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[Opiate]

While right leaning anti-scientific beliefs are widely known here and widely criticized (global warming denial, evolution denial, and so forth), I'd like to spend some talking about situations where people who identify as liberals may find facts to be inconvenient. Please note that these don't need to be exclusively left leaning conspiracies, nor or am I suggesting that all or even most liberals believe in them. As a self identified liberal, I just feel that people who believe these things make me look worse. Some examples:

Anti-fluoridation proponents: anti-fluoridation movements seem to be nearly evenly split between far rights people who hate the government involvement and far left people who believe that "artificial" supplementation is unhealthy. Portland, a famously liberal city, recently voted to end water fluoridation for this reason.

Anti-vaccine: like anti-fluoride and other health related movements, this is a near even mix of anti-government ideologues on the right and anti-man-made ideologues on the left.

9/11 truthers: This is one of the few conspiracy theories I know of where the believers are disproportionately likely to be liberal. Some studies have shown that more than half of liberals believe that Bush knew.

Does anyone have other examples, or would you like to contest/amend the examples above?

 

[Rapstah]

Do truthers really inherently reject science? As wrong as they are, and for whatever else they may be more likely than other groups to believe, I've always felt as though the conspiracy theory is fueled by hatred for the Republican government at the time than... well, fact.

Edit: I guess I'm trying to say that not believing in the conspiracy isn't science.

 

[Cyan]

Wow, I didn't know there was still an anti-fluoridation movement. I thought that basically fell away after it became standard and no one's precious bodily fluids suffered permanent damage.

Another example is GMOs and labeling.

 

[Opiate]

Do truthers really inherently reject science? As wrong as they are, and for whatever else they may be more likely than other groups to believe, I've always felt as though the conspiracy theory is fueled by hatred for the Republican government at the time than... well, fact.

That's usually what fuels denialism: passionately held convictions significantly fueled by emotion, such as hatred for George Bush's administration (e.g. Truthers) or hatred of government intervention (e.g.. global warming denialism).

Edit: I guess I'm trying to say that not believing in the conspiracy isn't science.

If you'd like to you, you can change the question to "denying the existence of facts you don't like" instead of "anti-science." I had considered doing that in the OP, but that's quite a mouthful.

 

[Irobot82]

Anti-fluoride people are anti-science?

 

[Ri'Orius]

The ones you listed are all crazy fringe beliefs with no real impact on other people (except maybe the odd case of an unvaccinated child causing a small outbreak).

The big one is anti-nuclear power. IIRC it's safer, cleaner and more cost-effective than pretty much any alternative, but as I understand it opposition to nuclear power, while somewhat popular on the right, is far more of a left-associated stance due to fear over nuclear waste or catastrophic meltdowns.

 

[Mumei]

I recall reading in a religion and sociology class years ago that belief in the paranormal - past lives, horoscopes, astrology, ghosts, etc. - was actually more common among the self-identified non-religious; this same group also tends to be more politically liberal. So perhaps that.

I've also gotten the impression that a lot of health-based woo besides anti-vaccination - gluten-free diets curing autism, say, or "natural" cures that THEY won't tell you about, and so forth - is popular on the left, though I'm less sure about how that breaks down.

 

[John Kowalski]

Do truthers really inherently reject science? As wrong as they are, and for whatever else they may be more likely than other groups to believe, I've always felt as though the conspiracy theory is fueled by hatred for the Republican government at the time than... well, fact.

Edit: I guess I'm trying to say that not believing in the conspiracy isn't science.

My experience with conspiracy theorists makes me think that they very much enjoy scientific revisionism and pseudo science, which is is pretty anti scientific to me (or otherwise demonstrative of significant disregard and mistrust for the established science community).

 

[JumpJeff84]

Let's add alternative medicine to the list.

Everything from homeopathy to reiki and all that horseshit in between.

 

[Just take it with you.]

Another example is GMOs and labeling.

Yeah, that was what immediately came to mind when I saw the thread.

 

[theepicoftyler]

I feel like most things regarding health trend liberal. Anti-GMO, anti-vaccine, and general distrust of medicine seem to live in a sinilar group and I see it amongst my liberal friends much more than any other.

I also see a great deal of people attacking things like fracking with very little evidence or misleading information. So I'd tie environmentalism into it too. (I say this as an environmentalist and geologist)

 

[Cyan]

I've also gotten the impression that a lot of health-based woo besides anti-vaccination - gluten-free diets curing autism, say, or "natural" cures that THEY won't tell you about, and so forth - is popular on the left, though I'm less sure about how that breaks down.

Yeah, my experience is that these things are usually associated with New Agey leftists.

 

[You Are Viewtiful]

There was a poll on the Weather Network the other day about genetically modified trees that emit natural light, and the idea was to replace street lights with those. 65% of people opposed that. Not sure if it was left-leaning or right-leaning but it still irked me.

 

[Stinkles]

I have a few very liberal friends who are a group that includes vaccine deniers, a lot of gluten idiots, several acupuncture people and at least one homeopathy clownbus. And I am able to love them all while having (in the case of the vaccine and homeopathy stupidity) straight and occasionally contentious conversations about what I consider objectively harmful and irrational beliefs.

 

[Divvy]

Anti-Nuclear, Anti-GMO, Homeopathy are what come to mind for me

 

[Opiate]

I feel like most things regarding health trend liberal. Anti-GMO, anti-vaccine, and general distrust of medicine seem to live in a sinilar group and I see it amongst my liberal friends much more than any other.

Furthering this, I've observed this belief come from two places: a distrust of "artificial" things, and a reflexive distrust of large corporations.

GMO are "artificial," in the vague way that this term is used, and are created by massive corporations. Many liberals instinctively distrust massive corporations in the same way that many conservatives instinctively distrust the government.

 

[studyguy]

There are extremists in everything. It's reasonable to have some healthy skepticism to certain practices, but to outright jump to conspiracy theories like this is bonkers. GMOs feel like another hot button issue where I've heard even my girlfriend's sister talk about complete batshit insane things she thinks GMOs are responsible for. I mean I can understand the skepticism, but I remember hearing about these new GMO potatoes that actually sound fantastic. They bruise/blacken less and when you fry them they release less of a chemical (acrylamide) that all potatoes release when fried. Acrylamide has some links to causing cancer and yet no one wants these potatoes because they're GMO.

 

[Stinkles]

There was a poll on the Weather Network the other day about genetically modified trees that emit natural light, and the idea was to replace street lights with those. 65% of people opposed that. Not sure if it was left-leaning or right-leaning but it still irked me.

That would be my snapshot reaction. But if you think about it, glowing trees that "leak" into the broader ecosystem would be fucking disastrous for many, many ecologies and species.And trees are big wind-distribution systems. Any sterilization we attempted would eventually go wrong.

 

[Aureon]

Anything related to "Government lies to us"
Anything REMOTELY related to Nuclear, Radiation, GMO, have at it.
"Alternative" Medicine.

 

[mantidor]

I think it has been mentioned but the anti-transgenic movement would fit here as well?

 

[JordanN]

Truthers are left?

Alex Jones always gave me the impression they're from the right.

 

[Moff]

those are all conspiracy theories right? in my experience those people are mostly apolitical, because the lack of interest in politics is one of the main reasons to become a truther anyway.

 

[Funky Papa]

Does anyone have other examples, or would you like to contest/amend the examples above?

Tons of orientalist hullabaloo. Basically, if it came from the East and it's used to "heal" people there, it's better by default than greedy, artificial, modern medicine. Ayurveda, reiki, acupunture... you name it. In my experience, left leaning persons are more ready to accept that particular flavour of bullshit.

 

[Zoe]

Wow, I didn't know there was still an anti-fluoridation movement. I thought that basically fell away after it became standard and no one's precious bodily fluids suffered permanent damage.

I never knew how close P&R was to the truth. Maybe they just haven't heard of T-DAZZLE.

 

[Timeaisis]

Lots of health related stuff. Also, nuclear power.

 

[John Kowalski]

Anti-Nuclear.

I don't know about that, from what i've seen nuclear opposition is often of a political nature, and as a platform for the promotion of other nuclear free alternatives like renewable or energy efficiency, neither of which are necessarily anti scientific.

 

[xsarien]

I have a few very liberal friends who are a group that includes vaccine deniers, a lot of gluten idiots, several acupuncture people and at least one homeopathy clownbus. And I am able to love them all while having (in the case of the vaccine and homeopathy stupidity) straight and occasionally contentious conversations about what I consider objectively harmful and irrational beliefs.

You're better than me.

Being anti-vaccination, in my head, is tantamount to trying to inherently harm, if not your kids, than potentially the children around them. It's completely reckless.

 

[Kabouter]

I would say 'alternative medicine' is one that particularly annoys me because of how frequently I encounter it. Blatant rejection of the basic principles of science.

 

[JumpJeff84]

Truthers are left?

Alex Jones always gave me the impression they're from the right.

A lot of Truthers get to the viewpoint by their intense hatred of the Bush administration.

 

[CrimzonSamurai]

Anyone who thinks you can have an all-natural, organic, or even vegetarian farming system and still be able to feed the contemporary population.

No cows, no manure, no turnips.

 

[Funky Papa]

Truthers are left?

Alex Jones always gave me the impression they're from the right.

They come in all colours. The leftist variant seems to be particularly popular outside of America on virtue of far left idiots being much more abundant than right wing ones.

 

[Sobriquet]

Anti-fluoride people are anti-science?

Absolutely.

 

[ampere]

Anti-Nuclear, Anti-GMO, Homeopathy are what come to mind for me

The big anti-Nuclear moment was so political, ugh. Harry Reid not wanting the waste stored in his state... even though it was safe.

 

[Deleted member 231381]

I agree with the person who said nuclear power. The others, perhaps with the exception of alternative medicine, are fairly fringe. Irrational fear of nuclear power is really strongly prevalent on the left, though, and has caused poor policy decisions in the past - e.g., as is happening in Germany right now. It also conflicts with a key goal often associated with the left - reducing carbon emissions - so in that sense it is doubly harmful people won't consider it.

 

[JumpJeff84]

I would say 'alternative medicine' is one that particularly annoys me because of how frequently I encounter it. Blatant rejection of the basic principles of science.

Totally. I live in Vancouver, BC which is a very liberal town, and alternative medicine is by far the most prevalent 'anti-science' viewpoint I encounter on regular basis.

 

[Lone Wolf]

Diet and nutrition. Scientific research says Vegan diets and High carb diets are bad for you. Every Vegan I know is left leaning.

 

[FLEABttn]

Wow, I didn't know there was still an anti-fluoridation movement. I thought that basically fell away after it became standard and no one's precious bodily fluids suffered permanent damage.

Albuquerque stopped adding fluoride in 2011 because people were concerned that it wasn't safe, despite the water naturally having half the level they were fluoriding to and that they had done it for 39 years prior.

Supposedly they'll set fluoride levels to whatever the feds set the standard to but I'm expecting a fight.

Anti-fluoride people are anti-science?

Yeah, how are they not?

 

[Kabouter]

They come in all colours. The leftist variant seems to be particularly popular outside of America on virtue of far left idiots being much more abundant than right wing ones.

I think right wingers, at least those here, just spend their time worrying about Eurabia and the EUSSR instead.

I agree with the person who said nuclear power. The others, perhaps with the exception of alternative medicine, are fairly fringe. Irrational fear of nuclear power is really strongly prevalent on the left, though, and has caused poor policy decisions in the past - e.g., as is happening in Germany right now. It also conflicts with a key goal often associated with the left - reducing carbon emissions - so in that sense it is doubly harmful people won't consider it.

A particular annoyance of mine is that activists often stop the construction of newer, better, safer plants.

 

[Funky Papa]

I would say 'alternative medicine' is one that particularly annoys me because of how frequently I encounter it. Blatant rejection of the basic principles of science.

Naturopathy makes me mad as all hell.

 

[entremet]

Let's add alternative medicine to the list.

Everything from homeopathy to reiki and all that horseshit in between.

Steve jobs turn to that before getting serious treatment. So sad.

 

[theepicoftyler]

Furthering this, I've observed this belief come from two places: a distrust of "artificial" things, and a reflexive distrust of large corporations.

GMO are "artificial," in the vague way that this term is used, and are created by massive corporations. Many liberals instinctively distrust massive corporations in the same way that many conservatives instinctively distrust the government.

I think that this is in large part the main cause of many of these anti-science beliefs. When I am arguing with anti-GMOers or anti-Fracking people, I generally try to focus their arguments against things that are more objective such as "oil companies can be shady" or maybe copyrighting forms of life isn't good. Those are arguments that I think are legimate and should be had.

 

[ibyea]

Yeah, it's true, I have seen these brand of anti science to be unfortunately common with those on the left.

 

[Divvy]

I don't know about that, from what i've seen nuclear opposition is often of a political nature, and as a platform for the promotion of other nuclear free alternatives like renewable or energy efficiency, neither of which are necessarily anti scientific.

The anti-nuclear group is pretty complex, a lot of it is political, a lot of it is NIMBYism, but a lot of it is pretty anti-scientific I would argue. I've heard a lot of arguments about how we'll all be knee deep in nuclear waste if we build more plants, or that every facility is a Chernobyl/Fukushima waiting to happen.

 

[Leunam]

Anti-flouride is interesting to me. As I understand it, the process of maintaining fluoride levels in water supplies also includes the removal of naturally occurring minerals to bring it down to regulated levels.

 

[FStop7]

People who think they are allergic to wi-fi, cellphones, and microwave ovens.

People who talk about 'cleanses' and 'toxins'.

ffs.

 

[Derwind]

Not sure if this fits in here but some of the arguments I've heard against Nuclear power as a viable source of energy really just bothers me.

Edit; Well seems like I was beaten.

 

[Irobot82]

Yeah, how are they not?

No clue, I know very little about it.

 

[Dice]

Yeah the organic food movement is completely out of control with this shit.

 

[PlayALLtheGames]

I would have thought most 9/11 truthers were libertarians. I don't think I've ever encountered any that were self-identified liberals.

 

[SteveWinwood]

Alternative medicine and gmo crazys are the worst.

The anti fluoridation and chem trails movements I always thought were funny, but they became way less so when I realized how widespread they actually were.