By Simon Ssenyonga
Lately, the government in cooperation with various corporate entities are on a spree of popularizing the vaccination drive. They are making it “look cool” and fancy without necessarily exposing the dangers of it. In essence, they are telling you that to fully enjoy worship at places of worship, education in schools, social events, you need to, sorry, MUST vaccinate. Its communication in coded terms. They have mastered the art of deceiving by example wrapped in virtual signaling.
Something is just terribly wrong with these “feel-cool” health adverts. The celebrities are being used to subtly propagate the notion of our freedom being tied to vaccination. Have they thought about the adverse effects of this vaccination to the 4.8 million people they are pushing for? Have they thought about how they are ushering in medical tyranny where they falsely believe that their subsequent freedom will only be tied to medical group think that dismisses authentic alternative science?
Everyone is influenced by the views of the people around them whether they realize it or not. The influence is greater when it is from people with whom you identify, when it is regarding an issue that is new or unclear to you, and when the view is held by a majority of people in your circle of associates. News agencies understand that there is no substitute for peer influence so they create situations which mimic genuine peer interaction. To appeal to the majority population in Uganda for vaccination uptake, they will definitely use “influential” youthful icons.
Famous people are very influential. They have a unique ability to make something cool and popular. Corporations pay celebrities millions of dollars to advertise their products because they get a favorable return on investment. Charities effectively utilize celebrities to popularize their cause and raise donations. Famous people also have a great deal of political influence.
Public figures have a strong incentive to align with the majority. An actor who publicly expresses an unpopular opinion can see his bank account — and therefore, personal — revenues diminish. In an effort to avoid controversy, fewer platforms will hire him. They may even stop calling altogether. Criticizing social distancing, mandatory vaccination, lockdowns, disproportionate closure of places of worship and schools is not only unpopular; it is a lightning rod for defamation and bullying.
You could ask Mr. Filbert Baguma, who recently faced the verbal lashing of President Museveni for pushing for immediate reopening of schools and advocating for increased pay for teachers who have suffered not from COVID-19 but irrational lockdown policies. It is therefore expected that most celebrities not only keep the criticism to themselves, but actively endorse the cruel pandemic restrictions.
Like sheep, they will remind you how you can contract COVID-19 when you attend a place of worship but will never call out a celebrity who widely receives a Range Rover in a bar, open international schools, massive numbers attending a popular personalities burial service.
Celebrities like to make videos from home showing off how strictly they have been imprisoning themselves — and enjoying it to boot! Many will popularize their COVID-19 vaccination updates (very few ever show us their HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted disease medical updates).They know that that virtue signaling will pay off with increased record, book, or film sales.
It is rather disturbing how few famous figures have spoken out against the restrictions, but they are merely acting in the best interest of their highly lucrative careers. They desire to persuade the public to settle for partial reopening up as they posture as patriotic, responsible and polished. Oh, the folly of such crude ignorance!
The public doesn’t realize that celebrities are merely pandering to the majority and thus, the public is further inclined to support the isolation measures touted by their favorite actors, singers, news anchors, politicians and socialites.
What a tactful way of manipulating the citizens by keeping them ignorant by these veiled realities. At least many of us will resist and counter this nonsense.
The writer is a lawyer.
