On Saturday, I attended a lively conference in San Diego called “Rational Ground,” a group formed by businessman Justin Hart. Rational Ground, an entire team of rational thinkers, presented headliners such as Scott W. Atlas, MD, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and former Levi’s exec Jennifer Sey, who joined lesser-known but equally important voices at the podium to decry what has happened to public health over the COVID years.
The speakers covered a wide range of topics, from the data behind COVID infection rates to the ineffective measures aimed at “stopping the spread,” to the rampant censorship of dissenting views, to the public’s complete loss of confidence in our public health institutions. It seemed fitting that as the audience gathered, news broke that author and noted mRNA vaccine critic Alex Berenson was once again banned from Twitter. The bluebird also temporarily took down a post from Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who recommended against mRNA vaccines for men under 40 due to the heightened risk of myocarditis.
The conference was long and informative, with eight information-packed sessions that ranged from data analysis to activism to lawfare. One of my main takeaways, however, is the monumental power of Twitter. Many of the people at this event had met via the online public square, formed private chats, traded information, and fought school boards and public health entities as a team. Most were meeting each other for the first time in person, some after years of interaction. “Twitter actually became the weapon [we use] to fight back,” Hart said in his introductory remarks. The power of realizing that you are not alone cannot be discounted, and many attendees greeted each other effusively after hearing each others’ Twitter handles.
The speakers covered a wide range of topics, from the data behind COVID infection rates to the ineffective measures aimed at “stopping the spread,” to the rampant censorship of dissenting views, to the public’s complete loss of confidence in our public health institutions. It seemed fitting that as the audience gathered, news broke that author and noted mRNA vaccine critic Alex Berenson was once again banned from Twitter. The bluebird also temporarily took down a post from Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who recommended against mRNA vaccines for men under 40 due to the heightened risk of myocarditis.
The conference was long and informative, with eight information-packed sessions that ranged from data analysis to activism to lawfare. One of my main takeaways, however, is the monumental power of Twitter. Many of the people at this event had met via the online public square, formed private chats, traded information, and fought school boards and public health entities as a team. Most were meeting each other for the first time in person, some after years of interaction. “Twitter actually became the weapon [we use] to fight back,” Hart said in his introductory remarks. The power of realizing that you are not alone cannot be discounted, and many attendees greeted each other effusively after hearing each others’ Twitter handles.
