Why Chloroquine? Miracle Cures Central to Belief Systems of Evangelicals
The drumbeat on Fox is getting to be relentless. It seems that every single guest they have on in the last couple of days is touting the “miracle cure” that their lord & savior, Trump has discovered.
Peter Navarro: ‘I Bet On Trump’s Intuition’ Over Science When It Comes To Treatment Of COVID-19 https://t.co/rz3chrMNar pic.twitter.com/0ULJAqGqs7
— NotComey (@notComey) April 6, 2020
The fact that the smarty-pants intellectuals (i.e. real-world doctors) are skeptical ONLY REINFORCED THEIR BELIEF SYSTEMS.
🚨Chloroquine #COVID19 trial discontinued in Sweden cuz of severe side effects- seizure and vision problems in patients. (📍Early clinical trial termination is strictly guided by data safety monitoring committees- stoppages are rare & big deal bad signs) https://t.co/pRxaZfUREn
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) April 6, 2020
There is a deep-seated need to believe in magic in evangelical churches. Their whole ethos centers around miracles, magic, devils, demons, witches, spells, curses, etc. etc.
Growing optimism for the potential usefulness of chloroquine as a weapon against this evil pandemic makes perfect sense
The habitual undermining of that hopefulness from some journos merely because Trump is also rooting for its success is insane
— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) April 6, 2020
They are already lining up their favorite straw man - The Media - to beat on.
We have to hope that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine really are miracle cures for covid-19. Because if they aren’t, valuable time and federal resources have been diverted away from other potential treatments because President Trump saw them promoted on Fox News.
— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) April 6, 2020
If Chloroquine is not effective against COVID-19, there is going to have to be some kind of fall guy.
TIL that Peter Navarro, the trade economist who recently promoted himself to Chief Chloroquine Pharmacology Advisor to the President, used to routinely cite someone named Ron Vara in his work. Ron Vara is an anagram of “Navarro” and entirely made-up. https://t.co/uninMEdyR9
— Kieran Healy (@kjhealy) April 6, 2020
Meanwhile, Navarro has a history of making up data to make himself look better, using transparent aliases
Some of those “sources” appear to be both 32-year-old nurses, and 56-year-old DeGaulle haters:
Anatomy of a random #chloroquine proponent:
2020, she is a tragic 32 years old nurse, heading to Paris, leaving her financé behind —-> 20.000+ likes and a significant audience gain.
2019 she is born in a camp in 1964 and hates Charles De Gaule for that.#infodemic #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/FRqUBPqg76
— El Mahdi El Mhamdi (@L_badikho) April 6, 2020
