[glial]

> once you're sincerely convinced that scientists are wrong ... and governement are lying to you

This is the crux. How did those beliefs form? I would argue that in many cases, it wasn't a dispassionate weighing of evidence and calculation of probabilities. If not that, then what? We might also ask - in whose interest is it that citizens don't believe scientists or the government?

[phtrivier]

> scientists are wrong

Every medical scandal (For example, in the French Antilles, the scandal around "chlordecone", a pesticide, is supposed to be fueling anti-vaccine fear today.) Earlier uncertainties about masks, vaccinne efficiency, vaccines from different countries, possible early treatments, etc...

Even though the "consensus" settles quickly, the dust of the discussion remains in the air for very long. Media is playing a part here, ironicaly because "not blindly trusting the authority" and "presenting a balanced view of facts" is good for ratings.

> ... and governement are lying to you

Do we really need to test this hypothesis :) ? Of course it is a generalization that "all governments are lying all the time". But it is such an easy one to make...

[glial]

> Media is playing a part here, ironicaly because "not blindly trusting the authority" and "presenting a balanced view of facts" is good for ratings

Yes, this is part of it. Of course scientists are wrong sometimes, but it's in someone's interest to stoke general distrust.

[phtrivier]

Sure.

I would love to have a way to quantify how much of the distrust is knowingly fueled by "chaotic" actors (snake-oil salesmen, foreign powers, cynical policitians, etc..) vs how much is "baked into" the history, political and mediatic structure and, as the original content explains... in our brains.

History and brains being unfixable, I hope there is something we can improve in the structures.

[dane-pgp]

Suppose you are the ruler of a country which views geopolitics as a zero-sum game, because your goals are incompatible with those of other nations. It is therefore in your interest to cause other governments to be distracted with internal mistrust and divisions and health crises, so that there isn't a strong unified position to take action on the world stage.

As a test of this theory, look at which countries have this sudden mistrust of authority, and which country(s) they would refuse to buy a vaccine from; then look at countries which don't have this problem and consider whose vaccine they buy.

[ohhhhhh]

There's more than enough evidence that the government is lying to you. Past and present.