Right now finishing listening to you and Ricky on Ripple Effect discuss FE and Tom Cowan.
You are over the target.
There's no debating your conviction of insisting that the bar stay/maintain at the level of actual science.
Re: Litmus tests,
1.75 years and probably multi-trillion $ into this virus, to refute Tom Cowan you gave only a single example of a notable/published scientist who is on record isolating the virus. ONE.
Now if we compare this to the FE issue, you Must recognize the peculiar contrast between:
(not posing a FE argument here, just an example anomaly)
1. 2021, if you Google: "earth from space". How many results are raw/no-CGI photos?
Point: Google's first 1000's results should be un-doctored, but they're not.
2. One single scientist on record of isolating the most world renown virus of all human history?
Point: Any virologist should be able to ELI5, without condescending, "why" the isolation of the virus isn't a critical component, let alone "why" said knowledge/experience isn't a litmus test. If you haven't seen the virus yourself, basic human sense would insist you be capable of ELI5ing why it's not necessary.
You don't get to not ELI5 the public on issues of this magnitude.
Re: Planting the Flag,
Who does the truther community currently have walking/guiding FE'ers back to science?
Shouldn't that be an entry level job? But Neil DeGrasse Tyson couldn't achieve it. THAT should be the no-brainer..
Parody:
4yo Scientist Jr.: "Dada, show me how we know da Earth is round."
Scientist Dad: "Junior, just trust me on this one and we'll dig into it later when you're in 5th or 6th grade."
YA RIGHT!!!!! Like that would EVER go that way...
In reality, Scientist Dad would respond: "HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?"
My Premise: You're arguing whether or not FE is a 1-a psyop and 2. worth discussing.
My Point: That's not the argument. The argument is: What is it about FE that is currently winning at dividing the Truther Community and how do we overcome it?
I believe it's safe to assume that the magnitude of the psyop an indicator of the magnitude of the potential it's intended to subvert.
I truly believe you're right that it's not about agreeing to disagree, but I have a passionate hunch that it also doesn't have to be about lowering the bar or wasting expertise.
Imagine if Pharma had on their side the same consensus against the vax-hesitent as Science has against FE'ers.. The military would be administering the injections to the detractors by force.
If you want to go deep.... How long ago did they start ramping up the current "anti-vax" psyop? 2007?
What was the purpose of ramping up the FE psyop? And what's it subverting?