Why are people in Pakistan so out of touch with the Covid-19 reality?

[Stewie]

I don’t live in Pakistan, but I have family and friends there who I am in touch with a lot over social media, etc. I have made some observations over the last year or so that are extremely puzzling to me. It’s the attitudes of people back home in reference to the ongoing pandemic. I’ll try to summarize some of those:

First it was: there is no pandemic. This is all propaganda by the west. A massive hoax!

Then it was: ok it’s not a hoax. It is real but we are fine because we have strong immunity.

Now it is: this is all a conspiracy. This was spread by US...

Some tend to flip flop between “it is not real” to
“it’s made out to be a lot more deadly than it really is”

Meanwhile people regardless of nationality, ethnicity and religion have suffered from it and died, we all know it but some pakistanis still feel Thats it’s either fake or overstated and someone a vast conspiracy to do exactly what? I don’t know.. I don’t think even they know.. nobody seems to have any firm grasp over their belief there is something foul afoot.
No evidence, no firm ground to support the belief and I get the feeling it’s mostly hearsay.

However, I wanted to share this here to see if any of you tend to have these ideas and can hopefully clear up for me why you feel that way.

 

[Shaddy86]

It isn't just the Pakistanis that feel this way, I've met more English people that believe in these theories than desis. People fear of having their freedom taken away, being controlled and monitored and for many this has been long time coming. This is a global issue and not just limited to Pakistanis.

 

[sweep_shot]

I personally think it has been slightly blown out of proportion.

Having said that, I support wearing mask and maintaining social distancing.

 

[Stewie]

It isn't just the Pakistanis that feel this way, I've met more English people that believe in these theories than desis. People fear of having their freedom taken away, being controlled and monitored and for many this has been long time coming. This is a global issue and not just limited to Pakistanis.

I feel in Pakistan, the beliefs are similar but the reasons are very different. In the west, people may worry about their freedoms being taken away, but in Pakistan, that happens every 10-15 years or so when the army takes over in the first place.
I feel they just think it’s a vaster, more menacing conspiracy against the world for profiteering.
But that makes no sense because nobody has profited from it so far... and in fact economies are destroyed .. especially in the US (which is usually the alleged mastermind behind most such theories) .. people have died.. again the highest death toll is in the US.. etc..

 

[Stewie]

I personally think it has been slightly blown out of proportion.

Having said that, I support wearing mask and maintaining social distancing.

I don’t think it is. But that is a subjective discussion.

I wouldn’t want to divert away from my real question of Pakistanis refusing to believe the evidence on display and suspecting a vaster conspiracy behind it...

 

[Gayle_Force]

I feel in Pakistan, the beliefs are similar but the reasons are very different. In the west, people may worry about their freedoms being taken away, but in Pakistan, that happens every 10-15 years or so when the army takes over in the first place.
I feel they just think it’s a vaster, more menacing conspiracy against the world for profiteering.
But that makes no sense because nobody has profited from it so far... and in fact economies are destroyed .. especially in the US (which is usually the alleged mastermind behind most such theories) .. people have died.. again the highest death toll is in the US.. etc..

I don’t think Covid conspiracy theories are being propagated exclusively in Pakistan. There are enough people in the west that think Covid is a hoax. Also, you have the US President going around suggesting Covid was spread deliberately by China.

 

[Stewie]

I don’t think Covid conspiracy theories are being propagated exclusively in Pakistan. There are enough people in the west that think Covid is a hoax. Also, you have the US President going around suggesting Covid was spread deliberately by China.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that this trend is exclusive to Pakistanis. I am questioning the “logic” used behind their views.

It’s all political elsewhere. Trump is a ***** and wants to get re-elected so he is pretending the disease is not real.
His supporters and mostly other right wingers in the west basically support such views because they have the irrational fear of their freedoms being taken away....


But in Pakistan, I’ll say it again... there is no logic behind why they have some of the views .... I have already shed some light on it in a post or two above.

 

[Gayle_Force]

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that this trend is exclusive to Pakistanis. I am questioning the “logic” used behind their views.

It’s all political elsewhere. Trump is a ***** and wants to get re-elected so he is pretending the disease is not real.
His supporters and mostly other right wingers in the west basically support such views because they have the irrational fear of their freedoms being taken away....


But in Pakistan, I’ll say it again... there is no logic behind why they have some of the views .... I have already shed some light on it in a post or two above.

I don’t know 100% but Pakistan has a very close relationship with China and many believe that CPEC will lead to Pakistan’s economic recovery. There seems to be a strong believe that US is actively seeking to create roadblocks for CPEC and the Covid conspiracy theories might stem from this.

 

[Stewie]

I don’t know 100% but Pakistan has a very close relationship with China and many believe that CPEC will lead to Pakistan’s economic recovery. There seems to be a strong believe that US is actively seeking to create roadblocks for CPEC and the Covid conspiracy theories might stem from this.

Interesting...

This the first time I heard of this... I see how that may fit with some..

 

[JaDed]

It seems some posters don't know how losers were attacking and destroying 5G towers in US and UK because they believed 5G caused corona.


But sure go ahead and continue with your agendas.

Which towers were destroyed in US?

 

[Gotham Cronie]

You forgot the stage where COVID was punishment on China for their treatment of the Uighur Muslims.

 

[Stewie]

Which towers were destroyed in US?

Americans are too busy buying guns, and blaming everything on antifa and Joe Biden (replace antifa and Joe Biden with white supremacists and trump) to worry about 5G towers.

I did see quite a few videos from Americans on the subject as well but I don’t recall hearing or reading anyone destroying 5G towers.

Everybody is too busy masking up or speaking against masking up here.

 

[Slog]

I don’t live in Pakistan, but I have family and friends there who I am in touch with a lot over social media, etc. I have made some observations over the last year or so that are extremely puzzling to me. It’s the attitudes of people back home in reference to the ongoing pandemic. I’ll try to summarize some of those:

First it was: there is no pandemic. This is all propaganda by the west. A massive hoax!

Then it was: ok it’s not a hoax. It is real but we are fine because we have strong immunity.

Now it is: this is all a conspiracy. This was spread by US...

Some tend to flip flop between “it is not real” to
“it’s made out to be a lot more deadly than it really is”

Meanwhile people regardless of nationality, ethnicity and religion have suffered from it and died, we all know it but some pakistanis still feel Thats it’s either fake or overstated and someone a vast conspiracy to do exactly what? I don’t know.. I don’t think even they know.. nobody seems to have any firm grasp over their belief there is something foul afoot.
No evidence, no firm ground to support the belief and I get the feeling it’s mostly hearsay.

However, I wanted to share this here to see if any of you tend to have these ideas and can hopefully clear up for me why you feel that way.

I haven’t heard the ‘conspiracy by US’ theory.

Anyways from my experience and interactions regarding corona, people in US arguably believe coronavirus is a hoax way more than the average pakistani

 

[Bigboii]

[MENTION=17315]Stewie[/MENTION] but the fact is even with all the reckless behavior, conspiracy theories Pakistan is doing a much better job controlling covid than US and some other major countries

Because infection rates are down people are more open so they don't fear covid as much

 

[Slog]

[MENTION=17315]Stewie[/MENTION] - been in the US for a large part of 10 years now and I would say this country is as stuck in conspiracy theories as pakistan if you look at the country as a whole. To me it seems from outside Western European countries are not as into conspiracy theories but can’t say for sure since never lived there.

 

[Stewie]

[MENTION=17315]Stewie[/MENTION] but the fact is even with all the reckless behavior, conspiracy theories Pakistan is doing a much better job controlling covid than US and some other major countries

Because infection rates are down people are more open so they don't fear covid as much

That is great. I am truly happy about that. I think there are a number of reasons behind that, but I don’t want to derail this thread.

I personally believe that people in the west are more prone to conspiracy theories and backlash over lockdowns because of the freedoms and liberties they enjoy here.. and less so in Pakistan. It’s the blind belief in some weird stuff I have seen that motivated me to start this discussion. It’s not an excuse to nitpick on a country or it’s covid handling strategy.

 

[Stewie]

I haven’t heard the ‘conspiracy by US’ theory.

Anyways from my experience and interactions regarding corona, people in US arguably believe coronavirus is a hoax way more than the average pakistani

Dude you have no idea. I happen to talk to a lot of friends back home and they are 100% sure this is a money making scam.

I’ll just come out and say it: their theory is that the Americans hatched this whole thing and they have the vaccine .. which they will eventually come out with after a while once their propaganda machine scares everyone to death over covid 19 dangers... and they will make billions from it. That’s their grand Dr evil plan! Lol

Truly a facepalm moment for me because covid inflicted economic damage in the US will be around trillions.. so supposedly Americans did all this to make billions.. that’s what some of them believe!

 

[sjahmed23]

Just went to Pakistan recently and it's a miracle Covid did not impact the country like it did Brazil or India. Not sure what the reason is but Pakistanis immune system did better than other countries as the virus has probably infected ~50% of the people already, and Pakistan is near or reached herd immunity.

 

[Stewie]

Just went to Pakistan recently and it's a miracle Covid did not impact the country like it did Brazil or India. Not sure what the reason is but Pakistanis immune system did better than other countries as the virus has probably infected ~50% of the people already, and Pakistan is near or reached herd immunity.

I think you cannot trust any data coming out of any Asian countries..

But I do believe that our immune systems were probably best equipped to handle it of all people.. we have been conditioned for disease due to being fed milawat waali ghiza.

 

[Slog]

Dude you have no idea. I happen to talk to a lot of friends back home and they are 100% sure this is a money making scam.

I’ll just come out and say it: their theory is that the Americans hatched this whole thing and they have the vaccine .. which they will eventually come out with after a while once their propaganda machine scares everyone to death over covid 19 dangers... and they will make billions from it. That’s their grand Dr evil plan! Lol

Truly a facepalm moment for me because covid inflicted economic damage in the US will be around trillions.. so supposedly Americans did all this to make billions.. that’s what some of them believe!

lot of Americans also believe this that Bill Gates, pharma companies and Fauci are fear mongering with this hoax so they can make money on the vaccine. Just look at interviews from trump rallies. Then there’s a subset who believe that this is real but overplayed and not any worse than a flue. Some really educated people.

 

[Stewie]

lot of Americans also believe this that Bill Gates, pharma companies and Fauci are fear mongering with this hoax so they can make money on the vaccine. Just look at interviews from trump rallies. Then there’s a subset who believe that this is real but overplayed and not any worse than a flue. Some really educated people.

No, I disagree ..
I would say what you mentioned, fringe groups maybe believe that crap and mostly those are uneducated trumpies as far as I know. Not within my social circle so it’s possible I may not be aware of that sentiment here in the US.

But people I am talking about from Pakistan are all educated elites .. which is why it’s mind boggling to me why they would have such a distorted vision...

 

[Slog]

No, I disagree ..
I would say what you mentioned, fringe groups maybe believe that crap and mostly those are uneducated trumpies as far as I know. Not within my social circle so it’s possible I may not be aware of that sentiment here in the US.

I have had different experience. I wouldn’t say it’s the case in my NYC circle but I was in Texas for a few months during the pandemic and this belief was wide spread among educated white professionals. I was really shocked.

Also even the ones you refer to aren’t fringe groups. They are upwards of 30% of the electorate if you look at the polls.

 

[Nadeemp]

I have had different experience. I wouldn’t say it’s the case in my NYC circle but I was in Texas for a few months during the pandemic and this belief was wide spread among educated white professionals. I was really shocked.

Also even the ones you refer to aren’t fringe groups. They are upwards of 30% of the electorate if you look at the polls.

Do you live in NYC? What part?

 

[IndoorCricket]

In this age of information, Conspiracy theories are on a rampage. This is not only in Pakistan. Check the comment section of any vaccine related Youtube videos. Few people I know don't even give a damn about this whole pandemic who are uneducated literates.

 

[Gayle_Force]

Dude you have no idea. I happen to talk to a lot of friends back home and they are 100% sure this is a money making scam.

I’ll just come out and say it: their theory is that the Americans hatched this whole thing and they have the vaccine .. which they will eventually come out with after a while once their propaganda machine scares everyone to death over covid 19 dangers... and they will make billions from it. That’s their grand Dr evil plan! Lol

Truly a facepalm moment for me because covid inflicted economic damage in the US will be around trillions.. so supposedly Americans did all this to make billions.. that’s what some of them believe!

To be honest this conspiracy theory is not exclusive to Pakistan. I have heard this conspiracy sitting here in Canada as well. I believe it goes something along the lines that Bill Gates orchestrated this whole thing so he can inject everyone with a microchip through a vaccine.

It’s pretty ridiculous but you would be surprised how many people believe this in the west.

 

[Greenstorm]

Pakistanis took covid 19 more seriously than many other nations.

Its only now when death rate has dropped that people are taking less precautions.

 

[Stewie]

Pakistanis took covid 19 more seriously than many other nations.

Its only now when death rate has dropped that people are taking less precautions.

IK govt did. Credit to him.

Hamari qaum lekan ajeeb hai!

 

[ahmedzee]

My cousin in Pakistan today told me that there is "No COVID in Pakistan". He said we are planning 5-6 weddings in the winter (all cousins) and it should be a blast, so I should come visit and attend the weddings.

I tried educating him that people might be asymptomatic and majority of my uncles/aunts are either heart patients or diabetic, so there would be irreversible consequences if you don't postpone the weddings by atleast 6-8 months.

In the end my words weren't acknowledge at all.