THREAD: Why pro-mask science lost

The apparent inefficacy of masks wasn't just about pre-March 2020 science or the empirical data gathered since. It wasn't just about what we saw from areas w/mandates and high compliance and vice versa.

Nor was the efficacy question just about air-motion physics, size of pathogens, and the everyday practicality of proper type and usage. All of that was only part of it and probably focused on far too exclusively.

Masks couldn't have possibly worked as a viable intervention b/c they're a deeply meaningful symbol. They cannot be un-symbolled. Not by anyone. Pro-mask science was never going to overcome this psychological reality. Too many are well aware of masks' historical connotations.

Masks being a Badge of Shame and tool of public humiliation.

Being associated with slavery.

In modern popular culture masks indicate something is wrong with the wearer (whether warranted or thoroughly not).

They're used to silence and dehumanize characters. Sometimes the hero/heroine’s freedom and strength is associated with *removal* of a mask.

Excluding the heroes/heroines who choose to wear masks to protect their identity or as armor, I'm not sure they're ever positive.

For some Christians, mask mandates in places of business raised the specter of the mark of the beast, folding in a freedom of religion aspect.

Those who see anything like the above as motivations for mask mandates can't be proven wrong. They could be and often were called stupid, paranoid, crazy, etc., but they can't be proven wrong. It's a subjective non-empirical matter that has deep meaning for those who hold it.

Well-being in terms of freedom, security, religion, role in society and community...this wasn’t an issue pro-maskers were going to sway opinions on w/studies and graphs. It would've taken OVERWHELMING empirical evidence to do so and the evidence is nowhere near that.

Ignoring such facets may have been logically expedient to make a point but it didn't change the reality that those facets exist.

Attempting to overcome that resistance w/mandates only reinforced the notion that masks weren't about a virus. "Shut up and do it" tends to do that.

Those in the medical field who called for mandates were particularly suspect - they came across as seeing health one-dimensionally and appeared in violation of ‘do no harm’.

This is perhaps why in the eyes of many the mask lobby went beyond the curiously bizarre and into the realm of dangerously obsessive. If anything it made *more* people believe mask mandates are not about stopping the spread.

Today, one could reasonably argue masks are *only* a symbol and nothing more. We’ve all seen pro-mask politicians and officials forgoing them many many times, and we’ve seen others carrying on w/o them and everyone is just fine.

We also saw public health orgs and officials (and even social media MDs) flip-flop on the issue, as well as go through weird mental gymnastics to make their points.

Recent censorship is desperation. When one side can't win on the merits of their argument they silence the other.

Mask mandates were never holistically considerate to begin with w/regard to public health. Even if more efficacy evidence was produced mandates fumbled on the first point.

Regardless, masks are 100% a political football now, far from science. Censoring SWAtlas is proof of that.