You are missing the point. Think hard. Your side is only concerned with perceived "safety", however there are other things to be concerned with. Safety and Freedom are like hot and cold - it is all a spectrum and they must stay in balance. Your side is ok if the government lies to push an agenda, as long as the agenda increases perceived safety. The problem elevating "safety" over "freedom" is because the SAFEST THING TO DO IS NOTHING. We don't need anarchy, but we don't need to wear masks and be afraid to hurt someone else or feel guilty over a virus that really only kills a small group of people at a certain age or with complicating factors (just like the flu). You must also be entirely ignorant about the giant consolidation of power, land, money, that's been happening while we've all been locked up. The elite have been making moves during COVID. Almost like the pandemic was planned. https://www.weforum.org/press/2019/10/live-simulation-exercise-to-prepare-public-and-private-leaders-for-pandemic-response/

preach

safety and freedom do need to stay in balance, and the CDC advised that the balance needed to swing in favor of safety to minimize the loss of life. most of America felt the same way in the 2020 election. you need to wear masks (and social distance and get vaccinated) to minimize the spread of the virus. all of these things help. the rich and powerful are ALWAYS making moves to consolidate their power and further enrich themselves. 2020/2021 was no different than any other time in that way. step away from the crazy and help to solve the problem.

When the CDC came out with the guidance, we were all on the same page because we weren't sure what was going on. Then science happened, and some of us stopped believing the lies. I'm sure that there were some people who thought COVID was bullshit from the beginning, but I wasn't one of them. I only started believing COVID was bullshit after new facts had been presented. I also own a business with clients from all walks of life. Due to the fact the my business is a luxury service, I have quite a few doctors that I associate with. The ONLY doctor on my client list who asked me to about vaccinations and mask wearing was a Psychologist. The other doctors (you know, the real ones) didn't care. So, that personal experience also goes into my opinion, here.

Also, if I had a big ass microphone like the CDC does (or the WHO), I could make the whole world afraid of anything and then use that fear to get the populace to do things that benefit me and my friends. I'm not evil, so I wouldn't, but it would be an easy exploit to make a shitload of money. I used to sell fear as a job, and made a LOT of money. People will do anything if you can convince them they are being threatened.

bear in mind that half of all doctors graduated from the bottom 50% of medical schools, and half of those graduated in the bottom half of their class. i stopped trusting doctors at age 16 when one almost killed me.

i'm sure you're right about people being eager to avoid threats, but that doesn't mean that all broad threats are just devices for manipulation. this threat is real, not manufactured by the gov't. think about how many doctors, some of whom are truly crackerjack at what they do, and many of whom really care about people (I train a lot of premeds, and some of them really want to save the world, think about how many would have to be in on the conspiracy for it to work. basically all of them.

if you've had covid, you know it's no joke. mine lasted 3.5 weeks and pneumonia became a serious concern. i can't take antibiotics, and luckily i didn't need to. millions of people have died from this in just a year and a half.

think of all the CDC scientists who'd have to be in on it. again, people who got into science to save lives.

the guidance was never BS. they didn't know much about the virus (modes of transmission and contagiousness and replication cycle) early on, so they just went on what they had and their experience with other pandemics. when Fauci said 'two weeks' to flatten the curve, that was based on the assumption that the country would pull together for everyone's benefit. well that didn't happen, so Fauci can't be blamed for that.

anyway, you can't convince me that the CDC is some evil agency. i know and trained too many people who work there. it will be difficult to believe that the MSM has been giving you the straight poop on this all along (by and large, and to the best of their ability, anyway), but that's how it is.

Well 3 million people to be exact