A Congressional report found the CDC and public health enlisted a public relations (aka propaganda) firm to lie to the American people to encourage uptake of Covid vaccines, to wear masks, to social distance and so on and made claims they knew were false. The result was destruction of trust and confidence in government, institutions, academics:
I used to live in the Spokane area, of Eastern Washington. I first met Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers at a health information systems conference. I believe she was then just running for Congress for the first time. She had entered the back of the room and taken a seat. The speaker paused and introduced her, asking if she wished to make any comments. Surprisingly, she said “No” – she was here, she said, to listen and learn. And that is what she did – I think many of us were surprised by that response.
I have not lived in the Spokane area for more than a decade and I have not followed her since then and cannot say that she still acts that way, or not, or if she has pursued politics, not as a way to solve problems, but as a way to get ahead. I don’t know – and do not want my paragraph above to be intended as an endorsement of her today. Simply noting that a long time ago, her approach was a bit different from the usual politicians – and wouldn’t it be nice if more politicians listened, instead of talked?
