Government Spending Millions on ‘Cognitive Vaccines’ to ‘Protect’ Public from ‘Fringe’ Viewpoints
How can we restore trust in our public institutions — governments, universities, media, science and medicine — when the government spends $100 million to create “cognitive vaccines”: a mix of propaganda and censorship strategies designed to “protect” the public from dissenting viewpoints?
This question was the focal point of the “Council of the Canceled,” a discussion broadcast live on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, hosted by Nicole Shanahan and featuring Dr. Jay Bhattacharya,Eric Weinstein, Ph.D., and Mike Benz.
The panel — experts who have faced censorship and de-platforming — delved into the complex web of government-funded research, corporate interests and institutional practices they allege are eroding public trust and stifling the debate that is indispensable to science and democracy.
“We’d like to restructure consensus-building so that … governance represents the people,” said Shanahan, a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur and the vice-presidential running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Children’s Health Defense’s (CHD) chairman on leave.
The participants explored how this might be achieved in the face of what they described as coordinated efforts to control public opinion and suppress alternative viewpoints.
Benz, a former U.S. Department of State official and founder of Foundation for Freedom Online, discussed the concept of cognitive or psychological “vaccines” developed by academic institutions with government funding.
“They have glitzy 10-minute promo videos,” he said, describing attempts to create psychological inoculations against what authorities deem “fake news.”
The panelists agreed that these programs, far from protecting democracy, are undermining it by attempting to preemptively discredit dissenting voices.
Dissenting voices often labeled as fringe or dangerous
The panel painted a stark picture of eroding trust across multiple pillars of society: government, media, universities and scientific institutions. Each speaker shared experiences and insights illustrating how actions meant to build consensus have instead fostered skepticism and distrust.
Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor of health policy, shared his experience of how institutional narrative control has undermined credibility in public health.
He pointed to the Great Barrington Declaration that he co-authored, which the Center for Science and Democracy labeled a “fringe idea” because it advocated for focused protection of vulnerable individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The declaration was signed by 30,000 medical and public health scientists and practitioners and over 1 million others.
Benz pointed to the amendment of the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, which lifted the ban against domestic dissemination of U.S. government-produced propaganda, giving rise to the censorship-industrial complex.
Weinstein, a mathematician, economist and founder of The Portal Group, described how academic institutions have become entangled with national security interests.
He shared an anecdote about the University of Chicago’s economics department, suggesting it was partially set up as a “bulwark against totalitarian communism, funded from inside the intelligence world.”
This intertwining of academia and national security, he argued, has led to a situation where dissenting voices are often labeled as fringe or dangerous.
“There’s this thing with an adjective, a profession, and then a proper name,” he said, giving the examples of “fringe epidemiologist Jay Bhattacharya” and “controversial professor Jordan Peterson” — labels meant to signal the public to be skeptical of or avoid such individuals.
The panel also discussed the erosion of trust in science, particularly in light of controversial research practices.
Bhattacharya brought up gain-of-function research. “Tony Fauci signed off on these experiments,” he said, mentioning that in a 2012 paper Fauci “explicitly wrote that even if these experiments result in a worldwide pandemic, it’ll be worth it because of the knowledge gained.”
The panelists also discussed how de-platforming, narrative control and censorship have contributed to a loss of faith in traditional media outlets that were once trusted to be objective and unbiased.
Google ‘censoring dissenting opinions while cashing out’
The panelists examined the complex interplay between government agencies, tech giants and academic institutions in controlling information flow.
Benz highlighted lesser-known government initiatives aimed at shaping public opinion, such as the National Science Foundation’s Convergence Accelerator Track F program — “Course Correct: Precision Guidance Against Misinformation” — and the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace Program.
“These programs distributed $100 million to this web of universities,” Benz explained, detailing how this research often focuses on developing strategies to counter narratives that challenge the institutional consensus.
Benz criticized the U.K.-developed Misinformation Susceptibility Test as “the most ridiculous, politically rigged” tool that could be used to justify increased censorship of certain groups.
Weinstein touched on lesser-known aspects of American history, particularly regarding information control and civil liberties.
“We don’t even know that there’s a secret history of the McCarran [Internal Security] Act,” he said, explaining that this act, passed in the 1950s, sought to apply tactics used during the Japanese American internment to a new perceived threat.
According to Weinstein, the act aimed to set up detention camps for suspected communists, mirroring what some in the national security establishment viewed as a successful strategy during World War II.
Shanahan pointed out potential conflicts of interest in how information is controlled on major social platforms. “Google is a major investor in vaccines. So they’re both censoring dissenting opinions while cashing out.”
Benz introduced the concept of a nongovernmental organization “soft-power swarm army” — a network of organizations and institutions working in concert with government agencies to shape public opinion.
He quoted a high-ranking official to illustrate the mindset behind these efforts. “You have this situation where hate speech gives rise to ethnocentrism, which gives rise to nationalism, which gives rise to opposition to the rules-based international world order.”
Those in power do not want the civilian class to speak freely online for fear of losing control of this order, according to Benz.
‘Cowboy culture is all about challenging each other’
Dissent is critical for maintaining healthy scientific discourse and democratic institutions, the panelists said.
Bhattacharya highlighted the historical importance of scientific dissent, citing the example of Frances Kelsey, M.D., Ph.D., a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist who prevented the approval of the dangerous pregnancy drug thalidomide in the U.S.
“She worked for the FDA and … was just an honest scientist inside the FDA bureaucracy,” Bhattacharya explained.
Weinstein expanded on this theme, emphasizing the unique strength that dissent has historically given American institutions.
“How did the U.S. as a young country end up with the lion’s share of the world’s great research institutions?” he asked. “The short answer is ‘dissent.’ Cowboy culture … is all about challenging each other and going out for a drink afterwards.”
The need for a ‘whole-society freedom alliance’
The panelists offered several strategies to address the challenge of reforming public institutions.
Bhattacharya emphasized the importance of political engagement. “You can ask your … congressional candidates, ‘Where do you stand on free speech? Where do you stand on the censorship complex? Where do you stand on regulation of science?’”
Shanahan called for a restructuring of scientific publishing and peer review processes. “We are due for a new model of publishing and reviewing scientific literature.”
Weinstein suggested creating a glossary of terms to help the public understand the language used in national security and information control contexts. “We have to arm ourselves with the information, the terminology and the history.”
Benz advocated for a “whole-society freedom alliance” approach similar to what arose during the pandemic, including congressional committees, state attorneys general, private sector lawyers, alternative media and others who are “able to do their part.”
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Poland: Lesbian Couple Charged with Brutal Long-Term Abuse of 4-year-old Boy
A shocking case of child abuse has come to light in Gliwice, Poland, where a four-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to prolonged violence by a lesbian couple, consisting of his biological mother and her partner.
The couple, Julia B. and Patrycja J., who lived together along with three children, was arrested after the boy managed to escape their apartment and was found alone on the street in only his shoes. He displayed signs of brutal and sadistic violence.
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Gliwice disclosed the charges, highlighting the disturbing nature of the injuries suffered by the four-year-old. According to the reports, Patrycja J. subjected the victim to physical and psychological torment, including starvation, verbal abuse, threats of abandonment, and physical violence involving punching, biting, choking, and using cables to strike him.
Moreover, the victim was a child with a disability, suffering from a congenital bone condition that required several surgeries by the age of four. Despite his vulnerability, the couple is accused of physically and psychologically torturing him in a calculated manner.
On July 31, 2024, the child managed to leave the apartment and was later discovered on the streets, his body showing numerous injuries including damage to his left shoulder, chest, right cheek, and left eye socket. He was then taken to the local police station by a bystander who found him.
This incident has reignited debate over the safety of children in households with LGBT parents, as local pro-life outlets criticize the acceptance of LGBT family structures, drawing parallels to reported cases of child abuse in such households abroad.
The local community and authorities continue to respond to the tragedy, calling for increased vigilance and protective measures for children in similar situations. The case remains under investigation as new details emerge about the treatment of Ignacy’s step-sisters, who reportedly were not subjected to the same abuse.
This has led some to speculate about the influence of an ideology that views masculinity as something to be fought against, drawing parallels with similar cases abroad where boys were targeted for abuse by lesbian couples.
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Islamist Teenagers Planned Bloodbath at Taylor Swift Concert
A 19-year-old man arrested in Vienna on Wednesday had been planning a suicide attack at a Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital, local intelligence services announced on Thursday, August 8th.
“He said he intended to carry out an attack using explosives and knives. His aim was to kill himself and a large number of people during the concert, either today or tomorrow,” the head of the domestic intelligence agency, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner told a news conference. He was referring to three concerts by the U.S. pop singer that were supposed to take place at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but were cancelled due to the terror threat.
Terrorpläne gegen Swift-Konzert: Islamisten geständighttps://t.co/rmZfqCDl8O
— eXXpress (@exxpressat) August 8, 2024
About 65,000 spectators were expected at each show, and as many as 30,000 onlookers outside.
Authorities arrested the 19-year-old, an Austrian with North Macedonian roots, in the town of Ternitz, an hour’s drive from Vienna. His accomplice, a 17-year-old with Turkish-Croatian roots, was detained in Vienna. The former had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State terror organisation in recent weeks and began working on his attack plans in July. He is said to have quit his job some time ago.
The latter, meanwhile, was employed a few days ago by a facility management company providing services at the venue for the concerts. He is said to be a member of one of the local Viennese gangs that have attacked each other in recent street battles
They organised their planned attack via encrypted messenger communication. One of the two confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”
Both suspects were radicalised on the internet. Omar Haijawi-Pirchner said the 19-year-old was “clearly radicalised in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels [non-believers].” Investigators found chemical substances, detonators, and technical devices in his home, indicating “concrete preparatory acts.” They also discovered Islamic State propaganda material, €21,000 in counterfeit money, and steroid-like substances.
Authorities also found Islamic State and al-Qaeda material at the home of the second suspect.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the “very serious” threat had been combatted early to prevent any tragedy.
Die Absage der Taylor Swift Konzerte durch die Veranstalter ist für alle Fans in Österreich eine herbe Enttäuschung. Die Situation rund um den offenbar geplanten Terroranschlag in Wien war sehr ernst. Dank der intensiven Zusammenarbeit unserer Polizei und dem neu aufgebauten DSN…
— Karl Nehammer (@karlnehammer) August 7, 2024
Omar Haijawi-Pirchner stated: “IS is back; key players are receiving instructions from abroad.” During the investigations, Austrian intelligence came across an Islamist network.
The danger posed by Islamist extremism in Europe has increased significantly following Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on October 7th last year. Terrorists linked to the Islamic State have plotted many attacks in recent months, targeting the Paris Olympics, the Swedish parliament, a Brussels concert hall, churches and synagogues in Germany, and threatened to target Champions Leaguefootball games, and the Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany. The group also claimed responsibility for the major terror attack on Moscow Concert Hall in March.
Austria foiled a planned terror attack last December on St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, and the security alert had been on the second highest level before the Taylor Swift concerts. “I therefore understand the organiser’s decision to cancel the concert,” Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said.
He also drew a link to the British Taylor Swift-themed event where three children were killed by the son of Rwandan immigrants. The attack was followed by days of rioting. Taylor Swift is set to perform at London’s Wembley Stadium in five concerts between August 15th and 20th. There are no plans as of yet to cancel these concerts, but British authorities are reviewing the security preparedness.
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