Science vs Superstition and Stupid Politics

More than 40 years ago the brilliant musician Stevie Wonder released an interesting and highly relevant song called: "Superstition". Part of the lyrics to the song are as follows: 

When you believe in things
That you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way

Stevie Wonder's song is amazingly relevant today when people refuse to wear masks or practice social distancing because they believe that the whole Covid-19 pandemic is not real. They have chosen to believe crazy political conspiracy theories that the virus is not really dangerous as thousands of people die in overwhelmed ICU wards. Some of the victims of Covid-19, just a few days before they die of the disease continue to spout denial that the disease that has caused them to be hospitalized is not real. So they are actually dying of this crazy political superstition. Note: I wrote this post in early April about the dangers of this disease that so many still refuse to recognize.

Millions of Americans today actively seek out biased "news" sources that somehow claim that the whole pandemic situation we are in today is really not a dangerous disease but a plot by political enemies of the president to help steal the presidential election. This is political superstition that is being maliciously spread by irresponsible individuals who have figured out that many Americans rather believe crazy conspiracy theories instead of the solid advice coming from infectious disease scientists like Dr Fauci, about the dangers of this disease. "When you believe in things that you don't understand, Then you suffer".

Superstitious political beliefs is why more Americans die in one day than the total number of people in Vietnam, Korea, or New Zealand  that have died in the entire 10 months of the Covid-19 pandemic. The government in those countries took important science based steps early in the pandemic that has protected their populations and maintained the strength of their economies while the U.S. succumbed to the destruction of the disease.  

Some of the same people who don't trust scientific advice about Covid-19 don't believe in the scientific principles in the theory of evolution. They lobby hard at our state government to prevent the teaching of evolution in our schools. But evolution is happening right now. Just a few days ago the Coronavirus that causes Covid-19 mutated in Great Briton to become about 70% more highly communicable. This is just another example of evolution. Such mutations are the way that some life forms on earth adapt and become more successful. The Coronavirus is not consciously trying to become more communicable, but the principles of evolution allow more successful mutations to reproduce in greater numbers. But if you don't believe in science, then you don't take necessary steps to protect yourself from the more dangerous mutations of diseases. As Stevie Wonder predicted: "Then you suffer."