Relief Project #2: Natalie Wynn/Contrapoints

How did “following the science” get so confusing during the pandemic? As the publication of our book draws closer, Derek shares his best practices for science literacy, and examples of where grifters and conspiracists maximized confusion to exploit wellness consumers. This is the first in a three-part series on what we’ve learned though writing our book and working on the podcast. Each episode is piloted by one host with commentary by the other two. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

8 Jun 20231h 25min

After reviewing how Mother Marianne and Bobby Kennedy Jr are set to disrupt the race in Part 1, we turn now to  Mr. “Coronavirus is a Coronation for all,” Charles Eisenstein, has just disclosed that he’s working on Bobby’s campaign as Director of Messaging. Holy shit. It’s like our book is so accurate that Steve Bannon fed a digital ARC into a LLM to spit out AIs of all the characters in it so he could play them like chess pieces across the 2024 electoral map. Matthew and Julian take stock of this new stage: the routinization and institutionalization of conspirituality. Show Notes A Major Life Change - Charles Eisenstein  https://twitter.com/jack/status/1247343782279839744 Charles Eisenstein | Zika and the Mentality of Control Keys to the Navajo Nation’s COVID-19 Vaccination Success | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible  w/Sayer Ji Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

5 Jun 202312min

On Monday, May 29, Danielle Smith, the leader of the UCP of Alberta, seized the reigns of majority government power with the help of a right-wing antivax group called Take Back Alberta.  Jeremy Appel, founder of The Orchard, joins Matthew for a masterclass on how things got so bad in Alberta, and how conspirituality played a key role. Show Notes The Orchard — Jeremy Appel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 Jun 20231h 8min

Medical Medium, aka Anthony William, gained many of his 4.4M IG followers thanks to his declaration that celery juice can heal you from many ailments that science hasn’t figured out. William proudly displays his numerous celebrity endorsements and hundreds of anecdotal healing stories on his library-esque website. Yet when one reporter—Vanity Fair’s Dan Adler—had the audacity to report on one now-deceased confidante of William, the self-proclaimed medium went on the defense, releasing a four-part podcast series and posting on social media in a frenzy about how there’s a plot to “take down Medical Medium.” Yes, William speaks of himself often in the third person, and wears his lack of any medical training whatsoever as a badge of honor. Today, we look at some of the most outrageous claims that he’s made and discuss the rhetorical techniques that have made him an alt-health celebrity. We’re also joined by Dan Adler to discuss his in-depth reporting on the man who claims angels give him medical advice decades ahead of modern science—and somehow gets away with it. Show Notes The Medical Medium and the True Believer Medical Medium Survivors Medical Medium: Miracle Healer or Quack? (The Celery Juice Guy) Why Is Everyone Drinking Celery Juice as if It Will Save Them From Dying? The Truth About The Celery Juice Craze Everyone Is Drinking Celery Juice — But Is It Healthy? We Dive Into The Science Behind The Trend Alex Ebert on Conspirituality Matthew’s reply to Alex Alex’s follow-up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Jun 20231h 37min

Marianne Williamson—New Age matriarch and popularizer of A Course in Miracles—is polling at 9%. Muscular Catholic antivax entrepreneur Bobby Kennedy Jr is polling at 20% or more: Rasmussen has him in a dead heat with Biden.  And Mr. “Coronavirus is a Coronation for all,” Charles Eisenstein, has just disclosed that he’s working on Bobby’s campaign as Director of Messaging. Holy shit. It’s like our book is so accurate that Steve Bannon fed a digital ARC into a LLM to spit out AIs of all the characters in it so he could play them like chess pieces across the 2024 electoral map. Matthew and Julian take stock of this new stage: the routinization and institutionalization of conspirituality. Show notes available on Patreon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Mai 202312min

Another Kennedy is running for President. But discussion of his anti-vaccine activism often overlooks how it affects people with autism. Julian talks to Eric Michael Garcia, political correspondent for The Independent, and author of We're Not Broken: Changing The Autism Conversation, about the human cost. Show Notes We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation — Eric Garcia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Mai 202334min

What "really" happened during the pandemic? Conspiracists have decided to take a victory lap. They were right, you see? The vaccines failed, and besides, they were super dangerous. COVID obviously came out of a lab. Masks were useless, and the lock-downs were completely unnecessary forms of totalitarian oppression. The authors of the Great Barrington Declaration, who were censored on social media, were right all along. Not so fast. Our guest today is Dr. Jonathan Howard, who not only did grueling service at Bellevue Hospital in NYC (as the first wave raged, and corpses were stacked in meat trucks) but has put in the time to create a comprehensive document of how contrarian doctors shaped cultural perceptions during the pandemic. He takes the title of his new book, We Want Them Infected, from a quote found in a series of emails from July 2020. Trump-appointed science-advisor to the HHS, Paul Alexander, urged officials there and at the FDA, and the CDC, to pursue a herd immunity strategy for COVID-19. "There is no other way," he wrote. "We need to establish herd, and it only comes about when we allow non-high-risk groups to expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD. Infants, kids, teens, young people, middle-aged with no conditions have zero to little risk. So we use them to develop herd. We want them infected." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

25 Mai 20231h 30min

In 1970, farmer, writer, and environmental activist Wendell Berry published his essay, "Think Little." In it, he writes about the dangers of not making your public causes private causes as well, depending too much on outside organizations to make decisions, and—this is key—of how autonomy should lead to the greater good and the recognition of interdependence. Many of these messages resonate in the conspirituality world. Derek frames the essay before reading it in full. Show Notes The World-Ending Fire — Wendell Berry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

22 Mai 20236min