[speeder]

I remember when ebola was raging in Congo and a couple other places in Africa and infectious disease specialists from all over the world were flying into those countries to try to treat sick people and stem the tide of infections. Many of the local people, being ignorant and uneducated plus superstitious and susceptible to conspiracy theories, believed rumors that the health experts were actually bringing the virus into their country to kill them, so they attacked the doctors and nurses w machetes and killed several of them.

I will admit to looking down slightly on a society of people so superstitious and susceptible to completely unfounded rumors that also completely distrusted legitimate medical and public health advice. It all seemed unfathomable to me as a resident of a modern, advanced western country.

I no longer feel that way. The "anti-mask" and "reopen" movements are peopled by Americans every bit as stupid and paranoid as those Africans. I feel like I owe them an apology for ever thinking that Americans were so much more advanced and well informed. I'm seriously gob-smacked by my country right now. The Florida of the world.