Epistemic violence: How governments manipulated or suppressed information about the COVID-19 pandemic
The erosion of trust in public institutions
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a global crisis, affecting millions of people worldwide. The virus has not only taken many lives but has also disrupted economies and created social and political unrest. The pandemic has shown how important accurate and clear information is for people's health and safety during a crisis. Unfortunately, some governments have manipulated or suppressed information about the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to what some experts call "epistemic violence." In this article, we explore how governments have handled the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of their actions on their citizens.
What is Epistemic Violence?
Epistemic violence is a term that feminist philosopher Frigga Haug came up with to describe the harm that can be done when someone is denied the right to know something or when facts are changed to fit a certain story. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the term "epistemic violence" refers to the harm that has been done as a result of the actions taken by governments in the form of either distorting information about the virus or suppressing information about the virus. The term shows that keeping information from people or giving them false information can have a big effect on their lives.
Governments' Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging issue for governments all over the world, and their responses have had varying degrees of success. Denmark took a scientific approach and allowed citizens to carry on with their lives, while taking the necessary precautions to stop the spread of the virus, while almost every other country in the world used fear and draconian laws to track, trace, test, and isolate people from their friends and loved ones, resulting in widespread panic, fear, and death.
At first, the idea that governments around the world were hiding information about the pandemic was thought to be a conspiracy theory. However, in the years after the pandemic, it became clear that this was not a theory but a fact. Most people agree that the Chinese government hid the first outbreak in Wuhan, which slowed down the response from the rest of the world and may have helped the virus spread. In the same way, it has been said that the US government is hiding information about the effectiveness of Ivermectin in treating SARS-CoV-2 while overplaying the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines.
These are examples of epistemic violence, which is when knowledge and information are used as weapons to control and oppress people. Some governments have been accused, in the context of the pandemic, of manipulating data, silencing critics, and exaggerating how bad the situation is, which hurts public trust in their institutions.
The consequences of this suppression of information are grave, as it affects not only public health but also the public's trust in government institutions. The lack of transparency and information from these governments has made it difficult for individuals to protect themselves and others, leading to a loss of life. The misinformation caused by this suppression has also created confusion and mistrust towards the government, which could have long-lasting effects.
Governments must take measures to address these issues and rebuild the trust of their citizens. They must put openness and honesty at the top of their list of priorities, admit when they make mistakes, and take steps to fix them. Governments can only hope to handle the COVID-19 pandemic well and stop future crises if they talk to each other in an open and honest way.
Manipulating Information
Governments have been accused of using various tactics to manipulate information about the COVID-19 pandemic. In some cases, this has been done to serve a political agenda. For example, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been criticized for hiding information about the frequency and severity of myocarditis, a potential side effect of the COVID-19 vaccines, particularly in young boys.
In the same way, it was said that the French government hid information about the dangerous effects of AstraZeneca, which caused blood clots and anaphylactic reactions in many people who took that vaccine. It got so bad that AstraZeneca was taken off the market in a number of countries. The CDC, EMA, and UKHSA all knew that AstraZeneca caused blood clots, but they chose to downplay the seriousness of this side effect. Instead, they told people that the benefits were more important than the risks because SARS-CoV-2 was a much bigger threat than the side effects that people got from the vaccine. As it became clear that vaccines were not as safe and effective as people were led to believe, people became less willing to get them and very mistrustful of their governments.
Other governments have also been accused of manipulating information to make the virus seem more dangerous than it actually is, which caused widespread panic, fear, and anxiety. For example, COVID-19 deaths were overcounted by the government because anyone who died and had a positive COVID-19 test at the time of death was considered to have died from COVID-19, even if the disease had nothing to do with their deaths. One health official was quoted as saying that if you had a positive COVID-19 test before you died, even if there was a clear alternate cause of death, that would still be counted as a COVID-19 death. In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Leana Wen, the chief medical correspondent for CNN, admitted that COVID-19 deaths were overcounted.
These actions have had significant consequences for public health and trust in institutions. By using epistemic violence and manipulating information, governments have hurt the public's trust and confidence, which has led to confusion and a spiraling excess of deaths in many countries around the world. This has resulted in the loss of income, business, and many lives. The suppression of information and the misrepresentations of facts about the pandemic did a lot of irreparable harm to people and society.
If governments want to fight the COVID-19 pandemic effectively, they must be open and give their citizens accurate information. Manipulating information to suit a political agenda or engaging in epistemic violence erodes public trust and confidence, which ultimately harms public health. It is crucial that governments take responsibility for their actions and work to rebuild trust with their citizens.
The Impact of Epistemic Violence
Epistemic violence can have devastating consequences for individuals and communities. When governments hide or change information, it makes it hard for people to take the steps they need to protect themselves and others. This makes the virus spread quickly. False information can also lead to confusion and lack of trust, which can lead to social and political unrest.
In countries where the government has kept information about the pandemic secret or changed it, people may lose faith in their institutions and democratic processes. This lack of confidence can have long-term effects on the stability of governance.
During the COVID-19 crisis, the impact of epistemic violence has been significant. By changing and hiding information, governments have hurt people's trust in institutions and spread false information about the virus. This has seriously affected public health, as many people have died as a result of these lies.
During the pandemic, many governments spread false and misleading information on purpose. This is one of the most worrying things they have done. People had to rely on eyewitness accounts posted online and other sources to learn about the virus because they couldn't find any reliable information from official public health institutions like the CDC and WHO. Many, many more lives would have been lost if doctors like Dr. Peter McCollough, Dr. Andrew Huffman, Dr. Pierre Kory, Dr. Paul Merck, Dr. Paul Alexander, and many others hadn't "gone rogue" and made their own platforms to warn people about the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccines.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic showed how important it is to have accurate and trustworthy information during a public health crisis. Epistemic violence, like when governments or other actors hide or change information, can be very bad for public health, social cohesion, and democracy. By hiding or changing information, governments can make it harder for people to trust them and cause confusion and false information. This makes it harder to stop the spread of the virus and protect public health.
The impact of epistemic violence during the COVID-19 crisis has been significant and far-reaching. It has not only hurt people's health, but it has also made politics more divided and caused social unrest in many countries. To deal with these problems, governments must take steps to be open and give the public correct information. This means sharing data and scientific research in an open and honest way, making sure that messages about public health are clear and consistent. Also, governments need to understand how important it is to build and keep the trust of their citizens. This can be done through good communication, the involvement of the community, and a commitment to the public good.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that an effective response to a public health crisis requires a collective effort, based on reliable information, trust, and solidarity. By promoting transparency, accountability, and collaboration, governments can help rebuild trust and confidence in institutions and create a more resilient and equitable society. As we continue to deal with the problems caused by the pandemic and its aftermath, it is important to remember how important information is and how important it is to stop epistemic violence in order to protect public health and make a better future for everyone.