Preface: I'm hosting this peer reviewed, published (Feb 2021) scientific paper after reading each and every word of it. It is probably the defining scientific analysis of the mess we find ourselves in today, at least that I I am aware of. Its exhaustively and meticulously researched, outstandingly well referenced and structured with rigorous scientific discipline and academic fortitude. I cannot highlight enough just how difficult this is in the science/sociological/political/cultural grey area. They have cleverly cited Covid-19 as a background to which the main theme of hysteria is explored. This is genius and gives them alot more scope than they otherwise would have had. They don't even use innuendo because the points all make themselves.
To best frame what I perceive its value is I must first highlight what I can see is missing. This paper states upfront and throughout that its fundamental assumption is one of a reaction to circumstance, opportunism and fear. This is the case with some past cases of hyteria, and by implication herefore the current hyteria. I know this is not in fact the reality. I know that the evidence of orchestrated collusion of special interests and a scripted, as well as opportunistic handling of affairs is overwhelming. After reading this based on how well reasoned and structured it is I have become convinced that at least one, probably more, of these authors understand this and for reasons of political expediency have chosen the path of least resistance allowing them to bring all sorts of well reasoned and undoubtedly true information together to make a compelling case without jeapordizing peer review or risking a smear campaign which would render all of this research in vain.
Its an art to walk these sorts of metaphorical tightropes, and this research certainly has its place. I have learned from it and perhaps you will to, even if its value as a collection of references to yet more academic research on the matter is more valuable to you. I will be mining this for sources for years to come.
The link under the hosted portion of this paper is to the public database at NCBI.
You can find the original at The International Journal For Environmental Health And Public Affairs HERE listed as free, I'm not to sure about what stays free and for how long.
