Hi Ana, absolutely, the problem is one of past and present power imbalances. I am referring to the subordination in the former colonies of indigenous populations through vaccine mandates
and ‘western modern medicine’ more generally. See for instance the interesting work of Anke Scherer, who spoke at the “Epidemics and Othering” symposium a few months ago:
https://epidemicsandothering.blogs.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Epidemics-and-Othering-Symposium-Programm-final.pdf.
Cheers, Ingrid.
From: nettime-l-bounces@mail.kein.org <nettime-l-bounces@mail.kein.org>
On Behalf Of Ana Teixeira Pinto
Sent: Thursday, 20 January 2022 18:31
To: Ted Byfield <tedbyfield@gmail.com>
Cc: nettime-l@kein.org
Subject: Re: <nettime> CfP: Critical reflections on pandemic politics: left-wing, feminist and anti-racist critiques
What is "pro-vax imperialism"? To what concrete, real, policy does this term apply? It seems to suggest that vaccines are being foisted on the global south when the actual problem is hoarding...
This kind of 'concern trolling'–esque appropriation of leftish discourse in the service of rightish agendas is becoming pervasive in the US at least — and elsewhere, I'm sure, albeit with less detail.
As with most of these discursive tendencies it's first and foremost impersonal, which can make it hard to counter without opening oneself up to charges of relying on ad hominem. I think that helps to account for its rise as a rhetorical strategy: it 'works'
mainly because it lays basis for a scripted form of pseudo-argument — pious platitudes about science, openness, debate, democracy, whatever. But, as I think you suggest, Florian, it would be a serious mistake to see it as merely rhetorical: it has concrete
consequences.
It might be useful to think of this turn in terms of rightist 'culture-jamming,' 'overidentification,' and related ideas.
Cheers,
Ted
On 20 Jan 2022, at 7:00, Florian Cramer wrote:
>> - Government propaganda and censorship around lockdown and vaccination
>>
> [...]
>
>> - The role of mass and social media in anti- or pro-lockdown or vaccine
>> propaganda, political polarization and forms of media virality (eg. via
>> covid-19 memes)
>>
> [...]
>
>> - Mandatory vaccine rollouts as assaults to the feminist appeal to bodily
>> autonomy
>>
> [...]
>
>> - Ethical considerations regarding mass experimentation, moral shaming and
>> lateral citizen surveillance
>>
> [...]
>
>> - Teleological and theological narratives of science as salvation (eg. via
>> vaccinations)
>
>
> All beautiful examples of a "Querfront" discourse where extreme right
> positions are packaged in left-wing rhetoric. Not a single point, however,
> on minorities and vulnerable people and communities endangered by
> anti-vaccer egoism, and neo-Darwinist politics - for example in the UK,
> Sweden and the Netherlands, of "herd immunity" through survival of the
> fittest.
>
> You should invite Dutch experts Willem Engel and Thierry Baudet as keynote
> speakers.
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