Misplaced Distrust

[mickthinks]

Misplaced trust is a familiar concept of course. But in trying to understand what has gone wrong in the minds of Covid- and climate-deniers, flat-earthers and anti-vaccers, and Stop-the-Stealers; you know—right-wing wingnuts—it occurred to me that it isn't so much trust as it is distrust that is being misplaced. Distrust in scientific and other oversight agencies because distrust in established, especially governmental, authority.

I wondered if misplaced distrust was a thing, and guess what? Yes, it is a thing ...

Misplaced Distrust: Policy Networks and the Environment in France, the United States, and Canada, Montpetit

[Ari]

Interesting. I’ve always found it fascinating how many political con-artists will tell their mark exactly how they will con them but then point at some other dude and say “That’s what he’s planning!” and suddenly their mark is like “I’ll watch him like a hawk, here hold my wallet.”