Thank you. As an advertising professional also, it concerned me greatly, from the start, that all the "advertising standards authorities" seemed to disappear completely during covid. From every single business and brand on earth putting "covid warnings" at the top of their websites to the incredible inconsistency of messaging tactics across geographies versus the actual threat level, I became every disillusioned with my industry and peers, many if whom must have had a hand in pushing these messages unquestioningly.
One needs to think critically and have a moral compass to be able to see through all this brainwashing. Look no further than Canada’s Trudeau kakistocracy to see how this was taken to extreme, and it is now taken beyond covid into other areas of harm for children.
Great article, Gary. You might be interested in this post on the concept of "securitization" and the deliberate use of fear in the context of manufactured crises to facilitate elite power-grabs.
I personally think these ‘nudge units’ have existed in Governments more prolifically over the last few decades than we have been aware. I’ve written recently, for example about the parallels between the NZ policy of ‘eradicating’ so-called ‘pest’ species, with aerial poisoning operations, where all the MINDSPACE tactics have been hidden in plain sight for nearly 70 years now. Admittedly, as Desmet as alluded to, it is not always quite as divisive a topic as covid - but it comes a close second!
Use of behavioural science by governments definitely pre-dates the covid event - in the U.K., it emerged in its present form in the 1940s. It did, however, escalate in 2020.
We probably have Nudge members/staff in NSW/Australia.
It has worked so well here (we are of course the off spring of gaolers and prisoners and not the "freedom" lovers we think we are)..that I see people who are smokers and/or the obese waddling around with masks on...because they care about their own health..just not really...but its the image that counts !!
Cheers, Mike. There will, undoubtedly, be state-funded nudgers operating in Australia. And I agree about the lunacy of mask wearing as a way of demonstrating a way of maintaining good health.
As insidious as all of this was I would add that it was much more than what is described here.
The primary components involved economic blackmail, threat of job loss, material coercive force that was placed upon all sorts of professionals and students and business owners.
A near global martial law was declared and enforced and people were held at a figurative (at the least) gunpoint to comply with the diktats of the medical mafia "or else."
Hard for people to wrap their heads around the totality of it.
In the Netherlands a member of parliament of the VVD (conservative party) has put a motion forward to make vaccination of children mandatory if they want to go to a nursery.
As everywhere vaccine uptake is diminishing.
I watched a program on Dutch national tv where this MP was putting her position forward. She was quite militant.
It was as if we were back a few years:
-no mention of ethics
-no discussion as to why people have become more vaccine hesitant.
Her suggestion was that this was all due to misinformation and that hesitant people just needed to be talked to, so they would change their mind.
It was so patronising.
No debate.
They had a parent at the table who’s baby had died of whooping cough at 5 weeks old (before vaccination was even possible) and a parent who had adopted a child from Nepal, who had had measles as a child and developed side effects of the measles virus 10 years later and died another 12 years later.
All to stir up emotions and fear.
So in my opinion debate is still not possible and we are back to where we were with the Covid vaccines.
Thank you. As an advertising professional also, it concerned me greatly, from the start, that all the "advertising standards authorities" seemed to disappear completely during covid. From every single business and brand on earth putting "covid warnings" at the top of their websites to the incredible inconsistency of messaging tactics across geographies versus the actual threat level, I became every disillusioned with my industry and peers, many if whom must have had a hand in pushing these messages unquestioningly.
One needs to think critically and have a moral compass to be able to see through all this brainwashing. Look no further than Canada’s Trudeau kakistocracy to see how this was taken to extreme, and it is now taken beyond covid into other areas of harm for children.
Agreed, Tershia.
Great article, Gary. You might be interested in this post on the concept of "securitization" and the deliberate use of fear in the context of manufactured crises to facilitate elite power-grabs.
https://democracymanifest.substack.com/p/the-undeclared-war-securitization
I personally think these ‘nudge units’ have existed in Governments more prolifically over the last few decades than we have been aware. I’ve written recently, for example about the parallels between the NZ policy of ‘eradicating’ so-called ‘pest’ species, with aerial poisoning operations, where all the MINDSPACE tactics have been hidden in plain sight for nearly 70 years now. Admittedly, as Desmet as alluded to, it is not always quite as divisive a topic as covid - but it comes a close second!
Use of behavioural science by governments definitely pre-dates the covid event - in the U.K., it emerged in its present form in the 1940s. It did, however, escalate in 2020.
I’d like to know the mechanism for the Five Eyes sharing and initiated policies like these. NZ is written as the ‘phantom’ 5 Eyes in the literature.
Brilliant summary.
We probably have Nudge members/staff in NSW/Australia.
It has worked so well here (we are of course the off spring of gaolers and prisoners and not the "freedom" lovers we think we are)..that I see people who are smokers and/or the obese waddling around with masks on...because they care about their own health..just not really...but its the image that counts !!
Cheers, Mike. There will, undoubtedly, be state-funded nudgers operating in Australia. And I agree about the lunacy of mask wearing as a way of demonstrating a way of maintaining good health.
And worse is yet to come once WHO have full control of our health & government.
Very true.
Excellent report.
As insidious as all of this was I would add that it was much more than what is described here.
The primary components involved economic blackmail, threat of job loss, material coercive force that was placed upon all sorts of professionals and students and business owners.
A near global martial law was declared and enforced and people were held at a figurative (at the least) gunpoint to comply with the diktats of the medical mafia "or else."
Hard for people to wrap their heads around the totality of it.
Thanks, Allen. Very true that behavioural science is just one of the weapons being used to manipulate & silence the masses.
Just giving some news from abroad.
In the Netherlands a member of parliament of the VVD (conservative party) has put a motion forward to make vaccination of children mandatory if they want to go to a nursery.
As everywhere vaccine uptake is diminishing.
I watched a program on Dutch national tv where this MP was putting her position forward. She was quite militant.
It was as if we were back a few years:
-no mention of ethics
-no discussion as to why people have become more vaccine hesitant.
Her suggestion was that this was all due to misinformation and that hesitant people just needed to be talked to, so they would change their mind.
It was so patronising.
No debate.
They had a parent at the table who’s baby had died of whooping cough at 5 weeks old (before vaccination was even possible) and a parent who had adopted a child from Nepal, who had had measles as a child and developed side effects of the measles virus 10 years later and died another 12 years later.
All to stir up emotions and fear.
So in my opinion debate is still not possible and we are back to where we were with the Covid vaccines.
Thanks, Myra. A grim story, but - on a more positive note - it sounds like the powers that be are getting more desperate?
Maybe they are.
Let’s hope this does not get through Parliament.
I simply cannot understand how they don’t see that transparency and open debate hearing different voices is the best way forward with this.
Their bulldozing is not effective.
They clearly haven’t learned.