously, airplanes). They regard masks as essentially pacifiers for adults.
Generally speaking, these two groups have disdain for each other.
Why the pro-mask half of America holds the anti-mask half in contempt needs little explanation. They believe anti-mask Americans are putting others in grave danger. Pro-maskers believe that even children who do not wear masks put their own lives and the lives of other children and teachers at risk.
Consequently, pro-mask Americans regard those who do not wear masks, let alone those who actively oppose mask-wearing, as selfish, anti-science potential killers.
What may be less obvious is why anti-maskers hold pro-maskers in equal contempt. So, this needs explaining in greater detail. After all, anti-maskers don't believe that maskers are putting people in hospitals.
First, anti-maskers regard the charges made against them by pro-maskers as baseless. Therefore, as odd as it sounds, anti-maskers have contempt for the pro-maskers' contempt. To wrongly charge people with causing mass death is, to understate the case, immoral. And if this charge is demonstrably wrong, the people who level it are the ones who are anti-science.
Since each side regards the other as anti-science, what is the science?
Nearly all public health authorities claim that masks are absolutely necessary to save lives. But they have virtually no science to back up the claim.
There is, however, abundant scientific evidence that masks are worthless vis-a-vis viruses and do great harm to society.
Here is a fraction of the examples I could give:
In February 2020, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted: "Seriously people -- STOP BUYING MASKS! They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus."
In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Program executive director, Mike Ryan, wrote: "There is no specific evidence to suggest that the wearing of masks by the mass population has any particular benefit."
A 2010 study in France led by Laetitia Canini (Ph.D. in epidemiology and biostatistics) concluded: "We did not identify any trend in the results suggesting effectiveness of facemasks."
A 2009 study of Japanese health workers led by epidemiologist Dr. Joshua L. Jacobs, of the University of Hawaii Medical School, concluded: "Face mask use in health care workers has not been demonstrated to provide benefit in terms of cold symptoms or getting colds."
As far as I could determine, the only randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of masks against COVID-19 was a 2020 study led by Henning Bundgaard of the Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark. Published in the March 2021 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, it found that 1.8% of those in the masked group and 2.1% of those in the control group became infected with COVID-19 within a month. The 0.3-point difference is statistically insignificant.
MD and epidemiologist Vinay Prasad of the University of California at San Francisco buried the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's child masking recommendation in one sentence: "The CDC cannot 'follow the science' because there is no relevant science."
And what about surgical masks? They are not designed to prevent the spread of viruses, but to prevent medical personnel from accidentally infecting the open wounds of patients on the operating table, and to prevent body fluids from patients spraying up into the mouths and noses of the surgical team. Dr. Colin Axon, a COVID-19 advisor to the British government, made this point clear: Medics were "unable to comprehend" the miniscule elements involved: "A Covid viral particle is around 100 nanometers, material gaps in blue surgical masks are up to 1,000 times that size, cloth mask gaps can be 5,000 times the size."
While most studies conclude that masks are essentially useless against COVID-19, not all do. Probably the most widely cited study on behalf of mask efficacy was published in the British Medical Journal in October 2021. But it's hardly a ringing endorsement. As the authors note, "The quality of current evidence would be graded as low or very low, as it consists of observational studies with poor methods."
If the only problem with the pro-mask position were that it negates science, it would only be harmless nonsense.
But while it is nonsense, it is not harmless.
Take children, for example. Only time will tell how affected children have been by not seeing other children's faces and seeing few adult faces for two years. In July 2021, an article published under the auspices of the USC Center for Health Policy and Economics addressed this issue:
"Masking is a psychological stressor for children and disrupts learning. Covering the lower half of the face of both teacher and pupil reduces the ability to communicate. In particular, children lose the experience of mimicking expressions, an essential tool of nonverbal communication. Positive emotions such as laughing and smiling become less recognizable, and negative emotions get amplified. Bonding between teachers and students takes a hit. Overall, it is likely that masking exacerbates the chances that a child will experience anxiety and depression, which are already at pandemic levels themselves."
Yet, just this past week, the enemies of children known as teachers unions -- in this case, the one that controls the Los Angeles Unified School District -- issued a directive that all children must wear N95-type masks all day, including during outdoor recess, with a wire over their noses to keep the masks at maximum tightness.
The social damage of masks is not confined to children. All human interaction has suffered as a result of two years of masking. For example, people are less kind when they are anonymous.
All of that harm is more than sufficient to justify contempt for mask advocacy.
Now let's add to that the irrationality of the pro-mask position.
Health authorities demand that people wear masks when entering restaurants, when seated on an airplane, and when walking through airports. However, an exception is made for eating and drinking. So, then, one regularly sees people on airplanes seated less than 12 inches from one another eating without masks on; people seated at airport cafes and restaurants with no masks on; and people spending about an hour eating in restaurants with no masks on.
And while on the subject of airplanes: Do pro-mask advocates think that pilots keep their masks on while flying? Do they even want them to? Does any rational person want their pilots to breathe their own carbon dioxide for six hours while flying across the country?
The utter irrationality of mask advocacy is the single greatest reason the anti-mask people hold mask advocates in contempt. How else should one regard adults who believe that two-year-olds on airplanes and five-year-olds in schools should be masked?
Watching half of our fellow Americans accept and engage in such irrational behavior (not to mention sometimes hysterically enforce it, as myriad social media videos attest) not only depresses the rest of us; it frightens us. That more than half of our country willingly obeys completely irrational orders raises the question: What irrational orders from the state would they not obey?
Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His latest book, published by Regnery in May 2019, is "The Rational Bible," a commentary on the book of Genesis. His film, "No Safe Spaces," was released to home entertainment nationwide on September 15, 2020. He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com.
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Among all this we have the talking heads demanding everybody "follow the science" then ignore scientific studies like these. Many like to cherry pick what they want to enforce all for that warm and fuzzy feeling.
Your science is outdated. Recent scientific studies have demonstrated the efficacy of masks, depending on they types of masks used.
Not to mention the boss of the February 2020 surgeon general has already been documented trying to downplay the severity and prevent steps for controlling the pandemic.
He liked telling his "employees" what to say.
Doctor: Trump Dictated Letter Attesting To His 'Extraordinary' Health
Most people don't wear them correctly
As chin guards? They drive me crazy, they go to the trouble of getting a mask, and putting it on, but refuse wear it correctly?
Some people just are unable to understand how to wear basic items.
That's part of the problem.
Yes, it is! Do you seriously think wearing a mask improperly is not a problem? If you needed a sterile procedure and your doc didn't wear a mask properly, you would not think that's a problem?
Right, because a bunch of people, whom may have an infection, in an enclosed space does not pose a risk. >sarc<
Obviously you didn't read the article. Because if you did you would know that what I quoted was from the article. So if you have issue with that, take it up with the author.
Also, I notice that you don't provide anything to refute what I quoted.
Seriously? Private property, if they tell you that you have to wear a muumuu on their plane, that is their right.
PLUS, if they allow unmasked people on that plane, and someone from that flight catches COVID, who do you think that person will sue? Deep pockets....
But if that person that catches covid was masked up and taking all the precautions, they shouldn't catch it. And with the time between exposure and symptoms gives lenty of time for that person to catch it elsewhere while not practicing the cautions. Now if a couple dozen people catch it, that person or persons may have a case. Proving where one caught it is no easy task.
Untrue. Masking protects others from catching your COVID, it is not that effective preventing the wearer from catching it from others. Plus cloths masks are only slight better than no masks, and bandannas are worthless as masks.
That would be up to the lawyers to argue, once the lawsuit has gone to court.
it took a break at the 2020 riots over George Floyd's overdose.
Are you forgetting that Trump's regime also recommended masks?
Typical, you have to use fake, photoshopped, pictures, whereas mine were real. Says a lot about your arguments, doesn't it?
Awwwww I'm not sorry....................Big fucking deal.
For using fake pictures to try and win an argument? Never expected you to be.
Is the aircraft open to the outside environment in flight? Or do you think someone sitting near you in flight who is coughing or sneezing will not be able to spread respiratory droplets to you?
You seem to agree with what is being said. So I will take it up with you.
Here is what science actually says:
And this :
And this :
And this too:
I could go on. But consider what you quoted as refuted!
Again, Take it up with the author.
That's what post 2.1.27 does. Again, consider the article/author refuted.
What fucking argument? The one you invented like you always do where you alone can be the winner?? LMMFAO it was in response NOT in rebuttal FFS. Get a life.
Apparently you didn't fully read your own links.
Apparently you missed the parts that said different types of masks have different levels of efficacy.
That is false. Cloth masks become less effective (but still better than nothing) and other types of masks do offer some protection, with N95 still being the best mask against any variant.
I don’t know how to measure “virtually,” but I don’t think infectious disease experts consider all masks to be useless at all. They’re not perfect, to be sure, but no one ever claimed they were. There is ample evidence that they significantly inhibit the spread of Covid generally. The main thing that makes all protective efforts less effective today is simply that Omicron is more contagious than previous variants.
Which mask protects best against the Omicron variant?
To mask or not to mask? Here’s what 2 years and hundreds of COVID-19 experts say
Honestly, I think you should support your claim that all masks are virtually useless with some kind of evidence. A link, some data, a study. Or retract it. It’s demonstrably wrong and encourages people to engage in behavior that promotes the spread of disease.
That may be the first true thing you have ever said.
Then you didn't bother to check the articles, much less refute them. So all you have is another empty claim and biased dismissal.
All you have is opinion pieces or biases lacking any scientific merit. I've provided actual scientific studies. So you really have nothing at all. Try doing actual research and cited actual science.
No, I provided actual research articles from primary sources. Anything you provide would have to be from at least equally credible and accredited sources to be worthy of any serious consideration.
Never
Only in your dreams. When you get something from primary, original sources, then get back to me. Otherwise all you have is 2nd rate BS at best! But I don't really expect any better from you either.
I see you have nothing which refutes actual science then, much less my sources. Just as I thought.
Dennis Prager wrote this? I would not have dreamed he was capable of being this stupid.
Yeah, that's right. A defining, core characteristic of common sense is that it generally requires little explanation.
That is simply not true. Notice how Prager calls these "public health ' authorities'" and not "experts" and "doctors," which would not only be more truthful, but would advertise their obvious expertise on the topic of masks and their ability to inhibit the spread of disease. This is knowledge - gained scientifically - and widely accepted for over 120 years. Some government authority didn't invent it in 2020.
Here, Prager disingenuously cherry picks from the earliest days of the pandemic when transmission was not yet well understood, and . . . I say AND there was a shortage of face masks that were needed more urgently by health care professionals treating sick people who were actively coughing on them in a close space. I can't believe Prager doesn't know this. Everyone else does. So I can only conclude he's full of shit.
Then he cites to studies on colds, not Covid. And not a pandemic.
Here is a study on Covid from 2021:
An evidence review of face masks against COVID-19
Here is another one from September:
Surgical masks reduce COVID-19 spread, large-scale study shows
But there is more evidence. It's actually way too much to just copy and paste, so follow the link and scroll a little.
Human Studies of Masking and SARS-CoV-2 Transmission
It's just ignorant or dishonest to claim there is "virtually no evidence" supporting the use of masks to inhibit the spread of Covid-19.
The bigger picture is that masks are worn in unsafe environments. The issue isn't whether or not masks are effective. The real issue is whether or not the environment is safe.
Flying is not safe. Schools are not safe. Public spaces are not safe. That's why a mask is required. A mask will not transform an unsafe environment into a safe environment. And if the environment is unsafe then why would a sane person expose themselves to that environment?
Those advocating mask wearing believe public spaces are unsafe. Why should we believe children don't understand they are being forced to enter places that are not safe? We're telling children that they'll get sick at school and possibly die. We're telling children that schools are not safe places.
Masks aren't the issue. The real issue is whether or not public spaces are safe environments. If public spaces are not safe then why go there? Masks won't magically alter the safety of the environment. Those who need to wear masks are deliberately placing themselves in an unsafe environment.
Someone wearing a mask to shop for non-essential luxuries are idiots because they're placing themselves in an unsafe environment for no good reason. Someone wearing a mask to pick up coffee at Starbucks is not acting rationally because Starbucks is not safe. That's why a mask is necessary.
If the environment is safe then masks aren't necessary. And if the environment is so unsafe that a mask is required then exposing oneself to that environment for no good reason isn't rational.