Is Bill Gates Aspiring to be the Greatest Mass Murderer In History?

Misconceptions and Paranoia in a Culture of Fear and Doom

I have been hearing a variety of vicious and insidious rumors of late regarding vaccinations. Three recent conspiracies have been proposed to me for consideration.

The first is the idea that Bill Gates is using vaccinations around the world as some sort of plot to either sterilize, or exterminate, 10 to 15% of the world’s population.

The second is that vaccinations are being used to intentionally spread cancer, and were used to introduce AIDS to the population.

And the third is that citizens of Maryland are having their children rounded up and forced into sort of vaccination detention camps, complete with armed guards and “attack dogs” to ensure that the populations receives their shots.

I am pretty well convinced that all three of these theories are completely bogus, and are being peddled by the fear mongers who are bent on fostering an atmosphere of paranoia and chaos. I will take them one at a time:

Is Bill Gates a Mass Murderer?

This one makes me shake my head. The fuel for the fire is a quote, clearly taken intentionally out of context, from Bill Gates regarding the effectiveness of vaccinations in helping to curb population growth. Here’s the quote:

“If we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 per cent.”

People have interpreted this phrase to mean that Bill Gates is either actively sterilizing, or actively euthanizing, poor people around the world.

Here’s another idea. Preventing childhood diseases lowers infant and child mortality. Reducing child mortality means families don’t have to have a dozen children in order to ensure that three of them make it to adult-hood. The downward pressure to procreate reduces population. Do you really think people in poor countries really want to have large families with extra mouths to feed?

Do Vaccinations Cause Cancer and AIDS?

The only “proof” I saw of this claim came in the form of a dubious article from an “alternative news” site, and a hackneyed YouTube video. The reason I even clicked on the video link is because the article said there was proof of vaccinations causing AIDS in the form of a vaccine scientist actually admitting as much “on camera.” The video was typical paranoid drivel – a series of still photos with the ominous underlying music: gruesome photos of dead bodies and mayhem. The doctor “speaking on camera” was voice only, and a scratchy recording at that, running underneath the still photos. At that point, any credibility the article might have had was already dashed – but don’t let the facts stand in the way of a good rant.

Are Unvaccinated Children in Maryland being Herded into Detention Camps?

God, enough with the detention camps already. I don’t know who started this stuff, but give them credit, they sparked a real wildfire in the fringe communities on the far left and the far right.

In this twist on the story, unvaccinated children are literally being herded into camps staffed by armed soldiers and “attack dogs,” where they are then forcibly inoculated.

As with any good conspiracy story, there is a germ of truth to this one. A sheriff in one county of Maryland did indeed issue subpoenas targeting the parents of unvaccinated children. These parents are meant to have their children vaccinated within a certain time frame, under threat of a fine, or possible jail time.

First, it isn’t state wide. Second, I’m pretty sure it’s not legal, and that under legitimate legal challenge, these subpoenas will likely be dropped. Still, makes for some good fear mongering.

My Thoughts on Vaccinations

Look, I think there is plenty of room to question current vaccination policy. I think we likely over-vaccinate. My understanding is that some of the vaccines administered routinely are for diseases that rarely manifest. I think it is important that we critically examine the connection between vaccine administration and “Big Pharma.” Do I think vaccines can cause autism? Maybe. It seems to me that most studies say no, some studies say possibly. Intuition tells me that giving an infant or a child 40+ doses of vaccine at once could have harmful side effects. So the amount we vaccinate, and how we apply those vaccines, is ripe area for debate.

But do I think vaccinations are an insidious form of population control, that spread cancer, sterilize people, kill people, cause AIDS? No, I think that’s ludicrous. Vaccines have staved off incredibly destructive childhood diseases: Polio, mumps, measles, rickets, and more. Why would you target those diseases for eradication, only to replace them with cancer or AIDS? It makes no sense.

That’s the thing with all of these conspiracy theories; they  start with a theory in mind, then use circular logic, twisted logic paths, innuendo and conjecture to bolster that theory. It’s bad logic, junk science – it preys on the innate desire of the human mind to make connections. The conspiracy theorists peddle fear and confusion; they seek to make chaos out of order. They seek to spread fear and loathing through the population.

madbob@madbob.com