Do As I Say, Not As I Do
So called "sensible" right wing commentators like Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro are pandering to anti-vaxxers to maintain their fanbase despite being vaccinated themselves. Why?
by Ben Cohen
Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro are regarded as the conservative movement’s preeminent intellectuals. They are omnipresent on social media and have woven themselves into the fabric of political discourse in America. The two routinely interview each other for their respective podcasts/tv shows and rarely disagree on anything.
Both Peterson and Shapiro engage with those they disagree with and are for the most part reasonably civil. While both men are engaged in an on and off flirtation with the Trump Right, they are by no means affiliated with the MAGA crowd and define themselves as traditional conservatives. For that reason, Peterson and Shapiro are taken seriously on all sides of the political spectrum and deservedly so.
That is until it comes to Covid and the desperate battle to contain the virus.
Peterson and Shapiro have now morphed themselves into medical experts with apparent knowledge of epidemiology and public health, purely by virtue of their popularity. The two regularly disseminate advice to their fans, urging them to defy lockdowns and not take the new Covid variant seriously. This despite having no background whatsoever in science, public health, or medicine.
When you examine Peterson and Shapiro’s stance on Covid, vaccines, and lockdowns, one thing becomes abundantly clear: they have a very strong incentive to misinform their followers.
“The Reds Are Coming!”
Both Peterson and Shapiro are waging a new war on government policies designed to curb the spread of the virus and relieve overburdened emergency rooms. Peterson and Shapiro claim that civil liberties are at stake and the public must rise up to challenge liberal governments vying to take away their freedoms.
"Look, I got vaccinated, and people took me to task for that.” Peterson opined to Dave Rubin on his Youtube channel last month. “And I thought, 'All right, I’ll get the damn vaccine.' Here’s the deal, guys: I’ll get the vaccine, you fucking leave me alone. And did that work? No. So, stupid me."
"That’s how I feel about it,” he went on. “So, like, well, I have to get tested for Covid when I come back into Canada. I have to get tested before I leave Canada…..Why did I get the vaccine then, if you’re not going to leave me alone?"
Peterson believes the battle against lockdowns is part of his broader war against tyrannical Marxists in the government:…